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
geuen him graâ—e and strength â–ª stoutly to confesse him and his trueth before the worlde And to haue grace strength to confesse christ and the doctrine of the crosse and to lament and mourne for the abhominatioÌ„s of antechryste I suppose is to be sygned wyth Tau whereof Ezechiell the prophet doeth speake Thus I suppose these prophecies are spiritually to be vnderstanded and to looke for other corporall markes to be sene in mens forheads or in their handes is nothing els but to loke that ther should come some brute beaste out of Babilon or some Elephante Leoparde Lion or Camell or some other suche moÌ„strous beast with ten hornes that shoulde do all the wonderful things spoken in Iohn yet of a beast speaketh Iohn but I vnderstande him so to be called not for that he shal be ani such brute beaste but for that he is shal be the childe of perdicion whych for his cruelty and beastly maners is well called a beaste The carnal Iewes knewe ther was a promise made that Helias shoulde come before christ Messias the anointed of god to prepare his waies thei knewe also there was a promyse of Messias that he shoulde come and be a kinge raigne in the house of Dauid for euermore but thei vnderstode all so grosely so carnally that they neyther knewe Helias nor Messias wheÌ„ they came for they loked for Helias to come downe from heauen in his own persoÌ„ for Messias to come raygne in worldly pompe power riches glorye when as the prophecies of both were spiritually to haue bene vnderstanded of Helias that he should come not in person but in spirit that is one which should be indued with the spirit and giftes of grace of Helias which was in deede Iohn Baptist as christ himself dyd declare to his apostles of Messias raygne all the prophets were to be vnderstaÌ„ded of the raigne of his spiritual kingdome ouer the house of Iacob the true Israelites for euermore And so by that theyr grosse and carnall vnderstandinge they mystake both Helias and the true Messias and when they came knewe neyther of theym both So likewise I feare me nay it is certain the world that wanteth the light of the spirit of god for the world is not able to receaue hym sayeth Iohn neyther doth nor shall knowe the beast nor his markes though he rage cruelly liue neuer so beastly thoughe his marked men be in number like the sand of the sea The lord therfore vouchsafe to open the eies of the blinde wyth the lyghte of grace that thei may see perceaue and vnderstand the wordes of god after the minde of his spirite Amen Here remayneth two obiections which maye seeme â—â—â—yghty and the which may peradueÌ„ture moue many not to folow the former couÌ„sell The former reason is a man wyll saye Oh sir it is no smal matâ—er ye speake of to depart from a mans owne natiue couÌ„trey into a straunge realme Manye men haue so greate letâ—es as howe is it possible that they can or may do so Some haue lands and possessions whych they can not carry wyth theÌ„ some haue father mother wyfe children and kinsefolke from whom to depart is as hard a thyng and all one almost as to suffer death and to goe to a straunge countrey that thou knoweste not neyther the maner of the people nor how thou maist away either with the people or with the cuÌ„trey Oh what a harde thinge it is to liue among a straunge people whose tongue thou doest not vnderstande c. I graunt here thou mayest heape a number of worldly incommodityes whych are surely verye 〈◊〉 enâ—ue the departure out of a manâ—es owne natiue countrey I meane 〈◊〉 of the whole realme into a straunge lande but what of all these and a thousand mo of the like sort I wil set vnto theÌ„ one sayinge of our Sauioure Christe which vnto the faithful childe of god and to the true Christyan is able to counteruaile al these yea and to way theÌ„ downe Christ our sauiour saithe in Luke if any come to me and doe not hate his father mother he meaneth and wil not in his cause forsake his father and mother his wife children and brethren yea and hys lyfe to he cannot be my disciple and who soeuer doeth not beare hys crosse and come after me he cannot be my discyple And in the same place he declareth by two parables one of a buylder the other of a king that is a warrier that euery man that wyl not in christes cause forsake all that euer he hath he can not be hys dysciple Loke the place who wil the matter is so plainly sette forthe that no gloses nor cloking of conscience to the man of god can serue to the contrary Many placâ—s there be for the same purpose for the imbracing of christes crosse wheÌ„ Christ and hys cause layeth it vppon our backe but thys is so playne that I nede here to rehearse no more The latter reason obiection wherof I spake before is of more force and includeth a necessitie which after the common sayinge hathe no lawe and therfore it is more harde to shape for it a good aunswere This may be obiected of some Alas sir I grauÌ„t all these thinges do greue me and because I vnderstande they do not agre with gods worde whych is the rule of my conscieÌ„ce I loth either to loke on them or to heare theÌ„ But sir alas I am an impoteÌ„t man an aged man a sycke manne a lame man or I haue so many smal infants and a lame wife which all lyueth by my labour and by my prouision if I leaue them they shall sterue I am not able to cary them with me suche is my state Alas sir what shall I do And these causes may chauÌ„ce to some men of god whereby either it shal be for them vtterly impossible to depart the couÌ„trey or els in departing they shal be inforced to forsake such in extreame necessities of whom both god and nature hath commytted vnto theÌ„ the care Alas what counsell is here to be geuen O lamentable state O sorowefull harte that neither can departe and without extreame danger and peryll is not able to tarye styll And these are they whom our sauior Christ sawe before should be and called them in his prophecy of the latter time great bellied or trauelinge women and women that geueth after they be broughte to bed their small babes sucke The state of such as are not able to fly the infection of the pestiferous plague of antechrists abhominations Chryst lamentinge not cursing sayth wo be vnto the greate bellyed and trauelynge women and women that geueth suck in those daies For these alas my hart mourneth the more the lesse I am able to geue any comfortable counsayle but this that alwaies as they loke for euerlasting life they abide stil in the coÌ„fession of his truth whatsoeuer shal befall and
for the rest to putte their trust nowe wholy in God whych is able to saue them against all apparauâ—ce commonly in extremities wheÌ„ al worldly comforte sayleth and the danger is at highest then vnto his he is wonte after his accustomed mercy to be most ready for to put his helpynge hande Daniell God suffered to be caste into the denne of lions and the thre chyldren into the hotte burning fornace and yet he saued theÌ„ all â–ª Paule was plucked out of the mouth of the lion as be saieth of himself and in Asta he was brought in such trouble that he loked for no other thing but for present death yet he that rayseth the deade to lyfe againe did brynge him out of all his troubles and taught him and all other that he in troubles for christes cause not to trust to theÌ„selus but in almighty God Of gods gracious aid in extreme perils toward them the put their trust in him all scripture is ful both olde newe What dauÌ„gers were the patriarks often brought vnto as AbrahaÌ„ Isaac and Iacob but of all other Ioseph how mercifully were thei deliuered againe In what perylles was Moyses when he was faine to flie for the safegard of his life wheÌ„ was he sent againe to delyuer the Israelytes from the serâ—yle bondage not before they were broughte into extreame misery And when dyd the lord mightely deliuer his people from Pharao his sworde not before they were brought in such straytes that they were so compassed en euery side the mayne sea on the one syde the mayne hoste on the other that they could looke for none other yea what didde they â–ª els in dede loke for then but eyther to haue bene drowned in the sea or els to haue falleÌ„ on the edge of Pharao his sword These iudges which wrought most wonderful thynges in the deliuery of the people were euer geuen when the people was brought to most miserye before as Othoniel Aioth Sangar Gedeon â—ephthe Samson And so was Saul indued with strength and boldnes from aboue against the Ammonites Philistines Amalechites for the defence of the people of God Dauid likewyse felt gods helpe most sensibly euer in his extreme persecutions What shall I speake of the prophetes of god whom god suffered so oft to be brought into extreme perils and so mightely deliuered theim againe As Helias Hieremy Daniel Micheas and Ionas and manye other whom it were but to longe to rehearse and set out at large And did the lorde vse his seruantes otherwise in the newe law after christes incarnation Read the actes of the apostles and you shal see no. Were not thapostels cast into prison and brought out by the mighty hande of god Did not the aungell deliuer Peter out of the stronge prison brynge hym oute by the yron gates of the citie and set him free And wheÌ„ I praye you euen the same night before Herod apointed to haue brought him in iudgement for to haue slayne hym as he had a lyttle before kylled Iames the brother of Iohn Paule and Silas when after they had bene sore scourged and were put into the inner prison and there were layd fast in the stockes I praye you what apparaÌ„ce was ther that the magestrats should be glad to come the next daye themselues to theÌ„ to desyer theym to be contente and to departe in peace who prouyded for Paule that he should be safely conducted oute of all danger and brought to Felix the Emperours deputy wheÌ„ as both the high priests the Pharisyes and rulers of the Iewes had conspired to requier iudgemente of death against him he being fast in prison and also more theÌ„ fourty men hadde sworne eche one to other that they would neuer eate nor drinke vntill they had slaine Paule A thynge woÌ„derful that no reason could haue inuented or man could haue looked for god prouided Paule his owne sisters sonne a younge man that disaponited that conspiracy and all their former coniuratioÌ„ The maner how the thiuge cam to passe thou maiest reade in the .23 of the actes I will not be tedyous vnto thee here wyth the rehersall therof Nowe to descende from the apostles to the martyrs that folowed next in christes church in them likewise to declare howe gracious our good god euer hath bene to work wonderfully w e them which in his cause haue ben in extreme perilles it were a matter enough to write a longe boke I wil here name but one man and one woman that is Athanasius the great clerke godly man stoutly standing in christes cause against the Arrians that holy woman Blandina standing so constantly in all extreme paynes in the simple coÌ„fession of christ If thou wilt haue examples of mo loke and thou shalt haue both these a hundred mo in Ecclesiastica historia of Eusebius in Tripartita historia But for all these examples both of holy scripture and of other histories I feare mee the weake man of God incombred with the frailty and infirmity of the fleshe wil haue now and then suche thoughtes and guawmes as they cal theÌ„ to run ouer his hart and to thynke thus all theis thinges which are rehersed oute of the scrypture I beleue to be true of the rest truly I do thinke wel and can beleue them also to be true but all these we must nedes grauÌ„t were special miracles of god whych now in our dayes are ceased we se to require them at gods handes were it not to teÌ„pt god Welbeloued brother I grauÌ„t such were great wonderful works of god and we haue not sene many of suche miracles in our time eyther for that our sight is not cleare for truly God worketh with his his part in all times orels bicause we haue not the like faith of theÌ„ for whose cause God wrought such thinges or bicause after that he had set forth the truth of his doctrine by suche miracles then sufficientlye the tyme of so manye myracles to be done was expired withall Which of theis is the moste speciall cause of all others or whether there be anye othere God knoweth I leaue that to God But knowe thou this my wel-beloued in God that Gods hande is as strong as euer it was he maye do what his gracyous plesure is and he is as good and gracious as euer he was Man chauÌ„geth as the garment doth but god our heauenly father is euen the same now that he was and shal be for euermore The world without doubt this I do beleue therfore I saye draweth towardes an end and in al ages god hath had his owne maner after hys secrete and vnsearchable wisdome to vse his elect somtimes to deliuer theÌ„ and to kepe them safe and somtimes to suffer theym to drinke of Christes cup that is to fele the smarte and to fele of the whyp And though the fleshe smarteth at the one and feeleth ease in the other is glad of the one and sore vexed
and also to abstaine moste willinglye from all thinges that be detestable in his sighte what daunger so euer shoulde ensue to you for the same But in dede my dear hart to be plaine with you I doe heare to my great grief that the due consideration of this greate loue and infinite mercy of god hath not yet effectuously wrought al these aforesaid things in you according to my lōng expectacion but it is enformed me by credible persons ▪ that you notwithstanding the great loue of God towards you and the excellent knowledge he hath so graciouslye geuen you before many other doe yet manye times defile your faith or mariage garment with comming into the companye of filthy idolaters at the time of theyr Antechristian seruice Trulye if it be so it is a token that the great abundant bottomles loue mercy of God towardes you hath not yet in suche sorte ben considered of you that it hath as it ought to haue done swalowed vp all the vaine loue of the worlde Ah where is true faith become and liuely seling of Gods mercy that were wont to make the children of god diligent to kepe Goddes commaundementes and merilye to beare his crosse But perchaunce you do not thinke it a breaking of Gods commaundementes to goe to the Idols temple and to bee present with the papistes at their supersticious seruice c. But god forbid you should be so ignorāt after so many instructiōs in so great weightye a matter For surely the vnknowen sicknes is most daungerous euermore as experience teacheth But I verily thinke at the least wise I hope that youre knoweledge is so great in these things that the daunger in being partaker with the wicked is not hid frō your eyes Therfore your fault is so muche the greater the sorer punishmēt is due for the same But my vndoubted trust is that almighty God our most deare louinge father wyll not leaue you in your weaknesse but wil rayse you vp agayne by true and earnest repentance and geue you such grace and strength of his spirit that henceforth you shal be so far from cominge to anye of theyr abhominable superstition that you shall be able well to persuade this bearer and many other the sainctes of God from the same I knowe deare harte that thys thinge which I requier of you wil bryng a great crosse vnto you as well at the handes of your husband as of many other your worldly frendes and foes But let not that discourage you any thing at all syth you are one of the chosen children of God to whom hys crosse doth specially belonge Let not tribulation for righteousnesse sake seme a straunge thing vnto you but rather reioyce and be glad that God will vouche you worthye of so great dignity For trulye it is the greatest honor that God can bringe his elect vnto in this mortall life I meane to make them his witnesses to the world and to make them worthye to suffer for his sake which thinge is not permitted to the highest Angell in heauen albeit I beleue they wolde more reioyce thereof then in all the glorye they haue Oh whye are we then so loth to come to this great promotiō seing it is the verye ordinance of god vppon all his deare chyldren as S. Paule affirmeth saying To you it is geuen not only that you should beleue in Iesus Christ but also that you should suffer for his sake Again he saith all that will liue godlye in Christ Iesu must suffer persecution Oh what cause haue we to reioice if it please God by suffringes to make vs some thing cōformable to the passions of our swete Christ who fyrste suffred for vs and afterward entred into his glorye Wee haue in thys world nothing so much to reioice in as that we are made meete to be vnder the crosse with Chryst. For therby are we assured not onlye that the glorious spirite of god resteth vpon vs but also that we shall reign with Christe and bee glorifyed together with him who hathe testified with his owne mouth that they be blessed which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs saieth he is the kingedome of heauen into the which we must also enter by manye tribulatiōs Happy is he saith christ that endureth to th end Be faithfull vnto death saith the holy ghoste I will geue thee a crowne of life c. But what mean I to make so long a circūstance vnto you my deare hart who knoweth al these things as wel or better then I Oh that you hadde the grace and strēgth to do al things accordinge to youre knowledge I meane concerning the fleing frō Idolatry and suffering for the truth As for al other things I know you are vnspotted praised be god for you Oh that you durste pledge me of the same cup if need do requier wherof the lord of our glory hath not refused himself to drinke before vs and hath left vs an example to folow his fotesteps that he might crowne vs wyth his owne glorye and most precious giftes Oh lord helpe thy deare children that wold faine come vnto the and loke not narowly vpō our sins which are the cause of oure long absence from thee but couer theym for thy Christes sake with the mantell of thy manifold mercies whyche far surmounteth al thy workes that we may not be ashamed but reioyce at thy most glorious comming the which do thou hasten according to thy promise for thy chosens sake We haue deare sister bene of longe season acquainted with this earthlye old man of ours to much which is ful of sin and presseth downe sore our vnderstāding that it is needful for vs to be tried throughe manye trybulations that the rust therof myght be worne awaye that we might be made mete vessels for the lordes owne vse and be sanctifyed to honour Happy is he that endureth chasticinge Whyche blessing my good sister God offereth vnto vs at this present yea and him selfe also as our moste deare louinge father Let vs willingly embrace him therfore and geue thankes vnto his name that hath triumphantly gottē victorye ouer al our ennemies and is now pleading our cause on the right hand of God his father in the kyngdome of heauen where he kepeth possession for vs. To whom if we direct oure eyes wyth a stedfast fayth wee shal not nede to feare neither death synne nor hell for theyr whole power is taken awaye and Christes righteousnes maketh aūswer for vs. Yea he is wholy ours with al his merites mercies and moste swete sufferinges and we are his for euermore so that we may boldly say the lord is our helpe and therfore we wyll not feare what man maye do vnto vs for he is but fleshe and his breath is in hys nostrels but the strengthe of the lord and the power of his word endureth for euer vnto the whyche let vs stedfastly trust then shal we not be confounded My deare frend faithful sister K. thynke no vnkyndnes in me that I write thus boldlye vnto you for verily it is of pure loue and a true hart that I beare vnto you as I am most depely bound yea double and treble I haue plentifully reaped your temporal things god recōpence you for it And ought not I thē much more to sow vnto you some of those spyritual thinges wherewyth God hath blessed me yes truly and euerlastynge woe and damnation were most due and suer vnto me if I did it not God for his christes sake forgeue me my great neglygence in thys behalfe towardes you and al the rest of hys deare children whome I loue in the lord as mine owne soule and thanke God most hartelye that you do me likewyse whych am most vnworthy of the same God geue me the spirite of prayer that I maye therewith supply some part of my duty towardes you for verily I am farre in your debt and so am like to die But my suer trust is that my good God for whose sake I lose lyfe and goods and al earthly commodityes wyl abundantly recompence you wyth his blessyng both spirituall and temporal and in the ende bringe you vnto me in the place of perpetual ioy and quietnes where we shal rest from al our labors and remaine together for euermore There shall we most perfectly know one another personally thoughe in thys lyfe we are not like to doe so for I am alredy proclaimed heretike at Paules crosse I prayse god most hartily for it For nowe I know I shal shortly be with him for whose sake I am so called and shal be yet more solēnely the sūday after Trinity sunday doctor Harpesfield saith ▪ I thanke him for his paines For he hath geuen me good warning to prepare my selfe ready against the daye of slaughter whiche time is not yet in their handes for all their bragges and proud bostinges but in the good wil determinatiō of my most deare God and louinge father And right suer I am that they I meane my enemies and if al the diuels in hell do helpe theym can not shorten my life one minute of an howre otherwyse then GOD hath appoynted for his glory and my eternal profit Therefore vpon him wil I cast all my care be careles according to my name in spite of theym all and tell them I will when I come before them that God doth laughe al their doinges to scorne and shortlye wyll bringe all their counselles to naught to their owne vtter confusion if they be not conuerted For whiche thing let vs praye to him whiche onelye is able to doe it and wyl when he seeth hys good time and pleasure In the meane space the same LORDE geue vs hys peace and pacience with plentiful consolation and ioye in the holy ghost who gouerne guyds lead and conduct vs vnto the very end Thus yet once agayne I commit you vnto Goddes moste mercyfull defence who euer haue you and all youres in hys blessed keping The blessinge of God be wyth you euermore Amen youres for euer moste vnfeynedlye Iohn Careles prysoner of the Lorde at all tymes abidinge his most merciful wyl pleasure Pray pray pray FINIS Imprinted at London by VVillyam Powell dwelling in Fletestrete at the signe of the George nere to Sainct Dunstons Church Apoc. 17. He meaneth hym selfe Math. 24. 2. Cor. 6. Lib. 4. Cap. 15. Apo. 9. Daniel 11. Apoc. 12. Math. 10. Apoc. 2.