misery for felicity continual vexation and trouble for perpetual rest and quietness chusing rather to die with shame of the world being the Servants of God then to live among men in honour being the servants of Satan and condemned of God Otherwise if you give place to the wickedness of men to escape their malice and bodily dangers you shew your selves therein to fear man more then the mighty and dreadful God him that hath but power of your body and that at Gods appointment then God himself who hath power after he hath destroyed the body to cast both soul and body into hell-fire there to remain everlastingly in torments unspeakable And moreover that which you look to obtain by these sinful shifts you shall be sure to lose with grief and trouble of conscience for this saying of your Master being true and certain that They which seek to save their life meaning by any worldly reason or policy shall lose it What shall be their gains at length when by dissimulation and yielding to Popish Blasphemy they dishonour the Majesty of God to enjoy this short miserable and mortal life to be cast from the favour of God and company of his heavenly Angels to enjoy for a short time their goods and possessions among their fleshly and carnal Friends whenas their conscience within shall be deeply wounded with hell-like torments when Gods curse and indignation hangeth continually over the heads of such ready to be poured down upon them when they shall find no comfort but utter despair with Iudas who for this worldly riches as he did have sold their Master seeking either to hang themselves with Iudas to murther themselves with Francis Spira to drown themselves with Justice Hales or else to fall into a raging madness with Justice Morgan What comfort had Iudas then by his money received for betraying his Master was he not shortly after compelled to cast it from him with this pitiful voice I have sinned in betraying innocent blood Then dear Brethren in Christ what other reward can any of you look for committing the like offences There is no trust but in God no comfort but in Christ no assurance but in his promise by whose obedience onely you shall avoid all danger And whatsoever you lose in this world and suffer for his Name it shall be here recompenced with double according to his promise and in the world to come with life everlasting which is to find your life when you are willing to lay it down at his Commandment I am not ignorant how unnatural a thing it is and contrary to the flesh willingly to sustain such cruel death as the Adversaries have appointed to all the Children of God who mind constantly to stand by their prosession yet to the Spirit notwithstanding is easie and joyful for though the flesh be frail the Spirit is prompt and ready Whereof praised be the Name of God you have had notable experience in many of your Brethren very Martyrs for Christ who with joy patiently and triumphing have suffered and drunk with thirst of that bitter Cup which nature so much abhorreth wonderfully strengthened no doubt by the secret inspiration of Gods holy Spirit so that there ought to be none among you so feeble weak or timerous whom the wonderful examples of Gods present power and singular favour in those persons should not encourage bolden and fortifie to shew the like constancy in the same Cause and Profession Nevertheless great cause we have thankfully to consider the unspeakable mercy of God in Christ who hath farther respect to our infirmity that when we have not that boldness of Spirit to stand to the death as we see others he hath provided a present remedy that being persecuted in one place we have liberty to flee into another When we cannot be in our own Countrey with a safe conscience except we would make open profession of our Religion which is every mans duty and so be brought to offer up our lives in sacrifice to God in testimony that we are his he hath mollified and prepared the hearts of Strangers to receive us with all pity and gladness where you may be also not onely delivered from the fear of death and the Papistâ—cal Tyranny practised without all measure in that Countrey but with great freedom of conscience hear the Word of God continually preached and the Sacraments of our Saviour Christ purely and duely ministred without all dregs of Popery or Superstition of mans invention to the intent that you being with others refreshed for a space and more strongly fortified may be also with others more ready and willing to lay down your lives at Gods appointment for that is the chiefest grace of God and greatest perfection to sight even unto blood under Christs Banner and with him to give our lives But if you will thus flee Beloved in the Lord you must not chuse unto your selves places according as you fancy as many of us who have left our Countrey have done dwelling in Popish places among the enemies of God in the midst of impiety some in France as in Paris Orleance Roan some in Italy as in Rome Venice Padua which persons in fleeing from their Queen run to the Pope fearing the danger of their bodies seek where they may poyson their souls thinking by this means to be less suspected of Iezebel shew themselves afraid and ashamed of the Gospel which in times past they have stoutly professed And lest they should be thought favourers of Christ have purposely ridden by the Churches and Congregations of his Servants their Brethren neither minded to comfort others there nor to be comforted themselves wherein they have shewed the coldness of their zeal towards Religion and given no small occasion of slander to the Word of God which they seemed to prosess This manner of fleeing then in ungodly c. Neither is it enough to keep you out of the Dominions of Antichrist and to place your selves in corners you may be quiet and at ease and not burthened with the charges of the poor thinking it sufficient if you have a little exercise in your houses in reading a Chapter or two of the Scriptures and then will be counted zealous persons and great Gospellers No Brethren and Sâ—sters this is not the way to shew your selves manful souldiers of Christ except you resort where his Banner is displayed and his Standard set up where the Assembly of your Bâ—ethren is and his Word openlâ— preached and Sacraments faithfully ministred for otherwise what may a man judge but that such either disdain the company of their poor Brethren whom they ought by all means to help and comfort according to that power that God hath given them for that end onely and not for their own ease or else that they have not that zeal to the House of God the Assembly of his Servants and to the spiritual gifts and graces which God hath promised to
pour upon the diligent hearers of his Word as was in David who desired being a King Rather to be a door-keeper in the House of God then to dwell in the tents of the ungodly lamenting nothing so much the injuries done to him by his Son Absalom which were not small as that he was deprived of the comfortable exercises in the Tabernacle of the Lord which then was in Sion Neither doth there appear in such persons that greedy desire whereof Isaiah makes mention which ought to be in the Professours of the Gospel who never would cease or rest till they should climb up to the Lords hill meaning the Church of Christ saying one to another Let us ascend to the hill of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach us his wayes and we shall walk in his footsteps for the Law shall come forth of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem Which zeal the Prophet doth not mention in vain but to shew what a thirst and earnest desire should be in true Christians and how the same appeareth in seeking and resorting to those places where it is set forth in greatest abundance and perfection as was after Christs Ascension in Ierusalem And as that zeal shewed them to be of Christ by the like must we be judged Christians also that if we flee for Christ the places whereunto we flee may bear witness for what cause we are fled Neither is it a sufficient excuse which many alledge that they believe to be saved by Christ that they have sufficient knowledge of their duty and the rest they can supply by their own diligence I dare say their faith is not so much but they had need to desire with the Apostles Lord encrease our fâ—ith And if they will so confess why do they forsake the chiefest means that God hath ordained which is the open Congregations of his people where his Word the fountain of Faith is most purely preached and where the godly Examples of others may be a sharper spur to prick them forward and as for the knowledge and diligence of such there may be no buckler to defend their doings for if they have those gifts whereof they boast where may they better bestow them then in the Church of God except they will say they are born to themselves and have the gifts of God which he would have common to others applied to their own private fancy which is to lap them up in a clout and not to put them forth to the vantage of the owner as did the unprofitable Servant and as do all they to whom God hath given either learning counsel or worldly substance who either for the strength of Cities pleasantness of the air traâ—fick or merchandize or for any other worldly respect or policy do absent themselves from the Congregation and company of their poor Brethren where Christ hath advanced his Standard and blown his Trumpet If God then give you not strength at the first to stand in his Profession to the death nor that you cannot be quiet in conscience abiding in your Countrey you see how his mercy hath given you liberty to kill and what places he hath appointed you to flee unto that is where you may do good to your selves and others where ye may be free from Superstition and Idolatry where your faith may be encreased and not diminished and your selves strengthened and confirmed and more strongly armed But if you in tarrying will neither stand manfully to Christ your Master but betray him doing as the Papists do nor yet with thanks use this remedy that God hath granted to our infirmity to resort to his Churches godlily instituted what answer shall ye be able to make to his Majesty when he shall call for an account of your doings How shall you avoid his wrathful indignation now ready to be poured upon his enemies For in taking part with their impiety you must be partakers of their Cup likewise Neither is this any new or hard Doctrine that may exceed your capacity but may rather be termed your A. B. C. and first Principles wherein none ought to be ignorant That if we will be Christs Scholars we must learn to bear his Cross and to follow him not to cast it off our shoulders with the enemies and run from him Be no more deceived in so plain a matter If the Lord be God follow him if Bâ—al be God go after him Let not the example of any lead you into errour for men are but mortal Trust in the Lord for he is a sure rock Trust not your own shifts for they will deceive you Mark the end of others and in time be warned These Lessons are hard to the flesh but eaâ—â—e to the spirit The way of the Lord is a strait path but most faithful sure and comfortable From Geneva this first of Ian. An. 1558. Goose. Iohn Goose burnt in England An. 1473. being prest by the Sheâ—â—ff of Lâ—ndon to recant and so deliver himself from death answered That for his Religion he was at a pass and neither could nor would recant the same When the Sheriff gave him some meat of which he did eat heartily he said to the standers by I eat now a good and competent Dinner for I shall pass a sharp shower before I go to Supper Gordius When a solemn Feast was celebrated in Caesarea in honour to Mars Gordius a Citizen thereof who had been a Centurion and had chosen exile for sometime in the heat of Persecution left the Desert wherein he lived in exile and got him up into the chief place of the Theater and with a loud voice cried out Behold I am found of them that sought me not and to those that asked not for me have I openly appeared The Sheriff asking him who he was from whence he came and for what he came thither I am come said he to publish that I set nothing by your desires against the Christian Religion but that I profess Jesus Christ to be my hope and safety The Sheriff threatning him with all kind of torments It would be to me a damage said he if I should not endure divers torments for Christs Cause When he was tormented he lifted up his eyes to Heaven saying The Lord is my helper I will not fear the thing that man can do unto me I will learn no evil for thou Lord art with me He blamed the Tormentors if they favoured him at all The Sheriff promising great things if he would deny Christ It lieth not in you said he to place any in Authority which be worthy to have a place in Heaven When he was led out of the City to be burnt many with tears beg'd him to save himself but he said Weep not I beseech you for me but rather for those that bring us to the fire and thereby purchase Hell fire to themselves Truly I am ready for the Name of Christ to suffer
hear me patiently seeing I am appointed to die and look daily when I shall be called to come before the eternal Judge and therefore you cannot think but that I onely study to serve my Lord God and to say that thing which I am perswaded assuredly by Gods Word shall and doth please him and profit all to whom God shall give grace to hear and believe what I do say If the Popes supremacy be necessary to salvation to be owned How chanced it that ye were all my Lords so light as for your Princes pleasures H. 8. and E. 6. which were but mortal men to forsake the Unity of your Catholick Faith i. e. to forsake Christ and his Gospel How chanced it also that ye and the whole Parliament did not onely abolish and expell the Bishop of Rome but also did abjure him in your own persons and did decree in your Acts great Oaths to be taken for that purpose On the other side if the Law and Decree which maketh the supremacy of the See and Bishop of Rome over the universal Church of Christ be a thing of necessity required unto salvation by an Antichristian Law as it is indeed then my Lords never think other but the day shall come when ye shall be charged with this your undoing that which once ye had well done and with this your perjury and breach of your Oath which Oath was done in judgement justice and truth agreeable to Gods Law The Whore of Babylon may for a time dally with you and make you so drunken with the wine of her filthy stews and whoredomes as with her dispensations and promises of pardon a poena culpa that you may think your selves safe but be ye assured when the Living Lord shall try the matter by fire and judge it according to his Word unless ye repent without all doubt ye shall never escape the hands of the Living God for the guilt of your perjury and breach of your Oath then shall ye drink of the Cup of the Lords indignation and everlasting wrath which is prepared for the Beast his false Prophets and all their partakers For he that is partner with them in their whoredomes and abominations must also be partner with them in their plagues and be thrown with them into the Lake burning with brimstone and unquenchable fire In his Letter to the Prisoners c. and Exiles For the fervent love that the Apostles had unto their Master Christ and for the great commodities and increase of all godliness which they felt by their faith to ensue of afflictions in Christs Cause And thirdly For the heaps of heavenly joyes which the same do get unto the godly which shall endure in Heaven for evermore for these causes they rejoyced that they were accounted worthy to suffer contumelies and rebukes for Christs Name And Paul was so much in love in that which the carnal man loatheth so much i. e. with Christs Cross that he judged himself to know nothing else but Christ crucified he gloried in nothing else but Christs Cross. Why should we Christians fear death Can death deprive us of Christ who is all our comfort our joy and our life Nay forsooth But on the contrary Death shall deliver us from this mortal body which loadeth and beareth down the Spirit that it cannot so well perceive heavenly things in the which so long as we dwell we are absent from the Lord. And who that hath a right knowledge of Christ our Saviour that he is the eternal Son of God life light the wisdome of the Father all goodness all righteousness and whatsoever heart can desire yea infinite plenty of all these above that that mans heart can conceive or imagine for in him dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily and also that he is given us of the Father and made of God to be our wisdome our righteousness our holiness and our redemption who I say is that believeth this indeed that would not gladly be with his Master Christ To die in the defence of Christs Gospel is our bounden duty to Christ and also to our neighbour to Christ for he died for us and rose that he might be Lord of all and seeing he died for us we also saith St. Iohn 1 Ioh. 3. should jeopard yea give our life for the Brethren Farewell dear Brethren farewell and let us comfort our hearts in all troubles and in death with the Word of God for Heaven and Earth shall perish but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever In his Lamentation for the change of Religion in England Of late in every Congregation throughout all England was made Prayer and Petition unto God to be delivered from the Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities from all false doctrine and heresie and now alas Satan hath perswaded England by his falâ—hood and craft to revoke her old godly prayer c. This is one maxime and principle in Christs Law He that denieth Christ before men him shall Christ deny before his Father and all his holy Angels in Heaven Now then seeing the doctrine of Antichrist is returned again into this Realm and the higher Powers alas are so deceived and bewitched that they are perswaded it to be Truth and Christs true Doctrine to be errour and heresie and the old Laws of Anticrist are allowed to return with the power of their Father again What can be hereafter looked for of Christians abiding in this Realm but extreme violence of death or else to deny their Master Therefore prepare and arm thy self to die for both by Antichrists accustomable Laws and Scripture Prophesies there is no likelyhood of any other thing except thou wilt deny thy Master Christ which is the loss at the last of body and soul unto everlasting death My counsel to such as are yet at liberty is to flie from the plague and get them hence I consider not onely the subtilties of Satan and how he is like to deceive it it were possible even the chosen of God and also the great frailty which is oftentimes more in a man then he doth know in himself and which in the time of temptation will utter it self but also the examples of Christ Paul Elias c. and Christ saith When they persecute you in one City flie unto another Truly before God I think that the abomination that Daniel prophesied of so long before is now set up in the holy Place the Doctrine of Antichrist his Laws Rites and Religion contrary to Christ and to the true serving and worshipping of God I understand to be that abominition therefore now is the time in England for those words of Christ Then saith Christ they that be in Jewry let them flie into the Mountains then saith he mark this then for truly I am perswaded and I trust by the Spirit of God that this then is commanded By those in Iewry I understand such who truly confess one Living God and the
if she will condemn me to perpetual imprisonment I will thank her The Chancellor pressing him to do as they had done in hopes of the Queens mercy and pardon My Lord said he I desire mercy with Gods mercy i. e. without doing or saying any thing against God and his Truth pag. 290. but mercy with Gods wrath God keep me from Gods mercy I desire and also would be glad of the Qâ—eens favour to live as a Subject without clog on Conscience but otherwise the Lords mercy is better to me then life Life in his displeasure is worse then death and death with his favour is true life He having refused again and again to answer to the Chancellors Quaeries said That no fear but the fear of perjury made him unwilling to answer he having been six times sworn not to consent to the practising of any Jurisdiction or any Authority on the Bishop of Râ—me's behalf within the Realm of England I am not afraid of death I thank God I look and have looked for nothing else from your hands a long time but I am afraid when death cometh I should have maâ—ter to trouble my Conscience by the guilt of perjury As for my death as I know there are twelve hours in the day so with the Lord my time is appointed and when it shall be his good time then I shall depart hence but in the mean season I am safe enough though all the reople had sworn my death into his hands have I committed it and do his good will be done The Earl of Derby sending one of his Servants to him willing him to tender himself He told the Messenger that he thanked his Lordship for his good will towards him but in this case I cannot tender my self more then Gods honour The same Servant saying also Ah Mr. Bradford consider your Mother Sister Friends Kinsfolk Countrey what a great discomfort it will be to them to see you die as an Heretick Mr. Bradford replied I have learned to forsake Father Mother Brother Sister Friends and all that ever I have yea and my own self for else I cannot be Christs Disciple Being askt by a good Gentlewomans Servant that was sent to him How he did he answered Well I thank God for as men in Sailing which be near to the Shore or Haven where they would be would be nearer even so the nearer I am to God the nearer I would be In a Letter to his Mother and Brethren I am at this time in Prison sure enough from starting to confirm that I have preached unto you As I am ready I thank God with my life and blood to seal the same if God vouchsafe me worthy of that honour If we suffer with him we shall also reign wâ—th him Be not therefore faint-hearted but rather rejoyce at the least for my sake who now am in the right and high way to Heaven for by many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of God Now will God made known his Children When the wind doth not blow the Wheat cannot be known from the Chaffe but when the blast cometh then flieth away the Chaffe but the Wheat remaineth and is so far from being hurt that by the wind it is more cleansed from the Chaffe Gold when it is cast into the fire is the more precious so are Gods Children by afflictions Indeed I thank God more for this Prison then for any Parlour yea then for any pleasure that eyer I had for in it I find God my most sweet good God alwayes Of all deaths it is most to be desired to die for Gods sake such are sure to go to Heaven Death nor Life nor Prison nor Pleasure I trust in God shall be able to separate me from my Lord God and his Gospel Rejoyce in my sufferings for it is for your sakes to confirm the truth I have taught Howsoever you do be obedient to the Higher Powers that is in no point either in hand or tongue Rebel but rather if they command that which with good conscience you cannot obey lay your head on the Block and suffer what they shall do or say By patience possess your souls In his Letter to the City of London I ask God heartily mercy that I do no more rejoyce then I do having so great cause as to be an instrument wherein it may please my dear Lord and Saviour to suffer Although my sins be manifold and grievous yet the Bishops and Prelates do not persecute them in me but Christ himself his Word his Truth and Religion Let the anger and plagues of God most justly fallen upon us be applied to every one of our deserts that from the bottome of our hearts every one of us may say It is I Lord that have sinned against thee It is my hypocrisie my vain-glory my covetousness uncleanness carnality security idleness unthankfulness self-love c. which have deserved the taking away of thy Word and true Religion of thy good Ministers by Exile Imprisonment Death c. Prepare your selves to the Cross be obedient to all that be in Authority in all things that be not against God his Word for then answer with the Apostle It is more meet to obey God then man Howbeit never for any thing resist or rise against the Magistrates Avenge not your selves Commit your Cause to the Lord. If you feel in your selves an hope and trust in God that he will never tempt you above that he will make you able to bear be assured the Lord will be true to you and you shall be able to bear all brunts but if you want this Hope flee and get you hence rather then by your tarrying Gods Name should be dishonoured In his Letter to Cambridge Thou my Mother the University hast not onely had the truth of Gods Word plainly manifested unto thee by Reading Disputing and Preaching publickly and privately but now to make thee altogether excuseless and as it were almost to sin against the Holy Ghost if thou put to thy helping hand with the Romish Rout to suppress the Verity and set out the contrary thou hast my life and blood as a Seal to confirm thee if thou wilt be confirmed or else to confound thee if thou wilt take part with the Prelates and Clergy which now fill up the measure of their Fathers which slew the Prophets and Apostles that all the righteous blood from Abel to Bradford may be required at their hands For the tender mercy of Christ in his bowels and blood I beseech you to take Christs eye-salve to anoint your eyes that you may see what you do and have done in admitting the Romish rotten Rags which once you utterly expelled O be not the Dog returned to his vomit be not the Sow that was washed returning to her wallowing in the mire Beware least Satan enter in with seven worse Spirits c. It had been better you had never known the truth then after knowledge to have run
and necessities as also charitably to pray for them that persecute them So doth the Word of God command all men to pray charitably for them that hate them and not to revile any Magistrate with words or to mean him evil by force and violence They also may rejoyce that in well doing they were taken to Prison Thus fare you well and pray God to send his true Word into this Realm again amongst us which the ungodly Bishops have now banished In his Letter to those Christians so taken Prisoners The grace favour consolation and â—â—d of the Holy Ghost be with you now and ever So be it Dearly Beloved in the Lord ever since I â—eard of your imprisonment I have been marvellously moved with great affections and passions as well of mirth and gladness as of heaviness and sorrow Of gladness in this that I perceived how ye be bent and given to prayer and invocation of Gods help in these dark and wicked proceedings of men against Gods glory I have been sorry to perceive the malice and wickedness of men to be so 〈◊〉 devillish and tyrannical to persecute the 〈◊〉 of God for serving of God c. These 〈◊〉 doings do declate that the Papists Church is 〈◊〉 bloody and tyrannical then ever was the 〈◊〉 of the Ethnicks and Gentiles Trajan the Emperour commanded That no man should be persecuted for serving of God but the Pope and his Church have cast you into Prison being taken doing the Work of God and one of the excellentest Works that is required of Christians viz. whilest ye were in Prayer O glad may ye be that ever ye were born to be apprehended whilest ye were so vertuously occupied Blessed be they that suffer for righeeousness sake If God had suffered them that took your bodies then to have taken your life also now had you been following the Lamb in pertual joyes away from the company and assembly of wicked men But the Lord would not have you suddenly so to depart but reserveth you gloriously to speak and maintain his Truth to the world Be ye not careful what ye shall say for God will go out and in with you and will be present in your hearts and in your mouths to speak his wisdome though it seems foolishness to the world He that hath begun this good work in you continue in the same unto the end Pray unto him that ye may fear him only that hath power to kill both body and soul and to cast them into hell fire Be of good comfort all the hairs of your head are numbred and there is not one of them can perish except your heavenly Father suffer it to perish Now you be in the field and placed in the fore-front of Christs battel Doubtless it is a singular favour of God and a special love of him towards you to give him this preheminence as a sign that he trusteth you before others of his people Wherefore dear Brethren and Sisters continually fight this Fight of the 〈◊〉 Your Cause is most just and godly ye stan◠〈◊〉 the true Christ who is after the flesh in Heâ—â—â—â— and for his true Religion and Honour 〈…〉 amply fully sufficiently and abundantly contained in the holy Testament sealed with Christs own blood How much be ye bound to God who putâ— you in trust with so holy and just a Cause Remember what lookers on you have to see and behold you in your fight God and all his holy Angels who be ready alwayes to take you up into Heaven if ye be slain in his Fight Also you have standing aâ— your backs all the multitude of the Faithful who shall take courage strength and desire to follow such noble and valiant Christians as you be Be not afraid of your Adversaries for he that is in you is stronger then he that is in them Shrink not although it be pain to you your pains be not now so great as hereafter your joyes shall be Read the comfortable Chapters to the Romanes 8.10 15. Hebrews 11.12 And upon your knees thank God that ever ye were accounted worthy to suffer any thing for his Names sake Read the second Chapter of Luke and there you shall see how the Shepherds that watched their Sheep all night as soon as they heard that Christ was born at Bethlehem by and by went to see him They did not reason nor debate with themselves who should keep the Wolf from the Sheep in the mean time but did as they were commanded and committed their Sheep unto him whose pleasure they obeyed So let us do now we be called commit all other things to him that calleth us He will take heed that all things shall be well He will help the Husband he will comfort the Wife he will guide the Servants he will keep the House he will preserve the Goods yea rather then it should be undone he will wash the Dishes and rock the Cradle Cast therefore all your care upon God for he careth for you Besides this you may perceive by your imprisonment that your Adversaries weapons against you be nothing but flesh and blood and tyranny for if they were able they would maintain their Religion by Gods Word but for lack of that they would violently compel such as they cannot by holy Scripture perswade because the holy Word of God and all Christs doings be contrary unto them I pray you pray for me and I will pray for you Fleet Ian. 14. 1555. In a Letter to certain of his Friends Now is the time of trial to see whether we fear more God or man It was an easie thing to hold with Christ whilst the Prince and world held with him but now the world hateth him it is the true trial who be his Wherefore in the Name and in the Vertue Strength and Power of his holy Spirit prepare your selves in any case to adversity and constancy Let us not run away when it is most time to fight Remember none shall be crowned but such as fight manfully and he that endureth to the end shall be saved Ye must now turn all your cogitations from the peril you see and mark the felicity that followeth the peril either victory in this world of your enemies or else a surrender of this life to inherit the everlasting Kingdome Beware of beholding too much the felicity or misery of this world for the consideration and too earnest love or fear of either of them draweth from God Wherefore think with your selves as touching the felicity of the world it is good but yet none otherwise then it standeth with the favour of God It is to be kept but yet so far forth as by keeping of it we lose not God It is good abiding and tarrying still among our friends here but yet so that we tarry not therewithal in Gods displeasure and hereafter dwell with the Devils in fire everlasting There is nothing under God but may be kept so that God being above all things we have
testifie before Gods enemies Gods Truth May 6. 1554. Yours and with you unto death in Christ J. H. In his Letter to his Wife As the Devil hath entred into their hearts that they themselves cannot or will not come to Christ to be instructed by his holy Word so can they not abide any others to become Christians and lead their lives after the Word of God but hate persecute rob imprison and kill them whether male or female though they have never offended Gods or Mans Law yea though they daily pray for them and wish them Gods grace having no respect to nature The Brother persecuteth the Brother the Father the Son and most dear Friends are become most mortal Enemies And no marvel for they have chosen sundry Masters the one the Devil the other God The one agree with the other as God and the Devil agree between themselves As he that was born after the flesh persecuted in times pâ—st him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now Therefore forasmuch as we live in this life amongst so many great perils and dangers the onely remedy is what Christ hath appointed Ye shall possess your selves in patience When troubles come we must be patient and in no case violently nor seditiously to resist our persecutors because God hath such care of us that he will keep in the midst of all troubles the very hairs of our heads c. And seeing he hath such care of the hairs of our heads how much more doth he care for our life it self Their cruelty hath no farther power then God permitteth and that which cometh unto us by the will of our heavenly Father can be no harm loss destruction to us but rather gain wealth and felicity That the spirit of man may feel these consolations the giver of them the heavenly Father must be prayed unto for the merits of Christs Passion for it is not the nature of man that can be contented until it be regenerated and possessed with Gods Spirit to bear patiently the troubles of mind or body When the mind of man sees troubles on every side threatning poverty yea death except the man weigh these brittle and uncertain treasures that be taken from him with the riches of the life to come and this life of the body with the life in Christs blood and so for the love and certainty of the heavenly joyes contemn all things present doubtless he shall never be able to bear the loss of goods and life The Christian mans faith must be alwayes upon the resurrection of Christ when he is in trouble and in that glorious resurrection he shall see continual joy yea victory and triumph over all persecution trouble sin death hell the Devil and all other persecutors the tears and weepings of the faithful dried up their wounds healed their bodies made immortal in joy their souls for ever praising the Lord in conjuction and society everlasting with the blessed company of Gods Elect in perpetual joy If ye le risen with Christ seek the things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father When he biddeth us seek the things that are above he requireth that our minds never cease from prayer and study in Gods Word until we see know and understand the vanities of this world the shortness and misery of this life and the treasures of the world to come the immortality thereof the joyes of that life and so never cease seeking until such time as we know certainly and be perswaded what a blessed man he is that seeketh the one and findeth it and careth not for the other though he lose it and in seeking to have right judgement between the life present and the life to come we shall find how little the pains imprisonment slanders lies and death it self is in the world in respect of pains everlasting the Prison infernal and Dungeon of Hell the Sentence of Gods Judgement and everlasting Death When a man hath by seeking the Word of God found out what the things above be then must he set his affections upon them And this Command is more hard then the other for for mans knowledge many times sees the best men know that there is a life to come better then this present c. Yet they set not their affection upon it they do more affect and love indeed a trifle of nothing in this world that pleaseth their affection then the treasure of all treasures in Heaven We must set our affections on things above i. e. when any thing worse then Heaven offereth it self to be ours if we will give our good wills to it and love it in our hearts then ought we to see by the judgement of Gods Word whether we may have it without Gods displeasure if we cannot if the riches of this world may not be gotten nor kept by Gods Law neither our lives continued without the denial of his honour we must set our affections upon the riches and life that is above and not upon things that be upon the earth This second Command requires that as our mind judgeth Heavenly things to be better then Earthly and the life to come better then the present life so we should chuse them before other and prefer them c. These things be easie to be spoken of but not so easie to be used and practised Read Psa. 88. wherein is contained the prayer of a man that being vexed with Adversaries and persecutions saw nothing but death and hell apprehending not onely man but God angry with him yet he by Prayer humbly resorted unto God and put the hope of his salvation in him whom he felt his enemy In this Command possess your lives by your patience God requires every one to be patient he saith not It is sufficient that other holy Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Evangelists and Martyrs continued their lives in patient suffering the troubles of this world but Christ saith it to every one of his people By your patience continue you your life not that man hath patience in himself but that he must have it for himself of God the onely Giver of it if he purpose to be a godly man Besides as our Profession and Religion requireth patience outwardly without resistance and force so requireth it patience of the mind and not to be angry with God although he use us that be his own creatures as him listeth We may not murmure against God but say alwayes his Judgements be right and just and rejoyce that it pleaseth him to use us as he used heretofore such as he most loved in this world Have a singular care to this command be glad and rejoyce c. he sheweth great cause why because your reward is great in Heaven Christ also takes from us all shame and rebuke as though it were not an honour to suffer for him because the wicked world doth curse and abhor such poor troubled Christians He placeth all
you do require me so to do I will not refuse to go with you and if it happen that they evil intreat me yet nevertheless I trust in my Lord Jesus that he will so comfort and strengthen me that I shall desire much rather to die for his glory sake then to deny the Verity which I have learned by his holy Scriptures When he came to the Cardinals they told him they had heard that he had taught great and manifest errors through the Realm of Bohemia c. You shall understand answered Mr. Hus that I am thus minded and affectioned that I should rather chuse to die then I should be found culpable of one only error much less of many and great errors For this cause I am willingly come to the general Council to receive correction if any man can prove any errors in me Some of the Articles presented to the Council against him 4 He saith that all Priests be of like power 8 He holdeth this opinion That a man being once ordained a Priest or a Deacon cannot be forbidden or kept back from the office of preaching When several false witnesses rose up against him he said Albeit they were as many more in number as they are I do much more esteem yea and without comparison regard the witness of my Lord God before the witness of all mine adversaries He being ask'd whether it was lawful for him to appeal unto Christ answered Verily I do affirm before you all that there is no more just nor effectual plea then that which is made unto Christ forasmuch as the Law doth determine that to appeal is no other thing then in a cause of grief or wrong done by an inferiour Judge to implore and require aid and remedy at an higher Judges hands Who is then an higher Judge then Christ Who can know or judge the matter more justly or with more equity In him is found no deceit nor can he be deceived Who can better help the miserable and oppressed then he It being in his Accusation that he counsel'd the people to resist with the sword all such as did gainsay his Doctrine c. he answered That he at all times when he preached did diligently admonish and warn the people that they should arm themselves to defend the truth of the Gospel according to the saying of tbe Apostle With the helmet and sword of salvation that he never spake of any material sword but of that which is the Word of God Some more Articles against him taken out of his Treatise of the Church 1 There is but one holy universal or Catholick Church which is the universal Company of all the Predestinate 6 A reprobate man is never a member of the holy Church 18 An Heretick ought not to be committed to the secular powers to be put to death for it is sufficient that he suffer the Ecclesiastical censure In his appeal Forasmuch as the most mighty Lord One in Essence Three in Person is both the chief and first and also the last and uttermost refuge of all those which are oppressed and forasmuch as the Lord Jesus Christ very God and Man being compassed in with the Priests Scribes and Pharisees wicked Judges and Witnesses c. hath left behind him this godly example for them that shall come after him to the intent they should commit all their causes into the hand of God O Lord behold my affliction c. thou art my Protector and Defender O Lord thou hast given me understanding and I have acknowledged thee For mine own part I have been as a meek Lamb which is led unto sacrifice and have not resisted against them Deliver me from mine enemies for thou art my God I appeal to the Sovereign and most just Judge who is not defiled with cruelty nor can be corrupted with gifts and rewards neither yet be deceived by false witness I Iohn Hus do present and offer this my appeal to my Lord Jesus Christ my just Judge who knoweth and defendeth and justly judgeth every mans just and true cause The day before his condemnation when four Bishops were sent by the Emperour to him to know whether he would stand to the judgement of the Council Mr. Iohn de Clum spake thus unto him Mr. I. Hus I require you if you know your self guilty of any of those errours which are objected against you that you will not be ashamed to alter your mind to the will of the Council if contraiwise I will be no Author to you that you should do any thing contrary to your conscience but rather to suffer any kind of punishment then to deny that which you have known to be the truth Mr. Hus with tears answered Verily as before I have oftentimes done I do take the most High God for my witness that I am ready with my whole heart and mind if the Council can instruct me any better by the Scripture to change my purpose One of the Bishops telling him he should not be so arrogant as to prefer his own opinion before the judgement of the whole Council he said If he which is the meanest or least in all this Council can convict me of errour I will with an humble heart and mind do whatsoever the Council shall require of me When they condemned his appeal as heretical he said O Lord Jesus Christ whose Word is openly condemned here in this Council unto thee again do I appeal which when thou wast evil intreated of thine enemies didst appeal unto God thy Father committing thy Cause unto a most just Judge that by thy example we also being oppressed with manifest wrongs and injuries should flee unto thee Whilst they were reading his Sentence He interrupted them often and specially when he was charged with obstinacy he said with a loud voice I was never obstinate but as alwayes heretofore even so now again I desire to be taught by the holy Scriptures and I do profess my self to be so desirous of the truth that if I might by one onely word subvert the errours of all Hereticks I would not refuse to enter into what peril soever it were to speak it When the Sentence was ended kneeling down upon his knees he said Lord Jesus Christ forgive mine enemies by whom thou knowest that I am falsly accused c. forgive them for thy great mercies sake When he was degraded he spake to the people thus These Lords and Bishops do exhort and counsel me that I should here confess before you all that I have erred the which thing to do if it might be done with the infamy and reproach of man onely they might peradventure easily perswade me thereunto but now truly I am in the sight of the Lord my God without whose great ignominy and grudge of mine own conscience I can by no means do that which they require of me With what countenance should I behold the Heavens With what face should I look upon
the hatred of all men against me As I was not so fervent in rebuking manifest iniquity as I should so was I not so indifferent a feeder as is required of Christs Steward for the love of friends and carnal affection of some men with whom I was most familiar allured me to make more residence in one place then in another having more respect to the pleasure of a few then the necessity of many Moreover remaining in one place I was not so diligent as mine office required but sometime by counsel of carnal friends I spared the body some time I spent in worldly business of particular friends and sometime in taking recreation c. And albeit men may judge these to be light and small offences yet I acknowledge that unless pardon should be granted unto me in Christs blood that every one of these three offences deserved damnation And beside these I am assaulted yea infected and corrupted with seeking the favour estimation and praise of men O Lord be merciful to my great offence and deal not with me according to my great iniquity but according to the multitude of thy mercies remove from me the burden of my sin for of purpose and mind to have avoided the vain displeasure of man I spared little to offend thy Majesty Think not that I thus accuse my self without cause to appear more holy or to accuse my Brethren No God is Judge to my Conscience that I do it from an unfeigned and sore troubled heart This great tempest cometh from the great mercy of our heavenly Father to provoke us to unfeigned repentance for neither Preacher nor Professor did rightly consider the time of our merciful visitation but we spent our time as though Gods Word had rather been preached to satisfie our phantasies then to reform our evil manners Which thing if we earnestly repent then shall Jesus Christ appear unto our comfort be the storm never so great Haste O Lord for thy Names sake Observe next the vehemency of the fear which the Disciples indured in that great danger of longer continuance then any before They were in the midst of the raging Sea and it was night and Christ their Comforter absent from them and cometh not to them neither in the first second nor third Watch. What fear think you were they in Such as be in like danger in England do by this storm better understand then my Pen can express What we read here to have chanced to Christs Disciples and their poor Boat the same thing hath chanced doth and will chance to the true Church travelling like a Ship in the Sea of this troublesome World to the Haven of eternal felicity The wind that alwayes hath blown against the Church of God is the malice of the Devil As the wind is invisible and yet the poor Disciples feel that it troubleth and letteth their Ship so the pestilent envy of the Devil worketh in Reprobates so subtily that it cannot be espied by Gods Elect nor by his Messengers till first they feel the blasts thereof to blow their Ship backward As the vehement wind causeth the waves of the Sea to rage and yet the dead water neither knoweth what it doth nor can cease from being troubled and troubling Christs Disciples in their poor Ship so by the envy and malice of the Devil are wicked and cruel both Subjects and Princes whose hearts are like the raging Sea compelled to persecute the true Church of Christ and yet so blinded that they see not their manifest iniquity nor can they cease to run to their own destruction The whole malice of the Devil hath alwayes this end to vex and overthrow Christs afflicted Church Albeit the Tyrants of the Earth have learned by long experience that they are never able to prevail against Gods Truth yet because they are bound Slaves to their Master the Devil they cannot cease to persecute the Members of Christ when the Devil bloweth his wind in the darkness of the night i. e. when the Light of Christs Gospel is taken away and the Devil reigneth by Idolatry Superstition and Tyranny It is fearful to be heard that the Devil hath such power over any man but yet the Word of God hath so instructed us and therefore we must believe it He is called the Prince and god of this world because he reigneth and is honoured by Tyranny and Idolatry in it He is called the Prince of darkness that hath power in the aire It is said he worketh in the children of unbelief c. And therefore wonder not that now the Devil rageth in his obedient Servants for this is their hour and power granted to them they cannot cease nor asswage their furious fumes for the Devil their Sire stirreth moveth and carrieth them at his will I do not attribute to him or them power at their pleasure but onely as God shall suffer When therefore I hear what the ravenous Lions do I pray O Lord those cruel Tyrants are loosed by thy hand to punish our former ingratitude whom we trust thou wilt not suffer to prevail for ever but when thou hast corrected us a little and hast declared to the world the tyranny that lurked in their boldened breasts then wilt thou break their jaw-bones and wilt shut them up in their Caves again that the generation and posterity following may praise thy holy Name before thy Congregation Amen I know that God shall yet shew mercy to his afflicted Church in England and repress the pride of these present Tyrants as he hath done those that were before us Therefore beloved Brethren in our Saviour Jesus Christ hold up to God your hands that are fainted through fear and hear the voice of your God who sweareth by himself that he will not suffer his Church to be oppressed for ever and that he will not despise our sobs to the end if we will rowe and strive against this vehement wind I mean if that ye will not turn back headlong to Idolatry then shall this storm be asswaged in despight of the Devil Be not moved from the sure Foundation of your Faith for albeit that Christ Iesus be absent from you as he was from his Disciples in that great storm by his bodily presence yet he is present by his mighty power and grace He standeth upon the mountain in security and rest i. e. his flesh and whole humanity is now in Heaven and can suffer no such trouble as once he did yet he is full of pity and compassion and doth consider all our travel anguish and labours wherefore it is not to be doubted but that he will suddenly appear to our great comfort The tyranny of this world cannot keep back his coming more then the blustering wind and raging Seas let Christ to come to his Disciples looking for present death We gave you warning of these dayes long ago for the reverence of Christs blood let these words be noted The same Truth that spake
before of these dolorous dayes fore-spake also the everlasting joy prepared for such as should continue to the end The trouble is come O dear Brethren look for the comfort and after the example of the Apostle abide in resisting this vehement storm a little space The third watch is not yet ended Remember that Christ came not to his Disciples till the fourth watch Observe next that the Disciples at the presence of Christ were more afraid then they were before That Christ useth no other instrument but his Word to pacifie their hearts That Peter in a fervency first left the Ship and yet after feared That Christ permitted neither Peter nor the rest of his Disciples to perish in that fear but gloriously delivered all and pacified the tempest There were three causes why the Disciples knew not Christ but judged him to be a Spirit The darkness of the night that letted their eyes to see him The unaccustomed Vision that appeared and it was above nature that a massy weighty and heavy body of a man such as they understood their Master Christ to have should be born up of and walk upon the water of the raging Sea and not sink And finally the horrour of the tempest and great danger they were in perswaded them to look for none other but certainly to be drowned What here hapned to Christ himself daily hapneth to the verity of his blessed Word c. The truth and sincere preaching of his glorious Gospel sent by God for mans deliverance from sin c. is judged to be Heresie and deceiveable Doctrine sent by the Devil to mans destruction The chief note is this The more nigh deliverance and salvation approacheth the more strong and vehement is the temptation of the Church of God and the more nigh that Gods vengeance approacheth to the wicked the more proud cruel and arrogant are they Whereby it commonly comes to pass that the Messengers of Life are judged to be the Authors of all mischief Thus the Israelites cursed Moses alledging that he and Aaron was the whole cause of their last extreme trouble This I write to admonish you that although you see tribulation so abound that no hope be left that yet you decline not from God And that albeit sometimes ye be moved to hate the Messengers of Life that therefore ye shall not judge that God will never shew mercy after No dear Brethren as he hath dealt with others before you so will he deal with you One cause why God permitteth such blood-thirsty Tyrants to molest his Church is this Such is his justice that he will not pour forth his extreme vengeance upon the wicked until such time as their iniquity be so manifest that their very flatterers cannot excuse it Pharaoh was not destroyed till his own houshold Servants and Subjects abhorred and condemned his stubborn disobedience If Gardener Tunstal and Bonner had suffered death when first they deserved it Papists would have alledged as they did that they were reformable neither thirsted they for the blood of any man And of Lady Mary who hath not heard that she was sober merciful and one that loved the Commonwealth of England Had she and her pestilent Council been dead before these dayes their iniquity and cruelty had not so manifestly appeared to the world Thus dear Brethren must the Sons of the Devil declare their own impiety and ungodliness that when Gods vengeance which shall not sleep shall be poured forth upon them all tongues shall confess and say That God is righteous in all his judgements The means Christ used to remove the Disciples fear is onely his Word he said Be of good comfort it is I be not afraid The natural man that cannot understand the power of God would have desired some other present comfort in so great a danger as either to have had the Heavens to have opened and to have shewed them such a light in that darkness that Christ might have been fully known by his own face or else that the winds and raging waves of the Sea suddenly should have ceased or some other miracle that had been subject to all their senses whereby they might have perfectly known that they were delivered from all danger And truly equal it had been to Christ Jesus to have done any of these or any work greater as to have said It is I be not afraid but he would hereby teach us the dignity and effectual power of his holy Word This I write Beloved in the Lord that ye knowing the Word of God not onely to be that whereby were created Heaven and Earth but also to be the Power of God to Salvation to all that believe c. may now in this hour of darkness and most raging tempest thirst and pray that ye may hear yet once again this amiable voice of your Saviour Christ Be of good comfort it is I be not afraid Exercise your selves secretly in revolving that which sometimes you have heard openly proclaimed in your ears and be every man now a faithful Preacher to his Brother If your communication be of Christ assuredly he will come before ye be aware What comfort was in the hearts of the Disciples when they heard these words It is I your Master your Master most familiar whose voice you know whose work you have seen who commanded you to enter into this journey it is I be not afraid cannot be exprest but by those that have experienced the comforts of the Spirit after great conflicts c. It is certain Christs voice had wrought in Peter's heart not onely a forgetting and contempt of the great tempest but such boldness and love that he could fear no danger following but assuredly did believe that nothing could resist his Masters Command and therefore he saith Command me to come q. d. I desire no more then the assurance of thy command If thou wilt command I am determined to obey The waters cannot prevail against me if thou speak the word so that whatsoever is possible unto thee by thy Will and Word may be possible unto me Such as bear reverence to Gods most holy Word are drawn by the power and vertue of the same to believe and follow and obey that which God commandeth be it never so hard and contrary to their affections and therefore are they wonderfully preserved when Gods vengeances are poured forth upon the disobedient In Peter's being afraid seeing a mighty wind and when he began to sink crying Lord save me Three things are principally to be noted From whence cometh the fear of Gods Elect Why they faint in adversity What resteth with them in the time of their fear and down-sinking The cause of our fear who would through the storms of the Sea go to Christ is that we more consider the dangers and lets that are in our journey then we do the Almighty Power of him that hath commanded us to come to himself This I note
c. but you guilty in the same offences hath he fostered as it were in his own bosome during the time of that most miserable thraldome under Queen Mary and now hath set you at such liberty as the fury of Gods enemies cannot hurt you except that willingly against his Honour you take pleasure to conspire with them God requires of you earnest repentance for your former defection and an heart mindful of his merciful providence and a will ready to advance his glory that evidently it may appear that in vain you have not received these graces of God To performance whereof of necessity it is that carnal wisdome and worldly policy to both which you are too much inclined give place to Gods naked Truth Very love compells me to say That except the Spirit of God purge your heart from that Venome which your eyes have seen destructive to others that you shall not long escape the reward of Dissemblers Now you are in that estate and credit in the which you shall either comfort the sorrowful and affâ—icted for righteousness sake or else you shall molest and oppugne the Spirit of God speaking in his Messengers The Comforters of the afflicted for godliness have promise of comfort in their greatest necessities but the Troublers of Gods Servants how contemned soever they appear before the world are threatned to have their Names in execration to the Posterities following Except that in the Cause of Christs Evangel you be found simple sincere fervent and unfeigned you shall taste of the same cup which Politick Heads have drunk in before I hear that some of that poor Flock of late assembled in Geneva are so extremely handled that those who most rudely have shed the blood of Gods most dear Children find this day among you greater favours then they do Alas This appeareth much to repugne to Christian Charity for whatsoever hath been mine offence this I fear not to affirm in their Cause That if any that have suffered Exile in those most dolorous dayes of Persecution deserve praise and commendation for peace concord sober and quiet living it is they From Diep April 10. 1559. In his Letter to Queen Elizabeth Consider deeply how for fear of your life you did decline from God and bow to Idolatry going to Mass under your Sister Mary her persecution of Gods Saints Let it not appear a small offence in your eyes that you have declined from Christ Jesus in the day of your Battel neither would I that you should esteem that mercy to be vulgar and common which you have received viz. that God hath covered your Offence hath preserved your Person when you were most unthankful and hath Exalted you c. Commonly it is seen that such as refuse the counsel of the Faithful appear it never so sharp are compelled to follow the deceit of Flatterers to their own perdition Edinburg Iuly 28. A. 1559. When Mass was permitted to the Queen for a time Mr. Knox the next Sabbath after the first Mass shewed what terrible plagues God had taken upon Realms and Nations for Idolatry and added That one Mass was more fearful to him then if Ten thousand armed Enemies were Landed in any part of the Realm of purpose to suppress the whole Religion for said he in our God there is strength to resist and confound multitudes if we unfeignedly depend upon him whereof heretofore we have had experience but when we joyn hands with Idolatry it is no doubt but both Gods amiable presence and comfortable defence will leave us and what shall then become of us Alas I fear that experience will teach us to the grief of many When God began to make his words good He did in the audience of many Dec. 1565. ask God mercy that he was not more vehement and upright in suppressing that Idol at the beginning For said he albeit I spake that which offended some which this day they see and feel to be true yet did I not that which might have been done for God had not onely given me knowledge and a tongue to make known the impiety of that Idol but he had given me credit with many who would have put in execution Gods Judgements if I would onely have consented thereto but so careful was I of that common tranquility and so loth was I to offend some that in secret conference with zealous men I travelled rather to mitigate yea to slacken that fervency God had kindled in them then to animate or encourage them to put their hands to the Lords Work wherein I acknowledge my self to have done most wickedly and from the bottome of my heart do ask of my God pardon that I did not what in me lay to have suppressed that Idol in the beginning When the Queen accused him for stirring up her Subjects against her Mother her Self and that he was the cause of much sedition great slaughter in England and that all he did was by Necromancy Madam said Mr. Knox may it please your Majesty patiently to hear my simple answers and first If to teach the Word of God in sincerity if to rebuke Idolatry and to will a people to worship God according to his Word be to raise Subjects against their Princes then cannot I be excused but if the true knowledge of God and his right worshipping be the chief cause which must move men to obey their just Princess from their heart as it is most certain they are wherein can I be reprehended I think and am surely perswaded that your Majesty hath had and now hath as unfeigned obedience of such as profess Christ Jesus within this Realm as ever your Father or Progenitors had of those that were called Bishops And now shortly to answer the other two Accusations I heartily praise my God through Jesus Christ that Satan that enemy of mankind and the wicked of the world have no other crimes to lay to my charge then such as the world it self knoweth to be most false and vain If indeed in any of the places where I was in England during the time of my being there there was either Battel Sedition or Mutiny I shall confess my self a shedder of blood but God so blessed my weak labours in Barwick wherein then commonly used to be slaughter by reason of quarrels that used to arise among Souldiers that there was great quietness all the time that I remained there And whereas they slander me of Magick Necromancy c. all the Congregations that ever heard me know what I spake against such acts and those that use such impiety but seeing my Master was accused thus even that he was possessed with Belzebub I must patiently bear their false accusations But yet said the Queen you have taught the people to receive another Religion then their Princes can allow and how can that Doctrine be of God seeing God commandeth Subjects to be obedient to their Princes Madam said he as right Religion took neither
that morning came into her Chamber and told her bluntly That she had but one hour to live she was somewhat abashed but being told by a friend that she had great cause to praise God that he will so speedily take her out of this world c. She said Mr. Sheriff your message is welcome to me and I thank my God that he will make me worthy to adventure my life in his quarrel In her Prayer as she was going to the Stake she desired God most instantly to abolish the idolatrous Mass and to deliver this Realm from Popery To which most of the People said Amen yea the Sheriff himself Lucius He said to Urbicius a corrupt Judge threatning death I thank you with all my heart that free me and release me from wicked Governours and send me to my good and loving Father Luther How devoted Dr. Martin Luther was to the Pope when he first appeared and what brought him upon the Stage he himself tells us Above all things I desire the pious Reader and that for the sake of our Lord himself Christ Iesus not onely to read these things with judgement but with much pity knowing I was a Monk and a most mad Papist when I undertook this Cause so drunk with yea drowned in Popish Doctrines that I was most ready to kill and to co-work with the Murderers of all those who withdrew their obedience from the Pope in the least So great a Saul was I as there be yet many more I was not so cold in defending the Papacy as was Eccius himself and such as he c. So that thon wilt find in my first writings very many and great things humbly conceded to the Pope which now I account highest blasphemy and do abominate At first I was alone and most unfit and unable to handle so great matters I call God to witness that his Providence not my own will and purpose engaged me so far When in the year 1517. Indulgences were sold most shamefully I was then a Preacher and a young Doctour of Divinity as I was called and began to disswade the people from hearkning to the Sellers of Indulgences and therein I thought surely I had the Pope for my Patron and upon that confidence was very valiant seeing he doth in the Decrees condemn the immodesty of the Gatherers of money so he calleth the Preachers of Indulgences Thereupon I writ two Letters one to the Arch Bishop of Moguntz who had one half of the money for the Indulgences I knew not then that the other half did belong to the Pope the other to the Bishop of Branderburg beseeching them to restrain the impudence and blasphemy of the Gatherers of the money But the poor Monk was contemned Being contemned I published a short Disputation and a Sermon concerning Indulgences and afterwards my Resolutions and that for the Popes honour not that Indulgences might be condemned but that good works of charity might be preferred before them This was accounted troubling of Heaven and setting the world on fire I am accused unto the Pope and am cited to appear at Rome and against single me rise up the whole Papacy These things were done in the year 1518. whilst Maximilian the Emperour held a Council at Ausburg in which Cardinal Cajetane was the Popes Legate Him Prince Frederick Duke of Saxony prevailed with that I should not be compelled to go to Rome but have my business heard and composed by himself Being called before him poor I came on foot to Ausburg upon the cost of and with Letters of Credence from Prince Frederick to the Senate and some other good men who disswaded me after I was come from going to the Cardinal till I had Caesars safe conduct When the Cardinals Oratour was told by me so much he was angry What said he do you think that Prince Frederick will take up Arms for you I answered That I would by no means Where then said he will you abide I answered Under Heaven But said he if you had the Pope and Cardinals in your power what would you do I would said I give them all reverence and honour At my meeting with the Cardinal I made the following Protestation I Martin Luther an Augustine Frier protest that I do reverence and follow the Church of Rome in all my sayings and doings present past ond to come and if any thing hath been or shall be said by me to the contrary or otherwise I count it and will that it be counted and taken as though it never had been spoken Having before this writ to Pope Leo the Tenth thus I offer my self prostrate under the feet of your Holiness with all that I am and have Save me kill me call me recall me reprove me condemn me even as you please I will acknowledge your voice the Voice of Christ residing and speaking in you Here see men in my case how hard it is to rise out of errours generally received and by long custome becomes as it were natural How true the Proverb is It is hard to leave customes and custome is another nature and how truly Austine saith Custome if it be not resisted will become necessity I who had then seven years read and taught the Scriptures most diligently privately and publickly and had some taste of the knowledge of Christ viz. That we were justified and saved not by works but by faith in Christ and now defended publickly he means in his Dispute with Eccius at Lipsia in the year 1519. that the Pope is not by Divine Right Head of the Church yet I did not see what naturally followeth thence viz. That the Pope is therefore of necessity from the Devil for what is not of God is necessarily of the Devil I was I say so corrupted by example and the title of holy Church and Custome that I granted to the Pope an humane right which yet if it be not underpropt with Divine Authority is a lye and divelish for we must obey Parents and Magistrates not because they command but because it is the Will of God Hence I can better bear those that do even pertinaciously cleave unto Popery especially if they have not read the Scriptures seeing I that so many years most diligently read them did notwithstanding stick thereunto so firmly In the year 1519. the Pope sent Prince Frederick a golden Rose by Charles Miltitius who perswaded me earnestly to be reconciled to the Pope and to study the things of peace I promised that I would most willingly do whatsoever truth and my conscience would allow and assured him that I was most desirous of and studious for peace and seeing I was drawn and necessitated to do what I did what I did was not my fault Charles is accounted unwise and the course he took imprudent but in my judgement if the Bishop of Moguntz and the Pope before he had condemned me unheard had taken the same course the business had never come to this These things I
unless the reading of the New Testament which is common to all men be an offence More then this I know not The Bishop of Winchester asking him What helpers he had in setting forth his Concordance None my Lord said he None said the â—ishop how can that be It is not possible that thou shouldst do it without help Truly my Lord said he I did it without the help of any man save God alone Nay said the Bishop I do not discommend thy diligence but what shouldst thou meddle with the thing which pertaineth not to thee And then speaking to one of his Chaplâ—ins said This Fellow hath taken upon him to set out the Concordance in English which Book when it was set out in Latine was not done without the help and diligence of a dozen learned men at least and yet he will bear me in hand that he hath done it alone The Bishop of Salisbury asking him How he could invent such a Book or know what a Concordance meant without an Instructer I will tell your Lordship said he what Instructer I had to begin it When Thomas Matthews Bible came first out in Print being not able to buy one I borrowed one and intended to have writ it out and was gone as far as Iâ—shua which when Mr. Turner understood he told me it would be a more profitable work to set out a Concordance in English A Concordance said I what is that He told me it was a Book to find out any word in the whole Bible by the letter and that there was such an one in Latine already and that it required not so much learning as diligence This is all the instruction that ever I had before or after of any man Being asked How he could with this instruction bring it to this order and form as it is He answered I borrowed 〈◊〉 Latine Concordance and began to practise my wit and at last with great labour and diligence brought it into this order But I marvel greatly why I should be so much examined about this Book Have I committed any offence in doing it or no If I have I am loth any other should be molested or punished for my fault Therefore to clear all men in this matter this is my request That ye will try me in the rest of the Book that is undone You see I have onely done with letter L. Now take what word you will of M. and so in every letter following and give me the words in a piece of Paper and let me be any where alone with Pen Ink and Paper the Latine Concordance and the English Bible and if I bring you not those words written in the same order and form as the rest be then it was not I did it but some other This is honestly spoken said the Bishop of Ely and then shalt thou bring many out of suspition Accordingly he writ in a dayes time in the same order and form as he had done the rest all the words they gave him which contained three sheets of Paper and more Being threatned if he did not discover what he knew his fingers should be made to tell If you do tear said he the whole body in pieces I trust in God you shall never make me accuse any man wrongfully If thou art stubborn said Dr. Oking thou wilt die for it Die for it said Marbeck wherefore should I die You told me the last day before the Bishops that as soon as I had made an end of that piece of the Concordance they took me I should be delivered and shall I now die This is a sudden mutation You seemed then to be my Friend but I know the cause you have read the Ballad I made of Moses Chair and that hath set you against me but whensoever ye shall put me to death I doubt not but I shall die Gods true man and the Kings This worthy Confessor was of so sweet and amiable nature That all good men did love and few bad men did hate him yet was he condemned in the year 1544. to be burnt at Windsor which his Pardon prevented of which divers causes were assigned 1 That Bishop Gardner bare him a special affection for his skil in the Mystery of Musick 2 That such who condemned him procured his Pardon out of remorse of conscience because of the slender evidence against him 3 That it was done out of design to reserve him for a discovery of the rest of his Party and if so their plot failed them for being as true as Steel whereof his Fetters were made which he wore in Prison for a good time he could not be frighted or flattered to make any detection Marcus v. Arethusius Part. 1. Marcus of Arethuse being hung up in a Basket anointed with honey and so exposed to the stinging of Wasps and Bees said to his Persecutors that stood and beheld him How am I advanced despising you that are below on Earth Marlorate Mr. Augustine Marlorate Minister of Roan when in the Civil Wars of France that City was taken by storm was taken also and brought before Monâ—orency the Constable of France who said unto him Thou art he who hast seduced the people If I have seduced them said he it is God that hath done it rather then I for I have preached nothing to them but his divine Truth You are a seditious person said the Constable and the cause of the ruine of this City As for that imputation said he I refer my self to all that have heard me preach be they Papists or Protestants whether I ever medled with matters of the Politick State or no. The Constable told him swearing a great Oath we shall see within a few dayes whether thy God can deliver thee out of my hands or no. It is observable how speedily Gods Judgements found out his Persecutors The Captain that apprehended him was slain within three weeks by one of the basest Souâ—diers in all his Company The Constables Son was shortly after slain in the Battel of Dreux Two of his Iudges also died very strangely soon after viz. The President of the Parliament by a Flux of Blood which could be by no means stanched The other being a Councellor voiding his Urine by his Fundament with such an intolerable stink that none could come near him Villeben that switched him with a Wand as he was carried on the Hurdle to Executionâ— a while after escaped death by the loss of his hand wherewith he had so basely smitten this Servant of the Lord. Marsake Sir Lâ—wis Marsake was so glad of the Sentence of Condemnation that he went out praising God and singing of Psalms To a Souldier that would have hindred him from stepping aside to call upon God What said he will you not let us pray in that little time which we have When Halters were put about the necks of his two Fellow-sufferers he seeing himself to be spared because of his Order and Degree called to the Lieutenant
these fourty years and yet I could never say or be sure that I should remain here one week to an end Seven dayes before he died many persons worthy of credit betwixt nine and ten of the Clock at night saw in the Clouds over the Tower of Wittenqerg five rods bound together after which two vanishing the other three appeared severed in divers places the branches of the rods turning towards the North the handles towards the South When this Prodigy was told Melancthon he said Herein Gods Fatherly Punishments are not swords but rods which Parents use to correct their children withall and I fear a dearth When the Pastors of the Church visitted him in his sickness he said unto them By the goodness of God I have no domestical grief to disquiet me c. but publick matters affect me especially the troubles of the Church in this evil and sophistical age But through Gods goodness our Doctrine is sufficiently explained and confirmed When he heard by Letters of the persecution of some godly men in France he said That his bodily disease was not comparable to the grief of his mind for his godly Friends and for the miseries of the Church Yet my hopes are very great for the Doctrine of our Church is explained If God be for us who can be against us I desire said he to depart for two causes 1 That I may have the much desired sight of Jesus Christ and the Church Triumphant 2 That I may be delivered from the cruel and implacable discords of Divines Meyere Mr. Giles Meyere of Flanders after he was converted he sought all means how to employ his Talent He was not onely carefull to preach to his Charge but he went from hâ—use to house comforting and exhorting every one as occasion served out of the Word of God labouring above all with them to beware of the abominable superstitions of the Papacy When he was imprisoned 1567. in a deep dark hole he bore his affliction patiently but so praised God for esteeming him worthy to suffer for his sake and so comforted them that came to visit him that they could not leave him without tears In the midst of the Fagots though he was gagged he was heard distinctly and plainly to say Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Mill. Mr. Walter Mill being brought before the Bishops of Scotland to answer to Articles against him and placed in a Pulpit before them he prayed so long that one of the Bishops Priests called out to him saying Sir Walter Mill arise and answer to the Articles for you hold my Lord here overlong When he had ended his Prayer he answered We ought to obey God rather then men I serve one more mighty even the Omnipotent Lord. And whereas you call me Sir Walter call me Walter and not Sir Walter I have been overlong one of the Popes Knights Being threatned with the Sentence of Death if he would not recant he said I know I must die once and therefore as Christ said to Iudas What thou dost do it quickly so say I to you Ye shall know that I will not 〈◊〉 the Truth for I am corn I am no chaffe I 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 blown away with the wind nor burst with the slail I will abide both Being bid to pass to the Stake he said Nay but if thou wilt put me up with thy hand thou shalt see me pass up gladly for by the Law of God I am forbidden to lay hanâ— upon my self Being put he ascended gladly saying I will go up unto the altar of God After he had prayed he spake thus to the people Dear Friends the cause why I suffer this day is not for any crime laid to my Câ—arge albeit I be a miserable sinner before God but onely for the defence of the Faith of Iesus Christ set forth in the Old and New Testament to us for which as the faithfull Martyrs have offered themselves gladly before being assured after the death of their bodies of eternal felicity So this day I praise God that he hath called me of his mercy among the rest of his Servants to seal up his Truth with my life which as I have received it of him so willingly I offer it to his glory Therefore as you will escape the eternal death be no more seduced with the lies of Priests Bishops c. and the rest of the Sect of Antichrist but depend onely on Iesus Christ and his mercy that ye may be delivered from condemnation Being in the fire he said Lord have mercy upon me pray people while there is time He was burnt An. 1558. and by his death gave the very dead blow to Popery for by his death the people of all Ranks and Conditions were so moved that they made open Profession of the Truth without any more dallying and upon this occasion a Covenant was presently entred in to defend one another against the Tyranny of the Bishops So that he was the last that died for Religion at that time in that Kingdome His Epitaph Non nostra impietas aut actae crimina vitae Armarunt hostes in mea fata truces Sola fides Christi sacris signata libellis Quae vitae causa est est mihi causa necis In English thus Not any sin committed here by me Against me arm'd my bloody enemy The Scripture Faith of life the onely cause Did cause my death and that against all Laws Monerius Claudius Monorius being cavilled at by the Friers for eating a Break-fast before his Execution said This I do that the flesh may answer the readiness of the Spirit Morall Let us not my Brethren said Iohn Morall an outlandish Martyr fear the Prisons seeing they are Christs Schools and Colledges wherein Gods children learn their Fathers Lessons There we find him true in his Promises There he manifests himself incomparably to his Children Our Prisons are Schools of Defence where we learn how to ward off all the blows that the world flesh or Devil would foyl us with all which we learn of our Captain Christ. Here we are quit of the vain allurements of the world Here we are freed of the fear of meeting idols in the streets Here we may without check call upon God and sing Psalms unto him Therefore let us not refuse to hear Sermons for fear of going to Prison N. Newman Iohn Newman in his written Answer to Suffragen Thornton It may please you to understand that good Ministers all the time of King Edward's reign taught us diligently perswading us by the Allegations of Gods Word that there was no Transubstantiation nor corporal Presence in the Sacrament their Doctrine was not believed of us suddenly but by their continual preaching and also by our continual Prayer unto God that we might never be deceived but if it were true that he would incline our hearts unto it and if it were not true that we might never believe it We weighed That
they labourel with Gods Word c. Wherefore until such time as our consciences are otherwise taught and instructed by Gods Word we cannot with safeguard of our consciences take it as many suppose at this time And we trust in God that the Queens Highness and her most Honourable Council will not in a matter of Faith use compulsion or violence because Faith is the gift of God and cometh not of man or of mans Laws nor at such time as men require it but at such time as God giveth it Being asked whether he would stand to what he had said I must need stand to it said he till I be perswaded by a further truth It being replied Nay you will not be perswaded but stand to your own Opinion Nay said he I stand not to mine own Opinion God I take to witness but onely to the Scriptures of Gâ—d and I take God to witness that I do nothing of presumption but that that I do is onely my Conscience and if there be a further truth then I see except it appear a truth to me I cannot receive it as a truth And seeing Faith is the gift of God and cometh not of man for it is not you that can give me Faith nor no man else therefore I trust ye will bear the more with me seeing it must be wrought by God and when it shall please God to open a further truth to me I shall receive it with all my heart In his Confession of his Faith The Lord is the Protector of my life The just shall live by Faith and if he withdraw himself my soul shall have no pleasure in him Thus have I declared my Faith briefly which were no Faith if I were in doubt of it This Faith I desire God to increase in me Praise God for his gifts Nicaise Nicaise a Say-maker in Tournay for refusing to live according to the Customes of the Romish Church and to observe the traditions invented by her c. being condemned and having heard the sentence as he rose up he said Now praised be God As he was led to execution seeing a great multitude of people he lifted up his voice and said O ye men of Tournay open your eyes awake ye that sleep and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give ye light As he joyfully ascended up the Scaffold he said Lord they have hated me without a cause As he was fastning to the Stake he said Eternal Father have pity and compassion upon me according as thou hast promised to all that ask the same of thee in thy sons Name Noyes When Iohn Noyes was asked by his Brother in Law if he did fear death when the Bishop gave judgement against him he answered He thanked God he feared death no more at that time then himself or any other did being at liberty Being bound to the Stake he said Fear not them that can kill the body but fear him that can kill both body and soul and cast it into everlasting fire When he saw his Sister weeping and making moan for him he bade her Weep not for him but weep for her sins When a Fagot was set against him he took it and kissed it and said Blessed be the time that ever I was born to come to this He said also Good people bear witness that I do believe to be saved by the merits and passion of Jesus Christ and not by my own deeds When the fire was kindled and burned about him he said Lord have mercy upon me Christ have mercy upon me Son of David have mercy upon me In his Letter to his Wife out of Prison You desired me to send you some tokens to remember me I therefore send you these Scriptures even for a remembrance St. Peter saith Dearly beloved be not troubled with this heat that is now come among you to try you as though some strange thing had hapned unto you but rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory appeareth ye may be merry and glad If ye be railed on for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God restest on you See that none of you suffer as a Murtherer c. but if any suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but glorifie God in this behalf for the time is come that judgement must begin at the House of God If it first begin at us what shall the end of them be that believe not the Gospel of God Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in well doing St. Paul saith All that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution St. Iohn saith See that ye love not the world nor the things of the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him for all that is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world which vanisheth away and the lust thereof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for ever St. Paul saith What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness what company hath light with darkness or what part hath the Believer with the Infidel c. Wherefore come out from among them and separate your selves now saith the Lord and touch no unclean thing so will I receive you and I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty So farewell Wife and Children and leave worldly care and see that ye be diligent to pray Take no thought saith Christ saying what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink or wherewith shall we be clothed after all these things do the Geneiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things but seek ye first the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereâ—f and all these things shall be ministred to you O. Oâ—colampadius He fell sick in the year 1531. and of his age 49. about the same time that Zuinglius was unhappily slain His grief for his death much increased his sickness He foretold his own death was very desirous to enjoy the heavenly Light Sending for the Ministers of the Gospel to him he spake to them thus O my Brethren you see what is done The Lord is come he is he is now calling me away What shall I say unto you the Servants of the Lord whom the love of God your Master the same study and doctrine have most intimately united now that I am to take my leave of you Salvation hopes of Heaven Truth Light for our feet is procured by Christ for us It becomes us to cast away all sadness all fear of life and death c. My Brethren this onely remains That we who have for some time walked in the wayes of Christ continue constant
will have his course When his Brother brought him Gun-powder he said I will take it to be sent of God therefore I will receive it as sent of him To my Lord Williams he said My Lord I must be a Suitor to you for divers poor men and my Sister c. There is nothing in all this world troubleth my conscience I praise God this onely excepted When he saw the fire flaming towards him he said Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit Lord receive my soul Lord have mercy upon me In his Letter to all his true Friends I warn you all that ye be not amazed or astonied at the kind of my departure and dissolution for I assure you I think it the most honour that ever I was called to in all my life and therefore I thank my Lord God heartily for it c. For know ye that I doubt no more but that the causes wherefore I am put to death are Gods causes and the causes of the Truth then I doubt that the Gospel which Iohn wrote is the Gospel of Christ or that Paul's Epistles are the very Word of God And to have an heart willing to abide and stand in Gods Cause and in Christs Quarrel even unto death I assure thee O man it is an inestimable gift of God given onely to the true Elect and dearly beloved Children of God and Inheritors of the Kingdome of Heaven for the holy Apostle and also Martyr in Christs Cause St. Peter 1 Pet. 4. saith If ye suffer rebuke in the Name of Christ i. e. in Christs Cause and for his Truths sake then are ye happy and blessed for the glory of the Spirit of God resteth upon you and if for rebukes suffered in the Name of Christ a man is pronounced blessed and happy how much more blessed and happy is he that hath the grace to suffer death also Wherefore all ye that be my true Lovers and Friends rejoyce and rejoyce with me again and render with me hearty thanks to God our heavenly Father that for his Sons sake my Saviour and Redeemer Christ he hath vouchsafed to call me being so vile and sinfull a wretch in my self unto the high dignity of his true Prophets of his faithfull Apostles and of his holy Elect and chosen Martyrs to die in defence and maintenance of his eternal and everlasting Truth If ye love me indeed you have cause to rejoyce for that it hath pleased God to call me to a greater honour and dignity then ever I did enjoy before either in Rochester or London or should have had in Durham whereunto I was last of all elected yea I count it greater honour before God indeed to die in his Cause then is any earthly or temporal promotion or honour that can be given to a man in this world And who is he that knoweth the Cause to be Gods to be Christs Quarrel and of his Gospel to be the Commonweal of all the Elect and chosen Children of God of all the Inheritors of the Kingdome of Heaven Who is he I say that knoweth this assuredly by Gods own Word and the Testimony of his Conscience as I through the infinite goodness of God not of my self but by his grace acknowledge my self to do and doth in deed and in truth love and fear God love and believe his Master Christ and his blessed Gospel and the Brotherhood the chosen Children of God and also lusteth and longeth for eternal life who is he I say again that would not that cannot find in his heart in this Cause to be content to die Farewell Pembrohe Hall in C. of late mine own Colledge my Cure and my Charge what cafe thou art in now God knoweth I know not well Wo is me for thee mine own dear Colledge if ever thou suffer thy self by any means to be brought from setting forth Gods true Word In thy Orchard I learned without Book all Pauls Epistles yea and I ween all the Canonical Epistles save only the Apocalyps Of which study although in time a great part did depart from me yet the sweet smell thereof I trust I shall carry with me into Heaven The Lord grant that this zeal and love to that part of Gods Word which is a Key to all the Scripture may ever abide in that Colledge so long as the world shall endure O thou now wicked and bloody See of London c. hearken thou whorish Bawd of Babylon thou wicked limb of Antichrist thou bloody Wolf why slayest thou and makest havock of the Prophets of God why murthereft thou so cruelly Christs poor silly Sheep which will not hear thy voice because thou art a stranger and will follow none other but their own Pastor Christ his voice Thinkest thou to escape or that the Lord will not require the blood of his Saints at thy hands Instead of my farewell to thee now I say fie upon thee fie upon thee silthy Drab and all thy false Prophets To you my Lords of the Temporality will I speak c. Know ye that I had before mine eyes onely the fear of God and Christian charity toward you that moved me to write for of you hereafter I look not in this world either for pleasure or displeasure if my talk shall do you never so much pleasure or profit you cannot promote me nor if I displease you can you harm me for I shall be out of your reach I say unto you as St. Paul saith unto the Galatians I wonder my Lords what hath bewitched you that ye so suddenly are fallen from Christ unto Antichrist from Christs Gospel unto mans Traditions from the Lord that bought you unto the Bishop of Rome I warn you of your perill be not deceived except you will be found willingly consenters to your own death Understand my Lords it was neither for the priviledge of the Place or Person thereof that the See and Bishop of Rome were called Apostolick but for the true trade of Christs Religion which was taught and maintained in that See at the first of those godly men and therefore as truly and justly as that See then for that true trade of Religion and consanguinity of Doctrine with the Religion and Doctrine of Christs Apostle was called Apostolick so as truly and as justly for the contrariety of Religion and diversity of Doctrine from Christ and his Apostles that See and the Bishop thereof at this day both ought to be called and are indeed Antichristian The See is the Seat of Satan and the Bishop of the same that maintaineth the Abominations thereof is Antichrist himself indeed As for your displeasure by that time this shall come to your knowledge I trust by Gods grace to be in the hands and protection of the Almighty my heavenly Father the living Lord the greatest of all and then I shall not need I trow to fear what any Lord no nor what King or Prince can do unto me Much cause have you to
the Truth the bitter pangs of death c. To die in Christs Cause is an high honour to the which no man should aspire but to whom God vouchsafeth that priviledge for no man is allowed to presume to take to himself any office of honour but he which is thereunto called of God Iohn saith well speaking of them which have obtained the Victory by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of his Testimony that they loved not their lives even unto death And our Saviour Christ saith He that shall lose his life for my Cause shall find it This manner of speech pertaineth not to one kind of Christians as the worldly do wickedly dream but to all that truly pertain to Christ for when Christ had called unto him the multitude together with his Disciples he said unto them Mark he said not this unto his Disciples or Apostles only but unto all Whosoever will follow me let him forsake or deny himself c. for whosoever will to save his life forsake me and my Truth shall lose it and whosoever shall lose c. Whosoever shall â—e ashamed of me and my words i. e. to confess me and my Gospel before this adulterous generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed c. Know thou O man of God that all things are ordained for the furtherance of thee towards thy salvation All things saith Paul work with the good to goodness c. It is not as the wicked think That poverty adversity sickness tribulation yea painfull death of the godly be tokens that God doth not love them but even the clean contrary Now thou O man of God for the Lords sake let us not for the love of this life tarry here too long and be occasion of delay of that glorious consummation of all Christs Sufferers in hope and expectation whereof the former Martyrs have departed in the Lord and the which also the living indued with Gods Spirit ought so earnestly to desire c. crying out Come Lord Iesus come Then shall our weak body be transfigured and made like to Christs glorious body and then shall we see and have the unspeakable joy and fruition of the glorious Majesty of our Lord even as he is Who or what then shall let us to jeopard yea to spend this life which we have here in Christs Cause in our Lord God his Cause O therefore thou man of God that art loaden and so letted like unto a great bellied woman that thou canst not flie the plague yet if thou lust after such things as I have spoken of stand fast whatsoever shall befall thee in thy Masters Cause and take this thy letting to flie for a call from God to fight in thy Master Christs Cause Of this be thou certain they can do nothing unto thee which thy Father is not aware of or hath not foreseen before they can do no more then it shall please him to suffer them to do for the furtherance of his glory edifying of his Church and thine own salvation O be not afraid and remember the end What I have spoken for the comfort of the big-bellied woman I mean to be spoken likewise to the Captive and Prisoner in Gods Cause for such I count to be as it were already summoned and pressed to fight under the Banner of the Cross of Christ and as it were Souldiers allowed and taken up for the Lords Wars to do their Lord and Master good and honourable service and to stick to him even unto death c. To conclude I say unto all that love Christ Jesus our Redeemer and Saviour that love to follow the wayes of the holy Ghost who is our Comforter and Sanctifier that love Christs Spouse and Body c. yea that love life and their souls health Hearken my dear Brethren and Sisters c. to the Word of our Saviour Jesus Christ spoken to his Apostles and meant to all his in St. Matthew's Gospel Fear not them which kill the body for they cannot kill the soul but fear him c. The Lord grant us of his heavenly grace and strength that here we may so confess him in this world amongst this adulterous generation that he may confess us again at the last day before his Father c. In his Reasons why Images should not be placed and erected in Churches First the words of the Command Exod. 20. repeated more plainly Deut. 27. where observe those words Thou shalt not make to thy self mean to any use of Religion and those And setteth it in a secret place imply that no man durst then commit Idolatry openly The reason why God gave this general Prohibition is lest thou being deceived shouldst bow down to them and worship them This general Law is generally to be observed though some be not hurt by them Moses was not deceived or seduced by Iethro's Daughter nor Boaz by Ruth a woman of Moab yet the general Law was to be observed Thou shalt not joyn thy children in marriage with strangers least she seduce thy Son c. If by vertue of the second Commandment Images were not lawfull in the Temple of the Jews then by the second Command they are unlawfull in the Churches of Christians but c. in the Tabernacle and Temple of God no Images were appointed openly to beset nor by practice afterwards used or permitted so long as Religion was purely observed therefore c. For the second Command is moral and not ceremonial c. The Jews by no means would consent to Herod Pilate or Peâ—ronius that Images should be placed in the Temple at Jerusalem but rather offered themselves unto death then to consent unto it Besides that Iosephus commends them for observing the meaning of the Law sure they would not have endangered themselves so far if they had thought Images had been indifferent in the Temple of God Athâ—nasius tells us The invention of Images came of no good but of evil and whatsoever hath an evil beginning can never in any thing be judged good seeing it is wholly naught Tâ—rtullian expounding those words Little Children beware of Images saith That the meaning is as if he had said Little Children keep your selves from the shape it self or form of them Images in the Church either serve to edify or to destroy If they edify then there is one kind of edification which the Scriptures neither teach nor command but alwayes disallow if they destroy they are not to be in the Church The Command of God is Thou shalt not lay a stumbling-block before the blind and cursed is he that maketh the blind wander in his way Images are snares and traps for the feet of the ignorant Images do not stir up the mind to Devotion but distract the mind from Prayer hearing of Gods Word c. Hence in the Council-chamber of the Lacedemonians no picture was suffered least in Consultation of the weighty matters of the
422. Acts 4. Isa. 29. Fuller's Eccles Hâ—st Cent. 16. l. 5. pog 229. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 424. See his Eccles. Hist Cent. 16. l. 5. pag. 229. See his Worthies of England pag. 319. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 426. Pag. 427. See None but Christ. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 457. Pag. 458. Pag. 459. Pag. 462. Pag. 461. Pag. 462. Fuller 's Ecclesiastiastical History Cent. 16. l. 7. pag. 405. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 462. Pag. 49. Pag. 80 81. Pag. 84. Pag. 85. Pag. 92. Pag. 463. Pag. 465. Pag. 468. Pag. 470. Pag. 47. Rom. 3. Pag. 472. Phil. 1. Pag. 473. Pag. 474. Pag. 475. Pag. 476. Pag. 477. Matt. 17. Hieron Tom. 5. in Ieremiam c. 26. Pag. 478. Pag. 479. Matt. 23. Pag. 480. Matt. 5. Matt. 7. Matt. 15. Iohn 16. Matt. 10. Pag. 481. Iohn 3. ☜ Pag. 482. ☞ Pag. 483. Pag. 486. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 433. Iohn 15. Pag. 434. ☞ Pag. 435. Pag. 439. Pag. 441. Col. 2. 2 Tim. 1. Rev. 2. Pag. 485. Pag. 486. Pag. 499. Pag. 502. Pag. 503. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 701. Fox Vol. 2. p. 129 130. Pag. 131. Gal. 1. Iohn 8. Fox Vol. 1. pag. 92. Pag. 93. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 200. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 393. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 916. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 306. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 838. Pag. 839. Ward pag. 139. See his Epistle to the Reader before the first Tome of his Works printed at Jena An. 1612. See the first Tome of his Works fol. 164. Fol. 66. Clark 's first Volume of Lives pag. 230. See his Works Tom 1. fol. 163. See his Works Tom. 1. fol. 176. Oper. Tom. 1. fol. 385. Fol. 386. See his Works Vol. 2. fol. 258. See his Works Tom. 2. fol. 259. Fol. 316 317. Fol. 320. ☞ Fol. 321. Fol. 379. Fol. 412 Fol. 413. Fol. 414. Fol. 415. 1 Thes. 5. Gal. 1. Fol. 416. Actâ— â— See his Works Tom 2. fol. 477. Fol. 478. Fol. 515. Fol. 516. Mr. Claâ—k saith he concludes That he returned to Wittenberg under stronger Protection then the Elector could give him for saith he God alone can order and promâ—te the Truth without any mans helping hand therefore in this Cause he that most strongly trusts to Gods assistance he most surely defends himself and others See his Relation of Luther 's Life p. 237. Fol. 517. Fol. 518. Fol. 520. Fol. 531. Clarks first Volume of Lives pag. 240. Fol. 534. Clarks first Volume of Lives pag. 241. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 80. Clark â— pag. 239. Pag. 240. Pag. 244 245. Pag. 246. Pag. 249. Thee O Christ have I taught thee have I trusted thee have I loved into thy hands I commend my Spirit Ward pag. 152. Pag. 250. Pag. 251. Pag. 252. Pag. 256. Acts and Mon. Vol. 2. pag. 88. See M. Clark in the life of Myconius pag. 313. Pag. 254. Ward pag. 153. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 29. Fuller 's Englands Woâ—â—â—es in Bâ—â—kshire pag. 91. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 547. Pag. 548. Pag. 550. Pag. 5â—â— Fuller c. pag. 91. Ward pag. 142. Fox Vol. 3 cont pag. 25. Clark 's first Vol. of Lives pag. 577. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 141. The Mirrour of Martyrs pag 315. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 224. Pag. 225. Pag. 226. Pag. 227. Pag. 228. Pag. 229. Pag. 230. Pag. 231. Pag. 232. ☞ Acts 11. Acts â—â— Iam. 2. Mat. 7. Mat. 16. 1 Thes. 2. 2 Tim. 3. Acts 14. Mat. 5. Mat. 7. Mark 8. 2 Thes. 1. 1 Tim. 2. 1 Cor. 3. 1 Pet. 2. Pag. 234. Mat. 14. Hebr. 6. 1 Iohn 2. Hebr. 10. Iohn 8. Pag. 235. Acts 5. Matth. 7. Acts 18. Phil. 1. 1. Câ—r 7. 1 Iohn 2. Coll. 3. Pag. 238. Pag. 239. Pag. 240. Ward pag. 152. Fuller 's Englands Worthies in Huntshire pag. 5. Ward pag. 140. Clarks first Volume of Lives pag. 562. Pag. 571. Pag. 563 564. See Luthers Works Tom. 2. fol. 427. Pag. 428. 〈◊〉 pag. 564 565 Pag. 569. Pag. 566. Pag. 567. Pag. 568. Pag. 570. For Martyr Vâ—l. 3. com p. 50. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 625. Pag. 626. See the Ecclesiastical History of Scotland Praef. pag. penult See the Mirrour of Martyrs pag. 563. ☜ Pag. 392. Hab. 2. Heb. 10. Pag. 393. Fox Vol. 3. cont pag. 33. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 851. 2 Tim. 3. 2 Cor. 1. Matth. 6. See his Life in Melch. â—dam pag. 55.56 Ward pag. 152. Ward pag. 153 154. Fox Vol. 3. conâ— pag. 2. Hebr. 10.14 Matt. â—5 9 Matt. â—8 20 Pag. 3. Matt. 17.5 Pag. 4. Matt. 7.12 Matt. 11. â—â— Iob 5.13 Fox Vol. 1. pag. 727. Pag. 728. Pag. 729. Pag. 730. Pag. 731. Pag. 732. Mat. 23. Pag. 733. Pag. 735. Pag. 775. Fox Vol. 3. cont p. 28. Mat. 10.12 Iohn 16.3 2 Tim. 3.12 Phil. 1.24 Mat. 5.11 12. 1 Pet. 2.21 Heb. 12.2 2 Cor. 8.9 Rom. 5.2 Heb. 12. Prov. 3.11 12. Acts 14.22 Phil. 1.21 Rom. 7.24 Pag. 29. Lam. 3.26 Psal. 37.39 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. Fox Vol. 1. pag. 70. See his life in Clarks Marrow of Eccles. Hist. pag. 32. Whites little Boâ—k for Children p. 47. Pag. 48. Pag. 49. Pag. 50. Pag. 51. Pag. 52. Pag. 53. Pag. 54. Pag. 55. Pag. 56. Pag. 58. Clark pag. 36. Psal. 50.16 Pag. 37. Pag. 38. Pag. 39. Pag. 40. Pag. 41. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 852. Pag. 853. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 706. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 734. Pag. 735. Pag. 736. Pag. 737. Pag. 739. Pag. 740. Pag. 741. Pag. 742. Iullus Palmaâ— slorebit Shaw 's Tomb-stone pag. 33. See his Life in Clark 's first Volume of Lives pag. 917. Ward pag. 160. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 350. Ward pag. 161. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 554. Pag. 555. Fox Vol. 1. pag. 45. Ward pag. 138. Fox Vol. 1. pag 103. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 537. Pag. 543. Pag. 544. Pag. 545. Pag. 546. Pag. 547. Pag. 551. Pag. 558. Pag. 560. Pag. 562. Pag. 565. Pag. 572. Pag. 573. Pag. 574. Pag. 578. Pag. 593. Pag. 594. Pag. 595. Pag. 596. Pag. 597. Pag. 598. Pag. 599. Pag. 600. Pag. 601. Pag. 602. Pag. 603. Pag. 604. Pag. 605. Pag. 606. Pag. 607. Pag. 610. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 879. Fox Vol. 3. cont pag. 62. Ward pag. 139. Fox Vol. 1. pag. 55. Pag. 56. Sâ—e Mr. Clâ—rks first 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 p 5. c. Melchior Adam in vita ejus pag. 466. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 889. Pag. 890. Pag. 891. The History of the Worthies of England p. 249 250. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 678. Ward pag. 142. Fox Vol. 3. cont pag. 5. Vide vitam ejus a Theophilo Bâ—â—â—sio descriptam in P. R Comment de Relig. Christ. See the Ecclesiastical History of Scotland pag. 2. Pag. 3. Pag. 4. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 788. Fox Vol. 3 pag. 16 Pag. 42. Pag. 43. Pag. 49. Pag. 82. Pag. 83. Pag. 91. Pag. 93. Pag. 433. Luke 9. Gal. 2. Pag. 434. Pag. 435. Pag. 438 439. Pag. 440. Pag. 441. Pag. 442. Pag. 444. Pag. 445. Pag. 447. Pag. 448. Pag. 449. The other two he means are the Protamartyr Rogers and the Exile Grindal Pag. 487. Pag. 488. Pag. 489. Pag. 490. Pag. 491. Pag. 492. Pag. 498. Pag. 500. Pag. 501. Pag. 502. Pag. 503. Pag. 505. Pag. 507. Pag. 508. Pag. 509. Pag. 510. Pag. 511. Pag. 512. Pag. 513. Pag. 514. Pag. 518. Pag. 519. Pag. 520. Pag. 521. Pag. 522. Pag. 523. Rev. 12. Mat. 16. Mark S. Rev. 22. Pag. 524. Mat. 10. Pag. 992. Pag. 993. Deut. 7. 1 Cor. 14. Pag. 994. Pag. 995. Pag. 996. Pag. 147. Pag. 148. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 128. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 119. Pag. 120. Pag. 122. Pag. 123. Pag. 124. Pag. 125. Pag. 126. Pag. 127. Acts 5. Pag. 128. Ier. 12. Iohn 1. Acts 16. Acts 17. Acts 21. Acts 22. Pag. 129. Pag. 130. Pag. 131. Fox Vol. 1. pag. 115. Pag. 116. Pag. 117. Euseb. Eâ—câ— Hâ—st Gâ— Lat. pag. 320. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 537. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 860. Pag. 862. Pag. 863. Pag. 864. Pag. 865. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 933. Pag. 934. Pag. 935. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 848. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 704. The Mirrour of Martyrs pag. 310. The Ecclesiastical History of Scotland pag. 24. Foo Vol. 3. cont pag. 44.