the world and to ioyn them vnto him self In whose cause we must if we wilbe his forsake father and mother and stycke vnto hym if we forsake hym or shrinck frō him for trouble or deathes sake whiche he calleth his crosse he wil none of vs we cannot be his if for hys cause we shal lose oure temporall liues here we shall find it again and enioy it for euermore but if in his cause wee will not be contented to leaue nor lose it here then shal we lose it so that we shall neuer finde it againe But in euerlasting death What though our troubles here be painful for the time and the stinge of death bitter vnpleasant yet we know they shal not laste in cōparisō of eternity no not the twinkling of an eie And that they pacientlye takē in Christes cause shal procure get vs vnmesurable hepes of heuēly glory vnto the which these tēporal pains troubles of death cōpared are not to be estemed but to be reioysed vpon Wonder not saith S. Peter as thoughe it were anye straung matter that ye are tried by fire he meaneth of tribulaciō whiche thing saith he is done to proue you Nay but in y t ye are partners of Christes afflictions reioyse y t in his glorious reuelacion ye mai reioyse w t mery harts If ye suffer rebukes in Christes name happy are for the glory of the spirit of God resteth vpon you Of thē God is reuiled and dishonored but of you he is glorified Let no mā be ashamed in y t he suffereth as a christian and in Christes cause For now is y e time y t iudgement gods correctiō must begin at y e house of God And if it begin first at vs what shalbe thend of those thinke ye which beleue not y t gospel And if the righteous shal be hardly saued the wicked and the sinner wher shal he apere wherfor they which are afflicted accordinge to y e wil of God let thē lay downe cōmit their souls to him by wel doing as to a trusty faithfulmaker this as I said may not seme straūg to vs. For we know y t al y e hole fraterniti of christes cōgregatiō in this world is serued w t the like by the same is made perfect for y e feruent loue y t the appostles had vnto their master christ for y e great cōmodities increse of al godlines which they by their faith to ensue of afflictiōs in Christes cause thirdlye for the heapes of heauenly ioyse which the same do get vnto the godly whyche shal endure in heauē for euermore For these causes I sai the apostles of their afflictions did ioy reioysed in that they wer had accompted worthy to suffer contumelies rebukes for christes name Paul as he glorified in the grace and fauoure of God whereunto he was brought and stode in by faith so he glorified in his afflictions for the heauenli spiritual profits which resteth vppon them yea he was so much in loue wyth that y t the carnal mā lothe the so much y t is with Christes crosse that he iudged hym self to know nothing els but christ crucified he wil glori he saith in nothing els but in Christes crosse yea he blesseth al those as thonli true Israelites and elect people of god with peace and mercy which walketh after y e rule after none other O Lord what a wonderfull spirite was that that made Paule in setting forth of him self against the vanitie of Sathan his Pseudo postels and in his claime ther that he in Christes cause did excell passe them all what wonderful Spirite was that I say that made hym to recken vp all his troubles his labors his beatings his whippings his scourginges his shipwrackes his dangers and pearils by water and by lande his famine hunger nakednes and cold with many mo and the daily care of al the congregacions of Christ. Among whome euery mannes paine did pearse his hart and euery mannes grief was greuous vnto him O Lord is this Pauls primacy wherin he thought so muche good of it that he did excel other Is not this Paules sayinge vnto Timothy his owne schollers and doth it not pertaine to whosoeuer will be Christes true souldiour bere thou saith he the afflictiōs like a good souldioure of Iesu Christ. This is true if we die with him he meneth Christ we shall liue with him If we suffer with him we shal reigne with him If we deny him he shall denye vs if we be faithlesse he remaineth faithfull he cannot denye him self This Paule woulde haue knowen to euery body For ther is none other wai to heauē but Christ and his waye And al that wil liue godlye in Christ shall saith Saint Paule suffer persecution By this waye wente to heauen the Patriarckes the Prophetes Christe oure master his Apostles his Martirs and all the Godlye since the beginning And as it hath bene of olde that he whyche was borne after the fleshe persecuteth him which was borne after the spirite So it was in Isaackes time so said Saint Peter it was in his time also And whether it be so or no nowe let the spirituall man the manne I meane that is indued with the spirite of God let him be iudge Of the crosse of the Patriarckes if ye reade the booke of Genesis ye shall perceiue Of other Saint Paule in fewe words comprehendeth much matter speaking in a generalitie of the wonderfull afflictions death and tormentes whiche the men of God in Goddes cause and for the truth sake willingly did suffer after muche perticuler rehearsall of manye he saith Other were racked and dispised to be redemed that thei might obtain a better resurrection Other again were tried with Mockinges and scourginges and moreouer wyth bondes and imprisonmēt they wer stoned hewen insunder teinted fel and were slain vpon the edge of the sworde some wandred to and fro in shepes pilches in gotes pilches forsaken oppressed afflicted such godlye men as the world was vnworthy of wandering in wildernes in mountains in caues and in dens And all these were commended for their faithe And yet they abide for vs the seruauntes of God those their brethren which are to be slain as they were for the word of Gods sake that none be shut out but that we may all go together to mete our maister Christ in thair at his comminge so to be in blisse with him in body and soule for euermore Therfore seing we haue so much occasion to suffer and to take afflictions for Christes name sake paciently so many commodities therby so waighty causes so manye good examples so great necessity so sure promises of eternall life and eternall ioyes of him that can not lye Let vs throwe away what so euer might let vs all burden of sinne all kinde of carnalitie And paciētly and constantlye let vs ronne for the best game in this race that is set before vs
A Frendly Farewel which Master Doctor Ridley late Bishop of London did write beinge prisoner in Oxeforde vnto all his true Louers and frendes in God a litle before that he suffred for the testimony of the truthe of Christ his Gospell Newly set forth and allowed according to the order apoynted in the Quenes Maiesties Iniunctions Ecclesiasticus 4. For the truthe striue thou vnto death ¶ Imprinted at London by Ihon Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate beneath S. Martius 1559. The .10 of Nouembre Cum gratia priuilegio Regia Maiestatis per Septēnium IOHN FOXE to the gentle Reader AMongest manye other worthy sundrie Histories and notable acts which we haue in hande and entēde by the grace of Christe oure Lorde shortly to set abrode of such as of late daies haue ben persecuted murthered martyred for the trewe Gospell of Christ in Quene Maries raigne Firste to begin with this litell treatis of Doct. Nicholas Ridley late Byshoppe of London this shalbe to desyre thee gentle Reader to accept it and studiouslye to peruse it in the meane tyme whyle the other Uolumes be addressing which we ar about touching the full Historie processe and examinations of all our blessed brethren lately persecuted for rightuosnes sake Whiche Histories whā they shal come to light I suppose thou shalt see as horrible a slaughter of the Sainctes ioyned with as much crueltie of some English hertes as euer in anye one realme before Christe or after was sene In the meane time because all thynge can not be done at once the Uolumes be long accept well in worth this litle but pithie worke of this forsaid Bishoppe in expectation of greater thynges which shall perchaunce more largely satisfie thy desyre Cōcerning the contentes of this Booke the Argument doeth easely import For the worthines therof the name onely of the Author is a sufficient commendation though I bestow no prayse therof Firste whan thou readist it by the name of a Fare well thou maiest vnderstande a faithfull Declaration as of one beynge in that case nothing dissembling his consciēce in suche matters and cōtrouersies of religion wherfore he suffered Againe whan thou readist wrytten by Doctor Ridley Bishoppe of London by that onely name thou maiest vnderstande of what excellencie and learning the worke is to be thought procedynge from suche a man whose profounde learning is vnknowē to few Thus doble waies are we bounde to the Lorde who not onely by the bloud and death of his Sainctes confirmeth the testimonie of his trueth but also besydes theyr death leaueth such monumentes behinde them which no lesse cōfounde the aduersary as confirme the godly Briefly as there is nothing in this Boke that greatly neadeth any mans commendation beyng able ynough of his owne praise so neyther do I so mistrust thy vertuous towardnes good and Christian Reader in godly studie reading that thou shouldst greatly nead my exhortation thereunto or any Epistle before the worke saue only that I wold desyre the aide of thy Christiā prayer whereby the thinges maye the more luckely come forward whiche for thy sake at this present we do acheue to the fortheryng of God hys glory the testimony of true religion and establishing of thy conscience Thus desyring the brotherly helpe of thy prayer I wishe thee to fare wel with well fare in the Lorde The grace of Christe confyrme vs and stablyshe vs in all wel doing to the glorie of his name Amen ¶ A FRENDLIE farewell AS a man minding to take a farre iorney and to departe from his familiar frendes commenly and naturally hath a desyre to bid his frendes farewell before his departure So likewise nowe I lokyng when that I should be called for to depart hence frō you O all ye my deare beloued brethren and sisters in our Sauior Christ that dwell here in this worlde hauyng nowe a like minde towardes you all And also blessed be God of this such time and leasure wherof I right hartely thanke his heauēly goodnes I byd you all my deare brethren and sisters in Christ that dwell vppon the earth after suche maner as I can Farewell Farewell my deare Brother George Shypside whom I haue euer founde faithfull trustye and louing in all state and conditions And now in y e tyme of my crosse ouer all other to me most frēdly and stedfast And that whiche liked me best ouer al other thinges in Goddes cause euer herty Farewell my deare syster Alice his wife I am glad to hear of that that thou doest take Christs crosse which is laied now blessed be god both on thy back and mine in good part Thanke thou God that hath gyuen thee a godly and a louynge husbande Se thou honor him and obey him according to Gods lawe Honor thy mother inlawe his mother and loue all that perteyneth vnto him beyng readie to do them good as it shal lie in thy power As for thy children I doubt not of thy husbande but that he which hathe gyuen him a hert to loue and feare God and in God thē that perteine vnto him he shall also make hym frendely and benefyciall vnto thy children euen as if they had bene gotten of his owne body Farewell my welbeloued brother Iohn Rydley of the Waltown and you my gentle and louyng syster Elizabeth whome besydes the natural leauge of amitie your tender loue which you were sayd euer to beare towardes me aboue the rest of your brethren doeth bind me to loue My mind was to haue acknowledged this your louing affectiō to haue acquited it w t dedes not with words alone your daughter Elizabeth I bid farewell whō I loue for the meke gentle spirite that God hath geuē her which is a precious thing in the sight of God Farewell my beloued Sister of Unthancke with all your children my Nephewes and Nices since y e departure of my Brother Hughe my minde was to haue bene vnto thē in the stead of their father But the Lord God must will be their father if they wil loue him feare him and liue in y e trade of his law Farewell my welbeloued worshipfull Cozein Nicholas Ridley of Willymountswicke your wife And I thank you for al your kindnes shewed both to me and also to all your owne kinsfolke and mine Good Cozein as God hath set you in that our stocke and kindred not for any respect of your person but of his aboundant grace and goodnes to be as it were the Belwether to ordre and conduct the reast and hath also endued you with his manifolde giftes of grace bothe heauenly worldly aboue others So I pray you good Cosē as my trust hope is in you continue increse in maintenance of truthe honesty righteousnes all true godlines to the vttermost of your power to withstād falshed vntruth vnrighteousnes and all vngodlines whiche is forbid and condempned by the word and lawes of God Farewel my Cozē Raffe Whitfield oh your time was
wais of the deuil ther gostly father to stele from the vniuersall churche and perticulerly from euery man all heauenlye treasure true Faith true Charity and hope of saluacion in the bloud of our sauioure Iesus Christe yea to spoile vs of oure Sauiour Christ of his Gospell of his heauenlye spirite and of the heauenly heritage of the kingdom of heauen so derely purchased vnto vs with the deathe of our Maister and sauioure Christ. These be the goodes and godlye substaunce wherupon the Christian before God must liue And with out the which he cā not liue These goodes these theues these churche robbers go aboute to spoile vs of The whiche goodes as to the man of God they excel and farre passeth all worldlye treasure so to withstande euen vnto the deathe suche theues as go about to spoile bothe vs and the hole Churche of suche goodes is most highe and honorable seruice done vnto God These Churche robbers be also muche more false craftye and deceitfull then the theues vppon the borders For these haue not the crafte so to commende their thefte that they dare avouch it And therfore as acknowledging thē selues to be euill they steale commenlye vpon the nighte they dare not appere at iudgementes and sessions wher iustice is executed And whē they are taken and broughte thither they neuer hange no man but they be ofte times hanged for their faultes But these Churche robbers can so cloke and coloure their spirituall robbery that they can make the people to beleue falshed to be truthe and truthe falshed good to be euell and euell good lyghte to be darkenesse and darkenesse lyghte Superstition to be true Religion and Idolatrye to be the true worship of God and that whiche is in substaunce the creature of breade and wine to be none other substāce but onlye the substance of Christe the liuinge Lorde bothe God and manne And this there falshed and craft they canne so Iuggle and bewitche the vnderstandynge of the simple that they dare avouch it openlye in Courte and in town and feareth neither hanginge nor heddinge as the poore Theues of the borders do But stoute and strong like Nembrothe dare condempne to be burned in flaming fire quicke aliue who so euer will go aboute to bewray their falshed The kinde of fighte agaynste these Churche robbers is also of an other sorte and kinde then is that whiche is againste the theues of the borders For there the true menne goe forth againste thē with speare and launce with bowe and byll and al suche kinde of bodely weapons as the trew men hath But here as the enemies be of another nature so the watchmen of Christes flocke the warriours that fyght in the Lords war must be armed and fight with another kinde of weapons and Armour For here the enemies of God the souldiors of Antichrist althoughe the battell is set forth agaynst the Churche by mortall men beynge fleshe and bloud and neuertheles members of their father the deuil yet for that theyr graunde maister is the power of darkenesse theyr mēbers are spirituall wickednes wicked spirits spirits of errours of heresies of all deceate and vngodlines spirits of idolatrie superstitiō Hipocresie which ar called of S. Paule Principates powers Lordes of the worlde and spirituall subtilties conserninge heauenly thinges And therefore oure weapons muste be fit and meete to fight against suche not carnall nor Lordly weapons as spere or saūce but spiritual and heauēly we must fight against suche with the armor of God not entending to kill theyr bodies but their errors their false craft and heresies their Idolatry Superstition and Hipocrisye and to saue as much as lieth in vs both their bodies and soules And therfore as S. Paule teacheth vs we fight not against flesh and bloude that is we fight not with bodelye weapon to kill the man but with the weapōs of God to put to flight his wicked erroures and vice and to saue bothe bodye and soule Oure weapons therefore are faith hope and Charitie righteousnesse truthe pacience praier vnto God and our sword wherwith me smite our enemies we beat and batter beare down al falshed is the word of God With these weapōs vnder the banner of the Crosse of Christe we do fighte euer hauinge an eie vpon our graund Master Duke and capitaine Christ. And then we recken oure selues to triumph and to winne the crowne of euerlasting blisse when enduringe in this battell without anye shrinking or yelding to the ennemies after the example of oure graunde Capitaine Christe oure Master after the example of his holye Prophets apostles and martirs when I say we are slaine in our mortall bodies of our ennemies are most cruelly without all mercy murdered down like a mainy of shepe And the more cruell the more painefull the more vile and spitefull is the kind of the death wherunto we be put y e more glorious in God the more blessed and happy we recken withoute all doubtes our martirdome to be And thus much dere louers and frendes in God my countrymen kinsfolk I haue spokē for your cōfort least of mi death of whose life you loked peraduenture somtimes to haue had honesty pleasures and some cōmodities ye might be abashed or think ani euil but rather to reioyse if ye loue me in dede for y t it hath plesed God to cal me to a greter honor dignity thē euer I did enioy before either in Rochester or in the sea of London or euer shuld haue had in the Sea of Durham whervnto I was last of all elected and named yea I compte it greater honor before God in dede to die in his cause whereof I nothynge doubt then is any earthly or temporall promocion or honor that cā be geuen to a man in this worlde And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Goddes to be Christes quarrell and of his Gospell to bee the commen weale of all the electe and chosen children of God of all the inheritours of the kingdome of heauen who is he I say y t knoweth this assuredly by Gods word and the testimony of his owne conscience as through thinfinite goodnes of God not of my selfe but by his grace acknowledge my self to do who is I say that knoweth this and both loueth and feareth God in dede and in truth loueth beleueth in his master Christe and his blessed Gospel loueth his brotherhode the chosen children of God also lusteth and longeth for euerlastinge life who is he I saye againe y t wold not or can not finde in his hart in this cause to be contente to die God forbid that anye such should be that should forsake this grace of God I truste in my Lorde God the God of mercies the father of all comfort throughe Iesus Christe oure Lorde that he which hath put this mind wil and affection by his spirite in my hart to stand against the face of the ennemy in his cause and to chose
euer hauing our eyes vpon Iesus Christ the ringleader capitain and profiter of our faith which for to haue the ioy set before him suffered the crosse not passing vpon ignomie and shame therof is set nowe at the righthande of the throne of God Count this y t he suffered such strife of sinners against him self that ye should not geue ouer nor fainte in your mindes As yet brethren we haue not withstād vnto death fighting against sinne Let vs neuer forget deare brethrē for Christes sake that fatherly exhortation of the wise that speaketh vnto vs as vnto his children the godly wisdom of god saying thus My sonne dispise not the correction of the Lord nor fal not frō him when thou art rebuked of him For whome the Lord loueth him dothe he correct scourgeth euery childe whome he receiueth what child is he whome the father doth not chasten If ye be free from chastisement wherof al are partners then are ye bastardes and no children Seing then when as we haue had carnall parents which Christened vs we reuerenced them shall not we be much more subiect vnto our spiritual father and shal liue And they for a little time taughte vs after their own mind but this father teacheth vs to our commoditye to geue vnto vs his holines All chastisement for the present time apereth not pleasant but painful But afterward it rendereth the frute of righteousnesse on them whiche are exercised in it Wherefore let vs be of good chere good brethren and lette vs plucke vp our feble membres that were fallen or began to fainte harte hande knees and all the reaste and lette vs walcke vp a righte and straighte that no Lympinge nor Haulting bring vs oute of the waye Let vs loke not vppon the thinges that be presente but with the eies of our faithe lette vs stedfastly beholde the thinges that be euerlasting in heauen And chose rather in respecte of y e whiche is to come with the chosen members of Christ to beare Christes Crosse then for his shorte life time to enioy all the riches honors and pleasers of the brode world Why shuld we Christians feare death cā death depriue vs of Christ which is all our comfort our ioy our life Nay forsoth But contrary deathe shall deliuer vs from this mortall body whiche lodeth beareth downe the spirite that it can not so wel perceiue heauēly things in the which so longe as we dwell we are absent from God Wherfore vnderstandinge oure state in that we be Christians that if our mortal bodye whiche is oure earthlye house were destroyed we haue a building a house not made with hāds but euerlasting in heauen c. Therefore we are of good cheare and knowe that when we are in the body we are absent from God For we walcke by faithe and not by cleare sighte But we haue fiance and had rather be from the body and present with God wherfore we striue whether we be present at home or absent abrode that we maye alwaies please him And who that hath true faith in our sauioure Christ wherby he knoweth somwhat truely what Christe oure sauioure is that he is the eternall sonne of God life light the wisdōe of the father all goodnes al truth all righteousnesse and whatsoeuer is good that hart cā desire yea infinite plenty of al these aboue that that mans hart can either conceiue or thinke For in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhed corporally And also that he is geuen vs of the father and made of God to be our wisdome our righteousnesse oure holinesse and oure redemptiō who I saye is he that beleueth this in dede that wold not gladly be with his master Christ Paule for this knowledge coueted to haue bene losed from the bodye and to haue bene with Christ For that he compted muche better for him self had rather to be losed then to liue Therfore these words of Christ to the theife on the crosse that asked of him mercye were full of comforte and solace This daye thou shalte be with me in paradise To dye in the defence of Christes Gospell is oure bounden duetie to Christe and also to oure neighbor To Christ for he died for vs rose again y t he shuld be Lord ouer all And seing he died for vs we also saith s. Ihon shuld ieopard yea geue oure life for oure brethren And this kinde of geuinge and losinge is gettinge and winninge in deede For he that geueth or loseth his life thus getteth and winneth it for euermore Blessed are they therefore that dieth in the Lorde And if they dye also in the Lordes cause they are mooste happye of all Lette vs not feare then death whiche can do vs no harme otherwise then for a moment to make the flesh to smart but that our faith which is fast fastned and fixed vnto the word of god telleth vs that we shall be anon after death in peace in the hands of god in ioy in solace and that frō deathe we shall go straighte vnto life For Ihon saieth he that liueth and beleueth in me shall neuer die and in an other place he shall depart from death into life And therefore thys deathe of the christian is not to be called deathe but rather a gate or entraunce into euerlasting life Therefore Paule calleth it but a dissolution and resolutiō And both Peter and Paul a puttinge of this Tabernacle or dwelling house meaning thereby the mortall bodye as wherein the soule or spirite dothe dwell here in this world for a smal time Yea this death may be called to the Christian an ende of all miseries For so long as we liue here we must passe through many tribulations before we can enter into the kingdome of heanen And now after that death hath shot hys bolt all the Christian mannes ennemies haue don what they can and after that they haue no more to do What could hurt or harme poore Lazarus that laye at the ritch mannes gate his former penury and pouerty his miserable beggery and horrible sores sicknes For so sone as death had strickē him with his dart so sone came the angels and caried him vp into Abrahams bosome what lost he by death who from misery and paine is set forth by the ministery of Angels in a place both of ioye and solace Farewel deare brethren farewel and let vs comfort our hartes in all troubles and in deathe with the worde of God For heauen and earth shal pearishe But the worde of God endureth for euer Farewel Christes dere beloued spouse here wādring in this world as in a straunge lande farre from thine own country and compassed about on euery hand with deadlye enemies which ceseth not to assalt the euer seking thy destruction Farewel farewel O ye the hole and vniuersall congregation of the chosen of God here liuinge vppon earth the true Church militant of Christe the true misticall bodye of Christ the very houshold familye of God and the sacred temple of the holy ghost Farewel Farewel O thou little flock of y e high heauenly pastor christe for to thee it hath pleased the heauenlye father to geue an euerlastinge aud eternall kingdome Farewell Farewel thou spiritual house of God thou holye and royall priesthode thou chosen generation thou won spouse Farewel Farewell N. R. FINIS