flaming fyre quicke and aliue whosoeuer will goe aboute to bewray their falshed The kind of fight against these church robbers is also of an other sorte and kinde then is that whiche is agaynste the theues of the borders For there the true men go forth against theÌ„ with speare launce with bow and byl and al such kind of bodelye weapons as the true men haue but here as the enemyes be of an other nature so the watchmen of Christs flocke the warriours that fight in the Lordes warre muste be armed and fight with an other kinde of weapons and armour For here the enemies of God the souldiors of Anti-Christ although the battel is set forth against the churche by mortall men being flesh and bloud and neuerthelesse members of theyr father the deuil yet for that theyr graund maister is the power of darknesse theyr members are spirituall wickednes wicked spirites spirites of erroures of heresies of all deceate and vngodlines spirites of idolatry Ephe 6 superstition and hipocrisye which are called of S. Paule Principates powers Lordes of the world rulers of the darknesse of this world and spiritual subtilties concerning heaueÌ„ly things therfore our weapons must be fit and mete to fyght agaynst such not carnall nor bodely weapons as speare and launce but spiritual and heauenly we must fight agaynst such with the armor of God not entendinge to kill they re bodyes but their errours theyr false craft and heresies theyr idolatry superstitioÌ„ and hipocrisy Eph 6. and to saue as much as lieth in vs both theyr bodies and soules And therfore as S. Paule teacheth vs we fighte not against fleshe and bloude that is we fyght not with bodely weapon to kyll the man but with the weapons of God to put to flight his wicked errours vice and to saue both body and soule Our weapons therfore are faythe hope charitye righteousnesse truthe pacience prayer vnto God and our sword wherwyth we smite our enemies we beate and batter and beare down all falshed is the word of God With these weapons vnder the banner of the crosse of Christ we do fyght euer hauinge our eye vpon our graunde Maister Duke and captayne Christe and then we recken our selues to triumphe and to winne the crown of euerlastinge blesse when enduringe in this battaile withoute anye shrinking or yelding to the enemies after the example of our graund Capitaine Christ our Mayster after the exaÌ„ple of his holy Prophetes Apostles and Martyrs when I say we are slayne in oure mortall bodyes of our enemies are most cruelly and without all mercy murdered down like a me any of shepe And the more cruel the more payneful the more vyle and spitefull is the kind of the death whereunto we be put the more glorious in God the more blessed and happye wee recken withoute all doubtes oure Martyrdome to be And thus much dere loeuers frends in god my country men kinsfolk I haue spoken for your comfort least of my deathe of whose life you loked peraduenture sometimes to haue had honestye pleasures and commodities ye myghte be abashed or thinke any euill whereas ye haue rather cause to reioyse if ye loue me indeede for that it hathe pleased God to call me to a greater honoure and dignitye than euer I did enioye before eyther in Rochester or in the Sea of London or euer shoulde haue had in the Sea of Durham whereunto I was last of all elected and named yea I count it greater honoure before God in deede to die in his cause whereof I nothynge doubte then is any earthlye or temporall promocion or honoure that canne be geuen to a man in thys worlde And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Goddes to be Chrystes quarell and of hys Gospell to bee the common weale of all the elect and chosen children of God of all the inheritoures of the kingdome of Heauen who is he I saye that knoweth this assuredlye by Goddes woorde and the testimonye of hys owne conscience as I through the infinite goodnes of god not of my self but by hys grace acknowledge my self to do who is he I say that knoweth this both loueth fereth god in dede in truth loueth beleueth hys maister Christ and hys blessed gospel loueth his brotherhode the chosen children of god and also lusteth and longeth for euerlastinge life whoe is he I say againe that woulde not or can not fynde in his harte in thys cause to be content to dye The Lord forbid that any such shoulde be that shoulde forsake this grace of God I truste in my Lord God the God of mercies and the father of all comfort throughe Iesus Chryste oure Lorde that he whiche hathe put thys mynde will and affection by hys holye spirite in my harte to stande agaynste the face of the enemie in hys cause to chose rather the losse of all my worldly substaunce yea and of my life to then to denye hys knowne truthe that he well comfort me ayd me and strengthen me euermore euen vnto the ende and to the yelding vp of my spirite and soule into hys holye handes wherof I most hartely besech hys moste holye sacred Maiestye of hys infinyte goodnes and mercye throughe Iesus Christe our Lord. Amen Now that I haue taken my leaue of my countrey menne and kinsfolke and the Lorde doth lende me life and geueth me leysure I wyll bydde my other good friendes in God of other places also farewell And whome fyrste or before other then the Vniuersytye of Cambridge whereas I haue dwelte longer founde more faythfull and hartye frendes receyued more benefites the benefytes of my naturall parentes onlye excepted then euer I did euen in mine owne natyue countrey wherein I was borne Farewel therfore Cambrydge my louyng mother and tender nurse If I shoulde not acknowlege thy manyfold benefits yea if I shold not for thy benifits at the lest loue the agayn truly I were to be counted vngrate vnkind What benyfytes hadst thou euer that thou vsest to geue bestow vpon thy best beloued childreÌ„ that thou thoughtest to good for me Thou diddest bestowe on me all thy Schole degrees of thy common offyces the Chaplaynshyppe of the vniuersity the office of the Pâ—ortorship of a coÌ„mon reader and of thy priuate coÌ„modyties emolumeÌ„tes in colledges what was it that thou madest me not partner of Fyrst to be Scholer then Fellow and after my departure froÌ„ thee thou calledst me agayne to a Mastership of a right worshipful colledge I thanck thee my louing mother for all this thy kindnes and I pray God that his lawes the syncere Gospel of Christ may euer be truly taught faythfully learned in thee Farewell Pembroke hall of late mine own Colledge my cure my charge what case thou artin now God knoweth I know not well Thou wast euer named sithens I knewe thee which is nowe a .xxx. yeares agoe to be studious well learned and a greate
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„
therof wyll be so pitifull withoute spedye repentaunce that I tremble and feare to haue it in remembraunce I woulde to God it lay vpon some earthly burden so that fredome of conscience mighte begenen vnto them I write as god knoweth not of presumption but onlye lamentinge they re state whome I thought nowe in thys daungerous time should haue geuen bothe you and me comfortable instructions But alas in stede therof we haue perswasions to follow I lament me to rehearse it superstitions idolatrye yea that worste of all is they will seeke to proue it by the scripture The Lord for his mercy turne theyr hartes Amen Yours N. R. A letter which he wrote as his last farewell to al his true and faythefull frendes in God a little before he suffred with a sharpe admoniton by by the way to the papists the enemies of the truth AT the name of Iesus let euery kne bow both of thyngs in heauen and things in earth and thinges vnder the earth and let euerye tonge confesse that Iesus Christ is the lord vnto the glory of God the father Amen As a man minding to take a farre iourney and to depart from his familiar frendes commenly and naturally hath a desire to byd his frendes farewell before hys departure so likewise now I loking dayly when I shoulde be called for to departe hence from you O al ye my dearely beloued brethren and sisters in oure Sauioure Christe that dwel here in this world hauing a like mind towardes you all also blessed be God of this such time leasure whereof I right hartely thank his heauenly goodnes do byd you all my deare brethren and sisters I say in Christ that dwel vp on the earth after such manner as I can Farewell Farewel my deare Brother George Shypside whome I haue euer found faythfull trusty and louinge in all state and condicions and now in the time of my crosse ouer all other to me most frendly and steadfast that which liked me best ouer all other thinges in Gods cause euer harty Farewell my deare sister Alice his wyfe I am gladde to beare of thee that thou doest take Christes crosse whiche is layed now blessed be God both on thy backe and mine in good parte Thanke thou GOD that hathe geuen thee a godly and a louing husband se thou honor him and obey hym according to Gods lawe Honour thy mother in lawe his mother and loue al those that perteyne vnto hym being ready to do them good as it shall lye in thy power As for thy chyldren I doubte not of thy husbande but that he whyche hathe geuen hym a hearte to loue and feare God and in God them that pertayne vnto hym shall also make hym frendely and benefyciall vnto thy children euen as yf they had bene gotten of hys owne body Farewell my welbeloued brother Iohn Rydley of the Waltowne and you my gentle and louyng Syster Elizabeth whome besydes the naturall league of amitye your tender loue whiche you were sayde euer to beare towardes me aboue the reste of youre brethren dothe bynde me to loue My mynde was to haue acknowledged this youre louyng affection and to haue acquyted it wyth dedes and not wyth woordes alone Youre daughter Elizabeth I byd farewell whom I loue for the meeke and gentle Spiryte that God hath geuen her which is a precious thyng in the syght of God Farewell my beloued Syster of Vnthancke wyth all youre chyldren my nephewes and nices Synce the departure of my Brother Hughe my mynde was to haue beene vnto them in the steade of theyr father but the Lorde god must and will be theyr father if they wil loue hym and feare him and lyue in the trade of hys law Farewell my welbeloued and worshipfull Cosyns maister Nicholas Ridley of Wyllimountswick and your wife and I thanke you for all youre kyndnesse shewed bothe to me and also to all youre owne kynsefolke and myne Good Cosyn as GOD hath sette you in that oure stocke and kyndred not for anye respecte of youre personne but of hys aboundaunte grace and goodnesse to bee as it were the Belweather to order and conducte the reaste and hathe also endued you wyth his manyfold gyftes of grace bothe heauenlye and worldlye aboue others so I praye you good Cosin as my truste and hope is in you continue and increase in the mayntenaunce of truthe honestye rightuousnesse and all true godlynesse and to the vttermost of your power to wythstande falsehode vntruthe vnryghteousnesse and all vngodlynesse whych is forbid and condempned by the word and lawes of God Farewel my yong Cosin Rafe Whitfield Oh your tyme was verye shorte wyth me my mynde was to haue done you good and yet you caughte in that little tyme a losse but I truste it shall bee recompenced as it shall please almighty god Farewell al my whole kyndred and countreymen farewell in Christ altogether The Lorde which is the searcher of secrets knoweth that accordyng to my hartes desire my hope was of late that I should haue come among you and to haue brought wyth me aboundaunce of Christes blessed Gospell accordyng to the duetye of that office and ministerye wherevnto among you I was chosen named and appoincted by the mouth of that our late piereles Prince king Edwarde and so also denounced openly in hys court by his priuye counsayle I warne you all my welbeloued kynsfolke and countreymen that ye be not amased or astonied at the kynde of my departure or dissolution for I ensure you I thynke it the most honour that euer I was called vnto in all my life and therfore I thanke my Lorde GOD hartely for it that it hath pleased hym to cal me of hys great mercye vnto this hyghe honour to suffer deathe wyllynglye for hys sake and in hys cause vnto the which honour he called the holy Prophets hys dearly beloued Apostels and hys blessed chosē martyrs For knowe ye that I doubte no more but that the causes wherefore I am put to deathe are gods causes and the causes of the truthe then I doubte that the Gospell whyche Iohn wrote is the Gospell of Christe or that Paules Epystles are the verye worde of GOD. And to haue a harte wyllyng to abyde and stande in gods cause in Christs quarell euen vnto death I ensure thee O man it is an inestimable and an honourable gyft of GOD geuen onely to the true electes and dearely beloued children of GOD and inheritoures of the kyngdome of heauen For the holye Apostle and also Martyr in Christes cause Sayncte Peter sayeth ◠Pet. 4 yf ye suffer rebuke in the name of Chryste that is in Christes cause and for hys truthes sake then are ye happye and blessed for the glorye of the Spirite of God resteth vppon you If for rebukes sake suffered in Chrystes name a man is pronounced by the mouthe of that holye Apostle blessed and happye howe muche more happye and blessed is he that hathe
me vp to heauen where I shal loke continually for your cōming and others my faithful brethrē in the kinges Bench. And though I tel you that I am in hel in the iudgement of thys world yet assuredly I feele in the same the consolation of heauen prayse god And thys lothsome horrible prison is as pleasaūt to me as the walke in the gardē of the kings Bench. You know brother Careles that the way to heauē out of this life is very narrowe we must striue to enter in at a narrow gate If God do mitigate the ouglenes of mine imprisonment what wil he do in the rage of the fier wherunto I am appointed And thys hath happened vnto me that I might be hereafter an ensample of cōfort if the like happen vnto you or to any other of my deare brethrē with you in these cruel daies in the which the deuil so rageth at the faithful flocke of Christ but in vaine I trust againste any of vs who be persuaded that neyther lyfe neither death is hable to separate vs from the loue of Christes Gospell which is gods high treasure cōmitted to our brittle vessels to glorify vs by the same God of his mercye make vs faythful stewardes to the end geue vs grace to feare nothing whatsoeuer in his good pleasure we shall suffer for the same That I haue not written vnto you erste the cause is our straite keping the want of light by night for the day serueth vs but a while in our darke closet This is the first letter that I haue writen since I came to prison besides the report of mine examinatiōs I am faine to scrible it out in haste Comend me to al our faythful brethren byd them with a good courage loke for their redēption and frame thēselues to be harty souldiers in Christ They haue taken his prest money a great while now let thē shew thē selues readye to serue him faythfully not to flye out of the lords campe into the world as many do Let them remember that in the Apocalips the feareful bee excluded the kingdome Let vs bee of good cheare for our lord ouercame the world that we should do the like Blessed is the seruant whō when the Lord cōmeth he fyndeth watching O let vs watch and pray earnestly one for an other that we be not led into temptation Be ioyfull vnder the crosse prayse the Lord continually for this is the whole burnt sacrifice which the lord chiefly delyghteth in Cōmend me to my father Hunt desire him to loue continue in the vnitie of Christes true church which he hath begon then shall he make me more more to ioye vnder my crosse with him Tell my brother Clements that he hath comforted me muche by his louing token in significatiō of an vnfayned vnitie with vs let him encreace my ioye vnto the end perfectly The Lord of peace be with you all Salute all my louing frendes Maister Meryng Maister Crooth with the rest specially Maister Marshall and hys wyfe with great thankes for hys kyndnes shewed vnto me Fare well my deare Careles I haue dalied with the deuill a while but now I am ouer the shooes God send me well out Out of the Colehouse by your brother Iohn Philpot. An other letter written to Iohn Careles out of the Colehouse of darkenes whereby he geueth lighte and heauenlye comforte to hys heauy and troubled mynde THe God of all comfort and the father of oure Lord Iesus Christ send vnto thee my deare brother Careles the inwarde consolation of hys holy spirite in al the malicious assaultes and troublous temptations of our common aduersarye the Deuill Amen That god geueth you so contrite a harte for your sinnes I can not but reioyce to behold the liuely marke of the children of god whose propertye is to thinke more lowlye and vily of themselues then of any other and often tymes doe set their sinnes before them that they myghte the more bee styrred to bryng forth the fruites of repentaunce and learne to mourne in thys worlde that in an other they myghte bee glad and reioyce Such a broken heart is a pleasaunt sacryfyce vnto God O that I had the lyke contrite harte God mollifye my stonye harte which lamenteth not in such wise my former detestable iniquities Praised be god that he hath geuen you thys sorrowful hart in respect of righteousnes I praye you let me be pertaker of these Godly sorrowes for sinne which be the testimony of the presence of the holy ghoste Dyd not the sword of sorrow pearce the harte of the elect and blessed mother of our Lord Did not Peter wepe bitterly for hys sinnes which was so beloued of Christ Dyd not Mary Magdalene was the feete of oure Sauiour with her teares and receaued therwithall remission of her seuenfold sinnes Be of good comfort therfore mine own deare heart in thys thy sorrowe for it is the earnest peny of eternall consolatiō In thy sorrowe laughe for the spirite of God is with thee Blessed be they sayth Christ that mourne Math. 15. Psa 125. psal 51 Luke 7 for they shal bee comforted They went forth and wepte fayth the Prophet such shall come agayne hauing their gripes full of gladnes And althoughe a sorrowfull harte in consideration of hys sinne be an acceptable sacrifice before God whereby we are stirred vp to more thankefulnes vnto God knowing that much is forgeuen vs that we might loue the more yet the mā of god muste keepe a measure in the same leaste he bee swallowed vppe by to muche sorrowe Sainte Paule woulde not the Thessalonians to be sory as other men whiche haue no hope Such a sorow is not commendable 1. Thess 4. 2. Cor. 7. but worketh damnation and is farre from the children of God who are continually sorrowfull in god when they loke vppon theyr own vnworthynes with hope of forgeuenes For God to thys end by his spirite setteth the sinnes of hys electe still before them that where they perceaue sinne to abounde Rom. 5. there they myght be assured that grace shall superabounde bringeth them downe vnto hell that he myght lift thē vp with greater ioy vnto heauē Wherfore myne own bowels in Christ as long as you are not voyde altogether of hope be not dismayde throughe your pensiue harte for your sinnes howe huge so euer they haue beene for God is hable to forgeue more then you are able to sinne yea and he wil forgeue him which with hope is sory for hys sinnes But know brother that as oft as we do go aboute by the helpe of Gods spirite to do that is good the euil spirit Sathan layeth hard wayte to turne the good vnto euill goeth about to mixe the detestable darnell of desperation with the godly sorrow of a pure penitent heart You be not ignoraunt of hys malicious subtelty and how that continually he assaulteth that good which the grace of
in your trouble praye for pacience Iacob i. perseuer to the ende let pacience haue her perfecte worke If you wante this wisedome and power aske it of god who will geue it to you in his good time Hope still in him yea if he should slay you yet trust in him with Iob and you shal perceaue that the end wil be to find him merciful ful of coÌ„passion for he will not breake promyse with you which hetherto did neuer so with any He is with you in trouble he heareth you calling vpoÌ„ him yea before you cal your desires are not only knowen but accepted through Christ If now and then he hide his face from you it is but to prouoke your appetite to make you the more to long for him Thys is most true he is a comming and will come he wil not bee long But if for a time he seme to tary yet stand you stil and you shall see the wonderfull workes of the Lorde Oh my beloued wherfore should you be heuie Is not Christ Emanuel god with vs shal you not finde that as he is true in saying in the world you shal haue trouble so is he in saying in me you shal haue coÌ„fort He doth not sweare only that trouble wil come but withal he sweareth that coÌ„fort shal ensue 1. Cor. 2 And what comfort such a comfort as the eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard nor the hart of man can conceaue Oh great comfort who shall haue this Forsoth they that suffer for the lord And are not you one of theÌ„ Yea verely are you Then as I saide happie happie and happie againe are you my dearly beloued in the Lord. You nowe suffer with the lord surely you shall be glorifyed with him Cal vpon God therfore now in your trouble and he wil heare you yea deliuer you in such sort as most shall make both to his your glory also And in this calling I hartely pray you to praye for me your fellowe in affliction Now we be both going in the high way to heauen for by many afflictions must we enter in thether whether god bring vs for his mercies sake AmeÌ„ AmeÌ„ Your fellowe in affliction Iohn Bradforde To my deare fathers D. Cranmer D. Ridley D. Latymer prysoners in Oxforde for the testimonye of the Lord Iesus and hys holy Gospell ALmightie god our heauenly father more and more kendle our hartes and affections with his loue that our greatest crosse may be to be absent froÌ„ him and straungers froÌ„ our home and that we may godly contende more and more to please him Amen As alwaies I haue had great cause to praise our dere father through christ so me thinkes I haue more more in seing more likely the end of my life which is due for my sinne to be through the exceding grace of Christ a testimonye of Gods truth Thus the lord dealeth not with euery body not the euery body hath not more deserued at gods hands theÌ„ I which haue deserued more veÌ„geance theÌ„ any other I know of my time and state but that by me I hope the Lorde will make the riches of his grace to his glory to be sene more excellente With me therfore I humbly besech you al my most deare fathers in God to geue thankes for me and as you doe still to pray for me that the Lord as for his loues sake in Christe he hath begonne his good worke in me eueÌ„ so of and for the same his loues sake in Christ he would make it perfect and make me to continue to the ende as I hope he will for hys mercy truth endureth for euer As for your partes in that it is coÌ„monly thought your staffe standeth next to the dore ye haue the more cause to reioyce and be glad as they which shal come to your fellowes vnder the alter to the which societie god with you bring me also in his mercy wheÌ„ it shall be his good pleasure I haue receaued many good things froÌ„ you my good Lorde Maister deare father N. Ridley fruites I meane of your godly labours Al which I seÌ„d vnto you againe by this bringer one thing except which he caÌ„ tel I do kepe vpon your further pleasure to be knoweÌ„ therin And here withall I send vnto you a little treatise whiche I haue made that you might peruse the same not only you but also ye my other most deare and reuerent fathers in the lord for euer to geue to it your approbatioÌ„ as ye may think good All the prisoners hereaboutes in maner haue sene it and red it and as therein they agree with me nay rather with the truth so they are ready and will be to signifie it as they shall see you geue them example The matter may be thought not so necessary as I seme to make it But yet if ye knew the great euill that is like hereafter to come to the posteritie by these men as partly this bringer can signifie vnto you surely then could ye not but be most willing to put hereto your helping handes The which thing that I might more occasion you to perceaue I haue sent you here a writing of Harry Hartes own hand Thys was the chefest mayntayner of maÌ„s frewil enemye to Gods free grace wherby ye may see how Christes glory grace is like to lose much light if that your shepe quondam be not something holpen by them whiche loue God and are hable to proue that all good is to bee attributed onely and wholye to Gods grace and mercy in Christ wtoute other respect of worthines theÌ„ Christes merites The effectes of saluatioÌ„ they so mingle confouÌ„de with the cause that if it be not sene to more hurt wil come by theÌ„ then euer came by the papistes in as much as their life coÌ„mendeth theÌ„ to the worlde more theÌ„ the papistes God is my witnes that I write not thys but because I wold gods glory and the good of hys people In freewyl they are playn papists yea PelagiaÌ„s Thys is well knowen to all those which haue had to do wyth them in disputations or otherwyse for the wrytyngs and authority of the learned they haue vtterly reiected despised ye know the modicuÌ„ fermenti totaÌ„ massam corrumpit They vtterly contemne all learning But hereof shall this brynger shewe your more As to the chiefe captaynes therfore of Christes church here I complayne of it vnto you as truelye I muste doe of you euen vnto GOD in the laste daye yf ye wyll not as ye can helpe somthyng vt veritas doctrinae maneat apud posteros in this behalf Vpon this occasion Mâ— Rydley wrote a learned and godly treatise of gods election and predestination as ye haue done on the behalfe of matters expugned by the papistes God for hys mercye in Christ â—uide you my moste dearely beloued fathers wyth his holy spirite here and in all other thynges as most
professours and through the grace of GOD the constaunte confessoures of the same are as it were the out swepynges of the worlde yet I say the veritye it selfe is a thyng not vnworthye for your eares to heare for your eies to see and for your hands to handle helpe and succour accordyng to that the Lord hathe made you able and placed you where you are for the same purpose Your hyghnes and honours ought to know that there is no innocency in wordes or dedes where it is enoughe and suffiseth onely to accuse It behoueth kynges Quenes and all that be in authoritye to knowe that in the administration of their kyngdomes they are gods Ministers It behoueth them to know that they are no Kinges but playne tyrannes whiche raigne not to thys ende that they maye serue and set forth gods glorye after true knowledge And therefore it is required of thē that they woulde be wyse and suffer themselueh to be taught to submit them selues to the lordes discipline and to kisse their Soueraign lest they perishe as al those Potentates wyth theyr pryncipalities and dominions cannot long prosper but peryshe in dede yf they and their kyngdomes be not ruled wyth the scepter of God that is wyth hys worde which who so honoureth not honoureth not GOD and they that honour not the Lord the Lord wyll not honour them but brynge them into contempte and at the length take hys own cause whiche he hathe most chieflye committed vnto them to care for into hys owne hands and so ouerthrow them and set vp hys truth gloriously the people also perishing with the Prynces where the worde of prophecy is wantyng muche more is suppressed as it is nowe in thys Realme of Englande ouer whyche the eyes of the Lorde are set to destroye it your hyghnes and all your honours yf in tyme you loke not better to your office and duties herein and not suffer your selues to bee slaues and hangemen to Antichriste and hys prelates which haue brought your highnes honours alreadye to lette Barrabas lose and to hange vppe Christe As by the grace and helpe of God I shall make apparante yf first it would please your excellent maiestye and all your honoures to take to harte gods doctryne whiche rather through the malice of the Pharisees I meane the Bishops and prelates then your consciences is oppressed and not for oure contemptible and execrable state in the syghte of the worlde to passe the lesse of it For it the doctryne I meane is hygher and of more honour maiestye then al the whole worlde It standeth inuincible aboue all power beyng not our doctryne but the doctryne of the euerlyuynge GOD and of hys Christe whome the father hath ordeyned Kyng psal 72 to haue dominion from sea to sea and from the ryuer vnto the endes of the worlde And truely so dothe he and wyll the raigne that he wyll shake all the whole earth wyth hys yron brasen power wyth hys golden siluery brightnes only by the rodde of hys mouth to shyuers in such sorte as though they were pottes of clay accordyng to that whiche the Prophetes doe wryte of the magnificence of hys kyngdome And thus much for the thyng I meane the doctryne and your dueties to harkē to propagate defend the same But now wyll our aduersaries mainly cry out against vs bicause no man may be admitted once to whist agaynste them that we pretend falsely the doctryne and word of god calling vs the most wycked contemners of it and heretikes schysmatikes traytors c. Al which their sayings how malicious and false they are though I myght make reporte to that which is writē by those men whose workes they haue condemned and all that reteyne any of them publikelye by proclamation yet here wil I occasion your maiesty and honours by this my writyng to see that it is farre otherwyse thē they reporte of vs. God our father for his holy names sake directe my penne to be hys instrumēt to put into your eies eares and hartes that which most may make to hys glorye to the sauegard of your soules and bodies and preseruatiō of the whole realme Amen Iohn Bradford To a faythefull and deare frende of hys entreatyng of this place of S. Paule to the Romaynes The feruente desyre of the creature wayteth when the children of God shal be delyuered GRace and peace wyth encrease of all godlynes in Christe I wyshe vnto you my dearely beloued Because thys morning I had some knowledge more then before I had howe that my lyfe stoode in greate danger that euen thys weke so farre as men myght both by the doynges and sayinges of such as be in authoritie attempted and spoken concernyng me iudge and perceiue I thought good my ryght dearely beloued in the Lord to go about somthyng whyche might be on my behalf as it were Cygnea cantio That is which myght be a speciall comfort to hym beīg thē ready to be burnt as the Swannes soung is swetest a little before his death a Swānes song and towardes you both a monumente of the kynde of my loue and also a helpe or at the leaste an occasion for you to profyte in that whiche I beare you recorde you moste desire I meane euerlastyng life and the state therof And thys will I attempt vpon the laste talke we had betwixt vs when you were here with me I know you haue not forgotten that we talked together of the place of S. Paule to the Rom. cap. 8. concerning the groninges of the Creature and hys desyre of the reuelation of the childrē of god You demaūd whether thys word Creature was to be vnderstand of man or no and I tolde you that though some dyd take Creature there for man because there is no kinde of creature whiche may not be acknowledged in man yet sayde I the texte it self considered with that which the Apostle writeth of Christ Eph. 1. Col. 1. the restorer and reformer of all thynges that be both in heauen in earth and with the argument which S Paule presentlye hath in hand there doth enforce a Godlye mynde to take euery creature there as also S. Chrisostome and. S. Ambrose do for the whole worlde and euerye creature both heauenly and earthly All thyngs I told you were made for man according to mans state so are they When man was without sinne in gods fauour there was no malediction curse or corruption But when mā by synne was caste out of fauour then was the earth curse For the wickednes of the inhabitauntes fruitfull landes are tourned into salte grounde as for their pietie barreine countreyes are made fruitfull Psae 107. The Angels them selues doe reioyce ouer one sinner that repenteth thereby geuing vs notice that in their kinde they lament ouer the impenitent In readyng the Prophets you may see how that all thyngs do depende of man When they Prophecye any great blessing or plague to come to gods
be to our sinnes great vnthankfulnes which is the greatest cause of the taking away of such worthy instruments of god as shold setforth his glory instruct his people If we had bene thankful vnto god for the good ministers of his worde we had not bene so sone depriued both of it and them The Lord forgeue our great ingratitude and sinnes geue vs true repentance fayth holde his hand of mercy ouer vs for hys dere sōne Christs sake Take not away al thy true preachers forth of this realme O lorde but leaue vs a sede least England be made like vnto Sodome Gomore when thy true Lothes be gone But what go I about to mīgle your mirth with my mourning your iust ioy with my deserued sorowe If I loued you in dede as I haue pretēded I should surely reioyce with you most hartely prayse god on your behalfe frō the very bottome of my hart I should prayse god day night for your excellēt electiō in through his great mercy should geue him most hūble thankes for your vocation by his gospel your true knowlege in the same I should earnestly praise him for your swete iustificatiō wherof you are most certain by gods grace spirite and should instantly pray vnto him for your glorificatiō which shal shortly ensue I shold reioyce be glad to see you so dignifyed by the crowne of martirdome and to be appointed to that honour to testifie hys truth to seale it with your blood I should highly extolle the lord who hath geuē you a glorious victory ouer al your enemies visible inuisible hath geuē you grace strēgth to finishe the tower that you haue begonne to build Finallye if I loued you I should most hartely reioyce bee glad to see you deliuered frō this body of sinne and vyle prison of the fleshe and brought into that heauenly tabernacle where you shal be safely kepte neuer offend him more This and much more should I do if I had a good hart towards god or you his deare child But alas I am an hypocrite and do seeke nothing but mine own cōmoditie I would haue gods euerlastīg prouidēce geue place to my peuish wil purpose although it were to the hinderance of his glory your swete cōmoditie God forgeue me my horrible ingratitude sinnes and offences against hym and good brother do you forgeue me my great negligence and vnthankfulnes towards you and hence forth I promise you I wil put my will to Gods will and pray that the same may be fulfilled in you so longe as you be on this earth and whē you are taken hence I wil most hartely prayse the Lord for you so long as I haue my being in this world Ah my deare harte now I muste take my leaue of you and as I thinke my vltimum Vale in this life but in the life to come I am ryght well assured we shall merely meete together and that shortly I trust And in taking of my leaue of you my deare hart in the lord I shall desyre you faythfully to remember all the sweete messages that the Lord our good God and moste deare louing father hath sent you by me his most vnworthye seruaunte whiche as they are moste true so shall they bee moste truely accomplyshed vppon you eternally and for the more assuraunce and certificate thereof to youre Godlye conscience he hath cōmaūded me to repete the same vnto you again in his own name word Therefore now geue eare faithful credence Harken O ye heauens thou earth geue eare and beare me witnes at the great day that I do here faithfully truly the lords message vnto his deare seruant his singularly beloued elect child Iohn Bradford Iohn Bradford thou man so specially beloued of god I pronounce testifie vnto thee in the word name of the lord Iehouah that al thy sinnes whatsoeuer they be be they neuer so many so greuous or so great be fully frely pardoned released forgeuen thee by the mercy of god in Iesus Christ thine only Lord and swete Sauiour in whom thou doste vndoubtedly beleue Christe hath clensed thee with hys bloode clothed thee with hys righteousnes hath made thee in the sight of god his father without spot or wrinckle So that whē the fier doth his appointed office thou shalt be receaued as a swete burnt sacrifice into heauen where thou shalt ioyfully remaine in gods presēce for euer as the true inheritour of his euerlasting kingdome vnto that which thou wast vndoutedly predestinate ordayned by the lords vnfallible purpose decree before the foundatiō of the world was layd And that this is most true that I haue said I cal the whole Trinitie the almighty eternal Maiestie of god the father the sonne the holy ghoste to my recorde at this present whom I humbly besech to confirme stablishe in thee the true and liuely feling of the same Amen Selah Now with a mery hart a ioyfull spirite something mixed with lawfull teares I take my farewell of you mine owne deare brother in the Lord who send vs shortly a mery meting in his kingdome that we may both sing prayses together vnto him with his holy Angels blessed spirites for euer euer Farewel thou blessed of the lord farewell in Christ depart vnto thy rest in the Lord pray for me for Gods sake As I had made an end of this simple letter I heard some comfort both of good Maister Philpottes seruant yours but alas I do scarcely beleue them Wel I wil hope in god and pray al night that god will sende me some comforte to morrow if the Lord geue you sparing to morrow let me heare .iiij. words of comfort frō you for gods sake The blessing of god be with you now and for euer Amen Yours for euer in the Lord Iesus Iohn Careles liuyng in hope agaynst hope To a faythfull frende of hys by whome he had receyued much comforte in hys trouble and affliction THe peace of God in Iesus Christ wyth the eternall comfort of hs swete spirite bee wyth you my deare brother now and euer Amen Ah my dere faithfull brother what hūble praise harty thākes am I boūd cōtinually to rēder vnto god for you in that he hath made you so worthy and comfortable an instrument vnto me his most vnworthy seruaunt in this tyme of my great conflict This is the cōflict whereby Sathan hath alwais sought to molest and vexe the true childrē of god to plucke them from the hope of their saluatiō in Christ ▪ Read psal 77.88.22 31.38.69 and concernyng this matter reade before fol. 152 194. 288. 325. the whole letter followyng not onely against flesh and blood but also against the spirituall power of darkenes In which wrestling though I be very weake yet haue I I thanke God most hartely therefore receiued such
body blood offred once for al. This I know my good sister you do constaÌ„tly coÌ„fesse beleue as the godly fruite of your christiaÌ„ fayth doth dayly testify I trust to be a witnes with you at the great day that your fayth is vnfayned ful of godly charitie the lord encrease the same I am constrayned here to make an end full sore agaynst my will My poore prayers shall supply that whiche my penne doth lacke The blessing of God be with you nowe and euer Amen Your dayly Oratour Iohn Careles A letter of M. John Rough wrytten a little before hys death to the Christian congregation in London whereof he was a minister and Preacher THe comfort of the holy ghost make you able to geue consolation to others in these daungerous dayes when Sathan is let lose to the tryal of the chosen when it pleaseth our God to sift his wheate from the chaffe I haue not leasure and time to write the great temptations I haue bene vnder I speake to Gods glorye my care was to haue the senses of my soule open to perceaue the voyce of god saying who that denieth me before men them wil I denie before my father his Angels and to saue the life corporall is to lose the life eternall and he that will not suffer with Christe shall not reigne with him Therefore moste tender ones I haue by Gods spirite geuen ouer the fleshe with the fyghte of my soule and the spirite hath the victorye The fleshe shall nowe ere it be longe leaue of to sinne the spyrite shall reygne eternallye I haue chosen the death to confyrme the truth by me taughte What can I doe more Consider with your selues that I haue done it for confyrmation of Gods truth Praye that I maye continue vnto the ende The great parte of the assaulte is paste I prayse my GOD. I haue in all my assaultes felte hys presente ayde I geue hym moste hartye thankes therefore Loke not backe nor bee ye ashamed of Christes Gospell nor of the bondes I haue suffered for the same thereby ye maye bee assured it is the true word of God The holy ones haue bene sealed with the same marke It is no tyme for the losse of one man in the battel for the campe to turne backe Vp with mens hartes blowe downe the dawbed walles of heresyes Let one take the Banner an other the Trumpet I meane not to make corporall resistance but praye and ye shall haue Elias defence and Heliseus companye to fight for you for the cause is the lords Now my brethren I can write no more tyme will not suffer and my harte wyth panges of death is assaulted but I am at home wyth my God yet alyue Pray for me and salute one an other wyth the holy kysse The peace of God reste with you all Amen From Newgate pryson in hast the day of my condeÌ„nation Iohn Rough. A letter of Cutberte Symson a Deacon of the Christian congregation in London burnt in Smythfielde for the veretye of Christes Gospell written to his wyfe out of the Colehouse MY dearelye beloued in the Lorde Iesus Christe Of the exceeding cruell vnmercifull Rackings and other tormeÌ„ts that thys man of God most paciently suffred read see in the boke of Martyrs Fol. 16â—1 I can not wryte as I doe wyshe vnto you I besethe you with my soule submytte your self vnder the mighty hand of our God trusting in hys mercy and he will surely helpe vs as shal be moste vnto hys glorye and oure euerlasting comforte being sure of thys that he will suffer nothing to come vnto vs but that which shal be most profitable for vs. For it is eyther a correction for oure synnes or a tryall of oure fayth or to set forth hys glorye or for altogether and therefore muste needes be well done for there is nothing that commeth vnto vs by fortune or chauÌ„ce but by our heauenly fathers prouidence And therfore pray vnto our heauenly father that he wil euer geue vs his grace so to consider it Let vs geue him most harty thankes for these hys fatherly corrections for as many as he loueth he correcteth And I besech you now be of good chere counte the crosse of Christ greater riches then al the vaine pleasures of England I do not doubt I prayse God for it but that you haue supped with Christ at his Maundie I meane that you beleue in him for that is the effect theÌ„ must you drinke of his cup I meane his crosse for that doth the cup signifye vnto vs. Take the cup with a good stomacke in the name of god then shal you be sure to haue the good wine Christs blood to your poore thirstye soule And when you haue the wine you muste drinke it out of this cup. Learne this wheÌ„ you come to the Lords supper Pray continually In al things geue thankes Cutbert Symson A letter of VVilliam Coker then prysoner in Caunterburye and afterwarde burnt for the testimonye of the truth wrytten to a frend of hys AS your hartye frend in god and through the mercy of our lord Iesus Christ as pertaining to the fayth your brother I send you greting most ChristiaÌ„ salutations For your kindenes in that you wrote so spedely to me again I coÌ„mend you thanke god for it though of necessitie you say you were partly moued so to do by reasoÌ„ of my bondes in the Lorde I hartely ioyed by occasioÌ„ of your letter because I vnderstode thereby the state of mine olde frends godly acquaintance and how ye al continually labour as we do in the Gospel of Christ which is the worde of saluation to as many as beleue Wherin we haue this coÌ„fidence through our fayth in the blood of Christ the thoughe Sathan his rabble of ministers doe rage neuer so muche with lying deceaueable power yea though he shoulde appeare neuer so glorious Angellike in the sight of the world yet shal his fiery dartes be quenched he neuer able to preuaile against vs. For the which testimonye of conscience I geue thankes vnto god froÌ„ the bottome of my hart praye alwaies vnto the Lord that as we haue begonne eueÌ„ so we may go forwardes vnto the end vntil the time that the darknes be cleane put away and the perfect light shine in oure harts soules bodyes in the eternal kingdome with god where we shal be sure our enemies shal not preuaile agaiÌ„st vs but then most victoriouslye be ouercome by that sweete Lambe the sonne of God In the meane time the Lord preserue keepe vs froÌ„ euil The Lorde make vs stoute in hys cause geue vs grace to confesse the truth before thys whorysh generation The Lord graunt we may worke his heauenly wil that when the time shal come he may receaue vs vnto himself in the glory euerlasting To whom be prayse honour for euer and euer Amen Your brother in bondes for the
downe to hel and fetcheth vp agayne Praysed be that Lord for euer yea praysed be hys name for that he hath geuen me true experience and liuely feling of the same Blessed be the lord god whose mercy endureth for euer whiche hath not dealt with me according to my deepe desertes nor destroyed me in hys dyspleasure when I had iustly deserued it Oh what rewarde shal I geue agayne vnto the Lorde for all the great benefites that he hath done for my soule I will gladlye receyue the cup of saluation at his hande and will worshippe his name with prayer and with prayse Ah my deare hart yea most deare vnto me in the lord thynke not this sodaine chaunge in me to be some fickle phātasy of my folish head as in dede some other would surelye suspect it to be for doutles it is the meruelous doynge of the Lord most mercifull vnto me hys vnworthye creature God for his great mercy sake geue me grace to be more than full vnto him then I heretofore haue ben and kepe me that I neuer fall forth of hys fauour agayne And now my deare brother most blessed messenger of the lord whose beautifull feete haue brought much glad tydings vnto my soule what shall I do or say vnto you in the leaste parte to recompence your fatherly affection and godly care that you continually kepe for me Oh that god would geue me the spirite of feruent prayer that I might yet that waye supplye some little part of my duty toward you Ah my true louyng frend how sone did you lay aside all other busines to make a swete plaister for my wounded conscience yea and that out of a painfull payre of stockes which place must nedes be vneasye to wryte in But god hath brought you into a strait place that you might set my soule at libertye Out of your pynchyng payneful seat you haue plentifully powred vpon me your precious narde the swete sauour wherof hath greatly refreshed my tired soule The lord likewyse refresh you both bodye and soule by powring the oyle of his gratious Spirite into yours swete hart Ah good Ieremy Ieremy 20 hath Phasure put thee in the stockes Why now thou hast the ryghte rewarde of a prophet Thy glory neuer began to appeare vntil now I dout not but shortly in stede of Ahikam the sonne of Saphan Ieremy 26 Iesus the sonne of the liuyng god will come and deliuer thee forth of the hands of all thine enemies wil also make good against thē the Antichristian Sinagoge al the wordes that thou hast spoken in hys name Ieremy 1. The lord hath made thee this day a strong defēded Tower an iron pyller and a brasen wall against the whole rable of Antichrist and though they fyghte against thee neuer so fiercely Ieremy 15. yet shall they not ouercome thee for the Lord himselfe is with thee to helpe and delyuer thee and he will ridde thee out of the handes of the wycked wyll delyuer thee out of the hands of the tyrānes And in that you are not busy in casting pearles before swine Math. 7 nor in geuing holy things vnto dogs you are much to be commended in my simple iudgement And sure I am that your circumspect and modest behauiour hytherto hath bene as much to gods glory confusion of your enemies as any mans doinges that are gone before you Wherfore myne aduise most earnest desyre is wyth all other of your louyng frendes that you styll keepe that order with those bloodthursty byshoppes that you haue begonne For though in conclusion they wyll surely haue your blood yet shall they come by it wyth shame enough and to their perpetuall infamy whiles the world doth indure They would in dede condemne you in hugger mugger to darken gods glory if it might be but Sathans thoughtes are not vnknowen to you and the depthe of hys subtiliy is by you wel foreseene Therfore let them do whatsoeuer god shall suffer them to do for I know al thynges shall turne to your best Though you lye in the darke storryed wyth the bishoppes blacke cole dust yet shall you shortly be restored to the heauenly light psal 68 and made as whyte as snowe in Salmon and as the wyngs of a Doue that is couered wyth siluer wings and her fethers lyke golde You knowe the vessell before it is made bright is soyled wyth oyle and other thinges that it may scoure the better Oh happy be you that you be nowe in the scouryng house for shortly you shall be set vpon the celestial shelfe as bryght as aungels Therefore my deare harte I wyll nowe accordyng to your louyng requeste caste awaye all care and reioyse wyth you and prayse GOD for you and praye for you day and nighte Yea I will nowe with Gods grace synge psalmes of prayse and thankesgeuyng with you for nowe my soule is turned into her olde rest agayne and hath taken a swete nappe in Christes lappe I haue cast my care vpon the Lorde which careth for me and wyll be Careles accordyng to my name in that respecte whiche you woulde haue me I wyll leaue out my vnsemely addition as long as I lyue for it can take no place where true faythe and hope is residente So soone as I had red your most godly and comfortable letter my sorrowes vanished away as smoke in the wynde my spirite reuiued and comfort came agayne wherby I am sure the spirite of god was author of it Oh good maister Philpot which art a pryncipall potte in dede sylled with most precious lycour as it apeareth by the prenceous powryng forthe of the fame oh pot most happy of the high potter ordayned to honour whiche doest contayne such heauenlye treasure in thy earthen vessell oh potte chryse happy in whom Christ hath wrought a great myracle altering thy nature and turnyng water into wyne and that of the best whereout the maister of the feast hath fylled my cup so full that I am become dronken in ioy of the spirite through the same when Martyrdome shall breake thee O vessell of honour I knowe the fragraunce sauoure of thy precious narde wyll much reioyce the heauy hartes of Christes true members although the Indasses wyll grudge murmure at the same yea and burst out into wordes of slaunder saping it is but lost and waste Be not offended deare harte at my Metaphoricall speache for I am disposed to bee merye and with Dauid to daunce before the Arke of the Lord and though you play vpō a payre of Organes not very comely or easy to the flesh yet the swete sound that came from the same causeth me thus to do O that I were with you in body as presently I am in spirite that I might syng all care awaye in Christe for now the tyme of comforte is come I hope to be wyth you shortlye if all thinges happen arighte for my olde frendes of Couentrye haue put the Counsell in
remembraunce of me not sixe dais ago saying that I am more worthy to be burnt then any that was burned yet Gods blessyng on their hartes for their good reporte GOD make me worthye of that dignitie and hasten the tyme that I might set forthe hys glorye Praye for me deare harte I beseâ—h you and will all your company to doe the same and I wil pray GOD for you all so longe as I liue And now farewell in Christe thou blessed of gods owne mouthe I wil for a time take my leaue but not my last farewell Blessed be the tyme that euer I came into the kynges Benche to bee ioined in loue and fellowship with such deare childreÌ„ of the lord My good brother Bradford shal not be deade whyles you be alyue for verelye the spirite of hym dothe teste on you in most ample wyse Your letters of comforte vnto me in eche poynt do agree as though the one were a copy of the other He hath planted in me and you doe water the Lorde geue good increase My deare brethreÌ„ and fellow prisoners here haue them humbly and hartely commended vnto you and your company mournyng for your miserye but yet reioysing for your plenteous consolation and comfort in Christ We are all cherefull and mery vnder our crosse and do lack no necessaries praised be god for his prouidence and great mercyes towardes vs for euermore Amen Iohn Careles ¶ To certayne godly women forsakyng theyr owne countrey and goyng beyond the seas in the tyme of persecution for the testimony of the Gospell THe spirite of truth reueled vnto you my derely beloued by the gospell of our sauiour Iesus Christ be continually abidyng with you and augmented into a perfecte buildynge of you into the lyuely temple of God throughe the mighty operation of his power Amen I read in the Euangelists of certain godly women that ministred vnto Christ followyng hym in the dayes of his passion and neuer forsooke hym but beyng dead in hys graue brought oyle to annoynt him vntil that he had shewed himself vnto them after hys resurrection and hydden them shewe vnto hys disciples which at his passion were dispersed and tell them that he was rysen and that they should see him in Galile To whom I may iustly compare you my louing systers in Christ who of late haue sene hym suffer in hys members and haue ministred to their necessity annointing them with the comfortable oyle of your charitable assistance euen to the death and now since ye haue sene Christ to liue in the ashes of them whom the tyrannes haue slayne he wylleth you to go away vpon iust occasion offered you to declare to our dispersed brethren and systers that he is risen and liueth in hys elect members in England and by deathe doth ouercome infidelitye and that they shall see hym in Galile which is by forsakyng this world and by a faythfull desyre to passe out of this world by those wayes which he with his holy martyrs hath gone on before God therfore entier systers direct your way as he dyd Abraham and Tobias vnto a strauÌ„ge land God geue you helth both of body soule that ye may go from vertue to vertue grow froÌ„ streÌ„gth to strength vntyl ye may see face to face the god of Sion in his holy hyl with the innumerable coÌ„pany of hys blessed Martyrs and Sainctes Let there be continuall ascensions vnto heaueÌ„ in your hartes Let there be no decrease of any vetue which is already planted in you Be as the light of the iust such as Salomon sayth increaseth to the perfect day of the Lorde Let the strength of god be coÌ„mended in your weake vessels as it is Be examples of faythe and sobrietie to all that ye shall come in company withall Let your godly conuersation speake where your tonge may not in the congregation Be swift to heare and slow to speake after the counsell of S. Iames. Be not curious about other mens doings but be occupied in prayer and continuall meditation wyth reuerent talkyng of the worde of God without contention amongest the sainctes Let your faythe shine in a straunge countrey as it hathe done in your owne that your father which is in heauen may be glorified by you to the end This farewell I send you not as a thyng nedefull which know alredy what your duety is and be desirous to performe the same but as one that woulde haue you vnderstand that he is myndefull of your godly conuersation whereof he hathe had good experience and therefore wryteth this to bee as a perpetuall memoriall betwixt you and hym vntyll our metyng together before god where we shall ioy that we haue here louyngly put one another in memory of our duetye to performe it Farewell agayne myne owne bowels in christ and take me with you wheresoeuer you goe and leaue your selues with me that in spirite we may be present one wyth another Commend me to the whole congregation of christ wyllyng them not to leaue their countrey without witnes of the Gospell after that we all be slayne which already be stauled vp and appoynted to the slaughter and in the mean season to pray earnestly for our constancy that Christe may be glorified in vs and in them both by lyfe and death Farewell in the Lorde Yours for euer Iohn Philpot. ¶ An exhortation to a Syster of hys constantlye and cherefully to stick to the truth and to abide the triall of that doctrine which she had fruitefullye professed GOd the eternall father who hath iustifyed you by the bloode of hys sonne Iesus Christe and calleth you to hallowe hys name thoroughe a good conuersation and profession of lyfe he sanctifye you with daily encrease of vertue and fayth by his holy spirite that you may appeare a vessell of sanctification in the myddest of thys wycked and peruerse generation to the lande and prayse of the Gospell Amen I haue occasion myne own deare syster to prayse God in you for two causes the one that to your habilitie you are readye to shewe your selfe a naturall louyng syster vnto me your poore afflicted brother as by your gentle tokens you haue eftsones testified beyng absent as also presently visityng me which well declareth that you be a verye naturall syster in dede and to be praysed in this behalfe But in the other that you be also a syster to me in faythe after Christes gospell I am occasioned to thanke god so muche the more how much the one excelleth the other and the spiritual consaÌ„guinity is more perdurable then that which is of flesh and bloode and is a worker of that whyche is by nature for coÌ„monly such as be vngodly be vnnaturall and onely louers of themselues as daily experience teacheth us The lyuyng lord which throughe the incorruptible seed of hys worde hath begotten you to be my liege syster geue you grace so to grow in that generation that you may encrease to a perperfecte age in the lord to be