An excelent comfort to all Christians, against all kinde of calamities no lesse comfortable, then pleasant, pithy, and profitable: Compendiously compiled by Iohn Perez, a faithfull seruant of God, a Spaniard (in Spanish) and now translated into English by Iohn Daniel, of Clements Inne, with diuers addicions by him collected and therevnto annexed.

An excelent comfort to the afflicted. Cap. xiij.

HE that dwelleth (sayeth he) vnder the defence of the highest, shall be sure vnder the shadow of the almigh∣tie. The defence wherin doeth consist our sureste securitye, is the fyrme truste and affyaunce that the Lords

hath giuen vs to haue in him. By the which we are made partakers of hys omnipotencie, and as his omnipoten∣cie is in securitie from all kynde of euill, euen so are we thereby bycause he is onely our hope, our foretresse, our strength, and God in whom wée chiefly trust. And the chiefe ground of his promise is, that he will deliuer vs from all euilles, and that hys trueth shall be vnto vs a buckler and shield. And also the Prophet sayth in y^e same Psalme, Bycause thou haste put thy selfe vnder the guarde and custodie of the most highest, there shall no euill happen vnto thée, neyther shall any plague come néere thy dwellynge. Whereby it appeareth playnly, what vayne traueyles our enimyes take in hand, when they séeke rather to afflict vs, or fight so furiously as they doe, a∣gainst the truth. For that as they can not preuayle against the truth, so shall they not preuayle against them that folow it, bycause the auctthor thereof is their mightie defendor. Héere the Lord doeth promyse and certifie that

no euill shall happen vnto vs, nor plague come to our dwelling or Ta∣bernacle, if we know and feare hym. So that it followeth the euilles and mischiefes that our aduersaries doe séeke towardes vs, cannot hurte vs if we be faithfull. Bycause the elected whose tutor and gouernour is God, are not, neither riches, honor, dignity, high estate, bodily or corporal health, lyfe, nor any thing els, whereof there is any vertue or power giuen to the wicked. But are the liuing members, of Iesus Christ vnited and knit vnto him most surely, and therefore inuisi∣ble to the children of this world, as is the same Lord. And bycause the wic∣ked should not sée howe to doe them harme in that true being which they bee, God did so fauour them, that by hym they were incorporated in Iesu Christ, for that as hée is firme sure, substanciall, strong, and may not bée throwen out of the throne of his ma∣iestie. So be those his members of such strength and force in him, that they may in no wyse be separated frō him.

That which by tirannie of Tirants is to be taken from vs, is but lent vs in this worlde. But that which God hath giuen vs for our owne, I meane y^e celestial riches which we are heires vnto, to inherite for euer, they can not be taken away, although they doe the worst they can. That which is ours is giuen vs for our owne with a pryui∣ledge, irreuocable, that we be his chil∣dren, inheritors of his kingdom, and partakers of his glory. That we also be his inheritance, & a dwellyng place for him to dwell in for euer, with our selues also in him. S. Peter doeth re∣ioyce y^t we doe liue in him eternally, and doe holde and account him for our God & father, and doeth giue thanks, saying: Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ, y^e which accor∣ding to hys aboundant grace and mer∣cy, hath regenerated vs agayne to a lyuely hope, by the resurrection from death of our Lord Iesus, to enioy an inheritaunce immortall, not conta∣mynate but incorruptyble and vn∣defiled,

reserued in the heauens for those which are kept by the power of God thorough faith, to obteine salua∣cion.

So that being kepte by the power of God which passeth strength of ca∣stles, or any thing els, what euill or harme can come or happen vnto vs.

Thou dootst hyde them in the secret of thyne owne presence priuilie, from prouoking the pride of men (sayth the Prophet Dauid) also (further) thou doost hide them as in a tabernacle frō the stowte caluminate, strifes of euil tongues.

So that the greate brauery and boy∣steous bragges that the wicked doe braue with all, it cannot hurt vs. For that their pride, theyr peuishnesse, their caluminates, their strifes, theyr subtilties, nor yet theyr generall and wicked coūsells cannot gréeue vs. No more cannot the gréedye gréeuous rauuen, nor hawtie hate of the diuel, pearce nor penitrate the place where GOD dooth hide vs.

That which did happen or fall out to Iesus Christ, the same shall happen vnto vs. For as he was whipped, spoi∣led, spitted on, bloud drawen from, nayled vppon the crosse, otherwise in∣iured, and blasphéemed, & did remaine the sonne of God, and could not bée taken away nor let from callyng and acknowledging of hys God & father, and continued the redéemer of the world. So lykewyse the faithfull, the more they bée dishonoured, dispoyled, condempned, cursed, and iniurioustie handled, the more they remayne al∣wayes the children of God, and hys spirit doeth lyue the rather alwayes in them, by the which they inuocate, call, and acknowledge hym for theyr father. So that it foloweth that the worlde and all the greatnesse thereof (I meane the tiranous tirany of the persecuting wicked worldlings) with all the tirany and cursed crueltie they can doe, can not hurt vs.

To confirme & make vs more strong in our faith, the holy ghost by the pro∣phet Dauid doeth declare vnto vs,

that all which our aduersaries dooe commit, thonder out, and threatten a∣gainst vs and the Gospell is in vaine. (For he saith) the gentiles fret, rage, and fume furiously, and the people in∣uent vaine thinges. The kings of the earth doo conspire, and the princes and rulers of the Earth doo gather them selues together, against the Lord and Christ his annointed. It is vayne and shall take none effect at any tyme in vs, nor yet nothinge at all, that they can afflict vs with, be it interior or ex∣terior. Bicause the Lord our god hath ouercome all our enimies, aswell those which are visible and séene, as those which are inuisible & not séene. And hath ouerthowne them in suche sort that they shal neuer more lift vp their heads against vs. And thereof it accreweth and groweth, that all is in vaine that they doo or can doo against him, that hath ouercome them. And moreouer all is in vaine that any fu∣ry can doo against the faithfull, so that their iudgements and condempnaci∣ons are all in vaine. For that if the

iudgement of God can not preuayle agaynst them, bycause they (as the Apostle sayeth) are knitte in Iesus Christ. Howe can any of the iudge∣mentes of theyr enimyes in any point preuayle agaynst them. Vaine are their sentences and excommunicati∣ons agaynst them, for that God hath communicated them in Christ, and made them partakers of his ryches. It is a common practise among them to confiscate, spoyle, & robbe the fayth∣full of their perishing ryches. But yet in vayne, bycause that Iesus Christ who is their true ryches will not bée robbed from them. Their bodies are imprysoned, yet hée reigneth in theyr liberties, to ioy, reioyce, comfort, and recreate theyr hartes.

Moreouer, they are burned, and re∣ceyue other kyndes of death, to the imaginations of the persecutors, by∣cause they should not lyue: but they shall neuer dye.

For Sainct Paule sayth, your liues are hydden with Christ in God.

Fynally, theyr instrumentes and

other weapons the which they take vp to vse theyr cruelties with, it is but in vayne agaynst them (I meane agaynst the faythfull) for that he that sitteth and is resident in the heauens (sayeth the Prophet) shall deryde and make a mock at their folly: the Lord will laughe them to scorne for theyr great foolishnes. They doe think them selues to be of the number of his cho∣sen, and yet the more they doe impry∣son and kill the very chosen in déed, so muche the more soouer they thinke to recouer his heauēly kingdom: a great mockery no doubt: and is no more but as it were an Emmet should fighte with an Elephante, or a foolishe flea with a foule Cammell. Were it not also foolishe phoprie for a man to fight with a shadowe, thinkyng it to bée a man of might. Surely they doe none other, which persecute & fight against the faithfull.

Of whome the Prophete speaketh: saying, God hath put his faithfull in safetie, so y^t no harme can touch them,

and where in no wise they may perish by the peuishnesse of any pelting per∣secuter. There is none that séeketh to hurt or harme them, but playeth the part of him that pusheth and fighteth with his owne shaddowe. Against the Gospel, the kinges, princes, the wise, learned, and holy, in the world haue discouered and shewed openly, some of them their knowledge, suttelties & threats: othersome their valiency & might: and all of them doo affirme & say, that they doo nothinge but vpon a zeale of christianitie. But that is such a zeale, as he y^e gouerneth the Gloabe and in the heauens dwellith, doth de∣ride, laugh and make a mocke at. And doth threaten that in place and lue of the same, he will speake to them in his ire, and vex them in his heauy dis∣pleasure. And also chastise them with an horrible and terrible chastisemēt, as he hath done from the beginning, and that hath béen séene in our daies. But sith it is so, and that all is vaine that they doo or can inuent against vs that dooe knowe and beleue in Iesus

Christ, & that he dooth deride & mocke them in their doings. Let vs not feare their foolishnesse and folly in their cō∣spiracies which they vse against vs, to deuide apart and seperate vs ther∣by from gods trueth. But let vs laugh at their folly w^t our good father who dooth nothing but laugh at, and deride them for the same.

Notes

• Psal. 91. & 1.4.10.
• The secu∣ritie of the faithfull.
• Mat. 16. &. 24.28.
• The faith∣full mem∣bers of Christ.
• That is the riches of his king∣dome.
• 1, Pet. 1. &. 3.4.5.
• Psal 30. &. 22.
• Psal 27. &. 5••
• Iesus christ is alwayes a God al∣mightie.
• The faith∣full are al∣wayes the childrē of God.
• Rom. 8. & 15.
• Gala. 4. & 5.6. Hebr. 3. &. 1.
• Psal. 2. & 1.2. &c.
• Iohn. 16. &. 14. Apoc. 17. &. 14.
• All that the wicked doe against the faithful is in vaine,
• Rom. 5. & 2.3. &c.
• Rom. 6. & 7.8.9. &c, Colos. 3. &. 3.
• Psal. 2. & 4.
• 2, Cor. 7. &. 5.
• Psal. 2. & 4.