Doctor Ridley to the letter abouesayd BLessed be God our heaueÌ„ly father which enclined your hart to haue such a desire to write vnto me blessed be he againe which hath heard your request hath brought your letters safe vnto my handes and ouer all this I blesse him through our Lorde Iesus Christe for the great comfort I haue receiued by the same of the knowledge of your state and of other our dearely beloued brethren and countreymen in those parties beyond the sea Dearely beloued brother Grindall I say to you and all the rest of our brethren in Christe with you reioyce in the Lord and as ye loue me and the other my reuerend fathers and concaptiues whiche vndoubtedly are Gloria Christi lament not our state but I beseech you and them all to geue to our heauenly Father for his endlesse mercies and vnspeakeable benefits euen in the myddest of all our troubles geuen vnto vs most harty thankes For knowe ye that as the weight of his crosse hath increased vpoÌ„ vs so he hath not nor doth not cease to multiply his mercies to strengthen vs and I trust yea by his grace I doubt nothing but he will so do for Christe our Maisters sake euen to the end To heare that you and our other brethren doo finde in your exile fauour and grace with the Magistrates Ministers and Citizens at Tigury at Frankford and other where it doth greatly comfort I dare say all here that do in deede loue Christe and his true woorde I ensure you it warmed my hart to heare you by chaunce to name some as Scory and Coxe c. Oh that it had come in your mynde to haue sayd somewhat also of Cheeke of Turner of Leauer of Sampson of Chambers but I trust in God they be all well And sir seeyng you say that there be in those parties with you of studentes and Ministers so good a number nowe therefore care ye not for vs otherwyse then to wish that Gods glory may be set forth by vs. For whensoeuer God shall call vs home as we looke dayly for none other but when it shal please God to say come you blessed be God are enough through his ayde to light and set vp againe the lanterne of his worde in Englande As concerning the copies ye say ye haue with you I wonder how euer they did and could find the way to come to you My disputation except he haue that whiche I gathered my selfe after the disputation done I can not thynke ye haue it truly If ye haue that then ye haue therwithall the whole maner after the which I was vsed in the disputation As for the treatise in English Contra transubstantiationem vix possum adduci vt credam operaepretium fore vt in latinum transferatur Caeterum quicquid sit nullo modo velim vt quicquam quocunque modo meo nomine ederetur donec quid de nobis dominus constituerit fieri vobis prius certo constiterit and thus much vnto your letters Now although I suppose ye know a good parte of our state here for we are forth commyng euen as when ye departed c. You shall vnderstande that I was in the Towar about the space of two monethes close prisoner and aâ—ter that had graunted to me without my labour the liberty of the Tower and so continued about halfe a yeare and then because I refused to allow the Masse with my presence I was shut vp in close prison agayne The last Lent saue one it chaunsed by reason of the tumult styrred vp in Kent there was so many prisoners in the Tower that my Lord of Canterbury M. Latimer Maister Bradford and I were put altogether in one prison where we remayned still almost to the nexte Easter and then we three Canterbury Latimer and I were sodenly sent a litle before Easter to Oxford and were suffered to haue nothing with vs but that we caried vpon vs. About the Whitsontide followyng was our disputations at Oxford after the which was all taken from vs as pen and inke c. Our owne seruauntes were taken from vs before and euery one had put to hym a straunge man and we eche one appoynted to be kept in seuerall places as we are vnto this day Blessed be God we three at the writing hereof were in good health and in God of good cheare We haue looked long agoe to haue bene dispatched for we were all three on one day within a day or two of our disputations of D. Weston being the head Commissioner condemned for heretikes and since that tyme we remayne as we were of hym left The Lordes will be fulfilled in vs as I do not doubt but by his grace it shal be to his glory and our endles saluation through Iesus Christ our Lord. Likewise the Lord hitherto hath preserued aboue all our expectation our deare brother and in Christes cause a strong Champion Iohn Bradford He is likewyse condemned and is already deliuered to the secular power and writtes as we haue heard say geuen out for his execution and called in agayne Thus the Lord so long as his blessed pleasure is preserueth whom he listeth notwithstanding the wonderfull raging of the world Many as we heare say haue suffered valiauntly confessyng Christes truth and nothyng yeeldyng to the aduersary yea not for the feare or paynes of death The names of them whiche I knewe and haue nowe suffered are these Farrar the Bishop of S. Dauides Hooper the Bishop of Worcester Rogers tuus olim comprebendarius D. Tailour of Hadley M. Sanders and one Tomkins a weauer and now this last day M. Cardmaker with an other were burnt in Smithfielde at London and many other in Essex and Kent whose names are written in the booke of lyfe whom yet I do not know West your olde companion and sometyme myne officer alas hath relented as I haue heard but the Lorde hath shortned his dayes for anone he dyed and is gon Grimbolde was caught by the heele and caste into the Marshalsey but now is at liberty againe but I feare me he escaped not without some becking and bowyng alas of his knee vnto Baall My deare friende Thomas Ridley of the Bulhead in Cheape which was to me the most faythfull friende that I had in my trouble is departed also vnto God My brother Shipside that hath maried my sister hath ben almost halfe a yeare in prison for deliuering as he was accused of certayne thynges I wene from mee but now thankes be to God he is at libertie agayne but so that the Bishop hath taken from him his Parke Of all vs three concaptiues at Oxford I am kept most strait and with least libertie Vel quia viro in cuius aedibus ego custodior vxor dominatur licet modo sit Prefectus ciuitatis mulier vetula morosa superstiosiss quae etiam hoc sibi laudi ducit quod me dicatur arctissime cautissime
Gods spirite in vs accordyng to the rule of the Gospell he that coÌ„formeth not him selfe to the same in godly conuersation may iustly treÌ„ble doubt that he is none of the elect children of God but of the viperous generation and a child of darkenesse For the children of light will walke in the workes of light and not of darkenes though they fall they do not lye still Let all vayne excusations be set a part and whiles ye haue light as Christ commaundeth beleue the light and abide in the same lest eternall darkenesse ouertake you vnwares The light is come into the world but alas men loue darkenesse more theÌ„ the light God geue vs his pure eyesalue to heale our blindnes in this behalfe O that men and women would be healed and not seeke to be wilfully blinded The Lord open their eyes that they may see how dauÌ„gerous a thyng it is to decline from the knowledge of truth contrary to their conscience But what sayd I conscience many affirme their conscience will beare them well enough to do all that they do and to go to the Idolatrous Church to seruice whose coÌ„scieÌ„ce is very large to satisfie man more then God And although their conscience can beare them so to do yet I am sure that a good conscience will not permit them so to doe which caÌ„ not be good vnlesse it be directed after the knowledge of Gods word and therfore in Latin this feelyng of mynde is called Conscientia which souÌ„deth by interpretation as much as with knowledge And therfore if our conscience be led of her selfe not after true knowledge yet we are not so to be excused as S. Paul beareth witnes saying Although my coÌ„science acseth me not yet in this I am not iustified And he ioineth a good coÌ„science with these 3. sisters charitie a pure heart vnfayned fayth Charitie keepeth Gods commaundements a pure hart loueth and feareth God aboue all vnfayned fayth is neuer ashamed of the profession of the Gospell whatsoeuer damage he shal suffer in body therby the lord which hath reuealed hys holy will vnto vs by hys word graunt vs neuer to be ashamed of it and geue vs grace so earnestly to cleaue to hys holy word and true church that for no maner of worldly respecte we become partakers of the workes of hipocrisie which God doth abhorre so that we may be found faythfull in the Lords Testament to the end both in hart word and deede to the glory of God and our euerlasting saluation Amen Ioh. Philpot prisoner in the Kinges Benche for the testimony of the truth 1555. * To hys deare frend in the Lord Iohn Careles prisoner in the kinges Benche MY dearely beloued brother Careles I haue receaued youre louing letters full of loue and compassion in somuch that they made my hard hart to weepe to see you so carefull for one that hath bene so vnprofitable a member as I haue bene and am in Christes church God make me worthy of that I am called vnto and I pray you cease not to pray for me but cease to weep for him who hath not deserued such gentle teares and prayse God with me for that I now approch to the company of them whose want you may worthily lament God geue your pittiful hart his inward consolation In deede my deare Careles I am in thys world in hell and in the shadow of death but he that hath brought me for my desertes downe vnto hell shall shortly lift me vpp to heauen where I shall looke continually for your commyng others my faythfull brethren in the kinges Benche And though I tell you that I am in hell in the iudgement of this world yet assuredly I feele in the same the consolation of heauen I prayse God and thys lothsome and horrible prison is as pleasaunt to me as the walke in the garden of the kinges Bench. You know brother Careles that the way to heauen out of this life is very narrow and wee must striue to enter in at a narrowe gate If God do mitigate the ouglenes of myne imprisonment what will he do in the rage of the fire whereunto I am appoynted And this hath happened vnto me that I might be hereafter an ensample of comfort if the like happen vnto you or to any other of my deare brethren with you in these cruell dayes in the which the deuill so rageth at the faythfull flock of Chryst but in vayne I trust against any of vs who be perswaded that neither lyfe neither death is able to seperate vs from the loue of Christs Gospell which is Gods high treasure committed to your brittle vessels to glorifie vs by the same God of hys mercye make vs faythfull stewardes to the end and geue vs grace to feare nothing what soeuer in hys good pleasure we shal suffer for the same That I haue not written vnto you eâ—st the cause is our strayt keepyng and the want of light by night for the day serueth vs but a while in our darke closet This is the first letter that I haue writteÌ„ since I came to prison besides the report of mine examinations and I am fayne to scribble it out in hast Commend me to al our faythfull brethren and bid theÌ„ with a good courage looke for theyr redemption frame themselues to be harty souldiours in Christ. They haue taken his prest money a great while and now let them shew themselues readye to serue hym faythfully and not to fly out of the Lordes campe into the world as many do Let them remeÌ„ber that in the Apocalips the fearfull be excluded the kingdome Let vs be of good cheare for our Lord ouercame the world that wee shoulde doe the like Blessed is the seruaunt whome when the Lord commeth he findeth watching O let vs watch and pray earnestly one for an other that we be not led into teÌ„ptation Be ioyful vnder the crosse prayse the Lord coÌ„tinually for this is the whole burnt sacrifice which the Lord delighteth in CoÌ„meÌ„d me to my father Hunt and desire him to loue and continue in the vnitie of Christs true Church which he hath begon and then shal he make me more more to ioy vnder my crosse with him Tel my brother Clements that he hath coÌ„forted me much by his louing token in significatioÌ„ of an vnfayned vnitie with vs let him encrease my ioy vnto the end perfectly The Lord of peace be with you al. Salute al my louyng frends M. Mering M. Crooche with the rest and specially M. Marshal his wife with great thaÌ„ks for his kindnes shewed vnto me Farewel my deare Careles I haue dalied with the deuil a while but now I am ouer the shoes God sende me well out Out of the Colehouse by your brother Iohn Philpot. An other letter to Iohn Careles profitable to be read of all them which mourne in repentaunce for theyr sinnes THe God
brother in the Lord Maister Robert Harrington GEntle M. Harrington I can not tell what condigne thanks I may geue vnto God for you in respecte of the great gentlenesse and paine which you haue taken for the reliefe of me and of other our afflicted brethren in Christe God be praised for his mercy whose louing prouidēce we haue seene towardes vs by such faithful stewardes as you ben towards a great many Blessed be you of God for the louing care whiche you haue taken for his poore flocke God hath reserued your reward of thanks in heauen and therfore I goe not about to render you any least I might seeme to iudge that you looked for that heere which is reserued to a better place I thanke God for that I haue found by your faithfull and diligent industry God forgeue me my vnworthinesse for so great benefites God geue mee grace to serue him faithfully to runne out my race with ioy Glorious is the course of the martyrs of Christ at this day Neuer had the electes of God a better time for theyr glory then this is Nowe may they be assured vnder the crosse that they are Christes disciples for euer Mee thinke I see you desiring to be vnder the same The flesh draweth backe but the spirite sayeth it muste be brought whether it would not Here is the victorie of the world here is true faith and euerlasting glory Who is he which desireth not to be foūd faithfull to his maister And now is the time that euery faithfull seruant of Christ hath iust oportunitie to shew himselfe a glorious soldior in the Lordes sight Nowe doe the Amalechites inuade the true Israelites that the Israelites might with spede be glorified I neede not for want of vnderstanding to admonish you hereof but as a willing souldiour in Christ to exhort you so to runne as you may get the victory and that speedely with vs. A man that is bid to a glorious feast wisheth his frend to go with him to be partaker thereof God doth cal me most vnworthy amōg other to drink of the bridecup of his sonne wherby we shal be made worthy as many of our brethrē haue ben before vs to sit at the right hād at the left hand of Christ. O what vnspeakable cōdition is that May any worldly thing stay vs from the desire therof Since we seeke the kingdome of God why do we not apprehend it being so neare offered vnto vs Let vs approch neare vnto God and God will draw neare vnto vs. God drawe vs after him that we may all runne after the sauour of his sweete oyntmentes Christe annoynt vs that we may be suppled in these euil daies to run lightly vnto the glory of the Lord. Shame imprisonment losse of goods and shedding of our bloud be the iust price which we must willingly bestow for the same Wherfore dearly beloued in the Lord let not the great charges keepe you backe frō bying this glory for the reward is x. thousand fold greater then the price That you haue married a wife whome God blesse I can not excuse you from this Marte but you must bryng your wife for a vsurie to the Lorde whose pleasure is in godly yokefelows I wish you to be as I am except these horrible bandes but yet most comfortable to the spirit assuring you that we are made woorthy thorough Christ of the kingdome for the which we suffer Praised be the Lorde for the affliction which we suffer and he geue vs strength to continue to the ende Commend me to M. Heath tel him that I woulde wish him with me to prooue howe apt he is to cary the crosse of Christ. I praye for his continuāce in Christ as for mine owne Commend me to his wife and to mistres Hal certifying them that I am brought to the gates of hel that I might neuer enter into the same but be raised vp from hel to heauen through the word that sanctifieth vs. Commend me to M. Elsing his wife and thank them that they remēbred to prouide me some ease in prison tell them that though my Lordes Colehouse be but very blacke yet it is more to be desired of the faithfull then the Queenes palace God make her a ioyful mother preserue them both to the comfort of gods people Thus for this time farewel dear brother Written in posthast because of strait keeping This daye I looke to be called before the Commissioners againe Pray deare brother for the spirite of wisedome to remaine with me Commēd me to your wife and I thanke you both for your tokens Your token I haue sent to your wife and my token vnto you is my faithfull hart with this letter Commend me to all my frends and tell them I thanke God I am chereful in Christ wishing thē to feare God more then man and to learne to despise earnestly the vanities of this worlde desiring you all to pray for me that I may end my iourney with fidelitie Amen Iohn Philpot. Here followeth an other letter of M. Philpot to the Lady Vane which because for the length I could not wholy insert I haue excerpted certaine specialties thereout as followeth THe principall spirite of GOD the father geuen vnto vs by Christ Iesus our mercifull Sauiour confirme strengthen and stablish you in the true knowledge of the gospel that your faithful heart worshipfull and deare sister in the Lord may attaine tast with all the Saincts what is the height the depth the length and the breadth of the sweete crosse of Christ. Amen c. O happy are you amōgst all other women that haue found this precious stone which is hidden in the gospell for the which we ought to sell all other thinges and to purchase the same O happy woman whose heart God hathe mooued and enlarged to be in the profession thereof Other seeke worldly goodes hohours and delightes but you seeke with a good vnderstanding to serue God in spirite and veritie This is the gate that leadeth to heauen this is your portion for euer By this you shall see God face to face which sight is vnspeakeable ioy by this shal ye see a full sight of all the beautiful heauenly powers and of all the celestiall Paradise By this shal ye know them that you neuer knewe and be ioyous and gladde wyth those whiche you haue knowen heere in God world without end c. Ah I lament the infidelitie of Englande that after so great light is stept into so huge darkenesse againe The seruaunt that knoweth his maisters will and doeth it not shall be beaten wyth many stripes Ah great be the plagues that hang ouer England yea though the Gospell shoulde be restored againe Happye shall that personne be whome the Lorde shal take out of this worlde not to see them Ah the great periurie which menne haue runne into so wilfully against God by receiuing Antichrist againe and his wicked
tribulations that being founde constant to the end he may crowne his owne giftes in them in heauen highly reward thē Whether I trust to goe before looking for you to followe my faythfull frend that we maye sing perpetuall praise to our louing Lord God for victory ouer Sathan and sinne won for vs by Iesus Christ God and man our onely and sufficient Sauiour and Aduocate Amen Farewell and pray in fayth Yours Thomas Whittell Minister and nowe condemned to dye for the Gospels sake 1556. Ianuary 21. ¶ All my felowes salute you Salute all our faythful brethren with you ¶ To my deare frend and brother Iohn Went and other his prison felowes in Lollardes Tower HE that preserued Ioseph prisoner in Egypt fed Daniel in the Lions denne and deliuered Paul Peter and the Apostles out of prison vouchsafe of his goodnes to keep feed and deliuer you my good brother Went with the other our felow souldiors your prison felowes as may be most to his glory to your consolatiō and the edification of his Church I cannot but praise God most earnestly when I heare of your constancy in the fayth and ioye in the crosse of Christ which you now beare and suffer together with many other good members of Christ which is a token that by Christ you are counted worthy the kingdome of God as Paule sayth And though the world counteth the yoake and crosse of Christ as a most pernicious and hurtfull thing yet we which haue tasted how frendly the Lord is cannot but reioice in this persecution as touching our selues in as much as the cause for the which we suffer is the Lordes cause and not ours at whose hand if we endure to the end we shall receiue through his liberall promise in Christ not onely a greate reward in heauen but also the kingdome of heauen it selfe also in the meane season be sure to bee defended and cared for so that we shall lacke no necessarye thinges neither a heare of our heades shall perishe without his knowledge Oh what is he that would mistrust or not gladly serue so louing a father O how vnhappy are they that forsake him and put theyr trust in man But how blessed are they that for his loue and for his holy woordes sake in these troublesome dayes doe committe theyr soules and bodyes into his handes with wel doing counting it greater happines and riches to suffer rebuke with Christ and his Church thē to enioy the pleasures of this life for a litle short seasō This crosse that we nowe beare hath bene common to all the faythfull from Abell hitherto and shal be to the end because the Deuill hauyng great wrath agaynst God and his Christ can not abide that hee should for his manifolde mercies bee lauded and magnified and Christ to be taken and beleued vpon for our onely and sufficient redemer Sauiour and aduocate and therefore because we will not deny Christ nor dissemble with out fayth but openly protest and professe the same before the world he seeketh by all meanes to styrre vp his wicked members to persecute and kill the bodies of the true Christians as S. Iohn sayth the Deuill shall cast some of you into prison And Dauid sayth I beleued and therfore haue I spoken but I was sore troubled This notwithstanding goe forward deare brethren as ye haue begon to fight the Lords battel considering Christe the Captayne of your warre who will both fight for you geue you victorye and also highlye rewarde your paynes Consider to your comfort the notable and chiefe shepheardes and souldiours of Christe whiche are gone before vs in these dayes I meane those learned and godly Bishops Doctours other ministers of Gods word whose fayth and examples we that be inferiours ought to folowe as S. Paule sayth Remember them that haue declared vnto you the worde of God the ende of whose conuersation see that ye look vpon and folow theyr faith The grace blessing of God with the ministery of his holy Angels be with you for euer Amen All my prison felowes greete you From the Colehouse this 4. of December By your poore brother Thomas Whittell an vnworthy Minister of Christ nowe his prisoner for the Gospels sake Amen ¶ To all the true professors and louers of Gods holy Gospell within the City of London THe same faith for the whiche Abraham was counted righteous and Mary blessed the Lorde GOD encrease and make stable in your hartes my deare and faithfull brethren sisters of London for euer and euer Amen Dearely beloued be not troubled in this heat which is now come amongest you to try you as though some straunge thing had happened vnto you but reioyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christes passions that when his glory appeareth ye may be mery and glad c. Out of these wordes of S. Peter I gather most specially these 4. notes First the persecution happeneth to Christes Church for their triall that is for the probation and proofe of their fayth Which fayth like as it is knowne with God in the depth of our hartes so will he haue it made manifest to the whole worlde through persecution that so it may euidently appeare that hee hath such a Churche and people vpon earth which so trusteth in hym and feareth his holy name that no kinde of persecution paynes nor death shal be able to seperate them from the loue of hym And thus was Abraham tried and Iob tempted that their fayth whiche before laye hid almost in their hartes might bee made knowne to the whole world to be so stedfast and stronge that the deuill naturall loue nor no other enemie coulde bee able to bereaue them thereof Whereby also GOD was to be magnefied who both tryeth his people by many tribulations and also standeth by them in the middest of their troubles to deliuer them by lyfe or death as he seeth best like as he assisted Loth and deliuered hym out of his enemies handes Ioseph out of the handes of his Brethren and out of Prison Paule from his enemies in Damasco and the Apostles out of the Stockes and Prison These with many mo he deliuered to lyfe And also he deliuered Abell Eleazar Steuen and Iohn Baptist with other manye by deathe and hathe also by the tryall of their fayth made them good presidentes and examples to vs and all that come after to suffer affliction in the like cause as Saynt Iames sayeth Take my brethren sayth he the prophets for an ensample of suffering aduersity and of long pacience which spake vnto you in the name of the Lord beholde we count them happy which endure Y◠haue heard of the pacience of Iob and haue knowne what end the Lord made with him for the Lord is very pitifull and mercifull Also the Lorde tryeth vs to let vs see our owne hartes and thoughtes that no Hypocrisy or Ambitiō deceiue vs that the strong
a true Christian subiect to doe And iâ— her grace or her officers vnder her do require me to any thing contrary to Christes Religion I am ready also to do my seruice in Smithfield for not obseruing it as my bedfellow and other brethren haue done praysed be God for them Mart. By my trouth thou art a pleasaunt fellow as euer I talked with of all the Protestantes excepte it were Tomson I am sory that I must depart with thee so soone but I haue suche busynes now that I canne tarry with thee no longer Well yet thou canst not deny but you are at iarre amongest your selues in the kings Bench and it is so throughout all your congregation for you will not be a Church Careles No Maister Doctour that is not so There is a thousand tymes more varietye in opinions among your Doctours which you call of the Catholick Church yea and that in the Sacrament for yâ— which there is so much bloudshed now a dayes I meane of your latter Doctours and new writers as for the olde they agree wholy with vs. Mart. No Careles this is not so there thou art deceiued Carel. Uerily it is so Maister Doctour I am not deceiued therein any thing at all as it hath beene and is euidently proued by such as GOD hath endued with great learning Then he turned to the Marshall and whispered with him a while Martin Turning vnto me agayne sayd Farewell Careles for I can tarry no longer with thee now my busines is such Carel. God be with you good Maister Doctor The Lord geue your Maistership health of body and soule Mart. God haue mercy good Careles and God keepe thee from all errours and geue thee grace to doe as well as I would wishe my selfe Carel. I thanke your good Maistership I pray GOD I may do alwaies that is acceptable in his sight Whereunto they all sayde Amen And so I departed with a glad hart God onely haue the whole prayse Amen It appeareth by the examination of the foresayd Iohn Careles that he endured prisoner the space of two whole yeares hauing wyfe and children In the which his captiuity first being in Couentry Iayle he was there in such credite with his keeper that vpon his worde he was let out to play in the Pageant about the City with other his companions And that done keeping touch with his keeper he returned agayne into prison at his houre appointed And after that being broughte vp to London he was indued with such patience and constaunt fortitude that he longed for nothing more earnestly then to come to that promotion to dye in the fyer for the proâ—ession of his fayth yet it so pleased the Lorde to preuent him with death that he came not to it but dyed in the prison and after was buryed in the fieldes in a dounghill In the meane time while he was in prisoÌ„ in the kyngs Bench it chaunced he was in great heauines and perturbation of mind and conscience wherupon he wrote to M. Philpot being then in the Colehouse Uppon the occasion hereof Mayster Philpot sent an Epistle consolatory vnto him specified before among master Philpots letters pag. 1762. Unto the which Epistle Iohn Careles maketh aunswere agayne as foloweth ¶ Letters of Iohn Careles * A Letter of Iohn Careles aunswering to the louing Epistle or Letter sent to him before by Mayster Iohn Philpot. A faythfull frend is a strong defence who so findeth suche a one findeth a treasure A faythfull frend hath no peere the weight of gold and siluer is not to be compared to the goodnes of his fayth A faythfull frend is a medicine of life and they that feare the Lord shall finde him Ecclesiast 6. THe father of mercy and God of all consolation comfort you with his eternall spirite my most deare and faythfull louing frend good Mayster Philpot as you haue comforted me by the mighty operation of the same the euerlasting GOD be praysed therfore for euer Amen Ah my deare hart and most louing brother if I should do nothing els day and night so long as the daies of heauen do endure but kneele on my knees and read Psalmes I can neuer be able to render vnto God condigne thankes for his great mercie fatherly kindnesse and most louing coÌ„passion extended vnto me most vile sinnefull wicked and vnworthy wretch Oh that the Lorde would open my mouth and geue me a thankefull hart that from the bottome of the same might flow his coÌ„tinuall prayse Oh that my sinnefull flesh which is the cause of my sorowe were cleane separated from me that I might sing Psalmes of thankesgeuing vnto the Lordes name for euer that with good Samuels mother I might continually record this noble verse folowing the which by good experience I haue found most true praysed be my good God therfore The Lord sayth that good woman killeth and maketh aliue he bringeth downe to hel and fetcheth vp agayne Praysed be that Lord for euer yea and praysed be his name for that he hath geueÌ„ me true experience and liuely feeling of the same Blessed be the Lord GOD whose mercy endureth for euer whiche hath not dealt with me according to my deepe desertes nor destroyed me in his displeasure when I had iustly deserued it Oh what rewarde shall I geue agayne vnto Lorde for all the great benefites that he hath done for my soule I will gladly receiue the cuppe of saluation at his hand and will worship his name with prayer with prayse Ah my deare hart yea most deare vnto me in the Lord think not this sodeine chaunge in me to be some fickle phantasy of my foolish head as in deede some other woulde surely suspect it to be For doubtlesse it is the maruellous doing of the Lord moste merciful vnto me his vnworthy creature God for his great mercies sake geue me grace to bee more thankefull vnto him then I heretofore haue bene and keepe me that I neuer fall forth of hys fauour agayne And now my deare brother and moste blessed messenger of the Lord whose beautifull feet haue brought much glad tidings vnto my soule what shall I doe or say vnto you in the least part to recompence the fatherlye affection and Godlye care that you continually keepe for me Oh that God would geue me the spirite of feruent prayer that I might yet that way supply some litle part of my duty toward you Ah my true louing frend howe soone did you lay aside all other busines to make a sweete plaster for my wounded conscience yea and that out of a paynefull payre of stockes which place must needes be vneasye to write in But God hath brought you into a straight place that you mighte set my soule at liberty Out of your pinching and paynefull seate you haue plentifully poured vppon me your precious narde the sweete â—auour wherof hath greatly refresteed my tyred soule The Lord likewise refresh you both body soule by
that I haue receaued your letter for the which I hartely thanke you In dede I thinke it very shorte although it seemeth something sharpely to rebuke me in the beginning for the breach of my promise in not writing to you of this long tyme. Well brother I am contente to beare it with pacience considering that you are troubled otherwise the Lorde comforte you and all heauy hartes neyther will I spende ynke paper for my purgation in this poynte God he knoweth whether I bee so mindeles of my promise as it appeareth in your sight I am Your request I will truely performe to the vttermost of my power as gladly as any poore wretch shall do in the world and I thanke God I haue done no lesse of longe tyme. And as my poore prayer shall be a handmayd to waite vpon you which way soeuer you ryde or go so I beseech you that my simple counsell may take some place in you in this tyme of your pilgrimage whiche you passe in no small perill God keepe and preserue you for his names sake I doe not disalowe but muche prayse and commende your harty boldenesse in putting your selfe in preasse when any one of Gods people needeth your helpe in any poynte But yet I would not haue you thrust your selfe in daunger when you canne doe them no good or at least wise when they may well inough spare that good you woulde doe them For if you should then chaunce to be taken you shall not onely be no comfort vnto them but also a great discomfort adding sorrow vnto their sorrow I doe not perswade you to absent your selfe from any place where your presence of necessity is required for in all such places I know God will preserue you as he hath hitherto wonderfully done praysed be his name therefore or if it shall please him to permit you in any such place to be taken I know he will most sweetely cōfort your consciēce with this consideratiō that it is the very prouidēce appointmēt of God that you should there and then be taken vp for a witnes of his truthe vnto the worlde but I cannot alowe nor be contented that you shoulde rashly or negligently thrust your selfe into that place where your wicked enemyes do continually haunt yea and lay wayte for you when no necessitye of your selfe nor of any other of Gods people dothe require your company If they neede any of your godly counsel you may write vnto them that thinge that you thinke good which I dare say will be sufficient vnto them For continuall thankes and prayses be giuen vnto the euerlasting God there is none of those that be cruelly condemned for Gods truthe that now be weakelings for they haue manfully passed throughe the pikes and they haue boldly abidden the brunt of the battell and therefore I recken the worste is paste with them alreadye So that nowe and thē a godly letter from you to them shall doe as much good as your company shall doe and perchaunce more too for writing sticketh longer in the memorye then wordes doe yea though your letters were as shorte to them as your laste was to me so that the same bee something sweeter and not althing so sharpe This deare brother is the simple counsell which I woulde gladly haue you obserue partely for that I hartely pray for your preseruation to the commoditye of Christes Church and partly for that I vnfainedly wish the peace comfort and tranquility of your owne conscience which I knowe will be quickely ready to accuse you if you do any thing wherein you haue not the worde of God for your warrante For in a glasse that is cleare a small mote will soone appeare euen so the good conscience of Gods chosen children being more cleare then Cristall will quickely accuse them at the least fault they do commit whereas the wicked worldlinges haue their conscience so clogged corrupted thorough the custome of sinne that they cannot once see or perceiue their owne shamefull deedes wicked workes vntill God set the same before them for their vtter destruction then dispayre they immediately But seing that God hathe geuen you a cleare conscience and a pure sharpe quicke and liuely sight in your soule I woulde wishe you to beware that you doe nothing vnaduisedly but vpon a good ground For an accusing conscience is a sore thing when death doth approche and then Sathan will not sticke to tell you that you haue to much tempted God when peraduenture you haue done nothing so at all For thys cause I say partly I haue thought it good to admonishe you as I haue done often to be cirumspecte according to the counsell of Christ whiche biddeth you to beware of men Other thynges I haue not to write for I knowe this bearer can certifie you of all thinges at large better then I can declare it by writing I beseeche you good Augustine helpe me forwardes with your harty prayers for I trust I haue but a small time to tary in this troublesome worlde Doctour Story tolde oure Marshall that we should all be dispatched so soone as hee came from Oxford whether he and other bloudy butchers bee gone to make slaughter of Christes sheepe that lye there appoynted to be slain God for Christes sake put them and such like besides theyr cruell purpose if it be his good will and pleasure Amen good Lord. I pray you doe my moste harty commendations to my deare sister and faythfull friend good Mistres Mary glouer I beseeche God be her comforte as I doubte not but hee is I am verye glad to heare that she doth so ioyfully and so patiently beare this great crosse that God hath layde vppon her I pray God strengthen her and all other his deare Sayntes vnto the end Amen Commende me vnto my deare and faythfull sister Elizabeth B. I thanke her most hartily for my napkin and so I doe youre deare brother for my sherte Truely that day that wee were appoynted to come to oure aunswere before the Commissioners which had sent word the same morning that they woulde come to the kinges Benche by viii of the clocke and the house and all thinges were trimmed and made ready for them I got that sherte on my backe and that napkin in my hand and me thoughte that they did helpe to harnesse me and weapon me well to goe fight agaynst that bloudy beast of Babilon And trust me truely if they had come I woulde haue stricken three strokes the more for your two sakes as well as God would haue abled me to haue set them on as by Gods grace I will not fayle to do at the next skirmish that I come to Wherfore I pray you pray for me that I may be stronge and hardy to laye on good loade Oh that I might so strike him downe that hee should neuer be able for to rise agayne But that stroke belongeth onely vnto the Lorde to strike at his comming
the persecutor of him knowne to be a member of Antichrist Besides this their extreme cruelty shall be a meane the sooner to prouoke God to take pittie vpon his seruauntes and to destroy them that so tyrannously entteate his people as we may learne by the historyes as well in the bondage of Israell vnder Pharao in Egypt as also in the miserable captiuitie of Iuda in Babilon Where as when the people of God were in most extreeme thraldome theÌ„ did the Lord stretch forth his mighty power to deliuer his seruauntes Though God for a tyme suffer them to be exalted in theyr owne pryde yet shal they not scape his vengeaunce They are hys roddes and when hee hath worne them to the stumpes then will he cast them into the fire this shal be theyr final reward Our duetye is in the meane while paciently to abide the wil of God which worketh al thinges for the best Thus dealeth he with vs partly for our tryall and partly also for our sinnes which we most greeuously haue committed to the great slaunder of hys gospell whereby the name of God was euil spoken of among hys enemies for the whiche he now punisheth vs with his fatherly corrections in this worlde that wee shoulde not be dampned with the world By thys meanes seeketh hee his sheep that were lost to bring theÌ„ home to the fold agayn By this wâ—y seeketh he to reform vs that we may be lyke vnto him after the image of his son Iesus christ in al holines righteousnes before him Finally this way vseth his godly wisedome to make vs therby to know him our selues in him that afore time had in a manner forgotten him praysed be hys name therefore And as for these Balaamites whiche nowe do molest vs commit them to the handes of GOD geue him the vengeaunce and hee will reward them Fall ye to prayer and let these belly GODS prate For he is in heauen and sleepeth not that keepeth Israell He is in heauen that made the seas calme and when the Disciples were afrayd Let vs nowe faythfully call vppon him and hee wyll heare vs. Let vs cry vnto the Lorde for he is gracious and mercifull When we are in trouble he is with vs he will deliuer vs and he will glorifie vs. If we come vnto him we shall find him turned vnto vs. If we repent vs of our wickednes done agaynst hym theÌ„ shall he take away the plague that he hath deuised agaynst vs. Let vs therefore earnestly repent and bring forth the worthy fruites of repentaunce Let vs study to be hys then shall we not neede to feare what these hipocrites do agaynst vs whiche wyth theyr pretensed holines deceiue the harts of the simple and abuse the authoritie of God in his Princes causing them by theyr procurement to testify their ambicious prelacye and to erect vpp theyr Idoll agayne with the Romish Masse God in whose hands are the hartes of kinges open the hart of the Queenes highnesse to espy them out what they be and so to wede theÌ„ out that they no longer be suffered to trouble the congregation of God and to poyson the realme with Pope holy doctrine God almightye for hys sonne Iesus Christes sake deliuer the Queenes highnes and this her church realme froÌ„ these proud prelates which are as profitable in the Churche of Christ as a polecatte in the middest of a Warran of connies To conclude my brethren I commit you to God and to the power of his worde whiche is able to establishe you in all truth His spirite be with you and worke alway that ye may be mindfull of your dueties towards hym whose ye are both body and soule Whome see that ye loue serue dread and obey aboue al worldly powers and for nothing vnder the heaueÌ„s defile your conscieÌ„ce before God Dissemble not with his word God will not be mocked nay they that dissemble with hym deceiue themselues Such shal the Lord deny cast out at the last day such I say as beare two faces in one hoode such as play on both hands suche as deny the knowne trueth such as obstinately rebell against him All such with their partakers shall the Lord destroy God defend you from all such and make you perfite vnto the end Your sorrowe shall be turned into ioy ¶ An other letter sent to hys wife THe God and father eternal which brought again from death our Lord Iesus christ keep thee deare wife now and euer amen and al thy parentes and friendes I praise God for his mercy I am in the same state that ye lefte me in rather better then woorse looking dayly for the liuing God before whome I hunger full sore to appeare and receaue the glory of whiche I trust thou art willing to be a partaker I geue God most harty thankes therefore desiring thee of all loues to stand in that faith which thou hast receiued and let no man take away the seed that almighty God hath sowne in thee but lay hands of euerlasting lyfe which shall euer abide when both the earth and all earthly frends shall perish desiring them also to receaue thankfully our trouble whiche is momentane and light and as S. Paule sayth not worthy of the thinges whiche shall be shewed on vs that we patieÌ„tly carying our crosse may attayne to the place where our sauiour Christ is gone before to the which I beseeche God of his mercye bryng vs speedely I haue bene much troubled about your deliuerance fearing muche the perswasions of worldlinges and haue founde a friend whiche will I trust finde a meane for you if you bee not alreadye prouyded desirynge you in anye case to abide suche order as those my friendes shall appoint in God And beare well in mind the wordes which I spake at our departing that as god hath found vs and also elected vs worthy to suffer with hym We may endeuour our selues to follow vprightly in thys our vocation desiring you to present my hartye commendations to all our friendes and in especiall to youre Parentes keeping your matter close in any wise Geue most harty thankes to my frend whiche onely for oure cause is come to Windsor Continue in prayer Do well Be faultles in all thinges Beware abhominations Keepe you cleane from sinne Praye for me as I doe for you I haue sent you a peece of golde for a token and moste entierlye desire you to send me word if ye lacke any thing The lord Iesu preserue you and yours Amen From Newgate the 15. of Aprill By your husband here and in heauen Robert Smith This foresayde Robert Smith the valiaunt and constant martyr of christ thus replenished as ye haue heard with the fortitude of Gods spirite was condemned at LoÌ„don by Boner there Bishop the xii day of Iulye and suffered at Uxbridge the 8. day of August who as he had bene a comfortable instrument of God before to
of them a token a bowed grote and desire them for Gods sake to helpe vs with theyr prayers Haue litle Katherine in minde Commend me vnto all good friendes Continue in prayer Beware of vanitie Let not God be dishonored in your conuersation but like a good Matron keepe your vessel in holines The peace of God rest with you for euer Amen My brother Iuison sendeth to you a tokē to your mother a token and to Katherine a token iij. pence Iohn Launder sendeth you a peece of Spanish mony father Heralt a peece of vi d. William Androwes sendeth you a rase of Ginger and I sēd your mother one and a Nutmeg I send Katherine Comfites for a token to eate I haue sent you a keyclog for a token Your husband Robert Smith A letter sent to his frende THe eternall God keepe you in his feare I haue hearty commendations vnto you and your husbande beseeching almighty God to preserue you in well doing and in perfecte knowledge of his Christe that yee may be founde faultles in the day of the Lorde I haue heard saye that my frende is geuen ouer to vanitie it breaketh my hearte not onely to heare that he so doeth but also teacheth other that it is vnhurtful to goe to all abhominations whych nowe stand in the Idols temples neuerthelesse deare frende be ye not mooued to follow sinners for they haue no inheritance with God and Christe But looke that by going into the Idoll temple ye defile not the temple of God for light hath no felowship with darkenesse But looke what the Lord hath commaunded that doe For if not going to Churche were without persecution they would not learne you that lesson But all thing that is sweete to the flesh is allowed of the fleshly The Lord shal reward euery man according to his woorkes and he that leadeth into captiuitie shall go into captiuitie and hee that by the fleshly man is led in the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption The Lorde Iesu geue thee his holy spirite Amen I haue sent thee an Epistle in metre whiche is not to be laid vp in thy cofer but in thy heart Seeke peace and ensue it Feare God loue God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength Thy frend and al mens in Christ Iesus Rob. Smith Scribled in much hast from N. the 12. of May. Robert Smith to all faithfull seruants of Christ exhorting them to be strong vnder persecution Content thy selfe with pacience With Christ to beare the crosse of paine Which can and will thee recompence A thousande folde with ioyes againe Let nothing cause thy heart to quaile Lanch out thy boate hale vp thy saile Put from the shore And be thou sure thou shalt attaine Vnto the port that shall remaine For euermore The burning of Steuen Harwood and Thomas Fust martyred for the testimonie of the Gospel ABout this time died also by cruell fire these two martyrs of God that is to saye Steuen Harwoode at Stratford and Thomas Fust at Ware Which both two as they were about one time burned with the fore mētioned Robert Smith and George Tankerfield although in sundry places so were they also examined and openly cōdemned togethers wyth them Their processe because it was ioyned all in one with the processe of Robert Smith other of the said company aboue mentioned I thought it superfluous againe to repeate the same saue that of Thomas Fust this is to be added that where as he in his last appering the 12. of Iuly was mooued by the Byshop to reuoke his opinion thus he answered No said he my Lorde for there is no truth commeth out of your mouth but all lyes Yee condemne men and will not heare the truthe Where can ye finde any annoynting or greasing in Gods booke I speake nothing but the truthe and I am certaine that it is the truthe that I speake This answere of hym onely I finde noted by the Register although howe slenderly these Registrers haue dealt in vttering such matters that is in omitting those thinges which moste woorthy were to be knowen by their doings it is easie to be seene But to be short after their answeres made both he Thomas Fust were for their faithfull perseuerance condemned together by the Bishop in his accustomed pitie as heretikes to be burned and so as before ye haue heard finished they their martyrdom the one at Stratford and the other at Ware in the moneth of August and yere abouesayd The constant Martyrdome of William Haile burned at Barnet OF the same companie of these x. aboue recorded whych were sent vp to Byshop Boner by sir Nicholas Hare and other Commissioners in the companie of George Tankerfielde and Roberte Smith was also Willyam Hayle of Thorpe in the Countie of Essex who lykewise being examined with the rest the 12. day of Iuly receiued with them also the sentence of cōdemnation Geuing thys exhortation with al to the lookers on Ah good people sayd he beware of this Idolatrer and thys Antichriste poynting The martyrdome of VVilliam Haile vnto the Bishop of London and so was he deliuered to the Sheriffes as an heretique to be burned who sente him to Barnet where about the latter ende of August hee moste constantly sealed vp his faith with the consuming of his bodye by cruell fire yeelding hys soule vnto the Lorde Iesus his onely and most sure redeemer George King Thomas Leyes Iohn VVade sickened in prisone and were buried in the fieldes YEe hearde before of ten sundry personnes sent oute of Newgate by Maister Hare and other Commissioners to be examined of Boner Bishoppe of London Of whome sixe already haue bene executed in seuerall places as hathe beene shewed whose names were Elizabeth Warne George Tankerfielde Robert Smith Steuen Harwoode Thomas Fust and William Haile Other three to witte George King Thomas Leyes and Iohn Wade sickening in Lollardes Tower were so weake that they were remooued into sundry houses wythin the Citie of London and there departed and cast out into the fieldes and there buryed by nighte of the faithfull brethren when none in the day durste doe it propter metum Iudaeorum The last that remained of thys foresayde company was Ioane Layshe or Layshforde the Daughter in lawe to Iohn Warne and Elizabeth Warne Martyrs but because shee was reprieued to a longer day her storie and Martyrdom we will deferre till the moneth of Ianuarie the next yeare following William Andrewe THe like catholike charitie was also shewed vpon William Andrew of Horsley in the Countie of Essex Carpenter who was brought to Newgate the firste day of Aprill 1555. by Iohn Motham Constable of Mauldon in Essex The first and principall promoter of hym was the Lorde Riche who sent him first to prisone An other great doer against him also seemeth to be sir Richard Southwel Knighte by a letter wrytten by him to Boner as
to be euill and euill good lyght to be darknesse and darknesse lyght superstition to be true religion and Idolatry to be the true worship of God and that which is in substance the creature of bread and wyne to bee none other substaunce but onelye the substaunce of Christ the liuyng Lord both God and man And with this their falshoode craft they can so iuggle and bewitch the vnderstanding of the simple that they dare auouch it openly in Courte and in Towne and feare neyther hangyng nor headyng as the poore theeues of the borders doe but stout and strong lyke Nembroth dare condemne to bee burned in flamyng fire quicke and alyue whosoeuer wil go about to bewray their falshood The kynd of fight against these Churchrobbers is also of another sort and kynd then is that which is agaynst the theeues of the borders For there the true men go forth agaynst them with speare and launce with bow and hyll and all such kynd of bodily weapons as the true mē haue but here as the enemies be of another nature so the watch men of Christes flocke the warrioures that fight in the Lordes warre must be armed fight with another kynd of weapons and armour For here the enemies of GOD the souldiours of Antichrist although the battaile is set foorth agaynst the Church by mortall men beyng flesh and bloud and neuerthelesse members of their father the deuill yet for that their graund maister is the power of darknesse their members are spirituall wickednes wicked spirites spirits of errors of heresies of all deceit and vngodlinesse spirits of Idolatry superstition hypocrisy which are called of S. Paule Principates and powers Lordes of the world rulers of the darkenes of this world spirituall subtleties concernyng heauenly thyngs and therfore our weapons must be fitte and meete to fight agaynst such not carnall nor bodily weapons as speare launce but spirituall and heauenly we must fight agaynst suche with the armour of God not entendyng to kill their bodies but their erroures their false craft and heresies their idolatry superstition and hypocrisie and to saue as much as lyeth in vs both their bodies and soules And therfore as s. Paul teacheth vs we fight not against flesh and bloud that is we fight not with bodily weapon to kil the man but with the weapons of God to put to flight his wicked errors vice to saue both body and soule Our weapons therfore are faith hope charitie righteousnes truth patience prayer vnto God our sword wherwith we smite our enemies we beat and batter and beare downe all falshood is the worde of God With these weapons vnder the banner of the crosse of Christ we do fight euer hauing our eye vpon our graund maister Duke and captaine Christ then we reckon our selues to triumphe to win the crowne of euerlasting blisse when enduryng in this battail without any shrinking or yeldyng to the enemies after the example of our graund capitaine Christ our maister after the example of his holy prophets Apostles Martyrs when I say we are slaine in our mortal bodies of our enemies are most cruelly without all mercy murdered down like a many of sheepe And the more cruell the more painful the more vile spiteful is the kind of the death whereunto we bee put the more glorious in God the more blessed and happy we reckon without all doubts our martyrdome to be And thus much dere louers friends in God my coūtreyman kinsfolke I haue spoken for your comfort lest of my death of whose life you looked peraduenture sometymes to haue had honestie pleasures commodities ye might be abashed or thinke any euill wheras ye haue rather cause to reioyce if ye loue me in deed for that it hath pleased God to cal me to a greater honor and dignitie thē euer I did enioy before eyther in Rochester or in the sea of London or euer should haue had in the Sea of Durham whereunto I was last of all elected named yea I count it greater honour before God in deede to dye in hys cause whereof I nothing doubt then is any earthly or temporal promotion or honor that can be geuen to a man in this world And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Gods to be Christes quarel of his Gospell to be the common weale of all the elect and chosen children of God of all the inheritours of the kyngdome of heauen who is he I say that knoweth this assuredly by Gods worde and the testimony of hys owne conscience as I thorough the infinite goodnesse of GOD not of my selfe but by his grace acknowledge my selfe to doe who is hee I saye that knoweth this and both loueth and feareth GOD in deed and in truth loueth and beleeueth his maister Christ and his blessed Gospel loueth his brotherhoode the chosen children of God and also lusteth and longeth for euerlasting lyfe who is he I say agayne that would not or can not finde in his hart in this cause to be content to die The Lord forbidde that any such should bee that should forsake this grace of God I trust in my Lord God the GOD of mercies the Father of all comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord that he which hath put this mynd will affection by his holy spirit in my hart to stand against the face of the enemy in his cause and to chuse rather the losse of al my worldly substance yea and of my lyfe too then to deny his known truth that he will comfort me ayde mee and strengthen me euermore euen vnto the end and to the yeldyng vp of my spirit soule into hys holy hands whereof I most hartily beseech his most holy sacred Maiestie of his infinite goodnes and mercy through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Now that I haue taken my leaue of my countriemen and kinsfolke and the Lord doth lend me lyfe and geueth me laisure I will bid my other good friends in God of other places also farewell And whom first or before other then the Uniuersitie of Cambridge wheras I haue dwelt longer found more faithfull and hartie friendes receyued more benefits the benefits of my naturall parents onely excepted then euer I did euen in myne own natiue countrey wherein I was borne Farewel therfore Cambridge my louyng mother and tender nurse If I should not acknowled thy manifold benefits yea if I should not for thy benefits at the least loue thee agayne truly I were to be counted to vngrate vnkynde What benefites hadst thou euer that thou vsest to geue bestow vppon thy best beloued children that thou thoughtest too good for me Thou didst bestowe on mee all thy schoole degrees of thy common offices the Chaplaynship of the vniuersitie the office of the Proctorship of a common Reader of thy priuate commodities emoluments in colledges what was it that
such like trumpery of the Antichristian religion thinkest thou that thou shalt bee reckened for a catholicke man or for amicus Caesaris A hūdred thinges moe may be reckened and many of more weight and of more euident superstition and Idolatrye then some of these which I haue nowe rehearsed whyche God knoweth be ill enough but these are enoughe to declare and to set before thyne eyes the thing that I intend that is if thou abyde and wilt dwell in Englande thou must eyther doe these and many other moe contrarye to Gods worde whiche forbiddeth not onely the thing whiche is euill but also sayth Ab omni specie mali abstinete vos abstayne from all thinges that haue anye appearaunce of euill or els if thou wilt not doe them howe thou canst liue in England in rest safe from the stake truly I cannot tell But peraduenture as a man is readye to finde and inuent some coloure to cloke hys conscience to doe that thing that hys harte desireth thou wilt say though at any time I shal be forced to doe any of these thinges and suche like yet will I haue no confidence in them but outwardly with my body I will keepe myne hart vnto God and will not doe that of mine owne minde willingly neyther but to auoyd an other inconuenience I trust therfore god will holde me excused for he shall haue my hart what can I doe more O my frend beware for Gods sake and know that the subtleties of Sathan are deepe Hee that is not able by Gods word to perceiue them is heauily laden Pray therfore with Dauid Lord let me not haue a mynde to inuente excuses for to cloke my sinne examine my deare frend these thy wyly wayes with the worde of God and if they do agree thou maist vse them if not know though they may seeme neuer so fine and goodly yet in deede they be of Sathans broode Gods worde is certayne that forbiddeth to worship the creature for the creatour for that is haynous Idolatry and agaynst the first commaundemēt of God and it is also agaynst the seconde commandement of the first table to bow downe or to doe worship vnto any Images of God or of anye other thinge And Gods word requireth not onely the beliefe of the hart but also the confession of the mouthe and to beare part of the charges to the mayntenance of thinges vngodly what is that but in thy so doing a consent to the thing done Now consensenters and the doers Gods worde accounteth to be gilty bothe And it is not lawfull by S. Paules doctrine whiche was inspired hym by the spirite of God to do ill that thereof the thing which is good may come Thy hart thou sayst GOD shall haue and yet wilt suffer thy body to doe the thinge that God dothe abhorre Beware O man take heede what thou sayest Man may be deceaued but no man may deceiue God for he is called and is truely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye the searcher of the hart Now to geue God thy heart is to geue hym thy whole heart to loue him to dread him and to trust in him aboue all other thinges He that hath my commaundementes sayth Christ and obserueth and keepeth them it is he that loueth me and to dread God aboue all other is rather willingly to incurre the daunger and perill of all fearful thinges then wittingly to doe that thing which is contrarye to his blessed will and commaundement and to truste in hym aboue all thinges is assuredly to trust to his promise of his reward and of his tuition and of hys goodnes and mercy and to preferre that aboue all thinges in the world seeme they neuer so strong so wise or so good Now how canst thou say truely that God hathe thy heart after thys maner of sorte which is to haue thy heart in deede when thy deedes do declare farre an other thing Thy bodye O man is Gods and all the partes therof euen as thy soule is hee made them both and Christe with hys bloude redeemed them both and is Lord of both for he hath bought them both dearely and darest thou suffer any parte of eyther of them to do seruice to Sathan Surely in so doyng thou committest sacriledge and doest robbe God thou defilest the liuely temple of the liuing God if thou suffer thy body to doe Sathan seruice Do you not know sayth saynct Paule that your body is a liuely temple of God And may a man then take and vse any part thereof but in the seruice of God No surely it is not lawfull so to do for the man of God neyther with hand tongue nor foote nor any parte of the whole body Doth not Paule commaund to the Romaynes which pertayneth to euery christian soule As you haue in times past sayth he geuen your members to doe seruice vnto vncleannes and wickednes from one wickednes to an other so nowe geue youre members to doe seruice vnto righteousnes that you may be sanctified And I pray thee good brother what doest thou thinke is to beare the marke of the beast in the forehead and in the hand that saynct Iohn speaketh of I knowe wee ought warely to speake of Gods misteryes whiche he shewed by the spirite of prophesying to his seruaunt Iohn yet to red them with reuerence and to praye for the same so muche as God knoweth is necessarye for oure tyme to knowe I thynke it necessarye and good Wherefore what I suppose is to beare the Beasts marke I will tell thee and committe the iudgement of mine interpretation as in all other thinges to the spirituall man I suppose he beareth the Beast of Babilons marke in hys forehead whiche is not ashamed of the Beastes wayes but will professe them openly to set foorth his mayster the beast Abaddon And likewise he beareth his marke in hys hand that wil and doth practise the workes of the beast with hys power hand And likewise I wil not let to tel thee what I thinke to be signed in the forehead for the seruaunt of God whereof Iohn also speaketh reckoning vp many thousands so to haue bene signed of euery tribe I suppose he is signed in the forehead for the seruaunte of God whome GOD hath appoynted of his infinite goodnes and hath geuen him grace and strength stoughtly to confesse hym his truth before the worlde And to haue grace and strength to confesse Christe and the doctrine of the crosse and to lament and mourne for the abhominations of Antichrist I suppose is to be signed with Tau whereof Ezechiell the Prophet doth speake Thus I suppose these Prophesies are spiritually to be vnderstanded and to looke for other corporall markes to be seene in mennes foreheads or in their handes is nothing els but to looke that there shoulde come some brute beast out of Babilon or some Elephant Leopard Lyon or Camell or some other such monstrous Beast with x. hornes
constant martyr Who the xviii day of December in the middest of the fiery flames yelded his soule into the handes of the almighty God and full like a lambe gaue vp his breath his body being consumed into ashes Thus hast thou gentle reader the lyfe and doyngs of this learned and worthy souldiour of the Lord Iohn Philpot with all his examinations that came to our handes first penned and written with his owne hand beyng meruaylously reserued from the sight and hands of hys enemies who by all maner meanes sought not onely to stop hym from al writing but also to spoyle and depriue him of that which he had written For the which cause he was manye tymes stripped and searched in the prison of his keeper but yet so happily these his writinges were conueyed and hid in places about him or els hys keepers eies so blinded that notwithstanding all this malicious purpose of the Bishops they are yet remayning and come to light A prayer to be sayd at the stake of all them that God shall account worthy to suffer for his sake MErcifull God and father to whome oure sauiour Christ approched in his feare and neede by reason of death found comfort Gracious God and most bounteous Christe on whome Stephen called in his extreeme neede and receiued strength Most benigne holy spirite whiche in the middest of all Crosses and death diddest comfort the Apostle S. Paule with more consolations in Christ then he felt sorowes and terrors haue mercy ⧠The martirdome of maister Iohn Philpot Archdeacon with the manner of his kneeling and praying at the stake vpon me miserable vile and wretched sinner which now drawe neare the gates of death deserued both in soule and body eternally by reason of manifold horrible olde and new transgressions which to thyne eyes O Lorde are open and knowne Oh be mercifull vnto me for the bitter death and bloudshedding of thine owne onely sonne Iesus Christ. And though thy iustice do require in respecte of my sinnes that nowe thou shouldest not heare me measuring me with the same measure I haue measured thy Maiesty contemning thy dayly calles yet let thy mercy whiche is aboue all thy works and wherewith the earth is filled let thy mercy I say preuaile towardes me through and for the mediation of Christ our sauiour And for whose sake in that it hathe pleased thee to bring me forth now as one of his witnesses and a record bearer of thy veritye and trueth taught by him to geue my life therefore to which dignitie I do acknowledge dear God that ther was neuer any so vnworthy and so vnmeet no not the theef that hāged with him on the Crosse I most hūbly therfore pray thee that thou wouldest accordingly ayde helpe assiste me with thy strength and heauenly grace that with Christe thy sonne I may finde comfort with Stephen I may see thy presence and gracious power with Paule and all others whiche for thy names sake haue suffered affliction and death I may finde so present with me thy gracious consolations that I may by my deathe glorifie thy holy name propagate and ratifie thy veritie comfort the hartes of the heauy confirme thy Church in thy veritie conuert some that are to be conuerted and so depart foorth of thys miserable world where I do nothing but daily heape sinne vpon sinne and so enter into the fruition of thy blessed mercy wherof now geue and encrease in me a liuely truste sense and feelinge wherethrough the terrours of death the tormentes of fire the panges of sinne the dartes of Sathan and the dolours of hel may neuer depresse me but may be driuen away thorough the working of that most gracious spirite which now plenteously endue me withall that through the same spirite I may offer as I nowe desire to do in Christ by him my selfe wholy soule and body to be a liuely sacrifice holy and acceptable in thy sight Deare Father whose I am and alwayes haue bene euen from my mothers wombe yea euen before the world was made to whome I commend my selfe soule and body family and frendes countrey and all the whole Churche yea euen my very enemies accordynge to thy good pleasure beseeching thee intirely to geue once more to this Realme of England the blessing of thy word agayn with godly peace to the teaching setting forth of the same Oh dear father now geue me grace to come vnto thee Purge and so purifie me by this fire in Christes death and Passion through thy spirite that I may be a burnt offering of sweete smell in thy sight which liuest and raignest with the sonne and the holy God nowe and euermore world without end Amen ¶ Letters of Mayster Philpot. ¶ A letter which he sent to the christian congregation exhorting them to refrayne from the Idolatrous seruice of the papists and to serue God after his word IT is a lamentable thing to behold at this present in England the faithles departing both of men women frō the true knowledge vse of Christes sincere religion which so plētifully they haue bene taught do know their own consciences bearing witnes to the veritie thereof If that earth be cursed of God which eftsoones receiuing moisture pleasant dewes from heauen doth not bring forth fruite accordingly how much more greuous iudgemēt shal such persons receiue which hauing receiued from the father of heauē the perfect knowledge of his word by the ministery therof do not shew forth Gods worship after the same If the Lord wil require in the day of iudgemēt a godly vsury of all maner of talentes which he sendeth vnto men women how muche more wil he require the same of his pure religion reuealed vnto vs which is of al other talents the chiefest most pertayning to our exercise in this life if we hide the same in a napkin and set it not forth to the vsurye of Gods glory and edifying of his church by true confessiō God hath kindled the bright light of his Gospel which in times past was suppressed hid vnder the vile ashes of mās traditiōs and hath caused the brightnes therof to shine in our harts to the end that the same might shine before men to the honor of his name It is not onely geuen vs to beleue but also to confesse declare what we beleue in our outwarde couersation For as S. Paule writeth to the Romaynes The beliefe of the hart iustifieth and toe acknowledge wyth the mouth maketh a man safe It is al one before God not to beleue at al not to shew forth the liuely works of our belief For Christe sayth Either make the tree good and his fruites good or ells make the tree euill and the fruites euill because a good tree bringeth forth good fruites So that the person which knoweth his maysters will and doth it not shal be beaten with many stripes And not all they
in Christ may pray that he fall not but endure to the ende and that those that fall through fearefull infirmity might speedely repent and rise agayne with Peter and also that the weake ones mighte bewayle theyr weakenes and crye with Dauid haue mercy vpon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heale me for all my bones are vexed Of this opening of the heart by persecution spake holy Simion to Mary Christes mother when he sayde the Sworde that is the Crosse of persecution shall pearse thy Soule that the thoughtes of many hartes may be opened For like as a king that should go to battell is cōpelled to looke in his cofers what treasure he hath and also what number and puisaunce of menne and weapons hee hath so that if he himselfe be vnready and vnarmed to bicker with hys enemye he surceaseth and taketh truice for a time euen so wee by persecutions haue our heartes opened that wee maye looke therein to see what fayth in Christ we haue and what strength to withstand the enemies and to beare the Crosse that if we be riche in these treasures we might reioyce and valiauntly go to Battell or if we want these thinges with all speede to call and crye vppon him which geueth all good giftes to those that aske them Item the crosse trieth the good people from the bad the faythfull from the worldlinges and hipocrites and also cleanseth and scoureth the faythfull hartes from all corruption and filthinesse both of the flesh and the spirit And euen as yron except it be often scoured will soone waxe rusty so except our sinnefull hartes and flesh be often scoured with the whetstone of the Crosse they will soone corrupt ouergrowe with the ruste of all filthinesse and sinne And therefore it is meete and good for vs as the wise man sayeth that as gold siluer are tryed in the fire so should the hartes of acceptable men be tried in the fornace of aduersity Abide the triall deare frendes that yee may obteyne the Crowne of life Fighte manfully in this the Lordes cause that ye may obteyne a glorious victorye here and receiue a greate rewarde in heauen hereafter As yee are called Christians and woulde be angry to be called Iewes or Turkes so declare your Christianity by folowing the steps of Christ whose name ye beare suffer with hym and for his Gospelles sake rather then to denye him or to defile your fayth and conscience with false worshipping of Romish religion Take vp your Crosse my deare hartes now when it is offered you and go vp with Christ to Ierusalem amōgest the Bishoppes Priestes and Rulers if God call you thereto and they will anone sende you to Caluery from whence dying in the cause of the Gospell wherein our good Preachers and Brethren haue geuen theyr liues your soules I warrant you through Christ Iesu shall ascend to God that gaue them and the body shall come after at the last day and so shal ye dwell with the Lord for euer in vnspeakeable ioy and blisse O blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake as Christes people in this Iewish Englande nowe doth for theyrs is the kingdome of heauen O my beloued set your mindes on this kingdome where Christ our head and king is considering that as the brute beast tooketh downewardes with the face towardes the earth so man is made contrariwise with his face looking vpward towardes the heauens because his conuersation should be in heauen and heauenlye thinges and not vpon the earth and earthly thinges and S. Paule sayth set your mindes on thinges whiche are aboue where Christ is And agayne he sayth our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for our Sauiour who will chaunge our vile bodyes and make them like to his glorious body Oh the glorious estate that we be called vnto The Lord preserue vs harmeles to his eternal kingdome through Christ Iesus our Lord. Amen The second thing that I note in the foresayde wordes of Peter is that he calleth persecution no straunge thinge And trueth it is for which of the Prophetes were not persecuted with Christ and his Apostles and some of them in the end cruelly killed for the truthes sake Cain killed Abell Isaac was persecuted of Ismaell Iacob was hated of Esau Ioseph was prisoned and set in the Stockes the Prophet Esay was cut in two with a Saw Ieremy was stoned Micheas was buffeted and fed with bread and water Helias was sore persecuted Eleazar and the woman with her 7. sonnes were cruelly killed What Christ and the Apostles suffered it is well knowne So that by many tribulations as Paul sayth we must enter into the kingdome of Heauen All the holy Prophetes Christ and hys Apostles suffered such afflictions not for euill doing but for preaching Gods word for rebuking the world of sinne and for theyr fayth in Iesus Christ. This is the ordinance of GOD my Frendes this is the high way to heauen by corporall death to eternall life as Christ sayth he that heareth my woordes and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath eternall life and shall not come into iudgement but is escaped from death to life Let vs neuer feare death which is killed by Christ but beleue in him and liue for euer as Paule sayth There is no damnation to them that are in Christ Iesu which walke not after the fleshe but after the Spirit And agayne Paule sayth Death where is thy styng Hell where is thy victory Thankes be to God which hath geuen vs victory through Iesu Christe Besides this ye haue seene and dayly doe see the bloud of your good Preachers and Brethren which hath bene shed in the Gospelles cause in this sinnefull Sodome this bloudy Ierusalem this vnhappy City of London Lette not theyr bloud be forgotten nor the bloud of your good Bishop Ridley who like a Shepheard to your comforte exāple hath geuen his life for his sheepe good S. Paule sath remember them that haue spoken to you the word of God and looke vpon the end of theyr conuersation and folow theyr fayth The Deuill euer stirreth vp false teachers as he hath done now ouer all Englande as Peter Paule and Iude prophesied it should be to poyson and kill our soules with the false doctrine And where he fayleth of his purpose that way then mooueth he his members to persecute the seely carcases of the Saynctes because they will not denye nor dissemble theyr pure fayth in our liuing Christ and confesse a dead breadye Christ and honour the same as Christ God and man contrary to Gods commaūdement This is the working of Sathan who knowing hys owne iust damnation woulde all mankinde to be partakers wyth him of the same such a mortall hatred beareth he agaynst GOD and his people And therefore when this wicked Tempter coulde not kill Christe with subtle tentation to fall downe and worship him then
our eternal comfort dissolue the same and seperate vs asunder againe for a time Wherfore I thought it good yea and my bouÌ„den duety by this simple letter to prouoke styrre admonish you to behaue your selfe in all your doinges sayinges and thoughtes most thankfully vnto our good God for the same And therefore my deare wife as you haue hartily reioyced in the Lord and oftentimes geuen God thanks for his goodnes in bringing vs together in his holy ordinauÌ„ce eueÌ„ so now I desire you when this time of our seperation shal come to reioyce with me in the Lord and to geue him most harty thanks that he hath to his glory and our endles commodity separated vs againe for a little time hath mercifully taken me vnto himselfe forth of this miserable world into his celestiall kingdom beleuing and hoping also assuredly that God of hys goodnesse for his sonne Christes sake will shortlye bring you and your deare children thither to me that we maye moste ioyfully together sing prayses vnto his glorious name for euer And yet once agayne I desire you for the loue of God and as euer you loued me to reioyce with me and to geue God continuall thankes for doing his most mercifull wil vpon me I heare say that you do oftentimes vse to repeate this godly saying The Lordes wil be fulfilled Doubtlesse it reioyceth my poore hart to heare that report of you for the lordes sake vse that godly praier continually and teach your children and family to say the same day and night and not onely say it with your toungs but also with your hart and mind and ioyfully to submit your will to Gods will in very deed knowing beleuing assuredly that nothing shall come to you or any of yours otherwise then it shall be hys almightie and fatherly good wil and pleasure and for your eternall comfort and commodity Which thing to be moste true and certayne Christ testifyeth in his holy gospell saying Are not two litle Sparowes sold for a farthing and yet not one of them shall perish without the wil of your heauenly father And he concludeth saying Feare not yee therefore for yee are better then many sparowes As though he shoulde haue sayd If God haue such a respecte and care for a poore sparowe which is not worth one farthing that it shall not be taken in the lime twig net or pitfall vntill it be his good will pleasure you may be wel assured that not one of you whoÌ„ he so dearly loueth that he hath geueÌ„ his only deare sonne for you shall perishe or depart forth of this miserable life without his almighty good will and pleasure Therefore deare wife put your truste and confidence wholly onely in him and euer pray that his will be fulfilled and not yours except it be agreeing to his will the which I pray GOD it may euer be Amen And as for worldly thinges take you no care but be you well assured the Lorde your deare God and father will not see you nor yours lacke if you continue in his loue and childely feare and keepe a cleare conscience from all kinde of Idolatry superstition and wickednes as my trust is that you wyll doe although it be with the losse and daunger of this temporall life And good Margaret feare not them that canne but kill the body and yet can they not do that vntill God geue them leaâ—e but feare to displease him that can kyll both body and soule and cast them into hell fire Let not the remembraunce of your children keep you from God The Lord himselfe will be a father and a mother better then euer you or I could haue bene vnto them He himselfe wil do all thinges necessary for them yea as much as rock the Cradle if need be He hath geuen his holy Angels charge ouer them therefore committ them vnto him But if you may liue with a cleare conscience for elles I woulde not haue you to liue and see the bringing vp of your children your selfe looke that you nurture them in the feare of God and keepe them farre from Idolatry superstition and all other kinde of wickednesse and for Gods sake helpe them to some learning if it be possible that they may increase in vertue and godly knowledge which shal be a better dowry to marry them withall then any worldlye substaunce and when they be come to age prouide them such husbandes as feare God and loue his holy worde I charge you take heede that you match them with no Papistes and if you liue and marry agayne your selfe whiche thing I woulde wishe you to doe if neede require or els not good wife take heede how you bestowe your selfe that you and my poore children be not compelled to wickednesse But if you shall be able well to liue Gods true widow I would counsell you so to liue still for the more quietnesse of your selfe and your poore children Take heede Margaret and play the wise womans part You haue warning by other if you will take an example And thus I commit you and my sweet children vnto Gods most merciful defence The blessing of God be with you and God seÌ„d vs a mery meeting together in heauen Farewel in Christ farewell mine owne deare hartes all Pray pray * To my good Brother Mayster Iohn Bradford THe peace of God in Iesus Christ the eternall comforte of his sweete spirite which hath surely sealed you vnto eternal saluation be with you and strengthen you in your ioyfull iourney towardes the celestiall Hierusalem my deare frend and most faythfull brother Maister Bradford to the setting forth of Gods glory and to your eternall ioy in Christ Amen Euer since that good M. Philpot shewed me your last letter my deare hart in the Lord I haue coÌ„tinued in great heauines and perplexity not for any hurt or discommodity that I can perceiue comming towardes you vnto whoÌ„ doubtlesse death is made life and great felicity but for the great losse that Gods Churche here in Englande shall sustaine by the taking away of so godly worthy and necessary an instrument as the Lorde hath made you to be Oh that my life and a thousand such wretched liues mo might go for yours Oh why doth God suffer me and such other Caterpillers to liue that can doe nothing but consume the almes of the church and take away you so worthy a workman laborer in the Lordes vineyard But wo be to our sinnes great vnthankfulnes whiche is the greatest cause of the taking away of such worthy instrumeÌ„tes of God as shoulde set forth his glory instruct his people If we had bene thaÌ„kfull vnto God for the good ministers of his word we had not bene so soone depriued both of it and them The Lord forgeue our great ingratitude sinnes and geue vs true repentaunce and fayth hold his hand of mercy ouer vs for his deare sonne Christes sake Take
are much offended for it felleth all mans righteousnes to the ground I had like to haue sayd to the bottome of hell extolleth onely the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ whiche is allowed before God and is freely geuen to al those that firmely beleue as blessed be God you doe Ah my good brother Tymmes Sathan hath put hys hand in a wrong boxe when he beginneth to tempte you either to vayne glory or mistrust for you are an old beaten souldier and haue had good experience of these manner of temptations both by your selfe and other whome you know well were the beloued of God Bee of good cheare therefore deare hart be of good cheare for now Satā hath wrought all his malice he hath done all that hee can and hath shot of all his last Peeces wherwith he had thought to haue done most mischiefe but now he seeth hee cannot preuaile the strong tower of your fayth being so inuincible he will plucke vp all his tentes and get him to some other place to practise the like assaultes and then will the Aungels of God come and minister vnto you the moste sweete heauenly consolations of the holy Ghost To hym therefore who is able to do exceeding aboundantly aboue all that euer we can desire or thinke I do most hartily cōmit you with all the reste of youre godly prison fellowes who comfort strengthen and defend you with his grace mighty operation of his holye spirit as hee hath hitherto done that you hauing a most glorious victory ouer the subtle serpent and all his wicked seede may also receaue the crowne of glory and immortalitie prepared for you before the foundations of the world were layde and is so surelye kept for you in the handes of him whose promise is vnfallible that the Deuill sinne death or hell shall neuer be able to depriue you of the same The blessing of God bee with you now for euermore Amen Pray pray pray for me Your owne for euer Iohn Careles * To my good sister M.C. THe peace of God in Iesus Christ the eternal comforts of his sweete spirite be with you my deare and faithful sister to the ful accomplishment of that good worke which hee hath most graciously begon in you that the same may be effectuall to the setting forth of his glory and to your euerlasting consolation in him Amen My louing and faythful Sister in the Lord I thanke you for all your louing kindnes shewed vnto me in youre feruent and faithfull prayers and for your most godly and comfortable letter wherby you do not only much encrease my ioy and comfort but also put me in remembraunce of my duetie towardes you Blessed be the Lord our God which of his great merhath so beautified his Church in these our dayes that euen vnto many godly women hee hathe geuen most excellent giftes of knowledge and vnderstanding of his truth so that they are not onely well able to enforme their owne consciences in all thinges necessarye to saluation but also moste sweetly to comfort their sorrowfull brethren sisters that susteine any trouble for the testimony of Gods trueth yea that which is more euen in the middest of their great cōflictes of conscience Of which most happy number of godly and vertuous women my deare hart you are one and that of the chiefest being plentifully endued with the gifts of Gods most gracious spirite as it doth full wel appeare in your dayly doinges God onely haue the prayse therefore For asmuch then as God hath geuen you the gift to write I shall moste hartily desire you to let me heare from you sometimes be it neuer so little for truely I take great cōfort and courage thereby specially in my poore conscience whiche is sore assaulted of subtile Satan and in a manner oppressed of my sinnes Pray deare sister that GOD may geue me true hartie and earnest repentaunce increase my fayth for they are bothe the good giftes of God onely and farre passe the reache of my power to take at my pleasure Therfore deare sister if you wil helpe me to begge the same of our deare louing father I am sure that he both cā and will geue them in his good time As for the feare of death or terrour of the fire I most hartily thanke my good God I feele it not onely it is mine owne sinnes and vnthankfulnes which holdeth hard battayle wageth strōg warre against me which onely goeth about to separate me from my good captayne Christ that I shoulde not enioye his glorious victory but God being on my side as I am sure hee is that cannot continually preuayle agaynst me Though God for a time permitte Satan to take his pleasure on me as he did vpon Iob yet I doubt not but in the end all shall turne to my profite through the merites of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ to whose most mercifull defence I commit you deare Sister with al the rest of the Lordes elect Farewell in Christ. Yours vnfaynedly Iohn Careles Pray pray pray pray * To my deare brother T. V. THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ the continuall comfortes of his most pure and holy spirite be with you my most deare frend and faythfull brother U. to the increase of your fayth and comfort of your sorrowful spirite which is to the father a sweete sacrifice through chryst for whose sake he will neuer despise your humble and contrite hart but doth fauourably accept the same and wil in most ample wise performe the desire thereof to his glorye your eternall comfort in him In the mids of my manifold crosses troubles wherin I am constrayned to flee vnto God for refuge succour by earnest faithful prayer I cannot forget you my deare hart in the Lord but esteeming your state for mine owne I do poure forth my complaynt for you as I do for my selfe rather more as I thinke present neede doth require desiring most hartily to heare the good successe of the same in you The lord God for his great mercies sake accomplish my desire as I doubt not but he wil when he seeth it good and most to his glory and to your comforte and commoditie Oh that I might once see you so merry in Christ as you haue iust cause to be that you might say with Dauid Awake my glory awake Lute and Harpe bring forth the Psalter with the merry song that I might sing a newe song of prayse and thankesgeuing vnto the Lord for the light of his fauourable coūtenaunce his helpe and deliueraunce Oh that would refresh me as a most precious oyle and gladden my poore heart whiche is assaulted with sorrow moe wayes then one I doubt not but the same shal by your meanes receiue much comfort though for a time it doth mourne with you that we may be made both glad together yea that with such gladnes as shal continue for
my poore afflicted heart by your meanes my moste deare and faithful brother Truely me thinketh your woords or rather Gods woordes by you vttered haue a wonderfull power and efficacie woorking in my heart at the hearing or readyng of them Reioyce therfore my deare brother and be thankfull vnto God for verily he both is will be mightely magnified in you and that diuers and manye waies both to the strengthening of them that stand in his truth and also to the raising vp of such as are fallen from the same God make me thankefull for you on your behalfe for verily great is the goodnesse of God towardes me in geuing me acquaintance in faithfull loue and amitye with you Gods name for euer be praised therfore and he perfourme all his mercifull promises vpon you as I doubt not but he will for his sake in whome you trust I thanke my God most hartely also you my good brother for that you are carefull for me in your faithfull praiers remembring my iust deserued sorowes as though they were your own and laboring so much to solace the same Ah my gracious good God what am I for whom thou thy deare children should be so carefull Oh sweete Lord forgeue me my great ingratitude sinne and grauÌ„t that I neuer abuse thy great benefits Oh let the loue of thine elect which loue me for thy sake be a sure signe token yea a most firme testimony a seale to my sinfull conscience of thine euerlasting loue and mercy towards me in Christ as verely it would and ought to be if mine infidelity did not let it Oh circumcise therefore the foreskin of my heart that I may with liuely faith behold thy great loue towardes me in all thine elect that I may alwaies be thankeful for the same and loue thee and them againe most heartely and vnfainedly Ah my deare heart how sweetely and how truely yea howe godly how coÌ„fortably haue you rehersed the swete saying of Salomon concerning prosperity with true godly frends I wil ioine with it the sentence which goeth a little before for doubtlesse it may be well verified on you A sure frend sayeth the wise man wil be vnto thee euen as thine owne soule and deale faithfully with thy houshold folke If thou suffer trouble and aduersitye he is with thee and hideth not his face from thee A faythful friend is a strong defence who so finedeth such a one finedeth a treasure A faithfull friend hath no peere the waight of golde is not to bee compared to the goodnesse of his faith A faythfull frend is a medicine of life and they that feare the Lord shal finde him c. Loe my deare heart in the Lord here is a liuely image or description of you for verely such a one haue I alwaies fouÌ„d you vnto me not onely sorrowing for my great sorrow but also oftentimes making me merry and ioyfull with such ioyes as the world can not feele Nowe let the worlde bragge of hys fained frendship but I will boast of this true frendship in God and esteeme it a more treasure then all transitorye things And as for my mourning deare brother God hathe made you to tourne it vnto mirth for God hath put you in the stead of them to be my comfort whome he hath in hys great mercy taken away I trust hencefoorth to leaue the mourning for my greate losse and to praise God for gaining vnto him selfe so great glory by his chosen children God make me a true mourner of Syon bothe for mine owne sinne and wickednesse and also to see his honoure defaced that I may be made meete and apte to beare the ioyfull and comfortable message that your beautifull feete shall brynge me God blesse thee my deare heart and faithful louing brother and increase his good giftes of grace in thee as he hathe moste happely begonne that you may daily more effectually feele and liuely perceiue the certaintie of Gods grace wherin you stand and firmely to testifie the same to the conuersion or confouÌ„ding of all gainsayers and to the comfort confirmation of al Gods deare children Amen Farewell mine owne sweete brother fare well as mine owne heart Your owne in Christ Iohn Careles· An other letter of Iohn Careles to a certaine godly faithfull sister by the name of E.K. THe grace and free mercy of God in Iesus Christ the sweete consolations of the holy Ghost the guide of all Gods deare children he with you strengthen and comfort you my dearely beloued sweete sister E.K. now and euer Amen Albeit my dearely beloued sister in Christe that as yet wee did neuer see one an other personally to any knowledge yet by the vertuous reporte that I haue hearde of you and also by the large louing token that I haue receiued from you mee thincke that I do euen presently see you and behold your person faâ—thfully walking in the fear and loue of God ioying and reioycing with you in the spirite as thoughe we were sweetely talking together of Christes veritie The Lord God doe I humbly beseeche in the bowels and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe that he wil strengthen vs both with hys holy and mighty spirit that we may constantly continue in the confession of his truthe vnto the ende that like as we now see one an other presently in spirite we may also see one an other personally in the glorious presence of God and his holy Aungels where vndoubtedly we shall know one an others personage to oure great ioy felicitye and endlesse comfort And now therfore deare sister K be strong in the Lorde our God for doubtlesse the time of triall is at hand a great persecution with cruell murthering of Gods deare Saintes is like to be very shortly in this wofull wicked Realme of Englande Therefore deare sister for the loue of God prepare you to the Crosse with all diligence and make your selfe ready to die with Christ that you may also liue with him for euer There is no remedye if you will be Christes Disciple you must needes take vppe youre crosse and followe him for the Disciple must not looke to be aboue his maister nor the seruant to be better intreated then his Lord. If we were of the worlde good sister no doubt the world woulde loue vs. But for as much as Christe hath chosen vs out of the worlde to serue God in spirite and veritie lette vs be wel assured the worlde will hate vs and persecute vs as it hath done our Lorde and maister Christ. But yet let vs be of good cheare for Christe hath ouercome the worlde The paine is but shorte that we can feele heere but the pleasure is perpetuall that wee shall feele elsewhere Let vs set before vs the example of Christe which abode the Crosse and despised the shame in respecte of the ioy that was set before him Euen so let vs consider for whose
be counted worthy to so we some seede amongest the sweete Saintes of the Lorde that I may reape the same againe without ceasing at the haruest It is nowe sowing time of the yeare men saye in the countrey and I thinke that I shall make an ende of sowing before all Marche be past for I heare say that I shall prooue how my plough will enter into the stonie ground of the hard hearted Papists within these 4 daies I hope to holde fast and not to looke backe neyther for feare nor flattery vntil I haue made an ende of sowing and then will I set me downe and rest me and aske them all no leaue and looke for the liuely fruite and encrease thereof with ioye and gladnesse My deare brother the time approcheth neare I praise God therefore that I must put off this sinnefull tabernacle and goe home to my heauenly father where diuers of my deare brethren are all ready looking and wishing for me I beseeche you therefore that you will helpe me forewarde with your faithfull prayers as I know you doe for I doe feele the comfort and commoditye thereof That you haue obserued my simple counsel I am right glad and I trust in the Lord God you shall finde comfort in the same And that you may so doe in deede I haue bene so bold to wryte these few woordes vnto you because I shall see you no more in this corruptible life therefore marke them well First and aboue all things you must be very circumspecte to keepe the bande of loue and beware that there neuer spring vp the roote of bitternesse betweene you If at any time there happeÌ„ to rise any cause of vnkindnesse betweene you as it is vnpossible alwayes to be free from it see that you weede vppe the same with all lenitie gentlenesse and patience and neuer suffer your selfe nor youre wife to sleepe in displeasure If you haue cause to speake sharpelye and sometimes to reprooue beware that you do not the same in the presence of other but kepe your woordes vntil a conuenient time whych is the poynt of a wise man saith Salomon and then vtter them in the spirite of meekenesse and the groning spirit of perfect loue which you must also let sometimes to couer faultes and wincke at them if they be not intollerable What so euer losse and mischance shal happen vnto you take it paciently and beare it merely· and though the same shuld come partly through your wiues negligence yet let it rather be a louing warninge to take heede in time to come then a cause of sorow for that which is past cannot be holpen I knowe by mine owne experience that we are in this life subiecte to many inconueniences and that of nature we are prone to displeasure and ready to thinke vnkindnes for euery little trifle and specially with oure best friendes yea soonest with our louing wiues whiche bee moste lothest to displease vs. But let vs beware of this cankered corruption and consider that we ought most of all in loue to beare with them according to Christes example towardes his congregation for whome he gaue him self to clense it c. I had thought to haue treated thys matter at large but euen nowe I am interrupted and otherwyse letted I doubt not but you know your duetie therein a greate deale better then I can declare it vnto you and as you knowe it so will doe it but I loue to be bolde with you I entend to write also to your wife very shortly and so take my last farewel of you for euer in this worlde And thus in greate haste I am nowe constraind to make an end The blessing of god be alwais with you Your owne for euer Iohn Careles Pray pray pray with faith An other letter of Iohn Careles to Elizabeth wife of the sayde A.B. containing likewise certaine Godly preceptes of Matrimonie pertaining to her duetie THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christe the continuall aide strength and comfort of his moste holye and mightye spirite with increase of knowledge faith and perfecte feeling of Gods eternall mercy be with you my deare and faithfull louing sister E.B. and with your godly louing husbande my deare and faithfull brother to the full performaunce of that good whiche he hath so graciously begon in you that in all things you maye be made riche and blessed in him and your seede after you now and euer Amen As I haue bene long desirous to wryte vnto you my deare heart in the Lord not onely being thereto bound of duetie but also often prouoked of him to whome I owe my self and al that I am able to doe I meane euen that blessed of the Lordes owne mouthe whome God hathe ioyned with you in that holye and Christian state of Matrimonie euen so at the last I haue obtained time and occasion in some part to performe that whyche I haue long purposed And for as much as the Lorde of hys greate mercye and fatherlye care and prouidence ouer you hys deare childe hath nowe graciously accomplished that good worke amongs manye others which I as a frende of the bridegrome haue full heartely wished and often prayed for I thinke it good yea and my bounden duety to treate of such things as maye be profitable to preserue mutuall loue and faithful amity betwene you which I knowe Sathan wil chiefly labour to diminish if he can not altogether destroy the same lest by many ioyfull occasions you should be prouoked continually to praise God for his good gift which that enemye hath by all meanes sought to hinder from you As for al other things I know you are sufficiently instructed also haue a most learned coÌ„panion who is wel able further to teach you if nede do require But in this thing I know my experience is more then his Therfore my good sister first and before all things see that you do diligeÌ„tly consider that as euery good and perfecte gift pertaining to soule and body is geuen from aboue and coÌ„meth from the father of light euen so to whome â—o euer the Lord dealeth any of his benefits of them he doth chiefly require alwaies a thankfull heart for the same For els he will either take away his good gifts again or turne the same to their greate discommoditie and in the ende to the encrease of theyr damnation So detestable in his sighte is the sinne of ingratitude But to such as be thankfull for his benefites he doeth not only to the olde euer adde newe but also maketh the commoditie of his former giftes euer more and more to encrease vntill by them they are fullye perswaded and throughlye certified of hys euerlasting loue in Christ Iesu which is eternal life it selfe So much doth he of his great mercy delite in a thankfull heart Therefore I doe yet once againe earnestly require you that aboue all things you be thankefull to God for his
from him went to my prison felowes took my leaue of them desiring theÌ„ to pray for me for I thought verely to come no more to them For I supposed I should haue gone before the Counsell because the Marshall sayd he would tary for me himselfe and especially because he sayd it was reported that I had spoken seditious words it made me to think it is possible that there may be some false things imagined vpon me to bring me to my end I remembred that Christ sayd The seruant is not aboue his Lord. Seyng the Iewes brought false witnes agaynst Christ I thought they would do much more or at the least doe so to me â—â— God would suffer theÌ„ which made me cast the worste But I was and am sure I prayse my Lord God that all the world is not able to accuse me iustly of any such thing Which thing considered made me mery and ioyfull and I was surely certified that they coulde do no more against me then God would geue them leaue And so I bad my prison fellowes farewell and went into the Porters Lodge to the Marshall and he deliuered me to one of his owne men and to one of my Lord Mountagues men and bade me go with them and they caryed me to my Lord Mountagues place in Southwarke not farre from S. Mary Oueries and brought me into a chamber in my Lord Mountagues house and there was one Doc. Langdale chapleine to my Lord. My keepers sayd to the Doctoâ— this is the man that we went for Lang. Is your name Woodman Wood. Yea forsooth that is my name Lang. Then hee beganne with a greate Circumstaunce and sayd I am sory for you that you will not be ruled but stand so much in your owne conceite displeasing your father and other iudging that all the Realme doth euil saue a few that doe as you do with many such wordes whiche be too long to rehearse but I will declare the substaunce of them Lang. What think you of them that died long agone your Graundfather with theyr fathers before them You iudge them to be damned all other that vse the same that they did throughout all Christendome vnlesse it be in Germany and here in England a few yeares and in Denmark yet they are returned againe Thus we are sure this is the truth and I would you should do well Your father is an honest man and one of my parish and hath wept to me diuers times because you would not be ruled and he loueth you well so doth all the country both rich and poore if it were not for those euill opinioÌ„s that you hold with many such like tales of Robin Hood Wood. I pray you geue me leaue to speake a fewe wordes to you Lang. Yes say your mind Wood. You haue told a great tale and a long as it were agaynst me as you thinke saying I hold this and that I iudge my Father and my Graundfather and almost al the world without it be a few that be of our sect But I iudge no manne But the xij of Iohn declareth who it is that iudgeth and shall iudge in the last day The father shal not beare the sonnes offences nor the sonne the fathers offences but that soule that sinneth shall dye as sayth the Prophet And agayne we may not folow a multitude to do euill as sayth the Prophet For the most goe the wrong way And Christ sayth in the xij of Luke that his flock is a litle flock Here be places enough to discharge me although I do not as the most doe But can any man say that I do not as I ought to do where be my accusers Lang. What you be full of scripture me thinke and call for your accusers as though you were afrayde to vtter your mind to me But I woulde haue you not to be afrayde to talk with me For I meane no more hurt to you then I do to my selfe I take God to my record Wood. I cannot tell It is hard trusting of fayre wordes when a man cannot trust his father nor brother nor other that haue bene his familiar frendes but they deceiue him A man may lawfully follow the example of Christ towardes them that he neuer saw before saying Be as wise as Serpentes and as innocent as doues Beware of men for they goe about to betray you And it maketh me suspect you much because you blame me for answering with the scriptures It maketh me to doubt that you would take vauntage of me if I should speake mine owne wordes Wherefore I will take as good heede as I can because I haue bene deceiued already by them I trusted most Wherefore blame me not though I aunswere circumspectly It shall not be sayd by Gods helpe that I will run wilfully into mine enemyes handes and yet I prayse God my life is not deare to my selfe but it is deare with God Wherfore I will do the vttermost that I can to keepe it Lang. You be afrayd where no feare is for I was desired of Mayster Sheriffe and his brother and of other of your frendes to talke with you and they told me thot you were desirous to talke with me and now ye make the matter as though you had nothing to doe with me as though you were sent to prison for nothing for you call for your accusers as though there were no man to accuse you But if there were no man to accuse you your own hand writing did accuse you enough that you set vpon the Church doore if you be remembred and other letters that you let fall abroad some at one place and some at an other Wherefore you need not to cal for your accusers Your own hand wil accuse you enough I warrant you it is kept safe enough I would not for two hundred pounde there were so much agaynst me Wood. I will not deny mine owne hand by Gods helpe For it cannot be lightly counterfayted I doe not deny but I wrote a letter to the priest and other of the parish declaring to them theyr folly and presumption to come into my house without my loue or leaue and fet out my childe and vse it at their pleasure Which moued me to write my mind to them and because I coulde not tell how to conuey it to them I set it on the Church doore Which letter my Lorde of Chichester hath for he shewed it me wheÌ„ I was before him wherin is conteined nothing but the very scriptures to theyr reproch Let it be layde before me when you or hee will I will answere to it by the helpe of God to all theyr shames that I wrote it to And as for any other letters I wrote none as you say I did neither had I wrote that if they had done like honest neighbours Wherfore if they be offended with me for that I wil aunswere theÌ„ with Christes wordes in the 18. of Math. woe vnto themselues
Roger Holland THe last examination of Roger Holland was when he with his fellow prisoners were brought into the consistorie there excommunicated all sauing Roger redy to haue their senteÌ„ce of iudgement geuen with many threatning words to feare them withall the Lord Strange syr Tho. Iarret M. Eagleston Esquier and diuers other of worship both of Cheshire Lankeshire that were Rog. Hollands kinsmeÌ„ and friends being there present which had beene earnest suters to the Bishop in hys fauour hoping of his safetie of life Nowe the Bishop hoping yet to winne him with his faire and flattering woordes began after this maner Boner Rog. I haue diuers times called thee before home to my house and haue conferred with thee and being not learned in the latine toung it doth appeare vnto me thou art of a good memorie of a very sensible talke but something ouerhastie which is a naturall disease to some men And surely they are not the worst natured men For I my selfe shall now and then be hastie but mine anger is soone past So Roger surely I haue a good opinion of you that you wil not with these lewd fellowes cast your selfe headlong from the church of your parents your frendes that are here very good catholikes as it is reported vnto me And as I meane thee good so Roger play the wisemans part and come home with the lost sonne and say I haue runne into the church of schismatikes and heretikes from the catholicke church of Rome and you shall I warrante you not only finde fauor at Gods hands but the Church that hath authoritie shall absolue you and put newe garments vppon you and kill the fatling to make thee good cheare withall That is in so doing as meate doth refresh and chearish the minde so shalt thou finde as much quietnesse of conscience in comming home to the church as dyd the hungry sonne that had ben fed afore with the hogs as you haue done with these heretikes that seuer them selues from the church I giue them a homely name but they be worse putting his hand to his cap for reuereÌ„ce sake then hogs For they know the church and will not followe it If I shoulde saye thus muche to a Turke hee woulde I thinke beleue me But Roger if I did not beare thee and thy friendes good will I woulde not haue sayde so muche as I haue done but I would haue let mine Ordinarie alone with you At these wordes his frendes that were there gaue the Bishop thankes for his good will and paines that he had taken in his and theyr behalfe Boner Wel Roger how say you nowe Do you not beleeue that after the Priest hath spoken the words of consecration there remaineth the body of Christ really corporally vnder the formes of bread and wine I meane that selfe same body that was borne of the virgine Mary that was crucified vpon the crosse that rose againe the third day Holland Your Lordship sayth the same body which was borne of the virgin Marie which was crucified vpon the Crosse which rose againe the third day but you leaue out which ascended into heauen and the Scripture sayeth he shall there remaine vntil he come to iudge the quicke and the deade Then he is not contained vnder the formes of bread and wine by Hoc est corpus meum c. Boner Roger I perceiue my paines and good will will not preuaile and if I shoulde argue with thee thou art so wilâ—ul as all thy fellowes be standing in thine owne singularitie foolish conceit that thou wouldest still talke to no purpose this 7. yere if thou mightest be suffered Aunswer whether thou wilt confesse the reall corporall presence of Christes body in the Sacrament or wilt not Holland My Lord although that God by his sufferaunce hath nere placed you to set forth his truth and glory in vs his faithful seruantes notwithstanding your meaning is farre from the zeale of Christ and for all your words you haue the same zeal that Annas and Caiphas had trusting to their authoritie traditions and ceremonies more then to the woorde of God Boner If I should suffer hym he would fall from reasoning to railing as a franticke heretike Lord Straunge Roger sayth the Lord Straunge I perceiue my Lorde woulde haue you to tell him whether you will submit your selfe vnto him or no. Boner Yea sayeth Boner and confesse this presence that I haue spoken of With this Roger turning him to the Lorde Strange and the rest of his kinsmen and frendes very chearefully kneled downe vpon his knees and said God by the mouth of his seruant S. Paul hath said Let euery soule submit him selfe vnto the higher powers and he that resisteth receiueth hys owne damnation and as you are â— Magistrate appoynted by the will of God so do I submit my selfe vnto you and to all such as are appoynted for Magistrates Boner That is well sayde I see you are no Anabaptist Howe saye you then to the presence of Chrâ—stes bodye and bloud in the Sacrament of the altare Holland I say and I beseeche you all to marke and beare witnes with me for so you shal doe before the iudgement seate of God what I speake for heere is the Conclusion And ye my deare frendes turning him to his kinsmen I pray you shew my father what I doe say that he may vnderstand I am a christian man I say and beleeue and am therein fully persuaded by the scriptures that the Sacrament of the Supper of oure Lorde ministred in the holye Communion according to Christes institution I beinge penitent sorie for my sinnes and minding to amend and lead a new life and so coÌ„ming worthely vnto Gods bord in perfect loue charity do there receiue by faith the body bloud of Christ. And though Christ in his humane person sitte at the right hand of his father yet by saith I say his death his passion his merites are mine and by faithe I dwell in him and he in me And as for the Masse transubstantiation the worshipping of the Sacrament they are meere impietie and horrible idolatrie Boner I thought so much sayth Boner suffering him to speake no more how he wold proue a very blasphemous hereticke as euer I heard Howe vnreuerently doeth hee speake of the blessed Masse and so read his bloudy senteÌ„ce of condemnation adiudging him to be burned All this while Roger was verye patient quiet and when he should depart he sayd my lord I besech you suffer me to speake 2. words The B. wold not hear him but bad him away Notwtstanding being requested by one of his frendes he sayd speake what hast thou to say Holland Euen now I told you that your authority was from God and by his sufferance and now I tel you God hath heard the praier of his seruaÌ„ts which hath ben powred forth with feares for his afflicted sainctes which daily you persecute as now you
in his wagon with his wife and a gentlewoman waiting on her and his foole As soone as the Wagon was come without the gate of the citie called Croneborgh gate vpon the wooden bridge beyng at that tyme made for a shifte with railes or barres on both sides for more safetie of the passengers halfe a mans heighth more the horses stood still and would by no meanes go forward whatsoeuer the guider of the wagon could do Then he in a drunken rage cried out to him that guided the wagō saying Ride on in a thousand deuils name ride on Wherat the poore man answered that he could not make the horses to goe forward By and by whyle they were yet thus talking sodenly rose as it were a mighty hurlewynd with a terrible noyse the wether beyng very faire no wynd stirring before tost the wagon ouer the barre into the towne ditch the ropes whereat the horses had bene tied beyng broken a sunder in such sort as if they had bene cut with a sharp knife the wagon also being cast vpsidedowne with the fore end thereof turned toward the towne agayne and he drowned in the mire and when he was taken vp it was found that his necke also was broken His wife was taken vp aliue but died also within three dayes after But the Gentlewoman and the foole by Gods mighty prouidence were preserued had no harm The foole hearing the people say that his Maister was dead sayd was not I dead was not I dead too This was done an 1553. Witnesse hereof not onely the Printer of the same story in Dutch dwelling then in Andwerpe whose name was Fraunces Fraet a good man and afterward for hatred put to death of Papistes but also diuers Dutchmen here now in England and a great number of English merchants which then were at Antwerpe are yet alyue Of the sodaine death of Bartholomeus Chassaneus or Cassanus persecutor read before pag. 943. Of Minerius the bloudy persecutor or rather tormētor of Christes saints how he dyed with bleeding in hys lower partes ye heard before pag. 953. And what should I speake of the iudge which accompanied the sayd Minerius in his persecution who a little after as he returned homeward was drowned and three mo of the same company killed one another vpon a strife that fell amongst them pag. 953. Ioannes de Roma cruell Monke whom rather wee may call a hell hound then persecutor what hellishe tormentes hee hadde deuised for the poore Christians of Angrongne the cōtents of the story before doth expresse pag. 216. Agayne with what like torments afterward that doublefold the Lord payd him home agayne who in hys rottyng and stinking death neither could find any enemy to kill hym nor any friend to bury him who neither could abide his owne stinking carion nor any man els to come neare hym Hereof read also in the same page and plate aboue specified Such a like persecutor also the same tyme was the lord of Reuest who likewise escaped not the reuenging hand of Gods iustice being striken after his furious persecution with a like horrible sicknes and such a furie and madnesse that none durst come neare him and so most wretchedly died Whereof read before pag. 943. Touching the like grieuous punishment of God vpō one Iohn Martin a persecutor read pag. 955. Erasmus in an Epistle or Apologie written in defence of his Colloquies inferreth mention of a certayne noble person of great riches and possessions who hauyng wyfe and children with a great familie at home to whom by S. Pauls rule he was bound in conscience principally aboue all other worldly thyngs to attend had purposed before his death to go see Ierusalem And thus all thyngs beyng set in order this Noble man about to set foreward on his iourny committed the care of his wife whom he left great with childe and of his Lordshippes and Castles to an Archbishop as to a most sure and trusty father To make short it happened in the iourney this Noble man to dye Whereof so soone as the Archbishop had intelligence in stead of a father he became a thiefe and robber seising into his owne handes all his Lordshippes and possessions And moreouer not yet contented with all this he layed siege agaynst a strong fort of his vnto the which his wife for safegard of her selfe did flee where in conclusion shee with the child that she went withall pitifully was slaine and so miserably perished Which story was done as testifieth Erasmus not so long before his tyme but that there remayned the nephews of the said Noble man then aliue to whom the same inheritance should haue fallen but they could not obtaine it What commeth of blynd superstition when a mā not conteining himselfe within the compasse of Gods worde wandereth in other bywayes of his owne and not contented with the religion set vp of the Lord wyll binde his conscience to other ordinaunces prescriptions and religious deuised by men leauyng Gods commaundements vndone for the constitutions and preceptes of men what ende and reward I say commeth thereof at length by this one example beside infinite other of the like sort men may learne by experience and therefore they that yet will defend Idolatrous pilgrimage and rash vowes let them well consider hereof It is rightly sayd of saint Hierome to haue bene at Hierusalem is no great matter but to lyue a godly and vertuous lyfe that is a great matter in very deede In the yeare of our Lord 1565. there was in the town of Gaunt in Flanders one William de Weuer accused imprisoned by the Prouost of S. Peters in Gaunt who had in his Cloister a prison and a place of execution and the day when the sayd William was called to the place of iudgement the Prouost sent for M. Gyles Brackleman principall aduocate of the Counsaile of Flaunders Borough maister and Iudge of S. Peters in Gaunt wyth other of the rulers of the towne of Gaunt to sit in iudgement vpon hym and as they sate in iudgement the Borough maister named M. Gyles Brackleman reasoned with the sayd William de Weuer vpon diuers articles of his fayth The one whereof was why the sayd William de Weuer denied that it was not lawfull to pray to Saintes and he aunswered as the report goeth for three causes The one was that they were but creatures and not the creator The second was that if he should call vpon them the Lord did both see it and heare it therefore he durst geue the glory to none other but to God The third and chiefest cause was that the creator had commaunded in his holy word to call vpon him in troubles vnto which commaundement he durst neither adde nor take from it The Borough maister M. Gyles Brackelman also demaunded whethere he did not beleeue that there was a Purgatory which he should go into after