Fynden in Darbyshyre and to M. Rob. Glouers wife by whose credible information we receiued the same Not much vnlike vsage was practised also by these catholicke children of the mother Churche vpon the body of Will the third brother WhoÌ„ after it had pleased almighty god about the same seasoÌ„ to cal out of this vale of misery the good disposed people of the Towne of Weme in Shropshyre where he dyed brought the bodye vnto the Parishe Church entending there to haue it buried But one Bernerd being then Curate of the sayd Church and is yet as I heare say to this day to stoppe the buriall therof rode to the bishop named Raufe Bayne to certify him of the matter and to haue his aduise therein In the meane time the body lying there a whole daye in the night time one Rich. Morice a Taylour woulde haue enterred him But then came Iohn Thorlyne of Weme with other moe woulde not suffer the body to be buryed expressing to vs the contrary examples of good Toby for as he was religious in buriyng the dead so this man putteth religioÌ„ in not burying the dead so that after he had layne there two dayes one night commeth the foresayd Bernerd the Curate with the Bishops letter the contentes of which letter beyng copied out word for word here foloweth * A copy of the Byshops Letter written to the Parish of Weme VNderstanding that one Glouer an heretick is dead in the parish of Weme whiche Glouer hath for all the time of my being in this country bene knowne for a rebellion agaynst our holy fath and Religion a Contemner of the holy Sacramentes and ceremonies vsed in holy Churche and hath separate himselfe froÌ„ the holy Communion of all good Christian men nor neuer required to be reconciled to our mother holy Church nor in hys last dayes did not call for his ghostly father but dyed without all rites belonging to a Christian man I thought it good not only to commaund the Curate of Weme that he shoulde not be buried in Christian mans buriall but also will and commaunde all the parish of Weme that no manne procure helpe nor speake to haue him buried in holy ground but I do charge and commaund the Church Wardens of Weme in speciall and all the parishe of the same that they assist the sayd Curate in defending and letting and procuring that he bee not buried neither in the Churche nor within the wanybles of the Churchyarde and likewise I charge those that brought the body to the place to cary it away agayne and that at theyr charge as they will aunswere at theyr perill At Ecclesch this 6. of September an 1558. By your Ordinary Radulph Couentry and Liechfield By the vertue of this foresaid letter so it fel out that they which brought the corps thither were fayne at their owne charges to carye it backe agayne But for so muche as the body was corrupted and smelt so strongly that vnneth any man might come nere it they were forced to draw it with horses vnto a bromefield and there was he buried Witnesses of the godly end of the sayde William Glouer dying in the true fayth and confession of Christe Mayster Nowell Deane of Liechfielde George Wilestone and hys wife Tho CoÌ„stantine Roger Wydouse Iohn Prynne George Torpelley c. The like example of charitable affection in these catholicke churchmen is also to be sene and noted in the burying of one mayster Edward Bourton Esquire who in the same Diocesse of Chester departing out of this worlde the verye day before Queene Elizabeth was crowned required of his frendes as they would aunswere for it that his bodye should be buryed in his Parishe Churche which was S. Chaddes in Shrousbury so that no Massemonger should be present therat Which thing being declared to the Curat of that Parish named sir Iohn Marshal the body being withall brought to the buriall vpon the same day wheÌ„ the Queene was crowned the Curate being therwith offended sayd playnely that he should not be buried in the church there Whereunto one of his frendes named George Torpelley answering againe said that God would iudge him in the last day c. Then the priest Iudge God saith he or Deuill the body shall not come there And so they buryed him in his owne garden Where he is no doubt as neare the kingdome of heauen as if he had bene buried the middest of the Church Moreouer in the sayd County of Salop I finde that one Olyuer Richardyne of the Parish of Whitchurch was burned in Hartford Weste Syr Iohn Ygone being Sheriffe the same time Whiche seemeth to be about the latter yeare of king Henry viij Whose name because it was not mentioned before I thought here to geue some litle touch of him hauing now in hande to speake of the persecution within the Diocesse of Couentry and Liechfield ¶ The Martyrdome of William Wolsey and Robert Pygot Paynter AFter the sufferyng of Mayster Robert Glouer Cornelius Bongey at Couentrye followeth next the condemnation of other two blessed Martyrs which were iudged and condemned at Eley by Iohn Fuller the Bishops Chauncellour of Eley Doctor Shaxâ—on his Susâ—ragane Robert Steward Deane of Eley Iohn Christopherson Deane of Norwich c. an 1555. October 9. the names of which martyrs were William Wolsey and Robert Pygot dwelling both in the Towne of Wisbich whiche William Wolsey being a constable dwelling and inhabiting in the Towne of Well was there brought to death by the meanes and procurement of one Richard Euerard GentlemaÌ„ a Iustice appoynted for those dayes who extremely handled the same William Wolsey and bounde him to the good abearing causing him to put in sureties vpon his good behauior vntill the next general Sessions holden within the I le of Eley and so the sayd Wolsey being dispatched of his office and brought in trouble remoued his house dwelling place comming to dwell in the Towne of Wisbiche Then being called agayne at the nexte Sessions hee was still constrayned to put in new sureties which at the leÌ„gth he refused to do so was commaunded to the Iayle at the Syse holden at Eley in lent In the Easter weeke folowing there repayred to conferre with him D. Fuller the Chauncellor with Christopherson and one D. Young who layde earnestlye to hys charge that he was out of the catholicke fayth willing him to meddle no further with the scriptures theÌ„ it did become such a lay man as he was to do The said William Wolsey staÌ„ding still a great while suffering them to say their pleasures at the last answered in this wise Good M. Doctor what did our Sauiour Christ meane when he spake these wordes written in the 23. Chapter of S. Mathewes Gospell Wo be vnto you Scribes and Phariseis ye hipocrites for ye shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men ye your selues goe not in neither suffer ye them that come to enter in Yea sayeth
Doctour Fuller you must vnderstand that Christ spake to the Scribes and Phariseys Nay Mayster Doctour sayth Wolsey Christ spake eueÌ„ to you and your felowes here present to al other such like as you be Away Mayster Doctor saith Christopherson for you can do no good with this man Yet sayth D. Fuller I will leane thee a booke to read I promise thee of a learned maÌ„s doing that is to say of Doctor Watsons doing who was then Bishop of Lincolne Wolsey receiuing the same booke did diligently reade it ouer which in many places did manifestly appeare contrary to the knowne trueth of Gods word At the length a fourtnight or three weekes folowing the sayde Doctour Fuller resorting agayne to the prison house to confer with the sayd Wolsey did aske him how he liked the sayd booke thinking that he had won him by the reading of the same who aunswered him and sayd Syr I like the booke no otherwise then I thought before I should find it Wherupon the Chauncellor taking his booke departed home At night when D. Fuller came to his chamber to looke on it he did finde in many places coÌ„trary to his minde the booke raced with a pen by the sayd Wolsey The which hee seing and being vexed therwith sayd Oh this is an obstinate hereticke and hath quite marred my booke Then the Syse holden at Wisbich drawing nye Doctor Fuller commeth agayne to the sayd Wolsey and speaketh vnto him on this maner Thou doest much trouble my coÌ„science wherfore I pray thee depart rule thy 〈◊〉 so that I heare no more complaint of thee and come to the Church when thou wilt and if thou be complayned vpon so farre as I may I promise thee I will not heare of it Mayster Doctour quoth Wolsey I was brought hyther by a law and by a law I will be deliuered Then being broughte to the Sessions before named Wolsey was layd in the Castle at Wisbich thinking to him and al his freÌ„des that he should haue suffered there at that present time but it proued nothing so Then Robert Pygot the painter being at liberty was there presented by some euill disposed persons sworne meÌ„ as they called them for not comming to the Church The sayd Pygot being called in the Sessions woulde not absent himselfe but there did playnely appeare before Syr Clement Hygham being Iudge who sayd vnto him Ah are you the holy father the Paynter How chaunce ye came not to the Churche Syr quoth the Paynter I am not out of the Church I trust in God No Syr sayd the Iudge this is no Churche this is a Haule Ye sir sayd Pygot I know very wel it is a Haule but he that is in the true faith of Iesus Christ is neuer absent but present in the Church of God Ah Syrha sayd the Iudge you are to high learned for me to talke withall wherfore I will send you to them that be better learned then I strayght wayes commaundynge him to the Iayle where Wolsey lay So the SessioÌ„s being broken vp and ended the sayd Wolsey and Pigot were caryed agayne to Eley into yrison where they both did remayne till the day of theyr death In the meane time certaine of theyr neighbors of Wisbych aforesayd being at Eley came to see how they did There came thither also a Chapleine of Bishop Gooderikes a Frenchman borne one Peter Ualentius who said vnto the said Wolsey and Pygot My brethren according to mine office I am come to talk with you for I haue bene Amner here this xx yeares and aboue Wheerfore I must desire you my brethren to take it in good parte that I am come to talke with you I promise you not to pull you from your fayth But I both requyre and desire in the name of Iesus Christ that you stande to the truth of the Gospell and worde and I beseech the almighty God for his sonne Iesus Christes sake to preserue both you me in the same vnto the end For I knowe not myselfe my brethreÌ„ how soone I shal be at the same point that you now are Thus with many other like wordes he made an end causing all that were there present to water theyr cheekes contrary to al the hope they had in him god be praysed therfore Then within short time after Pygot and Wolsey wer called to iudgement about the ix daye of October before Doctor Fuller then Chauncellor with old Doctor Shaxton Christopherson and others in Commission who layd earnestly to theyr charge for theyr belief in diuers articles but especially of the Sacrament of the aultar Whereunto theyr auÌ„swere was that the Sacrament of the aultar was an Idoll and that the naturall body and bloud of Christe was not present really in the sayd Sacrament and to this opinion they sayd they would sticke beleuing perfectly the same to be no heresye that they had affirmed but the verye truth wherupoÌ„ they would stand Then said the Doctors that they were out of the Catholicke fayth Then Doctor Shaxton sayd vnto them good brethren remember your selues and become new men for I my self was in this â—ond opinion that you are nowe in but I am now become a new man Ah sayd Wolsey are you become a new man Wo be to thee thou wicked new man for God shal iustly iudge thee Doctour Fuller then spake saying this Wolsey is an obstinate felow and one that I could neuer do good vpon But as for the Paynter hee is a man quiet and indifferent as farre as I perceiue and is soone reformed and maye very well be deliuered for any euill opinion I find in him Then Christopherson called for penne and yncke and wrote these wordes folowing I Robert Pygot do beleue that after â—he wordes of consecration spoken by the Priest thâ—re remaineth no more bread and wine but the very body and bloud of Christ really substauntially the selfe same that was borne of the virgine Mary and reading it to the Paynter he sayd thus doest thou beleue all this according as it is written Pygot No Syr sayd the Paynter that is your fayth and not mine Christopher Loe Mayster Doctor Fuller you would haue letteÌ„ this felow go he is as much an heretick as the other And so immediately iudgemeÌ„t was geuen vpon theÌ„ to dye Which done after the seÌ„teÌ„ce read they were sent again to the prison where they did lye till the day of theyr death At which day one Peacocke Bachelor of diuinity being appoynted to preach took his text out of the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corin. 5. chap. of one that had liued vnordinately by abusing his fathers wife likening the sayd Pygot and Wolsey to the same man often times saying that such members must be cut of from the congregation most maliciously reporting the sayd Wolsey to be cleane out of the fayth and in many places quite denying the Scripture So his Sermon being ended the forenamed Pygot
he acknowledgeth for his those no man without great impietie may exclude from the number of the faythful But God promiseth that he will not onely be the God of such as doe professe hym but also of Infants promising them hys grace and remission of sinnes as it appereth by the words of the couenaunt made vnto Abraham I will set my couenant betweene thee and me sayth the Lord and betweene thy seede after thee in their generations with an euerlasting couenaunt to be thy God and the God of thy seede after thee To the which couenaunt Circumcision was added to be a signe of satisfaction as well in children as in men no man may think that this promise is abrogated with Circumcision other ceremoniall lawes For Christ came to fulfill the promises and not to dissolue them Therfore in the Gospell he sayth of Infants that is of such as yet beleeued not Let thy little ones come vnto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of heauen Agayne It is not the will of your father which is in heauen that any of these little ones do perish Also He that receyueth one such little chyld in my name receyueth me Take heede therefore that ye despise not one of these babes for I tell you their Angels do continually see in heauen my fathers face And what may be sayd more playner then this It is not the wyll of the heauenly father that the Infants should perish whereby we may gather that he receyueth them freely vnto this grace although as yet they confesse not their fayth Since then that the worde of the promise which is conteyned in Baptisme pertayneth as well to children as to men why shoulde the signe of the promise which is Baptisme in water be withdrawen from childrē when Christ hymselfe commandeth them to be receiued of vs and promiseth the reward of a Prophet to those that receiue such a little Infant as he for an example dyd put before hys disciples Now will I prooue with manifest argumentes that children ought to be baptised that the Apostles of Christ did baptise children The Lord commanded his Apostles to baptise all nations therfore also children ought to bee baptised for they are comprehended vnder this worde All nations Further whom God doth account among the faithfull they are faythfull for it was sayd to Peter That thyng which God hath purified thou shalt not say to bee common or vncleane But God doth repute children among the faithfull Ergo they be faithfull except wee had leaue to resiste God and seeme stronger and wiser then he And without all doubte the Apostles baptised those which Christ commanded but he commanded the faythfull to be baptised among the which infants be reckoned The Apostles then baptised Infants The Gospell is more then Baptisme for Paule sayd The Lord sent me to preach the Gospell and not to baptise not that he denied absolutely that he was sent to baptise but that he preferred doctrine before Baptisme for the Lorde commaunded both to the Apostles but children be receyued by the doctrine of the gospel of God not refused therfore what person being of reason may deny thē baptisme which is a thing lesser then the Gospell for in the Sacraments be two things to be considered the thing signified and the signe the thing signified is greater thē the signe and from the thing signified in Baptisme children are not excluded who therfore may deny them the sign which is Baptisme in water S. Peter could not deny them to be baptised in water to whom he sawe the holy Ghost geuen which is the certayne signe of Gods people For he sayeth in the Actes May any body forbid them to be baptised in water who haue receyued the holy Ghost as well as we Therefore S. Peter denied not Baptisme to Infantes for hee knew certaynely both by the doctrine of Christ and by the couenant which is euerlasting that the kingdome of heauen pertayned to Infants None be receyued into the kyngdome of heauen but such as God loueth and which are endued with his spirit for who so hath not the spirite of God he is none of hys But Infantes be beloued of God and therefore want not the spirit of God wherefore if they haue the spirit of God as well as men if they bee numbred among the people of God as well as we that be of age who I pray you may well withstand children to be baptised with water in the name of the Lord The Apostles in tymes past beyng yet not sufficiently instructed did murmure against those which broght their children vnto the Lord but the Lord rebuked them said Let the Babes come vnto me Why then doe not these rebellions Anabaptists obey the cōmandement of the Lord For what do they now adayes els that bring their children to baptisme then that they did in tymes past which brought their children to the Lord and our lord receiued them and puttyng his hands on them blessed them both by words and by gentle behauiour towardes them declared manifestly that children be the people of God and entirely beloued of God But some will say why then did not Christ baptise them Because it is written Iesus hymselfe baptised not but hys disciples Moreouer Circumcision in the old law was ministred to infants therfore baptisme ought to be ministred in the new law vnto children For baptisme is come in the stead of Circumcision as S. Paule witnesseth saying to the Collossians By Christ yee are circumcised with a Circumcision which is without hands when ye put of the body of sinne of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ beyng buried together with hym through Baptisme Behold Paule calleth Baptisme the Circumcision of a Christian man which is done without hands not that water may be ministred without handes but that with hands no man any longer ought to bee circumcised albeit the mysterie of Circumcisiō do stil remain in faythfull people To this I may adde that the seruaunts of God were alwayes redy to minister the sacraments to them for whō they were instituted As for an example we may beholde Iosue who most diligently procured the people of Israell to be circumcised before they entred into the lande of promise but since the Apostles were the preachers of the word and the very faithful seruants of Iesus Christ who maye hereafter doubt that they baptised infants sithen baptisme is in place of Circumcision Item the Apostles dyd attemperate all their doyngs to the shadowes and figures of the olde Testament therfore it is certayne that they did attemperate Baptisme accordingly to Circumcision and baptised children because they were vnder the figure of Baptisme for the people of Israell passed through the red sea and the bottome of the water of Iordane with their children And although the children be not alwayes expressed
tribulations that being founde constant to the end he may crowne his owne giftes in them in heauen highly reward thē Whether I trust to goe before looking for you to followe my faythfull frend that we maye sing perpetuall praise to our louing Lord God for victory ouer Sathan and sinne won for vs by Iesus Christ God and man our onely and sufficient Sauiour and Aduocate Amen Farewell and pray in fayth Yours Thomas Whittell Minister and nowe condemned to dye for the Gospels sake 1556. Ianuary 21. ¶ All my felowes salute you Salute all our faythful brethren with you ¶ To my deare frend and brother Iohn Went and other his prison felowes in Lollardes Tower HE that preserued Ioseph prisoner in Egypt fed Daniel in the Lions denne and deliuered Paul Peter and the Apostles out of prison vouchsafe of his goodnes to keep feed and deliuer you my good brother Went with the other our felow souldiors your prison felowes as may be most to his glory to your consolatiō and the edification of his Church I cannot but praise God most earnestly when I heare of your constancy in the fayth and ioye in the crosse of Christ which you now beare and suffer together with many other good members of Christ which is a token that by Christ you are counted worthy the kingdome of God as Paule sayth And though the world counteth the yoake and crosse of Christ as a most pernicious and hurtfull thing yet we which haue tasted how frendly the Lord is cannot but reioice in this persecution as touching our selues in as much as the cause for the which we suffer is the Lordes cause and not ours at whose hand if we endure to the end we shall receiue through his liberall promise in Christ not onely a greate reward in heauen but also the kingdome of heauen it selfe also in the meane season be sure to bee defended and cared for so that we shall lacke no necessarye thinges neither a heare of our heades shall perishe without his knowledge Oh what is he that would mistrust or not gladly serue so louing a father O how vnhappy are they that forsake him and put theyr trust in man But how blessed are they that for his loue and for his holy woordes sake in these troublesome dayes doe committe theyr soules and bodyes into his handes with wel doing counting it greater happines and riches to suffer rebuke with Christ and his Church thē to enioy the pleasures of this life for a litle short seasō This crosse that we nowe beare hath bene common to all the faythfull from Abell hitherto and shal be to the end because the Deuill hauyng great wrath agaynst God and his Christ can not abide that hee should for his manifolde mercies bee lauded and magnified and Christ to be taken and beleued vpon for our onely and sufficient redemer Sauiour and aduocate and therefore because we will not deny Christ nor dissemble with out fayth but openly protest and professe the same before the world he seeketh by all meanes to styrre vp his wicked members to persecute and kill the bodies of the true Christians as S. Iohn sayth the Deuill shall cast some of you into prison And Dauid sayth I beleued and therfore haue I spoken but I was sore troubled This notwithstanding goe forward deare brethren as ye haue begon to fight the Lords battel considering Christe the Captayne of your warre who will both fight for you geue you victorye and also highlye rewarde your paynes Consider to your comfort the notable and chiefe shepheardes and souldiours of Christe whiche are gone before vs in these dayes I meane those learned and godly Bishops Doctours other ministers of Gods word whose fayth and examples we that be inferiours ought to folowe as S. Paule sayth Remember them that haue declared vnto you the worde of God the ende of whose conuersation see that ye look vpon and folow theyr faith The grace blessing of God with the ministery of his holy Angels be with you for euer Amen All my prison felowes greete you From the Colehouse this 4. of December By your poore brother Thomas Whittell an vnworthy Minister of Christ nowe his prisoner for the Gospels sake Amen ¶ To all the true professors and louers of Gods holy Gospell within the City of London THe same faith for the whiche Abraham was counted righteous and Mary blessed the Lorde GOD encrease and make stable in your hartes my deare and faithfull brethren sisters of London for euer and euer Amen Dearely beloued be not troubled in this heat which is now come amongest you to try you as though some straunge thing had happened vnto you but reioyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christes passions that when his glory appeareth ye may be mery and glad c. Out of these wordes of S. Peter I gather most specially these 4. notes First the persecution happeneth to Christes Church for their triall that is for the probation and proofe of their fayth Which fayth like as it is knowne with God in the depth of our hartes so will he haue it made manifest to the whole worlde through persecution that so it may euidently appeare that hee hath such a Churche and people vpon earth which so trusteth in hym and feareth his holy name that no kinde of persecution paynes nor death shal be able to seperate them from the loue of hym And thus was Abraham tried and Iob tempted that their fayth whiche before laye hid almost in their hartes might bee made knowne to the whole world to be so stedfast and stronge that the deuill naturall loue nor no other enemie coulde bee able to bereaue them thereof Whereby also GOD was to be magnefied who both tryeth his people by many tribulations and also standeth by them in the middest of their troubles to deliuer them by lyfe or death as he seeth best like as he assisted Loth and deliuered hym out of his enemies handes Ioseph out of the handes of his Brethren and out of Prison Paule from his enemies in Damasco and the Apostles out of the Stockes and Prison These with many mo he deliuered to lyfe And also he deliuered Abell Eleazar Steuen and Iohn Baptist with other manye by deathe and hathe also by the tryall of their fayth made them good presidentes and examples to vs and all that come after to suffer affliction in the like cause as Saynt Iames sayeth Take my brethren sayth he the prophets for an ensample of suffering aduersity and of long pacience which spake vnto you in the name of the Lord beholde we count them happy which endure Y◠haue heard of the pacience of Iob and haue knowne what end the Lord made with him for the Lord is very pitifull and mercifull Also the Lorde tryeth vs to let vs see our owne hartes and thoughtes that no Hypocrisy or Ambitiō deceiue vs that the strong
in Christ may pray that he fall not but endure to the ende and that those that fall through fearefull infirmity might speedely repent and rise agayne with Peter and also that the weake ones mighte bewayle theyr weakenes and crye with Dauid haue mercy vpon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heale me for all my bones are vexed Of this opening of the heart by persecution spake holy Simion to Mary Christes mother when he sayde the Sworde that is the Crosse of persecution shall pearse thy Soule that the thoughtes of many hartes may be opened For like as a king that should go to battell is cōpelled to looke in his cofers what treasure he hath and also what number and puisaunce of menne and weapons hee hath so that if he himselfe be vnready and vnarmed to bicker with hys enemye he surceaseth and taketh truice for a time euen so wee by persecutions haue our heartes opened that wee maye looke therein to see what fayth in Christ we haue and what strength to withstand the enemies and to beare the Crosse that if we be riche in these treasures we might reioyce and valiauntly go to Battell or if we want these thinges with all speede to call and crye vppon him which geueth all good giftes to those that aske them Item the crosse trieth the good people from the bad the faythfull from the worldlinges and hipocrites and also cleanseth and scoureth the faythfull hartes from all corruption and filthinesse both of the flesh and the spirit And euen as yron except it be often scoured will soone waxe rusty so except our sinnefull hartes and flesh be often scoured with the whetstone of the Crosse they will soone corrupt ouergrowe with the ruste of all filthinesse and sinne And therefore it is meete and good for vs as the wise man sayeth that as gold siluer are tryed in the fire so should the hartes of acceptable men be tried in the fornace of aduersity Abide the triall deare frendes that yee may obteyne the Crowne of life Fighte manfully in this the Lordes cause that ye may obteyne a glorious victorye here and receiue a greate rewarde in heauen hereafter As yee are called Christians and woulde be angry to be called Iewes or Turkes so declare your Christianity by folowing the steps of Christ whose name ye beare suffer with hym and for his Gospelles sake rather then to denye him or to defile your fayth and conscience with false worshipping of Romish religion Take vp your Crosse my deare hartes now when it is offered you and go vp with Christ to Ierusalem amōgest the Bishoppes Priestes and Rulers if God call you thereto and they will anone sende you to Caluery from whence dying in the cause of the Gospell wherein our good Preachers and Brethren haue geuen theyr liues your soules I warrant you through Christ Iesu shall ascend to God that gaue them and the body shall come after at the last day and so shal ye dwell with the Lord for euer in vnspeakeable ioy and blisse O blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake as Christes people in this Iewish Englande nowe doth for theyrs is the kingdome of heauen O my beloued set your mindes on this kingdome where Christ our head and king is considering that as the brute beast tooketh downewardes with the face towardes the earth so man is made contrariwise with his face looking vpward towardes the heauens because his conuersation should be in heauen and heauenlye thinges and not vpon the earth and earthly thinges and S. Paule sayth set your mindes on thinges whiche are aboue where Christ is And agayne he sayth our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for our Sauiour who will chaunge our vile bodyes and make them like to his glorious body Oh the glorious estate that we be called vnto The Lord preserue vs harmeles to his eternal kingdome through Christ Iesus our Lord. Amen The second thing that I note in the foresayde wordes of Peter is that he calleth persecution no straunge thinge And trueth it is for which of the Prophetes were not persecuted with Christ and his Apostles and some of them in the end cruelly killed for the truthes sake Cain killed Abell Isaac was persecuted of Ismaell Iacob was hated of Esau Ioseph was prisoned and set in the Stockes the Prophet Esay was cut in two with a Saw Ieremy was stoned Micheas was buffeted and fed with bread and water Helias was sore persecuted Eleazar and the woman with her 7. sonnes were cruelly killed What Christ and the Apostles suffered it is well knowne So that by many tribulations as Paul sayth we must enter into the kingdome of Heauen All the holy Prophetes Christ and hys Apostles suffered such afflictions not for euill doing but for preaching Gods word for rebuking the world of sinne and for theyr fayth in Iesus Christ. This is the ordinance of GOD my Frendes this is the high way to heauen by corporall death to eternall life as Christ sayth he that heareth my woordes and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath eternall life and shall not come into iudgement but is escaped from death to life Let vs neuer feare death which is killed by Christ but beleue in him and liue for euer as Paule sayth There is no damnation to them that are in Christ Iesu which walke not after the fleshe but after the Spirit And agayne Paule sayth Death where is thy styng Hell where is thy victory Thankes be to God which hath geuen vs victory through Iesu Christe Besides this ye haue seene and dayly doe see the bloud of your good Preachers and Brethren which hath bene shed in the Gospelles cause in this sinnefull Sodome this bloudy Ierusalem this vnhappy City of London Lette not theyr bloud be forgotten nor the bloud of your good Bishop Ridley who like a Shepheard to your comforte exāple hath geuen his life for his sheepe good S. Paule sath remember them that haue spoken to you the word of God and looke vpon the end of theyr conuersation and folow theyr fayth The Deuill euer stirreth vp false teachers as he hath done now ouer all Englande as Peter Paule and Iude prophesied it should be to poyson and kill our soules with the false doctrine And where he fayleth of his purpose that way then mooueth he his members to persecute the seely carcases of the Saynctes because they will not denye nor dissemble theyr pure fayth in our liuing Christ and confesse a dead breadye Christ and honour the same as Christ God and man contrary to Gods commaūdement This is the working of Sathan who knowing hys owne iust damnation woulde all mankinde to be partakers wyth him of the same such a mortall hatred beareth he agaynst GOD and his people And therefore when this wicked Tempter coulde not kill Christe with subtle tentation to fall downe and worship him then
and forgiuen your sinnes nowe cleaue vnto him and be at defiance with his enemyes the Papistes as they doe beare witnesse with their Father the Deuill by goinge to the Church and shedding of the innocent bloud of all those that will not goe with them euen so do you beare witnes with Christ by not comming there for all those that do go thither shal be partakers of their brethrens bloud that is shed for the testimonye of Christ except they repent amend which grace that they may so doe I beseech the eternall God for his Christes sake if it be his good will to geue them in his good tyme. And the same good God that hath bene so mercifull vnto you to call you to repentance him I beseech to keepe you in his feare loue that you may haue alwayes affiance in him and euermore seeke his honour glory to your euerlasting comfort in Christ Amen Thus fare you well from the kinges bench this 28. of August By me William Tyms ¶ An other letter of W. Tyms to certayne godly women of his parish folowers of the Gospell GRace mercy and peace from GOD the Father through our Lord Iesus Christ be with you both now and euermore Amen Deare sisters I haue me most hartely commended vnto you thanking you for the great kindnes shewed vnto me in this tyme of my imprisonment and not onely vnto me but also vnto my poore wife and children and also for the great kindnesse that you shew vnto all the liuing saints that be dispersed abroad and are fayne to hide their heades for feare of this cruell persecution Deare sisters when I do remember your constancy in christ I call to remembraunce the constancy of diuers godly women as Susanna Iudith Hester and the good wife of Nabal that thorow her godly conditions saued both her husbandes life and all her housholde when Dauid had thoughte to haue slayne him for his churlish aunswere that he sent him Also I do remember Rahab that lodged the Lordes Spyes howe God preserued her and her whole housholde for her faythfulnesse that she bare to Gods people So I doe beleue that when the Lord shall send his Aungell to destroy these Idolatrous Egyptians here in England and shall finde the bloud of the Lambe sprinkled on the dore postes of your harts he wil go by not hurt you but spare your whole housholdes for your sakes Also I do remember Mary Magdalen how faythfull she was for she was the first that preached the resurrection of Christ. Remember the blessed Martir Anne Askew in our time folow her example of constancy And for the loue of God take heede that in no case you doe consent to Idolatrye but stande fast to the Lorde as the good woman did that had her seuen sonnes put to death before her face and she alwayes comforting them yea and last of all suffered death her selfe for the testimony of her God which is the liuing God Thus I beseech God to send you grace and strength to stand fast to the Lorde as shee did and then you shall be sure of the same kingdome that she is sure of to the which kingdome I pray God bring both you and me Amen By me William Tyms prisoner in the Kinges Bench. ¶ An other Letter of William Tyms to his frend in Hockley THe grace of God the Father through the merites of his deare sonne Iesus our Lord and onely Sauiour with the continuall ayde of his holy and mighty spirit to the performance of his wil to our euerlasting comfort be with you my deare brethren both now and euermore Amen My dearely beloued I beseeche God to rewarde the greate goodnesse that you haue shewed vnto me seuen folde into your bosomes and as you haue alwayes had a moste godly loue vnto his word euen so I beseech him to geue you grace to loue your owne soule and then I trust that you will flee from al those thinges that shoulde displease our good and mercifull God and hate and abhorre all the companye of those that woulde haue you to worship God any otherwise then is conteined in his holy worde And beware of those maysters of Idolatrye that is these papisticall Priestes My deare brethren for the tender mercy of God remember well what I haue sayd vnto you and also written the which I am now ready to seale with my bloud I prayse God that euer I liue to see the daye and blessed bee my good and mercifull God that euer he gaue me a body to glorify his name And deare hartes I do now write vnto you for none other cause but to put you in remembraunce that I haue not forgotten you to the end that I woulde not haue you forgette me but to remember well what I haue simply by worde of mouth and writing taught you The which although it were moste simplye done yet truely as your owne conscience beareth me record and therefore in any case take good heed that you do not that thing which your own conscience doth condemne Therefore come out of Sodome and goe to heauen ward with the seruauntes and martyrs of God least you be pertakers of the vengeance of God that is comming vpō this wicked natiō from the which the Lord our God defend you and send vs a ioyfull meeting in the kingdome of heauen vnto the which God bring you all Amen Thus now I take my leaue of you for euer in this world except I be burned amongst you whiche thing is vncertayne vnto me as yet By me your poorest and most vnworthy brother in Christ W. Tyms in Newgate the 12. day of April condemned to dye for Christes verity ¶ An other Letter of William Tyms geuing thankes to his parishioners for theyr charity shewed to his wife being brought to bed of a childe in his captiuity THe euerlasting peace of our deare Lord and only sauiour Iesus Christ with the sweete comfort of his holy mighty spirite to the encrease of your fayth to the perfourmance of his will and to your eternall cōfort in the euerlasting kingdome of heauen be with you my deare brethren and sisterne both now and euer Amen My most deare brethren sisterne in our Lord and sauior Iesus Christ I haue me most hartely cōmended vnto you with harty thankes for all the great liberality that you haue shewed vnto me specially now in this time of my necessity whē that God hath sēt my poore wife a childe in my captiuity which is no litle care to me so to prouide that I might keepe both the child my wife from the Antichristian church the which thing I thanke my good god through his most gracious prouidence I haue yet done though it be as you know great charge not to me but to the congregation of God it greueth me that I haue bene so chargeable to thē as I haue bene specially you my deare brethrē I being so vnworthy a
not awaye all thy true preachers forth of this realme O Lord but leaue vs a seede least England be made like vnto Sodome and Gomorre when thy true Lothes be gone But what goe I aboute to mingle your myrthe wyth my mourning and your iust ioy with my deserued sorow If I loued you in deede as I haue pretended I shoulde surely reioyce with you most hartily praise god on your behalfe from the very bottome of my hart I should prayse God day and night for your excellēt election in through his great mercy and should geue him most humble thākes for your vocation by his Gospell your true knowledge in the same I should earnestly prayse him for your sweete iustification wherof you are most certayne by Gods grace and spirite should instantly pray vnto him for your glorification which shall shortly ensue I should reioyce and be glad to see you so dignifyed by the crowne of Martyrdome and to be appoynted to that honour to testify hys truth and to seale it with your bloud I should highly extoll the Lord who hath geuen you a glorious victory euer al your enemies visible and inuisible and hath geuen you grace and strength to finish the Tower that you haue begunne to build Finally if I loued you I should most hartily reioice and be glad to see you deliuered from this body of sinne and vile prison of the fleshe and brought into that heauenly tabernacle where you shal be safely kept and neuer offend him more This and much more should I do if I had a good hart towardes God or you his deare childe But alas I am an hypocrite do seeke nothing but mine owne commodity I would haue gods euerlasting prouidēce geue place to my peeuish will purpose although it were to the hinderance of his glory and your sweet commodity God forgeue me my horrible ingratitude sinnes offēces agaynst him and good brother do you forgeue me my great negligence and vnthankfulnes towards you and henceforth I promise you I will put my will to Gods wil pray that the same may be fulfilled in you so long as you be on this earth and when you are taken hence I will most hartely prayse the Lord for you so lōg as I haue my being in this world Ah my deare hart nowe I muste take my leaue of you and as I thinke my Vltimum vale in this lyfe but in the life to come I am righte well assured we shall merilye meete together that shortly I trust And in taking of my leue of you my deare hart in the Lord I shall desire you faythfully to remēber all the sweet messages that the Lord our good God most deare louing father hath sent you by me his most vnworthy seruaunt which as they are moste true so shall they be most truly accōplished vpon you eternally and for the more assurance and certificate thereof to your godly cōscience he hath cōmaunded me to repeat the same vnto you agayne in his owne name and word Therfore now geue eare and faithfull credence Harken O ye heauens and thou earth geue eare and beare me witnes at the great day that I do here faythfully and truly the lordes message vnto his dear seruant his singularly beloued and elect childe Iohn Bradford Iohn Bradford thou man so specially beloued of God I pronoūce testify vnto thee in the word name of the Lord Iehoua that all thy sinnes whatsoeuer they be be they neuer so many so grieuous or so great be fully freely pardoned released forgeuen thee by the mercy of God in Iesus Christ thyne onely Lord sweet sauiour in whom thou doest vndoubtedly beleue Christ hath cleansed thee with his bloud and clothed thee with his righteousnes and hath made thee in the sight of God his father without spotte or wrinckle so that when the fire doth his appoynted office thou shalt be receyued as a sweete burnt sacrifice into heauen where thou shalt ioyfully remayn in Gods presence for euer as the true inheritor of his euerlasting kingdome vnto that whiche that wast vndoubtedly predestinate ordeined by the Lords vnfallible purpose and decree before the foundation of the worlde was layde And that this is most true that I haue sayd I call the whole Trinity the almighty and eternall maiesty of God the father the sonne and the holy ghost to my record at this present whom I humbly beseech to confirme and stablish in thee the true and liuelye feeling of the same Amen Selah Now with a mery hart and a ioyfull spirit something mixed with lawful teares I take my farewel of you mine owne deare brother in the Lorde who sende vs shortly a merye meeting in his kingdome that we maye both sing prayses together vnto him with hys holy Aungelles and blessed spirites for euer euer Farewel thou blessed of the Lord farewell in Christ depart vnto thy rest in the Lorde and pray for me for Gods sake As I had made an ende of this simple Letter I hearde some comfort both of good Maister Philpots seruant and yours but alas I doe scarcely beleue them Well I wyll hope in God pray all night that God will send me some comfort to morrowe and if the Lorde geue you sparing to morow let me heare foure words of comfort from 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 liuing in hope agaynst hope In reading this letter of Iohn Careles to M. Bradford aboue prefixed wherein he maketh so much mētion of a certayne letter of his sent to him and of the great exceeding consolation he receiued of the same thou wilt wishe peraduenture good louing Reader in thy mynd to haue some sight also of the sayd Letter of M. Bradford Wherein to satisfy thy desire or rather to preuent thy petition I haue hereunto annexed the same to the entent thou mayest not onely vnderstand the contentes therof but also receiue fruit therof to thy cōsolation likewise The purport of the letter here foloweth ¶ Mayster Bradford to Careles ALmighty God our deare father through and for the merits of his dearely beloued sonne Iesus Christ be mercifull vnto vs pardon vs our offences vnder the winges of his mercy he protect vs from all euill from henceforth and for euer Amen Deare brother Careles I hartely pray you to pray to GOD for me for the pardon of my manifold sinnes and most grieuous offences whiche neede none other demonstration vnto you then this namely that I haue behaued my selfe so negligently in aunswering your godly triple letters whiche are three witnesses agaynst me God lay not them nor none other thing to my charge to condemnation though to correction not my will but his wil be done Concerning your request of absolution my dearest brother what shall I saye but euen as trueth is that the