in this tyme of my trouble with this holie consolacion in Christe in whom I dooe beleue renounsing the worlde the fleshe and the deuill beleuing all the articles of my Christen faithe acknowleging the blessed Sacramentes to bée the instrumeÌ„tes to euerlasting life and saluacion in Christ by the whiche God doeth worke in his Churche to the worldes ende to theim that shalbe saued one Trinitee and three distinct persones coequall in vnitee in one essence being is my God the father created ne the sonne redemed me and the holy ghost sanctified me and inspired me wher by I knowe that I am his elected and one vndefiled mother the Churche hath thus taught me in that blessed booke of Patriarkes Prophetes Martyres and Iesus with his Apostles whiche is Gods worke now master Theologus my time is at haÌ„d I praie you saie some thing of the resurreccion and then lette vs praie in the name of God together that it maie please hym to forgeue me my sinnes whiche I haue coÌ„mitted againste heauen and yearth and to receiue my soule into his blessed handes Theologus Good brother not onely the doctrine of Prophetes and the Euangelistes doe promise the Resurreccion to come of some to saluacion and some to damnacion but the same resurreccion is moste manifeste As for example Christ himself and other did rise and wer seen to many in Hierusalem and by the space of .xl. daies he taught the Apostles and was conuersaunt with theÌ„ and then asceÌ„ded into glory vntill the time appoincted to iudge the quicke and the ded when he shall sende his angelles to gather all fleshe vnder heauen from the .iiij. windes and sitte doune in iudgement saiyng come to me you blessed of the father and receiue the kingdome prepared for you froÌ„ the beginning Furder he saith this is the will of my father which hath sent me that all that doe see the soonne and beleueth in him shall haue euerlasting life and I will raise him in the laste daie and the holy Apostle saincte Paule moste heauenly doeth preache the resuraeccion to the CorinthiaÌ„s Thy dedde shall liue saieth Esaie and thy slain shall rise again and those which slepe in the duste shall rise the yearth shall caste forthe their dedde bodies I will creat both heauen and yearth newe saieth the Lorde and put the old out of my remembraunce many saieth Daniel that lie a sléepe in the dust shalbe wakened again some to life euerlasting and other to reprobacion God saieth I will open their tombes and bring them forthe and the holy man Iob saith I knowe that my redeamer liueth and that in the laste daie he shall raise me againe out of the yearth and shalbe clothed again with my Skin and in my fleshe I shall see God whoÌ„ I shall see with these same iyes and with none other These are comfortable and moste true places of holy scripture for the resurreccion of the dead you are assured in coÌ„scieÌ„ce of this blessed resurreccioÌ„ life euerlasting in Christ Iesus our lord Ciuis Yea forsothe deare Theologus but my speache is almoste paste yet I thanke God I knowe you all and I beseche hym to blesse you and when my spirite is gone I praie you burie my bodie with comelines not with pompe and vse it as an instrument wherin the soule hath dwelled and whiche the soule shall posses againe in honour in that blessed resurreccion Theologus Lette vs moste humblie here vpon our knees with our haÌ„des lifted vp towardes the heauen desire God the father for Christes sake to receiue your soule into his glorious kyngdome O dere citezen reioyce and be glad that thy labour is almoste past rest is at hande feare not the paine of death For it is impossible to escape that whiche can not bee fledde or auoided For it is written who is that man that liueth and shall not see death none no not one therefore suffer it my sweete harte pacientlie and that is an argumeÌ„t of good ronscience and of an heauenlie mynde Your wife mourneth immoderatly oh God all fleshe was borne to die This happened to our pareÌ„tes as father mother c. And shall not faile to all that shall folowe vnto thende of the world or comming of Christ. For surelie sweete life was neuer without the excepcion of bitter death it is no noueltie therfore wheÌ„ we doe heare tel of the departure of any of our frendes let vs not fall into a sodaine passion as onely the high priest did which hearyng of the death of his children felle doune and brake his necke But rather coÌ„stauntlie with wise Anaxagoras whiche hearing of the death of his beloued sonne saied to the messenger this is no newe tidynges nor straunge to me as sone as he was borne I knewe that he should die for of natures lawe is learned life to be taken and resigned no man dye but he whiche haue liued Oh leaue your lamenting good maistres why rage you like one whiche haue no hope Be absent or vse moderacioÌ„ remember holie Iob thesame daies when the Lorde permitted Sathan not onelie to destroie his seruauntes and cattell but also before age in the lustie tyme of youthe in the feast daie at one table his dere children of his bodie were all broken in peces and slain with the violent fal of the hous What did he rende his heere or fleshe no no he considered who sent them and who did take theim euen the Lorde whom he moste obedientlie suffred and reuerentlie thanked Furder good sister remember S Hieromie taking GOD to witnesse of an holie woman whose housebande was ded â–ª whom he moste tenderlie loued by whom she had but twoo sonnes of singuler beautee wanting no gift of grace or of nature whiche bothe died the same daie wherein their father departed When this Crosse was saith s. Hierom who would not haue thought that she would haue fallen madd in rending her heere breastes clothes and skin running vp and doune wailing and criyng with pitefull wringing of handes What did she Firste she weeped not one teare but moste soberly with a womanlie countenaunce she humblie kneeled vpon her knees holdyng vp her handes renderyng thankes and makyng praiers to almightie GOD saiyng moste humblie I thanke thee good lord for that that it haue pleased thee to take me into thy seruice I am sped oh lorde for thou haste discharged me c. Take also for an example the most worthie constauncie of that paciente woman whiche without moche lamentacioÌ„ did with her own iyen behold her dere children slain their members cut in peces and boiled in caldrens Marke how constantlie of late yeres childreÌ„ did se the flesh of their fathers mothers c. burn in the fire moste pacientlie sufferyng And againe fathers beholding their childreÌ„ doe the like What did thei râ—re like Lions c. No no but reioysed that God had of their blood stocke
vs into temptacion for which cause we desire him not to lede vs into teÌ„ptacion c. Theologus You haue mistaken those places for God is not the aucthour or cause of sinne for he did so moch abhorre thesame that nothing could pacifie his wrathe vnder heauen no merite or woorke but onelie the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne And for this word I will indurate the verie worde in Ebrue is I will suffer Pharaos harte to bee hardened And so it was in the Lordes praier it is Ne sinas nos induci neither suffer vs to be led or fall into temptacion c. Therfore my brother it was the will of Sathan and man that caused sinne Ciuis Why hath not manne will to doe good again if he luste Theologus No if he had the eleccion to will as first he had he would doe the like therfore it is in a sure hande euen in Gods and not in ours As when men doe speake the truthe it is not of their owne will or power but the heauenlie spirite in them by almightie God are al the steppes of men directed though man fall into sondrie temptacions he shall not be cast of for the lorde putteth vnder his hande whiche is a greate comfort to vs in trouble when we are vnderneth the crosse Without him we can dooe nothing that is good No man can take any good thing vpon him except it bee geueÌ„ to him from heauen and no man dere brother can come to the sonne of God vnlesse the father hath drawen him not his wil whiche is moste wicked froÌ„ his youth vpwarde as appereth in our vile nature thought woorde deede And who so euer hath not the spirit of Christ is not of Christ but those which are led of the spirit of god are the soonnes of God and this commeth not by mannes will and power For the worldlie minded man dooeth not vnderstande or perceiue those thinges that are of Gods spirit without whiche he can not be saued bee he neuer so learned and can dispute of the soule makyng distinctions of knowlege and iudgemente callyng it the minde or intelleccion or reason or desire whiche is the will vnder whom the affeccion is gouerned whose spring is the hart All these make not to the heaueÌ„ly purpose but rather staÌ„ding vpon soche trifâ—es doth hinder the waie to saluacion in Christ and robbe him of his passion when we doe attribute fredome or frewille to come of our selues but that we are in Gods handes as his instrumentes through him to woorke soche thinges as best maie please him and he withdrawe his holie handes we can do no good therfore submit your self to Christ and his wille for oure willes are malignaunt and dampnable in his iyes Forsake your praue will and humbly submit your self to Iesus Christ saiyng now before our death Our Father whiche art in heauen hallowed 〈◊〉 name thy kyngdome come Thy will bee dooen in yearth as it is in heauen c. And thus I doe conclude of free will in vs and faithfully looke for the reward not of workes but of mercie onelie onelie purchaced by the Sacrifice of Christe thankyng hym that he hath made you mercifulle to youre brethren in this worlde whiche was the fruictes of faithe by whiche faith in his blood we are saued and shall receiue our almose or rewarde and not our duetie for wee are vnprofitable when we haue doen our beste Ciuis What rewarde is that I praie you Or what promises are graunted by Christ Theologus The reward is the remission of sinnes and life euerlastyng grauÌ„ted by the father for Iesus Christes sake frelie without our woorkes for there is none other saluacion vnder heauen geuen to menne but onelie Christ. In him we doe merite as wheÌ„ wee are mercifull wee haue a promise of this preseÌ„t life and the life to come And in this worlde also an .c. fold and in the worlde to come euerlastyng life And who that geueth one of these little ones a cup of water for my names sake shall not lose his rewarde And he commaunded to geue promising it shalbe geueÌ„ to them again And further he saieth breake the breade to the poore and it shalbe to thee like a gardein He saith not let thin executors or assignes geue the poore when thou arte dedde but thou muste dooe it thy self in this worlde Now while it is lighte for the night is at hand I meane death when thou canst not worke Remember Diues lost the tyme could not call it backe again whiche waileth in hell hath no reward for he trusted not God nor rewarded any man Furder recoÌ„cile thy self to thy brother for els thou canst not please God though thou wrough test all good woorkes and gaue thy bodie to bée burned for charitee is so precious in Gods iyen that who so wante it can not reigne with Christ. Therefore forgeue froÌ„ thy hart and thou shalbe forgeuen Make not thy will vpon goodes gotten by vsury nor by any thing that falsly in bargening thou hast taken from thy brother for then thou shalte not dwell in Gods tabernacle Neither shal thy children prospere vpoÌ„ the yearth but God will hate them to the .iij. iiij generacion for thy sinne examen well thy conscience death hath wounded thee whiche is common to al fleshe in thus doyng thou shalt passe from death to euerlastyng life by Christe and neuer taste vpon the seconde death emong the impious or castawaies Contesse thy sinnes from thy harte aske mercie be thei neuer so red and many in nomber Iesus hath washed theÌ„ in his blood and sprinkled them with Hysop and made theÌ„ as white as snowe now plaie the man in Christ feare not to depart this world Christ is gone before with his holie Apostles Prophetes Martyres CoÌ„fessours and Uirgines penitente thieues and harlottes also there is the armie of angels before his throne with ioye incessantlie honouryng hym Hell gates are sparred sathan beaten doune thy â—innes rased the good Angell at hande to conducte thee to that blessed lande of rest here is nothing but labour daies of care sinne wretchednesse a thousande crosses the snares of the deuill and many vanitees the fleshe moste inconstaunte the worlde a place of miserie and sinne bid it farewell taking thy leaue with the badge of a christen man of Christ crucified remember that promise made in thy Baptisme arme thy self with the brest plate of faithe continewe to the ende and thou shalt receiue a croun of life thy crosse taken awaie cast thy hole care vpoÌ„ Christ and he shall deliuer thee at hand and geue thee the holie resurreccion of bodie soule to dwell in one for euer with hym Ciuis Oh what comforte in conscience I haue receiued first I render thankes to God the father the sonne and the holie ghost secoÌ„dly blessed be the hower of your commyng hether
aungell commaunde Sathan to departe make cleane his conscience with a gladde mynde to reioyce onelie in thy mercie for vaine is the helpe of man but thy mercie doeth endure for euer wee are thy people and the Shepe of thy pasture to thee wee shall geue praise for euer and euer Amen Ciuis Amen Amen Lorde receiue my soule into thy handes thou God of truthe Theologus THe mightie God of Angels and the former of al thinges visible and inuisible in whose haÌ„des is onely life and death light and darkenes and all the mocioÌ„s of the soule and bodie without the moste mightie God all thynges had been nothyng and of nothyng all thynges are made by thee without thy Christ and thy blessed spirit whiche is one coeternall trinitée all fleshe were accursed all consciences molested and all soules vtterlie dampned From light into darkenesse from fredome into euerlasting reprobacion but by Iesus Christ thine onely sonne we thank thee dere father of all mercie that now it hath pleased thee to take to thy mercie at this present time our brother whom thou haste elected consecrated and now he shall by thy mercie and pitee bee sanctified vnto thee to be a citezen of eternall glorie now dode fleshe and bloode forsake him and all his worldlie strength faileth hym Now is the Orgaines yeldyng vp the heauenlie sounde his soule cometh now vnto thee good Lorde receiue it to thy mercie into thine euerlastyng glorie where as Abraham Isaac and Iacob are continuallie to thee oh heauenlie father be incessaunt honour and glorie AMEN ¶ The ende of the Dialogue A Copie of a letter to Frances Barlowe by W. B. WHeÌ„ the time of trouble draweth nere good Frances Barlowe as death whiche shall separate the soule from the body if we be not ware and wisely prouident we shal stand in great dauÌ„ger of losses first we shall lose our health strength and beautie wherein we haue delighted and all our censes as pleasure of spâ—che ioye of harte and the coÌ„fortable sight of the eies wherwith we do daily behold all the pleasures of this world c. we shall lose all our furder treasures laudes and substaunce and also our liues and as dung be cast into the earth and finally our soules banished from Gods blessed presence or resting place Therefore let vs call my Fraunces to our remembraÌ„ce the fearfull curses of almighty God agaiÌ„st our sinnes and the cause of our plagues whiche is our abominable liuing in sinning against God in thought worde and dede against heauen and earthe in pride wrath idolatrie fornicatioÌ„ swearing lust gluttonie stopping of our eares against grace and the woorde of truthe let vs call to remembraunce how that we haue doen wrong to eche other in woorde deede in flauÌ„dring or in hindring by bargainiÌ„g c. Our brethren for whom Christ hath died whom we haue hated not pitied in their extreme sorowes and aduersities haue not paied their labours and trauels let vs repent and call for grace and restore now while we are in the waie of grace in that that we can not make satisfaction for oure sinnes by no merites of almes praiers oblations c. whiche are vncleane in Gods eine as coÌ„cerning the remission of our sinnes as Iob saieth how can he be clene that is borne of a woman beholde he wil giue no light vnto the Moone and the starres ar vnclene in his sight how muche more maÌ„ a worme euen the sonne of a man whiche is but a worme which in beholding of his sinne hath no cause but to dispaire and to be daÌ„pned what remedy in this case none but with al spede by faith lift vp your hed and beholde euen Iesus Christe on Gods right hande pleading our case excusing vs to his father whiche praieth to him for vs and is heard and SathaÌ„ beten doune and Gods Aungels set at our bedside with spirituall armour for vs in this battell of death against Sathan to conducte vs to that happie landerlet vs knele doune and firste saie whatsoeuer God doth sende to vs life or death his name be praysed his will bee done in earth as it is with his Aungels in heauen desiring him to be fed with his liuely worde and blessed sacrament the immortal fode for the soule passing al worldly treasures or phisick for the body that it would please him to pardon our trespasses and offences in thought worde and dede against his diuine maiestie euen as we doe forgeue our enemies soche faultes as they do here in earth against vs and that in the time of agonie or paines of death he suffer vs not to fall into temptation or bee ouerladen vnder our crosse but that his hande may helpe vs and deliuer vs froÌ„ this vile life full of miseries and bring vs into the lande of the liuing in doing this you shall be moste happie and blessed let vs submitt our selues to him that hath made vs we haue not made our selues we are his vessels and are in his sight can nat flée from his presence nor runne beyonde that rase whiche he hath appointed vs he bringeth death and restoreth again to life in the resurrection Oh be coÌ„tent to render thesame talent which was but lent vnto you euen your body the giftes of nature and grace commit wife children and all to him He doeth no wrong he taketh but his owne RemeÌ„ber he brought you in hether naked and how you doe liue but a smal time and ar ful of misery Like a flower for the time and shall passe away like a shadowe Alas we doe deserue great punishement but he plageth vs not according to the grauitée of our sinnes for then were we dampned or like vnto Sodome that perished without handes in the daye of Gods wrath and veÌ„geaunce Consider Fraunces that this is no newes or maruelous chaunce that you should change your life well it happened to al your forefathers from AdaÌ„ to kinges and all the nobles of the yearth and to the poore also Al fleshe is grasse and wormes are the companions to the corse in darke graue or house of claye Yet there is a daie whiche God hath appointed whiche none can tel but himself in whiche he wil iudge both the quick and dead and call all fleshe before him both his very elect and the merriles reprobates and then body and soule shall remayne immortall together haue life euerlasting This hold fast dere FrauÌ„ces as an anker in this storme from death to life euerlasting Holde fast the .xij. articles of the Christian faith praie to the end onely to God the father by Christ remember his promises that at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent he will forgeue Cal he will aunswere vnto thy soule knocke and he wil open This time of your aduersitee and plague of the pestileÌ„ce doth make you forget all pleasures and delites paste