said Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit In her troubles she writ the following Verse with a pin Non aliena putes homini quae obtingere possunt Sors hodierna mihi tunc erit illa tibi In English thus Think nothing strange which man cannot decline My Lot's to day to merren may le thine Deo juvante nil nocet livor malus Et non juvante nil juvat labor gravis Post tenebras spero lucem In English thus If God protect me malice cannot end me If not all I can do will not defend me After dark night I hope for light H. Haggar He was persecuted for saying A. 1520. that There shouâ—d be a battel of Priests and all the Priests should be slain and that the Priests should a while rule but they should all be destroyed for making of false gods That the men of the Church should be put down and the false gods that they mâ—ke and after that they should know more and then shouâ—d be a merry world Hale When Thomas Hale was taken by an Alderman of Bristow and another he said unto them You have sought my blood these two years and now much good do it you He was burned A. 1557. for saying The Sacrament of the Altar is an Idol Hall Nicholas Hall in his Answer to the first Article against him granted himself a Christian man and acknowledged the determinations of the holy Church i. e. of the Congregation or Body of Christ but denied to call the Catholick and Apostolick Church his Mother because he found not this Word Mother in the Scripture To the second he said That whereas before he held the Sacrament to be but onely a token or remembrance of Christ's death now he said that There is neither token nor remembrance becasue it is now misused and clean turned from Christs institution c. Hallewin Harman When Cornelius Hallewin of Antwerp had received a sharp Letter sent him from the Minister of the Flemish Church upon the occasion of a recantation spread and falsly fathered upon Cornelius the blood gushed out of his nose he spread abroad his arms and made pitiful out-cries What to deny the Truth said he God forbid O that the faithful should conceive so hardly of me Good God thou knowest I am innocent nor have I this way offended When he was condemned to die the Margrave offered him that he should die a more easie kind of death if he would give ear to the Priests which he had brought to him to Prison No Sir said he God forbid I should do such a thing Do ye with my body what ye will As they bound him and Harman of Amsterdam Harman willed the Margrave to take heed what he did for said he this will not go for payment in Gods sight in bereaving us thus of our Lives I wish you therefore to repent before it be too late You cannot long continue this tyrannous course for the Lord will shortly avenge it A Cross being offered them and a promise that they should be beheaded and not burnt if they would take it into their hands they said They would not give the least sign that might be of betraying the Truth and that it was all one to them what death they were put to so they died in and for the Lord. The punishment they said could last but for a while but the glory to come was eternal At the Stake Cornelius fell on his knees praying God to forgive his enemies who had sinned through ignorance When the Margrave of Antwerp offered Halleâ—iâ— and Harmar mitigation of torments upon abjuation We are resolved said they these momentary afflictions are not worthy that exceeding weight of glory that shall be revealed Hallingdale Articles against Iohn Hallingdale 3 That during the reign of King Edward he did depart from his former Faith and Religion and so doth continue and determineth so to do as he saith to his life's end 4 That he hath divers times said That the Faith Religion and Ecclesiastical Service received observed and used now in this Realm is not good but against Gods command c. And that he will not in any wise conform himself to the same â—ut speak and think against it during his natural life 5 That he absenteth himself continually from his Parish Church c. 6 That he will not have his Child by his will as he saith confirmed by the Bishop Unto all which Articles he made this answer that he confessed all and every part to be true He told Bâ—nner that the blood of the Prophets and of the Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth was found in the Babylonical Church which is the Church where the Pope is head Because I will not come to your Babylonical Church therefore you go about to condemn me Being demanded whether he would recant he answered That he would continue and persist in his Opinions to the death When the Sentence was read He openly thanked God that he never came into the Church since the abomination came into it When William Hallywell and the twelve more that were burnt in one Fire at Stratford the how near London were condemned and carried down thither to be burnt they were divided into two parts in two several Chambers Thereupon the Sheriffe came to the one part and told them That the other had recanted and their lives therefore should be saved willing and exhorting them to do the like and not to cast away themselves unto whom they answered That their Faith was not built on man but on Christ crucified Then the Sheriffe went to the other part and said the like to them but they answered as their Brethren had done before That their Faith was not built on man but on Christ and his Word Hamelin Mr. Philibert Hamelin of Tournay refusing offers of escape out of Prison said I esteem it altogetder unleseeming for a man that is called to preach Gods Word unto others to run away and to break Prison for fear of danger but rather to maintain the Truth taught even in the midst of the flaming fire After Sentence of death was past upon him he eat his meat as joyfully as though he had been in no danger speaking to them of the happiness of eternal life evidencing that A good conscience is a continual feast When he was apprehended there was apprehended with him his Host whom he thought he had converted but afterward he renounced Christ and his Word Whereupon he said unto him O unhaâ—py and more then miserable Is it possible for you to be so foolish as for the sâ—ving of a few dayes which you have â—o â—â—ve by the course of nature so to start away and deny the Truth Know you therefore that although you have by your folishness avoided the corporal fire yet your life shall be never the longer for you shall die before me and God shall not give you the grace that it shall
if she will condemn me to perpetual imprisonment I will thank her The Chancellor pressing him to do as they had done in hopes of the Queens mercy and pardon My Lord said he I desire mercy with Gods mercy i. e. without doing or saying any thing against God and his Truth pag. 290. but mercy with Gods wrath God keep me from Gods mercy I desire and also would be glad of the Qâ—eens favour to live as a Subject without clog on Conscience but otherwise the Lords mercy is better to me then life Life in his displeasure is worse then death and death with his favour is true life He having refused again and again to answer to the Chancellors Quaeries said That no fear but the fear of perjury made him unwilling to answer he having been six times sworn not to consent to the practising of any Jurisdiction or any Authority on the Bishop of Râ—me's behalf within the Realm of England I am not afraid of death I thank God I look and have looked for nothing else from your hands a long time but I am afraid when death cometh I should have maâ—ter to trouble my Conscience by the guilt of perjury As for my death as I know there are twelve hours in the day so with the Lord my time is appointed and when it shall be his good time then I shall depart hence but in the mean season I am safe enough though all the reople had sworn my death into his hands have I committed it and do his good will be done The Earl of Derby sending one of his Servants to him willing him to tender himself He told the Messenger that he thanked his Lordship for his good will towards him but in this case I cannot tender my self more then Gods honour The same Servant saying also Ah Mr. Bradford consider your Mother Sister Friends Kinsfolk Countrey what a great discomfort it will be to them to see you die as an Heretick Mr. Bradford replied I have learned to forsake Father Mother Brother Sister Friends and all that ever I have yea and my own self for else I cannot be Christs Disciple Being askt by a good Gentlewomans Servant that was sent to him How he did he answered Well I thank God for as men in Sailing which be near to the Shore or Haven where they would be would be nearer even so the nearer I am to God the nearer I would be In a Letter to his Mother and Brethren I am at this time in Prison sure enough from starting to confirm that I have preached unto you As I am ready I thank God with my life and blood to seal the same if God vouchsafe me worthy of that honour If we suffer with him we shall also reign wâ—th him Be not therefore faint-hearted but rather rejoyce at the least for my sake who now am in the right and high way to Heaven for by many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of God Now will God made known his Children When the wind doth not blow the Wheat cannot be known from the Chaffe but when the blast cometh then flieth away the Chaffe but the Wheat remaineth and is so far from being hurt that by the wind it is more cleansed from the Chaffe Gold when it is cast into the fire is the more precious so are Gods Children by afflictions Indeed I thank God more for this Prison then for any Parlour yea then for any pleasure that eyer I had for in it I find God my most sweet good God alwayes Of all deaths it is most to be desired to die for Gods sake such are sure to go to Heaven Death nor Life nor Prison nor Pleasure I trust in God shall be able to separate me from my Lord God and his Gospel Rejoyce in my sufferings for it is for your sakes to confirm the truth I have taught Howsoever you do be obedient to the Higher Powers that is in no point either in hand or tongue Rebel but rather if they command that which with good conscience you cannot obey lay your head on the Block and suffer what they shall do or say By patience possess your souls In his Letter to the City of London I ask God heartily mercy that I do no more rejoyce then I do having so great cause as to be an instrument wherein it may please my dear Lord and Saviour to suffer Although my sins be manifold and grievous yet the Bishops and Prelates do not persecute them in me but Christ himself his Word his Truth and Religion Let the anger and plagues of God most justly fallen upon us be applied to every one of our deserts that from the bottome of our hearts every one of us may say It is I Lord that have sinned against thee It is my hypocrisie my vain-glory my covetousness uncleanness carnality security idleness unthankfulness self-love c. which have deserved the taking away of thy Word and true Religion of thy good Ministers by Exile Imprisonment Death c. Prepare your selves to the Cross be obedient to all that be in Authority in all things that be not against God his Word for then answer with the Apostle It is more meet to obey God then man Howbeit never for any thing resist or rise against the Magistrates Avenge not your selves Commit your Cause to the Lord. If you feel in your selves an hope and trust in God that he will never tempt you above that he will make you able to bear be assured the Lord will be true to you and you shall be able to bear all brunts but if you want this Hope flee and get you hence rather then by your tarrying Gods Name should be dishonoured In his Letter to Cambridge Thou my Mother the University hast not onely had the truth of Gods Word plainly manifested unto thee by Reading Disputing and Preaching publickly and privately but now to make thee altogether excuseless and as it were almost to sin against the Holy Ghost if thou put to thy helping hand with the Romish Rout to suppress the Verity and set out the contrary thou hast my life and blood as a Seal to confirm thee if thou wilt be confirmed or else to confound thee if thou wilt take part with the Prelates and Clergy which now fill up the measure of their Fathers which slew the Prophets and Apostles that all the righteous blood from Abel to Bradford may be required at their hands For the tender mercy of Christ in his bowels and blood I beseech you to take Christs eye-salve to anoint your eyes that you may see what you do and have done in admitting the Romish rotten Rags which once you utterly expelled O be not the Dog returned to his vomit be not the Sow that was washed returning to her wallowing in the mire Beware least Satan enter in with seven worse Spirits c. It had been better you had never known the truth then after knowledge to have run
come to Gods company In his Letter to Mr. Laurence Saunders A Friend having moved the Prisoners to subscribe to the Papists Articles with this condition so far as they are not against Gods word Dr. Taylor and Mr. Philpot think the salt sent by our Friend is unseasonable for my own part I pray God in no case I may seek my self and indeed I thank God I purpose it not In another Letter This will be offensive therefore let us Vadere plane and so sane I mean let us all confess we are no changlings but re ipsa are the same we were in Religion and therefore cannot subscribe except we will dissemble both with God with our selves and with the world In his Letter to Dr. Cranmer Dr. Ridley and Dr. Latimer Our dear brother Rogers hath broken the Ice valiantly this day I think or to morrow at the uttermost hearty Hooper sincere Saunders and trusty Tailor end their course and receive their Crown The next am I who hourly look for the Porter to open me the Gates after them to enter into the desired Rest. God forgive me mine unthankfulness for this exceeding great mercy For though I justly suffer for I have been a great Hypocrite c. the Lord pardon me yea he hath done it he hath done it indeed yet what evil hath he done Christ whom the Prelates persecute his truth which they hate in me hath done no evil nor deserved death O what am I Lord that thou shouldest thus magnifie me Is this thy wont to send for such a wretched Hypocrite in a fiery chariot as thou didst for Elias In his Letter to the Lord Russel Faith is reckoned and worthily among the greatest gifts of God by it as we are justified and made Gods children so are we Temples and Possessours of the Holy Spirit yea of Christ also Eph. 4. And of the Father himself Iohn 14. By faith we drive the Devil away 2 Pet. 5. We overcome the world 1 Iohn 5. And are already Citizens of Heaven c. Yet the Apostle doth match even with faith yea as it were prefer suffering Persecution for Christs sake Phil. 1. Though the wisdome of the world think of the Cross according to sense and therefore flieth from it as from a most great ignominy and shame yet Gods Scholars have learned to think otherwise of the Cross as the Frame-house wherein God frameth his Children like to his Son Christ the Furnace that fineth Gods gold the High-way to Heaven the Suit and Livery of Gods servants the earnest and beginning of all consolation and glory In his Meditation on the Commandements As the first Command teacheth me as well that thou art my God as what God thou art therefore of equity I should have no other Gods but thee that is I should onely hang on thee trust in thee serve thee call on thee obey thee and be thankful to thee so because thou didst reveal thy self visibly that thou mightest visibly be worshipped The second Commandement is concerning thy Worship that in no point I should follow in worshipping thee the device or intent of any man Saint Angel or Spirit but should take all such as idolatry and image-service be it never so glorious And why forsooth because thou wouldst I should worship thee as thou hast appointed by thy Word for if service be acceptable it must be according to the Will of him to whom it is done and not of him who doth it c. So that the meaning of this Precept is that as in the first I should have none other Gods but thee so I should have no worship of thee but such as thou appointest And therefore utterly abandon mine own will and reason all the reasons and good intents of man and wholly give my self to serve thee after thy will and word Thou bidst me not to take thy Name in vain as by temerarious or vain swearing c. So by denying thy truth and word or concealing it when occasion is offered to promote thy glory and confirm thy truth By reason whereof I may well see that thou wouldst have me to use my tongue in humble confessing thee and thy word and truth after my Vocation c. Thy Ministers I pray not for thy Church I am not careful for no not now good Lord when wicked Doctrine most prevaileth Idolatry Superstition and Abomination abound the Sacraments c. blasphemously corrupted c. all which my wickedness brought in my profaning of the fourth Commandement and my not praying Thy Ministers are in Prison dispersed in other Countreys spoiled burnt murthered many fall for fear of goods life name c. from the truth they have received to most manifest idolatry false Preachers abound among the people thy people dearly bought even with thy bloud are not fed with the bread of thy Word but with swillings and drink for swine Antichrist wholly prevaileth and yet for all this also I am too careless nothing lamenting my sins which have been the cause of all this Help thy Church cherish it and give it harbour here and elsewhere for Christs sake Purge the Ministry from corruption and false Mâ—niâ—ters Send out Preachers to feed thy people Destroy Antichrist and all his Kingdome Give to such as be fallen from thy truth repentance Keep others from falling and by their falling do thou the more confirm us Confirm thy Mâ—nisters and poor people in Prison and Exile Strengthen them in thy truth Deliver them if it be thy good will Give them that with conscience they may so answer their Adversaries that thy servants may rejoyce and thy Adversarieâ— be confounded Avenge thou thy own cause â— thou God of Hosts Help all thy people and mâ—â— especially because I have most need Set my heart strait in case of Religion to acknowledgâ— thee one God to worship none other God to reâ—verence thy Name and keep thy Sabbaths Set mâ— heart right in matters of humane conversation tâ— honour my Parents to obey Rulers and reverencâ— the Ministry of the Word to have hands cleaâ— from bloud true from theft a body free from Aâ—dultery and a tongue void of all offence but purge the heart first O Lord c. In his Meditation concerning the sober usage of the body and the pleasures of this life O that I could consider often and heartily that this body God hath made to be the tabernacle and mansion of our soul for this life but by reason of sin dwelling in it is become now to the soul nothing else but a prison and that most strait vile stinking filthy c. Then should I not pamper up my body to obey it but bridle it that it may obey the soul then should I flie the pain it putteth my soul unto by reason of sin and provocation to all evil and continually desire the dissolution of it with Paul and the deliverance from it as much as ever did prisons his deliverance out
of prison for alonely by it the Devil hath a door to tempt and so to hurt me If it were dissolved and I out of it then could Satan no more hurt me then wouldst thou speak unto me face to face then the conflicting time were at an end then sorrow would cease and joy would encrease and I should enter into inestimable rest In his Meditation for exercise of true mortification He that will be ready in weighty matters to deny his own will and to be obedient to the will of God the same had need to accustome himself to deny his desires in matters of less weight and to exercise mortification of his will in trifles If we cannot watch with Christ one hour as he saith to Peter we undoubtedly can much less go to death with him Wherefore that in great temptations we may be ready to say with Christ Not my will but thine be done c. Help me to accustome my self continually to mortifie my concupiscence of pleasant things i. e. of wealth riches glory liberty favour of men meats drink apparel ease yea and life it self c. In his Meditation of Gods Providence This ought to be unto us most certain that nothing iâ— done without thy Providence O lord i. e. without thy Knowledge i. e. without thy Will Wisdome and Ordinance for all these Knowledge doth comprehend in it c. This will we must believe most assurely to beâ— all just and good howsoever otherwise it seem so unto us But though all things be done by thy Providence yet Providence hath many and diversâ— means to work by which means being contemned thy Providence is contemned also Indeed when means cannot be had then should we not tye thy Providence to means but make it free as thou art free for it is not of any need that thou usest any instrument or mean to serve thy Providence Thy Power and Wisdome is infinite and therefore should we hang on thy Providence even when all is clean against us Grant Dear Father that I may use this knowledge to my comfort and commodity in thee i. e. Grant that in what state soever I be I may not doubt but the same doth come to me by thy most just Ordinance yea by thy merciful Ordinance for as thou art just and thou art merciful yea thy mercy is above all thy works Look for thy help in time convenient not onely when I have means by which thou mayest work and art so accustomed to do but also when I have no means but am destitute yea when all means be directly and clean against me grant I say yet that I may still hang on thee and on thy Providence not doubting of a Fatherly end in thy good time And least I should contemn thy Providence or presuming upon it by uncoupling those things which thou hast coupled together preserve me from neglecting thy ordinary and lawful means in all my needs if so be I may have them and with a good conscience use them although I know thy Providence be not tyed to them farther then pleaseth thee Howbeit so that I depend in no part on the means or on my diligence wisedome and industry but on thy Providence which more and more perswade me to be altogether fatherly and good how far soever otherwise it appear yea is felt of me In his Meditation of Gods presence There is nothing that maketh more to true godliness of life then the perswasion of thy presence Dear Father and that nothing is hid from thee but all to thee is open and naked even the very thoughts which one day thou wilt reveal either to our praise or punishment in this life as thou didst David's faults 2 King 12. or in the life to come Mat. 25. Grant to me Dear God mercy for all my sins especially my hid and close sins c. and that henceforth I alwayes think my self conversant before thee so that if I do well I pass not the publishing of it as Hypocrites do if I do or think any evil I may know that the same shall not alwayes be hid from men Grant me that I may alwayes have in mind that day wherein all my works shall be revealed so in trouble and wrong I shall find comfort and otherwise be kept through thy grace from evil In his Meditation of God's powâ—r beauty and goodness Because thou Lord wouldest have us to love thee not onely dost thou will entice allure and provoke us but also dost command us so to do promising thy self unto such as love thee and threatning us with damnation if we do otherwise whereby we may see both our great corruption and naughtiness and also thine exceeding great mercy towards us What a thing is it that power riches authority beauty goodness liberality truth justice which all thou art good Lord cannot move us to love thee whatsoever things we see fair good wise mighty are but even sparkles of thy power beauty goodness wisdome which thou art In his Meditation of death c O Dear Father That our hearts were perswaded that when we go out of the prison of the body and so taken into thy blessed company then Whatsoever good we can wish we shall have and whatsoever we loath shall be far from us c. Then should we live in longing for that which we now most loath If we remember the good things that after this life shall ensue without wavering in the certainty of faith the passage of death shall be the more desired It is like a sailing over the sea to thy home and countrey it is like a medicine or purgation to the health of the soul and body It is the best Physician It is like a woman in travail for as the child being delivered cometh into a more large place then the womb wherein it did lye before so the soul being delivered out of the body cometh into a much more large and â—air place even into Heaven In his Prayer for the remission of sins O gracious God who seekest all means possible how to bring thy children to the feeling and sure sense of thy mercy and therefore when prosperity will not serve then sendest thou adversity graciously correcting them here whom thou wilt shall with thee elsewhere live for ever We poor Misers give humble praises and thanks to thee Dear Father that thou hast vouchsafed us worthy of thy correction at this present hereby to work that which we in prosperity and liberty did neglect For the which neglecting and many other our grievous sins whereof we now accuse our selves before thee most merciful Lord thou mightest have most justly given us over and destroyed both souls and bodies But such is thy goodness towards us in Christ that thou seemest to forget all our offences and wilt that we should suffer this Cross now laid upon us for thy Truth and Gospels sake and so to be thy witnesses with the Prophets Apostles Martyrs
and Confessours yea with thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ to whom thou dost now here begin to fashion us like that in his glory we may be like him also O good God what are we on whom thou shouldest shew this great mercy O loving Lord forgive us our unthankfulness and sins O faithful Father give us thy holy Spirit now to cry in our hearts Abba dear Father to assure us of our eternal election in Christ to reveal more and more thy Truth unto us to confirm strengthen and stablish us so in the same that we may live and die in it as Vessels of thy mercy to thy glory and to the commodity of thy Church Indue us with the Spirit of thy wisdome that with good conscience we may alwayes so answer the enemies in thy cause as may turn to their conversion or confusion and our unspeakable consolation in Jesus Christ for whose sake we beseech thee henceforth to keep us to give us patience and to will none otherwise for deliverance or mitigation of our misery then may stand alwayes with thy good pleasure and merciful will towards us Grant this dear Father not onely to us in this place but also to all others elsewhere afflicted for thy Names sake through the death and merit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen In his godly Meditations We are rather to be placed among the wicked then among thy children for that we are so shameless for our sin and careless for thy wrath which we may well say to be most grievous against us and evidently set forth in the taking away of our good King and the true Religion in the exile of thy Servants imprisonment of thy People misery of thy Children and death of thy Saints and by placing over us in authority thine enemies by the success thou gavest them in all that they took in hand by the returning again into our Countrey of Antichrist the Pope What shall we do what shall we say who can give us penitent hearts who can open our lips that our mouths might make acceptable confession unto thee O what now may we do Despair no for thou art God and therefore good thou art merciful and therefore thou forgivest sins with thee is mercy and propitiation and therefore thou art worshipped When Adam had sinned thou gavest him mercy before he desired it and wilt thou deny us mercy which now desire the same Adam excused his fault and accused thee but we accuse our selves and excuse thee and shall we be sent empty away Abraham was pulled out of Idolatry when the world was drown'd therein and art thou his God onely Israel in captivity in Egypt was graciously visited and delivered and dear God that same good Lord shall we alwayes be forgotten How often in the wilderness didst thou defer and spare thy plagues at the request of Moses when the people themselves made no Petition to thee and seeing we do not onely make our Petitions to thee but also have a Mediator for us now far above Moses even Jesus Christ shall we I say dear Lord depart ashamed Take into thy custody and governance for ever our souls and bodies our lives and all that ever we have Tempt us never further then thou wilt make us able to bear and alwayes as thy children guide us so that our life may please thee and our deaths praise thee through Jesus Christ our Lord for whose sake we heartily pray thee to grant these things c. not onely to us but c. especially for thy children that be in thraldome under their enemies in exile in prison poverty c. Be merciful to all the whole Realm of England grant us all true repentance and mitigation of our misery And if it be thy good will that thy holy Word and Religion may continue amongst us Pardon our Enemies Persecutors and Slanderers and if it be thy pleasure turn their hearts Oh mighty King and most High Almighty God who mercifully governest all things which thou hast made look down upon the faithful seed of Abraham c. consecrated to thee by the anointing of thy holy Spirit and appointed to thy Kingdome by thy eternal purpose free mercy and grace but yet as strangers wandring in this vile vile of misery brought forth daily by worldly Tyrants like Sheep to the slaughter Thou hast destroyed Pharaoh with all his Horse and Chariots puffed up with pride against thy people leading forth safely by the hands of thy mercy thy beloved Israel through the high waves of the roaring waters Thou O God the Lord of all Hosts and Armies didst first drive away from the Gates of thy people the blasphemous Senacherib slaying of his Army 85000 by the Angel in one night and after by his own Sons before his Idols didst kill the same blasphemous Idolater c. Thou didst transforâ— and change proud Nebuchadnezzar the enemy oâ— thy people into a bruit beast to eat grass and hayâ— to the horrible terrour of all worldly Tyrants c. Thou didst preserve those thy three Servants iâ— Babylon who with bold courage gave their bodies to the fire because they would not worship any dead Idol and when they were cast into the burning Furnace thou didst give them chearful hearts to rejoyce and sing Psalms and savedâ—â— unhurt the very hairs of their heads turnâ—ng the flame from them to devour their enemies Thou O Lord God by the might of thy right arm which governeth all broughtest Daniel thy Prophet safe into light and life forth of the dark Den of the devouring Lions c. Now also O heavenly Father beholder of all things to whom belongs vengeance thou seest and conâ—iderest how thy holy Name by the wicked Worldlings and blasphemons Idolaters is dishonoured thy sacred Word forsaken refused and despised thy holy Spirit provoked offended thy chosen Temple polluted and defiled Tarry not too long therefore but shew thy power speedily upon thy chosen Houshold which is so grievously vexed and so cruelly handled by thy open enemies Avenge thine own glorâ— and shorten these evil dayes for thine Elects sake Let thy Kingdome come of all thy Servants desired and though we have all offended thy Majesty Yet for thine own glory O merciful Lord suffer not the enemy of thy Son Christ the Romish Antichrist thus wretchedly to delude and draw from thee our poor brethren for whom thy Son once died that by his cruelty after so clear light they they should be made Captives to dumb Idols and devillish inventions of Popish Ceremonies thereunto pertaining Suffer him not to seduce the simple sort with this fond opinion that his false gods blind mumbling feigned Religion or his foolish Superstition doth give him such conquest such victories such triumph and so high an hand over us We know most certainly O Lord that it is not their arm and power but our sins and offences that hath delivered us to their fury and hath caused thee
for Mr. Frith's escape and prevailed with the Porter 〈◊〉 agree with him in the suffering thereof and then told him that the business which he had undertaken viz. to lead him as a sheep to the slaughter 〈◊〉 grieved him that he was overwhelmed with care and sorrows whereupon he was resolved whâ—â— danger soever he incurred to find out a way to deliver him out of the Lyons mouth and so acquainted him with the way that he and the Porter haâ—â— agreed upon Mr. Frith having diligently hearkened to his Speech said with a smiling countenance And is this the effect of your secret consultation all this while surely you are like to lose your labour for if you should both leave me here and gâ— to Croydon declaring to the Bishops that you haâ—â— lost Frith I would surely follow after as fast as 〈◊〉 could and bring them news that I had found anâ— brought Frith back again Do you think that I am afraid to declare mine Opinion before the Bishop in so manifest a Truth You are a fond man saiâ— the Gentleman thus to talk Do you think thâ—â— your reasoning with the Bishops will do any good I much marvel that you were so willing to flie the Realm before you were taken and now so unwilling to save your self when you may Marry saiâ— Frith there is a great difference between escapinâ— then and now then I was at liberty and not attached but now being taken by the Higher Poâ—â—ers and that by Almighty Gods permission anâ— providence I am fallen into the Bishops handâ— onely for Religions sake and for such Doctrine 〈◊〉 I am bound in conscience under pain of damnatioâ— to maintain If I should now start aside and run away I should run from my God and from the testimony of his Word whereby I should deserve a thousand hells At the time of his burning Dr. Cook admonished all the people that they should no more pray for him then they would do for a Dog Whereupon Mr. Frith smiling desired the Lord to forgive him Fulgentius An Arian Bishop offering to punish the Priest that had most mercilesly beaten him if he desired it he said It is not lawful for a Christian to meditate revenge our Lord Christ well knows how to repay the injuries offered to and inflicted on his Servants If my case be avenged then lose I the reward of my patience It may also scandalize many little ones if I a Catholick should require judgement at an Arians hands In the midst of his greatest sufferings he used to say Plura pro Christo toleranda We must suffer more then this for Christ. G. Gardiner William Gardiner an English Merchant in Portugal was so much troubled in spirit at the sight of the Idolatry committed by the Priests in the Mass at the solemnization of the Marriage between the King of Pâ—rtugal's Son and the King of Spain's Daughter that he could not be quiet till he had though in the presence of the King and of the Nobles and whole City the next Sabbath with one hand snatched away the Cake from the Priest and trod it under his feet and with the other overthrew the Chalice The King asking him how he durst be so bold He answered Most noble Kinâ— The thing which you have seen was not done nor thought of me for any contumely or reproacâ— to your presence but onely for this purpose aâ—â— before God I do clearly confess to seek the salvation of this people Being ask'd who set him on He answered He was not moved by any man but by his oâ—â— Conscience there being no man under Heaven for whose sake he would put himself into so manifest a danger but he owed his service first to God and secondarily to their salvation wherefore if he had done any thing displeasing to them the ought to impute it to themselves who so irreverently used the Sacrament of the Lords Supper unto so great Idolatry not without great ignomiâ—â—â—â— the Church violation of the Sacrament and the peril of their own soals except they repented For this he was cruelty tormented and burned and in the fire he â—unâ— Psal. 43. Iudge me O God and defend my 〈◊〉 against the unmerciful â—â—ple Gauderin Christopher Gauderin having been a Spend-thrift was converted by Lewis Stâ—llius telling him That he ought rather to distribute of his gettings to the poor then to spend them so wastfully for if he continued so God would surely call him to an account for it insomuch that he was chosen a Deacon in the Church in the execution of which Office he was taken and imprisoned and being ask'd how he came to turn Heretick seeing he learned not that of his Master the Abbot he answered I am no Heretick but a right believing Christian which he taught me not indeed but rather other vile qualities which I am ashamed now to rehearse Some objecting to him his youth being about the age of thirty He told them That mans life consisted but of two dayes viz. the day of his birth and the day of his death And for my part said he I am now willing by death to pass into eternal life The morning that he was to be executed He said to his Fellow-Prisoners having put on a clean shirt and washed himself Brethren I am now going to be married I hope before noon to drink of the wine of the Kingdome of Heaven A Frier coming to them as he said to convert them Christopher said unto him Away from us thou seducer of Souls for we have nothing to do with thee One of his Fellow-sufferers as the Hangman was gagging him said What shall we not have liberty in this our last hour to praise our God with our voice and tongue Brother said Gauderin let not this discourage us for the greater wrong our enemies think to do unto us the more assistance we shall find from God And so he never ceased to comfort them till he was gagged also and burnt Iune 2 1568. Gerard. About the year 1160. in the reign of Henry the Second came about thirty Waldensâ—s into England Gerardus being their Minister to labour to win Disciples to Christ. They were converted before a Council of Bishops at Oxford and Gerard speaking for them all said We are Christians holding and reverencing the Doctrine of the Apostles Being urged with arguments against their Doctrine they answered They believed as they were taught by Gods Word but would not dispute their faith Being admonished to repent and threatned if they did not they despised their Counsel scorned their threats saying Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven They were excommunicated burnt in the foreheads for Hereticks Mr. Gerard both in the forehead and cheek their cloaths were cut off to their Girdles and so whipt through Oxford they singing all the while Blessed are ye when men hate you and despitefully use you c. Ghest Laurence Ghest had his wife
be all honour and glory for ever and ever So be it A short Prayer which Mr. Gilby made for tâ—â— faithful in those dayes O Lord God and most merciful Father we beseech thee for the honour of thâ— Holy Name to defend us from that Antichrist 〈◊〉 Rome and from all his detestable enormities manners laws garments and ceremonies Destroy thoâ— the counsel of all the Papists and Atheists enemiâ—â— of thy Gospel and of this Realm of England Dâ—â—â—close their mischiefs and subtile practises Câ—â— found their devices Let them be taken in theâ— own wiliness And strengthen all those that maiâ—tain the Cause and Quarrel of thy Gospel with iâ—vincible force and power of the Holy Spirit so thâ— they fail not to proceed and go forward to that trâ—â— Godliness commanded in thy Holy Word with 〈◊〉 simplicity and sincerity to thy Honour and Glorâ— the comfort of thine Elect and the confusion 〈◊〉 thine enemies through Jesus Christ our Lord anâ— Saviour Amen Amen And say from the hearâ—â— Amen Glee When the Friers told Madam La Glee that 〈◊〉 was in a damnable estate It seems so indeed saiâ—â—sne being now in your hands but I have a 〈◊〉 that will never leave me nor forsake me for 〈◊〉 that Thou hast said they renounced the Faith It is true said she I have renounced your faith which I am able to shew is rejected and accurseâ— of God and therefore deserves not so much as 〈◊〉 be called Faith When news was brought her that she was coâ—â—demned to be hang'd she fell down upon heâ— knees and blessed God for that it pleased him 〈◊〉 snew her so much mercy as to deliver her by such kind of death out of the troubles of this wretcheâ— world and to honour her so far as to call her 〈◊〉 die for his Truth and to wear his Livery meaning the Haltar which the Hangman had put about her neck Then sitting down at Table to break her fast with the three other condemned Servants of Christ giving thanks to God she exhorted them to be of good courage and to trust unto the end in his free and onely mercy She then called for a clean linen Wastcoat making her self ready as if she had been going to a Wedding Mr. Wâ—rd tells us that she put on her Bracelets for I go said she unto my Husband Being commanded as she was led to execution to take a Torch into her hand and to acknowledge she had offended God and the King Away away said she with it I have neither offended God nor the King according to your meaning nor in respect of the cause for which I suffer I am I confess a sinful woman but I need no such light for helping me to ask forgiveness of God for my sins past or present Life such things your selves who sit and walk in the darkness of ignorance and errour Then one of her Kinsfolks met her in the way and presented to her view her little children praying her to have compassion on them I must needs tell you said she that I love my children dearly but yet neither for the love I bear to them or any thing else in this world will I renounce the Truth or my God who is and will be a Father unto them to provide better for them then I should have done and therefore to his providence and protection I commend and leave them When she saw the three men about to die silent and not to call on God she exâ—orted then thereto and gave them an example Glover Mr. Robert Glover in his Letter to his Wife haâ— many memorable passages the chief I shall collecâ— I thank you heartily most loving Wife 〈◊〉 your Letters sent to me in my imprisonment read them with tears more then once or twicâ— with tears I say for joy and gladness that Goâ— hath wrought in you so merciful a work 1 〈◊〉 unfeigned repentance 2 An humble and heart reconciliaton 3 A willing submission and obâ—â—dience to the will of God in all things Theâ—â— your Letters and the hearing of your godly prâ—â—ceedings have much relieved and comforteâ— me c. and shall be a goodly Testimony for you at the great Day against many worldly and dainâ—â— Dames which set more by their own pleasure anâ— praise in this world then by Gods Glory little reâ—garding as it appeareth the everlasting health 〈◊〉 their own souls or others So long as God shalâ— lend you continuance in this miserable world above all things give your self continually to Prayer lifting up pure hands without anger wrath oâ— doubting forgiving as Christ forgives And that wâ—â— may be the better willing to forgive it is good ofteâ— to call to remembrance the multitude and greatness of our sins which Christ daily and hourâ—â— pardoneth and forgiveth us And because Godâ— Word teacheth us not onely the true manner â—â— praying but also what we ought to do or not to 〈◊〉 in the whole course of our life what pleaseth 〈◊〉 displeaseth God and that as Christ saith The Woâ—â— of God that he hath spoken shall judge us Let youâ— Prayer be to this end especially that God of hiâ— great mercy would open and reveal more and morâ— daily to your heart the true sense knowledge anâ— understanding of his most holy Word and giâ—â— you grace in your living to express the fruit thereof And forasmuch as Gods Word is as the Holy Ghost calleth it The Word of affliction i. e. it is seldome without hatred persecution peril danger of loss of goods and life c. Call upon God continually for his assistance casting your accounts what is like to cost you endeavouring your self through the help of the Holy Ghost by continuance of prayer to lay your foundation so sure that no storm or tempest shall be able to overthrow it remembering alwayes as Christ saith Lots wife i. e. to beware of looking back to that thing that displeaseth God and nothing more displeaseth God then Idolatry that is false worshiping of God otherwise then his Word commandeth They object they be the Church c. My answer was The Church of God knoweth and acknowledgeth no other head but Jesus Christ the Son of God whom ye have refused and chosen the man of sin the Son oâ— perdition enemy to Christ the Devils Deputy and Lieutenant the Pope Christs Church heareth teacheth and is ruled by his Word as he saith My Sheep hear my voice If you abide in me and my Word aâ—ide in you you be my Disciples Their Church repelleth Gods Word and forceth all men to follow their traditions Christs Church dares not adde nor diminish alter or change his blessed Testament but they be not afraid to take away all that Christ instituted and go a whoring as the Scripture saith with their own inventions c. The Church of Christ is hath been and shall be in all ages under the Cross persecuted molested and afflicted the world ever hating them
to speak to them or receive any thing of them upon pain of imprisonment Notwithstanding the people cried out desiring God to strengthen them and they prayed for the people and the restoring of his Word At length Mr. Holland embracing the Stake and the Reeds said Lord I most humbly thank thy Majesty that thou hast called me from the stake of death unto the light of thy heavenly Word and now unto the fellowship of thy Saints that I may sing and say Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts Lord into thy hands I commit my spirit Lord bless these thy people and save them from idolatry Hooper Mr. Iohn Hooper in his exile writ a Declaration of Christ and his Office and a Declaration of the holy Commandmants of Almighty God c. In his Epistle before his Declaration of Christ and his Office to the Duke of Somerset Because the right of every just and lawful Heir is half lost and more when his Title and Claim is unknown I have written this little Book containing what Christ is and what his Office is that every godly man may put to his helping hand to restore him again to his Kingdome who hath sustained open and manifest wrong this many years as it appeareth by his evidence and writing the Gospel sealed with his precious blood In his Declaration ch 3. Jesus Christ in all things executed the true Office of a Bishop to whom it appertained to teach the people which was the chiefest part of the Bishops Office and most diligently and straitly commanded by God As all the Books of Moses and the Prophets teach and Christ commanded Peter Iohn 20. and Paul all the Bishops and Priests of his time Acts 20. Christ left nothing untaught but as a good Doctor manifested unto his Audience all things necessary for the health of man Iohn 4. He gave also his Apostles and Disciples after his resurrection commandment to preach and likewise what they should preach Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature teaching them to observe what I have commanded Matt. 28. As they did most sincerely and plainly without all glosses or additions of their own inventions and were as testimonies of the Truth and not the Authors thereof Alwayes in their Doctrine they taught the thing that Christ first taught and Gods holy Spirit inspired them Gal. 1. 2 Cor. 3. Holy Apostles never took upon them to be Christ's Vicar in the Earth nor to be his Lieutenant But said Let a men so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 And in the same Epistle the Apostle Paul hiddeth the Corinthians to follow him in nothing but where he followed Christ chap. 11. They ministred not in the Church as though Christ was absent although his most glorious Body was departed into the Heavens above but as present that alwayes governeth his Church with his Spirit of Truth as he promised Matth. ult Behold I will be with you to the end of the world In the absence of his Body he hath commended the protection and governance of his Church to the Holy Ghost one and the same God with the Father and himself It was no little pain that Christ suffered in washing away the sins of this Church therefore he will not commit the defence thereof to man It is no less glory to defend and keep the thing won by force then it is by force to obtain the victory Therefore he keepeth the defence and governance of the Church onely and solely himself in whom the Devil hath not a jot of right Though the Apostles were instructed in all truth c. they were but Ministers Servants Testimonies and Preachers of this verity and not Christ's Vicars on Earth c. but onely appointed to approve the thing to be good that God's Law commanded and that to be ill which the Word of God condemned Seeing that Christ doth govern his Church alwayes by his holy Spirit and bindeth all the Ministers thereof unto the sole Word of God what abomination is this that one Bishop of Rome c. should claim to be Christ's Vicar on Earth and take upon him to make any Laws in the Church of God to bind the conscience beside the Word of God and by their Superstition and Idolatry put the Word of God out of his place All that are not blinded with the smoke of Rome know the Bishop of Rome to be the Beast Iohn describeth in the Apocalyps as well as the Logician knoweth that risibilitate distinguitur homo a caeteris animantibus Christs supremacy and continual presence in the Church admits no Lieutenant nor general Vicar Likewise it admitteth not the Decrees and Laws of men brought into the Church contrary unto the Word and Scripture of God which is onely sufficient to teach all verity and truth for the salvation of man ch 4. This Law teacheth man sufficiently as well what he is bound to do unto God as unto the Princes of the world Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. Nothing necessary for man but in this Law it is prescribed Of what degree vocation or calling soever he be his duty is shewed unto him in the Scripture And in this it differeth from mans laws because it is absolutely perfect and never to be changed nothing to be added to it nor taken from it And the Church of Christ the more it was and is burdened with mans laws the farther it is from the true and sincere verity of Gods Word Though Basil Ambrose Epiphanius Augustine Bernard and others erred not in any principal Article of the Faith yet they did not inordinately and more then enough extol the Doctrine and Tradition of men and after the death of the Apostles every Doctors time was subject to such Ceremonies and manners that were neither profitable nor necessary Unto the writings of Scripture onely and not unto the writings of men God hath bound and obligated his Church In this passage I admonish the Christian Reader that I speak not of the Laws of Magistrates or Princes that daily order new Laws for the preservation of their Commonwealths as they see the necessity of their Realms or Cities require but of such Laws as men have ordained for the Church of Christ which should be now and for ever governed by the Word of God This Law must prevail We must obey God rather then man The example hereof we have in Daniel of the Three Children who chose rather to burn in the fiery Furnace then to worship the Image that Nebuchadnezzar had made So did the Apostles Acts 5. Cursed be those that make such Laws and cursed be those that with sophistry defend them ch 5. The Authority of Gods word requireth me to pronounce this true Judgement in the case of Images that be not worshipped in the Church that their presence in the Church is against Gods Word as well as to say Sancta Maria ora pro nobis The Old
the light of the Holy Ghost given unto the humble and penitent person that seeketh onely to honour God and not unto those persons that claim it by title or place because he is a Bishop or followed by succession Peter or Paul Remember therefore to examine all Doctrine by the Word of God for such as preach it aright have their infirmities and ignorance they may depart from the Truth or else build some superstition and false Doctrine upon the Gospel of Christ. Superstition is to be avoided false Doctrine to be abhorred whosoever be the Author thereof Prince Magistrate or Bishop As the Apostles made answer Acts 5. We ought to obey God rather then man ch 13. The Law is necessary for a justified man to teach him with what works he should exercise his faith will and obedience unto God We may not chuse works of our own wisdome to serve him withal He would have us to be governed by his Word as David saith Thy Word is a light unto my feet And Christ In vain do they worship me by the commands of men In the second Declaration Moses commandeth Deut. 4 that no man should decline from this Law neither to the right nor left hand i. e. That no man should adde to or take any thing from it but simply to observe it as it is given or written to us From this right line and true rule of Gods Word man erreth divers wayes Sometimes by ignorance because he knoweth not or will not know that onely the express Word of God sufficeth He holdeth with the most part and condemneth the better as it is to be seen at this present day This reason taketh place it is allowed of the most part and established by so many holy and learned Bishops therefore it is true c. Another way that leadeth from the Word of God is many times the power and authority of this world as we see by the Bishop of Rome and all his adherents who give more credit to one Charter and Gift of Constantine then to the whole Bible Another erreth by mistaking of the time making his superstition far elder then it is c. One saith thus My Father believed and should I believe the contrary Whereas no Law at all should be spoken of conscience but the onely Word of God which never altered nor can be altered Matt. 5. Luk. 10. Psal. 18.119 If Heavens and Earth made by word cannot be altered how much more the Word it self Unto which Law the conscience of man in matters of faith is bound onely Such as can interpret nothing will say I have an ill opinion of God in Heaven and of the superiour Powers on Earth because I damn the Disciples of the false Doctors with the Doctors and take from all Powers on Earth authority to prescribe unto their Subjects any Law touching Religion of the soul. As concerning those that be seduced by false Teachers St. Luke c. 6. and Ezekiel 3. and 13. judge as I do Both he that leadeth to damnation and he that is led falleth into the pit Notwithstanding I believe that in the midst of darkness when all the world as far as man might judge had sworn unto the Bishop of Rome Christ had his Elect that never consented to his false Laws as it was in the time of Elias 1 Kings 19. where God saith He had preserved seven thousand that had not bowed the knee to Baal As many as die before us seduced by false Teachers without repentance the Scripture condemneth As many as believed them not but trusted to the Scripture or else deceived yet repented before they died live eternally in joy and solace and are saved as Iohn saith Rev. 13. in the blood of the Lamb. As touching the superiour Powers of the Earth it is not unknown to all men that have read and marked the Scripture that it pertaineth nothing to their Office to make any Law to govern the Consciences of their Subjects in Religion but to reign over them in this case as the Word of God commandeth Howbeit in their Realms they may make what Laws they will and as many as they will command them to be kept as long as it pleaseth them and change them at their pleasure as they shall see occasion for the wealth and commodity of their Realms Unto the which superiour Powers we owe all obedience both of body and goods and likewise our daily prayer for them to Almighty God c. And as many divers Commonwealths as there be so many divers Laws there may be Howbeit all Christian Kings and Kingdomes with other Magistrates should reign by one Law and govern the Churches of their Realms solely by the Word of God which is never to be changed Thus Christ commanded his Apostles to teach and their Audience to hear the things he commanded Matth. 28. Mark 16. Moses prescribeth unto his Audience seven Rules wherewith he prepareth them to the receiving of the ten Commandments 1 A right perswasion of Gods Word that God will undoubtedly give the good promised to the good and inflict the evil threatned against the evil 2 To have a right opinion of the Magistrates and superiour Powers of the Earth to give them no more nor any less honour and reverence then the Word of God commandeth For lack of this preparative the world hath erred from the Truth this many years Men do not look what Gods Word saith but extol the authority of mans Laws preferring the decree of a general or provincial Council before the Word of God 3 Another preparative is obedience both to God and man It were as good nere read the Law in case we mind not to be obedient 4 To observe jus gentium 5 To esteem the Doctrine of the Commandments as it is worthy 6 A true and right understanding of the Law not to constrain the letter against the mind of the Text but behold alwayes the consent of the Scripture 7 To adde nothing to this Law neither to take any thing from it If thou judgest that Gods Law containeth one part of such Doctrine as is necessary for mans salvation and the Bishops Laws another part thou contemnest and dishonourest the whole Law and the Giver thereof and offendest against that command Deut. 4.12 and Prov. 30. Every thing that we do for the honour of God not comanded by his Word is as strange and not accepted by God as all good intentions feigned works by man and all things commanded by general Councils not expressed in the Word of God by the Patriarks Prophets Christ and the Apostles which be and ever were before God the holy and Catholick Church Whosoever adde any thing to their Laws are the Church of Antichrist Deut. 4.12 Revel 22. Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire i. e. such as he commanded not Read the Commentaries of Thom. Valâ—â—s and Nicol. iu Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 4. and they
am called to this Place and Vocation I am throughly perswaded to tarry and to live and die with my sheep When he was imprisoned in the Fleet he writes thus I am so hardly used that I see no remedy saving Gods help but I shall be cast away in Prison before I come to Judgement But I commit my just cause to God whose will be done whether it be by life or death Winchester exhorting him to the unity of the Catholick Church and to acknowledge the Popes Holiness to be Head of the same Church promising him the Queens mercy he answered That forasmuch as the Pope taught Doctrine altogether contrary to the Doctrine of Christ he was not worthy to be accounted a Member of Christs Church much less to be Head thereof wherefore he would in no wise condescend to any such usurped Jurisdiction neither esteemed he the Church whereof they called him Head to be the Catholick Church of Christ for the Church of Christ onely heareth the voice of her Spouse Christ and flieth the strangers Howbeit said he if in any point to me unknown I have offended the Queens Majesty I shall humbly submit my self to her mercy if mercy may be had with safety of conscience and without the displeasure of God Come Brother said he to Mr. Rogers who was sent with him to the Counter in Southwark must we two take this matter first in hand and begin to fire these Fagots Yea Sir said Mr. Rogers by Gods grace Doubt not said Mr. Hooper but God will give strength The Sheriffe telling Mr. Hooper he wondred that he was so hasty and quick with the Lord Chancellor he answered Mr. Sheriffe I was nothing at all impatient although I was earnest in my Masters Cause and it standeth me so in hand for it goeth upon life and death not the life and death of this world onely but also of the world to come In his Letter for the stopping of certain false rumours spread abroad concerning his Recantation by the Bishops and their Servants The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all them that unfeignedly look for the coming of our Saviour Christ. Amen Dear Brethren and Sisters in the Lord and my Fellow-Prisoners for the Cause of Gods Gospel I do much rejoyce and give thanks unto God for your constancy and perseverance in affliction unto whom I wish continuance to the end And as I do rejoyce in your faith and constancy in afflictions that be in Prison even so I do mourn and lament to hear of our dear Brethren that yet have not felt such dangers for Gods Truth as we have and do feel and be daily like to suffer more yea the very extream and vile death of the fire yet such is the report abroad as I am credibly informed that I Iohn Hooper a condemned man for the Cause of Christ should now after sentence of death being in Newgate Prisoner and looking daily for Execution recant and abjuâ—e that which heretofore I have preached and this talk ariseth of this That the Bishop of London and his Chaplains resort unto me Doubtless if our Brethren were as Godly as I could wish them they would think that in case I did refuse to talk with them they might have just occasion to say that I were unlearned and durst not speak with learned men or else proud and disdained to speak with them But I fear not their Arguments neither is death terrible to me I am more confirmed in the truth which I have preached heretofore by their coming Therefore ye that may send to the weak Brethren pray them that they trouble me not with such reports of Recantations as they do for I have hitherto left all things of the world and suffered great pains and imprisonment and I thank God I am as ready to suffer death as a mortal man may be It were better for them to pray for us then to credit or report such rumours that be untrue We have enemies enough of such as know not God truly but yet the false report of weak Brethren is a double cross I wish your eternal salvation in Jesus Christ and also require your continual Prayers that he which hath begun in us may continue it to the end I have taught the truth with my tongue and with pen heretofore and hereafter shortly will confirm the same by Gods grace with my blood Newgate Feb. 2. 1554. Your Brother in Christ J. H. When the Keeper told him he should be sent to Glocester to be burned he rejoyced very much lifting up his eyes and hands to Heaven he praised God that he saw it good to send him among the people over whom he was Pastor there to confirm with his death the truth which he had before taught them not doubting but the Lord would give him strength to perform the same to his glory Sir Anthony Kingston formerly his Friend then a Commissioner to see Execution done upon him coming to him a little before his death bid him consider that life was sweet death was bitter c. It is true said Mr. Hooper I am come hither to end this life and to suffer death here because I will not gainsay the former truth which I have heretofore taught among you True it is that daath is bitter and life is sweet but alas consider that the death to come is more bitter and the life to come is more sweet therefore for the desire and love I have to the one and the terrour and fear of the other I do not so much regard this death nor esteem this life but have settled my self through the strength of Gods holy Spirit patiently to pass through the torments and extremities of the fire now prepared for me rather then to deny the truth of his Word desiring you and others in the mean time to commend me to Gods mercy in your Prayers I thank God said the Knight that ever I knew you for God did appoint you to call me being a lost child and by your good instructions where before I was both an Adulterer and Fornicator God hath brought me to the forsaking and detesting of the same If you had the grace so to do said the Bishop I do highly praise God for it and if you have not I pray God you may have and that you may continually live in his fear The Knight and the Bishop parting with tears the Bishop told the Knight that all the troubles he had sustained in Prison had not caused him to utter so much sorrow A Papist telling him he was sorry to see him in that case Be sorry for thy self man said he and lament thine own wickedness for I am well I thank God and death to me for Christs sake is welcome When he was committed to the Sheriffe of Glâ—cester the Mayor and Aldermen at first saluted him and took him by the hand Mr. Mayor said Mr. Hooper I give most hearty thanks to you and to the rest of
and necessities as also charitably to pray for them that persecute them So doth the Word of God command all men to pray charitably for them that hate them and not to revile any Magistrate with words or to mean him evil by force and violence They also may rejoyce that in well doing they were taken to Prison Thus fare you well and pray God to send his true Word into this Realm again amongst us which the ungodly Bishops have now banished In his Letter to those Christians so taken Prisoners The grace favour consolation and â—â—d of the Holy Ghost be with you now and ever So be it Dearly Beloved in the Lord ever since I â—eard of your imprisonment I have been marvellously moved with great affections and passions as well of mirth and gladness as of heaviness and sorrow Of gladness in this that I perceived how ye be bent and given to prayer and invocation of Gods help in these dark and wicked proceedings of men against Gods glory I have been sorry to perceive the malice and wickedness of men to be so 〈◊〉 devillish and tyrannical to persecute the 〈◊〉 of God for serving of God c. These 〈◊〉 doings do declate that the Papists Church is 〈◊〉 bloody and tyrannical then ever was the 〈◊〉 of the Ethnicks and Gentiles Trajan the Emperour commanded That no man should be persecuted for serving of God but the Pope and his Church have cast you into Prison being taken doing the Work of God and one of the excellentest Works that is required of Christians viz. whilest ye were in Prayer O glad may ye be that ever ye were born to be apprehended whilest ye were so vertuously occupied Blessed be they that suffer for righeeousness sake If God had suffered them that took your bodies then to have taken your life also now had you been following the Lamb in pertual joyes away from the company and assembly of wicked men But the Lord would not have you suddenly so to depart but reserveth you gloriously to speak and maintain his Truth to the world Be ye not careful what ye shall say for God will go out and in with you and will be present in your hearts and in your mouths to speak his wisdome though it seems foolishness to the world He that hath begun this good work in you continue in the same unto the end Pray unto him that ye may fear him only that hath power to kill both body and soul and to cast them into hell fire Be of good comfort all the hairs of your head are numbred and there is not one of them can perish except your heavenly Father suffer it to perish Now you be in the field and placed in the fore-front of Christs battel Doubtless it is a singular favour of God and a special love of him towards you to give him this preheminence as a sign that he trusteth you before others of his people Wherefore dear Brethren and Sisters continually fight this Fight of the 〈◊〉 Your Cause is most just and godly ye stan◠〈◊〉 the true Christ who is after the flesh in Heâ—â—â—â— and for his true Religion and Honour 〈…〉 amply fully sufficiently and abundantly contained in the holy Testament sealed with Christs own blood How much be ye bound to God who putâ— you in trust with so holy and just a Cause Remember what lookers on you have to see and behold you in your fight God and all his holy Angels who be ready alwayes to take you up into Heaven if ye be slain in his Fight Also you have standing aâ— your backs all the multitude of the Faithful who shall take courage strength and desire to follow such noble and valiant Christians as you be Be not afraid of your Adversaries for he that is in you is stronger then he that is in them Shrink not although it be pain to you your pains be not now so great as hereafter your joyes shall be Read the comfortable Chapters to the Romanes 8.10 15. Hebrews 11.12 And upon your knees thank God that ever ye were accounted worthy to suffer any thing for his Names sake Read the second Chapter of Luke and there you shall see how the Shepherds that watched their Sheep all night as soon as they heard that Christ was born at Bethlehem by and by went to see him They did not reason nor debate with themselves who should keep the Wolf from the Sheep in the mean time but did as they were commanded and committed their Sheep unto him whose pleasure they obeyed So let us do now we be called commit all other things to him that calleth us He will take heed that all things shall be well He will help the Husband he will comfort the Wife he will guide the Servants he will keep the House he will preserve the Goods yea rather then it should be undone he will wash the Dishes and rock the Cradle Cast therefore all your care upon God for he careth for you Besides this you may perceive by your imprisonment that your Adversaries weapons against you be nothing but flesh and blood and tyranny for if they were able they would maintain their Religion by Gods Word but for lack of that they would violently compel such as they cannot by holy Scripture perswade because the holy Word of God and all Christs doings be contrary unto them I pray you pray for me and I will pray for you Fleet Ian. 14. 1555. In a Letter to certain of his Friends Now is the time of trial to see whether we fear more God or man It was an easie thing to hold with Christ whilst the Prince and world held with him but now the world hateth him it is the true trial who be his Wherefore in the Name and in the Vertue Strength and Power of his holy Spirit prepare your selves in any case to adversity and constancy Let us not run away when it is most time to fight Remember none shall be crowned but such as fight manfully and he that endureth to the end shall be saved Ye must now turn all your cogitations from the peril you see and mark the felicity that followeth the peril either victory in this world of your enemies or else a surrender of this life to inherit the everlasting Kingdome Beware of beholding too much the felicity or misery of this world for the consideration and too earnest love or fear of either of them draweth from God Wherefore think with your selves as touching the felicity of the world it is good but yet none otherwise then it standeth with the favour of God It is to be kept but yet so far forth as by keeping of it we lose not God It is good abiding and tarrying still among our friends here but yet so that we tarry not therewithal in Gods displeasure and hereafter dwell with the Devils in fire everlasting There is nothing under God but may be kept so that God being above all things we have
Evening-Tide that you may receive your penny which is more worth then all the Kingdomes of the Earth but he that called us into his Vineyard hath not told us how sore and how fervently the Sun shall trouble us in our labour but hath bid us labour and commit the bitterness thereof to him who can and will so moderate all afflictions that no man shall have more laid upon him then in Christ he shall be able to bear unto whose merciful tuition and defence I commend both your souls and bodies Yours with my poor Prayer J. H. In a Letter to a Merchant of London I thank God and you for the great help and consolation I have received in time of adversity by your charity but most rejoyce that you be not altered from truth although falshood cruelly seeketh to disdain her Judge not my Brother truth by outward appearance for truth now worse appeareth and is more vilely rejected then falshood Leave the outward shew and see by the Word of God what is truth and accept truth and dislike her not though man call her falshood As it is now so it hath been heretofore truth hath been rejected and falshood received Such as have professed truth have smarted and the friends of falshood laughed them to scorn The one having the commendation of truth by man but the condemnation of falshood by God flourishing for a time with endless destruction the other afflicted a little season but ending with immortal joyes Wherefore dear Brother ask and demand of your Book the Testament of Jesus Christ in these woful and wretched dayes what you should think and what you should stay your selves upon for a certain truth and whatsoever you hear taught try it by your Book whether it be true or false The dayes be dangerous and full of peril not onely for the world and worldly things but for Heaven and heavenly things It is a trouble to lose the treasure of this life but yet a very pain if it be kept with the offence of God Cry call pray and in Christ daily require help succour mercy wisdome grace and defence that the wickedness of this world prevail not against us In his Letter to Mrs. Wilkinson I am very glad to hear of your health and do thank you for your loving tokens but I am a great deal more glad to hear how Christianly you avoid idolatry and prepare your self to suffer the extremity of the world rather then to endanger your self to God You do as you ought to do in this behalf and in suffering of transitory pains you shall avoid permanent torments in the world to come Use your life and keep it with as much quietness as you can so that you offend not God The ease that cometh with his displeasure turneth at length to unspeakable pains and the gains of the world with the loss of his favours is beggary and wretchedness In his Letter to Mr. Hall and his Wife The dayes be dangerous and full of peril but let us comfort our selves in calling to remembrance the dayes of our Fore-fathers upon whom the Lord sent such troubles that many hundreds yea thousands died for the testimony of Jesus Christ both men and women suffering with patience and constancy as much cruelty as Tyrants could devise and so departed out of this miserable world to the bliss everlasting where now they remain for ever looking alwayes for the end of this sinful world when they shall receive their bodies again in immortality and see the number of the Elect associated with them in full and consummate joyes and as vertuous men suffering Martyrdome now rest in joyes everlasting their pains ending their sorrows and beginning their ease so did their constancy and stedfastness animate and confirm all good people in the truth and gave them encouragement to suffer the like rather then to fall with the world to consent unto wickedness and idolatry Wherefore my dear Friends seeing God hath illuminated you in the same true faith wherein the Apostles and Evangelists and all Martyrs suffered most cruel death thank him for his grace in knowledge and pray to him for strength and perseverance that ye be not ashamed nor afraid to confess it Ye be in the truth and the gates of Hell shall never prevail against it nor Antichrist with all his Imps prove it false they may persecute and kill but never overcome Be of good comfort and fear God more then man This life is short and miserable happy be they that can spend it to the glory of God In his Letter to Mrs. Warcop I did rejoyce to understand that you be fully resolved by Gods grace to suffer extremity rather then to go from the truth which you have professed As you be travelling this perillous journey take this Lesson with you practised by the Wise men Matth. 2. Such as travelled to find Christ followed onely the Star and as long as they saw it they were assured they were in the right way and had great mirth in their journey but when they entred into Ierusalem whereas the Star led them not thither but to Bethlem and there asked the Citizens the thing that the Star shewed before they were not onely ignorant of Bethlem but lost the sight of the Star c. The Word is the onely Star that sheweth us where Christ is and which way we may come unto him But as Ierusalem stood in the way and was an impediment to the Wise men so doth the Synagogue of Antichrist that beareth the Name of Ierusalem i. e. the Vision of Peace and among the people now is called the Catholick Church standeth in the way that Pilgrims must go by through this world to Bethlem i. e. the house of bread or plentifulness and is an impediment to all Christian Travellers yea and except the more grace of God be will keep the Pilgrims still in her that they shall not come where Christ is at all and to stay them indeed they take away the Star of Light which is Gods Word that it cannot be seen Ye may see what great dangers hapned unto these Wise men whilst they were learning of Lyars where Christ was 1 They were out of their way And 2 They lost their Guide and Conductor If we come into the Church of men and ask for Christ we go out of the way and lose also our Conductor and Guide that onely leadeth us streight thither Sister take heed you shall in your journey towards Heaven meet with many a monstrous beast have salve therefore of Gods Word therefore ready you shall meet husbands children lovers and friends that shall if God be not with them be very leâ—s and impediments to your purpose You shall meet with slander and contempt of the world and be accounted ungracious and ungodly you shall hear and meet with cruel tyranny to do you all extremities you shall now and then see the troubles of your own conscience and feel your own weakness you shall hear
them whom I have taught whereof there is a great number if through me it should come to pass that those things which they have hitherto known to be most certain and sure should now be made uncertain Should I by this my example astonish or trouble so many souls so many consciences endued with the most firm and certain knowledge of the Scriptures and Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and his most pure Doctrine armed against all the assaults of Satan I will never do it neither commit any such kind of offence that I should seem more to esteem this vile carcase appoâ—nted unto death then their health and salvation When one of the Bishops took from him the Chalice saying O cursed Iudas c. We take away from thee this Chalice of thy salvation But I trust said he unto God the Father Omnipotent and my Lord Jesus Christ for whose sake I do suffer these things that he will not take away the Chalice of his Redemption but have a stedfast and firm hope that this day I shall drink thereof in his Kingdome The other Bâ—shops took away the Vestments put upon him and each of them giving him their curse Whereunto he saâ—d That he did willingly embrace and hear those blasphemies for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When the Bâ—shops caused to be made a Crown of Paper in which were printed three ugly Devils and this title set over their heads Hâ—resiarcha A Ring-leader of an Heresie and he saw it he said My Lord Jesus Christ for my sake did wear a Crown of Thorns why should not I then for his sake wear this light Crown be it never so ignominious Truly I will do it and that willingly When it was set upon his head the Bishops said Now we commit thy soul unto the Devil But I said Mr. Hus lifting up his eyes toward Heaven do commit my Spirit into thy hands O Lord Jesus Christ unto thee I commend my Spirit which thou hast redeemed When the people heard his prayers at the Stake they said What he hath done afore we know not but now we see and hear that he doth speak and pray very devoutly and godlily After he had prayed some while being raised by his Tormentors with a loud voice he said Lord Jesus assist and help me that with a constant and patient mind I may bear and suffer this cruel and ignominious death whereunto I am condemned for the preaching of thy most holy Gospel and Word When he beheld the Chain with which his Neck was to be tied to the Stake he smiling said That he would willingly receive the same Chain for Jesus Christs sake who he knew was bound with a far worse Chain The Duke of Bavaria before the fire was kindled coming to him and exhorting him to be mindful of his safeguard and renounce his errors he answered What error should I renounce whenas I know my self guilty of none for as for those things that are falsly alledged against me I know that I never did so much as once think them much less preach them for this was the principal end and purpose of my Doctrine that I might teach all men repentance and remission of sins according to the verity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Exposition of the holy Doctors wherefore with a cheerful mind and courage I am here ready to suffer death He told them at his death That out of the ashes of the Goose so Hus in the Bohemian Language signifies an hundred years after God would raise up a Swan so Luther in that Language signifies in Germany whose singing should affright all those Vultures and who should escape their burning This Prophesie was exactly fulfilled in Lutâ—er who rose up just an hundred years after 1415 the year when Mr. Hus was burnt and though he so enraged the Pope and his powerful party he died in his bed In his Letter to the people of Prague Be circumspect and watchful that ye be not circumvented by the crafty trains of the Devil and the more circumspect ye ought to be for that Antichrist laboureth the more to trouble you The last judgement is near at hand death shall swallow up many but to the elect children of God the Kingdome of God draweth near because for them he gave his own body Fear not death love together one another persevere in understanding the good will of God without ceasing Let the terrible and horrible Day of Judgement be alwayes before your eyes that you sin not and also the joy of eternal life whereunto you must endeavour Let the passions of our Saviour be never out of your minds that you may bear with him and for him gladly whatsoever shall be laid upon you for if you shall consider well in your minds his Cross nothing shall be grievous unto you and patiently you shall give place to tribulations cursings rebukes stripes and imprisonment and shall not doubt to give your lives for his holy truth if need require Know ye Well Beloved that Antichrist being stirred up against you deviseth divers persecutions But I am in good hope that through the mercy of our God and by your Prayers I shall persist strongly in the immutable verity of God unto the last breath I commend you to the merciful Lord Jesus Christ our true God and the Son of the immaculate Virgin Mary who hath redeemed us by his most bitter death without all our merits from eternal pains from the thraldome of the Devil and from sin From Constance A. 1415. In his Letter to his Benefactors I exhort you by the bowels of Jesus Christ that now ye setting aside the vanities of this present world will give your service to the eternal King Christ the Lord. Trust not in Princes nor in the Sons of men in whom there is no health for the Sons of men are dissemblers and deceitful To day they are to morrow they perish but God remaineth for ever He hath his Servants not for any need he hath of them but for their own profit unto whom he performeth that which he promiseth and fulfilleth that which he purposeth to give He casteth off no faithful Servant from him for he saith Where I am there also shall my Servant be yea the Lord maketh every Servant of his to be the Lord of all his possession giving himself unto him and with himself all things O happy is that Servant whom when the Lord shall come he shall find watching Happy is the Servant which shall receive that King of Glory with joy Wherefore well beloved Lords and Benefactors serve you that King in fear In his Letter to the Lord Iohn de Clum The iniquity of the great Strumpet i. e. of the malignant Congregation whereof mention is made in the Apucalyps is detected and shall be more detected with the which Strumpet the Kings of the Earth do commit fornication fornicating spiritually from Christ and as is there said sliding back from
into thy hands I commend my Spirit Amen Keyser Leonard Keyser as he was led to the place where he was to be burnt said O Lord Jesus remain with me sustain and help me and give me force and power When the wood was ready to be set on fire he cried with a loud voice O Jesus I am thine have mercy upon me and save me Knox. Mr. Iohn Knox wearied with removing from place to place by reason of the Persecution that came upon him by the Bishop of St. Andrews was determined to have left Scotland and to have visited the Schools of Germany he had then no pleasure in England by reason that although the Popes Name was suppressed yet his Laws and Corruptons remained in full vigour but was prevailed with by some Gentlemen for their Childrens sake whose Education he had undertaken to go to St. Andrews that he might have the benefit of the Castle which was fortified against the Papists since the death of the Cardinal in it Thither he came An. 1547. where he was called to the Ministry after this manner Mr. Rough having shew'd in a Sermon what power the Congregation how small soever passing the number of two or three had to elect any man in the time of need as that was in whom they espied the gifts of God and how dangerous it was to refuse to hear the voice of such as desire to be instructed he directed his words to Mr. Knox saying Brother you shall not be offended although that I speak unto you that which I have in charge even from all those here present which is this In the Name of God and of his Son Jesus Christ and in the name of these that presently call you by my mouth I charge you that you refuse not this holy Vocation but as ye tender the glory of God the encrease of Christs Kingdome the edification of your Brethren and the comfort of me whom ye understand well enough to be oppressed by the multitude of labours that you take upon you the publick office and charge of preaching even as you look to avoid Gods heavy displeasure and desire that he shall multiply his graces upon you And in the end he said to those that were present was not this your charge to me and do ye not approve this Vocation They answered it is and we approve it Besides this Vocation that which necessitated Mr. Knox to enter in the publick place was his beating by his Pen Dean Annan a rotten Papist that had long troubled Mr. Rough in his Preaching from all defences that he was compelled to flie to his last refuge the Authority of the Church which said the Dean damned all Lutherans and Hereticks and therefore he would not dispute Whereupon Mr. Knox in the open audience of the Parish-Church of St. Andrews told the Dean thus As for your Roman Church as it is now corrupted and the Authority thereof wherein stands the hope of your victory I no more doubt but that it is the Synagogue of Satan and the head thereof called the Pope to be that man of sin of whom the Apostle speaks then I doubt that Jesus Christ suffered by the procurement of the visible Church of Ierusalem yea I offer my self by word or writing to prove the Roman Church this day farther to degenerate from the purity which was in the daies of the Apostles then was the Church of the Iews from the Ordinance given by Moses when they consented to the innocent death of Jesus Christ. The people hearing the offer cried with one consent We cannot all read your writings but we can all hear your preachings therefore we require you in the Name of God that ye let us hear the Probation of what you have affirmed for if it be true we have been miserably deceived The next Lords Day he preached on Dan. 7. And another King shall rise after them and he shall be unlike unto the first and he shall subdue three Kings and shall speak words against the most High and shall consume the Saints of the most High c. In the beginning of his Sermon he shewed the great love of God towards his Church whom he pleased to forewarn of dangers to come so many years before they came to pass After he made a short Discourse of the four Empires the Babylonian Persian Grecian and Roman in the destruction of the fourth rose up that last beast which he affirmed to be the Roman Church for to none other power that ever hath been yet do all the Notes that God shewed to the Prophets belong except to it alone and to it they do properly appertain as such as are not more then blind may clearly see Then he shewed that the Spirit in the New Testament gives to this King other new names as the man of sin the Antichrist the whore of Babylon which he proved to belong to the Papists and their head the Pope Hereupon he was with Mr. Rough convented before the Sub Prior of St. Andrews c. and several Articles were read against them The strangeness said the Sub Prior of these Articles which are gathered forth of your Doctrine have moved us to call for you to hear your Answers Mr. Knox said I for my part praise my God that I see such an Auditory but because it is long since that I have heard that ye are one that is not ignorant of the Truth I may crave of you in the Name of God yea and I appeal your conscience before that supreme Judge that if ye think any Article there expressed contrary to the Truth of God that ye oppose your self plainly unto it and suffer not the people to be therewith deceived but if in your conscience you know the Doctrine to be true then will I crave your Patrâ—cinie thereto that by your Authority the people may be moved the â—ather to believe the Truth The Sub Prior answered I come not here as a Judge but onely familiarly to talk and therefore I will neither allow nor condemn but if ye list I will reason Why may not the Church for good causes devise Ceremonies to decore the Sacraments and other Gods Service K. Because the Church ought to do nothing but in faith and ought not to go before but is bound to follow the voice of the true Pastor S. It is in faith that the Ceremonies are commanded and they have proper significations to help our faith they have a godly signification and therefore proceed from faith and are done in Faith K. It is not enough that man invent a Ceremony and then give it a signification according to his pleasure for so might the Ceremonies of the Gentiles and of Mahomet be maintained but if any thing proceed from faith it must have the Word of God for its assurance for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Now if ye will prove that your Ceremonies proceed from faith and do please God
the Prayers of the Church with these words Take up the man whom ye accounted another god At the end of his Sermon he bemoaned the loss that the Church and State of Scotland received by the death of that man and said That as God in his mercy giveth good and wise Rulers so he taketh them away in his wrath and then added There is one in this Company that maketh the subject of his mirth this horrible murder whereat all good men have cause to be sorry I tell him he shall die where there shall be none to lament him The young Gentleman that writ the Note hearing this Comination went home and said to his Sister that Iohn Knox was raving to speak of he knew not whom His Sister replied with tears in her eyes telling him That none of Iohn Knox's threatnings fell to the ground without effect and so it fell out in this particular for this Mr. Thomas Metellan shortly after went beyond Sea to travel and died in Italy having no known man to assist him much less to lament him He told his People it was his desire to finish and close his preaching with preaching upon the History of Christs Passion In his last Sermon to his People at Edinburg which was preached at the Election of Mr. Iames Lawson to succeed him to whom he had writ thus Accelera mi frater alioqui sero venies Make haste Brother otherwise you will come too late meaning That if he made any stay he should find him dead and gone He called God to witness that he had walked in a good conscience among them not seeking to please men nor serving his own or other mens affections but in all sincerity and truth preached the Gospel of Christ most gravely and pithily exhorting them to stand fast in the faith which they had received In his sickness he said unto the Earl of Morton who came to visit him My Lord God hath given you wisdome honour high birth riches many good and great friends and is now to prefer you to the Government of the Realm In his Name I charge you that you will use these Blessings better in time to come then you have done in times past In all your actions seek first the glory of God the furtherance of his Gospel the maintenance of his Church and Ministry next be carefull of the King and the welfare of the Realm If you shall do this God will be with you and honour you if otherwise you do it not he will deprive you of all these benefits and your end shall be shame and ignominy These Speeches the Earl about nine years after at the time of his Execution called to mind saying That he had found them true and Mr. Knox therein a true Prophet A day or two before his death he sent for Mr. Lindsay Mr. Lawson and the Elders and Deacons of the Church and said unto them The time is approaching for which I have long thirsted wherein I shall be released from all my cares and be with my Saviour Christ for ever and now God is my Witness whom I have served with my Spirit in the Gospel of his Son that I have taught nothing but the true and sincere Word of God the true and solid Doctrine of the Gospel and that the end I proposed in all my Doctrine was to instruct the ignorant to confirm the weak to comfort the consciences of those who were humbled under the sense of their sins and born down with the threatnings of Gods judgements Such as were proud and rebellious I am not ignorant have blamed and do yet blame my too great rigour and severity but God knoweth that in my heart I never hated the persons of those against whom I thundred Gods judgements I did onely hate their sins and laboured according to my power to gain them to Christ. That I did forbear none of whatsoever condition I did it out of the fear of my God who hath placed me in the Ministry and I know will bring me to an account Now Brethren for your selves I have no more to say but to warn you to take heed to the Flock over which God hath placed you overseers which he hath redeemed with the blood of his onely begotten Son And now Mr. Lawson Fight a good fight do the work of the Lord with courage and with a willing mind and God from above bless you and the Church whereof you have charge against it so long as it continueth in the Doctrine of the Truth the gates of Hell shall not prevail This spoken and the Elders and Deacons dismissed he called the two Preachers to him and said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly You have sometimes seen the courage and constancy of the Laird of Grange in the Cause of God and that most unhappy man hath cast himself away I pray you two to take the pains to go to him and say from me That unless he forsake that wicked course wherein he is entred neither shall the rock in which he confideth defend him nor the carnal wisdome of that man whom he counteth half a god this was young Lethington yield him help but shamefully he shall be pulled out of that nest and his carkass hang before the Sun and so it fell out for the next year the Castle which he did keep against the Kings Authority was taken and he hanged before the Sun the Soul of that man is dear unto me and if it be possible I would fain have him saved They went but could not prevail yet at his death he did express serious repentance for his sins The next day he was much in Prayer crying Come Lord Jesus Sweet Jesus into thy hands I commend my Spirit Being asked by those about him if his pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a pain which should be unto him the end of all troubles and beginning of eternal joyes Oftentimes after some deep Meditations he burst forth in these words O serve the Lord in fear and death shall not be troublesome unto you blessed is the death of those that have part in the death of Christ. In the Evening having slept some hours together but with great unquietness for he was heard to send forth many sighs and groans Being asked after he awaked How he did find himself and what it was that made him to mourn so heartily in his sleep He answered In my life time I have oft been assaulted with Satan many times he hath cast in my teeth my sins to bring me to despair yet God gave me strength to overcome all his temptations and now that subtile Serpent who never ceaseth to tempt hath taken another course and seeks to perswade me that all my labours in the Ministry and the fidelity that I have shewn in that Service hath merited Heaven and immortality but blessed be God that brought to my mind these Scriptures What hast thou that thou hast not received and not
should do evil that good may come thereof though he meant nothing so c. Now my Lord will not think I dare say that St. Paul was too blame that he spake no more warily or more plainly to avoid the offence of the people but rather the people for that they took no better heed to his meaning yea he will pity the people who had been so long nuzled in the Doctrine of the Pharisees and wallowed so long in darkness of mans Traditions and Superstitions that they were unapt to receive the bright Light of the Truth and wholesome Doctrine of God uttered by St. Paul nor do I think that my Lord will require more circumspection in me then was in St. Paul when he did not escape slanderous reports of them that be of corrupt judgements who reported him to say whatsoever he appeared to them to say or whatsoever seemed to them to follow of his saying So they report us to say saith Paul so they speak evil of us whose damnation is just And I think the damnation of all such that evil report Preachers now adayes is just also yea Christ himself was mis-reported and falsly accused both as to his words and also as concerning the meaning of his words He said Destroy you they made it I can destroy He said This Temple they added Made with hands to bring it to a contrary sense He did mean of the Temple of his Body and they did wrest it to Solomon's Temple There be three sorts of persons which can make no credible information 1 Adversaries 2 Ignorant ones and without judgement 3 Whisperers which will spew out in hudder mudder more then they dare avow openly The first will not the second cannot the third dare not Therefore the relation of such is not credible and cannot occasion any indifferent Judge to make process against any man It is a great commendation to be evil spoken of them that be naught themselves and to be commended of such is many times no little reproach God send us all grace to wish well one to another and to speak well one of another Meseems it were more comely for my Lord if it were comely for me to say so to be a Preacher himself having so great a Cure as he hath then to be a Disquieter of Preachers and to preach nothing at all himself I am sure St. Paul the true Minister of God and faithful Dispenser of Gods Mysteries and right Exemplar of all true and very Bishops saith Though some preach Christ of envy thinking to obscure me and bring my authority into contempt some of good will thinking to comfort me notwithstanding so that Christ be preached I joy and will joy So much he regarded more the Glory of Christ and Promotion of Christs Doctrine to the edification of Souls then the Maintenance of his own Authority Reputation and Dâ—gnity considering that what Authority he had it was to Edification and not to Destruction Now I think it were no reproach to my Lord but rather very commendable to joy with Paul and be glad that Christ be preached qis vis modo yea though it were for envy in disdain despite and contempt of his Lordship The University of Cambridge hath Authority to admit twelve early of which I am one and the Kings Highness did decree That all admitted of Universities should preach throughout his Realm as long as they preached well To inhibit a Preacher admitted of the King is to disobey the King We low Subjects are bound to obey Powers and their Ordinances and are not the highest Subjects also who ought to give us an ensample of such obedience As for my preaching it self I trust in God my Lord of London cannot justly blame and reprove it if it be taken as I spake it or else it is not my preaching but his that falsly reporteth it as Martial saith to one that depraved his Book Quem recitas meus est O Fidentine libellus Sed male dum recitas incipit esse tuus In English thus Mine is the Book thou readest Fidentine But thou not reading right dost make it thine Now I hear that my Lord of London is informed and hath informed the King that I go about to defend Bilney and his cause against his Ordinaries and Iudges whereas I had nothing to do with Bilney except his Judges did him wrong for I did nothing else but admonish all Judges indifferently to do right It might have become a Preacher to say as I said though Bilney had never been born I have known Bilney a great while I think much better then ever did my Lord of London and to tell you the truth I have known hitherto few such so prompt and ready to do every man good after his power both friends and foes c. In sum a very simple good Soul nothing meet for this wretched world whose blind fashion and miserable state yet far from Christs Doctrine he could as evil bear and would sorrow lament and bewail it as much as any man that ever I knew I cannot but wonder if a man living so mercifully so charitably so patiently so continently so studiously and vertuously and killing his old Adam i. e. mortifying his evil effections and blind motions of his heart so diligently should die an evil death Let him that standeth beware that he fall not I am ignorant in things that I trust hereafter to know as I do now know things in which I have been ignorant heretofore It were too long to tell you what blindness I have been in and how long it was ere I could forsake such folly it was so incorporate in me but by continual prayer continual study of Scripture and oft communicating with men of more right judgement God hath delivered me c. yea men think that my Lord himself hath in times past thought that by Gods Law a man might marry his Brothers Wife who now both dares think and speak the contrary and yet this his boldness might have chanced in Pope Iulius his dayes to stand him either in a Fire or a Fagot Which thing pondered of my Lord might somewhat stir him up to charitable equity towards such who labour to do good as their power serveth with knowledge and do hurt to no man with their ignorance for there is no greater distance then between Gods Law and not Gods Law nor is it so or so because any man thinketh it so or so but because it is so or so indeed therefore we must think it so or so when God shall give us knowledge thereof for if it be indeed either so or not so it is so or not so though all the world have thought so these thousand years c. The matter is weighty as you say and ought to be substantially looked upon even as weighty as my life is worth but how to look substantially upon it otherwise know not I then to pray my Lord God night and day that as he hath emboldned me
relate good Reader That if thou wilt read my little Works thou mayest remember I am one of them who as Austine reports of himself profit by Writing and Teaching not one of those who from nothing on a sudden become Chieftains Farewell in the Lord and pray for the increase of the Word against Satan who is alwayes mighty and malicious but now most furious and raging knowing his time is but short and that the Kingdome of his Pope is shaken The Lord God confirm what he hath wrought in us and perfect the Work he hath begun in us to his own glory Amen March 3. An. 1545. Mr. Clark tells us That when they threatned to burn his Books he writ thus to Spalatinus As for my self I contemn Rome's favour and fury Let them censure and burn all my Books I will do the like by theirs and will put an end to all my humble observance of them which doth but incense them more and more In his Epistle to Melancthon from Auslurg when he appeared before Cajetan Here is nothing new or wonderfull but that the City is filled my Name and every one desires to see such a Boutefeau Play the man as you do in rightly teaching the youth I am willing for them and you to he sacrificed if it please the Lord. I had rather die and which is most grievous to me for ever want your most sweet company then recant and be an occasion to the most foolish and bitter enemies of all learning of destroying good learning Italy is fallen into Egyptian darkness so ignorant are all of Christ and the things of Christ and yet we have these for our Masters and Teachers of faith and manners So filled up is the anger of God against us Farewell my Philip and by holy Prayer avert the Lords anger When Cajetan wrote to Prince Frederick either to send Luther to Rome or to banish him out of his Dominions he wrote unto the Prince as followeth I refuse not banishment as seeing snares laid for me every where by my Adversaries neither can I easily live any where in safety But what should I a miserable and humble Monk hope for yea what danger should I not fear when they threaten your Excellency so great a Prince so great an Elector so devout a favourer of the Christian Religion I know not what misery if you do not either send me to Rome or banish me Wherefore least any evil should happen unto you for my sake which I am most unwilling of behold I leave your Countrey being resolved to go where my mercifull God pleaseth and to commit the event to his Will I still rejoyce in the love of God and give him thanks that Christ the Son of God hath counted me worthy to suffer in so holy a Cause Novemb. 19. 1518. In his Letter to Pope Leo the Tenth April 6. 1520. I have indeed sharply inveighed against all wicked Doctrines and been biting to my Adversaries for their impiety of which I am so far from repenting that I am resolved in contempt of mans judgement to persevere in that heat of zeal after the example of Christ who in his zeal calls his Adversaries a Brood of Vipers blind hypocrites the children of Satan and of Paul who calls the Sorcerer the child of the Devil full of all subtilty and wickedness and others dogs c. If his Hearers were tender and soft they would account him biting and immodest Who more biting then the Prophets the wicked mad company of flatterers have made the ears of this age so delicate that as soon as we perceive our own wayes not approved we cry out we are bitten and when we cannot repel the Truth on any other account we avoid it under the pretence of railing impudence c. But what is Salt good for if it be not sharp what a Sword if it will not cut Cursed is the man that doth the work of the Lord negligently I contend with none but onely about the word of Truth In all other things I will yield to any but cannot and will not desert and deny the Word Neither you nor any body else can deny but the Court of Rome is more corrupt then any Babylon or Sâ—dom I have therefore detested and could not endure that the people of Christ should be deluded under your Name and the Church of Rome and so have resisted and shall resist them while I breath The Roman Court is desperate the anger of God is come upon it to the full it hates Councils fears to be reformed c. and makes good her mothers character We would have healed Babylon but she is not healed let us forsake her Hence I have been troubled good Leâ— that you were made Pope in these dayes who wast worthy of better She doth not deserve you and such as you but Satan himself who doth indeed reign in that Babylon more then you your self O would to God that laying aside that which your deadliest enemies boastingly call your glory you would be content with being a private Priest and live upon your own inheritance What do you my Leo at Rome but let the most wicked and accursed wretches use your Name and Authority to destroy mens estates and souls to increase wickedness to oppress faith and truth with the whole Church of God O most unhappy Leo you sit in a most dangerous seat I tell you the truth because I wish you well If Bernhard did sympathize with his Eugenius ruling Rome in a more hopefull condition though then very corrupt what may not we complain to whom in the space of three hundred years there is such an accession of corruption and perdition It incomparably exceeds the wickedness of the Turks Behold my Father Leo upon what account I have so inveighed against that pestilent See I am so far from speaking against your Person that I hope I should do you the greatest courtesie if I should stoutly and fiercely destroy that your Prison yea your Hell But this I never intended but was forced to do so by my Adversaries When I was before Cardinal Cajetan he might have made peace with a word for I promised silence and to put an end to my Gause if he would command my Adversaries to do the same but he justified my Adversaries and required me to recant which he had not in his instructions Not Luther but Cajetan is to be blamed for what followed afterwards seeing he would not suffer me to be silent when I most earnestly desired it Upon the occasion of Eccius challenging me to dispute with him many Romish corruptions were brought to light Now the name of the Court of Rome doth stink in the world and the Papal Authority languisheth their famous ignorance is misliked of which there would have been no mention if Eccius had not interrupted the Treaty between me and Charles Miltitius Being yet perswaded to hearken to peace c I come holy Father and humbly beg that you would
to confute me by the Scriptures of the Prophets or Evangelists and Apostles and I will be most ready when taught to recant any Errour yea will be the first that shall cast mine own Books into the fire I suppose hereby it is manifest that I have well weighed the perils and dangers as also the divisions and dissentions which have risen through the World by occasion of my Doctrine of which I was yesterday gravely and sharply admonished As for me the face of things is very pleasant when I see discords and dissentions stirred up upon the account of the Word for such is the course the lot and event of the Gospel for Christ saith I came not to send Peace but a Sword I came to set a man at variance with his Father The Emperours Prolocutor telling him That he had not answered to the purpose neither ought he to call in question what hath been in time past defined and condemned in Councils and therefore a plain and direct answer whether he would recant or no was demanded of him Seeing therefore said Luther your most Excellent Majesty c. require a plain answer I will give one and that without horns or teeth Unless I shall be convinced by Scripture testimonies or evident reason for I believe neither Pope nor Councils onely seeing it is evident that they have often erred and contradicted themselves I am so evercome by the Scritures which I have alledged and my Conscience is so captiv'd to the Words of the Lord that I may not neither will I recant at all and that because it is neither safe nor honest to act against Conscience Here I stand I have nothing else to say God be merciful to me The Princes consulted together upon this Answer given by Luther and when they had examined it the Prolocutor endeavoured to refell it telling him That it nothing availeth to renew disputation concerning things condemned by the Church and Councils through so many Ages unless it should be necessary to give a reason to every one of every thing that is concluded but if this should be permitted to every one that gain ayeth the determination of the Church and Councils to be convinced by the Scriptures we shall have nothing certain and established in Christianity And therefore the Emperour required of him a plain and direct Answer either negative or affirmative to this Question Art thou resolved to defend all thy Works as Orthodoxâ— Or wilt thou recant any thing in them Then Dr. Martin besought the Emperour that he might not be compelled to recant against his Conscience captiv'd to and hindred by the holy Scriptures without manifest Arguments to the contrary The Answer said he that is required is a plain and direct Answer I have no other then what I have already given Unless my Adversaries can deliver my Conscience from captivity to those they call Errours by sufficient Arguments I cannot get out of the Net in which I am intangled All things which Councils have determined are not therefore true yea Councils have erred and determined often things contrary to themselves and therefore the Prolocutors Argument falleth I can shew that Councils have erred and therefore I may not revoke what is plainly and diligently exprest in Scripture Hereupon the Emperour resolved to pursue Martin Luther and his Adherents by Excommunication and other means that may be devised to extinguish his Doctrine yet would not violate his Faith but intended to give order for his safe return thither whence he was called and certified the Princes Electors Dukes and the other Estates assembled so much in a Letter to them Before Luther had any Answer from the Emperour several of all ranks visited him and conferred with him among the rest the ArchBishop of Triers sent for him and Dr. Vaeus in the presence of many Nobles protested that Luther was not called to dispute but onely the Princes had procured license from the Emperour benignly and brotherly to exhort him c. To whom he gave this Answer Most gracious and illustious Princes and Lords I give you most humble thanks for your clemency and singular good will from whence proceedeth this admonition I do indeed acknowledge my self altogether unworthy to be admonished by so Mighty Princes I have not reprehended all Councils but onely that of Constence and that because that Council hath condemned the Word of God as appears in that this Article of Iohn Hus That the Church of Christ is the Company of the Elect is condemned by it I am ready to lose blood and life for you so I be not compelled to revoke the manifest Word of God in defence whereof we ought rather to obey God then man Here I cannot avoid scandal There be two manners of offences at Manners and at Faith Now it is not in my power to make Christ not to be a Rock of Offence I am ready to obey Magistrates how wickedly soever they live so that I be not inforced to deny the Word of God Hereupon Dr. Vaeus admonished Luther to submit his Writings to the Emperours and the Princes judgement He answered humbly and modestly That he was so far from fearing their Examination that he was content to suffer his Writings to be discussed most accurately of the meanest so that it were done by the Authority of the Word of God and of the holy Scripture The Word of God said he makes so clearly for me that I may not yield unless I be untaught and taught better by the Word of the Lord. St. Austin writeth thus I give this honour onely unto the Canonical Books to believe them to be altogether true as for other holy and learned Doctors I onely so far believe them as they write the truth St. Paul bids us Prove all things and hold fast that which is good He saith also Though an Angel from Heaven should preach any other Doctrine c. Wherefore I humbly beseech you not to urge my Conscience bound in Scripture bonds to deny the so clear Word of God In all other cases I will be most obedient to you The Marquess of Branderburg asking him Whether he was not resolved not to yield unless he were convinced by the holy Scripture Yes said he most noble Lord or else by clear and evident reasons Afterwards Pentinger and Dr. Vaeus endeavoured to perswade Luther to let the Emperour and Empire to pass judgement upon his Writings simply and absolutely He answered That he was ready to do and suffer any thing so that they would build on the Authority of the holy Scripture Otherwise he could not consent for God by the Prophet saith Trust ye not in Princes nor in the children c. Cursed is he that trusteth in man When notwithstanding this answer they urged him more vehemently he told them Nothing is less to be permitted to mans judgement then the Word of God Then they prayed him to submit his Writings to the judgement of the next Council He agreed thereunto
are accounted worthy of the Kingdome of Heaven for which we also suffer It is verily saith the Apostle a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulations to them that trouble us and rest to us that be troubled These things we ought to have before our eyes alwayes that in the time of persecution whereof all that will be the children of God shall be partakers and some of us are already we may stand stedfast in the Lord and endure even to the end that we may be saved for unless we like good Warriers of Iesus Christ will endeavour our selves to please him who hath chosen us to be souldiers and fight the good Fight of Faith to the end we shall not obtain that crown of Righteousness which the Lord that is a right our Iudge shall give all them that love his Coming Let us therefore ground our selves on the sure Rock Christ for other foundation can no man lay besideâ— that which is laid already which is Iesus Christ. If any buâ—ld on this foundation gold silver c. By fire the Apostle doth mean persecution the portion of those that do preach and profess the Word of Christ which is called the Word of the Cross. By gold c. he understands them that in the midst of persecution abide stedfast in the Word By hay and stubble such as in time of persecution do fall away from the Truth When Christ doth purge his floor with the wind of adversity these are scattered as light chaffe which shall be burnt with unquenchable fire If they which do believe do in time of persecution stand stedfastly in the Truth the Builder I mean the Preacher of the Word shall receive a reward and the Work shall be preserved and saved but if so be that they go back and swerve when persecution ariseth the Builder suffereth loss i. e. shall lose his labour and cost but let he shall be saved if he being tried in the fire of persecution doth abide fast in the Faith Wherefore my Beloved give diligent heed that ye as liâ—ing stones be â—uilt upon the sure Rock c. Let â—s be sure that unless we keep Christ and his holy Word dwelling by Faith in the House and Temple of our hearts the same thing that Christ threatneth to the Iews shall happen unto us viz. The unclean spirit of ignorance superstition idolatry and unbelief the Mother and Head of all Vices which by the grace of God was cast out of us bringing with him seven other spirits worse then himself shall to our utter ruine return again to us and so shall we be in worse case then ever we were before for if â—e after we have escaped from the filthiness of the world through the Knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ be yet entangled therein and overcome then is the latâ—r end worse then the beginning and it had been letter for us not to have known the way of righteousness 〈◊〉 after we have known it to turn from the holy Commandment given unto us for it is then hapned unto us according to the true Proverb The Dog is turned to his vomit and the Son that was washed to wallowing in the mire It is not possible saith the Apostle that they which were once enlightned c. if they fall away should be renewed again by repentance c. St. Paul's meaning in this place is That they that believe unfeignedly Gods Word do abide stedfast in the known Truth If any therefore fall away from Christ and his Word it is a plain token that they were but dissembling Hypocrites for all their fair faces outwardly and never believed truly c. They went out from us because they were not of us c. If we sin willingly after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgement c. Wherefore let us on whom the ends of the world are come take diligent heed unto our selves that now in these last and perillous times in which the Devil is come down and hath great wrath because he knoweth his time is but short and whereof the Prophets Christ and the Apostles have given us such warning we withhold not the Truth in unrighteousness believing doing or speaking any thing against our knowledge and conscience or without faith c. If ye believe me ye shall die in your sins Dear Friends we trust to see better of you and things which accompany salvation and that ye being the good ground watered with the moistness of Gods Word plentifully preached among you will with a good heart hear the Word of God and keep it bringing forth fruit with patience and that you will be none of those forgetful and hypocritical hearers who although they hear the Word suffer the Devil to catch away what was sown in their hearts either having no root in themselves endure but a season and as soon as persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by they are offended or with the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches choak the Word and so are unfruitful Read the Parable of the Sower and note especially That the most part of the hearers of Gods Word are but Hypocrites hearing the Word without any fruit or profit yea to their greater condemnation for onely the fourth part of the seed doth bring forth fruit Therefore let not us that be Ministers or Professors and Followers of Gods Word be discouraged though that very few do give credit and follow the Doctrine of the Gospel and be saved We trust that ye will not like the Gadarenes for fear to lose your worldly substance or other delights of this life banish away Christ and his Gospel from among you If ye do your own blood will be upon your own heads And as ye have had more plentiful preaching of the Gospel then others so ye shall be sure to be sorer plagued and the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to another Nation that will bring forth the fruits thereof Wherefore my dearly beloved in Christ take good heed unto your selves and ponder well in your minds how fearful and horrible a thing it is to fall into the hands of the Living God and see that ye receive not the Word in vain but declare your faith by your good works among which the chiefest are to be obedient to the Magistrates sith they are the Ordinance of God whether they be good or evil unless they command idolatry and ungodliness i. e. things contrary to true Religion for then we ought to say with Peter We ought more to they God then man But in any wise we must beware of Tumult Insurrection Rebellion or Resistance The weapon of a Christian in this matter ought to be the Sword of the Spirit which is Gods Word and Prayer coupled with humility and due submission and with readiness of heart rather
which cover his most filthy part This is not onely my saying but the Prophet Isaiah who saith He that preacheth lies is the tail behind Then said he unto them all Christ saith in his Gospel Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye close up the Kingdome of Heaven before men neither enter ye in your selves nor suffer any other that would enter into it but ye stop up the wayes thereunto by your own Traditions The Arch Bishop telling him That none should preach in his Diocess yea in his Iurisdiction that make division or dissention among the poor Commons He answered Both Christ and his Apostles were accused of sedition-making yet were they most peaceable men But Daniel and Christ prophesied That such a troublesome time should come as hath not been yet since the worlds beginning and this prophesie is partly fulfilled in your dayes c. Christ saith also If these dayes of yours were not shortned scarcely should any flesh be saved therefore look for it justly for God! will shorten your dayes Being asked what he said of the Pope He said As I said before so say I again That he and you together make up whole Antichrist After the Arch Bishop had read the Bill of his Condemnation the Lord Cobham said with a cheerfull countenance Though you judge my Body which is a wretched thing yet am I certain and sure ye can do no harm to my soul no more then could Satan to the soul of Iob. He that created that will of his infinite mercy and promise save it I have therein no manner of doubt And therewith he turned himself to the people and said with a loud voice Good people for Gods love be well ware of these men for they will else beguile you and lead you blind-fold into Hell with themselves for Christ saith plainly unto you If one blind man lead another they are like both to fall into a ditch After this he fell down upon his knees and before them all prayed thus for his enemies Lord God Eternal I beseech thee of thy great mercy sake forgive my pursuers if it be thy blessed Will Here it is observable That Arch Bishop Arundel that passed Sentence of Death against Lord Cobham did feel the stroke of Death and had the Sentence of God executed upon him before the Death of this famous Martyr The Arch Bishop died Feb. 20. 1414. and this condemned Lord survived his Condemner three or four years Oom Wonter Oom writes thus from his Prison at Antwerp Wellbeloved Brother and Sister whom I love dearly for the Truths sake and for your faith in Christ Jesus These are to certifie you that I enjoy the comfort of a good conscience c. Whosoever will forsake this present evil world and become followers of their Captain Christ must make account to meet with many persecutions for Christ hath told us aforehand that we should be hated persecuted and banished out of the world for his Names sake and this they will do because they have neither known the Father nâ—r me But be not afraid for I have overcome the world St. Paul also witnesseth the same thing saying All that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution and to you ie it given to suffer c. And doth not our Lord Iesus say Blessed are you when men persecute you and speak all manner of evil falsly c. Now whereto serveth all this but to bring us into a conformity with our Lord and Master Jesus Christ for Christ hath suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps He endured the Cross and despised the shame c. and became poor to make us rich By him also are we brought by faith into that state of grace wherein we stand rejoycing in the hope of the glory of God knowing that tribulation worketh patience c. Wherefore be not afraid of the fiery trial that is now sent among us to prove us for what father loving his child doth not correct it Even so doth the Lord correct those whom he loves for if we should be without correction whereof all true Christians are partakers then were we bastards and not sons And therefore Solomon saith Despise not the chastning of the Lord c. Fear not then to follow the footsteps of Christ for he is the Head and we are the Members We must after his example through many tribulations enter into Heaven Let us say with St. Paul Christ is unto me in life and death advantage and O wretched creatures that we are who shall deliver us from this body of death It is a good thing to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord and to bear the yoke in ones youth c. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord He is their strength in the time of trouble Wherefore giving all diligence let us adde to faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness c. Out of my Role Dec. 11. 1562. Origen When he was but seventeen years old his Father being carried to Prison he had such a fervent mind to suffer Martyrdome with him that he would have thrust himself into the Persecutors hands had it not been for his Mother who in the night time privily stole away his clothes and his very shirt also whereupon more for shame to be seen naked then for fear to die he was constrained to remain at home yet when he could do no more he wrote to his Father in Prison thus See O Father that you do not change your resolution for my sake His fame was so great that the Emperour Severus sent for him to come to Rome and commanded the Provost of Egypt to furnish him with all things necessary for his journey The Provost was very carefull to provide a Ship and divers Garments c. But Origen would receive no part thereof no not so much as hose or shoes but went in a single Garment of Cloth and bare foot went to Rome and when at his arrival there were brought to him a Mule and a Chariot to use which he liked best he answered That he was much less then his Master Christ who rode but one day in all his life and that was on a silly she Ass and therefore he would not ride except he were sick or decrepid as his legs might not serve him to go When he was brought into the presence of the Emperour and his Mother they saluted him and rejoyced much to see him Being demanded what he professed he answered Verity The Emperour asking him what he meant thereby It is the Word said he of the Living God which is infallible The Emperour asked which is the Living God and why he so called him Origen answered That he did put that distinction for a difference from them whom men being long drowned
arrogancy singularity and vain-glory that he would not see what was clearly proved Ha my Lords said Mr. Philpot is it now time think you for me to follow singularity or vain-glory since it is now upon danger of my life and death not onely presently but also before God to come I know if I die in the true Faith I shall die everlastingly or if I do not as you would have me you will kill me and many thousands more yet had I rather perish at your hands then to perish eternally And at this time I have lost all my commodities of this world and now lie in a Cole-house where a man would not lay a Dog with the which I am well contented The Bishop of Glocester asking him What do you think your self better learned then so many notable learned men as be here Mr. Philpot answered Elias alone had the Truth when there were four hundred Priests against him The Bishop telling him Elias was deceived for he thought there had been none good but himself and there were seven thousand besides him Mr. Philpot answered Yea but he was not deceived in Doctrine as the other four hundred were He told the Bishop of London at his third appearâ—nce before him My Lord in that you say you will â—it on me in judgement to morrow I am glad thereof I look for none other but death at your hands and I am as ready to yield my life in Christs Cause as you be to require it Dr. Story telling him What you purpose to be a stinking Martyr and to sit in judgement with Christ at the last Day to judge the twelve Triles of Israel Yea Sir said Mr. Philpot I doubt not thereof having the promise of Christ If I die for righteousness sake which you have begun to persecute in me The Chancellor of Lichfield advising him not to cast himself away wilfully He answered My conscience beareth me record that I seek to please God and that the love and fear of God causeth me to do as I do and I were of all other creatures most miserable if for mine own will onely I do lose all the commodities I might have in this life and afterward be cast to damnation but I am sure it is not my will whereon I stand but Gods Will which will not suffer me to be cast away I am sure Mr. Philpot being sent for by Bonnâ—r that he might go with him to Mass the Keepers as they were going along asked him Will you go to Mass Mr. Philpot answered My stomack this morning is too raw to digest such raw meats of flesh blood and bone When he was put into the stocks he said God be praised that he hath thought me worthy to suffer any thing for his Names sake Better it is to sit in the stocks of this world then to sit in the stocks of a damable conscience As he was conveyed out of the Cole-house into a close Tower joyning to Paul's Church through many straits There said he I called to remembrance that strait is the way to Heaven Harpsfield accusing him for being like himself in Oxford when in Disputation he would not give over He said Mr. Harpsfield you know in the Schools of Oxford when we were young men we did strive much upon vain-glory and contention more then for the Truth and if I was then in the time of my ignorance earnest in my own cause I ought now to be earnest in my Master Christs Cause and his Truth I know now that nothing done upon vain-glory and singularity can please God have it never so goodly a shew Morgan telling him he should be burned for his Heresie and afterwards go to Hell fire He said I tell thee thou Hypocrite that I pass not this for thy Fire and Fagots neither do I I thank God my Lord stand in fear of the same my faith in Christ shall overcome them but the Hell fire which thou threatnest me is thy portion and is prepared for thee unless thou speedily repent and for such Hypocrites as thou art When Bonner would not grant him candle light he said Seeing I shall not have my request the Lord shall be my light I would my Burning Day were to morrow for this delay is every day to die and yet not to be dead Dr. Chedsey telling him he was not like to die yet He answered I am the more sorry thereof but the Will of the Lord be done of me to his glory Amen Bonner telling him That he made other Prisoners rejoyce and sing with him he said Yea my Lord we shall sing when you and such as you are shall cry Vae vae wo wo except you repent The Bishop of Worcester bidding him to follow his Fathers before him he said It is forbidden us of God by the Prophet Ezekiel to follow our Fathers or to walk in their commandments The Bishop replying It is written also in another Place Ask of your Fathers Mr. Philpot rejoyn'd We ought indeed to ask our Fathers that have more experience and knowledge then we of Gods Will but no more to allow them then we perceive they agree with the Scriptures Pray for grace said the Bishop Prayer said Philpot is the comfortablest exercise I feel in my trouble and my conscience is quiet and I have peace of mind which cannot be the fruits of Heresie My Lords said Philpot to the Bishops you must bear with me since I speak in Christs Cause and because his glory is defaced and his people cruelly and wrongfully slain by you because they will not consent to the dishonour of God if I told you not your fault it would be required at my hands at the Day of Judgement Therefore know ye Hypocrites indeed That it is the Spirit of God that telleth you your sin not I I pass not I thank God of all your cruelty God forgive it you and give you grace to repent When he was condemned for an Heretick He said I thank God I am an Heretick out of your cursed Church but I am no Heretick before God The Chief Keeper greeting him thus Ah! hast not thou done well to bring thy self hither he said Well I must be content for it is Gods appointment The Keeper promising him all favour if he would recant Nay said Mr. Philpot I will never recant whilst I have my life that which I have spoken for it is most certain truth and in witness hereof I will seal it with my blood A Messenger coming to him from the Sheriffe bade him make ready for the next day he should be burned at a Stake with fire Mr. Philpot returned this Answer I am ready God grant me strength and a joyfull Resurrection And so he went into his Chamber and poured out his Spirit unto the Lord God giving him most hearty thanks that he of his mercy had made him worthy to suffer for his Truth His Servant taking his leave of
of the common Laws the common quieâ— should be disturbed How can you say you will be the Queens true Subject whenas you do openly profess you will not keep her Laws Answ. I grant it to be reasonable that he that â—y words and gentleness cannot be made to yield to that which is right and good he that will not be subject to Gods Word should be punished by the Laws These things ought to take place against him who refuseth to do that is right and just according to true godliness not against him which cannot bear superstitions quietly but doth hate and detost from his heart such kind of proceedings and that for the glory of the Name of God Whosoever love their Countrey in Truth i. e. in God they will alwayes judge if at any time the Laws of God and man are contrary that a man ought rather to obey God then man and they that think otherwise and pretend a love to their Countrey forasmuch as they make their Countrey to fight as it were against God in whom consisteth the onely stay of that Countrey such are to be judged most deadly enemies and Traitors to their Countrey Satan indeed hath ever this dart in readiness to hurl against his Adversaries to accuse them of sedition that he may bring them if he can in danger of the higher Powers Thus Ahab said unto Elias Art thou he that troubleth Israel The false prophets complained of Jeremy to their Princes that his words were seditious and not to be suffered The Scribes and Pharises accused Christ as a seditious person and one that spake against Caesar. Did not they at the last cry If you let this man go you are not Caesars friend Thus the Oratour Tertullus accused Paul before Felix the Deputy We have found this man saith he a pestilent fellow and a stirrer up of sedition unto all the Iews in the whole world But were these indeed seditious persons God forbid but they were of men falsly accused and wherefore I pray you but because the reproved before the people their guiles superstitions and deceits A man indeed ought to obey his Prince but in the Lord and never against the Lord for he that knowingly obeyeth his Prince against God doth not a duty to the Prince but is a deceiver of the Prince and a helper to him to work his own destruction He is also unjust which giveth not to the Prince that is the Princes and to God that is Gods Hitherto you see good Father how I have in words onely made a flourish before the fight which I shortly look for and how I have begun to prepare certain kind of weapons to fight against the adversary of Christ. And here methinks I see you suddenly lifting up your head to Heaven after your manner and then looking upon me with your Prophetical Countenance and speaking thus unto me Trust not my Son I beseech you vouchsafe me the honour of this Name for in so doing I shall think my self both honoured and loved of you Trust not to these word-weapons for the Kingdome of God is not in words but in power Remember alwayes the words of the Lord Do not imagine aforehand what and how you will speak for it shall be given you even in that same hour what ye shall speak Mat. 10. For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you Mar. 11. I pray you therefore Father pray for me that I may cast my whole care on him and trust on him in all perils for I know and am surely perswaded that whatsoever I can think aforehand is nothing except he assist me with his Spirit when the time is Pray that I may out of a true Faith say with David I will not trust in my bow and it is not my sword that shall save me Psal. 44. For he hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse c. But the Lord delights in them that fear him and put their trust in his mercy I beseech you Pray pray pray that I may enter this fight onely in the Name of God In his Letter to Mr. Bradford and his Fellow-Prisoners How joyfull it was to us to hear the report of Dr. Tailor and of his godly Confession c. I assure you it is hard for me to express Blessed be God which was and is the Giver of that and of all godly strength and stomack in the time of adversity It is not the slanderers evil tongue but a mans evil deed that can with God defile a man and therefore with Gods grace ye shall never have cause to doubt but that we will continue c. Sir Blessed be God with all our evil reports grudges and restraints we are merry in God and all our cure and care is and shall be by Gods grace to please and serve him of whom we look and hope after these temporal and momentary miseries to have eternal joy and perpetual felicity with Abraham c. through Jesus Christ our Lord. In his Letter to his Cousin I can do no less then lament their case who for fear of trouble or loss of goods will do in the sight of the world those things they know and are assured are contrary to the Will of God being assdred their end will be so pitifull without speedy repentance that I tremble to think of it Alas such as should in this dangerous time have given you and me comfortable instructions have perswaded us to follow I lament to rehearse it superstitious Idolatry yea and the worst of all is they seek to prove it by Scriptures The Lord for his mercy turn their hearts Amen In another Letter to Mr. Bradford Oh dear Brother seeing the time is now come wherein it pleaseth the Heavenly Father for Christ our Saviour his sake to call upon you and to bid you come happy are you that ever you were born thus to be found awake at the Lords Calling If it be not the place that sanctisieth the man but the holy man doth by Christ sanctifie the place then happy and holy shall be that place where in thou shalt suffer and which shall be sprinkled over with thy ashes in Christs Cause All thy Countrey may rejoyce of thee that it ever brought forth such an one which would render his life again in his Cause of whom he had received it We do look now every day when we shall be called on blessed be God I ween I am the weakest many wayes of our company and yet I thank our Lord God and Heavenly Father by Christ that since I heard of our dear Brother Rogers his departing and stout confession of Christ and his Truth even unto death my heart blessed be God rejoyced of it that since that time I never felt any lumpish heaviness in my heart as I grant I have felt sometimes before Oh good Brother blessed be God in thee and blessed be the time that ever I knew thee In his
of Canterbury Rejoyce in the Lord and as you love me and the other my Reverend Fathers and Concaptives which undoubtedly are gloria Christi lament not our state but I beseech you to give to our Heavenly Father for his endless mercies and unspeakable benefits even in the midst of all our troubles given to us most hearty thanks for know ye that as the weight of his Cross hath encreased upon us so he hath not nor doth he cease to multiply his mercies to strengthen us and I trust yea by his grace I doubt nothing but he will so do for Christ our Masters sake even to the end West your old Companion and sometime my Chaplain alas hath relented but the Lord hath shortned his dayes soon after he had said Mass against his conscience he pined away and died for sorrow My daily Prayer is as God doth know and by Gods grace shall be so long as I live in this world for you my Dear Brethren that are fled out of your own Countrey because you will rather forsake all worldly things then the Truth of Gods Word that God our eternal Father for our Saviour Christs sake will daily encrease in you the gracious gift of his Heavenly Spirit to the true setting forth of his Glory and Gospel and make you to agree brotherly in the Truth of the same that there arise no root of bitterness among you that may infect that good seed which God hath sown in your hearts already and that your life may be pure and honest according to the Rule of Gods Word that others may be in love with your Doctrine and with you and glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Now we expect nothing but the triumphant Crowns in the Lord of our Confession from our old enemy I commend my self humbly and heartily to your Prayers Dr. Grindal and to the rest of the Brethren with you dearly beloved by me in the Lord viz. Cheek Cox Turner Lever Sampson Chambers c. and others who love the Lord in Truth I commend also to you my Reverend Fathers and Fellow-prisoners in the Lord Thomas Cranmer now most worthy the Name of a true and great Shepherd yea Arch Bishop and Hugh Latimer that old Souldier of Christs and the true Apostle of our English Nation In his Letter to Augustine Bornher Brother Augustine I bless God with all my heart in his manifold merciful gifts given unto our dear Brethren in Christ specially to our Brother Rogers c. and also to Hooper Saunders and Tailor whom it hath pleased the Lord to set in the forefront of the Battel against his Adversaries and hath endued them all so far as I can hear to stand in the Confession of his Truth and to be content in his Cause and for his Gospels sake to lose their lives And evermore and without end blessed be our Heavenly Father for our dear and entirely beloved Brother Bradford whom now I perceive the Lord calleth for for I ween he will no longer suffer him to abide among the adulterous and wicked generation of this world I doubt not but he hath holpen those which are gone before in their journey that is hath animated and encouraged them to keep the high way and so to run that at length they might obtain the Prize The Lord be his comfort whereof I do not doubt I thank God heartily that ever I was acquainted with him and that ever I had such an one in my house I trust to God it shall please him of his goodness to strengthen me to make up the Trinity out of Paul's Church to suffer for Christ c. Upon the thirtieth of September 1555. Dr. Ridley with Father Latimer was brought before the Queens Commissioners to undergo his last Examination Whilst the Commission was reading he stood bare till he heard the Cardinal named and the Popes Holiness then he put on his Cap and being admonished by the Bishoy of Lincoln the Popes Delegate to pull it off he answered I do not put it on in contempt of your Lordship nor of the Cardinal in that he came of Royal Blood c. but that by this my behaviour I may make it appear that I acknowledge in no point the usurped Supremacy of Rome and therefore I contemn and despite all Authority coming from the Pope As for taking off my Cap do as it shall please your Lordships and I shall be content When Lincoln in a long Rhetorical Speech perswaded him to recant c. he said My Lord in your Exhortation I have marked especially three points which you used to perswade me to leave my Doctrine and Religion which I perfectly know and am throughly perswaded to be grounded not upon mans imaginations and decrees but upon the infallible Truth of Christs Gospel and to look back and return to the Romish See contrary to my Oath contrary to the Prerogative and Crown of this Realm and especially which moveth me most contrary to the expressed Word of God 1 That the See of Rome taking his â—eginning from Peter upon whom you say Christ hath builded his Church hath in all ages lineally from Bishop to Bishop been brought to this time 2 That the holy Fathers in their Writings from time to time have confessed the same 3 That I was once of the same Opinion For the first Christ in saying Upon this stone doth not mean Peter himself c. but his Confession that he was the Son of God upon this Rock-stone I will build my Church for this is the foundation and beginning of all Christianity with word heart and mind to confess that Christ is the Son of God Christs Church is built not on the frailty of man but upon the stable and infallible Word of God that Christ is the Son of God Whilst the See of Rome continued in the Promotion and setting forth of Gods glory and due preaching of the Gospel the Fathers commended and honoured Rome and so do I but after the Bishops of that See seeking their own pride and not Gods honour set themselves above Kings challenging to them the Title of Gods Vicars c. I cannot but with S. Gregory a Bishop of Rome confess that the Bishop of that place is the very true Antichrist whereof St. Iohn speaketh by the name of the Whore of Babylon For the third I cannot but confess I was once of the same Religion you are of yet so was St. Paul a Persecutour of Christ. Lincoln farther urging him to recant c. he said am fully perswaded that Christs Church is foundâ—d in every place where his Gospel is truly received and effectually followed Your gentleness is the same that Christ had of the High Priests Your Lordship saith You have no power to condemn me neither at any time to put a man to death so the High Priests said That it was not lawfull for them to put any man to death but committed Christ to Pilate neither would suffer him
and ready to be burned for the testimony of the Truth O dear Brethren and Sisters how much have you to rejoyce in God that he hath given you such faith to overcome this blood-thirsty Tyrant thus far And no doubt but he that hath begun that good work in you will fulfill it to the end O dear Hearts in Christ what a Crown of Glory shall ye receive with Christ in the Kingdome of God Oh that it had been the good will of God that I had been ready to have gone with you I lie in my Lords Little-ease in the day and in the night in the Cole-house alone and we look every day when we shall be condemned but I lie still at the Pools brink and every man goeth in before me but we abide patiently the Lords leisure with many Bands in Fetters and Stocks by the which we have received great joy in the Lord. And now fare you well dear Brethren and Sisters in this World but I trust to see you in the Heavens face to face How blessed are you in the Lord that God hath found you worthy to suffer for his sake O be joyfull even unto death Fear it not saith Christ for I have overcome death Be strong let your hearts be of good comfort and wait you still for the Lord. He is at hand The Angel of the Lord pitcheth his Tent round about them that fear him and delivereth them which way he seeth best for our lives are in the Lords hands and they can do nothing unto us before God suffer them Therefore give all thanks to God O dear Hearts you shall be clothed with long white Garments upon the Mount Sion with the multitude of Saints and with Jesus Christ our Saviour who will never forsake us O blessed Virgins you have played the wise Virgins part in that you have taken Oyl in your Vessels that ye may go in with the Bridegroom when he cometh c. but as for the foolish they shall be shut out because they made not themselves ready to suffer with Christ neither go out to take up his Cross. O dear Hearts How precious shall your death be in the sight of the Lord for dear is the death of his Saints O fare you well and pray The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Amen Pray pray pray By me R. R. written with mine own blood The Bishop asking him what he thought of his Fellow-Prisoner Ralf Allerton He answered That he thought him to be one of the elect Children of God and if he were put to death for his Faith and Religion he thought he should die a true Martyr The Bishop asking him how he did like the Order and Rites of the Church then used here in England He said That he ever had and then did abhor the same with all his heart Being perswaded to recant and ask mercy of the Bishop No said he I will not ask mercy of him that cannot give it Rought A Suffolk man so called and his Wife and several others being rebuked for going so openly and talking so freely Their answer was They acknowledged and believed and therefore they must speak and that the tribulation was by Gods good will and providence and that his Judgements were right to purâ—â—â— them with others for their sins and that of very faithfulness and mercy God had caused them to be troubled bled and that one hair of their heads should not perish before the time but all things should work unto the best to them that love God and that Christ Jesus was their life and onely righteousness and that onely by faith in him and for his seke all good things were freely given them also forgiveness of sins and life everlasting Rupea You may said Castalia Rupea throw my body from this steep Hill yet will my soul mount upward again Your blasphemies more offend my soul then your torments do my body Russel Ieremy Russel being apprehended in the Diocess of Glasgow in Scotland A. 1539. and railed upon answered This is your hour and power of darkness Now sit ye as Judges and we stand wrongfully accused and more wrongfully to be condemned but the day shall come when our innocence shall appear and that ye shall see your own blindness to your everlasting confusion Go forward and fulfill the measure of your iniquity He comforted his Fellow-Prisoner Alexander Kennedy of whom see the second Part under K. saying Brother fear not more mighty is he that is in us then he that is in the world the pain that we shall suffer is short and shall be light but our joy and consolation shall never have end and therefore let us contend to enter in unto our Master and Saviour by the same strait way which he hath taken before us Death cannot destroy us for it is destroyed already by him for whose sake we suffer Rycetto Mr. Anthony Rycetto of Vincence being condemned to be drowned his Son about twelve years of age comieg to visit him besought him with tears to yield and to save his life that he might not be left fatherless A true Christian said his Father is bound to forego Goods Children yea and life it self for the maintenance of Gods honour and glory A Captain telling him That Francis Sega was resolved to recant What tell you me said he of Sega I will perform my vows unto the Lord my God A Priest presenting him with a wooden Crucifix exhorting him to return and to die in the favour of God reconciling himself to the Church of Rome the holy Spouse of Christ But he rejected the Crucifix and besought the Priest to come out of the snare of the Devil to cleave to Jesus Christ and to live not according to the flesh but after the Spirit If you do otherwise said he assure your selves your unbelief will bring yâ—u into that Lake of fire that shall never be quenched for though yâ—u confess with your mouth that you know Iesus Christ yet you not onely deny him by your works but you persecute him in his Members being bewitched by the Pope the open enemy of the Son of God As he was carrying to be drowned because it was very cold he called for his Cloke which they had taken from him Whereupon the Wherry-man said unto him Fearest thou a little cold What wilt thou do when thou art cast into the Sea Why art not thou carefull to save thy self from drowing Dost not thou see that the poor Flea skips hither and thither to save her life His answer was And I am now flying to escape eternal death Being arrived at the place where he was to suffer the Captain put a Chain of Iron about his middle with a very heavy Stone fastned thereto Then Rycetto lifting his eyes to Heaven said Father forgive them for they know not what they do And being laid on the Planck he said Lord Iesus into thy hands I commend my spirit FINIS These are the