THE inconstancie of men is a thing which cannot be but most wonderfull , vnto those who will consider it well , which may be perce●ued diuers wayes : but especially in the varietie and alteration of their purposes & affections , and in that they can not find any state of life in this world , whiche may either wholly satisfie their humor , or in which they an abide and rest any long time , for being by ●and by glutted with the thing whiche they ●resently enioye , they do either with grief de●re that which is not any more in their power , ●r els long for those thinges which they could ●ot as yet obtaine , and when they haue obtai●ed them , they will loath them aswell as those which earst they had enioyed . And are like vnto those who hauing a queasie stomake , finde nothing wel seasoned for their tooth : or as sick bodies whiche are not able to finde any good resting place in bed , wheresoeuer they be layd . And although God by an especiall fauor , doth call some of them into his house , Heb. 6.4 . and bringing them into his church , doth adopte them into his familie to lighten them , and to make them taste of the heauenly gift and of the good word of God , to make them partakers of the holy ghost , & of the powers of the world to come , which is a condicion the best that can be chosen or desired in the world , and the which alone is able to bring contentement , and a perfect felicitie to all those that can obtaine it : Neuerthelesse there are some so crooked & froward , that hauing tasted of it , do in the ende loath and disdaine it aswell as the other . Though in deed : the dwelling in the house of God be so happy a thing , Psal. 84. that the silly doorekeepers of the same ought to account themselues more happy for hauing a litle corner to abide in it , then if they had in other places the most rich , gorgeous , & stately buildings in the whole world . But that befalleth these kinde of men which the Poete● and fables do record of the moone , who desiry●ng her mother that she might haue a garment , made fitte and proportionable for he● body : she excusing her selfe , sayd : my daughter howe can that be since thou hast a bodye subiect to so many changes and alterations , and which neuer anye space reteyneth the same forme ? Euen so it is not possible to fitte these men which are so inconstant and vnstable , of any estate wherein they can abide , and although to couer their shame , and to cloake somwhat their inconstancie , they seeke some vayne and friuolous excuses , striuing to ●ay the fault of their lightnesse , vpon that side which they had chosen : raysing all the false rumors & seladers that they can imagine , to diffame it & to shew that they haue not forsaken ●t without great cause : neuerthelesse when all things shal be narrowly searched , all the blame will light in their owne neckes , and in the end ●t will appeare , that euen as , one can not fitte a garment for him that hath a body mishapen , ●or a shooe for him that hath a stubbed foote , ●ot because of the imperfection of the garment , ●r shooe , but because of the body and of the ●oote to which they should be fitted : so these ●inde of men , cannot finde any estate whiche ●oth beseeme them , or is altogether answera●le to their appetite , onely because of the de●ulte and corruption of their myndes , which ●e peruerse & crooked , for as a body stronge & well made , can aswell beare the great coldes , and intolerable sharpnesse of winter , as the extreamest heates of sommer : so a mind well disposed and aswell instructed , is euer like vnto it selfe , and doth not change according to the diuersitie of chances which happen vnto it : but hauing foreseene that in all kinds of life , there is pleasure and payne , sweete and sower , and a like succession and recourse from the one to the other , is neuer but well resolued happen what will : but in all mutations remayneth stedfast , and as a quadrate and fouresquare body , is euer firme and stable on what side soeuer it be layd .

WHat can then be sayd or iudged o● these wretched Apostates of our dayes , who haue so disloyally betrayed and denyed Iesus Christ , forsaken the Church for the redeeming and sanctifying whereof , he yelde● himselfe to death , and reiected the doctrine o● the Gospell which was sent vs downe from heauen by the spirite of God , Ephe. 5.25 2. Pet. 1. Heb. 1. 1. Tim. 3. receiued of all th● Patriarches , preached by the Prophetes , Iesu● Christ and his Apostles beleued and approue● in the world , and sealed by the death and blou● of so many millions of Martyrs and faithfull witnesses , all which with great constancie and inuincible courage , haue confessed and maintayned it euen before Kinges and Emperours , being not astonyed either with their presence , or threatninges , or with most cruell tormentes which were prepared for them , or with any danger which either could be set before their eyes , or els which they themselues could conceiue ? what ca they alleage to colourther Apostasie ? They will in deede cōdene in the company of infidels , ( which allow all that they say & take pleasure ●n their talke ) our Religion in generall : yea there ●e some so farre gone and so shamelesse , that they dare openly name it euill : But when any do vrge them to shew or note some particular ●ointe , either in the doctrine or discipline , or ●ls in the whole order whiche we vse in our Churches , that may with reason be reprehen●ed : them they become as dumbe as dogges , and ●ewe vnto all men of iudgement & good vnderstanding that they are but backbiters & that it ●s not any want , or colour , that they haue espied ●n the religion , that hath caused them to reuolte or ●indered them from perseuering constantly in the ●me , as many haue done , vnto the ende : But ●at it was their own affections , which make all ●ose vnstedfast & inconstant which are not able to rule and gouerne them : and a grief of mynde , which can not beare the burthen & weight of the crosse , 1. Tim. 3. which is ioyned with the profession of the true religion . And finally a rashnes and raging of the passions , whiche beare rule in that kind of men , & do egge them forward , and carie them away in all their intents and actions , more by a blind and vnbridled furie , then by a prudent & sage counsaile , & if there had bene in them but the least sparke of wit and discretion , before they had embraced the Religion , should they not haue listened to the counsell of Iesus Christ , Luk. 14.24 & followed the example of those who intendyng to build a great & sumptuous house , do before the vndertaking therof cast an accounte of the cost & charges which must be bestowed thereon , lest that not hauyng well weighed their wealth , taking more in hand then they are able to performe , they be constrained with shame in the end to leaue their worke vnfinished : or of the king who going to warre with another , forecasteth diligently whether his power b● sufficient to ouercome his enemy : fearing least that , he assaulting him beyng but weake , he should be vanquished and put to flight ? Our Apostates likewise , ought they not before they embraced the Religion , to haue considered first of all the incommodities and commodities they shoulde reape thereby : and that no man is meete to follow Christ which is not resolued to expose himselfe to the hatred , Math. 5. reproches , iniuries , and persecutions of the whole world ? that hath not a crosse continually loden on his shoulders to the whiche he be ready to be nailed and tyed vp for the confession of the name of God when as his houre shall come ? Math. 10. whiche also is not ready to giue ouer with a chearefull harte , father , mother , wife , children , Math. 19. frendes , houses , landes , honors , estates , kindred , goods , riches , pleasures , rest , libertie , life , and all whatsoeuer he accounteth most deare and precious vnto him in this world , to follow Christ ? And who , to conclude accordyng to the example of Moses , Heb. 11.25 . doth not rather chose to suffer aduersitie with the people of God , then to en●oye the pleasures of sinne for a season : estee●nying the Crosse and rebuke of Christ greater ●riches , then all the glorie and treasures not one●y of Egipt , but also of all the Realmes and Empires of the whole earth . If the Apostates ●ad bene wise and well aduised , they ought to ●aue forecast all these thinges in their myndes before they entred into the Church , and after ●o haue considered , whether in takyng of this ●arte vpon these ca●●●ons and conditions , their ●trength were sufficient to sustaine them , which they did not : but as freshwater souldiers , who for want of experience thinke , when they cause themselues to be enrolled , and when first they muster vnder their captaines , that there is no trouble , no labour , no citie , no force , that shall encounter with them , which they are not able to foyle and ouerthrowe : and yet neuerthelesse be discouraged and dismayed as soone as they come to any assault or skirmishe , or els to any sore encounter wherein it behooueth them to bestirre themselues , and shewe in deede their vertue and valour . So they which neuer had assayed the enemies of Iesus Christ , nor borne the bruntes and assaultes which the deuill , the world , the fleshe , the Antichrist and all their troupes do raise against him , and all those that follow him , thought that the profession of the Gospell had bene but a play or sporte , and vnder that hope entred into the Church of God . But perceiuyng the euill intreatie whiche the children of God receiue in it at the handes of the world , they continued not long in it without repenting , and seeking the meanes by the which they might withdraw themselues from it , Ioh. 6. with some honest cloake if it might be possible : because they could be content to followe Iesus Christ , as those who hoped to haue liued of free cost in his company , and to finde alway the tables furnished : but not as Simon of Cyren , vpon condicion to cary his crosse after him . I appeale vnto your consciences , O ye Apostates , is not this the truth of it ? If the kitchin of the Huguenotes had bene as fatte as that of the Chanons , Bishoppes , Abbotes and Cardinalles of Papistry , and the Religion which we follow as easie to the flesh , as Antichristes , you would doutlesse haue stayed with vs : being yet at this day conuinced in your owne consciences , at least if there remaine any at all in you , that the ●ruth is on our side , and that the seruice done vnto God in our Churches is wholy administred accordyng to the rules and ordinances which he himselfe hath left vs in his word : and that contrariwise the Popes and all his adherents Religion , is nothing els but meere trifles and toyes , and vayne ceremonies , which light headed men haue inuented and established in ●he Church of God of their owne braine , Psal. 119. when the candell of the word of God was extinguished and put out , which ought euer to go be●ore vs as a light , to lighten and guide vs in all ●hinges which we do to serue him : for we can ●ot swerue neuer so litle from it but we shall ●umble by and by , like silly blind men : consi●eryng that the whole seruice of God to be ●ue and lawfull , must be measured by obedience , which can onely be grounded vpon his lawes and holy decrees . 1. Sam. 15. For if we wil go about to do any thing which concerneth his seruice , except that which he himselfe hath expressely prescribed : he will say vnto vs that whiche is written in the Prophesie of Esay , Esay . 1.12 . who required or sought these things at your handes ? Let the Apostates then giue glory vnto God , and cease , if they can , from blaspheming agaynst the spirite of God , against the doctrine of the Gospell , against the Church , against Iesus Christ : to conclude agaynst the truth and wisedome which they themselues haue iustified and approued , when they were as yet in their right wittes , and when as the deuill which is entred into their hartes with seuen other spirites worse then himselfe had not troubled their myndes , as he hath done since they are departed from the house of God : and let them accuse rather their owne foolish inconstancie , whiche hath caused them to giue ouer the best side without all comparison , and the surest , & the most honorable , that can be chosen by reasonable men , namely God his side of whiche Dauid speaketh , Psal. 16.5 . The Lord is the portion of mine inhetaunce and of my cuppe , thou shalt maintayne my lotte , the lynes are fallen vnto me in pleasant places : yea , I haue afayre heritage . And moreouer I will prayse the Lord , who hath giuen me counsayle : my reynes also teache me in the ●ightes . I haue set the Lord alwayes before me : for he is at my right hand : therfore I shal not slide . And ●n another place : yet I was alway with thee : Psal. 73.23 thou ●ast holden me by my right hand : thou wilt guide me ●y thy counsail , and afterward receiue me to glory .

BVt now let the Apostates stay themselues here a while to consider , into what a ●eepe pit and gulfe of wretchednesse and mi●eries they haue cast themselues into , leauyng God , who is the welspring and fountayne of ●ife & alfelicitie : Psal. 36.8 . in whom alone consisteth all ●he good that we can euer desire , looke or hope ●or : and who alone by his aboundance , is able ●o satisfie and content all our appetites , and ●onely by the brightnesse of his countenance , Psal. 16. ●o make vs perfectly happy . The happy and e●ernall life , sayth S. Augustine , consisteth in that we liue with God and of God : that is to say that he himselfe be the soule whiche doth animate and quicken vs , and the foode which doth ●ourish vs . O God , sayd Dauid : Psal. 23. thou art my portion and all my good : and in the 23. Psalme : The Lorde is my shephearde I shall not want : which is to say , that we may handle more particularly that which he saith in generall ; into what danger so euer I fall thou shalt be my Sauiour : in darknesse thou shalt be my light : in warre , thou shalt be my defender : in sicknesse thou shalt be my Phisition : in sorrowe and wearinesse of mynde , thou shalt be my comforte : in my feeblenesse , thou shalt be my supporte : in perplexitie , thou shalt be my counsaile : when I am gone astray , thou shalt be my guide : being fallen , thou shalt take me vp agayne : standing , thou shalt maintayne me : in pouertie , thou shalt be my treasure : in miserie , thou shalt be my felicitie : in payne , thou shalt be my solace : in sinne thy mercy shal be my iustice : in iudgement thy grace shal be my absolution : to conclude in death , thy spirit shal be my life . There is nothing then that can be wantyng vnto vs in God in whom are all thinges : what didst thou thinke , O thou most wretched creature , when as thou forsookest him to yeld thy selfe ouer vnto Idols , Psal. 115.5 which cannot teach thee any thing , being dumbe , nor see thy miseries , beyng blinde , nor heare thy prayers , beyng deafe , Ier. 10. nor defend thee , beyng vnable , nor goe and come to succour thee , Hab. 2. being notable to bestirre themselues at all : doest thou not serue this day for an example to verifie the saying of the Prophet ? Psal. 115.8 that those which serue and worshyp them are like vnto them : hauing no more sence or vnderstanding then they haue ? for it is not needefull to alleadge any other argument to proue that thou art depriued of all iudgement , then the onely exchange and permutation which thou hast made of god to Idol , which is as much as to say of an all to a nothing , and of a happines to a miserie : for so the false gods are called in the Scripture . May we not nowe ●ay of thee and of those that are like vnto thee , ●hat which the Prophet Ieremye once spake with great exclamation . O ye heauens , Ier. 2.12 . be a●tonied at this : be afraide and vtterly confounded , sayth the Lord : for my people haue committed two euils : they haue forsaken me the ●ontaine of liuing waters , to digge them pittes , ●uen broken pittes , that can hold no water . If a ●usband were cruell , rigorous , and altogether ●ntollerable in his manners , and in his conuer●ation , the wife which should leaue him , and ●epart from his house , not being able to beare ●is euill intreaty which he should vse toward ●er , might in some respect be excused : but if ●e should loue her as he ought to doe , and in ●ll things be gentle and bountifull vnto her , supporting her in all her infirmities , and intreating her with all meekenes and , should she not be blamed and condemned of all the world , if she woulde forsake him ? What then can these Apostates obiecte against God wherewithall to couer their Apostasie ? Psal. 145. Matth , 9. Matth. 5. Psal. 145.8 verse 15. Psal. 146.7 God , I say , who is so meeke and gentle , whose mercy , as the Prophet sayth , endureth for euer , who alone is good , and causeth his sunne to shine vpon the good and bad , and who doth send the raine both to the iust and vniust . Who is gratious and mercifull , slow to anger , and of great mercy , who is good to all , and his mercy is ouer all his workes . The eyes of all , sayth he a litle after , waite vpon thee , and thou giuest them their meate in due season . Thou openest thy hand , and fillest all things lusing of thy good pleasure . And in the Psalme following : He executeth iustice for the oppressed : he giueth bread to the hungry : the Lorde looseth the prisoners : the Lorde giueth sight to the blind : the Lorde raiseth vp the crooked : the Lorde loueth the righteous . The Lord keepeth the strangers , he relieueth the fatherles and widowe . Mich. 6.3 . The Lord complaineth by his Prophet Micha , of his people , that had treacherously forsaken him , hauing neuer giuen them any such occasion . O my people , what haue I done vnto thee ? or wherein haue I grieued thee ? testifie against me . Surely I brought thee ●ut of the land of Egypt , and redeemed thee out of the house of seruants . All this complaint doth it not belong vnto the Apostates , who haue so villanously giuen ouer this mighty God , of whome they haue receiued the life , and all the mouing and feeling which they haue , who are onely of him , and by him , who haue neither and house , nor goods , which they hold not of him , and of his meere fauour : who without him are nothing els but nothing , and altoge●her vanitie : who hath so often spared them , ●lthough through their hypocrisie , and other ●housand and thousand damnable sinnes , they ●aue deserued many times vtterly to be cast ●waye , and who yet at this present houre would stretch forth his armes to receiue and unbrace them , if by a true repentance they ●ould in some sort returne vnto him . And notwithstanding after he had so many wayes testified this so great liberalitie towards them , their children familie , and all that belong vnto them , they haue all at once forgotten the ●enefites which they haue receiued , together with the author which hath bestowed them : and they themselues who by the inioying of them , doe make themselues at this present guiltie of a most villanous ingratitude , is it possible , I pray you , sufficiently to detest this most odious and execrable crime , to haue left such a Lord , and with great contempt to haue turned the backe vnto him , after so many honors and fauors , such bountifull and good intreaties , to go a whoring after those two ruffians and whore-mongers : namely , the Deuill , and the world , who are altogether infected , & most filthye , to the ende to committe againe whoredome and adultery with them ? Is it possible also worthely to lament the pitifull and miserable estate , to the which the poore wretches are brought at this day ? For as they haue forsaken God : so he for his part hath forsaken them , and departing from them , hath also bereaued them of his spirite , and of his grace whereof he threatened the Iewes , who obstinately reiected him , and the worde of the Gospel which he preached vnto them : your house sayth he to them , Matth. 23. shall be left desolate : for when we regard not to know God , Rom. 1.28 he giueth vs ouer into a reprobate minde void of vnderstanding : and then we are cast away vtterly and destroyed , without all hope of any recouerie . As the Prophet sayde : Lo , they that withdraws themselues from thee , Psal. 73 shall perish : thou destroyest all them that go a whoring from thee : as for me , it is good for me to drawe neere vnto God : therefore I haue put my trust in the Lord God , that I may declare all thy workes .

THere haue bene some which haue gone astray sometimes from God , whome neuertheles God forsooke not , as our first parents , who being created of God , after his image , that is to say , in state of innocencie , good , perfect , whole of body and soule , free , wise , and ●f they themselues had would , immortall and ●appy : neuertheles not being contented with ●heir first estate which he had graunted vnto ●hem in his house , forgetting themselues , and ●he great benefites which they had receiued at ●is hands , by a pride and damnable ouersight , ●hey forgate straight way their dutie , and the ●bligation by the which they stoode bound ●nto him , and withdrawing themselues from ●is obeisance , they did forthwith cast themelues and all their posteritie headlong into ●he great miseries which we see and feele yet 〈◊〉 these dayes in the world . Dauid likewise , ●ho had bene so loued , cherished , and fauored ●f God , who had exalted him euen to the sce●ter , and the royall throne , and had giuen him the leading and gouerning of his people of Israell : yea and had honored him with his couenants and promises , as he had done our father Abraham : neuertheles all these graces and fauours did not hinder him from forgetting and offending him : Which was the cause afterward of great broiles and tumults which arose and spronge vp in his house , as it had ben● out of a springe . The prodigall sonne also left his father , and in steede of humbling him selfe before him , and staying in his house to performe that seruice toward him which was due , came vnto him in great pride of minde to ask● him the portion of the goods that fell vnto him : and since that time did nothing but go● astray more and more , frequenting euill company , Luk. 15.12 and spending in a short space all that h● had gathered together with dissolute and riotous persons , vntill such time as being driuen to extreame necessitie , he began to come to himselfe againe , and to returne to a good iudgment . S. Peter likewise , who by the doctrine works , and example of Iesus Christ , had a long time bene instructed and informed in his company , in which he had bene borne-withall i● his ignorance and other infirmities , and receiued infinite fauors of his maister : Mat. 26.69 neuerthele● he denied him , and at such time as he ought to haue bene nearest vnto him , to haue assisted and comforted him . Nowe all these aforesayd , had for a time left God , and were worthye through their ingratitude and disloyaltie , to haue bene vtterly reiected of him , but he did not execute the rigour of his iudgement against them , Luk. 15.4 . nor rewarded them as they had deserued , because in deede they were his children : but hath sought them himselfe as poore silly lost sheepe , which were altogether ready to perishe , if he by his great mercy and grace had not soone preuented them . And all this good did betide them , because he had neither giuen them ouer , nor forgotten them , as he had bene forgotten of them , & because this deepe roote of the good pleasure of God did still reserue and retaine in it some sappe and iuice to keepe them from withering and dying . But the Apostates who willingly , and of set purpose , not being forced by any constraint , haue reuolted from God , Heb. 6.6 . of whome we see so great a number in these latter daies , what hope can remaine in them , sithence they can not be renewed againe by repentance ? Heb. 10.26 seeing there remaineth no more sacrifice for their sinnes : and se●ng they crucifie againe vnto themselues the sonne of God , and make a mocke of him ? the Apostle doth propound vnto them nothing els but a fearefull looking for of iudgement , and violent fire which shal deuoure the aduersaries . Moreouer , being no more participant of the prayers of the Church , or of the prayers of Iesus Christ , Ioh. 17.9 . who going to his death , declared that he prayed not for the world , and by consequent , they were excluded from the Communion of saintes , what hope is there of their saluation ? I know well enough that the most part of them doe iest at those things which we say , and that they doe not beleeue , either the word of the Apostle , or ours : But they ought to note that which S. Paule speaketh : 1. Cor. 10.22 . namely , that neither we nor they are stronger , no nor so stronge as God , that we should preuaile against him . Matth. 5.18 . Also the heauen and earth shall perish : but one iotte of it shall not passe till all be fulfilled : and to conclude , that which the wise man sayth , that men commonly make great discourses in their mindes : but whatsoeuer they thinke , the counsaile of God getteth the vpper hand , and what imagination soeuer we haue to the contrary , he remaineth stable , firme , and immoueable . If then the Apostates hauing cast themselues out of the Church , doe giue no more place or authoritie to the worde of God , or to any admonition which may be made vnto them in his name , it is time lost to speake vnto them , as experience teacheth euery day those that will yet make proofe thereof . And what shewe or likelihood soeuer they make , that they haue a desire to returne to vs againe , they do it either to deceaue vs , or to content in some sort those of whom they haue yet some regard , and not for any good wil they beare vnto it . Let vs therefore leaue them in their filth , following the counsaile of Sainte Iohn . He that is vniust , let him be vniust still : Apoc. 22.11 . & he which is filthy , let him be filthy still : and he that is righteous , let him be righteous still : and he that is holy , let him be holy still . Let those notable sayings of the Prophet neuer be blotted out of our harts . Blessed are the people that be so , Psa. 144.15 Psal. 33.12 yea blessed are the people , whose God is the Lorde . And this likewise . Blessed is that nation , whose God is the Lord : euen the people that he hath chosen for his inheritance . As also this . Psal. 73.27 They that withdrawe themselues from thee , shall perish : thou destroyest all those that goe a whoring from thee . As for me , it is good for me to drawe neere vnto God : therefore I haue put my trust in the Lord God , that I may declare all thy workes .