Church and to your owne euerlasting comfort in him So be it Ah my deare hartes and most faithful brethren and sisters in the Lord what high laudes and prayse yea what humble continuall thankes am I bound to geue to God our father for you on your most happy behalfe who so mightely hath magnified him selfe in you thus farre forth in geuing you his holy mighty spirit to the constant confessing of Christes veritie euen to the cruel condēnation I doubt not but he will do the same to the death Oh happye and blessed are you that euer you were borne that the Lord will vouch you worthy of this great dignitie to dye for his sake Doubtles it is the greatest honour that God can geue you in this lyfe Yea if they be so blessed of God that dye in the Lord as the holy ghost saith they be how much more blessed and happy then are you that die not only in the Lord but also for the Lord. Oh that it were the good wyll of God that the good houre were now come that I might goe with you Ah that my sinnes made me not vnworthy of such an excellent dignitie Be thankfull deare harts be thankfull reioyce in the Lord for mighty is his mercy towardes you and great is your reward in heauen the which you like faithful persōs haue plucked to you with a godly violēce of an inuincible faith Oh worthy warriours of the most high captaine Oh cōstant confessors of the euerlasting veritie how glorious a crown of victory shal you shortly receiue which is prepared for all such as do continue to the ende Oh you sweete saintes of the Lorde how precious shal your death be in his sight Oh how deare are your soules to your redeemer in whose hand they shall most ioyfully rest and the paynes of death shall neuer touch you Oh how blessed shall you be when Christ shall appeare at the which time you shall receaue your bodyes againe full of immortalitie Oh howe ioyfull shall you be when Christ according to his promise shall knowledge you before his father and his holy aungels as you haue most constantly confessed him to be your Lord and onely sauiour before men Oh blessed Greene thou meek and louing lamb of the Lord how happy art thou to be appoynted to dye for hys sake A full daintie dish art thou for the Lords own tooth Fresh and Greene shalt thou be in the house of the Lord thy fruites shal neuer wither nor decay Although thou go here forth sowing thy good fruites with teares the time shal come that thou shalt reape with ioy and gladnes the fruites of euerlasting life and that without ceasing Be mery therfore and feare not for it is thy fathers will to geue thee a kingdome wherunto he hath chosen thee before the foundations of the world were layd Oh happy Minister thou mā of God how glad maiest thou be of Gods most gracious fauour which hath preuented thee in the day of thy tryall Oh happy Peter whose part thou hast wel playd therfore thy reward and portion shall be like vnto his Now hast thou good experience of mans infirmitie but much more proofe and tast yea sense feeling of Gods aboundant bottomles mercy Although Satan desired to sift thee yet Christe thy good Captayne prayed that thy fayth should not fayle Gods strengthe is made perfect by thy weakenes his grace is sufficient for thee his deare childe Thine example did so incourage and strength thy poore brethren that God is euery waye glorified by thee and shortly will he glorifie thee with himself with that glory whiche he hath prepared for thee his electe deareling before the world was made Therfore reioyce be glad for thou hast good occasion in finding such fauour in his sight This is most true Oh my other brethren whom I do not know neyther haue I heard muche of you happy are you that euer you were borne and blessed be our God which hath geuen you such victory ouer the bloudy beast shortly shall you be clothed in large white garmentes and fyne raynes of righteousnes and so shall you follow the Lambe on mount Syon with new songes of mirth and melodye for your deliuerie forth of Satans power tiranny God for euermore bee blessed for you and strengthen you to the end as I doubt not but he will for hee neuer fayled them that put their trust in him O my deare and faithfull sister Ioane Warner what shall I say to thee Thy triall hath bene great thy victory in Christ hath bene notable Thou hast ouercome many a sharpe shower and storme Shortly shalt thou ariue at the hauen of quiet rest and receiue a reward due to a constant martyr Thou shalt go home to thy heauenly father and possesse for euer the inheritance which Christ hath purchased for thee where thy earthly parentes be still looking for thee which haue triumphed ouer Antichrist most victoriously Oh blessed parentes of happy Children which haue shewed such an example as the like hath bene seldome seen I salute thee deare sister of like constant mind whose constant example is worthy of continual memory Praysed be god for you mine own sweet sisters which hath made you to play such wise virgins parts He hath plentifully poured the oyle of his spirite into the lampes of your faythe so that the light thereof shall neuer be extinct You shal enter with your bridegrome into euerlasting ioy wherunto you were chosen in him from the beginning Oh my deare brethren and sisters you blessed saynts of the Lord how much how deeply am I bounde to prayse God for you both day night Pray pray for me my deare hartes for the render mercy of God that I may bee made worthy to folow your trace Oh that I had runne the race of my life as farre as you haue done yours and were as nigh my iorneys end as you be vnto yours But alas I lie like the lame man at the pooles side by Salomons porch euery man goeth into the place of health before me But God will appoynt me one one daye to put me in I truste my Lord of Londōs Colehouse is emptie al his officers idle Therefore they must shortly fetch more sheepe to the shambles for he is the common slaughter slaue of all England But happy are you that are passed through the pikes deliuered out of his hands and from al the angels of the darknes of this world which long tempted you in the wildernes of the same but now shall the angels of God come and minister vnto you for they are your seruantes to hold you vp in your handes that you shal not hurt your foot no nor one heare of your head shall pearish They shal cary you vp to heauen in a fiery chariot thoughe you leaue your Mantell behinde you for a time till God restore the
be counted worthy to so we some seede amongest the sweete Saintes of the Lorde that I may reape the same againe without ceasing at the haruest It is nowe sowing time of the yeare men saye in the countrey and I thinke that I shall make an ende of sowing before all Marche be past for I heare say that I shall prooue how my plough will enter into the stonie ground of the hard hearted Papists within these 4 daies I hope to holde fast and not to looke backe neyther for feare nor flattery vntil I haue made an ende of sowing and then will I set me downe and rest me and aske them all no leaue and looke for the liuely fruite and encrease thereof with ioye and gladnesse My deare brother the time approcheth neare I praise God therefore that I must put off this sinnefull tabernacle and goe home to my heauenly father where diuers of my deare brethren are all ready looking and wishing for me I beseeche you therefore that you will helpe me forewarde with your faithfull prayers as I know you doe for I doe feele the comfort and commoditye thereof That you haue obserued my simple counsel I am right glad and I trust in the Lord God you shall finde comfort in the same And that you may so doe in deede I haue bene so bold to wryte these few woordes vnto you because I shall see you no more in this corruptible life therefore marke them well First and aboue all things you must be very circumspecte to keepe the bande of loue and beware that there neuer spring vp the roote of bitternesse betweene you If at any time there happeÌ„ to rise any cause of vnkindnesse betweene you as it is vnpossible alwayes to be free from it see that you weede vppe the same with all lenitie gentlenesse and patience and neuer suffer your selfe nor youre wife to sleepe in displeasure If you haue cause to speake sharpelye and sometimes to reprooue beware that you do not the same in the presence of other but kepe your woordes vntil a conuenient time whych is the poynt of a wise man saith Salomon and then vtter them in the spirite of meekenesse and the groning spirit of perfect loue which you must also let sometimes to couer faultes and wincke at them if they be not intollerable What so euer losse and mischance shal happen vnto you take it paciently and beare it merely· and though the same shuld come partly through your wiues negligence yet let it rather be a louing warninge to take heede in time to come then a cause of sorow for that which is past cannot be holpen I knowe by mine owne experience that we are in this life subiecte to many inconueniences and that of nature we are prone to displeasure and ready to thinke vnkindnes for euery little trifle and specially with oure best friendes yea soonest with our louing wiues whiche bee moste lothest to displease vs. But let vs beware of this cankered corruption and consider that we ought most of all in loue to beare with them according to Christes example towardes his congregation for whome he gaue him self to clense it c. I had thought to haue treated thys matter at large but euen nowe I am interrupted and otherwyse letted I doubt not but you know your duetie therein a greate deale better then I can declare it vnto you and as you knowe it so will doe it but I loue to be bolde with you I entend to write also to your wife very shortly and so take my last farewel of you for euer in this worlde And thus in greate haste I am nowe constraind to make an end The blessing of god be alwais with you Your owne for euer Iohn Careles Pray pray pray with faith An other letter of Iohn Careles to Elizabeth wife of the sayde A.B. containing likewise certaine Godly preceptes of Matrimonie pertaining to her duetie THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christe the continuall aide strength and comfort of his moste holye and mightye spirite with increase of knowledge faith and perfecte feeling of Gods eternall mercy be with you my deare and faithfull louing sister E.B. and with your godly louing husbande my deare and faithfull brother to the full performaunce of that good whiche he hath so graciously begon in you that in all things you maye be made riche and blessed in him and your seede after you now and euer Amen As I haue bene long desirous to wryte vnto you my deare heart in the Lord not onely being thereto bound of duetie but also often prouoked of him to whome I owe my self and al that I am able to doe I meane euen that blessed of the Lordes owne mouthe whome God hathe ioyned with you in that holye and Christian state of Matrimonie euen so at the last I haue obtained time and occasion in some part to performe that whyche I haue long purposed And for as much as the Lorde of hys greate mercye and fatherlye care and prouidence ouer you hys deare childe hath nowe graciously accomplished that good worke amongs manye others which I as a frende of the bridegrome haue full heartely wished and often prayed for I thinke it good yea and my bounden duety to treate of such things as maye be profitable to preserue mutuall loue and faithful amity betwene you which I knowe Sathan wil chiefly labour to diminish if he can not altogether destroy the same lest by many ioyfull occasions you should be prouoked continually to praise God for his good gift which that enemye hath by all meanes sought to hinder from you As for al other things I know you are sufficiently instructed also haue a most learned coÌ„panion who is wel able further to teach you if nede do require But in this thing I know my experience is more then his Therfore my good sister first and before all things see that you do diligeÌ„tly consider that as euery good and perfecte gift pertaining to soule and body is geuen from aboue and coÌ„meth from the father of light euen so to whome â—o euer the Lord dealeth any of his benefits of them he doth chiefly require alwaies a thankfull heart for the same For els he will either take away his good gifts again or turne the same to their greate discommoditie and in the ende to the encrease of theyr damnation So detestable in his sighte is the sinne of ingratitude But to such as be thankfull for his benefites he doeth not only to the olde euer adde newe but also maketh the commoditie of his former giftes euer more and more to encrease vntill by them they are fullye perswaded and throughlye certified of hys euerlasting loue in Christ Iesu which is eternal life it selfe So much doth he of his great mercy delite in a thankfull heart Therefore I doe yet once againe earnestly require you that aboue all things you be thankefull to God for his
And as hee neuer ceaseth to be man so doth he neuer lose the similitude of man hys body there hath hys liniamentes hee leaueth them not so hath that body there hys highnesse and shrinketh not and hys manly shape he altereth not at any tyme. He is in that he tooke of the virgin Mary a naturall man in all conditions except sinne And what he tooke of hys blessed Mother by the workyng of the holye Ghost he tooke it for euer and will not exchaunge the same for anye other He tooke the shape of a man with the substaunce of hys manhoode in one sacred wombe There were they coupled together by the holy ghost neuer to be deuyded a sunder He retayneth the one with the other in seperablye As he will not altar the substaunce of hys fleshe into the substaunce of bread no more will hee altar the shape of hys bodye into the forme of bread There cannot be a greater absurditie agaynst the truth then to thinke that he would leaue the shape that he tooke in the virgins womb being an accident vnto hys manhoode and ioyne vnto the same a wafer cake baken in an ouen or betwene a payre of yrons As he is in heauen very man one onely mediatour betwene God and man euen the man Chryst Iesus hee it is that is the propitiation for our sinnes Be bolde therefore to confesse thys most pure and Apostolicall doctrine and also that all fauoure mercy and forgeuenesse commeth onely by him He onely of God the father was made for vs all wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption All these are the giftes of God the father freely geuen vnto vs by Christ Iesus God and man through fayth in his bloud and not by the merites of men Giftes they are I say freely geuen vnto vs of fauoure wythout our deserte by beleeuing and not by deseruing To this doe the lawe and the Prophetes beare witnesse This doctrine haue all the blessed Martyrs of Christes church wytnessed wyth theyr bloude to bee true To thys trueth haue all the consciences of all true beleuers subscribed euer since the Ascension of Christ. This witnesse is not of man but of God What better quarrell can ye thē haue to geue your liues for then the trueth it selfe That man that geueth his lyfe for the truth taketh the rediest way to lyfe He that hath the Popes curse for the truth is sure of Christes blessing Well then my brethren what shall now lette but that ye goe forward as ye haue begon Nay rather runne wyth the runners that ye maye obtayne the appoynted glorye Holde on the right waye looke not back haue the eye of youre heart fixed vppon GOD and so runne that ye may get holde of it Cast awaye all your worldly pelfe and worldly respects as the fauour of friendes the feare of men sensuall affection respect of persons honour prayse shame rebuke wealth pouertie riches landes possessions carnall fathers and mothers wife and children with the loue of your own selues and in respect of that heauenly treasure ye loooke for let al these be denyed vtterly refused of you so that in no cōditiō they do abate your seale or quenche youre loue towardes God In this case make no acōpt of thē but rather repute thē as vile in comparison of euerlasting life Away with them as thornes that choke the heauenly seede of the Gospel where they be suffered to grow They are burdens of the fleshe which encomber the soule exchaunge them therefore for aduauntage Doth not he gayne that findeth heauenly and immortall treasure for earthly corruptible riches Loseth that man any thing whiche of his carnall father and mother is forsaken when therefore he is receaued of God the father to be his childe and eyre in Christ Heauenly for earthly for mortall immortall for transitory thinges permanēt is great gaynes to a Christian conscience Therefore as I beganne I exhort you in the Lorde not to be afrayd Shrinke not my brethren mistrust not God bee of good comforte reioyce in the Lord hold fast your fayth and continue to the end Deny the world and take vp your crosse and follow him whiche is your loadesman and is gone before If you suffer with him yea you shall raygne with him What way can you glorifie the name of your heauenly father better then by sufferyng death for his sonnes sake What a spectacle shal it be to the world to beholde so godly a fellowship as you seruauntes of God in so iust a quarrell as the Gospell of Christ is with so pure a conscience so strong a fayth and so liuely a hope to offer your selues to suffer most cruell tormentes at the handes of Gods enemyes and so to end your dayes in peace to receaue in the resurrection of the righteous life euerlasting Be strong therfore in your battayle The Lord God is on your side and his truth is your cause and against you be none but the enemies of the crosse of Christe as the serpent and his seede the Dragon with hys tayle the marked men of the Beast the ofspring of the Pharisees the congregation malignant the generation of Vipers murtherers as theyr father the deuill hath bene from the beginning To conclude such are they as the Lorde God hath alwayes abhorred and in all ages resisted and ouerthrowne God from whome nothing is hid knoweth what they are Hee that searcheth the heartes of men he hath found them out to be crafty subtill full of poyson proud disdainefull stiffenecked deuourers raueners and barkers against the truth filthy shamelesse and therefore doth the spirite of God by the mouthes of hys holy Prophetes and Apostles call them by the names of Foxes serpentes Cockatrices Lyons Leopardes Bulles Beares Wolues Dogs Swine Beasts teachyng vs therby to vnderstād that their natural inclinatiō is to deceaue poison and destroy as much as in them lyeth the faythfull and elect of God But the Lord with his right arme shal defend his little flocke agaynst the whole rabblement of these worldlings which haue conspired against him he hath numbred all the heares of his childrens heades so that not one of thē shal pearish without hys fatherly wil. He kepeth the sparrowes much more will he preserue them whom he hath purchased with the bloud of the immaculate Lambe Hee will keepe them vnto the houre appointed wherein the name of God shal be glorified in his saynctes In the meane tyme let them woorke theyr willes let them enuy let them maligne let thē blaspheeme let them curse banne betray whippe scourge hang and burne for by these meanes God will try his elect as gold in the furnace and by these fruites shall they also bring themselues to be knowen what they be for all their sheepes skinnes For as he that in suffering paciently for the Gospell of God is thereby knowne to be of Christ euen so in likewise is
the persecutor of him knowne to be a member of Antichrist Besides this their extreme cruelty shall be a meane the sooner to prouoke God to take pittie vpon his seruauntes and to destroy them that so tyrannously entteate his people as we may learne by the historyes as well in the bondage of Israell vnder Pharao in Egypt as also in the miserable captiuitie of Iuda in Babilon Where as when the people of God were in most extreeme thraldome theÌ„ did the Lord stretch forth his mighty power to deliuer his seruauntes Though God for a tyme suffer them to be exalted in theyr owne pryde yet shal they not scape his vengeaunce They are hys roddes and when hee hath worne them to the stumpes then will he cast them into the fire this shal be theyr final reward Our duetye is in the meane while paciently to abide the wil of God which worketh al thinges for the best Thus dealeth he with vs partly for our tryall and partly also for our sinnes which we most greeuously haue committed to the great slaunder of hys gospell whereby the name of God was euil spoken of among hys enemies for the whiche he now punisheth vs with his fatherly corrections in this worlde that wee shoulde not be dampned with the world By thys meanes seeketh hee his sheep that were lost to bring theÌ„ home to the fold agayn By this wâ—y seeketh he to reform vs that we may be lyke vnto him after the image of his son Iesus christ in al holines righteousnes before him Finally this way vseth his godly wisedome to make vs therby to know him our selues in him that afore time had in a manner forgotten him praysed be hys name therefore And as for these Balaamites whiche nowe do molest vs commit them to the handes of GOD geue him the vengeaunce and hee will reward them Fall ye to prayer and let these belly GODS prate For he is in heauen and sleepeth not that keepeth Israell He is in heauen that made the seas calme and when the Disciples were afrayd Let vs nowe faythfully call vppon him and hee wyll heare vs. Let vs cry vnto the Lorde for he is gracious and mercifull When we are in trouble he is with vs he will deliuer vs and he will glorifie vs. If we come vnto him we shall find him turned vnto vs. If we repent vs of our wickednes done agaynst hym theÌ„ shall he take away the plague that he hath deuised agaynst vs. Let vs therefore earnestly repent and bring forth the worthy fruites of repentaunce Let vs study to be hys then shall we not neede to feare what these hipocrites do agaynst vs whiche wyth theyr pretensed holines deceiue the harts of the simple and abuse the authoritie of God in his Princes causing them by theyr procurement to testify their ambicious prelacye and to erect vpp theyr Idoll agayne with the Romish Masse God in whose hands are the hartes of kinges open the hart of the Queenes highnesse to espy them out what they be and so to wede theÌ„ out that they no longer be suffered to trouble the congregation of God and to poyson the realme with Pope holy doctrine God almightye for hys sonne Iesus Christes sake deliuer the Queenes highnes and this her church realme froÌ„ these proud prelates which are as profitable in the Churche of Christ as a polecatte in the middest of a Warran of connies To conclude my brethren I commit you to God and to the power of his worde whiche is able to establishe you in all truth His spirite be with you and worke alway that ye may be mindfull of your dueties towards hym whose ye are both body and soule Whome see that ye loue serue dread and obey aboue al worldly powers and for nothing vnder the heaueÌ„s defile your conscieÌ„ce before God Dissemble not with his word God will not be mocked nay they that dissemble with hym deceiue themselues Such shal the Lord deny cast out at the last day such I say as beare two faces in one hoode such as play on both hands suche as deny the knowne trueth such as obstinately rebell against him All such with their partakers shall the Lord destroy God defend you from all such and make you perfite vnto the end Your sorrowe shall be turned into ioy ¶ An other letter sent to hys wife THe God and father eternal which brought again from death our Lord Iesus christ keep thee deare wife now and euer amen and al thy parentes and friendes I praise God for his mercy I am in the same state that ye lefte me in rather better then woorse looking dayly for the liuing God before whome I hunger full sore to appeare and receaue the glory of whiche I trust thou art willing to be a partaker I geue God most harty thankes therefore desiring thee of all loues to stand in that faith which thou hast receiued and let no man take away the seed that almighty God hath sowne in thee but lay hands of euerlasting lyfe which shall euer abide when both the earth and all earthly frends shall perish desiring them also to receaue thankfully our trouble whiche is momentane and light and as S. Paule sayth not worthy of the thinges whiche shall be shewed on vs that we patieÌ„tly carying our crosse may attayne to the place where our sauiour Christ is gone before to the which I beseeche God of his mercye bryng vs speedely I haue bene much troubled about your deliuerance fearing muche the perswasions of worldlinges and haue founde a friend whiche will I trust finde a meane for you if you bee not alreadye prouyded desirynge you in anye case to abide suche order as those my friendes shall appoint in God And beare well in mind the wordes which I spake at our departing that as god hath found vs and also elected vs worthy to suffer with hym We may endeuour our selues to follow vprightly in thys our vocation desiring you to present my hartye commendations to all our friendes and in especiall to youre Parentes keeping your matter close in any wise Geue most harty thankes to my frend whiche onely for oure cause is come to Windsor Continue in prayer Do well Be faultles in all thinges Beware abhominations Keepe you cleane from sinne Praye for me as I doe for you I haue sent you a peece of golde for a token and moste entierlye desire you to send me word if ye lacke any thing The lord Iesu preserue you and yours Amen From Newgate the 15. of Aprill By your husband here and in heauen Robert Smith This foresayde Robert Smith the valiaunt and constant martyr of christ thus replenished as ye haue heard with the fortitude of Gods spirite was condemned at LoÌ„don by Boner there Bishop the xii day of Iulye and suffered at Uxbridge the 8. day of August who as he had bene a comfortable instrument of God before to
thee and I will send my wrath vpon thee vpon thee I say O Englande and punish thee according to thy wayes and rewarde thee after all thyne abhominations Thou hast kindled the fire of Gods wrath and hast stirred vp the coales For thou waste once lightned and hadst tasted of the heauenly gifte and wast become partaker of the holy ghost haddest tasted of the good word of God Yea it is yet in thy mouth sayth the Prophet Alas O Englād thou knewest thy Lorde and maisters wil but diddest nothing thereafter Thou must therefore sayeth hee suffer many stripes and many sharpe strokes and walke on in the glittering and hot flame of thine owne fire and in the coles that thou hast kindled This commeth to thee from my hande saith the Lorde namely That thou shalt sleepe in sorrowe yea euen so thou shalt The plain truth telleth the tale the immutable iustice of the euerliuing God and the ordinarie course of his plagues from the beginning confirmeth the same The ioy of our heart sayeth Ieremie is gone oure glory is fallē away our mery singing is turned into mourning the garland of our head is fallen Alas and weale away that euer we sinned so sore Wo worth all abhominations and wickednesse wo woorth cloked hypocrisie woe worth our carnall liberty wo worth our most cursed idolatrie For because of these things sayth the Lorde ye shall perish with sword hunger and pestilence Wherfore let all the wicked enemies of Christe and all the vnbeleuers look to be tormented and vexed with al hellish furies and cleane wythout hope at Gods accompting day which know not God in Christ to be their very righteousnesse their life their onely saluation alone sauiour nor beleeue not in him They must sayth S. Iohn needes abide and pearish wyth their sinnes in death and in eternall damnation But we be the children of Saintes as the elder Toby did aunswer and looke for an other life which God shall geue to all them which chaunge not theyr faith nor shrinke not from him Reioyce therefore ye Christian afflicted brethren for they can not take our soules and bodies out of the handes of the almighty which be kept as in the bosome of our most swete and louing father and if we abide fast in Christ and turn not away like weathercocks surely we shall liue for euer Christ affirmeth the same saying My sheepe heare my voyce I knowe them they hearken vnto me and to no straungers and I geue them euerlasting life for they shall not be lost nor no manne shall plucke them oute of my handes no nor yet this flattering world with all his vaine pleasures nor any tyranne with his great threates stout bragges can once mooue them oute of the way of eternall life What consolation and cōfort may we haue more pleasant and effectuous then thys God is on our side fighteth for vs he suffereth he smarteth and is afflicted wyth vs. As the world can doe nothing against his might neyther in taking away or diminishing of his glory nor putting him from his celestiall throne so can it not harme nor hurte any one of hys children without his good will For we are members of his body oute of hys fleshe and of hys bones and as deare to him as the apple of his eye Let vs therefore with an earnest faith set fast hold and sure feeling vpon the promises of God in the gospell let vs not be sundred from the same by any temptation tribulation or persecution Let vs consider the verity of God to be inuinsible inuiolable immutable Promising and geuing vs his faithfull souldiours life eternal It is he onely that hath deserued it for vs it is his onely benefite of his only mere mercy vnto him only must we render thāks Let not therefore the vaine fantasies and dreames of men the foolish gauds and toyes of the world nor the crafty delusions of the deuil driue and separate vs from our hope of the crowne of righteousnes that is layd vp in store for vs against the last day Oh that happy and merry last day I meane to the faithfull when Christ by his couenaunt shall graunt and geue vnto them that ouercome and keepe hys woordes to the ende that they may ascend and sitte in seate with him as he hath ascended sitteth on throne with hys father The same body and soule that is now wyth Christ afflicted shall then be with Christ glorified now in the butchers hands as shepe apoynted to die then sitting at Gods table with Christ in his kingdom as Gods honorable and deare children where we shall haue for earthly pouertie heauenly riches for hūger and thirst saturitie of the pleasant presence of the glory of God for sorrowes troubles and colde yrons celestiall ioyes and the company of aungels and for a bodely death life eternal Oh happy soules Oh precious death and euer more blessed right dear in the eyes of God to you the spring of the Lord shal euer be florishing Then as sayth Esay the redeemed shal returne and come againe into Sion praising the Lorde and eternall mercies shal be ouer their heads they shall obtaine mirth and solace sorrowe and woe shal be vtterly vanquished yea I am he sayeth the Lord that in all things geueth you euerlasting consolation To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be glory and praise for euer Amen Robert Samuel An other letter wrytten to the Christian congregation by Robert Samuel wherein he declareth the confession of his faith The beliefe of the hert iustifieth and the knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe Rom. 10. Feare not the curse of mē be not afraid of their blasphemies and reuilings for wormes and mothes shal eat them vp like cloth and woolle but my righteousnesse shall endure for euer and my sauing health from generation to generation Esay 51. COnsidering with my selfe these pearillous times pearishing daies and the vnconstante and miserable state of man the decay of our faith the sinister reporte and false sclaunder of Gods most holy word these vrgent causes in conscience do constraine me to confesse and acknowledge my faith and meaning in Christes holy Religion as S. Peter teacheth me saying be readye alwayes to geue an aunswere to euerye man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you and that with meekenes and feare hauing a good conscience that when they backbite you as euill doers they may be ashamed for asmuche as they haue falsly accused your good conuersation in Christ. As touching my doctrine for that little talent that God hath geuen mee God I take to recorde mine owne conscience and mine auditorie knoweth that I neither in doctrine nor maners willingly taughte any other thinge then I receiued of the holye Patriarckes Prophetes Christe and hys Apostles For it were not onely sinne but also the verye parte of a cursed miscreant to
denye to be lye or betraye the innocencye of that heauenlye doctrine or to bee ashamed to confesse and stande to the defence of the same seeing that Christe planted it with hys moste precious bloude and all good menne haue more esteemed the true and infallible woorde of GOD then all thys transitorye worlde or their owne mortall liues And I beleeue this doctrine of the Patriarkes Prophetes Christe and his Apostles to be sufficient and absolutely perfecte to instructe and teache mee and all the holy Church of our dueties towardes God the Magistrates and our neighbours Firste and principallye I do assuredly beleeue wythout any doubting that there is one Deitie or Diuine essence and infinite substaunce which is both called and is in dede God euerlasting vnbodilye vnpartible vnmeasurable in power wisedome and goodnesse the maker and preseruer of all thinges as well visible as inuisible and yet there be three distincte persones all of one Godheade or Diuine beynge and all of one power coequall consubstantiall coeternell the Father the Sonne and the holye Ghoste I beleeue in God the Father Almightie c. As touching God the Father of heauen I beleeue as muche as holye Scripture teacheth mee to beleeue The Father is the firste persone in Trinitie first cause of our saluation which hathe blessed vs with all maner of blessinges in heauenly thinges by Christe whych hathe chosen vs before the foundations of the worlde were layde that wee shoulde be holye and wythout blame before hym who hath predestinate vs and ordained vs to bee his childrenne of adoption thorough Christe Iesu. In hym as it is sayde we liue wee mooue and haue oure being he nourisheth feedeth and geueth meate to euery creature And in Iesus Christe his onely sonne our Lorde I beleue that the woorde that is the Sonne of God the seconde person in Trinitie did take mannes nature in the wombe of the blessed Virgine Marie So that there be in hym two natures a Diuine nature and an humaine nature in the vnitie of parson inseparable conioyned and knitte in one Christe truely God and truely man the expresse and perfecte Image of the inuisible God wherin the will of God the Father shineth apparantly and wherein man as it were in a glasse may beholde what he ought to doe that he maye please God the Father Borne of the Virgine Marie truelye sufferinge his Passion crucified deade and buryed to the entent to bring vs againe into fauoure wyth God the Father almightie and to be a sacrifice hoste and oblation not onely for originall sinne but also for all actuall sinnes of the whole generation of mankinde For all the woorkes merites deseruings doinges and obedience of man towards God althoughe they be done by the spirite of God in the grace of God yet being thus done be of no validitie worthine nor merite before God except God for his mercy and grace accoumpte them woorthye for the woorthinesse and merytes of Christ Iesus The same Christ went downe to the helles and truely rose againe the thirde day and ascended into the heauēs that he might there stil raigne and haue dominion ouer all creatures and from thence shall come c. I beleue in the holy Ghost coequall with God the Father and the Sonne and proceeding from them bothe by whose vertue strength and operation the true Catholicke Church which is the Communion and societie of Saintes is guided in all truthe veritie kept frō al errors fals doctrine the deuill all power of sinne Which Church is sanctified and halowed with the precious bloude and spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christe whiche hathe also her signe and mark that she heareth and foloweth the voice of her only and true pastour Christ and no strangers This church also is the house of God the congregation of the liuing God the piller of truth the liuely body of Christe a Church both in name and in deede I beleue the remission of sinnes by the only meanes and merites of Christes death passion who made vnto vs of God that onely sacrifice and oblation offered once for all and for euer for all them that be sanctified I beleue the resurrection of the body whereby in the last day al men shal rise again from death the soules ioyned againe to the bodies the good to euerlasting life the wicked to euerlasting pain and punishmēt And nothing may more certainly stablish confirme our faith that we shall rise againe immortal both in body soule thē the resurrection of Christ our Sauiour and first fruites of the deade Nowe that Christe our head is risen we beynge hys body and members must follow our head Death hell and sinne cannot sunder nor plucke vs from him For as the Sonne can not be deuided nor sundred from the Father nor the holy Ghost frō them bothe no more maye wee beinge the faithfull members of Christ be separated from Christ. And for a confirmation of our resurrection Christ would be seene after his resurrection in hys most glorious body his woundes being handled and felte speaking and teaching eating and drinking c. Wee looke sayeth S. Paul for Iesus Christ our Sauiour which shall trāsfigure our vile bodies conform them to his glorious body by the same power and vertue wherwith he is able to subdue all things euen like as the graine of wheate sowen in the grounde is first putrified and brought as into a thing of noughte yet after that it springeth vp freshly with a more goodly colour forme and beautie then it had before The body is sowne in corruption and riseth in incorruption it is sowen in dishonour and riseth in honour Thus I verely know and assuredly beleue the resurrection of oure bodies and to haue life eternall by Christ and for Christes sake Verely verely I say vnto you sayth Christ he that heareth my woorde and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into damnation but is escaped frō death to life It is Christe that died once for oure sinnes and is risen againe neuer more to die it is he that swallowed vp death hath cast it vnder his feete for euer What now can death do vnto vs Verelye nothing els but for a little time separate oure precious soules from oure wretched bodies that diuine substaunce from a masse of sinne that eternall life from a body of death and so send our soules oute of this miserable wretched and sorrowfull lyfe combred with all calamities vnto that moste blessed felicitie and ioyes eternall As concerning the holy and reuerende Sacraments of Christes Churche which be in number two the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord I beleeue them to be as S. Paul calleth them confirmations or seales of Gods promises whiche haue added to them a promise of grace and therfore they are called visible signes of inuisible grace The Sacrament of
in the scriptuâ—es in that signification yet in the worlde euen in the most famous assemblies of Christendome this Churche hath borne the greatest swinge This distinction presupposed of the 3. sortes of Churches it is an easy matter by a figure called Sinecdoche to geue to the mingled and vniuersall Church that which cannot truely be vnderstanded but onely of th one part therof But if any man will stiffely affirme that vniuersally doth so pertayne vnto the church that what soeuer Christ hath promised to the Churche it must needes bee vnderstanded of that I would gladlye knowe of the same man where that vniuersall Churche was in the tymâ—s of the Patriarches and Prophetes of 〈◊〉 Abraham and Moses at suche tyme as the people would haue stoâ—ed hym of Helias of Hieremy in the times of Christ and the dispersion of the Apostles in the time of Arius when Constantius was Emperour and Felix bishop of Rome succeeded Liberius It is worthye to be noted that Lira writeth vpon Mathew The church sayth he doth not stand in men by reason of theyr power or dignitie whether it be Ecclesiastical or secular For many princes and Popes and other inferioures haue bene â—ouÌ„d to haue fallen away froÌ„ God Therfore the church consisteth in those persons in whome is true knowledge and confession of the fayth and of the truth Euill men as it is in a glose of the decrees are in the Church in name and not in deede And S. Augustine contra Cresconium grammaticum sayth Who soeuer is afrayd to be deceiued by the darkenes of thys question let hym aske counsell at the same churche of it which Churche the scripture doth poynt out without anye doubtfulnes All my notes whiche I haue written and gathered out of suche authors as I haue red in this matter and such like are come into the handes of suche as will not let me haue the least of all my wrytten bookes wherein I am enforced to complayne of them vnto God for they spoyle me of all my laboures whiche I haue taken in my study these many yeares My memorye was neuer good for helpe whereof I haue vsed for the most part to gâ—ther out notes of my readyng and so to place them that thereby I might haue hadde the vse of them when the time required But who knoweth whether this be Gods will that I should be thus ordered and spoyled of the poore learning I had as me thought in store to thintent that I now destitute of that shoulde from henceforth learne onely to knowe with Paule Christ and hym crucified The Lord graunt me herein to be a good young scholer and to learn this lesson so well that neyther death nor lyfe wealth nor woe c. make me euer to forget that Amen Amen I haue no more to say in this matter for you your selfe haue sayd all that is to be sayd That same vehement saying of S. Augustine I would not beleue the Gospell c. was wont to trouble many men as I remember I haue read it well qualified of Philippe Melancthon but my memory is altogether slippery This it is in effecte The church is not a iudge but a witnes There were in hys tyme that lightly esteemed the testimony of the Churche the outward ministery of preachyng and reiected the outward word it selfe sticking onely to their inward reuelations Suche rashe contempte of the worde prouoked and drone S. Augustine into that excessiue vehemency In the which after the bare sound of the wordes he might seeme to such as do not attayne vnto hys meaning that hee preferred the Churche farre before the Gospell and that the Church hath a free authoritie ouer the same but that godly man neuer thought so It were a saying worthye to be brought forth agaynst the Anabaptistes whiche thinketh the open ministerye to be a thinge not necessary if they any thing esteemed such testimonies I would not sticke to affirme that the more part of the great house that is to say of the whole vniuersall Churche may easely eâ—re And agayne I would not sticke to affirme that it is one thynge to be gathered together in the name of Christe and an other thing to come together with a Masse of the holy ghost going before For in the first Christ ruleth in the latter the Deuill beareth the swinge and how then can anye thyng be good that they goe about From this latter shall our sixe articles come foorth agayne into the light they themselues being very darckenes But it is demaunded whether the sounder or better part of the Catholicke Churche may be seene of men or no Sainct Paule sayth The Lord knoweth them that are hys What manner of speaking is this in commendation of the Lord if we know as well as he who are hys Well thus is the text the sure foundation of God standeth still and hath his seale the Lord knoweth theÌ„ that are his and let euerye man that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquitie Nowe howe many are there of the whole Catholicke Churche of Englande whiche departe from iniquitie Howe many of the noble men how many of the Byshops or Clergy how many of the rich men or marchauntes how many of the Queenes councellours yea howe many of the whole Realme In how small rome then I pray you is the true church within the Realme of England And where is it And in what state I had a conceite of mine owne well grounded as they say when I began but now it is fallen by the way Generall councels represent the vniuersall Church haue this promise of Christ where two or three be gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of theÌ„ If Christ be present with two or three then muche more where there is so great a multitude c. But in generall councels Masse hath bâ—ne approoued and vsed Therefore c. Of the vniuersall Churche which is mingled of good and bad thus I thinke Whensoeuer they whiche be chiefe in it which rule and gouerne the same and to whome the rest of the whole misticall body of Christ doth obey are the liuely members of Christ and walk after the guidyng and rule of hys word and go before the flocke towardes euerlasting life then vndoubtedly Councels gathered together of such guides and pastours of the christian flock doe in deede represent the vniuersall Church and being so gathered in the name of Christe they haue a promise of the gifte and guiding of hys spirite into all truth But that any such counsell hath at any time allowed the Masse suche a one as ours was of late in a straunge tongue and stuffed with so many absurdities errours and superstitions that I vtterly deny and affirme it to be impossible For like as there is no agreement betwixt light and darcknes betweene Christ and Belial so surely superstition and the sincere religion of Christ wil worship and the pure
worshipping of God suche as God requireth of his that is in spirite and truth can neuer agree together But ye wil say where so great a company is gathered together it is not credible but there be two or three gathered in the name of Christ. I aunswere if there be one hundred good and two hundreth bad forasmuch as the decrees and ordinaunces are pronoūced according to the greater number of the multitude of voyces what can the lesse number of voyces auayle It is a knowen thing and a common prouerbe Oftentimes the greater part ouercommeth the better As touchyng general councels at this present I haue no more to say then you haue sayd Onely I referre you to your owne experience to thinke of our country parliamentes and conuocations howe and what ye haue seene and heard The more part in my tyme did bryng forth sixe articles for then the king would so haue it being seduced of certayne Afterward the more part did repell the same our good Iosias willing to haue it so The same articles now agayne alas another great but woorse parte hath restored O what an vncertaynty is thys But after thys sorte most commonly are mans proceedings God be mercifull vnto vs. Who shall deliuer vs from such tormentes of minde Therefore is death the best phisition but vnto the faythfull whome she together and at once deliuereth from all griefes You must thinke this written vpon this occasion because you woulde needes haue youre paper blotted If the matter should goe thus that in generall counsailes men shoulde not stand to the more number of the multitude I meane of them whiche ought to geue voyces then should no certaine rule be left vnto the Church by the which controuersies in weighty matters might be determined but it is not to be beleued that Christ woulde leaue his Church destitute of so necessary a helpe and safegarde Christ who is the most louing spouse of his espouse the church who also gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctify it vnto himselfe did geue vnto it aboundantly all things which are necessary to saluation but yet so that the church should declare it selfe obedient vnto hym in all things and keepe it selfe within the boundes of hys commaundemēts and further not to seeke any thing which he teacheth not as necessary vnto saluation Now further for determination of all controuersies in Christes Religion Christ him selfe hath left vnto the Church not onely Moses and the Prophetes whom he willeth his Church in al doubtes to go vnto and aske counsell at but also the Gospelles and the rest of the bodye of the newe testament in the whiche what soeuer is heard of Moses and the Prophetes and whatsoeuer is necessary to be knowne vnto saluation is reuealed and opened So that now we haue no neede to say who shal clyme into heauen or who shall goe downe into the depth to tel vs what is needefull to bee done Christe hath done both and hath commended vnto vs the word of fayth whiche also is aboundantly declared vnto vs in his word written so that hereafter if we walke earnestly in this way to the searching out of the truth it is not to be doubted but thorough the certayne benefite of Christes spirite whiche hee hath promised vnto his wee may finde it and obtayne euerlasting life Shoulde men aske counsell of the dead for the liuing sayth Esay Let them go rather to the law and to the testimony c. Christ sendeth them that be desirous to know the truth vnto the scriptures saying searche the scriptures I remember a like thing well spoken of Hierome Ignoraunce of the scriptures is the mother and cause of all errours And in an other place as I remember in the same author The knowledge of the scriptures is the foode of euerlasting life But nowe me thinketh I enter into a very broad sea in that I begin to shew either out of the scriptures themselues or out of the ancient writers how muche the holy scripture is of force to teache the truth of our religiō But this is it that I am now about that Christ would haue the church his spouse in al doubts to aske counsell at the word of his father written faythfully left and commended vnto it in both Testaments the olde and the new Neither doe we read that Christ in anye place hath layde so great a burthen vppon the members of his spouse that he hath commaunded them to go to the vniuersall Churche What soeuer things are written saith Paule are written for our learning And it is true that Christ gaue vnto his Churche some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some shepheardes and teachers to the edifying of the sayntes till we come all to the vnity of fayth c. But that all men should meete together out of all partes of the world to define of the articles of our fayth I neither finde it commaunded of Christe nor written in the word of God There is diuersitie betwixt things pertayning to god or fayth and politicke and ciuill matters For in the first we must stand onely to the scriptures whiche are able to make vs all perfect and instructed vnto saluation if they be well vnderstāded And they offer themselues to be well vnderstanded onely to them which haue good willes and geue themselues to study and prayer Neither are there any men lesse apte to vnderstand them then the prudent wise men of the world But in the other that is in ciuil or politicke matters oftentimes the magistrates do tolerate a lesse euil for auoyding of a greater as they whiche haue this saying oft in their mouthes Better an inconuenience then a mischiefe And it is the property of a wise man saith one to dissemble many thinges and he that cannot dissēble cannot rule In whiche sayinges they bewray themselues that they do not earnestly weigh what is iust what is not Wherefore forasmuch as mans lawes if it be but in this respect onely that they be deuised by men are not able to bring any thing to perfectiō but are inforced of necessitie to suffer many thinges out of square and are compelled sometime to wincke at the worst things seeing they know not how to mayntayne the common peace and quiet otherwise they do ordayne that the more part shal take place You know what these kindes of speaches meane I speake after the maner of men yea walke after the maner of men al men are lyers And that of S. Augustine if ye lyue after mans reason yee do not lyue after the wyll of God If ye say the councels haue sometime erred or may erre how then should we beleue the catholicke Church For the councels are gathered by the authoritie of the Catholicke Churche From may be to be in deed is no good argument but from being to may be no man doubteth but it is a moste sure argument But
God But that can no where be shewed And as for the Church I am not angry with it and I neuer refused to goe to it and to praye with the people to heare the word of God and to do all other things what soeuer may agree with the word of God S. Augustine speaking of the ceremonies of the Iewes I suppose in the Epistle ad Ianuarium although hee graunt they greeuously oppressed that people both for the number and bondage of the same yet he calleth them burdēs of the law which were deliuered vnto thē in the word of God not presumptions of men which notwithstanding if they were not contrary to gods word might alter a sorte be borne withall But now seeing they are contrarye to those thinges whiche are in the word of God written whether they ought to be borne of any Christian or no let hym iudge whiche is spirituall which feareth God more thē man and loueth euerlastinge life more then this short and transitory lyfe To that whiche was sayd that my fact lacketh example of the godly fathers that haue gone before the contrary is most euident in the historye of Toby Of whome it is sayd that when all other went to the golden calues whiche Hieroboam the king of Israel had made he himselfe alone fled al their companions and gotte hym to Ierusalem vnto the temple of the Lorde and there worshipped the Lorde God of Israel Did not the man of God threatē greeuous plages both vnto the Priestes of Bethell and to the aulter which Hieroboam had there made after his own fantasie Which plagues king Iosias the true Minister of God did execute at the time appoynted And where doe wee reade that the Prophetes or the Apostles did agree with the people in their Idolatry whē as the people went a whoring with their hill aulters for what cause I praye you did the Prophetes rebuke the people so muche as for theyr false worshipping of God after theyr owne mindes and not after Gods word For what was so much as that was Wherfore the false prophetes ceased not to maligne the true prophetes of God therefore they bet them they banished thē c. How els I pray you can you vnderstand that Sainct Paule alledgeth when he sayth What concord hath christ with Beliall Either what part hath the beleuer with the Infidel or how agreeth the temple of God with images For ye are the temple of the liuing God as God himselfe hath sayde I will dwell among them and will be theyr God and they shal be my people Wherfore come out from among them and seperate your selues from them saythe the Lorde and touch none vncleane thinge so will I receaue you and wil be a father vnto you and ye shal be my sonnes and daughters sayth the Lord almighty Iudith that holy woman would not suffer herselfe to be defiled with the meates of the wicked All the Sayntes of God which truely feared God when they haue bene prouoked to do any which they knewe to be contrarye to Gods lawes haue chosen to dye rather then to forsake the lawes of their God Wherefore the Machabees put themselues in daunger of death for the defense of the lawe yea and at length died manfully in the defense of the same If we do prayse sayth S. Augustine the Machabees and that with great admiration because they did stoutly stand euen vnto death for the lawes of theyr countrey howe muche more ought wee to suffer all thinges for our Baptisme for the sacramēt of the body and bloud of Christ. c. But the supper of the Lord such a one I meane as Christ commaundeth vs to celebrate the Masse vtterly abolysheth and corrupteth most shamefully Who am I that I shuld adde any thing to this which you haue so well spoken Nay I rather thanke you that you haue vouchsafed to minister so plentifull armour to me being otherwise altogether vnarmed sauing that hee cannot be left destitute of helpe whiche rightly trusteth in the helpe of God I onely learne to dye in reading of the new testament and am euer nowe and then praying vnto my God that hee will bee an helper vnto me in tyme of neede Seeing you are so obstinately set agaynst the Masse that you affirme because it is done in a tongue not vnderstanded of the people and for other causes I cannot tell what therefore it is not the true sacrament ordayned of Christ I beginne to suspecte you that you thinke not catholickely of Baptisme also Is our Baptisme whiche we do vse in a tongue vnknowne to the people the true baptisme of Christ or no If it be then doth not the straunge tongue hurt the Masse If it be not the baptisme of Christ tell me howe were you baptised Or whether will yee as the Anabaptistes do that al which were baptised in latin should be baptised agayne in the English tongue Although I would wish baptisme to be geuen in the vulgar tongue for the peoples sake which are present that they may the better vnderstand their owne profession and also be more able to teache theyr children the same yet notwithstanding there is not like necessity of the vulgar tongue in baptisme and in the Lordes supper Baptisme is geuē to children who by reason of their age are not able to vnderstand what is spoken vnto them what tongue soeuer it be The Lordes supper is and ought to be geuen to thē that are waxen Moreouer in baptisme which is accustomed to be geuen to children in the latine tongue all the substanciall poyntes as a man would say whiche Chryst commaunded to be done are obserued And therefore I iudge that baptisme to be a perfect and true baptisme and that it is not onely not neeedefull but also not lawfull for anye man so christened to be Christened agayne But yet notwithstanding they ought to be taught the Catechisme of the christian fayth when they shall come to yeares of discretion Which Cathechisme whosoeuer despiseth or wyll not desirously embrace and willingly learne in my iudgement he playeth not the parte of a christian man But in the popish mass◠are wanting certayne substancialles that is to say things commaunded by the worde of God to be obserued in ministration of the Lordes supper of that which there is sufficient declaration made before Where you say I would wish surely I would wishe that you had spoken more vehemently and to haue sayd it is of necessitie that all thinges in the congregation should be done in the vulgar tongue for the edifying and comfort of them that are present notwithstanding that the childe it selfe is sufficiently baptised in the latin tongue For asmuche as I perceaue you are so stiffely I wyll not say obstinately bente and so wedded to your opinion that no gentle exhortations no holesome counsailes no other kinde of meanes can call you home to a better mynde there remayneth that
heart as I graunt I haue fealt sometimes before O good brother blessed be God in thee and blessed be the time that euer I knewe thee Farewell farewell Your brother in Christ Nicholas Ridley Brother farewell To the brethren remaining in captiuitie of the flesh and dispearsed abroad in sundry prisones but knit together in vnity of spirit and holy Religion in the bowels of the Lorde Iesu. GRace peace mercye be multiplied among you What worthy thankes can we render vnto the Lorde for you my brethren namely for the great coÌ„solation which through you we haue receiued in the Lorde who notwithstanding the rage of Sathan that goeth about by all maner of subtill meanes to beguile the worlde and also buâ—lâ— laboreth to restore and set vp his kingdome againe that of late began to decay and fall to ruine ye remaine yet stil 〈◊〉 as men surely grounded vpon a strong rocke And nowe albeit that sathan by his souldiors and wicked ministers daily as we heare draweth numbers vnto hym so that it is sayd of him that he plucketh euen the very starres out of heauen whiles hee driueth into some men thâ— feare of death and losse of all their goods and sheweth and offereth to other some the pleasaunt baites of the worlde namelye richesse wealth and all kinde of delightes and pleasures faire houses great reuenues â—at benefices and what not and all to the intent they should fall downe worship not the Lorde but the Dragon the olde Serpent whych is the deuil that great beast and his image and should be inâ—iced to commit fornication with the strompet of Babilon together wyth the kings of the earth wyth the lesser beast and with the false Prophetes and so to reioyce and be pleasant wyth her and to be drunken wyth the wine of her fornication yet blessed be God the Father of oure Lorde Iesus Christe which hath geuen vnto you a manly courage and hath so strengthened you in the inwarde man by the power of his spirite that you can contemne as well all the terrours as also the vaine flatteringe allurementes of the worlde esteeming them as vanities mere trifles things of nought Who hath also wroughte planted and surely stablished in your hearts so stedfast a fayth and loue of the Lorde Iesus Christe ioyned with such constancie that by no engines of Antichriste be they neuer so terrible or plausible yee will suffer any other Iesus or any other Christ to be forced vpon you besides him whom the Prophetâ— haue spoken of before the Apostles haue preached the holy Martyrs of God haue coÌ„fessed and testified with the effusion of their bloud In thys Faith stand ye fast my brethren and suffer not your selues to be brought vnder the yoke of bondage and superstition any more For ye know brethren howe that our sauiour warned his beforehand that such shoulde come as would poynt vnto the world an other Christ and woulde set him out wyth so many fals myracles and with such deceiueable and subtill practises that euen the very electe if it were possible should be therby deceiued such strong delusion to come did our Sauiour geue warning of before But continue ye faithful and constant and be of good comfort remember that our graund captaine hath ouercome the world for he that is in vs is stronger then he that is in the world and the Lorde promiseth vnto vs that for the elects sake the daies of wickednes shall be shortned In the meane season abide ye endure with patience as ye haue begun endure I say and reserue your selues vnto better times as one of the heathen Poetes said cease not to shew yourselues valiant Soldiours of the Lorde and helpe to maintaine the trauelling faith of the Gospell Yee haue neede of patience that after ye haue done the wil of God ye may receiue the promises For yet a very litle while and he that shall come will come and wil not tarie and the iust shall liue by faith but if anye withdrawe him selfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him sayth the Lorde But we are not they which doe withdrawe oure selues vnto damnation but beleeue vnto the saluation of the soule Let vs not suffer these woordes of Christ to fall out of our hearts by any manner of terrours or threatnings of the worlde Feare not them which kil the body the rest ye know For I wryte not vnto you as to menne which are ignoraunt of the truth but which know the truthe and to this ende onely that we agreeing together in one faith may take comfort one of an other and be the more confirmed and strengthened thereby We neuer had a better or more iust cause either to contemne our life or shed our bloud we can not take in hande the defence of a more certaine cleare and manifest truthe For it is not any ceremonie for the which we contend but it toucheth the very substance of our whole Religion yea euen Christ him selfe Shall we either can we receiue and acknowledge any other Christe in steade of hym who is alone the euerlasting sonne of the euerlasting Father and is the brightnesse of the glory and liuely image of the substaunce of the Father in whome onely dwelleth corporally the fulnesse of the Godhead who is the onely waye the truth and the life Let such wickednesse my brethren lette such horrible wickednesse be farre from vs. For althoughe there be that are called Gods whether in heauen either in earth as there be many Gods and many Lordes yet vnto vs there is but one God which is the Father of whome are al things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whome are all things and wee by him but euery man hath not knowledge This is life eternal sayth S. Iohn that they know thee to be the onely true God and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christ. If any therfore would force vpon vs any other GOD besides him whom Paule and the Apostles haue taughte let vs not heare him but let vs flee froÌ„ him and hold him accursed Brethren ye are not ignorant of the deepe and profouÌ„d subtleties of Satan for he will not cease to raunge about you seking by all meanes possible whom he may deuour but play ye the men and be of good comfort in the Lorde And albeit your enemies and the aduersaries of the truth armed with all worldly force and power that may be doe set vppon you yet be not ye faynt harted nor shrinke not therfore but trust vnto your Captayne Christ trust vnto the spirit of truth trust to the truth of your cause which as it may by the malice of satan be darckened so can it neuer be cleane put out For we haue high prayse be geuen to God therfore most playnely euidently and clearely on our side all the Prophets all the Apostles and vndoubtedly all the auncient Ecclesiastical writers which haue writtan vntill
hys capitayne deposed hym of the thousand pound of possessions that is to say from euerlasting lyfe in glory and all his heires and posteritie for likewyâ—e as he had the spirit of science and knowledge for him and his heires so in like maner wheÌ„ he lost the same his heyres lost it also by him and in him So now this example prooueth that by our father Adam we had once in hym the very enheritance of euerlasting ioy and by him and in him againe we lost the same The heires of the captaine of Calice could not by any maner of claime aske of the King the right â—itle of theyr father in the thousand poundes possessions by reason the kyng myght aunswer and say vnto them that although theyr father deserued not of hymselfe to enioy so great possessions yet he deserued by hymselfe to loose theÌ„ and greater committyng so hygh treason as he dyd agaynst hys Princes commaundementes whereby he had no wrong to loose his title but was vnworthy to haue the same and had therein true iustice let not you thinke which bee hys heyres that if hee had iustice to loose his possessions you haue wrong to loose the same In the same maner it may be aunswered vnto all men and women now beyng that if our father Adam had true Iustice to bee excluded from hys possession of euerlastyng glory in Paradise let not vs thinke the contrary that be his heyres but that wee haue no wrong in loosing also the same yea we haue true Iustice and right Then in what miserable state be we that of the right and iust title of our owne deserts haue lost the euerlasting ioy and clayme of our selues to be the true inheritours of hell For hee that committeth deadly sinne willyngly byndeth hymselfe to be inheritor of euerlasting payne and so dyd our forefather Adam willingly eate of the apple forbidden Wherefore he was cast out of euerlastyng ioy in Paradise into this corrupt world amongst all vilenesse whereby of hymselfe he was not woorthy to do any thyng laudable or pleasaunt to GOD euermore bound to corrupt affections and beastly appetites transfourmed into the most vncleannest and variablest nature that was made vnder heauen of whose seede and disposition all the world is lineally discended in so much that this euill nature is so fused and shedde from one into another that at this day there is no man nor woman liuyng that can of themselues wash away this abhominable vilenesse and so we must needes graunt of our selues to be in lyke displeasure vnto God as our forefather Adam was by reason hereof as I sayd we bee of our selues the very children of the indignation and vengeaunce of God the true enheritours of hell and workyng all towardes hell which is the answer of this question made to euery man and woman by themselues Who art thou And now the world standyng in this damnable state commeth in the occasion of the incarnation of Christ the Father in heauen perceiuyng the frayle nature of man that he by hymselfe and of hymselfe could doe nothyng for hymselfe by hys prudent wisedome sent downe the second person in Trinitie hys sonne Iesu Christ to declare vnto man hys pleasure and commaundement and so at the fathers wyll Christ tooke on hym humaine nature beyng willyng to deliuer man out of this miserable way was content to suffer cruell passion in shedyng hys bloud for all mankynd and so left behynd for our safegard lawes and ordinaunces to keepe vs alwayes in the right path to euerlastyng lyfe as the Euangelistes the Sacramentes the commaundementes and so foorth which if wee doe keepe and obserue accordyng vnto our profession wee shall aunswer better vnto this question Who art thou then we dyd before for before thou diddest enter into the Sacrament of Baptisme thou wert but a naturall man a naturall woman as I myght say A man A woman But after thou takest on thee Christes Religion thou hast a longer name for then thou art a Christian man a Christian woman Now then seeyng thou art a Christian man what shall be thy aunswer of this question Who art thou The aunswer of this question is when I aske it vnto my selfe I must say that I am a Christian man a christian woman the childe of euerlastyng ioy thorough the merites of the bitter passion of Christ. This is a ioyfull aunswer Here we may see how much wee bee bounde and in daunger vnto GOD that hath reuiued vs from death to lyfe and saued vs that were damned which great benefite we cannot well consider vnlesse we doe remember what we were of our selues before wee medled wyth hym or hys lawes and the more we know our feeble nature and set lesse by it the more wee shall concâ—iue and know in our heartes what God hath done for vs and the more that we know what God hath done for vs the lesse wee shall set by our selues the more wee shall loue and please God so that in no condition wee shall eyther know our selues or God except wee doe vtterly confâ—sse our selues to bee meere vilenesse and corruption Well now it is come vnto this poynt that we bee Châ—istian men Christian women I pray you what doth Christ require of a Christian man or of a Christian woman Christ requireth nothyng els of a Christian man or a womaâ— but that they will obserue hys rule For likewyse as hee is a good Augustine Frier that keepeth well Saint Augustines rule so is he a good Christian man that keepeth well Christes rule Now then what is Christes rule Christes rule consisteth in many thyngs as in the commaundements and the workes of mercy and so foorth And for because I can not declare Christs rule vnto you at one tyme as it ought to be done I will applye my selfe accordyng to your custome this tyme of Christenmasse I wyll as I sayde declare vnto you Christes rule but that shall bee in Christes cardes And where you are woont to celebâ—ate Christenmasse in playing at cardes I intend with gods grace to deale vnto you Christes cardes wherein you shall pâ—rceyue Christes rule The Game that we will pâ—ay at shal be called the Triumph which if it bee well played at bee that dealeth shall winne the Players shall lykewyse winne and the standers and lookers vppon shall doe the same in so much that there is no man that is willyng to play at this Triumph with these cardes but they shall be all winners and no loosers Let therefore euery Christian man and woman playe at these cardes that they may haue and obtayne the Triumph you must marke also that the Triumph must apply to fetch home vnto hym all the other cardes what so euer suite they bee of Now then take ye this first carde which must appeare and be shewed vnto you as followeth You haue heard what was spoken to the men of the olde Lawe Thou shalt not kyll whosoeuer shall kyll shall be in daunger of iudgement But
that can cleare themselues of this manifest murthers vsed to their children and seruaunts I thinke not the contrary but that many hath these two wayes slayne their owne children vnto their damnations vnlesse the great mercy of God were not ready to helpe them when they repent therefore Wherefore consideryng that we be so prone and ready to continue in sinne let vs cast downe our selues wyth Mary Magdalene and the more wee â—ow downe wyth her toward Christes feete the more we shall be afrayd to ryse agayne in sinne and the more we knowe and submit our selues the more we shall bee forgeuen and the lesse we knowe and submit our selues the lesse we shall be forgeuen as appeareth by this example followyng Christ when he was in this world amongst the Iews and Phariseys there was a great Pharisey whose name was Simon this Pharisey desired Christ on a tyme to dyne with hym thinkyng in hymselfe that hee was able and worthy to geue Christ a diner Christ refused not hys dinner but came vnto hym In tyme of their dinner it chaunced there came into the house a great and a common sinner named Mary Magdalene As soone as she perceiued Christ she cast her selfe downe and called vnto her remembraunce what she was of her selfe and how greatly she had offended God whereby she conceyued in Christ great loue and so came neere vnto hym and washed hys feete with bitter teares and shed vpon hys head precious oyntment thinkyng that by hym she should be deliuered from her sinnes this great and proude Pharisey seeyng that Christ did accept her oblation in the best part had great indignation agaynst this woman and sayd to hymselfe if this man Christ were a holy Prophet as he is taken for he would not suffer this sinner come so nigh hym Christ vnderstandyng the naughty mynd of this Pharisey sayd vnto hym Simon I haue somewhat to say vnto thee say what you please quod the Pharisey Then sayd Christ I pray thee tell me this If there be a man to whome is owyng xx pound by one and fourtie by an other this man to whom this money is owyng perceyueth these two men bee not able to pay hym he forgeueth them both Which of these two debters ought to loue this man most The Pharisey sayd That man ought to loue him best that had most forgeuen hym Likewyse sayd Christ it is by this woman She hath loued me most therefore most is forgeuen her she hath knowen her sinnes most whereby she hath most loued mee and thou hast least loued me because thou hast least knowen thy sinnes therefore because thou hast lest knowne thine offenses thou art least forgeuen So this proud Pharisey had an aunswere to delay hys pryde and thinke you not but that there be amongest vs a great number of these proude Phariseys which thinke themselues woorthy to bidde Christ to dinner which wyll perke and presume to sitte by Christ in the Church and haue disdayne of this poore womaÌ„ Magdalene theyr poore neyghbour with a hygh disdaynous and solemne countenaunce and beyng alwayes desirous to clymbe highest in the Church reckonyng theyr selues more woorthy to sit there then an other I feare me poore Magdalene vnder the boord and in the belfrey hath more forgeuen of Christ then they haue for it is lyke that those Phariseys doe lesse knowe themselues and their offences whereby they lesse loue GOD and so they bee lesse forgeuen I would to God we would followe this example and be lyke vnto Magdalen I doubt not but we be all Magdalens in fallyng into sinne and in offendyng but we be not agayne Magdalens in knowyng our selues and in rising from sinne If we bee the true Magdalens wee should be as willyng to forsake our sinne and ryse from sinne as we were willyng to commit sinne and to continue in it and we then should know our selues best and make a more perfect aunswer then euer we did vnto this question Who art thou To the which we might answer that we be true Christian men and women and then I say you should vnderstand and knowe how you ought to playe at this carde Thou shalt not kyll without any interruption of your deadly enemies the Turkes and so triumph at the last by winnyng euerlastyng lyfe in glory Amen It would aske a long discourse to declare what a stirre there was in Cambridge vpon this preachyng of maister Latymer Belike Sathan began to feele hymselfe and hys kyngdome to bee touched too neare and therfore thought it tyme to looke about hym and to make out hys men of armes First came out the Priour of the Blacke Friers called Buckneham otherwyse surnamed Domine labia who thinking to make a great hand agaynst Maister Latimer about the same tyme of Christenmas when Maister Latymer brought foorth hys cardes to deface belyke the doyngs of the other brought out hys Christenmasse Dice castyng there to hys audience cinque and quater meaning by the cinque fiue places in the New Testament and the foure Doctors by the quater by which his cinque quater he would prooue that it was not expedient the Scripture to be in English least the ignoraunt and vulgar sort thorough the occasion thereof myght happily be brought in daunger to leaue their vocation or els to runne into some inconuenience as for example The Plowman when he heareth this in the Gospell No man that layeth hys hand on the Plough and looketh backe is meete for the kyngdome of God might peradueÌ„ture hearyng this cease from his plough Likewyse the Baker when he heareth that a little Leauen corrupteth a whole lumpe of dowe may percase leaue our bread vnleuened and so our bodies shall be vnseasoned Also the simple man when he heareth in the Gospell If thine eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee may make him selfe blynd and so fill the world ful of beggers These with other mo this clarkely Frier brought out to the number of fiue to prooue his purpose Maister Latymer hearyng this Frierly Sermon of Doctour Bucknham commeth agayne the after noone or shortly after to the Church to aunswer the Frier where resorted to hym a great multitude as well of the Uniuersitie as of the Towne both Doctours and other Graduates with great expectation to heare what he could say among whom also directly in the face of Latymer vnderneath the pulpit sate Bucknham the foresayd Frier Prior of the blacke Friers with his blacke Friers coule aboute hys shoulders Then M. Latymer first repeatyng the Frierly reasons of Doctour Bucknham whereby hee would prooue it a daungerous thyng for the vulgare people to haue the Scripture in the vulgar tongue so refuted the Fryer so aunswered to hys obiections so dallied with hys balde reasons of the Ploughman lookyng backe and of the Baker leauyng hys bread vnleauened that the vanitie of the Frier myght to all men appeare well proouyng and declaryng to the people howe there was no such feare nor
and calling to serue hys glory walke in our vocation that we lose not that which they haue obteined but may proceed in all faythfulnes to build and keepe vp the house and temple of the Lorde to the aduansing of his glory and our euerlasting comfort in hym And thus much concerning the doings and laborious trauelles of M. Latimer Now after these thinges thus finished and discoursed perteining to the story of his lyfe lette vs come to his letters which he wrote at diuers and sundry tymes from the first beginning of his preachinge all which here to comprehend whiche he wrote both in English and Latine lacke of space and place at this present will not permitte neuertheles certayne we will take and fyrst concerning the articles aboue mentioned for the which he was troubled by the Priestes of the country about his benefice at West Kington whiche hee writeth thereof to M. Morice the copy thereof here foloweth Letters of M. Latimer ¶ A Letter of M. Latimer to Mayster Morice concerning the Articles written which were falsely and vntruely layed agaynst him RIght worshipfull and mine owne good mayster Morice salutem in Christo Iesu. And I thanke you for all harty kindnesse not onely heretofore shewed vnto me but also that now of late you would vouchsafe to write vnto me so poore a wretch to my great comforte among all these my troubles I trust and doubte nothing in it but GOD will reward you for me and supplye aboundauntly mine vnabilitie c. Mayster Morice you woulde wonder to know how I haue bene intreated at Bristow I meane of some of the Priestes which first desired me welcommed me made me cheaâ—e hearde what I sayde allowed my saying in all thinges whiles I was with them when I was gone home to my Benefice perceiuing that the people fauoured me so greatlye and that the Maior had appoynted me to preache at Easter priuilye they procured an inhibition for all them that had not the Bishoppes licence which they knew well enough I had not so craftely defeated mayster Maiors appoyntment pretending that they were sory for it procuring also certayne Preachers to blatter against me as Hubberdin and Powell with other moe whom when I had brought before the Maior and the wise Counsaile of the Towne to know what they coulde lay to my charge wherefore they so declaymed agaynst me they sayde they spake of information howbeit no man could be brought forth that would abide by any thing So that they had place and time to belye me shamefully but they had no place nor time to laye to my charge when I was present and ready to make them answere God ameÌ„d them and swage their malice that they haue agaynst the truth me c. Our Lady was a Sinner So they did belye me to haue sayd when I had sayd nothing so but to reproue certayne both Priestes and beneficed menne whiche doe geue so muche to our Ladye as though she had not bene saued by Christe a whole Sauiour both of her and of all that be and shall be saued I did reason after this maner that either she was a sinner or no sinner if a sinner then she was deliuered from sinne by Christ so that he saued her either by deliuering or by preseruing her from sinne so that without hym neyther she nor none other neither be nor could be saued And to auoyde all offence I shewed howe it might bee aunswered both to certayne Scriptures which maketh all generally sinners and how it might be aunswered vnto Chrysostome and Theophilact which maketh her namely and specially a sinner But all woulde not serue theyr malice is so great notwithstanding that fiue hundred honest men can and will beare recorde When they cannot reproue that thing that I do say then they will belye mee to say that thing that they can not reprooue for they will needes appeare to be agaynst me Sayntes are not to be worshipped So they lyed when I had shewed diuers significations of thys word Sayntes among the vulgare people First Images of Sayntes are called Sayntes and so they are not to be worshipped take worshipping of them for praying to them for they are neither Mediators by way of redemption nor yet by way of intercession And yet they may be well vsed when they be applied to that vse that they were ordeined for to be lay mens bookes for remeÌ„braunce of heauenly thinges c. Take Sayntes for inhabitours of heauen and worshippinge of them for praying to them I neuer denyed but that they might be worshipped and be our Mediatours though not by way of redemption for so Christ alonely is a whole Mediatour both for them and for vs yet by the way of intercession c. Pilgrimage And I neuer denyed Pilgrimage And yet I haue sayed that much scurffe must be pared away ere euer it can be wel done superstition idolatry false fayth and trust in the Image vniust estimation of the thing setting aside Gods ordinaunce for doynge of the thing debtes must be payd restitutions made wife children prouided for duetye to our poore neighbours discharged And when it is at the best before it be vowed it neede not to be done for it is neither vnder the bidding of GOD nor of manne to be done And Wiues muste counsell with Husbandes and Husbandes and Wiues with Curates before it be vowed to bee done c. Aue Maria. As for the Aue Maria who can thinke that I would deny it I sayd it was an heauenly greting or saluting of our blessed Lady wherein the Aungell Gabriell sent from the Father of heauen did annunciate and shewe vnto her the good will of God towardes her what he would with her and to what he had chosen her But I sayd it was not properly a prayer as the Pater noster whyche our Sauior Christ himselfe made for a proper prayer and bade vs say it for a Prayer not adding that we shoulde say 10. or 20. Aue Maries withall and I denyed not but that we may well saye the Aue Maria elso but not so that we shall thinke that the Pater noster is not good a whole and a perfit prayer nor can not be well sayd without Aue Maria so that I did not speake agaynst wel saying of it but agaynst superstitious saying of it and of the Pater noster to and yet I put a difference betwixte that that whiche Christ made to be sayd for a prayer c. No fire in hell Who euer could say or thinke so Howbeit good Authors do put a difference betwixt a suffering in the fire with bodyes and without bodyes The soule without the body is a spirituall substaunce which they say can not receiue a corporall quality and some maketh it a spirituall fire and some a corporall fire And as it is called a fire so is it called a Worme and it is thought of some
haue robbed and spoyled all this heauenly treasure away I may well complayne on these thyngs and cry out vpon them with the Prophet saying Deus venerunt gentes in haereditatem tuam c. Psal. 72. O Lord God the Gentiles Heathen nations are come into thy heritage They haue defiled thy holy Temple and made Ierusalem an heape of stones that is They haue broken beaten down to the ground thy holy Citie This Heathenish generatiō these thieues of Samaria these Sabei and Chaldei these robbers haue rushed out of their dennes and haue robbed the Church of England of all the foresayd holy treasure of God they haue caried it away and ouerthrown it and in stead of Gods holy worde the true and right administration of Christes holy Sacramentes as of Baptisme and others they mixte theyr ministerie with mens foolish fantasies and many wicked and vngodly traditions withall In stead of the Lordes holy Table they geue the people with much solemne disguising a thyng which they cal their Masse but in deed and in truth it is a very masking and mockerie of the true Supper of the Lord or rather I may call it a crafty iuglyng whereby these false theeues iuglers haue bewitched the myndes of the simple people that they haue broght them from the true worship of god vnto pernicious idolatry and make them to beleeue that to be Christ our Lord and Sauiour which in deed is neither God nor man nor hath any lyfe in it selfe but in substance is the creature of bread and wyne and in vse of the Lordes Table is the Sacrament of Christes bodye and bloud and for this holy vse for the whiche the Lord hath ordained them in hys table to represent vnto vs his blessed body torne vpon the crosse for vs and his bloude there shed it pleased him to call them his body bloud whiche vnderstanding Christ declareth to be his true meanyng when he sayth Do this in the remembraunce of me And agayne Saint Paule likewyse doth set out the same more plainly speaking of the same Sacrament after the words of the consecration saieng As often as ye shall eat of this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall set forth he meaneth with the same the Lordes death vntill his commyng agayne And here agayne these thieues haue robbed also the people of the Lordes cup contrary to the plaine words of Christ written in his Gospell Nowe for the common publike prayers whiche were in the vulgare tongue these theeues haue brought in agayne a strange tongue whereof the people vnderstande not one worde Wherein what doe they els but robbe the people of their Diuine seruice wherein they ought to pray together with the minister and to pray in a strange tong what is it but as Saint Paule calleth it barbarousnesse childishnes vnprofitable folly yea and plaine madnesse For the godly Articles of vnitie in religion for the wholesome Homelies what doe these Thieues place in the stead of them but the Popes Lawes and Decrees lying Legends fayned fables and miracles to delude and abuse the simplicitie of the rude people Thus this robbery and theft is not onely committed nay sacriledge and wicked spoyle of heauenly thyngs but also in the stead of the same is brought in and placed the abhominable desolation of the tyrant Antiochus of proud Senacherib of the shamelesse faced kyng and of the Babilonicall beast Unto this robbery this theft and sacrilege for that I cannot cōsent nor God willyng neuer shall so long as the breath is in my body because it is blasphemy agaynst God hygh treason vnto Christ our heauenly kyng Lord Maister our onely Sauiour and redeemer it is playne contrary to Gods word and to Christes Gospell it is the subuersion of all true godlinesse and agaynst the euerlastyng saluation of myne owne soule and of all my brethren and sisters whom Christ my Sauiour hath so dearely bought wyth no lesse price then with the effusion and shedyng foorth of hys most precious bloud Therfore all ye my true louers in God my kinsfolke and countreymen for this cause I say knowe ye that I am put to death which by Gods grace I shall willingly take with hearty thankes to God therefore in certayne hope without any doubtyng to receyue at Gods hande agayne of his free mercy and grace euerlastyng lyfe Although the cause of the true man slayne of the thiefe helpyng hys neighbour to recouer hys goods agayne and the cause wherfore I am to be put to death in a generality is both one as I sayd before yet know ye that there is no small difference These thieues agaynst whom I do stand are much worse then the robbers and thieues of the borders The goodes which they steale are much more precious and their kynds of fight are far diuers These thieues are worse I say for they are more cruell more wycked more false more deceitfull and crafty for those wyll but kill the body but these will not sticke to kill both body and soule Those for the generall theft and robbery be called are in deed theeues and robbers but these for their spirituall kynd of robbery are called Sacrilegi as ye would say Church robbers They are more wicked for those goe about to spoyle men of worldly thynges worldly riches gold and siluer worldly substance these go about in the wayes of the deuill their ghostly father to steale from the vniuersall Church and perticularly from euery man all heauenly treasure true faith true charity hope of saluation in the bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ yea to spoil vs of our sauior Iesus Christ of his gospel of his heauēly spirit of the heauenly heritage of the kingdom of heauē so derely purchased vnto vs with the death of our maister and Sauiour Christ. These be the goodes and godly substance whereupon the christian before God must liue and without the which he cannot lyue These goods I saye these theeues these Church robbers go about to spoile vs of The which goods as to the man of God they excell and farre passe all worldly treasure so to withstand euen vnto the death such theeues as go about to spoyle both vs the whole Church of such goods is most high and honourable seruice done vnto God These church robbers be also much more false crafty and deceitfull then the theeues vpon the borders for these haue not the craft so to commend their theft that they dare auouch it and therefore as acknowledging themselues to be euill they steale commonly vpon the nyght they dare not appeare at iudgements and Sessions where Iustice is executed and when they are taken and brought thether they neuer hang any man but they bee oft tymes hanged for theyr faults But these Church robbers can so cloke colour their spiritual robbery that they can make the people to beleeue falshood to be truth and truth falshood good
to be euill and euill good lyght to be darknesse and darknesse lyght superstition to be true religion and Idolatry to be the true worship of God and that which is in substance the creature of bread and wyne to bee none other substaunce but onelye the substaunce of Christ the liuyng Lord both God and man And with this their falshoode craft they can so iuggle and bewitch the vnderstanding of the simple that they dare auouch it openly in Courte and in Towne and feare neyther hangyng nor headyng as the poore theeues of the borders doe but stout and strong lyke Nembroth dare condemne to bee burned in flamyng fire quicke and alyue whosoeuer wil go about to bewray their falshood The kynd of fight against these Churchrobbers is also of another sort and kynd then is that which is agaynst the theeues of the borders For there the true men go forth agaynst them with speare and launce with bow and hyll and all such kynd of bodily weapons as the true mē haue but here as the enemies be of another nature so the watch men of Christes flocke the warrioures that fight in the Lordes warre must be armed fight with another kynd of weapons and armour For here the enemies of GOD the souldiours of Antichrist although the battaile is set foorth agaynst the Church by mortall men beyng flesh and bloud and neuerthelesse members of their father the deuill yet for that their graund maister is the power of darknesse their members are spirituall wickednes wicked spirites spirits of errors of heresies of all deceit and vngodlinesse spirits of Idolatry superstition hypocrisy which are called of S. Paule Principates and powers Lordes of the world rulers of the darkenes of this world spirituall subtleties concernyng heauenly thyngs and therfore our weapons must be fitte and meete to fight agaynst such not carnall nor bodily weapons as speare launce but spirituall and heauenly we must fight agaynst suche with the armour of God not entendyng to kill their bodies but their erroures their false craft and heresies their idolatry superstition and hypocrisie and to saue as much as lyeth in vs both their bodies and soules And therfore as s. Paul teacheth vs we fight not against flesh and bloud that is we fight not with bodily weapon to kil the man but with the weapons of God to put to flight his wicked errors vice to saue both body and soule Our weapons therfore are faith hope charitie righteousnes truth patience prayer vnto God our sword wherwith we smite our enemies we beat and batter and beare downe all falshood is the worde of God With these weapons vnder the banner of the crosse of Christ we do fight euer hauing our eye vpon our graund maister Duke and captaine Christ then we reckon our selues to triumphe to win the crowne of euerlasting blisse when enduryng in this battail without any shrinking or yeldyng to the enemies after the example of our graund capitaine Christ our maister after the example of his holy prophets Apostles Martyrs when I say we are slaine in our mortal bodies of our enemies are most cruelly without all mercy murdered down like a many of sheepe And the more cruell the more painful the more vile spiteful is the kind of the death whereunto we bee put the more glorious in God the more blessed and happy we reckon without all doubts our martyrdome to be And thus much dere louers friends in God my coūtreyman kinsfolke I haue spoken for your comfort lest of my death of whose life you looked peraduenture sometymes to haue had honestie pleasures commodities ye might be abashed or thinke any euill wheras ye haue rather cause to reioyce if ye loue me in deed for that it hath pleased God to cal me to a greater honor and dignitie thē euer I did enioy before eyther in Rochester or in the sea of London or euer should haue had in the Sea of Durham whereunto I was last of all elected named yea I count it greater honour before God in deede to dye in hys cause whereof I nothing doubt then is any earthly or temporal promotion or honor that can be geuen to a man in this world And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Gods to be Christes quarel of his Gospell to be the common weale of all the elect and chosen children of God of all the inheritours of the kyngdome of heauen who is he I say that knoweth this assuredly by Gods worde and the testimony of hys owne conscience as I thorough the infinite goodnesse of GOD not of my selfe but by his grace acknowledge my selfe to doe who is hee I saye that knoweth this and both loueth and feareth GOD in deed and in truth loueth and beleeueth his maister Christ and his blessed Gospel loueth his brotherhoode the chosen children of God and also lusteth and longeth for euerlasting lyfe who is he I say agayne that would not or can not finde in his hart in this cause to be content to die The Lord forbidde that any such should bee that should forsake this grace of God I trust in my Lord God the GOD of mercies the Father of all comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord that he which hath put this mynd will affection by his holy spirit in my hart to stand against the face of the enemy in his cause and to chuse rather the losse of al my worldly substance yea and of my lyfe too then to deny his known truth that he will comfort me ayde mee and strengthen me euermore euen vnto the end and to the yeldyng vp of my spirit soule into hys holy hands whereof I most hartily beseech his most holy sacred Maiestie of his infinite goodnes and mercy through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Now that I haue taken my leaue of my countriemen and kinsfolke and the Lord doth lend me lyfe and geueth me laisure I will bid my other good friends in God of other places also farewell And whom first or before other then the Uniuersitie of Cambridge wheras I haue dwelt longer found more faithfull and hartie friendes receyued more benefits the benefits of my naturall parents onely excepted then euer I did euen in myne own natiue countrey wherein I was borne Farewel therfore Cambridge my louyng mother and tender nurse If I should not acknowled thy manifold benefits yea if I should not for thy benefits at the least loue thee agayne truly I were to be counted to vngrate vnkynde What benefites hadst thou euer that thou vsest to geue bestow vppon thy best beloued children that thou thoughtest too good for me Thou didst bestowe on mee all thy schoole degrees of thy common offices the Chaplaynship of the vniuersitie the office of the Proctorship of a common Reader of thy priuate commodities emoluments in colledges what was it that
bee free from chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastardes and no children Seing then when as we haue had carnall parents which chastened vs we reuerenced them shall not we much more be subiect vnto our spirituall father that we might liue And they for a litle time taughte vs after theyr owne mind but this father teacheth vs to our commodity to geue vnto vs his holinesse Al chastisment for the present tyme appeareth not pleasaunt but paynefull but afterward it rendereth the fruite of righteousnesse on them which are exercised in it Wherefore let vs bee of good cheere good Brethren and let vs plucke vppe our feeble members that were fallen or beganne to faynt hart handes knees and all the rest and let vs walke vpright and straight that no limping no◠〈…〉 bring vs out of the way Let vs looke not vpon the thinges that be present but with the eyes of our fayth let vs stedfastly behold the thinges that be euerlasting in heauen and so choose rather in respecte of that whiche is to come with the chosen members of Christ to beare Christes Crosse then for this short life time to inioy all the riches honours and pleasures of the broade worlde Why should we Christians feare death Can death depriue vs of Christ which is all our coÌ„â—ort our ioy and our life Nay forsooth But contrary death shall deliuer vs from this mortall body whiche lodeth and beareth downe the spirite that it cannot so well perceiue heauenly thinges in the which so long as we dwell wee are absent from God Wherefore vnderstanding our state in that we be Christians that if our mortall body which is our earthly house were destroied we haue a building a house not made with handes but euerlasting in heauen c. therefore wee are of good cheere and know that when we are in the body we are absent from GOD for we walke by fayth and not by cleare fight Neuerthelesse we are bolde and had rather be absent from the bodye and present with GOD. Wherefore we striue whether we be present at home or absent abroad that we may alwayes please him And who that hath true fayth in our Sauior Christ whereby he knoweth somewhat truely what Christ our Sauiour is that he is the eternall sonne of God life light the wisedome of the father all goodnesse all righteousnesse and whatsoeuer is good that heart canne desire yea infinite plentye of all these aboue that that mans hart canne either conceiue or thinke for in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godheade corporally and also that he is geuen vs of the Father and made of GOD to be our wisedome our righteousnesse our holâ—nesse and our redemption who I say is he that beleueth this in deede that woulde not gladly bee with his mayster christ Paul for this knowledge coueted to haue bene loosed from the body and to haue beene with Christ for that he counted it muche better for himselfe and had rather to be loosed then to liue Therefore these wordes of Christe to the thiefe on the Crosse that asked of him mercy were full of comfort and solace This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise To dye in the defence of Christes Gospell it is our bounden duety to Christ and also to our neighbour To Christ for he dyed for vs and rose agayne that he might be Lord ouer all And seing he dyed for vs we also sayth S. Iohn shoulde ieopard yea geue our life for our Brethren And this kinde of geuing and loosing is getting and winning in deede for hee that geueth or looseth his life thus getteth winneth it for euermore Blessed are they therefore that die in the Lord and if they dye in the Lordes cause they are most happy of all Let vs not then feare death which can do vs no harme otherwise then for a momeÌ„t to make the flesh to smart but that our fayth whiche is surely fastened and fixed vnto the worde of GOD telleth vs that we shall be anon after death in peace in the handes of GOD in ioye in solace and that from death we shall go straight vnto life For Saynt Iohn sayeth he that liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer dye And in an other place he shall depart from death vnto life And therefore this death of the Christian is not to be called death but rather a gate or entraunce into euerlasting life Therefore Paule calleth it but a dissolution and resolution and both Peter and Paul a putting of this Tabernacle or dwelling house Meaning thereby the mortall body as wherein the soule or spirite doth dwell here in this worlde for a small time Yea this death may be called to the Christian an end of all miseries For so long as we liue here we must passe through many tribulations before we canne enter into the kingdome of heauen And nowe after that death hath shot his bolt all the christian mans enemies haue done what they canne after that they haue no more to doe What coulde hurte or harme poore Lazarus that lay at the rich mannes Gate His former penury and pouerty his misery beggery and horrible sores and sickenesse For so soone as death had stricken him with his dart so soone came the aungels and caryed him straight vp into Abrahams bosome What lost he by death who from misery and payne is set by the ministery of Aungels in a place both of ioy and solace Farewell deare brethren farewell and let vs comforte our hartes in all troubles and in death with the worde of God for heauen and earth shall perish but the word of the Lord endureth for euer Farewell Christes dearely beloued spouse here wandering in this world as in a straunge land farre from thine owne couÌ„try coÌ„passed about on euery hand with deadly enemies which cease not to assault thee euer seeking thy destruction Farewell farewell O ye the whole and vniuersall congregation of the chosen of God here liuing vpon earth the true churche militant of Christ the true misticall body of Christ the very house holde and family of God and the sacred temple of the holy ghost Farewell Farewell O thou litle flocke of the highe heauenlye pastour Christ for to thee it hath pleased the heauenlye father to geue an euerlasting and eternall kingdome Farewell Farewell thou spirituall house of God thou holy and royall priesthood thou choseÌ„ generatioÌ„ thou holy nation thou wonne spouse Farewell Farewell N. R. ¶ An other treatise of B. Ridley wherein is conteyned first a lamentation for the chaunge of Religion in England then a comparison betwene the doctrine of the Gospell and the Romish religion with wholesome instructions in the end to all christians how to behaue themselues in time of tryall ALas what misery is thy church brought vnto O lord at this day Where of late the worde of the Lord was truely preached was read and heard in euery towne in euery Church
vppon thee for thine owne desertes Canst thou be content to heare thy faults told thee Alas thou hast heard ofte and wouldest neuer amende England thy faultes of all degrees and sortes of men of Magistrates of the ministers and of the common people were neuer more playnely tolde since thou barest that name then thou diddest heare them of late euen before the Magistrates in king Edwardes dayes but thou heardest them onely and diddest amend neuer a whitte For euen of thy greatest Magistrates some the kinges highnesse then that innocente that godly harted pereles young Christian Prince excepted euermore vnkindely and vngently agaynst those that went about most busely and most wholesomely to cure their sore backes spurned pryuely and woulde not spare to speake euill of them euen vnto the Prince himselfe and yet woulde they towardes the same preachers outwardly beare a ioly countenance and a fayre face I haue heard that Cranmer and an other whome I will not name were both in high displeasure the one for shewing his conscience secretly but playnly and fullye in the Duke of Somersettes cause and bothe of late but specially Cranmer for repugning as they might against the late spoyle of the Churche goodes taken away onely by commaundement of the higher powers wythout any lawe or order of iustice and without anye request of consent of them to whome they did belong As for Latimer Leuer Bradforde and Knoxe their tongues were so sharpe they ripped in so deepe in theyr galled backes to haue purged them no doubte of that filthy matter that was festred in theyr hartes of insaciable couetousnesse of filthy carnalitie and voluptuousnesse of intollerable ambition and pride of vngodly lothsomnes to heare poore mens causes and to heare Gods word that these men of all other these Magistrates then could neuer abide Other there were very godly men and well learned that went aboute by the wholesome plasters of Gods worde how be it after a more softe maner of handling the matter but alas all sped in like For all that could be done of all handes theyr disease did not minishe but dayly dyd encrease which no doubte is no small occasion in that state of the heauy plague of God that is poured vppon Englande at thys daye As for the common sorte of other inferiour Magistrates as Iudges of the lawes Iustices of peace Sergeantes common lawyers it may be truely said of them as of the most part of the Clergy of Curates Uicares Parsones Prebendaryes Doctours of the law Archdeacons Deanes yea and I may say of Byshoppes also I feare me for the moste parte although I doubte not but GOD had and hath euer whome hee in euery state knew and knoweth to be hys but for the most part I say they were neuer perswaded in theyr hartes but from the teethe forwarde and for the kinges sake in the trueth of Gods word and yet all these did dissemble and bare a copy of a countenaunce as if they hath bene sound within And this dissimulation Sathan knew well inoughe and therefore desired and hath euer gone about that the highe Magistrates by anye manner of meanes myght bee deceaued in matters of religion for then hee beyng of councell with the dissimulation in the worldlye knewe well enough that he should bring to passe and rule al euen after his owne will Hipocrisie and dissimulation sainct Hierome doth call well a double wickednesse for neyther it loueth the trueth whiche is one great euill and also falsely it pretendeth to deceiue the simple for an other thing This hipocrisie and dissimulation with God in matters of Religion no doubte hath wholy also prouoked the anger of God And as for the common people although there were manye good where they were well and dilligently taught yet God knoweth a great number receaued Gods true word and high benefites with vnthankfull harts For it was great pity and a lamentable thing to haue seene in many places the people so lothsomly and so vnreligiouslye to come to the holy Communion and to receaue it accordingly and to the common prayers and other Diuine seruice which were according to the true vayne of Gods holye word in all poyntes so godly and wholesomely set foorth in comparison of that blynde zeale and vndiscreete deuotion whiche they had afore tymes to those things wherof they vnderstoode neuer one whiâ— nor could be edified by them any thing at all And agayne as for almes deedes which are taughte in Gods word whereby we are certain that God is pleased with them and dothe and will require suche at oure handes whiche are a part of true religion as Sayncte Iames sayth and suche as he sayth himselfe hee setteth more by then by sacrifice as to prouide for the fatherlesse infantes and orphanes for the lame aged and impotent poore needye folke and to make publicke prouision that the pouerty that might labour shoulde haue wherwith to labour vppon and so be kept from shameful beggerry stealing in these works I say how wayward wer many in comparison I meane of that great prodigality whereby in times past they spared not to spend vpon flattering Fryers false Pardoners painting and gilting of stockes and stones to be set vp and honored in Churches playnely agaynst Gods worde And yet because no place is to be defrauded of theyr iust commendation London I must confesse for such godly workes in sir Rich. Dobs knight then Lorde Maior hys yeare began maruelous well the Lord graunt the same may so likewise perseuer continue yea and encrease to the comforte and reliefe of the needy and helpelesse that was so godly begunne Amen All these thinges doe minister matter of more mournyng and bewayling the miserable state that nowe is for by this it may be perceaued how England hath deserued this iust plague of God And also it is greatly to be feared that those good thinges what soeuer they were that had theyr beginning in the tyme when Gods woorde was so freely preached nowe with the exile and banishemente of the same will depart agayne But to returne agayne to the consideration of thys miserable state of Christes Churche in Englande and to leaue farther and more exquisite searchyng of the causes thereof vnto Gods secrete and vnsearchable iudgements let vs see what is best now to be done for Chrystes little flocke This is one maxime and principle in Chrystes law He that denyeth Christ before men hym shall Chryst deny afore hys father and all hys Aungels of heauen And therefore euery one that looketh to haue by Chryst our sauiour euerlasting lyfe let him prepare hymselfe so that he deny not hys mayster Chryst or els he is but a cast away and a wretche how soeuer he be counted or taken here in the world Now then seing the doctrine of Antichrist is returned agayne into this Realme and the higher powers alas are so deceaued and bewitched that they are perswaded it to be truthe and Christes true
daunger of the plague Now the causes why we shoulde flye followeth in the same place of saynct Mathewes Gospell whiche I now passe ouer thou maist read them there And in the xviii chapter of the Reuelation the angell is sayd to haue cryed mightely with a loud voyce Flye my people out of Babilon least you be infected with her faultes so be made partners of her plagues for her offences and sinnes are â—rowne so great that they swel and are come vnto the heauens â—â—â—aynely the tyme doth approche and the Lordes day is at hand Heare I beseeche you also holy Paule that bessed Apostle He playnely forbiddeth vs ducere iugum cum incredulis that is to ioyne or couple our selues with the vnfaythfull for what fellowship can there be sayth hee of righteousnes with vnrighteousnes what companie hath lighte with darckenesse or what agreement hath Christ with Beliall or what part can the faythfull haue with the vnfaythfull or how doth the temple of God agree with Images or Idols for you are the temple of the liuing God as God hath sayd I will walke and dwell in them I will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore depart from amongst them and get you from them sayth the Lord and touche no vncleane thing and I will receaue you bee to you in the stead of youre father and you shal be vnto me as my sonnes and daughters sayth the almighty Lord. This councell to depart the realme I doe not maruel if it do seeme to diuers euen of them I meane that beare fauour to Godward diuersly Many I trust that bee learned shall thinke the councell good Other there be peraduenture that will thinke it rather a thinge to be more tollerable and that it may be in deede by Gods worde lawfully done rather then to bee counsayled to bee done for they will peraduenture say we shoulde counsell a man alwayes to doe that whiche is best of all and of moste perfection but boldly in Christes cause to spend a mans lyfe is best of all and of moste perfection and to flye it maye seeme to smell of cowardnes In many thinges that whiche is best for one at some tymes is not best for all at all tymes and it is not most perfection nor meete for a childe to couet to run before he can goe I will not make here a discourse in this matter what might here be obiected and what might bee aunswered agayne I leaue that to the wittie and eloquent men of the world This is my minde whiche I woulde thou shouldest know O man of God as I woulde wishe and I do pray to almighty God it may be that euery true Christian either brother or sister after they be called and brought into the wrestling place to striue in Christes cause for the best game that is to confesse the truth of the Gospell and of the Christian fayth in hope of euerlasting life shoulde not shrink nor relent one inch or giue back what soeuer shal befall but stande to theyr tackle and sticke by it euen vnto death as they wil Christ shall sticke by them at the latter day so likewise I dare not wishe nor councell any either brother or sister of theyr owne swinge to starte vp into the stage or to cast themselues eyther before or farther in daunger then tyme and neede shall require for vndoubtedly when God seeth hys tyme and his pleasure is that his glory shall be set forth and his Churche edified by thy death and confession meanes shal be found by hys fatherly vniuersall prouidence that thou without thyne owne presumptuous prouocation shalt be lawfully called to do thy feate and to playe thy part The miserable ende that one Quintus came vnto may be a warning and a feareful example for all men to beware of presumption and rashnesse in suche thinges as Eusebius writeth in Eccle. historia for euermore But a thyrd sorte of men there be whiche also wyll be counted fauourers of Gods worde and are I feare in number farre moe and worse to be perswaded to that which is yâ— godly meane I meane of such as wil peraduenture say or thinke that my former councell which was to slye the infection of the Antichristian doctrine by departing out of the Realme is more then needeth and other waies and meanes may be found both to abide and also to be cleare out of daunger of the foresayde plague If that coulde be found both to abide and also to be cleare out of daunger of the foresaid plague If that could be found in deed truely agreable to Gods word I woulde be as glad to heare it God is my witnesse as who is the other Yes peraduenture will some say Thus it may be Thou mayst keep thy selfe thy fayth and thy religion close to thy selfe and inwardly and priuately worship God in spirite trueth and outwardly see thou be no open medler nor talker nor transgressour of common order so mayst thou be suffered in the common wealth and yet vse thy religioÌ„ without offence of thy conscience In other countryes somewhere this peraduenture might be vsed but in Englande what shall be God wot but it was neuer yet so farre as euer I haue knowne or heard And also how can it be but eyther thou must transgresse the common order and the Romishe lawes and customes whiche haue bene vsed in England in the times past of Popery and now it is certayne they retourne agayne I say thou mayst eyther be a breaker of these rites lawes and customes and so bewraye thy selfe or els if thou be in deede a man of GOD thou shalt offend thy conscience for in obseruing of them thou shalt be compelled to breake Gods law which is the rule of conscience to the man of God For how canst thou resort euery holy day to the Churche and beare a face to worship the creature for the creatour as thou must doe peraduenture confesse it too with thy mouth and to sprinckle thy selfe with thy coniured water Thou must bee contributour also to the charges of all their popery as of books of Antichristes seruice of lights of the roode lofte of the sepulchre for settyng vp paynting of Images nay in deede of Idolles and thou muste beare a face to worship them also or els thou must be had by the backe Thou must serue the turne to geue the holye loues as they call it whiche is nothinge els but a verye mockery of the Lordes holy table Thou must be a contributor to the charges of all the disgised apparell that the popishe sacrificing Priest like vnto Aaron must playe hys part in Yea when the pardoner goeth about or the flattering Fryer to begge for the mayntenaunce of superstition except thou doe as thy neighbours doe looke not long to liue in rest If anye of thy housholde dye if thou wilt not pay money for ringing and singing for Requiem Masses Dirige and commendations and
that should do all the wonderfull thinges spoken in Iohn and yet of a Beast speaketh Iohn but I vnderstand hym so to be called not for that he shall be anye suche brute Beast but for that he is and shall bee the chylde of perdition whiche for hys crueltie and beastlye manners is well called a Beast The carnall Iewes knew there was a promise made that Helias should come before Christe the Messias the annoynted of God to prepare hys wayes they knew also there was a promise of Messias that he shoulde come and be a king and raygne in the house of Dauid for euermore but they vnderstoode al so grossely and so carnally that they neyther knewe Helias nor Messias when they came for they looked for Helias to come down from heauen in his own person and for Messias to come raigne in worldly pompe power riches and glorye when as the prophesies of both wer spiritually to haue bene vnderstāded of Helias that he shoulde come not in persone but in spirite that is one whiche shoulde be indued with the spirite and giftes of grace of Helias whiche was in deede Iohn Baptist as Christ hymselfe did declare to his Apostles And of Messias raygne all the Prophetes were to be vnderstanded of the raygne of hys spirituall kingdome ouer the house of Iacob and the true Israelites for euermore And so by that their grosse and carnall vnderstandyng they mistooke both Helias and the true Messias and when they came knew neither of them both So likewise I feare me nay it is certayne the world that wanteth the light of the spirite of God for the worlde is not able to receaue hym sayth Iohn neither dothe nor shall know the beast nor his markes though he rage cruellye and liue neuer so beastly and though his marked men be in number like the sand of the sea The Lord therfore vouchsafe to open the eyes of the blinde with the light of grace that they may see and perceaue and vnderstād the words of God after the minde of his spirite Amen Here remayneth two obiections whiche may seeme wayghty and the whiche may peraduenture moue many not to follow the former councel The former reason is A man will say O sir it is no small matter ye speake of to depart from a mans owne natiue countrey into a strange realme Many men haue so great lettes as how it is possible that they can or may do so Some haue landes possessions whiche they cannot carry with them some haue father mother wife children and kinsfolke from whome to depart is as hard a thing and all one almost as to suffer death and to go to a straunge country that thou knowest not neyther the maner of the people nor how thou mayst away either with the people or with the country Or what a hard thing it is to liue amonge a straunge people whose tongue thou doest not vnderstand c. I graunt here thou mayst heape a number of worldly incommodities which are surely very like to ensue the departure out of a mans owne natiue country I meane out of the whole realme into a straunge land but what of all these and a thousand moe of the lyke sorte I will sette vnto them one saying of our sauiour Christ whiche vnto the faythfull childe of God and to the true christian is able to counteruayle all these yea and to way them downe Christe oure sauioure sayth in Luke If any come to me and do not hate hys father and mother hee meaneth and wyll not in his cause forsake his father and mother hys wyfe children and brethren yea and hys lyfe too hee cannot bee my disciple and whosoeuer doth not beare hys crosse and come after me he cannot be my disciple And in the same place he declareth by the two parables one of a builder and the other of a king that is a warriour that euery man that wil not in Christes cause forsake all that euer he hath hee can not be his Disciple Look the places who will the matter is so playnely set forth that no gloses nor cloking of conscience to the manne of God can serue to the contrarye Many places there be for the same purpose for the imbrasing of Christes crosse when Christ and his cause layeth it vpon our backe but this is so playne that I neede here to rehearse no more This latter reason and obiection whereof I spake before is of more force and includeth a necessitie which after the common saying hath no lawe and therefore it is more hard to shape for it a good aunswere This may bee obiected of some alas sir I graunt al these thinges do greue me and because I vnderstand they doe not agree with Gods worde whiche is the rule of my conscience I loth eyther to looke on them or to heare them But sir alas I am an impotent man an aged man a sicke man a lame man or I haue so many small infantes and a lame wife which all liueth by my labour and by my prouision if I leaue them they shall sterue and I am not able to cary them with me suche is my state Alas sir what shal I do And these causes may chaunce to some men of God whereby eyther it shal be for them vtterly impossible to departe the country or els in departing they shal be inforced to forsake suche in extreme necessities of whom both God and nature hathe committed vnto them the care Alas what councel is here to be geuen O lamentable state O sorrowfull hart that neyther can depart and with out extreame daunger and perill is not able to tarye still And these are they whom our Sauiour Christe sawe before should be and called them in his prophesie of the latter time great bellyed or trauelling women and women that geue after they bee brought to bed their small babes suck The state of such are not able to flye the infection of the pestiferous plague of Antichristes abhominations Christ lamenting and not cursing sayth Wo be to the great bellyed and trauelling woman and women that geue sucke in those dayes For these alas my hart mourneth the more the lesse I am able to geue any comfortable councell but this that alwayes as they looke for euerlasting lyfe they abide still in the confession of his truth what soeuer shall befall and for the rest to put theyr trust now wholly in God whiche is able to saue them agaynst al apparance and commonly in extremities when all worldly comfort fayleth and the danger is at highest thē vnto his he is wont after his accustomed mercy to be most ready for to put his helping hand Daniel God suffered to be caste into the Denne of Lyons and the three children into the hote burning furnace and yet he saued them all Paule was plucked out of the mouthe of the Lyon as he sayth of hymselfe and in Asia he was brought in suche trouble that he looked for no other
Christ goeth into the mouth or stomacke and no farther Bonauentura Hugo Inno. 13. lib. 4. cap. 15. Glos. de consecrat dist 2. cap. tribus in glos non iste Thom. parte 3. quest 80. art 3. Tamdiu manet dum est in digestione Smith fol. 64. He saith contrary p. 59. l. 30. and p. 60. l. 3.8.12 Confutation Wint. saith that Christ dwelleth corporally in him that receiueth the sacrament worthily so long as he remaineth a member of Christ pag. 64. l. 22. Confutation Other say contrary Smith fol. 64. c. as before in the 7. lin aboue Wint. sayth that no creature can eat the body of Christ but only man p. 75. l. 24. Confutation Other say cleane contrary Thomas part 3. q. 8. art 3. hoc derogat inquit veritati corporis Christi Perin in hys Sermon of the Sacrament What inconuenience is it though the imâ—assible body lye in the mouth or mawe of the beast c. M. SententiaruÌ„ Qui dicit corpus Christi non posse a mure manducari aut a bruto is condemned Wint. sayth that an vnrepentant sinner receiuyng the Sacrament hath not Christes body nor spirit within him p. 256. l. 18.25.26 Smith sayth that he hath Christes body and spirit within hym fol. 136. Wint. sayeth that of the figure it may not be sayd Adore it worship it and that is not to be adored which the bodily eye seeth p. 202. l. 38. p. 272. l. 6. Marc. Ant. fol. 175. fac 2. Docetur populus non adorare quod vident oculis corporis Smith sayth contrary fol. 145. fa. 2. Wint. sayth that reason will agree with the doctrine of Transubstantiation well enough p. 30. l. 12. Confutation Smith sayth that Transubstantiation is against reason and naturall operation fol. 60. Other say that wormes in the sacrament be gendred of accidences Ex speciebus Sacramentalibus generanturvermes Tho. par q 76. art 5. Wint. sayth that they bee wrong borne in hand to say so p. 400. l. 1. Confutation Wint. sayth that the accidences of bread and wine do mould sower and waxe vineger p. 300. l. 24. and p. 400. l. 6. Confutation Marc. Ant obiect 73. But he answereth so confusely that the Reader can not vnderstand hym be he neuer so attentiue Smith sayeth thus I say that the consecrated wyne turneth not into vineger not the consecrated bread mouldeth nor engendreth wormes nor is burned nor receyueth into it any poison as long as Christes body and bloud are vnder the formes of them which do abide there so long as the naturall qualities properties of bread wine tary there in their naturall disposition condition and the bread wyne myght be naturally there if they had not bene changed into Christes body and bloud and also as long as the hoste and consecrated wyne are apt to be receiued of man no longer but go depart thence by Gods power as it pleaseth hym then a new substance is made of god which turneth into vineger engendreth wormes mouldeth is burned feedeth Rats and Mice receyueth poyson c. fol. 64. and fol. 105. Wint. sayth euery yea containeth a nay in it naturally So as whosoeuer sayeth this is bread sayth it is no wyne For in the rule of common reason the grant of one substaunce is the deniall of another And therefore reason hath these conclusions throughly whatsoeuer is bread is no wyne whatsoeuer is wyne is no milke and so forth So Christ saying This is my body sayth it is no bread p. 291. l. 22. and p. 300. l. 17. Smith sayth that a boy which hath onely learned the sophistry wil not dispute so sondly fol. 77. Other say that the Masse is a sacrifice satisfactory by the deuotion of the priest of them for whom it is offred and not by the thyng that is offred Tho. part 3.9.79 artic 5. Wint. sayth otherwyse p. 92. l. 5. Confutation Wint. sayth that the only immolation of Christ in him selfe vpon the aultar of the crosse is the verye satisfactory sacrifice for the reconciliation of mankynd vnto the fauor of God p. 437. l. 31. Smith sayth what is it to offer Christes body and bloud at Masse to purchase thereby euerlasting life if the masse be not a sacrifice to pacify gods wrath for sinne to obtaine his mercy fol. 24.148.164 where he sayth further Priests do offer for our saluation to get heuen and to auoyd hell ¶ Matters wherein the B. of Winchester varieth from hymselfe THe body of Christ in the sacrameÌ„t is not made of bread but is made present of bread p. 89 l. 9. c. and p 228. li. 44. Confutation agaynst Cranmer Of bread is made the body of Christ p. 388. l. 42. The catholike fayth hath from the beginnyng confessed truly Christes intent to make bread hys body p. 29. l. 2. Confutation And of many breads is made one body of Christ p. 167 l. 2. Confutation And faith sheweth me that bread is the body of Christ that is to say made the body of Christ p. 333. l. 23.25 Confutation Christ gaue that he made of bread p. 292. l. 34. Christ spake playnly This is my body makyng demonstration of the bread when he sayd This is my body In the deuils Sophistry 27. The demonstration this may bee referred to the inuisible substance p. 120. l. 41. Confutation The verbe is was of his body and of his bloud and not of the bread and wyne p. 284. l. 43. Illis verbis Hoc est corpus meum substantia corporis significatur nec de pane quicquam intelligitur quando corpus de substantia sua non aliena praedicetur Mar. Anton. fol 24. fa. 2. When Christ sayd This my body the truth of the literall sense hath an absurditie in carnall reason pag. 157. lin 34. Confutation What can be more euidently spoken of the presence of Christes naturall body and bloud in the most blessed Sacrament of the aultar then is in these words This is my body In the deuils Sophistry fol. 51. Where the body of Christ is there is whole Christ god and man and when we speake of Christes body we must vnderstand a true body which hath both forme and quantitie pag. 81. lin 5. Mar. Ant. obiect 77. Smith fol. 105. And he is present in the Sacrament as he is in heaueÌ„ pag. 161. lin 4. c. Confutation We beleeue simply the substance of Christes body to be in the Sacrament without drawyng away of the accideÌ„ces or addyng pag. 397. lin 41. Confutation Christ is not present in the Sacrament after the maner of quantitie but vnder the forme quantities of bread and wyne pag. 81. lin 89. and pag. 101. li. 22. In suche as receiue the Sacrament worthely Christ dwelleth corporally and naturally carnally p. 190. l. 7. p. 197. l. 27. p. 217. l. 10. The maner of Christs beyng in the Sacrament is not
lawes which doe threaten a greate ruine vnto Englande O that the Lorde woulde tourne his iust iudgements vppon the authours of the truce breaking betweene God and vs that they myghte be broughte lowe as Nabuchodonosor was that his people might be deliuered and his glorye exalted God graunte that that good lucke which you hope shortly to come vppon the house of God be a true prophecie and not a well wishing onely Ah Lorde take away thy heauie hande from vs and stretch it out vpon thine ennemies these hypocrites as thou hast begon that they may be confounded O let not the weake pearish for want of knowledge through our sinnes Although thou kill vs yet will we put our trust in thee Thus deare heart you teache me to pray with you in wryting God heare our praiers and geue vs the spirite of effectuall prayer to poure out our harts cōtinually together before God that we may find mercy both for our selues and for our afflicted brethren and sistern I can not but praise God in you for that pitifull heart that taketh other folkes calamities to heart as your owne Blessed be they that mourne for suche shall be comforted God wipe away all teares from your pitifull eies and sorrow frō your merciful heart that you may as doutles you shal do shortly reioyce with his elects for euer You haue so armed me to the Lordes battell both inwardly and outwardly that except I be a very coward I can not faint but ouercome by death You haue appointed me to so good and gracious a General of the field to so victorious a Captaine and to so fauorable a Marshall that if I should not goe on lustely there were no spectacle of heauenlye manhode in me I wil present your coate armour before my Captaine and in the same I trust by him to ouercome The Scarffe I desire as an outward signe to shew our enemies who see not our glorious ende neither what God worketh inwardly in vs thorough the blindnesse of their hearts that they persecute Christes crosse in vs whereby he hath sealed vp the truthe of his Gospell by his death vnto vs that we by our death if neede be myghte confirme the same and neuer be ashamed whatsoeuer torment we doe suffer for his names sake and our weake brethren seeing the same mighte be more encouraged to take vp Christes crosse and to followe him God geue vs grace to doe all thinges to his glory Amen c. The world wondreth how we can be mery in such extreeme misery but our God is omnipotent which tourneth misery into felicity Beleue me deare sister there is no such ioy in the worlde as the people of Christ haue vnder the crosse I speake by experience therfore beleue me and feare nothing that the world can do vnto you For when they imprison our bodies they sette our soules at liberty with God When they cast vs downe they lift vs vp yea when they kill vs then doe they bring vs to euerlasting life And what greater glorye can there be then to be at conformitie with Christ which afflictions do worke in vs. God open our eies to see more and more the glorye of God in the crosse of Iesus Christe and make vs woorthy partakers of the same Let vs reioyce in nothing with S. Paul but in the crosse of Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucified vnto vs and wo to the worlde The crosse of Christ be our standard to fight vnder for euer Whiles I am thus talking with you of our common cōsolation I forget howe I trouble you with my rude and vnordinate tediousnesse but you must impute it to loue which can not quickely departe from them whome hee loueth but desireth to poure himselfe into their bosomes Therefore though your flesh woulde be offended as it might iustly be at such rudenesse yet your spirit will say nay which taketh all thing in good part that commeth of loue And now I am departing yet will I take my leaue ere I goe and woulde faine speake somewhat that might declare my sincere loue to you for euer farewell O elect vessell of the Lorde to the comfort of hys afflicted flocke farewell on earth whome in heauen I am sure I shall not forget Farewell vnder the crosse most ioyfully and vntil we meete alwaies remember what Christe sayeth Be of good cheare for I haue ouercome the world c. God poure his spirit abundantly vpon you mine owne deare bowels in Christ vntil you may come to see the God of all Gods with his electes in the euerlasting Syon I send to you the kisse of peace with the which I do most entirely take my leaue of you at this present It is necessary we depart hence or els we could not be glorified Your heart is heauy because I say I must depart from you It is the calling of the mercifull father wherewithal you are contēt and so am I. Be of good comfort holde out your buckler of faith for by the strength therof we shal shortly mete in eternal glory to the which Christ bring both vs Amen Amen The 10. of December 1555. Death why should I feare thee since thou canst not hurt me But rid me from miserie vnto eternall glorie Dead to the world and liuing to Christ your owne brother sealed vp in the veritie of the Gospel for euer Iohn Philpot. An other letter of M. Philpot wrytten to the same Lady being a great supporter of hym I Can not but most hartily geue God thāks for these hys gifts in you whose brightnes many beholding that are weake are muche encouraged to seeke God likewise to cleaue to him hauing the ensample of so faithful and constant a gentlewoman before their eyes If the Queene of the South shall rise with the men of Christes generation and condemne them for that she came from the end of the world to heare the wisedome of Salomon then shal your sincere and godly conuersation thus shining in this dangerous time of the trial of christes people being a womā of a right worshipfull estate and wealthy condition condemne in the latter day a great many of these faint harted gospellers which so soone be gone backe and turned from the truth at the voyce of a handmaiden seeing that neyther the feare of imprisonment neither the possessions of the world wherwtal you are sufficiently indued aboue a great many can separate you from the loue of the truthe which God hath reueled vnto you Wherby it appeareth that the seede of Gods word which was sown in you fel not neitheir in the high way neither amōg the thorns neither vpō the stones but vpon a good ground which is blessed of god and bringeth forth fruit with great affliction an 100. fold to the glory of God and the encrease of his church c. In consideration wherof S. Iames biddeth vs highly to reioyce when soeuer we fall into many temptations knowing that it is but the
and he will keepe you from all euill Call vpon his holy name he will strengthen you and assiste you in all your wayes and if it please him to lay his crosse vpon you for his Gospelles sake refuse it not neither shake it off by vnlawefull meanes leaste you should as God forbidde finde a more grieuous crosse and torment of conscience if you shoulde dissemble and denye the knowen verity then is any persecution or death of body Oh howe happye are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake their rewarde is great in heauen The momentanie afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory that shal be shewed vpon vs. Oh remember the Godly weman of the old testament and new which liued in Gods seruice and feare and therefore are now in blisse and commended for euer as namely Iudith Hester Abigael the mother of the 7. sonnes Mary Elizabeth Susanna Lidia and Phebe and others Set theyr examples before your eyes and feare nothing for Sathan is conquered by our Sauiour Christe sinne is put to flight and the gate of immortality and eternall life is set wide open God graunt we may enter therein through the doore Iesus Christ Amen Thomas Whittell ¶ The Story of Mayster Bartlet Greene Gentlemanne and Lawyer Martyr AFter the Martyrdome of Thomas Whittell nexte followeth in order to speake of Bartlet Greene who the nexte day after the foresayde Whittell was likewise condemned Thys Greene was of a good house and hauinge such Parentes as both fauoured learning and were also willing to bring vp this theyr childe in the same Who after some enteraunce in other inferiour Schooles was by them sent vnto the Uniuersity of Oxforde where thorow exercise and diligent study he so profited that within short time he atteined aswell to the knowledge of sundery prophane Sciences and also now in his last yeares vnto the godly vnderstanding of Diuinitye Whereunto through ignorance in which he was trayned vp from his youth he was at the first an vtter enemy vntill such tyme as God of his mercy had opened his eyes by his often repayring vnto the commō Lectures of Peter Martyr reader of the Diuinity Lecture in the same Uniuersity so that therby as by Gods instrument he saw the true lighte of Christes Gospell Whereof when he had once tasted it became vnto hym as the fountayne of liuely water that our Sauiour Christ spake of vnto the woman of Samaria so as he neuer thirsted any more but had a well springing vnto euerlastyng life In so much as when he was called by his frendes frō the vniuersity and was placed in the Temple at London there to attayne to the knowledge of the common Lawes of the Realme he yet continued still in his former study earnest profession of the Gospell wherein also he did not a litle profite Howbeit suche is the fraylety of our corrupte nature without the speciall assistaunce of Gods holy spirit through the continuall accompanying and felowshyp of such worldly I will not say to much youthfull young gentlemen as are commonly in that and the like houses he became by litle and litle a compartner of theyr fond follies and youthfull vanities aswell in his apparell as also in banquettinges and other superfluous excesses whiche he afterward being agayne called by Gods mercifull correction did sore lament and bewayle as appeareth by his one testimonye notified and lefte in a booke of a certayne frend of his a litle before his death written with his owne hand in maner as foloweth ¶ This did Mayster Bartlet Greene write in Mayster Bartram Calthrops Booke TWo thinges haue very muche troubled me whilest I was in the Temple Pride and Glottonye whiche vnder the coulour of glorye and good felowshippe drewe me almoste from GOD. Agaynst both there is one remedye by prayer earnest and without ceasing And for as much as vayne glory is so subtle an Aduersarye that almoste it woundeth deadly ere euer a manne can perceiue himselfe to be smitten therefore we ought so muche the rather by continuall prayer to labour for humblenesse of minde Truely Glottony beginneth vnder a charitable pretence of mutuall loue and society and hath in it most vncharitablenesse When we seeke to refresh our bodies that they may be the more apte to serue GOD and performe our duetyes towardes our Neyghbours then stealeth it in as a priuye theefe and murthereth both body and soule that nowe it is not apte to to pray or serue GOD nor apte to studye or labour for our neighbours Let vs therefore watch and be sober For our aduersary the Deuill walketh about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuour And remember what Salomon sayth Melior est patiens viro forti qui dominatur animo expugnatore vrbium 1. A pacient man is better then a strong warrior and he that conquereth his owne stomacke is better then hee that conquereth Townes and Cityes Bartlet Greene. Animorum in fide vnio per charitatem acta firma est amicitia Vale mi Bartrame mei memineris vt semper simillimi efficiamur Vale. Apud nouam Portam 20. Ianuarij 1556. Set sober loue agaynst hasty wrath Bartlet Greene. Thus we see the fatherly kindenesse of our moste gracious and mercifull God who neuer suffereth his electe children so to fall that they lye still in security of sinne but oftentymes quickeneth them vp by some such meanes as perhaps they thinke least of as he did here this his strayed sheepe And now therfore to returne to our history for the better maynteinaunce of himselfe in these his studyes and other his affayres he had a large exhibition of his grandfather Mayster Doctour Bartlet who during the tyme of Greenes inprisonment made vnto him large offers of great liuinges if he would recant and forsake the truth and Gospell of Christ come home agayne to the Church and Sinagogue of Rome But these his perswasions the Lord be therefore praysed tooke small effect in this faythfull hart as the sequell did declare He was a man beloued of all men except of the Papistes who loue none that loue the truth and so he well deserued for he was of a meeke humble discreete and most gentle behauiour to all Iniurious he was to none beneficiall to many especiallye to those that were of the householde of fayth as appeared amongest other by his frendly dealing with maister Christopher Goodman beeing at that present a poore exile beyond the Seas With whom this Bartlet Greene aswell for his toward learning as also for his sober and Godly behauiour had often society in Oxforde in the dayes of good king Edwarde which now notwithstanding hys frendes misery and banishment he did not lightly forget and that turned as it chaunced not without the prouidence of almightye GOD to the greate griefe of both the one of heart for the losse of his Frende and the other of body in suffering the cruell
king standeth accursed in mainteining his owne lawes Therfore in consideration that the king and Queene take theyr power of him as though god should geue it to them there is no true subiect vnlesse he be abrogate seing the crowne is holden of him being out of the Realme The Bishop of Rome is contrary to God and iniurious to his lawes for God commaunded all men to be diligent in the knowledge of his law and therefore hath appoynted one holiday in the weeke at the least for the people to come to the Church and heare the word of God expounded vnto them and that they might the better vnderstād it to heare it in their mother toung which they know The Pope doth contrary for he willeth the seruice to bee had in the latine tongue which they doe not vnderstande God woulde haue it to bee perceiued the Pope will not When the Priest geueth thanks God would that the people should do so to and God will them to confesse altogether the Pope will not Now as concerning the Sacrament I haue taught no false doctrine of the sacramēt of the aultar For if it can be proued by any doctor aboue 1000. yeares after Christ that Christes body is there really I will geue ouer My booke was made 7. yeares agoe and no man hath brought anye authors agaynst it I beleue that who so eateth and drinketh that sacrament Christ is within them whole Christ his Natiuity Passion Resurrection and Ascention but not that corporally that sitteth in heauen Now Christ commaunded all to drinke of the Cuppe The Pope taketh it away from the laye men and yet one sayth that if Christ had dyed for the Deuill that he shoulde drinke thereof Christ biddeth vs to obey the king etiam discolo The Bishop of Rome biddeth vs to obey him therfore vnlesse he be Antichrist I cannot tell what to make of him Wherfore if I should obey him I can not obey Christ. He is like the Deuill in his doinges for the Deuil said to Christ if thou wilt fall downe and worship me I wyll geue thee all the kingdomes of the world Thus hee tooke vpon him to geue that which was not his owne Euen so the Bishop of Rome geueth Princes theyr crownes being none of his owne for where Princes either by election either by succession either by inheritage obtein their crown he sayth that they should haue it from him Christ sayth that Antichrist shall be And who shall he be Forsoothe he that aduaunceth himselfe aboue all other creatures Now if there be none already that hath aduaūced himselfe after suche sorte besides the Pope then in the meane time let him be Antichrist Story Pleaseth it you to make an end Cranmer For he wil be the Uicar of Christ he will dispēse with the olde and newe Testament also yea and with Apostacy Now I haue declared why I cannot with my conscience obey the Pope I speake not this for hatred I beare to him that now supplieth the roome for I know him not I pray God geue him grace not to folowe his auncestors Neyther say I this for my defence but to declare my conscience for the zeale that I beare to Gods word troden vnder foote by the Byshop of Rome I cast feare aparte for Christ sayde to his Apostles that in the latter dayes they should suffer much sorow and be put to death for his names sake feare them not sayth he but feare him whyche when he hath killed the body hath power to cast the soule into the fire euerlasting Also Christ sayth that he that wyll liue shall die and he that loseth his life for my names sake he shall finde it agayne Moreouer he sayd confesse mee before men and be not afrayd if you do so I wyll stand with you if you shrincke from me I will shrincke from you This is a comfortable and a terryble saying thys maketh me to set all feare aparte I say therefore the Byshop of Rome treadeth vnder foote Gods lawes and the kinges The Pope would geue Bishoprickes so woulde the king But at the last the king gat the vpper hande and so are all Bishops periured first to the Pope and then to the king The Crowne hath nothing to doe with the Cleargy For if a Clarke come before a Iudge the Iudge shal make processe agaynste him but not to execute any Lawes For if the Iudge should put him to execution then is the king accursed in mayneteyning his owne Lawes And therfore saye I that he is neyther true to GOD neyther to the king that first receiued the Pope But I shall hartely pray for such Councellours as may informe her the truth for the King and Queene if they be well infourmed wyll do well Mart. As you vnderstand then if they maynteyne the Supremacy of Rome they cannot mainteine England too Cranmer I require you to declare to the king and queene what I haue sayde and how theyr othes doe stand with the Realme and the Pope S. Gregory sayth he that taketh vppon him to be head of the Uniuersall Churche is worse then the Antichrist If any man can shew me that it is not agaynst Gods word to holde his styrrop when hee taketh his horse and kisse his feet as kinges do then will I kisse his feete also And you for your part my Lord are periured for now ye sit Iudge for the Pope and yet ye did receiue your Byshopricke of the king You haue taken an othe to be aduersary to this Realme for the Popes lawes are contrary to the lawes of the Realme Glocester You were the cause that I did forsake the Pope and did sweare that he ought not to be supreame head and gaue it to king Henry the eight that he ought to be it and this you made me to do Cranmer To this I aunswere sayd he You report me il and say not the trueth and I will proue it here before you all The trueth is that my Predecessour Byshop Warrham gaue the Supremacy to King Henry the eight and sayde that he ought to haue it before the Bishop of Rome and that Gods word would beare him And vpō the same was there sent to both the vniuersityes Oxford and Cambridge to know what the word of GOD would do touching the Supremacy and it was reasoned vpon and argued at length So at the laste both the Uniuersityes agreed and set to theyr Seales and sent it to king Henry the eight to the Courte that he ought to be supreme head and not the Pope Whereupon you were then Doctour of Diuinitye at that time and your consent was thereunto as your hand doth appeare Therefore you misreport me that I was the cause of your falling away from the Pope but it was your selfe All this was in Byshop Warrhams time and whilest he was aliue so that it was three quarters of a yeare after ere euer I hadde the Byshopricke of Caunterbury
Whome after that he hadde praised in the beginning of hys sermon for their perseueraunce in the true woorshipping of God he then deuided his whole sermon into 3. partes according to the solemne custome of the Schooles entending to speake firste of the mercy of God secondly of his Iustice to be shewed and last of all howe the Princes secretes are not to be opened And proceeding a little from the beginning he tooke occasion by and by to tourne his tale to Cranmer and wyth many hote woordes reprooued him that once he being endued with the fauour and feeling of wholesome and Catholicke doctrine fell into the contrary opinion of pernicious error which he had not only defended by wrytings and all hys power but also allured other men to doe the like wyth great liberalitye of giftes as it were appoynting rewardes for errour and after hee had allured them by all meanes did chearish them It were too long to repeat all things that in long order were there pronounced The summe of this tripartâ—â—e declamation was that he saide Gods mercy was so tempered with his iustice that he did not altogether require punishment according to the merites of offenders nor yet sometimes suffered the same altogither to go vnpunished yea though they had repented As in Dauid who wheÌ„ he was bidden chuse of 3. kindes of punishments which hee would and he had chosen pestilence for 3. dayes the Lord forgaue him halfe the tyme but did not release all And that the same thing came to passe in him also to whom although pardon reconciliation was due according to the Canons seeing hee repented from his errours yet there were causes why the Queene and the CouÌ„cel at this time iudged hym to death of which least he should maruell too much he should heare some First that being a traytor he had dissolued the lawfull matrimonie betweene the Kinge her father and mother besides the driuing oute of the Popes authoritye while he was Metropolitane Secondly that he had ben an heretike from whom as from an author and onely fountaine all heretical doctrine schismaticall opinions that so many yeres haue preuailed in Englande did first rise and spring of which hee had not bene a secrete fauorer only but also a most earnest defender euen to the ende of his life sowing them abroad by wrytings and argumeÌ„ts priuately and openly notwithout great ruine and decay of the catholicke church And further it seemed meete according to the lawe of equalitie that as the death of the Duke of Northumb. of late made euen wyth Thomas More Chauncellour that dyed for the Churche so there shoulde be one that shoulde make euen with Fisher of Rochester and because that Ridley Hooper Ferrar were not able to make eueÌ„ wyth that man it seemed meete that Cranmer shoulde be ioyned to them to fill vp this part of equalitie Besides these there were other iust and weighty causes which seemed to the Queene and the Councel whych was not meete at that time to bee opened to the common people After this turning his tale to the hearers he bad al men beware by this maÌ„s example that amoÌ„g men nothing is so high that can promise it selfe safetie on the earth and that Gods vengeance is equally stretched against al men and spareth none therfore they should beware learne to fear their Prince And seeing the Queenes maiestie woulde not spare so notable a man as this much lesse in the like cause she would spare other men that no man should thinke to make thereby anye defence of his errour either in richesse or any kinde of authoritie They had nowe an example to teache them all by whose calamity euery man might consider hys owne fortune who from the toppe of dignitie none being more honorable then he in the whole realme and next the King was faln into so great miserie as they myght nowe see being a man of so high degree sometime one of the chiefest Prelates in the Church and an Archbishop the chiefe of the Counsell the seconde persone in the Realme of long time a man thought in greatest assuraÌ„ce hauing a King on his side notwythstanding all hys authority and defence to be debaced froÌ„ high estate to a lowe degree of a Counsellour to become a caitiffe and to be set in so wretched a state that the poorest wretche woulde not chaunge condition with hym briefly so heaped wyth misery on all sides that neyther was left in hym any hope of better fortune nor place for worse The latter parte of hys Sermone he conuerted to the Archbishoppe whome hee comforted and encouraged to take hys death wel by many places of Scripture as with these and suche like bidding hym not mistruste but hee shoulde incontinently receyue that the theâ—e did to whom Christe sayde Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso That is Thys day thou shalt be wyth mee in Paradise And out of S. Paule hee aâ—â—ued hym against the terrour of the fire by this Dominus fidelis est non sinet vos tentari vltra quà m ferre potestis That is The Lorde is faithfull which will not suffer you to be tempted aboue youre strengthe by the example of the three children to whome God made the flame to seeme lyke a pleasaunt dewe adding also the reioysing of S. Andrewe in hys crosse the pacience of S. Laurence on the fire assuring hym that God if he called on hym and to such as die in hys faith eyther woulde abate the furie of the flame or geue hym strength to abide it Hee glorifyed God muche in hys conuersion because it appeared to be onely his woorke declaring what trauell and conference had beene with hym to conuert hym and all preuailed not till that it pleased God of hys mercye to reclaime hym and call hym home In discourâ—ynge of whych place he muche commended Cranmer and qualified hys former doynges thus tempering his iudgement and talke of hym that while the time sayde he he slowed in richesse and honour he was vnwoorthy of his life and nowe that he myght not liue he was vnwoorthy of death But least he shoulde carie with him no comfort he would diligently labour he sayde and also he did promise in the name of all the Priests that were present that immediately after hys death there shoulde be Diriges Masses and funerals executed for hym in all the Churches of Oxforde for the succour of hys soule Cranmer in all thys meane tyme wyth what greate griefe of minde hee stoode hearing thys Sermon the outwarde shewes of hys bodye and countenaunce did better expresse then any man can declare one while lifting vppe hys handes and eyes vnto heauen and then agayne for shame letting them downe to the earth A manne myghte haue seene the verye image and shape of perfecte sorrowe liuely in hym expressed More then twentie seuerall times the teares gushed out aboundantly dropped downe marueilously from hys Fatherly face They whych were
the Pope taketh vpon him to geue Empires and kyngdomes being none of his t◠such as will fall downe and worship hym and kisse his feete And moreouer his Lawyers and glosers so flatter him that they fayne he may commaund Emperors and kyngs to hold his stirrop when he lighteth vppon his horse and to be his footemen and that if any Emperour and kyng geue him any thyng they geue him nothing but that is his owne and that he may dispense agaynst Gods worde against both the old and new Testament agaynst s. Pauls Epistles and agaynst the gospell And furthermore what so euer he doth although he draw innumerable peoply by heapes with himselfe into hell yet may no mortal mā reprooue hym because he beyng iudge of all men may bee iudged of no man And thus he litteth in the Temple of God as he were a God nameth himself Gods Uicar yet he dispenseth agaynst God If this be not to play Antichrists part I cannot tel what is Antichrist which is no more to say but Christes enemy and aduersary who shall sit in the temple of God aduancing himselfe aboue all other yet by hypocrisie and fayned religion shall subuert the true religion of Christ and vnder pretence and colour of christian religion shall worke against Christ and therfore hath the name of Antichrist Now if any man lift him selfe higher then the Pope hath done who lifteth himselfe aboue al the world or can be more aduersary to Christ thē to dispense against gods lawes and where Christ hath geuen any commandement to command directly the cōtrary that man must needes be taken for Antichrist But vntil the tyme that such a person may be found men may easily coniecture where to find Antichrist Wherfore seyng the Pope thus to ouerthrowe both Gods lawes and mans lawes taketh vpon him to make Emperors and kings to be vassals and subiects vnto him especially the crowne of this realme with the lawes and customes of the same I see no meane how I may consent to admit this vsurped power within this realme contrary to myne othe myne obedience to Gods law mine allegeance and dutie to your Maiesty and my loue and affection to this realme This that I haue spoken against the power authoritie of the Pope I haue not spokē I take God to record and iudge for any malice I owe to the Popes personne whom I know not but I shall pray to God to geue hym grace that he may seeke aboue al things to promoote gods honour and glory and not to follow the trade of hys predecessors in these latter dayes Nor I haue not spoken it for feare of punishment and to auoyd the same thinkyng it rather an occasion to aggrauate them to diminish my trouble but I haue spokē it for my most bounden duty to the crown liberties laws customs of this realm of England but most specially to discharge my conscience in vttering the truth to gods glory casting away all feare by the comfort which I haue in Christ who sayth Feare not them that kil the body and cannot kill the soule but feare hym that can cast both body soule into hell fire He that for feare to loose this lyfe wyll forsake the truth shal loose the euerlasting lyfe And he that for the truthes sake will spend his lyfe shall find euerlasting life And Christ promiseth to stande fast with them before hys father which wil stand fast with hym here Which comfort is so great that whosoeuer hath his eies fixed vpō Christ cannot greatly passe on this lyfe knowyng that he may be sure to haue Christ stand by hym in the presence of his father in heauen And as touchyng the sacrament I sayd For as much as the whole matter standeth in the vnderstāding of these words of Christ This is my body This is my bloud I sayde that Christ in these wordes made demonstration of the bread wyne and spake figuratiuely callyng bread his body and wyne his bloud because he ordeyned them to bee Sacraments of his body and bloud And where the papistes say in those two points contrary vnto me that Christ called not bread his body but a substaunce vncertaine nor spake figuratiuely Herein I sayd I would be iudged by the old church and which doctrine could be prooued the elder that I would stand vnto And forasmuch as I haue alledged in my booke many old authors both Greekes and Latines which aboue a thousand yeres after Christ continuallye taught as I do if they could bring forth but one olde author that sayth in these two points as they say I offred 6. or 7. yeres ago doe offer yet still that I will geue place vnto them But when I bring forth any author that saith in most plain termes as I do yet saith the other part that the authors ment not so as who should say that the Authours spake one thing ment cleane contrary And vpon the other part when they cannot find any one Author that saith in words as they say yet say they that the authors mente as they say Now whether I or they speake more to the purpose herein I referre me to the iudgement of all indifferent hearers yea the old church of Rome aboue a thousand yeres togethers neither beleued nor vsed the Sacrament as the church of Rome hath done of late yeres For in the beginning the church of Rome taught a pure a sound doctrine of the sacrament But after that the church of Rome fell into a newe doctrine of transubstantiation with the doctrine they chaunged the vse of the Sacrament contrary to that Christ commanded and the old church of Rome vsed aboue a thousand yeres And yet to deface the old they say that the new is the old wherein for my part I am content to stand to the triall But their doctrine is so fond and vncomfortable that I meruaile that anye man would allowe it if he knewe what it is But howsoeuer they beare the people in hande that which they write in their bookes hath neither truth nor comfort For by their doctrine of one body of Christ is made ij bodies one naturall hauyng distance of members wyth forme and proportion of mans perfite body and this body is in heauen but the body of Christ in the Sacrament by their owne doctrine must needes be a monstruous body hauyng neither distaunce of members nor forme fashion or proportion of a mans naturall body And such a bodye is in the Sacrament teach they and goeth into the mouth with the forme of bread entreth no further thē the forme of bread goeth nor tarieth no longer then the forme of bread is by naturall heat in digesting So that when the forme of bread is digested that body of Christ is gone And for as much as euill men be as long in digesting as good mē the body of Christ by their doctrine entreth as farre
such in our consciences as euery Christian man is bound to confesse to be the truth of God and euery member of Christes church here in England must needes embrace the same in heart and confesse it with mouth if need require loose and forsake not onely house land possessions riches wife children and friends but also if God will so call them gladly to suffer all manner of persecution and to loose their liues in the defence of GODS worde and trueth set out amongest vs. For our Sauiour Christ requireth the same of vs saying Who soeuer shal be ashamed of me and my worde before this adulterous and sinfull generation the sonne of man will also be ashamed of hym when he shall come in the glorye of his father with the holye Aungels And agayne sayth he Who soeuer will confesse me before men I will confesse him before my father that is in heauen And who soeuer will deny me before men I will also deny hym before my father that is in heauen And whosoeuer shall speake a worde agaynst the sonne of man it shall be forgeuen him but who soeuer shall rayle against the holy ghost it shall not be forgeuē him We humbly beseeche the Queenes Maiestie and you her honorable Commissioners bee not offended with vs for confessing this truth of God so straightly geuen vs in charge of Christ neither bring vppon vs that great sinne that neuer shall be forgeuen and shall cause our Sauiour Iesu Christ in the great day of iudgement before his heauenly Father all his Aungels to deny vs to take frō vs the blessed price and raunsome of his bloudshed wherwith we are redeemed For in that day neither the Queenes highnes neither you nor any man shal be able to excuse vs nor to purchase a pardon of Christ for this horrible sinne and blasphemye of casting aside and condemning his word We can not agree nor consent vnto this so horrible a sinne but we beseeche God for his mercy to geue vs and all menne grace moste earnestly to flee from it and rather if the will of God be so to suffer all extremitie and punishment in thys world then to incurre such damnation before God Manasses who restored agayn the wickednes of idolatrous religiō before put down by Ezechias his father brought the wrath of God vpon the people so that the scriptures sayth Notwithstanding the reformation made by Iosias the Lord turned not from the fiercenes of his great wrath wherwith hee was angrye agaynst Iuda because of the prouocation with the which Manasses prouoked him And the Lord said euen Iuda will I take away from my presence as I cast away Israell I will cast away this Citty of Ierusalem and the house whereof I sayd my name shall be there Ieroboam who at Bethel and Dan erected vp a new found seruice of God and not onely sinned himselfe but also made all Israel to sinne with him so that not onely he was damned for commaunding but the wrath of God came vppon all Israell for obeing that his vngodly commandement Yet was it not so heynous offence to bring man Idolatry neither yet heard of as after reformation made by the godly kinges and princes by the vertuous and holy Bishoppes by the Prophets and seruaunts of God to reiecte and cast of the word and true Religion of GOD and to receaue againe a damned impietie This moste heynous offence is now offered vnto vs although the same be paynted and coloured with the name of reformation restoring of religion auncient fayth wyth the name of the catholicke Churche of vnitie Catholicke truth with the cloke of fayned holines These are sheepe skinnes vnder the which as Christ saith rauening Wolues couer themselues But Christ willeth vs to looke vpon their fruites whereby we may know them and truely this is no good fruite to cast aside Gods word and to bānish the English seruice out of the Churches and in the place of it to bring in a latine tongue vnknowne vnto the people Which as it edifieth no man so hath it bene occasion of all blindnes and errour amonge the people For afore the blessed reformation begun by the most noble Prince of godlye memory the queenes good father and by our late holy and innocent king her good brother finished it is not vnknowne what blindnes errour wee were all in when not one man in all this realme vnlearned in the latine could say in English the Lordes prayer or knew any one article of his beliefe or rehearse any one of the x. cōmandementes And that ignoraunce mother of mischiefe was the very roote and well spring of all Idolatry Sodomiticall Monkery and whorish chastitie of vnmaryed priests of all whoredome dronkennes couetousnes swearing blasphemie with al other wicked sinfull liuing These brought in the seuere wrathe and vengeance of GOD plaging sinne with famine and pestilence and at last the sword consumed and auenged all theyr impietie and wicked liuing As it is greatly to be feared the same or more greuous plagues shall now agayne follow We cannot therefore consent nor agree that the worde of God and praiers in our English tongue which we vnderstand should be taken away from vs and for it a latin seruice we wote not what for none of vs vnderstande it to be agayne brought in amongest vs specially seeing that Christ hath sayd My sheepe heare my voyce and follow me I geue to them euerlasting life The seruice in Englishe teacheth vs that wee are the Lords people and the sheep of his pasture and commandeth that we harden not our hartes as when they prouoked the Lordes wrathe in the wildernes least hee sweare vnto vs as he did sweare vnto them that they should not enter into his rest The seruice in Latine is a confused noyse which if it be good as the say it is yet vnto vs that lack vnderstāding what goodnes can it bring S. Paule commaundeth that in the Churches all thinges shoulde bee done to edifying which we are sure is Gods commaundement But in the Latine seruice nothing is done to edifying but contrarily al to destroy those that are already edified and to driue vs from Gods word and truth and from beleuing of the same and so to bring vs to beleue lyes and fables that tempting and prouoking God we shoulde be brought into the iudgement that blessed Paule speaketh of saying Antichrist shall come according to the working of Satan with all manner of power and signes and lying wonders in all deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnes in those that pearish because they haue not receyued the loue of the truth that they might be saued And therfore God wil send them strong delusion that they should beleue lyes be damned as many as haue not beleued the truth but haue approued vntighteousnesse Thus altogether drawne from God we shall fal into his wrath through vnbeliefe till
wise to be conuersant and keepe company wyth hys congregation there and to holde his peace and say nothing what soeuer he thinke so that he be not a diligent souldiour and a good labourer on Christes side to further his kingdome by that subtile meanes flattering him that hee shall bothe saue his life also his goods and liue in quiet But if we looke well on Christes holy will and Testament we shal perceiue that he came not to make any suche peace vppon earth nor yet that he gaue any such peace to his Disciples I leaue peace wyth you sayeth he my peace I geue you not as the world geueth it geue I vnto you Let not your hart be troubled nor fearefull These thinges haue I spoken vnto you that in me ye should haue peace In the worlde yee shall haue affliction but be of good cheare I haue ouercome the world The seruaunt is not greater then his Lord and maister If they haue persecuted me they shall also persecute you If any man come to me and hateth not his owne father and mother wife children sisters yea and moreouer his owne life it is not possible for him to be my disciple Blessed be yee that nowe weepe for ye shall laughe and woe be vnto you that nowe laugh for ye shal mourne weepe He that wil finde his life shall loose it Therfore the God of that true peace and comfort preserue and keepe vs that we neuer obey such a false flattering which at length will pay vs home once for all bringing for temporal◠peace and quietnesse euerlasting trouble vexation and disquietnesse for these vaine and transitory goodes extreme losse and vtter damage of the eternal treasure and inheritance for this mortall life depriuation of the most ioyfull life immortall finally the entrance into endlesse death most miserable vnmeasurable pain and torment both of body and soule Now conferring these 2. scholemasters together lette vs consider the thing wel and determine with our selues whych way we oughte to take not to take the common broade way which seemeth heere moste pleasant and that the most parte of people take Surely I iudge it to be better to goe to Schoole wyth our maister Christe and to be vnder his Ferula and rodde although it seeme sharpe and grieuous for a time that at the lengthe we may be inheritors wyth him of euerlasting ioy rather then to keepe cōpany wyth the deuils schollers the adulterous generation in his schoole that is all ful of pleasure for a while and at the ende to be paide with the wages of continuall burning in the moste horrible lake whiche burneth euermore with fire and brimstone without any end What shal then these vaine goodes and temporall pleasures auaile Who shall then helpe when we crie incessantly woe woe alasse and weale away for vnmeasurable paine griefe and sorrowe O let vs therefore take heede betime and rather be content to take paynes in this worlde for a time that wee maye please God Our Sauiour Christe the true teacher sayeth Euery braunche that bringeth not foorth fruite in mee my Father will take away It is also not wrytten in vaine The children of the vngodly are abhominable children and so are they that kepe company wyth the vngodly What doeth he els I pray you that resorteth to the ministration and seruice that is moste repugnant and contrary to Christes holy Testament there keeping still silence and nothing reproouing the same but in the face of the world by hys very deede it selfe declareth hymselfe to be of a false fearefull dissembling fained and vnfaithfull heart and to haue layde awaye from hym the armour of light discouraging as muche as lieth in hym all the residue of Christes hoste and geuing a manifest offence to the weake and also confirming encouraging and reioysing the hearts of the aduersaries in all theyr euil doing By which example he doeth shewe him selfe neyther to loue God whome he seeth to be dishonoured and blasphemed of an Antichristian minister nor yet his neighbour before whome he should rebuke the euill as it is expresly commaunded in Gods holy lawe where it is sayd Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour that thou be ar not sinne for hys sake Wherefore let such a one neuer fantasie to deceiue him selfe that his name is registred in the booke of life to haue the stipend of Christes souldiour except he do the duety and performe the parte of a faithfull and ryghte true souldioure as other haue done before For such fearfulnesse commeth not from God as testifieth S. Paule saying God hath not geuen vs the spirit of feare but of power and loue Be not ashamed sayth he to testifie our Lorde but suffer aduersitye also with the Gospell through the power of God which saued vs and calling vs with an holy calling To be now fearful when most nede is that we should be of strong hearts is vtterly the reiecting of the feare of God and plaine vnfaithfulnesse and disobedience to the expresse commandement of our sauior Christ which sayth in his holy gospel Feare not them that kill the body c. For what faithfulnesse doe we expresse towards hym when he sayeth thus to vs and yet we declare in our doynges the very contrarye being euer fearefull euen as the vnbeleeuing Israelites whiche vnfaithfully feared Gods ennemies the heathen Cananites where as he had oftentimes geuen them commaundement by hys true Prophet Moses to do the contrary For the which cause all the whole number of that secte were destroyed in processe of time in the wildernesse and enioyed not the pleasant land of promise Which was a bodily figure shewed before and now agreeing to the promise of the heauenly inheritāce which shal be geuen to none other but onely to al such as with loue vnfained be wholy bent wythout any fear of man to fulfil Gods holy will and pleasure But all they that pertain to the liuely faith to the winning of the soule wil faithfully sticke to the commandement trusting moste firmly and faithfully that he that gaue the same wil also geue strēgth plentifully to performe it euen in the weakest vesselles of all euen as we haue heard and seene by many and diuers examples he onely be praised therefore S. Peter sayeth Feare not though they seeme terrible vnto you neither be troubled but sanctifie the Lorde God in your hearts Onely sayeth S. Paule let your conuersation be as it becommeth the gospell of Christe Continue in one spirit and in one soule labouring as we doe to maintaine the faith of the gospell in nothing fearing your aduersaries which is to them a token of damnation and to you of saluation and that of God for vnto you it is geuen that not onely yee shoulde beleeue in Christe but also suffer for his sake Wherefore let vs be ryght well assured that we shall yeelde a moste straite reckening and accompte if we transgresse
sake we suffer whose cause we defend and what glorious reward we shall haue at the day of our victory then doubtles the consolation of these things will make sweete all our suffringes soone swallowe vp all the sorrowes that we are sowâ—ed in for Gods sake I coulde recite diuers textes of the Scriptures to confirme this pointe But I neede not for I am well assured that you do knowe them most perfectly alreadye The Lorde geue you strength and assist you with his holy spirite that you may continually walke in all pointes according to your godly knowledge And then shall you not doe as the moste parte of our Gospellers doe nowe adaies the more is the pitie There are a greate manye in Englande that doe perfectlye knowe that the Idolatrous Masse is abhominable Deuelishe and detestable in the sight of God And yet alasse they be not afrayde to pollute and defile theyr bodyes whych oughte to be the temples of the holy Ghoste with being present at it so sinning against God and theyr owne conscience But dere sister K. do you flie from it both in body soule as you would flie from the very Deuill himselfe Drinke not of the whore of Babylons cuppe by no meanes for it will infecte the body and poyson the soule Be not partakers of her sinnes sayth the Aungell least you be partakers of the plagues that shortly shall be powred vppon her O what an aray is this that so many that know Gods truth wil nowe tourne againe and defile them selues in the filthy puddle of antichristes stinking religion They goe about to saue theyr liues wyth their dowble dissimulation but doubtlesse they shall loose euerlastinge life by it if they doe not repent in time and tourne vnto the Lorde But deare sister my trust is that you doe vtterly abhorre the comming to anye such thyng I hope that you wil not by any meanes turne backe into Egypt nowe but that you will boldly venter throughe the wildernesse of trouble and persecution that you may come into the lande that floweth with all kinde of heauenly pleasures and ioyfull delectations and possesse the same for euer Lette vs consider howe that euery one of vs doeth owe vnto God a death by nature and howe soone the Lord wil require it of vs we knowe not O howe happye are we then if God of hys goodnesse appoynt vs to pay natures dette wyth sufferyng for hys trueth and Gospels sake and so making vs his faithfull witnesses wyth the Prophetes Apostles Martyrs and Confessours yea wyth his dearely beloued sonne Iesus Christe to whome he doeth heere begin to fashion vs lyke in suffering that we myght be like hym also in glory Thus my dearely beloued sister I haue ben bold to trouble you a little with my rude simple letter being made in hast as it doth appeare Yet I desire you to take it in good woorthe as a token of my poore zeale vnto you and to accept my good will And if it please God to spaâ—e me life and libertye I trust heereafter to wryte vnto you more largely Fare yee well deare sister E.K. the Lorde blesse you and all yours and powre vpon you the heauenly dewe of his grace The Lorde endue you wyth plentifull knowledge of hys verity and fill you with hys holy and mighty spirite that you may continuallye reioyce in the comfortes of the same nowe and euer Amen Pray pray pray with stedfast faith Your daily Oratour Iohn Careles prisoner of the Lord. ¶ In the letters of William Tymmes ye heard before page 1897. much mention made of Agnes Glascock Thys Agnes Glascocke through infirmity and her husbandes perswasion was allured to goe to Masse For whyche cause shee falling in great sorrow and repentance was raised vppe againe by the comfortable Letters of William Tymmes and Iohn Careles as before you maye reade and after that was constante in the syncere profession of the verity and in danger for the same of persecution vnto whome Iohn Careles wryteth therefore thys letter as followeth A letter of Careles to Agnes Glascocke THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ the continuall aide strengthe and comfortes of his moste pure holye and mighty spirite be with you my deare faithfull sister Glascock to the good performance of that good woorke which God hath so graciously begun in you to his glory the commoditye of hys poore afflâ—cted Churche and to your owne eternall comfort in hym Amen In our Lorde I haue my most humble and hearty commendations vnto you my deare sister most faithfull mother Glascocke with all remembrance of you in my daily prayers geuing God most hearty laude praise and thankes for you and on your behalfe in that he of his great mercye hath hetherto so mightely strengthened you constantly to cleaue vnto youre Captayne Christ notwithstanding the great assaultes and manifold temptations that you haue had to the contrary Doubtles deare heart it can not be expressed what ioy and comfort it is vnto my very soule to see howe mightely the Lorde hathe magnified hym selfe in you and other his deare electe darlings whome hee will shortly glorify with himselfe as he hath done other of his sweete Sainctes that are gone before you Reioyce therefore be glad for verilye you haue good cause if you diligentlye consider the great dignitie that God hath called you vnto euen now in your olde age to be one of his woorthy witnesses vnto the worlde and I thinke you shall wyth mee and other youre brethren in bonds seale the Lords verity with the testimony of your bloud Surely sweete sister this is the greatest promotion that God caÌ„ bring you or any other vnto in this life and an honour that the highest aungel in heauen is not permitted to haue Therefore happye are you Oh faithfull daughter of Abraham that the Lorde will nowe preferre you before many other yea or any other of your age that I doe know in Englande Oh faithfull and vertuous matrone which wilt not be moued from the sure rocke Christe vppon whome you haue so firmely built your house that neither stormes nor tempestes neither yet bell gates or any other temptations shall euer be able once to preuaile against it Full wel doeth it appeare by your constant continuance that you haue played the parte of a wise builder in counting the cost afore hand belonging to the finishing of your tower And I doubt not but through Gods gift you haue sufficient to the performaunce thereof that the hypocrites of theyr parte shall haue no iuste cause to triumphe againste you or to mocke you saying loe thys woman beganne to builde but is not able to make an ende Therefore goe on boldlye and feare not for God is faithfull as S. Paule sayeth which will not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength but eyther will hee geue you grace and strength to stande vnto the death whych is the gate and entraunce into
vp your lippes with your owne booke Ieffrey It skilleth no matter whether ye write bread or body for we be able to prooue that he ment the bodye And where as you say they eate it spiritually that is but a blind shift of descant Palmer What should I say els Ieffrey As holy Church sayeth really carnally substantially Palmer And with as good Scripture I may say grosly or monstrously Ieffrey Thou speakest wickedly But tell me Is Christ present in the sacrament or no Palmer He is present Ieffrey How is he present Palmer The Doctors say modo ineffabili Therefore why do ye aske me Would God ye had a mynd ready to beleue it or I a tongue able to expresse it vnto you Ieffrey What say you to the baptisme of Infants Palmer I say that it standeth with Gods word therfore it ought of necessitie to be retayned in the Church Ieffrey Ye haue forgotten your self I wis for ye write that children may be saued without it Palmer So I write and so I say Ieffrey Then it is not necessary to be frequented and continued in the Church Palmer Your argument is not good M. Doctor Ieffrey Will ye stand to it Palmer Yea M. Doctor God willyng Ieffrey Note it Register More of his Examination in that tyme and place is not yet come to our hands whensoeuer God sendeth it I will impart and communicate the same to the Reader In the meane season we are credibly informed of this that sir Richard Abridges the same day after dinner sent for hym to his lodging and there in the presence of diuers persons yet alyue in Newbery and elsewhere friendly exhorted hym to reuoke his opinion to spare his yong yeares wit and learnyng If thou wilt be conformable and shew thy selfe corrigible and repentant in good fayth sayeth he I promise thee before this company I will geue thee meate and drinke and bookes and x. pound yearely so long as thou wilt dwell with me And if thou wilt set thy mynd to mariage I will procure thee a wyfe and a farme helpe to stuffe and frit thy farme for thee How sayest thou Palmer thanked him very curteously made him further answer concernyng his religion somewhat at large but very modestly and reuerently concludyng in the end that as he had already in two places renounced his liuing for Christes sake so he would with Gods grace be redy to surrender and yeld vp his lyfe also for the same wheÌ„ God should send tyme. When Sir Richard perceiued that hee woulde by no meanes relent Well Palmer sayth he then I perceiue one of vs twain shal be damned For we be of two faiths and certayne I am that there is but one faith that leadeth to lyfe and saluation Palmer O sir I hope that we both shall be saued Sir Rich. How may that be Palm Right well Sir For as it hath pleased our merciful Sauiour accordyng to the Gospels parable to call me at the third hower of the day euen in my flowers at the age of 24. yeres euen so I trust he hath called and wil cal you at the eleuenth hower of this your olde age and geue you euerlasting lyfe for your portion Sir Rich. Sayest thou so Well Palmer well I woulde I might haue thee but one moneth in my house I doubte not but I would conuert thee or thou shouldst conuert me Then sayd M. Winchcome Take pitie on thy golden yeares and pleasaunt flowers of lusty youth before it bee too late Palm Sir I long for those springing flowers that shall neuer vade away Winchcome If thou be at that poynt I haue done with thee Then was Palmer commanded agayne to the blynd house but the other two sillie men were ledde agayne the same after noone to the Consistorie and there were condeÌ„ned and deliuered to the secular power of the shiriffe there present by name sir Rich. Abridges It is reported also that D. Ieffrey offered Palmer a good liuyng if he would outwardly shew hymself conformable kepyng his conscience secret to hymselfe or at least declare that hee doubted which was the truest doctrine But I cannot affirme it for a suretie The next mornyng the 16. of Iuly Palmer was required to subscribe to certaine Articles which they had drawen out touching the cause of his condemnation in the front whereof were pluckt together many haynous termes as horrible hereticall damnable diuelish and execrable doctrine To these wordes Palmer refused to subscribe affirming that the doctrine which he professed was not such but good and sound doctrine Ieffrey Ye may see good people what shifts these heretikes seeke to escape burnyng when they see Iustice ministred vnto them But I tell thee this stile is agreeable to the law and therfore I cannot alter it Palmer Then cannot I subscribe to it Ieffrey Wilt thou then craue mercy if thou like not iustice and reuoke thy heresie Palmer I forsake the Pope his Popelings withall Popish heresie Ieffrey Then subscribe to the Articles Palmer Alter the Epithetons and I will subscribe Ieffrey Subscribe and qualifie the matter with thine own pen. So he subscribed Whereupon D. Ieffrey proceded to read the Popish sentence of his cruell condemnation and so was he deliuered to the charge of the secular power was burned the same day in the after noone about fiue of the clocke Within one houre before they went to the place of execution Palmer in the presence of many people comforted his fellowes with these wordes Brethren sayth he be of good â—here in the Lord and faint not Remember the words of our Sauiour Christ where he sayth Happy are you wheÌ„ men reuile you and persecute you for righteousnesse sake Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen Feare not them that kill the body and be not able to touch the soule God is faythfull and will not suffer vs to be tempted further then we shall be able to beare it Wee shall not ende our lyues in the â—ire but make a change for a better lyfe Yea for coales we shall receiue pearles For Gods holy spirite certifieth our spirit that he hath euen now prepared for vs a sweet supper in heauen for his sake which suffered first for vs. With these and such lyke wordes he did not only comfort the hartes of his sillie brethren that were with hym appoynted as sheepe to be slaine but also wrested out pleÌ„tifull teares from the eyes of many that heard him And as they were singyng a Psalme came the shiriffe Sir Richard Abridges and the Bailiffes of the Towne wyth a great company of harnessed and weaponed men to conduct them to the fire When they were come to the place where they should suffer they fell all three to the ground and Palmer with an audible voyce pronounced the xxxj Psalme but the other two made their prayers secretly to almighty God And as Palmer began to arise there
so vain and foolish superstitions While hee was thus talkyng to hys audience Iohn Christopherson elected B. of Chichester beyng strikē with a sodaine sicknes fel downe in a sound among the prease with much adoe beyng scarse able a good whyle to come to hymself againe in the meane tyme babled many things vnaduisedly and as though he had bene out of his wittes Some thought it came vpon this occasion because he had bene greatly accused before the Commissioners for mispēdyng misordering the goods of the Colledge therefore was grieued with the matter knowyng that they had ben offended with hym by that that Ormanet had canceiled before his face a Lease of his by the which hee had let to ferme to his brother in lawe a certaine Manor of that colledge because the couenants seemed vnreasonable By this tyme was returned agayne the Pursiuaunt who as we before tolde was sent to London wyth the Commissioners letters and brought with him a warrant for the burning of these men Upon the receit wherof they appoynted the vj. day of Febr. for the accomplishment of the matter For it had hāged already a great while in hand Therefore when the sayd day was come the Commissioners sent for the Uicechancellor demandyng of hym in what case things stood whether all things were in a readines for the accomplishment of this busines or no. Understandyng by hym that all thyngs were redy they commanded the matter to be broched out of hand The Uicechancellor therefore taking with hym Marshall the common Notary went first to Saint Michaels church where Phagius was buried There he called forth Andrew Smith Henry Sawyer and Henry Adams mē of the same parish and bound them with an oth to dig vp Phagius bones and to bryng them to the place of execution Marshall tooke their othes receiuyng the like of Roger Smith and W. Hasell the Towne Sergeants of I. Capper Warden of the same Church for doyng the lyke with Bucer Smith the Maior of the town which should be their executioner for it was not lawfull for them to intermeddle in cases of bloude commaunded certayne of hys Townesmen to wayte vpon hym in harnesse by whō the dead bodies were garded and beyng bound with ropes and layd vppon mens shoulders for they were enclosed in Chestes Bucer in the same that hee was buried and Phagius in a newe they were borne into the middest of the Market steade with a great trayne of people followyng them This place was prepared before and a great Poste was set fast in the grounde to bynde the Carcasses to and a great heape of Woode was layed readye to burne them withall When they came thither the Chestes were set vp on ende with the dead bodies in them and fastened on both sides with stakes and bound to the Post with a long iron Chayne as if they had bene alyue Fire beyng forthwith put too as soone as it began to flame round about a great sort of bookes that were condemned with them were cast into the same There was that day gathered into the towne a great multitude of countreyfolke for it was market day who seyng men borne to execution and learnyng by inquirie that they were dead before partly detested and abhorred the extreme crueltie of the commissioners toward the rotten carcasses and partly laughed at their folly in makyng suche preparature For what needeth any weapon sayde they As though they were afrayed that the deade bodies which felte them not woulde doe them some harme Or to what purpose serueth that Chayne wherewith they are tyed sithence they might bee burnt loose wythout peryll for it was not to bee feared that they woulde runne away Thus euery body that stoode by found faulte with the cruelnesse of the deed either sharply or els lightly as euery mans mynde gaue hym There were very few that liked their doyng therein ¶ The purpose of D. Watsons Sermon against Martin Bucer IN the meane tyme that they were a rostyng in the fire Watson went into the Pulpit in S. Mary Church and there before his audience rayled vppon their doctrine as wicked and erroneous saying that it was the ground of all mischiefe that had happened of a long tyme in the common weale For beholde sayd he as well the prosperitie as the aduersitie of these yeares that haue ensued and ye shall find that all thyngs haue chanced vnluckely to them that haue followed this new found fayth as contrary all thynges haue happened fortunately to them that haue eschewed it What robbyng and pollyng quoth hee haue we seene in this Realme as long as Religion was defaced with sects the common treasure gathered for the maintenance of the whole publike weale and the goodes of the Realme shamefully spent in waste for the maintenance of a few folkes lustes all good order broken all discipline cast aside holydayes appointed to the solemnising of ceremonies neglected and that more is the places themselues beaten downe flesh and other kynde of prohibited sustenance eaten euery where vpon dayes forbidden without remorse of conscience the priests had in derision the masse rayled vpon no honour done to the Sacramentes of the church all estates and degrees geuen to such a licentious liberty without checke that all things may seeme to draw to their vtter ruine and decay And yet in the meane time the name of the gospel was pretended outwardly as though that for it men ought of duetie to geue credite to their erroneous opinions where as in deed there is nothing more discrepant or more to the slaunder of Gods worde then the same For what other thyng taught they to remayne in that most blessed mysticall Sacrament of the body of our Lorde then bare vnleauened bread And what els doe the remnaunt of them teach vnto this day Whereas Christ by expresse wordes doth assure it to be his very body Howe perillous a doctrine is that which concerneth the fatall and absolute necessitie of Predestination And yet they set it out in suche wyse that they haue left no choise at all in things As who should say it skilled not what a man purposed of any matter sithens he had not the power to determine otherwyse then the matter should come to passe The which was the peculiar opinion of them that made God the authour of euill bringyng men thorough this perswasion into such a carelesse securitie of the euerlastyng eternitie that in the meane season it made no matter eyther toward saluation or toward damnation what a man did in this lyfe These errors whiche were not euen among the Heathen men were defended by them with great stoutnesse These and many such other thyngs he slanderously falsly alledged against Bucer whose doctrine in such sort as he himselfe taught it eyther he would not vnderstand or els he was mynded to slaunder And yet he was not ignoraunt that Bucer taught none other thynges then the very same whereunto both
his fall which wordes proue playnely that we haue no original sin And I tooke him withall sayd had Adam originall sinne before hys fall and then hee coulde not tell what to say but cauilled with wordes and sayd he meant not so and therefore I maruell he is not ashamed to make such lies to my face These wordes made them both astonyed Gage M. Doctour he sayd euen now you coulde finde no fault in all his talke I will bid you aske him a question that I will warrant you shall finde faulte enough I pray you aske hym howe he beleeueth in the Sacramente of the Aultar I thinke hee will make but a bad accompte thereof Wood. Yes I wil make accompt good enough of that by Gods helpe Lang. Well how say you to the sacrament of the aultar Wood. I say I know no such sacrament vnlesse Chryst be the aultar that you meane Gage Lo I told you you should soone finde fault in him if you came to that poynt with him You shuld haue begun with that first and neuer haue talked with him about other thinges What know ye not the sacrament of the aultar Wood. No sure I know no such vnlesse christ be the aultar that you meane for Christ is the aultar of al goodnes And if you meane Christ to be the aultar of the sacrament you speake of you shall soone heare my minde and beliefe therein Lang. Well we meane Christe to be the aultar Say your minde and go briefly to worke for I thinke it almost dinner Gage I pray you go roundly to worke that you may make an end before dinner Woodman Yes you shall soone heare my minde therin by Gods helpe I doe beleue that whensoeuer I come to receaue the sacrament of the body and bloud of Iesus Christ being truely ministred according to Christes Institution I beleuing that Christ was borne of the virgine Mary that he was crucified on the crosse and shed his bloude for the remission of my sinnes and so take and eate the sacrament of bread and wine in that remembraunce that then I doe receiue wholy Christ God and manne mistically by fayth This is my beliefe of the sacrament the whiche no man is able to disproue Gage By S. Mary I can finde no fault in this How say you Maister Doctour Lang. Sir you see not so much in it as I do For he goeth craftely to worke I tell you as I haue heard For though he haue graunted that the faythfull receauer receaueth the body of Christe God and man yet hee hath not graunted that it is the body of Christe before it bee receaued as you shall see by and by I warrant you by hys owne wordes How say you is it the body of Christ as soone as the words be spoken by the Prieste or not for these wordes will try hym more then all the rest Wood. Doth the worde say that it is his body before it is receiued if it do I will say so to Gage Why then you shall agree well inough if you wyll be tryed by the word Wood. Yes forsooth that I will God forbid els Gage Why the worde sayth it is his body before it is eaten Wood. Those words would I fayne heare but I am sure they be not in the Bible Lang. No that you shall see by and by M. Gage quoth he turned to the xxii of Luke there he read WheÌ„ supper was done Christ tooke bread gaue thankes and brake it and gaue to his Disciples and sayd take eate this is my body Then they spake both at once Here he saith it is his body Wood. M. Gage I doe not deny but he called it his body but not before eating as I saide before Wherefore I pray you marke the wordes Christ sayd Take eate I pray you Sir marke these wordes that he sayd Take and eate and theÌ„ he said it was his body So you see eating goeth before For he sayd eate this is my body So according to the verye worde I doe beleue it is his bodye Whiche wordes made them both astonied Lang. Why then by your saying Iudas eate not the body of Christ. How say you did he not Wood. Nay I ask you Did he Lang I aske you Wood. And I aske you Lang. And I aske you Woodman Mary and I aske you And I bid you answer if you dare for your life For what soeuer you aunswere vnlesse you say as I haue sayd you will damne your own soule For M. Gage I protest before God I would you should do as well as myne owne owne soule and body it lamenteth my hart to see how you be deceaued with theÌ„ they be deceauers all the sorte of them He cannot answer to this but either he must proue Iudas to be saued or els he must proue that it is no bodye before it bee receiued in fayth as dou shall well perceiue by Gods helpe if he dare to aunswere the question Gage Yes I dare say he dareth What you neede not to threaten him so Wood. Then let him aunswere if he can Then he sayd he knew what I woulde saye to him therefore he was much in doubt to answere the question Lang. Mayster Gage I will tell you in your eare what words he will aunswere me or euer I speake to him Wood. Then he told M. Gage a tale in his eare sayde Lang. I haue told M. Gage what you will say Gage Yea and I will tell the truth for both parties Wood. Well how say you did Iudas eate the body of christ or not Lang Yea I say Iudas did eate the body of Christ. Wood. Then it must needes fâ—llowe That Iudas hath euerlasting life For Christ sayth in the 6. of Iohn Who so eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud hath eternall lyfe and I will rayse him vp at the last day If Iudas did eate Chrystes body I am sure you cannot deny but that he did both eat hys flesh and drynke his bloud and then is Iudas saued by Christes owne wordes Therefore nowe you are compelled to say that it was not christes body or els that Iudas is saued Gage Surely these be the verye wordes that M.D. tolde me in mine eare that you would say to hym Wood. Well let vs see how well he can auoyd this argument Lang. Iudas is damned and yet he eate the body of christ but he eate it vnworthely and therefore he is damned Wood. Where finde you that Iudas did eate the bodye of Christ vnworthely Lang. They be S. Paules wordes i. Corinth xi chap. Wood. M. Gage I desire you for gods sake marke my wordes well what I saye If S. Paule speake anye suche wordes there or in anye other place if there be anye suche wordes written in al the whole Bible that euer any man eate the bodye of Christ vnworthely then say that I am the falsest man that euer you heard speake with tongue But in
deede these be the wordes of S. Paule Who so eateth of this bread and drinketh of this cuppe vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because hee maketh no difference of the Lordes body that is because hee presumeth to eat the sacrament of the Lordes body without sayth making no difference betwixt the sacrament and other bread and drynke And that is S. Paules meaning and not that any man doth or can eate the body of Christ vnworthely For who soeuer eateth the body of christ hath euerlasting life as is aforesayd in the 6. of Iohn With which wordes one came from them to come to dinner in all the hast Gage I am sory I woulde fayne heare more of this talke but we shall haue an other day wel inough Lang. Nay M. Gage I will neuer talke with him more for he is the vnreasonablest man that euer I talked wyth in all my life Wood. Then M. Gage put of hys capp and desired hym that he would not refuse to talk with me and that it might not bee greeuous to hym For he sayde wee wyll seeke al the meanes possible to make him an honest man and to keepe him from burning if we coulde For if my brother and I had not bene he had bene burned ere this tyme. Thē there was great curtisie betwixt them Lang. Sir for your sake for my mayster your brothers sakes and for his fathers sake and other of his fryendes sakes that haue spoken to me many tymes with weeping teares I will doe the best to hym that I can but for no loue nor fauour that I beare to him I tell you truth Gage Woodman you heare what M.D. sayth When wyl you come agayne Wood. Euen when you will send for me For I am a prysoner and cannot come when I woulde Or if I shoulde desire to come it will cost me money and I haue none to geue but if you send for me it shall cost me none Gage Well I will send for you on Friday or Saterdaye at the farthest for to morow I must ride forth of towne I would fayne heare your talke Wood. Sir I would be very glad you should heare oure talke alway and I trust in God you shall heare me say no thing but the word of God shall be my warrant So M. Gage tooke his leaue and went his way to his lodgyng which was right in my way as I went vnto prisonward agayne and when hee came without my Lorde Mountagues gates there we met with one Hode of Buxted a Smith Then sayd M. Gage Gage Woodman I had forgot one thing that Hode hath brought me in remembraunce of as soone as I saw hym for hee heard when the tale was tolde me Gage Hode did not you heare when Smith of Framfield tolde me that hee sawe Woodman abroad in the Cittie at libertie Hoode Yea forsooth that I did Gage Yea surely and I was very glad for I had wel hoped you had bene conformable But I heard otherwise afterward agayne that you had leaue of the keeper to go abroad and speake openly in the streetes as you went vpp and downe Wood. In deede so the Marshall told me to day But in deed I was neuer abroad since I came to prison but whē I was sent for and in deede the same time I was abroad with my keeper comming from the Bysh. and as I was comming euen not farre from the Marshalsey I saw goodman Smith stād in a Wayne vnlading of Cheese I asked him how he did euen as I went by and neuer stayed for the matter and therupon it did rise So I departed frō them with my keeper to the Marshalsea agayne where I now am mery I prayse God therefore as a sheepe appoynted to be slayne * The fourthe examination of Richard Woodman had before the Byshop of Winchester the Byshop of Rochester and a certayn Doctour with diuers other Priests and Gentlemen the xxv day of May. Anno. 1557. Woodman I Was fet from the Marshalsea to the sayd Byshops and Priestes sitting in S. Georges Churche in Southwark by one of the Marshals men and one of the Sheriffes mē When I came before them and had done my duty to them as nigh as I could then sayd the Bishop of Winchester Winchester What is your name Wood. My name is Richard Woodman forsooth Winchester Ah Woodman you were taken and apprehended for heresie about a three yeares agone and were sente to prison in the kinges Bench and there remayned a long time Mine olde Lorde of Chichester being a learned famous man well knowne in this realme of England and almost throughout all Christendome I think came to prison to you and there and at other places called you before him diuers times trauayling and perswading with you many wayes because hee was your Ordinary to plucke you from your heresies that you held but he coulde by no meanes aduertise you Wherupon you were deliuered to the Commissioners and they could do no good with you neyther Then they sent you vnto my Lord of Lond. My Lorde of Lond. calling you before him diuers times labour was made vnto him of your frendes that you might be released My Lord hauing a good hope in you that you woulde become an honest man because he had heard so of you in tymes past yea you your selfe promising him that you would go home and recant your heresies that you held deliuered you sending also a letter of your recantation to the Commissary that he should see it done But as soone as you were out of his hands you were as bad as euer you were would neuer fulfill your promise but haue hid your selfe in the woodes Bushes Dennes Caues and thus haue continued euer since til it was now of late Thē the Sheriffe of that Shyre being a worshipfull man hearing thereof sent certayn of his mē took you in a wood so caried you to his house I cannot tell his name What is your Sheriffes name Wood. Forsooth his name is sir Edward Gage Winc. Well you were apprehended for heresie and beyng at M. Gages three weekes or more yee were gentlye entreated there he and other Gentlemen perswading wyth you diuers tymes little preuayled Then you appealed to the Bishop of Chichester that now is The Sheriffe like a worshipfull man sent you to him and he hath trauelled with you and other also can do no good with you whereupon we haue sent for you Wood. Then I spake to him For I thought he would be long before hee woulde make an end I thought hee was a yeare in telling of those lyes that he had told there agaynst me already Yea I kept silence from good wordes but it was great payne and griefe vnto me as Dauid sayd At length the fire was so kindled within my hart that I could not chuse but speake with my tongue for I feared least any of the company shoulde haue departed or
shuld be saued before God that he should haue no harme And I kneeling downe vppon my knees desired him to take my bloud and not to hurt the young man Then sayd he because you haue bene so stubburne the matter being made manifest by other and not by you being so long in prison tell me if you wil stād to my iudgement I sayd yea take my bloud and hurt not the young man Then he made me answere I should be whipped like a theefe and a vacabond and so I thanked him and went my way with my keeper to the Lollardes tower where I remayned two or three dayes and so was brought by the keeper Cluny by the commaundement of the Commissioners to Christes hospitall sometime the Gray Friers and accordingly had there for the time the correction of theeues and vacabondes and so was deliuered to Trinian the Porter and put into a stincking dungeon Then after a fewe dayes I finding frendship was let out of the dungeon and lay in a bed in the night walked in a yarde by the dungeon in the day time and so remayned prisoner a month and more Where at length Doctour Story came and two Gentlemē with hym and called for me and so I was brought into a counting house before thē Then he sayd to the gentlemen here commeth this hereticke of whom I had the book called Antichrist and began to tell them how many times I had bene before him and sayde I haue intreated hym very gently and he would neuer tell me the truth till that it was found out by other Then sayd he it wer a good deed to cut out thy tongue and thy eares of thy head to make thee an example to all other hereticke knaues And the gentlemen said nay that were pitty Then he asked if that I would not become an honest mā I sayd yes for I haue offēded God many wayes Whereupon he burdened me with my fayth I told him I had made hym aunswere of my fayth before my Lord Windsors chaplaine as much as I could So in the end he commaunded me to be stripped he stāding by me and called for two of the Beadels and the whippes to whippe me and the two Beadels came wyth a cord and bound my handes together and the one end of the corde to a stone piller Then one of my friendes called Nicholas Priestman hearing them call for whips hurled in a bundell of rods whiche seemed something to pacifie the minde of his crueltie and so they scourged me with rods But as they were whipping of me Story asked me if I would go vnto my Mayster agayne and I sayd nay And he sayd I perceiue now he wil be worse then euer he was before but let me alone quoth he I will finde him out if he be in England And so with many other things which I cannot rehearse when they had done whipping of me they bad me pay my fees and go my wayes ¶ Doctor Story commaunded that he should haue an hundred stripes but the Gentlemen so intreated that hee had not so many Story saying if I might haue my will I would surely cut out his tongue Of the scourging of M. Bartlet Greene also of Iohn Milles of Thomas Hinshaw ye heard before In like maner was ordered Ste. Cotton burned before at Bramford who testifieth himselfe to be twise beaten by Boner in a letter of hys written to his brother as by the same here following for the more euidence may appeare The Copie of Steuen Cottons letter wrytten to his brother declaring howe he was beaten of Bishop Boner BRother in the name of the Lord Iesus I cōmend me vnto you and I doe heartely thancke you for your godly exhortation and counsell in your last letter declared to me And albeit I doe perceiue by your letter you are informed that as we are diuers persons in number so we are of contrary sectes conditions and opinions contrary to that good opinion you had of vs at your last being with vs in Newgate be you most assured good brother in the Lorde Iesus we are all of one minde one faith one assured hope in the Lord Iesus whome I trust we altogether with one spirite one brotherly loue doe daily call vpon for mercy forgeuenesse of our sinnes with earnest repentaunce of our former liues and by whose precious bloudshedding wee trust to be saued onely and by no other meanes Wherefore good brother in the name of the Lorde seeing these impudente people whose mindes are altogether bent to wickednesse enuie vncharitablenesse euill speaking doe goe about to slaunder vs with vntruth beleeue them not neither let their wicked sayings once enter into your mind And I trust one day to see you againe although now I am in Gods prison which is a ioyfull schoole to them that loue theyr Lord God and to me being a simple scholer most ioyfull of all Good brother once againe I doe in the name of oure Lorde Iesus exhort you to pray for me that I may fight stronglye in the Lordes battaile to bee a good souldioure to my Captaine Iesus Christ our Lord and desire my sister also to do the same and doe not ye mourn or lament for me but be ye glad and ioyful of this my trouble For I trust to be loosed out of this dongeon shortly and to go to euerlasting ioy which neuer shal haue end I heard how ye were with the Commissioners I pray you sue no more for me good brother But one thing I shal desire you to be at my departing out of this life that you may bear witnes with me that I shal die I trust in God a true Christian and I hope all my cōpanions in the Lord our God and therfore beleue not these euil disposed people who are the authors of all vntruthes I pray you prouide me a long shirt against the day of our deliuerance for the shirt you gaue me last I haue geuen to one of my companions who had more neede then I And as for the money and meat you sent vs the Bishops seruaunts deliuered none to vs neither he whome you had so great trust in Brother there is none of them to trust to for qualis Magister talis Seruus I haue beene twise beaten and threatned to be beaten againe by the bishop himselfe I suppose we shall go into the Countrey to Fulham to the bishops house and there be arraigned I woulde haue you to harken as much as you can For when we shall goe it shall be sodenly done Thus fare ye well from the Colehouse this present Fridaye Your brother Steuen Cotton The scourging of Iames Harris IN this societie of the scourged professors of Christ was also one Iames Harris of Billerica in Essex a stripling of the age of 17. yeares who being apprehended and sent vp to Boner in the company of Margaret Ellis by Syr Iohn Mordant Knight and Edmund Tyrel Iustices of peace as appeareth
electis Salutem Esdr. 4. ¶ Hoc Seculum fecit altissimus propter multos futurum autem propter paucos ¶ The almighty Lorde hath made this worlde for many but the world or life or come but for a few MOst certayne it is dearely beloued that Christes elect be but few in comparisō of that great number which go in the broad way to euerlasting perdition whiche lyfe after the flesh louing this present euill world deny God in word and deed whose eies are blinded and their harts hardened Most certaine it is also that our Sauior Iesus Christ hath and knoweth his owne whose names are written in the booke of life redemed with the most precious bloud of our sauiour Iesus Christ. So that the eternall Father knoweth them which be his The almighty and eternall God graunt that we may haue the testimony of our conscience and the spirit of god to beare record with our spirites that we be his elect children walking in the spirite not fulfilling the lustes of the flesh but as Christes members hauing Christ Iesu fixed before our eyes he being to vs the true way the infallible verity the eternall life Christ hath geuē vs example let vs folow him as deare children for Gods delight is to beholde his Saintes which be in the earth Let vs put on the whole armour of God and walke in the light in these euill dayes in the whiche Sathan in his Aungels seeketh whom he may deuour The almighty Lorde deliuer vs from the mouthes of those vnshamefast dogs They truely seeke ours and not vs vnto the Lord. Esdras sayth and writeth truely the world is made for them and they for the world Dearly bought let vs remember Christ which sayth I haue chosen you out of the world you shal be hated of al worldly men Did euer the couetous Idolaters Oppressors or Whoremongers loue vs Nay they loue Masse Mongers which say peace peace when there is no peace Nay either then flatter the eares or els they say no thing as dum dogges not able to barke of whom be you ware of for though they come in sheepes clothing they be rauening Wolues whose damnation sleepeth not from whose captiuitye the holy will of God saue and preserue you Amen Dearely beloued we hauing the record of our conscience that we be very members in Christes body separate from that malignant Antichristes Church Let vs reioyce in conscience and in the Lord hauing heauenly hope in al his promises which be eternall and most sure to vs in Christ our Sauiour who looseth none of all them whom the eternall Father hath geuen him but at his appearing to be our mercifull Iudge shall rayse vs vppe at that last day for the trumpe of God shall blow and be heard of all Adams posterity sounding Venite ad iuditium Come vnto iudgement come and be iudged Let vs therfore be prepared hauing the wedding garment yea the whole armour of God the mariage garment cleare Lampes that is pure hartes and burning heauenly light in the same Let vs prepare our selues richly to restore to our Lord and Mayster our talentes with the increase of heauenly liuing and occupying then without all doubt we shall heare that most blessed wish of our alone Sauiour Iesus Christ who shall then say reioyce good seruauntes I will make you Stewardes ouer many thinges Enter into the euerlasting rest and kingdome whiche hath bene prepared for you from the beginning This is the Kingdome of Iesus Christ whiche at this present is in Babilon and banished to the desert the troublesome waters of Sathan in the Antichrist and his shauelings spiewed out of Christs mouth The Lord be our ayde auenger and deliuerer when his holy will is Amen Dearely bought with the most precious bloud of our Sauior Iesus Christ that we be not deceiued by the Antichrist let vs ponder wey marke and study the heauenly doctrine of our Sauiour Christ in his last Supper the text is Bene dixit dixit bene gratias egit he spake heauenly and well he gaue thankes he tooke bread brake it gaue it to his Disciples saying take eate this Sacramentall bread and me the breade of life whiche came downe from heauen which geueth life to the worlde take true fayth heauenly hope kindled with christen charitie thankes geuing for my death let these heauēly vertues enter in your soules then enter I. This is my body This is the true eating of my body which is geuen to the death of the crosse for the ransome and sinnes of Gods elect Likewise after supper he tooke the cup hee spake well gaue thankes and gaue it them saying drinke ye all of this drinke I say by this infallible veritie and euerlasting word ioyned and anexed with this cup my bloud which is shed from before the beginning of the world for many in remission of sins he or shee that thus dwelleth in me and I in him eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud Sainct Augustine sayth why preparest thou thy tooth and belly beleeue and thou hast eaten Sainct Barnarde saith when fayth hope christian loue and thankes geuing for Christes death enter in a Christian Christ entereth and agayn S. Augustine sayth vpon these wordes of Christ you shal alwayes haue the poore with you but me shall ye not haue alwayes with you The Church had him but a few dayes touching his humanitie nowe they haue him by fayth with these eyes they do not see him O Iesus Christ thou sonne of the liuing God whiche art in the bosome of thy father God with God the very Image of God the father eternall geue vs victory ouer this Antichrist in thy most precious bloud Be faythfull to the ende and oure sauiour shall crown vs in glory let vs sanctify the name of God in thought word and deede I say vnto the Papist and will not flatter our God is in heauen whome they will not see And is no such little prety mattere as their God the Pope faineth him to be Pray for all the preachers of the veritie that God may geue vs grace and constancie They sing and say they haue him in a string tye not the dog so for feare of hanging To all the faythfull whose names in generall in the booke of lyfe by Christ are written all The godly thought and patient minde doth liberty in prison finde Who so to patience can attayne shall finde in prison is no payne Thrall trouble bownd or free as pleaseth God so shall all be Wherefore I neuer will forsake what pleaseth God lay on my backe Iohn Meluine preacher and priprisoner in Newgate ¶ A note concerning the trouble of Iulius Palmer lately come to my handes To his assured friend and brother in Chryst Mayster Perry preacher at Beuerstone geue these MAyster Perry after my harty commendations in the Lord Iesus Christ vnto you and your wife c. wheras you haue written vnto me
My friend or friends be it known vnto you that this is no errour as ye suppose but it is the truth of Gods will that we should beleeue as S. Iohn sayth That Christ Iesus is the sonne of the liuing God and in so beleeuyng wee should haue euerlasting lyfe Thus with loue I write vnto you praying God night and day to deliuer you froÌ„ euill which is in you and to keepe you from it Wherefore my friend or friendes you are not crucified with Christ you are not dead with him as concerning sinne you are not graffed with him in Baptisme nor you know not god nor his sonne whome he hath sent nor his commaundements which he hath commaunded and yet will ye teach other with most hearty prayer praying to God for you continually Patrike Patingham A note of a certaine letter of Wil. Tymmes GRace mercy and peace from God the father through the mercies of his deare sonne Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour with the comfort of his holy spirite that as you haue full godly begun euen so to continue to the end to the glory of God and your euerlasting comfort which thing to do I pray God to geue you grace who is the geuer of all good and perfect gifts to the glory of hys holy name Amen My dere sisters after most harty commendations vnto you and also most harty thankes geuing vnto you for all the great kyndnesse that you haue always shewed vnto me most vnworthy of the same I certifie you that I am very glad to heare of your good health which I pray God long to continue to his glory And especially I doe much reioyce in your most godly constancie in the Gospell of Christ which is the power of God vnto saluation vnto so many as beleeue it Therefore my deare hartes goe forward as you haue godly begunne for the tyme will come that these cruell tyrants which now so cruelly persecuteth the true members of Christ shall say for very anguish of mynde These are they whom we sometyme had in derision and iested vppon We fooles thought their lyfe to haue bene very madnesse and their ende to haue bene without honour But lo how they are counted among the children of God and their portion is among the Saints therefore we haue erred from the way of truth The light of righteousnes hath not shined vnto vs and the sonne of vnderstandyng rose not vpon vs. We haue weried our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction Tedious wayes haue we gone but as for the way of the Lord we haue not knowen it What good hath our pride done vnto vs or what profit hath the pompe of riches brought vs. All these things hath passed away as a shadow or as a Messenger running before As a sheepe that passeth ouer the waues of the water which when it is gone by the trace thereof cannot be found neither the path in the flouds c. For as soone as we were borne we began inordinately to drawe to our ende and haue shewed no token of vertue but are consumed in our owne wickednesse Such wordes shall they that thus haue sinned speake in the hell c. But the righteous shall lyue for euermore their reward is also with the Lord and their remembraunce with the highest therfore shall they receiue a glorious kingdome and a beautifull crowne at the Lordes hand for with his right hande shall he couer them and with his holy arme shall he defend them c. The soules of the righteous are in the haÌ„ds of God and the paynes of death shall not touch them but in the sight of the vnwyse they appeare to die and their end is taken for very destruction but they are in rest And though they suffer payne before men yet is their hope full of immortalitie They are punished but in few thynges neuerthelesse in many things shall they be wel rewarded for God prooueth them and findeth them meete for hymselfe yea as the golde in the fornace doth he try them and receiueth them as a burnt offering and when the tyme commeth they shall be looked vppon the righteous shall shine as the sparkes that runneth through the red bushe they shall iudge the nations and haue dominion ouer the people and their Lord shal raigne for euer They that put their trust in hym shall vnderstand the truth and such as be faithfull will agree vnto hym in loue and he shall be a piller in the temple of God and shall no more go out and there shall be written vppon him the name of God And they shall lye vnder the aultar which is Christ crying with a lowd voyce saying How long tariest thou Lord holy and true to iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth and they shall haue long white garmentes geuen vnto them and it shall be sayd vnto them that they should rest yet for a little season til the number of their fellowes and brethren of them that should bee killed as they were were fulfilled For as S. Iohn sayth they are worthy that thus ouercommeth to bee clothed in white aray and their names shall not bee put out of the booke of lyfe but shall be seperated from the Gotes and set on Christes right hand hearing his sweet and comfortable voice wheÌ„ he shall say Come ye blessed of my Father and possâ—sse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginnyng of the world And the very redy way to obtaine the same is as our maister Christ saith to forsake our selues takyng vp our crosse followyng our maister Christ which for the ioy that was set before him abode the crosse and despised the shame and is set downe on the throne of the right hand of God therefore let vs follow his example in sufferyng for his worde seeyng that hee of his mercifull goodnesse suffered so muche for vs when wee were his enemies for it was our sinne that killed Christ and by his death hath made vs on lyue Therefore with ioy seeing all these his merciful benefites purchased for vs onely by his death and bloudsheding Let vs with boldnesse confesse his holy word before this wicked generation euen to death and we be called thereto and so be well assured that our lyues be not in the hands of men but in Gods handes Therefore my deare sisters as you haue godly begun so go forward euen through many tribulations euen into the euerlasting kingdom of heauen To the which God the father of all mercy for his deare sonne Christes sake bring both you and all yours Amen Yours to commaund to my poore power Wil. Tymmes Continue in prayer Aske in fayth And obtaine your desire Praying for you as I know that you do for me ¶ Another Sermon of M. Latimer concerning his playing at Cardes NOw you haue heard what is ment by this first carde and how you ought to play with it I purpose againe to deale vnto you another carde almost of
be vnto you a strong defence and refuge in the needfull time Bow downe thine eare O Lorde sayth Dauid and heare me for I am poore and in misery Bee mercifull vnto me O Lord for I will call dayly vpō thee comfort the soule of thy seruaunt for vnto thee O Lord do I lift vp my soule For thou Lord art good and gracious and of great mercy vnto all thē that call vpon thee Geue eare Lorde vnto my prayer and ponder the voyce of my humble petition All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship thee O Lord shall glorify thy name For thou art great and doest wonderfull things thou art God alone Teach me thy wayes Oh Lord and I will walke in thy truth O knit my hart vnto thee that I may feare thy name I will thanke thee O my God with all my hart and will prayse thy name for euer O you Christen people of Hadley comfort your selues one another in these notable psalmes of dauid the whole bible Embrace the notable iewell of our Lord God the bible endeuor your selues to walke the way that it doth teach you My good brethren we as helpers sayth S. Paule doe exhort you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vayne For behold now is the accepted time now is the daye of saluation Let vs beware that we take sure hold while we haue time for time will away While wee haue the lighte walke in it least when ye would desire it ye can not haue it Understand the light to be the knowledge of Christe to obey that is to haue the light For that cause came our Sauiour Iesus Christe to make himselfe knowne vnto those that did receiue him He gaue power to be the sonnes of God and so to bee made inheritours of his kingdome which shal neuer haue end who would not be glad to become the kinges sonne that he therby might be partaker of the kingdome that neuer shall haue end O vayne man what art thou that will refuse euerlasting life for a day or two or an hower thou canst not tell howe short Open thine eies see thine owne cōfort refuge to christ O flie refuse this worldly wisedōe for worldly wisedom doth shut out the wisedome of God For the word of the crosse is foolishnesse vnto them that perish but vnto vs whiche are saued it is the power of God For it is written I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent Where are the wise where are the Scribes where are the disputers of this worlde hath not god made the wisedom of this world foolishnes For in so muche as the worlde by the wisedome thereof knew not God in his wisedome it pleased God through foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleue For the Iewes require tokens and the Greekes aske after wysedome but we preach Christ crucified sayth S. Paule to the Iewes an occasion of falling and vnto the Greekes a people that are wise in theyr owne conceites to them is the preaching of Christ crucified foolishnesse But vnto them that are called both Iewes and Greekes we preach Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God For the foolishnes of God is wiser then men and the weaknes of God is stronger then men Brethren looke vpon your calling how that not many wise men after the fleshe not many mighty not many of high degree are called But that which is foolish before the world hath God chosen that he might confound the wise and that which is despised before the worlde hath he chosen and that whiche is nothing that he might destroy that which is ought that no flesh should reioyce Of the same are ye also in Christe Iesu whiche is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnes and sanctifying and redemption according as it is written he that reioyseth should reioyce in the Lorde that your fayth should not stand in the wisedome of men but in the power of God We speake of this wisedome among them that are perfecte not the wisedome of thys world nor the rulers of this world which go to nought but we speake of the wisedome of God which the carnall man doth not vnderstand The naturall man perceiueth nothing of the spirite of God It is foolishnes with hym But God hath opened it to vs by his spirite For the spirite searcheth out all thinges Wherefore my deare Brethren trye your selues well whether ye haue the spirite of Christ or no. If you haue the spirite of Christ then are ye dead concerning sinne but ye are aliue vnto god through Iesus Christ. If this spirite dwell in you then will ye increase and go forward in your profession not feare what flesh may do vnto the carkasse Therefore stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and bee not wrapped vp agayne in the yoake of bondage that is to say to go from God by wicked life or serue God an other way then he hath commaunded in his holy word I truste you go forward my deare Brethren and Sisterne in your promise that you made to your Lorde God in your baptisme I pray God open vnto you the knowledge of hym selfe and lighten the eyes of your vnderstanding that ye may know what is the hope of your calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritaunce is vpon the Sayntes For ye are the chosen generation the kingly Priesthoode that holy nation that peculiar people that should shewe the vertues of him which hath called you out of darcknes into his maruellous light that is to say to feare God and to worke righteousnesse and so to receiue the end of your fayth the saluation of your soules This is a true saying if we be dead with Christ we shall liue with him also If we be patient we shall also reigne with him If we denye him he also shall denye vs. If we beleue not yet he abydeth faythfull he can not deny himselfe The very God of peace sanctify you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit soule and bodyes be kept blameles vnto the cōming of our Lord Iesus Faythfull is he that hath called you which will also do it Brethren pray for vs and great all the brethren among you By me your brother in the Lord and Sauiour Christ Iohn Alcocke Prisoner in the Lorde at Newgate ⧠Geue glory to God GOd be mercifull to thee O England send thee great number of such faythfull Fathers and godly Pastors as Doctor Taylour was to guide thee feede thee and cōfort thee after thy great miseries and troubles that thou hast suffered vnder the tyrannous captiuitye and rage of the Romaine Antichrist and such rauening Wolues as haue without all mercy murdered thy godly and learned preachers and geue all men grace to consider that suche horrible plagues and mutations haue iustly
my father contÃnueth here to the intent to heare some godly and ioyfull tidynges both for soule and body whiche I trust it shal be to your singular comfort and consolation and to the great reioysing of all other of my frendes Therefore I desire you gentle mother to admonish my brother vnto a godly life with dilligent attendance and to pray for me considering his bound duety that God may by your faythfull prayer ayd and strengthen me in this my prosperous iourney and course whiche I run trusting to obtayne a crowne of euerlasting life whiche doth euer endure No more vnto you at this time but God preserue you vnto euerlasting life So be it ¶ The Oration in effecte of Sir Nicholas Bacon Knight Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England spoken in the Starre Chamber the 29. of December in the 10. yeare of the reigne of our Souereigne Lady Elizabeth by the grace of God of England Fraunce and Ireland Queene Defender of the fayth c. And in the yeare of our Lord God .1567 Then being present Mathew Archbishop of Caunterbury William Marques of Northhampton Fraunces Earle of Bedford Lord Clinton Admirall of England William Howard Lord Chamberleyne Byshop of London Lord Gray of Wilton Sir Edward Rogers Knight Controler Sir Ambrose Caue Knight Chanc. of the duchy Sir William Cicill Knight principall Secretary Sir Fraunces Knolles Knight Vicechamberleyne Sir Walter Mildemay Knight Chauncelor of the Eschequer Lord Cattelene chiefe Iustice of the kings bench Lord Dyer chiefe Iustice of the common place Sir William Cordale Knight M. of the Rolles Iustice Weston Iustice Welch Iustice Southcotes Iustice Carowes IT is geuen to the Queenes Maiestye to vnderstand that certayne of her Subiectes by theyr euill dispositions do sow and spread abroad diuers sedicions to the derogation and dishonor first of almighty God in the state of Religion stablished by the lawes of this Realme and also to the dishonor of her highnesse in disprouing her lawfull right of supremacy amongest her subiectes And this that they doe is not done as in secrecy or by stealth but openly auouched in all companyes disputed on And thus by theyr bold attemptes seme not to obey or regard the authority of lawes nor the quiet of her subiectes As for example by bringing in and spreading abroad diuers leud libels and sedicious bookes from beyonde the seas and in suche boldnes that they do commend those writers in their sedicious bookes conteining manifest matter agaynste the estate established Which boldnesse of men so Vniuersally and euery where seene and heard cannot be thought to be done but by the comfort and ayd or at the least way winckt at by theÌ„ whoÌ„ the Queenes highnes hath placed in authority to repres these insolencyes And the Queenes highnes can not more iustlye charge any for this disorder then such who be in commissioÌ„s chosen to represse these disorders If it be aunswered me that they cannot see such opeÌ„ boldnes factious disorders I must say that they haue no eyes to see if they heare not of suche contemptuous talke and speeche I may say that they haue no eares I would haue those men iudge what will come of these vnbridled speeches in the end if reformatioÌ„s be not had therof What coÌ„meth of factions seditions we haue bene taught of late yeares what the fruites be which I beseech God long to defend vs from If such disorders be hot redressed by law then must force violence reforme Which when they take place may fortune fall assoone on theÌ„ that seeme to haue least consideration in this matter If force and violence preuayle then ye know that law is put to silence and cannot be executed which should onely maynteine good order If it be replyed agaynst me that to the suppressing of these open talkes there is no law which by speciall letter can charge any man offender I must say that whatsoeuer the letter of the law be the meaning of the law was and is cleane contrary to the liberty of these doinges If it be sayd that no man can be charged by the law except it can be proued agaynst him that his speeche and deedes be done maliciously what ye call malice I can not tel But if the bringing in of these sedicious bookes make meÌ„s mindes to be at variance one with one another destruction of mindes maketh sedicions seditions bring in tumults tumults worke insurrections and rebellion Insurrections make depopulations and desolations and bringeth in vtter ruine destruction of mens bodies goodes landes And if any sow the roote wherof these men come yet can be sayd that he hath no mallice or that he doth not maliciously labour to destroye both publicke priuate wealth I can not tell what act may be thought to be done maliciously And further if it be sayd to me that the man which should be charged with offeÌ„ce must be proued to haue done his acte aduisedly To that I answere If any bring in those hookes distribute them to others commend defend them yet can not be charged to haue done aduisedly I haue no skill of their aduisednesse If it be sayde that the law intreateth of such actes as be directly derogatory and of none other what is direct ouerthwarting the Law when the contrary thereof is playnely treated holden and defended and the truth by argumentes condemned It maye be sayd agayne that the worlde doth not now like extremitye in lawes penal and calleth them bloudy lawes As for extreme and bloudy lawes I haue neuer liked of them But where the execution of such lawes touching halfe a dosen offenders and the not execution may bring in daunger halfe a hundred I thinke this law nor the execution therof may iustly be called extreme and bloudy In such like comparison I may vtter my meaning as to make a difference betwene whipping hanging In deed though whipping may be thought extreme yet if by whipping a man may escape hanging in this respect not whipping bringeth in this bloudinesse and extremity and not the execution of the law And better it were a man to bee twise whipped then once hanged The paynes do differre but wise men will soone consider the diuersity The truth is to suffer disobedient subiectes to take boldnes agaynst the lawes of God their prince to wincke at the obstinate minds of such as be vnbridled in theyr affections to mainteine a forraigne power of the Byshop of Rome directly agaynst the Princes prerogatiue stablished by lawes is not this to hatch dissentioÌ„ to chearish sedition To extoll the writinges of such who by all their wittes deuise to supplant the princes lawfull authority If these doinges be not meanes to the disturbance vtter ruine of the Realme I know not what is good gouernance If these be not the sparkes of Rebellion What be they Thus much hauing spoken to your wisedomes I doubt not of your assenting with me the rather also because I vtter them vnto
childe 〈◊〉 Baptiâ—me So the word bread and the receauer 〈◊〉 the Sacrament of the Lordes body The fayth of the receiuer maketh it the body If Iudas did eate the body of Christ theÌ„ must he be saued Whether bread remayne in the Sacrament The true confession of Richard Woodman touching the Sacrament Sap. â— The zeale of Gods spirite in Richard Woodman D. Story commeth in D. Story commaundeth Richard WoodmaÌ„ agayn to the Marshalsey The third examination of Richard Woodman before D. Langdale and M. Iames Gage May. 12. False lyes and lewde reportes Woodman warned to appeare Woodman taketh his leaue of his fellowes Woodman deliuered to one of the Lord Mountagues men Religion esteemed by auncitors Grandfathers and by place Multitude not to be followed in doing euill To doe as most men doe and to doe as a man ought to doe are two things Hard trusting any man in thiâ— world Woodmanâ— blamed foâ— aunswerinâ— with Scriptures D. Langdales talke with Richard Woodman vpon what occasion by whose procurement Woodman charged with his owne hand writing Richard Woodmans writing â—et vpon the the Church dore vpon what occasion Woodman required of M. Sheriffe and other his frendes to talke with D. Langdale D Langdale Paâ—â—on of Buxsteede where Woodmanâ— father dwelt Woodmans friendes desirous to heare him and D. Langdale talke together 〈◊〉 Byâ—hop was 〈◊〉 Christoâ—â—erson Wâ—odman 〈…〉 D. Langdale to 〈…〉 â—â—odman 〈◊〉 without 〈◊〉 cause 〈◊〉 childreÌ„ 〈◊〉 â—â—mned 〈◊〉 Doctour â—â—â—â—dale 〈…〉 â—â—ptisme 〈◊〉 childreÌ„ 〈…〉 by D. Langdale 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 Richard Wood-mad chargeth D. Langdale with ignorance in the scriptures Fayth not Baptisme saueth Not lacke of Baptisme but lacke of fayth condemneth Baptising of water is not the cause of fayth The Catholicks do hold the contrary A Catholicke paradoxe The purpose of Gods election standeth by grace and not by reason of workes Doctor Langdales ArgumeÌ„t Children dying without Baptisme may be saued Ergo children haue no originall sinne Absurde doctrine Aunswere This righteousnes by Iesus Christ commeth vpon all men not in taking away imperfections of nature but in not imputing the imperfections of man to damnation We are made free by the death of Christ not from falling but from damnation due by the lawe for our falling Originall sinne Iohn 3. Psal. 23. Perfect doctrine Iames. 1. Iohn 3. Phil. 2. Adams free will nothing Fayth was before baptisme D. Langdale seemeth to be put to silence Children dying without baptisme are not therefore damned speaking absolutely Children beare not the offences of their fathers 1. Pet. 3. Gene. 6 * Nay rather in the fayth of their Parentes Neyther is it the fayth of the Godfathers and Godmothers that sanctyfieth the child but their dilligence may helpe him in seeing him catechised False doctrine of D. Langdale Fyrste where he sayth the keeping of the law is altogether Secondly that the keping of the lawe standeth in the outward signes Thirdly that children dying before Baptisme are damned Fourthly that childreÌ„ be baptised in the fayth of their Godfathers and Godmothers c. Many called but fewe chosen Luke 12. Gods elecâ—â—on stanâ—eth not by 〈◊〉 most 〈◊〉 but by the fewest â—ath 7. Luke 12. 〈◊〉 3. Math. 2. 〈◊〉 Argumentes 〈…〉 to be 〈…〉 taketh 〈◊〉 agaynst â—â—odman 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Iames 〈…〉 talke with Woodâ—â—n D. Langâ—â—le comâ—â—â—ayneth to 〈◊〉 Gage of Woodman causeles Woodman falsely beâ—â—ed D. Langdale denieth originall sinne yet accuseth Woodman for the which he is culpable himselfe Woodman knoweth no Sacrament of the Aultar vnlesse they take Christ to be the Aultar Woodmans iudgement of the Sacrament D. Langdale seeketh a knot in a rushe Whether the Sacrament be be the body of Christ before it be receaued Luke â—2 Eating goeth before the wordes of consecrating D. Langdale driuen to his shiftes D. Langdale afrayd to aunswere to Richard Woodman The Catholicks hold that Iudas did eate the body of Christ. Argument Who so euer eateth the fleshe of Christ hath euerlasting lyfe Iohn 6. Iudas did eate the fleshe of Christ Ergo Iudas hath euerlasting lyfe S. Paules words misalleaged by D. Langdale 1. Cor. 11. Making no difference of the Lordes body expounded * Christ speaketh of eating his fleshe simply without any determination of vnworthynes that is simply who soeuer beleueth in Christ he shal be saued neyther is any vnworthines in beleeuing in Christ. Note well the working of this mans charitye to doe for a man more at request then for any compassion of the partye Lewde tales and false lyes raysed vpon Woodman The 4. examination of Richard Woodman before the Byshop of Winchester c. This olde Byshop of Chichester was Doct. Daye Vntrue For B. Boner deliuered him of his owne accorde at the burning of Philpot vpon other causes False and vntrue Syr Edward Gage Shrieffe of Sussex Woodman charged with false matter Winchester 〈◊〉 in iâ—dging Richard Woodman cleareth himselfe of recantation The honest dealing of B Boner with Woodman herein This was Doct. Day The cause and maner how Woodman was â—eliuered by B. Boner Wherefore Woodman appealed to his Ordinary The cause why Woodman was first apprehended Rich. Woodman and his fellowe prisoners falsely accused and belied of the B. of Winchester in the pulpit Speaking to the curate in the pulpit made heresie Woodman cleareth himselfe from breach of the Statute Note the prety shift of this Catholick Prelate WoodmaÌ„ falsly taken to speaâ—e agaynst Priestes mariage A Priest keping his wyfe yet would needes hold agayne with Papistry A Priest keping his wyfe yet would needes hold agayne with Papistry Richard Woodman sauing him selfe from his enemyes by theyr owne lawe The fift examination of Richard WoodmaÌ„ before the B. of Winchester and diuers other Iune 15. Anno. 1557. The wordes of the statute No breach of this Statute why The Priest scannetâ— vpon the meaning of Woodman See how neerly these men seeke matter agaynst him whereby to trap him Luke â—â— Wâ—odman charged with his aunsweres before the Commissioners at his last examination D. White B of Winchester bent to haue the bloud of Woodman Richard Woodman appealeth from the B. of Winchester to his owne Ordâ—nary Woodman refuseth to sweare or aunswere before Winchester being not his Ordinary * The Bishops Argument The deuill is maister in helâ— Woodman felt a burning hell in his 〈◊〉 Ergo the deuill was Woodâ—â—â— Maister * Aunswere Hell is takeÌ„ in Scripture two wayes 〈◊〉 for the place where damned spiâ—â—â— and soules be tormented for euer 〈…〉 this lyfe or els for Gods correcâ—â—â— and anguish of the soule in this life 〈◊〉 somtime is felt so sharpe that it â—â—â—embled to hell it selfe As where 〈◊〉 The Lord bringeth to hell and 〈◊〉 out agayne c. Tob. 13. The 〈◊〉 of hell haue found me c. Psal. â—â— 1. Cor. â— Rich. Woodman agayne refuseth to sweare or aunswere before the Bishop being not his Ordinary A charitable commaundemeÌ„t of a Catholicke Prelate vnder paine of excommunication no man to say God strengthen him The
of the harte and veritie wherein consisteth true Christian Religion and not in the outward deedes of the letter onely or in the glisteryng shewe of mans traditions or pardons pilgrimages ceremonies vowes deuotions voluntarie workes and workes of supererogation foundations oblations the Popes supremacie c. so that all these either were nedeles where the other is present or els were of small estimation in comparison of the other The tenour and effect of these his Sermons so far as they could come to our handes here foloweth ¶ The tenoure and effecte of certayne Sermons made by mayster Latimer in Cambridge about the yeare of our Lord. 1529. TV quis es which wordes are as much to say in Englyshe Who art thou These be the wordes of the Phariseis which were sent by the Iewes vnto sainct Iohn Baptist in wildernesse to haue knowledge of hym whom he was which woordes they spake vnto hym of an euill intent thinkyng that he would haue taken on hym to be Christe and so they woulde haue had him done with their good willes because they knewe that he was more carnall and geuen to their lawes then Christ in deede should be as they perceyued by their old prophecies and also because they maruayled muche of his great doctryne preachyng and baptising they were in doubt whether he was Christ or not wherefore they sayd vnto him who art thou Then answered sainct Iohn and confessed that he was not Christ. Now here is to be noted the great and prudent answere of saincte Iohn Baptist vnto the Phariseis that when they required of him whom he was he would not directly answere of himselfe what he was him selfe but he sayd he was not Christ by the which saying he thought to put the Iewes and Phariseis out of their false opinion beliefe towardes him in that they would haue had him to exercise the office of Christ and â—o declared farther vnto them of Christ saying he is in the middes of you and amongst you whoÌ„ ye know not whose â—atchet of his shoe I am not worthy to vnlose or vndoe By this you may perceiue that saint Iohn spake much in the lande and prayse of Christ his maister professing himselfe to be in no wise like vnto him So likewise it shal be necessary vnto all men women of this world not to ascribe vnto them selues any goodnes of themselues but all vnto our Lorde God as shall appeare herafter when this question aforesayd Who art thou shall be moued vnto theÌ„ not as the Phariseis did vnto saint Iohn of an euill purpose but of a good and simple minde as may appeare hereafter Now then according to the preachers mynd let euery man and woman of a good simple mind contrary to the Phariseis intent aske this question Who art thou this question must be moued to themselues what they be of themselues on this fashion What art thou of thy only and natural generatioÌ„ betwene father mother wheÌ„ thou camest into this world What substaÌ„ce what vertue what goodnes art thou of by thy selfe which question if thou reherâ—e often times vnto thy selfe thou shalt well perceiue vnderstand how thou shalt make aunswer vnto it which must be made on this wayes I am of my selfe and by my selfe coÌ„ming from my naturall father mother the childe of the ire indignation of God the true inheritour of hel a lumpe of sinne working nothing of my selfe but all towardes hell except I haue better helpe of an other then I haue of my selfe Now we may see in what state we enter in to this world that we be of our selues the true and iust inheritours of hell the children of the ire indignation of Christ working all towardes hell whereby we deserue of our selues perpetuall dampnation by the ryght iudgement of God and the true clayme of our selues which vnthrifty state that we be borne vnto is come vnto vs for our own desertes and proueth well this example followyng Let it be admitted for the probatioÌ„ of this that it might please the kynges grace now being to accept into his fauour a meane man of a simple degre and byrth not borne to any possession whom the kynges grace fauoureth not because this person hath of himselfe deserued any such fauoure but that the kyng casteth this fauoure vnto him of his owne mere motion fantasy and for because the kings grace will more declare his fauoure vnto him he geueth vnto his sayd man a thousand poundes in landes to hym and his heyres on this condition that he shall take vpon him to be the chiefe captayne and defendour of his towne of Calice and to be trew and faythfull vnto hym in the custodie of the same agaynst the Frenche men specially aboue all other enemies This man taketh on hym this charge promysing his fidelitie thereunto It chaunceth in processe of tyme that by the singuler acquaintaunce and frequent familiaritie of this Captaine with the French men these French men geue vnto this sayde Captayne of Calice a great summe of money so that he will be content and agreeable that they may enter into the sayde towne of Calice by force of armes and so thereby to possesse the same vnto the Crowne of Fraunce vpon this agreement the French men doe inuade the sayde Towne of Calice alonely by the neglygence of this Captayne Now the Kynges grace hearyng of this inuasion commeth with a great puissaunce to defende this his sayd Towne and so by good pollicie of warre ouercommeth the sayd French men and entreth againe into his Towne of Calice Then he beyng desyrous to knowe how these enemies of his came thyther he maketh profound searche and enquirie by whom this treason was conspyred by this searche it was knowen and founde his owne Captayne to be the very authoure and beginner of the betraying of it The King seeing the great infidelitie of this person dischargeth this man of his office and taketh from him and his heyres this thousande poundes possessions Thinke you not but the Kyng doth vse iustice vnto him and all his posteritie and heyres Yes truely the sayde Capitayne cannot deny hymselfe but that he hadde true iustice consyderyng howe vnfaythfully he behaued hym to his Prince contrary to his own fidelitie and promyse so likewyse it was of our fyrst Father Adam He had geuen vnto him the spirite of science knowledge to worke all goodnesse therewith this sayd spirite was not geuen alonely vnto him but vnto all his heyres and posteritie He had also deliuered him the Towne of Calice that is to say Paradise in earth the most strong and fayrest Towne in the worlde to be in his custodie He neuerthelesse by the instigation of these Frenche menne that is to say the temptation of the Feende dyd obey vnto their desire and so brake his promise and fidelitie the commaundemeÌ„t of the euerlasting kyng his maister in eatyng of the apple by hym inhibited Now then the kyng seyng this great treason in
your fall shall tourne to hys glorye and youre profite For if you hadde not by this prooued the experience of your owne strength or rather your owne weakenes you would haue stande too muche in your owne conceite or perchaunce haue glorified in your selfe and haue despised and condempned other weake personnes that haue committed the like offence Therfore now you may see what the best of vs all can do if God leaue vs to our selues Which thing ought to moue you to be diligent to call earnestly vpon God for his grace and the strength of his holy spirite without the which we are not able to stande one houre to be most thankefull for the same when you haue it and then to be more circumspecte in time to come Therefore deare sister seeing that you haue done otherwise then the word of God and your owne cōscience would allow yet deare hart do you not thinke that God therfore wil cast you cleane away but know that he hath mercy enough in store for al them that truely repent and beleeue in him although the sinnes of them were as many in number as the sandes in the sea and as great as the sinnes of the whole worlde It is a greater sinne to mistrust the mercye and promises of God then to commit the greatest offence in the world Therefore good sister beware in any wise that you doe not once mistrust the promises of Gods mercy towardes you but knowe for a very surety that all youre sinnes be vtterlye forgeuen you for Christes sake be they neuer so many so grieuous or so great But now deare heart take heede and beware that you doe not cloake that sinne and increase the same daily in communicating with the wicked in their Idolatrie and deuelish doinges at their denne of theeues Do not I say deare sister come at any of their Antichristian seruice least by little and little you vtterly lose a good conscience and at length esteeme it for none offence as alas a great nomber doth at this day to the great pearill of theyr soules The Lorde be merciful vnto them and geue them grace to repent in time and tourne to the Lorde and then they shal be sure to finde mercy at the Lordes hand as doubtles you haue done praised be his name therefore Ah my deare sister you may nowe see the wordes of Christe verified vppon your selfe that a mans greatest foes shall be they of his owne household for your husband hath gotten you to do that which all the tyrants in the world could neuer haue made you to doe Doubtlesse he may be sory for it God geue him grace to repent or els without doubt it will be laid to his charge one day when he would not by his will heare it for all the goods in the worlde Well I thinke my brother Tymmes will wryte him a letter shortly that shall touche his conscience if hee haue anye conscience at all But now againe to you dere sister The thing that is done can not be vndone and you are not the first that hath offended neither are you so good and so holy as hath at a time slipt forth of the way Therfore I would not haue you to be so much discomforted as I heare saye you be as thoughe God were not able to forgeue you your offence as he was to forgeue his deare Saints that offended him in times past or as though God were not as mercifull nowe as euer he was Where as in very deede There is with the Lord as the Prophet sayth mercy and plentiful redēption and his mercy farre surmounteth all his workes and he neuer faileth any that put their whole trust and confidence in him howe great an offender or howe wicked a trespasser so euer he bee No he maketh their falles and backeslidings manye times to tourne to their profite and commoditie and to the settynge foorth of his glorye As doubtlesse deare sister yours shall doe if you put your whole faith hope and trust only in his infinite and eternall sweete mercies Oh what a suttel crafty lying serpent is that Sathan our old enemie that when he seeth that he can not make vs to continue in our wickednes to do him seruice would then bring vs into a doubting and mistrusting of the mercye of God whyche is the greatest offence that can be yea infidelitye is the roote and originall of all other sinnes Therefore my sweete sister geue no place to that cruell aduersary of mankinde who hath bene a lier and a murtherer from the beginning but stedfastlye beleeue the Lord who hath sent you word by me his most vnworthy seruāt that all your sinnes be pardoned forgeuen and cleane released for Iesus Christes sake our only Lorde and Sauiour To whome with the father and the holy Ghost be all honour glory praise thankes power rule and dominion for euer for euer Amen Farewell my deare sister and be of good cheare Beleeue in the Lorde and you shall liue for euer The Lord increase your faith Amen Amen Your poore brother and daily faithfull Oratour Iohn Careles prisoner of the Lord. Pray for me An other letter of Iohn Careles to A.B. a faithfull Minister of the Lorde containing certaine frutefull precepts of Matrimonie I Beseech the same euerlasting Lord my deare and faithful brother that blessed yong Tobias with his wife Sara brought them together in due time with reuerence and feare preserue and blesse you both and your seede after you that they may encrease the number of the faithful by thousandes and thousandes And as the Lord of his great mercy and fatherly prouidēce hath bene alwaies carefull for you and nowe hath for your comforte accomplished his good worke in coupling you with a faithfull mate so see that you be thankefull for his prouidence towardes you that it may euery way in you be an encrease of loue godlinesse yea of Christian ioye and gladnesse in these sorrowfull dayes but yet so that you mourne with the true mourners of Syon and be sorie yet in measure for the hurt of the same Pray also in faith for her prosperity that the Lord may builde vp the walles of Hierusalem againe Oh that the Lord would turne Syons captiuity as the riuer into the South Then shoulde our hearts be made glad and oure mouthes filled with laughter Then woulde the heathen hypocrites say the Lord hath done much for them Oh the Lord hath done great things for vs already wherof let vs heartely reioyce and praise his name therefore For though we nowe sowe wyth teares yet shall wee be sure to reape with gladnesse and as wee now goe foorth weeping bearing foorth good seede so shall we come againe with ioy and bring our sheaues full of corne Yea the death of the Martyrs which is most precious in hys sighte shal be the life of the Gospell spite of the Papists hearts Pray for me deare heart that I may