Lands and life then farewell Suit farewell Lands farewell Children farewell Friends yea and farewell Life too and in respect of the true honour of the everliving God farewell all At the place of her Execution she exhorted all women to be strong and constant for said she ye were redeemed with as dear a price as men for although ye were made of the rib of the man yet be you all of his flesh so that also in the case and trial of your faith towards God ye ought to be as strong Mr. Ward calleth her Iulitta and records her Speech thus We women received not onely flesh from men but are bone of their bone and therefore ought to be as strong in Christs Cause Mr. Fox out of Basil tells the Story thus That when the Judge passed Sentence against Iulitta she said Farewell riches and welcome poverty farewell life and welcome death All that I have if it were a thousand times more would I rather lose then speak one wicked and blasphemous word against God my Creatour I yield thee most hearty thanks O my God for this grace that I can contemn and despise this frail and transitory world esteeming Christian Profession above all treasures Afterwards when any Question was demanded her Answer was I am the Servant of Jesus Christ. At the Stake she said to the women beholding her Stick not O Sisters to labour and travel after true pieâ—y and godliness Cease to accuse the frailty of feminine Nature What are not we created of the same matter that men are yea after Gods Image and Similitude are we made as lively as they Not flesh onely did God use in the Creation of the woman in sign and token of her infirmity and weakness but bone of bones is she in token that she must be strong in the true and living God all falshoods forsaken constant in faith all infidelity renounced patient in adversity all worldly ease refused Wax weary my dear Sisters of your lives led in darkness and be in love with my Christ my God my Redeemer my Comforter which is the true light of the world Perswade your selves or rather the Spirit of the living God perswade you that there is a world to come wherein the Worshippers of Idols and Devils shall be tormented perpetually and the Servants of the High God be crowned eternally Iusberg Brethren said Iustus Iusberg you see that my end approacheth which howsoever I fear as a man burdened with the body of sin yet am I resolved as a Christian joyfully to endure it being assured that all my sins are fastened to the Cross of Christ. Iuventius Chrysostome in an Oration on Iuventius and Maximus two Martyrs brings in this objection of the Persecutours against them Do not you see others of your rank do thus and them answering thus for this very reason we will manfully stand and offer our selves as a sacrifice for the breach that they have made K. Kennedy Alexander Kennedy who passed not eighteen years of age when he was presented before his bloody Butcherers at first was faint and gladly would have recanted but while the place of repentance was denied him the Spirit of God wrought in him and with a chearful countenance and a joyful voice upon his knees he said O eternal God how wonderful is that love and mercy that thou bearest unto mankind and unto me the most Caitiffe and miserable wretch above all others for even now when I would have denied thee and thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ my onely Saviour and so have cast my self into everlasting dammation Thou by thy own hand hast pulled me from the very bottom of hell and made me to feel that heavenly comfort which takes from me that ungodly fear wherewith before I was oppressed Now I defie death do what you please I praise my God I am ready Kerby Mr. Wingfield telling him the fire is hot the terrour is great the pain extreme life sweet Better it were betime to stick to mercy while there is hope of life then rashly to begin and then to sâ—rink He said Ah Mr. Wingfield be at my burning and you shall say there standeth a Christian Souldier in the fire for I know that fire water sword and all other things are in the hands of God and he will suffer no more to be laid upon us then he will enable us to bear When Sentence was past against him he with most humble reverence holding up his hands and bowing himself devoutly said Praised be Almighty God Kilian To such as asked Kilian a Dutch School-Master if he loved not his Wife and Children He answered Yes if all the world were gold and were mine to dispose of I would give it all to live with them though it were but in Prison yet is my soul and my Lord Christ dearer to me then all things whatsoever Knight When Stephen Knight was at the Stake he prayed O Lord Jesus Christ for whose love I leave willingly this life and desire rather the bitter death of thy Cross with the loss of all earthly things then to abide the blasphemy of thy most holy Name or to obey men in breaking thy holy Commandement Thou seest O Lord that where I might live in worldly wealth to worship a false god and honour thine enemy I chuse rather the torment of the body and the loss of this life and have counted all things but vile dust and dung that I might win thee which death is dearer unto me then thousands of gold and silver Such love O Lord hast thou laid up in my breast that I hunger for thee as the Deer that is wounded desireth the soil Send thy holy Comforter O Lord to aid comfort and strengthen this weak piece of earth which is empty of all strength of it self Thou remembrest O Lord that I am but dust and able to do nothing that is good Therefore O Lord as of thine accustomed goodness and love thou hast bidden me to this banket and accounted me worthy to drink of thine own Cup amongst thine Elect even so give me strength O Lord against this thine Element which as to my sight it is most irksome and terrible so to my mind it may at thy Commandement as an obedient Servant be sweet and pleasant that through the strength of thy holy Spirit I may pass through the rage of this fire into thy bosome according to thy promise and for this mortal receive an immortal and for this corruption put on incorruption Accept this burnt-sacrifice and offering O Lord not for the sacrifice but for thy Dear Sons sake my Saviour for whose Testimony â— offer this free-will-offering with all my heart and with all my soul. O Heavenly Father forgive me my sins as I forgive all the world O sweet Son of God my Saviour spread thy wings over me O blessed and holy Ghost through whose merciful inspiration I am come hither conduct me into everlasting life Lord
good counsel that they might become good Catholicks Sir said she they have a better Instructour then I for the Holy Ghost doth teach them I hope who I trust will not suffer them to erre Thereupon the Knight said It is time to look to such Hereticks Sir said she with that which you call Herelie do I worship my Lord God Then I perceive said Tyrrel you will burn with the rest for company No Sir said she not for company but for my Christs sake if so I be compelled and I hope in his mercies if he call me to it he will enable me to bear it To try her Tyrrel burnt the wrist of her hand with a candle till the very sinews crackt asunder saying often to her What whore wilt not thou cry To which she answered That she had no cause she thanked God but rather to rejoyce You said she have more cause to weep then I if you consider the matter well At last she said Sir have you done what you will do He answering yea and if thou thâ—nk it be not well then mend it She replied Mend it Nay the Lord mend you and give you repentance if it be his will and now if you think it good to begin at the feet and burn the head also She being asked by one how she could abide the painful burning of her hand She said at first it was some grief to her but afterward the longer she burned the less she felt even well near none at all Almondus My Body dies said Aâ—ondus a Via my Spirit lives Gods Kingdome abides ever God hath now given me the accomplishment of all my deâ—â—res Alost Francis d' Alost a Cutler in Flanders being conducted to Prison said Now you have taken me you think to deprive me of life and thereby to bring great damage to me but you are deceived for it is all one as if you took counters from me to fill my hand with a great sum of gold As he went to suffer he used that speech of the Apostle St. Peter I must now shortly put off this my earthly tabernacle 2 Pet. 1.10 which the love of Iesus my Lord constraineth me to do 2 Cor. 5.14 Amâ—chus Turn said he the other side also least raw flesh offend you Ambrose I have not so lived said he that I am ashamed to live longer nor yet fear I death because I have a good Lord. To Calignon Valentinians Eunuch threatning death he said Well do you that which becomes an Eunuch I will suffer that which becomes a Bishop Andrew When the Proconsul threatned Andrew the Apostle with the Cross if he left not off his preaching I would never said he have preached the Doctrine of the Cross if I had feared the suffering of the Cross. When he came to the Cross on which he was to be crucified he said O Cross most welcome and long look'd for with a willing mind joyfully I come to thee being the Scholar of him that did hang on thee welcome O Christ longed and looked for I am the Scholar of him that was crucified long have I coveted to embrace thee in whom I am what I am Anvil Frederick Anvil of Bearne to the Friers that willed him to call on the Virgin Mary three times repeated Thine O Lord is the Kingdome thine is the power and glory for ever and ever Let us fight let us fight Avant Satan avant Apprice Bonner asking Iohn Apprice what he thought of the Sacrament of the Altar he answered The Doctrine you teach is so agreeable to the world and embraced of the same that it cannot be agreeable to the Word of God Ardley Iohn Ardley being urged by Bonner to recant cried out If every hair of my head were a man I would suffer death for my Religion Being again sollicited to recant No God forbid said he that I should do so for then I shall lose my soul. Arethusius Marcus Arethusius having at the command of Constantinus pulled down a certain Temple dedicated to Idols and instead thereof built up a Church where the Christians might congregate under Iulianus he was beaten cast into a filthy sinck put into a basket anointed with honey and broth hung abroad in the heat of the Sun as meat for Wasps to feed on hereby it was hoped he would be enforced either to build up again the Temple which he had destroyed or else give so much money as would pay for the building of the same This good man whilest he hung in the basket did not onely conceal his pains but derided those wicked instruments of his torments calling them bafe low terrene people and himself exalted and set on high when they told him they would be contented with a small sum of money from him He said It is as great a wickedness to confer one half-penny in case of impiety as if a man should bestow the whole Askew Mrs. Iane Askew being called by the Bishop of Winchester a Parrot told him that she was ready to suffer not onely his rebukes but all things that should follow besides yea and all that gladly To her Confession in Newgate she thus subscribed Written by me Jane Askew who neither wish death nor fear its might and as merry as one bound towards Heaven In her Confession of her Faith she saith Though God hath given me the bread of adversity and the waters of trouble yet not so much as my sins have deserved When Nicholas Sharton counselled her to recant as he had done she said It had been good for him never to have been born In an Answer to a Letter of Mr. Lacell's she writ thus O Friend most dearly beloved in God I marvail not a little what should mâ—ve you to judge in me so slender a faith as to fear death which is the end of all misery In the Lord I desire you not to believe of me such weakness for I doubt not but God will perform his work in me like as he hath begun When Wrisley Lord Chancellor sent to her Letters at the Stake offering her the Kings pardon if she would recant she refusing once to look upon them gave this answer That she came not thither to deny her Lord and Master Attalus He answered to every question I am a Christian Being fired in an iron Chain Behold said he O you Romans this is to eat man's flesh which you falsly object to us Christians Audebert Blessed be God said Anne Audebert of Orleance for this Wedding Girdle meaning the Chain my first marriage was on this Lords Day and now my second to my Spouse and Lord Christ shall be on the same Augustine Boughs fall off trees said he and stones out of buildings and why should it seem strange that mortal men die Austine Austine a Barbar 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
It is no arrogancy nor presumption in any man to burden God as it were with his promise and of duty to claim and challenge his aid help and assistance in all our perils dangers and distress calling upon him not in the confidence of our own godliness but in the trust of his own promises made in Christ. His Word cannot lye Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee and thou shalt praise me I answered the enemy also on this manner I am a sinner and therefore unworthy to be a witness of this truth What then Must I deny his Word because I am not worthy to proâ—ess it What bring I to pass in so doing but adde sin to sin What is greater sin then to deny the truth of Christs Gospel He that is ashamed of me or of my words saith Christ of him also will I be ashamed before my Father and all his Angels I might also by the same reason forbear to do any of Gods Commandments When I am provoked to pray the enemy may say to me I am not worthy to pray therefore I shall not pray c. When the Bishop came to Lichfield he perswaded me to be a Member of his Church which had continued so many years As for our Church as he called it it was not known he said but lately in King Edward's time I profess my self to be a Member of that Church said I that is builded upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ being the head corner-stone And this Church hath been 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 they were the Church So cried all the Clergy against the Prophets of Ierusalem said I saying The Church the Church c. So much out of Mr. Glover's choice Letter After he was condemned his heart was lumpish and desolate of all spiritual consolation whereupon fearing least the Lord had utterly withdrawn he made his moan to Mr. Austine Bernher his familiar friend telling him how he had prayed night and day to God and yet had no sense of comfort from him The Minister desired him to wait patiently the Lords leisure and howsoever his present feeling was yet seeing his cause was just he exhorted him constantly to stick to the same and to play the man not doubting but the Lord in his good time would visit him and satisfie his desire with plenty of consolation whereof said Mr. Bernher he was right certain and sure and therefore desired him whenever any such feeling of Gods heavenly mercies should begin to touch his heart that then he should shew some signification thereof The next day as he was going to the place of his Martyrdome and was come within light of the Stake although all the night before praying for strength and courage he could feel none suddenly he was so mightily replenished 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 then as one passing out of the world by any pains of death Godfrey When one called Godfrey de Hâ—mmele Heretick 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 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 indeed 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 preferring at all times the will of God to the will of men saying and 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 and 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 corruptible 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 and 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 and patience wait for the joyful confession of Christ again 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 and present with you that no man or power can take away your life from you nor touch your body any farther then 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 as ye ought there can be nothing that should make you to shrink from the Lord. If they do cast you into Prison with Ioseph the Lord will deliver you If they cast you to wild beasts and Lions as they did Dâ—niel you shall be preserved If into the Sea with Ionas you shall not be drowned or into the dirty dungeon with Ieremy you shall be delivered or into the fiery Furnace with Shadrach Meshach and Aâ—ednego 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
when we have done all we be unprofitable servants and faith onely in Christs blood saveth us How many Sacraments are there said he Two said she The one the Sacrament of Baptisme by which I am washed with water and regenerated by the Spirit and that washing is a token to me that I am a child of God the other the Sacrament of the Lords Sâ—pper which offered to me is a sure seal and testimony that I am by the blood of Christ which he shed for me on the Cross made partaker of the everlasting Kingdome There are seven said he By what Scripture said she find you that Well said he we will talk of that hereafter What do you receive in 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 and his Blood shed on the Cross and with that Bread and Wine I receive the Benefits that come by the breaking of his Body and 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 nor St. Paul say He calleth things that are not as 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 and 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 then if all the world had been given unto my Possessions with life lengthened at my own will Although my death at hand to you seem right woful to me there is nothing that can be more welcome then 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 tnrn'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 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 and 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 Iudah 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 and 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 sacriledge robbest Christ thy Lord of his right members thy body and soul and choosest rather to live miserably with shame to the world then 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 strâ—â—gth 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 thy 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 Wilt thou refuse the true God and worship the invention of man the golden Calf the whore of Bâ—bylon the Romish Religion the abominable Idol the most wicked Mass Wilt thou torment again rent and tear the most precâ—ous Body of our Saviour Christ with thy bodily and fleshly teeth Wilt thou take upon thee to offer up any Sacrifice unto God for our sins considering that Christ â—ffâ—red up himself as Pâ—uâ— saith uâ—â—n the Cross a liveâ—y 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 curse of Gods own mouth fear thee to honour any other god then him Dost thou so regard him that spared not his dear and 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 whiâ—â—â—â—all perish with them that made thee Confounded be all they that worship them Christ oâ—â—ereth 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
Letter to the Brethren imprisoned What worthy thanks can we render unto the Lord for you my Brethren namely for the great consolation which through you we have received in the Lord who notwithstanding the rage of Satan that goeth about by all manner of subtile means to beguile the world and also busily laboureth to restore and set up his Kingdome again that of late began to decay and to fall to ruine ye remain still unmoveable as men grounded upon a strong rock And now albeit that Satan by his Souldiers and wicked Ministers daily as we hear draweth numbers unto him so that it is said of him That he plucketh even the Stars out of Heaven whiles he driveth into some men the fear of death and loss of all their Goods and offereth unto others the pleasant baits of the world c. to the intent they should fall down and worship not the Lord but the Dragon the old Serpent which is the Devil that great beast and his image and should be enticed to commit fornication with the Strumpet of Babylon c. Yet blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which hath given unto you a manly courage and hath so strengthned you in the inward man by the Power of his Spirit that you can contemn as well all the terrours as also the vain allurements of the world esteeming them as meer trifles and things of nought In the Faith of Christ stand ye fast my Brethren and suffer not your selves to be brought under the yoke of bondage and superstition any more and be of good comfort and remember that our grand Captain hath overcome the world We never had a better or more just cause either to contemn our life or shed our blood we cannot take in hand the defence of a more certain clear and manifest Truth Shall we or can we receive and acknowledge any other Christ instead of him who is alone the everlasting Son of the everlasting Father c. Let such wickedness my Brethren let such horrible wickedness be far from us What can your Adversaries else do unto you by persecuting you and working all cruelty and villainy against you but make your Crowns more glorious yea beautifie and multiply the same c. In another Letter to the Brethren Now even now out of doubt Brethren the pit is opened against us and the locusts begin to swarm and Abaddon now reigneth ye therefore my Brethren which pertain unto Christ and have the Seal of God marked in your foreheads i. e. are sealed with the Earnest of the Spirit to be a peculiar people of God quit your selves like men and be strong for he that is in us is stronger then he which is in the world and ye know all that is born of God overcometh the world and this is our victory that overcometh the world even our Faith Let the world fret let it rage never so much be it never so cruel and bloody yet be sure that no man can take us out of the Fathers hands for he is greater then all c. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect c. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation c. In his Letter to Mr. West his quondam Chaplain I wish you grace in God and love of the Truth without which truly established in mens hearts by the mighty hand of the Almighty God it is no more possible to stand by the Truth in Christ in time of trouble then it is for the wax to abide the heat of the fire I am perswaded Christs words to be true Whosoever shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven and I believe that no earthly Creature shall be saved whom the Redeemer and Saviour of the world shall before his Father deny If you had wished that neither fear of death nor hope of worldly prosperity should let me to maintain Gods Word and his Truth which is his glory and true honour it would have like me well You desire me for Gods sake to remember my self Indeed it is now time so to do for so far as I can perceive it standeth me upon no less danger then of the loss both of body and soul and I trow then it is time for a man to awake if any thing will awake him He that will not fear him that threatneth to cast both body and soul into everlasting fire whom will he fear With this fear O Lord fasten thou together our frail flesh that we never swerve from thy laws You say you have made much suit for me God grant that you have not in suing for my worldly deliverance impaired and hindred the furtherance of Gods Word and his Truth To write unto these whom you name I cannot see what it will avail me but this I would have you know That I esteem nothing available for me which also will not further the glory of God Sir How nigh the day of my dissolution and departure out of this world is at hand I cannot tell the Lords Will be fulfilled how soon soever it shall come My conscience moves me to require both you and my Friend Dr. Harvey to remember your promises made to me in times past of the pure setting forth and preaching of Gods Word and his Truth These promises although you shall not need to fear to be charged with them of me hereafter before the world yet look for none other but to be charged with them at Gods hand My conscience and the love I bear you biddeth me now say unto you both in Gods Name fear God and love not the world for God is able to cast both soul and body into hell fire What is it else to confess or deny Christ in this world but to maintain the Truth taught in Gods Word or for any worldly respect to shrink from the same He that will wittingly forsake either for fear or gain of the world any one open Truth of Gods Word if he be constrained he will assuredly forsake God and all his Truth rather then he will endanger himself to lose or to leave that he loveth indeed better then he doth God and the Truth of his Word I like very well your plain speaking telling me I must either agree or die Sir I know I must die whether I agree or no. But what folly were it then to make such an agreement by the which I could never escape the death which is common to all and also incur the guilt of death and eternal damnation Lord grant that I may utterly abhor and detest this damnable agreement so long as I live If you do not confess and maintain to your power and knowledge that which is grounded upon Gods Word but will either for fear or gain of the world shrink and play the Apostate indeed you shall die the death In his Letter to Mr. Grindall then in Exile at Frankford afterward Arch Bishop
for Heaven and much too high for Earth Wouldst thou see poor frail Creatures trampling the World under their feet and with an holy scorn smiling at the threatâ— of Tyrants who are the terrors of the mighty in the Land of the Living Wouldst thou see shackled Prisoners behave themselves like Iudges and Iudges stand like Prisoners before them Wouldsâ— thou see some of the rare exploits of Faith in it highest elevation immediately before it be swallowed up in the beatifical vision To conclude Wouldsâ— thou see the heavenly Ierusalem pourtraied oâ— Earth as the earthly Ierusalem once was upon 〈◊〉 Tile Ezek. 4.1 And wouldst thou hear the melodious voices of ascending Saints in a ravishing consort ready to joyn with the heavenly Chorus 〈◊〉 their ravishing Hallelujahs Then draw near come and see If thou be a man of an heavenly Spirit here is brave and suitable entertainment for thâ— spirit And after thou hast conversed a while wit these excellent Spirits it may be thou wilt judgâ— as I do That dead Saints are sweeter Companion in some respects for thee to converse with theâ— those that are living And when thou shalt see thâ— magnificent acts of their Faith their invincible patience their flaming love to Christ their strange contempt of the World their plainness and simplicity in the profession of the Gospel and their fervent love to each other thou wilt mourn also with me to consider the scandalous and shamefull relapse of Professors from these glorious heights and to think how many degrees these Graces are gone back in the souls of Professors as the Sun upon the Dial of Ahaz The Judicious Collector hath gathered this Posie from the Martyrs Graves bound up in an excellent method and presented it to thee Here thou hast the Cream of the larger Martyrologies scum'd off the very Spirits of them extracted which is more cheap and less tiresome He intends if God permit a Second Part speedily And I assure thee he is a Person singularly qualified for the Work having both Materials and Judgement to dispose his Collections Bless God for such profitable Instruments and improve their Labours Such a Book hath been long desired many have attempted it but every one hath not that Furniture of Books and Parts for it Solomon detecting some of those artifices which the Buyer useth in Trading Prov. 20.14 detects this as one It is naught it is naught saith the Buyer i. e. he disparageth the Commodity to beat down the price but when he is gone he boâ—steth I am mistaken if thou also do not boast of thy penny-worth in this Book when thou art gone and hast well perused it that it may reach the end upon thy heart for which it is designed is the desire of thy Friend to serve thee I. F. The Books Poetical Prologue I Tell their death's who dying made Death yield By Scriptures sword and Faith's unbattered shield Their number 's numberless who ran to die Under their Saviour's Standard valiantly More Saints ten Tyrant Emperours did slay Then for a year Five thousand to each day Since Iesuâ—tes from th' infernal Lake did rise More then Eight hundred thousand lost their lives In Thirty years Bloody Duke d' Alva will'd In Six years Eighteen thousand to be kill'd In Henry's and in Mary's Bloody Reign Eight thousand have inhumanely been slain Twelve thousand and seven hundred more were Stockt Or Whipt or Wrackt or else Exil'd or Mockt I onely promise many a Swan-like Song Read them and beg of God with Heart and Tongue That as the Vine that 's cut and prun'd bears more In one year then it did in three before So may Christs Vine And may the Saints of God As Cammomile grow better being trod And may Christs Suffererâ— in like cases find The Living God as near as true as kind As these have found and learn Sin more â—o fear Then parting with what er'e they count most dear Swan-like SONGS A. Adrian ADrian's wife seeing the Coffin hooped with Iron wherein she was to be buried alive spake thus Have you provided this Pasty-crust to bake my flesh in Agnes Agnes a Roman Martyr contemning all threats of tortures was assaulted as to her chastity To the lascivious Wretch she said Thou shalt willingly bathe thy sword in my blood if thou wilt but thou shalt not defile my body with filthy lust do what thou canst Hereupon his eyes were struck out by a flame of fire like unto a flash of lightning and upon her prayer he was restored to sight again When she saw a sturdy cruel fellow to behold approaching with a naked sword in his hand I am now glad said she and rejoyce more that such an one as thou a stout fierce strong and sturdy Souldier art come then if one more feeble weak and faint-hearted should come This even this is he I now confess that I do love I will make haste to meet him and will no longer protract my longing desire Albane Albane England's Proto-Martyr delivered up himself to the Souldiers instead of Amphibolus who had converted him to Christianity after he had fled to his house for refuge and being bound was carried before the Judge who at that time was sacrificing to his Idols The Judge perceiving the fraud told Albane Forasmuch as thou hadst rather convey away the Rebel and Traytor to our gods then deliver him up to the Souldiers that he might undergo due punishment for blaspheming our gods look what torments he should have suffered if he had been taken the same shalt thou suffer if thou refuse to practise the Rites of our Religion Albane notwithstanding his threats told him plainly to his face that he would not obey his command Then said the Judge of what House and Stock art thou Albane answered It matters not of what Stock I am but if thou desirest to know my Religion be it known unto thee I am a Christian c. Then the Judge demanded his name my Parents said he named me Albane and I honour and worship the true and living God that made all things of nothing The Judge told him If he would save his life he must come and sacrifice to their gods Albane answered The sacrifice that you offer to the Devil profits you nothing but rather purchaseth for you eternal pains and Hell fire The Judge commanded him to be beheaded The Executioner observing his saith and fervent prayers fell down at his feet casting from him the sword desired rather to be executed for or with him then to do execution upon him yet afterwards another gave the fatal blow Alcock Constable Rolf Iohn Alcocks Master having bail'd his Servant said unto him I am sorry for thee for truly the Parson will seek thy destruction Sir said Alcock I am sorry I am a trouble to you as for my self I am not sorry but I do commit my self into Gods hands and I trust he will give me a mouth and wisdome to answer according to right Yet said
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 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 Qâ—eens favour to live as a Subject without clog on Conscience but otherwise the Lords mercy is better to me then life Life in his displeasure is worse then death and death with his favour is true life He having refused again and again to answer to the Chancellors Quaeries 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 Râ—me'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 maâ—ter 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 reople had sworn my death into his hands have I committed it and do his good will be done The Earl of Derby sending one of his Servants to him 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 then 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 die as an Heretick Mr. Bradford replied 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 that was sent to him How he 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 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 wâ—th 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 Kingdome of God Now will God made known his Children When the wind doth not blow the Wheat cannot be known from the Chaffe but when the blast cometh then flieth 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 then for any Parlour yea then for any pleasure that eyer I had for in it I find God my most sweet good God alwayes Of all deaths it is most to be desired to die 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 I ask God heartily mercy that I do no more rejoyce then 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 applied to every one of our deserts that from the bottome 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 then man Howbeit never for any thing resist or rise against the Magistrates Avenge 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 then by your tarrying Gods Name should be dishonoured In his Letter to Cambridge Thou my Mother the University hast not onely had the truth of Gods Word plainly manifested unto thee by Reading Disputing and Preaching publickly and privately but now to make thee altogether excuseless and as it were almost to sin against the Holy Ghost if thou put to thy helping hand with the Romish Rout to suppress the Verity and set out the contrary thou hast my life and blood as a Seal to confirm thee if thou wilt be confirmed or else to confound thee if thou wilt take part with the Prelates and Clergy which now fill up the measure of their Fathers which slew the Prophets and Apostles that all the righteous blood from Abel to Bradford may be required at their hands For the tender mercy of Christ in his bowels and blood I beseech you to take Christs eye-salve to anoint your eyes that you may see what you do and have done in admitting the Romish rotten Rags which once you utterly expelled O be not the Dog returned to his vomit be not the Sow that was washed returning to her wallowing in the mire Beware least Satan enter in with seven worse Spirits c. It had been better you had never known the truth then after knowledge to have run
to turn away from us But turn again O Lord let us fall into thine hands c. least these vain Idolaters do rejoyce at the miserable destruction of those men whom they make Proselvtes and from thy Doctrine Apostates But O Lord thy will be fulfilled this is thy righteous judgement to punish us with the tyrannical yoke of blindness because we have cast away from us the sweet yoke of the wholesome Word of thy Son our Saviour Yet consider the horrible blasphemies of thine and our enemies They say in their hearts there is no God which either can or will deliver us Wherefore O heavenly Father the Governour of all things the Avenger of the Causes of the poor the fatherless the widow and the oppressed look down from Heaven with the face of thy fatherly mercies and forgive us all former offences and for thy Son Jesus Christs sake have mercy upon us who by the force and cruelty of wicked and blasphemous Idolaters without causes approved are haled and pulled from our own houses are slandered slain and murdered as Rebels and Traytors like persons pernicious pestiferous seditious pestilent and full of mortal poyson to all men contagious whereas we do meddle no farther but against the hellish powers of darkness c. which would deny the will of our Christ unto us we do contend no farther but onely for our Christ Crucified and the onely salvation by 〈◊〉 blessed Passion Therefore O Lord for 〈◊〉 glorious Names sake for Jesus Christs sake c. make the wicked Idolaters to wonder and stanâ— amazed at thy Almighty power Use thy wonteâ— strength to the confusion of thine enemies and 〈◊〉 the help and deliverance of thy persecuted people All thy Saints do beseech thee therefore The young Infants which have some deal tasted of thy sweet Word by whose mouths thou hast promised to make perfect thy praises whose Angels do always behold thy face who besides the loss of us their Parents are in danger to be compelled and driven without thy great mercies to serve dumb and insensible Idols do cry and call unto thee Their pitiful Mothers with lamentable tears lie prostrate before the Throne of thy Grace Thou Father of the fatherless Judge of the widdows and Avenger of all the oppressed Let it appear O Lord Omnipotent that thou dost here Judge Avenge and punish all wrongs offered to all thy little Ones that do believe in thee Do this O Lord For thy Names sake Arise up O Lord and thine enemies shall be scattered and confounded So be it O Lord most merciful at thy time appointed Brown Iohn Brown told his wife as he sate in the Stocks that the Arch-Bishop had burnt his feet to the bones so as he could not set them upon the ground and all to make them deny Christ which said he I will never do for if I should deny him in this world he would deny me hereafter Thomas Brown being brought forth to be condemned Bonner said to him Brown you have been before me many times and I have took much pains to win thee from thine errors yet thou and such like have and do report that I go about to seek thy blood Yea my Lord said Brown indeed you be a Blood-sucker and I would I had as much blood as there is water in the Sea for you to suck Bruger A Frier offering Iohn Bruger a forreign Martyr a Wooden Cross at the Stake No said he I have another true Cross imposed on me which now I will take up I worship not the work of mans hands but the Son of God I am content with him for my onely Advocate Bruse I thank God said Peter Bruse my broken Leg suffered me not to flie this Martyrdome Buisson I shall now have said Iohn Buisson a double Goal-delivery one out of my sinful flesh another from the loathsome Dungeon I have long lain in Burgins Lord said Annas Burgins in the midst of his torments forsake me not least I forsake thee Burgon Iohn Burgon to his Judges asking him if he would appeal to the High-Court answered Is it not enough that your hands are polluted with blood but you will make more guilty of it Barnes When Dr. Barnes was brought before Cardinal Wolsey He told him he thought it necessary that his Golden Shoos and Golden Cushions c. should be sold and given to the poor for that such things were not comely for his Calling neither was the Kings Majesty maintained by his Pomp but by God who saith By me Kings reign When the Cardinal would have had him to reâ—fer himself to him promising him Favour he anâ—swered I will stick to the Holy Scripture and tâ— Gods Book according to the simple Talent thaâ— God hath lent me Being called before the Bishops and Abbot oâ— Westminster who demanded of him whether hâ— would abjure or burn he was in a great agony and then thought rather to burn then to abjure but perswaded by Gardiner and Fox because they said he should do more good in time to come He abjured and carried his Fagot to Pauls After they had long detained him in Prison notwithstanding upon notice given him of their intentions to burn him notwithstanding his abjuration he escaped out of England into Germany where he made his supplication to King Henry the Eighth against the Lordly Bishops and Prelates of England for the intollerable injuries wrongs and oppressions wherewith they had vexed not onely himself but all true Preachers of Gods Word and Professors of the same contrary to the Word of God and their own Laws and Doctors I do not believe saith he that ever God will suffer long so great Tyranny against his Word and so violent Oppressions of Christians as they now use and that in the Name of Christ and his Holy Church Now it is come to that that whoever he be high or low poor or rich wise or foolish that speaketh against them and their vicious living he is either made a Traytor to your Grace or an Heretick against Holy Church as though they were Kings or Gods If there be any men that Preach Dispute or put forth in Writing not any thing touching them though it be never so blasphemous against God the Blood of Christ and his Holy Word they will not once be moved therewith But if any man speak against their Cloaked Hypocrisie or against any thing belonging to them by which their abominations are disclosed nothing can excuse but he must either to open shame or cruel death and that under the accusation of Treason But who is he that would be a Traitor or maintain a Traitor against your Majesty Sure no man can do it without the great displeasure of the eternal God The Doctrine of the Gospel teacheth all obedience to Rulers and not Sedition and such as have preached the Word of God onely have never been the movers of disobedience or rebellion against Princes but they have been
ready to suffer with all patience whatsoever Tyranny any Power would minister unto them giving all people example to do the same whereas the Papists exempt the Pope and Priests from being bound to obey Magistrates Yea as to the people they teach that the words requiring Subjection are a Counsel and not a Command and that the Popes Authority is sufficient to Dispense with all the Commandments of God Wherefore most gracious Prince I lowly and meerly desire your Majesty to Judge between the Bishops and me which of us is truest faithfullest to God and to your Majesty The following Articles were some of Dr. Barnes his Position in his Sermon which the Bishops condemned for Heresie 1 If thou believe that thou art more bound to serve God to morrow which is Christmass day or on Easter day or on Whitsunday for any holiness that is in one day more then another thou art superstitious 2 Now dare no man preach the Truth and the very Gospel of God especially they that be feeble and fearful but I trust yea I pray to God that it may shortly come that false and manifest errours may be plainly shewed c. 3 We make now adayes Martyrs I truâ—â— we shall have many more shortly for the Verity could never be preached plainly but persecution followed 6 I will never believe neither can I believe that one man may be by the Law of God 〈◊〉 Bishop of two or three Cities yea of a whole Countrey for it is contrary to Saint Paul who saith I have left thee behind to set in every City a Bishop 7 It cannot be proved by Scripture that a man of the Church should have so great temporal possessions 8 Sure I am that they cannot by the Law of God have any Jurisdiction secular 9 They say they be the Successors of Christ and his Apostles but I can see them follow none but Iudas for they bear the purse and have all the money To burn me or to destroy me saith he in his Defence of the Two and twentieth Article cannot so greatly profit them for when I am dead the Sun and the Moon and the Stars and the Elements yea and also Stones shall defend this Cause against them rather then the Verity should perish As for me I do promise them here by this present Writing and by the fidelity I owe to my Prince that if they will be bound to our noble Prince after the manner of his Law and after good conscience and right that they shall do me no violence nor wrong but discuss and dispute these Articles and all other that I have written after the holy Word of God and by Christs holy Scripture with me then will I as soon as I may know it present my self unto our most noble Prince to prove these things by Gods Word against you all He also writ unto King Henry the Eighth an excellent Treatise to prove from the Scriptures of Truth and out of the Writings of the Fathers that faith onely justifieth before God Prefacing it thus Now if your Grace do not take upon you to hear the Disputation of this Article out of the ground of holy Scripture my Lords the Bishops will condemn it before they read it as their manner is to do with all things that please them not and which they understand not and then cry they Heresie Heresie an Heretick an Heretick he ought not to be heard c. He writ also several other Treatises as what the Church is what the Keyes of the Church be and to whom they were given Against free-will that it is lawful for all men to read the holy Scriptures that mens constitutions which are not grounded in Scripture bind not the Conscience c. In which Treatise he tells us there be two manners of Powers a Temporal and a Spiritual Power The Temporal is committed to Magistrates in this Power the King is chief and full Ruler c. Unto this Power must we be obedient in all things that pertain to the ministration of this present life and of the Commonwealth not onely for avoiding of punishment but for conscience sake So that if this Power command any thing of Tyranny against right and law alwayes provided it repugne not against the Gospel nor destroy our Faith our Charity must needs suffer it Nevertheless if he command thee any thing against right or do thee any wrong if thou canst by any reasonable and quiet means without sedition insurrection or breaking of the common Peace save thy self or avoid his Tyranny thou mayest do it with good Conscience But in no wise mayest thou make any resistance with sword or with hand but obey except thou canst avoid as I have shewed thee But now it will be enquired if it please the King to condemn the New Testament in English and to command that none of his Subjects shall have it under displeasure whether they be bound to obey this Command or no To this he answers having shewed why the King should not lay any such Command on his Subjects If the King forbid the New Testament or any of Christs Sacraments or the preaching of the Word of God or any other thing that is against Christ under a temporal pain or under the pain of death men should first make faithful prayers to God and then intercede the King for a release of the Command If he will not do it they shall keep their Testament with all other Ordinances of Christ and let the King exercise his Tyranny if they cannot flee and in no wise under pain of damnation shall they withstand him with violence but suffer patiently and leave the Vengeance of it to their heavenly Father which hath a scourge to tame those Bedlams with when he sees his time Neither shall they deny Christs Verity nor forsake it before the Prince lest they run the danger of being denied by Christ before his Father This may be proved by the examples of the Apostles when the High Priests of the Temple commanded Peter and Iohn that they should no more Preach and Teach in the Name of Jesus They made them answer It was more right to obey God then man Also the Pharisees came and commanded our Master Christ in Herods Name to depart from thence under pain of death But he would not obey but bid them go tell that Wolf Behold I cast out Devils c. Nevertheless I must continue this day to morrow and the next day c. So that he left not the Ministration of the Word for the Kings pleasure nor yet for fear of death The three Children also would not obey the Kings command against Gods Word Daniel would not leave off Prayer though commanded by the King So that Christians are bound to obey in suffering the Kings Tyranny but not in consenting to his unlawful Command Alwayes having before their eyes the comfortable saying of our Master Christ Fear not them that can onely kill the body and that
is the true Cross saith Mr. Frith in his Treatise called A preparation to the Cross which God doth lay upon us For the Word of God to suffer all scorns mocks lyes and persecutions and not to fear the most cruel yea even the most shameful death That we may be prepared to bear the true Cross we must consider that no calamity falleth on us by fortune or chance but by the counsel and appointment of God as witnesseth the holy Scripture It is undoubtedly no smaâ— comfort to be assured that the Cross is of God and that we are chastened of God and not of the Devil or of any wicked man who utterly can have no power upon us not so much as to move one hair of our head beside the will of the Lord. But it is not enough to consider that we are afflicted through the counsel and will of God but must moreover mark the cause and intent of his godly will for reason judgeth that we are punished to the end to be hurt or destroyed c. but we must forsake Reason and cleave to the Word of God which teacheth that we suffer affliction to our health and salvation for afflictions are not signs of wrath and displeasure but of grace and favour This is no small comfort to them that bear the Cross that they are not punished of the Lord to their hurt or destruction but to their health and salvation and that their afflictions poverty c. are not signs of Gods wrath but instruments by which God is glorified When God doth afflict his people for their sins he doth not therefore afflict them that by their afflictions they should satisfie for their sins for the passion and suffering of Jesus Christ is the ransome and expiation of our sins but that by affliction he may bring sinners to repentance When a Christian seeth himself forsaken of all men he must pray and not cease to pray but pray in faith mistrusting nothing God calleth Invocation or crying on him in trouble a Sacrifice the true and most acceptable honour So likewise he calleth the Hope whereby we tarry his help in affliction Sacrifice Sacrifice you the sacrifice of Justice and hope ye in the Lord q. d. that Hope is a Sacrifice whereby we yield justice to God that seeing he hath so promised he will pluck us out and deliver us for so much as he is righteous and true Of patience to God-ward springeth forth patience toward men for when the heart is at peace with God it tarrieth help of him and utterly setteth aside lust to revenge Our reason is therefore troubled and vexed in persecution because it thinketh that we are afflicted because God either hateth us or doth not regard us neither will help us These false opinions God plucketh from us and teacheth us that we are afflicted not because he hateth us but because he will either amend us or when we be amended continue us so And that in our affliction he will help us and keep us and also comfort us with the Holy Ghost and set our Conscience at peace and make us be glad in God 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 Iâ—remiah saith 2 Is 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 4 He is merry and ready to suffer yet more heavy and gâ—ievous evils We must look for help in all afflictions for God promiseth his help saying I am with you Fâ—ar ye nâ—t I will strengthen you But the manner 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 delivereth when most need is that his glory may shine the brighter He will therefore help when we be in a 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 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 He which yet seems afar 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 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 hurteth one faithful 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 persecuteth thou me If thou beest tempted concerning the Gospel or suffering persecution for the Gospel think of these Scriptures He that receeveth 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 die and leave Wife and Children and thy dear Friends say The Lord shall be their Defender for Gâ—â— both will and is able to cherish mine to nouriâ—â— and defend them for he is the Father of the faâ—therless and the Widows Husband I forget thingâ— behind my back and endeavour my self to thâ—â— things that are before my face They that haâ—â— Wives let them be as though they had none anâ— 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 die in the Lord. All thâ— world lyeth in wickedness All that are born â—â— God overcome the world and this the victorâ— which overcometh the world our faith All thâ— world shall perish with its lusts and desires Loâ—â— not the world nor the things of
the world We are strangers in this world and 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 though iâ— this life they be as sheep ordained to be slain 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 theâ— also know that through Christs death death is overcome and abolished Christ by his death hath changed their death into a sleep Such as be at the point of death 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 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 then the Lord hath appointed and we shall not die though we be in the greatest peril and extreme jeopardy before our hour Then wherefore should they fear death they cannot live longer then God hath appointed nor die any sooner It is the comfort of the godly in all adversity 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 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 and 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 then 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 then those things which are but vanity If God hath opened the eyes of thy mind saith the Mirrour it self and have given thee Spirit and Wisdome through the knowledge of his Word boast not thy self of it but rather fear and tremble for a chargeable Office is committed unto thee which if thou fulfil it is like to cost thee thy 〈◊〉 at one time or other with much trouble and persâ—â—cution but if thou fulfill it not then shall tâ—â— Office be thy Damnation For St. Paul saith Wâ—â—â— to me if I â—â—each not And by the Propher Ezekâ—â— God saith If I say unto the wicked that he shall die tâ— death and thou shew him not of it the wicked shall 〈◊〉 in his iniquity but I shall require his blood at thy haâ—â—â— But peradventure our Divines would expouâ—â— these Texts onely of them that are sent and haâ—â— cure of souls Whereunto I answer That eveâ— man that hath the light of Gods Word revealed unto him is sent wheresoever he seeth necessity anâ— hath the cure of his Neighbours soul e. g. If Goâ— hath given me my sight and I perceive a blinâ— man going in the way which is ready for lack 〈◊〉 sight to fall into a pit wherein he would likely perish I am bound by Gods Command to guide hiâ— till he be past that jeopardy or else if he perisâ—â— therein his blood shall be required at my handâ— Thus if I perceive my Neighbour like to perish 〈◊〉 lack of Christs Doctrine then am I bound to instruct him with the knowledge God hath given me or else his blood shall be required at my hand Peradventure they will say that there is already one appointed to watch the Pit c. and thereforâ— I am discharged and need take no thought Where unto I answer I would be glad that so it were notwithstanding if I perceive that the Watchmen bâ— asleep or run to the Ale-house c. and through his negligence espie my Neighbour in danger oâ— the Pit then am I nevertheless bound to lead him from it I think that God hath sent me at that time to save that soul from perishing and the Law oâ— God and Nature that bindeth me thereunto which chargeth me to love my Neighbour as my self to do unto him as I would be done unto If God hath given thee riches c. thou art yet the very owner of them but God is the Owner who saith by the Prophet Gold is mine and silver is mine and he hath for a season made thee a Steward of them so see whether thou with be faithful in the distribution of them according to his Commands Our spiritual Possessionaries are double Thieves and Murtherers as concerning the body besides their murthering of the soul for lack of Gods Word which they will neither preach or suffer any other to do it purely but persecute them and put them unto most cruel death First they are Thieves and Murtherers because they distribute not what they have from charitable Forefathers to the intent it should have been ministred unto the Poor but upon Horses Coaches c. gorgeous apparel and delicate fare c. Thus they defraud the Poor of their bread and so are Thieves and because this bread is their life they are Murtherers also Besides they are Thieves and Murtherers for withdrawing their perfect Members from labour whereby they might minister unto their Neighbours necessities I speak of as many as are not occupied about preaching Gods Word Besides these and many other Treatises he wrote also several choice Letters whilest he was Prisoner in the Tower In his Letter to the faithful Followers of Christs Gospel he thus expresseth himself It cannot be express'd Dearly Beloved in the Lord what joy and comfort it is to my heart to perceive how the Word of God hath wrought and continually worketh among you so that I find no small number walking in the wayes of the Lord according as he gave us Commandment willing that we should love each other as he loved us Now have I experience of the faith which is in you and can testifie that it is without simulation that ye love not in word and tongue onely but in deed and truth What can be more trial of a faithful heart then to adventure not onely to aid and succour by the means of other which without danger may not be admitted
I doubt not to â—aâ—ment your wickedness that so contemned the voicâ—â— of God for your own lusts for your cruelty for your covetousness that the Name of God was by your vanities evil spoken of in other Nations God grant you all repentant hearts for no order or state did any part of his duty in those dayes Bâ—â— to speak of the best whereof you use to boast your Religion was but an English Mattins patch'd forth of the Popes portess Many things were in your great Book superstitious and foolish all were driven to a present service like the Papists that they should think their duties discharged if the number were said of Psalms and Chapters Finally there could no Discipline be brought into the Church nor correction of manners To what contempt was Gods Word and the admonition of his Prophets come in all estates before God did strike some men are not ignorant The Preachers themselves for the most part could find no fault in Religion but that the Church was poor and lacked living Sure many things should have been reformed before that the Kitchin had been better provided for our Prelates in England It was most evident that many of you under the cloak of Religion served your own bellies some where so busie to heap benefice upon benefice some to labour in Parliament for purchasing of Lands that the time was small which could be found for the Reformation of abuses and every little that was spent upon the feeding of your flocks In a word the Goâ—â—spel was so lightly esteemed that the most part of men thought rather that God should bow and stoop to their appetites then that they should be subject to his holy Commandments Even the Nobility and Council would suffer no rebukes of Gods Messengers though their offences were never so manifest let those that preached in the Court the Lent before King Edward deceased speak their conscience and accuse me if I lie yea let a writing of Northumberland's to Mr. Harlow be brought to light and it shall testifie that he was not ashamed to say That the liberty of the Preachers tongues would cause the Council and Nobility to rise up against them for they could not suffer so to be entreated These were the fruits in the time of Harvest a little before the Winter came and of the time of Mary what should I write It hath cast off the Truth known and confessed and followeth lies and errours which once it detested It buildeth the building which once it destroyed it raiseth up the idols which once were there confounded They persecute they banish they burn Christ the Son of God in his members But to be short this onely remaineth for both these Nations that they repent and return into the Vineyard with the first Son and bring forth the fruits of Repentance The fruits of Repentance I call not onely to know your sins and to lament them but to amend your lives and to make strait the Lords paths by resisting Satan and Sin and obeying God in doing the works of righteousness and executing Gods Precepts and Judgements so long amongst you contemned for even now is the Axe put to the root of the tree c. Thâ— Lord hath now his Fan in his hand and will purge his floor c. Repent therefore whilst you have time before you be â—anned hewn down and fired Here have we to lament the miserable state of mankind which iâ— so seduced by the subtile Serpent that he cannoâ— know his misery when he is admonished nor perceive his perdition when it draweth so near Wheâ— the Servants of God set forth his Truth they are charged to trouble Realms and Countreys as waâ— Elias when they warn men to joyn hands with wicked Kings and Princes they are counted Traytors as was Isaiah and Ieremiah such is mans malice Wherefore I do admonish and exhort you both in the Name of the living God that howsoever yoâ— have hitherto shewed your selves the Servants oâ— men to bear and flatter with the world that noâ— ye learn in Gods cause to despise the faces of men to bend your selves against this wicked world neither regarding the Visors of Honours vain Titles nor dignities any farther then they seek Gods onely Glory for his Glory will he not suffer to be contemned for any cause no he will pour contempâ— on those Princes that strive against his Truth bâ—â— those that glorifie him will he glorifie Behold your onely remedy remaining is to repenâ— your time of ignorance of stubbornness of cruelty of idolatry wherein ye have so long continued Mourn for your ignorance and now with all diligence seek for knowledge of the World of God and openly profess the Gospel which is the poweâ— of God whereof ye ought not to be ashamed Cease at the last from your old stubbornness and labour in the Vineyard with all meekness Cease from your cruelty against Christs Members and learn tâ— suffer for Christs sake if ye will be true Christians Banish all Idolatry and Popish Superstitioâ— from amongst you else can ye have no part iâ— Christs Kingdome no more then Christ can be partaker with Antichrist Pray to the Lord of Hosts and Armies to give you the courage strength and means The Lords Arm is not shortened now no more then of old Be strong therefore in the Lord for the defence of the Truth though all the World rise against it Now when the battel is fierce against the living God for dead idols against the Gospel of Christ for the inventions of Antichrist against Christ members for Popish ceremonies can any of you that will be accounted Gods Children still halt of both hands If you will maintain Gods truth in the Earth he will receive you as his Children into the Heavens if you confess his Christ before this wicked Generation Christ shall confess you before his Father in the Heavens in the presence of his Angels But if you persist stubbornly to banish Gods Word and his Son Christ in his Members forth of your Earthly Kingdomes how can ye look for any part in his Heavenly Kingdome Lo here is the choice of life and death of misery and wealth offered to you by Gods mercies and the means how you may win Gods favour opened whereby onely ye may prevail against your enemies God grant you hearts to answer as the people did to Ioshua offering the like choice God forbid say they that we should forsake God we will serve the Lord our God and obey his voice for he is our God And we your banâ—shed Brethren by the Power of God to provoke you forwards will thus pronounce with Ioshua That we and our Fâ—milies will serve the Lord God though all Nations run to Idols though all people do persecute us We know that Satan hath but a short time to rage and that Christ our Captain right speedily will crown his Souldiers to whom as he is the eternal God with his Father
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 and 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 hangeth upon him that made thee who can as he please either twine it harder to last the longer or untwine it again to break the sooner Dost thou not then remember the saying of David When thou tâ—kest away thy Spirit O Lord from men they die and are turâ—â—d again to their dust but when thou letâ—est thy breath 〈◊〉 forth they shall be made and thou shalt renew the face of the earth Remember the saying of Christ in his Gospel Whosoever seeketh to save his life shall lose it but whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it Again Whâ—soever loveth Father or Mother above me is not meet for me He thâ—t will follow me let him forsake himself and take up his Cross and follow me What Cross the Cross of infamy and shame of misery and poâ—â—â—â—â— of affliction and persecution for his Names 〈◊〉 Let the oft falling of these Heavenly Showres 〈◊〉 thy stony heart Let the two-edged sword of Gods holy Word sheer asunder the sinews of worldly respects even to the marrow of thy carnal heart that thou mayest once again forsake thy self and embrace Christ and like as good subjects will not refuse to hazard all in the defence of their earthly and temporal Governour so fly not like a white-liver'd Milk-sop from the standing wherein thy chief Captain Christ hath hath set thee in array of this life Fight manfully come life come death the Quarrel is Gods and undoubtedly the Victory is ours But thou wilt say I will not break unity what not the unity of Satan and his members not the unity of darkness not the agreement of Antichrist and his adherents Tully saith of Amity Amicitia non est nisi inter bonos But mark my Friends yea Friend if thou beest not Gods enemy there is no unity but where Christ knitteth the knot among such as he is The agreement of all men is not an unity but a conspiracy Thou hast heard some threatnings against those that love themselves above Christ and against those that deny him for love of life saith he not He that denies me before men I will deny him before my Father in Heaven And to the same effect writeth Paul It is impossible that they which were once enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God if they fall away c. should be renâ—wed again by repentance And again If we shall willingly sin after we have received the knowledge of his Truth there is no oblation left for sin but the terrible expectation of judgement and fire which shall devour the adversaries Thus Paul writeth and this thou readest 〈◊〉 dost thou not quake and tremble Well if these teâ—rible and thundring threatnings cannot stir thee to cleave unto Christ and forsake the world yet let the sweet consolation and promises of the Scriptures let the example of Christ and his Apostles holy Martyrs and Confessours incourage thee to take faster hold of Christ. Hearken what he saith Blessed are you when men reviâ—e you and persecute you for my sake Rejoyce and be glad for great is your reward in Heaveâ— For so persecuted they the Prophets that were before you Hear what Isaiah saith Fear not the curse of men be not afraid of their blasphemies for worms and moths shall eat them up like cloath and wooll but my righteousness shall endure for ever and my saving health from generation to generation What art thou then saith he that fearest a mortal man the child of man which fadeth away like the flower and forgetteth the Lord that made thee that spread out the Heavens and laid the foundation of the earth I am the Lord thy God that maketh the sea to rage and be still whose Name is the Lord of Hosts I shall put my Word in thy mouth and defend thee with the turning of the hand Christ also saith unto his Disciples They shall accuse you and bring you before Princes and Rulers for my Names sake and some of you they shall persecute and kill but fear you not and care you not what you shall say for it is â—e Spirit of your Father that speaketh within you even the hairs of your head are all numbred Lay up treasures for your selves where no thief cometh nor moth corrupteth Fear not them that kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but fear him that hath power to destroy both soul and body If ye were not of the world the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Let these and such like consolations taken out of Scriptures strengthen you to God-ward Let not the examples of holy men and women go out of your mind as Daniel and the rest of the Prophets of the three children c. Return return again into Christs war and as becometh faithful warriour put on that armour that St. Pauâ— teacheth to be most necessary for a Christian man And above all things take unto you the shield oâ— Faith and be you provoked by Christs own example to withstand the Devil to forsake the world and to become a true and â—aithful member of his mystical Body who spared not his own Body for our sins Throw down your self with the fear of his threatned vengeance for this so great and hainous â—ffence of Aposâ—acy and comfort your self on the other hand with the mercy blood and promise of him who is ready to turn unto you whensoever you turn unto him Disdain not to come again with the lost Son seeing you have so wandred with him Be not ashamed to turn again with him from the swill of Strangers to the delicate of your most benigne and lovâ—ng Father acknowledging that you have sinned both against Heaven and against Earth Against Heaven by staining the glorious Name of God and causing his most sincere and pure Word to be evil spoken of through you Against Earth by offending so many of your weak Brethren to whom you have been a stumbling block through your sudden sliding Be not ashamed to weep bitterly with Peter to wash away the filth and mire of your offensive fall to say with the Publican
said Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit In her troubles she writ the following Verse with a pin Non aliena putes homini quae obtingere possunt Sors hodierna mihi tunc erit illa tibi In English thus Think nothing strange which man cannot decline My Lot's to day to merren may le thine Deo juvante nil nocet livor malus Et non juvante nil juvat labor gravis Post tenebras spero lucem In English thus If God protect 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. that There shouâ—d 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 mâ—ke and after that they should know more and then shouâ—d be a merry world Hale When Thomas Hale was taken by an Alderman of Bristow and another he said unto them You have sought my blood these two years and now much good do it you He was burned A. 1557. for saying The Sacrament of the Altar is an Idol Hall Nicholas Hall in his Answer to the first Article against him granted himself a Christian man 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 becasue it is now misused and clean turned from Christs institution c. Hallewin Harman When Cornelius Hallewin of Antwerp had received a sharp Letter 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 forbid 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 willed 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 but 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 Halleâ—iâ— and Harmar mitigation of torments upon abjuation We are resolved said they these momentary afflictions are not worthy that exceeding weight of glory that shall be revealed Hallingdale Articles against Iohn Hallingdale 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 â—ut 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 Bâ—nner that the blood of the Prophets 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 When William Hallywell and the twelve more that were burnt in one Fire at Stratford the how near London were condemned 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 refusing offers of escape out of Prison said I esteem it altogetder unleseeming 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 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 unhaâ—py and more then miserable Is it possible for you to be so foolish as for the sâ—ving of a few dayes which you have â—o â—â—ve by the course of nature so to start away and deny the Truth Know you therefore that although you have by your folishness 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
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 your conscience and a nail in your heart and here I cite you to answer unto me before the most high and just Iudge within an hundred years This Prophesie was printed in the Coin called moneta Hussi of the which Coin I my self saith Mr. Fox have one of the Plates having the following superscription printed about it Centum revolutis annis Dâ—o respondebitis mihi An hundred years come and gone With God and me you shall reckon After Sentence was pronounced against him a long Mitre of paper painted about with red Devils was brought to him whereupon he said Our Lord Iesus 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 Mâ—tre or Cap. When the fire was kindled he said Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit O Lord God Father Almighty have mercy upon me and pardon mine offences 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. Iohn 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 In the Letter of Poggius Secretary to the Council of Constance to Leonard Aretin concerning Hierome's death I profess I never said 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 erre 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 Fascicuâ— râ—â— 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 Council 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 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 then those that must first be sworn to maintain them and their doings Bâ—nner 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 Iews 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 Lechery Swearing and all othervices I accounted no offence of danger so long as I could for money have them absolved 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 Ione but our Church is 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 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 you persecute This I dare be bold in God to speak which by his Spirit I am moved to say that God will shorten your hand of cruelty that for a time you shall not molest his Church And this shall you in short time perceive my dear Brethren to be the most true for after this day in this place shall there not be any by him put to the trial of Fire and Fagot Which accordingly came to pass He was the last burnt in Smithfield Then he began to exhort his Friends to repentance and to think well of them that suffered for the testimony of the Gospel The day that Mr. Holland and the rest suffered a Proclamation was made that none should be so bold as
to speak to them or receive any thing of them upon pain of imprisonment Notwithstanding the people cried out desiring God to strengthen them and they prayed for the people and the restoring of his Word At length Mr. Holland embracing the Stake and the Reeds said Lord I most humbly thank thy Majesty that thou hast called me from the stake of death unto the light of thy heavenly Word and now unto the fellowship of thy Saints that I may sing and say Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts Lord into thy hands I commit my spirit Lord bless these thy people and save them from idolatry Hooper Mr. Iohn Hooper in his exile writ a Declaration of Christ and his Office and a Declaration of the holy Commandmants of Almighty God c. In his Epistle before his Declaration of Christ and his Office to the Duke of Somerset Because the right of every just and lawful Heir is half lost and more when his Title and Claim is unknown I have written this little Book containing what Christ is and what his Office is that every godly man may put to his helping hand to restore him again to his Kingdome who hath sustained open and manifest wrong this many years as it appeareth by his evidence and writing the Gospel sealed with his precious blood In his Declaration ch 3. Jesus Christ in all things executed the true Office of a Bishop to whom it appertained to teach the people which was the chiefest part of the Bishops Office and most diligently and straitly commanded by God As all the Books of Moses and the Prophets teach and Christ commanded Peter Iohn 20. and Paul all the Bishops and Priests of his time Acts 20. Christ left nothing untaught but as a good Doctor manifested unto his Audience all things necessary for the health of man Iohn 4. He gave also his Apostles and Disciples after his resurrection commandment to preach and likewise what they should preach Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature teaching them to observe what I have commanded Matt. 28. As they did most sincerely and plainly without all glosses or additions of their own inventions and were as testimonies of the Truth and not the Authors thereof Alwayes in their Doctrine they taught the thing that Christ first taught and Gods holy Spirit inspired them Gal. 1. 2 Cor. 3. Holy Apostles never took upon them to be Christ's Vicar in the Earth nor to be his Lieutenant But said Let a men so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 And in the same Epistle the Apostle Paul hiddeth the Corinthians to follow him in nothing but where he followed Christ chap. 11. They ministred not in the Church as though Christ was absent although his most glorious Body was departed into the Heavens above but as present that alwayes governeth his Church with his Spirit of Truth as he promised Matth. ult Behold I will be with you to the end of the world In the absence of his Body he hath commended the protection and governance of his Church to the Holy Ghost one and the same God with the Father and himself It was no little pain that Christ suffered in washing away the sins of this Church therefore he will not commit the defence thereof to man It is no less glory to defend and keep the thing won by force then it is by force to obtain the victory Therefore he keepeth the defence and governance of the Church onely and solely himself in whom the Devil hath not a jot of right Though the Apostles were instructed in all truth c. they were but Ministers Servants Testimonies and Preachers of this verity and not Christ's Vicars on Earth c. but onely appointed to approve the thing to be good that God's Law commanded and that to be ill which the Word of God condemned Seeing that Christ doth govern his Church alwayes by his holy Spirit and bindeth all the Ministers thereof unto the sole Word of God what abomination is this that one Bishop of Rome c. should claim to be Christ's Vicar on Earth and take upon him to make any Laws in the Church of God to bind the conscience beside the Word of God and by their Superstition and Idolatry put the Word of God out of his place All that are not blinded with the smoke of Rome know the Bishop of Rome to be the Beast Iohn describeth in the Apocalyps as well as the Logician knoweth that risibilitate distinguitur homo a caeteris animantibus Christs supremacy and continual presence in the Church admits no Lieutenant nor general Vicar Likewise it admitteth not the Decrees and Laws of men brought into the Church contrary unto the Word and Scripture of God which is onely sufficient to teach all verity and truth for the salvation of man ch 4. This Law teacheth man sufficiently as well what he is bound to do unto God as unto the Princes of the world Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. Nothing necessary for man but in this Law it is prescribed Of what degree vocation or calling soever he be his duty is shewed unto him in the Scripture And in this it differeth from mans laws because it is absolutely perfect and never to be changed nothing to be added to it nor taken from it And the Church of Christ the more it was and is burdened with mans laws the farther it is from the true and sincere verity of Gods Word Though Basil Ambrose Epiphanius Augustine Bernard and others erred not in any principal Article of the Faith yet they did not inordinately and more then enough extol the Doctrine and Tradition of men and after the death of the Apostles every Doctors time was subject to such Ceremonies and manners that were neither profitable nor necessary Unto the writings of Scripture onely and not unto the writings of men God hath bound and obligated his Church In this passage I admonish the Christian Reader that I speak not of the Laws of Magistrates or Princes that daily order new Laws for the preservation of their Commonwealths as they see the necessity of their Realms or Cities require but of such Laws as men have ordained for the Church of Christ which should be now and for ever governed by the Word of God This Law must prevail We must obey God rather then man The example hereof we have in Daniel of the Three Children who chose rather to burn in the fiery Furnace then to worship the Image that Nebuchadnezzar had made So did the Apostles Acts 5. Cursed be those that make such Laws and cursed be those that with sophistry defend them ch 5. The Authority of Gods word requireth me to pronounce this true Judgement in the case of Images that be not worshipped in the Church that their presence in the Church is against Gods Word as well as to say Sancta Maria ora pro nobis The Old
your Brethren that you have vouchsafed to take me a Prisoner and condemned man by the hand whereby to my rejoycing it is somewhat apparent that your old love and friendship towards me is not altogether extinguished and I trust also that all the things I have taught you in times past are not utterly forgotten c. For the which most true and sincere Doctrine because I will not now account it falshood and Heresie as many other men do I am sent hither by the Queens command to die and am come where I taught it to confirm it with my blood And now Mr. Sheriffs My request to you is That there may be a quick Fire shortly to make an end and in the mean time I will be as obedient unto you as your selves would wish If you think I do amiss in any thing hold up your finger and I have done for I am not come hither as one inforced or compelled to die for it is well known I might have had my life with worldly gain but as one willing to offer and give my life for the truth rather then to consent to the wicked Papistical Religion of the Bishop of Rome c. When the Sheriffs fetcht him from his Chamber to the place of Execution with Bills Weapons c. Mr. Sheriffs said he I am no Traytor neither needed you to have made such a business to bring me to the place where I must suffer for if ye had willed me I would have gone alone to the Stake and have troubled none of you all When he saw the multitude of People that were assembled he said unto them that were about him Alas why be these People assembled and come together peradventure they think to hear something of me now as they have in times past but alas speech is prohibited me Notwithstanding the cause of my death is well known unto them when I was appointed here to be their Pastor I preached unto them true and sincere Doctrine and that out of the Word of God because I will not account the same to be Heresie and untruth this kind of death is prepared for me When he was come to the place where he was to suffer after he had begun to pray a Box was brought and laid before him upon a stool with his Pardon or at leastwise it was feigned so to be from the Queen if he would turn at the sight thereof he cried If you love my soul away with it if you love my soul away with it In his Prayer he was overheard to say Lord I am Hell but thou art Heaven I am swill and a sink of sin but thou art a gracious God and merciful Redeemer Thou art ascended into Heaven receive me Hell to be partaker of thy joyes where thou sittest in equal glory with thy Father for well knowest thou wherefore I am come hither to suffer and why the wicked do persecute this thy poor Servant not for my sins and transgressions against thee but because I will not allow their wicked doings to the contaminating of thy blood and to the denial of the knowledge of thy Truth wherewith it did please thee by thy holy Spirit to instruct me the which with as much diligence as a poor wretch might being thereto called I have set forth to thy glory And well seest thou my Lord and God what terrible pains and cruel torments be prepared for thy Creature such Lord as without thy strength none is able to bear or patiently to pass But all things that are impossible with man are possible with thee Therefore strengthen me of thy goodness that in the fire I break not the Rules of patience or else asswage the terrour of the pains as shall seem most to thy glory When he was at the Stake three irons made to bind him to the Stake were brought one for his Neck another for his Middle and the third for his Legs He refusing them said Ye have no need thus to trouble your selves for I doubt not but God will give strength sufficient to abide the extremity of the fire without bands notwithstanding suspecting the frailty and weakness of the flesh but having assured confidence in Gods strength I am content ye do as ye shall think good When he was first scorch'd with the fire he pray'd saying mildly and not very loud but as one without pains O Jesus the Son of David have mercy upon me and receive my soul. When the second fire was spent and onely burnt his lower parts he said for Gods love good people let me have more fire In the third fire he prayed with somewhat a loud voice Lord Jesus have mercy on me Lord Jesus have mercy on me Lord Jesus receive my Spirit The Reasons of Mr. Hooper's refusing the Episcopal Habits c. I find thus C. Why do not you my Lord use these innocent and harmless weeds H. I put my self upon the tryal of the Searcher of Hearts that no obstinacy but meer Conscience makes me refuse these Ornaments C. These Ornaments are indifferent of themselves and of ancient use in the Church H. They are useless being ridiculous and superstitious C. Nay my Lord being enjoyned by lawful Authority they become necessary not to salvation but to Church-unity H. Being left indifferent by God it is presumption in man to make them necessary C. By a moderate use of these Ceremonies we may gain Papists into the Church H. While you hope to gain Papists into the Church you lose many Protestants out of it C. You discredit other Bishops who have used this Habit. H. I had rather discredit them then destroy mine own conscience C. How think you being a private person to be indulged with to the disturbance of the publick Uniformity of the Church H. If it please your Grace but to read these Letters I hope you will be satisfied and then he produced the Letters from the Earl of Warwick anâ— King Edward C. These are to desire that in such reasonable things wherein my Lord Elect of Glocester craveth to be born withall at your hands you would vouchsafe your Graces favour the principal cause is that you would not charge him with any thing burdenous to his Conscience I. Warwick WE do understand you stay from Consecrating our well beloved Mr. J. Hooper because hâ— would have you omit and let pâ—ss câ—rtain Rites and Ceremonies â—ffensive to his Conscience whereby you thiâ—â— you shall fall in premunire of Laws We have thoughâ— good by advice of Our Council to discharge you 〈◊〉 manner of Dangers Penalties and Forfeitur◠〈◊〉 should run into by omitting any of the sâ—me and 〈◊〉 Our Letters shall be your sufficient Warrant and Disâ—charge Edward Rex In his Letter writ in Answer to one sent hiâ— concerning certain taken in Bow Church-yard whilst they were praying I do rejoyce in thâ—â— men can be so well occupied in this perillous time and flee for remedy to God by Prayer as well foâ— their own lacks
God he that is present with the Beasts is present with God I hear all onely in the Name of Christ that I may suffer with him he strengthning me who is made perfect man What doth it profit me if any one praise me and blaspheme my Lord not confessing him to be clothed with flesh Your prayer hath reached to the Church of Antioch which is in Syria whence I salute you all being bound in Gods honourable bonds though unworthy being the last of all there yet made worthy by the will of God not according to my Conscience but of the meer grace of God c. In one of his Epistles he saith Truly I did see him Christ in flesh after his resurrection and do believe that it is he c. He used to say That there is nothing better then the peace of a good Conscience That good and wicked men are like true and counterfeit money the one seems to be good and is not the other both seems and is good That the Lions teeth are but like a Mill which though it bruiseth yet wasteth not the good Wheat onely prepares and sits it to be made pure Bread Let me said he be broken by them so I may be made pure Manchet for Heaven Other graces are but parts of a Christians armour as the shield of Faith c. but Patience is the Panoply or whole armour of the man of God Ioan. The Lady Ioan Queen of Navar who was poysoned at Paris a few dayes before the bloody Massacre on Aug. 24. 1572. in her sickness she said I take all this as sent from the hand of God my most merciful Father nor have I during this extremity feared to die much less murmured against God for inflicting the same upon me knowing that whatsoever he doth he doth the same so as all in the end shall turn to my everlasting good I depend wholly upon Gods providence knowing that all things are wisely disposed of by him As for this life I am in a good measure weaned from the love of it in regard of the afflictions that have followed me from my youth hitherto but especially because I cannot live without daily offending my good God with whom I desire to be with all my heart In regard of mine own particular my life is not dear unto me seeing so long as I live in this frail flesh I am still prone and apt to sin against God onely my care is somewhat for my children which God hath given me because they shall be now deprived of me in their young years yet I doubt not but although it should please God to take me from them that himself will be a Father to them and a Protector over them as he hath been to me in my greatest afflictions and therefore I commit them wholly to his government and Fatherly care She often uttered these words O my God in thy good time deliver me from this body of death and from the miseries of this life that I may no more offend thee and that I may attain to that felicity which thou in thy Word hast promised me To a Minister a little before her death she said I neither expect Salvation Righteousness nor Life from any else then from my onely Saviour Jesus Christ being assured that his onely merit abundantly sufficeth for the full satisfaction of all my sins albeit they are innumerable Ioris Iohn Ioris of Assahen in a Letter of his to his Parents and Friends a little before his Martyrdome writ thus Most dear Father and Mother Sister and Brother I write here unto you comfortable news viz. That in all my life I never saw any day so pleasing to me as this is in which the Lord hath counted me worthy to be one of his Champions and to suffer for his holy Name for which I give him most humble and hearty thanks Rejoyce with me I pray you that God hath now called me to so glorious and welcome Marriage Day O how precious in the sight of the Lord our God is the death of his Martyrs Dear Friends two Priests and some of the Magistrates have sought to terrifie me with many threats thinking to turn me aside from my holy Profession but the Lord of his great mercy hath given me grace to withstand them all I plainly told them I was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ but would be willing and ready to die in the defence thereof following my Lord and Master Jesus Christ through all afflictions to be made Partaker with him at last of his eternal joyes in his celestial Tabernacle Wherefore if God shall call any of you forth to suffer ought for his Names sake bear the same I beseech you with meekness and patience not declining from the truth for fear or favour to the right hand or to the left But fear him rather who is able to cast soul and body into hell The time which God hath lent us to converse in this world is but short and therefore let us begin to abandon the love of this world with all things therein betimes that so we may be ready to follow the call of God Dear Father and Mother I do take my last farewell of you until we meet together again in the Kingdome of Heaven where we shall partake of that joy that shall last for ever all sorrows tears and griefs being wiped away Be ye not therefore grieved I pray you but be patient for the affliction which is befallen me is most acceptable to me for which also I bless and praise the Lord. Iueson Thomas Iueson being prest to recant said I would not recant for all the goods in London I do appeal to Gods mercy and will be none of your Church nor submit my self to the same And that I have said I will say it again And if there came an Angel from Heaven to teach me any other Doctrine then that which I am in now I would not believe him Iuleddo or Iulitta A Servant to a good Gentlewoman telling Mr. Bradford that her Mistress had been sorer afflicted with her own Father and Mother then ever he was with his imprisonment Mr. Bradford bid her tell her Mistress That he had read that day a godly History written by Basilius Magnus of Iuleddo a vertuous Widow She had great Lands and many children and nigh her dwelt a Cormorant which for her godliness hated her and out of very malice took away her lands so that she was fain to go to Law The Judge demanded of him why he wrongfully with-held these Lands from this Woman He answered he might because she was disobedient to the Kings proceedings for she will in no wise worship his gods nor offer sacrifice unto them Woman said the Judge thereupon if this be true thou art like not onely to lose thy Land but thy Life Whereupon she said And is there no remedy but either to worship your false gods or else to lose my
into thy hands I commend my Spirit Amen Keyser Leonard Keyser as he was led to the place where he was to be burnt said O Lord Jesus remain with me sustain and help me and give me force and power When the wood was ready to be set on fire he cried with a loud voice O Jesus I am thine have mercy upon me and save me Knox. Mr. Iohn Knox wearied with removing from place to place by reason of the Persecution that came upon him by the Bishop of St. Andrews was determined to have left Scotland and to have visited the Schools of Germany he had then no pleasure in England by reason that although the Popes Name was suppressed yet his Laws and Corruptons remained in full vigour but was prevailed with by some Gentlemen for their Childrens sake whose Education he had undertaken to go to St. Andrews that he might have the benefit of the Castle which was fortified against the Papists since the death of the Cardinal in it Thither he came An. 1547. where he was called to the Ministry after this manner Mr. Rough having shew'd in a Sermon what power the Congregation how small soever passing the number of two or three had to elect any man in the time of need as that was in whom they espied the gifts of God and how dangerous it was to refuse to hear the voice of such as desire to be instructed he directed his words to Mr. Knox saying Brother you shall not be offended although that I speak unto you that which I have in charge even from all those here present which is this In the Name of God and of his Son Jesus Christ and in the name of these that presently call you by my mouth I charge you that you refuse not this holy Vocation but as ye tender the glory of God the encrease of Christs Kingdome the edification of your Brethren and the comfort of me whom ye understand well enough to be oppressed by the multitude of labours that you take upon you the publick office and charge of preaching even as you look to avoid Gods heavy displeasure and desire that he shall multiply his graces upon you And in the end he said to those that were present was not this your charge to me and do ye not approve this Vocation They answered it is and we approve it Besides this Vocation that which necessitated Mr. Knox to enter in the publick place was his beating by his Pen Dean Annan a rotten Papist that had long troubled Mr. Rough in his Preaching from all defences that he was compelled to flie to his last refuge the Authority of the Church which said the Dean damned all Lutherans and Hereticks and therefore he would not dispute Whereupon Mr. Knox in the open audience of the Parish-Church of St. Andrews told the Dean thus As for your Roman Church as it is now corrupted and the Authority thereof wherein stands the hope of your victory I no more doubt but that it is the Synagogue of Satan and the head thereof called the Pope to be that man of sin of whom the Apostle speaks then I doubt that Jesus Christ suffered by the procurement of the visible Church of Ierusalem yea I offer my self by word or writing to prove the Roman Church this day farther to degenerate from the purity which was in the daies of the Apostles then was the Church of the Iews from the Ordinance given by Moses when they consented to the innocent death of Jesus Christ. The people hearing the offer cried with one consent We cannot all read your writings but we can all hear your preachings therefore we require you in the Name of God that ye let us hear the Probation of what you have affirmed for if it be true we have been miserably deceived The next Lords Day he preached on Dan. 7. And another King shall rise after them and he shall be unlike unto the first and he shall subdue three Kings and shall speak words against the most High and shall consume the Saints of the most High c. In the beginning of his Sermon he shewed the great love of God towards his Church whom he pleased to forewarn of dangers to come so many years before they came to pass After he made a short Discourse of the four Empires the Babylonian Persian Grecian and Roman in the destruction of the fourth rose up that last beast which he affirmed to be the Roman Church for to none other power that ever hath been yet do all the Notes that God shewed to the Prophets belong except to it alone and to it they do properly appertain as such as are not more then blind may clearly see Then he shewed that the Spirit in the New Testament gives to this King other new names as the man of sin the Antichrist the whore of Babylon which he proved to belong to the Papists and their head the Pope Hereupon he was with Mr. Rough convented before the Sub Prior of St. Andrews c. and several Articles were read against them The strangeness said the Sub Prior of these Articles which are gathered forth of your Doctrine have moved us to call for you to hear your Answers Mr. Knox said I for my part praise my God that I see such an Auditory but because it is long since that I have heard that ye are one that is not ignorant of the Truth I may crave of you in the Name of God yea and I appeal your conscience before that supreme Judge that if ye think any Article there expressed contrary to the Truth of God that ye oppose your self plainly unto it and suffer not the people to be therewith deceived but if in your conscience you know the Doctrine to be true then will I crave your Patrâ—cinie thereto that by your Authority the people may be moved the â—ather to believe the Truth The Sub Prior answered I come not here as a Judge but onely familiarly to talk and therefore I will neither allow nor condemn but if ye list I will reason Why may not the Church for good causes devise Ceremonies to decore the Sacraments and other Gods Service K. Because the Church ought to do nothing but in faith and ought not to go before but is bound to follow the voice of the true Pastor S. It is in faith that the Ceremonies are commanded and they have proper significations to help our faith they have a godly signification and therefore proceed from faith and are done in Faith K. It is not enough that man invent a Ceremony and then give it a signification according to his pleasure for so might the Ceremonies of the Gentiles and of Mahomet be maintained but if any thing proceed from faith it must have the Word of God for its assurance for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Now if ye will prove that your Ceremonies proceed from faith and do please God
every one of the Serpents seed are guilty of all the iniquity which the whole body committeth because they are altogether against Christ Jesus and his eternal Verity every one serving Satan the Prince of this world in their rank age degree and estate The Kings and Princes that by power oppress the people of God and will not suffer that they truly worship God as he hath commanded but will retain them in Egypt are brethren and companions to Pharaoh The Prelates and Priests with their Fathers the old Pharisees have taken away the key of Knowledge and have shut up the Kingdome of Heaven before men so that neither they themselves will enter nor suffer others to enter in As Satan by craft hath corrupted the most holy Ordinances of Gods Precepts of the first Table in the place of the spiritual honouring of God introducing mens dreams inventions and fancies so hath he abusing the weakness of man corrupted the Precepts of the second Table touching the honour that is due to Parents under whom are comprehended Princes and Teachers for now the Devil hath so blinded the senses of many that they cannot or at least will not learn what appertaineth to God and what to Caesar but because the Spirit of God hath said Honour the King therefore whatsoever they command be it right or wrong must be obeyed It is blasphemy to affirm That God hath commanded any creature to be obeyed against himself that for the command of any Prince be he never so potent men shall commit Idolatry embrace a Religion which God hath not approved by his Word or confirm by their silence wicked and blasphemous Laws made against the Honour of his Majesty and men that do so are Traitors to their Princes whom by flattery they confirm in their rebelling against God God cannot lie he cannot deny himself he hath witnessed from the beginning that no Religion pleaseth him except that which he by his own Word hath commanded and established The Verity it self pronounceth this Sentence In vain do ye worship me teaching for Doctrines the Precepts of men and also all plantation which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out Before the coming of his well-beloved Son in the flesh he secretly punished all such as durst enterprise to alter or change his Ceremonies or Statutes as in Sâ—ul Uzziah Nadab Aâ—ihu is to be read and will be now after that he hath opened his counsel to the world by his onely Son whom he commandeth to be heard and after that by holy Spirit speaking in his Apostles he hath established the Religion in which he would have his true worshippers to abide unto the end will he now I say admit mens inventions in the matter of Religion which he reputed for damnable Idolatry If men or Angels would affirm that he will or may do it his own Verity shall convince them of a lie for this Sentence he pronounceth Not that which seemeth good in thy eyes shalt thou do to the Lâ—rd thy God but that which the Lord thy God hath commanded thee that do thou adde nothing unto it diminish nothing from it which sealing up his New Testament he repeateth in these words That which ye have hoâ—d till I come c. Whilst Mr. Knox was thus occupied in Scotland Letters came to him from the English Church assembled at Geneva which was separated from the superstitious and contentious company that was at Frankford commanding him in Gods Name as he that was their chosen Pastour to repair unto them for their comfort Great desires there were to stay him in Scotland but he would not be perswaded saying Once I must see that little Flock which the wickedness of men hath compelled me to leave adding That if God blessed those small beginnings and if that they continued in godliness whensoever they pleased to command him they should find him obedient Immediately after his leaving Scotland the Bishops summoned him and for non-appearance burnt him in Effigie at the Cross in Edinburg An. 1555. from the which unjust Sentence Mr. Knox made his Appellation and directed it to the Nobility and Commons of Scotland Printed at Geneva An. 1558. In his Appellation To the Nobility and States of Scotland It is not onely the love of this temporal life Right Honourable nor the fear of corporal death that moveth me to expose unto you the injuries done against me and to crave of you redress but it proceedeth partly from the reverence every man oweth to Gods eternal Truth and partly from a love which I bear to your Salvation It hath pleased the Lord of his infinite mercy not onely to illuminate the eyes of my mind c. but to make and appoint me a Witness Minister and Preacher of his Doctrine the sum whereof I communicated to my Brethren in Scotland because I knew my self to be a Steward and must give an account c. I did therefore as Gods Minister whilst with them God is record and witness truly and sincerely according to my gift divide the word of Salvation c. I affirmed so taught by my Master Christ Jesus That whosoever denieth him yea â—r is ashamed of him before this wicked generation him shall Christ deny and of him be ashamed c. And therefore I feared not to affirm that of necessity it is that such as hope for life everlasting avoid all Superstition vain Religion and Idolatry Vain I call whatsoever is done in Gods Service or Honour without the express command of his Word Nevertheless me as an Heretick and this Doctrine as Heretical have your false Bishops and ungodly Clergy condemned pronouncing against me a Sentence of death in testification whereof they have formed a Picture from which false and cruel Sentence c. I make it known to your Honours that I appeal to a lawful and general Council c. most humbly requiring of your Honours to receive me calling unto you as to the Powers of God ordained into your Protection against the rage of Tyrants not to maintain me in any iniquity errour or false opinion but to let me have such equity as God by his Word ancient Laws and determinations of godly Councils grant to men accused or infamed It is lawfull to Gods Prophets and Preachers of Christ to appeal from the sentence and judgement of the visible Church to the knowledge of the Civil Magistrate who by Gods Law is bound to hear their causes and to defend them from Tyranny as appears in Ieremiah's case c. He was condemned by the Priests and Prophets in Ierusalem c. who then onely in earth were known to be the Visible Church from which Sentence he appealed i. e. sought help of the Princes I am in your hands c. q. d. the Princes of Iudah and Rulers of the people to whom it belongs indifferently to judge between party and party to justifie the Just man and to condemn the
the Prayers of the Church with these words Take up the man whom ye accounted another god At the end of his Sermon he bemoaned the loss that the Church and State of Scotland received by the death of that man and said That as God in his mercy giveth good and wise Rulers so he taketh them away in his wrath and then added There is one in this Company that maketh the subject of his mirth this horrible murder whereat all good men have cause to be sorry I tell him he shall die where there shall be none to lament him The young Gentleman that writ the Note hearing this Comination went home and said to his Sister that Iohn Knox was raving to speak of he knew not whom His Sister replied with tears in her eyes telling him That none of Iohn Knox's threatnings fell to the ground without effect and so it fell out in this particular for this Mr. Thomas Metellan shortly after went beyond Sea to travel and died in Italy having no known man to assist him much less to lament him He told his People it was his desire to finish and close his preaching with preaching upon the History of Christs Passion In his last Sermon to his People at Edinburg which was preached at the Election of Mr. Iames Lawson to succeed him to whom he had writ thus Accelera mi frater alioqui sero venies Make haste Brother otherwise you will come too late meaning That if he made any stay he should find him dead and gone He called God to witness that he had walked in a good conscience among them not seeking to please men nor serving his own or other mens affections but in all sincerity and truth preached the Gospel of Christ most gravely and pithily exhorting them to stand fast in the faith which they had received In his sickness he said unto the Earl of Morton who came to visit him My Lord God hath given you wisdome honour high birth riches many good and great friends and is now to prefer you to the Government of the Realm In his Name I charge you that you will use these Blessings better in time to come then you have done in times past In all your actions seek first the glory of God the furtherance of his Gospel the maintenance of his Church and Ministry next be carefull of the King and the welfare of the Realm If you shall do this God will be with you and honour you if otherwise you do it not he will deprive you of all these benefits and your end shall be shame and ignominy These Speeches the Earl about nine years after at the time of his Execution called to mind saying That he had found them true and Mr. Knox therein a true Prophet A day or two before his death he sent for Mr. Lindsay Mr. Lawson and the Elders and Deacons of the Church and said unto them The time is approaching for which I have long thirsted wherein I shall be released from all my cares and be with my Saviour Christ for ever and now God is my Witness whom I have served with my Spirit in the Gospel of his Son that I have taught nothing but the true and sincere Word of God the true and solid Doctrine of the Gospel and that the end I proposed in all my Doctrine was to instruct the ignorant to confirm the weak to comfort the consciences of those who were humbled under the sense of their sins and born down with the threatnings of Gods judgements Such as were proud and rebellious I am not ignorant have blamed and do yet blame my too great rigour and severity but God knoweth that in my heart I never hated the persons of those against whom I thundred Gods judgements I did onely hate their sins and laboured according to my power to gain them to Christ. That I did forbear none of whatsoever condition I did it out of the fear of my God who hath placed me in the Ministry and I know will bring me to an account Now Brethren for your selves I have no more to say but to warn you to take heed to the Flock over which God hath placed you overseers which he hath redeemed with the blood of his onely begotten Son And now Mr. Lawson Fight a good fight do the work of the Lord with courage and with a willing mind and God from above bless you and the Church whereof you have charge against it so long as it continueth in the Doctrine of the Truth the gates of Hell shall not prevail This spoken and the Elders and Deacons dismissed he called the two Preachers to him and said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly You have sometimes seen the courage and constancy of the Laird of Grange in the Cause of God and that most unhappy man hath cast himself away I pray you two to take the pains to go to him and say from me That unless he forsake that wicked course wherein he is entred neither shall the rock in which he confideth defend him nor the carnal wisdome of that man whom he counteth half a god this was young Lethington yield him help but shamefully he shall be pulled out of that nest and his carkass hang before the Sun and so it fell out for the next year the Castle which he did keep against the Kings Authority was taken and he hanged before the Sun the Soul of that man is dear unto me and if it be possible I would fain have him saved They went but could not prevail yet at his death he did express serious repentance for his sins The next day he was much in Prayer crying Come Lord Jesus Sweet Jesus into thy hands I commend my Spirit Being asked by those about him if his pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a pain which should be unto him the end of all troubles and beginning of eternal joyes Oftentimes after some deep Meditations he burst forth in these words O serve the Lord in fear and death shall not be troublesome unto you blessed is the death of those that have part in the death of Christ. In the Evening having slept some hours together but with great unquietness for he was heard to send forth many sighs and groans Being asked after he awaked How he did find himself and what it was that made him to mourn so heartily in his sleep He answered In my life time I have oft been assaulted with Satan many times he hath cast in my teeth my sins to bring me to despair yet God gave me strength to overcome all his temptations and now that subtile Serpent who never ceaseth to tempt hath taken another course and seeks to perswade me that all my labours in the Ministry and the fidelity that I have shewn in that Service hath merited Heaven and immortality but blessed be God that brought to my mind these Scriptures What hast thou that thou hast not received and not
Epistle to the Reader before his None but Christ notes that these words were uttered by Mr. Lambert as the triumphant voice of Faith after that he had through the power of Christ put to flight the fear of Hell Sin and Death c. as by doubling of them may appear and that by way of imitation not tying any to syllables they well beseem the thoughts and speeches also of every Christian upon sure and safe grounds as in their daily so even in their last conflicts to be taken up and used Latimer After Mr. Hugh Latimer was converted and was become famous for preaching the Word Dr. Redman wrote to him to disswade him to which Letter he returned the following Answer Reverend Mr. Redman It is enough for me that Christs Seep hear no mans voice but Christs and as for you you have no voice of Christ against me whereas for my part I have an heart ready to hearken to any voice of Christ that you can bring me Thus fare you well and trouble me no more from talking with the Lord my God When he was cited to appear before Dr. Warham Arch Bishop of Canterbury c. and kept in London from his charge at West Kingston in Wiltshire he wrote to the Arch Bishop expostulating the case with him thus If Peter thought it just that by reason of his Office he should not cease to teach and admonish the people whilst he should be in this Tabernacle and that he should be so much the more instant therein the nearer he drew to death It cannot but seem unjust that those that will not preach themselves should hinder those that are willing unless they be throughout conformable to their wills Whatsoever I may suffer for the Truth cannot trouble me for God liveth and he hath taken the care of me O that we were as diligent in as much devoted to what God requires as our own inventions Hitherto I stand immoveable for Gods commands and so seek not my own gain or glory but Christs and so shall stand whilst I breath Who doth not see a manifest abuse of many things and seeing grieve not because thereof and grieving doth not labour the removal thereof and when shall it be removed whilst the use is preached up and the abuse concealed the truth is the abuse cannot but so long reign Go forth and teach all things saith Christ What all things All things saith he which I commanded you he doth not say all things that shall seem unto your selves fit to be preached Go to therefore I beseech you by the immortal God let us all and every one intend with all our soul to preach what God requireth lest we become Adulterators and Hucksters of preaching rather then true Preachers especially seeing men are most dull towards the things of God and most ready for their own things needing no spurs at all being deceived by an unjust estimation of things and an innate superstition received from fore-fathers which can scarce be healed by any preaching though frequent earnest and sincere Hence I dare not subscribe to the rude Propositions because I dare not be a means of the continuing of popular superstition lest I be the Author of my own damnation thereby It is not I assure you any pride that hinders me from that Subscription which your Lordship hath so often to my very great grief required of me It cannot but be wicked not to obey the Fathers of the Church but yet they must see what and wherein they command seeing it is said in a certain place We ought to obey God rather then man The rude Propositions as he calls them to which he was required to subscribe may be seen in Mr. Fox in the same Page In a Sermon of his at Stamford Octob. 9. 1550. he hath the following words concerning the crafty and deceitfull handling of those Bishops in his Examinations and what subtile devices they used to intrap him I was once saith he in Examination before five or six Bishops where I had much turmoiling Every Week thrice I came to Examination and many snares and traps were laid to get something Now God knoweth I was ignorant of the Law but that God gave me answer and wisdome what I should speak It was God indeed for else I had never escaped them At last the Chamber wherein I was wont to be examined was somewhat altered whereas there was wont to be a fire in the Chimney now there was none but Arras was hanged over the Chimney A subtile Question being propounded to me I pray you Mr. Latimer said one speak out I am very thick of hearing and here be many that sit afar off I marvelled at this that I was bid speak out and began to suspect somewhat and gave an ear to the Chimney and there I heard a Pen moving they having appoâ—nted one there to write all my Answers God was my good Lord and gave me answer I could never else have scaped it After he was made Bishop of Wâ—rcester he was accused before the King the Story whereof he gives us in a Sermon he preached afterwards before King Edward In the Kings dayes that is dead saith he many of us were called together before him to say our minds in certain matters In the end one kneeling down accuseth me for preaching seditious Doctrine A heavy salutation The King turned to me and said What say you to that Sir Then I kneeled down and turned me first to my Accuser and said Sir What form of preaching would you appoint me in preaching before a King Would you have me preach nothing as concerning a King in the King's Sermon Then turning to the King I said I never thought my self worthy nor did I ever sue to be a Preacher before your Grace but I was called to it c. And if your Grace allow me for a Preacher I would desire your Grace to give me leave to discharge my Conscience and to frame my Doctrine according to my Audience And I thank Almighty God which hath alwayes been my remedy that my sayings were well accepted of the King c. It is even as the Scripture saith The Lord directeth the Kings heart Certain of my Friends came to me with tears in their eyes and told me they looked I should have been in the Tower the same night Upon the coming in of the six Articles he did of his own free accord resign his Bishoprick and so was silent till King Edward's dayes At what time he first put off his Rocket in his Chamber among his Friends Suddenly he gave a skip in the floor for joy feeling his shoulders so light and being discharged as he said of such an heavy burden In King Edward's dayes he was a diligent Preacher and an hard Student at his study about two of the Clock in the Morning Winter and Summer though his body had been sore bruised by the fall of a Tree and he above sixty seven years of
light into the World Weston pressing him to recant You shall have no hope said he in me to turn I pray for the Queen daily even from the bottom of my heart that she may turn from this Religion When he was excommunicated by Weston he said I thank God most heartily that he hath prolonged my life to this end that I may in this case glorifie God by that kind of death When he was brought forth from the Bailiffs to see a Mass with a general Procession and understood so much he run as fast as his old bones would carry him to a Shop and would not look towards it After the Sentence was past upon him he was committed again to Prison in Oxford where in Prayer he oftentimes continued so long kneeling that he was not able to rise without help and among other things these were three principal matters he prayed for 1 That as God had appointed him to be a Preacher of his Word so he would give him grace to stand to his Doctrine to death that he might give his hearts blood for the same 2 That God of his mercy would restore his Gospel to England once again and these words Once again once again he did so inculcate and beat into the ears of the Lord God as though he had seen God before him and spoke to him face to face 3 That God would preserve the Lady Elizabeth and make her a comfort to this comfortless Realm of England Neither were these things desired of him in vain but the Lord most graciously granted every one of these requests 1 The Lord assisted him to be constant to the last At the Stake he lifted up his eyes towards Heaven with an amiable and comfortable countenance saying God is faithful which doth not suffer us to be tempted above our strength Afterward he shed his blood in the Caâ—se of Christ. The blood ran out of his heart in great abundance his body being opened by the force of the fire 2 The Gospel was restored again unto England 3 When the enemies trâ—umphed Gods Word was banished no place left for Gods Servants to cover their heads God havâ—ng wonderfully preserved the Lady Elizabeth set her on the Throne and thereby the captivity of sorrowfull Christians was released In his Letter to Mr. Morice I thank you that now of late you would vouchsase to write unto me so poor a wretch to my great comfort among all these my troubles Seeing there is no pain that can break my charity and patience cause me to dishonour God to displease God to be displeased with God nor to joy in God bring me from surety of Salvation separate me from Christ or Christ from me I care the less for it In his Letter in answer to Dr. Sherwood God gives us both what he knows best for us to me patience becoming a Christian in the midst of my sufferings and to you as sound a judgement as you have now a fervent zeal I said that all Popes Bishops Vicars Rectors not entring by the door but ascending some other way are Thieves and Robbers c. Hence you gather that I said all Popes Bishops Vicars Rectors simply are so O my Brother is this a good collection Is there not a vast difference between these two assertions All not entring in by the door are Thieves And all simply are Thieves Whence I pray you could it seem to you to say Simply all are Thieves when I said onely All not entring in by the door are Thieves Unless perhaps all appear to you to ascend some other way and not to enter by the door If you think so if you be wise do not say that you do so think you know how dangerous it will be for you to say so You say that Christ did onely in secret and not in publick task the Pharisees but I am but a man not a searcher of hearts c. But did not Christ by name accuse them even before the multitude saying Woe unto you Scriles and Pharisees Hypocrites It is true I am but a man that see not the spot lying hid in anothers heart but onely the life exposed to the view of all and so knowing them by their fruits whom Christ would have so known I do condemn that course of life whoever take it up which I find often condemned in the holy Scriptures and in the holy Interpreters thereof Am not I then undeservedly found fault with by you What I spake rightly concerning the Church you wickedly calumniate as if I had made all equal with Peter as to the use of the Keys when there was not a word mentioned concerning the power of the Keys c. But I onely admonished my hearers that the Church of Christ was built upon a Rock and not upon the Sands least they trust in a dead faith and not shew forth their faith by their works In his Letter to Sir Edward Bainton To recompence your goodness towards me I shall not cease to pray my Lord God who is able and also doth indeed reward all them that favour the favourers of his Truth for his sake for the truth is a common thing pertaining to every man for the which every man shall answer another day and I desire favour neither of your Worship nor of any man else but in truth and for the truth I take God to witness which knoweth all I marvel not a little how the Bishop of London having so broad wide and large Diocess committed unto his Cure and so peopled as it is can have leisure for preaching and teaching the Word in season out of season privately publickly to his own flock convincing exhorting admonishing c. to trouble me or to trouble himself with me c. I do not think Judges now adayes so deeply confirmed in grace or so impeccable but that it may behove and become Preachers to admonish them to do well to examine whether the accusers do not pervert the words of the accused and this I did upon occasion of the Apostles saying Ye are not under the Law but under Grace What a saying is this said I if it be not rightly understood The words sound as if he would encourage Christians to break Law seeing they be not under the Law and what if Paul's adversaries would have so taken them and accused him of the same to my Lord of London If he would have heard Paul declare his own mind he would have escaped but if he would have rigorously followed utcunque allegata probata and have given sentence after the relation of the Accusers good St. Paul must have born a fagot at Paul's Cross the Bishop of London being his Judge But my Lord will say Peradventure that men will not take the Preachers words otherwise then they mean therein As though St. Paul's words were not otherwise taken Because he said That our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God he was reported to mean That we
the Will of God and fear not them that kill the body but have no power upon your souls My flesh repugneth marvellously against the Spirit but shortly I shall cast it away I beseech you pray for me O Lord my God into thy hands I commend my soul. Laurence I find three of this name recorded in the Book of Martyrs First Laurence the Deacon when Xistus his Pastour was martyred under the Emperour Valerianus was grieved that the Son should be secluded from the Father that he should not suffer with him Seeing him led alone as a Sheep to the slaughter he cried out to him O Dear Father whither goest thou without the company of thy dear Son whither hastenest thou O Reverend Pastour without thy Deacon never wast thou wont to offer sacrifice without thy Minister What crime is there in me that offendeth thy fatherhood Deniest thou unto him the fellowship of thy blood to whom thou hast committed the distribution of the Lords blood He having after three dayes respit promised the merciless Tyrant to declare where the Churches treasure lay caused a good company of poor Christians to be congregated and when the day of his answer was come and he was strictly charged to staud to his promise he stretching out his arms over the poor said These are the precious treasure of the Church these are the treasure indeed in whom the faith of Christ reigneth in whom Iesus Christ hath his mansion-place What more precious jewels can Christ have then those in whom he hath promised to dwell It is written I was hungry and ye gave me to eat I was thirsty and ye gave me to drink I was harbourless and ye lodged me Look what ye have done to the least of these the same have ye done to me No tongue is able to expreâ—s the Tyrant's fury and madness hereupon Kindle the fire of wood saith he make no spare Hath this Villain deluded the Emperour Away with him away with him whip him buffet him brain him Jesteth the Traitor with the Emperour roast him boyl him toss him turn him on pain of our high Displeasure do every one his office O ye Tormentors When he was on the fiery Gridiron which was as a soft Bed of Down to him he spake thus unto the Tyrant This side is now roasted enough Turn up O Tyrant great Essay whether roasted or raw Thou think the better meat Secondly Iohn Laurence who was burnt at Colchester March 29. An. 1555. He being not able to go being lamed with Irons in Prison was born to the fire in a Chair and whilst he sate in the fire the young children came about the fire and cried as well as they could Lord strengthen thy Servant and keep thy promise Lord strengthen thy Servant and keep thy promise Thirdly Henry Laurence who was burnt at Canterbury about the later end of August the same year He being required to put his hand to his Answers wrote Ye are all of Antichrist and him ye fol probably he would have written And him ye follow had not he been hindred Lawson Elizabeth Lawson continuing almost three years in Prison in which time her own Son and many others were burnt said often Good Lord what is the cause that I may not yet come to thee with thy children Well good Lord thy blessed Will be done and not mine This good old Woman about the age of sixty before she went to Prison had the Falling-sickness but she told a friend of hers That after she was apprehended she never had it more Leafe Bonner pressing Iohn Leafe an Apprentice of London to recant he said No but I will die in that Doctrine that Mr. Rogers Hooper Cardmaker c. died for My Lord you call mine Opinion Heresie it is the true Light of the Word of God and I profess I will never forsake my well-grounded Opinion whilst I have breath in my body When two Bills were sent to him in the Counter in Breadstreet the one containing a Recantation the other his Confessions to see which of them he would sign when that which contained his Confessions was read for he could neither read nor write in stead of a Pen he took a Pin and so pricking his hand sprinkled the blood upon the said Bill willing the Reader thereof to shew the Bishop that he had sealed the same Bill with his blood already Lewes Mrs. Ioyce Lewes was converted by Mr. Iohn Glover who after she was in some trouble willed her in any case not to meddle with that matter in respect of vain-glory or to get her self a Name shewing to her the great danger she was like to cast her self into if she should meddle in Gods matter otherwise then Christ doth teach When the Bishop reasoned with her she told him I find not these things in Gods Word which you urge and magnifie as things most needfull for mens Salvation If these things were in the same Word of God commanded I would with all my heart receive esteem and believe them The Bishop answering If thou wilt believe no more then is in the Scriptures concerning matters of Religion thou art in a damnable case she was amazed and being moved by the Spirit of God told him That his words were ungodly and wicked When news was brought of the coming down of the Writ de comburendo c. she sent for several Christians to consult with them how she might behave her self that her death might be more glorious to the Name of God comfortable to his people and most discomfortable to the enemies of God As for death said she I do not greatly pass when I behold the amiable Countenance of Christ my Dear Saviour the ugly face of death doth not greatly trouble me Two Priests sending her word that they were come to hear her Confession she sent them word again That she had made her Confession to Christ her Saviour at whose hands she was sure to have forgiveness of her sins As concerning the Cause for the which she should die she had no cause to confess that but rather to give unto God most humble praise that he did make her worthy to suffer death for his Word And as concerning that Absolution That they were able to give unto her by Authority from the Pope she did defie the same even from the bottom of her heart About three of the Clock in the morning before her Execution Satan questioned with her How she could tell that she was chosen to eternal life and that Christ died for her I grant that he died but that he died for thee How canst thou tell But Satan was soon put to flight and she comforted in Christ by arguing her Election and Christ dying for her in particular from her Vocation and the holy Spirit working in her heart love and desire towards God to please him and to be justified by him through Christ c. When the Sheriff about eight of the Clock
provided That they pass judgement concerning them out of the Scriptures and prove the contrary by testimonies thence Afterwards the Arch Bishop of Triers treated privately with him to perswade him Luther told him It was not sâ—fe for him to submit so momentous a business to them who after they had called him under safe conduct attempting him with new commands had condemned his Opinion and approved the Popes Bull. Afterwards the Arch Bishop desired Luther to shew what remedies there were in this case He answered None better then Gamalieâ—'s who said If this câ—unsel or work proceed of men it shall come to nâ—ught but if it be of God ye cannot destroy it Caesar and the States may write to the Pope that they are certain If this his purpose 〈◊〉 of God it will of iâ—s own accâ—rd come to nâ—ught within three yea within two years The Arch Bishop asking him What if the same Aâ—â—icles which the â—ouncil of Constance condemned be collected out of your Writings to be submitted to a Couâ—cil I may not said he and I will not hold my peace concerning such because I am certain the Word of God is condemned by their Decrees therefore I will rather lose life and head then abandon the manifest Word of the Lord. When Luther was commanded by the Emperour to return within one and twenty dayes under safe conduct He said It is as pleaseth the Lord. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. I humbly give most hearty thanks to the Emperour and all the Princes c. for so benign and favourable audience and for safe conduct to come and return I desire nothing of you but a reformation by the holy Scripture and that I do most earnestly desire Otherwise I am ready to suffer all things life and death shame and reproach for the Emperour and Empire reserving nothing for my self but onely the free Word of God to be confessed and testified by me In his Letter to his Father Know dear Father that your Son is come to this to be most certainly perswaded that nothing is before nothing more holy more religious then Gods command But you will say Didst thou ever doubt hereof Truly I did not onely doubt hereof but I was altogether ignorant that it was so and if you will suffer me I am ready to demonstrate that this ignorance was common to you with me If you had known that Gods Command is to be preferred before all things you would by your Paternal Authority have taken away my Monks Cole and if I had known it I should not have entred into the Monastery without your leave and against your consent But God hath caused all to work for good He would have me to experience the wisdome of the Universities and the holiness of the Monasteries that is that they should be known to me by many sins and impieties lest occasion should be given to wicked men to triumph over their future Adversary that I condemned what I knew not I therefore lived a Monk though without crime not without fault Will you now come and free me my Father The Lord hath come before you and freed me My Conscience is freed which is the richest liberty I am now a Monk and no Monk a new Creature not of the Pope but of Christ. The Pope doth indeed create Puppets that is Idols like himself in which Number I was once a poor seduced One but now freed by grace Your authority over me doth indeed remain intire But he that hath freed me hath greater authority over me Novemb. 21. 1521. In his Epistle to Prince Frederick The perils and dangers which seem to hang over your Person Dominions and Subjects and especially my self condemned by Edicts and Bulls by the Popes and Emperours Authority upon my return are not unobserved Certainly no less then a violent death is to be expected by me every hour But what shall I do God calls and urges me to return To this I am not induced by pride and contempt of the Emperour or of your Excellency or of any Magistrate for although sometimes we must not do what is commanded by man as when any thing is commanded contrary or repugnant to the Word of God yet the Power and Authority is never to be contemned but alwayes to be highly honoured But I am assured that the beginning of my Preaching at Wittenberg came not from my self but from God Neither can any kind of persecution and death teach me otherwise yea I think I prophesie rightly That no terrours nor cruelty shall be able to put out this Light Besides whilst I was absent from Wittenberg Satan hath entred in among my flock c. and I have resolved rather to regard the great necessity of that Church then the offending or pleasing your Excellency yea then the hatred and fury of the whole world Certainly this is my flock committed to me by the Lord These are my children in Christ. Shall I doubt whether I should câ—me to or stay from them for whom I ought to lose my life and chuse death which I shall God helping me willingly and cheerfully I do also very much fear least some great and horrible insurrection be in Germany to punish Germany ' s contempt of and ingratitude for the Blessings of God We see with how great liking applause and concurrency the Gospel is received by very many but many receive this Blessing carnally they plainly see the truth but do not walk in the truth as they ought The Ecclesiastical Tyranny is weakned and broken and that was all I aimed at in my Writings Now I see God will proceed farther and will sometime do the same that he did to Ierusalem when he overturned altogether both the Ecclesiastical and Political Government for persecuting the Gospel and other outrages I have lately begun to learn that not onely the Ecclesiastical Spiritual but the Political and Civil Authority ought to yield unto the Gospel c. Seeing therefore that God requires by Ezekiel that we be as a Wall unto the people I have thought it necessary to do all we can and ought by mutual counsels studies instructions admonitions exhortations for the averting or at least for the deferring â—f the anger and judgement of God This I dare affirm and wish that your Excellency were assured thereof that it is far otherwise concluded in Heaven then in the Convention at Norinberg and in short time we shall see that they who nâ—w dream that they have quite devâ—ured and eâ—ten up the Gospel have not so much as far fashiâ—n sake said Grâ—ce as the English expressiâ—n is for these untouched dainâ—ies The Gospel begins to be â—ppressed and therefore herein I ought not to regard any mortal I beseech therefâ—re your Excelâ—ency to take in good part my coming home without your command yea privity You are the Lord of my body and little fortunes but Christ of the souls to whâ—m he hath sent me c. I hope being confident
to die then to do any ungodliness 2 We must obey our Parents and be careful for our Houses that they be fed not onely with bodily food but much rather with spiritual food the Word of God 3 Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye likewise unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets 4 Pray for all Estates 5 After these works we must learn to know the Cross and 6 What affection and mind we must bear towards our enemies whatsoever they be to suffer all evils patiently to pray for them that persecute us And thus doing we shall obtain a certainty of our vocation that we be the elect Children of God And thus I commend you Brethren unto God and to the Word of his grace which is able to â—uild farther c beseeching you to help Mr. Saunders and me your late Pastors and all them that be in bonds for the Gospels sake with your Prayers to God for us that we may be delivered from unreasonable men c. and that this our imprisonment may be to the glory and profit of our Christian Brethren in this world and that Christ may be magnified in our bodies whether it be by death or life Amen The grace of our Lord be with you all The unprofitable Servant of Iesus Christ and now also his Prisoner G. M. Iune 28. 1555. Postscript Save your selves from this untoward generation Pray pray pray Never more need In his Letter to his Friends at Manchester These are earnestly to exhort you and beseech you in Christ as ye have received the Lord Iesus even so to walk rooted in him and not to be afraid of any terrour of your adversaries be they never so many and mighty and you on the other side never so few and weak for the battel is the Lords As I was with Moses so will I be with thee saith God and will never leave thee nor forsake thee Be strong and bold neither fear nor dread for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest Now if God be â—n our side who can be against us In this our spiritual warfare is no man overcome unless he traiterously leave and forsake his Captain or cowardly cast away his Weapons or willingly yield himself unto his Enemies or fearfully turn his back and flie Be strong therefore in the Lord and in the power of his might and put on all the armour of God that ye may be able to stand stedfâ—st against all the assaults of Satan If we submit our selves to God and his holy Word no man shall be able to hurt us God will deliver us from all troubles yea from death also till such time as we covet and desire to die as he did Paul c. Let us therefore run with patience unto the battel that is set before us and look unto Iesus the Captain and Finisher of our Faith and after his example for the rewards sake that is set out unto us patiently to bear the Cross and despise the shame All that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution Christ was no sooner Baptized and declared to the world to be the Son of God but Satan was by and by ready to tempt him which thing we must look for also yea the more we shall increase our faith and vertuous living the more strongly will Satan assault us whom we must learn after the example of Christ to fight against and overcome with the Holy and Sacred Scriptures c. and let the fasting of Christ when he was tempted in the Wilderness be an example unto us of our sober living not for the space of fourty dayes as the Papists do fondly fancy of their own brains but us long as we are in the Wilderness of this wretched life assaulted of Satan who like a roaring Lion c. It is the nature and property of the Devil alwayes to hurt and do mischief if God do not forbid Indeed if God will not permit him he cannot so much as enter into a filthy Hog c. Let us knowing Satans deceits and rankor walk the more warily and take unto us the shield of faith c. Let us fast and pray continually c. To fasting and prayer must be joyned mercy to the poor and needy c. Let us go boldly to the seat of grace where we shall be sure to find grace and mercy to help in time of need Wherefore my dear Brethren be ye fervent in the Law of God and jeopard ye your lives if need shall require for the testament of the Fathers and so shall ye receive great honour and an everlasting name Remember Abraham was not he found faithful in temptation and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness Ioseph in time of his trouble kept the Commandment and was made a Lord of Egypt Phineas was so fervent for the honour of God that he obtained the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood Ioshua for the fulfilling of the Word of God was made the Captain of Israel Caleb bare record before the Congregation and received an Inheritance David also in his merciful kindness obtained the Throne of an everlasting Kingdome Elias being zealous and fervent in the Law was taken up into Heaven The three Children remained stedfast in the Faith and were delivered out of the fire and Daniel from the mouth of the Lions Thus whoever put their trust in the Lord were not overcome Fear not ye then the words of ungodly men for their glory is but dung and worms to day they are set up and to morrow they are gone they are turned into earth and their memorial cometh to nought Wherefore let us take good hearts unto us and quit our selves like men in the Law c. Let us not faint because of affliction wherewith God trieth all them that are sealed to everlasting life c. Seeing we are in the narrow and strait way that leadeth unto the mâ—st joyful and pleasant City of everlasting life let us not stagger or turn back being afraid of the perilous way but follow our Captain Christ therein and be afraid no not of death it self Consider also the course of this world how many for their Master's sake or a little promotions sake will adventure their lives as commonly in Wars and yet is their reward but light and transitory and ours is unspeakably great and everlasting They suffer pains to be made Lords on Earth for a short season how much more ought we to endure it may be much less pains to be made Kings in Heaven for evermore Seeing Brethren it hath pleased God to set me and that worthy Minister of Christ Iohn Bradford your Countreyman in the forefront of this Battel where for the time is most danger I beseech you all in the bowels of Christ to help us and all our fellow Souldiers standing in like perilous place with your Prayers to God for us that we may quit our selves like men in the Lord and
arrogancy singularity and vain-glory that he would not see what was clearly proved Ha my Lords said Mr. Philpot is it now time think you for me to follow singularity or vain-glory since it is now upon danger of my life and death not onely presently but also before God to come I know if I die in the true Faith I shall die everlastingly or if I do not as you would have me you will kill me and many thousands more yet had I rather perish at your hands then to perish eternally And at this time I have lost all my commodities of this world and now lie in a Cole-house where a man would not lay a Dog with the which I am well contented The Bishop of Glocester asking him What do you think your self better learned then so many notable learned men as be here Mr. Philpot answered Elias alone had the Truth when there were four hundred Priests against him The Bishop telling him Elias was deceived for he thought there had been none good but himself and there were seven thousand besides him Mr. Philpot answered Yea but he was not deceived in Doctrine as the other four hundred were He told the Bishop of London at his third appearâ—nce before him My Lord in that you say you will â—it on me in judgement to morrow I am glad thereof I look for none other but death at your hands and I am as ready to yield my life in Christs Cause as you be to require it Dr. Story telling him What you purpose to be a stinking Martyr and to sit in judgement with Christ at the last Day to judge the twelve Triles of Israel Yea Sir said Mr. Philpot I doubt not thereof having the promise of Christ If I die for righteousness sake which you have begun to persecute in me The Chancellor of Lichfield advising him not to cast himself away wilfully He answered My conscience beareth me record that I seek to please God and that the love and fear of God causeth me to do as I do and I were of all other creatures most miserable if for mine own will onely I do lose all the commodities I might have in this life and afterward be cast to damnation but I am sure it is not my will whereon I stand but Gods Will which will not suffer me to be cast away I am sure Mr. Philpot being sent for by Bonnâ—r that he might go with him to Mass the Keepers as they were going along asked him Will you go to Mass Mr. Philpot answered My stomack this morning is too raw to digest such raw meats of flesh blood and bone When he was put into the stocks he said God be praised that he hath thought me worthy to suffer any thing for his Names sake Better it is to sit in the stocks of this world then to sit in the stocks of a damable conscience As he was conveyed out of the Cole-house into a close Tower joyning to Paul's Church through many straits There said he I called to remembrance that strait is the way to Heaven Harpsfield accusing him for being like himself in Oxford when in Disputation he would not give over He said Mr. Harpsfield you know in the Schools of Oxford when we were young men we did strive much upon vain-glory and contention more then for the Truth and if I was then in the time of my ignorance earnest in my own cause I ought now to be earnest in my Master Christs Cause and his Truth I know now that nothing done upon vain-glory and singularity can please God have it never so goodly a shew Morgan telling him he should be burned for his Heresie and afterwards go to Hell fire He said I tell thee thou Hypocrite that I pass not this for thy Fire and Fagots neither do I I thank God my Lord stand in fear of the same my faith in Christ shall overcome them but the Hell fire which thou threatnest me is thy portion and is prepared for thee unless thou speedily repent and for such Hypocrites as thou art When Bonner would not grant him candle light he said Seeing I shall not have my request the Lord shall be my light I would my Burning Day were to morrow for this delay is every day to die and yet not to be dead Dr. Chedsey telling him he was not like to die yet He answered I am the more sorry thereof but the Will of the Lord be done of me to his glory Amen Bonner telling him That he made other Prisoners rejoyce and sing with him he said Yea my Lord we shall sing when you and such as you are shall cry Vae vae wo wo except you repent The Bishop of Worcester bidding him to follow his Fathers before him he said It is forbidden us of God by the Prophet Ezekiel to follow our Fathers or to walk in their commandments The Bishop replying It is written also in another Place Ask of your Fathers Mr. Philpot rejoyn'd We ought indeed to ask our Fathers that have more experience and knowledge then we of Gods Will but no more to allow them then we perceive they agree with the Scriptures Pray for grace said the Bishop Prayer said Philpot is the comfortablest exercise I feel in my trouble and my conscience is quiet and I have peace of mind which cannot be the fruits of Heresie My Lords said Philpot to the Bishops you must bear with me since I speak in Christs Cause and because his glory is defaced and his people cruelly and wrongfully slain by you because they will not consent to the dishonour of God if I told you not your fault it would be required at my hands at the Day of Judgement Therefore know ye Hypocrites indeed That it is the Spirit of God that telleth you your sin not I I pass not I thank God of all your cruelty God forgive it you and give you grace to repent When he was condemned for an Heretick He said I thank God I am an Heretick out of your cursed Church but I am no Heretick before God The Chief Keeper greeting him thus Ah! hast not thou done well to bring thy self hither he said Well I must be content for it is Gods appointment The Keeper promising him all favour if he would recant Nay said Mr. Philpot I will never recant whilst I have my life that which I have spoken for it is most certain truth and in witness hereof I will seal it with my blood A Messenger coming to him from the Sheriffe bade him make ready for the next day he should be burned at a Stake with fire Mr. Philpot returned this Answer I am ready God grant me strength and a joyfull Resurrection And so he went into his Chamber and poured out his Spirit unto the Lord God giving him most hearty thanks that he of his mercy had made him worthy to suffer for his Truth His Servant taking his leave of
him said Ah Master farewell Mr. Bradford said unto him Serve God and he will help thee Entring into Smithfield the way was foul and two Officers took him up to bear him to the Stake whereupon he said merrily What will ye make me a Pope I am content to go to my journeys end on foot Coming into Smithfield he kneeled down saying I will pay my vows in thee O Smithfield Kissing the Stake he said Shall I disdain to suffer at this Stake seeing my Redeemer did not refuse to suffer a most vile death upon the Cross for me In his Letter to the Christian Congregation It is a lamentable thing to behold at this present in England the faithless departing both of men and women from the true knowledge and use of Christs sincere Religion which so plentifully they have been taught and do know their own conscience bearing witness to the verity thereof If that earth be cursed of God which eftsoons receiving moisture and pleasant dews from Heaven doth not bring forth fruit accordingly how much more grievous judgement shall such persons receive which prove Apostates It is nâ—t onely given us to believe but also to confess and declare what we believe in our outward Conversation The belief of the heart justifieth and to acknowledge with the mouth makes a man safe Rom. 10 It is all one before God not to believe at all and not to shew forth the lively works of our belief Whosoever in time of tryal is ashamed of me saith Christ and of my words of him the Son of man will be ashamed before his Father The Prophet Aggeus 2. telleth us The Lord shaketh the earth that those might abide for ever which be not overcome Let no man deceive you with vain words saying That you may keep your faith to your selves and dissemble with Antichrist c. This is the wisdome of the flesh but the wisdome of the flesh is death and enmity of God as our Saviour for example aptly did declare in Peter who exhorteth Christ not to go to Ierusalem but counselled him to look better to himself We cannot serve two Masters we may not halt on both sides and think to please God Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost and whosoever doth profane the temple of God him will God destroy 2 Cor. 3. God judgeth all strange religion which is not according to his Institution for whoredome and adultery We must glorifie God as well in body as in soul moreorer we can do no greater injury to the true Church of Christ then to seem to have forsaken her by cleaving to her Adversaries Wo be to him by whom any such offence cometh it were better for him to have a milstone tied about his neck c. Such be Judasses Traitors to the Truth c. St. John in the Apocalyps telleth us plainly That none of those who are written in the Book of Life do receive the mark of the beast i. e papistical Synagogue either in their foreheads or hands i. e. apparently or obediently See the commands for separation Phil. 2. 2 Cor. 6. Rev. 18. 2 Thes. 3. Many will say for their vain excuse God is mercifull c. Truth it is The mercy of God is above all his works but cursed is he that sinneth upon hope of forgiveness Others say But we ought to obey the Magistrates although they be wicked true but God must have his due as well as Caesar his If they command any thing contrary to Gods Word we ought not to obey their commandments although we should suffer death therefore Acts 4. Dan. â— Some run to this If I be elected to Salvation I shall be saved whatsoever I do such verily may reckon themselves to be none of Gods elect Children that will do evil that good may-ensue Rom. 3. God having chosen us that we should be holy c. Eph. 1. The Lord open our eyes that we may see how dangerous it is to decline from the knowledge of Truth contrary to their conscience In his Letter to Iohn Carles I am in this world in Hell but shall be shortly lifted up to Heaven where I shall look continually for your coming and though I tell you that I am in Hell in the judgement of the world yet assuredly I feel in the same the consolation of Heaven I praise God and this loathsome and horrible Prison is as pleasant to me as the walk in the Garden of the Kings Bench. If God doth mitigate the ugliness of mine imprisonment what will he do in the rage of the fire whereunto I am appointed And this hath hapned unto me that I might be hereafter an ensample of comfort if the like happen unto you or any other of my dear Brethren with you c. Be joyfull under the Cross and praise the Lord continually for this is the whole burnt-sacrifice which the Lord delighteth in In another Letter to Careles Behold the goodness of God towards me I am careless being fast closed in a pair of Stocks which pinch me for very straitness and will you be carefull Be as your name pretendeth Cast all your care on God set the Lord before your eyes alwayes for he is on your right side that you should not be moved Praise God and be joyfull that it hath pleased him to make uâ— worthy to suffer somewhat for his Names sake The Devil must rage for ten dayes Written in a Cole-house of darkness out of a pair of painfull Stocks by thine own in Christ Iohn Philpot. In his Letter to certain godly women forsaking their own Countrey for the Gospel I read in the Evangelists of certain godly women that ministred unto Christ following him in the dayes of his Passion and never forsook him but brought oyl to anoint him being dead until he had shewed himself unto them after his Resurrection and bid them tell his dispersed Disciples that he was risen and they should see him in Galile To whom I may justly compare you my loving Sisters in Christ who of late have seen him suffer in his members and have ministred to their necessity anointing them with the comfortable oyl of your assistance even unto death and now seeing ye have seen Christ live in the ashes of them he willed you to go away and to declare to our dispersed Brethren and Sisters that he is risen and liveth in his elect Members in England and by death doth overcome infidelity and that they shall see him in Galile which is by forsaking this world c. Let your faith shine in a strange Countrey as it hath done in your own that your Father which is in Heaven may be glorified by you to the end Commend me to the whole Congregation of Christ willing them not to leave their Countrey without witness of the Gospel after that we all be slain which already be stalled up and appointed to the slaughter and in the mean season to pray earnestly for our constancy that
will have his course When his Brother brought him Gun-powder he said I will take it to be sent of God therefore I will receive it as sent of him To my Lord Williams he said My Lord I must be a Suitor to you for divers poor men and my Sister c. There is nothing in all this world troubleth my conscience I praise God this onely excepted When he saw the fire flaming towards him he said Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit Lord receive my soul Lord have mercy upon me In his Letter to all his true Friends I warn you all that ye be not amazed or astonied at the kind of my departure and dissolution for I assure you I think it the most honour that ever I was called to in all my life and therefore I thank my Lord God heartily for it c. For know ye that I doubt no more but that the causes wherefore I am put to death are Gods causes and the causes of the Truth then I doubt that the Gospel which Iohn wrote is the Gospel of Christ or that Paul's Epistles are the very Word of God And to have an heart willing to abide and stand in Gods Cause and in Christs Quarrel even unto death I assure thee O man it is an inestimable gift of God given onely to the true Elect and dearly beloved Children of God and Inheritors of the Kingdome of Heaven for the holy Apostle and also Martyr in Christs Cause St. Peter 1 Pet. 4. saith If ye suffer rebuke in the Name of Christ i. e. in Christs Cause and for his Truths sake then are ye happy and blessed for the glory of the Spirit of God resteth upon you and if for rebukes suffered in the Name of Christ a man is pronounced blessed and happy how much more blessed and happy is he that hath the grace to suffer death also Wherefore all ye that be my true Lovers and Friends rejoyce and rejoyce with me again and render with me hearty thanks to God our heavenly Father that for his Sons sake my Saviour and Redeemer Christ he hath vouchsafed to call me being so vile and sinfull a wretch in my self unto the high dignity of his true Prophets of his faithfull Apostles and of his holy Elect and chosen Martyrs to die in defence and maintenance of his eternal and everlasting Truth If ye love me indeed you have cause to rejoyce for that it hath pleased God to call me to a greater honour and dignity then ever I did enjoy before either in Rochester or London or should have had in Durham whereunto I was last of all elected yea I count it greater honour before God indeed to die in his Cause then is any earthly or temporal promotion or honour that can be given to a man in this world And who is he that knoweth the Cause to be Gods to be Christs Quarrel and of his Gospel to be the Commonweal of all the Elect and chosen Children of God of all the Inheritors of the Kingdome of Heaven Who is he I say that knoweth this assuredly by Gods own Word and the Testimony of his Conscience as I through the infinite goodness of God not of my self but by his grace acknowledge my self to do and doth in deed and in truth love and fear God love and believe his Master Christ and his blessed Gospel and the Brotherhood the chosen Children of God and also lusteth and longeth for eternal life who is he I say again that would not that cannot find in his heart in this Cause to be content to die Farewell Pembrohe Hall in C. of late mine own Colledge my Cure and my Charge what cafe thou art in now God knoweth I know not well Wo is me for thee mine own dear Colledge if ever thou suffer thy self by any means to be brought from setting forth Gods true Word In thy Orchard I learned without Book all Pauls Epistles yea and I ween all the Canonical Epistles save only the Apocalyps Of which study although in time a great part did depart from me yet the sweet smell thereof I trust I shall carry with me into Heaven The Lord grant that this zeal and love to that part of Gods Word which is a Key to all the Scripture may ever abide in that Colledge so long as the world shall endure O thou now wicked and bloody See of London c. hearken thou whorish Bawd of Babylon thou wicked limb of Antichrist thou bloody Wolf why slayest thou and makest havock of the Prophets of God why murthereft thou so cruelly Christs poor silly Sheep which will not hear thy voice because thou art a stranger and will follow none other but their own Pastor Christ his voice Thinkest thou to escape or that the Lord will not require the blood of his Saints at thy hands Instead of my farewell to thee now I say fie upon thee fie upon thee silthy Drab and all thy false Prophets To you my Lords of the Temporality will I speak c. Know ye that I had before mine eyes onely the fear of God and Christian charity toward you that moved me to write for of you hereafter I look not in this world either for pleasure or displeasure if my talk shall do you never so much pleasure or profit you cannot promote me nor if I displease you can you harm me for I shall be out of your reach I say unto you as St. Paul saith unto the Galatians I wonder my Lords what hath bewitched you that ye so suddenly are fallen from Christ unto Antichrist from Christs Gospel unto mans Traditions from the Lord that bought you unto the Bishop of Rome I warn you of your perill be not deceived except you will be found willingly consenters to your own death Understand my Lords it was neither for the priviledge of the Place or Person thereof that the See and Bishop of Rome were called Apostolick but for the true trade of Christs Religion which was taught and maintained in that See at the first of those godly men and therefore as truly and justly as that See then for that true trade of Religion and consanguinity of Doctrine with the Religion and Doctrine of Christs Apostle was called Apostolick so as truly and as justly for the contrariety of Religion and diversity of Doctrine from Christ and his Apostles that See and the Bishop thereof at this day both ought to be called and are indeed Antichristian The See is the Seat of Satan and the Bishop of the same that maintaineth the Abominations thereof is Antichrist himself indeed As for your displeasure by that time this shall come to your knowledge I trust by Gods grace to be in the hands and protection of the Almighty my heavenly Father the living Lord the greatest of all and then I shall not need I trow to fear what any Lord no nor what King or Prince can do unto me Much cause have you to
the Truth the bitter pangs of death c. To die in Christs Cause is an high honour to the which no man should aspire but to whom God vouchsafeth that priviledge for no man is allowed to presume to take to himself any office of honour but he which is thereunto called of God Iohn saith well speaking of them which have obtained the Victory by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of his Testimony that they loved not their lives even unto death And our Saviour Christ saith He that shall lose his life for my Cause shall find it This manner of speech pertaineth not to one kind of Christians as the worldly do wickedly dream but to all that truly pertain to Christ for when Christ had called unto him the multitude together with his Disciples he said unto them Mark he said not this unto his Disciples or Apostles only but unto all Whosoever will follow me let him forsake or deny himself c. for whosoever will to save his life forsake me and my Truth shall lose it and whosoever shall lose c. Whosoever shall â—e ashamed of me and my words i. e. to confess me and my Gospel before this adulterous generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed c. Know thou O man of God that all things are ordained for the furtherance of thee towards thy salvation All things saith Paul work with the good to goodness c. It is not as the wicked think That poverty adversity sickness tribulation yea painfull death of the godly be tokens that God doth not love them but even the clean contrary Now thou O man of God for the Lords sake let us not for the love of this life tarry here too long and be occasion of delay of that glorious consummation of all Christs Sufferers in hope and expectation whereof the former Martyrs have departed in the Lord and the which also the living indued with Gods Spirit ought so earnestly to desire c. crying out Come Lord Iesus come Then shall our weak body be transfigured and made like to Christs glorious body and then shall we see and have the unspeakable joy and fruition of the glorious Majesty of our Lord even as he is Who or what then shall let us to jeopard yea to spend this life which we have here in Christs Cause in our Lord God his Cause O therefore thou man of God that art loaden and so letted like unto a great bellied woman that thou canst not flie the plague yet if thou lust after such things as I have spoken of stand fast whatsoever shall befall thee in thy Masters Cause and take this thy letting to flie for a call from God to fight in thy Master Christs Cause Of this be thou certain they can do nothing unto thee which thy Father is not aware of or hath not foreseen before they can do no more then it shall please him to suffer them to do for the furtherance of his glory edifying of his Church and thine own salvation O be not afraid and remember the end What I have spoken for the comfort of the big-bellied woman I mean to be spoken likewise to the Captive and Prisoner in Gods Cause for such I count to be as it were already summoned and pressed to fight under the Banner of the Cross of Christ and as it were Souldiers allowed and taken up for the Lords Wars to do their Lord and Master good and honourable service and to stick to him even unto death c. To conclude I say unto all that love Christ Jesus our Redeemer and Saviour that love to follow the wayes of the holy Ghost who is our Comforter and Sanctifier that love Christs Spouse and Body c. yea that love life and their souls health Hearken my dear Brethren and Sisters c. to the Word of our Saviour Jesus Christ spoken to his Apostles and meant to all his in St. Matthew's Gospel Fear not them which kill the body for they cannot kill the soul but fear him c. The Lord grant us of his heavenly grace and strength that here we may so confess him in this world amongst this adulterous generation that he may confess us again at the last day before his Father c. In his Reasons why Images should not be placed and erected in Churches First the words of the Command Exod. 20. repeated more plainly Deut. 27. where observe those words Thou shalt not make to thy self mean to any use of Religion and those And setteth it in a secret place imply that no man durst then commit Idolatry openly The reason why God gave this general Prohibition is lest thou being deceived shouldst bow down to them and worship them This general Law is generally to be observed though some be not hurt by them Moses was not deceived or seduced by Iethro's Daughter nor Boaz by Ruth a woman of Moab yet the general Law was to be observed Thou shalt not joyn thy children in marriage with strangers least she seduce thy Son c. If by vertue of the second Commandment Images were not lawfull in the Temple of the Jews then by the second Command they are unlawfull in the Churches of Christians but c. in the Tabernacle and Temple of God no Images were appointed openly to beset nor by practice afterwards used or permitted so long as Religion was purely observed therefore c. For the second Command is moral and not ceremonial c. The Jews by no means would consent to Herod Pilate or Peâ—ronius that Images should be placed in the Temple at Jerusalem but rather offered themselves unto death then to consent unto it Besides that Iosephus commends them for observing the meaning of the Law sure they would not have endangered themselves so far if they had thought Images had been indifferent in the Temple of God Athâ—nasius tells us The invention of Images came of no good but of evil and whatsoever hath an evil beginning can never in any thing be judged good seeing it is wholly naught Tâ—rtullian expounding those words Little Children beware of Images saith That the meaning is as if he had said Little Children keep your selves from the shape it self or form of them Images in the Church either serve to edify or to destroy If they edify then there is one kind of edification which the Scriptures neither teach nor command but alwayes disallow if they destroy they are not to be in the Church The Command of God is Thou shalt not lay a stumbling-block before the blind and cursed is he that maketh the blind wander in his way Images are snares and traps for the feet of the ignorant Images do not stir up the mind to Devotion but distract the mind from Prayer hearing of Gods Word c. Hence in the Council-chamber of the Lacedemonians no picture was suffered least in Consultation of the weighty matters of the
and ready to be burned for the testimony of the Truth O dear Brethren and Sisters how much have you to rejoyce in God that he hath given you such faith to overcome this blood-thirsty Tyrant thus far And no doubt but he that hath begun that good work in you will fulfill it to the end O dear Hearts in Christ what a Crown of Glory shall ye receive with Christ in the Kingdome of God Oh that it had been the good will of God that I had been ready to have gone with you I lie in my Lords Little-ease in the day and in the night in the Cole-house alone and we look every day when we shall be condemned but I lie still at the Pools brink and every man goeth in before me but we abide patiently the Lords leisure with many Bands in Fetters and Stocks by the which we have received great joy in the Lord. And now fare you well dear Brethren and Sisters in this World but I trust to see you in the Heavens face to face How blessed are you in the Lord that God hath found you worthy to suffer for his sake O be joyfull even unto death Fear it not saith Christ for I have overcome death Be strong let your hearts be of good comfort and wait you still for the Lord. He is at hand The Angel of the Lord pitcheth his Tent round about them that fear him and delivereth them which way he seeth best for our lives are in the Lords hands and they can do nothing unto us before God suffer them Therefore give all thanks to God O dear Hearts you shall be clothed with long white Garments upon the Mount Sion with the multitude of Saints and with Jesus Christ our Saviour who will never forsake us O blessed Virgins you have played the wise Virgins part in that you have taken Oyl in your Vessels that ye may go in with the Bridegroom when he cometh c. but as for the foolish they shall be shut out because they made not themselves ready to suffer with Christ neither go out to take up his Cross. O dear Hearts How precious shall your death be in the sight of the Lord for dear is the death of his Saints O fare you well and pray The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Amen Pray pray pray By me R. R. written with mine own blood The Bishop asking him what he thought of his Fellow-Prisoner Ralf Allerton He answered That he thought him to be one of the elect Children of God and if he were put to death for his Faith and Religion he thought he should die a true Martyr The Bishop asking him how he did like the Order and Rites of the Church then used here in England He said That he ever had and then did abhor the same with all his heart Being perswaded to recant and ask mercy of the Bishop No said he I will not ask mercy of him that cannot give it Rought A Suffolk man so called and his Wife and several others being rebuked for going so openly and talking so freely Their answer was They acknowledged and believed and therefore they must speak and that the tribulation was by Gods good will and providence and that his Judgements were right to purâ—â—â— them with others for their sins and that of very faithfulness and mercy God had caused them to be troubled bled and that one hair of their heads should not perish before the time but all things should work unto the best to them that love God and that Christ Jesus was their life and onely righteousness and that onely by faith in him and for his seke all good things were freely given them also forgiveness of sins and life everlasting Rupea You may said Castalia Rupea throw my body from this steep Hill yet will my soul mount upward again Your blasphemies more offend my soul then your torments do my body Russel Ieremy Russel being apprehended in the Diocess of Glasgow in Scotland A. 1539. and railed upon answered This is your hour and power of darkness Now sit ye as Judges and we stand wrongfully accused and more wrongfully to be condemned but the day shall come when our innocence shall appear and that ye shall see your own blindness to your everlasting confusion Go forward and fulfill the measure of your iniquity He comforted his Fellow-Prisoner Alexander Kennedy of whom see the second Part under K. saying Brother fear not more mighty is he that is in us then he that is in the world the pain that we shall suffer is short and shall be light but our joy and consolation shall never have end and therefore let us contend to enter in unto our Master and Saviour by the same strait way which he hath taken before us Death cannot destroy us for it is destroyed already by him for whose sake we suffer Rycetto Mr. Anthony Rycetto of Vincence being condemned to be drowned his Son about twelve years of age comieg to visit him besought him with tears to yield and to save his life that he might not be left fatherless A true Christian said his Father is bound to forego Goods Children yea and life it self for the maintenance of Gods honour and glory A Captain telling him That Francis Sega was resolved to recant What tell you me said he of Sega I will perform my vows unto the Lord my God A Priest presenting him with a wooden Crucifix exhorting him to return and to die in the favour of God reconciling himself to the Church of Rome the holy Spouse of Christ But he rejected the Crucifix and besought the Priest to come out of the snare of the Devil to cleave to Jesus Christ and to live not according to the flesh but after the Spirit If you do otherwise said he assure your selves your unbelief will bring yâ—u into that Lake of fire that shall never be quenched for though yâ—u confess with your mouth that you know Iesus Christ yet you not onely deny him by your works but you persecute him in his Members being bewitched by the Pope the open enemy of the Son of God As he was carrying to be drowned because it was very cold he called for his Cloke which they had taken from him Whereupon the Wherry-man said unto him Fearest thou a little cold What wilt thou do when thou art cast into the Sea Why art not thou carefull to save thy self from drowing Dost not thou see that the poor Flea skips hither and thither to save her life His answer was And I am now flying to escape eternal death Being arrived at the place where he was to suffer the Captain put a Chain of Iron about his middle with a very heavy Stone fastned thereto Then Rycetto lifting his eyes to Heaven said Father forgive them for they know not what they do And being laid on the Planck he said Lord Iesus into thy hands I commend my spirit FINIS These are the