accordingly came to pass Being askt what he should do and whither he would go if he should have his liberty he said He cared not whether he want out or no but if he did he would marry and abide still in England secretly teaching the people as the time would suffer him When the Keepers Wife told him the sad News as she called it of the nearness of his death being to be burned the next day he put off his Cap and lifting up his eyes to Heaven said I thank God for it I have looked for the same a long time and therefore it cometh not now to me suddenly but as a thing waited for every day and hour the Lord make me worthy thereof Creswell offering to labour for him Pa. 292. and desiring to know what suit he should make for him What you will do said he do it not at my request for I desire nothing at your hands If the Queen will give me life I will thank her if she will banish me I will thank her if she will burn me I will thank her if she will condemn me to perpetual imprisonment I will thank her The Chancellor pressing him to do as they had done in hopes of the Queens mercy and pardon Pa. 283. My Lord said he I desire mercy with Gods mercy i. e. without doing or saying any thing against God and his Truth pag. 290. but mercy with Gods wrath God keep me from Gods mercy I desire and also would be glad of the Queens favour to live as a Subject without clog on Conscience but otherwise the Lords mercy is better to me than life Life in his displeasure is worse than death and death with his favour is true life He having refused again and again to answer to the Chancellors Quaeries Pa. 286. said That no fear but the fear of perjury made him unwilling to answer he having been six times sworn not to consent to the practising of any Jurisdiction or any Authority on the Bishop of Rome's behalf within the Realm of England I am not afraid of death I thank God I look and have looked for nothing else from your hands a long time but I am afraid when death cometh I should have matter to trouble my Conscience by the guilt of perjury As for my death as I know there are twelve hours in the day so with the Lord my time is appointed and when it shall be his good time then I shall depart hence but in the mean season I am safe enough though all the people had sworn my death into his hands have I committed it and do his good will be done The Earl of Derby lending one of his Servants to him Pa. 292. willing him to tender himself He told the Messenger that he thanked his Lordship for his good will towards him but in this case I cannot tender my self more than Gods honour The same Servant saying also Ah Mr. Bradford consider your Mother Sister Friends Kinsfolk Countrey what a great discomfort it will be to them to see you dye as an Heretick Mr. Bradford replyed I have learned to forsake Father Mother Brother Sister Friends and all that ever I have yea and my own self for else I cannot be Christs Disciple Being askt by a good Gentlewomans Servant Pa. 305. that was sent to him How de did he answered Well I thank God for as men in Sailing which be near to the Shore or Haven where they would be would be nearer even so the nearer I am to God the nearer I would be In a Letter to his Mother and Brethren Pa. 308. I am at this time in Prison sure enough from starting to confirm that I have preached unto you As I am ready I thank God with my life and blood to seal the same if God vouchsafe me worthy of that honour If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him Be not therefore faint-hearted but rather rejoyce at the least for my sake who now am in the right and high way to Heaven for by many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of God Now will God make known his Children When the wind doth not blow the Wheat cannot be known from the Chaffe but when the blast cometh then flyeth away the Chaffe but the Wheat remaineth and is so far from being hurt that by the wind it is more cleansed from the Chaffe Gold when it is cast into the fire is the more precious so are Gods Children by afflictions Indeed I thank God more for this Prison than for any Parlour yea than for any pleasure that ever I had for in it I find God my most sweet good God alwayes Of all deaths it is most to be desired to dye for Gods sake such are sure to go to Heaven Death nor Life nor Prison nor Pleasure I trust in God shall be able to separate me from my Lord God and his Gospel Rejoyce in my sufferings for it is for your sakes to confirm the truth I have taught Howsoever you do be obedient to the Higher Powers that is in no point either in hand or tongue Rebel but rather if they command that which with good conscience you cannot obey lay your head on the Block and suffer what they shall do or say By patience possess your souls In his Letter to the City of London Pa. 310. I ask God heartily mercy that I do no more rejoyce than I do having so great cause as to be an instrument wherein it may please my dear Lord and Saviour to suffer Although my sins be manifold and grievous yet the Bishops and Prelates do not persecute them in me but Christ himself his Word his Truth and Religion Let the anger and plagues of God most justly fallen upon us be applyed to every one of our deserts that from the bottom of our hearts every one of us may say It is I Lord that have sinned against thee It is my hypocrisie my vain-glory my covetousness uncleanness carnality security idleness unthankfulness self-love c. which have deserved the taking away of thy Word and true Religion of thy good Ministers by Exile Imprisonment Death c. Prepare your selves to the Cross be obedient to all that be in Authority in all things that be not against God his Word for then answer with the Apostle It is more meet to obey God than man Howbeit never for any thing resist or rise against the Magistrates A venge not your selves Commit your Cause to the Lord. If you feel in your selves an hope and trust in God that he will never tempt you above that he will make you able to bear be assured the Lord will be true to you and you shall be able to bear all brunts but if you want this Hope flee and get you hence rather than by your tarrying Gods Name should be dishonoured In his Letter to Cambridge Pa. 312. Thou my Mother the University hast not onely had the truth of Gods
the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Do you not receive the very body and blood of Christ No surely said she I believe that the Supper I neither receive flesh nor blood but Bread and Wine which Bread when it is broken and Wine when it is drunken putteth me in remembrance how that for my sins the Body of Christ was broken his Blood shed on the Cross and with that Bread and Wine I receive the Benefits that come by the breaking of his Body shedding of his Blood for our sins on the Cross Why said he doth not Christ speak these words Take eat this is my Body Require you any plainer words Doth he not say it is his Body I grant he saith so said she and so he saith I am the Vine I am the Door and yet is not the Vine or the Door Doth not St. Paul say Rom. 4. He calleth things that are not aâ— though they were When Fecknam took his leave he said That he was sorry for her for I am sure said he that we two shall never meet True it is said she that we shall never meet except God turn your heart for I am assured unless you repent turn to God you are in an evil case and I pray God in the Bowels of mercy to send you his Holy Spirit In her Letter to her Father Father although it hath pleased God to hasten my death by you by whom my life should rather have been lengthened yet can I so patiently take it as I yield to God more hearty thanks for shortening my woful dayes than if all the world had been given unto my Possessions with life lengthened at my own will Pag. 33. Although my death at hand to you seem right woful to me there is nothing that can be more welcome than from this vale of misery to aspire to that heavenly Throne of all joy and pleasure with Christ our Saviour in whose stedfast faith if it be lawful for the Daughter so to write to the Father the Lord that hitherto hath strengthened you so continue you that at last we may meet in Heaven with the Father the Son and the holy Ghost In her Letter to Mr. Harding formerly her Fathers Chaplain and a zealous Preacher of the Gospel but then turn'd Papist she writes thus As oft as I call to mind the dreadful and fearful saying of God That he which layeth hold on the Plough Luke 9. and looketh back is not meet for the Kingdome of Heaven and on the other side the comfortable words of our Saviour Christ to those That forsaking themselves do follow him I cannot but marvel at thee and lament thy Case who seemed sometime to be the lively Member of Christ but now the deformed Imp of the Devil sometime the beautiful Temple of God but now the filthy and stinking Kennel of Satan sometime the unspotted Spouse of Christ but now the shameless Paramour of Antichrist sometime my faithful Brother but now a Stranger an Apostate sometime a stout Christian Souldier but now a cowardly Run-away yea when I consider these things I cannot but cry out upon thee thou seed of Satan and not of Judah whom the Devil hath deceived the world hath beguiled and the desire of life subverted and made thee of a Christian an Infidel Wherefore hast thou taken the Testament of the Lord in thy mouth Wherefore hast thou instructed others to be strong in Christ when thou thy self dost now so shamefully shrink so horribly abuse the Testament and the Law of the Lord When thou thy self preachest not to steal yet most abominably stealest not from men but from God and committing most hainous facriledge robbest Christ thy Lord of his right members thy body soul and choosest rather to live miserably with shame to the world than to die and gloriously with honour reign with Christ in whom even in death is life Why dost thou now shew thy self most weak when indeed thou oughtest to be most strong The strength of a fort is unknown before the assault but thou yieldest thy hold before any battery be made Oh wretched and unhappy man what art thou but dust and ashes and wilt thou resist thy Maker that fashioned and framed thee Wilt thou now forsake him that called thee from the custome-gathering of the Romish Antichristians to be an Ambassadour and Messenger of his Word He that first framed thee and since the first Creation and Birth preserved thee nourished and kept thee yea and inspired thee with the Spirit of Knowledge I cannot say of grace shall he not now possess thee Darest thou deliver up thy self to another being not thine own but his How canst thou having knowledge or how darest thou neglect the law of the Lord and follow the vain traditions of men and whereas thou hast been a publick Professor of his Name become now a Defacer of his glory Wâ—lt thou refuse the true God and worship the invention of man the golden Calf the whore of Babylon the Romish Religion the abominable Idol the most wicked Mass Wilt thou torment again rent and tear the most precious Body of our Saviour Corist with thy bodily and fleshly teeth Wilt thou take upon thee to offer up any Sacrifice unto God for our sins considering that Christ offered up himself as Paul saith upon the Cross a lively Sacrifice once for all Can neither the punishment of the Israelites which for their Idolatry they oft received nor the terrible threatnings of the Prophets nor the curses of Gods own mouth fear thee to honour any other God than him Dost thou so regard him that spared not his dear onely Son for thee so diminishing yea utterly extinguishing his glory that thou wilt attribute the praise and honour due unto him to the Idols which have mouths and speak not eyes and see not ears and hear not which shall perish with them that made thee Pa. 34. Confounded be all they that worship them Christ offereth up himself once for all and wilt thou offer him up again daily at thy pleasure But thou wilt say thou dost it for a good intent Oh sink of sin Oh child of perdition Dost thou dream therein of a good intent where thy conscience bears thee witness of Gods threatned wrath against thee How did Saul how for that he disobeyed the Word of the Lord for a good intent was thrown from his worldly and temporal Kingdome Wilt thou for a good intent dishonour God offend thy Brother and danger thy soul wherefore Christ hath shed his most precious blood Wilt thou for a good intent pluck Christ out of Heaven and make his death void deface the triumph of his Cross by offering him up daily Wilt thou either for fear of death or hope of life deny and refuse thy God who enriched thy poverty healed thy infirmity and yielded to thee his Victory if thou couldst have kept it Dost thou not consider that the thread of thy life
In English thus If God pretect me malice cannot end me If not all I can do will not defend me After dark night I hope for light H. Haggar He was persecuted for saying A. 1520. Fox Vol. â— pag. 44. that There should be a battel of Priests and all the Priests should be slain and that the Priests should a while rule but they should all be destroyed for making of false gods That the men of the Church should be put down and the false gods that they make and after that they should know more and then should be a merry world Hale When Thomas Hale was taken by an Alderman of Bristow and another he said unto them Fox Vol. 3. pag. 892. You have sought my blood these two years and now much good do it you He was bâ—rned A. 1557. for saying The Sacrament of the Altar is an Idol Hall Nichalas Hall in his Answer to the first Article against him granted himself a Christian man Fox Vol. 3. pag. 38â— and acknowledged the determinations of the holy Church i. e. of the Congregation or Body of Christ but denied to call the Catholick and Apostolick Church his Mother because he found not this Word Mother in the Scripture To the second he said That whereas before he held the Sacrament to be but onely a token or remembrance of Christ's death now he said that There is neither token nor remembrance because it is now misused and clean turned from Christs institution c. Hallewin Harman When Cornelius Hallewin of Antwerp had received a sharp Letter Fox Vol. 3. Cont. p. 7. sent him from the Minister of the Flemish Church upon the occasion of a recantation spread and falsly fathered upon Cornelius the blood gushed out of his nose he spread abroad his arms and made pitiful out-cries What to deny the Truth said he God forlid O that the faithful should conceive so hardly of me Good God thou knowest I am innocent nor have I this way offended When he was condemned to die the Margrave offered him that he should die a more easie kind of death if he would give ear to the Priests which he had brought to him to Prison No Sir said he God forbid I should do such a thing Do ye with my body what ye will As they bound him and Harman of Amsterdam Harman wâ—lled the Margrave to take heed what he did for said he this will not go for payment in Gods sight in bereaving us thus of our Lives I wish you therefore to repent before it be too late You cannot long continue this tyrannous course for the Lord will shortly avenge it A Cross being offered them and a promise that they should be beheaded and not burnt if they would take it into their hands they said They would not give the least sign that might be of betraying the Truth and that it was all one to them what death they were put to so they died in and for the Lord. The punishment they said could last but for a while â—ut the glory to come was eternal At the Stake Cornelius fell on his knees praying God to forgive his enemies who had sinned through ignorance When the Margrave of Antwerp offered Hallewin and Harmar mitigation of torments upon abjuration Ward pag. 157. We are resolved said they these momentary afflictions are not worthy that exceeding weight of glory that shall be revealed Hallingdale Articles against John Hallingdale Fox Vol. 3. pag. 856. 3 That during the reign of King Edward he did depart from his former Faith and Religion and so doth continue and determineth so to do as he saith to his life's end 4 That he hath divers times said That the Faith Religion and Ecclesiastical Service received observed and used now in this Realm is not good but against Gods command c. And that he will not in any wise conform himself to the same but speak and think against it during his natural life 5 That he absenteth himself continually from his Parish Church c. 6 That he will not have his Child by his will as he saith confirmed by the Bishop Unto all which Articles he made this answer that he confessed all and every part to be true He told Bonner that the blood of the Prophets Revel 18 and of the Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth was found in the Babylonical Church which is the Church where the Pope is head Because I will not come to your Babylonical Church therefore you go about to condemn me Being demanded whether he would recant he answered That he would continue and persist in his Opinions to the death When the Sentence was read He openly thanked God that he never came into the Church since the abomination came into it Hallywell When William Hallynell and the twelve more that were burnt in one Fire at Stratford the Boâ— near London were condemned Fox Vol. 3. pag. 708. and carried down thither to be burnt they were divided into two parts in two several Chambers Thereupon the Sheriffe came to the one part and told them That the other had recanted and their lives therefore should be saved willing and exhorting them to do the like and not to cast away themselves unto whom they answered That their Faith was not built on man but on Christ crucified Then the Sheriffe went to the other part and said the like to them but they answered as their Brethren had done before That their Faith was not built on man but on Christ and his Word Hamelin Mr. Philibert Hamelin of Tournay Fox Vol. 3. Cont. p. 5. refusing offers of escape out of Prison said I esteem it altogether unbeseeming for a man that is called to preach Gods Word unto others to run away and to break Prison for fear of danger but rather to maintain the Truth taught even in the midst of the flaming fire After Sentence of death was past upon him he eat his meat as joyfully as though he had been in no danger speaking to them of the happiness of eternal life evidencing that A good conscience is a continual feast When he was apprehended Fox Vol. 2 pag. 151. there was apprehended with him his Host whom he thought he had converted but afterward he renounced Christ and his Word Whereupon he said unto him O unhappy and more than miserable Is it possible for you to be so foolish as for the saving of a few dayes which you have to live by the course of nature so tostart away and deny the Truth Know you therefore that although you have by your foolishness avoided the corporal fire yet your life shall be never the longer for you shall die before me and God shall not give you the grace that it shall be for his Cause and you shall be an example to all Apostates Immediately after as he was going out of the Prison he was slain by two Gentlemen that had a quarrel with him whereof when
merry He had my sins and I have â— merits and righteousness To the Friers offering him a woodden Crucisâ— he said Christ needs not the help of this Piece 〈◊〉 imprint him in my mind and heart where he haâ— 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 â— Command of Christ and at the request of â— Members Farrar Mr. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 216. Richard Jones coming to Dr. Robert Farrâ— Bishop of St. David a little before his death aâ— 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 Fiiâ—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 Soâ— 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 Fâ—sh was laid Through the filthy stench thereof they were all infected and some took their death but Mr. Frith
keep us and also comfort us with the Holy Ghost and set our Conscience at peace and make us be glad in God Pag. 69 c. c. Christian patience hath certain conditions whereby it is known to be true patience 1 It grudgeth not neither excuseth it self as though it should suffer unworthily for his sins wherefore he sitteth down and holdeth his peace as Jeremiah saith 2 It casteth all carefulness on God and committeth it self wholly to God that Gods will be done and not his 3 It humbleth himself and casteth off the pleasures of the World A Prep to the Cross Pag. 70. 4 He is merry and ready to suffer yet more heavy and grievous evils We must look for help in all afflictions for God promiseth his help saying I am with you Fear ye not I will strengthen you But the manner Pag. 72. time and kind of help is unknown unto us that Faith and Hope may have place which sticketh to these things which are not seen nor heard God delivereâ—â— when most need is Pag. 76. that his glory may shine the brighter He will therefore help Pag. 89. when we be in â— manner compelled to despair in all humane help and when all carnal counsel deceiveth us for God only will be glorified He doth prolong help for our utility and profit Pa. 91. that he might exercise and prove Faith by temptation so that he onely might possess the title and name of Helper He that believeth makes not haste Pag. 92 93. He which yet seems a far off shall appear at the end and shall not lye although he tarry yet look for him for he is coming and at the last he shall come and shall not be slow It is also a great comfort to them that be in affliction to remember that they have Christ See cha 12 of the Prep to the Cross l. 1. and c. 12. l. 2. See p. 105. and his Prophets and Apostles and all good and holy men for their examples Furthermore it is a great comfort to the godly that the wicked whom God doth use as a rod to scourge the godly go not clear away without punishment whom he maketh either shamefully ashamed or through their own counsel he doth take them and bringeth them into the same destruction which they themselves have studied and found out for others The cause is For he that huâ—teth one faithful Pa. 109 110. wrongeth not onely him but God who doth revenge the injury and wrong done to the faithful as injury done to himself He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Saul Saul why persecutest thou me If thou beest tempted concerning the Gospel Pa. 136 c. or suffering persecution for the Gospel think of these Scriptures He that receiveth not my Cross and follows not me is not worthy of me If any man will come after me let him forsake himself and take his Cross and follow me For he that will save his soul shall lose it Contrariwise he that loseth his soul for my sake shall find it He that will confess me before men I will confess him before my Father The Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy The Servant is not above his Lord all they that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution If thou must dye and leave Wife and Children and thy dear Friends say The Lord shall be their Defender for God both will and is able to cherish mine to nourish and defend them for he is the Father of the fatherless and the Widows Husband I forget things behind my back See also chap. 16. l. 2. and endeavour my self to those things that are before my face They that have Wives let them be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not If Satan say thou must forsake the world what then Answer thou contrariwise I shall attain Heaven For blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord. All the world lyeth in wickedness All that are born of God overcome the world and this is the victory which overcometh the world our faith All the world shall perish with its lusts and desires Love not the world nor the things of the world We are strangers in this world citizens of Heaven Ye sons of men why love ye vanities and seek lies how long love you infancy or childhood The godly have most comfort See p. 176 c. of the Preparation c. though in this life they be as sheep ordained to be flain and seem forsaken of God c. yet they do not despair no not in death but are sure they shall pass through death to life eternal c. Also they have this comfort that their death is good and precious they also know that through Christs death death is overcome and abolished Pa. 180. Christ by his death hath changed their death into a sleep Such as be at the point of death Pa. 184. ought to take comfort and be strong in that they know that they carry with them both Letter and Token which is Baptisme whereby their death is incorporate with the death of Christ and that it is not their death so much as the death of Christ Wherefore let them surely trust that they shall overcome as that death of Christ hath overcome Pa. 191. Unto the godly it is a great comfort that they know that death is not in the power of Tyrants nor put into the hand of any Creature least they should be much troubled c. they shall onely die when it pleaseth the Lord. We cannot live any longer than the Lord hath appointed and we shall not die Pa. 193. though we be in the greatest peril and extream jeopardy before our hour Then wherefore should they fear death Pa. 202. they cannot live longer than God hath appointed nor die any sooner It is the comfort of the godly in all adversity See pag. 205 c. that through the Grace of God they shall be revived and raised up as well the body as the soul the souls to Justice the bodies to Glory This hope the wicked have not Pa. 223 224. c. It is a great comfort that affliction shall not endure continually and the afflictions of this time are not worthy of the Glory which shall be shewed upon us Our trouble which is but temporal and light worketh an exceeding eternal weight of Glory unto us who look not on the things that are seen but on them which are not seen If a man praise a very fool saith Mr. Frith in his Preface to his Mirrour and think his wit good and profound he is indeed more fool than the other Thus seeing man praiseth and commends riches honour c. and such other vain and transitory things which are but as a dream and vanish like a flower of the field when a man should have most need of them he himself is more vain than
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 Vâ—lume of Lives p. 60 c. Non aliena putes homini quae obtingere possunt Sors hâ—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
right Yet said Rolph take heed of him he is a blood-sucker c. I fear not said Alcock he shall do no more to me than God will give him leave and happy shall I be if God will call me to dye for his Truths sake In his first Letter to Hadley he writes thus O my Brethren of Hadley why are ye so soon turned from them which called you into the Grace of Christ to another Doctrine Though those should come unto you that have been your true Preachers and preach another way of salvation then by Jesus Christs death and passion hold them accursed yea if it were an Angel came from Heaven and would tell you that the sacrifice of Christs body upon the Cross once for all were not sufficient for all the sins of all those that shall be saved accursed be he Why cometh this plague upon us Cometh not this upon thee because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Thine own wickedness shall reprove thee and thy turning away shall condemn thee that thou mayest know how evil and hurtful a thing it is that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Algerius Pomponius Algerius Fox Vol. 2. pag. 181. whilst he was a Prisoner at Venice before he was burnt at Rome writ thus in his comfortable Letter to the Christians departed out of Babylon into Mount Sion To mitigate your sorrow which you take for me I cannot but impart unto you some portion of my joyes which I feel to the intent you may rejoyce with me I shall utter that which scarce any will believe I have found a nest of honey an honey-comb in the entrails of a Lion In the deep dark Dungeon I have found a Paradise of pleasure In the place of sorrow and death tranquility of hope and life when others do weep I do rejoyce when others do shake and tremble there I have found plenty of strength and boldness in strait bands and cold irons I have had rest Behold he that was once far from me now is present with me whom once I could scarce feel I now see most apparently whom once I saw afar off now I behold near at hand whom once I hungred for the same now approacheth and reacheth his hand unto me he doth comfort me and heapeth me up with gladness he driveth away all bitterness he ministreth strength and courage c. O how easie and sweet is the Lords yoke Learn ye well-beloved how amiable the Lord is how meek and merciful who visiteth his servants in temptations neither disdaineth he to keep company with us in such vile and stinking Caves Will the blind and incredulous world think you believe this or rather will it not say thus No thou wilt never be able to abide long the burning heat the pinching hardness of that place c. The rebukes and frowning faces of great men how wilt thou suffer Dost not thou consider thy pleasant Countrey the Riches of the World thy Kinsfolk the delicate pleasures and Honours of this life Dost thou forget the solace of thy Sciences and fruit of all thy Labours Wilt thou thus lose all thy labours which thou hast hitherto sustained Finally fearest thou not death which hangeth over thee O what a fool art thou which for one words speaking mayest salve all this and wilt not But now to answer Let this blind world hearken to this again What heat can there be more burning then that fire which is prepared for thee hereafter What things more hard and sharp and crooked than this present life which we lead What thing more odious and hateful than this world here present And let these worldly men here answer me What Countrey can we have more sweet than the Heavenly Countrey above What treasures more rich or precious than everlasting life and who be our Kinsmen but they which hear the Word of God Where be greater riches or dignities more honourable than in Heaven And as touching the Sciences let this foolish world consider Be not they ordained to know God whom unless we do know all our labours our night-watchings our studies and all our enterprises here serve to no purpose all is but labour lost Furthermore let the miserable worldly men answer me What remedy or safe refuge can there be unto him who lacks God who is the life medicine of all men how can he be said to fly from death when he himself is already dead in sin If Christ be the way verity life how can there be any life without Christ The solely heat of the Prison to me is coldness the cold winter to me is a fresh spring in the Lord. He that feareth not to be burned in the fire how will he fear the heat of weather Or what careth he for the pinching frost which burneth for the love of the Lord The place is sharp and tedious to them that be guilty but to the innocent it is mellifluous Here droppeth the delectable dew here floweth the pleasant Nectar here runneth the sweet milk here is plenty of all good things In this world there is no mansion firm to me and therefore I will travel up to the New Jerusalem which is in Heaven and which offereth it self to me without paying any Fine or Income I have travelled hitherto laboured and sweat early and late watching day and night and now my travels begin to come to effect What man can now cavil that these our labours are lost which have followed and found out the Lord and Maker of the World and which have changed death with life If to dye in the Lord be not to dye but to live most joyfully where is this wretched worldly Rebel which blameth us of folly for giving away our lives unto death O how delectable is this death to me to taste of the Lords Cup. I am accused of foolishness for that I do not rid my self out of these troubles when with one word I may But doth not Christ say Fear not them which kill the body but him which killeth both body and soul and whosoever shall confess me before men him will I also confess before my Father which is in Heaven and he that denyeth me before men him will Falso deny before my Heavenly Father Seeing the words of the Lord be so plain how or by what authority will this wise Counsellor approve this his counsel which he doth give God forbid that I should relinquish the commandements of God and follow the counsels of men for it is written Blessed is the man that hath not gone in the way of sinners and hath not stood in the counsel of the ungodly c. Psal 1.1 God forbid I should deny Christ where I ought to confess him I will not set more by my life then by my soul neither will I exchange the life to come for this world here present This Letter he underwrit thus From the delectable Orchard of Leonine Prison 12 Calend. August An. 1555. Allen. Sir Edmond Tyrrel bidding Rose
Christ shall be on the same Augustine Boughs fall off trees said he and stones out of buildings Ward pa. 140. and why should it seem strange that mortal men dye Austine Austine a Barbar Fox Vol. 2. pag. 124. born about Hennegow in Germany as he was led to execution being desired by a Gentleman to have pity upon himself and if he would not favour his life yet that he would favour his own soul He answered What care I have of my soul you may see by this that I had rather give my body to be burned than to do that thing that were against my conscience B Babilas Babilas Bishop of Antiâ—ch St. Chrysost cont Gentiles being cast by Decius into a filthy stinking Prison for the name of Christ with as many irons as he could bear intreated his Friends that visited him that after his death they would bury with him the signs and tokens of his valour meaning his bolts and fetters Now said he will God wipe away all tears Ward pag. 141. and now I shall walk with God in the land of the living Bainham Mr. James Bainham Fox Vol 2. pag. 300. when he repented of his Recantation in Austin's Church in London He declared openly with weeping eyes that he had denyed God and prayed all the people to beware of his weakness and not to do as he did For said he If I should not return again unto the truth this Word of God he having a New Testament in his hand would damn me both body and soul at the Day of Judgement He perswaded them to die by and by rather than to do as he did for he would not feel such an hell again for all the worlds good When he was at the Stake in the midst of the flaming fire which had half consumed his Arms and Legs he spake these words O ye Papists Behold ye look for miracles and here now you may see a miracle for in this fire I feel no more pain than if I were in a Bed of Down it is to me as a Bed of Roses Barbevil John Barbevil said to the Friers that called him ignorant Ass Ward pag. 162. Well Admit I were so yet shall my bloud witness against such Balaams as you be Bale Mr. John Bale in his excellent Paraphrase in Apocalyps See the image of both Churches printed 1550. In his Preface He that will live godly in Christ Jesus and be a patient sufferer he that will stand in Gods fear and prepare himself to temptation he that will be strong when adversity shall come and avoid all assaults of Antichrist and the Devil let him give himself wholly to the study of this prophesie He that knoweth not this Book knoweth not what the Church is whereof he is a member It containeth the universal troubles persecutions and crosses that the Church suffered in the Primitive Spring what it suffereth now and what it shall suffer in the later Times by the subtilties of Antichrist and his Followers the cruel Members of Satan and it manifesteth what Promises what Crowns and what Glory the said Congregation shall have after this present Conflict with the Enemies that the promised Rewards might quicken the hearts of those that the Torments feareth Unto St. John were these Mysteries revealed when he was by the Emperor Domitianus exiled for his Preaching into the Isle of Patmos at the cruel Complaints of the Idolatrous Priests and Bishops and by him writ and sent out of the same exile into the Congregations The Contents of this Book are from no place more freely and clearly opened nor told forth more boldly than out of exile Flattery dwelâ—ing at home and sucking there still his Mothers breasts may never tell out the truth he seeth so many dangers on every side as displeasure of Friends decay of Name loss of Goods offence of Great men and jeopardy of Life c. The forsaken wretched sort hath the Lord provided alwayes to rebuke the world of sin hypocrisie blindness for nought is it therefore that he hath exiled a certain number of believing Brethren the Realms of England of the which afflicted Family my faith is that I am one Whereupon In have considered it is no less my bounden â—â—uty under pain of damnation to admonish Christs flock by this present Revelation of their perils past and dangers to come for contempt of â—he Gospel which now reigneth there above all 〈◊〉 the Clergy Graciously hath the Lord calâ—ed them especially now of late but his voice is â—othing regarded His Servants have they impriâ—ned tormented and slain having his Verity in much more contempt then before We looked for a time of peace saith the Prophet Jeremiah and we fare not the better at all we waited for a time of health and we find here nothing else but trouble And no marvel considering the Beasts head that was wounded is now healed up again so workmanly as Rev. 13. mentioneth The abominable hypocrisie idolatry pride and filthiness of those terrible termagaunts of Antichrists holy houshold those two-horned Whoremongers those Conjurers of Egypt and lecherous Locusts leaping out of the bottomless Pâ—t which daily deceive the ignorant multitude with their Sorceries Charms must be shewed to the World to their utter shame and confusion To tell them freely of their wicked works by the Scriptures I have exiled my self for ever from mine own native Countrey Kindred Friends Acquaintance which are the great delights of this life and am well contented for the sake of Christ and for the comfort of my Brethren there to suffer poverty penury abjection reproof and all that shall come beside Here are we admonished before-hand of two most dangerous evils neither to agree with those Tyrants that wage war with the Lamb in his elect Members nor yet to obey those deceitful Bishops thaâ— in hypocrisie usurp the Churches Titles O those hath our heavenly Lord premonished us in this heavenly work of his and graciously called us away from their abominations lest we should be partakers of their sins and so receive of their plagues If we unthankfully neglect it the greateâ— is our danger Barlaam He holding his hand in the flame over the Altar Fox Vol. 1 pag. 118. Ward pag. 141. sung that of the Psalmist Thou teachest my hands to war and my fingers to fight I have been reported said Dr. Fox Vol. 2 pag. 527. Barnes at the Stake to be a Preacher of Sedition and disobedient to the Kings Majesty but here I say to you that you are all bound by the command of God to obey your Prince with all humility and with all your heart and that not onely for fear of the sword but also for conscience sake before God Yea I say further If the King should command you any thing against Gods Law if it be in your power to reâ—ist him yet may you not do it Basil When Valens the Emperour sent his Officers to him seeking to turn him from the
Faith Burroughs in Moses Self-denial pa. 117. And first of all great preferments were offered him Basil rejected them with scorn Offer these things said he to Children When he was afterwards threatned grievously Threaten said he your Purple Gallants that give themselves to their pleasures When the Emperors Messenger promised him great preferment Alas Sir Clarks Lives Part 1. pag. 101. said this Bishop of Caesarea these speeches are fit to catch little Children that look after such things but we that are taught and nourished by the holy Scriptures are ready to suffer a thousand deaths rather than to suffer one syllable or tittle of the Scripture to be altered When the Emperour threatned to banish him Leighs Saints Encouragements in evil times pag. 9. c. if he obeyed not he said Those Bag-bears were to be propounded to Children but for his part though they might take away his life yet they could not hinder him from professing the Truth When Modestus the Praefect asked him Clark pag. 101. Know you not who we are that command it No body said Basil whilst you command such things Know ye not said the Praefect that we have Honours to bestow upon you They are but changeable said Basil like your selves Hereupon he threatned to confiscate his Goods to torment him to banish him or kill him he answered He need not fear confiscation that had nothing to lose nor banishment to whom Heaven onely is a Countrey nor torments when his body would be dash'd with one blow nor death which is the onely way to set him at liberty The Praefect telling him he was Mad he said Opto me in aeternum sic delirare I wish I may for ever be thus Mad. The Praefect another time threatning him with death he said Would it would fall out so well on my side that I might lay down this carkass of mine in the quarrel of Christ and in the defence of his Truth who is my Head and Captain The Praefect desiring that he would not by rashly answering throw himself away offered him a day and night to consider further of it but Basil said I have no need to take further counsel about this matter Look what I am to day the same thou shalt find me to morrow but I pray God that thou change not thy mind Benden Alice Benden For Vol. 3. pag. 796. when she was in Prison at Canterbury agreed with a fellow Prisoner to live both of them with two pence half penny a day to try thereby how well they could sustain penury and hunger before they were put to it At her first coming into the Bishops Prison she was much troubled and expostulated why her Lord did suffer her to be sequestred from her loving Fellows in so extreme misery But was comforted by these words Why art thou so heavy O my soul The right hand of the Lord can change all At the stake she took forth a shilling of Philip and Mary which her father had bowed and sent her when she was first in Prison desiring her Brother there present to return the same to her Father again that he might understand she never lacked money whilst she lay in Prison Bennet Mr. Thomas Bennet a School-master in Exceter For Vol. 2. 314. being press'd by a Doctor a Gray Frier to recant for putting upon the doors of the Cathedral in Schedules That the Pope is Antichrist and that we ought to worship God onely and not the Saints said I take God to record my life is not dear to me I am weary of it seeing your detestable doings to the utter destruction of Gods flock so that I desire death that I may no longer be partaker of your detestable idolatries and superstitions or be subject unto Antichrist your Pope Away from me I pray you vex my soul no longer ye shall not prevail If I should hear and follow you this day everlasting death should hang over me a just reward for them that prefer the life of this world before life eternal Berger Peter Berger burnt at Lions 1553. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 140. beholding the multitude at the stake said Great is the Harvest Lord send Labourers I see the heavens open to receive me Betken When she was brought to the Rack she said Fox Vol. 3. Suppl p. 49 My Masters wherefore will you put me to this torture seeing I have no way offended you Is it for my Faith's sake you need not torment me for that for as I was never ashamed to make confession thereof no more will I be now at this present before you I will freely shew you my mind therein But for all this when they proceeded on with what they intended Alas my Masters said she If it be so that I must suffer this pain then give me leave first to call upon God Her request they granted whilst she was praying one of the Commissioners was so surprised with fear and terrour that by and by he swouned and could not be fetcht again and so she escaped the torture Bilney Mr. Fox Vol. 2 pag. 268. Thomas Bilney in a Letter to Dr. Tonstal Bishop of London he gives this account of his conversion The woman which was twelve years vexed with the bloudy Flux had consumed all that she had upon Physicians and yet was still worse and worse until such time as she came to Christ and after she had once touched the hem of his vesture through faith she was healed O mighty power of the most High which I also most miserable sinner have ofâ—en tasted and felt Before I came to Christ I had likewise spent all I had upon ignorant Physicians They appointed me Fastings Watchings buying of Pardons and Masses c. But at last I heard speak of Jesus even then when the New Testament was first set out by Erasmus At first I was allured to read rather for the Latine having heard it was eloquently done than for the Word of God At the first reading I hit upon this sentence of Sr. Paul O most sweet and comfortable sentence to my soul in 1 Tim. 1. It is a true saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief This sentence through Gods instruction and inward working did so exhilarate my heart being before wounded with the guilt of my sins insomuch that my bruised bones leapt for joy after this the Scripture began to be more pleasant to me then the honey or the honey-comb Therein I learned that all my Travels all my Fasting and Watching all the redemption of Masses and Pardons without faith in Christ were but a hasty and swift running out of the right way or else much like the vesture made of Fig-leaves wherewithall Adam and Eve went about in vain to cover their nakedness and could never obtain quietness and rest till they believed in the promise of God that Christ the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents
to sist thee yet Christ thy good Captain pray'd that thy faith should not fail God's strength is made perfect by thy weakness c. But alas I lye like the lame man at the Pools side and every one goeth into the place of health before me In his Letter to William Tyms Satan hath two great pieces of Ordnance to shoot at you with the which he cannot hurt you because you have two bul-warks to defend you The first of these terrible Guns that he hath shot at you is fear and infidelity for the uglesomness of death and horrour of your many and great sins But this pellet is easily put away with the sure shield of faith in the most precious death and bloodshedding of our dear Lord and onely Saviour Jesus Christ whom the Father hath given to us wholly to be ours for evermore and with him hath given us all things as Paul saith so that though we be never so great sinners yet Christ is made unto us holiness righteousness and justification He hath clothed us in all his merits c. and taken to himself all our sin c. so that if any should be now condemned for the same it must needs be Jesus Christ who hath taken them upon him But indeed he hath made satisfaction for them to the uttermost so that for his sake they shall never be imputed to us if they were a thousand times more than they be The other pestilent Piece he shooteth off at you is to provoke you to put some part of your trust and considence in your self and in your own holiness and righteousness that you may that way rob God of his glory and Christ of the honour and dignity of his death but blessed be the Lord God you have also a full strong Bâ—l-work to beat back this pestilent Pellet even the pure Law of God which proveth the best of us all damnable sinners in the sight of God and that our best works are polluted in such sort as the Prophet describes them with the which manner of speaking our free-will Pharisees are much offended for it felleth all mans righteousness to the ground In his Letter to Mr. Augustine Bernher Pray for me that I may be strong hardy to lay a good load on that bloody beast of Babylon O that I might so strike him down that he should never be able to rise again but that stroke belongeth onely to the Lord to strike at his coming which I hope will be shortly Carpenter All Bavaria said George Carpenter is not so dear to me as my wife and children Ward pag. 156. yet for Christs sake I will forsake them cheerfully Carver Mr. Derick Carver Fox Vol. 3. pag. 385. being asked by Bonner whether he would stand for his Confession answered He would for your Doctrine is poyson and forcery If Christ were here you would put him to a worse death than he was put to before At the stake he spake thus Dear Brethren and Sisters I am come here to seal with my blood Christs Gospel because that I know it to be true As many of you as do believe upon the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost unto everlasting life see you do the works pertaining to the same As many of you as do believe on the Pope of Rome you do believe to your utter condemnation and except the great mercy of God prevent not you shall burn in Hell perpetually In his Prayer O Lord my God thou hast written He that will not forsake wife children house and all that ever he hath and take up his cross and follow thee is not worthy of thee Lord thou knowest that I have forsaken all to come unto thee Lord have mercy upon me for unto thee I commend my Spirit and my soul doth rejoyce in thee Chrysostome Eudaxia the Emperess having sent him a very threatning message he gave this answer Go Clark ' s first Volume of Lives pag. 145. tell her Nil nisi peccatum timeo I fear nothing but sin When she had procured his banishment as he went forth of the City he said None of these things trouble me but I said within my self if the Queen will let her banish me the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if she will let her cast me into the sea I will remember Jonah if she will let her cast me into a burning fiery Furnace or among wild beasts the three children Daniel were so dealt with if she will let her stone me or cut off my head I have St. Stephen and the Baptist my blessed Companions if she will let her take away all my substance Naked came I out of my Mothers womb and naked shall I return thither again He used to say the Devil 's first assault is violent resist that and his second will be weaker and that being resisted he proves a Coward Clarebachius I believe said Adolphus Clarebachius that there is not a merrier heart in the world at this instant than mine is Ward pag. 159. Behold you shall see me die by that faith I have lived in Cobham See Sir John Oldcastle under the Letter O Clark When Roger Clark was sentenced Fox Vol. pag. 569. he said with much vehemency Fight for your God for he hath not long to continue At the Stake he cried out to the people Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Coligni Jasper Coligni Fox Vol. 3 pag. 57. Clarks Martyrology c. pag. 41. of his life great Admiral of France who was slain in the Massacre at Paris August 24. 1572. being shot in the left Arm with two Bullets and the fore singer of the right hand broke off with a third and being told by a Gentleman that it was to be feared the Bullets were poysoned he said All must be as it pleaseth God Seeing his Friends weep which held his Arm whilst the Incisions were made he said My Friends why do you weep I judge my self happy that bear these wounds for the Cause of my God To Mr. Merlin his Chaplain he said These wounds my Friend are Gods blessings The smart indeed is troublesome but I acknowledge the will of my Lord therein and I bless his Majests who hath been pleased thus to honour me and to lay any pain upon me for his holy Names sake Let us beg of him that he will enable me to persevere to the end Speaking concerning those that wounded him I know assuredly said he that it is not in their power to hurt me No though they should kill me for my death is a most certain passage to eternal life N When the Blood-hounds brake open the house where he lay wounded he spake thus I perceive what is a doing I was never afraid of death and I am ready to undergo it patiently for which I have long since prepared my self I bless God that I shall die in the Lord. I now need no longer any help of man therefore
my friends get ye hence The presence of God to whose goodness I commend my soul is abundantly sufficiently for me Colver Sheep we are for the slaughter said Francis Colver to his two Sons Ward pa. 163. massacred together with himself this is no new thing let us follow millions of Martyrs through temporal death unto eternal life Coo. Roger Câ—â— being asked by the Bishop of Norwich Fox Vol. 3419. whether he would not obey the Kings Laws answered As far as they agree with the Word of God I will obey them Whether they agree with the Word of God or no we are bound to obey them said the Bishop though the King were an Infidel Coo replyed If Shadrach Meshach and Abednego had so done Nebuchadnezzar had never confessed the Living God Constantine Being carried with other Martyrs in a Dung-Cart to the place of Execution Ward pa. 154. he spake thus Well yet are we a precious odour and a sweet savour to God in Christ Cornford John Cornford one of the last five that suffered Martyrdome in Queen Mary's dayes when the Sentence should have been passed Fox Vol. 3. pag. 893. and they should have been executed by the Papists being moved in Spirit with a vehement zeal for God in the name of them all pronounced Sentence of Excommunication against the Papists in these words In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the most mighty God and by the power of the holy Spirit and the authority of his holy and Apostolick Church We do hereby give into the hands of Satan to be destroyed the bodies of those Blasphemers and Hereticks that do maintain any errour against his most holy Word or do condemn his most holy Truth for Heresie to the maintenance of any false Church or seigned Religion so that by this thy just judgment against thy Adversaries thy true Religion may be known to thy great glory and our comfort to the edifying of all our Nation Lord Jesus So be it It is observable that within six dayes after this Excommunication Quen Mary died and the tyranny of all English Papists with her Conlogue Brethren and Sisters said Peter Conlogue of Breda at the Stake be you alwayes obedient to the Word of God and fear not those that can kill the body Fox Vol. 3. pag. 50. for on the soul they can have no power as for me I am now going to meet my glorious Spouse the Lord Jesus Christ Cranmer When Dr. Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury was Excommunicated he said Fox Vol. 3. pag. 92. From this your Judgement and Sentence I appeal to the just Judgement of God Almighty trusting to be present with him in Heaven for whose presence in the Altar I am thus condemned In his Letter to Mr. Wilkinson Pa. 677. The true Comforter in all distresses is onely God through his Son Jesus Christ Whosoever hath him hath Comfort enough although he were in a Wilderness all alone He that hath twenty thousand in his company if God be absent is in a miserable Wilderness In him is all comfort and without him is none Wherefore I beseech you seek your dwelling there where you may truly and rightly serve God dwell in him have him ever dwelling in you After he had recanted and was brought to Saint Mary's Church in Oxford where Dr. Cole after he had preached bitterly against him shewing why he was to be executed notwithstanding his Recantation prest him to evidence to the people his conversion to Popery Dr. Cranmer entreated the people to pray with him and for him that God would pardon his sins especially his Recantation After he had prayed he told them Pa. 669. It is a sad thing to see so many so much dote upon the love of this false World and be so careful of it and so careless of Gods love or the World to come therefore this shall be my first exhortation that you set not your minds overmuch upon this glozing World but upon God and the World to come to learn to know what this Lesson meaneth which St. John teacheth That the Love of this World is hatred against God Let rich men consider and weigh three Scriptures Luke 18. It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of Heavin 1 John 3. He that hath the substance of this world and seeth his Brother in necessity and shutteth up his mercy from him how can he say that he loveth God James 5.1 2. Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you your riches are corrupted Another exhortion is That next under God you obey your King and Queen willingly gladly without murmuring or grudging They are Gods Ministers Whosoever resisteth them resisteth the Ordinance of God And now I come said he to the great thing that so much troubleth my Conscience more than any thing that ever I did or said in my whole life and that is the setting abroad a Writing contrary to the Truth which now here I renounce and refuse as things written with my hand contrary to the Truth which I thought in my heart and written for fear of death and to save my life if it might be And forasmuch as my hand offended writing contrary to my heart my hand shall first be punished therefore for may I come to the fire it shall be first burned At the Stake when the fire began to burn near him he stretching out his arm put his right hand into the flame which he held so stedfast that all men might see his hand burned before his body was touched His eyes lifted up to Heaven he cried out even as long as he could speak O his unworthy hand His last words were the words of Stephen Lord Jesus receive my spirit Cromwel Thomas Lord Cromwel Earl of Essex Fox Vol. 2. pag. 529. the morning that he was executed having chearfully eaten his break-fast passing out of the Prison down the Hill in the Tower met the Lord Hungerford going to Execution for other matter and â—erceiving him to be heavy and doleful he willed him to be of good comfort for if you repent said he of what you have done there is mercy enough for you with the Lord who for Christs sake will forgive you and though the break-fast we are going to be sharp yet trusting in the mercy of the Lord we shall have a joyful dinner In his Prayer on the Seaffold O Lord Jesus Pa. 515. who art the onely health of all men living and the everlasting life of them which die in thee Being sure that the thing cannot perish which is committed to thy mercy willingly now I leave this frail and wicked flesh in sure hope that thou will in better wise restore it to me again at the last day in the resurrection of the Just I see and acknowledge there is in my self no hope of salvation but all my considence hope and trust is in
thy most merciful goodness Thou merciful Lord wast born for thy sake didst suffer hunger thirst for my sake didst teach pray and fast for my sake all thy holy actions and works thou wroughtest for my sake thou sufferedst most grievous pains and torments for my sake and finally thou gavest thy most precious body and blood to be shed on the Cross for my sake Now most merciful Saviour let all these things profit me c. Let thy blood cleanse and wash away the sport and soulness of my sins let thy righteousness hide and cover my unrighteousness Cyprian He went in the time of Persecution into voluntary Banishment Clark's first Volume of Lives pag. 51. Leigh's Saints Encouragements in evil times pag. 10. lest as he said he should do more hurt than good to the Congregation When he heard the sentence pronounced against him he said I thank God for freeing me from the Prison of this Body He said Amen to his own sentence of Martyrdome The Proconsul bidding him consult 〈…〉 it he answered In so just a Cause there needs no deliberation D. Daigerfield William Daigerfield and Joan his Wise who then gaue 〈◊〉 to her tenth child being imprisoned in several Prisons Fox Vol. 3â— pag. 759. Bishop Brooks sent for the man and told him that his Wise had recanted and so perswathod him to recant and so sent him to his Wife with a Form of Recantation with him which when his Wife say her heart clave in sunder and she dried out Alas Husband this long we have contributed one and hath Satan so far prevailed with you as to cause you to break the Voâ—â— which you made to God in Baptisme Hereupon 〈◊〉 bewailed his promise beg'd of God that he might not live so long as to call evil good and good evil light darkness or darkness light And accordingly 〈…〉 to pass Damlip Mr. Adam Damlip Fox Vol. 2. pag. 564. when he had been almost two years in the Marshalsey considering how he could not employ his talent there to God's Glory as he desired though he had many Favours in Prison resolved to write to the Bishop of Winchester earnestly to desire that he might come to his Tryal for said he I know the worst I can but lose my present life which I had rather do than here to remain and nor to be suffered to use my talent to God's Glory When he understood by the Keeper that his suffering was near he was notwithstanding very mercy and did eat his meat as well as over he did in all his life insomuch that some at the Board said unto him they wondred how he could eat his meat so chearfully knowing he was for near his death Al Masters said he Do you think that I have been so long God's Prisoner in the Marshalsey and have not yet learned to die Yes yes and I doubt not but God will strengthen me therein When he was told that his four Quarters should he hanged at four parts of Calice and his Head upon the Lanthern-gate Then shall I not need said he to provide for my Burial Dilos Alas said James Delos to the Monks that called him proud Heretick here I get nothing but shame Ward pag. 1151. I expect indeed preferment hereafter Denley Mr. John Denley being entreated by Bishop Bonner to recant said Fox Vol. 3. pag. 388. God save me from your Counsel In the Fire with the burning flame about him he sung a Psalm and having his face hurt with a Fagot hurled at him he left singing for a while and clapt his 〈◊〉 in his bleeding face and afterwards put his hands abroad and â—ung again till he died Dionysius Dionystus Arâ—pagâ—â—a who seeing the general Eclipse of the Sun at Christ's death Clarks first volume of Lives p. 12. said to one Either the God of Nature now suffers or the frame of the World shall be dissolved and to another God unknown in the flesh doth suffer When he was apprehended by Sisinius the Praesect and sharply reproved for preaching against the worship of their Gods and required to confess his errour said That they were no gods whom they worshipped but Idols the works of mens hands and that it was through meer ignorance solly and idolatry that they adored them adding that there was but one true God as he had preached After he was grievously tormented he was brought before Sisinius the second time who sentenced him to be beheaded forthwith Dyonisius told him he worshipped such Gods as would perish like Dung upon the Earth but as for my self said he come life come death I will worship none but the God of Heaven and Earth He pray'd thus at his death O Lord God Almighty thou onely begotten Son and Holy Spirit O Sacred Trinity which are without beginning and in whom is no division Receive the soul of thy Servant in peace who is put to death for thy Cause and Gospel He used to say That he desired these two thingâ— of God 1 That he might know the Truth himself and 2 That he might preach it as he ought to others Driver Alice Driver in her first Examination Fox Vol. 3. pag. 886. having got her Adversaries to acknowledge that a Sacrament is a sign and that it was Christ's Body his Disciples did eat the night before he was crucified Seeing it is said she a sign it cannot be the thing signified and how could it be Christs Body that was crucified seeing his Disciples had eaten him up over night except he had two Bodies At the end of her second Examination Pa. 887. She said Have you no more to say God be honoured You be not able to resist the Spirit of God in me a poor Woman I was an honest poor man's Daughter never brought up in the University as you have been but I have driven the Plough before my Father many a time I thank God yet notwithstanding in the desence of God's Truth and in the Cause of my Mr. Christ by his Grace I will set my foot against the foot of any of you all in the maintenance and defence of the same and if I had a thousand lives they should go for payment thereof When she was tied to the Stake Fox Vol. 3 pag. 888. and the iron Chain put about her neck O said she here is a goodly Neckerchief blessed be God for it Drowry Thomas Drowry the blind Boy Fox Vol. 3. pag. 703. to whom Bishop Hooper as he was going to the Stake after he had examined him said Ah poor Boy God hath taken from thee thy outward sight but he hath given thee another sight much more precious He that endued thy soul with the eye of Knowledge and Faith Shortly after Bishop Hooper's Martyrdome was cast into Prison Afterwards the Chancellor of Glocester asking him who taught him that Heresie that Christ's Body was not really present in the Sacrament of the Altar he said You Mr. Chancellor when in yonder
from the Cross as the superstitious multitude do but rather to the Cross in token that they be ever ready willingly to receive the Cross when it shall please God to lay it upon them The day that it cometh not count it clear won giving thanks to the Lord who hath kept it from you and then when it cometh it shall nothing dismay you for it is no new thing but that which you have continually looked for And doubt not but that God who is faithful will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear but shall ever send some occasion by the which ye shal stand stedfast for either he shall blind the eyes of your enemies and diminish their Tyrannous Power or else when he hath suffered them to do their best and that the Dragon hath cast a whole flood of waters after you he shall cause even the Earth to open her mouth swallow them up So faithful is he careful to ease us when the vexation shall be too heavy for us he shall send a Joseph before you against ye shall come into Egypt yea he shall so provide for you that ye shall have an hundred Fathers for one an hundred Mothers for one anâ— hundred Houses for one and that in this life as I have proved by experience and after this life everlasting joy with Christ our Saviour Notwithstanding since this steadfastness comes not of our selves as St. Austin saith there was never man so weak or frail no not the greatest offender that ever lived but that every man of his own nature should be as frail and commit as great enormities except he were kept from it by the Spirit Power of God I beseech you Brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ to pray with me that we may be Vessels to his laud and praise what time soever it pleaseth him to call upon us The Father of Glory give us the Spirit of wisdom understanding and knowledge and lighten the eyes of our mind that we may know his wayes praising the Lord eternally Amen John Frith the Prisoner of Jesus Christ at all times abiding his pleasure In his Letter to his Friends concerning his troubles Fox Vol. 2. pag. 306. I doubt not dear Brethren but that it doth some deal vex you to see the one part to have all the words and freely to speak what they list and the other to be put to silence and not to be heard indifferently but refer your matterâ— unto God who shortly shall judge after another fashion The Archbishop of Canterbury having sent one of his Gentlemen Fox Vol. 3 pag. 990 991. and one of his Porters to fetch Mr. John Frith out of the Tower to be examined The Gentleman pitying him endeavoured to perswade him to relent to Authority and to give place for a time and not to cast himself away and suffer all his singular gifts to perish with him with little profit to the world c. Mr. Frith gave him thanks for his good will but told him farther thus My Cause and Conscience is such that in no wise I either may or can for any worldly respect without danger of damnation start aside c. I I be demanded what I think of the Supper of the Lord otherwise called the Sacrament of the Altar I must needs say my Knowledge my Conscience though I should presently lose twenty lives if I had so many And if I may be indifferently heard I am sure mine Adversaries cannot condemn me or mine Assertion c. Yea marry quoth the Gentleman you say well if you might be indifferently heard but I much doubt thereof for that our Master Christ was not indifferently heard neither should be as I think if he were now present again in the world c. Well well quoth Frith unto the Gentleman I know very well that the Doctrine of the Sacrament which I hold have opened contrary to the Opinion of this Realm is very hard meat to be digested both of the Clergy and Laity but this I will say to you That if you live but tweny years more you shall see this whole Realm of mine Opinion c. and if it come not to pass then account me the vainest man that ever you heard speak with a tongue All things well and rightly pondered my death in this Cause which is Gods and not mine shall be better unto me and all mine than life in continual bondage and misery The Gentleman was so wrought upon that he contrived a way for Mr. Fritâ—'s escape and prevailed with the Porter to agree with him in the suffering thereof and then told him that the business which he had undertaken viz. to lead him as a sheep to the slaughter so grieved him that he was overwhelmed with careâ— and sorrows whereupon he was resolved what danger soever he incurred to find out a way to deliver him out of the Lyons mouth and so acquainted him with the way that he and the Porter had agreed upon Mr. Frith having diligently hearkened to his Speech said with a smiling countenance And is this the effect of your secret consultation all this while surely you are like to lose your labour for if you should both leave me here and go to Croydon declaring to the Bishops that you haâ— lost Frith I would surely follow after as fast as I could and bring them news that I had found anâ— brought Frith back again Do you think that I am afraid to declare mine Opinion before the Bishopâ— in so manifest a Truth You are a fond man said the Gentleman thus to talk Do you think that your reasoning with the Bishops will do any good I much marvel that you were so willing to flie the Realm before you were taken and now so unwilling to save your self when you may Marry saith Frith there is a great difference between escaping then and now then I was at liberty and not attached but now being taken by the Higher Powers and that by Almighty Gods permission and providence I am fallen into the Bishops hands onely for Religions sake and for such Doctrine â— I am bound in conscience under pain of damnation to maintain If I should now start aside and run away I should run from my God and from the testimony of his Word whereby I should deserve a thousand hells At the time of his burning Dr. Fox Vol. 2. pag. 310. Cook admonished all the people that they should no more pray for him then they would do for a Dog Whereupon Mr. Frith smiling desired the Lord to forgive him Fulgentius An Arian Bishop offering to punish the Priest that had most mercilesly beaten him Clarks first volume of Lives p. 167 c. if he desired it he said It is not lawful for a Christian to meditate revenge our Lord Christ well knows how to repay the injuries offered to and inflicted on his Servants If my case be avenged then lose I the reward of my patience
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 Hâ—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
behaved themselves boldly in Gods Cause as Stephen Peter Paul Daniel the three Children the Widows Sons in your dayes Anne Askew Lawrence Sanders John Bradford c. Be afraid in nothing saith Saint Paul of the adversaries of Christs Doctrine Phil. 1. the which is to them a sign of perdition but to you of everlaesting salvation Christ commandeth the same saying Fear them not Let us not follow the example of him who asked time first to take leave of his Friends If we do so we shall find few of them that will encourage us to go forward in our business please it God never so much We read not that James and John Andrew and Simon when they were called put off the time till they had known their Fathers and Friends pleasure but the Scripture saith They forsook all Mat. 13. and by and by followed Christ Christ likened the Kingdom of God to a precious Pearl the which whosoever findeth selleth all that he hath to buy it Yea whosoever hath but a little taste or glimmering how precious a treasure the Kingdome of Heaven is will gladly forego both life and goods for the obtaining of it But the most part now adayes be like to Aesop's Cock which when he had found a precious stone wished rather to have found a barley corn so ignorant be they how precious a jewel the Word of God is that they choose rather the things of this world which being compared to it be less in valuê than a barley corn If I would have given place to worldly reasons these might have moved me the foregoing of you and my children the consideration of the state of my children being yet young apt and inclinable to vertue and learning and so having the more need of my assistance I was never called to be a Preacher or Minâ—ster and because of my fickness fear of death in Prison before I should come to my answer and so my death to be unprofitable But these and such like I thank my heavenly Father which of his infinite mercy inspired me with his Holy Ghost for his Sons sake my onely Saviour and Redeemer prevailed not in me But when I had by the wonderful permission of God fallen into their hands at the first sight of the Sheriffe nature a little abashed yet ere ever I came to the Prison by the working of God and through his goodness sear departed Little justice was shewed by Mr. Sheriffe but the less justice a man sindeth at their hands the more consolation in conscience shall he find from God for whosoever is of the world the world will love him After I came to Prison and had reposed my self there a while I wept for joy and gladness my belly full musing much of the great mercies of God as it were saying to my self after this sort O Lord who am I on whom thou shouldst bestow this thy great mercy to be numbred among the Saints that suffer for the Gospels sake And so beholding and considering on the one side my imperfection unableness sinsul misery and unworthiness and on the other side the greatness of Gods mercy to be called to so high promotion I was as it were amazed and overcome for a while with joy and gladness concluding thus O Lord thou shewest power in weakness wisdome in foolishness mercy in sinfulness Who shall let thee to choose where whom thou wilt As I have ever zealously loved the consession of thy Word Pa. 424. so ever thought I my self unworthy to be partaker of afflâ—ction for the same Some travelling with me to be dismissed upon bonds to them my answer was to my remembrance after this sort Forasmuch as the Masters have imprisoned me having nothing to burthen me withal if I should enter into bonds I should in so doing accuse my self â—eâ—ing they have no matter to lay to my charge they may as well let me pasâ— without bonds as with bonds Secondly if I shall enter into bonds covenant and promise to appear I shall do nothing but excuse colour and cloak their wickedness indanger my self nevertheless being bound by my promise to appear Afterward debating the matter with my self these considerations came into my head I have from time to time with good conscience God I take to record moved all such as I had conference with to be no dalliers in Gods matters but to shew themselves after so great a light knowledge hearty earnest constant and stable in so manifest a truth and not to give place one jot contrary to the same Now thought I if I shall withdraw my self and make any shifts to pull my own neck out of the Coller I shall give great offence to my weak Brethren in Christ and advantage to the enemies to slander Gods Word It will be said he hath been a great emboldner of others to be earnest and fervent to fear no worldly perils and dangers but he himself will give no such example Wherefore I thought it my bounden duty both to God and man being as it were by the great goodness of God called and appointed hereunto to setaside all fear perils and dangers all worldly respects and considerations and like as I had before according to the measure of my small gift within the compass of my vocation and calling from the bottom of my heart unseignedly moved exhorted and perswaded all that profess Gods Word manfully to persist in the defence of the same not with sword and violence but with suffering and loss of life rather than to defile themselves again with the whorish abominaon of the Romish Antichrist So the hour being come with my fact example to ratifie confirm and protest the same to the hearts of all true Believers and to this end by the mighty assistance of Gods holy Spirit I resolved my self with much peace of conscience willingly to sustain whatsoever the Romish Antichrist should do against me When Mr. Warren the Chancellor willed the chief Jaylor to carry me to the Bishop I laid to his charge the cruel seeking of my death and when he would have excused himself I told him he could not wipe his hands so He was as guilty of my blood before God as though he had murthered me with his own hands He departed from me saying I needed not to fear if I would be of his belief God open his eyes and give him grace to believe this which he and all of his inclination shall find I fear too true for their parts that all they which cruelly maliciously and spitefully persecute molest and afflict the Members of Christ for their Conscience sake and for the true testimony of Christs Word Cause them to be most unjustly slain and murthered without speedy repentance shall dwell with the Devil his Angels in the fiery lake everlastingly where they shall wish and desire cry and call but in vain as their right companion Epulo to be refreshed of them whom in this world they contemned despised
from the beginning said I though it bear no glorious shew before the world being ever for the most part under the Cross and affliction contemned despised and persecuted The Bishop contended on the other side that theâ— were the Church So cried all the Clergy againsâ— the Prophets of Jerusalem said I saying The Church the Church c. So much out of Mâ— Glover's choice Letter After he was condemned Pa. 427. his heart was lumpish and desolate of all spiritual consolation whereupon fearing least the Lord had utterly withdrawâ— he made his moan to Mr. Austine Bernher his familiar friend telling him how he had prayed nigâ— and day to God and yet had no sense of comsoâ— from him The Minister desired him to wait patiently the Lords leisure and howsoever his present seeling was yet seeing his cause was just he exhorted him constantly to stick to the same anâ— to play the man not doubting but the Lord in 〈◊〉 good time would visit him and satisfie his desâ—â— with plenty of consolation whereof said Mâ— Bernher he was right certain and sure and therefore desired him whenever any such feeling 〈◊〉 Gods heavenly mercies should begin to touch 〈◊〉 heart that then he should shew some significatiâ—â— thereof The next day as he was going to the place of his Martyrdome and was come within sight of the Stake although all the night before praying for strength and courage he could feel none suddenly he was so mightily replonished with Gods holy comfort and heavenly joys that he cried out clapping his hands to Austine and saying in these words Austine He is come he is come c. and that with such joy and alacrity as one seeming rather to be risen from some deadly danger to liberty of life than as one passing out of the world by any pains of death Godfrey When one called Godfrey de Hammele Heretick Ward pag. 157. he said No Heretick but an unprofitable Servant yet willing to die for his Lord and reckoning this death no death but a life Goodman Mr. Christopher Goodman See hit Sermon on Act. 4.19 Enlarged and Printed at Gena 1558. Pa. 216 c. an exiled Minister of Christ in Queen Mary's dayes declaring the cause of all the then misery in England and the onely way to remedy the same writes as followeth from Geneva If all in whom the People should look for comfort be altogether declined from God as in deed they appear to be at this present time in England without all fear of his Majesty or pity upon their Brethren Then assure your selves dear Brethren and Servants of God there can be no better counsel nor more comfortable or present remedy which you shall prove true if God grant you his Spirit and Grace to follow it then in continual and daily invocation of his Name to rest wholly and onely upon him make him your shield buckler and refuge who hath so promised to be to all them that are oppressed and depend upon him to do nothing commanded against God and your conscience prefering at all times the will of God to the will of men faying answering to all manner of persons This God hath commanded this we must do That God hath forbidden that we will not do If you will rob us spoil us for doing the Lords will to the Lord must you make answer and not to us for his goods they are and not ours If ye will imprison us behold you are oppressours if ye will hang us or burn us behold ye are murtherers of them which fear the Lord. And for our part if you take from us this vile and corruprible life we are sure the Lord will grant it us again with joy and immortality both of soul and body If God give you grace to make this or the like answer and strength to contemn their Tyranny you may be sure to find unspeakable comfort quietness of conscience in the midst of your danger and greatest rage of Satan And thus boldly confessing Christ your Saviour before men as by the examples of thousands of your Brethren before your faces God doth mercifully encourage you you may with all hope patience wait for the joyful confession of Christ again Pa. 218. before his Father and Angels in Heaven that you are his obedient and dearly beloved Servants being also assured of this that if it be the will of God to have you any longer to remain in this miserable world that then his Providence is so careful over you present with you that no man or power can take away your lise from you nor touch your body any farther than your Lord and God will permit them which neither shall be augmented for your plain confession nor yet diminished for keeping of silence for nothing cometh to the Servants of God by hap or chance whose hairs of their heads are numbred Whereof if ye be so assured at ye ought there can be nothing that should make you to shrink from the Lord. I they do cast you into Prison with Joseph the Lord will deliver you If they cast you to wild beâ—sts and Lions as they did Daniel you shall be preserved If into the Sea with Jonas Pâ— 219. you shall not be drowned or into the dirty dungeon with Jeremy you shall be delivered or into the fiery Furnace with Shadrach Meshach and Abednego yet shall not be consumed Contrariwise if it be his good pleasure that you shall glorifie his holy Name by your death what great thing have you lost changing death for life misery for felicity continual vexation and trouble for perpetual rest and quietness churing rather to die with shame of the world being the Servants of God than to live among men in honour being the Servants of Satan and condemned of God Otherwise if you give place to the wickedness of men to escape their malice and bodily dangers you shew your selves therein to fear man more than the mighty and dreadful God him that hath but power of your body and that at Gods appointment then God himself who hath power after he hath destroyed the body to cast both soul and body into hell fire there to remain everlastingly in torments unspeakable And moreover Pa. 220. that which you look to obtain by these sinful shifts you shall be sure to lose with grief and trouble of conscience for this saying of your Master being true and certain that They which seek to save their life meaning by any worldly reason or policy shall lose it Mat. 16. What shall be their gains at length when by dissimulation and yielding to Popish Blasphemy they dishonour the Majesty of God to enjoy this short miserable and mortal life to be cast from the favour of God and company of his heavenly Angels to enjoy for a short time their goods and possessions among their fleshly and carnal Friends when as their conscience within shall be deeply wounded with hell-like torments when Gods curse and
Mr. Hamelin heard he professed he knew of no such thing before but spake as pleased God to guide his tongue And thereupon discoursed excellently of the providence of God to the conversion of some present When he was in Prison a Priest came in one Sabbath with all his furniture to say Mass but Mr. Hamelin when he saw him pull'd off his garments c. saying Is it not enough for you to blaspheme God in Churches but you must also pollute the Prison with your idolatry Hamilton Mr. Patrick Hamilton The Eccles Hist of Scotl. p. 4. Brothers Son to James Hamilton Earl of Arran and Sisters Son to John Stuart Duke of Althai hating the world and the vanity thereof left Scotland and travelled into Germany where he became intimate with Martin Luther Philip Melancthon Francis Lambert and became an eminent Professor the zeal of Gods glory did eat him up so that he could not chuse but he must return into his own Countrey to make known the Gospel Articles objected against him Fox Vol. 2. pag. 227. That the Pâ—pe is Antichrist That the Popes Laws be of no strength That he doubted Whether all Children departing immediately after their baptism are saved or condemned At the place of Execution he gave his Servant who had been his Chamberlain a long time Scor. Hist pag. 4. his Gown Coat c. saying These will not profit in the fire they will profit thee After this of me thou canst receive no commodity except the example of my death Pag. 6. which I pray thee bear in mind for albeit it be bitter to the flesh and fearful before men yet it is the entrance unto eternal life which none shall possess that denies Christ Jesus before this wicked Generation The fire being kindled he cryed with a loud voice Lord Jesus receive my spirit How long shall darkness overwhelm this Realm And how long wilt thou suffer this tyranny of men A Black Frier called Campbel who had pretended some love to the Gospel cryed out to him Convert Heretick call upon our Lady say Salve Regina c. His answer was Depart and trouble me not thou Messenger of Satan Wicked man thou knowest the contrary and the contrary to me thou hast confessed I appeal thee before the tribunal seat of Christ Jesus Mr. Fox saith Vol. 2. pag. 218. That he cited him to appear before the High God as general Judg of all men to answer to the innocency of his death c. between that and a certain day of the next Moneth which he there named and that the Frier died before the said day came without remorse of conscience that he had persecuted the innocent He was burnt Feb. ult A. 1527. In his Treatise stiled Patricksplaces Pa. 229. by Mr. John Frith who translated it out of Latine into English He that loveth God loveth his Neighbour If a man say 1 John 4. Rom. 13. Galat. 5. John 16. Pa. 230. Rom. 9. I love God and yet hateth his Brether is a Lyar c. He that loveth his Neighbour as himself keepeth all the Commandments of God He that hath faith loveth God My Father loveth you because you love me and believe that I am come of God It is not in our power to keep any one of the Commandments of God But you will say Wherefore doth God bid us do that which is impossible for us I answer To make thee know that thou art but evil and that there is no remedy to save thee in thine own hand and that thou mayest seek remedy at some other c. The remedy is shewed in the Gospel To believe God is to believe his Word and to account what he saith true Faith is the gift of God Faith is not in our power Pa. 231. He that lacketh Faith cannot please God All that is done in Faith pleaseth God Pa. 232. He that believeth the Gospel shall be saved No manner of works make us righteous Pa. 233. He that thinks to be saved by his works calleth himself Christ Thou must do good works but beware that thou do them not to deserve any good through them Mrs. Katherine Hamilton Sister to Mr. See the Preface before the Eccles Hist of Scotland Patrick was also accused and being questioned about works she answered That none was saved by his works One thereupon speaking to her of the works of Congrno and Condigno she answered Work here work there what kind of working is all this No works can save me but Christ's Hamell Wâ—â—n Godfrey Hamel was condemned for an Heretick Nay said he not an Heretick Fox Vol. 2. pag. 127. but an unprofitable servant of Jesus Christ When the Hangman went about to strangle him to diminish his punishment he refused it saying That he would abide the Sentence that the Judges had given Hankes Mr. Fox Vol. 3. Pag. 256. Thomas Hankes being ask'd by Bonner why he suffered his Child to be unchristened so long answered Because we be bound to dâ—nothing contrary to the Word of God Being told that Baptism is commanded by the Word of God His institution therein said he I do not deny but all things invented and devised by man c. But will you said Bonner deny that which all the World and your Father have been contensed withal What my Father said Hankes and all the World hath done I have nothing to do with but what God hath commanded me to do to that stand I. Pa. 257. Bonner telling him that Baget was converted to think well of their Baptism I build my faith said he neither upon this man nor upon you but upon Christ who is the founder and author of all mens faith Bonner threatning to take another course with him Whatsoever ye do said he I am ready to suffer it for I am in your hands to abids it Bonner telling him he would not have any Heresie talked in his House Why said he is the Truth become Heresie God hath commanded that we should have none other talk in our House in our Beds at our Meat and by the way but all I ruth Darbishire Bonners Kinsman telling him he was too curious for he would have nothing but his pretty Gods Book he answered And is it not sufficient for my salvation Yes said D. for our salvation but not for our instruction God send me the salvation said H. and you the instruction Bonner threatning him again You are said he in the hands of God and so am I. That which I have said I will stand to it God willing there is no way to remove it Bonner telling him that a Fagot would make him know and believe the Sacrament of the Altar No no said he a point for your Fagot What God thinketh meet to be dâ—ne that shall ye do and mere ye shall not do Bonner telling him That he was willing to teach him but he was so stubborn that â—e would not learn Except ye learn me
he had before spoken in open audience in commendation of M. Wickliff and Mr. Hus He said unto them I take Gâ—d to my witness and I protest here before you all that I do belive and hold the Articles of the Faith aâ— the holy Catholick Church doth hold and believe the same but for this cause shall I now be condemned for that I will not consent with you to the condemnation of those most holy and blessed men aforesaid whom you have most wickedly condemned for their detesting and abhorring your wicked and abominable life After the Bishop of Londy had ended his Sermon which was but an exhortation to condemn Mr. Hierome he said unto them You shall condemn me wickedly and unjustly but I after my death will leave a remorse in my conscience and a nail in your heart and here I cite you to answer unto me before the most high and just Judge within an hundred years This Prophesie was printed in the Coin called moneta Hussi Pa. 830. of the which Coin I my self saith Mr. Fox have one of the Plates having the following sperscription printed about it Centum revolutis annis Deo respondebitis mihi An hundred years come and gone With God and me you shall reckâ—n After Sentence was pronounced against him Pa. 837. a long Mitre of paper painted about with red Devils was brought to him whereupon he said Our Lord Jesus Christ whenas he should suffer death for me most wretched sinner did wear a Crown of Thorns upon his Head and I for his sake instead of that Crown will willingly wear this Mitre or Cap. When the fire was kindled he said Pa. 838. Clarks Mart. of Eccl. Hist pag. 223. Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit O Lord God Father Almighty have mercy upon me and pardon mine effences for thou knowest how sincerely I have loved thy Truth When the Executioner began to kindle the fire behind him he bade him kindle it before his face for said he If I had been afraid of it I had not come to this place having had so many opportunities offered to me to escape it At the giving up of the ghost he said Hanc animam in flammis offero Christe tibi This soul of mine in flames of fire O Christ I offer thee In his Letter to Mr. Fox Vol. 1. pag. 830. John Hus. My Master in those things which you have both written hitherto and also preached after the Law of God against the pride avarice and other inordinate vices of the Priests go forward be constant and strong and if I shall know that you be oppressed in the cause and if need shall so require of mine own accord I will follow after to help you as much as I can Petrie 's Church Hist Gent. 15. p. 539. In the Letter of Poggius Secretary to the Council of Constance to Leonard Aretine concerning Hierome's death I profess I never saw any man who in talking especially for life and death hath come nearer the eloquence of the Ancients whom we do so much admire It was a wonder to see with what words with what Eloquence Arguments Countenance and with what confidence he answered his Adversaries and maintained his own Cause that it is to be lamented that so fine a wit had strayed into the study of Heresie if it be true that was objected against him When it was refused that he should first plead his own Cause and then answer to the railings of Adversaries he said How great is this iniquity that when I have been three hundred and forty dayes in most hard prisons in filthiness in dung in fetters and want of all things ye have heard my Adversaries at all times and ye will not hear me one hour Ye are men and not gods ye may slip and err and be deceived and seduced c. When it was demanded what he could object to the Articles against him It is almost incredible to consider how cunningly he answered and with what Arguments he defended himself He never spake one word unworthy of a good man that if he thought in his heart as he spake with his tongue no cause of death could have been against him no not of the meanest offence In the end Poggius saith O man worthy of everlasting remembrance among men This Epistle is in Fasciculrer expetend fol. 152. Holland A Friend of Mr. Roger Holland's thanking the Bishop for his good will to his Kinsman and beseeching God that he might have grace to follow his Councel Sir said Mr. Holland You crave of God you know not what I beseech God to open your eyes to see the light of his Word Roger said his Kinsman hold your peace lest you fare the worse at my Lords hands No said he I shall fare as it pleaseth God for man can do no more then God doth permit him The Register asking him Fox Vol. 3 pag. 875. Whether he would submit himself to the Bishop before he was entred into the Book of contempt I never meant said he but to submit my self to the Magistrate as I learn of St. Paul Rom. 13. yet I mean not to be a Papist they will not submit themselves to any other Prince or Magistrate than those that must first be sworn to maintain them and their doings Bonner telling him Roger I perceive thou wilt be ruled by no good counsel c. He answered I may say to you my Lord as Paul said to Felix and to the Jews Acts 22. 1 Cor. 15. It is not unknown to my Master whose Apprentice I was that I was of this your blind Religion c. having that liberty under your auricular Confession that I made no conscience of sin but trusted in the Priests absolution c. So that Letchery Swearing and all other vices I accounted no offence of danger so long as I could for money have them absolved Pa. 876. And thus I continued till of late God hath opened the Light of his Word and called me by his grace to repentance of my former idolatry and wicked life The antiquity of our Church is not from Pope Nicholas or Pope Jone but our Churchis from the beginning even from the time that God said to Adam that the seed of the woman should break the Serpents head c. All that believed this promise were of the Church though the number were oftentimes but few and small as in Elias dayes when he thought there was none but he that had not bowed the knee to Baal c. Moreover of our Church have been the Apostles and Evangelists the Martyrs and Confessors that have in all Ages been persecuted for the testimony of the Word of God After Sentence was read against him Pa. 877. he said Even now I told you that your Authority was of God and by his sufferance and now I tell you God hath heard the prayer of his Servants which hath been poured forth with tears for his afflicted Saints which daily
him probably by his own appointment were a Lamb in a fiery Bush and the Sun-beams from Heaven descending down upon the Lamb rightly denoting as it seemed the manner of his suffering which afterward followed After his return in his Sermons he corrected sin and sharply inveighed against the iniquity of the world and corrupt abuses of the Church When he was elected Bishop of Worcester and Glocester he made humble supplication to the King either to discharge him of the Bishoprick or to dispense with him as to the wearing of such Garments and Apparel as the Popish Bishops were wont to do His Petition the King granted as appears by his Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury telling him That the Rites and Ceremonies he would be dispensed in were offensive to his conscience Pa. 147. The Oath also used them commonly in the consecration of Bishops was against his conscience as appears by the Earl of Warwick's Letter to the Archbishop writ by the Kings desire In the beginning of Q. Pa. 149. Mary's Reign when notice was given him that he should be sent for to London and how dangerous it was for him to appear he gave this Answer Once I did flee but now because I am called to this place and Vocation I am throughly perswaded to tarry and to live and die with my sheep When he was imprisoned in the Fleet Pa. 150. he writes thus I am so hardly used that I see no remedy saving Gods help but I shall be cast away in Prison before I come to judgement But I commit my just cause to God whose will be done whether it be by life or death Winchester exhorting him to the unity of the Catholick Church and to acknowledg the Popes Holiness to be Head of the same Church promising him the Queens mercy he answered That forasmuch as the Pope taught Doctrine altogether contrary to the Doctrine of Christ he was not worthy to be accounted a Member of Christs Church much less to be Head thereof wherefore he would in no wise condescend to any such usurped Jurisdiction neither esteemed he the Church whereof they called him Head to be the Catholick Church of Christ Pa. 151. for the Church of Christ only heareth the voice of her Spouse Christ and flieth the strangers Howbeit said he if in any point to me unknown I have offended the Queens Majesty I shal humbly submit my self to her mercy if mercy may be had with safety of conscience and without the displeasure of God Come Brother said he to Mr. Rogers who was sent with him to the Counter in Southwark must we two take this matter first in hand and begin to fire these Fagots Yea Sir said Mr. Rogers by Gods grace Doubt not said Mr. Hooper but God will give strength The Sheriff telling Mr. Hooper he wondred that he was so hasty and quick with the L. Chancellor he answered Mr. Sheriff I was nothing at all impatient although I was earnest in my Masters cause and it standeth me so in hand for it goeth upon life and death not the life and death of this world only but also of the world to come In his Letter for the stopping of certain false rumours spread abroad concerning his Recantation by the Bishops and their servants The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all them that unfeignedly look for the coming of our Saviour Christ Amen Dear Brethren and Sisters in the Lord and my Fellow-Prisoners for the Cause of Gods Gospel I do much rejoyce and give thanks unto God for your constancy and perseverance in affliction unto whom I wish continuance to the end And as I do rejoyce in your faith and constancy in afflictions that be in prison even so I do mourn and lament to hear of our dear Brethren that yet have not felt such dangers for Gods Truth Pa. 152. as we have and do feel and be daily like to suffer more yea the very extream and vile death of the fire yet such is the report abroad as I am credibly informed that I John Hooper a condemned man for the cause of Christ should now after sentence of death being in Newgate Prisoner and looking daily for Execution recant and abjure that which heretofore I have preached and this talk ariseth of this That the Bishop of London and his Chaplains resort unto me Doubtless if our Brethren were as Godly as I could wish them they would think that in case I did refuse to talk with them they might have just occasion to say that I were unlearned and durst not speak with learned men or else proud and disdained to speak with them But I fear not their arguments neither is death terrible to me I am more confirmed in the truth which I have preached heretofore by their coming Therefore ye that may send to the weak Brethren pray them that they trouble me not with such reports of Recantations as they do for I have hitherto left all things of the world and suffereâ— great pains and imprisonment and I thank God I am as ready to suffer death as a mortal man may be It were better for them to pray for us then to credit or report such rumours that be untrue We have enemies enough of such as know not God truly but yet the false report of weak Brethren is a double cross I wish your eternal salvation in Jeâ—â—s Christ and also require your continual Prayâ—rs that he which hath begun in us may continue â—t to the end I have taught the truth with my â—ongue and with my pen heretofore and hereafter â—hortly will confirm the same by Gods grace with â—y blood Your Brother in Christ J. H. Newgate Feb. 2. 1554. When the Keeper told him he should be sent to Glocester to be burned Pa. 153. he rejoyced very much â—ifting up his eys and hands to Heaven he praised God that he saw it good to send him among the people over whom he was Pastor there to confirm with his death the truth which he had before taught them not doubting but the Lord would give him strength to perform the same to his glory Sir Anthony Kingston formerly his Friend then a Commissionre to see Execution done upon him coming to him a little before his death bid him consider that life was sweet death was bitter c. It is true said Mr. Hooper I am come hither to end this life and to suffer death here because I will not gainsay the former truth which I have heretofore taught among you True it is that death is bitter and life is sweet but alas consider that the death to come is more bitter and the life to come is more sweet therefore for the desire and love I have to the one and the terrour and fear of the other I do not so much regard this death nor esteem this life but have setled my self through the strength of Gods holy Spirit patiently to pass through the torments and extremities
pretence of the true Religian c. that have killed more souls with heresie and superstition than all the Tyrants that ever killed bodies by fire sword or banishment c. and all souls that trust to these Hypocrites live to the Devil in everlasting pain as is declared by Hells following the pale Horse These pale Hypocrites stave stirred up Earthquakes i. e. he Princes of the world against Christs Church They have darkned the Sun and made the Moon bloody and have caused the Stars to fall from Heaven i.e. they have darkned with mists and daily darken the Sun of Gods word Pa. 159. imprisoned and chaised and butchered Gods true Preachers which â—nch only light at the Sun of Gods Word that their light cannot shine unto the world as they would Whereupon it comes to pass that many Christians fall from Gods true Word to hypocrisie most devillish superstition and idolatry In his Letter to Bishop Farrar Dr. Taylor Mr. Bradford and Mr. Philpot Prisoners in the Kings Bench in Southwark I am advertised that we shall be carried shortly to Cambridge there to dispute for the faith and for the Religion of Christ which is most true that we have and do profess I am as I doubt not ye be in Christ ready not only to go to Cambridge but also to suffer by Gods help death it self in the maintenance thereof I write this to comfort you in the Lord that the time draweth near and is at hand that we shall testifie before Gods enemies Gods Truth Yours and with you unto death in Christ J. H. May 6. 1554. In his Letter to his Wife Pa. 160. As the Devil hath entred into their hearts that they themselves cannot or will not come to Christ to be instructed by his holy Word so can they not abide any others to become Christians and lead their lives after the Word of God buâ— hate persecute rob imprison and kill them whether male or female though they have never offended Gods or Mans Law yea though they daily pray for them and wish them Gods grace having no respect to Nature The Brother persecuteth the Brother the Father the Son and most dear Friends are become most mortal Enemies And no marvel for they have chosen sundry Masters the one the Devil the other God The one agree with the other as God and the Devil agree between themselves Gen. 21. Gal. 4. As he that was born after the flesh persecuted in times past him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now Therefore forasmuch as we live in this life amongst so many great perils and dangers the only remedy is what Christ hath appointed Luke 21. Ye shall possess yourselves in patience When troubles come we must be patient and in no case violently nor seditiously to resist our persecutors because God hath such care of us that he will keep in the midst of all troubles the very hairs of our heads c. And seeing he hath such care of the hairs of our head how much more doth he care for our life it self Their cruelty hath no farther power than God permitteth and that which cometh unto us by the will of our heavenly Father can be no harm loss destruction to us but rather gain wealth and felicity That the spirit of man may feel these consolations the giver of them the heavenly Father must be prayed unto for the merits of Christs Passion for it is not the nature of man that can be contented until it be regenerated and possessed with Gods Spirit to bear patiently the troubles of mind or body When the mind of man sees troubles on every side threatning poverty yea death except the man weigh these brittle and uncertain treasures that be taken from him with the riches of the life to come and this life of the body with the life in Christs blood and so for the love and certainty of the heavenly joyes contemn all things present doubtless he shall never be able to bear the loss of goods and life The Christian mans faith must be alwayes upon the resurrection of Christ when he is in trouble and in that glorious Resurrection he shall see continual joy yea victory and triumph over all persecution trouble sin death hell the Devil and all other persecutors the tears and weepings of the faithful dried up their wounds healed their bodies made immortal in joy their souls for ever praising the Lord in conjunction and society everlasting with the blessed company of Gods Elect in perpetual joy Col. 3. If ye be risen with Christ seek the things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father When he biddeth us seek the things that are above he requireth that our minds never cease from prayer and study in Gods Word untill we see know and understand the vanities of this world the shortness end misery of this life and the treasures of the world to come the immortality thereof the joyes of that life and so never cease seeking until such time as we know certainly and be perswaded what a blessed man he is that seeketh the one and findeth it and careth not for the other though he lose it and in seeking Pa. 161. to have right judgement between the life present and the life to come we shall find how little the pains imprisonment standers lies and death it self is in the world in respect of pains everlasting the Prison infernal and Dungeon of Hell the Sentence of Gods judgement and everlasting Death When a man hath by seeking the Word of God found out what the things above be then must he seâ— his affections upon them And this Command is more hard than the other for mans knowledge many times sees the best men know that there is a life to come better than this present c. Yet they set not their affection upon it they do more affect and love indeed a trifle of nothing in this world that pleaseth their affection than the treasure of all treasures in Heaven We must set our affections on things above i. e. when any thing worse than Heaven offereth it self to be ours if we will give our good wills to it and love it in our hearts then ought we to see by the judgement of Gods Word whether we may have it without Gods displeasure if we cannot if the riches of this world may not be gotten nor kept by Gods Law neither our lives continued without the denial of his honour we must set our affections upon the riches and life that is above and not upon things that be upon the earth This second Command requires that as our mind judgeth Heavenly things to be better than Earthly and the life to come better than the present life so we should chuse them before other and prefer them c. These things be easie to be spoken of but not so easie to be used and practised Read Psa 88. wherein is contained the prayer of
a man that being vexed with adversaries and persecutions saw nothing but death and hell apprehending not only man but God angry with him yet he by Prayer humbly resorted unto God and put the hope of his salvation in him whom he felt his enemy In this command possess your lives by your patience God requires every one to be patient he saith not It is sufficient that other holy Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Evangelists and Martyrs continued their lives in patient suffering the troubles of this world but Christ saith it to every one of his people By your patience continue you your life not that man hath patience in himself but that he must have it for himself of God the only Giver of it if he purpose to be a godly man Besides as our Profession and Religion requireth patience outwardly without resistance and force so requireth it patience of the mind and not to be angry with God although he use us that be his own creatures as him listeth We may not murmure against God Pa. 162. but say alwayes his judgments be right and just and rejoice that it pleaseth him to use us as he used heretofore such as he most loved in this world Have a singular care to this command be glad and rejoice c. he sheweth great cause why because your reward is great in Heaven Mat. 5. Christ also takes from us all shame and rebuke as though it were not an honour to suffer for him because the wicked world doth curse and abhor such poor troubled Christians He placeth all his honourably saying Even so persecuted they the Prophets that were before you We may learn by things that nourish and maintain us both meat and drink what loathsomness and in a manner abhorring they come to before they work their perfection in us c. that whosoever saw the same would loath and abhor his own nourishment before it came to its perfection Is it then any marvel if such Christians as God delighteth in be so mangled and defaced in this world which is the Kitchin and Mill to boil and grind the flesh of Gods people in till they atchieve their perfection in the world to come Raw flesh is not meat wholesome for man and unmoâ—tified men and women be not creatures meet for God Christs people must be broken and all to torn in the Mill of this world and so shall they be most fine meant to their Heavenly Father We must therefore patâ—ently suffer and willingly attend upon Gods doings although they seem clean contrary after our judgement to our wealth and salvation as Abraham did when he was bid to offer his Son Isaac in whom God promised the Blessing and multiplying of his seed Joseph at the last came to that which God promised him although in the mean time after the judgement of the world he was never like to be as God said he should be Lord over his Brethren When Christ would make the blind man to see he put clay upon his eyes which after the judgement of man was a means rather to make his double blind than to give him his sight but he obeyed and knew that God could work his desire what means soever he used contrary to mans reasons To judge things indifferently the trouble be not yet generally as they were in our good Fathers time soon after the death and Resurrection of our Saviour Christ Mat. 24. Was there ever such trouble as Christ threatned upon Jerusalem Towards the end of the world we have nothing so much extremity as they had then but even as we be able to bear In another Letter I require you not to forget your duty towards God in these perillous days in the which the Lord will try us I trust you do increase by the reading of the Scriptures the knowledge you have of God and that you diligently apply your self to follow the same for the knowledge helpeth not except the life be according thereto I commend you to God and the guiding of his good Spirit to stablish and confirm you in all well doing and keep you blameless to the day of the Lord watch and pray for this day is at hand In his Letter to his charitable Friends in London For your liberality I most heartily thank you and praise God highly in you for you c. praying him to preserve you from all famine scarcity and lack of the truth of his Word which is the lively food of your souls as you preserve my body from hunger and other necessaries which would happen unto me were it not cared for by the charity of godly people Such as have spoiled me of all that I had have imprisoned me and appointed not one half-penny to feed or relieve me withall but I do forgive them and pray for them daily in my poor Prayer to God and from my heart I wish their salvation and quietly and patiently bear their injuries wishing no farther extremity to be used towards us yet if the contrary seem best to our heavenly Father I have made my reckoning and fully resolved to suffer the uttermost that they are able to do against me yea death it self by the aid of Christ Jesus who died the most vile death of the Cross for us wretched and miserable sinners But of this I am assured that the wicked world with all his force and power shall not touch one of the hairs of our heads without leave and license of our heavenly Father whose will be done in all things If he will life life be it if he will death death be it only we pray that our wills may be subject to his will If we be contented to obey Gods will and for his commands sake to surrender our goods and our lives to be at his pleasure it maketh no matter whether we keep goods and life or lose them Nothing can hurt us that is taken from us for Gods cause nor can any thing at length do us good that is preserved contrary to Gods command Let us wholly suffer God to use us and ours after his holy wisdome and beware we neither use nor govern our selves contrary to his will by our own wisdome for if we do our wisdome will at length prove foolishness It is kept to no good purpose that we keep contrary to his Commandments It can by no means be taken from us that he would should tarry with us He is no good Christian that ruleth himself and his as worldly means serve for he that so doth shall have as many changes as chances in the world To day with the world he shall live and praise the truth of God to morrow as the world will so will he like and praise the falshood of man to day with Christ to morrow with Antichrist Glorifie your heavenly Father both with your inward and outward man If ye think ye can inwardly in the heart serve him and yet outwardly serve with the world in external service the thing that is
unto him But as Jerusalem stood in the way and was an impediment to the Wise men so doth the Synigogue of Antichrist that beareth the Name of Jerusalem i. e. the Vision of Peace and among the people now is called the Catholick Church standeth in the way that Pilgrims must go by through this world to Bethlem i. e. the house of bread or plentifulness is an impediment to all Christian Travellers yea and except the more grace of God be will keep the Pilgrim still in her that they shall not come where Christ is at all and to stay them indeed they take away the Star of Light which is Gods Word that it cannot be seen Ye may see what great dangers hapned unto these Wise men whilst they were learning of Lyars where Christ was 1 They were out of their way And 2 They lost their Guide and Conductor If we come into the Church of men and ask for Christ we go out of the way and lose also our Conductor and Guide that only leadeth us streight thither Sister take heed you shall in your journey towards Heaven meet with many a monstrous beast have salve therefore of Gods Word therefore ready you shall meet husbands children lovers and friends that shall if God be not with them be very le ts and impediments to your purpose You shall meet with slander and contempt of the world and be accounted ungracious and ungodly you shall hear and meet with cruel tyranny to do you all extremities you shall now and then see the troubles of your own conscience and feel your own weakness you shall hear that you be cursed by the sentence of the Catholik Church with such like terrours that pray to God and follow the Star of his Word and you shall arrive at the Port of Eternal Salvation by the merits onely of Jesus Christ Hudson When Thomas Hudson of Ailesham in Norfolk saw the Constable come to his house to apprenend him Fox Vol. 3 Pag. 869. he said Now mine hour is welcome friends welcome you be they that shall lead me to life in Christ I thank God therefore and the Lord enable me thereto for his mercies sake for his desire was and he ever prayed if it were the Lords will that he might suffer for the Gospel of Christ When Berry threatned him saying I will write to the Bishop my good Lord c. O Sir said he there is no Lord but God though there be many lords and many gods Wilt thou recant said Berry the Priest or no The Lord forbid said Hudson I had rather die many deaths then to do so When he came first to the Stake Pa. 870. he was very sad not for his death but for lack of feeling his Christ and therefore came from his Fellow-sufferers under the Chain and fell down upon his knees and prayed and at last he rose with great joy as a man new changed even from death to life and said Now I thank God I am strong and pass not what man can do unto me Hullier Mr. John Hullier Conduct in Kings Colledge at Camâ—ridge suffered martyrdome at Cambridge April 2. A. 1556. In his Letter to the Christian Congregation Fox Vol. 3. pag. 696. It standeth now most in hand O dear Christians all them that look to be accounted of Christs flock at the great and terrible day when a separation shall be made c. faithfully in this time of great affliction to hear our Master Christs voice the onely of true Shepherd of our souls who saith Mat. 24. Whosoever shall endure to the end shall be saved In this time we must needs either shew that we be his saithful Souldiers Ephes 6. and continue in his battel to the end putting on the Armour of God the buckler of Faith the breast-plate of Love the helmet of Hope and Salvation and the Sword of his Holy Word with all instance of supplication prayer or else if we do not work and labour with these we are Apostates and false Souldiers shrinking most unthankfully from our Gracious and Soveâ—reign Lord and Captain Christ and leaning to Belial for he saith plainly Whosoever beareth not my Cross and followeth me cannot be my Disciple Luke 14. and No man can serve two Masters for either he must hate the one and love the other Mat. 6. or else he shall lean to the one and despise the other Elias also said unto the people Why halt ye between two opinions 1 Kin. 18. If the Lord be God follow him or if Baal be he follow him If Christ be that onely good and true Shepherd that gave his life for us then let us that bear his mark and have our consciences sprinkled with his blood follow altogether for our salvation his heavenly voice and calling according to our profession and first promise If we shall not certainly say what we can though we bear the Name of Christ John 10. we are none of his Sheep indeed for he saith manifestly My sheep hear my voice and follow me A stranger they will not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of a stranger The craft and wiliness of our subtile enemy is manifold and divers and full of close windings At this present day if he cannot induce one throughly as others do to savour his devillish Religion of good will and free heart to help to uphold the same yet he will inveigle him to resort to his wicked and whorish School-house to keep company with his Congregation there and to hold his peace and say nothing whatsoever he think c. by that subtile means flattering him that he shall both save his life and also his goods and live in quiet But if we look well on Christs holy Will Testament we shall perceive that he came not to make any such peace upon Earth nor that he gave any such peace to his Disciples I leave peace with you saith he my peact I give you John 14.15 16. not as the world giveth it give I unto you Let not your heart be troubled and fearful These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye should have peace in the world ye shall have affliction but be of good cheer I have overcome the world Luke 14. The Servant is not greater then his Lord and Master if they have persecuted me they shall also persecute you If any man come to me and hateth not his father and mother c. yea and moreover his own life it is not possible for him to be my Disciple Blessed be ye that now weep for ye shall laugh and woe be unto you that now laugh Pa. 697. for ye shall mourn and weep He that will find his life shall lose it Therefore the God of that true peace comfort preserve us that we never obey such a false Flatterer who at length will pay us home once for all bringing for temporal peace and
quietness everlasting trouble c. for these vain and transitory goods extream loss of the eternal treasure and inheritance for this mortal life deprivation of the most joyful life immortal and endless death most miserable c. I judge it better to go to School with our Master Christ and to be under his Ferula and Rod although it seems sharp and grievous for a time that at length we may be inhetiters with him of everlasting joy rather then to keep company with the Devils Scholars the adulterous generation in his School that is all full of pleasure for a while and at the end to be payed with the wages of continual burning in the most horrible Lake which burneth evermore with fire and brimstone c. What doth he else I pray you that resorteth to the Ministration and Service that is most repugnant to Christs holy Testament there keeping still silence and nothing reproving the same but in the face of the world by his very deed it self declare himself to be of a false fearful dissembling feigned and unfaithful heart discouraging as much as lies in him all the residues of Christs Host giving a manifest offence unto the weak and also confirming encouraging and rejoycing the hearts of the adversaries in all their evil doing by which he shewed himself neither to love God whom he seeth to be dishonoured and blasphemed of an Antichristian Minister nor yet his neighbour before whom he should rebuke the evil according to the command Thou shalt not hate thy Neighbour Lev. 18.2 Tim. 1. but reprove him c. But God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and love Be not ashamed to testifie our Lord but suffer adversity with the Gospel Mat. 10. through the power of God c. 1 Pet. 3. Fear not them that kill the body c. Fear not though they seem terrible unto you neither be troubled but sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts Only let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel Phil. 1. c. in nothing fearing your adversaries which is to them a token of damnation and to you of salvation and that of God for unto you it is given not only to believe in Christ but to suffer for his sake In the Revelation it is written That the fearful shall have their part with the Unbelieving and Abominable Rev. 21. in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Wide is the gate and broad is the way which leadeth to destruction Matt. 7. and many there be that go in thereat but strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Thus I wholly commit you to him Pa. 698. and to the Word of his grace which is able to build surther beseeching you most heartily to pray for me that I may be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and stand perfect in all things being always prepared and ready looking for the mercy of our Lord unto eternal rest and I will pray for you as I am most bound So I trust he will graciously hear us for his promise sake in Christ Your Christian Brother a Prisoner of the Lord John Hullier In another Letter to the Congregation of Christs faithful followers Most dear Christians having now the sweet comfort of Gods saving health and being confirmed with his free Spirit be he onely praised therefore I am constrained in my conscience to admonish you as ye tender the salvation of your souls by all manner of means to separate your selves from the Antichristian Company considering what is said in the Revelation If any man worship the Beast and his Image Revel 14 and receive his mark in the forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured into the cup of his wrath c. The Beast is none other but the carnal and fleshly Kingdome of Antichrist What do they else but worship this Beast and his Image who after they had escaped from the filthiness of the world 2 Pet. 2. through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are yet again tangled therein and overcome using dissimulation for fear of their displeasure doing one thing outwardly and thinking inwardly another So having them in reverence under a cloak and colour to whom they ought not so much as to say God speed Joh. Ep. 2 and adjoyning themselves to the Malignant Congregation which they ought to abhor as a Den of Thieves and Marderers and a Brothel-house of most blasphemous Fornicators But this feignedness and dissimulation Christ and his Gospel will no ways allow Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation Luke 9. of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in the glory of his Father c. Cursed be the dissemblers c. Mal. 1. Heb. 6. Luke 6. Ye were once enlightned and tasted of the heavenly gift And no man that putteth his hand to the Plough and looketh back is apt for the Kingdome of God They went out from us but they were not of us 1 Joh. 2. for if they had been of us no doubt they would have continued with us Wherefore good Christians for Gods dear love deceive not your selves through your own wisdome 1 Cor. 3. and through the wisdome of the world which is falshood before God but certifie and stay your own consciences with the faithful Word of God Psa 145 Hebr. 3. c. Though Gods mercy is over all his works yet it doth not extend but onely to them that hold fast the considence and rejoycing of hope unto the end not being weary of well doing but rather every day waxing stronger and stronger in the inward man In the Revelation where it is entreated of the Beast and his Image it is said Rev. 13. Here is the sufferance of Saints and here are they that keep the Commandments and Faith of Jesus Christ intimating that God doth use those wicked men as instruments for a time to try the patience and faith of his peculiar people c. Peradventure you will say What shall we do shall we cast our selves head-long to death I say not so but this I say That we are all bound if ever we look to receive salvation at Gods hands in this case to be wholly obedient to his determinate counsel c. and then to cast all our care on him who worketh all in all for the best unto them that love him Now thus he commandeth Come away from her my people Rev. 18. that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Come out from among them Pa. 699. and joyn not your selves to their unlawful Assemblies yea do not once shew your selves with the least paâ— of your body to
truth Mr. Hâ—â— with tears answered Verily as before I have oftentimes done I do take the most high God for my witness that I am ready with my whole heart and mind if the Council can instruct me any better by the Scripture to change my purpose One of the Bishops telling him he should not be so arrogant as to prefer he is own opinion before the judgment of the whole Council Pa. 817. he said If he which is the meanest or least in all this Council can convact me of errour I will with an humble heart and mind do whatsoever the Council shall require of me When they condemned his appeal as heretical Pa. 819. he said O Lord Jesus Christ whose Word is openly condemned here in this Council unto thee again do I appeal which when thou wast evil intreated of thine enemies didst appeal unto God thy Father committing thy Cause unto a most just Judge that by thy example we also being oppressed with manifest wrongs and injuries should flee unto thee Whilst they were reading his Sentence He interrupted them often Pa. 820. and specially when he was charged with obstinacy he said with a loud voice I was never obstinate but as alwayes heretofore even so now again I desire to be taught by the holy Scriptures and I do profess my self to be so deâ—â—ous of the truth that if I might by one only word subvert the errours of all Hereticks I would not refuse to enter into what peril soever it were to speak it When the Sentence was ended kneeling down upon his knees he said Lord Jesus Christ forgive mine enemies by whom thou knowest that I am saâ—fly accused c. forgive them for thy great mercies sake When he was degraded he spake to the people â—hâ—s These Lords and Bishops do exhort and counsel me that I should here confess before you â—ll that I have erred the which thing to do if it might be done with the infamy and reproach of â—an onely they might peradventure easily perâ—wade me thereunto but now truly I am in the â—ight of the Lord my God without whose great â—gnominy and grudge of mine own conscience I can by no means do that which they require of me With what countenance should I behold the â—eavens With what face should I look upon â—â—em whom I have taught where of there is a great number if through me it should come to pass that those things which they have hitherto known to be â—ost certain and sure should now be made uncerâ—ain Should I by this my example astonish or â—rouble so many souls so many consciences endued with the most firm and certain knowledge of the Scriptures and Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and his most pure Doctrine armed against all the assaults of Satan I will never do it neither commit any such kind of offence that I should seem more to esteem this vile carcase appointed unto death then their health and salvation When one of the Bishops took from him the Chalice saying O cursed Judas c. We take away from thee this Chalice of thy salvation But I truth said he unto God the Father Omnipotent and my Lord Jesus Christ for whose sake I do suffer these things that he will not take away the Chalice of his Redemption but have a stedfast and firm hope that this day I shall drink thereof in his Kingdome The other Bishops took away the Vestments put upon him and each of them giving him their curse Whereunto he said That he did willingly embrace and hear those blasphemies for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ Then the Bishops caused to be made a Crown of Paper in which were printed three ugly Devils and this title set over their heads Heresiarchs A Ring-leader of an Heresie and he saw it he said My Lord Jesus Christ for my sake did wear 〈◊〉 Crown of Thorns why should not I then for his sake wear this light Crown be it never so ignominious Truly I will do it and that willingly When it was set upon his head the Bishops said Now we commit thy soul unto the Devil But I said Mr. Hus lifting up his eyes toward Heaven do commit my Spirit into thy hands O Lord Jesus Christ unto thee I commend my Spirit which thou hast redeemed When the people heard his prayers at the Stake Pa. 821. they said What he had done afore we know not but now we see and hear that he doth speak and pray very devoutly and godlily After he had prayed some while being raised by his Tormentors with a loud voice he said Lord Jesus assist and help me that with a constant and patient mind I may bear and suffer this cruel and ignominious death whereunto I am condemned for the preaching of thy most holy Gospel and Word When he beheld the Chain with which his Neck was to be tied to the Stake he smiling said That he would willingly receive the same Chain for Jesus Christs sake who he knew was bound with a far worse Chain The Duke of Bavaria Pa. 822. before the fire was kindled coming to him and exhorting him to be mindful of his safeguard and renounce his errors be answered What error should I renounce when as I know my self guilty of none for as for those things that are falsly alledged against me I know that I never did so much as once think them much less preach them for this was the principal end and purpose of my Doctrine that I might teach all men repentance and remission of sins Clarks first Volume of Lives pag. 217. Leigh 's Saints Encouragements in evil times out of Luther 's Preface before Daniel according to the verity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Exposition of the holy Doctors wherefore with a cheerful mind and courage I am here ready to suffer death He told them at his death That out of the ashes of the Goose so Hus in the Bohemian Language signifies an hundred years after God would raise up a Swan so Luther in that Language signifies in Germany whose singing should affright all those Vaâ—tures and who should escape their burning This Prophesie was exactly fulfilled in Luther who rose up just an hundred years after 1415 the year when Mr. Hus was burnt and though he so enraged the Pope and his powerful party he died in his bed In his Letter to the people of Prague Pa. 823. Be circumspect and watchful that ye be not circumvented by the crafty trains of the Devil and the more circumspect ye ought to be for that Antichrist laboureth the more to trouble you The last judgment is near at hand death shall swallow up many but to the elect children of God the Kingdome of God draweth near because for them he gave his own body Fear not death love together one another persevere in understanding the good will of God without ceasing Let the terrible and horrible Day of Judgment be alwayes before your eyes
Macabees that the wicked did burn the Law of God and killed them that had the same Again under the New Testament they burned the Saints with the Books of the Law of God Remember the sayings of our merciful Saviour by which he forewarneth us There shall be saith he before the Day of Judgement great tribulation Mat. 24. such as was not from the beginning until this day nor shall be afterwards So that even the Elect of God should be deceived if it were possible but for their sakes those dayes shall be shortned The Council of Constance shall not extend to Bobemia for I think that many of them which are of the Council shall die before they shall get from you my Books They shall depart from the Council and be scattered abroad throughout all parts of the world like Storks and then they shall know when Winter cometh what they did in Summer I trust in God that he will send after me those that shall be more valiant and there are alive at this day that shall make more manifest the malice of Antichrist and shall give their lives to the death for the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall give both to you and me the joyes of life everlasting This Epistle was written upon St. John Baptist's day in Prison and in cold Irons I having this Meditation with my self that John was beheaded in his Prison and Bonds for the Word of God In another Letter I desire you if any man at any time have noted any levity either in my talk or in my conditions that he do not follow the same but pray to God for me Pa. 827. to pardon me that sin of lightness I look next day for the Sentence of death having a full trust that he will not leave me to deny his truth c. How mercifully the Lord God hath dealt with me in marvellous temptations ye shall know when as hereafter by the help of Christ we shall all meet together in the joy of the world to come I beseech you pray to God for our enemies In another Letter to a Minister My dear Brother be diligent in preaching the Gospel neglect not your Vocation labour like a blessed Souldier of Christ First live godlily and holily Secondly teach faithfully and truly Thirdly be an example to others in well doing that you be not reprehended in your sayings Preach continually but be short and fruitful Never affirm or maintain those things that be uncertain or doubtful Exhort men to the confession of their Faith Against fleshly lust preach continally all that ever you can for that is the raging beast which devoureth men for whom the flesh of Christ did suffer In another Letter Pa. 828. O holy God how largely doth Antichrist extend his power and cruelty But I trust that his power shall be shortned and his iniquity shall be detected more and more amongst the faithful people Let Antichrist rage so much as he will yet he shall not prevail against Christ I am greatly comforted in those words of our Saviour Happy be you when men shall hate you and shall separate you and shall rebuke you and shall cast out your name as execrable for the Son of mâ—n Rejoyce and be glad Luke 6. for great is your reward in Heaven O worthy yea a most worthy consolation which not to understand but to practise in time of tribulation Jam. 1. is an hard Lesson Certainly it is a great matter for a man to rejoyce in trouble and to take it for joy to be in divers temptations A light matter it is to speak it and to expound it but a great matter to fulfill it For why our most patient and most valiant Champion himself c. was troubled in spirit and said My soul is heavy unto death c. and yet he notwithstanding being so troubled said to his Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled O most merciful Christ draw us weak creatures after thee for except thou shouldst draw us we are not able to follow thee Without thâ—â— we can do nothing much less enter into the cruel death for thy sake Give us that prompt and ready spirit a bold heart an upright faith a firm hope and perfect charity that we may give our lives patiently and joyfully for thy Names sake In another Letter Pa. 829. I love the counsel of the Lord above gold and precious stones Wherefore I trust in the mercy of Jesus Christ that he will give me his Spirit to stand in his Truth Pray to the Lord for the spirit is ready but the flesh is weak Know this for certain that I have had great conflicts by dreams in such sort as I had much ado to refrain from crying out I dreamed of the Popes escape before he went and after the Lord John had told me thereof immediately in the night it was told me that the Pope should return to you again I dreamed also of the apprehending Mr. Hierom although not in full manner as it was done All the imprisonments whither and how I am carried were opened to me before although not fully after the same form and circumstance Many Serpents oftentimes appeared to me having heads also in their tail but none of them could bite me These things I write not esteeming my self a Prophet or that I extol my self but onely to signifie to you what temptations I had in body and also in mind and what great fear I had lest I should transgress the Commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ In a Letter to the Lord John de Clum I pray you expound to me the dream of this night I saw how that in my Church of Bethlem they came to raze all the Images of Christ and did put them out The next day after I arose and saw many Painters which made more fairer Images and many more then I had done before which thing I was very glad and joyful to behold And the Painters with much people about them said Let the Bishops and Priests come now and put out these Pictures Which being done much people seemed to me in Bethlem to rejoyce and I with them and I awaking therewith felt my self to laugh c. This Vision the Lord John and Mr. Hus himself in his Book of Epistles Ep. 45. see meth to expound and applieth the Images of Christ to the preaching of Christ and of his life The which preaching and doctrine of Christ though the Pope and Cardinals should extinguish in him yet did he foresee and declare that the time should come wherein the same doctrine should be revived again by others so plenteously that the Pope with all his power should not be able to prevail against it In the Forty eight Epistle Pa. 830. seeming to speak with the same Spirit of Prophesie he hath these words But I trust those things which I have spoken within the House hereafter shall be preached upon the top of the House In a certain Treatise
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 liâ—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 swerâ—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