deede the hygh waye whereby as God encreaseth his giftes so sheweth he more linelye hys saluation Psalme 50.107 I haue receaued Gods blessing frō you the which I haue partly distributed vnto my three fellowe prisoners Maister Farer Maister Taylour Maister Philpot and the residue I will bestowe vppon .iiii. poore soules which are imprisoned in the cōmon Iayle for religiō also As for mine own part if I had had nede I would haue serued my turne also But because I had not nor I thanke God haue not I haue beene and will hee your Almner in suche sorte as I haue already aduertised you God rewarde you and geue you to finde it spiritually and corporally Because otherwise I can not talke with you therefore on thys sort as occasion and opportunitie wil serue I am readye to shewe my good will and desire of youre healpe and furtheraunce in the Lorde to euerlasting life whereunto GOD bryng vs shortlye for hys mercyes sake Amen Good Madame bee thankefull to God as I hope you be be earnest in prayer continue in readynge and hearinge Gods woord and if Gods further crosse come as therein God doth serue hys prouidence for elles it shall not come vnto you so bee certayne the same shall tourne to your eternal ioy and comforte Amen Iohn Bradford To the Lady Vane THe euerlasting and most merciful god which is the father of our sauiour Iesus Christ encrease in your ladiship the knowledge loue of hys truth with the gift of perseuerāce to cōtinue therin to the end Amē Albeit at this present I haue no cōuenient leasure to write is shold be semely to send to your personage yet cōsidering your gētle good wil for gods cause towards me I thought I mought be the more bold to write somthing although not in such sort as I would perchaunce on your behalfe might be loked for I doubt not but that your ladiship considereth often with your self the you are the childe of god and a citizen of heauē by Christ in whō God the father before the worlde was made hath chosen you of his own mere mercy and not of your desertes done or to be done That you shoulde with thankefulnes cal this to minde often thereby to excite and stirre vp yourself to the loue of god in his sight and to al holinesse of life in the sight of man many things should moue occasion you iustly as that you were borne of Christen parents that the name of god was called vpon you in baptisme which is a sacrament of regeneratiō and adoption into the children of god with all other benefites which hytherto you haue receaued Amonges which surely your ladiship should not thinke the least euen the crosses that god hath hetherto exercised you with all as the losse of youre good husband landes and other worldly commodities c. But aboue al next to Christ crucifyed this is most thankefully to be considered that god as he hath geuen you pacience I trust in your trouble so in these daungerous dayes he hath geuen you a desire to know him and to helpe them which for hys sake be in trouble for thys I gather and euidentlye see by your twise sending to me which am not otherwise knowen to you but by name I pray god I may be hartely thankeful to him for you and so dispose your benefites as you desyre My best I will doe by gods grace but enough of thys My desire is good Madame although I haue no doubt as I said but that you be diligēt herein that you would oftē call to minde your state before god I meane howe that you be hys childe through Christ and this I would you dyd for diuerse causes Fyrst that you myghte be quiet in conscience before him in this troublesome worlde as we neuer can bee vntill thys be something setled Secondly that you myghte bee carefull to appeare in hys syghte and in the syghte of man as one of Gods children Thyrdly that you myght in all troubles boldelye by prayer throughe Christe goe to hym and cal hym by the name of father with hope of hys helpe alwayes to your comforte Fourthly that you myghte not bee dismayed if trouble come vnto you as it can not be but more or lesse it must needes come for the worlde loueth none but suche as be his the deuill can neuer suffer the children of God to be quiet I will not speake of our mortal and familiar enemye the fleshe which ceaseth not to fyght agaynst the spirite But God your father being hartely called vpon in and through Christ as he will with hys holye spirite helpe you so will he geue you the victorye at the length to your singular comforte Which I pray God you may daily more and more feele Amen From the Kings Benche in hast as appeareth Your Ladiships own in Christ to commaunde Iohn Bradforde To my deare frendes and brethren R. and E. with their wiues and families THe comfort of Christ felte commonly of hys children in their crosse for his sake the euerliuing God worke in both youre hartes my good brethren and in the hartes of bothe your yokefellowes especially of good Mary my good sister in the Lorde Amen If I had not somthing heard of the hazard which you are in for the gospels sake if you continue the profession confession therof as I truste you doe and will doe and that vnto the end God enabling you as he will doubtles for his mercyes sake if you hope in him for this bindeth him as Dauid in Christes person witnesseth our father keped in thee and thou deliuerest them c. Psal 22 yet by coniectures I could not but suppose though not so certainly the tyme of suffering and probation to bee at hande For nowe is the power of darkenesse fullye come vppon this Realme moste iustlye for oure synnes and abusynge the lyghte lente vs of the Lorde to the settynge forthe of oure selues more then of Gods glorye that aswell we myghte bee broughte into the better knowledge of our euilles and so hartely repente which god graūt vs to do as also we might haue more feling sense of our swete sauiour Iesus Christ by the humbling and deiecting of vs therby to make vs as more desirous of him so him more sweete and pleasaunt vnto vs the which thing the good spirite of God woorke sensiblye in all our hartes for Gods holy names sake For thys cause I thoughte it my dutye being now where I haue some libertie to write the Lorde bee praysed and hearing of you as I heare to doe that which I should haue done if I had hearde nothing at all that is to desire you to be of good cheare and comfort in the Lorde although in the worlde you see cause rather to the contrarye and to go on forwardes in the waye of God wherinto you are entred considering that the same can not but so much more and more waxe streite to the outwarde man by howe much
the glorye of the world and a bragginge victorye But besides the innumerable raylinges rebukes and taunts wherwith I was bayted on euery side least our cause which in deede is gods cause and his churches should also by the false exāples of our disputations be euel spoken of slaundered to the world so the verity sustayne hurt hinderāce therby I haue thought good to wryte my aunsweres my selfe that whosoeuer is desirous to know them and the truth withall maye thereby perceyue those thinges whiche were chiefly obiected against me and also in effect what was aunswered of me to euerye of them Howebeit good Reader I cōfesse this to be most true that it is impossible to set forth either al that was God knoweth tumultuously spoken like as of mad men obiected of so many whiche spake oftētimes hudle so that one could not well heare an other eyther all that was aunswered of me briefly to such and so diuerse opponentes Moreouer a great part of the time appointed for the disputations was vaynly spente in most contumelious tauntes hyssinges clapping of handes and triumphes more then tolerable euen in stage playes and that in the english tounge to get the peoples fauor withall All which thinges when I with godly griefe did suffer and therwithall did openly bewayle and witnes that that companye of learned men and scholes which were appoynted to graue men and to graue matters were contaminate and defiled by such folish and Robinhode pastimes and that they which were the doers of such things did but therby openly shew theyr vanity I was so far by my such humble complaynt from doinge good or helping any thing at al that I was enforced what wyth hissing showting and what with authority to heare such great reproches and slaunders vttered agaynste me as no graue man without blushing could abide the herynge of the same spokē of a most vile knaue against a most wretched ruffiane At the beginning of the disputatiō when I should haue confirmed mine answer to the fyrst proposition in few woordes and that after the maner of diputations before I could make an ende of my probation whiche was not verye longe euen the doctours them selues cried oute he speaketh blasphemies blasphemies blasphemies And whē I on my knees most humbly hartly besought thē that they would vouchsafe to heare me to the end wherat the Prolocutor something moued as it seemed cried out let him reade it let him read it Yet whē I again began to read it there was by by such a cry and noyse blasphemies blasphemies as I to my remembrance neuer heard or redde the like except it be one which was in the actes of the Apostles stirred vp of Demetrius the siluer smith and others of his occupation cryenge out agaynst Paule greate is Diana of the Ephesians great is Diana of the Ephesians and excepte it were a certayne disputation which the Arrians had against the Orthodoxes such as were of godly iudgment in Affricke where it is said that such as the presidents rulers of the disputatiō were such was also that end of the disputatiō Al was done in hurly burly and the slaunders of the Arrians wer so outragious that nothyng coulde quietly be hearde So wryteth Victor in the sebooke of his historye And thus the cryes and tumultes of these men agaynste me nowe so preuayled that whether I woulde or no I was inforced to leaue of the readinge of my probations although they were but short And of the truthe herof I haue al those that were present beyng of any discretion or honestye to be my witnesses But hereof wil I cease to complayne any further c. ¶ To Doctor Weston requiring performaunce of certaine promises made vnto him but neuer fulfilled according to thaccustomed wily vnfaythful dealyng of the papistes MAyster Prolocutor ye remember I am sure how you promised me openlye in the Scholes after my protestation that I should see how my aunsweres were there taken and written of the notaries whome you appoynted Me fateor neminem recusante to write what should be sayd and to haue had licence for to haue added vnto them or for to haue altered them as vpon more deliberation shoulde haue seemed me beaste Ye graunted me also at the deliuerye of myne aunswere vnto your fyrste proposition a copye of the same What promises he made openly in the scholes that were neuer performed reade in the booke of Martyrs Folio 958. These promyses be not performed If your suddeyne departure be any part of the cause therof yet I pray you remēber that they maye be performed for performance of promyses is to be looked for at a righteouse iudges handes Now I send you here myne aunswers in writynge to your seconde and thyrde propositions and doe desire and require earnestlye a copye of the same and I shall by Gods grace procure the paynes of the writer to be payde for and satisfyed accordinglye When I woulde haue confyrmed my sayenges with authorities or reasons you sayde there openlye that I shoulde haue hadde time and place to saye and brynge what so euer I could an other time And the same your sayenge was then there confyrmed of other of the Commissioners Yea and I dare say the audience also thought then that I shoulde haue had another daye to haue broughte and sayd what I could saye for the declaration and confyrmation of mine assertions Now that this was not done but so sodēly sentence geuen before the cause was peefectlye heard I can not but merueil at all and the due reformation of all things which are amisse I commit vnto almighty god my heauenly father which by hys deare son our sauiour Christ whome he hath made the vniuersall iudge of all flesh shall truely rightuously iudge both you and me Mayster Proloquutor I desire you and in Gods name require you that you truly bring forth and show al my thre aunswers writen subscribed with mine own hand vnto the higher house of the cōuocatiō specially vnto my lord chauncelor my Lordes of Duresme Elie Norwich Worcetor Chichester and also to show and exhibite this my writynge vnto them which in these few lines I write herevnto you And that I do make this request vnto you by this my writyng know you that I dyd take witnes of thē by whom I did send you this writing of those which were then with thē present that is of the baylifes of Oxford and of Maister Irish Alderman than there called to be a witnes By me N. Rydley 23. Aprilis 1554. To a Cosin of hys GOds holye spyrite be with you nowe and euer Amen When I cal to remēbrabnce beloued cosine the state of those that for fear of trouble either for losse of goods wil do in the sight of the world those thinges that they know and be assured are contrary to the will of God I can do no lesse but lament theyr case beyng assured that the ende
in your trouble praye for pacience Iacob i. perseuer to the ende let pacience haue her perfecte worke If you wante this wisedome and power aske it of god who will geue it to you in his good time Hope still in him yea if he should slay you yet trust in him with Iob and you shal perceaue that the end wil be to find him merciful ful of coÌ„passion for he will not breake promyse with you which hetherto did neuer so with any He is with you in trouble he heareth you calling vpoÌ„ him yea before you cal your desires are not only knowen but accepted through Christ If now and then he hide his face from you it is but to prouoke your appetite to make you the more to long for him Thys is most true he is a comming and will come he wil not bee long But if for a time he seme to tary yet stand you stil and you shall see the wonderfull workes of the Lorde Oh my beloued wherfore should you be heuie Is not Christ Emanuel god with vs shal you not finde that as he is true in saying in the world you shal haue trouble so is he in saying in me you shal haue coÌ„fort He doth not sweare only that trouble wil come but withal he sweareth that coÌ„fort shal ensue 1. Cor. 2 And what comfort such a comfort as the eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard nor the hart of man can conceaue Oh great comfort who shall haue this Forsoth they that suffer for the lord And are not you one of theÌ„ Yea verely are you Then as I saide happie happie and happie againe are you my dearly beloued in the Lord. You nowe suffer with the lord surely you shall be glorifyed with him Cal vpon God therfore now in your trouble and he wil heare you yea deliuer you in such sort as most shall make both to his your glory also And in this calling I hartely pray you to praye for me your fellowe in affliction Now we be both going in the high way to heauen for by many afflictions must we enter in thether whether god bring vs for his mercies sake AmeÌ„ AmeÌ„ Your fellowe in affliction Iohn Bradforde To my deare fathers D. Cranmer D. Ridley D. Latymer prysoners in Oxforde for the testimonye of the Lord Iesus and hys holy Gospell ALmightie god our heauenly father more and more kendle our hartes and affections with his loue that our greatest crosse may be to be absent froÌ„ him and straungers froÌ„ our home and that we may godly contende more and more to please him Amen As alwaies I haue had great cause to praise our dere father through christ so me thinkes I haue more more in seing more likely the end of my life which is due for my sinne to be through the exceding grace of Christ a testimonye of Gods truth Thus the lord dealeth not with euery body not the euery body hath not more deserued at gods hands theÌ„ I which haue deserued more veÌ„geance theÌ„ any other I know of my time and state but that by me I hope the Lorde will make the riches of his grace to his glory to be sene more excellente With me therfore I humbly besech you al my most deare fathers in God to geue thankes for me and as you doe still to pray for me that the Lord as for his loues sake in Christe he hath begonne his good worke in me eueÌ„ so of and for the same his loues sake in Christ he would make it perfect and make me to continue to the ende as I hope he will for hys mercy truth endureth for euer As for your partes in that it is coÌ„monly thought your staffe standeth next to the dore ye haue the more cause to reioyce and be glad as they which shal come to your fellowes vnder the alter to the which societie god with you bring me also in his mercy wheÌ„ it shall be his good pleasure I haue receaued many good things froÌ„ you my good Lorde Maister deare father N. Ridley fruites I meane of your godly labours Al which I seÌ„d vnto you againe by this bringer one thing except which he caÌ„ tel I do kepe vpon your further pleasure to be knoweÌ„ therin And here withall I send vnto you a little treatise whiche I haue made that you might peruse the same not only you but also ye my other most deare and reuerent fathers in the lord for euer to geue to it your approbatioÌ„ as ye may think good All the prisoners hereaboutes in maner haue sene it and red it and as therein they agree with me nay rather with the truth so they are ready and will be to signifie it as they shall see you geue them example The matter may be thought not so necessary as I seme to make it But yet if ye knew the great euill that is like hereafter to come to the posteritie by these men as partly this bringer can signifie vnto you surely then could ye not but be most willing to put hereto your helping handes The which thing that I might more occasion you to perceaue I haue sent you here a writing of Harry Hartes own hand Thys was the chefest mayntayner of maÌ„s frewil enemye to Gods free grace wherby ye may see how Christes glory grace is like to lose much light if that your shepe quondam be not something holpen by them whiche loue God and are hable to proue that all good is to bee attributed onely and wholye to Gods grace and mercy in Christ wtoute other respect of worthines theÌ„ Christes merites The effectes of saluatioÌ„ they so mingle confouÌ„de with the cause that if it be not sene to more hurt wil come by theÌ„ then euer came by the papistes in as much as their life coÌ„mendeth theÌ„ to the worlde more theÌ„ the papistes God is my witnes that I write not thys but because I wold gods glory and the good of hys people In freewyl they are playn papists yea PelagiaÌ„s Thys is well knowen to all those which haue had to do wyth them in disputations or otherwyse for the wrytyngs and authority of the learned they haue vtterly reiected despised ye know the modicuÌ„ fermenti totaÌ„ massam corrumpit They vtterly contemne all learning But hereof shall this brynger shewe your more As to the chiefe captaynes therfore of Christes church here I complayne of it vnto you as truelye I muste doe of you euen vnto GOD in the laste daye yf ye wyll not as ye can helpe somthyng vt veritas doctrinae maneat apud posteros in this behalf Vpon this occasion Mâ— Rydley wrote a learned and godly treatise of gods election and predestination as ye haue done on the behalfe of matters expugned by the papistes God for hys mercye in Christ â—uide you my moste dearely beloued fathers wyth his holy spirite here and in all other thynges as most
brimstone stormye tempestes Whose Palace and home shall be hell fyre and darkenesse Whose cheare shall be weping and gnashing of teeth Whose song shal be woe woe woe from the which the lord of mercye deliuer vs. My dearely beloued I write not thys as one that thinketh not wel of you but as one that would you dyd wel and therfore to helpe you therto I write as I write Beseching God to open your eyes to see the daungers men be in that dissemble with God and man to the ende you doe not the lyke and also to open your eyes to see the hygh seruice you doe to God in aduenturing your selfe and that you haue for hys sake Oh that mens eyes were opened to see that the glorye of God resteth vppon them that suffer any thyng for his sake Oh that we considered that it is happinesse to suffer any thyng for Christes sake which haue deserued to suffer so much for our synnes iniquities Oh that our eyes were opened to see the great reward they shal haue in heauē which suffer the losse of any thing for Gods sake If we knewe the crosse to be as a purgation moste profitable to the soule as a purifying fyre to burne the drosse awaye of our dyrtinesse and synnes as an ouen to bake vs in to bee the Lordes breade as soope to make vs white as a stewe to mundifie and clense vs as Gods framehouse to make vs lyke to Christe here in sufferyng that we maye be so in reygning then should we not so muche care for thys little shorte sorrowe whiche the fleshe suffereth in it but rather in consideration of the excedyng endlesse ioye and comforte which wyl ensue we should runne fowards in our race after the example of oure Captayne Christ who comforte vs all in our distresse and geue vs the spirite of prayer therein to watche and pray that we be not led into temptation whiche God graunt to vs for euer Amen And thus muche I thoughte good to write to you at thys presente to declare my carefulnesse for the well doinge of you and all youre familye whom I commende with you into the handes and tuition of God oure Father So be it Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford An other letter to Maister George Eaton ALmyghtye God oure heauenlye father recompence aboundauntlye into youre bosome my dearelye-beloued here and eternallye the good whiche from hym by you I haue continuallye receaued sythen my comming into pryson Otherwyse can I neuer be able to requite your louing kindnesse here then by praying for you and after thys lyfe by witnessyng youre faythe declared to me by your fruites when we shal come appeare together before the throne of our sauiour Iesus Christ whether I thāke god I am euē now a going euer loking whē the officers wil come satisfie the precept of the Prelates wherof though I cā not cōplain because I haue iustly deserued an hundreth M. deathes at gods hands by reasō of my sines yet I may and must reioice because the Prelates do not persecute in me mine iniquities but Christ Iesus his veritie so that they persecute not me they hate not me but they persecute Christ they hate Christ And because they cā do him no hurt for he sitteth in heauē laugheth thē their deuises to scorne as one daye they shal feele therfore they turne their rage vpon his pore shepe as Herode their father did vpō the infantes Math. 2. Great cause therfore haue I to reioyce that my deare Sauiour Christ will vouchsafe amongest manye to choose me to bee a vessel of grace to suffer in me which haue deserued so often iustly to suffer for my sinnes that I might be most assured I shal be a vessell of honour in whom he wil be glorifyed Therfore my right dere brother in the lord reioice with me geue thanks for me and cease not to pray the god for his mercies sake woulde make perfect the good he hath begon in me And as for the doctrine which I haue professed preached I vnto you do confesse in writing as to the whole world I shortly shall by gods grace in suffering that it is the verye true doctrine of Iesus Christ of hys Church of hys Prophets Apostles al good men so that if an Aungel shoulde come from heauen and preache otherwyse the same were accursed Therefore wauer not deare hart in the Lord but bee confyrmed in it and as youre vocation requireth when God so wil confesse it though it be perillous so to do The ende shall euidenlye shewe an other manner of pleasure for so doing then tounge can tell Be diligence in prayer and watche therein Vse reuerente reading of Gods worde Set the shortnes of this time before your eies let not the eternitie that is to come depart out of your memorye Practyse in doing that you learne by reading hearing Decline frō euil pursue good Remember thē that be in bondes especially for the Lordes cause as members of your body and fellowe heyres of grace Forget not the afflictions of Sion and the oppression of Ierusalem and god our father shall geue you hys continuall blessing through Christe oure Lorde who guyde vs as hys deare children for euer Amen And thus I take my Vale and farewell wyth you deare brother for euer in thys present lyfe tyl we shal meete in eternall blisse whether our good God and father bring vs shortly Amen God blesse all your babes for euer Amen Oute of pryson thys .8 of Februarye Your afflicted brother for the Lordes cause Iohn Bradford A letter writen to hys Mother as a farewell when he thoughte he shoulde haue suffered shortlye after TThe Lord of lyfe and Sauiour of the world Iesus Christ blesse you and comfort you my good and deare Mother wyth hys heauenly comfort consolation grace and spirite nowe and for euer Amen If I thought that dayly yea almoste hourlye you dyd not crye vpon God the father throughe Iesus Christ that he woulde geue me hys blessing euen the blessing of his children then would I write more hereaboutes But for asmuch as herein I am certayne you are diligente and so I besech you good Mother to continue I thynke it good to write somethyng whereby thys your crying might bee furthered Furthered it wyll be if those thynges which hynder it bee taken away Among the which in that I thynke my imprisonmente is the greatest and chiefest I will there about spend thys letter and that brieflye leaste it myghte encrease the let as my good brother thys brynger can tell you You shall knowe therefore good Mother He meaneth the daūger of more streat imprisonment that might hereby folow that for my bodye thoughe it bee in an house oute of the whiche I can not come when I wyll yet in that I haue conformed my wyll to Gods wyll I finde herein lybertye enoughe I thanke God And for my lodging beddyng meate drinke Godlye
body blood offred once for al. This I know my good sister you do constaÌ„tly coÌ„fesse beleue as the godly fruite of your christiaÌ„ fayth doth dayly testify I trust to be a witnes with you at the great day that your fayth is vnfayned ful of godly charitie the lord encrease the same I am constrayned here to make an end full sore agaynst my will My poore prayers shall supply that whiche my penne doth lacke The blessing of God be with you nowe and euer Amen Your dayly Oratour Iohn Careles A letter of M. John Rough wrytten a little before hys death to the Christian congregation in London whereof he was a minister and Preacher THe comfort of the holy ghost make you able to geue consolation to others in these daungerous dayes when Sathan is let lose to the tryal of the chosen when it pleaseth our God to sift his wheate from the chaffe I haue not leasure and time to write the great temptations I haue bene vnder I speake to Gods glorye my care was to haue the senses of my soule open to perceaue the voyce of god saying who that denieth me before men them wil I denie before my father his Angels and to saue the life corporall is to lose the life eternall and he that will not suffer with Christe shall not reigne with him Therefore moste tender ones I haue by Gods spirite geuen ouer the fleshe with the fyghte of my soule and the spirite hath the victorye The fleshe shall nowe ere it be longe leaue of to sinne the spyrite shall reygne eternallye I haue chosen the death to confyrme the truth by me taughte What can I doe more Consider with your selues that I haue done it for confyrmation of Gods truth Praye that I maye continue vnto the ende The great parte of the assaulte is paste I prayse my GOD. I haue in all my assaultes felte hys presente ayde I geue hym moste hartye thankes therefore Loke not backe nor bee ye ashamed of Christes Gospell nor of the bondes I haue suffered for the same thereby ye maye bee assured it is the true word of God The holy ones haue bene sealed with the same marke It is no tyme for the losse of one man in the battel for the campe to turne backe Vp with mens hartes blowe downe the dawbed walles of heresyes Let one take the Banner an other the Trumpet I meane not to make corporall resistance but praye and ye shall haue Elias defence and Heliseus companye to fight for you for the cause is the lords Now my brethren I can write no more tyme will not suffer and my harte wyth panges of death is assaulted but I am at home wyth my God yet alyue Pray for me and salute one an other wyth the holy kysse The peace of God reste with you all Amen From Newgate pryson in hast the day of my condeÌ„nation Iohn Rough. A letter of Cutberte Symson a Deacon of the Christian congregation in London burnt in Smythfielde for the veretye of Christes Gospell written to his wyfe out of the Colehouse MY dearelye beloued in the Lorde Iesus Christe Of the exceeding cruell vnmercifull Rackings and other tormeÌ„ts that thys man of God most paciently suffred read see in the boke of Martyrs Fol. 16â—1 I can not wryte as I doe wyshe vnto you I besethe you with my soule submytte your self vnder the mighty hand of our God trusting in hys mercy and he will surely helpe vs as shal be moste vnto hys glorye and oure euerlasting comforte being sure of thys that he will suffer nothing to come vnto vs but that which shal be most profitable for vs. For it is eyther a correction for oure synnes or a tryall of oure fayth or to set forth hys glorye or for altogether and therefore muste needes be well done for there is nothing that commeth vnto vs by fortune or chauÌ„ce but by our heauenly fathers prouidence And therfore pray vnto our heauenly father that he wil euer geue vs his grace so to consider it Let vs geue him most harty thankes for these hys fatherly corrections for as many as he loueth he correcteth And I besech you now be of good chere counte the crosse of Christ greater riches then al the vaine pleasures of England I do not doubt I prayse God for it but that you haue supped with Christ at his Maundie I meane that you beleue in him for that is the effect theÌ„ must you drinke of his cup I meane his crosse for that doth the cup signifye vnto vs. Take the cup with a good stomacke in the name of god then shal you be sure to haue the good wine Christs blood to your poore thirstye soule And when you haue the wine you muste drinke it out of this cup. Learne this wheÌ„ you come to the Lords supper Pray continually In al things geue thankes Cutbert Symson A letter of VVilliam Coker then prysoner in Caunterburye and afterwarde burnt for the testimonye of the truth wrytten to a frend of hys AS your hartye frend in god and through the mercy of our lord Iesus Christ as pertaining to the fayth your brother I send you greting most ChristiaÌ„ salutations For your kindenes in that you wrote so spedely to me again I coÌ„mend you thanke god for it though of necessitie you say you were partly moued so to do by reasoÌ„ of my bondes in the Lorde I hartely ioyed by occasioÌ„ of your letter because I vnderstode thereby the state of mine olde frends godly acquaintance and how ye al continually labour as we do in the Gospel of Christ which is the worde of saluation to as many as beleue Wherin we haue this coÌ„fidence through our fayth in the blood of Christ the thoughe Sathan his rabble of ministers doe rage neuer so muche with lying deceaueable power yea though he shoulde appeare neuer so glorious Angellike in the sight of the world yet shal his fiery dartes be quenched he neuer able to preuaile against vs. For the which testimonye of conscience I geue thankes vnto god froÌ„ the bottome of my hart praye alwaies vnto the Lord that as we haue begonne eueÌ„ so we may go forwardes vnto the end vntil the time that the darknes be cleane put away and the perfect light shine in oure harts soules bodyes in the eternal kingdome with god where we shal be sure our enemies shal not preuaile agaiÌ„st vs but then most victoriouslye be ouercome by that sweete Lambe the sonne of God In the meane time the Lord preserue keepe vs froÌ„ euil The Lorde make vs stoute in hys cause geue vs grace to confesse the truth before thys whorysh generation The Lord graunt we may worke his heauenly wil that when the time shal come he may receaue vs vnto himself in the glory euerlasting To whom be prayse honour for euer and euer Amen Your brother in bondes for the
and encouraged them to kepe the high way sic currere vti tandem acciperent premium The Lord be his comfort wherof I doe not doubte and I thanke God hartely that euer I was acquaynted wyth hym and that euer I had suche a one in my house Protomartyr is the first Martyr whome he so called because he was the first that suffred here in those bloudy dayes And yet agayne I blesse God in our deare brother and of thys tyme protomartyr Rogers that he was also one of my callinge to be a prebendarye preacher of London And nowe because Grindall is gone The Lord I doubt not hath and koweth wherein he will bestowe him I truste to God it shall please him of his goodnes to strengthen me to make vp the trynytye out of Paules churche to suffer for Christ whome God the father hath annoynted the holye spirite doth beare witnes vnto Paule and al the Apostles preached Thus fare you well I had no paper I was constrayned thus to write To Augustine Berneher BRother Austine I thanke you for your manifolde kindenesse This almes was sent him by the Ladye Katherin Duches of Suffolk to who he wrote againe a worthy letter which is lâ—st and many other writen botâ— to her others I haue receiued my Ladies graces almes sixe Royalles syxe shillinges and eyghte pence I haue written a letter here vnto her grace but I haue made no mention therof wherfore I desire you to render to her grace harty thankes Blessed be God as for my selfe I wante nothyng but my Ladies almes commeth happilye to relieue my poore brothers necessity whome you know they haue cast and kepe in prison as I suppose you know the cause why Farewell brother Austine take good heede I pray you let my brothers case make your the more wary Read my letter to my ladies grace I would maistres WilkinsoÌ„ maystres Warcup had a copy of it for althoughe the letter is directed to my ladies grace alone yet the mater therof pertaineth indiffereÌ„tly to her grace and to all good women which loue God and his worde in deede and truth Yours in Christ N. R. ¶ To Maistres Glouer a woman zelous and harty in the cause and furtherance of Gods gospell MAistres glouer I wysh you grace peace and although I am not acquainted with you yet neuertheles hearing that your husbaÌ„d master Glouer is in prison for gods wordes sake and also that you are a womaÌ„ harty in gods cause and thirdly that old father Latimer is your vncle or nere cosin whoÌ„ I do thinke the lord hath placed to be his standerd bearer in our age and country agaynst his mortal foe Antichrist I was thus bold to write vnto you in goddes behalf to do accordinge to the report which I here of you that is that you be hartye in Goddes cause and hartye to youre mayster Christ in furdering of hys cause and settinge fourth his souldiours to hys warres to the vttermost of your power Let no carnality nor worldly regard of any thinge set you to declare your trew hart which you are said to beare to your mayster christ aboue all other thinges Be harty nowe also to your husbande and declare your selfe to loue him in God as the true faythfull christiaÌ„ womaÌ„ vnto her husbaÌ„d is bound to do Now seing your husbaÌ„d which is set by gods ordinaÌ„ce to be your head is redy to suffer abide in aduersity by his masters cause to cleaue to his head christ see like wise that you do your dutye accordyngly and cleaue vnto him your hed suffre with him that you maye furder his cause His cause nowe I vnderstande to be Chrystes cause and therefore beware good syster in Chryste that in no wyse ye hynder it Loue so hys bodye and the case and wealthe thereof as youre loue maye further hym to the wynnynge bothe of bodye and soule vnto euerlastynge lyfe And thys loue shall bothe God allowe your husbande shall haue iuste cause to reioyce thereof and all the godlye to commend you therefore and to number you for the same amonge the godlye and holye women of God To youre husbande I haue written more And thus fare you well nowe good deare Sister in our sauioure Christ I was the bolder to write vnto you for that I vnderstoode my dearely beloued brother Austyne whome I call Faustus shouldbe the carier a manne whome I thynke God hathe appoynted to doe much pleasure for hys preste seruauntes to hys warres Yours in Christ N.R. To a frend that came to visite hym in prison but could not speake wyth hym WElbeloued I thancke you hartelye for youre manyfolde kyndnes but the Lorde shal I trust acquite you youre meede Thoughe Sathan rage the Lorde is stronge inough to brydle hym and to put an iron chayne ouer hys nose when it shal please hym In the meane tyme they that are the Lordes wyll flee vnto hym assuredly he wyl not forsake them that seke vnto hym in verye deede and in truthe Thys bearer my manne is trustye you maye sende your token by hym Let Nycolas keepe styll the shyrtes The Lorde rewarde that Ladye VViatte whyche for hys sake hathe thus remembred me I doe not knowe her personne What canne I rendre to maystres Wylkynson for all her benefytes Nothyng surelye but to desyre the Lorde to acquite her with hys heauenlye grace If you tarye I shall haue more to saye to you peraduenture hereafter Nowe Vale in Domino charissime Yours in Christ N. R. ¶ The manner of D. Ridleyes handlinge in the Scholes at Oxford and of the impudent spite full cruel dealing of the papistes which he set before his disputation by way of a preface and is not vnfitte here to be placed among the letters translated out of his lattin copy into englysh I Neuer yet in all my life sawe or hearde anye thing done or handled more vaynelye or tumultuously then the disputation which was had with me of late in the scholes at Oxford And surelye I coulde neuer haue thoughte that it had bene possible to haue found anye within this realme beyng of any knowlege learning and auncient degree of schole so brasen faced and so shameles as to behaue themselues so vainly and so like stage plaiers as they did in that disputation The Sorbonical clamours which at Paris when popery most reigned I in times paste haue sene might be worthely thought in comparison of this Thrasonicall and glorious ostentation to haue had muche modesty Howbeit it was not to be wondred at for that they which should there haue bene Moderatoures and rulers of others and whiche should haue geuen a good example in woorde grauitye c. 1. Tim. 4. as Paule teacheth gaue worst example of all and did as it were blowe the trompet to other to rayle rage roare and cry out By reason wherof good christian reader it is manifest that they neuer sought for any truth but only for
therof wyll be so pitifull withoute spedye repentaunce that I tremble and feare to haue it in remembraunce I woulde to God it lay vpon some earthly burden so that fredome of conscience mighte begenen vnto them I write as god knoweth not of presumption but onlye lamentinge they re state whome I thought nowe in thys daungerous time should haue geuen bothe you and me comfortable instructions But alas in stede therof we haue perswasions to follow I lament me to rehearse it superstitions idolatrye yea that worste of all is they will seeke to proue it by the scripture The Lord for his mercy turne theyr hartes Amen Yours N. R. A letter which he wrote as his last farewell to al his true and faythefull frendes in God a little before he suffred with a sharpe admoniton by by the way to the papists the enemies of the truth AT the name of Iesus let euery kne bow both of thyngs in heauen and things in earth and thinges vnder the earth and let euerye tonge confesse that Iesus Christ is the lord vnto the glory of God the father Amen As a man minding to take a farre iourney and to depart from his familiar frendes commenly and naturally hath a desire to byd his frendes farewell before hys departure so likewise now I loking dayly when I shoulde be called for to departe hence from you O al ye my dearely beloued brethren and sisters in oure Sauioure Christe that dwel here in this world hauing a like mind towardes you all also blessed be God of this such time leasure whereof I right hartely thank his heauenly goodnes do byd you all my deare brethren and sisters I say in Christ that dwel vp on the earth after such manner as I can Farewell Farewel my deare Brother George Shypside whome I haue euer found faythfull trusty and louinge in all state and condicions and now in the time of my crosse ouer all other to me most frendly and steadfast that which liked me best ouer all other thinges in Gods cause euer harty Farewell my deare sister Alice his wyfe I am gladde to beare of thee that thou doest take Christes crosse whiche is layed now blessed be God both on thy backe and mine in good parte Thanke thou GOD that hathe geuen thee a godly and a louing husband se thou honor him and obey hym according to Gods lawe Honour thy mother in lawe his mother and loue al those that perteyne vnto hym being ready to do them good as it shall lye in thy power As for thy chyldren I doubte not of thy husbande but that he whyche hathe geuen hym a hearte to loue and feare God and in God them that pertayne vnto hym shall also make hym frendely and benefyciall vnto thy children euen as yf they had bene gotten of hys owne body Farewell my welbeloued brother Iohn Rydley of the Waltowne and you my gentle and louyng Syster Elizabeth whome besydes the naturall league of amitye your tender loue whiche you were sayde euer to beare towardes me aboue the reste of youre brethren dothe bynde me to loue My mynde was to haue acknowledged this youre louyng affection and to haue acquyted it wyth dedes and not wyth woordes alone Youre daughter Elizabeth I byd farewell whom I loue for the meeke and gentle Spiryte that God hath geuen her which is a precious thyng in the syght of God Farewell my beloued Syster of Vnthancke wyth all youre chyldren my nephewes and nices Synce the departure of my Brother Hughe my mynde was to haue beene vnto them in the steade of theyr father but the Lorde god must and will be theyr father if they wil loue hym and feare him and lyue in the trade of hys law Farewell my welbeloued and worshipfull Cosyns maister Nicholas Ridley of Wyllimountswick and your wife and I thanke you for all youre kyndnesse shewed bothe to me and also to all youre owne kynsefolke and myne Good Cosyn as GOD hath sette you in that oure stocke and kyndred not for anye respecte of youre personne but of hys aboundaunte grace and goodnesse to bee as it were the Belweather to order and conducte the reaste and hathe also endued you wyth his manyfold gyftes of grace bothe heauenlye and worldlye aboue others so I praye you good Cosin as my truste and hope is in you continue and increase in the mayntenaunce of truthe honestye rightuousnesse and all true godlynesse and to the vttermost of your power to wythstande falsehode vntruthe vnryghteousnesse and all vngodlynesse whych is forbid and condempned by the word and lawes of God Farewel my yong Cosin Rafe Whitfield Oh your tyme was verye shorte wyth me my mynde was to haue done you good and yet you caughte in that little tyme a losse but I truste it shall bee recompenced as it shall please almighty god Farewell al my whole kyndred and countreymen farewell in Christ altogether The Lorde which is the searcher of secrets knoweth that accordyng to my hartes desire my hope was of late that I should haue come among you and to haue brought wyth me aboundaunce of Christes blessed Gospell accordyng to the duetye of that office and ministerye wherevnto among you I was chosen named and appoincted by the mouth of that our late piereles Prince king Edwarde and so also denounced openly in hys court by his priuye counsayle I warne you all my welbeloued kynsfolke and countreymen that ye be not amased or astonied at the kynde of my departure or dissolution for I ensure you I thynke it the most honour that euer I was called vnto in all my life and therfore I thanke my Lorde GOD hartely for it that it hath pleased hym to cal me of hys great mercye vnto this hyghe honour to suffer deathe wyllynglye for hys sake and in hys cause vnto the which honour he called the holy Prophets hys dearly beloued Apostels and hys blessed chosē martyrs For knowe ye that I doubte no more but that the causes wherefore I am put to deathe are gods causes and the causes of the truthe then I doubte that the Gospell whyche Iohn wrote is the Gospell of Christe or that Paules Epystles are the verye worde of GOD. And to haue a harte wyllyng to abyde and stande in gods cause in Christs quarell euen vnto death I ensure thee O man it is an inestimable and an honourable gyft of GOD geuen onely to the true electes and dearely beloued children of GOD and inheritoures of the kyngdome of heauen For the holye Apostle and also Martyr in Christes cause Sayncte Peter sayeth ◠Pet. 4 yf ye suffer rebuke in the name of Chryste that is in Christes cause and for hys truthes sake then are ye happye and blessed for the glorye of the Spirite of God resteth vppon you If for rebukes sake suffered in Chrystes name a man is pronounced by the mouthe of that holye Apostle blessed and happye howe muche more happye and blessed is he that hathe
worlde he shall lyke and prayse the truthe of GOD to morowe as the worlde wyll so wyll he lyke and prayse the falshode of manne to daye wyth Chryste and to morowe wyth Antichriste Wherefore deare brethren as touchynge youre behauoure towardes God vse both youre inwarde spirytes and youre outewarde bodyes youre inwarde and youre outwarde man I saye not after the meanes of menne but after the infallible woorde of God Refrayne from euyll in bothe and glorify your heauenlye father in both For yf ye thynke ye can inwardly in the hart serue hym and yet outwardlye serue wyth the worlde in externall seruyce the thyng that is not GOD ye deceaue youre selues for bothe the bodye and the soule muste together concurre in the honoure of God as Saynte Paule playnlye teacheth 1. Cor 6. For if an honeste wife be bounde to geue both hart and body to fayth and seruice in mariage and if an honest wiues fayth in the hart cannot stande with an whorysh or defiled body outwardlye muche lesse can the true faythe of a christian in the seruice of christianitye stande with the bodely seruice of externall idolatry for the mystery of mariage is not so honorable betwene man and wyfe as it is betwene Chryste and euery Christian man as Saynte Paule sayeth Therfore deare brethren praye to the heauenlye father that as he spared not the soule nor the bodye of hys dearelye beloued sonne but applyed bothe of them with extreame payne to worke our saluation both of bodye and soule so he wyll gyue vs all grace to applye our bodies and soules to be seruantes vnto him for doubtles he requyreth aswell the one as the other and cannot be miscontented with one and well pleased with the other Eyther he hateth both or loueth both he deuideth not his loue to one and hys hatred to the other Let not vs therefore good brethren deuide our selues and saye oure soules serue hym whatsoeuer our bodies do to the contrarye for ciuile order and pollicie But alas I knowe by my self what troubleth you that is the great daunger of the world that wil reuenge ye thinke youre seruice to God wythe swoorde and fyre wythe losse of goodes and landes But deare bretherne waye of the other syde that your enemies and Gods enemies shal not do asmuch as they would but asmuch as God shal suffer them who can trappe them in their owne counsels and destroye them in the middes of theyr furies Remember ye bee the workmen of the Lord and called into his vineyard there to labour till euening tyde that ye may receyue youre peny Math. 20. which is more worth then all the kinges of the earth But he that calleth vs into hys vyneyard hath not tolde vs how sore or how feruently the sonne shall trouble vs in our labour but hath bidde vs laboure and committe the bytternesse therof vnto hym who can and will so moderate all afflictions that no man shall haue more layd vpon hym then in Christ he shal be able to beare vnto whose mercifull tuitiō and defence I commend both your soules and your bodeis 2. September 1554. Yours with my poore prayer Iohn Hooper An aunswere of a letter wherby he was aduertised of a godly company to the number of thirty taken at prayer in a house in Bowchurchyarde and caried to prison THe grace of God be with you Amen I perceaued by youre letter howe that vppon new yeares daye at nyghte there were taken a godlye companye of Christians whilest they were praying I do reioice in that men can be so well occupied in this perillous time and flye vnto God for remedy by prayer as wel for their own lackes and necessities as also charitably to pray for thē that persecute them So doth the worde of God commaunde all men to pray charitablye for those that hate them and not to reuile any maiestrate with words or to meane him euyll by force and violence They also maye reioyce that in well doynge they were taken to the prisō Wherfore I haue thought it good to send them this little wrytyng of cosolation prayng god to send them patience charity and constancye in the truth of hys most holy word Thus fare you wel and praye to God to send his true worde into this realme agayne amongst vs which the vngodly bishops haue now banished 4. Ianuary 1554. ¶ To the godly and faithfull company of prisoners in both the Counters which were taken together at prayer in a house in Bowchurchyard THe grace fauour consolation and ayde of the holy gost be with you now and euer so be it Dearely deloued in the Lord euer sythens your imprisonment I haue ben maruelously moued with great affections and passiōs as wel of mirth and gladnes as of heauines and sorow Of gladnes in this that I perceiued how ye be bent and geuen to prayer and inuocation of gods helpe in these darke and wicked procedings of men against gods glory I haue bene sory to perceiue the malice and wickednes of mē to be so cruell diuelish and tyrannical to persecute the people of god for seruyng of god for saying and hearyng of the holy psalmes and the word of eternall life These cruell doings do declare that the papists church is more bloody and tyrannical then euer was the sword of the Ethnickes gentiles When I heard of your takyng and what ye were doing wherfore and by whome ye were taken I remembred how the christians in the primitiue church were vsed by the cruelty of vnchristened heathens in the tyme of Traiane the emperour about 77 yeres after Christes ascension into heauen The christians were persecuted very sore as thoughe they had bene traitors mouers of sedition Wherupon the gentile emperour Traiane required to know the true cause of christian mens trouble A great learned man called Plinius secundus wrote vnto him and saide it was because the christians said certaine psalmes before daye vnto one called Christ whom they worshipped for god When Traiane the emperour vnderstode it was for nothyng but for conscince and religion he caused by his cōmaundements euery wher that no man should be persecuted for seruyng of god Lo a gentile and heathen man would not haue such as were of a contrary religion punished for seruing of god But the pope and his church haue cast you into prison beyng taken euen in doyng the worke of god and one of the moste excellente workes that is required of christian men that is to witte whiles ye were in prayer not in such wicked and superstitious prayer as the papistes vse but in the same prayer that Christ hath taught you to pray and in his name onely ye gaue god thankes for that ye haue receaued and for hys sake ye asked for such things as ye want O glad maye ye be that euer ye were born Math. 5 to be apprehēded whilest ye were so vertuously occupied Blessed be they that suffer for righteousnes sake For if god had
know not sayde my Lorde that is a good question for I am sure that booke stoppeth all their mouthes Then said I my Lorde I thynke manye thinges be farre wyde from the truth of Gods word in that booke Then my lord sayd thou art a very varlet To that I aunswered that is as yll as Racha or Fatue Then my Lord sayd thou art an ignoraunt betyll browe To that I aunswered I haue redde ouer and ouer agayne the holye Scriptures and Saint Austines workes throughe and Saynct Cyprian Eusebius Origene Gregory Nazianzen with dyuers other bookes through oute therfore I thanke God I am not vtterly ignorauÌ„t Besides these my lord I professed the Ciuil lawe as your Lordship dyd and I haue redde ouer the Cannon law also Then my lorde sayd with a corrupte iudgemente thou readest all things Touchyng my profession it is Diuinitie in whiche I haue written diuers bookes Then I saide my Lorde ye dyd wryte one booke De vera obedientia I would you had bene constant in that for in deede you neuer did declare a good conscieÌ„ce that I heard of but in that one booke Then my Lord said tut tut tut I wrote against Bucer in priestes mariages but such bookes please not such wretches as thou art which hast bene maried many yeres To that I answered I am maried in dede I haue had .ix chidreÌ„ in holy matrimony I thanke god this I am sure of that your procedings now at this present in this realme against priestes mariages is the mainteinauÌ„ce of the doctryne of deuils against natural law Ciuil law CanoÌ„ law generall CouÌ„cels CanoÌ„s of the apostles auÌ„cieÌ„t doctors gods lawes TheÌ„ spake my lord of Duresme saying you professed the Ciuil lawe as you saye then you knowe that Iustinian writeth that priestes at their takyng of Orders shoulde sweare that they were neuer maried and he bryngeth in to proue that Canones Apostolorum To that I aunswered that I dyd not remember any suche lawe of Iustinian but I am sure that Iustinian writeth in Titulo de indicta viduitate in cod that if one would bequeath to his wife in his testament alâ—egacie vnder a condition that she should neuer marye agayne and take an othe of her for the accomplyshyng of the same yet she shall marye againe if he dye notwithstandyng the aforesayd condition and othe taken and made agaynst mariage and an othe is an other manner of obligation to God then is a papisticall vowe Moreouer in the Pandectes it is contayned that if a man doe manumit his handmayd vnder a condition that she shall neuer marye yet she maye mary her Patrone shal loose ius patronatus for his adding of the vnnatural vnlawful conditioÌ„ against matrimony Then my Lorde Chauncelour saide thou sayest that priestes maye be maryed by gods lawe howe prouest thou that I aunswered by the playne wordes and sentences of S. Paule bothe to Timothy and to Titus where S. Paule doth speake most euidently of the mariage of priestes Deacons and bishops And S. Chrysostome writing vpon the Epistle to Timothy saithe it is an heresy to say that a Bishop may not be maried Then my lorde Chauncellour said thou lyest of Chrisostome but thou doest as all thy companions do belye euer without al shame both the scriptures the doctors Diddest thou not also saye that by the Cannon law priestes may be maried which is most vntrue and the contrary is most true I answered we reade in the decrees that the fower generall counsels Nicene Constantinopolitane Ephesme and Calcedon haue the same autoritye that the foure Euangelistes haue And we reade in the same decrees which is one of the chiefe bookes of the Canon lawe that the Councell of Nice by the meanes of one Paphnutius dyd allowe Priestes and bishops mariages therefore by the best part of the Canon law priestes may be maryed Then my Lorde Chauncellor said thou falsifiest the generall councel for there is expresse mention in the said decree that priests should be diuorced from their wyues which be maried TheÌ„ sayd I if those words be there as you say theÌ„ am I content to lose thys great head of myne let the booke be fetched Then sayd my lord of Duresme thoughe they bee not there yet they may be in Ecclesiastica historia which Eusebius wrote out of which boke the decree was takeÌ„ Then sayd I it is not like that the pope would leaue out any such sentence hauing such authoritie making so much for hys purpose Then my lord Chauncelor sayd Gracian was but a patcher and thou art glad to snatch vp such a patch as maketh for thy purpose I aunswered my Lord I can not but maruaile that you do cal one of the chiefe papistes that euer was but a patcher Then my lord Chauncelor sayd Nay I call thee a snatcher a patcher To make an end wilte thou not returne againe with vs to the Catholike church and with that he rose And I said By gods grace I wil neuer depart froÌ„ Christes church Then I required that I might haue some of my frendes to come to me in prison And my lord ChauÌ„celor sayd thou shalt haue iudgemeÌ„t within this weke My lord of Durreme would that I should beleue as my father and my mother I alledged S. Augustine that we oughte to preferre gods word before al men And so I was deliuered againe vnto my keper R. T. The copy of a writing that D. Taylour sent to a frende of hys concerning the causes vvherfore he vvas condemned IT is heresie to defend any doctrine against the holy scripture therfore the Lord Chauncelor and byshops consenting to his sentence against me be heretikes for they haue geueÌ„ sentence against the mariage of priests knowing that S. Paule to Timothe and Titus writeth playnly that Byshops priestes and Deacons may be maried knowing also that by S. Paules doctrine it is the doctrine of deuilles to inhibite matrimony and S. Paule willeth euery faythfull minister to teach the people so least they be deceaued by the marked marchauntes 1. Tim. 4. These bishops are not ignorant that it is not only S. Paules counsel and lawful but gods coÌ„maundemeÌ„t also to marry for such as can not other wise liue chast neither auoyde fornicatioÌ„ 1. Cor. 7 Gene. 2. They know that such as do marry do not sinne They know that god before sinne was ordained matrimony and the in paradise betwene two of his principal creatures MaÌ„ Woman They know what spirite they haue whiche say it is euil to marrye seing God sayd Gene. 2. it is not good for maÌ„ to be alone without a wife hauing no speciall gift contrary to the generall coÌ„maundement and ordinaunce diuerse times repeted in the booke of Genesis Gene. 1. which is to encrease multiply They know that Abraham caried into the land of Chanaan his old yet barraine wife the vertuous womaÌ„ Sara with him Gene. 12. leauing father mother
me vp to heauen where I shal loke continually for your cōming and others my faithful brethrē in the kinges Bench. And though I tel you that I am in hel in the iudgement of thys world yet assuredly I feele in the same the consolation of heauen prayse god And thys lothsome horrible prison is as pleasaūt to me as the walke in the gardē of the kings Bench. You know brother Careles that the way to heauē out of this life is very narrowe we must striue to enter in at a narrow gate If God do mitigate the ouglenes of mine imprisonment what wil he do in the rage of the fier wherunto I am appointed And thys hath happened vnto me that I might be hereafter an ensample of cōfort if the like happen vnto you or to any other of my deare brethrē with you in these cruel daies in the which the deuil so rageth at the faithful flocke of Christ but in vaine I trust againste any of vs who be persuaded that neyther lyfe neither death is hable to separate vs from the loue of Christes Gospell which is gods high treasure cōmitted to our brittle vessels to glorify vs by the same God of his mercye make vs faythful stewardes to the end geue vs grace to feare nothing whatsoeuer in his good pleasure we shall suffer for the same That I haue not written vnto you erste the cause is our straite keping the want of light by night for the day serueth vs but a while in our darke closet This is the first letter that I haue writen since I came to prison besides the report of mine examinatiōs I am faine to scrible it out in haste Comend me to al our faythful brethren byd them with a good courage loke for their redēption and frame thēselues to be harty souldiers in Christ They haue taken his prest money a great while now let thē shew thē selues readye to serue him faythfully not to flye out of the lords campe into the world as many do Let them remember that in the Apocalips the feareful bee excluded the kingdome Let vs bee of good cheare for our lord ouercame the world that we should do the like Blessed is the seruant whō when the Lord cōmeth he fyndeth watching O let vs watch and pray earnestly one for an other that we be not led into temptation Be ioyfull vnder the crosse prayse the Lord continually for this is the whole burnt sacrifice which the lord chiefly delyghteth in Cōmend me to my father Hunt desire him to loue continue in the vnitie of Christes true church which he hath begon then shall he make me more more to ioye vnder my crosse with him Tell my brother Clements that he hath comforted me muche by his louing token in significatiō of an vnfayned vnitie with vs let him encreace my ioye vnto the end perfectly The Lord of peace be with you all Salute all my louing frendes Maister Meryng Maister Crooth with the rest specially Maister Marshall and hys wyfe with great thankes for hys kyndnes shewed vnto me Fare well my deare Careles I haue dalied with the deuill a while but now I am ouer the shooes God send me well out Out of the Colehouse by your brother Iohn Philpot. An other letter written to Iohn Careles out of the Colehouse of darkenes whereby he geueth lighte and heauenlye comforte to hys heauy and troubled mynde THe God of all comfort and the father of oure Lord Iesus Christ send vnto thee my deare brother Careles the inwarde consolation of hys holy spirite in al the malicious assaultes and troublous temptations of our common aduersarye the Deuill Amen That god geueth you so contrite a harte for your sinnes I can not but reioyce to behold the liuely marke of the children of god whose propertye is to thinke more lowlye and vily of themselues then of any other and often tymes doe set their sinnes before them that they myghte the more bee styrred to bryng forth the fruites of repentaunce and learne to mourne in thys worlde that in an other they myghte bee glad and reioyce Such a broken heart is a pleasaunt sacryfyce vnto God O that I had the lyke contrite harte God mollifye my stonye harte which lamenteth not in such wise my former detestable iniquities Praised be god that he hath geuen you thys sorrowful hart in respect of righteousnes I praye you let me be pertaker of these Godly sorrowes for sinne which be the testimony of the presence of the holy ghoste Dyd not the sword of sorrow pearce the harte of the elect and blessed mother of our Lord Did not Peter wepe bitterly for hys sinnes which was so beloued of Christ Dyd not Mary Magdalene was the feete of oure Sauiour with her teares and receaued therwithall remission of her seuenfold sinnes Be of good comfort therfore mine own deare heart in thys thy sorrowe for it is the earnest peny of eternall consolatiō In thy sorrowe laughe for the spirite of God is with thee Blessed be they sayth Christ that mourne Math. 15. Psa 125. psal 51 Luke 7 for they shal bee comforted They went forth and wepte fayth the Prophet such shall come agayne hauing their gripes full of gladnes And althoughe a sorrowfull harte in consideration of hys sinne be an acceptable sacrifice before God whereby we are stirred vp to more thankefulnes vnto God knowing that much is forgeuen vs that we might loue the more yet the mā of god muste keepe a measure in the same leaste he bee swallowed vppe by to muche sorrowe Sainte Paule woulde not the Thessalonians to be sory as other men whiche haue no hope Such a sorow is not commendable 1. Thess 4. 2. Cor. 7. but worketh damnation and is farre from the children of God who are continually sorrowfull in god when they loke vppon theyr own vnworthynes with hope of forgeuenes For God to thys end by his spirite setteth the sinnes of hys electe still before them that where they perceaue sinne to abounde Rom. 5. there they myght be assured that grace shall superabounde bringeth them downe vnto hell that he myght lift thē vp with greater ioy vnto heauē Wherfore myne own bowels in Christ as long as you are not voyde altogether of hope be not dismayde throughe your pensiue harte for your sinnes howe huge so euer they haue beene for God is hable to forgeue more then you are able to sinne yea and he wil forgeue him which with hope is sory for hys sinnes But know brother that as oft as we do go aboute by the helpe of Gods spirite to do that is good the euil spirit Sathan layeth hard wayte to turne the good vnto euill goeth about to mixe the detestable darnell of desperation with the godly sorrow of a pure penitent heart You be not ignoraunt of hys malicious subtelty and how that continually he assaulteth that good which the grace of
losse of this life which in dede is neuer founde til it be so loste excepte the graine of wheate fal and be dead it remaineth fruitles You know how that he which was rapte into the third heauen did know what he wrote doth say that as the corne liueth not excepte it bee dead and cast into the earth so truly our bodyes And therefore the crosse should so litle feare vs that euen death it selfe shold altogether be desired of vs as the taylour which putteth of our ragges and arayeth vs with the royall robes of immortalitie incorruptioÌ„ and glory Great shame it should be for vs that al the whole creatures of God should desire yea grone in their kinde for our libertie Rom. 8. we our selues to loth it as doubtles we do if for the crosse yea for death it self we with ioye swallow not vp all sorrow that myght let vs from followyng the Lordes calling and obeying the lords prouidence wherby doubtles all crosses and death it selfe doth come and not by hap or chauÌ„ce In consideratioÌ„ wherof righte deare Mother in that this prouidence stretcheth it self so vnto vs and for vs that euen the heares of our heads are numbred with GOD not one of them to fall to oure hurt surely we declare our selues very faint in faith yf we receiue not such comfort that we can willinglye offer oure selues to the Lord and cast our whole care vpon his backe honouring him wyth this honour that he is euer wyll be carefull for vs and all we haue as for hys deare chyldren Be therfore of good chere euen in the myddest of these miseries be thankefull to the Lorde and prepare your selfe for a further trial which if god send you as I hope so do you beleue that god therin will helpe and comfort you and make you able to beare whatsoeuer shall happen And thus much hauyng this oportunitie I thoughte good to wryte praying god our father to recompence into your bosome all the good that euer you haue done to me especially and to many others bothe in this tyme of trouble and alwaies heretofore Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford To Maystres VVylkinson THe Lorde of mercye in Christe his sonne our Sauiour and only comforter be with you all now and for euer Amen Although preseÌ„tly I haue litle tyme by reason of this bringers short departing lesse occasioÌ„ of necessary mater to write vnto you yet in that it hath pleased god to offer me more liberty to write theÌ„ before I had as this reader can report I thought good to signifye vnto you the same with the acknowledging of the receipt of your tokens for the which I neither can nor wil go about to flatter you with thankes in that I know you loke for none at myne hands god beyng the cause and his word the ende wherfore you dyd so to him I know you woulde haue me thankefull and I beseche you praye that I may so bee and not onelye thankefull for my selfe and his benefites towardes me but also thankefull for you to whome God hath geuen to feare his name and loue his truth The which giftes farre passe the riches of the world for they shal perish and be left we know not vnto whoÌ„ but these gifts of god as they last for euer so they make happy the possessours of the same Go to therfore and pray god to encrease them of hys goodnes as of his mercy he hath beguÌ„ne theÌ„ in you in dede so he wyll For to whome he geueth the earnest of wyllyng to the same he will geue the grace of continuyng yf we reiect not the same as we do when we bee double harred â—4 Reg. 17. and parte our feare and loue as dyd the Samaritanes which feared god and their Adramelech loued gods religion and their olde countrey customes c. If this doublenes come on vs that we feare more the worlde and couple it wyth the feare of God yf we loue the mucke of this molde and couple it wyth the loue of Gods religion then parte we stake then marre we the markette then the spiryte of GOD wyll departe Act. 5. then playe we as Ananias and Saphyra dydde and so sooner or later shall fall to perdition wyth them But as I sayde I thynke no suche thynge of you I thynke of you as of Gods deare chyldren whose hartes are whole wyth the Lorde And therefore I wryte not thys as thoughe you were suche but because it is Gods goodnes you bee not suche because Sathan woulde haue you suche and because manye that were as you nowe bee are suche Therefore to make you as thankeful so carefull to continue but yet so that youre care bee caste all on the Lorde is the onelye cause I write thys and woulde wryte more but that the brynger can not carye And therfore hastely and abruptlye I make an ende besechynge almyghty GOD in our redemer Iesus Christ to bee wyth you and wyth hys holye spiryte comforte you all and helpe my good Syster Maistres W. to bee an happye and a good mother of the chylde of whiche as yet I heare God hathe not deliuered her By your owne to vse in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To my deare Brother in the Lorde Mayster Rychard Hopkyns and hys wyfe dwellyng in Couentrye and other my faythfull bretherne and Systers professours of gods holye Gospel there and theraboutes THe peace whiche Christe lefte to hys churche and to euerye true member of the same Iohn 14. Rom. 8 the holye spirite the guide of Gods chyldren so engrafte in youre harte and in the harte of youre good wyfe and of all my good bretherne and systers aboute you that vnfaynedlye ye maye in respecte thereof contempne all worldlye peace whyche is contrarye to that peace that I speake of and dryueth it vtterlye oute of the hartes of all those whiche woulde patche them both together For we cannot serue two maisters Math. 6 no man can serue GOD and mammon Christes peace cannot bee kepte with this worldes peace God therfore of hys mercy doe I beseche to geue vnto you his peace whiche passeth all vnderstandyng and so kepe your hartes and mynds phil 4. that they may be pure habitacles and mansions for the holye spirite yea for the blessed trinitie Iohn 14 who hathe promised to come and dwell in all them that loue Chryste and keepe hys sayenges My dearely beloued the tyme is nowe come wherein tryall is made of men that haue professed to loue Chryste and woulde haue beene counted kepers of hys testimonyes But weale awaye the tenthe person perseuereth not the more parte doe parte stakes wythe the papistes and protestantes so that they are become maungye Mongrelles to the infectynge of all that company wyth them and to theyr no smale peryll For they pretend outwardly popery The Mongrels excuse goyng to Masse with the papistes tarying with them personallye at theyr Antichristian and
19 Say wyth the poore man I beleue Lord helpe my vnbelief Say with the Apostels Lord encrease oure fayth This myne owne hartes in the Lorde I wryte not that you shoulde lyue more securely and carnally doing as the Spiders doe whiche gather poyson where bees gather honye but that as the electe of god you mighte liue in all puritie godlines and peace which god encrease in vs all for his Christes sake Amen I pray you hartelie pray for vs that to the verie ende we may as I hope we shall goe lustelie and cherefullie whether soeuer our heauenly father shal bring and lead vs. His will whiche is alwaies good bee done in earthe as it is in heauen Amen Your brother in bondes for the testimonye of Iesus Christ Iohn Bradforde To my good Syster M. H. THe peace of God wyth encrease of fayth and feeling of his mercy to your cōfort in Christ the holy ghost worke in your hart now and for euer Amen As it is much to my comfort that God hath geuen you such a loue and zeale to hys truth so I exhort you my good Syster diligētly to labour as by cōtinual readyng and meditation of gods holy word so by earnest prayer and other godly exercises to maintayne and encrease the same that by the feelyng of gods gratious spirite workyng in you suche good fruites as wytnesses of your fayth you may growe in strength therof and certayntie of gods fauour and good wyl towardes you For aboue all thyngs of thys I woulde haue you to be moste assured that you are beloued of god that you are hys dere chylde and shall bee for euermore throughe Christe in whome you are by fayth and he in you Out of thys certeintie the cause wherof is gods owne goodnes grace and truth spryngeth true loue and louyng feare and obedience to god continually and in all thynges Where it is I meane thys fayth certaintie and persuasion of gods eternall goodnes to you in Christe there no synnes are imputed to you or layd to your charge to condēnation nor shal be though for correctiō sake now thē your heauenly father visit them fatherly or rather you for them Where it is not there is nothyng be it neuer so well done that pleaseth God Labour therfore for this certainty of faith through Christ Whēsoeuer you dout you heape sinne vpō sinne If Satan your cōsciēce or gods law do accuse you confesse your fault hide it not before the lord But whē they woulde inferre that because of your synne you are condemned you are cast away then aunswer them that it is but their office to accuse and witnes not to geue sentence iudge it onely apperteyneth to god to geue iudgement Paule sayth it is god that absolueth who then shall condemne vs God hymselfe promiseth before he demaund any thyng of vs that he is our Lord and our god and are not they happy which haue the lord for their god Is he god to any whose sinnes he remitteth not Through Christ he is our father and therfore we are commaunded so to call him and can there want any fatherly kyndnes in hym towardes vs which be hys children No verely Therfore be sure and wauer not of gods loue fauour towardes you in Christ The cause of hys loue is his owne goodnes and mercy this lasting for euer hys loue loseth for euer How can you then but be quiete happy Vse this geare to comforte the weake conscience and not to vnbridle the mighty affections of the fleshe or olde Adam which must haue other meate Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ An exhortation to the patient sufferyng of trouble and afflictions for Christes cause wrytten to all the vnfayned professours of the gospell thoroughout the realme of England at the beginning of hys imprisonmente and here placed as it came to our handes THe holy spirite of God whiche is the earnest and pledge of God geuen to hys people for theyr comfort and consolation be powred into our hartes by the mighty power merites of our alone Sauiour Iesus Christ now and for euer Amen Because I perceiue plainly that to the euils fallen vpō vs which professe Christes gospell greater are most like to ensue and after them greater Gene. 15. Luke 9. Genes 19 tyl the measure of iniquity be vp heaped except we shrynke hauyng put our handes to the plough do loke back and so wyth Lothes wyfe and the Israelits desiryng to returne into Egipt fal into gods heauy displeasure vncurably al which god forbidde and because I am persuaded of you my derely beloued brethern and Systers throughe out the realme of Englande which haue professed vnfainedly the gospell of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ for vnto such do I wryte this epistle that as ye haue begonne to take parte wyth gods gospell and truth so throughe his grace ye will perseuer and goe on forwardes notwithstandyng the stormes risen and to arise I cannot but wryte something vnto you lustely to goe on forwardes in the way of the Lord and not to become faynte harted or fearefull Apoca. 25. whose place S. Iohn appointeth with the vnbeleuers murtherers and Idolaters in eternall perdicion but cherefully to take the Lordes cuppe and drynke of it afore it drawe towardes the dregges and bottom Psal 75 wherof at the length they shall drynke with the wycked to eternal destruction 1. pet 4 which wil not receiue it at the first with gods children with whome god beginneth hys iudgemente that as the wicked world reioyceth when they lament Iohn 16. so they may reioyce when the wycked world shall mourne and without ende fynde woe intollerable First therfore my dearely beloued in the Lord I besech you to consider Iohn 14 Psal 17 2. Cor. 4. Apoc. 12 Heb. 11 1. pet 2 Heb. 13 Psalm 119 Heb. 12 Mat. 28 Rom. 9 1. Ioh. 5 Apo. 13 Luke 6. EZech. 9. Math. 5. Esay 22 1. Cor. 15 that thoughe ye be in the worlde yet ye are not of the world Ye are not of them whiche looke for their porciō in this lyfe whose Captain is the god of this world euen Sathan who now ruffleth it apace as he were woode because his tyme on earthe is not long But ye are of them that loke for a Citye of gods owne blessing Ye are of them that know your selues to be here but pylgrimes and straūgers for here ye haue no dwellyng place Ye are of them whose porcion is the lorde and whiche haue their hope in heauen whose captayn is Christ Iesus the Sonne of God and gouernour of heauen and earth Vnto him is geuen all power yea he is god almighty with the father and the holy ghost prayse worthy for euer Ye are not of them which receyue the beastes marke which here reioyce laugh and haue their hartes ease ioye paradise and pleasure but ye are of them whiche haue receyued the Aungels marke yea Gods marke which here
10. Heb. 6.10 Mar. 8. Luke i1 that they returne not to their vomyte stumblyng on those synnes from the which there is no recouery causing thee to deny theÌ„ before thy father making their later end worse theÌ„ the beginning as it chauÌ„ced to Lothes wife Iudas Iscariot FrauÌ„ces Spira and to many others But rather strengthen them and vs all in thy grace and in those thynges which thy worde teacheth that we may here hazarde our lyfe for thy sake and so shal we be sure to saue it as yf we seke to saue it Math. 6 we cannot but loose it and that beyng lost what profyte can we haue yf we wynne the whole worlde Oh set thou alwayes before our eyes not as reason doth thys lyfe the pleasure of the same death of the body and prysonment c but euerlastyng lyfe and those vnspeakable ioyes which vndoubtedlye they shall haue which take vp the crosse and follow thee and eternal hell fire and destruction of soule and bodye for euermore which they must nedes at leÌ„gth fal into the which are afrayde for the hoare froste of aduersitye that man or the Deuil styrreth vppe to stoppe or hynder vs for goyng forward our iourney to heauens blisse to the which do thou bryng vs for thy names sake Amen Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ To my deare frende and brother in the Lorde Maister George Eaton ALmightye God our deare father geue to you dailye more and more the knowledge of hys truth and a loue and lyfe to the same for euer in all thynges throughe Iesus Chryste oure Lorde Amen I shoulde begynne with thankes geuyng to god and to you as hys steward for the great benefites I haue oftentymes receyued from you and speciallye in this tyme of of my most nede farre aboue my expectatioÌ„ but because thankfulnes lyeth not in wordes or letters and because you loke not to heare of your wel doyng of man I am purposed to passe it ouer wyth sylence and to geue my selfe presentlye to that whiche is more profitable vnto you that is as god shall lend me hys grace briefly to labour or at least to shew my good wyl to helpe you in gods gifte to me as you by your doyng the lyke in gods gyfte vnto you haue as alreadye done so occasioned me greatly hereto I woulde gladlye haue done it heretofore but I haue bene discouraged to write vnto you leaste hurte thereby mighte come vnto you which is the only cause I haue not hetherto writted nor now would not haue done but that I stand in adout whether euer herafter I shal haue liberty to write vnto you And therfore whilest I somthing may I thought good to doe thus much to declare vnto you howe that as I thynke my selfe muche bounde to God for you so I desyre to gratifye the same as God should enable me The dayes are come and more and more do approch in the whych tryal wyl be of such as haue vnfainedly redde and hearde the gospel for all others wyll abyde no tryall but as the worlde wyll But of you because I haue better hope I cannot but as pray to god in hym to confyrme you so to beseche you of the same I knowe it will be a daungerous thinge in deede to declare that whiche in woorde you haue confessed and in harte haue beleued speciallye concernyng the papisticall Masse but notwithstandyng we must not for daungers departe from the truth excepte we wyll depart from God For in as muche as GOD is the truth and the truth is God he that departeth from the one departeth from the other Nowe what a thyng it is to departe from God I nede not to tell you because you know it is no lesse then a departyng from all that good is and not onely so but also a coupling of your selfe to all that euill is for there is no meane eyther we departe from god and sticke to the deuill or departe from the deuyll and sticke to God Some men there be whiche for feare of daunger and loâ—le of that they must leaue when where and to whom they knowe not doe deceaue them selues after the iuste iudgement of God to beleue the deuill because they haue no luste to beleue God in harkenyng to Sathans counsaile of partynge stake with God as to be persuaded that it is not euyll or elles no great euill inwardlye in harte to conceale the truth and outwardly in facte to betraye it And therefore thoughe they know the Masse to be abhomination yet they make it but a strawe in going to it as the world doth in whiche thynge the Lorde knoweth they deceaue them selues to dampnation dreame they as they luste For surely the bodye departyng from the veritye and so from god wil drawe and drowne in dampnation the soule also For we shall receaue accordyng to that we doe in the body good or badde And therefore the matter is more to bee considered then men make of it the more it is to bee lamented But I trust my ryghte dearely beloued you wyll consider thys with your self and call your conscience to accompt as gods word maketh the charge Beware of false Auditours which makyng a false charge can get no quietnesse of the conscience after gods woorde Therefore caste your charge and there shall you see that no beliefe of the harte iustifyeth whiche hath not confession of the mouth to declare the same No man can serue .ii. Maisters He that gathereth not with Christ as no masse seer vnreprouyng it doth scattereth abroade Gods chosen are such as not only haue good hartes but also kisse not their hands nor bowe their knee to Baal Christes Disciples are none but such as deny theÌ„selues take vp their crosse folow him He that is ashamed of Christ his truth in thys generation must loke that Christ wil be ashamed of him in the day of iudgement He that denyeth Christ before men shal be denyed before God Now two kindes of denial there be yea three kindes one in hart an other in worde the thirde in deede In the which kindes al masse gospellers be so bitten that all the Surgeons in the world can laye no healing playster therto till repentaunce appeare and drawe out the matteâ— of vsing the euill and resorting to the Masse For pure should we be froÌ„ all spottes not onely of the flesh but also of the spirite And our dutye is to departe not only from euill that is from the Masse But also from the appearaunce of euil that is from coÌ„ming at it Woe vnto theÌ„ that geue offence to the children of God that is which occasion by any meanes any to tarye in the church at Masse time much more then they which occasioÌ„ any to come therto most of all they which enforce any therto Assuredly a most heuie vengeaunce of goâ— hangeth vpon such Suche as decline to their crokednes God wil lead on with wicked workers whose portion shal be snares Psa 11. fyre
turnest all things to thy glory the commoditie of thy chosen children Oh make me so much to reioyce in the respecte of thy glory whiche thou so mightely hast magnifyed in thy swete Martyrs that the same may sone swallow vp my deserued sorrowes Amen Commend me to my good sister C. and bring her with you if you can Iohn was wonte to cōfort Mary but now good swete Maryes come comfort Iohn Written in hast with plentifull teares by your own in Christ Iohn Careles To my dere faithful brother Augustine Bernher THe peace of god in Iesus Christe the helpe comfort and assistance of his eternal spirit be with you my dere and faythful brother Augustine and with al the rest of my good brethren sisters of the houses of Baxterley Mancetur which mourneth for the miserye of gods people to your euerlasting consolation in him Amē Right glad I am to heare my deare faythfull brother Augustine that god of his great mercy infinite goodnes hath yet so graciously deliuered preserued you out of your enemies hands beseching almighty god also from the bottome of my hart to be your continual defence vnto the end as hetherto he hath most graciously bene that you may both liue die to gods glory the cōmodity of his church to the encrease of your own euerlasting ioy comfort in him Know you dere brother that I haue receaued your letter for the which I hartely thanke you Indede I thinke it verye short although it semeth somthing sharpely to rebuke me in the beginning for the breach of my promyse in not writing to you of this long time Wel brother I am cōtent to beare it with pacience cōsidering that you are troubled otherwise the Lord cōfort you and al heuie harts neither wil I spēd ynke paper for my purgatiō in this point God he knoweth whether I be so mindles of my promise as it appeareth in your sight I am Your request I will trulye performe to the vttermoste of my power as gladly as any poore wretch shall doe in the worlde and I thanke GOD I haue done no lesse of longe tyme. And as my poore prayer shall be a hand mayde to wayte vppon you whiche waye so euer you tyde or goe so I beseche you that my simple counsell maye take some place in you in thys time of your pilgrimage whiche you passe in no small parell GOD keepe and preserue you for his names sake I doe not disalowe but muche prayse and commende your hartye boldenesse in puttyng your selfe in preasse when any one of Gods people needeth your helpe in anye poynte But yet I woulde not haue you thruste your selfe in daunger when you can doe them no good or at least wyse when they maye well enoughe spare that good you woulde doe them For if you shoulde then chaunce to bee taken you shall not onelye bee no comforte vnto them but also a greate discomforte adding sorrowe vnto their sorrowe I doe not persuade you to absente your selfe from anye place where your presence of necessity is requyred for in all such places I know GOD will preserue you as he hath hetherto wonderfullye done praysed be his name therefore or if it shal please him to permitte you in any such place to bee taken I know he will moste sweetelye comforte your conscience with this consideration that it is the verye prouidence and appointmente of GOD that you shoulde there and then bee taken vppe for a witnesse of hys truth vnto the worlde but I can not allowe you nor bee contented that you shoulde rashelye or negligentlye thruste your selfe into that place where your wicked enemies doe continually haunte yea and laye waite for you when no necessitie of your selfe nor of anye other of Gods people doth require your companye Yf they neede anye of your Godlye counsell you maye write vnto them that thing that you thinke good whiche I dare saye will be sufficient vnto them For continuall thankes and prayses bee geuen vnto the euerlasting God there is none of those that be cruellye condemned for Gods truth that now be weakelings for they haue manfully passed through the pikes and they haue boldely abidden the brunte of the battel and therfore I recken the worst is past with thē alreadie So that nowe and then a Godlye letter from you to them shall doe as muche good as your companye shall doe and perchaūce more too For writing sticketh longer in the memorye then wordes doe yea thoughe your letters were as shorte to them as your laste was to me so that the same bee something sweter and not all thing so sharpe This deare brother is the simple coūsel which I would gladly haue you obserue partely for that I hartely pray for your preseruation to the commoditie of Christs church and partly for that I vnfainedly wish the peace comfort tranquilitie of your own conscience which I know will be quickly ready to accuse you if you do any thing wherein you haue not the worde of God for your warrante For in a glasse that is cleere a small mote wil sone appeare euen so the good conscience of Gods chosen children being more cleere then Christ all wil quickely accuse them at the least faulte they do commit where as the wicked worldlings haue their conscience clogged and corrupted throughe the custome of sinne that they can not once see nor perceaue their owne shameful deedes and wicked workes vntil GOD set the same before them for their vtter destruction and then dispayre they immediatly But seing the god hath geuē you a cleere conscience a pure sharpe quicke liuely sight in your soule I wold wishe you to beware that you do nothing vnaduisedly but vppon a good grounde For an accusing conscience is a sore thing whē death doth approche then Sathā wil not sticke to tel you that you haue to much tēpted god whē peraduēture you haue done nothīg so at all For this cause I saye partly I haue thought it good to admonish you as I haue done often to be circumspecte according to the counsel of Christ Math. 10. which biddeth you beware of men Other thinges I haue not for to write for I know this bearer can certefye you of al things at large better then I can declare it by writyng I beseche you good Augustine helpe me forwardes with your hartye prayers for I truste I haue but a smal time to tarye in this troublesome world Doctor Storye tolde oure Marshal that we should al be dispatched so sone as he came frō Oxforde whether he other bloodye butchers be gone to make slaughter of Christs shepe the lye there appointed to be slaine God for Christes sake put them and such lyke besides their cruell purpose if it bee his good will and pleasure Amen good Lord. I praye you doe my moste hartye commendations to my deare sister and faythfull frende good Mystres Marye Glouer I beseche GOD be her
Lordes cause VVilliam Coker A letter of Nicholas Shetterden a faith full Martyr of Iesus Christ written to hys Mother a little before hys death O My good Mother whoÌ„ I loue with reuerence in the Lorde according to my dutye I desire your fauourable blessing and forgeuenesse of all my misdedes towards you Oh my deare Mother in fewe wordes I wyshe you the same saluation whiche I hope my selfe to feele and partly taste of before thys come to you to read and in the resurrection I verely beleue to haue it more perfectlye in bodye and soule ioyned together for euer and in that daye GOD graunte you to see my face with ioye but deare Mother then beware of that greate Idolatrye and blasphemous Masse O let not that be your GOD whiche Mice and wormes can deuoure beholde I call heauen and earth to recorde that it is no GOD yea the fyre that consumeth it and the moystnes that causeth it to moulde And I take Christs Testament to wytnesse that it is none of his ordinaunces but a mere inuention of men and a snare to catche innocentes bloode and nowe that GOD hath shewed it vnto you be warned in tyme. O geue ouer old customes and become new in the truth What state soeuer your fathers be in leaue that to God let vs followe the counsel of his word deare Mother embrace it with hartye affection reade it with obedience let it be your pastime and cast of all carnall affections and loue of worldly thinges so shall we meete in ioye at the last day or els I bid you farewell for euermore Oh farewell my frendes and louers all God graunt me to see your faces in ioye Amen From Westgate the .11 of Iuly .555 Nicholas Shetterden appoynted to be slayne for Christes cause and the mayntenaunce of hys most sounde and true religion A letter wrytttn by the Ladye Iane Gray to her Syster the Lady Katheryne immediatly before she suffered I Haue here sent you good Syster Katherin a booke which although it be not outwardly trymmed with gold This booke was a newe Testament in Greke in the end whereof she had written this letter yet inwardly it is more worth then precious stones It is the booke deare Syster of the law of the Lorde it is his testament and last wyll which he bequethed vnto vs wretches whiche shall lead you to the path of eternall ioy and if you with a good mynd do read it with an earnest purpose follow it it shall bring you to an immortal euerlasting life It wil teach you to liue learne you to die It shal winne you more theÌ„ you shold haue gayned by the possessioÌ„ of your woful fathers lands For as if god had prospered him you should haue in herited his lands so if you apply diligently this boke seking to directe your life after it you shal bee an inheritour of suche riches as neither the couetous shal withdraw from you neither the these shal steale neither yet the mothes corrupte Desire with Dauid good Sister to vnderstand the law of the Lord your god Liue stil to die that you by death may purchase eternal life And trust not that the tendernes of your age shal lengtheÌ„ your life for as sone if God cal goeth the young as the old And labour alwayes to learne to die Defye the world denye the deuil despise the flesh delight your self only in the Lord. Be penitent for your sinnes yet despayre not be strong in faith yet presume not desire with S. Paule to be dissolued to be with christ with whoÌ„ eueÌ„ in death there is lyfe Be lyke the good seruaunt euen at midnight be wakyng lest wheÌ„ death coÌ„meth and stealeth vpon you lyke a thefe in the night you be with the euil seruaunt found slepyng and least for lacke of oyle you be found lyke the fyue folyshe women like hym that had not on the weddynge garmente and so be caste out from the mariage Reioyce in Christ as I prayse God I do Folow the steppes of your maister christ take vp your crosse lay your sinnes on his backe alwais embrace him And as touchyng my deathe reioyce as I do good Sister that I shal be deliuered froÌ„ this corruptioÌ„ and put on incorruption for I am assured that I shal for loosing of a mortal lyfe winne an immortal life The which I pray god graunt you send you of hys grace to lyue in hys feare and to dye in the true christian faith from the which in gods name I exhort you that you neuer swarne neither for hope of life nor for feare of death For if you wil deny his truthe to lengthen your life God wil deny you and yet shorteÌ„ your daies And if you wil cleaue vnto him he wil prolong your dais to your comfort his glorye to the which glory god bring me now and you herafter wheÌ„ it pleaseth him to cal you Fare you wel good Sister and put your only trust in god who only must helpe you Letters of M. George Marshe a godly faythfull and learned pastour in Christes churche put to deathe at VVestchester wyth moste cruell kyndes of tormentes as you may see in the booke of Martyrs fol. 1122 for the constant and faythfull confession of Christes Gospell To the professours of gods worde and true religion in the towne of Langhton GRace be wyth you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord Amen I thought it my duty to wryte vnto you my beloued in the lord at Langhton to stirre vp your harts to cal to your remeÌ„brance the words which haue ben told you before and to exhort you as that good man and full of the holy ghost Barnabas dyd the AntiochiaÌ„s that with purpose of hart ye continually cleaue vnto the lord Actes â—â— and that ye stand fast be not moued away from the hope of the gospel wherof God be thanked ye haue had plenteous preaching vnto you by your late pastour M. Saunders other faythful ministers of Iesus Christ Luke 8. Rom. 1 which now when persecution aryseth because of the word do not fall away like shrinking children and forsake the truth being ashamed of the gospell wherof they haue bene preachers but are willing and redy for your sakes which are Christes mistical body to forsake not onely the chiefe principal delites of this lyfe I meane their natiue countreyes frendes liuings c but also to fulfill their ministery vnto the vttermost that is to wyt with theyr paynful imprisonments bloodshedings if nede shal require to confirme and seale christes gospel whereof they haue bene ministers and as S. Paule saith they are ready not onely to be cast into prison Acts. 12 but also to be kylled for the name of the lord Iesu Whether these beyng that good salte of the earth Matth. 5. that is true ministers of gods worde by whose doctrine being
with pacience in the feare of god that ye others our brethren through our example may be so encouraged and strengthened to followe vs that ye also may leaue example to your weake brethren in the world to followe you Amen Consider what I say the Lord geue vs vnderstandyng in all thinges 2. Tim. 2 3. Cor. 7 1. Iohn 2. Brethren the time is short it remayneth that ye vse this world as though ye vsed it not for the fashion of this world vanysheth away Se that ye loue not the world neither the things that are in the world But set your affectioÌ„ on heaueÌ„ly things where Christ sitteth on the right hand of god Be meke long sufferiÌ„g serue edisy one an other with the gift that god hath geueÌ„ you Beware of strauÌ„ge doctrine lay aside the old coÌ„uersatioÌ„ of gredy lustes walke in a new lyfe Beware of al vncleannes couetousnes folish talking false doctrine dronkennes reioyce be thankful towards god submit your selues one to an other Cease froÌ„ synne spend no more time in vice be sober apt to pray be pacient in trouble loue ech other let the glorye of god profite of your neyghbours be the only marke you shote at in al your doings Repent ye of the life that is past take better hede to your doings hereafter And aboue al things cleaue ye fast to hym who was deliuered to death for our sinnes rose agayne for our iustification To whom with the father the holy ghost be al honour rule for euer more Amen Salute froÌ„ me in Christ al others whiche loue vs in the fayth and at your discretion make them partakers of these letters and praye ye all for me and other in bondes for the gospel that the same god which by his grace hath called vs from wicked papistrye vnto true christianitie and nowe of loue proueth our patience by persecution will of his mercy fauour in the end gloriously deliuer vs eyther by death or by lyfe to hys glory AmeÌ„ At Lancaster the .30 of Aug. 1554. By me an vnprofitable seruaunt and prisoner of Christ George Marshe The copy of a letter wrytten by Steuen Cotton to his brother Iohn cotton declaryng how he was beaten of Bonner BRother in the name of the Lord Iesus I commend me vnto you and I do hartely thanke you for your godlye exhortatioÌ„ and counsel in your last letter declared to me And albeit I do perceiue by your letter you are informed that as we are diuers persons in number so are we of contrary sectes conditions and opinioÌ„s contrary to that good opinion you had of vs at your last being with vs in Newgate be you most assured good brother in the Lord Iesus the we are al of one mind one raith one assured hope in our lord Iesus whome I trust we altogether wyth one spirite one brotherly loue do daily call vpon for mercy and forgeuenes of our sinnes wyth earnest repentance of our former lyues and by whose precious blood hedyng we truste to be saued onely and by no other meanes Wherefore good brother in the name of the lord seyng these impudent people whose mindes are altogether bent to wickednes enuy vncharitablenes euill speakyng doe go aboute to slaunder vs wyth vntruth beleue them not neither let their wycked sayings once enter into your minde And I trust one day to see you again although now I am in gods pryson which is a ioyful schole to them that loue their lord and god and to me beyng a simple scholer most ioyful of al. Good brother once again I do in the name of our lord Iesus exhort you to pray for me that I may fight strongly in the lordes battail to be a good souldiour to my captaine Iesus Christ our lord and desire my Sister also to do the same and do not ye mourne or lamente for me but bee ye glad and ioyfull of thys my trouble For I trust to be losed out of this dongeon shortly and to go to euerlasting ioy which neuer shal haue ende I heard howe ye were wyth the commissioners for me and how ye were suspected to be one of our company I praye you sue no more for me good brother But one thing I shal desire you to be at my departing out of thys lyfe that you may beare witnes with me that I shal die I trust in god a true christian I hope all my coÌ„panions in the lord our God therefore beleue not these euil disposed people who are the authors of all vntruth I praye you prouide for me a longe shirt against the day of our deliueraÌ„ce for the shirt you gaue me last I haue geueÌ„ it to one of my coÌ„panioÌ„s who had more neede then I and as for the money and meate you sent vs the bishops seruantes deliuered none to vs neither he whoÌ„ you had so great trust in Brother there is none of them to trust to for qualis magister talis serâ—us I haue ben twise beateÌ„ and threatened to be beaten againe by the bishop hymselfe I suppose we shal go into the countrey to Fulham to the bishops house and there be araigned I would haue you to harken as much as you can for when we shal go it shal be sodainly done Thus fare ye wel From the Colehouse thys present Friday Your brother Steuen Cotton A letter of Richard Rothe burnte at Islington to certayne condemned at Colchester ready to die for the lordes cause writen with his own blood O Deare brethren and Sisters how much haue you to reioyce in god that he hath geuen you suche fayth to preuail against these bloudthirsty tyrannes thus farre and no doubt he that hath begon that good worke in you will fulfil it vnto the ende O deare hartes in Christ what a crown of glorye shal ye receyue wyth Christe in the kingdome of god Oh that it had bene the good wil of god that I had ben redy to haue gone with you for I lye in my lordes litle ease in the day and in the night I lie in the Colehouse froÌ„ Rafe Allerton or any other And we loke euery day wheÌ„ we shal be condeÌ„ned for he sayd that I shold be burned wythin .x. dais before Easter but I lie styl at the pooles brynke and euery man goeth in before me but we abyde patiently the Lords laysure with many bandes in fetters stockes by the which we haue receyued great ioy in god And now fare you wel dere brethreÌ„ and Sisters in this world but I trust to see you in the heauen face to face O brother Munt with your wyfe my deare Sister Rose oh how blessed are you in the Lord that god hath found you worthy to suffer for hys sake with all the rest of my dere brethern Sisters knowen vnknowen O be ioyful euen vnto death feare it not saith Christ for I haue ouercommen death Oh dere hartes seyng that Iesus Christ
wil be our helpe tary ye the lordes laysure Be strong let your hartes be of good comfort waite you still for the lord He is at hand yea the angel of the lord pitcheth his tent round about theÌ„ that feare him and deliuereth theÌ„ which way he seeth best for our liues are in the lords handes and they can doo nothing vnto vs before God suffer them therefore geue al thankes to god Oh my dere hartes nowe shal you be clothed wyth long white garments vppon the Mount Sion wyth the multitude of Saints and wyth Iesus Christ our sauiour which wil neuer forsake vs. Oh blessed Virgyns ye haue played the wise Virgins part in that ye haue taken oyle in your laÌ„pes that ye may enter with the brydegrome when he commeth into the euerlasting ioy But as for the folysh they shal be shut out because they made not themselues redy to suffer wyth Christ neither go about to take vp hys crosse Oh how precious shall your death be in the syght of the Lord for deare is the death of his saints Farewel mine owne deare harts and praye The grace of our lord Iesus Christ he with you al. AmeÌ„ AmeÌ„ Pray p.p. By me Richard Roth written with myne owne blood The copy of a letter written and cast out of the Castle of Caunterbury by the prisoners there in bandes for gods woâ—â— declaring how the papistes went about to famish the 〈◊〉 death of the which company fyue were famished amongest them already BE it knowen vnto all men that shall rede or heaâ—e redde these oure letters that we the poore prysoners of the Castell of Cauntorbury for gods truth are kept and lye in colde irons and our keper will not suffer any meate to bee brought to vs to comfort vs. And if any man do bryng anye thing as bread butter chese or any other foode the said keper wil charge them that so bring vs any thing except money or raiment to cary it with them againe or els if he do receiue any fode of any for vs he kepeth it for himselfe and he his seruantes do spend it so that we haue nothing therof There were fiue famyshed in that pryson whose names were these Iohn Clarke Dunston Chettenden W. Foster A. Fotkins Iohn Archer And thus the keper withholdeth kepeth away our vitails froÌ„ vs in so muche that there are .iiij. of vs prisoners there for gods truth famished alredy And thus is it his mynd to famishe vs al and we thinke he is apointed of the bishops priests and also of the iustices so to famish vs not only vs of the said Castle but al other prisoners in other prisoÌ„s for the lyke cause to be also famished NotwithstaÌ„ding we write not these our letters to that entent we myght not aforde to be famished for the lord Iesus sake but for this cause and entent that they hauing no law so to famish vs in prison should not do it priuely but that the murtherers harts should be openly knowen to all the world that al men may know of what churche they are who is their father Out of the castell of Caunterbury A letter of that true pastour and worthy Martyr D. Ridley wherin you may see the singular zeale he had to the glory of God and the furtherance of hys Gospell wrytten to Maister Cheke in Kyng Edwardes dayes here placed as it came to our hands MAister Cheke I wish you grace and peace Syr in Gods cause for Gods sake and in his name I besech you of your helpe furtherance towards gods word I did talke with you of late what case I was in concerning my Chaplens I haue gotten the good will graunt to be with me of three preachers men of good learning and as I am perswaded of excellent vertue whiche are able both with life and learning to set forth Gods worde in London and in the whole diocesse of the same where is most nede of al partes in Englande for from thence goeth example as you know into al the rest of the Kings Maiesties whole Realme The mens names be these M Grindall whom you know to be a man of vertue and learning M. Bradforde a man by whom as I am assuredlye enformed God hath and doth woorke wonders in setting forth of hys woorde The thirde is a preacher the whiche for detecting and confuting of the Anabaptistes and papistes in Essex both by his preaching and by his writing is enforced nowe to beare Christes crosse The two first be Scholers in the Vniuersitie The thirde is as poore as either of the other twayne Nowe there is fallen a Prebende in Paules called Cantrelles by the death of one Layton Thys Prebend is an honest mans liuing of .xxxiiij. poundes and better in the Kings bookes I woulde with all my harte geue it vnto M. Grindall and so I should haue hym continuallye with me and in my diocesse to preache But Alas Syr I am letted by the meanes I feare me of suche as do not feare God One M. William Thomas one of the Clarkes to the Counsell hath in tymes past sette the Counsaile vpon me to haue me to graunte that Layton mighte haue alienated the sayde Prebend vnto him and his heires for euer God was mine ayde and defendour that I dyd not consent vnto his vngodly enterprise Yet I was so then handled before the Counsel that I grauÌ„ted that wheÌ„soeuer it should fall I shoulde not geue it before I shoulde make the Kinges Maiestie preuye vnto it and of acknowledge before the collation of it Now Layton is departed and the Prebend is fallen certaine of the Counsell no doubt by this vngodly mans meanes haue writteÌ„ vnto me to stay the collatioÌ„ And where as he dispaireth that euer I would assent that a preachers liuing shoulde be bestowed on hym he hath procured letters vnto me subscribed with certaine of the Counselles hands that now the Kings Maiestie hath determined it vnto the furniture of his highnes stable Alas Syr this is a heauy hearing When papistrye was taught there was nothing too litle for the teachers When the Bishop gaue his benefices vnto idiotes vnlearned vngodlye for kindred for pleasure for seruice other worldly respectes all was then wel allowed Now where a poore liuing is to be geuen vnto an excellent Clarke a maÌ„ knowen tryed to haue both discretioÌ„ also vertue such a one as before god I do not know a man yet vnplaced vnprouided for more meete to set forth gods word in al Englande when a poore liuing I say which is founded for a preacher is to be geueÌ„ vnto such a man that then an vngodly persoÌ„ shal procure in this sorte letters to stoppe lette the same alas M. Cheke this seemeth vnto me to be a ryght heauy hearing Is thys the fruite of the gospel Speake M. Cheke speake for gods sake in gods cause vnto whom soeuer you thinke you may do any good withall And
if you will not speake then I besech you let these my letters speake vnto M. Gates to M. Wrothe to M. Cicill whom all I doe take for men that doe feare God It was sayd here constantly my Lord Chamberlaine to haue bene departed Syr though the day be delayed yet he hath no pardon of long life therfore I do besech his good Lordship so many as shall read these letters if they feare God to helpe that neither horse neither yet dogge be suffered to deuour the poore liuings appointed founded by godly ordinance to the ministers of gods worde The causes of conscieÌ„ce which do moue me to speake write thus are not only those whiche I declared once in the cause of this Prebend before the Kings Maiesties Counsell which now I let passe but also now the man M. Grindal vnto whoÌ„ I would geue this Prebend doth moue me verye muche for he is a man knowen to be both of vertue honestie discretion wisedome learning And besides al this I haue a better opinion of the Kings Maiesties â–ª honourable Counsel theÌ„ although some of them haue subscribed at this their Clarkes crafâ—ie vngodly sute to such a letter then I say they wil let not suffer after request made vnto them the liuing appoynted founded for a preacher to bee bestowed vppon so honest and well a learned man Wherfore for gods sake I besech you al helpe that with the fauour of the Counsel I may haue knowledge of the kings maiesties good pleasure to geue thys preachers liuing vnto M. Grindall Of late there haue bene letters directed from the Kinges Maiestie and his honourable Counsell vnto all the bishops wherby we be charged commauÌ„ded both in our own persons and also to cause our preachers ministers especially to crie out against the insatiable serpeÌ„t of couetousnesse whereby is sayd to be suche a gredynes amonges the people that eche one goeth about to deuour other and to threaten theÌ„ with Gods greuous plagues both now presently throweÌ„ vpon them and that shal be likewise in the worlde to come Syr what preachers shall I gette to open and set forth suche matters and so as the Kings Maiestie and the Counsel do commaunde them to be set forth if either vngodlye men or vnreasonable beastes bee suffered to pull awaye deuoure the good and godlye learned preachers liuings Thus I wyshe you in god euer wel to fare to helpe Christes cause as you would haue helpe of him at your most nede From Fulham this present the 23. of Iulie 1551. Yours in Christe Nicholas London A letter of Cutbert Symson to certayne of hys frendes concernyng hys Rackyng and other cruell tormentes which he suffred in the Tower THe .13 daye of December I was sente to the Tower and on the Thursdaye after I was called into the warehouse before the Constable of the Tower and the Recorder of London Maister Cholmeley They commaunded me to tel them whom I dyd wil to come to the Englyshe seruice I aunswered I woulde declare nothyng Thys Engine is called Skenyngtons Giues wherin the body standeth double the head being draweÌ„ towardes the seete The forme maner of these Gyues and of his Rackyng you may see in the booke of Martyrs Folio 1631. Then was I set in an engine of Yron for the space of .iij. houres as I iudged After that they asked me if I woulde tell them I aunsweared as before Then was I losed and caryed to my lodging agayne On the Sundaye after I was broughte into the same place agayne before the Lieutenant being also Constable and the Recorder of London and they examined me As before I hadde sayd I aunsweared Then the Lieutenaunt sware by god I shoulde tell Then dyd they bynde my two forefyngers together and putte a small arrowe betwixt them and drew it through so faste that the bloode followed and the arrowe brake Then they racked me twyse After that was I caryed to my lodging agayne and tenne dayes after the Lieuetenaunt asked me if I woulde not confesse that whiâ—he before they had asked me I sayde I had sayde as muche as I woulde Then fyue weekes after he sent me vnto the hyghe priest where I was greatlye assaulted and at whose hande I receaued the Popes curse for hearyng witnesse of the resurrection of Iesus Christe And thus I commend you vnto God and to the woorde of his grace with all them that vnfaynedly call vppon the name of Iesus desiring GOD of his endles mercy through the merites of hys deare sonne Iesus Christ to bryng vs al to his euerlastyng kingdome Amen I prayse God for hys great mercy shewed vpon vs. Syng Osanna vnto the hyghest with me Cutbert SymsoÌ„ God forgeue me my sinnes I aske al the world forgeuenes I do forgeue al the world and thus I leaue this worlde in hope of a ioyfull resurrection Cutbert Symson A briefe admonition wrytten by M. Bradford in a newe testament of a frend of hys THis boke is called sermo crucis the word of the crosse 1. Cor. 2 because the crosse doth alwais accompany it so that if you wil be a student hereof you must nedes prepare your self to the crosse which you began to learne before you learned your Alphabet and Christ requireth it of euery one that wyll be his disciple therin not swaruing from the common trade of callings or vocations for no profession or kind of life wanteth hys crosse So that they are farre ouerseene whyche thynke that the profession of the gospel whiche the deuyll most enuieth the world most hateth the flesh most repineth at can be without a crosse Lette vs therfore pray that god would enable vs to take vp our crosse by denying our selues E carcere 18. Februarij 155â— Iohn Bradford A letter of Maister Thomas Leauer beyng then in exile for the testimonye of gods gospell to M. Bradford prisoner in the tower of London THe grace of god be vnto you wyth my harty commendations I haue sene the places noted the doctrine and discipline and talked wyth the learned men of Argentine Basyll Zurich Berne Lausan and Geneua and I haue had experience in all these places of syncere doctryne godly order and great learnyng and especially of suche vertuous learning diligence and charitie in Bullinger at Zurich and in Caluine at Geneua as doth much aduaunce gods glory vnto the edifying of Christes church with the same religioÌ„ for the which you be now in prison And as I dout not but you in readyng of their bookes haue fouÌ„d much godly and comfortable knowledge so I am sure that they in hearyng of your constancy patieÌ„ce take occasioÌ„ greatly to reioyce wyth thankes geuing vnto God whiche doth testifye his truth vnto the worlde not onely by their writyng but also by your suffering The lord therefore which vseth thys your suffering ioyned wyth godly learnyng to set forth his glory not onely vnto the comfort of simple soules in