in the remembraunce of Christes body torn vpon the crosse was broken and the Cuppe in the remembraunce of Christes bloude shed was distributed and bothe cōminicated vnto al that were present and woulde receiue them and thereunto were also exhorted of the minister to do All was done openly in the mother tonge so that euery thing might be both easely hard and plainlye vnderstand of all the people to Goddes high glory and the edification of the hole Church This Churche had of late the hole diuine Seruice all commen and publique Prayers ordeined to be saide and hard in the commen congregatiō not only framed and fashioned to the true vaine of holye scripture but also all thinges so set forthe according to the commaundemente of the Lorde and Sainte Paules doctrine for y e peoples edificatiō also in their vulgare tonge it had also holye and holsome Homelies in cōmendation of the principall vertues which are commended in scripture and likewise other Homelies against the moste pernitious and capitall vices that vseth alas to reigne in this Realme of Englande This Churche had in matters of controuersy articles so penned and framed after the holye Scripture and grounded vpon the true vnderstāding of Gods word that in shorte time if they had bene vniuersallye receiued they shoulde haue bene able to haue set in Christes church much concord and vnitie in Christes true Religion and to haue expelled many false errors heresies wherwith this churche alas was almost nigh ouergone But alas of late into this spirituall possession of this heauenlye treasoure of these godly ritches are entred in theues that haue robbed and spoyled all this heauenly treasoure away I may wel complaine on them and crye oute vpon theese Theues with the Prophet saying Deus venerunt gentes in hereditatem tuam c. Psal. 79. O Lord God the gentiles heathen nations are come into thy heritage they haue defiled thy holye Temple and made Ierusalem an heape of stones that is they haue broken and beate downe to the grounde thy holye Citie This Ethenishe generacion these Theues of Samaria these Sabei and Caldei these robbers haue rushed oute of their dennes and hath robbed the Churche of Englande of all the foresaide holye Treasoure of God they haue carried awaye and ouerthrowne it and in steade of Goddes holye woorde the true and right administracion of Christes holy Sacraments as of baptisme and others they mixte theyr ministery with mennes folish fantasies and manye wicked and vngodly tradicions withall In the steade of the Lordes holy table they geue the people with muche solemne disgisinge a thinge they call it their masse but in dead and in truthe it is a very maskinge and a mockery of the true Supper of the Lord or rather I may call it a craftye Iuglinge whereby these false theues Iuglers hath bewitched y e mindes of the simple people y t thei haue brought thē frō the true worship of god vnto pernicious Idolatry make them to beleue y t to be Christ our Lord sauior which in deede is neither God nor man nor hathe anye life in it selfe but in substance is the creature of breade and wine and in vse of the Lordes table is the Sacramente of Christes body and bloude And for thys holy vse which the Lorde hathe ordeined them in his Table to represent vnto vs his blessed body torne vpon the crosse for vs his bloud there shed it pleased him to cal thē his body and bloud whiche vnderstandinge Christe declareth to be his true meaning when he saithe do this in the remembrance of me And againe Saint Paule doth set out the same more plainly speking of the same Sacramente after the wordes of the consecration saying As often as ye shall eat of this breade and drincke of this Cuppe ye shall set forthe he meaneth with the same the Lords death vntil his cōming again And here also these theues haue robbed againe the people of the Lordes Cuppe contrary to the plain words of Christ writtē in his Gospel Now for the commē publike prayers which were in the vulgare tongue these theues haue brought againe a straunge tonge whereof the people vnderstand not one word wherin what do they els but robbe the people of their diuine seruice wherin they ought to pray together with the Priest And to pray in a strange tonge what is it but as sainte Paule calleth it barbarousnes childishnes vnprofitable folly yea and plaine madnesse For the godlye articles of vnitie in Religion and for the holsome Homelies what do these theues place in the stead of them but the Popes lawes decrees lying Legandes and fained fables and miracles to delude and abuse the simplicitye of the rude people Thus this robberye and thefte is not only committed nay sacrilege and wicked spoil of heauenly thinges but also in y e stead of the same is brought in and placed the abhominable desolacion of the tirant Antiochus of proude Senacherib of the shameles faced king and of the Babilonical beast Unto this robbery this thefte and sacrilege because I can not consēt nor God willing neuer shal so lōg as the breth is in my body because it is blasphemy against God high treason vnto Christ our heauenlye King Lord Master and our only sauioure and redeamer it is plaine contrary to Gods word to Christes Gospel it is the subuersion of all true godlines and againste the euerlasting saluacion of mine own soule and all my brethren sisters whome Christe my sauioure hathe so derely bought with no lesse price then with the effusiō and shedding forth of his most precious bloude Therefore all ye my true louers in God my Kinsfolk and countrymē for this cause knowe ye that I am put to death which by Gods grace I shal willingly take with harty thākes to God therfore in certain hope w tout any doubting to receiue at Goddes hande againe of his fre mercye and grace euerlasting life Althoughe the cause of the true man slaine of the thefe healpinge hys neyghboure to recouer hys goodes again and the cause wherfore I am to be put to death in a generalitie is both one as I said before yet knowe ye that there is no small difference These theues as against whome I stand are much worse then the robbers and theues of the borders The goodes which they steale are much more precious their kinde of fighte are farre diuers These theues are worse I saye for they are more cruell more wicked more false deceitful more craftye For those will kill but the body These will not sticke to kil both body and soule Those for the generall theft robbery be called are in dede theues and robbers But these for their spirituall kind of robbery are called Sacrilegi as ye would saye Churche robbers They are more wicked For those goeth about but to spoile men of worldlye thinges worldly riches gold and siluer and worldly substance These go about in the
A Frendly Farewel which Master Doctor Ridley late Bishop of London did write beinge prisoner in Oxeforde vnto all his true Louers and frendes in God a litle before that he suffred for the testimony of the truthe of Christ his Gospell Newly set forth and allowed according to the order apoynted in the Quenes Maiesties Iniunctions Ecclesiasticus 4. For the truthe striue thou vnto death ¶ Imprinted at London by Ihon Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate beneath S. Martius 1559. The .10 of Nouembre Cum gratia priuilegio Regia Maiestatis per Septēnium IOHN FOXE to the gentle Reader AMongest manye other worthy sundrie Histories and notable acts which we haue in hande and entēde by the grace of Christe oure Lorde shortly to set abrode of such as of late daies haue ben persecuted murthered martyred for the trewe Gospell of Christ in Quene Maries raigne Firste to begin with this litell treatis of Doct. Nicholas Ridley late Byshoppe of London this shalbe to desyre thee gentle Reader to accept it and studiouslye to peruse it in the meane tyme whyle the other Uolumes be addressing which we ar about touching the full Historie processe and examinations of all our blessed brethren lately persecuted for rightuosnes sake Whiche Histories whā they shal come to light I suppose thou shalt see as horrible a slaughter of the Sainctes ioyned with as much crueltie of some English hertes as euer in anye one realme before Christe or after was sene In the meane time because all thynge can not be done at once the Uolumes be long accept well in worth this litle but pithie worke of this forsaid Bishoppe in expectation of greater thynges which shall perchaunce more largely satisfie thy desyre Cōcerning the contentes of this Booke the Argument doeth easely import For the worthines therof the name onely of the Author is a sufficient commendation though I bestow no prayse therof Firste whan thou readist it by the name of a Fare well thou maiest vnderstande a faithfull Declaration as of one beynge in that case nothing dissembling his consciēce in suche matters and cōtrouersies of religion wherfore he suffered Againe whan thou readist wrytten by Doctor Ridley Bishoppe of London by that onely name thou maiest vnderstande of what excellencie and learning the worke is to be thought procedynge from suche a man whose profounde learning is vnknowē to few Thus doble waies are we bounde to the Lorde who not onely by the bloud and death of his Sainctes confirmeth the testimonie of his trueth but also besydes theyr death leaueth such monumentes behinde them which no lesse cōfounde the aduersary as confirme the godly Briefly as there is nothing in this Boke that greatly neadeth any mans commendation beyng able ynough of his owne praise so neyther do I so mistrust thy vertuous towardnes good and Christian Reader in godly studie reading that thou shouldst greatly nead my exhortation thereunto or any Epistle before the worke saue only that I wold desyre the aide of thy Christiā prayer whereby the thinges maye the more luckely come forward whiche for thy sake at this present we do acheue to the fortheryng of God hys glory the testimony of true religion and establishing of thy conscience Thus desyring the brotherly helpe of thy prayer I wishe thee to fare wel with well fare in the Lorde The grace of Christe confyrme vs and stablyshe vs in all wel doing to the glorie of his name Amen ¶ A FRENDLIE farewell AS a man minding to take a farre iorney and to departe from his familiar frendes commenly and naturally hath a desyre to bid his frendes farewell before his departure So likewise nowe I lokyng when that I should be called for to depart hence frō you O all ye my deare beloued brethren and sisters in our Sauior Christ that dwell here in this worlde hauyng nowe a like minde towardes you all And also blessed be God of this such time and leasure wherof I right hartely thanke his heauēly goodnes I byd you all my deare brethren and sisters in Christ that dwell vppon the earth after suche maner as I can Farewell Farewell my deare Brother George Shypside whom I haue euer founde faithfull trustye and louing in all state and conditions And now in y e tyme of my crosse ouer all other to me most frēdly and stedfast And that whiche liked me best ouer al other thinges in Goddes cause euer herty Farewell my deare syster Alice his wife I am glad to hear of that that thou doest take Christs crosse which is laied now blessed be god both on thy back and mine in good part Thanke thou God that hath gyuen thee a godly and a louynge husbande Se thou honor him and obey him according to Gods lawe Honor thy mother inlawe his mother and loue all that perteyneth vnto him beyng readie to do them good as it shal lie in thy power As for thy children I doubt not of thy husbande but that he which hathe gyuen him a hert to loue and feare God and in God thē that perteine vnto him he shall also make hym frendely and benefyciall vnto thy children euen as if they had bene gotten of his owne body Farewell my welbeloued brother Iohn Rydley of the Waltown and you my gentle and louyng syster Elizabeth whome besydes the natural leauge of amitie your tender loue which you were sayd euer to beare towardes me aboue the rest of your brethren doeth bind me to loue My mind was to haue acknowledged this your louing affectiō to haue acquited it w t dedes not with words alone your daughter Elizabeth I bid farewell whō I loue for the meke gentle spirite that God hath geuē her which is a precious thing in the sight of God Farewell my beloued Sister of Unthancke with all your children my Nephewes and Nices since y e departure of my Brother Hughe my minde was to haue bene vnto thē in the stead of their father But the Lord God must will be their father if they wil loue him feare him and liue in y e trade of his law Farewell my welbeloued worshipfull Cozein Nicholas Ridley of Willymountswicke your wife And I thank you for al your kindnes shewed both to me and also to all your owne kinsfolke and mine Good Cozein as God hath set you in that our stocke and kindred not for any respect of your person but of his aboundant grace and goodnes to be as it were the Belwether to ordre and conduct the reast and hath also endued you with his manifolde giftes of grace bothe heauenly worldly aboue others So I pray you good Cosē as my trust hope is in you continue increse in maintenance of truthe honesty righteousnes all true godlines to the vttermost of your power to withstād falshed vntruth vnrighteousnes and all vngodlines whiche is forbid and condempned by the word and lawes of God Farewel my Cozē Raffe Whitfield oh your time was
wais of the deuil ther gostly father to stele from the vniuersall churche and perticulerly from euery man all heauenlye treasure true Faith true Charity and hope of saluacion in the bloud of our sauioure Iesus Christe yea to spoile vs of oure Sauiour Christ of his Gospell of his heauenlye spirite and of the heauenly heritage of the kingdom of heauen so derely purchased vnto vs with the deathe of our Maister and sauioure Christ. These be the goodes and godlye substaunce wherupon the Christian before God must liue And with out the which he cā not liue These goodes these theues these churche robbers go aboute to spoile vs of The whiche goodes as to the man of God they excel and farre passeth all worldlye treasure so to withstande euen vnto the deathe suche theues as go about to spoile bothe vs and the hole Churche of suche goodes is most highe and honorable seruice done vnto God These Churche robbers be also muche more false craftye and deceitfull then the theues vppon the borders For these haue not the crafte so to commende their thefte that they dare avouch it And therfore as acknowledging thē selues to be euill they steale commenlye vpon the nighte they dare not appere at iudgementes and sessions wher iustice is executed And whē they are taken and broughte thither they neuer hange no man but they be ofte times hanged for their faultes But these Churche robbers can so cloke and coloure their spirituall robbery that they can make the people to beleue falshed to be truthe and truthe falshed good to be euell and euell good lyghte to be darkenesse and darkenesse lyghte Superstition to be true Religion and Idolatrye to be the true worship of God and that whiche is in substaunce the creature of breade and wine to be none other substāce but onlye the substance of Christe the liuinge Lorde bothe God and manne And this there falshed and craft they canne so Iuggle and bewitche the vnderstandynge of the simple that they dare avouch it openlye in Courte and in town and feareth neither hanginge nor heddinge as the poore Theues of the borders do But stoute and strong like Nembrothe dare condempne to be burned in flaming fire quicke aliue who so euer will go aboute to bewray their falshed The kinde of fighte agaynste these Churche robbers is also of an other sorte and kinde then is that whiche is againste the theues of the borders For there the true menne goe forth againste thē with speare and launce with bowe and byll and al suche kinde of bodely weapons as the trew men hath But here as the enemies be of another nature so the watchmen of Christes flocke the warriours that fyght in the Lords war must be armed and fight with another kinde of weapons and Armour For here the enemies of God the souldiors of Antichrist althoughe the battell is set forth agaynst the Churche by mortall men beynge fleshe and bloud and neuertheles members of their father the deuil yet for that theyr graunde maister is the power of darkenesse theyr mēbers are spirituall wickednes wicked spirits spirits of errours of heresies of all deceate and vngodlines spirits of idolatrie superstitiō Hipocresie which ar called of S. Paule Principates powers Lordes of the worlde and spirituall subtilties conserninge heauenly thinges And therefore oure weapons muste be fit and meete to fight against suche not carnall nor Lordly weapons as spere or saūce but spiritual and heauēly we must fight against suche with the armor of God not entending to kill theyr bodies but their errors their false craft and heresies their Idolatry Superstition and Hipocrisye and to saue as much as lieth in vs both their bodies and soules And therfore as S. Paule teacheth vs we fight not against flesh and bloude that is we fight not with bodelye weapon to kill the man but with the weapōs of God to put to flight his wicked erroures and vice and to saue bothe bodye and soule Oure weapons therefore are faith hope and Charitie righteousnesse truthe pacience praier vnto God and our sword wherwith me smite our enemies we beat and batter beare down al falshed is the word of God With these weapōs vnder the banner of the Crosse of Christe we do fighte euer hauinge an eie vpon our graund Master Duke and capitaine Christ. And then we recken oure selues to triumph and to winne the crowne of euerlasting blisse when enduringe in this battell without anye shrinking or yelding to the ennemies after the example of oure graunde Capitaine Christe oure Master after the example of his holye Prophets apostles and martirs when I say we are slaine in our mortall bodies of our ennemies are most cruelly without all mercy murdered down like a mainy of shepe And the more cruell the more painefull the more vile and spitefull is the kind of the death wherunto we be put y e more glorious in God the more blessed and happy we recken withoute all doubtes our martirdome to be And thus much dere louers and frendes in God my countrymen kinsfolk I haue spokē for your cōfort least of mi death of whose life you loked peraduenture somtimes to haue had honesty pleasures and some cōmodities ye might be abashed or think ani euil but rather to reioyse if ye loue me in dede for y t it hath plesed God to cal me to a greter honor dignity thē euer I did enioy before either in Rochester or in the sea of London or euer shuld haue had in the Sea of Durham whervnto I was last of all elected and named yea I compte it greater honor before God in dede to die in his cause whereof I nothynge doubt then is any earthly or temporall promocion or honor that cā be geuen to a man in this worlde And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Goddes to be Christes quarrell and of his Gospell to bee the commen weale of all the electe and chosen children of God of all the inheritours of the kingdome of heauen who is he I say y t knoweth this assuredly by Gods word and the testimony of his owne conscience as through thinfinite goodnes of God not of my selfe but by his grace acknowledge my self to do who is I say that knoweth this and both loueth and feareth God in dede and in truth loueth beleueth in his master Christe and his blessed Gospel loueth his brotherhode the chosen children of God also lusteth and longeth for euerlastinge life who is he I saye againe y t wold not or can not finde in his hart in this cause to be contente to die God forbid that anye such should be that should forsake this grace of God I truste in my Lorde God the God of mercies the father of all comfort throughe Iesus Christe oure Lorde that he which hath put this mind wil and affection by his spirite in my hart to stand against the face of the ennemy in his cause and to chose
God I am cōptable that ye neuer swarue neither for losse of life or worldly goodes frō Gods holy word and yeld vnto Antichrist wherupon must nedes follow the great displeaser of God and the losse of your bodies souls into perpetuall dampnation for euermore Now that I haue gon through the places wher I haue dwelt any space in the time of my pilgrimage here vpō earth Remembring that for the space of Kinge Edwardes reigne whiche was for the time of mine Office in the Seas of London and Rochester I was a mēber of the higher house of the parliamente Therefore seinge my God hathe geuen mee laysoure and the remembraunce thereof I will bid my Lordes of the temporaltie farewel They shal haue no iust cause by Gods grace to take it that I entend to say in ill part As for spirituall prelacy that now is I haue nothing to say to them excepte I shoulde repeate agayne a greate parte of that I haue saide before now all readye to the Sea of London But to you my Lordes of the tēporalty vnderstand ye thys firste That when I wrote this I loked daily when I should be called to y e chaunge of my life And thought y t that this my writinge shoulde not come to your knowledge before the time of the dissolucion of my bodye and soule shoulde be expired and therfore know ye that I had before mine eies only the feare of God Christian Charitie towarde you whiche moued me to write for of you hereafter I looke not in thys world other for pleaser or displeaser if my talke shal do you neuer so much pleasure or profit you cā not promote me Nor if I displese you ye can not hurt me or harme me For I shall be oute of your reache Nowe therefore if you feare God and can be content to heare the talk of him that seketh nothing at your hands but to serue God and to do you good herkē what I say I say vnto you as S. Paul saieth to the Galathians I wonder mi Lordes what hathe bewitched you that ye so sodēly are fallen frō Christ vnto Antichrist frō Christes gospel vnto mens tradicions from the Lord that boughte you vnto the Bishop now of Rome I warn you of your pearill be not deceiued except you will be found willingly consenters vnto your owne deathe For if ye thincke thus we are lay men thys is a matter of Religion we follow as we are taughte and led if oure teachers and gouernors teach vs and leade vs amisse the faulte is in them they shall beare the blame My Lords this is true I graunt you that both the false teacher and the corrupt gouernoure bothe shal be punished for the deathe of theyr subiecte whome they haue falselye taughte and corruptlye ledde And his bloud shall be required at their handes But yet neuerthelesse shal that subiecte die the death him self also that is he shal also be dampned for his owne sinne For if the blind leade the blinde Christe saithe not the leader only but he saithe bothe shall fall in the ditche Shall the Sinagoge and the Senate of the Iewes trow ye whyche forsooke Christe and consented to his Deathe therefore be excused because Annas Caiphas with the Scribes and Phariseis and their cleargy did teach them amisse yea and also Pilate theyr gouernoure and the Emperoures Lieuetenaunte by his tirranny did withoute cause put him to deathe Forsothe no my Lordes no but notwithstanding that corrupt doctrine or Pilates washinge of hys handes neither of both shal excuse other that sinagoge and seigniour or Pilate But at the Lordes hand for the effusion of that innocentes blud on the latter dai al shal drink of the deadlye whip Ye are wittye and vnderstand what I meane Therefore I will passe ouer thys and return to tel you howe you are fallen from Christe to his aduersarye the Bishyp of Rome And least my Lordes I maye peraduenture thincke me thus barely to call the Bishop of Rome Christes aduersarye or to speake it in plain termes to cal him Antichrist that it is don in mine anguish and that I do but rage and as a desperate man do not care what I say or vpon whome I do raile Therfore that your Lordships may perceiue my minde and vnderstande that I speake the words of truthe and of sobriety as S. Paule saide vnto Festus Be it knowne vnto your Lordships al that as concerning the bishop of Rome I nether hate the person nor the place For I ensure your Lordships y e liuing Lorde beareth me witnesse before whome I speake I doo thincke manye a good holy manne manye martirs and Saintes of God hath set and taught in that place Christes Gospel truely whiche therfore iustlye maye be called Apostolici that is true Disciples of the Apostles And also that Church and cōgregacion of Christians Apostolicke Church yea and that certaine hundreth yeares after y e same was first erected builded vpon Christ by the true Apostolicall Doctrine taught by the mouthes of the Apostles them selues If ye will know how long that was and how manye hundreth of yeares to be curious in poyntinge the precise nomber of yeres I wil not be to bold but thus I say so lōg and so manye hundred of yeres as that sea did truely teach and preach that gospel that religion exercised that power ordered euery thing by those lawes and rules whyche that sea receiued of the Appostles and as Tertulyan saithe and the apostles of Christe and Christe of God so long that Sea myght wel haue bene called Peter and Pauls chair and Sea or rather Christes Chaire and the Bishop thereof Apostolicus or a true Disciple of the Apostles and a minister of Christ. But since that time that Sea hath degenerated frō that trade of truth and true Religion whyche it receiued of the Apostles at the beginning and hathe preached a nother Gospell hathe sette vp an other Religion hathe exercised an other power and hath taken vpon it to ordre and rule the Churche of Christe by other straunge lawes Cannons and rules then euer that Sea receiued of the Apostles of Christe whyche thinges it dothe at this daye and hathe continued so doinge alasse alasse of to to lōg a time From time I saye that the state and condition of this Sea hathe thus bene chaunged In truthe it oughte of dutye and of righte to haue the names chaunged bothe of the Sea and of the sitter therein For vnderstande my Lordes it was neither for the Priuilege of that place or Persone thereof that that Sea and Bishop thereof wer called Apostolicke but for the true trade of Christes Religion whiche was taught and maintened in that Sea at the firste and of those godlye menne And therfore as truely and iustlye as that Sea then for that true trade of Religion and cōsanguinitie of Doctrine wyth the Religion and Doctrine of Christes Apostles was called Apostolick So as truely as iustly for y e
very short w t me mi mind was to haue don you good yet you caught in that litle time a losse But I trust it shalbe recompēced as it shal plese almighti god Farewel al my whole kindred countrymen Farewel in Christ altogether the Lord which is y e searcher of secreates knoweth that according to my harts desire mi hope was of late y t I shuld haue come among you and to haue brought w t me aboundaunce of Christes blessed Gospel accordinge to the duty of that office and ministery where vnto amōg you I was chosen named and appoynted by the mouthe of that oure late piereles Prince and king Edward And so also denounced openly in his court by his preuy counsaile I warne you al my welbeloued kinsfolkes and contreimen that ye be not amased or astonied at the kind of my departure or dissolutiō For I ensure you I thincke it the most honor that euer I was called vnto in all my life And therfore I thancke my Lord God hartely for it that it hathe pleased him to call me of his greate mercye vnto this highe honor to suffer deathe willinglye for hys sake and in hys cause vnto the which honor he called the holye Prophets and his dearely beloued Apostels and his blessed chosen martirs For knowe ye that I doubt no more but that the causes wherefore I am put to death are Gods causes and of truthe then I doubte that the Gospel which Ihon wrote is the Gospell of Christ or that Paules Epistles are the verye word of God And to haue a harte willinge to abide and stand in Gods cause and in Christes quarrell euen vnto deathe I ensure the O man it is an in estimable and a honorable gift of God geuen only to the true electes and dearly beloued childrē of God and inheritoures of the kingdome of heauen For the holye Apostle and also martyr in Christes cause Saint Peter saith If ye suffer rebuke in the name of Christ that is in Christes cause and for his truthes sake then ye are happye and blessed for the glory of the spirit of God resteth vppon you If for rebuke sake suffred in christes name a mā is pronoūced by the mouth of y e holy Apostle blessed and happye how much more happy and blessed is he that hathe the grace to suffer death also Wherfore al you that be my true louers and frēdes reioyse and reioyse with me againe And render with me harty thanckes to God oure heauenly father that for his Sonnes sake my Sauioure redeamer Christ he hath vouchsaued to call me beinge els without his gratious goodnesse in my selfe but a sinfull and a vile wretche to cal me I say vnto this high dignitie of his true Prophets and of his faithfull Apostles and of his holye elected and chosen Martyrs that is to die and to spende this Temporall life in the defence and maintenaunce of his eternall and euerlastinge truthe Ye knowe that be my Countrye men dwellinge vppon the Borders where alas the true man suffereth oft-times muche wronge at the theues hande if it chaunce a manne to be slaine of the theefe as it oft chaunceth there whiche wente oute with his neighboure to healpe hym to rescue his goodes againe that the more cruellye he be slaine and the more stedfaste hee stooke by hys neighboure in fighte agaynste the face of the theefe the more fauour and frendship shall all his posteritie haue for the slaine mans sake of all them that bee true as longe as the memorye of hys facte and hys Posteritye dothe endure Euen so ye that be my Kinsfolke and Countrye men knowe ye howe so euer the blinde ignoraunte and wicked worlde hereafter shall raile vppon my Deathe which thing they can not do worse then their fathers did of the death of Christ our sauioure of his holye Prophets Apostles and martirs Know ye I say that bothe before God and al them that be godlye and that truelye knoweth and followeth the lawes of God ye haue and shall haue by Gods grace euer cause to reioyse and to thanck God highly and to thinke good of it and in god to reioyse of me your fleshe and blud whome God of his gracious goodnes hath voutchsafed to associate vnto the blessed cōpany of his holy martirs in heauē I doubt not in the infinite goodnesse of my Lorde God nor in the faithfull fellowship of his electe chosen people but at bothe thier handes in my cause ye shall rather finde the more fauor grace For the Lord saith that he will be both to them and theirs that loueth him the more louinge againe in a thousand generacions The Lord is so full of mercy to them I saye theirs which do loue him in dede And Christe saithe againe that no man can shewe more loue then to geue his life for his frende Nowe also know ye all my true louers in God my kinsefolke and Countrymē that the cause wherfore I am put to death is euen after the same sorte and condicion but touchinge more nie Gods cause and in more weighty matters but in the generall kinde al one for both is Gods cause bothe is in the maintenance of righte bothe is for the commen wealth and both for the weale also of the Christian brother although yet there is in these two no small difference both concerning the ennemies the goodes stollen and the maner of the fight For know ye al as there when the pore true mā is robbed by y e thefe of his own goods truely gotten wherupon he hys houshold shuld liue is greatli wrōged and the thefe in stealing robbing with violence the pore mans goodes doth offend God doth trāsgresse his law is iniurious both to the pore man and to the commen welth so I say know ye al that euē here in the cause of my deathe the Church of England I meane the congregation of the true chosē children of God in this realm of England which I knowledge not only to be my neighbors but rather the congregation of my true spirituall brethren and sisters in Christ yea members of one body wherein by Goddes grace I am and haue ben grafte in Christe Thys Churche of Englande had of late of the infinite goodnesse and aboundaunte grace of almightye God greate substaunce greate ryches of heauenlye treasure greate plentye of Goddes true and sincere woorde the true and wholesome administracion of Christes holye Sacramenes the hole profession of Christes religion truelye and plainlye sette forth in Baptisme the plaine declaration and vnderstandynge of the same taught in the holy Cathechisme to haue ben learned of al true Christians This church had also a true and sincere forme and manner of the Lordes Supper wherin according to Christes own ordinaunce and holy institucion Christes commaundements were executed done For vpō the bread and wine set vpō the Lordes table thākes wer geuē the cōmemoration of the Lordes deathe was had the bread