The Tragedies of Tyrants Exercised Upon the Church of God, Chapter 17
Of the Sundry cauſes, why God ſuffreth the Chriſtian Church to be torne with Tyrantes and afflicted with perſecutions. Chapter. xvii.
HEerafter I intende to declare, the cauſes and effectes of the aboue recited perſecutions of y• chriſtian church, which doo worke in the faithfull, And although I hauehave already almoſt in eueryevery one, ſhewed them: notwithſtandyng ther remaine ſome more ſpeciall, which are of vsus with more diligence to bée conſidered.
Perſecutions are ſent to the Churche by the iuſt iudgment of god, as the ſcripture plainely witneſſeth were ſent vntounto Iob the hollie man, and Seruant ofIob. God: the Croſſe, affliction, and perſecution from God. VntoUnto which purpoſe, God vſed Satan as an inſtrument, preſcribing him bonds how farre he ſhould perſecute Iob. And Satan through his malice ſtirred vp the rauenous and gredie people of the Chaldees, to breake in vponupon Iobs goodes, to ſpoile him, and bringe him to pouertie. Then Iob, although hée vnderſtood y• …through the inſtigation of Satan, hée was in ſutch ſort endamaged by wicked, and rauenous men: notwithſtandinge hée tooke regard vntounto the principall cauſe of perſecution, and hée ſaide not as the maner is now a daies, that hée was ſore afflicted by Satan, and maliciouſlye ſpoiled by the Chaldees: but, ſaid hée, the Lorde hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away, y• name of the Lorde bée bleſſed for euer.
Likewiſe, the ſcripture in the ſameCaptiuitie of Babilon ſignification, calleth Nabuchodonoſor the ſeruaunt of God, which perſecuted his people, and lead them captiue into Babilon, for ſo it is writē in the ſecond booke of Paralipomenon, the laſt Chap. wherfore God ſent his Prophetes vntounto them, exhorting thē to repent, but they mocked at them. And therfore the lorde béeinge diſpleaſed with them: brought vponupon them the king of Chaldees (which was Nabuchodonoſor) and diliuered then into his hands. Likewiſe in Daniel the. 9. & y• Lorde watched for a ſhrewd turne, and hath brought it vponupon vsus: Our Lord God is iuſt in all his woorkes, which hée hath doone. And although they were the Chaldees which lead away the people of God into hard, and ſharpe captiuitie: notwithſtandinge the Prophets of God, Ieremie, Ezechiel, Daniel, with many other hollie men, which ſawe, and felt theſe thinges: choſe rather with Iob to aſcribe their affliction & perſecution vntounto God and his iuſtice, then vntounto the vnbéeléeuing and wicked men. So likewiſe at this day, the faithfull had rather to ſuppoſe, y• they abide their afflictions at the handes of God: then of men. For they know, that men can do nothing vnleſſe God permitt them. And in that he permitteth them: againe thereby they know & béeléeue y• all thinges are done, & ſuffred by him to bée doone: by his iuſt iudgment, and for ye profit of his people.
Wherfore, by all theſe thinges we maiThe godly ſuffer perſecution. vnderſtand, that the croſſe, afflictions, & perſecutions ar ſent frō God, & laid alſo vponupon holy and Godly men. And as touching Iob: God himſelf bereth witnes: that hée was a ſingle and righteous man, fearing God, and eſchewing euell whoſe like was not vponupon the earthe. Moreouer, all men acknowledge and confeſſe, that the Prophetes, Iohn the Baptiſte, and the Apoſtles: were holly men, and the ſeruantes of God, and yet notwtſtāding they al ſuffred perſecutiō. Beſides this, S. Peter writeth: that Chriſtians ſhould not ſuffer as théeues, or malefactours: but only for God, and the truethes cauſe. The firſt epiſtle of Peter, the. 4. chapter.
Secondly, God ſendeth perſecution vntounto ſutch, as ought to bée the people of God, and partly alſo are indéede, and ſo are named: but are not ſo innocent, pure, and holly, as of duetie they ſhould bée, as wée ſayd erewhile of the people of God, which were lead away into Babylon: And Cyprian teſtifieth, that the cauſe of the perſecution at his time vnderunder the Emperour Decius: was the diſſolute life of the faithfull. Euſebius ſheweth the like cauſes, where hée deſcribeth the perſecution of Dioclecian. And it is ſéene, that booth giltie and vngiltie, good and bad, altogither are ſubiect to the croſſe. I call vngiltie, thoſe whiche béeynge vnlike to the children of this worlde: are not defiled with all kynde of wickedneſſe, neuertheleſſe hauehave their imperfections, and as it were, certein moales and ſtaynyngs. Wherefore, they confeſſe their faultes and defectes vntounto God, and glorie nothyng of themſelues. Accordyng vntounto which ſence and opinion, Iob ſayth: Surely I know it is true, that no man is iuſt if hee be compared to God. If hee will ſtriue with him: hee is not able to aunſwere him vntounto one for a thouſand. And althogh I hauehave doone ſome iuſt deede: yet will I not anſwere, but intreate my iudge. And Dauid in the. 142. Pſalme ſaith: Enter not into iudgment with thy ſeruant O Lorde, for there ſhall no liuing creature bee iuſtified in thy ſight. Wherfore, thoſe which bée giltleſſe, although they bée ſubiect to perſecution with the moſt wicked men: notwithſtandinge they murmur not againſt y• Lorde, but accordinge to the ſcriptures they confeſſe and ſay: Thy iudgements are iuſt, O Lorde, and all thy waies are trueth, and holineſſe.
Thirdly, perſecutions are ſent from god vntounto the Church, to declare his glorie, and Maieſtie. For when the Diſciples vponupon a time, had enquired of the Lorde touching the man that was borne blind, whether hée or his parentes had deſerued the ſame by their offences: the lorde anſwered them, as appéereth in Iohn the ix. chapter, that this was doone, that the glory of God might bée declared in him. The like alſo hée ſaid of the ſicknes of his frend Lazarus, in Iohn the 12. that the infirmitie was not vntounto death: but ſent to the glorye of God, that ye ſun of God might bée glorified therby. For in perſecutions, the power of God is declared wherby hée preſerueth his in the midſt of afflictions, and when hée ſéeth time, deliuereth them with great glory, as it is euidently expreſſed in the ſtories of Daniell, Heſter, and Eſdras. Wherfore, it is writen by Saint Paule: wée hauehave the treaſure of the Goſpell in earthen veſſelles, that the excellencie of the power therof may be Gods, and not our owne, while in althinges wée ar preſſed but not wronge: we are in trouble but wée do not want, wée ſuffer perſecution but wée are not therin forſaken, caſte downe, nor periſhe. wée carie the mortification of our Lorde Ieſus Chriſte about with vsus in our body, to the intente that the lyfe which commeth by Ieſus Chriſte: may bée made manifeſt in our body, the .ii. to the Corinthians, the. 4. Chapter. For which cauſe, the ſame Apoſtle writeth how it was ſaid vntounto him by the Lorde: my grace is ſufficient for thée, for my ſtrength is made perfect through weakneſſe, the 2. to the Corinthias, the xii. chapter.The trueth is knowen by perſecutions.
There is alſo another cauſe of perſecutions, for that it pleaſeth God through them to reueale the trueth vntounto men: namely, when the faithfull béeing apprehended in perſecutiōs, and brought into iudgment: do plainly and openly profeſſe the Goſpell. And our ſauiour chriſt ſaith: you ſhalbée brought béefore Lieutenantes and kinges for my ſake, that this may bée a teſtimonie to them, and the Gentiles. Mathew the x. Chapter.
Moreouer, by perſecutions whiche God layeth vponupon the Church: hée prooueth the ſame how ſtrong and conſtant it is, purgynge thoſe that are vncleane, like as Goldſmithes vſe to trie & clenſe their golde, and ſiluer in the fier. For if the fleaſh continue in reſt and idleneſſe, féelyng no maner of aduerſitie, oftentimes it waxeth wanton, and laſciuious: wherfore God exerciſeth his ſeruantes with perſecutions, to awake them that they ſhould not to mutch be wedded vntounto temporall thinges, but with more erneſt deſier ſéeke for thynges eternall. VntoUnto which purpoſe and meanyng S. Peter writeth: Deerely beloued, bee yee not troubled in this heat, whiche now is come among you to trie you, as though ſome ſtraunge thyng had hapned vntounto you: but rather reioyce, in as mutch as you are made partakers of Chriſtes paſsions, that when his glory appereth: yee may be mery and glad. Peter the firſt Epiſtle, the. 4. chapter. Wherunto alſo tende the wordes of the Apoſtle S. Paule: We reioyce alſo in tribulations, knowyng that tribulation bringeth pacience, pacience bringeth experience, experience bringeth hope and hope maketh not aſhamed. Paule to the Romans, the. 5. chapter.
Agayne, when the Lorde layeth thePerſecutions are tokens of the iudgment of God vpō the wicked. Croſſe vponupon thoſe whom hée loueth, and ſuffereth men which are not altogether wicked to bée afflicted, but ſutch as feare God and ſerue him, although notwithſtandynge they hauehave ſome blemiſhes: therwithall hée ſheweth what wicked men, & the children of this worlde muſt looke for. Like as the Lord himſelf witneſſeth, who bearyng his owne Croſſe when hée was lead to execution, ſayed: It it be thus in the greene tree that beareth frute: what ſhall bee in the drye and vnfrutfull? And Saint Peter: For 1. Peter. 4.it is time (ſaith hée) that iudgment begin at the houſe of god: then if it begin firſt with vsus: what ſhalbée the ende of thoſe y• obey not the goſpel of God? And if the iuſt bée ſcarce faued: where ſhall the wicked & ſinful man ſhew his face?
By perſecutions alſo God draweth vntounto him, and directeth in the right way thoſe which before that time walked not ſtrait in the waies of the Lord. And hée complaineth by his prophetes, and blameth his people, y• being put in mind of their duty with many ſtripes, yet wold they not turne vntounto him.
Moreouer, in perſecutions & afflictions, there is geuē vntounto vsus matter & occaſion of trouble, that we may bring foorth good works we paciēce, & we a good hope, y• we may cal vponupon god in our paſſiōs, & neuer waxe wery wt calling: like as the Lord. Ieſus hath manifeſtlye taught vsus in Luke the. 18 chap. And in very déed we finde this dayly to be true, that wée are ſlouthfull and cold in prayer: when wée are gréeued with no perſecution, norPerſecutions awake vsus. touched almoſt we ani kind of aduerſity.
Laſt of all, God exerciſeth the faithful with perſecutions, ſwiping from them, as it were, the duſt of worldly deſire or fleſhly luſts, that they ſhould not periſh in their ſins, we the wicked worlde. For it is ſure, and true, which S. Paul writeth: But whē we ar iudged of the lord: we are chaſtined that we should not be damned with the world. 1. Cor. ca. 11.
Now when we be thus inſtructed: we muſt humble and ſubmit our ſelues vntounto the mightye hande of the Lord, who when he ſeeth his time, can deliuer vsus againe, when it ſhall ſéeme conuenient vntounto his good pleſure. Wherof we hauehave an example in Dauid, who whē he was perſecuted by his owne ſun Abſolon, among other thinges he ſaide: If I hauehave found fauour in the ſight of the Lord: he will reſtore mee. But if he ſay vntounto me, I hauehave no delight in thee: Behould I am here, let him doe vntounto mee that which is acceptable in his ſight. The ſame Sainct Peter willeth al men to do which ſuffer perſecution, writing thus: VVherfore, let al them that ſuffer afflictions, according to the will of God, commit their ſoules to him with well doyng, as vntounto a faithfull creator.
Theſe cauſes, and effectes of the perſecutions1. Pet. 4. of the Chriſtian Churche, I hauehave bréefly choſen out amongſt many, leſt that the ſtore and ouer long reciting of them at large: ſhould be gréeuous vntounto any.
The End
End of the text · Henrich Bullinger, The Tragedies of Tyrants Exercised Upon the Church of God (1575)