A present consolation for the sufferers of persecution for rightwiseness.  All that will live faithfully and purely in Chryst jesus, shall suffer persecution. ij. Timothe. iij. If any will follow me, let him renounce himself and take upon him his cross daily and follow me. Luke. ix. Blessed be they that suffer persecution for well living and justly doing, speaking or writing: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matth. v. verily I say unto you. That easier shall it be to the land of the sodomites and Gomorreans in the day of judgement then to that land and cite, which now thrust away the gospel and preachers, offered and sent unto them. Matt. x.  

The Preface.  
WHen Chryst was comen into the region of the 
Matth. viij.  Gadarens, and had casten the legion of devils out of the naked wild man, and at these devil's desire permitted them to go into the herd of h●gges, at whose entresse, the swine tumbled all headlongs into the mere and were drowned. The Gadarens hearing of this miracle, comen forth and beholding Chryst, were greatly afraid of him: & desired Chryst to go out of their region. Which Gadarens all be it they did ungodly and greatly against their own salvation, to desire him to avoid from out of their region which came to caste out their devils, to heal and to save them, yet showed they themselves more gentle and human unto Chryst than these prince's magistrates and common people, to whom the word of god the gospel of their salvation now mercifully offered them, yet cruelly and violently they thrust it from them with faggots fire and sword, blaspheming it with a legion of devilysshe horrible new names. But yet, as the Gadarens were better content to have had still among them this mischievous mad man possessed of so many devils then Christ to have dwelled in their loud. Even so liefer had these hoggish Papists and cruel pursuers of the gospel & of the professors thereof, to have dwelling still in their dioceses churches and regions many legions of devylisshe rites, supersticiose ceremonies, dirty traditions and heythen idolatry, then Christ and his pure word should once set in foot among them freely & faithfully to be preached. And why? Chryst hath drowned their swine, say they. And if he should tarry long among us he would drown us to, say they. Siche an answer made some politic greedy Gergesens of late possessed verily of legions of devils driving them yet headlongs into the mere of almaner of mischief, murder, lechery, drunkenness, gluttony pride ambition envy etc. refrained with no shame no reverence, with no fear nor law nether of god nor man, like mad wild men crying out in their pulpits and common taverus. That if this new learning and Lutheran gospel (for so call they gods holy word) should come in freely to be preached, oh what an innovation, commotions & mutations would it make in this realm▪ What seditions, tumults and hurl burlis should we have a none in this now so peaceable a region? better it were therefore each of us all were still possessed and laden with legions of devils, fetered still in all idolatry and false religion, then that jesus Chryst with his word should here tarry any longer.  
Hereof may ye see what a preposter fear and sinister judgement there is now in this world. Men to be more afraid of Chryst & his gospel of salvation to dwell with them, then of a legion of devils ready to rend them in peses. Be you (oh papists) sewerer (think ye) under the devil then under Chryst: Do ye promise yourselves to be more quiet in Satan's service than in Christ's peaceable religion? What harm (I pray you) hath our lord jesus Chryst & his gospel done to you, so that if ye walk in his ways and receive his gospel, ye should fear any such perils of battle seditions and tumults to fall upon you? He hath drowned our swine (say you) he is not the author of evil say I. He came to drown and to mortify your swynisshe filthiness & bestly affectis and to bless you and yours with increase. He is the author of peace and not of sedition battle and tumult. Yourselves thrusting him and his word away from you so truly persecuting him in his preachers and professors be the very authors & cause of all battle seditions trouble morin of your beasts dearth famine and pestilence. And forbecause you fear so sore these evils to fall upon you for receiving and retaining Chryst with his gospel, therefore be ye sewer, all these heavy heaps of calamities and yet greater & grenoser plagues shorteli to be powered forth upon you.  
But here objecteth the unfaithful cruel Gadarens saying. We see it daily that where this new learning is preached, there followeth much trouble, inquietness tumult sondri sects diverse opinions. Truth it is. For never was the seed of god's word sow●e & began to arise, Satan being a sleep. And therefore tread down this blessed seed with your filthy feet, suffocate it, burn it, thrust it from you with sword and fire, and nourish still among you rather a legion of devils compelling men to recant and renye the truth openly & oft preached, or else burn them. Compel them to sayt. This is a realm of rightwijsenes where in is ministered all inste execution and vo pierce cution. For where the head and governor professeth Chryst there can be no persecution. Nether is Chryst (tell it them) per secuted but among the jews and gentiles. Unto this I answer. That the gospel preached is the word of the cross, Paul to witness. i Cor. i. And the true preachers thereof, Chrystsendeth as lombes among wolves, Matth. x. Wherefore where as ye have chased away & suppressed the word of the cross there can be no persecution thereof, & where as be no lombes sent among wolves, there can not the wolves devour any lombes. And thus briefly by your own factis and recantation words, you have properly proved yourselves nether to have the gospel nor any true preachers sent among you purely and freely to preach it, which as it is the most evident token of gods hevey wrath to take away his word and preachers from you, so is it the present token of his favour to send us them. Also where so ever is Christ our head, there are his members. And what the world and Satan did to our head and father of the household, the same do they 
Mat.  yet still to his members and faithful servants. If the high priests and bishops Caiphas and Annas with the pharisais persecuted our head Chryst so shall their successors persecute his members, for persecution is as common to the body as to the head. And therefore said Paul, Col. i▪ I now rejoice in mine afflictions for your sakis. For I supple that at yet remaineth and shall ever endure in the afflictions of Chryst in my flesh for his body which is the church. Here is it plain, Chryst in his members to suffer persecutions unto the worlds end until his adversaries be slain with the breath of his mouth, wherefore take away persecution out of england, and so take ye away the word of the cross even the gospel, the church of Christ & all true preachers. Which all gone, there must the pursuers & thrusters out of Chryst and his word be possessed with legions of devils. For never was there any church so little, so hole and perfect, but it had an adversary to persecute it. Chryst was ever to many more a stumbling stone and a sign to be again 
Luke. ij.  said, then to be believed & to rise at him. Then beginneth Satan to rustle when a strouger armed invadeth his realm. or else what should he do but lydowun & laugh or sleep to see his realm in tranquillity and in a paceable possession? Caiphas Annas the bishops, scribes & pharisaiss were holy religious ghostly father's (but no lords) till Chryst began to preach and revealed himself very god and man, and the believers in him only to besaved. The jews were the people of god agreeing in their religion, waiting for Messiah, keeping their ceremonies rites etc. quiet●1 and in peace till Chryst was comen & had preached his gospel, yea Christ is not so soon borne but he hath an antichrist, as soon as he preached he had a judas. And shall there any man preach this gospel now in england, only faith to justify our work is not to deserve grace remission nor heaven, or against images to stand in the place of worshipping, or against invocation of the dead saints, or praying for the dead or against the popis superstitious rites & cere▪ yet maytained in the churches of england, or against their profanation of the lords supper, and of his baptism or against the wifeless unchaste chastity of the priests and their unlawful vows, and estape persecution?  
If these blind buzerds and wealy vepers' whelps would but look bake unto the ark of No ever tossed and inquie●ed upon the vehement troublous surges, & yet never into any place of it receiving any water, or would they consider the persecuted heavy state of jacob, Genesis xxviij. what rest and lodging he had when he found out the place of the house of god. Or would they behold the perilous sharp situation of the temple compassed about with her haythen adversaries builded upon the north este side of the mount Zion, ever open and ready to receive, all the north east storms and winds, which be most rolled and bitterreste. Again look with what difficulty and resistance, & how long it was ere it coude be builden again after the first destruction and end of the Babylonike captivity y would they (I say) behold the figures of Chrystis church in the old testament they should soon see the heavy face & troblouse state of the church of Christ all though themselves as they never were of this church, so never suffered they any persecution for the gospel. Solomon in his balets described the situation of 
Cant. ij. ●. v.  Chrystis spouse to be as a lyle among thorns. And whiles she is in seeking her spouse, she is found of such keepers as are our bishops and their inquisitors in their quests and woluesshe honters for christian lombes blood, which saith Solomon, do smite and wound this poor silly spouse and little fearful floke of Christ, and they take away her best garment, that is to say. These bishops which should keep defend and edify the walls of Jerusalem, are become very thieves and cruel murderers of the church of Chryst, taking away her best garments, even the holy Bybles, Testaments the word of our faith and salvation, storuinge the poor hungry souls with famine, verefyinge the prophetye of Amos. They were these builders 
Amos. viij.  that rejected Chryst the foundation stone of his church, which name edificantes our bishoply builders have usurped so long till they have now worthily destroyed all theirs, throne down their abbeys, & shortly shall they throdowne their own bishoprykes to. The scriptures, the prophetis as Daniel & the Apocalypse paint forth Christ's church in far other bloody colours of affliction & persecution then do our wealy proud bulls of Basan which as they never felt trouble for the truth, so know they not what the church of Chryst is. There is nothing that so much displeaseth god, as when wealy idle men sitting in security and ease, pite not the persecution of the poor church, as Amos complaineth saying. Woe be to 
Amos. vi.  the wealy rich etc. which be not moved with heaviness and pity to see joseph, that is the people of god broken slain persecuted etc.  
But yet do our bishops compel men to recant saying. That where the head & governor professeth Chryst, there can be no persecution. Nether is Chryst persecuted but among the jews and gentiles. Ah subtile serpentine seed. Will ye yet make us believe the gospel not to have been persecuted of you in England? What thing (I pray ye) was it, that in the cardinal Thomas wolsaye, his days, and in that traitor sir Thomas More his time, being chancellor, and in johan stokisly bishop of London's time, you persecuted, when ye prisoned, undid and brent so many and chased away ●oo for bringing in, for reading and for having the new Testament and other books of prayers out of the scripture in English: What thing persecuted you when ye brent at Paulis cross 500 Testaments with▪ wother holy books in english? What thing persecuted ye, when ye come pell doctor barns, Master Bilney ● master Artur to bear faggots for preaching against the pope's falsely usurped primary, against his purgatory and pardons? joan fisher bishop of Rochester, after ward a traitor, than preaching openly at Paulis cross, and eft another called doctor Ridleye, stokisleis chaplain and person of fulham, both extolling the Pope's power supremite defending & maintaining his pardons purgatory and his falsely usurped power? Well I wots, that I myself was then by the bishop of Lin colne called langley, by bishop West of Ely, by johan asshwell last prior of Newn ham abbey besides bedforde, and by sir William Gascoigne knight and treasurer to the cardinal, persecuted & chased out of the realm, compelled to lose my college a perpetual sufficient living, ● all that I had, for saying. That any simple sir johan had as great power to bind and to lose (if he could preach the gospel) as had the pope himself that never preached it. They had then brent me to for preaching against their pelgrimaginge to posts and stones, for saying that only faith justifieth before god, & good works to declare our faith, our obedience to god, & our love to god, and to our neighbours, for saying that it was godlier the bishops, priors, abots and preistis to have their own wives then so openly to keep other men's, and because I affirmed the pope, cardinals, bishops and all the ecclesiastic sort to be by god's word subject to the seclare ordinary powers as to their emperor and their own kings, for thus preaching and saying, they had brent me to, if I had not fled out of the loud. Now I report me to yourselves whether was this your execrable exe cution, or else your pestilent persecution? And whether may there not be persecution where the head professeth Chryst? ● again whether not in England there hath been and is yet persecution or only among the jews and gentiles? Will ye yet thus contend to cover and cloak your own open traitorous towches? Would ye set us to seek persecution among the jews & Turks whiles yourselves moste traitorously at home persecute not only your own floke the kings subiectis but also your head & governor even the kings majesty himself. By whose privy conjurations, secret conspiriso●s in auricular confessions and crafty consultation were so many of the nobles of the north and lincoln shyer set on fire Master Ask made the captain to lead forth so rebellious a sort of traitors against our prince? Were they not the bishops, abots & priests which were the authors of that seditious insurrection and persecution of their own king? And how say you, my lords, was it just execution or persecution that ye would have prosecuted ageynsty our own head & governor at that time if ye might have had your day so long looked fore? To put you therefore out of doubt, your own worthei punisshmentes & plagues hitherto justly executed upon you and your abbeys, & your destruction at hand shall no notherwise certify you to have had then persecuted your head & his subjects than did the terrible example and worthy punishment of the sons of Chore of Dathan & Abyron, the earth devoweringe & swallowing in them quyne down a live into hell, declare them to have persecuted Moses their most mild head & godly governor constituted of god to have led them out of that yerney furnace of bondage from Pharaoh. And this is lo, the humble obedient service & love that such ingrate rebels render to their so loving & gentle princes. Now I ask them again whether the first church which consisted of Adam Eve Cain & Abel, had not Adam a godly governor professing that blessed seed Chryst promised? and yet did one brother under the same head persecute the t'other, cain slew Abel, & now tell me my lords, was cain a jew or a gentle? Under Isaac a godly governor and head of his family and church, Esau persecuted jacob. Was Esau a jew or a gentle? And as it was then so is it now, saith Paul, even one brother to persecute another, under Abraham, Ishmael persecuted Isaac, under Moses the head governor of gods church was there no persecution? Read the book of nowmbers. xij. and. xvi. Chapters, and ye shall see even the chief bishop with his wife Maria, Dathan and A●yron with their wicked complices to have persecuted their head Moses murmuring against him for that he was so high in favour with god, envying him for his prophecing & interpreting so highly God's' pleasure and mind, and was it execution o'er persecution that they prosecuted against Mose●? Lo here may y● see the Christian persecuted of his own subiectis one jew to persecute an other, one brother a no there, one gentile another, one crystian in name another, one english man another as Chryst said, Matt. x. One brother to betray another unto death, the father his son, the sons their parents for my name's sake saith Chryst. Now ye see that persecution is where so ever the gospel ● Chryst be freely preached, whether it be in England, France or in Germany etc. and not only among the jews and gentiles as our bishops would have men believe it. They say they be the jews and Turks that shall persecute you. But Christ saith they shall be our own familiar false bro therne the bishops and the priests to per secute their head and us to which should tender defend and feed us. This is lo their old wont fashion, to set us to look & beware of the jews and gentiles persecutions, whiles themselves burn us for the gospel. As did the thief cry to the people keep the thief, whiles himself might run his way the frelyer. And if there be no persecution in england, why pray ye in your new lytanpes and suffrages, god forgive our pursuers and persecutors and turn their hearts, and to be delivered from them▪ Why pray ye ●he same in the most part of your Psalms every hay sung and red in your churches?  
I marvel of what learning and religion these bishops be, that grant the gospel to be in england, and not to be persecuted. The scripture teacheth plainly, Matth. xvi. that among men, there was, and shall be ever, diverse and sondre opinions of Christ and his religion and the word of god ever to be again said & persecuted as long as this world standeth. Who resisted Moses bringing gods message and gospel into Egypt but the priests of Egipte? In Israel, Helias preaching gods word, had he not the priests of Baal his adversaries and per sewers? The false prophets resisted jeremy▪ The Pharisais' persecuted Chryst. And not only the false Apostles but also the hole world persecuted the true Apostles. Of this lecte, said they to Paul we know it to be again said and persecuted every where. After the Apostles 
Act. xxviij.  time the word of god was not only resy●ted with the persecution of tyrants, but also with the wicked doctrines of heretics. In the popis kingdom, until Erasmus, joha Hasse & Wycleve, Martin Luther, & other men began to write, there seemed to be a good quiet concord of the christian religion, as long as men believed in the pope to be head of Chrysts church, received his false doctrine, rites cere, traditions, pardons, satisfactions, merits, prayed for the dead and to sayuts, and for the souls in purgatory, pelgrimaged, worshipped stocks and stones, and his miss as a sacrifice for the syunes of the quick and dead. Which was even the same that Chryst said in his gospel. As long as the strong armed keepeth his forecourt and castle gates, all things are in peace and self guard that he hath. For where Satan hath the rule and dominion over the common doctrine and teachers there taketh he diligent heed lest any or many extern dissensions or tumults arise, nether steereth he up there many herespes, no not in the Turks nor jews churches in these days, because he hath them sewer at his pleasure being lord head and king openly over their religion. And even so, in the popis kingdom hath he kept & pet doth he keep his forecastle gates, that those things which he yet possedith might continue in peace. Unto this Satan's peaceable possession have our bishops brought, or else intend they to bring ageyve their church of england lo, so that now, thanked be their father Satan, all is in peace without persecution (say they) turned into just execution after their own crafty construction and execrable exposition.  
But when the stronger armed cometh upon him, then rustleth Satan his har●es, then steereth he up tumults, then bloweth he forth battle, seditions, conspirisons, insurrections, rebellions, among his bishops & priests that yet by these means were it possible, he might keep still his kingdom and be not thrust out of his castle. So that there is no certainer argument and more evident token of the gospel to be utterly oppressed, & of Satan to reign in peace, as to see the public concord of, and in the religion. And there is no token so certain manifest and evident of the word of god arising and coming forth into sight, as when ye see a common public discord in, and of the religion. For and if ever men should have looked and trusted for any open and general concord of, & in the religion in the world, at the revelling and open preaching of the gospel, it should have been at that time when our lord jesus Chryst himself revealed and preached it among the jews. He is the son of god by whom all things were created, no aposte, nor prophet to be compa ●ed to him. And yet when he should preach forth with great honour and created the prince of all Egypt. job lost all his good but double was restored him. David was cast out into exile of Saul, but yet was he called home again and exalted into the regal majesty. Daniel was cast in to the lions, and a non made the prince of the Persians. And as ye see, that if our god in this world promoveth his, out of affliction and persecution into glory honour and felicity, much more translateth he his dearly beloved chosen out of these miserable and heavy present persecutions into that heavenly perpetual joy and felicity in the other world. And the longer it is differred the more sweeter it is when we have it, our lord god yet counfortinge us with his assewered promises saying. I shall deliver mi people from all their tribulations. Sooner shall heaven and earth pass away then mi words to pass unfulfilled, hills and mountains shall be shaken down but my mercy shall not go fro me, & the covenant of mi peace shall not be moved saith the lord god most merciful. Look upon Christ the son of god which after he was dejected unto the death of the cross, was he not exalted into the most high honour & glory, & had given him a name above all names so that in the name of jesus every since boweth down both in heaven earth & in hell? and what is done in the head shall not the same be done in the members? Wherefore the more affliction and persecution the word of the cross bringeth to us, the more felicity and greater joy abideth us in heaven. But the worldly peace, idle ease, welthey pleasure and this present transitory felicity which the ungodly imagine to procure themselves here by persecuting and thrusting away the gospel, shall be turned here into their own trouble battle (as ye now this day see it) and at last into the horrible destructions and mutations of their realms, and after this (if they repent not) into there own perpetual infelicite, perdition and damnation. And if our lordly prowed bishops would consider and measure the state of the christian church by the acts of the Apostles, they should see in how grievous persecution it was, when the most number of disciples 
Act. vi.  increased. Again if they would read the stories either of the holy or heathen, they should see that when the church was in most wealth and ease, the prelates in idleness aspiring for riches and honour, then entered into it, the most pestilent poison and destruction of all godly doctrine, than increased all idolatry heresies superstition, and men's devilyssh traditions as ye may see in constantyne the emperors days, and in gregoryes the great his time, how Christ's religion than began to decay. And soon after, or in Heraclius time how the devil did put forth his two little great Antichristen horns Mahumet and the Pope of Rome. So that where as is no persecution of Christ's religion but all in security and rest there is that church likely not to continue long in the true faith. For Christ is no where borne, be he never so little without tumult & blodshedinge of innocents as it is written, Matth. i●. Trowth it is that Huldrike Zwing lives said. In blood is the gospel planted, with blood therefore must it be conserved and defended.  
Let us therefore (christian brethren) be constant in obeying god rather then men, although they slay us for the verity. For our innocent blood shed for the gospel, shall preach it with more fruit (as did abelis, stevens etc) then ever did our mouths and pens. Consider the beginning of the christian religion, and the first fruits of the primitive church, and we shall see innumerable innocents slain, as it hath been these. 20. years paste, for the preaching and bringing in again of the gospel. For never did the ●aythe nor innocent living more flor●sshe than in those days. Let us therefore rejoice and thank▪ God that it would please him to use our bodies and blood unto his glory and promovinge of his word and edifying of his church. For the lords field when it waxeth dry, lea●e and baryn, it must be watered, made fat, dunged and composed with the innocent blood and bodies of his faithful. For what profit, said David, cometh 
Psalm. xxix.  of my blood if it be laid down with my body in grave to be corrupted? Is it not better spent powered forth upon the lords field to be there with made fat fe●unde and fertile▪ Now thou seest christian reader, that they that wrote and pre●hed, persecution to be a perpetual inseparable companion of the gospel, erred not, as it was well vere fy of them selves being compelled to recant this manifest verity. But of whom were they compelled? verily of them that yet believe not the gospel to be the word of the cross even the very enemies unto the cross of christ, of them, I say, that laugh Chryst and his word to scorn, which yet sit in the chair of the perverse pestilent skorners, to whom (as to the wise gentilis of the world) the gospel of Chryst is but foolishness, and (as it was ●o the jews) a slander and▪ stomblinge stone: where at they now fallen have provoked the wrath of god upon them Deus misereatur nostri et benedicat nobis: ut cognoscamus in terra viam svam, Amen. I thought not (when I began) to have digressed so far. I return therefore to our Gadarens. Of which some there be feeble saythed, a afraid greatly of the loss of their little pigs; saying. Yet we set such as profess christ and his gospel to be cruelly handled and to suffer much misery, presone, afflictions, persecution and loss of all they have. And therefore although we know it to be the truth which is now restored by preachers brent, & books banished and restrained, yet be we more a afraid of Chryst for fear of the loss, of our little goodis and disquietinge of our mortal bodies in this transitory life, then of a legion of devils drawing us by little and little from hearing and reading the word of this cross unto vanites, lies fables, and to this flattering welthey world. Unto you therefore, which yet do not cruelly resist nor wittingly persecute Christ in his members and in his gospel, but for fear, for weakness, and as it were gently with the Gadarens pray Christ with his Bible and books to pass from you: and also unto them which have firmly received and constantly profess Chryst and his word now suffering for their sakes the cross of persecution, even the inseparable companion of Chryst and his word: do I write this comfortable book, by the grace of our almighty god to animate & to acourage you in your afflictions, to desire Chryst to dwell still with you and not to take his word of truth at any time out of your mouths, to strengthen you with his holy spirit, to confirm and comfort you in these your heavy afflictions and grievous persecutions, joyously and patiently to bear them, as the sweet cross and light burdens of ou● most merciful loving father, there by to be fashioned and form like unto his own son our saviour Christ, that we might with joy and felicity be also glorified with him in heaven. So be it.   

EXcept the faithful, as many as have been from the beginning of the world exercised & whetted with diverse afflictions, had been casten against innumerable perils & tribulations: we might worthily (christian brethren) now lament our heavy state, miserable chance and sorrowful condition. Yea we might well accuse, and with job curse these our troublous corrupt and bloody last days of this world. In which most guiltless, we for only the trwthes sake and for Christ's name suffer persecution, sustain most bitter and cruel hatred, we be afflicted, scourged, casten out of our country▪ And even we which seem to some men to be best at ease, yet be we no where at any time sewer and quiet, but as sheep be we appointed to be slain. For even our own false brethren speaking fair to our faces. pretending to be chased out of their country for the same gospel, in nothing at all following it, but openly slandering it, vex us, molest us belie us, deprave us, slander & hurt us, no less cruelly persecuting us then the open papists. Which thing verily is even the same that our lord and master Chryst told us before, saying our own brothern and most familiar to be our most deadly enemies, one brother to betray another. 
jon. xv i  And the time to come where in who so 
Marc. xiij.  slayeth us shall think themself to do high service to their god even there own bellies until their sins yet at rest 
Mat. x.  lying with Cayns murder in security, shall be laid open in the gates before 
Genesi. iiij. ij. Tim. iij.  all men. For these deceitful false brethren shall under the vysar of hypocrisy goforth worse & worse, whiles they both lead wother into errors and err also their own selves renye god in their dediss 
Tit. i.  being abominable, inobedient, reprobated cast aways and yet with their mouths confess they god. Wherefore (dear brothern) we be happy which have the trwthe all though before the world we seem to be the most unhappy and miserable. For unto us that persever in it there is laid up promised of god the most joyous and plenteous reward. I know how grievously many men be tempted and troubled for that they not remembering the old examples, or not well taught in the law of god, do measure the truth of Christ's religion & faith▪ both by the most part, and also by the felicity and prosperous present success of the world thinking the verity to stand upon the multitude, and on their sydiss which have the victories, live in safeguard at their own lusts, which have the praises and reverent salutations of men, and them to be but liars heretics ungodly etc. which as they be contemned, punished, persecuted and exiled, so be they but a few simple silly poor lombes. But so far from man's reason are the judgments of god, that even the Prophetis often times contended with god and reasoned with him in this matter. Abacuch thus 
Abac. i.  saying how long lord shall I cry and thou wilt not hear? Wherefore hast thou 
Psalm. xxxvi. & xxxvij.  reserved me into these wicked and unjust days? Wherefore beholdest thou these despisers and holdest thy peace whiles 
Psalm. lxxiij.  the wicked treddowne the man juster them himself. For this cause is the law torn in pesis whiles the ungodly thus prevail sending forth perverse judgments acts, laws and antichrysten instructions.  
Truth it is that god promised his blessings unto them that hearken to his 
duty. seven. xviij xxviij.  voice, believe his words and keep his commandments. saying I shall set the above all the nations of the earth: And all these blessing shall come over the. Blessed shalt thou be in town and field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thybodye, the fruits of thy grwnde, of thy cattles, of thy sheep oxen etc. Blessed shall be thine almery and store house. Blessed shalt thou be, whether thou goist forth are comest in. The Lord shall smite thine enemies, that rise against thee, yea and that before thy face shall he smite them down. They shall come against the one way, and fly away from the seven ways. All things thou takest in hand shall be blessed, that is to say, they shall increase and have a prosperous success etc.  
again these be his curses and plagues which god threatenethe and casteth upon them that hearken not to his voice, believe not his words, nor keep not his commandments saying.  
Cursed shalt thou be in field and town. Cursed be thine Almery and store house. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, the fruits of thine herds of neat and flockis of sheep. Cursed be thine incominge and out going. I shall send the skarsnes derthe hunger and all things to go to nought, what so ever thou goiste about, vty●l it be utterly destroyed and waasted yea and that shortly & suddenly, for thy noun wicked inventions by which thou haste forsaken the lord. I shall cast pestilence upon the▪ with famine, poverty, fevers, swellings cold, heat burnings, corrupt airs, blastings and with ●aiaill shalt thou be consumed until thy loud now so fertile and pleasant hath spewed the forth all together etc.  
But (oh Lord saith jeremy) albeit 
jer. xij.  thou beiste to just a dealer and to ●●we a promiser then that I should reason with the tell me. Why (as it mesemeth) contrary to thy promises, do the ungodly enjoy thy blissingis, and the good men be plagued with thy cursings? But yet let me common with thee (oh Lord) of ryghtwi●●enes or of thy judgments. How is it that the way of the ungodly thus prospereth and that all these shameless sinners live yet in wealth and in their own lusts unpunished? Thou hast so planted them that they be deep rooted, they profit and be rich. Thou art ready at their lips to give them their desires, albeit their hearts be far from the.  
Asaph likewise being offended at the prosperity of the wicked, and at the curses casten upon the godly men complained to god on this manner saying. My fefe verily were almost gone, mifotinge beguine to fail me, wellnyghe fallen into a fond angry mind, zealous to follow the wicked, when I did see all things so prosperously to succeed with the ungodly. They bear no deadly burdens, but sit fast in all ease and riches. They be not oppressed with the mortal miseries of men neither punished like other men. And therefore are they thus puffed up with pride, that they be drowned in mischief & injury. So that for their wealy riches they be given over unto all lusts following their own hearts desires to do violence and tyranny. All things they abhor and disdain, save those only which their selves say enact and decree, yea and that so proudly. Their eyes can not see for fat, they speak from a fit even against the most highest. They stretch forth their mouths unto heaven but their tongues walk upon the earth, where fore their folk shall fall into their service and all for great lucre. tush say they, doth God know this? can the most highest see us? Lo said I, they are the ungodly that enjoy these rich blessings in this world: In vain therefore do I cleanse mine heart: In vain wash I my han des in innocency: wherefore should I then be thus punished every day, and chastened all the night long: whiles (I say) I thus considered with myself, I had all almost slipped away from the fellowship of thy floke. Then thought I, how might I understand this thing: It was to hard for me to know it. And here goth Asaph and jeremy into the secret holy place of the Lord, where stood the ark and the propye●a●orye, which is Christ, even that blessed ●eade in whom we be all blessed, although he was made the curse to bless us. Here at him and his word they fetched the answer to certify our fleshly judgement of the will of God in this matter. Here were they boden to mark the end of these ungodly so greatly prospering with Gods blessings, and also the end of the godly which seemed to be under the curses. For how soever man's fond reason judgeth of God, that he should either neglect his promises, or to be the author of evil, yet is he just in all his ways and holy in all his works, his ways are not like ours, nor his thoughts as be owrs, neither his counsels and mind correspondent to our reason. Chryst 
Psalm. exlv. Isay. lv.  answered the murmurer, at his unlike payment to the labourers in his vine yard, saying: Friend I do the no wrong, I will do with my noun what my list. 
Matth. xx.  But beware thou, that iugest of God after thy noun reason to do evil, lest the same thing that thou iugest to be evil, being right good in deed, because God doth it, be turned into thy damnation, for so perversely judging of the most best goodness. For what or how so ever the clay judgeth and reasoneth with the potter, yet will the potter have the victory. 
Psal. li.  Beware (I say) lest thine eye, that is thy best reason be evil, because God is good and doth good, when thou thinkest and iugest him to do evil. Beware lest by thy noun foolish corrupt reasoning with God for his hardening of Pharaoh, and leading men into temptation, and giving his blessings to the wicked contrary to his promises (as to the natural man it appeareth) and his curses to the good: and breaking of his vessels of wrath▪ to declare his justice and glory, thou turnest his just and well doing into thy noun hurt. But hear thou reverently with fear the divine oracle and answer of God at this propyciatory and stole of his mercy, Asaph, David, and jeremy there fetching it, warning thee, not to be moved nor offended at the felicity and prosperity of the ungodly. But to mark the end of them, for he hath so set them a fit in a slybery place to cast 
Psalm. lxxiij.  them down suddenly. Oh Lord, how suddenly are they gone, consumed with diverse deaths? No notherwise (saith he) than a dream, when the man waketh, dost thou away their image out of the city▪ For suddenly like hay or grass are they smitten down and wy●hered. The scripture likeneth them to grass, which the higher if groweth the more present is the syith to kut it down. They be compared to smoke, which the higher it ascendeth, the more it vanisheth away. They are 
Psalm. xxxvij.  likened to the evening shadow of a man, which the longer it reacheth and waxeth on the earth (the son going down) the sooner suddenly is it gone. They be likened to the fresh bay tree that roteth so deep and spreadeth so wide, which suddenly cut down, no man seith wheere it stood. And again in the Psalm. xci. Oh Lord, how excellent clear are thy works, beyond all measure so profound are thy counsels. An unwise man comprehendeth them not, neither the foolish understandeth them. That is to weite when these mischievous bloody tyrants grow up flourisshinge like the flowers and grass in the field, into this end do they so flourisshe that they might be cut down and cast into the fire for ever. Agene Psalm. xxxvij. At the wealy prosperity of the ungodly cruel, be thou not moved once to turn thy foot into his steapes. For suddenly like the grass is he smitten down and as the grieve herbs is he withered away. Also unto jeremey thus did god answer. That he did put these great steres into his rank fat pastures, that assoon as they be fed to the highest they might be brought to the slaughter house. Thus have ye the answer of god wherefore he giveth his blessings to the wicked, commanding us not to follow their steps, nor yet zealously to envy their prosperity, but patiently to abide a little, and then they shall be taken away suddenly. And death shall lie gnawing 
Psalm. xlix.  and feeding, upon them as doth the floke upon the pasture. But the just shall be in the light when the treasure of the ungodly shall be consumed & hell shall be their perpetual hospital. Be not afraid therefore when thou seist siche a man made rich and the beauty of his palaces increase. For at his death nothing of them all, shall he karye away with him, nether shall his glorious pomp follow him. But yet whilis he liveth he is called gracious and happy, he is praised whiles he is in prosperity. But when he shall pass his way to his father's family, he shall nevermore see light. Thus lo, when a man is in prosperity and honour he is without understanding, compared unto the brute beasts, for that he is even like them. God therefore casteth his blessings upon the wicked that yet fight against him, to exercise our faith, sending us in our afflictions unto his propitiatory Chryst & to his word there to search out, as ye here see, the cause of their prosperity, and of our own afflictions into our present consolation, declaring unto us how vile he esteemeth these riches, these wealthy prosperities and transitory blessings of the world, especially in unthankful tyrants, teaching us how terrible are his judgments, so high to life a man up, to th'intent he would suddenly cast him down the more grievously. Here gave he the rich glutton his heaven, here after to have his hell. Here he gave Lazarus his hell, after this to have his heaven. Rejoice we therefore, (afflicted Christian brethren) in our trowblouse persecutions and heavy exile. For if we here patiently, suffer with christ, we shallbe also glorified with him in heaven. Nether do I (saith saint Paul) repute 
Ro. viij.  the afflictions of this world worthei of the glory to come which shallbe openly given us. Unto us therefore his children the curses are become his blessingis and sweet cross which our father laith upon us to follow his dear son our saviour Chryst, that we might be truly fashioned unto his image once lost in paradise. For as we have borne the image of the earthy Adam, so must we bear the image of our heavenly Adam christ. He thus speaking 
i. C●●●n. xv.  unto us. My children neglect not my correction, nor faint not when ye be chastened, for whom I love, them I chasten, & beat every child whom I receive. If ye patiently suffer my chastysinge. I will offer myself unto you alovinge father. For what child hath the father whom he correcteth not? If ye should be free fro my correction so were ye not my children, but bastards. Now by faith and this knowledge are the curses turned into our blessed and sacred crosses joyfully and gladly to be borne after christ, for our correction, lest we be condemned with the wealy wicked world, God working in us a strange work to work his own, as Isay saith. This is the rock whom god showed 
Isay. xxviij.  to Moses Exo. xxxiij. after he was ta ken out of the water of affliction, upon the which rok god commanded him tostonde whiles his glory was in passing foreby, where he did set Moses in the rifts of the same rok defending him with his almighty hand & koveringe him, until his hand taken of, he showed him his hinder parties even christ himself & his members at last to come by, & thorough the cross to enter into his glory. And to exclude his & our merits for so suffeirnge he told him, for all that he spoke so famyliarely with him, that he would be merciful, to whom he listed to be piteous. here also behold the tree which when Moses Exo. xv. did put into the bitter waters of marath, avon they were made sweet, so that the people of god might well drink of them. Behold the bitter passion of Christ hanging upon the cross of tre suffering for thy sins: and what water of tribulation is so bitter to thee, but in him, and for his sake laying it upon thee, is not sweet and joyfully drunken of? yea it is to the turned into the sweet wine so changed from water at the merry meriage. What child 
joan. ij.  of god will think himself so innocent that he is worthei no chastement? Let us therefore (christian persequnted brethren) ascend patiently into this secret holy place even our mercy seat Chryst, beholding all these heavy curses to be casten upon him bearing away all our sins and sustayninge the pains dew unto 
Ro. iij. Gal. iij.  them for our sakis and salvation, made for us the curse and execration to redeem us from the curse of the law, made for us the malediction, that thorough him they might be turned into our blessings, made (I say) for us unrightwiseness and sin, that we thorough him might be reckoned of god rightwise and justified or absolved from sin. Thus be we blessed in our saviour whilis we suffer persecution for his name's sake, here after to hear 
Mat. v.  it of his own mouth openly calling us saying. Come ye my blessed and possede the kingdom prepared for you from the 
Matth. xxv.  beginning.  
Now therefore let us patiently suffer depending upon our father's pleasure whiles his adversaries persecute us for preaching and writing unto them the truth: let us constantly suffer to be exiled for that we abhor their idolatry their antichrysten rites and superstitious ceremonies, let us fly in holy darkness out of Babylon into the desert with our poor lawful wives rather than wickedly to suffer ourselves violently contrary to god's law to be separated, whom god hath joined. This is our crown & praise (as Peter saith) unworthily to suffer with a good consciens for the trwthes sake, and not as any malefactors. Happy be we which have the word of our comfort, the doctrine of our faith, confidence hope and joy in the holy ghost to bolden and to confirm us in these our heavy afflictions for well doing. And woe be unto them which have taken away the word of consolation from the lay people which soernestly in their anxt thirst for it & in stead of the same have thrust into the congregations erroneous doctrine, idolatry, superstition, and deceivable sermons and institutions into the damnation of many men. Themselves not only seducing the unlearned, but also with their sinful & damnable living drawing many after them unto perdition. Whereby they declare themselves to have dronkenin that pharisaical bloody tyrannous spirit which may not abide to hear the verity. Which serpentyne spirit went ever about to take & trap Christ in his words, depraving every fact, miracle, & word which he wrought or said yea although their own consciences told it them, the same to be done & spoken of the holy ghost very god. This did they to bring Christ & his doctrine into the hatred of all men, to be detested & abhorred as an heretic, a deceiver, a seditious person & traitor against the emperowr belying him most deadly & most shamefully. For when in judgement Pilate affirmed him innocent & to have found no capital crime in him, there this pharisaical sprite roared out furiously krying. He maketh commotion and sedition throughout all jewrye and Galilee. Away with him cru●ifye crucify him. And even so is our poor afflicted church vexed and oppressed with the 〈…〉 calamities, injuries lies ● tyranny. The same rebukes injust ver●rious and cruel persecutions do we suffer this day. But let us be of good cheer, seeing we suffer all this for rightwiseness & well doing. For what thing do they persecute us? verily for no nother cause than that we desire to know, & to teach the pure clear knowledge of Chryst & the very way of our salvation & of the christian religion, that we & other might see the immense riches of the mercy, rightwiseness, life & health which we should have & possess thorough our faith in only Chryst. We thirst entirely to hear the pure gospel freely & faithfully preached whereby we obtain rightwiseness & salvation, when even the angels desire to behold & under stand those thing is which are preached in the gospel of christ. And for this our godly 
i Petr. i  desire, Satan roareth & is wooed with us & steereth up his imps the popish bishops & priests thus tyrannously to handle & hon●e us from place to place. But & if we would live so viciously so proudly so prodigi●usely & so profanely in all manner of idolatry sin & wickedness approving their pestilent popish doctrine & wink at their leech rouse licencyouse living, and rebuke not their open whoredom, hypocrisy damnable doctrine with their infinite frauds where buy they seduce both princes and their subiectis then were we at peace with them and Satan with his serpentyne seed would favour exalt & defend us. But because we desire a christian life and a purer doctrine in our clergy whereby we & almen might know the benefit of Christ's pas sion, and false religion might be known and estiewed, therefore this Satanike spirit of the spiritalty can not abide us. We have thorough our lords grace and help forsaken his Satanike fraternity and synagogue, and casten of his damnable yoke, and said him adieu, & therefore hath he stired up this hatred envy and persecution of the pharisee is against us. Nether is this any new thing. For it is the wont craft and deceitful develry of the old serpent now most fiercely excercesed & whetted whiles he seith his kingdom almost at an end and his heavy judgement at hand, manis wickedness being all most at the rypiste and highest.  
But let us be strong minded & constant in our lord god, knowing that this unclean spirit of the spiritualty shall be compellled to avoid and give place to the finger of god. And even now beginneth the finger of god to work with us and to stretch forth his almighty arm. For it is the most sing lare inestimable be nefit of god, that there is now to comfort us in our persecution, sprongen up ● given the most clear comfortable light of the gospel. Whereby we know the prince of darkness, we espy and may avoid his crafty fraudelent seductions and preu●y engines. And hereof is it that he roareth and his imps the clergy weep for anger and fight so cruelly, and grin against us and gods anointed with his word, for this cause they threaten they persecute, they faget they preson they burr ne & tc. here we must arm our soulis with the word of god lest in this battle we shrink and fall, here must we fight manfully in faith in our master Christ and so have we in him, and for his sake, the victory of these our spiritual enemies. But verily this may we not do unless we be continually comforted & confirmed with the ferme everlasting word 
Roma. xv.  of god. For all things that be written, are written for our doctrine that thorough patience and consolation of the scriptures we might have hope. There be yet many of us which have not heard the gospel openly and freely preached which bear good zeal thereto, but yet are they but tender & weak and not waxed so strong branches in the vine yard of Chryst as some whother be: which must with great diligence cure and study be planted watered & rooted with continual reading & teaching till they be strong and constant. Satan 
Satan.  is old and subtile, and knoweth which part of Christ's church is weakest & with what kind of tentation he may soonest overthrow us, & where he seeth us most weak there with most violence and craft 
World.  he fiercely invadeth. The world is full of slanders and examples of the most sinful & abominable living with the provocaations unto almaner mischief & vice & pluckinges from godliness & virtue. The flesh is faint and febleferefull, and unsteadfast 
Flesh.  prone unto desperation. But assoon as we be tempted either of Satan, or of the world, or of our flesh so fearful and feeble: let usflye unto the word of god knowing it & understanding it firmly that it is the merciful will & most best counsel of god, & even the most certain testimony of his gracious divine benevolence tower us so to exercise & to prove our faith patience hope love etc. & that all these sharp assawtes of our enemies shall be turned into our salvation. Let us ever have it before our eyes for whom we suffer & for what gospel we be thus persecuted, remembering his fatherly promise so full of consolation & so oft promised us in Chryst. And then shall we find a mighty and present comfort. For it is decreed in the immutable eternal counsel of god that whom god hath foreseen chosen in Christ, the same hath he predestined to be made like the image of his son, that he might be the first begotten among his many brethren.  
Now we see and feel the benign and merciful will of god tower us, sending us tribulations and casting us under his cross, not to lose us but to prove and try us and to declare us to be his very own sons. As ye know it, Chryst by the cross to have had entered into his glory, even so the faithful of Chryst hath god ordained by his most best and inscrutable counsel first to try and prove them by the cross & then at last to glorify them. God now calleth us by his gospel to make us just and self, and to separate and call us from this sinful world overwhelmed with sin that we might be made the vessels of glory. For whoso believe not the gospel of Chryst, they shall continue the vessels of shame and of his wrath unto everlasting damnation. For this our gracious vocation let us incessantly give god thanks committing ourselves gladly to his pleasure willingly giving ourselves over into his hands to fashion us by his cross to excercise whet, hew, square and polisshe us at his benign will to make us like his son our saviour. If we will be justified of him, be must blot out take away quench out and pardon all our sins. If we will have him to give us a better life than is this present, he must nediss take us away and deliver us out of this world and life replenished with all mischief misery and sin. Which thing is very hard and▪ sharp unto our fleshly nature, fithe we be from our yeughth even from our birth evil corrupt and prone to sin 
Genesi. viij.  against gods will. This old man must die in us that we might be a new creature in christ, of which thing, Baptism is the sign, sacrament and figure. For 
Rom. vi  into Christ's death be we baptized to die with him and to rise with him after our sins be buried in his wounds so to walk in a new life to glorify our father in heaven. This our old man is crucified with Chryst, to abolish the body of sin, so that here after we be no more bond men unto sin.  
Once were we with great pains perells anxt and heaviness brought forth into this world, but this carnal birth bringeth not forth else then sinners & the children of Adam judged to eternal death & damnation. It is therefore necessary that we be borne again of the spirit from above or else we may not come into the kingdom of god. This our other spiritual birth and regeneration bringeth forth just and faithful, even the sons of god ordained and predestined unto eternal life and salvation. But as in our natural nativyle before we be borne, there are not else but sorrows heaviness anguish afflictions pangs and perils even the image of death: Even so must it be with us in this our spiritual regeneration before we be fully regenerated of the holy ghost, as Chryst 
joan. xvi &▪ iij.  testifieth. For he that shall be borne again of the spirit, must have his old man mortified, be made a new man, dead from sin and from this world trusting nothing to his own strength nor meritis, attributing nothing to himself, abnyinge himself renown●inge the world, with all his pleasures, only to follow Chryst. And thus doing we incense and provoke the world against us: Whose hatred and wrath we must contemn. And if the calling of god requireth it, father and mother, wife and children, house and londis body and goodis all must be forsaken rather than we should falbak from Chryst and from the doctrine of his gospel. All temporal and corporal tranquillity and quietness, commodities, be they never so pleasant and great, all lucre and profit, friends kinsfolk must be forsaken gladly for the trwths sake, yea all things must be left rather than the true religion, worship and doctrine of Chryst should be forsaken dissembled or recanted, all things must be cast away for the verity and glory of christ. Wherefore we must be borne again if we will be saved, we may not now live after the will and mind of the flesh, but the spirit of god must reign and dwell in us. Owr old man with his concupiscences must be crucified in the world, we must run our course unto the end among vipers and scorpion's and among our▪ most deadly and cruel enemies. We which be regenerated of god may not look for our paradise upon this sinful earth. We may not look here to live in peace tranquillity security in riches commodities and pleasures. For this is not the chance and fortune of the very godly upon this earth, but we must be exercised here with many afflictions, calamities, persecutions, smitten thorough with anguish henines and sorrows right grievous, pressed down with the cross, laid forth open against many peerless. Which cross is a very bitter herb unto the flesh. For the flesh would gladly be at ease & salf in rest with out sorrow pain & trouble. When calamities perils affliccious fear & persecutions arise and even the image of terrible death is present, than the flesh trembleth & quaketh, ●he staggereth & flyethe back, falleth down faint and feeble, so impatient and angry is she under the cross. For she had liefer dwell ever in her old skin then to be renewed namely when she seeth them thus cruelly to be handled which embrace the gospel & must be thus borne a new. Here, here, therefore it behoveth the consolation & exhortation of the scriptures, which bolden and animate us with the most farm and present comfort, confirming our heriis so, that evermore we may endure constant in faith, farm in hope, glued unto the gospel, to persevere in this strong ieoperdouse battle against Satan, the world, and against our own selves.  

The first consolation is. That christ himself hath also suffered.  
FIrst of all, we that be in trouble and heaviness for the trw●h, must set the example of christ before our eyes (I mean not our bodily eyes fastened upon any image foreboden of God) but before the eyes of our faith, saying his passion painted and engraven in his holy word Paul thus exhorting us saying, In patience let us run in this battle before us having respect unto the goyd of our faith and fivissher of our battle even jesus Chryst, which beholding the joy set forth before him suffered the cross (all shame despised and set a part) and is sitten down on the right hand of the seat royal of god. Consider and look well upon him, for it was he that sustained and suffered so to be again said, that you should not faint and be feeble minded. Here we see Chryst the son of god, even the power of god to suffer for us, how he would for our sakis be humbled and dejected under all men even unto the death of the cross to exalt us into the most high dignity and to lift us up into the glory celestial. And therefore did god exalt him into so high glory. If Chryst therefore our lord hath suffered for us, so many, so great obprobries, calamities ignominies revilings shames injuries sorrows and even the most bitter and ignominious death, what delicate softlings be we if again, for his sake, we refuse thorough like afflictions to go to him by the same way? For verily we be called unto the same path, peter thus affirming. Chryst to be scourged and afflicted for us, leaving us an example to follow his steapes, even to suffer afflictions also in this world. The world hated Chryst, and no doubt but it will never love his members, but with the same bitter hatred persecute us which be Christ's floke. The world loveth his own. And because we be not the worldis, but 
joan. xv.  chosen out of it, therefore doth the world hate us. Let us not forget these words of our saviour Chryst. The servant is not better than his master. If they have persecuted me they shall persecute you also. Wherefore and if there be no persecution at any time in england, so is there nether christ nor any of his members.  
This therefore is unto us all, the most greatest comfort. That if we suffer with Chryst for his name's glory: sewer and certain be we that god loveth us and hath chosen us to be his sons and airs of the 
ij. Tim. ij.  celestial kingdom, and that he hath put us a part from this sinful damnable world, that we should not be dampened with the wicked, but glorified with Christ. Thus did Paul send his son Timothe 
i. Tessa. iij.  to the Thessalonions to comfort and confirm them in faith, exhorting them to constancy in their afflictions and persecutions which their own countrymen and kinsfolk brought upon them: thus writing to them. Yourselves know it, that we be ordained unto this use. For when we were with yond, we told you before in our sermons that we and you should suffer trouble and persecution. Also when Paul and Baruabas came to listram Iconiun and to Antioch to confirm the brethren, they exhorted them to persevere in faith and not to be plukt from Chryst with no threats no fear, nor persecution telling them that thorough many tribulations we must entre into the kingdom of God. But see only that none of you suffer and be troubled as a murderer, or a these, or 
i Petr. iiij.  as a malefactor and a b●●ye body to curiose in other men's matters. For if any suffer and be punished as a crystianes, 
Pro. xi. jer. xlix Ezec. ix. Lu. twenty-three  let him not be ashamed, but glorify god in so suffering. For the time is come that the judgement or plague must begin at the house of god. Which sith it beginneth at us, what shall become of them that believe not the gospel of God? And if the just be saved by such difficulty, where shall the ungodly appear? Wherefore they that be persecuted and troubled at the will of god, let them lay up, and commit their souls unto their faithful maker in well doing. Let us set before our minds all the constant faithful martyrs which have confessed god and for Crystes sake forsaken the glory of the world honours riches pomp, yea and their own lives to. If these men thorough Christ have overcomen the world & might have suffered so much, wherefore shall not we trust, god with his grace to strengthen us and to be present to confirm us and to deliver us from all these calamities and to impart unto us his glory? He never yet forsook any that faithfully trusted in him and suffered for his glorious names sake.  
But yet if our minds be but weak and we so false hert●d as to think, that christ for that he is very god might well suffer and have the victory, and also give his holy martyrs like grace, and as for us because we be men and sinners faintly faithed, we cannot therefore but fear and ●lye from this persecution and martyrdom being not able to abide it. When this tentation come over us, then let us ru●e to the scriptures which shall comfort us meruellonse strongly ministering to our soulis si●he help, and adding to us such inuin●ble strength and alacryte of mind with so great constancy, that we shall suffer all things gladly and bear away the most glorious victory into our felicity most joyous thorough christ.   

Here followeth the second consolation. That christ himself 
ij  is present with his help for his faithful.  
THis also hold fast in mind. That christ is given us not only for an example us to suffer with him but also an helper a defender and preserver in all our afflictions and troubles, and will not at any time forsake us, nor leave us a lone in our battle and peril. But who so toucheth us, he toucheth the apple of his eye, and he that doth us injury doth injury to Chryst, as he said to Paul. Saul, Saul, why persecutest me▪ He persecuted 
Act. ix.  the christians whom Christ esteemeth and calleth as himself, and reputeth the same persecution done to his own person which is done to us.  
Let every faithful here consider with himself, how great a faithful helper we have of christ whiles for his sake we suffer persecution. For if we belene in Chryst and suffer for his sake, we are verily crystians and the sons of god. And if god be our father, Chryst our lord, our head and our brother, no doubt, god beholdeth us tendering us as diligently as any father may love his own dearly beloved son, as the Psalm witnesseth. our help to be of the lord which hath made heaven and earth. He shall not once suffer our feet to slide. He sleepeth not that keepeth us. The eyes of the lord are set upon the rightwise and his ears inclined to their prayers. When we cry he heareth us and delivereth us from all our 
Psalm. twenty-three.  troubles. He is present with us troubled in heart, and saveth the humble in spirit. Many tribulations come over the just, but the lord delivereth us from them all. He keepeth all our bones, so that not one of them be broken. In the. xl. Psal the Prophet complaineth to god of his trouble but anon he saith▪ The Lord is tender and taketh the cure over me. Agene, Behold the eyes of the lord are bend upon them 
Psalm. xxxiij.  that fear him & trust unto his mercy, it is he that delivereth our soulis from death & feedeth us in time of famine. We therefore depend upon the Lord for he is our helper & defender. In him our hearts rejoice and in his holy name is our trust, also David counforteth himself in this word. The Lord is my light and my saving health, whom shall I fear? The lord is the defender of my life, of whom then 
Psalm. xxvi.  shall I be afraid? If never so great an host so strongly appointed be bend against me, yet shall not my heart be afraid, If battle rise agey●st me, then am I most sewereste. For the angel of the lord compasseth them round about that fear him, to deliver them. Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. And if I walk (faith he) in the middis of the shade we of death, yet fear I non evil: For thou (Lord) art with me: The sons of Korath sing also 
Psalm. xxij.  thus. God is our refuge and strength unable to be expressed. Wherefore we fear not although the hole earth be turned 
Psalm. xlv.  up see down and the mountains be devolved into the mids of the sea. These be doubtless the most ferme promises of the mighty help & presence of god with us in our afflictions. Which can not deceive us. All the faithful had and have experience of this help never to have failed them. And seeing god is thus present with us, wherefore should we be a afraid of death? or be troubled in myde as men with out hope or comfort? If god be on our side, who can be against us? Which spared not his own son but delivered him 
Ro, viij.  up to death for us all. And how then may it be other wise but that with him he must give us all things? Who shall lay any crime to our charge seeing we be the out chosen of god? It is god that justifieth us, what is he that may condemn us? It is christ that died for us, yea it is he that is risen again for us and sitteth at the right hand of god making intercession for us. What consolation may we have more plenteous more present and effectuouser than this? Where he said. God is on our side, god fighteth for us. How almighty is god one alone for us all sufficient: What is the world in his hands? All nations are nothing in his hands, saith isaiah. 
Isay. xl.  If the world can do nothing against his might not her in taking away nor mi●●sshing his glory, nor to put him from his celestial throne, so can it not hurt any one of his children without his godly will. Let us therefore (oh dear brethren) behold how great a consolation this is. That god is on our side to fight for us, to tender, defend and to preserve us. He hath given us his own son Chryst. Can he then deny us things of less value sith he hath given us so rich a treasure? Who considering these inestimable benefit is can be careful, heavy, false hearted & hopeless? If many worldis were against us, & all the wicked spirits of helleet lose to devout ●e us, yet is there no peril towered us, if Chryst be on our part. Thorough christ have we peace. For this his dearly beloved sons sake god our father loveth us. For the precious blodis sake of his own innocent son, we obtain remission of all our sins, & also victory against death & satan. For where as sin hath no dominion there bear death no rule, there hath Satan lost his power. What then should we fear? should we fear this temporal death. No. For that is now to us but a sleep & rest. For Christ hath so ouercome●●t, 
Isa. xxv. Act. seven. joan. xi Ose. xiij Ro. viij.  that unto us which be his faithful, death is become an ingress unto salvation and life eternal. For Christ hath abolesshed and destroyed the body of sin to th'intenten●ent we should be led into life. Wherefore let us with constant faith cleave unto our lord Chryst, beseching our father in heaven for Christ's sake to augment our faith. Which thing if we do it, so be we self without all fear and peril, sewer enough against all stormy tempests. If our 
Consolation against our sins. i Cori. i.  sins fear and trouble us, let us set up against them the invincible innocency and infinite rightwiseness of our Lord jesus Chryst, given us of his father to be our rightwiseness. Which once done, our sins a non vanish away as doth wax against the fire. For Chryst verily 
Psal. iiij  is by an holy oath constituted of the father to be an everlasting king & priest, which for our sins offered up himself the very sacrifice of our reconciliation and 
Hebre. i.  expiation by the shedding of his precious blood and sitteth on the right hand, of the divine high majesty, there making intercession for us, he being our lord almighty, all things subject unto him, 
Consolation against death.  both angels and powers celestial at his bek. i Pet. iij. If death feareth us. Let us remember Chryst to be our life. It is he that once died for our sins, and is risen 
Rom. x.  again never more to die. It is he that hath swallowed up death and hath casten 
Isa. xxv  it under his foot for ever. If after this life there were no nother, then might we worthily sorrow and fear, than were we the most miserable of all creatures. But 
i. cor. xv  for asmiche as our life heginneth after this is here ended, let us be laid down in body to sleep in the farm hope of our resurrection, and be never afraid to die. Christ our head is risen, we being his body and members must follow our head. Which said. I am the resurrection which is life. Who so believe in me, he shall live yea although he were dead. And all that believe in me shall never die. We verily know and believe the resurrection of our bodies and to have life eternal promised in Chryst and for Christ's sake. And therefore our faith cannot be frustrated. For he that believeth in christ hath life eternal. These be crystes own words which is 
joan. iij  the verity and may not lie. What now can death to us in his most fury? verily nothing else then for a little time separat our bodies from our soulis, & so send our soulis out of this miserable sinful life cumbered with all calamities unto that most blessed felicity. Our bodies cannot be so utterly destroyed but they shallbe once restored gloriously unto our soulis. Nether 
i. cor. xv  may they slay our soulis: for they be immortal. They can not take our bodies 
Mat. x.  nor soulis out of the hands of god. Which if we be kept in the hands of god as in the bosom of our most loving father, & if we abide in christ & christ in us; surely we shall live for ever. Chryst thus affirming. 
joan. x.  My sheep he are my voice, I know them, they follow me, and I give them everlasting life. Nether shall they be lost: nor noman shall pluck them out of my handis.  
Wherefore let the wicked heathen & unbelievers be afraid, tormented, and be with out hope at the sight of death which know not god in Chryst, which when they know not Chryst to be their very rightwiseness, their life & their only saviour nor believe not in him, they must nediss abide & perish in their sins, in death and in eternal damnation. But we ought not to fear nor to be heavy and tormented in mind, as do they which have no hope, for we see a better life after this abiding us. Which the ignorant unbelievers in christ know not. And albeit here for a time we pass forth laid against many perells, molested and whetted with diverse and many grievous afflictions, yet at last, all the laborious miseries of this life passed over, the glory of the sons of god shall be showed and declared upon us, even as we here upon earth have been in hope self and blessed. Now we weep and be heavy, but the day of our gladness is not far of in the which our Lord God shall wipe away the tears from the cheeks of us that believe in him, and shall happily change our heaviness into an infinite perpetual joy: then to sing this triumph. Death is swallowed up into victory. Oh death where is thy sting? Oh hell where is thy victory? Oh sin where is now thy might? thanks be to our God and father which hath given us the victory, by our Lord jesus christ. i Corin. xv.  
If the fear of damnation and perpetual 
Consolation against the fere of damnation.  death should vex us, then let us remember ourselves to have been baptized into Chryst, engraffed into his death, our sins buried in his wounds, and risen with him into glory and life. And so is there no condemnation, 
Ro. viij.  as saint Paul saith, unto them which are thus by faith engraffed into jesus christ, which walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. In this our sweet and plenteous vynestok, if we as lively faithful branches abid by constant faith, our sins are never more imputed unto us. By this faith we be made the sons of god and the airs of eternal life, even the fellow airs with Christ. If we have Chryst in us, (by faith we feel him present in our hearts) so fear we no condemnation. For Chryst is our life and our saving health eternal, dwelling in us, against whom nether hell nor death nor sin can prevail. Let us therefore abide by constant faith in our saviour Chryst walking in him rooted and framed upon him, persevering in faith constantly cleaving to him, committing ourselves hole unto his goodness & mercy, and let us with heart mouth and life testify and declare our faith obedience and thankfulness unto him for his inestimable riches of his gospel now given us.  
What can I more say? We have our celestial father, our father (I say) of an infinite clemency goodness and mercy, which can no less forget us then any earthly father his own dearly beloved son or any mother her own tender fruits of her own body soukinge at her breasts. And were it in case that the mother perchance might forget her young little infant, yet shall our merciful father never forget us, Isay. xlix.  
We have a redeemer and a deliverer, even the most mightiest Lord Christ jesus to whom is given all power in heaven and earth. Which reigneth our all, he loveth us, he hath taken us to be his brethren, we are his members, he hath deserved for us all goodness and all felicity. He hath given us the glory which his 
joan. xviij.  father gave him that we should be all one in Chryst and in the father, as the father and son be one, out of the which unite all the treasures of the divine goodness, of rightwiseness, life, consolation and health be given unto us. Thorough our faith in Christ and for Chrystis sake we are one that is to say, of one consent mind and fellowship with the father and the son and the holy ghost, so that as the son cannot be divided from the father, nor the holy ghost from them both, no more may we being the faithful in christ, be separated from christ. For Christ would that where so ever himself were, there should we be with him, which thing after our 
joan. xvij.  departure is as certainly true as is himself the verity which so said it, prayed for it and obtained it for us of his father.  
Furthermore. If our faith be yet to weak to apprehend firmly these infinite so rich benefits, them let us fly unto the promises of god, which as they be right many, so are they the most trwest & certain, which ought to be deeply printed into our hearts never to be forgotten▪ Owr hearts verily are ●o narrow and to scant to receive the greatness & the multitude of these rich treasures and goodness. For these benefits be immense and infinite. And therefore let us thus think, that right great and mighty is he which promiseth these riches to us, and that he is the very god himself, even our god. Which in, and for his own only begotten dearly beloved son, hath he promised us this life everlasting. For all the promises of god are made in, and for Christ's sake to be farm and fast and inviolable Certain 
ij. cor. i.  it is that god sent us his son in that full appointed time as the prophets had prophesied it, ●o fulfil these his clear and glorious mighty rich promises. This is trwthe. For we have them confirmed and sealled wi●he his own spirit of truth with his gospel preached and with his own blood shed in his passion, and autorysed with his own glorious resurrection which is our head and reigneth above all both in heaven and in earth and in hell. And how then may we his members, for whose sake all these things he hath done and suffered, ●arye in sin and in death?  
There may nothing more certainly 
The ver tewe of the x●.  stablish and confirm our minds, ourselves to rise again immortal both in body and soul, than the resurrection of eryste. 
surrection.  We can have no fermer nor stronger argument of our resurrection, than the resurrection of our Lord Chryst which is the most certain and sewerest. The very son of god is made man, and took our nature unto himself, which willingly & not constrained suffered death for us upon the cross. But yet he arose again, & would after his resurrection be seen, handled his wounds seen and felt, heard speaking and teaching his disciples eating and drinking with them, of the which his resurrection, his disciples were so certain that aftirward, with their own deaths they confirmed it. And if Chryst be risen from death, so be we certain that our sins be cleansed and death devicted. Wherefore in the Lord we ought to rejoice for ever and to give him high thanks immortal for these inestimable immense benefits. Let Satan with his wicked whelps fret, fume and grin with all his idle emnio●s imps whom eternal damnation abideth. But let us abide in the faith of the gospel, and so abide we the lively members of christ. And then where so ever is christ, there are we also. Death cannot pluck us from christ. For we are the members of his body out of his own flesh and bones, Ephe. v.  
But & if our fearful infirm consciences doubting of these so certain promise● 
An objection.  for that we be all sinners, cast away all hope, thinking ourselves therefore to have lost all these benefits promised us, saying with our selves. We hear god ●o have promised us all these rich benefits, but because we so sin daily and fall from him doing no good thing perfectly we are unworthy to have them. With such though 'tis verily satan tempteth and troubleth many a good man. But this do I answer. That if our rightwiseness and salvation 
Thanswer.  should stand upon our own good works and worthiness, then surely had we lost in every minute all these rich benefits of god, then might we be uncertay ne of all these promises, and of any remission of our sins and life eternal, if life and remission were promised us upon such a condition, that is, if we fulfil gods preceptis and so by our good dediss merit our salvation, so were we without all hope of salvation. For we are every hour sinners and all our best works are imperfect, yea they be (as isaiah saith) corrupt & sinful, if they should be expended & tried in the rigour of god's law and exammed at his strait judgement. If the hope of our salvation should stand upon the merits & worthiness of our works, we must nedis despair never to have peace in our consciences, when there is no man so holy and perfect of living which may verily glory himself at alltimes so to have had fulfilled the law as it ought to be fulfilled. But praise be unto god our most merciful father which hath so intyrely loved us for Christ's sake, that he hath taken our salvation out of our own feeble handis and hath set it upon a sewerer and more certain foundation, that is to weit even upon his mere grace and mercy promised in Christ, our faith reaching it unto Christ's blood washing away all our sins. If we believe this promise so be we justified, absolved & saved. Nothing else requireth he of us concerning our remission and salvation, than thus to believe in christ even himself by his death to have obtained us remission an life eternal. Wherefore when such temptations assault us, then let us cry for faith to believe these promises in christ. And suffer not ourselves to be thrust from them. Of the which thus 
Ro. iiij.  saith Paul. For our faith, is the heritage given us, that freely of grace and favour, ferme fast and sewer should the promise stand unto all the seed, not to it that is of the law only, but unto them that are of the faith of Abraham.  
This is our consolation, this is our hope only. Who so reacheth this promise with his faith he shall never despeper. For certain it is, the some of our health to stand upon faith in jesus christ upon this growndsole is the door of our salvation turned and returned. Let us therefore apprehend with our faith this divine promise which we neither may nor can deserve, and we have all these celestial benefits, even remission of our sins, the holy ghost and eternal life. All these hath god promised us in Christ and for Chrystis sake. In this promise consisteth all our consolation, our hope, our rightwiseness, reconciliation and health. Believe god to be true of his promise, and cast not away the gospel of his son preached unto thee, but receive it thankfully with all thy heart, embrace it with both thine arms, and doubt it not, this gospel to be as well thine, as Paul's and Steuens, & as mightily to save thee, as it saved them. Doubt not of the grace mercy power & trowth of God, and thou art justified and as self as is Abraham and all the saints in heaven. To do good works commanded of god study and endeavour thy self earnestly with all diligence, so that thou dost nothing else but well. Study to excel almen in innocency of living, in al●ose dedis doing, be merciful, comfortable, piteous and helping all men, yea and even thine enemies. But use these deadis continually as thy duty & service dew unto god as testimonies of thy faith and obedience unto his laws. Evermore aknowledginge them to be far inferior unpurer weaker and unperfitter, then that thou mayst of them rejoice and glory before god or by them to deserve any rightwiseness. Think thyself an unprofitable servant, yea when thou haste done all, which is but thy duty and no deserving. And beware lest thou thinkest thy works to be meritis of right wiseness and health before God. For this opinion and persuasion is an ungodly blasphemy against christ. For in the cause of our salvation we may not trust in any part to our own works but only by faith cleave to the promises of God in Chryst. The works & merits of Christ only give us freely our salvation & not ours, nor yet the works of any creature else. Let us therefore with faithset fast hold upon the promises of god in the gospel, neither be we divelled from them by any engine of tentation or persecution. Let us consider the verity of God to be inviolable promising and giving unto us his faithful in christ life eternal for Chrystis sake. It is he only that hath deserved it for us. It is his only benefit, unto him only must we ●●●der the thanks. Unto him only must we cleave by faith. And so shall we with stand all temtations, wrestle out of, and overcome all difficulties. If the promise, as concerning us, should not be out of favour freely made, so could it not be firm and certain because our works and obedience to the law of god be so unpure, miserable, filthei and so imperfect and nought if they should be compared & laid against the severe judgement and extremity of the law of god,  
Thus therefore doth the holy ghost comfort us outwardly in the holy scriptures and inwardly with this lively testimony of the spirit, as Paul affirmeth 
Ro. viij.  saying. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again unto fear: But ye have received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry father father. The same spirit witnesseth unto ours that we be the sons of god. If we be his sons, so be we the airs of god, and even the fellow airs with christ if we suffer with him to be also glorified with him. Which con firmeth us also in christ, for it is god that 
ij. Cor. i.  hath anointed us and sealled us up & given us the pledge of his spirit in ou● hearts, Agene saith Paul. after ye had believed the gospel of your salvation ye were up sealed with the holy promised spirit, 
Ephe. i.  which is the pledge of our heritage into the redemption of our purchased possession, into the praise of his glory. Also the spirit helpeth our weaknesses. For truly, 
Ro. viij.  the thing that we should prayfore and how to ask it, we know not. But the spirit himself maketh intercession for us with scythes unable to be expressed.  
Nether is it any less comfort, which our god and father hath ordained for us in his great fellowship among the faithful congregations of whom mention is made among the articles of our faith. We believing them to be the holy catholic church. Which all, be our members, we all together being one body, as teacheth us Paul right counfortably, i. Cor. xij. One member to be careful for another, of which, if one of us suffer, all the rest have compassion, and if one of us be hole and well, all the other membres rejoice with the fame. So that we being thus k●it together with the bondis of love, have all thing is hothe mierth and sorrow, heaviness and joy, common. And if one of us suffer for Chrystis sake in england, all the true brethren and sisters in the same land, in France, in Germany or else where, suffer the same. And where one of us being p●● sent cannot comfort another, yet being never so farrof, we pray incessantly one for other unto god our father to be comforted with his holy spirit, & that it would please his goodness for Christ's sake to life up, to restore and confirm our persecuted brethren and syste●●, and to make them constant in all christian patience, strongly in faith to endure in our affliction to persever & ●o bear away a glorious victory. And if the prayer of one faithful man may do so much with god as the scripture teacheth, of how mighty efficacy 
jacob. v  must then be the common prayers of all the hole holy congregations joined together in faith and love? verily we are not a love in our afflictions, we wrestle and fight not alone in these labours, nether suffer we alone persecutions. But even christ suffereth with us. For who so thus per secuteth and molesteth us he iniuriethe & persecuteth Christ and all the hole churches of Chryst. For we be all one body, having one head even Chryst, & one holy spirit with all his spiritual gifts common to us all. And whiles we thus pray together, we doubtless be herd of god. For we have the most grave and plenteous, yea many, and that the most present promises of god, full of all consolation, that he will hear our mutual prayers, and be present with his help in all our distresses need and trouble. If we should here alone wrestle and buckle with Satane, we were all to weak and should despayer overcomen in our afflictions, which is our own pusilla●i●ite and natural fear. But sith we be sewer to have christ with all the hole church of Chryst on ower sides to fight for us with their mutual and continual prayers, yea and all the angels of heaven defending and fighting for us, how can we shrink, fall & perish in this battle: scythe Chryst is present, we must nediss have the victory. And where soever is christ, there be all his faithful, yea & all his angels, wherefore we being his chosen must nediss be with them. The angels of the Lord pitch their tents round about us. The angels deliver us that fear the Lord, Psalm. xxxiiij.   

The third consolation. our cause is God's cause, and it is the most just cause.  
FUrthermore this thing ought to confirm and comfort us most especially: for that we have so just, so good and so godly a cause, for it is not our cause wherefore we suffer, but is is God's cause even his own holy gospel, by christ and the holy ghost sent us from heaven. For as for us, we never thought to do any man injury nor hurt, we take no man's goodis from him. But we study to monish and to profit all men unto their salvation. We desire only and receive the infinite and inestimable riches of the gospel with joy at gods hand. In which word not else then the mere grace, rightwiseness, peace deliverance from all evils help and health are promised and given us in Chryst and for his sake to as many as believe in him. And this same so rich & inestimable glory of the grace of god in christ, we would it purely and freely to be showed, taught, preached and written to all men unto the glory and sanctifying of the name of god, for the right wysemakinge and salvation of many men. For the 
Rom. i.  gospel is the power of god unto salvation to all them that believe. For this study, for this our duty in speaking & writing and good willis to profit and to save all men, and to bring them to the knowledge of god in christ, do the world render to us the same thanks which were once rendered to christ and his apostles, and painteth us with the same sediriouse and obprobrious names. For whilis we wish preach and write to them eternal peace, they accuse us of the most ha●●ouse crime of sedition. When we teach them the most certain verity out of gods own mouth, they call us heretics noting and slandering us with all them most infamy and ignominy they can imagine, than they rage and raze, runinge upon us like wild beasts and wooed dogs, enforcing to throdowne to subvert and extinguisshe both christ and all christian faithful with the gospel to. And yet make the bishops of england men to recant that there is any persecution in the realm, but all is just execution. As though it were now the same paradise already which first was created, upon the which earth, there dwelled ●o ●●o but Adam and Eve in the state of innocency before any serpentine seed tempted them. And as though england were the same paradise and land of the perpetual lyninge immortal bodies now risen again whereof Peter saith. Rightwysenes to 
i●. Petr. iij.  dwell upon it, even the same new earth covered with a new heaven and new elements purged with fire mentioned of I say and johan in the Apocalypse.  
There is mention in Luke and Matt. of a standing water called a Mear, which 
Luk. viij  was a common passage out of Galilee into the land of the Gadarens, which Chrystis disciples and all men passed oft over without any peril. But when they chanced to, are the bishops of england ●e●●owpled and c●●fede●ed with the bishop o● Rome's bishops and his wheelis in ●ew● 
judi. xv  the sonde, as once were sampson's foxes tails tied together with fire brandis 
Psal. ij.  against the Lord & his audinted to burn up the Philynstens good vyneyardis, even the poor silly persecuted church of christ. But let us not be abashed no● yet afraid it is the truth that we set forth. It is the eternal and immutable will and counsel of god, that christ should make sinners just & self out of his mere grace, and that this should be revealed and preached before all the world. This matter would he to consist in and upon faith that who so believe in Chryst should have forgiveness of his sins and lyfeeternal not for his own, but for Christ's merits. This glory of our father's divine mercy ought to be preached and setforth before all men, that thorough Christ they might come unto the father, which hath set Christ at his right hand and made him Lord of the angels, of men, and of all creatures celestial and terrestrial, and to be judge over the living and dead and to reign in the glory of the father with all the faithful and chosen in Chryst. This is the constant & immutable will of god. This is his eternal sentence, God will therefore defend & fight for his own cause, neither may any man resist him. Christ will reign and put all his enemies under his feet. And who shall let it: He is of an infinite almighty power, and will soon defend his cause even against all the power of the spiritual antichristis, and let them take all the seculare swords and the devil to, to help them. If this our cause might be either weakened or overcomen so were God and christ feebled & overcomen. But christ is almighty unable to be overthrow & abideth for ever, where fore this his cause and owrs and his gospel and all that believe it shall stand for ever invincible. For who so believe in him 
Isa. viij.  shall never be confounded. Mightier is christ and his word then all the world and Satan to, with all his priestly prelate's, and shall bring them all into an heavy damnable destruction whiles they enforce to subvert us & Crystes gospel.  
For christ is verily the stumbling stone, at whom whoso stomblethe, he hurteth himself grievously. But this stone itself is not hurt, nor once moved, but standeth farm and fast against all his adversaries assawtes unhurt. And who 
Matth. xxi.  so falleth at him is all to broken, and upon whom this stone falleth he is all to pressed and grownden into powder. Sing and read we the. ix. x. xi. and▪ xij. and such like Psalms, and there let us seek & find consolation. Nether let us cease at any time to hear and read the scriptures, & the sweet promises let us engrave into our breasts and clean to them constantly. For they be the most certain and assewered consolations to us in this heavy exile and hard persecution. Faithful is our Lord God and true in all his words. 
Psal. c. xv.  But as in England the realm of rightwiseness lo, there is no such stone to stumble thereat, so be there none that stumble at Chryst, but they leap quite over him. He falleth there upon noman, our noman upon him. There is no persecution but all just execution lo. And therefore is there no such consolation nor Psalms nor scripture to life them up again. But in a full heavy state be they that be fallen and deadly hurt, and yet believe they them selves to stand upright hole and sow●de. Full woe, and fearful may our adversaries be which have so unjust, so evil, & the most ungodly cause defending the most open errors and manifest idollatrye, and so false a popish religion. And even there own consciences tell themselves, their cause to be so unjust and so manifestly wicked their doctrine & faith so false that they be both ashamed and afraid there of and dirste never teach nor preach it op● lie unless they were sewer of the seculare sword to defend it and themselves to. For they be afraid to justify their own books with their own titles and names. But our doctrine and the confession of our faith be not afraid to stand forth in the face of emperors, kings and princes of the world, yea and is offered to be looked upon and judged of all the hole world, our doctrine feareth not the light, albeit prince ceasers and all the world stand with naked swords against it to slay the professors thereof, so far of be they to defend it. our doctrine and faith desireth to be toyed and examined at the true twiche stone of the holy scriptures. But the doctrine and faith of our antichristian adversaries, refuse & are a afraid of the scriptures, and fly unto long customs, popish fathers, canon laws, councils of pope's and so persecution of us, & to develisshe doctors, and when all these will not serve, then fly they to the seclare policy of the realm and unto their prince's sword and acts of parlements thereby to be helped and defended. But all the prophetis of god constantly affirm it, and earnestly threatenthe these their weak reediss and rotten staves to be now shortly all to broken.  
When the emperor and the godly learned with the nobles of Germany did sit last at Auspurgh consulting and inquiring of the religion and faith: Meu did earnestly desper our adversaries to give us forth the account, reckoning and confession of their faith and religion in writing: but they could not get it they dirste not write it, they were asahamed or afraid to let their faith come into light, or else they could not write it. A goodly godly faith I warrant you, that so miserably feared, and was ashamed to be seen in writing of so many noble and learned men. But they be to wise, to suffer such a gross carnal shameless religion and so weak and incoustant a faithsesse faint faith to come into writing. And therefore they there desired instantly to dispute with us with faggots fire and sword, and even a certain bloody cardinal, offered himself to write us an answer with our own blood. Oh bloody beasts abhorred and detested of god casten up into a reprobate mind worthy to be perpetually dampened. This was all their importune labour and bloody drift at that counsel, and hath been ever sense, to devolue peaceable assem bless for the reformation of the christen religion unto bloody batai●es. And now this day have they thorough Satan & Paul the third, Pope of Rome with his bloody bishops brought their bloody purpose to pass in that they confedered with the Turk, had leifer the Turk to invade & overrune all christendom than the gospel of Chryst should have any free course in any one of their ditions and dioceses. This is lo, their devilisshe drift, when they cannot defend their false religion and faith by no word of god. It would have abhorred any christian man to have seen the sinful and vicious conversation of these papistic prelate's with their patrons in that town at that counsel, how openly they kept their whores how lordly they looked how drunken they went every night to bed, how beastly they banqueted, vomited and spewed out their sweet sinful surfeits. And yet would the belly bawdy be astis there stoutly and gloriously dispute of fasting of chastity, of temperancy anl. of sobriety, to fulfil the schriptures saying. In the last days, there shall come 
ij. Tim. iij.  upon you perilous times for there shall be men all for their own lusts loving themselves, covetous, pu●t up with pride, mischievous bitterly cursing, false of their promise, unjustly vexing good men, lecherous, glotenouse drunkards, arrogant, the lovers of their own lusts rather than of god. Having a show of godly religion, but the very true religion itself they have utterly ab●yed and renounced it. And these men avoid estiewe beware of, and thrust them out of thy sight.   

The. iiij. consolation. our adversaries understand not this great and godly cause. Nether shall, nor may they at any time defend it with any ferme arguments.  
ANd nowyet for our more comfort, let us consider how weak are our adversaries even they that be yet called the most prudent and would be seen the high learned, misshaped or bisshapen bissho pis. What thing have they (I pray you) to fray us? have they any wisdom? But craftiness, subtile serpentyne frauds apparent sophistical reasons without scripture, malice and mischief they have to miche●bu● as for any godly understanding, good learning, and true wisdom they have ●on at all. They write preach and speak so childysshe, so fond, so inconstant impertinent and repugnant things in so weighty a cause: and wrest the scriptures so violently to stablish their errors and recite them so foolishly▪ that the very b●●es in the grammar stoles, and the plough men, shoemakers & wives spinning at their rocks jest one them and 
Isay. xxix.  laugh them worthily to scorn, so that the prophecy of isaiah is now well verified upon them, wisdom shall perish in the wise and the understanding of the prudent shall be put out, their wisdom and koninge shall be rejected of god and come all to nought. So that it is asked of them into their own shame and confusion of Paul. Where is now your 
i Cor. i.  wise man? where be now your writers for your pope and his religion? Where are your disputers for your faith? have not god made them all folis? They consult much and oft together, they imagine enforce and tempt to prove many and diverse ways, they conspire, they conjure and cluster upon heaps, they write, they send, they run to each other. They have their secret conventicles, open conuo●a●ious, conciliables and counsels, they furnesshe & uphold their popish priests, schools and universities. They hyerd Rochester, sir Thomas More & promoted Eccius, Emser, Cocleus, Piggius, Latomus with like drafe and dregs to write against us their lying & fond books full of threatis mockis tauntis & revilings. But of their bloody counsels to destroy the parties of germany which have received the gospel. I will not now speak thereof. But what (I pray ye) have they gotten by all these cruel means? The gospel standeth and shall stand nevertheless, and will be spread into all the world according to god's ordinance which no enforcements no counsels of men, nor power may let it, nor tarry it, although these papists would break their beastly bellis therefore.  
At Auspurgh and at Batisbone, their drift was to have utterly extinguysshed the gospel, and what success had their wicked enforcements? verily in both the same cities & in all the country about, their own filthy fasshons and cruel conversation so promoved it, and stablished it that they shall never be able to quench it. For every man saw how fond & weak were their reasons and foundations, they espied their cruel false and subtile dryftiss to depress gods words. All men saw their abominable shameless lives, they perceived how greatly they were afraid to let their faith and doctrine come into light. Many wise and noble men there were which marveled greatly to see these men so fiercely and so furiously to take on with the gospelers reviling and spitting out their venom at them as at the most pestilent heretics and so calling them, preaching and affirming so boldly the pope's cause and his doctrine to be the true just and godly religion. And when they should both come to the tryoll treating and disputing of the causes, than were they ashamed to bring forth their popish doctrine or to write their religion openly, which they so gloriously and so stoutly had boasted before to be the very true catholic faith and doctrine of god and of their holy mother the church unable to be resisted or once spotted. Even here began many good men and even the lay people to doubt & mistrust their doctrine so highly craked of, and boasted before, even here perceived the people there doctrine and religion to be stark nought, uncertain and false, for that when a reckoning thereof was asked them, they feringe the light, sought bloody shifts and leet their own religion lie still lurking in dark dens. Then said the nobles and common people, who shall believe their doctrine, sith the defenders thereof dare not let it be seen in writing, but seek how to defend it with violence and murder? Sewrly (said they) this their cause can not be just and good as they boast and crack it. truly the verity flieth not from the light but dare be seen tried and judged of all men. And even thus said many which came out of all cooltes, as out of Spain, italy, Portugal and out of the nether germany and out of the other parts of Europe to these counsels, which before were thought to stand of the papists side. Which when they had seen and herd our doctrine and red it, every where mightily confirmed with the testimonies of the holy scriptures clearly and justly alleged, and also approved with the hole consent of the old holy doctors of the church immediately after the Apostles, seeing the christian men constantly offering up this our faith religion and doctrine before all the world, and that their ad versaries could not by no scriptures truly taken, convince and overthrow our doctrine, but were both ashamed, confounded and afraid: they repented themselves that ever they had other maintained it, or believed it so long. Then all these nations returned home, applied themselves to reading and hearing the scriptures and sought out learned and faithful preachers, so that sense that time, they have in many countries cast away the Pope with his Autichrysten religion and by God's grace are they called unto the very gospel. And now is it openly known with what, and how bloody counsels, with whom they conspired, whom they encensed to murder the holy innocent churches of christ and violently with sword and fire to oppress the gospel of Chryst, so that all the world seeth all their hope and shoot ancore of their health not to stand in the arm of god, but their hole confidence to consist in the multitude of papists in worldly power and policy in a fleshly arm, and in lords and princes whom they so persuaded with all manner kinds of flattery, obsequy, carnal pleasures and reasons and with the most shameful lies encensinge them that their own patrons and pylars, if they were not bewitched & blind, might perceive them openly to go about to stablish and defend the very tyranni of antichrist. If their doctrine were godly and right wherefore should they hide it? what need they against us sword and fire? But all the world seeth it to be false and ungodly for that they seek such crafty tyranny and violent engyus to defend it. For the verity defendeth her self with hi● own weapon even with the sword of the word of God. Now ye see what soft solgiers and cruel knights they be, and unto what battle (them selves laid down to sleep) they steer up other men to fight for them, but praised be god our almighty Lord one alone for us sufficient, out of whom proceedeth our victory, Proverb. xxi.  
But here peradventure will some say. How should we but fear their violent power and grievous threats, seeing they be so many, so mighty, so rich and so high exalted above us so few so poor weak and feeble? I answer. That in the apostles time very small was the number of the christians compared unto the heathen & infidels all the world then being full of gentiles yet not converted to the faith. Scant one elonge a thousand then dirst profess Chryst even among the people of god which were the jews. And soon after that the faith began to take roar among the gentiles, what else did the tyrannous emperors of Rome but play the bochers in slaying the Christians. nevertheless yet with no kind of torments (were they never so cruel sharp and terrible) nether with their insatiable blood thirsting, could the persecutors put away and quench the christian faith. But the crueller they persecuted the faith in Chryst, the wider it spread, the deeper it rooted, and the higher it grew and increased, and the more and mightier was the number of the crystianes. This was verily a marvelous thing. But it was god which assisted defended and animated his church, the lord fought for them mightily, Deuter. xx.  
The gentiles had slain so many and that so cruelly for the gospel that they being weary of tormenting might martyr 
Li. viij. &. ix.  no moo, as witnesseth Iosephu●. For the more the tyrants killed, the mightelier the Christians increased under their handis, even as the king Pharaoh of Egypt the grevouslier that he oppressed and slew the Israelitis the more were they multiplied, in so mich that he was afraid of them at last. The world ever contendeth to pluke the christians from the true worship unto idolatry and to papistry now with fair promises and then with grievous threats and bitter terrible deaths. But the chosen of god shall ever stand constantly and the sewerer in Chryst unable to be overcomen, whose christian constancy so angreth the ungodly that their fierre fury rageth into woodness madness and murder. Whose fierce madness when it rageth most tyrannously, yet can it not slay the soul but only our mortal bodies, wherefore the very christians do laugh at their threats and torments. For we be persuaded certainly in our faith, christ to have overcomen death for us, so that death is no death to us but a joyful end of sin and a glad passage to perpetual life. We are sewer that our bodies shall rise again glorious and immortal, unto the which glorious immortality we daily aspire and climb, knowing that this corporal death is not else then a nightis sleep to us that believe in christ, and so at last to be with Christ in joy both body and soul. This faith and hope of any other life after this have not our cruel heathen pursuers, albeit they speak it with their lips, and therefore they fear fly and abhor death so much. But we have the word of our Lord and god, that he hath for us taken away broken and overcomen the power and sting of death. This our victorious Lord and destrier of death, to animate to confirm and to comfort us in all our perils and calamities saith unto us. I tell 
Luk. xij.  you my friends, be not afraid of them that slay your bodies, and then can the● do no more to you. But I shall show you whom ye shall fear, fear him which after he hath slain your bodies, he hath power to cast both body and soul into hell fire. There is not so little a bird that di●the without our father's will, he hath told all the hears of our headis of which not one shall be brent without our fathers will. And are not we of a richer price than sparows and hears? But I shall t●ll you saith christ. Whoso confess me before men I shall acknowledge him before my father & all the angels in heaven. Rejoice ye therefore. For I have overcomen the world, and your heaviness 
Io. xvij.  shall be turned into gladness which no man shall take from you. Chrystis victory is owrs. If we believe in christ, our 
i joan. v.  faith is the victory that overcometh the world.  
Our pursuers think to hurt us much in killing our bodies, and we think & know it, thereby to have great lucre as saith Paul: christ is to me life, and death 
Phili. i.  is to me lucre. And albeit our flesh be infirm and weak, yet a godly mind in his inward man desireth with Paul to be dissolved out of this miserable sinful world and to be with christ. For Christ hath so promised me to be where so ever him silf is, and hath obtained it me by his prayer of his father. What now can all the antichristen ungodly do against us? verily nothing at all unto our hurt, they can not take faith and christ from our hearts, they may with violence kut out our tongues, but from our hearts may they not take our faith our profession and praise of christ's glory. And yet what so ever they do, it is by the sufferance of god for our salvation and into their own damnation. They may take away our corporal & transitory goodis, which we set not much up, seeing for them god giveth us goodis eternal and celestial. They kill our bodies, but they send our souls into the handis of our heavenly father, and make our death precious in the sight of god. When their deaths shall be most horrible and terrible to depart from so many pleasures into perpetual tormentinges. Wherefore Paul exhorting us unto constancy biddeth us to help each other with prayers that we might with a manly faith fight in the gospels quarrel, being not afraid of our adversaries. Unto whom that at is to them the 
Phili. i.  cause of their own perdition, the same is unto us the cause of our salvation, yea and that of god. When our adversaries and pursuers think to slay us, they slay themselves body and soul with the death of everlasting damnation. Is not this then a miserable & an execrable power at which our pursuers enjoy and rejoice so detestably into their own everlasting destruction & damnation? This is sewer that all the faithful departed constantly professing Chryst, live with him now in joy. But where be now the enemies of Chryst and the pursuers of the crystians? Where is decius which so cruelly persecuted the exystians? Where is Dioclesiane which proclaimed all holy books to be brent, & all that professed Christ to be cruelly slain? where be now Ua lerius, Maximinianus, Maximius, Lucinius, julianus? where is Aurelius cesar with all the other tyrants? And if we shul de descend into our days, we might ask where be now the pope's, cardinals, bishops with their conjured papistike complices against the gospel and Bible to be brought in translated into english? where are they that brent so many new testaments at Paul's cross and so many learned men & true crystianes which preached and professed constantly gods holy word? where is Thomas wolsaye cardivall bishop of York, where is johan stokesley bishop of London? where is west of Ely, fox of Herforde, doctor London all the abbots, priors, friars, commissaries. Sir Thomas More, and johan fisher bishop of Rochester, with all the cloisters and abbeys, monks and priests which have these. xvi. years persecuted the gospel? Are they not all which believed not the gospel condemned with Satan and his angels unto everlasting damnation? now lying in most grievous tormentinges? what hurt then did their transitory persecution and cross to the martyrs of god? again what now profiteth them their transitory pleasure in killing and burning the poor innocent lombes of Chryst? Are they not now tormented in hell in perpetual fire for burning gods word and the professors thereof?  
They laboured by temporal death to pluke poor men from god and his gospel facinge and fearing them in their courts and ingement seats under their canopeis but shortly cometh the great terrible day in which they must all stand before the judgement seat of christ in great fear and trembling, dead for anxt and heaviness, there to receive their general and last sentence of eternal damnation both in bodies and soulis. Then shall it be verified 
Sapi. iij iiij. v.  of us both which is written.  
The souls of the just are in the handis of god and the torments of death shall not touch them They appeared to the eyes of the foolish ungodly to have died, and their death to have had been an heavy pain, but they went quietly into relte. And albeit before men they suffered torments yet was their hope full of immortaly●e. Their vexation was to them a sweet cross, for they had ample benefits. For God tempted them and found them worthei for himself. Then shall the rightwise stand in great constancy before their oppressers & revylets. Whom when they behold, they shall be smitten with sudden great fear and be astoned at their sudden salvation. Then they touched with penance, and wailing for anguish of mind, shall thus say with themselves. Is not this he whom we once laughed to scorn, jested upon him contumeliously: fools that we were then ourselves & had went his life to have been madness and to have died an heretic. And see he is nowmbred among the sons of god haninge his reward among the rightwise? We we ourselves then erred from the way of trwthe, the lyhht of the true form of justification did not shine upon us, nether did the son of the true understanding of the scriptures spring unto us. We wearied ourselves in the way of wickedness walking as it were in an hard wilderness but the way of the Lord we knew it not. What did our pride and high lokis pro fit us? what got we by our bragging & boasted forth riches? As a shade we and a runner on post all these thing is be passed away never to come again. In our own mischief be we consumed. These are the words of the dampened in hell. Which have persecuted us now living perpetually with christ. Thus do the god for our sakes arm himself to punish our pursuers to be avenged of his enemies.  
These things shall surely come upon them. Wherefore let them rage and bewode as dogs into their own destruction. They think here to reign and rule, to save and to slay, to change and transpose what they list for ever, and to exercise their tyranny and their lusts: but oh wretched mortal men ye be greatly deceived, full nigh in the twinkling of an eye is your sudden fall and heavy death at hand, when ye lest think there upon, albeit you reading this monition will laugh sweetly thereat, kindling and encrea sing your cruel mischief against us. But he that sitteth in heaven laugheth you to scorn. Oh miserable feeble mad men oh foolish, oh blind beasts, oh mischenouse tyrannous fyercenes of miserable creatures ageyust their own almighty maker, whose power is almighty and everlasting unable to be resisted. It is he that throith down your proud lokis.  
All the power and enforcements of the 
Danie, iiij.  world against us and christ are but vain and frultrate, for our capital enemy Satan is overcomen God hath given us his own most strong weapons against all his engines opening unto us his holy scriptures where in we find ready all manner of strength ready ways and how to resist and to overcome him, even the sewer verity to confute all his lies and the sharp sword and sewer buckler of faith constantly to put of his falsehood and to wipe it clean away. Let us not therefore now (christian brethren, be to sewer idle and sloughisshe in our gifts received, but pray incessantly god to increase in us faith in christ. Let us abide in the faith of his gospel cleaving unto it earnestly. And so be we with out peril in all salfgard and sewertye. Faith glueth us and christ together never to be divelled. And if we have christ, so can there no thing hurt us nether sin nor death, nor hell, nor yet Satan, nor all his ministers in the world.   

The fift consolation is. The reward and end of the faithful in christ is life everlasting.  
fifthly let us be comforted and confirmed in our hearts while yet we live in our persecution. For that there abideth us the most inestimable & most joyful felicity promised us of god, if we constantly continue and persever under this our cross unto the end, for a transitory light pain we be sewer of an everlasting ferme joy. What pains, what travels and perils do the merchant man take both by sea and Land to gather and get him but transitory and soon lost goods? And shall we either with fear be dejected, or for a little pains taking be repelled, from that inestimable joy and felicity which as no man can take it from us, so shall we enjoy them everlasting. our treasure for which we travel and are sewer to obtayur it, no mortal eye have seen it, no care may hear it, nor heart may comprehend it, which treasure god hath prepared for us that love him. And as for the afflictions and persecutions of this time saith Paul, they be not to be compared 
Ro. viij.  as worthei the glory which shall be openly given us here after. For the transitory lightness or easiness of our gre vouse affllictions above measure, bringeth forth unto us the everlasting weighty glory, whiles we behold not things seen but thing is not yet seen. For the things 
ij. cor. iiij  seen, are transitory, but the things not seen are eternal. Now if the world take so great pains and labours putting itself into so great perils, suffering and travellinge from place to place for transitory shadews even riches shortly to be lost and left, in whose getting men be oftentimes cast behind, and their hope frustrated, and if they be gotten they be but for a little time kept & possessed and that with great care inquietness▪ trouble, and fear, and at last, lost and forsaken with much more heaviness sorrow and affliction of mind, what christen faithful will not constantly with the most pains perils and affllictions and even with many sharp deaths suffering, con tend and aspire with the most assewered hope unto his eternal joys and felicity promised and reposed for him in heaven, even to be made the son and air of god there to line for ever and ever? surely all the afflictions, heavinesses and persecutions here, are very light and little to us, if we well ponder our felicity and blessed joyous state shortly to come. The Lord mought illumyn the eyes of our understanding that we might learn what is the hope of our vocation, and what be the riches of the glory of the heritage of the faithful. So be it.  
Now (most dear brethren) do I warn and warn you yet again to beware and estiewe the leavyn of hipocritis, that is their false erro● use damnable doctryves. And let us not curse and cast our adversaries into hell pit, but let us rather pity their miserable blindness, remembering in what a damnable state they stand tormented in mind bound For I remember the wounds of my saviour, which is wounded for mine infirmities. What sin is so unto death, which by Crystis death may not be forgiven? When I therefore remember so effec tuouse and so mighty a medicine, there can no sinful sickness make me afraid. And therefore he erred & sinned grievously which said. Greater is my iniquity then godis mercy may forgive it. But that man, as he was none of christ's members, so did not christ's meritis and his satisfaction pertain unto him. But I shall with confidence in faith call them my merits, my rightwiseness, my reconciliation and my satisfaction with my faith firmly to setholde upon them even as they were my noun good. But yet do I challenge and receive them out of the bowels & breast of my Lord, even those things which I have not of myself. For his holy body dropeth out, yea it floweth forth mercy and forgiveness, nether wanteth there any holes wherbye they may flowforth aboun dantly and iucessantly. For with the eyes of mi faith in continual remembrance I see his hands and feet digged thorough, and a spear piercing his side. Thorough these sweet holes, I souke me houey out of the rock and oil out of the hard stone. Here I taste and feel (oh my father) how sweet is my Lord christ jesus. To whom with my father & the holy ghost be glory praise and thanks for ever and ever.   

So be it.  
LEt us (dear brethren) take it for 
jacob. i.  great joy as oft as we fall into son dry tentacious and troubles knowing 
i Pet. i.  that it is for the tryoll of our faith and it bringeth forth patience. Unto good minds regenerated of the spirit all perturbations, temptations and affilictions be good and profitable to excercise patience, increase constancy and faith, and to prove our hope to kindle love & to nurture us in christ's religion For our faith and all the gifts of god be increased by this use and exercise. Which thus encre ased, are also by affliction and the cross defended. Unto which pertaineth. That 
Exo. xiij and. xiv i. Cor. x.  our fathers all were under the cloud and passed thorough the sea, and all were bapti sed into Moses in the cloud & in the sea. Whereby the apostle showeth in how great fear were the Israelits, the sea lying before their eyes and their mortal enemies the Egipcians being at their heelis. It was a fearful sight to see them in this distress passing down into the bottom the sea, the waters like heavy walls swelling up one echesyde likely ever to overwhelm them. But yet here were they baptized into Moses school him to be their teacher and schoolmaster to take them for the from under the law that they and we also at last might be baptized into christ to do him upon us perfectly instruct and confirmed in the faith of his promises revealed and performed under the grace of the gospel. So that by this baptism even the face of our perpetual repentance, we be taught and warned of our christian profession that is to take the cross of christ upon us and to follow him by patiently suffering, into his perpetual glory. So be it.  
1544 in September. G. I.