take or pul vnto you trouble or that I wuld not haue you to vse such honest lauful meanes as ye may in the feare of god with good conscience to auoide the crosse and geue place to euil but that I wold haue you willing to put for t your hand to take it when god offreth it in such sort as with good conscience ye cānot escape Then take it kysse it thāke god for it for it is euē a very sacrament that god loueth you as he saith whom I loue thē do I chastice if ye be not pertakers of correctiō surely ye are no children but if he once chastice you if that ye kisse the rod verely he wil case the rod into the fyre colle you kisse you as the mother doth her child whē she perceiueth the child to take in good part the correction But why do I compare god your fathers loue to a mother in that it farre passeth it For saith he though it be possible that a natural mother should forget the child of her wōbe yet wil not I forget thee saith the lord our good god and father through Christ Though he seme angry towards euenyng yet in the morning we shal fynd him wel pleased if in Christe we come to him and cry Abba dere father helpe vs and as thou hast promised tempt vs not further then thou wylte make vs able to beare Therfore my dere hartes in the lord be of good comfort be of good comfort in the lord Confesse hym and hys truth and feare not prison losse of goodes or lyfe Feare rather that prison out of the which there is no deliuerance feare rather the losse of those goods which last for euer feare rather the losse of the life which is eternall wherunto ye are called the way by which god wyll bringe you to it in that ye certainly know not whether it wil be by prisō fyre halter c. whensoeuer these come as I said before let them not dismay you nor seme straunge to you For no smal number of gods chyldren are gone that way and we are a good cōpany here together which are ready to folow the same way through gods grace yf god so wyll I beseche you make you ready and goe with vs or rather be readye that when we come we may go wyth you The iorney is but short though it be vnpleasaunt to the fleshe Perchaunce yf we should die in our beddes on a corporal malady it would be much longer and also more painful at the least in gods syghte it cannot bee so precious and gayneful as I knowe thys kynde of death is whereto I exhorte you to prepare your selues myne owne deare hartes in the bowels and bloode of oure sauiour Iesus Christ to whose tuition grace gouernance and protection I hartely commend you all and besech you that ye woulde do the lyke vnto me in your harty prayers Out of the tower of London 1554. By your owne to vse in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford An other letter wrytten to certayne godly persons to the same effecte GRatious god and most merciful father for Iesus Christes sake thy dearely beloued sonne graunt vs thy mercy grace wisedome and holy spirite to counsaile comforte and guide vs in all our cogitations words and workes to thy glory and our euerlastyng ioye and peace for euer Amen In my last letter ye myght perceyue my coniecturyng to be no lesse towardes you then now I haue partly learned But my derely beloued I haue learned none other thing then before I haue tolde you would come to passe if ye cast not away that whiche I am sure ye haue learned I doe appeale to bothe youre consciences whether herein I speake truth as wel of my tellyng though not so often as I might and shoulde god forgeue me as also of your learning Now God wil trye you to make others to learne by you that which ye haue learned by others The lady lasts her husbād were beheaded that day ▪ by them which suffred this day ye myght learne if already ye had not learned that lyfe and honour is not to be set by more then gods cōmaundement They in no poynte for all that euer their ghostly fathers could do hauing Doctor Death to take their part would consent of seme to consent to the popysh Masse and papistical God otherwise then in the daies of our late King they had receaued And this their faith they haue confessed with their deathes to their great glory and all our comfortes if we follow thē but to our confusion if we starte backe from the same Wherfore I besech you both to consider it aswel to prayse god for them as to go the same way with them if god so will Consider not the things of thys life which is a very prison to all gods childrē but the things of euerlasting life which is our very home But to the beholding of this geare ye must open the eyes of your minde of fayth I should haue sayd as Moses dyd whiche set more by trouble with Gods people then by the riches of Egipt Pharaos court Your house home and goods yea lyfe and al that euer ye haue god hath geuen you as loue tokens to admonishe you of his loue and to winne your loue to him agayne Now wil he try your loue whether ye set more by him then by his tokens or no. If ye for his tokens sake that is for your home house goods yea life wil go with the worlde least ye shoulde lose them then be assured your loue as he can not but espie it to be a strompettes loue so wil he caste it away with the world Remember that he which wil saue his life shal lose it if Christe bee true but he which aduentureth yea loseth his life for the gospels sake the same shall be sure to finde it eternally Do not ye both know that the waye to saluation is not the broade way which many runne in but the straite way which fewe now walke in Before persecution came men might partly haue stand in a dout by the outward state of the world with vs although by gods word it was plaine whether was the hygh waye for their was as many pretended the gospell as poperye but now the sonne is risen the wind bloweth so that the corne which hath not takē fast roote cānot nor wil not abide and therfore easlye ye may see the straite waye by the small number that passeth throught it Who will nowe aduenture their goods and lift for Christs sake which yet gaue his life for oursakes Math. 8. We now are Gergesites that would rather lose Christe then our porkets A faythfull wife is neuer tryed so to be but whē she reiecteth with standeth woers A faythful Christian is then found so to be whē his fayth is assaulted If we be not able I meane if we will not forsake thys world for gods glorye and
shall be able by the worde of God euer to impugne it muche lesse to confute it In the first chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians Ephesi 1. the Apostle sayeth thus Blessed be god the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs wyth all maner of blessynges in heauenly thinges by Christ accordyng as he hath elect or chosen vs in hym before the foundation of the world was layed that we should be holy and without blame before hym through loue and hath predestinate vs or ordeyned vs thorough Iesus Christ to bee heyres vnto hymselfe accordyng to the good pleasure of hys wyll to the prayse of the glory of hys grace wherwyth he hath made vs accepted in the beloued by whom we haue receyued redēption thorough hys bloud and the forgeuenes of our sinnes accordyng to the riches of hys grace which grace he hath shed on vs aboundauntly in all wisedome and vnderstandyng and hath opened vnto vs the mysterye of hys wyll accordyng to hys good pleasure which he purposed in hymselfe to haue it declared when the tyme was full come that he myght gather together all thynges by or in Christe as well the thynges that be in heauen as the thynges that be in earth euen in or by hym by or in whome we are made heyres beyng thereto predestinate accordyng to the purpose of hym whiche worketh all thynges accordynge to the decree or counsayle of hys owne wyll that we which hoped before you in Christe shoulde bee vnto the prayse of hys glory in whome ye also hoped after that ye heard the word of truth the gospell of your saluation wherein ye also beleuyng were sealed wyth the holy spirite of promyse whyche is the earnest of our inheritaunce vntyll the redēption or full fruition of the purchased possession vnto the prayse of hys glory These be the wordes of Paule which I haue faithfullye translated accordyng to the very texte in the Greeke as by the iudgement of all that be learned I desyre herein to bee tried Out of the which wordes of Paule we may wel perceiue euerye thing affirmed in my propositiō as I wil geue occasion plainly to them that wil to see it The cause of gods election is his grace good will First that the cause of gods election is of hys good wyll the Apostle sheweth in saying that it is throughe hys loue wherby we are holy and wythout blame also accordyng to the good pleasure of his will according to his good pleasure purposed in hymselfe accordyng to hys purpose which worketh all thynges after the counsel of his owne wyll The tyme of gods election was from the beginning Secondly that election was before the beginnyng of the world the apostle plainely sheweth in sayeng that we were chosen before the foundation of the world was laid and afterwardes in callyng it the mysterye of hys wyll purposed wyth hymselfe in tyme to be declared Election is in Christ Thirdly that election is in Christ the Apostle doth so flatly and plainly set it forth that I nede not here to repete it We sayeth he are chosen in him we are heyres by hym wt are accepted by him we are gathered together in him c. Electionis not of all men Fourthly that election is of some of Adams posteritye and not of al we may plainly see it if we cōsider that he maketh the true demonstration of it beleuing hoping and hauing the earnest of the spirite In whom yea hoped saith he after ye heard the word c. In whom ye beleued wer sealed vp c. Agayne in attributyng to the electe forgeuenes of synnes holynes blameles liuyng being in Christ c. That we shold be holy saieth he c. we haue receyued forgeuenes of sinnes c. Who seeth not that these are not common to al men 2. Thess 3 Act. 13. 1 Iohn 1 Math. 13 Al men haue not faithe saieth Paule elsewhere None beleued saith Luke but suche as were ordained to eternall life None beleue but such as be borne of god None beleue truly but such as haue good hartes and kepe gods seede to bring forth frute by patience Fayth is a demonstratiō of election to such as be of yeres of discretion Psal 125. So that it is plain faith being a demonstration of gods election to them that be of yeres of discretion that all men are not elect because all men beleue not For he that beleueth in the lord shal be as mount Sion that is he shal neuer be remoued for if he bee remoued that is finally perish surely he neuer truely beleued But what go I about to lighten a cādell in the cleare sonne light whē our sauiour plainly saith that all be not chosen but few Many be called saith he but few be chosen Mat. 20. And in the 2. chap. to the Ephes the Apostle plainly saith that the greate riches of gods mercy through hys exceding great loue hath saued thē before their parentes many other Gentiles whiche were excluded from Christ and straūgers from the promise hopeles godles c. Rom. 11. Psal 144. Wherthrough we may be occasioned to cry oh the depth of the iudgements of god which is iuste in all hys doynges and holy in al hys workes extendyng his mercy after hys good pleasure wyll aboue al his workes Fyftly that god hath predestinate these Election is to eternal life thus elect vnto euerlastyng lyfe in Christe the apostle dothe also in the wordes before writen declare in saying and hath predestinate vs through Iesus Christe to be heyres vnto hymselfe Agayne by hym sayth he yeare made heyres and predestinate to the prayse of hys glorye Rom. 8 So sayeth the Apostle elsewhere whom he hathe predestinate them hath he predestinate to be lyke fashioned vnto the shape of hys sonne Luke 10 And therfore Christ sayeth reioyce in thys that your names are writen in heauen Syxtlye The ende of election is to the prayse and glory of god that the ende of election is to the prayse of gods glory and grace the Apostle sheweth here in saying we are predestinate to be holye without blame before god c. In saying we are predestinate to the glory of hys grace And in saying also vnto the prayse of hys glory so that nothing can be more manifest Seuenthly Election is not without vocation and iustificatiō in time that predestination is not without vocation in gods tyme and iustification the Apostle here dothe teach in bringyng vs to the consideration of hearing the word of truthe beleuing receiuing the holye spirite remission of synnes c. In whom saith he ye haue hoped after that ye heard the word of truth c. Againe by whome ye haue redemption that is remission of synnes thorough the sheding of hys blood c. Also he hath in hys full tyme declared the mystery of hys wyl c. Vnto the Rom. the apostle sheweth it moste
euē so are you you haue so surely knitte me to you with that bond of vnfayned loue whereby you are lyncked to the chyldren of God Oh blessed bonde of perfection and true badge of Christes Dysciples Oh true and vnfayned loue wroughte by hys spyrite in the hartes of all hys elect This is to vs a true sygne and sure seale that we are the verye children of GOD. Thys loue is that flower that neuer shall fade but floryshe daylye more and more and bee made perfect in that place where fayth and hope shall haue no offyce 1. Cor. 13. but possesse for euer that which they haue here long loked for wyth patience My deare hart be of good cheare for though our bodyes be here seperated a sūder for a litle time yet shal the lord bring vs together againe ere it be long into a place of great ioy where we shal dwel for euer Yea god cā wyll if he see it good for vs bring vs together agayn in this lyfe that we maye haue a mery meting further occasion to prayse hys holy name He can worke wonders when hym self listeth Psa 91. Oh what it is to dwell vnder the defence of the most highest and to sit vnder the shadow of the almighty The buggysh Byshops can not make such a one a feard because they can not take awaye one heare from our head vntil god geue them leaue which I am sure he wil not doe vntyl such time as he shall see it moste to hys glorye and the profytte of hys sainctes and when that time is once come who wyll desire to tarie here any longer Thus deare sister I haue scribled a fewe lines to you in haste I will not say that it shal be my last farewell although it be very like in this life Cōmend me to my good brethren M. Heath Robert Cole Iohn Lydley c. I would be glad to see them take my leaue of them if they may do it without daunger as I thinke they may but in no wise let them not daunger thēselues for that matter sure I am we shall all haue a most ioyfull meting shortly God strengthen you al in his truth and make you instrumentes of hys glory to defend the gospell of his grace against al sortes of enemyes therof Amongest whō me thinkes I do foresee deare sister the great plague that these frewill men shall poure vpon the poore afflicted Church of God for withoute all doubt the Dragon wil make the riuer of reproch Apo. 12 which you now sustaine for the verities sake a great floud or euer it be longe but in the end they shall drinke it vp all them selues as they now do that which they spued forth against our blessed brethren Bradford and Philpot. And yet the veritie doth floryshe and shall spyte of the Pye which greueth Sathan at the hart therfore he bestirreth him like a wode Liō knowing that his time is short The lord deliuer vs frō these poysoned tonges Verely I can not tell whether I maye more lament my long tarying amonges these Ismalites so geuen to malice or the leauing of you and other my deare louers in the Lord amonges them The Lord be mercifull vnto his elect and shorten these sorowful daies for their sakes as he hath sayd he will Farewel mine owne deare hart farewell in the Lord Iesus christ who poure his holy sprite plenteously vpon you that by the mighty operation of the same you may daily more more effectuously feele the sure certaintye of your eternall saluatiō in Iesus Christ that you may euer be able to comfort other with the same cōfortes wherwyth you are comforted in him To whose most mercifull defence I do hartely cōmit you now euer more Amen The blessing of God be with you all now and euer Amen Your own poore brother Iohn Careles prisoner of the Lorde abyding his good pleasure To my good Sister M. C. THe peace of god in Iesus Christe the eternall comfortes of his sweete spirite be with you my deare and fatithfull sister to the full accomplyshment of that good worke whiche he hath most graciously begōne in you that the same may be effectuall to the settyng forth of hys glorye and to your euerlastynge consolation in hym Amen My louing and faythfull syster in the Lorde I thanke you for all your louing kindnes shewed vnto me but specially for your godly remembrance of me in your feruent and faythfull prayers and for your most godly and comfortable letter wherby you do not only much encrease my ioye and comfort but also put me in remēbrance of my duty towards you Blessed be the Lord our God which of hys great mercy hath so beautifyed hys church in these our dayes that euen vnto many godly women he hath geuē most excellent giftes of knowledge and vnderstanding of hys truth so that they are not only wel able to enforme their own consciences in al things necessary to saluation but also most swetely to cōfort their sorowful brethrē sisters that sustaine any trouble for the testimony of gods truth yea that which is more euen in the middes of their greate confllictes of conscience Of which most happye nūber of godly vertuous women my deare hart you are one that of the chiefest being plentifully endewed with the giftes of gods most gracious spirit as it doth ful well appeare in your dayly doinges God only haue the prayse therfore For as much then as God hath geuen you the gifte to write I shall most hartely desyre you to let me heare frō you somtymes be it neuer so litle for truly I take great comfort courage therby specially in my poore conscience which is sore assaulted of subtyll Sathan in a maner oppressed of my synnes Pray deare syster that god may geue me true harty and earnest repentance and increase my fayth for they are both the good giftes of God only farre passe the reache of my power to take at my plearsure Therfore deare syster if you wil helpe me to begge the same of oure deare louing father I am sure that he both can will geue them me in his good time And as for the feare of death or terrour of the fyer I most hartely thanke my good God I feele it not only it is myne own sinnes and vnthankfulnes which holdeth hard battel wageth strong warre againste me which only goeth about to seperate me frō my good captayne Christ that I should not enioye hys glorious victorye but God being on my side as I am sure he is that can not continually preuaile agaynst me Though God for a time permitte Sathā to take his pleasure on me as he did vp on Iob yet I doubt not but in the end all shall turne to my profite through the merites of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ to whose most merciful defence I commit you deare sister with all the rest of the Lordes electe
victorye is once gotten you maye receiue the inmercessible crowne of glory of gods free gift through hys greate mercy in Iesus Christ our alone Sauiour To whome wyth the father and the holy ghost be all honour glory prayse thankes power rule and dominion for euer and euermore Amē The blessyng of God be wyth you all Iohn Careles ¶ To my faythfull and louyng brother VVilliam Aylsebury THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the continual aide strength comfortes of his most pure holye mighty spirite with the encrease of faith and liuely feelyng othys mercye be wyth you my deare and faythfull louyng brother W. Ailsebury to the increase of hys good gyftes in you and the full finishyng of that which the Lorde hath so gratiouslye begonne in you that the same maye bee to the setting forth of his glory the commoditye of hys poore afflicted churche and to your owne euerlastyng comforte in hym Amen Albeit my dere harte in the lord that at this very present my sorye slowe hande is something pestered with writyng to please my frendes which daily cal vpon me for the performance of my promise and duety towardes them by the meanes wherof I cannot now wryte vnto you in so ample maner as I fayne would yet lest by my to long silence my great ingratitude for your loue and godly letters shuld to muche appeare I haue here in haste scribled these fewe wordes vnto you desiring you to accepte the same in good parte vntyl the Lorde shall sende me a more conueniente tyme to expresse my good will and bounden dutye more largely vnto you promisyng you in the meane space that my poore praier shal supply that which wanteth otherwise as I trust you do not forget me in yours for verely I haue great nede of it My deare brother I thanke you most hartely for your godlye louing and moste comfortable letters in the which I do euidently perceiue the precious gyftes of God wherwith you are plentifully endued the Lorde be praised for you and from the bottome of my harte I do reuerence his spirite in you Wherfore my good brother bee not negligent in the talent that God hath deliuered vnto you but diligently applye the same as I knowe well you doe that the Lorde may receiue his owne wyth vauntage and you the rewarde of a faythfull seruaunt at the tyme of hys most ioyefull returne Truely I wyl not speake it to flatter you neither would I prouoke you to vaine glory but I wyll saye as I see iuste cause that god hathe aboundantly blessed you with the swete knowledge and pure vnderstandyng of his holy worde Be alwaies thankefull vnto god I charge you and humble and meke in your owne sight that GOD onely may haue al the glory from the bottome of your hart And loke that you be very circumspect in al your life conuersation that the light of your good workes may so shine before men that they may be occasioned to glorify your heauēly father on your behalfe Be diligent in your doings and quick trusty in al your Maisters busines that you go about that by al meanes you maye do honour to the doctrine of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Remēber that Sathan nowe wyll haue greater spite at you then at many other because you are such a mortall enemy to his kingdome on enerye syde Therefore bee you sure he will nowe lie bitynge at your heele to see if he can geue you a fall anye manner of waye that he myght make the truth of that godly doctrine which you constantly confesse to be slaundered by the meanes therof I knowe well that Sathans thoughtes are not hidde from you 2. Cor. 2. I doubt not but you will be more circūspecte thē I can declare notwithstanding I thought it my bounden duty to warne you as one whom I loue as myne owne soule wyshing you all the good I can possible Commend me vnto my deare frend Iohn Manning and thanke him for his manifold kindnes I am much to blame for him but if the lord do spare my lyfe a litle longer I wil write somthing to him for a remembraunce when I am gone Desire hym to praye for me as I do not forget hym I haue sente you your writinges agayne wyth thankes I pray you write me a copye of that cōcerning the Trinitie for I lyke it meruelous wel it is so briefe pithy I haue no leisure to write it yet wold I fayne haue it as knoweth the lord GOD to whose moste merciful defence I do hartely committe you wyth my good brother Iohn Manning that he with his grace and spirit wil guide you both with al the rest of his deare children vnto the ende Amen The blessing of God be with you nowe and euermore Amen Your owne vnfainedly Iohn Carelet prysoner of the Lorde Pray praye praye To my most faythefull and deare brother T. V. THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the continuall comfortes of his moste pure holy spirit be with you my deare and faythfull brother V. and in all thinges make you ioyfull throughe the liuelye feeling of hys fatherly mercy and godly prouidēce for you that you hauing daily more and more the sure sence of the same may be able of your owne good experience perfectly to comfort me and all other with the same comfort which you haue and further shal receiue of god who blesse and kepe you now and euer Amen I cannot expresse my deare harte in the Lord howe my ioyes do increase to see how god of hys great mercye dothe daily adde vnto his true church and poore afflicted congregation such as he in Christ hath elected to saluation before the foundation of the world was laid of which most happy nūber preserued only by his free mercy and grace the lorde no doubte hath chosen and doth recken you for one and hath registred your name in his booke of life where it shal remaine for euer and that so sure that neither Sathan deathe sinne nor hell shall euer be able to blot or scrape out the same thoughe for the further proofe and triall of your faith god many times suffreth the same to appeare to your senses farre contrary Reioyce therefore and with gladnes geue god most humble prayse and harty thankes that euer you lyued to see this day in the which he hath surely sealed you with his holy mighty spirite vnto the day of your final redemption and most happy deliueraunce from all corruption God make the same certayn vnto you by thou true testimony of the holy ghost in your hart whose witnes vnto your spirit that you are the adopted sonne of God is more sure and certain then al the outward oracles in the world And as this most true heauenly doctryne doth bring al mirth ioy peace and quietnes vnto a christian conscience so doth it set Satan in a most sore rage malice against the same for that auncient enemye of ours
nothyng was hable to ouerthrow hys kyngdome so much as if children being godly enstructed in religioÌ„ should learn to know Christ whiles they are yet yonge whereby not only children but the elder for t also aged folks that before wer not taught to know Christ in theyr childhode should now eueÌ„ with childreÌ„ babes be forced to learne to know hym Now therfore he roareth now he rageth But what els do they brethren which serue Satan and become his ministers slaues in mainteynyng of this impietie but euen the same which they did Math. 2â— to whom Christ our sauior threatneth this curse in the gospel wo vnto you which shut vp the kingdoÌ„ of heaueÌ„ before meÌ„ take away the key of knowledge from them ye your selues haue not entred in neither haue ye suffred them that would enter to come in And from whence shall we say brethren that this horrible and mischeuous darknes procedeth which is now brought into the world from whence I pray you but euen from the smoke of the greate fornace the bottomles pitte Apoc. 9. so that the sonne and the ayer are now darked by the smoke of the pitte Now euen now out of doubte brethren the pit is opened emongs vs and the locusts beginne to swarme and abbadon now reigneth Apoca. 7. Ye therfore my brethreÌ„ which perteine vnto Christ and haue the seale of god marked in your foreheads that is to witte are sealed vp with the earnest of the spirit to be a peculier people vnto god quite your selues like men be strong for he that is in vs is stronger then he which is in the world i. Iohn 5 and ye know that al that is borne of god ouercoÌ„meth the world this is our victory that ouercoÌ„meth the world euen our fayth Let the world freate let it rage neuer so much be it neuer so cruell bloody yet be ye sure that no man can take vs out of the fathers handes for he is greater then al who hath not spared his owne sonne but hath geuen him to death for vs all and therfore howe shal he not with him geue vs all thynges also who shal lay any thyng to the charge of gods elect It is god that iustifieth who shall then condemne It is Christ that is dead yea rather which is risen agayne Rom. 8 who is also at the right hand of god maketh request also for vs. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shal tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or peril or sword the reste ye know brethreÌ„ We are certainly persuaded with S. Paul by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that no kind of thing shal be hable to separate vs from the loue of god which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde Which thing that it may come to passe by the grace and mercy of our lord Iesus Christ to the comfort both of you and of vs all as we for our paâ—tes wil continually God willyng pray for you so deare Brethren in the Lord wyth all earnest and harty request we beseche you euen in the bowels of our Lord Iesus Chryste that ye will not cease to pray for vs. Fare ye well deare brethren The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all euermore Amen Yours in the Lord Nicolas Ridley To the Quenes maiesty IT may please your maiestye for Christe our sauiours sake in a matter of coÌ„scieÌ„ce now not for my selfe but for other pore men to vouchsafe to heare and vnderstande this mine humble supplication It is so honorable princes that in the time whiles I was in the ministery of the sea of London diuers poore men tenants therof haue taken newe leases of theyr tenantries holdinges and some haue renued and changed theyr old therfore haue payed fines summes of money both to me also to the Chapter of Paules for the confirmation of the same Behold the cruel and vniust dealing of BoÌ„ner He can not deale iustly and truly with men which is vntrue to god and a hater of al truth Now I heare say that the B. which occupieth the same rowme now wil not allow the aforesaid leases which must redound to many pore mens vtter ruine and decay Wherefore this is myne humble supplication vnto your honorable grace that it may please the same for Christes sake to be vnto the foresayd pore men theyr gracious patrone and defeÌ„dour either that they may enioy theyr foresayd leases and yeres renued as wheÌ„ their matter shal be heard with conscience I suppose both iustice coÌ„scieÌ„ce equity shal require for that theyr leases shal be founde I truste made without fraud or couen either of their part or of mine also the old rentes alwayes reserued to the sea without any kind of damage therof or if this wil not be grauÌ„ted then that it may please your gracious highnes to commaund that the poore men may be restored to theyr former leases and yeares and may haue rendred to theÌ„ agayne such summes of money as they payde to me and to the chapter for theyr leases and yeres so now takeÌ„ froÌ„ theÌ„ Which thing coÌ„cerning the fines payd to me may be easely done if it shal please your maiesty to coÌ„mauÌ„d some portion of those goods which I left in my house to be geuen vnto them I suppose that halfe of the value of my plate whyche I lefte in myne offices and speciallye in an yron cheste in my bedde Chamber wil go nighe to restore all suche fines receyued the true summes and parcels wherof are not set in their leases and therfore if that way shall please your hyghnes they must be knowen by such wayes and meanes as your maiesty by the aduise of men of wisedome and conscience shall appoint If to succoâ— the widow and fatherles is pure and vndefiled religioÌ„ as Sainct Iames sayth Then is Boner and his relioÌ„â—g filthye and abhominable whiche doth such wrong to the Widow and fatherles But yet for Christes sake I craue and most humbly beseche your maiesty of your most gratious pitye and mercy that the former way may take place I haue also a poore sister that came to me out of the north with iij. fatherles childreÌ„ for her relief whome I maried after to a seruaunt of myne owne house she is put out of that which I dyd prouyde for them I besech your honorable grace that her case may bee mercifullye considred that the rather in conteÌ„platioÌ„ that I neuer had of him which suffred indurance at my entrance to the sea of London one penye of hys moueable goodes for it was almost halfe a yere after hys deposition afore I did enter in that place yea and also if any were left knoweÌ„ to be his he had licence to cary it awaye or there for hys vse it dyd lie safe and his officers do know that I paid for the lead which I fouÌ„d there wheÌ„ I occupied any
igitur deus qui nobis in tanta abundantia iniquitatis in tanta ruina pietatis talem nobis dedit in isthac veneranda canitie testeÌ„ sui Euangelij veritati Infoelix quem tanti viri tam grauis innocentis pietas constans confessio nihil permouere possuÌ„t ad cognoscendam veritatem dei Non peto iam frater vt mihi quicquam rescribas multum enim vereor ne literae intercipiantur quanquaÌ„ scias mihi de tua constantia fortitudine in Domini caussa audire semper fore gratissimum Et vt tuae fraternitati hactenus non rescripserim bis tameÌ„ vt potui tibi significandum curaui quod a me in tuis literis cognoscere voluisti Nec adhuc profecto frater possum animum meum mutare tot enim mihi videre videor pericula quae me impellunt vt consulam ne tuarum lucubrationum editionem festinare velis saltem sub titulo nominis tui Multum enim vereor ne hac occasione tibi os obstruatur in posterum alijs quoque captiuis omnia anferantur quihus alioqui multis deo ita volente poterunt ê“ desse Bene vale in Domino Chaaiss frater si qui alij in vestris aedibus suÌ„t vobiscum in causa Christi concaptiu ï precor illis meo nomine salutem vti possis velis impartiri et omnium uestruÌ„ precibus apud dominum me atque meos concaptiuos in domino etiaÌ„ atque etiam humillime commendo rursus atque in aeternum in Christo bene vale frater Chariss The same in english ¶ To my most deare brother and reuerend fellow Elder in Christe Iohn Hoper grace and peace MY dearely beloued brother and fellow Elder whoÌ„ I reuerence in the lord pardon me I besech you that hitherto since your captiuitie and myne I haue not saluted you by my letters wheras I do in deede confesse I haue receiued from you suche was your gentlenes two letters at suÌ„dry tymes but yet at such times as I could not be suffred to write vnto you againe or yf I might haue writeÌ„ yet was I greatly in dout lest my letters shuld not safely come vnto your haÌ„ds But now my dere brother for as much as I vnderstaÌ„d by your workes which I haue yet but superficially sene that we throughly agree wholy consent together in those thynges which are the groundes substaÌ„tial points of our religioÌ„ against the which the world so furiously rageth in these our dais howsoeuer in time past in smaller matters circuÌ„staÌ„ces of religion your wisdom my simplicity I coÌ„fesse I haue in som points varied Now I say be you assured that euen with my whole heart God is my witnes in the bowels of Christ I loue you in truth for the truthes sake which abideth in vs and as I am perswaded shall by the grace of God abyde with vs for euermore And because the world as I perceiue brother ceaseth not to play his pageant 1. Cor x. busely conspireth against Christ our sauior with all possible force and power exaltyng high thinges against the knowledge of god let vs ioyne handes together in Christ and if we cannot ouerthrowe yet to our power and as much as in vs lieth let vs shake those hyghe thinges not with carnal but with spiritual weapoÌ„s withall brother let vs prepare our selues to the day of our dissolution wherby after the shorte time of this bodely affliction by the grace of our lord Iesus Christ we shall triumphe together with him in eternall glory I pray you brother salute in my name that reuerend father Of this good fathers godly ende and constant coÌ„fession of the truth you shall read in the next editioÌ„ of the boke of martyrs your fellow prisoner Doctor Crome by whom since the first day that I heard of his most godly fatherly constancy in confessing the truth of the gospel I haue conceiued great consolation and ioy in the lord For the integritie and vprightnes the grauitie innoceÌ„cy of that maÌ„ al EnglaÌ„d I think hath knowen long ago Blessed be God therfore whiche in such abundance of iniquity decay of all godlinesse hath geuen vnto vs in this reuerend old age such a witnes for the truth of his gospel Miserable hard harted is he whoÌ„ the godlines constant confession of so worthy so graue innocent a maÌ„ wil not moue to acknowledge coÌ„fesse the truth of god I doe not nowe brother require you to write anye thing to me againe for I staÌ„d much in feare lest your letters should be intercepted before they can come to my hands Neuertheles know you that it shal be to me great ioy to heare of your constancie and fortitude in the lords quarel And albeit I haue not hitherto writen vnto you yet haue I twise as I could seÌ„t vnto you my mind touching the matter which in your letters you required to know neither can I yet brother be otherwise persuaded I see me thinkes so many perils wherby I am earnestly moued to couÌ„sel you not to hasteÌ„ the publishyng of your workes especially vnder the title of your own name For I feare greatly least by this occasion both your mouth should be stopped hereafter al things taken awaye from the reste of the prisoners whereby otherwise if it so please god they may bee able to doe good to many Farewell in the lord my most deare brother and if there be any more in prison with you for Christes cause I besech you as you may salute them in my name to whose praiers I do most humbly and hartely commeÌ„d my selfe and my fellow prisoners concaptiues in the lord and yet oâ—ce againe and for euer in Christ my most deare brother Farewell ☞ A letter of M. Edmunde Grindal then being in exile for the testimony of the truth and now bishop of London to D. Ridley prisoner in Oxforde whiche we thoughte good here to place for that the letter followyng is an aunswer therof GRatiam consolationem a Domino seruatore nostro Iesu christo Syr I haue often bene desirous to haue written to you and to haue heard from you but the iniquity of the tymes haue hitherto always put me forth of all hope and comfort Now at thys present god semeth to offer some likelyhode that these might come to your handes which I thought to vse referring the rest to Gods dispositioÌ„ Your present state not I only who of all other am most bouÌ„d but also all other our brethreÌ„ here do most hartely lament as ioyned with the most miserable captiuitie that euer anye church of Christ hath suffred Notwithstanding we geue god most humble thankes for that he hath so strengthened you and others your concaptiues to professe a good professioÌ„ before so many witnesses And I doubt nothyng but he that hath called you and them not onely to beleue vpon hym but also to suffer for hym dothe not leaue you
imbecillitye in our selues 1. Pet. 5. beyng suche as is not hable to withstande the leaste of hys assaultes but on the contrarye beynge ouerwhelmed wyth the waues whiche be styrred vp by these tempestes of hys temptations Math. 8. we are compelled to crye wyth these Dysciples who in theyr extremitye cryed saue vs Lorde or elles we peryshe The tymes be perylous we muste therfore be circumspect not solace our selues in carnall security but beyng coÌ„tent to enter into the sheepe of Christes crosse and obiecting our selues to al ieoperdous passages in the adueÌ„turous iorneying to our heauenly countrey let vs for thys present vsage accompte it comfort enough to haue the fellowship of suche a fellow venterer He once beyng in the Shyppe wyth hys Disciples dyd wyth hys worde aswage the swellyng of the Sea so daungerous He hath not lefte vs alone in the Ship of thys frayle fleshe but ioyneth wyth vs in thys daungerous iorney aswel by hys once beyng subiecte vnto all bodely infirmities as we be synne only except as also by his assuryng vs of his gratious assistaÌ„ce now that he is becom before hys heauenly father our Prynce our Priest and our Prophet alwayes prest and ready to helpe by hys power propitiation and inspiration of hys holy spirite And what though he for a season do slepe and do so suffer vs vnto our seemynges to synke He wyll bee awaked beyng pulled by prayer and therfore doth he delay our spedy deliueraunce euen to fortifye our faithe by importune prayer Lette vs then wyth instance apply this busines and the rather in respect of the dangerous doâ—ing of this old age of the world For it is with the men of this latter age of the worlde as it is with a very aged man who for impotency of the powers both of the mind the body is brought to much imbecillitye Then do the wittes by weakenes wander out of the waye The bodye by feablenes and defaulte of the former strength doth stagger full weakely doth any lymme or part of that wretched body execute the function vnto it belongyng In lyke maner is it with the churche of Christe in this doâ—yng old age of the world There is nothyng such fulnes in gods graces as heretofore hath bene in the primatiue church and the tymes immediatly ensuyng There is lesse perfection in the fayth feare and loue towardes god charity towardes the brethren There is lesse zeale to confesse god and lesse constancy to continue in gods truth then was heretofore And this is not straunge vnto them which do obserue the fore-speakings of the scriptures aswel of the prophets of our sauior Christe as also of his apostles by whome it hath ben signified before hand what daungerous dayes should come in the latter times as Math. 24 2. Thess 2. 1. Timoth. 2. Timo. 3.2 Peter 2. Wherfore let vs which are come into these latter daungerous tymes first consider how that the holy ghost hath geuen vs warnyng therof and also that we by proofe haue experience of the verifying of the same let vs now I say the more earnestly apply our humble petition vnto that mercyful father and hys sonne our swete sauiour who is the head of hys churche euen this his body weake though it be that he wyll vouchsafe not so muche to obserue the backeslidyng and shrinkyng of thys hys feble body as to respect the forspeakynges of these perilous tymes and let vs wyth and in the name of the whole church remember often the prayer of Dauid Psal 71. Lord cast me not away in the tyme of mine olde age when my strength doth decay That tyme of the church is euen now presente and truly if we be instance in prayer we be not without warrantise of gods promises to obtayne that we pray for Psal 40. Math. 24. 1. Cor. 10 Yea call vpon me sayth he in the day of thy trouble and I wyll delyuer thee For the electes sake it is sayd the daungerous dayes shal be shortned Yea faythfull is he that wyll not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we be able to abyde We may be bold to put our gracious god in remembraunce of hys olde mercies Psal 44. with Deuid say oh god we haue hearde wyth our eares and our fathers haue declared vnto vs the noble workes that thou dyddest in theyr dayes and in the olde tyme before theÌ„ The testimonies of hys word do teach vs how he hath from the begynnyng alway gathered vnto himself a congregation church vnto the which hys choseÌ„ church he hath bound him selfe by his couenaunt of mercy to be their god and sauiour and besydes that hath powred vppon them his sundry blessinges and benefits But agayne it is to be sene in the scriptures how that euen these peculier gods people did at sundry tymes fall from that theyr heauenly profession aswell to Idolatrye and false Gods seruice as also vnto dissolute liuyng therby prouokyng gods wrathfull plagues and punishmentes the which in dede ofteÌ„times as they were ofteÌ„ deserued so they fel vpoÌ„ them But euen as the god of Israel did visite the offences of hys people wyth his rodde of chastisement so did he not at any tyme take away hys mercies from them Psal 89. and that for that couenaunt of mercy made vnto them in Abraham Isaac and Iacob their forefathers And therfore when at any tyme throughe hys grace they dyd by repentaunce turne vnto hym he most fatherly embraced theÌ„ with the armes of his mercy These thyngs be written for vs that we in semblable wyse should consider fyrst the dignitye whereunto we haue bene called that is euen to be hys church and people Yea in comparyng our profession with either the heathenish Turkes infidels or vnto the people which are professed vnto this hypotriticall papistrye we haue to aduaunce our selues as the true childreÌ„ of Christ for that we beare the ryght badges of gods true people and that is the earnest desyre towards the propagation of gods most holy word and the right vse of the sacraments agreable to the same hauyng ioyned ther with a readines of hart and mynde to suffer affliction persecution for the confession of our fayth or at the least rather then we wyll deny or put away faith and a good conscience And besydes these outward notes and tokens declaryng the we be the true church there is a nearer token in gods elect which is the inward testimony of gods spirite whiche beareth wytnesse vnto our spirit that we be gods children Rom. 8 causyng vs to crye Abba father and beyng in dede the earneste peny of our saluation But notwithstandyng that we be thus promoted by our god and dignifyed by his graces yet must we consider how vnworthely we haue vsed in sundry wise these gods graces blessyngs yea so vnthankfully we haue receyued theÌ„ that no lesse plagues by gods iust iudgemente belong vnto vs then was at that tyme
their pastour who though he be vnworthy of suche a ministery yet Christ theyr high pastour is to be regarded whose truth hath bene taught them by me is witnessed by my chaines and by hys power shal be by my death also Be not carefull good wyfe cast your care on the Lord and commend me vnto hym in repentaunt prayer as I do you and oure Samuell whom euen at the stake I wyl offer as my selfe vnto God Fare ye well all in Christ in hope to be ioyned wyth you in ioy euerlastyng This hope is layed vp in my bosome Amen Amen pray pray Out of the Counter in Breadstreate L. Saunders To hys VVyfe and other of hys frendes GRace and comforte in Christ Amen Deare wyfe be mery in the mercies of our Christe ye also my deare frendes Pray pray for vs euery body We be shortly to bee dispatched hence vnto oure good Christ Amen Amen Wyfe I would you sent me my shirte which you know wherunto it is consecrated Let it be sowed downe on both the sydes and not open Oh my heauenly father looke vpon me in the face of thy Christ or els I shal not be hable to abide thy countenance such is my fylthines He wyll doe so and therefore I wyll not be afrayde what sinne death hel and damnation can do agaynst me O wife alwayes remember the Lorde God blesse you yea he wyll blesse thee good wyfe and thy poore boy also onelye cleaue thou vnto hym and he wyll geue thee all thinges Praye praye praye ¶ To mayster Robert Glouer and Iohn Glouer two worthy brethren as in the fleshe so in the Lorde the one afterward a Martyr the other a faythfull confessour MY dearly beloued and mine own hartes in the lord M. Glouers with al yours and the rest which with you vnfaynedly feare god comfort your selues in his swere Christ I besech you be thankeful vnto that merciful Lorde alwaies for his vnspeakeable goodnes among other for me hys most vnworthy minister I thanke my God Christ I was neuer better acquainted with him in al my life and I perceaue he is no lesse louing then his woorde warranteth him to bee Be thankefull I say and pray pray multum valet deprecatio iusti I was at this presente muche occupied elles I would haue enlarged in some matter needefull c. The deuill roreth bicause he can not haue hys foule will he must bee at lengthe I weene eased by the bloode of Gods Saints and yet that shall bee his bane bee he sure and that shortely by gods goodnes Be mery feare not litle flocke saieth our swete comforter Luki 12. for it pleaseth your father to prouyde a kingdome for you Etiam Amen Veni domine Iesu veni cito The heauenly blessing of god be with you all In the Marshalse 28. Octob. 1553. A prisoner of the Lorde the Lordes name be blessed foreuer Laurence Saunders An other letter to M. Glouers written the same morning that he was burnte GRace and consolation in our swete sauiour Christ Oh my deare brethren whom I loue in the Lord being loued of you also in the Lorde be merye and reioyce for me nowe ready to goe vp to that myne inheritaunce which I my self in dede am most vnworthy of but my deare Christ is worthy who hath purchased the same for me with so deare a price Make haste my deare brethren to come vnto me that we may be mery eo gaudio quod nemo tollet a nobis Oh wretched sinner that I am not thankful vnto thys my Father who hath vouched me worthye to bee a vessell vnto hys honoure But O Lorde nowe accepte my thankes though they proceede out of a not enough circumcised hart Salute my good sisters your wiues and good sisters feare the Lorde Salute all other that loue vs in the truth Gods blessing be with you alwaies Amen Euē now towardes the offeryng of a burnte sacrifice Oh my Christe helpe or elles I peryshe Laurence Saunders A letter written to a certayne backeslyder from the truth of Gods woorde whiche he had both professed and taught the whiche bicause it is thought of some albeit not certaynly knowen to be written by M. Saunders we haue here annexed vnto hys letters IN mine own name and in the name of manye other your old familiars and acquaintance I do write vnto you in heuines of hart for that we haue heard of your fal Oh how much better had it beene for you neuer to haue set your hand to the plough then negligently to looke backe yea and folishly to follow that plough that tilleth not gods fielde but turneth vp the rootes of that seede which in times past you your self haue sowē Alas how folish a builder were you that woulde enterpryse to builde vppon the rocke Christ seing in your selfe not onely the lacke of those thinges which be requyred to the finishyng of that worke but also the lacke of a will to haue them as appeareth by that that you goe aboute to ouerthrowe that little whiche you seemed to haue myghtely builded vppon that rocke Howe folyshe a virgine haue you declared your selfe to bee which haue gone forth to meete the bridegrome and taryed so long for hys comming not hauing oyle in stoore Math. 25. but are nowe driuen when you heare the voyce of the forerunner to seke at them that sell You bancketed with the children of the bridegrome so long as he was with vs but now he is gone you leaue vs alone to faste You were contented to be fedde at Christes hand with fyue thousand but whē he willeth you not to seeke the meate that perysheth you depart The children of Israell were muche to be blamed for that they desired to be in Egipt agayne and yet was their lacke and laboure then more in deserte then yours in London Alas wretched man what hath caused thee thus to caste awaye thy selfe once knowing the truth and to take in hande to be a minister in Antichristes Church Arte thou so sone wery of the heauenly Manna and so readye to returne to thy olde vomite agayne we thought thou haddest beene so cleane escaped through the woorde of grace that thou haddest bene a worthy man to be a comforte to them that stand a succour to the weake and an helpe to them that fall and art thou now roled in thy filthye pudle agayn and art become an helper to put other into the same Oh more then damnable doings the forgeuenes wherof farre passeth the hope of man And were it not that things impossible to man are possible with God we shoulde vtterly despayre of thy returne But knowing that with God there is no impossibilitie we wil not only aduertyse thee to remember frō whence thou arte fallen that thou mayest seeke to ryse agayne but we will also praye that he to whom thy returne is possible will vouchsafe of hys infinite mercyes to worke it in thee Thou haste with Iudas solde thy moste
god planteth I see the battel betwixt you him but the victory is yours yea that daily For you haue layd hold vpoÌ„ the anker of saluacioÌ„ which is hope in Christ the which will not suffer you to be made ashamed Be not discoÌ„forted that you haue this coÌ„flict but be glad that god hath geueÌ„ you the same to try your faith that you might appeare daily worthy of the kingdome of God for the which you striue God beholdeth your striuing fayth agaynst Sathan is pleased with your mightye resistaunce The spirite which is in you is myghtyer theÌ„ al the aduersaries power Tempt he may lying awayte at your heeles geue you a fal vnwares but ouercome he shall not yea he can not for you are sealed vp alreadye with a liuely fayth to be the child of God for euer and whom God hath once sealed for his own him he neuer vtterly forsaketh The iust falleth seueÌ„ times but he riseth agayn It is mans frailtie to fal but it is the propertie of the deuils childe to lie stil This strife against sinne is a sufficieÌ„t testimony that you are the childe of god for if you were not you should fele no such malice as he now troubleth you withal Luke 11 When thys strong Goliah hath the hold al things be in peace which he posseseth and bicause he hath you not he wil not suffer you vnassaulted But stand fast and hold out the buckler of faith and with the sweard of gods promises smite him on the scalpe that he may receaue a deadly wouÌ„d neuer be able to stand against you any more Iames. 4. S. Iames telleth you that he is but a coward saying resist the deuil and he wil flye away It is the wil of god that he should thus long tempt you and not go away as yet or els he had done with you long ere this He knoweth alreadye that he shall receaue the foyle at your hands and encrease the crowne of your glory for he that ouercoÌ„meth shall be trowned Therfore glory in your temptations since they shal turne to your felicitie Be not afrayd of your continual assaultes Ezechi 33. which be occasions of your daily victory The word of god abideth for euer in what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes they be forgeueÌ„ Who caÌ„ lay anything to the charge of gods elect Do you not perceaue the manifest tokens of your electioÌ„ First your vocation to the gospel after your vocation the manifest giftes of the spirit of god geueÌ„ vnto you aboue many other of your condition with godlines which beleueth and yeldeth to the authority of the scriptures is zelous for the same Seing you are gods own dearling who can hurt you Be not of a deiect mind for these temptations neyther make your vnfayned frendes to be more sorrowful for you then nede doth require Since God hath willed you at your Baptisme in Christ to be Carles why doe you make your selfe carefull Caste all your care on him set the Lord before your eyes alwayes for he is on your right side that you shal not be moued Behold the goodnes of god toward me I am careles being fast closed in a paire of stockes which pinch me for very straitnes wil you be careful I wil not haue the vnsemely addition to your name Be as your name pretendeth for doubtles you haue none other cause but so to be Pray I besech you that I may be stil careles in my carefull estate as you haue cause to be careles in your easier coÌ„ditioÌ„ Be thankful put away al care theÌ„ I shal be ioyful in my strayt preseÌ„t care CoÌ„mend me to al our brethreÌ„ desire them to pray for me that I may ouercome my temptations for the deuil rageth against me I am put in the stockes in a place alone bicause I would not answere to such articles as they woulde charge me with al in a corner at the bishops appoyntment bycause I did not come to masse when the bishop sent for me I wil lie al the dayes of my lyfe in the stockes by gods grace rather then I wil consent to the wicked generation Prayâ—e god be ioyful that it hath pleased him to make vs worthy to suffer somewhat for his names sake The deuill must rage for .x. dayes ComeÌ„d me to maister Fokes thank hym for his law bokes but law neither equity wil take any place among these bloud thirsty I would for your sake their vniust dealing were noted vnto the Parliamente house if it myght auaile God shorten these euil dayes I haue answered the bishop metely playne alredy I sayd to him if he wil cal me in open iudgement I will answer hym as playnlye as he wil require otherwise I haue refused bicause I feare they wil condemne me in hugger mugger The peace of god be with you my deare brother I caÌ„ write no more for lacke of lyght that I haue written I can not read my self god knoweth it is written farre vneasely I pray god you maye pytke out some vnderstanding of my minde towards you Written in a Colehouse of darkenes out of a paire of paynful stockes by thine owne in Christ Iohn Philpot. A letter of Iohn Careles writen to Maister Philpot which we thought best here to place a part from hys other letters hereafter followyng bicause it is an answere to the former letter A faythfull frende is a strong defence who so findeth suche a one findeth a treasure A faythfull frend hath no peere the weight of golde and siluer is not to be compared to the goodnes of hys fayth A faythfull frend is a medicine of lyfe and they that feare the Lorde shall finde him Ecclesiast 6. THe Father of mercye and God of all consolation comforte you with hys eternall spirite my moste deare and faythfull louyng frend good Maister Philpot as you haue comforted me by the mighty operatioÌ„ of the same the euerlasting God be praysed therefore for euer Amen Ah my deare hart and most louing brother if I shoulde do nothyng elles day and nyght so long as the daies of heauen doe endure but knele on my knees and reade psalmes I can neuer be able to render vnto God condigne thankes for hys great mercye fatherly kindnes most louing compassion extended vnto me moste vile sinnefull wicked and vnworthy wretch Oh that the lord would open my mouth and geue me a thankefull hart that from the bottome of the same might flowe his continual prayse Oh that my sinneful flesh which is the cause of my sorow were cleane separated from me that I might sing psalmes of thankesgeuing vnto the Lords name for euer that with good Samuells mother I might continually record thys noble verse following the which by good experience I haue found moste true praysed be my good god therfore 1 Reg 2 The Lord sayth the good womaÌ„ killeth and maketh aliue he bringeth
my sister wyth Christ for euer Loke therfore that you continue a faithfull syster as you are called and are godlye entered not onely to me but to all the churche of Christe yea to Christ hymself who voucheth you in this your vnfained faith worthy to be his sister Consider this dygnitye to surmounte all the vayne dignitye of the worlde and let it accordynglye preuayle more wyth you then all earthely delyghtes for thereby you are called to an equall portion of the euerlastyng inheritaunce of Christe yf nowe in no wyfe you doe shewe your selfe an vnnaturall syster to hym in forsakyng hym in trouble whiche I trust you wyll neuer for no kynde of worldly respecte doe You are vnder daungerous temptations to bee turned from that naturall loue you owe vnto Christ and you shall be tryed with gods people through a sieue of greate affliction for so Sathan desyreth vs to be sifted Luke 22 that through feare of sharpe troubles we myght fall from the stablenes of our fayth and so be depryued of that honour ioy and rewarde which is prepared for suche as continue faythfull brothers and systers in the Lordes couenaunte to the ende Therefore the wyse man in the booke of Ecclesiasticus byddeth them that come to the seruice of the Lord to prepare them selues to suffer temptations Synce then that for the glory of God and oure fayth we are called nowe to abyde the bronte of them and that when our aduersarye hathe done all that he can yet we maye be stable and stande thys Christ oure fyrste begotten brother looketh for at oure handes and all our brethren and systers in heauen desyre to see our faythe throughe afflictions to be perfecte that we myghte fulfyll theyr number and the vniuersall churche here militaunte reioyseth at our constancye whome all by the contrarye we shoulde make sorye to the daunger of the losse bothe of bodye and soule Feare not therefore what so euer be threatned of the wycked worlde prepare your backe and see it bee readye to carye Christes crosse And yf you see any vntowardnes in you as the fleshe is continuallye repugnaunte to the wyll of GOD aske wyth faythfull prayer that the good spiryte of GOD maye leade youre synnefull fleshe whether it woulde not Iohn 21 for yf we wyll dwell in the flesh and follow the counsel thereof we shal neuer do the wyll of God neyther worke that tendeth to our saluation You are at thys present in the confynes and of Babilon where you are in daunger to drinke of the whores cup vnlesse you be vigilāt in prayer Take hede the serpent seduce you not from the symplicity of your fayth as he dyd our fyrst mother Eue. Let no worldly felowshippe make you pertaker of iniquitie He that toucheth tarre cannot but be defyled thereby and with such as be peruerse a man shall soone be peruerted with the holy you shall be holy Psa 15. Therfore say continually with the prophet Dauid vnto the sainctes which be on the earth all my will is on them You haue bene sanctifyed and made pure through the truth take hede you be not vnholied and defyled least the laste be worse then the first I write not this bicause I stande in any doubt of your syncere continuance of the which I haue had so good experience but because the dayes be euyl and in the same it is the duty of euery one of vs to exhorte another I am bold to put you my good sister in remēbraunce of that which doth not a litle cōfort me to remember in my troubles daily temptations Wherfore I doubt not you wil take that in good part which commeth from your brother both in spirit and bodye who tendreth your saluation as earnestlye as his owne that we might ioy together eternally with such ioye as the world shall neuer be able to take from vs. Thankes be vnto god you haue begunne to runne a good and greate tyme well in the waies of the lord runne out the race to the ende which you haue begunne and then shall you receyue the crowne of glory None shal be crowned but such as law fully stryueth 2. Tim. 2. Be not ouercome of euyl but ouercome tuill wyth good and the Lord shall make you one of those faythfull virgins that shall followe the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth Apo. 4. the which Christ graunt both you and me Amen This was for the fyrst fruits of his Archdeaconry wherof al the tyme of his imprisonment he had no commodity and yet his sureties were compelled to pay the same Cōmend me to all thē that loue me in the Lord vnfaynedly God encrease our faith geue vs grace neuer to be ashamed of his gospel That same request which I haue made to my brother Thomas I make also to you desiring you by al meanes you can co accomplish my request that my sureties myghte be satiifyed wyth that is myne owne to the contentation of my mynde whyche cannot be quiet vntill they bee discharged therefore I pray you helpe to purchase quietnes that I myghte departe oute of this worlde in peace My dissolution I loke for daily but the Lord knoweth how vnworthye I am of so high an honour as to dye for the testimony of hys truth Pray that God would vouchsafe to make me worthy as he hath done of long imprisonmente for the which his name be praysed for euer Praye and looke for the comming of the Lord whose wrath is great ouer vs and I wil praye for you as long as I liue The .ix. of Iulye in the Kinges Benche Your owne louyng brother as well in Fayth as in bodye Iohn Philpot. To my deare frende and brother in the Lord. M. Robert Harrington GEntle maister Harrington I can not tel what condigne thankes I maye geue vnto God for you in respecte of that great gentlenes and payn which you haue takē for the relief of me of other our afflicted brethrē in Christ God be praysed for his mercy whose louing prouidēce we haue sene towards vs by such faythful stewards as you haue bene towards a great many Blessed be you of god for the louing care which you haue takē for his pore flocke God hath reserued your reward of thankes in heauē therfore I do not go about to render you any lest I might seme to iudge that you loked for that here which is reserued to a better place I thāke god for that I haue foūd by your faithful diligent industry god forgeue me my vnworthines of so great benefites god geue me grace to serue him faithfully to rūne out my race with ioy Glorious is the course of the martyrs of Christ at thys day Neuer had the elects of god a better time for their glory thē this is now may they be assured vnder the crosse that they are Christs disciples for euer Me thinke I see you desiring to be vnder the same the fleshe draweth backe Iohn
as an heretyke I am condemned shall be burned wherof I aske god hartely mercy that I do no more reioyce then I do hauing so great cause as to be an instrument wherein it maye please my deare lorde and Sauiour to suffer For albeit my manyfolde synnes euen sythen I came into prison haue deserued at the handes of God not onelye this temporall but also eternall fyer in hell much more then my former synful life which the lord pardō for his christs sake as I know he of his mercy hath done neuer wil lay my iniquities to my charge to condemnatiō so great is his goodnes praised therfore be his holy name although I say my manyfold greuous late sinnes haue deserued most iustly all the tyranny that man or deuil can do vnto me and therfore I cōfesse that the lord is iust that his iudgements be true deserued on my behalfe yet the bishops and prelates do not persecute them in me but Christ himself his word his truth and religion And therfore I haue great cause yea most great cause to reioyce that euer I was borne hetherto kept of the lord that by my death which is deserued for my sinnes it pleaseth the heauēly father to glorify his name to testify his truth to cōfirm his verity to oppugne his aduersaries Oh good god merciful father forgeue me my great vnthākfulnes especially herein And you my derely beloued for the lord Iesu christs sake I humbly hartely in his bowels blood do now for my last Yale farewel in this presēt life besech you euery of you that you wil cōsider this worke of the lord accordingly First by me to be admonished to beware of hypocrisie carnal security Professe not the gospel with tong lips only but in hart veritye frame and fashiō your liues accordingly Be ware gods name be not euil spokē of the gospel lesse regarded by your cōuersatiō God forgeue me that I haue not so hartely professed it as I should haue done but haue sought much my self therin The gospel is a new doctrine to the old man it is new wine therfore cannot be put in old bottels without greater hurt then good to the botlels If we will talk with the lord we must put of our shooes carnal affectiōs if we wil heare the voyce of the lord we must wash our garmēts be holy if we wil be christes disciples we must deny our selues take vp our crosse folow christ We cānot serue ij masters if we seke christes kingdō we must also seke for the righteousnes therof To the petition of let thy kingdome come we muste ioyne thy wyll be done done done on earthe as it is in heauen If we wil not be doers of the word but hearers of it we sore deceiue our selues Yf we heare the gospel loue it not we declare our selues to be but fooles builders vpō the sand The lordes spirit hateth faining disceitfulnes the lord abhorteth If we come to him we muste beware we come not with a double hart for thē it may chāce that god wil answer vs according to the blocke which is in our harte so we shal deceiue our selues and others To faithe see that we couple a good conscience lest we make a shipwracke To the Lorde we must come with feare and reuerence If we will be gospellers we must be Christes if we be Christes we must crucify our fleshe wyth the lust and concupiscences thereof If we wyl be vnder grace synne must not beare rule in vs. We may not come to the lord and draw nigh to hym wyth our lippes and leaue our hartes elsewhere lest the lords wrath waxe whotte and he take from vs the good remaynyng in no case can the kyngdome of Christe approche to them that repente not Therfore my dearely beloued let vs repente be hartely sory that we haue so carnally so hypocritically so couetously so vayne gloriously professed the gospel For al these I confesse of my selfe to the glorye of God and myne owne confusion here that he may couer myne offences in the day of iudgement Let the anger and plagues of god most iustly fallen vpō vs be applyed to euery one of our desertes that from the bottome of our harts euery of vs may say it is I Lord that haue sinned against thee it is mine hypocrisy my vayn glory my couetousnes vncleanes carnality security idlenes vnthankefulnes self loue and such lyke which haue deserued the takyng away of our good kynge of thy worde and true religion of thy good ministers by exile prisonmēt and death it is my wickednes that causeth successe and encrease of auctoritye and peace to thine enemyes Oh be mercifull be mercifull vnto vs. Turne to vs agayne oh lord of hostes and turne vs vnto thee Correcte vs but not in thy furye leaste we bee consumed In thy wrathfull displeasure reproue vs not but in the myddes of thine anger remember thy mercye for if thou wylte marke what is done amysse who shall be able to abyde it But with thee is mercifulnes that thou mightest be worshypped oh then be mercyfull vnto vs that we myghte truelye worshyppe thee Helpe vs for the glorye of thy name bee mercyfull vnto our sinnes for they are greate oh heale vs and helpe vs for thyne honoure let not the wycked people say where is theyr god c. On this sorte my right dearely beloued let vs hartely bewayle our synnes repent vs of our former euyll lyfe hartely and earnestly purpose to amende our lyues in all thynges continually watch in praier diligently and reuerently attend heare and read the holy scriptures labour after our vocation to amend our brethren Let vs reproue the workes of darkenes let vs flye from all Idolatrye let vs abhorre the Antichristian romish rotten seruice detest the popyshe masse forsake their Romish God prepare oure selues to the crosse be obediente to all that be in authoritye in all thynges that be not agaynst God and his woorde for then aunswere with the Apostles it is more meete to obeye God then man Howbeit neuer for any thing resiste or ryse agaynst the Magistrates auenge not your selues but committe your cause to the lord to whom vengeaunce pertayneth and he in his time wil reward it If ye feele in your selues an hope trust in god that he will neuer tempte you aboue that he will make you able to beare be assured the lorde wil be true to you and ye shal bee able to beare al bruntes But if ye want this hope fly get you hence rather then by your tarying gods name should be dishonoured In sūme cast your care on the Lord knowing for most certayne that he is careful for you with him are all that heares of your head numbred so that not one of thē shall perish without his good pleasure wil much more then nothing shal happen to your bodies which shal not be profitable
how soeuer for a tyme it seme otherwise to your senses Hang on the prouidence of god not only whē you haue meanes to helpe you but also whē you haue no meanes yea whē al meanes be againste you Geue hym thys honour which of all other thynges he most chieflye requireth at your handes namely beleue that ye are his childrē through Christ that he is your father God through him that he loueth you pardoneth you al your offences that he is with you in trouble wil be with you for euer When ye fal he wil put vnder his hand ye shall not lie stil Before ye cal vppon him he heareth you out of euill he wil finally bring you and deliuer you to his eternal kingdome Doubte not my dearely beloued hereof doubte not I say this wil god your father doe for you in respecte not of your selues but in respect of Christ your captaine your pastour your keper out of whose handes none shal be able to catch you In him be quiet and often consider your dignity namely how that ye bee gods children the saintes of God citizens of heauen temples of the holy ghost the thrones of God members of Christ and Lords ouer all Therfore be ashamed to thinke speake or doe any thyng that should be vnsemely for Gods children Gods saintes Christes member c. Marueil not though the deuil and the world hate you though ye be persecuted here for the seruaunt is not aboue his maister Couet not earthly riches feare not the power of man loue not this world nor things that be in this worlde but long for the Lorde Iesus his comming at which time your bodies shall be made like vnto his glorious body Whē he appeareth ye shal be like vnto him when your life thus shal be reuealed then shal ye appeare with hym in glory in the meane season liue in hope hereof Let the lyfe you lead be in the fayth of the sonne of god for that iuste doth liue by fayth which faith flyeth frō all euill followeth the word of god as a lanterne to her feete a light to her steps her eyes be aboue where Christ is shee beholdeth not the thinges present but rather thinges to come she glorieth in afflictions she knoweth that the afflictions of this life are not to be compared to the glory which god wil reueale to vs and in vs. Of this glory god graunt vs here a liuely tast thē shall we runne after the sent it sendeth forth It will make vs valiant mē to take to vs the kingdome of god whether the lord of mercy bring vs in his good time through Christ our lord to whom with the father and the holy ghost three persons and one God be al honour and glory world without end Amen My dearly beloued I would gladly haue geuen here my body to haue beene burned for the confirmation of the true doctrine I haue taught here vnto you but that my countrey must haue therefore I pray you take in good part this signification of my good wil towards euery of you Impute the want herein to time and trouble Pardon me mine offēsiue and negligent behauiour when I was amonges you With me repent and labour to amend continue in the truth which I haue truly taught vnto you by preaching in al places where I haue come Gods name therefore bee praysed confesse Christe when ye are called what soeuer commeth thereof and the God of peace be with vs al. Amen Your brother in bondes for the Lordes sake Iohn Bradford To al that loue the lord Iesus and his true doctrine being in rhe vniuersity and towne of Cambridge Iohn Bradforde a most vnworthy seruaunt of the lord novve not onely prisoned but also condemned for the same true doctrine vvysheth grace peace and mercye vvith encrease of all godlines from god the father of al mercy through the bloody passion of our alonely Sauiour Iesus Christ by the liuely workyng of the holy spirite for euer Amen ALthoughe I looke hourely when I should bee hadde to the stake my righte dearelye beloued in the Lorde and althoughe the charge ouer me is greate and straite yet hauyng by the prouidence of GOD secretlye penne and inke I coulde not but something signifye vnto you my solicitude which I haue for you and euery of you in the Lord though not as I would yet as I maye Ye haue often and openly heard the truth especially in this matter wherin I am cōdemned disputed and preached that it is nedeles to do any more but only to put you in remembraunce of the same but hetherto ye haue not heard it confirmed as it were sealed vp as now ye do shal do here by me that is by my death and burning For Albeit I haue deserued through my vncleannes hipocrisie auarice vayneglory idlenes vnthankfulnes and carnalitye whereof I accuse my self to my confusion before the world that before God through Christ I mighte as my assured hope is I shal finde mercy eternal death hel fire much more then this affliction fire prepared for me yet my dearelye beloued it is not these or any of these thynges wherefore the Prelates do persecute me but gods veretye and truthe yea euen Christe hym selfe is the onely cause and thynge wherefore I nowe am condemned and shall bee burned as an heretyque because I wyll not graunt the Anttchrist of Rome to be Christs Vicar generall supreame head of his church here and euery where vpon earth by gods ordinance bicause I will not graunt such corporall real and carnall presence of Christes body blood in the sacrament as doth transubstantiate the substance of bread wine and is receaued of the wicked yea of dogs and mice Also I am excommunicated and coūted as a dead member of Christes church as a rotten braunch therfore shal be cast into the fire Therfore ye ought hartely to reioyce with me to geue thankes for me that god the eternall father hath vouched safe our mother to bring vp any childe in whom it would please him to magnifye his holy name as he doth I hope for his mercy and truthes sake wil do in me by me Oh what such benefite vpō earth cā there be as that that which deserued death by reasō of my sinnes should be diuerted to a demonstration a testification and confirmation of gods verity and truth Thou my mother the Vniuersitye haste not only had the truth of gods woorde playnly manifested vnto thee by reading disputing preaching publikely priuately but now to make thee altogether excuseles and as it wer almost to sinne against the holy ghost if thou put to thy helping hand with the Romyshe route to suppresse the verity set out the cōtrary thou hast my life and blood as a seale to confyrme thee if thou wilt be confirmed or els to confound thee beare witnes agaynst thee if thou wilt take parte with the prelates and clergye which
ye repente not if ye leaue not your Idolatry if ye tourne not spedely to the Lord if ye stil be ashamed of Christes truth whiche ye knowe Oh Perne repent Oh Thomson repente Oh ye Doctors Bachelors and Maisters repent Oh Maior Aldermen towne dwellers repente repente repente that ye maye escape the nere vengeaunce of the Lord. Rent your harts and come apace calling on the Lord. Let vs al say Peccauimus we haue synned we haue done wickedlye we haue not harkened to thy voyce O Lord. Deale not with vs after our deserts but be merciful to our iniquities for they are great Oh pardon vs our offences In thyne anger remember thy mercy Turne vs vnto thee O Lorde God of hostes for the glorye of thy names sake spare vs and be mercifull vnto vs. Let not the wicked people say wher is now their god Oh for thine own sake for thy names sake deale mercifully with vs. Turne thy self vnto vs and vs vnto thee and we shall prayse thy name for euer If in thys sort my dearly beloued in hart and mouth we come vnto oure father and prostrate oure selues before the throne of his grace then surely surely we shal find mercye then shal the Lord loke merely vpon vs for his mercye sake in Christ then shal we heare him speake peace vnto his people for he is gracious and mercifull of greate pitye and compassion he cā not be chiding for euer his anger can not last long to the penitent Though we wepe in the morning yet at night we shal haue our sorow to cease for he is exorable hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner he rather wold our conuersion and turning Oh turne you nowe and conuert yet once againe I humbly besech you then the kingdome of heauen shall draw nygh The eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard nor the harte of mā is able to conceaue the ioyes prepared for vs if we repente amende oure liues and hartely turne to the Lord. But if ye repente not but be as ye were and goe on forwardes with the wicked following the fashion of the world the Lord will lead you on with wicked doers ye shall peryshe in your wickednes youre blood will be vppon your owne heades your part shall be with hipocrites where shall be wepyng and gnashyng of teeth ye shall be caste from the face of the Lorde for euer and euer eternall shame sorrow woe and misery shall be both in body and soule to you worlde without end Oh therfore ryght deare to me in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you amend amend your liues departe from euill do good follow peace and pursue it Come out frō Babilon caste of the woorkes of darkenes put on Christ confesse hys truth be not ashamed of hys Gospel prepare your selues to the crosse drinke of Gods cuppe before it come to the dregges and then shall I with you and for you reioyce in the daye of iudgemente whiche is at hand and therfore prepare your selues therto I hartely besech you And thus I take my Vale in aeternum with you in thys presente lyfe myne owne deare hartes in the Lorde The Lorde of mercy bee with vs all and geue vs a ioyfull and sure meetyng in his kingdome Amen Amen Out of prison the .11 of February Anno. 1555. Your owne in the Lord for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To all those that professe the name and true religion of our Sauioure Iesus Christe in Lankeshyre and Chesshire and specially abyding in Manchester and theraboutes Iohn Bradford a moste vnworthy seruant of the Lord now not only in bondes but also cōdemned for the same true religion wisheth mercye and grace peace and encrease of all godlines frō god the father of all pietie throughe the desertes of our Lorde Iesus Christ by the workyng of the most mighty and liuely spirite the comforter for euer Amen I Heare it reported credibly my derely beloued in the lord that my heauēly father hath thought it good to prouyde that The enemies had apointed to burne hym at Māchester but the lord altered their purpose as I haue preached his true gospel and doctrine amonges you by worde so I shal testify and confyrme the same by deede that is I shall with you leaue my life which by his prouidence I firste receaued there for in Manchester was I borne for a seale to the doctrine I haue taught with you emonges you so that if from henceforth you wauer in the same you haue none excuse at all I know the enemies of Christ which exercise this crueltye vpon me I speake it in respect of mine offence which is none to thē wardes thinke by killyng of me amongs you to affray you and others lest they should attempt to teach Christ truly or beleeue hys doctryne hereafter but I doubte not but that heauenly father will by my death more confyrme you in his truth for euer And therfore I greatly reioyce to see Sathā and his souldiours supplanted in their own sapience which is playne folishnes emonges the wise in deede that is emonges such as haue heard gods worde and do followe it for they onely are accompted wyse of the wisedome of God our sauiour In dede if I shoulde simplye consider my lyfe wyth that which it ought to haue bene and as God in hys lawe requireth then could I not but crye as I do Iustus es domine omnia iudicia tua vera Righteous art thou O lord and all thy iudgements are true For I haue muche greued thee and transgressed thy holy precepts not onely before my professing the gospel but sythen also yea euen sithē my commyng into prison I do not excuse but accuse my selfe before god and all his church that I haue greuouslye offended my Lorde god I haue not lyued hys gospell as I shoulde haue done I haue sought my selfe not symply onely his glory and my brethernes commodity I haue ben to vnthākful secure carnal hypocritical vayn glorious c. Al which my euils the lorde of mercy pardon me for his christes sake as I hope certainly beleue he hath done for hys great mercy in Christ our redemer But whē I consider the cause of my cōdemnation I can not but lamēt the I do no more reioyce thē I do for it is gods verity and truth so that the condēnation is not a condemnation of Bradford simply but rather a condemnation of Christ and his truth Bradford is nothing els but an instrument in whom Christ and his doctrine is condemned And therfore my dearely beloued reioyce reioyce and geue thākes with me for me that euer god did vouchsafe so great a benefit to our countrey as to choose the most vnworthy I meane my selfe to be one in whom it woulde please him to suffer any kynde of affliction much more thys violent kynd of death which I perceiue is prepared for me emongs you for his sake Al glory praise
be geueÌ„ vnto god our father for hys excedynge greate mercye towardes me through Iesus Christ our lord But perchaunce ye wil say vnto me what is the cause for the which you are coÌ„demned we heare say that you deny al prefeÌ„ce of Christ in his holy supper so make it a bare signe common bread nothing els My derely beloued what is said of me wil be I cannot tel It is told me that M. Pendleton is gone down to preach with you not as he hath recaÌ„ted for ye al know how he hath preached contrary to that he was wont to preach afore I came amongs you but to recaÌ„t that which he hath recaÌ„ted How he wil speake of me report before I come wheÌ„ I am come when I am burned I much passe not for he the is so vncertain wil speake so ofteÌ„ against him selfe I cannot thinke he wil speake wel of me except it make for his purpose profit But of this enough In dede the chiefe thing which I am condemned for as an heretyke is because I deny the sacrament of the altar whiche is not christes supper but a plaine peruertyng of it beyng vsed as the papists now vse it to be a real natural corporall presence of christes body blood vnder the formes accidents of bread and wine that is because I deny transubstantiatioÌ„ which is the derling of the deuil and doughter and heyre to Antichrists religion wherby the Masse is mainteyned christes supper peruerted his sacrifice crosse imperfected hys priesthode destroyed the ministery taken away repentance repelled and al true godlines abandoned In the supper of our lord or sacrament of christes body and blood I confesse beleue that there is a true very presence of whole Christe god man to the faith of the receauer but not of the staÌ„der by or loker on as there is a very true presence of breade and wine to the senses of him that is pertaker therof This faith this doctrine which coÌ„fenteth with the word of god with the true testimony of christes Churche whiche the popyshe church doth persecute will I not forsake and therefore am I coÌ„demned as an heretike shal be burned But my derely beloutd this truth which I haue taught ye haue receyued I beleued do beleue and therin geue my life I hope in god shall neuer be burned bound nor ouercome but shal tryumphe haue victory and be at liberty manger the heade of all gods aduersaries For there is no counsell against the lord nor no deuise of man can be hable to defeate the verity in any other then in such as be children of vnbeliefe which haue no loue to the truth and therefore are geuen vp to beleue lies From which plague the lorde of mercies delyuer you and all this realme my deare hartes in the Lorde I humblye beeseche hys mercye Amen And to the ende ye myght be delyuered from thys plague ryght deare to me in the Lorde I shall for my farewell wyth you for euer in thys presente lyfe hartely desyre you all in the bowels and bloode of oure moste mercifull Sauioure Iesus Christ to attende vnto these thynges whiche nowe I shall shortlye wryte vnto you out of the Holy scriptures of the Lorde Ye know an he â—aye plague or rather plagues of God is fallen vpon vs in takyng away our good kyng gods true religion Gods true prophetes and ministers c. and setting ouer vs suche as seeke not the Lorde after knowledge whose endeuoures GOD prospereth wonderfullyâ— to the triall of manye that hys people maye bothe better knowe themselues and be knowen Nowe the cause hereof is oure iniquities and greuous synnes We did not know the tyme of our visitation we were vnthankefull vnto god we contemned the gospell and carnally abused it to serue our hypocrisie our vayne glory our viciousnes auarice ydlenes security c. Longe did the lord lynger tary to haue shewed mercye vppon vs but we were euer the longer the worse Therfore most iustly hathe God dealt with vs and dealeth with vs. Yea yet we may see that his iustice is tempered with much mercy wherto let vs attribute that we are not vtterly consumed for if the lord should deale with vs after oure deserts alas how could we abide it In his anger therfore seyng he doth remember hys mercy vndeserued yea vndesyred on our behalfe let vs take occasion the more spedelye to go out to mete him not with force and armes for we are not so able to withstand hym much lesse to preuaile against hym but to beseche hym to be mercifull vnto vs and according to his waÌ„ted mercy to deale with vs. Let vs arise with Dauyd and say Ne intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo c. Enter not into iudgement oh Lorde with thy seruant for in thy sight no flesh liuyng shall be iustifyed Let vs send ambassadors wyth the Centurion and say Lord we are not worthy to come our selues vnto thee speake the worde and we shal haue peace Let vs peniteÌ„tly with the Publicane loke down on the earth knocke our hard hartes to burst them and cry out oh god be merciful vnto vs wretched synners Let vs with the lost sonne returne and say O father we haue synned against heauen and earth before thee we are vnworthy to be called thy children Let vs I say do on this sort that is hartely repente vs of our former euill lyfe and vnthankefull gospelling past conuert turne to god with our whole hartes hopyng in hys great mercy through Christ and hartelye calling vppon his holye name and then vndoubtedly we shall fynde and feele otherwyse then yet we fele both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly we shal fele peace of conscience betwene god and vs which peace passeth al vnderstaÌ„dyng outwardly we shall feele much mitigation of these miseries yf not an outward taking of theÌ„ away Therfore my derely beloued in the lorde I your poorest brother now departyng to the Lord for my vale in aeternum for this present lyfe pray you beseche you and euen from the very bottome of my hart for al the mercies of god in Christ shewed vnto you most earnestly begge and craue of you out of prison as often out of your pulpittes I haue done that ye will repente you leaue your wycked and euil lyfe be sory for your offences and turne to the lorde whose armes are wyde open to receiue and embrace you whose stretched out hande to strike to death stayeth that he might shewe mercy vpon you for he is the lord of mercy and god of all comfort he wyll not the death of a synner but rather that he should returne conuert and amend he hath no pleasure in the destruction of men hys long suffryng draweth to repentaunce before the tyme of vengeaunce and the daye of wrathe which is at hande doth come Now is the axe layed to the roote of the tree vtterlye to
destroye the impenitent Now is the fyer gone out before the face of the Lorde and who is able to quench it Oh therefore repente you repente you It is enough to haue lyued as we haue done It is enough to haue played the wanton gospellers the proud protestantes hypocriticall false Christians as alas we haue done Now the lorde speaketh vnto vs in mercy and grace oh turne before he speake in wrath Yet is there mercy with the lorde and plenteous redemption yet hath he not forgotten to shew mercy to them that cal vpō hym oh then cal vpon him while he may be founde for he is rich in mercy and plentiful to al them that cal vpon him so that he that calleth vpon the name of the lord shal be saued If your sinnes be as red as skarlet the Lord saith he wil make them as white as snow He hath sworne and neuer will repente hym thereof that he wyll neuer remēber our iniquities but as he is god faithfull and true so will he be our God and we shal be his people Hys law wyll he wryte in oure hartes and engraft it in oure myndes and neuer wyll he haue in mynde oure vnryghteousnes Therfore my dere hartes in the Lord turne you turne you to the lorde your father to the lorde your Sauiour to the Lorde your comforter Oh why do you stop your eares and harden your hartes to day when you heare hys voyce by me your porest brother Oh forget not how that the lord hath shewed hym selfe true me hys true preacher by brynging to passe these plagues which at my mouth by my preaching ye oftē heard before they came specially whē I entreated of Noes flood and whē I preached of the 23. chap. of S. Math. gospel on S. Steuēs day the last that I was with you And now by me the same Lord sendeth you word dere cuntrey men that if ye will goe on forewardes in your impenitencie carnality hypocrisy idolatry couetuousnes swearing gluttony dronkennes whoredome c. wherewith alas alas our countrey floweth yf I saye ye wil not turne leaue of seyng me now burned emongs you to assure you on all sydes how god seketh you and is sory to do you hurt to plague you to destroy you to take vengeance vpon you oh your bloode wyll be vppon your owne heades Ye haue bene warned warned again by me in preaching by me in burnyng As I said therfore I say agayne my deare hartes and derlinges in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you cease from doyng euill study to do well awaye with idolatry flye the Romishe god seruice leaue of from swearing cut of carnality abandon auarice driue away drōkennes flye frō fornication flattery frō murther malice destroy disceitfulnes cast away al the workes of darknes put on piety godlines serue god after his word not after custome vse your tonges to glorify god by praier thankes geuing confessiō of his truth c. Be spiritual by the spirit mortify carnal affectiōs be sober holy true louing gentle merciful then shal the lords wrath cease not for this your doyngs sake but for hys mercies sake Go to therfore good cuntreymē take this coūsel of the lord by me now sent vnto you take it as the lords coūsel I say not as mine that in the day of iudgemēt I may reioyce with you and for you the which thing I hartely desyre and not to be a witnes against you My blood wil cry for vēgeance as against the papists gods enemies whom I besech god if it be his good wil hartelye to forgeue yea euen them which put me to death and are the causers therof for they know not what they doe so wyl my blood cry for vengeance against you my dearely beloued in the lord if ye repent not amend not and turne not vnto the Lorde Turne vnto the Lorde yet once more I hertely beseche thee thou Manchester thou Bolton Burye Wigyn Lierpole Ashton vnderlyne Mottrine Stepport Winsley Eccles Preste Middleton Radcliefe and thou Citye of Westchester where I haue truely taught and preached the worde of god Turne I say vnto you all and to al the inhabitauntes thereaboutes vnto the Lord our god and he wil turne vnto you He wyll say vnto his aungel it is enough put vp thy sword The which thyng that he wyl do I humbly besech his goodnes for the precious bloodes sake of his deare sonne our sauiour Iesus Christ Ah good brethrē take in good part these my laste wordes vnto euerye one of you Pardon me mine offences and negligence in behauiour amonges you The Lord of mercy pardon vs all our offēces for our sauiour Iesus Christes sake Amen ¶ Out of prison readye to come to you The .11 of Februarye Anno. 1555. Iohn Bradford ¶ To the faythfull and such as professe the true doctrine of our Sauiour Iesus Christe dwellyng at VValden and thereaboutes Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruant of the Lorde nowe in bandes and condemned for the same true doctryne wisheth grace mercye and peace wyth the encrease of all godlines in knowledge and lyuyng from God the father of all comforte through the desertes of our alone and full redemer Iesus Christe by the mightye workyng of the most holy spirite the comforter for euer Amen WHen I remember how that by the prouidēce and grace of god I haue bene a man by whō it hath pleased hym through my ministery to call you to repentaunce and amendement of lyfe somethyng effectually as it seemed to so we emōgs you his true doctrine religiō left that by my affliction and the stormes now rysen to trye the faythful and to conforme them like to the Image of the sonne of GOD into whose companye we are called ye myghte be faynte harted I coulde not but out of prison secretly for my kepers may not know that I haue penne and ynke to write vnto you a signification of the desyre I haue that you should not only be more confirmed in the doctrine I haue taught emonges you which I take on my death as I shall aunswer at the daye of dome I am perswaded to be gods assured infallible and playne truth but also should after your vocation auouch the same by confession profession and lyuyng I haue not taught you my dearely beloued in the lord fables tales or vntruth but I haue taught you the verity as now by my blood gladly praysed therefore be god I shal seale vp the same In dede to cōfesse the truth vnto you and to all the church of Christ I do not thinke of my selfe but that I haue moste iustlye deserued not onelye this kinde but also all kyndes of deathe and that eternallye for myne hypocrisye vayne glory vncleannes selfe loue couetousnes ydlenes vnthankefulnes and carnal professing of gods holy gospell lyuyng therein not so purely louynglye and painfully as I shoulde haue done the lord of mercy
for the blood of Christ pardon me as I hope yea I certainelye beleue he hath done for his holy names sake through christ But my dearely beloued ye and all the whole worlde maye see and easely perceiue that the prelates persecute in me another thing then mine iniquities eueÌ„ christ himself christes verity and truthe bicause I can not dare not nor wyll not confesse transubstantiation and howe that wicked men yea myce and dogges eatyng the sacrament which they terme of the altare therby ouerthrowyng christes holy supper vtterly do eate christes naturall and reall bodye borne of the Virgine Mary To beleue and confesse as gods worde teacheth the primatiue churche beleued and al the catholyke good holy fathers taught for 500. yeres at the least after christ that in the supper of the Lorde which the masse ouerthroweth as it doth Christes priesthode sacrifyce death and passion the ministery of hys worde true fayth repentaunce and all godlines whole Christ god and man is present by grace to the fayth of the receyuers but not of the standers by and lokers on as bread wyne is to theyr senses wil not serue and therfore I am condempned and shal bee burned out of hand as an heretyke Wherfore I thanke my lord god hartely that wil doth vouch me worthy to be an instrument in whoÌ„ he him self wold suffer For ye see my affliction and death is not simplye bicause I haue deserued no lesse but much more at his handes and iustice but rather because I confesse hys veritye and truth and am not affrayd through his gifte so to doe that ye also mighte bee confirmed in his truth Therfore my dearely beloued I hartely do praye you and so many as vnfaynedly loue me in god to geue with me and for me most hartye thankes to our heauenly father through our Sauiour Iesus Christ for this his exceding great mercy towards me you also that your fayth shold not wauer froÌ„ the doctrine I haue taught and ye haue receaued For what can ye desire more to assure your consciences of the veritye taughte by your Preachers then their owne liues Goe to therfore my deare harts in the lord wauer not in Christes religioÌ„ truely taught you set forth in King Edwards dayes Neuer shal the enemyes be able to burne it to prison it and kepe it in bonds Vs they may prison they maye bynde and burne as they do and wil do so long as shal please the lord but our cause religion and doctrine which we confesse they shall neuer be able to vanquishe and put away Their Idolatry and popyshe religion shal neuer be builte in the consciences of men that loue the truth As for those that loue not gods truth that haue no pleasure to walke in the wayes of the Lord in those I say the deuill shal preuayle for god wil geue them strong illusioÌ„ to beleue lies Therfore deare brethren and sisters in the Lord I humbly besech you and pray you in the bowells and blood of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ now going to the death for the testimony of Iesus as often times I haue done before thys presente out of the pulpit that ye would loue the Lordes truth loue it I say to liue it and frame your liues thereafter Alas ye knowe the cause of all these plagues fallen vpon vs and of the successe which Gods aduersaryes haue dayly is for our not liuing gods wordâ— ye know how that we are Gospellers in lippes and not in life we are carnall full of concupiscene idle vnthankefull vncleane couetous aâ—â—â—gant dissemblers craftye subtile malicious false backebiters c. And euen glutted with gods word yea we lothed it as dyd the Israelites the Manna in the wildernes and therefore as to them the Lords wrath waxed whotte so doth it vnto vs so that there is no remedye but that for it is better late to turne then neuer to turne we confesse our faultes euen from the bottome of our harts and with hartie repentance which god worke in vs al for hys mercyes sake we runne vnto the Lord our God which is exorable merciful and sory for the euil poured out vpon vs and cry out vnto him with Daniell saying we haue sinned we haue sinned greuouslye Oh lord god against thy maiesty we haue heaped iniquitie vpoÌ„ iniquitie the measure of our transgressioÌ„s floweth ouer so that iust is thy wrath veÌ„geance falleÌ„ vpoÌ„ vs for we are very miserable we haue coÌ„teÌ„pned thy long suffering we haue not harkened to thy voyce when thou haste called vs by thy preaches we hardened our hartes and therefore now deserue that thou sende thy curse hereupon to harden our hartes also that we should henceforth haue eyes and see not eares and heare not hartes and vnderstande not leste we should be conuerted and saued Oh be merciful vnto vs space vs good Lord and al thy people whoÌ„ thou hast dearely bought Let not thine enemies triumphe altogether alwaies against thee for then wil they be puft vp Loke down and behold the pitifull complaintes of the poore let the sorrowfull sighinges of the simple come in thy sight and be not angry with vs for euer Turne vs Oh Lord god of hostes vnto thee and turne thee vnto vs that thou mayest be iustified in thy swete seÌ„tences and ouercome when thou art iudgâ—d as now thou art of our aduersaries for they saye where is their god Can God deliuer them now Can their gospell serue them Oh Lord how long For the glory of thy name and for thy honours sake in the bowels and blood of Iesus Christ we humbly besech thee come and helpe vs for we ar very miserable On this sort I say dearelye beloued let vs publikelye and priuately bewaile oure sinnes but so that hereto we ioyne ceasing from wilfulnes and sinne of purpose for ells the Lorde heareth not oure prayers as Dauid sayth And oâ— Saint Iohn it is written the impenitent synners god heareth not Now impenitent are they which purpose not to amend their liues as for example not only those which folow stil theyr pleasures in couetousnes vncleanes carnalitie but those also which for feare or fauour of man do against their conscience consent to the romish rags and resort to the rotten religion communicating in seruice and ceremonyes with the papistes thereby declaring themselues to loue more the worlde then God to feare more man then Christ to dread more the losse of temporall thinges then of eternal in whom it is euident the loue of God abideth not for he that loueth the worlde hath not Gods loue abidyng in him sayth the Euangelist Therfore my deare harts and deare agayne in the lord remember what ye haue professed Christes religioÌ„ name and the renouncing of the deuil sinne and the worlde Remember that before ye learned A. B. C. your lessoÌ„ was Christs crosse Forget not that Christ wil haue no disciples but such as wil promise to denie them selues to take
an incorruptible crowne of immmortal vnspeakable glory but if for bicause of gods tarying which is only to proue you you relent which god forbid thinking it enough in hart to serue god and in body to do as may make most to your commodity temporally as many do then vndoubtedly your stāding hetherto wherfore gods holy name be praised shall make much more for the papisticall kyngdome and glory thereof then if you had neuer done as you haue done Wherof my good lord be not wearye nor vnthankfull for with the godly and in the church of god you are and shal be had as a worthy mēber of christ worthy of double honour because god of his goodnes hath vouched you worthy with out your desertes In the one that is for landes and possessions you haue companions many but in the other my good lord you are A per se A with vs to our comfort and ioye vnspeakable so long as you continue as I trust you wil do to the ende and to our most heauy sorrowe which god forbid if you should relente in any pointe Therfore I besech your lordshippe in the bowels and blood of our sauiour Iesus Christ to perseuer and continue to the ende He that hathe not tempted you hetherto aboue your strength wil continue so to the ende If for a tyme he hyde hys face from you yet he doth it but for a momente to make you the more hartely to cry to hym and surely he wil heare you not onely when you are in cryeng but also whilest you are in thynkyng how to cry he is with you in trouble and wyll in deede delyuer you The longer he taryeth the more pleasantly and comfortably will he appeare Only beleue and loke for his helpe and you shall haue peace such peace as the world knoweth not nor can know the whiche god geue vs a true feelyng of and then we shall not be greued with afflictions but rather reioyce in thē because they are but exercises and tryals of faith to the encrease of faith and patience with many godly vertues c. As cōcernyng the number and charges of vs heare which this day I heard your lordship desired to vnderstande this is so much as I know that we are iiij in number together whose names this bearer shall tell you The charges of the least is xij s. a weake There are .v. others whose charges be not so great but as they will themselues I meane they pay daily as they take and that to the vttermost these were neuer ministers I trust there is no vrgent neede in anye of vs al I thinke leaste in my self through god my fathers prouidence the which I haue and doe dayly wonderfullye feele his name therfore be praysed Other thynges I would wryte but because they may be more safely told by this bringer I haue omytted the same for that purpose God of hys goodnes euer be wyth you kepe your lordship to the very ende as hys dere child Amē Amen Your humble to commaund Iohn Bradford ¶ To. M. VVarcuppe and his wife Maistres VVilkinson and other of his godly frendes with their families THe same peace our sauiour Christe left with his people whiche is not wtout warre with the world almighty god worke plentifullye in your hartes now and for euer Amen The time I perceiue is come wherein the lordes ground will be knowen I meane it will now shortly appeare who haue receyued gods gospel into their harts in dede to the taking of good roote therin for such will not for a litle heate or sunne burning wyther but stiffely will stande and growe on mangre the malice of al burning showres tempests And for as much as my be loued in the Lorde I am persuaded of you that ye bee in deede the children of god gods good ground which groweth and will grow on by gods grace bringing forth fruit to gods glory after your vocatiōs as occasion shal be offered burne the sunne neuer so whote therfore I cānot but so signify vnto you hartely pray you and euery one of you accordingly to go on forewardes after your maister Christe not sticking at the foule way and stormye wether which you are come into and are like so to do of this beyng most certain that the ende of your iorney shal be pleasaunt ioyful in suche a perpetuall rest and blissefulnes as cannot but swalowe vp the showres that ye nowe feele and are soused in if ye often set it before your eies after Paules counsell in the later ende of the 4. and begynnyng of the 5. of the 2. epist to the Cor. Read it I pray you and remember it often as a restoratiue to refreshe you least ye fainte in the way And besides this set before you also that though the weather be foule stormes growe apace yet go not ye alone but other your brothers sisters pad the same path as S. Peter telleth vs therfore company should cause you to be the more couragious chereful But if ye had no companye at al to go presently with you I pray you tell me if euen frō the beginning the best of gods frends haue foūd any fairer weather way to the place whether ye are going I meane heauen then ye now find are like to do excepte ye wyll with the worldlings which haue their portion in this lyfe tary stil by the way till the stormes be ouerpaste and then eyther night wil so approche that ye cannot trauaile either the dores wil hee sparred before ye come and so you shal lodge without in wonderful euil lodgings Reade Apo. 22. Beginne at Abel and come frō him to Noe Abrahā Isaac Iacob Ioseph the Patriarckes Moses Dauid Daniel al the Saints in the olde testamēt tel me whether uer any of them founde any fairer way then ye now finde If the olde Testamēt wil not serue I pray you come to the new beginne with Mary Ioseph come frō thē to Zachary Elizabeth Iohn Baptist euery one of the Apostles Euangelists and search whether they al found any other waye into the City we trauel towardes then by many tribulacions Besydes these if ye should call to remembraunce the primatiue church lorde god ye shoulde see so manye to haue geuē cherefully their bodies to most greuous tormēts rather then they would be stopped in their iorney that there is no day in the yere but I dare say a M. was the fewest that with greate ioye loste their homes here but in the Citye they wente vnto haue found other manner of homes then mans mynd is able to conceiue But if none of al these wer if ye had no cōpany now to go with you as ye haue me your poore brother and bondman of the lorde with many other I truste in god if ye had none other of the fathers Patriarckes good Kings Prophetes Apostels Euangelists Martyrs and other holy sainctes children of God that in their
praysed you did in not doing that which you were desired and dryuen at to haue done You then beheld thinges not as a maÌ„ but as a man of god and so you doe nowe in religion at the least hetherto you haue done and that you myght do so stil I humbly besech pray you say with Dauid Psa 117. DefeceruÌ„t oculi mei in eloquium tuuÌ„ quaÌ„do consolaberis me Though you be as vter in fumo for I heare you wante health yet ne obliuiscaris iustificationes dei but crie out quot sunt dies serui tui quaÌ„do facies de persequentibus me iudicium Aba 2. psa 30. And be certayne quod dominus veniens veniet non tardabit Si moram fecerit expecta illum for he is but ad moment um in ira sua vita in voluntate eius Esaye 26. Ad vesperam demorabitur fletus ad matutinum letitia Followe therfore Esayes Counsell Abscondere ad modicum ad momentum donec pertranseat indignatio eius whiche is not indignatio in dede but to our sense and therfore in the 27. Esaye 27. Chapiter of Esaye God sayth of his church and people that as he kepeth night day so non est indignatio mihi sayth he The mother sometime beateth the child but yet her hart melteth vpon it euen in the very beating and therefore she casteth the rodde into the fier and colleth the childe geueth it an apple and dandleth it moste motherly And to saye the truth the loue of mothers to their children is but a trace to traine vs to beholde the loue of God towardes vs therfore sayth he can a mother forget the childe of her wombe As who saye Esaye 49. no but if she should so do yet will not I forget thee sayth the Lord of hostes Ah comfortable saying I wil not forget thee sayth the Lord. In dede the children of God thinke oftentimes that God hath forgotten them Psal 26 Psa 70 1â—8 37.26 Psa 31. and therfore they crye Ne abscondas faciem tuam a me c. Ne derelinquas me domine c. Whereas in very truth it is not so but to their present sense and therfore Dauid sayd ego dixi in excessu meo proiectus suÌ„ a facie tua But was it so Nay verely Read his psalme and you shall see So writeth he also in other places very often especially in the person of Christe as when he sayth Deus meus deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me he sayth not vt quid derelinquis or derelinques me but vt quid dereliquisti me Where in deede God had not lefte him but that it was so to hys sense and that thys psalme telleth full well which psalme I pray you now and then read it is the 22. and therto ioyne the .30 and the .116 with diuerse other The same we read in the Prophet Esay in his .40 chapter where he reproueth Israel for saying god had forgotteÌ„ theÌ„ Nunquid nescis sayeth he An non audisti c. Qui sperant in domino mutabunt fortitudinem And in hys .54 Chapter Noli timere c. Ad punctum enimin modico dereliqui te in miserationibus magnis congregabo te In momento indignationis abscondi faciem meam parumper a te in misericordia sempiterna misertus sum tui dixit redëptor tuus dominus Nam istud erit mihi sicut aquae Noe. Vt enim iuraui ne porro aquae Noe pertransirent terram sic iuraui vt non irascar tibi non increpemte Montes enim comouebuntur colles coÌ„tremiscent misericordia autem mea non recedet a te foedus pacis meae non mouebitur dixit miserator tuus dominus But the scriptures are full of such sweete places to them that will portare iram domini expectare salutem auxilium eius As of al temptations this is the greatest Mich. 7â— that god hath forgotten or will not helpe vs throughe the pykes as they say so of all seruices of God this liketh he beste to hope assuredly on him and for his helpe alwaies which is adiutor in tribulationibus 1. Cor. 11. and doth more gloriouslye shew his power by such as be weake and feele them selues so For quo infirmiores sumus eo sumus in illo robustiores Psalm 144 Sic oculi domini be on them that tremble feare Voluntatem eorum faciet he is with them in their trouble he wil deliuer them antequaÌ„ clamauerint exaudit eos as all the scriptures teach vs to the reading whereof and hartie prayer I hartely commende you beseching almightye God that of hys eternall mercies he wold make perfect the good he hath begonne in you strengtheÌ„ you to the end that you might haue no lesse hope but much more of his helpe to your comfort nowe against your enemyes then alreadye he hath geuen you againste N. for not subscribing to the Kings will Be certaine be certayn good Maister Hales that all the heares of your head your deare father hath numbred so that one of them shall not peryshe your name is written in the booke of life Therfore vppon god cast all your care which will comforte you with hys eternall consolations and make you able to go through the fyre if nede be which is nothing to be compared to the fyre whereinto oure enemies shall fal and lie for euer from the which the Lord deliuer vs though it be through temporall fire which must be construed according to the end profite that commeth after it so shall it then not much deare vs to suffer it for our maister Christes cause the whiche the Lord graunt for his mercies sake AmeÌ„ From the Kings Bench. Your humble Iohn Bradford To hys Mother a godly matrone dwelling in Manchester to hys brethren and sisters and other of his frendes there OVr deare sweete Sauiour Iesus Christ whose prisoner at this present praysed bee his name therfore I am preserue and kepe you my good Mother with my brothers and sisters my father Iohn Traues Thomas Sorrocolde Laurence and Iames Bradshaw with their wines families c. now and for euer Amen I am at thys present in prison sure enough for startyng to confirme that I haue preached vnto you as I am ready I thanke God with my life and blood to seale the same if god vouch me worthy of that honoure For good Mother and brethren it is a most speciall benefite of god to suffer for hys names sake and gospel as now I do I hartely thanke hym for it â— Timo. 2. and am sure that with him I shall be partaker of his glory as Paule sayeth if we suffer with him we shall reygne with him Therfore be not faynt harted but rather reioyce at the least for my sake which now am in the ryght and high waye to heauen for by many afflictions we muste enter into the kingdome of
heauen Actes 14. Nowe will god make knowen his children When the winde doth not blowe thē can not a man know the wheate from the chaffe but when the blaste cōmeth then flyeth away the chaffe but the wheate remaineth and is so farre frō being hurte that by the wind it is more clensed from the chaffe and knowē to be wheate Golde when it is caste into the fire is the more precious so are gods children by the crosse of affliction Alwayes God begynneth hys iudgement at hys house Christ and the Apostles were in most miserye in the lande of Iewry but yet the whole land smarted for it after so nowe Gods children are fyrst chastised in this world that they should not be dampned with the world for surely great plagues of god hang ouer this realme Ye all know there was neuer more knowledge of god lesse godly liuing true seruīg of god It was counted a folishe thing to serue god truely earnest praier not past vpon Preaching was but a pastime The communion was counted to cōmon Fasting to subdue the fleshe was farre out of vse Almes was almost nothing Malice couetousnes and vncleannes was cōmon euery where with swearing dronkennes idlenes God therfore now is come as you haue heard me preach and because he will not dāpne vs with the worlde he beginneth to punyshe vs as me for my carnal liuing For as for my preaching I am moste certayne it is and was gods truth and I trust to geue my life for it by gods grace but because I liued not the gospel truly but outwardly therefore doth he thus punyshe me naye rather in punishing blesse me And in dede I thanke hym more of this prison then of any parler yea then of any pleasure that euer I had for in it I fynde God my moste sweete good god alwayes The flesh is punished fyrst to admonish vs now hartilye to liue as we professe secondlye to certifye the wicked of their iuste dampnation if they repent not Perchaunce you are infirmed weakened of that which I haue preached because god doth not defēd it as you thinke but suffereth the olde popishe doctrine to come agayne and preuaile but you muste knowe good Mother that God by this doth proue and trye his children and people whether they wil vnfainedly and simplie hang on him his woord So did he with the Israelites bringing them into a deserte after their comming out of Egipt where I meane the wildernes was want of al things in comparison of that which they had in Egipt Christe when he came into thys worlde brought no worldly wealth nor quietnes with him but rather warre the worlde sayeth he shall reioyce Iohn 16. but ye shall mourne weepe but your weping shal be tourned into ioy and therfore happy are they that mourne and weepe for they shal be comforted They are marked then with gods marke in their foreheades and not with the beastes marke I meane the Popes shauen crowne who now with his shauelinges reioyce but woe vnto them for they shall be cast down they shall weepe and mourne The riche Glutton had here hys ioy and Lazarus sorrow but afterwards the time was chaūged The end of carnal ioy is sorrowe Nowe let the whoremonger ioy with the dronckard swearer couetous malicious and blynd bussard Syr Iohn for the Masse wil not bite them neither make them to blushe as preaching woulde Nowe maye they doe what they will come deuills to the Church and go deuils home for no man muste fynde fault And they are glad of thys now haue they theyr hartes desyre as the Sodomites had when Loth was gone but what followed Forsoth when they cryed peace all shall be well then came Gods vengeaunce fyre and brymstone from heauen and burnte vppe euerye mothers childe euen so deare Mother will it doe to our papistes Wherefore feare God sticke to hys woorde though all the worlde woulde swarue from it Dye you muste once and when or howe you can not tell Dye therefore with Christe suffer for seruing hym truly after his word for sure may we be that of al deathes it is most to be desired to dye for gods sake This is the most safe kinde of dying we can not doubt but that we shal go to heauen if we dye for hys names sake And that you shal dye for hys names sake Gods woorde will warrant you if you sticke to that whiche GOD by me hath taughte you You shall see that I speake as I thynke for by Gods grace I will drinke before you of thys cuppe if I bee put to it I doubt not but God wil geue me hys grace strengthen me therunto praye that he wold and that I refuse it not I am at a poynte euen when my Lord God will to come to hym Death nor life pryson nor pleasure I trust in God shal be able to separate me from my Lord God and his Gospel In peace whē no persecution was then were you content and glad to heare me then dyd you beleeue me and wil you not do so now seing I speake that which I trust by gods grace if nede be to verefye with my lyfe Good Mother I write before God to you as I haue preached before hym It is gods truth I haue taughte It is that same infallible word wherof he hath sayd heauen earth shal passe but my word shal not passe The masse and such baggage as the false worshippers of god and enemies of Christes crosse the papistes I say haue brought in againe to poyson the church of God withal dyspleaseth God highly and is abhominable in his syghte Happye maye he bee whiche of conscience suffereth losse of lyfe or goodes in disalowing it Come not at it If God bee God followe hym If the masse bee God let them that will see it heare or be present at it go to the deuil with it What is there as God ordayned Hys supper was ordained to be receaued of vs in the memorial of his death for the confyrmation of our fayth that his body was broken for vs his bloodshed for pardon of oure synnes but in the Masse there is no receauyng but the prieste keepeth all to hym selfe alone Christe sayeth take eate no sayeth the Prieste gape pepe There is a sacrificyng yea killing of Christe agayne as muche as they maye There is Idolatry in worshipping the outwarde signe of breade and wyne there is all in Latten you can not tel what he sayeth To conclude there is nothyng as God ordayned Wherefore my good Mother come not at it Oh wil some say it wyl hynder you if you refuse to come to masse and to do as other do But God will further you be you assured as you shal one day find who hath promysed to thē that suffer hinderance or losse of any thyng in thys world his great blessing here Mathe. 19 and in the world to come lyfe euerlasting You shal be coūted an
champions or els yf ye feele suche infirmitie in your selues that ye be not hable geue place to violence and go where ye maye with free and safe conscience serue the lord Thinke not this counsel to come by chaunce or fortune but to come from the Lorde other oracles we may not looke for nowe As God tolde Ioseph in a dreame by an aungel that he shoulde flye so yf ye feele such infirmity in your selues as shoulde turne to gods dishonor and your owne destruction wythal know that at this present I am as gods aungel to admonish you to take tyme whyles ye haue it and to see that in no case Gods name by you myghte be dishonoured Ioseph myghte haue obiected the omission of his vocation as perchaunce ye wil doe but deare hartes let vocations and all things els geue place to gods name the sanctifyeng therof Thys I speak not as though I wuld not haue you rather to tary to staÌ„d to it but I speake it in respect of your infirmity which if ye feele to bee so greate in you that ye are not certayne of thys hope that god wyll neuer tempt you aboue you hability fly and get you hence and know that therby god wil haue you tried to your selues to others For by this you shal know how to take thys world and your home here as no home but that ye loke for an other and so geue occasion to others lesse to loue thys world and perchaunce to some to doubte of their religion Wherin though they be earnest yet would not they loose so much as ye do for your religion which ye confyrme to me others by your geuyng place to violence Laste of all ye haue cause to reioyce ouer these daies because they be dayes of conformation in the which and by the which god our father maketh vs lyke to christes image here that we may be like to him elswhere For if we suffer with him we shall reigne with him if we be buryed with him we shal rise with him if we coÌ„pany with him in afflictions we shall reioyce with him in glorye if we sowe with him in teares we shal reape with him in gladnes if we coÌ„fesse him before men he will confesse vs before his Father in heauen if we take his part he will take ours if we lose ought for his names sake he wil geue vs all thinges for his truthes sake So that we ought to reioyce bee glad for it is not geueÌ„ to euery one to suffer losse of couÌ„trey life goods house c. for the Lords sake What can god the father do more vnto vs then to cal vs into campe with his sonne What may Christe our Sauiour doe more for vs then to make vs his warriours What can the holy ghost doe to vs aboue this to marke vs with the cognisaunce of the Lord of hostes This cognisance of the Lord standeth not in forket cappes tippettes shauen crownes or such other baggage and antichristian pelfe but in suffering for the Lords sake The worlde shall hate you saith Christ Loe there is the cognisance and badge of gods children the world shal hate you Reioyce therfore my dearly beloued reioyce that god doth thus vouchsafe to beginne to conforme you and make you like to Christ By the triall of these dayes ye are accasioned more to repeÌ„t more to pray more to contempne this worlde more to desire life euerlasting more to be holy for holy is the ende wherfore GOD doth afflict vs and so come to gods company Which thing because we can not do as long as this body is as it is therfore by the doore of death we must entre with Christ into eternall life and immortalitie of soule and body which God of his mercy send shortlye for our Sauiour Iesus Christes sake Amen Iohn Bradford To myne owne deare brother Maister Laurence Saunders prisoner in the Marshalsee GOds sweete peace in Christe be with you my good brother in the Lord Iesus with all your concaptiues AmeÌ„ I was letted this morning from musing on that which I was purposed to haue thought on by reasoÌ„ of you against whoÌ„ I sawe my selfe giltie of negligence euen in this poynt that I would not write I should say that I had not written vnto you as yet therfore out of hande in maner I prepared my selfe to purge my self hereof not that I wil go about to excuse my fault for that were more to loade me but by asking both god and you pardon to get it no more layde to my charge Now then as I was thus purposing partly doing coÌ„meth there one with a letter from you for the which as I haue cause to thanke god and you howbeit not so that you should thinke I geue not the whole to god so I see my selfe more blame worthye for thus longe holding my peace Howbeit good brother in this I haue geuen a demonstration to you to behold my negligence in all other things and especially in praying for you and for the church of god whiche for my sinnes and hypocrisie hypocrisie in dede euen in this writing god deliuer me from it haue deserued to bee punished Iust is god for we haue deserued all kindes of plaggues at his hands but yet merciful is he that will on thys wise chastise vs with this world ne cuÌ„ muÌ„do condeÌ„nemur He myght otherwise haue punished vs I meane he might haue for other causes cast vs in prison me especially then for his gospell and wordes sake Praysed therfore be his name whiche voucheth vs worthy thys honour Ah good god forgeue vs our sinnes and worke by this thy fatherly correction on vs on me especially effectually to loue thee and thy Christ and with ioyfulnes vnto the end to cary thy crosse through thicke and thinne Alwayes set before our eyes not this gallowes on earth if we still sticke to thee but the gallowes in hell if we denye thee or swarne from that we haue professed Ah good brother if I coulde alwayes haue GOD hys maiestie mercye heauen hell c. before mine eyes then should I obdurare as Paule writeth of Moses Heb. 11. obdurauit in quit perinde quasi vidisset eum qui est inuisibilis Praye for me as I know you doe and geue thankes also for in domino spero non nutabo Psal 22. Si ambulauero per valleâ—n vmbrae mortis non timebo quia tu domine mecum es Amen I thinke we shall bee shortly called forth for now legeÌ„ habent secuÌ„duÌ„ legem c. otherwise will they not reason with vs and I thynke theyr shootanker wil be to haue vs to subscribe The which thing if we do though with this condition so farre as the thing subscribed to repugneth not agaynst Gods word yet thys will be offensiue Therefore let vs vadere planê and so sanê I meane let vs all confesse that we are no chaungelinges but reipsa are the same we were in
religion and therefore can not subscribe excepte we will dissemble both with God our selues and the world Haec tibi scribo frater mi charisime in domino I am legam tuā epiflolam Ah brother that I hadde practicam tecum scientiam in vite illa quā pingis Iohn 15 roga dominum vt ita verê sentiam Amen God make me thankeful for you Salutant te omnes cōcaptiui gratias domino pro te agunt idē tu facies pro nobis ores vt c. Your brother in the Lord Iesus to liue and dye with you Iohn Bradford An other letter to Maister Laurence Saunders MY good brother I besech our good god gratious father alwayes to cōtinue his gracious fauoure and loue towardes vs by vs as by instrumentes of his grace to worke hys glory confusion of his aduersaryes This frend moued them to subscribe to the papistes articles wyth this conditiō so farre as they wer not against Gods worde being in dede cleane contrary to it and yet shortly after he valiantly suffred death for refusing the same Ex ore infantium lactentium fundet laudem ad destruendum inimicū c Amē I haue perused your letters to my self haue redde them to others For answere whereof if I should write what D. Taylour and Maister Philpotte doe thinke then muste I saye that they thynke the salte sente vnto vs by your frende is vnseasonable And in deede I thynke they both wyll declare it hartelye if they shoulde come before them As for me if you woulde knowe what I thynke my good and moste deare brother Laurence because I am so synnefull and so conspurcate the Lorde knoweth I lye not with manye greuous sinnes whiche yet I hope are washed away sanguine Christi nostri I neither can nor would be cōsulted withal but as a sipher in Agrime Howbeit to tel you how and what I minde take this for a summe I pray God in no case I may seeke my self And in deede I thanke God therfore I purpose it not Quod reliquum est domino Deo meo committo spero in illum quod ipse faciet iuxta hoc iacta in dominum curam Psa 54 Psa 36 Psal 31. c. Omni cura vestra coniecta in illum c. Reuela domino viam tuam spera c. Sperantem in domino misericordia circumdabit I did not nor do not knowe but by youre letters quod cras we shal come corā nobis Myne owne hart sticke stil to dabitur vobis Math. 10. 1. Cor. 10 3. pet 2 fidelis enim est dominus dabit in tentatione euentum quo possimus sufferre Nouit dominus pios ê tentatione c. O vtinam pius ego essem Nouit dominus in die tribulationis sperātes in se c. Nahū 1. I can not thinke that they will offer any kinde of indifferent or meane conditions For if we wil not adorare bestiam we neuer shall be deliuered but against their will thinke I. God our Father and gracious Lord make perfecte the good he hath begonne in vs. Faciet mi frater charisime frater quem in intimis visceribus habeo ad conuinendum commoriendum O si tecum essem Praye for me myne own hart roote in the Lord. For euer your own Iohn Bradforde A letter which he wrote to a faythfull woman in her heauines and trouble most comfortable for all those that are afflicted and broken harted for their sinnes AH my dearly beloued most dearely beloued in the Lorde howe pensiue is my harte presently for you by reasō of the feareful iudgement of our god which euē now I heard for truth by Richarde Proude God oure good father for his greate mercies sake in christ haue mercy vpō vs so with his eternal consolation comforte you my deare harte as I desyre in my moste nede to be of him comforted Amen The cause why since the recept of your letter I haue not sent vnto you this bringer cā tel you yea if I had not heard for truth of this heuie chaunce as yet you had not thus sone heard from me For I beganne of late a peece of woorke for your comfort wherof I send you now but a parte because my hart is heauie for your sake and I can not be quiet til I heare how you do in thys crosse Wherein my deare sister I beseche you to bee of good comforte and to bee no more discouraged then was Dauid of Absolons death the good Ionathas of hys father Saules fearefull ende Adam of Cain Noe of Cham Iacob of Ruben and the Godly Bethsabee of the terrible ende of her father or at the leaste her Graundfathers death Achitophell Not that I vtterly condempne and iudge your father for I leaue it to God but because the facte of it selfe declareth Gods secrets and fearefull iudgemente and iustice towardes hym and all men and hys greate mercye towardes vs admonishynge all the worlde howe that he is to bee dred and feared and Sathan not to sleepe and vs his children especiallye howe weake and miserable we bee of oure selues and howe happie we are in hym whiche haue him to bee oure father protectour and keeper and shall haue for euer more so that no euill shall touche vs further then shall make to oure fathers glorye and to our euerlasting commoditie And therfore let thys iudgement of God be an occasiō to stirre vs vp more carefully to walke before GOD and vnfaynedly to caste oure whole care vppon oure deare father whiche neuer can nor will leaue vs for hys calling and giftes be such that he can neuer repente hym of them Roma 11. whom he loueth he loueth to the ende none of hys chosen can perish Of whiche number I knowe you are my dearely beloued sister God encrease the fayth thereof dayly more and more in you he geue vnto you to hange wholye on hym and on hys prouidence and protection For who so dwelleth vnder that secrete thyng and helpe of the Lorde Psa 90.31 he shall be cocke sure for euer more he that dwelleth I saye for if we be flitters and not dwellers as was Loth a flitter from Segor where GOD promised hym protection if he had dwelled there still we shall remoue to oure losse as he dyd into the Mountaines Genesis 19. Dwell therefore that is truste and that finallye vnto the ende in the Lorde my deare sister and you shall bee as Mounte Sion As Mountaynes compasse Ierusalem so dothe the Lorde all hys people Howe then can he forgette you whiche are as the apple of hys eye for hys deare sonnes sake Ah deare harte that I were nowe but one halfe houre wyth you to bee a Simon to helpe to carye youre crosse with you GOD sende you some good Simon to bee with you and helpe you I will bee a Simon absente to carye as I can learne youre crosse whiche you haue promysed not to hyde from
idolatrous seruyce but with their haâ—â—s say they and wyth theyr spirites they serue the lorde Math. 8. And so by this meanes as they saue theyr pygges which they would not lose I meane their worldlye pelfe so they would please the protestantes and bee counted wyth them for gospellers Company not with MoÌ„grels yea mary would they But mine owne beloued in the Lord flee from such persones as from men most perilous and pernicious bothe before God and man Mongrels are false both to god and man for they are false to bothe and true to neyther To the magistrates they are false pretendyng one thyng and meanyng cleane contrary God wil haue the whole seruice of soule and body He made both He kepeth both He redemed both To god they are most vntrue geuing him but a peese whych shoulde haue the whole I woulde they woulde tell me who made their bodyes Dyd not GOD as well as theyr sprites and soules And who kepeth bothe Dothe not be still And alas shall not he haue the seruice of the body but it must be geueÌ„ to serue the new found god of Antichristes inuention Dyd not Christe bye both our soules and bodies And wherwith wyth any lesse pryce then wyth hys precious blood Ah wretches theÌ„ that we be if we wyll defyle either parte with the rose coloured whore of Babylons fylthye Masse abhomination Apoc. 18 2. pet 2 Hebr. 6.10 Math. 12 Luke 11 Mongress sinne againste their owne consciences It had ben better for vs neuer to haue bene washed then so to wallow our selues in the fylthy puddle of popery It had bene better neuer to haue knowen the truth then thus to betray it Surely surelye let such men feare that their later ende be not worse then the begynnyng Their owne conscience now accuseth them before god yf so be they haue any conscience that they are but dissemblers and hypocrites to God and man For all the clokes they make they cannot auoyde this but that their going to church and to Masse is of selfe loue The onely cause why Mongrels goe to Masse is to auoyde the crosse 1 Cor. 10. Actes 5 Deut. 12. that is they go thether because they would auoyde the crosse They go thether because they woulde be out of trouble They seke neither the Quenes highnes nor her lawes which in thys poynte cannot bynde the conscience to obey because they are coÌ„trary to gods lawes which bid vs often to flee Idolatrye and worshipping hym after mens deuises they seke neither I say the lawes if there were anye neyther theyr brethernes commoditie for none commeth therby neyther godlines or good example for there can be none found in goyng to Masse c. but horrible offences and woe to them that geue them but they seeke their owne selues their own ease theyr escapyng the crosse c. Math. 15. when they haue made all the excuses they can theyr owne conscience wyll accuse them of this that their goyng to church is onely because they seeke themselues For yf there woulde no trouble ensue for taryeng awaye I appeale to their conscience woulde they come thether Neuer I dare say Therfore as I sayd they seke themselues they would not cary the crosse And hereof their own conscience if they haue any conscience doth accuse them Now if their conscience accuse them at this present what will it doe before the iudgemente seate of Christe who wyl then excuse it when Christ shall appeare in iudgement Luke 9.12 Mark 8. and shall begynne to be ashamed of them then which now here are ashamed of him who then I say wyll excuse these Masse gospellers consciences wyll the quenes hyghnes She shal then haue more to do for her selfe then without harty and spedye repeÌ„tauÌ„ce she can euer be able to aunswer though Peter Paule Marye Iames Iohn the Pope and all hys Prelates take her parte with all the syngyng Syr Iohns that euer were are and shall bee Wyll the Lorde Chauncellour and prelates of the realme excuse them there Nay nay they are like then to smarte for it so sore as I woulde not bee in theyr places for all the whole world Wil the lawes of the realme the nobilitie gentlemen Iustices of peace c. excuse oure gospell Massemongers conscience then Nay God knoweth they can do little there but quake and feare for the heauy vengeaunce of God lyke to fall vppon them Will their goodes landes and possessions the which they by theyr dissemblyng haue saued wyl these serue to excuse them No no god is no merchaunte as our Masse priestes be Will Masses or treÌ„tals such trash serue No verily the haunters of thys geare then shall be horribly ashamed Wyll the Catholike church excuse them Nay it wyll most of all accuse them as will all the good fathers Patriarkes Apostles Prophetes Martyrs coÌ„fessors and saintes with al the good Doctors and good general counsels The most abhominatioÌ„ oâ—â—aeth is the Masse al these alredy condeÌ„ne the Masse al that euer vseth it as it is now beyng of all idoles that euer was the most abhominable and blasphemous to Christ and hys priestehode manhode and sacrifice for it maketh the prieste that sayth Masse the Masse priest is Christes fellow gods fellow and better then Christ for the offerer is alwayes better or equiualent to the thyng offred If therfore the priest take vpon him there to offer vp Christ as they boldly affyrme they do theÌ„ must he nedes be better or equal with Christ Hebr. 5. Oh that they would shew but one iote of the scripture of god calling theÌ„ to this dignitie or of their authority to offer vp Christ for the quicke and dead to apply the benefyt vertue of his death and passion to whom they wyll The Masse priestes frendship is better-then christes Surely if this were true as it is most false and blasphemous prate they at their pleasure to the contrarye then it made no matter at all whether Christe were our frende or no if so be the Masse priest were our frende for he can apply vs Christes merites by his Masse if he wyll and when he wil The Masse priest is aboue god for he can make god Math. 24. and therfore we nede litle to care for Christes frendship They can make hym when they will and where they wyll Loe heare he is there he is saye they but beleue them not saith Christ beleue them not beleue them not sayth he For in hys humane nature and body which was made of the substaunce of the virgins body and not of breade in thys body I say he is sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty in heauen from whence and not from the pixe shal he come to iudge both the quicke dead Act. 3. Rom. 8 Hebr. 7 Hebr. 9. 1. Thess 5. In the meane season heaueÌ„ saith S. Peter must receiue him And as Paule saith
eie hath not sene the eare hath not heard the hart cānot conceiue how great glorious gods reward wyl be vpō your bodies much more vpon your soules God opē our eies to see and fele this in dede Then shal we thynke the crosse which is a meane herto to be commodious Then shall we thanke god that he would chastice vs. Thē shall we saye with Dauid happy am I that thou hast punished me for before I wente astray but now I kepe thy lawes This that we may do in dede my derely beloued let vs firste knowe that our crosse cōmeth from god Secondly that it commeth from god as a father that is to our weale good Therfore let vs thirdly cal to mind our sinnes aske pardon Whereto let vs fourthly loke for help certainly at gods hand in his good time helpe I say such as shal make most to gods glory to the comfort cōmoditie of our soules bodies eternally This if we certainly conceiue thē wil there issue out of vs harty thankes geuīg which god requireth as a most precious sacrifice That we may al through Christ offer this let vs vse earnest praier to our god and dere father who blesse vs kepe vs and cōfort vs vnder hys swete crosse for euer Amen Amen My dere hartes if I could any way comfort you you should be sure therof though my lyfe laye theron but now I must do as I may because I cānot as I would Oh that it would please our deare father shortly to bring vs where we should neuer departe but enioy continually the blessed fruicion of hys heauenly presence pray pray that it may spedely come to passe pray To morow I wyll sende vnto you to knowe your estate send me worde what are the chiefest things they charge you wythall From the Counter By your brother in the Lorde Iohn Bradford To Mystres Hall prysoner in Newgate and ready to make aunswer before her aduersaries OVr most merciful god and father throughe Christ Iesus our lord and sauiour be merciful vnto vs and make perfect the good he hath begonne in vs vnto the ende Amen My deare Sister reioyce in the lord reioyce be glad I say be mery and thankful Math. 5 not only because Christ so cōmaundeth vs but also because our state wherin we are presētly requireth no lesse for we are the lords witnesses God the father hath vouched saffe to choose vs emonges many to witnes and testify that christ hys sonne is Kyng and that hys word is true Christ our sauiour for hys loues sake towards vs wil haue vs to beare recorde that he is no vsurper nor deceyuer of the people but Gods Embassadour Prophet and Messias so that of al dignities vpon earthe this is the highest Greater honoure had not hys Prophetes Apostles nor dearest frendes then to beare witnes wyth Christ as we now doe The worlde folowyng the counsell of theyr Syer Sathan would gladly condempne Christ and hys verity but loe the lord hath chosen vs to be hys champions to lette this As stoute souldiours therfore let vs stand to our maister who is wyth vs and standeth on our ryght hande that we shall not be muche moued if we hope and hange on hys mercye he is so faythful true that he wyl neuer tempt vs further then he will make vs hable to beare Therfore be not carefull for I heare say thys day you shall be called forth what you shal answer The lord which is true cannot lie hath promysed and wyll neuer fayle nor forget it that you shall haue both what and how to aunswer so as shall make hys shameles aduersaries ashamed Hange therfore on this promyse of God who is an helper at a pinch and a most present remedy to them that hope in hym Neuer was it hearde of or shal be that any hopyng in the lord was put to foyle Therfore as I said I say againe Deare Syster be not only not careful for your answeryng but also be ioyfull for your cause Confesse Christ and be not ashamed and he wil confesse you and neuer be ashamed of you Thoughe losse of goodes and lyfe be lyke here to ensue yet yf Christ be true as he is most true it is otherwyse in dede for he that loseth hys life sayth he wynneth it but he that saueth it looseth it Our synnes haue deserued many deathes Now if god deale so with vs that he wil make our deserued deathe a demonstration of hys grace a testimonyall of hys veritye a confirmation of hys people an ouerthrowe of his aduersaries what great cause haue we to be thankful Be thankeful therfore good Syster be thankefull reioyce and be merye in the Lord be stoute in hys cause and quarell be not faynte harted but runne out your race and set your captayne Christe before your eyes Beholde how great your rewarde is See the great glory and the eternitie of felicity prepared for you Striue and fyght lawfully that you may gette the crowne Runne to get the game you are almost at your iorneyes end I dout not but our father will with vs send to you also 4 Reg. 2. as he did to Hely a fiery charette to conuey vs into his kyngdome Let vs therefore not be dismayde to leaue our cloke behind vs that is our bodies to ashes God wyll one daye restore them to vs lyke to the body of our lord and sauiour Iesus christ whose cōming is now at hande let vs loke for it and lift vp our heads for our redēption draweth nigh Amen Amen The Lord of mercy graunt vs hys mercy Amē I pray you pray for me and so desire my bretherne whiche be wyth you Gods peace be with vs all Amen Blessed be the deade that dye in the Lorde then how much more they that dye for the Lord. Your brother in bondes Iohn Bradford ¶ An admonition to certayne professours and louers of the gospell to beware they fall not from it in consentyng to the Romyshe religion by the example of the shrinkyng haltyng and double faced Gospellers THe peace of Christ which is the true effecte of gods gospell beleued my derely beloued bee more and more plentifully perceyued of you throughe the grace of our deare father by the myghty workyng of the holy spirit our comforter Amen Though I haue many lettes presently to hynder me from writyng vnto you yet beyng desired I could not but somethyng signifye my readye good wyll in this behalfe so much as I may when I cannot so much as I woulde You heare and see how Sathan bestirreth hym ragyng as a roryng Lyon to deuoure vs. You see and feele partlye what stormes he hath raysed vppe to drowne the poore boote of Christ I meane hys church You see how terribly he trayneth his souldiours to geue a fierce onset on the voward of gods battel You see how he hath receyued power of god to molest gods children and to begyn at hys house By reason wherof consider
Rom. 8 The Angels are ministers vnto them Their names are writtē in the boke of lyfe therfore Christ bad them reioyce as Paul doth the Philippians for nothing shall seperate them from the loue wherwith god loueth them in Christ Iesu who sayeth that it is impossible for them to erre finally to damnation Mat. 24 Psalm 18. Iohn 6.10 Heb. 3. Iohn 5.6 Iohn 17 Heb. 5. Rom. 8 Ioh. 10. 1. Cor. 6 1. Cor. 1. 1. Ioh 4 Psalm 67. Ose 6. for he is their lyght to illumine their darkenes They are geuē to hym to kepe he is faythful ouer al gods children He saith he wil kepe them so that they shal neuer peryshe After they beleue they are entred already into euerlasting life Christe hath set thē there already he hath cōmitted them into his fathers hands by prayer which we know is sure therefore death hel deuils nor all power sinnes nor mischiefe shall neuer pull vs out of oure heades hands whose mēbers we are therfore receauing of hys spirite as we do we cannot but bring forth the fruites therof though now then the flesh fayle vs. But the Lord euen our Lord be praysed whiche is more strong in vs then he which is in the world He alwaies putteth vnder his hand that we lye not styll nor shal do as the reprobate whose pietie is as the mornyng dewe sone come sone gone and therfore they can not continue to the ende Cānot No they wil not if they could because they hate god hys glory and therfore al thē that seeke it or set it forth wheras the elect loue all men and seke to do al men good in God suspending their iudgements of others Rom. 14 that they may stand or fall to the Lord and not to them Hetherto out of this one place of Paule to the Ephesiās if the matter of election predestination be so fully set forth to gods glory and to the cōfort of hys church how may we suppose is this matter set forth in the whole body bookes of the canonicall scripture Whereto I had rather send you with this cādell lighte which I haue now geuē you then in a matter so manifest to make more a do then nedeth Iohn Bradforde To a woman that desyred to know hys mynde whether she refrayning from the Masse myght be present at the popyshe Mattyns or no. I Besech almightye God our heauenly father to bee merciful vnto vs to encrease in you my good sister the knowledge loue of his truth and at thys present geue me grace so to write to you somthyng of the same as may make to hys glory and our own comforte and confyrmation in hym through Christ our Lord Amen Whether you may come with safe cōscience to the church now that is to the seruice vsed comonly in part as at Mattins or at Euēsong or noe is your desire to haue me to write somthing for your further stay My derely beloued although your benefites towards me might perchaunce make you to thinke that in respect therof I would beare with that which els were not to be borne withal yet by gods grace I am purposed simply without al such respect in this matter to speak to you the truth accordinge to my conscience as I maye be able to stand vnto when I shall come before the Lorde Fyrste therefore goe aboute to learne perfectly the fyrst lesson to bee learned of all that professe Christe that is to denye your selfe and in nothing to seke your selfe Secondly learne after thys to begynne at the next lesson to it which is to seeke God in all thynges you doe and leaue vndone Thirdly know that then you seke God whē in hys seruice you followe his worde and not mans fantasies custome multitude c. and when with your brother you follow the rule of charitie that is to do as you would be done by In these is a sūme of al the counsell I can geue you if that hereto I admonyshe you of the seruice now vsed which is not accordyng to gods word but rather against gods word directly and in maner wholy So that you going to the seruice is a declaration that you haue not learned the fyrst lesson nor neuer can learne it so long as you go thether therfore the second lessō you shal vtterly lose if you cease not the seeking your self that is if for cōpanye custome father or frend life or goods you seme to allow that which god disalloweth And this that you the better maye perceaue I purpose by gods grace brieflye to shewe First the Mattens Euensong is in a toūg forbiddē publikely to be vsed in the cōgregatiō that perceaueth not the toung Read how Paul affirmeth it 1. Cor. 14. to pray in an vnknowē toung to be against gods cōmaūdement This one I trow were enough if nothīg els were For how cā gods glory be sought where his word cōmaūdemente is wilfullye brokē How cā charitie to mā stande when charitie to god which is obedience to his word is ouerthrowē Againe both in Mattins in Euensong is idolatrye maintained for gods seruice for there is inuocation and prayer made to Sainctes departed this life which robbeth god of that glory which he wil geue to none other Esay 5. Moreouer thys seruice the setters forth of it condempneth the Englysh seruice as heresie therby falling into Gods curse which is threatned to al such as cal good euil and euil good wherof they shal be pertakers that do cōmunicate with thē Besides this this latten seruice is a plaine marke of Antichrists catholike Sinagoge so that the Cōmunicātes approuers of it thereby declare thē selues to be mēbers of the same Sinagoge so cut of frō christ his church whose exteriour marke is the true administratiō of gods worde sacraments Furthermore the exāple of your going thither to allow the religiō of Antichrist as doubtles you do in dede howsoeuer in hart you thinke occasioneth the obstinate to be vtterly intractable the weake papistes to be more obstinate the stronge Gospellers to be sore weakened and the weake gospellers to be vtterly ouerthrowen whiche thinges howe greate offences they bee no penne is able to vtter by letters All these euilles you shall hee giltye of that companye wyth these in religion exteriourly from whom you are admonyshed to fly If Christ be Christ followe hym gather with hym least you scatter abroade Serue God not only in spirite but also in body Make not your body now a mēber of Christ a mēber of Antichrist Come out from amongest thē sayth the Lord touch no vncleane thing Confesse Christe and hys truth not onely in hart but also in toung yea in very deede which fewe gospellers do In dede they denye him therefore had nede to tremble least that Christ wil denie thē in the last day the which day if it were set before our eyes often then would the
hys true seruice that perpetually we maye enioye the same welfare as here in hope so in heauen in deede and eternallye You knowe thys worlde is not your home but a pilgrimage and place wherin God tryeth hys children and therfore as it knoweth you not nor can know you so I trust you know not it that is you allowe it not nor in any poynte wyll seme so to do althoughe by manye you be occasioned therto For thys whote sunne which now shineth burneth so sore that the corne which is sowen vpon sand and stonye ground beginneth to wyther that is many which before tymes we toke for hartye Gospellers beginne nowe for the feare of afflictions to relente yea to turne to their vomytte agayne thereby declaring that thoughe they go from amongest vs yet were they neuer of vs for els they would haue still taryed with vs 1. Ioh. 2 and neyther for gayne nor losse haue left vs eyther in word or deede As for their hart whiche vndoubtedly is double and therfore in daunger to Gods curse we haue as muche with vs as the papistes haue with them and more too by theyr owne iudgenente For they playing wilie begile themselues thynke it enough inwardlye to fauour the truth though outwardly they currye fauour What though with my body say they I do this or that GOD knoweth my harte is whole wyth hym Ah brother if thy harte be whole with GOD why doest not thou confesse and declare thy selfe accordynglye by woorde and facte Eyther that whiche thou sayest thou beleuest in thy hart is good or no. If it be good whye arte thou ashamed of it If it be euill whye doest thou keepe it in thy harte Is not GOD hable to defende thee aduenturing thy selfe for hys cause Or wyll not he defende hys worshippers Doth not the Scripture saye that the eyes of the Lorde are on them that feare hym and truste in hys mercye Psal 33 And whereto Forsoth to deliuer theyr soules from death and to feede them in the tyme of hunger If thys bee true as it is moste true whye are we afrayde of death as thoughe GOD coulde not comforte or deliuer vs or woulde not contrarye to hys promyse Whye are we afrayde of the losse of oure goodes as thoughe GOD woulde leaue them that feare hym destitute of all good thynges and so doe agaynste hys moste ample promyses Ah faythe faythe howe fewe feele thee nowe a dayes Luke 18. Full trulye sayde Christe that he shoulde scarcelye finde faythe when he came on earth For if men beleued these promyses they woulde neuer doe anye thynge outwardlye whiche inwardlye they dysallowe No example of men howe many so euer they bee or howe learned so euer they bee can preuaile in thys behalfe for the paterne which we must follow is Christ hym selfe and not the more companye or custome Hys woorde is the lanterne to lyghten oure steppes Psalm 118 and not learned men Companye and custome are to bee considered accordinge to the thyng they allowe Learned men are to be listened to and followed accordyng to Gods lore and lawe for elles the more parte goeth to the deuill As custome causeth erroure and blyndnesse so learnyng if it bee not accordinge to the lighte of Gods woorde is poyson and learned men moste pernicious The deuill is called Demon for hys cunnynge and the children of this worlde are muche wyser then the children of lyghte in theyr generation Luk. 16. and I knowe the deuill and his dearelynges haue alwayes for the moste parte more helpes in this life then Christes Churche and her children They the Deuill and hys Sinagoge I meane haue custome multitude vnitye antiquitye learning power riches honoure dignitie and promotions plentye as alwaies they haue hadde and shall haue commonlye and for the moste parte vntyll Christes comminge muche more then the true Churche haue presentlye heretofore haue hadde or hereafter shall haue For her glorye riches and honoure is not here her triall crosse and warrefare is here And therefore my deare hartes in the Lorde consider these thinges accordinglye Consider what you bee not worldlynges but Gods children Consider where you bee not at home but in a straunge countreye Consider among whom you are conuersante euen in the middest of youre ennemies and of a wicked generation and then I truste you will not muche muse at affliction which you can not be without being as you bee Gods children in a straunge countreye and in the middest of youre ennemies excepte you woulde leaue youre Captaine Christe and followe Sathan for the mucke of this moulde reste and quietnesse whiche he maye promyse you and you in dede thinke you shal receaue it by doing as he woulde haue you to doe but my sweete hartes he is not hable to paye that he promiseth Peace and warre come from GOD riches and pouertye wealth and woe The deuill hath no power but by Gods permission If then GOD permitte him a little on youre goodes bodye or life I praye you tell me what can muche hurte you as Peter sayeth you being followers of godlynesse 1. Pet. 3. Thinke you that GOD will not remember you in hys tyme as moste shall bee to youre comforte Can a woman forgette the childe of her wombe Esay 49. And if shee shoulde yet will not I forgette thee sayeth the Lorde Loke vppon Abraham in his exile and miserye looke vppon Iacob Iosephe Moses Dauid the Prophettes Apostles and all the Godlye from the beginning and my good brethren is not GOD the same God Is he a chaungeling You haue heard of the patience of Iob saith Saint Iames and you haue sene the ende howe that God is mercifull Iacob 5 patiente and longe suffering euen so saye I vnto you that you shall fynde accordinglye if so bee you bee patiente that is if so bee you feate hym sette hys woorde before you serue hym thereafter and if he laye hys crosse on you you beare it with pacience the which you shal do whē you consider it not according to the presente sense but accordyng to the end Hebru 12.2 Corin. 4. Therefore I hartely beseche you and oute of my bondes which I suffer for your sake pray you mine own swete hartes in the Lord that you would cleaue in harte humble obedience to the doctrine taughte you by me and many other my brethren For we haue taught you no fables nor tales of mē or our own phantasies but the very word of god which we are ready with oure liues God so enhabling vs as we truste he will to confirme by the sheding of our bloodes in all pacience humble obedience to the superiour powers to testifye and seale vp as wel that you mighte be more certaine of the doctrine as that you myght be ready to confesse the same before this wicked world knowing that if we confesse Christ and his truth before men he will confesse vs before hys father in heauen if so be
1. pet 5. whiche will not followe the trace of so many Fathers Patriarckes Kinges Priestes Prophettes Apostles Euaungelistes and Saintes of God yea euen of the very Sonne of God Howe manye nowe goe with you lustelye as I and all your brethren in bondes and exile for the Gospell Pray for vs for God willing we wyll not leaue you nowe we will goe before you Ye shall see in vs by Gods grace 1. Pet. 2 that we preached no lies nor tales of tubbes but euen the verye true woorde of God for the confyrmation whereof we by Gods grace and the helpe of your prayers will willinglye and ioyfully geue our bloode to be shedde as already we haue geuen our liuings goods frendes and naturall countrey for nowe bee we certayne that we be in the highe waye to heauens blysse as Saincte Paule sayeth Act. 14. by manye tribulations and persecutions we muste enter into Gods kingdome And because we woulde goe thether our selues and bring you thether also therefore the deuill stirreth vppe the coles And forasmuche as we all loytered in the way Math. 8. Math. 14. he hath therfore receaued power of god to ouercast the whether and to stirre vp stormes that we gods children might more spedely go on forwards make more hast as the counterfaites and hipocrites will tary linger tyl the stormes be paste and so when they come the market will be done and the doores sparde as it is to be feared Read Math. 25. Thys wynde wyll blowe gods children forwards and the deuils dearlinges backeward Therfore lyke Gods children let vs goe on forwarde apace the winde is on oure backes Thren 3 Heb. 6. hoyse vp the sayles lift vp your hartes and handes vnto god in prayer and kepe your anker of fayth to cast out in tyme of trouble on the rocke of Gods worde and mercye in Christ by the gable of gods veritye and I warrant you And thus much for you secondly to consider that affliction persecution and trouble is no straunge thing to Gods children and therfore it should not dismaye discourage or dyscomforte vs for it is none other thing then all Gods deare frendes haue tasted in their iourney to heauen wardes As I would in this troublesome time that ye woulde consider what ye be by the goodnesse of God in Christ euen Citizens of heauen though ye be presently in the fleshe euen in a straunge region on euery side ful of fierce enemyes and what wether and way the dearest frends of god haue found euen so would I haue you thyrdly to consider for your further comforte Phil. 3. that if ye shrinke not but goe on forwardes preassyng to the marke appointed al the power of your enemyes shal not ouercome you nor in any poynte hurt you But thys must not you cōsider according to the iudgement of reasō the sense of olde Adam but accordyng to the iudgement of gods word and the experience of fayth the newe man for els you marre all For to reason and to the experience of our sense or of the outward man we poore soules whiche flicke to Gods word to serue hym as he requyreth onely are counted to be vanquished and to be ouercome in that we are caste into prison lose oure liuynges frendes goodes countreye and lyfe also at the lengthe concernynge thys worlde But dearly beloued Gods woorde teacheth otherwyse and fayth feeleth accordingly Is it not written whoe shall seperate vs from the loue of God Rom. 8 Shall tribulation or anguishe or persecution eyther hunger eyther nakednesse eyther peryl either sworde As it is written Psal 44. for thy sake are we kylled all day long are counted as shepe appoynted to be slayne Neuerthelesse in al these thyngs we ouercome through hym that loued vs. For I am sure that neyther death neyther lyfe neyther aungels nor rule neyther power neither things present neither things to come neyther hygh nor lowe neyther any creature shall be hable to part vs from that loue wherwith god loueth vs in Christ Iesu our Lorde Thus spake one which was in afflictiō as I am for the Lordes gospelles sake hys holy name be praysed therfore and he graunt me grace with the same to continue in lyke suffering vnto the end Thys I say one spake which was in affliction for the gospel but yet so farre frō being ouercome that he reioyced rather of the victory whiche the gospel had For though he was boūd 2. Timo. 2. yet the gospel was not bound And therfore geueth he thankes vnto god which alway geueth the victory in Christ 2 Cor. 2 and openeth the sauour of his knowledge by vs such as suffer for his truth although they shut vs vp neuer so muche and driue vs neuer so farre out of our own naturall countrey in euery place The world for a time may deceaue it self thinking it hath the victory but yet the end wil try the contrary Gen. 4. Did not Caine think he had the victory whē Abel was slaine But how say you now is it not foūd otherwise Thought not the old world men thē liuing that they were wise wel and Noe a sole Gen. 7.8 which would crepe into an Arke leauing hys house landes possessions for I thinke he was in an honest state for the world but I pray you who was wise whē the floud came Abrahā I trowe was coūted a fole to leaue his own coūtrey and frends kyth kinne because of gods worde Gen. i2 but dearly beloued we know it proued otherwise I wil leaue al the Patriarkes come to Moses the children of Israel Tel me were not they thought to be ouercome and starke mad whē for feare of Pharao at gods word they ran into the red sea Exod. 14. Did not Pharao and the Egiptians thinke them selues sure of the victorye But I trowe it proued cleane contrarye Saule was thought wel and Dauid in an euyll case 1. Regū 16 17.18.19 and moste myserable because he hadde no hole to hyde hym in but yet at the length Saules myserye was seene and Dauids felicitye beganne to appeare The Prophette Mycheas being caste into prison for telling Achab the truth 3. Reg. 22. was thoughte to bee ouercome of Zedechias and the other false Prophettes but my god brethren and sisters the holye historye telleth otherwyse Who dyd not thinke the Prophettes vnhappye in their time Ieremy 20 Esay 8. 4. Regū 2. 1 Cor. 4 For they were slaine prysoned laughed to scorne and iested at of euery man And so were all the Apostles yea the dearelye beloued frende of God then whom among the children of women none arose greater I meane Iohn Baptiste who was beheaded and that in prison euen for a daunsing Damosells desyre As all these to the iudgemente of reason were then counted heretikes runagates vnlearned fooles fishers Publicanes c so nowe vnhappie and ouercome in dede if gods word and
brimstone stormye tempestes Whose Palace and home shall be hell fyre and darkenesse Whose cheare shall be weping and gnashing of teeth Whose song shal be woe woe woe from the which the lord of mercye deliuer vs. My dearely beloued I write not thys as one that thinketh not wel of you but as one that would you dyd wel and therfore to helpe you therto I write as I write Beseching God to open your eyes to see the daungers men be in that dissemble with God and man to the ende you doe not the lyke and also to open your eyes to see the hygh seruice you doe to God in aduenturing your selfe and that you haue for hys sake Oh that mens eyes were opened to see that the glorye of God resteth vppon them that suffer any thyng for his sake Oh that we considered that it is happinesse to suffer any thyng for Christes sake which haue deserued to suffer so much for our synnes iniquities Oh that our eyes were opened to see the great reward they shal haue in heauē which suffer the losse of any thing for Gods sake If we knewe the crosse to be as a purgation moste profitable to the soule as a purifying fyre to burne the drosse awaye of our dyrtinesse and synnes as an ouen to bake vs in to bee the Lordes breade as soope to make vs white as a stewe to mundifie and clense vs as Gods framehouse to make vs lyke to Christe here in sufferyng that we maye be so in reygning then should we not so muche care for thys little shorte sorrowe whiche the fleshe suffereth in it but rather in consideration of the excedyng endlesse ioye and comforte which wyl ensue we should runne fowards in our race after the example of oure Captayne Christ who comforte vs all in our distresse and geue vs the spirite of prayer therein to watche and pray that we be not led into temptation whiche God graunt to vs for euer Amen And thus muche I thoughte good to write to you at thys presente to declare my carefulnesse for the well doinge of you and all youre familye whom I commende with you into the handes and tuition of God oure Father So be it Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford An other letter to Maister George Eaton ALmyghtye God oure heauenlye father recompence aboundauntlye into youre bosome my dearelye-beloued here and eternallye the good whiche from hym by you I haue continuallye receaued sythen my comming into pryson Otherwyse can I neuer be able to requite your louing kindnesse here then by praying for you and after thys lyfe by witnessyng youre faythe declared to me by your fruites when we shal come appeare together before the throne of our sauiour Iesus Christ whether I thāke god I am euē now a going euer loking whē the officers wil come satisfie the precept of the Prelates wherof though I cā not cōplain because I haue iustly deserued an hundreth M. deathes at gods hands by reasō of my sines yet I may and must reioice because the Prelates do not persecute in me mine iniquities but Christ Iesus his veritie so that they persecute not me they hate not me but they persecute Christ they hate Christ And because they cā do him no hurt for he sitteth in heauē laugheth thē their deuises to scorne as one daye they shal feele therfore they turne their rage vpon his pore shepe as Herode their father did vpō the infantes Math. 2. Great cause therfore haue I to reioyce that my deare Sauiour Christ will vouchsafe amongest manye to choose me to bee a vessel of grace to suffer in me which haue deserued so often iustly to suffer for my sinnes that I might be most assured I shal be a vessell of honour in whom he wil be glorifyed Therfore my right dere brother in the lord reioice with me geue thanks for me and cease not to pray the god for his mercies sake woulde make perfect the good he hath begon in me And as for the doctrine which I haue professed preached I vnto you do confesse in writing as to the whole world I shortly shall by gods grace in suffering that it is the verye true doctrine of Iesus Christ of hys Church of hys Prophets Apostles al good men so that if an Aungel shoulde come from heauen and preache otherwyse the same were accursed Therefore wauer not deare hart in the Lord but bee confyrmed in it and as youre vocation requireth when God so wil confesse it though it be perillous so to do The ende shall euidenlye shewe an other manner of pleasure for so doing then tounge can tell Be diligence in prayer and watche therein Vse reuerente reading of Gods worde Set the shortnes of this time before your eies let not the eternitie that is to come depart out of your memorye Practyse in doing that you learne by reading hearing Decline frō euil pursue good Remember thē that be in bondes especially for the Lordes cause as members of your body and fellowe heyres of grace Forget not the afflictions of Sion and the oppression of Ierusalem and god our father shall geue you hys continuall blessing through Christe oure Lorde who guyde vs as hys deare children for euer Amen And thus I take my Vale and farewell wyth you deare brother for euer in thys present lyfe tyl we shal meete in eternall blisse whether our good God and father bring vs shortly Amen God blesse all your babes for euer Amen Oute of pryson thys .8 of Februarye Your afflicted brother for the Lordes cause Iohn Bradford A letter writen to hys Mother as a farewell when he thoughte he shoulde haue suffered shortlye after TThe Lord of lyfe and Sauiour of the world Iesus Christ blesse you and comfort you my good and deare Mother wyth hys heauenly comfort consolation grace and spirite nowe and for euer Amen If I thought that dayly yea almoste hourlye you dyd not crye vpon God the father throughe Iesus Christ that he woulde geue me hys blessing euen the blessing of his children then would I write more hereaboutes But for asmuch as herein I am certayne you are diligente and so I besech you good Mother to continue I thynke it good to write somethyng whereby thys your crying might bee furthered Furthered it wyll be if those thynges which hynder it bee taken away Among the which in that I thynke my imprisonmente is the greatest and chiefest I will there about spend thys letter and that brieflye leaste it myghte encrease the let as my good brother thys brynger can tell you You shall knowe therefore good Mother He meaneth the daūger of more streat imprisonment that might hereby folow that for my bodye thoughe it bee in an house oute of the whiche I can not come when I wyll yet in that I haue conformed my wyll to Gods wyll I finde herein lybertye enoughe I thanke God And for my lodging beddyng meate drinke Godlye
haue good cause If your welfare ioy and saluation hanged vpon any other thyng then only gods mercy and truth then might you wel be sad heauy and stand in a doubte But in that it hangeth only vpon these two tell Satan he lyeth when he would haue you to stand in a maÌ„meryng by causyng you to cast your eyes which only in thys case should be set on Christ your sweete sauiour on your selfe in some parte In dede looke on your selfe on your fayth on your loue obedieÌ„ce c. to awake you vp from securitie to styrre you vp to diligence in doyng the things apperteyning to your vocatioÌ„ but when you would be at peace wyth god and haue true consolation in your coÌ„science altogether loke vpon the goodnes of god in Christ Thynke on this commaundement which precedeth all others that you must haue no other gods but the Lorde Iehouah which is your Lord and god the which he could not be if that he dyd not pardon your synnes in very dede Remember that Christe commaundeth you to call hym father for the same entente And hereto call to mynde all the benefites of god hetherto shewed vpon you and so shal you fele in very dede that which I wyshe vnto you now and praye you to wyshe vnto me farewell or welfare in the Lord Iesus wyth whome he graunte vs shortlye to meete as hys chyldren for hys name and mercyes sake to oure eternall welfare Amen Amen Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ An other letter to Mystres A.VV. ALmighty god our heauenly father for hys christes sake encrease in vs fayth by which we may more and more see what glory and honour is reposed and safely kept in heauen for all them that beleue wyth the hart and confesse Christe and hys truthe wyth the mouthe Amen My derely beloued I remember that once heretofore I wrote vnto you a Vale or a farewell vpon coniecture but now I wryte my farewell to you in thys lyfe in dede vpon certaine knowledge My staffe standeth at the dore I continually looke for the Shiriffe to come for me and I thank God I am ready for hym Now go I to practise that which I haue preached Now am I climing vp the hil it wil cause me to puffe and blow before I come to the cliffe The hill is stepe and high my breath is short and my strength is feble pray therfore to the lord for me that as I haue now through hys goodnes euen almost come to the toppe I may by hys grace be strengthned not to rest til I come where I should be Oh louing Lord put out thy hande and drawe me vnto thee for no man coÌ„meth but he whome the father draweth Se my derely beloued gods louing mercy he knoweth my short breath and great weakenes As he sent for Helias a fâ—ry chariote so sendeth he for me for by fyre my drosse muste be purifyed that I may be fine gold in hys syghte Oh vnthankefull wretche that I am Lorde do thou forgeue me myne vnthankfulnes In dede I confesse ryghte deare to me in the lord that my synnes haue deserued hell fyre much more then thys fyer But loe so louyng is my Lorde that he conuerteth the remedye for my synnes the punishmente for my transgressions into a testimoniall of hys truth and a testification of hys verity which the Prelates doe persecute in me and not my synnes therfore they persecute not me but Christ in me which I doubte not wyl take my part vnto the very ende Amen Oh that I had so open an harte as coulde so receiue as I should do this great benefite and vnspeakable dignitye which God my father offreth to me Now pray for me my derely beloued pray for me that I neuer shrinke I shal neuer shrynke I hope I trust in the Lorde I shal neuer shrinke for he that alwayes hath taken my parte I am assured wil not leaue me when I haue most nede for hys truth merties sake Oh Lord helpe me into thy handes I commende me wholy In the Lorde is my my truste I care not what man can do vnto me Amen My derely beloued say you Amen also and come after if so god call you Be not ashamed of the gospell of Christ but kepe company wyth hym stil He wyll neuer leaue you but in the myddest of temptation wil geue you an outscape to make you able to beare the brunte Vse harty prayer reuerently reade and heare gods worde put it in practise looke forthe crosse lift vp your heades for your redeÌ„ption draweth nigh know that the death of gods saintes is precious in hys syght be mery in the Lorde pray for the mitigation of gods heauy displeasure vpon our countrey God kepe vs for euer God blesse vs wyth his spirituall blessynges in Christ And thus I bydde you farewell for euer in thys present lyfe Pray for me praye for me for gods sake pray for me God make perfecte hys good worke begonne in me Amen Out of prison this 7. of February Yours in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ To certayne godlye men relieuers and helpers of hym and others in theyr imprisonmente THe peace of Christ which passeth all pleasure and worldly felicity be daily more and more felte in your hartes my right derely beloued in the Lord by the inwarde workyng of the holy spirite the earnest of our inheritaunce and guider of gods electe wyth the whyche god our dere father more more endue vs al vnto the ende for hys beloued sonnes sake our lord Iesus Christ Amen Praysed be god the father of our lord Iesus Christ which is a father of mercy a god of al consolation that hath blessed you with the knowlege loue of his truth not only to your own coÌ„fortes but also the great ease coÌ„fort of many which without the helpe of god by you hetherto had bene in much more misery By your releuing the lordes prisoners I am brought to see the rote wherof the worke doth spring euen the knowlege loue of gods truth wherfore we are in haÌ„des The which knowledge loue in that it is a blessyng of all blessings the greatest for it is euen eternal life Ioh. 17 I caÌ„not but praise god for you on this behalfe that it hath pleased hym to much you worthy so excelleÌ„t singuler a benefit which is more to be estemed desired cared for theÌ„ any thyng els The world for al that euer it hath caÌ„not attayne by any meanes to this blessing which God our father hath geueÌ„ you freely of his own good wil through christ eueÌ„ before ye were purposed to desire it Therfore I besech you al to be thankful with me to reioyce in the lord For if he haue geueÌ„ vs such a gift vnasked vndesired yea vnthought vpoÌ„ how can it be the he wil deny vs any good thing now which may be necessary for vs Wil he trow ye sowe his sede in the ground of your hartes
them they harken vnto me and to no straungers and I geue them euerlastyng lyfe Iohn 10 for they shall not be loste nor no man shall plucke them out of my handes no nor yet this flatte ryng world wyth al his vayne pleasures nor any Tyranne wyth his great threates and stoute bragges can once moue them out of the way of eternall lyfe What consolation and coÌ„fort may we haue more pleasaunt and effectuous then this God is on our side and fighteth for vs he suffereth he smarteth is afflicted with vs. As the world can do nothing against his might Esay 4 neither in takyng away or diminishing of hys glory nor putting him from his celestial throne so can it not harme nor hurte any one of his chyldren without his good wyll Ephesi 5 for we are members of hys bodye out of his flesh and of his bones and as deare to him as the apple of his eye Let vs therfore with an earnest fayth set fast hold and sure feeling vpon the promises of God in the gospel and let vs not be sundred from the same by any teÌ„ptation tribulation or persecution Let vs consider the verity of god to be inuincible inuiolable and immutable promising and geuing vs his faythfull souldiours life eternall It is he onely that hath deserued it for vs it is his only benefite and of his only mere mercy vnto hym only must we render thaÌ„kes Let not therfore the vayne fantasies and dreames of meÌ„ the folish gauds and toyes of the world nor the crafty delusions of the deuil driue separate vs from our hope of the crown of righteousnes that is laid vppe in store for vs against the last day Oh that happy and mery last day I meane to the faythfull when Christ by hys couenaunt shall graunte and geue vnto them that ouercome and kepe hys wordes to the ende that they maye ascende and sit in seate with him as he hath ascended and sitteth on throne wyth hys father The same body and soule that is now wyth Christ afflicted shal then be wyth Christ glorified nowe in the butchers handes as shepe appointed to die 2. Timo. 2. then sitting at gods table wyth Christ in hys kyngdom as gods honourable and dere childerne where we shall haue for earthly pouerty heauenlye riches for hunger and thirst saturitye of the pleasaunt presence of the glory of God Psalm 16. for sorrowes troubles and colde irons celestial ioyes and the company of Aungels and for a bodely death lyfe eternall Oh happy soules oh precious death and euermore blessed righte deare in the eyes of god to you the spring of the Lord shall euer be florishyng Then as sayth Esay the redemed shall returne come againe into Sion praysing the Lord and eternall mercyes shal be ouer their heades they shall obtaine myrthe and solace sorrowe and woe shall be vtterly vanquished yea I am euen he sayeth the Lord that in all things geueth you euerlastyng consolation To whom with the Father and the holy ghost be glory and prayse for euer Amen Robert Samuell An other letter written to the Christian coÌ„gregation called the fayth of Robert Samuell The beliefe of the hart iustifyeth and to knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe Rom. 10. Feare not the curse of men be not afrayde of theyr blasphemies and reuilinges for wormes and mothes shall eate them vppe lyke cloth and woll but my ryghteousnesse shall endure for euer and my sauing healthe from generation to generation Esay 51. COnsidering with my self these perillous times 2. Timo. 3. perishing daies the vnconstant and miserable state of man the decay of our fayth the sinister reporte false slauÌ„der of gods most holy word these vrgent causes in coscience do constrayne me to confesse acknowledge my fayth and meanyng in Christes holy religion as S. Peter teacheth me saying 1. pet 3 be readye alwayes to geue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you and that with mekenes feare hauing a good coÌ„science that wheÌ„ they backbite you as euill doers they may be ashamed for asmuche as they haue falselye accused your good conuersation in Christe As touching my doctrine for that litle talent that god hath geuen me god I take to recorde mine own conscience mine auditorie knoweth that I neither in doctrine nor maners willinglye taughte any other thing then I receaued of the holy Patriarckes Prophets Christ hys Apostles For it were not only sinne but also the very part of a cursed miscreant to deny to belye or betray the innoceÌ„cie of that heaueÌ„ly doctrine or to be ashamed to coÌ„fesse staÌ„d to the defence of the same Mar. 8. seing the christ plaÌ„ted it with his most precious blood and all good men haue more estemed the true infallible word of god then al this transitorye worlde or their own mortal liues And I beleue this doctrine of the Patriarkes Prophets Christ hys Apostles to be sufficient absolutely perfect to enstruct teach me al the holy church of oure duties towards god the magistrates our neighbours Fyrst principally I do assuredly beleue wtout any douting that there is one deitie or diuine essence infinite substaÌ„ce which is both called is in dede god euerlasting vnbodely vnpartable vnmeasurable in power wisdome goodnesse the maker preseruer of al things as wel visible as inuisible yet there be three distinct persons al of one godhead or diuine being of al one power coequal coÌ„substantial coeternall the father the sonne the holy ghost I beleue in god the father almighty c. As touching god the father of heaueÌ„ I beleue as much as holy scripture teacheth me to beleue The father is the first person in trinitie Ephesi â— first cause of our saluation which hath blessed vs with al maner of blessings in heaueÌ„ly things by Christ which hath choseÌ„ vs before the fouÌ„dations of the worlde were layd that we should be holy without blame before him who hath predestinate vs ordeyned vs to be his childreÌ„ of adoption through Christ Iesu Act. 17. Psal 176. In him as it is sayd we liue we moue haue our being he nourisheth feedeth geueth meate to euery creature And in Iesus Christ hys onely sonne oure lord I beleue that the word that is the sonne of god the second person in trinitie did take mans nature in the wombe of the most blessed virgin Mary Heb. 1. So that there be in hym .ii. natures a diuine nature an humaine nature in the vnitie of persoÌ„ inseperable conioyned knyt in one Christ truly god trulye maÌ„ the expresse perfect image of the inuisible god wherin the wil of god the father shineth apparantly wherin maÌ„ as it were in a glasse maye behold what he ought to do that maye please god the father Borne of the virgin Mary â—â—trulye
shew ourselues feareful souldiours as it is manifestly declared in the Reuelaciō of S. Iohn where it is written Apo. 2. that the fearefull shall haue their part wyth the vnbeleuing and abhominable in the lake that burneth wyth fire and brimstone which is the seconde death Apoc. 3 Againe it is written in the same booke for our warnyng because thou art betwixt both and neyther cold nor whote I wyll spewe the out of my mouth Now therfore good christians these true testimonies of gods liuely worde depely considered and wayed lette vs chiefly stand in awe of hys most terrible iudgementes Esay 8. Prouer. 3. and be not as they that presumptuously tempt hym Let him alway be our feare dread He now chasteneth he nowe nurtereth vs for our profite delightyng in vs euen as a louyng father in hys beloued childe Heb. 12 1. Cor. 11 2. Reg. 7. to make vs perfect and to haue vs to be pertakers of his holynes He now iudgeth vs not vtterly takyng away hys euerlastyng loue and mercy from vs as he dothe from the malignaunt and wycked that we should not be condemned wyth the wycked world but if we now refuse hys most louing chastising followe the world we must nedes haue our portiō wyth the world Wyde is the gate broad is the way which leadeth to destructiō Math. 7 and many there be which go in therat But straite is the gate narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life and few there be that fynde it Oh how much better is it to go thys narrow way wyth the people of god then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a tyme. In consideration whereof let vs wythout anye more slackyng and further delayes in thys great warnyng by gods louyng visitation submit our selues betime vnder hys myghty hand 1. pet 5 that he maye exalte vs when the tyme is come And thus I wholy committe you to hym and to the worde of his grace which is able to build further beseching you most hartely to pray for me that I may be strong through the power of hys might and stande perfect in all thynges beyng alwais prepared and redy lokyng for the mercye of our lord vnto eternal rest and I will pray for you as I am most bound So I trust he wil graciously heare vs for hys promise sake made vnto all faithfull in his dearely beloued sonne Christ our alone Sauiour whose grace be with your spirit most deare Christians for euer So be it By your Christian brother Iohn Hullyer a prisoner of the Lorde ¶ Iohn Hullyer beyng of longe tyme prysoner and now openly iudged to dye for the testimony of the lord Iesus wysheth hartely to the whole congregation of God the strength of hys holy spirite to theyr euerlasting health both of body and soule I Now most dere christians hauyng the swete comforte of gods sauing health and beyng confirmed wyth hys free spirit be he only praysed therefore am constrayned in my conscience thinkyng it my very duety to admonish you as ye tender the saluation of your soules by al maner of meanes to separate your selues from the companye of the Popes hirelinges consideryng what is said in the reuelation of S. Iohn Apo. 14. by the Aungel of god touching al men The words be these If any man worship the beast and hys image and receyue hys marke in his forehead or in hys hand the same shall drynke the wyne of the wrath of God which is poured into the cup of his wrath and he shall be punished with fyre and brimstone before the holy aungels and before the lambe and the smoke of theyr tormēt ascendeth vp euermore Marke well here good christians who is this beast and worshippers that shal be pertakers of that vnspeakable torment This beast is none other but the carnall and fleshly kingdome of Antichrist the Pope wyth hys rable of false Prophetes and ministers as it is most manifest the which to maintayn their high titles worldly promotions and dignities do with much crueltye daily more and more set forth and establish their owne traditions decrees and decretals contrary to gods holy ordinaunces statutes lawes and commaundements and wholy repugnant to hys syncere pure religion and true worshippyng Nowe what doe they elles but worshippe thys beast and hys image which after they had once already escaped from the fylthines of the world 2. peter 2. through the knowlege of the lord and Sauioure Iesus Christe are yet again tāgled therin and ouercome vsing dissimulation vnfaithfully for feare of their displeasure doing one thyng outwardlye and thinkyng inwardlye an other so hauing them in reuerence vnder a cloke and colour to whom they ought not so much as to say god spede Iohn 3. adioining themselues to the malignaūt congregatiō which they ought to abhorre as a dēne of theues murtherers Iohn 10 EZe 16 as the brothel house of most blasphemous fornicators whose voices being contrary to christes voice if they were of his flocke they would not know but wold fly frō thē as he himself being the good shepehard of our soules doth ful wel in his holy gospel testify Iohn 10. Agayn what do they els I pray you but receiue the beastes marke in their foreheades in their hands which do beare a faire face and coūtenance outwardly in supporting them as other do being ashamed openly to confesse christ and his holy gospel But this fainednes dissimulatiō Mar. 18. christ and hys gospel wil in no wise allow of whō it is said whosoeuer shal be ashamed of me my words in this adulterous and synful generation Luke 9. of him also shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he shal come in the glory of his father with his holy angels Therfore sayth almighty god by his prophet Malachy Mala. 1. Heb. 6 cursed be the dissēblers Ye wer once syghtned and tasted of the heauenly gift were become partakers of the holy ghost tasted of the word of god and of the power of the world to come Luk. 6. 2. Iohn 2. And our Sauiour Christ sayth no man that putteth his hand to the plough and loketh backe is apt for the kingdom of god Therfore S. Iohn the Apostle vseth this for a manifest token that the backesliding frō the true teachers of gods word declareth euidētly that they be not of the nūber of them For sayth he they went out frō vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs no dout they would haue cōtinued wyth vs. Surely so long as we vse dissimulatiō to play on both handes we are not in the light For whatsoeuer is manifest Ephe. 4 the same is light as the elect vessel of god S. Paul witnesseth Wherfore good christiās for gods most dere loue deceiue not your selues through your own wisdō through the wisdō of the world which is folishnes before god but certify
my answere of the Maisters cōtrarye to the lawes of the Realme they hauyng neither statute lawe proclamation letter warrante nor commaundement for my apprehension They would haue layed al the matter vpon the Summer Who being examined denyed it before theyr faces as one of my frendes told me saying that he had no comaundemente concerning me but for my elder brother God lay not their extreme doinges agaynste me to their charge at the great day The second day after the bishops coming to Couentry M. Warren came to the Yeldhaule willed the chiefe Iayler to cary me to the Byshop I layed to M. Warrens charge the cruell seekyng of my death and when he woulde haue excused hym self I tolde hym he coulde not wype hys hands so he was as giltye of my blood before God as though he had murthered me with his own hands And so he parted frō me saying I nede not to feare If I wold be of his beliefe God open hys eyes if it be his will and geue hym grace to beleue thys which he all of hys inclination shall finde I feare to true for their partes that is that all they whiche cruelly maliciously and spytefully persecute molest afflict the mēbers of Christ for their conscience sake and for the true testimonye of Christes word and cause them most vniustly to be slayne and murthered without spedy repentance shal dwel with the deuil hys Angels in the fiery lake euerlastingly where they shall wysh desire crye call but in vaine as their ryghte companion Epulo did to be refreshed of them Luk. 16 whom in this world they contemned despised disdayned as slaues misers and wretches When I came before the Byshop in one Dentons house he began wyth this protestation that he was my bishop for for lacke of a better and willed me to submit my selfe I said to hym I am not come to accuse my selfe what haue you to lay to my charge He asked me whether I was learned I answered smally learned M. Chaūcelor standyng by sayd I was a maister of Arte. Then my Lord layd to my charge my not commyng to the curch Here I myght haue dalyed wyth hym and put hym to his proofes for asmuch as I had not bene for a long season in hys diocesse neither was anye of the Citizens hable to proue any suche matters against me Notwythstandyng I aunswered him thorough gods merciful helpe that I neither had nor would come at their church as long as their masse was vsed there to saue if I had thē v. hundreth liues I wylled hym to shew me one iote or tytle in the scripture for the profe and defence of the masse He answered he came to teach and not to be taught I was cōtēt I told him to learne of hym so farre as he was able to teach me by the word of god Who shal iudge the worde said my Lorde I answered Christ was content that the people should iudge hys doctryne by searchyng the scriptures and so was Paule me thynketh ye should clayme no further priuiledge or preeminence then they had I offered hym further that I was contente the primitiue church next to the Apostles tyme shoulde iudge betwixt hym and me He refused also to be iudged by that Then he was my Bishop he said and therfore I must beleue hym If you saye blacke is whyte my lord must I also say as you saye and beleue the same because you say it is so M. Chauncelour noted me to be arrogant because I would not geue place to my byshop I said to my lord if you wil be beleued because you be a byshop why fynd you fault wyth the people that beleued M. Latymer M. Rydley M. Hoper and the residue of them that were bishops He aunswered because they were heretykes And may not you erre quoth I as wel as they I loked for learnyng at my lordes hand to persuade me and he oppressed me onely wyth hys authority He sayd I dissēted from the church and asked me where my churche was before kynge Edwardes tyme. I desired hym to shewe me where their churche was in Helias tyme and what outward shew it had in christes tyme. My lord said that Helias complaint was onely of the tenne tribes that fell from Dauids house whom he called heretykes You be not able to shew said I any prophets that the other ij tribes had at the same tyme. My lorde makyng no aunswer to that M. Rogers one of the maisters of the City commeth in the meane season taking vpon hym as though he would aunswere to the text But my lord forthwith commaūded me to be committed to some toure if they had any besides the cōmon Iaile saying he wold at the end of hys visitatiō of his diocesse wede out such wolues M. Rogers wylled hym to content hymselfe for that night tyll they had taken further order for me Euē where it pleaseth you said I to my lord I am contēt so I was returned at that tyme to the commō Iayle again from whence I came On the Friday mornyng beyng the next day after I had warning by one of the prisoners to prepare my selfe to ride wyth my fellow prisoners the same day to Lychfield there to be bestowed at the bishops pleasure Which tidings at the firste somethyng discouraged me fearyng lest I should by the meanes of my great sicknes through extreme handling which I loked for haue died in the pryson before I should come to my aunswer But I rebuked immediatly with gods worde this infidelity in my selfe and by the same corrected myne owne mistrust and fantasy after this manner What make I of God Is not his power as great in Lichfield as in Couentry Doth not hys promyse extend as wel to Lichfielde as to Couentry was he not with Abacucke Daniel Misach and Ieremy in their moste daungerous imprisonments He knoweth what things we haue nede of He hath numbred all the heares of our head The sparow falleth not on the groūd wtout our heauēly fathers wil much more wyl he care for vs if we be not faithlesse whō he hath made worthy to be witnesses of his truth So long as we put our trust in hym we shall neuer be destitute of hys helpe neyther in pryson neyther in sicknes nor in healthe neyther in life nor in death neither before kynges nor before bishops nor the Deuill hymselfe muche lesse one of hys ministers shal be able to preuayle agaynst vs. wyth such lyke meditations I waxed chereful and of good consolation and cōfort So that hearyng one say that they could not prouide horses enough for vs I sayd let them cary vs in a donge carte for lacke of horses if they list I am well content for my part Notwithstandyng at the requeste of my frendes I wrote to maister Maior and hys bretherne briefly requiring them that I might make aunswer here to such thynges as shoulde be layde to my charge but I receyued no aunswer of my
reuerent obediēce vnto her in al godlines Be not vnkind nor vnthākful Praye for her preseruation cōtinuance amongest you Pray that she may be an ensample to you in al the waies of the Lord. And how ye may be haue your selues towards god your mother and al other estates and degrees let alwayes gods word be your rule Exercise your selues therin night and day ioyning alwaies praier therewith God send you a good guide good passage if it be his wil out of this idolatrous blody realm And as Christ cōmitted his mother to Iohn so I cōmit you in this world to the Angell of God Augustine Bernher Hys aduertisement if you wil folow I trust you shal not decline frō the feare of god Be thankful for him cease not to pray for hys preseruation And thus I cōmit al aswell seruaunts as wife children to the merciful tuition of our most mercifull god and father to his deare sonne our onely Sauiour Iesus Christ with the holy ghoste the comforter to hym be al prayse now and for euer Amen I hartely forgeue you al and doubt not but that you do the same to me Robert Glouer Be faythfull vnto the death and I will geue thee the crowne of lyfe Apoc. 2. ⧠Letters of Robert Smyth one of the Chappell at Wyndsor who as a true and constant witnes of Gods woorde which he most faythfullye had professed was cruellye Martyred at Vrbridge the .14 daye of Auguste In the yeare of oure Lorde 1555. To all them whiche loue God vnfaynedlye and entend to lead a Godly lyfe accordyng to hys gospell and to perseuer in his truth vnto the end grace and peace from God the father and from our Lorde Iesus Christ Amen BE not afraid most dearely beloued in our Sauiour Iesus Christ at these most perilous daies This letter is thought of some to be M. Hopers partely for that in one copie amonges diuers it is entitled vnto him and also by the phrase and manner of writing it may be well coniectured so to be wherein by the sufferaunce of God the prince of darkenes is brokē lose and rageth in hys members agaynst the elect of god with all crueltye to sette vp againe the kingdome of Antichrist agaynst whom see that ye be strong in fayth to resiste hys moste deuelyshe doctrine with the pure Gospell of God armynge your selues with pacience to abyde what soeuer shall bee layde to your charge for the truthes sake knowing that thereunto ye be called not onelye to beleue in him but also to suffer for him Oh howe happye are ye that in the syght of God are counted worthye to suffer for the testimonye of Christe Quyet therefore your selues Oh my louynge brethren and reioyce in hym for whome ye suffer for vnto you doe remayne the vnspeakeable ioyes which neyther the eye hath sene nor the eare hath heard neyther the harte of man is hable to comprehend in any wise Be not afrayd of the bodely death Apo. 17. for your names are wrytten in the booke of life And the Prophette doth recorde Psalm 115. that in the fighte of the Lorde precious is the death of hys Sainctes Watche therefore and praye that ye be not preuented in the day of temptation Nowe commeth the daye of your tryall wherein the waters rage Matth. 7. and the stormye windes blowe Nowe shall it appeare whether ye haue builded vppon the fleting sande Ephe. 2 or vpon the vnmoueble rocke Christe whiche is the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets whereon euery house that is builded groweth into an holy temple of the Lorde by the mightye woorking of the holye ghoste Nowe approcheth the daye of your battaile wherin it is required that ye shewe your selues the valiaunte souldiours of Iesus Christe 2. Tim 8 Ephe. 6 phil 2 Heb. 12. Col. ◠wyth the armoure of God that ye maye be hable to stande faste againste all the craftye assaultes of the deuill Christe is your Captayne and ye be hys souldiours whose cognisance is the crosse to the which he willingly humbled hym selfe euen vnto the death and thereby spoyled his enemies and nowe triumpheth he ouer them in the glorye of his father making intercession for them that here doe remayne to suffer the afflictions that are to bee fulfilled in his misticall bodye Pet. 5. It behoueth therefore euery one that will be counted hys scholer to take vppe his owne crosse and followe hym as ye haue him for an ensample and I assure you that he being on your side nothing shall be hable to preuaile againste you And that he will be with you euen to the worldes ende ye haue his promise in the .28 of Mathewe He will goe forth with his hoste as a conquerer to make a conquest He is the man that sitteth on the whyte horse Apoc. 6 1. Cor. 1. crowned with immortalitie and ye brethren are hys felowshippe whereof he is the heade He hath your harte in hys hande as a bowe bente after his godlye will he shall direct the same according to the ryches of hys glory into al spirituall and heauenly cogitations He is faythfull 1 Cor i◠and wil not suffer you to be further assaulted thē he wil geue you strēgth to ouercome and in the most daunger he will make a way that ye maye be hable to beare it Shrynke not therefore deare hartes when ye shall hee called to aunsweare for the hope that is in you i. Pet. 3. for we haue the comforter Luk. 13. Act. 2. psalme 52. euen the spirite of truth whiche was sente from the heauens to teach vs. He shall speake in vs he shall strengthen vs what is he then that shall be able to confoūd vs Nay what Tiranne is he that now boasteth hym selfe of hys strengthe to doe mischiefe whom the Lord shall not with the same spirite by the mouthe of hys seruauntes stryke downe to hell fyre Yea sodainly will the Lorde brynge downe the glorye of the proude Philistians by the handes of hys seruaunte Dauid Their strengthe is in speare and shielde ◠Regū 17. psal 6. 2. Cor. 6 Heb. 8. Psalm 32. but oure helpe is in the name of the Lorde whiche made both heauen and earth He is our buckler and our wall a stronge tower of defence He is oure God and we are his people He shal bryng the counsels of the vngodlye to nought He shall take them in their owne nette He shal destroye them in their owne inuentions The ryghte hande of the Lorde shall woorke thys wonder Psalm 117. Psalm 52. psal 65. Hys power is knowen amonge the children of men ▪ Their fathers haue felt it and are confounded In lyke maner shall they knowe that there is no counsell agaynste the Lorde when their secretes are opened to the whole worlde and are founde to be agaynst the liuyng God Woorke they neuer so craftelye Gene. 12. builde they neuer so stronglye yet downe shall
slea hys brother Moste manifest examples agaynst the parentes 1. Reg. 3. for the offences of theyr childrē Contrariwse how greatly myght Hānah reioyce ouer Samuell her sonne 2. Reg. 13 whom she had broughte vp in the house of the Lord What thanks should Tobias wife geue for her sonne Toby 3e Reg. 1 How happy was Salomon to be taught by the prophete Nathan But aboue all wydowes thryse blessed was the happy mother of seuen sonnes that so had instructed thē in the feare of God ◠Mach. 7 that by no torments they would shrynke from the loue of hys truth Of the laste parte Sainct Paule sheweth that a widow shoulde be chosen if she haue nouryshed her chylderne yf she haue bene lyberall to straungers yf she haue washed the saintes fete and yf she haue ministred to them in aduersitie Herein it is euident how earnestly Saint Paule would haue wydowes bent towardes the poore for that as thoughe they onelye had bene therfore mete he apointed onely wydowes to minister vnto the Saintes and to gather for the poore Which vse also continued almost throughout the primitiue church that wydowes had the charge and gatheryng for poore men and straungers Of your neighbours I nede not to put you in remembraunce seyng you daily fede them wyth good hospitality by which meanes also many foreiners are of your relieued but of the poore almes houses myserable prysoners here in London manye lackyng their libertye wythoute cause some vnder the colour of religion some only kept for fees and some on priuate mens displeasure Alas that Christe so hungreth and no man wil fede hym is so sore opprest wyth thrust and no man wyl geue hym to drynke destitute of all lodgyng and not releued naked and not clothed sicke and not visited emprisoned and not sene In tyme paste men could bestowe large summes of money on copes vestmēts and ornaments of the church Why rather follow we not Saint Ambrose example which solde the same to the reliefe of the poore or Chrisostomes commaundement whyche wylleth fyrste to decke and garnyshe the lyuyng temple of God But alas suche is the wyckednes of these oure laste dayes that nothyng moueth vs neither the pure doctryne the godlines of lyfe nor good exāples of the aunciēt fathers If in any thyng they erred yf they haue written any thing that serueth for sectes and dissention that wyll their charitable children embrace publish and mayntayne wyth sword fagotte and fire But all in vayne they striue agaynste the streame For though in despyte of the truthe by force of the ores of craftye persuasion they maye bryng themselues into the hauen of hell yet can they not make all men beleue that the bankes moue whiles the shyppe sayleth nor euer shal be able to turne the directe course of the streame of gods truthe Our Lord Iesus Christe strengthen you in all pure doctryne and vpright lyuyng and geue you grace vertuously to bryng vp your chyldren and family and carefullye to prouyde for the poore and oppressed Amen At Newgate the .20 of Ianu. 1556. Your assured Bartelet Grene. To my very louyng frendes and maysters M. Goring M. Farneham M. Fletewode M. Roses wel M. Bell M. Hussey M. Calthorpe ▪ M. Boyer and other my Maisters of the Temple Bartelet Grene wissheth health of body and soule VEry frendes are they which are knit together wyth the knotte of Charity Charity dothe not decay but increase in them that dye faythfullye Whereof it followeth that though we be absent in body yet are we present in spirite coupled together wyth the vnitie of fayth in the bond of peace which is loue How is be worthy the name of a frend that measureth hys friendship wyth the distance of place or partyng of persons If thy frende be out of sight is thy frendship ended If he be gone into the coūtrey wilt thou cease to loue hym If he be passed the seas wilt thou so forsake him If he be caried into heauen is charity hyndred therby On the one syde we haue the vse of the fathers from the primatiue church that gaue thākes for their frends that died in the fayth to proue that charity died not wyth death On the other side saith Horace Coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt What speake I of Horace Saith not S. Paule the same thyng For we are mēbers of hys body of hys fleshe and of hys blood yea we are members one of another Is the hande or arme foote or legge a member when it is disseuered from the body How can we be members except we be ioyned together What is the line that coupleth vs but loue When all thinges shall fayle loue fayleth neuer Hope hath his ende when we get that we hoped for Fayth is fynyshed in heauen Loue endureth for euer loue I say that procedeth of charity For carnall loue when that which he loued is lost doth peryshe wyth the flesh Neither was that euer but fleshly loue which by distaunce of place or seueryng of bodies is parted a sunder If loue be the end or sūme of the lawe yf heauen and earth shal perishe if one iote of gods word shall not decay why should we thynke that loue lasteth not euer I nede not to wryte much to you my frends neyther can I haue leysure now that the kepers are risen But thys I say if we kept Christes commaundement in louyng eche other as he loued vs then should our loue be euerlastyng Thys frendshyp Paule felt when it moued hym to say that neyther length nor bredth meaning no distance of place neither height nor depth should seuer him from the loue of Christe Wey well thys place and mete it wyth Paules measures so shall you finde that if oure loue bee vnfayned it can neuer be ended Nowe maye you saye why writest thou this Forsoth to the end that if our frendship be stable you may accomplish thys the last requeste of your frende performe after my death the frendship we beganne in our life that amitie may encrease vntil god make it perfect at our next meting together Maister Fletewode I besech you remēber Wittrance Cooke two singular mē amōges cōmon prisoners Maister Fernhā M. Bel with M. Hussey as I hope wil dispatche Palmer and Richardson with his companions I praye you M. Calthrop thinke on Iohn Groue an honest poore man Traiford and Rice Aprice his accōplices My Cosin Thomas Witton a scriuener in Lomberd strete hath promised to further their deliuerye at the least he can instruct you which way to worke I dout not but that Maister Boyer will laboure for the good wyfe Cooper for shee is worthye to be holpen and Gerard the Frenchman There be also diuerse other wel disposed men whose deliuerance if ye will not labour for yet I humbly besech you to seke their reliefe as you shall see cause namely of Henry Aprice Lancelote Hobbes Lother Homes Carre and Buckingham a yong man
you the most swete and heauēly consolations of the holy ghost To him therfore who is able to do exceding aboūdātly aboue al that euer we can desire or thinke I do most hartely cōmit you with al the rest of your godly prison fellowes who comfort strengthen and defend you wyth hys grace and mighty operatiō of his holy spirit as he hath he therto done that you hauing a most glorious victory ouer the suttle Serpēt and all his wicked sede may also receiue the crown of glory immortalitie prepared for you before the foūdations of the world wer laid is so surely kept for you in the hands of him whose promise is vnfaflible that the Deuill sinne death or hell shall neuer be able to depriue you of the same The blessyng of God be with you now and for euermore Amen Pray pray pray for me Your owne for euer Iohn Careles ¶ To my derely beloued in the lord Mystres A. K. THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the helpe comfort and assistaunce of his most pure and holy spirite be wyth you my moste deare Syster to the performaunce of that he hath so graciously begon in you that it maye be to hys glory the profit of hys churche and your eternall comfort in hym Amen As I am ryght sory at my poore hart O worshipfull Matrone that any afflictiōs or passiōs of heauines should trouble your godly and louing hart vnto the which I wish vnfainedly all godly ioye quietnes euē so am I glad and geue god most harty thankes that he of hys great goodnes hath vsed me poore wretched miser by any meanes to be an occasion of the increase of your godlye mirthe and gladnes But O my good and faithfull Syster I see wherabout you go You play wyth me as a good louyng mother doth with her vnwilling child When it dothe any thyng at her desyre she prayseth it and maketh her selfe glad therof that it maye take courage to do better and be more willing against an other tyme. Euen so do you right reuerend Matrone make your selfe glad of my symple doinges to comforte encourage me to cōtinue in that which is good and to grow and go forwarde willingly in the same God for Christes sake geue me hys grace that in all thinges I maye satisfye your godly expectation that I may do some honour to hys heauenly doctrine And as you haue greatly comforted me with your most godly and louyng letter euen so I beseche you to assiste me with your faythful and harty praier as I dout not but you do for I feele the present helpe therof praised be God therfore God make me thankeful for you my deare Syster and also mindfull of my duetye towardes you all other the lordes elect children Ah my deare and faithfull hart in the Lorde how much and how depely am I bound to prayse god for you and to geue hym thankes day and night on your good behalfe Oh happy are you that euer you were borne the God wil so mightely be magnified in you O blessed woman that so surely beleuest and hast so plentifully tasted of gods holy spirit that out of thy wōbe doe flow the ryuers of the water of lyfe to whō god hath made manifest that myght of his meruelous mercy and hath geuen consolatiō in the same so that you are able of your own good experiēce to comfort others in all their afflictions which thyng I can wytnes I praise god therfore in that I do depely tast fele of the same God for christes sake recompence the same all other your good doinges seuen folde into your bosome as I doute not but he wil do according to hys promise God make me suche a one as you report me to be that my frutes might take suche effect as you speake of But alas I am a great horrible most greuous sinner therefore I feare me god be angry with me for presuming to take his word in my mouth God hide my sinnes from the sight of the world that I be not a slaūder to his truth But it is you O dere daughter of Abrahā whiche doe so loue liue the gospel that I other are more confirmed in the truth therof by your good example God hath at thys day in hys poore afflicted church a sort of worthy women which do him and his such seruice as is acceptable in hys sight I speake of experience I prayse god therfore and not to the ende to flatter you or any other the lord is my witnes God for my sinnes hath taken from me the companye of godly learned men to my great grief and heauy discomfort but of his great goodnes mercy he doth supply my spiritual lacke by the good ministery of godly vertuous womē Of which faithful labourers in the gospel whose names are writē in the boke of life my derely beloued Sister you are not the least The lord be thāked for you blessed be the time that euer I knew you for your loue faithful amity is to me a sure signe seale of gods loue mercy Oh dere lord what am I vpon whō thou shouldest vouchsafe to shew such great tokens of thine inestimable loue kindnes Oh faithful father forgeue me my great ingratitude sinnes Oh let me be no lōger negligent in doing my duty towardes thy dere childrē whiche thou haste lincked in loue wyth me knitting oure hartes together in a perfecte bonde of Christian charitye wherby all men may see that we are thy Disciples O my good Syster I would you knewe what ioy cōfort I doe fele in my good christ at this presēt houre God make you partaker of the same for this which I haue partly commeth by you whom god hath vsed as his good instrumēt therto And where as you do most godly counsell me with S. Peter 1. Pet. 5 to cast all my care vpon the Lorde and to be careles not only in name but also in effecte specially in respecte of hym for whose sake I do suffer and the syncere truth which I do professe I thanke you hartely for your most godly and comfortable exhortation and I entend by gods grace to folow the same as farreforth as he shall assist me with his holy and mighty spirit wythout the which I can neither take things patiently neither reioyce vnder the crosse as I ought for to do Oh what great cause haue I to reioyce be glad the god of his great mercy infinit goodnes wil count me worthy to suffer for hys sake to beare hys swete crosse wherwyth he doth meruelously begynne to fashion me into hys owne similitude and likenes that in his glory I maye bee like him also Oh how wel may I be Careles in dede as wel as in name seyng that I haue cast my care vpon the lord hymself who I am ryght well assured by fayth careth for me hath committed me to christes safe custody which
the greate daye I haue founde great kyndnes of you God recompence you and therefore dutye doth bind me and loue doth compel me to call crye vnto you to come away from that filthy whore of Babilon and bie no more of her wicked wares Meddle not with her marchaundyse at thys market tyme of Easter for verelye her synne is alreadye ascended vppe into heauen and hath also procured Gods plagues and vengeaunce shortlye to be poured vppon her whereof you shall surelye be partakers if you doe not in time repent your backeslidyng shrinking from the Lord. Repent I say repente for the tender mercy of God and haue compassion vppon your owne soules before it bee to late Trulye deare frendes it is nowe no tyme to flatter with you neyther can I laughe at your harme whiche I see to be at hande thoughe it be hydde from your eyes as it was from the Ierosolimitanes when Christe wepte full bytterly at their merye singing c. It is not the parte of a true harte to laughe with his frend when present peryll is at hande but rather to lament to see hym so merye when he hath more cause to mourne In whiche respecte I am euen constrayned with weepyng teares to call vnto you my deare frendes of London in generall because I will name no person that you may yet take hede know the tyme also of Gods first visitatioÌ„ for sure I am that hys seconde is harde at hande Doe not you thinke to flee from hys presence for hys heuye hand will finde you out though you should hyde your selues in the very bottome of hell as the Prophette Dauid sayeth Psal 139 Thinke not then that these Romyshe rockes whereinto you daylye creepe can couer you from hys fearefull face when he shal beginne to cal you to accompte for the talent that he hath lent you It is not that your fayned excuse of feare and fragilitie of the fleshe that shall excuse your follye and flying backe from hym No no you will be euen spechles at that day when euery bodye shall spye howe you haue defyled your maryage gramente wyth the superstitions of the whore of Babilon Apoc. 7. and howe you haue wyth that greate harlotte committed fornication in the body and spirite agaynst your deare husband Christ whiche redemed you neyther with corruptible gold nor siluer 2. Pet. 1. but with hys owne moste precious harte bloode and clensed you in the fountayne of water through his woorde that you myghte bee vnto him selfe a glorious spouse and congregation Eph. 5. withoute spotte or wryncke in hys syghte Then will it appeare in the presence of Aungell man and deuil how lyke dogges you haue tourned to your vomitte agayne and as filthye swyne soyled your selues in the popyshe mier pittes and dyrte of the Romyshe dregges Repente therefore I saye agayne repente in tyme and take the earneste warnyng that GOD doth sende you by me his poore messenger willyng you to turne vnto hym before it be to late But peraduenture you will saye as the gestes dyd that were fyrst bidden to the feaste you can not so easelye forgoe your farmes your cattell goodes and landes your wyues and children c. O my deare frendes for the Lords sake lay awaye these vayne yea wicked excuses for verelye God wil in no wise accepte them Consider for Christes sake your duty towardes God in these daungerous daies Math. 3. wherin the Lorde is willing to trye the chaffe from the good corne and to purge hys store with his fanne that is his crosse that he may bring the wheate into his barne and burne the chaffe with vnquencheable fyer You are called vnto a kyngdome that must be wonne with suffering on euery side Into the which you must also enter as S. Paule sayth through many tribulations temptations and afflictions Act. 14. in that whiche you must trauell as strauÌ„gers pilgrimes in thys wretched world which is not our natiue countrey nor the place where we must rest for euer Oh theÌ„ learne to leaue all things willingly that you do here possesse and lift vp your mindes alwayes to the heauenly habitation where you shal continually remaine in ioyes vnspeakeable Repose not your felicitie in the pelfe of this world which shortly shal perish come to nought but set your harts ioy vpon the liuing god who in Christ for his sake hath geuen him self wholy to be your portion and inheritance for euer therefore of ryght ought you with gladnes to geue your selues wholy vnto him both in body and soule But that do you not so long as you seeke to serue two Maisters Math. 6. which yet you can not do as Christe affirmeth though you cloke colour and counterfeite neuer so much Do you thinke it but a smal thing for the Lord god hym selfe euen the mightye Iehouah to geue him selfe wholye to be your owne good God and moste deare louing father Do you thinke it but a light matter that he hath geuen for you eueÌ„ to the death of the crosse his own onely dere sonne Iesus Christ in whoÌ„ was is all his whole pleasure delite yea and that wheÌ„ you were his very enemies by the whiche gift he hath geuen you al thinges both in heauen in earth Do you esteme it but a trifle that he hath geueÌ„ you the holy ghost by whose power mighty operation you are made the very sonnes of god and coheyres annexed with Christ of al your fathers goods and possessions But peraduenture you will aske me who doth not seriouslye regard all these aforesayde most precious giftes Verely I say that none of you al doth regard theÌ„ that do not wholye geue ouer your selues agayne to serue him yea and that in suche holynesse ryghteousnesse as is accepted before hym For if you did dulye consider the depthe of hys aboundaunte bottomeles loue and mercye in Iesus Christe you woulde so loue hym agayne that you woulde boldly burste out and saye with S. Paule who is he or what is it that shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of God in Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 8. Read the whole Chapter and the .11 and .12 to the Hebrewes for your comfort But I knowe that some of you wyll saye doth none loue god and serue hym trulye but such as lye in pryson or geue their liues for hys sake Then God helpe vs for verye fewe shal be saued In dede deare frends eueÌ„ so our sauiour christ doth say Math. 22. Math. 7. Luk. â—2 many are called but fewe are chosen and straite is the gate that leadeth to lyfe and fewe finde it And in an other place Christ calleth his true Church a little flocke And as concerning the fyrst parte of your question Christe doth also make you a playne direct answere saying that whosoeuer will be hys Disciple Math. â—6 must nedes take vp hys crosse follow him And againe he that
comfort as I doubte not but he is I am very gladde to heare that shee doth so ioyfullye and so patientlye beare thys greate crosse that God hath layde vppon her I praye GOD strengthen her and all other hys deare Sainctes vnto the ende Amen Commende me vnto my deare and faythfull Sister Elizabeth B. I thanke her moste hartelye for my napkin and so I doe you deare brother for my sherte Trulye that daye that we were appoynted to come to oure aunsweare before the Commissioners whiche had sente worde the same morning that they woulde come to the Kynges Benche by viii of the clocke and the house and all thinges were trymmed and made ready for them I gotte that shert on my backe and that napkin in my hande and me thought that they dyd helpe to harnesse me and weapon me well to goe fighte agaynste that bloodye beaste of Babilon And truste me trulye if they hadde come I woulde haue stryken iij. strokes the more for your two sakes as well as GOD woulde haue abled me to haue sette them on as by Gods grace I will not fayle to doe at the nexte skirmyshe that I come to Wherefore I praye you praye for me that I maye be stronge and hardye to laye on good loade Oh that I myghte so strike hym downe that he shoulde neuer be able for to ryse agayne but that stroke belongeth only vnto the Lord to strike at his comming the whiche I truste will be shortly Oh hasten it good Lord and shorten these sorowful and sinnefull dayes for thy greate mercyes sake Fare well my deare and faythful brother the Lord defend kepe preserue you from the power of your enemies visible and inuisible and sende vs a moste ioyful and merye meting here or elswhere as it shall please hys goodnes to appoynt vs. In the meane space I shal most earnestly desire you to pray for me for I neuer had more nede in my life and doubtles you shal neuer want my poore prayer if it shal please god to accept the prayer of so synnefull a wretch as I am The Lord impute not my synnes to me for Iesus Christes sake vnto whose most mercifull defence I do most hartely cōmit you The blessing of God be with you now and euer Amen I pray you do my most harty commendations vnto M. Iohn Glouer I do not forget him in my daily prayers I trust he doth remember me Your pore brother alwaies mindful of you in my prayer Iohn Careles prysoner abyding gods pleasure To my deare brother Harry Adlington prysoner in the Lolardes Tower THe euerlasting peace of GOD in Iesus Christe the continuall ayde strength ioye and comforte of hys moste pure holye and mightye spirite with the encrease of fayth and liuelye feelyng of hys mercyes bee moste effectuouslye wroughte in your hart my deare and faythfull louing brother Adlington and in the hartes of all your other Godlye pryson fellowes to the full finishyng of that good woorke whiche the Lorde hath moste graciouslye begonne in you that the same maye be to the setting forth of his glorye the commoditye of hys poore afflicted Church and to your owne eternall ioye and comforte in him Amen My moste deare and faythfull louing brother in our Lord I with al the rest of my louing brethren here with me do moste humbly hartely commende vs vnto you with al faythfull remembrance of you in our daily prayers geuing god earnest thankes on your most happy behalfe for that he hath geuen you such hartye boldnesse and Christian constācye in the faithful confession of his euerlasting verity Blessed bee God for thee my dearly beloued brother which hath vouched thee worthye of so greate dignitie as to suffer for hys sake and the setting forth of his glorye Oh gladde in hart mayest thou bee to whom it is geuen not onelye to beleue in thy Lorde and Christe moste liuelye but also to suffer for hys sake as one of hys seelye shepe appoynted to the slaughter Be of good comforte therefore my good brother for your callynge vnto the crosse of Christe was after a merueilous sorte Surelye it was only the Lords appoyntmente and therefore he will well performe hys owne woorke in and vppon you to the greate magnifying of hys glorye and comforte of your brethren whose hartes are mightelye refreshed to heare howe hartelye you haue behaued your selfe hetherto Thys presente daye I receaued a letter from you at the reading whereof my brethren and I were not a litte comforted to see your conscience so quieted in Christe and your continuance so stedfaste in him whiche thinges be the speciall giftes of GOD not geuen vnto euery man but to you his deare dareling elect and chosen in Christe and suche as you be And where as you do require to know my simple minde concerning your aunsweare vnto Doctor Storye and the Chauncelour trulye I saye you did aunsweare them very well for there are but two Sacramentes in deede that is to saye the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Sacrament of the bodye and bloode of Christe as you haue full well aunsweared them praysed be God for hys good giftes who choseth the weake to confounde the stronge and the foolyshe to confounde the worldlye wyse If when you come before them againe they doe aske you what a Sacramente is saye you that a Sacramente being ministred according to Christes institution is a visible signe of an inuisible grace and hath the promyse of Gods mercye annexed vnto it auaileable to all suche as doe worthelye receaue it and not vnworthelye worshippe it as they woulde haue vs to doe contrarye to Gods commaundemente And these properties belonging to Christes true Sacramentes can not be applyed vnto anye one of those fiue Sacramentes whiche they haue inuented of their owne braine since Antichriste beganne to reigne to blinde the people with all I perceaue deare harte that vpon fridaye they do entende to condempne you and to geue you your iudgement Therefore I thinke they will haue no greate reasoning with you but bydde you aunsweare them directlye eyther yea or naye to all suche thinges as they haue to charge you with all whiche they haue gathered of you since you came into their cruell handes But if they will needes make manye woordes with you because you are but a simple man and therefore perchaunce they will be the busier with you to ttouble you with manye questions to comber your knowledge and then seeme to triumphe ouer you and that truth that you doe holde if I saye they doe thys as perhappes for some euill purpose they will then bee you so plaine and shorte as you can saying roundlye vnto them these or suche lyke woordes as nyghe as you can Bee it knowen vnto you that I in all pointes doe beleue as it becommeth a true Christian and as I haue bene truelye taughte in the daies of that good Kyng Edwarde of suche godlye Preachers and Prophetes sente of GOD as haue sealed their
doctrine with their bloode from whom I will dissente in no poynte for I am a poore man without learning but am commaunded of GOD to followe the counsel of his constante Preachers and so doe I entend to doe god geuing me grace and assistance thereto As for you I know you to be none of Christes shepeheards but rauening wolues whiche come to kill and scatter the flocke of Christe as the Lorde sayde you shoulde and doth will vs to beware of you and your poysoned doctrine bidding vs to iudge you accordyng to your fruites whereby all men maye see and knowe what you bee that will not be wilfullye blynd But the good shepeheardes haue geuen their liues for the defence of Christes flocke and I am commaunded to followe their faythfull and Godlye example and to confesse with them one truth euen to the fyre if GOD shall see it good and thys as a true Christian I haue hetherto done and hence forth by Gods grace entende for to doe And if for the same GOD shal suffer you to take away my lyfe as you haue done theirs I am contented therewith â–ª hys will bee done for that onelye is good But of thys be you sure the Lorde wil shortelye call you to accompte for all the innocente bloode that is shedde with in thys Realme which you haue brought into a most wofull case and made many a heauye harte in the same and moe I perceaue you will make so long as the Lord for our sinnes wil suffer you to prosper and vntill the time that your owne iniquitye be full rype But then be you sure the Lord will sitte in iudgement vpon you as well as you do now vpon his Saincts and will reward you according to your deseruings to whoÌ„ with my whole harte I commit my cause and he will make aunswere for me when the full tyme of my refreshyng commeth In the meane space I will keepe silence with thys that I haue sayde trusting that I haue sufficiently discharged my conscience in confessing my fayth and religion to you declaring of what Church I am euen of the catholyke Church of Iesus Christ which was wel knowen to be here in â—â—glande in our late good Kings dayes by two speciall tokens which can not deceaue me nor suffer me to be deceaued that is to say the pure preaching of his holy worde and the due administratioÌ„ of the holy sacramentes which is not to be sene in your Romyshe church and therfore it can not iustly be called the Church and spouse of Christ I beleue in the holy Trinitie and al the other articles of the Christian faith contained in the three Credes and finally al the canonicall Scripture to be true in euerye sentence And I detest al sectes both of the Arrians and Anabaptistes or any other that diuide themselues froÌ„ the true church of Christ whiche is his mysticall body the ground and piller of truth and the very house of the liuing God And if for these things you take away my life and make yourselues giltye of my blood you may for I am in your handes as the shepe brought to the Shambles abyding the grace of the Butcher And bee you sure your iudgement stepeth not but when you crye peace peace 2. Thes 5. and all is safe then shall your plagues beginne lyke the sorowes of a woman trauelyng with child according to Christes infallible promise This kinde of aunsweare my deare harte it shall bee beste for you to make and by Gods grace I doe entende to take the same order my selfe in tyme to come when the Lorde shall vouche me worthye of that greate dignitye wherunto he hath called you And if they shall laugh you to scorne as I know they wil saying thou arte a foole and an vnlearned asseheade and arte able to make aunswer to nothing c care not you for it but stil coÌ„mmit your cause vnto god who will make aunswer for you and tell them that they haue bene answered again again of diuers godly and learned men but al wil not helpe for you haue one solution for all maner of questions euen a faire fyre and fagots this will be the ende of your disputations Therfore I pray you to trouble me no more but do that which you are apointed wheÌ„ god shal permitte the time I am no better theÌ„ Christ his Apostels and other of my good bretherne that are gone before me This kind of answer wil cut their combes most and edify the people that stand by so that the same bee done coldly with sobrietie mekenes and patience as I heard say out swete bretherne Thomas HarlaÌ„d Iohn Osward did at Lewes in Suffex to the great reioycing of the childreÌ„ of god that were in those parties I heare say that they were dissolued from this earthly tabernacle at Leawes on Saterday last wer condeÌ„ned but the wednisday before so that we may perteine the papistes haue quicke worke in hand that they make such haste to haue vs home to our heauenly father Therfore let vs make our selues redy to ride in the fiery chariot 4. Reg. 2. leauing these sory mantels and old clokes behinde vs for a little time which god shal restore vnto vs againe in a more glorious wise My good brother Harry you shal vnderstaÌ„d the bragging Iohn T. hath begilde his kepers who trusted him to wel and is runne away from them hath broughte the poore men into great daunger by the same The one of them is cast by the Councels commaundemeÌ„t into the gate house at Westminster the other is sted forth of the countrey for feare Thus you may see the fruites of our freewil men that made so much boast of their owne strength But that house whiche is not builded surelye vppon the vnmoueable rocke wil not long stand against the boistrous windes and stormes that blow so strongly in these dais of trouble But my derely beloued brother blessed be god for you and suche as you be which haue plaied the partes of wise builders You haue dygged downe paste the sande of your owne naturall strength beneath the earth of your own worldly wisdom are nowe come to the harde stone and vnmoueable rocke Christ who is your only keper and vppon him alone you haue builded your faith most firmly without doubting mistrust or waueryng Therfore neither the stormes nor tempestes wyndes nor weathers that Sathan and all his wily workemen can bryng against you wyth the verye gates of hel to helpe theÌ„ shal euer be able once to moue your house much lesse to ouerthrowe it for the lord god himselfe and no man is the builder thereof hath promised to preserue and kepe the same safe for euer Vnto hys most merciful defence therfore I do hartely commit you and all your good comapany desiring him for his swete sonne Iesus Christes sake to confirme and strengthen you all that you maye bee constant vnto the very ende that after the finall
of GOD or elles we doe moste wickedly transgresse the greate and fyrste commaundemente But doe we obeye and beleue that thys is true So shall we of force by the same bee constrayned to fulfyll the seconde parte that is to saye loue hym wyth all oure harte c. For whoe seeing the goodnesse of GOD towardes hym in Iesus Christe for whose sake onelye he hath geuen hym selfe wholye to bee oures in most large ample wise that may be who I say seing thys woulde not with all his hart soule and minde loue the Lord againe and of loue not only leaue the doing of such things as might displease him but also be ready and willing to doe what so euer is acceptable in his sight yea moste gladly and ioyfullye suffer what soeuer he wil appoint vs to do for his sake knowing assuredly that nothing can come vnto vs no not the diminishing of one heare of our head wtout his good wil pleasure and merciful appointment and that he louing vs so wel that he would geue hys sonne him selfe the holye ghoste and finally all other thinges in Christe to vs will not appoynt any thing vnto vs otherwise then shall bee to the setting forth of his glory and our euerlasting commoditie This great aboundaunt bottomles loue and mercye of god did holy S. Paule depely feele when he made that bold proclamation in the latter ende of the .8 Chap. to the Rom. saying who is it or what is it that shal bee able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu our Lord Reade the whole Chapter often times I besech you Thus deare hart you see the eternall loue fatherly care prouidence of God towardes you In respecte whereof I trust you do not onely caste al your care vpon him but also most louingly obeye him in all his holy ordinaunces euermore meekely submitting your will vnto his in all and euery thing knowing that the same wil make all thinges turne to your beste and that without his pleasure a poore sparow shall not peryshe in the foulers nette muche lesse you or your deare husband your good Vncle M. Latymer or any of yours Let this fayth and godlye persuasion euer more be firme in your hart without doubting or wauering for â—ouâ— it al that euer you go about is in vaine yea without this faith in God you can not please him you can not commit and betake your self wholy vnto him you can not truly feare him you can not loue him in deede you can not call vpon him or hartely praye vnto him neither yet prayse him a tyght Therefore let this be your alone and continual endeuour to be confirmed more and more of this that GOD is your owne moste deare louing father throughe Christ that he hath a moste tender care ouer you and for you as alwayes he hath hadde and euer wyll haue both in soule and body for this life for eternal life how so euer things haue or shal happeÌ„ to appeare vnto you According to this your fayth and as you beleue so shal it be vnto you and as you thinke god to be vnto you so shal you feele him Thinke therfore swetely of the lord of his goodnes thaÌ„ke him most hartely that euer he would vouch you worthy to sustaine the losse of your chefest treasures in earth for his sake and that he would euer geue you any thing to bestowe for his loue And as you prayse the Lord for his great mercyes manifolde benefites so largelye geuen vnto you before many other so do you faythfully pray vnto him that he wil continue hys louing kindnes towards you and kepe you blamelesse through loue in Christ vnto the ende yea make you worthye stronge and able to suffer the losse of your owne life for the testimonye of his truth whiche as your good Vncle sayde to me once and your deare husband full often is the greatest promotion and dignitie that God can bring vs vnto in this life yea it is an honour which the highest Aungells in heauen be not permitted to haue And in this your hartye and faythfull prayer I doe moste humblye require you to remember me a moste miserable wretch I feare me not compted worthye to become one of his constante witnesses vnto the worlde in such sorte as I woulde fayne be pray for me my deare hart pray for me as I will neuer forgette you nor your blessed childreÌ„ so long as I am in this prison of the body CoÌ„mende me vnto Hewgh Glouer Marmaduke and to their younger brother and sister The Lord god comfort and blesse them and poure his good spirite vpon them wherewith their good father was plentifully endewed I praye you do my hartye commendations vnto my good brother her Augustine and his wife and I hartely thanke you for your goodnesse towardes them Desire them also to praye for me for now the needefull time doth approche I prayse God I am more harty then euer I was and so I beseche hym to make you all to bee I haue manye thinges to say more but I am here constrayned to make an end Al my doinges come to an ende with extremitie God graunt that I may enter into his glory through the straite gate though I struggle striue thrusting amonge the preasse with great violence I beseche you yet once againe all my deare frends in god to ayde strengtheÌ„ me with your praiers as I wil neuer forget any of you so long as this wrasteling life of mine doth laste as knoweth God to whose most merciful defence I do hartely coÌ„mitte you and al yours The swete blessing of god the father the sonne the holy ghoste be with you all Amen Your dayly and most bounden Oratour Iohn Careles prysoner of the Lorde pray praye for me in fayth To my good brother M. Iohn Bradford THe peace of god in Iesus Christ the eternal coÌ„fort of his swete spirite which hath surely sealed you vnto eternall saluation be with you and strengthen you in your ioyfull iourney towards the celestial HierusaleÌ„ my deare frend and most faythfull brother M. Bradforde to the setting forth of Gods glory and to your eternall ioy in Christ Amen Euer since the good M. Philpot shewed me your last letter my deare hart in the lord I haue continued in great heuynes perplexitie â–ª not for any hurt or discoÌ„moditie that I caÌ„ perceaue comming towardes you vnto whom doubtles death is made life and great felicitie but for the greate losse that gods chuch here in England shal sustaine by the taking away of so godly worthy and necessary an instrument as the lord hath made you to be Oh that my life a thousand such wretched liues moe might goe for yours Oh why doth god suffer me such other Caterpillers to liue that caÌ„ do nothing but consume the almes of the church and take away you so worthy a workmaÌ„ labourer in the Lords vineyard But woe
body blood offred once for al. This I know my good sister you do constaÌ„tly coÌ„fesse beleue as the godly fruite of your christiaÌ„ fayth doth dayly testify I trust to be a witnes with you at the great day that your fayth is vnfayned ful of godly charitie the lord encrease the same I am constrayned here to make an end full sore agaynst my will My poore prayers shall supply that whiche my penne doth lacke The blessing of God be with you nowe and euer Amen Your dayly Oratour Iohn Careles A letter of M. John Rough wrytten a little before hys death to the Christian congregation in London whereof he was a minister and Preacher THe comfort of the holy ghost make you able to geue consolation to others in these daungerous dayes when Sathan is let lose to the tryal of the chosen when it pleaseth our God to sift his wheate from the chaffe I haue not leasure and time to write the great temptations I haue bene vnder I speake to Gods glorye my care was to haue the senses of my soule open to perceaue the voyce of god saying who that denieth me before men them wil I denie before my father his Angels and to saue the life corporall is to lose the life eternall and he that will not suffer with Christe shall not reigne with him Therefore moste tender ones I haue by Gods spirite geuen ouer the fleshe with the fyghte of my soule and the spirite hath the victorye The fleshe shall nowe ere it be longe leaue of to sinne the spyrite shall reygne eternallye I haue chosen the death to confyrme the truth by me taughte What can I doe more Consider with your selues that I haue done it for confyrmation of Gods truth Praye that I maye continue vnto the ende The great parte of the assaulte is paste I prayse my GOD. I haue in all my assaultes felte hys presente ayde I geue hym moste hartye thankes therefore Loke not backe nor bee ye ashamed of Christes Gospell nor of the bondes I haue suffered for the same thereby ye maye bee assured it is the true word of God The holy ones haue bene sealed with the same marke It is no tyme for the losse of one man in the battel for the campe to turne backe Vp with mens hartes blowe downe the dawbed walles of heresyes Let one take the Banner an other the Trumpet I meane not to make corporall resistance but praye and ye shall haue Elias defence and Heliseus companye to fight for you for the cause is the lords Now my brethren I can write no more tyme will not suffer and my harte wyth panges of death is assaulted but I am at home wyth my God yet alyue Pray for me and salute one an other wyth the holy kysse The peace of God reste with you all Amen From Newgate pryson in hast the day of my condeÌ„nation Iohn Rough. A letter of Cutberte Symson a Deacon of the Christian congregation in London burnt in Smythfielde for the veretye of Christes Gospell written to his wyfe out of the Colehouse MY dearelye beloued in the Lorde Iesus Christe Of the exceeding cruell vnmercifull Rackings and other tormeÌ„ts that thys man of God most paciently suffred read see in the boke of Martyrs Fol. 16â—1 I can not wryte as I doe wyshe vnto you I besethe you with my soule submytte your self vnder the mighty hand of our God trusting in hys mercy and he will surely helpe vs as shal be moste vnto hys glorye and oure euerlasting comforte being sure of thys that he will suffer nothing to come vnto vs but that which shal be most profitable for vs. For it is eyther a correction for oure synnes or a tryall of oure fayth or to set forth hys glorye or for altogether and therefore muste needes be well done for there is nothing that commeth vnto vs by fortune or chauÌ„ce but by our heauenly fathers prouidence And therfore pray vnto our heauenly father that he wil euer geue vs his grace so to consider it Let vs geue him most harty thankes for these hys fatherly corrections for as many as he loueth he correcteth And I besech you now be of good chere counte the crosse of Christ greater riches then al the vaine pleasures of England I do not doubt I prayse God for it but that you haue supped with Christ at his Maundie I meane that you beleue in him for that is the effect theÌ„ must you drinke of his cup I meane his crosse for that doth the cup signifye vnto vs. Take the cup with a good stomacke in the name of god then shal you be sure to haue the good wine Christs blood to your poore thirstye soule And when you haue the wine you muste drinke it out of this cup. Learne this wheÌ„ you come to the Lords supper Pray continually In al things geue thankes Cutbert Symson A letter of VVilliam Coker then prysoner in Caunterburye and afterwarde burnt for the testimonye of the truth wrytten to a frend of hys AS your hartye frend in god and through the mercy of our lord Iesus Christ as pertaining to the fayth your brother I send you greting most ChristiaÌ„ salutations For your kindenes in that you wrote so spedely to me again I coÌ„mend you thanke god for it though of necessitie you say you were partly moued so to do by reasoÌ„ of my bondes in the Lorde I hartely ioyed by occasioÌ„ of your letter because I vnderstode thereby the state of mine olde frends godly acquaintance and how ye al continually labour as we do in the Gospel of Christ which is the worde of saluation to as many as beleue Wherin we haue this coÌ„fidence through our fayth in the blood of Christ the thoughe Sathan his rabble of ministers doe rage neuer so muche with lying deceaueable power yea though he shoulde appeare neuer so glorious Angellike in the sight of the world yet shal his fiery dartes be quenched he neuer able to preuaile against vs. For the which testimonye of conscience I geue thankes vnto god froÌ„ the bottome of my hart praye alwaies vnto the Lord that as we haue begonne eueÌ„ so we may go forwardes vnto the end vntil the time that the darknes be cleane put away and the perfect light shine in oure harts soules bodyes in the eternal kingdome with god where we shal be sure our enemies shal not preuaile agaiÌ„st vs but then most victoriouslye be ouercome by that sweete Lambe the sonne of God In the meane time the Lord preserue keepe vs froÌ„ euil The Lorde make vs stoute in hys cause geue vs grace to confesse the truth before thys whorysh generation The Lord graunt we may worke his heauenly wil that when the time shal come he may receaue vs vnto himself in the glory euerlasting To whom be prayse honour for euer and euer Amen Your brother in bondes for the
continuallye woorke in fayth labour in loue perseuer in hope and be pacient in all your tribulations and persecutions euen vnto the ende and gloryous comming of Christ Coloss 2. Phil 2. 1. Pet. 3 Mat. 10 Luk. 11. these shall be earnestly to exhort and besech you in Christ that as ye haue receaued the Lord Iesus euen so to walke rooted in hym and not to be afrayde of anye terrour of your aduersaryes be they neuer so many and mighty and you on the other side neuer so fewe and weake for the battaile is the Lordes And as in tymes paste God was with Abraham Moses Isaac Dauid the Machabees and other and fought for them and deliuered all their enemyes into their hands euen so hath he promised to be with vs also vnto the worldes ende and so to assist strengthen and helpe vs that no man shall bee able to withstande vs. Math. 28. Iosua 1. For as I was with Moses so will I bee with thee sayeth God and neither leaue thee nor forsake thee Be stronge and bolde neither feare nor dread for the Lorde thy God is with thee whether so euer thou goest Nowe if God be on our side who caÌ„ be agaynst vs Rom. 8. In thys our spirituall warfare is no man ouercome vnlesse he trayterouslye leaue forsake his Captaine either cowardly caste awaye his weapons or willingly yeld him self to hys enemies either fearfully turne his backe and flye Be strong therfore in the Lord deare brethren and in the power of hys myght and put on all the armour of god Eph. 6. that ye may be able to stand stedfast against the craftye assaultes of the deuill Now what weapons ye muste fight with all 2. Cor 11.12 Act. 21. learne of S. Paule a champion both much exercised and also most valiaunt and inuincible For we muste thinke none other but that the lyfe of man is a perpetuall warfare vpon earth as the examples of all godly men throughout al ages do declare The valiaunt warriour S. Paule being deliuered froÌ„ the hands of the vngodly and that so many tymes from so many extreme perils and daungers of death as he him selfe doth witnesse is fayne to coÌ„mitte hym selfe in the end to the rough waters of the sea where he was in greate perill and ieoperdie of his own life Act. 12. yet was god alwayes to the greate comforte of all that heare of it moste readye to comfort and succour hym gloriously deliuered hym out of al hys troubles so that no man that did inuade him could do hym any harme in the end he was coÌ„pelled to say I haue fynyshed my course 2. Tim. 4. Phil. 1. Rom. 15. the time of my departyng is at hand I long to be losed to be wyth christ which thing is best of al most hartely desiring death These things be wrytteÌ„ for our learning coÌ„fort be to vs a sure obligatioÌ„ that if we submit our selues to god his holy word no maÌ„ shal be able to hurt vs that he will deliuer vs from al troubles yea eueÌ„ froÌ„ death also vntyll such tyme as we couet desyre to dye Heb. 12. Let vs therfore runne with pacience vnto the battel that is set before vs loke vnto Iesus the captayn fynysher of our fayth after his example for the rewards sake that is set out vnto vs paciently beare the crosse despise the shame for all that will liue godly in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3. Math. 3.4 Christ is no soner baptised declared to the world to be the sonne of god but SathaÌ„ is by by ready to teÌ„pt him Which thyng we must loke for also yea the more we shal encrease in fayth and vertuous liuing the more strongly will SathaÌ„ assault vs whoÌ„ we muste learne after the example of Christ to fyght agaynst ouercome wyth the holy sacred scriptures Eph. 6. Math. 4 word of God which is our heauenly armour sword of the spirit And let the fasting of christ while he was tempted in the wildernesse be vnto vs an example of sober liuing not for the space of fortye dayes as the papistes doe fondly fansye of their owne braynes but as long as we are in the wildernes of this wretched lyfe assaulted of Sathan who like a roaring LyoÌ„ walketh about ceaseth not seking our vtter destruction 1. Pet. 5. neither caÌ„ the seruauntes of god at any time come stand before god that is lead a godly lyfe walke innocently before god but Sathan commeth also among theÌ„ Iob. 1.3 that is he dayly accuseth fyndeth faulte vexeth persecuteth troubleth the godly for it is the nature propertie of the deuil alwayes to do harme to hurt vnlesse he be forbidden of god for vnlesse god do permit him he can do nothyng at al Math. 8 no not so much as enter into a fylthy hogge but we are more of price them many hogges before God if we cleaue vnto hys sonne by fayth Let vs therfore knowing Sathans deceites and rancour Eph. 6. walke the more warely and take vnto vs the shielde of fayth wherwith we maye bee able to quenche and ouercome all the fierye and deadlye dartes of the wicked Let vs take to vs the helmet of saluation and the sword of the spirite which is the word of god learne to vse the same according to the exaÌ„ple of our grauÌ„d Captain Christ Let vs fast pray continually Mat. 4. Math. â—7 for this frantike kynde of deuills goeth not out otherwise as Christe doth teathe vs but by faithfull prayers fasting which his true abstinence sobernes of liuing if we vse the same according to the doctrine of the gospell word of God Fasting is acceptable to god if it be done withoute hypocrisie that is to say if we vse it to this entent that therby this mortal body disobedient carcase may be tamed broughte vnder the subiectioÌ„ of the spirit and againe if we fast to this intent that we may spare wherwith to helpe succour oure poore nedy brethren This fast do the true christians vse al the daies of their life although among the common sort of people remaineth yet stil that supersticious kind of fasting which god so earnestly reproueth by his Prophet Esay Esay 58 For as for true chastening of the body abstayning froÌ„ vice with shewing mercy towardes our nedy neighbours we wil neither vnderstand nor heare of but still thinke with the Iewes that we do god a great pleasure wheÌ„ we fast that we then faste wheÌ„ we abstaine froÌ„ one thing fill our bellies with an other And verely in this poynt doth our superstition muche excede the superstition of the Iewes for we neuer read that they euer toke it for a fast to abstayne froÌ„ fleshe and to eate either fyshe or whyte meate as they cal it To fastyng
wil be our helpe tary ye the lordes laysure Be strong let your hartes be of good comfort waite you still for the lord He is at hand yea the angel of the lord pitcheth his tent round about theÌ„ that feare him and deliuereth theÌ„ which way he seeth best for our liues are in the lords handes and they can doo nothing vnto vs before God suffer them therefore geue al thankes to god Oh my dere hartes nowe shal you be clothed wyth long white garments vppon the Mount Sion wyth the multitude of Saints and wyth Iesus Christ our sauiour which wil neuer forsake vs. Oh blessed Virgyns ye haue played the wise Virgins part in that ye haue taken oyle in your laÌ„pes that ye may enter with the brydegrome when he commeth into the euerlasting ioy But as for the folysh they shal be shut out because they made not themselues redy to suffer wyth Christ neither go about to take vp hys crosse Oh how precious shall your death be in the syght of the Lord for deare is the death of his saints Farewel mine owne deare harts and praye The grace of our lord Iesus Christ he with you al. AmeÌ„ AmeÌ„ Pray p.p. By me Richard Roth written with myne owne blood The copy of a letter written and cast out of the Castle of Caunterbury by the prisoners there in bandes for gods woâ—â— declaring how the papistes went about to famish the 〈◊〉 death of the which company fyue were famished amongest them already BE it knowen vnto all men that shall rede or heaâ—e redde these oure letters that we the poore prysoners of the Castell of Cauntorbury for gods truth are kept and lye in colde irons and our keper will not suffer any meate to bee brought to vs to comfort vs. And if any man do bryng anye thing as bread butter chese or any other foode the said keper wil charge them that so bring vs any thing except money or raiment to cary it with them againe or els if he do receiue any fode of any for vs he kepeth it for himselfe and he his seruantes do spend it so that we haue nothing therof There were fiue famyshed in that pryson whose names were these Iohn Clarke Dunston Chettenden W. Foster A. Fotkins Iohn Archer And thus the keper withholdeth kepeth away our vitails froÌ„ vs in so muche that there are .iiij. of vs prisoners there for gods truth famished alredy And thus is it his mynd to famishe vs al and we thinke he is apointed of the bishops priests and also of the iustices so to famish vs not only vs of the said Castle but al other prisoners in other prisoÌ„s for the lyke cause to be also famished NotwithstaÌ„ding we write not these our letters to that entent we myght not aforde to be famished for the lord Iesus sake but for this cause and entent that they hauing no law so to famish vs in prison should not do it priuely but that the murtherers harts should be openly knowen to all the world that al men may know of what churche they are who is their father Out of the castell of Caunterbury A letter of that true pastour and worthy Martyr D. Ridley wherin you may see the singular zeale he had to the glory of God and the furtherance of hys Gospell wrytten to Maister Cheke in Kyng Edwardes dayes here placed as it came to our hands MAister Cheke I wish you grace and peace Syr in Gods cause for Gods sake and in his name I besech you of your helpe furtherance towards gods word I did talke with you of late what case I was in concerning my Chaplens I haue gotten the good will graunt to be with me of three preachers men of good learning and as I am perswaded of excellent vertue whiche are able both with life and learning to set forth Gods worde in London and in the whole diocesse of the same where is most nede of al partes in Englande for from thence goeth example as you know into al the rest of the Kings Maiesties whole Realme The mens names be these M Grindall whom you know to be a man of vertue and learning M. Bradforde a man by whom as I am assuredlye enformed God hath and doth woorke wonders in setting forth of hys woorde The thirde is a preacher the whiche for detecting and confuting of the Anabaptistes and papistes in Essex both by his preaching and by his writing is enforced nowe to beare Christes crosse The two first be Scholers in the Vniuersitie The thirde is as poore as either of the other twayne Nowe there is fallen a Prebende in Paules called Cantrelles by the death of one Layton Thys Prebend is an honest mans liuing of .xxxiiij. poundes and better in the Kings bookes I woulde with all my harte geue it vnto M. Grindall and so I should haue hym continuallye with me and in my diocesse to preache But Alas Syr I am letted by the meanes I feare me of suche as do not feare God One M. William Thomas one of the Clarkes to the Counsell hath in tymes past sette the Counsaile vpon me to haue me to graunte that Layton mighte haue alienated the sayde Prebend vnto him and his heires for euer God was mine ayde and defendour that I dyd not consent vnto his vngodly enterprise Yet I was so then handled before the Counsel that I grauÌ„ted that wheÌ„soeuer it should fall I shoulde not geue it before I shoulde make the Kinges Maiestie preuye vnto it and of acknowledge before the collation of it Now Layton is departed and the Prebend is fallen certaine of the Counsell no doubt by this vngodly mans meanes haue writteÌ„ vnto me to stay the collatioÌ„ And where as he dispaireth that euer I would assent that a preachers liuing shoulde be bestowed on hym he hath procured letters vnto me subscribed with certaine of the Counselles hands that now the Kings Maiestie hath determined it vnto the furniture of his highnes stable Alas Syr this is a heauy hearing When papistrye was taught there was nothing too litle for the teachers When the Bishop gaue his benefices vnto idiotes vnlearned vngodlye for kindred for pleasure for seruice other worldly respectes all was then wel allowed Now where a poore liuing is to be geuen vnto an excellent Clarke a maÌ„ knowen tryed to haue both discretioÌ„ also vertue such a one as before god I do not know a man yet vnplaced vnprouided for more meete to set forth gods word in al Englande when a poore liuing I say which is founded for a preacher is to be geueÌ„ vnto such a man that then an vngodly persoÌ„ shal procure in this sorte letters to stoppe lette the same alas M. Cheke this seemeth vnto me to be a ryght heauy hearing Is thys the fruite of the gospel Speake M. Cheke speake for gods sake in gods cause vnto whom soeuer you thinke you may do any good withall And