Christ our redemer brother and the blessed company of Aungels and all faithfull saued soules Of the incomparable good thinges and heauenlye treasures layd vp for vs in heauen by Christ Iesu. For the obteining wherof we ought to set light by all temporall griefes and transitorye afflictions so much the more in that our good God is faythfull will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength that namely in the end of our life when the tree where it falleth lieth styll as the preacher sayth when euery one causa sua dormit causa sua resurget for els before the ende he suffereth his sometime to fall but not finally to peryshe as Peter sinked vpon the Sea but yet was not drowned and sinned grieuouslye vpon the land thorow infirmity denying his Mayster but yet found mercy for the righteous falleth oftentimes And Christes holye Apostles are taught to â—ay remitte nobis debita nostra Yea though the righteous fall sayth Dauid he shall not be cast away for the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand Oh the bottomlesse mercy of God towardes vs miserable sinners He vouchsafe to plant in my heart true repentaunce and fayth to the obteining of remission of all my sinnes in the mercies of God and merites of Christ his sonne and therto I pray you say Amen Oh my hartely beloued it grieueth me to see the spoyle hauocke that Saule maketh with the congregation of Christe but what remedy This is Gods will and ordinaunce that his people shall here both be punished in the fleshe and tryed in theyr fayth as it is written Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth them out of all for by a strayt path and narrowe doore must we enter Whether Into the ioyfull kyngdome of heauen therefore blessed are you and other that suffer persecution for Christes sake for the professing of the same Pray for me my felowes good brother that we may fight a good fight that we may keepe the fayth and ende our course with ioyfull gladnesse for now the time of our deliueraunce is at hand The Lord guide defend and keep vs and you and al his people in our iourney that we may safely through a shorte death passe to that long lasting life Farewell my deare and louing brother and felowe souldiour in Christ farewell I say in him who receiue our soules in peace when they shall depart from these tabernacles and he graunte vs a ioyfull resurrection and a mery meeting at the last day continuall dwelling together in his eternall heauenlye kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Yours with my poore prayer other pleasure can I do you none Thomas Whittell Minister * To my deare brethren M. Filles and Cutbert MY deare and welbeloued brethren in Christ Mayster Filles and Cutbert I wish you all welfare of soule body Welfare to the soule is repentance of sinne faythfull affiaunce in Christ Iesus a godly life Welfare to the body is the health of the same with all necessary thinges for this bodely life The soule of man is immortall and therefore ought to be well kept least immortality to ioy should turne to immortality of sorow As for the body be it neuer so well kept and much made of yet shortly by nature will it perish and decay But those that are engraffed incorporated into Christe by true fayth feeling the motion of Gods holy spirite as a pledge of theyr election and inheritaunce exciting and styrring them not onely to seek heauenly thinges but also to hate vice and embrace vertue will not onely doe these thinges but also if need requyre will gladly take vp theyr Crosse and folow their capteine their king theyr Sauior Iesus Christ as his poore afflicted church of England now doth agaynst that false and Antichristian doctrine and religion now vsed specially that blasphemous Masse wherin Christs supper and holy ordinaunce is altogether peruerted abused contrarye to his institutioÌ„ to Paules procedinges so that that which they haue in theyr Masse is neither Sacrament of Christ nor yet sacrifice for sinne as the Priestes falsely pretend It is a sacrament that is as S. Augustine saith a visible sign of inuisible grace when it is ministred to the communicants according to Christes example and as it was of late yeres in this realm And as for sacrifice there is none to be made now for sinne for Christ with one sacrifice hath perfited for euer those that are sanctified Beware of false Religion and mens vayne traditioÌ„s and serue God with reuerence and godlye feare according to the doctrine of his Gospell whereto cleaue ye that yee may be blessed though of wicked men ye bee hated and accursed Rather drink of the cup of Christ with his church then of the cuppe of that rosecoloured whore of Babilon which is full of abhominations Rather striue ye to go to heauen by the path which is strait to flesh and bloud with the litle flock then to goe in the wide waye folowing the enticementes of the world and the flesh which leadeth to damnation Like as Christ suffered in the flesh sayeth S. Peter so arme ye your selues with the same minde for Christ suffred for vs leauing vs example to folow his footsteps Blessed are they that suffer for his sake great is their reward in heauen He that ouercommeth sayth S. Iohn shall eat of the tree of life he shall haue a crowne of life not be hurt of the second death he shall be clothed with white araye not be put out of the booke of life Yea I will confesse his name sayth Christ before my father and before his Aungels he shal be a piller in the house of God and sitte with me on my seat And thus I bidde you farewell myne owne Brethren and deare felowes in Christ. Whose grace and peace be alway with you Amen This world I do forsake To Christ I me betake And for his Gospell sake Paciently death I take My body to the dust Now to returne it must My soule I know full well With my God it shal dwel Thomas Whittell ¶ An other Letter of M. Thomas Whittell written to a certayne Godly woman OH my deare and louing sister in Christe be not dismayde in this storme of persecution for Paule calleth the Gospell the word of the Crosse because it is neuer truely taught but the crosse and cruell persecution immediately and necessarily doeth folow the same and therfore it is a manifest token of Gods truth and hath bene here and is still abroade and that is a cause of the rage and crueltye of Sathan agaynste Christe and his members which must bee corrected for theyr sinnes in this worlde theyr fayth must be tried that after triall and pacient suffering the faythfull may receiue the crowne of glorye Feare not therefore my welbeloued but proceede in the knowledge and feare of God
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
shrining of reliques from any kinde of wickednes if you will pay well for it cleare absolution a poena culpa with thousandes of yeares yea at euery poore Bishops hand and suffragan ye shall haue halowing of Churches Chappels aulters superaulters chalices and of all the whole housholde stuffe and adornamēt which shal be vsed in the church after the Romish guise for all these thinges must be estemed of such high price that they may not be done but by a consecrate bishop onely O Lorde all these thinges are suche as thy Apostles neuer knew As for coniuring they call it halowing but it is cōiuring in deede of water and salt of christening of belles and such like thinges what neede I to speake for euerye priest that can but read hath power they say not onely to do that but also hath suche power ouer Christes body as to make both God and man once at the least euery daye of a wafer cake After the rehearsall of the said abhominations and remembraunce of a number of many moe which the Lorde knoweth irketh me to thinke vpon and were to longe to describe when I consider on the other side the eternall word of God that abideth for euer and the vndefiled law of the Lord which turneth the soule from all wickednes and geueth wisedome vnto the innocent babes I meane that milk that is without all guile as Peter doth call it that good word of God that word of trueth whiche must be grauen within the hart and then is able to saue mens soules that wholesome seede not mortall but immortall of the eternal and euerliuing God wherby the man is borne a new and made the childe of God that seed of God wherby the man of God so being borne can not sinne as Iohn sayeth hee meaneth so long as that seede doth abide in him that holy scripture which hath not bene deuised by the wit of man but taught from heauen by the inspiratiō of the holy ghost which is profitable to teache to reprooue to correct to instruct and geue order in all righteousnesse that the man of God may be whole sound ready to performe euery good worke when I say I consider this holy and wholesome true word that teacheth vs truely our bounden duety towardes our Lorde God in euerye poynt what his blessed will and pleasure is what his infinite great goodnes and mercy is what he hath done for vs how he hath geuē hys owne onely dearely beloued sonne to death for our saluation and by him hath sent vs the Reuelation of his blessed will and pleasure what his eternall word willeth vs both to beleue and also to doe and hath for the same purpose inspired the holy Apostles with the holy ghost sent them abroad into all the world and also made them other disciples of Christ inspired by the same spirite to write leaue behinde them the same thinges that they taught which as they did proceed of the spirit of trueth so by the confession of all them that euer were endued with the spirite of God were sufficient to the obteining of eternall saluation and likewise when I consider that al that man doth professe in his regeneration when he is receiued into the holy catholicke church of Christ and is now to be accoūted for one of the liuely mēbers of Christes owne body all that is groūded vpon Gods holy word and standeth in the profession of that fayth obedience of those commaundements whiche are all conteined and comprised in Gods holy word furthermore when I consider whom our Sauiour Christ pronoūceth in his gospell to be blessed and to whom Moses geueth his benedictiōs in the law what wayes the law the Prophets the Psalmes and all holy Scriptures both newe and olde doth declare to be the wayes of the Lorde what is good for man to obteine and abide in Gods fauor which is that fayth that iustifieth before God and what is that charity that doth passe and excell all whiche be the properties of heauenly wisedome and whiche is that vndefiled religion that is allowed of GOD which thinges Christ himself called the weighty matters of the law what thing is that which is onely auayleable in Christ what knowledge is that that Paule esteemed so much that he counted himself onely to know what shall be the maner of the extreme iudgement of the latter day who shall iudge by what he shall iudge what shall be required at our handes at that fearefull day howe all thinges must be tried by the fire and that that onely shal stand for euer which Christes wordes shall allow which shal be the iudge of all flesh to geue sentēce vpon all flesh and euery liuing soule either of eternall damnation or of euerlasting saluation from which sentence there shall be no place to appeale no witte shal serue to delude nor no power to withstand or reuoke when I say I consider all these thinges and conferre to the same agayne and agayne all those wayes wherein standeth the substaunce of the romishe religion wherof I spake before it may be euident and easy to perceaue that these two wayes these two religions the one of Christ the other of the Romishe sea in these latter dayes be as farre distaunt the one from the other as light and darckenes good and euill righteousnes and vnrighteousnes Christ and Beliall He that is hard of beliefe let him note and weigh well with himselfe the places of holy Scriptures which be appoynted in the margent wherupon this talk is grounded by Gods grace he may receyue some light And vnto the contemner I haue nothing now to say but to rehearse the saying of the Prophet Esay which Paule spake to the Iewes in the end of the Actes of the Apostles After he hadde expounded vnto them the trueth of Gods word and declared vnto them Chryst out of the Lawe of Moses and the Prophetes from morning to night all the day long he sayd vnto them that would not beleue Well sayd he spake the holy Ghost vnto our fathers saying go vnto this people and tell them ye shall heare with your eares and not vnderstande and seeing you shall behold and not see the thing for the hart of this people is waxed grosse and dulle and wyth their eares they are hard of hearing and they haue shut together their eyes that they shoulde not see nor heare with theyr eares nor vnderstand with their hartes that they might returne and I should heale them sayth the Lord God All as Englande alas that this heauy plague of GOD shoulde fall vpon thee Alas my dearely beloued country what thing is it now that may doe thee good Undoubtedly thy plague is so great that it is vtterly vncurable but by the bottomlesse mercy and infinite power of almightye God Alas my deare country what hast thou done that thus hast prouoked the wrath of God and caused him to poure out his vengeaunce
he sweare vnto vs as he did vnto the vnfaythfull Iewes that such Infidells shall not enter into his rest In the administration of the Lordes supper whiche we confessed to be the holye Communion and pertakinge with Christ and his holy Congregation we haue learned Gods holy commaundements and at the rehearsall of euery one of them to ask God mercy for our most grieuous transgressions agaynst them and to aske grace of God to keepe them in time to come that the same may not onelye outwardly sound in our eares but also inwardly by the holy ghost be written in our hartes Wee haue learned also the holye prayer made for the Queenes Maiestie wherein wee learne that her power and authoritie is of God therefore wee praye to God for her that shee and all magistrates vnder her may rule according to Gods worde and we her subiectes obey according to the same Truely most honourable Commissioners we caÌ„not thinke these thinges euill but thinke them moste worthye to be retayned in our Churches and we would think our selues not to haue true subiectes hartes if we shuld go about to put away such godly prayers as put vs perpetually in memory of our bounden obedience duety to God and our Rulers For as we thinke at this present the vnquiet multitude had more neede to haue these things more often and earnestly beaten and driuen into them specially geuen in many places to stirre and trouble then to take from them that blessed doctrine whereby onely they may to their saluation be kept in quiet Furthermore we caÌ„not forsake that blessed partaking of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesu Christes institution ministred with such godly prayers exhortatioÌ„s and admonitions teaching vs the knowledge of God the exceeding loue and charity of our louing redeemer Christ breaking hys body vpon the crosse for our sinnes shâ—dding his most precious bloud for our redemption whych we in eating of that blessed breade and drinking of yâ— blessed Cup assuredly beleue that we receiue and be perfectly ioyned with Christ and his holy Catholike Churche into one body and into one vnitie and brotherly loue wherby eche member faithfully embraceth other We must needes confesse thys institution of Christ to be moste holy godly whereof we haue the onely coÌ„fort in conscience against sinne damnation with the assurance of saluation wherof hath ensued reformation of many hainous sinnes much lawinge strife and contention is ended dronkennesse whoredome and other vices in some reformed goodnesse and vertue increased and nourished In the Latine Masse we neuer had no suche edifying but only we saw a great many of ceremonies and strange gestures as tourning of the Prieste crossings blessings breathings washing of handes and spreading abroade of hys armes wyth like ceremonies that we vnderstaÌ„d not And concerninge the Latine tongue wherein the Prieste prayeth we wote not whether hee blesseth or cursseth vs. Wee are not partakers of the Sacrament as Christes institution appoynteth we should be In the ministring of the Sacrament the Priests alter the institution of Christ committing theft and sacriledge robbing vs of the cup of Christes bloud coÌ„trary to Christes commandement saying Drinke yee all of this They rob vs also of Gods woord speaking all thyngs in Latine whych nothing edifieth vs eyther in Faythe or maners Christe commaunded not that his Supper shuld be ministred in an vnknowen tounge but for as much as faith commeth of hearing and hearing commeth of Gods woorde howe can wee beleeue Christes woorde and promise made vnto vs in thys holy Sacrament saying Thys is my bodye broken for you and this is my bloude of the newe Testament whiche is shedde for you for the remission of sinnes if the same promises of Christe either be not at all recited or els so recited in Latine that the Congregation vnderstandeth not or heareth not what is spoken S. Paul saith thus reciting the saying of Esay As truly as I liue sayth the Lorde all knees shall bowe vnto me all tongues shall geue praise vnto God Also he sayeth Al tongues must confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the glory of God the father The holye Ghost came vppon the Apostles in fiery tongues so that they spake the tongues of all nations vnder heauen S. Paul ministred to the Corinthians and preached to them in theyr owne mother tongue and rebuked the bringyng in of straunge tongues into the congregations Wee can not thincke it to be well that so holy an Apostle rebuked And what soeuer vertue the Latine tongue hath to suche as vnderstand it to vs English men not vnderstandyng it it is altogether without vertue and edifying and therfore vnmeete for our Churches The Priestes complayne that we lay men loue them not nor haue them in honour But it is their owne faulte For how should we loue them that onely seeeke to keep vs in blindnes and ignorance to damne our soules to destroy our bodies to rob and spoyle our goodes and substaunce vnder a colour of pretensed holines We knowe right honourable Commissioners what honour is due to suche Wolues how by the authoritie of Gods word such are to be fledde as pestilences to the Lordes lambes whom they miserably dayly murder But we haue rather chosen by this our meeke supplycation humbly to desire the Queenes maiestie and you her honorable Commissioners to render Gods worde agayn vnto the Churches to permit vs freely to enioye the same For we certainely knowe that the whole Religion lately set out by the holy sainct of God our late most deare king Edward is Christes true religion written in the holy scripture of God and by Christe and his Apostles taught vnto his Church Wherefore we cannot allowe with safe consciences this refusall of it and casting of it out of oure Churches for asmuch as to refuse cast off to reiect is to cast off Christ himselfe and to refuse our part in his blessed body broken for our sinnes and his bloud shed for our redemption Which thing who so doth the same without repentaunce can look for no sacrifice for his sinnes but most fearfully wayte for the iudgement and for that vehement fire that shall destroy Christes aduersaries For if hee that despiseth the law of Moses is without mercye put to death vnder two or three witnesses howe much more greeuous tormentes shall he suffer that treadeth vnder foot the sonne of God and esteemeth the bloud of the Testament wherby he was sanctified as a prophane thing coÌ„tumeliously vseth the spirite of grace Wherefore wee moste humbly praye and beseeche the Queenes gracious Maiestie to haue mercy and pitty vpon vs her poore and faithfull subiectes and not to compel vs to do the thing that is agaynst our consciences and shall so incurably wound vs in hart by bringing into the churche the Latine Masse and seruice that nothing edifieth vs and and casting out of Christes holye Communion and
the sayde moste wholesom preceptes geuen vs of oure maister Christe and of hys Apostles and nowe in thys troublesome time wherein the Gospell is persecuted shewe our selues fearefull souldiours as it is manifestly declared in the Reuelation of S. Iohn where it is wrytten That the fearefull shall haue theyr parte wyth the vnbeleeuing and abhominable in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the seconde death Agayne it is wrytten in the same Booke for our warnyng Because thou art betwixt both and neither colde nor hote I wil spew thee out of my mouth Now therefore good christians these true testimonies of Gods liuely woord deepely considered and weighed let vs chiefly stand in awe of his most terrible iudgementes and be not as they that presumptuously tempt hym Lette him alwayes be our feare and dread He nowe chasteneth he nowe nourtereth vs for oure profite deliting in vs euen as a louing Father in his beloued childe to make vs perfecte and to haue vs to be partakers of his holynesse Hee nowe iudgeth vs not vtterly taking away hys euerlasting loue and mercy from vs as he doth from the malignant wicked that we should not be condemned with the wicked world but if we now refuse his moste louyng chastising and folow the worlde we must nedes haue our portion with the worlde Wide is the gate and broade is the way whych leadeth to destruction and many there be whych goe in thereat But straite is the gate and narowe is the waye that leadeth vnto life and fewe there bee that finde it O howe muche better is it to goe thys narrowe waye with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a time In consideration whereof let vs wythout any more slackinge and further delaies in thys greate warninge by Gods louing visitation submit our selues betime vnder hys mighty hand that he may exalte vs when the tyme is come And thus I wholely commit you to him and to the woorde of hys grace which is able to build further beseeching you most heartily to pray for me that I may be strong through the power of his might and stande perfect in all things being alwaies prepared and ready looking for the mercy of our Lorde vnto eternall rest and I will pray for you as I am most bounde So I trust he will graciously heare vs for hys promise sake made vnto all Faithfull in hys dearely beloued sonne Christe oure alone Sauioure whose grace be wyth your spirite most deare Christians for euer So be it By your Christian brother Iohn Hullier a prisoner of the Lorde Iohn Hullyer being of long time prisonner and nowe openly iudged to die for the testimony of the Lord Iesus wisheth hartely to the whole cōgregation of God the strength of his holy spirit to their euerlasting health both of body and soule I Nowe most deare Christians hauing the sweete comfort of Gods sauing health and being confirmed with hys free spirit be he only praised therefore am constrayned in my conscience thinkyng it my verye duetie to admonishe you as ye tender the saluation of your soules by al maner of meanes to separate youre selues from the companie of the Popes hirelings considering what is sayd in the Reuelation of S. Iohn by the Aungell of God touching all men The woordes be these If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receiue his marke in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drinke the wine of the wrathe of God whiche is powred into the cuppe of his wrathe and hee shall be punished with fire and brimstone before the holye Angels and before the Lambe and the smoke of their torment ascendeth vp euermore Marke well heere good Christians who is this beast and worshippers that shal be partakers of that vnspeakeable torment This beast is none other but the carnal fleshly kingdome of Antichrist the Pope with his rabble of false Prophets and Ministers as it is most manifest which to maintaine theyr high titles worldly promotions and dignities do with much cruelty daily more and more setforth and establish theyr owne traditions decrees decretalles contrary to Gods holy ordinaunces statutes lawes and commaundements and wholy repugnante to his sincere and pure religion and true woorshipping Nowe what doe they els but worshyp this Beast and his Image who after they had once already escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of the Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ are yet agayne tangled therin and ouercome vsing dissimulation vnfaithfully for feare of theyr displeasure doing one thing outwardly and thinking inwardly an other so hauing them in reuerence vnder a cloke and colour to whō they ought not so much as to say God speede and adioyning themselues to the malignant congregation whych they oughte to abhorre as a den of theeues and murtherers and as the Brothel house of moste blasphemous fornicators whose voyces beynge contrary to Christes voyce if they were of his flocke they would not knowe but would flee from them as he hymselfe being the good shepeheard of our soules doth full wel in his holy gospel testify Againe what do they els I pray you but receiue the Beastes marke in theyr forheads and in theyr handes whych doe beare a faire face and countenaunce outwardly in supporting them as other do being ashamed onely to confesse Christe and hys holy Gospell But thys fainednesse and dissimulation Christe and hys Gospel will in no wise allowe Of whome it is sayd Who soeuer shall be ashamed of mee and of my woordes in thys adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he shal come in the glory of his father with his holy Angels Therefore sayeth almighty God by hys Prophet Malachie Curssed be the dissemblers Yee were once lyghtened and tasted of the heauenlye gifte and were become partakers of the holy Ghost and tasted of the word of God and of the power of the worlde to come And oure Sauiour Christ sayth No man that putteth hys hande to the ploughe and looketh backe is apte for the kingdome of GOD. Therefor S. Iohn the Apostle vseth this for a manyfest token that the backsliding from the true preachers of Gods woord declareth euidently that they be not of the number of them For sayeth he They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs no doubt they woulde haue continued wyth vs. Surely so long as we vse dissimulation and to play on both hādes we are not in the light For what soeuer is manifest the same is light as the elect vessell of God S. Paule witnesseth Wherfore good Christians for Gods most dear loue deceiue not your selues through your own wisedom and through the wisedome of the worlde which is foolishnesse before God but certifye and stay your owne conscience with the sure truth and faithfull woord of
our eternal comfort dissolue the same and seperate vs asunder againe for a time Wherfore I thought it good yea and my bouÌ„den duety by this simple letter to prouoke styrre admonish you to behaue your selfe in all your doinges sayinges and thoughtes most thankfully vnto our good God for the same And therefore my deare wife as you haue hartily reioyced in the Lord and oftentimes geuen God thanks for his goodnes in bringing vs together in his holy ordinauÌ„ce eueÌ„ so now I desire you when this time of our seperation shal come to reioyce with me in the Lord and to geue him most harty thanks that he hath to his glory and our endles commodity separated vs againe for a little time hath mercifully taken me vnto himselfe forth of this miserable world into his celestiall kingdom beleuing and hoping also assuredly that God of hys goodnesse for his sonne Christes sake will shortlye bring you and your deare children thither to me that we maye moste ioyfully together sing prayses vnto his glorious name for euer And yet once agayne I desire you for the loue of God and as euer you loued me to reioyce with me and to geue God continuall thankes for doing his most mercifull wil vpon me I heare say that you do oftentimes vse to repeate this godly saying The Lordes wil be fulfilled Doubtlesse it reioyceth my poore hart to heare that report of you for the lordes sake vse that godly praier continually and teach your children and family to say the same day and night and not onely say it with your toungs but also with your hart and mind and ioyfully to submit your will to Gods will in very deed knowing beleuing assuredly that nothing shall come to you or any of yours otherwise then it shall be hys almightie and fatherly good wil and pleasure and for your eternall comfort and commodity Which thing to be moste true and certayne Christ testifyeth in his holy gospell saying Are not two litle Sparowes sold for a farthing and yet not one of them shall perish without the wil of your heauenly father And he concludeth saying Feare not yee therefore for yee are better then many sparowes As though he shoulde haue sayd If God haue such a respecte and care for a poore sparowe which is not worth one farthing that it shall not be taken in the lime twig net or pitfall vntill it be his good will pleasure you may be wel assured that not one of you whoÌ„ he so dearly loueth that he hath geueÌ„ his only deare sonne for you shall perishe or depart forth of this miserable life without his almighty good will and pleasure Therefore deare wife put your truste and confidence wholly onely in him and euer pray that his will be fulfilled and not yours except it be agreeing to his will the which I pray GOD it may euer be Amen And as for worldly thinges take you no care but be you well assured the Lorde your deare God and father will not see you nor yours lacke if you continue in his loue and childely feare and keepe a cleare conscience from all kinde of Idolatry superstition and wickednes as my trust is that you wyll doe although it be with the losse and daunger of this temporall life And good Margaret feare not them that canne but kill the body and yet can they not do that vntill God geue them leaâ—e but feare to displease him that can kyll both body and soule and cast them into hell fire Let not the remembraunce of your children keep you from God The Lord himselfe will be a father and a mother better then euer you or I could haue bene vnto them He himselfe wil do all thinges necessary for them yea as much as rock the Cradle if need be He hath geuen his holy Angels charge ouer them therefore committ them vnto him But if you may liue with a cleare conscience for elles I woulde not haue you to liue and see the bringing vp of your children your selfe looke that you nurture them in the feare of God and keepe them farre from Idolatry superstition and all other kinde of wickednesse and for Gods sake helpe them to some learning if it be possible that they may increase in vertue and godly knowledge which shal be a better dowry to marry them withall then any worldlye substaunce and when they be come to age prouide them such husbandes as feare God and loue his holy worde I charge you take heede that you match them with no Papistes and if you liue and marry agayne your selfe whiche thing I woulde wishe you to doe if neede require or els not good wife take heede how you bestowe your selfe that you and my poore children be not compelled to wickednesse But if you shall be able well to liue Gods true widow I would counsell you so to liue still for the more quietnesse of your selfe and your poore children Take heede Margaret and play the wise womans part You haue warning by other if you will take an example And thus I commit you and my sweet children vnto Gods most merciful defence The blessing of God be with you and God seÌ„d vs a mery meeting together in heauen Farewel in Christ farewell mine owne deare hartes all Pray pray * To my good Brother Mayster Iohn Bradford THe peace of God in Iesus Christ the eternall comforte of his sweete spirite which hath surely sealed you vnto eternal saluation be with you and strengthen you in your ioyfull iourney towardes the celestiall Hierusalem my deare frend and most faythfull brother Maister Bradford to the setting forth of Gods glory and to your eternall ioy in Christ Amen Euer since that good M. Philpot shewed me your last letter my deare hart in the Lord I haue coÌ„tinued in great heauines and perplexity not for any hurt or discommodity that I can perceiue comming towardes you vnto whoÌ„ doubtlesse death is made life and great felicity but for the great losse that Gods Churche here in Englande shall sustaine by the taking away of so godly worthy and necessary an instrument as the Lorde hath made you to be Oh that my life and a thousand such wretched liues mo might go for yours Oh why doth God suffer me and such other Caterpillers to liue that can doe nothing but consume the almes of the church and take away you so worthy a workman laborer in the Lordes vineyard But wo be to our sinnes great vnthankfulnes whiche is the greatest cause of the taking away of such worthy instrumeÌ„tes of God as shoulde set forth his glory instruct his people If we had bene thaÌ„kfull vnto God for the good ministers of his word we had not bene so soone depriued both of it and them The Lord forgeue our great ingratitude sinnes and geue vs true repentaunce and fayth hold his hand of mercy ouer vs for his deare sonne Christes sake Take
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
the xi of the first to the Corinthians he sayeth Who so eateth of this bread and drinketh of this cup vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because he maketh no difference of the Lordes body Wood. Doth these wordes proue that Iudas eat the body of Christ vnworthely I pray you let me see them They were contēted Then said I these be the wordes euen that you sayd Good people harken well to them Who so eateth of this bread drinketh of this cup vnworthely He sayth not who so eateth of this body vnworthely or drinketh of this bloude vnworthely But hee sayeth Who so eateth of this bread and drinketh of this cuppe vnworthely which is the sacrament eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because he maketh no difference of the sacrament which representeth the Lordes body and other bread and drinke Here good people you may all see they are not able to proue their sayinges true Wherefore I can not beleue them in any thing that they do Winc. Thou art a rancke hereticke in deed Art thou an expounder Now I will read sentence agaynst thee Wood. Iudge not leaste you be iudged For as you haue iudged me you be your selfe Then he read the Sentence Why sayd I Will you read the Sentence agaynst me and can not tell wherfore Winc. Thou art an hereticke and therefore thou shalt be excommunicated Wood. I am no heretick I take heauē earth to witnes I defie all heretickes and if you condemne me you wil be damned if you repēt it not But God geue you grace to repent all if it be his will and so he read forth the sentence in latin but what he said God knoweth and not I. God be iudge betwene thē me Whē he had done I would haue talked my mind to thē but they cried away away with hym So I was caried to the Marshalsea againe where I am shal be as long as it shall please God I prayse god most hartely that euer he hath elected predestinated me to come to so high dignity as to beare rebuke for his names sake his name be praysed therfore for euer and euer Amen And thus haue you the Examinations of thys blessed Woodman or rather Goodman wherein may appeare as well the great grace and wisedome of God in that man as also the grosse ignorance and barbarous cruelty of his aduersaries especially of Doct. White bishop of Winchester Now foloweth likewise the effect of his Letter A godly Letter of Richard Woodman written to a Christian woman Mistres Robertes of Hawkhurst GRace mercy and peace from God the father and from hys sonne our alone Sauiour Iesus Christe by the operation and working of the holy Ghost be multiplied plenteously vpon you deare sister Robertes that you may the more ioyfully beare the crosse of Christ that ye are vnder vnto the end to your onely cōfort and consolation and to all our brethren and sisters that are round about you both now and euer Amen In my most humble wise I commend me vnto you and to al our brethren and sisters in those parties that loue our Lorde vnfaynedly certifying you that I and all my brethren with me are mery and ioyfull we prayse God therfore looking daily to be dissolued frō these our mortall bodyes according to the good pleasure of our heauenly father praysing God also for your cōstancy and gentle beneuolence that you haue shewed vnto Gods electe people in this troublesome time of persecution which may be a sure pledge and token of Gods good will and fauour towardes you and to all other that heare thereof For blessed are the mercifull for they shall obteine mercy Wherfore the fruites declare alway what the tree is For a good man or woman out of the good treasure of theyr hartes bring forth good thinges Wherfore deare Sister it is not as many affirme in these dayes the more it is to be lamented that say God asketh but a mās hart which is the greatest iniury that can be deuised agaynst god and his word For S. Iames sayth Shew me thy faith by the deeds and I will shew thee my fayth by my deedes saying the deuilles haue fayth and tremble for feare yet shal be but deuils still because theyr minds were neuer to do good Let vs not therfore be like them but let our fayth be made manifest to the whole world by our deedes and in the middest of a crooked and peruerse nation as S. Paule sayth let your light shine as in a darcke place Oh deare hartes nowe is the Gospell of God ouerwhelmed with many blacke and troublesome cloudes of persecution for the which cause very few go about to haue their eies made clere by the true light of the Gospell for feare of loosing of their treasures of this world which are but vayne and shall perish Let not vs therfore be like vnto them which light their candle and put it vnder a bushell but let vs set our candle vpon a cādlesticke that it may geue light vnto all thē that are in the house that is to saye let all the people of the housholde of God see our good workes in suffering all thinges patiently that shal be layde vpon vs for the Gospels sake if it be death it selfe For Christ dyed for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps and as he hath geuen his life for vs so ought we to geue our liues for the defence of the Gospell to the comfort of our brethren How is it then that some will say that theyr fayth is good yet they do all the deedes of Antichrist the deuill and be not ashamed to alledge certayne Scriptures to maynteine their wickednesse Saynt Paule sayth To beleue with the hart iustifieth to confesse with the mouth maketh a man safe Oh good GOD here maye all menne see that no man or woman can haue a true faith vnlesse they haue deedes also and he that doubteth is like the waues of the Sea tossed about of the winde and can looke for no good thing at the Lordes handes Maye not a man iudge all such to be like those whiche Saynt Iohn speaketh of that be neyther hoate nor colde and therfore God will he sayth spue them out of his mouth If we iudge euill of such haue not they geuen vs occasion Had it not bene better for them to haue had a myll stone tyed about theyr necks and to haue bene cast into the Sea then they should geue such offences to Gods elect people in cōdemning them as they doe in going to the sinagogue of Sathan and there to receiue the marke of the beast in that they see and heare God blasphemed there and hold their peace Doth not that declare to the whole world that they allow theyr doinges to be good and these do not only defile themselues but also be an occasion to confirme the Papistes
great deale better welcome then lyfe But this tooke not effect at that time as she thought it would and therfore as I sayd was she not a little troubled Beyng in this great perplexitie of mynde a friend of hers came to her and required to knowe whether Abrahams obedience was accepted before God for that hee did sacrifice his sonne Isaac or in that he would haue offered hym Unto which she answered thus I know quoth she that Abrahams will before God was allowed for the deede in that he would haue done it if the Aungell of the Lorde had not stayed him but I said she am vnhappy the Lorde thinketh me not worthye of this dignitie and therfore Abrahams case and mine is not alyke Why quoth her friend would ye not willingly haue gone with your company if God should so haue suffered it Yes said she with all my hart and because I did not it is now my chiefe and greatest griefe Then said her friend My deare sister I pray thee consider Abraham and thy self well thou shalt see thou doest nothing differ with him in will at all Alas quoth she there is a farre greater matter in Abraham then in me for Abraham was tried with the offering of his owne childe but so am not I and therefore our cases are not lyke Good sister quoth her friend way the matter but indifferently Abraham I graunt sayd he would haue offered his sonne and haue not you done the lyke in your little suckyng babe But consider further then this my good sister sayd he where Abraham was commanded but to offer his sonne you are heuy and grieued because you offer not your selfe which goeth somewhat more neere you then Abrahams obedience did therefore before God assuredly is no lesse accepted allowed in his holy presence which further the preparing of your shroud also doth argue full well c. After which talke betweene them she began a little to stay her selfe and gaue her whole exercise to readyng and prayer wherein she found no little comfort In the tyme that these foresayd ij good women were prisoners one in the Castle the other in Motehall God by a secret meane called the sayd Margaret Thurston vnto his truth agayne who hauyng her eyes opened by the workyng of his spirit did greatly sorrow and lament her backsliding before and promised faithfully to the Lord in hope of his mercies neuer more while she liued to doe the like agayne but that she would constantly stand to the cōfession of the same against all the aduersaries of the crosse of Christ. After which promise made came in short tyme a writ from London for the burning of them which accordyng to the effect thereof was executed the 17. day of September in the yeare aforesayd * The burning of Margaret Thurston and Agnes Bongeor at Colchester to Laxfield to bee burned and on the next day mornyng was brought to the stake where was ready agaynst hys commyng the foresayd Iustice M. Thurstō one M. Waller then beyng vnder shiriffe and M. Tho. Louell beyng high Constable as is before expressed the which commanded men to make redy all things meete for that sinful purpose Nowe the fire in most places of the streete was put out sauyng a smoke was espied by the said Tho. Louell proceeding out from the top of a chimney to which house the shiriffe and Grannow his man went and brake open the dore and thereby got fire and brought the same to the place of execution When Iohn Noyes came to the place of execution When Iohn Noyes came to the place where he should be burned he kneeled downe and sayde the 50. Psalme with other prayers and then they making haste bound hym to the stake and beyng bounde the sayd Iohn Noyes sayd Feare not them that can kill the body but feare hym that can kill both bodye and soule and cast it into euerlastyng fire When he saw his sister weeping and making mone for him he bade her that she should not weepe for hym but weepe for her sinnes Then one Nich. Cadman beyng Hastler a valiaunt champion in the Popes affaires brought a fagotte and set agaynst him and the said Ioh. Noyes tooke vp the fagot and kissed it and sayd Blessed bee the tyme that euer I was borne to come to this Then he deliuered his Psalter to the vndershirife desiring him to be good to his wyfe and children to deliuer to her that same booke and the shiriffe promised hym that he would notwithstāding he neuer as yet performed his promise Then the sayd Iohn Noyes sayd to the people They say they can make God of a piece of bread beleeue them not Then sayd he good people beare witnes that I do beleeue to be saued by the merites passion of Iesus Christ and not by myne owne deedes and so the fire was kindled and burned about him and thē he sayd Lord haue mercy vpon me Christ haue mercy vppon me Sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me ¶ The burnyng of Iohn Noyes Martyr And so he yelded vp his lyfe and when his body was burned they made a pit to bury the coales and ashes and amongst the same they found one of his feet that was vnburned whole vp to the anckle with the hose on and that they buried with the rest Now while he was a burnyng there stoode one Iohn Iaruis by a mans seruant of the same towne a plaine fellow which sayd Good Lorde how the sinewes of hys armes shrinke vp And there stood behynd hym one Gran now and Benet beyng the shiriffes men and they sayd to their maister that Iohn Iaruis said what villeine wretches are these And their maister bade lay hand on hym then they tooke hym and piniond hym and caried hym before the Iustice that same day and the Iustice did examine hym of the words aforesayd but he denied them and aunswered that he sayd nothing but this Good Lorde howe the sinews of his armes shrinke vp But for all this the Iustice did bynd his father and his maister in v. poundes a piece that he should be forth commyng at all tymes And on the Wednesday next hee was broughte agayne before these Iustices M. Thurston and M. Kene they sittyng at Fresingfield in Hoxton hundred and there they did appoint and commaund that the sayd Iohn Iaruis shoulde be set in the stockes the next market day and whipt about the market naked But his Maister one William Iaruis did after craue friendship of the Constables and they dyd not set him in the stockes till Sonday morning and in the after noone they did whip hym about the market wyth a dog whip hauyng three cords and so they let hym go Some doe geue that Iohn Iaruis was whipped for saying that Nich. Cadman was Noyes Hastler that is such one as maketh and hasteth the fire The copy of a certaine letter that he sent to comforte his Wyfe at such tyme as he lay
for dreames he sayd were but phantasies and not to be credited Then maister Rough straightly charged him in the name of the Lord to doe it Whereupon the sayde Cutbert tooke suche notes out of the booke as hee had willed hym to doe and immediately left the booke with M. Roughes wife The next day following in the night the said Maister Rough had an other dreame in his sleepe concerning hys owne trouble The matter wherof was this He thought in his dreame that he was caried himselfe forceably to the Bishop and that the Bishop pluckt of his beard and cast it into the fire saying these wordes Nowe I may saye I haue had a peece of an heretick burned in my house and so according it came to passe Now to returne to Cutbert agayne as we haue touched something coâ—cerning these visions so nowe remayneth to story also of his paynes and sufferinges vpon the racke and otherwise like a good Laurence for the congregations sake as he wrote it with his owne hand ¶ A true report how I was vsed in the Tower of London being sent thether by the Counsell the xiii day of December ON the Thursday after I was called vnto the warehouse before the Constable of the Tower and the Recorder of Londer Maister Cholmley they commaunded me to tell whome I did will to come to the Englishe seruice I aunswered I would declare nothing Wherupon I was set in a racke of Iron the space of three houres as I iudged Then they asked me if I would tell them I aunswered as before Then was I losed and caried to my lodging agayne On the sonday after I was brought into the same place agayne before the Lieuetenaunt and the Recorder of London and they examined me As before I had sayde I aunswered Then the Lieuetenaunt did sweare by god I shuld tell Then did they binde my 2. forefingers together and put a small arrowe betwixt them and drewe it through so fast that the bloude followed and the arrowe brake Then they racked me twise Then was I caryed to my lodging agayne and x. dayes after the Lieuetenant asked me if I would not confesse that which before they had asked me I sayd I had sayd as much as I would TheÌ„ fiue weekes after he sent me vnto the high Prieste where I was greatly assaulted and at whose hande I receiued the Popes curse for bearing witnesse of the resurrection of Iesus Christ. And thus I commend you vnto God and to the worde of his grace with all them that vnfaynedly call vpon the name of Iesus desiring God of his endles mercy through the merites of hys deare sonne Iesus Christe to bringe vs all to hys euerlasting kingdome Amen I prayse God for his great mercy shewed vppon vs. Syng Osanna vnto the highest with me Cutbert Simson God forgeue me my sinnes I aske all the worlde forgeuenesse and I doe forgeue all the worlde and thus I leaue thys world in hope of a ioyfull resurrection A note for Cutbert Simsons patience NOw as touching this Cutbert Simson this further is to be noted that Boner in his Consistory speaking of Cutbert Simson gaue this testimony of hym there to the people saying ye see this man sayth he what a personable man he is and after hee had thus commended hys persone added moreouer And furthermore concerning his pacience I say vnto you that if hee were not an hereticke hee is a manne of the greatest pacience that yet euer came before me For I tell you he hath bene thrise racked vppon one day in the Tower Also in my house hee hathe felt some sorrowe and yet I neuer see hys pacience broken c. ⧠A true description of the racking and cruell handeling of Cutbert Simson in the Tower It is thought and sayd of some that that arrowe whiche was grated betwixt his fingers being tyed together was not in the tower but in the Bishops house The day before the blessed Deacon and Martyr of god Cutbert Simson after his paynfull racking should go to his coÌ„deÌ„nation before Boner to be burned being in the Bishops colehouse there in the stockes he had a certayne vision or apparition very straunge which he himself with hys owne mouthe declared to the Godly learned man M. Austen to his owne wiâ—e and Thomas Simson and to others besides in the prison of Newgate a litle before his death The relation whereof I stande in no little doubte whether to reporte abroad or not considering with my selâ—e the greate diuersitie of mennes iudgementes in the reading of historyes and varietie of affections Some I see will not beleue it some will deride the same some also will be offended with setting forth things of that sorte incertayne esteeming all thinges to bee incertayne and incredible whatsoeuer is straunge from the common order of Nature Other will be perchaunce agreeued thinking with theÌ„ selues or els thus reasoning with me that althoughe the matter were as is reported yet for somuch as the common error of beleuing rash miracles phantasied visions dreames and appparitions thereby may be confirmed more expedient it were the same to be vnsetforth These and such lyke will be I know the sayinges of many Whereunto brieflye I aunswere grauntynge firste and admyttyng wyth the woordes of Basill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is not euery dreame is strait waye a Prophecie Agayne neither am I ignoraunt that the Papistes in their bookes and legendes of saintes haue theyr prodigious visions and apparitions of Aungelles of our Lady of Christ and other sayncts which as I wil not admit to be beleeued for true so will they aske me agayne why should I then more require these to be credyted of them then theirs of vs. First I write not this binding any manne precisely to beleue the same so as they do theyrs but onely reporte it as it hath bene heard of persons knowne naming also the parties who were the hearers thereof leauing the iudgment therof notwithstanding free vnto the arbitremente of the reader Aâ—beit it is no good argument proceedyng from the singular or particular to the vniuersall to saye that visions be not true in some ergo they be true in none And if any shall muse or obiect agayne why should suche visions be geuen to him or a few other singular persons more then to all the rest seeing the other were in the same cause and quarrell and dyed also martyrs as well as hee To thys I say concerning the Lordes tymes and doings I haue not to meddle nor make who may woorke where and when it pleaseth him And what if the Lorde thought chiefly aboue the other with singular consolation to respecte him who chiefly aboue the other and singularly did suffer most exquisite tormentes for his sake What greate maruell herein but as I sayd of the Lords secrete tymes I haue not to reason This onely whiche hathe out of the mans owne mouth bene receiued so as I receiued it of the
brought them ouer to sell for gaine D. Cooke Let her heade be trussed in a small line make her to confesse Martin The booke is called Antichrist and so may it be wel called for it speaketh against Iesus Christ the Queene And besides that shee hathe a certaine sparke of the Anabaptists for she refuseth to sweare vpon the iiij Euangelistes before a Iudge For I my selfe and M. Hussy haue had her before vs foure times but we can not bring her to sweare Wherfore my Lord Chauncellor would that shee should absteine fast for she hath not fasted a great while For she hathe laine in the Clincke a good while where she hath had too much her libertie Then said the bishop why wilt thou not sweare before a Iudge that is the right trade of the Anabaptists Eliz. My Lord I wil not sweare that this hand is mine No sayd the bishop and why Eliz. My Lorde Christ sayeth that what soeuer is more then yea yea or nay nay it commeth of euill And moreouer I know not what an oth is and therefore I wil take no such thing vpon me Then saide Cholmley xx pounde it is a man in a woman clothes xx pound it is a man Boner Thinke you so my Lord Cholm Yea my Lord. c. Eliz. My Lord I am a woman Bish. Sweare her vpon a booke seeing it is but a question asked Then said Cholmley I will lay twentie pounde it is a man Then D. Cooke brought her a booke commanding her to lay thereon her hande Eliz. No my Lorde I will not sweare for I knowe not what an oth is But I say that I am a woman and haue children Bish. That know not we wherefore sweare Cholmley Thou yll fauoured whore lay thy hande vpon the booke I will lay on myne and so he laied his hande vpon the booke Eliz So will not I mine Then the Bishop spake a woorde in Latine out of S. Paule as concerning swearing Elizab. My Lorde if you speake to mee of S. Paule then speake English for I vnderstand you not The bish I dare sweare that thou doest not Eliz. My Lord S. Paul saith that fiue wordes spoken in a language that may be vnderstand is better then manye in a foreine or strange tongue which is vnknowen Doctor Cooke Sweare before vs whether thou be a man or a woman Eliz. If ye wil not beleue me then send for women into a secrete place and I will be tried Cholm Thou art an ill fauored whore Then said the Bishop How beleeuest thou in the Sacrament of the altar Eliza. My Lorde if it will please you that I shall declare mine owne faith I will The bish Tell me how thou beleeuest in the sacrament of the altar Eliza. Will it please you that I shall declare my Faithe And if it be not good then teach me a better and I wil beleeue it D. Cooke That is well sayd declare thy faith Eliz. I beleeue in God the Father almighty the Sonne and the holy Ghost three persons and one God I beleue all the Articles of my Crede I beleeue al things wrytten in the holy Scripture and all thinges agreeable wyth the Scripture geuen by the holy Ghoste into the Churche of Christ set forth and taught by the church of Christ. I beleue that Iesus Christ the only sonne of God that immaculate Lamb came into the world to saue sinners that in him by him throughe him I am made cleane frō my sinnes and without him I coulde not I beleeue that in the holy sacrament of Christes body and bloud which he did institute and ordaine and left among his Disciples the nyght before he was betraied whē I do receiue his Sacrament in faith and spirite I do receiue Christ. Bish. No more I warrant you but the sacramēt of Christes body and bloud receiued but in spirit and faith wyth those heretiques Cholm Ah whoore spirite and faith whoore Eliz. This sacrament neuer man coulde or did make but only he that did which no man could do Mart. Then thou must allowe that grasse is a sacrament for who could make grasse but he only Eliz. Syr he hathe suffered and made a sufficient Sacrifice once for all and so hath he made hys Sacrament sufficient once for all for there was neuer man that could say Take eate this is my body that is broken for you but only Iesus Christ who had his body broken for the sinnes of the world which Sacrament he hath left here amongst vs for a testimonial of his death euen to the worldes ende Mart. Who taught thee this doctrine did Scorie Eliz. Yea Bishop Scorie and other that I haue heard Bish. Why is Scory Bishop now Eliz. If that doe offende you call him Docteur Scorie if yee will Roper I knew when he was but a poore Doctour Mart. What doe ye call Scorie Eliz. Our Superintendent Bish. Loe their Superindent Mart. And what are ye called Eliz. Christes congregation Bish. Lo Christes congregation I warrant you Doctor Cooke What liuing hath Scorie Eliz. Sir as farre as I do know he liueth by his owne for I know no man that geueth him ought Recorder Yes I warrant you he hath enough sent hym out of England Eliz. Syr I know no such thing Cholm Harke whore harke harke how I do beleeue Eliz. My Lord I haue tolde you my beliefe Cholmley Harke thou yll fauoured whoore howe I doe beleeue When the Priest hath spoken the wordes of Consecration I do beleue that there remaineth the very body that was borne of the virgine Marie was hanged on the crosse was deade and buried and descended into hell and rose againe on the thirde day and ascended to heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God The same body when the priest hath spoken the woords commeth down and when the priest lifteth vp his body on this wise he lifting vp his handes sayd there it is Eliz. I haue tolde you also how I do beleeue Mart. Away with her Cholmley Ah euill fauoured whore nothing but spirit and faith whore Mart. Away with her we haue more to talke withall Then was shee caried into the Colehouse and searched for bookes and then put into the stockhouse and her knife girdle and aporne taken from her The fifth examination before the Bishop of Londons Chancellour c. THen was she brought out of the stockhouse brought before the bishops Chauncellour who required of her what age shee was of Eliz. Sir fortie yeares and vpwardes The Chauncellour Why thou art a woman of a faire yeares what shouldest thou meddle with the Scriptures it is necessary for thee to beleeue and that is inoughe It is more sitte for thee to meddle with thy distaff then to meddle with the Scriptures What is thy beliefe I woulde heare it for it can not be good in that thou art brought into prison Eliz. Syr if it will please you to heare
place where he had fastned the girdle beyng so low that his hips well nere touched the floore his legs lying a crosse and his armes spred abroad And this was the maner of his hangyng hauyng his Agnus Dei in a siluer tablet with his other idolatrous trash in the window by him And thus being dead and not thought worthy to be interred in the Churchyard he was buried in a Lane called Foskew Lane This heauy and dreadfull ende of Henry Smith although it might seeme enough to gender a terrour to all yong popish students of the law yet it did not so worke with all but that some remayned as obstinate still as they were before Amongst whom was one named Williams a student of the Inner Temple who beyng sometyme a fauourer of the Gospell fell in like maner from that to be an obstinate Papist a despitefull railer agaynst true religion and in conclusion was so hote in his catholike zeale that in the midst of his railing he fell starke madde and so yet to this present day remaineth The Lord of his mercy turne him to a better mynd and conuert him if it bee hys pleasure Amen The miserable ende of Twyford is here no lesse to bee remembred a busie doer sometymes in K. Henries dayes by Boners appointment in settyng vp of stakes for the burnyng of poore Martyrs Who when he sawe the stakes consume away so fast yea sayd hee will not these stakes hold I will haue a stake I trow that shall hold and so prouided a big tree and cuttyng of the top set it in Smith field But thanks be to God or euer the tree was all consumed God turned the state of Religion and hee fell into an horrible disease rottyng alyue aboue the ground before he died Read more of hym pag. 1258. But because the story both of hym and of a number such other lyke is to bee founde in sundry places of this history sufficiently before expressed it shall be but a double labour agayne to recapitulate the same ⧠Ye haue heard before pag. 1911. of the condemnation and Martyrdome of a certain boy called Tho. Drowry condemned by Williams Chauncellour of Gloucester contrary to all right and counsaile of the Register then present called Barker Now what punishment fell after vpon the said Chancellor followeth to be declared ¶ The strange and fearefull death of the same Doctor Williams WHen God of his inestimable mercy hauing pitie of vs and pardoning our sinnes for hys sonnes sake Christ Iesu had now taken from vs that bloudy Princesse and sent vs this iewel of Ioy the Queenes maiestie that now raigneth and long might she raigne ouer vs and that the commissioners for restitution of religion wer comming toward Glocester The same day D. Williams the Chauncellour dined with W. Ienings the Deane of Gloucester who with all his men were booted redy at one of the clocke to set forward to Chipping Norton aboute xv miles from Gloucester to meete the Commissioners which were at Chipping Norton and sayd to him Chancellor are not thy bootes on Chanc. Why should I put them on To go with me quoth the Deane to meet these commissioners Chanc. I will neither meet them nor see them Deane Thou must needs see them for now it is past xij of the clocke and they will be here afore iij. of the clocke and therfore if thou be wise on with thy bootes and let vs goe together and all shall be well Chanc. Go your wayes M. Deane I will neuer see them As I sayd W. Ienings the Deane set forward wyth his company toward the Commissioners and by and by commeth one vpon horsebacke to the Deane saying M. Chancellor lyeth at the mercy of God and is speachlesse At that worde the Deane with his company pricked forward to the Commissioners and tolde them the whole matter and communication betwene them two as aboue And they sent one of their men with the best wordes they could deuise to comfort him with many promises But to be short albeit the Commissioners were now nerer Glocester then the Deane and his company thought making very great hast especially after they hadde receyued these newes Yet Doct. Williams though false of religion yet true of his promise kept his vngracious couenaunt with the Deane for he was dead or they came to the citie and so neuer saw them in deed Wherefore to passe ouer our owne domesticall examples of English persecuters plaged by Gods hand wherof this our present story doth abound I will stretche my penne a little further to adioyne withall a few like examples in forraine countries ⧠Foraine Examples HOfmeister the great Archpapist and chiefe maisterpiller of the Popes fallyng Church as hee was in hys iourney goyng toward the Councell of Ratisbone to dispute agaynst the defenders of Christes gospel sodainly in his iourney not farre from Ulmes was preuented by the stroke of Gods hand and there miserably died with horrible roring and crying out Ex Illyrico de vocabulo fidei What a pernitious and pestilent doctrine is this of the papists which leadeth men to seeke their saluation by merites and workes of the lawe and not by faith onelye in Christ the sonne of God and to stay themselues by grace And what inconuenience this doctrine of doubting desperation bringeth men to at length if the playne word of God will not sufficiently admonish vs yet let vs be warned by examples of such as haue bene either teachers or followers of this doctrine and consider well what ende commonly it hath and doth bring men vnto To recite all that may be sayd in this behalfe it were infinite To note a few examples for admonitions sake it shal be requisite In the Uniuersitie of Louane was one named Guarlacus a learned man brought vp in that Schoole who at length was reader of Diuinitie to the Monkes of s. Gertrudes order Where after he had stoutly mainteyned the corrupt errors of such popish doctrine at last falling sicke when he perceiued no way with him but death he fell into a miserable agonie and perturbation of spirite crying out of his sinnes how wickedly he had liued and that he was not able to abide the iudgement of God and so casting out wordes of miserable desperation saide his sinnes were greater then that he could be pardoned and in that desperation wretchedly he ended his lyfe Ex Epistola Claudij Senarclaei ad Bucerum ante histor de morte Diazij Another like example we haue of Arnoldus Bomelius a young man of the sayd Uniuersitie of Louane well commended for his fresh flourishing wit and ripenesse of learnyng who so long as he fauoured the cause of the gospell and tooke part with the same agaynst the enemies of the truth he prospered and went well forward but after that he drew to the company of Tyleman maister of the Popes Colledge in Louane and framed hymselfe after the rule of his vnsauourie doctrine
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
rauening extortioning or with vsury oppressing the poore and nedy but stedfast vnmoueable liuing in the feare of Gods iudgementes and trust vpon his mercy mortifying our brutish and carnall lustes being mercifull and helpeful to the poore and nedy wayting for the blessed time when Christ shall call vs to be ready accepted before him Our merciful Lord good Father graunt vs grace so to doe for the loue of his deare sonne Iesus Christ our certayne and most deare Sauior to whom with the father the holy ghost be all honor for euer and euer Amen Psalme Cxv. Precious in the sighte of the Lord is the death of his sayntes Apocalips vi These are they which are come out of great troubles and haue washed theyr clothes and made them white in the bloude of the lambe ¶ Certayne Cautions of the Authour to the Reader of thinges to be considered in reading this story AMongst other escapes and ouersightes in the Edition of this story committed part of them we leaue to thine owne gentle castigation gentle reader certaine other specialities there be whereof wee thought it good and expedient to geue thee warning as hereafter followeth First when mention is made pag. 34. of Peters being at Rome and suffering at Rome following certayne Authors yet forsomuch as other writers there be reasons to proue that he was not at Rome I desire thee therfore that this my affirmation may not preiudice other mens iudgementes if anye see or can say further in that matter Touching the story of the Turkes where as I in following our Christian Authours writing of the Turkes haue noted in the pag. 747. Solymannus to be the 12. Turke after Ortomannus as they do all record I haue found since by the computation of the Turkes set forth in the Table of theyr owne discent the sayde Solymannus to be but the 6. emperor of the Turks this Solimannus his sonne which now reygneth to be but the twelfe Which I thought here to signifie vnto thee because of theyr own turkish prophecie noted in the pag. 771. lest in construing of that Prophecie being in the same place expounded thou be deceiued Item 1245. where mayster George Blag is named to be one of the priuie chamber here is to be noted also that although he were not admitted as one of the priuy chamber yet his ordinary resort thither and to the kinges presence there was such as although hee were not one of them yet was he so commonly taken Item pag. 1367. in the story of the Duke of Somerset where it is sayde that at the returne of the Earle of Warwicke out of Norfolke there was a consultation amongst the Lordes assembling themselues together in the house of M. Yorke c. agaynst the Duke of Somerset here is to be noted that the comming of the Lordes to the said house of M. Yorke was not immediately vpon the Duke of Northumberlandes returne but first hee went to Warwicke and from thence after a space came to the house aforesayd Item here is also to be noted touching the sayd Duke of Somerset that albeit at his death relation is made of a sodeine falling of the people as was at the taking of christ this is not to be expounded as though I compared in any part the Duke of Somerset with Christ. And though I do something more attribute to the coÌ„mendation of the sayd Duke of Somerset which dyed so constantly in his religion yet I desire thee gentle reader so to take it not that I did euer meane to derogate or empeyre the martiall prayse or â—actes of other men which also are to be commended in suche thinges where they well deserued Item touching the same Duke of Somerset where the story sayth pag. 1367. he was attaynted read indited Item pag. 1418. where mention is made of one Nicolas Underwood to be the betrayer of the Duke of Suffolke ioyne with the sayd Underwood also Nicolas Laurence alias Nicolas Ethell keeper of Asteley Parke who taking vpon him and promising to keepe the Duke for 2. or three dayes vntill hee might finde some meanes to escape conueyed him into an hollowe tree and after moste trayterously bewrayed him Item fol. 1419. in the Storye of Syr Thomas Wyat there is also to be corrected that where the story sayth that he was taken by Syr Clement Parson which was not so nor he no such knight amend it thus that he first came to Clarentius being sent vnto him and afterward yealded him to Syr Mortis Bartly Briefly and in generall besides these castigations aboue noted if thou finde any other committed in the printing hereof gently I desire thee gentle reader to bestowe a little paynes with thine owne hand to amend them * Notes omitted of them that were burnt at Bristowe THe viij daye of August 1953. was brought Wil. Sarton weauer of Bristow before one Dalbie Chauncellour of Bristow aforesaid and by him committed to prison and also condemned for holding that the sacrament was a signe of an holy thing also he denyed that the flesh and bloud of Christ is there after their words of consecration he was burned the xviij of september 1556. and as he weÌ„t to the fire he sang the Psalmes The Sheriffe Ioh. Griffith had prepared greene wood to burne him but one mayster Iohn Pikes pitieng the man caused diuers to goe wyth him to Ridland halfe a myle of who brought good store of helme sheaues which in deede made good dispatch with little payne in comparison to that he should haue suffered with the greene woode In the meane space whilest they went for the sheues the sayde Sarton made many good exhortations to the people and after dyed constantly and patiently with great ioyfulnes * A note of Prestes wyfe of Exceter IN Cornewall not farre from Launceston within the Dioces of Exceter in Queene Maryes dayes dwelled a poore man whose name was Prest his wife beyng an honest woman very simple but of good zeale and vpright life being taught by God in hearing of his worde albeit it was in those dayes very seldome preached anye where and feeling a sweete taste thereof framed her lyfe a new after the rule of the same And banished quite from her all the popishe dregges of superstition and hipocrisie gaue her selfe wholly to prayer and inuocating the name of God both for the afflicted Church of Christ in those dayes very dangerously rost and tormoyled as also for her own inward contentation and spirituall consolation whiche she no little felt to her vnspeakeable ioy and incomparable comfort And when some who before had known her sawe that marueilous chaunge in her and as the cruell serpent enueying her felicitie went vpoÌ„ the same immediately and accused her to certayn Iustices of the shire being extreme enemies to the truth and very persecutors of the same who taking the matter in hande as very glad of such occasion sent for her to the place where she was and