The Christian Combat, Letter – Table of contents
To the Church of God, which is at Paris, and to all those that louelove Iesus Christ, and suffer for his Name; Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Iesus Christ.
DEarely beloued in Christ, wee commonly begin to acknowledge the value of things, when we hauehave lost them. It is that whereof ye hauehave experience in this time of calamity, wherein your holy assemblies being dispersed, you acknowledge the excellency of those goods which God hath taken from you, and doe lament the inestimable grace with compassion and holy alteration.
It is that which hath moued me to impart to you what spirituall comforts I can, and indeuour to contribute something to asswage your griefe; for although that heauinesse duls the Spirit, & causeth the conceits to bee more drooping; notwithstanding I hope, that God will helpe this want with the aide of his Spirit, and that the defect, which griefe may cause mee, may be supplied with affection, and with that cordiall louelove, which a faithfull Pastour beares to his flocke.
For God is my witnesse, how greatly your afflictions sting mee, how many sighes and groanes they plucke out from mee eueryevery houre; how bitter my life is to me since my separation, it being impossible for me to put my hand elsewhere then vponupon the sore, and to thinke on any thing else then vponupon your afflictions: it is this griefe that hath moued me to make this draught of consolations, written with teares, and interrupted with sighes; so that euen that which moued me to write, was vntounto me a trouble and a hindrance.
I hope notwithstanding, that you will accept this gift, remembring him whom you hauehave loued in presence, and who hath serued you the space of two and twenty yeeres, if not with such successe and sufficiency required, at least with much feruour and affection: for the louelove which ye hauehave shewed me, was vntounto me an incouragement; and the blessing which God did powre vponupon the Ministery of your Pastors, made mee hope, that God would vouchsafe me that fauour, that I might end my daies amongst you, in my Ministery. Now although that I hauehave not lost altogether this hope, notwithstanding beholding Gods Church on the brim of a dangerous and deepe downefall, and not knowing how it will please God to dispose of you and me; I thought it my duty to speake vntounto you once againe, and indeuour to comfort my selfe, in comforting you; for in drawing out to you these comforts, I hauehave represented to my selfe the contentment which I hauehave receiued for so many yeeres, in diuiding the Word of God among you, and hauehave felt a pleasure mixed with griefe, and in my heauinesse a sweete diuertion.
Besides that, I hauehave laboured to expose vntounto your view these remedies, which I hauehave had experience of, and those comforts which hauehave staid me in my afflictions; without the which I had wholy fainted, and it had beene impossible for mee to hauehave ouerliued so many Churches broken downe, and the prosperity of my flocke, from the which I hauehave found my selfe snatched away in a moment. Gods will was, that the first clap of this thunder should light on my head, and that my affliction should be a fore-runner of yours.
Wherein notwithstanding I acknowledge the prouidence of God, who knowing that my abode amongst you in so dangerous a time, would be a kindling of the aduersaries hatred, and would hauehave beene an occasion of trouble and persecution on the flocke, hath caused a particular occasion to rise; for the which my fellow labourers in the worke of the Lord hauehave thought it expedient, that I should yeeld vntounto the present necessity; and by absenting my selfe for a time, looke both to your rest, and my safety; for they hoped that God would ere long appease this tempest, and that I should be quickly restored vntounto you.
But it is happened otherwise: for it hath pleased God to prolong the dayes of affliction, and aggrauate our euils; whereby our sinnes doe make vsus acknowledge his Iustice, and the succeeding euents will make vsus acknowledge his Wisdome, and feele the profit thereof.
Amidst this desolation, that which is the most grieuous vntounto me, is the fall of some, whom Satan hath snatched away from vsus, that had not imployed the time of prosperity, in preparing themselues for aduersity. They hauehave beene contented to follow Iesus Christ while he distributed bread, but they had not the will to follow him, when he calleth them to beare his Crosse after him. And if those instructions which we hauehave often propounded vntounto you, are yet ingraued in your memories, you will not hauehave forgotten, that often wee hauehave foretold the vicious, that shortly God would put them to the triall; and that it was a very difficult thing to hope, that those would perseuere in the profession of the Gospell, that serue their vanity or belly, which is a bad Counsellor in the matter of Gods seruice; that those that are weake against vices, hardly would they be firme against griefe; that those that are hot in their owne quarrels, would be found effeminate and faint-hearted in Gods quarrell.
It may be, that some of them casting their eye vponupon this booke, and acknowledging therein the language of him that hath spoken so long time to them in the Name of the Lord, will feele themselues pricked in their hearts, and finding thēelues brought to huskes, and fed with meates that nourish not, will wish for the bread of the Fathers house, and will returne to God. It may be, that others also already standing on the Pinacle, and ready to cast themselues headlong, will be kept backe by the considerations which we propound in this booke, and will be possessed with a godly feare to saluation, and with a holy astonishment.
As for those whom the feare of God, and faith in his promises make stedfast against these temptations, they may couple these lessons with their holy Meditations, and may adde thereunto that, which their study, or griefe, or hope may furnish them with, to make therewith a web of holy thoughts, and a subiect of their ordinary entertainement with God. In which entertainement there is a sweetnesse, which humane reason cannot taste of, and a soueraigne comfort; for it is also the end for the which God depriueth vsus of the delights of the world, that wee may seeke our delight in this communication with him.
To this end wee must aboue all things aske for this Spirit, who is the Cōforter, this Spirit of Peace, this reioycing vnction; for they are not our words that comfort the heart, but the efficacie of Gods Spirit that quickneth them; without the which we sowe vponupon the stone, and tickle the eare, without mouing the heart, and comfort those that hauehave more neede of threatning then of comfort.
It is this Spirit that frames vsus to hope against all appearance, that confirmes our spirits to pray without ceasing by a holy obstinacie; Considering that God is our Father, who hath deliuered his Sonne vntounto death for vsus, who giueth vsus his prouidence for a couerture, his Spirit for a guide, his Angels for Gardiens, his Word for instruction, his Kingdome for inheritance, & the first fruits of his Spirit for an earnest of that Inheritance. Considering also, that his Church is his owne purchase, that our Religion is his cause, that his Counsels are hidden, his Wayes secret, his Decrees vnauoidable, his Iudgements iust and wholsome, his Promises certaine, his Compassions tender, & his Election immutable; He maketh marueilous workes with little meanes, yea without meanes, yea against all meanes, and against all appearance. Let vsus not therefore put limits to his power, let vsus not controll his Wisedome, nor let vsus doubt of his Truth, and of the firmenesse of his promises.
Who knoweth if God sayth not in himselfe, This people is not as yet low enough to be raised vp with miracle? I will bring them to that passe, that their deliuerance shall be a kinde of resurrection; for God, who hath beene dishonoured by vsus in prosperity, will make his Name glorious both by chastisements, and by our deliuerance. And if his Fatherly goodnesse wil reassemble vsus after this dissipation; it must be our duty to offer vp to him Sacrifices of thankesgiuing, and to labour with all our power to raise vp the ruines of his Temple. But if he hath otherwise determined, he will shortly gather vsus together aboue, and bring vsus into his Temple, the stones whereof are liuing, whose builder is God, and foundation Iesus Christ; a Temple which the mutinie of a furious people cannot indammage: while that men shall triumph ouer vsus here on earth, wee shall triumph with God in heauen; wayting for the time wherein the enemies of God shall appeare before the Iudgement seate of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, and that God will render to eueryevery man according to his deeds.
The Father of mercies and of all comfort, asswage your euils, strengthen your faith, crowne your labour, and giuegive me the grace to be alwayes
Your faithfull and most affected Pastour and seruant in the Lord: DV MOVLIN.
The Preface touching the Christian Combate or Affliction.
AS Peace is a thing to be desired: so the Prince that will long enioy it, ought to be prepared for warre. The like is of the Church of God, whose prosperity we ought to desire, and pray for the peace of Ierusalem; but to prolong the dayes of prosperity, wee are to be alwayes prepared for aduersity; for seeing that God afflicteth his children to amend them, the right way to eschew affliction, is to better our selues before wee be strucken, and preuent his chastisements by repentance.
And if by reason of the sinnes of a part of the flock, it pleaseth God to visit his Church with his rods; they who by continuall prayers, by the contempt of the world, by the meditation of Gods Word, by the exercise of good workes, hauehave kept themselues ready for the affliction to come, will hauehave this aduantage aboue the rest, that they will hauehave the plaster ready before the blow, and shall not be astonished as at a thing not expected; for affliction beats downe onelyonly those whom it surprizeth, and none is ouercome by aduersity, but hee that hath beene corrupted or lulled asleepe by prosperity.
Seeing then that it hath pleased God, whose counsels are vnsearchable, and iudgement righteous, and whose hand is vnauoidable, to send vsus dayes of weeping and of lamentation, and to scatter in his anger those flockes, which he had gathered together in his mercy; it is our part now to apply the remedies, wherewith eueryevery one fearing God, ought to hauehave beene prouided before the euill happened; which being fitly applied, will serue to make the afflictions not onelyonly lighter, but also profitable, and to extract sweetnesse out of bitternesse, as Sampson did, and make that the euill themselues become remedies.
An enterprize truely full of difficulty, and which Philosophy neuer vndertooke without rashnesse, and hath nener acquitted himselfe without deceit; for in this matter wee hauehave it selfe contrarie to it; and wee are contradicted by humane iudgement, and vulgar opinion.
The condition of the faithfull is like vntounto that of the Planets, that mooue themselues against the course of the world; and to the nature of certaine fishes, that swim alwayes against the streame, and tend towards the spring; for wee are called to goe against the current of customes, and of publike opinions, that wee may tend vntounto the spring of life, which is with God: Whose counsels march contrarie to our thoughts; to whom the wisdome of man is meere blindnesse; who from the beginning of the world, hauing drawne the Light out of darkenesse, hath not since ceased to draw good out of euill, and his glory from ignominy it selfe.
But before wee come to set open to the view, these spirituall comforts and remedies, it is necessary to discerne in a Christian man these two conditions; the one, whereby hee is a man, the other, whereby hee is a Christian, that wee may discerne the euils that doe befall him as hee is a man, and subiect to the like infirmities with other men, from those that befall him as hee is a Christian, and for the profession of the Gospell; for according to the diuersitie of these euils, we must apply the remedies.
A Table of the Chapters, and matters contained in this Booke.
The first Booke.
CHAP. I. MAn by Nature is subiect to a great number of Afflictions, & more sensible of paine, then of pleasure. page 1
CHAP. II. Counsels and consolations against those euils that befall indifferently all men; And first, against corporall maladies and infirmities. p. 5
CHAP. III. Counsels and Comforts against pouerty and the losse of goods. p. 15
CHAP. IV. Counsels and Comforts about the losse of our friends. p. 33
CHAP. V. Generall Counsels and Comforts against all sorts of afflictions. p. 38
The second Booke.
CHAP. I. THe difference betweene those afflictions that are common to all men, and those that are proper vntounto the children of God. p. 50
CHAP. II. The Scripture doth prepare vsus to Afflictions, and hath this condition annexed to the profession of the Gospell. p. 55
CHAP. III. Three Causes, for the which the Church of God is subiect to affliction. p. 66
CHAP. IV. The benefit God makes to his Church by Afflictions. p. 106
CHAP. V. Comforts wherewith the Word of God furnisheth against persecution. And first, the example of Iesus Christ, and conformity with him. p. 125
CHAP. VI. The second Comfort; the example of the Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs. p. 133
CHAP. VII. The third Comfort; the greatnesse of the reward. p. 143
CHAP. VIII. The fourth Comfort; the weakenesse of the enemies. p. 167
CHAP. IX. The fift Comfort, Gods promise. p. 172
CHAP. X. An exhortation to bee ioyfull during Affliction. p. 186
CHAP. XI. Profitable Counsels for perseuerance in time of persecution, whereof the first is, to withdraw ones selfe from vice. p. 202
CHAP. XII. A second Counsell; To cast off the shame of men. p. 211
CHAP. XIII. A third Counsell; To hauehave an abridgement of Popery. p. 213
CHAP. XIV. A fourth Counsell; Continuall prayer. p. 226
A Prayer and Meditation of the faithfull Soule, touching the present affliction of the Church. p. 235
PSAL. 50. Vers. 15. A Sermon touching Prayer in the time of Affliction. p. 257