Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	age_n	life_n	old_a	5,148	5	5.6715	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70635	A cloud of witnesses, or, The sufferers mirrour made up of the swanlike-songs, and other choice passages of several martyrs and confessors to the sixteenth century, in their treatises, speeches, letters, prayers, &c. in their prisons, or exiles, at the bar, or stake, &c. / collected out of the ecclesiastical histories of Eusebius, Fox, Fuller, Petrie, Scotland, and Mr. Samuel Ward's Life of faith in death, &c. and alphabetically disposed by T.M. ...	Mall, Thomas, b. 1629 or 30.; Mall, Thomas, b. 1629 or 30. Offer of farther help to suffering saints.; Ward, Samuel, 1577-1640.	1665 (1665)	Wing M330; Wing M332; ESTC R232057	171,145	273

the world than by Heaven more by their life than by him that gave them life did shrink yea fall away from him that forsook not them and contrariwise the inestimable joyes prepared for them that fearing no peril nor dreading death have manfully fought and victoriously triumphed over all power of darkness over hell death and damnation through their most renowned Captain Christ who now stretcheth out his arms to receive you ready to fall upon your neck and kiss you and to feast you with the dainties and delicates of his own precious blood which undoubtedly if it might stand with his determinate purpose he would not let to shed again rather than you shall be lost The night before she suffered she sent unto her Sister the Lady Katharine the New Testament in Greek at the end whereof she wrote thus I have sent you good Sister a Book which although it be not outwardly trimmed with Gold yet inwardly it is more worth than precious stones It is the Book of the Law of the Lord. It is his Testament and last Will which he bequeathed unto us wretches which shall lead you to the path of eternal joy and if you with a good mind read it and with an earnest mind do purpose to follow it it shall bring you to an immortal everlasting life It shall teach you to live and learn you to die It shall win you more than you should have gained by the possession of your woful Fathers lands for as if God had prospered him you should have inherited his lands so if you ply diligently this Book seeking to direct your life after it you shall be an inheriter of such riches as neither the covetous shall withdraw from you nor the thief steal nor the moth corrupt Desire with David to understand the Law of the Lord God Live still to die that you by death may purchase eternal life Trust not that the tenderness of your age shall lengthen your life the young die if God call assoon as the old Labour alwayes to learn to die defie the world deny the Devil and despise the flesh and delight your self onely in the Lord. Be penitent for your sins but yet despair not be strong in faith and yet presume not Desire with St. Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ with whom even in death there is life Be like the good Servant and even at mid-night be waking least when death cometh and stealeth upon you as a thief in the night you be with the evil Servant found sleeping and least for lack of oyl ye be found like the foolish women and like him that had not on the Wedding Garment and then ye be cast out from the Marriage Rejoyce in Christ as I do Follow the steps of your Master Christ and take up your Cross Lay your sins on his back and alwayes embrace him And as concerning my death rejoyce as I do that I shall be delivered of this corruption and put on incorruption for I am assured that I shall for loosing of a mortal life win an immortal life the which I pray God grant you and send you of his grace to live in his fear and to die in the true Christian Faith from the which in Gods Name I exhort you that you never swarve neither for hope of life nor fear of death for if you will deny his truth for to lengthen your life God will deny you and yet shorten your dayes And if you will cleave unto him he will prolong your dayes to your comfort and his glory to the which glory God bring me now and you hereafter when it shall please him to call you Fare you well good Sister and put your onely trust in God who onely must help you In her Speech upon the Scaffold Good people I am come hither to die and by a Law I am condemned to the same The fact against the Queens Highness was unlawful and the consenting thereunto by me but touching the procurement and desire thereof I do wash my hands thereof in innocency before God and you and therewith she wrung her hands I pray you bear me witness that I die a true Christian and that I look to be saved by no other mean but onely by the mercy of God in the blood of his onely Son Jesus Christ I confess when I did know the Word of God I neglected the same loved my self and the world and therefore this plague is worthily happened to me for my sins and yet I thank God of his goodness that he hath thus given me a time and respite to repent and now good people while I am alive I pray you assist me with your Prayers In her Prayer Thou O Lord art the onely Defender and Deliverer of those that put their trust in thee and therefore I being defiled with sin c. overwhelmed with miseries vexed with temptations and grievously tormented With the long imprisonment of this vile mass of clay my sinful body doth come unto thee O merciful Saviour craving thy mercy and help who hast said Thou wilt not suffer us to be tempted above our power O merciful God consider my misery best known unto thee be thou unto me a strong Tower of defence Suffer me not to be tempted above my power but either be thou a Deliverer to me out of this great misery or else give me grace patiently to bear thy heavy hand and sharp correction It was thy right hand that delivered the people of Israel out of the hands of Pharaoh who for the space of four hundred years did oppress them and keep them in bondage O deliver me sorrowful wretch for whom thy Son Christ shed his precious blood on the Cross out of this miserable captivity and bondage How long wilt thou be absent for ever O Lord hast thou forgotten to be gracious and shut up thy loving kindness in displeasure Wilt thou be no more entreated Is thy mercy clean gone for ever and thy promise come utterly to an end for evermore Why dost thou make so long tarrying Shall I despair of thy mercy O God far be that from me I am thy workmanship created in Christ Jesus give me therefore grace to tarry thy leisure When the Handkerchief was tied about her eyes she kneeling down feeling for the Block said What shall I do where is it and being directed by one of the Standers by she laid her head down upon the Block and stretching forth her Body said Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit In her troubles she writ the following Verses with a pin Clarks second V●lume of Lives p. 60 c. Non aliena putes homini quae obtingere possunt Sors h●dierna mihi tunc crit illa tibi In English thus Think nothing strange which man cannot decline 〈◊〉 My Lot's to day to morrow may be thine Deo juvante nil nocet livor malus Et non juvante nil juvat labor gravis Post tenebras spero lucem

It may also scandalize many little ones if I a Catholick should require judgement at an Arians hands In the midst of his greatest sufferings he used to say Plura pro Christo toleranda We must suffes more than this for Christ G. Gardiner William Gardiner Fox Vol. 2. pag. 746. an English Merchant in Portugal was so much troubled in spirit at the sight of the Idolatry committed by the Priests in the Mass at the solemnization of the Marriage between the King of Portugal's Son and the King of Spain's Daughter that he could not be quiet till he had though in the presence of the King and of the Nobles and whole City the next Sabbath with one hand snatched away the Cake from the Priest and trod it under his feet and with the other overthrew the Chalice The King asking him how he durst be so bold He answered Most noble King The thing which you have seen was not done nor thought of me for any contumely or reproach to your presence but onely for this purpose as before God I do clearly confess to seek the salvation of this people Being ask'd who set him on He answered He was not moved by any man but by his own Conscience there being no man under Heaven for whose sake he would put himself into so manifest a danger but he owed his service first to God and secondarily to their salvation wherefore if he had done any thing displeasing to them they ought to impute it to themselves who so irreverently used the Sacrament of the Lords Supper unto so great Idolatry not without great ignomony to the Church violation of the Sacrament and the peril of their own souls except they repented For this he was cruelly tormented and burned and in the fire he sung Psal 43. Judge me O God and defend my cause against the unmerciful people Gauderin Christopher Gauderin Fox Vol. 3. Cont. 49. having been a Spend thrist was converted by Lewis Stallins telling him That he ought rather to distribute of his geitings to the poor then to spend them so wastfully for if he continued so God would surely call him to an account for it insomuch that he was chosen a Deacon in the Church in the execution of which Office he was taken and imprisoned and being ask'd how he came to turn Heretick seeing he learned not that of his Master the Abbot he answered I am no Heretick but a right believing Christian which he taught me not indeed but rather other vile qualities which I am ashamed now to rehearse Some objecting to him his youth being about the age of thirty He told them That mans life consisted but of two dayes viz. the day of his birth and the day of his death And for my part said he I am now willing by death to pass into eternal life The morning that he was to be executed He said to his Fellow-Prisoners having put on a clean shirt and washed himself Brethren I am now going to be married I hope before noon to drink of the wine of the Kingdome of Heaven A Frier coming to them as he said to convert them Christopher said unto him Away from us thou seducer of Souls for we have nothing to do with thee One of his Fellow-sufferers as the H●ngman was gagging him said What shall we not have liberty in this our last hour to praise our God with our voice and tongue Brother said Gauderin let not this discourage us for the greater wrong our enemies think to do unto us the more assistance we shall find from God And so he never ceased to comfort them till he was gagged also and burnt June 2. 1568. Gerard. About the year 1160. Clarks Martyrolegy pag. 41. in the reign of Henry the Second came about thirty Waldenses into England Gerardus being their Minister to labour to win Disciples to Christ They were converted before a Council of Bishops at Oxford and Gerard speaking for them all said We are Christians holding and reverencing the Doctrine of the Apostles Being urged with arguments against their Doctrine they answered They believed as they were taught by Gods Word but would not dispute their faith Being admonished to repent and threatned if they did not they despised their Counsel scorned their threats saying Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven They were excommunicated burnt in the foreheads for Hereticks Mr. Gerard both in the forehead and cheek their cloaths were cut off to their Girdles and so whipt through Oxford they singing all the while Blessed are ye when men hate you and despitefully use you c. Ghest Laurence Ghest had his wife and seven children brought to him the Bishop hoping to overcome him by his natural affection to them and his wise beginning to exhort him to favour himself Fox Vol. 1. pag. 1012. He desired her not to be a block in his way for that he was in a good course running toward the mark of his salvation Gibson Some of the Articles exhibited against Mr. Richard Gibson Fox Vol. 3 pag. 858. Richard Gibson 3 That he hath commended allowed defended liked both Cranmer Latimer Ridley and all other Hereticks here in this Realm of England according to the Ecclesiastical Laws condemned for Hereticks also liked their Opinions 4 That he hath comforted aided assisted and maintained both by words and otherwise Hereticks and erroneous Persons or at the least suspected and infamed of Heresies c. 5 That he hath affirmed that the Religion now used in this Realm is in no wise agreeable to Gods Word and Commandment c. The Bishop asking him if he knew any cause why the Sentence should not be read against him he said Pa. 859. the Bishop had nothing wherefore justly to condemn him Sentence being read He again admonished Gibson to remember himself and so save his soul Mr. Gibson answered That he would not hear the Bishops babling boldly protesting that he was contrary to them all in his mind though he aforetime kept it secret for fear of the Law And speaking to the Bishop he said Blessed am I that am cursed at your hands We have nothing now but thus will I for as the Bishop saith so it must be And no heresie is it to turn the truth of Gods Word into lies and that do you Mr. Gibson also propounded Nine Articles to Bonner by him to be answered by yea or nay or else by saying he could not tell 1 Whether the Scriptures of God written by Moses and other holy Prophets of God through faith that is in Christ Jesus be available Doctrine to make all men in all things unto salvation learned without the help of any other Doctrine or no 3 Whether the holy Word of God as it is written doth sufficiently teach all men of what dignity estate or calling by Office whatsoever he or they be their full true and lawful duty in their Office and

merry He had my sins and I have ● merits and righteousness To the Friers offering him a woodden Crucis● he said Christ needs not the help of this Piece 〈◊〉 imprint him in my mind and heart where he ha● his Habitation Farellus Mr. Clark 's first Volume of Lives pag. 674. William Farellus being questioned by 〈◊〉 Magistrates of Metis by what Authority or 〈◊〉 whose request he preached answered By ● Command of Christ and at the request of ● Members Farrar Mr. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 216. Richard Jones coming to Dr. Robert Farr● Bishop of St. David a little before his death a● seeming to lament the painfulness of the death he was to suffer the Bishop said to him That if he saw him once to stir in the pains of his Barning he should then give no credit to his Doctrine Accordly he never moved but even as he stood holding up his stumps so he continued still till Richard Gravell with a staffe dashed him upon the head and so strook him down Filieul John Filieul and Julian Leville who suffered in France being threatned if they constantly persifted to be burnt alive The Mirrour of Martyrs pag. 595. and to have their tongues cut out or otherwise onely to be strangled and to have the use of their tongues contemned the offer saying You would fain have us renounce our God for saving our selves from a little pain but it shall not be so and looking one upon another said We are ready not onely to lose one or two of our Members but the whole Body and to be burned and burned again in the defence of the Truth When the time of their execution came Fox Vol. 2. pag. 144. the Officer put into their hands being tyed a Wooden Cross which they flung away with their teeth saying That they were now to bear a more noble and excellent Cross than that When their tongues were cut God gave them utterance insomuch that they were heard to say We bid Sin the Flesh the World farewel for ever with whom we shall never have to do hereafter At last when the Tormenter came to smear them with Brimstone and Gunpowder Go to said Fii●lus salt on salt on the rotten and stinking flesh Fillula By these Lidders said John Fillula to his Felows we ascend the Heavens Ward pag. 153. now begin we to rample under feet Sin the World the Flesh and the Devil Filmer Henry Filmer said to Person and Testwood his fellow Martyrs Be merry my Brethren Fox Vol. 2. pag. 555. and lift up your hands to God for after this sharp break-fast I trust we shall have a good dinner in the Kingdom of Christ our Lord and Redeemer Flower William Flower alias Branch being told his death was near Fox Vol. 3. pag. 242. said I hunger for the same dear Friend being sully ascertain'd that they can kill but the body which I am assured shall receive again life everlasting and see death no more Bishop Bonner perswaded him to recant promimising him thereupon great things he answered That which I have said I will stand to and therefore I require that the Law may proceed upon me At another time Do what you will I am at a point for the Heavens shall as soon fall as I will forsake mine opinion In his Prayer Have mercy upon me for thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christs sake in whom I confess onely to be all salvation justification and that there is none other mean nor way nor holiness in which or by which any man can be saved in this World Burning in the fire he cryed out three times O the Son of God have mercy upon me O the So● of God receive my soul Folks Elizabeth Folks being examined Fox Vol. 3. pag. 832. whether she believed the presence of Christs Body to be in the Sacrament substantially and really answered That she believed that that was a substantial and real lye When Sentence of Condemnation was read against her she kneeled down listing up her eye and bands to Heaven she praised God that ever she was born to see that most blessed and happy day that the Lord would count her worthy to suffer for the testimony of Christ and Lord if it be thy will forgive them that have done this against me for they know not what they do At the Stake she being hindred from giving her Petticoat to her Mother who kissed her and exhorted her to be strong in the Lord threw it away from her saying Farewel all the World farewel Faith and Hope and so taking the Stake in her hand said Welcome Love c. When she and the other five that suffered with her were nailed to the Stakes and the fire about them they clapped their hands together for joy in the fire Fox The day after Queen Mary's death Mr. See his Life before his second Vol. of Acts and Monum John Fox preaching at Basil to the English Exiles did with confidence tell them That now was the time come for their return into England and that he brought that News by command from God The Lady Anne Hennage being given up for dead He told her she had done well in fitting her self for death but that she should not die of that Sickness and being blamed by her Son in Law for disquieting her mind with hopes of life He answered that he had said no more than was commanded him for it seemed good to God that she should recover and so she did Mrs. Honywood having been sick of a Consumption almost twenty years was scarce able to speak when Mr. Fox came to her only faintly she breathed forth a desire to end her dayes Mr. Fox after he had prayed with her told her That she should not onely grow well of that Consumption but also so live to an exceeding great age As well might you have said quoth Mrs. Honywood that if I should throw this Glass against the Wall I might believe it would not break to pieces and holding a Glass in her hand out of which she had newly drunk she threw it forth but the Glass falling first on a Chest and then on the ground neither brake nor crackt Accordingly this eminent Christian Gentlewoman being then Sixty years of age recovered and lived till she was above Ninety and could reckon above three hundred and sixty of her Children and Childrens Children He also foresaw his own death and therefore sent away his sons that they might not be present Frith Mr. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 304. John Frith with some others chosen into Christs Church Oxford whose Foundation was laid by Cardinal Wolsey conferring together upon the abuses of Religion then crept into the Church were therefore accused of Heresie unto the Cardinal and cast into Prison within a deep Cave under the ground of the same Colledge where their salt F●sh was laid Through the filthy stench thereof they were all infected and some took their death but Mr. Frith

the Lord hath taught me to eschew evil and do good Seest thou not said they how these opinions have troubled the world and how many of the learneder sort do contradict them So far is it off said he that the Doctrine of the Gospel should be the cause of troubles debates and strife swhich reign in the world These troubles indeed arise from the rage of men And as for your learned men it is impossible for humane wisdom to comprehend the Doctrine of God for which cause Christ saith Father I thank thee that thou hast hid these secrets from the wise men of the world and hast revealed them unto Babes When those two Malefactors that were coupled with him brake Prison and fled he might have escaped but fearing his flight might be imputed to the godly Christians in the City he would not flye When he was advertised of his Sentence He thanked God for advancing him to so high an honour at to be counted worthy to suffer for his Name As he passed forth from the Court viewing the people who waited to see him he said See here how this wicked world rewards the poor Servants of Christ Whilest I gave my self to drunkenness c. I was never in danger of these bands lifting up his hands which were bound I was then counted a good fellow and at that time who but I But no sooner began I by conversion to ask after a godly life but the world made war upon me and became my enemy persecuting and imprisoning me and now last of all sending me to the place where I must pay my last debt Mat. 10.24 Joh. 15.20 But the Servant is no better than his Lord for seeing they persecuted him no question they will persecute us At the Stake he said Brethren I fight under the Standard and in the quarrel of my great Lord and Ca●tain Christ I am now going to be trucified follow you me when God of his goodness shall call you to it He was burnt Nov. 4. An. 1560. Hierome I find two of this Name 1. Fox Vol. 2 pag. 524. Mr. William Hierome Vicar of Stepney near London Being accused for preaching against Magistrates he affirmed as before he had preached That no Magistrate of himself could make any Law or Laws to bind the inferiour people unless it were by the power and authority of his or their Princes to him or them given but only the Prince Adding If the Prince make Laws consenting to Gods Laws we are bound to obey them and if he make Laws repugnant to the Laws of God c. yet we are bound not violently to resist or grudge against him At the Stake he gave the following Exhortation to the people Pa. 527. I say unto you good Brethren that God hath bought us all with no small price neither with gold nor silver nor other such things of small value but with his ●●st precious blood Be not unthankful therefore but do what you can to keep his Commandments Pa. 528. i. e. love your Brethren If God hath sent thee plenty help thy neighbour that hath need give him good counsel if he lack Bear your Cross with Christ Let all Christians put no trust nor confidence in their works but in the blood of Christ to whom I commit my soul beseeching you all to pray to God for me and for my Brethren here present with us c. 2. Mr. Hierome of Prague When he was brought Prisoner to Constance Fox Vol. 1. Pag. 832. several of the Bishops said unto him Hierome why didst thou fly and didst not appear when thou wast cited He answered Because I could not have any safe conduct c. and I would not my self be the occasion of my perils and danger but if I had known of this citation although I had been in Bohemis I would have returned again When certain cried out Let him be burned Pa. 833. let him be burned He answered If my death doth delight and please you in the Name of God let it be so When he was welcomed to Prison by a Friend of Mr. Hus saying to him Be constant and fear not death for the Truths sake of the which when you were at liberty you did preach so much goodness He answered Truly Brother I do not fear death and forasmuch as we know that we have spoken much thereof in times past let us now see what may be known or done in effect Vitus Asking him how he did He answered Truly Brother I do very well After a long sore imprisonment he was forced to recant and consent unto the death of Mr. John Hus that he was justly condemned and put to death but his hopes of freedome thereupon were disappointed Pa. 834. for they caused him to be carried back unto the same Prison but not so straitly chained and bound as before After his Recantation and Consent to the death of Mr. Hus he refused to answer to any Questions propounded to him in private except he might be brought before the Council They supposing he would confirm his former Recantation sent for him May 25. An. 1416. When he was brought before them Pa. 835. he began with Prayer to God beseeching him to give him Spirit ability and utterance which might most tend to the profit and salvation of his own soul Then he spake unto them thus I know that the●e have been many excellent men which have suffered much otherwise than they have deserved being oppressed with false witnesses and condemned with wrong judgement as Socrates Plato Anaxagoras Zeno Boetius Moses Joseph Isaiah Daniel and almost all the Prophets c. John Baptist Christ Stephen and all the Apostles who were condemned to death not as good men but as seditious stirrers up of the people contemners of the gods and evil doers This was the old manner of ancient and learned men and most holy Elders that in matters of Faith they did differ many times in Arguments not to destroy the Faith but to find out the Verity So did Augustine and Hierome dissent As for Mr. Hus he was a good just and holy man ●o his knowledge and much unworthy that death which he did suffer Pa. 836. At last he added That all the sins that ever he had committed did not so much gnaw and trouble his conscience as did that only sin which he had committed in that most pestiferous fact when as in his Recantation he had unjustly spoken against that good and holy man and his Doctrine and especially in consenting to his wicked condemnation Concluding that he did utterly revoke that wicked Recantation which he made in that cursed place and that he did it through weakness of heart and fear of death and that whatsoever he had spoken against that blessed man he had altogether lied upon him and that it did repent him with his whole heart that ever he did it Being again brought forth to have judgement given him and prest to recant what

that you sin not and also the joy of eternal life whereunto you must endeavour Let the passions of our Saviour be never out of your minds that you may bear with him and for him gladly whatsoever shall be laid upon you for if you shall consider wel in your minds his Cross nothing shall be grievous unto you and patiently you shall give place to tribulations cursings rebukes stripes and imprisonment and shall not doubt to give your lives for his holy truth if need require Know ye Well Beloved that Antichrist being stirred up against you deviseth divers persecutions But I am in good hope Pa. 824. that through the mercy of our God and by your Prayers I shall persist strongly in the immutable verity of God unto the last breath I commend you to the merciful Lord Jesus Christ our true God and the Son of the immaculate Virgin Mary who hath redeemed us by his most bitter death without all our merits from eternal pains from the thraldome of the Devil and from sin From Constance A. 1415. In his Letter to his Benefactors I exhort you by the bowels of Jesus Christ that now ye setting aside the vanities of this present world will give your service to the eternal King Christ the Lord. Trust not in Princes nor in the Sons of men in whom there is no health for the Sons of men are dissemblers and deceitful To day they are to morrow they perish but God remaineth for ever He hath his Servants not for any need he hath of them but for their own profit unto whom he performeth that which he promiseth and fulfilleth that which he purposeth to give He casteth off no faithful Servant from him for he saith Where I am there also shall my Servant be yea the Lord maketh every Servant of his to be the Lord of all his possession giving himself unto him and with himself all things O happy is that Servant whom when the Lord shall come he shall find watching Happy is the Servant which shall receive that King of Glory with joy Wherefore well beloved Lords and Benefactors serve you that King in fear In his Letter to the Lord John de Clum The iniquity of the great Strumpet i.e. of the malignant Congregation whereof mention is made in the Apocalyps is detected and shall be more detected with the which Strumpet the Kings of the Earth do commit fornication fornicating spiritually from Christ and as is there said sliding back from the truth and consenting to the lies of Antichrist through his seduction and through fear or through hope of confederacy forgetting of worldly honour I rejoyced to perceive your mind now to give over the vanity and painful service of this present world and to serve the Lord Jesus Christ quietly at home whom to serve is to reign as Gregory saith whom he that serveth faithfully hath Jesus Christ himself in the Kingdome of Heaven to minister unto him as himself saith Blessed is that Servant whom when the Lord shall come he shall find waking and so doing Verily I say unto you that he rising shall gird himself and shall minister unto him This do not the Kings of the world to their Servants In another Letter As touching death God doth know why he doth defer it both to me and to my well beloved Brother Mr. Jerome who I trust will do holily and without blame and do know also that now he suffereth more valiantly then I my self a wretched sinner God hath given us a long time that we may call to mind our sins the better and repent for the same more fervently He hath granted us time that our long and great temptation should put away our grievous sins and bring the more consolation He hath given us time wherein we should remember the horrible rebukes of our merciful King and Lord Jesus and should ponder his cruel death and so more patiently may learn to bear our afflictions And moreover that we might keep in remembrance how the joyes of the li●e to come are not given after the joyes of this world immediately but through many tribulations the Saints have entred into the Kingdome of Heaven for some of them have been cut and chopt all to pieces some their eyes bored through some sod some roasted some slain alive some burned quick stoned crucified grinded between milstones drawn and haled hither and thither unto Execution drowned in waters strangled and hanged torn in pieces vexed with rebukes before death pined in prisons and afflicted in bonds and who is able to recite all the torments and sufferings of the holy Saints which they suffered under the Old and New Testament for the verity of God And it will be a marvel if any man now shall escape unpunished who dare boldly resist the wickedness and perversity especially of those Priests which can abide no correction In another Letter I desire Pa. 825. that if Audience be given me that the King will be there present himself c. And that you Right Noble and Gracious Lord John with the Lord Henry and the Lord Wencelaus c. if you may will be present and hear what the Lord Jesus Christ my Procurator and Advocate and most gracious Judge will put into my mouth to speak that whether I live or die you may be true and upright witnesses with me lest lying lips should say hereafter that I swer●ed from the truth which I have preached In another Letter My faithful and beloved in Christ be not afraid with their Sentence in condemning my Books they shall be scattered hither and thither abroad like light Butterflies and their Statutes shall endure as Spider-webs They were about to shake my constancy from the verity of Christ but they could not overcome the vertue of God in me They would not reason with the Scriptures against me c. And when I said I was desirous to be instructed if I did in any thing erre the chief Cardinal answered Because thou wouldst be informed there is no remedy but that thou must first revoke thy Doctrine according to the determination of fifty Batchelors appointed O high instruction These things I thought good to write unto you that you may know how they have overcome with no grounded Scripture nor with reason but onely did essay with terrours and deceits to perswade me to revoke and to abjure But our merciful God whose Law I have magnified was and is with me and I trust so will continue and will keep me in his grace unto death In another Letter Beloved I thought it needful to warn that you should not be discouraged because the Adversaries have decreed that my Books shall be burnt Remember how the Israelites burned the Preachings of the Prophet Jeremy and yet they could not avoid the things that were prophesied of in them Pa. 826. for after they were burnt the Lord commanded to write the same Prophesie again and that larger which was done It is also written in the Books of the