Charles Hammond

“ There appears as great a power in God in preserving his Church in the midst of so much opposition, as there did appear in the preservation of the three Children in the fiery furnace; the more we are cut down the more still we are, saith Tertullian, the blood of Martyrs was the feed of the church: Pliny reports, that the Lilly is increased by the jucie that drop from it: so the Church, which is the lilly that growes amongst thorns, the very blood that fals from them multiplies them; the sufferings of one begets many to the truth. ”

“ The heart is deceitfull and wicked above all things, who can know it! I the Lord search the heart and try the reins, even to give to every man according to his wayes, and according to the fruit of his works. ”

“ The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand and seek God: All are gone out of the way, they are all corrupt, there is none that doth good, no not none, Psal. ”

“ Hooper, that holy Martyr had in his armes when he was made Bishop of Worcester, a Lamb in a flaming bush with rayes of the Sun from heaven shinning upon it: a Lamb for meeknesse in a bush, burning among wicked men, who are as brambles and thorns burning with malice, and yet the comfortable light of heaven shinnes upon it. ”

“ Take one example of a woman Martyr, of which there are many which were very strong in the Christian faith: but one Julitta by name, who being to be put into the fire, spake unto other women that stood by, in this maner. Cerse, quoth she, to accuse the fragility of the feminine sex; are not we made after the image of God as well as men? God did not use flesh to make women of in token of infirmity, we are one of his bone, in token we must be wrong in the living God: what bloody persecution was there in Queen Maries daies ”

“ He hath a gracious eye over his people in their prosperity, and hath a merciful Eye over them in their greatest captivity; but we must be stedfast in our faith then and not let prosperity puffe us up with security, nor captivity make us despair of ever obtaining our liberty, for a true Christian hath awayes three enemies to deal withall, the world, the flesh and the Devill ”

“ The Church and people of God hath been always in trouble & persecution ever since Christ and his Apostles time, they sealed the Gospel with their blood, and many since the primitve time, sign to it with the same by persecutions ”

“ A companion of fools shall be destroyed. Therefore it behoves all Christians, that desire the knowledge and wisdom of God, to have a special care how they company themselves with such enemies of God, for fear the Lord should leave you to your selves ”

“ I am afraid, if not all yet the most of us are gone out of his way that he prescribes us to follow, and are too much addicted to follow our own wayes, and think in our own eyes they are good wayes, when there is none among us that doth good, no not one. ”

“ Our saviour descrbes the hypocrites by the Scribes and Pharisees; for just such were in his time: pray read the 23. of Mat. and you shal see, how near they come to the Pharisees of our times: too many such here in this Land there be but Gods Eye from heaven doth all their actions see. I must tell you, and you shall find, that the Eye of God is upon all the actions of men on earth, from the King to the beggar ”

“ By blood and Prayer, the Church converts the whole world saith Luther. Besides, God tries his People in afflictions, and then they are like the starres that shine brighstte in the darkest night. Q. Elizabeth, when she was lockt up in close prison, at first she was daunted, but afterward She brake forth into this speech, The skill of a Pilot, is unknown but in a tempest; the valour of a Captain is unseen but in a battel, and the worth of a Christian doth not appear but in time of tryal and temptation. ”

“ He that professeth himself to be Religious professeth he loves you to your face. but hang you behind your back; go to hear Sermons on purpose to pick a hole in the Ministers coat; in stead of relieving the poor, eat up the poor; ye hate drunkennesse, but love covetousnesse; that will not hear an oath, because you will be counted holy, yet wil not stick to tell a lye in your dealing, for your own benefit; that will give fair words in your buying & selling, when your thoughts pretend cousening and cheating, and so use Religion as many a man doth a fair sute to hide a foul skin. ”

“ He hath an Eye in the Palace, and an Eye in the Cottage, in high Courts and counsels, He hath an Eye there too, and either guides their actions for their preservations, or else suffers their unjust dealings, till it bring them to their desolations ”

“ And what a savage Massacre was there in France, in 1572. near the prison in Lyons? the blood run reeking through the street into the river: in thirty dayes space there was a hundred thousand poor Orphans, Widows and succourlesse creatures, wandring about without any relief. And having shewed you the cruel persecution of Gods people here on earth, now see the reasons why God suffers those things to fall on his people, Psal. 97.1. The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoyce. It is well for his people that he reigneth ”