muche expedient to lead gouerne the iudgement of euery Christian mā where we may see that the Corinthians in dede had knowlege perceaued right well that neither the idoles amongest them neyther the meate dedicated vnto the idoles were any thing passed as light of both as of thinges of nothing vppon that knowledge vsed to be present and also to eate at the feast of the meate dedicated vnto Idoles Wherewithall Paule was so sore offended that he gaue this sentence if a man see thee which hast knowledge 1. Cor. 8 sit at table in the Idoles tēple shal not the conscience of him which is weake be boldened to eate those things which are sacrificed to Idoles and through thy knowledge shall the weake brother perish for whō Christ died Now when ye sinne so against the brethren and wound their weake conscience ye sinne against Christ This iudgement of Paul is more to be followed thē al our own fayned and wrested defences which would fayne seme to do wel whē we halt on both sides which god abhorreth Paule hath a profounde depe consideration of that mans fault that hath knowledge perceaueth his dissimulation to be daūgerous perilous to al persons which he dwelleth with al. First such as be of a right and stayed iudgement and will not prostrate their bodies to an Idole do condemne nedes must such dissimulation The very Idolaters themselues haue a defence of their abhomination by the presence of him that the Christiā congregatiō knoweth to haue knowledge The weaker sort that would gladly take the best way by a dissemblers halting playing of both handes embraceth both in body and in soule the euil that he abhorreth in hys hart and though he haue knowledge yet with his presence he estemeth it as other do which haue no knowledge If S Paule sayd that the weake brother doth perish for whō Christ died by him that abused knowledge in meates and drinkes that of themselues be indifferent how muche more by the knowledge of him that vseth manifeste Idolatry forbidden of God as a thing not indifferent Take hede what s Paule meaneth and what he would proue against this man which had knowledge that neither the Idoles neither the meates dedicated to Idoles were any thing Forsooth this would he proue that a poore man that wanteth knowledge by the example of him that hath knowledge doth there aduenture to do euil which he would not do in case he sawe not those that he hath good opinion of to go before him as authors of the euill And in dede the ignoraunte people or those that be halfe perswaded in a truth yea or els throughly perswaded what is euill when they haue any notable men or women for an example to follow they thinke in following of them they be excused yea although peraduenture they do it against their consciences as ye may see how many good men by the example of Peter began to dissemble yea Barnabas hymselfe the Apostle of the Gentiles Gala. 2 But how great offence this is before god so to make a doubtful cōscience or striuig against knowledge to do any thing that is not godly let the iudgement of men passe and measure it from gods word Christ sayth Math. 18 it were better a milstone were hanged about such an offenders necke cast into the sea And doutlesse the payne must be the greater bycause we geue offence willingly and agaynst our owne consciences and thys before God is a wicked knowledge that causeth an other to perishe Woe be vnto hym that is learned to bring his brother to destruction Doth a Christian man know the truth to bring his brother to a lye For those weaklinges that we make to stomble Christ died as S. Paul sayth God defend we should confyrme any mans conseience in euil Let euery mā of god waye with himselfe the doctrine of S. Paul that cōmaundeth vs to flye Idolatrye 1. Cor. 10 And marke what s Paul in that place calleth Idolatrye It is to be sene plainly that he speaketh not of such idolatry as men that lacke knowledge in their hartes what god is and what god is not do commit For in the .8 chapter before he sayth that men knowe that the idoles were no gods and that although by name the gentiles had many gods yet they knew that there was but one god Therfore he meaneth nothing by this cōmaūdement fly idolatry but to auoyd such rites ceremonies and vsages as outwardly wer vsed in the honour reuerēce of the idoles that wer no gods and waying the right vse of the Lords supper and the dignitie therof with the manner and vse of the Gentiles towards their gods he would bring the church of the Corrinthians to vnderstand how that as the diuine and sacrate rites ceremonies and vse of the sacrament of Christes body and blood did sanctifye him and declare hym that vsed it to be the seruaunt and child of God so dyd the rites sacramentes of the Gentiles defile the vsers therof and declared them to be the seruauntes and children of the idole notwithstanding that they knew in their harts the idole was nothing God by his sacrament doth couple vs vnto him let vs pray therfore to him that we pollute not our selues with any rites ceremonies or vsages not instituted by god and so diuide our selues from him In this cause if a faithful man should be at the masse it is to be considered with what mind those that he doth there accompany himselfe withal do come thyther and what the ende is of the worke that the priest doth The people come to honour the bread and wine for god and the priest purposeth to consecrate bothe god and man and so to offer Christe to the father for remission of sinne Nowe do they that adioyne them selues vnto those people professe and declare a societie and fellowship of the same impietye as s Paul layd to the Corrinthians charge S. Paule was not offēded with the Corinthians bicause they lacked knowledge of the true God but bicause contrary to their knowledge they associated thē selues with idolaters For this is true that in al rites sacraments honorings whether they be of god or of the deuil there is a professiō of a communion so that euery man protesteth to be of the same religiō that the rest be of that be pertakers with him I know there be many euasions made by men that iudge a mā may with sauegard of conscience be at the masse But forasmuch as M Caluine M. Bullynger and other haue throughlye aunsweared them suche as be in doubte maye reade theyr bookes This is my cōscience after Gods woorde Iohn Hoper ¶ An epistle of the famous learned man M. Henry Bullinger written to M. Hoper in the tyme of hys trouble which for the worthines of the matter we thought not impartinent here to place emonges hys letters Reuerendissimo VVigorniae Glocestriae Episcopo D. Ioanni
perceaue that you were deceaued and then your hyghnes may vse the matter as god shal put in your heart Furthermore I am kept here from company of learned meÌ„ from bookes from councel from penne and yncke sauyng at thys tyme to wryte to your Maiesty which all were necessary for a man in my case Wherfore I besech your maiesty that I may haue such of these as may stande wyth your maiesties pleasure And as for mine appearaunce at Rome if your Maiestie wyl geue me leaue I wyl appeare there I trust that god shall put in my mouth to defend his truth there aswell as here but I referre it wholly to your Maiesties pleasure Your poore oratour T. C. To the Lordes of the Counsaile IN most humble wise sueth vnto your ryght honourable Lordships Thomas Cranmer late Archbishop of CauÌ„terbury beseching the same to be a meanes for me vnto the quenes hyghnes for her mercy and pardon Some of you know by what means I was brought trayned vnto the will of our late soueraigne lord king Edward the vi what I spake against the same wherin I refer me to the reportes of your honors Furthermore this is to sygnifye vnto your lordships that vpon MuÌ„day Tuesday Wednisday last past were open disputations here in Oxford against me They put to him thre questions but they suffred him not to aunswere fully in one maister Ridley M. Latymer in three matters concernyng the Sacrament First of the real presence secondly of transubstantiation thyrdly concerning the sacrifice of the masse How the other two were vsed I cannot tell for we were separated so that none of vs knewe what the other sayde nor how they were ordered But as concernyng my selfe I can report that I neuer knew nor heard of a more coÌ„fused disputation in al my life For albeit ther was one apointed to dispute against me yet euery maÌ„ spake hys mynd and broughte forth what him lyked with out ordre and such hast was made that no aunswer could be suffered to be geuen fully to anye argument and in such weighty and large matters there was no remedy but the disputations must nedes be ended in one day whyche can scantlye well be ended in three monethes And when we had aunswered them then they would not appoynt vs one day to bryng forth our profes that they mighte aunswere vs agayn beyng required of me therunto whereas I my selfe haue more to saye then canne be well discussed in .xx. dayes The meanes to resolue the truth had bene to haue suffered vs to aunswere fully to all that they could say and then they againe to aunswere to all that we could say But why they would not aunswere vs what other cause canne ther be but that either they feared that matter that they were not able to aunswere vs or els as by their hast might wel appeare they came not to speake the truthe Beholde Sathan slepeth not Theyr cruel desire to reuenge colde abide no delaye but to condemne vs in post hast before the truth might be thorowly tryed and heard for in all hast we were al thre condemned of heresy vpon fryday This much I thought good to signify vnto your Lordships that you may know the indifferent haÌ„dling of matters leauing the iudgemeÌ„t therof vnto your wisdomes and I besech your Lordships to remeÌ„ber me a poore prisoner vnto the Quenes maiestye and I shall pray as I do dayly to god for the long preseruation of your good Lordships in al godlines and felicity ¶ A letter wherin he reproueth and condemneth the false and sclaunderous reportes of the papistes which said that he had set vp masse again at Canterburye AS the Deuel Christes auncient aduersary â—s a liar and the father of lyinge Euen so hath he sturred vp hys seruauntes and membres to persecute Christe and hys true woorde and Religion wyth lyinge whych he ceasseth not to doe moste earnestly at this present For wheras the prince of famous memory king Henry the viij seing the great abuses of the latin masse reformed some thing therin in his time also our late soueraign lord king Edwarde the vi toke the same whole away for the manifold errors abuses therof restored in the place therof Christes holy supper according to christs own institutioÌ„ and as the apostles in the primatiue church vsed the same the deuil goeth about by lying to ouerthrow the lords holy supper to restore his latin satisfactory masse a thing of his own inueÌ„tioÌ„ deuise and to bring the same more easely to passe some haue abused the name of me Thomas Archb. of Canterbury bruting abroade that I haue set vp the masse at Canterb. that I offred to say masse at the burial of our late soueraigne prince king Edward the .6 also that I offred to say masse before the Quenes highnes at Paules church and I wote not where And although I haue bene well exercised these xx yeres to suffer beare euill reportes lyes haue bene much greued thereat but haue borne al thinges quietly yet wheÌ„ vn true reports lies turne to the hinderaÌ„ce of gods truth they be in no wise to be suffred Wherfore these be to signify vnto the world that it was a false flattering lying and disseÌ„bling moÌ„ke which caused masse to be set vp there without This was D. Thornton afterward a cruell murderer of gods sainctes of whose horrible ende reade in the boke of martirs Fol. 1706. mine aduise or counsel Reddat illi dominus in die illo And as for offring my self to say masse before the quenes highnes or in any other place I neuer did it as her grace wel knoweth But if her grace giue me leaue I shal be ready to proue against al that wil say the coÌ„trary that al that is said in the holy coÌ„munioÌ„ set out by the most InnoceÌ„t godly prince king Edward the vi in his high court of parliameÌ„t is conformable to the order which our soueraigne Christe did both obserue coÌ„maunded to be obserued which his apostles primatiue church vsed many yeres where as the masse in many things not only hath no fouÌ„datioÌ„ of Christ his apostels nor the primatiue church but is manifestly coÌ„trary to the same coÌ„taineth many horrible abuses in it And although many vnlearned malitioê° do report the maister Peter Mattyr is vnlearned yet if the Quenes highnes wil grauÌ„te therunto I with the sayd mayster Peter Martyr other iiij or v. which I shal chose wil by gods grace take vpoÌ„ vs to defend not only the coÌ„mon praiers of the church the ministration of the sacrameÌ„ts other rites ceremonies but also al the doctrine religion set out by our soueraigne lord king Edward the 6. to be more pure according to gods word than any other that hath bene vsed in EnglaÌ„d this M yeres so that gods word may be the iudge that the reasoÌ„s profes vpoÌ„
way Math. 7 2. Timot. 3 2. Cor. 5 Math. 14. which few walke in for fewe lyue godly in Christ Iesu few regard the lyfe to come few remember the day of iudgement fewe remember how Christ will deny them beforh hys father that do denye him here few consider that Christ wyll be ashamed of them in the last day which are ashamed now of hys truthe true seruice few cast theyr accomptes what will be laid to theyr charge in the day of vengeaūce fewe regard the condemnation of their owne consciences in doyng that which inwardly they disalow few loue god better then theyr goodes Rom. 14. but I trust yet ye are of these few my derely beloued I trust ye be of the little flocke which shall enherite the kyngdome of heauen I trust ye are of the mourners and lamēters which shal be comforted with comfortes which neuer shal be taken from you if ye nowe repente your former euils Luke 10 if nowe ye stryue agaynste the euyls that are in you if now ye cōtinue to call vppon God if nowe ye defile not your bodies with anye Idolatrous seruice vsed in the Antichristian churches Ephesi 4. if ye moleste not the good spirite of God which is geuen you as a gage of eternal redēption a coūseller master to lead you into all truth whiche good spirit I beseche the father of mercy to geue vs all for hys dere sonnes sake Iesus Christ our lord Acts. 20 to whom I cōmend you al to the word of his grace which is able to helpe you all saue you all that beleue it follow it serue god therafter And of this I would ye were al certain that al the heares of your heades are numbred so that not one of thē shal perish Math. 8. Iob. 1. Psa 104 Psa 13. 1. pet 5 neither shal any man or deuil be able to attempt any thing much lesse to doe any thing to you or any of you before your heauēly father which loueth you most tēderly shal geue thē leaue when he hath geuen them leaue they shal go no further then he wyll nor kepe you in trouble any longer then he wyll Therfore caste on hym all your care for he is carefull for you onely studye to please him and to kepe your consciences cleane and your bodies pure from the Idolatrous seruice which now euery where is vsed and god will meruelously and mercifully defend and comforte you whiche thing he doe for hys names sake in Christ our Lord. Amen Iohn Bradforde To my good Lady Vane THe true sense and swete feelyng of gods eternall mercies in Christe Iesus bee euer more and more liuely wrought in your hart by the holy ghost Amen I most hartely thanke you good madame for your comfortable letters where as you would be aduertised what were beste to bee done on your behalfe concernyng your iij. questions the truthe is that the questions are neuer well sene nor aunswered vntil the thynge whereof they arise bee well considered I meane vntill it be sene how great an euill the thing is If it be once in dede in your hart perceaued vpon probable and pithy places gathered out of gods booke that there was neuer thing vpon the earthe so great so much an aduersary to gods true seruice to Christes death passion priesthode sacrifice and kingdome to the ministery of gods worde and sacraments to the church of God These questions were concerning the masse wherin she desired hys iudgement to repentaunce faith and all true godlines of life as that is wherof the questiōs arise as most assuredly it is in dede then cannot a christiā hart but so much the more abhorre it and al thynges that in any point might seme to allow it or anye thyng pertainyng to the same by howe much it hath the name of gods seruice Agayne your Ladiship doth know that as all is to be discommended and auoyded which is followed or fledde from in respect of our selues in respecte of auoyding Christes crosse so the ende of all our doynges should be to godwards to his glory to our neighbours to edification and good example wherof none can be geuen in allowing anye of the .iii. questions by you propoūded But because this which I write now is breefe and needeth the more consideration or explication as I doubt not of the one in you so from me by Gods grace you shall receaue the other shortly For I haue alreadye written a little booke of it which I will send vnto you He meaneth his booke whiche he calleth the hurt of hearīg masse in the which you shall haue your questions fully aunswered and satisfied and therefore I omitte to write any more hereaboutes presentlye beseching God our good father to guide you as his deare childe with his spirite of wisedome power and comforte vnto eternall life that you may be stronge and reioyce in him and with his church to cary Christes crosse if he shall so thinke it neede 1. Pet. 1. which is a thyng to be desired wished and embraced if we looked on thinges after the iudgement of Gods word and tryed them by that touchstone If you be accustomed to thinke on the breuitie vanitie and miserie of this life and o◠the eternitie truth and felicitie of euerlasting life if you looke on thinges after their endes and not after their present appearaunce only if you vse your self to set gods presence power and mercy alwayes before your eyes to see thē as god by euery creature would you should I doubt not but you shall finde such strength and comforte in the Lord as you shall not be shaken with all the power of Sathan Gods mercy in Christ be with you and his good spirite guide you for euer Amen An other letter to the Lady Vane AS to myne owne soule I wishe to your Ladiship grace and mercy from God our deare Father in Christe our Lorde and Sauioure I thanke God that something he hath eased you and mitigated his fatherly correction in vs both I woulde to God he had done so much in the behalfe of the greefe of the body to you as he hath done to me For as for the soule I trust you feele that which I pray god encrease in you I meane his fatherly loue and graunte that I may with you feele the same in such degree as may please him I wil not say as you feele least I should seeme to aske to muche at one time God doth often muche more plentifullye viset with the sense of hys mercye them that humble them selues vnder his mightye hande and are sore exercised as you long haue bene then others whiche to the face of the worlde haue a more shewe and appearaunce Therfore I wysh as I do and that not only for myne own commoditye but also that I myght occasion you to the consideration of the goodnesse of God which I by your letters doe well espye which is in
PRO REGE MEO PROSPERIS ET ADVERSIS William Hopkinson Certain most godly fruitful and comfortable letters of such true Saintes and holy Martyrs of God as in the late bloodye persecution here within this Realme gaue their lyues for the defence of Christes holy gospel written in the tyme of theyr affliction and cruell imprysonment Though they suffer payne amonge men yet is their hopefull of immortalitie Sap. 3. Jmprinted at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate beneath Saint Martines 1564. Cum gratia priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis For thy sake are we put to death euery day Psal 44. And are coūted as shepe appoynted to be slayne Roma 8. How long O Lorde Psalm 13. Behold I come shortlye Apoc. 22. Oh come Lorde Iesu Apoc. 22. He will come and nottary Abac. 2. Myles Couerdale vnto the Christian Reader moste hartelye wysheth the continuall encrease of heauenlye taste and spirituall swetnesse in the same assured saluation which commeth onely through Iesus Christ THe more nigh that mens wordes workes approch vnto the most wholesome sayinges fruitful doings of the old auncient Saincts chosē childrē of god which loued not only to heare his word but also to liue therafter the more worthy are they to be estemed embraced followed And therfore as we heare read of many godly both mē wemen whose cōuersatiō in old time was beautifyed with syngular giftes of the holy ghost according as the Apostle describeth thē in the .xi. chap. to the Hebrues so haue we iust cause to reioyce that we haue bene familiar acquainted with some of those which walked in the trade of their fotesteppes For the which cause it doth vs good to read and heare not the lying legendes of fayned false counterfayted and popish canonized saincts neither the triflyng toyes forged fables of corrupted writers but such true holy approued histories monuments orations epistles letters as do set forth vnto vs the blessed behauiour of gods deare seruaūtes It doth vs good I say by such comfortable remēbraunce conceaued by their notable writinges to be conuersaunt with them at the least in spirite S. Hierome writing to one Nitia and hauyng occasion to speake of letters or epystles maketh mention of a certayne Authour named Turpilius whose woordes sayeth he are these a letter or epistle is the thyng alone that maketh men present which are absent For among those that are absent what is so presente as to heare and talke with those whom thou louest Also that noble Clarke Erasmus Roterodame cōmendyng the booke of the Epistles or letters which S. Augustine dyd write sayeth thus by some of Augustines bokes we may perceaue what maner of man he was being an infant in Christ By other some we may knowe what maner a one he was being a young man and what he was being an olde man But by thys onely booke meaning the booke of the Epistles or letters thou shalt knowe whole Augustyne altogether And why doth S. Hierome or Erasmus saye thus No doubt euen because that in such writynges as in a cleare glasse we maye see and beholde not onely what plentifull furniture and store of heauenly grace wisedome knowledge vnderstanding fayth loue hope zeale pacience mekenes obedience with the worthy fruites thereof almighty god had bestowed vpon the same his most deare children but also what a fatherlye care he euer hadde vnto them how his mightye hand defended them howe hys prouidence kept watch and warde ouer them howe hys louyng eye loked vnto them howe hys gracious eare heard their prayers how he was alwaye myndfull of them neuer forgat them neither fayled them nor forsoke them how the armes of his mercye were streytched oute to embrace them when soeuer they faythfullye tourned vnto hym howe valiaunte also and stronge in spirite howe ioyfull vnder the crosse howe quyet and cheerefull in trouble he made them what victorye of their enemyes what deliueraunce oute of bondes and captiuitie what health from sicknes what recouerye from plagues what plentye from scarcenesse to bee shorte what helpe at all nede and necessity he gaue and bestowed vpon them By such lyke mounmentes also and writynges it is manifest and playne how the same deare children of God in their time behaued themselues aswel towards hym as also towardes their frendes and foes yea what the verye thoughts of their hartes were when they prayed as their maner was incessantlye to doe when they confessed their sinnes complained vnto god when they gaue thankes when they were persecuted and troubled when they were by the hand of god visited when they felte not onelye the horrour of death the griefe of synne the burthen of gods displeasure by reason of the same but also the swete tast of hys great mercy eternal comfort through Iesus Christ in theyr conscience Of the which thinges lyke as we may euidently perceiue rich and plentiful experience in the heauēly treasurie of that most excellēt boke which we cōmonly cal Dauids Psalter so hath not god nowe in our days left hymselfe without witnesses yea no more then he dyd in other ages before vs but of his aboundante goodnes euen when the late persecutiō was most cruel and the enemies rage most extreme he hath raised vp such zelous men women as by the wonderful operation of hys holy spirit of weake were made so valeant strong in him aswel against all idolatry superstitiō false doctrine and corrupted religion as against their own old blemishes sinnes that they haue turned to flight and cōfounded the whole rable of suche malicious papists as were the persecutors and murtherers of them Wherby they that list not stil to be blind may plainlye behold and see not onely the terrible iudgementes of God ouer against the wicked but also his wonderful doinges mixt wit mercy in and towardes hys chosen vnto whom as vnto them that loue him he causeth al things to worke for the best So that with him by the heauēly light of stedfast faith they see lyfe euen in death with him euen in heauines sorrow they faile not of ioy comfort wyth hym euen in pouerty affliction and trouble they neither perish nor are forsaken How els could they be so patiēt so quiet of minde so cherefull and merye in aduersitie and straite captiuitie some beyng throwne into dungeons vgsome holes darke lothesome and stinking corners other some lying in fetters and chaynes and loaded wyth so many irons that they could scarcely styrre some tied in the stocks wyth their heeles vpwarde some hauyng their legges in the stockes their neckes chayned to the walle wyth gorgets of iron some both handes and legges in the stockes at once sometimes both hands in and both legges out sometimes the right hand with the left leg or the left hand with the right legge fastened in the stockes wyth manicles and fetters hauyng neither stoole nor stone to sitte on to ease their wofull bodies withall
These engines are called Skeuingtons giues the forme maner wherof you shall see in the boke of Martyrs Fol. 1651. some standing in most painful engines of iron with their bodies doubled some whypped scourged beateÌ„ with roddes buffeted with fistes some hauing their handes burned with a caÌ„del to trie their patience or force theÌ„ to relente some hunger pyned most miserably famished Al these torments many moe eueÌ„ such as cruel Phalaris could not deuise worse If these vnmerciful monsters had the reward of their tiranny that Phalarts had yet shuld they not haue so muche as they haue iustly deserued wer practised by the papists the stout sturdy souldiours of Satan thus delityng in variety of tiranny and torments vpon the Saints of god as it is ful wel too well knowen as many can testify which are yet aliue and haue felte some smart therof Yea furthermore so extremely were these deare seruantes of god delt withal that although they were moste desirous by their pen and writing to edify their brethren other poore lambes of Christ one to comfort an other in him yet were they so narowly watched and straitly kepte from al necessary helpes as paper inke bokes such lyke that great maruail it is how they could be able to write any one of these or other so excellent worthy letters For so hardly were they vsed as I said afore for the most part that they could not end their letters begon Notwithstandyng al this cruel dealyng they wrote verye manye worthy and fruitfull letters moe wherof sundry are mentioned in this boke which shall God willing be published hereafter if they in whose handes they remaine wil bring them to light sometime for lacke of ease being so fettered with chaines otherwise handled as you haue heard sometime for lacke of light when they could neither see to write wel nor to reade their letters again somtyme through the hasty coÌ„ming in of the kepers or officers who left no corner nor bedstraw vnsearched yea somtime they were put to so hard shiftes that lyke as for lacke of pennes they were fayne to write with the lead of the windowes so for want of inke they toke their own blood as yet it remaineth to be sene and yet somtime they were faine to teare rent what they had writteÌ„ at the hasty coÌ„ming in of the officers Thus thus vnkindly thus churlishly thus cruelly vnnaturally were eueÌ„ they entreated handled whose most notable godly writings are here set forth in thys booke For the which such other monumeÌ„ts great cause haue we to praise god which he himself hath preserued broughte to light no dout by his siÌ„guler great prouideÌ„ce that herby we beiÌ„g taught to haue his mighty mercy merciful working the more in reuereÌ„t thaÌ„kful regard might not onely consider what heaueÌ„ly streÌ„gth rich possessioÌ„ of coÌ„stant faythe of ardent zeale of quiet patience of peace ioy in the holy ghost he vseth to arme theÌ„ that can find in their harts to abhor al vngodlines both of doctrine life but also to ioine with theÌ„ our selues in such sort that loking to Iesus our captain abiding the crosse despising the shame as they did for the ioy that was set before theÌ„ may with much quietnes of a good conscieÌ„ce end this our short course to his glory to the edifyeng of his church to the coÌ„fusion of Satan to the hinderaunce of al false doctrine to our own eternal coÌ„fort in the same our lord alone Sauiour Iesus Christ To whoÌ„ wyth the father and the holy ghost be all honour al glory al thankes and all praise world without ende Amen Faultes escaped in the pryntyng Leafe Line Faultes Corrected 3 22 I do I do know 19 1 Ridley Cranmer 19 30 Resilcat Rescilcat 20 34 proucratorum procuratorum 26 3 tanta constantia tantaque constantia 26 8 Annunciaueriâ—t Annunciauerunt 26 22 pufillum pusillum 26 34 Religioni Religionis 32 15 Sat egistis Sategistis 32 25 qÌ„ pij erant qui pij crant 33 23 equae aeque 44 14 omium omnium 44 36 Cromerum Cromeum 44 21 per manebit permanebit 45 6 veritati veritatis 49 16 felowes coÌ„captiues fellowes concaptiues 51 33 Gloria Christ Gloria Christi 53 5 before Ea. before Easter 56 11 Commedo Commendo 70 1 haue haue done 72 2 Consilij Concilij 78 4 in the se in the second 90 21 loeuers louers 92 37 after the Christes after Christes 96 30 truth it is truth is 192 7 pupose purpose 214 20 worlynges worldlinges 223 1 Saunders Philpot 249 28 Godtto God to 251 30 me from from me 297 15 thy vengeaunce gods vengeance 363 37 god gods 394 10 fayre farre 394 12 woulh would 427 9 loseth lasteth 429 9 inage Image 476 5 myne owne for myne owne 591 38 wholes holes 567 1 R. Smith I. Careles Certayne godly and fruitfull letters of D. Cranmer late Archbishop of Canterbury who first being imprisoned in the Tower of London and afterward in Oxford was there cruelly burnt for the true testimony of Christes gospel in the yeare of our Lorde 1556. the 16. daye of Februarye Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Caunterbury to Quene Mary MOst lamentably mourning moning himself vnto your highnes Thomas CraÌ„mer although vnworthy either to write or speake vnto your highnes yet hauing no persoÌ„ that I know to be mediatour for me and knowing your pitifull eares ready to heare al pitiful complaintes and seing so many before to haue felte your aboundaunt clemency in like case He desired to be released of his offence for consentyng vnto kyng Edwardes wyll and so he was but after was accused of heresy which he best liked for then he knewe hys cause was christes am now constrained most lamentably and with most penitent and sorowfull heart to aske mercy and pardon for my haynous folly and offence in consenting and folowyng the TestameÌ„t and last will of our late soueraigne Lord king Edward the syxt your graces brother which will god knoweth God he knoweth I neuer liked nor neuer any thing greued me so much that your graces brother did and if by any meanes it had bene in me to haue letted the makyng of that will I would haue done it and what I said therin as well to his counsell as to himselfe diuers of your Maiesties counsell can report but none so wel as the Marques of NorthhaÌ„pton and the Lord Darcy then Lord Chamberlayne to the kynges Maiesty which two were present at the communication betwene the Kynges Maiestye and me I desired to talke with the kings maiesty alone but I could not be suffered and so I fayled of my purpose for yf I might haue commoned with the king alone at good leasure my trust was that I shuld haue altered hym from that purpose but they being present my labour was in vayne Then when I could not disswade him from
to God alone Moreouer themperial lawes customes of this realme the king in his CoronatioÌ„ The oth of the king Iustices the duty of subiectes al Iustices wheÌ„ they receaue theyr offices be sworne and all the whole realme is bound to defend and maintayn But contrary hereunto the Pope by his authority maketh voyde and commaundeth to blot out of our bokes all lawes and customes beyng repugnaÌ„t to hys lawes and declareth accursed all rulers and gouernours all the makers wryters and executors of such lawes or customes as it appeareth by many of the Popes lawes wherof one or two I shall rehearse In the decrees distin .x. is written thus CoÌ„stitutione contra canones decreta praesuluÌ„ Romanorum vel bonos mores nullius sunt momenti That is The constitutions or statutes enacted against the Canons and decrees of the bishops of Rome or their good customes are of none effect Also Extra de sententia excommunicationis nouerit Excommunicamus omnes haereticos vtriusque sexus quocuÌ„que nomine censeantur fautores receptatores defensores eorum nec non qui de caetero seruari fecerint statuta edita consuetudines contra ecclesiae libertatem nisi ea de capitularibus suis intra duos menses post huiusmodi publicationem sententiae fecerint amoueri Item excommunicamus statutarios scriptores statutorum ipsorum nec non potestates consules rectores consiliarios locorum vbi de caetero huiusmodi statuta consuetudines editae fuerint vel seruatae nec non illos qui secunduÌ„ ea praesumpserint iudicare vel in publicam formaÌ„ scribere iudicata That is to say we excoÌ„municate al heretikes of both sexes what name soeuer they be called by and their fauourers receptours and defendours and also them that shall hereafter cause to be obserued statutes and customes made against the liberty of the church except thei cause the same to be put out of their bokes or records within two monethes after the publication of thys senteÌ„ce Also we excommunicate the statute makers and writers of those statutes also the potestates consuls gouernours counsailours of places where suche statutes and customes shall bee made or kepte and also those that shall presume to geue iudgement according to them or put in to publyke forme of writing the matters so iudged Now by these lawes if the bishop of Romes authority which he claimeth by God be lawfull al your graces lawes and customes of your Realme being contrarye to the popes lawes be naught and aswell your maiesty as your iudges iustices and all other executours of the same stand accursed among heretickes which God forbid And yet this curse can neuer be anoyded if the Pope haue such power as he claimeth vntill such times as the lawes and customes of this realm The Popes lawes the lawes of England are contrary being contrary to his lawes be taken away and blotted out of the law bokes And although ther be many lawes of this Realme contrary to the lawes of Rome yet I named but a few as to conuict a clarke before any temporall iudge of this Realme for debte felony murther or for any other crime which clarks by the Pops lawes be so exempte froÌ„ the kings lawes that they can be no where sued but before theyr Ordinary Also the pope by his lawes may geue al bishoprikes benefices spirituall which by the lawes of this realme can be geueÌ„ but only by the kings other patrones of the same except they fal into the lapse By the popes lawes ius patronatus shal be sued onlye before the ecclesiastical iudge but by the lawes of this realme it shal be sued before the temporal Iudge and to be shorte the lawes of this Realme do agre with the Popes lawes like fire and water And yet the kings of this Realme haue prouided for theyr lawes by the premunire so that if anye man haue let the excecution of the lawes of this Realme by any authority from the sea of Rome he falleth into the premunire But to mete with this the popes haue prouided for theyr lawes by cursinge For who so euer letteth the Popes lawes to haue full course within this realme by the Popes power standeth accursed So that the Popes power treadeth all the lawes and customes of this Realme vnder his fete cursing al that execute them vntil such time as they geue place vnto his lawes But it may be said that notwithstanding all the popes decrees yet we do execute still the lawes and customes of this Realme Nay not all quietlye without interuption of the pope And where wee do execute them yet we do it vniustly if the popes power be of force and for the same we stande excommunicate and shal do vntill we leaue the execution of our owne lawes customes Thuâ—â—o â—e be well reconciled to Rome allowing such authority 〈◊〉 â—hy the Realme standeth accursed before God if the p◠〈◊〉 â—ue any such autority These things 〈◊〉 â—uppose were not fully opened in the parliament house wheÌ„ the popes authority was receiued agayn within this Realme for if they had I doe not beleue that either the king or Quenes maiestye or the nobles of this Realme or the commons of the same woulde euer haue consented to receaue againe suche a forraine autoritye so iniurious hurtefull and preiudiciall aswell to the crowne as to the lawes and customes and state of this realme as wherby they muste needes acknowledge themselues to be accursed But none could open this matter wel but the clergy and that such of them as had red the popes lawes whereby the pope hath made himself as it were a God These seeke to maintain the pope whome they desired to haue their chief head to the intent they might haue as it were a kingdom lawes wythin theÌ„selues distinct from the lawes of the crowne and wherwyth the crowne maye not meddle and so beinge exempted from the lawes of the crowne mighte liue in thys realme lyke Lordes and kinges wythout dammage or fear of any man The papists to set vp a kingdom of theyr own disseÌ„ble the knowne truth and are false to the crowne so that they please theyr hyghe and supreame heade at Rome For thys consyderation I weene some that knewe the truthe helde theyr peace at the Parliamente where as if they had done theyr duetyes to the crown and whole realme they should haue opened theyr mouthes declared the truth shewed the perils dangers that myght ensue to the crowne realme And if I should agre to allow suche autoritye within thys realme wherby I must needes confesse that your most gratious hyghenes and also youre Realme shoulde euer continue accursed vntyl you shall cease from the execution of youre owne Lawes and customes of youre realme I coulde not thyncke my selfe true eyther to youre highnes or to thys my naturall countrye knowyng that I do know Ignoraunce I know may excuse
Godes woorde and accordyng to that vocation wherevnto we are called by the Gospell of Christ our sauior that the honesty purity of the same may prouoke al that shal se or know it to the loue of your doctrine and to loue you for your honestye vertues sake and so both in the brotherly vnitye of your true doctrine also in the godly vertue of your honest life to glorify our father which is in heauen Ex nostratibus magni aliquoc magistratus Cancellarius Wint. Comes Arundellus dn̄s Pachetusiam legatione fūgūtur vna cū Cardinali Polo in partibus trāsmarinis ad cōponēdā vt aiūt pacē inter imperatorem regem nostrum Francorum regem Post illorum magistratuum nostrorum reditum partum reginae quē iam quotidie expectamus iam aliquandiu expectauimus quëque deus pro sui nominis gloria dignetur bene illi fortunare nos tunc statim nihil aliud quam nostrae confessionis de hoste nostro antiquo triumphales in domino coronas expectamus Omnium vestrum precibus me humillime ex toto corde cōmēdo In primis tuis ô chariss in Christo frater dilectiss Grindalle chariss fratrū vnice mihi in dn̄o dilectorū Checi Coxi Turneri Leueri Sampsonis Chamberi omniū fratrū nostrorū conterraneorum qui apud vos degunt diligunt dominū nostrum Iesum Christum in veritate Cōmedo etiam vobis reuerendiss patres concaptiuos meos in domino Thomam Cranmerum iam vere magnipastoris Archipresulis nomine digniss veteranum illum nostrae gentis Anglicanae verum Apostolum Christi H. Latimerum Condona mihi frater harum prolixitatem non enim post hac credo chariss frater meis literis iam amplius ali quando turbaberis Oxonij To M. Cranmer and M. Latymer beyng separated from hym and prisoners in seuerall places THe cause of my brothers enprisōmēt is this so farre as I can perceaue There is a yonge man called M. Grymbolde whiche was my chaplain a preacher a mā of much eloquēce both in the english and also in the Latin To this man beyng desirous of al things which I had written and done synce the beginning of mine emprisonmēt my brother as is said hath sent copies no more but of all things that I haue done First a litle treatise whiche M. Latymer and I wrote in the toure where is before my my sayings N. R. before M. Latimer H. L. Also an other draught which I drew out of the Euangelists of S. Paul that the words of the lordes supper are figuratiuely to be vnder stand alleaging out of the doctors only vi thre of the greke church which are Origen Chrisost ad Cesa monachū Theodoret three of the latin church Tertullian Augustine Gelasius He had of my brother also a copy of my iij. positions to the thre questions here propounded to vs at Oxford thē also a copy of my disputation in the scholes as I wrote it my selfe after the disputation Item the letter Ad fratres in diuersis carceribus All these thinges they haue gotten of Grymbold as my brother doth suppose not that Grymbold hath bewrayed hym but as is supposed one whiche my brother trusted to carye his letters vnto Grymbolde for it will not synke into my heade to thinke that Grymbold woulde euer playe me such a Iudas part Although these things are chaunced farre otherwise then I had thoughte they shoulde for my mynd was that they shoulde not haue comme abrode vntil my body had bene layd to reste in peace yet truely I suppose this is not thus chaunced without gods graciouse prouidence which he hath ouer al his and I trust that god of his goodnes shal turne it to hys owne glory For it shal euidently appeare to the reader of these thinges whych they haue that the cause why I do dissent from the Romish religion is not any study of vayne glory or of singularitye but of conscience of my bound duty towardes god towardes Christes church and the saluation of myne owne soule for the which by gods grace I wyll wyllingly ieoperd here to lose life lands and goods name and fame and what els is or cā be vnto me pleasāt in this world My brother as yet because they nether shewed any comissiō or authority wherbye they did examine him nor also anye thynge of his letters although they said they had them as yet I say my brother hath confessed nothing But I loke for none other but he shal be forced to tel wher he hadde the copies and where they be and I wylbe content that he shal say the truth that he had them all of me let them come and take them caste them into the fire if god know they wil promote his glory they can do no more then he wil suffer them Bicause in the booke of N. R. and H. L. it is saide in the ende that H L. hath caused his seruant to write it I would Austine should haue word yf any farther search be to kepe hym out of the way God shall rewarde you both for my brother You my Lord of Caunt for your meate and dayly comfort and you father L. for your mony and comfortable messeges I trust in God my brother though he be younge yet wyl studye to learne to beare Christes crosse patienly as a yong Scholer in Christs Schole God encrease his grace in vs all Amen To maister Bradford prisoner in the kinges Bench. WElbeloued in Christ our sauiour we all with one hart wish you with all those that loue god in dede and truth grace and healthe and specially to oure dearely beloued companions which are in Christs cause and the cause both of theyr brethren and of theyr own saluation readye and willing to put theyr necke vnder the yoke of Christs crosse How ioyful it was to vs to heare the reporte of D. Taylor of his godly confession c I ensure you it is hard for me to expresse Blessed be God which was and is the geuer of that and all godly strength and stomacke in the time of aduersity As for the rumors that haue or doe go abroade either of our relenting or massing we trust that they which know god and theyr dutye towardes theyr brethren in Christ wil not be to lyght of credit to beleue them It is not the sclaunderers euell tounge but a mans owne euell deede that can with God defile a man and therfore by gods grace you shal neuer haue cause to doe otherwise then you say you do that is not to doubt but that we will continue c. Like rumor as you haue hearde of oure comminge to London hathe beene here spreade of the comminge of certayne learned men prisoners hether from London but as yet we knowe no certeyntye whether of these rumors is or shal be more true Know you that we haue you in our dayly
with me in that I may do conueniently in this mater armed with your earnest and zelous letters then any rhetorike either of Tullye or Demosthenes I ensure you therof With vs it is said that M. Grymbold was adiudged to be hanged drawen and quartered of whome we heare now Note the lyeng spirit of the papistes whereby you may se whose children they are that he is at liberty So we heard of late that M. Hooper was hanged drawen and quartered in dede not for heresy but for treason but blessed be god we here now that all is true in like False tongues wil not cease to lie and mischeuous hartes to imagine the worst Farewel in Christ token for token now I send you not but knowe this that as it is told me I haue two scarlet gownes that scaped I cānot tel how in the spoil wherof you shal haue your part Commende me to all our brethren your felow prisoners in the Lord. Yours in Christ. N R ¶ To Augustine Berneher then seruaunt to M. Latymer and nowe a faithfull minister in Christes churche to whom because he might not come to the prison to speake with hym he wrote as followeth BRother Austine you are hartelye welcome to Oxford again you haue made good spede in dede and blessed be god for his gratious goodnes that al is well with you That our dearly beloued brethren in Christ are al in good cōfort harty in christs cause stand stedfast in the confession of his true doctrine it reioiseth I ensure you my hart in god to hear of it This day was D. Croke with me and both he mystres Irish mine hostes told me that M. Hoper is hanged drawn and quartered for treasō but I did not beleue them for it is not the firste tale that mine hostes hath told me of M. Hoper And I trust the tydings that wer here spread abroad since your departure that M. Grymbold also should haue bene arraigned condemned for treason to be hanged and quartered was not true let me heare if there be any such thyng Not three dais agoe there was a priuy warning geuen me from a man of god one Lisley a glouer that we prisoners here al iij. shuld be shortly and sodenly conueied into iij. seueral colleges for what purpose how to be ordred god knoweth At the which time and at the earnest request of that forenamed mā of god I did deliuer vnto him some of the thynges I had in hand to write out what they be you shall know of hym Besides the things which he hath I haue some thynges els which if it please god I wold wish might come to light if perchaūce any therby might receaue the light to loue the truth the better and to abhorre the falsehode of Antichriste I haue written annotations in priorem librū Tonstalli plenius in secundum verò parcius optarem vt transcriberēturne fortassis vna mecum fiant subito Vulcani cihus I haue also many things but as yet confusedly set together of the abhominable vsurpatiō pride arrogancy and wickednes of the sea and bishop of Rome and altogether in Latine If those thynges were written out I would wyshe that M. Bradford would take them translate and order them as he should thinke mighte beste helpe to open the eyes of the symple for to se the wickednes of the Synagoge of Sathan But that at your last beyng here you cast cold water vpō mine affection towards Grimbold els me thinke I could appoint wher he might occupy himselfe to hys owne profite in learnyng which he lyketh to no small profytte whych myghte ensue to the church of Chryst in England as if he woulde take in hand to interprete Laurentius Valla which as he knoweth is a mā of singuler eloquence his boke I mean which he made wrote against that false fained fable forged of Constātinus magnus his dotatiō glorious exaltation of the sea of Rome whē he hath done that let him translate a work of Eneas Siluius de gestis Basiliensis consilii In the which although there be many thinges that sauoureth of the pan and also he hymselfe was afterwarde a bishop of Rome yet I dare say the papistes would glory but a lyttle to see suche bookes goe forthe in Englyshe If you wil know where to haue these bokes or treatises you may haue them both together and many lyke treatises whiche painteth oute the wickednesse of the sea of Rome in a boke set forth by a papist called Ortwinus Gratius intitled Fasciculus rerum ex petendarum fugiēdarum In that boke you shal haue confessionem fratrum Waldensium men of much more learnyng godlynes sobernes and vnderstandyng in Gods word then I would haue thoughte them to haue bene in that tyme before I dyd reade theyr workes If suche thinges hadde bene set forthe in our English tong heretofore I suppose surely greate good might haue come to Christes churche thereby To my good Ladies grace and to my Ladye Vane what thankes can I geue but desyre almyghtye God to lyghten comforte and strengthen them euermore in hys wayes The other two whome you mention I know not but the Lord knoweth them to whom in them all and for all their kyndnesse I geue most harty thanks Maister Bradford desireth that thāks should be rendred vnto you for your comfortable ayd wherwyth you comforte hym but you must tell hym that he must byd them thanke you for hym whyche are not bound to thanke you for them selues and yf he doe so then I weene all we prisoners of Oxford shall so stoppe hys mouth Brother Austine you for our comforte doe runne vp and downe and who beareth your charges God knoweth I knowe you muste needes in so doyng take muche paynes I pray you take thys poore token of my good wil towardes your charges To Augustine Bernher BRother Augustine I blesse god with all my harte in hys manyfold mercifull giftes giuen vnto our deare brethrē in Christ especially to our brother Rogers whome it pleased to setforth first no doubt but of his gratious goodnes fatherly fauor towardes hym And likewise blessed be God in the rest as Hoper Saunders and Taylor whome it hath pleased the Lord likewise to set in the forefrount of the battayle against his aduersaries and hath endewed them al so far as I can here to stand in the confession of his truth and to be content in his cause for his gospels sake to lose their life And euermore and without end blessed be euē the same our heauenly father for our deare and entierly beloued brother Bradford whome now the Lorde I perceiue calleth for for I wene he wil no longer vouchsafe him to abide amonge the adulterous and wycked generation of thys world I do not doubt but that he for those giftes of grace which the Lord hath bestowed on him plenteously hath holpen those which are gone before in their iorney that is hath animated
place for me to bryng in franlkely all that I could for the confyrmation of mine answers Now when he had promised all these thynges openly in the hearyng of other Commissioners and of the whole vniuersity of Oxforde yet good reader marke thys that in very deede he perfourmed nothyng of all that he promysed what faythe then shall a man looke to fynde at such iudges handes in the secrete mysteries of God which in theyrs promises so openly made and so duely det I will not speake of the witnesses of the matter are found to be so faithlesse both to God and man well I will leaue it to the iudgemente of the wyse And now for that is leste for vs to do let vs pray that God would haue mercy on his churche of Englande that yet once when it shall be hys good pleasure it may clearely see and gredely embrace in the face of Iesus Christ the wyl of the heauenly father and that of hys infinite mercye he would eyther turne to hym the ragyng and rauening wolues and most subtyll seducers of his people whiche are by them altogether spoyled and bewitched eyther that of hys most rightuous iudgement he would dryue these faythlesse feeders from hys flocke that they may no more bee able to trouble and scatter abroad Christes shepe from their shepeherd and that spedely Amen Amen And let euery one that hath the spirite as S. Iohn sayeth say Amen Yet further know thou that when Maister Prolocutour did put forth three propositions he dyd commaund vs to answer particularly to them all After our answers neyther he nor hys fellowes did euer enter into any disputation of any one of thē sauyng only of the fyrst Yea when that he had asked vs after disputations of the fyrst as ye haue heard for my part whether we would subscribe to the whole in such sort forme and words as there are set forth withoute further disputation whych thynge we denied by and by he gaue sentēce against vs all that is against me Doctour Cranmer Doctour Latimer my most dere fathers brethrē in christ cōdemning vs for hainous heretikes cōcerning euery of these propositiōs and so separated vs one from another sending vs seuerally into sundry and diuerse houses to be kept moste secretlye to the day of our burning and as before so still commaunded that all and euerye one of our seruauntes shoulde be kepte from vs wherto he added that at his departure thence pen inke and paper should depart from vs also He meaneth here that godlye and fruitefull report of his disputation in Oxford whiche he penned with his own hand But thanks be to God that gaue me to write thys before the vse of suche thinges were vtterly taken awaye Almyghty God whyche beholdeth the causes of the afflicted is wonted to lose loke mercifully on the bonds gronings of the captiues he vouch safe now to looke vpō the causes of hys pore church in Englād of his great wisdome vnspeakable mercy wyth speede to make an end of our misery Amen Amen Amen ⧠Letters of mayster Iohn Hoper late Byshoppe of Glocester wher after his long and cruel imprisonmente in the flete he was burnte wyth most terrible kindes of tormentes as you may reade in the boke of martyrs fol. 1062. for the defēce of the syncere truth of the gospell the 9. day of Ianuary in the yeare of our Lord. 1555. ¶ A letter which he wrote to certayn godly persons professours and louers of the truth instructing them howe they shoulde behaue them selues at the beginnynge of the chaunge of religion THe grace mercy and peace of God the father throughe our Lorde Iesus Chryste be wyth you my deare brethren and wyth al those that vnfaynedly loue and embrace his holye gospell Amen It is tolde me that the wycked Idole the masse is stablyshed agayne by a law passed in the Parleament house Lerne the truth of it I pray you what penalty is appointed in the act to such as speake agaynst it Also whether there be any cōpulsion to constraine men to be at it The statute throughlye knowne such as be abroade at liberty maye prouide for them selues and auoyd the daunger the better Doubtles there hath not bene sene before our tyme such a parleament as thys is that as many as were suspected to be fauourers of gods worde shoulde be banyshed out of both houses But we must geue god thankes for that truth he hathe opened in the time of hys blessed seruaunte kynge Edwarde the syxte and praye vnto hym that we denye it not nor dyshoner it with idolatrye but that we maye haue strength and patience rather to dye tenne tymes then to deny him once Blessed shall we be if euer god make vs worthye of that honoure to shede oure bloode for hys names sake And blessed then shall we thinke the parentes whiche broughte vs into thys worlde that we shoulde from thys mortalitye be caried into immortalitye If we followe the commaundemente of Saynte Paule that sayth if ye be risen agayne wyth Chryste Col. 3. seeke the thynges that be aboue where Chryste sytteth at the righte hande of God we shall neyther departe from the vayne transitorye goodes of thys worlde nor from thys wretched and mortall lyfe wyth so greate paynes as other doe Let vs praye to our heauenlye father that we maye knowe and loue hys blessed wyll and the gloryous ioye prepared for vs in time to come and that we maye knowe and hate all thynges contrarye to hys blessed wyll and also the payne prepared for the wicked men in the world to come There is no better waye to be vsed in thys troublesome tyme for your consolation then many tymes to haue assemblies to gether of suche menne and women as be of your religion in Chryste and there to talke and renewe amonge your selues the truth of youre religion to see what ye be by the woord of God and to remembre what yee were before yee came to the knowledge thereof to waygh and conferre the dreames and false lyes of the preachers that nowe preache wyth the woorde of God that retayneth all truth and by suche talke and familiar resortinge together ye shall the better fynde out all their lyes that nowe goe aboute to deceyue you and also both knowe and loue the truth that God hath opened to vs. It is muche requisite that the members of Chryste comforte one an other make prayers together conferre one with another so shall ye be the stronger and Gods spirite shall not be absent from you but in the myds of you to teach you to comfort you to make you wise in al godly thyngs patiente in aduersity and strong in persecution Ye se how the congregatiō of the wicked by helping one an other make their wicked religion themselues strong against Gods truth hys peple It ye may haue some lerned mā that can out of the scriptures speak vnto you of faith
know not sayde my Lorde that is a good question for I am sure that booke stoppeth all their mouthes Then said I my Lorde I thynke manye thinges be farre wyde from the truth of Gods word in that booke Then my lord sayd thou art a very varlet To that I aunswered that is as yll as Racha or Fatue Then my Lord sayd thou art an ignoraunt betyll browe To that I aunswered I haue redde ouer and ouer agayne the holye Scriptures and Saint Austines workes throughe and Saynct Cyprian Eusebius Origene Gregory Nazianzen with dyuers other bookes through oute therfore I thanke God I am not vtterly ignorauÌ„t Besides these my lord I professed the Ciuil lawe as your Lordship dyd and I haue redde ouer the Cannon law also Then my lorde sayd with a corrupte iudgemente thou readest all things Touchyng my profession it is Diuinitie in whiche I haue written diuers bookes Then I saide my Lorde ye dyd wryte one booke De vera obedientia I would you had bene constant in that for in deede you neuer did declare a good conscieÌ„ce that I heard of but in that one booke Then my Lord said tut tut tut I wrote against Bucer in priestes mariages but such bookes please not such wretches as thou art which hast bene maried many yeres To that I answered I am maried in dede I haue had .ix chidreÌ„ in holy matrimony I thanke god this I am sure of that your procedings now at this present in this realme against priestes mariages is the mainteinauÌ„ce of the doctryne of deuils against natural law Ciuil law CanoÌ„ law generall CouÌ„cels CanoÌ„s of the apostles auÌ„cieÌ„t doctors gods lawes TheÌ„ spake my lord of Duresme saying you professed the Ciuil lawe as you saye then you knowe that Iustinian writeth that priestes at their takyng of Orders shoulde sweare that they were neuer maried and he bryngeth in to proue that Canones Apostolorum To that I aunswered that I dyd not remember any suche lawe of Iustinian but I am sure that Iustinian writeth in Titulo de indicta viduitate in cod that if one would bequeath to his wife in his testament alâ—egacie vnder a condition that she should neuer marye agayne and take an othe of her for the accomplyshyng of the same yet she shall marye againe if he dye notwithstandyng the aforesayd condition and othe taken and made agaynst mariage and an othe is an other manner of obligation to God then is a papisticall vowe Moreouer in the Pandectes it is contayned that if a man doe manumit his handmayd vnder a condition that she shall neuer marye yet she maye mary her Patrone shal loose ius patronatus for his adding of the vnnatural vnlawful conditioÌ„ against matrimony Then my Lorde Chauncelour saide thou sayest that priestes maye be maryed by gods lawe howe prouest thou that I aunswered by the playne wordes and sentences of S. Paule bothe to Timothy and to Titus where S. Paule doth speake most euidently of the mariage of priestes Deacons and bishops And S. Chrysostome writing vpon the Epistle to Timothy saithe it is an heresy to say that a Bishop may not be maried Then my lorde Chauncellour said thou lyest of Chrisostome but thou doest as all thy companions do belye euer without al shame both the scriptures the doctors Diddest thou not also saye that by the Cannon law priestes may be maried which is most vntrue and the contrary is most true I answered we reade in the decrees that the fower generall counsels Nicene Constantinopolitane Ephesme and Calcedon haue the same autoritye that the foure Euangelistes haue And we reade in the same decrees which is one of the chiefe bookes of the Canon lawe that the Councell of Nice by the meanes of one Paphnutius dyd allowe Priestes and bishops mariages therefore by the best part of the Canon law priestes may be maryed Then my Lorde Chauncellor said thou falsifiest the generall councel for there is expresse mention in the said decree that priests should be diuorced from their wyues which be maried TheÌ„ sayd I if those words be there as you say theÌ„ am I content to lose thys great head of myne let the booke be fetched Then sayd my lord of Duresme thoughe they bee not there yet they may be in Ecclesiastica historia which Eusebius wrote out of which boke the decree was takeÌ„ Then sayd I it is not like that the pope would leaue out any such sentence hauing such authoritie making so much for hys purpose Then my lord Chauncelor sayd Gracian was but a patcher and thou art glad to snatch vp such a patch as maketh for thy purpose I aunswered my Lord I can not but maruaile that you do cal one of the chiefe papistes that euer was but a patcher Then my lord Chauncelor sayd Nay I call thee a snatcher a patcher To make an end wilte thou not returne againe with vs to the Catholike church and with that he rose And I said By gods grace I wil neuer depart froÌ„ Christes church Then I required that I might haue some of my frendes to come to me in prison And my lord ChauÌ„celor sayd thou shalt haue iudgemeÌ„t within this weke My lord of Durreme would that I should beleue as my father and my mother I alledged S. Augustine that we oughte to preferre gods word before al men And so I was deliuered againe vnto my keper R. T. The copy of a writing that D. Taylour sent to a frende of hys concerning the causes vvherfore he vvas condemned IT is heresie to defend any doctrine against the holy scripture therfore the Lord Chauncelor and byshops consenting to his sentence against me be heretikes for they haue geueÌ„ sentence against the mariage of priests knowing that S. Paule to Timothe and Titus writeth playnly that Byshops priestes and Deacons may be maried knowing also that by S. Paules doctrine it is the doctrine of deuilles to inhibite matrimony and S. Paule willeth euery faythfull minister to teach the people so least they be deceaued by the marked marchauntes 1. Tim. 4. These bishops are not ignorant that it is not only S. Paules counsel and lawful but gods coÌ„maundemeÌ„t also to marry for such as can not other wise liue chast neither auoyde fornicatioÌ„ 1. Cor. 7 Gene. 2. They know that such as do marry do not sinne They know that god before sinne was ordained matrimony and the in paradise betwene two of his principal creatures MaÌ„ Woman They know what spirite they haue whiche say it is euil to marrye seing God sayd Gene. 2. it is not good for maÌ„ to be alone without a wife hauing no speciall gift contrary to the generall coÌ„maundement and ordinaunce diuerse times repeted in the booke of Genesis Gene. 1. which is to encrease multiply They know that Abraham caried into the land of Chanaan his old yet barraine wife the vertuous womaÌ„ Sara with him Gene. 12. leauing father mother
treasures are their hurded where theues cānot come to steale them there is your hart and therfore you can and wyll say as the philosopher sayd when he was robbed of al he had Omnia mea mecum porto I cary al wyth me If he an heathen toke hys ryches to be the worldes rather then hys howe muche more should we so do Therefore my deare brother accordyngly prepare your selfe as you haue done and do I hope Read the .2 of Ecclesiasticus how he counsaileth them that wyll serue god to prepare themselues to temptation Often set before your eyes the iudgement of Christ his commyng in the cloudes and the resurrection which is now our comfort especially in afflictions I wryte to you none otherwyse then I am persuaded I thanke god and purpose to go before you I knowe there is an eternall lyfe I hope to be pertaker of it through christ I know this is the way thether I meane by suffring I know yf we suffer wyth hym we shall raigne wyth hym I know that by the crosse he maketh vs lyke to Christ here that we mayghte be like to hym elsewhere therfore I wryte to you not wordes only And hereupon I am the more earnest as to admonish so to pray you to cleaue styl to the lord and hys true religion which you haue receiued and I for my part am sure that I haue preached vnto you For the confirmation wherof as I am in bondes so I trust in the goodnes of God and his power to geue my lyfe in and for the same that you and others might be certeyne and follow as god shal cal you and vouche you worthy Remember that die you must but whē as you know not so where and how it is vncertain to you Again al that you haue you must leaue behind you for nothing shall go with you but a good or an euil conscience Moreouer to whō you shal leaue your goods it is hyd from you for you may purpose but god wyll dyspose Therfore if god wyll haue you to dye or to lose your goodes for hys cause how much are you boūd then to blesse God sure you may be that you can not perish for of all wayes to heauen it is the most sure way Your goods God wil preserue so that your children shal find them although the wyckeh spoyle euerye peece of them for the rightuous mans seede I haue not sene saith Dauyd beg theyr bread but god wyll blesse them into a thousande generations the which thyng I pray god to remember towardes your chylderne for his name sake Amen Thus wyl I betake you to god and to his holy word which is able as to teache you whych way to serue god so to saue you if you beleue and loue it If I thought it myght do you any good I would send you a boke which Iames Bradshaw already hath to teach you how you shuld behaue your selues especially cōcerning the Masse I wrote it sithē my trouble Cōmend me to T. Riddleston although I feare me he haue defiled himselfe in this false seruice That boke I would wish he wuld read as you shal aduertise me I wil do in sending to him I shal pray god to illuminate his eies with his grace Commend me to Syr W. Charelton who I trust hath kept himselfe pure from idolatry god graunt he so continue Written in haste as it appeareth from the Counter in the Poultre By yours in Christ Iohn Bradford To hys godly frendes G. and N. encouragyng thē to prepare themselues to the crosse and patiētly to endure afflictions for god cause and hys hohys Gospell THe God of all mercies and the father of al consolations shew vnto you more and more the riches of his mercies in christ Iesus our lord and graunt you a liuely faith to apprehend and pul vnto your selues the same to your euerlastyng comfort Amen Because my mind will not let me rest to thinke vpon as it were to see sore stormes like to fal more felly thē any yet we haue felt I should rather say ye haue felt are lyke to feele if ye continew to confesse christianly as ye haue begunne I thought it my duety to admonish you that therefore ye shoulde not be dismayde nor thynke it any straunge thyng For vndoubtedly you cōfessyng Christ accordyng to the truth taught you yea receiued of you though trouble come the same shal be so farre frō hurting you that it shal profit you excedingly making you therby lyke to him which for your sakes suffered much greater sorrow then al men can sustain aswell that your sorrowes and afflictions whatsoeuer they be that shal come vnto you shuld be sāctified in his crosse that which he suffred as also that in him ye might haue both exāple how to order your selues in the crosse and how sone shortly and gloriously the ende of your crosse wil be Therfore I say be not dismayde in that the crosse cannot but conforme and make vs lyke vnto Christ not symply of it self but by gods spirit which maketh it hys chiefe meane therto fyrste in putting vs in mynde of our corruption receaued of Adam the cause of al care then by occasioning vs to remēber as well our priuye hydde sinnes as also our more manifest euils that we there throughe might be prouoked to repentāce asking of mercy the whiche vndoubtedly god wil geue vs for his christes sake therto also his holy sprite to sāctify vs if we aske the same Nowe this sprite will not cease more more both to mortify the old man with his desires also to renew repaire the new man dailye with augmētation encrease so that at the lengthe we shal be made so lyke to Christ that we cānot but be coupled vnto him I meane not by faith as now we be but euē in dede leauing here behind vs with Hely our cloke the flesh which one day god wil call quickē again to be like vnto the glorious immortal body of his son Iesus Christ out lord after the it hath suffred slepte as his hath done the afflictiōs time which god hath alredy apoīted My dere brethern and sisters this is most certaine that the afflictiōs and crosses which ye shal suffer god hath alredy apointed for you so that they are not in the power choise and wil of your his enemies If ye would fly thē ye cānot but will ye nil ye nedes muste ye haue them If ye wil not cary them in the loue of god ye shal cary them in his displeasure Therfore cast your care on him which careth for you hath coūted al the heares of your heads so that one shal not perish if that ye commit your selues to his ordering wher els your heads bodies yea soules too shal perishe if that ye with draw your selues as vnwilling to take his cup to drink of it not that I would haue you to thrust your selues hedlong rashly to
Rom. 8 The Angels are ministers vnto them Their names are writtē in the boke of lyfe therfore Christ bad them reioyce as Paul doth the Philippians for nothing shall seperate them from the loue wherwith god loueth them in Christ Iesu who sayeth that it is impossible for them to erre finally to damnation Mat. 24 Psalm 18. Iohn 6.10 Heb. 3. Iohn 5.6 Iohn 17 Heb. 5. Rom. 8 Ioh. 10. 1. Cor. 6 1. Cor. 1. 1. Ioh 4 Psalm 67. Ose 6. for he is their lyght to illumine their darkenes They are geuē to hym to kepe he is faythful ouer al gods children He saith he wil kepe them so that they shal neuer peryshe After they beleue they are entred already into euerlasting life Christe hath set thē there already he hath cōmitted them into his fathers hands by prayer which we know is sure therefore death hel deuils nor all power sinnes nor mischiefe shall neuer pull vs out of oure heades hands whose mēbers we are therfore receauing of hys spirite as we do we cannot but bring forth the fruites therof though now then the flesh fayle vs. But the Lord euen our Lord be praysed whiche is more strong in vs then he which is in the world He alwaies putteth vnder his hand that we lye not styll nor shal do as the reprobate whose pietie is as the mornyng dewe sone come sone gone and therfore they can not continue to the ende Cānot No they wil not if they could because they hate god hys glory and therfore al thē that seeke it or set it forth wheras the elect loue all men and seke to do al men good in God suspending their iudgements of others Rom. 14 that they may stand or fall to the Lord and not to them Hetherto out of this one place of Paule to the Ephesiās if the matter of election predestination be so fully set forth to gods glory and to the cōfort of hys church how may we suppose is this matter set forth in the whole body bookes of the canonicall scripture Whereto I had rather send you with this cādell lighte which I haue now geuē you then in a matter so manifest to make more a do then nedeth Iohn Bradforde To a woman that desyred to know hys mynde whether she refrayning from the Masse myght be present at the popyshe Mattyns or no. I Besech almightye God our heauenly father to bee merciful vnto vs to encrease in you my good sister the knowledge loue of his truth and at thys present geue me grace so to write to you somthyng of the same as may make to hys glory and our own comforte and confyrmation in hym through Christ our Lord Amen Whether you may come with safe cōscience to the church now that is to the seruice vsed comonly in part as at Mattins or at Euēsong or noe is your desire to haue me to write somthing for your further stay My derely beloued although your benefites towards me might perchaunce make you to thinke that in respect therof I would beare with that which els were not to be borne withal yet by gods grace I am purposed simply without al such respect in this matter to speak to you the truth accordinge to my conscience as I maye be able to stand vnto when I shall come before the Lorde Fyrste therefore goe aboute to learne perfectly the fyrst lesson to bee learned of all that professe Christe that is to denye your selfe and in nothing to seke your selfe Secondly learne after thys to begynne at the next lesson to it which is to seeke God in all thynges you doe and leaue vndone Thirdly know that then you seke God whē in hys seruice you followe his worde and not mans fantasies custome multitude c. and when with your brother you follow the rule of charitie that is to do as you would be done by In these is a sūme of al the counsell I can geue you if that hereto I admonyshe you of the seruice now vsed which is not accordyng to gods word but rather against gods word directly and in maner wholy So that you going to the seruice is a declaration that you haue not learned the fyrst lesson nor neuer can learne it so long as you go thether therfore the second lessō you shal vtterly lose if you cease not the seeking your self that is if for cōpanye custome father or frend life or goods you seme to allow that which god disalloweth And this that you the better maye perceaue I purpose by gods grace brieflye to shewe First the Mattens Euensong is in a toūg forbiddē publikely to be vsed in the cōgregatiō that perceaueth not the toung Read how Paul affirmeth it 1. Cor. 14. to pray in an vnknowē toung to be against gods cōmaūdement This one I trow were enough if nothīg els were For how cā gods glory be sought where his word cōmaūdemente is wilfullye brokē How cā charitie to mā stande when charitie to god which is obedience to his word is ouerthrowē Againe both in Mattins in Euensong is idolatrye maintained for gods seruice for there is inuocation and prayer made to Sainctes departed this life which robbeth god of that glory which he wil geue to none other Esay 5. Moreouer thys seruice the setters forth of it condempneth the Englysh seruice as heresie therby falling into Gods curse which is threatned to al such as cal good euil and euil good wherof they shal be pertakers that do cōmunicate with thē Besides this this latten seruice is a plaine marke of Antichrists catholike Sinagoge so that the Cōmunicātes approuers of it thereby declare thē selues to be mēbers of the same Sinagoge so cut of frō christ his church whose exteriour marke is the true administratiō of gods worde sacraments Furthermore the exāple of your going thither to allow the religiō of Antichrist as doubtles you do in dede howsoeuer in hart you thinke occasioneth the obstinate to be vtterly intractable the weake papistes to be more obstinate the stronge Gospellers to be sore weakened and the weake gospellers to be vtterly ouerthrowen whiche thinges howe greate offences they bee no penne is able to vtter by letters All these euilles you shall hee giltye of that companye wyth these in religion exteriourly from whom you are admonyshed to fly If Christ be Christ followe hym gather with hym least you scatter abroade Serue God not only in spirite but also in body Make not your body now a mēber of Christ a mēber of Antichrist Come out from amongest thē sayth the Lord touch no vncleane thing Confesse Christe and hys truth not onely in hart but also in toung yea in very deede which fewe gospellers do In dede they denye him therefore had nede to tremble least that Christ wil denie thē in the last day the which day if it were set before our eyes often then would the
body blood offred once for al. This I know my good sister you do constaÌ„tly coÌ„fesse beleue as the godly fruite of your christiaÌ„ fayth doth dayly testify I trust to be a witnes with you at the great day that your fayth is vnfayned ful of godly charitie the lord encrease the same I am constrayned here to make an end full sore agaynst my will My poore prayers shall supply that whiche my penne doth lacke The blessing of God be with you nowe and euer Amen Your dayly Oratour Iohn Careles A letter of M. John Rough wrytten a little before hys death to the Christian congregation in London whereof he was a minister and Preacher THe comfort of the holy ghost make you able to geue consolation to others in these daungerous dayes when Sathan is let lose to the tryal of the chosen when it pleaseth our God to sift his wheate from the chaffe I haue not leasure and time to write the great temptations I haue bene vnder I speake to Gods glorye my care was to haue the senses of my soule open to perceaue the voyce of god saying who that denieth me before men them wil I denie before my father his Angels and to saue the life corporall is to lose the life eternall and he that will not suffer with Christe shall not reigne with him Therefore moste tender ones I haue by Gods spirite geuen ouer the fleshe with the fyghte of my soule and the spirite hath the victorye The fleshe shall nowe ere it be longe leaue of to sinne the spyrite shall reygne eternallye I haue chosen the death to confyrme the truth by me taughte What can I doe more Consider with your selues that I haue done it for confyrmation of Gods truth Praye that I maye continue vnto the ende The great parte of the assaulte is paste I prayse my GOD. I haue in all my assaultes felte hys presente ayde I geue hym moste hartye thankes therefore Loke not backe nor bee ye ashamed of Christes Gospell nor of the bondes I haue suffered for the same thereby ye maye bee assured it is the true word of God The holy ones haue bene sealed with the same marke It is no tyme for the losse of one man in the battel for the campe to turne backe Vp with mens hartes blowe downe the dawbed walles of heresyes Let one take the Banner an other the Trumpet I meane not to make corporall resistance but praye and ye shall haue Elias defence and Heliseus companye to fight for you for the cause is the lords Now my brethren I can write no more tyme will not suffer and my harte wyth panges of death is assaulted but I am at home wyth my God yet alyue Pray for me and salute one an other wyth the holy kysse The peace of God reste with you all Amen From Newgate pryson in hast the day of my condeÌ„nation Iohn Rough. A letter of Cutberte Symson a Deacon of the Christian congregation in London burnt in Smythfielde for the veretye of Christes Gospell written to his wyfe out of the Colehouse MY dearelye beloued in the Lorde Iesus Christe Of the exceeding cruell vnmercifull Rackings and other tormeÌ„ts that thys man of God most paciently suffred read see in the boke of Martyrs Fol. 16â—1 I can not wryte as I doe wyshe vnto you I besethe you with my soule submytte your self vnder the mighty hand of our God trusting in hys mercy and he will surely helpe vs as shal be moste vnto hys glorye and oure euerlasting comforte being sure of thys that he will suffer nothing to come vnto vs but that which shal be most profitable for vs. For it is eyther a correction for oure synnes or a tryall of oure fayth or to set forth hys glorye or for altogether and therefore muste needes be well done for there is nothing that commeth vnto vs by fortune or chauÌ„ce but by our heauenly fathers prouidence And therfore pray vnto our heauenly father that he wil euer geue vs his grace so to consider it Let vs geue him most harty thankes for these hys fatherly corrections for as many as he loueth he correcteth And I besech you now be of good chere counte the crosse of Christ greater riches then al the vaine pleasures of England I do not doubt I prayse God for it but that you haue supped with Christ at his Maundie I meane that you beleue in him for that is the effect theÌ„ must you drinke of his cup I meane his crosse for that doth the cup signifye vnto vs. Take the cup with a good stomacke in the name of god then shal you be sure to haue the good wine Christs blood to your poore thirstye soule And when you haue the wine you muste drinke it out of this cup. Learne this wheÌ„ you come to the Lords supper Pray continually In al things geue thankes Cutbert Symson A letter of VVilliam Coker then prysoner in Caunterburye and afterwarde burnt for the testimonye of the truth wrytten to a frend of hys AS your hartye frend in god and through the mercy of our lord Iesus Christ as pertaining to the fayth your brother I send you greting most ChristiaÌ„ salutations For your kindenes in that you wrote so spedely to me again I coÌ„mend you thanke god for it though of necessitie you say you were partly moued so to do by reasoÌ„ of my bondes in the Lorde I hartely ioyed by occasioÌ„ of your letter because I vnderstode thereby the state of mine olde frends godly acquaintance and how ye al continually labour as we do in the Gospel of Christ which is the worde of saluation to as many as beleue Wherin we haue this coÌ„fidence through our fayth in the blood of Christ the thoughe Sathan his rabble of ministers doe rage neuer so muche with lying deceaueable power yea though he shoulde appeare neuer so glorious Angellike in the sight of the world yet shal his fiery dartes be quenched he neuer able to preuaile against vs. For the which testimonye of conscience I geue thankes vnto god froÌ„ the bottome of my hart praye alwaies vnto the Lord that as we haue begonne eueÌ„ so we may go forwardes vnto the end vntil the time that the darknes be cleane put away and the perfect light shine in oure harts soules bodyes in the eternal kingdome with god where we shal be sure our enemies shal not preuaile agaiÌ„st vs but then most victoriouslye be ouercome by that sweete Lambe the sonne of God In the meane time the Lord preserue keepe vs froÌ„ euil The Lorde make vs stoute in hys cause geue vs grace to confesse the truth before thys whorysh generation The Lord graunt we may worke his heauenly wil that when the time shal come he may receaue vs vnto himself in the glory euerlasting To whom be prayse honour for euer and euer Amen Your brother in bondes for the
Lordes cause VVilliam Coker A letter of Nicholas Shetterden a faith full Martyr of Iesus Christ written to hys Mother a little before hys death O My good Mother whoÌ„ I loue with reuerence in the Lorde according to my dutye I desire your fauourable blessing and forgeuenesse of all my misdedes towards you Oh my deare Mother in fewe wordes I wyshe you the same saluation whiche I hope my selfe to feele and partly taste of before thys come to you to read and in the resurrection I verely beleue to haue it more perfectlye in bodye and soule ioyned together for euer and in that daye GOD graunte you to see my face with ioye but deare Mother then beware of that greate Idolatrye and blasphemous Masse O let not that be your GOD whiche Mice and wormes can deuoure beholde I call heauen and earth to recorde that it is no GOD yea the fyre that consumeth it and the moystnes that causeth it to moulde And I take Christs Testament to wytnesse that it is none of his ordinaunces but a mere inuention of men and a snare to catche innocentes bloode and nowe that GOD hath shewed it vnto you be warned in tyme. O geue ouer old customes and become new in the truth What state soeuer your fathers be in leaue that to God let vs followe the counsel of his word deare Mother embrace it with hartye affection reade it with obedience let it be your pastime and cast of all carnall affections and loue of worldly thinges so shall we meete in ioye at the last day or els I bid you farewell for euermore Oh farewell my frendes and louers all God graunt me to see your faces in ioye Amen From Westgate the .11 of Iuly .555 Nicholas Shetterden appoynted to be slayne for Christes cause and the mayntenaunce of hys most sounde and true religion A letter wrytttn by the Ladye Iane Gray to her Syster the Lady Katheryne immediatly before she suffered I Haue here sent you good Syster Katherin a booke which although it be not outwardly trymmed with gold This booke was a newe Testament in Greke in the end whereof she had written this letter yet inwardly it is more worth then precious stones It is the booke deare Syster of the law of the Lorde it is his testament and last wyll which he bequethed vnto vs wretches whiche shall lead you to the path of eternall ioy and if you with a good mynd do read it with an earnest purpose follow it it shall bring you to an immortal euerlasting life It wil teach you to liue learne you to die It shal winne you more theÌ„ you shold haue gayned by the possessioÌ„ of your woful fathers lands For as if god had prospered him you should haue in herited his lands so if you apply diligently this boke seking to directe your life after it you shal bee an inheritour of suche riches as neither the couetous shal withdraw from you neither the these shal steale neither yet the mothes corrupte Desire with Dauid good Sister to vnderstand the law of the Lord your god Liue stil to die that you by death may purchase eternal life And trust not that the tendernes of your age shal lengtheÌ„ your life for as sone if God cal goeth the young as the old And labour alwayes to learne to die Defye the world denye the deuil despise the flesh delight your self only in the Lord. Be penitent for your sinnes yet despayre not be strong in faith yet presume not desire with S. Paule to be dissolued to be with christ with whoÌ„ eueÌ„ in death there is lyfe Be lyke the good seruaunt euen at midnight be wakyng lest wheÌ„ death coÌ„meth and stealeth vpon you lyke a thefe in the night you be with the euil seruaunt found slepyng and least for lacke of oyle you be found lyke the fyue folyshe women like hym that had not on the weddynge garmente and so be caste out from the mariage Reioyce in Christ as I prayse God I do Folow the steppes of your maister christ take vp your crosse lay your sinnes on his backe alwais embrace him And as touchyng my deathe reioyce as I do good Sister that I shal be deliuered froÌ„ this corruptioÌ„ and put on incorruption for I am assured that I shal for loosing of a mortal lyfe winne an immortal life The which I pray god graunt you send you of hys grace to lyue in hys feare and to dye in the true christian faith from the which in gods name I exhort you that you neuer swarne neither for hope of life nor for feare of death For if you wil deny his truthe to lengthen your life God wil deny you and yet shorteÌ„ your daies And if you wil cleaue vnto him he wil prolong your dais to your comfort his glorye to the which glory god bring me now and you herafter wheÌ„ it pleaseth him to cal you Fare you wel good Sister and put your only trust in god who only must helpe you Letters of M. George Marshe a godly faythfull and learned pastour in Christes churche put to deathe at VVestchester wyth moste cruell kyndes of tormentes as you may see in the booke of Martyrs fol. 1122 for the constant and faythfull confession of Christes Gospell To the professours of gods worde and true religion in the towne of Langhton GRace be wyth you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord Amen I thought it my duty to wryte vnto you my beloued in the lord at Langhton to stirre vp your harts to cal to your remeÌ„brance the words which haue ben told you before and to exhort you as that good man and full of the holy ghost Barnabas dyd the AntiochiaÌ„s that with purpose of hart ye continually cleaue vnto the lord Actes â—â— and that ye stand fast be not moued away from the hope of the gospel wherof God be thanked ye haue had plenteous preaching vnto you by your late pastour M. Saunders other faythful ministers of Iesus Christ Luke 8. Rom. 1 which now when persecution aryseth because of the word do not fall away like shrinking children and forsake the truth being ashamed of the gospell wherof they haue bene preachers but are willing and redy for your sakes which are Christes mistical body to forsake not onely the chiefe principal delites of this lyfe I meane their natiue countreyes frendes liuings c but also to fulfill their ministery vnto the vttermost that is to wyt with theyr paynful imprisonments bloodshedings if nede shal require to confirme and seale christes gospel whereof they haue bene ministers and as S. Paule saith they are ready not onely to be cast into prison Acts. 12 but also to be kylled for the name of the lord Iesu Whether these beyng that good salte of the earth Matth. 5. that is true ministers of gods worde by whose doctrine being
England but also vnto the great reioycing encouraging of the most godly learned men in al couÌ„treis wil as I desire and trust geue you suche comforte in conscience as shall easely beare the paines of your imprisonmeÌ„t If you desire to suffer or do that thing whiche mighte testifye the truth aduaunce the glory edifye the church of Christ truly you haue your desire yea and I ensure you very many godlye men in diuers places geue daily thankes vnto god in praier for you You know your cause is good your frendes be in fauour your aduersaries in displeasure wyth the almightye god your heaueÌ„ly father your sufferyng for the truth shall not be vnrewarded your hope in Christ shall neuer be confounded For although your bodies bee kepte within prysons yet your testimony vnto the truth shyneth farre abroad in the world and your faythfull prayers in charitable vnitie ioyned wyth many others be continually presented afore the throne of god God graunt you grace to finde vse comfortable meditation of his worde in diligent obedience vnto hys wyl Christ be your keper in comfort Amen From Zurich the .52 of Octob. by yours faithfully in Christ Thomas Leauer Sap. 3. They are punished in few things but in many things shall they be rewarded He trieth them as the golde in the fornace receiueth them as a hurnt offring Gratia sancte pater tua det quò in firma ferendae Hee caro victrici nostra sit apta cruci Thy holy spirite grace graunt vs O father deare wherby we may be stroÌ„g thy crosse alway to beare ⧠A Table of the letters conteyned in thys booke declaryng by whome and to whome they were written Letters of D. Cranmer Archb. of Cant. A Letter to Quene Mary 1 An other letter to Quene Mary 3 To the Lordes of the Councell 16 A letter wherin he reproueth the slaunderous reportes that he had sette vp Masse agayne at Caunt 17 To a certaine Lawyer 19 To Mistres Wilkinson 23 Letters of D. Ridley B. of London TO the brethren dispersed abroad in sundry prisons c. 28 To the bretherne which constantly cleaue vnto Christ c. 34 To Quene Mary 38 An aunswer to West 40 To maister Hoper 45 A letter sent vnto him by maister Grindal beyng in exile 49 An answer writeÌ„ by him to the former letter 15 A letter to D. Cranmer D. Latymer 56 Viii. seueral letters to M. Bradford 58 iii. letters to Augustine Berneher 70 To mistres Mary Glouer 74 To a frend that came to visit him in the prisoÌ„ 75 A letter of his cruel haÌ„dling in Oxford 76 To D. Weston 78 To a Cosin of hys 79 A letter written to all hys faithfull frends as hys last farewel 80 An other farewel to the prisoners in the cause of christes gospel 103 A letter of his cruel handling in the scholes at Oxford and of his condemnation c. 112 Letters of M. Hoper B. of Glocester TO certayne godly persons enstructing them how to vse themselues at the chaunge of religion 114 To certain of his relieuers and helpers in the City of London 117 An aunswer to a letter wherby he was certified of them that were taken at Bowe 120 To the prisoners in both CouÌ„ters which were taken at Bowe 121 To certaine of his frendes exhorting theÌ„ to sticke to the truth 123 An other letter to the same effecte 125 To a merchant man by whome he had receiued comfort in the Flete 127 A letter of his cruell handlyng in the Flete 128 A letter againste false reportes that he had recanted 130 To mystres Wilkinson 131 To mistres A. W. 132 To maister Farrar D. Taylor M. Bradford M. Philpot. 134 To M. Hall and hys wyfe 136 To one that was falleÌ„ froÌ„ the truthe of the Gospell 137 To the faithful in the city of LoÌ„don 140 To a certaine woman teaching her how to behaue her self in her widowhode 142 A letter concerning a woman that was troubled wyth her husband in matters of religion 143 To hys beloued W.P. 146 To M. Iohn Hall 146 An exhortation to hys wyfe 147 To the christian congregation 157 A letter of M. Bullinger to M. Hoper 166 Letters of D. Taylor TO D. Cranmer D. Rydley and D. Latymer 171 To a frend of his concerning hys talke with the commissioners 172 A letter concerning the cause of hys condemnation 175 To his wife and children 178 Another letter to hys wyfe 641 Letters of M. Laurence Saunders TO D. Cranmer D. Ridley and D. Latymer 179 To the professours of the gospell in the towne of Lichfield 182 To mystres Lucie Harrington 191 An other to mistres Harrington 192 To his wyfe M. Harrington and M. Hurland 193 An other letter to them 195 A letter concernyng D. Westons comming to him to the Marshalsee 197 To hys wife and certayne other of hys frendes 197 ii other letters to his wife 200 To S. Gardiner B. of Winchester 201 To his wife other of his frendes 204 An other letter to his wyfe and certayne other of his frendes 205 ii letter to M. Robert Glouer Iohn Glouer 205 To a certayne backeslider froÌ„ the truth of gods worde 208 To M. Ferrâ—r D Taylour M. Bradforde and M. Philpot. 211 A letter to mistres L. Harrington 212 Letters of M. Iohn Philpot. A Letter written to the christian congregation 216 To Iohn Careles prisoner in the kings Benche 224 An other letter to Iohn Careles 226 An answer of I. Careles to the former letter 230 To certayne godly women goyng beyond the seas 234 An exhortation writeÌ„ to a Sister of his 236 To M. Robert Harrington 239 To M. Robert Glouer prisoner in CoueÌ„ 241 To mistres Heath 243 To Iohn Careles 245 To mistres A. Hartipole 247 To a faithful woman exhorting her to be patient vnder the crosse 249 To certain of his freÌ„ds as his last farewel 645 Letters of M. Iohn Bradford To the faythful professours of gods worde in the City of London 251 To the true professours of gods worde in the vniuersitie and towne of Cambridge 257 To the professours of the true religioÌ„ of christ in Lankeshyre and Chesshire 263 To the vnfayned professours of the truth dwellyng at Walden 269 To the honourable L. Russell 275 An other letter to the L. Russell 278 To Maister Warcup mistres Wilkinson and other his frendes 280 To Sir Iames Hales 286 To hys Mother 290 To D. Hill Phisition 294 To Mistres M. H. 298 An other letter to her 303 To his beloued W. P. 305 To mistres I. H. 306 To M. Humphrey Hales 309 An other letter to maister H. Hales 312 To certayne of his frendes encouraging to be ioyful vnder the crosse 314 To M. Laurence Saunders prisoner in the Marshalsee 319 An other letter to M. Saunders 321 A letter of comfort to a faithful woman in her heauines and trouble 322 To hys louing brethren B.C. 330 To the Lady Vane 334 ii other letters to the L. Vane