to satisfye paie the pryce of synnes bothe of the deade and of the quicke to the great and intolerable contumely of Christ our sauyour his death passion whiche was and is the one onely sufficient and euerlastinge auaylable sacrifice satisfactorie for al the electes of god from Adam the fyrst to the laste that shal be borne in the ende of the worlde Of late that commaundemente of god thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen ymage nor any similytude or lykenes of any thyng in heauen aboue or in earth beneath or in the water vnder the earth thou shalt not bowe down to them nor worship them this comaundment of God I say was grauen almost euery where in churches was learned of euery body bothe younge and olde whervppon Images that prouoked the symple and ignorant people vnto idolatry as the wise man saith were taken out of the churches and straytly forbidden that none should any wher eyther bowe downe to them or worshippe them But now alas goddes holy woorde is blotted and rased out of churches and stockes and stones are set vppe in the place therof God commaunded his woorde so to be ordered that it mighte be had in contynuall remembrance at all times and in euery place and on the otherside he forbad ymages and idoles so to be eyther made or set in any place wher any shoulde bowe or worshyp them But now alas that which god commanded is not passed vpon and that whiche he forbyddeth is masterfully mainteined by falshed and craft and wickedly vpholden Of late al ministers that were admitted to the publike office and mynistery of goddes holy word in their admission made a solempne professyon before the congregation that they shoulde teach the people nothinge as doctrine necessarie to attaine eternal saluation but that which is goddes owne holy woorde or may be thereof grounded without any doubt wherby vanished and melted away of theÌ„selues many vaine yea wicked traditions of man as waxe before the fyer but nowe at one brunte they are reuiued and are in ful hope all to returne againe in as great strength as euer they haue bene And howe can any man looke for any other thyng but wheÌ„ you haue receiued the head you muste also receiue the whole body withal orelles how can the head abyde The head vnder Satan of al mischiefe is Antichrist his broode and the same is he which is the baby lonical beast The beast is he whervppon the whore sytteth the whore is that Citie saithe Iohn in playne wordes which hath the empire ouer the kinges of the earth This whore hath a golden cuppe of abhominations in her hand wherof she maketh to drinke the kinges of the earthe of the wine of this harlot hath al nations dronke yea and kynges of the earth haue lyen by this whoore and marchauntes of the earthe by vertue of her pleasaunte marchandise haue ben made ryche Nowe what citie is there in al the whole world that wheÌ„ Iohn wrote ruled ouer the kynges of the earthe or what Citie can be redde of in any tyme that of the citie it selfe chaleÌ„ged the empire ouer the kings of the earth but onely the citie of Rome that sence the vsurpation of that see hath growen to her full strenghe And is it not red that old and auncient writers vnderstande Peters former Epistle to be written at Rome and it to be called of him in the same Epistle in plaine termes BabyloÌ„ by the abhominations thereof I vnderstande all the whole trade of the Romishe relygion vnder the name title of Christe which is contrary to the only rule of al true religion that is goddes worde What woorde of god hath that dyâ—elishe drab for the mayntenaunce of her manyfolde abhominations and to set to sel souche marchaundise wherewith alas the madnes of man the wycked harlott hath bewitched almooste the whole worlde Dyd not Peter the true Apostell of Christe of whom this stinking strumpette beareth her selfe so high but falsely and without al iust cause dyd not he I say geue all the worlde warnynge of her pelfe and trashe of her false doctours and apostles for this whoore and beast wyll be called Dominus Apostolicus who so euer say nay after this maner in his later epistle There was among the people in tymes past false prophetes as there shall be also amonge you in time to come false teachers whiche shall priuily bringe in pestylent sectes euen denyinge the lorde whiche hath bought them and redemed theÌ„ procuring to them selus swift damp nation and many shall followe their dampnable waies by whoÌ„ the waye of trueth shall be rayled vppon and through couetousnes by counterfaite tales or sermons they shal saith Peter make marchandise vpon you c. And dothe not Iohn likewise in his reuelation after he hath reconed vp a greate rablemente of this whoores mystical marchandise at the laste as though he wold knit vp al in playne wordes wythout any myst at al settyng out the whoores marchandyse recken vp amonge the rest concludeth sayinge Et animas hominuÌ„ that is to say the soules of men too Wher vpon I pray you elles rose this true prouerbe in latin Omnia Rome venalia al things for money are set to sale at Rome Was not that a worthy coÌ„mendation of Christes vicar in earth that was written of our holy father one of the Alexanders a byshoppe of Rome thus I wene in latine Vendit Alexander cruces altaria Christum Vendere iuri potest emerat ille prius These twoo verses in laten I haue red thus of one translated into englishe rime Alexander our holy father the pope of Rome selleth for money bothe ryght and dome And al kind of holines the holy father doth not stick to set to sel redy money for to get And eke Christ him selfe he dare be bolde to chop and chaunge for siluer and golde And why should any thinke this to be sore for what doth he sell but that he bought before I graunte these verses to be lyght gere and the verse is but rude but alas such conditions were more wicked and leude then any wytte coulde expresse If these had ben but the faltes of one or a fewe in number they had ben lesse pernicious and mighte haue ben taken for personal crimes not to be imputed vnto that see but now alas the matter is more theÌ„ euident to al that hath godly vnderstaÌ„ding that these crimes be grounded vpon lawes be stablished by costom and set forthe by all kinde of wycked doctrine falshed craft and therefore are not now to be estemed for any one mannes or of a fewe mennes personal crimes but are now by lawes costome and doctrine incorporated into that wicked see maketh in dede the body of the beast whervpoÌ„ the abhominable whore doth sit But you wolde knowe whiche be those marchandise which I said this whoore setteth forthe to sell for the which al her false prophetes with al
for the rest to putte their trust nowe wholy in God whych is able to saue them against all apparauâ—ce commonly in extremities wheÌ„ al worldly comforte sayleth and the danger is at highest then vnto his he is wonte after his accustomed mercy to be most ready for to put his helpynge hande Daniell God suffered to be caste into the denne of lions and the thre chyldren into the hotte burning fornace and yet he saued theÌ„ all â–ª Paule was plucked out of the mouth of the lion as be saieth of himself and in Asta he was brought in such trouble that he loked for no other thing but for present death yet he that rayseth the deade to lyfe againe did brynge him out of all his troubles and taught him and all other that he in troubles for christes cause not to trust to theÌ„selus but in almighty God Of gods gracious aid in extreme perils toward them the put their trust in him all scripture is ful both olde newe What dauÌ„gers were the patriarks often brought vnto as AbrahaÌ„ Isaac and Iacob but of all other Ioseph how mercifully were thei deliuered againe In what perylles was Moyses when he was faine to flie for the safegard of his life wheÌ„ was he sent againe to delyuer the Israelytes from the serâ—yle bondage not before they were broughte into extreame misery And when dyd the lord mightely deliuer his people from Pharao his sworde not before they were brought in such straytes that they were so compassed en euery side the mayne sea on the one syde the mayne hoste on the other that they could looke for none other yea what didde they â–ª els in dede loke for then but eyther to haue bene drowned in the sea or els to haue falleÌ„ on the edge of Pharao his sword These iudges which wrought most wonderful thynges in the deliuery of the people were euer geuen when the people was brought to most miserye before as Othoniel Aioth Sangar Gedeon â—ephthe Samson And so was Saul indued with strength and boldnes from aboue against the Ammonites Philistines Amalechites for the defence of the people of God Dauid likewyse felt gods helpe most sensibly euer in his extreme persecutions What shall I speake of the prophetes of god whom god suffered so oft to be brought into extreme perils and so mightely deliuered theim againe As Helias Hieremy Daniel Micheas and Ionas and manye other whom it were but to longe to rehearse and set out at large And did the lorde vse his seruantes otherwise in the newe law after christes incarnation Read the actes of the apostles and you shal see no. Were not thapostels cast into prison and brought out by the mighty hande of god Did not the aungell deliuer Peter out of the stronge prison brynge hym oute by the yron gates of the citie and set him free And wheÌ„ I praye you euen the same night before Herod apointed to haue brought him in iudgement for to haue slayne hym as he had a lyttle before kylled Iames the brother of Iohn Paule and Silas when after they had bene sore scourged and were put into the inner prison and there were layd fast in the stockes I praye you what apparaÌ„ce was ther that the magestrats should be glad to come the next daye themselues to theÌ„ to desyer theym to be contente and to departe in peace who prouyded for Paule that he should be safely conducted oute of all danger and brought to Felix the Emperours deputy wheÌ„ as both the high priests the Pharisyes and rulers of the Iewes had conspired to requier iudgemente of death against him he being fast in prison and also more theÌ„ fourty men hadde sworne eche one to other that they would neuer eate nor drinke vntill they had slaine Paule A thynge woÌ„derful that no reason could haue inuented or man could haue looked for god prouided Paule his owne sisters sonne a younge man that disaponited that conspiracy and all their former coniuratioÌ„ The maner how the thiuge cam to passe thou maiest reade in the .23 of the actes I will not be tedyous vnto thee here wyth the rehersall therof Nowe to descende from the apostles to the martyrs that folowed next in christes church in them likewise to declare howe gracious our good god euer hath bene to work wonderfully w e them which in his cause haue ben in extreme perilles it were a matter enough to write a longe boke I wil here name but one man and one woman that is Athanasius the great clerke godly man stoutly standing in christes cause against the Arrians that holy woman Blandina standing so constantly in all extreme paynes in the simple coÌ„fession of christ If thou wilt haue examples of mo loke and thou shalt haue both these a hundred mo in Ecclesiastica historia of Eusebius in Tripartita historia But for all these examples both of holy scripture and of other histories I feare mee the weake man of God incombred with the frailty and infirmity of the fleshe wil haue now and then suche thoughtes and guawmes as they cal theÌ„ to run ouer his hart and to thynke thus all theis thinges which are rehersed oute of the scrypture I beleue to be true of the rest truly I do thinke wel and can beleue them also to be true but all these we must nedes grauÌ„t were special miracles of god whych now in our dayes are ceased we se to require them at gods handes were it not to teÌ„pt god Welbeloued brother I grauÌ„t such were great wonderful works of god and we haue not sene many of suche miracles in our time eyther for that our sight is not cleare for truly God worketh with his his part in all times orels bicause we haue not the like faith of theÌ„ for whose cause God wrought such thinges or bicause after that he had set forth the truth of his doctrine by suche miracles then sufficientlye the tyme of so manye myracles to be done was expired withall Which of theis is the moste speciall cause of all others or whether there be anye othere God knoweth I leaue that to God But knowe thou this my wel-beloued in God that Gods hande is as strong as euer it was he maye do what his gracyous plesure is and he is as good and gracious as euer he was Man chauÌ„geth as the garment doth but god our heauenly father is euen the same now that he was and shal be for euermore The world without doubt this I do beleue therfore I saye draweth towardes an end and in al ages god hath had his owne maner after hys secrete and vnsearchable wisdome to vse his elect somtimes to deliuer theÌ„ and to kepe them safe and somtimes to suffer theym to drinke of Christes cup that is to fele the smarte and to fele of the whyp And though the fleshe smarteth at the one and feeleth ease in the other is glad of the one and sore vexed
in the other yet the lord is al one towards them in both and loueth theym nolesse when he sufferethe theym to be beaten yea and to be put to bodelye death then when he woorketh wonderes for their maruelous deliuery Nay rather he doth more for them when in anguish of the torments he standeth by them strenghneth them iu their faith to suffer in the confession of the truethe and his faithe the bitter panges of death then when he openeth the prison doore and letteth them go lose for here he doth but respit theÌ„ to an other time and leaueth them in daunger to fall in like peryl agayne and there be maketh theym Perfect to be without dauÌ„ger payne or peril after that for euer more But this his loue towardes theym howe soeuer the world doth iudge of it is all one both when he deliuereth and when he suffereth theym to be put to death He loued as wel Peter Paul when after thei had according to his blessed wil pleasure and prouidence finished their courses and done their seruices appointed them by him here in preaching of his Gospell the one was beheaded and thother was banged or crucified of the cruell tyraunte Nero as the Ecclesiasticall historye saythe as when he sent the Aungell to bring Peter out of prison and for Paules deliuery he made all the dores of the prison to flie wide open and the foundation of the same like an earthquake to tremble and shake Thinkest thou O thou man of god that Christ our Sauiour had lesse affection to the fyrste martyr Stephen bicause he suffered his enemies euen at the firste conflicte to stone him to death No suerlye nor Iames Iohns brother whiche was one of the three that Paul calleth Primates or Principals amongst the Apostles of Christe He loued him neuer a whit the worse then he did the other although he suffered Herod the tyrants sword to cut of his head Nay doth not Daniel say speaking of the cruelty of Antechrist his time Et docti in populo docebunt plutimos â—uent in gladio in flamma in captiuitate in rapina dierum c. Et de cruditis ruent 〈◊〉 coÌ„flentur eâ—â—gaÌ„tur dealbentuâ— c. That is and the lerned he meaneth truly learned in gods law shal teach many and shal fal vpon the sworde and in the flame that is shal be burned in the flaming â—yer and in captiuitye that is shal be in prison and be woâ—â—d and robbed of their goods for alonge season And after a lyttel in the same place of Daniel it foloweth and of the lerned ther be whiche shal fal or be ouerthrowen the they maye be knowen tried chosen made white he meaneth be furnyshed and scouâ—â—d a new picked and chosen made freshe and lustre Yf that then was foresene for to be done to the godlye lerned and for so gracious causes let euery one to whome any such thinge by the wyll of God doeth chaunce be mery in God and reioyce for it is to Gods glory and to hys owne euerlastinge wealth Wherefore well is he that euer he was borne for whome thus graciouslye God hath prouided hauinge grace of God and strenghe of the holy ghoste to stande stedfastly in the height of the storme Happy is he that euer he was borne whom God his heauenly father hath vouchsafed to appointe to glorify him to edifie his church by the effusion of his bloud To die in Christes cause is an hyghe honour to the which no man certainlye shall or can espire but to whome god vouthsafeth that dignitie for no man is alowed to presume for to take vnto himselfe any offyce of honoure but he whiche is there vnto called of god Therfore Iohn sayth wel speaking of them whiche haue obteyned the victory by the bloud of the lambe and by the worde of hys testimonye that they loued not their lyues euen vnto death And our sauiour Chryste sayeth he that shall lose hys lyfe for my cause shall finde it And this maner of speache pertayneth not to one kind of christians as the worldly do wyckedly dreame but to all that doe truly pertain vnto Christ. For when christ had called vnto him the multitude together wyth hys dysciples he saide vnto them marke that he said not this to the disciples and apostles only but he said it to al whosoeuer wil so low me let him forsake or deny hiÌ„self take vp his crosse and folow me for whosoeuer wil saue his life shal lose it he meaneth whosoeuer wil to saue his lyfe bothe forsake or leaue him his trueth and whosoeuer shall lose his life for my cause and the gospels sake shal saue it for what shal it profit a man if he shal winne the whole worlde and lese his owne soule hys owne life or what shall a man geue to recompence that losse of his owne life and of his owne soule Whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me and my words that is to confesse me and my gospell before this adulterous sinful generation of him shal the son of man be ashamed when he coÌ„meth in the glory of his father with the holy aungels Know thou O man of god that all thinges are ordeyned for thy behofe and to the furtheraÌ„ce of thee towardes thy saluation All thinges saith Paule worketh with the good to goodnes euen the enemies of god and such kind of punishments wherby they go about to destroye theym shall be forced by Goddes power might and fatherly prouidence for to do them seruyce It is not as the wycked thinketh that pouertie aduersity sycknes tribulation yea paynefull death of the godly be tokens that God doeth not loue theym but euen cleane the contrary as al the whole course of scripture doth euedently declare for then he wold neuer haue suffred his most deare beloued the Patriarches to haue had such troubles his prophetes his Apostles his Martyrs and chiefe chaÌ„pions and maintainers of his trueth and gospelâ— so cruelly of the wycked to haue bene murdered and â—â—in Of the whiche some were racked as the apostle sayth and would not he deliuered that they might reâ—eâ—lâ— better resurrection Some were lived by mockings and scourgings yea more ouer by bondes and imprison mente they were â—oned they were he wen and cut in â—uÌ„der they were tempted they were slain with the sword they wandered vppe and downe in sheepe skins and Gotes skinnes being forsaken afflicted and tormented suche men as the worlde was not worthye to haue wandringe in wildernesses in mountaines in dennes and caues of earth All these were approued by the testimony of fayth and receiued not the promise bicause god did prouide better for vs that wythâ—uâ—e vs they shuld not be consuÌ„mated They tary now for vs vndoubtedly loÌ„ging for the day But they are commaunded to haue patience yet sayeth the lord a littel while vntil the number of their fellowe seruauntes be fulfilled and or theyr brethren whych are yet to
be slaine as they were Now thou O man of God for our Lords sake let vs not for the loue of this life tary them to longe and be occasion of delay of that glorious coÌ„summation in hope and expectation wherof thei departed in the lord and the which also the liuing endâ—ed with Gods spirit ought so earnestly to desire and to grone for with al the creatures of God Let vs all with Iohn the seruant of God cry in our harts vnto our sauiour Christ Veni domme Iesu come Lorde Iesu come For then when christ which is our life shal be made manifest and apeare with him in glory theÌ„ shal the children of god appeare what thei be euen like vnto Christ for this our weake body shall be transfygurated and made lyke vnto Christes glorious body that by the power wherby he is able to subdue vnto himself all thinges Then that which is now corruptible shall be made incorruptible that is nowe vyle shal theÌ„ be made glorious that is nowe weake shal rise then mighty and strong that is grosse and carnal shal be made fine and spirituall for theÌ„ we shal see haue the vnspeakable ioy and fruition of the glorious maiesty of our lorde euen as he is Who or what then shall let vs to ieopard to leopard yea to spend this life which we haue here in Christes cause in our lorde God his cause O thou therefore man of god thou that arte loden and so letted lyke vnto a great bellied woman â–ª that thou canst not fly the plague yet if thou lust after such things as I haue spoken of stand fast what soeuer shall befall in thy maysters cause and take thys thy letting to fly for a calling of god to feighte in thy maister Christe hys cause Of this be thou certaine they can do nothing vnto thee which thy father is not aware of or hathe not foresene before they can do no more then it shal please him to suffer them to do for the furtheraunce of his glory edifyinge of his church and thyne owne saluation Lette them then doe what they shal seing to thee O man of God all thinges shall be forced to serue and to worcke with thee vnto the best before God O be not afraide and remember the ende All thys whiche I haue spoken for the comfort of the lamentable case of the man whoÌ„ christ calleth the great bellied woman I meane to be spokeÌ„ likewise to the captiue and prisoner in Gods cause for suche I count to be as it were already summoned and prested to fight vnder the banner of the crosse of Chryste and as it were souldiours allowed and taken vp for the Lords warres to do to their lord and maister good and honorable seruice and to stycke to him as men of trustie seruice in his cause euen vnto death and to thinke their life lost in his cause is to winne it in eternall glory for euermore Therefore now to conclude and to make an ende of this treatise I saye vnto all that loue God our heauenly father that loue Christe Iesus oure redemer and Sauioure that loue to folowethe wayes of the holy ghoste which is our comforter and sanctâ—â—er of all vnto all that loue Christes spouse and body the true catholicke churche of Christe yea that loue life ther owne soules health I say vnto all theis harken my deare brethreÌ„ and sisters all you that be of God of all sortes ages dignities or degre harken to the worde of our sauioure Iesus Christe spoken to his Apostels and ment to all his in Saincte Mathewes Gospell Feare not theym whiche kyll the bodye for they can not kil the soule but feare him more whiche maie destroye and caste both bodye and soule into â—ell fyer Are not twoo small-sparrowes â—old for a mite and one of them shal not fal or light vpon the ground without your father All the hears of your head be numbred Feare them not you are much more worth then are the littel sparrowes Euery one then that confesseth me before meÌ„ him shal I likwise confesse before my father which is in heauen But whosoeuer shal denye me before men I shall denye him likewyse before my father whyche is in heauen The lord graunt vs therfore of his heauenly grace strength that here we may so confesse him in this world amongest this adulterous and sinfull generation that he maye confesse vs again at the latter day before his father which is in heauen to his glory and our euerlasting comforte ioy and saluation To our heaueÌ„ly father to our sauiour redemer Iesus Christ and to the holy ghost be al glory and honor now and for euer Amen ⸫ CERTEYNE Godly and comfortable letters of the constaut wytnes of Christ Iohn Careles written in the time of his imprisonment and now fyrste set forth in printe ⸫ Anno Domini 1566. Thomas Pirry to the Christian reader in commendacion of that worthy man of god Iohn Careles MUch care did carefull Careles bide in time of Romishe rage WheÌ„ flesh bloud with fier was tried to make mennes faith to swage But god be thanked for his grace who did him so defende that in the truth he ran his race and made a godly ende No man more carefull for the crosse of Christe his sauinge health no man more careles for the losse of frendes and worldly wealth When he was hated and abhorde of Cayphas and his sede he cast his care vpon the Lorde and Careles was in dede For why he knewe that worldly power no farther coulde procede then god whose worde doth still endure already had decrede And that the Lorde would in the ende worke all things for the best when of great mercy he shoulde sende his soule to ioyfull rest In hope wherof he careles was and ready to the stake if god so woulde he did not passe such ende on earth to make But gods will was he should not die such death in open sighte wherefore in prison ioyfully to Christ he yelde his sprite Psalme 54. Caste thy care vpon the lorde and he shall nouryshe thee he wil not suffer the righteous to fall for euer ¶ The grace and free mercy of God in Iesus Chryst the swete consolations of the holy ghost the guide of all Gods dere children be with you strengthen and comforte you my derely beloued swete sister K. E. nowe euer Amen AL be it my derly beloued syster in Chryste that as yet we dyd neuer see one an other personally to any knowledge yet by the vertuous reporte that I haue heard of you and also by the large louynge token that I haue receaued froÌ„ you my thinke that I doe euen presently see you beholde your person faithfully walkinge in the feare and loue of god ioying and reioycing with you in the spirite as though we were swetly talkynge together of Christes veritie The lorde god do I humbly besech in the bowels and bloude of our lorde and sauyour
and also to abstaine moste willinglye from all thinges that be detestable in his sighte what daunger so euer shoulde ensue to you for the same But in dede my dear hart to be plaine with you I doe heare to my great grief that the due consideration of this greate loue and infinite mercy of god hath not yet effectuously wrought al these aforesaid things in you according to my lōng expectacion but it is enformed me by credible persons ▪ that you notwithstanding the great loue of God towards you and the excellent knowledge he hath so graciouslye geuen you before many other doe yet manye times defile your faith or mariage garment with comming into the companye of filthy idolaters at the time of theyr Antechristian seruice Trulye if it be so it is a token that the great abundant bottomles loue mercy of God towardes you hath not yet in suche sorte ben considered of you that it hath as it ought to haue done swalowed vp all the vaine loue of the worlde Ah where is true faith become and liuely seling of Gods mercy that were wont to make the children of god diligent to kepe Goddes commaundementes and merilye to beare his crosse But perchaunce you do not thinke it a breaking of Gods commaundementes to goe to the Idols temple and to bee present with the papistes at their supersticious seruice c. But god forbid you should be so ignorāt after so many instructiōs in so great weightye a matter For surely the vnknowen sicknes is most daungerous euermore as experience teacheth But I verily thinke at the least wise I hope that youre knoweledge is so great in these things that the daunger in being partaker with the wicked is not hid frō your eyes Therfore your fault is so muche the greater the sorer punishmēt is due for the same But my vndoubted trust is that almighty God our most deare louinge father wyll not leaue you in your weaknesse but wil rayse you vp agayne by true and earnest repentance and geue you such grace and strength of his spirit that henceforth you shal be so far from cominge to anye of theyr abhominable superstition that you shall be able well to persuade this bearer and many other the sainctes of God from the same I knowe deare harte that thys thinge which I requier of you wil bryng a great crosse vnto you as well at the handes of your husband as of many other your worldly frendes and foes But let not that discourage you any thing at all syth you are one of the chosen children of God to whom hys crosse doth specially belonge Let not tribulation for righteousnesse sake seme a straunge thing vnto you but rather reioyce and be glad that God will vouche you worthye of so great dignity For trulye it is the greatest honor that God can bringe his elect vnto in this mortall life I meane to make them his witnesses to the world and to make them worthye to suffer for his sake which thinge is not permitted to the highest Angell in heauen albeit I beleue they wolde more reioyce thereof then in all the glorye they haue Oh whye are we then so loth to come to this great promotiō seing it is the verye ordinance of god vppon all his deare chyldren as S. Paule affirmeth saying To you it is geuen not only that you should beleue in Iesus Christ but also that you should suffer for his sake Again he saith all that will liue godlye in Christ Iesu must suffer persecution Oh what cause haue we to reioice if it please God by suffringes to make vs some thing cōformable to the passions of our swete Christ who fyrste suffred for vs and afterward entred into his glorye Wee haue in thys world nothing so much to reioice in as that we are made meete to be vnder the crosse with Chryst. For therby are we assured not onlye that the glorious spirite of god resteth vpon vs but also that we shall reign with Christe and bee glorifyed together with him who hathe testified with his owne mouth that they be blessed which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs saieth he is the kingedome of heauen into the which we must also enter by manye tribulatiōs Happy is he saith christ that endureth to th end Be faithfull vnto death saith the holy ghoste I will geue thee a crowne of life c. But what mean I to make so long a circūstance vnto you my deare hart who knoweth al these things as wel or better then I Oh that you hadde the grace and strēgth to do al things accordinge to youre knowledge I meane concerning the fleing frō Idolatry and suffering for the truth As for al other things I know you are vnspotted praised be god for you Oh that you durste pledge me of the same cup if need do requier wherof the lord of our glory hath not refused himself to drinke before vs and hath left vs an example to folow his fotesteps that he might crowne vs wyth his owne glorye and most precious giftes Oh lord helpe thy deare children that wold faine come vnto the and loke not narowly vpō our sins which are the cause of oure long absence from thee but couer theym for thy Christes sake with the mantell of thy manifold mercies whyche far surmounteth al thy workes that we may not be ashamed but reioyce at thy most glorious comming the which do thou hasten according to thy promise for thy chosens sake We haue deare sister bene of longe season acquainted with this earthlye old man of ours to much which is ful of sin and presseth downe sore our vnderstāding that it is needful for vs to be tried throughe manye trybulations that the rust therof myght be worne awaye that we might be made mete vessels for the lordes owne vse and be sanctifyed to honour Happy is he that endureth chasticinge Whyche blessing my good sister God offereth vnto vs at this present yea and him selfe also as our moste deare louinge father Let vs willingly embrace him therfore and geue thankes vnto his name that hath triumphantly gottē victorye ouer al our ennemies and is now pleading our cause on the right hand of God his father in the kyngdome of heauen where he kepeth possession for vs. To whom if we direct oure eyes wyth a stedfast fayth wee shal not nede to feare neither death synne nor hell for theyr whole power is taken awaye and Christes righteousnes maketh aūswer for vs. Yea he is wholy ours with al his merites mercies and moste swete sufferinges and we are his for euermore so that we may boldly say the lord is our helpe and therfore we wyll not feare what man maye do vnto vs for he is but fleshe and his breath is in hys nostrels but the strengthe of the lord and the power of his word endureth for euer vnto the whyche let vs stedfastly trust then shal we not be confounded My deare frend faithful sister K. thynke no vnkyndnes in me that I write thus boldlye vnto you for verily it is of pure loue and a true hart that I beare vnto you as I am most depely bound yea double and treble I haue plentifully reaped your temporal things god recōpence you for it And ought not I thē much more to sow vnto you some of those spyritual thinges wherewyth God hath blessed me yes truly and euerlastynge woe and damnation were most due and suer vnto me if I did it not God for his christes sake forgeue me my great neglygence in thys behalfe towardes you and al the rest of hys deare children whome I loue in the lord as mine owne soule and thanke God most hartelye that you do me likewyse whych am most vnworthy of the same God geue me the spirite of prayer that I maye therewith supply some part of my duty towardes you for verily I am farre in your debt and so am like to die But my suer trust is that my good God for whose sake I lose lyfe and goods and al earthly commodityes wyl abundantly recompence you wyth his blessyng both spirituall and temporal and in the ende bringe you vnto me in the place of perpetual ioy and quietnes where we shal rest from al our labors and remaine together for euermore There shall we most perfectly know one another personally thoughe in thys lyfe we are not like to doe so for I am alredy proclaimed heretike at Paules crosse I prayse god most hartily for it For nowe I know I shal shortly be with him for whose sake I am so called and shal be yet more solēnely the sūday after Trinity sunday doctor Harpesfield saith ▪ I thanke him for his paines For he hath geuen me good warning to prepare my selfe ready against the daye of slaughter whiche time is not yet in their handes for all their bragges and proud bostinges but in the good wil determinatiō of my most deare God and louinge father And right suer I am that they I meane my enemies and if al the diuels in hell do helpe theym can not shorten my life one minute of an howre otherwyse then GOD hath appoynted for his glory and my eternal profit Therefore vpon him wil I cast all my care be careles according to my name in spite of theym all and tell them I will when I come before them that God doth laughe al their doinges to scorne and shortlye wyll bringe all their counselles to naught to their owne vtter confusion if they be not conuerted For whiche thing let vs praye to him whiche onelye is able to doe it and wyl when he seeth hys good time and pleasure In the meane space the same LORDE geue vs hys peace and pacience with plentiful consolation and ioye in the holy ghost who gouerne guyds lead and conduct vs vnto the very end Thus yet once agayne I commit you vnto Goddes moste mercyfull defence who euer haue you and all youres in hys blessed keping The blessinge of God be wyth you euermore Amen youres for euer moste vnfeynedlye Iohn Careles prysoner of the Lorde at all tymes abidinge his most merciful wyl pleasure Pray pray pray FINIS Imprinted at London by VVillyam Powell dwelling in Fletestrete at the signe of the George nere to Sainct Dunstons Church Apoc. 17. He meaneth hym selfe Math. 24. 2. Cor. 6. Lib. 4. Cap. 15. Apo. 9. Daniel 11. Apoc. 12. Math. 10. Apoc. 2.