not suffer him to do by strength by crafty deceit making the Prince party c. After a long conference between the Queen and Mr. Knox the Secretary told him He might return to his house for that night I thank God and the Queens Majesty said he and Madam I pray God to purge your heart from Papistry and to preserve you from the counsel of â—latterers for how pleasant soever they appear to your ear and corrupt affections for the time experience hath taught us in what perplexity they have brought famous Princes After he was gone the Nobility in the presence of the Queen absolved Mr. Knox. In his Prayer for the Queen O Lord if thy good pleasure be purge the heart of the Queen Majesty from the venome of Idolatry and deliver her from the thraldome and bondage of Satan into the which she hath been brought up and yet remains for the lack of true Doctrine and let her see by the illumination of thy Spirit that there is no means to please thee but by Jesus Christ thy onely Son and that Jesus Christ cannot be found but in thy holy Word nor yet received but as it prescribes which is to renounce our own wisdome and preconceived opinion and worship thee as it commands that in so doing she may avoid the eternal damnation which is ordained for all obstinate impenitenâ—s and that this poor Realm may also escape that plague and vengeance which inevitably followeth Idolatry maintained against the manifest Word and the light thereof Secretary Lethington was offended at two things therein 1 Because he prayed for the Queen conditionally If it be thy good pleasure c. Where have ye an example of such a Prayer Mr. Knox answered Wheresoever the examples are I am sure of the Rule which is this If we shall ask any thing according to his Will he shall grant us I have learned to pray in faith now faith you know depends upon the Word of God and so it is that the Word of God teacheth me that Prayer profiteth the Sons and Daughters of Gods Election Besides did not the Apostles pray as they commanded others to pray Now Peter commanded Simon Magus to pray conditionally If it be pâ—ssible c. 2 Where find ye that the Scriptures call any the Bond-slaves of Satan said the Secretary or that the Prophets of God spake of Kings and Princes so irreverently The Scripture saith said Mr. Knox that by nature we are all the children of wrath and our Master Christ affirms That such as do sin are servants to sin c. Behold I send thee saith Christ to Paul to the Gentiles to turn them from the power of Satan unto God Kings and Queens are not excepted but all unfaithfull are pronounced to stand in one rank and to be in bondage to one Tyrant the Devil Elisha was a Subject in the Kingdome of Israel and yet how little reverence did he give to the King he feared not to say to King Iehoram What have I to do with thee c. As the Lord of Hosts liveth in whose sight I stand if it were not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah I would not have looked toward thee c. Lethington telling him That we are not bound to follow extraordinary examples unless we have the like command c. I grant said Mr. Knox if the example repugne the Law as if a covetous man should borrow silver raiment c. from his neighbour and withhold the same alledging the example of the Israelites in Egypt c. But where the example agrees with the Law c. it stands to us in place of a Commandement for as God in his Nature is constant and immutable so cannot he condemn in the ages subsequent that which he hath approved in his Servants before us Lethington telling him That prosperity doth not alwaies prove that God approves the facts of men Yes said he when the facts of men agree with the Law of God and are rewarded according to his own promise expressed in his Law the prosperity that succeeds them is a most infallible assurance that God hath approved them Upon the nineteenth of August An. 1565. a little while after the Queen was married to the Lord Darley who to please the Protestants came to Church Mr Knox preached upon Isa. 26.13 14 15 16 c. wherein he said That God sets in Government for the offences and ingratitude of the people Boyes and Women and that God justly punished Ahab and his posterity because lie would not take order with that harlot Iezabel for which Sermon he was called in question and in answering said more then he had preached for he added That as the King had to please the Queen gone to Mass and dishonoured the Lord God so should God in his Justice make her an instrument of his ruine and so it fell out in a very short time But the Queen being incensed at these words to please her he was forbid to preach for a time This Sermon he took care to have it printed to make known to the world what ground there was to deal so with him as he tells us In his Epistle to the Reader I dare not deny least that in so doing I should be injurious to the Giver but that God hath revealed to me secrets unknown to the world and also that he hath made my tongue a Trumpet to forewarn Realms and Nations yea certain great revelations of mutations and changes when no such things were feared nor yet was appearing A portion whereof cannot the world deny be it never so blind to be fulfilled and the rest alas I fear shall follow with greater hast and in more full perfection then my sorrowfull heart desireth Notwithstanding these revelations and assurances I did ever abstain to commit any thing to writing contented onely to have obeyed the charge of him who commanded me to cry If any then will ask to what purpose this onely Sermon is set forth and greater matters omitted I answer To let such as Satan hath not altogether blinded see upon how small occasions great offence is now conceived For this Sermon from my Bed I was called before the Council and after long reasoning I was by some forbidden to preach in Edinburg so long as the King and Queen were in Town The Sermon he writ for the Press the last day of August 1565. when the Castle of Edinburg was shooting against the Exiled for Christs sake and therefore he concluded thus Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit for the terrible roaring of Guns and the noise of Armour do so pierce my heart that my soul thirsteth to depart Be merciful to thy flock O Lord and at thy good pleasure put an end to my misery The next Sabbath after the Earl of Murray was slain a Note was sent to Mr. Knox among the Papers wherein were written the names of those that desired
dying Witnesses have extorted even from Heathens acknowledgments to the honour of God that truly the Christians God is a great God yea by them sinners have been converted Iustin Martyr and others by observing the end the Martyrs made were brought out of love with the wayes of sin and in love with the wayes of holiness These Speeches here collected are called Swan-like Songs for their remarkableness A Cloud of Witnesses and The Sufferers Mirrour for their usefulness The Israelites found not onely comfort in the shadow of the Cloud in the Wilderness but a directive vertue therein they were led by it There is a double power in such instances both to Comfort and to Assimulate To see that others have suffered worse is no small comfort to Sufferers Iacob's Sheep conceived according to the colour of the Rods that lay in the Troughs Our conceptions will be like our visions like the examples that are set before our eyes Here as in a Glass even the best may see their spots and all especially Sufferers may learn how to dress themselves for death How can the best of us read these passages without shame for our low attainments for our little proficiency in the School of Christ How unlike are our faces to the faces in this Mirrour How self-denying were they How selfish are we How crucified to the world were they How much glued thereunto are we How easie was it for them to chuse the greatest Sufferings rather then the least Sin How hard is it for us not to chuse the greatest Sin rather then the least Suffering How willing were they to part with all for Christ How unwilling are we to part with littles for Christ What an honour did they esteem it to suffer for Christ to be chain'd to be whipt to be wrackt to be halter'd to be stak'd for Christ Have we such esteems of sufferings for Christ and of such sufferings Are not we ashamed of our glory How patient were they under the greatest tortures How impatient are we under very little troubles How hot was their love to Christ his Truths Ordinances People How cold is ours How zealous were they for the Honour of God How luke-warm are we How magnanimous were they How cowardly and dastardly are we How humble were they How proud are we How broken-hearted were they How hard-hearted are we What sympathizing spirits had they How little fellow-feeling is there now among Christians How active were they for the glory of God and good of souls under their sufferings How slothful are we And how little do we for either under our sufferings How strong was their Faith How weak is ours How fearless were they of man who can only kill the body How fearful are we How many of these Worthies attained unto Assurance and had their Evidences for Heaven clear How are the most of us in the dark as to an interest in God and a right and title to Glory How willing and desirous were they to die even a violent death How loth are we to die even a natural death How did they without the least fear play on the hole of this Asp and with much courage put their hand into the Den of this Cockatrice But how doth the fear of this King of Terrors make us subject to bondage Thus they are useful to shame us They are also usefull to prepare us to die especially a violent death Such examples chalk the way more plainly then bare direction These encourage more heartily these perswade more powerfully these chide unbelief with more authority I beseech you all who are the Lords people said one lately not to scare at suffering for the interests of Christ because of any thing you may see fall out in these days as to the sufferings of his Servants but be encouraged to do and suffer for I assure you in the Name of the Lord he will bear all your charges I do again assure you in his Name he will furnish all your expences and bear all your charges Mr. Rough learn'd the way to Martyrdome by seeing and hearing Austo at the Stake in Smithfield Coming from his burning and being askt where he had been he made answer There where I would not but have been for one of mine eyes would you know where Forsooth I have been to learn the way And soon after he followed him in the same place and the same kind of death Now if one president made him so good a Scholar what Dullards and Non-proficients are we if such a Cloud of Instances work not in us a chearful ability to expect and encounter the same adversary so often foiled before our eyes I shall detain thee no longer from seeing these rare sights but now invite thee in the words of Rev. 6.7 The good Lord adde his blessing that thine eye may affect thy heart and that these Remarkable passages may be thus usefull to all our souls and that the Cloud of Witnesses may not be a standing Witness against any of us Farewell To the Reader Reader THe life present is onely preparative to that to come as the hidden life in the womb to the more perfect and noble life in the world 1 Col. 12. Salvation is not instantaneous The Heirs of Glory make their gradual approaches to it and enter upon their Inheritance by degrees Rom. 13.11 And the nearer they come to Heaven the more heavenly their Spirits are Could a man but hear the last breathings and whispers of dying Saints how would he melt and ravish Like the Sun they appear most great and glorious at setting God often leads them to the top of Pisgâ—h whence they have a prospect of Canaan a little befâ—re they enter in to possess it But although God doth frequently indulge those that die in the Faith of Christ with rare and excellent visions of Christ yet ordinarily those that die for Christ as well as in Christ have a Benjamin's portion in comparison of their Brethren There is a joy proper to Martyrs which is bestowed upon them as an honorarium partly to reward their faithfulness in trials past and partly to encourage them to break through the difficulties which yet remain In these joyes Heaven is let down to Earth glory antedated and a short salvation here obtained 1 Pet. 1.8 During the continuance of this glorious frame they are acted above the ordinary rate of man which makes the world stand at gaze anâ— all that behold them to admire at them Their aspecâ— is rather angelical then humane Acts 6.15 and they seem no longer fit to be reckoned to the Tribe oâ— mortalls on Earth but rather ranked with the glorious Saints and Seraphims in Heaven they no longer wrap themselves up in their garment of flesh but the onely strife among them seems to be whâ— shall first cast it off to put on the garments of glory prepared for them Reader wouldst thou see some of these Earthly Angels men that are a little too low
me not six dayes ago saying I am more worthy to be burnt then any that hath been burned yet God's blessing on their hearts for their good report God make me worthy of that dignity and hasten the time that I may set forth his glory Blessed be the time that ever I came into the Kings Bench to be joyned in love and fellowship with such dear children of the Lord. In his Letter to his Wife Are not two sparrows saith Christ sold fer a farthing and yet not one of them shall perish without the will of your Heavenly Father c. As though he should have said if God hath such respect and care for a poor sparrow which is not worth one farthing it shall not be taken in the lime-twig net or pitfall untill it be his good will and pleasure you may be well assured that not one of you whom he so dearly loveth that he hath given his onely dear Son for you shall perish or depart forth of this miserable life without his good will and pleasure Let not the remembrance of children keep you from God The Lord himself will be a Father and a Mother better then ever yoâ—â— or I could have been unto them He himself will do all things necessary for them yea as much as rock the cradle if need be In his Letter to Mr. Bradford If we had been thanful to God for the good Ministers of his Word we had not so soon been deprived both of it and them Take not away all thy true Preachers forth of this Realm O Lord but leave us a seed least England be made like unto Sodom and Gomorrah when thy true Lots be gone Hearken O Heavens and then Earth give ear and bear me witness at the great Day that I do here faithfully and truly the Lord's message to his dear Servant to his singularly beloved and elect child Iohn Bradford Iohn Bradford thou man so specially beloved of God I pronounce and testifie unto thee in the Name of the Lord Jehovah that all thy sins whatsoever they be be they never so many so grievous or so great be fully and freely pardoned released and forgiven thee by the mercy of God in Jesus Christ thine onely Lord and sweet Saviour in whom thou doest undoubtedly believe Christ hath cleansed thee with his blood and cloathed thee with his Righteousness and hath made thee in the sight of God his Father without spot or wrinckle so that when the fire doth his appointed office thou shalt be received as a sweet burnt-sacrifice into Heaven where thou shalt joyfully remaâ—n in God's presence for ever as the true inheriter of his everlasting Kingdom unto the which thou wast undoubtedly predestinate and ordaâ—ned by the Lords infallible purpose and decree before the foundation of the world was laid and that this is most true that I have said I call the whole Trinity the Almighty and Eternal Majesty of God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost to my record at this present whom I humbly beseech to confirm and stablish in thee the true and lively feeling of the same Amen Selah In his Letter to his dear and faithful Brethren in Newgate condemned to die Cease not my dearly Beloved so long as you be in this life to praise the Lord with all your hearts for that of his great mercy and infinite goodness he hath vouched you worthy of this great dignity to suffer for his sake not onely the loss of goods wife and children long imprisonment cruel oppression but death it self in the fire This is the greatest promotion that God can bring you or any other into in this vail of misery yea so great an honour as the highest Angel in Heaven is not permitted to have and yet hath the Lord for his dear Son Christ's sake reputed you worthy of the same yea and that before me and many others who have both long looked and longed for the same Rejoyce with double joy and be glad my dear Brethren for doubtless you have more cause then can be exprest But alas I that for my sins am left behind may lament with the holy Prophet Woe is me that the dayes of my joyful râ—st are prolonged Ah cursed Satan which hath caused me so sore to offend my most dear loving Father whereby mine exile and banishment is so long prolonged Oh Christ my dear Advocate pacifie thy Father's wrath which I have justly deserved that he may take me home to him in his sweet mercy In his Letter to Mr. Green c. If they be so blessed of God that die in the Lord as the Holy Ghost saith they be how much more blessed and happy then are you that die not onely in the Lord but for the Lord. O blessed Green c. fresh and green shalt thou be in the Lord's House and thy fruits shall never wither nor decay O happy Mr. Whittle Peter's part thou hast well play'd therefore thy reward and portion shall be like his Now hast thou good experience of man infirmity but much more proof and taste yea sense and feeling of God's abundant bottomless mercyâ— Although Satan desired to sift thee yet Christ thy good Captain pray'd that thy faith should not failâ— God's strength is made perfect by thy weakness c. But alas I lye like the lame man aâ— the Pools side and every one goeth into the place of health before me In his Letter to William Tyms Satan hath two great pieces of Ordinance to shoot at you with the which he cannot hurt you because you have two bul-warks to defend you The first of these terrible Guns that he hath shot at you is fear and infidelity for the uglesomness of death and horrour of your many and great sins But this pellet is easily put away with the sure shield of faith in the most precious death and blood-shedding of our dear Lord and onely Saviour Jesus Christ whom the Father hath given to us wholly to be ours for evermore and with him hath given us all things as Paul saith so that though we be never so great sinners yet Christ is made unto us holiness righteousness and justification He hath clothed us all his merits c. and taken to himself all our sin c. so that if any should be now condemned for the same it must needs be Jesus Christ who hath taken them upon him But indeed he hath made satisfaction for them to the uttermost so that for his sake they shall never be imputed to us if they were a thousand times more then they be The other pestilent Piece he shooteth off at you is to provoke you to put some part of your trust and confidence in yourself and in your own holiness and righteousness that you may that way rob God of his glory and Christ of the honour and dignity of his death but blessed be the Lord God you have also a full strong Bul-work to beat back this pestilent Pellet even the
pure Law of God which proveth the best of us all damnable sinners in the light of God and that our best works are polluted in such sort as the Prophet describes them with the which manner of speaking our free-will Pharisees are much offended for it felleth all mans righteousness to the ground In his Letter to Mr. Augustine Bernher Pray for me that I may be strong and hardy to lay a good load on that bloody beast of Babylon O that I might so strike him down that he should never be able to rise again but that stroke belongeth onely to the Lord to strike at his coming which I hope will be shortly Carpenter All Bavaria said George Carpenter is not so dear to me as my wife and children yet for Christs sake I will forsake them cheerfully Carver Mr. Derick Carver being asked by Bonner whether he would stand for his Confession answered He would for your Doctrine is poyson and sorcery If Christ were here you would put him to a worse death then he was put to before At the stake he spake thus Dear Brethren and Sisters I am come here to seal with my blood Christs Gospel because that I know it to be true As many of you as do believe upon the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost unto everlasting life see you do the works pertaining to the same As many of you as do believe on the Pope of Rome you do believe to your utter condemnation and except the great mercy of God prevent not you shall burn in Hell perpetually In his Prayer O Lord my God thou hasâ— written He that will not forsake wife children house and all that ever he hath and take up his cross and follow thee is not worthy of thee Lord thou knowest that I have forsaken all to come unto thee Lord have mercy upon me for unto thee I commend my Spirit and my soul doth rejoyce in thee Chrysostome Eud xia the Emperess having sent him a very threatning message he gave this answer Go tell her Nil nisi peccatum timeo I fear nothing but sin When she had procured his banishment as he went forth of the City he said None of these things trouble me but I said within my self if the Queen will let her banish me the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if she will let her cast me into the sea I will remember Ionah if she will let her cast me into a burning fiery Furnace or among wild beasts the three children and Daniel were so dealt with if she will let her stone me or cut off my head I have St. Stephen and the Baptist my blessed Companions if she will let her take away all my substance Naked came I out of my Mothers womb and naked shall I return thither again He used to say the Devil 's first assault is violent resist that and his second will be weaker and that being resisted he proves a Coward Clarebachius I believe said Adolphus Clarebachius that there is not a merrier heart in the world at this instant then mine is Behold you shall see me die by that faith I have lived in Colham See Sir Iohn Oldcastle under the Letter O Clark When Roger Clark was sentenced he said with much vehemency Fight for your God for he hath not long to continue At the Stake he cried out to the people Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Coligni Iasper Coligni great Admiral of France who was slain in the Massacre at Paris August 24. 1572. being shot in the left Arm with two Bullets and the fore-finger of the right hand broke off with a third and being told by a Gentleman that it was to be feared the Bullets were poysoned he said All must be as it pleaseth God Seeing his Friends weep which held his Arm whilst the Incisions were made he said My Friends why do you weep I judge my self happy that bear these wounds for the Cause of my God To Mr. Merlin his Chaplain he said These wounds my Friend are Gods blessings The smart indeed is troublesome but I acknowledge the will of my Lord therein and I bless his Majesty who hath been pleased thus to honour me and to lay any pain upon me for his holy Names sake Let us beg of him that he will enable me to persevere to the end Speaking concerning those that wounded him I know assuredly said he that it is not in their power to hurt me No though they should kill me for my death is a most certain passage to eternal life N When the Blood-hounds brake open the house where he lay wounded he spake thus I perceive what is a doing I was never afraid of death and I am ready to undergo it patiently for which â— have long since prepared my self I bless God that I shall die in the Lord. â— now need no longer any help of man therefore my friends get ye hence The presence of God to whose goodness I commend my soul is abundantly sufficiently for me Coâ—vâ—r Sheep we are for the slaughter said Francâ— Co'ver to his two Sons massacred together with himself this is no new thing let us follow millions of Martyrs through temporal death unto eternal life Coo. Roger Coo being asked by the Bishop of Norâ—ichâ— 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 Mâ—shach and Abednâ—go had so done Neluchadnâ—zzar had neveâ— confessed the Living God Constantine Being carried with other Martyrs in a Dungâ— Cart to the place of Execution he spake thusâ— Well yet are we a precious odour and a sweeâ— savour to God in Christ. Cornford Iohn Cornford one of the last five that suffered Martyrdome in Queen Mary's dayes when thâ— Sentence should have been passed and they should have been executed by the Papists being moveâ— in Spirit with a vehement zeal for God in the namâ— 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 feigned Religion so that by this thy just judgement against thy Adversaries thy true Religion may be known to thy great glory and our comfort and to the edifying of all our Nation Lord Jesus So be it It is observable that within six dayes after this Excommunication Queen Mary died and the tyranny of all
them whom I have taught whereof there is a great number if through me it should come to pass that those things which they have hitherto known to be most certain and sure should now be made uncertain Should I by this my example astonish or trouble so many souls so many consciences endued with the most firm and certain knowledge of the Scriptures and Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and his most pure Doctrine armed against all the assaults of Satan I will never do it neither commit any such kind of offence that I should seem more to esteem this vile carcase appoâ—nted unto death then their health and salvation When one of the Bishops took from him the Chalice saying O cursed Iudas c. We take away from thee this Chalice of thy salvation But I trust said he unto God the Father Omnipotent and my Lord Jesus Christ for whose sake I do suffer these things that he will not take away the Chalice of his Redemption but have a stedfast and firm hope that this day I shall drink thereof in his Kingdome The other Bâ—shops took away the Vestments put upon him and each of them giving him their curse Whereunto he saâ—d That he did willingly embrace and hear those blasphemies for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When the Bâ—shops caused to be made a Crown of Paper in which were printed three ugly Devils and this title set over their heads Hâ—resiarcha A Ring-leader of an Heresie and he saw it he said My Lord Jesus Christ for my sake did wear a Crown of Thorns why should not I then for his sake wear this light Crown be it never so ignominious Truly I will do it and that willingly When it was set upon his head the Bishops said Now we commit thy soul unto the Devil But I said Mr. Hus lifting up his eyes toward Heaven do commit my Spirit into thy hands O Lord Jesus Christ unto thee I commend my Spirit which thou hast redeemed When the people heard his prayers at the Stake they said What he hath done afore we know not but now we see and hear that he doth speak and pray very devoutly and godlily After he had prayed some while being raised by his Tormentors with a loud voice he said Lord Jesus assist and help me that with a constant and patient mind I may bear and suffer this cruel and ignominious death whereunto I am condemned for the preaching of thy most holy Gospel and Word When he beheld the Chain with which his Neck was to be tied to the Stake he smiling said That he would willingly receive the same Chain for Jesus Christs sake who he knew was bound with a far worse Chain The Duke of Bavaria before the fire was kindled coming to him and exhorting him to be mindful of his safeguard and renounce his errors he answered What error should I renounce whenas I know my self guilty of none for as for those things that are falsly alledged against me I know that I never did so much as once think them much less preach them for this was the principal end and purpose of my Doctrine that I might teach all men repentance and remission of sins according to the verity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Exposition of the holy Doctors wherefore with a cheerful mind and courage I am here ready to suffer death He told them at his death That out of the ashes of the Goose so Hus in the Bohemian Language signifies an hundred years after God would raise up a Swan so Luther in that Language signifies in Germany whose singing should affright all those Vultures and who should escape their burning This Prophesie was exactly fulfilled in Lutâ—er who rose up just an hundred years after 1415 the year when Mr. Hus was burnt and though he so enraged the Pope and his powerful party he died in his bed In his Letter to the people of Prague Be circumspect and watchful that ye be not circumvented by the crafty trains of the Devil and the more circumspect ye ought to be for that Antichrist laboureth the more to trouble you The last judgement is near at hand death shall swallow up many but to the elect children of God the Kingdome of God draweth near because for them he gave his own body Fear not death love together one another persevere in understanding the good will of God without ceasing Let the terrible and horrible Day of Judgement be alwayes before your eyes that you sin not and also the joy of eternal life whereunto you must endeavour Let the passions of our Saviour be never out of your minds that you may bear with him and for him gladly whatsoever shall be laid upon you for if you shall consider well in your minds his Cross nothing shall be grievous unto you and patiently you shall give place to tribulations cursings rebukes stripes and imprisonment and shall not doubt to give your lives for his holy truth if need require Know ye Well Beloved that Antichrist being stirred up against you deviseth divers persecutions But I am in good hope that through the mercy of our God and by your Prayers I shall persist strongly in the immutable verity of God unto the last breath I commend you to the merciful Lord Jesus Christ our true God and the Son of the immaculate Virgin Mary who hath redeemed us by his most bitter death without all our merits from eternal pains from the thraldome of the Devil and from sin From Constance A. 1415. In his Letter to his Benefactors I exhort you by the bowels of Jesus Christ that now ye setting aside the vanities of this present world will give your service to the eternal King Christ the Lord. Trust not in Princes nor in the Sons of men in whom there is no health for the Sons of men are dissemblers and deceitful To day they are to morrow they perish but God remaineth for ever He hath his Servants not for any need he hath of them but for their own profit unto whom he performeth that which he promiseth and fulfilleth that which he purposeth to give He casteth off no faithful Servant from him for he saith Where I am there also shall my Servant be yea the Lord maketh every Servant of his to be the Lord of all his possession giving himself unto him and with himself all things O happy is that Servant whom when the Lord shall come he shall find watching Happy is the Servant which shall receive that King of Glory with joy Wherefore well beloved Lords and Benefactors serve you that King in fear In his Letter to the Lord Iohn de Clum The iniquity of the great Strumpet i. e. of the malignant Congregation whereof mention is made in the Apucalyps is detected and shall be more detected with the which Strumpet the Kings of the Earth do commit fornication fornicating spiritually from Christ and as is there said sliding back from
God he that is present with the Beasts is present with God I hear all onely in the Name of Christ that I may suffer with him he strengthning me who is made perfect man What doth it profit me if any one praise me and blaspheme my Lord not confessing him to be clothed with flesh Your prayer hath reached to the Church of Antioch which is in Syria whence I salute you all being bound in Gods honourable bonds though unworthy being the last of all there yet made worthy by the will of God not according to my Conscience but of the meer grace of God c. In one of his Epistles he saith Truly I did see him Christ in flesh after his resurrection and do believe that it is he c. He used to say That there is nothing better then the peace of a good Conscience That good and wicked men are like true and counterfeit money the one seems to be good and is not the other both seems and is good That the Lions teeth are but like a Mill which though it bruiseth yet wasteth not the good Wheat onely prepares and sits it to be made pure Bread Let me said he be broken by them so I may be made pure Manchet for Heaven Other graces are but parts of a Christians armour as the shield of Faith c. but Patience is the Panoply or whole armour of the man of God Ioan. The Lady Ioan Queen of Navar who was poysoned at Paris a few dayes before the bloody Massacre on Aug. 24. 1572. in her sickness she said I take all this as sent from the hand of God my most merciful Father nor have I during this extremity feared to die much less murmured against God for inflicting the same upon me knowing that whatsoever he doth he doth the same so as all in the end shall turn to my everlasting good I depend wholly upon Gods providence knowing that all things are wisely disposed of by him As for this life I am in a good measure weaned from the love of it in regard of the afflictions that have followed me from my youth hitherto but especially because I cannot live without daily offending my good God with whom I desire to be with all my heart In regard of mine own particular my life is not dear unto me seeing so long as I live in this frail flesh I am still prone and apt to sin against God onely my care is somewhat for my children which God hath given me because they shall be now deprived of me in their young years yet I doubt not but although it should please God to take me from them that himself will be a Father to them and a Protector over them as he hath been to me in my greatest afflictions and therefore I commit them wholly to his government and Fatherly care She often uttered these words O my God in thy good time deliver me from this body of death and from the miseries of this life that I may no more offend thee and that I may attain to that felicity which thou in thy Word hast promised me To a Minister a little before her death she said I neither expect Salvation Righteousness nor Life from any else then from my onely Saviour Jesus Christ being assured that his onely merit abundantly sufficeth for the full satisfaction of all my sins albeit they are innumerable Ioris Iohn Ioris of Assahen in a Letter of his to his Parents and Friends a little before his Martyrdome writ thus Most dear Father and Mother Sister and Brother I write here unto you comfortable news viz. That in all my life I never saw any day so pleasing to me as this is in which the Lord hath counted me worthy to be one of his Champions and to suffer for his holy Name for which I give him most humble and hearty thanks Rejoyce with me I pray you that God hath now called me to so glorious and welcome Marriage Day O how precious in the sight of the Lord our God is the death of his Martyrs Dear Friends two Priests and some of the Magistrates have sought to terrifie me with many threats thinking to turn me aside from my holy Profession but the Lord of his great mercy hath given me grace to withstand them all I plainly told them I was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ but would be willing and ready to die in the defence thereof following my Lord and Master Jesus Christ through all afflictions to be made Partaker with him at last of his eternal joyes in his celestial Tabernacle Wherefore if God shall call any of you forth to suffer ought for his Names sake bear the same I beseech you with meekness and patience not declining from the truth for fear or favour to the right hand or to the left But fear him rather who is able to cast soul and body into hell The time which God hath lent us to converse in this world is but short and therefore let us begin to abandon the love of this world with all things therein betimes that so we may be ready to follow the call of God Dear Father and Mother I do take my last farewell of you until we meet together again in the Kingdome of Heaven where we shall partake of that joy that shall last for ever all sorrows tears and griefs being wiped away Be ye not therefore grieved I pray you but be patient for the affliction which is befallen me is most acceptable to me for which also I bless and praise the Lord. Iueson Thomas Iueson being prest to recant said I would not recant for all the goods in London I do appeal to Gods mercy and will be none of your Church nor submit my self to the same And that I have said I will say it again And if there came an Angel from Heaven to teach me any other Doctrine then that which I am in now I would not believe him Iuleddo or Iulitta A Servant to a good Gentlewoman telling Mr. Bradford that her Mistress had been sorer afflicted with her own Father and Mother then ever he was with his imprisonment Mr. Bradford bid her tell her Mistress That he had read that day a godly History written by Basilius Magnus of Iuleddo a vertuous Widow She had great Lands and many children and nigh her dwelt a Cormorant which for her godliness hated her and out of very malice took away her lands so that she was fain to go to Law The Judge demanded of him why he wrongfully with-held these Lands from this Woman He answered he might because she was disobedient to the Kings proceedings for she will in no wise worship his gods nor offer sacrifice unto them Woman said the Judge thereupon if this be true thou art like not onely to lose thy Land but thy Life Whereupon she said And is there no remedy but either to worship your false gods or else to lose my
provided That they pass judgement concerning them out of the Scriptures and prove the contrary by testimonies thence Afterwards the Arch Bishop of Triers treated privately with him to perswade him Luther told him It was not sâ—fe for him to submit so momentous a business to them who after they had called him under safe conduct attempting him with new commands had condemned his Opinion and approved the Popes Bull. Afterwards the Arch Bishop desired Luther to shew what remedies there were in this case He answered None better then Gamalieâ—'s who said If this câ—unsel or work proceed of men it shall come to nâ—ught but if it be of God ye cannot destroy it Caesar and the States may write to the Pope that they are certain If this his purpose 〈◊〉 of God it will of iâ—s own accâ—rd come to nâ—ught within three yea within two years The Arch Bishop asking him What if the same Aâ—â—icles which the â—ouncil of Constance condemned be collected out of your Writings to be submitted to a Couâ—cil I may not said he and I will not hold my peace concerning such because I am certain the Word of God is condemned by their Decrees therefore I will rather lose life and head then abandon the manifest Word of the Lord. When Luther was commanded by the Emperour to return within one and twenty dayes under safe conduct He said It is as pleaseth the Lord. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. I humbly give most hearty thanks to the Emperour and all the Princes c. for so benign and favourable audience and for safe conduct to come and return I desire nothing of you but a reformation by the holy Scripture and that I do most earnestly desire Otherwise I am ready to suffer all things life and death shame and reproach for the Emperour and Empire reserving nothing for my self but onely the free Word of God to be confessed and testified by me In his Letter to his Father Know dear Father that your Son is come to this to be most certainly perswaded that nothing is before nothing more holy more religious then Gods command But you will say Didst thou ever doubt hereof Truly I did not onely doubt hereof but I was altogether ignorant that it was so and if you will suffer me I am ready to demonstrate that this ignorance was common to you with me If you had known that Gods Command is to be preferred before all things you would by your Paternal Authority have taken away my Monks Cole and if I had known it I should not have entred into the Monastery without your leave and against your consent But God hath caused all to work for good He would have me to experience the wisdome of the Universities and the holiness of the Monasteries that is that they should be known to me by many sins and impieties lest occasion should be given to wicked men to triumph over their future Adversary that I condemned what I knew not I therefore lived a Monk though without crime not without fault Will you now come and free me my Father The Lord hath come before you and freed me My Conscience is freed which is the richest liberty I am now a Monk and no Monk a new Creature not of the Pope but of Christ. The Pope doth indeed create Puppets that is Idols like himself in which Number I was once a poor seduced One but now freed by grace Your authority over me doth indeed remain intire But he that hath freed me hath greater authority over me Novemb. 21. 1521. In his Epistle to Prince Frederick The perils and dangers which seem to hang over your Person Dominions and Subjects and especially my self condemned by Edicts and Bulls by the Popes and Emperours Authority upon my return are not unobserved Certainly no less then a violent death is to be expected by me every hour But what shall I do God calls and urges me to return To this I am not induced by pride and contempt of the Emperour or of your Excellency or of any Magistrate for although sometimes we must not do what is commanded by man as when any thing is commanded contrary or repugnant to the Word of God yet the Power and Authority is never to be contemned but alwayes to be highly honoured But I am assured that the beginning of my Preaching at Wittenberg came not from my self but from God Neither can any kind of persecution and death teach me otherwise yea I think I prophesie rightly That no terrours nor cruelty shall be able to put out this Light Besides whilst I was absent from Wittenberg Satan hath entred in among my flock c. and I have resolved rather to regard the great necessity of that Church then the offending or pleasing your Excellency yea then the hatred and fury of the whole world Certainly this is my flock committed to me by the Lord These are my children in Christ. Shall I doubt whether I should câ—me to or stay from them for whom I ought to lose my life and chuse death which I shall God helping me willingly and cheerfully I do also very much fear least some great and horrible insurrection be in Germany to punish Germany ' s contempt of and ingratitude for the Blessings of God We see with how great liking applause and concurrency the Gospel is received by very many but many receive this Blessing carnally they plainly see the truth but do not walk in the truth as they ought The Ecclesiastical Tyranny is weakned and broken and that was all I aimed at in my Writings Now I see God will proceed farther and will sometime do the same that he did to Ierusalem when he overturned altogether both the Ecclesiastical and Political Government for persecuting the Gospel and other outrages I have lately begun to learn that not onely the Ecclesiastical Spiritual but the Political and Civil Authority ought to yield unto the Gospel c. Seeing therefore that God requires by Ezekiel that we be as a Wall unto the people I have thought it necessary to do all we can and ought by mutual counsels studies instructions admonitions exhortations for the averting or at least for the deferring â—f the anger and judgement of God This I dare affirm and wish that your Excellency were assured thereof that it is far otherwise concluded in Heaven then in the Convention at Norinberg and in short time we shall see that they who nâ—w dream that they have quite devâ—ured and eâ—ten up the Gospel have not so much as far fashiâ—n sake said Grâ—ce as the English expressiâ—n is for these untouched dainâ—ies The Gospel begins to be â—ppressed and therefore herein I ought not to regard any mortal I beseech therefâ—re your Excelâ—ency to take in good part my coming home without your command yea privity You are the Lord of my body and little fortunes but Christ of the souls to whâ—m he hath sent me c. I hope being confident
unto us and there is no perfect joy but in God In a fourth Letter to the same Lady Satan hath brought me out of the Kings Bench into the Bishop of London's Cole-house a dark and an ugly Prison as any is about London but my dark body of sin hath welâ— deserved the same and the Lord hath now brought me into outward darkness that I might the more be enlightned by him who is most present with his Children in the midst of darkness where I cannot be suffered to have any candle-light neither ink nor Paper but by stealth Pray Dear Lady that my Faith faint not which at present I thank God is more lively with me then it hath been in times past I tast and feel the faithfulness of God in his promise who hath promised to be with his in their trouble and to deliver them I thank the Lord I am not alone but have six other faithfull Companions who in our darkness do cheerfully sing Hymns and Praises unto God for his great goodness We are so joyfull that I wish you part of my joy Let not my strait imprisonment any thing molest you for it hath added and daily doth unto my joy but rather be glad and thankfull unto God with me Cheerfull and holy Spirits under the Cross be acceptable Sacrifices in the sight of God In another Letter to the same Lady This is the day that the Lord hath made let us be glad and rejoyce in the same this is the way though it be narrow which is full of the peace of God and leadeth to eternal bliss O how my heart leapeth for joy that I am so near the apprehension thereof God forgive me mine unthankfulness and unworthiness of so great glory I have so much joy of the reward that is prepared for me most wretched sinner that though I be in place of darkness and mourning yet I cannot lament but both night and day am so joyfull as though I were under no cross at all yea in all the dayes of my life I was never so merry the Name of the Lord be praised therefore for ever and ever and he pardon mine unthankfulness Pray instantly that this joy be never taken from us for it passeth all the delights of this world it surmounteth all understanding I trust my Marriage-garment is ready In his Letter to a Friend in Prison that writ to him concerning Infant-baptisme The same night I received your Letter as I was musing on it I sell asleep and in the midst of my sweet rest I saw a great beautifull City all of the colour of Azure and White and four-square in a marvellous beautifull composition in the midst of the Sky The sight hereof so inwardly comforted me that I am not able to express the consolation I had yea the remembrance thereof causeth as yet my heart to leap for joy and as Charity is no Churl but would others to be partakers of his delight so methought I called to others and when we together had beheld the same by and by to my great grief it vanished This Dream I take to be of the working of Gods Spirit I interpret the City the Church and the appearance of it in the Sky the heavenly state thereof and that according to the Primitive Church which is now in Heaven men ought to measure and judge of the Church of Christ and on earth the marvellous Quadrature of the same the universal agreement in the same that all here in the Church Militant ought to consent to the Primitive Church throughout the four parts of the world the wonderfull joy I conceived the unspeakable joy which they have that be at Unity with Christs Primitive Church and my calling others to the fruition of this Vision my moving you and others to behold the Primitive Church in all your Opinions concerning Faith and to conform your self in all points to the same which is the Pillar of Truth Let the bitter Passion of Christ which he suffered for your sake and the horrible torments which the godly Martyrs of Christ have endured before us and also the inestimable reward of your life to come which is hidden yet a little while from you with Christ strengthen comfort and encourage you to the end of that glorious race which you are in Amen Pikes William Pikes some while before he was last taken he was in his Garden reading the Bible and about twelve a clock of the day his face being towards the South there fell down four drops of fresh blood upon his Book he not knowing from whence it came Calling his Wife to him he said What meaneth this will the Lord have four Sacrifices I see well enough the Lord will have blood His will be done and give me grace to abide the triall Wife let us pray the day draweth nigh Afterward he daily looked to be apprehended till the time came indeed Being at the point of death in Newgate so that no man looked he should live six hours he declared to them that stood by that he had been twice in persecution before and that now he desired the Lord if it were his will that he might glorifie his Name at the Stake Place Monsieur Pierre de la Place President of the Court of Requests in France when out of that entire love which his Wife bore him fell down at the feet of one of those bloody Instruments of that barbarous Mâ—ssacre 1572. to intreat some favour for her Husband He rebuked her and told her That it is not the arm of flesh we must stoop unto but unto God onely Perceiving in his Sons Hat a White Cross which through infirmity he had placed there thinking thereby to save himself he sharply chid him and commanded him to pluck that mark of sedition thence telling him We must now submit to bear the true Cross of Christ. Pothnius Pothnius Bishop of Lions to the President asking him in the midst of his torments What that Christ was answered If thou wert worthy thou shouldst know Polycarp This famous Bishop of Smyrna St. Iohn's Disciple having been in Prayer three dayes before his apprehension in a Vision by night he saw the Bed set on fire under his head and suddenly to be consumed When he awoke he gave this exposition of the Vision to them that were present That in the fire he should lose his life for Christs Cause When the Pursuers were brought to the Inne where he was he might have escaped but would not saying The will of God be done As he was going to the place of Judgement there came a voice from Heaven heard by several of his Church saying Be of good cheer Polycarpus and play the man When the Proconsul bid him say Destroy these naughty men he looked up to Heaven saying Thou thou it is that wilt destroy these wicked naughty men The Proconsul bidding him defie Christ and he should be discharged he answered Fourscore and six years have I
Commonwealth their minds by the sight of the outward Image might be withdrawn or wander from the matter To allow a most certain peril for an uncertain profit and the greatest danger for the smallest benefit in matters of Faith and Religion is a tempting of God and a grievous offence In the Primitive Church there were no Images in places of Assembly for Religion this the Heathens objected to the Christians for a crime as Origen and Arnobius testifie c. Lactantius saith It is not to be doubted that there is no Religion wheresoever is any Image Not onely by Varro's judgement but also by St. Augustine's approbation of Varro the most pure and chast observation of Religion and nearest the Truth is to be without Images By the judgement of this ancient Father Epiphanius to permit Images in Churches is against the Authority of Scripture meaning against the second Commandment c. Besides Epiphanius doth reject not onely graven and molten but painted Images Again he spared not the Image of Christ yea he did not onely remove it but with a vehemency of zeal cut in pieces and he is carefull that no such kind of painted Images be permitted in the Church It is manifest to them that read Histories that not onely Emperours but also divers and sundry Councils in the East Church have condemned and abolished Images both by Decrees and Examples But this notwithstanding experience hath declared That neither Councils nor Writings Preachings Decrees making of Laws prescribing of Punishments have holpen against Images to which Idolatry hath been committed nor against Idolatry whilst Images stood In his Letter to his Dear Brother and Reverend Fellow-Elder in Christ Iohn Hooper My dearly beloved Brother c. whom I reverence in the Lord c. Forasmuch as I understand by your works that we throughly agree and wholly consent together in those things which are the grounds and substantial points of our Religion against which the world so furiously rageth in our dayes howsoever in time past by certain by-matters and circumstances of Religion your wisdome and my simplicity I grant hath a little jarred each of us following the abundance of his own sense and judgement Now I say be you assured that even with my whole heart God is my witness in the bowels of Christ I love you in the Truth and for the Truths sake which abideth in us and as I am perswaded shall by the grace of God abide in us for evermore Because the world as I perceive Brother busily conspireth against Christ our Saviour with all possible force and power let us joyn hands together in Christ and if we cannot overthrow yet to our power and as much as in us lies let us shake those high Altitudes not with carnal but with spiritual weapons Let us also prepare our selves for death by which after our short afflictions here by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall triumph together with him in eternal glory I pray you Brother salute in my Name your Reverend Fellow-Prisoner and Venerable Father Dr. Cranmer by whom since the first day that I heard of his most godly and fatherly constancy in confessing the Truth of the Gospel I have conceived great consolation and joy in the Lord. It will also be to me great joy to hear of your constancy and fortitude in the Lords Quarrel I am earnestly moved to counsel you not to hasten the publishing of your Works especially under your own Name least your mouth should be stopped hereafter and all things taken away from the rest of the Prisoners whereby otherwise if it so please God may be able to do good to many Farewell in the Lord my most Dear Brother Once again and for ever in Christ my most Dear Brother farewell Rieux Dionysius de Rieux was one of them who was first burned at Melda or Meaux in France An. 1528. for saying That the Mass is a plain denial of the Death and Passion of Christ. He was alwayes wont to have in his mouth the Words of Christ He that denieth me before men him also will I deny before my Father Rogers Mr. Iohn Rogers preaching at Paul's Cross even after Queen Mary was come to the Tower of London confirmed the Truth of that Doctrine which he and others had there taught in King Edward's dayes exhorting the people constantly to remain in the same and to beware of all pestilent Popery Idolatry and Superstition For that Sermon he was called in Question In his Examination and Answer Ian. 22. 1555. I never granted King Henry the Eighth to have any Supremacy in spiritual things as are the forgiveness of sins giving of the holy Ghost authority to be a Judge above the Word of God The Chancellor asserting That the Parliament that abolished the Popes Supremacy was with most great cruelty constrained thereunto He answered With cruelty Why then I perceive that you take a wrong way with cruelty to perswade mens consciences for it should appear by your doings now that the cruelty then used hath not perswaded your consciences How would you then have your consciences perswaded with cruelty Sir Richard Southwell telling him That he would not burn in this year when it cometh to the Purpose he answered Sir I cannot tell but I trust to my Lord God yes lifting up his eyes to Heaven I desire the hearty and unfeigned help of the Prayers of all Christs true Members the true Imps of the true unfeigned Catholick Church that the Lord God of all consolation will now be my comfort aid strength buckler and shield as also of all my Brethren that are in the same case and distress that I and they all may despise all manner of threats and cruelty and even the bitter burning fire and the dreadfull dart of death and stick like true Souldiers to our dear and loving Captain Christ our onely Saviour and Redeemer and the onely true Head of the Church that doth all in us all which is the property of an Head and that we do not traiterously run out of his Tents or rather out of the plain field from him in the greatest jeopardy of the battel but that we may persevere in the fight if he will not otherwise deliver us till we be most cruelly slain of his enemies For this I most heartily and at this present with tears most instantly and earnestly desire and besâ—ech you all to pray In his second Examination and Answer Ian. 28 29. 1555. Should said the Chancellor when the Parliament hath concluded a thing any private person have authority to discuss whether they had done right or wrong No that may not be I answered shortly That all the Laws of men might not neither could rule the Word of God but that they all must be discussed and judged thereby and obey thereto and neither my conscience nor any Christians could be satisfied with such Laws as disagreed from that Word Mr. Hooper and Mr. Cardmaker were
Rolph take heed of him he is a blood-sucker c. I fear not said Aâ—cock he shall do no more to me then God will give him leave and happy shall I be if God will call me to die 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 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 where 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 then this present life which we lead What thing more odious and hateful then this world here present And let these worldly men here answer me What Countrey can we have more sweet then the Heavenly Countrey above What treasures more rich or precious then everlasting life and who be our Kinsmen but they which hear the Word of God Where be greater riches or dignities more honourable then 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 Ierusalem 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 die in the Lord be not to die 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 Câ—p. 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 câ—nâ—ess before my Father which is in Heâ—vâ—n and he that denieth me before men him will I also 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 gâ—ne 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 ough 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 Allen to give her Father and Mother
good counsel that they might become good Catholicks Sir said she they have a better Instructour then I for the Holy Ghost doth teach them I hope who I trust will not suffer them to erre Thereupon the Knight said It is time to look to such Hereticks Sir said she with that which you call Herelie do I worship my Lord God Then I perceive said Tyrrel you will burn with the rest for company No Sir said she not for company but for my Christs sake if so I be compelled and I hope in his mercies if he call me to it he will enable me to bear it To try her Tyrrel burnt the wrist of her hand with a candle till the very sinews crackt asunder saying often to her What whore wilt not thou cry To which she answered That she had no cause she thanked God but rather to rejoyce You said she have more cause to weep then I if you consider the matter well At last she said Sir have you done what you will do He answering yea and if thou thâ—nk it be not well then mend it She replied Mend it Nay the Lord mend you and give you repentance if it be his will and now if you think it good to begin at the feet and burn the head also She being asked by one how she could abide the painful burning of her hand She said at first it was some grief to her but afterward the longer she burned the less she felt even well near none at all Almondus My Body dies said Aâ—ondus a Via my Spirit lives Gods Kingdome abides ever God hath now given me the accomplishment of all my deâ—â—res Alost Francis d' Alost a Cutler in Flanders being conducted to Prison said Now you have taken me you think to deprive me of life and thereby to bring great damage to me but you are deceived for it is all one as if you took counters from me to fill my hand with a great sum of gold As he went to suffer he used that speech of the Apostle St. Peter I must now shortly put off this my earthly tabernacle 2 Pet. 1.10 which the love of Iesus my Lord constraineth me to do 2 Cor. 5.14 Amâ—chus Turn said he the other side also least raw flesh offend you Ambrose I have not so lived said he that I am ashamed to live longer nor yet fear I death because I have a good Lord. To Calignon Valentinians Eunuch threatning death he said Well do you that which becomes an Eunuch I will suffer that which becomes a Bishop Andrew When the Proconsul threatned Andrew the Apostle with the Cross if he left not off his preaching I would never said he have preached the Doctrine of the Cross if I had feared the suffering of the Cross. When he came to the Cross on which he was to be crucified he said O Cross most welcome and long look'd for with a willing mind joyfully I come to thee being the Scholar of him that did hang on thee welcome O Christ longed and looked for I am the Scholar of him that was crucified long have I coveted to embrace thee in whom I am what I am Anvil Frederick Anvil of Bearne to the Friers that willed him to call on the Virgin Mary three times repeated Thine O Lord is the Kingdome thine is the power and glory for ever and ever Let us fight let us fight Avant Satan avant Apprice Bonner asking Iohn Apprice what he thought of the Sacrament of the Altar he answered The Doctrine you teach is so agreeable to the world and embraced of the same that it cannot be agreeable to the Word of God Ardley Iohn Ardley being urged by Bonner to recant cried out If every hair of my head were a man I would suffer death for my Religion Being again sollicited to recant No God forbid said he that I should do so for then I shall lose my soul. Arethusius Marcus Arethusius having at the command of Constantinus pulled down a certain Temple dedicated to Idols and instead thereof built up a Church where the Christians might congregate under Iulianus he was beaten cast into a filthy sinck put into a basket anointed with honey and broth hung abroad in the heat of the Sun as meat for Wasps to feed on hereby it was hoped he would be enforced either to build up again the Temple which he had destroyed or else give so much money as would pay for the building of the same This good man whilest he hung in the basket did not onely conceal his pains but derided those wicked instruments of his torments calling them bafe low terrene people and himself exalted and set on high when they told him they would be contented with a small sum of money from him He said It is as great a wickedness to confer one half-penny in case of impiety as if a man should bestow the whole Askew Mrs. Iane Askew being called by the Bishop of Winchester a Parrot told him that she was ready to suffer not onely his rebukes but all things that should follow besides yea and all that gladly To her Confession in Newgate she thus subscribed Written by me Jane Askew who neither wish death nor fear its might and as merry as one bound towards Heaven In her Confession of her Faith she saith Though God hath given me the bread of adversity and the waters of trouble yet not so much as my sins have deserved When Nicholas Sharton counselled her to recant as he had done she said It had been good for him never to have been born In an Answer to a Letter of Mr. Lacell's she writ thus O Friend most dearly beloved in God I marvail not a little what should mâ—ve you to judge in me so slender a faith as to fear death which is the end of all misery In the Lord I desire you not to believe of me such weakness for I doubt not but God will perform his work in me like as he hath begun When Wrisley Lord Chancellor sent to her Letters at the Stake offering her the Kings pardon if she would recant she refusing once to look upon them gave this answer That she came not thither to deny her Lord and Master Attalus He answered to every question I am a Christian Being fired in an iron Chain Behold said he O you Romans this is to eat man's flesh which you falsly object to us Christians Audebert Blessed be God said Anne Audebert of Orleance for this Wedding Girdle meaning the Chain my first marriage was on this Lords Day and now my second to my Spouse and Lord Christ shall be on the same Augustine Boughs fall off trees said he and stones out of buildings and why should it seem strange that mortal men die Austine Austine a Barbar 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
the Scripture to be altered When the Emperour threatned to banish him c. if he obeyed not he said Those Bug-bears were to be propounded to Children but for his part though they might take away his life yet they could not hinder him from professing the Truth When Modestus the Praefect asked him Know you not who we are that command it No body said Basil whilst you command such things Know ye not said the Praefect that we have Honours to bestow upon you They are but changeable said Basil like your selves Hereupon he threatned to confiscate his Goods to torment him to banish him or kill him he answered He need not fear confiscation that had nothing to lose nor banishment to whom Heaven onely is a Countrey nor torments when his body would be dash'd with one blow nor death which is the onely way to set him at liberty The Praefect telling him he was Mad he said Opto me in aeâ—â—ernum sic delirare I wish I may for ever be thus Mad. The Praefect another time threatning him with death he said Would it would fall out so well on my side that I might lay down this carkass of mine in the quarrel of Christ and in the defence oâ— his Truth who is my Head and Captain The Praefect desiring that he would not by rashly answering throw himself away offered him a day and night to consider further of it but Basil said I have no need to take further counsel about this matter Look what I am to day the same thou shalt find me to morrow but I pray God that thou change not thy mind Benden Alice Benden when she was in Prison at Canterbury agreed with a fellow Prisoner to live both of them with two pence half penny a day to try thereby how well they could sustain penury and hunger before they were put to it At her first coming into the Bishops Prison she was much troubled and expostulated why her Lord did suffer her to be sequestred from her loving Fellowes in so extreme misery But was comforted by these words Why arâ— thou so heavy O my soul The right hand of the Lord can change all At the stake she took forth a shilling of Philip and Mary which her father had bowedâ— and sent her when she was first in Prison desiring her Brother there present to return the same to her Father again that he might understand she never lacked money whilst she lay in Prison Bennet Mr. Thomas â—ennet a School-master in Exceter being press't by a Doctour a Gray Frier to recant for putting upon the doors of the Cathedral in Schedules That the Pope is Antichrist and that we ought to worship God onely and not the Saints said I take God to record my life is not dear to me I am weary of it seeing your detestable doings to the utter destruction of Gods flock so that I desire death that I may no longer be partaker of your detestable idolatries and superstitions or be subject unto Antichrist your Pope Away from me I pray you vex my soul no longer ye shall not prevail If I should hear and follow you this day everlasting death should hang over me a just reward for them that prefer the life of this world before life eternal Berger Peter Berger burnt at Lions 155â— beholding the multitude at the stake said Great is the Harvest Lord send Labourers I see the heavens open to receive me Bâ—tken When she was brought to the Rack she said My Masters wherefore will you put me to this torture seeing I have no way offended you Is it for my Faith's sake you need not torment me for that for as I was never ashamed to make confession thereof no more will I be now at this present before you I will freely shew you my mind therein But for all 〈◊〉 when they proceeded on with what they inteâ—â—â—â— Alas my Masters said she If it be so that I must suffer this pain then give me leave first to call upon God Her request they granted whilst she waâ— praying one of the Commissioners was so surâ—â—â—â— with fear and terrour that by and by he swoâ—â—â— â—nd could not be fetcht again and so she escaâ—â—â— the torture Bilney Mr. Thomas Bilney in a Letter to Dr. Tonstal Bishop of London he gives this account of his conversion The woman which was twelve years vexed with the bloudy Flux had consumed all that she had upon Physicians and yet was still worse and worse untill such time as she came to Christ and after she had once touched the hem of his vesture through faith she was healed O mighty power of the most High which I also most miserable sinner have often tasted and felt Before I came to Christ I had likewise spent all I had upon ignorant Physicians They appointed me Fastings Watchings buying of Pardons and Masses c. But at last I heard speak of Jesus even then when the New Testament was first set out by Erasmuâ— At first I was allured to read rather for the Latine having heard it was eloquently done then for the Word of God At the first reading I hit upon this sentence of St. Paul O most sweet and comfortable sentence to my soul in 1 Tim. 1. It is a true saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief This sentence through Gods instruction and inward working did so exhilarate my heart being before wounded with the guilt of my sins insomuch that my bruised bones leapt for joy After this the Scripture began to be more pleasant to me then the honey or the honey-comb Therein I learned that all my Travels all my Fasting and Watching all the redemption of Masses and Pardons without faith in Christ were but a hasty and swift running out of the right way or else much like the vesture made of Fig-leaves wherewithall Adam and Eve went about in vain to cover their nakedness and could never obtain quietness and rest till they believed in the promise of God that Christ the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head Neither could I be relieved or eased of the sharp stingings of my sins before I was taught of God that even as Moses exalted the serpent in the Desart so shall the Son of man be exalted that all which believe on him should not perish but have everlasting life As soon as I began to taste and savour this heavenly Lesson which none can teach but God onely I desired the Lord to encrease my faith And at last I desired nothing more then that I being so comforted by him might be strengthened by his holy Spirit and grace from above to teach the wicked his wayes which are mercy and truth that the wicked may be converted unto him by me who sometimes was also wicked Accordingly I did teach and set forth Christ being made for us by God his Father our Wisdome Righteousness
Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. Who was made sin for us i. e. a Sacrifice for sin that we through him should be made the righteousness of God 2 Cor. 5. Who became accursed for us to redeem us from the curse of the Law Gal. 2. I taught that all men should first acknowledge their sins and condemn them afterward hunger and thirst for that righteousness which is by faith in Christ c. Rom. 3. And forasmuch as this hunger and thirst was wont to be quenched with the fulness of mans righteousness Therefore oftentimes have I spoken of those works exhorting all men not so to cleave to them as they being satisfied therewith should loath or wax weary of Christ. For those things I have been cryed out of attached and now cast into prison His abjuration cost him dear it brought him even to despair his Friends were fain to be with him night and day Bishop Latimer saith That he thought all the Word of God was against him and sounded his condemnation To bring any comfortable Scripture to him was as though a man should run him through with a sword The day before his Execution some Friends finding him eating heartily with much cheerfulness and a quiet mind they said They were glad to see him at that time so heartily to refresh himself O said he I imitate those who having a ruinous house to dwell in yet bestow cost as long as they may to hold it up In Prison he divers times proved the fire by putting his finger near to the candle at the first touch of the candle his flesh resisting and he withdrawing his finger did after chide his flesh in these words Quid uniuâ— mâ—mlri inustionem ferre nâ—n potes quo pacto cras totius corporis conflâ— grationem tolerabis What said he canst thou not bear the burning of one member and how wilt thou endure to morrow the burning of thy whole body I feel and have known it long by Philosophy that fire is hot yet I know some recorded in Gods Word even in the flame felt no heat and I believe that though my body will be wasted by it my soul shall be purged thereby At the same time he most comfortably treated among his Friends of Isa. 43.1 2 3. But now thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and he that formed thee O Israel Fear not for I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy Name Thou art mine when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt for I am the Lord thy God the Holy one of Israel thy Saviour The comfort whereof never left some of his Friends to their dying day The next morning the Officers fetching him to Execution a certain Friend entreated him to be constant and to take his death patiently Bilney answered I am sailing with the Mariner through a boisterous sea but shortly shall be in the Haven c. Help me with your Prayers Bland Mr. Iohn Bland a Kentish Minister in his Prayer at the stake Lord Jesus for thy love I do willingly leave this life and desire rather the bitter death of thy Cross with the loss of all earthly things then to abide the blasphemy of thy Holy Name or else to obey man in the breaking of thy Command This death is more dear unto me then thousands of gold and silver Such love O Lord hast thou laid up in my breast that I hunger for thee as the Deer wounded desireth the soyl Blehere Levine Blehere said to his Friends offering to rescue him by tumult Hinder not the Magistrates work nor my happiness Father thou foresawest the sacrifice from eternity now accept of it I pray thee Bongeor Agnes Bongeor having prepared her self to go with her Fellow-martyrs to the stake putting on a Smock made for that purpose and sending away her sucking infant to a Nurse through a mistake of her Name in the Writ Bowyer being put for Bongeor was kept back Hereupon she made piteous moan wept bitterly c. Because she went not with them to give her life in defence of her Christ of all things in the world life was least looked for by her In this perplexity a Friend came to her and put her in mind of Abraham's offering up Isâ—ac I know quoth she that Abraham's will before God was accepted for the deed in that he would have done it if the Angel of the Lord had not stay'd him but I am unhappy the Lord thinks not me worthy of this dignity and yet I would have gone with my company with all my heart and because I did it not it is now my chief and greatest grief She was grieved because she had not offered her self though she had given away her child which was more then Abraham was put to Bossu Francis le Bossu a French Martyr to encourage his children to suffer martyrdome with himself he thus spake unto them Children we are not now to learn that it hath alwayes been the portion of Believers to be hated cruelly used and devoured by Unbelievers as sheep of ravening wolves if we suffer with Christ we shall also reign with him Let not these drawn swords terrifie us they will be but as a Bridge whereby we shall pass over out of a miserable life into immortal blessedness We have breathed and lived long enough among the wicked let us now go and live with our God He and his two Sons were killed embracing each other in the Massacre at Lyons in France 1572. Bradford Mr. Iohn Bradford the night before he was carried to Newgate he dreamt that Chains were brought for him to the Counter and that the day following he should be carried to Newgate and that the next day he should be burnt in Smithfield which accordingly came to pass Being askt what he should do and whither he would go if he should have his liberty he said He cared not whether he went out or no but if he did he would marry and abide still in England secretly teaching the people as the time would suffer him When the Keepers Wife told him the sad News as she called it of the nearness of his death being to be burned the next day he put off his Cap and lifting up his eyes to Heaven said I thank God for it I have looked for the same a long time and therefore it cometh not now to me suddenly but as a thing waited for every day and hour the Lord make me worthy thereof Creswâ—ll offering to labour for him and desiring to know what suit he should make for him What you will do said he do it not at my request for I desire nothing at your hands If the Queen will give me life I will thank her if she will banish me I will thank her if she will burn me I will thank her
if she will condemn me to perpetual imprisonment I will thank her The Chancellor pressing him to do as they had done in hopes of the Queens mercy and pardon My Lord said he I desire mercy with Gods mercy i. e. without doing or saying any thing against God and his Truth pag. 290. but mercy with Gods wrath God keep me from Gods mercy I desire and also would be glad of the Qâ—eens favour to live as a Subject without clog on Conscience but otherwise the Lords mercy is better to me then life Life in his displeasure is worse then death and death with his favour is true life He having refused again and again to answer to the Chancellors Quaeries said That no fear but the fear of perjury made him unwilling to answer he having been six times sworn not to consent to the practising of any Jurisdiction or any Authority on the Bishop of Râ—me's behalf within the Realm of England I am not afraid of death I thank God I look and have looked for nothing else from your hands a long time but I am afraid when death cometh I should have maâ—ter to trouble my Conscience by the guilt of perjury As for my death as I know there are twelve hours in the day so with the Lord my time is appointed and when it shall be his good time then I shall depart hence but in the mean season I am safe enough though all the reople had sworn my death into his hands have I committed it and do his good will be done The Earl of Derby sending one of his Servants to him willing him to tender himself He told the Messenger that he thanked his Lordship for his good will towards him but in this case I cannot tender my self more then Gods honour The same Servant saying also Ah Mr. Bradford consider your Mother Sister Friends Kinsfolk Countrey what a great discomfort it will be to them to see you die as an Heretick Mr. Bradford replied I have learned to forsake Father Mother Brother Sister Friends and all that ever I have yea and my own self for else I cannot be Christs Disciple Being askt by a good Gentlewomans Servant that was sent to him How he did he answered Well I thank God for as men in Sailing which be near to the Shore or Haven where they would be would be nearer even so the nearer I am to God the nearer I would be In a Letter to his Mother and Brethren I am at this time in Prison sure enough from starting to confirm that I have preached unto you As I am ready I thank God with my life and blood to seal the same if God vouchsafe me worthy of that honour If we suffer with him we shall also reign wâ—th him Be not therefore faint-hearted but rather rejoyce at the least for my sake who now am in the right and high way to Heaven for by many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of God Now will God made known his Children When the wind doth not blow the Wheat cannot be known from the Chaffe but when the blast cometh then flieth away the Chaffe but the Wheat remaineth and is so far from being hurt that by the wind it is more cleansed from the Chaffe Gold when it is cast into the fire is the more precious so are Gods Children by afflictions Indeed I thank God more for this Prison then for any Parlour yea then for any pleasure that eyer I had for in it I find God my most sweet good God alwayes Of all deaths it is most to be desired to die for Gods sake such are sure to go to Heaven Death nor Life nor Prison nor Pleasure I trust in God shall be able to separate me from my Lord God and his Gospel Rejoyce in my sufferings for it is for your sakes to confirm the truth I have taught Howsoever you do be obedient to the Higher Powers that is in no point either in hand or tongue Rebel but rather if they command that which with good conscience you cannot obey lay your head on the Block and suffer what they shall do or say By patience possess your souls In his Letter to the City of London I ask God heartily mercy that I do no more rejoyce then I do having so great cause as to be an instrument wherein it may please my dear Lord and Saviour to suffer Although my sins be manifold and grievous yet the Bishops and Prelates do not persecute them in me but Christ himself his Word his Truth and Religion Let the anger and plagues of God most justly fallen upon us be applied to every one of our deserts that from the bottome of our hearts every one of us may say It is I Lord that have sinned against thee It is my hypocrisie my vain-glory my covetousness uncleanness carnality security idleness unthankfulness self-love c. which have deserved the taking away of thy Word and true Religion of thy good Ministers by Exile Imprisonment Death c. Prepare your selves to the Cross be obedient to all that be in Authority in all things that be not against God his Word for then answer with the Apostle It is more meet to obey God then man Howbeit never for any thing resist or rise against the Magistrates Avenge not your selves Commit your Cause to the Lord. If you feel in your selves an hope and trust in God that he will never tempt you above that he will make you able to bear be assured the Lord will be true to you and you shall be able to bear all brunts but if you want this Hope flee and get you hence rather then by your tarrying Gods Name should be dishonoured In his Letter to Cambridge Thou my Mother the University hast not onely had the truth of Gods Word plainly manifested unto thee by Reading Disputing and Preaching publickly and privately but now to make thee altogether excuseless and as it were almost to sin against the Holy Ghost if thou put to thy helping hand with the Romish Rout to suppress the Verity and set out the contrary thou hast my life and blood as a Seal to confirm thee if thou wilt be confirmed or else to confound thee if thou wilt take part with the Prelates and Clergy which now fill up the measure of their Fathers which slew the Prophets and Apostles that all the righteous blood from Abel to Bradford may be required at their hands For the tender mercy of Christ in his bowels and blood I beseech you to take Christs eye-salve to anoint your eyes that you may see what you do and have done in admitting the Romish rotten Rags which once you utterly expelled O be not the Dog returned to his vomit be not the Sow that was washed returning to her wallowing in the mire Beware least Satan enter in with seven worse Spirits c. It had been better you had never known the truth then after knowledge to have run
from it Ah! woe to this world and the things therein which hath now so wrought with you Oh that ever this Dirt of the Devil should daub up the eye of the Realm What is man whose breath is in his nostrils that thou shouldst thus be afraid of him Dost not thou know Rome to be Babylon Dost not thou know that as the old Babylon had the children of Iudah in captivity so hath Rome the true Iudah i. e. the Confessors of Christ Dost not thou know that as destruction happened unto it so shall it do unto this Dost not thou know that God will deliver his people now when the time is come as he did then Hath not God commanded his people to come out of her and wilâ— thou give example to the whole Realm to run unto her Hast thou forgotten the woe that Chrisâ— threatneth to offence-givers Wilt not thou remember that it were better that a Milstone were hanged about thy neck and thou thrown into the Sea then that thou shouldst offend the little one Dear Mother Receive some admonition of one of thy poor children now going to be burned for the testimony of Jesus Come again to Gods truth come out of Babylon confess Christ and his true Doctrine repent that which is past c. Remember the readings c. of Gods Prophet Bucer Call to mind the threatnings of God now somewhat seen by thy children Leaver and others Let the exile of Leaver Pilâ—inton Grindal Hâ—ddon Horn Scory Ponet c. something awake thee Consider the martyrdome of thy Chickens Rogers Saunders Tailor And now cast not away the poor admonition of me going to be burned also and to receive the like Crown of Glory with my fellows Even now the Axe is laid to the Root In his Letter to Lancashire and Cheshire c. Indeed if I should simply consider my life with that which it ought to have been and as God in his Law requireth then could I not but cry as I do Righteous art thou O Lord c. But when I consider the cause of my condemnation I cannot but lament that I do no more rejoyce for it is Gods truth So that the condemnation is not a condemnation of Bradford simply but rather a condemnation of Christ and his Truth Bradford is nothing else but an instrument in whom Christ and his Doctrine is condemned And therefore my dearly beloved rejoyce rejoyce and give thanks with me and for me that ever God did vouchsafe so great a benefit to our Countrey as to choose the most unworthy I mean my self to be one in whom it pleaseth him to suffer Forget not how that the Lord hath shewed himself true and me his true Preacher by bringing to pass these plagues which at my mouth you oft heard before My blood will cry for vengeance as against the Papists Gods enemies c. so against you if ye repent not amend not and turn not unto the Lord. In his Letter to the Town of Walden What can you desire more to assure your Consciences of the Verity taught by your Preachers then their own lives Waver not therefore in Christs Religion truly taught you Never shall the enemies be able to burn it and imprison it and keep it in bonds though they may imprison and burn us I humbly beseech you and pray you in the bowels and blood of Jesus now I am going to death for the testimony of Jesus love the Lords Truth love I say to love it and to frame your lives thereafter Alas you know the cause of all these plagues fallen upon us and of the success which Gods adversaries have daily is for our not loving Gods Word You know how that we were but Gospellers in lips and not in life Remember that before ye learned A.B.C. your Lesson was Christs Cross. Forget not that Christ will have no Disciples but such as will promise to deny themselves and to take up their Cross mark that take it up and follow him and not the multitude custome c. Loth would I be a witness against you at the last day as of truth I must be if ye repent not if ye love not Christs Gospeâ—â— In his Letter to B.C. The world seems 〈◊〉 have the upper hand the Truth seems to be oppressed and they which take part therewith an unjustly entreated The cause of all this is God anger and mercy His anger because we havâ— grievously sinned against him we have been unâ—thankful for his Word c. we have been so carnal covetous licentious c. that of his Justice he could no longer forbear but make us feel his anger c. His mercy is seen in this that God doâ—â— vouchsafe to punish us in this present life If he should not have punished us Do not you think we should have continued in the evils we were in Yes verily we should have been worse The way to Heaven is not the wide way of the world but it is a strait way which few walk in for few live godly in Christ few regard the Life to come few remember the day of Judgement few remember how Christ will deny them before his Father that do deny him here few consider that Christ-will be ashamed of them in the last day which are ashamed of his Truth and true Service few cast up their accounts what will be laid to their charge in the day of vengeance few regard the condemnation of their own consciences in doing that which they inwardly disallow few love God better then their goods Of this I would that ye were all certain that all the hairs of your heads are numberless so that not one of them shall perish neither shall man or Devil be able to attempt any thing much less do any thing to you before your heavenly Father which loveth you most tenderly shall give them leave they shall go no farther then he will nor keep you any longer in trouble then he will Therefore cast on him all your care for 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 First we have cause to rejoyce for these dayes because our Father suffereth us not to lye in Iezabel's bed sleeping 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
of prison for alonely by it the Devil hath a door to tempt and so to hurt me If it were dissolved and I out of it then could Satan no more hurt me then wouldst thou speak unto me face to face then the conflicting time were at an end then sorrow would cease and joy would encrease and I should enter into inestimable rest In his Meditation for exercise of true mortification He that will be ready in weighty matters to deny his own will and to be obedient to the will of God the same had need to accustome himself to deny his desires in matters of less weight and to exercise mortification of his will in trifles If we cannot watch with Christ one hour as he saith to Peter we undoubtedly can much less go to death with him Wherefore that in great temptations we may be ready to say with Christ Not my will but thine be done c. Help me to accustome my self continually to mortifie my concupiscence of pleasant things i. e. of wealth riches glory liberty favour of men meats drink apparel ease yea and life it self c. In his Meditation of Gods Providence This ought to be unto us most certain that nothing iâ— done without thy Providence O lord i. e. without thy Knowledge i. e. without thy Will Wisdome and Ordinance for all these Knowledge doth comprehend in it c. This will we must believe most assurely to beâ— all just and good howsoever otherwise it seem so unto us But though all things be done by thy Providence yet Providence hath many and diversâ— means to work by which means being contemned thy Providence is contemned also Indeed when means cannot be had then should we not tye thy Providence to means but make it free as thou art free for it is not of any need that thou usest any instrument or mean to serve thy Providence Thy Power and Wisdome is infinite and therefore should we hang on thy Providence even when all is clean against us Grant Dear Father that I may use this knowledge to my comfort and commodity in thee i. e. Grant that in what state soever I be I may not doubt but the same doth come to me by thy most just Ordinance yea by thy merciful Ordinance for as thou art just and thou art merciful yea thy mercy is above all thy works Look for thy help in time convenient not onely when I have means by which thou mayest work and art so accustomed to do but also when I have no means but am destitute yea when all means be directly and clean against me grant I say yet that I may still hang on thee and on thy Providence not doubting of a Fatherly end in thy good time And least I should contemn thy Providence or presuming upon it by uncoupling those things which thou hast coupled together preserve me from neglecting thy ordinary and lawful means in all my needs if so be I may have them and with a good conscience use them although I know thy Providence be not tyed to them farther then pleaseth thee Howbeit so that I depend in no part on the means or on my diligence wisedome and industry but on thy Providence which more and more perswade me to be altogether fatherly and good how far soever otherwise it appear yea is felt of me In his Meditation of Gods presence There is nothing that maketh more to true godliness of life then the perswasion of thy presence Dear Father and that nothing is hid from thee but all to thee is open and naked even the very thoughts which one day thou wilt reveal either to our praise or punishment in this life as thou didst David's faults 2 King 12. or in the life to come Mat. 25. Grant to me Dear God mercy for all my sins especially my hid and close sins c. and that henceforth I alwayes think my self conversant before thee so that if I do well I pass not the publishing of it as Hypocrites do if I do or think any evil I may know that the same shall not alwayes be hid from men Grant me that I may alwayes have in mind that day wherein all my works shall be revealed so in trouble and wrong I shall find comfort and otherwise be kept through thy grace from evil In his Meditation of God's powâ—r beauty and goodness Because thou Lord wouldest have us to love thee not onely dost thou will entice allure and provoke us but also dost command us so to do promising thy self unto such as love thee and threatning us with damnation if we do otherwise whereby we may see both our great corruption and naughtiness and also thine exceeding great mercy towards us What a thing is it that power riches authority beauty goodness liberality truth justice which all thou art good Lord cannot move us to love thee whatsoever things we see fair good wise mighty are but even sparkles of thy power beauty goodness wisdome which thou art In his Meditation of death c O Dear Father That our hearts were perswaded that when we go out of the prison of the body and so taken into thy blessed company then Whatsoever good we can wish we shall have and whatsoever we loath shall be far from us c. Then should we live in longing for that which we now most loath If we remember the good things that after this life shall ensue without wavering in the certainty of faith the passage of death shall be the more desired It is like a sailing over the sea to thy home and countrey it is like a medicine or purgation to the health of the soul and body It is the best Physician It is like a woman in travail for as the child being delivered cometh into a more large place then the womb wherein it did lye before so the soul being delivered out of the body cometh into a much more large and â—air place even into Heaven In his Prayer for the remission of sins O gracious God who seekest all means possible how to bring thy children to the feeling and sure sense of thy mercy and therefore when prosperity will not serve then sendest thou adversity graciously correcting them here whom thou wilt shall with thee elsewhere live for ever We poor Misers give humble praises and thanks to thee Dear Father that thou hast vouchsafed us worthy of thy correction at this present hereby to work that which we in prosperity and liberty did neglect For the which neglecting and many other our grievous sins whereof we now accuse our selves before thee most merciful Lord thou mightest have most justly given us over and destroyed both souls and bodies But such is thy goodness towards us in Christ that thou seemest to forget all our offences and wilt that we should suffer this Cross now laid upon us for thy Truth and Gospels sake and so to be thy witnesses with the Prophets Apostles Martyrs
and Confessours yea with thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ to whom thou dost now here begin to fashion us like that in his glory we may be like him also O good God what are we on whom thou shouldest shew this great mercy O loving Lord forgive us our unthankfulness and sins O faithful Father give us thy holy Spirit now to cry in our hearts Abba dear Father to assure us of our eternal election in Christ to reveal more and more thy Truth unto us to confirm strengthen and stablish us so in the same that we may live and die in it as Vessels of thy mercy to thy glory and to the commodity of thy Church Indue us with the Spirit of thy wisdome that with good conscience we may alwayes so answer the enemies in thy cause as may turn to their conversion or confusion and our unspeakable consolation in Jesus Christ for whose sake we beseech thee henceforth to keep us to give us patience and to will none otherwise for deliverance or mitigation of our misery then may stand alwayes with thy good pleasure and merciful will towards us Grant this dear Father not onely to us in this place but also to all others elsewhere afflicted for thy Names sake through the death and merit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen In his godly Meditations We are rather to be placed among the wicked then among thy children for that we are so shameless for our sin and careless for thy wrath which we may well say to be most grievous against us and evidently set forth in the taking away of our good King and the true Religion in the exile of thy Servants imprisonment of thy People misery of thy Children and death of thy Saints and by placing over us in authority thine enemies by the success thou gavest them in all that they took in hand by the returning again into our Countrey of Antichrist the Pope What shall we do what shall we say who can give us penitent hearts who can open our lips that our mouths might make acceptable confession unto thee O what now may we do Despair no for thou art God and therefore good thou art merciful and therefore thou forgivest sins with thee is mercy and propitiation and therefore thou art worshipped When Adam had sinned thou gavest him mercy before he desired it and wilt thou deny us mercy which now desire the same Adam excused his fault and accused thee but we accuse our selves and excuse thee and shall we be sent empty away Abraham was pulled out of Idolatry when the world was drown'd therein and art thou his God onely Israel in captivity in Egypt was graciously visited and delivered and dear God that same good Lord shall we alwayes be forgotten How often in the wilderness didst thou defer and spare thy plagues at the request of Moses when the people themselves made no Petition to thee and seeing we do not onely make our Petitions to thee but also have a Mediator for us now far above Moses even Jesus Christ shall we I say dear Lord depart ashamed Take into thy custody and governance for ever our souls and bodies our lives and all that ever we have Tempt us never further then thou wilt make us able to bear and alwayes as thy children guide us so that our life may please thee and our deaths praise thee through Jesus Christ our Lord for whose sake we heartily pray thee to grant these things c. not onely to us but c. especially for thy children that be in thraldome under their enemies in exile in prison poverty c. Be merciful to all the whole Realm of England grant us all true repentance and mitigation of our misery And if it be thy good will that thy holy Word and Religion may continue amongst us Pardon our Enemies Persecutors and Slanderers and if it be thy pleasure turn their hearts Oh mighty King and most High Almighty God who mercifully governest all things which thou hast made look down upon the faithful seed of Abraham c. consecrated to thee by the anointing of thy holy Spirit and appointed to thy Kingdome by thy eternal purpose free mercy and grace but yet as strangers wandring in this vile vile of misery brought forth daily by worldly Tyrants like Sheep to the slaughter Thou hast destroyed Pharaoh with all his Horse and Chariots puffed up with pride against thy people leading forth safely by the hands of thy mercy thy beloved Israel through the high waves of the roaring waters Thou O God the Lord of all Hosts and Armies didst first drive away from the Gates of thy people the blasphemous Senacherib slaying of his Army 85000 by the Angel in one night and after by his own Sons before his Idols didst kill the same blasphemous Idolater c. Thou didst transforâ— and change proud Nebuchadnezzar the enemy oâ— thy people into a bruit beast to eat grass and hayâ— to the horrible terrour of all worldly Tyrants c. Thou didst preserve those thy three Servants iâ— Babylon who with bold courage gave their bodies to the fire because they would not worship any dead Idol and when they were cast into the burning Furnace thou didst give them chearful hearts to rejoyce and sing Psalms and savedâ—â— unhurt the very hairs of their heads turnâ—ng the flame from them to devour their enemies Thou O Lord God by the might of thy right arm which governeth all broughtest Daniel thy Prophet safe into light and life forth of the dark Den of the devouring Lions c. Now also O heavenly Father beholder of all things to whom belongs vengeance thou seest and conâ—iderest how thy holy Name by the wicked Worldlings and blasphemons Idolaters is dishonoured thy sacred Word forsaken refused and despised thy holy Spirit provoked offended thy chosen Temple polluted and defiled Tarry not too long therefore but shew thy power speedily upon thy chosen Houshold which is so grievously vexed and so cruelly handled by thy open enemies Avenge thine own glorâ— and shorten these evil dayes for thine Elects sake Let thy Kingdome come of all thy Servants desired and though we have all offended thy Majesty Yet for thine own glory O merciful Lord suffer not the enemy of thy Son Christ the Romish Antichrist thus wretchedly to delude and draw from thee our poor brethren for whom thy Son once died that by his cruelty after so clear light they they should be made Captives to dumb Idols and devillish inventions of Popish Ceremonies thereunto pertaining Suffer him not to seduce the simple sort with this fond opinion that his false gods blind mumbling feigned Religion or his foolish Superstition doth give him such conquest such victories such triumph and so high an hand over us We know most certainly O Lord that it is not their arm and power but our sins and offences that hath delivered us to their fury and hath caused thee
I have no air to breath at but a little stinking Hole where they lay all their Rubbish and where the Drunkards commonly vent their Urine and though I be laden with Irons both on my hands and feet eating through the flesh even to the bare bones c. and that I may make no escape guarded with fourty men before the Prison door When the Provost brought him tidings that he was to be burnt at Six or thereabouts that day He gave him thanks for the good News which he had brought him And going to the rest of the Prisoners he said Brethren I am this day to die for the Doctrine of the Gospel and now blessed be God I joy and rejoyce therein I had not thought that ever God would have done me this honour I feel my self replenished with joy more and more from minute to minute My God addeth new courage to me and my heart leapeth for joy within me Then exhorting them to be of good courage he told them it was no hard matter to die adding by way of acclamation O how happy are the dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Beware you do nothing said he against a good Conscience c. For if you do you shall certainly feel such an Hell in your Consciences as will never cease to vex and trouble you O my Brethren how good a thing is it to nourish a good Conscience One of the Prisoners asking him Whether he had finished a certain work which he had begun He answered No for now I must cease to labour because I am passing along to the heavenly rest The time of my departing is at hand I go to reap that in Heaven which I have â—own on Earth I have fought a good fight I am at the point of finishing my course from henceforth the Crown of Glory is laid up for me which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give unto me Methinks said he with a joyful and smiling countenance that my spirit hath obtained wings to sore aloft into Heaven being invited to the marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Provost coming in with Bands Mr. Guy bid him welcome and gave him thanks again for his good news The Provost replying that it grieved him much that things should be carried so Mr. Guy joyfully answered I accept of you as my good Friend I love you with all my heart C. Caesar. O Lord said Leonard Caesar do thou suffer with me Lord support me and save me Caigneola Michaela Caigneola a noble Matron seeing her Judges look out of the Windows said to her fellow Martyrs These stay to suffer the torments of their Consciences and are reserved to judgement but we are going to glory and happiness When certain poor women wept and cried O Madam we shall never now have more Alms Yes hold said she yet once more and plucked of her Slippers and such other of her Apparel as she could with modesty spare from the fire Calberg I believe said Thomas Calberg to the Friers willing him to repent at the last hour that I am one of those workmen in Christs vineyard and shall presently receive my penny Calocerius He seeing the great patience of Faustinus and Iolita Citizens of Briria in their very great torments cried out Vere magnus est Deus Christianorum Verily great is the God of Christians Which words being heard caused him forthwith to be apprehended and martyred with those two famous Christians Cane When a fool's cap was put on Alexander Cane's head Can I have said he a greater honour done me then to be served as my Lord Christ before Herod Lord seeing my persecutours have no mercy have thou mercy on me and receive my soul. Canesire There is one Passage in your Letter said Claude de la Canesire in a Letter to his Wife from Lions which doth not a little comfort me namely that albeit you are loath to leave me yet you had rather have no husband at all then to have one that should betray the cause of Christ. Cardmaker Mr. Iâ—hn Cardmaker burnt in Smithfield 1555. in a Letter to a Friend writes thus You shall right well perceive that I am not gone back as some men do report me but as ready to give my life as any of my Brethren that are gone before me That day that I recant any point of Doctrine I shall suffer twenty kinds of death the Lord being my assistance as I doubt not but he will I have learned to rejoyce in poverty as well as riches for that I count now to be very riches I have conferred with some of my learned Adversaries and I find they are but Sophisters and shadows Careles Iohn Careles of Coventry Weaver being wisht by Dr. Martin to play the wise man's part to save that which God hath bought I thank you Sir said he and I put you out of doubt that I am most sure and certain of my salvation by Jesus Christ so that my soul is safe already whatsoever pains my body suffers here for a little time Art thou so predestinated to life said the Doctour that thou canst noâ— perish in whatsoever opinion thou dost die That God hath predestinated me to eternal life in Jesus Christ said he I am most certain and even so I am sure that his Holy Spirit wherewith I am sealed will so preserve me from all Heresies and evil opinions that I shall die in none at all When the Dr. told him that he was a goodly tall man and might do the Queen good service in Ireland He said wheresoever I am I am ready to her Grace the best service I can with body goods and life and if she or any under require me to do any thing contrary to Christs true Religion I am ready also to do service in Smithfield as my Bedfellows and other Brethren have done praised be God for them In his Letter to Mr. Philpot. Ah my true loving Friends how soon did you lay aside all other business to make a sweet plaister for my wounded conscience yea and that out of a painful pair of Stocks which place must needs be uneasie to write in But God hath brought you in a strait place that you might set my soul at liberty Ah good Ieremy hath Phassur put thee into the Stocks why now thou hast the right reward of a Prophet Though you lye in the dark slurred with the Bishops black coal-dust yet shall you shortly be made as white as snow in Salmon and as the wings of a Dove that is covered with silver and her feathers like gold You know the Vessel before it be made bright is soiled with oyl and other things that it may scour the better O happy be you that you be now in the scouring house for shortly you shall be set on the celestial shelf as bright as Angels My old Friends of Coventry have put the Counsel in remembrance of
when his hour was not yet come departed out of his Countrey into Samaria to avoid the malice of the Scribes and Pharisees and commanded his Apostles that if they were pursued in one place they should fly to another Thus did Paul and the other Apostles Albeit when it came to such a point that they could no longer escape then they evidenced that their flying before came not of fear but of godly wisdome to do more good and that they would not rashly without urgent necessity offer themselves to death which had been a tempting of God After he had recanted and was brought to Saint Mâ—ry'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 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 thaâ— you set not your minds overmuch upon this glozing World but upon God and the World to come and to learn to know what this Lesson meaneth which St. Iohn teacheth That the Love of this World is hatred against God Let rich men consider and weigh three Scriptures Luke 18. It is hâ—rd for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of Heaven 1 John 3. He that hath the suâ—stance 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 hard for the miseries that are coming upon you your riches are corrupted Another exhortation is That next under God you obey your King and Queen willingly and gladly without murmuring or grudging They are Gods Mâ—nisters 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 then 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 writâ—ng 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 Iesus receive my spirit Cromwel Thomas Lord Cromweâ— Earl of Essâ—x 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 perceiving 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 Scaffold O Lord Jesus 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 wilt in better wise restore it to me again at the last day in the resurrection of the Jâ—st I see and acknowledge there is in my self no hope of salvation but all my confidence hope and trust is in thy most merciful goodness Thou merciful Lord wast born for my sake didst suffer hunger and thirst for my sake didst teach pray and fast for my sake all thy holy actions and works thou wroughtest for my sake thou sufferedst most grievous pains and torments for my sake and finally thou gavest thy most precious body and blood to be shed on the Cross for my sake Now most merciful Saviour let all these things profit me c. Let thy blood cleanse and wash away the spots and foulness of â—â— sins let thy righteousness hide and cover my unâ—righteousness Cyprian He went in the time of Persecution into volunâ—tary Banishment lest as he said he should 〈◊〉 more hurt then good to the Congregation When he heard the sentence pronounced aâ—gainst him he said I thank God for freeing mâ— from the Prison of this Body He said Amen to his own sentence of Martyrdome The Proconsul bidding him consult abouâ— it he answered In so just a Cause there needs no deliberation D. Daigerfield William Daigerfield and Ioan his Wife who then gave suck to her tenth child being imprisoned in several Prisons Bishop Brooks sent for the man and told him that his Wife had recanted and so perswaded him to recant and so sent him to his Wife with a Form of Recantation with him which when his Wife saw her heart clave in sunder and she cried out Alas Husband thus long we have continued one and hath Satan so far pervaâ—led with you as to cause you to break the Vow which you made to God in Baptisme Hereupon he bewailed his promise and beg'd of God that he might not live so long as to call evil good and good evil light darkness or darkness light And accordingly it came to pass Damlip Mr. Adam Damlip when he had been almost two years in the Marshalsey considering how he could not employ his talent there to God's Glory as he desired though he had many Favours in Prison resolved to write to the Bishop of Winchester earnestlâ— to desire that he might come to his Tryal for said he I know the worst I can but lose my present life which I had rather do then here to remain and not to be suffered to use my talent to God's Glory When he understood by the Keeper that his suffering was near he was notwithstanding very merry and did eat his meat as well as ever he did in all his life insomuch that some at the Board said unto him they wondred how he could eat his meat so chearfully knowing he was so near his death Ah Masters said he Do you think that I have been so long God's Prisoner in the Marshalsey and have not yet learned to die Yes yes and I doubt not but God
all salvation and justification and that there is none other mean nor way noâ— holiness in which or by which any man can be saved in this World Burning in the fire he cried out three timesâ—punc O the Son of God have mercy upon me O the Son of God receive my soul. Folks Elizabeth Folks being examined whether she believed the presence of Christs Body to be in the Sacrament substantially and really answered That she believed that that was a substantial and real lâ—e When Sentence of Condemnation was reaâ— against her she kneeled down lifting up her eye and hands to Heaven she praised God that ever she was born to see that most blessed and happy day that the Lord would count her worthy to suffer for the testimony of Christ and Lord if it be thy will forgive them that have done this against me for they know not what they do At the Stake she being hindred from giving her Petticoat to her Mother who kissed her and exhorted her to be strong in the Lord threw it away from her saying Farewel all the World farewel Faith and Hope and so taking the Stake in her hand said Welcome Love c. When she and the other five that suffered with her were nailed to the Stakes and the fire about them they clapped their hands together for joy in the fire Fox The day after Queen Mary's death Mr. Iohn Fox preaching at Basil to the English Exiles did with confidence tell them That now was the time come for their return into England and that he brought that News by command from God The Lady Anne Hennage being given up for dead He told her she had done well in fitting her self for death but that she should not die of that Sickness and being blamed by her Son in Law for disquieting her mind with hopes of life He answered that he had said no more then was commanded hâ—m for it seemed good to God that she should recover and so she did Mrs. Honywood having been sick of a Consumption almost twenty years was scarce able to speak when Mr. Fox came to her onely faintly she breathed forth a desire to end her dayes Mr. Fox after he had prayed with her told her That she should not onely grow well of that Consumption but also live to an exceeding great age As well might you have said quoth Mrs. Honywood that if I should throw this Glass against the Wall I might believe it would not break to pieces and holding a Glass in her hand out of which she had newly drunk she threw it forth but the Glass falling first on a Chest and then on the ground neither brake nor crackt Accordingly this eminent Christian Gentlewoman being then Sixty years of age recovered and lived till she was above Ninety and could reckon above three hundred and sixty of her Children and Childrens Children He also foresaw his own death and therefore sent away his sons that they might not be present Frith Mr. Iohn Frith with some others chosen into Christs Church Oxford whose Foundation was laid by Cardinal Wolsey conferring together upon the abuse of Religion then crept into the Church were therefoâ—e accuâ—ed of Heresie unto the Cardinal and cast into Prison within a deep Cave under the ground of the same Colledge where their salt Fish was laid Through the filthy stinch thereof they were all infected and some took their death but Mr. Frith was wonderfully preserved and was translated from that University after many miseries undergone both beyond Sea and in his own Land to another School namely to a more setled Discipline of affliction the Tower of London where as he remained a Patient in regard of the Persecution which he suffered so did he also the office of a Physician in prescribing to others Preparatives and Remedies in the like case To which end A.D. 1532. he employed his pen in writing those Treatises which now go under the name of Vox Pisces or the Book-Fish Concerning which the Author of the Preface thereunto observes that in some sort they ran the Fortune of the Author being held in captivity in the Sea and kept in Iohah's Prison the belly of a Fish being in danger there to be consumed as the Author was like to have perished in the Dungeon at Oxford by the noysome stinch of Fish The Wine therein offered saith the same Author is the purest juyce of a Grape of the Vine Christ Jesus trode in the Wine-press of Persecution about an hundred years since Which being put in a Paper Vessel and formerly miscarrying by wrack in the transporting is now beyond expectation in a strange Living Vessel brought back again to Land no doubt to the end that it might after long lying hid in store be anew broached and dispersed abroad for the refreshing of many thirsty souls to whom it is like to taste not the worse but the better for the long lying in so salt a Cellar as is the bottome of the Sea wherein by all probability it hath been buried for many years Mr. Frith did not light his Candle at the Lamp of Mr. Calvin which then was not extant nor of great Luther who was then but in the beginning of his growth And yet saith the same Author How judiciously is there shewn the use of the Cross among Christians to consist in the due preparation for it and constant patience under it How foundly are we taught that our Election and Justification are of Gods meer mercy and not for any thing foreseen in us That remission of sins is through Christ onely That no man can merit for others That true Believers do sin yet fall not away utterly from Christ. As the Work commends the Author so the Author much more the Work When he wrote of the Cross he fought valiantly under the Cross he turned his words of patience into the perfect work of patience He had the like happâ—ness to that of St. Paul to bring forth children unto Christ in his bands Whilst he was kept close Prisoner in the Tower by his Letters and Treatises he gained many souls to Christ and among others which is most observable he converted one Râ—sâ—â—l to the Truth who had formerly dipped his Pen in Gall and wrote most bitterly against the Truth of the Gospel and against the Writings of this Prisoner of Christ then â— bands for the Gospel Like a Swan he sang most sweetly before his death and foretold both particularly his own Martyrdome and the propagation of the Gospel through all England within twenty years after his death which accordingly came to pass in the Reign of King Edward He was as it were a Prâ—mrose in the new Spring of the Gospel And though he wrote in the twilight between the night of Popery and the day of Reformation yet God so enlightned him that his Treâ—â—ise of the Sacraments was the Candle at which that great Torch Archbishop Cranmer was lighted as Mr. Fox reporteth That
unto us but also personally to visit the Poor oppressed and see that nothing be lacking unto them but that they have both ghostly comfort and bodily sustenance notwithstanding the strait inhibition and terrible menacing of these worldly Rulers even ready to abide the extreamest jeopardies that Tyrants can imagine This is an evidence that you have prepared your selves to the Cross of Christ according to the Counsel of the Wise man which saith My Son when thou shalt enter into the way of the Lord prepare thy self unto tribulation This is an evidence that you have cast up your accounts and have wherewith to finish the Tower which ye have begun to build and I doubt not but he that hath begun this work in you shall for his Glory accomplish the same even unto the coming of the Lord which shall give unto every man according to his deeds And albeit God of his secret Judgements for a time keep the rod from some of them that ensue his steps yet let them surely reckon upon it for there is no doubt but all which will live devoutly in Christ must suffer persecution for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth and chasteneth every child that he receiveth If ye be not under correction of which we are all partakers then are ye bastards and not children Nevertheless we may not suppose that our most loving Father should do that because he rejoyceth in our blood or punishment but he doth it for our singular profit that we may be partakers of Holiness and that the remnants of sin which through the frailty of our Members rebel against the Spirit and Will causing our works to go unperfectly forward and may some deal be suppressed least they should subdue us and reign over us Of these things God had given me the speculation before and now it hath pleased him to put in ure and practise upon me I ever thought yea and do think that to walk after Gods Word would cost me my life at one time or another and although the Kings Grace should take me into his Favour and not suffer the bloody Edomites to have their pleasures upon me yet will I not think that I am escaped but that God hath onely deferred it for a season to the intent that I should work somewhat that he hath appointed me to do and so to use me to his Glory And I beseech all the faithful followers of the Lord to arm themselves with the same supposition marking themselves with the sign of the Cross not from the Cross as the superstitious multitude do but rather to the Cross in token that they be ever ready willingly to receive the Cross when it shall please God to lay it upon them The day that it cometh not count it clear won giving thanks to the Lord who hath kept it from you and then when it cometh it shall nothing dismay you for it is no new thing but that which you have continually looked for And doubt not but that God who is faithful will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear but shall ever send some occasion by the which ye shall stand stedfast for either he shall blind the eyes of your enemies and diminish their Tyrannous Power or else when he hath suffered them to do their best and that the Dragon hath cast a whole flood of waters after you he shall cause even the Earth to opeâ— her mouth swallow them up So faithful is he anâ— careful to ease us when the vexation shall be too heavy for us he shall send a Ioseph before you againâ—â— ye shall come into Egypt yea he shall so provide foâ— you that ye shall have an hundred Fathers for one an hundred Mothers for one an hundred House for one and that in this life as I have proved bâ— experience and after this life everlasting joy witâ— Christ our Saviour Notwithstanding since thiâ— steadfastness comes not of our selves as St. Austiâ— saith there was never man so weak or frail no noâ— the greatest offender that ever lived but that every man of his own nature should be as frail and commit as great enormities except he were kept from it by the Spirit and Power of God I beseech you Brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ to pray with me that we may be Vessels to his land and praise what time soever it pleaseth him to call upon 〈◊〉 The Father of Glory give us the Spirit of wisdome understanding and knowledge and lighten the eyes of our mind that we may know his wayeâ— praising the Lord eternally Amen John Frith the Prisoner of Iesus Christ at all times abiding his pleasure In his Letter to his Friends concerning his troubles I doubt not dear Brethren but thâ—â— it doth some deal vex you to see the one part 〈◊〉 have all the words and freely to speak what they list and the other to be put to silence and not to be heard indifferently but refer your matter unto God who shortly shall judge after another fashion The Archbishop of Canterbury having sent one of his Gentlemen and one of his Porters to fetch Mr. Iohn Frith out of the Tower to be examined The Gentleman pitying him endeavoured to perswade him to relent to Authority and to give place for a time and not to cast himself away and suffer all his singular gifts to perish with him with little profit to the world c. Mr. Frith gave him thanks for his good will but told him farther thus My Cause and Conscience is such that in no wise I either may or can for any worldly respect without danger of damnation start aside c. If I be demanded what I think of the Supper of the Lord otherwise called the Sacrament of the Altar I must needs say my Knowledge and my Conscience though I should presently lose twenty lives if I had so many And if I may be indifferently heard I am sure mine Adversarie cannot condemn me or mine Assertion c. Yea marry quoth the Gentleman you say well if you might be indifferently heard but I much doubt thereof for that our Master Christ was not indifferently heard neither should be as I think if he were now present again in the world c. Well well quoth Frith unto the Gentleman I know very well that the Doctrine of the Sacrament which I hold and have opened contrary to the Opinion of this Realm is vety hard meat to be digested both of the Clergy and Laity but this I will say to you That if you live but twenty years more you shall see this whole Realm of mine Opinion c. and if it come not to pass then account me the vainest man that ever you heard speak with a tongue All things well and rightly pondered my death in this Cause which is Gods and not mine shall be better unto me and all mine then life in continuaâ— bondage and misery The Gentleman was 〈◊〉 wrought upon that he contrived a way
be all honour and glory for ever and ever So be it A short Prayer which Mr. Gilby made for tâ—â— faithful in those dayes O Lord God and most merciful Father we beseech thee for the honour of thâ— Holy Name to defend us from that Antichrist 〈◊〉 Rome and from all his detestable enormities manners laws garments and ceremonies Destroy thoâ— the counsel of all the Papists and Atheists enemiâ—â— of thy Gospel and of this Realm of England Dâ—â—â—close their mischiefs and subtile practises Câ—â— found their devices Let them be taken in theâ— own wiliness And strengthen all those that maiâ—tain the Cause and Quarrel of thy Gospel with iâ—vincible force and power of the Holy Spirit so thâ— they fail not to proceed and go forward to that trâ—â— Godliness commanded in thy Holy Word with 〈◊〉 simplicity and sincerity to thy Honour and Glorâ— the comfort of thine Elect and the confusion 〈◊〉 thine enemies through Jesus Christ our Lord anâ— Saviour Amen Amen And say from the hearâ—â— Amen Glee When the Friers told Madam La Glee that 〈◊〉 was in a damnable estate It seems so indeed saiâ—â—sne being now in your hands but I have a 〈◊〉 that will never leave me nor forsake me for 〈◊〉 that Thou hast said they renounced the Faith It is true said she I have renounced your faith which I am able to shew is rejected and accurseâ— of God and therefore deserves not so much as 〈◊〉 be called Faith When news was brought her that she was coâ—â—demned to be hang'd she fell down upon heâ— knees and blessed God for that it pleased him 〈◊〉 snew her so much mercy as to deliver her by such kind of death out of the troubles of this wretcheâ— world and to honour her so far as to call her 〈◊〉 die for his Truth and to wear his Livery meaning the Haltar which the Hangman had put about her neck Then sitting down at Table to break her fast with the three other condemned Servants of Christ giving thanks to God she exhorted them to be of good courage and to trust unto the end in his free and onely mercy She then called for a clean linen Wastcoat making her self ready as if she had been going to a Wedding Mr. Wâ—rd tells us that she put on her Bracelets for I go said she unto my Husband Being commanded as she was led to execution to take a Torch into her hand and to acknowledge she had offended God and the King Away away said she with it I have neither offended God nor the King according to your meaning nor in respect of the cause for which I suffer I am I confess a sinful woman but I need no such light for helping me to ask forgiveness of God for my sins past or present Life such things your selves who sit and walk in the darkness of ignorance and errour Then one of her Kinsfolks met her in the way and presented to her view her little children praying her to have compassion on them I must needs tell you said she that I love my children dearly but yet neither for the love I bear to them or any thing else in this world will I renounce the Truth or my God who is and will be a Father unto them to provide better for them then I should have done and therefore to his providence and protection I commend and leave them When she saw the three men about to die silent and not to call on God she exâ—orted then thereto and gave them an example Glover Mr. Robert Glover in his Letter to his Wife haâ— many memorable passages the chief I shall collecâ— I thank you heartily most loving Wife 〈◊〉 your Letters sent to me in my imprisonment read them with tears more then once or twicâ— with tears I say for joy and gladness that Goâ— hath wrought in you so merciful a work 1 〈◊〉 unfeigned repentance 2 An humble and heart reconciliaton 3 A willing submission and obâ—â—dience to the will of God in all things Theâ—â— your Letters and the hearing of your godly prâ—â—ceedings have much relieved and comforteâ— me c. and shall be a goodly Testimony for you at the great Day against many worldly and dainâ—â— Dames which set more by their own pleasure anâ— praise in this world then by Gods Glory little reâ—garding as it appeareth the everlasting health 〈◊〉 their own souls or others So long as God shalâ— lend you continuance in this miserable world above all things give your self continually to Prayer lifting up pure hands without anger wrath oâ— doubting forgiving as Christ forgives And that wâ—â— may be the better willing to forgive it is good ofteâ— to call to remembrance the multitude and greatness of our sins which Christ daily and hourâ—â— pardoneth and forgiveth us And because Godâ— Word teacheth us not onely the true manner â—â— praying but also what we ought to do or not to 〈◊〉 in the whole course of our life what pleaseth 〈◊〉 displeaseth God and that as Christ saith The Woâ—â— of God that he hath spoken shall judge us Let youâ— Prayer be to this end especially that God of hiâ— great mercy would open and reveal more and morâ— daily to your heart the true sense knowledge anâ— understanding of his most holy Word and giâ—â— you grace in your living to express the fruit thereof And forasmuch as Gods Word is as the Holy Ghost calleth it The Word of affliction i. e. it is seldome without hatred persecution peril danger of loss of goods and life c. Call upon God continually for his assistance casting your accounts what is like to cost you endeavouring your self through the help of the Holy Ghost by continuance of prayer to lay your foundation so sure that no storm or tempest shall be able to overthrow it remembering alwayes as Christ saith Lots wife i. e. to beware of looking back to that thing that displeaseth God and nothing more displeaseth God then Idolatry that is false worshiping of God otherwise then his Word commandeth They object they be the Church c. My answer was The Church of God knoweth and acknowledgeth no other head but Jesus Christ the Son of God whom ye have refused and chosen the man of sin the Son oâ— perdition enemy to Christ the Devils Deputy and Lieutenant the Pope Christs Church heareth teacheth and is ruled by his Word as he saith My Sheep hear my voice If you abide in me and my Word aâ—ide in you you be my Disciples Their Church repelleth Gods Word and forceth all men to follow their traditions Christs Church dares not adde nor diminish alter or change his blessed Testament but they be not afraid to take away all that Christ instituted and go a whoring as the Scripture saith with their own inventions c. The Church of Christ is hath been and shall be in all ages under the Cross persecuted molested and afflicted the world ever hating them
It is no arrogancy nor presumption in any man to burden God as it were with his promise and of duty to claim and challenge his aid help and assistance in all our perils dangers and distress calling upon him not in the confidence of our own godliness but in the trust of his own promises made in Christ. His Word cannot lye Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee and thou shalt praise me I answered the enemy also on this manner I am a sinner and therefore unworthy to be a witness of this truth What then Must I deny his Word because I am not worthy to proâ—ess it What bring I to pass in so doing but adde sin to sin What is greater sin then to deny the truth of Christs Gospel He that is ashamed of me or of my words saith Christ of him also will I be ashamed before my Father and all his Angels I might also by the same reason forbear to do any of Gods Commandments When I am provoked to pray the enemy may say to me I am not worthy to pray therefore I shall not pray c. When the Bishop came to Lichfield he perswaded me to be a Member of his Church which had continued so many years As for our Church as he called it it was not known he said but lately in King Edward's time I profess my self to be a Member of that Church said I that is builded upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ being the head corner-stone And this Church hath been 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 they were the Church So cried all the Clergy against the Prophets of Ierusalem said I saying The Church the Church c. So much out of Mr. Glover's choice Letter After he was condemned his heart was lumpish and desolate of all spiritual consolation whereupon fearing least the Lord had utterly withdrawn he made his moan to Mr. Austine Bernher his familiar friend telling him how he had prayed night and day to God and yet had no sense of comfort from him The Minister desired him to wait patiently the Lords leisure and howsoever his present feeling was yet seeing his cause was just he exhorted him constantly to stick to the same and to play the man not doubting but the Lord in his good time would visit him and satisfie his desire with plenty of consolation whereof said Mr. Bernher he was right certain and sure and therefore desired him whenever any such feeling of Gods heavenly mercies should begin to touch his heart that then he should shew some signification thereof The next day as he was going to the place of his Martyrdome and was come within light of the Stake although all the night before praying for strength and courage he could feel none suddenly he was so mightily replenished 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 then as one passing out of the world by any pains of death Godfrey When one called Godfrey de Hâ—mmele Heretick 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 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 indeed 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 preferring at all times the will of God to the will of men saying and 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 and 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 corruptible 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 and 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 and patience wait for the joyful confession of Christ again 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 and present with you that no man or power can take away your life from you nor touch your body any farther then 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 as ye ought there can be nothing that should make you to shrink from the Lord. If they do cast you into Prison with Ioseph the Lord will deliver you If they cast you to wild beasts and Lions as they did Dâ—niel you shall be preserved If into the Sea with Ionas you shall not be drowned or into the dirty dungeon with Ieremy you shall be delivered or into the fiery Furnace with Shadrach Meshach and Aâ—ednego 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
poor Prisoners I make this my humble suit and prayer to you all my especial good Friends beseeching you by all the bonds of amity in the bowels of mercy to tender the cases of miserable Captives Help to cloath Christ visit the Afflicted comfort the Sorrowful and relieve the Needy The very God of peace guide your hearts to have mercy on the poor and love faithfully together Amen This present Monday when I look to die and to live for ever Yours for ever Bartlet Green In his Letter to Mrs. Elizabeth Clark I shall not cease with continual Prayer to labour for you desiring Almighty God to increase that which he hath long since begun in you of sober life and earnest zeal towards his Region She that is a true Widow and friendless putteth her trust in God continuing day and night in supplication and prayer but she that liveth in pleasure is dead even yet alive And verily she is a true widow that hath married Christ forsaking the vanities of the world and the lusts of the flesh For as the married woman careth how to love and serve and please her Husband so ought the Widow to give all her soul and heart thoughts and words studies and labours faithfully to love God vertuously to bring up her children and houshold and diligently to provide for the poor and oppressed Not to live in pleasure but to watch unto prayer stedfastly laying up all her trust in God Of Anna it is written That she never went out of the Temple but served God with fasting and prayer night and day to â—ring up her children and houshold godly in the nurture and information of the Lord. There are most manifest examples against Parents for the offences of Children Contrariwise how greatly might Hanna rejoyce over Samuâ—l her Son whom she had brought up in the House of the Lord But above all Widows thrice blessed was the happy Mother of the seven Sons that so had instructed them in the fear of the Lord that by no torments they would sâ—rink from the love of his Truth To be liberal to Strangers to wash the Saints feet and minister to them in their adversity Saint Paul as though they onely had been therefore meet appointed onely Widows to minister to the Saints and to gather for the poor Alas That Christ so hungreth and no man will feed him is so sore opprest with thirst and no man will give him drink destitute of all lodging and not relieved sick and not visitted imprisoned and not seen In times past men could bestow large sums of money on Copes Vestments and Ornaments of the Church why rather follow we not St. Ambrose his example who sold the same for the relief of the poor or Chrysostom's command who willed first to deck and garnish the living Temple of God But alas such is the wickedness of these our last dayes that nothing moves us neither the pure Doctrine the godliness of life nor good examples of the Ancient Fathers If in any thing they erred that will their charitable children embrace publish and maintain with sword faggot and fire but all in vain they strive against the stream for though in despite of the Truth by force of the ears of crafty perswasion they may bring themselves into the haven of Hell yet can they not make all men believe that the banks move while the ship saileth nor ever shall be able to turn the direct course of the stream of Gods Truth In another Letter Better is the day of death saith Solomâ—n then the day of birth Happy are the dead that die in the Lord. Man of woman is born in travel to live in misery man through Christ doth die in joy to live in felicity he is born to die and dieth to live Strait as he cometh into the world with cries he uttereth his miserable estate strait as he departeth with Songs he praiseth God for ever Scarce yet in his cradle three deadly enemies assault him after death no Adversary may annoy him whilst he is here he displeaseth God when he is dead he fulfilleth his will Here he dieth every hour there he liveth continually here is sin there is righteousness here is time there is eternity here is harted there is love here is pain there is pleasure here is misery there is felicity Seek therefore the things that are above c. Grey The Lady Iane Grey Daughter to the Duke of Suffolk whose Mother was Daughter to Mary King Henry the Second's Sister having personated a Queen for ten dayes and upon Queen Mâ—ries Proclamation being imprisoned the Queen sent Mr. Fecknam to her two dayes before her death to commune with her and reduce her from the Doctrine of Christ to Queen Maries Religion The effect which communication here followeth Madam said Fecknam I lament your heavy Case c. You are welcome unto me Sir said the Lady Iane if you come to give me Christian Exhortation And as for my heavy Case I thank God I do so little lament it that rather I account the same for a more manifest Declaration of Gods favour towards me then ever he shewed me at any time before and therefore there is no cause why either you or other which bear me good will should lament or be grieved with this my Case being a thing so profitable for my souls health I am here come said he from the Queen and Council to instruct you in the true Doctrine of the right Faith c. I heartily thank the Queen said she who is not unmindful of her humble Subject and I hope no less that you will do your duty therein both truly and faithfully What is then said he requried of a Christian To believe said she in God the Father Son and holy Ghost three Persons and one God What said he is there nothing else required or looked for in a Christian but to believe in him Yes said she We must love him with all our heart with all our soul and with all our mind and our Neighbour as our self Why then said he faith justifies not and saveth not Yes verily said she Faith as Paul saith onely justifies Why said he St. Paul saith If I have all faith without love it is nothing True said she for how can I love him whom I trust not or how can I trust him whom I love not Faith and love go both together and yet love is comprehended in faith How must we love our Neighbour said he To love our Neighbour said she is to feed the hungry to cloath the naked and give drink to the thirsty and to do to him as we would do to our selves Why then said he it is necessary unto salvation to do good works also and it is not sufficient onely to believe It is meet said she that a Christian in token that he follows his Master Christ to do good works yet may we not say that they profit to our salvation for
entirely desiring your everlasting felicity to warn you and most heartily desire you to watch and pray On the high mountains doth not grow most plenty of grass neither are the highest trees farthest from danger but seldome sure and alwayes shaken of every wind that bloweth Such a deceitful thing saith our Saviour is honour and riches that without 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 and blaspheme the Elect of God ye know that it did so unto Christ his Apostles and to all that were in the Primitive Church and shall be unto the worlds end I beseech you in the bowels of Christ my Lord Jesus stick fast 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 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 detested 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 draadfully 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. 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 Iesus Hector Bartholomew Hector being condemned 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 he would answer them to nothing before he had made his Prayer to God Whereupon falling down upan 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. Iulian Hernaudes a Spanish Martyr came from the Wrack and the Tortures of the Inquisition inflicted on him for bringing with him and causing to be 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 then 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 now is the hour come in which as the true Champions of Iesus 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 Iohn Herwyn of Flanders was led to Prison the Bailiffe 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 drunkenness a sin What of that said the Bailiffe 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 heart 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 the affirms That we ought to obey God rather then 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 but said he the Lord hath taught me to eschew evil and do good Seest thou not said they how these opinions have troubled the world and how many of the learneder sort do contradict them So far is it off said he that the Doctrine of the Gospel should be the cause of troubles debates and strifes which raign in the world These troubles indeed arise from the rage of men And as for your learned
will tell thee what superstition is if thou believe not the Scripture Superstition say they is a superfluous Religion what wayes soever it be superfluous whether it be of the superfluity of the things honoured or of the things used for Religion or of the manner in Religion This doubtless is understood by the name of Superstition from whence soever the name hath its rise whatsoever thou dost to please God Almighty if it be not commanded in his Word it is superfluous superstition The purpose end and will of the second Commandment is That Gods pleasure is unto us that we do not profane or dishonour the true Religion or honour of God with superstitious Rites or Ceremonies not commanded by him I am a jealous God q. d. when we two were married together for the love that I bore unto thee I gave thee certain Rules and Precepts how in all things thou mayest keep my love and good will towards thee and thou promisedst me obedience to my Commandments Exâ—d 19. So honour me therefore and love me as it standeth written in the Writings and Indentures written between us both I cannot suffer to be otherwise honoured then I have taught in my Tables and Testament Against obeying of Gods Laws the first Sophism or carnal Objection is when men say it is no place nor time to learn or obey Gods Laws we be not in the Temple c. but in the broad world and must do as other men do and rather serve the place we be in uâ—ulare cum lupis bark with the wolf then speak of the Scripture besides it is too dangerous a season let it pass till the world be no more quiet c. This Objection Moses breaketh and proveth that the Law should be alwayes received and in every place Those that observed it in the wilderness God fed by miracle from Heaven and preserved all their apparel that it consumed not nor perished in the wearing for the space of forty years A second Objection is when men put from themselves the obedience of the Law unto others saying Let the Priests c. learn and keep the Law what should a Prince Magistrate or Gentleman be so bound Youth cannot be tied to so strait Canons it must not be so bridled c. This wicked acceptation of persons Moses destroyeth yea all saith he stand this day before the Lord your God your Princes your Tribes your Elders your Officers and all men of Israel your children your wives and thy Guest c. No manner of prison is excluded from the League A third is presumption when men know what is to be done yet against their knowledge presuming of Gods mercy do the thing that is evil saying If I walk in the imagination of my heart and take my pleasure there is no danger c. But saith Moses the Lord will not favour such an one but then be angry and kindle his ire against him so that every curse written in this Book shall rest on him c. A fourth is Animosity thus reasoning with ones self who knoweth what his last hour shall be But saith Moses Secret things belong to God but the things that God hath revealed to us and our children for ever that we do all the precepts of this Law A fifth is Desperation when men think it is in vain for them to observe Gods Laws there is no hope of their salvation c. It is impossible for him to return to God and do all that God requireth c. Moses gives a remedy against this dangerous disease sheweth the way to God declareth That God is full of mercy and ready to forgive c. A sixth is the pretence of Ignorance saying The Scripture the Laws of God have so many mysteries too hard for our capacities c. Besides the Doctors brawl and chide between themselves and how should the Unlearned understand it aright Who can tell saith another whether this be the true Law or not If it were the true Law of God then it should contain all verities and have no deed of mans Laws Now the greatest part of Christians in name say That this Law is not sufficient except it be holp and aided by the Law of the Bishops Moses answereth and saith This Law is sufficient simple and plain easie to be understood a perfect Doctrine and required of all men the Commandment that I prescribe unto thee to day is not far above thee nor put far from thee c. By which words it appeareth that God hath made his will and pleasure simple and plainly open to his people c. Yea the Law of God to do well by is written naturally in the heart of every man c. though there were no Law written c. mans conscience would tell him when he doth well and when ill Farewell in our onely and sole joy and consolation Christ Jesus This holy Exile parting with Mr. Bullinger and his Friends at Zurick declared that the principal cause of his return to his own Countrey was the matter of Religion c. Be sure said he neither the nature of the Countrey nor pleasure of commodities nor newness of friends shall ever induce me to the oblivion of such friends and Benefactors and therefore you shall be sure from time to time to hear from me how it goes with me but the last news of all I shall not be able to write for there said he taking Mr. Bullinger by the hand where I shall take most pains there shall you hear of me to be burned to ashes and that shall be the last news which I shall not be able to write When he was made Bishop of Worcester and Glocester the Arms allotted him probably by his own appointment were a Lamb in a fiery Bush and the Sun-beams from Heaven descending down upon the Lamb rightly denoting as it seemed the manner of his suffering which afterward followed After his return in his Sermons he corrected sin and sharply inveighed against the iniquity of the world and corrupt abuses of the Church When he was elected Bishop of Worcester and Glocester he made humble supplication to the King either to discharge him of the Bishoprick or to dispense with him as to the wearing of such Garments and Apparel as the Popish Bishops were wont to do His Petition the King granted as appears by his Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury telling him That the Rites and Ceremonies he would be dispensed in were offensive to his conscience The Oath also used then commonly in the Consecration of Bishops was against his conscience as appears by the Earl of Warwick's Letter to the Archbishop writ by the Kings desire In the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign when notice was given him that he should be sent for to London and how dangerous it was for him to appear he gave this Answer Once I did flee but now because I
his honourably saying Even so persecuted they the Prophets that were before you We may learn by things that nourish and maintain us both meat and drink what loathsomness and in a manner abhorring they come to before they work their perfection in us c. that whosoever saw the same would loath and abhor his own nourishment before it come to its perfection Is it then any marvel if such Christians as God delighteth in be so mangled and defaced in this world which is the Kitchin and Mill to boil and grind the flesh of Gods people in till they atchieve their perfection in the world to come Raw flesh is not meat wholesome for man and unmortified men and women be not creatures meet for God Christs people must be broken and all to torn in the Mill of this world and so shall they be most fine meat to their Heavenly Father We must therefore patiently suffer and willingly attend upon Gods doings although they seem clean contrary after our judgement to our wealth and salvation as Abraham did when he was bid to offer his Son Isaac in whom God promised the Blessing and multiplying of his seed Ioseph at the last came to that which God promised him although in the mean time after the Judgement of the world he was never like to be as God said he should be Lord over his Brethren When Christ would make the blind man to see he put clay upon his eyes which after the judgement of man was a means rather to make his double blind then to give him his sight but he obeyed and knew that God could work his desire what means soever he used contrary to mans reasons To judge things indifferently the trouble be not yet generally as they were in our good Fathers time soon after the death and resurrection of our Saviour Christ. Was there ever such trouble as Christ threatned upon Ierusalem Towards the end of the world we have nothing so much extremity as they had then but even as we be able to bear In another Letter I require you not to forget your duty towards God in these perillous dayes in the which the Lord will try us I trust you do increase by the reading of the Scriptures the knowledge you have of God and that you diligently apply your self to follow the same for the knowledge helpeth not except the life be according thereto I commend you to God and the guiding of his goost Spirit to stablish and confirm you in all well doing and keep you blameless to the day of the Lord watch and pray for this day is at hand In his Letter to his charitable Friends in London For your liberality I most heartily thank you and praise God highly in you for you c. praying him to preserve you from all famine scarcity and lack of the truth of his Word which is the lively food of your souls as you preserve my body from hunger and other necessities that would happen unto me were it not cared for by the charity of godly people Such as have spoiled me of all that I had have imprisoned me and appointed not one half-penny to feed or relieve me withall but I do forgive them and pray for them daily in my poor Prayer to God and from my heart I wish their salvation and quietly and patiently bear their injuries wishing no farther extremity to be used towards us yet if the contrary seem best to our heavenly Father I have made my reckoning and fully resolved to suffer the uttermost that they are able to do against me yea death it self by the aid of Christ Jesus who died the most vile death of the Cross for us wretched and miserable sinners But of this I am assured that the wicked world with all his force and power shall not touch one of the hairs of our heads without leave and license of our heavenly Father whose will be done in all things If he will life life be it if he will death death be it onely we pray that our wills may be subject to his will If we be contented to obey Gods will and for his Commands sake to surrender our goods and our lives to be at his pleasure it maketh no matter whether we keep goods and life or lose them Nothing can hurt us that is taken from us for Gods Cause nor can any thing at length do us good that is preserved contrary to Gods command Let us wholly suffer God to use us and ours after his holy wisdome and beware we neither use nor govern our selves contrary to his will by our own wisdome for if we do our wisdome will at length prove foolishness It is kept to no good purpose that we keep contrary to his Commandments It can by no means be taken from us that he would should tarry with us He is no good Christian that ruleth himself and his as worldly means serve for he that so doth shall have as many changes as chances in the world To day with the world he shall like and praise the truth of God to morrow as the world will so will he like and praise the falshood of man to day with Christ to morrow with Antichrist Glorifie your heavenly Father both with your inward and outward man If ye think ye can inwardly in the heart serve him and yet outwardly serve with the world in external service the thing that is not of God ye deceive your selves for both the body and soul must concurre together in the honour of God for if an honest wife be bound to give both heart and body to faith and service in marriage and if an honest wives faith in the heart cannot stand with a whorish or defiled body much less can the true faith of a Christian in the service of Christianity stand with the bodily service of external idolatry for the mystery of Marriage is not so honourable between man and wife as it is between Christ and every Christian. Therefore dear Brethren pray to the heavenly Father that as he spared not the soul nor the body of his dearly beloved Son but applied both of them with extream pain to work our salvation both of soul and body so he will give us all grace to apply our souls and bodies to be Servants to him Let us not deride our selves and say our souls serve him whatsoever our bodies do to the contrary for civil order and policy But alas I know by my self what troubleth you viz. the great danger of the world that will revenge ye think your service to God with sword and fire with loss of goods and lands but dear Brethren weigh on the other side that your enemies and Gods enemies shall not do as much as they would but as much as God shall suffer them who can trap them in their own counsels and destroy them in the midst of their furies Remember ye be the Work-men of the Lord and called into his Vineyard there to labour till
Evening-Tide that you may receive your penny which is more worth then all the Kingdomes of the Earth but he that called us into his Vineyard hath not told us how sore and how fervently the Sun shall trouble us in our labour but hath bid us labour and commit the bitterness thereof to him who can and will so moderate all afflictions that no man shall have more laid upon him then in Christ he shall be able to bear unto whose merciful tuition and defence I commend both your souls and bodies Yours with my poor Prayer J. H. In a Letter to a Merchant of London I thank God and you for the great help and consolation I have received in time of adversity by your charity but most rejoyce that you be not altered from truth although falshood cruelly seeketh to disdain her Judge not my Brother truth by outward appearance for truth now worse appeareth and is more vilely rejected then falshood Leave the outward shew and see by the Word of God what is truth and accept truth and dislike her not though man call her falshood As it is now so it hath been heretofore truth hath been rejected and falshood received Such as have professed truth have smarted and the friends of falshood laughed them to scorn The one having the commendation of truth by man but the condemnation of falshood by God flourishing for a time with endless destruction the other afflicted a little season but ending with immortal joyes Wherefore dear Brother ask and demand of your Book the Testament of Jesus Christ in these woful and wretched dayes what you should think and what you should stay your selves upon for a certain truth and whatsoever you hear taught try it by your Book whether it be true or false The dayes be dangerous and full of peril not onely for the world and worldly things but for Heaven and heavenly things It is a trouble to lose the treasure of this life but yet a very pain if it be kept with the offence of God Cry call pray and in Christ daily require help succour mercy wisdome grace and defence that the wickedness of this world prevail not against us In his Letter to Mrs. Wilkinson I am very glad to hear of your health and do thank you for your loving tokens but I am a great deal more glad to hear how Christianly you avoid idolatry and prepare your self to suffer the extremity of the world rather then to endanger your self to God You do as you ought to do in this behalf and in suffering of transitory pains you shall avoid permanent torments in the world to come Use your life and keep it with as much quietness as you can so that you offend not God The ease that cometh with his displeasure turneth at length to unspeakable pains and the gains of the world with the loss of his favours is beggary and wretchedness In his Letter to Mr. Hall and his Wife The dayes be dangerous and full of peril but let us comfort our selves in calling to remembrance the dayes of our Fore-fathers upon whom the Lord sent such troubles that many hundreds yea thousands died for the testimony of Jesus Christ both men and women suffering with patience and constancy as much cruelty as Tyrants could devise and so departed out of this miserable world to the bliss everlasting where now they remain for ever looking alwayes for the end of this sinful world when they shall receive their bodies again in immortality and see the number of the Elect associated with them in full and consummate joyes and as vertuous men suffering Martyrdome now rest in joyes everlasting their pains ending their sorrows and beginning their ease so did their constancy and stedfastness animate and confirm all good people in the truth and gave them encouragement to suffer the like rather then to fall with the world to consent unto wickedness and idolatry Wherefore my dear Friends seeing God hath illuminated you in the same true faith wherein the Apostles and Evangelists and all Martyrs suffered most cruel death thank him for his grace in knowledge and pray to him for strength and perseverance that ye be not ashamed nor afraid to confess it Ye be in the truth and the gates of Hell shall never prevail against it nor Antichrist with all his Imps prove it false they may persecute and kill but never overcome Be of good comfort and fear God more then man This life is short and miserable happy be they that can spend it to the glory of God In his Letter to Mrs. Warcop I did rejoyce to understand that you be fully resolved by Gods grace to suffer extremity rather then to go from the truth which you have professed As you be travelling this perillous journey take this Lesson with you practised by the Wise men Matth. 2. Such as travelled to find Christ followed onely the Star and as long as they saw it they were assured they were in the right way and had great mirth in their journey but when they entred into Ierusalem whereas the Star led them not thither but to Bethlem and there asked the Citizens the thing that the Star shewed before they were not onely ignorant of Bethlem but lost the sight of the Star c. The Word is the onely Star that sheweth us where Christ is and which way we may come unto him But as Ierusalem stood in the way and was an impediment to the Wise men so doth the Synagogue of Antichrist that beareth the Name of Ierusalem i. e. the Vision of Peace and among the people now is called the Catholick Church standeth in the way that Pilgrims must go by through this world to Bethlem i. e. the house of bread or plentifulness and is an impediment to all Christian Travellers yea and except the more grace of God be will keep the Pilgrims still in her that they shall not come where Christ is at all and to stay them indeed they take away the Star of Light which is Gods Word that it cannot be seen Ye may see what great dangers hapned unto these Wise men whilst they were learning of Lyars where Christ was 1 They were out of their way And 2 They lost their Guide and Conductor If we come into the Church of men and ask for Christ we go out of the way and lose also our Conductor and Guide that onely leadeth us streight thither Sister take heed you shall in your journey towards Heaven meet with many a monstrous beast have salve therefore of Gods Word therefore ready you shall meet husbands children lovers and friends that shall if God be not with them be very leâ—s and impediments to your purpose You shall meet with slander and contempt of the world and be accounted ungracious and ungodly you shall hear and meet with cruel tyranny to do you all extremities you shall now and then see the troubles of your own conscience and feel your own weakness you shall hear
the truth and consenting to the lies of Antichrist through his seduction and through fear or through hope of confederacy forgetting of worldly honour I rejoyced to perceive your mind now to give over the vanity and painful service of this present world and to serve the Lord Jesus Christ quietly at home whom to serve is to reign as Gregory saith whom he that serveth faithfully hath Jesus Christ himself in the Kingdome of Heaven to minister unto him as himself saith Blessed is that Servant whom when the Lord shall come he shall find waking and so doing Verily I say unto you that he rising shall gird himself and shall minister unto him This do not the Kings of the world to their Servants In another Letter As touching death God doth know why he doth defer it both to me and to my well beloved Brother Mr. Ierome who I trust will do holily and without blame and do know also that now he suffereth more valiantly then I my self a wretched sinner God hath given us a long time that we may call to mind our sins the better and repent for the same more fervently He hath granted us time that our long and great temptation should put away our grievous sins and bring the more consolation He hath given us time wherein we should remember the horrible rebukes of our merciful King and Lord Jesus and should ponder his cruel death and so more patiently may learn to bear our afflictions And moreover that we might keep in remembrance how the joyes of the life to come are not given after the joyes of this world immediately but through many tribulations the Saints have entred into the Kingdome of Heaven for some of them have been cut and chopt all to pieces some their eyes bored through some sod some roasted some flain alive some burned quick stoned crucified grinded between milstones drawn and haled hither and thither unto Execution drowned in waters strangled and hanged torn in pieces vexed with rebukes before death pined in prisons and afflicted in bonds and who is able to recite all the torments and sufferings of the holy Saints which they suffered under the Old and New Testament for the verity of God And it will be a marvel if any man now shall escape unpunished who dare boldly resist the wickedness and perversity especially of those Priests which can abide no correction In another Letter I desire that if Audience be given me that the King will be there present himself c. And that you Right Noble and Gracious Lord Iohn with the Lord Henry and the Lord Wencelaus c. if you may will be present and hear what the Lord Jesus Christ my Procurator and Advocate and most gracious Judge will put into my mouth to speak that whether I live or die you may be true and upright witnesses with me lest lying lips should say hereafter that I swerved from the truth which I have preached In another Letter My faithful and beloved in Christ be not afraid with their Sentence in condemning my Books they shall be scattered hither and thither abroad like light Butterflies and their Statutes shall endure as Spider-webs They were about to shake my constancy from the verity of Christ but they could not overcome the vertue of God in me They would not reason with the Scriptures against me c. And when I said I was desirous to be instructed if I did in any thing erre the chief Cardinal answered Because thou wouldst be informed there is no remedy but that thou must first revoke thy Doctrine according to the determination of fifty Batchelors appointed O high instruction These things I thought good to write unto you that you may know how they have overcome with no grounded Scripture nor with reason but onely did essay with terrours and deceits to perswade me to revoke and to abjure But our merciful God whose Law I have magnified was and is with me and I trust so will continue and will keep me in his grace unto death In another Letter Beloved I thought it needful to warn that you should not be discouraged because the Adversaries have decreed that my Books shall be burnt Remember how the Israelites burned the Preachings of the Prophet Ieremy and yet they could not avoid the things that were prophesied of in them for after they were burnt the Lord commanded to write the same Prophesie again and that larger which was done It is also written in the Books of the Maccabees that the wicked did burn the Law of God and killed them that had the same Again under the New Testament they burned the Saints with the Books of the Law of God Remember the sayings of our merciful Saviour by which he forewarneth us There shall â—e saith he before the Day of Iudgement great tribulation such as was not from the beginning until this day nor shall be afterwards So that even the Elect of God should be deceived if it were possible but for their sakes those dayes shall be shortned The Council of Constance shall not extend to Bohemia for I think that many of them which are of the Council shall die before they shall get from you my Books They shall depart from the Council and be scattered abroad throughout all parts of the world like Storks and then they shall know when Winter cometh what they did in Summer I trust in God that he will send after me those that shall be more valiant and there are alive at this day that shall make more manifest the malice of Antichrist and shall give their lives to the death for the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall give both to you and me the joyes of life everlasting This Epistle was written upon St. Iohn Baptist's day in Prison and in cold Irons I having this Meditation with my self that Iohn was beheaded in his Prison and bonds for the Word of God In another Letter I desire you if any man at any time have noted any levity either in my talk or in my conditions that he do not follow the same but pray to God for me to pardon me that sin of lightness I look next day for the Sentence of death having a full trust that he will not leave me to deny his truth c. How mercifully the Lord God hath dealt with me in marvellous temptations ye shall know whenas hereafter by the help of Christ we shall all meet together in the joy of the world to come I beseech you pray to God for our enemies In another Letter to a Minister My dear Brother be diligent in preaching the Gospel neglect not your Vocation labour like a blessed Souldier of Christ. First live godlily and holily Secondly teach faithfully and truly Thirdly be an example to others in well doing that you be not reprehended in your sayings Preach continually but be short and fruitfull Never affirm or maintain those things that be uncertain or doubtful Exhort men to the confession
will to the flaming Bush that he is willing to accompany the Church in the fiery Furnace Say after the perusal of this Manual I dare trust in God in the greatest difficulties I will take no thâ—ught what to answer to the Sons of men but will believe it shall be given in that hour I will cast all my care on him I will assure my self that as my tribulations do so my consolations shall abound he hath been others help therefore under the shadow of his wings will I rejoyce They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them they cried unto thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded Here you have Gods former dealings with and appearings for his suffering Saints to publish to thee and me what his future behaviour will be What David said of the tried sword we may of God much rather There is none like it I have considered the dayes of old the years of ancient times I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High Moreover in these Gleanings thou wilt see the excellency of Christ and the high advantages of Faith in that the Lord Christ is worthy for whose sake all is to be parted from Here is the Lord Iesus rated and valued above all the comforts contentments and happiness of both the worlds not that these were of a Stoical Apathy or prodigal of their blood and lives onely Christ was the first Figure and all the world but empty Ciphers without him The estimate which their souls set on Christ did infinitely exceed the rate which they sâ—â— on any thing else all was but dross and dung this is the voice of all these Saints â—â—arted Christ is not valued at all if he be not valued above all What shall I say more Here you may see somewhat to shoar up the dejected Christians who may be too much discouraged at the low condition of Gods Church upon reading here sad Melancthon may be contenteâ— to let God continue the reins of Government in his own hands and we may when even sinking leaâ—â— of Austin Let the world said he sink or swim be ruined or prosper I will bless the Lord that made the world Here you may in short see the Cavils against the Cross blown off to your hand the objections against the Truth abundantly silenced Here you will meet with seasonable Cautions against unscriptural Compliances Here cases of the present Age are briefly debated and cleared and here you may have a Directory how to keep your Consciences inoffensive towards God towards the Saints and towards them that are without But Reader I will not detain thee from enjoying the labours of my Friend The Lord bless them to thee and me See that thou refuse not him that speaketh from Heaven nor these whose blood like their Masters cries against their enemies for vengeance but calls aloud to you to stand fast in the Faith once delivered and to consider the end of their Warfare which that thou mayest is heartily desired by A Cordial Friend to all the Friends of Christ S.L. Swan-like SONG' 's The Second Part. I. Ieuville NIcholas Ieuville being condemned to be burned alive and his tongue to be cut out the Tormentor putting the Halter about his Neck said Praised be God for I am now counted worthy to be one of the Heavenly Order Ignatius When Trajan the Emperour returned from the Parthian War and came to Antioch having commanded gratulatory Sacrifices to be offered in every City he required Ignatius who was Pastour of the Church at Antioch to be present at those Sacrifices but he before Trajan's face did justly and sharply reprove their Idolatry for which cause he was delivered by ten Souldiers to be carried to Rome As he passed through Asia so guarded he confirmed the Congregations through every City where he came preaching the Word of God to them and giving them wholesome Exhortations When he came to Smyrna he wrote an Epistle to the Church at Ephesus and another to the Church of Magnesia on the River Meander and another to the Church at Trallis In his Epistle to the Ephesians You have heard of my being carried bound from Syria for the common Name and Hope I hope through your prayers I shall so fight against the Beasts at Rome that through Martyrdome I shall become his Disciple who offered himself a sacrifice for us unto God I do not command you as if I were any thing for though I am in bonds for the Name of Christ I am not as yet perfect in Christ Jesus Now I begin to be a Disciple Onesimus himself doth exceedingly commend your decent and meet order and that you all live according to the Truth and that there is no place for Herest among you and that you hear none farther then he preacheth Christ Jesus in truth Oppose their anger with mildness and their proud brags with humility and their cursings with praying and their errors with stedfastness in the Faith Let us be found in Christ Jesus unto everlaststing life Without him nothing becomes you in whom I carry about these bonds spiritual pearls in which I may stand advanced by the help of your prayer of which I alwayes desire to be partaker that I may be numbred among the Ephesian Christians who have alwayes in the strength of Christ consented with the Apostles See that you often meet together to give God thanks and to praise him for when you have often met together in the same place the power of Satan is weakened and his mischief vanisheth away by the concord of your faith The Tree is manifested by its fruit the work of profession doth not now appear unless by the power of Faith we be found to persevere to the end It is herrer to be a Mute and a Christian then to be Talkative and no Christian. It is good to teach but let him that teacheth do what he teacheth In his Letter to the Mâ—gnesians It becomes us not onely to be called but to be Christians As there be two sorts of moneys one Gods the other the Worlds so each sort hath its peculiar stamp Unbelievers have the stamp of the World Believers in love have the stamp of God the Father through Jesus Christ through whom unless our Will be inclined to die after the example of his Passion his Life is not in us There is one Christ then whom nothing is more excellent Let all therefore agree as in one Temple Although I am in bonds I am not to be compared with one of you yet at liberty I know you are free from pride and when I praise you I know you even blush In his Exhortation prefixt to his Epistle to the Church at Trallis he perswades them not to refuse Martyrdome lest thereby they should lose the hope that
for this purpose that albeit this late most raging storm hath taken from you the presence of Christ for a time so that you have doubted whether it was Christ which you saw before or not and albeit that the vehemency of this contrary wind that would drive you from Christ hath so employed your ears that almost you have forgotten what he was who commanded you to come to himself when that he cried Come unto me c. Pass from Babylon O my People c. Yet despair not such offences have chanced to Gods Elect before you If obstinately ye shall not continue yet shall you find mercy and grace So long as Peter neither feared danger nor mistrusted Christs Word so long the waves did serve his feet as if they had been dry solid and sure ground c. to instruct us That lively faith makes man bold and is able to carry in through such perils as be uncapable to nature But when faith begins to faint then beginneth man to sink down in every danger Indeed with Gods Elect in their greatest fear and danger there resteth some small spark of faith which by one means or other declareth it self albeit the afâ—lâ—cted person in fear or danger doth not presently perceive the same Lord save me declares that Peter knew the power of Christ able to deliver him and that he had some hope through Christs goodness to obtain deliverance It is also to be noted that in his great jeopardy Peter murmureth not against Christ neither blame him albeit at his Command he had left his Boat he saith not Why lettest thou me sink seeing I have obeyed thy Command Moreover he asked help of Christ alone Immediately stretched forth his hand c. Note That God is alwayes nigh to those that call on him faithfully c. What was visibly done to Peter is done to Christs members invisibly in all ages Open your ears Dear Brethren and let your hearts understand that our God is unchangeable his gracious hand is not shortned this day If we know the danger we are in and unfeignedly call for deliverance the Lords hand is nigher then the sword of our enemies Christs rebuke of Peter teacheth us That God doth not flatter nor conceal the faults of his Elect but maketh them manifest that the offenders may repent and that others may avoid the like offences In passing to Christ through the storms of this world it is not onely required that our faith be fervent in the beginning but constant to the end and not faint We have less excuse for doubting then Peter for he might have alledged that he was not advertised that any great storm should have risen between him and Christ which we cannot justly alledge for since Christ hath appeared to us he hath continually blown in our ears that persecution should follow the Word that we professed Alas then why doubt we through this storm to go to Christ Support O Lord and let us sink no farther O blessed and happy are those that patiently abide the deliverance of the Lord. The raging Sea shall not levour them albeit they have fainted c. The Majesty of Christs presence shall put to silence this boisterous wind the malice of the Devil which so bloweth in the hearts of Princes Prelates and earthly men c. Peradventure some there are of Gods Elect beholdinâ— such as have sometimes boldly professed Christs verity now to be returned to their accustomed abominations and themselves to be so overcome of fear that against their knowledge and conscience they stoop to an Idol and with their presence maintain the same fear whether it be possible the Members of Christs Body can be permitted so horribly to fall to the denial of their Head The dolour and fear of such I grant to be most just for O how fearfull is it for the love of this transitory life in the presence of man to deny Christ and his known and undoubted Verity Yet such as be not obstinate contemners of God I should counsel that they would rather appeal to Mercy then to pass against themselves the fearfull Sentence of Condemnation and to consider that God includeth all under unbelief that he may have Mercy on all And that all Christs Apostles fled from him and denied him in their hearts and yet were not rejected for ever Some may demand How shall it be known in whom faith is not utterly quenched and in whom it is seeing all flee from Christ and bow down to Idolatry Hard it is and in a manner impossible that one man should be able to judge of another that could not Elijah do of the Israelites in his daies but yet a man may of himself And wilt thou have a trial whether the root of faith remaineth with thee or not Feelest thou thy soul fainting in faith as Peter felt his body sink down in the waters Art thou as sore afraid that thy soul shall drown in hell if thou consentest or obeyest idolatry as Peter was that his body should drown in the waters Desirest thou as earnestly the deliverance of thy soul as Peter did the deliverance of his body Believest thou that Christ is able to deliver thy soul and that he will do the same according to his promise Dost thou call upon him without hypocrisie now in the day of thy trouble Dost thou thirst for his presence and for the liberty of his Word again Mournest thou for the great abominations that now overslow the Realm of England If these promises remain in thy heart then art not thou altogether destitute of faith neither shalt thou descend to perdition for ever but the Lord shall mercifully stretch forth his mighty hand and deliver thee How it neither appertains to thee to demand nor to me to define I think not that suddenly and by one means shall all the faithfull in England be delivered from Idolatry No it may be that God so strengthens the hearts of some of those that have fainted before that they will resist Idolatry to the death and that were a glorious and triumphant deliverance of others God may so touch the hearts that they will chuse to go as Pilgrims from Realm to Realm suffering hunger cold heat thirst weariness and poverty then they will abide having all abundance in subjection of Idolatry To some God may offer such occasions that in despight of Idolaters they may remain in their own Land and yet neither Bow the knee to Baal nor lack the lively food of Gods most holy Word Seeing we are so like the Disciples let us make such a complaint as the following one unto God G God the heathen are entred into thine inheritance they have defiled thy holy Temple and have profaned thy blessed Ordinances c. Thy Prophets are persecuted and none are permitted to speak thy Word freely the poor Sheep of thy Pasture are commanded to drink the venemous waters of mens traditions c. Such is
the Prayers of the Church with these words Take up the man whom ye accounted another god At the end of his Sermon he bemoaned the loss that the Church and State of Scotland received by the death of that man and said That as God in his mercy giveth good and wise Rulers so he taketh them away in his wrath and then added There is one in this Company that maketh the subject of his mirth this horrible murder whereat all good men have cause to be sorry I tell him he shall die where there shall be none to lament him The young Gentleman that writ the Note hearing this Comination went home and said to his Sister that Iohn Knox was raving to speak of he knew not whom His Sister replied with tears in her eyes telling him That none of Iohn Knox's threatnings fell to the ground without effect and so it fell out in this particular for this Mr. Thomas Metellan shortly after went beyond Sea to travel and died in Italy having no known man to assist him much less to lament him He told his People it was his desire to finish and close his preaching with preaching upon the History of Christs Passion In his last Sermon to his People at Edinburg which was preached at the Election of Mr. Iames Lawson to succeed him to whom he had writ thus Accelera mi frater alioqui sero venies Make haste Brother otherwise you will come too late meaning That if he made any stay he should find him dead and gone He called God to witness that he had walked in a good conscience among them not seeking to please men nor serving his own or other mens affections but in all sincerity and truth preached the Gospel of Christ most gravely and pithily exhorting them to stand fast in the faith which they had received In his sickness he said unto the Earl of Morton who came to visit him My Lord God hath given you wisdome honour high birth riches many good and great friends and is now to prefer you to the Government of the Realm In his Name I charge you that you will use these Blessings better in time to come then you have done in times past In all your actions seek first the glory of God the furtherance of his Gospel the maintenance of his Church and Ministry next be carefull of the King and the welfare of the Realm If you shall do this God will be with you and honour you if otherwise you do it not he will deprive you of all these benefits and your end shall be shame and ignominy These Speeches the Earl about nine years after at the time of his Execution called to mind saying That he had found them true and Mr. Knox therein a true Prophet A day or two before his death he sent for Mr. Lindsay Mr. Lawson and the Elders and Deacons of the Church and said unto them The time is approaching for which I have long thirsted wherein I shall be released from all my cares and be with my Saviour Christ for ever and now God is my Witness whom I have served with my Spirit in the Gospel of his Son that I have taught nothing but the true and sincere Word of God the true and solid Doctrine of the Gospel and that the end I proposed in all my Doctrine was to instruct the ignorant to confirm the weak to comfort the consciences of those who were humbled under the sense of their sins and born down with the threatnings of Gods judgements Such as were proud and rebellious I am not ignorant have blamed and do yet blame my too great rigour and severity but God knoweth that in my heart I never hated the persons of those against whom I thundred Gods judgements I did onely hate their sins and laboured according to my power to gain them to Christ. That I did forbear none of whatsoever condition I did it out of the fear of my God who hath placed me in the Ministry and I know will bring me to an account Now Brethren for your selves I have no more to say but to warn you to take heed to the Flock over which God hath placed you overseers which he hath redeemed with the blood of his onely begotten Son And now Mr. Lawson Fight a good fight do the work of the Lord with courage and with a willing mind and God from above bless you and the Church whereof you have charge against it so long as it continueth in the Doctrine of the Truth the gates of Hell shall not prevail This spoken and the Elders and Deacons dismissed he called the two Preachers to him and said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly You have sometimes seen the courage and constancy of the Laird of Grange in the Cause of God and that most unhappy man hath cast himself away I pray you two to take the pains to go to him and say from me That unless he forsake that wicked course wherein he is entred neither shall the rock in which he confideth defend him nor the carnal wisdome of that man whom he counteth half a god this was young Lethington yield him help but shamefully he shall be pulled out of that nest and his carkass hang before the Sun and so it fell out for the next year the Castle which he did keep against the Kings Authority was taken and he hanged before the Sun the Soul of that man is dear unto me and if it be possible I would fain have him saved They went but could not prevail yet at his death he did express serious repentance for his sins The next day he was much in Prayer crying Come Lord Jesus Sweet Jesus into thy hands I commend my Spirit Being asked by those about him if his pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a pain which should be unto him the end of all troubles and beginning of eternal joyes Oftentimes after some deep Meditations he burst forth in these words O serve the Lord in fear and death shall not be troublesome unto you blessed is the death of those that have part in the death of Christ. In the Evening having slept some hours together but with great unquietness for he was heard to send forth many sighs and groans Being asked after he awaked How he did find himself and what it was that made him to mourn so heartily in his sleep He answered In my life time I have oft been assaulted with Satan many times he hath cast in my teeth my sins to bring me to despair yet God gave me strength to overcome all his temptations and now that subtile Serpent who never ceaseth to tempt hath taken another course and seeks to perswade me that all my labours in the Ministry and the fidelity that I have shewn in that Service hath merited Heaven and immortality but blessed be God that brought to my mind these Scriptures What hast thou that thou hast not received and not
should do evil that good may come thereof though he meant nothing so c. Now my Lord will not think I dare say that St. Paul was too blame that he spake no more warily or more plainly to avoid the offence of the people but rather the people for that they took no better heed to his meaning yea he will pity the people who had been so long nuzled in the Doctrine of the Pharisees and wallowed so long in darkness of mans Traditions and Superstitions that they were unapt to receive the bright Light of the Truth and wholesome Doctrine of God uttered by St. Paul nor do I think that my Lord will require more circumspection in me then was in St. Paul when he did not escape slanderous reports of them that be of corrupt judgements who reported him to say whatsoever he appeared to them to say or whatsoever seemed to them to follow of his saying So they report us to say saith Paul so they speak evil of us whose damnation is just And I think the damnation of all such that evil report Preachers now adayes is just also yea Christ himself was mis-reported and falsly accused both as to his words and also as concerning the meaning of his words He said Destroy you they made it I can destroy He said This Temple they added Made with hands to bring it to a contrary sense He did mean of the Temple of his Body and they did wrest it to Solomon's Temple There be three sorts of persons which can make no credible information 1 Adversaries 2 Ignorant ones and without judgement 3 Whisperers which will spew out in hudder mudder more then they dare avow openly The first will not the second cannot the third dare not Therefore the relation of such is not credible and cannot occasion any indifferent Judge to make process against any man It is a great commendation to be evil spoken of them that be naught themselves and to be commended of such is many times no little reproach God send us all grace to wish well one to another and to speak well one of another Meseems it were more comely for my Lord if it were comely for me to say so to be a Preacher himself having so great a Cure as he hath then to be a Disquieter of Preachers and to preach nothing at all himself I am sure St. Paul the true Minister of God and faithful Dispenser of Gods Mysteries and right Exemplar of all true and very Bishops saith Though some preach Christ of envy thinking to obscure me and bring my authority into contempt some of good will thinking to comfort me notwithstanding so that Christ be preached I joy and will joy So much he regarded more the Glory of Christ and Promotion of Christs Doctrine to the edification of Souls then the Maintenance of his own Authority Reputation and Dâ—gnity considering that what Authority he had it was to Edification and not to Destruction Now I think it were no reproach to my Lord but rather very commendable to joy with Paul and be glad that Christ be preached qis vis modo yea though it were for envy in disdain despite and contempt of his Lordship The University of Cambridge hath Authority to admit twelve early of which I am one and the Kings Highness did decree That all admitted of Universities should preach throughout his Realm as long as they preached well To inhibit a Preacher admitted of the King is to disobey the King We low Subjects are bound to obey Powers and their Ordinances and are not the highest Subjects also who ought to give us an ensample of such obedience As for my preaching it self I trust in God my Lord of London cannot justly blame and reprove it if it be taken as I spake it or else it is not my preaching but his that falsly reporteth it as Martial saith to one that depraved his Book Quem recitas meus est O Fidentine libellus Sed male dum recitas incipit esse tuus In English thus Mine is the Book thou readest Fidentine But thou not reading right dost make it thine Now I hear that my Lord of London is informed and hath informed the King that I go about to defend Bilney and his cause against his Ordinaries and Iudges whereas I had nothing to do with Bilney except his Judges did him wrong for I did nothing else but admonish all Judges indifferently to do right It might have become a Preacher to say as I said though Bilney had never been born I have known Bilney a great while I think much better then ever did my Lord of London and to tell you the truth I have known hitherto few such so prompt and ready to do every man good after his power both friends and foes c. In sum a very simple good Soul nothing meet for this wretched world whose blind fashion and miserable state yet far from Christs Doctrine he could as evil bear and would sorrow lament and bewail it as much as any man that ever I knew I cannot but wonder if a man living so mercifully so charitably so patiently so continently so studiously and vertuously and killing his old Adam i. e. mortifying his evil effections and blind motions of his heart so diligently should die an evil death Let him that standeth beware that he fall not I am ignorant in things that I trust hereafter to know as I do now know things in which I have been ignorant heretofore It were too long to tell you what blindness I have been in and how long it was ere I could forsake such folly it was so incorporate in me but by continual prayer continual study of Scripture and oft communicating with men of more right judgement God hath delivered me c. yea men think that my Lord himself hath in times past thought that by Gods Law a man might marry his Brothers Wife who now both dares think and speak the contrary and yet this his boldness might have chanced in Pope Iulius his dayes to stand him either in a Fire or a Fagot Which thing pondered of my Lord might somewhat stir him up to charitable equity towards such who labour to do good as their power serveth with knowledge and do hurt to no man with their ignorance for there is no greater distance then between Gods Law and not Gods Law nor is it so or so because any man thinketh it so or so but because it is so or so indeed therefore we must think it so or so when God shall give us knowledge thereof for if it be indeed either so or not so it is so or not so though all the world have thought so these thousand years c. The matter is weighty as you say and ought to be substantially looked upon even as weighty as my life is worth but how to look substantially upon it otherwise know not I then to pray my Lord God night and day that as he hath emboldned me
hath the people to be offended with us for not receiving of a Jesus Christ of wood We bear upon our hearts the Cross of Christ the Son of the everliving God feeling his Word written therein in letters of Gold Baudicon beginning to sing on the Scaffold the Sixteenth Psalm a Frier cried out Do ye hear my Masters what wicked errours these Hereticks sing to beguile the people withall whereupon Baudicon replyed Thou simple Idiot callest thou the Psalms of David the Prophet Errours But no marvel for thus you are wont to blaspheme against the Spirit of God Then turning his eye to his Father who was about to be chained to the Stake he said Be of good courage Father the worst will be past by and by The old man complaining of the blow which the Executioner gave him on the foot as he was fastning to the Post a Frier said Ah these Hereticks they would be counted Martyrs forsooth but if they be but touched a little they cry out as if they were killed Whereupon Baudicon said Think you then that we fear the Tormentâ—rs No such matter for had we feared the same we had never exposed our bodies to this so shameful and painful a kind of death Then he often reiterated those short breathings O God Father everlasting accept the sacrifice of our bodies for thy wellbeloved Son Jesus Christ his sake With his eyes fixed on Heaven he said to his Father Behold for I see Heavens open and millions of Angels ready prest to receive us rejoycing to see us thus witnessing the Truth in the view of the world Father let us be glad and rejoyce for the joyes of Heaven are set open to us When the fire was kindled he often repeated this in his Fathers ear Faint not Father nor be afraid yet a very little while and we shall enter into the Heavenly Mansions The last words they were heard to pronounce were Iesus Christ thou Son of God into thy hands we commend our spirits Iane the Wife of Robert whilst in Prison separated from her Son Martin was drawn away by a Monk and prevailed with to let go her first faith and having promised to draw her Son Martin from his errours he was suffered to come to her which when he understood O Mother said he what have you done Have you denied him who hath redeemed you Alas What evil hath he done you that you should requite him with this so great an injury and dishonour Now I am plunged into that wo which I have most feared Ah good God! that I should live to see this This pierceth me to the very heart His Mother hearing this and seeing his tears she with tears cried out O Father of mercies be merciful to me miserable sinner and cover my transgression under the righteousness of thy blessed Son Lord enable me with strength from above to stand to my first Confession and make me to abide stedfast therein even to my last breath When they that had seduced her came to her again with detestation she said Avoid Satan get thee behind me from henceforth thou hast neither part nor portion in me I will by the help of God stand to my first Confession and if I may not sign it with ink I will seal it with my blood When Iane and Martin heard the Sentence past returning to Prison they said Now blessed be our God who causeth us thus to triumph over our Enemies This is the wished hour Our gladsome day is come Let us not then said Martin forget to be thankfull for the honour he doth us in conforming us to the image of his Son Let us remember those that have traced this death before us for this is the high way to the Kingdome of Heaven Let us then good Mother go on boldly out of the Camp with the Son of God bearing his reproach with all his holy Martyrs for so we shall find passage into the glorious Kingdome of the everliving God Some of the Company not brooking these words said We see now thou Heretick that thou art wholly possest body and soul with a Devil as was thy Father and Brother who are both in Hell Martin replied Sirs as for your railings and cursings our God will this day turn them into blessings in the sight of all his holy Angels A certain Temporizer endeavouring to stagger Martin by the consideration of the multitude that believed not as he did his Mother said Sir Christ Jesus our Lord saith That it is the wide gate and broad way that leadeth to destruction and therefore many go in thereat but the gate is narrow that leadeth to life and few there be that find it Do ye then doubt whether we be in the strait way or no when ye behold our sufferings Would you have a better sign then this to know whether we are in the right way Compare our Doctrine with that of your Priests and Monks We for our part are determined to have but one Christ and him crucified We onely embrace the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament Are we deceived in believing that which the holy Prophets and Apostles have taught Martin being asked Whether he thought himself wiser then so many learned Doctors answered I pray you Sir doth not Christ our Lord tell us That his Father hath hid the secrets of his Kingdome from the wise and prudent and revealed them to Babes And doth not the Lord oftentimes catch the wise in their own craftiness Then came into the Prison to Martin two men of great Authority and perswading him to recant promised him great matters c. Martin gave them this answer Sirs you present before me many temporal commodities but alas do you think me so simple as to forsake an eternal Kingdome for enjoying a short transitory life No Sirs it is too late to speak to me now of worldly commodities Speak of those spiritual ones which God hath prepared for me to day in his Kingdome I purpose not to hearken after any other Onely let me crave one hours respite to my self to give my self to Prayer Afterwards Martin declared the effect of this combate to certain Brethren in Prison saying Let us lift up our heads Brethren the brunt is over this I hope is their last assault Forget not I pray you the holy Doctrine of the Gospel nor those good Lessons which you have learned from our Brother Guy probably he meant Mr. Guy de Brez of whom before in letter B. Manifest it now to all that you have received them not onely into your ears but also into your hearts Follow me We lead you the way Fear not God will never leave you nor forsake you Iane having ascended the Scaffold cried out to Martin Come up come up my Son As Martin was speaking to the people she said Speak out Martin that it may appear to all that we die not Hereticks She being bound to the Stake said We are Christians and that which we now suffer is
which cover his most filthy part This is not onely my saying but the Prophet Isaiah who saith He that preacheth lies is the tail behind Then said he unto them all Christ saith in his Gospel Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye close up the Kingdome of Heaven before men neither enter ye in your selves nor suffer any other that would enter into it but ye stop up the wayes thereunto by your own Traditions The Arch Bishop telling him That none should preach in his Diocess yea in his Iurisdiction that make division or dissention among the poor Commons He answered Both Christ and his Apostles were accused of sedition-making yet were they most peaceable men But Daniel and Christ prophesied That such a troublesome time should come as hath not been yet since the worlds beginning and this prophesie is partly fulfilled in your dayes c. Christ saith also If these dayes of yours were not shortned scarcely should any flesh be saved therefore look for it justly for God! will shorten your dayes Being asked what he said of the Pope He said As I said before so say I again That he and you together make up whole Antichrist After the Arch Bishop had read the Bill of his Condemnation the Lord Cobham said with a cheerfull countenance Though you judge my Body which is a wretched thing yet am I certain and sure ye can do no harm to my soul no more then could Satan to the soul of Iob. He that created that will of his infinite mercy and promise save it I have therein no manner of doubt And therewith he turned himself to the people and said with a loud voice Good people for Gods love be well ware of these men for they will else beguile you and lead you blind-fold into Hell with themselves for Christ saith plainly unto you If one blind man lead another they are like both to fall into a ditch After this he fell down upon his knees and before them all prayed thus for his enemies Lord God Eternal I beseech thee of thy great mercy sake forgive my pursuers if it be thy blessed Will Here it is observable That Arch Bishop Arundel that passed Sentence of Death against Lord Cobham did feel the stroke of Death and had the Sentence of God executed upon him before the Death of this famous Martyr The Arch Bishop died Feb. 20. 1414. and this condemned Lord survived his Condemner three or four years Oom Wonter Oom writes thus from his Prison at Antwerp Wellbeloved Brother and Sister whom I love dearly for the Truths sake and for your faith in Christ Jesus These are to certifie you that I enjoy the comfort of a good conscience c. Whosoever will forsake this present evil world and become followers of their Captain Christ must make account to meet with many persecutions for Christ hath told us aforehand that we should be hated persecuted and banished out of the world for his Names sake and this they will do because they have neither known the Father nâ—r me But be not afraid for I have overcome the world St. Paul also witnesseth the same thing saying All that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution and to you ie it given to suffer c. And doth not our Lord Iesus say Blessed are you when men persecute you and speak all manner of evil falsly c. Now whereto serveth all this but to bring us into a conformity with our Lord and Master Jesus Christ for Christ hath suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps He endured the Cross and despised the shame c. and became poor to make us rich By him also are we brought by faith into that state of grace wherein we stand rejoycing in the hope of the glory of God knowing that tribulation worketh patience c. Wherefore be not afraid of the fiery trial that is now sent among us to prove us for what father loving his child doth not correct it Even so doth the Lord correct those whom he loves for if we should be without correction whereof all true Christians are partakers then were we bastards and not sons And therefore Solomon saith Despise not the chastning of the Lord c. Fear not then to follow the footsteps of Christ for he is the Head and we are the Members We must after his example through many tribulations enter into Heaven Let us say with St. Paul Christ is unto me in life and death advantage and O wretched creatures that we are who shall deliver us from this body of death It is a good thing to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord and to bear the yoke in ones youth c. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord He is their strength in the time of trouble Wherefore giving all diligence let us adde to faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness c. Out of my Role Dec. 11. 1562. Origen When he was but seventeen years old his Father being carried to Prison he had such a fervent mind to suffer Martyrdome with him that he would have thrust himself into the Persecutors hands had it not been for his Mother who in the night time privily stole away his clothes and his very shirt also whereupon more for shame to be seen naked then for fear to die he was constrained to remain at home yet when he could do no more he wrote to his Father in Prison thus See O Father that you do not change your resolution for my sake His fame was so great that the Emperour Severus sent for him to come to Rome and commanded the Provost of Egypt to furnish him with all things necessary for his journey The Provost was very carefull to provide a Ship and divers Garments c. But Origen would receive no part thereof no not so much as hose or shoes but went in a single Garment of Cloth and bare foot went to Rome and when at his arrival there were brought to him a Mule and a Chariot to use which he liked best he answered That he was much less then his Master Christ who rode but one day in all his life and that was on a silly she Ass and therefore he would not ride except he were sick or decrepid as his legs might not serve him to go When he was brought into the presence of the Emperour and his Mother they saluted him and rejoyced much to see him Being demanded what he professed he answered Verity The Emperour asking him what he meant thereby It is the Word said he of the Living God which is infallible The Emperour asked which is the Living God and why he so called him Origen answered That he did put that distinction for a difference from them whom men being long drowned
word Iesus Epitaphium in Palmerum Palmerus flammas Christi pro dogmate pâ—ssus Impositum pondus ceu bona Palma tâ—lit Non retrocessit sed contra erdentior ivit Illaesam retinens fortis in igne fidem Propterea in Coelum nunc Palmifer iste receptus Iustitiâ— Palmam not pereuntis habot Paulinus When he had his City Gold Silver and all taken away he said Lord let not the loss of these things trouble me for thou art all and more then all these to me Pareus David Pareus having foreseen the great miseries that would come upon the Palatinate when the Spaniards came in with their Army by Prodigies and Dreams he was perswaded to retire himself At his departure he cried out O Heidelberg Heidelberg But it is better to fall into the hands of God then of men whose tender mercies are cruelty Paschalis It is a small matter said Lewis Paschalis to die once for Christ if it might be I could wish I might die a thousand deaths for him Patingham Patrick Patingham being much prest by Bonner to recant He protested that the Church which the Bishop believed was no Catholick Church but was the Church of Satan and therefore he would never turn to it c. Peloquine The Inquisitors telling Dyonisius Peloquine his life was in his own hands Then said he it were in an ill keeping Christs School hath taught me to save it by losing it and not by the gain of a few dayes or years to lose eternity Person Mr. Anthony Person being come to the place of Execution with a chearfull countenance embraced the Post in his arms and kissing it said Now welcome mine own sweet Wife for this day shalt thou and I be married together in the love and peace of God Pulling the straw unto him he laid a good deal thereof upon the top of his head saying This is Gods Hat now am I dressed like a true Souldier of Christ by whose merits onely I trust this day to enter into his joy Peter The Apostle Peter was crucified his head being down and his feet upward he himself so requiring because he was he said unworthy to be crucified after the same manner form as the Lord was c. Seeing his Wife going to her Martyrdome belike as he was yet hanging upon the Cross he was greatly joyous and glad thereof and cried out unto her with a loud voice Remember the Lord Iesus None but Christ Nothing but Christ. Phileas Phileas Bishop of the Thumitans whilst he was in bonds before he received the Sentence of Death wrote to the Congregation over which he was Bishop exhorting them to persist in the Truth of Christ professed notwithstanding the Torments inflicted upon the Martyrs in his dayes which he thus describes Some beat them with Cudgels some with Rods some with Whips some with Thongs and some with Cords Some of them having their hands bound behind their backs were lifted up upon Timber-logs and with certain Instruments their members and joynts were stretched forth whereupon their whole bodies hanging were subject to the will of the Tormentors who were commanded to afflict them with all manner of torments not on their sides onely but bellies thighs and legs They scratched them with the talens and claws of wild Beasts Some were seen to hang by one hand upon the Engine whereby they might feel the more grievous pulling out of the rest of their joynts and members Some were stretched out after they were beaten upon a new kind of Rack Others were cast down upon the Pavement where they were oppressed so thick and so grievously with torments that it is not almost to be thought what afflictions they suffered Some died of their torments not a little shaming and confounding their enemies by their singular patience Others were condemned and willingly and cheerfully were martyr'd Philpot. Mr. Iohn Philpot Son of Sir Peter Philpot of Huntshire being threatned to be removed from the Kings Bench to Lullards Tower said You have power to transfer my Body from place to place at your pleasure but you have no power over my soul. God hath appointed a day shortly to come in the which he will judge us with righteousness howsoever you judge of us now When Story threatned him with a worse Prison he said God forgive you and give you more mercifull hearts and shew you more mercy in the time of need Do quickly that you have in hand Bonner telling him He marvelled they were so merry in Prison singing and rejoycing in their naughtiness Methinks said he you do not well herein you should rather lament and be sorry My Lord said Mr. Phiâ—pot the mirth that we make is but in singing certain Psalms as we are commanded by St. Paul willing us to be merry in the Lord singing together in Hymns and Psalms We are my Lord in a dark comfortless place and therefore it behoveth us to be merry least as Solomon saith Sorrowfulness eat up our heart St. Paul saith If any man be of upright mind let him sing and we therefore to testifie we are of an upright mind to God though we be in misery do sing After this conference with Bonner I was saith Mr. Philpot carried to my Lords Cole-house again where I with my six Fellows do rouz together in the straw as cheerfully we thank God as others do in their Beds of Down When he was brought before Bonner and the Bishop of Bath c. a second time before he answered any questions he fell down upon his knees before them and prayed thus Almighty God thou art the Giver of all wisdome and understanding I beseech thee of thine infinite goodness and mercy in Jesus Christ to give me most vile sinner in thy sight the Spirit of wisdome to speak and answer in thy Cause that it may be to the contentation of the Hearers before whom I stand and also to my better understanding if I be deceived in any thing Bonner telling the Bishop of Wercester that he did not well to exhort him to make any Prayer for in this point said he they are much like to certain arrant Hereticks of whom Pliny maketh mention that did daily sing Antelucanos Hymnos praise unto God before the dawning of the day Mr. Philpot replied My Lord God make me and all you here present such Hereticks as those were that sang those Morning Hymns for they were right Christians with whom the Tyrants of the world were offended for their well doing Afterwards he made this Protestation I protest here before God and his Eternal Son Jesus Christ my Saviour and the Holy Ghost and his Angels and you here present that be Judges of that I speak that I do not stand in any Opinion of wilfulness or singularity but onely upon my conscience certainly informed by Gods Word from the which I dare not go for fear of damnation The Bishop of Worcester telling him he was of â—â—ch
arrogancy singularity and vain-glory that he would not see what was clearly proved Ha my Lords said Mr. Philpot is it now time think you for me to follow singularity or vain-glory since it is now upon danger of my life and death not onely presently but also before God to come I know if I die in the true Faith I shall die everlastingly or if I do not as you would have me you will kill me and many thousands more yet had I rather perish at your hands then to perish eternally And at this time I have lost all my commodities of this world and now lie in a Cole-house where a man would not lay a Dog with the which I am well contented The Bishop of Glocester asking him What do you think your self better learned then so many notable learned men as be here Mr. Philpot answered Elias alone had the Truth when there were four hundred Priests against him The Bishop telling him Elias was deceived for he thought there had been none good but himself and there were seven thousand besides him Mr. Philpot answered Yea but he was not deceived in Doctrine as the other four hundred were He told the Bishop of London at his third appearâ—nce before him My Lord in that you say you will â—it on me in judgement to morrow I am glad thereof I look for none other but death at your hands and I am as ready to yield my life in Christs Cause as you be to require it Dr. Story telling him What you purpose to be a stinking Martyr and to sit in judgement with Christ at the last Day to judge the twelve Triles of Israel Yea Sir said Mr. Philpot I doubt not thereof having the promise of Christ If I die for righteousness sake which you have begun to persecute in me The Chancellor of Lichfield advising him not to cast himself away wilfully He answered My conscience beareth me record that I seek to please God and that the love and fear of God causeth me to do as I do and I were of all other creatures most miserable if for mine own will onely I do lose all the commodities I might have in this life and afterward be cast to damnation but I am sure it is not my will whereon I stand but Gods Will which will not suffer me to be cast away I am sure Mr. Philpot being sent for by Bonnâ—r that he might go with him to Mass the Keepers as they were going along asked him Will you go to Mass Mr. Philpot answered My stomack this morning is too raw to digest such raw meats of flesh blood and bone When he was put into the stocks he said God be praised that he hath thought me worthy to suffer any thing for his Names sake Better it is to sit in the stocks of this world then to sit in the stocks of a damable conscience As he was conveyed out of the Cole-house into a close Tower joyning to Paul's Church through many straits There said he I called to remembrance that strait is the way to Heaven Harpsfield accusing him for being like himself in Oxford when in Disputation he would not give over He said Mr. Harpsfield you know in the Schools of Oxford when we were young men we did strive much upon vain-glory and contention more then for the Truth and if I was then in the time of my ignorance earnest in my own cause I ought now to be earnest in my Master Christs Cause and his Truth I know now that nothing done upon vain-glory and singularity can please God have it never so goodly a shew Morgan telling him he should be burned for his Heresie and afterwards go to Hell fire He said I tell thee thou Hypocrite that I pass not this for thy Fire and Fagots neither do I I thank God my Lord stand in fear of the same my faith in Christ shall overcome them but the Hell fire which thou threatnest me is thy portion and is prepared for thee unless thou speedily repent and for such Hypocrites as thou art When Bonner would not grant him candle light he said Seeing I shall not have my request the Lord shall be my light I would my Burning Day were to morrow for this delay is every day to die and yet not to be dead Dr. Chedsey telling him he was not like to die yet He answered I am the more sorry thereof but the Will of the Lord be done of me to his glory Amen Bonner telling him That he made other Prisoners rejoyce and sing with him he said Yea my Lord we shall sing when you and such as you are shall cry Vae vae wo wo except you repent The Bishop of Worcester bidding him to follow his Fathers before him he said It is forbidden us of God by the Prophet Ezekiel to follow our Fathers or to walk in their commandments The Bishop replying It is written also in another Place Ask of your Fathers Mr. Philpot rejoyn'd We ought indeed to ask our Fathers that have more experience and knowledge then we of Gods Will but no more to allow them then we perceive they agree with the Scriptures Pray for grace said the Bishop Prayer said Philpot is the comfortablest exercise I feel in my trouble and my conscience is quiet and I have peace of mind which cannot be the fruits of Heresie My Lords said Philpot to the Bishops you must bear with me since I speak in Christs Cause and because his glory is defaced and his people cruelly and wrongfully slain by you because they will not consent to the dishonour of God if I told you not your fault it would be required at my hands at the Day of Judgement Therefore know ye Hypocrites indeed That it is the Spirit of God that telleth you your sin not I I pass not I thank God of all your cruelty God forgive it you and give you grace to repent When he was condemned for an Heretick He said I thank God I am an Heretick out of your cursed Church but I am no Heretick before God The Chief Keeper greeting him thus Ah! hast not thou done well to bring thy self hither he said Well I must be content for it is Gods appointment The Keeper promising him all favour if he would recant Nay said Mr. Philpot I will never recant whilst I have my life that which I have spoken for it is most certain truth and in witness hereof I will seal it with my blood A Messenger coming to him from the Sheriffe bade him make ready for the next day he should be burned at a Stake with fire Mr. Philpot returned this Answer I am ready God grant me strength and a joyfull Resurrection And so he went into his Chamber and poured out his Spirit unto the Lord God giving him most hearty thanks that he of his mercy had made him worthy to suffer for his Truth His Servant taking his leave of
When he was condemned by them for an Heretick he said Although I be not of your Company yet doubt I not â—ut my Name is writ in another place whether this sentence will send us sooner then we should come by the course of Nature In his Letter to Dr. Crannier I wish you might have seen these mine Answers before I had delivered them that you might have corrected them but I trust in the substance of the matter we do agree fully both led by one Spirit of Truth and both walking after one Rule of Gods Word I trust the day of our delivery out of all miseries and of our entrance into perpetual rest and unto perpetual joy and felicity draweth nigh The Lord strengthen us with his mighty Spirit of Grace Pray for me I pray you and so shall I for you The Lord have mercy of his Church and lighten the eyes of the Magistrates that Gods extreme plagues light not on this Realm of England Turn or burn In his Letter to Mr. Latimer in Prison I pray you good Father let me have one draught more of your Cup wherein you mingle to me profitable with pleasant to comfort my stomack for surely except the Lord assist me with his gracious aid in the time of his Service I know I shall but play the part of a white-liver'd Knight But truly my trust is in him that in mine infirmity he should try himself strong and that he can make the Coward in his Cause to fight like a man Sir Now I daily look when Diotrephes with his Warriours shall assault me wherefore I pray you good Father for that you are an old Souldier and an expert Warriour and God knoweth I am but a young Souldier and as yet of small experience in these fights help me I pray you to buckle mine harness And now I would have you to think that those darts are cast at my head by some one of Diotrephes or Antonius his Souldiers By Antonius he meant some Popish Persecutour as Winchester alluding thereby to the Story of Victor l. 3. De Persecuâ— Aphri Object 1. All men marvel greatly why you do not go to Mass which is a thing as you know now much esteemed of all men yea of the Queen her self Answ. Because no man that layeth hand on the plough and looketh back is fit for the Kingdome of God and also for the same cause why St. Paul wouâ—d not suffer Timothy to be circumcised which is that the Truth of the Gospel might remain with us uncorrupt Gal. 2. And again If I build again the things which I destroyed I mâ—ke my self a Trespasser This is also another cause lest I shouâ—d seem by outward fact to allow the thing which I am perswaded is contrary to sound Doctrine and so shouâ—d be a stumbling block to the weak But wo be to him by whom offence cometh Mat. 18. It were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the midst of the sea Object 2. Have not you used in times past to say Mass your self and therefore why will you not now vouchsafe once either to hear it or see it Answ. I confess unto you my fault and ignorance but know you that for these matters I have done penance long ago both at Paul 's Cross and at Cambridge and I trust God hath forgiven me mine offence for I did it ignorantly Object 3. But you know how great a crime it is to separate your self from the Communion or Fellowship of the Church and to make a scisme or division Answ. I know that the Unity of the Church is to be â—â—tained by all means and the same to be necessary to salvation but I do not take the Mass as it is at this lay for the Communion of the Church but a Popish deâ—ice c. Object 4. Admit there be a fault in the Mass do not you know both by Cyprian and Augustine that Communion of Sacraments doth not defile a man but consent of deeds if you do not consent to the â—â—ult in the Mass why do you trouble your self in â—ain Answ. Forasmuch as things done in the Mass tend â—â—enly to the overthrow of Christs Institution I judge â—hat by no means either in word or deed I ought to conâ—ent unto it What is objected out of the Fathers is meant â—f them who suppose they are defiled if any secret vice be â—â—ther in the Ministers or in them that communicate with them and not of them which do abhor superstition â—â—d wicked traditions of men and will not suffer the same 〈◊〉 be thrust upon themselves or upon the Church in stead â—f Gods Word and the truth of the Gospel Object 5. The Mass is the Sacrament of Uniâ—â— c. Answ. It 's true the Bread which we break accordâ—â—â— to the Institution of the Lord is the Sacrament of 〈◊〉 Unity of Christs mystical Body for we being many 〈◊〉 one Bread and one Body forasmuch as we are partaâ—â—rs all of one Bread But in the Mass the Lords Institution is not observed for we are not all partakers of one â—â—ead but one devoureth all c. So that as it is used it may seem a Sacrament of singularity c. Object 12. Is not abstaining from the Church by reason of the Mass contrary to the examples of the Prophets and Apostles of Christ Answ. It can no where be shewed that the Prophets or Christ or his Apostles did in the Temple communicate with the people in any kind of worshipping forbidden by the Law of God How else I pray you can you understand that St. Paul alledgeth when he saith 2 Cor. 6. What concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath the Believer with the Infidel or how agreeth the Temple of God with Images For ye are the Temple of the Living God as God himself hath said I will dwell among them and will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore come out from among them and separate your selves from them saith the Lord and touch no unclean thing so will I receive you and will be a Father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty Object 14. For so much as you are so stifly I will not say obstinately bent and so wedded to your Opinion that no gentle exhortations and wholsome counsels no other kind of means can call you home to a better mind there remaineth that which in like cases was wont to be the onely remedy against stiffe-necked and stubborn persons that is you must be hampered by the Laws and compelled either to obey whether you will or no or else suffer that which a Rebel to the Laws ought to suffer Do you not know that refusing to obey the Laws of the Realm is the readiest way to stir up Sedition and Civil War It is better that you should bear your own sin then that through the example of your breach
of the common Laws the common quieâ— should be disturbed How can you say you will be the Queens true Subject whenas you do openly profess you will not keep her Laws Answ. I grant it to be reasonable that he that â—y words and gentleness cannot be made to yield to that which is right and good he that will not be subject to Gods Word should be punished by the Laws These things ought to take place against him who refuseth to do that is right and just according to true godliness not against him which cannot bear superstitions quietly but doth hate and detost from his heart such kind of proceedings and that for the glory of the Name of God Whosoever love their Countrey in Truth i. e. in God they will alwayes judge if at any time the Laws of God and man are contrary that a man ought rather to obey God then man and they that think otherwise and pretend a love to their Countrey forasmuch as they make their Countrey to fight as it were against God in whom consisteth the onely stay of that Countrey such are to be judged most deadly enemies and Traitors to their Countrey Satan indeed hath ever this dart in readiness to hurl against his Adversaries to accuse them of sedition that he may bring them if he can in danger of the higher Powers Thus Ahab said unto Elias Art thou he that troubleth Israel The false prophets complained of Jeremy to their Princes that his words were seditious and not to be suffered The Scribes and Pharises accused Christ as a seditious person and one that spake against Caesar. Did not they at the last cry If you let this man go you are not Caesars friend Thus the Oratour Tertullus accused Paul before Felix the Deputy We have found this man saith he a pestilent fellow and a stirrer up of sedition unto all the Iews in the whole world But were these indeed seditious persons God forbid but they were of men falsly accused and wherefore I pray you but because the reproved before the people their guiles superstitions and deceits A man indeed ought to obey his Prince but in the Lord and never against the Lord for he that knowingly obeyeth his Prince against God doth not a duty to the Prince but is a deceiver of the Prince and a helper to him to work his own destruction He is also unjust which giveth not to the Prince that is the Princes and to God that is Gods Hitherto you see good Father how I have in words onely made a flourish before the fight which I shortly look for and how I have begun to prepare certain kind of weapons to fight against the adversary of Christ. And here methinks I see you suddenly lifting up your head to Heaven after your manner and then looking upon me with your Prophetical Countenance and speaking thus unto me Trust not my Son I beseech you vouchsafe me the honour of this Name for in so doing I shall think my self both honoured and loved of you Trust not to these word-weapons for the Kingdome of God is not in words but in power Remember alwayes the words of the Lord Do not imagine aforehand what and how you will speak for it shall be given you even in that same hour what ye shall speak Mat. 10. For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you Mar. 11. I pray you therefore Father pray for me that I may cast my whole care on him and trust on him in all perils for I know and am surely perswaded that whatsoever I can think aforehand is nothing except he assist me with his Spirit when the time is Pray that I may out of a true Faith say with David I will not trust in my bow and it is not my sword that shall save me Psal. 44. For he hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse c. But the Lord delights in them that fear him and put their trust in his mercy I beseech you Pray pray pray that I may enter this fight onely in the Name of God In his Letter to Mr. Bradford and his Fellow-Prisoners How joyfull it was to us to hear the report of Dr. Tailor and of his godly Confession c. I assure you it is hard for me to express Blessed be God which was and is the Giver of that and of all godly strength and stomack in the time of adversity It is not the slanderers evil tongue but a mans evil deed that can with God defile a man and therefore with Gods grace ye shall never have cause to doubt but that we will continue c. Sir Blessed be God with all our evil reports grudges and restraints we are merry in God and all our cure and care is and shall be by Gods grace to please and serve him of whom we look and hope after these temporal and momentary miseries to have eternal joy and perpetual felicity with Abraham c. through Jesus Christ our Lord. In his Letter to his Cousin I can do no less then lament their case who for fear of trouble or loss of goods will do in the sight of the world those things they know and are assured are contrary to the Will of God being assdred their end will be so pitifull without speedy repentance that I tremble to think of it Alas such as should in this dangerous time have given you and me comfortable instructions have perswaded us to follow I lament to rehearse it superstitious Idolatry yea and the worst of all is they seek to prove it by Scriptures The Lord for his mercy turn their hearts Amen In another Letter to Mr. Bradford Oh dear Brother seeing the time is now come wherein it pleaseth the Heavenly Father for Christ our Saviour his sake to call upon you and to bid you come happy are you that ever you were born thus to be found awake at the Lords Calling If it be not the place that sanctisieth the man but the holy man doth by Christ sanctifie the place then happy and holy shall be that place where in thou shalt suffer and which shall be sprinkled over with thy ashes in Christs Cause All thy Countrey may rejoyce of thee that it ever brought forth such an one which would render his life again in his Cause of whom he had received it We do look now every day when we shall be called on blessed be God I ween I am the weakest many wayes of our company and yet I thank our Lord God and Heavenly Father by Christ that since I heard of our dear Brother Rogers his departing and stout confession of Christ and his Truth even unto death my heart blessed be God rejoyced of it that since that time I never felt any lumpish heaviness in my heart as I grant I have felt sometimes before Oh good Brother blessed be God in thee and blessed be the time that ever I knew thee In his
Letter to the Brethren imprisoned What worthy thanks can we render unto the Lord for you my Brethren namely for the great consolation which through you we have received in the Lord who notwithstanding the rage of Satan that goeth about by all manner of subtile means to beguile the world and also busily laboureth to restore and set up his Kingdome again that of late began to decay and to fall to ruine ye remain still unmoveable as men grounded upon a strong rock And now albeit that Satan by his Souldiers and wicked Ministers daily as we hear draweth numbers unto him so that it is said of him That he plucketh even the Stars out of Heaven whiles he driveth into some men the fear of death and loss of all their Goods and offereth unto others the pleasant baits of the world c. to the intent they should fall down and worship not the Lord but the Dragon the old Serpent which is the Devil that great beast and his image and should be enticed to commit fornication with the Strumpet of Babylon c. Yet blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which hath given unto you a manly courage and hath so strengthned you in the inward man by the Power of his Spirit that you can contemn as well all the terrours as also the vain allurements of the world esteeming them as meer trifles and things of nought In the Faith of Christ stand ye fast my Brethren and suffer not your selves to be brought under the yoke of bondage and superstition any more and be of good comfort and remember that our grand Captain hath overcome the world We never had a better or more just cause either to contemn our life or shed our blood we cannot take in hand the defence of a more certain clear and manifest Truth Shall we or can we receive and acknowledge any other Christ instead of him who is alone the everlasting Son of the everlasting Father c. Let such wickedness my Brethren let such horrible wickedness be far from us What can your Adversaries else do unto you by persecuting you and working all cruelty and villainy against you but make your Crowns more glorious yea beautifie and multiply the same c. In another Letter to the Brethren Now even now out of doubt Brethren the pit is opened against us and the locusts begin to swarm and Abaddon now reigneth ye therefore my Brethren which pertain unto Christ and have the Seal of God marked in your foreheads i. e. are sealed with the Earnest of the Spirit to be a peculiar people of God quit your selves like men and be strong for he that is in us is stronger then he which is in the world and ye know all that is born of God overcometh the world and this is our victory that overcometh the world even our Faith Let the world fret let it rage never so much be it never so cruel and bloody yet be sure that no man can take us out of the Fathers hands for he is greater then all c. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect c. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation c. In his Letter to Mr. West his quondam Chaplain I wish you grace in God and love of the Truth without which truly established in mens hearts by the mighty hand of the Almighty God it is no more possible to stand by the Truth in Christ in time of trouble then it is for the wax to abide the heat of the fire I am perswaded Christs words to be true Whosoever shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven and I believe that no earthly Creature shall be saved whom the Redeemer and Saviour of the world shall before his Father deny If you had wished that neither fear of death nor hope of worldly prosperity should let me to maintain Gods Word and his Truth which is his glory and true honour it would have like me well You desire me for Gods sake to remember my self Indeed it is now time so to do for so far as I can perceive it standeth me upon no less danger then of the loss both of body and soul and I trow then it is time for a man to awake if any thing will awake him He that will not fear him that threatneth to cast both body and soul into everlasting fire whom will he fear With this fear O Lord fasten thou together our frail flesh that we never swerve from thy laws You say you have made much suit for me God grant that you have not in suing for my worldly deliverance impaired and hindred the furtherance of Gods Word and his Truth To write unto these whom you name I cannot see what it will avail me but this I would have you know That I esteem nothing available for me which also will not further the glory of God Sir How nigh the day of my dissolution and departure out of this world is at hand I cannot tell the Lords Will be fulfilled how soon soever it shall come My conscience moves me to require both you and my Friend Dr. Harvey to remember your promises made to me in times past of the pure setting forth and preaching of Gods Word and his Truth These promises although you shall not need to fear to be charged with them of me hereafter before the world yet look for none other but to be charged with them at Gods hand My conscience and the love I bear you biddeth me now say unto you both in Gods Name fear God and love not the world for God is able to cast both soul and body into hell fire What is it else to confess or deny Christ in this world but to maintain the Truth taught in Gods Word or for any worldly respect to shrink from the same He that will wittingly forsake either for fear or gain of the world any one open Truth of Gods Word if he be constrained he will assuredly forsake God and all his Truth rather then he will endanger himself to lose or to leave that he loveth indeed better then he doth God and the Truth of his Word I like very well your plain speaking telling me I must either agree or die Sir I know I must die whether I agree or no. But what folly were it then to make such an agreement by the which I could never escape the death which is common to all and also incur the guilt of death and eternal damnation Lord grant that I may utterly abhor and detest this damnable agreement so long as I live If you do not confess and maintain to your power and knowledge that which is grounded upon Gods Word but will either for fear or gain of the world shrink and play the Apostate indeed you shall die the death In his Letter to Mr. Grindall then in Exile at Frankford afterward Arch Bishop
to absolve Christ although he sought to do it What said Dr. Weston do you make the King Pilate No Dr. said Ridley I do but compare your deeds with Caiaphas his deeds and the High Priests who would condemn no man to death as you will not and yet would not suffer Pilate to deliver Christ. Being required to answer to his Articles presently though he had time given him till the morrow First said he I require the Notaries to take and write my Protestation that in no point I acknowledge your Authority or admit you to be my Judges as you are authorized from the Pope c. At last the Bishop of Lincoln with his Cap in his hand desired him to turn But Dr. Ridley made an absolute Answer That he was fully perswaded the Religion he defended to be grounded on Gods Word and therefore without great offence towards God great peril and damage of his soul he could not forsake his Master and Lord God For my part said Weston I take God to witness I am sorry for you I believe it well my Lord said Ridley forasmuch as one day it will be burthenous to your soul. After Sentence was read against him the Bishop of Glocester came to his Prison and would have perswaded him yet to recant upon promise of the Queens mercy but he answered him My Lord you know my mind fully herein and for the Doctrine which I have taught my conscience assures me it was sound and according to Gods Word to his glory be it spoken the which Doctrine the Lord God being my helper I will maintain so long as my tongue shall wag and breath is within my body and in confirmation thereof seal the same with my blood Do with me as it shall please God to suffer you I am well content to abide the same with all my heart The Servant is not above his Master if they dealt so cruelly with our Saviour Christ as the Scripture maketh mention and he suffered the same patiently how much more doth it become us his Servants The Bishop bidding him to hold his peace he answered That so long as his tongue and breath would suffer him he would speak against their abominable doings whatsoever hapned unto him for so doing When in the degrading of him they read We do take from you the Office of preaching the Gospel c. Dr. Ridley gave a great sigh and looking up towards Heaven said O Lord God forgive them this their wickedness After his Degradation Brooks the Bishop of Glocester refusing to talk with him he said Seeing that you will not suffer me to talk neither will vouchsafe to hear me what remedy but patience I refer my cause to my heavenly Father who will reform things that be amiss when it shall please him In his Supplication to the Queen It may please your Majesty for Christ our Saviours sake in a matter of Conscience and now not for my self but for other poor men to vouchsafe to hear and understand this humble Supplication It is so Honourable Princess that whilst I was Bishop of London divers Tenants took Leases of me and the Chaâ—ter for valuable considerations but now Bishop Bonner will not allow those Leases which must redound to many poor mens utter ruine Wherefore this is mine humble Supplication That either their Leases may stand or their moneys be restored to them and their former Leases now the Fines paid to me may easily be repaid if you will be pleased to command some portion of those Goods I left in my house to be sold for that end I suppose half of the value of my Plate will go nigh to restore all such Fines received When Bishop Brooks delivered Dr. Ridley to the Bailiffs charging them not to suffer any to speak with him and to bring him to the place of Execution when they were commanded he said God I thank thee and to thy praise be it spoken there is none of you all able to lay to my charge any open or notorious crime for if you could it should surely be laid in my lap I see very well you play the part of a proud Pharisee said Brooks exalting and praising your self No no no said Ridley to Gods glory onely is it spoken I confess my self to be a miserable wretched sinner and have great need of Gods help and mercy and do daily call and cry for the same The night before he suffered his Beard was washed and his legs and as he sate at Supper with Mr. Mr. Irish and Mrs. Irish he invited them to his Marriage To morrow said he I must be married and was as merry as ever in all his life Wishing his Sister he asked his Brother sitting at the Table Whether she could find in her heart to be there oâ— no yea I dare say said his Brother with all her heart I am glad to hear so much of her said Dr. Ridley At this talk Mrs. Irish wept whereupon Dr. Ridley said O Mrs. Irish you love me not now I see-well enough for in that you weep it doth appear you will not be at my Marriage neither are content therewith indeed you be not so much my friend as I thought you had been but quiet your self though my Breakfast shall be somewhat sharp and painfull yet I am sure my Supper shall be more pleasant and sweet When he arose from the Table his Brother offered him to watch all night with him but he said No no no that you shall not for I mind God willing to go to Bed and sleep as quietly to night â—s ever I did in my life When he espied Mr. Latimer at the Stake he ran to him embraced and kissed him and said Be of good heart Brother for God will either asswage the fury of the flame or else strengthen us to abide it After Dr. Smith had preached on 1 Cor. 13. If I give my Body to be burned c. Dr. Ridley kneeled down on his Knees towards the Lord Williams c. â—nd said I beseech you my Lord even for Christs like that I may speak but two or three words Whereupon the Bayliffs and Dr. Marshal Vice-Chancellor of Oxford ran hastily to him and with their hands stopped his mouth and said Mr. Ridley if you will recant you shall not onely have liberty to speak but your life Not otherwise said Ridley No said Marshal Well said Dr. Ridley so long is the breath is in my Body I will never deny my Lord Christ and his known Truth Gods Will be done in me I commit our Cause to Almighty God who shall indifferently judge all Being in his shirt he said O heavenly Father I give unto thee most hearty thanks for that thou â—ast called me to be a Professour of thee even unto death I beseech thee Lord God take mercy upon this Realm of England and deliver the same from all her enemies To the Smith he said Good Fellow knock in the Chain hard for the flesh
we suffer the like reproach â—ame and rebuke of the world and the like perâ—ecution losing of our goods and lives forsaking as â—â—r Master Christ commandeth Father Mother â—â—ster Brethren Wives Children and all â—â—at there is being assured of a joyfull Resurâ—â—ction and to be crowned in glory with them â—ccording to the infallible Promises made unto us in Christ our onely and sufficient Mediatour c. But let us consider that if it be Gods good will and pleasure to give his own beloved heart i. e. his beloved Church and the Members thereof into the hands of their Enemies â—o chasten try and prove them and to bring them â—o the true unfeigned acknowledging of their own â—atural stubbornness disobedience towards God â—nd his Commands as touching the love of God â—nd their Brethren and their natural inclination â—and readiness to love Creatures to seek their own â—usts and pleasures c. to promote repentance in â—hem and crying to God for forgiveness and for he said of the Spirit daily to mortifie those evil deâ—ires and lusts c. with many other causes What doth he hereafter with those Enemies into whose â—ands he hath given his tenderly beloved Darlings He destroyeth and damneth the impenitent Enemies as is evident in Herod Pharaoh c. And think ye that bloody butcherly Bishop of W. and his most bloody Brethren shall escape or that England shall not for their offences and especially for the maintenance of their Idolatry and wilful following of them not abide a great brunt Ye undoubtedly If God look not mercifully on England the seeds of utter destruction are sown in iâ— already c. Spite of Nebuchadnezzar's beard and maugre his heart the captive inthralled and miserable Jews must come home again and have their City and Temple builded up again by Zerubbabel c. and Babylon's Kingdome must go to ruine and be taken of Strangers the Persians and Medes So shall the dispersed English Flock be brought again into their former estate or to a better c. and our bloody Babylonical Bishops c. brought to utter shame and ruine for God cannot and undoubtedly will not for ever suffer their abominable lying false doctrine their hypocrisie blood-thirst whoredome idleness their pestilent life pampered in all kind of pleasure their Thrasonical boasting pride their malicious envious and poysoned stomacks which they bear towards his poor and miserable Christians If judgement begin at the House of God c. The morning that he should be burnt he was found fast asleep so that he could scarce with much jogging be awakened At last being raised and waked and bid to make haste Then said he if it be so I need not to tie my Points So little daunted was this Proto Martyr of all the blessed Company that suffered in Queen Mary's dayes at the tidings of death and of such a death After he was degraded by Bonner but one Petition viz. That he might talk a few words with his Wife before his burning but that would not be granted Probably he desired to speak to her that he might reveal where he had hid the Book he had writ of his Examinations and Answers But mans malice could not hinder Gods Providence from bringing that Book to his Wifes hands after his death out of the blind corner in the Prison where he had hid and where it could not be found by his enemies though they made diligent search for his Papers When he was in Prison he told the Printer of Mr. Fox's Acts and Mon. who was then a Prisoner also for Religion thus Thou shalt live to see the alteration if this Religion and the Gospel to be freely preached again and therefore have me commended to my Brethren as well in Exile as others and bid them be circumspect in displacing the Papists and putting good Ministers into Churches or else their end will be worse then ours Whilst he was a Prisoner in Newgate he had devised that he with his Fellows should have but one meal a day they paying for two the other meal should be given to those that lacked on the other side of the Prison but their Keeper would not suffer it The Lords Day before he suffered he drank to Mr. Hooper being then underneath him and said That there never was a little Fellow that would better stick to a man then he would stick to him Supposing they should both be burnt together But it hapned otherwise As he was to be brought out of Newgate to Smithfield Mr. Woodroâ—fe one of the Sheriffs came to him and asked him if he would recant That which I have preached said Mr. Rogers I will seal with my blood Then said the Sheriffe thou art an Heretick That shall be known said he at the day of Judgement Well said W. I will never pray for thee But said he I will pray for you A little before his burning at the Stake his Pardon was brought to him if he would recant but he utterly refused it His Wife and Children being eleven in number ten that could go and one sucking on the Breast met him by the way as he was going towards Smithfield but this sight grievous indeed to flesh and blood could nothing move him As he was burning he washed his hands as it were in the flame Romanus When Galerius with Asclepiades invaded the City of Antioch by force of Armes to drive the Christians to renounce their pure Religion Romanus ran to the Christians at that time congregated together and declared that the Wolves were at hand that would devour the Christian Flock but fear not said he neither let this imminent peril disturb you my Brethren Hereupon old Men and Matrons Fathers and Mothers young Men and Maidens were most ready to shed their blood in the defence of their Christian Profession Romanus so encouraged them that they did not stick to offer their naked throats wishing gloriously to die for the Name of their Christ. Whereupon Romanus was brought before the Emperour who said What art thou the Author of this sedition art thou the cause why so many shall lose their lives By the gods I swear thou shalt smart for it and first in thy flesh shalt thou suffer the pains whereunto thou hast encouraged the hearts of thy fellows Romanus answered Thy sentence O Emperour I joyfully embrace I refuse not to be sacrificed for my Brethren and that by as cruel means as thou canst invent And whereas thy Souldiers were repelled from the Christian Congregation that so hapned because it lay not in Idolaters and worshippers of Devils to enter into the holy House of God and to pollute the Place of true Prayer When the Tormenters would not truss him up and draw out his Bowels because he was of noble Parentage the Captain commanded him to be scourged with Whips with knaps of Lead at the ends Instead of tears sighs and groans Romanus sung Psalms all the time of his whipping requiring them not to favour him
glory my care in my great temptations was to have the senses of my soul open to perceive the Voice of God saying Whosoever denieth me before men him will I deny before my Father and his Angels And to save the life corporal is to lose the life eternal and he that will not suffer with Christ shall not reign with him Therefore most tender Ones I have by Gods Spirit given over the flesh with the fight of my soul and the Spirit hath the victory The flesh shall now ere it be long leave off to sin the Spirit shall reign eternally I have chosen Death to confirm the Truth by me taught What can I do more Consider with your selves that I have done it for the confirmation of Gods Truth Pray that I may continue to the end The greatest part of the assault is past I praise my God I have in all my assaults felt the present aid of my God I give him most hearty thanks therefore Look not back nor be ye ashamed of Christs Gospel nor of the bonds I have suffered for the same It is no time for the loss of one man in the Battel for the Camp to turn Back Up with mens hearts blow down the dawbed Walls of Heresie Let one take the Banner and the other the Trumdet I mean not to make corporal resistance but pray and ye shall have Elias defence and Elizeus company to fight for you The Cause is the Lords My heart with pangs of death is assaulted but I am at home yet with my God alive Pray for me c. From Newgate Prison in haste the day of my Condemnation I. R. In his Letter to the Congregation two dayes before he suffered Whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution for it is given unto them not onely to believe but to suffer and the Servant or Scholar cannot be greater then his Lord or Master but by the same way the Head is entred the Members must follow My dear soul is departing this Life to my great advantage I make change of morality for immortality of corruption to put on incorruption to make my body like to the Corn cast into the ground which except it die first it can bring forth no good fruit Happy are they that die in the Lord which is to die in the Faith of Christ professing and confessing the same before many Witnesses What a Journey by Gods power I have made these eight dayes is above flesh and blood to bear but as Paul saith I may do all things through him who worketh in me Iesus Christ. My course Brethren I have run I have fought a good fight the Crown of Righteousness is laid up for me my day to receive it is not long to Pray Brethren for the enemy doth yet assault Be not ashamed of the Gospel of the Cross by me preached nor of my suffering for with my blood I affirm the same I go before I suffer first the baiting of the Butchers Dogs yet I have not done what I should have done What was undone impute that to frailty and ignorance and with your love cover that which was and is naked in me God knoweth ye are all tender to me My heart bursteth for the love of you Ye are not without the great Pastour of your souls who so loveth you that if men were not to be found as God be praised there is no want of them he would cause stones to minister unto you Cast your care on that Rock the wind of temptation shall not prevail Past and pray for the dayes are evil Look up with your eyes of hope for your redemption is not far off but my wickedness hath deserved that I shall not see it and also that which is behind of the blood of our Brethren which shall also be laid under the Altar shall cry for your relief The Friday at night before Mr. Rough was taken being in his Bed he dreamed That he saw two of the Guard leading Cuthbert Sympson Deacon of the said Congregation and that he had the Book about him wherein were written the Names of all them that were of the Congregation Afterwards he awaked and having told the dream unto his Wife after some time spent in reading he fell asleep again and dreamed the same dream again and awaking told his Wife his dream and said O Brother Cuthbert is gone And whilst he was making ready for to go and see how it was with him Mr. Sympson came into Mr. Rough's House and brought the Book with him Mr. Rough having told him his dream perswaded him to carry the Book no more about with him which he was loth to promise because said he dreams are but fancies and not to be credited Then Mr. Rough straitly charged him in the Name of the Lord to do it Whereupon Mr. Sympson left the Book with Mrs. Rough. And so the Congregation was preserved The next night Mr. Rough dreamed That he himself was forcibly carried to the Bishop and that the Bishop pluckt off his beard and cast it into the fire saying these words Now I may say I have had a piece of an Heretick burned in my House And so accordingly it came to pass Rose Mr. Thomas Rose born at Exmouth in Devon when he was first taken was sorely stocked in Prison The Stocks were very high and great so that day and night he did lie with his back on the ground upon a little straw with his heels so high that by means the blood was fallen from his feet his feet were without sense for a long time His Mother might not be suffered to see him Afterwards Cranmer set him at liberty When he was brought before Gardiner being taken at Bow in London with five and thirty more Winchester told him That he would know who were his Maintainers or else he would make him a foot longer My Lord said he you shall do as much as pleaseth God and no more yet the Law is in your hand but I have God for my Maintainer and none other At his second Examination the Chancellour ask'd him What he said to the real presence in the Sacrament I wist right well said he you are made an instrument to seek innocent blood Well you may have it if God permit it is present and at hand for I came not hither to lie but to die if God see it good in defence of that which I have said Wherefore you may begin when you think good c. At his third Examination the Bishop saying Ah Sirrah you will admit nothing but Scripture I see well No truly my Lord said he I admit nothing but Scripture for the Regiment of the Soul for Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and where the Word of God is not there ought no belief to be given for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Roth. Richard Roth in his Letter to certain Brethren and Sisters condemned at Colchester
and ready to be burned for the testimony of the Truth O dear Brethren and Sisters how much have you to rejoyce in God that he hath given you such faith to overcome this blood-thirsty Tyrant thus far And no doubt but he that hath begun that good work in you will fulfill it to the end O dear Hearts in Christ what a Crown of Glory shall ye receive with Christ in the Kingdome of God Oh that it had been the good will of God that I had been ready to have gone with you I lie in my Lords Little-ease in the day and in the night in the Cole-house alone and we look every day when we shall be condemned but I lie still at the Pools brink and every man goeth in before me but we abide patiently the Lords leisure with many Bands in Fetters and Stocks by the which we have received great joy in the Lord. And now fare you well dear Brethren and Sisters in this World but I trust to see you in the Heavens face to face How blessed are you in the Lord that God hath found you worthy to suffer for his sake O be joyfull even unto death Fear it not saith Christ for I have overcome death Be strong let your hearts be of good comfort and wait you still for the Lord. He is at hand The Angel of the Lord pitcheth his Tent round about them that fear him and delivereth them which way he seeth best for our lives are in the Lords hands and they can do nothing unto us before God suffer them Therefore give all thanks to God O dear Hearts you shall be clothed with long white Garments upon the Mount Sion with the multitude of Saints and with Jesus Christ our Saviour who will never forsake us O blessed Virgins you have played the wise Virgins part in that you have taken Oyl in your Vessels that ye may go in with the Bridegroom when he cometh c. but as for the foolish they shall be shut out because they made not themselves ready to suffer with Christ neither go out to take up his Cross. O dear Hearts How precious shall your death be in the sight of the Lord for dear is the death of his Saints O fare you well and pray The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Amen Pray pray pray By me R. R. written with mine own blood The Bishop asking him what he thought of his Fellow-Prisoner Ralf Allerton He answered That he thought him to be one of the elect Children of God and if he were put to death for his Faith and Religion he thought he should die a true Martyr The Bishop asking him how he did like the Order and Rites of the Church then used here in England He said That he ever had and then did abhor the same with all his heart Being perswaded to recant and ask mercy of the Bishop No said he I will not ask mercy of him that cannot give it Rought A Suffolk man so called and his Wife and several others being rebuked for going so openly and talking so freely Their answer was They acknowledged and believed and therefore they must speak and that the tribulation was by Gods good will and providence and that his Judgements were right to purâ—â—â— them with others for their sins and that of very faithfulness and mercy God had caused them to be troubled bled and that one hair of their heads should not perish before the time but all things should work unto the best to them that love God and that Christ Jesus was their life and onely righteousness and that onely by faith in him and for his seke all good things were freely given them also forgiveness of sins and life everlasting Rupea You may said Castalia Rupea throw my body from this steep Hill yet will my soul mount upward again Your blasphemies more offend my soul then your torments do my body Russel Ieremy Russel being apprehended in the Diocess of Glasgow in Scotland A. 1539. and railed upon answered This is your hour and power of darkness Now sit ye as Judges and we stand wrongfully accused and more wrongfully to be condemned but the day shall come when our innocence shall appear and that ye shall see your own blindness to your everlasting confusion Go forward and fulfill the measure of your iniquity He comforted his Fellow-Prisoner Alexander Kennedy of whom see the second Part under K. saying Brother fear not more mighty is he that is in us then he that is in the world the pain that we shall suffer is short and shall be light but our joy and consolation shall never have end and therefore let us contend to enter in unto our Master and Saviour by the same strait way which he hath taken before us Death cannot destroy us for it is destroyed already by him for whose sake we suffer Rycetto Mr. Anthony Rycetto of Vincence being condemned to be drowned his Son about twelve years of age comieg to visit him besought him with tears to yield and to save his life that he might not be left fatherless A true Christian said his Father is bound to forego Goods Children yea and life it self for the maintenance of Gods honour and glory A Captain telling him That Francis Sega was resolved to recant What tell you me said he of Sega I will perform my vows unto the Lord my God A Priest presenting him with a wooden Crucifix exhorting him to return and to die in the favour of God reconciling himself to the Church of Rome the holy Spouse of Christ But he rejected the Crucifix and besought the Priest to come out of the snare of the Devil to cleave to Jesus Christ and to live not according to the flesh but after the Spirit If you do otherwise said he assure your selves your unbelief will bring yâ—u into that Lake of fire that shall never be quenched for though yâ—u confess with your mouth that you know Iesus Christ yet you not onely deny him by your works but you persecute him in his Members being bewitched by the Pope the open enemy of the Son of God As he was carrying to be drowned because it was very cold he called for his Cloke which they had taken from him Whereupon the Wherry-man said unto him Fearest thou a little cold What wilt thou do when thou art cast into the Sea Why art not thou carefull to save thy self from drowing Dost not thou see that the poor Flea skips hither and thither to save her life His answer was And I am now flying to escape eternal death Being arrived at the place where he was to suffer the Captain put a Chain of Iron about his middle with a very heavy Stone fastned thereto Then Rycetto lifting his eyes to Heaven said Father forgive them for they know not what they do And being laid on the Planck he said Lord Iesus into thy hands I commend my spirit FINIS These are the