the world and to ioyn them vnto him self In whose cause we must if we wilbe his forsake father and mother and stycke vnto hym if we forsake hym or shrinck frō him for trouble or deathes sake whiche he calleth his crosse he wil none of vs we cannot be his if for hys cause we shal lose oure temporall liues here we shall find it again and enioy it for euermore but if in his cause wee will not be contented to leaue nor lose it here then shal we lose it so that we shall neuer finde it againe But in euerlasting death What though our troubles here be painful for the time and the stinge of death bitter vnpleasant yet we know they shal not laste in cōparisō of eternity no not the twinkling of an eie And that they pacientlye takē in Christes cause shal procure get vs vnmesurable hepes of heuēly glory vnto the which these tēporal pains troubles of death cōpared are not to be estemed but to be reioysed vpon Wonder not saith S. Peter as thoughe it were anye straung matter that ye are tried by fire he meaneth of tribulaciō whiche thing saith he is done to proue you Nay but in y t ye are partners of Christes afflictions reioyse y t in his glorious reuelacion ye mai reioyse w t mery harts If ye suffer rebukes in Christes name happy are for the glory of the spirit of God resteth vpon you Of thē God is reuiled and dishonored but of you he is glorified Let no mā be ashamed in y t he suffereth as a christian and in Christes cause For now is y e time y t iudgement gods correctiō must begin at y e house of God And if it begin first at vs what shalbe thend of those thinke ye which beleue not y t gospel And if the righteous shal be hardly saued the wicked and the sinner wher shal he apere wherfor they which are afflicted accordinge to y e wil of God let thē lay downe cōmit their souls to him by wel doing as to a trusty faithfulmaker this as I said may not seme straūg to vs. For we know y t al y e hole fraterniti of christes cōgregatiō in this world is serued w t the like by the same is made perfect for y e feruent loue y t the appostles had vnto their master christ for y e great cōmodities increse of al godlines which they by their faith to ensue of afflictiōs in Christes cause thirdlye for the heapes of heauenly ioyse which the same do get vnto the godly whyche shal endure in heauē for euermore For these causes I sai the apostles of their afflictions did ioy reioysed in that they wer had accompted worthy to suffer contumelies rebukes for christes name Paul as he glorified in the grace and fauoure of God whereunto he was brought and stode in by faith so he glorified in his afflictions for the heauenli spiritual profits which resteth vppon them yea he was so much in loue wyth that y t the carnal mā lothe the so much y t is with Christes crosse that he iudged hym self to know nothing els but christ crucified he wil glori he saith in nothing els but in Christes crosse yea he blesseth al those as thonli true Israelites and elect people of god with peace and mercy which walketh after y e rule after none other O Lord what a wonderfull spirite was that that made Paule in setting forth of him self against the vanitie of Sathan his Pseudo postels and in his claime ther that he in Christes cause did excell passe them all what wonderful Spirite was that I say that made hym to recken vp all his troubles his labors his beatings his whippings his scourginges his shipwrackes his dangers and pearils by water and by lande his famine hunger nakednes and cold with many mo and the daily care of al the congregacions of Christ. Among whome euery mannes paine did pearse his hart and euery mannes grief was greuous vnto him O Lord is this Pauls primacy wherin he thought so muche good of it that he did excel other Is not this Paules sayinge vnto Timothy his owne schollers and doth it not pertaine to whosoeuer will be Christes true souldiour bere thou saith he the afflictiōs like a good souldioure of Iesu Christ. This is true if we die with him he meneth Christ we shall liue with him If we suffer with him we shal reigne with him If we deny him he shall denye vs if we be faithlesse he remaineth faithfull he cannot denye him self This Paule woulde haue knowen to euery body For ther is none other wai to heauē but Christ and his waye And al that wil liue godlye in Christ shall saith Saint Paule suffer persecution By this waye wente to heauen the Patriarckes the Prophetes Christe oure master his Apostles his Martirs and all the Godlye since the beginning And as it hath bene of olde that he whyche was borne after the fleshe persecuteth him which was borne after the spirite So it was in Isaackes time so said Saint Peter it was in his time also And whether it be so or no nowe let the spirituall man the manne I meane that is indued with the spirite of God let him be iudge Of the crosse of the Patriarckes if ye reade the booke of Genesis ye shall perceiue Of other Saint Paule in fewe words comprehendeth much matter speaking in a generalitie of the wonderfull afflictions death and tormentes whiche the men of God in Goddes cause and for the truth sake willingly did suffer after muche perticuler rehearsall of manye he saith Other were racked and dispised to be redemed that thei might obtain a better resurrection Other again were tried with Mockinges and scourginges and moreouer wyth bondes and imprisonmēt they wer stoned hewen insunder teinted fel and were slain vpon the edge of the sworde some wandred to and fro in shepes pilches in gotes pilches forsaken oppressed afflicted such godlye men as the world was vnworthy of wandering in wildernes in mountains in caues and in dens And all these were commended for their faithe And yet they abide for vs the seruauntes of God those their brethren which are to be slain as they were for the word of Gods sake that none be shut out but that we may all go together to mete our maister Christ in thair at his comminge so to be in blisse with him in body and soule for euermore Therfore seing we haue so much occasion to suffer and to take afflictions for Christes name sake paciently so many commodities therby so waighty causes so manye good examples so great necessity so sure promises of eternall life and eternall ioyes of him that can not lye Let vs throwe away what so euer might let vs all burden of sinne all kinde of carnalitie And paciētly and constantlye let vs ronne for the best game in this race that is set before vs
in the remembraunce of Christes body torn vpon the crosse was broken and the Cuppe in the remembraunce of Christes bloude shed was distributed and bothe cōminicated vnto al that were present and woulde receiue them and thereunto were also exhorted of the minister to do All was done openly in the mother tonge so that euery thing might be both easely hard and plainlye vnderstand of all the people to Goddes high glory and the edification of the hole Church This Churche had of late the hole diuine Seruice all commen and publique Prayers ordeined to be saide and hard in the commen congregatiō not only framed and fashioned to the true vaine of holye scripture but also all thinges so set forthe according to the commaundemente of the Lorde and Sainte Paules doctrine for y e peoples edificatiō also in their vulgare tonge it had also holye and holsome Homelies in cōmendation of the principall vertues which are commended in scripture and likewise other Homelies against the moste pernitious and capitall vices that vseth alas to reigne in this Realme of Englande This Churche had in matters of controuersy articles so penned and framed after the holye Scripture and grounded vpon the true vnderstāding of Gods word that in shorte time if they had bene vniuersallye receiued they shoulde haue bene able to haue set in Christes church much concord and vnitie in Christes true Religion and to haue expelled many false errors heresies wherwith this churche alas was almost nigh ouergone But alas of late into this spirituall possession of this heauenlye treasoure of these godly ritches are entred in theues that haue robbed and spoyled all this heauenly treasoure away I may wel complaine on them and crye oute vpon theese Theues with the Prophet saying Deus venerunt gentes in hereditatem tuam c. Psal. 79. O Lord God the gentiles heathen nations are come into thy heritage they haue defiled thy holye Temple and made Ierusalem an heape of stones that is they haue broken and beate downe to the grounde thy holye Citie This Ethenishe generacion these Theues of Samaria these Sabei and Caldei these robbers haue rushed oute of their dennes and hath robbed the Churche of Englande of all the foresaide holye Treasoure of God they haue carried awaye and ouerthrowne it and in steade of Goddes holye woorde the true and right administracion of Christes holy Sacraments as of baptisme and others they mixte theyr ministery with mennes folish fantasies and manye wicked and vngodly tradicions withall In the steade of the Lordes holy table they geue the people with muche solemne disgisinge a thinge they call it their masse but in dead and in truthe it is a very maskinge and a mockery of the true Supper of the Lord or rather I may call it a craftye Iuglinge whereby these false theues Iuglers hath bewitched y e mindes of the simple people y t thei haue brought thē frō the true worship of god vnto pernicious Idolatry make them to beleue y t to be Christ our Lord sauior which in deede is neither God nor man nor hathe anye life in it selfe but in substance is the creature of breade and wine and in vse of the Lordes table is the Sacramente of Christes body and bloude And for thys holy vse which the Lorde hathe ordeined them in his Table to represent vnto vs his blessed body torne vpon the crosse for vs his bloud there shed it pleased him to cal thē his body and bloud whiche vnderstandinge Christe declareth to be his true meaning when he saithe do this in the remembrance of me And againe Saint Paule doth set out the same more plainly speking of the same Sacramente after the wordes of the consecration saying As often as ye shall eat of this breade and drincke of this Cuppe ye shall set forthe he meaneth with the same the Lords death vntil his cōming again And here also these theues haue robbed againe the people of the Lordes Cuppe contrary to the plain words of Christ writtē in his Gospel Now for the commē publike prayers which were in the vulgare tongue these theues haue brought againe a straunge tonge whereof the people vnderstand not one word wherin what do they els but robbe the people of their diuine seruice wherin they ought to pray together with the Priest And to pray in a strange tonge what is it but as sainte Paule calleth it barbarousnes childishnes vnprofitable folly yea and plaine madnesse For the godlye articles of vnitie in Religion and for the holsome Homelies what do these theues place in the stead of them but the Popes lawes decrees lying Legandes and fained fables and miracles to delude and abuse the simplicitye of the rude people Thus this robberye and thefte is not only committed nay sacrilege and wicked spoil of heauenly thinges but also in y e stead of the same is brought in and placed the abhominable desolacion of the tirant Antiochus of proude Senacherib of the shameles faced king and of the Babilonical beast Unto this robbery this thefte and sacrilege because I can not consēt nor God willing neuer shal so lōg as the breth is in my body because it is blasphemy against God high treason vnto Christ our heauenlye King Lord Master and our only sauioure and redeamer it is plaine contrary to Gods word to Christes Gospel it is the subuersion of all true godlines and againste the euerlasting saluacion of mine own soule and all my brethren sisters whome Christe my sauioure hathe so derely bought with no lesse price then with the effusiō and shedding forth of his most precious bloude Therefore all ye my true louers in God my Kinsfolk and countrymē for this cause knowe ye that I am put to death which by Gods grace I shal willingly take with harty thākes to God therfore in certain hope w tout any doubting to receiue at Goddes hande againe of his fre mercye and grace euerlasting life Althoughe the cause of the true man slaine of the thefe healpinge hys neyghboure to recouer hys goodes again and the cause wherfore I am to be put to death in a generalitie is both one as I said before yet knowe ye that there is no small difference These theues as against whome I stand are much worse then the robbers and theues of the borders The goodes which they steale are much more precious their kinde of fighte are farre diuers These theues are worse I saye for they are more cruell more wicked more false deceitful more craftye For those will kill but the body These will not sticke to kil both body and soule Those for the generall theft robbery be called are in dede theues and robbers But these for their spirituall kind of robbery are called Sacrilegi as ye would saye Churche robbers They are more wicked For those goeth about but to spoile men of worldlye thinges worldly riches gold and siluer and worldly substance These go about in the
wais of the deuil ther gostly father to stele from the vniuersall churche and perticulerly from euery man all heauenlye treasure true Faith true Charity and hope of saluacion in the bloud of our sauioure Iesus Christe yea to spoile vs of oure Sauiour Christ of his Gospell of his heauenlye spirite and of the heauenly heritage of the kingdom of heauen so derely purchased vnto vs with the deathe of our Maister and sauioure Christ. These be the goodes and godlye substaunce wherupon the Christian before God must liue And with out the which he cā not liue These goodes these theues these churche robbers go aboute to spoile vs of The whiche goodes as to the man of God they excel and farre passeth all worldlye treasure so to withstande euen vnto the deathe suche theues as go about to spoile bothe vs and the hole Churche of suche goodes is most highe and honorable seruice done vnto God These Churche robbers be also muche more false craftye and deceitfull then the theues vppon the borders For these haue not the crafte so to commende their thefte that they dare avouch it And therfore as acknowledging thē selues to be euill they steale commenlye vpon the nighte they dare not appere at iudgementes and sessions wher iustice is executed And whē they are taken and broughte thither they neuer hange no man but they be ofte times hanged for their faultes But these Churche robbers can so cloke and coloure their spirituall robbery that they can make the people to beleue falshed to be truthe and truthe falshed good to be euell and euell good lyghte to be darkenesse and darkenesse lyghte Superstition to be true Religion and Idolatrye to be the true worship of God and that whiche is in substaunce the creature of breade and wine to be none other substāce but onlye the substance of Christe the liuinge Lorde bothe God and manne And this there falshed and craft they canne so Iuggle and bewitche the vnderstandynge of the simple that they dare avouch it openlye in Courte and in town and feareth neither hanginge nor heddinge as the poore Theues of the borders do But stoute and strong like Nembrothe dare condempne to be burned in flaming fire quicke aliue who so euer will go aboute to bewray their falshed The kinde of fighte agaynste these Churche robbers is also of an other sorte and kinde then is that whiche is againste the theues of the borders For there the true menne goe forth againste thē with speare and launce with bowe and byll and al suche kinde of bodely weapons as the trew men hath But here as the enemies be of another nature so the watchmen of Christes flocke the warriours that fyght in the Lords war must be armed and fight with another kinde of weapons and Armour For here the enemies of God the souldiors of Antichrist althoughe the battell is set forth agaynst the Churche by mortall men beynge fleshe and bloud and neuertheles members of their father the deuil yet for that theyr graunde maister is the power of darkenesse theyr mēbers are spirituall wickednes wicked spirits spirits of errours of heresies of all deceate and vngodlines spirits of idolatrie superstitiō Hipocresie which ar called of S. Paule Principates powers Lordes of the worlde and spirituall subtilties conserninge heauenly thinges And therefore oure weapons muste be fit and meete to fight against suche not carnall nor Lordly weapons as spere or saūce but spiritual and heauēly we must fight against suche with the armor of God not entending to kill theyr bodies but their errors their false craft and heresies their Idolatry Superstition and Hipocrisye and to saue as much as lieth in vs both their bodies and soules And therfore as S. Paule teacheth vs we fight not against flesh and bloude that is we fight not with bodelye weapon to kill the man but with the weapōs of God to put to flight his wicked erroures and vice and to saue bothe bodye and soule Oure weapons therefore are faith hope and Charitie righteousnesse truthe pacience praier vnto God and our sword wherwith me smite our enemies we beat and batter beare down al falshed is the word of God With these weapōs vnder the banner of the Crosse of Christe we do fighte euer hauinge an eie vpon our graund Master Duke and capitaine Christ. And then we recken oure selues to triumph and to winne the crowne of euerlasting blisse when enduringe in this battell without anye shrinking or yelding to the ennemies after the example of oure graunde Capitaine Christe oure Master after the example of his holye Prophets apostles and martirs when I say we are slaine in our mortall bodies of our ennemies are most cruelly without all mercy murdered down like a mainy of shepe And the more cruell the more painefull the more vile and spitefull is the kind of the death wherunto we be put y e more glorious in God the more blessed and happy we recken withoute all doubtes our martirdome to be And thus much dere louers and frendes in God my countrymen kinsfolk I haue spokē for your cōfort least of mi death of whose life you loked peraduenture somtimes to haue had honesty pleasures and some cōmodities ye might be abashed or think ani euil but rather to reioyse if ye loue me in dede for y t it hath plesed God to cal me to a greter honor dignity thē euer I did enioy before either in Rochester or in the sea of London or euer shuld haue had in the Sea of Durham whervnto I was last of all elected and named yea I compte it greater honor before God in dede to die in his cause whereof I nothynge doubt then is any earthly or temporall promocion or honor that cā be geuen to a man in this worlde And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Goddes to be Christes quarrell and of his Gospell to bee the commen weale of all the electe and chosen children of God of all the inheritours of the kingdome of heauen who is he I say y t knoweth this assuredly by Gods word and the testimony of his owne conscience as through thinfinite goodnes of God not of my selfe but by his grace acknowledge my self to do who is I say that knoweth this and both loueth and feareth God in dede and in truth loueth beleueth in his master Christe and his blessed Gospel loueth his brotherhode the chosen children of God also lusteth and longeth for euerlastinge life who is he I saye againe y t wold not or can not finde in his hart in this cause to be contente to die God forbid that anye such should be that should forsake this grace of God I truste in my Lorde God the God of mercies the father of all comfort throughe Iesus Christe oure Lorde that he which hath put this mind wil and affection by his spirite in my hart to stand against the face of the ennemy in his cause and to chose
rather the losse of my worldlye substāce yea and of my life to then to deny his known truth that he will comfort me aid me and strengthē me euermore euen vnto thend and to the yelding vp of my spirite and soule into his holy handes wherof I most hartely beseche his holy sacred Maiestie of his infinite goodnes mercy through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Nowe that I haue taken my leaue of my Countrimen and kinsfolke and the Lord doth lende me life and geueth me laysour I will bid my other good frendes in God of other places also farewell And whome fyrste or before other then the vniuersitie of Cambrige wher as I haue dwelte longer founde more faithfull and harty frendes receiued more benefites the benefites of my natural parents onlye excepted then euer I did euen in my owne natiue countrye wherin I was borne Farewel therfore Cābridge my louing mother nurse If I shuld not acknowledge thy manifold benefits yea if I shuld not for thy benefites at the least loue the againe truely I were to be cōpted vngrate vnkind what benefites haddest thou euer that thou vsest to geue bestow vpon thy best beloued children that thou thoughtest to good for me thou diddest bestow on me all thy scole degrees Of thy common offices the chaplainship of the vniuersitie the Office of the proctorship and of a common reader And of thy priuate cōmodities emolumēts in colledges what was it thou madest me not partner of First scholer then felow after mi departure frō the thou called me again to a mastership of a right worshipful colledge I thāck the my louing kindnes for all this thy kindnes And I pray God y t his lawes and the sincere Gospell of Christe may euer be truely taught faithfully learned in thee Farewel Pembroke hal of late mine own Colledge my Cure and my charge what case thou arte in nowe GOD knoweth I knowe not well Thou wast euer named sithens I knew the which is nowe a .xxx. yeres agoe to be studious well learned a great setter forth of Christes Gospell and of Gods true word so I foūde the and blessed be God so I lefte the in deede Wo is me for the mine owne deare Colledge if euer thou suffer thi self by any meanes to be brought from that trade In thy Orchard y e wals buts and trees if they could speke wold beare me witnesse I learned withoute boke almoste all Paules Epistles yea and I wene all the Canonicall Epistles saue only the Apocalipse of whiche studye although in time a great part did departe from me yet the swete smell therof I trust I shall carrye wyth me into heauen For the profit ther of I thincke I haue felt in all my life time euer after And I wene of late whether they abide there now or no I can not tel ther was that did the like The Lord graūte that this zeale loue toward that parte of Goddes word which is a key a commentary to all holy scripture may euer abide in that colledge so long as the world shall endure From Cambridge I was called into Kent by the Archbishop of Cāterbury Thomas Cranmer y t most reuerend father and man of God And of him by and by sent to be Uicar of Herne in East Kent Wherefore farewell Herne the worshipfull and wealthy parishe the fyrste cure wherunto I was called to minister Gods word Thou hast hard of my mouth ofttimes the word of God preached not after the popiste trade but after Christes Gospell Oh that the frute had answered to the seede And yet I must knowledge me to be thy debtoure for the Doctrine of the Lordes Supper which thē at that time I acknowledge God had not reueled vnto me But I blesse God in al y e godly vertue and zeale of Goddes word which the Lorde by preachinge of his worde did kindle manifestlye both in the hart life and workes of that godly woman there my Lady Phynes God graunte y t his word toke like effecte there in manye other mo Farewell thou Cathedral churche of Canterburye the Metropolitike sea where of once I was a member To speake thinges pleasant vnto thee I dare not for daūger of conscience and displeasure of my Lord God And to say what lieth in my hart were now to much and I feare were able to doe thee now but a litle good Neuerthelesse for the frendship I haue founde in some there and for charity sake I wishe the to be washed cleane of all worldlinesse and vngodlinesse that thou maiste be founde of God after thy name in truth Christes Church in dede Farewell Rochester sometime my Cathedrall sea In whome to say the truth I did finde much gētlenesse and obedience whyche I truste thou wilte not saye the contrarye but I did vse it to Goddes glorye and thine owne profitte in God Oh that thou haddest and mighte haue continued and gone forewarde in the trade of Goddes lawe wherein I did leaue thee Then thy charg and burden shuld not haue bene so terrible and daūgerous as I suppose verelye it is like to bee alasse on the latter daye To Westminster other aduertisemente in God I haue not nowe to say then I haue said before to y e Cathedrall church of Canterbury And so God geue the of his grace that thou maist learne in dede and in truth to please him after his own lawes And thus fare you well Oh London London to whome now may I speake in the or whōe shall I bid farewel shall I speake to the Prebendaries of Poules alas all that loued Goddes worde and were true setters forth thereof are now as I heare saye some brēt and slain some exiled and banished and some holden in hard prisō and appoynted daily to be put to moste cruell deathe for Christes Gospell sake As for the rest of thē I know they coulde neuer broke me well nor I could neuer delight in them Shall I speake to the Sea therof wherein of late I was placed almoste and not fully by the space of iii. yeares But what may I say to it being as I heare say I am deposed and expulsed by iudgemente as an vniust vsurper of that rome O iudgement iudgement can this be iust iudgement to condemne the chief minister of Goddes word the pastor and bishop of the Dioces neuer bring him into iudgemente that he might haue hard what crimes were laide to his charge nor neuer suffer him to haue any place or time to answer for him selfe Thinckest thou that hereafter whē true iustice shall haue place that this iustice can euer be allowed either of God or of man well as for the cause and hole matter of mi deposition and the spoil of my goods which thou possessest yet I referre it vnto God which is a iust iudge And I beseke God if it be his pleasure that that whiche is but my personall wronge be not laid to thi charge on the latter