in the other yet the lord is al one towards them in both and loueth theym nolesse when he sufferethe theym to be beaten yea and to be put to bodelye death then when he woorketh wonderes for their maruelous deliuery Nay rather he doth more for them when in anguish of the torments he standeth by them strenghneth them iu their faith to suffer in the confession of the truethe and his faithe the bitter panges of death then when he openeth the prison doore and letteth them go lose for here he doth but respit theÌ„ to an other time and leaueth them in daunger to fall in like peryl agayne and there be maketh theym Perfect to be without dauÌ„ger payne or peril after that for euer more But this his loue towardes theym howe soeuer the world doth iudge of it is all one both when he deliuereth and when he suffereth theym to be put to death He loued as wel Peter Paul when after thei had according to his blessed wil pleasure and prouidence finished their courses and done their seruices appointed them by him here in preaching of his Gospell the one was beheaded and thother was banged or crucified of the cruell tyraunte Nero as the Ecclesiasticall historye saythe as when he sent the Aungell to bring Peter out of prison and for Paules deliuery he made all the dores of the prison to flie wide open and the foundation of the same like an earthquake to tremble and shake Thinkest thou O thou man of god that Christ our Sauiour had lesse affection to the fyrste martyr Stephen bicause he suffered his enemies euen at the firste conflicte to stone him to death No suerlye nor Iames Iohns brother whiche was one of the three that Paul calleth Primates or Principals amongst the Apostles of Christe He loued him neuer a whit the worse then he did the other although he suffered Herod the tyrants sword to cut of his head Nay doth not Daniel say speaking of the cruelty of Antechrist his time Et docti in populo docebunt plutimos â—uent in gladio in flamma in captiuitate in rapina dierum c. Et de cruditis ruent 〈◊〉 coÌ„flentur eâ—â—gaÌ„tur dealbentuâ— c. That is and the lerned he meaneth truly learned in gods law shal teach many and shal fal vpon the sworde and in the flame that is shal be burned in the flaming â—yer and in captiuitye that is shal be in prison and be woâ—â—d and robbed of their goods for alonge season And after a lyttel in the same place of Daniel it foloweth and of the lerned ther be whiche shal fal or be ouerthrowen the they maye be knowen tried chosen made white he meaneth be furnyshed and scouâ—â—d a new picked and chosen made freshe and lustre Yf that then was foresene for to be done to the godlye lerned and for so gracious causes let euery one to whome any such thinge by the wyll of God doeth chaunce be mery in God and reioyce for it is to Gods glory and to hys owne euerlastinge wealth Wherefore well is he that euer he was borne for whome thus graciouslye God hath prouided hauinge grace of God and strenghe of the holy ghoste to stande stedfastly in the height of the storme Happy is he that euer he was borne whom God his heauenly father hath vouchsafed to appointe to glorify him to edifie his church by the effusion of his bloud To die in Christes cause is an hyghe honour to the which no man certainlye shall or can espire but to whome god vouthsafeth that dignitie for no man is alowed to presume for to take vnto himselfe any offyce of honoure but he whiche is there vnto called of god Therfore Iohn sayth wel speaking of them whiche haue obteyned the victory by the bloud of the lambe and by the worde of hys testimonye that they loued not their lyues euen vnto death And our sauiour Chryste sayeth he that shall lose hys lyfe for my cause shall finde it And this maner of speache pertayneth not to one kind of christians as the worldly do wyckedly dreame but to all that doe truly pertain vnto Christ. For when christ had called vnto him the multitude together wyth hys dysciples he saide vnto them marke that he said not this to the disciples and apostles only but he said it to al whosoeuer wil so low me let him forsake or deny hiÌ„self take vp his crosse and folow me for whosoeuer wil saue his life shal lose it he meaneth whosoeuer wil to saue his lyfe bothe forsake or leaue him his trueth and whosoeuer shall lose his life for my cause and the gospels sake shal saue it for what shal it profit a man if he shal winne the whole worlde and lese his owne soule hys owne life or what shall a man geue to recompence that losse of his owne life and of his owne soule Whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me and my words that is to confesse me and my gospell before this adulterous sinful generation of him shal the son of man be ashamed when he coÌ„meth in the glory of his father with the holy aungels Know thou O man of god that all thinges are ordeyned for thy behofe and to the furtheraÌ„ce of thee towardes thy saluation All thinges saith Paule worketh with the good to goodnes euen the enemies of god and such kind of punishments wherby they go about to destroye theym shall be forced by Goddes power might and fatherly prouidence for to do them seruyce It is not as the wycked thinketh that pouertie aduersity sycknes tribulation yea paynefull death of the godly be tokens that God doeth not loue theym but euen cleane the contrary as al the whole course of scripture doth euedently declare for then he wold neuer haue suffred his most deare beloued the Patriarches to haue had such troubles his prophetes his Apostles his Martyrs and chiefe chaÌ„pions and maintainers of his trueth and gospelâ— so cruelly of the wycked to haue bene murdered and â—â—in Of the whiche some were racked as the apostle sayth and would not he deliuered that they might reâ—eâ—lâ— better resurrection Some were lived by mockings and scourgings yea more ouer by bondes and imprison mente they were â—oned they were he wen and cut in â—uÌ„der they were tempted they were slain with the sword they wandered vppe and downe in sheepe skins and Gotes skinnes being forsaken afflicted and tormented suche men as the worlde was not worthye to haue wandringe in wildernesses in mountaines in dennes and caues of earth All these were approued by the testimony of fayth and receiued not the promise bicause god did prouide better for vs that wythâ—uâ—e vs they shuld not be consuÌ„mated They tary now for vs vndoubtedly loÌ„ging for the day But they are commaunded to haue patience yet sayeth the lord a littel while vntil the number of their fellowe seruauntes be fulfilled and or theyr brethren whych are yet to
be slaine as they were Now thou O man of God for our Lords sake let vs not for the loue of this life tary them to longe and be occasion of delay of that glorious coÌ„summation in hope and expectation wherof thei departed in the lord and the which also the liuing endâ—ed with Gods spirit ought so earnestly to desire and to grone for with al the creatures of God Let vs all with Iohn the seruant of God cry in our harts vnto our sauiour Christ Veni domme Iesu come Lorde Iesu come For then when christ which is our life shal be made manifest and apeare with him in glory theÌ„ shal the children of god appeare what thei be euen like vnto Christ for this our weake body shall be transfygurated and made lyke vnto Christes glorious body that by the power wherby he is able to subdue vnto himself all thinges Then that which is now corruptible shall be made incorruptible that is nowe vyle shal theÌ„ be made glorious that is nowe weake shal rise then mighty and strong that is grosse and carnal shal be made fine and spirituall for theÌ„ we shal see haue the vnspeakable ioy and fruition of the glorious maiesty of our lorde euen as he is Who or what then shall let vs to ieopard to leopard yea to spend this life which we haue here in Christes cause in our lorde God his cause O thou therefore man of god thou that arte loden and so letted lyke vnto a great bellied woman â–ª that thou canst not fly the plague yet if thou lust after such things as I haue spoken of stand fast what soeuer shall befall in thy maysters cause and take thys thy letting to fly for a calling of god to feighte in thy maister Christe hys cause Of this be thou certaine they can do nothing vnto thee which thy father is not aware of or hathe not foresene before they can do no more then it shal please him to suffer them to do for the furtheraunce of his glory edifyinge of his church and thyne owne saluation Lette them then doe what they shal seing to thee O man of God all thinges shall be forced to serue and to worcke with thee vnto the best before God O be not afraide and remember the ende All thys whiche I haue spoken for the comfort of the lamentable case of the man whoÌ„ christ calleth the great bellied woman I meane to be spokeÌ„ likewise to the captiue and prisoner in Gods cause for suche I count to be as it were already summoned and prested to fight vnder the banner of the crosse of Chryste and as it were souldiours allowed and taken vp for the Lords warres to do to their lord and maister good and honorable seruice and to stycke to him as men of trustie seruice in his cause euen vnto death and to thinke their life lost in his cause is to winne it in eternall glory for euermore Therefore now to conclude and to make an ende of this treatise I saye vnto all that loue God our heauenly father that loue Christe Iesus oure redemer and Sauioure that loue to folowethe wayes of the holy ghoste which is our comforter and sanctâ—â—er of all vnto all that loue Christes spouse and body the true catholicke churche of Christe yea that loue life ther owne soules health I say vnto all theis harken my deare brethreÌ„ and sisters all you that be of God of all sortes ages dignities or degre harken to the worde of our sauioure Iesus Christe spoken to his Apostels and ment to all his in Saincte Mathewes Gospell Feare not theym whiche kyll the bodye for they can not kil the soule but feare him more whiche maie destroye and caste both bodye and soule into â—ell fyer Are not twoo small-sparrowes â—old for a mite and one of them shal not fal or light vpon the ground without your father All the hears of your head be numbred Feare them not you are much more worth then are the littel sparrowes Euery one then that confesseth me before meÌ„ him shal I likwise confesse before my father which is in heauen But whosoeuer shal denye me before men I shall denye him likewyse before my father whyche is in heauen The lord graunt vs therfore of his heauenly grace strength that here we may so confesse him in this world amongest this adulterous and sinfull generation that he maye confesse vs again at the latter day before his father which is in heauen to his glory and our euerlasting comforte ioy and saluation To our heaueÌ„ly father to our sauiour redemer Iesus Christ and to the holy ghost be al glory and honor now and for euer Amen ⸫ CERTEYNE Godly and comfortable letters of the constaut wytnes of Christ Iohn Careles written in the time of his imprisonment and now fyrste set forth in printe ⸫ Anno Domini 1566. Thomas Pirry to the Christian reader in commendacion of that worthy man of god Iohn Careles MUch care did carefull Careles bide in time of Romishe rage WheÌ„ flesh bloud with fier was tried to make mennes faith to swage But god be thanked for his grace who did him so defende that in the truth he ran his race and made a godly ende No man more carefull for the crosse of Christe his sauinge health no man more careles for the losse of frendes and worldly wealth When he was hated and abhorde of Cayphas and his sede he cast his care vpon the Lorde and Careles was in dede For why he knewe that worldly power no farther coulde procede then god whose worde doth still endure already had decrede And that the Lorde would in the ende worke all things for the best when of great mercy he shoulde sende his soule to ioyfull rest In hope wherof he careles was and ready to the stake if god so woulde he did not passe such ende on earth to make But gods will was he should not die such death in open sighte wherefore in prison ioyfully to Christ he yelde his sprite Psalme 54. Caste thy care vpon the lorde and he shall nouryshe thee he wil not suffer the righteous to fall for euer ¶ The grace and free mercy of God in Iesus Chryst the swete consolations of the holy ghost the guide of all Gods dere children be with you strengthen and comforte you my derely beloued swete sister K. E. nowe euer Amen AL be it my derly beloued syster in Chryste that as yet we dyd neuer see one an other personally to any knowledge yet by the vertuous reporte that I haue heard of you and also by the large louynge token that I haue receaued froÌ„ you my thinke that I doe euen presently see you beholde your person faithfully walkinge in the feare and loue of god ioying and reioycing with you in the spirite as though we were swetly talkynge together of Christes veritie The lorde god do I humbly besech in the bowels and bloude of our lorde and sauyour
A PITVOVS LAMENTATION OF THE MISERABLE ESTATE OF THE CHVRCHE of Christ in Englande in the time of the late reuolt from the gospel wherin is conteyned a learned comparison betwene the comfortable doctrine of the gospell the traditions of the popish religion with an instruction how the true Christian ought to behaue himself in the tyme of tryall Wrytten by that worthy martyr of god Nicolas Rydley late Bysshoppe of London Neuer before this tyme imprynted ¶ Wherevnto are also annexed certayne letters of Iohn Careles written in the tyme of his imprisonment Perused and allowed according to the Quenes Maiesties Iniunctions A Lamentacion of the Churche ALAS what mysery is thy churche broughte vnto O Lord at this daye Whereof late the word of the Lord was truely preached was redde and hearde in euery towne in euery churche in euery vyllage yea almoste in euery honest mans house alas nowe is it exiled banished out of the whole Realme Of late whoo was not glad to be taken for a louer of Goddes worde for a reader for a redy hearer and for a learner of the same now alas who dare beare any open couÌ„tenance toward it but such as are content in Christes cause for his wordes sake to stand to the daunger losse of all that they haue Of late there was to be founde of euery age of euery degree and kynd of people that gaue their dilygence to learne as they coulde out of gods woorde the articles of the christian fayth the commaundmentes of god and the lords prayer The babes and younge chyldren were taughte these things of their parents of their masters wekely of their curates in euery churche the aged folke whyche had ben brought vp in blindenes and in ignoraunce of those thynges whyche euery christian is bounde to knowe when otherwyse they coulde not yet they lerned the same by often hearyng their chyldren and seruants repeating the same But now alas and alas again the false prophets of Antechrist which are past all shame do openly preach in pulpets vnto the people of God that the catâ—chisme is to be counted heresy whereby theyr olde blindenesse is broughte home agayne for the aged are afrayd of the higher powers and the youthe is abashed ashamed euen of that which they haue lerned though it be Gods worde and dare no more meddle Of late in euerye congregation throughout all England was made prayer peticion vnto God to be deliuered from the tyrannye of the byshop of Rome and all his detestable enormities from all false doctryne and heresie And now alas SathaÌ„ hath perswaded EnglaÌ„d by his falshed and crafte to reuoke her old godly prayer to recant the same prouoke the fearefull wrath and indygnation of god vpon her owne pate Of late by straite lawes and ordinaunces with the consent of the nobles and commonaltie and ful agrement and counsaile of the prelates clergie was banished hence the beast of Babylon with lawes I say and with othes and al meanes that then coulde be deuysed for so godly a purpose But now alas all these lawes are troden vnder foote the nobles the commonaltie the prelates clargie are quite chaunged and all those othes though they were herein made in iudgement iustice and truth and the matter neuer so good dothe no more holde then a bond of rushes or of a barley strawe nor publyke periurie no more fearethe them then a shadowe vppon the wall Of late it was agreed in England of all handes accordinge to Paules doctrine and Chrystes commaundement as Paule saythe playne that nothinge oughte to be doone in the church in the publike congregation but in that tongue which the congregation coulde vnderstande that all might be edified therby wheather it were common praier administratioÌ„ of the sacrameÌ„ts or any other thinge belonging to the publike mynisterie of gods holy and wholsome woorde but alas all is turned vpsidedowne Paules doctrine is put aparte Christes commaundemente is not regarded for nothing is hearde commonly in the Churche but in a straunge tongue that the people doth nothing vnderstande Of late all men and women were taught after Christs doctrine to pray in that tongue which they could vnderstand that they might pray with harte that whiche they shuld speake with their tongue Nowe alas the vnlearned people is brought in that blyndenesse agayne to thyncke that they praye when they speake wyth their tongue they can not tel what nor wherof their harte is nothynge myndefull at all for that it can vnderstande neuer a whyt therof Of late the lordes supper was duely ministred and taughte to be made common to all that were true Chrystians with thankes geuing and settinge forthe of the Lordes death and passion vntil his returninge agayne to iudge bothe quicke and deadde But nowe alas the Lordes table is quyte ouerthrowen and that whych ought to be common to all godly is made priuate to a few vngodly with out any kinde of thankesgeuinge or any settinge forth of the lords death at all that the people is able to vnderstande Of late all that were endued with the light and grace of vnderstanding of goddes holye mysteries did blesse god which had broughte them out of that horrible blyndenesse and ignoraunce whereby in tymes paste beinge seduced by Satans subteltyes they beleued that the sacrament was not the sacrament but the thynge it selfe whereof it is a sacramente that the creature was the creatour and that the thynge whiche hathe neyther lyfe nor sense alas suche was the horryble blyndenes was the Lorde hym selfe whiche made the eye to see and hath gyuen al senses and vnderstandynge vnto man But nowe alas Englande is returned agayn lyke a dogge to her owne vomyt and spuynge and is in worse case then euer she was for it had ben better neuer to haue knowen the truthe then to forsake the truth once receyued and knowen And nowe not onely that light is turned into darknes and goddes grace is receyued in vayne but also lawes of deathe are made by hyghe court of parliamente masterfully to maineteine by sworde fyer and al kind of violence that heinouse Idolatry wherin that adoration is geueÌ„ vnto the lyueles and dum creature whiche is onely dew vnto the euerlyuynge God yea they faye they can and do make of bread bothe man and god by theyr transubstantiation O wicked inuention and Sathans owne broode Of late was the Lordes cuppe at his table distributed according to his owne comaundement by his expresse wordes in his gospell as well to the laytie as to the clergie which order Christes churche obserued soo manye hundreth yeres after as al the auncient ecclesiasticall wryters do testyfie without contradictioÌ„ of any one of them that can be shewid vnto this day But nowe alas not onely the lordes commaundemente is broken his cuppe is denied to his seruantes to whom he commaunded it shuld be distributed but also with the same is set vppe a new blasphemous kynd of sacrifyce
your eares and not vnderstande and seinge you shall beholde and not se the thynge for the harte of this people is waxed grosse or dull and wyth theyr eares they are harde of hearynge and they haue shutte together theyr eyes that they shoulde not see nor heare wyth theyr eares nor vnderstande wyth their harts that they might return and I shoulde heale theym sayth the lorde God Alas England alas that thys heauy plague of god should fall vpon thee alas my dere beloued couÌ„trey what thing is it now that may do the good Vndoutedly thy plague is so great that it is vtterly vncurable but by the bottomles mercy and infinite power of almightye Godde Alas my deare countrey what haste thou done that thus thou hast prouoked the wrathe of God to poure oute hys vengeaunce vpon thee for thyne owne deserts Canst thou be conteÌ„t to heare thy faultes tolde thee Alas thou haste hearde ofte and wouldest neuer amende England thy faults of all degrees and sortes of men of the magestrates of the mynisters of the common people were neuer more plainly tolde sence thou barest that name then thou diddeste beare theym of late euen before the magestrates in kynge Edwardes dayes but thou hardest them only and didst amend neuer a whit For euen of thy greatest magestrats some the kings hyghnesse then that innocente that godly harted pereles yong christian prince excepted euermore vnkindly vngeÌ„tly against those that went aboute most husely most holesomly to cure their sore backs spurned priuely and woulde not spare to speake euyl of them eueÌ„ vnto the prince him selfe yet would they towardes the same preacher outwardelye beare a ioly countenaunce and a fayre face I haue hearde that Cranmer and an other whom I wyll not name were both in high displeasure the one for shewinge his conscience secretly but plainly and fully in the duke of Somersets cause and bothe of late but specially Cranmer for repugning as they might against the late spoile of the church goodes taken away only by coÌ„maundement of the hygher powers wythoute any lawe or order of iustice and withoute any requeste of consente of them to whome they dyd belonge As for Latymer Leuer Bradford and knoxe they re tonges were so sharp they rypped in so depe in theyr galled backes to haue purged theÌ„ no dout of the filthy matter that was festered in theyr hartes of insaciable couetousnes of filthy carnality and voluptuousnesse of intollerable ambitioÌ„ and pride of vngodly lothsomnes to heare pore mennes causes and to heare gods word that these men of all other these magestrates theÌ„ could neuer abide Other there were very godly men wel lerned that went about by the wholesome plaisters of gods word how be it after a more soft maner of handling of the matter but alas all sped in lyke For all that could be done of al handes their disease dydde not minishe but dayly didde encrease whyche no doubt is no smal occasioÌ„ in the state of the heauy plague of god that is poured vpoÌ„ England at this day As for the coÌ„mon sort of other inferior magestrates as iudges of the lawe iustices of peace sergeantes common lawyers it may be truly sayde of theÌ„ as of the most parte of the Clergy of curates vicars persons prebendaryes doctors of the law archdeacoÌ„s deanes yea I may saye of bishops also I feare me for the more part althoughe I dout not but god had and hathe euer whome he in euery state knew and knoweth to be his but for the most part I say they were neuer perswaded in their hartes but from the tethe forward and for the kings sake in the truth of gods worde and yet all these dyd dissemble and bare a copye of a countenaunce as if they had bene â—ound within And thys dyssimulation Sathan knewe wel enough and therfore desyred and hath euer gone about that the hygh magestrates by any maner of meanes might be deceued in matters of relygion for then he beinge of counsell with the dissimulation in the wordly knewe wel enough that he should bryng to passe and rule all euen after his owne wyll Hypocrisy and dissimulation S â–ª Hierome doth cal well a double wickednes for neither it loueth the truth whiche is one greate euill and also falsely it pretendeth to deceyue the simple for an other thing This hipocrisy and dissimulation with God in matters of religion no doubte hath wholy also prouoked the anger of god And as for the common people although there were many good wher they were wel and diligeÌ„tly taught yet god knoweth a great number receaued Gods true woorde and hyghe benefites wyth vnthankful heartes For it was greate pitie a lamentable thinge to haue sene in many places the people so lothsomly so vnreligiously to come to the holy coÌ„munion to receaue it accordingly and to the coÌ„mon prayers and other diuine seruice which were according to the true veyne of gods holy worde in al poyntes so godly and holesomely set forthe in comparison of that blynde zeale and vndiscrete deuotion which they had afore times to those things whereof they vnderstode neuer one whyt nor could be edifyed by theÌ„ any thing at all And again as for almes dedes which ar taught in gods word wherby we are certayne that god is pleased with them and doth and wil require such at our hands which are a parte of true religion as S. Iames sayth and suche as he sayth himselfe he setteth more by then by sacryfice as to prouyde for the fatherlesse infants and orphanes for the lame aged and impotent poore nedy folke and to make publyke prouision that the pouertye that myghte laboure should haue wherwith to labour vppon and so be kepte from shamefull beggery and stealing in these works I say how wayward were many in comparison I meane of that greate prodigalitie whereby in times paste they spared not to spende vpon flatteryng fryers false pardoners painting and gilding of stockes stones to be set vp and honored in churches plainly against gods worde And yet bicause no place is to be defrauded of their iust commendacion London I must confesse that such godly works in sir Dobs knight then lord Maior his yere began maruelious wel the Lorde graunt the same maye so likewise perseuer continue yea and encrease to the comforte reliefe of the nedy and helplesse that was so godli begon Amen All these thynges doe mynyster matter of more mournynge and bewaling the miserable state that now is for by this it maye be perceayued howe well Englande hath deserued this iust plague of God And also it is greatly to be feared that those good thynges whatsoeuer they were that had their beginnynge in the time when Goddes word was frely preached nowe with the exyle and banishmeÌ„t of the same they wil departe agayne But to returne agayne to the consideration of thys myserable state of Christes church in Englande and to leaue farder and more
day In wynter the common course of the yeare teacheth vs that the wayes be foule and therefore it is a harde thing then to take a far iourney for manye incoÌ„modities and daungers of the wayes in that time of the yeare and on the sabboth daye it was not lawefull to iorney but a little way Now Christ therefore meaninge that we shoulde haue nede both to spede our iourney quicklye whiche can not be doone in winter for the incommodities of the wayes and also to go far which can not be done on the Sabboth daye he biddeth vs therefore praye that oure flight be not in winter nor on the sabboth daye that is to praye that we may flie in time and also far enough froÌ„ the daunger of the plague Now the causes why we shoulde flie foloweth in the same place of s. Mathewes gospel which I now passe ouer thou maiest reade them there And in the 18. chapter of the Reuelation the aungell is sayde to haue cryed myghtely wyth a loude voyce flye my people out of Babylon leaste you be infected with her faultes and so be made partners of her plagues for her offences and synnes are growen so great that they swell and are come vnto the heauen certainly the time doth approch and the lordes day is at hande Heare I besech you also holye Paule that blessed apostle he plainly forbiddeth vs ducere iugum cum incredulis that is to ioyne or couple our selues wyth the vnfaithfull for what felowship can ther be saith he of righteousnes wyth vnrighteousenes what company hath light with darknes or what agremeÌ„t hath christ with Beliall or what parte can the faithful haue with the vnfaithful or how doth the teÌ„ple of god agre with images or idols for you are the teÌ„ple of the liuing god as god hath said I will walke and dwell in them I wil be their god and they shal be my people wherfore depart from amongest them and gette you from them saith the lorde touch no vncleane thinge and I wyl receaue you and be to you in the stede of your father you shall be vnto me as my sonnes and daughters sayth the almighty Lorde This counsel to depart the realme I doe not maruell if it do seme to dyuers euen of theim I meane the beare fauoure to godwarde dyuersly Many I trust that he lerned shal thinke the counsel good Other there be per aduenture that will thynke it rather a thing to be more tollerable and that it may be in dede by gods worde lawefully done rather then to be couÌ„sayled to be done for they wil peradueÌ„ture saye we shoulde counsell a man alwayes to doe that which is beste of all and of most parfectioÌ„ but boldly in Christes cause to spend a mannes life is beste of all and of most perfection and to flie it may seme to smell of cowardnes In many things that which is best for one at some times is not best for all at all times and it is not most perfection nor meete for a child to couet to runne before he can go I wyll not make here a discourse in thys matter what myghte here be obiected and what might be aunswered againe I leaue that to the witty and eloquent men of the worlde This is my minde whych I would thou shouldest knowe o man of god as I would wishe and I doe praye to almighty God it may be that euery true christian eyther brother or syster after they be called and broughte in to the wrestlynge place to stryue in Christes cause for the best game that is to confesse the truth of the gospell and of the Christian fayth in hope of euerlasting lyfe shoulde not shrynke nor relente one ynche or gyue backe what soeuer shall befall but stande to their tackle and styrke by it euen vnto death as they will Christ shall sticke by them at the latter daye So likewise I dare not wishe nor couÌ„sel any either brother or sister of their own swinge to start vp into the stage or to cast themselues eyther before or farder in danger then tyme and nede shall requyre for vndoubtedly when God seeth his time and his pleasure is that his glory shal be set forth and his church edefyed by thy deathe and confession meanes shal be founde by hys fatherly vniuersall prouydence that thou wythoute thine owne presumptuouse prouocatioÌ„ shalt be law fully called to do thy feate to playe thy parte The miserable ende that one Quintus came vnto may be a warninge and a fearefull example for all men to beware of presumption and rashnes in suche thinges as Eusebius writeth in Ecclesiastica historia for euermore But a thirde sorte of men there be which also wil be counted fauourers of gods word are I feare in nuÌ„ber farre mo and worse to be perswaded to that which is the godly meane I meane of such as wâ—ll peraduenture saye or thynke that my former counsel which was to 〈◊〉 the infectâ—on of the antechristian doctrine by departure oute of the realme is more then nedeth and other waies and meanes may be found both to abide and also to be cleare out of danger of the foresaide plague If that could be founde in dede truly agreable to gods word I woulde be as glad to heare it god is my witnesse as who is the other Yes peraduenture wyll some saye thus it may be Thou maist kepe thy selfe thy fayth and thy religioÌ„ close to thy self and inwardly and priuatly worship god in spirit in truthe and outwardlye see thou be no open medler nor talker nor transgressour of common order so mayeste thou be suffred in the common wealth yet vse thy relygion withoâ—te offence of thy conscience In other countreâ—es somwhere this peraduenture myght be vsed but in Engâ—ande what shâ—ll be god wot but it was neuer yet so far as euer I haue knowen or heard And also howe can it be but eyther thou must transgresse the coÌ„mon order and the Romyâ—he lawes and customes whych haue ben vsed in â—ngland in the times paâ—t of popery and nowe it is certayne they returne agayne I say thou muste eyther be a breaker of these rites lawes and costomes and so bewray thy selfe or els if thou be in dede a man of God thou shalt offende thy conscience for in obseruinge of them thou shalte be compelled to breake gods law which is the rule of coÌ„scyence to the man of god For how canst thou resort euery holye day to the church and beare a face to worship the creature for the creatour as thou must do and peraduenture coÌ„fesse it to with thy mouth and to sprynckle thy selfe with theyr coniured water Thou must be coÌ„tributor also to the charges of al their popery as of bokes for antechristes seruice of lyghtes of the roode lofte of the sepulchre for setting vp and painting of images nay in dede of idols and thou muste beare a face to worshyp theym also or els thou muste be