her but she beat her away and calling her husband to her sayd Good husband you and I haue offended God grieuously in receiuing this bitch many a time into our bed we would haue beene loth to haue receiued a Christian soule purchased with the precious blood of Iesus Christ into our bed and to haue nourished him in our bosoms and fed him at our table as we haue done this filthie our many a time the lord giue vs grace to repent for it and al other vanities And afterward could she neuer abide to looke vpon the Bitch any more Hauing thus godly disposed of all things she fell into an extasie or into a traunce or swound for the space almost of a quarter of an houre so as euerie one thought she had beene dead But afterward shee comming to her self spake to theÌ„ that were present as there were many both worshipful others saying Right worshipful my good neighbours friends I thanke you all for the great paines you haue taken with me in this bed of my sicknes whereas I am not able to requite you I beséech the Lord to reward you in the kingdome of heauen And for that my houre-glasse is run out that my time of departure hence is at hand I am perswaded for thrée causes to make a confession of my faith before you all The first cause that moueth me hereto is for that those if there be any such here that are not throughly resolued in the truth of God may heare and learne what the spirit of God hath taught me out of his blessed al sauing word The second cause that mooueth me is for that none of you should iudge that I died not a perfect christiaÌ„ a liuely meÌ„ber of the mystical body of Iesus christ so by your rash iudgement might incurre the displeasure of God The third and last cause is for that as you haue béene witnesses of part of my life so you might be witnesses of my faith and beleeue also And in this my confession I would not haue you to thinke that it is I that speak vnto you but the spirit of God which dwelleth in me and in al the elect of God vnlesse they be reprobates for Paul saith Ro. 8. If any one haue not the spirite of Christ dwelling in him he is none of his This blessed spirit hath knocked at y e dore of my heart and God hath giuen me grace to open the doore vnto him he dwelleth in me plentifully And therefore I pray you giue me pacience a little and imprint my words in your hearts for they are not the words of flesh and bloud but of the spirite of God by whom we are sealed to the day of redemption A most heauenly confession of the Christian faith made by this blessed seruant of God Mistresse Katherine Stubbes a little before she died ALthough the Maiestie of God bee both infinite and vnspeakable and therefore according to his excellent dignitie can neither bee conceiued in heart nor expressed in words yet to the end you may knowe what that God is in whome I beléeue as farre as he hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs in his holy word I will define him vnto you as the spirit of God shal illuminate my heart I beléeue therfore with my heart and freely confesse with my mouth here before you all that this God in whom I beleeue is a most glorious spirite or spirituall substance a diuine essence or essential being without beginning or ending of infinite glorie power might and Maiestie inuisible inaccessible incomprehensible and altogether vnspeakeable I beleeue confesse that this glorious Godhead this blessed substance essence or being this diuine power which we call God is diuidâ—d into a trinitie of persons the father the sonne and the holy spirit distant onely in names and offices but all one and the same in nature in essence substance deitie maiestie glory power might and eternitie I beleeue and confesse that God the father the first person in this blessed Trinitie is from euerlasting before beyond all times not made nor created nor begotten of any but the onely maker creator and begetter of all things whatsoeuer I beleeue confesse that Christ Iesus the son of God is the second person in this glorious Trinitie not created or made of any but begotten of his father before all Eternitie time or worlds I beléeue the holy spirite to be the third person in this sacred Trinity not made of any nor begotteÌ„ but proceeding both from the father the son as the very wisdome and inspiration of theÌ„ both I do beleeue confesse that this most glorious Trinity is coÌ„substantial coessential together none before or after other none greater or lesser then another of equal power of equal maiesty of equal glory eternity as before I beleeue and confesse that this God this blessed Trinity not onely created all things both visible and inuisible spiritual and corporall where or whatsoeuer but also that he vpholdeth continueth and maintaineth them by his almightie power vnsearchable wisdome through the secret wisdome of his spirit I beleeue and confesse that this God ordereth and disposeth al things according to his good pleasure and will and that he also foreseeth all things by his prouidence and prescience so that nothing commeth to passe by Fortune chaunce or casualtie to him though so it seemeth fortunaâ—l or casuall to vs who see neither the beginnings the middles the endes the causes or effects of things before they come to passe I beleeue and confesse that the Lord our God hauing created the vniuersall engine and frame of this worlde with all things contained therein for the benefite and vse of man onely the last of all other creatures euen the sixt day created man after his owne similitude and likenesse holy pure good innocent and in euery part perfect and absolute giuing him also wisdome discretion vnderstanding and knowledge aboue all other creatures the holy Angels set apart And which was more hee gaue vnto him a certaine power strength and facultie which wee call freewill by force whereof he might haue continued and remained for euer in his integritie and holinesse if hee had would But hee had no sooner receiued this inestimable blessing of freewill of innocencie and integritie but by hearkening to the poysoned suggestions of the wicked Serpent and by obeying his perswasions hee lost his freewill his integritie and perfection and vs all his posteritie to the end of the world and so of a Saint in heauen hee and we in him became firebrands of hell vassals of Sathan Miscreants Reprobates Abiects and Castawaies before the face of God for euer Then when there was no other way or meanes for man to bee saued in the iustice of God I constantly beleeue and confesse that God the Father in the multitude of his mercies when the fulnesse of tyme was come sent
Patriarckes and Fathers yea to God himselfe After which words very suddenly she seemed as it were greatly to reioice and looke verie chearfully as though she had seene some glorious sight and lifting vp her whole bodie and stretching forth both her armes as though she would embrace some glorious and pleasant thing said I thanke my God through Iesus Christ he is come hee is come my good Iayler is come to let my soule out of prison Oh sweete death thou art welcome welcome sweet death neuer was there any guest so welcome to me as thou art Welcome the messenger of euerlasting life welcome the doore and entrance into euerlasting glorie Welcome I say and thrise welcome my good Iayler do thy office quickly and set my soule at libertie Strike sweet death strike my heart I feare not thy stroke Now it is done Father into thy blessed hands I commit my spirit Sweet Iesus into thy blessed hands I commend my spirite Blessed spirite of God I commit my soule into thy handes Oh most holy blessed and glorious Trinitie three persons and one true and euerlasting God into thy blessed hands I commit both my soule and my bodie at which words her breath stayed and so neither moouing hand nor foote she slept sweetly in the Lord. Thus hast thou heard gentle Reader the discourse of the vertuous life and christian death of this blessed and faithfull seruant of God Mistresse Katherine Stubs which is so much the more wonderfull in that she was but young and tender of yeares not halfe a yere aboue the number of xix when she departed this life The Lord giue vs grace to folow her good example that we may come to those vnspeakable ioyes wherin she now resteth through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour glorie prayse dominion and thankesgiuing both nowe and for euermore Amen FINIS P. S. Gent. Her Parentagâ— Her mariage Her godly â—eale Her loue of â—he word of God Her gentlenesse Her integâ—â—â—tie of life Her demeaâ—nour towarâ— her husbanâ— Her little 〈◊〉 of the worlâ— â—er prophesie 〈◊〉 her death â—er deliuery of â—â—ilde â—er sicknes Her desire to be with God Her absolute prayer for death Her godly meditation Her glorious 〈◊〉 Her request to her husbad for the bringing vp of his childe Her hatred to worthly Her extasie or swound The causes mouing heâ— to make coâ—â—fession of 〈◊〉 faith â—otable 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 trinitie 〈◊〉 God is 〈◊〉 created 〈◊〉 things 〈…〉 〈◊〉 fortune or 〈◊〉 Mans perfection Manâ—fâ—sâ— Christ his incarnation Christ his sacrifice 〈◊〉 heauens 〈◊〉 holde 〈…〉 body til the 〈◊〉 of iudge 〈◊〉 â—hrist his â—omming to â—â—dgement â—nd of our â—â—surrection Whither the soules of the faithful do go after their departure out oâ— their bodies Purgatory of the Papists blasphemou◠〈◊〉 iustified â—y faith only Why we â—hould doo â—ood works â—he canoniâ—al scriptures â—he infallible â—ord of God Her faith in the predestination of Goâ— and what it is Our vocation or calling â—he Church â—wo folde and 〈◊〉 How when 〈◊〉 Church â—annot 〈◊〉 Christ is the â—â—ole head of â—he Church Two Sacraments and what they are whereof they do consist and what they represent vnto â—s Neither the bread nor wine changâ— in the Lordâ— Supper Sacraments dâ— not conferre grace 〈◊〉 onely to 〈◊〉 called vpon 〈◊〉 not Saints 〈◊〉 beliefe â—hither her â—oule should 〈◊〉 after her â—eparture We shal knâ—â— one an other the life to come 〈◊〉 wonderful â—emptation 〈…〉 in the â—ame Her dispuâ—â— on with 〈◊〉 Her victory ouer Satan 〈◊〉 gard of â—ngels 〈◊〉 sweete â—editations 〈◊〉 request 〈◊〉 her husâ—â—nd not to â—ourne fâ—r 〈◊〉 Her talk with death and heâ— friendly welcomming of him Her last wordes Her death
works could â—aue vs then had Christ died in vaine And if they could saâ—e vs why should they not be called by the name of Sauiour But when I say that Faith onely iustifieth I meane not a barren faith or a dead Faith wiâ—hout good works such as the diuels haue but I speake of such a Faith as bringeth forth good works in great pleÌ„ty and can no more be without good works than the Sun without light the fire without heat or the water without his natural moysture If you would know why we should doo good works if we cannot be saued by them I will tell you we must doo good works for foure causes chiefly First to shew our obedieÌ„ce to him that commaunds vs secondly to glorifie him that created vs and ordained good works also that we should walke in them Thirdly for the mutuall louâ— and charitie which we beare towards the brethren Fourthly to make our saluation sure and certaine vnto vs as the Apostle speaketh For these other causes must we do good works yet must we not trust to be saued by them for there is no other name giuen vnder heauen wherby man can be saued but onely the name of Iesus Christ. I do also constantly beleeue conâ—esse â—hat al the canonical scriptures are the inâ—allible word of God and that the holy spirit of God was is the onely author of them that holy men of God spake writ them as they were taught and inspired by the spirite of God as blessed Peter beareth record I also beleeue that the holy scriptures do contain all things necessary to saâ—uation without all popish trash of vnwritten verities or rather vnwritten berie lyes I do further also beleeue and confesse that God the father hath from euerlasting and before all worlds in his secret counsel and in his euerlasting purpose and decree elected chosen and predestinate in Christ Iesus certaine of the lost sonnes of Adam to be members of his body coheirâ—s with him of his heaueÌ„ly kingdom And othersome hath he prâ—destinated to euerlasting destruction leauing them in their naturall sin and corruption still Now if ye aske me what predestination and reprobation is I answer it is the euerlasting purpose or decree of God whereby he doth chuse some to saluation some to damnation If you demaund why he chuseth some to saluâ—tion and not all finding them all in like state and condition I answer In chusing of some to saluation he sheweth his vnspeakable mercy grace fauour and loue and in chusing other some to damnation he sheweth his power his iustice and his iudgemâ—nt to all the world For as by the one the mercy of God appeareth so by the other wee may see what we haue all deserued And if you aske me why he chuseth some and reiecteth othersome I tell you hee may doo it at his blessed will and pleasure for if I haue two debters that owe me a thousand pound it is in mee to release the one of the whole debt and to exact the whole of the other for to the one I shew but mercie and to the other but iustice Now those that the Lord hath predestinate in Christ Iesus to euerlasting saluation them doth he call in his good time to the knowledge of his truth to repentanâ—e to integrity of life to all perfection and those whom he doth call them doth he iustifie and whoÌ„ he doth iustifie them will he glorifie And that this doctrine of predestination reprobatioÌ„ standeth thus the Apostle Eph. 1.11 sheweth euidently saying we are chosen in Christ when we were pâ—edestinate according to the purpose of him that worketh all things aâ—ter the counsel of his will And in the 4 5 ver of the same chapter he â—aith we are chosen in him meaning Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy blamelesse before him in loue Read Rom. 9. and many other places of holy scriptures you shall finâ— this doctrine to be very cleare I do further beleeue and confesse that God hath his seuerall churches as namely his Church triumphant in the kingdome of heauen his Church militant dispersed vpon the face of the earth I do also beléeue that this militant Church is two folde visible and inuisible The visible Church is knowne and discerned by these marks the word of God preached the Sacraments sincerely ministred Ecclesiasticall discipline and other censures of the Church duely executed The other Church I call the inuisible Church not for that men are inuisible but for that it alwaies appeareth not to the eye of the world but is knowne to God onely who alone knoweth who are his I beleeue that this Church this spouse of Christ cannot erre finally in matters of saluation and damnation so long as she holdeth her head Christ Iesus aright And I constantly beléeue that Iesus Christ is the onely head ruler and gouernour of his Church and not Antichrist the Pope nor any of his shauelings as Paul testifieth Ephes. 4.15 saying Let vs grow vp in all things in him who is the head Christ Iesus Againe in another place hee saith As Christ is the head of the Church so is the husband head ouer his wife I beleeue and confesse that Iesus Christ hath left not onely the holy Scriptures to instruct and teach his Church but also Sacraments in number two to wit Baptisme and the Lords Supper as seales of his grace towards it to confirme it in his truth and as conduits of his mercy to conuey his grace goodnesse to it also These Sacraments I say are Seales and signes of holie things and therefore cannot be the things themselues For it is against the nature of a Sacrament to be the thing signified therby Baptisme consisteth of two natures the visible Element and the inuisible grace The visible Element is water the inuisible grace is the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost conferred in baptisme The water signifieth vnto vs that our whole nature is corrupted and had need to be purged and cleansed It signifieth also vnto vs our regeneration sanctification and new birth And it representeth also vnto vs the bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all sinnes And I faithfully beleeue that it is no more lawfull for a woman to minister this Sacrament then it is lawfull for her to preach or to minister the Sacrament of the Lords Supper And as concerning the Sacrament of the Lords Supper I beleeue and confesse that it consisteth of two natures also an earthly and an heauenly nature or quality The visible element or earthly nature is bread wine the heaueÌ„ly nature or quality the body and bloud of Christ signified thereby The wine doth represent vnto vs the bloud of Christ which was shed for vs and the bread doth signify vnto vs also the body of Christ which was giuen for vs. And as many as doe receiue this Sacrament worthily
of the booke of God And good Lord that hast begun this good worke in me finish it I beseech thee and strengthen me that I may perseuere therein to the ende and in the end through Iesus Christ my onely Lord and Sauiour She had no sooner made an end of this most heauenly confession of her faith but Sathan was ready to bid her the combat whome shee mightely repulsed and vanquished by the power of our Lord Iesus on whom she constantly beleeued And wheras before shee looked with a sweete louely and amiable countenaunce red as the Rose and most beautifull to beholde nowe vpon the sudden she bent the browes shee frowned and looking as it were with an angry sterne and fierce countenaunce as though shee sawe some filthy vgglesome and displeasant thing shee burst foorth into these speeches following pronouncing her wordes as it were scornefully and disdainfully in contempt of him to whom shee spake A most wonderfull conflict betwixt Sathan and her soule and of her valiaunt conquest in the same by the power of Christ. HOw now Satan what makest thou here Art thou come to tempt the Lords seruant I tell thée thou hell-hound thou hast no part nor portion in me nor by the grace of God neuer shalt haue I was now am and shall be the Lords for euer Yea Satan I was chosen elected in Christ to euerlasting saluation before the foundations of the world were laid and therefore thou maist get thee packing thou damned Dog and goe sâ—ake thine eares for in me thou hast nought But what doest thou lay to my charge thou soule fiend Oh that I am a sinner and therefore shall be damned I confesse in deed that I am a sinner and a grieuous sinner both by originall sinne and actuall sinne and that I may thanke thee for And therefore Satan I bequeath my sin to thee from whoÌ„ it first came and I appeale to the mercy of God in Christ Iesus Christ came to saue sinners as he saith himself and not the righteous behold the Lambe of God saith Iohn that taketh away the sinnes of the world And in another place he crieth out the bloud of Iesus Christ doth cleanse vs from all sinne And therefore Satan I constantly beleeue that my sinnes are washed away in the precious bloud of Iesus Christ and shall neuer be imputed vnto me any more But what sayest thou more Satan Doest thou aske me how I dare come to him for mercy hee being a righteous God and I a miserable sinner I tell thee Satan I am bold through Christ to come vnto him being assured and certaine of pardon and remission of all my sinnes for his names sake For doeth not the Lorde bidde all that be heauy laden with the burthen of sinne to come vnto him and he will ease them Christes armes were spread wide open Satan vpon the Crosse with that shee spread her owne armes to embrace me and all penitent sinners and therefore Satan I wil not feare to present my selfe before his footestoole in full assurance of his mercy for Christ his sake What more Satan Doest thou say it is written that God will rewarde euery one according to his workes or according to his desertes But it is written againe thou deceiptfull deuill that Christes righteousnesse is my righteousnesse his workes my workes his desertes my deserts his merits my merits and his precious bloud a full satisfaction for al my sins Oh but God is a iust God thou saist and therefore must néedes in iustice condemne me I grant Satan that he is a iust God and therefore he cannot in iustice punish me for my sins which he hath punished already in his sonne It is against the law of iustice to punish one fault twice I was and am a great debter vnto God the Father but Christ Iesus hath paid the debt for me and therefore it standeth not with the iustice of God to require it againe And therefore auoid Satan auoid thou firebrand of hell auoid thou damned dog and tempt me no more for he that is with me is mightier then thou euen the mighty and victorious Lion of the tribe of Iuda who hath bruzed thy head and hath promised to be with his children to the end of the world Auoid therfore thou dastard auoid thou cowardly souldier remooue thy siege and yeeld the field won and get thée packing or else I wil cal vpon my grand-captaine Christ Iesus that valiant Michael who beat thée in Heauen and threw thee downe to hell with all thy hellish traine and diuelish crew She had scarcely pronounced these last words but she fell suddenly into a sweete smiling laughter saying Now is hee gone now is he gone doe ye not see him flie like a coward and runne away like a beaten cocke He hath lost the field and I haue wonne the victory euen the garland and crowne of euerlasting life and that not by my own power and strength but by the power and might of Iesus Christ who hath seÌ„t his holy Angels to keep me And speaking to theÌ„ that were by she said oh would God you saw but what I sée For do you not see infinite millions of most glorious Angels stand about me with fierie charets readie to defend me as they did the good Prophet Elizeus These holy Angels these ministring spirits are appoynted by God to carry my soule into the kingdome of heauen where I shall behold the Lord face to face shal see him not with other but with these same eyes Now am I happy blessed for euer for I haue fought the good sight and by the might of Christ haue won the victory Now from henceforth shal I neuer tast neither of huÌ„ger nor cold paine nor wo misery nor affliction vexation or trouble feare nor dread nor of any other calamity or aduersity whatsoeuer From henceforth is layd vp for me a crowne of life which Christ shall giue to those that loue him And as I am nowe in possession thereof by hope so shall I be anon in ful fruition therof by presence of my soule and hereafter of my body also when the Lorde shall please Then she spake softly to her selfe as followeth Come Lord Iesus come my loue Iesus oh send thy Purseuant sweete Iesus to fetch me Oh sweet Iesus strengthen thy seruant and keepe thy promise Then sang she certaine Psalmes most sweetly and with a chearefull voice which done the desired her husband that the 133. Psalme might he sung before her to the Church And further shee desired him that hee would not mourne for her alledging the Apostle Paul where he saith Brethren I would not haue you to mourn as men without hope for them that die in the Lord affirming that she was not in case to be mourned for but rather to be reioiced of for that shee should passe shee said from earth to heauen from men to holy Angels to Cherubins and Seraphins to holy Saintes