1. pet 5. whiche will not followe the trace of so many Fathers Patriarckes Kinges Priestes Prophettes Apostles Euaungelistes and Saintes of God yea euen of the very Sonne of God Howe manye nowe goe with you lustelye as I and all your brethren in bondes and exile for the Gospell Pray for vs for God willing we wyll not leaue you nowe we will goe before you Ye shall see in vs by Gods grace 1. Pet. 2 that we preached no lies nor tales of tubbes but euen the verye true woorde of God for the confyrmation whereof we by Gods grace and the helpe of your prayers will willinglye and ioyfully geue our bloode to be shedde as already we haue geuen our liuings goods frendes and naturall countrey for nowe bee we certayne that we be in the highe waye to heauens blysse as Saincte Paule sayeth Act. 14. by manye tribulations and persecutions we muste enter into Gods kingdome And because we woulde goe thether our selues and bring you thether also therefore the deuill stirreth vppe the coles And forasmuche as we all loytered in the way Math. 8. Math. 14. he hath therfore receaued power of god to ouercast the whether and to stirre vp stormes that we gods children might more spedely go on forwards make more hast as the counterfaites and hipocrites will tary linger tyl the stormes be paste and so when they come the market will be done and the doores sparde as it is to be feared Read Math. 25. Thys wynde wyll blowe gods children forwards and the deuils dearlinges backeward Therfore lyke Gods children let vs goe on forwarde apace the winde is on oure backes Thren 3 Heb. 6. hoyse vp the sayles lift vp your hartes and handes vnto god in prayer and kepe your anker of fayth to cast out in tyme of trouble on the rocke of Gods worde and mercye in Christ by the gable of gods veritye and I warrant you And thus much for you secondly to consider that affliction persecution and trouble is no straunge thing to Gods children and therfore it should not dismaye discourage or dyscomforte vs for it is none other thing then all Gods deare frendes haue tasted in their iourney to heauen wardes As I would in this troublesome time that ye woulde consider what ye be by the goodnesse of God in Christ euen Citizens of heauen though ye be presently in the fleshe euen in a straunge region on euery side ful of fierce enemyes and what wether and way the dearest frends of god haue found euen so would I haue you thyrdly to consider for your further comforte Phil. 3. that if ye shrinke not but goe on forwardes preassyng to the marke appointed al the power of your enemyes shal not ouercome you nor in any poynte hurt you But thys must not you cōsider according to the iudgement of reasō the sense of olde Adam but accordyng to the iudgement of gods word and the experience of fayth the newe man for els you marre all For to reason and to the experience of our sense or of the outward man we poore soules whiche flicke to Gods word to serue hym as he requyreth onely are counted to be vanquished and to be ouercome in that we are caste into prison lose oure liuynges frendes goodes countreye and lyfe also at the lengthe concernynge thys worlde But dearly beloued Gods woorde teacheth otherwyse and fayth feeleth accordingly Is it not written whoe shall seperate vs from the loue of God Rom. 8 Shall tribulation or anguishe or persecution eyther hunger eyther nakednesse eyther peryl either sworde As it is written Psal 44. for thy sake are we kylled all day long are counted as shepe appoynted to be slayne Neuerthelesse in al these thyngs we ouercome through hym that loued vs. For I am sure that neyther death neyther lyfe neyther aungels nor rule neyther power neither things present neither things to come neyther hygh nor lowe neyther any creature shall be hable to part vs from that loue wherwith god loueth vs in Christ Iesu our Lorde Thus spake one which was in afflictiō as I am for the Lordes gospelles sake hys holy name be praysed therfore and he graunt me grace with the same to continue in lyke suffering vnto the end Thys I say one spake which was in affliction for the gospel but yet so farre frō being ouercome that he reioyced rather of the victory whiche the gospel had For though he was boūd 2. Timo. 2. yet the gospel was not bound And therfore geueth he thankes vnto god which alway geueth the victory in Christ 2 Cor. 2 and openeth the sauour of his knowledge by vs such as suffer for his truth although they shut vs vp neuer so muche and driue vs neuer so farre out of our own naturall countrey in euery place The world for a time may deceaue it self thinking it hath the victory but yet the end wil try the contrary Gen. 4. Did not Caine think he had the victory whē Abel was slaine But how say you now is it not foūd otherwise Thought not the old world men thē liuing that they were wise wel and Noe a sole Gen. 7.8 which would crepe into an Arke leauing hys house landes possessions for I thinke he was in an honest state for the world but I pray you who was wise whē the floud came Abrahā I trowe was coūted a fole to leaue his own coūtrey and frends kyth kinne because of gods worde Gen. i2 but dearly beloued we know it proued otherwise I wil leaue al the Patriarkes come to Moses the children of Israel Tel me were not they thought to be ouercome and starke mad whē for feare of Pharao at gods word they ran into the red sea Exod. 14. Did not Pharao and the Egiptians thinke them selues sure of the victorye But I trowe it proued cleane contrarye Saule was thought wel and Dauid in an euyll case 1. Regū 16 17.18.19 and moste myserable because he hadde no hole to hyde hym in but yet at the length Saules myserye was seene and Dauids felicitye beganne to appeare The Prophette Mycheas being caste into prison for telling Achab the truth 3. Reg. 22. was thoughte to bee ouercome of Zedechias and the other false Prophettes but my god brethren and sisters the holye historye telleth otherwyse Who dyd not thinke the Prophettes vnhappye in their time Ieremy 20 Esay 8. 4. Regū 2. 1 Cor. 4 For they were slaine prysoned laughed to scorne and iested at of euery man And so were all the Apostles yea the dearelye beloued frende of God then whom among the children of women none arose greater I meane Iohn Baptiste who was beheaded and that in prison euen for a daunsing Damosells desyre As all these to the iudgemente of reason were then counted heretikes runagates vnlearned fooles fishers Publicanes c so nowe vnhappie and ouercome in dede if gods word and
c thoughe of duetye wee are bounde to accomplishe all that he requyreth and are culpable and gilty yf we do not the same yet he requyreth not these thyngs further of vs thē to make vs more in loue and more certayne of this his couenaunt that he is our lord and god In certaintie wherof as he hath geuen this whole world to serue to our nede and commoditie so hath he geued hys sonne Christe Iesus and in Christ hymselfe to be a pledge and gage wherof the holy Ghoste dothe nowe and then geue vs some taste and swete smell to our eternall ioye Therefore as I sayde because God is your father in Christe and requyreth of you straightly to beleue it geue your selfe to obedience although you do it not with such feelyng as you desyre First must fayth go before and then feelyng wyll folow Yf our imperfection frailtie and many euils should be occasions wherby Sathan woulde haue vs to doubte as much as we can let vs abhorre that suggestion as of all others most pernicious for so in dede it is For when we stande in a doubt whether God be our father we cannot bee thankefull to GOD we cannot hartelye praye or thynke any thyng we doe acceptable to God we cannot loue our neighboures and geue ouer our selues to care for them and do for them as we should do and therfore Sathā is most subtile hereaboutes knowyng full well that if we doubte of Gods fatherlye eternall mercies towardes vs through Christ we cannot please god or do any thynge as we should do to man Continually casteth he into our memories our imperfection frailtye falles and offences that we should doubt of gods mercye and fauour towardes vs. Therfore my good Syster we must not be sluggish herein but as Sathan laboureth to losen our fayth so muste we labour to fasten it by thynkyng on the promises and couenāt of God in Christes blood namely that god is our god wyth all that euer he hathe which couenaunt dependeth and hangeth vpon gods owne goodnes mercy and truth only and not on our obedience or worthines in any poynte for then should we neuer be certayne In dede God requyreth of vs obediēce worthines but not that therby we might be hys chyldren and he our father but because he is our father and we hys chyldren through hys own goodnes in Christ therfore requyreth he faythe and obedience Nowe if we wante this obedience and worthynes which he requyreth shoulde we doubt whether he be our father Nay that were to make our obedience and worthynes the cause and so to put christ out of place for whose sake god is our father But rather because he is our father and we feele our selues to wante such things as he requireth we should be styrred vp to a shamefastnes and blushyng because we are not as we shoulde be and therupon should we take occasion to goe to our father in prayer on thys manner Deare father thou of thyne own mercy in Christ hast chosen me to be thy childe and therfore thou wouldest I should be brought into thy church fayth full company of thy chyldren wherin thou hast kept me hetherto thy name therfore be praysed Now I see my selfe to wante fayth hope loue c. which thy children haue thou requirest of me where throughe the deuyll would haue me to doubte yea vtterlye to dispayre of thy fatherly goodnes fauour and mercy Therfore I come to thee as to my mercifull father through thy deare sonne Iesus Christ and pray thee to helpe me good Lord helpe me and geue me faythe hope loue c. and graunt that thy holy spirite may be with me for euer and more and more to assure me that thou arte my father that thys mercifull couenaunt thou madest with me in respecte of thy grace in Christ and for Christ and not in respecte of any my worthines is alwayes true to me c. On thys sorte I say you must praye and vse your cogitations when Sathan woulde haue you to doubte of saluation He doth all he can to preuaile herein Do you al you can to preuaile herein against him Though you feele not as you would yet doubt not but hope beyonde all hope as Abraham did Fayth always as I said goeth before feeling As certayne as god is almighty as certayn as god is mercifull as certayne as god is true as certayne as Christ was crucifyed is rysen and sytteth on the ryght hand of the father as certayne as this is gods commaundement I am the Lord thy god so certayne oughte you to be that God is your father As you are bound to haue none other gods but him so are you no lesse bounde to beleue that god is your God What profyte should it be to you to beleue thys to be true I am the Lord thy god to others yf you shoulde not beleue that this is true to your selfe The Deuil beleueth on this sorte And whatsoeuer it bee that woulde moue you to doubte of thys whether god be your god through Christ that same commeth vndoubtedlye of the Deuyll Wherfore dyd GOD make you but because he loued you Myghte not he haue made you blynde dumme deafe lame frantyke c Myghte not he haue made you a Iewe a Turke a Papiste c And whye hathe he not done so Verelye because he loued you And whye dydde he loue you What was there in you to moue hym to loue you Surelye nothing moued hym to loue you therfore to make you and so hetherto to kepe you but hys owne goodnes in Christ Now then in that his goodnes in Christ styll remayneth as much as it was Eccle. 2. that is euen as great as him selfe for it cannot be lessoned how should it be but that he is your god and father Beleue this beleue this my good Sister for god is no chaungeling them whome he loueth he he loueth to the ende Caste therefore youre selfe wholye vppon hym and thynke without al waueryng that you are gods child that you are a citizen of heauē that you are the daughter of god the temple of the holye Ghoste c. If hereof you bee assured as you ought to be then shall your conscience be quieted then shall you lament more and more that you wante many thynges whiche god loueth then shall you labour to bee holye in soule and bodye then shall you goe aboute that Gods glorye maye shyne in you in all youre wordes and workes then shal you not bee afraid what man can do vnto you then shall you haue such wisedome to aunswer your aduersaries as shal serue to their shame and your comfort then shall you be certayne that no man can touch one heare of your heade further then shall please your good father to your euerlastyng ioye then shall you be most certayne that god as your good father wyl be more carefull for your children and make better prouision for them yf all you haue were gone then
ioyfull and couragious confessing of his Christ Amen I pray you continue as I trust you do to kepe both soule and body pure in gods seruice Striue to enter in at that narrowe gate thoughe you leaue your landes and goodes behinde you It is not loste which for Christes sake we leaue but lent to a great vsurye Remēber that this time is come but to trye vs. God make vs faythfull to the end God kepe vs alwayes as his children Amen I pray you cōmende me to Maister Osburne to al our good brethren in the Lord. The peace of Christ be with vs all Amen Amen Yours in Christ Iohn Bradford To a frend of hys instructyng hym howe he shoulde aunsweare hys aduersaryes MY good brother our mercifull God and deare father through Christ open your eyes effectually to see and your harte ardentlye to desire the euerlasting ioy which he hath prepared for his slaughter sheepe that is for suche as shrinke not frō his truth for any stormes sake Amen When you shall come before the Magestrates to geue an answere of the hope which is in you do it with al reuerence simplicitye And because you maye be somthyng afrayd by the power of the Magestrates cruelty which they wil threaten against you I wold you set before you the good father Moses to followe his example for he set the inuisible God before his eyes of fayth and with them loked vpon God his glorious maiestie and power as with his corporal eyes he saw Pharao and al hys fearefull terrors So do you my dearely beloued let your inward eyes geue such light vnto you that as you know you are before the magistrates so much more you and they also are presente before the face of god whiche will geue such wisedome to you fearing him and sekyng his prayse as the enemies shal wonder at and further he wil so order their hartes and doings that they shal will they nyll they serue gods prouidence towards you which you cā not auoyde though you would as shal be most to his glory and your euerlasting cōfort Therfore my good brother let your whole studie be only to please God put hym alwaies before your eyes for he is on your right hand least you shoulde be moued he is faythfull and neuer will suffer you to be tempted aboue that he wil make you able to beare Yea euery heare of your head he hath numbred so that one of them shall not perishe without his good will which can not bee but good vnto you in that he is become your father through Christ therfore as he hath geuē you to beleue in him God encrease this be liefe in vs all so doth he nowe graciously geue vnto you to suffer for his names sake the which you ought with all thankefulnes to receaue in that you are made worthy to drinke of the self same cuppe which not only the very sōnes of god haue dronke of before you but euen the very natural sonne of God him selfe hath brought you good lucke Oh he of his mercy make vs thankeful to pledge hym agayn Amen Because the chiefest matter they will trouble you go about to deceaue you withal is the Sacrament not of Christs body and blod but of the alter as they cal it therby destroying the sacrament which Christ instituted I would you noted these 2. things First that the sacrament of the alter which the priest offreth in the Masse eateth priuately with hym selfe is not the Sacrament of Christes body and blood instituted by hym as Christes institution plainly written setforth in the Scriptures being compared to their vsing of it playnly doth declare Agayne if they talke wyth you of Christes sacrament instituted by hym whether it be christes body or no aunswer them that as to the eyes of your reason to your taste and corporall senses it is bread and wyne and therfore the scripture calleth it after the cōsecration so euē so to the eyes tast and senses of your fayth which ascendeth to the ryght hand of God in heauen where Christe sitteth it is in verye deede Christes body and bloud which spritually your soule fedeth on to euerlastyng lyfe in fayth and by fayth euē as your bodye presently feedeth on the sacramentall breade and sacramentall wyne By this meanes as you shal not allow transubstantiation nor none of their popish opinions so shal you declare the sacrament to be a matter of faythe and not of reason as the papistes make it For they deny gods omnipotencye in that they say Christ is not there if bread be there but faythe loketh on the omnipotency of god ioyned with his promise and doubteth not but that Christ is able to geue that he promyseth vs spiritually by faith the bread still remaynyng in substance as well as yf the substaunce of bread were taken away for Christ saith not in any place this is no bread But of thys geare god shal instruct you if you hang on hys promise and praye for the power and wisedome of hys spyryt which vndoubtedly as you are bounde to loke for prayeng for it so he hath bound hymselfe by hys promyse to geue it the which thyng he graunt vnto vs both and to al hys people for his names sake through Christ our lord Amen Iohn Bradford ¶ A letter writen to a deare frende of hys wherein he entreateth as briefely so moste perfectlye godly soundly and pithely of gods holy election free grace and mercy in Iesus Christ FAythe of gods election I meane to beleue that we be in very dede the chyldren of god through Chryst and shal be for euer inheritours of euerlastyng lyfe throughe the onely grace of God our father in the same Christ is of all thynges which god requireth of vs ▪ not only most principall but also the whole summe Rom 14 Heb. 11. Exod. 20 so that wtout this faith there is nothyng we do that can please god And therfore as god first requyreth it in saying I am the Lord thy God c. that is I remit thee thy synnes and geue thee my holy spirite and for euer wyll I kepe thee Math. 6. so our Sauiour would haue vs to be perswaded when we come to praye and therfore teacheth yea he commaundeth vs to call God our father whose power were not infinite as we professe in the fyrst article of our beliefe where we call him expressely our almighty father if we shall doubt of his finall fauour And therfore I cannot but much meruell at some men which seme godlye and yet are in thys behalfe too malicious both to God and man For what is more seemely to God then mercy whiche is moste magnifyed of the electe chyldren of God And what is more seemelye to man then humilitye the which is not nor cannot bee in dede but in the electe of god for they alone attribute nothyng at all to themselues continuallye but dampnation Ieremy 9. that in God only
perceaue that you were deceaued and then your hyghnes may vse the matter as god shal put in your heart Furthermore I am kept here from company of learned meÌ„ from bookes from councel from penne and yncke sauyng at thys tyme to wryte to your Maiesty which all were necessary for a man in my case Wherfore I besech your maiesty that I may haue such of these as may stande wyth your maiesties pleasure And as for mine appearaunce at Rome if your Maiestie wyl geue me leaue I wyl appeare there I trust that god shall put in my mouth to defend his truth there aswell as here but I referre it wholly to your Maiesties pleasure Your poore oratour T. C. To the Lordes of the Counsaile IN most humble wise sueth vnto your ryght honourable Lordships Thomas Cranmer late Archbishop of CauÌ„terbury beseching the same to be a meanes for me vnto the quenes hyghnes for her mercy and pardon Some of you know by what means I was brought trayned vnto the will of our late soueraigne lord king Edward the vi what I spake against the same wherin I refer me to the reportes of your honors Furthermore this is to sygnifye vnto your lordships that vpon MuÌ„day Tuesday Wednisday last past were open disputations here in Oxford against me They put to him thre questions but they suffred him not to aunswere fully in one maister Ridley M. Latymer in three matters concernyng the Sacrament First of the real presence secondly of transubstantiation thyrdly concerning the sacrifice of the masse How the other two were vsed I cannot tell for we were separated so that none of vs knewe what the other sayde nor how they were ordered But as concernyng my selfe I can report that I neuer knew nor heard of a more coÌ„fused disputation in al my life For albeit ther was one apointed to dispute against me yet euery maÌ„ spake hys mynd and broughte forth what him lyked with out ordre and such hast was made that no aunswer could be suffered to be geuen fully to anye argument and in such weighty and large matters there was no remedy but the disputations must nedes be ended in one day whyche can scantlye well be ended in three monethes And when we had aunswered them then they would not appoynt vs one day to bryng forth our profes that they mighte aunswere vs agayn beyng required of me therunto whereas I my selfe haue more to saye then canne be well discussed in .xx. dayes The meanes to resolue the truth had bene to haue suffered vs to aunswere fully to all that they could say and then they againe to aunswere to all that we could say But why they would not aunswere vs what other cause canne ther be but that either they feared that matter that they were not able to aunswere vs or els as by their hast might wel appeare they came not to speake the truthe Beholde Sathan slepeth not Theyr cruel desire to reuenge colde abide no delaye but to condemne vs in post hast before the truth might be thorowly tryed and heard for in all hast we were al thre condemned of heresy vpon fryday This much I thought good to signify vnto your Lordships that you may know the indifferent haÌ„dling of matters leauing the iudgemeÌ„t therof vnto your wisdomes and I besech your Lordships to remeÌ„ber me a poore prisoner vnto the Quenes maiestye and I shall pray as I do dayly to god for the long preseruation of your good Lordships in al godlines and felicity ¶ A letter wherin he reproueth and condemneth the false and sclaunderous reportes of the papistes which said that he had set vp masse again at Canterburye AS the Deuel Christes auncient aduersary â—s a liar and the father of lyinge Euen so hath he sturred vp hys seruauntes and membres to persecute Christe and hys true woorde and Religion wyth lyinge whych he ceasseth not to doe moste earnestly at this present For wheras the prince of famous memory king Henry the viij seing the great abuses of the latin masse reformed some thing therin in his time also our late soueraign lord king Edwarde the vi toke the same whole away for the manifold errors abuses therof restored in the place therof Christes holy supper according to christs own institutioÌ„ and as the apostles in the primatiue church vsed the same the deuil goeth about by lying to ouerthrow the lords holy supper to restore his latin satisfactory masse a thing of his own inueÌ„tioÌ„ deuise and to bring the same more easely to passe some haue abused the name of me Thomas Archb. of Canterbury bruting abroade that I haue set vp the masse at Canterb. that I offred to say masse at the burial of our late soueraigne prince king Edward the .6 also that I offred to say masse before the Quenes highnes at Paules church and I wote not where And although I haue bene well exercised these xx yeres to suffer beare euill reportes lyes haue bene much greued thereat but haue borne al thinges quietly yet wheÌ„ vn true reports lies turne to the hinderaÌ„ce of gods truth they be in no wise to be suffred Wherfore these be to signify vnto the world that it was a false flattering lying and disseÌ„bling moÌ„ke which caused masse to be set vp there without This was D. Thornton afterward a cruell murderer of gods sainctes of whose horrible ende reade in the boke of martirs Fol. 1706. mine aduise or counsel Reddat illi dominus in die illo And as for offring my self to say masse before the quenes highnes or in any other place I neuer did it as her grace wel knoweth But if her grace giue me leaue I shal be ready to proue against al that wil say the coÌ„trary that al that is said in the holy coÌ„munioÌ„ set out by the most InnoceÌ„t godly prince king Edward the vi in his high court of parliameÌ„t is conformable to the order which our soueraigne Christe did both obserue coÌ„maunded to be obserued which his apostles primatiue church vsed many yeres where as the masse in many things not only hath no fouÌ„datioÌ„ of Christ his apostels nor the primatiue church but is manifestly coÌ„trary to the same coÌ„taineth many horrible abuses in it And although many vnlearned malitioê° do report the maister Peter Mattyr is vnlearned yet if the Quenes highnes wil grauÌ„te therunto I with the sayd mayster Peter Martyr other iiij or v. which I shal chose wil by gods grace take vpoÌ„ vs to defend not only the coÌ„mon praiers of the church the ministration of the sacrameÌ„ts other rites ceremonies but also al the doctrine religion set out by our soueraigne lord king Edward the 6. to be more pure according to gods word than any other that hath bene vsed in EnglaÌ„d this M yeres so that gods word may be the iudge that the reasoÌ„s profes vpoÌ„
familiaris est D. Thomas Leuerus Si quid est quod in gratiam vxoris tuae liberorum potuero me totum libenter illis impendam qua de re ad vxorem tuam scribo audio enim illam as gere Francofordiae Sis fortis laetus in Christo expectans eius liberationem vt quando ipsi fuerit visum Dominus Iesus misereatur Angliae illuminet illam spiritu suo ad gloriam nominis sui animarum salutem Dominus Iesus seruet te liberet ab omni malo cum omnibus qui inuocant nomen eius Vale Vale aeternum 10. Octobris 1554. Tiguri Nosti manum H. B. The same in English ☞ To the most reuerende father M. Iohn Hoper bishop of Worceter and Gloucester and now prisoner for the Gospell of Iesus Christe my fellowe Elder and most deare brother in England THe heauenly father graunt vnto you and to all those which are in bandes captiuitie for his names sake grace and peace through Iesus Christ our lord with wisdome patience fortitude of the holy ghoste I haue receyued from you two letters my most deare brother the former in the month of Septemb. of the yere past the later in the moneth of May of this present yere both written out of prison But I doubtyng leaste I should make aunswer to you in vayn whilest I feared that my letters should neuer come vnto your hands or elles increase double your sorow did refrain frō the duety of writing In the which thing I doubt not but you wyl haue me excused especially seyng you did not vouchsafe no not once in a whole yeare to asunwere to my whole libelles rather then letters whereas I continued still notwithstandyng in writyng vnto you as also at thys presente after I heard that you were caste in pryson I dyd not refrayne from continuall prayer besechyng oure heauenlye father throughe our onelye mediatour Iesus Christe to graunte vnto you and to your fellow prisoners fayth and constancie vnto the ende Nowe is that thyng happened vnto you my brother the which we dyd often tymes prophecie vnto our selues at your beyng wyth vs shoulde come to passe especially when we dyd talke of the power of Antichrist and of hys felicity and victories Daniel 8. For you knowe the sayenge of Daniel his power shal be mighty but not in hys strength and he shall wonderfully destroye and make hauocke of all thynges and shall prosper and practise and he shall destroy the mightye and the holy people after his owne wyll You knowe what the Lorde warned vs of before hande by Mathew in the tenth chapter by Iohn in the 15. chapiter and the 16. and also what that chosen vessell Saint Paule hath written in the second to Timothy and the thyrde Chapter Wherefore I doe nothyng doubte by Gods grace of your faythe and patience whilest you knowe that those thynges which you suffer are not vnloked for or come by chaūce but that you suffer them in the best truest and most holy quarel for what can be more true and holy then our doctrine which the papistes those worshippers of Antichrist do persecute All things touching saluatiō we attribute vnto christ alone to his holy institutions as we haue ben taught of hym of his disciples but they would haue euen the same thyngs to be communicated as wel to their Antichrist and to his institutions Such we ought no lesse to withstande then we reade that Helias withstoode the Baalites For if Iesus be Christ then let them know that he is the fulnes of his churche and that perfectly but if Antichrist be Kyng and Priest Ephe. 1. thē let them exhibite vnto him that honour How long do they halte on both sydes Can they geue vnto vs any one that is better then Christ or who shal be equall with Christe that may be compared with him except it be he whom the Apostle calleth the Aduersary 2. Thess 2. But if Christ be sufficient for his churche what needeth thys patchyng and peecyng But I know well enoughe I neede not to vse these disputations with you which are syncerely taught and haue taken roote in Christ being persuaded that you haue all things in hym that we in hym are made perfecte Goe forwardes therefore constantly to confesse Christe and to defye Antichrist beyng myndfull of this most holy and most true saying of our lord Iesus Christ Apo. 21 he that ouercommeth shal possesse all things and I wyll be hys God and he shall bee my sonne but the feareful and the vnbeleuyng and the abhominable and the murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyers shall haue their parte in the lake whiche burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death The fyrst death is soone ouercome althoughe a man muste burne for the Lordes sake for they saye well that doe affyrme this our fyre to be scarcely a shadowe of that which is prepared for the vnbeleuers and them that fall from the truth Moreouer the lorde graunteth vnto vs that we maye easily ouercome by his power the fyrst death the whiche he hymselfe dyd taste and ouercome promisyng wythal suche ioyes as neuer shall haue ende vnspeakable and passyng all vnderstandyng the whiche we shall possesse so soone as euer we depart hence Apoc. i4 For so agayne sayth the Aungell of the lord if any man worship the beast his image receiue his marke in hys forehead or on hys hand the same shal drinke of the wrathe of god yea of the wyne whych is powred into the cuppe of hys wrathe and he shall be tormented in fyre and brymstone before the holye Aungelles and before the Lambe and the smoke of theyr tormentes shall ascende euermore and they shall haue no reste day nor nyght which worship the beast and hys image and whosoeuer receyueth the printe of hys name Here is the patience of saincts here are they that keepe the commaundementes of God and the fayth of Iesus In this tyme of Antichrist is the patiēce and faith of gods childrē 〈◊〉 tried wherby they shal ouercome all is tiranny reade Math. 24. To this he addeth by by I heard a voice saying to me write blessed be the dead that dye in the lorde from henceforth or spedely they be blessed Io. 5 euen so sayeth the spirit for they rest from theyr labours but their workes followe them for oure laboure shall not bee frustrate or in vayne Therfore seyng you haue such a large promyse bee strong in the lorde fyght a good fyghte be faythfull to the Lorde vnto the ende consider that Christ the sonne of god is your capitayn and fyghteth for you and that all the prophets Apostles and Martyrs are your fellow souldiours They that persecute and trouble vs are men synfull and mortall whose fauour a wyse man would not bye wyth the value of a farthyng and besydes that our lyfe is shorte frayle
our swete Sauiour Christ in bearing the crosse it is appointed vnto vs that euen with him also we shall bee glorifyed For it is a true saying 2. Timo. 2 If we be dead with him we shall also liue with him If we be patient we shal also reygne with him 2. Cor. 4. If we deny him he shall also denye vs. Wherefore we be of good cheere alwayes bearyng about in our bodye the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life of Iesus myght appeare also in our body For we know that he which raysed vp the Lord Iesus shall rayse vp vs also by the meanes of Iesus and shall ioyne vs to himself together with you Wherfore we are not weryed but though our outward man peryshe yet the inward man is renued day by day For our tribulation which is momentane and light prepareth an exceding an eternal weight of glory vnto vs whiles we loke not on the things which are sene but on the thinges which are not sene For the things which are sene are temporall but things which are not sene are eternal We testifie vnto you reuerend fathers Esay 12. that we drawe these waters with ioy out of the welles of the Sauiour And I trust we shall continually with you blesse the Lord geue thanks to the lord out of these welles of Israell Apoca. 19. we trust to be merye together at the great Supper of the Lambe whose Spouse we are by fayth and there to sing that song of euerlasting Haleluyah Amen Yea come Lord Iesu The grace of our Lorde Iesu Christ be with you Amen ¶ To the professours of the Gospell and true doctrine of our Sauiour Iesus Christ in the towne of Litchefelde GRace and peace with continuance in vnfayned fayth and a good conscience be vnto you in Christ Iesu Amen At what time it pleased that gracious god of Abraham Isaac and Iacob wonderfullye to woorke the deliueraunce of their ofspring the Israelites euen as he broughte to passe the same by hys mighty arme so dyd he thereunto admitte mans ministery as his ordinary instrumente and therfore instructed fyrste Moses that faythefull seruaunte of hys what was to be done as also with what chereful courage he should do the same These people by the hand of this Moyses were brought by no smal perils Deut. 34. the mydde way toward their promised patrimonye when as it pleased God to take vnto hym selfe hys seruaunte Moyses from this myserable vale In whose place he appoynted Iosua that worthy leader of the Lordes people who not alonely for his parte dydde boldelye take in hande so daungerous an enterprise Iosua 1. but also wyth earnest studye styrred vppe hys sayde people wyth lusty courage to goe forwarde in the appoynted passage of theyr ieoperdous iourney Yea he was hable aboūdantly to cōfort thē with such cōfortes as he himself receaued of his god who at sundry tymes assured him therof saying vnto hym thus euen as I was with Moses so wil I be with thee I wil not forsake thee neither leaue thee be thou therfore of good courage and stronge feare not neyther be dismayde for I am with thee in all that thou takest in hande What soeuer thinges be written are written for our doctrine c. Dearely beloued albeit that in these dais it may be sayd truelye that ye haue very fewe suche captaynes to be compared wyth Moyses or Iosua gods synguler iewelles yet that same lord which is no chaungelyng but euen the same mercifull and almightye defendour of all his people at all tymes doth and shall in some degree directe you his chosen children in the highe way toward your heauenly inheritāce by the hand of a Moses in some parte resembling these two principal paternes For though we your brethrē who heretofore by our vocation haue sit in the chayre of Moses and be gostly captaines as Moses and Iosua vnto you though I say we well know and acknowledge how little we haue to boast of as of oure selues yet this we haue to reioyce of in the lord our god that as we haue bene of hym appointed vnto such a place and function so we do not altogether degenerate For first vnto our owne strengthning euen that gratious god whiche byddeth vs to be strong by the operation of his spirit performeth the same in some part in vs al glory be vnto hym therfore Also in the word of the lord we testify vnto you to be stronge in the lorde and shrynke not backe because of the sundrye temptations assaultynge you in the passage vnto your countrey through the wildernes of thys world Be content to be proued as those people were Doe not addict your selues vnto the fantasing of the flesh pottes of Egypte Exo. 16. most vnthankfully relinquishyng the promised possession We geue you to know what warrantise we haue of prosperous successe in suche our procedinges no lesse be ye assured then those former captaynes Moyses and Iosua had For besydes that all the same most comfortable promises which made them their people to be bold to procede in their enterprise do belōg vnto vs we haue to reioyce in our god for his vnmeasurable mercies more plentifully powred vpō vs by that aboūdāt grace in hys deare sonne our christ in whome he offreth vs al fulnes of fauour and beneuolēce all readines of deliueraunce appoyntyng all credite wythout care to be geuen vnto such a gouernour Yea and that same hys Christ who is made of hym our annointed sauiour is now become our graunde captayne yea what is he not vnto vs to do vs good He is our shepeheard we be his people and the shepe of hys pasture he is our husband we be hys spouse Iohn 10 Math. 28. He hathe promysed to keepe hys sheepe that none shall snatch them out of hys handes He hath promysed to be wyth hys church alwayes yea and that effectually to be wyth it euen as the heade to geue lyfe vnto the members and parts of the body euen as the vyne stocke to quicken the vyne braunches and euen as the most louyng husband to tender cherish defende and keepe hys welbeloued spouse Let vs be bold to committe our selues vnto suche a safe conductor castyng oure care vpon hym for were it not that he many tymes more careth for vs then we can for our selues it would not be well wyth vs. Full little dyd Peter perceaue any cause of greuance for that perillous fal which after befell Luke 24. But that suffraigne shepeheard before hand espied the spyteful desire of that woluish Sathan to syft his Peter that sely poore shepe and therfore prayed vnto hys father that Peters fayth myght not faynt Such a shepehard shall he be alway vnto his people hūbly complaining vnto him in extreme daungers And great cause haue we so to do consideryng not only the greedy desyre of this Satan most tyrannously ragyng lyke a roaryng Lyon seeking whome he maye deuoure but also the
your Churche No qoth I we did condēne her as an heritike Who was of your church quoth he xxx yeares paste Such quoth I as that Romyshe Antichrist andhis rable had reputed and cōdemned as heretikes Wicliffe Thorpe old castle quoth he c. Yea quoth I with many mo as storyes do tel The byshop of Rome hath quoth he long time played aparte in your rayling sermons but now be ye sure he must playe an other manner of part More pitie quoth I and yet some comfort it is to see how that the beste learned wisest and holyest of you al haue heretofore had hym to playe a parte likewyse in your sermons and writynges thoughe nowe to please the world ye turne with the wethercocke Did you euer quoth he heare me preach agaynst the byshop of Rome No quoth I for I neuer heard you preach but I trow you haue bene no wiser then other c. Pray pray God keepe that familye and blesse it Laurence Saunders To his wife and other of his deare frendes and louers in the Lorde GRace and comforte in Christe Iesu our onely comforte in al extreme assaultes be with you Amen Fayne woulde this flesh make straūge of that which the spirite doth embrace Oh Lorde howe lothe is thys loytryng sluggard to passe forth in Gods pathe It fantasieth forsoth much feare of fraybugges were it not for the force of fayth pulling it forwarde by the bridell of Gods moste sweete promises and of hope pricking on behinde greate aduenture there were of faynting by the waye But blessed and euerlastingly blessed be that heauenly father of oures who in his Christ our sufficient Sauiour hath vouched safe so to shine in our hartes that he geueth vs the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of Iesus Christ and hauing thys treasure in our earthen vessels that the excellency of the power myght be Gods 2. Cor. 4 and not ours we are according to his good will troubled on euery side yet are we not withoute shifte we are in pouertye but yet not withoute that is sufficiente we suffer persecution but are not forsaken therein we are caste downe neuerthelesse we peryshe not we beare in our bodye the dying of the Lorde Iesus that the life of Iesus might appeare also in oure bodyes Wherefore by the grace of our Christ we shall not be weryed nor be dismayed by this our probation through the fyre of affliction as though some straūge thing had happened vnto vs but by his power we shal reioyce in as much as we are pertakers of Christes passions that whē he doth appeare we may be mery glad knowing that our tribulation which is momentane light prepareth an exceding and eternall weyght of glorye vnto vs not looking on the things which are sene but on the things which are not sene They that sowe in teares shal reape in ioy Psa 126. he that goeth on hys way now weping scattereth hys good sede shal doutlesse come agayn with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Then then shal the Lord wipe away al teares frō our eyes Then then shal be brought to passe the saying that is written 1 Cor. 15 Death is swalowed vp in victorye Death where is thy sting hel where is thy victorye Yea thankes be to god who hath geuen vs the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Now then in the meane season it remayneth for vs to follow s Peters biddyng 1. Peter 4. Let them sayth he that are troubled accordyng to the wil of god committe their soules to him with wel doing as vnto a faythful creatour and maker He is our maker we be his handyworke creatures whō now whē he hath made he doth not so leaue forsake as the carpenter doth the shyp leauyng it at al aduentures to bee tossed in the tempest but he comforteth vs his creatures Actes 17 and in him we liue moue and haue our being Yea not only that but now that he hath in hys deare Christe repayred vs beyng before vtterly decayed and redemed vs purgyng vs vnto hymselfe as a peculier people by the bloude of hys sonne he hath put on a most tender good wyll and fatherly affectiō toward vs neuer to forget vs vnto whō by such sure promises he hath plyghted such faythe that though it were possible that the mother could forgette her infante and not be tender harted to the chyld of her wombe Esay 49. yet may it not be that his faithful beleuers should with him fal into forgetfulnes He byddeth vs to cast our care on hym telleth vs that he assuredly careth for vs. 1. Pet. 5. And what though for a season he suffereth vs to be tormoyled in the troublous tempestes of tēptation and seemeth in muche anger to haue geuen vs ouer and forgotten vs Let not vs for all that leaue of to put our trust in hym but let vs with godly Iob conclude in our selues and saye yea though he kyl me Iob. 13 yet wyll I put my trust in hym Let vs with the blessed Abraham in hope euen contrary to hope by beliefe leaue vnto that our louing Lord who though for our probatiō he suffreth vs to be afflicted proued for a seasō yet wil he not be always chiding neither kepeth he his anger for euer for he knoweth whereof we are made he remēbreth that we are but dust Psa 103. Wherfore loke how high the heauen is in cōparison of the earth so great is his mercy towardes thē which feare hym Loke how wide the East is from the West so farre hath he set our synnes from vs. Yea lyke as a father pitieth hys owne childrē euen so is the lord mercyful vnto thē that feare hym Oh what greate cause of reioycing haue wetherfore in our most gracious god We cānot but burst out into the praysing of such a boūtifull benefactor and say with the Psalmist Prayse the lorde O my soule and al that is within me prayse his holy name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefites My deare wyfe ryches I haue none to leaue behinde me wherwyth to endow you after the worldly maner but that treasure of tastyng how swete Christ is vnto hungrye consciences whereof I thanke my Christ I doe feele part and would feele more I bequeath vnto you and to the reste of my frends to al you I say that loue me in the Lorde to retayn the same insense of hart alwayes Pray praye I am merye I I trust shall be mery in the fpyght of al the Deuils in hel I vtterly refuse my self and I resigne my self wholy vnto my christ in whom I know I shal be strong as he seeth nedeful Praye pray pray L. Saunders ¶ To hys VVyfe GRace mercy and peace in Iesus Christ our lord Entierly beloued wife euen as vnto myne owne soule and body so do I daily in my harty prayer wyshe vnto you
louyng and gentle Maister repente thee Peter and no doubte thou shalt fynde mercye To fall is a thing annexed to the corrupte nature of man but to lye still in the filthye puddle of perdition is to despise God the authour and fyrst maker of nature To fall into the darkenes of errour is a poynte of mans ignoraunce but to walke on stil in darkenes is to loue darkenes more then lyghte To wyncke at the bryghtnesse of the Sunne is a weakenes of the eyes but to flye the light is to be of the nyght To leaue the rough way that leadeth vnto lyfe and walke in the pleasaunt waye that leadeth vnto perdition is to loue thys lyfe but not to leaue the waye when we are warned is to despise the lyfe to come Breefely to leaue the good thyngs vndone that god commaūdeth and to doe that euell whiche he forbyddeth is to deserue euerlastyng damnation at hys hande that rewardeth euerye man according to hys workes but not to repente of that euell when God calleth by hys meanes is to kindle the wrath of God against the impenitent and obstinate sinner Leaste you therfore shoulde be found a despiser of God the author of nature a louer of darkenes more then lighte not of the daye but altogether of the night a louer of this life and an hater of the life to come finally such a one as would kindle the wrath of God againste you repent and come agayne to Christ Remember what ioye there is in heauen among the Angels at the conuersion of a sinner Forget not thy mercifull spouse which would not caste of the adulterous Israel when she had committed whoredome with stockes stones notwithstanding that he had purged her frō her filth maried her to him self Be mindfull of that louing Lord which hath sayd I wil not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and liue Ezechi 18. and in what day so euer the sinner doth repent hym of his sinne from the bottome of his hart I will remember his iniquitie no more No werynesse should dyscourage vs to beare the Lords armour or to fight vnder hys banner nor lacke cause vs to shrinke from hym What shoulde seperate vs from the loue of this Lord What should make vs to flye frō this our captaine Should the werynesse of an arme should the lacke of such things as the phantasie would haue Better it were for vs to enter into life with werye armes and thynne chekes then with louely countenaunces and lustye limmes to be cast into hell fyre Make not prouision for the flesh with the losse of your soule Beleue him that hath promised all thinges necessary to them that seke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof He hath not at any time deceaued you why then shoulde you seke such shamefull shiftes to make prouision for the fleshe Haue not you your selfe had experience of the care that he taketh for them that put theyr truste in hym And nowe whye are you fallen from hym for the bellyes sake Thys haue I written to call you backe agayne if you bee not cleane gone oute of the waye but and if you bee so geuen ouer to errour that you thynke lyghte to be darkenes and darkenes to bee lyghte good to bee euill and euill to bee good Christ to be Beliall and Beliall to bee Christ the temple of God to be the Sinagoge of Sathan and the Sinagoge of Sathā to be the temple of God then haue I nothing to saye vnto you but the Lorde confounde both you and all suche But with Gods grace we truste to heare better of you The .20 of Septemb. 1555. A letter sente to Maister Farrer B. of S. Dauids Doctor Taylour M. Bradford and. M. Philpot which albeit it was written before his condemnation we thought good here to place as it came vnto our handes GRace mercye and peace in Iesus Christ oure Lorde c. Good Fathers deare brethren be thankefull vnto our most gracious God which hath preserued vs and shal I doubt not frō blasphemyng his blessed name yea not only that but also ex ore infantium lactentium perficiet laudem c. They offer vs on Gods name our libertye and pardon so that we will ryse with them vnto that fayth whiche we with them were fallen from Yea or no muste be aunswered in haste They will not admitte any nedefull circumstances but al as heretofore most detestable and abhominable Rise with them we muste vnto the vnitye A pardon say I of me must not be so dearely purchased A pardon I desyre for to liue with an vnclogged conscience The Donatistes saye they sought for such singularitie but they were not mete to liue in a common wealth no more be you as you shal shortly vnderstand Wherfore away with him yea the time was named with in this seuen night There be .12 howers in the day Iohn 1◠Death shal be welcome say I as being loked for long since and yet do iustice ye were best for Abels blood cryed you wote what The spirite of God be vpon you and God saue your honours Thus departed I frō them Pray pray Ah Ah Puer sum nescio loqui My brother P. shal shew you more herein By hym send me woord what you haue done Fare ye well and praye pray I woulde gladlye mete with my good brother Bradford on the backe side aboute a .xi. of the clocke Before that time I can not start out we haue such out walkers but then wil they be at dynner Yours as you know Laurence Saunders An other letter written also before hys condemnation to Maistres Harrington whiche as it is here last in order comming last vnto our hands so it semeth to be the fyrst he wrote vnto her GRace mercy and peace in Iesu Christ Amen Such is the knot wherwith true Christiās are compacte and ioyned together as members in the mysticall bodye of Christ that no man can expresse the commodityes so well as they whiche thereof haue experience and yet neyther can they by words be able to vtter that which therin the conscience conceaueth passing in deede al vnderstāding And hereof cā I vnworthy wretch somewhat speake of experience for that by exercyse of the inwarde man and practise of conscience I haue some acquaintaunce with my good God and hys swete Christ and namely nowe in thys my present estate it pleaseth that mercifull Lord to geue me some taste of hys mercyes by the assuraunce and the sealing vp of hys gracious promyses in my conscience by hys holye spirite whereby I doe feele the incomparable benefite of his heauenly blessing powred vpon vs his chosen congregatiō 2. Timot. 1. Iohn 15 We be called in Christ with an holy vocation we be graffed in hym as braunches in that so heauenlye a vyne we be knit vnto him as the sundrye members of that body wherof he onely is the head in whom all the bodye is coupled together
take or pul vnto you trouble or that I wuld not haue you to vse such honest lauful meanes as ye may in the feare of god with good conscience to auoide the crosse and geue place to euil but that I wold haue you willing to put for t your hand to take it when god offreth it in such sort as with good conscience ye cānot escape Then take it kysse it thāke god for it for it is euē a very sacrament that god loueth you as he saith whom I loue thē do I chastice if ye be not pertakers of correctiō surely ye are no children but if he once chastice you if that ye kisse the rod verely he wil case the rod into the fyre colle you kisse you as the mother doth her child whē she perceiueth the child to take in good part the correction But why do I compare god your fathers loue to a mother in that it farre passeth it For saith he though it be possible that a natural mother should forget the child of her wōbe yet wil not I forget thee saith the lord our good god and father through Christ Though he seme angry towards euenyng yet in the morning we shal fynd him wel pleased if in Christe we come to him and cry Abba dere father helpe vs and as thou hast promised tempt vs not further then thou wylte make vs able to beare Therfore my dere hartes in the lord be of good comfort be of good comfort in the lord Confesse hym and hys truth and feare not prison losse of goodes or lyfe Feare rather that prison out of the which there is no deliuerance feare rather the losse of those goods which last for euer feare rather the losse of the life which is eternall wherunto ye are called the way by which god wyll bringe you to it in that ye certainly know not whether it wil be by prisō fyre halter c. whensoeuer these come as I said before let them not dismay you nor seme straunge to you For no smal number of gods chyldren are gone that way and we are a good cōpany here together which are ready to folow the same way through gods grace yf god so wyll I beseche you make you ready and goe with vs or rather be readye that when we come we may go wyth you The iorney is but short though it be vnpleasaunt to the fleshe Perchaunce yf we should die in our beddes on a corporal malady it would be much longer and also more painful at the least in gods syghte it cannot bee so precious and gayneful as I knowe thys kynde of death is whereto I exhorte you to prepare your selues myne owne deare hartes in the bowels and bloode of oure sauiour Iesus Christ to whose tuition grace gouernance and protection I hartely commend you all and besech you that ye woulde do the lyke vnto me in your harty prayers Out of the tower of London 1554. By your owne to vse in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford An other letter wrytten to certayne godly persons to the same effecte GRatious god and most merciful father for Iesus Christes sake thy dearely beloued sonne graunt vs thy mercy grace wisedome and holy spirite to counsaile comforte and guide vs in all our cogitations words and workes to thy glory and our euerlastyng ioye and peace for euer Amen In my last letter ye myght perceyue my coniecturyng to be no lesse towardes you then now I haue partly learned But my derely beloued I haue learned none other thing then before I haue tolde you would come to passe if ye cast not away that whiche I am sure ye haue learned I doe appeale to bothe youre consciences whether herein I speake truth as wel of my tellyng though not so often as I might and shoulde god forgeue me as also of your learning Now God wil trye you to make others to learne by you that which ye haue learned by others The lady lasts her husbād were beheaded that day ▪ by them which suffred this day ye myght learne if already ye had not learned that lyfe and honour is not to be set by more then gods cōmaundement They in no poynte for all that euer their ghostly fathers could do hauing Doctor Death to take their part would consent of seme to consent to the popysh Masse and papistical God otherwise then in the daies of our late King they had receaued And this their faith they haue confessed with their deathes to their great glory and all our comfortes if we follow thē but to our confusion if we starte backe from the same Wherfore I besech you both to consider it aswel to prayse god for them as to go the same way with them if god so will Consider not the things of thys life which is a very prison to all gods childrē but the things of euerlasting life which is our very home But to the beholding of this geare ye must open the eyes of your minde of fayth I should haue sayd as Moses dyd whiche set more by trouble with Gods people then by the riches of Egipt Pharaos court Your house home and goods yea lyfe and al that euer ye haue god hath geuen you as loue tokens to admonishe you of his loue and to winne your loue to him agayne Now wil he try your loue whether ye set more by him then by his tokens or no. If ye for his tokens sake that is for your home house goods yea life wil go with the worlde least ye shoulde lose them then be assured your loue as he can not but espie it to be a strompettes loue so wil he caste it away with the world Remember that he which wil saue his life shal lose it if Christe bee true but he which aduentureth yea loseth his life for the gospels sake the same shall be sure to finde it eternally Do not ye both know that the waye to saluation is not the broade way which many runne in but the straite way which fewe now walke in Before persecution came men might partly haue stand in a dout by the outward state of the world with vs although by gods word it was plaine whether was the hygh waye for their was as many pretended the gospell as poperye but now the sonne is risen the wind bloweth so that the corne which hath not takē fast roote cānot nor wil not abide and therfore easlye ye may see the straite waye by the small number that passeth throught it Who will nowe aduenture their goods and lift for Christs sake which yet gaue his life for oursakes Math. 8. We now are Gergesites that would rather lose Christe then our porkets A faythfull wife is neuer tryed so to be but whē she reiecteth with standeth woers A faythful Christian is then found so to be whē his fayth is assaulted If we be not able I meane if we will not forsake thys world for gods glorye and
Margaret feare not them that can but kil the bodye and yet can they not do that vntill God geue them leaue but feare to displease him that can kill both body and soule and cast them into hel fire Let not the remembraunce of your children kepe you from God The Lorde hymselfe wil be a father and a mother better then euer you or I could haue bene vnto them He himselfe will do al things necessary for them yea as much as rocke the cradell if nede be He hath geuen his holy aungels charge ouer them therfore coÌ„mit them vnto hym But if you may liue with a cleare conscience for els I would not haue you to lyue and see the bringyng vp of your children your self loke that you nourture them in the feare of God and kepe them farre from Idolatry superstition and all other kynd of wickednes and for gods sake helpe them to some learning if it bee possible that they may increase in vertue godly knowledge which shal be a better dowry to mary them withal then any worldly substaunce and when they be come to age prouide them such husbandes as feare god and loue hys holye worde I charge you take heede that you matche them wyth no papistes and if you lyue and marrye agayne your self which thing I would wishe you to do if nede require or els not good wyfe take heede howe you bestowe your selfe that you and my poore children be not compelled to wickednes But if you shal bee able well to lyue gods true widowe I would counsell you so to lyue stil for the more quietnes of your selfe and your poore children Take hede Margaret play the wise womaÌ„s part You haue warning by other if you wil take an example And thus I committe you my swete children vnto gods most merciful defence The blessing of god be with you god send vs a mery meeting together in heauen Farewel in Christ farewel myne own deare harts all Pray pray To my deare Syster M. C. THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus christ the coÌ„tinuall comfortes of his most pure and holy spirit be wyth you my deare and faithful louing Sister and comforte your harte with the plenteous consolation in Christ that with the aboundance of the same you may according to your old custome comfort me in my sorowful estate that I may be occasioned therby to praise the lord with and for you and other his deare children Amen Albeit my dere faithful louing Sister that it were now my part very duty to shew myself so coÌ„fortable ioyful in god for the greate triuÌ„phe glorious victory that he hathe so graciously geueÌ„ vnto his dere faithful child good M. Philpot that you al other whose sorrowes I dare saye are much encreased might be solaced by the same yet alas such is my losse lack of him that I caÌ„not but so sore lameÌ„t the same that I feare me I shal not onely discoÌ„fort you therw t but also displease god which for my siÌ„ne hath takeÌ„ him away And thoughe it had ben both mine honesty duty seing my self to be in so much sorrow to haue kept the same to my self not to haue encreased yours therwith yet could I no loÌ„ger forbeare but to coÌ„municate some part therof to the ende that you might communicate again to me either your ioy or sorrow whether so euer you haue most store of If your ioy in christ haue the victory as doutles it ought to haue in the respect of gods glory which is so mightely set forth by his swete saint theÌ„ I pray you come to me as shortly as you can coÌ„municate some part thereof vnto me whose froward and stubborne harte cannot yet be coÌ„tent to preferre the good wil glorye of god before myne own wil coÌ„modity as I ought to do But if sorrow in you haue gotteÌ„ the vpper hand as in very dede it doth be guide to do in me good Sister come speake with me â—o loâ—e as you can that we may measure our mourning together and in coÌ„forting one an other may be both coÌ„strained to forget our sorrowes praise god with him who is now synging in solaâ—e â— hys swete companions that so constantly went before hym loking and wishing for vs two I dare wel say god graunt vs grace to follow their faith and fotesteppes vnto the end Amen Ah my dere harte me thinkes I am like a vessel of wine that after it hathe bene tumbled and tossed to and fro if it should not haue a vente would burst in pieces Euen so the takyng away of this very man of god whose swete coÌ„fort my poore soule doth lacke so tosseth and tormoileth my poore heuy harte that excepte I shoulde as it were wyth a vent expresse the same to god wyth weping teares and opeÌ„ the same to you wyth wordes and letters I thinke verelye it would burst in pieces which thyng were to me most happely welcome so that god were pleased therewithall Oh yf nature wil so worke in a wycked worldlyng to make hym hartely to lameÌ„t the losse of his frende by whose death he doth yet obtaine diuers commodities howe can it be but the tender harts that be mollified with the good spirit of god must nedes bewayle the taking awaye of those deare hartes by whose death they are depriued of so many heaueÌ„ly benefits which so farre without comparison do passe al earthly treasures Ah deare hart I neuer wiste what the benefit of that worthy Bradford was vntil now that I feele the wante of hys deare fellow Philpotte which full oft poured the precious water of lyfe and comforte vppon my poore afflicted foule But now alas for my great ingratitude negligence other my great sinnes god hath taken them bothe from me I shal no more hear theÌ„ in thys life the more is my sorrow declare vnto me the most coÌ„fortable message of gods great mercy towards me Their worthy writings alas shal no more bring me the most ioyfull newes and mery tidinges of the Gospel to tel me that al my horrible sinnes and offences are frely forgeueÌ„ me Oh my great losse which maketh me much to lament and so vexeth and tormenteth my minde that I cannot wel tel what I write Oh true token of gods terrible wrath agaynst me in takyng away suche precious iewels of comforte from me But iust is the iudgement of god against me for my synne which haue largely deserued to be depriued of their swete and comfortable company not onely in thys life but also in the lyfe to come But yet I know the Lord wil not so do but of his great mercy he hath taken theÌ„ at thys time froÌ„ me that I might make the more haste with harty desyre to be dissolued to be with them Oh gracious god how much is thy mercy How meruelous is thy louiÌ„g power how great is thy goodnes and the aboundance of thine exceding kindnes which
Lordes cause VVilliam Coker A letter of Nicholas Shetterden a faith full Martyr of Iesus Christ written to hys Mother a little before hys death O My good Mother whoÌ„ I loue with reuerence in the Lorde according to my dutye I desire your fauourable blessing and forgeuenesse of all my misdedes towards you Oh my deare Mother in fewe wordes I wyshe you the same saluation whiche I hope my selfe to feele and partly taste of before thys come to you to read and in the resurrection I verely beleue to haue it more perfectlye in bodye and soule ioyned together for euer and in that daye GOD graunte you to see my face with ioye but deare Mother then beware of that greate Idolatrye and blasphemous Masse O let not that be your GOD whiche Mice and wormes can deuoure beholde I call heauen and earth to recorde that it is no GOD yea the fyre that consumeth it and the moystnes that causeth it to moulde And I take Christs Testament to wytnesse that it is none of his ordinaunces but a mere inuention of men and a snare to catche innocentes bloode and nowe that GOD hath shewed it vnto you be warned in tyme. O geue ouer old customes and become new in the truth What state soeuer your fathers be in leaue that to God let vs followe the counsel of his word deare Mother embrace it with hartye affection reade it with obedience let it be your pastime and cast of all carnall affections and loue of worldly thinges so shall we meete in ioye at the last day or els I bid you farewell for euermore Oh farewell my frendes and louers all God graunt me to see your faces in ioye Amen From Westgate the .11 of Iuly .555 Nicholas Shetterden appoynted to be slayne for Christes cause and the mayntenaunce of hys most sounde and true religion A letter wrytttn by the Ladye Iane Gray to her Syster the Lady Katheryne immediatly before she suffered I Haue here sent you good Syster Katherin a booke which although it be not outwardly trymmed with gold This booke was a newe Testament in Greke in the end whereof she had written this letter yet inwardly it is more worth then precious stones It is the booke deare Syster of the law of the Lorde it is his testament and last wyll which he bequethed vnto vs wretches whiche shall lead you to the path of eternall ioy and if you with a good mynd do read it with an earnest purpose follow it it shall bring you to an immortal euerlasting life It wil teach you to liue learne you to die It shal winne you more theÌ„ you shold haue gayned by the possessioÌ„ of your woful fathers lands For as if god had prospered him you should haue in herited his lands so if you apply diligently this boke seking to directe your life after it you shal bee an inheritour of suche riches as neither the couetous shal withdraw from you neither the these shal steale neither yet the mothes corrupte Desire with Dauid good Sister to vnderstand the law of the Lord your god Liue stil to die that you by death may purchase eternal life And trust not that the tendernes of your age shal lengtheÌ„ your life for as sone if God cal goeth the young as the old And labour alwayes to learne to die Defye the world denye the deuil despise the flesh delight your self only in the Lord. Be penitent for your sinnes yet despayre not be strong in faith yet presume not desire with S. Paule to be dissolued to be with christ with whoÌ„ eueÌ„ in death there is lyfe Be lyke the good seruaunt euen at midnight be wakyng lest wheÌ„ death coÌ„meth and stealeth vpon you lyke a thefe in the night you be with the euil seruaunt found slepyng and least for lacke of oyle you be found lyke the fyue folyshe women like hym that had not on the weddynge garmente and so be caste out from the mariage Reioyce in Christ as I prayse God I do Folow the steppes of your maister christ take vp your crosse lay your sinnes on his backe alwais embrace him And as touchyng my deathe reioyce as I do good Sister that I shal be deliuered froÌ„ this corruptioÌ„ and put on incorruption for I am assured that I shal for loosing of a mortal lyfe winne an immortal life The which I pray god graunt you send you of hys grace to lyue in hys feare and to dye in the true christian faith from the which in gods name I exhort you that you neuer swarne neither for hope of life nor for feare of death For if you wil deny his truthe to lengthen your life God wil deny you and yet shorteÌ„ your daies And if you wil cleaue vnto him he wil prolong your dais to your comfort his glorye to the which glory god bring me now and you herafter wheÌ„ it pleaseth him to cal you Fare you wel good Sister and put your only trust in god who only must helpe you Letters of M. George Marshe a godly faythfull and learned pastour in Christes churche put to deathe at VVestchester wyth moste cruell kyndes of tormentes as you may see in the booke of Martyrs fol. 1122 for the constant and faythfull confession of Christes Gospell To the professours of gods worde and true religion in the towne of Langhton GRace be wyth you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord Amen I thought it my duty to wryte vnto you my beloued in the lord at Langhton to stirre vp your harts to cal to your remeÌ„brance the words which haue ben told you before and to exhort you as that good man and full of the holy ghost Barnabas dyd the AntiochiaÌ„s that with purpose of hart ye continually cleaue vnto the lord Actes â—â— and that ye stand fast be not moued away from the hope of the gospel wherof God be thanked ye haue had plenteous preaching vnto you by your late pastour M. Saunders other faythful ministers of Iesus Christ Luke 8. Rom. 1 which now when persecution aryseth because of the word do not fall away like shrinking children and forsake the truth being ashamed of the gospell wherof they haue bene preachers but are willing and redy for your sakes which are Christes mistical body to forsake not onely the chiefe principal delites of this lyfe I meane their natiue countreyes frendes liuings c but also to fulfill their ministery vnto the vttermost that is to wyt with theyr paynful imprisonments bloodshedings if nede shal require to confirme and seale christes gospel whereof they haue bene ministers and as S. Paule saith they are ready not onely to be cast into prison Acts. 12 but also to be kylled for the name of the lord Iesu Whether these beyng that good salte of the earth Matth. 5. that is true ministers of gods worde by whose doctrine being
England but also vnto the great reioycing encouraging of the most godly learned men in al couÌ„treis wil as I desire and trust geue you suche comforte in conscience as shall easely beare the paines of your imprisonmeÌ„t If you desire to suffer or do that thing whiche mighte testifye the truth aduaunce the glory edifye the church of Christ truly you haue your desire yea and I ensure you very many godlye men in diuers places geue daily thankes vnto god in praier for you You know your cause is good your frendes be in fauour your aduersaries in displeasure wyth the almightye god your heaueÌ„ly father your sufferyng for the truth shall not be vnrewarded your hope in Christ shall neuer be confounded For although your bodies bee kepte within prysons yet your testimony vnto the truth shyneth farre abroad in the world and your faythfull prayers in charitable vnitie ioyned wyth many others be continually presented afore the throne of god God graunt you grace to finde vse comfortable meditation of his worde in diligent obedience vnto hys wyl Christ be your keper in comfort Amen From Zurich the .52 of Octob. by yours faithfully in Christ Thomas Leauer Sap. 3. They are punished in few things but in many things shall they be rewarded He trieth them as the golde in the fornace receiueth them as a hurnt offring Gratia sancte pater tua det quò in firma ferendae Hee caro victrici nostra sit apta cruci Thy holy spirite grace graunt vs O father deare wherby we may be stroÌ„g thy crosse alway to beare ⧠A Table of the letters conteyned in thys booke declaryng by whome and to whome they were written Letters of D. Cranmer Archb. of Cant. A Letter to Quene Mary 1 An other letter to Quene Mary 3 To the Lordes of the Councell 16 A letter wherin he reproueth the slaunderous reportes that he had sette vp Masse agayne at Caunt 17 To a certaine Lawyer 19 To Mistres Wilkinson 23 Letters of D. Ridley B. of London TO the brethren dispersed abroad in sundry prisons c. 28 To the bretherne which constantly cleaue vnto Christ c. 34 To Quene Mary 38 An aunswer to West 40 To maister Hoper 45 A letter sent vnto him by maister Grindal beyng in exile 49 An answer writeÌ„ by him to the former letter 15 A letter to D. Cranmer D. Latymer 56 Viii. seueral letters to M. Bradford 58 iii. letters to Augustine Berneher 70 To mistres Mary Glouer 74 To a frend that came to visit him in the prisoÌ„ 75 A letter of his cruel haÌ„dling in Oxford 76 To D. Weston 78 To a Cosin of hys 79 A letter written to all hys faithfull frends as hys last farewel 80 An other farewel to the prisoners in the cause of christes gospel 103 A letter of his cruel handling in the scholes at Oxford and of his condemnation c. 112 Letters of M. Hoper B. of Glocester TO certayne godly persons enstructing them how to vse themselues at the chaunge of religion 114 To certain of his relieuers and helpers in the City of London 117 An aunswer to a letter wherby he was certified of them that were taken at Bowe 120 To the prisoners in both CouÌ„ters which were taken at Bowe 121 To certaine of his frendes exhorting theÌ„ to sticke to the truth 123 An other letter to the same effecte 125 To a merchant man by whome he had receiued comfort in the Flete 127 A letter of his cruell handlyng in the Flete 128 A letter againste false reportes that he had recanted 130 To mystres Wilkinson 131 To mistres A. W. 132 To maister Farrar D. Taylor M. Bradford M. Philpot. 134 To M. Hall and hys wyfe 136 To one that was falleÌ„ froÌ„ the truthe of the Gospell 137 To the faithful in the city of LoÌ„don 140 To a certaine woman teaching her how to behaue her self in her widowhode 142 A letter concerning a woman that was troubled wyth her husband in matters of religion 143 To hys beloued W.P. 146 To M. Iohn Hall 146 An exhortation to hys wyfe 147 To the christian congregation 157 A letter of M. Bullinger to M. Hoper 166 Letters of D. Taylor TO D. Cranmer D. Rydley and D. Latymer 171 To a frend of his concerning hys talke with the commissioners 172 A letter concerning the cause of hys condemnation 175 To his wife and children 178 Another letter to hys wyfe 641 Letters of M. Laurence Saunders TO D. Cranmer D. Ridley and D. Latymer 179 To the professours of the gospell in the towne of Lichfield 182 To mystres Lucie Harrington 191 An other to mistres Harrington 192 To his wyfe M. Harrington and M. Hurland 193 An other letter to them 195 A letter concernyng D. Westons comming to him to the Marshalsee 197 To hys wife and certayne other of hys frendes 197 ii other letters to his wife 200 To S. Gardiner B. of Winchester 201 To his wife other of his frendes 204 An other letter to his wyfe and certayne other of his frendes 205 ii letter to M. Robert Glouer Iohn Glouer 205 To a certayne backeslider froÌ„ the truth of gods worde 208 To M. Ferrâ—r D Taylour M. Bradforde and M. Philpot. 211 A letter to mistres L. Harrington 212 Letters of M. Iohn Philpot. A Letter written to the christian congregation 216 To Iohn Careles prisoner in the kings Benche 224 An other letter to Iohn Careles 226 An answer of I. Careles to the former letter 230 To certayne godly women goyng beyond the seas 234 An exhortation writeÌ„ to a Sister of his 236 To M. Robert Harrington 239 To M. Robert Glouer prisoner in CoueÌ„ 241 To mistres Heath 243 To Iohn Careles 245 To mistres A. Hartipole 247 To a faithful woman exhorting her to be patient vnder the crosse 249 To certain of his freÌ„ds as his last farewel 645 Letters of M. Iohn Bradford To the faythful professours of gods worde in the City of London 251 To the true professours of gods worde in the vniuersitie and towne of Cambridge 257 To the professours of the true religioÌ„ of christ in Lankeshyre and Chesshire 263 To the vnfayned professours of the truth dwellyng at Walden 269 To the honourable L. Russell 275 An other letter to the L. Russell 278 To Maister Warcup mistres Wilkinson and other his frendes 280 To Sir Iames Hales 286 To hys Mother 290 To D. Hill Phisition 294 To Mistres M. H. 298 An other letter to her 303 To his beloued W. P. 305 To mistres I. H. 306 To M. Humphrey Hales 309 An other letter to maister H. Hales 312 To certayne of his frendes encouraging to be ioyful vnder the crosse 314 To M. Laurence Saunders prisoner in the Marshalsee 319 An other letter to M. Saunders 321 A letter of comfort to a faithful woman in her heauines and trouble 322 To hys louing brethren B.C. 330 To the Lady Vane 334 ii other letters to the L. Vane