Marginalia1555. August.ioyes as fayth taketh not, hope toucheth not, nor charitie apprehendeth not. They passe all desires & wishes.MarginaliaIoyes layd vp in Christ to mans sense inestimable.Gottē they may be by CHRIST, estemed they cā not be. Wherfore the more affliction and persecution the word of God bryngeth, the more felicitie and greater ioy abydeth in heauē. But the worldly peace, idle ease, wealthy pleasure, and this present and pleasaūt transitory life and felicitie, which the vngodly foolishly imagine to procure vnto them selues by persecutyng, & thrustyng away the Gospell, shall turne vnto their owne trouble, and at last vnto horrible destruction and mutations of Realmes and Coūtreyes, & after this life (if they repent not) vnto their perpetuall infelicity, perditiō, and damnation.MarginaliaSamuell prophesieth of the destruction of the persecutors. For they had rather with Naball and his temporall pleasures descend to the Deuill,Marginalia1. Reg. 25. then with poore CHRIST and hys bodily troubles, ascend vnto the kyngdome of God hys father. But an vnwise man (sayth the Psalmist) comprehendeth them not, neither doth the foolish vnderstand them, that is, these bloudy persecutours growe vp and flourishe like the flower and grasse in the field.MarginaliaTo what end the persecuters do florish in this world. But vnto this end do they so florish, that they might be cut downe and cast into the fire for euer. For, as Iob saith: Their ioy lasteth but the twinklyng of an eye, and death shall lye gnawyng vpon themMarginaliaIob. 21. Psal. 40. as doth the flocke vpon the pasture: yea the cruell worme, late repentaunce (as S. MarkeMarginaliaMar. 9. sayth) shall lye gnawyng, tormentyng, and accusyng their wretched conscience for euermore.

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Let vs therefore (good Christians) be constant in obeying God rather then men. For although they slay our sinfull bodies (yea rather our deadly enemies) for Gods verity: yet can they not do it, but by Gods sufferaunce and good will, to his praise and honour, and to our eternall ioy and felicity. MarginaliaThe bloud of Gods Martyrs preacheth with more fruite, then did theyr mouthes.For our bloud shed for the Gospell, shal preach it with more fruite and greater furtheraunce, then did our mouthes, lyues, and writinges: as did the bloud of Abel, Steuen, with many other moe. What though they laugh CHRIST and his worde to scorne which sit in the chaire of peruerse pestilent scorners? To whom as to the wise Gentiles of the world, the Gospel of CHRIST is but foolishnes, as it was to the Iewes a sclaunder and a stumbling stone, wherat they now being fallen, haue prouoked the wrath and vengeaunce of God vpō them. Marginalia
Luke. 2.
God long loketh for repētance, and we waxe worse and worse.These are the dayes of vengeaunce (saith Luke) that all thinges written may be fulfilled. And surely it shall be no lesse then a huge storme of euils that shall come vpon vs, because that a long and a cursed obstinate maliciousnes of vs, hath gone before crying in the eares of the Lord God of hostes, who so many times and so many waies haue bene prouoked with the vnspeakeable riches of his goodnes, his pacience, and long suffering, to amendment, and haue neuertheles contemned the same, and proceeded forwarde to worse and worse, prouoking and stirring the presence of Gods maiesty vnto anger. Now therfore saith God by the mouth of his Prophet: I wyll come vpon thee, and I wyll send my wrath vpon thee:MarginaliaEsay. 3. vpon thee (I say) O England, and punyshe thee according to thy waies, & reward thee after all thine abominatiōs. MarginaliaWickednes of England declared.MarginaliaEsay. 3.Thou hast kindled the fire of Gods wrath and hast styrred vp the coales. For thou wast once lightned and haddest tasted of the heauenly gift, and wast become partaker of the holy ghost, and haddest tasted of the good word of God: Yea, it is yet in thy mouth, saith the Prophet. MarginaliaEngland worthely rebuked.Alas O England, thou knewest thy Lord and Masters will, but diddest nothing thereafter: Thou must therefore (saith he) suffer many stripes, and many sharpe strokes, and walke on in the glittering and whote flame of thine own fier, and in the coales that thou hast kyndled. This cōmeth to thee from my hand, saith the Lord: namely: That thou shalt sleepe in sorrow, yea euen so thou shalt. The plaine truth telleth the tale, the immutable iustice of the euerliuing God, & the ordinary course of his plagues from the beginning, confirmeth the same. The ioy of our hart (saith Ieremy) is gone,Marginalia
Ieremy. 5.
He bewayleth the state of England. our glory is fallen away, our mery singing is turned into mourning, the garland of our head is fallen. Alas and weale away that euer we sinned so sore: Wo worth all abominations and wickednes: wo worth cloked hypocrisy: wo worth our carnall liberty: wo worth our most cursed idolatry. For bicause of these things, saith the Lord, ye shal perish with sword, hunger, and pestilence.

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Wherefore, let all the wicked enemies of CHRIST, and all the vnbeleuers, looke to bee tormented and vexed with all hellish furies, and cleane without hope at Gods accompting day, which know not God in CHRIST to be their very righteousnes, their life, their onely saluation and alone Sauiour, nor beleue not in hym. They must,

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saith S. Iohn,MarginaliaIohn. 8. needes abide and perish with their synnes in death and in eternall damnation. But we be the children of Saintes, as the elder Toby dyd aunswer, & looke for an other lyfe, which God shall geue to al them which chaunge not their faith, nor shrinke from hym. Reioyce therfore ye Christian afflicted brethren,MarginaliaComfort to the afflicted brethren. for they can not take our soules and bodies out of the handes of the almightye, which bee kept as in the bosome of our most swete and louing father, MarginaliaMath. 10.and if we abide fast in CHRIST, and turne not away like weathercockes, surely we shall lyue for euer, CHRIST affirming the same, saying: MarginaliaIohn. 10.My shepe heare my voice, I know thē, they harkē vnto me & to no straūgers, and I geue them euerlasting lyfe, for they shall not be lost, nor no man shall plucke them out of my handes: no nor yet this flattering world with all his vaine pleasures, nor any Tyranne with his great threates and stout brags can once moue them out of the way of eternall life. What consolatiō and comfort may we haue more pleasant and effectuous then this? God is on our side, and fighteth for vs: MarginaliaChrist himselfe suffereth in his members afflicted.he suffereth, he smarteth, and is afflicted with vs. MarginaliaEsay. 5.As the world can do nothing against his might, neither in taking away, or diminishing of his glory, nor putting him from his celestiall throne: so can it not harme nor hurte any one of his children without his good will. MarginaliaEphe. 5.For we are members of his body, out of his flesh & of his bones, and as deare to him as the apple of his eye.

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Let vs therefore with an earnest faith, set fast hold and sure feeling vpon the promises of God in the Gospell, & let vs not be sundred from the same by any temptation, tribulation, or persecution. Let vs consider the verity of God to be inuincible, inuiolable, & MarginaliaGods promise is immutable.immutable, promising and geuing vs his faithfull soldiours lyfe eternall. It is he onely that hath deserued it for vs: it is his onely benefite and of his onely mere mercy, and vnto hym onely must wee render thankes. Let not therefore the vaine fantasies and dreames of men, the foolish gaudes  

and toyes of the world, nor the craftie delusions of the deuill, driue and separate vs frō our hope of the crowneof righteousnes, that is laid vp in store for vs against the last day. MarginaliaO mery last day.Oh that happy and merrye last day, I meane to the faithfull, when CHRIST by his couenaunt shall graunt and geue vnto them that ouercome and kepe his wordes to the end, that they may ascend and sit in seate with him, as he hath ascended and sitteth on throne with his father. The same body and soule that is now with CHRIST afflicted, shall then be with CHRIST glorified: Marginalia
2. Timo. 2.
Christes Saints be here in Butchers handes.now in the butchers handes as shepe appoynted to dye, then sittyng at Gods table with CHRIST in hys kyngdome, as Gods honorable and deare childrē: where we shall haue for earthly pouerty, heauenly riches, for hunger and thirst, saturitie of the pleasaunt presence of the glory of God, for sorrowes, troubles, & colde yrons, celestiall ioyes, and the company of Angels, & for a bodily death, life eternal. Oh happy soules, Marginalia
Psal. 16.
Precious is the death of Gods Saintes.oh precious death and euermore blessed: right deare in the eyes of God, to you the spryng of the Lorde shall euer bee florishyng. Then (as with Esay): The redemed shall returne and come againe into Sion praysing the Lord, and eternall mercyes shalbe ouer their heades: they shall obtayne myrth and solace: sorrow and woe shalbe vtterly vanquished: yea I am euen he sayth the Lord, that in all thinges geueth you euerlastyng consolation. To whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, be glory and prayse for euer. Amen.

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Robert Samuell.

The beliefe of the hart iustifieth, and the knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe. Rom. 10.

Feare not the curse of men, be not afrayde of their blasphemyes and reuilynges, for wormes and mothes shall eate them vp like cloth and woll, but my righteousnes shall endure for euer, and my sauyng health from generation to generation. Esay. 51.

Marginalia
2. Timo. 3.
An other letter of Robert Samuell conteyning his fayth.COnsideryng with my selfe these perillous tymes, perishyng dayes, and the vnconstant and miserable state of man, the decay of our faith, the sinister report and false sclaūder of Gods most holy word, these vrgent causes in conscience do constraine me to confesse & acknowledge my fayth and meanyng in CHRISTES holy Religion, as S. Peter teacheth me, saying: Marginalia1. Peter. 3.be ready alwayes to geue an aunswere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, and that with mekenes &

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