present doe testifie that they neuer sawe in any chylde more teares then brast oute from hym at that time all the Sermone while but specially when he recited hys Prayer before the people It is marueilous what commiseration and pitye mooued all mennes hearts that behelde so heauie a countenaunce and suche aboundance of teares in an olde man of so reuerende dignitie Cole after he had ended his Sermon called backe the people that were ready to departe to prayers Brethren sayde he least any man should doubt of thys mans earnest conuersion and repentaunce you shall heare hym speake before you and therefore I pray you master Cranmer that you will now perfourme that you promised not long agoe namely that you woulde openly expresse the true and vndoubted profession of your faith that you may take away all suspition from men and that all men may vnderstand that you are a Catholicke in deede I wil doe it sayde the Archbyshop and wyth a good will who by and by rising vppe and putting of hys cappe beganne to speake thus vnto the people I desire you well beloued brethren in the Lorde that you will praye to God for mee to forgeeue me my sinnes whyche aboue all menne both in noumber and greatnesse I haue committed But among all the rest there is one offence which of all at thys time doth vexe and trouble me wherof in processe of my talk you shall heare more in hys proper place and then putting hys hande into hys bosome hee drewe foorth his Prayer which hee recited to the people in thys sense The Prayer of Doctour Cranmer Archbyshop GOod Christen people my dearly beloued brethren and sisters in Christ I beseech you most hartely to pray for me to almighty God that he wil forgeue me al my sinnes and offences which be many without number and great aboue measure But yet one thing grieueth my conscience more then all the rest whereof God willing I entende to speake more heereafter But howe great and howe many soeuer my sinnes be I beseeche you to pray God of hys mercy to pardon and forgeue them all And heere kneling downe he sayd O Father of heauen O sonne of God redeemer of the worlde O holy Ghoste three persones and one God haue mercye vppon me moste wretched caitife and miserable sinner I haue offended both againste heauen and earth more then my tounge can expresse Whether then may I goe or whether should I flie To heauen I may be ashamed to lifte vp mine eyes and in earth I finde no place of refuge or succour To thee therefore O Lorde doe I runne to thee doe I humble my selfe saying O Lorde my God my sinnes be great but yet haue mercye vppon me for thy great mercy The great mysterie that God became man was not wrought for little or fewe offences Thou diddest not geue thy sonne O heauenly father vnto death for smal sinnes onely but for all the greatest sinnes of the world so that the sinner returne to thee with his whole heart as I do here at this present Wherefore haue mercye on mee O God whose propertie is alwayes to haue mercy haue mercy vpon me O Lord for thy great mercy I craue nothing for mine owne merites but for thy names sake that it maye be hallowed thereby and for thy deare sonne Iesus Christes sake And nowe therefore Our father of heauen halowed be thy name c. And then he rising sayde Euery man good people desireth at that time of their death to geue some good exhortation that other maye remember the same before theyr death be the better thereby so I beseche God graunt me grace that I may speake some thyng at thys my departing whereby God may be glorified and you edified First it is an heauy case to see that so many folke be so much doted vpon the loue of this false world and so carefull for it that of the loue of God or the world to come they seeme to care very little or nothing Therefore this shal be my first exhortation that you sette not your mindes ouer much vpon thys glosing world but vpon God and vpon the world to come and to learne to know what this lesson meaneth whych s. Iohn teacheth that the loue of this world is hatred against God The seconde exhortation is that next vnder God you obey your King and Queene willingly and gladly without murmuring or grudging not for feare of them onely but much more for the feare of God knowing that they be Gods ministers appoynted by God to rule and gouerne you and therefore who soeuer resisteth them resisteth the ordinance of God The third exhortatiō is that you loue altogether lyke brethren and sisters For alasse pitie it is to see what contention and hatred one Christen man beareth to an other not taking cache other as brother and sister but rather as strangers and mortall ennemies But I pray you learne and beare well away this one lesson to doe good vnto all men asmuch as in you lieth and to hurt no man no more then you would hurt your owne naturall louing brother or sister For thys you maye be sure off that who soeuer hateth any person and goeth about maliciously to hinder or hurte hym surely and wythout all doubte God is not wyth that man although he thinke himself neuer so much in Gods fauour The fourth exhortation shall be to them that haue great substance riches of this world that they will well consider and weigh three sayinges of the Scripture One is of our Sauiour Christ him selfe who sayeth It is harde for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen A sore saying and yet spoken of hym that knoweth the truth The second is of S. Iohn whose saying is thys Hee that hath the substaunce of this worlde and seeth hys brother in necessitie and shutteth vp his mercy from him howe can he saye that hee loueth God The third is of S Iames who speaketh to the couetous riche man after thys maner Weepe you and howle for the miserie that shall come vpon you your riches do rotte your clothes be mothe eaten your golde and siluer doeth canker and rust and their rust shall beare witnesse against you and consume you like fire you gather a hoarde or treasure of Gods indignation against the last day Let them that be riche ponder well these three sentences for if they had occasion to shew their charitie they haue it now at this present the poore people being so many and victuals so deare And now for as much as I am come to the last end of my life whereupon hangeth al my life past and all my life to come either to liue with my maister Christe for euer in ioy or els to be in paine for euer with wicked Deuilles in hell I see before mine eyes presently either heauen ready to receiue me or els hell ready to swallow me vppe I shall
I was neuer called to be a preacher or minister because of my sickenes feare of death in imprisonment before I should come to my aunswer and so my death to be vnprofitable But these and such lyke I thanke my heauenly father which of his infinite mercy inspired me with hys holye Ghost for his sonnes sake my onely Sauiour and redeemer preuailed not in me but when I had by the wonderfull permission of God fallen into their handes at the first sight of the Shiriffe nature a little abashed yet ere euer I came to the prison by the workyng of God thorough his goodnes feare departed I sayd to the Shiriffe at his comming vnto me What matter haue you maister Sheriffe to charge me withall He aunsweared you shall knowe when you come before the maisters and so taking me with him I looked to haue bene broughte before the maisters and to haue heard what they could haue burdened me withall but contrary to my expectation I was committed foorthwith to the Iaile not being called to my aunswere little iustice being shewed therein But the lesse iustice a man finedeth at their hands the more consolation in conscience shall he finde from God for whosoeuer is of the world the world will loue hym After I came into prisone had reposed my selfe there a while I wept for ioy and gladnes my belly full musing muche of the great mercies of God and as it were saying to my selfe after this sort O Lorde who am I on whome thou shouldest bestowe thus thy great mercye to be numbred among the Saintes that suffer for thy Gospels sake And so beholding and considering on the one side my imperfection vnablenesse sinnefull misery and vnwoorthinesse and on the other side the greatnesse of Gods mercye to be called to so high promotion I was as it were amazed and ouercome for a while with ioy and gladnesse concluding thus with my selfe in my heart O Lord thou shewest power in weakenesse wisedome in foolishnesse mercy in sinfulnes who shall let thee to choose where whom thou wilt As I haue zealously loued the confession of thy woord so euer thought I my selfe to be most vnworthy to be partaker of the affliction for the same Not long after came vnto me M.W. Brasbrige M.C. Phinees M.N. Hopkins traueling with me to be dismissed vpon bondes To whome my answere was to my remembraunce after this sorte For as much as the Maisters haue imprisoned me hauing nothing to burden mee with all if I should enter into bondes I should in so doing accuse my selfe and seeing they haue no matter to laye to my charge they may as well let me passe wtout bondes as wyth bondes Secondarily if I shall enter bondes couenaunt and promise to appeare I shall do nothing but excuse colour and cloke their wickednesse and endanger my selfe neuerthelesse being bound by my promise to appeare They alleaged many worldly perswasions vnto me to auoide the present perill also how to auoid the forfeiture if I brake promise I sayde vnto them I had cast my penywoorth by Gods help They vndertooke also to make the bond easie And when they were somewhat importune I sayd to maister Hopkins that libertie of conscience was a precious thing and toke as it were a pause lifting vp my heart to God earnestly for hys aide and helpe that I might doe the thing that might please him And so when they had let their sute fal my hart me thought was wonderfully comforted Maister Dudly commoned with me in like maner whom I answered in effect as I did before Afterwarde debatinâ— the matter wyth my selfe these considerations came to my head I haue from time to time wyth good conscience God I take to recorde mooued all such as I had conference withal to be no daliers in Gods matters but to shew themselues after so great a light and knowledge hearty earnest constante and stable in so manifest a truthe and not to geue place one ioate contrarye to the same Nowe thought I if I shall withdrawe my selfe and make any shifts to pull my owne necke out of the collor I shall geue greate offence to my weake brethren in Christe and aduantage to the enemies to sclaunder Gods word It wil be sayd he hath ben a great boldner of others to be earnest and feruent to feare no worldly pearils or daungers but he him selfe will geue no such example Wherefore I thought it my bouÌ„den duety both to God and man being as it were by the great goodnes of God maruelously called and appoynted hereunto to set aside all feare pearils and daungers al worldly respects and considerations and like as I had heeretoâ—ore according to the measure of my small gift within the compasse of my vacation and calling from the bottome of my heart vnfainedly mooued exhorted and perswaded all that professe Gods woorde manfully to persist in the defence of the same not wyth sworde and violence but wyth suffering and losse of life rather then to defile themselues againe with the whorish abhomination of the Romish Antichrist so the houre being come with my fact and example to ratifie confirme and protest the same to the hearts of all true beleeuers and to thys end by the mighty assistance of Gods holy spirit I resolued my selfe wyth muche peace of conscience willingly to sustaine what soeuer the Romish antichrist shuld doe against mee and the rather because I vnderstoode the Bishops comming to be at hand and considered that pore mens consciences shoulde be then sharpely assaulted So remained I prisoner in Couentrie by the space of 10. or 11. dayes being neuer called to my answere of the Maisters contrary to the lawes of the Realme they hauing neyther statute lawe proclamation letter warrant nor commandement for my apprehension They woulde haue laide all the matter vpon the Sumner Who being examined denied it before their faces as one of my frendes tolde me saying that he had no commandement concerning me but for my elder brother God laye not their extreeme doings against me to their charge at the great day The seconde day after the bishoppes comming to Couentrie M. Warren came to the Yeldhall and willed the chiefe Iayler to carye me to the Bishop I laide to maister Warrens charge the cruell seeking of my death and when he would haue excused himselfe I tolde him he coulde not wipe hys handes so hee was as guiltie of my bloude before God as though he had murthered me with his owne handes And so he parted froÌ„ me saying I needed not to feare if I would be of his beliefe God open his eyes if it be hys will and geue him grace to beleue this which he and all of his inclination shall finde I feare to true for their parts that is that all they whiche cruelly maliciously and spitefully persecute molest and afflicte the members of Christe for their coÌ„science sake and for the true testimonie of
And as hee neuer ceaseth to be man so doth he neuer lose the similitude of man hys body there hath hys liniamentes hee leaueth them not so hath that body there hys highnesse and shrinketh not and hys manly shape he altereth not at any tyme. He is in that he tooke of the virgin Mary a naturall man in all conditions except sinne And what he tooke of hys blessed Mother by the workyng of the holye Ghost he tooke it for euer and will not exchaunge the same for anye other He tooke the shape of a man with the substaunce of hys manhoode in one sacred wombe There were they coupled together by the holy ghost neuer to be deuyded a sunder He retayneth the one with the other in seperablye As he will not altar the substaunce of hys fleshe into the substaunce of bread no more will hee altar the shape of hys bodye into the forme of bread There cannot be a greater absurditie agaynst the truth then to thinke that he would leaue the shape that he tooke in the virgins womb being an accident vnto hys manhoode and ioyne vnto the same a wafer cake baken in an ouen or betwene a payre of yrons As he is in heauen very man one onely mediatour betwene God and man euen the man Chryst Iesus hee it is that is the propitiation for our sinnes Be bolde therefore to confesse thys most pure and Apostolicall doctrine and also that all fauoure mercy and forgeuenesse commeth onely by him He onely of God the father was made for vs all wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption All these are the giftes of God the father freely geuen vnto vs by Christ Iesus God and man through fayth in his bloud and not by the merites of men Giftes they are I say freely geuen vnto vs of fauoure wythout our deserte by beleeuing and not by deseruing To this doe the lawe and the Prophetes beare witnesse This doctrine haue all the blessed Martyrs of Christes church wytnessed wyth theyr bloude to bee true To thys trueth haue all the consciences of all true beleuers subscribed euer since the Ascension of Christ. This witnesse is not of man but of God What better quarrell can ye thē haue to geue your liues for then the trueth it selfe That man that geueth his lyfe for the truth taketh the rediest way to lyfe He that hath the Popes curse for the truth is sure of Christes blessing Well then my brethren what shall now lette but that ye goe forward as ye haue begon Nay rather runne wyth the runners that ye maye obtayne the appoynted glorye Holde on the right waye looke not back haue the eye of youre heart fixed vppon GOD and so runne that ye may get holde of it Cast awaye all your worldly pelfe and worldly respects as the fauour of friendes the feare of men sensuall affection respect of persons honour prayse shame rebuke wealth pouertie riches landes possessions carnall fathers and mothers wife and children with the loue of your own selues and in respect of that heauenly treasure ye loooke for let al these be denyed vtterly refused of you so that in no cōditiō they do abate your seale or quenche youre loue towardes God In this case make no acōpt of thē but rather repute thē as vile in comparison of euerlasting life Away with them as thornes that choke the heauenly seede of the Gospel where they be suffered to grow They are burdens of the fleshe which encomber the soule exchaunge them therefore for aduauntage Doth not he gayne that findeth heauenly and immortall treasure for earthly corruptible riches Loseth that man any thing whiche of his carnall father and mother is forsaken when therefore he is receaued of God the father to be his childe and eyre in Christ Heauenly for earthly for mortall immortall for transitory thinges permanēt is great gaynes to a Christian conscience Therefore as I beganne I exhort you in the Lorde not to be afrayd Shrinke not my brethren mistrust not God bee of good comforte reioyce in the Lord hold fast your fayth and continue to the end Deny the world and take vp your crosse and follow him whiche is your loadesman and is gone before If you suffer with him yea you shall raygne with him What way can you glorifie the name of your heauenly father better then by sufferyng death for his sonnes sake What a spectacle shal it be to the world to beholde so godly a fellowship as you seruauntes of God in so iust a quarrell as the Gospell of Christ is with so pure a conscience so strong a fayth and so liuely a hope to offer your selues to suffer most cruell tormentes at the handes of Gods enemyes and so to end your dayes in peace to receaue in the resurrection of the righteous life euerlasting Be strong therfore in your battayle The Lord God is on your side and his truth is your cause and against you be none but the enemies of the crosse of Christe as the serpent and his seede the Dragon with hys tayle the marked men of the Beast the ofspring of the Pharisees the congregation malignant the generation of Vipers murtherers as theyr father the deuill hath bene from the beginning To conclude such are they as the Lorde God hath alwayes abhorred and in all ages resisted and ouerthrowne God from whome nothing is hid knoweth what they are Hee that searcheth the heartes of men he hath found them out to be crafty subtill full of poyson proud disdainefull stiffenecked deuourers raueners and barkers against the truth filthy shamelesse and therefore doth the spirite of God by the mouthes of hys holy Prophetes and Apostles call them by the names of Foxes serpentes Cockatrices Lyons Leopardes Bulles Beares Wolues Dogs Swine Beasts teachyng vs therby to vnderstād that their natural inclinatiō is to deceaue poison and destroy as much as in them lyeth the faythfull and elect of God But the Lord with his right arme shal defend his little flocke agaynst the whole rabblement of these worldlings which haue conspired against him he hath numbred all the heares of his childrens heades so that not one of thē shal pearish without hys fatherly wil. He kepeth the sparrowes much more will he preserue them whom he hath purchased with the bloud of the immaculate Lambe Hee will keepe them vnto the houre appointed wherein the name of God shal be glorified in his saynctes In the meane tyme let them woorke theyr willes let them enuy let them maligne let thē blaspheeme let them curse banne betray whippe scourge hang and burne for by these meanes God will try his elect as gold in the furnace and by these fruites shall they also bring themselues to be knowen what they be for all their sheepes skinnes For as he that in suffering paciently for the Gospell of God is thereby knowne to be of Christ euen so in likewise is
tribulations that being founde constant to the end he may crowne his owne giftes in them in heauen highly reward thē Whether I trust to goe before looking for you to followe my faythfull frend that we maye sing perpetuall praise to our louing Lord God for victory ouer Sathan and sinne won for vs by Iesus Christ God and man our onely and sufficient Sauiour and Aduocate Amen Farewell and pray in fayth Yours Thomas Whittell Minister and nowe condemned to dye for the Gospels sake 1556. Ianuary 21. ¶ All my felowes salute you Salute all our faythful brethren with you ¶ To my deare frend and brother Iohn Went and other his prison felowes in Lollardes Tower HE that preserued Ioseph prisoner in Egypt fed Daniel in the Lions denne and deliuered Paul Peter and the Apostles out of prison vouchsafe of his goodnes to keep feed and deliuer you my good brother Went with the other our felow souldiors your prison felowes as may be most to his glory to your consolatiō and the edification of his Church I cannot but praise God most earnestly when I heare of your constancy in the fayth and ioye in the crosse of Christ which you now beare and suffer together with many other good members of Christ which is a token that by Christ you are counted worthy the kingdome of God as Paule sayth And though the world counteth the yoake and crosse of Christ as a most pernicious and hurtfull thing yet we which haue tasted how frendly the Lord is cannot but reioice in this persecution as touching our selues in as much as the cause for the which we suffer is the Lordes cause and not ours at whose hand if we endure to the end we shall receiue through his liberall promise in Christ not onely a greate reward in heauen but also the kingdome of heauen it selfe also in the meane season be sure to bee defended and cared for so that we shall lacke no necessarye thinges neither a heare of our heades shall perishe without his knowledge Oh what is he that would mistrust or not gladly serue so louing a father O how vnhappy are they that forsake him and put theyr trust in man But how blessed are they that for his loue and for his holy woordes sake in these troublesome dayes doe committe theyr soules and bodyes into his handes with wel doing counting it greater happines and riches to suffer rebuke with Christ and his Church thē to enioy the pleasures of this life for a litle short seasō This crosse that we nowe beare hath bene common to all the faythfull from Abell hitherto and shal be to the end because the Deuill hauyng great wrath agaynst God and his Christ can not abide that hee should for his manifolde mercies bee lauded and magnified and Christ to be taken and beleued vpon for our onely and sufficient redemer Sauiour and aduocate and therefore because we will not deny Christ nor dissemble with out fayth but openly protest and professe the same before the world he seeketh by all meanes to styrre vp his wicked members to persecute and kill the bodies of the true Christians as S. Iohn sayth the Deuill shall cast some of you into prison And Dauid sayth I beleued and therfore haue I spoken but I was sore troubled This notwithstanding goe forward deare brethren as ye haue begon to fight the Lords battel considering Christe the Captayne of your warre who will both fight for you geue you victorye and also highlye rewarde your paynes Consider to your comfort the notable and chiefe shepheardes and souldiours of Christe whiche are gone before vs in these dayes I meane those learned and godly Bishops Doctours other ministers of Gods word whose fayth and examples we that be inferiours ought to folowe as S. Paule sayth Remember them that haue declared vnto you the worde of God the ende of whose conuersation see that ye look vpon and folow theyr faith The grace blessing of God with the ministery of his holy Angels be with you for euer Amen All my prison felowes greete you From the Colehouse this 4. of December By your poore brother Thomas Whittell an vnworthy Minister of Christ nowe his prisoner for the Gospels sake Amen ¶ To all the true professors and louers of Gods holy Gospell within the City of London THe same faith for the whiche Abraham was counted righteous and Mary blessed the Lorde GOD encrease and make stable in your hartes my deare and faithfull brethren sisters of London for euer and euer Amen Dearely beloued be not troubled in this heat which is now come amongest you to try you as though some straunge thing had happened vnto you but reioyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christes passions that when his glory appeareth ye may be mery and glad c. Out of these wordes of S. Peter I gather most specially these 4. notes First the persecution happeneth to Christes Church for their triall that is for the probation and proofe of their fayth Which fayth like as it is knowne with God in the depth of our hartes so will he haue it made manifest to the whole worlde through persecution that so it may euidently appeare that hee hath such a Churche and people vpon earth which so trusteth in hym and feareth his holy name that no kinde of persecution paynes nor death shal be able to seperate them from the loue of hym And thus was Abraham tried and Iob tempted that their fayth whiche before laye hid almost in their hartes might bee made knowne to the whole world to be so stedfast and stronge that the deuill naturall loue nor no other enemie coulde bee able to bereaue them thereof Whereby also GOD was to be magnefied who both tryeth his people by many tribulations and also standeth by them in the middest of their troubles to deliuer them by lyfe or death as he seeth best like as he assisted Loth and deliuered hym out of his enemies handes Ioseph out of the handes of his Brethren and out of Prison Paule from his enemies in Damasco and the Apostles out of the Stockes and Prison These with many mo he deliuered to lyfe And also he deliuered Abell Eleazar Steuen and Iohn Baptist with other manye by deathe and hathe also by the tryall of their fayth made them good presidentes and examples to vs and all that come after to suffer affliction in the like cause as Saynt Iames sayeth Take my brethren sayth he the prophets for an ensample of suffering aduersity and of long pacience which spake vnto you in the name of the Lord beholde we count them happy which endure Y◠haue heard of the pacience of Iob and haue knowne what end the Lord made with him for the Lord is very pitifull and mercifull Also the Lorde tryeth vs to let vs see our owne hartes and thoughtes that no Hypocrisy or Ambitiō deceiue vs that the strong
member as I haue bene also of so small acquintance but such is the mercifull goodnes of God so to moue your hartes with charity towards me And as he hath moued your hartes so to doe euen so I beseech God to geue you power to forsake refuse al thinges the which be displeasant in his sight to do al things which be requisite to a Christiā send you grace to go forwardes in the same as you haue godly begon neither fearing fire nor sword And my most deare hartes remember well the simple playne doctrine the which I haue taught you also writtē vnto you which was the trueth for a testimony of the same I trust that you shall shortly heare or els see that I wil seale the same with my bloud And in the meane time I desire you al to remember me in your praiers as I know you do as with Gods helpe I will doe for you that God for his deare sonne Christes sake will so finish the dayes of our pilgrimage that we may rest together with Abrahā Isaac Iacob in the euerlasting kingdome of heauē to the which I beseech the eternall God for his Christes sake to bring both you and all yours Amen By me William Tyms ¶ An other Letter of William Tyms to his sister Colfoxe and Agnes Glascocke GRace peace from God the father of al mercy through the merites of our deare sauiour Iesus Christ be perceiued felt in the harts of you my dearely beloued sisters in the Lord by the mighty working of the holy Ghost the comforter both now and euermore Amen My most dear and entyrely beloued sisters in the Lord after my most harty commendatiōs according to my most boūden duty I do as I am accustomed or at least boūd to doe that is I geue you warning of your enemies which be the Papistes and take good heed to them for they serue a crafty mayster yea and as S. Peter saith he slepeth not but goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whō he may deuour For your old familiar frendes or worldly companions when they see that you will not runne to the Idols Temple with them it will seeme a straunge thing vnto them that ye runne not to the same excesse of ryot as S. Peter sayth and therfore they will speak euill of you rayle on you and persecute you But my deare sisters let it not trouble you for it is but to try you and let it not seeme a straunge thing vnto you But when they doe so remember wherefore it is and for whose sake euen because you wil not forsake God as they doe For the hatred they beare you is for the word of God and then it is Gods cause and I tell you hee will reuenge it And therefore if ye bee rayled on and troubled for his sake thinke your selues most happy For if you suffer with the Patriarches Prophetes and Apostles then shall you be sure to be partakers of the same ioy that they are in Yea you haue heard by the worde of God howe cruelly the tyrauntes alwayes haue persecuted the true members of Christ as he himselfe hath promised that they shall do vnto the end of the word By the way I will bring to your remembraunce the holy Martyr S. Stephen who for fauouring maynteyning and defending the same doctrine that we now suffer for was called a blasphemer and stoned to death at Ierusalem And Christes Apostles were diuerslye afflicted the world ouer for the same by this viperous generation Antipas the faythfull witnes of Christ was slayne at Pergamus Iasan for receiuing of Paule and Silas with other disciples teachers of the Gospel was brought before the coūsell at Thessalonica and accused for a seditious traytor agaynst Cesar. No maruell therefore though at this daye we be vexed on the same sort mainteining the same cause fauoring the teachers therof Is there any other reward folowing the true seruantes of God now thē hath bene afore times No surely for so hath Christ promised And if they haue persecuted him needes must they persecute his members if they haue called the mayster of the house Belzebub so will they do his houshold You shall be hated of all men sayth Christ for my names sake It is no new thing my deare hartes to see the true mēbers of Christ handled as in our dayes they be as it is not vnknown to you how they be cruelly entreated blasphemed wtout any reasonable cause For heretickes must they be taken which folow not theyr traditions And then they may as wel cal christ an heretick for he neuer alowed their dirty ceremonyes He neuer went a procession with a Cope Crosse or Candlesticke He neuer censed Image nor sang Latine seruice He neuer sate in confession He neuer preached of Purgatory nor of the popes pardōs He neuer honored sayntes nor prayd for the dead He neuer said masse mattins nor euensong He neuer cōmaunded to fast Fryday nor Uigil Lent nor Aduēt He neuer halowed church nor chalice ashes nor palmes candles nor bels He neuer made holy water nor holy bread with such like But suche dumbe ceremonies not hauing the expresse cōmaūdement of God he calleth the leauen of the Phariseis and dānable hypocrisy admonishing his disciples to beware of thē He curseth al those that addeth to his word such beggerly shadowes wiping their names cleane out of the booke of life S. Paule sayth they haue no portion with Christ whiche wrap themselues agayne with such yokes of bondage Therefore my deare hartes seeing that our good God hath by the light of his holy word deliuered vs frō al such darck blind dumbe beggerly traditions of men stand fast in the libertye wherewith Christ hath made you free and wrap not your selues againe in the yoke of bondage But let vs alwayes be ready looking for the comming of oure Lord sauior Iesus Christ which as S. Peter sayth will come as a theefe in the night And as our Captayne Chryst sayth If the good man of the house knew what houre the theefe would come he would surely watche Therfore my deare harts be of good comfort although the worlde neuer rage so sore agaynst you And for youre comfort make wel the great mercy of God who according to his promise for the weaknes of our nature hath so asswaged the heate of the fire that our deare brethren which are gone before vs to the sight of all men haue found it rather to be ioy then payne And thinke you surely that God wil be as mercifull vnto you as he hath bene vnto them and say with S. Paule Who shall seperate vs from the loue of God shall tribulation or anguish or persecution eyther hunger either nakednes either perill either sword as it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long c. Therfore my deare sisters if to saue your liues any dissembling
a true Christian subiect to doe And iâ— her grace or her officers vnder her do require me to any thing contrary to Christes Religion I am ready also to do my seruice in Smithfield for not obseruing it as my bedfellow and other brethren haue done praysed be God for them Mart. By my trouth thou art a pleasaunt fellow as euer I talked with of all the Protestantes excepte it were Tomson I am sory that I must depart with thee so soone but I haue suche busynes now that I canne tarry with thee no longer Well yet thou canst not deny but you are at iarre amongest your selues in the kings Bench and it is so throughout all your congregation for you will not be a Church Careles No Maister Doctour that is not so There is a thousand tymes more varietye in opinions among your Doctours which you call of the Catholick Church yea and that in the Sacrament for yâ— which there is so much bloudshed now a dayes I meane of your latter Doctours and new writers as for the olde they agree wholy with vs. Mart. No Careles this is not so there thou art deceiued Carel. Uerily it is so Maister Doctour I am not deceiued therein any thing at all as it hath beene and is euidently proued by such as GOD hath endued with great learning Then he turned to the Marshall and whispered with him a while Martin Turning vnto me agayne sayd Farewell Careles for I can tarry no longer with thee now my busines is such Carel. God be with you good Maister Doctor The Lord geue your Maistership health of body and soule Mart. God haue mercy good Careles and God keepe thee from all errours and geue thee grace to doe as well as I would wishe my selfe Carel. I thanke your good Maistership I pray GOD I may do alwaies that is acceptable in his sight Whereunto they all sayde Amen And so I departed with a glad hart God onely haue the whole prayse Amen It appeareth by the examination of the foresayd Iohn Careles that he endured prisoner the space of two whole yeares hauing wyfe and children In the which his captiuity first being in Couentry Iayle he was there in such credite with his keeper that vpon his worde he was let out to play in the Pageant about the City with other his companions And that done keeping touch with his keeper he returned agayne into prison at his houre appointed And after that being broughte vp to London he was indued with such patience and constaunt fortitude that he longed for nothing more earnestly then to come to that promotion to dye in the fyer for the proâ—ession of his fayth yet it so pleased the Lorde to preuent him with death that he came not to it but dyed in the prison and after was buryed in the fieldes in a dounghill In the meane time while he was in prisoÌ„ in the kyngs Bench it chaunced he was in great heauines and perturbation of mind and conscience wherupon he wrote to M. Philpot being then in the Colehouse Uppon the occasion hereof Mayster Philpot sent an Epistle consolatory vnto him specified before among master Philpots letters pag. 1762. Unto the which Epistle Iohn Careles maketh aunswere agayne as foloweth ¶ Letters of Iohn Careles * A Letter of Iohn Careles aunswering to the louing Epistle or Letter sent to him before by Mayster Iohn Philpot. A faythfull frend is a strong defence who so findeth suche a one findeth a treasure A faythfull frend hath no peere the weight of gold and siluer is not to be compared to the goodnes of his fayth A faythfull frend is a medicine of life and they that feare the Lord shall finde him Ecclesiast 6. THe father of mercy and God of all consolation comfort you with his eternall spirite my most deare and faythfull louing frend good Mayster Philpot as you haue comforted me by the mighty operation of the same the euerlasting GOD be praysed therfore for euer Amen Ah my deare hart and most louing brother if I should do nothing els day and night so long as the daies of heauen do endure but kneele on my knees and read Psalmes I can neuer be able to render vnto God condigne thankes for his great mercie fatherly kindnesse and most louing coÌ„passion extended vnto me most vile sinnefull wicked and vnworthy wretch Oh that the Lorde would open my mouth and geue me a thankefull hart that from the bottome of the same might flow his coÌ„tinuall prayse Oh that my sinnefull flesh which is the cause of my sorowe were cleane separated from me that I might sing Psalmes of thankesgeuing vnto the Lordes name for euer that with good Samuels mother I might continually record this noble verse folowing the which by good experience I haue found most true praysed be my good God therfore The Lord sayth that good woman killeth and maketh aliue he bringeth downe to hel and fetcheth vp agayne Praysed be that Lord for euer yea and praysed be his name for that he hath geueÌ„ me true experience and liuely feeling of the same Blessed be the Lord GOD whose mercy endureth for euer whiche hath not dealt with me according to my deepe desertes nor destroyed me in his displeasure when I had iustly deserued it Oh what rewarde shall I geue agayne vnto Lorde for all the great benefites that he hath done for my soule I will gladly receiue the cuppe of saluation at his hand and will worship his name with prayer with prayse Ah my deare hart yea most deare vnto me in the Lord think not this sodeine chaunge in me to be some fickle phantasy of my foolish head as in deede some other woulde surely suspect it to be For doubtlesse it is the maruellous doing of the Lord moste merciful vnto me his vnworthy creature God for his great mercies sake geue me grace to bee more thankefull vnto him then I heretofore haue bene and keepe me that I neuer fall forth of hys fauour agayne And now my deare brother and moste blessed messenger of the Lord whose beautifull feet haue brought much glad tidings vnto my soule what shall I doe or say vnto you in the least part to recompence the fatherlye affection and Godlye care that you continually keepe for me Oh that God would geue me the spirite of feruent prayer that I might yet that way supply some litle part of my duty toward you Ah my true louing frend howe soone did you lay aside all other busines to make a sweete plaster for my wounded conscience yea and that out of a paynefull payre of stockes which place must needes be vneasye to write in But God hath brought you into a straight place that you mighte set my soule at liberty Out of your pinching and paynefull seate you haue plentifully poured vppon me your precious narde the sweete â—auour wherof hath greatly refresteed my tyred soule The Lord likewise refresh you both body soule by
Lorde of all mercy and Father of all comfort through the merites and mediation of his deare sonne thy onely Lord and Sauiour hath clearely remitted and pardoned all thy offences whatsoeuer they bee that euer hitherto thou hast committed agaynst his maiesty and therefore he hath geuen to thee as to his childe deare Brother Iohn Careles in token that thy sinnes are pardoned he I say hath geuen vnto thee a penitent and beleuing hart that is a hart which desireth to repent and beleue For suche a one is taken of him he accepting the will for the deede for a penitent and beleuing hart in deed Wherefore my good Brother be mery gladde and of good cheare for the Lorde hath taken away thy sinnes thou shalt not dye Goe thy wayes the Lord hath put away thy sinnes The East is not so farre from the West as the Lord now hath put thy sinnes from thee Looke how the heauēs be in comparison of the earth so far hath his mercy preuayled towardes thee his deare chylde Iohn Careles through Christ the beloued Say therfore with Dauid prayse the Lord oh my soule and all that is within me prayse his holy name for he hath forgeuen thee all thy sinnes as truely he hath And hereof I desire to be a witnesse God make me worthy to heare from you the like true message for my selfe Myne owne dearly beloued you haue great cause to thanke God moste hartily that he hath geuen you such repētance and fayth the lord encrease the same in you and me a most miserable wretch whose hart is harder then the Adamant stone or elles I coulde not thus long haue stayed from writing vnto you If I liue and may I purpose and promise you to make amendes Praye for me my moste deare brother I hartely beseech you and forgeue me my long silence God our father be with vs for euer Amen Yours in the Lord Iohn Bradford ¶ To my most deare and faythfull brethren in Newgate condemned to dye for the testimony of Gods euerlasting truth THe euerlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ the cōtinual ioy strength and comfort of his most pure holy mighty spirite with the increase of fayth liuely feeling of his eternall mercy be with you my most deare faythfull louing brother Tyms with all the rest of my deare hartes in the Lord your faithfull felow souldiers most constant cōpanions in bonds yea of men condēned most cruelly for the sincere testimony of Gods euerlasting truth to the full finishing of that good worke which he hath so graciously begon in you all that the same may be to his glory the commodity of his poore afflicted church and to your euerlasting comfort in him Amen Ah my most sweet and louing brethrē and dearest hartes in the Lord what shall I say or how shall I write vnto you in the least poynt or part to vtter the great ioy that my poore hart hath cōceiued in God through the most godly example of your christian constancy and sincere confession of Christes verity Truely my tongue can not declare nor my pen expresse the aboūdance of spirituall myrth and gladnes that my minde and inward man hath felte euer since I heard of your harty boldnes and modest behauior before that bloudy butcher in the time of al your crafty examinations especially at your cruell condēnation in theyr cursed Consistory place Blessed be God the Father of all mercy praysed be his name for that he hath so graciously performed vpon you his deare darlinges his most sweete and comfortable promises in not onely geuing you the cōtinuall aide strength and comfort of his holye and mighty spirite to the faythfull confession of his Christ for whose cause O most happy mē ye are condemned to dye but also in geuing you such a mouth wisedom as al your wicked enemies were not able to resist but were fayne to cry Peace peace not suffer you to speake As truely as God liueth my deare brethrē this is not only vnto you a most euident probation that God is on our side and a sure certainty of your euerlasting saluatiō in him but also to your cruell aduersaries or rather gods cursed enemies a plaine demōstration of their iust eternall woe damnatiō which they shal be full sure shortly to feele whē ye shal ful sweetly possesse the place of felicity pleasure prepared for you frō the beginning Therefore my dearly beloued cease not so long as ye be in this life to prayse the Lord with a lusty courage for that of his great mercy and infinite goodnesse he hath vouched you worthy of this great dignity to suffer for his sake not onely the losse of goodes wife and childrē long imprisonment cruell oppressiō c. but also the very depriuation of this mortall life with the dissolution of your bodies in the fire The which is the greatest promotion that GOD can bring you or any other vnto in this vale of misery yea so great an honour as the highest Aungel in heauen is not permitted to haue yet hath the Lord for his dere sonne Christs sake reputed you worthy of the same yea and that before me and many other which haue both long looked longed for the same Ah my most deare brother Tyms whose time resteth altogether in the handes of the Lorde in a full happy time camest thou into this troublesome world but in a much more blessed houre shalt thou depart forth of the same so that the sweete saying of Salomon or rather of the holye ghost shall be full well verified vpon thee yea and all thy faythfull fellowes Better is the day of death sayth hee then the day of byrth This saying cannot be verified vpon euery man but vpon thee my deare brother and suche as thou art whose death is most precious before God full deare shal your bloud be in his sight Blessed be God for thee my deare brother Tymmes and blessed be God agayn that euer I knew thee for in a most happy time I came first into thy company Pray for me deare brother pray for me that God will once vouch me worthye of that great dignitie whereunto he hath now brought you Ah my louing brother Drake whose soule draweth now nigh vnto God of whom you haue receiued the same ful glad may you be that euer God gaue you a life to leaue for his sake Full well will he restore it to you agayne in a thousand fold more glorious wife Prayse God good brother as you haue great cause and pray for me I beseeche you which am so muche vnworthy so great are my sins of that great dignitie whereunto the Lord hath called you and the rest of your godly brethren whome I beseech you to comfort in the Lorde as you can full well praysed be God for his giftes which you haue hartily applyed to the setting forth of his glory and the commoditie of his
My friend or friends be it known vnto you that this is no errour as ye suppose but it is the truth of Gods will that we should beleeue as S. Iohn sayth That Christ Iesus is the sonne of the liuing God and in so beleeuyng wee should haue euerlasting lyfe Thus with loue I write vnto you praying God night and day to deliuer you froÌ„ euill which is in you and to keepe you from it Wherefore my friend or friendes you are not crucified with Christ you are not dead with him as concerning sinne you are not graffed with him in Baptisme nor you know not god nor his sonne whome he hath sent nor his commaundements which he hath commaunded and yet will ye teach other with most hearty prayer praying to God for you continually Patrike Patingham A note of a certaine letter of Wil. Tymmes GRace mercy and peace from God the father through the mercies of his deare sonne Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour with the comfort of his holy spirite that as you haue full godly begun euen so to continue to the end to the glory of God and your euerlasting comfort which thing to do I pray God to geue you grace who is the geuer of all good and perfect gifts to the glory of hys holy name Amen My dere sisters after most harty commendations vnto you and also most harty thankes geuing vnto you for all the great kyndnesse that you haue always shewed vnto me most vnworthy of the same I certifie you that I am very glad to heare of your good health which I pray God long to continue to his glory And especially I doe much reioyce in your most godly constancie in the Gospell of Christ which is the power of God vnto saluation vnto so many as beleeue it Therefore my deare hartes goe forward as you haue godly begunne for the tyme will come that these cruell tyrants which now so cruelly persecuteth the true members of Christ shall say for very anguish of mynde These are they whom we sometyme had in derision and iested vppon We fooles thought their lyfe to haue bene very madnesse and their ende to haue bene without honour But lo how they are counted among the children of God and their portion is among the Saints therefore we haue erred from the way of truth The light of righteousnes hath not shined vnto vs and the sonne of vnderstandyng rose not vpon vs. We haue weried our selues in the way of wickednesse and destruction Tedious wayes haue we gone but as for the way of the Lord we haue not knowen it What good hath our pride done vnto vs or what profit hath the pompe of riches brought vs. All these things hath passed away as a shadow or as a Messenger running before As a sheepe that passeth ouer the waues of the water which when it is gone by the trace thereof cannot be found neither the path in the flouds c. For as soone as we were borne we began inordinately to drawe to our ende and haue shewed no token of vertue but are consumed in our owne wickednesse Such wordes shall they that thus haue sinned speake in the hell c. But the righteous shall lyue for euermore their reward is also with the Lord and their remembraunce with the highest therfore shall they receiue a glorious kingdome and a beautifull crowne at the Lordes hand for with his right hande shall he couer them and with his holy arme shall he defend them c. The soules of the righteous are in the haÌ„ds of God and the paynes of death shall not touch them but in the sight of the vnwyse they appeare to die and their end is taken for very destruction but they are in rest And though they suffer payne before men yet is their hope full of immortalitie They are punished but in few thynges neuerthelesse in many things shall they be wel rewarded for God prooueth them and findeth them meete for hymselfe yea as the golde in the fornace doth he try them and receiueth them as a burnt offering and when the tyme commeth they shall be looked vppon the righteous shall shine as the sparkes that runneth through the red bushe they shall iudge the nations and haue dominion ouer the people and their Lord shal raigne for euer They that put their trust in hym shall vnderstand the truth and such as be faithfull will agree vnto hym in loue and he shall be a piller in the temple of God and shall no more go out and there shall be written vppon him the name of God And they shall lye vnder the aultar which is Christ crying with a lowd voyce saying How long tariest thou Lord holy and true to iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth and they shall haue long white garmentes geuen vnto them and it shall be sayd vnto them that they should rest yet for a little season til the number of their fellowes and brethren of them that should bee killed as they were were fulfilled For as S. Iohn sayth they are worthy that thus ouercommeth to bee clothed in white aray and their names shall not bee put out of the booke of lyfe but shall be seperated from the Gotes and set on Christes right hand hearing his sweet and comfortable voice wheÌ„ he shall say Come ye blessed of my Father and possâ—sse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginnyng of the world And the very redy way to obtaine the same is as our maister Christ saith to forsake our selues takyng vp our crosse followyng our maister Christ which for the ioy that was set before him abode the crosse and despised the shame and is set downe on the throne of the right hand of God therefore let vs follow his example in sufferyng for his worde seeyng that hee of his mercifull goodnesse suffered so muche for vs when wee were his enemies for it was our sinne that killed Christ and by his death hath made vs on lyue Therefore with ioy seeing all these his merciful benefites purchased for vs onely by his death and bloudsheding Let vs with boldnesse confesse his holy word before this wicked generation euen to death and we be called thereto and so be well assured that our lyues be not in the hands of men but in Gods handes Therefore my deare sisters as you haue godly begun so go forward euen through many tribulations euen into the euerlasting kingdom of heauen To the which God the father of all mercy for his deare sonne Christes sake bring both you and all yours Amen Yours to commaund to my poore power Wil. Tymmes Continue in prayer Aske in fayth And obtaine your desire Praying for you as I know that you do for me ¶ Another Sermon of M. Latimer concerning his playing at Cardes NOw you haue heard what is ment by this first carde and how you ought to play with it I purpose againe to deale vnto you another carde almost of