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.

Of the goodnesse of God in our de∣fence agaynst our persecu∣tors. &c. The xxxj. Chapter.

HOw often would the aduersaryes of Iesus Christ haue killed hym: into how many coūsayls & cōsultatiōs haue they entred, to y^e same effect, but

they could not bring any part of their purposes to passe,* 1.1 vntil his houre was fully come, and that God the father had let loose the power of darkenesse. How many times, or how oftē (saith he him selfe) haue I bene with you in the Temple, teachyng and talkyng with you, and ye haue not taken mée. I am sure they had such hatred to him and his Gospel, that there wanted no good will in them to haue done it, but (they had no power to doe it) theyr strength fayled them. Doest thou not knowe saide Pilate that I haue po∣wer to loose and frée thée,* 1.2 and also to crucifie and kill thée. He answered and saide, thou haddest not (if it were not giuen thée from aboue,) so muche po∣wer as to touche mée. No more can those which now doo séeke to afflict the faithfull, they can not so muche as fil∣loppe them with their finger, if God woulde to the contrarie: for that hée hath not so little regarde vnto theyr liues corporall, that hée will deliuer them ouer to their foes, vntyll their full course be come, runne out, and ex∣pired.

From the time that Iesus Christ dyd first manifest himselfe (by preaching) vnto the world, they dyd abhorre him till they had most cruelly condemned him, and deliuered him vnto deathe, yea, euen the spitefull death of the crosse. The will and mynde they had to kill him, when he was crucified, had contine wed of olde, but the exe∣cucion thereof was then newly in∣uented, but yet they could not atteine vnto it without the will of God.

Euen so euer sithens the first hower that the worde of God, and the true light thereof, entred into Iermany, England, France, and this our realm of Spaine, and dyd begin to shine as the Sunne, there were persecutours which did abhorre it, and so doo con∣tinewe vntill this daye, most mortal∣ly and cruelly: and dyd, and dooe, kill all Christians, which are quickned thereby with most extremitie. They dyd alwayes will & wish that which now they doo most wickedly, they wer euermore enimies and contrary both to him and vs, but they could not at no

time conclude their desires, till such tyme as God had let loose the power of darkenesse:* 1.3 bycause thereby wée might bée examyned, purified, and tryed, and then put into eternal glo∣rie, prepared for vs from the begyn∣ning. And our persecutors, afflictors, and killers, in all their persecuti∣ons and tirannie, doe no more but fill vp the measure of impietie and sinnes of theyr fathers so full,* 1.4 that they will make it runne ouer and bring vppon them selues, all the bloud of the Sainctes which haue bene si∣thens the death of rightuous & iuste Abell.

And therefore sith that men can doe nothyng, and that man is no bodye nor nothyng of him selfe, and also sith the power which they haue is giuen them from God, onely to execute his will, let vs not feare them.

Bycause that God hath commaun∣ded vs not to feare men, for that they can but kill the bodie, wée can not feare them without greate of∣fence.

Wherefore let vs giue eare & heare that which the Lorde sayeth by the Prophette Esay, and assureth vs of:* 1.5 thou shalte bée my seruant (sayeth hée) I haue chosen thée, feare not for I am with thée, doe not declyne from mée, for that I am the Lorde thy God, and will fortefie and streng∣then thée. Thus wé sé that there is no cause whie, wée should feare any humaine power, hée doeth sure∣ly certefie vs that wée are hys ser∣uantes, that hée hath chosen vs, and that hée is our God: So that wée doe iniure hym greatly, and fil∣thilie offende hym, when that in a∣ny poynte wée doe feare the myni∣sters of death corporall.

What other thing commeth by fea∣ring of them, but in giuing honour vnto them, to dyshonour God who doeth defende and forbyd it: But let vs beléeue hys promise and say with the Prophette,* 1.6 thou arte our GOD, and wée shall not die though our killers and persecutors doe neuer so much against vs. Let vs beare this

faith as a shield,* 1.7 & let vs not declyne from y^e right way, nor yet be dismayd neither for feare of death, nor yet of our persecutors. For that therein is fulfilled all which is spoken of by S. Iohn:* 1.8 which is, that our heauinesse shall be turned into ioye. By death is ended all our heauinesse and mour∣nyng, and there doeth succeede such ioye as no tongue can tell, the which can not be taken away. So that when the worlde doeth make greatest ac∣counte, that we are kylled, lost, and for euer vtterly distroyed, and hath raysed vp enseignes of our greatest dishonour and infamie.* 1.9 Euen then (sayeth the holy Ghost by hys Pro∣phet) God will wype the teares from the chéekes of vs his chosen: and wil take all our dishonours and cares.

He will turne all dishonour to the dis∣honorers, & infamie to the infamors, and the abhorrors shall bée possessed with their own hatred. The cōdemp∣nation shall reuert to y^e cōdempners, and theire, cursse, maledictiō, & death to the termygauntes theyr executio∣ners.

But the faithful deliuered from all kynde of calamyties and aduersi∣ties,* 1.10 and the couertures of their ho∣linesse and rightuousnesse béeing di∣stroyed, and they wholy taken out of the power of their enimies, shall bée put where shall be no more death, no more plaintes, cryes, calamities, nor griefes: but where shall be the throne of God and of the Lambe, and where they shall serue hym, sée hys face, and haue hys name in theyr fore∣heades.

And the Lord God shall lightē them,* 1.11 and reygne for euer with them, as it is written by Sainct Iohn.

And sith it is so, what is there lost by leauing so tenebrous and darke a dungeon, as is the filthie pryson of our bodyes, so stinkyng as they are, and by leauyng the world where all thynges are corruptible.

Shall wée feare those which séeke to kyll vs for. Christes cause, séeyng they procure vs thereby so blessed an exchange, that our corruption shall bée turned into incorruption, our

mortalitie into immortalitie, pouer∣tie into ryches, dishonour into ho∣nour, imprysonment into libertye, confusion into glorie, heauinesse into ioye, and our solitarie béeyng into the companie of God and his Saynctes for euer, and to bée of the same num∣ber and equall with them in glo∣rie.

Wherefore shall wée refuse to goe from this lyfe so abhominable, to goe to that goodly mount Syon: to goe to that beautifull Citie of God, the newe and celestiall Ierusalem,* 1.12 into and among that innumerable many and multitude of blessed Aungelles and Archaungelles, the holy and true common wealth of the chosen: where as without contradiction is alwayes done the good will of God.

Shall we feare to come to this felici∣tie, to the which we were borne and redéemed by the inestimable good wil and loue of God, whereas we shal be made perfectly lyke to hym who dyd redéeme vs: No, let vs put away all those vain feares of the euils present

in this world,* 1.13 & of the ministers ther∣of, and assure our selues to be ioyned with Iesus Christ whiche is ascen∣ded into heauen, where as he sitteth on the right hande of God in hys ma∣iestie, with his right hande extended readie to take hold and receiue vs vn∣to him.

We holde it impossible, in our car∣nall sence of vnderstandyng to suffer the fire and the terrour thereof that they vse in persecuting y^e little flocke of vs at this daye, for that in bur∣ning vs, they doe it by little and lit∣tle, the more to increase our tormēts, for theyr reuenge: onely bycause we confesse the trueth of Christe our maister whome they can not abyde.

Howe can it be (sayth our blynd flesh∣sences) but that suche crueltie must néedes ouercome our patience.

What other thyng may this bée cal∣led, but a blasphemie wherewith we denie, the myghtie potenciall po∣wer of God, y^t which he is to vse to all y^e trust in him: & a mean to seperate vs

from his crosse, to which he dooth call vs so amorously and louingly, bicause we might be gloryfied with Christ.

And therefore let vs not heare, nor yet giue credit to any suche leasinges and errours. Worldly men doo easily suffer those thinges wherin they féele some grief for their gain. By these fi∣ry tormēts, wherof we haue such hor∣rour, there can be no kynde of harme nor griefe that is euill, but rather a great and mightie blessednesse, much more to our gayne: wherefore wée ought not to beleue nor thincke that our pacience which God giueth, wil∣be ouercome thereby.

From syx trybulacions the Lord will deliuer thée, and in the seuēth no ma∣ner of euill shall touch thée, (sayth the holy ghost by iust Iob) the seauenth is the very last instant howre or tyme of death.* 1.14 So that, when it séemeth to sight that al our euills are heaped vp∣pon vs, and that our enimies, doo vse theyr greatest tiranny, and make ac∣count to haue gotten the victory, and that wée remayne ouercome & swal∣lowed

vp with all maner of mischief: Euen then the same holy Ghost doth assure vs, that no maner of euil doth touch vs.

What occasiō is ther thē for vs to flie frō y^t which hurteth nor toucheth vs not, or to make accompt y^t humain per¦secution will or can ouercome our pa∣cience, or th•••• our patience is not a∣ble to abide 〈◊〉〈◊〉.* 1.15 All things are possible to them that beléeue (saith the Lord). So that vnto such, it is also certainly possible to haue patience to abide the extremitie and furie of the fyre, and to suffer the same with great constan∣cie. It was patiently passed ouer by the Prophets in the olde time: Euen so it is now to them that be holy, faith∣full, and beléeue. Bycause that which the Apostle sayth concerning y^e same,* 1.16 must néedes bée true therein. God is faithfull (sayeth hée) and will suffer no man to bée tempted, more then he will make him able to beare: but ra∣ther with our temptatiōs he sendeth good successe, bicause we may suffer. Wherby it is most manifest & plain,

that christian patience doeth not one∣ly ouercome death executed by extre∣mitie of fyre, but also all the moste cruell kynds of deaths and torments, that any Triant and all the Tirants in y^e world can vse & deuise. Bycause that with all y^e tyrannie they can exe∣cute, God will not alter his purpose, from accordyng to his worde, nor leaue to admynister some one secret vertue or other, to them that be his, whereby they shall ouercome death, tirannie, hell, sinne, the diuill, and all other kynde of mischiefes.

* 1.17So full of compassion & pittie is our high priest Iesus Christ, that as hée ouerpassed temptations which hap∣pened to him selfe, so will he also, by hys power and might ayde & streng∣then all those which are tempted.

As the Apostle sayth: if Iesus Christ in whom wée beléeue and for whom wée suffer, doe knowe by experience our griefes and troubles, and is not onely moste myghtie, louyng, and good to vs in our helpe, but also doth suffer with vs as the heade with the

members: shall he be so weak in vs that he can not abyde the fyre, or (be∣ing strong as hée is) will not he help vs in the middest therof,* 1.18 béeyng prin∣cipall in persecution and suffering the same with vs.

Is it possible that God will forsake and leaue vs, (or that we should fear or doubt the same) when that for pro∣fessyng of hys name wée are by our enymies throwen into the myddest of the fyre, or that wée should thinke God to bée forgetfull of hys louing chyldren, and that hée loueth vs in wordes and not in déedes, and truth: Surely in so dooyng wée should much iniure hym, and gyue hym greate cause to bée gréeuouslie offended with vs for it.

For vs to thynke that hys almigh∣tinesse will forsake vs in any necessi∣tye, it were an abhomynable acty∣on of vs, if he haue not (as in déed hée hath not) forsaken but remembred vs in the greatest matters, of a suer∣tie hée will not forsake but remēber

helpe and deliuer vs in and from such trifles: it were abhominable to think the contrarie, much more worsser to beleeue it. Well, my dearely belo∣ued bretheren and sweet fellow mem∣bers, I trust there is none of vs, that doeth eyther beléeue or thynke any such thing, but rather my hope is that we thinke and surely beléeue, to féele his goodnesse,* 1.19 according to the saying of the holy Ghost, by Esay the Pro∣phet: who sayeth, the Lorde God thy creator sayeth, feare thou not, for I haue redéemed thée, and called thée by thy name, thou arte myne, and when thou passest by the water I will bée with thée, the ryuers shall not ouer∣whelme thée, when thou passest by the fyre thou shalt not be burned, nor the flames thereof shall not bende them selues against thée, for I am the Lord thy holy God of Israell, which kéepeth thée God hath alwayes in re∣membrance the benifite which he v∣sed, in calling and makyng vs parta∣kers of his redemption, and in adop∣ting vs hys children neuer to leaue

vs.* 1.20 So that when it shall séeme to the iudgement of the world that hée hath left vs, (& that is when he suffereth vs to passe into the middest of y^e fyre or any other torment) euen then is he most nighest vnto vs, and so nyghe in déede, that he is closely ioyned with vs, and temperating the furie of the fyre, bicause it should doe vs no harm: and for that it might appeare that he is both God and father to all his, and will kéepe and defende vs from all e∣uill in all tymes of torment and tri∣bulation.* 1.21 If the gates of hell may not preuayle agaynst vs, how can the fire which is visible and corporall preuail against vs: if eternal and euerlasting death haue no parte in vs, how can a∣ny thing that is temporal and momē∣tarie harme vs: will God deliuer vs from the greatest euilles, and suffer vs to perish in the little ones, no for a certeintie, his euerla∣sting promise is to the contrarie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luke. 22. & 53. Math. 26. &. 55.
• * 1.2

  Ioh. 19. in all.
• * 1.3

  1. Pet. 1. & 4.7.
• * 1.4

  Mat. 23. & 31.35. Luke. 13. & 24.34.35.
• * 1.5

  Esay. 4. & 9.10.
• * 1.6

  Abac. 1. &. 12.
• * 1.7

  Ephe. 6. & 13.14.15. &c.
• * 1.8

  Ioh. 6. &. 2.3.20.
• * 1.9

  Esay. 25. &. 8. Apoc. 7. &. 12.
• * 1.10

  1. Ioh. 3. & 14. Esay. 25. & 5.6.7.
• * 1.11

  Apoc. 2••. &. 3.4.5. &c.
• * 1.12

  Hebr. 12. & 22.23.
• * 1.13

  Hebr. &. 3. Hebr. 12. &. 3.
• * 1.14

  Iob. 5. & 19.26.
• * 1.15

  Mar. 9. & 23.
• * 1.16

  1. Cor. 16. &. 13.
• * 1.17

  Hebr. 4. & 14.15.16. Hebr. 2. & 17.18.
• * 1.18

  Act. 9. & 4.5.
• * 1.19

  Esay. 43. & 1.2.3. &c.
• * 1.20

  Psal. 91. & 5.6.7. Psal. 33. & 12.17.
• * 1.21

  Mat. 16. & 18.