MarginaliaAn. 1555. October.was not lawfull to iourney but a little way. Now Christ therefore meaning þ^t we should haue nede both to speede our iourny quickly, which can not be done in winter for the incōmodities of the wayes, and also to go farre, which can not be done on the Sabboth day: he biddeth vs therfore pray that our flight be not in winter nor on the Saboth day: this is, to pray that we may flie in time, and also farre enough from the daunger of the plague. Now, the causes why we should flie, foloweth in the same place of S. Mathewes gospell, which I now passe ouer: thou mayst read them there.

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MarginaliaApoca. 18.And in the. 18. chapter of the Reuelation, the aungell is sayd to haue cryed mightely with a loud voice: flie my people out of Babylon lest you be infected with her faultes, and so be made partners of her plagues: for her offences and sinnes are growne so great, that they swell and are come vnto the heauen: certainely the tyme doth approch, and the Lordes day is at hand. Heare (I besech you) also holy Paule, that blessed Apostle: he plainly forbiddeth vs: Marginalia2. Cor. 6.ducere iugum cum incredulis,  

that is, to ioyne or couple our selues wyth the vnfaythfull, for what felowship can there be (sayth he) of righteousnes with vnrighteousnes, what company hath light wyth darknes, or what agrement hath Christ with Beliall, or what parte can the faithfull haue with the vnfaythfull, or how doth the temple of God agree with Images or Idols, for you are the temple of the liuing God: as God hath sayd, I will walke and dwell in them, I wil be their God, and they shall be my people, wherefore depart from amongst thē and get you from them (sayth the Lord) and touch no vncleane thing, and I wil receiue you, and be to you in the stede of your father and you shall be vnto me as my sonnes and daughters, sayth the almighty Lord.

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MarginaliaCounsell to depart the realme.This counsell to depart the realme, I doe not maruell if it doe seeme to diuers (euen of them I meane that beare fauour to godward) diuersly. Many (I trust) that be learned shall thinke the counsell good. Other there be peraduenture that will thinke it rather a thing to be more tolerable, and that it may be in dede by gods word laufully done, rather then to be coūsailed to be done, for they will peraduenture say, we should counsell a man always to doe that which is best of all, and of most perfection: but boldly in Christes caue to spend a mans life, is best of all, and of most perfection, & to flie it may seeme to smell of cowardnes. In many thyngs, that which is best for one at some times, is not best for all at all tymes, & it is not most perfection nor meete for a childe to couet to runne before he can goe.MarginaliaDoubtes whether to fly or to tary debated. I will not make here a discourse in this matter what might here be obiected, and what might be answered againe: I leaue that to the witty and eloquent men of the world.

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This is my mind, which I would þ^u shouldest know, o man of God, as I, would wishe & I do pray to almighty God it may be, þ^t euery true christian either brother or sister (after they be called and brought into the wrestling place, to striue in Christes cause for the best gaine, that is, to cōfesse the truth of the gospel and of the christian faith in hope of euerlasting life) should not shrinke nor relent one inch or geue backe, what soeuer shall befall, but stand to theyr tackle, and sticke by it euen vnto death, as they will Christ shall sticke by them at the latter day: so likewise I dare not wish nor counsell any, either brother or sister of theyr owne swinge to start vp into the stage, or to cast themselues either before or farther in daunger then time and neede shall require: for vndoubtedly when God seeth his time, and his pleasure is that his glory shall be set forth, and his church edefied by thy death and confession, meanes shall be found by his fatherly vniuersal prouidence, MarginaliaPresumptuous prouocation and rash rūning into danger forbiddē.that thou with out thine owne presumptuous prouocation, shalt be lawfully called to do thy feat and to play thy part. The miserable ende that one Quintus came vnto, may be a warning and a feareful example for all men to beware of presumption and rashnes in such things (as Eusebius wryteth in Ecclesia historiaMarginaliaEuseb. hist. Eccle. lib. 4. cap. 15.) for euermore,

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But  

a third sort of men there be which also wil be counted fauourers of gods word, and are (I feare) in number farre moe and worse to be persuaded to that which is the godly meane. I meane of such as will peraduenture say or thinke that my former counsel, which was to flie the infection of the Antichristian doctrine by departing out of the realme, is more then nedeth, and other wayes and meanes may be found both to abide, and also to be cleare out of daunger of the foresaid plague. If that could be found in deede truely agreable to gods word, I would be as glad to heare it (god is my witnes) as who is the other. Yes peraduenture wyll some say, thus it may be. Thou maist kepe thy selfe, thy faith, and thy religion close to thy self, and inwardly and priuately worship God in spirite and in truth, and outwardly see thou be no open medler, nor talker, nor transgressour of common order: so maist thou be suffred in the common wealth, and yet vse thy religion without offence of thy conscience. In other countreys somewhere thys peraduenture might be vsed, but in England what shall be, God wot, but it was neuer yet, so farrre as euer I haue knowne or heard. And also how can it be, MarginaliaConscience in religion would not be dissembled.but either thou must transgresse the common order & the Romish lawes and customes which haue bene vsed in Englande in the times past of popery, and now (it is certaine) they returne againe: I say, thou must either be a breaker of these rites, lawes, & customes, and so bewray thy selfe, or elles if thou be in deede a man of God, thou shalt offend thy conscience, for in obseruyng of them thou shalt be compelled to breake Gods law which is the rule of conscience to the man of God. For how canst thou resort euery holy day to the church, and beare a face to worship the creature for the creatour, as thou must do, and peraduēture confesse it too with thy mouth, and to sprinckle thy selfe with thy coniured water?

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Thou must be contributor also to the charges of all theyr popery, as of bokes for Antichristes seruice, of lights of þ^e roode loft,  

of the sepulchre, for setting vp and painting of images (nay in dede of idols) and thou must beare a face to worship them also, or elles thou must be had by the backe.   Thou must serue the turne to geue

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the holy loues (as they cal it) which is nothing els but a very mockery of the Lordes holy table. Thou must be a contributor to the charges of all the disgised apparell that the popish sacrificing priest, like vnto Aaron,  

must play his part in. Yea when the pardoner cometh about, or the flattering frier to begge for the maintenaunce of superstition, except thou doe as thy neighbours doe, loke not long for to liue in rest. If any of thy houshold dye, if thou wilt not paye money for ringing and singing, for requiem Masses, dirige, and commendations, and such like trumpery of the Antichristian religion, thinkest thou that thou shalt be reckned for a catholike man or for Amicus Cæsaris?   A hundred things moe may be reckened, and many of more waight and of more euident superstition and Idolatry, thē some of these which I haue now rehersed, which God knoweth be ill enough: but these are enough to declare and to set before thine eyes the thing that I intend: that is, MarginaliaA hard dwelling in England for a good man, either without danger of conscience or perill of life.if thou abyde and wilt dwell in England, thou must either do these and many other moe contrary to gods word, which forbiddeth not onely the thyng which is euil, but also sayth: Ab omni specie mali abstinete vos,  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

Ridley, citing II Thessalonians, 5. 20.

Foxe text Latin

Ab omni specie mali abstinete vos

Foxe text translation

abstaine from all thinges that haue any apparance of euill

Actual text of I Thessalonians, 5. 20 (Vulgate)

ab omni specie mala abstinete vos.

[Accurate citation, except for a partitive genitivemaliinstead of the accusative plural objectmala.]

abstaine from all thinges that haue any apparance of euill: or elles if thou wilt not doe them, how thou canst liue in England in rest and safe from the stake, truely I can not tell.

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But peraduenture (as a man is ready to finde and inuēt some colour to cloke his conscience, to doe that thing that his hart desireth) thou wilt say, though at any time I shall be forced to doe any of these things and such like, yet will I haue no confidēce in them, but outwardly with my body: I will kepe my hart vnto God, and will not do that of mine owne mind willingly neither, but to auoyd an other inconuenience: I trust therfore God wil hold me excused, for he shall haue my hart, what can I do more?

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O my frend, beware for Gods sake, and know that the subtelties of Sathan are depe. He that is not able by gods word to perceiue them, is heauely laden. Pray therfore with Dauid: Lord let me not haue a mind to inuent excuses for to cloke my sinne.MarginaliaInuent no excuses to cloke sinne. Examine my deare frend, these thy wily wayes with the word of god, and if they do agree, thou mayst vse them: if not, know, though they may seeme neuer so fine and goodly, yet in dede they be of Sathās broode. Gods word is certaine, that forbiddeth to worshyp the creature for the creatour, for that is haynous idolatry, and agaynst the first commaundement of God, and it is also against the seconde commaundement of the first table to bow downe, or to do worship vnto any images of God or of any other thing: And gods word requireth not only the beliefe of the hart, but also the confession of the mouth:MarginaliaCōfession of mouth must goe with belief of hart. and to beare part of the charges to the maintenāce of things vngodly, what is that but in thy so doing a cōsent to þ^e thing done? Now consenters and the doers, gods word accounteth to be giltye both. And it is not lawfull by S. Paules doctrine which was inspired him by the spirit of God, to do ill that therof the thing which is good may come.

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Thy hart (thou sayest) God shall haue, and yet wilt thou suffer thy body to do the thing that God doth abhorre. Beware O man, take hede what thou sayest. Man may be deceiued, but no mā may deceiue God, for he is called and is truely καρδιογνὼςησ, that is to say, the searcher of the hart. Now, to geue God thy hart, is to geue him thy whole hart, to loue him, to dread him, and to trust in him aboue all other things. He that hath my commaundementes (sayth Christ) and obserueth and kepeth them, it is he that loueth me: and to dread God aboue all other, is rather willingly to incurre the dāger and perill of all fearefull things, then wittingly to do that thing which is contrary to his blessed will and commaundement: and to trust in him aboue all things, is assuredly to trust to his promise of his reward, & of his tuition, & of his goodnes and mercy, & to preferre that aboue al things in the world, seeme they neuer so strong, so wise, or so good. MarginaliaTo trust in God what it is.Now, how canst thou say truely, that God hath thy hart after this maner of sort (which is to haue thy hart in dede) when thy dedes do declare farre an other thing? Thy body, O mā, is Gods, and al the parts therof, euen as thy soule is: he made them both, and Christ with his bloud hath redemed them both, & is Lord of both, for he hath bought thē both dearely, and darest thou suffer any part of either of them to do seruice to Sathan? Surely in so doing, thou committest sacriledge and dost robbe God, thou defilest the liuely temple of the liuing God if thou suffer thy body to do sathan seruice. Doe you not know (sayth S. PaulMarginalia1. Cor. 3. 2. Cor. 6.) that your body is a liuely temple of God? And may a man then take and vse any parte thereof but in the seruice of God? No surely, it is not lawfull so to do for the man of God, neither with hand, tongue, nor fote, nor any part of the whole body.

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Doth not Paule commaund to the Romaines, which pertayneth to euery chrystian soule: MarginaliaRom. 6.As you haue in times past (sayth he) geuen your members to doe seruice vnto vncleanes and wickednes, from one wickednes to another: so now geue your members to doe seruice vnto righteousnes, that you may be sanctified. And I pray thee good brother, what dost thou thinke is to beare the marke of the beast in the forhead, and in the hand that S. Iohn speaketh of? I know we ought warely to speake of gods mysteries which he shewed by the spirite of prophesying to his seruaunt Ihon, yet to read them with reuerence, & to pray for the same so much as God knoweth is necessary for our time to know, I thinke it necessary & good. Wherfore, what I suppose is to beare the beastes marke,Marginalia
To beare the beastes marke, what it is.
Apoca. 13. 14. 20. I wil tel thee, and commit the iudgement of mine interpretation, as in all other things, to the spirituall man. I suppose he beareth the beast of Babylons marke in his forhead, which is not ashamed of þ^e beasts wayes, but will professe them openly to set forth his master þ^e beast Abaddon. And likewise he beareth his marke in his hande that wil and doth practise the workes of the Beast with his power & hand. And likewise I will not let to tell thee, what I thinke to be signed in the forhead for the seruant of God, whereof Ihon also speaketh, reckening vp many thousands so to haue bene signed of euery tribe. I suppose he is signed in the forhead for the seruaūt of God,

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