indignation hangeth continually over the heads of such ready to be poured down upon them when they shall find no comfort but utter despair with Judas who for this worldly riches as he did have sold their Master Pa. 221. seeking either to hang themselves with Jadas to murther themselves with Francis Spira to drown themselves with Justice Hales or else to fall into a raging madness with Justice Morgan What comfort had Judas then by his money received for betraying his Master was he not shortly after compelled to cast it from him with this pitiful voice Mat. 27. Pa. 222. I have sinned in betraying innocent blood Then dear Brethren in Christ what other reward can any of you look for committing the like offences There is no trust but in God no comfort but in Christ no assurance but in his promise by whose obedience onely you shall avoid all danger Mat. 10. And whatsoever you lose in this world and suffer for his Name it shall be here recompenced with double according to his promise and in the world to come with life everlasting which is to find your life when you are willing to lay it down at his Commandment I am not ignorant how unnatural a thing it is contrary to the flesh willingly to sustain such cruel death as the Adversaries have appointed to all the Children of God who mind constantly to stand by their profession yet to the Spirit notwithstanding is easie joyful for though the flesh be frail the Spirit is prompt and ready Pa. 223. Whereof praised be the name of God you have had notable experience in many of your Brethren very Martys for Christ who with joy patiently and triumphing have suffered and drunk with thirst of that bitter Cup which nature so much abhorreth wonderfully strengthened no doubt by the secret inspiration of Gods holy Spirit so that there ought to be none among you so feeble weak or timerous whom the wonderful examples of Gods present power and singular favour in those persons should not encourage bolden and fortifie to shew the like constancy in the same Cause and Profession Nevertheless great cause we have thankfully to consider the unspeakable mercy of God in Christ who hath farther respect to our infirmity that when we have not that boldness of Spirit to stand to the death as we see others he hath provided a present remedy that being persecuted in one place we have liberty to flee into another When we cannot be in our own Countrey with a safe conscience except we would make open profession of our Religion which is every mans duty Pa. 224. and so be brought to offer up our lives in sacrifice to God in testimony that we are his he hath mollified prepared the hearts of Strangers to receive us with all pity and gladness where you may be also not onely delivered from the fear of death and the Papistical Tyranny practised without all measure in that Countrey but with great freedom of conscience hear the Word of God continually preached the Sacraments of our Saviour Christ purely and duely ministred without all dregs of Popery or Superstition of mans invention to the intent that you being with others refreshed for a space and more strongly fortified may be also with others more ready and willing to lay down your lives at Gods appointment for that is the chiefest grace of God and greatest perfection to fight even unto blood under Christs Banner and with him to give our lives Pa. 225. But if you will thus flee Beloved in the Lord you must not chuse unto your selves places according as you fancy as many of us who have left our Countrey have done dwelling in Popish places among the enemies of God in the midst of impiety some in France as in Paris Orleance Roan some in Italy as in Rome Venice Padua which persons in fleeing from their Queen run to the Pope fearing the danger of their bodies feek where they may poyson their souls thinking by this means to be less suspected of Jezebel shew themselves afraid ashamed of the Gospel which in times past they have stoutly professed And lest they should be thought favourers of Christ have purposely ridden by the Churches and Congregations of his Servants their Brethren neither minded to comfort others there nor to be comforted themselves wherein they have shewed the coldness of their zeal towards Religion given no small occasion of slander to the Word of God which they seemed to profess Pa. 226. This manner of fleeing then is ungodly c. Neither is it enough to keep you out of the Dominions of Antichrist and to place your selves in corners you may be quiet and at ease and not burthened with the charges of the poor thinking it sufficient if you have a little exercise in your houses in reading a Chapter or two of the Scriptures and then will be counted zealous persons and great Gospellers No Brethren and Sisters this is not the way to shew your selves manful souldiers of Christ except you resort where his Banner is displayed Pa. 227. and his Standard set up where the Assembly of your Brethren is and his Word openly preached and Sacraments faithfully ministred for otherwise what may a man judge but that such either disdain the company of their poor Brethren whom they ought by all means to help and comfort according to that power that God hath given them for that end onely and not for their own ease or else that they have not that zeal to the House of God the Assembly of his Servants and to the spiritual gifts and graces which God hath promised to pour upon the diligent hearers of his Word as was in David who desired being a King Rather to be a door-keeper in the House of God Psal 84. than to dwell in the tents of the ungodly lamenting nothing so much the injuries done to him by his Son Absalom which were not small as that he was deprived of the comfortable exercises in the Tabernacle of the Lord which then was in Sion Neither doth there appear in such persons that greedy desire whereof Isaiah makes mention which ought to be in the Professours of the Gospel Pa. 228. Isa 2. who never would cease or rest till they should climb up to the Lords hill meaning the Church of Christ saying one to another Let us ascend to the hill of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his wayes and we shall walk in his footsteps for the Law shall come forth of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Which zeal the Prophet doth not mention in vain but to shew what a thirst and earnest desire should be in true Christians and how the same appeareth in seeking and resorting to those places where it is set forth in greatest abundance and perfection as was after Christs Ascension in Jerusalem And as that zeal shewed them to
A CLOUD OF WITNESSES OR THE Sufferers Mirrour Made up of The SVVANLIKE-SONGS and other CHOICE PASSAGES of several MARTYRS and CONFESSORS to the Sixteenth Century in their Treatises Speeches Letters Prayers c. in their Prisons or Exiles at the Bar or Stake c. Collected out of The Ecclesiastical Histories of Eusebius Fox Fuller Petrie Scotland And Mr. Samuel Ward 's Life of Faith in Death c. and Alphabetically disposed By T. M. M. A. Hebr. 12.1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a Cloud of Witnesses let us run with patience the race that is set before us James 5.10 Take my Brethrea the Prophets who have spoken in the Name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and patience London Printed for Robert Boulter at the Turks Head in Bishopsgate-street 1670. Renowned Mr. Samuel Ward of Ipswich gives the following testimony to the living speeches of dying Christians which he collected AS for their last Speeches and Apothegms pity it is no better mark hath been taken and memory preserved of them The choice and prime I have culled out of ancient Stories and later Martyrologies English Dutch and French The profit and pleasure hath paid me for the labour of Collecting and the like gain I hope shall quit the cost of thy Reading By these which are but an handful of Christs Camp-Royal it sufficiently appears they had their Faith fresh and lively in the face of their grand Enemy Death and by vertue of their Faith their Spirits Witts and Tongues untroubled and undismayed The learned and ingenious Author of the Preface to Mr. Frith's Treatises of preparation to the Cross under the Title of Vox Pisces or the Book-Fish gives the following Testimony to several of the remarkable passages in this Collection PErhaps unto some Palats no Liquor seemeth desirable but that which hath a delicious tang of the curiosity of these later Times both for method and stile For my part I say with the words in the Gospel Luke 5.39 The old Wine is better And accordingly contemplating and comparing the devout Discourses written in our Language upon the breaking forth of the Light of Reformation I am far more deeply taken with the solid simplicity and powerful Spirit which methinks I find in the Writings of those Confessors and Martyrs who watered the Garden of Reformation with their own blood in this Land than with the more elaborate and artificial composures written more lately in the Times of our Peace Who in reading the Letters and Ghostly Meditations of blessed Bradford Taylor Philpot c. yea even of other their Brethren less learned that wrote and spake with that Hand Heart and Breath which they were most ready to yield up for the testimony of the Truth doth not therein perceive that lively warmth of holy zeal which is able to awake even a dull and sleepy soul Among which Martyrs as this worthy Frith is one of the first for antiquity so well may he be in the foremost rank for comfortable exhortation and soundness of Doctrine The Collectors Preface THe Speeches of dying men are remarkable the Speeches of dying Christians are much more remarkable How remarkable then are the Speeches of dying Witnesses for Christ It is rationally expected that dying men much more that dying Christians and most of all that dying Witnesses for Christ should speak best at last It is their last These are the last words of David 2 Sam. 23. And the Sun shineth brightest at setting They are immediately to give in their last account They are upon the borders of Eternity And the motions of Nature are more intense as they draw nearer the Center To be sure Saints are most heavenly when nearest Heaven Rivers the nearer the Sea the sooner are met by the Tide We have good Scripture-ground to expect that dying Christians especially dying Witnesses for Christ should have extraordinary assistances from on high for their last Discourses That the Wine of the Spirit should be strongest in them at their last They have Gods Word for it That in that hour it shall be given them Mat. 10.19 what they shall speak for it is not they that speak but the Spirit of their Father One observeth that when Stephen was to deliver his last speech and to suffer he was filled with the Holy Ghost so that all that sate in the Council looking stedfastly on Stephen Act. 6.5 saw his face as if it had been the face of an Angel His soul was so warmed by the love of God that he looked both his Adversaries and the tempestuous approaching Storm our of countenance When he was stoned he got a larger sight He saw the Heavens opened and his majestick Glorious Master the light-giving Diamond of Heaven Act. 7.55 standing at his Fathers right hand And this he got no doubt as for himself so to hearten all those that were to come after he being the first Martyr after Christ Hence it hath been often found that their last Speeches have been Oraculous and Prophetical Zenophon personates Cyrus as inspired whilst he is breathing out his last requests The nearer we return to the Original Divinity â—s Plâ—tinus speaketh the more Divine we grow One observeth from a Scripture instance That what hath been asserted by dying Witnesses hath most speedily come to pass Zachariah told the children of Israel 2 Chr. 24 20 24. Because ye have forsaken the Lord he hath also forsaken you For this he was immediately stoned and the Lord sealed his Word very speedily afterwards For the Assyrians coming with a small company against them the Lord delivered a very great multitude into their hands and so without delay in their sight sealed the words of his dying Witness Zachariah And why his word sooner then Isaiah's Jeremiah's Ezekiel's c. By them he pleaded much longer with his Apostatizing Church I know none but this It was the Lords pleasure and to shew his respect to dying Witnesses that he would have what they say taken special notice of It may be that he might shew that whatever fail the words of dying Witnesses shall not fall to the ground It is true we must not lay such weight upon these sayings 1 Pet. 1.9 as we must lay upon Scripture prophesies for though such sayings may be true prophesies yet we are not infallibly assured that these are prophesies till they be accomplished yet their sayings while dying for and in the Lord do give good encouragement to them that remain alive and so to be much esteemed by them whether they respect the honour of God or the good of souls The last Speeches of Christs dying Witnesses have extorted even from Heathens acknowledgments to the honour of God Vere magnus est Deus Christianorum Calocerius that truly the Christians God is a great God yea by them sinners have been converted Justin Martyr and others by observing the end the Martyrs made were brought out of love with the wayes
right Yet said Rolph take heed of him he is a blood-sucker c. I fear not said Alcock he shall do no more to me than God will give him leave and happy shall I be if God will call me to dye for his Truths sake In his first Letter to Hadley he writes thus O my Brethren of Hadley why are ye so soon turned from them which called you into the Grace of Christ to another Doctrine Though those should come unto you that have been your true Preachers and preach another way of salvation then by Jesus Christs death and passion hold them accursed yea if it were an Angel came from Heaven and would tell you that the sacrifice of Christs body upon the Cross once for all were not sufficient for all the sins of all those that shall be saved accursed be he Why cometh this plague upon us Cometh not this upon thee because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Thine own wickedness shall reprove thee and thy turning away shall condemn thee that thou mayest know how evil and hurtful a thing it is that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Algerius Pomponius Algerius Fox Vol. 2. pag. 181. whilst he was a Prisoner at Venice before he was burnt at Rome writ thus in his comfortable Letter to the Christians departed out of Babylon into Mount Sion To mitigate your sorrow which you take for me I cannot but impart unto you some portion of my joyes which I feel to the intent you may rejoyce with me I shall utter that which scarce any will believe I have found a nest of honey an honey-comb in the entrails of a Lion In the deep dark Dungeon I have found a Paradise of pleasure In the place of sorrow and death tranquility of hope and life when others do weep I do rejoyce when others do shake and tremble there I have found plenty of strength and boldness in strait bands and cold irons I have had rest Behold he that was once far from me now is present with me whom once I could scarce feel I now see most apparently whom once I saw afar off now I behold near at hand whom once I hungred for the same now approacheth and reacheth his hand unto me he doth comfort me and heapeth me up with gladness he driveth away all bitterness he ministreth strength and courage c. O how easie and sweet is the Lords yoke Learn ye well-beloved how amiable the Lord is how meek and merciful who visiteth his servants in temptations neither disdaineth he to keep company with us in such vile and stinking Caves Will the blind and incredulous world think you believe this or rather will it not say thus No thou wilt never be able to abide long the burning heat the pinching hardness of that place c. The rebukes and frowning faces of great men how wilt thou suffer Dost not thou consider thy pleasant Countrey the Riches of the World thy Kinsfolk the delicate pleasures and Honours of this life Dost thou forget the solace of thy Sciences and fruit of all thy Labours Wilt thou thus lose all thy labours which thou hast hitherto sustained Finally fearest thou not death which hangeth over thee O what a fool art thou which for one words speaking mayest salve all this and wilt not But now to answer Let this blind world hearken to this again What heat can there be more burning then that fire which is prepared for thee hereafter What things more hard and sharp and crooked than this present life which we lead What thing more odious and hateful than this world here present And let these worldly men here answer me What Countrey can we have more sweet than the Heavenly Countrey above What treasures more rich or precious than everlasting life and who be our Kinsmen but they which hear the Word of God Where be greater riches or dignities more honourable than in Heaven And as touching the Sciences let this foolish world consider Be not they ordained to know God whom unless we do know all our labours our night-watchings our studies and all our enterprises here serve to no purpose all is but labour lost Furthermore let the miserable worldly men answer me What remedy or safe refuge can there be unto him who lacks God who is the life medicine of all men how can he be said to fly from death when he himself is already dead in sin If Christ be the way verity life how can there be any life without Christ The solely heat of the Prison to me is coldness the cold winter to me is a fresh spring in the Lord. He that feareth not to be burned in the fire how will he fear the heat of weather Or what careth he for the pinching frost which burneth for the love of the Lord The place is sharp and tedious to them that be guilty but to the innocent it is mellifluous Here droppeth the delectable dew here floweth the pleasant Nectar here runneth the sweet milk here is plenty of all good things In this world there is no mansion firm to me and therefore I will travel up to the New Jerusalem which is in Heaven and which offereth it self to me without paying any Fine or Income I have travelled hitherto laboured and sweat early and late watching day and night and now my travels begin to come to effect What man can now cavil that these our labours are lost which have followed and found out the Lord and Maker of the World and which have changed death with life If to dye in the Lord be not to dye but to live most joyfully where is this wretched worldly Rebel which blameth us of folly for giving away our lives unto death O how delectable is this death to me to taste of the Lords Cup. I am accused of foolishness for that I do not rid my self out of these troubles when with one word I may But doth not Christ say Fear not them which kill the body but him which killeth both body and soul and whosoever shall confess me before men him will I also confess before my Father which is in Heaven and he that denyeth me before men him will Falso deny before my Heavenly Father Seeing the words of the Lord be so plain how or by what authority will this wise Counsellor approve this his counsel which he doth give God forbid that I should relinquish the commandements of God and follow the counsels of men for it is written Blessed is the man that hath not gone in the way of sinners and hath not stood in the counsel of the ungodly c. Psal 1.1 God forbid I should deny Christ where I ought to confess him I will not set more by my life then by my soul neither will I exchange the life to come for this world here present This Letter he underwrit thus From the delectable Orchard of Leonine Prison 12 Calend. August An. 1555. Allen. Sir Edmond Tyrrel bidding Rose
Christ shall be on the same Augustine Boughs fall off trees said he and stones out of buildings Ward pa. 140. and why should it seem strange that mortal men dye Austine Austine a Barbar Fox Vol. 2. pag. 124. born about Hennegow in Germany as he was led to execution being desired by a Gentleman to have pity upon himself and if he would not favour his life yet that he would favour his own soul He answered What care I have of my soul you may see by this that I had rather give my body to be burned than to do that thing that were against my conscience B Babilas Babilas Bishop of Antiâ—ch St. Chrysost cont Gentiles being cast by Decius into a filthy stinking Prison for the name of Christ with as many irons as he could bear intreated his Friends that visited him that after his death they would bury with him the signs and tokens of his valour meaning his bolts and fetters Now said he will God wipe away all tears Ward pag. 141. and now I shall walk with God in the land of the living Bainham Mr. James Bainham Fox Vol 2. pag. 300. when he repented of his Recantation in Austin's Church in London He declared openly with weeping eyes that he had denyed God and prayed all the people to beware of his weakness and not to do as he did For said he If I should not return again unto the truth this Word of God he having a New Testament in his hand would damn me both body and soul at the Day of Judgement He perswaded them to die by and by rather than to do as he did for he would not feel such an hell again for all the worlds good When he was at the Stake in the midst of the flaming fire which had half consumed his Arms and Legs he spake these words O ye Papists Behold ye look for miracles and here now you may see a miracle for in this fire I feel no more pain than if I were in a Bed of Down it is to me as a Bed of Roses Barbevil John Barbevil said to the Friers that called him ignorant Ass Ward pag. 162. Well Admit I were so yet shall my bloud witness against such Balaams as you be Bale Mr. John Bale in his excellent Paraphrase in Apocalyps See the image of both Churches printed 1550. In his Preface He that will live godly in Christ Jesus and be a patient sufferer he that will stand in Gods fear and prepare himself to temptation he that will be strong when adversity shall come and avoid all assaults of Antichrist and the Devil let him give himself wholly to the study of this prophesie He that knoweth not this Book knoweth not what the Church is whereof he is a member It containeth the universal troubles persecutions and crosses that the Church suffered in the Primitive Spring what it suffereth now and what it shall suffer in the later Times by the subtilties of Antichrist and his Followers the cruel Members of Satan and it manifesteth what Promises what Crowns and what Glory the said Congregation shall have after this present Conflict with the Enemies that the promised Rewards might quicken the hearts of those that the Torments feareth Unto St. John were these Mysteries revealed when he was by the Emperor Domitianus exiled for his Preaching into the Isle of Patmos at the cruel Complaints of the Idolatrous Priests and Bishops and by him writ and sent out of the same exile into the Congregations The Contents of this Book are from no place more freely and clearly opened nor told forth more boldly than out of exile Flattery dwelâ—ing at home and sucking there still his Mothers breasts may never tell out the truth he seeth so many dangers on every side as displeasure of Friends decay of Name loss of Goods offence of Great men and jeopardy of Life c. The forsaken wretched sort hath the Lord provided alwayes to rebuke the world of sin hypocrisie blindness for nought is it therefore that he hath exiled a certain number of believing Brethren the Realms of England of the which afflicted Family my faith is that I am one Whereupon In have considered it is no less my bounden â—â—uty under pain of damnation to admonish Christs flock by this present Revelation of their perils past and dangers to come for contempt of â—he Gospel which now reigneth there above all 〈◊〉 the Clergy Graciously hath the Lord calâ—ed them especially now of late but his voice is â—othing regarded His Servants have they impriâ—ned tormented and slain having his Verity in much more contempt then before We looked for a time of peace saith the Prophet Jeremiah and we fare not the better at all we waited for a time of health and we find here nothing else but trouble And no marvel considering the Beasts head that was wounded is now healed up again so workmanly as Rev. 13. mentioneth The abominable hypocrisie idolatry pride and filthiness of those terrible termagaunts of Antichrists holy houshold those two-horned Whoremongers those Conjurers of Egypt and lecherous Locusts leaping out of the bottomless Pâ—t which daily deceive the ignorant multitude with their Sorceries Charms must be shewed to the World to their utter shame and confusion To tell them freely of their wicked works by the Scriptures I have exiled my self for ever from mine own native Countrey Kindred Friends Acquaintance which are the great delights of this life and am well contented for the sake of Christ and for the comfort of my Brethren there to suffer poverty penury abjection reproof and all that shall come beside Here are we admonished before-hand of two most dangerous evils neither to agree with those Tyrants that wage war with the Lamb in his elect Members nor yet to obey those deceitful Bishops thaâ— in hypocrisie usurp the Churches Titles O those hath our heavenly Lord premonished us in this heavenly work of his and graciously called us away from their abominations lest we should be partakers of their sins and so receive of their plagues If we unthankfully neglect it the greateâ— is our danger Barlaam He holding his hand in the flame over the Altar Fox Vol. 1 pag. 118. Ward pag. 141. sung that of the Psalmist Thou teachest my hands to war and my fingers to fight I have been reported said Dr. Fox Vol. 2 pag. 527. Barnes at the Stake to be a Preacher of Sedition and disobedient to the Kings Majesty but here I say to you that you are all bound by the command of God to obey your Prince with all humility and with all your heart and that not onely for fear of the sword but also for conscience sake before God Yea I say further If the King should command you any thing against Gods Law if it be in your power to reâ—ist him yet may you not do it Basil When Valens the Emperour sent his Officers to him seeking to turn him from the
before you heavenly Father which loveth you most tenderly shall give them leave they shall go no farther theâ— he will nor keep you any longer in trouble thâ—â— he will Therefore cast on him all your care foâ— he is careful for you Onely study to please him and to keep your consciences clean and your bodies pure from the idolatrous service which now every where is used and God will marvellously and mercifully defend and comfort you In his Letter to Erkinald Rawlins and his wife Pa. 318. First we have cause to rejoyce for these dayes because our Father suffereth us not to lye in Jezabel's bed steeping in our sins and security but as mindful of us doth correct us as his children Secondly because they are dayes of tryal wherein not onely ye your selves but also the world shall know that ye be none of his but the Lords Darlings whom we obey his servants we are Now it is seen whether we obey the world or God But the tryals of these dayes ye are occasioned more to repent more to pray more to contemn this world more to desire life everlasting more to be holy for holy is the end wherefore God doth afflict us and so to come to Gods company In his Letter to Mr. Laurence Saunders Pa. 320. A Friend having moved the Prisoners to subscribe to the Papists Articles with this condition so far as they are not against Gods word Dr. Taylor and Mr. Philpâ—t think the salt sent by our Friend is unseasonable for my own part I pray God in no case I may seek my self and indeed I thank God I purpose it not In another Letter This will be offensive Pa. 321. therefore let us Vadere plane and so sane I mean let us all confess we are no changlings but re ipsa are the same we were in Religion and therefore cannot subscribe except we will dissemble both with God with our selves and with the world In his Letter to Dr. Cranmer Dr. Ridley and Dr. Latimer Our dear brother Rogers hath broken the Ice valiantly this day I think or to morrow at the uttermost hearty Hooper sincere Saunders and trusty Tailor end their course and receive their Crown The next am I who hourly look for the Porter to open me the Gates after them to enter into the desired Rest God forgive me mine unthankfulness for this exceeding great mercy For though I justly suffer for I have been a great Hypocrite c. The Lord pardon me yea he hath done it he hath done it indeed yet what evil hath he done Christ whom the Prelates persecute his truth which they hate in me hath done no evil nor deserved death O what am I Lord that thoâ— shouldest thus magnifie me Is this thy wont to send for such a wretched Hypocrite in a fiery chariot as thou didst for Elias In his Letter to the Lord Russel Pa. 322. Faith is reckoned and worthily among the greatest gifts of God by it as we are justified and made Gods children so are we Temples and Possessors of the Holy Spirit yea of Christ also Eph. 4. And of the Father himself John 14. By faith we drive the Devil away 2 Pet. 5. We overcome the world 1 John 5. And are already Citizens of Heaven c. Yet the Apostle doth match even with faith yea as it were prefer suffering Persecution for Christs sake Phil. 1. Though the wisdom of the world think of the Cross according to sense and therefore flyeth from it as from a most great ignominy and shame yet Gods Scholars have learned to think otherwise of the Cross as the Frame-house wherein God frameth his Children like to his Son Christ the Furnace that fineth Gods gold the High-way to Heaven the Suit and Livery of Gods servants the earnest and beginning of all consolation and glory In his Meditation on the Commandements Pag. 93 94. As the first Command teacheth me as well that thou art my God as what God thou art therefore of equity I should have no other Gods but thee that is I should onely hang on thee trust in thee serve thee call on thee obey thee and be thankful to thee so because thou didst reveal thy self visibly that thou mightest visibly be worshipped The second Commandement is concerning thy Worship that in no point I should follow in worshipping thee the device or intent of any man Saint Angel or Spirit but should take all such as idolatry and image-service be it never so glorious And why forsooth because thou wouldst I should worship thee as thou hast appointed by thy Word for if service be acceptable it must be according to the Will of him to whom it is done and not of him who doth it c. So that the meaning of this Precept is that as in the first I should have none other Gods but thee so I should have no worship of thee Pa. 19â— but such as thou appointest And therefore utterly abandon mine own will and reason all the reasons and good intents of man and wholly give my self to serve thee after thy will and word Pag. 98 99. Thou bidst me not to take thy Name in vain as by temerarious or vain swearing c. So by denying thy truth and word or concealing it when occasion is offered to promote thy glory and confirm thy truth By reason whereof I may well see that thou wouldst have me to use my tongue in humble confessing thee and thy word Pa. 113 114. This was his Meditation in Q. Marie's time and truth after my Vocation c. Thy Ministers I pray not for thy Church I am not careful for no not now good Lord when wicked Doctrine most prevaileth Idolatry Superstition and Abomination abound the Sacraments c. blasphemously corrupted c. all which my wickedness brought in my profaning of the fourth Commandement and my not praying Thy Ministers are in Prison dispersed in other Countreys spoiled burnt murthered many fall for fear of goods life name c. from the truth they have received to most manifest idolatry false Preachers abound among the people thy people dearly bought even with thy blood are not fed with the bread of thy Word but with swillings and drink for swine Antichrist wholly prevaileth and yet for all this also I am too careless nothing lamenting my sins which have been the cause of all this Help thy Church cherish it Pa. 115 116. and give it harbour here and elsewhere for Christs sake Purge the Ministry from corruption and false Ministers Send out Preachers to feed thy people Destroy Antichrist and all his Kingdom Give to such as be fallen from thy truth repentance Keep others from falling and by their falling do thou the more confirm us Confirm thy Ministers and poor people in Prison and Exile Strengthen them in thy truth Deliver them if it be thy good will Give them that with conscience they may so answer their Adversaries that thy servants may rejoyce
my friends get ye hence The presence of God to whose goodness I commend my soul is abundantly sufficiently for me Colver Sheep we are for the slaughter said Francis Colver to his two Sons Ward pa. 163. massacred together with himself this is no new thing let us follow millions of Martyrs through temporal death unto eternal life Coo. Roger Câ—â— being asked by the Bishop of Norwich Fox Vol. 3419. whether he would not obey the Kings Laws answered As far as they agree with the Word of God I will obey them Whether they agree with the Word of God or no we are bound to obey them said the Bishop though the King were an Infidel Coo replyed If Shadrach Meshach and Abednego had so done Nebuchadnezzar had never confessed the Living God Constantine Being carried with other Martyrs in a Dung-Cart to the place of Execution Ward pa. 154. he spake thus Well yet are we a precious odour and a sweet savour to God in Christ Cornford John Cornford one of the last five that suffered Martyrdome in Queen Mary's dayes when the Sentence should have been passed Fox Vol. 3. pag. 893. and they should have been executed by the Papists being moved in Spirit with a vehement zeal for God in the name of them all pronounced Sentence of Excommunication against the Papists in these words In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the most mighty God and by the power of the holy Spirit and the authority of his holy and Apostolick Church We do hereby give into the hands of Satan to be destroyed the bodies of those Blasphemers and Hereticks that do maintain any errour against his most holy Word or do condemn his most holy Truth for Heresie to the maintenance of any false Church or seigned Religion so that by this thy just judgment against thy Adversaries thy true Religion may be known to thy great glory and our comfort to the edifying of all our Nation Lord Jesus So be it It is observable that within six dayes after this Excommunication Quen Mary died and the tyranny of all English Papists with her Conlogue Brethren and Sisters said Peter Conlogue of Breda at the Stake be you alwayes obedient to the Word of God and fear not those that can kill the body Fox Vol. 3. pag. 50. for on the soul they can have no power as for me I am now going to meet my glorious Spouse the Lord Jesus Christ Cranmer When Dr. Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury was Excommunicated he said Fox Vol. 3. pag. 92. From this your Judgement and Sentence I appeal to the just Judgement of God Almighty trusting to be present with him in Heaven for whose presence in the Altar I am thus condemned In his Letter to Mr. Wilkinson Pa. 677. The true Comforter in all distresses is onely God through his Son Jesus Christ Whosoever hath him hath Comfort enough although he were in a Wilderness all alone He that hath twenty thousand in his company if God be absent is in a miserable Wilderness In him is all comfort and without him is none Wherefore I beseech you seek your dwelling there where you may truly and rightly serve God dwell in him have him ever dwelling in you After he had recanted and was brought to Saint Mary's Church in Oxford where Dr. Cole after he had preached bitterly against him shewing why he was to be executed notwithstanding his Recantation prest him to evidence to the people his conversion to Popery Dr. Cranmer entreated the people to pray with him and for him that God would pardon his sins especially his Recantation After he had prayed he told them Pa. 669. It is a sad thing to see so many so much dote upon the love of this false World and be so careful of it and so careless of Gods love or the World to come therefore this shall be my first exhortation that you set not your minds overmuch upon this glozing World but upon God and the World to come to learn to know what this Lesson meaneth which St. John teacheth That the Love of this World is hatred against God Let rich men consider and weigh three Scriptures Luke 18. It is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of Heavin 1 John 3. He that hath the substance of this world and seeth his Brother in necessity and shutteth up his mercy from him how can he say that he loveth God James 5.1 2. Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you your riches are corrupted Another exhortion is That next under God you obey your King and Queen willingly gladly without murmuring or grudging They are Gods Ministers Whosoever resisteth them resisteth the Ordinance of God And now I come said he to the great thing that so much troubleth my Conscience more than any thing that ever I did or said in my whole life and that is the setting abroad a Writing contrary to the Truth which now here I renounce and refuse as things written with my hand contrary to the Truth which I thought in my heart and written for fear of death and to save my life if it might be And forasmuch as my hand offended writing contrary to my heart my hand shall first be punished therefore for may I come to the fire it shall be first burned At the Stake when the fire began to burn near him he stretching out his arm put his right hand into the flame which he held so stedfast that all men might see his hand burned before his body was touched His eyes lifted up to Heaven he cried out even as long as he could speak O his unworthy hand His last words were the words of Stephen Lord Jesus receive my spirit Cromwel Thomas Lord Cromwel Earl of Essex Fox Vol. 2. pag. 529. the morning that he was executed having chearfully eaten his break-fast passing out of the Prison down the Hill in the Tower met the Lord Hungerford going to Execution for other matter and â—erceiving him to be heavy and doleful he willed him to be of good comfort for if you repent said he of what you have done there is mercy enough for you with the Lord who for Christs sake will forgive you and though the break-fast we are going to be sharp yet trusting in the mercy of the Lord we shall have a joyful dinner In his Prayer on the Seaffold O Lord Jesus Pa. 515. who art the onely health of all men living and the everlasting life of them which die in thee Being sure that the thing cannot perish which is committed to thy mercy willingly now I leave this frail and wicked flesh in sure hope that thou will in better wise restore it to me again at the last day in the resurrection of the Just I see and acknowledge there is in my self no hope of salvation but all my considence hope and trust is in
from the beginning said I though it bear no glorious shew before the world being ever for the most part under the Cross and affliction contemned despised and persecuted The Bishop contended on the other side that theâ— were the Church So cried all the Clergy againsâ— the Prophets of Jerusalem said I saying The Church the Church c. So much out of Mâ— Glover's choice Letter After he was condemned Pa. 427. his heart was lumpish and desolate of all spiritual consolation whereupon fearing least the Lord had utterly withdrawâ— he made his moan to Mr. Austine Bernher his familiar friend telling him how he had prayed nigâ— and day to God and yet had no sense of comsoâ— from him The Minister desired him to wait patiently the Lords leisure and howsoever his present seeling was yet seeing his cause was just he exhorted him constantly to stick to the same anâ— to play the man not doubting but the Lord in 〈◊〉 good time would visit him and satisfie his desâ—â— with plenty of consolation whereof said Mâ— Bernher he was right certain and sure and therefore desired him whenever any such feeling 〈◊〉 Gods heavenly mercies should begin to touch 〈◊〉 heart that then he should shew some significatiâ—â— thereof The next day as he was going to the place of his Martyrdome and was come within sight of the Stake although all the night before praying for strength and courage he could feel none suddenly he was so mightily replonished with Gods holy comfort and heavenly joys that he cried out clapping his hands to Austine and saying in these words Austine He is come he is come c. and that with such joy and alacrity as one seeming rather to be risen from some deadly danger to liberty of life than as one passing out of the world by any pains of death Godfrey When one called Godfrey de Hammele Heretick Ward pag. 157. he said No Heretick but an unprofitable Servant yet willing to die for his Lord and reckoning this death no death but a life Goodman Mr. Christopher Goodman See hit Sermon on Act. 4.19 Enlarged and Printed at Gena 1558. Pa. 216 c. an exiled Minister of Christ in Queen Mary's dayes declaring the cause of all the then misery in England and the onely way to remedy the same writes as followeth from Geneva If all in whom the People should look for comfort be altogether declined from God as in deed they appear to be at this present time in England without all fear of his Majesty or pity upon their Brethren Then assure your selves dear Brethren and Servants of God there can be no better counsel nor more comfortable or present remedy which you shall prove true if God grant you his Spirit and Grace to follow it then in continual and daily invocation of his Name to rest wholly and onely upon him make him your shield buckler and refuge who hath so promised to be to all them that are oppressed and depend upon him to do nothing commanded against God and your conscience prefering at all times the will of God to the will of men faying answering to all manner of persons This God hath commanded this we must do That God hath forbidden that we will not do If you will rob us spoil us for doing the Lords will to the Lord must you make answer and not to us for his goods they are and not ours If ye will imprison us behold you are oppressours if ye will hang us or burn us behold ye are murtherers of them which fear the Lord. And for our part if you take from us this vile and corruprible life we are sure the Lord will grant it us again with joy and immortality both of soul and body If God give you grace to make this or the like answer and strength to contemn their Tyranny you may be sure to find unspeakable comfort quietness of conscience in the midst of your danger and greatest rage of Satan And thus boldly confessing Christ your Saviour before men as by the examples of thousands of your Brethren before your faces God doth mercifully encourage you you may with all hope patience wait for the joyful confession of Christ again Pa. 218. before his Father and Angels in Heaven that you are his obedient and dearly beloved Servants being also assured of this that if it be the will of God to have you any longer to remain in this miserable world that then his Providence is so careful over you present with you that no man or power can take away your lise from you nor touch your body any farther than your Lord and God will permit them which neither shall be augmented for your plain confession nor yet diminished for keeping of silence for nothing cometh to the Servants of God by hap or chance whose hairs of their heads are numbred Whereof if ye be so assured at ye ought there can be nothing that should make you to shrink from the Lord. I they do cast you into Prison with Joseph the Lord will deliver you If they cast you to wild beâ—sts and Lions as they did Daniel you shall be preserved If into the Sea with Jonas Pâ— 219. you shall not be drowned or into the dirty dungeon with Jeremy you shall be delivered or into the fiery Furnace with Shadrach Meshach and Abednego yet shall not be consumed Contrariwise if it be his good pleasure that you shall glorifie his holy Name by your death what great thing have you lost changing death for life misery for felicity continual vexation and trouble for perpetual rest and quietness churing rather to die with shame of the world being the Servants of God than to live among men in honour being the Servants of Satan and condemned of God Otherwise if you give place to the wickedness of men to escape their malice and bodily dangers you shew your selves therein to fear man more than the mighty and dreadful God him that hath but power of your body and that at Gods appointment then God himself who hath power after he hath destroyed the body to cast both soul and body into hell fire there to remain everlastingly in torments unspeakable And moreover Pa. 220. that which you look to obtain by these sinful shifts you shall be sure to lose with grief and trouble of conscience for this saying of your Master being true and certain that They which seek to save their life meaning by any worldly reason or policy shall lose it Mat. 16. What shall be their gains at length when by dissimulation and yielding to Popish Blasphemy they dishonour the Majesty of God to enjoy this short miserable and mortal life to be cast from the favour of God and company of his heavenly Angels to enjoy for a short time their goods and possessions among their fleshly and carnal Friends when as their conscience within shall be deeply wounded with hell-like torments when Gods curse and
said he by the Word of God I will never credit you nor believe you Harpsfield telling him If his Child died unchristened he was damn'd and his Child both Judge you no farther said he than ye may by the Scriptures Pa. 259. How can your Child being an Insant said Harpsfield believe The deliverance of it said Hankes from sin standath in the faith of his Parents Saint Paul saying Else were your Children unclean 1 Cor. 7. To trust to any said Bonner we bid you not but to pray to them we bid you They that list said Hankes receive your Dectrine You teach me that I should not believe nor trust in any but to call on them and Saint Paul saith How shall I call on him on whom I believe not Bonner calling him fool he said A Bishop must be blameless or faultless soler discreet no chider nor given to anger Mr. Hankes telling Bonner That Christ saith These tokens shall follow them that believe in me Pa. 216. Mark 16 They shali speak with new tongnes cast out Devils and if any drink deadly poyson it shall net hurt them Bonner ask'd him With what new tongues do ye speak Forsoâ—th said Hankes where before I came to the knowledge of Gods Word I was a foul Blasphemer and filthy talker Since I came to the knowledge thereof I have praised God with the same tongue and is not this a new tongue Hâ—w do you said Bonner cast out Devils Christ said Hankes did east them out by his Word and he hath left the save Word that whoscever doth credit and believe it shall cast out Devils Did you said Bonner ever drink deadly poyson Yea forsooth that I have said Hankes for I have drunk of the testilent Traditions and Ceremonies of the Bishop of Rome Bonner threatning that he should be burnt for an Heretick Where prove ye said Hankes that Christ or his Apostles did kill any man for his faith Did not Paul said B. excommunicate Yes my Lord said H. but there is a great difference between excommunlcation and burning If you will have us grant you to be of God then shew mercy for that God requireth An old Bishop perswading him to learn of his Elders to bear somewhat I will bear with nothing said he that is contrary to the Word of God Fecknam charging him for building his Faith on Latimer Pa. 261. Cranmer Ridley c. I build my Faith said he upon no man and that ye well know for if those men and as many more as they be should recant and deny that they have said or done yet will I stand to it and by this shall ye know that I build my Faith upon no man Chadsey asking him What he said of the Bishop of Rome From him said he and all his detestable enormities good Lord deliver us Bonner saying You speak of Idols and you know not what they mean God hath taught us what they be said Hankes for whatsoever is made graven or devised by mans hand contrary to Gods Word the same is an Idol Chadsey telling him Pa. 262. It was pity he should live In this case said he I desire not to live but rather to die I would my part might be to morrow Bonner threatning to send him to Newgate My Lord said he you can do me no better pleasure Bonner telling the Keeper Pa. 263. His Prisoner would not go to the Sermon Yes My Lord said he I pray you let me go and that that is good I will receive and the rest I will leave behind me Bonner asking after his imprisonment Whether he was the same man he was before he answered I am no Changeling nor none will be Miles Huggard asking him Where he proved that Infants were to be baptized Go teach all Nations said he baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghest Sir here is none excepted Bonner threatning him again Pa. 264. Ye shall do no more said he than God shall give you leave As for your cursings railings and blasphemings I care not for them for I know the moths and worms shall eat you as they eat cloth or wooll His examination he writ himself and subscribed it T. H. Who desireth all faithful men and Brethren to pray unto God to strengthen me in his Truth unto the end Pray pray pray gentle Brethren pray Bonner advising him at his publick examination to speak advisedly Pa. 265. for he stood upon life and death Well said he I will willingly receive what shall be put unto me My Lord as you be my friend in causing these my sayings to be written so do you cause them to be read and yet I will never go from them Being exhorted to return again to the bosome of the Mother Church No my Lord said he that will I not for if I had an hundred bodies I would suffer them all to be torn in pieces rather than I will abjure or recant Some of his Friends being not a little confirmed by his example and discourses yet being somewhat afraid of so sharp a punishment desired him alittle before his death that in the midst of the flame he would shew some token if he could whereby they might be more certain whether the pain of burning were so great Pa. 266. that a man might not therein keep his mind quiet and patient Whereupon it was agreed between them that if the rage of the pain were tolerable then he should lift up his hands above his head towards Heaven before he gave up the ghost Accordingly when he had continued long in the fire his speech taken away his skin drawn together his singers consumed so that all concluded he was dead contrary to all expectation he reached up his hands burning on a light fire over his head to the living God and with great rejoycing as it seemed clapped them three times together He was burned to ashes June 10. 1555. In his Letter to the Congregation The holy Spirit conduct and lead you all in all your doings that you may alwayes direct your deeds according to his holy Word that when he shall appear to reward every man according to his works ye may as obedient children be found watching ready to enter into his everlasting Kingdome with your Lamps burning and not be ashamed of this life which God hath lent you c. All flesh saith the Prophet is grass and all his glory as the flower of the field which for a season sheweth her beauty and as soon as the Lord bloweth upon it it withereth away and departeth Here we are as Pilgrims and Strangers following the footsteps of Moses among many unspeakable dangers c. in danger of that dreadful Dragon and his sinful seed to be tempted devoured and tormented who ceaseth not behind every Busn to lay a bait c. casting abroad his Apples in all places times and seasons to see if Adam will be allured and enticed to
leave the living God and his most holy commandment c. promising the world at will to all that will fall down and for a mess of pottage sell and set at naught the everlasting Kingdome of Heaven Therefore I am bold in bond as entirely desiring your everlasting selicity to warn you and most heartily desire you to watch and pray On the high mountains doth not grow most plenty of graâ—s neither are the highest trees farthest from danger but feldome sure and alwayes shaken of every wind that bloweth Such a deceitful thing saith our Saviour is honour and riches that withour grace it choketh up the good seed sown c. It maketh a man think himself somewhat that is nothing at all for though for our honour we esteem our selves and stand in our own light yet when we shall stand before the living God there shall be no respect of persons for riches helpeth not in the day of vengeance nor can we make the Lord partial for money Though the world rage Prov. 1. and blaspheme the Elect of God ye know that it did so unto Christ his Apostles and to all that were in the Prinitive Church and shall be unto the worlds end I beseech you in the bowels of Christ my Lord Jesus stick sast unto the Truth let it never depart out of your hearts and conversations c. Yours in him that liveth for ever In his Letter to his Wife Pa. 267. after his Condemnation I exhort you to love God with all your heart and soul and mind c. To lay sure hold on all his promises that in all your troubles you may run strait to the great mercy of God c. And be sure that neither Devil Flesh nor Hell shall be able to hurt you But if you will not keep his holy Precepts and call for Gods help to walk in the same but will leave them and do as the wicked world does then be sure to have your part with the wicked world in the burning lake Beware of Idolatry which most of all stinks in Gods Nostrils and hath been of all good men derested from the beginning of the world for the which what Kingdomes c. God hath punished with most terrible plagues c. to the utter subversion of them is manifestly to be seen through the whole Bible yea for this he dreadfully plagued his own people c. But how he hath preserved those that abhorred superstition and idolatry c. is also to be seen from the beginning out of what great danger he hath delivered them yea when all hope of deliverance was past as touching their expectation c. I exhort you also in the bowels of Christ that you will exercise and be stedfast in Prayer the onely mean to obtain of God whatsoever we desire so it be askt in Faith O what notable things do we read in Scripture that have been obtained through fervent Prayer Whatsoever you desire of God in Prayer ask it for Jesus Christ's sake for whom and in whom God hath promised to give us all things necessary Though what we ask come not by and by continue still knocking and he will at length open his treasures of mercy c. Yet once again I warn you that ye continue fervent in Prayer c. In his Letter to Mr. Pa. 268. Throgmorton Whereas the love of God hath moved you to require my Son to be brought up before your eyes and the self same love hath also moved me to leave him in your hands as a Father in my absence I shall require you in Gods behalf according to your promise that ye will see him brought up in the fear of the Lord and instructed in the knowledge of his holy Word that he may learn to leave the evil and know the good c. And this I require you to fulfill or cause to be fulfilled as ye before the Living God will make answer for the same Yours and all mens in Christ Jesus Hector Bartholomen Hector being condemned Fox Vol. 2 pag. 155. was threatned that if he spake any thing to the People his Tongue should be cut off yet he did not forbear He pray'd for the Judges That God would forgive them and open their eyes He refused a Pardon offered him at the Stake At his Death many wept saying Why doth this man die who speaketh of nothing but of God When he was called before Authority to be examined Fox Vol. 3 cont pag. 5. he would answer them to nothing before he had made his Prayer to God Whereupon falling down upon his knees he said Lord open my mouth and direct my Speech to utter that onely that may tend to thy honour and glory and the edification of thy Church When he was bound to the Stake Gunpowder and Brimstone was brought to be placed about him he lifting up his eyes to Heaven said Lord how sweet and welcome is this to me Hernaudes Mr. Julian Hernaudes Fox Vol. 3. cont p. 14. a Spanish Martyr came from the Wrack and the Tortures of the Inquisition inflicted on him for bringing with him and causing to brought into Spain many Books of the Holy Scriptures in Spanish as from a Conquest saying to his Fellow-prisoners as he past by them These Hypocrites are gone away confounded no less than wolves that have been long hunted When he was brought forth to his Execution he said to the rest Courage my valiant and constant Brethren non is the hour come in which as the true Champions of Jesus Christ we must witness his Truth before men and for a short tryal for his sake we shall triumph with him for ever and ever Herwyn When John Herwyn of Flanders Fox Vol. 3. Cont p. 17. was led to Prison the Baâ—liffe meeting certain Drunkards in the Street and saying They say we have many Gospellers in Houscot but it little appears by these disorders he replied Mr. Bailiffe is drankenness a sin What of that said the Baâ—liffe Why then said Herwyn commit you not these fellows to Prison seeing it is your office to punish vice and to protect such as fear God After he was in Prison because he was not called forth before the Magistrates assoon as he desired and expected he grew heavy and sad asking Why they so delayed the matter for his he art was fired with an holy zeal to confess Christ before his Judges When he was brought forth he admonished his Judges to examine the Doctrine of the Roman Church by the true Touch-stone which is the holy Scripture that so they might discern how opposite and contrary the one is to the other Consider also said he what the words of St. Peter import where he affirms That we ought to obey God rather that man c. When he craved for Justice either one way or another they urged him to desist from his Opinion but he answered That his faith was not built on an Opinion Psal 14. but said he
of the fire now prepared for me rather than to deny the truth of his Word desiring you and others in the mean time to commend me to Gods mercy in your Prayers I thank God said the Knight that ever I knew you for God did appoint you to call me being a lost child and by your good instructions where before I was both an Adulterer and Fornicator God hath brought me to the forsaking and deâ—esting of the same If you had the grace so to do said the Bishop I do highly praise God for it and if you have not I pray God you may have and that you may continually live in his fear The Knight and the Bishop parting with tears the Bishop told the Knight that all the troubles be had sustained in Prison had not caused him to uttes so much sorrow A Papist telling him he was sorry to see him in that case Be sorry for thy man said he and Iament thine own wickedness for I am well I thank God and death to me for Christs sake is welcome When he was committed to the Sheriff of Glocester Pa. 154. the Mayor and Aldermen at first saluted him and took him by the hand Mr. Mayor said Mr. Hooper I give most hearty thanks to you and to the rest of your Brethren that you have vouchsafed to take me a Prisoner and condemned man by the hand whereby to my rejoycing it is somewhat apparent that your old love and friendship towards me is not altogether extinguished and I trust also that all the things I have taught you in times past are not utterly forgotten c. For the which most true and sincere Doctrine because I will not now account it falshood and Heresie as many other men do I am sent hither by the Queens command to die and am come where I taught it to confirm it with my blood And now Mr. Sheriffs My request to you is that there may be a quick Fire shortly to make an end in the mean time I will be as obedient unto you as your selves would wish If you think I do amiss in any thing hold up your finger and I have done for I am not come hither as one inforced or compel to die for it is well known I might have had my life with worldly gain but as one willing to offer and give my life for the truth rather than to consent to the wicked Papistical Religion of the Bishop of Rome c. When the Sheriffs fetcht him from his Chamber to the place of Execution with Bills Weapons c Mr. Sheriffs said he I am no Traytor neither needed you to have made such a business to bring me to the place where I must suffer for if ye had willed me I would have gone alone to the Stake and have troubled none of you at all When he saw the multitude of people that were assembled he said unto them that were about him Alas why be these people assembled and come together peradventure they think to hear something of me now as they have in times past but alas speech is prohibited me Notwithstanding the cause of my death is well known unto them when I was appointed here to be their Pastor I preached unto them true and sincere Doctrine and that out of the Word of God because I will not account the same to be Heresie and untruth this kind of death is prepared for me When he was come to the place where he was to suffer after he had begun to pray a Box was brought and laid before him upon a stool with his Pardon or leastwise it was feigned so to be from the Queen if he would turn at the sight thereof he cried If you love my soul away with it if you love my soul away with it In his Prayer he was overheard to say Lord I am Heil but thou art Heaven I am swill and a sink of sin but thou art a gracious God and merciful Redeemer Pa. 155. Thou art ascended into Heaven receive me Hell to be partaker of thy joys where thou sittest in equal glory with thy Father for well knowest thou wherefore I am come hither to suffer and why the wicked do persecute this thy poor servant not for my sins and transgressions against thee but because I will not allow their wicked doings to the contaminating of thy blood and to the denial of the knowledge of thy Truth wherewith it did please thee by thy holy Spirit to instruct me the which with as much diligence as a poor wretch might being thereto called I have set forth to thy glory And well seest thou my Lord and God what terrible pains cruel torments be prepared for thy Creature such Lord as without thy strength none is able to bear or patiently to pass But all things that are impossible with man are possible with thee Therefore strengthen me of thy goodness that in the fire I break not the rules of patience or else asswage the terrour of the pains as shall seem most to thy glory When he was at the Stake three irons made to bind him to the Stake were brought one for his Neck another for his Middle and the third for his Legs He refusing them said Ye have no need thus to trouble your selves for I doubt not but God will give strength sufficient to abide the extremity of the fire without bands notwithstanding suspecting the frailty and weakness of the flesh but having assured confidence in Gods strength I am content ye do as ye shall think good When he was first scorch'd with the fire Pa. 156. he pray'd saying mildly and not very loud but as one without pains O Jesus the son of David have mercy upon me and receive my soul When the second fire was spent and only burnt his lower parts he said for Gods love good people let me have more fire In the third fire he prayed with somewhat a loud voice Lord Jesus have mercy on me Lord Jesus have mercy on me Lord Jesus receive my Spirit The Reasons of Mr. Hooper 's refusing the Episcopal Habits c. I find thus C. Why do not you my Lord use these innocent and harmless weeds See Cabal p. 13 14. H. I put my self upon the tryal of the searcher of Hearts that no obstinacy but meer Conscience makes me refuse these ornaments C. These Ornaments are indifferent of themselves and of ancient use in the Church H. They are useless being ridiculous and superstitious C. Nay my Lord being enjoyned by lawful Authority they become necessary not to salvation but to Church-unity H. Being left indifferent by God it is presumption in man to make them necessary C. By a moderate use of these Ceremonies we may gain Papists into the Church H. While you hope to gain Papists into the Church you lose many Protestants out of it C. You discredit other Bishops who have used this Habit. H. I had rather discredit them than destroy mine own conscience C.
How think you being a private person to be indulged with to the disturbance of the publick Uniformity of the Church H. If it please your Grace but to read these Letters I hope you will be satisfied and then he produced the Letters from the Earl of Warwick and King Edward C. These are to desire that in such reasonable things wherein my Lord Elect of Glocester craveth to be born withall at your hands you would vouchsafe your graces favour the principal cause is that you would not charge him with any thing burdenous to his conscience J. Warwick WE do understand you stay from Consecrating our well-beloved Mr. J. Hooper because be would have you omit and let pass certain Rites and Ceremonies offensive to his Conscience whereby you think you shall fall in premunire of Laws We have thought good by advice of Our Council to discharge you of all manner of Dangers Penalties and Forfeitures you should run into by omitting any of the same and these Our Letters shall be your sufficient Warrant and Discharge Edwardus Rex In his Letter writ in Answer to one sent him concerning certain taken in Bow Church-yard Fox Vol. 3 Pag. 116. whilst they were praying I do rejoyce in that men can be so well occupied in this perilous time and flee for remedy to God by Prayer as well for their own lacks and necessities as also charitably to pray for them that persecute them So doth the Word of God command all men to pray charitably for them that hate them and not to revile any Magistrate with words or to mean him evil by force and violence They also may rejoyce that in well doing they werâ— taken to prison Thus fare you well and pray God to send his true Word into this Realm again amongst us which the ungodly Bishops have now banished In his Letter to those Christians so taken Prisoners The grace favour consolation Pa. 1â—â— and aid of the Holy Ghost be with you now and ever So be it Dearly beloved in the Lord ever since I heard of your imprisonment I have been marvellously moved with great affections and passions as well of mirth and gladness as of heaviness and sorrow Of gladness in this that I perceived how ye be bent and given to prayer and invocation of Gods help in these dark and wicked proceedings of men against Gods glory I have been sorry to perceive the malice and wickedness of men to be so cruel devillish and tyranical to persecute the people of God for serving of God c. These cruel doings do declare that the Papists Church is more bloody and tyrannical than ever was the sword of the Ethnicks and Gentiles Trajan the Emperour commanded That no man should be persecuted for serving of God but the Pope and his Church have cast you into Prison being taken doing the Work of God and one of the excellentest Works that is required of Christians viz. whilest ye were in Prayer O glad may ye be that ever ye were born to be apprehended whilest ye were so vertuously occupied Blessed be they that suffer for righteousness sake If God had suffered them that took your bodies then to have taken your life also now had you been following the Lamo in perpetual joyes away from the company and assembly of the wicked men But the Lord would not have you suddenly so to depart but reserveth you gloriously to speak and maintain his Truth to the world Be ye not careful what ye shall say for God will go out and in with you and will be present in your hearts and in your mouths to speak his wisedome though it seems foolishness to the world He that hath begun this good work in you continue in the same unto the end Pray unto him Mat. 10. that ye may fear him only that hath power to kill both body and soul and to cast them into hell fire Luke 12. Be of good comfort all the hairs of your head are numbred and there is not one of them can perish except your heavenly Father suffer it to perish Now you be in the field and placed in the fore-front of Christs battel Doubtless it is a singular favour of God and a special love of him towards you to give him his preheminence as a sign that he trusteth you before others of his people Wherefore dear Brethren and Sisters continually fight this Fight of the Lord. Your Cause is most just and godly ye stand for the true Christ who is after the flesh in Heaven and for his true Religion and Honour which is amply fully sufficiently and abundantly contained in the holy Testament sealed with Christs own blood How much be ye bound to God who puts you in trust with so holy and just a cause Remember what lookers on you have to lee and behold you in your fight God and all his holy Angels who be ready alwayes to take you up into Heaven if ye be flain in his fight Also you have standing at your backs all the multitude of the Faithful who shall take courage strength and desire to follow such noble and valiant Christians as you be Be not afraid of your Adversaries 1 Joh. 4. for he that is in you is stronger than he that is in them Shrink not although it be pain to you your pains be not now so great as hereafter your joyes shall be Read the Comfortable Chapters to the Romans 8.10 15. Hebrews 11.12 And upon your knees thank God that ever ye were accounted worthy to suffer any thing for his Names sake Read the second Chapter of Luke and there you shall see how the Shepherds that watched their Sheep all night as soon as they heard that Christ was born at Bethelem by and by went to see him They did not reason not debate with themselves who should keep the Wolf from the Sheep in the mean time but did as they were commanded and committed their Sheep unto him whose pleasure they obeyed So let us do now we be called commit all other things to him that calleth us He will take heed that all things shall be well He will help the Husband he will comfort the Wife he will guide the Servants he will keep the House he will preserve the Goods yea rather then it should be undone he wil wash the Dishes and rock the Cradle Cast therefore all your care upon God for he careth for you Besides this you may perceive by your imprisonment that your Adversaries weapons against you be nothing but flesh and blood and tyranny for if they were able they would maintain their Religion by Gods Word but for lack of that they would violently compel such as they cannot by holy Scripture perswade because the holy Word of God and all Christs doings be contrary unto them Ipray you pray for me and I will pray for you Fleet Jan. 24. 1555. In a Letter to certain of his Friends Pa. 156. Now is the time of trial to see
measure ye measure unto us look for the same again at Gods hands When his Articles and Answers were read Pa. 198. he said Ye go about to trap us with your subtilties and snares and though my Father and Mother and other my Kinsâ—olk did believe as you say yet they were deceived in so believing whereas you say Doctor Cranmer and others c. be Hereticks I do wish that I were such an Heretick as they were and be Then Bonner asked him again Whether he would turn from his error and come to the unity of their Church No said he I would ye would recant for I am in the truth and you in error Hus. Mr. John Hus preaching at the honourable and very solemn Funeral of three in Prague Fox Vol. 1 Pa. 778. who had been put to death in Prison for calling the Pope Antichrist and speaking against Indulgences at whose Funeral was sung on this wise These be the Saints which for the Testament of God gave their bodies c. much commended them for their constancy and blest God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who had hid the way of his Verity so from the prudent of the world and had revealed it to the simple who chose rather to please God then man This occasioned his expulsion out of Prague being before excommunicated by the Pope The Emperor having given safe conduct to Mr. John Hus to come to the general Council at Constance he promised to come Pag 786. professing he was ready alwayes to satisfie all men which shall require him to give a reason of his faith hope c. and giving notice to all that could object any error or heresie to him to appear and not spare him The Twenty sixth day after he came to Constance Pa. 789 790. two Bishops c. were sent to him to bring him before the Pope and his Cardinals To whom he answered I am not come to defend my Cause particularly before the Pope and his Cardinals but to appear before the whole Council and there answer for my defence openly c. unto all such things as shall be demanded or required of me Notwithstanding forasmuch as you do require me so to do I will not refuse to go with you and if it happen that they evil intreat me yet nevertheless I trust in my Lord Jesus that he will so comfort and strengthen me that I shall desire much rather to die for his glory sake then to deny the Verity which I have learned by his holy Scriptures When he came to the Cardinals they told him they had heard that he had taught great and manifest errors through the Realm of Bâ—hemia c. You shall understand answered Mr. Hus that I am thâ—s minded and affectioned that I should rather chuse to die then I should be found culpable of one only error much less of many and great errors For this cause I am willingly come to the general Council to receive correction if any man can prove any errors in me Some of the Articles presented to the Council against him Pa. 791. 4 He saith that all Priests be of like power 8 He holdeth this opinion That a man being once ordained a Priest or a Deacon cannot be forbidden or kept back from the office of preaching When several false witnesses rose up against him Pa. 799. he said Albeit they were as many more in number as they are I do much more esteem yea and without comparison regard the witness of my Lord God before the witness of all mine adversaries He being ask'd whether it was lawful for him to appeal unto Christ Pa. 800. answered Verily I do affirm before you all that there is no more just nor effectual plea then that which is made unto Christ forasmuch as the Law doth determine that to appeal is no other thing then in a cause of grief oâ— wrong done by an inferiour Judge to implore and require aid remedy at an higher Judges hands Who is then an higher Judge then Christ Who can know or judge the matter more justly or with more equity In him is found no deceit noâ— can he be deceived Who can better help the miserable and oppressed then he It being in his Accusation that he counsel'd the people to resist with the sword all such as did gain-say his Doctrine c. he answered That he at all times when he preached did diligently admonish and warn the people that they should arm themselves to defend the truth of the Gospel according to the saying of the Apostle With the helâ—et and sword of salvation and that he never spake of any material sword but of that which is the Word of God Some more Articles against him taken out of his Treatise of the Church Pa. 802. 1 There is but one holy universal or Catholick Church which is the universal Company of all the Predestinate 6 A reprobate man is never a member of the holy Church 18 An Heretick ought not to be committed to the secular powers to be put to death Pa. 804. for it is sufficient that he suffer the Ecclesiastical censure In his appeal Forasmuch as the most mighty Lord One in Essence Three in Person Pa. 805. is both the chief and first and also the last and uttermost refuge of all those which are oppressed and forasmuch as the Lord Jesus Christ very God and Man being compassed in with the Priests Scribes and Pharisees wicked Judges and Witnesses c. hath left behind him this godly example for them that shall come after him to the intent they should commit all their causes into the hand of God O Lord behold my affliction c. thou art my Protector and Desender O Lord thou hast given me understanding and I have acknowledged thee For mine own part I have been as a meek Lamb which is led unto sacrifice and have not resisted against them Deliver me from mine enemies for thou art my God I appeal to the Sovereign and most just Judge who is not defiled with cruelty nor can be corrupted with gifts and rewards neither yet be deceived by false witness I John Hus do present and offer this my appeal to my Lord Jesus Christ Pa. 806. my just Judge who knoweth and defendeth and justly judgeth every mans just and true cause The day before his condemnation when four Bishops were sent by the Emperour to him to know whether he would stand to the judgment of the Council Pa. 816. Mr. John de clum spake thus unto him Mr. J. Hus I require you if you know your self guilty of any of those errours which are objected against you that you will not be ashamed to alter your mind to the will of the Council if contrariwise I wil be no Author to you that you should do any thing contrary to your conscience but rather to suffer any kind of punishment then to deny that which you have known to be the