neither for hope of life nor for feare of death For if ye will denie his truth to lengthen your lyfe God will denie you and yet shorten your dayes And if you will cleaue vnto him he will prolong your dayes to your comfort and his glory to the which glory God bring me now and you heereafter when it pleaseth him to call you Fare you well good Sister and put your only trust in God who only must helpe you * Heere followeth a certayne effectuall prayer made by the Lady Iane in the time of her trouble O Lord thou God and father of my life heare mee poore and desolate woman A prayer of the Lady Iane. which flyeth vnto thee onely in all troubles and miseries Thou O Lord art the onely defendour and deliuerer of those that put their trust in thee and therefore I beeyng defiled wyth sinne encombred with affliction vnquieted wyth troubles wrapped in cares ouerwhelmed with miseries vexed with temptations and greeuously tormented wyth the long imprisonment of this vile masse of clay my sinfull body do come vnto thee O mercifull Sauiour crauing thy mercy and helpe without the which so little hope of deliueraunce is lefte that I may vtterly despayre of any libertie Albeit it is expedient that seeyng our life standeth vpon trying we should be visited sometyme wyth some aduersitie whereby we might both be tryed whether we be of thy flocke or no and also knowe thee and our selues the better yet thou that saydest that thou wouldest not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power be mercifull vnto me now a miserable wretch I beseech thee which with Salomon do cry vnto thee humbly desiring thee that I may neyther be too much puffed vp with prosperitie neither too much pressed down wyth aduersitie least I beeyng too full should denie thee my GOD or beeyng too lowe brought should despayre and blaspheme thee my Lord and Sauiour O mercifull GOD consider my miserie best knowne vnto thee and be thou now vnto me a strong tower of defence I humbly require thee Suffer me not to be tempted aboue my power but eyther be thou a deliuerer vnto me out of thys great miserie eyther else geue me grace paciently to beare thy heauie hand and sharpe correction It was thy righte hande that delyuered the people of Israell out of the handes of Pharao which for the space of foure hundred yeares did oppresse them and keepe them in bondage Let it therefore lykewyse seeme good to thy fatherly goodnes Psal. â—â— to delyuer mee sorrowfull wretch for whome thy Sonne Christ shedde hys precious bloud on the Crosse out of thys miserable captiuity bondage wherein I am now Howe long wilt thou be absent for euer Oh Lord hast thou forgotten to be gracious and hast thou shut vp thy louing kindnes in displeasure wilt thou be no more entreated Is thy mercy cleane gone for euer and thy promise come vtterly to an end for euermore why doest thou make so long tarying shall I despaire of thy mercy O God farre be that from me I am thy workmanship created in Christ Iesu geue me grace therefore to tary thy leysure and patiently to beare thy woorkes assuredly knowing that as thou canst so thou wilt deliuer me when it shall please thee nothing douting or mistrusting thy goodnes towardes me for thou wottest better what is good for me then I do Therefore do with me in all thinges what thou wilt plague me what way thou wilt Onely in the meane time arme me I beseech thee with thy armour that I may stand fast my loynes being girded about with veritie hauing on the brest plate of righteousnes shod with the shoes prepared by the Gospell of peace Ephes. 6. aboue all thinges taking to me the shield of fayth wherewith I may be able to quench all the fiery dartes of the wicked and taking the helmet of saluatioÌ„ the sword of the spirit which is thy most holy word praying alwaies with al maner of praier supplicatioÌ„ that I may refer my selfe wholy to thy wil abiding thy pleasure and comforting my selfe in those troubles that it shall please thee to send me seeing such troubles be profitable for me and seeing I am assuredly perswaded that it can not be but well all that thou doest Heare me O mercifull father for his sake whoÌ„ thou wouldest shoulde be a sacrifice for my sinnes to whome with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory Amen After these thinges thus declared it remayneth nowe comming to the end of this vertuous Lady next to inferre the maner of her execution with the words and behauiour of her in time of her death ¶ These are the wordes that the Lady Iane spake vpon the Scaffold at the houre of her death FIrst when she mounted vpon the Scaffold The wordâ—â— and behauiour of the Lady Ianâ— vppon the Scaffold she sayde to y e people standing thereabout good people I am come hether to dye and by a lawe I am condemned to the same The fact against the Queenes highnes was vnlaw full and the consenting thereunto by me but touching the procurement and desire therof by me or on my behalfe I doe wash my handes thereof in innocency before God and the face of you good Christian people this day and therewith she wrong her handes wherein she had her booke Then said she I pray you all good Christian people to beare me witnes that I dye a true Christian woman and that I do look to be saued by no other meane but onely by the mercy of God in the bloud of his only sonne Iesus Christ and I confesse that when I did know the word of God I neglected y e same loued my selfe and the world therfore thys plague and punishment is happily and worthily happened vnto mee for my sinnes and yet I thanke God of hys goodnes that hee hath thus geuen me a time and respite to repent and now good people while I am aliue I praye you assist me with your prayers And then kneeling down she turned her to Fecknam saying shall I say this psalme and he sayd yea Then sayd she the Psalme of Miserere mei Deus in English in most deuoute maner throughout to y e end and then she stoode vpp and gaue her mayden Maistresse Ellen her gloues and handkerchefe and her book to Maister Bruges and then she vntyed her gowne and the hangman pressed vpon her to helpe her off with it but she desiring him to let her alone turned towardes her two Gentlewomen who helped her of therwith and also with her frowes past and neckerchefe geuing to her a fayre handkerchefe to knit about her eyes Then the hangman kneeled downe and asked her forgeuenesse whom she forgaue most willingly TheÌ„ he willed her to stand vpon the straw which doing she sawe the blocke Then shee sayd I pray you dispatche me quickely Then she kneeled downe saying wil you take it off before I lay
did succour it wil do the like to the child of you or any other fearing him and putting your trust in him And if we lacke fayth as we do in deede many times let vs call for it and we shall haue the encrease both of it and also of any other good grace needefull for vs and be mery in GOD in who also I am very mery and ioyfull O Lord what great cause of reioycing haue we to thinke vpoÌ„ that kingdome which he voucheth safe for his Christes sake freely to geue vs forsaking our selues and folowing him Deare wife this is truely to follow him What it 〈◊〉 to follow Christ. euen to take vp our crosse and followe him and then as we suffer with him so shall we raigne with him euerlastingly Amen Shortly Shortly Amen * An other letter to his wife to Mayster Robert Harrington M Hurland c. GRace and comfort c. Deare wife reioyce in our gracious God and his our Christ An other letter of M Saunders his wyfe 〈◊〉 other frendes and geue thankes moste humbly and hartely to him for this dayes worke that in any part I most vnworthy wretch should be made worthy to beare witnes vnto his euerlasting verity which Antichrist with his by mayne force I perceyue and by moste impudeÌ„t pride and boasting wil go about to suppres Remember God alway my deare wife and so shal gods blessing light vpon you and our Samuel O remeÌ„ber alwaye my wordes for Christes sake be mery and grudge not agaynst God and pray pray We be al mery here thanks be vnto God who in his Christ hath geueÌ„ vs great cause to be mery by whoÌ„ he hath prepared for vs such a kingdom and doth and will geue vnto vs some litle taste therof eueÌ„ in this life and to all such as are desirous to take it Math. 26. Blessed sayth our Christ be they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for such shall be satisfied Let vs goe yea let vs run to seeke such treasure and that with whole purpose of hart to cleaue vnto the Lord to finde suche Riches in his heauenly word through his spirite obteyned by prayer Luke 5. Psal. 119. My deare Frendes and Brethren Mayster Harryngton and Mayster Hurland pray pray Spiritus quidem promptus est caro autem infirma That is The spirite is ready but the fleshe is weake When I looke vpon my selfe quid ego stupidus attonitus habeo quod dicam nisi illud Petri exi a me Domine quia homo peccator sum i. Being astonished and confouÌ„ded what haue I els to say but those wordes of Peter Lorde goe from me for I am a sinnefull man Iohn 6. But then feele I that sweete comforte Lucerna pedibus meis verbum Domini lumen semitis meis haec mea est consolatio in humilitate mea i. The word of the Lorde is a Lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my pathes and this is my comfort in my trouble Then waxe I bolde with the same Peter to say Domine ad quem ibimus verba vitae aeternae habes i. Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the wordes of euerlasting life This comfort haue I when the geuer thereof doth geue it But I looke for battels with the roote of vnfaythfulnes the which I feele in me will most egerly geue vnto my conscience when wee come once to the combate We be I wene within the souÌ„d of the triumpe of our enemies Play ye that be abroade the part of Moyses Tim 1. Orantes in omni loco sustollentes puras manus i. Praying in all places lifting vp pure hands Gods people shal preuayle 〈◊〉 5. yea our bloud shal be theyr perditioÌ„ who do most triumphantly spill it we then being in the handes of our God shall shine in his kingdome and shal staÌ„d in great stedfastnes agaynst theÌ„ which haue dealt extremely with vs And wheÌ„ these our enemies shall thus see vs they shal be vexed with horrible feare and shall wonder at the hastines of the sodaine health and shall say with themselues hauing inward sorow and mourning for very anguish of minde These are they whom we sometime had in derision and iested vpon we fooles thought their liues to be verye madnes and their end to be without honor but loe how they are accounted among the childreÌ„ of God The blessing of God be with you all c. Laurence Saunders ¶ To his wife a litle before his burning GRace and comfort in Christ Amen Deare wife be mery in the mercies of our Christ A letter of 〈…〉 to â—is wyfe ye also my deare frendes Pray pray for vs euery body We be shortly to be dispatched heÌ„ce vnto our good Christ. Amen Amen Wife I would you sent me my shyrte which you know wherunto it is coÌ„secrated Let it be sowed down on both the sides and not open Oh my heauenly father look vpon me in the face of thy Christ 〈◊〉 writeth 〈◊〉 his â—â—irte â—herein he â—hould be 〈◊〉 or els I shall not be able to abide thy countenaunce such is my filthines He will do so and therefore I will not be afrayd what sinne death hell and damnation caÌ„ do agaynst me O Wyfe alwayes remember the Lord. God blesse you yea he will blesse thee good wyfe thy poore boy also onely cleaue thou vnto him and he will geue thee all thinges Pray pray pray ¶ An other letter to M. Robert and Iohn Glouer written the same morning that he was burnt GRace and consolatioÌ„ in our sweet Sauiour Christ Oh my deare brethren whom I loue in the Lord being loued of you also in the Lord be mery reioyce for me now ready to go vp to that mine inheritance which I my selfe in deed am most vnworthy of but my deare Christ is worthye who hath purchased the same for me with so deare a price Make haste my deare brethreÌ„ to come vnto me that we may be mery eo gaudio quod nemo tollet a nobis i. with that ioy which no man shall take from vs. Oh wretched sinner that I am not thankefull vnto this my Father who hath vouched me worthy to be a vessell vnto his honor But O Lorde nowe accept my thankes though they proceed out of a not enough circumcised hart Salute my good Sisters your wiues good sisters feare the Lord. Salute all other that loue vs in the trueth Gods blessing be with you alwayes Amen Euen now towards the offering of a burnt sacrifice O my Christ helpe or els I perish Laurence Saunders ¶ After these godly letters of M. SauÌ„ders diuersly dispersed and sent abroad to diuers of the faythfull coÌ„gregation of Christ as is afore to be seene now in the latter end we will adioyne two other letters writteÌ„ not by Mayster Saunders the martyr but by M. Ed. Saunders the Iustice his brother sent to this our Saunders in prison although conteining no
father And seeing he hath such care for the haires of our head howe much more doeth he care for our life it selfe Wherefore let Gods aduersaries do what they lust whether they take life or take it not they can do vs no hurt for their crueltye hath no further power then God permitteth them and that which commeth vnto vs by the will of our heauenly father can be no harme no losse neither destruction vnto vs but rather gain wealth and felicitie For all troubles and aduersitie that chaunce to such as be of God by the wil of the heauenly father can be none other but gaine and aduantage That the spirite of manne may feele these consolations the geuer of them the heauenly father must be prayed vnto for the merites of Christes passion for it is not the nature of man that can be contented Prayer necessary Iames 1. 1. Cor. 1.8 vntill it be regenerated and possessed with Gods spirit to beare paciently the troubles of the minde or of the body When the minde and heart of a man seeth of euery side sorow and heauines the worldly eye beholdeth nothing but suche things as be troublous wholely bent to robbe the poore of that hee hath and also to take from him hys life except the man weighe these brittle and vncertaine treasures that be taken from him with the riches of the life to come and this life of the body with the life in Christes precious bloud and so for the loue and certaintie of the heauenly ioyes contemne all thyngs present doubtles he shall neuer be able to beare the losse of goodes life or any other things of this world Therefore S. Paule geueth a very godly and necessary lesson to all men in this short and transitorie life and therin sheweth howe a man may best beare the iniquitie and troubles of this world If ye be risen againe with Christ sayth he seeke the things which are aboue Collos. â—â— A lesson how to beare trouble where Christ sitteth at the right hande of God the father Wherefore the Christian mans faith must be alwayes vppon the resurrection of Christe when he is in trouble and in that glorious resurrection he shall not onely see continuall and perpetuall ioy and consolation but also the victorie and triumph of all persecution trouble sinne death hell the deuil and al other tyrants and persecuters of Christ and of Christes people the teares and weepings of the faithfull dryed vppe theyr woundes healed their bodies made immortall in ioy their soules for euer praising the Lord and coniunction and societie euerlasting wyth the blessed company of Gods electes in perpetuall ioy But the woordes of S. Paule in that place if they be not marked shall doe little profite to the reader or hearer and geue him no pacience at all in this impacient and cruell world In this first part S. Paule commaundeth vs to thinke or set our affections on things that are aboue Two thinges commaunded by S. Paule writing to the Collossians The first is to see and know what thiâ—ges are aboue and what thinges are beneath and and to discerne rightly betwene them The second is to set our affection vpon them that are aboue and not vpon the other And this lesson is harder then the otheâ— When he biddeth vs seeke the thyngs that are aboue hee requireth that oure mindes neuer cease from prayer and studie in Gods word vntill we see knowe and vnderstande the vanities of thys worlde the shortnesse and miserie of thys life and the treasures of the worlde to come the immortalitie thereof and the ioyes of that life and so neuer cease seeking vntill suche time as we know certainly and be perswaded what a blessed man hee is that seeketh the one and finedeth it and careth not for the other though hee loose it and in seekynge to haue ryght iudgement betwene the life present and the life to come wee shall finde howe little the paines imprysonment sclaunders lies and death it selfe is in thys worlde in respect of the paines euerlasting the prisonne infernall and dungeon of hell the sentence of Gods iust iudgement and euerlasting death When a man hath by seeking the woorde of God found out what the things aboue be then must hee as S. Paule saith set his affections vpon them And this commaundement is more harde then the other For mans knowledge many times seeth the best and knoweth that there is a life to come better then thys life present as you maye see howe daily men and women can praise and commende yea and wishe for heauen and to be at rest there yet they sette not their affection vpon it they do more affect and loue in dede a trifle of nothing in this worlde that pleaseth their affection then the treasure of all treasures in heauen which their owne iudgement sayth is better then all worldly thinges Wherefore we must set our affections vpon the things that be aboue that is to say when any thing worse then heauen vppon the earth offereth it selfe to be ours if we wil geue our good willes to it and loue it in our heartes then ought we to see by the iudgement of Gods woorde whether we may haue the worlde without offence of God and suche thyngs as be for this worldly life wythout his displeasure If wee can not S. Paules commaundement must take place Set your affections on things that are aboue If the riches of thys world may not be gotten nor kept by Gods lawe neyther our liues be continued without the deniall of hys honour we must set our affection vpon the richesse and lyfe that is aboue and not vpon things that be on the earth Therfore this second commaundement of S. Paul requireth How thinges of this world may be possessed and how not that as our minds iudge heauenly things to be better then thyngs vpon the earth and the life to come better then the life present so we should chuse them before other preferre them and haue such affection to the best that in no case we set the worst before it as the most part of the world doth and hath done for they choose the best and approoue it and yet follow the worste But these thyngs my godly wife require rather cogitation meditation and praier then wordes or talke They be easie to be spoken of but not so easie to be vsed and practised Wherefore seeing they be Gods gyftes Scriptures woulde bee mused vpon rather then talked vpon and none of ours to haue as our owne when we would we must seke them at our heauenly fathers hand who seeth and is priuy how poore and wretched we be and how naked how spoiled and destitute of all his blessed giftes we be by reason of sinne He did commaund therefore his Disciples when he shewed them that they shoulde take paciently the state of thys present life full of troubles and persecution Math. 24. Luke 2. to praye that they myghte well
withstande vs. For as I was with Moses so will I be with thee sayth God and wil neuer leaue thee nor forsake thee Be strong and bolde neither feare nor dread for the Lord thy God is wyth thee whether soeuer thou goest Nowe if God be on oure side who can be against vs Iosua 2. Rom. 8. In this our spirituall warfare is no man ouercome vnles he traiterously leaue and forsake his captaine Spirituall cowardlynes either cowardly cast away his weapons or willingly yelde himselfe to his ennemies either fearefully turne his backe and flie Be strong therefore in the Lord deare brethren and in the power of his might and put on all the armour of God Ephe. 6. 2. Cor. 11.12 Actes 21. that ye may be able to stand stedfast against the craftie assaults of the deuill Now what weapons ye must fight withall learne of S. Paul a champion both much exercised and also most valiaunt and inuincible A Christian mans lyfe is a perpetuall warfare For we must thinke none other but that the life of man is a perpetuall warfare vppon earth as the examples of all godly men throughout all ages to declare The valiant warrior S. Paul being deliuered from the handes of the vngodly and that so many times and also from so many extreme pearils and dangers of death as he his owne selfe doth witnes is faine to commit him selfe in the ende to the rough waters of the sea The manifâ—â—â—e deliuerances of S. Paule be examples â—or our comfort where he was in great pearil and ieoperdie of his owne life yet was God alwaies to the great comfort of all that heare of it most ready to comfort and succour him and gloriously deliuered him out of all his troubles so that no manne that inuaded him could doe him any harme and in the ende he was compelled to saye I haue finished my course Actes 18. â— Tim. 4. Phil. 1. the time of my departing is at hand I long to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all most heartely desiring death These things be written for our learning and comforte and be to vs a sure obligation Rom. 15. that if we submit our selues to God his holy word no man shal be able to hurt vs and that he will deliuer vs from all troubles yea from death also vntil such time as we couet and desire to die Let vs therefore runne with patience vnto the battaile that is set before vs Heb. 12. Persecution foloweth Christian godlines 2. Tim. 3. and looke vnto Iesus the Captaine and finisher of our faith and after his example for the rewardes sake that is set out vnto vs patiently beare the crosse and despise the shame For all that will liue godly in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecution Christ was no sooner baptised and declared to the world to be the sonne of God Math. 3.4 Where Christ is Sathan there is alwayes ready Ephe. 6. but Sathan was by and by ready to tempte hym which thing we must looke for also yea the more we shall encrease in faith and vertuous liuing the more strongly will Sathan assault vs whom we must learne after the example of Christ to fight againste and ouercome with the holy and sacred Scriptures and worde of God which are our heauenly armour and sword of the spirite And let the fasting of Christ while hee was tempted in the wildernes be vnto vs an example of sober liuing not for the space of 40. daies as the Papists doe fondly fansie of their owne braines but as long as wee are in the wildernesse of this wretched life assaulted of Sathan Math. 4. The fast of Christ is to vs Example of sober liuing 1. Pet. 5. who like a roaring Lyon walketh about and ceaseth not seeking our vtter destruction Neither can the seruaunts of God at any time come stand before God that is leade a godly life and walke innocently before God But Sathan commeth also among them that is he daily accuseth finedeth fault vexeth Iob. 1.2 When the seruantes of God stand before him Sathan commeth also Math. 8. persecuteth and troubleth the godly for it is the nature and propertie of the deuill alwayes to hurt and do mischiefe vnlesse he be forbidden of God for vnlesse God do permit him he can do nothing at all not so much as enter into a filthy hogge but we are more of price then many hogs before God if we cleaue vnto his sonne by faith Let vs therefore knowing Sathans deceits and rancor walke the more warely and take vnto vs the shield of faith Ephe. 6. The shield of fayth The helmet of saluation The sword of the spirite wherewith we may be able to quench and ouercome all the fiery and deadly dartes of the wicked Let vs take to vs the helmet of saluation sworde of the spirit which is the word of God and learne to vse the same according to the example of oure graunde Captayne Christ. Let vs fast and pray continually For this frantike kinde of deuils goeth not out otherwise as Christ doeth teach vs but by faithfull praier and fasting whiche is true abstinence and sobernesse of liuing Math. 4. Math. 17. if we vse the same according to the doctrin of the gospell and worde of God Fasting is acceptable to God if it be done without hypocrisie that is to say â—f we vse it to this entent that thereby this mortall body and disobedient carcase maye be â—amed and brought vnder the subiection of the spirite Prayer and fasting True fast what it is How to fast without hipocrisie Abuse of fasting among Christians Esay 58. and againe if we fast to this intent that we maye spare wherewyth to helpe and succour our poore needie brethren This fast do the true Christians vse all the dayes of their life although among the common sort of people remaineth yet still that superstitious kinde of fasting which God so earnestly reprooueth by his Prophet Esay For as for true chastening of the body and abstaining from vice with shewing mercye towardes our needy neighbours we wil neither vnderstand nor heare of but still thinke with the Iewes that we doe God a great pleasure when we fast and that we then fast The Iewish maner of fasting reproued The Christians in superstitious fasting exceede the Iewes Mercy to the poore when we abstaine from one thing and fil our bellies with an other And verely in this poynt doth our superstition much excede the superstitioÌ„ of the Iewes for we neuer reade that they euer tooke it for a fast to abstaine from flesh and to eate either fish or white meat as they call it To fasting and praier must be ioyned almes and mercye towardes the poore and needie and that our almes may be acceptable vnto God three things are chiefly required First that we geue with a chearefull and ioyfull heart For the Lord loueth a chearefull geuer Secondly
Nicholas hys two sonnes went to Germany to study Returning agayne to theyr mother and sister and younger brother by dilligent instruction brought theÌ„ to the right knowledge of Gods Gospel whiche being not vnknown to the Person there of S. Catherine he called to him Doctour Rupert Tapert other Maisters and Fryers who takyng counsaile together with William Clericken the head Magistrate of the towne of Mechlen agreed that the mother with her foure Children shoulde be sent to prison separated one from an other where great labour was employed to reclayme them home vnto theyr Church that is from light to darcknes agayn The ij yonger to wit the daughter with the yonger brother beyng yet not setled neyther in yeares nor doctrine something inclined to them and were delyuered The mother which woulde not consent was condemned to perpetuall prison The other 2. Frances and Nicholas Fraunces Nicholas constant in Christ. standing firmely to theyr confession defended that the Catholicke Church was not y e Church of Rome that the Sacrament was to be mynistred in both kynds that auricular confession was to no purpose that Inuocation of Sayntes was to be left that there was no Purgatory The Fryers they called hypocrites and contemned theyr threatninges The Magistrates after disputations fell to torments to know of them who was theyr mayster and what fellowes they had Theyr mayster they sayd was Christ which bare hys crosse before Felowes they sayd they had innumerable dispersed in all places At last they were brought to the Iudges their Articles were read and they condemned to be burned Comming to the place of execution as they began to exhort the people gagges or balles of wood were thrust in their mouthes whiche they through vehemencye of speaking thrust out agayne desiring for y e Lord sake that they might haue leaue to speake And so singing with a loud voyce Credo in vnum Deum c. they went and were fastened to the stake praying for theyr persecutors and exhorting the one the other they did abide the fire paciently The one feeling the flame to come to hys beard Ah sayd he what a small payn is this to be compared to the glory to come Thus the pacient martyrs committyng theyr spirite to the hands of God to the great admiration of the lookers on through constancy atchieued the crowne of martyrdome Ex. Phil Melanct. The names of their accusers appeare not in the Authours Marion wyfe of Adrian Taylor At Dornic An. 1545. In the same persecution agaynst Brulius and his companye in Dornic Adrian and Marion his wyfe Martyrs was apprehended also one Adrian and Marion hys wyfe The cause of theyr trouble as also of the others was the Emperoures decree made in the Councell of Wormes agaynst y e Lutherians mentioned before pag. 841. Adrian not so strong as a man for feare gaue backe from y e truth and was but onely beheaded The wife stronger theÌ„ a woman did withstand their threates and abide the vttermost and beyng inclosed in an yron grate formed in shape of a pastie Marion buryed quicke was layd in the earth and buryed quicke after the vsuall punishment of that countrey for women When the aduersaryes fyrst tolde her that her husband had relented she beleeued them not and therefore as shee went to her death passing by the Tower where he was shee called to hym to take her leaue but he was gone before Et Pant. lib. 4. The Magistrates of Dornic or Tornay M. Peter Bruly Preacher At Dornic An. 1545. M. Peter Bruly was preacher in the Frenche Churche at Strausburgh Peter Bruly Martyr Who at the earnest request of faythful brethren came downe to visite the lower countryes about Artoys and Dornic in Flanders wher he most dilligeÌ„tly preached the word of God vnto the people in houses the dores standing open Wherupon wheÌ„ y e magistrates of Dornic had shut the gates of the towne and had made searche for hym three dayes he was priuelye let downe the wall in the night by a basket and as he was let downe to the ditch ready to take his way one of them whiche let him downe leaning ouer the wall to byd hym fare well caused vnawares a stone to slip out of y e wall which falling vpon hym brake hys legge by reason whereof he was heard of the watchmen complayning of hys wounde and so was taken geuing thankes to God by whose prouidence he was there stayed to serue the Lord in that place Gods secret working in disposing the wayes of his seruauntes So long as he remayned in prison hee ceased not to supply the part of a diligent preacher teaching and confirming all them that came to hym in y e word of grace Beyng in prison he wrote hys owne confession and examination sent it to the brethren He wrote also an other Epistle to them that were in persecution an other also to all the faithfull also an other letter to hys wife the same day that he was burned He remayned in prison 4. monethes His sentence was geuen by the Emperours Commissioners at Bruxels that he should be burneh to ashes and hys ashes to be throwne into the riuer Although the fryers and priestes made the fire but small The Martirdome of Brulius to multiply hys payne yet he the more cheerefully and constantly tooke hys martyrdome and suffered it The letters of Duke Fredericke and of the Lantgraue came to entreat for hym but hee was burned a little before the letters came Ex Lud. Rab. Lib. 6. The Senate of Dornic Doctour Hasardus a Gray Fryer Peter Miocius Bergiban At Dornic An. 1545. The comming of M. Peter Bruly into the countrey of Flaunders Pet. Mioce Martyr did exceeding much good among the brethren as appeared by diuers other good men and namely by thys Peter Mioce which was by hys occupation a silke weauer This Peter before he was called to y e Gospell led a wicked lyfe geuen to much vngraciousnes almost to all kyndes of vyce But after the taste of the Gospell began to worke in hym so cleane it altered hym from that former man that he excelled all other in godly zeale and vertue In his first examination he was asked whether he was one of the scholers of Peter Bruly He sayd he was and that hee had receiued muche fruite by his doctrine Wilt thou then defend hys doctrine sayd they Yea sayd he Crueltie shewed vpoÌ„ Châ—istes seruauntes for that it is consonant bothe to the old Testament and to the new and for thys he was let downe vnto a deepe dongeon vnder y e castle ditch ful of toades and filthy vermine Shortly after the Senate with certayne Friers came agayne to examine him to see whether they coulde conuert hym To whome he answered and sayd that when he before had liued such an vngodly lyfe they neuer spake word agaynst hym but now for sauouring and fauoring the worde of God they were so infeste agaynst hym
Franciscan Fryers of Paris caused him to be apprehēded layd in prison and so iudgement passed vpon hym that he shoulde be hanged but he to saue hys lyfe was contented to recant and so did The Fryers hearing of his recantation commended him saying if he continued so he should be saued and so calling vpon the officers caused them to make haste to the gallowes to hang hym vp while he was yet in a good way said they least he fall again And so was this marchaunt The iudgements of God notwithstanding hys recantation hanged for iesting against the Fryers Ex. Pantal. lib. 7. To this marchaunt may also be adioyned y e brother of Tamer who when hee had before professed the truth of the gospell and afterward by the counsel and instruction of hys brother was remooued from the same fell in desperation and such sorrow of mind that he hanged himselfe Ex Ioan. Manlio in dictis Phil. Melanct.  Tho. Galbergne a Couerlet maker At Tourney Ann. 1554. This Tho. had copied out certayn spiritual songes out of a book in Geneua whiche he brought wyth hym to Tourna lent y e same to one of hys felowes This booke beyng espied Thomas Galbergne martyr he was called for of the Iustice examyned of the book which he sayd contayned nothyng but y t was agreing to the scripture that he would stand by Then he was had to y e Castle and after xix dayes was brought to the towne house and there adiudged to the fire Whereūto he went chearfully singing psalmes As hee was in y e flame the Warden of the fryers stood crying Turne Thomas Thomas yet it is tyme remember hym y t came at the last houre To whom he cryed out of the flame with a loud voyce and I trust to be one of that sort and so calling vpon the name of the Lord gaue vp hys spirite Ex Crisp. lib. 4. Nicholas Paule martyr Adde also to this one Nicholas Paul beheaded at Gaunt These two should haue bene placed amōg the Dutch Martyrs in the table before Latrunculator or vnder Marshal or examiner of Dolphenie The Lieutenant His Attourney His Scribe Rich. Feurus a goldsmith At Lyons An. 1554. Feurus a Goldesmith borne at Rhoan first being in Englād Richard Feurus martyr and in London there receiued the taste and knowledge of Gods word as in hys owne Epistle hee recordeth Then he went to Geneua where he remayned 9. or 10. yeares From thēce returning to Lions there was apprehended and condemned Then he appealed to the hye court of Paris through the motion of his friends Where in the waye as hee was led to Paris he was met by certain whome he knew not and by them taken frō hys keepers and so set at libertie which was ann 1551 After the continuing at Geneua about y e space of iii. yeares he came vppon busines to the prouince of Dolphenie and there as he found faulte wyth the grace sayd in Latine he wak detected and taken in hys Inne in the night by the vndermarshall or him which had the examination of malefactours The next day he was sent to the Iustice from him to the bishop Who ridding their handes of him then was he brought to the Lieuetenaunt who sent his aduocate w t a notary to him in the prison The examination of Richard Feurus to examine hym of his fayth The whole processe of his examinatiōs w t his aduersaryes and the fryers in his story described is long y e principal contents come to this effect Inquisitour This Inquisitor was the Aduocate which the Lieutenant sent with the Notarie Doest thou beleue the Church of Rome The Martyr No I do beleue the Catholicke and vniuersall Church Inquisitour What Catholicke church is that The Martyr The congregation or communion of Christans Inquisitour The church What congregation is that or of whom doth it consist The Martyr It consisteth in the number of Gods elect whō God hath chosen to be the members of his sonne Iesus Christ of whome he is also the head Inquisitour Where is the congregation or how is it knowē The Martyr It is dispersed through the vniuersall world in diuers regions and is knowne by the spirituall direction wherwith it is gouerned that is to say both by thy word of God and by the right institution of Christes Sacramentes Inquisitor Do ye thinke the Church that is at Geneua Lausanna Berne and suche other places to be a more true Church then the holy church of Rome The Martyr Yea verily for these haue the notes of the true Church Inquisitour Difference betweene the church of Rome and the church of Christ. What difference then make you betweene those Churches and the Church of Rome The Marytr Muche for the Churche of Rome is gouerned onely with traditions of men but those are ruled only by the word of God Inquisitor Where learned you this doctrine first The Martyr In England at London Inquisitour How long haue ye bene at Geneua The Martyr About 9. or 10. yeares Inquisitor Doest thou not beleue the virgine Mary to be a mediatrix and aduocate to God for sinners The virgin Mary no aduocate The Martyr I beleue as in the worde of God is testified Iesus Christ to be onely mediator and aduocate for all sinners Albeit the virgine Mary be a blessed womā yet the office of an aduocate belongeth not vnto her Inquisitor The Sayntes that be in Paradice haue they no power to pray for vs Whether saintes doe praye The Martyr The church of Rome is not the church of christ No but I iudge thē to be blessed to be contēted with y e grace glory whiche they haue that is that they be counted the members of the sonne of God Inquisitor And what then iudge you of them which follow the religion of the Church of Rome think you them to be Christians The Martyr No for that churche is not gouerned with y e spirite of God but rather fighteth agaynst the same Inquisitor Do you then esteme all them which seperate them selues from the Churche of Rome to be Christians The Martyr Galat. 6. I haue not to aunswere for others but onely for my selfe Euery man sayth S. Paule shall beare hys owne burden And thus the aduocate when he had asked hym whether he would put his hand to that he had sayd and had obtayned the same departed to dinner At the next examination was brought vnto him a Franciscan fryer who first entring with hym touthing the wordes y t he spake in hys Inne asked him why that grace might not be said in Latine Because sayd he by the worde of God Christians are commaunded to pray with hart and with spirite and with that tongue which is most vnderstanded and serueth best to the edification of the hearers Then the Fryer bringing forth his Benedicite Agimus tibi gratias c. Laus Deo pax viuis requies defunctis
Lorde 1515. of all such penaunce as was enioyned him and his wife at their abiuration except these three Articles following and were discharged of their badges or signes of their fagots c. Only this penaunce folowing the Byshop continued Sub poena relapsus First that neyther of them during their life should dwell out of the parish of Amersham It was happy that they were not put to taste bread and water Item that eyther of them during their life shoulde fast bread and ale euery Corpus Christi euen Item that eyther of them should during theyr liues vppon Corpus Christi day euery yeare go in pilgrimage to Asherige and there make theyr offerings as other people did but not to do open penaunce Also they were licenced by the sayd Byshop to do theyr pilgrimage at Asherige vpon Corpus Christi euen or Corpus Christi day or some other vpon any cause reasonable This penance being to them enioyned ann 1515. they obserued to the yeare 1522. saue only in the last yere the foresayd Alice his wife omitted her pilgrimage going to Asherige vpon Corpus Christi daye Also the sayd Tho. Harding being put to his othe to detect other because he contrary to his othe dissembled and did not disclose them was therefore enioyned in penaunce for his periury to beare vpō his right sleue both before and behinde a badge or patch of greene cloth or silke embrodered like a fagot during his whole life vnlesse he shoulde otherwise be dispensed withall And thus continued he from the yeare 1522. till the yeare 1532. At last the said Harding in the yeare abouesayd 1532. about Easter holydayes when the other people wēt to the church to commit their wonted idolatry toke his way into the woods there solitarily to worship the true liuing God in spirit and truth Where as he was occupied in a booke of English prayers The taking of Thomas Harding leaning or sitting vppon a style by the woods side it chanced that one did espie hym where he was and came in great haste to the officers of the towne declaryng that he had sene Harding in the woodes lookyng on a booke Wherupō immediatly a rude rable of them like mad mē ranne desperatly to his house to search for bookes in searching went so nigh that vnder the bordes of his flore they foūd certain English bookes of holy Scripture Whereupō this godly father with his bookes was brought before Iohn Longlād Bish. of Lincolne thē lying at Wooburne Who with his Chapleins calling father Harding to examination begā to reason with him proceedyng rather with checkes rebukes then with any sound arguments Thom. Hardyng seyng their folly and rude behauiour gaue thē but few wordes but fixing his trust and care in the Lord did let them say what they would Thus at last they sent him to the Bysh. prison called litle ease Tho. Harding put in little ease the Bishops prison where he did lye with hūger payne enough for a certaine space till at lēgth the Bish. sitting in his tribunall seat like a potestate cōdēned him for relapse to be burned to ashes cōmittyng the charge ouersight of his Martyrdome to Roulād Messenger vicare of great Wickhā Tho. Harding condemned Which Roulād the day appointed with a rable of other like to himselfe brought father Hardyng to Chesham agayne Where the next day after his returne the sayd Roulād made a Sermō in Cheshā Church causing Tho. Hardyng to stād before him all the preachyng tyme which Sermō was nothing els but the mainteinyng of y e iurisdiction of the Bysh. of Rome the state of his Apostolicall sea w t the idolatry fantasies traditions belōgyng to the same Whē the Sermō was ended Roulād tooke him vp to the high aulter asked whether he beleued that in y e bread after the consecratiō there remained any other substaūce then the substaunce of Christes naturall body borne of the virgin Mary To this Tho. Harding aūswered The faith and confession of Tho. Harding the Articles of our belief do teach vs that our Sauiour Christ was borne of the virgin Mary that he suffred death vnder Pilate and rose frō death the thyrd day that he then ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God in the glory of his father Then was he brought into a mans house in the towne where he remained all night in prayer and godly meditations So the next mornyng came the foresayd Roulād agayne about x. of the clocke with a company of bils and staues to lead this godly father to his burnyng Whom a great number both of men and womē did folow Of whom many bewayled his death cōtrary the wicked reioyced thereat He was brought forth hauyng thrust in his handes a little crosse of wood but no idoll vpon it Then he was cheyned to the stake The pacient death and martirdome of Tho. Harding desiring the people to pray for him and forgiuyng all his enemyes and persecuters he commended his spirite to God and tooke his death most paciently quietly liftyng vp his hands to heauen saying Iesus receaue my spirite Whē they had set fire on him there was one that threw a byllet at him dashed out his braynes Of what purpose he so did it is not knowen but as it was supposed that he might haue xl dayes of pardō as the proclamatiō was made at y e burnyng of Williā Tilseworth aboue mentioned pag. 774. whereas proclamation was made the same tyme 40. dayes of pardon for bringing fagots to burne good men that whosoeuer did bring a fagot or a stake to the burnyng of an hereticke should haue xl dayes of pardon Whereby many ignoraūt people caused their children to beare byllets and fagottes to their burnyng In fine when the sacrifice and burnt offeryng of this godly Martyr was finished and he brent to ashes in the Dell goyng to Botley at the North end of the Towne of Chesham Rouland their Ruler of the rost commaundyng silence and thinking to send the people away with an Ite missa est with aloude voyce sayd to the people these wordes not aduising belyke what his tongue dyd speake Good people whē ye come home do not say that you haue bene at the burnyng of an hereticke but of a good true Christian man and so they departed to dyner Rouland with y e rable of other Priestes much reioysing at the burnyng of this good man After dyner they went to Church to Euensong because it was Corpus Christi euen where they fell to singyng chauntyng with ryngyng and pypyng of the Organes Well was he that could reache the hyest note So much dyd they reioyce at this good mans burnyng He should haue bene burned on the Ascention euen but the matter was referred vnto the euen of Corpus Christi because they would honour their bready Messias with a bloudy sacrifice Thus Thomas Harding was consumed to ashes he being
soules be already iudged and of our Ladye either to bee or not to bee in heauen and that there is yet no iudgement geuen vpon the soules departed 7. Whether that a man may beleue without spot of heresie that our Lady remayned not alwayes a virgin 8. Whether holy dayes fastyng dayes ordeined and receiued by the Church may be broken by any priuate man Breaking of fasting dayes sinne at his will and pleasure without sinne or obstinacie 9. Whether we are bound to be obedient vnto Prelates Byshops and Kynges by Gods commauÌ„dement as we are vnto our parentes 10. Whether they beleue that the Churche doth well and godly in praying to the Saintes 11. Whether they thinke that Christ onely should be prayd vnto and that it is no heresie Christ not onely to be prayed to if any man affirme that Saintes should not be prayed vnto 12. Whether they doe thinke all true Christians to be by like right Priestes and all those to haue receiued the keyes of bindyng and loosing at the hands of Christ which haue obteined the spirite of God and onely such whether they be lay men or Priestes 13. Whether they beleue with their hart that fayth may be without workes and charitie 14. Whether they beleue that it is more agreable to the fayth that the people should pray in their owne tongue Prayer in a learned tongue theÌ„ in a learned vnknowen tongue whether they commende the prayer in a straunge tongue or no. 15. Whether they would haue the Masses and Gospels openly to be read in Churches in the vulgare tongue rather then in the Latin tongue 16. Whether they commend that children should onely be taught the Lordes prayer and not the Salutation of the virgine or Creede 17 Whether they do thinke the woodden beades which the common people doth vse Beades worthy to be denyed or not 18 Whether they do thinke the whole Scripture ought to be translated into English or that it should be more profitable for the people then as it is now read 19 Whether they would haue the Orgaines and all maner of songs to be put out of the Church of God Orgaines 20 Whether they do thinke that it perteyneth to the Byshops to punishe any man with bonds or imprisonment or that they haue any temporall power and authoritie 21 Whether they thinke that coÌ„stitution to be godly that no man should preach in another maÌ„s dioces w tout letters of commendation and licence obteyned of the Byshop 22 Whether they thinke the vowes of religious men and priuate religion Purgatory to be constitute and ordeined by the spirit of God neyther by any meanes to be repugnant to a free and perfect Christian life 23 Whether they beleue that we should pray for the dead or beleeue that there is a Purgatorie or that we are bound by necessitie of faith to beleeue neyther of them but that it is free without sinne either to beleue it or not to beleue it 24 Whether they beleue that moral Philosophy and natural Philosophy to preuaile any thing for the better vnderstanding of the scriptures for the exposition and defence of the truth 25 Whether they thinke that the Popes indulgences and pardons are rather to be reiected then receiued 26 Whether it be contrary to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles that Christians shoulde by any meanes contend in the law to seeke any maner of restitution 27 Whether they beleeue all things perteining to saluation and damnation to come of necessitie and nothing to be in our owne willes 28 Whether they beleeue God to be the authour of euill as well of the fault as of the punishment 29 Whether they thinke Masse onely to be profitable to him which saith it Masse whether euery maÌ„ may alter or leaue out the rite and order of the Masse without hurt of fayth 30 Whether they beleeue that there can be any morall vertues without the grace of Christian liuing or that the vertues which Aristotle hath set out or rather fayned 31 Whether they thinke it heresie to teache the people that it is free to geue tythes vnto Priestes or to any other poore man Images 32 Whether they do thinke it more Christianlike to take away the Images out of the Churches or to permit them to adorne them and honour them 33 Whether they thinke it the part of a Christian man that preachers should exhort men to pilgrimage or to the worshipping of reliques 34 Whether that thou Thomas Bilney being cited vpoÌ„ heresie to appeare before my Lord Cardinall and before y e day of thy apparance Reliques not hauing made thy purgatioÌ„ vpon those poyntes that thou wast cited hast preached openly in diuers Churches of the City and dioces of London without sufficient licence from the Byshop or any other Concerning the answeares vnto these Articles gentle Reader for so muche as in the most part of them Bilney with Arthur seemed to consent and agree although not fully and directly but by way and maner of qualifying yet because he did not expressely denie them it shall not be needefull heere to recite them all saue onely suche wherein he seemed to dissent from them To the first and second Articles he answered affirmatiuely Answers to the Interrogatories aforesaide To the third he sayd I beleeue that many of the Popes Lawes are profitable and necessary and doo preuayle vnto godlynesse neyther in anye poynte are repugnant vnto the Scriptures nor by anye meanes are to be abrogate but of all men to bee obserued and reuerenced But touching all those Lawes I can not determine for as for such as I haue not read I trust notwithstanding they are good also and as for those that I haue read I did neuer reade them to the ende and purpose to reprooue them but according to my power to learne and vnderstande them And as touching the multitude of Lawes S. Augustine in his time did much complayne Against the multitude of lawes and Gerson also who marueiled that we could by any meanes lyue in safetie amongst so many snares of constitutions when as our forefathers being pure before their fall could not obserue one onely precept To the fourth Article he sayde that the Catholique Church can by no meanes erre in fayth The true church can not erre in faith for it is the whole congregation of the elect and so knowen only vnto God which knoweth who are his otherwise no man shoulde be ascertayned of an other mans saluation or of his owne but onely through fayth and hope For it is written No man knoweth whether he be woorthy of hatred or loue Eccle. 5. It is also sensible and may be demonstrate so farre â—oorth as it is sufficient to establish vs in all thyngs that are to be beleeued and done For I maye truely saye of the generall Councell being congregate in the holy Ghost Beholde heere the Catholique Churche denominating the whole
men ought to worship God only and no Sayntes He sayd that Christian people should set vp no lightes before the Images of saynts for sayntes in heauen need no light and the Images haue no eyes to see He sayd as Ezechias destroyd the brasen Serpent that Moses made by the cōmaundemēt of God euen so should kinges and princes now a dayes destroy and burne the Images of Sayntes set vp in Churches These fiue hundred yeares there hath bene no good Pope 〈…〉 popes since Christ nor in all the time past we can finde but fiftye for they haue neither preached ne liued well or conformablye to theyr dignity Wherefore till now they haue borne the keyes of Symony Agaynst whom good people we must preache and teache vnto you For we canne not come to them it is great pitty they haue sore sclaundered the bloud of Christ. The people hath vsed foolishly of late Pilgrimages which for them had bene better to haue bene at home Many haue made certayne vowes which be not possible for them to fulfill and those nothing meritorious The preachers before this haue bene Antichristes and now it hath pleased our Sauiour Christ to shew their false errours and to teach an other way and maner of the holy Gospell of Christ to the comfort of your soules I trust that there shall and will come others besides me The prophesie of Bilney which shall shew and preach to you the same fayth and maner of liuing that I do shew and preach to you whych is the very true Gospell of our Sauiour Christ and the mind of the holy fathers wherby you shal be brought from theyr errours wherein you haue bene long seduced for before this there haue bene many that haue sclaundered you and the Gospell of our Sauior Christ of whom spake our Sauiour Math. xviij Qui scandalizauerit vnum de pusillis istis qui in me credit c. These many other such like depositions were deposed agaynste him by the deponentes and witnesses before sworne which wholy to recite would be too long and tedious wherfore these shall suffice at this time being the principall matters and in maner the effect of all the rest But now before we will returne agayne to the order of hys examination we thinke it good here to inferre a certaine Dialogue conteyning a communication betweene a Fryer named Iohn Brusierd and Mayster Thomas Bilney ADialogue which we haue thought meet for this place because it was done in Ipswich and also about the time of these examinations the Copy whereof we haue written with the friers owne hand in Latine the Copy whereof in English here ensueth ¶ A Dialogue betwene Fryer Iohn Brusierd and Mayster Thomas Bilney in Ipswich concerning worshipping of Images Brusierd A Dialogue betweene Bilney and Frier Brusierd ALthough you haue blasphemed most pernitiously the immaculate flocke of Christ with certayne blasphemyes of yours yet being moued partly with your gentle petitions partly pitying your case towardly dispositiō I am come hither to talke with you secretly before the rumor be disclosed vpon the consideration of the threefolde errors which I see in you First for that when you began to shoot the dart of your pestiferous error more vehemently thē you ought agaynst the brest of the ignorant multitude you seeme to poure vpō the ground the precious bloud of Christ as with a certein vehement violence out of the miserable vessel of your hart Wheras you sayd A great blasphemy among the Fryer to set vp Christ onely to be our mediatour that none of the sayntes do make intercession for vs nor obteine for vs any thing you haue perilously blasphemed the efficacy of the whole church cōsecrated with the precious bloud of Christ. Which thing you are not able to deny especially seing y e same so incessantly doth knocke at the gates of heauē through the continuall intercession of the sayntes according as in the seuenfolde Letany manifestly appeareth to be seene Bilney I maruell at you and doubtles cannot maruell enough but that the strong vayn custome of superstitious mē thinking themselues not to be heard but in much babling doth put an end of my admiration For our heauenly father knoweth what we haue need of before we aske Also it is written There is one mediatour of God and men the man Christ Iesus One mediator and no moe If then there be but one mediator of God and men the man Christ Iesus where is our bleessed Ladye where is then S. Peter and other Saintes Brusierd I suppose that no man is ignorāt but that the diuines of y e primitiue church haue all affirmed to be one mediator betweene God and man Neither could any at that time prayse or pray to the saynts whē as yet they liuing in the calamities of this body and wrastling with the cōtrary windes of this world The Popes Calender maketh moe Mediators now then were in the Primitiue Church were not yet come to the port of rest wherunto they were trauelling Paul I graūt did rightly affirme to be but one mediator of God men what time as yet there was no saint canonised or put into y e kalender But now seing the church doth know doth certeinly beleue through y e vndoubted reuelations of God that y e blessed virgin other saints are placed in the bosome of Abraham she therfore like a good mother hath taught and that most diligently vs her children to prayse the omnipotent Iesus in his saynts also to offer vp by the same sayntes our petitiōs vnto God Note this argument we must prayse God in his Saintes Ergo wee must pray to Saintes Rom. 1. Therof it is that the Psal. sayth Prayse ye the Lord in his sayntes Rightly also do we say and affirme that sayntes may pray for vs. One man may pray for another Ergo much more may saynts that do enioy the fruitiō of his high maiesty For so it is writtē God is my witnes whome I serue in my spirite in the Gospell of his sonne that without ceasing I remēber you in my praier alwaies for you c. Bilney I maruell doubtlesse that you a man learned are not yet deliuered out of the confuse dungeon of heresie through the helpe of the holy Gospell especially seing y t in the same Gospell it is written Verely verely I say vnto you what so euer you aske the father in my name Iohn 16. he will geue it vnto you He sayth not whatsoeuer ye aske the Father in the name of S. Peter In nomine meo S. Paule or other sayntes but in my name Let vs aske therfore helpe in the name of him which is able to obteine for vs of his father whatsoeuer we aske least peraduenture hereafter in the end of the world at the strayt iudgemēt we shall heare Hitherto in my name ye haue asked nothing Brusierd Where ye maruell with what minde I can not tel
clauditis regâ—um coelorum Math. 23. c. Woe be vnto you Scribes and Phariseis because yee shutte vppe the kingdome of heauen before men c. As nere as my remembrance doth serue me or els in some other place but in the same booke as I suppose he affirmeth that the keies of heauen are the worde doctrine of God This witnesseth moreouer S. Gregory I trow in his booke called Pastoralia The keyes of bynding and loosing are the word of God Greg. in Pastor or els it is in an Epistle that he writeth ad Episcopum Constantinopolitanum in these wordes Clauis appertionis est sermo correctoris qui increpando culpam detegit quam saepe nescit qui perpetrauit The key of loosing is the word of the corrector who rebuking doth disclose the fault whiche many times he knoweth not that committeth the same Ambrose Saint Ambrose agreeing to the same sayeth Verbum Dei dimittit peccata The worde of God forgiueth sinne But shal we then say that Gods ministers do not binde lose I say no not as the authors of so doing but they doe lose and bind in like maner as it is said of Paul in the Act. of y e Apostles How ministers bynde and loose Act. 26 where our Sauiour spake vnto him in this maner I shal sayde our Sauiour deliuer thee from the people and nations vnto whom I send thee that thou shouldest open their eyes that they may be conuerted from darkenes to light Here Paule is sayd to open the eyes of mens hartes Albeit to speake properly it is God that so doth And therfore Dauid prayeth vnto him Psal. 119. Reuela oculos meos Open mine eyes O Lorde And in like maner it is spoken of Iohn Baptist in the 1. of Luke Luke 1. that he shoulde goe before Christ in the spirite and power of Helias and turne the hartes of the fathers to their children and the vnbeleeuers to the wisdome of the rightwise Albeit to turne mens harts and to worke in them belongeth vnto God Metonymia is a figure when the name that properly belongeth to one is inproperly transferred to an other thing But so vse we to speake Metonymicè As if your lordship had defined me to be excommunicate and thereupon should sende a commaundement to the person of Knoll to declare the same the people would say that the person of Knol proclaiming your commandement had accursed me but yet doth he not properly curse me but you rather wheÌ„ he in pronouncing the same doth your act and commaundement rather then his owne Touching cases limited to Priestes and Ministers for losing from sin or binding in the same I do know no such thinges shewed in Scripture Power in bynding looâ—ing limited no more to one minister then an other which is the perfect way of our life Neither can any man I suppose shew by authoritie therof that one should haue more or lesse limited him theÌ„ an other And if you can or will thereby teache it me I shall thank you for your doing pray god to acquit you Concerning enioyning of penaunce I knowe of none y t men need to admitte Inioyning of penaunce nor you to put or enioyn the same except it be renouation of liuing in casting apart old vyce taking them vnto newe vertue whiche euery true pennytent entendeth or ought to entend verily by the grace assistance of our sauiour Christ Answere to the 11. article to shew and performe ¶ Unto the xj I say that grace is giuen vnto them that duely receiue the Sacramentes of Christe and his church but whether by them or no that I cannot define for God sendeth his grace where he pleaseth either with them or without them and when he pleaseth so that it is at his arbitrement how and when Moreouer many a leud persoÌ„ receiueth the sacraments Sacramentes whether they geue grace or no that are destitute of grace to their confusion So that I cannot affirme that y e Sacramentes giueth grace Yet in due receit of the Sacramentes I suppose and thinke that God geueth vnto them grace that so taketh theÌ„ Answere to the 12. article as he doth vnto al good euen without theÌ„ also ¶ Wheras in your xij article you do aske whether al thinges necessary vnto saluation are put in holy Scripture whether things only there put be sufficieÌ„t whether some things vpoÌ„ necessitie of saluatioÌ„ are to be beleued obserued which are not expressed in scripture this is y e questioÌ„ as great learned meÌ„ haue shewed me whom I do couÌ„t my freÌ„ds sith y e time I appeared at your lordships assignment before maister Doctor Lesse maister Melling w t other in your chappell of Lambeth Doctor Lesse M. Melling when these questions were fyrst propounded this I say is the question whiche as they told me is the head and whole content of all other obiected agaynst me Yea this is both the helme and sterne of al together and that which they contended right sore to impugne but loue of the trueth wherewith in this point I reckoned me well fenced would not suffer me to apply and yeld to their will thinking quòd sanctum est veritatem praeferre amicitiae Truth to be preferred befoâ—e frendship Math. 5. that the truth ought to be preferred before all friendship and amitie And also Si dextra manus scandalezet deberet praescindi abijci if the right hand offend it ought to be cut off and cast away But touching an aunswere vnto this question I suppose verily that if I had Saint Cyrils workes by me Cyrillâ—â— is Iohanâ—â—â— I should not nede to shew any other answer in this then he hath shewed afore time writing vpon this saying of S. Iohn Sunt alia multa quae fecit Iesus Iohn 21. there are many things moe which Iesus did Notwithstanding for so much as euery man at all seasons cannot haue what he would All thinges necessary to saluation conteined in Scripture and therfore must make other shift such as he may I say as I suppose the first part of your questioÌ„ to be very true and therefore to be affirmed that is to wit that al thinges needefull for mans saluation be mencioned and shewed in holy scripture and that the thinges onely there put be sufficient for the regiment of spirituall liuing mans soule health And in this shal you finde both the auncient Doctors standing with me and moreouer the suffrage of holy writte whose authoritie is of most soueraigne and vnfallible stedfastnes Looke what Saint Hierome sayeth vpon this verse Hierome Psal. 87. Ambros. lib. de Paradâ—â—â— Dominus narrabit in scripturis pupulorum The Lorde shall rehearse it when he writeth vp the people Saint Ambrose also in a treatise De Paradiso doth shew likewyse where he bringeth this text of Paule written in the 2. to the Corinth I am afraid leaste it may
Crome driueÌ„ to recant But notwithstaÌ„ding the charitable Prelates for all the kinges late exhortation vnto charity were so charitable to him that on Easter next they broght him Coram nobis Anno 1545. where they so handled him y t they made him to recant And if he had not they would haue dissolued him his argument in burning fire so burning hote was theyr charity according as they burned Anne Askew and her fellowes in the moneth of Iulye the yeare folowing The charity of the Bishops Whose tragicall story and cruell handling now consequeÌ„tly the Lord willing you shall heare ¶ The first examination of Mistres Anne Askew before the inquisitours 1545. TO satisfy your expectation The first examination of Anne Askew good people sayth she this was my first examination in the yeare of our Lorde 1545. and in the in the month of March. First Christoph. Dare examined me at Sadlers Hall Christopher Dare Inquisitor being one of the Quest and asked if I did not beleeue that the sacrament hanging ouer the altar was the very bodye of Christ really Then I demaunded this question of hym The first article agaynst Anne Askew wherfore S. Stephen was stoned to death and he sayd he could not tell Then I answered that no more woulde I assoyle his vayne question Secondly he sayd that there was a woman The second article· which did testifie that I shoulde read howe God was not in Temples made with handes Then I shewed him the 7. and 17 chap. of the actes of the Apostles what Stephen and paule had said therein Wherupon he asked me how I took those sentences I answered I would not throw pearles amoÌ„g swine for Acornes were good enough The 3. article Thirstly he asked me wherefore I sayde that I had rather to read fiue lines in the Bible then to heare 5. Masses in the temple I confessed that I sayd no lesse not for the disprayse of either y e epistle or the Gospel but because y e one did greatly edify me and the other nothing at all As S. Paul doth witnes in the 14. chap. of his first epistle to the Cor. where as he sayth 1 Cor. 14. Iâ— the trumpet geueth an vncertayne sound who will prepare himselfe to the battell Fourthly he sayd vnto my charge that I should say if an ill priest ministred The 4. article it was the deuill and not God My answere was that I neuer spake any such thyng But this was my saying Ill conditions of the ministers hurt not the faith of the receauers The 5. article The 6. article that whosoeuer he were that ministred vnto me his il coÌ„ditioÌ„s could not hurt my faith but in spirit I receiued neuertheles y e body bloud of Christ. He asked me what I said concerning confession I answered him my meaning which was as S. Iames sayth that euâ—ry man ought to knowledge his faultes to other and the one to pray for the other Sixtly he asked me what I sayd to the kinges booke And I aunswered him that I coulde say nothing to it because I neuer saw it SeueÌ„thly he asked me if I had the spirit of God in me I answered The 7. article if I had not I was but a reprobate or cast away Then he sayd he had sent for a priest to examine me which was here at hand The priest asked me what I sayd to the Sacrament of the aulter A priest brought to examine Anne Askew required much to know therein my meaning But I desired him againe to hold me excused concerning that matter None other answere would I make him because I perceiued him to be a papist The 8. article Priuate Masses Idolatry Eightly he asked me if I did not thinke that priuate masses did helpe soules departed I sayd it was great idolatry to beleue more in theÌ„ then in the death which Christ dyed for vs. Anne Askew brought to the Lord Mayor Then they had me thence vnto my L. Maior and he examined me as they had before and I answered him directly in all thinges as I aunswered the Quest before Besides this my L. Maior layd one thing to my charge whiche was neuer spokeÌ„ of me but of them that was whether a mouse eating the host receiued God or no This question did I neuer ask but in deede they asked it of me whereunto I made them no aunswere but smiled Then the Bishops Chauncellor rebuked me and sayd y t I was much to blame for vttring the scriptures For S. Paul he sayd forâ—ode women to speake Women forbidden to speake in the congregatioÌ„ and how or to talke of the word of God I answered him that I knew Paules meaning as well as he which is in the 1. Corin. 14. that a woman ought not to speak in the congregation by the way of teaching And theÌ„ I asked him how many women he had seene go into the Pulpit and preach He sayd he neuer saw none Then I sayd he ought to finde no fault in poore women except they had offended the law Then the L. Maior commaunded me to warde I asked him if sureties woulde not serue me and he made me short answere Anne Askew commaunded to the Counter by the Lord Mayor that he would take none Then was I had to the Counter and there remayned xi dayes no frend admitted to speak with me But in the mean time there was a priest sent to me which sayd that he was commaunded of the Bishop to examine me and to geue me good counsell which he did not Talke betweene Anne Askew a Priest sent to her in prison But first he asked me for what cause I was put in the Counter and I told him I could not tell Then he sayd it was great pity that I should be there w tout cause and concluded that he was very sory for me Secondly he sayd it was told him that I should deny the Sacrament of the aulter And I aunswered agayne that that I haue sayd I haue sayd Thirdly he asked me if I were shriuen I tolde him so that I might haue one of these three that is to say Doctor Crome Syr Gillam or Huntington I was contented be cause I knew them to be men of wisedome as for you or any other I will not disprayse because I knowe you not Then he sayd I would not haue you thinke but that I or an other y t shall be brought you shall be as honest as they for if we were not you may be sure the king would not suffer vs to preach Then I aunswered by the saying of Salomon By communing with the wise I may learne wisdome Prou. 1. But by talking with a foole I shall take scathe pro. Fourthly he asked if the host should fall and a Beaste did eate it whether the beast did receiue God or no I answered Whether a mouse may eate Christes body in the Sacrament
thou shewe mercy vnto thy neighbour This place tendeth to no such meaning as is in the article but onely sheweth our good deedes to be imperfect 18. article This place geueth to none any propriety of an other mannes goodes but onely by waye of Christian communion 19. Article yet if thou do it not with suche burning loue as Christ did vnto thee so must thou knowledge thy sinne and desire mercy in Christ c. 18. Euery man is Lord of another mans good fol. 83. The words of Tindall be these Christ is Lord ouer all and euery Christian is heire annexed with Christ therefore Lord of all and euery one lord of whatsoeuer an other hath If thy brother or neigbour therefore neede and thou haue to helpe him and yet shewest not mercy but withdrawest thy hands from him then robbest thou him of his owne and art a theefe c. Reade more heereof in the xx Article following 19. I am bound to loue the Turke with the very bottome of my hart fol. 83. The place of this Article is this I am bound to loue the Turke with all my might and power yea and aboue my power euen frō the ground of my hart To loue the Turke to that end to win him to Christ is no heresie but charitye after the example that Christ loued me neither to spare goods body or life to win him to Christ. And what can I do more for thee if thou gauest me all the world Where I see neede there can I not but pray if Gods spirit be in me c. 20. The woorst Turke liuing hath as much right to my goodes at his neede as my housholde or mine owne selfe fol. 83. 20. article Reade and marke wel the place in the wicked Mammon In Christ we are all of one degree without respect of persons Notwithstanding though a christen mans hart be open to all mē Loe Reader how peeuishly this place is wrested First here is no mention made of any Turke Secōdly this place speaking of an Infidell meaneth of such Christians which forsake their owne householdes Thirdly by his right in thy goodes he meaneth no propriety that he hath to claime but onely to put thee in remembrance of thy Christen duety what to geue and receyueth all men yet because that his habilitie of goodes extendeth not so farre this prouision is made that euery man shall care for his owne houshold as father and mother and thyne elders that haue holpen thee wife children and seruants If thou shouldest not care and prouide for thine housholde then were thou an Infidell seeing thou hast taken on thee so to do and for so much as that is thy part committed to thee of the congregation When thou hast done thy dutie to thine housholde and yet hast further aboundance of the blessing of God that owest thou to the poore that can not labour or woulde labour and can get no worke and are destitute of friends to the poore I meane which thou knowest to them of thine owne parish If thy neighbours which thou knowest be serued and thou yet haue superfluitie and hearest necessitie to be among the breethren a thousand mile off to them art thou detter Yea to the very Infidels we be detters if they neede as farrefoorth as we maintayne them not against Christ or to blaspheme Christ. Thus is euery man that needeth thy helpe thy father mother sister and brother in Christ euen as euery man that doth the will of the father is father mother sister and brother vnto Christ. Moreouer if any be an Infidel and a false Christian and forsake his houshold his wife children and suche as can not helpe themselues then art thou bound to them if thou haue wherewith euen as much as to thine owne housholde and they haue as good right in thy goodes as thou thy selfe c. And if the whole world were thine yet hath euery brother his right in thy goodes and is heire with thee as we are all heyres with Christ c. 21. Almes deserueth no meede fol. 84. 21. article The place is this He that seeketh with his aliues more then to be mercifull to be a neighbour to succour his brothers neede to doe his duetie to his brother The place is playne 22. article to geue hys brother that he oweth him the same is blinde and seeth not what it is to be a christen man and to haue fellowship in Christes bloud c. 22. There is no worke better then another to please God To make water to wash dishes to be a sowter or an Apostle all is one To wash dishes and to preach is all one as touching the deed to please God fol. 44. The words of Tindall be these As pertayning to good works vnderstand that all workes are good whyche are done within the lawe of God in fayth and with thankesgiuing to God These wordes of Tindall sufficiētly discharge the article of al heresy if they be well wayed The meaning whereof is this that all our acceptation with God standeth onely vpon our fayth in Christ and vpon no work nor office Whereby Cornelius the Tanner beleeuing in Christ is as wel iustified before God as the Apostle or preacher So that there is no reioycing now neyther in work nor office but onely in our faith in Christ which onely iustifieth vs before God Rom. 8. and vnderstande that thou in thy doing them pleasest God whatsoeuer thou doest within the law of God as when thou makest water c. Moreouer put no difference betweene workes but whatsoeuer commeth into thy handes that doe as tyme place and occasion geueth and as God hath put thee in degree high or low As touching to please God there is no worke better then an other God loketh not first on thy workes as the world doth as though the beautifulnes of the world pleased him as it doth the world or as though he had neede of them but God looketh first on the hart what faith thou hast to his wordes how thou beleeuest him and how thou louest him for his mercy that hee hath shewed thee he looketh with what hart thou workest and not what thou workest how thou acceptest the degree that he hath put thee in and not of what degree thou art whether thou be an Apostle or a Shomaker Set this example before thine eyes Thou art a kitchen Page and washest thy maisters dishes Another is an Apostle and preacheth the word of God Of this Apostle harke what S. Paule sayth If I preach sayth he I haue naught to reioyce in for necessitie is put vnto me As who shoulde say God hath made me so wo is vnto me if I preach not If I doo it willinglye saith he then haue I my rewarde that is then am I sure that Gods spirit is in me and that I am elect to eternall life If I do it against my will an office is committed vnto mee that is if I doe it not
and Priestes to God his father c. Apoc. 1. Of y t maner is Christ a priest for euer and all we are Priestes through him and neede no more of anye such priest to be a meane for vs vnto God c. 12 He destroyeth the sacraments of Matrimony and Orders Fol. 144. 12. article As truly as matrimony and orders be sacramentes so truely is this article an heresie 13 He sayth that Purgatory is of the popes inuention and therefore he may doe there what soeuer he will Fol 150. One of the popes owne writers saith thus 13. articlâ— soules being in purgatory are vnder y e popes iurisdiction the P. may if he will euacuate all purgatory Ioannes Angelus Furthermore y e olde Fathers make litle mention of purgatory y e Greek church neuer beleued Purgatory S. Augustine doubteth of purgatory and the scriptures playnly disproue purgatory S. Iohn sayth The bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of God purgeth vs from all sinne And the pope sayth sinne can not be purged but by the fire of purgatory 1. Iohn 1. nowe whose inuention can Purgatory be but onely the popes 14 Saintes be saued not by theyr merites but onely by the merites of Christ. fol. 151. What can be more manifest and playne by the Scryptures then this Esay sayth All we haue erred 14. article euery man in his owne wayes Veritye made heresie and God hath layd vpon him all our iniquities c. 15 He sayth no man may be hired to pray fol. 155. The wordes in the obedience be true which are these 15. article To pray one for an other are we equally bound to pray is a thing that we may alwayes doe what soeuer we haue in hand and that to do may no man hyre an other The place annexed christes bloud hath hyred vs already c. 16 Why should I trust sayth he in Paules prayer or holines 16. article If S. Paule were aliue he would compare himselfe to S. Paule and be as good as he fol. 159. The wordes of Tindall be these Why am not I also a false Prophet if I teache thee to trust in Paule The place annexed or in hys holines or praier or in any thing sauing in Gods word as Paule did Iâ— Paule were here and loued me as hee loued them of his time The wordes of Tindall import no such meaning as is in the article to whom hee was a seruaunt to preache Christ what good could he do for me or wish me but preache christ pray to God for me to open my hart to geue me his spirite and to bring me vnto the ful knowledge of Christ Unto which port or hauen when I am once come I am as safe as Paule ioynt heire with Paule of all the promises of God c. 17. article 17 He sayth that all that be baptised become Christ himselfe fol. 163. With this Article conferre the words of the Obedience The place annexed which be these In Math. 28. sayth Christ in as muche as ye haue done it to any of the least of these my brethreÌ„ ye haue done it to me And in as much as ye haue not done it vnto one of the least of these ye haue not done it vnto me Here seest thou that we are Christes brethren and euen Christ himselfe and whatsoeuer we doe one to another that do we to Christ. c. 18 He sayth that the children of fayth be not vnder no lawe 18. Article fol. 163. The wordes of Tindall be these The place annexed The article is true being truly taken I serue thee not because thou art my mayster or king for hope of rewarde or feare of payne but for the loue of Christ. For the childreÌ„ of fayth are vnder no law as thou seest in the Epistle to the Romaines to the Galath and the 1. to Tim. but are free The spirite of Christ hath written the liuely law of loue in their hartes whiche driueth them to worke of theyr owne accorde freely and willingly for the great loue sake onelye which they see in Christ and therfore need they no lawe to compell them c. 19 There is no deede so good 19. Article but that the law condemneth it fol. 177. The place in the Obedience is this The place annexed Thou hast the story of Peter how he smote Malchus eare and howe Christ healed it agayne There hast thou in plaine text great fruit and great edifying which I passe ouer TheÌ„ come I wheÌ„ I preach of the law and the gospell and borow this example to expresse the nature of the law and of the Gospell and to paynt it vnto thee before thine eyes What heresie is in this and of Peter hys sword make I the law and of Christ the gospel saying as Peters sworde cutteth of the eare so doth the lawe The law damneth the law killeth and mangleth the conscieÌ„ce There is no eare so righteous that can abide the hearyng of the law There is no deede so good but that the law daÌ„neth it But Christ that is to say the Gospell the promises and Testament that God hath made in Christ healeth the eare and conscience which the law hath hurt c. 20 To aske of God more then he hath promised 20. Aâ—ticleâ— commeth of a false fayth and is playne idolatry 171. The wordes of Tindall are these Looke wherin thou canst best keep the commaundementes The place annexed thither get thy self and there abide c. If we haue infirmities y t draw vs froÌ„ the lawes of God let vs cure them with the remedies that God hath made If thou burne marry for God hath promised thee no chastitie as long as thou mayest vse y e remedy that he hath ordayned What heresie is in this no more then hee hath promysed to slacke thine hunger without meate Now to aske of God more then he hath promised commeth of a false fayth and is playne Idolatry c. 21 Our payne taken in keeping the commaundements doth nothing but purge the sinne that remayneth in the fleshe 21. article But to looke for any other reward or promotion in heauen then God hath promised for Christes sake is abhominable in the sight of God fol. 171. Consider the place in the Obedience which is this To looke for any other reward or promotion in heauen or in the life to come The place annexed then that which God hath promised for Christes sake and which Christ hath deserued for vs with his payne taking is abhominable in the sight of God For Christ only hath purchased the reward and our payne taking to keepe the commaundements doth but purge the sinne that remayneth in the flesh and certifie vs that wee are chosen and sealed with Gods spirit vnto the rewarde that Christ hath purchased for vs c. 22 The Pope hath no other authoritie but to preache onely fol. 173.
by good reasoÌ„ 〈◊〉 The wordes be these Playnely I thinke that y e whole is takeÌ„ away sith I see manifestly the one part gone for y e bread the wine is but one sacrameÌ„t the other is left only for a laughing stocke For he that in one part offendeth against god is gilty in al. Therfore it were better to receiue neither of the partes then the one alone for so we might y e more suâ—ely eschue the transgression of that which Christe did institute â—5 Article c. 35. The law of the Pope that commaundeth euery man to communicate together vpon one day is a most cruell law constrayning men to theyr owne destruction fol. 73. The place 〈◊〉 The place is this He the Pope he meaneth setting a most cruell and deadly snare to tangle the consciences suffereth not the vse of this Sacrament to be free but coÌ„pelleth all together on one certayne day once in the yeare to communicate 〈◊〉 ought 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 Here I pray thee ChristeÌ„ brother how many doest thou thinke do communicate onely by the coÌ„pulsion of this precept which truely in theyr hart had leuer not to communicate And all these sinne for they doe not communicate in spirite that is to say communion agaynst their willes but to be exhorted and left to their owne disposition neither in fayth nor will but by the compulsion of this letter and law sith that this bread requireth a hungry and not a full hart muche lesse a disdayning hateful minde And of all these sinnes the Pope is author constrayning all men by his most cruell lawe to theyr owne destruction where as he ought to leaue this communion free to euery man and onely call exhort them and not compell and driue them vnto it c. 36 The spirit would that nothing should be done but that which is expressely rehearsed in scripture· fol. 81. 36. Article In thinges appertayning to Gods worship and seruice true it is that he is not to be worshipped In things perteyning to gods worship it is true but only according to that which he hath reuealed expressed vnto vs in his owne word And this is the meaning of the author as by his wordes doth playnely apppeare 37 Saynt Thomas de Aquino sauoreth nothing of the spirite of God fol. 83. 37. Article The doctrine of Thomas Aquine referreth the greatest or a very great part of our righteousnes to opus operatuÌ„ and vnto merites Tho. Aquine The spirit of God referreth al our righteousnes before God onely to our fayth in Christ. Nowe how these sauor together let any indifferent reader iudge 38 The Pope did condemne the truth of the word of God openly at Constance in Io. Hus 38. Article perseuering vnto this day in the same stubbernnes fol. 86. Iohn Hus. Touching the condemnation of Iohn Hus the maner of his handling the cause of his death read his storye before beginning pag. 602. and consider moreouer his prophecy of the hundreth yeares after him expyred pag. 770. how truly the sequele did folow in M. Luther theÌ„ iudge of his cause good reader as the truth of Gods worde shall lead thee And thus much concerning these slauÌ„derous articles * Here follow other heresyes and errors Articles out of the Summe of the Scripture collected by the Byshops out of the booke named the Summe of the Scripture with the places of the booke annexed to the same THe water of the fount hath no more vertue in it then hath any other water fol. 1. 1. Article 2 The water of Baptisme lyeth not in halowed water or in other outward thing but onely in fayth fol. 6. The place of these two articles gathered out of y e suÌ„me of the Scripture is this 2. Article The water of Baptisme taketh not away our sinne for then were it a precious water and then it behoued vs dayly to wash our selues therin The place annexed Neyther hath the water of the Fount more vertue in it selfe theÌ„ the water that runneth in the riuer of Rhene WheÌ„ Philip baptised the Eunuch the seruant of Candace the Queene of Ethiope there was then no halowed water nor candle nor salte nor creame neither white habite Actes 8. but he baptised him in the first water they came to vpoÌ„ y e way Here mayst thou perceiue that the vertue of Baptisme lyeth not in halowed water or in the outward thinges that we haue at y e Fount but in the fayth onely c. Christ hath healed vs sayth S. Paule by the bath of regeneration and renouation of the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 3 Godfathers and Godmothers be bound to helpe theyr childreÌ„ that they be put to schole that they may vnderstand the Gospel 3. Article and the Epistles of S. Paule fol. 15. The place of this article gathered out of the sayd booke is this The Godfathers and Godmothers be bounde to helpe the children that they be put to schole to the entent The place annexed y t they may vnderstand the Gospell the ioyfull message of God with the Epistles of S. Paule God hath commaunded to publish to shew the Gospel not onely to priestes but to euery creature Goe ye sayth Christ vnto his Disciples into the vniuersall world and preach the Gospel to euery creature Marke 16. For we be all equally bound to knowe the Gospell and the doctrine of the new testament c· And S. Paule writing to the Corinthi confesseth that hee sendeth hs Epistles to all the Churche that is to say to all the assemble of Christen men to all them that call â—n the name of Iesus c. 4 We thinke when we beleue that God is God can our creed that we haue the fayth that a christian man is bound to haue 4. Article but so doth the deuill beleue fol. 17. 5 To beleue that the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost be one God is not the principall that we must beleue our fayth dooth not lye principally in that for so beleueth the deuill fol. 18. 5. Article This place out of the which these two articles are collected is this We thinke when we beleue that God is God The place annexed and can our Creede that we haue the fayth which a Christian is bound to haue The deuill beleueth also that there is a God and life euerlasting and a hell Iam. 2. but hee is neuer the better for it and he trembleth alway for this fayth as sayth Saint Iames The deuils beleue and they tremble A man might aske What true fayth is that iustifieth what shall I then beleue Thou shalt beleue playnely and vndoubtedly that the father the sonne and the holy Ghost is one only God c. But this likewise beleue the wicked spirites and are nothing the better therfore There is yet an other fayth which Christ so much requireth
then they by learning shal prooue shee shall not be mooued And so farre it is thought reason wil compell her grace In the ende yee shall say The good willes and mindes of the Lorde Protectour and the Counsaile is so muche toward her grace that how soeuer shee would her selfe in honor be esteemed how soeuer in conscience quieted yea how soeuer benefited sauing their dueties to God and the king they woulde as muche and in theyr doings if it please her to prooue it will be nothing inferiours assuring her grace that they be moste sorie shee is thus disquieted and if necessitie of the cause the honour and suretie of the king and the iudgement of theyr owne conscience mooued them not thus farre they woulde not haue attempted But their trust is her grace wil alow them the more when she shal perceiue the cause and thinke no lesse coulde be done by them where shee prouoked them so farre Note Doctor Hoptons allowance of the communion in those dayes ¶ These and other of like credite more amply committed to you in speache you shal declare to her grace and further declare your conscience for the allowing of the manner of the Communion as yee haue plainely professed it before vs. At Richmund 14. Iune 1549. The Lady Mary to the Lorde Protectour and the rest of the Counsaile 27. Iune 1549. MY Lorde I perceiue by letters directed from you and other of the kinges maiesties Counsaile to my Controller my Chaplaine and master Englefelde my seruaunt that ye will them vppon their allegeaunce to repaire immediately to you wherin you geue me euident cause to chaunge mine accustomed opinion of you all that is to say to thinke you careful of my quietnesse and wel doings considering how earnestly I wryte to you for the stay of two of them and that not without very iust cause And as for maister Englefeld assoone as he could haue prepared himselfe hauing his horsses so farre off although yee hadde not sent at this present would haue perfourmed your request But in deede I am much deceiued For I supposed ye would haue waied and takē my letters in better part if yee haue receiued them if not to haue taried mine answere and I not to haue found so litle frendship not to haue bene vsed so vngently at your hands in sending for him vpon whose trauail doth rest the only charge of my whole house as I wryt to you lately whose absence therefore shall be to me my sayde house no little displeasure especially being so farre off And besides all this I doe greatly maruaile to see your wrytinge for him and the other two with suche extreeme wordes of pearill to ensue towardes them in case they did not come and specially for my Controller whose charge is so great that he canne not sodainly be meete to take a iourney which woordes in mine opinion needed not vnlesse it were in some verye iust and necessarye cause to any of mine who taketh my selfe subiect to none of you all not doubting but if the kinges maiestie my brother were of sufficient yeares to perceiue this matter and knewe what lacke and in commoditie the absence of my said officer should be to my house his grace woulde haue beene so good Lorde to mee as to haue suffered him to remaine where his charge is Notwithstanding I haue willed him at this time to repaire to you commaunding him to returne foorthwith for my very necessities sake and I haue geuen the like leaue to my poore sicke prieste also whose life I thinke vndoubtedly shall be putte in hasard by the wet and colde painefull trauaile of this iourney But for my parte I assure you all that since the king my father your late maister and verye good Lorde died I neuer tooke you for other then my frendes but in this it appeareth cōtrary And sauing I thought verily that my former letters shoulde haue discharged this matter I woulde not haue troubled my selfe with wryting the same not doubting but you doe consider that none of you all would haue bene contented to haue bene thus vsed at your inferiours handes I meane to haue hadde your officer or any of your seruaunts sent for by a force as yee make it knowing no iust cause why Wherefore I doe not a little maruaile that yee had not this remembraunce towardes mee who alwayes hath willed and wished you as well to doe as my selfe and both haue and will praye for you all as heartily as for mine owne soule to almightye God whome I humblye beseeche to illumine you all with his holy spirite to whose mercy also I am at a full poynt to commit my selfe what soeuer shall become of my body And thus with my commendations I bid you all fare well From my house at Kenninghal the 27. of Iune Youre frende to my power though you geue mee contrary cause Mary A copie of the kinges Maiesties letter to the Ladie Marie 24. Ian. 1550. RIght deare c. We haue seene by letters of our Counsaile sent to you of late and by your aunsweare thereunto touching the cause of certaine your Chaplaines hauing offended our lawes in saying of Masse their good and conuenient aduises and your frutelesse and indirect mistaking of the same which thing mooueth vs to wryte at this time that where good counsell from oure Counsaile hathe not preuailed yet the like from our selfe maye haue due regarde The whole matter we perceiue resteth in thys that you being oure next sister in whome aboue all other oure subiectes nature shoulde place the moste estimation of vs would wittingly and purposely not onely breake our lawes your selfe but also haue others maintained to doe the same Truely howe soeuer the matter may haue other termes other sense it hath not and although by your letter it seemeth you chalenge a promise made that so you myghte do yet surely we know the promise had no such meaning neither to maintaine ne to continue your fault You muste knowe this sister you were at the first time when the law was made borne with all not because you shoulde disobey the lawe but y t by our lenitie and loue shewed you might learne to obey it Wee made a difference of you from our other subiectes not for that all other should folow our lawes you only against and them but that you might be brought as far forward by loue as others were by duety The error wherein you would rest is double euery part so great that neither for the loue of God we can wel suffer it vnredressed neither for the loue of you we can but wish it amēded First you retaine a fashion in honoring of God who in dede therby is dishonored therin erre you in zeal for lacke of science hauing science offered you you refuse it not because it is science we trust for then should we dispaire of you but because you thinke it is none And surely in this we can best reprehende you learning
t your grace whom we should otherwise honour for the kinges maiesties sake by your owne deedes shoulde prouoke vs to offend you we do perceaue great discommoditie to the realm by your graces singularitie if it may be so named in opinion in one respect as you are sister to our soueraigne Lord maister we most hūbly beseeche your grace to shew your affection cōtinually towardes him as becōmeth a sister And as your grace is a subiect and we counsellors to his Maiesties estate we let you know the exāple of your graces opinion hindreth the good weale of thys realm which thing we think is not vnknowne vnto you if it be we let your grace knowe it is to true For Gods sake we beseech your grace let nature set before your eyes the yong age of the king your brother Let reason tell you y e losenes of the people how then can you without a wayling hart thinke that ye should be y e cause of disturbance if your grace see the king being y e ordinary ruler vnder God not onely of all others in the realme but of you also call his people by ordinary lawes one way with what hart can your grace stay your selfe without following muche worse to stay other y t would follow their soueraigne Lord Can it be a loue in you to forsake him his rule and lawe take a priuate way by your selfe If it be not loue it is much lesse obedience If your grace thinke the kings maiestie to be ouer his people as the head in a mans bodye is ouer the rest not onely in place but in dignitie and science how can you being a principall mēber in y e same body keep y e nourishment from y e head we pray your grace most earnestly think this thing so much greueth vs as for our priuate affectiō good willes vnto you though we shuld dissemble yet for our publicke office we cannot but plainely enforme your grace not doubting but that your wisedome can iudge what your office is if it were not your owne cause we know your grace by wisedome could charge vs if we suffered y e like in any other Truely euery one of vs a part honoreth your grace for our maisters sake but when we ioyn together in publick seruice as in this writing we do We iudge it not tollerable to know disorder to see the cause leaue it vnamēded For though we would be negligēt y e world would iudge vs. And therfore we do altogether eftsoones require your grace in the kinges maiesties name y t if any of your 2. chaplains Mallet or Barcklet be returned or as soone as any of them shall returne to your graces house y e same may be by your graces commaundement or order sent or deliuered to the sheriff of Essex who hath commandement from the kings maiestie by order of the law of his crowne to attache them or if that conditiō shall not like your grace yet y t then he may be warned frō your graces house yet not kept there to be as it were defended frō the power of the law Which thing we think surely neither your grace will meane nor any of your counsell assent thereto And so to make an end of our letter being long for the matter and hitherto differred for our great busines we trust your grace first seeth how y e vsage of your Chaplaines differeth from the maner of our licence and what good entent moued vs to write vnto you in former letters lastly that the thinges whereunto the king and the whole realme hath consented be not onely lawful and iust by the pollicie of the Realme but also iust and godly by the lawes of God So that if we which haue charge vnder the King should willingly consent to the open breach of them we could neyther discharge our selues to the king for our dueties neyther to God for our conscience The consideration of which things we pray almighty God by his holye spirit to lay in the bottome of your hart and thereupon to build such a profession in you as both God may haue his true honor the king his dewe obedience the Realme concord and we most comfort For all the which we do hartely pray therwith for the cōtinuance of your graces helth to your harts desire Frō Westminster y e xxv of December * The Lady Mary to the Lordes of the Counsell xx May. 1551. MY Lordes after my harty commendations to you although both I haue bene and also am loth to trouble you with my letters yet neuerthelesse the newes which I haue lately hard touching my Chaplayne Doctor Mallet forceth me thereunto at this present for I heare by credible report that you haue committed him to the tower which newes seeme to me very strange notwithstanding I thought it good by these to desire you to aduertise me what is the cause of his imprisonment assuring you I would be sory that any of mine should deserue the like punishment and there is no creature within the Kings maiesties Realme would more lament that any belonging to them should giue iust cause so to be vsed then I would do who would haue thought much frendship in you if you had geuen me knowledge wherein my sayd Chaplein had offended before you had ministred suche punishment vnto him eftsoones requiring you to let me knowe by this bearer the truth of the matter And thus thanking you for the short dispatch of the poore Marchaunt of Portingall I wish to you all no worse then to my selfe and so bid you farewell From Beaulien the 2. of May. Your frend to my power Mary * The Counsell to the Lady Mary 6. of Maye 1551. AFter our humble cōmendatiōs to your grace we haue receiued your letters of the second of this moneth by the which your grace seemeth to take it straungely that Doctor Mallet is committed to prison whereof we haue the more maruell seeing it hath bene heeretofore signified vnto you that he hath offended the kings maiesties lawes and thereof condemned your grace hath bene by our letters earnestly desired that he might be deliuered to the Sheriffe of Essex according to the iust processe of the lawe to the which all maner persons of this Realme be subiect whereof howsoeuer it seemeth straunge at this tyme to your grace that he is imprisoned it may seme more strange to other that he hath escaped it thus long and if the place being the Tower moue your grace not to impute his imprisonment to his former offense then we pray your grace to vnderstand that in deede it is for the very same and the place of the imprisonment to be at the Kings Maiesties pleasure from whome besides the charge of his lawes we haue expresse commaundement to doe that we doe And so we beseech your grace to thinke of vs that neither in thys case nor in any other we meane to do any other then minister and see as much as in our
therfore it must be receyued with the instrument of the soule which is fayth For as ye receiue sustenance for your body by your bodily mouth so the foode of your soule must be receiued by fayth which is the mouth of the soule And for that S. Augustine sharpely rebuketh them that thinke to eat Christ with their mouthe saying Quid paras dentem ventrem crede manducasti i. Why makest thou redy thy tooth thy belly August 〈◊〉 Ioan. 〈◊〉 25. beleue thou hast eateÌ„ Christ. Likewise speaking of eatyng the selfe same body he sayth to the Capernaites which tooke hym grosly as men do now a dayes The words that I speake are spirit and lyfe It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothyng Iohn 6. And S. Augustine vpon these words of Christ sayth * That is to 〈◊〉 You shall 〈◊〉 eate the boâ—â— which you 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 bloâ—d whicâ— they shall 〈◊〉 that shall 〈…〉 me I 〈◊〉 commended you a 〈◊〉 vnderstood 〈◊〉 spiritually 〈◊〉 it shall 〈◊〉 you lyfe 〈◊〉 flesh 〈◊〉 nothing NoÌ„ hoc corpus quod videtis manducaturi estis neque bibituri sanguinem quem effusuri sunt qui me crucifigent Sacramentum aliquod vobis trado Id spiritualiter acceptum viuificat caro auteÌ„ non prodest quicquam August Quinquagena 2. Psal 98. Custome What meane you by this spirite and by spirituall eatyng I pray you vtter your mynde more playnely For I know well that Christ hath a bodye and therefore must be eaten as I thinke with the mouth of the bodye For the spirit and the soule as it hath no body and flesh so it hath no mouth Veritie You must vnderstand that a man is shaped of two partes of the body and of the soule And eche of them hath his life and his death his monthe his teethe his foode and abstinence For like as the body is nourished and fostered with bodily meats or els can not endure so must the soule haue his cherishing otherwise it will decay pine away And therefore we do may iustly say that the Turkes Iewes and Heathen be dead because they lacke y t liuely foode of the soule But how then or by what meane wil you fede the soule Doubtles not by the instrument of the body but of the soule For that which is receiued into the bodye hath no passage from thence into the soul. For Christ sayth That what â—o entreth into the belly is conueied into the draught And where as you say that the spirite hathe no mouth like as it hath no bodye or bones you are deceiued For the spirite hath a mouthe in his kinde or else howe coulde a man eate and drinke Iustice for vndoubtedly his bodily mouthe is no fit instrument for it Yet Christ sayeth that he is blessed that hungreth and thirsteth for Iustice. If hee hunger and thirst for Iustice 〈◊〉 5. belike he both eateth and drinketh it or otherwise he neither abateth his hunger nor quencheth hys thirst 〈◊〉 is to 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Nowe if a man eate and drinke righteousnesse wyth hys spirite no doubt his spirite hath a mouth Whereof I will reason thus Da Of what soeuer sorte the mouth is suche is hys foode ti But the mouth of the spirite is spirituall not bodily si Therefore it receiueth Christes body spiritually not bodily And in like manner Christe speaking of the eatyng of hys bodye nameth him selfe the breade not for the bodye but of life for the soule 〈◊〉 6. and sayth He that commeth to me shal not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Wherfore who so will be relieued by the body of Christ must receiue him as hee will be receiued with the instrumente of faith appoynted thereunto not with his teethe or mouthe And where as I say that Christes body must be receiued taken with faith I meane not that you shall plucke downe Christ from heauen and put him in your faith as in a visible place but that you must with your faith rise and spring vp to him and leauing this world dwell aboue in heauen putting all your trust coÌ„fort and consolation in him which suffered grieuous bondage to set you at libertye to make you free creeping into his wounds which were so cruelly pearced and doâ—ted for your sake So shall you feede the body of Christ so shall you sucke the bloud that was poured out and shed for you This is the spiritual y e very true the onely eating of Christes body â—regory And therfore S. Gregorie calleth it Cibum mentis non ventris i. The foode of the minde and not of the bellie â—â—yprian And S. Cyprian sayth likewise Non accuimus dentem nec ventrem paramus i. We sharpen not oure tooth nor prepare our bellie Now to returne to our former purpose seeing it is plain that Christes body is meat for our spirit and hath nothing to do with our body I wil gather thereof this reason The sacrament is bodily foode and increaseth the body Ergo the sacrament is not the very body of Christ. That it norisheth the body it is euident for Christe calleth it the fruite of the vine whose duetie is to nourish And for a proofe if you consecrate a whole loafe it will feede you so well as your table bread And if a little Mouse get an host he will craue no more meate to hys dinner But you will saye these are worldly reasons What then if the old Fathers recorde the same Irenaeus sayth Quando mixtus calix fractus panis percipit verbum Dei sit Eucharistia corporis sanguinis Domini ex quibus augetur consistit carnis nostrae substantia Beda witnesseth the same by these woordes Quia panis carnem confirmat Christes â—â—dy is spiâ—â—â—uall â—eate vinum sanguinem operatur in carne hic ac corpus Christi mysticè illud ad sanguinem refertur Wherefore as I sayde before seeing that Christes body is spirituall meat and the bread of the sacrament bodily I may conclude that the sacrament is not Christes body Beside this where it was forbidden in the old law that any man should eat or drinke bloud the Apostles notwithstanding tooke the cup at Christes handes and dranke of it neuer staggered or shranke at the matter 〈…〉 bloud 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 whereby it may be gathered that they tooke it for a mysterie for a token and a remembraunce farre otherwise then it hath of late bene taken Againe when the sacrament was dealte none of theÌ„ all crouched downe and tooke it for his God forgettinge hym that sate there present before their eies â—neeling to 〈◊〉 Sacraâ—ent forâ—idden in 〈◊〉 CouÌ„â—â—ls â—he Sacraâ—â—nt carryâ—â— home in 〈◊〉 but tooke it and eate it knowing that it was a sacrament and a remembraÌ„ce of Christes body Yea the old Councels commanded that no man should kneele downe at the time of the Communion fearing
barbariae vitium contrahat The report of the Princes Scholemaister in commendation of his towardnes to the Archb. RIght honorable and my singular good Lorde This 〈◊〉 seemetâ— be 〈◊〉 by D. â— after my most harty coÌ„mendations the oportunitie of this messenger forceth me to wryte at this time hauing litle matter but onely to signify vnto your grace that my Lords grace your godsonne is mery and in health and of such towardnes in learning godlinesse gentlenes and all honest qualities y t both you and I and all this realme ought to thinke him and take him for a singular gift sent of God an Impe worthy of such a father for whome we are bound sine intermissione to render to God most harty thankes wyth most humble request of hys long prosperous continuance He hath learned almoste foure bookes of Cato to construe to parse and to say wythout booke And of hys owne courage nowe in the latter Booke hee will needes haue at one time 14. Uerses which he konneth pleasantly and perfectly besides things of the Bible Sattellitium Viuis Aesops Fables and Latin making wherof he hath sent your Grace a litle tast Dominus Iesus te diutissimè seruet Thus muche hetherto hauinge declared The 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 departâ—â— touchinge the worthy vertues and singulare towardnesse of this godlye impe king Edward the sixth although I haue not neither can insert all things due to his commendation but am enforced to let passe many memorable matters well worthy to be prosecuted if they might haue come to our hands yet this one briefe note I thought not to ouerslip somethinge to recreate the wery reader in suche a dolfull storye being notified to me by one M. Edward Hunderhill who wayting y e same time w t the rest of his felowes pensioners and men at armes as Syr Henry Gates M. Robert Hal M. Henry Harston and M. Stafforton hearde these woordes betweene the king and his counsaile The relation and testimonie of which persone and persons aboue named come to this effect that king Edw. the 6. the 4. yere of his raigne being then but 13. yeres old and vpward at Greenewiche vpon S. Georges day when he was come from the sermon into y e presence chamber there being his vncle the Duke of Somerset the Duke of Northumb with other Lordes Knights of that order called the order of the Garter he said vnto them My Lordes I pray you what saincte is S. George that we here so honour hym At which question the other Lordes being all astonied the L. Treasurer y t then was perceiuing this gaue answer and said If it please your Maiestie I did neuer read in any hystorie of S. George but only in Legenda aurea where it is thus set downe that S. George out with his sworde and ran the Dragon through with his speare The king when he could not a greate while speake for laughing at length saide I pray you my Lorde and what did he with his sworde the while That I can not tell your maiesty said he And so an end of y t question of good s. Georg. Now to returne againe from whence we haue digressed which is to signifie some part of the order manner of his godly departing as the time approched when it pleased almighty God to call this young king from vs whych was the 6. day of Iulye the yeare aboue sayde about three houres before his death this Godly childe his eyes being closed speaking to himselfe thinking none to haue heard him made this prayer as followeth The prayer of king Edwarde before his death LOrde God deliuer me out of this miserable wretched life take me among thy chosen how be it not my will but thy wil be done Lord I commit my spirit to thee The kinâ— prayer 〈◊〉 his deatâ— Oh Lord thou knowest howe happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy chosens sake send me life and health that I may truely serue thee Oh my Lorde God blesse thy people and saue thine inheritaunce Oh Lord God saue thy chosen people of England Oh my Lord God defend this Realme from papistrie and maintaine thy true religion that I and my people may praise thy holy name for thy sonne Iesus Christes sake Then turned he his face seeing who was by him sayd vnto them Are ye so night I thought you had bene further off Then Doc. Owen said We heard you speake to your selfe but what you saide we knowe not He then after his fashion smilingly said I was praying to God The last words of his pangs were these I am faint Lord haue mercy vpon me take my spirite And thus he yeelded vp the ghost leauing a wofull kingdom behinde vnto his sister Allbeit he in his will hadde excluded his sister Marye from the succession of the crowne because of her corrupt religion yet y e plage which God had destinate vnto this sinfull Realme coulde not so be voided but that shee beinge the elder and daughter to king Henry succeeded in possession of y e crowne Of whose dreadfull and bloudy regiment it remaineth nowe consequently to discourse This briefly may suffice to vnderstande that for all the writing sending and practising with the Lady Mary by the King and his Counsayle and also by the Bishop Ridley yet would she not be reclaymed from her owne singular opinion fixed vpon custome to giue anye indifferente hearing to the word and voice of veritie The whiche set will of the said Lady Mary The Lady Mary wedded to Custome both this yong King and also his father King Henry before him right well perceauing and considering they were both much displeased agaynst her In so much that not onely her brother did vtterly sequester her in his will The Lady Mary in displeasure both with her brother and father but also her own father considering her inclination conceiued suche hart against her that for a great space he did seclude her from the title of Princesse yea and seemed so egerly incensed against her that he was fully purposed to proceede further with her as it is reported had not the intercession of Thomas Cranmer the Archbyshop reconciled the King againe to fauour and pardon his owne daughter For the better vnderstanding whereof by these her owne letters copied out of her owne hand writing which I haue to shew something may be perceiued and more peraduenture may be gessed The words out of her owne hand writing be these And first her letter to King Henry her father heere followeth * A Letter of the Lady Mary to King Henry her father IN my most humble wise I beseeche your grace of your dayly blessing Lady Mary writeth to K. Henry her father Pleaseth it the same to be aduertised that this morning my Lord my Chamberleyne came and shewed me that hee had receyued a letter from sir William Paulet Controller of your house The effect whereof was that
of others First the Masse sayeth he is a most subtile and pernicious enemie against Christ and that double wayes namely against his Priesthode and against his sacrifice which he prooueth by this way For the Priesthoode of Christe sayeth he is an euerlasting Priesthoode and such an one as can not go to another But the Masse vtterly putteth him out of place as though he were dead for euer and so God were a lier which said that Christ should be a Priest for euer which briefly commeth vnto this Argument Fes That thing is not perpetuall nor standeth not alone which admitteth succession of other to do the same thing that was done before ti But the Masse Priests succeede after Christ doing the same sacrifice as they say which he did before no. Ergo the Masse Priests make Christs Priesthode not to be perpetuall Another Argument Ba All Priests eyther be after the order of Aaron or after the order of Melchisedech or after the order of the Apostles or after that spirituall sort whereof it is written Vos estis spirituale sacerdotium c. ro But our Masse Priests neither be after the order of Aaron Minor for that is to resume that which Christ hath abolished neither after the order of Melchisedech for that is peculiar only to Christ neither after the order of the Apostles for then should they be Ministers not Maisters not Priests but Preachers and which of the Apostles was euer named by the title of a Priest Againe neither are they after the generall sorte of the spirituall priesthoode For after that prerogatiue euery true Christian is a spirituall Priest as well as they offering vp spirituall not bodily sacrifice as prayers thankesgeuing obedience mortification of the bodie framed to the obedience of his commaundements co Ergo our Masse Priests are no Priests vnlesse it be after the order of the Priestes of Baal Conclusiâ— Secondlye The 〈◊〉 iniurious the sacrifiâ—â— or death 〈◊〉 Christ. Maior concerning the sacrifice of Christ aboue mentioned hee reasoneth in lyke manner whyche wee haue reduced in the waye of Argumente as followeth Da To reiterate a thing once done for the atteining or accomplishing of the end wherefore it was begon declareth the imperfection of the same thing before ri The Masse Priestes do reiterate the sacrifice of Christ once done for the end wherefore it was begonne that is Minor Conclusiâ—â— for propitiation and remission à poena culpa pro viuis pro defunctis j. Ergo Masse Priestes make the sacrifice of Christe to be vnperfect and so are they iniurious to the sacrifice of Christ. ¶ For the confirmation of the premisses marke heere Reader I beseech thee the Rubrike heere following written before the Masse of the fiue woundes in the Masse booke BOniface Bishop of Rome lay sicke and was like to die to whome our Lord sent the Archangell Raphael with the office of the Masse of the fiue woundes saying Rise and write this office and say it fiue times and thou shalt be restored to thy health immediately and what Priest soeuer shall say this office for himselfe or for any other that is sicke fiue times the person for whome it is sayde shall obteine health and grace and in the world to come if he continue in vertue life euerlasting And in whatsoeuer tribulation a man shall be in this life if he procure this office to be said fiue times for him of a Priest without doubt he shall be deliuered And if it be saide for the soule of the dead anone as it shall be saide and ended fiue times hys soule shall be rid from paines This hearing the Byshop he did erect himselfe vp in his bed coniuring the Aungell by the name of almighty God to tell him what he was and wherefore he came and that he should depart without doing him harme who aunswered that he was Raphaell the Archangell sent vnto him of God and that all the premisses were vndoubtedly true Then the sayde Boniface confirmed the said office of the fiue woundes by the Apostolike authoritie An other Argument against the Masse for that it is an hinderance to the true seruice of God The Masse is an hinderance to the true seruise of God and to the Godly life of 〈◊〉 Maior and to the godly life of men the declaration whereof is more at large by the saide Authour set out but briefly in fourme of Argument may thus be contracted Another Argument Da Whatsoeuer causeth or occasioneth a man to rest in outward seruing of God whose seruice should be all inward in spirit and veritie that hindreth the true seruice of God ti The Masse occasioneth a man to rest in outward seruing as in hearing seeing and saying Masse which be but outward senses of a man Minor and as they say meritorious ex opere operato etiam sine bono motu inteÌ„tionis si Ergo the Masse hindreth y e right true seruice of God Conclusio Another Argument proouing that Masse hindreth good life Di Upon the Masse riseth false hope and false remedie is promised to wicked liuers Maior For euill men hearing Masse in the morning vpoÌ„ hope therof take more securitie in doing al day what they list And such as haue in bibbing brauling tauerning swearing whoring dicing The Masse â—â—â—dereth â—ood lyfe carding committed wickednes to them the masse is set vp promising sufficient propitiation sacrifice remedy of body and soule for man and beast a poena culpa pro viuis mortuis Though they neuer hearde preaching neuer vsed praying neuer repented or how wicked so euer they haue bene yet if they come to the Church take holy bread and holy water and heare a Masse or finde a soule Priest vpon the remedie thereof then they thinke themselues discharged and good Catholicke men sa Upon what cause soeuer riseth false hope and false remedy is promised to wicked liuers Minor that hindreth good life mis. Ergo the Masse hindreth good life Conclusio Another Argument Da Where one thing is sufficient and serueth alone there all other helpes be neadeles thereunto Maior wherein it serueth ti The Masse as they say hath all serueth for all for by it commeth pardon for sinnes Minor by it commeth deliuerance from Hell and Purgatory by it commeth health for man and beast In summa the Masse is Mare bonorum c. si Ergo all other helpes else be needelesse hearing of Gods word Conclusio faith praying in spirit repenting preaching pietie and other helps to good life c. An other Argument proouing that the Masse is diuers and contrary from the institution of Christes Supper 1. CHrist ordeined his Supper to be a memoriall of his death and passion to be preached vntill he come The Masse is no memoriall thing of Christ remembred in the Sacrament but rather they make the Sacrament to be Christ himselfe offered and sacrificed for remission of
Require you any plainer words doeth he not say it is his body Iane. I graunt hee sayeth so and so he sayth I am the vine I am the doore Rom. 4. but hee is neuer the more for that the dore not the vine Doth not S. Paul say He calleth things that are not as though they were God forbid that I should say that I eat the very naturall body and bloud of Christ for then eyther I should plucke away my redeÌ„ption either els there were two bodies or two Christes One body was tormeÌ„ted on the Crosse. And if they did eate an other body then had hee two bodies either els if his body were eaten than was it not broken vpon the Crosse or if it were broken vpon the Crosse it was not eaten of his Disciples Feck Why is it not possible that Christe by hys power coulde make his body both to be eaten and broken as to be borne of a woman wythout seede of man and as to walke vppon the sea hauing a body and other suche like myracles as he wrought by his power onely Iane. Yes verely Christ 〈◊〉 power to turne the bread into his body no argument to proue that he 〈◊〉 so if God would haue done at his Supper any myracle he myght haue done so but I say that then he minded no worke nor myracle but onely to breake his body and shed his bloud on the Crosse for our sinnes But I pray you to answere me to thys one question where was Christ when he sayd Take eate this is my body Was hee not at the table when he sayde so Hee was at that time alyue and suffered not till the next day What tooke he but bread What brake he but breade and what gaue hee but breade Looke what he tooke he brake and looke what hee brake he gaue and looke what he gaue they did eate and yet all this while he himselfe was aliue and at Supper before his disciples or else they were deceiued Feck You ground your faith vppon such authours as say and vnsay both with a breath and not vpon the Church Fecknaâ— goeth from the word 〈◊〉 the churcâ— to whom ye ought to geue credite Iane. No I grounde my faith on Gods woorde and not vpon the Churche For if the Churche be a good Churche Fayth to groundeâ— vppon the word and not vpon the church the faith of the Churche must be tried by Gods worde and not Goddes woorde by the Churche either yet my Faithe Shall I beleeue the Churche because of antiquitye or shal I geue credite to the Churche that taketh away from mee the halfe parte of the Lordes Supper and will not lette any man receiue it in both kindes A note 〈◊〉 the false 〈◊〉 Church Whych thing if they denie to vs then denie they to vs part of our saluation And I saye that it is an euill Churche and not the Spouse of Christ but the Spouse of the Deuill that altereth the Lordes Supper and both taketh from it and addeth to it To that Church say I God will adde plagues and from that Church will he take their parte out of the booke of life Doe they learne that of S. Paule when he ministred to the Corinthians in both kindes Shall I beleeue this Churche God forbid Feck That was done for a good intent of the Churche to auoide an heresie that sprong on it Gods 〈◊〉 not to be altered 〈◊〉 good â—â—tentes Iane. Why shal the church alter Gods wil ordinance for a good inteÌ„t How did king Saul The Lord God defend With these and such like persuasions he would haue had her leaue to the Church but it woulde not be There were many more things whereof they reasoned but these were the chiefest After this Fecknam tooke his leaue saying that he was sory for her For I am sure quoth he that we two shall neuer meete Iane. True it is sayd she that we shall neuer meete except God turne your hart The wordes 〈◊〉 spoken 〈◊〉 For I am assured vnlesse you repent and turne to God you are in an euill case and I pray God in the bowels of his mercy to send you his holy spirite for he hath geuen you his great gift of vtterance if it pleased him also to open the eyes of your hart ¶ A letter of the Lady Iane sent vnto her father FAther although it hath pleased God to hasten my death by you by whome my life should rather haue bene lengthened yet can I so patiently take it 〈◊〉 Ianes 〈◊〉 sent to her father as I yeeld God more harty thankes for shortening my wofull dayes then if all the world had bene geuen into my possession with life lengthened at my owne will And albeit I am well assured of your impacient dolours redoubled manyfold wayes both in bewayling your owne woe and especially as I heare my vnfortunate state yet my deare father if I may without offence reioyce in my owne mishaps me seemes in this I may accompt my selfe blessed that washing my handes with the innocencie of my fact my giltles bloud may cry before the Lord mercy to the innocent And yet though I must needes acknowledge that being constrayned and as you wot well inough continually assayed in taking vpon me I seemed to consent and therein greeuously offended the Queene and her lawes yet do I assuredly trust that this mine offence towards God is so much the lesse in that being in so royall estate as I was mine enforced honour being neuer with mine innocent hart And thus good father I haue opened vnto you the state wherein I presently stand Whose death at hand although to you perhaps it may seme right wofull to me there is nothing that can be more welcome then from this vale of miserie to aspire to that heauenly throne of all ioy and pleasure with Christ our Sauiour This Parenthesis includeth with a praier a priuy admonition to her father that he fall not from his religion In whose stedfast fayth if it may be lawfull for the daughter so to write to the Father the Lord that hetherto hath strengthened you so continue you that at the last we may meete in heauen with the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost At what time her father was florishing in freedome and prosperitie in the time of King Edward there belonged vnto him a certayne learned man student and Graduate of the Uniuersitie of Oxford Who then being Chaplayne to the sayd Duke and a sincere Preacher as he appeared of the Gospell according to the doctrine of that time set foorth and receiued shortly after that the state of Religion began to alter by Queene Mary altered also in his profession with the time and of a Protestant became a friend and defender of the Popes proceedings At whose sodayne mutation and inconstant mutabilitie February this Christian Lady being not a little agreeued and most of all lamenting the daungerous state of his soule in sliding
body of our Lord Iesu Christ in the Eucharist Christ is true which sayde the wordes The wordes are true whyche he spake yea truth it selfe that cannot faile Lette vs therefore pray vnto God to sende downe vnto vs his holye spirite which is the true interpreater of his woorde whiche maye purge away errours and geue light that veritye may appeare Let vs also aske leaue and libertie of the Churche to permit the truth receiued to be called this day in question wythout any preiudice to the same Your partes therefore shal be to implore the assistaunce of almighty God to pray for the prosperitie of the Queenes maiestie and to geue vs quiet and attentiue eares Now go to your questions Doct Smith This day right learned M. Doctor 3. questions are propounded whereof no controuersy among christians ought to be mooued to wit 1. Whether the naturall bodye of Christ our Sauiour conceiued of the Virgine Marie The quesâ—â—â—ons and offred for mans redemption vppon the crosse is verilye and really in the sacrament by vertue of Gods worde spoken by the Priest c. 2. Whether in the sacrament after the words of consecration be any other substance c. 3. Whether in the Masse be a sacrifice propiciatorie c. Touching the which questioÌ„s although you haue publikely and partly professed your iudgemeÌ„t and opinion on Saterday last yet being not satisfied with that your aunswere I wil assay againe to demaund your sentence in the first question Whether the true body of Christe after the woords pronounced be really in the Eucharist or els only the figure In which matter I stande heere nowe to heare your aunsweare The Preface or protestation of D. Ridley before his disputation I Receiued of you the other day right worshipful M. prolocutor and yee my reuerend Maisters The proteâ—station of B. Ridley Commissioners from the Queenes maiestie and her honorable Counsell three propositions whereunto ye commaunded me to prepare against this day what I thought good to aunsweare concerning the same Now whilest I weied w t my selfe how great a charge of the Lords flocke was of late committed vnto me for the which I am certaine I must once render an accompte to my Lord God and that howe soone he knoweth and that moreouer by the commaundement of the Apostle Peter I ought to be redy alway to geue a reason of the hope y t is in me with mekenes and reuerence vnto euery one that shall demaund the same besides this coÌ„sidering my duty to the Church of Christ What mâ—â—ued Doct. Ridley to alter his iudgemeâ—â— from the Church of Rome and to your worships being commissioners by publicke authority I determined with my selfe to obey your commaundement and so opeÌ„ly to declare vnto you my minde touching the foresayd propositions And albeit plainely to confesse vnto you the trueth in these things which ye now demaund of me I haue thought otherwyse in times past then I now do yet God I call to record vnto my soule I lie not I haue not altered my iudgemeÌ„t as now it is either by constraint of any man or lawes either for the dread of any daungers of thys world either for any hope of commodity but onely for the loue of the truthe reuealed vnto me by the grace of God as I am vndoubtedly perswaded in his holy woorde and in the reading of the auncient Fathers These things I do the rather recite at this present because it may happen to some of you hereafter as in times past it hath done to me I meane if ye thinke otherwyse of the matters propouÌ„ded in these propositions then I now doe God may open vnto you in time to come But how so euer it shall be I will in fewe woordes do that which I thinke yee all looke I shoulde doe that is as plainely as I can I will declare my iudgement heerein Howbeit of this I would yee were not ignoraunt that I will not in deede wittingly and willingly speake in any poynt against Gods worde â— Ridley submitteth himselfe to the Church of Christ. or dissent in any one iote from the same or from the rules of faith and Christian religion which rules that same most sacred word of god prescribeth to the Churche of Christe whereunto I nowe and for euer submit my selfe and all my doinges And because the matter I haue now taken in hand is waightie and yee all wel know how vnready I am to handle it accordingly aswell for lacke of time as also lacke of bookes therefore heere I protest that I will publickly this daye require of you that it may be lawfull for me concerning all mine aunsweares explications and confirmations to adde or diminish what soeuer shall seeme hereafter more conuenient and mete for the purpose through more sound iudgement better deliberation and more exact triall of euery particular thing Hauing nowe by the way of Preface and protestation spoken these fewe woordes I will come to the answearinge of the propositions propounded vnto me and so to the most brief explication and confirmation of mine answeres West Reuerend maister Doctour concerning the lacke of bookes there is no cause why you should complaine What bookes soeuer you will name The promise was not â—ept ye shall haue them as concerning the iudgement of your answeres to be had of your selfe wyth farther deliberation it shall I say be lawfull for you vntill Sonday next to adde vnto them what you shall thinke good your selfe My minde is that we shoulde vse short arguments least we shuld make an infinite processe of the thing Rid. There is an other thyng besides whyche I woulde gladly obtaine at your handes I perceiue that you haue wryters and Notaries here present By all likelihoode our disputations shal be published I beseech you for gods sake let me haue libertie to speake my minde freely wythout interruption not because I haue determined to protract y e time with a solemne Preface but least it maye appeare that some be not satisfied God wotte I am no Oratour nor I haue not learned Rhetoricke to set colours on the matter West Two Notaries permitted to Doct. Ridly These 2. Notaries were M. Iâ—ell sometime bishop of Salisbury 〈◊〉 M. Gilbert Mounson Among this whole company it shall be permitted you to take two for your part Rid. I would chuse two if there were any here w t whome I were acquainted West Here are two whych M. Cranmer had yesterdaye Take them if it please you Rid. I am contente wyth them I truste they are honest men The first proposition In the Sacrament of the aultare by the vertue of Gods word spoken of the Priest the naturall body of Christ borne of the virgine Marie The first proposition and his naturall bloude is really present vnder the formes of bread and wine The aunswere of N. Ridley In matters appertaining to God we may not speake according to the sence of man D. Ridleys aunswere
beleue and confesse all the Articles of faith doctrine set forth in the Simbole of the Apostles The Creede whiche we commonly cal the Creede and in the Symboles of the Councels of Nice kept An. dom 324. of Constantinople An. dom 384. of Ephesus kept An. dom 432. of Calcedon kept An. dom 454. of Toletum the first and fourth Also the Symboles of Athanasius Irenaeus Tertullian of Damasus which was about the yeare of our Lorde 376. we confesse and beleue we saye the Doctrine of the Symboles generally and particularly so that who soeuer doth otherwise we hold the same to erre from the truth Fourthly we beleue and confesse concerning iustification Iustification by fayth onely in Christ. that as it commeth onely from Gods mercy through Christ so it is perceaued and had of none whiche be of yeares of discretion otherwise then by fayth onely which fayth is not an opinion but a certaine perswasiō wrought by the holy Ghost in the minde and hart of man What fayth is where through as y e minde is illumined so the hart is soupled to submitte it selfe to the will of God vnfaynedly so sheweth forth an inherēt righteousnes Righteousnes in man righteousnes without man The doctrine of free iustification defended for no curiositie but for quiet of conscience which is to be discerned in the Article of iustification from the righteousnes which God endueth vs withall iustifying vs although inseperably they goe together And this we do not for curiositie or contention sake but for conscience sake that it might be quyet whiche it can neuer be if we confounde without distinction forgeuenes of sinnes and Christes Iustice imputed to vs with regeneratiō and inherent righteousnes By this wee disalowe Papisticall doctrine of free will of woorkes of supererogation of merites of the necessitie of auricular confession and satisfaction to Godwardes Seruice in the vulgar tongue Fiftly we confesse and beleue concerning the exteriour seruice of God that it ought to be according to the word of God and therfore in the congregation al thinges publike ought to be done in such a tongue as may be most to edifie not in Latin where the people vnderstād not the same Sixtly we confesse and beleue that God onely by christ Iesus is to be prayed vnto and called vpon Inuocation to God alone Purgatory and Masses suffragatory denied therfore we disalow inuocation or prayer to Saints departed this life Seuenthly we confesse and beleeue that as a man departeth this life so shall he be iudged in the last day generally in the meane season is entred either into the state of the blessed for euer An. no 1554. May. or damned for euer and therefore is either past all helpe or else needes no helpe of any in this life By reason whereof we affirme Purgatory Masses of Scala coeli Trentals and suche Suffrages as the Popishe Church doth obtrude as necessary Two sacramentes to be the doctrine of Antichrist Eightly we confesse and beleeue the Sacramentes of Christ which be Baptisme and the Lordes Supper that they ought to be ministred according to the institution of Christ concerning the substantiall partes of them and that they be no longer Sacraments then they be had in vse and vsed to the end for the which they were instituted The supper to be ministred in both kindes Against transubstantiation Agaynst Adoration of the sacrament The masse to be no propitiatory sacrifice Inhibition of Priestes mariage Antichristian And heere we playnly confesse that the mutilation of the Lords Supper and the subtraction of the one kinde from the lay people is Antichristian And so is the doctrine of transubstantiation of the Sacramentall bread and wyne after the words of consecration as they be called Item the adoration of the Sacrament with honor due vnto God the reseruation and carying about of the same Item the Masse to be a propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and dead or a worke that pleaseth God All these we confesse and beleeue to be Antichristes doctrine as is the inhibition in Mariage as vnlawfull to any state And we doubt not by Gods grace but we shal be able to prooue all our confessions heere to be most true by the veritie of Gods word and consente of the Catholicke Churche which followeth and hath followed the gouernaunce of Gods spirit and the iudgement of his word And this thorough the Lordes helpe we will do eyther in disputation by word before the Queenes hyghnesse and her Counsayle eyther before the Parliament houses of whome we doubt not but to be indifferently heard eyther with our pennes whensoeuer we shall be thereto by them that haue authoritie required and commaunded In the meane season as obedient Subiectes wee shall behaue our selues towardes all that be in authoritie and not cease to pray to God for them that he woulde gouerne them all generally and particularly with the spirite of wisedome grace And so we hartily desire humbly pray all men to do Exhortation agaynst rebelliō in no point consenting to any kinde of rebellion or sedition against our soueraigne Lady the Queenes highnes but where they can not obey but they must disobey God there to submit themselues with all patience and humilitie to suffer as the will and pleasures of the higher powers shall adiudge as we are ready thorough the goodnes of the Lord to suffer whatsoeuer they shall adiudge vs vnto rather then we will cōsent to any doctrine contrary to this which we heere confesse vnlesse we shall be iustly conuinced therof either by writing or by word before such Iudges as the Queenes hyghnes and her Counsell The bigger part agaynst the better Appeale from the Vniuersitie Doctors as not indifferent iudges or the Parlamēt houses shall appoint For the Uniuersities and Clergy haue condemned our causes already by the bigger but not by the better part without all disputation of the same and therefore most iustly we may do appeale from them to be our Iudges in this behalfe except it may be in writing that to al men the matter may appeare The Lord of mercy endue vs all with the spirit of his truth and grace of perseuerance therein vnto the end Amen The 8. of May Anno Dom. 1554. Robert Menauen aliâs Robert Ferrar. Rowland Taylor The names of the prisoned preachers subscribing to this declaration Iohn Philpot. Iohn Bradford Iohn Wigorne and Glouc. Episcopus aliâs Iohn Hooper Edward Crome Iohn Rogers Laurence Saunders Edmund Laurence I. P. T. M. ☞ To these things abouesayd do I Myles Couerdale late of Exon consent and agree with these my afflicted breethren being prisoners with mine owne hand And thus much concerning this present declaration subscribed by these preachers which was on the viij day of May. Furthermore the xix day of the sayd moneth the Lady Elizabeth May. 19. Lady Elizabeth Sir Iohn Williams Sister to the Queene was
bene maruelously mooued with great affections and passions as well of myrth and gladnes as of heauines sorrow Of gladnes in this that I perceyued how ye be bent geuen to prayer and inuocation of gods helpe in these darke wicked proceedings of men agaynst Gods glory I haue bene sory to perceiue the malice and wickednes of men to be so cruel diuelish tyrannicall to persecute the people of God for seruyng of God saying hearing of the holy Psalmes and the word of eternall life These cruell doings do declare that the Papistes Church is more bloudy and tyrannicall then euer was the sword of the Ethnikes and Gentiles When I heard of your taking and what ye were doing wherfore and by whom ye were takeÌ„ I remembred how the Christians in the Primatiue Church were vsed by the crueltie of vnchristened heathens in the tyme of Traiane the Emperour about 77. yeares after Christes ascension into heauen Of this persecution 〈◊〉 before and how the Christians were persecuted very sore as though they had bene traytors and moouers of sedition Wherupon the gentle Emperor Traiane required to know the true cause of Christian mens trouble A great learned man called Plinius wrote vnto him said it was because the Christians said certaine psalmes before day The Pope 〈◊〉 then Traians the Heaâ—â—â— Emperour vnto one called Christ whoÌ„ they worshipped for god When Traiane the Emperour vnderstood it was for nothyng but for conscience religion he caused by hys commaundements euery where that no man should be persecuted for seruing of God But the Pope his church hath cast you into prison beyng taken euen doyng the worke of God and one of the excellents workes that is required of Christian men that is to wit whiles ye were in praier not in such wicked superstitious prayers as the papists vse but in the same prayer that Christ hath taught you to pray And in his name onely ye gaue God thanks for that ye haue receiued and for his sake ye asked for such thyngs as ye want O glad may ye be that euer ye were borne to be apprehended whilest ye were so vertuously occupied Blessed be they that suffer for righteousnesse sake For if God had suffred them that tooke your bodies then to haue taken your life also now had ye bene following the Lamb in perpetual ioyes away from the company and assembly of wicked men But the Lord would not haue you sodainly so to depart but reserueth you gloriously to speake and maintaine his truth to the world Be ye not careful what ye shall say for God will go out in with you and will be present in your harts in your mouthes to speake his wisedome although it seemeth foolishnes to the world He that hath begun this good worke in you continue you in the same vnto the end pray vnto him that ye may feare him only that hath power to kill both body soule and to cast them into hel fire Be of good comfort All the haires of your hed are numbred and there is not one of them can perish Math. 10. 〈◊〉 12. except your heauenly father suffer it to perish Now ye be in the field placed in y e forefront of Christs battel Doubtles it is a singuler fauour of God a special loue of him towards you to geue you this foreward preeminence a signe that he trusteth you before others of his people The first onset of this persecution geuen in Bowchurchyarde Wherfore deare brethren and sisters continually fight this fight of the Lord. Your cause is most iust and godly ye stand for the true Christ who is after the flesh in heauen for his true religion and honor which is amply fully sufficiently and abundantly conteyned in the holy Testament sealed with Christes owne bloud How much be ye bound to God to put you in trust with so holy and iust a cause Remember what lookers vpon you haue to see behold you in your sight God all his Angels who be ready alway to take you vp into heauen if ye be slaine in his fight Also you haue standing at your backes all the multitude of the faithfull who shal take courage strength 1. Iohn 4. and desire to follow such noble valiant Christians as you be Be not afraid of your aduersaries for he that is in you is stronger then he that is in them Shrinke not although it be payne to you your paynes be not now so great as here after your ioyes shall be Read the comfortable chapiters to the Romans 8.10.15 Heb. 11.12 Comfort taken out of Scriptures And vpon your knees thanke God that euer ye were accompted worthy to suffer any thing for his names sake Read the 2. chap. of s. Lukes gospell there you shal see how the shepeherds that watched vpon their sheep all night as soone as they heard that Christ was borne at Bethlem True obedience putteth no doubtes by and by they went to see him They did not reason nor debate with theÌ„selues who should keepe the Wolfe from the sheep in the meane time but did as they were commanded committed their sheep vnto him whose pleasure they obeyed So let vs do now we be called commit all other thinges to him that calleth vs. He will take heed that all things shall be well He wil helpe the husband he will comfort the wyfe he will guide the seruaunts he will keepe the house All carefulnes to be cast vpon the Lorde he will preserue the goods yea rather then it should be vndone he will wash the dishes and rocke the cradle Cast therfore all your care vpon God for he careth for you Besides this you may perceiue by your imprisonment that your aduersaries weapons against you be nothyng but flesh bloud and tyrannie For if they were able All the streÌ„gth of the Popes religioÌ„ standeth in outward force they would maintaine their wicked religion by Gods worde but for lacke of that they would violently compell such as they cannot by holy Scripture perswade because the holy word of God and all Christes doyngs be contrary vnto them I pray you pray for me I will pray for you And although we be asunder after the world yet in Christ I trust for euer ioyning in the spirite and so shall meete in the pallace of the heauenly ioyes after this short and transitorie lyfe is ended Gods peace be with you Amen The 14 of Ianuary 1554. Upon the Friday after this following being the 18. of Ianuary all the Counsaile went vnto the Tower there the same day discharged and set at libertie all the prisoners of the Tower or the most part of them namely Ianuary 18. Gentlemen deliuered out of the Tower by the Queens pardon the late duke of Northumberlands sonnes Ambrose Robert and Henry sir Andrew Dudley sir Iohn Rogers sir Iames Crofts sir Nich. Throgmorton sir
not after Christ c. And thus much out of M. Sanders letter so much as remained thereof The residue because it was rent away I could not adioine hereunto NotwithstaÌ„ding by this alredy expressed it is sufficient to vnderstand how good was y e cause estate of this blessed child of god being prisoner for Christes cause Ann. 1555. February For y e defence wherof he wholy bestowed resigned himself in such sort as he forbad his wife to sue for his deliuery wheÌ„ other of his friends had by suite almost obtained it he discouraged them so that they did not folow their suite as by this letter following may appeare ¶ A letter of M. Saunders to his wife GRace mercy and peace in Iesus Christ our Lord. Entirely beloued wife euen as vnto mine owne soule and body so do I dayly in my harty prayer wish vnto you for I doo dayly twise at the least in this sort remember you And I do not doubt deare wife but that both I and you as we be written in the booke of life so we shall together enioy the same euerlastingly through the grace and mercy of God our deare father in hys sonne our Christ. And for this present life let vs wholy appoynt our selues to the will of our good God to glorifie him either by life or by death and euen that same mercifull Lord make vs worthy to honour him either way as pleaseth him Amen I am mery I thanke my God and my Christ 1. Tim. 4. in whome and through whome I shall I knowe be able to fight a good fight and finishe a good course and then receiue the crowne which is layde vp in store for me and all the true Soldiours of Christ. Wherefore wife let vs in the name of our God fight lustely to ouercome the flesh the deuil and the world What our harnesse and weapons be in this kind of fight looke the 6. vnto the Ephesians and pray pray pray I would that you make no suite for me in any wise M Saunders would haue no suite made for him Thanke you knowe whome for her most sweete and comfortable putting me in remembrance of my iourney whether I am passing God send vs all good speede and a ioyfull meeting I haue too fewe suche frends to further me in that iourney which is in deede the greatest friendship The blessing of God be with you all Amen A prisoner in the Lord Laurence Saunders This his constancie is sufficiently commended and declared by his valiant buckling with two mighty enemies Antichrist and death two enemies Antichrist and death To neither of these did he geue place but by suffering their malice got y e victory ouer them both One of the conflictes which he had with Antichrist hys members I haue gathered out of a letter of his own hand writing It was with Doctour Weston a man whome though I should prayse yet would all good and godly meÌ„ worthely disprayse Of this the said Laurence Saunders thus writeth in a letter which he sent to one of his frends which wrote to him to knowe what Doct. Weston dyd at the Marshalsey whereunto he thus aunswereth M. Weston came to conferre with M. Grimoald What he hath coÌ„cluded with him This Doct. Weston and M. Griâ—moald dyed both about the Coronation of Q. Elizabeth I know not I wish it may be to Gods glory Amen Amen M. Weston of his gentlenes visited me ofâ—red me frendship in his worldly wily sort c. I had not so much good maner as to take it at his haÌ„d for I said that I was well inough and ready cherefully to abide the extremity to keepe thereby a good coÌ„science You be a sleepe in sin said he I would awake quoth I and do not forget Vigilate orate i. Watch pray What church was there The church goeth not alwayes by number said he 30. yeres past What church was there quoth I in Helias time Ioane of Kent sayd he was of youre Church No quoth I we did coÌ„demne her as an heretick Who was of your Church sayd he 30. yeares past Such quoth I as that Romish Antichrist and his rabble haue reputed and condemned as heretickes Wicklife sayd he Thorpe Old castle c. Yea quoth I with many moe as storyes do tell The B. of Rome hath sayd he long tyme played a part in your tayling sermons but now be ye sure he must play another maner of part The more pitie quoth I and yet some coÌ„fort it is to see how that the best learned Winchesters booke De Vera Obedientia wisest holiest of you all haue heeretofore had him to play a part likewise in your sermoÌ„s writings though now to please the world you do turne with the weathercocke Did you euer said he heare me preach against the Bishop of Rome No quoth I for I neuer heard you preach But I trowe you haue ben no wiser then other c. with more about the Sacrament Pray pray God keepe your family blesse it What a blessed taste thys good man had of Gods holy spirit by diuers and sondry his letters may right wel appeare to him that is disposed to peruse the same What a blessed taste of M. Sanders had of christes comforts whereof certayne we haue here thought good the Lord willing to expresse first beginning with that whiche he wrote out of the Marshalsey to D. Cranmer Ridley and Latimer prisoners for the like cause of Christ in Oxford To the Archbishop Cranmer Bish. Ridley and M. Latimer being prisoned in Oxford IN my most humble wise I salute you most reuerend fathers in Christ Iesus our Lord M. Saunders writeth to D. Cranmer Ridley c. Coloss. 1. Immortall thanks and euerlasting prayses be geuen vnto that our father of mercies Whiche hath made vs meete to be pertakers of the inheritaunce of Saintes in light whiche hath deliuered vs from the power of darckenes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his beloued Sonne by whome we haue redemption through his bloud c O most happy estate that in an vnspeakable wise our life is hid with Christ in God Coloss. 3. But whensoeuer Christ which is our life shall shew himselfe then shall we also appeare with him in glory In y e meane season as our sight is but in a glasse euen in a darcke speaking 1. Cor. 13. so wee walke in fayth not after outward appearaunce the which fayth although for want of outward appearaunce reason reputeth but as vaine yea the chosen of God do know the effect thereof to bring a more substanciall taste and liuely fruition of very felicitie and perfect blessednes then reason can reach or sences receaue By this fayth we haue in our profession all good thinges yea euen them whiche the eye hath not seene and the eare hath not heard neither hath entred the hart of man c. Esay 54. 1. Cor. 2. Then
readye good will towardes me in your hartye desire to stretch out your helping hand to relieue my lacke Prayer distributeth Gods blessinges from one to an other and of your helpe to be extended to me in the other spirituall sort by your good prayer I doubt not as I also therin assure you of my helpe being all that I may do yet the same not so much as I would do My need concerning bodely necessaryes is as yet furnished by Gods prouision so that I am not driueÌ„ to any extremity wherfore to be burdenous to you as your gentle beneuolence prouoketh me the Lord reward you therefore If God make me worthy to be eis witnes at this present in geuing this corruptible body to burne for the testimony of his truth it is enough for me to say vnto you that I haue a poore wife and childe whom I loue in the Lord and whome I know for my sake you will tender when I am departed hence c. ¶ An other Letter to Maystres Lucy Harrington GRace and mercy c. It happeneth oftentimes that aboundaunce of matter bringing with it much vehemeÌ„cy of frendly affection maketh men dumbe and euen then chiefely when there is most eger purpose of speaking An other letter of M. Saunders silence doth suppresse and causeth the party so affected vnperfectly to expresse that he goeth about to vtter Such impediment by much matter mingled with feruency of affection feele I some times in my selfe letting the vtteraunce either by tongue or writing of the aboundance of the hart The loue of our most gracious God and heauenly Father bestowed vpon vs in the merites of Christ our Sauiour who may by coÌ„ceipt of minde comprehend passing in deed al vnderstanding much lesse may the same by any meanes be expressedly vttered And as suche heauenlye blessinges which by fayth we fetch from aboue be inexplicable so is it hard to vtter when the faythfull are set on fire by loue theyr readines to reach forth and to geue by charity as by fayth they haue receiued But alas we cary this treasure in earthen vessels Many times fayth is feble and then loue loseth her feruor 2. Cor. 4. Fayth many tymes in vs is feeble Pray we therfore Lord encrease our fayth and loue forthwith will be on fire And immortall thanks be geuen vnto our God who in our Christ hath bestowed vpon vs the first fruites of his spirite who cryeth in our hartes Abba Father And as S. Paule sayth seeing we haue the same spirit of fayth Rom 8. 1. Cor 4. according as it is written I beleeued and therfore haue I spoken we also beleue and therfore we speak Yea God knoweth this spirit putteth in vs a minde to speake but in attempting therof we are driuen w t Moyses to say O Lord I am slow mouthed and of vncircumcised lippes with Ieremy Exod. 8. Ierome 1. O Lord I cannot speake Albeit that this infancy restraineth the opening of such aboundance of hart in my tender Christian duety to be declared towardes you yet I beseech you let this be setled in your vnderstanding that as S. Paule expresseth vnto his Corinthians that they were in his hart eyther to liue or to dye with many other such sayings vttered vnto them and the Galathians expressing his vehement affection towardes them so in some part I would be like affected towardes all Gods children and especially towardes you whoÌ„ I know in Christ and to whom I will not say how muche I am indebted I thanke you for your great frendshyp and tender good will towards my wife yea that good gracious God recompeÌ„ce you which may worthely with the more counteruayle the same and fulfill that which lacketh of thankefull duety in vs. And because of that which heretofore I haue conceiued of you and of your more then naturall loue towardes me and mine I make my selfe thus bold to lay this burdeÌ„ vpon you euen the care and charge of my sayd poore wife I meane to be vnto her a mother mistres to rule and direct her by your discreet counsell M. Saunders commeÌ„deth the care of his wyfe to Maistres Harrington I know she conceiueth of you the same that I do is thankfull vnto God with me for such a frend and therfore I beseech 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 otherwise thankes be to God neither I neither she haue any such extreme need if we had I would be as bold with you as mine owne mother I beseech you geue my harty salutations vnto M. Fitzwilliams my good Lady with thankes also for my poort wife and child the Lord recompence them Laurence Saunders Furthermore as touching his fatherly care affection to his wife and his litle child the same is liuely set forth in an other letter which he did write to his wife wherein he admonished her that she should not resort much to the prison where he was for dauÌ„ger of trouble that might ensue the tenour of whose letter here foloweth ¶ An other letter to his wife with a certayne remembraunce to M. Harrington and M. Hurland GRace and comfort c. Wife you shall do best not to come often vnto the Grate where the Porter may see you An other letter of Saunderâ— his wyfe Putte not your selfe in daunger where it needes not you shall I think shortly come farre enough into daunger by keeping fayth and a good conscience which deare wife I trust you do not slacke to make reckoning and account vpon by exercising your inward man in meditation of Gods most holy word being the sustenance of the soule and also by geuing your selfe to huÌ„ble prayer for these two thinges be very meanes how to be made members of our Christ meet to inherite his kingdome Do this deare wife in earnest and not leauing of and so we two shall with our Christ and all his chosen children enioye the mery world in that euerlasting immortality wheras here will nothing els be found but extreme misery euen of them which most greedely seeke this worldlye wealth and so if we two continue Gods children graffed in our Christ the same Goddes blessing which we receiue shall also settle vpon our Samuel Though wee do shortly depart hence and leaue the poore Infant to our seeming at all aduentures yet shall he haue our gracious God to be his God for so hath he sayd and he cannot lye I will be thy God sayth he and the God of thy seed Yea if you leaue him in the wâ—ldernes destitute of all helpe being called of God to do his wil either to dye for the confession of Christ Care of children tyme of nâ—â—cessitye ought to left to Goâ— who wilâ— not see thâ— forsaken either any worke of obedience that God which heard the crye of the litle poore infant of Agar Saraes handmayden and
there were no more Reedes and that burned at the neather partes but had small power aboue because of the winde sauinge that it did burne his haire A new fire made to M. Hooper and scorch his skinne a litle In the time of which fire euen as at the first flame hee prayed saying mildely and not verye loude but as one wythoute paynes O Iesus the sonne of Dauid haue mercye vpon me and receiue my soule After the seconde was spente he did wipe both his eyes with his hands and beholding the people he sayde with an indifferent loud voyce For Gods loue good people let me haue more fire M. Hooper calle◠〈◊〉 for more fire And all this while his nether partes did burne for the fagottes were so fewe that the flame did not burne strongly at his vpper partes The third fire was kindled within a while after which was more extreeme then the other two and then the bladders of gonnepouder brake which did him small good they were so placed and the winde hadde suche power In the whych fire he prayed with somewhat a loude voyce Lorde Iesu haue mercye vppon me The last wordes of M. Hooper Lorde Iesu haue mercy vppon mee Lorde Iesus receiue my spirite And these were the last woordes hee was heard to vtter But when he was blacke in the mouth and his tongue swolne that he coulde not speake yet hys lippes went till they were shronke to the gummes and he knocked his breast with his handes vntill one of his armes fell off and then knocked still with the other The blessed Martyr long tormented in the fire what time the fat water and bloud dropped out at his fingers ends vntill by renuing of y e fire his strength was gone and his hande did cleaue fast in knocking to the yron vpon hys brest So immediately bowing forwardes he yelded vp his spirite In clarissimi Doctrina pietate viri Iohannis Hoperi Martyrium Conradi Gesneri carmen AVreus Hoperus flammis inuictus igni Atque suum Christum confessus ad vltima vitae Momenta integritate sua praeclarus ardens Exterius flammis diuinus Martyr at intus Eximio fidei feruore accensus ad astra Spiritus ascendit coelesti luce beatus In terris cineresque manent fama corusca Flammae instar lucens lucebit dum stabit orbis Vtcunque immanes Boreae magnaeque procellae Flatibus aduersis tam clarum abrumpere lumen Nitantur frustra Nam quae Deus ipse secundat Quis prohibere queat mortalia facta sed vltro Et commenta ruunt vastaque voragine sidunt Hoperi exemplo quotquot spiratis Iesu Doctrinam Christi discrimina temnere vitae Durare vosmet rebus seruare secundis Discite Namque dabit Deus his meliora nec auris Audijt vlla oculus vel vidit sed neque captus Humanae mentis potuit complectier vnquam Qualia quanta Deus seruet sua bona beatis Thus was he three quarters of an houre or more in the fire Euen as a Lambe paciently he aboade the extremitie therof The patient end of this holy martir neither mouing forwardes backwards or to any side but hauing his nether partes burned and his bowels fallen out he died as quietly as a childe in his bedde and hee nowe raigneth as a blessed Martyr in the ioyes of heauen prepared for the faithfull in Christ before the foundations of the worlde for whose constancie all Christians are bound to praise God A letter which M. Hooper did wryte out of prison to certaine of his frendes THe grace of God be with you Amen I did write vnto you of late A letter exhortatory of M. Hooper to certayne of his friendes and told you what extremity the parlament had concluded vpon concerning Religion suppressing the truth and setting foorth the vntruth intending to cause all men by extremitie to forsweare them selues and to take againe for the head of the Churche him that is neither head nor member of it but a very enemie as the word of God al ancient wryters do record and for lacke of lawe and authoritie they wil vse force and extremitie which haue bene the arguments to defend the Pope and Poperie sith thys wicked authority began first in the world But now is the time of triall The popes religion standeth onely vpoon force and extremitie to see whether we feare more God or man It was an easie thing to holde with Christ whiles the Prince and world held with him but now the world hateth him it is the true triall who be his Wherefore in the name and in the vertue strength and power of his holy spirit prepare your selues in any case to aduersitie and constancie Let vs not runne away when it is most time to fight RemeÌ„ber none shal be crowned but such as fight manfully and he that endureth vnto the end shal be saued Ye must now turne al your cogitations from the pearil you see and marke the felicitye that foloweth the pearil either victorie in this world of your enemies Neither 〈◊〉 felicitie 〈◊〉 the misery of this world is 〈◊〉 be looked vpon or else a surrender of this life to inherite the euerlastinge kyngdom Beware of beholding too much the felicitie or miserie of this worlde for the consideration and too earnest loue or feare of either of them draweth from God Wherefore thinke with your selues as touching the felicitie of the worlde it is good but yet none otherwise then it standeth with the fauour of God It is to be kept but yet so farre foorth as by keeping of it we loose not God It is good abiding and tarrying still among our friendes heere but yet so y t we tary not therewithall in Gods displeasure and hereafter to dwell with the deuils in fire euerlasting There is nothing vnder God but may be kept so y t God being aboue all things we haue be not lost Of aduersitie iudge the same Imprisonment is painfull but yet libertie vpon euell conditions is more painful Aduersâ—tiâ— compared with aduâ—â—â—sitie The prisons stincke but yet not so much as sweete houses where as the feare and true honour of God lacketh I must be alone and solitary It is better so to be and haue God w t me then to be in company with the wicked Losse of goods is great but losse of Gods grace fauour is greater I am a poore simple creature can not tel how to answer before such a great sort of noble learned wise men It is better to make answere before the pompe pride of wicked men then to stand naked in the sight of all heauen and earth before the iust God at the latter daye Antithesiâ— betweene ioyes and pâ—ynes in this world and in the world to come I shall die then by the handes of the cruell man he is blessed that looseth thys life full of miseries and finedeth the life of eternall ioyes It is
paine and griefe to departe from goods and frends but yet not so muche as to departe from grace and heauen it selfe Wherefore there is neither felicitye nor aduersitye of this world that can appeare to be great if it be wayed with the ioyes or paines in the world to come I can do no more but pray for you do the same for me for Gods sake For my parte I thanke the heauenly Father I haue made mine accompts and appoynted my selfe vnto the wil of the heauenly father as he will so I will by hys grace For Gods sake as soone as ye can send my poore wife and children some letter from you and my letter also which I sent of late to D. As it was tolde me shee neuer had letter from me sithens the coÌ„ming of M.S. vnto her the more to blame the messengers for I haue wrytten diuers times The Lord comfort them and prouide for them for I am able to doe nothing in worldly things Shee is a godly and wise woman If my meaning had bene accomplished she should haue hadde necessary things but that I meant God can performe to whom I commend both heâ— and you all M. Hoopeâ— care and commendation of his wife I am a precious Iewell nowe and daintely kept neuer so daintely for neither mine owne man nor any of the seruants of the house may come to me but my keper alone a simple rude maÌ„ God knoweth but I am nothing carefull thereof Fare yee well the 21. of Ian. 1555. Yours bounden Iohn Hooper Amongst many other memorable acts and notes worthy to be remembred in the hystorie of M. Hooper thys also is not to be forgotten which happened betwene hym and a bragging Frier a little after the beginning of his imprisonment the storie whereof heere followeth A Frier came from Fraunce to England wyth greate vaunt Talke betwene M. Hooper anâ— a Fryer in the prison asking who was the greatest hereticke in all England thinking belike to doe some great act vpon hym To whom aunswere was made that M. Hooper had then the greatest name to be the chiefest ringleader who was then in the Fleete The Frier comming to him asked whye hee was committed to prison He sayd for debt Nay sayde he it was for heresie Which when the other had denyed what sayst thou quoth he to hoc est corpus meum M. Hooper being partly mooued at the sodaine question desired that hee mighte aske of him againe an other question whyche was thys What remained after the consecration in the Sacrament any breade or no No breade at all sayeth hee And when yee breake it what doe yee breake If the mateâ—riall body of Christ be broken in the sacrament then iâ— the commaundemâ—t of Gods word broken either bread or the body sayde Maister Hooper No bread sayd the Frier but the body onely If you doe so sayd M. Hooper ye do great iniurie not onely to the body of Christe but also yee breake the Scriptures which saye Yee shall not breake of hym one bone c. Wyth y t the Frier hauing nothing be like to aunswere recoyled backe and with his circles and crosses began to vse exorcisme against M. Hooper as though c. Thys and more wrote master Hooper to mistres Wilkinson in a letter which letter was read vnto her by Iohn Kelke Comparison betwene M. Hooper and Polycarpus WHen I see and beholde y e great patience of these blessed Martyrs in our daies in their sufferings so quietly and coÌ„stantly abiding the torments that are ministred vnto them of princes for Gods cause â— compariâ—â—n beâ—weene M. â—ooper â—olycarpus mee thinkes I maye wel and worthely compare them vnto the olde Martyrs of the primatiue Churche In the number of whome if comparison be to be made betwixt Saint and Saint Martyr and Martyr with whom might I match this blessed martyr M. Iohn Hooper better throughe the whole catalogue of the olde Martyrs then with Polycarpus the aunciente Bishop of Smirna Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 15. of whome Eusebius maketh mention in the Ecclesiasticall storie For as both agreed together in one kinde of punishmeÌ„t being both put to the fire so which of them shewed more patience and constancie in the time of their suffering it is hard to be sayde And though Polycarpus being set in the flame as the storie saith was kepte by myracle from the tormente of the fire till hee was stricken downe with weapon and so dispatched yet Hooper by no lesse myracle armed with patience feruent spirit of Gods comfort so quietly despised the violence thereof as though he had felt litle more then did Polycarpus in y e fire flaming round about him Moreouer as it is wrytten of Polycarpus when hee should haue bene tied to the stake Of this Policarpus read before he required to stand vntied saying these woordes Sinite me qui namque ignem ferre posse dedit dabit etiam vt sine vestra clauorum cautione immotus in rogo permaneam That is Let me alone I pray you for he that gaue me strength to come to this fire will also geue mee patience to abide in the same without your tying So likewise Hooper with the like spirite when hee shoulde haue bene tied with thre chaines to the stake requiring them to haue no such mistrust of him was tied but with one who and if he had not bene tied at all yet no doubte woulde haue no lesse aunswered to that great patience of Polycarpus M. Hooper compared to Polycarpus in life And as the ende of them bothe was much agreeing so the life of them both was such as might seme not farre discrepant In teaching like diligent both in zeale feruent in life vnspotted in manners and conuersation inculpable Bishops also martyrs both Briefly in teaching so pithy and fruitful that as they both were ioyned together in one Spirite so mighte they be ioyned in one name together of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit much fruitful to which name also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not much vnlike In thys the Martyrdome of M. Hooper may seeme in suffering to goe before though in time it followed the Martyrdome of Polycarpus for that he was bothe longer in prisone The cruell handling of M. Hooper and there also so cruellye handled by the malice of hys keepers as I thinke none of the olde martyrs euer suffered the like To thys also adde howe hee was disgraded by Boner wyth suche contumelies and reproches as I thinke in Polycarpus time was not vsed to any And as wee haue hitherto compared these two good Martyrs together The enemies of M. Hooper and of Polycarpus compared so nowe if we should compare the enemies and authours of their death one wyth the other wee should finde no inequalitie betwixt them both but that the aduersaries of M. Hooper semed to be more cruell and vnmerciful For they that put Polycarpus to
our selues and say our soules serue him whatsoeuer our bodoyes doe the contrary for ciuill order and pollicy But alas I know by my selfe what troubleth you that is the great daunger of the worlde that will reuenge ye thinke your seruice to God with sword and fire with losse of goodes and landes But deare brethren way of the other side that your enemies and Gods enemies shal not do so much as they would but as much as God shall suffer them who can trap them in their own counsels Gods enemies can do no more then he geâ—eth them leaue Math. 20. and destroy them in the midst of their furies Remember ye be the workemen of the Lord and called into his Uineyard there to labour till euening tide that ye may receaue your peny which is more worth then al the kinges of the earth But he that calleth vs into hys vineyard hath not told vs how sore and how feruently the sunne shall trouble vs in our labour But hath bid vs labour and committe the bitternes thereof vnto him who can and will so moderate al afflictions that no man shall haue more layd vppon him then in Christ hee shall be able to beare Unto whose mercifull tuition and defence I commend both your soules and bodyes 2. September 1554. Yours with my poore prayer Iohn Hooper To a Marchant of London by whose meanes he had receaued much comfort in his great necessitie in the Fleete GRace mercy and peace in Christ Iesus our Lorde I thanke God and you for the great helpe and consolation I haue receaued in the time of aduersity by your charitable meanes but most reioice that you be not altered from trueth An other letter of M. Hooper to a helper of his although falshoode cruelly seeketh to distayne her Iudge not my brother truth by outward appearaunee for truth now worse appeareth and more vilely is reiected then falshoode Leaue the outwarde shewe and see by the worde of God what truth is Truth is not to be esteemed by outward appearaunce and accept truth and dislike her not though man call her falshoode As it is now so hath it bene heretofore the truth reiected and falshode receaued Such as haue professed truth for truth haue smarted and the frendes of falshode laughed them to scorne The tryall of both hath bene by contrary successe the one hauing the coÌ„mendation of truth by man but the condemnation of falshode by God flourishing for a tyme with endles destruction the other afflicted a little season but ending with immortall ioyes Wherfore deare brother aske and demaund of your book the Testament of Iesus Christ in these woefull and wretched dayes what you should thinke and what you should stay vpon for a certayne truth and whatsoeuer you heare taught try it by your booke whether it be true or false The dayes be dangerous and full of perill not only for the world and worldly things but for heauen and heauenly things It is a trouble to lose the treasures of this life but yet a very payne if they be kept with the offence of God Cry call pray and in Christ dayly require helpe succour mercy wisedome grace and defence that the wickednes of thys world preuayle not against vs. We began well God preserue vs vntill the end I would write more often vnto you but I do perceaue you be at so much charges with me that I feare you would thinke when I write I craue Send me nothing till I send to you for it and so tell the good men your partners and when I neede I will be bold of you 3. December 1554. Yours with my prayer Iohn Hooper ¶ To Maistres Wilkinson a woman harty in Gods cause and comfortable to his afflicted members THe grace of God and the comforte of his holy spirit be with you Amen This Misteries WilkinsoÌ„ afterward â—yed in Exile at Franckford I am very glad to heare of your health and do thanke you for your louing tokens But I am a great deale more glad to heare how Christianly you auoyd Idolatry prepare your selfe to suffer y e extremity of the world rather theÌ„ to endaunger your selfe to God You doe as you ought to do in this behalfe and in suffering of traÌ„sitory paynes you shall auoyd permanent tormeÌ„ts in the world to come Use your life Gaynes with Gods displeasure is beggary and keepe it with as much quietnes as you can so that you offende not God The ease that commeth wyth his displeasure turneth at length to vnspeakeable paynes and the gaynes of the world with the losse of his fauour is beggery and wretchednes Reason is to be amended in this cause of Religion For it will choose and follow an errour with the multitude if it may be allowed rather then turne to faith and folow the truth with the people of God Moyses found the same fault in himselfe and did amende it choosing rather to be afflicted with the people of God then to vse the libertie of the kings daughter that accounted him as her sonne Heb. 11. Math. 5. Pray for contentation and peace of the spirit and reioyce in such troubles as shall happen vnto you for the truthes sake for in that part Christ saith you be happy Pray also for me I pray you that I may do in all things the will of our heauenly father to whose tuition and defence I commend you * To my deere frendes in God Mayster Iohn Hall and his wyfe THe grace of God be with you Amen I thanke you for your louing and gentle frendship at all times An other letter exhorting to stand fast in the truth praying God to shew vnto you such fauour that whatsoeuer trouble and aduersitie happen yâ— go not backe from him These dayes be daungerous and full of perill but yet let vs comfort our selues in calling to remembrance the dayes of our forefathers vpon whom the Lord sent such troubles that many hundrethes yea many thousandes dyed for the testimonie of Iesus Christ both men and women suffering with patience and constancie as much cruelty as Tyrants could deuise and so departed out of this miserable world to the blisse euerlasting where as now they remaine for euer lookyng alwayes for the end of this sinfull world when they shall receiue their bodies againe in immortalitie and see the number of the elects associated with them in full and consummate ioyes Heb. 11. And as vertuous men suffering Martyrdome and tarying a little whyle in this world with paynes by and by rested in ioyes euerlastyng and as their paynes ended their sorowes and began ease Consolation taken by the example of the ancient martyrs so dyd their constancie and stedfastnes animate and confirme all good people in the truth and gaue them encouragement and lust to suffer the like rather then to fall with the world to consent vnto wickednes and Idolatry Wherefore my deare frends seeing God of his part hath illuminated you with the
I most hartely thanke you for that ye haue so tender a care ouer me And although I knowe that there is neither iustice nor truth to be looked for at my aduersaries handes but rather imprisonment and cruell death yet know I my cause to be so good and righteous and the truth so strong vpon my side that I will by Gods grace go and appeare before them and to their beardes resist their false doings Then sayd his frendes M. Doctour we thinke it not best so to do You haue sufficieÌ„tly done your duety and testified the truth both by your godly Sermons and also in resisting the Parson of Aldam with other that came hytherto bring in againe the popish Masse And for as much as our Sauiour Christ willeth and biddeth vs that when they persecute vs in one City we should flie into another Math. 10. we thinke in flying at this time ye should do best keeping your selfe against another time wheÌ„ the Church shall haue great neede of such diligent teachers and godly Pastors Oh quoth Doct. Taylour what will ye haue me to do I am now olde and haue already liued too long to see these terrible and most wicked dayes Flye you and do as your conscience leadeth you D. Taylour reâ—â—â—eth to â—ye I am fully determined with Gods grace to go to the Bishop to his beard to tell him that he doth nought God shall well hereafter raise vp teachers of his people whiche shall with much more diligence and fruite teach them then I haue done For God will not forsake his Church though now for a time he trieth and correcteth vs and not without a iust cause As for me I beleeue before God I shall neuer be able to do God so good seruice as I may do now nor I shall neuer haue so glorious a calling as I now haue nor so great mercy of God profered me as is now at this present For what Christian man woulde not gladly dye against the Pope and his adherents I know that the Papacie is the kingdome of Antichrist altogether full of lyes altogether full of falsehode so that all their doctrine euen from Christes Crosse be my speede and S. Nicholas The Papacy a â—ingdome 〈◊〉 lyes vnto the end of their Apocalyps is nothing but Idolatry superstition errours hypocrisie and lyes Wherefore I beseech you and all other my frendes to pray for me I doubt not but God will geue me streÌ„gth and his holy spirit y t all mine aduersaries shal haue shame of their doings When his frends saw him so constaunt and fully determined to go they with weeping eyes commended him vnto God and he within a day or two prepared himselfe to his iourney leauing his cure with a godly olde Priest named Syr Richard Yeoman who afterward for Gods truth was burnt at Norwich Syr Rich. Yeoman D. Taylours Curate and Martir of Christ Iohn Alcocke of Hadley trobled for Gods truth and dyed in prison D. Taylours iourney There was also in Hadley one Alcocke a very godly man well learned in the holy Scriptures who after Sir Richard Yeoman was driuen away vsed dayly to reade a chapter and to say the English Letany in Hadley Church But him they fet vp to London and cast him in prison in Newgate where after a yeare imprisonment he died But let vs returne to Doctour Taylour agayne who being accompanied with a seruaunt of his owne named Iohn Hull tooke his iourney towardes London By the way this Iohn Hull laboured to counsell and perswade him very earnestly to flie and not to come to the Byshop and profered himselfe to go with him to serue him and in all perils to venter his liâ—e for him and with him Iohn Hull a faythfull seruaunt to D. Taylour But in no wise would Doctour Taylour consent or agree thereunto but sayd Oh Iohn shall I geue place to this thy counsell worldly perswasion and leaue my flock in this daunger Remember the good shepeheard Christ whiche not alonely fed his flocke but also died for hys flocke Him must I follow and with Gods grace will do Therefore good Iohn pray for me and if thou seest me weake at any time D. Taylour agayne adâ—â—ed to flye but he refused so to do The first meeting betweene Winchest and D. Tailour A great abuse in Englande and 3. mischiefes comming thereof The first mischiefe The second mischiefe comfort me and discourage me not in this my godly enterprise and purpose Thus they came vp to London and shortly after Doctour Taylour presented himselfe to the Bishop of Winchester Steuen Gardiner then Lord Chauncellour of England For this hath bene one great abuse in Englande these many yeares that such offices as haue ben of most importance and waight haue commonly bene committed to Bishops and other spirituall men whereby three diuelish mischiefes and inconueniences haue happened in this Realme to the great dishonour of God and vtter neglecting of the flocke of Christ the which three be these First they haue had small leysure to attende to theyr pastorall cures which thereby haue bene vtterly neglected and left vndone Secondly it hath also puft vp many Byshops and other spirituall persons into such hautines and pryde that they haue thought no noble man in the Realme worthy to be their equall and fellow Thirdly where they by this meanes knew the very secretes of Princes The third mischiefe they being in such high offices haue caused the same to be knowne in Rome afore the kings could accomplish and bring their ententes to passe in England By this meanes hath the Papacy bene so maintained and things ordered after their wils and pleasures that much mischiefe hath happened in this Realme and others sometime to the destruction of Princes and sometime to the vtter vndoing of many common wealthes Now when Gardiner saw Doctour Taylour he according to his common custome all â—o reuiled him calling him knaue Traytor hereticke with many other villanous reproches which all Doctour Taylour heard patiently and at the last sayd vnto him D. Taylours patience and â—agnaniâ—itie My Lord quoth he I am neither Traytour nor hereticke but a true subiect and a faithfull Christian man and am come according to your coÌ„mandement to know what is the cause that your Lordship hath sent for me Then sayde the Bishop art thou come thou villaine How darest thou looke me in the face for shame Knowest thou not who I am Yes quoth Doctor Taylor I knowe who yee are Steuen Gardiners Lordly lookes Ye are Doctor Steuen Gardinar Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chauncellour yet but a mortall man I trow But if I shoulde be afrayde of your Lordly lookes why feare you not God the Lord of vs all Howe dare yee for shame looke any Christian man in the face The notable answere of Doctor Taylour to the Bishop of Winchester seeing ye haue forsaken the trueth denyed our sauioure Christ and hys word done
others because they fauored not the true religion and agayn the good hap and prosperitie of the Queenes highnes because shee fauored the true religion thereby gathering the one to be good and of God and the other to be wicked and of the deuill said that the Duke of Northumberland confessed so playnely ¶ George Marsh to the Reader FOr asmuch as not onely when I was at Latham but also since I departed thence I heare that there be diuers and sondry reportes and opinions of the cause of mine imprisonment as wel at Latham as at Lācaster as by credible persons I am informed some saying it was onely because I would not do open penance and some because I could not agree with my Lord and his councell concerning the sacrament of Christes body and bloud and the maner of Christes presence there some because I woulde not graunt it sufficient and according to Christes institution the lay people to receaue the sayd sacrament vnder the one kinde onely I thought it good dearely beloued in Christe and my bounden duetie to certifie you by mine owne hand writing of mine examination and handling at Latham and to tell you the trueth as neare as I could to quyet your minde in this behalfe and therfore I haue here written with myne owne hand the certaynty of those thinges as neare as I could here aboue expressed not omitting any thing at al concerning Religion wherof they did examine me howbeit I perceiue in some thinges I keepe not the same order in writing that thing which was asked by them and answered by me afore or after as it was in very deed in al points sauing this telling the truth as neare as I can desiring you to accept in good worth this my good will and to pray for me and all them that be in bondes that God would assist vs with hys holy spirite that wee may with boldnes confesse his holye name and that Christ may be magnified in our bodyes that wee may stand full and perfect in all the will of God to whome be all honor and glory world without end Amen And thus you haue heard all the whole trouble which George Marsh susteyned both at Lathum also at Lancaster testified and written with hys owne hand wherto he addeth moreouer and sayth While I was sayth he in Ward at Lathum diuers at sundry times came vnto me Some sayd vnto me that all my fellowes had recanted and were gone home where as in deede that was not so for I saw diuers of them dyuers times after Other sayd that it was reported amongest my Lordes houshold that I had consented and agreed in all things with my Lord and his counsell Furthermore while I was at Lancaster at this Sessiō time many came to me to talke with me some of good will towardes me but without knowledge gaue mee such like counsel as Peter gaue Christ as he went vp to Ierusalem when he tooke hym aside and began to rebuke him Peters counsell to Christ to saue himselfe saying maister fauour thy selfe this thing shall not be vnto thee But I answered with Christes sharpe answere vnto Peter agayne who turned about and sayd vnto Peter come after me Sathan and perceiuing that they were an hinderaunce vnto mee and that they fauoured not the thinges which are of God but the thinges that are of men I made them playne answere that I neither could ne would follow their counsell but that by Gods grace I woulde both liue and dye with a pure conscience and according as hetherto I had beleeued and professed For wee ought in no wise to flatter and beare with them G. Marsh followeth Christe◠aunswere to Peter though they loue vs neuer so well which go about to pluck vs away from the obedience that wee owe vnto God and to hys worde but after Christes example sharpely to rebuke them for theyr counsell Some others yea euen straungers also came to mee far vnlike to these who after sober communication hadde consented with mee in all thinges lamenting muche my troublous estate geuing me comfortable wordes some money to and resorted to me often tymes for the space of two three or foure dayes There came also many Priestes to me by 2.3.4.5 or 6. at once Priestes not alwayes the greatest Clarkes whose mouthes it was a thing easy enough to stopp for the Priests which is much to be lamēted be not alwayes greatest clarkes best learned in y e lawe of God At theyr departing they eyther consented w t me or els had nothing to say agaynst me saying they could finde no fault with my wordes My communication with them was about the Sacrament There came also into y e prison to me mayster Westby Mayster Ashton of Hyll M. Ashton of Chatertō many moe both gentlemen and others to my great comfort Unto whom I had good occasion to vtter a great parte of my conscience for God so strengthen me with his spirite of boldnes according to my humble request and prayer before euerlastyng thankes be geuen him therfore that I was nothing afraid to speake to any that came to me no not euen to Iudges G. Marsh strengthened in prison with the boldnes of Gods spirite themselues before whome I was thrise arraygned at the barre amongest the theeues wyth yrons on my feete and put vp my hād as other did but yet with boldnes I spake vnto them so long as they would suffer me They also sent for me the fourth tyme into their chamber where amongest other thinges they layd it straitly to my charge y t I had reported that I knewe an whole messe of good gentlemen in Lancashyre of myne opinion and straightly charged me vppon payne of allegiaunce to the Queenes grace to shew who they were But I denyed that I had spoken any suche thinge as it was in deede a false forged lye of some wicked wretches After that they threatned and rebuked me for my preaching to the people out of the prison as they called it and for my praying and reading so loud that the people in the streets might heare Warbarton fellow prisoner with Marsh. The truth is I and my prison fellow Warbarton euerye day kneeling on our knees did read morning and euening prayer with the english Letany euery day twise both before noone and after with other praiers moe also read euery day certain chapters of the Bible cōmonly towards night and we read all these thinges with so high loude a voyce G. Marsh reproued for his loud praying reading in prisō y t the people without in the streetes might heare vs and would often times namely in y e eueninges come and sit down in our sightes vnder the windowes heare vs read wherwith others being offended complayned All this while George Marshe was not yet brought before the bishop whose name was Doctour Cotes placed the same time in the Bishopricke of Chester Of whose comming then vnto
furtherance of the gospel and that you will be none of those forgetfull and hypocritish hearers Wayside hereâ—â— of the worde whereof some being but wayside hearers the deuil commeth and taketh away the woord out of their heartes least they shoulde beleeue and be saued but lette praier be made without ceassing by the congregation vnto God for them and no doubt God will to your consolation gloriously deliuer by one meanâ—s or other his oppressed Onely tary ye the Lords leisure be strong let your heart be of good comfort and waite yee still for the Lorde He tarieth not that will come looke for hym therefore and faint not and he will neuer faile you Yours George Marsh. A letter of a godly brother one Iames Bradshaw sent to George Marsh in prisone GRace and peace from God the father and the Lord Iesu Christ be with you alway A letter of Iames Bradshaw to George Marsh. Amen We had a letter from you which is a great coÌ„fort vnto vs to see you take the crosse so thankefully Trouble affliction doth prooue try instructe confirme strengthen the faith prouoke and stirre vp prayer driue and force vs to amendement of life What good affliction worketh in the godly to the feare of God to mekenes to patience to constancie to gentlenesse to sobernesse temperancie and to all maner of vertues and are the occasion of exceeding much good as wel transitorie as eternal in this world as in the world to come There is neither good nor bad godly nor vngodly but hee hathe one crosse or other And although some there be that can shift for a while and make prouision for theÌ„selues for a time by craft or subtilty and dissimulatioÌ„ or by some fashion in fellowship as they call it yet they bring them selues at length into the highest danger confusion and shame both in this world in the world to come And seing that all the troubles and aduersity in this world are a thousand times more light easy yea nothing in coÌ„parison of the eternal fire which is prepared and already kindled for the vnfaithfull and wicked enemies of God all faithfull and godly persons ought to beare and suffer their transitorye affliction and aduersitie the more patiently willingly and thankfully considering and remembring all the dearely beloued frendes of God which were wonderfully vexed plaged of their enemies Abraham of the Caldeis Lot of the Sodomites Isaac of Ismael Iacob of Esau Moses of his people Dauid of Saule and of his owne sonnes As for Iob Examplâ— of holy suffering â—â—â—fliction he had not a drop of bloud in hys body Iohn Baptist the holyest that euer was borne of a woman was without any law right or reason beheaded in prison as thoughe God had knowen nothing at all of hym We haue many thousand fellow martyrs and companions of our miserie and aduersitie in respecte of whose imprisonment racking chaines fire wilde beastes and other meanes wherwith they were tormented al that we suffer is but a blast of winde Therefore nowe who soeuer is ashamed of the crosse of Christ and agreued therewith the same is ashamed to haue Christ for his fellow companion and therefore shal the Lord Iesus Christ be ashamed of him againe at the latter day Thus I leaue for this time beseeching you to lette me haue your aduise because I do not outwardly speake that with my tong that I do thinke w t my heart Pray for me as I for you I beseeche the holy Ghost haue you in hys keeping alway Amen By your frend Iames Bradshaw A prayer of George Marsh which he vsed daily to say OH Lord Iesu Christ which art the onely phisition of wouÌ„ded consciences wee miserable sinners trusting in thy gratious goodnes doe briefly open to thee the euil tree of our heart with all the rootes boughes leaues and fruits withal the crookes A prayer oâ— G. Marsh Martyr knots and knoures all which thou knowest for thou throughly perceiuest as wel the inwarde lustes doubtings and denying thy prouideÌ„ce as these grosse outward sinnes which we commit inwardly and deadly Wherfore we beseeche thee according to the litle measure of our infirmitie althoughe we be farre vnable and vnapt to pray that thou wouldest mercifully circumcise our stonie hearts and for these old hearts create new within vs and replenish vs with a new spirite and water vs and moysten vs wyth the iuyce of heauenly grace and welles of spiritual waters wher by the inwarde venome and noysome iuyce of the flesh may be dried vp and custome of the olde man changed and our heart alwaies bringing forth thornes and briers to be burned with fire from hence foorth may beare spiritual fruites in righteousnes holinesse vnto life euerlasting Amen Beloued amonge other exercises I doe daily on my knees vse this confession of sinnes willing and exhorting you to do the same daily to acknowledge vnfainedly to God your vnbelief vnthaÌ„kfulnes disobedience against him This shal ye do if ye wil diligently consider and loke your selues first in the pure glasse of Gods commaundements and there see our outward filthines and vncleannes and so learne to vanquish the same that is to wit to fall in hearty displeasure against sinne therby be prouoked to long after Christ. For we truely are sinners but he is iust and the iustifier of all them that beleue on him We are poore 1. Cor. 1â— Math. 2â— but he is rich in mercy towarde all them that cal vpon him If we hunger and thirst for righteousnesse let vs resort vnto his table for he is a most liberall feast maker He wil set before vs his owne holy body which was geueÌ„ for vs to be our meat and hys precious bloud which was shed for vs and for many for the remission of sinnes to be our drinke He biddeth willeth calleth for geasts which hunger and thirst Come sayeth he all ye that labour and are laden and I will refresh you coole and ease you Math. 1â—â— and you shall finde rest vnto your soules The life and historie of W. Flower who for striking of a priest was apprehended first hauing hys hande cut off and after martyred for his constant standing to the truth WIlliam Flower otherwise named Branch first coÌ„cerning his trade of life bringing vp he was born at Snowhil in the County of Cambridge W. Flower Martyr where he went to schoole certaine yeares and then came to the Abbey of Ely where after hee hadde remained a while hee was a professed Monke according to the order and rule of the same house wherein hee remained vsing and bearing the habite of a Monke and obseruing the rules and orders of the same house vntill he came to 21. yeres of age or thereabout and before hee came to that age and being a professed Monke hee was made a priest also in the same house and there did celebrate and singe Masse a good space
Earle of Darby because you desired to conferre with vs. Brad. I neuer desired your comming nor to conferre with you or any other But seeing you are come of charitie as you say I cannot but thanke you and as touchyng conference though I desire it not yet I wil not refuse to talk with you if you will Alphon. It were requisite that you did praye vnto God that ye might follow the direction of Gods spirite that he woulde inspire you so that ye be not addict to your owne selfe will or wyt ⧠The talke betwene M. Bradford and two Spanish Fryers Brad. Whereupon Bradford made a prayer and besought God to direct all theyr willes Bradford willed to pray 〈◊〉 his prayer wordes and works as the wils wordes and workes of his children for euer Alph. Yea you must pray with your hart For if you speak but with toung onely God will not geue you his grace Brad. Syr do not iudge least ye be iudged You haue heard my words now charity would haue you to leaue y e iudgement of the hart to God Alph. You must be as it were a neuter and not wedded to your selfe but as one standing in doubt pray and be ready to receiue what God shall enspire for in vain laboreth our toung to speake els Brad. Syr my sentence if you meane it for Religion must not be in a doubting or vncertain as I thanke God I am certayne in that for which I am condeÌ„ned I haue no cause to doubt of it but rather to be most certayne of it and therfore I praye God to confirme mee more in it For it is his trueth and because it is so certayne and true that it may abide the light I dare be bold to haue it looked on and conferre it with you or any man in respect wherof I am both glad of your comming and thanke you for it Alph. What is the matter whereof you were condemned we know not Brad. Syr I haue bene in prison almost 2. yeares I neuer transgressed any of theyr lawes wherefore I might iustlye be prisoned now am I condeÌ„ned onely because I franckly confessed wherof I repeÌ„t not my fayth concerning the sacrament when I was demauÌ„ded in these 2. poynts one that there is no transubstantiation the other that the wicked do not receiue Christes body Alph. Let vs looke a little on the firste Doe you not beleue that Christ is present really and corporally in the forme of bread Brad. No I do beleue that Christ is present to the fayth of the worthy receiuer as there is present bread and wyne to the sences and outward man as for any such preseÌ„ce of including and placing Christ I beleue not nor dare beleue Alph. I am sure you beleue Christes naturall body is circuÌ„scriptible And here he made much ado of the 2. natures of Christ how that the one is euery where the other is in his proper place demauÌ„ding such questions as no wise man would haue spent any time about At length because the Frier had forgotten to conclude Bradforde put him in mind of it and thus then at length he concluded how that because Christes bodye was circumscriptible concernyng the humayne nature in heauen therefore it was so in the bread Brad. How hangeth this together Euen as if you should say because you are here Ergo it must needes followe that you are at Rome For this you reason Because Christes bodye is in heauen Ergo it is in the Sacrament vnder the forme of bread which no wise man will graunt Alph. Why will you beleue nothing but that which is expressely spoken in the Scriptures Brad. Yes Syr I will beleue whatsoeuer you shall by demonstratian out of the Scripture declare vnto me Alph. He is obstinate quoth Alphonsus to his felow and then turning to Bradford sayd is not God able to do it Christ is able to doe it Ergo he doth it Brad. Yes but here the question is of Gods will and not of his power Alph. Why doth he not say playnely this is my body Brad. Yes and I deny not but that it is so to the fayth of the worthy receyuer Alph. To the fayth how is that Brad. Forsooth Syr as I haue no toung to expresse it so I know ye haue no eares to heare vnderstand it For fayth is more then man can vtter Alph. But I can tell all that I beleue Brad. You beleue not much then For if you beleue y e ioyes of heauen and beleue no more therof then you can tell you wil not yet desire to come thither For as the mind is more capable receiueable theÌ„ the mouth so it conceiueth more then toung can expresse Alph. Christ sayth it is his body Brad. And so say I after a certayne maner Alph. After a certayne maner that is Hoc est corpus meum Quodam modo Augustinus Epistola ad Bonifacium Argument As grace is in the water of baptisme so is the body in the Sacrament But grace is in the water by signification Ergo so is the body in the Sacrament A Popish distinction of Sacramentes after an other maner then it is in heauen Brad. S Augustine telleth it more playnely that it is christes body after the same maner as Circumcision was the couenaunt of God and the Sacrament of fayth is fayth or to make it more playne as baptisme and the water of baptisme is regeneration Alph. Uery well sayd Baptisme and the water therof is a Sacrament of Gods grace spirite in the water clensing the Baptised Brad. No Syr away w t your enclosing but this I graunt that after the same sort Christes bodye is in the breade on which sort the grace and spirit of God is in the water Alph. In water is Gods grace by signification Brad. So is the body in the bread in the Sacrament Alph. You are much deceiued in that you make no differeÌ„ce betwene the Sacramentes that be standers and the sacramentes that are transitory and passers by As for example the Sacrament of Order which you deny though S. Augustine affirme it it is a standerd although the ceremony be past But in Baptisme so soone as the bodye is washed the water ceaseth not to be a Sacrament Brad. Uery good and so it is in the Supper of the Lord no longer then it is in vse is it Christes Sacrament Here was the Fryer in a wonderfull rage and spake so high as often he had done before that the whole house rang agayne chaâ—ing with om and cho Hee hath a greate name of learning The Frier in a chafe but surely hee hath little pacience For if Bradford had bene any thing hote one house coulde not haue held them At the length hee commeth to this poynt that Bradford coulde not finde in the Scripture Baptisme and the Lordes Supper to beare any similitude together And here he triuÌ„phed before the conquest saying that these men would receiue nothing
¶ To Mistres M. H a godly gentlewoman comfortyng her in that common heauinesse and godly sorrowe which the feelyng and sense of sinne worketh in Gods children I Humbly and hartily praye the euerlasting good God and Father of mercy An other ghostly letter of M. Bradford to Mistres M. H. to blesse and keepe your harte and minde in the knowledge and loue of his truthe and of his Christ through the inspiration and working of the holye spirite Amen Anno 1555. Iuly Although I haue no doubt but that you prosper and goe forwardes dayly in the way of godlinesse more and more drawing towardes perfection and haue no neede of anye thinge that I can write yet because my desire is that you might be more feruent and perseuer to the ende I coulde not but write something vnto you beseechinge you both often and diligently to call vnto your minde as a meane to stirre you hereunto yea as a thing which God most straitly requireth you to beleeue that you are beloued of God and that he is your deare father in through and for Christ and his deathes sake This loue and tender kindnes of God towardes vs in Christe is aboundantly herein declared and that he hath to y e Godly work of creation of this world made vs after his image redeemed vs being lost called vs into his Churche sealed vs with his marke and signe manuell of Baptisme kept and conserued vs all the dayes of our lyfe Gods benefites to be declared fed nourished defeÌ„ded and most fatherly chastised vs and now hath kindled in our hartes the sparcles of his â—eare fayth loue and knowledge of his Christ and truthe and therefore wee lament because we lament no more our vnthankfulnes our fraylnes our diffidence and wauering in thinges wherein we should be most certayne All these thinges wee shoulde vse as meanes to confirme our fayth of this that God is our God and father to assure vs that he loueth vs as our father in Christ to this end I say we should vse the thinges before touched especially in that of all thinges GOD requireth thys faythe and fatherly perswasion of his fatherly goodnesse The chiefest seruice of God is to thinke well of his fatherly goodnes in Christ. as his chiefest seruice For before he aske anye thing of vs he sayth I am the Lorde thy God geuing himselfe and then all he hath to vs to be our owne And this he doth in respect of himselfe of his owne mercy and and truthe and not in respect of vs for then were grace no grace In consideration whereof when he sayth Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me thou shalt loue me with all thy harte c. though of duetie we are bound to accomplishe all that he requireth and are culpable and giltie if we doe not the same yet he requireth not these thinges further of vs then to make vs more in loue and more certayne of this his couenaunt that he is our Lord and GOD. In certayntye wherof as he hath geueÌ„ this whole world to serue to our neede and commoditie so hath he geuen his sonne Chryst Iesus and in Christe hymselfe to be a pledge and gage whereof the holy Ghost doth now and then geue vs some taste and sweete smell to our our eternall ioy Where feeling fayleth yet obedience is required Therefore as I sayde because God is your father in Christ and requireth of you straitly to beleue it geue your selfe to obedience although you doe it not with suche feelyng as you desire First must faithe goe before and then feeling will follow If our imperfection frayltie and many euils shoulde be occasions whereby Sathan woulde haue vs to doubte as muche as we canne let vs abhorre that suggestion Let no suggestion make vs doubte of Gods fauour in Christ. as of all others most pernicious for so in deede it is For when we stande in a doubte whether God be oure Father we cannot be thankefull to God we can not hartily pray or thinke anye thyng wee doe acceptable to God we can not loue our neighboures and geue ouer our selues to care for them and doe for them as we should do and therefore Sathan is most subtile hereaboutes knowing full well that if we doubt of Gods eternal mercies towardes vs through Christ we cannot please God or do any thing as we should do to man Continually casteth he into our memories our imperfectioÌ„ frayltie falles and offences that we should doubte of Gods mercie and fauour towardes vs. Therefore my good sister wee must not be sluggishe herein To stay vpon Gods promise to christs bloud but as Sathan laboureth to loosen our faythe so must we labour to fasten it by thinking on the promyses and couenaunte of God in Christes bloude namely that God is our God with all that euer hee hath whiche couenaunte dependeth and hangeth vppon Gods own goodnes mercy and trueth onely and not on our obedience or worthines in any poynt for then should we neuer be certayne In deede God requireth of vs obedience and worthines but not that thereby we might be his children and he our father Obedience geueth not to vs to 〈◊〉 Godschildren but Gods â—hildren geueth obedience but because he is our father and we his children through his owne goodnes in Christe therefore requireth he fayth and obedience Now if we want this obedience worthines which he requireth shuld we doubt whether he be our father Nay that were to make our obedience and worthines 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 feel our selues to want such things as he requireth we shuld be styrred vp to a shamefastnes and blushing because we are not as we should be and thereupon should we take occasion to go to our father in prayer on this maner Deare father thou of thyne owne mercye in Iesus Chryst hast chosen me to be thy childe and therefore thou wouldest I should be brought into thy Churche and faythfull companye of thy children wherein thou hast kept me hetherto How a 〈◊〉 should 〈◊〉 wheÌ„ feelinâ— of Gods comfort lacketh thy name therfore be praysed Now I see my self to want fayth hope loue c. whiche thy children haue and thou requirest of me wherthrough the deuill would haue me to doubt yea vtterly to dispayre of thy fatherly goodnes fauour and mercy Therefore I come to thee as to my mercifull father through thy deare sonne Iesus Christ and pray thee to helpe me good Lorde helpe me and geue me fayth hope loue c. and graunt that thy holy spirite may be with me for euer and more and more to assure me that thou art my father that this mercifull couenaunt that thou madest with them respect of thy grace in Christ and for Christ and not in respecte of any my worthines is alwayes to me c. On this
before hys mercifull harte laye open your infirmities and euilles with desire of pardon and helpe after hys good will and pleasure but in hys time and not when you will and by what meanes he will not by that waye you woulde in the meane season hange on hope of his fatherly goodnes and surely you shall neuer be ashamed For if a woman that is naturall cannot finally forget the Childe of her wombe be â—ure God whiche is a father supernaturall Esay â—9 cannot nor will not forget you Yea if a woman coulde be so forgetfull yet God hymselfe sayth he will not be so This opinion yea rather certayne perswasion of God our father through Christe see that you cherishe and by all meanes as well by dilligent consideration of his benefites as of his louing corrections whether they be inward or outwarde see that you nourishe knowyng for certayne that as the deuill goeth about nothing so muche as to bring you in a doubte whether yee be Gods childe or no so what soeuer shall moue you to admitte that dubitation be assured the same to come from the Deuill If you feele in your selfe not onely the want of good thinges but also plentye of euill do not therefore doubte whether you be Gods childe in Christ or no. For if for your goodnes or ilnesse sake which you feel or feele not ye should beleue or doubte then shoulde you make Christe Iesus for whose sake onely God is your father either nothyng or els but halfe Christ. But rather take occasion of your wants in good and of your plenty in euill to goe to God as to your father and to praye to him that in asmuch as he commaundeth you to beleue that he is your God and father so he would geue you his good spirite that you might feele the same and liue as hys childe to hys glorye and cease not vpon such prayers to look for comfort Gods good tyme still hoping the best and reiecting all dubitation and so all euill workes words and cogitations as the Lord shal enable you by hys good spirite and grace which I beseeche hym to geue vnto you my good sister for euer And further I pray you that as hee hath made you to be an helper vnto your husband so you would endeuour your selfe therein to shewe the same as well in soule as body and begge grace of God that your indeuour may be effectual to both your comfortes in Christ. Amen Iohn Bradford To my welbeloued in the Lord VV. P. GRace and peace from God the father through our Lorde Iesus Chryste Amen Deare brother God most iustly hath cast me downe into a dungeon but much better then I deserue wherein I see no man but my keeper nor can see any except they borne to me Soâ—ething in the earth my lodgyng is which as an example and memoriall of my earthly affections which God I trust will mortifie and of my sepulchre whereunto I trust my Lord God will bryng me in peace in hys good time In the meane season hee geue me pacience liuely hope and his good spirite I pray you praye for me for the prayer of the godly if it be effectuall This disease was a rewme with a feblenes of stomacke wherewith he was much troubled whiles he was at libertye worketh muche with God I thanke God my common disease doth lesse trouble me then when I was abroad which doth teache me the merciful prouidence of God towardes me Vse true and harty prayer and you shall perceiue GOD at length will declare himselfe to see where now many thinke he sleepeth Out of the Tower by the Lordes prisoner Iohn Bradford A letter whiche he wrote to a faythfull woman in her heauines and trouble most comfortable for all those to read that are afflicted and broken harted for their sinnes GOd oure good father for hys mercies sake in Christe with his eternall consolation so comforte you A letter of M. Bradford to a faythfull womaÌ„ inwardly afflicted as I desire to be comforted of him in my moste neede Yea he will comfort you my deare sister onely caste your care vppon hym and he neuer can nor will forsake you For his calling and giftes be suche that he can neuer repente hym of them Whome he loueth he loueth to the end none of his chosen can perishe Romans 11. Of whiche number I knowe you are my dearely beloued sister God increase the fayth thereof dayly more and more in you hee geue vnto you to hange wholy on hym and on his prouidence and protection For who so dwelleth vnder * * Gods prouidence and protection Psalm 31.90 Gene. 19. that secret thing and help of the Lord he shall be cocke sure for euermore He that dwelleth I say for if we be flitters and not dwellers as was Loth a flitter from Segor where God promised hym protection if hee had dwelled there still wee shall remoue to oure losse as he did into the mountaynes Dwell therefore that is truste and that finally vnto the ende in the Lorde my deare sister and you shal be as Mount Syon As Mountaynes compasse Ierusalem so dooth the Lorde all hys people How then can hee forget you whiche are as y e apple of hys eye for his dear sonnes sake Ah deare heart that I were now but one half houre with you to be a Symon to helpe to cary your crosse with you God sende you some good Symon to bee with you and helpe you You complayne in your letters of the blyndenesse of your minde and the troubles you feele My dearely beloued God make you thankefull for that whiche God hathe geuen vnto you he open your eyes to see what and howe great benefites you haue receiued that you may be lesse couetous or rather impacient for so I feare me it should be called and more thankefull Haue not you receiued at his handes sight to see your blindnesse and thereto a desirous and seeking heart to see where he lyeth in the mydday as his deare Spouse speaketh of her selfe in the Canticles Oh Ioyce my good Ioyce what a gifte is thys Many haue some sight but none this sobbing and sighing none this seeking whiche you haue I knowe but such as he hath marryed vnto hym in his mercies You are not content to kisse hys feete w t the Magdalen but you would be kissed euen with the kisse of his mouthe Cant. 1. You would see his face with Moses forgetting how he biddeth vs seeke hys face Psalme 27. yea and that for euer psalm 105. which signifieth no such sight as you desire to bee in this present life which would see God nowe face to face where as he cannot be seene but couered vnder something yea sometyme in that whiche is as you would say cleane contrary to God as to see his mercye in hys anger In bringing vs to hell fayth seethe hym bryng vs to heauen in darkenesse it beholdeth brightnesse God cannot be seene
and plagues behoâ—d hys iudgements where through learne to feare hym Beware of sinne as the serpent of the soule which spoileth vs of all our oâ— nature and seemely apparel in Gods sight Let Christ crucified be your booke to study on and that both night and day Marke your vocation and be diligent in the workes thereof Vse harty earnest prayer and that in spirit In all thyngs geue thanks to God our father through Christ. Labour to haue here lyfe euerlastyng begun in you for els it will not be elsewhere enioyed Set Gods iudgement often before your eyes that nowe examinyng your selfe you may make diligent sute and obtaine neuer to come into iudgement Vncouer your euils to God that he may couer theÌ„ Beware of this Antichristian trash defile not your selfe in soule or body therewith but accomplish holynes in the feare of God beare no yoke with vnbeleeuers Looke for the commyng of the Lord which is at hand by earnest prayer and godly 〈…〉 it God our father accomplish his good worke in you Amâ— Commend me to my good mother maistres Wilkinson to my very deare sister maistresse Warcuppe I shall daily commend you all to God and I pray you do the lyke for me Iohn Bradford ¶ To a friend of his instructing hym how he should aunswer his aduersaries MY good brother our mercifull God and deare Father through christ opeÌ„ your eyes effectually to see An other letter 〈◊〉 Bradfâ—â—â— his friâ—â—â— with iâ—â—structiâ—â— how â—â—â—swere 〈◊〉 aduersâ—â—â—â—â— your heart ardently to desire the euerlasting ioy which he hath prepared for his slaughter sheep that is for such as shrink not from his truth for any such stormes sake Amen When you shall come before the Magistrates to geue an aunswer of the hope which is in you do it with all reuerence and simplicity And because you may be somthing afrayd by the power of the Maiestrates cruelty which they will threaten against you I would you set before you the good father Moses to follow his example Exampâ—â— Moyses â—â—â—swering â—â—â—fore king Pharao for hee set the inuisible God before his eyes of fayth and with them looked vpon God and his glorious Maiestie and power as with his corporal eies he saw Pharao and all his fearefull terrors So doe you my dearely beloued let your inward eies geue such light vnto you that as you know you arâ— before the magistrates so and much more you they also are present before the face of God which will geue such wisedome to you fearing him and seeking his prayse as the enemies shall wonder at and further he will so order their harts and doyngs that they shall will they â—ill they serue Gods prouidence towards you which you can not auoyd though you would as shall be most to his glory and your euerlasting comfort Therefore my good brother let your whole study bee onely to please God put hym alwayes before your eies for he is on your right hand lest you should be mooued he is faithfull and neuer will suffer you to be tempted aboue that hee will make you able to beare Yea euery haire of your hed he hath numbred so that one of them shal not perish without his good will which cannot be but bee good vnto you in that he is become your father through Christ and therfore as he hath geuen you to beleue in hym God increase this beliefe in vs all so doth hee now graciously geue vnto you to suffer for his names sake the which you ought with all thankefulnesse to receiue in that you are made worthy to drinke of the self same cup which not only the very sonnes of God haue dronke of before you but euen the very natural sonne of God himself hath brought you good lucke Oh he of his mercy make vs thankefull to pledge him agayne Amen Because the chiefest matter they will trouble you and go about to deceiue you withall is the Sacrament not of Christes body and bloud but of the aulter as they call it thereby destroieng the Sacrament which Christ instituted I would you noted these two things First that the Sacrament of the aulter which the Priest offereth in the Masse and eateth priuately with himselfe is not the Sacrament of Christes body add bloud instituted by him as Christes institution plainely written and set foorth in the scriptures beyng compared to their vsing of it playnely doth declare Againe if they talke with you of Christes Sacrament instituted by him whether it be Christes body or no aunswer them that as to the eyes of your reason to your tast and corporall senses it is bread and wyne and therfore the Scripture calleth it after the consecration so eueÌ„ so to the eyes taste and senses of your faith which ascendeth to the right hand of God in heauen where Christ sitteth it is in very deed Christs body and bloud which spiritually your soule feedeth on to euerlasting life in faith and by faith eueÌ„ as your body presently feedeth on the sacramentall bread and sacramentall wyne By this meanes as you shall not allow transubstantiation nor none of their popish opinions so shal you declare the Sacrament to be a matter of faith and not of reason as the Papistes make it For they deny Gods omnipotencie in that they say Christ is not there if bread bee there but fayth looketh on the omnipotencie of God ioined with this promise and doubteth not but that Christ is able to geue that he promiseth vs spiritually by fayth the bread still remaining in substaÌ„ce as wel as if the substance of bread were takeÌ„ away for Christ saith not in any place this is no bread But of this geare God shal instruct you if you hang on his promise and pray for the power wisdome of his spirit which vnâ—oubtedly as you are bounde to looke for praying for it so he hath bound himselfe by his promise to geue it the which thing graunt vnto vs both and to all his people for his names sake thorough Christ our Lord Amen Iohn Bradford ¶ To certaine godly men whome he exhorteth to bee pacient vnder the crosse and constant in the true doctrine which they had professed MY dearely beloued in the Lord as in him I wish you well to fare so I pray God I and you may continue in his true seruice that perpetually we may enioy the same welfare as here in hope so in heauen in deed and eternally You know this world is not your home but a pilgrimage place wherein God trieth hys children and therfore as it knoweth you not nor can know you so I trust you know not it that is you allow it not nor in any poynt will seeme so to doe although by many you be occasioned thereto For this hote sunne which now shineth burneth so sore that the corne which is sowen vppon sande and stony ground beginneth to wither that is many which before tymes were taken for harty
in that they make it so necessary a thyng and a worshippyng of God it cannot but be agaynst Christ and the freedome of hys Gospell and the same thyng teacheth vs that it is agaynst the commoditie of our brethren which eyther be weake eyther be strong eyther be ignorant either be obstinate If they be weake by your resortyng to it they be made more weake If they be strong you do what you can to infirme their strength If they be ignorant therein you helpe to keepe them by your facte If they bee obstinate your resortyng to it cannot but rocke them a sleepe in their obstinate errour of the necessitie of this rite and ceremony These causes recited doe shew you what I thinke in this but my thinkyng must no further bynd you then a mans thought should do except the same be grounded vpon Gods worde which byndeth in deede as I thinke they doe I doubt not but you waying these causes and especially two of the first and the last if you pray to God for his spirite to direct you and thereto aske the aduise of this my good brother and other godly learned men I doubt not I say but you should be guided to do that which is best in gods sight although in the sight of the world perhaps you should bee counted foolish and precise But bee at a poynt with your selues as the disciples of Christ which had forsaken themselues to follow not your will but Gods will as you daily pray in the Lordes prayer The crosse of Christ bee willyng to cary least you cary the crosse of the world the flesh or the deuill 4. Crosâ—â—â— whereof 〈◊〉 bringeth 〈◊〉 hell One of these 4. crosses you must cary Three of them bringeth to hell and therefore the more part goeth that way which is a broad way Only the fourth bringeth to heauen but few go that way as wel because the way is straite as also because few walke in it Howbeit Why thâ— more 〈◊〉 go that 〈◊〉 that lâ—â—â—deth to â—â—â—dition though it bee straite it is but short and the few are many if you consider the godly as the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors and Christ Iesus with all his gard and trayne Thinke not scorne to come after them which are gone before you and after them which now go before you in whose number I trust I am apointed to be one and I beseech you pray for me that God would vouch me worthy that honour Our sinnes deserue plagues prison and the losse of all that euer wee haue therefore if God remooue our sinnes out of sight and sende vs prison or losse of goods and liuyng for his names sake Oh how happy are we My deare hearts in the Lord consider this geare and bee assured that he which looseth any thyng for Christes sake the same in his posteritie shall finde it here and in heauen elsewhere As for vnablenes to aunswer for your fayth it shall be enough to will them to dispute with your teachers Faith standeth not in disputyng I thinke few if it came to disputing could defend the godhead of Christ and many other articles I speake it for the simple sorte Pray for me Lacke of paper maketh this end Commend me to my good brother R. B. and my good sister his wyfe I pray them to pray for me I trust by this bearer to heare how you do Iohn Bradford ¶ Another letter to N. and his wyfe GOds mercy in Christ I wish you to feele An other letter of Bradford a dearâ— friend 〈◊〉 his wyâ—â— my dere brother with my faithfull sister your wyfe now and for euer Amen Hauing this occasion I could not but write something as wel to put my selfe in remembrance of my duty to godwards for you both in thankefulnes and praier as to put you in remembrance of me and your duety towards God for me in praying for me for I dare not say in thankfulnes for me nor that I would haue you to geue no thaÌ„ks to God for his wonderfull great and sweete mercies towards me and vpon me in Christ his sonne but because I haue not deserued it at either of your hands For ye both know right wel at least my coÌ„science doth accuse me how that I haue not onely not exhorted taught you as both my vocation and your deserts required to walke worthy of that vocation which god hath made you worthy of and with treÌ„bling and feare to woorke out your saluation that is in the feare of God to geue your selues to great vigilaÌ„cie in praier for the encrease of faith and to a wary circumspection in all your conuersation not onely in works and woords but also in thoughts because God is a searcher of the heart and out of the heart it commeth that defileth vs in Gods sight I haue I say not onely not done thys but also haue geuen you example of negligence in praier watching fasting talking and doing so that woe to me for geuing suche offence Partly for this cause deare brother and sister God hath cast me heere that I might repent me and turne to him and that ye might also by this correction vpon me be more diligent to redresse these things and others if they in your conscience doe accuse you My dearly beloued heauy is Gods anger fallen vpon vs all doulefull is this day Nowe hath Antichrist all his power again Now is Christes gospel troden vnder fote Now is Gods people a derision and pray for the wicked Now is the greatest plague of al plagues fallen the want of Gods word and al these we haue yea I alone haue iustly deserued Oh that as I wryte I alone I could w t Dauid 1. Par. 21. and with Ionas in heart say so But I doe not I do not I see not howe greeuously I haue sinned howe great a misery is fallen for mine vnthankefulnes for Gods worde for mine hypocrisie in professing preaching hearing and speaking of Gods word for my not praying to God for the coÌ„tinuance of it for my not louing of it thoroughly as it requireth c. I will speake nothing of my manifest euils for they are knowen to you wel enough Deare brother and sister wyth me say yee the lyke for your owne partes and with me ioyne your hearts and let vs go to our heauenly father and for his Christes sake beseeche him to be mercifull vnto vs and to pardon vs Oh good father it is we that haue deserued the taking away of thy woorde it is we that haue deserued these thy iust plagues fallen vpon vs we haue done amisse we haue dealt vniustly wyth thy Gospell we haue procured thy wrathe and therfore iust art thou in punishing vs iust art thou in plaging vs for we are very miserable But good Lord and deare father of mercy whose iustice is such that thou wilt not punish the poore soules of thys realme which yet haue not thus sinned against thee as wee
to speake with me but yet I trust that I shall speake wyth you Iohn Bradford To these letters of M. Bradforde aboue specified here is also adioyned an other Letter of the sayde Bradforde wrytten to certaine of his faithfull friendes woorthy of all Christians to be read wherein is described a liuely comparison betweene the Olde man and the Newe Also betweene the Law and the Gospell containing much frutefull matter of diuinitie necessary for Christian consciences to read and vnderstand A letter of M. Bradford describing a comparison betweene the olde man and the newe c. A Man that is regenerate and borne of God the whiche thing that euery one of vs be A compaâ—ison betweene the olde man and the new by M. Bradford our baptisme the Sacrament of regeneration doth require vnder paine of damnation and therefore lette euery one of vs wyth the virgine Mary say be it vnto me O Lord according to thy word according to thy Sacrament of baptisme wherein thou hast declared our adoption and let vs lament the doubting hereof in vs striuing againste it as we shal be made able of the Lorde a man I say that is regenerate consisteth of two men as a man may say namely of the olde man and oâ— the newe man The old man The new man The olde man is like to a mighty Giant suche a one as was Goliath â—or his birth is now perfecte But the newe man is like vnto a little childe such a one as was Dauid for his birth is not perfect vntill the day of hys generall resurrection The old man therfore is more stronger lusty and stirring then is the newe man Why the olde man is stronger then the new because the birth of the newe man is but begun now and the old man is perfectly born And as the olde man is more stirring lustye and stronger then the newe man so is the nature of him cleane contrary to the nature of the newe man In what respect one man is both an old man and also a nâ—w man as being earthly and corrupt with Sathans seede the nature of the newe man being heauenly and blessed with the celestiall seede of God So that one man in as muche as he is corrupte wyth the seede of the Serpent is an olde man and in as muche as he is blessed with the seede of God from aboue he is a new man And as in as much as he is an old maÌ„ he is a sinner and an enemy to God so in as much as he is regenerat he is righteous holy and a frend to God the seede of God preseruing him from sinne so that hee cannot sinne as the seede of the Serpent wherewith hee is corrupt euen from his conception inclineth hym yea enforceth him to sinne and nothing els but to sinne So that the best part in man before regeneration in Gods sight is not onely an enemy but enmitie it selfe How one man may be called alwayes sinfull and alwayes iust One man therefore which is regenerate well may be called alwayes iust and alwaies sinneful iust in respect of Gods seede and hys regeneration sinnefull in respecte of Sathans seede and his first birth Betwixt these two men therfore there is coÌ„tinual conflict and warre most deadly The flesh and olde man by reason of his birth that is perfect Why the olde man oftentymes preuayleth agaynst the new man doth often for a time preuaile againste the newe man being but a child in comparison and that in such sorte as not onely other but euen the children of God them selues thinke that they be nothing els but old and that the spirite seede of God is lost and gone away where yet notwithstanding the truth is otherwise the spirite and the seede of God at the length appearing againe The old man so mightely preuayleth sometymes agaynst the new in the children of God that the spirite seede of God seemeth to be vtterly taken from them whereas in deede it is not so as afterwards to their great comfort they finde and feele and dispelling away the clouds which couer the sonne of Gods seede from shyning as the cloudes in the aire do the corporall Sunne so that sometimes a man cannot tel by any sense that ther is any Sunne the cloudes and windes so hiding it from our sight Euen so our cecitie or blindnes and corrupte affections do often shadow the sight of Gods sede in Gods children as though they were plaine reprobates Whereof it coÌ„meth that they praying according to their sense but not according to the truthe desire of God to giue them agayne his spirite as thoughe they had lost it and he had taken it away Which thing God nor dothe in deede although hee make vs to thinke so for a time for alwayes hee holdeth hys hand vnder his children in their falles that they lye not still as other doe whych are not regenerate And thys is the differeÌ„ce betwixte Gods children which are generate and elect before all times in Christe and the wicked cast awayes that the elect lie not stil continually in theyr sinne as doe the wicked but at the length doe returne agayne by reason of Gods seede which is in them hid as a sparkle of fire in the ashes as we maye see in Peter Dauid Paule Mary Magdalene and others For these I meane Gods children God hathe made all thinges in Christe Iesu to whom he hath geuen this dignitie that they should be hys inheritaunce and spouses Thys our inheritour Christe Iesus God wyth God light of lyght coeternall and consubstantiall wyth the Father and wyth the holy Ghoste to the ende that he myghte become our husbande because the husbande and the wyfe must be one body and flesh hath taken our nature vppon him communicating with it and by it in his owne person to vs all his children 1. Peter 1. his diuine maiestie as Peter sayth and so is become flesh of our flesh and bone of oure bones substantially As the wyfe is no sutable person but the husband so Christe being our husband let him enter the Action for our sinnes as we are become flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones spiritually al that euer we haue perteining to him yea eueÌ„ our sinnes as al that euer he hath pertaineth vnto vs euen his whole glory So that if Sathan should sommon vs to aunswere for oure dettes or sinnes in that the wife is no sutable person but the husbaÌ„d we may well bid him enter his action against our husband Christe and he will make him a sufficient aunswere For this ende I meane that we might be coupled and maried thus to Christe and so be certaine of saluation and at godly peace with God in our coÌ„sciences God hath geuen his holy worde which hath two partes as nowe the children of God do consist of two men one part of Gods word being proper to the old man the other part of gods
of God Not that the action it selfe of beleeuing as it is a qualitie in man doeth so deserue but because it taketh that dignitie of the obiect For as I sayde in the acte of iustifying faith as it is an action in man is not to be considered alone but must euer go with his obiecte and taketh his vertue therof Like as the looking vp of the olde Israelites did not of it selfe procure any healthe vnto them but the promise made in the obiecte which was the brasen serpent whereupon they looked gaue them healthe by their looking vp Euen so after like sort are we saued by our faith and spirituall looking vp to the bodye of Christe crucified Which faith to define is this To beleeue Iesus Christe to be the sonne of the liuing God sent into thys worlde by hys death to satisfie for oure sinnes and so to receiue the same And thus much touching election and Faith with the order and explication of the causes necessary to be considered in our saluation Wherby may appeare howe farre the pretensed catholikes do swarne from the right mind of the scriptures For where the scriptures in declaring the causes of saluation do send vs only to faith as the onely condition whereby these causes haue their working these catholikes do quite leaue out faith and in stead thereof place in other conditions of doings merites wil workes pardons masses and especially auricular confession with penance and satisfaction for our sinnes c. And besides these letters aboue specified of M. Iohn Bradforde there hath come to our handes certaine other letters of his not long a goe sent by a certaine olde frende of the sayd Iohn Bradforde vnto vs. Which letters beyng written of him in former times before his trouble as they haue not bene yet printed nor seene abroade so I thought it not amisse to communicate the same to the châ—istian reader for the worthinesse of the matter and the goodnesse of the man which may redound I trust to no small fruite to him that with godly eyes shall aduise the same A letter of M. Bradford to father Trauers Minister of Blackeley THe aboundant grace and rich mercy of God in Christe our only sauiour and high bishop be increased in your heart thorow the liuely woorker of all goodnesse the holye spirite vntill the day of the Lorde c. I haue receiued youre two letters good father Trauers sithen y t I did wryte any vnto you whereof though honesty willeth to make an excuse yet truth biddeth me otherwise and sayeth it is better wyth shame to confesse the fault for therein is as a man mighte say halfe a deseruing of pardon then without shame to lie I might haue written vnto you twise notwythstanding in deede some businesse wherein I haue some thing bene occupied but yet I haue not Nowe the cause is because I woulde not And why woulde I not But because I coulde not I meane because my canning is taken away by sinne for my sinnes doe forbid goodnesse vnto me In dede if my sinning were of infirmitie there were good hope of recouerie of that which I haue lost But seeing both willing and knowing I haue too much yeelded and yet doe yeelde to my infirmities iustly I doe deserue that because I haue cast awaye and reiected the woord of the Lord behinde my backe that the Lord should reiecte me And because I would not haue blessing I am woorthye as Dauid sayeth that it be taken away from me I haue nowe at length experience that to bring a man foorth of Gods fauour is sooner seene when a man hath receiued all things abouÌ„dantly then when nede or the crosse pincheth Afore it pleased God to woorke the restitution you know what I meane and afore it pleased God to prouide for me as he hath done so that I can saye in nothing where any want is as pertaining to my body I was an other maner of man then nowe I am and yet Gods deserts haue otherwise bounden me But the scripture is true I haue aduanced my children Deut. 32. and nourished them but they haue contemned me I haue fedde them that they were fatte and grosse and they spurned agaynste me Perchaunce you will aske me wherein Oh father Trauers I warrante you this my stile in carnall and not in spirituall wryting doeth some thing shewe vnto you but as for it in comparison of other things is nothynge For where the life of man is such that either it paireth or ameÌ„deth as Paule sayeth the outwarde man is corrupted day by day and therefore except the inwarde man be renewed the shoe goeth awrie euery building in Christ doth grow to a holy temple as the wicked on the contrary parte shall proceede to worser 2. Tim. 3. 2. Tim. 3. I haue made a change farre otherwise in going backe than I thinke by letters I can perswade you wherein will you say For the first seconde and thirde and to be brief in all things As for an example Gods true feare is flowen away from me loue to my brethren is exiled from me faith is vtterly taken awaye In stead wherof is distrust doubtfulnes bearing rule Contempt of Gods honor of my brethreÌ„ raigning in stead of true feare an imagined feare accordinge to my brayne holding the principalitie For I extenuate sinne and I do not consider that in sinne which a Christian ought to consider that sinne being not forgeuen is such a thyng for the which God casteth his creature away as exaÌ„ples not only of Saule of Iudas of the Israelites which were beloued in deede yet for sinne are reiected but also of others on whome lately for my warning God hathe shewed the same do admonish me But it is but my pen which writes this for the wicked sayth Salomon when they come into the depth of their sinnes then they grow in securitye Prouerb 18. I am I caÌ„not tel what I feare but it is but blindly or els wold I awake otherwise then I do 2. Tim. 2 I feare me I say that I am intangled of the deuil after his desire Pray for me that the Lord would geue me repentance that I may escape out of his snares Alas the spirite of praier which before I haue felt plentifully is taken cleane away from me The Lorde be mercifull vnto me I am solde vnder sinne I am the bondslaue of sinne for whome I obey his seruaunt I am I am ashamed to speake ofte no I shame not at all for I haue forgot to blush I haue geuen ouer to wepe And truly I obey I obey I say mine owne coÌ„cupiscences namely in eating in drinking in iangling and idlenesse I will not speake of vaine glorie enuie disdaine hypocrisie desire of estimation selfeloue and who can tell all Is thys the rewarde thou renderest to GOD O Bradforde It is true yea to true thou knowst it O Lord for thy mercies sake pardon me In your letters you touch me home how that
me God I should say through it vnto a more contempt of worldly thyngs through the sequestration of such his busines as tofore I had ado withall I call it a contempt well take the word euen as it is hypocritically and vayne gloriously spoken for the whiche fault amongst my others innumerable I trust you remeÌ„ber in your prayers whereof I haue I would I knew how much neede There is yet another thyng whereof I will aduertise you euen to this ende that you might pray if it be Gods will that as I trust shortly to beginne so he may vouchsafe to confirme that he hath begun as if I be not deceyued I beleeue it is his workyng If the thyng seeme by Gods sprite in you that I presume then for the Lords sake aduertise me for I am much geuen to that disease the Lord deliuer me I haue mooued my M. therein already by letters to see if I shall haue any liuyng of hym as hitherto I haue had but I haue thereof no answer nor as our naturall speech is any likelyhood of any grant Yet that I haue alredy I trust be able for me for 3. yeres you looke what my purpose meaneth I am so long afore I come to it Therefore I doe it because my long bablyng should be lesse tedious Now shall you haue it If Gods will be whereunto pray I may be obedient I am mynded afore Midsomer to leaue London to goe to my booke at Cambridge and if God shall geue me grace to be a minister of his worde Thus you haue of a â—lie an Elephant Well take it in good part though you see my etiam non and not etiam etiam A tumblyng stone gathereth no mosse so therfore pray for me Perchaunce I do foolishly to forsake so good a liuyng as I haue I will say no more hereof but pray for me I trust as I said for three yeres study I haue sufficient if my Maister take all from me and when this is spent God wil send more I do not write this that you should thinke me to be in need of worldly helpe And therfore as Friers were woont secretly to beg No in y e Lords name I require you not to take it so for I had rather neuer send letter afore I should be herein a crosse to you for sufficit sua diei afflictio we are more set by then many sparowes But if my Mother or Sir Thomas Hall murmure at it or be offended with me as you can remedy it with your counsaile Howbeit as yet I will not write to them of it vntill such tyme as I bee goyng I am somethyng fickle mynded and vnconstant therefore praye for me that my hande beyng put to the plough presumptuously spoken I looke not backe You may gather by my wordes in this letter the Herodicall heart whiche lyeth in mee I haue sent you a booke of Bucer agaynst Winchester in English lately translated which I neuer red therefore I cannot prayse it And as I call to remembraunce I did send you with the other bookes moe then you receyued at the least one of them I remember which is called The Common places or the Declaration of the fayth by Urbanus Rhegius Aske for it or send me worde in whome the default is you haue it not Hereafter and that shortly by God grace I will send you primitiae laborum meorum a worke or two which I haue translated into English so soone as they bee printed which will bee afore Whitsontide Pray for me good father Traues and God send you health of soule and body as I would myne owne or any mans liuyng But yet to warne you of that you knowe not in writyng your letters to me you hit me home and geue mee that I looke for You are deceyued and so is all that knoweth me I neuer came to any poynt of mortification therefore a little ticklyng sets me a flote God help me and geue God thankes for me as all men bee most bounden Thus when Iones beginne to write to you I run as the Priest sayth Mattins for I thinke I may bee bold on you The holy Ghost preserue you your wife and family and perseuere his grace in you vnto the ende I pray you pray for me a most what should I call me miserable and blasphemous sinner The peace of God bee with vs. From the Temple this xij of May 1548. Sir Thomas Hall hath deceyued mee but hymselfe most I desire to speake with hym as this Winter it may chaunce if I discharge not my self of myne office to see him Pray for hym and for me A very hypocrite Iohn Bradford ¶ An other letter of Maister Bradford to father Traues THe perseuerance of Gods grace with the knowledge of his good will encrease with you vnto the ende To declare my selfe as I am a carnall man which vnderstandeth not the thyngs that be of the spirit These my letters though I counterfeit and meddle amongest them the spirituall wordes as the Deuill did in hys temptations to Christ will declare no lesse For I beginne with carnall thyngs in effect and no meruaile if I so ende for how can a man gather figs of bryers These wordes as they seeme so they are spoken for a cloke to make you thynke otherwyse but father Traues you can not thinke so euil of me as I am to the matter This present day by Gods grace I take my iourney towards Cambridge where I praye God and so earnestly pray you to pray for me that I may circumspectly redeme this tyme which God hath appointed to me vnknowen to lend me for alas I haue spent most wickedly the tyme past for the which I must account euen for euery haire bredth as they say for God hath not geuen here tyme to sine But if I considered this as I do nothyng lesse custome of sinne and pleasing my selfe hath so hardened my hart I should then come to the feelyng of my selfe then should I hate sinne which I now loue then should I feare Gods wrath which I now contemne theÌ„ should I cry out and wepe and continually pray as now I am as dry as a stone as dumbe as a nayle as far from pâ—aying as he that neuer knew any tast of it Which thing once I felte thankes to the Lord but now for myne vnthankfulnesse I am almost but most worthily depriued I feare me God will take hys grace from me I am so vnthankefull Alas why do I lye in saying I feare me nay God grant I may do so for then should I pray and pray but seyng I can not speake you for me pray for me that the Lord would remember his old compassions towards me for his mercies sake drawe me ye compel me to serue to feare and to loue hym Thus may you see how I presume for myne entent was to haue bene a Minister of Gods worde to haue bene hys instrument to cal from as I haue called to sinne but you see how that God
punisheth myne arrogancy Alas what shall I doe I am an vnprofitable and an idle member I thought I shoulde haue bene therein profitable but medice cura teipsum How should I or what should I doe I cannot labour wyth my handes Well I trust God will geue mee grace and knowledge to translate nothyng I feare me yea I distrust me that I shall neuer be minister of Gods worde yea if arrogancy were not in me how shuld I of all wretches the greatest thinke me to looke to the highest roume and vocation that is vppon earth Therefore eftsoones I desire you to pray for me that Gods will may bee done in me whether I lyue or dye so that hys name be honoured My maister which was hath denied me all his benefiseÌ„ce but I haue for this lyfe more then enough thankes bee to God As this Winter I entend by Gods fauor to declare more vnto you This booke which I haue sent take it in good part it is the first I trust it shall not be the last God hath appoynted me to translate The print is very false I am sory for it I pray you be not offended at my babling in the Prologues c. Iohn Bradford I will lye God willyng this Sommer at Katherines hall in Cambridge write to me ¶ Another letter of Maister Bradford to father Traues THe louyng kyndnes and aboundant mercy of God the father poured plentifully vpon all the faythfull in the bloud of that meeke Lambe Iesus Christ our onely satisfaction and mediator thorough the working of the most holy spirite be encreased and perceiued in you daily more and more to the glory of God c. Because I stand both in doubt of the readyng and deliuerie of such letters as I write and send vnto you derely beloued father Traues I am constrained to leaue of such griefes and spirituall wantes as thankes vnto the Lord I vnwillingly feele for the flesh as you knowe loueth nothyng so much as securitie of all enemies most perillous and not a little familiar with me from the which with vaine glory hypocrisie c. and worldlines the Lord deliuer me I had not thought to haue writen thus much but these I cannot keepe but commit them to your prayers And to the intent I would you should not thinke any ingratitude in me as also that I might geue you occasion to write to me agayne as heretofore I haue done euen so doe I enterturbe trouble you w t my babling but yet hauyng this coÌ„moditie that I babble not so much as I was woont to do The cause I haue declared which had almost bene the cause I had not written at all I did write vnto you from London when I came hither sende mee word what letters you haue receiued for from you I haue receiued but two and both by Iohn Mosse and in the latter I perceiued that the Lord had visited you with sickenes his fatherly rod whereby he declareth his loue vpon you and that he careth for you vt in tempore supremo exultes nunc ad breue tempus afflictus quo exploratio fidei multo praeciosior auro quod perit tamen probatur c Siquidem in hoc vocatus es vt cum Christo patiaris nam illo glorificabeâ—is Certus enim sermo est si sufferimus conregnabimus You know that Christ etsi filius Dei erat tamen ex his quae pastus est didicit obedientiam Patientia opus perfectum habeat vt sitis perfecti integri nullaque in parte diminuti and dothe not patientia come of probatio the one then you had so that you were goyng a schoole to learne the other with lerned what want you the ende of all Gods proouing is as Paule sayth vt impartiat nobis sanctimoniam igitur gratias age Deo patri qui idoneum te fecit ad participationem sortis sanctorum in lumine c. Nam qui te parumper afflixit idem instauret te fulciet roboret stabiliat And the Lord knoweth how eripere pios è testatione and that in tempore oportuno euen shortly for haud tardat qui promisit nam modicum tempus videbitis me veniens enim veniet non tardabit Itaque qui consortes estis crucis Christi gaudete sayth Peter vt in reuelatione quoque gloriae eius gaudeatis exultantes O how doth my will ouer runne my wit Why Bradford whom writest thou vnto Thou shewest thy selfe Thus father Traues you may see my rashnes to rable out the scriptures without purpose ryme or reason I will not blot it out as I had thought to haue done for that hereby you shall see my neede of your prayer Well I looke for a watchword from you Write for Gods sake and pray for me that I may be in somethyng profitable to the Lordes congregation that I may bee no stumbling blocke vt non confundantur in me qui illum expectant Send me such counsaile as the Lordes spirite shall mooue you how to study My desire is in somethyng to be profitable if it were the Lordes will for to be Minister verbi Alas I am vnmeete and my tyme my tyme yea the Lordes tyme I haue hitherto euill ye most wickedly mispent it c. Thus will I end The Lord be with you and your bedfellow to whom haue me hartily commended to all your children and family the which I beseeche the Lord to lighten his countenaunce ouer and graunt you his peace pray for me I long for Winter to speake wyth you Rescribe ora Pray for mee This assumption daye in Katherines hall in Cambridge Yours with all I haue and can Iohn Bradford ¶ Another letter of Maister Bradford to father Traues THe plentifull grace of God the father through our only maister and Lord Iesus Christ encrease in vs daily to the glory of his name Amen Forasmuch as I haue often written to you good father Traues and yet haue not once heard from you sithens Pentecost I can not now bee so bolde either in writing much or often as I would haue bene Howbeit this I say that I much meruaile that I heare not from you but not so for I am so wretched a sinner that the Lordes spirite I am certaine doth not mooue you to write to me yet for Gods sake pray for me and in the Lordes name I desire you geue thankes to God for me And when it maye please God to mooue you write to me thogh it be but two wordes and counsaile me how to study the worde of lyfe the ministerie whereof I desire if it bee the Lordes pleasure to professe and that I may doe it both in liuyng and learnyng pray for me Herus meus omnibus rebus suis me abdicauit quae prius concesserat iam soluere renuit mihi prorsus factus inimicus I know not when I shal see you in body therefore let me heare from you I write not this that you should thinke me in