to his wife wherein is to bee seene how this woorthy warriour prepared himselfe to the appoynted fight and to keepe hys standyng in Christes Campe. Laurence Saunders to his wyfe GRace and comfort in Christ Iesu our onely comfort in all extreme assaultes Amen M. Saunders letter to his wife Fayne woulde this flesh make strange of that which the spirit doth embrace Oh Lorde how loth is this loitering sluggard to passe forth in Gods pathe It fantasieth forsooth much feare of fraybugs and were it not for the force of faith which pulleth it forwarde by the reyne of Gods most sweete promise and of hope which pricketh on behinde great aduenture there were of fainting by the way But blessed and euerlastingly blessed be that heauenly father of ours who in his Christ our sufficient Sauiour hath vouched safe to shine in our harts 2. Cor. 4. that he geueth vs the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesu Christ and hauing this treasure in our earthen vessels that the excellencie of the power might be Gods and not oures we are according to his good will troubled on euery side yet are we not without shift we are in pouerty but yet not without that is sufficient 2. Cor. 4. we suffer persecution but are not forsaken therein we are cast downe neuertheles we perish not we beare in the body the dying of the Lorde Iesus that the life of Iesus might also appeare in our body Wherefore by the grace of our Christ we shall not be weeried neyther be dismayed by this our probation thorough the fire of affliction as though some strange thing had hapned vnto vs but by his power we shall reioyce in as much as we are pertakers of Christes passion that when he doth appeare we may be merry and glad knowing that our tribulation which is momentane and light 2. Cor. 4. prepareth an exceeding and an eternall weyght of glory vnto vs while wee looke not on the thyngs which are seene but on the things whych are not seene They that sowe in teares Psal. 126. shall reape in ioye For he that goeth on his way weeping and scattering his good seede shall doubtles come agayne wyth ioy and bring his whole sheaues wyth him Then then shall the Lorde wipe awaye all teares from our eyes Then then shall be brought to passe that saying which is written Death is swallowed vp in victory Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory Yea thankes be to God which hath geuen vs the victory thorough our Lord Iesus Christ Amen 1. Cor. 15. In the meane season it remayneth for vs to followe S. Peters bidding Let them sayth he that are troubled according to the will of God 1. Pet. 4. commit their soules to him with well doing as a faithfull Creator and Maker He is our maker we are his handyworke and creatures whome now when he hath made he doth not leaue and forsake as the shipwright doth the shyp Actes 17. leauing it at all aduentures to be tossed in the tempest but he comforteth vs his creatures and in him we liue moue and haue our being Ye not onely that but now that he hath in his deare Christ repayred vs being before vtterly decayed and redeemed vs purging vs vnto himselfe as a peculiar people by the bloud of hys Sonne he hath put on a most tender good will and fatherly affection toward vs neuer to forget vs vnto whome by such promises he hath plighted such faith that though it were possible that the mother could forget her infant Gods promises firme and sure Esay 49. and not be tender harted to the childe of her wombe yet may not it be that his faithfull beleeuers should be forgotten of him He biddeth vs to cast our care on him and sayth that assuredly he careth for vs. And what though for a season he doth suffer vs to be turmoyled in the troublous tempestes of temptation and seemeth as in much anger to haue geuen vs ouer and forgotten vs 1. Pet. 5. let not vs for all that leaue off to put our trust in him but let vs with godly Iob conclude in our selues and say Euen though he kill mee Iob. 3. Trust vpoâ— Gods promise yet will I put my trust in him Let vs with the blessed Abraham in hope euen contrary to hope by beliefe leane vnto that our louing Lord who though for our probation he suffereth vs to be afflicted yet will he not bee alwayes chiding neyther keepeth he his anger for euer for he knoweth whereof wee bee made he remembreth that we are but dust Wherefore looke how high the heauen is in comparison of the earth Psal. 103. so great is his mercy towards them which feare him Looke how wide the East is from the West so farre hath he set our sinnes from vs. Yea like as a father pitieth his owne children euen so is the Lorde mercifull vnto them that feare him Oh what great cause of reioycing haue we in our most gracious God we can not but burst foorth into the praysing of suche a bountifull benefactour and say with the same Psalmist Prayse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me prayse his holy name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefites Deare wife riches haue I none to leaue behynde mee wherewith to endow you after the worldly maner But that treasure of tasting how sweete Christ is vnto hungry consciences whereof I thanke my Christ I do feele part Saunders godly bequest to hiâ— wife and would feele more that I bequeath vnto you and to the rest of my beloued in Christ to retaine the same in sense of hart alwayes Pray pray I am merry Experiencâ— of the comfortes of Christ in prison and I trust I shall be merry maugre the teeth of all the deuils in hell I vtterly refuse my selfe and resigne my selfe vnto my Christ in whome I knowe I shall be strong as he seeth needefull Pray pray pray Laurence Saunders As the sayde Mayster Saunders was in prison strayte charge was geuen to the keeper M. Saunderâ— wife not suffered to speake with him in prison that no person shoulde speake with him His wife yet came to the prison gate with her yong childe in her armes to visit her husband The keeper though for his charge hee durst not suffer her to come into the prison yet did he take the little babe out of her armes and brought him vnto his father Laurence Saunders seeing him reioyced greatly saying that he reioysed more to haue such a boy then he should if two thousand pounde were geuen him And vnto the standers by which praysed the goodlines of the childe he sayde what man fearing God woulde not lose this life present rather then by prolonging it heere he should adiudge this boy to be a Bastard his wife a whoore and himselfe a whooremonger Yea if there were no other
scaffold Lābert brought before the king to dispute By and by the godly seruant of Christ Iohn Lambert was brought from the prison with a garde of armed men euen as a Lambe to fight w t many Lyons and placed right ouer against where the kyngs royal seat was so that now they taried but for the kings comming to the place At the last the king himselfe did come as iudge of that great controuersie with a great garde clothed all in white as couering by that colour and dissimuling seueritie of all bloudy iudgement On his right hand sate the Bishops and behind them the famous Lawyers clothed all in purple accordinge to the maner On the left hand sat the Peeres of the Realme the Iustices and other Nobles in theyr order behynde whome sate the Gentlemen of the kings priuie Chamber And this was the manner and forme of the Iudgement which albeit it was terrible inough of it selfe to abash any innocent yet the kings looke his cruell countenaunce and his browes bent vnto seueritie The kings sterne looke agaynst Lambert did not a litle augmēt this terrour plainly declaring a minde ful of indignation farre vnworthy such a Prince especially in such a matter and against so humble and obedient a subiect When the king was set in his throne he behelde Lambert with a sterne countenance and then turning himselfe vnto his counsailours he called foorth D. Day Byshop of Chechester commanding him to declare vnto the people the causes of this present assembly and iudgement The Oration of Doctour Day The whole effect of hys Oration tended in a manner to this poynt That the king in this Session woulde haue all states degrees Byshops and all other to be admonyshed of his will and pleasure that no man should conceiue any sinister opinion of hym that nowe the authoritye and name of the Byshop of Rome beyng vtterly abolished he woulde also extinguish all Religion or geue libertie vnto heretickes to perturbe and trouble the Churches of England wythout punishment whereof he is the heade and moreouer that they shoulde not thinke that they were assembled at that present to make any disputation vpon the hereticall doctrine but onely for thys purpose that by the industrie of hym and other Byshops the heresies of thys man heere present meaning Lambert and the heresies of all such like should be refuted or openly condemned in the presence of them all When hee had made an ende of hys Oration the King standing vp vpon his feete leaning vpō a cushion of white cloth of tussue turning him self toward Lambert with his browes bent as it were threatning some greeuous thyng vnto him sayd these wordes Hoe good fellow what is thy name Then the humble Lamb of Christ humbly kneling downe vpon his knee sayd My name is Iohn Nicolson although of many I be called Lambert What sayde the king haue you two names I would not trust you hauing two names although you were my brother Lambert O most noble Prince The kinges wordes to Lambert your bishops forced me of necessitie to chaunge my name And after diuers Prefaces and muche talke had in this maner the king commaunded him to goe vnto the matter and to declare hys minde opinion what he thought as touching the Sacrament of the altare Then Lambert beginning to speake for himselfe Lamberts oration to the king gaue God thankes which had so inclined the heart of the kinge that he himselfe would not disdaine to here and vnderstand the controuersies of Religion for that it happeneth oftentimes through the crueltie of the bishops The 〈◊〉 of Bishops noted that many good innocent men in many places are priuely murthered and put to death without the kings knowledge But now for so much as that highe and eternall kyng of kyngs in whose handes are the heartes of all Princes hath inspired and stirred vp the kings minde that he hymselfe will be present to vnderstande the causes of hys subiectes specially whom God of his diuine goodnesse hath so aboundantly endued with so great gifts of iudgement and knowledge he doth not mistrust but that God will bryng some great thing to passe through him to the setting foorth of the glory of his name Then the king with an angry voice interrupting hys Oration I came not hether sayd he to heare mine owne praises thus painted out in my presence but briefly goe to the matter wythout any more circumstaunce Thus hee spake in Latine But Lambert beynge abashed at the Kynges angrye words contrary to al mens expectation staid a while considering whether hee myght turne him selfe in these great straites and extremities But the king being hasty with anger and vehemencie sayde why standest thou still The king fierce vpon Lambert Aunswere as touching the Sacrament of the aultar whether doest thou say that it is the body of Christ or wilt deny it And with that word the king lifted vp his cappe Lambert I answere with S. Augustine that it is the bodie of Christ after a certaine maner The king Answer me neither out of S. Augustine neither by the authoritie of anie other but tell me plainelie Quodam modo 1. after a certaine maner whether thou saiest it is the bodie of Christ or no These words the king spake againe in Latin Lambert Then I denie it to be the bodie of Christ. The king Marke well for now thou shalt be condemned euen by Christes owne words Hoc est corpus meum Then he commanded Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterburie to refute his assertion who first making a short preface vnto the hearers The Archbishops reasons began his disputation with Lambert verie modestlie saieng Brother Lambert let this matter be handled betwene vs indifferentlie that if I do conuince this your argument to be false by the Scriptures you will willinglie refuse the same but if you shall prooue it true by the manifest testimonies of the scripture I do promise I will willinglie embrace the same The argument was this taken out of that place of the Actes of the Apostles where as Christ appeared vnto S. Paule by the way disputing out of that place The Archbishops argument that it is not disagreeable to the worde of God that the bodie of Christ may be in two places at once which being in heauen was seene vnto S. Paule the same time vpon earth if it may be in two places why by the like reason may it not be in many places In this maner the Archbishop began to refute the secōd argument of Lambert which as we haue before said was written deliuered by the said Lābert vnto the preacher for the king had first disputed against his first reason Lambert aunswered vnto this argument saying that the Minor was not thereby prooued that Christes bodye was dispersed in two places or more but remained rather still in one place as touching the maner of his bodye Lamberts aunswere to Cranmers obiection For the
so away for feare from the way of truth writeth her minde vnto him in a sharp and vehement letter which as it appeareth to proceede of an earnest and zealous hart so woulde God it might take such effect with him as to reduce him to repentaunce and to take better holde againe for the health and wealth of his owne soule The copie of the letter is thys as followeth ¶ Another letter of the Lady Iane to M. Harding late Chaplayne to the Duke of Suffolke her father and then fallen from the truth of Gods most holy worde SO oft as I call to mynde the dreadfull and fearefull saying of God That he which layeth holde vpon the plough and looketh backe Luke 9. A sharpe letter or exhortation of the â—ady Iane to M. Harding is not meete for the kingdome of heauen and on the other side the comfortable words of our Sauiour Christ to all those that forsaking themselues do folow him I can not but maruell at thee and lament thy case which seemedst somtime to be the liuely member of Christ but now the deformed impe of the deuil sometime the beutifull temple of God but now the stinking and filthy kenel of Sathan sometime the vnspotted spouse of Christ but now the vnshamefast paramour of Antichrist sometyme my faythfull brother but now a straunger and Apostata sometime a stoute Christen souldiour but now a cowardly runneaway Yea when I consider these things I can not but speake to thee and cry out vpon thee thou seede of Sathan and not of Iuda whome the deuill hath deceyued the world hath begiled and the desire of life subuerted and made thee of a Christian an Infidell wherefore hast thou taken the Testament of the Lord in thy mouth * This man a little before K. Edward dyed was heard openly in his 〈◊〉 in London to exhort the people with great vehemency after thys soâ—te that if trouble came they shoulde neuer shrinke from the true doctrine of the Gospell whiche they had receiued but should take it rather for a tryall sent of God to proue them whether they would abide by it or no All which to be true they can testify that heard him and be yet aliue who also foreseeing the plague to come were then muche confirmed by hys wordes Wherfore hast thou preached the law and the wil of God to others Wherefore hast thou instructed other to be strong in Christ when y u thy selfe doest now so shamefully shrinke and so horrible abuse the Testament and lawe of the Lord When thou thy selfe preachest not to steale yet most abhominably stealest not from men but from God and committing most haynous sacriledge robbest Christ thy Lorde of his right members thy bodye and soule and chosest rather to liue miserably with shame to the worlde then to dye and gloriously with honor to reigne with christ in whome euen in death is life Why doest thou now shew thy selfe most weake when in deede thou oughtest to bee most strong The strength of a forâ— is vnknowne before the assault but thou yeldest thy hold before anye battrie be made Oh wretched and vnhappy man what art thou but dust and ashes and wilt thou resist thy maker that fashioned thee and framed thee Wilt thou nowe forsake hym y t called thee from the custome gathering amoÌ„g y e Romish Antichristians to be an Ambassadour messenger of hys eternall worde Hee that first framed thee and since thy first creation and byrth preserued thee nourished and kept thee yea and inspired thee with the spirit of knowledge I cannot say of grace shall he not now possesse thee Darest thou deliuer vp thy selfe to an other Anno. 1554. being not thine owne but his How caÌ„st thou hauing knowledge or how darest thou neglect the law of the Lord and follow the vayn traditions of men Februarye and whereas thou hast bene a publicke professor of his name become now a defacer of his glorye Wilt thou refuse the true God and worship the inuention of man the golden calfe the whore of Babilon y e Romish Religion the abhominable Idoll the most wicked masse Wilt thou torment agayne rent and teare the most precious body of our Sauior Christ with thy bodily and fleshly teeth Wilt thou take vpon thee to offer vp anye sacrifice vnto God for our sinnes considering that Christ offered vp himselfe as Paule sayth vppon the crosse a liuely sacrifice once for all Can neither the punishment of the Israelites which for their Idolatry they so oft receaued nor the terrible threatninges of the Prophetes nor the curses of Gods owne mouth feare thee to honour anye other God then him Doest thou so regard him that spared not hys deare and onely sonne for thee so diminishing yea vtterly extinguishing his glory that thou wilt attribute the prayse and honour due vnto him to the Idols which haue mouthes and speak not eyes and see not eares and heare not which shall perish with them that made them What sayth the Prophet Baruc Baruch 6. where hee recited the Epistle of Ieremy written to the captiue Iewes Did hee not forwarne them that in Babilon they should see Gods of gold siluer wood stone borne vpon mens shoulders to cast a feare before the Heathen But be not ye afrayd of them sayth Ieremy nor doe as other doe But when you see other worship theÌ„ say you in your hartes it is thou O Lord that oughtest onely to be worshipped for as for those Gods the Carpenter framed them and polished them yea gilded be they and layde ouer with siluer and vayne thinges and cannot speake He sheweth moreouer the abuse of theyr deckings howe the Priestes tooke off their ornamentes and aparelled their women withall how one holdeth a scepter an other a sworde in his hand and yet can they iudge in no matter nor defend themselues much lesse anye other from either battell or murther nor yet from gnawing of wormes nor any other euill thing These such like wordes speaketh Ieremy vnto them whereby he proueth them to be but vayne thinges and no Gods And at last he concludeth thus Confounded be they that worship them They were warned by Ieremy and thou as Ieremye hast warned other and art warned thy selfe by many Scriptures in many places God sayth he is a ielous God which will haue all honour glory and worship geuen to him onely And Christ saith in the 4. of Luke to Sathan which tempted him euen to the same Sathan the same Belzebub the same deuill whiche hath preuayled agaynst thee Math. â— It is written saith he thou shalt honor the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue These and such like doe prohibite thee and all Christians to worship anye other God then whiche was before all worldes and layd the foundations both of heauen and earth and wilt thou honour a detestable Idol inuented by Romish Popes and the abhominable Colledge of craftye Cardinals Christ offered himselfe vp once for
Lordes and maysters the offerers By what authority doe ye this And who gaue you this authority Where when A man can not sayth the Baptist take any thing except it be geuen him froÌ„ aboue much lesse then may any man presume to vsurp any honor before he be therto called Again If any maÌ„ sin sayth S. Ioh. we haue sayth he not a masser or offerer at home 1. Iohn 2. which can sacrifice for vs at masse but we haue sayth he an aduocate Iesus Christ which once offered himselfe long ago of which offering the efficacy and effect is perdurable for euer so that it is needles to haue such offerers What meaneth Paule when he sayth They that serue at the aultar are partakers of the aultar and so addeth So the lord hath ordeined that they that preach the Gospell shall liue of the Gospell Whereas he should haue sayd The Lord hath ordeined that they that sacrifice at masse should liue of theyr sacrificing that there might be a liuing assigned to our sacrificers now The sacrificing Priesthoode chaunged into a Preaching Priesthood as was before Christes comming to the Iewish Priestes For now they haue nothing to alleadge for theyr liuing as they that be Preachers haue So that it appeareth that the sacrificing Priesthoode is chaunged by Gods ordinaunce into a preaching Priesthoode and the sacrificing Priesthoode shoulde cease vtterly sauing in as much as all Christian men are sacrificing priestes The supper of the Lord was instituted to prouoke vs to thankes geuing for the offering which the Lorde hymselfe did offer for vs The 〈◊〉 cause 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Supper 〈◊〉 oâ—â—deyned muche rather then that our Offciers should do there as they do Feede sayth Peter as muche â—s ye may the flock of Christ nay rather let vs sacrifice as much as we may for the flocke of Christ. If so be the matter be as now men make it I can neuer wonder enough that Peter would or could forget this office of sacrificing which at this day is in such a price and estimation that to feed is almost nothing with many If thou cease from feeding the flocke how shalt thou be taken truely catholicke enough But if thou cease from sacrificing and massing Sacrifieâ—â— taketh away preâ—ching howe wyll that be taken at the leaste I warrant thee thou shalt be called an hereticke And whence I pray you come these papisticall iudgementes Except perchance they thinke a maÌ„ feedeth the flocke in sacrificing for them and then what needeth there any learned pastors Prepostrous iudâ—ment of â—â—pisteâ— For no man is so foolish but soone may he learne to sacrifice and masse it Thus loe I haue taken the more payne to write because I refused to dispute in consideration of my debilitye thereunto that all men may knowe howe that I haue so done not without great paynes hauing not any manne to helpe me as I haue neuer before bene debarred to haue O sir M. Latiâ—â—â— found 〈◊〉 audience with 〈◊〉 Princâ—â— then wiâ—â— rusticall 〈◊〉 you may chaunce to liue till you come to this age and weakenes that I am of I haue spoken in my time before 2. kinges more then one two or three houres together without interruption but nowe that I maye speake the truth by your leaue I could not be suffered to declare my minde before you no not by the space of a quarter of an houre without snatches reuilinges checkes rebukes tauntes such as I haue not felte the like in such an audience all my life long Surely it can not be but an heinous offence that I haue geuen But what was it Forsooth I had spoken of the foure marowbones of the Masse The which kinde of speaking I neuer read to be a sinne against the holy ghost I could not be alowed to shewe what I meant by my Metaphor But sir nowe by your fauor I will tell your maistership what I meane The first is the Popish consecration which hath bene called a Gods body making The 4. Mâ—rybones the 〈◊〉 by M. Latimer 〈◊〉 The second is Transubstantiation The third is the Missall oblation The fourth adoration These chiefe and principall portions partes poyntes belonging or incident to the masse Conâ—ecâ—â—tion Transubâ—tâ—ation Oblatioâ— Adoratiâ—â— and most esteemed and had in price in the same I call y e marowbones of the masse which in deed you by force might and violence intrude in sound of wordes in some of the scripture with racking and cramping iniuryng and wronging the same but els in deede playne out of the scripture as I am throughly perswaded although in disputation I could now nothing do to perswade the same to others being both vnapt to study and also to make a shew of my former study in such readines as should be requisite to the same I haue heard much talke of maister Doctor Weston to and fro in my time The iudâ—ment of Latimer D. 〈◊〉 but I neuer knew your person to my knowledge till I came before you as the Queenes maiesties Commissioner I pray God send you so right iudgement as I perceiue you haue a great wit great learning with many other qualityes God geue you grace euer wel to vse them Pride of Westo◠〈◊〉 touched and euer to haue in remembrauÌ„ce that he that dwelleth on high looketh on the lowe things on the earth and that there is no couÌ„sell agaynst the Lord and also that this world hath bene and yet is a tottering world And yet agayn that though we must obey the princes yet that hath this limitatioÌ„ namely in the Lord. Obedieâ—â—â— to Princâ— hath 〈…〉 For who so doth obey them agaynst the Lorde they be most pernicious to them and the greatest aduersaries that they haue for they so procure Gods vengeance vpon them if God be onely the ruler of thinges There be some so corrupt in minde the truth being taken from them that they thinke gaynes to be godlinesse Great learned men and yet men of no learning Knowleâ—â—â— withouâ— Christ mere igâ—â—â—raunce but of railing and raging about questions and strife of wordes I call theÌ„ men of no learning because they know not Christ how much els so euer they know And on this sort we are wont to call great learned clerks being ignorant of Christ vnlearned men for it is nothing but playne ignoraunce Many 〈◊〉 be which vnder pâ—â—tense of Christ darken 〈◊〉 glory oâ— Christ. to knowe anye thinge without Christ where as who so knoweth Christ the same hath knowledge enough although in other knowledge he be to seek The Apostle S. Paul confesseth of himselfe to the Corinthians that he dyd know nothing but Iesus Christ crucified Many menne babble many things of Christ which yet know not Christâ— but pretending Christ do craftily colour and darken hys glory Depart from such men sayth the Apostle S. Paule to Timothie It is not out of the way to remember what S. Augustine sayth The place where I now
smilingly he beheld the stake and preparation made for him M. 〈◊〉 broughâ— the 〈◊〉 Martyr which was neare vnto the great Elme tree ouer against the colledge of priestes where he was woont to preach The place round about the houses the bowes of the tree were replenished with people and in the chamber ouer the colledge gate stood the priests of the colledge Then kneeled he downe for as much as he could not bee suffred to speake vnto the people to prayer and beckened vnto him sixe or seuen times whom he knew wel to heare the said praier to make report therof in time to come pouryng teares vpon his shoulders in his bosome who gaue attentiue eares vnto the same the which prayer hee made vpon the whole Creede wherein he continued for the space of halfe an houre Now after he was somewhat entred into his prayer a boxe was brought and laid before him vpon a stoole with his pardon or at the least wise it was fained to be his pardon from the Queene if he would turne At the sight thereof he cried If you loue my soule away w t it if you loue my soule away with it The boxe being taken away Hooper â—seth the 〈…〉 the Lorde Shandoys saide Seeing there is no remedie dispatch quickely Master Hooper sayde Good my Lord I trust your Lordship wil geue me leaue to make an ende of my prayers Then said the Lorde Shandoys to sir Edmund Bridges his sonne which gaue eare before to maister Hoopers prayer at his request Edmond take heede that he do nothing els but pray if he doe tel me and I shall quickly dispatche hym Whiles this talke was there stepped one or two in vncalled whych hearde hym speake these woordes folowing LOrde sayd he I am hell but thou art heauen I am swill and a sinke of sinne but thou art a gratious God and a mercifull redemer Hoopers 〈◊〉 Haue mercy therefore vpon me most miserable and wretched offender after thy great mercy and accordinge to thine inestimable goodnesse Thou that art ascended into heauen receiue me hel to be partaker of thy ioyes where thou sittest in equal glory wyth thy father For well knowest thou Lorde wherefore I am come hither to suffer and why the wicked doe persecute thys thy poore seruant not for my sinnes and transgressions committed against thee but because I will not allowe their wicked doings to the contaminating of thy bloude and to the deniall of the knowledge of thy truth wherewith it did please thee by thy holy spirit to instruct me the which with as much diligence as a pore wretch might being thereto called I haue set foorth to thy glorye And well seest thou my Lord and God what terrible paines and cruell torments be prepared for thy creature such Lord as without thy strength none is able to beare or paciently to passe But al things that are impossible with man are possible with thee Therefore strengthen mee of thy goodnesse that in the fire I breake not the rules of pacience or els asswage the terrour of the paines as shall seeme most to thy glory As soone as the Mayor had espied these menne whyche made report of the former wordes they were commanded away and could not be suffered to heare any more Prayer being done M. Hooper â—â—ndreâ—â—eth himselfe to 〈…〉 he prepared himself to the stake and put off his hostesse gowne and deliuered it to the sheriffes requiring them to see it restored vnto the owner and put off the rest of his geare vnto his doublet and his hose wherin he would haue burned But the Sheriffes woulde not permit that such was their greedinesse vnto whose pleasures good man he very obediently submitted him selfe and his doublet hose and peticote were taken off Then being in hys shirt he tooke a poynt from his hose him selfe trussed hys shirt betweene his legges where he had a pound of gunne pouder in a bladder and vnder each arme the like quantitie deliuered him by the Garde So desiring the people to say the Lordes prayer with him and to pray for hym who performed it with teares during the time of his paines he went vp to the stake Now when he was at the stake three yrons made to binde him to the stake were brought one for his necke an other for his middle and the thirde for his legges But he refusing them said ye haue no neede thus to trouble your selues For I doubt not but God will geue strength sufficient to abide the extremitie of the fire w tout bands notwithstanding suspecting the frailty and weakenesse of the flesh but hauing assured confidence in Gods strength I am content ye doe as ye shall thinke good So the hoope of yron prepared for hys middle M. Hooper bound to the stake was brought whych being made somewhat too shorte for hys belly was swolne by imprisonment he shranke and put in his belly w t his hand vntil it was fastened and when they offered to haue bound his necke his legs wyth the other two hoopes of yron he vtterly refused them would haue none saying I am wel assured I shall not trouble you Thus being ready he looked vpon the people of whom he might be wel sene for he was both tal and stoode also on an high stoole and behelde rounde about him The weeping of the people at M. Hoopers burning and in euery corner there was nothing to be seene but weeping and sorowful people Then lifting vp his eyes and handes vnto heauen he praied to himselfe By and by hee that was appointed to make the fire came to him and did aske him forgeuenesse Of whom he asked why he should forgeue hym saying He forgeueth his executionâ—â— that he knewe neuer any offence he had committed against him Oh sir said the maÌ„ I am appoynted to make y e â—ire Therein said M. Hooper thou doest nothing offend me God forgeue thee thy sinnes doe thine office I pray thee Then the Reedes were cast vp and he receiued two bundels of them in hys owne handes embraced them kissed them and put vnder either arme one of them and shewed with his hand how the rest shoulde be bestowed and poynted to the place where any did lacke Anone commandement was geuen that fire should be set too and so it was Fire put to M. Hooper But because there were put to no fewer greene fagots then two horses could carry vpon their backs it kindled not by and by and was a prety while also before it tooke the Reedes vppon the fagottes At length it burned aboute him but the winde hauing full strength in that place it was also a lowring a cold morning it blew the flame from him so that he was in a maner no more but touched by the fire The burning of M. Iohn Hooper Bishop at Glocester An. 1555. Februarie 9. Within a space after a few dry fagottes were brought and a newe fire kindeled wyth fagottes for
sort I say you must pray and vse your cogitations when Satan would haue you to doubte of saluation He doth all he can to preuayle herein Hope beyond hope Faith goeth before feeling Do you al you can to preuayle herein agaynst hym Though you feel not as you wold yet doubt not but hope beyond all hope as Abraham did For alwayes as I sayd goeth fayth before feelyng As certayne as God is almighty as certayne as God is mercifull as certayne as God is true as certayn as Iesus Christe was crucified is risen and sitteth on the right hand of the Father as certayne as this is GODS commaundement I am the Lord thy God c. so certayne ought you to be that God is your father As you are bouÌ„d to haue no other Gods but hym so are ye no lesse bound to beleue that God is your God What profite shoulde 〈◊〉 be to you to beleue this to be true I am the Lord thy God to others if you shoulde not beleue that this is true to youre selfe The deuill beleeueth on this sorte And whatsoeuer it be that woulde moue you to doubte of this Doubting commeth of the deuill whether God be your God through Christ that same coÌ„meth vndoubtedly of the deuill Wherefore did God make you but because he loued you Might not he haue made you blind dumbe deafe lame frantike c. Might not hee haue made you a Iew a Turke a Papist c And why hath hee not done so verily because hee loued youe And why dyd hee loue you What was ther in you to moue him to loue you Surely nothing moued him to loue you and therefore to make you and so hitherto to keep you but his own goodnes in Christ. Eccle. 1. Nowe then in that his goodnes in Chryste still remayneth as much as it was that is euen as great as hymself for it cannot be lessoned how shuld it be but y t he is your God and father Beleue this beleeue this my good sister for God is no chaungeling them whome hee loueth he loueth to the end Cast therefore your selfe wholly vpon him and think without all wauering that you are Gods child that you are a citizen of heauen that you are the daughter of God the temple of the holy Ghost c. If hereof you be assured as you ought to be then shall your conscience be quieted then shall you lament more more that you want manye thinges which God loueth Fayth assured hope of Gods sauour is the fountaine of all well doing then shal you labour to be holy in soule and bodye then shall you go about that Gods glory may shyne in all your wordes and works then shal you not be afrayd what man can doe vnto you then shall you haue such wisedome to answere your aduersaries as shall serue to their shame and your comfort then shal you be certayn y t no man can touch one heare of your head further then shall please your good father to your euerlasting ioye then shall you be moste certayne that God as youre good father will be more carefull for your Children and make better prouision for them if all you haue were gone then you can then shall you being assured I say of gods fauour towardes you geue ouer your selfe wholy to help and care for others that be in neede then shall you contemne this life and desire to be at home with youre good and sweete father then shall you laboure to mortifie all thinges that would spot eyther soule or bodye All these thinges spryng out of thys certaine perswasion and faith that God is our father and we are his children by Christ Iesus All thinges should help our fayth herein but Sathan goeth about in all thinges to hinder vs. Therefore let vs vse earnest and hartye prayer let vs often remember thys couenaunt I am the Lord thy God let vs looke vpon Christ and hys precious bloud shed for the obsignation and confirmation of his couenaunt Consideration of Gods promises and benefites let vs remember all the free promises of the Gospell let vs set before vs Gods benefites generally in making this worlde in ruling it in gouerning it in callyng and keepyng hys Churche c. let vs set before vs Gods benefites particularly howe hee hath made his creatures after his image howe hee made vs of perfecte lymmes forme beautye memory c. how he hath made vs as Christians and geuen vs a right iudgement in his religion how he hath euer sithen we were bâ—rne blessed kept nourished and defended vs how he hath often beaten chastised and fatherly corrected vs how he hath spared vs doth now spare vs geuing vs tyme space place grace This if you doe vse earnest prayer and so flee from al things which might wound your conscience geuing your selfe to diligence in your vocation you shall finde at the length that whiche God graunt to me with you a sure certayntie of saluation without all suche doubte as may trouble the peace of conscience to your eternall ioye and comforte Amen Amen Yours to vse in Christ Iohn Bradford ¶ An other letter full of Godly comfort written to the same person THe good spirite of God whiche guideth hys children be with you my good sister in the Lorde for euer Amen Although as I to you so you vnto me in person are vnknowen yet to hym whome we desire to please wee are not onelye in persons but also in hartes knowne and thorowly seene and therefore as for hys sake you woulde by that you sent of me bee perceiued how that in God you beare to me a good will so that I to you might be seene in God to beare you the lyke I seÌ„d to you these fewe wordes in writing wishing that in all your doinges and speache yea euen in your very thoughtes you woulde labour to feele that they are all present and open before the sight of God be they good or bad This cogitation often had in mind and prayer made to God for the working of his spirite therby as a meane you shall at the length feele more comforte and commoditie then any man can knowe but such as be exercised ther in Howbeit this is to be added that in thinking youre selfe all that you haue and doe to be in the sight of God this I say is to be added that you thinke hys sight is the fight not onely of a Lorde but rather of a father which tendereth more your infirmities then you can tender the infirmities of any your Children Yea when in your self you see a motherly affection to your little one that is weake let the same be vnto you a trace to trayn you to see the vnspeakable kinde affection of God your father towardes you And therfore vpon the consideration of your infirmities and naturall euils which continually cleaue vnto vs take occasion to goe to God as your father through Christe and