them they harken vnto me and to no straungers and I geue them euerlastyng lyfe Iohn 10 for they shall not be loste nor no man shall plucke them out of my handes no nor yet this flatte ryng world wyth al his vayne pleasures nor any Tyranne wyth his great threates and stoute bragges can once moue them out of the way of eternall lyfe What consolation and coÌ„fort may we haue more pleasaunt and effectuous then this God is on our side and fighteth for vs he suffereth he smarteth is afflicted with vs. As the world can do nothing against his might Esay 4 neither in takyng away or diminishing of hys glory nor putting him from his celestial throne so can it not harme nor hurte any one of his chyldren without his good wyll Ephesi 5 for we are members of hys bodye out of his flesh and of his bones and as deare to him as the apple of his eye Let vs therfore with an earnest fayth set fast hold and sure feeling vpon the promises of God in the gospel and let vs not be sundred from the same by any teÌ„ptation tribulation or persecution Let vs consider the verity of god to be inuincible inuiolable and immutable promising and geuing vs his faythfull souldiours life eternall It is he onely that hath deserued it for vs it is his only benefite and of his only mere mercy vnto hym only must we render thaÌ„kes Let not therfore the vayne fantasies and dreames of meÌ„ the folish gauds and toyes of the world nor the crafty delusions of the deuil driue separate vs from our hope of the crown of righteousnes that is laid vppe in store for vs against the last day Oh that happy and mery last day I meane to the faythfull when Christ by hys couenaunt shall graunte and geue vnto them that ouercome and kepe hys wordes to the ende that they maye ascende and sit in seate with him as he hath ascended and sitteth on throne wyth hys father The same body and soule that is now wyth Christ afflicted shal then be wyth Christ glorified nowe in the butchers handes as shepe appointed to die 2. Timo. 2. then sitting at gods table wyth Christ in hys kyngdom as gods honourable and dere childerne where we shall haue for earthly pouerty heauenlye riches for hunger and thirst saturitye of the pleasaunt presence of the glory of God Psalm 16. for sorrowes troubles and colde irons celestial ioyes and the company of Aungels and for a bodely death lyfe eternall Oh happy soules oh precious death and euermore blessed righte deare in the eyes of god to you the spring of the Lord shall euer be florishyng Then as sayth Esay the redemed shall returne come againe into Sion praysing the Lord and eternall mercyes shal be ouer their heades they shall obtaine myrthe and solace sorrowe and woe shall be vtterly vanquished yea I am euen he sayeth the Lord that in all things geueth you euerlastyng consolation To whom with the Father and the holy ghost be glory and prayse for euer Amen Robert Samuell An other letter written to the Christian coÌ„gregation called the fayth of Robert Samuell The beliefe of the hart iustifyeth and to knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe Rom. 10. Feare not the curse of men be not afrayde of theyr blasphemies and reuilinges for wormes and mothes shall eate them vppe lyke cloth and woll but my ryghteousnesse shall endure for euer and my sauing healthe from generation to generation Esay 51. COnsidering with my self these perillous times 2. Timo. 3. perishing daies the vnconstant and miserable state of man the decay of our fayth the sinister reporte false slauÌ„der of gods most holy word these vrgent causes in coscience do constrayne me to confesse acknowledge my fayth and meanyng in Christes holy religion as S. Peter teacheth me saying 1. pet 3 be readye alwayes to geue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you and that with mekenes feare hauing a good coÌ„science that wheÌ„ they backbite you as euill doers they may be ashamed for asmuche as they haue falselye accused your good conuersation in Christe As touching my doctrine for that litle talent that god hath geuen me god I take to recorde mine own conscience mine auditorie knoweth that I neither in doctrine nor maners willinglye taughte any other thing then I receaued of the holy Patriarckes Prophets Christ hys Apostles For it were not only sinne but also the very part of a cursed miscreant to deny to belye or betray the innoceÌ„cie of that heaueÌ„ly doctrine or to be ashamed to coÌ„fesse staÌ„d to the defence of the same Mar. 8. seing the christ plaÌ„ted it with his most precious blood and all good men haue more estemed the true infallible word of god then al this transitorye worlde or their own mortal liues And I beleue this doctrine of the Patriarkes Prophets Christ hys Apostles to be sufficient absolutely perfect to enstruct teach me al the holy church of oure duties towards god the magistrates our neighbours Fyrst principally I do assuredly beleue wtout any douting that there is one deitie or diuine essence infinite substaÌ„ce which is both called is in dede god euerlasting vnbodely vnpartable vnmeasurable in power wisdome goodnesse the maker preseruer of al things as wel visible as inuisible yet there be three distinct persons al of one godhead or diuine being of al one power coequal coÌ„substantial coeternall the father the sonne the holy ghost I beleue in god the father almighty c. As touching god the father of heaueÌ„ I beleue as much as holy scripture teacheth me to beleue The father is the first person in trinitie Ephesi â— first cause of our saluation which hath blessed vs with al maner of blessings in heaueÌ„ly things by Christ which hath choseÌ„ vs before the fouÌ„dations of the worlde were layd that we should be holy without blame before him who hath predestinate vs ordeyned vs to be his childreÌ„ of adoption through Christ Iesu Act. 17. Psal 176. In him as it is sayd we liue we moue haue our being he nourisheth feedeth geueth meate to euery creature And in Iesus Christ hys onely sonne oure lord I beleue that the word that is the sonne of god the second person in trinitie did take mans nature in the wombe of the most blessed virgin Mary Heb. 1. So that there be in hym .ii. natures a diuine nature an humaine nature in the vnitie of persoÌ„ inseperable conioyned knyt in one Christ truly god trulye maÌ„ the expresse perfect image of the inuisible god wherin the wil of god the father shineth apparantly wherin maÌ„ as it were in a glasse maye behold what he ought to do that maye please god the father Borne of the virgin Mary â—â—trulye
an other He rekeneth all and so he may to be his who soeuer preuayle so that truth preuayle not Neuerthelesse good brother I suppose that the vniuersal plage is most daungerous which at this day is alas fostered and maisterfully holden vp by wytte worldly policy multitude of people power and al worldly meanes As for other the deuilles Galtroppes that he casteth in our wayes by some of hys busye headed yonkers I truste they shall neuer be able to do the multitude so greate harme For blessed be god these heresies before time when Satan by his seruants hath bene about to broch them haue by gods seruantes alredy bene so sharpely truly confounded that the multitude was neuer infected with them or els where they haue bene infected they are healed againe that now the perill is not so greate And where you say that if your request had bene heard things you thinke had bene in better case then they be know you the coÌ„cerning the matter you meant I haue in latin drawne out the places of the scripures and vpon the same haue noted what I can for the time Syr in those matters I am so fearful that I dare not speak farther yea almost none otherwise then the very texte dothe as it wer lead me by that haÌ„d And where you exhort vs to help c He meaneâ— here the matter of Gods election wherof he afterward Wrote a godly and comfortable treatise remaynyng yet in the haÌ„des of soâ—â—â— and hereafter shal come to light if god so will O lord what is els in this world that we now shold list to do I blesse my lord god I neuer as me thinketh had more nor better leasure to be occupied with my pen in such things as I caÌ„ do to set forth when they may come to light gods glory And I blesse my lorde god through Iesus Christe my hart and my worke are therin occupied not so fully perfectly as I wold but yet so as I blesse god for the same Fare well deare brother the messenger tarieth I may not now be longer with you The lord I trust verely shall bring vs thether where we shall eche one with other in Christe oure sauiour reioyce and be mery euerlastingly Your brother in Christ N. R. ¶ To maister Bradford DEarely beloued brother Bradforde I hadde thought of late that I had written vnto you your last farewel vntill we should haue met in the kingdome of heauen by our deare brother Austine and I sente it to meete you in Lankeshyre whether it was said here you were appoincted to be sent to suffer But now sith they haue chauÌ„ged their purpose and prolonged your death I vnderstande it is no other thyng then that once happened to Peter and Paule The whiche although they were of the firste which were cast in prison and as litle shoned peryll as any other did yet god would not haue them put to death wyth the first because he had more seruice to be done by their ministery which his gratious pleasure was they should do so without doubte deare brother I am persuaded that the same is the cause of the delay of your Martyrdome Blessed be the holy Trinity the father the sonne and the holy Ghoste for you threefolde confession I haue redde all three wyth great comforte and ioye and thankesgeuyng vnto God for his manifolde giftes of grace wherewith it is manifesse to the godlye reader that GOD dyd assyste you mightilye And blessed be God agayne and agayne which gaue you so good a mynde and remembraunce of your othe once made against the bishop of Rome least you should be pertaker of the common periury which all men almost are nowe fallen into in bringyng in agayne that wicked vsurped power of hys Ieremy 4. Which othe was made accordyng to the Prophete in iudgement in ryghteousnes and in truth and therfore can not without perintye be reuoked let Satan roare and rage and practise all the cruelty he can Oh good lord that they are so busye with you about the church It is no new thing brother that is happened vnto you for that was alwayes the clamor of the wycked bishops and priestes against gods true prophets the teÌ„ple of the lord the teÌ„ple of the lord the teÌ„ple of the lord EZechi 7. they said the law shal not departe froÌ„ the prieste nor wisdom froÌ„ the Elder and yet in them whom they only estemed for theyr priests and sages there was neither gods law nor godly wisdome It is a maruelous thyng to heare what vayne communication is spreade abroad of you It is said here that you be pardoned your lyfe and when you were appointed to be banished and to go I can not tel whether you should say that you had rather here suffer then go where you could not lyue after your conscieÌ„ce and that this pardon should be begged for you by Borne the Bishop of Bathe for that you saued his lyfe Agayne some say and amonges other myne hostes reported that you are hyghlye promoted and are a great man with my lorde Chauncelor This I could not beleue but did denye it as a false lye so surely was I alwayes perswaded of your constancye What god will do with vs he knoweth In the meane tyme wonderfull it is to behold how the wysedome of GOD hath in fatuated the policye of the worlde and scattered the crafty deuises of the worldlye wyse For when the state of religion was once altered and persecution beganne to waxe whote no man douted but Cranmer Latymer and Rydley shoulde haue beene the fyrste to haue beene called to the stake But the subtyle policye of the world settyng vs aparte fyrst assaulted them by whose infirmity they thought to haue more vauntage but god disapoynted their subtyll purpose For whom the world estemed weakest praised be god they haue found most strong sounde and valyaunte in Christes cause vnto the death to geue suche an onset as I dare say all the aungels in heauen do no lesse reioyce to behold in them then they dyd in the victorious constancy of Peter Iohn 15. Paule Esay Helyas or Hieremy For greater loue no man hathe than to bestowe hys lyfe c. Good brother haue me and vs all continuallye in your remembraunce to god in your prayers as God willyng we shal not be in our prayers forgetfull of you Your owne in Christ N. R. ¶ To maister Bradford BRother Bradford I wishe you in Christ our Sauiour grace mercy and peace and to al theÌ„ which are with you or any where els captiues in Christ and to heare that ye be al in good health and stand constaÌ„tly in the confession of Christes gospell it dothe hartely reioyce vs. Knowe you lykewyse that we all here bee thankes be to god in good health and comforte watchyng wyth our lampes lyght I trust in god when it shall please our maister the brydegrome Math. 25. to call vs to wayte vpon hym vnto the mariage
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
the swete promises of god and so do you my deare harte for to you they do as well pertaine as they did to him and as surely shall they be performed vpon you as they were vpon him for he is one god and deare father vnto you both and for his mercy truth and promyse sake he must nedes make good vnto you all that he hath sayd If his loue towardes you stode in the respect of your owne meryte or worthines you myghte well mourne lament complayne yea you had good cause to doubt feare and mistrust But seyng he loueth you onely for and in Iesus Christ who is your whole holines righteousnes redmption lay away all mourning lamenting and complaining banishe from you all feare mistrust and infidelitie and know that as long as Christ dothe continue gods sonne so long must the loue of the father continue towardes you immutable and his good wil vnchangeable cannot be altered through any of your infirmities For this is most true that as long as the cause of any thing doth last so long must the effect remain but christ is the whole cause why the father loueth you and he also continueth for euer then must I nedes conclude that the loue of the father continueth towardes you for euer and as the Palmiste moste ioyfully so often syngeth hys mercy endureth for euer and euer Thys is most true myne owne dere hart although the Lorde for a tyme byde it from your senses that you myghte be the more earnest in prayer to hym for the feelyng of it also the more thankefull for it when he dothe geue the liuely tast of it as doutles he wil do or euer it be long and then shall you bee well hable to comforte other in the same state that you are now in with the same comfort wherwyth you are and further shall be comforted of god Heb. 12 Therfore lift vp your handes that are now a little fallen downe and stretch forth the weake knees of your troubled minde which now mourneth with a godly mourning and therfore shal it be full well comforted wyth that swete peace of GOD whiche passeth all vnderstandyng and you are sure alreadye to enioye the blessing that Christe gaue vnto the godly mourners of Sion vpon the mounte Eccle. 7 at the fyrst set mō that he made Oh happy V. in whose mourning company I had rather be then in the house of mirth banckettyng of such as see not what cause they haue to mourne and be sory But yet my good brother vse a measure in thys your godly mournyng and make not your faythful frends to much sory for you Let the persuasions of such godlye louers as you do daily company withal or rather the persuasions of the holye ghoste by them moue you to some godly myrth and reioycing Phil 4 Consider that you are commaunded of God by the mouthe of Sainte Paule therto Reioyce in the Lord saithe he and I say agayne reioyce Marke howe he doubleth the sentence that we may perceiue it is a most earnest and necessarye thing he requireth Obey the commaundement of God in this behalf wherin as you cannot but highly please him so I assure you you shall very much reioyce my poore harte and the hartes of other whych pray for you wyth mournyng teares and make that cruell enemye Sathan and all your aduersaries sory which will reioyce and laughe to see you mourne Oh my good brother let it manifestly appeare that the lorde of hys great mercye hathe hearde oure faythfull and hartye requestes for you Oh howe woulde that reioyce me in the myddes of my troubles Therfore now to conclude because the darkenes constrayneth me to make an ende for thys tyme I say my dere and faythful brother V. in respecte of the greate cause you haue of your owne parte through Christ and for the glory and honour of almighty GOD the comfort ioy and reioycyng of your deare bretherne and Sisters in Christe also your owne duety by the commaundement of GOD and last of all to vexe molest and greue Sathan wythal reioyce in the Lord and be most hartely glad in hym who is wholy yours and you are hys and shal be for euermor◠Selah Farewell mine owne bowels in the Lord and prayse GOD with ioyfull lippes and a merye harte and praye for me his most vnprofitable seruaunt which haue more cause concerning my self to lament then any one man liuing out my good bridegrome is presēt byddeth me cast away my mourning garmentes and therfore I must nedes be mery with him so he biddeth you to be by my mouthe for he is present with you although for sorrowe you cannot knowe hym as Magdalen could not in the garden vntil he spake vnto her The Lord God speake the wordes of comforte in your hart and open the eies of your mynd that you maye perfectly perceiue and fele his blessed presence and so reioice in the same for euermore Amen Cōfort your hart in Christ and cast your care vpon him for he careth for you Your brother in the Lorde abydyng his good pleasure Iohn Careles Vnto all the faythful flocke of Iesus Christ within the city of Londō which feare god vnfainedlye seke to serue hym in suche holynes righteousnes as is acceptable in hys syght Iohn Careles wysheth the eternall peace of God in Iesus Chryst the continuall ayde strengthe and comforte of hys moste holye spirit wych the encrease of faythe and liuely feling of his mercy now euermore Amē WHen I had with my selfe well waied and considered right worshipfull citizens the greate charge and burden that you haue borne and ben at not only wyth me which am most vnworthye of your liberall benefites but also wyth many other the poore afflicted people of God euer since the tyme that Tyranny last broke lose into this miserable land c I was euen ashamed and in conscience confounded to thinke of my great slouthe and negligence yea ingratitude and vnthankfulnes towardes you in not sowing some of these spirituall gyftes whiche God hath geuen me emongest you of whome I haue reaped so manifoldly your temporall benefites God for hys dere sonnes sake forgeue me my great synne that in this pointe I haue commiited against both him and you desiring you also to do the same and I will promyse you by gods grace if he spare me lyfe I will henceforthe better performe my duety towardes you my poore prayer alwais supplieng that whych otherwyse I am not hable to performe And in testimony therof I haue here writen vnto you this simple admonition the which I wene wil be my leaue taking of you and last farewel in this corruptible life as by many likelyhodes it dothe appeare wherefore I besech you all to accept it in good parte as a sygne and token of some parcell of my good will towardes you But what shal I write vnto you or wherof shall I entreate that you alredy do
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
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
and encouraged them to kepe the high way sic currere vti tandem acciperent premium The Lord be his comfort wherof I doe not doubte and I thanke God hartely that euer I was acquaynted wyth hym and that euer I had suche a one in my house Protomartyr is the first Martyr whome he so called because he was the first that suffred here in those bloudy dayes And yet agayne I blesse God in our deare brother and of thys tyme protomartyr Rogers that he was also one of my callinge to be a prebendarye preacher of London And nowe because Grindall is gone The Lord I doubt not hath and koweth wherein he will bestowe him I truste to God it shall please him of his goodnes to strengthen me to make vp the trynytye out of Paules churche to suffer for Christ whome God the father hath annoynted the holye spirite doth beare witnes vnto Paule and al the Apostles preached Thus fare you well I had no paper I was constrayned thus to write To Augustine Berneher BRother Austine I thanke you for your manifolde kindenesse This almes was sent him by the Ladye Katherin Duches of Suffolk to who he wrote againe a worthy letter which is lâ—st and many other writen botâ— to her others I haue receiued my Ladies graces almes sixe Royalles syxe shillinges and eyghte pence I haue written a letter here vnto her grace but I haue made no mention therof wherfore I desire you to render to her grace harty thankes Blessed be God as for my selfe I wante nothyng but my Ladies almes commeth happilye to relieue my poore brothers necessity whome you know they haue cast and kepe in prison as I suppose you know the cause why Farewell brother Austine take good heede I pray you let my brothers case make your the more wary Read my letter to my ladies grace I would maistres WilkinsoÌ„ maystres Warcup had a copy of it for althoughe the letter is directed to my ladies grace alone yet the mater therof pertaineth indiffereÌ„tly to her grace and to all good women which loue God and his worde in deede and truth Yours in Christ N. R. ¶ To Maistres Glouer a woman zelous and harty in the cause and furtherance of Gods gospell MAistres glouer I wysh you grace peace and although I am not acquainted with you yet neuertheles hearing that your husbaÌ„d master Glouer is in prison for gods wordes sake and also that you are a womaÌ„ harty in gods cause and thirdly that old father Latimer is your vncle or nere cosin whoÌ„ I do thinke the lord hath placed to be his standerd bearer in our age and country agaynst his mortal foe Antichrist I was thus bold to write vnto you in goddes behalf to do accordinge to the report which I here of you that is that you be hartye in Goddes cause and hartye to youre mayster Christ in furdering of hys cause and settinge fourth his souldiours to hys warres to the vttermost of your power Let no carnality nor worldly regard of any thinge set you to declare your trew hart which you are said to beare to your mayster christ aboue all other thinges Be harty nowe also to your husbande and declare your selfe to loue him in God as the true faythfull christiaÌ„ womaÌ„ vnto her husbaÌ„d is bound to do Now seing your husbaÌ„d which is set by gods ordinaÌ„ce to be your head is redy to suffer abide in aduersity by his masters cause to cleaue to his head christ see like wise that you do your dutye accordyngly and cleaue vnto him your hed suffre with him that you maye furder his cause His cause nowe I vnderstande to be Chrystes cause and therefore beware good syster in Chryste that in no wyse ye hynder it Loue so hys bodye and the case and wealthe thereof as youre loue maye further hym to the wynnynge bothe of bodye and soule vnto euerlastynge lyfe And thys loue shall bothe God allowe your husbande shall haue iuste cause to reioyce thereof and all the godlye to commend you therefore and to number you for the same amonge the godlye and holye women of God To youre husbande I haue written more And thus fare you well nowe good deare Sister in our sauioure Christ I was the bolder to write vnto you for that I vnderstoode my dearely beloued brother Austyne whome I call Faustus shouldbe the carier a manne whome I thynke God hathe appoynted to doe much pleasure for hys preste seruauntes to hys warres Yours in Christ N.R. To a frend that came to visite hym in prison but could not speake wyth hym WElbeloued I thancke you hartelye for youre manyfolde kyndnes but the Lorde shal I trust acquite you youre meede Thoughe Sathan rage the Lorde is stronge inough to brydle hym and to put an iron chayne ouer hys nose when it shal please hym In the meane tyme they that are the Lordes wyll flee vnto hym assuredly he wyl not forsake them that seke vnto hym in verye deede and in truthe Thys bearer my manne is trustye you maye sende your token by hym Let Nycolas keepe styll the shyrtes The Lorde rewarde that Ladye VViatte whyche for hys sake hathe thus remembred me I doe not knowe her personne What canne I rendre to maystres Wylkynson for all her benefytes Nothyng surelye but to desyre the Lorde to acquite her with hys heauenlye grace If you tarye I shall haue more to saye to you peraduenture hereafter Nowe Vale in Domino charissime Yours in Christ N. R. ¶ The manner of D. Ridleyes handlinge in the Scholes at Oxford and of the impudent spite full cruel dealing of the papistes which he set before his disputation by way of a preface and is not vnfitte here to be placed among the letters translated out of his lattin copy into englysh I Neuer yet in all my life sawe or hearde anye thing done or handled more vaynelye or tumultuously then the disputation which was had with me of late in the scholes at Oxford And surelye I coulde neuer haue thoughte that it had bene possible to haue found anye within this realme beyng of any knowlege learning and auncient degree of schole so brasen faced and so shameles as to behaue themselues so vainly and so like stage plaiers as they did in that disputation The Sorbonical clamours which at Paris when popery most reigned I in times paste haue sene might be worthely thought in comparison of this Thrasonicall and glorious ostentation to haue had muche modesty Howbeit it was not to be wondred at for that they which should there haue bene Moderatoures and rulers of others and whiche should haue geuen a good example in woorde grauitye c. 1. Tim. 4. as Paule teacheth gaue worst example of all and did as it were blowe the trompet to other to rayle rage roare and cry out By reason wherof good christian reader it is manifest that they neuer sought for any truth but only for
therof wyll be so pitifull withoute spedye repentaunce that I tremble and feare to haue it in remembraunce I woulde to God it lay vpon some earthly burden so that fredome of conscience mighte begenen vnto them I write as god knoweth not of presumption but onlye lamentinge they re state whome I thought nowe in thys daungerous time should haue geuen bothe you and me comfortable instructions But alas in stede therof we haue perswasions to follow I lament me to rehearse it superstitions idolatrye yea that worste of all is they will seeke to proue it by the scripture The Lord for his mercy turne theyr hartes Amen Yours N. R. A letter which he wrote as his last farewell to al his true and faythefull frendes in God a little before he suffred with a sharpe admoniton by by the way to the papists the enemies of the truth AT the name of Iesus let euery kne bow both of thyngs in heauen and things in earth and thinges vnder the earth and let euerye tonge confesse that Iesus Christ is the lord vnto the glory of God the father Amen As a man minding to take a farre iourney and to depart from his familiar frendes commenly and naturally hath a desire to byd his frendes farewell before hys departure so likewise now I loking dayly when I shoulde be called for to departe hence from you O al ye my dearely beloued brethren and sisters in oure Sauioure Christe that dwel here in this world hauing a like mind towardes you all also blessed be God of this such time leasure whereof I right hartely thank his heauenly goodnes do byd you all my deare brethren and sisters I say in Christ that dwel vp on the earth after such manner as I can Farewell Farewel my deare Brother George Shypside whome I haue euer found faythfull trusty and louinge in all state and condicions and now in the time of my crosse ouer all other to me most frendly and steadfast that which liked me best ouer all other thinges in Gods cause euer harty Farewell my deare sister Alice his wyfe I am gladde to beare of thee that thou doest take Christes crosse whiche is layed now blessed be God both on thy backe and mine in good parte Thanke thou GOD that hathe geuen thee a godly and a louing husband se thou honor him and obey hym according to Gods lawe Honour thy mother in lawe his mother and loue al those that perteyne vnto hym being ready to do them good as it shall lye in thy power As for thy chyldren I doubte not of thy husbande but that he whyche hathe geuen hym a hearte to loue and feare God and in God them that pertayne vnto hym shall also make hym frendely and benefyciall vnto thy children euen as yf they had bene gotten of hys owne body Farewell my welbeloued brother Iohn Rydley of the Waltowne and you my gentle and louyng Syster Elizabeth whome besydes the naturall league of amitye your tender loue whiche you were sayde euer to beare towardes me aboue the reste of youre brethren dothe bynde me to loue My mynde was to haue acknowledged this youre louyng affection and to haue acquyted it wyth dedes and not wyth woordes alone Youre daughter Elizabeth I byd farewell whom I loue for the meeke and gentle Spiryte that God hath geuen her which is a precious thyng in the syght of God Farewell my beloued Syster of Vnthancke wyth all youre chyldren my nephewes and nices Synce the departure of my Brother Hughe my mynde was to haue beene vnto them in the steade of theyr father but the Lorde god must and will be theyr father if they wil loue hym and feare him and lyue in the trade of hys law Farewell my welbeloued and worshipfull Cosyns maister Nicholas Ridley of Wyllimountswick and your wife and I thanke you for all youre kyndnesse shewed bothe to me and also to all youre owne kynsefolke and myne Good Cosyn as GOD hath sette you in that oure stocke and kyndred not for anye respecte of youre personne but of hys aboundaunte grace and goodnesse to bee as it were the Belweather to order and conducte the reaste and hathe also endued you wyth his manyfold gyftes of grace bothe heauenlye and worldlye aboue others so I praye you good Cosin as my truste and hope is in you continue and increase in the mayntenaunce of truthe honestye rightuousnesse and all true godlynesse and to the vttermost of your power to wythstande falsehode vntruthe vnryghteousnesse and all vngodlynesse whych is forbid and condempned by the word and lawes of God Farewel my yong Cosin Rafe Whitfield Oh your tyme was verye shorte wyth me my mynde was to haue done you good and yet you caughte in that little tyme a losse but I truste it shall bee recompenced as it shall please almighty god Farewell al my whole kyndred and countreymen farewell in Christ altogether The Lorde which is the searcher of secrets knoweth that accordyng to my hartes desire my hope was of late that I should haue come among you and to haue brought wyth me aboundaunce of Christes blessed Gospell accordyng to the duetye of that office and ministerye wherevnto among you I was chosen named and appoincted by the mouth of that our late piereles Prince king Edwarde and so also denounced openly in hys court by his priuye counsayle I warne you all my welbeloued kynsfolke and countreymen that ye be not amased or astonied at the kynde of my departure or dissolution for I ensure you I thynke it the most honour that euer I was called vnto in all my life and therfore I thanke my Lorde GOD hartely for it that it hath pleased hym to cal me of hys great mercye vnto this hyghe honour to suffer deathe wyllynglye for hys sake and in hys cause vnto the which honour he called the holy Prophets hys dearly beloued Apostels and hys blessed chosē martyrs For knowe ye that I doubte no more but that the causes wherefore I am put to deathe are gods causes and the causes of the truthe then I doubte that the Gospell whyche Iohn wrote is the Gospell of Christe or that Paules Epystles are the verye worde of GOD. And to haue a harte wyllyng to abyde and stande in gods cause in Christs quarell euen vnto death I ensure thee O man it is an inestimable and an honourable gyft of GOD geuen onely to the true electes and dearely beloued children of GOD and inheritoures of the kyngdome of heauen For the holye Apostle and also Martyr in Christes cause Sayncte Peter sayeth ◠Pet. 4 yf ye suffer rebuke in the name of Chryste that is in Christes cause and for hys truthes sake then are ye happye and blessed for the glorye of the Spirite of God resteth vppon you If for rebukes sake suffered in Chrystes name a man is pronounced by the mouthe of that holye Apostle blessed and happye howe muche more happye and blessed is he that hathe
the grace to suffer death also Wherfore al ye that be my true louers frends reioice and reioyce with me agayne and render wyth me hartye thankes to God oure heauenly father that for hys sonnes sake my Sauioure and redemer Christ he hathe vouchsafed to cal me beyng elles without hys gratious goodnes in my selfe but a synnefull and a vyle wretche to call me I say vnto this hygh dygnitye of hys true Prophetes of hys faythfull Apostles and of hys holye electe and chosen Martyrs that is to die and to spende thys temporall lyfe in the defence mayntenāce of hys eternal and euerlastyng truth Ye knowe that be my Countreymen dwellyng vpon the borders where alas the true man suffreth oftentimes muche wronge at the theues hande if it chaunce a man to be slaine of a theefe as it oft chaunceth there whiche wente oute with his neyghbour to helpe hym to rescue hys goods agayne that the more cruelly he be slayne and the more stedfastly he stooke by his neyghboure in the fighte agaynst the face of the theefe the more fauoure and frendeship shall all hys posteritie haue for the slayne mans sake of al them that be true as long as the memorye of his facte and his posteritye dothe endure euen so ye that be my kynsefolke and countreyemen knowe ye howe soeuer the blynde ignoraunt and wycked world hereafter shall rayle vppon my death which thyng they can not do worse then their fathers did of the death of Christ our sauiour of his holy prophets Apostles and Martyrs Knowe ye I say that both before God and all them that be godly and that truely know and followe the lawes of God ye haue and shal haue by goddes grace euer cause to reioyce and to thanke God highlye and to thinke good of it and in god to reioyce of me your flesh blood whome God of his gratious goodnes hath vouchsafed to associate vnto the blessed company of hys holy martyrs in heauē I dout not in the infinite goodnes of my lord god nor in the faithful felowship of his elect chosē people but at both theyr hands in my cause ye shal rather fynd the more fauour grace for the Lord sayeth that he wil be both to them and theyrs that loue hym the more louyng agayne in a thousande generations Deut. 7. Iohn 15. the Lorde is so full of mercye to them I saye and theyrs which doe loue hym in deede And Christe sayeth agayne that no man can shewe more loue then to geue hys lyfe for his frende Now also know ye all my true louers in god my kynsfolk and countreymen that the cause wherfore I am put to death is euen after the same sort and conditiō but touchyng more nere gods cause and in more weighty matters but in the general kynd al one for both is Gods cause both is in the mainteināce of right both for the commē welth and both for the weale also of the christiā brother although yet there is in these two no smal difference both concernyng the enemyes the goods stollen and the manner of the fighte For knowe ye all that lyke as there when the poore true man is robbed by the theefe of hys owne goodes truely gotten whereupon he and hys household should lyue he is greatly wronged and the theefe in stealyng and robbyng with violence the poore mans Goods dothe offende god doth trāsgresse hys lawe and is iniurious bothe to the poore man and to the commen wealth so I saye know ye all that euen here in the cause of my death it is with the church of englād I meane the congregatiō of the true chosen chyldren of god in this realme of england which I knowlege not only to be my neighbors but rather the congregatiō of my spirituall brethren and Sisters in Christe yea members of one body wherein by goddes grace I am and haue beene grafted in Chryste Thys Churche of Englande had of late of the infinite goodnesse and aboundaunte grace of almighty God greate substaunce greate ryches of heauenlye treasure greate plentye of gods true and syncere woorde the true and wholesome administration of Christes holye Sacramentes the whole profession of Christes religion truelye and playnelye sette forthe in Baptisme the playne declaration and vnderstandyng of the same taughte in the holye Cathechisme to haue beene learned of all true Christians This churche hadde also a true and syncere forme and manner of the Lordes Supper wherein accordyng to Iesus Christes owne ordinaunce and holy institution Christes commaundements were executed and done For vpon the bread and wyne set vpon the Lords table thanks were geuen the commemoration of the Lordes death was had the bread in the remembraunce of christes bodye torne vpon the crosse was broken and the Cuppe in the remembraunce of Christes bloud shedde was distributed and both communicated vnto all that were presente and woulde receyue them and also they were exhorted of the minister so to doe All was done openlye in the vulgare toungue so that euerye thyng myghte be bothe easely heard and plainlye vnderstande of all the people to Gods hygh glory and the edification of the whole churche Thys churche had of late the whole Diuyne seruice all common and publique prayers ordeyned to be sayde heard in the cōmē congregation not onely framed and fashioned to the true vayne of holye Scripture but also all thynges so set forthe accordyng to the commaundemente of the Lorde and Sayncte Paules doctryne for the peoples edification in theyr vulgare toungue It had also holye and wholsome Homelies in commendation of the principall vertues which are commended in Scripture and lykewyse other Homelies agaynste the moste pernitious and capitall vyces that vseth alas to raygne in thys Realme of Englande Thys churche had in matters of controuersye articles so penned and framed after the holye Scripture and grounded vpon the true vnderstandyng of Gods worde that in short tyme yf they hadde bene vniuersally receyued they should haue beene able to haue sette in Christes churche muche concorde and vnitye in Christes true Religion and to haue expelled manye false erroures and heresyes wherewyth thys churche alas was almoste ouergone But alas of late into thys spyrytuall possession of the heauenly treasure of these godlye ryches are entred in theues that haue robbed and spoyled all thys heauenlye treasure awaye I maye well complayne on these theues and crye oute vppon them wyth the Prophete saying Deus venerunt gentes in haereditatem tuam c. Psalme 79. O Lord GOD the Gentiles heathen nations are come into thy heritage they haue defyled thy holye Temple and made Ierusalem an heape of stones that is they haue broken and beate downe to the grounde thy holye citye This hethenyshe generation these theeues of Samaria these Sabei and Caldei these robbers haue rushed out of their dennes and haue robbed the Churche of Englande of all the foresayd holy treasure of god they haue caried it away and ouerthrowne
flaming fyre quicke and aliue whosoeuer will goe aboute to bewray their falshed The kind of fight against these church robbers is also of an other sorte and kinde then is that whiche is agaynste the theues of the borders For there the true men go forth against theÌ„ with speare launce with bow and byl and al such kind of bodelye weapons as the true men haue but here as the enemyes be of an other nature so the watchmen of Christs flocke the warriours that fight in the Lordes warre muste be armed and fight with an other kinde of weapons and armour For here the enemies of God the souldiors of Anti-Christ although the battel is set forth against the churche by mortall men being flesh and bloud and neuerthelesse members of theyr father the deuil yet for that theyr graund maister is the power of darknesse theyr members are spirituall wickednes wicked spirites spirites of erroures of heresies of all deceate and vngodlines spirites of idolatry Ephe 6 superstition and hipocrisye which are called of S. Paule Principates powers Lordes of the world rulers of the darknesse of this world and spiritual subtilties concerning heaueÌ„ly things therfore our weapons must be fit and mete to fyght agaynst such not carnall nor bodely weapons as speare and launce but spiritual and heauenly we must fight agaynst such with the armor of God not entendinge to kill they re bodyes but their errours theyr false craft and heresies theyr idolatry superstitioÌ„ and hipocrisy Eph 6. and to saue as much as lieth in vs both theyr bodies and soules And therfore as S. Paule teacheth vs we fighte not against fleshe and bloude that is we fyght not with bodely weapon to kyll the man but with the weapons of God to put to flight his wicked errours vice and to saue both body and soule Our weapons therfore are faythe hope charitye righteousnesse truthe pacience prayer vnto God and our sword wherwyth we smite our enemies we beate and batter and beare down all falshed is the word of God With these weapons vnder the banner of the crosse of Christ we do fyght euer hauinge our eye vpon our graunde Maister Duke and captayne Christe and then we recken our selues to triumphe and to winne the crown of euerlastinge blesse when enduringe in this battaile withoute anye shrinking or yelding to the enemies after the example of our graund Capitaine Christ our Mayster after the exaÌ„ple of his holy Prophetes Apostles and Martyrs when I say we are slayne in oure mortall bodyes of our enemies are most cruelly and without all mercy murdered down like a me any of shepe And the more cruel the more payneful the more vyle and spitefull is the kind of the death whereunto we be put the more glorious in God the more blessed and happye wee recken withoute all doubtes oure Martyrdome to be And thus much dere loeuers frends in god my country men kinsfolk I haue spoken for your comfort least of my deathe of whose life you loked peraduenture sometimes to haue had honestye pleasures and commodities ye myghte be abashed or thinke any euill whereas ye haue rather cause to reioyse if ye loue me indeede for that it hathe pleased God to call me to a greater honoure and dignitye than euer I did enioye before eyther in Rochester or in the Sea of London or euer shoulde haue had in the Sea of Durham whereunto I was last of all elected and named yea I count it greater honoure before God in deede to die in his cause whereof I nothynge doubte then is any earthlye or temporall promocion or honoure that canne be geuen to a man in thys worlde And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Goddes to be Chrystes quarell and of hys Gospell to bee the common weale of all the elect and chosen children of God of all the inheritoures of the kingdome of Heauen who is he I saye that knoweth this assuredlye by Goddes woorde and the testimonye of hys owne conscience as I through the infinite goodnes of god not of my self but by hys grace acknowledge my self to do who is he I say that knoweth this both loueth fereth god in dede in truth loueth beleueth hys maister Christ and hys blessed gospel loueth his brotherhode the chosen children of god and also lusteth and longeth for euerlastinge life whoe is he I say againe that woulde not or can not fynde in his harte in thys cause to be content to dye The Lord forbid that any such shoulde be that shoulde forsake this grace of God I truste in my Lord God the God of mercies and the father of all comfort throughe Iesus Chryste oure Lorde that he whiche hathe put thys mynde will and affection by hys holye spirite in my harte to stande agaynste the face of the enemie in hys cause to chose rather the losse of all my worldly substaunce yea and of my life to then to denye hys knowne truthe that he well comfort me ayd me and strengthen me euermore euen vnto the ende and to the yelding vp of my spirite and soule into hys holye handes wherof I most hartely besech hys moste holye sacred Maiestye of hys infinyte goodnes and mercye throughe Iesus Christe our Lord. Amen Now that I haue taken my leaue of my countrey menne and kinsfolke and the Lorde doth lende me life and geueth me leysure I wyll bydde my other good friendes in God of other places also farewell And whome fyrste or before other then the Vniuersytye of Cambridge whereas I haue dwelte longer founde more faythfull and hartye frendes receyued more benefites the benefytes of my naturall parentes onlye excepted then euer I did euen in mine owne natyue countrey wherein I was borne Farewel therfore Cambrydge my louyng mother and tender nurse If I shoulde not acknowlege thy manyfold benefits yea if I shold not for thy benifits at the lest loue the agayn truly I were to be counted vngrate vnkind What benyfytes hadst thou euer that thou vsest to geue bestow vpon thy best beloued childreÌ„ that thou thoughtest to good for me Thou diddest bestowe on me all thy Schole degrees of thy common offyces the Chaplaynshyppe of the vniuersity the office of the Pâ—ortorship of a coÌ„mon reader and of thy priuate coÌ„modyties emolumeÌ„tes in colledges what was it that thou madest me not partner of Fyrst to be Scholer then Fellow and after my departure froÌ„ thee thou calledst me agayne to a Mastership of a right worshipful colledge I thanck thee my louing mother for all this thy kindnes and I pray God that his lawes the syncere Gospel of Christ may euer be truly taught faythfully learned in thee Farewell Pembroke hall of late mine own Colledge my cure my charge what case thou artin now God knoweth I know not well Thou wast euer named sithens I knewe thee which is nowe a .xxx. yeares agoe to be studious well learned and a greate
thus Although thy Episcopall Sea now beinge ioyned in league with the seate of Sathā thus hath now both handled me the saintes of God yet I do not doubt but in that greate City there be many priuy mourners which do dayly mourne for that mischief the which neuer did nor shall consent to that wickednesse but do detest abhorre it as the wayes of Satan But these preuy mourners here I wil passe by and bid them fare well with theyr fellowes hereafter His farewel to these mourners is in the letter nexte followyng when the place and occasion shall more conueniently require Amonge the worshipfull of the City and speciallye which were in office of the Meraltye yea and in other Citizens also whome to name now it shall not be necessary in the time of my Ministerye which was from the later parte of sir Rowland hilles yeare vnto sir George Barnes yere a great part therof I do acknowledge that I found no small humanity gētlenesse as me thought but to say the truth that I do esteme aboue al other for true christiā kīdnes which is shewed in gods cause and done for his sake Wherfore O Dobbes Dobbes Alder man knight thou in thy yere diddest win my hart for euer more for that honorable act that most blessed worke of god of the erection setting vp of Christs holy hospitales truly religions houses which by thee through thee were begon For thou like a mā of God whē the matter was moued for the reliefe of Christes poore selye members to be holpen from extreame miserye hunger and famine thy harte I say was moued with pity and as Christs highe honourable officer in that cause thou calledst together thy Brethren the Aldermen of the City before whome thou brakest the matter for the poore thou diddest pleade theyr cause yea and not only in thine own person thou diddest setforth Christs cause but to further the matter thou broughtest me into the counsell Chamber of the City before the Aldermen alone whom thou haddest assembled there together to heare me speake what I could say as an aduocate by office and duetye in the pore mens cause the Lord wrought with thee and gaue thee the consent of thy brethren wherby the matter was brought to the common counsell and so to the whole bodye of the Citye by whome withe an vniforme consente it was committed to be drawne ordered and deuysed by a certayn number of the moste wittye citizens and politique endued also wyth godlines with ready hartes to setforward such a noble act as could be chosē in all the whole city they like true faythful ministers both to their city their maister Christ so ordered deuised and brought forth the matter that thousandes of sely poore mēbers of Christ which els for extreme hunger and misery should haue famished and perished shal be relieued holpen brought vp shal haue cause to blesse the Aldermen of that time the common counsell and the whole body of the city but specially thee O Dobbes and those chosen men by whom this honorable worke of god was begon and wrought and that so long through out al ages as that godly work shal endure which I pray almighty god may be euer vnto the worldes ende Amen And thou O Sir George Barnes the truth it is to be cōfessed to gods glory and to the good example of other thou wast in thy yeare not only a furtherer and contynuer of that which before thee by thy predecessor was well begon but also diddest laboure so to haue perfyted the woorke that it should haue bene an absolute thing and a perfect spectacle of true charity and godlines vnto all christendome Thyne endeuour was to haue set vp an house of occupatiōs both that al kind of pouerty beyng able to worke should not haue lacked whervpon profytablye they myght haue bene occupied to theyr own relief and to the profyte and commodity of the commen wealth of the City and also to haue retired thithers the poore babes broughte vp in the Hospitales when they hadde come to a certayne age and strengthe and also al those which in the Hospitalles aforesayd haue bene cured of theyr diseases And to haue brought this to passe thou obteinedst not without great diligence and labor both of thee and thy brethren of that godly king Edward that christian and pierles Princes hand his princely place of Bridewell and what other things to the performance of the same and vnder what condition it is not vnknown That this thine endeuor hath not had like successe the fault is not in thee but in the conditiō state of the time which the lord of his infinit mercy vouchsafe to amende when it shal be hys grations wil pleasure Farewel now al ye Citizens that be of god of what state cōdition so euer ye be vndoubtedly in London ye haue heard Gods word truely preached My harts desire and dayly prayer shal be for you as for whom for my time I know to my lord God I am countable that ye neuer swarue neyther for losse of life nor worldly goodes from Gods holy word and yeld vnto Antichrist wherupō must nedes follow the extreme displeasure of God the losse both of youre bodies soules into perpetuall dampnation for euermore Now that I haue gone through the places where I haue dwelt any space in the time of my pilgrimage here vpō earth remembringe that for the space of kinge Ewardes raygne which was for the time of mine office in the Seas of Lōdon and Rochester I was a member of the higher house of the parliament therefore seing my God hath geuen me leysure and the remembraunce therof I will byd my Lordes of the temporalty farewell They shall haue no iust cause by Gods grace to take it that I entende to say in ill parte As for the spiritul Prelacy that now is I haue nothing to say to them except I should repeat again a great part of that I haue sayd before nowe alredye to the sea of London To you therfore my Lordes of the temporaltie wil I speake and this would I haue you fyrst to vnderstande that when I wrote this I loked dayly when I should be called to the chaunge of thys lyfe and thought that thys my wrytyng should not come to your knowlege before the time of the dissolution of my body and soule shoulde bee expired and therefore knowe ye that I had before myne eyes only the feare of God and christian charity towarde you whiche moued me to wryte for of you hereafter I looke not in this worlde either for pleasure or displeasure If my talke shall do you neuer so much pleasure or profite you cānot promote me nor if I displease you ye can not hurte me or harme me for I shall be out of youre reache Now therfore if you feare God and can be contente to heare the talk of him that seeketh nothing at your
will and pleasure make you to beleue embrace the truth Amen An other farewell to the prisoners in Christes gospels cause and to all them which for the same cause are exiled and banished out form theyr own country chosing rather to leaue al worldly commodity then theyr mayster Christ FArewel my dearly beloued brethrē in Christ both ye my fellowe prisoners ye also that be exiled banished out of your countreis because ye wyl rather forsake all worldly commodity then the gospel of Christ Farewell al ye together in Christ farewell be mery for ye know that the trial of your faith bringeth forth patience and pacience shal make vs perfect whole and sound on euery syde and such after trial ye know shal receiue the crown of life according to the promise of the lord made to his derely beloued let vs therfore be pacient vnto the comminge of the Lorde Iacob 5 As the husbandman abideth paciently the former and latter raine for the encrease of his croppe so let vs bee patiente and plucke vp our hartes for the comminge of the lord approcheth apace Let vs my deare brethren take example of patience in tribulation of the Prophetes which spake lykewise Gods worde truelye in his name Let Iob be to vs an example of patience and the end which the Lord suffered 1. Pet. 1. which is full of mercy and pity We know my brethren by gods word that our fayth is much more precious then anye corruptible golde and yet that is tried by the fyre euen so our fayth is therfore tried likewise in tribulations that it may be found when the Lord shall appeare laudable glorious and honorable 1. Pet. 2. For if we for Christes cause doe suffer that is gratefull before God for thervnto are we called that is our state and vocation wherwith let vs be contēt Christ we knowe suffred for vs afflictions leuinge vs an example that we shoulde folowe his fotesteppes for he committed no sinne nor was there anye guile founde in hys mouth when he was rayled vpon and al to reuiled rayled not again whē he was euill intreated he did not threaten but committed the punishment therof to hym that iudgeth a right Let vs euer haue in fresh remembrance those wonderfull comfortable sentences spoken by the mouth of our sauioure Christ blessed are they whiche suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theyrs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are ye when men reuile you Math. 5 persecute you and speake all euell againste you for my sake reioyse and bee gladde for great is you reward in heauen for so did they persecute the prophetes which were before you Therefore let vs alwaye beare this in our minds that if any incommodity do chaūce vnto vs for rightousnes sake happy are we whatsoeuer the world doth think of vs. Luke 21. Christ our maister hath told vs before hand that the brother should put the brother to death the father the sonne and the children should rise against their parentes and kill them that Christs true Apostles should be hated of all men for his names sake but he that shal abide patiētly vnto th end shal be saued Let vs thē endure in al trobles paciētly after the exāple of our maister Christ be cōtēted therw t for he suffred being our maister lord how doth it not thē become vs to suffer Luke 6. For the disciple is not aboue hys maister nor the seruant aboue hys lord It may suffice the disciple to be as his maister and the seruaunte to be as his lord If they haue called the father of the family Math. 10. the maister of the household Belzebub how muche more shall they call so thē of hys household Feare thē not then sayth our sauiour for all priuities shal be made playne there is now nothyng secrete but it shall be shewed in light Of Christes woordes let vs neyther be ashamed nor afrayde to speake them for so Christ our maister commaūdeth vs saieng that I tell you priuily speake openly abroad and that I tel you in your eare preach it vpon the house top And feare not thē which kyll the body for the soule they can not kill but feare him which can cast both body and soule into hel fire Know ye that the heauenly father hathe euer a gratious eye and respecte towarde you and a fatherlye prouidence for you so that withoute his knowledge and permission nothyng can do you harme Let vs therfore cast al our care vpō him and he shall prouyde that which shall be best for vs. For if of ij small sparowes which both are sold for a mite one of them lighteth not on the ground without your father and all the heares of oure head are numbred Math. 10. feare not then sayth oure Maister Christ for ye are more worth then many smal sparowes And let vs not sticke to confesse our maister Christe for feare of daunger whatsoeuer it shal be remembryng the promise that Christe maketh sayeng whosoeuer shall confesse me before men him shall I confesse before my father which is in heauen but whosoeuer shall deny me him shall I lykewyse deny before my father which is in heauē Christ came not to geue vnto vs heare a carnall amity a worldly peace or to knitte hys vnto the world in ease peace but rather to separate deuide thē frō the worlde to ioyn thē vnto hymself in whose cause we must if we wil be his forsake father and mother and stycke vnto hym If we forsake him or shrinke from him for trouble or deathes sake which he calleth hys crosse he wyll none of vs we cannot be hys If for hys cause we shall loose oure temporall lyues here we shall fynde them agayne and enioye them for euermore but if in hys cause we wyll not bee contented to leaue nor lose them here then shall we lose them so that we shall neuer fynd them again but in euerlasting death What though our troubles here be painfull for the tyme and the sting of death bitter vnpleasaunt yet we know that they shal not laste in comparison of eternitye no not the twincklyng of an eie and that they pacientlye taken in Christes cause shall procure and get vs vnmeasurable heapes of heauenly glory 2. Cor 4. vnto the whiche these temporal paynes of death and troubles compared 1. Pet. 4. are not to be estemed but to be reioysed vpon Wonder not saith S. Peter as thoughe it were anye straunge matter that ye are tryed by the fire he meaneth of tribulation whiche thyng sayeth he is done to proue you Nay rather in that ye are parteners of Christs afflictions reioyce that in hys glorious reuelaciō ye may reioice with mery hartes If ye suffer rebukes in Christes name happye are ye for the glory and spirite of god resteth vpon you Ol them God is reuiled and dishonored but of you he is glorifyed Let no man
true honoryng of God also that can shew you the descente of Christes church from the begynning of it vntyll thys daye that ye maye perceaue by the lyfe of your forefathers these two thynges the one that Chrystes woorde whych sayde that al hys must suffer persecutiō and trouble in the world be true the other that none of all hys before our time escaped trouble then shall ye perceiue that it is but a folly for one that professeth Christe trulye to looke for the loue of the worlde Thus shall ye learne to beare trouble and to exercise youre religion and feele in deede that Chrystes woordes be true in the worlde ye shall suffer persecution Iohn 16 And when ye feele your religion in deede saye yee be no better then youre forefathers but be gladde that ye maye be counted worthye souldioures for thys warre and praye to God when ye come together that he wyll vse and order you and youre doyinges to these thre endes whyche ye muste take heede of the fyrste that ye gloryfye God the nexte that ye edifye the churche and congregation the thyrde that ye profyte your owne soules In all youre doynges beware ye be not deceaued For although thys tyme be not yet bloodye and tyrannous as the time of oure forfathers that coulde not beare the name of Christe wythout daunger of lyfe and goodes yet is oure tyme more perellous both for bodye and soule Therefore of vs Chryst sayde Luke 18. thinke ye when the sonne of manne commeth he shall fynde anye fayth vpon earth He sayde not thynke ye he shal fynde anye man or woman chrystened and in name a christian but he spake of the faythe that saueth the christian man in Chryst and doubtles the scarsitye of faith is now more and wyll I feare increase then it was in the time of the greatest Tyrannes that euer were and no maruell whye Reade yee the syxte chapter of Saynte Iohns Reuelation and ye shall perceyue amonges other thynges that at the opening of the fourthe seale came out a pale horse and he that satte vppon hym was called deathe and hell followed hym Thys horse is the time wherein hypocrites and dissemblers entred into the Churche vnder the precente of true religion as monkers Friers Nonnes massynge priestes wyth suche other that haue killed moe soules wythe heresyes and superstystitiō thē al the Tyrānes that euer were killed bodies with fyre sword or banishement as it appereth by hys name that sitteth vpon the horse who is called death for all soules that leaue Christ and trust to these hipocrytes lyue to the diuil in euerlasting payne as is declared by him that followeth the pale horse which is hel These pretēsed and pale hypocrites haue stirred the earthquakes that is to witte the princes of the world agaynst Christes church and haue also darkned the sonne and made the moone bloody and haue caused the starres to fall from heauen that is to saye haue darkned wyth mistes and daylye doe darken as ye heare by they re sermons the cleare sonne of Gods moste pure woorde the moone whiche be Gods true preachers whiche fetche onelye lyghte at the sonne of Gods woorde are turned into blood prisons and chaines that theyr light can not shine vnto the world as they would Wherupō it cōmeth to passe that the stars that is to say Christian people fal frō heauen that is to witte from Gods moste true word to hypocrisye most deuelyshe superstition and idolatrye Let some learned man shew you al the articles of your belief and monuments of Christian fayth from the time of Christe hetherto and ye shall perceiue that there was neuer mention of such articles as these hypocrites teache God blesse you and praye for me as I do for you Out of the Flete by your brother in Christe Iohn Hoper To all my deare brethren my relieuers and helpers in the City of London THe grace of God bee with you Amen I haue receaued from you dearelye beloued in our sauioure Iesus Christe by the hands of my seruant william Downton your liberality for the which I do most hartly thank you and I prayse god hyghly in you and for you who hathe moued youre heartes to showe this kindnes towardes me prayinge hym to preserue you from all famyne scarcity and lacke of the truth of hys word which is the liuely foode of your soules as you preserue my body from hunger and other necessities which should happē vnto me were it not cared for by the beneuolence and charity of godly people Suche as haue taken all worldlye gooddes and landes from me and spoyled me of all that I had haue emprisoned my bodye and appoynted no one halfepeny to feede or to relieue me wythall But I doe forgeue them and praye for them daylye in my poore prayer vnto God and from my hearte I wyshe their saluation and quietlye and pacientlye beare theyr iniuries wyshyng no farther extremity to bee vsed towardes vs. Yet yf it seeme contrary beste vnto oure heauenlye father I haue made my reckenyng and fullye resolued my selfe to suffer the vttermost that they are able to do against me yea death it selfe by the ayde of Christ Iesu who dyed the moste vyle deathe of the crosse for vs wretches and myserable synners But of thys I am assured that the wycked world with all his force and power shall not touche one of the heares of our heades wythout leaue ad lycence of oure heauenly father whose wyll be done in al thynges If he wyll lyfe lyfe bee it if he wyll deathe deathe be it Onelye we praye that oure wylles maye bee subiecte vnto hys wyll and then althoughe bothe we and all the worlde see none other thynge but deathe yet yf he thynke lyfe best we shall not dye no althoughe the sword be drawen oute ouer oure heades as Abraham thoughte to kyll his sonne Isaac yet when god perceaued that Abraham had surrendred hys wyll to Gods wyll and was contente to kill hys sonne god then saued hys sonne Dearely beloued if we be contented to obeye gods wyll and for hys commaundementes sake to surrender oure goodes and our selues to be at his pleasure it maketh no mater whether we kepe goods and lyfe or loose them Nothing can hurte vs that is taken from vs for Gods cause nor nothyng can at length doe vs good that is preserued contrary vnto Gods commaundemente Lette vs wholye suffer God to vse vs and ours after hys holye wysedome and beware we neyther vse nor gouerne oure selues contrarye to hys wyll by oure owne wisedome for yf we doe oure wisdome wyll at lengthe proue folishnes It is kept to no good purpose that we kepe contrarye vnto his commaundementes It can by no meanes be takē from vs that he would should tary with vs. He is no good christian that ruleth hym selfe and his as worldlye meanes serueth for he that so doth shall haue as many chaunges as chaunceth in the world To daye wyth the
suffred them that toke your bodies then to haue takē your life also now had ye ben folowing the lābe in perpetual ioyes away from the cōpany assēble of wicked men But the lord woulde not haue you sodainly so to depart but reserueth you gloriously to speake maintain his truth to the world Be ye not careful what ye shal say for god wil go out in with you wil be presēt in your harts in your mouthes to speak his wisdō althogh it seme folishnes to the worlde He that hath begon this good work in you confirme strengthen continue you in the same vnto the end and pray vnto him that ye may fear him only that hath power to kil both body and soule to cast thē into hel fire Be of good comfort al the hears of your heads be numbred Math. 10. and there is not one of them canne perishe except youre heauenlye father suffer it to peryshe Nowe ye bee euē in the field and placed in the forefront of Christes battaile Doubtles it is a singuler fauour of God and a special loue of hym towardes you to geue you this foreward and preeminence and a signe that he trusteth you before others of hys people Wherfore deare brethrē and sisters continually fyght thys fyght of the Lorde Your cause is most iuste and godly ye stand for the true Christ who is after the flesh in heauen and for hys true religion and honour whiche is amplye fully sufficiently and aboundantly conteined in the holy Testament sealed wyth christs own blood How much be ye bound to god to put you in trust with so holy and iust a cause Remember what lokers vpon ye haue to see beholde you in your fight euen god and all hys holy aungels who be redy alway to take you vp into heuē if ye be slain in thys fight Also you haue standing at your backes al the multitude of the faithful who shall take courage strength desire to folow such noble and valiaunte christians as ye be Be not afeard of your aduersaries i. Iobn 4. for he that is in you is stronger then he that is them Shrynke not although it be payne to you Your paynes be not now so greate as hereafter your ioyes shall be Reade the comfortable chapiters to the Ro. 8.10.15 Heb. 11.12 And vppon your knees thanke god that euer ye were accoūpted worthy to suffer any thing for hys names sake Reade the second chapter of S. Lukes gospell and there ye shall see howe the shepheardes that watched vpon their shepe all night as soone as they heard that Christe was borne at Bethlem by and by they went to see hym They did not reason nor debate with themselues who should kepe the wolf from the shepe in the mean time but did as they were cōmaūded cōmitted their shepe vnto hym whose pleasure they obeyed So let vs do now whē we be called and commit all other thynges vnto hym that calleth vs. He wyll take heede that all thinges shal be wel he wyll helpe the husband he will comfort the wyfe he wil guide the seruaunts he wyll kepe the house he wil preserue the goods yea rather then it should be vndone i. Pet. 5 he wil wash the dishes and rocke the cradell Cast therfore all your care vpon god for he catech for you Besides thys ye may perceaue by your imprisōment that your aduersaries weapōs against you be nothing but flesh bloud and tyranny For if they were able they would maintaine their wycked religion by gods worde but for lacke of that they woulde violently compel such as they can not by the holy scripture perswade because the holy worde of God and all Christes doings be cleane contrary vnto them I pray you pray for me and I wyll praye for you And although we be a sunder after the world yet we are in Christe I truste for euer ioyning in the spirite and so shal meete in the palace of the heauēly ioyes after this short and trāsitory life is ended Gods peace be with you Amen .4 of Ianuary 1554. ¶ To certaine of hys beloued frendes in god exhortyng them to sticke constantlye to the professed truth of the gospell in those days of tryall and not to shrynke for any trouble THe grace of God be with you Amen I did write vnto you of late told you what extremitye the parliamente had concluded vppon concernyng religion suppressyng the true and settyng forthe the vntrue entendyng to cause all men by extremity to forsweare themselues and to take agayne for the head of the church him that is neyther heade nor member of it but a very enemy as the word of god and all auncient writers do record and for lacke of law and authority they wyll vse force and extremity which haue bene the arguments to defend the Pope and popery sith his wicked authority began fyrste in the worlde But nowe is the tyme of tryall to see whether we feare more God or man It was an easy thing to hold with Christ whiles the prince and world held with hym but now the worlde hateth hym is the true tryall who be hys Wherfore in the name and in the vertue strength and power of his holy spiryte prepare youre selues in any case to aduersitye and constancie Lette vs not runne away when it is most tyme to fyght Remember that none shal be crowned but such as fyghte manfully and he that endureth vnto the ende shal be saued Ye muste now turne all your cogitations from the peryll ye see and marke by fayth what foloweth the peryl either victorye in this worlde of your enemies or els a surrender of this life to inherite the euerlastyng kyngdome Beware of beholdyng to much the felicity or the myserye of this worlde for the consideration and earnest loue or feare of eyther of thē draweth from god Wherfore thynke wyth youre selues as touchyng the felicity of the worlde it is good but yet none otherwyse then it stādeth with the fauoure of god it is to be kept but yet so farre forthe as by kepyng of it we loose not god It is good to abyde and tary styll among our frendes here but yet so that we tary not therwithall in gods displeasure and hereafter to dwell in hell with the deuils in fyre euerlastyng There is nothyng vnder god by may be kept so that god beyng aboue all thynges we haue be not loste Of aduersity iudge the same Imprisonment is paynefull but yet liberty vpon euil conditions is more payneful The prisons stincke but yet not so much as swete houses where as the feare and true honor of god lacketh I must be alone and solitary it is better so to be and haue god with me thou to be in company with the wicked Losse of goods is great but losse of gods grace and fauour is greater I am a poore symple creature and cannot tell how to answer before such a greate sorte of noble
mortall man may be Oh Lord how slipper the loue of man yea man him self is It were better for them to pray for vs rather then to credite or reise rumours that bee vntrue vnlesse they were more certaine thereof then euer they shall be able to proue we haue enemies enough of such as knowe not God Truly this report of weake brethern is a double trouble and a triple crosse I do wyshe you eternall saluation in Chryste Iesu and also require your continuall prayer that he whyche hath begonne in vs may saue vs to the ende I haue taught this truth wyth my tounge and penne heretofore and hereafter shortly will confyrme by Gods grace the same wyth my bloode Pray for me gentle brethern haue no mistrust From New gate 2. February Your brother Iohn Hoper To maistres Wilkinson a woman harty in gods cause comfortable to his aflicted members THe grace of God and the comfort of hys holy spiryte be with you Amen I am very glad to heare of your health doe thank you for your louing tokeÌ„s But I am a great deale more glad to heare how christianly you auoyd idolatry prepare your selfe to suffer the extremity of the world rather theÌ„ to endaunger your selfe to God You do as you ought to do in this behalfe and in suffrynge of transitory paynes you shall auoyde permanent torments in the world to come Vse your life and keepe it with as much quietnes as you canne so that you offeÌ„d not God The ease that coÌ„meth with hys displeasure turneth at length to vnspeakable paynes the gaines of the world with the losse of his fauour is beggary wretchednes Reason is to be ameÌ„ded in this cause of religioÌ„ for it wil choose follow an errour with the multitude if it may be allowed rather then turne to fayth and follow the truth wyth the people of God Moses found the same fault in himselfe did amend it choosyng rather to be afflicted with the people of God Heb. 11. then to vse the libertye of the kynges daughter that accounted hym as her sonne Praye for contentation and peace of the spryte and reioyce in such troubles as shall happeÌ„ vnto you for the truthes sake for in that part Christ saith you be happy Math. 5. Pray also for me I pray you that I may do in al things the wil of our heauenly father to whose tuition and defence I commend you To my dearely beloued Syster in the Lord maistres A. W. THe grace of god be with you AmeÌ„ I thank you for your louing token I pray you burden not your self to much it were mete for me rather to beare a payn then to be a hinderance to many I did reioice at the coÌ„ming of this bearer to vnderstaÌ„d of your constaÌ„cy how that you be fully resolued by gods grace rather to suffer extremity theÌ„ to go froÌ„ that truth in God whych you haue professed He that gaue you grace to begyn in so infallible a truth wil followe you in the same vnto the end But my louing Sister as you be traueling this perillous iourney take this lessoÌ„ with you practised by wyse men whereof ye may reade in the seconde of Sayncte Mathewes gospel Such as traueled to fynde Chryst followed onely the starre and as long as they sawe it they were assured they were in the right way and had greate mirth in thery iourney But when they entred into Ierusalem wher as the starre led them not thether but vnto Bethelem and there asked the citizens the thinge that the starre shewed before as long as they taried in Hierusalem and would be instructed where Christ was borne they were not only ignoraunt of Bethelem but also lost the syghte of the starre that ledde them before Whereof we learne in any case whiles we be going in this life to seeke Christ that is aboue to beware we lose not the starre of Gods word that only is the marke that sheweth vs where Christe is and which waye we maye come vnto hym But as Ierusalem stode in the way was an impedimentte to these wise menne so doth the sinagoge of Antichryste that beareth the name of Ierusalem whiche by interpretacion is called the vision of peace and amonges the people now is called the catholike church standeth in the way that pilgrymes must go by through thys world to Bethelem the house of saturity and plentifulnes and is an impediment to al Christian trauellers yea and except the more grace of God be will kepe the pilgrimes stil in her that they shall not come wher Christ is at al. And to stay them in dede they take away the starre of light which is Gods word that it can not be sene as as ye maye see howe the celestiall starre was hyd froÌ„ the wyse men wheÌ„ they asked of the Phareseis at HierusaleÌ„ wher Christ was borne Ye may see what great daungers happened vnto these wise men whyles they were a learning of liers where Christ was Fyrst they were oute of theyr way and next they lost their guide and conductour the heauenly starre Christ is mounted from vs into heauen and there we seke hym as we say let vs therfore go the theâ—ward by the starre of hys worde and beware we happen not to come into Hierusalem the church of men aske for him If we do we go out of the way lose also our conductor guide that only leadeth vs strayght thether The Poetes write in fables that Iason wheÌ„ he fought with the dragoÌ„ in the I le of Colchis was preserued by the medicines of Medea and so wan the golden fleese And they write also that Titan whom they fayne to be sonne and heyre of the highe God Iubiter woulde neades vpon a day haue the conducting of the Sun round about the world but as they fayne he missed of the accustomed course wherupon when he went to hygh he burned heauen wheÌ„ he went to low he burned the earth the water These prophane histories do shame vs that he christiaÌ„ men Iason agaynst the poison of the dragon vsed onlye the medicine of Medea What a shame is it for a Christian man agaynste the poyson of the deuyl heresye and synne to vse any other remedye then Christ and hys woorde Titan for lacke of knowledge was afearde of euerye signe of the Zodiake that the sonne passeth by wherfore he now went to low and now to high and at length fell down and drowned him selfe in the sea Christian men for lacke of knowlege and for feare of such daungers as ChristiaÌ„ men must nedes passe by goe cleane out of order at length fall into the pitte of hel Sister take heede you shall in your iourney towardes heauen mete with manye a moÌ„strous beast haue salue of gods word therfore ready Ye shall mete husband children louers frendes that shal if god be not with them as god be praysed he is I would it were with al other
your Churche No qoth I we did condēne her as an heritike Who was of your church quoth he xxx yeares paste Such quoth I as that Romyshe Antichrist andhis rable had reputed and cōdemned as heretikes Wicliffe Thorpe old castle quoth he c. Yea quoth I with many mo as storyes do tel The byshop of Rome hath quoth he long time played aparte in your rayling sermons but now be ye sure he must playe an other manner of part More pitie quoth I and yet some comfort it is to see how that the beste learned wisest and holyest of you al haue heretofore had hym to playe a parte likewyse in your sermons and writynges thoughe nowe to please the world ye turne with the wethercocke Did you euer quoth he heare me preach agaynst the byshop of Rome No quoth I for I neuer heard you preach but I trow you haue bene no wiser then other c. Pray pray God keepe that familye and blesse it Laurence Saunders To his wife and other of his deare frendes and louers in the Lorde GRace and comforte in Christe Iesu our onely comforte in al extreme assaultes be with you Amen Fayne woulde this flesh make straūge of that which the spirite doth embrace Oh Lorde howe lothe is thys loytryng sluggard to passe forth in Gods pathe It fantasieth forsoth much feare of fraybugges were it not for the force of fayth pulling it forwarde by the bridell of Gods moste sweete promises and of hope pricking on behinde greate aduenture there were of faynting by the waye But blessed and euerlastingly blessed be that heauenly father of oures who in his Christ our sufficient Sauiour hath vouched safe so to shine in our hartes that he geueth vs the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of Iesus Christ and hauing thys treasure in our earthen vessels that the excellency of the power myght be Gods 2. Cor. 4 and not ours we are according to his good will troubled on euery side yet are we not withoute shifte we are in pouertye but yet not withoute that is sufficiente we suffer persecution but are not forsaken therein we are caste downe neuerthelesse we peryshe not we beare in our bodye the dying of the Lorde Iesus that the life of Iesus might appeare also in oure bodyes Wherefore by the grace of our Christ we shall not be weryed nor be dismayed by this our probation through the fyre of affliction as though some straūge thing had happened vnto vs but by his power we shal reioyce in as much as we are pertakers of Christes passions that whē he doth appeare we may be mery glad knowing that our tribulation which is momentane light prepareth an exceding and eternall weyght of glorye vnto vs not looking on the things which are sene but on the things which are not sene They that sowe in teares shal reape in ioy Psa 126. he that goeth on hys way now weping scattereth hys good sede shal doutlesse come agayn with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Then then shal the Lord wipe away al teares frō our eyes Then then shal be brought to passe the saying that is written 1 Cor. 15 Death is swalowed vp in victorye Death where is thy sting hel where is thy victorye Yea thankes be to god who hath geuen vs the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Now then in the meane season it remayneth for vs to follow s Peters biddyng 1. Peter 4. Let them sayth he that are troubled accordyng to the wil of god committe their soules to him with wel doing as vnto a faythful creatour and maker He is our maker we be his handyworke creatures whō now whē he hath made he doth not so leaue forsake as the carpenter doth the shyp leauyng it at al aduentures to bee tossed in the tempest but he comforteth vs his creatures Actes 17 and in him we liue moue and haue our being Yea not only that but now that he hath in hys deare Christe repayred vs beyng before vtterly decayed and redemed vs purgyng vs vnto hymselfe as a peculier people by the bloude of hys sonne he hath put on a most tender good wyll and fatherly affectiō toward vs neuer to forget vs vnto whō by such sure promises he hath plyghted such faythe that though it were possible that the mother could forgette her infante and not be tender harted to the chyld of her wombe Esay 49. yet may it not be that his faithful beleuers should with him fal into forgetfulnes He byddeth vs to cast our care on hym telleth vs that he assuredly careth for vs. 1. Pet. 5. And what though for a season he suffereth vs to be tormoyled in the troublous tempestes of tēptation and seemeth in muche anger to haue geuen vs ouer and forgotten vs Let not vs for all that leaue of to put our trust in hym but let vs with godly Iob conclude in our selues and saye yea though he kyl me Iob. 13 yet wyll I put my trust in hym Let vs with the blessed Abraham in hope euen contrary to hope by beliefe leaue vnto that our louing Lord who though for our probatiō he suffreth vs to be afflicted proued for a seasō yet wil he not be always chiding neither kepeth he his anger for euer for he knoweth whereof we are made he remēbreth that we are but dust Psa 103. Wherfore loke how high the heauen is in cōparison of the earth so great is his mercy towardes thē which feare hym Loke how wide the East is from the West so farre hath he set our synnes from vs. Yea lyke as a father pitieth hys owne childrē euen so is the lord mercyful vnto thē that feare hym Oh what greate cause of reioycing haue wetherfore in our most gracious god We cānot but burst out into the praysing of such a boūtifull benefactor and say with the Psalmist Prayse the lorde O my soule and al that is within me prayse his holy name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefites My deare wyfe ryches I haue none to leaue behinde me wherwyth to endow you after the worldly maner but that treasure of tastyng how swete Christ is vnto hungrye consciences whereof I thanke my Christ I doe feele part and would feele more I bequeath vnto you and to the reste of my frends to al you I say that loue me in the Lorde to retayn the same insense of hart alwayes Pray praye I am merye I I trust shall be mery in the fpyght of al the Deuils in hel I vtterly refuse my self and I resigne my self wholy vnto my christ in whom I know I shal be strong as he seeth nedeful Praye pray pray L. Saunders ¶ To hys VVyfe GRace mercy and peace in Iesus Christ our lord Entierly beloued wife euen as vnto myne owne soule and body so do I daily in my harty prayer wyshe vnto you
ye repente not if ye leaue not your Idolatry if ye tourne not spedely to the Lord if ye stil be ashamed of Christes truth whiche ye knowe Oh Perne repent Oh Thomson repente Oh ye Doctors Bachelors and Maisters repent Oh Maior Aldermen towne dwellers repente repente repente that ye maye escape the nere vengeaunce of the Lord. Rent your harts and come apace calling on the Lord. Let vs al say Peccauimus we haue synned we haue done wickedlye we haue not harkened to thy voyce O Lord. Deale not with vs after our deserts but be merciful to our iniquities for they are great Oh pardon vs our offences In thyne anger remember thy mercy Turne vs vnto thee O Lorde God of hostes for the glorye of thy names sake spare vs and be mercifull vnto vs. Let not the wicked people say wher is now their god Oh for thine own sake for thy names sake deale mercifully with vs. Turne thy self vnto vs and vs vnto thee and we shall prayse thy name for euer If in thys sort my dearly beloued in hart and mouth we come vnto oure father and prostrate oure selues before the throne of his grace then surely surely we shal find mercye then shal the Lord loke merely vpon vs for his mercye sake in Christ then shal we heare him speake peace vnto his people for he is gracious and mercifull of greate pitye and compassion he cā not be chiding for euer his anger can not last long to the penitent Though we wepe in the morning yet at night we shal haue our sorow to cease for he is exorable hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner he rather wold our conuersion and turning Oh turne you nowe and conuert yet once againe I humbly besech you then the kingdome of heauen shall draw nygh The eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard nor the harte of mā is able to conceaue the ioyes prepared for vs if we repente amende oure liues and hartely turne to the Lord. But if ye repente not but be as ye were and goe on forwardes with the wicked following the fashion of the world the Lord will lead you on with wicked doers ye shall peryshe in your wickednes youre blood will be vppon your owne heades your part shall be with hipocrites where shall be wepyng and gnashyng of teeth ye shall be caste from the face of the Lorde for euer and euer eternall shame sorrow woe and misery shall be both in body and soule to you worlde without end Oh therfore ryght deare to me in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you amend amend your liues departe from euill do good follow peace and pursue it Come out frō Babilon caste of the woorkes of darkenes put on Christ confesse hys truth be not ashamed of hys Gospel prepare your selues to the crosse drinke of Gods cuppe before it come to the dregges and then shall I with you and for you reioyce in the daye of iudgemente whiche is at hand and therfore prepare your selues therto I hartely besech you And thus I take my Vale in aeternum with you in thys presente lyfe myne owne deare hartes in the Lorde The Lorde of mercy bee with vs all and geue vs a ioyfull and sure meetyng in his kingdome Amen Amen Out of prison the .11 of February Anno. 1555. Your owne in the Lord for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To all those that professe the name and true religion of our Sauioure Iesus Christe in Lankeshyre and Chesshire and specially abyding in Manchester and theraboutes Iohn Bradford a moste vnworthy seruant of the Lord now not only in bondes but also cōdemned for the same true religion wisheth mercye and grace peace and encrease of all godlines frō god the father of all pietie throughe the desertes of our Lorde Iesus Christ by the workyng of the most mighty and liuely spirite the comforter for euer Amen I Heare it reported credibly my derely beloued in the lord that my heauēly father hath thought it good to prouyde that The enemies had apointed to burne hym at Māchester but the lord altered their purpose as I haue preached his true gospel and doctrine amonges you by worde so I shal testify and confyrme the same by deede that is I shall with you leaue my life which by his prouidence I firste receaued there for in Manchester was I borne for a seale to the doctrine I haue taught with you emonges you so that if from henceforth you wauer in the same you haue none excuse at all I know the enemies of Christ which exercise this crueltye vpon me I speake it in respect of mine offence which is none to thē wardes thinke by killyng of me amongs you to affray you and others lest they should attempt to teach Christ truly or beleeue hys doctryne hereafter but I doubte not but that heauenly father will by my death more confyrme you in his truth for euer And therfore I greatly reioyce to see Sathā and his souldiours supplanted in their own sapience which is playne folishnes emonges the wise in deede that is emonges such as haue heard gods worde and do followe it for they onely are accompted wyse of the wisedome of God our sauiour In dede if I shoulde simplye consider my lyfe wyth that which it ought to haue bene and as God in hys lawe requireth then could I not but crye as I do Iustus es domine omnia iudicia tua vera Righteous art thou O lord and all thy iudgements are true For I haue muche greued thee and transgressed thy holy precepts not onely before my professing the gospel but sythen also yea euen sithē my commyng into prison I do not excuse but accuse my selfe before god and all his church that I haue greuouslye offended my Lorde god I haue not lyued hys gospell as I shoulde haue done I haue sought my selfe not symply onely his glory and my brethernes commodity I haue ben to vnthākful secure carnal hypocritical vayn glorious c. Al which my euils the lorde of mercy pardon me for his christes sake as I hope certainly beleue he hath done for hys great mercy in Christ our redemer But whē I consider the cause of my cōdemnation I can not but lamēt the I do no more reioyce thē I do for it is gods verity and truth so that the condēnation is not a condemnation of Bradford simply but rather a condemnation of Christ and his truth Bradford is nothing els but an instrument in whom Christ and his doctrine is condemned And therfore my dearely beloued reioyce reioyce and geue thākes with me for me that euer god did vouchsafe so great a benefit to our countrey as to choose the most vnworthy I meane my selfe to be one in whom it woulde please him to suffer any kynde of affliction much more thys violent kynd of death which I perceiue is prepared for me emongs you for his sake Al glory praise
be geueÌ„ vnto god our father for hys excedynge greate mercye towardes me through Iesus Christ our lord But perchaunce ye wil say vnto me what is the cause for the which you are coÌ„demned we heare say that you deny al prefeÌ„ce of Christ in his holy supper so make it a bare signe common bread nothing els My derely beloued what is said of me wil be I cannot tel It is told me that M. Pendleton is gone down to preach with you not as he hath recaÌ„ted for ye al know how he hath preached contrary to that he was wont to preach afore I came amongs you but to recaÌ„t that which he hath recaÌ„ted How he wil speake of me report before I come wheÌ„ I am come when I am burned I much passe not for he the is so vncertain wil speake so ofteÌ„ against him selfe I cannot thinke he wil speake wel of me except it make for his purpose profit But of this enough In dede the chiefe thing which I am condemned for as an heretyke is because I deny the sacrament of the altar whiche is not christes supper but a plaine peruertyng of it beyng vsed as the papists now vse it to be a real natural corporall presence of christes body blood vnder the formes accidents of bread and wine that is because I deny transubstantiatioÌ„ which is the derling of the deuil and doughter and heyre to Antichrists religion wherby the Masse is mainteyned christes supper peruerted his sacrifice crosse imperfected hys priesthode destroyed the ministery taken away repentance repelled and al true godlines abandoned In the supper of our lord or sacrament of christes body and blood I confesse beleue that there is a true very presence of whole Christe god man to the faith of the receauer but not of the staÌ„der by or loker on as there is a very true presence of breade and wine to the senses of him that is pertaker therof This faith this doctrine which coÌ„fenteth with the word of god with the true testimony of christes Churche whiche the popyshe church doth persecute will I not forsake and therefore am I coÌ„demned as an heretike shal be burned But my derely beloutd this truth which I haue taught ye haue receyued I beleued do beleue and therin geue my life I hope in god shall neuer be burned bound nor ouercome but shal tryumphe haue victory and be at liberty manger the heade of all gods aduersaries For there is no counsell against the lord nor no deuise of man can be hable to defeate the verity in any other then in such as be children of vnbeliefe which haue no loue to the truth and therefore are geuen vp to beleue lies From which plague the lorde of mercies delyuer you and all this realme my deare hartes in the Lorde I humblye beeseche hys mercye Amen And to the ende ye myght be delyuered from thys plague ryght deare to me in the Lorde I shall for my farewell wyth you for euer in thys presente lyfe hartely desyre you all in the bowels and bloode of oure moste mercifull Sauioure Iesus Christ to attende vnto these thynges whiche nowe I shall shortlye wryte vnto you out of the Holy scriptures of the Lorde Ye know an he â—aye plague or rather plagues of God is fallen vpon vs in takyng away our good kyng gods true religion Gods true prophetes and ministers c. and setting ouer vs suche as seeke not the Lorde after knowledge whose endeuoures GOD prospereth wonderfullyâ— to the triall of manye that hys people maye bothe better knowe themselues and be knowen Nowe the cause hereof is oure iniquities and greuous synnes We did not know the tyme of our visitation we were vnthankefull vnto god we contemned the gospell and carnally abused it to serue our hypocrisie our vayne glory our viciousnes auarice ydlenes security c. Longe did the lord lynger tary to haue shewed mercye vppon vs but we were euer the longer the worse Therfore most iustly hathe God dealt with vs and dealeth with vs. Yea yet we may see that his iustice is tempered with much mercy wherto let vs attribute that we are not vtterly consumed for if the lord should deale with vs after oure deserts alas how could we abide it In his anger therfore seyng he doth remember hys mercy vndeserued yea vndesyred on our behalfe let vs take occasion the more spedelye to go out to mete him not with force and armes for we are not so able to withstand hym much lesse to preuaile against hym but to beseche hym to be mercifull vnto vs and according to his waÌ„ted mercy to deale with vs. Let vs arise with Dauyd and say Ne intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo c. Enter not into iudgement oh Lorde with thy seruant for in thy sight no flesh liuyng shall be iustifyed Let vs send ambassadors wyth the Centurion and say Lord we are not worthy to come our selues vnto thee speake the worde and we shal haue peace Let vs peniteÌ„tly with the Publicane loke down on the earth knocke our hard hartes to burst them and cry out oh god be merciful vnto vs wretched synners Let vs with the lost sonne returne and say O father we haue synned against heauen and earth before thee we are vnworthy to be called thy children Let vs I say do on this sort that is hartely repente vs of our former euill lyfe and vnthankefull gospelling past conuert turne to god with our whole hartes hopyng in hys great mercy through Christ and hartelye calling vppon his holye name and then vndoubtedly we shall fynde and feele otherwyse then yet we fele both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly we shal fele peace of conscience betwene god and vs which peace passeth al vnderstaÌ„dyng outwardly we shall feele much mitigation of these miseries yf not an outward taking of theÌ„ away Therfore my derely beloued in the lorde I your poorest brother now departyng to the Lord for my vale in aeternum for this present lyfe pray you beseche you and euen from the very bottome of my hart for al the mercies of god in Christ shewed vnto you most earnestly begge and craue of you out of prison as often out of your pulpittes I haue done that ye will repente you leaue your wycked and euil lyfe be sory for your offences and turne to the lorde whose armes are wyde open to receiue and embrace you whose stretched out hande to strike to death stayeth that he might shewe mercy vpon you for he is the lord of mercy and god of all comfort he wyll not the death of a synner but rather that he should returne conuert and amend he hath no pleasure in the destruction of men hys long suffryng draweth to repentaunce before the tyme of vengeaunce and the daye of wrathe which is at hande doth come Now is the axe layed to the roote of the tree vtterlye to
losse of this life which in dede is neuer founde til it be so loste excepte the graine of wheate fal and be dead it remaineth fruitles You know how that he which was rapte into the third heauen did know what he wrote doth say that as the corne liueth not excepte it bee dead and cast into the earth so truly our bodyes And therefore the crosse should so litle feare vs that euen death it selfe shold altogether be desired of vs as the taylour which putteth of our ragges and arayeth vs with the royall robes of immortalitie incorruptioÌ„ and glory Great shame it should be for vs that al the whole creatures of God should desire yea grone in their kinde for our libertie Rom. 8. we our selues to loth it as doubtles we do if for the crosse yea for death it self we with ioye swallow not vp all sorrow that myght let vs from followyng the Lordes calling and obeying the lords prouidence wherby doubtles all crosses and death it selfe doth come and not by hap or chauÌ„ce In consideratioÌ„ wherof righte deare Mother in that this prouidence stretcheth it self so vnto vs and for vs that euen the heares of our heads are numbred with GOD not one of them to fall to oure hurt surely we declare our selues very faint in faith yf we receiue not such comfort that we can willinglye offer oure selues to the Lord and cast our whole care vpon his backe honouring him wyth this honour that he is euer wyll be carefull for vs and all we haue as for hys deare chyldren Be therfore of good chere euen in the myddest of these miseries be thankefull to the Lorde and prepare your selfe for a further trial which if god send you as I hope so do you beleue that god therin will helpe and comfort you and make you able to beare whatsoeuer shall happen And thus much hauyng this oportunitie I thoughte good to wryte praying god our father to recompence into your bosome all the good that euer you haue done to me especially and to many others bothe in this tyme of trouble and alwaies heretofore Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford To Maystres VVylkinson THe Lorde of mercye in Christe his sonne our Sauiour and only comforter be with you all now and for euer Amen Although preseÌ„tly I haue litle tyme by reason of this bringers short departing lesse occasioÌ„ of necessary mater to write vnto you yet in that it hath pleased god to offer me more liberty to write theÌ„ before I had as this reader can report I thought good to signifye vnto you the same with the acknowledging of the receipt of your tokens for the which I neither can nor wil go about to flatter you with thankes in that I know you loke for none at myne hands god beyng the cause and his word the ende wherfore you dyd so to him I know you woulde haue me thankefull and I beseche you praye that I may so bee and not onelye thankefull for my selfe and his benefites towardes me but also thankefull for you to whome God hath geuen to feare his name and loue his truth The which giftes farre passe the riches of the world for they shal perish and be left we know not vnto whoÌ„ but these gifts of god as they last for euer so they make happy the possessours of the same Go to therfore and pray god to encrease them of hys goodnes as of his mercy he hath beguÌ„ne theÌ„ in you in dede so he wyll For to whome he geueth the earnest of wyllyng to the same he will geue the grace of continuyng yf we reiect not the same as we do when we bee double harred â—4 Reg. 17. and parte our feare and loue as dyd the Samaritanes which feared god and their Adramelech loued gods religion and their olde countrey customes c. If this doublenes come on vs that we feare more the worlde and couple it wyth the feare of God yf we loue the mucke of this molde and couple it wyth the loue of Gods religion then parte we stake then marre we the markette then the spiryte of GOD wyll departe Act. 5. then playe we as Ananias and Saphyra dydde and so sooner or later shall fall to perdition wyth them But as I sayde I thynke no suche thynge of you I thynke of you as of Gods deare chyldren whose hartes are whole wyth the Lorde And therefore I wryte not thys as thoughe you were suche but because it is Gods goodnes you bee not suche because Sathan woulde haue you suche and because manye that were as you nowe bee are suche Therefore to make you as thankeful so carefull to continue but yet so that youre care bee caste all on the Lorde is the onelye cause I write thys and woulde wryte more but that the brynger can not carye And therfore hastely and abruptlye I make an ende besechynge almyghty GOD in our redemer Iesus Christ to bee wyth you and wyth hys holye spiryte comforte you all and helpe my good Syster Maistres W. to bee an happye and a good mother of the chylde of whiche as yet I heare God hathe not deliuered her By your owne to vse in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To my deare Brother in the Lorde Mayster Rychard Hopkyns and hys wyfe dwellyng in Couentrye and other my faythfull bretherne and Systers professours of gods holye Gospel there and theraboutes THe peace whiche Christe lefte to hys churche and to euerye true member of the same Iohn 14. Rom. 8 the holye spirite the guide of Gods chyldren so engrafte in youre harte and in the harte of youre good wyfe and of all my good bretherne and systers aboute you that vnfaynedlye ye maye in respecte thereof contempne all worldlye peace whyche is contrarye to that peace that I speake of and dryueth it vtterlye oute of the hartes of all those whiche woulde patche them both together For we cannot serue two maisters Math. 6 no man can serue GOD and mammon Christes peace cannot bee kepte with this worldes peace God therfore of hys mercy doe I beseche to geue vnto you his peace whiche passeth all vnderstandyng and so kepe your hartes and mynds phil 4. that they may be pure habitacles and mansions for the holye spirite yea for the blessed trinitie Iohn 14 who hathe promised to come and dwell in all them that loue Chryste and keepe hys sayenges My dearely beloued the tyme is nowe come wherein tryall is made of men that haue professed to loue Chryste and woulde haue beene counted kepers of hys testimonyes But weale awaye the tenthe person perseuereth not the more parte doe parte stakes wythe the papistes and protestantes so that they are become maungye Mongrelles to the infectynge of all that company wyth them and to theyr no smale peryll For they pretend outwardly popery The Mongrels excuse goyng to Masse with the papistes tarying with them personallye at theyr Antichristian and
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
shall be able by the worde of God euer to impugne it muche lesse to confute it In the first chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians Ephesi 1. the Apostle sayeth thus Blessed be god the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs wyth all maner of blessynges in heauenly thinges by Christ accordyng as he hath elect or chosen vs in hym before the foundation of the world was layed that we should be holy and without blame before hym through loue and hath predestinate vs or ordeyned vs thorough Iesus Christ to bee heyres vnto hymselfe accordyng to the good pleasure of hys wyll to the prayse of the glory of hys grace wherwyth he hath made vs accepted in the beloued by whom we haue receyued redēption thorough hys bloud and the forgeuenes of our sinnes accordyng to the riches of hys grace which grace he hath shed on vs aboundauntly in all wisedome and vnderstandyng and hath opened vnto vs the mysterye of hys wyll accordyng to hys good pleasure which he purposed in hymselfe to haue it declared when the tyme was full come that he myght gather together all thynges by or in Christe as well the thynges that be in heauen as the thynges that be in earth euen in or by hym by or in whome we are made heyres beyng thereto predestinate accordyng to the purpose of hym whiche worketh all thynges accordynge to the decree or counsayle of hys owne wyll that we which hoped before you in Christe shoulde bee vnto the prayse of hys glory in whome ye also hoped after that ye heard the word of truth the gospell of your saluation wherein ye also beleuyng were sealed wyth the holy spirite of promyse whyche is the earnest of our inheritaunce vntyll the redēption or full fruition of the purchased possession vnto the prayse of hys glory These be the wordes of Paule which I haue faithfullye translated accordyng to the very texte in the Greeke as by the iudgement of all that be learned I desyre herein to bee tried Out of the which wordes of Paule we may wel perceiue euerye thing affirmed in my propositiō as I wil geue occasion plainly to them that wil to see it The cause of gods election is his grace good will First that the cause of gods election is of hys good wyll the Apostle sheweth in saying that it is throughe hys loue wherby we are holy and wythout blame also accordyng to the good pleasure of his will according to his good pleasure purposed in hymselfe accordyng to hys purpose which worketh all thynges after the counsel of his owne wyll The tyme of gods election was from the beginning Secondly that election was before the beginnyng of the world the apostle plainely sheweth in sayeng that we were chosen before the foundation of the world was laid and afterwardes in callyng it the mysterye of hys wyll purposed wyth hymselfe in tyme to be declared Election is in Christ Thirdly that election is in Christ the Apostle doth so flatly and plainly set it forth that I nede not here to repete it We sayeth he are chosen in him we are heyres by hym wt are accepted by him we are gathered together in him c. Electionis not of all men Fourthly that election is of some of Adams posteritye and not of al we may plainly see it if we cōsider that he maketh the true demonstration of it beleuing hoping and hauing the earnest of the spirite In whom yea hoped saith he after ye heard the word c. In whom ye beleued wer sealed vp c. Agayne in attributyng to the electe forgeuenes of synnes holynes blameles liuyng being in Christ c. That we shold be holy saieth he c. we haue receyued forgeuenes of sinnes c. Who seeth not that these are not common to al men 2. Thess 3 Act. 13. 1 Iohn 1 Math. 13 Al men haue not faithe saieth Paule elsewhere None beleued saith Luke but suche as were ordained to eternall life None beleue but such as be borne of god None beleue truly but such as haue good hartes and kepe gods seede to bring forth frute by patience Fayth is a demonstratiō of election to such as be of yeres of discretion Psal 125. So that it is plain faith being a demonstration of gods election to them that be of yeres of discretion that all men are not elect because all men beleue not For he that beleueth in the lord shal be as mount Sion that is he shal neuer be remoued for if he bee remoued that is finally perish surely he neuer truely beleued But what go I about to lighten a cādell in the cleare sonne light whē our sauiour plainly saith that all be not chosen but few Many be called saith he but few be chosen Mat. 20. And in the 2. chap. to the Ephes the Apostle plainly saith that the greate riches of gods mercy through hys exceding great loue hath saued thē before their parentes many other Gentiles whiche were excluded from Christ and straūgers from the promise hopeles godles c. Rom. 11. Psal 144. Wherthrough we may be occasioned to cry oh the depth of the iudgements of god which is iuste in all hys doynges and holy in al hys workes extendyng his mercy after hys good pleasure wyll aboue al his workes Fyftly that god hath predestinate these Election is to eternal life thus elect vnto euerlastyng lyfe in Christe the apostle dothe also in the wordes before writen declare in saying and hath predestinate vs through Iesus Christe to be heyres vnto hymselfe Agayne by hym sayth he yeare made heyres and predestinate to the prayse of hys glorye Rom. 8 So sayeth the Apostle elsewhere whom he hathe predestinate them hath he predestinate to be lyke fashioned vnto the shape of hys sonne Luke 10 And therfore Christ sayeth reioyce in thys that your names are writen in heauen Syxtlye The ende of election is to the prayse and glory of god that the ende of election is to the prayse of gods glory and grace the Apostle sheweth here in saying we are predestinate to be holye without blame before god c. In saying we are predestinate to the glory of hys grace And in saying also vnto the prayse of hys glory so that nothing can be more manifest Seuenthly Election is not without vocation and iustificatiō in time that predestination is not without vocation in gods tyme and iustification the Apostle here dothe teach in bringyng vs to the consideration of hearing the word of truthe beleuing receiuing the holye spirite remission of synnes c. In whom saith he ye haue hoped after that ye heard the word of truth c. Againe by whome ye haue redemption that is remission of synnes thorough the sheding of hys blood c. Also he hath in hys full tyme declared the mystery of hys wyl c. Vnto the Rom. the apostle sheweth it moste
19 Say wyth the poore man I beleue Lord helpe my vnbelief Say with the Apostels Lord encrease oure fayth This myne owne hartes in the Lorde I wryte not that you shoulde lyue more securely and carnally doing as the Spiders doe whiche gather poyson where bees gather honye but that as the electe of god you mighte liue in all puritie godlines and peace which god encrease in vs all for his Christes sake Amen I pray you hartelie pray for vs that to the verie ende we may as I hope we shall goe lustelie and cherefullie whether soeuer our heauenly father shal bring and lead vs. His will whiche is alwaies good bee done in earthe as it is in heauen Amen Your brother in bondes for the testimonye of Iesus Christ Iohn Bradforde To my good Syster M. H. THe peace of God wyth encrease of fayth and feeling of his mercy to your cōfort in Christ the holy ghost worke in your hart now and for euer Amen As it is much to my comfort that God hath geuen you such a loue and zeale to hys truth so I exhort you my good Syster diligētly to labour as by cōtinual readyng and meditation of gods holy word so by earnest prayer and other godly exercises to maintayne and encrease the same that by the feelyng of gods gratious spirite workyng in you suche good fruites as wytnesses of your fayth you may growe in strength therof and certayntie of gods fauour and good wyl towardes you For aboue all thyngs of thys I woulde haue you to be moste assured that you are beloued of god that you are hys dere chylde and shall bee for euermore throughe Christe in whome you are by fayth and he in you Out of thys certeintie the cause wherof is gods owne goodnes grace and truth spryngeth true loue and louyng feare and obedience to god continually and in all thynges Where it is I meane thys fayth certaintie and persuasion of gods eternall goodnes to you in Christe there no synnes are imputed to you or layd to your charge to condēnation nor shal be though for correctiō sake now thē your heauenly father visit them fatherly or rather you for them Where it is not there is nothyng be it neuer so well done that pleaseth God Labour therfore for this certainty of faith through Christ Whēsoeuer you dout you heape sinne vpō sinne If Satan your cōsciēce or gods law do accuse you confesse your fault hide it not before the lord But whē they woulde inferre that because of your synne you are condemned you are cast away then aunswer them that it is but their office to accuse and witnes not to geue sentence iudge it onely apperteyneth to god to geue iudgement Paule sayth it is god that absolueth who then shall condemne vs God hymselfe promiseth before he demaund any thyng of vs that he is our Lord and our god and are not they happy which haue the lord for their god Is he god to any whose sinnes he remitteth not Through Christ he is our father and therfore we are commaunded so to call him and can there want any fatherly kyndnes in hym towardes vs which be hys children No verely Therfore be sure and wauer not of gods loue fauour towardes you in Christ The cause of hys loue is his owne goodnes and mercy this lasting for euer hys loue loseth for euer How can you then but be quiete happy Vse this geare to comforte the weake conscience and not to vnbridle the mighty affections of the fleshe or olde Adam which must haue other meate Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ An exhortation to the patient sufferyng of trouble and afflictions for Christes cause wrytten to all the vnfayned professours of the gospell thoroughout the realme of England at the beginning of hys imprisonmente and here placed as it came to our handes THe holy spirite of God whiche is the earnest and pledge of God geuen to hys people for theyr comfort and consolation be powred into our hartes by the mighty power merites of our alone Sauiour Iesus Christ now and for euer Amen Because I perceiue plainly that to the euils fallen vpō vs which professe Christes gospell greater are most like to ensue and after them greater Gene. 15. Luke 9. Genes 19 tyl the measure of iniquity be vp heaped except we shrynke hauyng put our handes to the plough do loke back and so wyth Lothes wyfe and the Israelits desiryng to returne into Egipt fal into gods heauy displeasure vncurably al which god forbidde and because I am persuaded of you my derely beloued brethern and Systers throughe out the realme of Englande which haue professed vnfainedly the gospell of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ for vnto such do I wryte this epistle that as ye haue begonne to take parte wyth gods gospell and truth so throughe his grace ye will perseuer and goe on forwardes notwithstandyng the stormes risen and to arise I cannot but wryte something vnto you lustely to goe on forwardes in the way of the Lord and not to become faynte harted or fearefull Apoca. 25. whose place S. Iohn appointeth with the vnbeleuers murtherers and Idolaters in eternall perdicion but cherefully to take the Lordes cuppe and drynke of it afore it drawe towardes the dregges and bottom Psal 75 wherof at the length they shall drynke with the wycked to eternal destruction 1. pet 4 which wil not receiue it at the first with gods children with whome god beginneth hys iudgemente that as the wicked world reioyceth when they lament Iohn 16. so they may reioyce when the wycked world shall mourne and without ende fynde woe intollerable First therfore my dearely beloued in the Lord I besech you to consider Iohn 14 Psal 17 2. Cor. 4. Apoc. 12 Heb. 11 1. pet 2 Heb. 13 Psalm 119 Heb. 12 Mat. 28 Rom. 9 1. Ioh. 5 Apo. 13 Luke 6. EZech. 9. Math. 5. Esay 22 1. Cor. 15 that thoughe ye be in the worlde yet ye are not of the world Ye are not of them whiche looke for their porciō in this lyfe whose Captain is the god of this world euen Sathan who now ruffleth it apace as he were woode because his tyme on earthe is not long But ye are of them that loke for a Citye of gods owne blessing Ye are of them that know your selues to be here but pylgrimes and straūgers for here ye haue no dwellyng place Ye are of them whose porcion is the lorde and whiche haue their hope in heauen whose captayn is Christ Iesus the Sonne of God and gouernour of heauen and earth Vnto him is geuen all power yea he is god almighty with the father and the holy ghost prayse worthy for euer Ye are not of them which receyue the beastes marke which here reioyce laugh and haue their hartes ease ioye paradise and pleasure but ye are of them whiche haue receyued the Aungels marke yea Gods marke which here
Marke 6 Matth. 10. Apo 5. God wyl not be mocked naye they that dissemble with him deceiue themselues Such shal the lord deny and caste oute at the laste daye such I say as beare two faces in one hoode such as play on both handes such as deny the knowen truth such as obstinately rebel agaynst hym All such with theyr partakers shall the lord destroy God defend you from al such and make you perfecte vnto the ende Iohn 16. Your sorow shall be turned into ioy A letter sent to a frende of hys THe eternall God kepe you in hys feare I haue me hartely commended vnto you your husband besechyng almighty god to preserue you in well doyng and in perfect knowledge of hys Christ that you may be soūd fautles in the day of the Lord. I haue heard say that my frend is geuē ouer to vanity It breaketh my hart not only to heare that he so dothe but also teacheth other that it is vnhurtfull to go to all abhominations whyche now stande in the Idoles temples Neuerthelesse deare frend be not moued to followe synners for they haue no inheritaunce wyth GOD and Christe But looke that by goyng into the Idoles temple you defyle not the temple of God for lyghte hath no fellowshyp wyth darkenes but looke what the Lord hath commaunded that doe For yf not goyng to church were wythout persecution they woulde not learne you that lesson But all thing that is swete to the flesh is allowed of the fleshly The Lord shal rewarde euery man accordyng to hys works he that leadeth into captiuity shal go into captiuity and he that by the fleshly man is led in the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption The lord Iesu geue you hys holy spirit Amen Seke peace and ensue it Feare god loue god with al your hart wyth al your soule and wyth all your strength Your frend and all mens in Christ Iesus R. Smith Scribled in hast from Newgate the .12 of May. To hys VVyfe THe God and father eternal which brought againe frō death our Lord Iesus Christ kepe thee deare wyfe nowe and for euer wyth thy Parentes and all thy frendes Amen I prayse God for hys mercye I am in the same state that you lefte me in rather better then worse lokyng daylye for the lyuyng GOD before whome I hunger full sore to appeare and receyue the glorye of whyche I trust thou art wyllyng to be a partaker I geue GOD most harty thankes therefore desyryng thee of all loues to stande faste in that fayth which thou hast receyued and let no man take awaye the seede that almighty god hath sowē in thee but lay hands of euerlastyng lyfe which shal euer abide whē both the earth al earthly frends shal peryshe desyryng them also to receiue thankfully our trouble which is momentane light as S. Paule saith not worthy of the things which shal be shewed on vs that we patiētly carying our crosse may attayne to the place whether our Sauiour Christ is gone before to the which I besech god of his mercy bring vs spedely I haue bene much troubled about your deliueraūce fearyng much the persuasions of worldlings haue found a frend which wil I trust find a meane for you if you be not alredy prouided desiring you in any case to abide suche order as that my frende shall appoint in god And bear wel in mind the words which I spake at our departīg that as god hath chosē vs made vs worthy to suffer with him we may endeuour our selues to folow vprightly in thys our vocation desiryng you to present my hartye commendations to all our frendes and especiallye to your Parentes kepyng youre matter close in anye wyse Geue moste hartye thankes to my frende whiche onelye for our cause is come to Windsor Continue in prayer Do wel Be fautles in al thyngs Beware of abhominations Keepe you cleane from synne Praye for me as I doe for you I haue sente you a piece of golde for a token and moste entierlye desire you to sende me worde yf you lacke any thyng The lord Iesu preserue you and yours Amen From Newgate the .15 of Apryll Yf you wyll mete wyth me agayn Forsake not Christ for any payne By your faithfull husband Robert Smyth ⧠Letters of Maister Bartelet Grene a gentleman and professour of the Lawe who for gods cause and the mayntenaunce of hys holy Gospel suffred martyrdome the .13 of Ianuarye In the yere of our Lord. 1556. To hys dearely beloued in the lord Mystres Elizabeth C. WOuld God if it were hys pleasure that with this letter I might send you my hart mind and whatsoeuer there is in me elles that pertaineth vnto god So should I thynke it the best message happiest letter that euer I could wryte But though I obtaine not my desyre yet shal I not cease with continual praier to labour for you desiring almighty god to encrease that which he hath long sith begon in you of sober life earnest zeale towards his religiō In faith as saith S. Paule she that is a true widow frēdles putteth her trust in god i. Cor 7 cōtinuing day and nyght in supplication and prayer but she that liueth in pleasure is dead euen yet alyue And verely a true widowe is she that hathe maried Christ forsakyng the vanities of the world and lust of the fleshe For as the maried woman careth how to loue please and serue her husband i. Tim 5 so ought the widowe to geue all her harte and soule thoughtes and wordes studies and labours faythfully to loue god vertuously to bring vp her children and householde and diligentlye to prouide for the poore and oppressed Therfore Sainte Paule firste instructeth a widowe howe to behaue her selfe that is to beginne wher Paule leaueth not to lyue in pleasure then to watch vnto prayer as the onely meanes to obtaine al our desires stedfastly laying vp all our trust in God as Salomō ryght well saith psalm 34. Luk. 2. first escheue euill then do good Of Anna the praise is wrytten that she neuer went out of the temple but serued God wyth fastyng and prayer nyght and daye so well had she espoused Christ Iudith 8. Iudith ware a smocke of heare contynuyng in fastyng and had good reporte of al men The next care that belongeth vnto a wydow is that she bring vp her chrildrē and household godly Ephes 6. in the nourture and informacion of the Lord. Wherof Sainct Paule sayth if any widow haue chyldren or Nephewes 1. Tym 5. let them learne firste to rule theyr owne house godlye and to recompence theyr elders The incontinency coueteousnes of Phynees and O phny not corrected by Ely their father ◠Reg. 2 prouoked gods vēgeaūce vpō him all his kynred The ouer tender loue of Absolon expelled Dauyd from his kyngdom 2. Regū 15 The vnrebuked sinnes of Ammon encouraged Absolon to
all thinges whiche the Lord hath spoken to thee shall be fulfilled So I saye to you my deare hartes in the Lorde happye are ye all yea twyse happye shall ye bee for euermore because ye haue stedfastlye beleued the moste swete promises which god the father hath made vnto you with his own mouth in that he hath promised you which are the faythful seede of the beleuing Abraham that ye shal be blessed euer world wtout end The promises of God your sweete father as ye do beleue so do ye beare record the god is true The testimony wherof ye haue full worthely borne to the world and shortly will full surely seale the same with your blood yea euen to morow I do vnderstand Oh constant Christians oh valiaunt souldiers of the high Captaine Iesus Christ who for your sake hath conquered the deuill death sinne hell and hath geuen you full victory ouer theÌ„ for euer more Oh worthy witnesses most glorious Martyrs whose inuincible fayth hath ouercome that proud sturdie bragging prince of the world and al his wicked army ouer whoÌ„ ye shall shortly triumphe for euermore Ah my swete hartes the euerlasting treasures are full surely layd vp for you in heaueÌ„ The immercessible and most glorious crowne of victory is already made and prepared for you to be shortly clapt vpon al your happy heads The holy Aungels of your heauenly father are already appointed to conduct your sweete soules into Abrahams bosome All the heauenly host reioyceth alreadye for that they shall shortlye receaue you with ioye and felicitye into their blessed fellowship Selach Reioyce with double ioy be glad my deare brethren for doubtles ye haue more cause then caÌ„ be expressed But alas I that for my sinnes am left behinde maye lie and lamente with the holye Prophet saying psalm 119. woe is me that the daies of my ioyfull rest are prolonged Ah cursed Sathan which hath caused me so sore to offende my moste deare louing father wherby my exile and banishment is so much prolonged Oh Christ my aduocate pacifie thy fathers wrath which I haue iustelye deserued that he maye take me home to him in his sweete mercy Oh that I might nowe come home vnto thee with my blessed brethren Wel thy wil Oh Lord be effectuouslye fulfilled for it is onely good turneth al things to the best for such as thou in thy mercyes haste chosen And now farewell my deare hartes moste happye in the Lord. I trust in my good God yet shortlye to see you in the celestiall Citye wherof vndoubtedly the Lord hath already made you free Citizens Though ye be yet with vs for a litle time your very home is in heauen where your treasure doth remaine with your swete lord redemer Iesus christ whose calling you haue heard with the eares of your harts therfore ye shall neuer come into iudgement but passe from death to life Your sinnes shal neuer be remeÌ„bred be they neuer so many so greuous or so great for your Sauiour hath cast theÌ„ all into the bottome of the sea he hath remoued them froÌ„ you as farre as the east is froÌ„ the west psalm 103. his mercy hath much more preuailed ouer you then is distance betwene heauen and earth and he hath geuen you for an euerlasting possession of the same al his holines righteousnes iustification yea and the holy ghost into your hartes wherwith ye are surely sealed vnto the day of redemption to certifie you of your eternal electioÌ„ and the ye are his true adopted soÌ„nes wherby ye may boldely crie vnto god Abba deare father for euer more so that nowe no creature in heaueÌ„ earth nor hel shall be able to accuse you before the throne of the heauenly King Gen 3. SathaÌ„ is now cast out from you he him self is iudged hath no part in you He wil once more bite you by the heele and then he hath done for at the time you shal squise his head through your own good Christ so haue finall victorie for euer more In ioyfull triumph wherof ye shall swetely ascende into the place of eternal rest whether your eldest brother Christ is gone before you to take possession for you and to prepare your place vnder the holy Alter with Cranmer Latymer Ridley Rogers Hoper Saunders Farrer Tailour Bradford Philpot with many other who will be full glad of your coÌ„ming to see vi moe of their appointed number that their blood may so much the soner be reuenged vpon them that dwel on the earth Thus I make an end committing you al to gods moste merciful defence whose quarrell ye haue defended whose cause ye haue promoted whose glory ye haue set forth and whose name ye haue constantlye confessed Farewell for a while my dere hartes in the Lord I wil make as much hast after you as I may Al our deare brethren salute you They praie for you and praise god for you continually Blessed be the dead that die in the Lord for they rest froÌ„ their labours saith the holy ghost Apo. â—1 and their workes followe them Your owne Iohn Careles a most vnprofitable seruaunt of the Lord yet of hys great mercy prysoner for his sake abiding his further good pleasure Pray praye praye To M. Greene M. VVhittell and certaine other prysoners in Newgate condemned and ready to be burnt for the testimony of the Lord Iesus THe euerlasting peace in Iesus Christ the continuall comfort of his most pure holy spirite be with you my most deare and faithful brethren and sisters of Newgate the Lordes appoynted shepe vnto the slaughter to the good performance of the great and notable worke of the lord which he hath so graciously begoÌ„ne in you all that the same may redownd to the setting forth of his glory and to the commoditie of his churche and to your owne euerlasting comfort in him So be it Ah my dere harts most faithful brethreÌ„ sisters in the lord what high laudes praise yea what humble and continuall thankes am I bouÌ„d to geue to god oure father for you on your moste happie behalfe who so mightely hath magnified himself in you thus farforth in geuiÌ„g you his holy mighty spirit to the constant confessing of christes veritye euen to the cruel condeÌ„pnation I dout not but he wil do the same to the death Oh happie blessed are you the euer you were borne that the lord wil vouch you worthie of this great dignitie to die for his sake Doubtles it is the greatest honour the god can geue you in this life Yea if they be so blessed of god that die in the Lord as the holy ghost saith they be how much more blessed happie then are you that die not only in the lord Apo. 11. but also for the lord Oh that it were the good will of god that the good houre were now come that I might go with you Ah that my sinnes made
victorye is once gotten you maye receiue the inmercessible crowne of glory of gods free gift through hys greate mercy in Iesus Christ our alone Sauiour To whome wyth the father and the holy ghost be all honour glory prayse thankes power rule and dominion for euer and euermore Amē The blessyng of God be wyth you all Iohn Careles ¶ To my faythfull and louyng brother VVilliam Aylsebury THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the continual aide strength comfortes of his most pure holye mighty spirite with the encrease of faith and liuely feelyng othys mercye be wyth you my deare and faythfull louyng brother W. Ailsebury to the increase of hys good gyftes in you and the full finishyng of that which the Lorde hath so gratiouslye begonne in you that the same maye bee to the setting forth of his glory the commoditye of hys poore afflicted churche and to your owne euerlastyng comforte in hym Amen Albeit my dere harte in the lord that at this very present my sorye slowe hande is something pestered with writyng to please my frendes which daily cal vpon me for the performance of my promise and duety towardes them by the meanes wherof I cannot now wryte vnto you in so ample maner as I fayne would yet lest by my to long silence my great ingratitude for your loue and godly letters shuld to muche appeare I haue here in haste scribled these fewe wordes vnto you desiring you to accepte the same in good parte vntyl the Lorde shall sende me a more conueniente tyme to expresse my good will and bounden dutye more largely vnto you promisyng you in the meane space that my poore praier shal supply that which wanteth otherwise as I trust you do not forget me in yours for verely I haue great nede of it My deare brother I thanke you most hartely for your godlye louing and moste comfortable letters in the which I do euidently perceiue the precious gyftes of God wherwith you are plentifully endued the Lorde be praised for you and from the bottome of my harte I do reuerence his spirite in you Wherfore my good brother bee not negligent in the talent that God hath deliuered vnto you but diligently applye the same as I knowe well you doe that the Lorde may receiue his owne wyth vauntage and you the rewarde of a faythfull seruaunt at the tyme of hys most ioyefull returne Truely I wyl not speake it to flatter you neither would I prouoke you to vaine glory but I wyll saye as I see iuste cause that god hathe aboundantly blessed you with the swete knowledge and pure vnderstandyng of his holy worde Be alwaies thankefull vnto god I charge you and humble and meke in your owne sight that GOD onely may haue al the glory from the bottome of your hart And loke that you be very circumspect in al your life conuersation that the light of your good workes may so shine before men that they may be occasioned to glorify your heauēly father on your behalfe Be diligent in your doings and quick trusty in al your Maisters busines that you go about that by al meanes you maye do honour to the doctrine of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Remēber that Sathan nowe wyll haue greater spite at you then at many other because you are such a mortall enemy to his kingdome on enerye syde Therefore bee you sure he will nowe lie bitynge at your heele to see if he can geue you a fall anye manner of waye that he myght make the truth of that godly doctrine which you constantly confesse to be slaundered by the meanes therof I knowe well that Sathans thoughtes are not hidde from you 2. Cor. 2. I doubt not but you will be more circūspecte thē I can declare notwithstanding I thought it my bounden duty to warne you as one whom I loue as myne owne soule wyshing you all the good I can possible Commend me vnto my deare frend Iohn Manning and thanke him for his manifold kindnes I am much to blame for him but if the lord do spare my lyfe a litle longer I wil write somthing to him for a remembraunce when I am gone Desire hym to praye for me as I do not forget hym I haue sente you your writinges agayne wyth thankes I pray you write me a copye of that cōcerning the Trinitie for I lyke it meruelous wel it is so briefe pithy I haue no leisure to write it yet wold I fayne haue it as knoweth the lord GOD to whose moste merciful defence I do hartely committe you wyth my good brother Iohn Manning that he with his grace and spirit wil guide you both with al the rest of his deare children vnto the ende Amen The blessing of God be with you nowe and euermore Amen Your owne vnfainedly Iohn Carelet prysoner of the Lorde Pray praye praye To my most faythefull and deare brother T. V. THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the continuall comfortes of his moste pure holy spirit be with you my deare and faythfull brother V. and in all thinges make you ioyfull throughe the liuelye feeling of hys fatherly mercy and godly prouidēce for you that you hauing daily more and more the sure sence of the same may be able of your owne good experience perfectly to comfort me and all other with the same comfort which you haue and further shal receiue of god who blesse and kepe you now and euer Amen I cannot expresse my deare harte in the Lord howe my ioyes do increase to see how god of hys great mercye dothe daily adde vnto his true church and poore afflicted congregation such as he in Christ hath elected to saluation before the foundation of the world was laid of which most happy nūber preserued only by his free mercy and grace the lorde no doubte hath chosen and doth recken you for one and hath registred your name in his booke of life where it shal remaine for euer and that so sure that neither Sathan deathe sinne nor hell shall euer be able to blot or scrape out the same thoughe for the further proofe and triall of your faith god many times suffreth the same to appeare to your senses farre contrary Reioyce therefore and with gladnes geue god most humble prayse and harty thankes that euer you lyued to see this day in the which he hath surely sealed you with his holy mighty spirite vnto the day of your final redemption and most happy deliueraunce from all corruption God make the same certayn vnto you by thou true testimony of the holy ghost in your hart whose witnes vnto your spirit that you are the adopted sonne of God is more sure and certain then al the outward oracles in the world And as this most true heauenly doctryne doth bring al mirth ioy peace and quietnes vnto a christian conscience so doth it set Satan in a most sore rage malice against the same for that auncient enemye of ours
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
was alowed therein Bee not deceyued good Syster wyth the perswasible wordes of man neyther be afrayd of his threates Followe the Gospell of Christe accordynge to true knowledge and feare to doe that whyche by the same is straightlye forbydden you Tempte not GOD anye longer by thys euyll doynge for you can doe nothynge more haynous in hys syghte Lette thys haltyng bee healed vppe and turne not from the ryghte wayes of the Lord. Be not ashamed of his gospel neither of the crosse which is the badge of the true and vnfayned professons therof whyche you see now hys faythefull praised be his name therfore are so wel content and wyllyng to beare but rather as you are called take vppe your crosse and be assured thereby to enter into Christes glorye for onlesse we suffer wyth hym we shall not raygne wyth hym and yf we dye not with Christ we shall not lyue wyth Christe The crosse nowe is the redye way to heauen therfore I wish you should choose to be afflitted with the people of god rather then to liue in the tabernacles of the wicked Do not any more that whych of all thynges ye haue now most cause to repent neyther lay daily the foundation of repentance but let this fal be a teaching vnto you of the wante of faythe whyche is in you and so become more feruente in prayer and godlye exercises that wyth thys newe yeare ye maye become a newe woman in a godlye and newe perfection the whyche GOD for hys mercies sake in Christ worke bothe in you and me to the ende Amen VVritten in hast by your brother in captiuity Iohn Philpot. ¶ To a faythful woman and late wyfe to one of the bishops which gaue theyr liues in the Lordes quarell REmember deare Syster that your lyfe in this world is a continual warfare to fight against the world the flesh and the deuil in the which you are apointed for the tryal of your faith loue to godt to fight manfully to ouercom for the spirit of god which is in you is strōger thē he which is in the world by this you may know that you are the child of god euen by the spirit which striueth in you against the flesh sinne wil not suffer sinne to raigne in you This spirit is obtained by often and daylye readynge and hearynge the woorde of GOD ioyned with faithful and hartye prayer for diligent readyng of Gods worde planteth the holy spyryte in you and earneste prayer encreaseth the same Reade therefore the worde studiouslye and praye hartelye that the same good gyfte of faythe whiche you haue learned of youre faythefull husbande and good bishop in the Lorde who hath gloriouslye yelded hys lyfe for the same maye be confyrmed in you euen vnto deathe that you may receyue the same crowne of glorye whiche he nowe hathe for precious is the deathe of the faythfull in the Lordes syghte therefore desire still to dye to the Lorde and be glad to be poore both in bodye and spirit and thus assure your selfe the kyngdō of heauen is yours Your owne in the Lord Iohn Philpot. ⧠Letters of Maister Iohn Bradforde a faythfull Minister and a synguler pyller of Christes churche by whose greate trauailes and diligence in preaching and plāting the syncerity of the gospel by whose most godly and innocent lyfe and by whose long and payneful imprisonments for the maintenance of the truth the kyngdom of god was not a litle aduaūced who also at last most valiātly cherefully gaue his blood for the same The .4 day of Iuly In the yere of our Lord. 1553. ¶ To all that professe the gospell and true doctryne of our Lorde and Sauioure Iesus Christe in the City of London Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lorde now not only in prison but also excommunicated and condemned to be burned for the same true doctrine wysheth mercy grace and peace wyth encrease of all godly knowledge from God the father of mercy through the merites of oure alone and omnisufficient redemer Iesus Christ by the operation of his holy spirite for euer Amen MY dearely beloued brethren in our sauiour Christ althoughe the tyme I haue to lyue is very little for hourely I looke when I shoulde be had hence to bee conueyed into Lankeshyre there to bee burned and to render my lyfe by the prouidence of God where I fyrst receyued it by the same prouidence and althoughe the charge is great to kepe me from all thyngs wherby I might sygnify any thyng to the world of my state yet hauyng as now I haue pen ynke through gods workyng manger the head of Sathan and his souldiours I thought good to write a short cōfession of my faith and therto ioyne a little exhortation vnto you all to lyue according to your profession This my faith I would gladly particularly declare and expound to the confirmation and comfort of the simple but alas by startes and stelth I wryte in maner that that I write and therefore I shal desyre you al to take this breuitye in good part First for my faith I do confesse and praye all the whole congregatiō of Christ to bear witnes with me of the same that I do beleue constantly through the gift and goodnes of god for faith is gods only gift al the xij articles of the symbole or crede commenly attributed to the collection of the Apostles not bicause of the crede it selfe but bicause of the worde of god the which teacheth and confyrmeth euery article accordyngly This word of god writtē by the prophets and Apostles left and conteined in the canonical bookes of the holy Bible I do beleue to conteyne plētifully al things necessarye to saluation so that nothyng as necessary to saluation ought to be added therto and therfore the church of Christ nor none of hys congregation ought to be burdened with any other doctrine then which here out hath her foundation and grounde In testimony of which fayth I render and geue my life beyng condemned as wel for not acknowledging the Antichrist of Rome to be christs Vicar general and supreme head of hys catholike vniuersall church here and els where vpon earthe as for denying the horrible and idolatrous doctrine of transubstantiation and christes real corporall carnal presence in his supper vnder the formes and accidentes of bread and wyne To beleue Christ our sauiout to bee the heade of hys churche and kinges in their realmes to be the supreme powers to whome euerye soule oweth obedience and to beleue that in the supper of Christe which the sacrament of the aultar as the papistes cal it and vse it dothe vtterlye ouerthrowe is a true and a very presence of whole Christe god and man to the faythe of the receauer but not to the stander by and loker vpon as it is a true and a very presence of breade and wyne to the senses of men to beleue this I say wyl not serue and therfore
as an heretyke I am condemned shall be burned wherof I aske god hartely mercy that I do no more reioyce then I do hauing so great cause as to be an instrument wherein it maye please my deare lorde and Sauiour to suffer For albeit my manyfolde synnes euen sythen I came into prison haue deserued at the handes of God not onelye this temporall but also eternall fyer in hell much more then my former synful life which the lord pardō for his christs sake as I know he of his mercy hath done neuer wil lay my iniquities to my charge to condemnatiō so great is his goodnes praised therfore be his holy name although I say my manyfold greuous late sinnes haue deserued most iustly all the tyranny that man or deuil can do vnto me and therfore I cōfesse that the lord is iust that his iudgements be true deserued on my behalfe yet the bishops and prelates do not persecute them in me but Christ himself his word his truth and religion And therfore I haue great cause yea most great cause to reioyce that euer I was borne hetherto kept of the lord that by my death which is deserued for my sinnes it pleaseth the heauēly father to glorify his name to testify his truth to cōfirm his verity to oppugne his aduersaries Oh good god merciful father forgeue me my great vnthākfulnes especially herein And you my derely beloued for the lord Iesu christs sake I humbly hartely in his bowels blood do now for my last Yale farewel in this presēt life besech you euery of you that you wil cōsider this worke of the lord accordingly First by me to be admonished to beware of hypocrisie carnal security Professe not the gospel with tong lips only but in hart veritye frame and fashiō your liues accordingly Be ware gods name be not euil spokē of the gospel lesse regarded by your cōuersatiō God forgeue me that I haue not so hartely professed it as I should haue done but haue sought much my self therin The gospel is a new doctrine to the old man it is new wine therfore cannot be put in old bottels without greater hurt then good to the botlels If we will talk with the lord we must put of our shooes carnal affectiōs if we wil heare the voyce of the lord we must wash our garmēts be holy if we wil be christes disciples we must deny our selues take vp our crosse folow christ We cānot serue ij masters if we seke christes kingdō we must also seke for the righteousnes therof To the petition of let thy kingdome come we muste ioyne thy wyll be done done done on earthe as it is in heauen If we wil not be doers of the word but hearers of it we sore deceiue our selues Yf we heare the gospel loue it not we declare our selues to be but fooles builders vpō the sand The lordes spirit hateth faining disceitfulnes the lord abhorteth If we come to him we muste beware we come not with a double hart for thē it may chāce that god wil answer vs according to the blocke which is in our harte so we shal deceiue our selues and others To faithe see that we couple a good conscience lest we make a shipwracke To the Lorde we must come with feare and reuerence If we will be gospellers we must be Christes if we be Christes we must crucify our fleshe wyth the lust and concupiscences thereof If we wyl be vnder grace synne must not beare rule in vs. We may not come to the lord and draw nigh to hym wyth our lippes and leaue our hartes elsewhere lest the lords wrath waxe whotte and he take from vs the good remaynyng in no case can the kyngdome of Christe approche to them that repente not Therfore my dearely beloued let vs repente be hartely sory that we haue so carnally so hypocritically so couetously so vayne gloriously professed the gospel For al these I confesse of my selfe to the glorye of God and myne owne confusion here that he may couer myne offences in the day of iudgement Let the anger and plagues of god most iustly fallen vpō vs be applyed to euery one of our desertes that from the bottome of our harts euery of vs may say it is I Lord that haue sinned against thee it is mine hypocrisy my vayn glory my couetousnes vncleanes carnality security idlenes vnthankefulnes self loue and such lyke which haue deserued the takyng away of our good kynge of thy worde and true religion of thy good ministers by exile prisonmēt and death it is my wickednes that causeth successe and encrease of auctoritye and peace to thine enemyes Oh be mercifull be mercifull vnto vs. Turne to vs agayne oh lord of hostes and turne vs vnto thee Correcte vs but not in thy furye leaste we bee consumed In thy wrathfull displeasure reproue vs not but in the myddes of thine anger remember thy mercye for if thou wylte marke what is done amysse who shall be able to abyde it But with thee is mercifulnes that thou mightest be worshypped oh then be mercyfull vnto vs that we myghte truelye worshyppe thee Helpe vs for the glorye of thy name bee mercyfull vnto our sinnes for they are greate oh heale vs and helpe vs for thyne honoure let not the wycked people say where is theyr god c. On this sorte my right dearely beloued let vs hartely bewayle our synnes repent vs of our former euyll lyfe hartely and earnestly purpose to amende our lyues in all thynges continually watch in praier diligently and reuerently attend heare and read the holy scriptures labour after our vocation to amend our brethren Let vs reproue the workes of darkenes let vs flye from all Idolatrye let vs abhorre the Antichristian romish rotten seruice detest the popyshe masse forsake their Romish God prepare oure selues to the crosse be obediente to all that be in authoritye in all thynges that be not agaynst God and his woorde for then aunswere with the Apostles it is more meete to obeye God then man Howbeit neuer for any thing resiste or ryse agaynst the Magistrates auenge not your selues but committe your cause to the lord to whom vengeaunce pertayneth and he in his time wil reward it If ye feele in your selues an hope trust in god that he will neuer tempte you aboue that he will make you able to beare be assured the lorde wil be true to you and ye shal bee able to beare al bruntes But if ye want this hope fly get you hence rather then by your tarying gods name should be dishonoured In sūme cast your care on the Lord knowing for most certayne that he is careful for you with him are all that heares of your head numbred so that not one of thē shall perish without his good pleasure wil much more then nothing shal happen to your bodies which shal not be profitable