remembraunce of me not sixe dais ago saying that I am more worthy to be burnt then any that was burned yet Gods blessyng on their hartes for their good reporte GOD make me worthye of that dignitie and hasten the tyme that I might set forthe hys glorye Praye for me deare harte I beseâ—h you and will all your company to doe the same and I wil pray GOD for you all so longe as I liue And now farewell in Christe thou blessed of gods owne mouthe I wil for a time take my leaue but not my last farewell Blessed be the tyme that euer I came into the kynges Benche to bee ioined in loue and fellowship with such deare childreÌ„ of the lord My good brother Bradford shal not be deade whyles you be alyue for verelye the spirite of hym dothe teste on you in most ample wyse Your letters of comforte vnto me in eche poynt do agree as though the one were a copy of the other He hath planted in me and you doe water the Lorde geue good increase My deare brethreÌ„ and fellow prisoners here haue them humbly and hartely commended vnto you and your company mournyng for your miserye but yet reioysing for your plenteous consolation and comfort in Christ We are all cherefull and mery vnder our crosse and do lack no necessaries praised be god for his prouidence and great mercyes towardes vs for euermore Amen Iohn Careles ¶ To certayne godly women forsakyng theyr owne countrey and goyng beyond the seas in the tyme of persecution for the testimony of the Gospell THe spirite of truth reueled vnto you my derely beloued by the gospell of our sauiour Iesus Christ be continually abidyng with you and augmented into a perfecte buildynge of you into the lyuely temple of God throughe the mighty operation of his power Amen I read in the Euangelists of certain godly women that ministred vnto Christ followyng hym in the dayes of his passion and neuer forsooke hym but beyng dead in hys graue brought oyle to annoynt him vntil that he had shewed himself vnto them after hys resurrection and hydden them shewe vnto hys disciples which at his passion were dispersed and tell them that he was rysen and that they should see him in Galile To whom I may iustly compare you my louing systers in Christ who of late haue sene hym suffer in hys members and haue ministred to their necessity annointing them with the comfortable oyle of your charitable assistance euen to the death and now since ye haue sene Christ to liue in the ashes of them whom the tyrannes haue slayne he wylleth you to go away vpon iust occasion offered you to declare to our dispersed brethren and systers that he is risen and liueth in hys elect members in England and by deathe doth ouercome infidelitye and that they shall see hym in Galile which is by forsakyng this world and by a faythfull desyre to passe out of this world by those wayes which he with his holy martyrs hath gone on before God therfore entier systers direct your way as he dyd Abraham and Tobias vnto a strauÌ„ge land God geue you helth both of body soule that ye may go from vertue to vertue grow froÌ„ streÌ„gth to strength vntyl ye may see face to face the god of Sion in his holy hyl with the innumerable coÌ„pany of hys blessed Martyrs and Sainctes Let there be continuall ascensions vnto heaueÌ„ in your hartes Let there be no decrease of any vetue which is already planted in you Be as the light of the iust such as Salomon sayth increaseth to the perfect day of the Lorde Let the strength of god be coÌ„mended in your weake vessels as it is Be examples of faythe and sobrietie to all that ye shall come in company withall Let your godly conuersation speake where your tonge may not in the congregation Be swift to heare and slow to speake after the counsell of S. Iames. Be not curious about other mens doings but be occupied in prayer and continuall meditation wyth reuerent talkyng of the worde of God without contention amongest the sainctes Let your faythe shine in a straunge countrey as it hathe done in your owne that your father which is in heauen may be glorified by you to the end This farewell I send you not as a thyng nedefull which know alredy what your duety is and be desirous to performe the same but as one that woulde haue you vnderstand that he is myndefull of your godly conuersation whereof he hathe had good experience and therefore wryteth this to bee as a perpetuall memoriall betwixt you and hym vntyll our metyng together before god where we shall ioy that we haue here louyngly put one another in memory of our duetye to performe it Farewell agayne myne owne bowels in christ and take me with you wheresoeuer you goe and leaue your selues with me that in spirite we may be present one wyth another Commend me to the whole congregation of christ wyllyng them not to leaue their countrey without witnes of the Gospell after that we all be slayne which already be stauled vp and appoynted to the slaughter and in the mean season to pray earnestly for our constancy that Christe may be glorified in vs and in them both by lyfe and death Farewell in the Lorde Yours for euer Iohn Philpot. ¶ An exhortation to a Syster of hys constantlye and cherefully to stick to the truth and to abide the triall of that doctrine which she had fruitefullye professed GOd the eternall father who hath iustifyed you by the bloode of hys sonne Iesus Christe and calleth you to hallowe hys name thoroughe a good conuersation and profession of lyfe he sanctifye you with daily encrease of vertue and fayth by his holy spirite that you may appeare a vessell of sanctification in the myddest of thys wycked and peruerse generation to the lande and prayse of the Gospell Amen I haue occasion myne own deare syster to prayse God in you for two causes the one that to your habilitie you are readye to shewe your selfe a naturall louyng syster vnto me your poore afflicted brother as by your gentle tokens you haue eftsones testified beyng absent as also presently visityng me which well declareth that you be a verye naturall syster in dede and to be praysed in this behalfe But in the other that you be also a syster to me in faythe after Christes gospell I am occasioned to thanke god so muche the more how much the one excelleth the other and the spiritual consaÌ„guinity is more perdurable then that which is of flesh and bloode and is a worker of that whyche is by nature for coÌ„monly such as be vngodly be vnnaturall and onely louers of themselues as daily experience teacheth us The lyuyng lord which throughe the incorruptible seed of hys worde hath begotten you to be my liege syster geue you grace so to grow in that generation that you may encrease to a perperfecte age in the lord to be
vntill such tyme as the worlde had thought verely that both he and al hys had bene cleane destroyed and cast away Sap. 5. as the wise man saith of the wicked people we thought them to be fooles but they be in peace We may learne by thynges that nourishe and mainetayne vs both meat and drynke to what loths◠menes and in maner abhorryng they come vnto before they woorke their perfection in vs. From lyfe they be broughte to the fyre and cleane altered from that they were whē they were alyue from the fyer to the trencher and knife and al to hacked from the trencher to the mouth and as small grounde as the teeth can grynde them and from the mouth into the stomacke and there so boyled and digested before they nourishe that whosoeuer sawe the same woulde lothe and abhorre hys owne nourishment before it come to his perfection Is it then any meruayle if such christians as god delighteth in be so māgled and defaced in this world which is the kitchyn and myll to boyle and grynde the fleshe of Godes people in tyll they acheaue their perfection in the world to come And as man looketh for the nutrimente of his meate when it is full digested and not before so must he looke for his saluation when he hathe passed this troublous world and not before Rawe fleshe is not meate wholesom for man and vnmortified men and women be no creatures mete for God Therfore Christ saith Math. 10. that his people muste be broken and all to torne in the myll of this world and so shall they be most fine meale vnto the heauenly father And it shall be a christian mans part and the duetye of a mynde replenished with the spirite of God to marke the order of god in all his thynges how he dealeth with them and how they suffer and be content to let god do hys wil vpon them As S. Paule sayth Rom. 8. they wepe vntil the number of the elects be fulfilled and neuer be at rest but loke for the tyme when gods people shall appeare in glory We must therfore patiently suffer and willingly attend vpon gods doings although they seme cleane contrary after our iudgement to our wealth and saluation as Abraham dyd when he was hyd to offer his sonne Isaac in whō god promysed the blessing multiplyeng of his sede Ioseph at the last came to that which god promysed hym although in the meane tyme after the iudgement of the world he was neuer lyke to be as god sayd he should be lord ouer his brethern When Christ would make the blynde man to see Iohn 9 he put clay vpon hys eyes which after the iudgement of man was meanes rather to make hym double blynd thē to geue hym hys syghte but he obeyed and knew that God coulde worke hys desyre what meanes so euer he vsed contrarye to mans reasons and as touchyng this worlde he vseth all hys after the same sorte If anye smarte 1. Pet. 4. hys people bee the firste if anye suffer shame they beginne if anye bee subiecte to sclaunder it is those that he loueth so that he sheweth no face or fauour nor loue almoste in this worlde outwardly to thē Col. 3. but layeth clay vpon theyr sore eyes that be sorowfull yet the patient man seeth as S. Paule sayth lyfe hyd vnder these miseries and aduersities and sight vnder foule clay and in the meane tyme he hathe the testimony of a good conscience and beleueth gods promises to bee hys consolation in the world to come which is more worth vnto hym then all the worlde is worth besides and blessed is that man in whome gods spirite beareth recorde that he is the sonne of God Rom. 8 whatsoeuer troubles he suffer in thys troublesome worlde And to iudge thynges indifferently my godlye wyfe the troubles be not yet generally as they were in our good fathers times soone after the death and resurrection of our sauiour Christ Iesu Math. 24. whereof he spake in S. Mathew Of the which place you I haue taken manye tymes great consolation and especially of the latter parte of the chapter wher in is contayned the last day and ende of all troubles I dout not both for you and me and for such as loue the comming of our sauiour Christ to iudgemēt Remember therfore that place and marke it agayn and ye shall in this time see great consolation and also learne much patience Was there euer such troubles as Christ threatned vppon Ierusalem Was there sithens the beginning of the world such afflictiō Who was then best at ease The Apostles that suffred in body persecution and gathered of it ease and quietnes in the promises of god And no meruayle for Christ sayeth lifte vp your heades for your redemption is at hand Luke 2 that is to saye your eternall reste approcheth and draweth nere The worlde is starke blynde and more folishe then folishnes it selfe and so be the people of the world For when god saith trouble shal come they will haue ease And when God sayeth be merye and reioyce in trouble we lamente and mourne as though we were castawais But this the flesh which is neuer mery with vertue nor sory with vice neuer laugheth with grace nor euer weepeth with sinne holdeth fast with the world letteth god slip But my dearely beloued wyfe you knowe how to perceaue and to beware of the vanitye and craftes of the diuel well inough in Christ And that ye may the better haue patience in the spirit of god read again the .24 chap of S. Mat. marke what difference is betwene the destruction of Ierusalē the destructiō of the whole worlde Math. 24. you shal see that then there were left aliue many offēdors to repēt but at the latter day there shal be absolute iudgement sentence neuer to be reuoked of eternal life eternal death vpon all men and yet towardes the ende of the worlde we haue no thyng so muche extremity as they had then but euen as we be able to beare So doth the mercifull father lay vpon vs now imprisonment and I suppose for my parte shortly death now spoyle of goods losse of frendes and the greatest losse of all the knowledge of Gods woorde Gods will be done I wyshe in Christe Iesu our onely mediatour and sauiour your constancie and consolation that you may liue for euer and euer whereof in Christe I doubte not to whom for his blessed and most paynefull passion I commit you Amen 13. Octob. 1553. Your brother in Christ Iohn Hoper ☞ A letter sente to the Christian congregation wherin he proueth that true faith cannot be kepte secrete in the heart without confession therof openly to the world when occasion serueth SAint Paule in the .10 chap. to the Rom. annexeth the faythe of Christ in the hart wyth the confession of the mouth so that the one it semeth by him can be no more
and at Couentrie by gods prouidence no doubt to confirme that he had in that countrey also fruitfully taught suffred with most valiant and chereful courage as ye may read in the boke of marters Fol. 1048. The .8 day of Febr. In the yere of our Lord. 1555. ¶ To my most deare and reuerend fathers in Christ D. Cranmer D. Rydley and D. Latimer prisoners in Oxforde IN my most humble wyse I salute you moste reuerend Fathers in Christ Iesus our Lord. Immortall thankes euerlasting prayses be geuē vnto that our father of mercies Collo 1. which hath made vs mete to be pertakers of the inheritaunce of saintes in light which hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his beloued sonne by whom we haue redemption through his bloud c. Oh most happie estate Collo 3. that in an vnspeakeable wise our life is hid with Christ in God but whensoeuer Christ which is our life shall shewe hymselfe then shall we also appeare with him in glory 1. Cor. i3 2. Cor. 5. In the meane seasō as our sight is but in a glasse euē in a darke speaking so we walke in fayth not after outwarde appearaunce The which fayth although for want of outward appearaunce reason reputeth but as vaine yet the chosen of God do know the effect therof to bring a more substantiall cast liuely fruition of very felicitie and perfect blessednes then reasō can reache or senses conceaue By this fayth we haue in our professiō all good things yea euen those which the eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard 1. Cor. 2. neyther haue entred into the hart of man c. Then if hereby we do enioy al good things it followeth that we must nedes possesse haue and inioy you most reuerend fathers who be no small part of our ioy good things geuen vs of God We heretofore haue had the fruitiō of you by bodily presence to our inexplicable benefite praysed be that our gracious God therfore and now in spirit we haue the experience of vnspeakeable cōfort by your reuerend fatherhodes Math. 5. for that in this so glorious sort ye become a towne set vpon a hill a candle vpon a Candlesticke 1. Cor. 4. Phi. 1. a spectacle vnto the world to the Angels and vnto men So that as we to our great comfort do fele ye also maye assuredly say with S. Paule that the thyngs which happē vnto vs do chaūce vnto the great furtherance of the Gospel so that our bondes in Christ are manifest not only throughout al the iudgement hal but in all whole Europa in so much that many of the brethren in the Lord being encouraged through our bondes dare more boldlye speake the woord without feare And herein as you haue with S. Paule greatly to reioyce so we do reioyce with you we do in dede with you geue thankes for this excellent worthy fauour of our God towards you that Christ is thus magnifyed in you yea and hereafter shal be magnifyed in your bodyes whether it be through life or death Of whiche thing truely we are assured in our prayers for you and ministring of the spirite And although for your owne partes Christ is vnto you life and death aduantage and that your desire is as in dede it were better for you to be loosed Phil. 1. and to be with Christ yet for the church of Christ were it muche more necessary that ye should abide in the flesh Yea that merciful god euen for his Christs sake graūt that ye may abide continue for the furtheraunce of the churche reioysyng of fayth that the reioycing thereof may be the more aboundaūt through Iesus Christ by your restoring again Amen Amen But if it seme better otherwise vnto the diuine wisedome that by spedy death he hath appoynted you to gloryfye him the Lordes wil be done Yea euen as we do reioyce both on your behalfes also on our own that god is magnifyed by lyfe should be more aboundauntlye glad for the continuaunce therof so we shall no lesse reioyce to haue the same wrought by death We shall geue thankes for thys honour geuē vnto you phi 1. reioycing that ye are accompted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ that it is geuen to you of god not only that ye should beleue in him but also that ye should suffer for his sake And herein we shal haue to reioyce in the be halfe of the church of Christ whose fayth may be the faster fixed vpō gods veritie being cōfyrmed with three such worthy witnesses Oh thanks be to god for thys hys vnspeakeable gift And now moste reuerend fathers that ye may vnderstande the truth of vs and oure estate how we stand in the Lorde I doe assure your reuerences partlye by that I perceaue by suche of oure brethren as bee here in bondes with me partly by that I heare of them which be in other places and partly by that inward experience which I most vnworthy wretch haue of Gods good comfort more abundaunce wherof I know there is in others ye may be assured I say by gods grace that ye shall not bee frustrate of your hope of our cōstant continuaunce in the chereful confession of Gods euerlasting veritie Ephe. i. For euen as we haue receaued the word of truth euen the Gospell of our saluation wherin we beleuing are sealed with the holy spirite of promyse which is the earnest of our enheritaunce Rom. 8 the whiche spirite certifyeth our spirit that we are the children of God and therefore God hath sent the spirite of his Sonne into oure heartes crying Abba father Gal. 4. so after suche portion as God measureth vnto vs we with the whole churche of Christ and with you reuerend Fathers receauing the same spirit of fayth according as it is written I beleued therefore I haue spoken we also beleue and therfore speake 2. Cor. 4. Psa 116. For the which we in this daungerous bondage and other afflictions hauing euen such a fyght as we haue sene in you and haue heard of you phil 1. we are in no wyse affrayde of our aduersaryes And forasmuch as we haue such an offyce euen as God hath had mercy on vs we go not out of kinde but euē with you after our litle power we labour to mainteyne the faith of the gospel knowing most certainly 2. Cor. 4. that though we haue this treasure in earthē vessels that the excellency of the power might be gods not ours yet shal we not be dashed in peeces for the lord wil put his hād vnder vs. When we are troubled on euery side yet are we not wtout shift when we are in pouerty we are not vtterly without somthing when we suffer persecution we are not forsaken therin when we are cast down yet we shal not perish but to communicate with
way Math. 7 2. Timot. 3 2. Cor. 5 Math. 14. which few walke in for fewe lyue godly in Christ Iesu few regard the lyfe to come few remember the day of iudgement fewe remember how Christ will deny them beforh hys father that do denye him here few consider that Christ wyll be ashamed of them in the last day which are ashamed now of hys truthe true seruice few cast theyr accomptes what will be laid to theyr charge in the day of vengeaūce fewe regard the condemnation of their owne consciences in doyng that which inwardly they disalow few loue god better then theyr goodes Rom. 14. but I trust yet ye are of these few my derely beloued I trust ye be of the little flocke which shall enherite the kyngdome of heauen I trust ye are of the mourners and lamēters which shal be comforted with comfortes which neuer shal be taken from you if ye nowe repente your former euils Luke 10 if nowe ye stryue agaynste the euyls that are in you if now ye cōtinue to call vppon God if nowe ye defile not your bodies with anye Idolatrous seruice vsed in the Antichristian churches Ephesi 4. if ye moleste not the good spirite of God which is geuen you as a gage of eternal redēption a coūseller master to lead you into all truth whiche good spirit I beseche the father of mercy to geue vs all for hys dere sonnes sake Iesus Christ our lord Acts. 20 to whom I cōmend you al to the word of his grace which is able to helpe you all saue you all that beleue it follow it serue god therafter And of this I would ye were al certain that al the heares of your heades are numbred so that not one of thē shal perish Math. 8. Iob. 1. Psa 104 Psa 13. 1. pet 5 neither shal any man or deuil be able to attempt any thing much lesse to doe any thing to you or any of you before your heauēly father which loueth you most tēderly shal geue thē leaue when he hath geuen them leaue they shal go no further then he wyll nor kepe you in trouble any longer then he wyll Therfore caste on hym all your care for he is carefull for you onely studye to please him and to kepe your consciences cleane and your bodies pure from the Idolatrous seruice which now euery where is vsed and god will meruelously and mercifully defend and comforte you whiche thing he doe for hys names sake in Christ our Lord. Amen Iohn Bradforde To my good Lady Vane THe true sense and swete feelyng of gods eternall mercies in Christe Iesus bee euer more and more liuely wrought in your hart by the holy ghost Amen I most hartely thanke you good madame for your comfortable letters where as you would be aduertised what were beste to bee done on your behalfe concernyng your iij. questions the truthe is that the questions are neuer well sene nor aunswered vntil the thynge whereof they arise bee well considered I meane vntill it be sene how great an euill the thing is If it be once in dede in your hart perceaued vpon probable and pithy places gathered out of gods booke that there was neuer thing vpon the earthe so great so much an aduersary to gods true seruice to Christes death passion priesthode sacrifice and kingdome to the ministery of gods worde and sacraments to the church of God These questions were concerning the masse wherin she desired hys iudgement to repentaunce faith and all true godlines of life as that is wherof the questiōs arise as most assuredly it is in dede then cannot a christiā hart but so much the more abhorre it and al thynges that in any point might seme to allow it or anye thyng pertainyng to the same by howe much it hath the name of gods seruice Agayne your Ladiship doth know that as all is to be discommended and auoyded which is followed or fledde from in respect of our selues in respecte of auoyding Christes crosse so the ende of all our doynges should be to godwards to his glory to our neighbours to edification and good example wherof none can be geuen in allowing anye of the .iii. questions by you propoūded But because this which I write now is breefe and needeth the more consideration or explication as I doubt not of the one in you so from me by Gods grace you shall receaue the other shortly For I haue alreadye written a little booke of it which I will send vnto you He meaneth his booke whiche he calleth the hurt of hearīg masse in the which you shall haue your questions fully aunswered and satisfied and therefore I omitte to write any more hereaboutes presentlye beseching God our good father to guide you as his deare childe with his spirite of wisedome power and comforte vnto eternall life that you may be stronge and reioyce in him and with his church to cary Christes crosse if he shall so thinke it neede 1. Pet. 1. which is a thyng to be desired wished and embraced if we looked on thinges after the iudgement of Gods word and tryed them by that touchstone If you be accustomed to thinke on the breuitie vanitie and miserie of this life and o◠the eternitie truth and felicitie of euerlasting life if you looke on thinges after their endes and not after their present appearaunce only if you vse your self to set gods presence power and mercy alwayes before your eyes to see thē as god by euery creature would you should I doubt not but you shall finde such strength and comforte in the Lord as you shall not be shaken with all the power of Sathan Gods mercy in Christ be with you and his good spirite guide you for euer Amen An other letter to the Lady Vane AS to myne owne soule I wishe to your Ladiship grace and mercy from God our deare Father in Christe our Lorde and Sauioure I thanke God that something he hath eased you and mitigated his fatherly correction in vs both I woulde to God he had done so much in the behalfe of the greefe of the body to you as he hath done to me For as for the soule I trust you feele that which I pray god encrease in you I meane his fatherly loue and graunte that I may with you feele the same in such degree as may please him I wil not say as you feele least I should seeme to aske to muche at one time God doth often muche more plentifullye viset with the sense of hys mercye them that humble them selues vnder his mightye hande and are sore exercised as you long haue bene then others whiche to the face of the worlde haue a more shewe and appearaunce Therfore I wysh as I do and that not only for myne own commoditye but also that I myght occasion you to the consideration of the goodnesse of God which I by your letters doe well espye which is in
I beleue that man made after the image of god did fal frō that blessed state to the condēnation of himself and al his posterity I beleue that Christ for man being thus fallē did appose himself to the iustice of god a mediator paying the raunsome and price of redēption for Adā and his whole posteritie that refuse it not finally I beleue that al that beleue in Christ I speake of such as be of yeres of discressiō are pertakers of christ al his merites I beleue that faith to beleue in Christ I speake not now of faith that mē haue by reason of miracles Io. 2.12 Act. 8. or by reason of earthly cōmodity Mat. 13. custome autority of me which is commonly sene the hartes of them that so beleue beyng not right and simple before god Exod. 14 but I speake of that faith which in dede is the true faythe the iustifyeng and regeneratyng fayth I beleue I say that this fayth and beliefe in Christe is the worke and gyfte of God geuen to none other then to those whyche bee the chyldren of God that is to those whome GOD the father before the begynnynge of the worlde hath predestinate in Christ vnto eternall lyfe Thus do I wade in predestination For the certeyntie of this fayth search your hartes If you haue it prayse the Lord for you are happy and therfore cannot fynally peryshe for then happynes were not happynes yf it could be lost when you fal the Lord wil put vnder hys hande that you shall not lye still But if ye feele not thys fayth then know that predestination is to hygh a matter for you to be disputers of vntyl ye haue ben better scholers in the scholehouse of repentaunce and iustification which is the Grammer schole wherin we must be conuersant and learned before we go to the vniuersity of gods most holy predestination and prouidence in such sort as god hath pacifyed and opened it Though in god it be the first yet to vs it is last opened And therfore I beginne wyth creation from thence I come to redemption so to iustification and so to election On this sort I am sure that warelye wysely a man may walk in it easely by the light of gods spirite in and by hys worde seyng thys faith not to be geuen to al men 2. Thess 3. but to such as are borne of god predestinate before the worlde was made after the purpose and good wyll of God whiche will we may not call into disputation but in tremblyng and feare submit our selues to it as to that which can will none otherwise then that which is holy right good how farre so euer otherwyse it seme to the iudgement of reason whych must nedes bee beaten downe to bee more careful for gods glory then for mans saluation which dependeth onelye thereon as all gods chyldren full well see for they seeke not the glorye whyche commeth of men but the glory whyche commeth of GOD. Ieremye 9. Ioan. 5. They knowe God to bee a God whiche dothe on earthe not onely mercy but also iudgement which is iustyce most iustice although our folishe reason cannot see it And in this knowlege they glory and reioyce thoughe others through vayne curiosity grudch and murmure there agaynst Thus briefly I haue sent you my mynd and meanyng concernyng thys matter Hereafter you shal haue I thynke your letter particulerlye aunswered by M. Philpotte as also if I haue tyme and you so require it I will do Iohn Bradford To my good brother R. Cole MYne owne good brother our good most merciful father more and more embrace vs in the armes of hys mercy as hys louyng own natural children and geue vs one to embrace an other in the armes of loue as true bretherne that wyth one hart and mynde we may prayse hys holye name in Christe our Sauiour and throughe the grace of hys spirite may mightely euery one fyght againste sinne and all that is against the kyngdome of Christ wherunto my beloued we are called effectually to our euerlasting felicity I dout not praysed be the name of our good god therefore for euer and euer Amen Myne owne hart in the lord desire our bretherne that euery one would bend himself to bowe let vs neuer breake Loue suffreth long and seeketh not her selfe We haue al one father we are all brethern God kepe vs from dissention If we cānot agree in al pointes eyther the poyntes perchaūce bee not so necessarye or elles by loue we shall hereafter hee brought to see that which yet is hidde If loue may appeare in al our doynges and that we seeke one an other wyth a symple and a syngle eye in gods syght doubtlesse all preiudice wherby we are letted to see manifest thynges wyll bee had away and we will take thyngs spoken and done in the best part and so doutles the name of our father shal be sanctified in vs and by vs as by instruments of grace and gods kingdome shal encrease apace in vs and by vs also whiche thing he graunt for his mercies sake Amen Commend me hartely I pray you to bothe those good women Good I cal them because I am persuaded that god wil deliuer them especiall my good Mary I will not cease but euen as for my self to pray to god for them and for you my right deare brother in the Lorde If you were acquainted with M. Robert Harrington you should fynd a playne Nathanael you should see the worst at the fyrst I dare saye for hym hys onely desyre is to please God and he is afrayde to offende hym Praye for hym and for my good Syster I. H. as I knowe she doth for you The peace of God be with you myne owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ To my good Syster Mystres Elizabeth Browne GOod Sister god our father make perfecte the good he hath begunne in you vnto the ende I am afrayd to wryte vnto you because you so ouercharge your self at al times euē whēsoeuer I do but send to you cōmendatiōs I wold be more bold on you then on many others and therfore you myght suspend so great tokens till I shoulde wryte vnto you of my nede which thyng doutles I would do if it vrged me Deare Syster I see your vnfayned loue to me wardes in god and haue done of long time the which I do recompence wyth the like and wil doe by gods grace so long as I liue and therfore I hope not to forget you but in my poore praiers to haue you in remēbraunce as I hope you haue me Otherwise I can do you no seruice excepte it be now and then by my writing to let you from better exercise where yet the ende of my writing is to excite styrre vp your harte more earnestlye to go on forwardes in your well begunne enterpryse 2. Timo. 2. For you know none shal be crowned but such as striue lawfully and none receiueth the
of goodly giftes in wit and learning and sauing that he is somwhat wilde likely to do wel hereafter There be also two women N. Coningham and Alice Alexander that may proue honest For these and al other poore prisoners here I make this my humble suite and prayer to you all my Maisters and especiall good frendes beseching you of all bondes of amitie for the precious bloode of Iesus Christe in the bowels of mercye to render the causes of miserable captiues Helpe to clothe Christ visite the afflicted comforte the sorrowfull and releue the nedye The verye God of peace guyde youre hartes to haue mercye on the poore and loue faythfullye together Amen Thys present Monday when I looke to die and liue for euer Yours for euer Bartelet Grene. ⧠Letters of that faythfull man of God John Careles who by cruell imprisonmente and vnmercifull dealing of the papistes dyed in the Marshalsee and was buryed in the fieldes on a dungehill and therefore is not vnworthye here to be placed amonges the Martyrs To my moste deare and faythfull brethren in Newgate condemned to die for the testimonye of Gods euerlasting truth THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the cōtinual ioy strength cōfort of his most pure holy mighty spirit with the encrease of faith liuely feeling of his eternal mercy be with you my most dere faithfull louing brother Timmes and with al the reste of my deare harts in the Lord your faithful fellow souldiours and most constant companions in bondes yea of men condemned most cruelly for the syncere testimony of gods euerlastīg truth to the ful finishing of that good worke which he hath so graciously begonne in you all that the same maye be to hys glory the cōmoditie of his pore afflicted church and to your euerlasting comfort in him Amen Ah my most swete and louing brethren dearest harts in the Lord what shal I say or how shal I write vnto you in the least point or part to vtter the great ioye that my poore hart hath conceaued in god through the most godly exāple of your christiā constancie syncere confessiō of Christs verity Truly my tong can not declare nor my penne expresse the aboundance of spirituall mirth gladnes that my mind inward man hath felt euer since I heard of your hartie boldnes and modest behauiour before that bloody butcher in the time of al your craftie examinations specially at your cruel condēnatiō in their cursed Cōsistorie place Blessed be god the father of al mercy praysed be his name for that he hath so graciouslye performed vpō you his dere darelīgs his most swete comefortable promises in not only geuing you the cōtinual aide strēgth cōfort of his holy mightie spirite to the faythfull confessiō of his christ for whose cause O most happie mē ye are condēned to die but also in geuing you such a mouth wisdome as al your wicked enemies were not able to resist but were faine to crie peace peace and not suffer you to speake As truly as god liueth my dere brethrē this is not only vnto you a most euidēt probatiō that god is on your side a sure certaintie of your euerlasting saluatiō in him but also to your cruell aduersaries or rather Gods cursed enemyes a plaine demonstration of their iust eternal woe and dampnation whiche they shall be full sure shortlye to feele when ye shal full sweetely possesse the place of felicitie and pleasure prepared for you from the beginning Therfore my dearly beloued cease not so long as ye be in this life to praise the lord with a lustye courage for that of hys great mercy infinite goodnes he hath vouched you worthy of this great dignitie to suffer for his sake not only the losse of goods wife children long imprisonment cruel oppression c but also the very depriuation of this mortal life with the dissolution of your bodies in the fyer The whiche 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 Angel in heauen is not permitted to haue and yet hath the lord for his deare sonne Christes sake reputed you worthy of the same yea that before me and many other which haue both long loked longed for the same Ah my most deare brother Timmes whose time resteth altogether in the hands of thy Lord in a ful happye time camest thou into this troublesome worlde but in a much more blessed houre shalt thou depart forth of the same so that the swete saying of Salomō or rather of the holy ghost shal be ful wel verified vpō thee yea al thy faithful felowes Eccle. 7 better is the day of death saith he then the day of birth This saying can not be verified vpon euery man but vpon thee my deare brother and such as thou art whose death is most precious before God and full deare shal your bloode be in his sighte Blessed be god for thee my deare brother Timmes and blessed be god again that euer I knew thee for in a most happy time I came fyrst into thy company Pray for me deare brother pray for me that God wyll once vouch me worthy of that great dignitie whereunto he hath nowe brought you Ah my louing brother Drake whose soule draweth nowe nygh vnto god of whom you haue receaued the same full gladde maye you be that euer God gaue you a lyfe to leaue for hys sake Full well will he restore it to you agayne in a thousand fold more glorious wyse Prayse God good brother as you haue great cause and pray for me I besech you which am so muche vnworthy so great are my synnes of that great dignity wherunto the Lorde hath called you and the reast of your godlye brethrē whom I besech you to comforte in the Lord as you can full well praysed be God for hys giftes which you haue hartely applyed to the setting forth of his glory and the cōmoditie of his pore afflicted church Which thing shal surely redownde to your euerlasting ioy and comfort as you shall most effectually feele or euer it be long though the wycked of the world iudge farre otherwise Ah myne own hartes and most dearly beloued brethren Cauell Ambrose and both the Spurges blessed be the Lord on your behalfe and praysed be his name which hath geuen you such a glorious victory Ful valiaunt haue you shewed your selues in the lords fyght and ful faithful in your painfull seruice Faint not but go on forward as ye haue most godly begonne for great shal your reward be at the end of this your trauell Ah my good faithfull brethren al what shal I say or what shall I write vnto you but euen the same that good Elizabeth did saye to her godly kinneswoman Mary the blessed Mother of Christe Luke 1. Happie art thou quoth that good woman whiche haste beleued for
veritate adorent Amen Vester in Domino frater quem tabellarius vobis denunciabit per Dei gratiam ad conuiuendum commoriendum The same in English ☞ To the Brethren remaynyng in Captiuitie of the flesh and dispersed abroade in sundry prisons but knit together in vnity of spirite and holy religion in the bowels of the Lord Iesus GRace peace and mercy be multiplied among you What worthy thāks can we render vnto the Lord for you my brethrē namely for the great consolation which throughe you we haue receaued in the lorde who notwithstandyng the rage of Satan that goeth about by all maner of subtil meanes to begyle the world and also busilye laboureth to restore and sette vp his kingdome agayne that of late beganne to decaye and fall to ruyne ye remayne yet still vnmoueable as men surely grounded vpō a strōg rocke And now albeit that Satan by hys souldiours and wycked ministers daily as we heare draweth numbers vnto him so that it is said of him that he plucketh euen the very starres out of heauen whiles he dryueth into some men the feare of death and losse of all theyr goods and sheweth and offereth to other some the pleasaunte baites of the world namely riches wealth and all kynd of delights and pleasures fayre houses great reuenewes fatte benefices and what not all to the intent they should fall down and worship Apoc. xii not in the lord but in the dragon the old Serpent which is the diuell that great beast and his image and should be enticed to commit fornication wyth the strompet of Babilon together wyth the kynges of the earth wyth the lesser beast Apo. xvii◠and with the false prophets and so to reioice and be pleasaunt with her and to be dronkē with the wine of her fornication yet blessed be god the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath geuen vnto you a manly courage hath so strengthned you in the inward man by the power of his spirite that you can contemne aswell all the terrors as also the vayne flatteryng allurements of the world estemyng them as vanities mere trifles thinges of nought who hath also wroughte planted and surely stablished in in your hearts so stedfast a faith and loue of our lord Iesus Christ ioyned with suche constancie that by no engines of Antichrist be they neuer so terrible or plausible ye will suffer any other Iesus or any other Christ to be forced vppon you besydes hym whome the Prophets haue spoken of before the Apostels haue preached and the holye Martyrs of God haue confessed and testified with the effusion of theyr bloode In this faith stand ye fast my brethren Gal. 5 and suffer not your selues to be brought vnder the yoke of bondage and superstition any more For ye knowe bretherne howe that oure Sauioure warned hys before hande that suche shoulde come as would poynt vnto the worlde an other Christ and would set hym out with so many false myracles and with such deceaueable and subtyle practises that euen the very electe if it were possible should be thereby disceaued suche strong delusion to come dyd our Sauiour geue warnyng of before But continue ye faithfull and constante and be of good comfort and remember that our graūd captayn hath ouercome the worlde 1. Iohn 4. for he that is in vs is strōger then he that is in the worlde and the Lorde promiseth vnto vs that for the electes sake the dayes of wickednesse shall be shortned In the meane season abide ye and endure with patience as ye haue begun endure I say Virgil eneid 1. Phil. 1. Heb. 10. and reserue youre selues vnto better times as one of the Heathen Poetes said Cease not to shewe your selues valiaunt Souldiors of the lord and healpe to maintayne the trauelyng faith of the gospell Ye haue nede of patience that after ye haue done the will of god ye may receaue the promises For yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and wil not tary and the iust shal lyue by faith but if any withdraw himselfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him saieth the Lord. But we are not they which do withdraw our selues vnto damnatiō but beleue vnto the saluation of the soule Let vs not suffer these wordes of Christ to fall oute of oure heartes by anye manner of terrors or threatnynges of the world feare not them which kil the body the rest ye know 1. Iohn 2 For I write not vnto you as to men which are ignoraunt of the truth but which knowe the truthe and to this ende only that we agreeyng together in one faith may take comfort one of an other and be the more confirmed and strengchened therby We neuer had a better or more iuste cause either to contēne our life or shed our blood we can not take in hand the defence of a more certayne cleare and manifest truth For it is not any ceremony for the which we contend but it toucheth the very substāce of our whole religion yea euen Christe him selfe Shall we either can we receaue and acknowledge any other Christ in stead of him who is alone the euerlastyng sonne of the euerlasting father and is the brightnes of the glory and liuely image of the substaunce of the father in whom only dwelleth corporally the fulnes of the godhed who is the onely waye the truthe and the lyfe Let such wickednes my brethren let such horrible wickednes be farre from vs. For although there bee that are called gods 1. Corin. 8. whether in heauen either in earth as there be manye gods and many Lordes yet vnto vs there is but one God which is the father of whom are all thinges and we in him and one Lorde Iesus Christ by whom are all thynges and we by him but euery mā hath not knowledge This is life eternal saith s Iohn the they know thee to be the only true god whom thou hast sent Iesus Christe Iohn 17. Yf any therfore would force vpon vs any other God besydes hym whome Paule and the Apostles haue taught let vs not heare hym but let vs flye from hym hold hym accursed Brethren ye are not ignoraunte of the deepe and profound subtilties of Sathan for he wyll not cease to raunge about you seeking by all meanes possible whome he maye deuoure but playe ye the men and be of good comforte in the Lorde And albeit your ennemies and the aduersaries of the truthe armed with al worldly force and power that may be do set vppon you yet be not ye fainte harted nor shrink not therfore but truste vnto your captayne Christe trust vnto the Spirite of truthe and trust to the truth of your cause which as it may by the malice of Sathan bee darkened so canne it neuer be cleane put oute For we haue hygh prayse be geuen to God therfore moste playnly euidently and clearly on oure side all the Prophetes all
the Apostles and vndoubtedly all the aunciente Ecclesiasticall writers whiche haue written vntyll of late yeares paste Lette vs bee hartye and of good courage therefore and throughlye comforte oure selues in the Lorde Be in no wyse afrayde of youre aduersaries Phil. 1. for that which is to them an occasion of perdition is to you a sure token of saluation and that of God For vnto you it is geuen that not only ye should beleue on him but also suffer for hys sake And when ye are railed vppon for the name of Christ remember that by the voyce of Peter yea and of Christe oure Sauioure also ye are counted with the Prophetes 1. pet 4 wyth the Apostles and wyth the holye Martyrs of Christe happy and blessed therfore for the glory and spirite of god resteth vpon you On theyr parte our sauiour Christ is euell spoken of but on your parte he is glorified For what can they els do vnto you by persecuting you and workyng all crueltye and vilanye agaynste you but make your crownes more glorious yea beautify multiply the same and heape vpon themselues the horrible plagues and heauy wrath of god and therfore good brethren thoughe they rage neuer so fiercely against vs yet let vs not wyshe euill vnto them agayne knowyng that whiles for Christs caufe they vexe and persecute vs they are lyke madde men most ouragious and cruell agaynst themselues heapyng hotte burnyng coales vppon theyr owne heades but rather let vs wyshe well vnto them knowyng that we are therunto called in Christ Iesu 1. pet 3. that we should be heyers of the blessyng Let vs praye therfore vnto god that he woulde dryue out of their hartes thys darkenes of errours and make the light of his truth to shyne vnto them that they acknowledging their blyndnesse may with al huÌ„ble repentaunce be conuerted vnto the Lorde and together with vs confesse him to be the only true God which is the father of light and his only sonne Iesus Christ worshipping hym in spirite and veritye Amen The spirite of our Lord Iesus Christe comforte your hartes in the loue of God and patience of Christ Amen Your brother in the Lord whose name this beares shall signify vnto you ready alwais by the grace of god to liue and die with you Ad fratres qui Christum cum cruce amplectuntur GRatia vobis pax a Deo domino nostro Iesu Christo multiplicetur Amen Licet a vobis fratres nihil nuper accepimus neque vobis aliquid noui nunc nuÌ„tiandum habemus tamen ideo vi sum est nobis aliquid vohis scribere vt intelligatis nos memoriam vestri bonam habere perpetuam sicut vos de nobis habere mimine dubitamus Veniente nuper ad nos harum latore anuntiante nobis vestraÌ„ omnium in domino constantiaÌ„ fortitudinem patientiam multam repleti sumus consolatione gaudio gratias agentes deo patri per dominum nostrum Iesum ChristuÌ„ qui ita illuminauit vultum suum sup vos lumine intelligentiae spiritualis ita illustrauit corda vestra vt quod nuper duÌ„ essetis in muÌ„do liberi verbo doctrina passim prestare sategi stis nunc propter Christum captiui quaÌ„tum licet verbo sed multo magis opere atque vestro exemplo prestare non cessastis hoc est sermonem vitae sustinentes phil 2 lucetis tanquam luminaria in munda in medio nationis prauae tortuosae idque taÌ„to cum maiore domini nostri Iesu Christi gloria fratrumque vestrorum emolumento vtilitate quanto nunc Satan magis saeuit maioresque luci euangelicae conatur inducere tenebras De tenebris autem quas nunc ecclesiae Anglicanae Satan offundit quis potest dubitare Nuper Christus saluator Apostoli prophetae doctores ipsius in teÌ„plo loquebantur populo Anglicano anglice ita vt ab eis qÌ„ pij erant rerum coelestium studiosi in ijs que ad vitae eternae redemptionem de necessitate salutis pertinebant clare absque enigmate facile intelligi poterant nunc vero quae ab illis olim in edificationem ecclesiae scripta sunt leguntur in lingua peregrina citra interpretationeÌ„ manifeste contra preceptum Pauli Apostoli ita vt a nemine prorsus qui alienaÌ„ peregrinaÌ„ illaÌ„ linguam non didicerit intelligi possint Nuper sacro sancta illa mysteria coelestia quibus nos sibi Christus inseuit suo corpori complantauit atque nos inter nos mutuo colligauit quibus natos deo aluit auxit atque corroborauit denique quibus aut ordinem inter sanos docuit aut egrotis velaia vel corpore veluti salubria pharmaca tradidit oïa populo clare in sua lingua tradebaÌ„tur ita vt quisque quaÌ„ta quam immeÌ„sa a deo accepisset quid cuique ex dei prescripto deberet quid in sua quis que vocatione professus esset obseruare teneretur vnde languenti remedium esset petendum facile is cui deus mentem animum hec intelligendi auâ—dum dedit quaÌ„ facillime intelligere poterat nunc vero omnia hec ita traduntur vt eorum omnium populus Christi saÌ„guine redemptus cui hec maxime a Christo in stituta sunt ne tantillum quidem intelligere possit Nuper quum quid orare debemus vt oportet nescimus dominus noster Iesus christus in sua quam omnibus tradi voluit oratione atque etiam spiritus sanctus in psalmis hymnis cantionibus spiritualibus quae in sacris biblijs reperiuntur vniuersum populum Anglicanum anglice docuit vt quae petenda essent iuxta voluÌ„tateÌ„ patris petereÌ„t corda cuÌ„ labijs in oratione coÌ„iuÌ„gereÌ„t nunc vero oiÌ„a sub inuolu croliÌ„guae peregrinae iubeÌ„tur claudi vnde necessario sequi oportet populuÌ„ neque quid orat neque quid orare debeat posse intelligere quomodo potest cor voci coÌ„iungere quuÌ„ quid vox valeat magis quà m brutuÌ„ intelligere nequeat Postremo audio passim in pulpitis nunc damnari catechesim illaÌ„ editaÌ„ nuper in sermone vulgari Oh malitiam demoniacam humani generis per Christum salutâ— partae plane inuidam Omnino Satan tantam lucem vulgari ê‘ orâ— beÌ„ diu sustinere noÌ„potuit nihil equae in suo regno subuertendo effi cere posse intellexit quà m si à teneris annis sacris iuâ—buti pueri Christum didicissent vnde non tantum pueros sed senes atque aetate prouectiores qui ab infaÌ„tia christuÌ„ prius noÌ„ didicisseÌ„t vna cuÌ„ pueris christuÌ„ discere necesse erat Ergo nuÌ„c exclamat nociferae tur Sed quid faciuÌ„t aliud fratres qui satanae in hac impietate ope raÌ„ impendunt atque ministraÌ„t quaÌ„ illi quibus Christus seruator no ster in euangelio dirum illud interminatur intonat dicens
agayne The last Lent saue one it chaunced by reason of the tumult stirred vp in Kente there was so manye prisoners in the Tower that my L. of Canterb. M. Lacimer M. Bradforde and I were put altogether in one prison where we remained still almost to the next easter and then we three Caunterb Latymer and I were sodainly sent a little before Gato Oxford and were suffred to haue nothyng with vs but that we caried vpon vs. About the Whitsontide folowyng was our disputations at Oxford after the which was al taken from vs as penne and ynke c. our owne seruauntes were taken from vs before and euery one had put to him a straunge man and we eche one appointed to be kept in seuerall places as we are vnto this day Blessed be god we three at the writyng hereof were in good health and in god of good cheare We haue loked long ago to haue bene dispatched for we were all three on one daye within a day or two of our disputations of D. Weston beyng the head commissioner condemned for heretykes and synce that tyme we remayne as we were of hym leaft The Lordes will bee fulfilled in vs as I doe not doubte but by his grace it shall be to hys glory and our endles saluation through Iesus Christ our Lord. Likewise the Lord hitherto hath preserued aboue al our expectation our deare brother and in Christes cause a strōg Champion I Bradford He is likewise condemned and is already deliuered vnto the seculer power writtes as we haue heard say geuen oute for hys execution and called in again Thus the lord so long as hys blessed pleasure is preserueth whom he lysteth notwithstandyng the wonderfull ragyng of the world ▪ Many as we heare say haue suffred valiauntly confessyng Christes truth and nothyng yelding to the aduersary yea not for the feare or paynes of death The names of them which I knew haue now suffered are these Farrer the B. of S. Dauids Hoper the B. of Worceter Rogers tuus olim comprebendarius D. Taylor of Hadley M. Saunders and one Tomkyns a weauer and now this last day M. Cardmaker with an other were burnte in Smithfield at Londō many other in Essex kent whose names are writtē in the boke of life whō yet I do not know West your old companion sometime mine officer alas hath relented as I haue heard but the lord hath shortned hys daies This West whē he had relented sayd masse against his conscience shortly after pined away and died for sorow for anone he died and is gone Grimbolde was caught by the heele and cast into the marshalsee but now is at liberty agayne but I feare me he escaped not withoute some beckyng and bowyng alas of hys knee vnto Baal My deare frende Thomas Ridley of the Bulheade in cheape which was to me the most faithful frend that I had in my trouble is departed also vnto god My brother Ship syde that hath maryed my syster hathe bene almoste halfe a yere in pryson for deliueryng as he was accused of certain thynges I weene from me but now thankes be to god he is at liberty agayne but so that the bishop hath taken from hym hys parke Of al vs three cōcaptiues at Oxford I am kept most strait and with least libertie vel quia viro in cuius edibus ego custodior vxordominatur licet modo sit prefectus ciuitatis mulier vetula morosa superstitiosiss quae etiā hoc sibi laudi ducit quod me dicatur arctissime cautissime custodire vir autem ipse Irischius nomine mitis satis est omnibus vxori vero plusquam obsequentiss Licet vxorem vti nosti nunquam habuerim tamen ex hac quotidiana consuetudine quam cum istis coniugibus habeo videor mihi non nihil posse intelligere quà m graue malum intollerabile iugum sit cum mala mulierein coniugio colligari Recte ergo sapiens dixit vxor bona donum Dei iterum mulieris bonae beatus vir Vel haec inquam causa est vel quia a magnis magistratibus nescio quas ob causas illud est vt ita fieret ipsis mādatum id quod illi si quando de meanimia seruitute apud eos conqueror sedulo soepe rursus mihi inculcant At Cambridge as I heare say Omnes studiorū statutorū reformationes nuper factae nunc sunt denuo deformatae deletae omnia sunt in pristinum chaos in antiquum papismum reducta omnes collegiorum prefecti qui synceritati euāgelij fauebāt vel qui coniugati erāt loco moti sunt alij papisticae factionis in eorum loca surrogati quod de socijs collegiorum qui noluerunt flectere genu Baall factū esse audio Nec mirū nā istud passim factū est in vniuerso regno angliae in omnibus Archiepiscopis Episcopis Decanis prebēdarijs Sacerdotibus ecclesiarum in toto clero and to tel you much naughty matter in a few wordes Papismus apud nos vbique in pleno fuo antiquo robore regnat The Lord be merciful and for Christes sake pardon vs our olde vnkindnesse and vnthankefulnesse for when he powred vppon vs the giftes of hys manifolde graces and fauour alas we dyd not serue him nor rendered vnto hym thankes according to the same We pastors many of vs wer to cold and bare to much alas with the wycked world our magistrates did abuse to theyr owne worldlye gayne bothe gods Gospell and the ministers of the same the people in many places was waywarde and vnkynd Thus of euerye syde and of euery sort we haue prouoked Gods anger and wrathe to fall vppon vs but blessed might he be that hathe not suffred hys to continue in those wayes which so wholy haue displeased hys secrate maiesty but hath awaked them by the fatherly correctiō of his own sons crosse vnto his glory and our endles saluation through Iesus Christ our Lord. My daily prayer is as god doth knowe and by gods grace shal be so lōg as I liue in this world for you my deare brethren that are fled out of your own countrey bicause ye wil rather forsake al worldly things thē the truth of gods word It is euen the same that I vse to make to God for all those churches abroad through the world which haue forsakē the kingdō of Antichrist professed opēly the purity of the gospel of Iesus Christ that is that god our eternall father for our sauior christs sake wil daily encrease in you the gratious gift of his heauenly spirit to the true setting forth of his glory of his gospel make you to agre brotherly in the truth of the same that there ryse no rote of bitternes amōg you that may infect that good sede that god hath sowē in your hartes already and finally that your life may be so pure and so honest accordyng to the rule of
remembrance and wish you and all the rest of our foresayde companions well in Christ It should do vs much comfort if we might haue knowledge of the state of the rest of our most dearely beloued which in this troublesome time doe stande in Christes cause and in the defence of the truth therof We are in good health thankes be to God yet the manner of our entreting doth chaung as soure ale doth in sōmer It is reported to vs of our kepers that the vniuersity beareth vs heauely A cole chaunced to fal in the night out of the chimney burnt a hole in the floore no more harme was done the balifes seruants sitting by the fyer An other night there chaunced a drunken fellow to multiply wordes and for the same he was set in Bocardo Vpon these thinges as is reported there is risē a rumor in the towne countrey about that we would haue brokē the prisō with such violēce as if the balifes had not plaid the prety men we should haue made a scape We had out of our prisō a wal that we might haue walked vpon and our seruants had liberty to go abroad in the towne or fieldes but now both they and we are restrayned of both The bishop of Worceter passed by vs through Oxford but he did not visit vs. The same day beganne our restraint to be more and the boke of the communion was taken from vs by the balifes at the Mayors commaundemēt No man is licenced to come vnto vs afore they might that woulde see vs vpon the wal but that is so grudgod at and so euel reported that we are now restrayned c. Sir blessed be God with all oure euell reportes grudginges and restrayntes we are mery in God and all our eare is and shal be by gods grace to please serue him of whome we loke and hope after this temporall and momentany miseries to haue eternall ioy and perpetuall felicity with Abraham Isaac and Iacob Peter and Paule and al the blessed company of the aungels in heauen through Iesus Christ our lord As yet there was neuer lerned man or any scholer or other that visited vs since we came into Bocardo Bocardo is a stinking and filthy prison for drunkards whores and harlottes and the vilest sort of people which now in Oxford may be called a colledge of quondās for as you know we be no fewer here thē thre and I dare say euery one well contented with his portion whiche I doe recken to be our heauenly fathers gracious fatherly good gift Thus fare you wel We shal with gods grace one day mete together be mery the daye assuredly approcheth apace the lord graūt that it may shortly come for before that day come I feare me the world wyl waxe worse worse but thē al our enemies shal be ouerthrown troden vnder foote righteousnes truth then shall haue the victory and beare the bell away wherof the lord graunte vs to be partners all that sincerely loue the truth We al pray you as you can to cause al our commēdations to be made to all such as you know did visit vs you when we were in the tower with theyr frendly remēbrances benefites Mistres Wilkinson mistres Warcup haue not forgottē vs but euen since we came into Bocardo with theyr charitable frēdly beneuolence haue cōforted vs Not that els we lacke for god be blessed which euer hetherto hath prouided sufficiently for vs but it is a great cōfort an occasion for vs to blesse god when we se that he maketh them so frendly to tender vs whom some of vs were neuer familierly acquaynted withall Yours in Christ N. R. To maister Bradford DEarely beloued I wysh you grace mercy peace According to your mind I haue run ouer all your papers and what I haue done which is but smal therin may appeare Sir what shall beste be done with these thinges This was a treatise of the communiō with other thinges which M. Bradforde sent to hym to peruse to geue his iudgement therof now you must consider for if they come in sight at this time vndoubtedly they must to the fier with theyr father and as for any safegarde that your custody can be vnto them I am sure you loke not for it for as you haue bene partner of the worke so I am sure you loke for none other but to haue and receaue like wages and to drinke of the same cuppe Blessed be god that hath geuen you libertye in the meane ceason that you may vse your pen to his glory to the comfort as I heare say of manye I blesse god dayly in you and all your whole companye to whome I beseche you to commend me hartly Now I loue my countreyman in deede and in truth I meane D. Taylor not now for my earthly countreis sake but for oure heauenly fathers sake whome I heard say he did so stoutly in time of perill confesse and yet also now for our countreis sake and for all our mothers sake but I meane of the kingdome of heauen and of heauenly hierusalem and bicause of the sprite which bringeth in hym in you and in your cōpany such blessed fruites of boldnes in the lords cause of pacience and constācy The Lord which hath begon this worke in you al performe and perfite this his own dede vntill his own day come Amen As yet I perceiue you haue not beene baited the cause therof God knoweth which wil let them do no more to his then is his pleased will and good pleasure to suffer them to do for his own glory and to the profit of them which be trulye his for the father whiche dothe guide thē that be christs to Christe is more mighty than all they and no man is able to pulle thē out of the fathers hands except I say it please our father it please our maister Christe to suffer them they shal not be able to sturre one heare of your heades My brother P. the bearer hereof would that we shoulde say what we thynke good concerninge your mynde that is not for to aunswere excepte ye myghte haue somewhat indifferent iudges We are as ye know separated one of vs can not in any thing consult with an other and muche straite watching of the baylifes is about vs that there be no priuy conference amongest vs. And yet as we heare the scholers beare vs more heauelye then the townsemen A wonderful thing among so many neuer yet scholer offred to any of vs so farre as I know any manner of fauor either for or in Christes cause Now as concerning your demaunde of our counsell for my part I do not mislike that which I perceiue ye are minded to do for I loke for none other but if ye aunswere before the same commissioners that we did ye shal be serued handled as we were though ye were as wel lerned as euer was either Peter
and encouraged them to kepe the high way sic currere vti tandem acciperent premium The Lord be his comfort wherof I doe not doubte and I thanke God hartely that euer I was acquaynted wyth hym and that euer I had suche a one in my house Protomartyr is the first Martyr whome he so called because he was the first that suffred here in those bloudy dayes And yet agayne I blesse God in our deare brother and of thys tyme protomartyr Rogers that he was also one of my callinge to be a prebendarye preacher of London And nowe because Grindall is gone The Lord I doubt not hath and koweth wherein he will bestowe him I truste to God it shall please him of his goodnes to strengthen me to make vp the trynytye out of Paules churche to suffer for Christ whome God the father hath annoynted the holye spirite doth beare witnes vnto Paule and al the Apostles preached Thus fare you well I had no paper I was constrayned thus to write To Augustine Berneher BRother Austine I thanke you for your manifolde kindenesse This almes was sent him by the Ladye Katherin Duches of Suffolk to who he wrote againe a worthy letter which is lâ—st and many other writen botâ— to her others I haue receiued my Ladies graces almes sixe Royalles syxe shillinges and eyghte pence I haue written a letter here vnto her grace but I haue made no mention therof wherfore I desire you to render to her grace harty thankes Blessed be God as for my selfe I wante nothyng but my Ladies almes commeth happilye to relieue my poore brothers necessity whome you know they haue cast and kepe in prison as I suppose you know the cause why Farewell brother Austine take good heede I pray you let my brothers case make your the more wary Read my letter to my ladies grace I would maistres WilkinsoÌ„ maystres Warcup had a copy of it for althoughe the letter is directed to my ladies grace alone yet the mater therof pertaineth indiffereÌ„tly to her grace and to all good women which loue God and his worde in deede and truth Yours in Christ N. R. ¶ To Maistres Glouer a woman zelous and harty in the cause and furtherance of Gods gospell MAistres glouer I wysh you grace peace and although I am not acquainted with you yet neuertheles hearing that your husbaÌ„d master Glouer is in prison for gods wordes sake and also that you are a womaÌ„ harty in gods cause and thirdly that old father Latimer is your vncle or nere cosin whoÌ„ I do thinke the lord hath placed to be his standerd bearer in our age and country agaynst his mortal foe Antichrist I was thus bold to write vnto you in goddes behalf to do accordinge to the report which I here of you that is that you be hartye in Goddes cause and hartye to youre mayster Christ in furdering of hys cause and settinge fourth his souldiours to hys warres to the vttermost of your power Let no carnality nor worldly regard of any thinge set you to declare your trew hart which you are said to beare to your mayster christ aboue all other thinges Be harty nowe also to your husbande and declare your selfe to loue him in God as the true faythfull christiaÌ„ womaÌ„ vnto her husbaÌ„d is bound to do Now seing your husbaÌ„d which is set by gods ordinaÌ„ce to be your head is redy to suffer abide in aduersity by his masters cause to cleaue to his head christ see like wise that you do your dutye accordyngly and cleaue vnto him your hed suffre with him that you maye furder his cause His cause nowe I vnderstande to be Chrystes cause and therefore beware good syster in Chryste that in no wyse ye hynder it Loue so hys bodye and the case and wealthe thereof as youre loue maye further hym to the wynnynge bothe of bodye and soule vnto euerlastynge lyfe And thys loue shall bothe God allowe your husbande shall haue iuste cause to reioyce thereof and all the godlye to commend you therefore and to number you for the same amonge the godlye and holye women of God To youre husbande I haue written more And thus fare you well nowe good deare Sister in our sauioure Christ I was the bolder to write vnto you for that I vnderstoode my dearely beloued brother Austyne whome I call Faustus shouldbe the carier a manne whome I thynke God hathe appoynted to doe much pleasure for hys preste seruauntes to hys warres Yours in Christ N.R. To a frend that came to visite hym in prison but could not speake wyth hym WElbeloued I thancke you hartelye for youre manyfolde kyndnes but the Lorde shal I trust acquite you youre meede Thoughe Sathan rage the Lorde is stronge inough to brydle hym and to put an iron chayne ouer hys nose when it shal please hym In the meane tyme they that are the Lordes wyll flee vnto hym assuredly he wyl not forsake them that seke vnto hym in verye deede and in truthe Thys bearer my manne is trustye you maye sende your token by hym Let Nycolas keepe styll the shyrtes The Lorde rewarde that Ladye VViatte whyche for hys sake hathe thus remembred me I doe not knowe her personne What canne I rendre to maystres Wylkynson for all her benefytes Nothyng surelye but to desyre the Lorde to acquite her with hys heauenlye grace If you tarye I shall haue more to saye to you peraduenture hereafter Nowe Vale in Domino charissime Yours in Christ N. R. ¶ The manner of D. Ridleyes handlinge in the Scholes at Oxford and of the impudent spite full cruel dealing of the papistes which he set before his disputation by way of a preface and is not vnfitte here to be placed among the letters translated out of his lattin copy into englysh I Neuer yet in all my life sawe or hearde anye thing done or handled more vaynelye or tumultuously then the disputation which was had with me of late in the scholes at Oxford And surelye I coulde neuer haue thoughte that it had bene possible to haue found anye within this realme beyng of any knowlege learning and auncient degree of schole so brasen faced and so shameles as to behaue themselues so vainly and so like stage plaiers as they did in that disputation The Sorbonical clamours which at Paris when popery most reigned I in times paste haue sene might be worthely thought in comparison of this Thrasonicall and glorious ostentation to haue had muche modesty Howbeit it was not to be wondred at for that they which should there haue bene Moderatoures and rulers of others and whiche should haue geuen a good example in woorde grauitye c. 1. Tim. 4. as Paule teacheth gaue worst example of all and did as it were blowe the trompet to other to rayle rage roare and cry out By reason wherof good christian reader it is manifest that they neuer sought for any truth but only for
it and in the steade of Gods holye worde the true and righte administration of Christes holye Sacramentes as of Baptisme and others they mixte theyr ministerye with mennes folishe fantasies and manye wicked and vngodlye traditions withall In the steade of the Lordes holye table they geue the people with muche solemne disguising a thyng which they call theyr Masse but in dede and in truth it is a verye maskyng and mockerye of the true supper of the Lord or rather I maye cal it a crafty iuglynge whereby these false theeues and iuglers haue bewitched the mindes of the symple people that they haue broughte them from the true worshippe of GOD vnto pernicious idolatry and make them to beleue that to bee Christe oure Lorde and Sauiour which in deede is neyther God nor man nor hathe any life in it selfe but in substance is the creature of breade and wyne and in vse of the lordes table is the Sacramente of Christes bodye and bloude and for thys holy vse for the whych the Lord hath ordeyned them in hys Table to represent vnto vs hys blessed bodye torne vppon the crosse for vs and hys bloud there shedde it pleased hym to call them hys bodye and bloude whych vnderstandyng Christe declareth to bee hys true meaning when he sayeth Luke 22. doe thys in the remembraunce of me And agayn Saincte Paule lykewyse dothe set out the same more plainly speakyng of the same Sacrament after the wordes of the consecration sayâ—ng as often as ye shal eate of thys bread and drynke of thys Cuppe â— Cor. 11. ye shall set forthe he meaneth wyth the same the Lordes deathe vntyll hys commyng agayne And here agayne these theues haue robbed also the people of the Lordes cuppe contrary to the playne wordes of Christ written in hys Gospell Nowe for the commen publique prayers whiche were in the vulgare tongue these theues haue brought in agayne a straunge tongue whereof the people vnderstande not one word Wherein what doe they elles but robbe the people of theyr diuyne Seruice wherein they oughte to praye together wyth the mynyster and to praye in a straunge toungue what is it but as Saincte Paule calleth it barbarousnes chyldishenes vnprofitable follye yea and plaine madnesse For the godly articles of vnity in Religion and for the wholsome Homelies what doe these theeues place in the stead of them but the Popes lawes and decrees lying Legendes and fayned fables and myracles to delude and abuse the symplycitye of the rude people Thus thys robbery and thefte is not onelye committed nay sacrilege and wycked spoyle of heauenlye thynges but also in the stead of the same is brought in and placed the abbominable desolacion of the tyraunte Antiochus of proude Senacheryb of the shameles faced kyng of the Babilonical beaste Vnto thys robberye thys thefte and sacrilege for that I cannot consente nor God wyllyng neuer shall so long as the breath is in my bodye because it is blasphemye againste God hyghe treason vnto Christe our heauenly Kyng lord maister and oure onely Sauiour and redemer it is playne contrarye to Gods worde and to Christes Gospell it is the subuersion of all true godlines and agaynste the euerlastyng saluation of myne owne soule and of all my brethren and systers whome Chryste my Sauioure hathe so dearely boughte wyth no lesse pryce then wyth the effusion and sheddyng forthe of hys moste precious bloude therefore all ye my true louers in GOD my kynsefolke and countreymen for thys cause I say know ye that I am put to deathe whiche by Gods grace I shall wyllynglye take wyth hartye thankes to GOD therefore in certayne hope wythout any doubtyng to receyue at gods hande agayne of his free mercy and grace euerlastyng life Althoughe the cause of the true man slayne of the thefe helpyng hys neyghboure to recouer hys goodes agayne and the cause wherefore I am to bee put to deathe in a generalitye is bothe one as I sayde before yet knowe ye that there is no small difference These theeues against whome I doe stande are muche worse then the robbers and theues of the borders The goodes whiche they steale are much more precious and theyr kindes of fight are farre dyuers These theeues are worse I say for they are more cruelll more wycked more false more deceytfull and craftye for those will but kyll the bodye but these wyll not stycke to kyll bothe bodye and soule Those for the generall thefte and robberye be called and are in deede theues and robbers but these for theyr spirituall kynd of robberye are called Sacrilegi as ye woulde say churche robbers They are more wycked for those goe aboute but to spoyle men of worldlye thynges worldlye ryches gold and syluer and worldlye substaunce these goe aboute in the wayes of the Deuill their ghostlye father to steale from the vniuersall churche and peritcularlye from euerye man all heauenlye treasure true faythe true charitye and hope of saluation in the bloude of oure Sauioure Iesus Christe yea to spoile vs of our Sauiour Christ of hys gospel of hys heauenlye spirite and of the heauenlye heritage of the kingdome of heauen so dearelye purchased vnto vs wyth the deathe of oure Maister and Sauyoure Christe These be the goodes and godlye substaunce whereuppon the Christian before God must lyue and withoute the whiche he cannot lyue these goodes I saye these theues these churche robbers goe aboute to spoyle vs of The whiche goodes as to the man of God they excell and farre passe all worldlye treasure so to wythstande euen vnto the death suche theues as goe aboute to spoyle both vs and the whole churche of such goods is most hyghe honourable seruice done vnto God These churche robbers be also much more false craftye and deceytfull then the theues vpon the borders for these haue not the crafte so to commende theyr thefte that they dare auouche it and therefore as acknowledgyng themselues to be euyll they steale commenlye vppon the nyghte they dare not appeare at iudgements and sessions where iustice is executed when they are taken brought thether they neuer hange any man but they bee ofte tymes hanged for theyr faultes But these Church robbers can so cloke and coloure theyr spiritual robbery that they can make the people to beleue falshed to be truth and truth falshod good to be euel euell good light to be darknesse and darknesse light superstition to be true religion and idolatry to be the true worshyppe of god and that which is in substance the creature of breade and wine to be none other substance but onlye the substance of Christ the liuing Lord both God and man And wyth this their falshed and craft they can so iuggle and bewitch the vnderstaÌ„ding of the simple that they dare auouch it openly in courte and in towne and feare neyther hanging nor hedding as the pore theues of the borders do but stoute and strong like Nembrothe dare condemne to be burned in
flaming fyre quicke and aliue whosoeuer will goe aboute to bewray their falshed The kind of fight against these church robbers is also of an other sorte and kinde then is that whiche is agaynste the theues of the borders For there the true men go forth against theÌ„ with speare launce with bow and byl and al such kind of bodelye weapons as the true men haue but here as the enemyes be of an other nature so the watchmen of Christs flocke the warriours that fight in the Lordes warre muste be armed and fight with an other kinde of weapons and armour For here the enemies of God the souldiors of Anti-Christ although the battel is set forth against the churche by mortall men being flesh and bloud and neuerthelesse members of theyr father the deuil yet for that theyr graund maister is the power of darknesse theyr members are spirituall wickednes wicked spirites spirites of erroures of heresies of all deceate and vngodlines spirites of idolatry Ephe 6 superstition and hipocrisye which are called of S. Paule Principates powers Lordes of the world rulers of the darknesse of this world and spiritual subtilties concerning heaueÌ„ly things therfore our weapons must be fit and mete to fyght agaynst such not carnall nor bodely weapons as speare and launce but spiritual and heauenly we must fight agaynst such with the armor of God not entendinge to kill they re bodyes but their errours theyr false craft and heresies theyr idolatry superstitioÌ„ and hipocrisy Eph 6. and to saue as much as lieth in vs both theyr bodies and soules And therfore as S. Paule teacheth vs we fighte not against fleshe and bloude that is we fyght not with bodely weapon to kyll the man but with the weapons of God to put to flight his wicked errours vice and to saue both body and soule Our weapons therfore are faythe hope charitye righteousnesse truthe pacience prayer vnto God and our sword wherwyth we smite our enemies we beate and batter and beare down all falshed is the word of God With these weapons vnder the banner of the crosse of Christ we do fyght euer hauinge our eye vpon our graunde Maister Duke and captayne Christe and then we recken our selues to triumphe and to winne the crown of euerlastinge blesse when enduringe in this battaile withoute anye shrinking or yelding to the enemies after the example of our graund Capitaine Christ our Mayster after the exaÌ„ple of his holy Prophetes Apostles and Martyrs when I say we are slayne in oure mortall bodyes of our enemies are most cruelly and without all mercy murdered down like a me any of shepe And the more cruel the more payneful the more vyle and spitefull is the kind of the death whereunto we be put the more glorious in God the more blessed and happye wee recken withoute all doubtes oure Martyrdome to be And thus much dere loeuers frends in god my country men kinsfolk I haue spoken for your comfort least of my deathe of whose life you loked peraduenture sometimes to haue had honestye pleasures and commodities ye myghte be abashed or thinke any euill whereas ye haue rather cause to reioyse if ye loue me indeede for that it hathe pleased God to call me to a greater honoure and dignitye than euer I did enioye before eyther in Rochester or in the Sea of London or euer shoulde haue had in the Sea of Durham whereunto I was last of all elected and named yea I count it greater honoure before God in deede to die in his cause whereof I nothynge doubte then is any earthlye or temporall promocion or honoure that canne be geuen to a man in thys worlde And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Goddes to be Chrystes quarell and of hys Gospell to bee the common weale of all the elect and chosen children of God of all the inheritoures of the kingdome of Heauen who is he I saye that knoweth this assuredlye by Goddes woorde and the testimonye of hys owne conscience as I through the infinite goodnes of god not of my self but by hys grace acknowledge my self to do who is he I say that knoweth this both loueth fereth god in dede in truth loueth beleueth hys maister Christ and hys blessed gospel loueth his brotherhode the chosen children of god and also lusteth and longeth for euerlastinge life whoe is he I say againe that woulde not or can not fynde in his harte in thys cause to be content to dye The Lord forbid that any such shoulde be that shoulde forsake this grace of God I truste in my Lord God the God of mercies and the father of all comfort throughe Iesus Chryste oure Lorde that he whiche hathe put thys mynde will and affection by hys holye spirite in my harte to stande agaynste the face of the enemie in hys cause to chose rather the losse of all my worldly substaunce yea and of my life to then to denye hys knowne truthe that he well comfort me ayd me and strengthen me euermore euen vnto the ende and to the yelding vp of my spirite and soule into hys holye handes wherof I most hartely besech hys moste holye sacred Maiestye of hys infinyte goodnes and mercye throughe Iesus Christe our Lord. Amen Now that I haue taken my leaue of my countrey menne and kinsfolke and the Lorde doth lende me life and geueth me leysure I wyll bydde my other good friendes in God of other places also farewell And whome fyrste or before other then the Vniuersytye of Cambridge whereas I haue dwelte longer founde more faythfull and hartye frendes receyued more benefites the benefytes of my naturall parentes onlye excepted then euer I did euen in mine owne natyue countrey wherein I was borne Farewel therfore Cambrydge my louyng mother and tender nurse If I shoulde not acknowlege thy manyfold benefits yea if I shold not for thy benifits at the lest loue the agayn truly I were to be counted vngrate vnkind What benyfytes hadst thou euer that thou vsest to geue bestow vpon thy best beloued childreÌ„ that thou thoughtest to good for me Thou diddest bestowe on me all thy Schole degrees of thy common offyces the Chaplaynshyppe of the vniuersity the office of the Pâ—ortorship of a coÌ„mon reader and of thy priuate coÌ„modyties emolumeÌ„tes in colledges what was it that thou madest me not partner of Fyrst to be Scholer then Fellow and after my departure froÌ„ thee thou calledst me agayne to a Mastership of a right worshipful colledge I thanck thee my louing mother for all this thy kindnes and I pray God that his lawes the syncere Gospel of Christ may euer be truly taught faythfully learned in thee Farewell Pembroke hall of late mine own Colledge my cure my charge what case thou artin now God knoweth I know not well Thou wast euer named sithens I knewe thee which is nowe a .xxx. yeares agoe to be studious well learned and a greate
and by rested in ioyes euerlasting and as theyr paynes ended theyr sorowes and began ease so dyd their constancie and stedfastnes animate confyrme al good people in the truth and gaue them encouragement and lust to suffer the like rather then to fal with the worlde to consente vnto wickednes and Idolatrye Wherfore my deare frendes seyng god of hys part hath illuminated you with the same gyfte knowledge of true faith wherin the Apostles the Euangelists and all martyrs suffered most cruell deathe thanke him for hys grace in knowlege and pray vnto him for strength and perseuerance that through your owne faute you be not ashamed nor afearde to confesse it Ye be in the truthe and the gates of hell shall neuer preuayle against it nor Antichrist with al his Impes proue it to be false Thei may kil and persecute but neuer ouercome be of good comfort and feare more god then man This lyfe is short miserable happy be they that can spend it to the glory of god Pray for me as I do for you and commende me to all good men and women 22. December 1554. Your brother in Christ Iohn Hoper To one that was fallen from the knowen truth of the gospell to Antichriste and his damnable religion GRace mercy and peace of conscience be multiplied in all penitent heartes Amen Deare brother in Christ Iesus it is not long since I was informed what loue and serueÌ„t zeale ye haue heretofore born to gods true religion appearing as well by youre lyfe and conuersation as by absentynge your selfe from the Idolaters temple and congregation of false worshippers But now alas through the deuilishe perswasions and wycked counsayle of worldly men ye haue declined froÌ„ your former profession buildyng agayne that which before ye destroyed so are become a trespaser Gala. 2 2. Cor. 6. bearyng a strauÌ„gers yoke with the vnbeleuers Of whiche thing euer since I was informed I haue ben meruelously moued with inward affectioÌ„s muche lamenting so greate and sodayne a chaunge as to be turned from him that called you in the grace of Christ vnto the dissimulation of wicked hypocrites Gala. 1. which as S. Paule saith is nothing els but that there be some which trouble you inteÌ„ding to make you like as they are euen louers of them selues whose hartes are wedded to the perishing treasures of this world wherin is their whole ioy and felicity contrary to S. Iohn i. Iohn 2. which saieth see that ye loue not the worlde neither those things whiche are in the worlde But they as men without eares and hauing harts without vnderstanding do neither waigh the terrible threatninges of god against such offenders and the most woful punishment dewe for the same nor yet consider the louing admonitioÌ„ and calling of god who both teacheth how to auoid his wrath and also by what meanes to attain to saluation Wherfore dere brother I humbly beseche you euen by the mercifulnes of god and as you tender your owne saluation to geue eare no longer to their pestilent perswasioÌ„s but euen now forth with to repent and haue no longer felowship with the vnfruitful works of darknes Ephe. 5 Rom. 12 Iames. 4. Eph. 4. Apo. 2. neither fashion you your selfe again gain like vnto the world delight not in the frendship therof for all suche be made the enemies of god greue not any loÌ„ger the holy spirit of god by whom ye are sealed vnto the day of redemption Acknowlege your offence and from whence ye are fallen prostrate your self before god asking mercy for christs sake Mourne with Mary Magdalen lament wyth Dauid Math. 20. crye with Ionas and wepe with Peter and make no tarieng to turne to the lord whose pitiful eies attend alwais to wipe away the teares from euery troubled conscience Such is his entiere loue toward al those that turne vnto him EZechi 18 making them this swete promise confirmed by a mighty and vehement kind of speaking tell them as truely as I liue saith he I will not the death of a sinner but muche rather that he turne from his euil ways and liue Turne you turne you from your vngodlye waies O ye of the house of Israel O wherfore wil ye die Beholde ye are here forgeueÌ„ your sinne is blotted out and the most ioyful countenaunce of god turned again towards you What nowe remaineth Verely this that you from heÌ„ceforth kepe circuÌ„spect watch and become a follower of Christe sustaining for his names sake all such aduersities as shal be measured vnto you by the suffraunce of god our heauenly father who so careth for vs that not one heare of our head shal perish without his wil who also considering the tender and weake faith of his children not able as yet to stand against the force of Antichrists tyranny geueth them this louyng liberty when ye be persecuted in one citye fly to an other Math. â— O most tender compassion of Christ how careful is he ouer hys people who woulde not now rather then to offende so merciful a God flie this wicked realme as your most christian brother and many other haue done or els with boldnes of hart and patience of the spirit beare maÌ„fully the crosse eueÌ„ vnto the death as diuers of our brethreÌ„ haue don before vs as is declared at large in Paules epistle to the Heb. which I passe ouer and come to our sauior Christ whose exaÌ„ple for our singuler comfort S. Paule encourageth vs to folow sayeng let vs also Heb. 11 â–ª seing that we are coÌ„passed with so greate a multitude of witnesses lay away al that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth on and let vs runne with patience vnto the battaile that is set before vs loking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the ioyes that was set before him abode the crosse and despised the shame Heb. 12. and is set downe on the right hand of the throne of god c. From whence he shall come shortly saith S. Iohn and his rewardes with him Apo. 22. to geue euery man according as his dedes shal be Blessed are they that do his commaundements that their power may be in the tree of life and may enter in through the gates vnto the City where they sayth Esay shal haue their pleasure in the lord who wil cary them on high Esay 58. aboue the earth wil fede them with the heritage of Iacob their father for the lordes owne mouth hathe so promised Thus I haue bene bolde to write vnto you for christiaÌ„ loue sake that I beare to you whose saluation I wish as mine owne beseching god that your whole spirit soule and body may be kept fautlâ—s vnto the comming of our lord Iesus Christ Amen Your brother in Christ Iohn Hoper To the faithfull and liuely members of our sauiour Iesus Christ inhabityng the city of London grace and peace from the heauenly father through our lord Iesus Christ YOur
possesse your lyues in pacience sayeth he In the which words he geueth vs both commaundement what to do and also greate consolation and comforte in all troubles He sheweth also what is to be doone and what is to be hoped for in troubles and when troubles happen he biddeth vs be pacient and in no case violently nor seditiously to resist our persequutors because God hath such cure and charge of vs that he wil kepe in the myddes of all troubles the very heares of our heade so that one of thē shal not fall away without the wil pleasure of our heauenly father Math. 10. Whether the heare therfore tarye in the heade or fall from the heade it is the wil of the father And seing he hath such care for the heares of our head how much more doth he care for our life it self wherfore let gods aduersaryes do what they lust whether they take the life or take it not they can do vs no hurte for theyr crueltye hath no further power then god permitteth them and that whiche commeth vnto vs by the wyll of our heauenlye father can be no harme no losse neyther destruction vnto vs but rather gayne wealth and felicitye For all troubles and aduersity that chaunce to such as be of god Rom. 8. by the wil of the heauenly father can be none other but gayne aduauntage That the spirite of man may feele these consolations the geuer of them the heauenly father must be prayed vnto for the merites of Christes passion Iacob 1. 1. Cor. 1.8 for it is not the nature of man that can be contented vntill it be regenerated and possessed with gods spirite to beare pacientlye the troubles of the mind or of the body When the minde and hart of a man seeth of euery side sorrowe and heauines and the worldlye eye beholdeth nothinge but suche thinges as be troublous wholy bent to robbe the poore man of that he hath also to take from him his lyfe except the man waigh these brittle and vncertayne treasures that be taken from him wyth the riches of the life to come and this life of the bodye wyth the life in Christes precious blood and so for the loue and certeynty of the heauenly ioyes contemne al thinges presente doubtles he shall neuer be able to beare the losse of goods life or any other thynges of this world Therfore S. Paule geueth a verye godlye and necessarye lesson to all menne in thys short transitorye life and therein sheweth how a manne maye beste beare the iniquytye and troubles of thys world Col. 3. if ye be risen agayne wyth Christ sayth he seke the thynges whiche are aboue where Chryste sitteth at the ryght hand of God the father Wherfore the christian mans fayth must be alwaies vpon the resurrection of Christe whē he is in trouble and in that glorious resurrectiō he shal not onelye see continuall and perpetuall ioye and consolation but also the victorye and triumphe of all persequution trouble synne death hell the diuell and all other persequutors and tyrannes of Christe and of Christes people the teares and weepinges of the faythfull dryed vp they re woundes healed theyr bodies made immortall in ioy theyr soules for euer praysynge the Lord and coniunction and societye euer lasting with the blessed company of Gods electes in perpetual ioy But the wordes of S. Paule in that place if they be not marked shal do little profite to the reader or hearer and geue him no patience at al in this impaciēt and cruel world In the fyrst part Saynt Paule commaundeth vs to thinke or set our affections on things that are aboue When he biddeth vs seke the things that are aboue he requireth that our mindes neuer cease from prayer and study in Gods worde vntyll we see knowe and vnderstande the vanities of thys world the shortnes and mysery of this lyfe the treasures of the world to come the immortality therof and the ioyes of that life and so neuer cease seking vntill such time as we know certeynly and be perswaded what a blessed man he is that seeketh th one and findeth it and careth not for thother though he lose it and in seking to haue ryght iudgement betwene the life present and the life to come we shal find how little the paynes imprisonment slaunders lies and death it selfe is in this world in respect of the paynes euerlastinge the prison infernal and doungeon of hel the sentēce of gods iust iudgement and euerlasting death When a man hath by seeking the word of God found out what the thinges aboue be then must he as Saynte Paule saythe set his affections vpon them And this commaundement is more hard then thother For mans knowlege many times seeth the beste and knoweth that there is a lyfe to come better then this life present as you may se how dayly men and women can prayse and commend yea and wysh for heauen and to be at rest there yet they set not theyr affection vpon it they do more affect loue in dede a trifel of nothing in this worlde that pleaseth theyr affection then a treasure of all treasures in heauen whiche their owne iudgemente sayeth is better then all worldlye thinges Wherefore we must set our affections vpon the things that be aboue that is to say when any thyng worse then heauē vpon the earth offereth it selfe to be ours yf we wyll geue our good willes to it and loue it in our heartes then to see by the iudgemēt of gods word whether we may haue the world wtout offēce of god and such thynges as be for this worldly lyfe wythout his displeasure If we cannot S. Paules commaundement must take plate set your affection on thinges that are aboue If the riches of this worlde maye not be gotten nor kepte with gods law neyther our lyues be continued with out the denyall of hys honour we must set our affection vpon the riches and lyfe that is aboue and not vpon things that be on the earth Therfore this second commaundemēt of S. Paule requireth that as our myndes iudge heauenly thinges to be better then thinges vppon the earth and the lyfe to come better then the life present so we should choose them before other preferre thē and haue suche affection to the best that in no case we set the worst before it as the most part of the world doth and hathe done for they choose the best and approue it and yet follow the worst But these things my godly wife requyre rather cogitation meditation and prayer then wordes or talke They be easy to be spoken of but not so easy to be vsed and practised Wherfore seyng they bee gods giftes and none of ours to haue as our own when we would we must seke them at our heauenly fathers hande who seeth and is priuye howe poore and wretched we be and how naked how spoyled destitute of all his blessed giftes we bee by
familiaris est D. Thomas Leuerus Si quid est quod in gratiam vxoris tuae liberorum potuero me totum libenter illis impendam qua de re ad vxorem tuam scribo audio enim illam as gere Francofordiae Sis fortis laetus in Christo expectans eius liberationem vt quando ipsi fuerit visum Dominus Iesus misereatur Angliae illuminet illam spiritu suo ad gloriam nominis sui animarum salutem Dominus Iesus seruet te liberet ab omni malo cum omnibus qui inuocant nomen eius Vale Vale aeternum 10. Octobris 1554. Tiguri Nosti manum H. B. The same in English ☞ To the most reuerende father M. Iohn Hoper bishop of Worceter and Gloucester and now prisoner for the Gospell of Iesus Christe my fellowe Elder and most deare brother in England THe heauenly father graunt vnto you and to all those which are in bandes captiuitie for his names sake grace and peace through Iesus Christ our lord with wisdome patience fortitude of the holy ghoste I haue receyued from you two letters my most deare brother the former in the month of Septemb. of the yere past the later in the moneth of May of this present yere both written out of prison But I doubtyng leaste I should make aunswer to you in vayn whilest I feared that my letters should neuer come vnto your hands or elles increase double your sorow did refrain frō the duety of writing In the which thing I doubt not but you wyl haue me excused especially seyng you did not vouchsafe no not once in a whole yeare to asunwere to my whole libelles rather then letters whereas I continued still notwithstandyng in writyng vnto you as also at thys presente after I heard that you were caste in pryson I dyd not refrayne from continuall prayer besechyng oure heauenlye father throughe our onelye mediatour Iesus Christe to graunte vnto you and to your fellow prisoners fayth and constancie vnto the ende Nowe is that thyng happened vnto you my brother the which we dyd often tymes prophecie vnto our selues at your beyng wyth vs shoulde come to passe especially when we dyd talke of the power of Antichrist and of hys felicity and victories Daniel 8. For you knowe the sayenge of Daniel his power shal be mighty but not in hys strength and he shall wonderfully destroye and make hauocke of all thynges and shall prosper and practise and he shall destroy the mightye and the holy people after his owne wyll You knowe what the Lorde warned vs of before hande by Mathew in the tenth chapter by Iohn in the 15. chapiter and the 16. and also what that chosen vessell Saint Paule hath written in the second to Timothy and the thyrde Chapter Wherefore I doe nothyng doubte by Gods grace of your faythe and patience whilest you knowe that those thynges which you suffer are not vnloked for or come by chaūce but that you suffer them in the best truest and most holy quarel for what can be more true and holy then our doctrine which the papistes those worshippers of Antichrist do persecute All things touching saluatiō we attribute vnto christ alone to his holy institutions as we haue ben taught of hym of his disciples but they would haue euen the same thyngs to be communicated as wel to their Antichrist and to his institutions Such we ought no lesse to withstande then we reade that Helias withstoode the Baalites For if Iesus be Christ then let them know that he is the fulnes of his churche and that perfectly but if Antichrist be Kyng and Priest Ephe. 1. thē let them exhibite vnto him that honour How long do they halte on both sydes Can they geue vnto vs any one that is better then Christ or who shal be equall with Christe that may be compared with him except it be he whom the Apostle calleth the Aduersary 2. Thess 2. But if Christ be sufficient for his churche what needeth thys patchyng and peecyng But I know well enoughe I neede not to vse these disputations with you which are syncerely taught and haue taken roote in Christ being persuaded that you haue all things in hym that we in hym are made perfecte Goe forwardes therefore constantly to confesse Christe and to defye Antichrist beyng myndfull of this most holy and most true saying of our lord Iesus Christ Apo. 21 he that ouercommeth shal possesse all things and I wyll be hys God and he shall bee my sonne but the feareful and the vnbeleuyng and the abhominable and the murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyers shall haue their parte in the lake whiche burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death The fyrst death is soone ouercome althoughe a man muste burne for the Lordes sake for they saye well that doe affyrme this our fyre to be scarcely a shadowe of that which is prepared for the vnbeleuers and them that fall from the truth Moreouer the lorde graunteth vnto vs that we maye easily ouercome by his power the fyrst death the whiche he hymselfe dyd taste and ouercome promisyng wythal suche ioyes as neuer shall haue ende vnspeakable and passyng all vnderstandyng the whiche we shall possesse so soone as euer we depart hence Apoc. i4 For so agayne sayth the Aungell of the lord if any man worship the beast his image receiue his marke in hys forehead or on hys hand the same shal drinke of the wrathe of god yea of the wyne whych is powred into the cuppe of hys wrathe and he shall be tormented in fyre and brymstone before the holye Aungelles and before the Lambe and the smoke of theyr tormentes shall ascende euermore and they shall haue no reste day nor nyght which worship the beast and hys image and whosoeuer receyueth the printe of hys name Here is the patience of saincts here are they that keepe the commaundementes of God and the fayth of Iesus In this tyme of Antichrist is the patiēce and faith of gods childrē 〈◊〉 tried wherby they shal ouercome all is tiranny reade Math. 24. To this he addeth by by I heard a voice saying to me write blessed be the dead that dye in the lorde from henceforth or spedely they be blessed Io. 5 euen so sayeth the spirit for they rest from theyr labours but their workes followe them for oure laboure shall not bee frustrate or in vayne Therfore seyng you haue such a large promyse bee strong in the lorde fyght a good fyghte be faythfull to the Lorde vnto the ende consider that Christ the sonne of god is your capitayn and fyghteth for you and that all the prophets Apostles and Martyrs are your fellow souldiours They that persecute and trouble vs are men synfull and mortall whose fauour a wyse man would not bye wyth the value of a farthyng and besydes that our lyfe is shorte frayle
imbecillitye in our selues 1. Pet. 5. beyng suche as is not hable to withstande the leaste of hys assaultes but on the contrarye beynge ouerwhelmed wyth the waues whiche be styrred vp by these tempestes of hys temptations Math. 8. we are compelled to crye wyth these Dysciples who in theyr extremitye cryed saue vs Lorde or elles we peryshe The tymes be perylous we muste therfore be circumspect not solace our selues in carnall security but beyng coÌ„tent to enter into the sheepe of Christes crosse and obiecting our selues to al ieoperdous passages in the adueÌ„turous iorneying to our heauenly countrey let vs for thys present vsage accompte it comfort enough to haue the fellowship of suche a fellow venterer He once beyng in the Shyppe wyth hys Disciples dyd wyth hys worde aswage the swellyng of the Sea so daungerous He hath not lefte vs alone in the Ship of thys frayle fleshe but ioyneth wyth vs in thys daungerous iorney aswel by hys once beyng subiecte vnto all bodely infirmities as we be synne only except as also by his assuryng vs of his gratious assistaÌ„ce now that he is becom before hys heauenly father our Prynce our Priest and our Prophet alwayes prest and ready to helpe by hys power propitiation and inspiration of hys holy spirite And what though he for a season do slepe and do so suffer vs vnto our seemynges to synke He wyll bee awaked beyng pulled by prayer and therfore doth he delay our spedy deliueraunce euen to fortifye our faithe by importune prayer Lette vs then wyth instance apply this busines and the rather in respect of the dangerous doâ—ing of this old age of the world For it is with the men of this latter age of the worlde as it is with a very aged man who for impotency of the powers both of the mind the body is brought to much imbecillitye Then do the wittes by weakenes wander out of the waye The bodye by feablenes and defaulte of the former strength doth stagger full weakely doth any lymme or part of that wretched body execute the function vnto it belongyng In lyke maner is it with the churche of Christe in this doâ—yng old age of the world There is nothyng such fulnes in gods graces as heretofore hath bene in the primatiue church and the tymes immediatly ensuyng There is lesse perfection in the fayth feare and loue towardes god charity towardes the brethren There is lesse zeale to confesse god and lesse constancy to continue in gods truth then was heretofore And this is not straunge vnto them which do obserue the fore-speakings of the scriptures aswel of the prophets of our sauior Christe as also of his apostles by whome it hath ben signified before hand what daungerous dayes should come in the latter times as Math. 24 2. Thess 2. 1. Timoth. 2. Timo. 3.2 Peter 2. Wherfore let vs which are come into these latter daungerous tymes first consider how that the holy ghost hath geuen vs warnyng therof and also that we by proofe haue experience of the verifying of the same let vs now I say the more earnestly apply our humble petition vnto that mercyful father and hys sonne our swete sauiour who is the head of hys churche euen this his body weake though it be that he wyll vouchsafe not so muche to obserue the backeslidyng and shrinkyng of thys hys feble body as to respect the forspeakynges of these perilous tymes and let vs wyth and in the name of the whole church remember often the prayer of Dauid Psal 71. Lord cast me not away in the tyme of mine olde age when my strength doth decay That tyme of the church is euen now presente and truly if we be instance in prayer we be not without warrantise of gods promises to obtayne that we pray for Psal 40. Math. 24. 1. Cor. 10 Yea call vpon me sayth he in the day of thy trouble and I wyll delyuer thee For the electes sake it is sayd the daungerous dayes shal be shortned Yea faythfull is he that wyll not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we be able to abyde We may be bold to put our gracious god in remembraunce of hys olde mercies Psal 44. with Deuid say oh god we haue hearde wyth our eares and our fathers haue declared vnto vs the noble workes that thou dyddest in theyr dayes and in the olde tyme before theÌ„ The testimonies of hys word do teach vs how he hath from the begynnyng alway gathered vnto himself a congregation church vnto the which hys choseÌ„ church he hath bound him selfe by his couenaunt of mercy to be their god and sauiour and besydes that hath powred vppon them his sundry blessinges and benefits But agayne it is to be sene in the scriptures how that euen these peculier gods people did at sundry tymes fall from that theyr heauenly profession aswell to Idolatrye and false Gods seruice as also vnto dissolute liuyng therby prouokyng gods wrathfull plagues and punishmentes the which in dede ofteÌ„times as they were ofteÌ„ deserued so they fel vpoÌ„ them But euen as the god of Israel did visite the offences of hys people wyth his rodde of chastisement so did he not at any tyme take away hys mercies from them Psal 89. and that for that couenaunt of mercy made vnto them in Abraham Isaac and Iacob their forefathers And therfore when at any tyme throughe hys grace they dyd by repentaunce turne vnto hym he most fatherly embraced theÌ„ with the armes of his mercy These thyngs be written for vs that we in semblable wyse should consider fyrst the dignitye whereunto we haue bene called that is euen to be hys church and people Yea in comparyng our profession with either the heathenish Turkes infidels or vnto the people which are professed vnto this hypotriticall papistrye we haue to aduaunce our selues as the true childreÌ„ of Christ for that we beare the ryght badges of gods true people and that is the earnest desyre towards the propagation of gods most holy word and the right vse of the sacraments agreable to the same hauyng ioyned ther with a readines of hart and mynde to suffer affliction persecution for the confession of our fayth or at the least rather then we wyll deny or put away faith and a good conscience And besydes these outward notes and tokens declaryng the we be the true church there is a nearer token in gods elect which is the inward testimony of gods spirite whiche beareth wytnesse vnto our spirit that we be gods children Rom. 8 causyng vs to crye Abba father and beyng in dede the earneste peny of our saluation But notwithstandyng that we be thus promoted by our god and dignifyed by his graces yet must we consider how vnworthely we haue vsed in sundry wise these gods graces blessyngs yea so vnthankfully we haue receyued theÌ„ that no lesse plagues by gods iust iudgemente belong vnto vs then was at that tyme
due vnto those his people Wherfore let vs faythfully confesse that we haue offended wyth oure forefathers The which beyng done in our conuersion vnto the Lord our God wyth our whole heart Psal 89. let vs assure our selues that euen as he hath and doth visite our synnes with this captiuity of body and cōscience and such other plagues beyng his rodde of chastisement so hath he not taken away his mercy from vs but wyll plentifully visite vs wyth the same euen for that couenaunt of mercy made vnto vs not in Abraham Isaac and Dauid but in that promysed sede of Abraham in that spiritual Dauid euē Iesus Christ who is that peaceable Salomon makyng peace betwen vs and his Father by the offeryng of hys bodye and sheedyng of hys bloude by whose meanes we must looke for the gilt of our synnes to bee forgeuen and the plagues thereby purchased to be taken away And now dearly beloued we be taught by that heauenly spirit which our god hath geuen vnto vs to seke comfort in these tymes of affliction not in hope of rebellion or fulfillyng vnprofitable yea pestilent welshe prophecies but in the most comfortable glad tidings of the heauenly promises assured in his deare Christ And touchyng this most miserable estate of the ghostly captiuity of conscience and bodely bondage wherin for our synnes presently we be holden let vs fyrst most obediently kysse this rodde of our father by obedience submission to abide al extremity that man may do vnto vs rather then to forgoe faythe and a good conscience Lette vs also beseche our heauenly father for his christes sake to leaue of beating vs and to take awaye the rodde eyther by conuertyng the hartes of those whiche afflicte persecute vs for so dyd he somtyme take away the rodde as namely by conuertyng of Nabuchodonozer Manasses or els if such wycked scourges be not to be cōuerted but be reprobates vessels of gods wrath chyldren of perdition suche vpon whome it pleaseth god to shewe hys iudgementees and in whom he will shew hys power If I saye they be suche let vs wyshe most earnestly that our God wyll spedely aryse that hys and our enemies may shortelye be scattered Yea he knoweth what these execrable erecters of the Romyshe religion are They be the proude builders of the Babilonicall Tower They wyll clyme vppe into Gods kyngdome by theyr owne attempts not expectyng waiting for Gods helpe Yea that lord be iudge betwixt them vs. He knoweth that as theyr buildinges tende vnto the destruction of that true onelye foundation Christ so our buildyng by Gods woorde hathe and dothe tende to the substantiall laying of that only foundation and to the establyshyng of Christes chosen church vpon that same rocke wyth an vnfayned fayth and pure conscience also vnto the building vpon the same faith al fruitfull workes of the Spirite to serue GOD in holines and ryghteousnes c. Tit. 2. Yea that euer lyuyng Lord knoweth the earneste desyre of our hartes is euen the greedy expectation of the glorious commyng of that greate iudge vnto whose iudgemente loe heauen and earthe bee witnes and ye Gods Saynctes we doe appeale in the meane season abidyng our Gods good pleasure to doe wyth vs that may moste redounde vnto hys glorye whether to lyue or dye nothyng doubtyng in hym to be strengthened merely and chearefully to make a sacrifyce and burnte offeryng for the confirmation of thys infallible veritye taughte by vs and once receiued of you And ioyne with vs deare fellowe heires as we ioyne with you in humble prayer that euen as all we be by saithe handfasted vnto our husband and knytte vnto our heade Iesu Christe and also be kyndled by loue one to an other as mutual members in this mysticall body so we may perseuere and continue vnto the ende and that by and in our Christ we may encrease more and abound in the spirite of grace and prayer wherby to fetche all heauenly influence from that our heade Christe one for an other euen as in the bodye one member mynistreth vnto an other Amen Amen In the Marshalsee 17. Octob. 1554. A prisoner in the Lord trustyng shortly to be with the Lord. L. Saunders ¶ To maystres Lucye Harryngton a godly gentlewoman and frendly in hys trouble to hym and his YOur most gentle commendations wherof this messenger made remēbrance vnto me was for two causes very cōfortable Fyrst for that thereby I vnderstoode of the stare of your health and bodely welfare for the which I geue thankes vnto GOD who graunte the long continuāce therof to his honour and fatherly good wil wherunto I will daily saye Amē And father I was refreshed by the expressing of your myndful frendship towards me far vnworthy therof Wherin I take occasion of muche reioysing in oure so gratious a god and mercifull father who as he hath in hys vnmesurable mercy by fayth handfasted vs hys chosen children vnto hys deare sonne our Christ as the spirituall spouse of suche an heauenly husband so he lynketh vs by loue one vnto another beyng by that bonde compacte together with charitable readines to do good one vnto an other so that fyrste to the glory of our god and his christ then to our owne ioying in the testimony of a good conscience and laste of all to the stoppyng of the mouthes and confusion of our aduersaries we beare the badge as the right spouse of our Christ which he hymselfe noteth in this hys sayeng Iohn 13. herein shall all men know that ye be my disciples if ye loue one an other Then farther by thys bonde of mutual loue is set forth the fatherly prouidence of god towardes vs his children that though it be he which careth for vs in whom we lyue moue and be who feedeth all flesh with bodely sustenaunce yet hathe he apointed vs in these present necessities to stand in his stede one vnto an other Wherin is not only set forth our dignitye but also that vnspeakable accorde and vnity among vs the many members in thys mysticall body And thoughe that eyther for lacke of hability or els throughe distaunce of place power and oportunitie of helpyng one another doe fayle yet wonderfull is the workyng of gods childrē through the spirite of prayer as wherby they fetch all heauenly influence from Christe their celestiall heade by hys spirite Iohn 15 to be measured seuerally as may serue to the mayntenance of the whole body Thus doth our faithful prayer which we make one for an other distribute and scatter gods bountifull blessynges both ghostly and bodelye when ordinarye habilitye lacketh and when the arme may not reach such gods riches According hereunto I wel perceaue and vnderstande your readynesse to do good vnto all and especially I haue experience of your readye good will towards me in your hartie desire to stretch out your helpyng hand to releue my lacke and of your helpe to be extended to me
in the other spirituall sorte by your good prayer I doubt not as I also therein assure you of my helpe being al that I maye do and yet the same not so much as I would do My nede concerning bodely necessaryes is as yet furnyshed by Gods prouision so that I am not driuen to any extremity wherfore to be burdenous to you as your gentle beneuolence prouoketh me the Lorde reward you therfore If god make me worthy to be his witnes at this present in geuing this corruptible body to burne for the testimonye of his truth it is enough for me to say vnto you that I haue a pore wife and childe whō I loue in the Lord and whom I know for my sake you wil tender when I am departed hence To be short I say vnto you as I say vnto my selfe reioyce in the Lorde caste your care on him for he careth for vs c. and accordynge to the tyme present let vs with our Christ and all hys deare Disciples wepe let vs with hym I say weepe a while that we may laugh with him euerlastingly Apoc. 7. Let vs consider of what sort of people they were whom Saincte Iohn by Reuelation dyd beholde in the heauenly blysse and euerlastyng ioy These are they sayde the Aungell vnto him whiche came out of great tribulation and made their garmentes whyte in the blood of the lambe and therfore are they in the presence of the seate of God and serue hym daye and nyghte in hys temple and he that sitteth in the seate will dwell among them they shal hunger no more neyther thurst neyther shal the Sunne lyght on them neyther any heate for the Lambe which is in the middest of the seate shall fede them and shall lead them vnto fountaynes of liuyng water and God shal wype awaye all teares from theyr eyes Though we sowe in sorrowe we shall reape in great ioy and for thys hopes sake we seeke the thynges aboue and forsake the thynges present I besech you geue most hartie salutations vnto my good Ladye Fitzwilliams vnto whom I wyshe as to you and to my self in all good thinges The grace of God be alwaies with you that good familie Amen L. S. An other letter to Maistres Lucie Harrington GRace mercy c. It happeneth oftentimes the abundaunce of matter bringing with it muche vehemencie of frendly affection maketh men dumme euen then chiefly whē there is most eger pupose of speakyng silence doth suppresse and causeth the partye so affected vnperfectly to expresse that he goeth about to vtter Such impediment by muche matter myngled with feruencie of affection feele I sometymes in my selfe lettyng the vtteraunce eyther by toung or writing of the aboundaunce of the hart The loue of oure moste gracious God and heauenly Father bestowed vppon vs in the merites of hys Christ oure Sauiour who maye by concepte of mynd comprehend passing in deede all vnderstandyng muche lesse may the same by any meanes be expressedly vttered And as such heauenly blessynges whiche by fayth we fetch from aboue be inexplicable so is it hard to vtter when the faithfull are set on fyre by loue theyr readynesse to reache forth and to geue by charitie as by fayth they haue receaued But alas we carye thys treasure in earthen vesselles many tymes fayth is feeble and then loue loseth her feruour Pray we therefore Lorde encrease oure fayth and loue forthwith will be on fyre And immortall thankes be geuen vnto our God who in our Christ hath bestowed vppon vs the fyrste fruites of hys spirite who cryeth in oure hartes Abba Father Rom. 8. And as S. Paule sayth seing we haue the same spirit of fayth accordyng as it is written I beleued and therefore haue I spoken we also beleue and therefore we speake yea God knoweth this spirite putteth in vs a mynd to speake 1. Cor. 4 but in attempting thereof we are driuen with Moyses to saye O Lorde I am slowe mouthed and of vncircumcised lippes and with Ieromye O Lorde I can not speake Albeit that thys infancye restrayneth the openyng of suche aboundaunce of hart in my tender Christian dutie to bee declared towardes you yet I beseche you let this be setled in your vnderstandyng that as S. Paule expresseth vnto his Corinthians that they were in hys hart eyther to liue or to dye with many other such sayinges vttered vnto them and the Galathians expressing hys vehement affection towards them so in some parte I woulde be lyke affected towardes all Gods children and especially towardes you whom I know in Christ and to whom I will not say how much I am indebted I thanke you for your great frendship tender good will towardes my wife yea that good gracious God recompence you which maye worthely with the more countreuaile the same fulfill that which lacketh of thankfull dutye in vs. And bycause of that whiche heretofore I haue conceaued of you and of your loue more then naturall towardes me and myne I make my selfe thus bolde to lay this burden vpon you euen the care and charge of my sayde poore wife I meane to be vnto her a mother and a mystres to rule and directe her by your discrete Counsell I knowe she conceaueth of you the same that I doe and is thankeful vnto God with me for suche a frend and therfore I besech you euen for Christes sake put neuer from you thys frendly charge ouer her whether I liue longer or shortly depart But to charge you otherwyse thankes be to God neyther I neyther shee haue any suche extreme neede if we had I would be as bolde with you as mine own mother I besech you geue my harty salutations vnto Maister Fitzwilliams and my good Ladie with thankes also for my poore wife and childe the Lord recompence them L. S. To hys godly and faythfull wyfe and to hys deare frendes Maister Robert Harrington and Maister Hurland GRace and comforte c. Deare wife reioyce in our gracious God and his oure Christe and geue thankes moste humblye and hartely to him for thys dayes woorke that in any part I most vnworthy wretch should be made worthy to beare witnesse vnto his euerlasting veritie which Antichrist with his by mayne force I perceaue by most impudent pryde and boasting will goe aboute to suppresse Remember God alway my deare wyfe and so shal Gods blessyng light vpon you and our Samuell O remember alway my words for Christes sake be mery grudge not agaynst God pray pray We be al mery here thankes be vnto god who in hys Christ hath geuen vs great cause to be mery by whō he hath prepared for vs such a kyngdome doth wil geue vnto vs some litle taste therof euen in thys lyfe to al such as are desyrous to take it Blessed sayth our Christ be they which hūger thirst after righteousnesse for such shal be satisfyed Let vs go yea let vs runne to seeke such treasure
me vp to heauen where I shal loke continually for your cōming and others my faithful brethrē in the kinges Bench. And though I tel you that I am in hel in the iudgement of thys world yet assuredly I feele in the same the consolation of heauen prayse god And thys lothsome horrible prison is as pleasaūt to me as the walke in the gardē of the kings Bench. You know brother Careles that the way to heauē out of this life is very narrowe we must striue to enter in at a narrow gate If God do mitigate the ouglenes of mine imprisonment what wil he do in the rage of the fier wherunto I am appointed And thys hath happened vnto me that I might be hereafter an ensample of cōfort if the like happen vnto you or to any other of my deare brethrē with you in these cruel daies in the which the deuil so rageth at the faithful flocke of Christ but in vaine I trust againste any of vs who be persuaded that neyther lyfe neither death is hable to separate vs from the loue of Christes Gospell which is gods high treasure cōmitted to our brittle vessels to glorify vs by the same God of his mercye make vs faythful stewardes to the end geue vs grace to feare nothing whatsoeuer in his good pleasure we shall suffer for the same That I haue not written vnto you erste the cause is our straite keping the want of light by night for the day serueth vs but a while in our darke closet This is the first letter that I haue writen since I came to prison besides the report of mine examinatiōs I am faine to scrible it out in haste Comend me to al our faythful brethren byd them with a good courage loke for their redēption and frame thēselues to be harty souldiers in Christ They haue taken his prest money a great while now let thē shew thē selues readye to serue him faythfully not to flye out of the lords campe into the world as many do Let them remember that in the Apocalips the feareful bee excluded the kingdome Let vs bee of good cheare for our lord ouercame the world that we should do the like Blessed is the seruant whō when the Lord cōmeth he fyndeth watching O let vs watch and pray earnestly one for an other that we be not led into temptation Be ioyfull vnder the crosse prayse the Lord continually for this is the whole burnt sacrifice which the lord chiefly delyghteth in Cōmend me to my father Hunt desire him to loue continue in the vnitie of Christes true church which he hath begon then shall he make me more more to ioye vnder my crosse with him Tell my brother Clements that he hath comforted me muche by his louing token in significatiō of an vnfayned vnitie with vs let him encreace my ioye vnto the end perfectly The Lord of peace be with you all Salute all my louing frendes Maister Meryng Maister Crooth with the rest specially Maister Marshall and hys wyfe with great thankes for hys kyndnes shewed vnto me Fare well my deare Careles I haue dalied with the deuill a while but now I am ouer the shooes God send me well out Out of the Colehouse by your brother Iohn Philpot. An other letter written to Iohn Careles out of the Colehouse of darkenes whereby he geueth lighte and heauenlye comforte to hys heauy and troubled mynde THe God of all comfort and the father of oure Lord Iesus Christ send vnto thee my deare brother Careles the inwarde consolation of hys holy spirite in al the malicious assaultes and troublous temptations of our common aduersarye the Deuill Amen That god geueth you so contrite a harte for your sinnes I can not but reioyce to behold the liuely marke of the children of god whose propertye is to thinke more lowlye and vily of themselues then of any other and often tymes doe set their sinnes before them that they myghte the more bee styrred to bryng forth the fruites of repentaunce and learne to mourne in thys worlde that in an other they myghte bee glad and reioyce Such a broken heart is a pleasaunt sacryfyce vnto God O that I had the lyke contrite harte God mollifye my stonye harte which lamenteth not in such wise my former detestable iniquities Praised be god that he hath geuen you thys sorrowful hart in respect of righteousnes I praye you let me be pertaker of these Godly sorrowes for sinne which be the testimony of the presence of the holy ghoste Dyd not the sword of sorrow pearce the harte of the elect and blessed mother of our Lord Did not Peter wepe bitterly for hys sinnes which was so beloued of Christ Dyd not Mary Magdalene was the feete of oure Sauiour with her teares and receaued therwithall remission of her seuenfold sinnes Be of good comfort therfore mine own deare heart in thys thy sorrowe for it is the earnest peny of eternall consolatiō In thy sorrowe laughe for the spirite of God is with thee Blessed be they sayth Christ that mourne Math. 15. Psa 125. psal 51 Luke 7 for they shal bee comforted They went forth and wepte fayth the Prophet such shall come agayne hauing their gripes full of gladnes And althoughe a sorrowfull harte in consideration of hys sinne be an acceptable sacrifice before God whereby we are stirred vp to more thankefulnes vnto God knowing that much is forgeuen vs that we might loue the more yet the mā of god muste keepe a measure in the same leaste he bee swallowed vppe by to muche sorrowe Sainte Paule woulde not the Thessalonians to be sory as other men whiche haue no hope Such a sorow is not commendable 1. Thess 4. 2. Cor. 7. but worketh damnation and is farre from the children of God who are continually sorrowfull in god when they loke vppon theyr own vnworthynes with hope of forgeuenes For God to thys end by his spirite setteth the sinnes of hys electe still before them that where they perceaue sinne to abounde Rom. 5. there they myght be assured that grace shall superabounde bringeth them downe vnto hell that he myght lift thē vp with greater ioy vnto heauē Wherfore myne own bowels in Christ as long as you are not voyde altogether of hope be not dismayde throughe your pensiue harte for your sinnes howe huge so euer they haue beene for God is hable to forgeue more then you are able to sinne yea and he wil forgeue him which with hope is sory for hys sinnes But know brother that as oft as we do go aboute by the helpe of Gods spirite to do that is good the euil spirit Sathan layeth hard wayte to turne the good vnto euill goeth about to mixe the detestable darnell of desperation with the godly sorrow of a pure penitent heart You be not ignoraunt of hys malicious subtelty and how that continually he assaulteth that good which the grace of
god planteth I see the battel betwixt you him but the victory is yours yea that daily For you haue layd hold vpoÌ„ the anker of saluacioÌ„ which is hope in Christ the which will not suffer you to be made ashamed Be not discoÌ„forted that you haue this coÌ„flict but be glad that god hath geueÌ„ you the same to try your faith that you might appeare daily worthy of the kingdome of God for the which you striue God beholdeth your striuing fayth agaynst Sathan is pleased with your mightye resistaunce The spirite which is in you is myghtyer theÌ„ al the aduersaries power Tempt he may lying awayte at your heeles geue you a fal vnwares but ouercome he shall not yea he can not for you are sealed vp alreadye with a liuely fayth to be the child of God for euer and whom God hath once sealed for his own him he neuer vtterly forsaketh The iust falleth seueÌ„ times but he riseth agayn It is mans frailtie to fal but it is the propertie of the deuils childe to lie stil This strife against sinne is a sufficieÌ„t testimony that you are the childe of god for if you were not you should fele no such malice as he now troubleth you withal Luke 11 When thys strong Goliah hath the hold al things be in peace which he posseseth and bicause he hath you not he wil not suffer you vnassaulted But stand fast and hold out the buckler of faith and with the sweard of gods promises smite him on the scalpe that he may receaue a deadly wouÌ„d neuer be able to stand against you any more Iames. 4. S. Iames telleth you that he is but a coward saying resist the deuil and he wil flye away It is the wil of god that he should thus long tempt you and not go away as yet or els he had done with you long ere this He knoweth alreadye that he shall receaue the foyle at your hands and encrease the crowne of your glory for he that ouercoÌ„meth shall be trowned Therfore glory in your temptations since they shal turne to your felicitie Be not afrayd of your continual assaultes Ezechi 33. which be occasions of your daily victory The word of god abideth for euer in what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes they be forgeueÌ„ Who caÌ„ lay anything to the charge of gods elect Do you not perceaue the manifest tokens of your electioÌ„ First your vocation to the gospel after your vocation the manifest giftes of the spirit of god geueÌ„ vnto you aboue many other of your condition with godlines which beleueth and yeldeth to the authority of the scriptures is zelous for the same Seing you are gods own dearling who can hurt you Be not of a deiect mind for these temptations neyther make your vnfayned frendes to be more sorrowful for you then nede doth require Since God hath willed you at your Baptisme in Christ to be Carles why doe you make your selfe carefull Caste all your care on him set the Lord before your eyes alwayes for he is on your right side that you shal not be moued Behold the goodnes of god toward me I am careles being fast closed in a paire of stockes which pinch me for very straitnes wil you be careful I wil not haue the vnsemely addition to your name Be as your name pretendeth for doubtles you haue none other cause but so to be Pray I besech you that I may be stil careles in my carefull estate as you haue cause to be careles in your easier coÌ„ditioÌ„ Be thankful put away al care theÌ„ I shal be ioyful in my strayt preseÌ„t care CoÌ„mend me to al our brethreÌ„ desire them to pray for me that I may ouercome my temptations for the deuil rageth against me I am put in the stockes in a place alone bicause I would not answere to such articles as they woulde charge me with al in a corner at the bishops appoyntment bycause I did not come to masse when the bishop sent for me I wil lie al the dayes of my lyfe in the stockes by gods grace rather then I wil consent to the wicked generation Prayâ—e god be ioyful that it hath pleased him to make vs worthy to suffer somewhat for his names sake The deuill must rage for .x. dayes ComeÌ„d me to maister Fokes thank hym for his law bokes but law neither equity wil take any place among these bloud thirsty I would for your sake their vniust dealing were noted vnto the Parliamente house if it myght auaile God shorten these euil dayes I haue answered the bishop metely playne alredy I sayd to him if he wil cal me in open iudgement I will answer hym as playnlye as he wil require otherwise I haue refused bicause I feare they wil condemne me in hugger mugger The peace of god be with you my deare brother I caÌ„ write no more for lacke of lyght that I haue written I can not read my self god knoweth it is written farre vneasely I pray god you maye pytke out some vnderstanding of my minde towards you Written in a Colehouse of darkenes out of a paire of paynful stockes by thine owne in Christ Iohn Philpot. A letter of Iohn Careles writen to Maister Philpot which we thought best here to place a part from hys other letters hereafter followyng bicause it is an answere to the former letter A faythfull frende is a strong defence who so findeth suche a one findeth a treasure A faythfull frend hath no peere the weight of golde and siluer is not to be compared to the goodnes of hys fayth A faythfull frend is a medicine of lyfe and they that feare the Lorde shall finde him Ecclesiast 6. THe Father of mercye and God of all consolation comforte you with hys eternall spirite my moste deare and faythfull louyng frend good Maister Philpot as you haue comforted me by the mighty operatioÌ„ of the same the euerlasting God be praysed therefore for euer Amen Ah my deare hart and most louing brother if I shoulde do nothyng elles day and nyght so long as the daies of heauen doe endure but knele on my knees and reade psalmes I can neuer be able to render vnto God condigne thankes for hys great mercye fatherly kindnes most louing compassion extended vnto me moste vile sinnefull wicked and vnworthy wretch Oh that the lord would open my mouth and geue me a thankefull hart that from the bottome of the same might flowe his continual prayse Oh that my sinneful flesh which is the cause of my sorow were cleane separated from me that I might sing psalmes of thankesgeuing vnto the Lords name for euer that with good Samuells mother I might continually record thys noble verse following the which by good experience I haue found moste true praysed be my good god therfore 1 Reg 2 The Lord sayth the good womaÌ„ killeth and maketh aliue he bringeth
downe to hel and fetcheth vp agayne Praysed be that Lord for euer yea praysed be hys name for that he hath geuen me true experience and liuely feling of the same Blessed be the lord god whose mercy endureth for euer whiche hath not dealt with me according to my deepe desertes nor destroyed me in hys dyspleasure when I had iustly deserued it Oh what rewarde shal I geue agayne vnto the Lorde for all the great benefites that he hath done for my soule I will gladlye receyue the cup of saluation at his hande and will worshippe his name with prayer and with prayse Ah my deare hart yea most deare vnto me in the lord thynke not this sodaine chaunge in me to be some fickle phātasy of my folish head as in dede some other would surelye suspect it to be for doutles it is the meruelous doynge of the Lord most mercifull vnto me hys vnworthye creature God for his great mercy sake geue me grace to be more than full vnto him then I heretofore haue ben and kepe me that I neuer fall forth of hys fauour agayne And now my deare brother most blessed messenger of the lord whose beautifull feete haue brought much glad tydings vnto my soule what shall I do or say vnto you in the leaste parte to recompence your fatherly affection and godly care that you continually kepe for me Oh that god would geue me the spirite of feruent prayer that I might yet that waye supplye some little part of my duty toward you Ah my true louyng frend how sone did you lay aside all other busines to make a swete plaister for my wounded conscience yea and that out of a painfull payre of stockes which place must nedes be vneasye to wryte in But god hath brought you into a strait place that you might set my soule at libertye Out of your pynchyng payneful seat you haue plentifully powred vpon me your precious narde the swete sauour wherof hath greatly refreshed my tired soule The lord likewyse refresh you both bodye and soule by powring the oyle of his gratious Spirite into yours swete hart Ah good Ieremy Ieremy 20 hath Phasure put thee in the stockes Why now thou hast the ryghte rewarde of a prophet Thy glory neuer began to appeare vntil now I dout not but shortly in stede of Ahikam the sonne of Saphan Ieremy 26 Iesus the sonne of the liuyng god will come and deliuer thee forth of the hands of all thine enemies wil also make good against thē the Antichristian Sinagoge al the wordes that thou hast spoken in hys name Ieremy 1. The lord hath made thee this day a strong defēded Tower an iron pyller and a brasen wall against the whole rable of Antichrist and though they fyghte against thee neuer so fiercely Ieremy 15. yet shall they not ouercome thee for the Lord himselfe is with thee to helpe and delyuer thee and he will ridde thee out of the handes of the wycked wyll delyuer thee out of the hands of the tyrānes And in that you are not busy in casting pearles before swine Math. 7 nor in geuing holy things vnto dogs you are much to be commended in my simple iudgement And sure I am that your circumspect and modest behauiour hytherto hath bene as much to gods glory confusion of your enemies as any mans doinges that are gone before you Wherfore myne aduise most earnest desyre is wyth all other of your louyng frendes that you styll keepe that order with those bloodthursty byshoppes that you haue begonne For though in conclusion they wyll surely haue your blood yet shall they come by it wyth shame enough and to their perpetuall infamy whiles the world doth indure They would in dede condemne you in hugger mugger to darken gods glory if it might be but Sathans thoughtes are not vnknowen to you and the depthe of hys subtiliy is by you wel foreseene Therfore let them do whatsoeuer god shall suffer them to do for I know al thynges shall turne to your best Though you lye in the darke storryed wyth the bishoppes blacke cole dust yet shall you shortly be restored to the heauenly light psal 68 and made as whyte as snowe in Salmon and as the wyngs of a Doue that is couered wyth siluer wings and her fethers lyke golde You knowe the vessell before it is made bright is soyled wyth oyle and other thinges that it may scoure the better Oh happy be you that you be nowe in the scouryng house for shortly you shall be set vpon the celestial shelfe as bryght as aungels Therefore my deare harte I wyll nowe accordyng to your louyng requeste caste awaye all care and reioyse wyth you and prayse GOD for you and praye for you day and nighte Yea I will nowe with Gods grace synge psalmes of prayse and thankesgeuyng with you for nowe my soule is turned into her olde rest agayne and hath taken a swete nappe in Christes lappe I haue cast my care vpon the Lorde which careth for me and wyll be Careles accordyng to my name in that respecte whiche you woulde haue me I wyll leaue out my vnsemely addition as long as I lyue for it can take no place where true faythe and hope is residente So soone as I had red your most godly and comfortable letter my sorrowes vanished away as smoke in the wynde my spirite reuiued and comfort came agayne wherby I am sure the spirite of god was author of it Oh good maister Philpot which art a pryncipall potte in dede sylled with most precious lycour as it apeareth by the prenceous powryng forthe of the fame oh pot most happy of the high potter ordayned to honour whiche doest contayne such heauenlye treasure in thy earthen vessell oh potte chryse happy in whom Christ hath wrought a great myracle altering thy nature and turnyng water into wyne and that of the best whereout the maister of the feast hath fylled my cup so full that I am become dronken in ioy of the spirite through the same when Martyrdome shall breake thee O vessell of honour I knowe the fragraunce sauoure of thy precious narde wyll much reioyce the heauy hartes of Christes true members although the Indasses wyll grudge murmure at the same yea and burst out into wordes of slaunder saping it is but lost and waste Be not offended deare harte at my Metaphoricall speache for I am disposed to bee merye and with Dauid to daunce before the Arke of the Lord and though you play vpō a payre of Organes not very comely or easy to the flesh yet the swete sound that came from the same causeth me thus to do O that I were with you in body as presently I am in spirite that I might syng all care awaye in Christe for now the tyme of comforte is come I hope to be wyth you shortlye if all thinges happen arighte for my olde frendes of Couentrye haue put the Counsell in
like to be no lesse thā your lyfe for I beleue as Paul sayth that god hath appoynted vs in these latter daies lyke shepe to the slaughter Rom. 8 Antichrist is come agayne and he must make a feast to Beelzebub his father of many Christiā bodyes for the restoring againe of his kingdome let vs watche and pray that the same daye maye not fynde vs vnredy The peace of god be with you and remaine with you for euer Your louing brother in Christ in spirit your familier frende captiue in the Kynges Benche Iohn Philpot. To my dearely beloued Sister in the Lord Maistres Heath THe lyght of the Gospel of Christ which hath illigthned you with the true vnderstanding of fayth be dayly encreased in you my dearly beloued sister vnto the perfyte day of the Lord through the mighty operation of hys spirite Amen Where as you haue required of me a token at your departyng that myghte be a remembraunce with you of my brotherly loue toward you I mused of diuerse things what I might cōmend vnto you best among al other I found none so certayne a token either of the loue of God toward vs or els of the loue of vs one to an other as to beare the crosse together with Christ To beare the crosse is to be partaker of the afflictions of Christ which now he suffreth in his members for the accomplishmente of his body the church which are we that beleue in him sincerely which is the surest token of Gods loue towards vs that we can haue in thys world for whom god loueth he chasteneth and as it is written Heb. 12 he chasteneth euery sonne whō he receaueth Wherfore aboue all things loue the crosse of Christ vnder the which al the church of Christ in England nowe is be content to haue your fayth tried euery daye by some crosse or other as it pleaseth God to put on you and if God putteth no greuous crosse vppon you let your brethrens crosse be your crosse whiche is a certayn token of true brotherly loue If the church in England had learned with the Gospel to haue borne the crosse of Christ as all that be professours of the Gospel be called thereunto they woulde not so lightly at the commaundement of man haue turned from the wayes of saluation to their old vomite againe contrary to their conscience and al to auoide the crosse the mercifull signe of Gods loue towards vs. If the crosse were not the faythfull could not be knowen If the crosse were not God should not so manifestly appeare to be our deliuerer and cōforter as he doth shewe himselfe in the middest therof vnto al thē that put their trust in him Therfore beleue them verely to be in most happie estate that be vnder the crosse such as doe vtterly abhorre the same are cowards not fytte souldiers for the lord We haue al receaued the credit of faith from god in Christ that we should beautifie the same or rather god in the same 1. Cor. 4. We haue this treasure in brittel vessels let vs take hede that the britelnes of the vessels shee de not out our precious treasure on the earth as it is lamentable to see at this day many haue most vnfaythfully done Are they worthy of the heauenly kingdome which here esteeme more earth then heauen O palpable infidelity Wil not god require the credit of fayth which he hath committed vnto vs Yea verely Is thys the vsury of fayth to loue the world more then the Gospel and to feare mā more then god If men which coūt themselues stronger worthyer vessels haue thus vnfaythfully dealt in the thinges of god let the weakenes of womē be more fyrme in their fayth to the glory of God whose might appeareth in weakenes There is no exceptiō of person before god both man and woman be on in god and that persō in al sortes of people is acceptable to him that striueth to do hys will Wherfore contend in these crosse dayes whiche be the loue dayes of god towardes vs to shew your self faythful to him that calleth you and to be redy to do his will according to true knowledge and that vnder the crosse God hath geuen you a faythful guide whom see you loue with al humilitie pacience and obedience as it becommeth a holy woman to be subiect to her faythful head in the Lord comfort him in our common crosse and bid him cherefully take vp the one end and you will beare the other a double string knit together As you in your godly matrimonye do represent the mysterye of Christ and his churche so continue you liuely members of fayth in the same and learne daily more and more to beare the crosse of Christ that other seing your strength may be comforted and be ashamed of their weakenes in their maisters cause The faythful seruaunt the Lord loueth which bringeth his talent to his table with encrease Now is the time to encrease to the lord and not to decrease to multiply our fayth vnder the crosse not to diminysh it Ose 6 Gene. 9. The waies of the iust do encrease as the dauning of the day Embrace therfore the crosse as the raynebow of gods merciful couenaunt pray that we may together end our course therin with ioy Take my token in good worth vntil we be made partakers of the glory of the crosse Out of my Lorde of Londons Colehouse The .xi. of Nouember Yours Iohn Philpot. To my brother Iohn Careles prisoner in the Kinges Benche THe grace of God the father through his deare sonne Christ our Sauiour with perseuerance in all godly verity be with thee my deare brother Careles and with al my prison fellowes Amen Ah my own loue in Christ These were certeyne free-wil mē arrogant frowerd and vnquiet spirites I am sory to heare of thy great trouble which these shismatiks do daily put thee to I wold I were with thee in part to releue thy greefe but since that it hath pleased God otherwise take my aduice in thys your conflict be pacient what soeuer your aduersaryes can saye or do against you Know that you are appoynted for the defence of the gospel for the which you god be praysed do suffer yet you must vnderstand that you are but a voyce in the wildernes a planter that it is god which must geue the encease And therefore if there come not suche fruite of your good labours as you would wyshe be content know that a stony groūd can not fructifye yet shal not god forget your labour but you shal reape as plētiously in the day of reward as though it had encreased after your expectatiō Haue patience therfore in your labour and let not care eate out your hart Committe the successe to God and cease not with charitye to be earnest in the defence of the truth agaynste these arrogant and self will blynded scatterers These sectes are necessary for the
was alowed therein Bee not deceyued good Syster wyth the perswasible wordes of man neyther be afrayd of his threates Followe the Gospell of Christe accordynge to true knowledge and feare to doe that whyche by the same is straightlye forbydden you Tempte not GOD anye longer by thys euyll doynge for you can doe nothynge more haynous in hys syghte Lette thys haltyng bee healed vppe and turne not from the ryghte wayes of the Lord. Be not ashamed of his gospel neither of the crosse which is the badge of the true and vnfayned professons therof whyche you see now hys faythefull praised be his name therfore are so wel content and wyllyng to beare but rather as you are called take vppe your crosse and be assured thereby to enter into Christes glorye for onlesse we suffer wyth hym we shall not raygne wyth hym and yf we dye not with Christ we shall not lyue wyth Christe The crosse nowe is the redye way to heauen therfore I wish you should choose to be afflitted with the people of god rather then to liue in the tabernacles of the wicked Do not any more that whych of all thynges ye haue now most cause to repent neyther lay daily the foundation of repentance but let this fal be a teaching vnto you of the wante of faythe whyche is in you and so become more feruente in prayer and godlye exercises that wyth thys newe yeare ye maye become a newe woman in a godlye and newe perfection the whyche GOD for hys mercies sake in Christ worke bothe in you and me to the ende Amen VVritten in hast by your brother in captiuity Iohn Philpot. ¶ To a faythful woman and late wyfe to one of the bishops which gaue theyr liues in the Lordes quarell REmember deare Syster that your lyfe in this world is a continual warfare to fight against the world the flesh and the deuil in the which you are apointed for the tryal of your faith loue to godt to fight manfully to ouercom for the spirit of god which is in you is strōger thē he which is in the world by this you may know that you are the child of god euen by the spirit which striueth in you against the flesh sinne wil not suffer sinne to raigne in you This spirit is obtained by often and daylye readynge and hearynge the woorde of GOD ioyned with faithful and hartye prayer for diligent readyng of Gods worde planteth the holy spyryte in you and earneste prayer encreaseth the same Reade therefore the worde studiouslye and praye hartelye that the same good gyfte of faythe whiche you haue learned of youre faythefull husbande and good bishop in the Lorde who hath gloriouslye yelded hys lyfe for the same maye be confyrmed in you euen vnto deathe that you may receyue the same crowne of glorye whiche he nowe hathe for precious is the deathe of the faythfull in the Lordes syghte therefore desire still to dye to the Lorde and be glad to be poore both in bodye and spirit and thus assure your selfe the kyngdō of heauen is yours Your owne in the Lord Iohn Philpot. ⧠Letters of Maister Iohn Bradforde a faythfull Minister and a synguler pyller of Christes churche by whose greate trauailes and diligence in preaching and plāting the syncerity of the gospel by whose most godly and innocent lyfe and by whose long and payneful imprisonments for the maintenance of the truth the kyngdom of god was not a litle aduaūced who also at last most valiātly cherefully gaue his blood for the same The .4 day of Iuly In the yere of our Lord. 1553. ¶ To all that professe the gospell and true doctryne of our Lorde and Sauioure Iesus Christe in the City of London Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lorde now not only in prison but also excommunicated and condemned to be burned for the same true doctrine wysheth mercy grace and peace wyth encrease of all godly knowledge from God the father of mercy through the merites of oure alone and omnisufficient redemer Iesus Christ by the operation of his holy spirite for euer Amen MY dearely beloued brethren in our sauiour Christ althoughe the tyme I haue to lyue is very little for hourely I looke when I shoulde be had hence to bee conueyed into Lankeshyre there to bee burned and to render my lyfe by the prouidence of God where I fyrst receyued it by the same prouidence and althoughe the charge is great to kepe me from all thyngs wherby I might sygnify any thyng to the world of my state yet hauyng as now I haue pen ynke through gods workyng manger the head of Sathan and his souldiours I thought good to write a short cōfession of my faith and therto ioyne a little exhortation vnto you all to lyue according to your profession This my faith I would gladly particularly declare and expound to the confirmation and comfort of the simple but alas by startes and stelth I wryte in maner that that I write and therefore I shal desyre you al to take this breuitye in good part First for my faith I do confesse and praye all the whole congregatiō of Christ to bear witnes with me of the same that I do beleue constantly through the gift and goodnes of god for faith is gods only gift al the xij articles of the symbole or crede commenly attributed to the collection of the Apostles not bicause of the crede it selfe but bicause of the worde of god the which teacheth and confyrmeth euery article accordyngly This word of god writtē by the prophets and Apostles left and conteined in the canonical bookes of the holy Bible I do beleue to conteyne plētifully al things necessarye to saluation so that nothyng as necessary to saluation ought to be added therto and therfore the church of Christ nor none of hys congregation ought to be burdened with any other doctrine then which here out hath her foundation and grounde In testimony of which fayth I render and geue my life beyng condemned as wel for not acknowledging the Antichrist of Rome to be christs Vicar general and supreme head of hys catholike vniuersall church here and els where vpon earthe as for denying the horrible and idolatrous doctrine of transubstantiation and christes real corporall carnal presence in his supper vnder the formes and accidentes of bread and wyne To beleue Christ our sauiout to bee the heade of hys churche and kinges in their realmes to be the supreme powers to whome euerye soule oweth obedience and to beleue that in the supper of Christe which the sacrament of the aultar as the papistes cal it and vse it dothe vtterlye ouerthrowe is a true and a very presence of whole Christe god and man to the faythe of the receauer but not to the stander by and loker vpon as it is a true and a very presence of breade and wyne to the senses of men to beleue this I say wyl not serue and therfore
how soeuer for a tyme it seme otherwise to your senses Hang on the prouidence of god not only whē you haue meanes to helpe you but also whē you haue no meanes yea whē al meanes be againste you Geue hym thys honour which of all other thynges he most chieflye requireth at your handes namely beleue that ye are his childrē through Christ that he is your father God through him that he loueth you pardoneth you al your offences that he is with you in trouble wil be with you for euer When ye fal he wil put vnder his hand ye shall not lie stil Before ye cal vppon him he heareth you out of euill he wil finally bring you and deliuer you to his eternal kingdome Doubte not my dearely beloued hereof doubte not I say this wil god your father doe for you in respecte not of your selues but in respect of Christ your captaine your pastour your keper out of whose handes none shal be able to catch you In him be quiet and often consider your dignity namely how that ye bee gods children the saintes of God citizens of heauen temples of the holy ghost the thrones of God members of Christ and Lords ouer all Therfore be ashamed to thinke speake or doe any thyng that should be vnsemely for Gods children Gods saintes Christes member c. Marueil not though the deuil and the world hate you though ye be persecuted here for the seruaunt is not aboue his maister Couet not earthly riches feare not the power of man loue not this world nor things that be in this worlde but long for the Lorde Iesus his comming at which time your bodies shall be made like vnto his glorious body Whē he appeareth ye shal be like vnto him when your life thus shal be reuealed then shal ye appeare with hym in glory in the meane season liue in hope hereof Let the lyfe you lead be in the fayth of the sonne of god for that iuste doth liue by fayth which faith flyeth frō all euill followeth the word of god as a lanterne to her feete a light to her steps her eyes be aboue where Christ is shee beholdeth not the thinges present but rather thinges to come she glorieth in afflictions she knoweth that the afflictions of this life are not to be compared to the glory which god wil reueale to vs and in vs. Of this glory god graunt vs here a liuely tast thē shall we runne after the sent it sendeth forth It will make vs valiant mē to take to vs the kingdome of god whether the lord of mercy bring vs in his good time through Christ our lord to whom with the father and the holy ghost three persons and one God be al honour and glory world without end Amen My dearly beloued I would gladly haue geuen here my body to haue beene burned for the confirmation of the true doctrine I haue taught here vnto you but that my countrey must haue therefore I pray you take in good part this signification of my good wil towards euery of you Impute the want herein to time and trouble Pardon me mine offēsiue and negligent behauiour when I was amonges you With me repent and labour to amend continue in the truth which I haue truly taught vnto you by preaching in al places where I haue come Gods name therefore bee praysed confesse Christe when ye are called what soeuer commeth thereof and the God of peace be with vs al. Amen Your brother in bondes for the Lordes sake Iohn Bradford To al that loue the lord Iesus and his true doctrine being in rhe vniuersity and towne of Cambridge Iohn Bradforde a most vnworthy seruaunt of the lord novve not onely prisoned but also condemned for the same true doctrine vvysheth grace peace and mercye vvith encrease of all godlines from god the father of al mercy through the bloody passion of our alonely Sauiour Iesus Christ by the liuely workyng of the holy spirite for euer Amen ALthoughe I looke hourely when I should bee hadde to the stake my righte dearelye beloued in the Lorde and althoughe the charge ouer me is greate and straite yet hauyng by the prouidence of GOD secretlye penne and inke I coulde not but something signifye vnto you my solicitude which I haue for you and euery of you in the Lord though not as I would yet as I maye Ye haue often and openly heard the truth especially in this matter wherin I am cōdemned disputed and preached that it is nedeles to do any more but only to put you in remembraunce of the same but hetherto ye haue not heard it confirmed as it were sealed vp as now ye do shal do here by me that is by my death and burning For Albeit I haue deserued through my vncleannes hipocrisie auarice vayneglory idlenes vnthankfulnes and carnalitye whereof I accuse my self to my confusion before the world that before God through Christ I mighte as my assured hope is I shal finde mercy eternal death hel fire much more then this affliction fire prepared for me yet my dearelye beloued it is not these or any of these thynges wherefore the Prelates do persecute me but gods veretye and truthe yea euen Christe hym selfe is the onely cause and thynge wherefore I nowe am condemned and shall bee burned as an heretyque because I wyll not graunt the Anttchrist of Rome to be Christs Vicar generall supreame head of his church here and euery where vpon earth by gods ordinance bicause I will not graunt such corporall real and carnall presence of Christes body blood in the sacrament as doth transubstantiate the substance of bread wine and is receaued of the wicked yea of dogs and mice Also I am excommunicated and coūted as a dead member of Christes church as a rotten braunch therfore shal be cast into the fire Therfore ye ought hartely to reioyce with me to geue thankes for me that god the eternall father hath vouched safe our mother to bring vp any childe in whom it would please him to magnifye his holy name as he doth I hope for his mercy and truthes sake wil do in me by me Oh what such benefite vpō earth cā there be as that that which deserued death by reasō of my sinnes should be diuerted to a demonstration a testification and confirmation of gods verity and truth Thou my mother the Vniuersitye haste not only had the truth of gods woorde playnly manifested vnto thee by reading disputing preaching publikely priuately but now to make thee altogether excuseles and as it wer almost to sinne against the holy ghost if thou put to thy helping hand with the Romyshe route to suppresse the verity set out the cōtrary thou hast my life and blood as a seale to confyrme thee if thou wilt be confirmed or els to confound thee beare witnes agaynst thee if thou wilt take parte with the prelates and clergye which
ye repente not if ye leaue not your Idolatry if ye tourne not spedely to the Lord if ye stil be ashamed of Christes truth whiche ye knowe Oh Perne repent Oh Thomson repente Oh ye Doctors Bachelors and Maisters repent Oh Maior Aldermen towne dwellers repente repente repente that ye maye escape the nere vengeaunce of the Lord. Rent your harts and come apace calling on the Lord. Let vs al say Peccauimus we haue synned we haue done wickedlye we haue not harkened to thy voyce O Lord. Deale not with vs after our deserts but be merciful to our iniquities for they are great Oh pardon vs our offences In thyne anger remember thy mercy Turne vs vnto thee O Lorde God of hostes for the glorye of thy names sake spare vs and be mercifull vnto vs. Let not the wicked people say wher is now their god Oh for thine own sake for thy names sake deale mercifully with vs. Turne thy self vnto vs and vs vnto thee and we shall prayse thy name for euer If in thys sort my dearly beloued in hart and mouth we come vnto oure father and prostrate oure selues before the throne of his grace then surely surely we shal find mercye then shal the Lord loke merely vpon vs for his mercye sake in Christ then shal we heare him speake peace vnto his people for he is gracious and mercifull of greate pitye and compassion he cā not be chiding for euer his anger can not last long to the penitent Though we wepe in the morning yet at night we shal haue our sorow to cease for he is exorable hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner he rather wold our conuersion and turning Oh turne you nowe and conuert yet once againe I humbly besech you then the kingdome of heauen shall draw nygh The eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard nor the harte of mā is able to conceaue the ioyes prepared for vs if we repente amende oure liues and hartely turne to the Lord. But if ye repente not but be as ye were and goe on forwardes with the wicked following the fashion of the world the Lord will lead you on with wicked doers ye shall peryshe in your wickednes youre blood will be vppon your owne heades your part shall be with hipocrites where shall be wepyng and gnashyng of teeth ye shall be caste from the face of the Lorde for euer and euer eternall shame sorrow woe and misery shall be both in body and soule to you worlde without end Oh therfore ryght deare to me in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you amend amend your liues departe from euill do good follow peace and pursue it Come out frō Babilon caste of the woorkes of darkenes put on Christ confesse hys truth be not ashamed of hys Gospel prepare your selues to the crosse drinke of Gods cuppe before it come to the dregges and then shall I with you and for you reioyce in the daye of iudgemente whiche is at hand and therfore prepare your selues therto I hartely besech you And thus I take my Vale in aeternum with you in thys presente lyfe myne owne deare hartes in the Lorde The Lorde of mercy bee with vs all and geue vs a ioyfull and sure meetyng in his kingdome Amen Amen Out of prison the .11 of February Anno. 1555. Your owne in the Lord for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To all those that professe the name and true religion of our Sauioure Iesus Christe in Lankeshyre and Chesshire and specially abyding in Manchester and theraboutes Iohn Bradford a moste vnworthy seruant of the Lord now not only in bondes but also cōdemned for the same true religion wisheth mercye and grace peace and encrease of all godlines frō god the father of all pietie throughe the desertes of our Lorde Iesus Christ by the workyng of the most mighty and liuely spirite the comforter for euer Amen I Heare it reported credibly my derely beloued in the lord that my heauēly father hath thought it good to prouyde that The enemies had apointed to burne hym at Māchester but the lord altered their purpose as I haue preached his true gospel and doctrine amonges you by worde so I shal testify and confyrme the same by deede that is I shall with you leaue my life which by his prouidence I firste receaued there for in Manchester was I borne for a seale to the doctrine I haue taught with you emonges you so that if from henceforth you wauer in the same you haue none excuse at all I know the enemies of Christ which exercise this crueltye vpon me I speake it in respect of mine offence which is none to thē wardes thinke by killyng of me amongs you to affray you and others lest they should attempt to teach Christ truly or beleeue hys doctryne hereafter but I doubte not but that heauenly father will by my death more confyrme you in his truth for euer And therfore I greatly reioyce to see Sathā and his souldiours supplanted in their own sapience which is playne folishnes emonges the wise in deede that is emonges such as haue heard gods worde and do followe it for they onely are accompted wyse of the wisedome of God our sauiour In dede if I shoulde simplye consider my lyfe wyth that which it ought to haue bene and as God in hys lawe requireth then could I not but crye as I do Iustus es domine omnia iudicia tua vera Righteous art thou O lord and all thy iudgements are true For I haue muche greued thee and transgressed thy holy precepts not onely before my professing the gospel but sythen also yea euen sithē my commyng into prison I do not excuse but accuse my selfe before god and all his church that I haue greuouslye offended my Lorde god I haue not lyued hys gospell as I shoulde haue done I haue sought my selfe not symply onely his glory and my brethernes commodity I haue ben to vnthākful secure carnal hypocritical vayn glorious c. Al which my euils the lorde of mercy pardon me for his christes sake as I hope certainly beleue he hath done for hys great mercy in Christ our redemer But whē I consider the cause of my cōdemnation I can not but lamēt the I do no more reioyce thē I do for it is gods verity and truth so that the condēnation is not a condemnation of Bradford simply but rather a condemnation of Christ and his truth Bradford is nothing els but an instrument in whom Christ and his doctrine is condemned And therfore my dearely beloued reioyce reioyce and geue thākes with me for me that euer god did vouchsafe so great a benefit to our countrey as to choose the most vnworthy I meane my selfe to be one in whom it woulde please him to suffer any kynde of affliction much more thys violent kynd of death which I perceiue is prepared for me emongs you for his sake Al glory praise
destroye the impenitent Now is the fyer gone out before the face of the Lorde and who is able to quench it Oh therefore repente you repente you It is enough to haue lyued as we haue done It is enough to haue played the wanton gospellers the proud protestantes hypocriticall false Christians as alas we haue done Now the lorde speaketh vnto vs in mercy and grace oh turne before he speake in wrath Yet is there mercy with the lorde and plenteous redemption yet hath he not forgotten to shew mercy to them that cal vpō hym oh then cal vpon him while he may be founde for he is rich in mercy and plentiful to al them that cal vpon him so that he that calleth vpon the name of the lord shal be saued If your sinnes be as red as skarlet the Lord saith he wil make them as white as snow He hath sworne and neuer will repente hym thereof that he wyll neuer remēber our iniquities but as he is god faithfull and true so will he be our God and we shal be his people Hys law wyll he wryte in oure hartes and engraft it in oure myndes and neuer wyll he haue in mynde oure vnryghteousnes Therfore my dere hartes in the Lord turne you turne you to the lorde your father to the lorde your Sauiour to the Lorde your comforter Oh why do you stop your eares and harden your hartes to day when you heare hys voyce by me your porest brother Oh forget not how that the lord hath shewed hym selfe true me hys true preacher by brynging to passe these plagues which at my mouth by my preaching ye oftē heard before they came specially whē I entreated of Noes flood and whē I preached of the 23. chap. of S. Math. gospel on S. Steuēs day the last that I was with you And now by me the same Lord sendeth you word dere cuntrey men that if ye will goe on forewardes in your impenitencie carnality hypocrisy idolatry couetuousnes swearing gluttony dronkennes whoredome c. wherewith alas alas our countrey floweth yf I saye ye wil not turne leaue of seyng me now burned emongs you to assure you on all sydes how god seketh you and is sory to do you hurt to plague you to destroy you to take vengeance vpon you oh your bloode wyll be vppon your owne heades Ye haue bene warned warned again by me in preaching by me in burnyng As I said therfore I say agayne my deare hartes and derlinges in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you cease from doyng euill study to do well awaye with idolatry flye the Romishe god seruice leaue of from swearing cut of carnality abandon auarice driue away drōkennes flye frō fornication flattery frō murther malice destroy disceitfulnes cast away al the workes of darknes put on piety godlines serue god after his word not after custome vse your tonges to glorify god by praier thankes geuing confessiō of his truth c. Be spiritual by the spirit mortify carnal affectiōs be sober holy true louing gentle merciful then shal the lords wrath cease not for this your doyngs sake but for hys mercies sake Go to therfore good cuntreymē take this coūsel of the lord by me now sent vnto you take it as the lords coūsel I say not as mine that in the day of iudgemēt I may reioyce with you and for you the which thing I hartely desyre and not to be a witnes against you My blood wil cry for vēgeance as against the papists gods enemies whom I besech god if it be his good wil hartelye to forgeue yea euen them which put me to death and are the causers therof for they know not what they doe so wyl my blood cry for vengeance against you my dearely beloued in the lord if ye repent not amend not and turne not vnto the Lorde Turne vnto the Lorde yet once more I hertely beseche thee thou Manchester thou Bolton Burye Wigyn Lierpole Ashton vnderlyne Mottrine Stepport Winsley Eccles Preste Middleton Radcliefe and thou Citye of Westchester where I haue truely taught and preached the worde of god Turne I say vnto you all and to al the inhabitauntes thereaboutes vnto the Lord our god and he wil turne vnto you He wyll say vnto his aungel it is enough put vp thy sword The which thyng that he wyl do I humbly besech his goodnes for the precious bloodes sake of his deare sonne our sauiour Iesus Christ Ah good brethrē take in good part these my laste wordes vnto euerye one of you Pardon me mine offences and negligence in behauiour amonges you The Lord of mercy pardon vs all our offēces for our sauiour Iesus Christes sake Amen ¶ Out of prison readye to come to you The .11 of Februarye Anno. 1555. Iohn Bradford ¶ To the faythfull and such as professe the true doctrine of our Sauiour Iesus Christe dwellyng at VValden and thereaboutes Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruant of the Lorde nowe in bandes and condemned for the same true doctryne wisheth grace mercye and peace wyth the encrease of all godlines in knowledge and lyuyng from God the father of all comforte through the desertes of our alone and full redemer Iesus Christe by the mightye workyng of the most holy spirite the comforter for euer Amen WHen I remember how that by the prouidēce and grace of god I haue bene a man by whō it hath pleased hym through my ministery to call you to repentaunce and amendement of lyfe somethyng effectually as it seemed to so we emōgs you his true doctrine religiō left that by my affliction and the stormes now rysen to trye the faythful and to conforme them like to the Image of the sonne of GOD into whose companye we are called ye myghte be faynte harted I coulde not but out of prison secretly for my kepers may not know that I haue penne and ynke to write vnto you a signification of the desyre I haue that you should not only be more confirmed in the doctrine I haue taught emonges you which I take on my death as I shall aunswer at the daye of dome I am perswaded to be gods assured infallible and playne truth but also should after your vocation auouch the same by confession profession and lyuyng I haue not taught you my dearely beloued in the lord fables tales or vntruth but I haue taught you the verity as now by my blood gladly praysed therefore be god I shal seale vp the same In dede to cōfesse the truth vnto you and to all the church of Christ I do not thinke of my selfe but that I haue moste iustlye deserued not onelye this kinde but also all kyndes of deathe and that eternallye for myne hypocrisye vayne glory vncleannes selfe loue couetousnes ydlenes vnthankefulnes and carnal professing of gods holy gospell lyuyng therein not so purely louynglye and painfully as I shoulde haue done the lord of mercy
Liuerey that gods seruaūtes are serued withal the Earnest and beginning of al consolation glory For they I meane gods scholers as your Lordship is I truste doe enter into gods Sanctuarie Psal 72 lest their fete slip They loke not as beasts do on things present only but on thinges to come so haue they as present to fayth the iudgement glorious cōmyng of Christ lyke as the wicked haue now their worldlye welthe wherin they wallow wil wallow til they tūble headlong into hel where are torments too terrible and endles Now they follow the Feende as the Beare doth the trayne of honie and the Sowe the swillinges till they be broughte into the slaughterhouse and then they knowe that their prosperity hath brought them to perdition Then crie they woe woe we went the wrong way we counted these men I meane such as you be the suffer for gods sake losse of goods frendes and life whō they shal see endued with rych robes of righteousnes crownes of most pure precious golde and palmes of conquest in the goodly glorious palace of the Lambe where is eternalioye felicitie c. we counted will they then say these men but fooles and madde men we toke their conditions to be but curiositie c. But then wil it be to late then the time will be turned laughing shall be turned into weeping and weeping into reioycing Read Sapien. 2. 3. 4. 5. Therfore as before I haue sayd greate cause haue I to thanke God which hath vouched you worthy of thys most bountifull blessing muche more then you haue cause my good Lorde so so bee I meane thankefull For loke vpon your vocation I praye you and tell me howe many noble men Earles sonnes Lordes Knightes and men of estimation hath God in thys Realme of Englande dealte thus with all I dare say you thinke not that you haue deserued thys Only Gods mercy in hys Christ hath wroughte thys on you as he dyd in Ieremyes tyme on Abimeleche in Achabs time on Abdias in Christes tyme on Ioseph of Arimathia in the Apostles tyme on Sergius Paulus and the Queene of Candaces chamberleyne Onely now be thankfull and continue continue continue my good Lord continue to confesse Christ Be not ashamed of hym before men for then will not he be ashamed of you Nowe will he trye you sticke faste vnto hym and he will sticke faste by you he will be with you in trouble and deliuer you But thē must you cry vnto hym for so it precedeth Psa 9◠he cryed vnto me and I heard I was with him in trouble c. Remember Lothes wyfe which loked backe Remember Fraunces Spira Remēber that none is crowned but he that striueth lawfullye Remember that all you haue is at Christes commaundement Remember he lost more for you then you can lose for him Remember you lose not that which is lost for his sake for you shall fynde much more here and els where Remember you shall dye and when where and howe you can not tell Remember the death of sinners is moste terrible Remember the death of Gods Saints is precious in his sight Remēber the multitude goeth the wideway which windeth to woe Remēber that the straite gate which leadeth to glory hath but fewe trauellers Remember Christ biddeth you striue to enter in thereat Remember he that trusteth in the lord shall receaue strength to stand agaynst al the assaultes of his enemies Be certayne al the heares of your head are numbred Be certayn your good father hath poynted boundes ouer the which the deuil dare not loke Cōmitte your self to him he is hath bene wil be your keper cast your care on him he wil care for you Let Christ be your scope marke to pricke at let hī be your patrō to worke by let hī be your ensāple to folow geue hī as your hart so your hand as your mind so your toūg as your faith so your fete let his word be your candle to go before you in al matters of religion Blessed is he that walketh not to these popysh prayers nor stādeth at thē nor sitteth at them Psa 1 2. Cor. 6. glorifye God in both soule body He that gathereth not with Christ scattereth abroade Vse prayer loke for gods helpe which is at hand to them that aske hope therafter assuredly In which prayer I hartelye desire your Lordship to remember vs who as we are going with you right gladly God therfore be praysed so we loke to goe before you hoping that you wil followe if God so wil accordinge to youre dailye prayer thy wyll bee done on earth c. The good spirite of God alwayes guide your Lordship vnto the end Amen Your Lordships own for euer Iohn Bradford An other letter to the Lord Russell THe eternal mercyes of God in his deare sōne our sauiour Iesus Christ be more and more felte and hartely perceaued of you my good Lord to your endles ioye and comfort Amē Because your Lordshippe looketh not for thankes of me for Gods benefites ministred by you and in fewe wordes I can not dulye declare that I woulde do I will omitte the same praying God our deare father in the day of his retribution to remember it in the meane season to assist counsel and comfort you as his child for euer in all thynges I doubt not but that you haue that childly opinion Yea persuasion of his goodnes in Christ towards you thē which blessing my good lord none is greater geuen to man vpon earth For assuredly he that hath it is the very childe of God elect before al time in Christ Iesu our lord therfore shal enioy euerlasting felicitie although he be here afflicted and tossed in trouble and temptation to hys trial that when he is found faythful he may receaue the crowne of glory The onely thyng that discerneth the child of God from the wicked is thys fayth trust and hope in gods goodnes through Christ the which I trust you haue God encrease it in you make you thankful Certainly such as enioye it be happy if they be happye and that happines is not where any thinge is to bee desired they can not but for euer be moste assured of perseueraunce to saluation for if they fall the lorde putteth vnder his hande that they shall not perish they are beloued of Christ which loueth them to the very ende God for his mercy sake in Christe open more more your eies to see this his swetenes in Christ to make you secure in him and awake the fleshe from her securitye to be vigilant and heedeful how you may most behaue your selfe in thankfull obedience to God and carefull helpe and seruice to his people that all your whole lyfe may tende to this how by example and otherwyse you may doe good to others and still confirme his true seruyce and religion by your constancy Wherin if you continue to the ende you shal receiue
heritike but not of others theÌ„ of heretykes whose prayse is a disprayse You are not able to reason agaynst the priestes but God wil that al they shal not be able to withstand you No body will doe so but you only In dede no matter for fewe enter into the narow gate whiche bryngeth to saluation How be it you shall haue with you I doubt not Father Traues and others my brothers and systers to goe with you therein but if they will not I youre sonne in GOD I trust shal not leaue you an inche but goe before you praye that I maye and geue thankes for me Reioyce in my suffetyng for it is for youre sakes to confyrme the truth I haue taughte Howe soeuer you doe beware thys letter come not abroade but into Father Traues hys handes for if it should be knowen that I haue penne and Inke in the pryson then wold it be worse with me Therfore to your selues kepe thys letter commending me to God and his mercy in Christ Iesus who make me worthy for his names sake to geue my life for his gospel church sake Out of the Tower of London the .6 day of October 1553. My name I wryte not for causes you know it well enough lyke the letter neuer the worse Commende me to all our good brethren and sisters in the Lord. How soeuer you do be obedient to the higher powers that is in no point eyther in hand or tong rebell but rather if they commaund that which with good conscience you can not obey lay your head on the block and suffer what soeuer they shal do or say By pacience possesse your soules To my very frende in the Lorde Doctor Hyll Phisition THe God of mercy and father of al comfort at this preseÌ„t and for euer engraffe in your hart the sense of his mercy in Christ and the continuance of his consolatioÌ„ which can not but enable you to cary with ioy what soeuer crosse he shall lay vpon you Amen Hetherto I coulde haue no such libertie as to write vnto you as I thinke you know but now in that through gods prouidence I haue no such restraint I can not but somthing write aswell to purge me of the suspition of vnthankfulnes towardes you as allso to signifie my carefulnes for you in these perilous dayes least you should waxe colde in Gods cause which god forbid or suffer the light of the Lorde once kindled in your hart to be quenched and so become as you were before after the example of the world and of many others which would haue bene accompted otherwise in our daies and yet stil beguile them selues still woulde be so accompted althoughe by their outwarde life they declare the contrarye in that they thinke it enough to keepe the harte pure notwithstanding that the outwarde man doth currye fauoure In which doing as they denye God to bee Ielous and therfore requireth he the whole man as well bodye as soule being both create as to immortalitie and societie with hym so redeemed by the bloude of Iesus Christ and nowe sanctifyed by the holy spirite to bee the temple of God and member of hys Sonne as I say by their partyng stake to geue God the harte and the world the body they deny god to be Ielous for els they would geue him both as the wife will do to her husband whether he be Ielous or no if she be honest so they play the dissemblers with the church of God by their facte offending the godlye whome either they prouoke to fal with them or make more careles conscienceles yf they be fallen and occasioning the wicked and obstinate to triumphe against god and the more vehemently to prosecute their malice against such as wil not defyle themselues in body or soule with the Romishe ragges now reuiued emonges vs. Because of this I meane lest you my dere Maister brother in the lord shuld do as many of our gospellers or rather gospell spillers doe for feare of man Esay 2 whose breath is in his nostrelles and hash power but of the body not fearing the Lorde whiche hathe power both of soule and body and that not onely temporally but also eternally I coulde not but wryte somethyng vnto you aswell because duty deserueth it for manye benefites I haue receiued of God by your handes for the which he reward you for I cannot as also because charitye and loue compelleth me not that I thinke you haue any neede for as I maye rather learne of you so I doubte not but you haue hetherto kepte your selfe vpright from halting but that I might both quiet my conscience callyng vpon me hereabout and signify vnto you by some thyng my carefulnes for your soule as painfullye and often you haue done for my body Therfore I pray you call to mynde that there bee but two maisters two kyndes of people two wayes and two mansion places The maisters be Christ and Satan the people be seruitures to either of these the wayes be straite and wyde the mansions be heauen and hell Agayne consider that this worlde is the place of trial of gods people and the deuils seruauntes for as the one will followe his maister whatsoeuer cometh of it so will the other For a tyme it is harde to discerne who perteyneth to god and who to the deuill as in the calme and peace who is a good shipman and wariour who is not But as when the storme aryseth the expert mariner is knowne as in warre the good souldiour is seene so in affliction and the crosse easelye gods children are knowen froÌ„ Sathans seruants â—or then as the good seruant will folow his maister so wyll the godly followe their Capitayne come what come wyll where as the wycked and hyyocrites will bidde adew and desyre lesse of Christes acquaintaunce For whiche cause the crosse is called a probation and triall bicause it tryeth who wyll goe wyth GOD and who wyll forsake hym As nowe in Englande we see howe smal a companye Chryste hathe in comparison of Sathans souldiours Lette no man deceyue hymselfe for he that gathereth not with Christe scattereth abroade No man can serue two maisters the Lorde abhorreth double hartes the luke warme that is suche as are bothe whote and colde he spitteth out of his mouthe None that halte on both knees doth god take for hys seruaunts The way of Christe is the strayte waye and so strayte that as fewe fynde it and fewe walke in it so no man can halte in it but nedes muste goe vpryghte for as the straitenesse wyll suffer no reelyng to thys syde or that syde so yf anye man halte he is lyke to fal of the brydge into the pit of eternal perdition Stryue therfore good maister Doctor nowe you haue founde it to enter into it and if you should be called or pulled backe looke not on this side or that side or behynd you as Lothes wyfe dyd but strayght forewardes on the ende which set
before you though it be to come as euen now present lyke as you do and wyl your patientes to doe in purgations and other your ministrations to consyder the effecte that wil ensue where through the bitternes and lothesomnes of the purgatiō is so ouercome and the painfulnes in abydyng the workyng of that is mynistred is so eased that it maketh the patient willyngly ioyfully to receiue that is to be receiued although it be neuer so vnpleasaūt so I say set before you the ende of this straite way and thē doutles as Paule saith aeternū pōdus gloriae pariet whiles you loke not on the thyng sene for that is temporal but on the thing which is not sene which is eternall So dothe the husbandman in plowing and tilling set before him the haruest time so doth the fisher consider the draught of his nette rather thē the casting in so doth the merchaunt the returne of his merchaūdise and so shoulde we in these stormy daies set before vs not the losse of our goods liberty very lyfe but the reaping time the comming of our sauiour Christ to iudgement the fire that shall burne the wicked disobediēt to gods gospel the blast of the Trumpe the exceding glory prepared for vs in heauen eternally suche as the eie hathe not sene the eare hath not heard nor the harte of man can conceyue The more we lose here the greater ioye shall wee haue there The more we suffer the greater tryumphe For corruptible drosse we shall fynde incorruptible treasures for golde glorye for syluer solace without ende for ryches robes royall for earthely houses eternall Palaces myrthe wythout measure pleasure wythout payne felicitye endeles Summa we shall haue God the father the sonne and the holy Ghoste Oh happye place oh that thys daye woulde come Then shal the ende of the wicked be lamentable then shall they receiue the iust rewarde of thy vengeaunce then shall they crye woe woe that euer they dyd as they haue done Reade Sapien 2.3.4.5 Reade Mathew 25. Reade 1. Corrinthians 15. 2. Corrinthians 5. and by fayth whiche GOD encrease in vs consyder the thinges there set forth And for your comforte reade Hebrewes 11. to see what faythe hath done alwayes consyderyng the way to heauen to be by many tribulations that all they which wyll lyue godlye in Christe Iesu must suffer persecution You know thys is oure Alphabet he that wyll bee my Disciple sayeth Christ must denye hymselfe and take vppe his crosse and followe me not thys Bishoppe nor that Doctour not thys Emperour nor that Kynge but me sayeth Christe for he that loueth father mother wyfe chyldren or verye lyfe better then me is not worthye of me Remember that the same Lorde sayeth Math. 8. he that wyll saue hys lyfe shall loose it Comforte your selfe wyth thys that as the Deuyls had no power ouer the Porkettes or ouer Iobes goodes wythout Gods leaue so shall they haue none ouer you Remember also that all the heares of your head are numbred wyth GOD. The Deuyll maye make one beeleue he wyll drowne hym as the Sea in hys surges threateneth to the lande but as the Lorde hathe appoynted boundes for the one ouer the whyche he cannot passe so hathe he done for the other On god therfore cast your care loue him serue him after hys worde feare him trust in him hope at his hande for all helpe and alwayes praye lookyng for the crosse and when soeuer it commeth bee assured the Lorde as he is faythfull so he will neuer tempte you further then he will make you able to beare but in the myddest of the tēptation wil make such an euasion as shal be most to his glorye and your eternall comfort God for his mercy in Christe with his holye spirite endue you comforte you vnder the winges of hys mercy shadow you and as his deare childe guide you for euermore To whose merciful tuition as I doe wyth my hartye prayer committe you so I doubte not but you praye for me also and so I beseche you to do stil My brother P. telleth me you would haue the last part of sainct Hieromes workes to haue the vse thereof for a fortenighte I cannot for these .iij. dais wel forbeare it but yet on thursday next I wil send it you if god let me not vse me that I haue as your owne The lorde for his mercy in Christe directe oure wayes to his glory Amen Out of pryson by yours to commaunde Iohn Bradford To Maystres M. H. a godly gentlewoman comfortyng her in that common heauines and godly sorrow which the feeling and sense of sinne worketh in gods children I Humblye and hartelye praye the euerlyuyng good god and father of mercye to blesse and kepe your harte and mynd in the knowledge and loue of his truth of his Christ through the inspiration and workyng of the holy spyryte Amen Although I haue no doubte but that you prosper and go forwardes daily in the way of godlines more and more drawyng towardes perfection and haue no neede of anyethyng that I can wryte yet because my desyre is that you myghte be more feruent and perseuer to the ende I coulde not but wryte somethyng vnto you besechyng you bothe often and diligently to call vnto your mynd as a meane to styrre you hereunto yea as a thyng which god most straitly requireth you to beleue that you are beloued of god that he is your dere father in through and for Christ and his deathes sake This loue tender kyndnes of god towards vs in Christ is aboundātly herein declared in that he hath to the godly worst of creation of this worlde made vs after his image redemed vs beyng lost called vs into his church sealed vs with his marke and signe manuel of Baptisme kept and conserued vs all the dais of our lyfe fed nourished defended and moste fatherlye chastised vs and nowe hath kindled in our hartes the sparcles of hys feare faith loue and knowlege of hys Christ and truth and therfore we lament because we lament no more our vnthankfulnes our frailenes our diffidence and waueryng in things wherin we should be moste certain Al these thyngs we shuld vse as meanes to cōfyrme our faith of this that god is our god and father and to assure vs that he loueth vs as our father in Christ to this end I say we should vse the thynges before touched especially in that of all thinges god requyreth this faith and persuasion of hys fatherly goodnes as hys chiefest seruyce For before he aske any thyng of vs he saieth I am the Lord thy god geuyng hymselfe and then all he hath to vs to be our own And this he doth in respect of hymself of hys owne mercye and truth and not in respect of vs for then were grace no grace In consideration wherof when he saieth Thou shalte haue none other gods but me thou shalt loue me with all thy hart
c thoughe of duetye wee are bounde to accomplishe all that he requyreth and are culpable and gilty yf we do not the same yet he requyreth not these thyngs further of vs thē to make vs more in loue and more certayne of this his couenaunt that he is our lord and god In certaintie wherof as he hath geuen this whole world to serue to our nede and commoditie so hath he geued hys sonne Christe Iesus and in Christ hymselfe to be a pledge and gage wherof the holy Ghoste dothe nowe and then geue vs some taste and swete smell to our eternall ioye Therefore as I sayde because God is your father in Christe and requyreth of you straightly to beleue it geue your selfe to obedience although you do it not with such feelyng as you desyre First must fayth go before and then feelyng wyll folow Yf our imperfection frailtie and many euils should be occasions wherby Sathan woulde haue vs to doubte as much as we can let vs abhorre that suggestion as of all others most pernicious for so in dede it is For when we stande in a doubt whether God be our father we cannot bee thankefull to GOD we cannot hartelye praye or thynke any thyng we doe acceptable to God we cannot loue our neighboures and geue ouer our selues to care for them and do for them as we should do and therfore Sathā is most subtile hereaboutes knowyng full well that if we doubte of Gods fatherlye eternall mercies towardes vs through Christ we cannot please god or do any thynge as we should do to man Continually casteth he into our memories our imperfection frailtye falles and offences that we should doubt of gods mercye and fauour towardes vs. Therfore my good Syster we must not be sluggish herein but as Sathan laboureth to losen our fayth so muste we labour to fasten it by thynkyng on the promises and couenāt of God in Christes blood namely that god is our god wyth all that euer he hathe which couenaunt dependeth and hangeth vpon gods owne goodnes mercy and truth only and not on our obedience or worthines in any poynte for then should we neuer be certayne In dede God requyreth of vs obediēce worthines but not that therby we might be hys chyldren and he our father but because he is our father and we hys chyldren through hys own goodnes in Christ therfore requyreth he faythe and obedience Nowe if we wante this obedience and worthynes which he requyreth shoulde we doubt whether he be our father Nay that were to make our obedience and worthynes the cause and so to put christ out of place for whose sake god is our father But rather because he is our father and we feele our selues to wante such things as he requireth we should be styrred vp to a shamefastnes and blushyng because we are not as we shoulde be and therupon should we take occasion to goe to our father in prayer on thys manner Deare father thou of thyne own mercy in Christ hast chosen me to be thy childe and therfore thou wouldest I should be brought into thy church fayth full company of thy chyldren wherin thou hast kept me hetherto thy name therfore be praysed Now I see my selfe to wante fayth hope loue c. which thy children haue thou requirest of me where throughe the deuyll would haue me to doubte yea vtterlye to dispayre of thy fatherly goodnes fauour and mercy Therfore I come to thee as to my mercifull father through thy deare sonne Iesus Christ and pray thee to helpe me good Lord helpe me and geue me faythe hope loue c. and graunt that thy holy spirite may be with me for euer and more and more to assure me that thou arte my father that thys mercifull couenaunt thou madest with me in respecte of thy grace in Christ and for Christ and not in respecte of any my worthines is alwayes true to me c. On thys sorte I say you must praye and vse your cogitations when Sathan woulde haue you to doubte of saluation He doth all he can to preuaile herein Do you al you can to preuaile herein against him Though you feele not as you would yet doubt not but hope beyonde all hope as Abraham did Fayth always as I said goeth before feeling As certayne as god is almighty as certayn as god is mercifull as certayne as god is true as certayne as Christ was crucifyed is rysen and sytteth on the ryght hand of the father as certayne as this is gods commaundement I am the Lord thy god so certayne oughte you to be that God is your father As you are bound to haue none other gods but him so are you no lesse bounde to beleue that god is your God What profyte should it be to you to beleue thys to be true I am the Lord thy god to others yf you shoulde not beleue that this is true to your selfe The Deuil beleueth on this sorte And whatsoeuer it bee that woulde moue you to doubte of thys whether god be your god through Christ that same commeth vndoubtedlye of the Deuyll Wherfore dyd GOD make you but because he loued you Myghte not he haue made you blynde dumme deafe lame frantyke c Myghte not he haue made you a Iewe a Turke a Papiste c And whye hathe he not done so Verelye because he loued you And whye dydde he loue you What was there in you to moue hym to loue you Surelye nothing moued hym to loue you therfore to make you and so hetherto to kepe you but hys owne goodnes in Christ Now then in that his goodnes in Christ styll remayneth as much as it was Eccle. 2. that is euen as great as him selfe for it cannot be lessoned how should it be but that he is your god and father Beleue this beleue this my good Sister for god is no chaungeling them whome he loueth he he loueth to the ende Caste therefore youre selfe wholye vppon hym and thynke without al waueryng that you are gods child that you are a citizen of heauē that you are the daughter of god the temple of the holye Ghoste c. If hereof you bee assured as you ought to be then shall your conscience be quieted then shall you lament more and more that you wante many thynges whiche god loueth then shall you labour to bee holye in soule and bodye then shall you goe aboute that Gods glorye maye shyne in you in all youre wordes and workes then shal you not bee afraid what man can do vnto you then shall you haue such wisedome to aunswer your aduersaries as shal serue to their shame and your comfort then shall you be certayne that no man can touch one heare of your heade further then shall please your good father to your euerlastyng ioye then shall you be most certayne that god as your good father wyl be more carefull for your children and make better prouision for them yf all you haue were gone then
then they would lose worldlye thinges as experieÌ„ce teacheth certeinly it should be muche to our shame which in Baptisme haue vowed and solempnely sworn to forsake the world if we dare not ieoperd a iointe wyth man rather then we woulde lose a good conscience and spirituall treasures He that will not haue gods blessyng it shall be taken from him sayeth Dauyd Therfore my derely beloued beware you are now the temple of the holy ghost defile it not for the lordes sake but kepe it pure not only from all vncleannes of the spirit but also of the flesh 2. Cor. 7. as I trust you wil and crye vppon your father for his strength and ayde which I beseche him of his mercy alwais to geue vnto you my own good frend euen as I desyre to my selfe If in any thyng I could helpe you you may be as assured thereof as of your brother My prayer to god nyght and day you shall haue that for his holy names sake he would blesse you in al thinges kepe you with my good syster your wyfe vnto the verye ende as hys deare elect children Amen Amen From my lodging you knowe where thys v. of August By your owne to vse in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ An other letter to Maister Humfrey Hales and his VVyfe THe euerliuing merciful god our deare father through Christ be with you both my most dearely and entierly beloued in the Lorde now and for euer I cannot forbeare but signify vnto you both that my hart is carefull and heauy for the crosse which is come vpon you by the heauy and feareful iudgement of god fallen vpon your father iustly for his denying of god for feare of men loue of these things which he hath left behind him vnto you others God graunt his fact be so imprinted in the hartes of al men especially of you both that his fall maye be vnto you I wil not say arising for yet I trust ye are not fallen but an establishing in the veritie of god whereof who so is ashamed shal at length feele such shame as I beseche God kepe vs all from Happy are they that marke the iudgemeÌ„ts of god vpon other to come and encrease in repentance Luke 13. to feare gods wrath and iudgements which is alwayes lyke hymsefe if we follow the steppes of them on whom he taketh punishment I nede not to tell you the cause of thys that hath happened vnto your father if it be as I with sorrow haue heard For you know wel enough that tyl he forsoke god gaue eare to the Serpents couÌ„sel began to mamber of the truth to frame hymselfe outwardly to doe that which his conscience reproued inwardly for that which he myngled with the loue of god I meane the loue of the world cannot be in any man without the expulsion of gods loue til then I say god did not departe and leaue him to himselfe to the example of you and me and al others that we should feare euen our selues and our owne handes more then man all the powers of the world yf we therfore should do any thing which should wouÌ„d our conscieÌ„ce The conscieÌ„ce I tel you is sone wouÌ„ded yea soner theÌ„ we beware of The deuil vseth al kind of desceite to blynd vs from seyng that whiche might wound it but when the stripe is geuen then eyther shutteth he stil vp our eies with contempt to our hardning or els openeth theÌ„ to bring vs to vtter dispairing In your father as ye may see the later so in many worldlye gospellers you maye if you will see the other God might deale with al such as he hath done now with your father but because the time of his iudgement is not yet come his wisedome hath thought good to set your father forth as an exaÌ„ple to al meÌ„ as he did in the first world Cain in the .2 worlde Cham in the .3 age Chore c. in christes tyme Iudas in the Apostels time Ananias c. althoughe none wil hartely coÌ„sider it but such as be gods children in dede But heare in comparyng your father thus my derelye and vnfaynedlye beloued in the Lorde I muste praye you not to bee offended or thynke that I doe deâ—ermynatelye iudge to God I leaue all iudgement but because the fruite to vs declareth no lesse to the admonishment of vs all I trust ye wyll accordyngly consider my collation For your partes as I thynke godly of you both that in dede ye are bothe the the children of god so I pray you comforte yourselues as Dauyd dyd though hys sonne Absolon perished so desperately and thoughe hys father in lawe Achitophell â–ª father to Bethsabe as the Hebrewes wryte peryshed so miserablye Ye knowe Ionathas was not the worse because hys father slew hymselfe nor Bethsabe because of her father Achitophel they bothe were the children of god and so I am assured as man can bee that ye are As they vsed gods iudgements vppon their parentes so doe ye to feare god and loue god the more to flye froÌ„ those things which in your father ye dyd see displeased God Oh that I were with you but one halfe houre not only with you to lament but also as god should lend me hys grace to comforte you who by thys iudgement doth tempt your patieÌ„ce faith to the coÌ„fort of you both as you shal find I am assured My dere hartes in the lord if I could by any meanes comforte you certainly if my lyfe lay on it I thynke you should forthwith perceiue it but because I can do no more then I can therefore as I can I do that is as to wryte so to send this messeÌ„ger my good frend and brother with the same to learne certainly the truth herein and the conditioÌ„ of your estate My other letter was made before I knewe of thys matter I pray god thys whych by reporte I vnderstande be otherwyse but gods good wyll bee done who geue vs patience and comforte in hym To whome I commende you bothe euen as hartelye as anye frendes I haue in thys life of your estate From my lodging you knowe where thys eight of August Anno Domini 1554. By your owne to vse in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To certayne of hys faythfull frendes in God exhortyng them to bee ioyfull vnder the crosse as a token of gods synguler fauour towardes them GOd our deare and most merciful father through Christe be wyth you my good brother and Syster as wyth hys children for eÌ„uer and in all thynges so guide you wyth hys holy spirite the leader of his people as may be to his glory and your owne euerlasting ioye and comfort in him Amen Because I haue often tymes receyued from eyther of you comfort corporally for the which I besech the Lord as to make me thankefull so to recompence you both now and eternally I cannot but go about lord helpe hereto for thy mercies sake
deede the hygh waye whereby as God encreaseth his giftes so sheweth he more linelye hys saluation Psalme 50.107 I haue receaued Gods blessing frō you the which I haue partly distributed vnto my three fellowe prisoners Maister Farer Maister Taylour Maister Philpot and the residue I will bestowe vppon .iiii. poore soules which are imprisoned in the cōmon Iayle for religiō also As for mine own part if I had had nede I would haue serued my turne also But because I had not nor I thanke God haue not I haue beene and will hee your Almner in suche sorte as I haue already aduertised you God rewarde you and geue you to finde it spiritually and corporally Because otherwise I can not talke with you therefore on thys sort as occasion and opportunitie wil serue I am readye to shewe my good will and desire of youre healpe and furtheraunce in the Lorde to euerlasting life whereunto GOD bryng vs shortlye for hys mercyes sake Amen Good Madame bee thankefull to God as I hope you be be earnest in prayer continue in readynge and hearinge Gods woord and if Gods further crosse come as therein God doth serue hys prouidence for elles it shall not come vnto you so bee certayne the same shall tourne to your eternal ioy and comforte Amen Iohn Bradford To the Lady Vane THe euerlasting and most merciful god which is the father of our sauiour Iesus Christ encrease in your ladiship the knowledge loue of hys truth with the gift of perseuerāce to cōtinue therin to the end Amē Albeit at this present I haue no cōuenient leasure to write is shold be semely to send to your personage yet cōsidering your gētle good wil for gods cause towards me I thought I mought be the more bold to write somthing although not in such sort as I would perchaunce on your behalfe might be loked for I doubt not but that your ladiship considereth often with your self the you are the childe of god and a citizen of heauē by Christ in whō God the father before the worlde was made hath chosen you of his own mere mercy and not of your desertes done or to be done That you shoulde with thankefulnes cal this to minde often thereby to excite and stirre vp yourself to the loue of god in his sight and to al holinesse of life in the sight of man many things should moue occasion you iustly as that you were borne of Christen parents that the name of god was called vpon you in baptisme which is a sacrament of regeneratiō and adoption into the children of god with all other benefites which hytherto you haue receaued Amonges which surely your ladiship should not thinke the least euen the crosses that god hath hetherto exercised you with all as the losse of youre good husband landes and other worldly commodities c. But aboue al next to Christ crucifyed this is most thankefully to be considered that god as he hath geuen you pacience I trust in your trouble so in these daungerous dayes he hath geuen you a desire to know him and to helpe them which for hys sake be in trouble for thys I gather and euidentlye see by your twise sending to me which am not otherwise knowen to you but by name I pray god I may be hartely thankeful to him for you and so dispose your benefites as you desyre My best I will doe by gods grace but enough of thys My desire is good Madame although I haue no doubt as I said but that you be diligēt herein that you would oftē call to minde your state before god I meane howe that you be hys childe through Christ and this I would you dyd for diuerse causes Fyrst that you myghte be quiet in conscience before him in this troublesome worlde as we neuer can bee vntill thys be something setled Secondly that you myghte bee carefull to appeare in hys syghte and in the syghte of man as one of Gods children Thyrdly that you myght in all troubles boldelye by prayer throughe Christe goe to hym and cal hym by the name of father with hope of hys helpe alwayes to your comforte Fourthly that you myghte not bee dismayed if trouble come vnto you as it can not be but more or lesse it must needes come for the worlde loueth none but suche as be his the deuill can neuer suffer the children of God to be quiet I will not speake of our mortal and familiar enemye the fleshe which ceaseth not to fyght agaynst the spirite But God your father being hartely called vpon in and through Christ as he will with hys holye spirite helpe you so will he geue you the victorye at the length to your singular comforte Which I pray God you may daily more and more feele Amen From the Kings Benche in hast as appeareth Your Ladiships own in Christ to commaunde Iohn Bradforde To my deare frendes and brethren R. and E. with their wiues and families THe comfort of Christ felte commonly of hys children in their crosse for his sake the euerliuing God worke in both youre hartes my good brethren and in the hartes of bothe your yokefellowes especially of good Mary my good sister in the Lorde Amen If I had not somthing heard of the hazard which you are in for the gospels sake if you continue the profession confession therof as I truste you doe and will doe and that vnto the end God enabling you as he will doubtles for his mercyes sake if you hope in him for this bindeth him as Dauid in Christes person witnesseth our father keped in thee and thou deliuerest them c. Psal 22 yet by coniectures I could not but suppose though not so certainly the tyme of suffering and probation to bee at hande For nowe is the power of darkenesse fullye come vppon this Realme moste iustlye for oure synnes and abusynge the lyghte lente vs of the Lorde to the settynge forthe of oure selues more then of Gods glorye that aswell we myghte bee broughte into the better knowledge of our euilles and so hartely repente which god graūt vs to do as also we might haue more feling sense of our swete sauiour Iesus Christ by the humbling and deiecting of vs therby to make vs as more desirous of him so him more sweete and pleasaunt vnto vs the which thing the good spirite of God woorke sensiblye in all our hartes for Gods holy names sake For thys cause I thoughte it my dutye being now where I haue some libertie to write the Lorde bee praysed and hearing of you as I heare to doe that which I should haue done if I had hearde nothing at all that is to desire you to be of good cheare and comfort in the Lorde although in the worlde you see cause rather to the contrarye and to go on forwardes in the waye of God wherinto you are entred considering that the same can not but so much more and more waxe streite to the outwarde man by howe much
in your trouble praye for pacience Iacob i. perseuer to the ende let pacience haue her perfecte worke If you wante this wisedome and power aske it of god who will geue it to you in his good time Hope still in him yea if he should slay you yet trust in him with Iob and you shal perceaue that the end wil be to find him merciful ful of coÌ„passion for he will not breake promyse with you which hetherto did neuer so with any He is with you in trouble he heareth you calling vpoÌ„ him yea before you cal your desires are not only knowen but accepted through Christ If now and then he hide his face from you it is but to prouoke your appetite to make you the more to long for him Thys is most true he is a comming and will come he wil not bee long But if for a time he seme to tary yet stand you stil and you shall see the wonderfull workes of the Lorde Oh my beloued wherfore should you be heuie Is not Christ Emanuel god with vs shal you not finde that as he is true in saying in the world you shal haue trouble so is he in saying in me you shal haue coÌ„fort He doth not sweare only that trouble wil come but withal he sweareth that coÌ„fort shal ensue 1. Cor. 2 And what comfort such a comfort as the eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard nor the hart of man can conceaue Oh great comfort who shall haue this Forsoth they that suffer for the lord And are not you one of theÌ„ Yea verely are you Then as I saide happie happie and happie againe are you my dearly beloued in the Lord. You nowe suffer with the lord surely you shall be glorifyed with him Cal vpon God therfore now in your trouble and he wil heare you yea deliuer you in such sort as most shall make both to his your glory also And in this calling I hartely pray you to praye for me your fellowe in affliction Now we be both going in the high way to heauen for by many afflictions must we enter in thether whether god bring vs for his mercies sake AmeÌ„ AmeÌ„ Your fellowe in affliction Iohn Bradforde To my deare fathers D. Cranmer D. Ridley D. Latymer prysoners in Oxforde for the testimonye of the Lord Iesus and hys holy Gospell ALmightie god our heauenly father more and more kendle our hartes and affections with his loue that our greatest crosse may be to be absent froÌ„ him and straungers froÌ„ our home and that we may godly contende more and more to please him Amen As alwaies I haue had great cause to praise our dere father through christ so me thinkes I haue more more in seing more likely the end of my life which is due for my sinne to be through the exceding grace of Christ a testimonye of Gods truth Thus the lord dealeth not with euery body not the euery body hath not more deserued at gods hands theÌ„ I which haue deserued more veÌ„geance theÌ„ any other I know of my time and state but that by me I hope the Lorde will make the riches of his grace to his glory to be sene more excellente With me therfore I humbly besech you al my most deare fathers in God to geue thankes for me and as you doe still to pray for me that the Lord as for his loues sake in Christe he hath begonne his good worke in me eueÌ„ so of and for the same his loues sake in Christ he would make it perfect and make me to continue to the ende as I hope he will for hys mercy truth endureth for euer As for your partes in that it is coÌ„monly thought your staffe standeth next to the dore ye haue the more cause to reioyce and be glad as they which shal come to your fellowes vnder the alter to the which societie god with you bring me also in his mercy wheÌ„ it shall be his good pleasure I haue receaued many good things froÌ„ you my good Lorde Maister deare father N. Ridley fruites I meane of your godly labours Al which I seÌ„d vnto you againe by this bringer one thing except which he caÌ„ tel I do kepe vpon your further pleasure to be knoweÌ„ therin And here withall I send vnto you a little treatise whiche I haue made that you might peruse the same not only you but also ye my other most deare and reuerent fathers in the lord for euer to geue to it your approbatioÌ„ as ye may think good All the prisoners hereaboutes in maner haue sene it and red it and as therein they agree with me nay rather with the truth so they are ready and will be to signifie it as they shall see you geue them example The matter may be thought not so necessary as I seme to make it But yet if ye knew the great euill that is like hereafter to come to the posteritie by these men as partly this bringer can signifie vnto you surely then could ye not but be most willing to put hereto your helping handes The which thing that I might more occasion you to perceaue I haue sent you here a writing of Harry Hartes own hand Thys was the chefest mayntayner of maÌ„s frewil enemye to Gods free grace wherby ye may see how Christes glory grace is like to lose much light if that your shepe quondam be not something holpen by them whiche loue God and are hable to proue that all good is to bee attributed onely and wholye to Gods grace and mercy in Christ wtoute other respect of worthines theÌ„ Christes merites The effectes of saluatioÌ„ they so mingle confouÌ„de with the cause that if it be not sene to more hurt wil come by theÌ„ then euer came by the papistes in as much as their life coÌ„mendeth theÌ„ to the worlde more theÌ„ the papistes God is my witnes that I write not thys but because I wold gods glory and the good of hys people In freewyl they are playn papists yea PelagiaÌ„s Thys is well knowen to all those which haue had to do wyth them in disputations or otherwyse for the wrytyngs and authority of the learned they haue vtterly reiected despised ye know the modicuÌ„ fermenti totaÌ„ massam corrumpit They vtterly contemne all learning But hereof shall this brynger shewe your more As to the chiefe captaynes therfore of Christes church here I complayne of it vnto you as truelye I muste doe of you euen vnto GOD in the laste daye yf ye wyll not as ye can helpe somthyng vt veritas doctrinae maneat apud posteros in this behalf Vpon this occasion Mâ— Rydley wrote a learned and godly treatise of gods election and predestination as ye haue done on the behalfe of matters expugned by the papistes God for hys mercye in Christ â—uide you my moste dearely beloued fathers wyth his holy spirite here and in all other thynges as most
take or pul vnto you trouble or that I wuld not haue you to vse such honest lauful meanes as ye may in the feare of god with good conscience to auoide the crosse and geue place to euil but that I wold haue you willing to put for t your hand to take it when god offreth it in such sort as with good conscience ye cānot escape Then take it kysse it thāke god for it for it is euē a very sacrament that god loueth you as he saith whom I loue thē do I chastice if ye be not pertakers of correctiō surely ye are no children but if he once chastice you if that ye kisse the rod verely he wil case the rod into the fyre colle you kisse you as the mother doth her child whē she perceiueth the child to take in good part the correction But why do I compare god your fathers loue to a mother in that it farre passeth it For saith he though it be possible that a natural mother should forget the child of her wōbe yet wil not I forget thee saith the lord our good god and father through Christ Though he seme angry towards euenyng yet in the morning we shal fynd him wel pleased if in Christe we come to him and cry Abba dere father helpe vs and as thou hast promised tempt vs not further then thou wylte make vs able to beare Therfore my dere hartes in the lord be of good comfort be of good comfort in the lord Confesse hym and hys truth and feare not prison losse of goodes or lyfe Feare rather that prison out of the which there is no deliuerance feare rather the losse of those goods which last for euer feare rather the losse of the life which is eternall wherunto ye are called the way by which god wyll bringe you to it in that ye certainly know not whether it wil be by prisō fyre halter c. whensoeuer these come as I said before let them not dismay you nor seme straunge to you For no smal number of gods chyldren are gone that way and we are a good cōpany here together which are ready to folow the same way through gods grace yf god so wyll I beseche you make you ready and goe with vs or rather be readye that when we come we may go wyth you The iorney is but short though it be vnpleasaunt to the fleshe Perchaunce yf we should die in our beddes on a corporal malady it would be much longer and also more painful at the least in gods syghte it cannot bee so precious and gayneful as I knowe thys kynde of death is whereto I exhorte you to prepare your selues myne owne deare hartes in the bowels and bloode of oure sauiour Iesus Christ to whose tuition grace gouernance and protection I hartely commend you all and besech you that ye woulde do the lyke vnto me in your harty prayers Out of the tower of London 1554. By your owne to vse in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford An other letter wrytten to certayne godly persons to the same effecte GRatious god and most merciful father for Iesus Christes sake thy dearely beloued sonne graunt vs thy mercy grace wisedome and holy spirite to counsaile comforte and guide vs in all our cogitations words and workes to thy glory and our euerlastyng ioye and peace for euer Amen In my last letter ye myght perceyue my coniecturyng to be no lesse towardes you then now I haue partly learned But my derely beloued I haue learned none other thing then before I haue tolde you would come to passe if ye cast not away that whiche I am sure ye haue learned I doe appeale to bothe youre consciences whether herein I speake truth as wel of my tellyng though not so often as I might and shoulde god forgeue me as also of your learning Now God wil trye you to make others to learne by you that which ye haue learned by others The lady lasts her husbād were beheaded that day ▪ by them which suffred this day ye myght learne if already ye had not learned that lyfe and honour is not to be set by more then gods cōmaundement They in no poynte for all that euer their ghostly fathers could do hauing Doctor Death to take their part would consent of seme to consent to the popysh Masse and papistical God otherwise then in the daies of our late King they had receaued And this their faith they haue confessed with their deathes to their great glory and all our comfortes if we follow thē but to our confusion if we starte backe from the same Wherfore I besech you both to consider it aswel to prayse god for them as to go the same way with them if god so will Consider not the things of thys life which is a very prison to all gods childrē but the things of euerlasting life which is our very home But to the beholding of this geare ye must open the eyes of your minde of fayth I should haue sayd as Moses dyd whiche set more by trouble with Gods people then by the riches of Egipt Pharaos court Your house home and goods yea lyfe and al that euer ye haue god hath geuen you as loue tokens to admonishe you of his loue and to winne your loue to him agayne Now wil he try your loue whether ye set more by him then by his tokens or no. If ye for his tokens sake that is for your home house goods yea life wil go with the worlde least ye shoulde lose them then be assured your loue as he can not but espie it to be a strompettes loue so wil he caste it away with the world Remember that he which wil saue his life shal lose it if Christe bee true but he which aduentureth yea loseth his life for the gospels sake the same shall be sure to finde it eternally Do not ye both know that the waye to saluation is not the broade way which many runne in but the straite way which fewe now walke in Before persecution came men might partly haue stand in a dout by the outward state of the world with vs although by gods word it was plaine whether was the hygh waye for their was as many pretended the gospell as poperye but now the sonne is risen the wind bloweth so that the corne which hath not takē fast roote cānot nor wil not abide and therfore easlye ye may see the straite waye by the small number that passeth throught it Who will nowe aduenture their goods and lift for Christs sake which yet gaue his life for oursakes Math. 8. We now are Gergesites that would rather lose Christe then our porkets A faythfull wife is neuer tryed so to be but whē she reiecteth with standeth woers A faythful Christian is then found so to be whē his fayth is assaulted If we be not able I meane if we will not forsake thys world for gods glorye and
word for mine hypocrisie in professing preaching hearing speaking of gods word for my not praying to God for the continuance of it for my not liuing of it throughly as it requireth c. I wil speake nothing of my manyfeste euils for they are knowē to you wel enough Deare brother sister with me say ye the like for your owne parts with me ioyne your hartes let vs goe to our heauenly father for his Christes sake besech him to be mercifull vnto vs and to pardō vs Oh good father it is we that haue deserued the taking away of thy worde it is we that haue deserued these thy iust plagues fallen vppon vs we haue done a mysse we haue dealt vniustly with thy Gospel we haue procured thy wrath therfore iust art thou in punishing vs iust art thou in plaging vs for we are very miserable But good Lorde and deare father of mercy whose iustice is such that thou wilte not punish the poore soules of thys realme which yet haue not thus sinned against thee as we haue done for many yet neuer heard thy word for our trespasses whose mercye is so great that thou wilt put our iniquities out of thy remembraunce for thy Christes sake if we repent beleue graunt vs we besech thee true repētaunce and fayth that we hauing obtayned pardon for our sinnes may through thy Christ get deliueraunce frō the tyrannye of Antichrist now oppressing vs. Oh good father which haste sayd that the Scepter of the wicked should not long lie vpon and ouer the iuste lest they put forth their hands to iniquitie also make vs iust we pray thee in Christes name cut a sunder the cordes of thē that hate Sion let not the wicked people saye where is their god Thou our god art in heauen doest what soeuer it pleaseth thee vpō earth Oh that thou wouldest in the meane whiles before thou do deliuer vs that I say thou wouldest open oure eyes to see al these plagues to come frō thee al other that shal come whatsoeuer they be publike or priuate that they come not by chaunce nor by fortune but that they come euē frō thy hand and that iustly mercifully iustlye because we haue do deserue them not only by our birthpoyson stil sticking working in vs but also by our former euil life past which by this punishment al other punishments that wouldest haue vs to cal to our remēbrance to set before vs that the mightest put thē frō before thee where as they stād so long as they are not in our remēbrance to put thē away by repentance Mercifully oh lord god doest thou punish in that thou doest not correct to kil but to amend that we might repent our sinnes aske mercy obteine it freely in Christ and to beginne to suffer for righteousnes sake to be part of thy house wherat thy iudgement beginneth to be pertakers of the afflictions of thy church and thy Christ that we myght be pertakers of the glory of the same to weepe here that we might reioice elswhere to be iudged in this world that we might with thy Saints iudge hereafter the world to suffer with Christ that we might reigne with him to be like to Christ in shame that we might be like to him in glory to receaue our euelles here that we might with poore Lazarus finde rest elswhere rest I say such a rest as the eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard nor the hart of man is able to cōceaue Oh that our eyes were open to see this that the crosse cōmeth frō thee to declare thy iustice thy mercy and hereto that we might see how short a time the time of suffring is how long a time the time of reioysing is to thē that suffer here but to thē that wil not how long and miserable a time is appointed and prepared a time without tyme in eternal woe and perditiō too horrible to be thought vpon Frō the which kepe vs deare father geue more sight in soule to see this geare and how that al thy dearest childrē haue caried the crosse of greuous affliction in thys lyfe in whose cōpany do thou place vs and such a crosse lay vpō vs as thou wilt make vs able to beare to thy glory and our saluation in Christ for whose sake we pray thee to shorten the dayes of thys our great misery fallen vpon vs most iustlye and in the meane season geue vs pacience repētaunce faith and thy eternal consolation Amen Amen Amen And thus deare hartes I haue talked me thinkes a litle while with you or rather we haue all talked with god Oh that god would geue vs his spirite of grace and prayer My dearly beloued pray for it as for your selues so for me and that god would vouchsafe to make me worthy to suffer with a good conscience for his names sake Pray for me I shal do the like for you This .20 of December by him whom by this bringer ye shal learne I pray you geue my commendations to all that loue me in the Lord. Be mery in Christ for one day in heauen we shall mete and reioyce together for euer more Amen Iohn Bradford To my good brother Iohn Careles prysoner in the King Bench. THe father of mercy god of all cōfort viset vs with his eternal consolatiō according to his great mercies in Iesus Christ our Sauiour Amen My very deare brother if I shall report the truth vnto you I can not but signify that sithē I came into prisō I neuer receaued so much consolation as I did by your last letter the name of god be most hartely praysed therfore But if I shal report the truth vnto you and as I haue begonne speake stil the verity I must confesse that for mine vnthankfulnes to you wardes to god especially I haue more nede of gods merciful tydings thē I had euer heretofore Ah that Sathā enuieth vs so greatly Ah that our Lord would tread hys head vnder our feete shortly Ah that I myght for euer both my self beware be a godly example to you others to beware of vnthankefulnes Good brother Careles we had more nede to take hede after a lightning of a foile thē before God therfore is to be praysed euen whē he hideth that of long a chearful countenaunce from vs lest we being not expert how to vse it as we should do do hurt more our selues thereby so great is our ignorance and corruptiō Thys my good brother ryghte deare to my very hart I write vnto you as to one whō in the Lorde I embrace and I thanke god that you do me in like maner God our father more more geue vs both his good spirite that as by fayth we may fele our selues vnited vnto him in Christ so by loue we may fele oure selues linked in the same Christe one to an other I to you and you to me
we to all the children of God and all the children of God to vs Amen Amen Commend me to our good brother Skelthrop for whom I hartely prayse my God whiche hath geuen him to see hys truth at the lēgth to geue place to it I dout not but that he wil be so heedye in al his cōuersatiō that his old acquaintance may euer therby thinke thēselues astray Woe woe again shold be vnto vs if we by our exāple should make mē to stūble at the truth Forget not salutatiōs in Christ as you shal thinke good to Trewe hys fellowes The Lord hath his time I hope for them also although we perchaunce thinke otherwise A droppe maketh the stone hollow not with once but with often dropping so if with harty prayer for them and good example you stil and droppe vpon them as you can you shal see gods worke at the length I besech God to make perfect all the good he hath begonne in vs all Amen I desire you all to pray for me the most vnworthy prisoner of the Lord. Your brother Iohn Bradforde To Maister Iohn Hall and hys wife prysoners in Newgate for the testimonye of the Gospell ALmightie god our heauenly father throught Iesus Christ be with you both my dearlye beloued as with hys deare children for euer and he so blesse you with his holy spirite that you maye in thys youre crosse for hys cause doubtles reioyce and gladlye take it vp to beare it so long as he shall thinke good I haue heard my good brother sister how that God hath brought you both into hys Scholehouse where as you were both purposed by hys leaue to haue playd the Trewands that therby you might see hys carefulnes and loue toward you For if it bee a token of a louinge and careful father for hys children to preuent the purpose and disapoynte the intente of hys children purposing to departe a while frō the schole for feare of beating which thyng they would not do if they dyd asmuch consider the comoditie of learning which there they might get how shoulde you take thys worke of the Lord preuentyng your purpose but as an euidente signe of loue and fatherly carefulnes that he beareth towards you If he should haue wincked at your willes then would you haue escaped beating I meane the crosse but then should you haue loste the comoditie of learning which your father wil now haue you to learne feele therfore hath he sent to you his crosse He I say hath brought you where you be thoughe your reason and wit will tell you it is by chaunce or fortune or or otherwyse yet my derelye beloued know for certayne that whatsoeuer was the meane GOD your father was the worker hereof and that for your weale althoughe otherwyse your olde Adam doth tell you and you feele yet I say of truthe that your duetye is to thynke of thys crosse that as it is of gods sendyng and commeth from him so although your desertes be otherwise it is of loue and fatherly affection for your weale and commodities sake What commoditie is hereby you will perchaunce obiect You are now kept in close prison you wyl say your family and children be without good ouerseers your substāce deminisheth by these meanes pouertye will approche and perchaunce more perils also as losse of lyfe c. these are no commodities but discommodities and that no smal ones so that iustly you woulde be glad to know what commoditie can come to you by thys crosse wherby commeth so greate discommodities To these thinges I aunswer that in dede it is true you say of your bodies families chyldren substaunce pouertye lyfe c. Which thynges if you would consider a while wyth inward eyes as you behold them wyth outward then perhappes you should fynd more ease Do not you now by the inward sense perceyue that you must part from al these and all other commodities in the world Tell me then haue not you this commoditye by your crosse to learne to lothe and leaue the world and to long for and desyre an other world where is perpetuitie You oughte of your owne heade and freewyll to haue accordyng to your profession in baptisme forsaken the world and al earthly thynges vsing the world as though you vsed it not your hart only sette vppon your hourde in heauen or els you coulde neuer be Christes true disciples that is be saued and be where he is And trow you my good hartes in the lord trow you I say that this is no commoditye by this crosse to be compelled hereto that you myght assuredly enioy wyth the lord endles glory How now doth god as it were fatherly pul you by the eares to remēber your former offences concernyng these thinges and all other thynges that repentance and remission myght ensue How doth god now compell you to cal vpon hym and to be earnest in prayer Are these no commodities Doth not the fcripture say that God doth correcte vs in the worlde because we shall not bee dampned wyth the worlde that god chasteneth euery one whome he loueth that the ende of this correction shall be ioy and holines Doth not the scripture saye that they are happye that suffer for rightuousnes sake as you now doe that the glorye and sprite of God is vpon them that as you are now made lyke vnto Christe in sufferyng so you shall bee made lyke to him in raignyng Doth not the scripture say that you are now going the high and ryghte waye to heauen that your suffryng is Christes sufferyng My dearely beloued what greater commodities then these can a godlye harte desyre Therefore ye are commaunded to reioyce and be glad when ye suffer as nowe ye doe for through the goodnes of god great shal be your rewarde Where Forfoth on earth first for your chyldren for now they are in gods mere and immediate protection Neuer was father so carefull for hys chylderne as God is for yours presently Gods blessyng which is more worth then all the worlde you leaue in dede to your chyldern Though all your prouidence for them should be pulled away yet god is not poore he hath promysed to prouyde for them moste fatherly Psalm 55 Caste thy burthen vppon me sayth he and I wil beare it Do you therfore cast them and commend them vnto god your father and doubte not that he wyll dye in your dec He neuer yet was found vnfaythfull and he wyl not now begynne wyth you The good mannes sede shall not go a beggyng hys breade Psal 37 for he wyll shewe mercye vppon thousandes of the posteritie of them that feare hym Therfore as I said gods rewarde fyrst vpon earth shal be felt by your children euen corporally and so also vpon you if God see it more for your commoditie at the least inwardly you shal feele it by quietnes and comforte of conscience and secondly after this lyfe you shal fynd it so plentifullye as the
eie hath not sene the eare hath not heard the hart cānot conceiue how great glorious gods reward wyl be vpō your bodies much more vpon your soules God opē our eies to see and fele this in dede Then shal we thynke the crosse which is a meane herto to be commodious Then shall we thanke god that he would chastice vs. Thē shall we saye with Dauid happy am I that thou hast punished me for before I wente astray but now I kepe thy lawes This that we may do in dede my derely beloued let vs firste knowe that our crosse cōmeth from god Secondly that it commeth from god as a father that is to our weale good Therfore let vs thirdly cal to mind our sinnes aske pardon Whereto let vs fourthly loke for help certainly at gods hand in his good time helpe I say such as shal make most to gods glory to the comfort cōmoditie of our soules bodies eternally This if we certainly conceiue thē wil there issue out of vs harty thankes geuīg which god requireth as a most precious sacrifice That we may al through Christ offer this let vs vse earnest praier to our god and dere father who blesse vs kepe vs and cōfort vs vnder hys swete crosse for euer Amen Amen My dere hartes if I could any way comfort you you should be sure therof though my lyfe laye theron but now I must do as I may because I cānot as I would Oh that it would please our deare father shortly to bring vs where we should neuer departe but enioy continually the blessed fruicion of hys heauenly presence pray pray that it may spedely come to passe pray To morow I wyll sende vnto you to knowe your estate send me worde what are the chiefest things they charge you wythall From the Counter By your brother in the Lorde Iohn Bradford To Mystres Hall prysoner in Newgate and ready to make aunswer before her aduersaries OVr most merciful god and father throughe Christ Iesus our lord and sauiour be merciful vnto vs and make perfect the good he hath begonne in vs vnto the ende Amen My deare Sister reioyce in the lord reioyce be glad I say be mery and thankful Math. 5 not only because Christ so cōmaundeth vs but also because our state wherin we are presētly requireth no lesse for we are the lords witnesses God the father hath vouched saffe to choose vs emonges many to witnes and testify that christ hys sonne is Kyng and that hys word is true Christ our sauiour for hys loues sake towards vs wil haue vs to beare recorde that he is no vsurper nor deceyuer of the people but Gods Embassadour Prophet and Messias so that of al dignities vpon earthe this is the highest Greater honoure had not hys Prophetes Apostles nor dearest frendes then to beare witnes wyth Christ as we now doe The worlde folowyng the counsell of theyr Syer Sathan would gladly condempne Christ and hys verity but loe the lord hath chosen vs to be hys champions to lette this As stoute souldiours therfore let vs stand to our maister who is wyth vs and standeth on our ryght hande that we shall not be muche moued if we hope and hange on hys mercye he is so faythful true that he wyl neuer tempt vs further then he will make vs hable to beare Therfore be not carefull for I heare say thys day you shall be called forth what you shal answer The lord which is true cannot lie hath promysed and wyll neuer fayle nor forget it that you shall haue both what and how to aunswer so as shall make hys shameles aduersaries ashamed Hange therfore on this promyse of God who is an helper at a pinch and a most present remedy to them that hope in hym Neuer was it hearde of or shal be that any hopyng in the lord was put to foyle Therfore as I said I say againe Deare Syster be not only not careful for your answeryng but also be ioyfull for your cause Confesse Christ and be not ashamed and he wil confesse you and neuer be ashamed of you Thoughe losse of goodes and lyfe be lyke here to ensue yet yf Christ be true as he is most true it is otherwyse in dede for he that loseth hys life sayth he wynneth it but he that saueth it looseth it Our synnes haue deserued many deathes Now if god deale so with vs that he wil make our deserued deathe a demonstration of hys grace a testimonyall of hys veritye a confirmation of hys people an ouerthrowe of his aduersaries what great cause haue we to be thankful Be thankeful therfore good Syster be thankefull reioyce and be merye in the Lord be stoute in hys cause and quarell be not faynte harted but runne out your race and set your captayne Christe before your eyes Beholde how great your rewarde is See the great glory and the eternitie of felicity prepared for you Striue and fyght lawfully that you may gette the crowne Runne to get the game you are almost at your iorneyes end I dout not but our father will with vs send to you also 4 Reg. 2. as he did to Hely a fiery charette to conuey vs into his kyngdome Let vs therefore not be dismayde to leaue our cloke behind vs that is our bodies to ashes God wyll one daye restore them to vs lyke to the body of our lord and sauiour Iesus christ whose cōming is now at hande let vs loke for it and lift vp our heads for our redēption draweth nigh Amen Amen The Lord of mercy graunt vs hys mercy Amē I pray you pray for me and so desire my bretherne whiche be wyth you Gods peace be with vs all Amen Blessed be the deade that dye in the Lorde then how much more they that dye for the Lord. Your brother in bondes Iohn Bradford ¶ An admonition to certayne professours and louers of the gospell to beware they fall not from it in consentyng to the Romyshe religion by the example of the shrinkyng haltyng and double faced Gospellers THe peace of Christ which is the true effecte of gods gospell beleued my derely beloued bee more and more plentifully perceyued of you throughe the grace of our deare father by the myghty workyng of the holy spirit our comforter Amen Though I haue many lettes presently to hynder me from writyng vnto you yet beyng desired I could not but somethyng signifye my readye good wyll in this behalfe so much as I may when I cannot so much as I woulde You heare and see how Sathan bestirreth hym ragyng as a roryng Lyon to deuoure vs. You see and feele partlye what stormes he hath raysed vppe to drowne the poore boote of Christ I meane hys church You see how terribly he trayneth his souldiours to geue a fierce onset on the voward of gods battel You see how he hath receyued power of god to molest gods children and to begyn at hys house By reason wherof consider
Rom. 8 The Angels are ministers vnto them Their names are writtē in the boke of lyfe therfore Christ bad them reioyce as Paul doth the Philippians for nothing shall seperate them from the loue wherwith god loueth them in Christ Iesu who sayeth that it is impossible for them to erre finally to damnation Mat. 24 Psalm 18. Iohn 6.10 Heb. 3. Iohn 5.6 Iohn 17 Heb. 5. Rom. 8 Ioh. 10. 1. Cor. 6 1. Cor. 1. 1. Ioh 4 Psalm 67. Ose 6. for he is their lyght to illumine their darkenes They are geuē to hym to kepe he is faythful ouer al gods children He saith he wil kepe them so that they shal neuer peryshe After they beleue they are entred already into euerlasting life Christe hath set thē there already he hath cōmitted them into his fathers hands by prayer which we know is sure therefore death hel deuils nor all power sinnes nor mischiefe shall neuer pull vs out of oure heades hands whose mēbers we are therfore receauing of hys spirite as we do we cannot but bring forth the fruites therof though now then the flesh fayle vs. But the Lord euen our Lord be praysed whiche is more strong in vs then he which is in the world He alwaies putteth vnder his hand that we lye not styll nor shal do as the reprobate whose pietie is as the mornyng dewe sone come sone gone and therfore they can not continue to the ende Cānot No they wil not if they could because they hate god hys glory and therfore al thē that seeke it or set it forth wheras the elect loue all men and seke to do al men good in God suspending their iudgements of others Rom. 14 that they may stand or fall to the Lord and not to them Hetherto out of this one place of Paule to the Ephesiās if the matter of election predestination be so fully set forth to gods glory and to the cōfort of hys church how may we suppose is this matter set forth in the whole body bookes of the canonicall scripture Whereto I had rather send you with this cādell lighte which I haue now geuē you then in a matter so manifest to make more a do then nedeth Iohn Bradforde To a woman that desyred to know hys mynde whether she refrayning from the Masse myght be present at the popyshe Mattyns or no. I Besech almightye God our heauenly father to bee merciful vnto vs to encrease in you my good sister the knowledge loue of his truth and at thys present geue me grace so to write to you somthyng of the same as may make to hys glory and our own comforte and confyrmation in hym through Christ our Lord Amen Whether you may come with safe cōscience to the church now that is to the seruice vsed comonly in part as at Mattins or at Euēsong or noe is your desire to haue me to write somthing for your further stay My derely beloued although your benefites towards me might perchaunce make you to thinke that in respect therof I would beare with that which els were not to be borne withal yet by gods grace I am purposed simply without al such respect in this matter to speak to you the truth accordinge to my conscience as I maye be able to stand vnto when I shall come before the Lorde Fyrste therefore goe aboute to learne perfectly the fyrst lesson to bee learned of all that professe Christe that is to denye your selfe and in nothing to seke your selfe Secondly learne after thys to begynne at the next lesson to it which is to seeke God in all thynges you doe and leaue vndone Thirdly know that then you seke God whē in hys seruice you followe his worde and not mans fantasies custome multitude c. and when with your brother you follow the rule of charitie that is to do as you would be done by In these is a sūme of al the counsell I can geue you if that hereto I admonyshe you of the seruice now vsed which is not accordyng to gods word but rather against gods word directly and in maner wholy So that you going to the seruice is a declaration that you haue not learned the fyrst lesson nor neuer can learne it so long as you go thether therfore the second lessō you shal vtterly lose if you cease not the seeking your self that is if for cōpanye custome father or frend life or goods you seme to allow that which god disalloweth And this that you the better maye perceaue I purpose by gods grace brieflye to shewe First the Mattens Euensong is in a toūg forbiddē publikely to be vsed in the cōgregatiō that perceaueth not the toung Read how Paul affirmeth it 1. Cor. 14. to pray in an vnknowē toung to be against gods cōmaūdement This one I trow were enough if nothīg els were For how cā gods glory be sought where his word cōmaūdemente is wilfullye brokē How cā charitie to mā stande when charitie to god which is obedience to his word is ouerthrowē Againe both in Mattins in Euensong is idolatrye maintained for gods seruice for there is inuocation and prayer made to Sainctes departed this life which robbeth god of that glory which he wil geue to none other Esay 5. Moreouer thys seruice the setters forth of it condempneth the Englysh seruice as heresie therby falling into Gods curse which is threatned to al such as cal good euil and euil good wherof they shal be pertakers that do cōmunicate with thē Besides this this latten seruice is a plaine marke of Antichrists catholike Sinagoge so that the Cōmunicātes approuers of it thereby declare thē selues to be mēbers of the same Sinagoge so cut of frō christ his church whose exteriour marke is the true administratiō of gods worde sacraments Furthermore the exāple of your going thither to allow the religiō of Antichrist as doubtles you do in dede howsoeuer in hart you thinke occasioneth the obstinate to be vtterly intractable the weake papistes to be more obstinate the stronge Gospellers to be sore weakened and the weake gospellers to be vtterly ouerthrowen whiche thinges howe greate offences they bee no penne is able to vtter by letters All these euilles you shall hee giltye of that companye wyth these in religion exteriourly from whom you are admonyshed to fly If Christ be Christ followe hym gather with hym least you scatter abroade Serue God not only in spirite but also in body Make not your body now a mēber of Christ a mēber of Antichrist Come out from amongest thē sayth the Lord touch no vncleane thing Confesse Christe and hys truth not onely in hart but also in toung yea in very deede which fewe gospellers do In dede they denye him therefore had nede to tremble least that Christ wil denie thē in the last day the which day if it were set before our eyes often then would the
pleasures treasures of this world be but trifilles Therfore good sister often haue it before your eyes daily set your selfe your doings as before the iudgemente seate of Christ now that hereafter you be not called into iudgemēt Thinke that it wil litle profite you to winne the whole world to lose your owne soule Marke Christes lessons well he that wil saue his life shal lose it The father frō heauen commaundeth you to heare Christ he sayth folow me this can you not do followe Idolatrye or Idolaters Flye from such sayth the Scripture Thys god graunt to you to me to al gods children Amen Thus in hast I haue accōplished your request god graunt that as you haue done me muche good bodely so thys maye be a litle meane to doe you some good spiritually Amen If tyme would serue I would haue written more at large The .2 of Marche Anno. 1556. To the worshipful and in God my most deare frend the Ladye Vane THe good spirite of God our father be more more plētifully perceaued of your good Ladiship through the mediation merites of our dere Sauiour Iesus Christ Amē Although your benefites towardes me haue deserued at my hands the seruice I can do for you yet right worshipful and dearly beloued in the Lord the true feare of god and the loue of his truth which I perceaue to be in you especially and aboue al other things doth binde me hereunto This bearer hath told me that your desire is to haue somthing sent to you cōcerning the vsurped authoritie of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome which is vndoubtedly the greate Antichrist of whom the Apostles do so much admonyshe vs that you may haue aswell somethyng the more to stay you on as also wherwith to answere the aduersaries because you may perchaunce therin be somthing aposed To satisfye this your desire I wyll brieflye go about and so that I will by gods grace fully set forth the same to enarme you to withstand the assaultes of the papistes herein if you marke well and read ouer agayne that which I now wryte The papists do place in preeminence ouer the whole church the Pope therby vnplacing Christ which is the heade of the church that geueth life to the whole bodye by his spirite doth make liuely euery member of the same This they doe without al scriptures For where they bring in this spoken to Peter feede my sheepe I wold gladly know whether this was not commaunded vnto others also As for that which perchaūce they wil vrge that he spake to Peter by name if they had any learnyng they would easelye perceaue howe that it was not for any such cause as they pretend but rather by a threfolde cōmaundement to restore to him the honour of an Apostle which he had lost by his threfold denyal And how dare they interpretate thys worde my shepe my Lābe◠to be the vniuersal Church of Christ I trowe a man might easely by the like reason proue that Peter hymself had resigned that which Christ had geuen to hym in exhortyng hys fellowe pastoures to feede the flocke of Christ Is not thys pretye stuffe Because Christ sayth to Peter feede my sheepe therfore he ought to rule the vniuersal and whole church of Christ If Peter do truly write vnto others that they shold do the lyke that is fede Christes flocke eyther he translateth hys right authority cōmitted to him vpon them or els he doth participate cōmunicate it with them So that folyshly they goe aboute to establishe that which hath no ground Peter in dede was a shepeheard of the shepe but suche a one as bestowed hys labour on them so farre as he could stretch out hym selfe by hys ministerye But the papistes prate that he had ful power ouer all Churches Wherin they maye see Paul to improue them for els he had done vniustly in denying them the superiour place Howbeit who euer yet redde that Peter dyd take any thyng vppon him ouer Churches committed vnto other men Was not he sent of the churche sent as one not hauing rule ouer the reaile I graūt that he was an excellent instrument of God and for the excellencye of hys gyftes when soeuer they meete together place therfore was commonlye geuen vnto hym But what is thys to the purpose to make hym ruler head ouer all the whole Churche because he was so ouer a small congregation But be it so that Peter had as much geuen to him as they do affyrme who yet will graunt that Peter had a patrimony geuen for his heires ▪ He hath left say the papistes to hys successours the self same right which he receaued Oh Lord God then must hys successour be a Sathan Math. 4. for he receaued that title of Christ hym selfe I woulde gladly haue the papistes to shew me one place of successiō mencioned in the Scriptures I am sure that when Paule purposely paynteth oute the whole administration of the Churche he neyther maketh one head nor anye enheritable Primacye and yet he is altogether in commendation of vnitye After he hath made mencion of one God the father of one Christe of one spirite of one body of the Churche of one faythe and of one baptisme then he describeth the meane and manner howe vnitye is to be kept namelye because vnto euerye pastour is grace geuen after the measure wherewyth Christe hath endowed them Where I praye you is now any title of Plenitudinis potestatis of fulnes of power When he calleth home euery one vnto a certayne measure whye dyd he not forthwith say one Pope Which thyng he coulde not haue forgotten if the thinge had beene as the papistes make it But let vs graunt that perpetuitie of the Primacye in the Church was establyshed in Peter I woulde gladlye learne why the Seate of the Primacye shoulde bee rather at Rome then elswhere Marye saye they because Peters chaire was at Rome Thys is euen lyke to thys that because Moses the greatest Prophette And Aaron the fyrste Prieste exercised theyr offyces vnto theyr deathe in the deserte therefore the principallest place of the Iewyshe Churche shoulde bee in the wyldernesse But graunt them theyr reason that it is good What should Antioche clayme For Peters chaire was there also wherin Paule gaue him a checke which was vnsemely and vnmanerlye done of Paule that would not geue place to hys president better No saie the papistes Rome muste haue this authoritie because Peter died there But what and if a man should by probable coniectures shewe that it is but a fable which is fayned of Peters Bishoprike at Rome Read how Paule doth salute very many priuate persons when he writeth to the Romaines Three yeres after hys Epistle made he was brought to Rome prisoner Luke telleth that he was receaued of the brethren and yet in al these no mention at all of Peter whiche then by their Storyes was at Rome Belike he
haue good cause If your welfare ioy and saluation hanged vpon any other thyng then only gods mercy and truth then might you wel be sad heauy and stand in a doubte But in that it hangeth only vpon these two tell Satan he lyeth when he would haue you to stand in a maÌ„meryng by causyng you to cast your eyes which only in thys case should be set on Christ your sweete sauiour on your selfe in some parte In dede looke on your selfe on your fayth on your loue obedieÌ„ce c. to awake you vp from securitie to styrre you vp to diligence in doyng the things apperteyning to your vocatioÌ„ but when you would be at peace wyth god and haue true consolation in your coÌ„science altogether loke vpon the goodnes of god in Christ Thynke on this commaundement which precedeth all others that you must haue no other gods but the Lorde Iehouah which is your Lord and god the which he could not be if that he dyd not pardon your synnes in very dede Remember that Christe commaundeth you to call hym father for the same entente And hereto call to mynde all the benefites of god hetherto shewed vpon you and so shal you fele in very dede that which I wyshe vnto you now and praye you to wyshe vnto me farewell or welfare in the Lord Iesus wyth whome he graunte vs shortlye to meete as hys chyldren for hys name and mercyes sake to oure eternall welfare Amen Amen Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ An other letter to Mystres A.VV. ALmighty god our heauenly father for hys christes sake encrease in vs fayth by which we may more and more see what glory and honour is reposed and safely kept in heauen for all them that beleue wyth the hart and confesse Christe and hys truthe wyth the mouthe Amen My derely beloued I remember that once heretofore I wrote vnto you a Vale or a farewell vpon coniecture but now I wryte my farewell to you in thys lyfe in dede vpon certaine knowledge My staffe standeth at the dore I continually looke for the Shiriffe to come for me and I thank God I am ready for hym Now go I to practise that which I haue preached Now am I climing vp the hil it wil cause me to puffe and blow before I come to the cliffe The hill is stepe and high my breath is short and my strength is feble pray therfore to the lord for me that as I haue now through hys goodnes euen almost come to the toppe I may by hys grace be strengthned not to rest til I come where I should be Oh louing Lord put out thy hande and drawe me vnto thee for no man coÌ„meth but he whome the father draweth Se my derely beloued gods louing mercy he knoweth my short breath and great weakenes As he sent for Helias a fâ—ry chariote so sendeth he for me for by fyre my drosse muste be purifyed that I may be fine gold in hys syghte Oh vnthankefull wretche that I am Lorde do thou forgeue me myne vnthankfulnes In dede I confesse ryghte deare to me in the lord that my synnes haue deserued hell fyre much more then thys fyer But loe so louyng is my Lorde that he conuerteth the remedye for my synnes the punishmente for my transgressions into a testimoniall of hys truth and a testification of hys verity which the Prelates doe persecute in me and not my synnes therfore they persecute not me but Christ in me which I doubte not wyl take my part vnto the very ende Amen Oh that I had so open an harte as coulde so receiue as I should do this great benefite and vnspeakable dignitye which God my father offreth to me Now pray for me my derely beloued pray for me that I neuer shrinke I shal neuer shrynke I hope I trust in the Lorde I shal neuer shrinke for he that alwayes hath taken my parte I am assured wil not leaue me when I haue most nede for hys truth merties sake Oh Lord helpe me into thy handes I commende me wholy In the Lorde is my my truste I care not what man can do vnto me Amen My derely beloued say you Amen also and come after if so god call you Be not ashamed of the gospell of Christ but kepe company wyth hym stil He wyll neuer leaue you but in the myddest of temptation wil geue you an outscape to make you able to beare the brunte Vse harty prayer reuerently reade and heare gods worde put it in practise looke forthe crosse lift vp your heades for your redeÌ„ption draweth nigh know that the death of gods saintes is precious in hys syght be mery in the Lorde pray for the mitigation of gods heauy displeasure vpon our countrey God kepe vs for euer God blesse vs wyth his spirituall blessynges in Christ And thus I bydde you farewell for euer in thys present lyfe Pray for me praye for me for gods sake pray for me God make perfecte hys good worke begonne in me Amen Out of prison this 7. of February Yours in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ To certayne godlye men relieuers and helpers of hym and others in theyr imprisonmente THe peace of Christ which passeth all pleasure and worldly felicity be daily more and more felte in your hartes my right derely beloued in the Lord by the inwarde workyng of the holy spirite the earnest of our inheritaunce and guider of gods electe wyth the whyche god our dere father more more endue vs al vnto the ende for hys beloued sonnes sake our lord Iesus Christ Amen Praysed be god the father of our lord Iesus Christ which is a father of mercy a god of al consolation that hath blessed you with the knowlege loue of his truth not only to your own coÌ„fortes but also the great ease coÌ„fort of many which without the helpe of god by you hetherto had bene in much more misery By your releuing the lordes prisoners I am brought to see the rote wherof the worke doth spring euen the knowlege loue of gods truth wherfore we are in haÌ„des The which knowledge loue in that it is a blessyng of all blessings the greatest for it is euen eternal life Ioh. 17 I caÌ„not but praise god for you on this behalfe that it hath pleased hym to much you worthy so excelleÌ„t singuler a benefit which is more to be estemed desired cared for theÌ„ any thyng els The world for al that euer it hath caÌ„not attayne by any meanes to this blessing which God our father hath geueÌ„ you freely of his own good wil through christ eueÌ„ before ye were purposed to desire it Therfore I besech you al to be thankful with me to reioyce in the lord For if he haue geueÌ„ vs such a gift vnasked vndesired yea vnthought vpoÌ„ how can it be the he wil deny vs any good thing now which may be necessary for vs Wil he trow ye sowe his sede in the ground of your hartes
write Fyrst wil my man William to make all thinges readye for me for I am persuaded I shall into Lankeshire there to be burnt howbeit first they say I must to the Fleete Then will him to harken earelye in the morning whether I be not conueyed away before men beware Also I pray you will Robert Harrington who I hope wil go with me to looke for that iourney Visit often my deare sister and although I can not nowe write vnto her as I would for al things are more straunge here cases more more perelous yet tell her that I am carefull for her desire her to be of good comforte God shall geue vs to meete in hys kingdome In the meane season I will praye for her as my dearest sister Of truth I neuer did loue her halfe so well as I now do and yet I loue her not halfe so well as I woulde doe shee is the very daughter of Abraham I pray thee hartelye bee merye my good brother and desire all my frendes so to be for I thanke god I feele a greater benefite then all the Byshops in England can take from me Praise God and praye for me mine owne deare harte in the Lord whom I hope I shall neuer forget Your poore brother in the Lorde Iohn Bradford To certaine men not ryghtly persuaded in the most true comfortable and necessarye doctrine of Gods holy election and predestination GRace mercye and peace wyth encreace of all godly knowlege and liuing from god the eternal father of al consolation through the bloudy death of our alone and full redemer Iesus Christ by the mighty and liuely workyng and power of the holy spirit the comforter I wish vnto you now and for euer Amen Although I loke hourely for officers to come and haue me to execution yet can I not but attēpt to write somthing vnto you my dearely beloued as alwayes you haue bene how soeuer you haue taken me to occasion you the more to wey the things wherin some controuersy hath bene emongest vs especially the article and doctrine of predestination Wherof I haue writē a little treatise therin as briefly shewing my faith so answering the enormities gathered of some to slaūder the same necessary comfortable doctryne That litle piece of worke I commend vnto you as a thing wherof I doute not to answer to my comfort before the trubual seat of Iesus Christ and therfore I hartely pray you and euery of you for the tender mercies of God in Christe that you woulde not be rashe to condemne thinges vnknowen lest gods woe should fall vpon you for callyng good euyll and euyll good For the greate loue of god in Christe cauil not at things that be wel spoken nor construe not things to the euil part when ye haue occasion otherwise Do not suppose that any man by affirmyng predestination as in that boke I haue truly set it forth accordyng to gods worde and the consent of christes church either to seke carnalitie or to set forth matter of desperation Only by the doctrine of it I haue taught as to my selfe so to others a certaintie of saluation a setting vp of Christ only an exaltatiō of gods grace mercye righteousnes truth wisdom power and glory and a casting downe of man and al hys power that he that glorieth may glory onelye and altogether and continuallye in the Lorde Man consisteth on .ij. partes the soule and the body euery man of god hath as a man wold say ij men an outward or old man and an inward or new man The Deuils drifte is to bryng the one into a carnalitie and the other into a doubt and so to dispayre and hatred of god but god for remedy hereof hath ordeined hys word which is deuided into ij partes the one is a doctrine which demaundeth of vs our duety but geueth no power thereto the other is a doctrine which not so much demaundeth as geueth The former is called the law which hath hys promises cōditionals and comminations or threates accordinglye The other is called the gospel or rather the free promises hanging not on conditiōs on our behalfe but simply on gods verity mercy although they requyre conditions but not as hangyng theron of which promyses the gospell may well be called a puplication The former that is the law wyth her promyses and comminations tell man what he is and shew hym what he can do The later that is the gospell and free promises tell and set forth Christ and what mercy at Gods hand throughe Christ we haue offred and geuen vnto vs. The former parte serueth to keepe the olde man from carnalitie and security and to stirre hym vp to diligence and sollicitude The later parte serueth howe to kepe the newe and inwarde man from doubtyng and dispayre to bryng vs in to an assured certayntye and quietenes wyth God through Chryste The olde man and the fielde he resteth in maye not be sowen with any other seede then is agreable to the former doctrine The newe man and the fielde he resteth in maye not be sowen wyth anye other then is agreeynge to the later doctryne By thys meanes man shall be kepte from carnalitie and from desperation also and broughte into diligence and godlye peace of conscience It is forbydden in the olde law Deut. 22. to sowe .ij. kyndes of seedes in one fielde to weare lynsey wolsey perticotes or to eate beastes that dyd not cleaue the hofes Deut. 14. God graunte vs to be wyse husbandmen to sowe accordyng as I haue sayd God graunte vs to bee wyse tayloures to cutte oure coates for two men of one whole clothe as is declared GOD graunt vs to be cleane beasts to cleaue the hofes accordinglye that is to geue the olde man meate meete for the mowers that is the lawe wyth hys appurtenaunces conditionals promises and comminations and to geue to the newe man the gospel and sweete free promises as appertayneth and then doutles we shall walke in the ryghte hyghe waye vnto eternal lyfe that is in Chryste Iesu the ende of the lawe and the fulfyllyng of the promises in whome they be yea and Amen If thys my poore aduise bee obserued my deare bretherne in the Lorde I doubte not but all controuersies for predestination originall synne freewyll c shall so cease that there shall be no breache of loue nor suspicion emonges vs which GOD graunte for hys mercies sake I am persuaded of you that you feare the Lord and therfore I loue you and haue loued you in hym my deare hartes thoughe otherwyse you haue taken it wythout cause on my parte geuen so farre as I know For hetherto I haue not suffred any copye of the treatise aboue specified to goe abroade because I woulde suppresse all occasions so farre as myghte bee Nowe am I goyng before you to my God and your God to my father and your father to my Christ and your Christe to my home and your home I goe
before but you shall come after sooner or later Howebeit I could not but before I goe sygnify thus much vnto you as I haue done that you myghte see my loue and thereby bee occasioned to increase in loue and learne rather to beare then breake My poore most dere Syster to me that euer I had with whō I leaue thys lettter I commende vnto you all and to euery of you beseechyng you and hartelye praying you in the bowels and bloode of Iesus Chryste to care for her as for one whyche is deare in Gods syghte and one whiche loueth you all in GOD and hath done as I can and doe beare her wytnes althoughe in the poynte of predestination it hathe pleased God by my ministerye to open vnto her hys truthe Wherein as she is setled and I truste in God confyrmed so yf you cannot thynke wyth her therein as she dothe I hartelye praye you and as I can in Gods behalfe charge you that you molest her not nor dysquiete her but lette loue abounde and therein contende who can goe moste before I commende also vnto you my good Syster M. C. makyng for her the lyke sure vnto you all Ah dere hartes be not faint harted for these euyll dais which are come to trie vs purify vs that we may the more be parteners of gods holines as to our selues so to the worlde we shal be beter knowen Continue to walke in the feare of the Lord as ye haue wel begonne Kepe your selues pure as I hope you do from thys rotten Romish yea Antichristian religion Reuerently read gods word therto ioyning prayer that as you heare in readyng god speake vnto you so in praying you may speake vnto hym Labour after your callyngs to helpe other As you haue done do styll and I pray god geue you grace to continue as I dout not but he wil for hys goodnes sake At the lēgth we shal mete together in Christes kyngdome and there neuer part a sunder but prayse the name of our good god and father wyth the Patriarkes Prophets Apostels Aungels Archaungels and all the Saintes of God Oh ioyfull place oh place of all places desyred My brethren I thynke my selfe more happye then you by how much I am nowe more nere vnto it Helias chariote I hourely loke for 4 Reg. 2 to come and catch me vppe My cloke that is my carcas I shall leaue behind me in ashes which I doute not my Lord wyl rayse vp and restore to me again in the last day glorifyed euen lyke vnto hys owne most glorious body The portion of the good spirit which my father hath lent me I wyshe yea double and treble vnto you al. God the father of mercy in the blood of his christ geue to euery of you my dere hartes in hym hys blessyng and poure plentifullye vpon you hys holy spirite that you may increase in all godly knowledge and godlines to your owne comfort and the edification of many others Amen Yet once more I commend vnto you my foresaid most dere and beloued Syster in the lord who alwais be vnto her a most louyng father spouse and pastour Amen Amen Out of prison the 16. of February 1554. Your owne harte Iohn Bradforde To Trewe and Abyngton wyth other of their company teachers and maynteiners of the errour of mans freewyll YEt once more beloued in the Lord before penne and yuke be vtterly taken from me as I looke it to bee thys after noone I thought good to write vnto you because I stande in a doubte whether at any tyme hereafter I shall see or speake wyth you for within this seuen night my lord Chaūcelour bade loke for iudgement God knoweth I lye not I neuer did beare you malice nor sought the hynderance of any one of you but youre good bothe in soule and bodye Read the 1. Cor. 13. chap. and compare these spirites wyth the spirit of humblenes vnity and loue which here you se in this man of God doyng good euen to his aduersaries and then iudge of them theyr doctrine as when we shall all appeare together before God I am certayne you shall then know though now you doubte it and that causes I am right well assured For myne owne conscience can and doth beare witnes wyth me that I neuer defrauded you or any of you of the valewe of one peny or peny worth of any thyng but haue sought wyth that whyche hath bene geuen not onely in common but also vnto me to myne owne vse discretion and distribution to doe you good Therfore disdaine not the good will of your louer in god And in hope that you wil not I haue eftsones euē now sente vnto you xiij.s iiij d. Yf you nede as much more you shall haue it or any thyng olles I haue or can doe for you Though in some thyngs we agree not yet let loue beare the bell away and let vs one pray for another He meaneth concerning freewyl original sume predestinatiō c. wherein they are playne Pelagians and papistes and bee carefull one for another for I hope we bee all Christes As you hope your selues to perteyne to hym so thinke of me and as you be hys so am I yours Iohn Bradford ¶ At thys letter these men were so sore offended because he sayde he had hyndered hymselfe to further them as though be had therby vpbrayded them that in dyspleasure they sent it to hym agayne Whereupon he wrote vnto them as followeth HE that seketh not to hynder hym selfe temporally that he may further hys brother in more nede the same wanteth true loue I haue done do and wil except you refuse it hynder my selfe thys way that I may further you and in dede my selfe also that way Though he distributed to them emōges other prisoners there not only that which was geuen in cōmon but also to hys owne vse yet they suspected hym of euil dealyng Thus do not they in whom the loue of God dwelleth wherein I desyre to be furthered Yf I would seke mine owne gaynes temporallye then coulde I haue taken vsed many portiōs of mony whiche haue bene geuen to me mine owne vse I neuer mynded to vpbraide you but that whiche I dyd wryte of myne owne hynderance was that you myght see I loued you and sought your weale as I doe and wyll be glad to doe it continually The lord of mercy hath forgeuen vs all wherefore henceforth lette vs rather beare then breake Yours in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ A letter whyche he set as a preface before a supplication sente to Quene Marye her counsel and the whole Parliamente whiche supplication commeth not yet to our handes IN most humble wise complaineth vnto your Maiesty and honours a poore subiect persecuted for the confession of Christes verity the which verity deserueth at your handes to be maintayned and defended as the thynge by the which you reigne and haue your honoure and authorities Althoughe we that bee
corruption And let vs consider these thinges so that we wholy may bende our selues to put away all the oldenes of our flesh whence in dede corruption and death doth come and that we may prouoke our selues to the newnes of the spirite and the lyfe of Christe wherin is all incorruption and the true taste of the resurrection for to thys ende the holy ghost dyd wryte this by the Apostle That therfore this spirit might lead vs hereunto let vs pray then we shall vnderstand this place of Paule wyth profit If perchaunce it wyll moue you that the Apostle speaketh not of thys delyueraunce of the creature from corruption in anye other place but here neither anye other holye wryter I would you would thynke that the misery of the restauration of Israel also of Antichrist is not expounded but in the Apostels writyngs and that but in one place yea the manner of our resurrection is not written but in .ij. places We oughte to knowe that they are the wordes of the Lorde what soeuer the Apostle hathe lefte to vs written Again the simplicity of this place Rom. 8 is plaine And thus my dearely beloued I haue written to you so muche as I thynke is sufficient about thys mater and therfore nede not to tary herein any longer or to spende anye more tyme about the answeryng of that which is but curiositye God our father geue vs nowe hys holye spirite to leade vs into thys and all other necessary truth in such sort that we may haue a liuely feelyng of eternall lyfe begonne in vs that we may become first new and so loke for new heauen and earthe wherin ryghteousnes dwelleth which God impute to vs and begynne in vs for hys Christes sake Amen Amen Your owne for euer in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ⧠Certayne letters of mayster Thomas Whyttel a godlye and a faythefull Minyster and preacher of gods worde who after he had relented by the tyrannye and cruel dealyng of Bonner returned agayne wyth greate constancye and stoode to the defence of the truthe vnto the fyre The .12 of Ianuary In the yeare of our Lorde 1556. To my beloued frende and faythfull Brother in Christe Iohn Careles prysoner in the Kynges Benche THe peace of god in Christ be wyth you continually dearely beloued brother in Christe with the assistaunce of gods grace and holye spirite to the workyng and performyng of those thynges which may comforte and edifye hys churche as ye daily do to the glorye of hys name and the increase of your ioy and comforte of soule in thys lyfe and also your rewarde in heauen wyth Christ our captayn whose faythful souldiour you are in the lyfe to come Amen I haue greatly reioyced my deare hart with thankes to god for you synce I haue heard of your fayth and loue towards god and hys saintes wyth a most godly ardent zeale to the verity of Christes doctrine and religiō which I haue heard by the reporte of many but specially by the declaryng of that valiaunt captaine in Christes church that stout chāpion in gods cause that spectacle to the world I meane our good brother Philpot who now lyeth vnder the aultare swetely enioyeth the promysed rewarde And speciallye I my condemned fellowes geue thankes to God for your louyng and comfortable letter in the depenes of our trouble after the fleshe sente vnto vs to the consolation of vs al but most specially to me most sinfull myser on mine owne behalfe but happy I hope through godslouing kindnes in Christ shewed vnto me who suffred me to fainte and fayle through humayne infirmity by the workyng of the Archenemye in hys sworne souldiours the byshops and priestes In whome so liuely appeareth the verye visage and shape of Satan that a man if it wer not preiudice to gods word might wel affirme them to be Deuils incarnate as I by experiēce do speake Wherfore who so shal for consciēce matters come into their hands had nede of the wilines of the Serpent to saue hys head though it be with the woundyng of his body and to take diligent hede how he consenteth to theyr wycked writyngs or setteth hys hand to their couenaūtes Sore dyd they assault me and craftelye tempte me to theyr wycked wayes or at least to a denegation of my faythe and true opinions though it were but by colour and dissimulation and alas somethyng they dyd preuayle Not that I any thyng at all lyked their opinions and false papisticall religion or els doubted of the truth wherin I stand but only the infirmity of the flesh begyled me desiryng lyberty by an vnlawfull meanes God lay it not to my charge at that day so I desire you hartely to pray How be it vncertain I am whether more profite or disprofite came therby profit to me in that god suffred Satan to buffit me by his foresayd ministers of myschiefe shewyng me mine infirmitye that I should not boste nor reioyce in my selfe but only in the Lord. Who when he had led me to hel in my conscience through the respect of hys fearefull iudgementes agaynste me for my fearefulnes mistrust and crafty clokyng in suche spirituall and weighty matters in the whiche myne agony distresse I found thys old verse true Non patitur ludum fama fides oculus yet he left me not there but brought me from thence againe to the magnifieng of hys name suspectyng of fleshe and bloud and cōsolation of myne own soule also that I myght fele the disprofite in offending the congregatiō of god which peraduenture will rather adiudge my fal to come of doutfulnes in my doctrine religion thē of humain imbecillity Wel of the importune burdē of a troubled consciēce for denying or dissembling the knowē verity I by experience could saye very much more which perhaps I wil declare by writyng to the warnyng of other if god graunt time for now am I my fellowes redy to go hēce euen for Christes cause Gods name be praysed who hathe hetherto called vs. Pray I pray you that we may end our course wyth ioy and at your appointed tyme you shal come after But as the Lord hath kepte you so wyll he preserue your lyfe styll to the intent you should labour as you do to appease and conuince these vngodly contentions and controuersies which now do to muche raigne brauwlyng about termes to no edification GOD is dishonoured the church disquieted and occasion to speake euyll of the Gospel ministred to our aduersaries But such is the subtilty of Sathan that whom he cannot wynne with grosse idolatrye in open religion them he seketh to corrupt and deceyue in opinions in a priuate profession But here I wyl abrutply leaue least wyth my rudenes and symplicity I shuld be tedious to you desiring you my louyng brother if it shal not seme greuous vnto you to wryte vnto me and my fellowes yet once agayne if you may haue leasure and we tyme to the same and sende me worde
Iude. 1. as Peter Paul Iude prophecyed it shold be to poison kil our soules wyth false doctrine And where he fayleth hys purpose that way then moueth he hys members to persecute the sely carcases of the Saints because they wyl not denye nor dissemble theyr pure fayth in our liuyng Christ confesse a dead bready christ and honour the same as Christ god man Exod 20. 1. Iohn 5. 2. Corin. 10 contrary to gods cōmaundements Thys is the working of Sathā who knowing hys own iust dāpnation would al mankynd to be pertakers wyth him of the same such a mortal hatred beareth he agaynst god his people Matth. 4. And therfore when thys wicked tempter could not kyll Christ with suttel temtation to fal down worship him thē he stirred vp hys seruantes the byshops Pharisees to kil hys body wherby notwithstanding the deuyl lost hys title enterest which he had to mans soule and mā by his precious passion and death was raunsomed frō the deuil death hel to immortalitie lyfe euerlasting and so when Sathan thought to haue wonne all in kylling of Christ he lost all and so shall he do in vs if we abyde constant and strong in the fayth of our lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ vnto the end God graunt it for his mercyes sake in Christ blessed are al they that put their trust in hym Amen Wherfore my hartely beloued brethrē sisters be of good cōfort through Iesus Christ for he that is in vs is strōger thē he that is in the world Therfore draw ye nere to god Iames. 2 he wil draw nere to you Resist the deuil he wil as Iames saith flee frō you Beware of the leuē of the Pharisees Math. 16. Touch not pitche least ye be defiled therewith Eate no swynes fleshe for it is against the lawe I meane defyle not your selues neither inwardly nor outwardly with thys false wicked religion of Antichrist for it is nothing els but pitch Apo. 13.14 Apo. 18 2. Cor. 6. swynes flesh Beware of the beastes marke lest ye drinke of the cup of gods wrath If god haue geuē you knowlege fayth dissēble not therwith Deny not the knowen verity before men lest Christ denie you before hys father Come away frō Babilon as Iohn biddeth you touch no vncleane thing but seperate your selues from the companye of the vngodly as Paul commaundeth you What soeuer ye haue done amysse heretofore now repent and amend psal 129. for with the lord there is mercye and plenteous redemption The third thing note which I gather out of the foresayd words of Peter is this that he sayth reioyce because ye are pertakers of Christs passiōs Our sufferings my welbeloued are christs sufferings and that iniury that is done to vs for his sake he rekoneth it to be done to himself as he said to Paul Act. 9. Saule Saule why persecutest thou me Col. 1. Therfore we ought to reioyce in our sufferings as Paul writeth which we suffer with Christ one with an other as Peter sayth so to fulfyll that which is behinde of the passions of Christ in our flesh which Christ hath by hys passion fully redemed saued vs in hys own person howbeit hys elect must suffer with him for him vnto the worldes end Mat. 5. that he may be glorifyed in thē and they therby corrected clensed frō sinne in thys world be made more mete temples for the holy ghost and also obtain a great reward in heauē for their suffering for righteousnes sake according to his promise And therfore I say my brethrē reioyce in the lord alwayes agayne I say reioice Let vs reioyce in the crosse of our lord Iesus Christ Phil 3. Galat. 6. wherby the word is crucifyed to vs we to it And why shoulde we so greatly reioyce in the crosse of Christ which we now suffer Because saith Peter when his glory appeareth we may be mery glad And this is the fourth note that I gather out of his words aboue writē Wherin is set out the reward of suffering not to be had in this world but at his coming to iudgement when we shal be raysed agayn and then shall they that haue sowen in teares reape in ioy as christ sayth blessed are they that wepe here for they shal laughe Blessed are ye when mē hate you thrust you out of their company rayling on you abhorring your name as an euel thīge for the sonne of mās sake Luke 6 reioyce ye in that day and be glad for your rewarde is great in heauen Wherfore my dearly beloued through hope of thys heauenly ioye reward 1. Cor. 2. Heb. 12 which he that cā not lie hath promised which ioy is so great that no eare hath heard no eie hath sene nor the hart cā thinke where we shal dwel for euer in the heauenly citie the celestiall Ierusalē in the presence of God the father Iesus Christ our mediatour as Paul sayeth and in the cōpany of innumerable Angels and with the spirits soules of al faythful iust men reioyce be glad seīg ye be called to so great glory 2 pet i. see that ye make your election vocation sure by good workes specially by suffering aduersitie for the Gospels sake Phil. 1. for it is geuen vs of god saith Paul not only to beleue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake Continue in prayer pray for me that I may end my course with ioye Haue brotherly loue amongest your selues Iohn 14 which is a tokē that ye be Christs distiples Edifie cōfort one an other in the word of the lord the god of peace loue be with you alwaies Amē For your liberalitie kindnesse shewed vpō the prisoners afflicted people of god in this time of persecutiō the lord wil reward you whē he cometh to reward euery mā according to their dedes and wil not leaue a cup of cold water bestowed vpon his faythfull people vnrewarded God make you rich in al grace Matth. 10. 2. Cor. 8. that ye alwayes hauing sufficient may be ryche vnto al manner of good workes The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of god and the felowship of the holy ghost be with you alwayes Amen Your brother nowe in bondes for the gospell Thomas Whittell To my louyng and faythfull brother Iohn Careles prisoner in the Kynges Benche THe same faith for the which Abrahā was accompted iuste and Mary blessed wherby also al iust men liue the lorde god our louing father encrease and stablyshe in you and me to the obteining of eternal life in our alone and swete Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen I cā not worthely sufficiently prayse god my hartely be loued brother for the consolation ioye that I receaued by reasō of your louing letters repēting me much that
letters to nor fro I coniectured that when the bishop and the Chauncellour had sene them it moued them the rather to haue me away being more desirous as I suppose to haue had me dispatched priuily in pryson thē to come opēly to my answer The maner of entreating vsing me at my first cōming to prison dyd partly declare the same Certayne sergeauntes Constables of Couentry beyng appointed to haue the conueying of vs to Lichfield to be deliuered there to one Iephcot the Chaūcellours man sent frō Couentry wyth vs for the same purpose we were commaunded to horsebacke aboute 11. or .12 of the clocke on Friday beyng market day that we myght be the more gased and wondred at And to kindle the peoples hartes more against vs they did proclayme a letter concerning a proclamation made for calling in and disanulling of al such bokes as truly expound interprete the scriptures We came to Lichfield about 4. of the clocke at nyght had leaue to repose our selues our supper tyme. We Inned at the signe of the Swanne where we were enterteyned frendly and gently After supper Iephcot repayred to vs whome we intreated that vpon sureties we myght rest our selues that nighte beyng vnprouided of any thyng to helpe our selues withal in the pryson at that present He was content at the fyrst as he semed but afterwards whether it was by persuasiō or rather as it semed to me he did but of pollicy put of the tyme till he had gathered a multitude to stare and wonder vpō vs and also that we should prouyde nothyng to ease our selues wythall he reuoked hys promise and so by consente we were hadde to the pryson the the multitude wonderyng at vs. I wylled Iephcot before to execute hys offyce wyth mercy tellyng hym that they shoulde haue iudgement wythout mercy that shewed no mercy And this mercy I founde at hys hand He put me into a pryson the same nyght where I continued vntyll I was condemned a place next to the doungel narrow of roumes strong of buildyng and very cold wyth small lyght and there alloweth he me a bundel of straw in stead of my bed wythout chaire forme or any thyng els to ease my selfe wythall God of his mercy gaue me great patience through prayer that nyghte so that if it had bene hys pleasure I could haue bene cōtented to haue ended my life But Iephcot and one Persey the bishops man whyche afterwardes was my continuall keper for the most part came to me in the mornyng to whome I said this is great extremity god send vs patience and no more Then they were content that I should haue a bedde of myne owne procurement But I was allowed no helpe neyther night nor day nor company of any man notwythstanding my great sicknesse nor yet paper penne or ynke or bookes sauing my new testament in Latine a prayer boke which I priuily stole in Within two daies after M. Chauncellour and one Temsey a prebendary there came to me into my prison M. Chauncellor exhorted me to conforme my selfe to my Lord and to the church He wished to my soule no more hurt thē to his owne belike because I had laid to hys charge at Couentry the sekyng of my bloode vniustly and wrongfully Now thus the second tyme I aunswered M. Chauncellour to hys exhortation that I refused not to be ruled by that church that was content to be ordered and gouerned by the worde of GOD. He asked me how I knewe the worde of God but by the churche The churche sheweth whiche is the word of god therfore the church is aboue the word of God This is no good reason in learnyng sayd I to Mayster Chaūcellor For it is like vnto this Iohn shewed the people who was Christ Ergo Iohn was aboue Christe Or els I haue a man that knoweth not the king and I tel him who is the kyng am I therfore aboue the kyng M. Chaūcellour said he came not to reason with me and so departed So remained I without any further conference of any man by the space of .8 dayes and tyll the bishops commyng in in the which tyme I gaue my self continually to prayer and meditation of the mercifull promises of god made vnto al wythout exception of person that cal vpon the name of his deare sonne Iesus Christ I found in my selfe daily amendment of health of body increase of peace in conscience and many consolatiōs from god by the help of his holy spirit sometymes as it were a tast and glymmering of the lyfe to come all for hys only sonne Iesus Christes sake to hym be all prayse for euer and euer Amen The enemy ceased not many tymes sundry waies to assault me oftētimes obiectyng to my consciēce mine own vnworthines through the greatnes of the benefite to be coūted among the number of them that should suffer for christ or his gospels sake Against hym I replyed wyth the word of God in thys sort what were all those whome God had chosen from the begynnyng to be hys witnesses and carye his name before the worlde Were they not men Act. 14. as Paule Barnabas said similiter obnoxii peccato aswel subiect to wickednes sinne imperfections as other men be Euen such were Noe Abraham Dauid and all the rest Rom. 11 Roma 4. Quis prior dedit illi as S Paule sayth Who gaue firste vnto him And also speaking to euery mā What hast thou that thou receiuedst not Likewise Iohn al haue receiued of his fulnes Iohn ◠they wer no bringers of any goodnes to god but altogether receyuers They chose not god first but he chose them They loued not god first but he loued thē first Yea he bothe loued and chose them when they were his enemies Roma 10. full of sinne and corruption and voyde of all goodnes Est dominus omniū diues in omnes super omnes inuocātes eū He is and wyl be stil the same god as riche in mercy as mighty as hable as redy as wyllyng to forgeue the synnes wythout respect of person to the worldes ende of all them that call vpon hym Prope est dominus omnibus inuocantibus eum God is nere he is at hād Psal 145. he is wyth all wyth al I say and refuseth none excepteth none that faithfully in true repentaunce cal vpon hym in what houre what place or what tyme soeuer it be It is no arrogancy nor presumption in any man to burthen god as it were wyth hys promise of duty to clayme and chalēge hys aide helpe and assistance in all our perils daungers and dystresse calling vpon him not in the confidence of our owne godlines but in the truste of hys promises made in Christ in whom and by whome and for whose sake whosoeuer boldly approcheth to the mercye seate of the father is sure to receyue whatsoeuer is expedient or necessary either for body or soule in more ample wayes and large manner
then he can well wyshe or dare desyre His worde cannot lye call vpon me in the day of trouble and I wil heare thee and thou shalt prayse me Psal 50. I aunswered the enemy also on thys maner I am a synner and therfore not worthye to bee a wytnesse of hys truth What then Must I deny hys word because I am not worthy to professe it What bring I to passe in so doyng but adde synne to synne What is greater synne then to deny the truth of Christes gospell As Christ hymself beareth wytnesse he that is ashamed of me or of my wordes of hym I wyll be also ashamed before my father and all hys Aungels I myght also by lyke reasoÌ„ forbeare to do any of gods commaundements When I am prouoked to pray the enemy may say vnto me I am not worthy to pray therfore I shall not pray And so in like maner of all the commaundementes I shall not forbeare swearyng stealyng murtheryng because I am not worthy to do any commauÌ„dement of God These be the delusions of the Deuill and Sathans suggestions which muste be ouercome by continuaunce of prayer and wyth the word of god applied accordyng to the measure of euery mans gift against al assaultes of the Deuill At the bishops first comming to Lichefield after myne imprisonment I was called into a by chamber nexte to my prison to my Lord. Before whome when I came and sawe none but hys officers chaplaines and seruauntes except it were an old prieste I was partly amased and lifted vp my hart to god for his mercifull helpe and assistaunce My lord asked me how I liked my imprisonment I gaue him no answer touchyng that questioÌ„ He proceded to persuade me to be a member of hys church whiche had continued so many yeres As for our church as he called it was not knowen be said but lately in king Edwards tyme. I professe myself to be a member of that church said I that is builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles Prophets Iesu Christ beyng the head corner stone so alledged the place of S. Paule to the Ephes And this church hath bene froÌ„ the beginning said I though it beare no glorious shewe before the world beyng euer for the most part vnder the crosse affliction contemned despised and persecuted My lord on the other side contended that they were the church So cryed all the cleargy against the Prophets at Ierusalem saying templum Domini templum Domini the church the church And always wheÌ„ I was about to speak any thing my lord cryed hold thy peace hold thy peace I coÌ„maund thee by the vertue of obedieÌ„ce to holde thy peace callyng me a proud arrogant heretyke I wylled my lord to burtheÌ„ me with some specialties theÌ„ to conuince me wyth some scriptures good learnyng Then my lord began to moue certayne questions I refused to answer him in corners requiryng that I myght make my aunswer openly He sayd I should aunswer hym there I stode wyth hym vpon that poynte vntill he said I should to pryson againe and there haue neither meate nor drink til I had answered hym Then I lyfted vp my hart to God that I myght stand and agree wyth the doctrine of hys most holy worde The first question was this how many sacramentes Christ instituted to be vsed in the churche The Sacrament of Baptisme said I and the sacrament that he instituted at hys last supper No more sayd he To all those that declare a true and vnfayned repentaunce a sure hope trust confidence in the death of Christ to such the ministers I graunt that haue authority to pronounce by the power of gods word the remâ—ssion of their sinnes Here interrupting me he wold nedes beare me in hand that I called this a Sacrament I would not greatly contend wyth hym in that point because the matter was of no great wayght or importance although he in so doyng dyd me wroÌ„g for I called it not a sacrameÌ„t He asked me further whether I allowed their confession I said no. Then he would know my mynde what I thoughte of the presence of Christes bodye in the sacrament I aunswered that their masse was neyther sacrifice nor sacrameÌ„t because said I you haue takeÌ„ away the true institutioÌ„ which when you restore again I wil tel you my iudgement coÌ„cernyng christes body in the sacrament Here was he preueÌ„ted that he could not make an end of this whych he most godly had begonne by reason of the 〈◊〉 which came from London concernyng his executioÌ„ and martyrdome which he suffred shortly after To the Maior of Couentrye and hys Brethren I Besech you to vnderstande that it is not vnknoweÌ„ aswel to the keper of the Iaile as to the inhabitours about me where I dwel that I am a man subiect to very great sickenes and haue bene by the space of seuen yeres more so that it is not like that I shall be remoued without perill and daunger of my life And because I was here committed toward by your appointement I woulde gladly here aunswer to such thinges as shal be layde to my charge If I may obtain this of you I haue cause thaÌ„kfully to reknowlege your indiffeÌ„ercy if otherwise I pray god it be not laid to your charge at the great day where euerye man shall haue iust iudgement without respecte of person Your prisoner in the Lord alwayes myndfull of you in my poore prayer Robert Glouer ¶ To hys wyfe chyldren and whole family as hys last farewell to them for euer in thys worlde THe mightie consolation of the holy spirit froÌ„ our most louing merciful father for his dere sonnes sake Iesus Christ continually dwell in your hart my deare and to the ende most faithfull and godly wife His holy Aungels pitche their rentes aboute you and your litle ones and suffer you not to be tempted aboue your strength so to the end that we may dwell altogether with our louing and mercifull god father sing prayses to his name with his Angels and Archaungels for euer and euer Amen I bidde you all farewel in the Lorde Continue in prayer reioyce in hope be pacient in your affliction comfort your hart alwayes with the life to come For my departure consider how oft I haue bene going froÌ„ you through my loÌ„g sicknesse and yet god my most louing and mercifull father maruelousye hath reserued me to thys high promotion for the which you ought to geue harty thankes if you loue his glory my eternal ioy felicitye And if you shewe your selues obedient children to your heauenly father he wil loue you kepe you helpe you so that you shal lacke nothing expedient for soule or body and in the end when his good wil pleasure is you shal come to me and perpetuallye enioy me I you we al shall haue the fulnesse of that ioye that shall neuer be taken from you Ye litle ones loue your mother yeld
all thinges whiche the Lord hath spoken to thee shall be fulfilled So I saye to you my deare hartes in the Lorde happye are ye all yea twyse happye shall ye bee for euermore because ye haue stedfastlye beleued the moste swete promises which god the father hath made vnto you with his own mouth in that he hath promised you which are the faythful seede of the beleuing Abraham that ye shal be blessed euer world wtout end The promises of God your sweete father as ye do beleue so do ye beare record the god is true The testimony wherof ye haue full worthely borne to the world and shortly will full surely seale the same with your blood yea euen to morow I do vnderstand Oh constant Christians oh valiaunt souldiers of the high Captaine Iesus Christ who for your sake hath conquered the deuill death sinne hell and hath geuen you full victory ouer theÌ„ for euer more Oh worthy witnesses most glorious Martyrs whose inuincible fayth hath ouercome that proud sturdie bragging prince of the world and al his wicked army ouer whoÌ„ ye shall shortly triumphe for euermore Ah my swete hartes the euerlasting treasures are full surely layd vp for you in heaueÌ„ The immercessible and most glorious crowne of victory is already made and prepared for you to be shortly clapt vpon al your happy heads The holy Aungels of your heauenly father are already appointed to conduct your sweete soules into Abrahams bosome All the heauenly host reioyceth alreadye for that they shall shortlye receaue you with ioye and felicitye into their blessed fellowship Selach Reioyce with double ioy be glad my deare brethren for doubtles ye haue more cause then caÌ„ be expressed But alas I that for my sinnes am left behinde maye lie and lamente with the holye Prophet saying psalm 119. woe is me that the daies of my ioyfull rest are prolonged Ah cursed Sathan which hath caused me so sore to offende my moste deare louing father wherby my exile and banishment is so much prolonged Oh Christ my aduocate pacifie thy fathers wrath which I haue iustelye deserued that he maye take me home to him in his sweete mercy Oh that I might nowe come home vnto thee with my blessed brethren Wel thy wil Oh Lord be effectuouslye fulfilled for it is onely good turneth al things to the best for such as thou in thy mercyes haste chosen And now farewell my deare hartes moste happye in the Lord. I trust in my good God yet shortlye to see you in the celestiall Citye wherof vndoubtedly the Lord hath already made you free Citizens Though ye be yet with vs for a litle time your very home is in heauen where your treasure doth remaine with your swete lord redemer Iesus christ whose calling you haue heard with the eares of your harts therfore ye shall neuer come into iudgement but passe from death to life Your sinnes shal neuer be remeÌ„bred be they neuer so many so greuous or so great for your Sauiour hath cast theÌ„ all into the bottome of the sea he hath remoued them froÌ„ you as farre as the east is froÌ„ the west psalm 103. his mercy hath much more preuailed ouer you then is distance betwene heauen and earth and he hath geuen you for an euerlasting possession of the same al his holines righteousnes iustification yea and the holy ghost into your hartes wherwith ye are surely sealed vnto the day of redemption to certifie you of your eternal electioÌ„ and the ye are his true adopted soÌ„nes wherby ye may boldely crie vnto god Abba deare father for euer more so that nowe no creature in heaueÌ„ earth nor hel shall be able to accuse you before the throne of the heauenly King Gen 3. SathaÌ„ is now cast out from you he him self is iudged hath no part in you He wil once more bite you by the heele and then he hath done for at the time you shal squise his head through your own good Christ so haue finall victorie for euer more In ioyfull triumph wherof ye shall swetely ascende into the place of eternal rest whether your eldest brother Christ is gone before you to take possession for you and to prepare your place vnder the holy Alter with Cranmer Latymer Ridley Rogers Hoper Saunders Farrer Tailour Bradford Philpot with many other who will be full glad of your coÌ„ming to see vi moe of their appointed number that their blood may so much the soner be reuenged vpon them that dwel on the earth Thus I make an end committing you al to gods moste merciful defence whose quarrell ye haue defended whose cause ye haue promoted whose glory ye haue set forth and whose name ye haue constantlye confessed Farewell for a while my dere hartes in the Lord I wil make as much hast after you as I may Al our deare brethren salute you They praie for you and praise god for you continually Blessed be the dead that die in the Lord for they rest froÌ„ their labours saith the holy ghost Apo. â—1 and their workes followe them Your owne Iohn Careles a most vnprofitable seruaunt of the Lord yet of hys great mercy prysoner for his sake abiding his further good pleasure Pray praye praye To M. Greene M. VVhittell and certaine other prysoners in Newgate condemned and ready to be burnt for the testimony of the Lord Iesus THe euerlasting peace in Iesus Christ the continuall comfort of his most pure holy spirite be with you my most deare and faithful brethren and sisters of Newgate the Lordes appoynted shepe vnto the slaughter to the good performance of the great and notable worke of the lord which he hath so graciously begoÌ„ne in you all that the same may redownd to the setting forth of his glory and to the commoditie of his churche and to your owne euerlasting comfort in him So be it Ah my dere harts most faithful brethreÌ„ sisters in the lord what high laudes praise yea what humble and continuall thankes am I bouÌ„d to geue to god oure father for you on your moste happie behalfe who so mightely hath magnified himself in you thus farforth in geuiÌ„g you his holy mighty spirit to the constant confessing of christes veritye euen to the cruel condeÌ„pnation I dout not but he wil do the same to the death Oh happie blessed are you the euer you were borne that the lord wil vouch you worthie of this great dignitie to die for his sake Doubtles it is the greatest honour the god can geue you in this life Yea if they be so blessed of god that die in the Lord as the holy ghost saith they be how much more blessed happie then are you that die not only in the lord Apo. 11. but also for the lord Oh that it were the good will of god that the good houre were now come that I might go with you Ah that my sinnes made
victorye is once gotten you maye receiue the inmercessible crowne of glory of gods free gift through hys greate mercy in Iesus Christ our alone Sauiour To whome wyth the father and the holy ghost be all honour glory prayse thankes power rule and dominion for euer and euermore Amē The blessyng of God be wyth you all Iohn Careles ¶ To my faythfull and louyng brother VVilliam Aylsebury THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the continual aide strength comfortes of his most pure holye mighty spirite with the encrease of faith and liuely feelyng othys mercye be wyth you my deare and faythfull louyng brother W. Ailsebury to the increase of hys good gyftes in you and the full finishyng of that which the Lorde hath so gratiouslye begonne in you that the same maye bee to the setting forth of his glory the commoditye of hys poore afflicted churche and to your owne euerlastyng comforte in hym Amen Albeit my dere harte in the lord that at this very present my sorye slowe hande is something pestered with writyng to please my frendes which daily cal vpon me for the performance of my promise and duety towardes them by the meanes wherof I cannot now wryte vnto you in so ample maner as I fayne would yet lest by my to long silence my great ingratitude for your loue and godly letters shuld to muche appeare I haue here in haste scribled these fewe wordes vnto you desiring you to accepte the same in good parte vntyl the Lorde shall sende me a more conueniente tyme to expresse my good will and bounden dutye more largely vnto you promisyng you in the meane space that my poore praier shal supply that which wanteth otherwise as I trust you do not forget me in yours for verely I haue great nede of it My deare brother I thanke you most hartely for your godlye louing and moste comfortable letters in the which I do euidently perceiue the precious gyftes of God wherwith you are plentifully endued the Lorde be praised for you and from the bottome of my harte I do reuerence his spirite in you Wherfore my good brother bee not negligent in the talent that God hath deliuered vnto you but diligently applye the same as I knowe well you doe that the Lorde may receiue his owne wyth vauntage and you the rewarde of a faythfull seruaunt at the tyme of hys most ioyefull returne Truely I wyl not speake it to flatter you neither would I prouoke you to vaine glory but I wyll saye as I see iuste cause that god hathe aboundantly blessed you with the swete knowledge and pure vnderstandyng of his holy worde Be alwaies thankefull vnto god I charge you and humble and meke in your owne sight that GOD onely may haue al the glory from the bottome of your hart And loke that you be very circumspect in al your life conuersation that the light of your good workes may so shine before men that they may be occasioned to glorify your heauēly father on your behalfe Be diligent in your doings and quick trusty in al your Maisters busines that you go about that by al meanes you maye do honour to the doctrine of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Remēber that Sathan nowe wyll haue greater spite at you then at many other because you are such a mortall enemy to his kingdome on enerye syde Therefore bee you sure he will nowe lie bitynge at your heele to see if he can geue you a fall anye manner of waye that he myght make the truth of that godly doctrine which you constantly confesse to be slaundered by the meanes therof I knowe well that Sathans thoughtes are not hidde from you 2. Cor. 2. I doubt not but you will be more circūspecte thē I can declare notwithstanding I thought it my bounden duty to warne you as one whom I loue as myne owne soule wyshing you all the good I can possible Commend me vnto my deare frend Iohn Manning and thanke him for his manifold kindnes I am much to blame for him but if the lord do spare my lyfe a litle longer I wil write somthing to him for a remembraunce when I am gone Desire hym to praye for me as I do not forget hym I haue sente you your writinges agayne wyth thankes I pray you write me a copye of that cōcerning the Trinitie for I lyke it meruelous wel it is so briefe pithy I haue no leisure to write it yet wold I fayne haue it as knoweth the lord GOD to whose moste merciful defence I do hartely committe you wyth my good brother Iohn Manning that he with his grace and spirit wil guide you both with al the rest of his deare children vnto the ende Amen The blessing of God be with you nowe and euermore Amen Your owne vnfainedly Iohn Carelet prysoner of the Lorde Pray praye praye To my most faythefull and deare brother T. V. THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the continuall comfortes of his moste pure holy spirit be with you my deare and faythfull brother V. and in all thinges make you ioyfull throughe the liuelye feeling of hys fatherly mercy and godly prouidēce for you that you hauing daily more and more the sure sence of the same may be able of your owne good experience perfectly to comfort me and all other with the same comfort which you haue and further shal receiue of god who blesse and kepe you now and euer Amen I cannot expresse my deare harte in the Lord howe my ioyes do increase to see how god of hys great mercye dothe daily adde vnto his true church and poore afflicted congregation such as he in Christ hath elected to saluation before the foundation of the world was laid of which most happy nūber preserued only by his free mercy and grace the lorde no doubte hath chosen and doth recken you for one and hath registred your name in his booke of life where it shal remaine for euer and that so sure that neither Sathan deathe sinne nor hell shall euer be able to blot or scrape out the same thoughe for the further proofe and triall of your faith god many times suffreth the same to appeare to your senses farre contrary Reioyce therefore and with gladnes geue god most humble prayse and harty thankes that euer you lyued to see this day in the which he hath surely sealed you with his holy mighty spirite vnto the day of your final redemption and most happy deliueraunce from all corruption God make the same certayn vnto you by thou true testimony of the holy ghost in your hart whose witnes vnto your spirit that you are the adopted sonne of God is more sure and certain then al the outward oracles in the world And as this most true heauenly doctryne doth bring al mirth ioy peace and quietnes vnto a christian conscience so doth it set Satan in a most sore rage malice against the same for that auncient enemye of ours
of GOD or elles we doe moste wickedly transgresse the greate and fyrste commaundemente But doe we obeye and beleue that thys is true So shall we of force by the same bee constrayned to fulfyll the seconde parte that is to saye loue hym wyth all oure harte c. For whoe seeing the goodnesse of GOD towardes hym in Iesus Christe for whose sake onelye he hath geuen hym selfe wholye to bee oures in most large ample wise that may be who I say seing thys woulde not with all his hart soule and minde loue the Lord againe and of loue not only leaue the doing of such things as might displease him but also be ready and willing to doe what so euer is acceptable in his sight yea moste gladly and ioyfullye suffer what soeuer he wil appoint vs to do for his sake knowing assuredly that nothing can come vnto vs no not the diminishing of one heare of our head wtout his good wil pleasure and merciful appointment and that he louing vs so wel that he would geue hys sonne him selfe the holye ghoste and finally all other thinges in Christe to vs will not appoynt any thing vnto vs otherwise then shall bee to the setting forth of his glory and our euerlasting commoditie This great aboundaunt bottomles loue and mercye of god did holy S. Paule depely feele when he made that bold proclamation in the latter ende of the .8 Chap. to the Rom. saying who is it or what is it that shal bee able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu our Lord Reade the whole Chapter often times I besech you Thus deare hart you see the eternall loue fatherly care prouidence of God towardes you In respecte whereof I trust you do not onely caste al your care vpon him but also most louingly obeye him in all his holy ordinaunces euermore meekely submitting your will vnto his in all and euery thing knowing that the same wil make all thinges turne to your beste and that without his pleasure a poore sparow shall not peryshe in the foulers nette muche lesse you or your deare husband your good Vncle M. Latymer or any of yours Let this fayth and godlye persuasion euer more be firme in your hart without doubting or wauering for â—ouâ— it al that euer you go about is in vaine yea without this faith in God you can not please him you can not commit and betake your self wholy vnto him you can not truly feare him you can not loue him in deede you can not call vpon him or hartely praye vnto him neither yet prayse him a tyght Therefore let this be your alone and continual endeuour to be confirmed more and more of this that GOD is your owne moste deare louing father throughe Christ that he hath a moste tender care ouer you and for you as alwayes he hath hadde and euer wyll haue both in soule and body for this life for eternal life how so euer things haue or shal happeÌ„ to appeare vnto you According to this your fayth and as you beleue so shal it be vnto you and as you thinke god to be vnto you so shal you feele him Thinke therfore swetely of the lord of his goodnes thaÌ„ke him most hartely that euer he would vouch you worthy to sustaine the losse of your chefest treasures in earth for his sake and that he would euer geue you any thing to bestowe for his loue And as you prayse the Lord for his great mercyes manifolde benefites so largelye geuen vnto you before many other so do you faythfully pray vnto him that he wil continue hys louing kindnes towards you and kepe you blamelesse through loue in Christ vnto the ende yea make you worthye stronge and able to suffer the losse of your owne life for the testimonye of his truth whiche as your good Vncle sayde to me once and your deare husband full often is the greatest promotion and dignitie that God can bring vs vnto in this life yea it is an honour which the highest Aungells in heauen be not permitted to haue And in this your hartye and faythfull prayer I doe moste humblye require you to remember me a moste miserable wretch I feare me not compted worthye to become one of his constante witnesses vnto the worlde in such sorte as I woulde fayne be pray for me my deare hart pray for me as I will neuer forgette you nor your blessed childreÌ„ so long as I am in this prison of the body CoÌ„mende me vnto Hewgh Glouer Marmaduke and to their younger brother and sister The Lord god comfort and blesse them and poure his good spirite vpon them wherewith their good father was plentifully endewed I praye you do my hartye commendations vnto my good brother her Augustine and his wife and I hartely thanke you for your goodnesse towardes them Desire them also to praye for me for now the needefull time doth approche I prayse God I am more harty then euer I was and so I beseche hym to make you all to bee I haue manye thinges to say more but I am here constrayned to make an end Al my doinges come to an ende with extremitie God graunt that I may enter into his glory through the straite gate though I struggle striue thrusting amonge the preasse with great violence I beseche you yet once againe all my deare frends in god to ayde strengtheÌ„ me with your praiers as I wil neuer forget any of you so long as this wrasteling life of mine doth laste as knoweth God to whose most merciful defence I do hartely coÌ„mitte you and al yours The swete blessing of god the father the sonne the holy ghoste be with you all Amen Your dayly and most bounden Oratour Iohn Careles prysoner of the Lorde pray praye for me in fayth To my good brother M. Iohn Bradford THe peace of god in Iesus Christ the eternal coÌ„fort of his swete spirite which hath surely sealed you vnto eternall saluation be with you and strengthen you in your ioyfull iourney towards the celestial HierusaleÌ„ my deare frend and most faythfull brother M. Bradforde to the setting forth of Gods glory and to your eternall ioy in Christ Amen Euer since the good M. Philpot shewed me your last letter my deare hart in the lord I haue continued in great heuynes perplexitie â–ª not for any hurt or discoÌ„moditie that I caÌ„ perceaue comming towardes you vnto whom doubtles death is made life and great felicitie but for the greate losse that gods chuch here in England shal sustaine by the taking away of so godly worthy and necessary an instrument as the lord hath made you to be Oh that my life a thousand such wretched liues moe might goe for yours Oh why doth god suffer me such other Caterpillers to liue that caÌ„ do nothing but consume the almes of the church and take away you so worthy a workmaÌ„ labourer in the Lords vineyard But woe
be to our sinnes great vnthankfulnes which is the greatest cause of the taking away of such worthy instruments of god as shold setforth his glory instruct his people If we had bene thankful vnto god for the good ministers of his worde we had not bene so sone depriued both of it and them The Lord forgeue our great ingratitude and sinnes geue vs true repentance fayth holde his hand of mercy ouer vs for hys dere sōne Christs sake Take not away al thy true preachers forth of this realme O lorde but leaue vs a sede least England be made like vnto Sodome Gomore when thy true Lothes be gone But what go I about to mīgle your mirth with my mourning your iust ioy with my deserued sorowe If I loued you in dede as I haue pretēded I should surely reioyce with you most hartely prayse god on your behalfe frō the very bottome of my hart I should prayse god day night for your excellēt electiō in through his great mercy should geue him most hūble thankes for your vocation by his gospel your true knowlege in the same I should earnestly praise him for your swete iustificatiō wherof you are most certain by gods grace spirite and should instantly pray vnto him for your glorificatiō which shal shortly ensue I shold reioyce be glad to see you so dignifyed by the crowne of martirdome and to be appointed to that honour to testifie hys truth to seale it with your blood I should highly extolle the lord who hath geuē you a glorious victory ouer al your enemies visible inuisible hath geuē you grace strēgth to finishe the tower that you haue begonne to build Finallye if I loued you I should most hartely reioyce bee glad to see you deliuered frō this body of sinne and vyle prison of the fleshe and brought into that heauenly tabernacle where you shal be safely kepte neuer offend him more This and much more should I do if I had a good hart towards god or you his deare child But alas I am an hypocrite and do seeke nothing but mine own cōmoditie I would haue gods euerlastīg prouidēce geue place to my peuish wil purpose although it were to the hinderance of his glory your swete cōmoditie God forgeue me my horrible ingratitude sinnes and offences against hym and good brother do you forgeue me my great negligence and vnthankfulnes towards you and hence forth I promise you I wil put my will to Gods will and pray that the same may be fulfilled in you so longe as you be on this earth and whē you are taken hence I wil most hartely prayse the Lord for you so long as I haue my being in this world Ah my deare harte now I muste take my leaue of you and as I thinke my vltimum Vale in this life but in the life to come I am ryght well assured we shall merely meete together and that shortly I trust And in taking of my leaue of you my deare hart in the lord I shall desyre you faythfully to remember all the sweete messages that the Lord our good God and moste deare louing father hath sent you by me his most vnworthye seruaunte whiche as they are moste true so shall they bee moste truely accomplyshed vppon you eternally and for the more assuraunce and certificate thereof to youre Godlye conscience he hath cōmaūded me to repete the same vnto you again in his own name word Therefore now geue eare faithful credence Harken O ye heauens thou earth geue eare and beare me witnes at the great day that I do here faithfully truly the lords message vnto his deare seruant his singularly beloued elect child Iohn Bradford Iohn Bradford thou man so specially beloued of god I pronounce testifie vnto thee in the word name of the lord Iehouah that al thy sinnes whatsoeuer they be be they neuer so many so greuous or so great be fully frely pardoned released forgeuen thee by the mercy of god in Iesus Christ thine only Lord and swete Sauiour in whom thou doste vndoubtedly beleue Christe hath clensed thee with hys bloode clothed thee with hys righteousnes hath made thee in the sight of god his father without spot or wrinckle So that whē the fier doth his appointed office thou shalt be receaued as a swete burnt sacrifice into heauen where thou shalt ioyfully remaine in gods presēce for euer as the true inheritour of his euerlasting kingdome vnto that which thou wast vndoutedly predestinate ordayned by the lords vnfallible purpose decree before the foundatiō of the world was layd And that this is most true that I haue said I cal the whole Trinitie the almighty eternal Maiestie of god the father the sonne the holy ghoste to my recorde at this present whom I humbly besech to confirme stablishe in thee the true and liuely feling of the same Amen Selah Now with a mery hart a ioyfull spirite something mixed with lawfull teares I take my farewell of you mine owne deare brother in the Lord who send vs shortly a mery meting in his kingdome that we may both sing prayses together vnto him with his holy Angels blessed spirites for euer euer Farewel thou blessed of the lord farewell in Christ depart vnto thy rest in the Lord pray for me for Gods sake As I had made an end of this simple letter I heard some comfort both of good Maister Philpottes seruant yours but alas I do scarcely beleue them Wel I wil hope in god and pray al night that god will sende me some comforte to morrow if the Lord geue you sparing to morrow let me heare .iiij. words of comfort frō you for gods sake The blessing of god be with you now and for euer Amen Yours for euer in the Lord Iesus Iohn Careles liuyng in hope agaynst hope To a faythfull frende of hys by whome he had receyued much comforte in hys trouble and affliction THe peace of God in Iesus Christ wyth the eternall comfort of hs swete spirite bee wyth you my deare brother now and euer Amen Ah my dere faithfull brother what hūble praise harty thākes am I boūd cōtinually to rēder vnto god for you in that he hath made you so worthy and comfortable an instrument vnto me his most vnworthy seruaunt in this tyme of my great conflict This is the cōflict whereby Sathan hath alwais sought to molest and vexe the true childrē of god to plucke them from the hope of their saluatiō in Christ ▪ Read psal 77.88.22 31.38.69 and concernyng this matter reade before fol. 152 194. 288. 325. the whole letter followyng not onely against flesh and blood but also against the spirituall power of darkenes In which wrestling though I be very weake yet haue I I thanke God most hartely therefore receiued such
the conuersion or confounding of al gainesaiers and to the comfort and confirmation of al gods dere children Amen Farewel mine owne swete brother farewel as myne owne harte Your owne in Christ Iohn Careles Because he maketh mention in the former letter and other heretofore of the most godlye and christian conflictes which he had susteyned we thought good to adioyne hereto this swete and heauenly exercise followyng whereby it may appeare what fruite these conflictes wroughte in hys most godly and christian conscience SOme men for sodayne ioye do wepe And some in sorow syng When that they lie in daunger depe To put away mournyng Betwene them both will I beginne Being in ioy and payne In sighing to lament my sinne But yet reioyce agayne My sinfull life doth still increase My sorow is the more From wyckednes I cannot cease Wo is my hart therfore Sometimes when I thinke to do wel And serue God night and day My wycked nature doth rebell And leadeth me astray As bonde and captiue vnto sinne which greueth me full sore This miserye do I liue in Wo is my harte therfore In dede sometyme I do repent and pardon doe obtaine But yet alas incontinent I fall to sinne agayne My corrupte nature is so yll Offending more and more That I displease my Lord god still Wo is my harte therfore Wo is my harte wo is my mynd woe is my soule and sprite That to my God I am vnkynde In whome I shoulde delite Hys loue alwayes I should regard which towarde me was so pure But I wyth synne do him rewarde O most vnkynd creature The beast the byrde the fishe the foule Their maker doe obey But I that am a liuing soule Am farre much worse then they For they accordyng to their kinde To serue him do not cease But I wyth sinfull hert and mynde Do daily him displease Thus do I sore complayne of synne And with kyng Dauyd wepe For I do feele my harte within The wrath of God full deepe To heauen myne eyes I dare not life Agaynst it I haue trespaste And in the earth I fynde no shifte Nor succour that can last What shall I do shall I dispaire And from my Sauiour slide Nay god forbid there is no feare Syth Christ for me hath dyed God became man and for vs men He dyed and rose againe His mercy great we may see then For euer doth remayne Therefore my sinne I will confesse To God and mourning make who wil forgeue the same doutlesse for hys sonne Christes sake Yf sinne in me god should respecte Then do I know full well His iustice would me sone reiecte To the deepe pit of hel Hys glorious eies cannot abide The foule and filthy smoke Wherwith I am on euerye syde Couered as with a cloke But he in Christ doth me behold In whom he doth delite And myne offences manyfold Through him releaseth quite Reputyng me amongest the iust Forgeuyng al my sinne Therfore my faith my hope my trust Shall euer be in hym O Lord encrease true faith in me Thy good spirite to me geue That I may grow in loue toward thee And euer seeke to liue In true obedience of thy will And thankefulnes of hart And with thy grace so guide me stil That I neuer departe From thy true word and testameÌ„t All the dayes of my life Nor froÌ„ thy churche most innocent Thine owne true spouse and wife But froÌ„ that filthy whore of Rome Lord kepe me euermore As gratiously thou hast yet done Thankes be to thee therfore And sith thou haste of thy goodnes Forgeuen me all my sinne StreÌ„gth me thy truth for to coÌ„fesse And boldly die therin That as I haue confessed thee Before the wicked sort thou maiest in thy good time know me To my ioy and comfort My soule returne vnto thy reste Thou art wel satisfied The Lord hath graunted thy request And nothyng thee denied Prayse be God the father of myght Praise be to thee O Christ Praise be to thee O holy sprite Three in one God most hyest Continue constant in Christ ê™ Careles ¶ A briefe admonition wrytten to Mystres Iane Glascocke in a booke of hers when she came to the pryson to visite hym THere is nothynge that the holye Scripture throughout doth so much coÌ„mend vnto vs as a true faith stedfast trust in the promises of gods eternal mercies towardes vs in Iesus Christ For from the same as forth of the chiefe fountaine and welspring of lyfe doe flowe al kindes of vertues and godly fruites specially true loue towardes God in the which we ought purely to serue hym all the daies of our lyfe and also christian charitie towardes our neighbours aswell to helpe them at all nedes as also not to hurt them by any meanes Therfore pray earnestly for the encrease of faith and liuely felyng of gods mercy for al things are possible vnto hym that can vndoubtedly beleue Faithe is the thynge whiche assureth vs of gods mercy and wherby we vanquishe all the fiery dartes of the deuill our victory that ouercommeth the worlde the knyfe that killeth and mortifieth the flesh and finally that whiche setteth vs at peace with God and quieteth our consciences alwayes before hym and maketh vs mery and ioyful vnder the crosse with many moe things then I can now expresse Pray therefore for fayth in fayth And for the Lordes sake beware of popery and popish idolatry the idâ—lle of the wicked Masse and other Idolatrous seruice Make not your body which is a member of Christ a member of Antichrist Remember that we shall receaue of God according to that we do in the body be it good or euill Therfore glorifye god in your body which is dearly bought Betray not the truth lest the Lorde denye you If God be God follow him You caÌ„ not serue .ij. Maisters I write not this as doubting you but by the way of admonition God kepe you from al euill ☞ My Syster dere god geue you grace With stedfast fayth in Christes name Hys gospell styll for to embrace And lyue accordyng to the same To dye therfore thinke it no shame But hope in god wyth faythfull trust And he wyl geue you prayse with fame When you shall ryse out of the duste For which most swete and ioyful day To God with fayth your prayer make And thinke on me I do you praye The which did wryte this for your sake And thus to God I you betake Who is your castell and stronge rocke He kepe you whether you slepe or wake Farewel dere Mystres Iane Glascoke If God be with vs who can be agaynst vs. ☞ Though worldly waues do rage apace And wicked wyndes blowe out of frame Though MouÌ„taynes moue forth of their place Through the great tempestes of the same Yet shall the Lorde styll you defende Vnder the shadowe of hys wynges He loueth you vnto the ende And for your wealth doth worke all thynges Therefore in hym put all your trust Feare not
these boysterous wyndes that blow The Lord can lay them when he luste And bring the raging waues full lowe But your safegard shall styl remayne In a strong castell of defence God graunt vs well to meete agayne With myrth and ioye in his presence Iohn Careles To the afflicted Christian ☞ Feare not for death passe not for handes Onely in God put thy whole trust For god wil requyre thy blood at their hands And this thou doest know that once die thou must Onely for Christ thy lyfe if thou geue Death is no death but a meane for to lyue A letter of Doctor Taylour of Hadley written to his wife This pacâ—er is called syr Robert Bracher a false protesstant in Kyng Edwardes dayes afterward a deadlye enemye to that religion whiche he had professed and now is become a protesstante agayne serueth at S. Denys in LoÌ„don in Fannâ—-church strete calleth hym self Harry Bradshawe Thys pedler coÌ„myng to the buryal of hys frende and gods great enemye Walter Clarke of Hadley albeit he came somewhat to late to the market as he sayd yet beâ—ng desyrous to vtter hys ware opened there his packe ful of most pâ—stilent poysoned doctrine Thys was one of theÌ„ that so vnmercâ—fully thrust D. Taylours wife childreÌ„ out of the doâ—es as she hâ—◠〈◊〉 can testifye whiche we haue here placed as it came to our handes with certayne other letters following DEare wife I pray god be euer with vs through Christ our only Mediatour Amen I thanke you for my cap I am somthing proud of it for it is one steppe froÌ„ the cleargy in these dayes I thank god my harte is cleane deuided from their proceedings For I know that no maÌ„ can serue .ij. Maisters specially if they agree no better theÌ„ Christ Antichrist do I am glad that Hadley can skil of such packing ware as was brought thether the fyrst day of May last past Christes shepe caÌ„ discerne christs voice froÌ„ the voyce of straungers theues or hyrelings The packe bringer was sory that he came to late to the funeral market of hys faythfull frend But here I wil leaue theÌ„ both to Gods iudgement someting touche the matter wherof the packer made mentioÌ„ on his opening day At the first he called the scripture as I heare ful of darke sentences but in dede it is called of S. Dauid a candle to our fete a light to our pathes Our Sauiour Christe calleth his word the light which euyll doers do flye froÌ„ hate lest their dedes should be reproued therby S. Paul wold haue vs to walke as childreÌ„ of light in any wise not to coÌ„tinue in ignoraÌ„ce or darknes But al we in the world perteyn to .ij. princes eyther to the father of light truth or els to the prince of darknes lyes In these dayes preachers declare euidently of whoÌ„ they are sent and with what spirit they speake to what prince they belong For they cry out againste Gods lightes sunne moone sterres torches lampes lanternes cressets caÌ„dels in gods booke the Bible prouided of gods great goodnes mercy to auoyd al foule darknes cloudes mistes or daungerous doubtful waies in this our iourney to our heaueÌ„ly father long home mansioÌ„ houses derely purchased heritage Esay gods faithfull messenger sayeth woe be vnto theÌ„ that call sweete sower good euil light darknes Therfore coÌ„meth my people into captiuitie because they haue no vnderstaÌ„dyng Our sauiour Christ pronouÌ„ceth errours heresyes to remaine amoÌ„g the people so long as ignorance of the scriptures remaineth And hereby it appeareth to al good coÌ„sciences what they meane which defame or accuse gods blessed word being ful of light as though it were ful of darknes These oules wold haue al day lightes scraped out of bokes harts churches Oh lord turne their hartes tonges bowe theÌ„ froÌ„ the way of darkenes lest they go to the prince of darknes be cast into the paradise of vtter darknes where is weping gnashing of teeth Now touching the packes of wolle packes of cloth I feare they were as al other their wares be transsubstantiate into flockes eueÌ„ his very finest packing stuffe against only fayth iustifying â–ª for the corporal presence of Christes body in the sacrameÌ„t for praying for soules departed for auriculer coÌ„fessioÌ„ Abrahams iustification by faith by grace by promise not by workes is plainly setforth both in the Epistle to the Rom. cap. 4 to the Gala Cap 3. And Abrahams works of obedience in offring vp his sonne so long after his iustification must nedes be takeÌ„ as a fruit of a good tree iustifying before men not of iustificatioÌ„ before god for theÌ„ had maÌ„ to glorye in then did Christ die in vaine And where as the .6 chap. of S. Iohn was alleaged to proue the Christ did geue his body corporally in his supper eueÌ„ as he had promised in the said 6. chap. it is most vntrue For only he gaue his body sacramentally spiritually effectually in his supper to the faithfull Apostles and corporally he gaue it in a bloody sacrifice for the life of the world vpoÌ„ the crosse once for al. There in his own persoÌ„ in his own natural body he bare al our sines by whole stripes we were healed as S. Peter proueth 1. Pet. 2. Esay cap 53. In dede receauing Christs sacrameÌ„t accordiÌ„gly as it was instituted we receaue Christes body Christs blood euen as I sayd before the Apostles dyd But the popysh Masse is an other matter The Masse as it is now is but one of Antichristes youngest doughters in the which the deuill is rather present receaued then our Sauiour the .2 person in Trinitie god man O Lorde god heauenly father for Christes sake we besech thee to turne againe England to the right way it was in in King Edwardes tyme from thys babilonicall stewyshe spirituall whoredome conspiracye tyranny detestable enormityes false doctrine heresye hardnesse of hart and contempte of thy worde coÌ„mauÌ„dements froÌ„ this euident opeÌ„ Idolatry sacriledge simony blasphemy superstitioÌ„ hypocrisy transubstaÌ„tiate Angel of light day deuil kingdoÌ„e of lies foule vain schismes sectes sedition apostasie gaye swete poyson honied and sugered viperous venime wily woluishnes Sathanical subtiltye and abhomination in the sight of God and of all such as put on the true spectakles of holy scripture I am the more plaine now in this matter because I feare greatly the many wil be to much ready to go froÌ„ Christ to Antichrist from the Bible true gods seruice religioÌ„ to latine lying legendes portases Massebokes superstition They say their church can not erre in any point when in dede they be not of gods church and therefore they can do nothing but erre euen as they do almoste in all cases of true fayth But to come again to the packer rather theÌ„ preacher he briÌ„geth S. Chrisostomes sentence writing ad popuâ—uÌ„ antiochenum
body blood offred once for al. This I know my good sister you do constaÌ„tly coÌ„fesse beleue as the godly fruite of your christiaÌ„ fayth doth dayly testify I trust to be a witnes with you at the great day that your fayth is vnfayned ful of godly charitie the lord encrease the same I am constrayned here to make an end full sore agaynst my will My poore prayers shall supply that whiche my penne doth lacke The blessing of God be with you nowe and euer Amen Your dayly Oratour Iohn Careles A letter of M. John Rough wrytten a little before hys death to the Christian congregation in London whereof he was a minister and Preacher THe comfort of the holy ghost make you able to geue consolation to others in these daungerous dayes when Sathan is let lose to the tryal of the chosen when it pleaseth our God to sift his wheate from the chaffe I haue not leasure and time to write the great temptations I haue bene vnder I speake to Gods glorye my care was to haue the senses of my soule open to perceaue the voyce of god saying who that denieth me before men them wil I denie before my father his Angels and to saue the life corporall is to lose the life eternall and he that will not suffer with Christe shall not reigne with him Therefore moste tender ones I haue by Gods spirite geuen ouer the fleshe with the fyghte of my soule and the spirite hath the victorye The fleshe shall nowe ere it be longe leaue of to sinne the spyrite shall reygne eternallye I haue chosen the death to confyrme the truth by me taughte What can I doe more Consider with your selues that I haue done it for confyrmation of Gods truth Praye that I maye continue vnto the ende The great parte of the assaulte is paste I prayse my GOD. I haue in all my assaultes felte hys presente ayde I geue hym moste hartye thankes therefore Loke not backe nor bee ye ashamed of Christes Gospell nor of the bondes I haue suffered for the same thereby ye maye bee assured it is the true word of God The holy ones haue bene sealed with the same marke It is no tyme for the losse of one man in the battel for the campe to turne backe Vp with mens hartes blowe downe the dawbed walles of heresyes Let one take the Banner an other the Trumpet I meane not to make corporall resistance but praye and ye shall haue Elias defence and Heliseus companye to fight for you for the cause is the lords Now my brethren I can write no more tyme will not suffer and my harte wyth panges of death is assaulted but I am at home wyth my God yet alyue Pray for me and salute one an other wyth the holy kysse The peace of God reste with you all Amen From Newgate pryson in hast the day of my condeÌ„nation Iohn Rough. A letter of Cutberte Symson a Deacon of the Christian congregation in London burnt in Smythfielde for the veretye of Christes Gospell written to his wyfe out of the Colehouse MY dearelye beloued in the Lorde Iesus Christe Of the exceeding cruell vnmercifull Rackings and other tormeÌ„ts that thys man of God most paciently suffred read see in the boke of Martyrs Fol. 16â—1 I can not wryte as I doe wyshe vnto you I besethe you with my soule submytte your self vnder the mighty hand of our God trusting in hys mercy and he will surely helpe vs as shal be moste vnto hys glorye and oure euerlasting comforte being sure of thys that he will suffer nothing to come vnto vs but that which shal be most profitable for vs. For it is eyther a correction for oure synnes or a tryall of oure fayth or to set forth hys glorye or for altogether and therefore muste needes be well done for there is nothing that commeth vnto vs by fortune or chauÌ„ce but by our heauenly fathers prouidence And therfore pray vnto our heauenly father that he wil euer geue vs his grace so to consider it Let vs geue him most harty thankes for these hys fatherly corrections for as many as he loueth he correcteth And I besech you now be of good chere counte the crosse of Christ greater riches then al the vaine pleasures of England I do not doubt I prayse God for it but that you haue supped with Christ at his Maundie I meane that you beleue in him for that is the effect theÌ„ must you drinke of his cup I meane his crosse for that doth the cup signifye vnto vs. Take the cup with a good stomacke in the name of god then shal you be sure to haue the good wine Christs blood to your poore thirstye soule And when you haue the wine you muste drinke it out of this cup. Learne this wheÌ„ you come to the Lords supper Pray continually In al things geue thankes Cutbert Symson A letter of VVilliam Coker then prysoner in Caunterburye and afterwarde burnt for the testimonye of the truth wrytten to a frend of hys AS your hartye frend in god and through the mercy of our lord Iesus Christ as pertaining to the fayth your brother I send you greting most ChristiaÌ„ salutations For your kindenes in that you wrote so spedely to me again I coÌ„mend you thanke god for it though of necessitie you say you were partly moued so to do by reasoÌ„ of my bondes in the Lorde I hartely ioyed by occasioÌ„ of your letter because I vnderstode thereby the state of mine olde frends godly acquaintance and how ye al continually labour as we do in the Gospel of Christ which is the worde of saluation to as many as beleue Wherin we haue this coÌ„fidence through our fayth in the blood of Christ the thoughe Sathan his rabble of ministers doe rage neuer so muche with lying deceaueable power yea though he shoulde appeare neuer so glorious Angellike in the sight of the world yet shal his fiery dartes be quenched he neuer able to preuaile against vs. For the which testimonye of conscience I geue thankes vnto god froÌ„ the bottome of my hart praye alwaies vnto the Lord that as we haue begonne eueÌ„ so we may go forwardes vnto the end vntil the time that the darknes be cleane put away and the perfect light shine in oure harts soules bodyes in the eternal kingdome with god where we shal be sure our enemies shal not preuaile agaiÌ„st vs but then most victoriouslye be ouercome by that sweete Lambe the sonne of God In the meane time the Lord preserue keepe vs froÌ„ euil The Lorde make vs stoute in hys cause geue vs grace to confesse the truth before thys whorysh generation The Lord graunt we may worke his heauenly wil that when the time shal come he may receaue vs vnto himself in the glory euerlasting To whom be prayse honour for euer and euer Amen Your brother in bondes for the
offended either wyth the cares of this worlde and deceitfulnes of riches choke the worde and so are vnfruitful Read the parable of the sower amonges other things note and marke that the most parte of the hearers of gods worde are but hypocrites and heare the word wythout any fruite or profite yea onely to their greater condemnation for onely the fourth part of the seede doth bryng forth fruite Therfore let not vs that be Ministers or professours and followers of gods worde be discouraged thoughe that very fewe do credite and followe the doctrine of the Gospell and be saued Math. 11. Whosoeuer therfore hath eares to heare let him heare for whosoeuer hath to hym shal be geuen and he shall haue aboundaunce but whosoeuer hath not from hym shal be taken away that he hath that is to saye they that haue a desyre of righteousnes and of the truthe shal be more and more illuminated of God On the contrary parte they that doe not couet after righteousnes and truth are more hardened and blynded though they seeme vnto themselues most wise For God doth here follow an example of a louyng father which when he seeth that fatherly loue correction doth not helpe towardes hys children vseth an other way He ceaseth to be beneficial vnto them and to minister vnto them fatherly correction he geueth them ouer vnto themselues suffering them to lyue as they luste themselues Heb. 6 Mat. 8 But we truste to see better of you my derely beloued and that ye lyke Gaderenites for feare to lose your worldly substaunce or other delytes of this life Actes 14. wil not banysh away Christ his Gospell froÌ„ amongst you but that ye â— all diligeÌ„ce of mynd wyll receaue the word of god taught you by such ministers as now when persecuioÌ„ aryseth because of the word 2. Tim. 1 2. Tim. 2. are not ashamed of the testimony of our lord Iesus but are conteÌ„t to suffer aduersity with the gospel therin to suffer trouble as euil doers euen vnto bondes And if ye refuse thus to do your own blood wil be vpon your own heads And as ye haue hadde plenteous preaching of the gospell more theÌ„ other haue had Acts. 18 so shal ye be sure if ye repent not bryng forth fruites worthy of repentaunce to be sorer plagued to receaue greater vengeance at gods hand then others and the kyngdome of God shal be taken from you and be geuen to an other nation which wil bring forth the fruites therof Wherfore my dearly beloued in christ take good heede to your selues â–ª ponder wel in your mindes how feareful and horrible a thing it is to fal into the hands of the liuing god And see that ye receaue not the word of god in vaine 2. Cor 6. Iame. 2. but continually labour in fayth and declare your fayth by your good works which are infallible witnesses of the true iustifying fayth which is neuer idle but worketh by charitye Gala. 5. Tit. 2. Rom. 13. Geue your selues I say continually to al maner of good works Amonges the which the chiefest are to be obedient to the Magistrates syth they are the ordinaunce of god whether they be good or euil vnlesse they coÌ„maund Idolatry vngodlynesse that is to say things contrary vnto true religioÌ„ for then ought we to say with Peter we ought more to obeye God then man But in any wise we must beware of tumult Act. 5. insurrection rebellion or resistance The weapon of a christiaÌ„ maÌ„ in thys matter ought to be the sword of the spirit Eph. 6 which is gods word prayer coupled wyth humilitye due submissioÌ„ wyth readines of hart rather to dye then to doe any vngodlynes Iohn 19. Iob 34. Rom. 14 Christ also doth teache vs that all power is of god yea eueÌ„ the power of the wicked which god causeth oftentymes to reygne for our synnes disobedience towards hym hys worde Whosoeuer then doth resiste any power doth resiste the ordinance of god and so purchase to hym self vtter destruction vndoing We must also by al meanes be promoters of vnitie peace concord 1. Pet. 2 Eph. 6 We must honour and reuerence princes al that be in authoritie pray for them and be diligent to setforth their profit coÌ„modity SecoÌ„dly we must obey our parentes 1. Tim. 5. or theÌ„ that be in their romes be careful for our housholdes that they be prouided fed not only with bodely foode but much rather with spiriturall fode which is the word of god Thirdly we must serue our neighbours by al meanes we can Math. 7 1. Tim. 2 remeÌ„bryng well the saying of Christ what soeuer ye would that meÌ„ shold do vnto you do ye likewyse vnto theÌ„ for this is the law and the Prophets Fourthly we must diligently exercyse the necessary worke of prayer for al estates knowing that god therfore hath so much coÌ„maunded it hath made so great promises vnto it doth so wel accept it After these works we must learne to know the crosse Math. 5. what affection mind we must beaâ—e towardes our aduersaryes enemies what soeuer they be to suffer al aduersities euil paciently to pray for theÌ„ that hurt persecute trouble vs. And by thus vsing our selues we shal obtayne an hope and certainty of our vocation that we be the elect children of god And thus I coÌ„meÌ„d you brethreÌ„ vnto god to the word of his grace 2. Pet. 1 Actes 20. which is able to build further geue you an enheritance among al theÌ„ which are sanctifyed beseching you to helpe M. SauÌ„ders me your late pastours al theÌ„ that be in bondes for the gospels sake with your praiers to god for vs that we may be deliuered froÌ„ al theÌ„ that beleue not from vnreasonable froward men Rom. 15. Coloss 4 Phil. 1. that thys our imprisonments affliction may be to the glory profite of our christiaÌ„ brethren in the world that Christ may be magnifyed in oure bodyes whether it be by death or by lyfe Amen Salute froÌ„ me al the faythful brethren and because I write not seueral letters to them let them eyther read or heare these my letters The grace of our Lord be with you al Amen The .28 of Iune by the vnprofitable seruaunt of Iesus Christ and now also hys prisoner George Marshe Saue your selues from this vntoward generation praye pray Acts. 2. pray neuer more nede To certayne of his dearly beloued frendes dwelling at Manchester in Lankeshyre GRace be with you and peace from God our father and from our Lord Iesus Christ Amen After salutations in Christ to you with thankes for your frendly remembraunces of me desiryng and wyshing vnto you not only in my letters but also in my daylye prayers suche consolation in spirit and taste of heauenlye treasures that ye maye thereby
woulde neuer haue so glorified you with his gratious gifts which I know praised be his name therefore he woulde neuer haue so exercised youre fayth with temptations as he hathe done and dothe yf I say he had not chosē you If he haue chosen you as doutles deare hart he hath done in Christe for in you I haue seene hys earnest and before me and to me you could not denye it I know bothe where and when if I saye he haue chosen you then neither can you nor shall you euer perishe For if you fall he putteth vnder his hande you shall not lye styll so carefull is Christ your keper ouer you Neuer was mother so myndefull ouer her chylde as he is ouer you And hath not he alwayes bene so Speake womon when did he finally forget you And will he now trow you in your most nede do otherwise you callyng vppon him and desiring to please him Ah my Ioyce thynk you god to be mutable Is he a chaungeling Rom. 31 Doth he not loue to the ende them whom he loueth Are not his giftes and calling such that he cannot repente him of them For elles were he no GOD. If you should perishe then wanted he power for I am certain his will towards you is not to be doubted of Hath not the spirit which is the spirit of truthe told you so And wyll you now harken with Eue to the lying spirite whiche woulde haue you not to dispaire no he goeth more craftelye to worke howbeit to that ende if you should geue eare vnto it which God forbyd but to doubte and stande in a mammeryng and so shoulde you neuer truelye loue God but serue hym of a seruile feare leste he shoulde caste you of for your vnworthines and vnthankefulnes as thoughe your thankefulnes or worthines were anye causes wyth God why he hath chosen you or will finally kepe you Ah myne owne deare hart Chryst onely Christ onely and his mercy and truth In hym and for hym is the cause of your election This Christ this mercy this truthe of God remayneth for euer is certayne for euer and so is your election certaine for euer for euer for euer I say for euer If an aungel from heauen shoulde tell you contrarye accursed bee he accursed be he Your thankefulnes and worthynes are fruites and effectes of your election they are no causes These fruites and effectes shal be so much more fruitfull and effectuall by how much you wauer not Therefore my derely beloued aryse and remember from whence you are fallen Psalm 120 You haue a shepehard whiche neither slumbreth nor slepeth No man nor deuill can pull you out of hys handes Nyghte and daye he commaundeth hys aungels to kepe you Haue you forgoten what I redde to you out of the psalme the Lord is my shepeharde I can want nothing Psal 23 Do you not know that god sparred Noe in the Arke on the outside so that he coulde not gette out So hathe he done to you my good Syster so hathe he done to you Psa 90. Tenne thousande shall fall on your righte hande and twentye on your lefte hande yet no euell shall touche you Saye holdelye therfore Psa 123. many a tyme from my youth vppe they haue fought against me but they haue not preuayled no nor neuer shall preuaile for the Lorde is rounde aboute his people And who are the people of GOD but suche as hope in hym Happye are they that hope in the Lorde and you are one of those my deare harte for I am assured you haue hoped in the Lord I haue your wordes to shew most manifestly I know they were writen vnfaynedly I nede not to say that euen before god you haue simply confessed to me and that often times no lesse And once if you had thys hope as you doutles had it though now you fele it not yet shall you feele it agayne for the anger of the Lorde lasteth but a momēt but hys mercy lasteth for euer Tel me my dere harte who hath so weakened you Surelye not a persuasion which came from hym that called you Gal. 5. For why shoulde ye wauer Why shoulde you wauer and be so heauy harted Whome looke you on On yourselfe On your worthines On your thankefulnes On that whiche God requireth of you as faythe hope loue feare ioye c. Then can you not but wauer in deede for what haue you as God requyreth Beleue you hope you loue you c. as much as you shoulde do No no nor neuer can in this lyfe Ah my dearelye beloued haue you so soone forgotten that which euer should be had in memory namely that whē you would and should be certayne and quiet in consciēce then should your fayth burst throughout all thynges not onely that you haue in you or els are in heauen earth or hell vntill it come to Christ crucified and the eternal swete mercies and goodnes of god in Christ Here here is the resting place here is your spouses bed creepe into it in your armes of faith embrace hym be waile your weakenes your vnworthines your diffidence c. you shalsee he wyl turne to you What sayd I you shal see Nay I should haue sayd you shal feele he wil turne to you You know that Moses when he went into the Mount to talke with God he entred into a darke cloude Helias had his face couered when God passed by Both these dere frendes of god heard God but they saw hym not but you would be preferred before them See now my deare harte how couetous you are Ah be thankefull be thankefull But god be praysed that your couetousnes is Moses couetousnes Well with hym you shall be satisfied But when Forsoth when he shall appeare Here is not the tyme of seyng psa 16. but as it were in a glasse Isaac was deceyued because he was not content with hearyng onely Therfore to make an ende of these many words wherwith I feare me I do but trouble you from better exercises in asmuche as you are in deede the chylde of God electe in Chryste before the begynnyng of all tymes in asmuche as you are geuen to the custody of Christ as one of gods most precious iewels in asmuche as Chryste is faythful ther to hath al power so that you shal neuer perysh no one heare of your heade shall not be loste I beseche you I pray you I desyre you I craue at your hands with al my very hart I aske of you with hande penne tonge mind in Christ through Christe for Christe for his name bloode mercies power and truthes sake my moste entierlye beloued Sister that you admitte no doutyng of gods fynall mercies towardes you how soeuer you feele your selfe but complaine to god and craue of him as of your tender deare father al things and in that tyme which shal be most oportune you shal find and feele farre aboue that your harte or
the hart of any creature can conceaue to your eternall ioye Amē Amen Amē The good spirite of god alwayes kepe vs as hys deare children he comfort you as I desyre to be comforted my derely beloued for euermore Amen I breake vp thus abruptly because our common prayer tyme calleth me The peace of Christe dwell in both our hartes for euer Amen ⧠As for the report of W. P. if it be as you heare you must prepare to beare it It is written on heauens dore do wel and heare euill Be content therfore to heare whatsoeuer the ennemye shall imagine to blotte you withal Gods holye spirite alwayes comfort and kepe you Amen Amen This 8. of August by hym that in the Lorde desireth to you as well and as much felicity as to his owne harte Iohn Bradford ¶ To my louyng brethren B. and C. wyth their wyues and whole families I Besech the euerliuing god to geue to you al my good bretherne and systers the comfort of his holy spirite and the continuall feelyng of his mercye in Christe oure Lord nowe and for euer Amen The world my brethern at this presente seemeth to haue the vpperhande iniquity ouerfloweth the truth and veritie seemeth to be suppressed and they whiche take part therwith are vniustly entreated The cause of all this is gods anger and mercy his anger because we haue greuously sinned against him his mercy because he here punisheth vs as a father nurtereth vs. We haue ben vnthākful for his word we haue contemned his kindnes we haue ben negligent in praier we haue ben to carnal couetous licētious c. we haue not hastened to heauēward but rather to helward we were fallen almost into an open cōtempt of god and all his good ordinaunces so that of hys iustice he could not long forbeare but make vs to feele hys anger as now he hath done in taking his word and true seruice from vs and permittyng Sathan to serue vs with Antichristian religion and that in such sorte that if we wil not yelde to it and seme to allow it in dede and outwarde fact our bodies are like to be laide in prison and our goodes geuen we cannot tell to whome This should we looke vppon as a sygne of gods anger procured by our synnes which my good brethern euery one of vs should now cal to our memories often tymes so perticulerly as we can that we might hartely lament them repent them hare them aske earnestly mercye for them and submitte our selues to beare in this lyfe anye kind of punishment which god wil lay vppon vs for them Thus should we do in consideration of gods anger in thys time Now his mercy in this time of wrath is sene should be sene of vs my derely beloued in this the god doth vouchsafe to punish vs in this present life If he should not haue punished vs do not ye thinke that we would haue continuin the euils we were in Yea verely we would haue ben worse and haue gone forwards in hardning our harts by impenitency negligence towardes God true godlines then yf death had come should not we haue perished bothe soule and bodye into eternall fyre and perdition Alas what misery should we haue fallen into if god shoulde haue suffered vs to haue gone forward in our euils No greater a signe of damnation there is then to lye in euill synne vnpunished of god as nowe the papists my derely beloued are cast into Iezabels bed of security Apoc. 3 Hebr. 12 which of all plagues is the most greuous plague that can be They are bastardes and not sonnes for they are not vnder Gods rodde of correction A great mercy it is therfore that god dothe punishe vs for yf he loued vs not he wuld not punish vs. Now doth he chastice vs that we shuld not be damned with the world 1. Cor. 2 Now doth he nurture vs because he fauoureth vs. Now may we thynke our selues to be Gods householde and children 1. pet 4 because he beginneth his chastising at vs. Nowe calleth he vs to remēber our synnes past Wherfore That we myght repent and and aske mercy And why That he might forgeue vs pardon vs iustify vs and make vs his chyldren and so begin to make vs here lyke vnto Christ Rom. 8 that we myght bee like vnto hym elsewhere euen in heauen where already we are set by faith with Christe and at hys commyng in verye dede shall enioye his presence when our synfull and vile bodies shal be made lyke to christes glorious body phil 3. accordyng to the power whereby he is able to make al thynges subiect to hymselfe Therfore my brethren let vs in respect hereof not lament but laude god not be sory but be mercy not wepe but reioyce and be glad that god doth vouchsafe to offer vs hys crosse Rom. 8 2. Timo. 3. Math. 10. therby to come to him to endles ioyes and comforts For if we suffer we shall raigne If we confesse hym before men he wil confesse vs before hys father in heauen If we be not ashamed of his Gospell nowe he wyll not bee ashamed of vs in the last day Math. 5. 1. pet 4 1. pet 5 but wyl be glorifyed in vs crownyng vs with crownes of glory and endeles felicity For blessed are they that suffer persecutiō for rightuousnes sake for their is the kingdom of heauē Be glad sayth Peter for the spirit of God resteth vpō you After that ye are a litle while afflicted god will comfort strengthen confyrme you And therfore my good bretherne be not discouraged for crosse for prison or losse of goodes for the confession of Christes gospell and truth whiche ye haue beleued and lyuely was taught emongs you in the days of our late good most holy prince Kyng Edwarde This is most certayne if ye lose any thyng for Christes sake Math. 19 and for contemnyng the Antichristian seruice set vp agayne amonge vs as ye for youre partes euen in prison shall find gods greate and riche mercies farre passing all worldly wealth so shall your wyues children in thys present lyfe fynd and feele gods prouidēce more plentifully then tounge can tell for he wyl shew merciful kindnes on thousāds of them that loue him The good mans sede shal not go a begging his bread Ye are good mē so many as suffer for christes sake Psalm 27 I trust ye all my dearely beloued wil cōsider this geare with your selues and in the crosse see gods mercy which is more swete and more to bee set by then life it self much more thē then any mucke or pelfe of thys world Rom. 8. This mercy of god should make you merye and chearefull for the afflictions of this lyfe are not to bee cōpared to the ioyes of the lyfe prepared for you Ye know the way to heauen is not the wyde way of the world which wyndeth to the deuil but it is a strayt