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
every one of the Serpents seed are guilty of all the iniquity which the whole body committeth because they are altogether against Christ Jesus and his eternal Verity every one serving Satan the Prince of this world in their rank age degree and estate The Kings and Princes that by power oppress the people of God and will not suffer that they truly worship God as he hath commanded but will retain them in Egypt are brethren and companions to Pharaoh The Prelates and Priests with their Fathers the old Pharisees have taken away the key of Knowledge and have shut up the Kingdome of Heaven before men so that neither they themselves will enter nor suffer others to enter in As Satan by craft hath corrupted the most holy Ordinances of Gods Precepts of the first Table in the place of the spiritual honouring of God introducing mens dreams inventions and fancies so hath he abusing the weakness of man corrupted the Precepts of the second Table touching the honour that is due to Parents under whom are comprehended Princes and Teachers for now the Devil hath so blinded the senses of many that they cannot or at least will not learn what appertaineth to God and what to Caesar but because the Spirit of God hath said Honour the King therefore whatsoever they command be it right or wrong must be obeyed It is blasphemy to affirm That God hath commanded any creature to be obeyed against himself that for the command of any Prince be he never so potent men shall commit Idolatry embrace a Religion which God hath not approved by his Word or confirm by their silence wicked and blasphemous Laws made against the Honour of his Majesty and men that do so are Traitors to their Princes whom by flattery they confirm in their rebelling against God God cannot lie he cannot deny himself he hath witnessed from the beginning that no Religion pleaseth him except that which he by his own Word hath commanded and established The Verity it self pronounceth this Sentence In vain do ye worship me teaching for Doctrines the Precepts of men and also all plantation which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out Before the coming of his well-beloved Son in the flesh he secretly punished all such as durst enterprise to alter or change his Ceremonies or Statutes as in Sâ—ul Uzziah Nadab Aâ—ihu is to be read and will be now after that he hath opened his counsel to the world by his onely Son whom he commandeth to be heard and after that by holy Spirit speaking in his Apostles he hath established the Religion in which he would have his true worshippers to abide unto the end will he now I say admit mens inventions in the matter of Religion which he reputed for damnable Idolatry If men or Angels would affirm that he will or may do it his own Verity shall convince them of a lie for this Sentence he pronounceth Not that which seemeth good in thy eyes shalt thou do to the Lâ—rd thy God but that which the Lord thy God hath commanded thee that do thou adde nothing unto it diminish nothing from it which sealing up his New Testament he repeateth in these words That which ye have hoâ—d till I come c. Whilst Mr. Knox was thus occupied in Scotland Letters came to him from the English Church assembled at Geneva which was separated from the superstitious and contentious company that was at Frankford commanding him in Gods Name as he that was their chosen Pastour to repair unto them for their comfort Great desires there were to stay him in Scotland but he would not be perswaded saying Once I must see that little Flock which the wickedness of men hath compelled me to leave adding That if God blessed those small beginnings and if that they continued in godliness whensoever they pleased to command him they should find him obedient Immediately after his leaving Scotland the Bishops summoned him and for non-appearance burnt him in Effigie at the Cross in Edinburg An. 1555. from the which unjust Sentence Mr. Knox made his Appellation and directed it to the Nobility and Commons of Scotland Printed at Geneva An. 1558. In his Appellation To the Nobility and States of Scotland It is not onely the love of this temporal life Right Honourable nor the fear of corporal death that moveth me to expose unto you the injuries done against me and to crave of you redress but it proceedeth partly from the reverence every man oweth to Gods eternal Truth and partly from a love which I bear to your Salvation It hath pleased the Lord of his infinite mercy not onely to illuminate the eyes of my mind c. but to make and appoint me a Witness Minister and Preacher of his Doctrine the sum whereof I communicated to my Brethren in Scotland because I knew my self to be a Steward and must give an account c. I did therefore as Gods Minister whilst with them God is record and witness truly and sincerely according to my gift divide the word of Salvation c. I affirmed so taught by my Master Christ Jesus That whosoever denieth him yea â—r is ashamed of him before this wicked generation him shall Christ deny and of him be ashamed c. And therefore I feared not to affirm that of necessity it is that such as hope for life everlasting avoid all Superstition vain Religion and Idolatry Vain I call whatsoever is done in Gods Service or Honour without the express command of his Word Nevertheless me as an Heretick and this Doctrine as Heretical have your false Bishops and ungodly Clergy condemned pronouncing against me a Sentence of death in testification whereof they have formed a Picture from which false and cruel Sentence c. I make it known to your Honours that I appeal to a lawful and general Council c. most humbly requiring of your Honours to receive me calling unto you as to the Powers of God ordained into your Protection against the rage of Tyrants not to maintain me in any iniquity errour or false opinion but to let me have such equity as God by his Word ancient Laws and determinations of godly Councils grant to men accused or infamed It is lawfull to Gods Prophets and Preachers of Christ to appeal from the sentence and judgement of the visible Church to the knowledge of the Civil Magistrate who by Gods Law is bound to hear their causes and to defend them from Tyranny as appears in Ieremiah's case c. He was condemned by the Priests and Prophets in Ierusalem c. who then onely in earth were known to be the Visible Church from which Sentence he appealed i. e. sought help of the Princes I am in your hands c. q. d. the Princes of Iudah and Rulers of the people to whom it belongs indifferently to judge between party and party to justifie the Just man and to condemn the
hath God executed the judgement threatned But what amendment can be espied in you Idolatry was never in greater quiet vertue and vertuous men never in more contempt vice was never more bold nor punishment less feared And yet who guides the Queen and Court who but Protestants O horrible slanderers of God and of his holy Evangel Better it were unto you plainly to renounce Christ Jesus then thus to expose his blessed Evangel to mockage If God punisheth not you that this same age shall see your punishment the Spirit of righteous judgement guides me not When the Queen sent for Mr. Knox and would have him to perswade the people especially the Gentlemen of the Wâ—st not to put hand to punish any for using themselves in their Religion as pleased them He willed her Majesty to punish Male-factours according to the Laws and he durst promise quietness upon the part of them that professed the Lord Jesus within Scotland but if her Majesty thought to delude the Laws he said He feared some would let the Pâ—â—ists understand that without punishment they should not be suffered so manifestly to offend Gods Majesty I shall cause said the Queen to summon all offenders and ye shall know that I shall minister justice I am assured then said he that ye shall please God and enjoy rest and tranquillity within your Realm which to your Majesty is more profitable then all the Popes power can be In his Letter to the Earl of Murray Seeing I perceive my self frustrate of my expectation which was that you should ever have preferred God to your own affection and the advancement of his truth to your own commodity I commit you to your wit and to the conducting of those which can better please you In a Sermon concerning the Queens Marriage he said Whensoever the Nobility of Scotland who profess the Lord Jesus consent that an Infidel and all Papists be Infidels shall be Head to our Sovereign ye do so far as in you lies banish Christ Jesus from this Realm yea bring Gods vengeance on the Countrey a plague upon your selves and perchance you shall do small comfort to your Sovereign When he was upon that account brought before the Queen Madam said he when it shall please God to deliver you from that bondage of darkness and errour wherein ye have been nourished for lack of true Doctrine your Majesty will find the liberty of my tongue nothing offensive Out of the Pulpit I think few have occasion to be offended at me but there I am not Master of my self but must obey him who commands me to speak plain and to flatter no flesh upon the face of the earth But what have you to do said she with my Marriage I am sent said he to preach the Evangel of Iesus Christ to such as please to hear It hath two parts Repentance and Faith Now Madam in preaching of Repentance of necessity it is that the sins of men be noted that they may know wherein they offend but so it is that the most part of your Nobility are so addicted to your affections that neither Gods Word nor yet their Commonwealth are rightly regarded and therefore it becometh me to speak that they may know their duty And so he repeated to her self what he had said in publick Whereupon the Queen wept but when she had given place to her inordinate passions Mr. Knox said Madam in Gods presence I speak I never delighted in the weeping of any of Gods Creatures c. much less can I rejoyce in your Majesties weeping but seeing I have given you no just occasion to be offended but have spoken the truth as my Vocation craves of me I must sustain your Majesties tears rather then I dare hurt my conscience or betray the Commonwealth by silence About that time he pâ—ayed thus Deliver us O Lord from the bondage of Idolatry Preserve and keep us from the tyranny of Strangers Continue us in peace and concord among our selves if thy good pleasure be O Lord for a season Being asked Why he prayed for quietness for a season and not absolutely His answer was That he durst not pray but in faith and faith in Gods Word assured him That constant quietness would not continue in that Realm wherein Idolatry had been suppressed and then was permitted to be erected again The Master of Maxwell telling him That he would not find that men will bear with him in times to come as they had done in times past If said he God stand my Friend as I am assured he of his mercy will so long as I depend upon his promise and prefer his glory to my life and worldly profit I little regard how men behave themselves towards me c. The Earl of Murray and the Secretary sent for Mr. Knox and lamented that he had so highly offended the Queen by writing Letters desiring the Brethren from all parts to convene at Edinburg that there was no hope for him unless he would confess his offence and put himself in her Majesties will I praise God through Jesus Christ said he I have learned not to fear the things that the Godless multitude fear I have the testimony of a good conscience that I have given no offence to the Queen for I have done nothing but my duty and so my hope is that my God will give me patience to bear what will ensue When he was called before the Queen and her Council the Secretary Lethington told him the Queen was informed That he travelled to raise a tumult of her Subjects against her and for certification thereof produced one of his Letters which he owned Then said the Secretary Mr. Knox Are not you sorry from your heart that such a Letter hath passed your Pen c. Before I repent said he I must be taught my offence Offence said Lethington If there were no more but the Vocation of the Queens Leiges the offence cannot be denied Remember your self my Lord said Knox there is a difference betwixt a lawfull and an unlawfull Vocation If I have been guilty in this I have oft offended since I came last into Scotland for what Vocation of Brethren hath ever been since to which my Pen hath not served and before this no man laid it to my charge as a crime Then was then said Lethington and now is now we have no need of such Vocation as sometimes we have had The time that hath been said Knox is now before my eyes for I see the poor flock in no less danger then it hath been at any time before except that the Devil hath gotten a Vizard upon his face before he came in with his own face discovered by open tyranny seeking the destruction of all that refused Idolatry and then I think you will confess the Brethren lawfully assembled themselves for defence of their lives and now the Devil comes under the Cloak of Justice to do that which God would
said of them for their preaching sake but he exhorteth them to take patiently such persecution by his own example saying It becomes not the Servant to â—e above the Master c. Read also the fourteeth Chapter and there your Grace shall see that he promised to the true Preachers no worldly promotion or dignity but persecution and that they should be betrayed even by their own Brethren and Children In Iohn also he saith In the world you shall have oppression and the wâ—rld shall hate you but in me you shall have peace And elsewhere Lo I send you as Sheep among Wolves The true Preachers go like Sheep harmless and be persecuted and yet they revenge not their wrong but remit all to God So far is it off that they will persecute any other but with the Word of God onely which is their weapon This is the most evident token that Christ would that his Gospel and the Preachers of it should be known by that it should be despised among worldly wise men and be reputed foolishness by them and deceivable Doctrine and the true Preachers should be persecuâ—ed and driven from Town to Town and at last lose both Goods and Life and yet they that persecuted them should think they did well and a great pleasure to God Where the Word of God is truly preached there is persecution as well of the Hearers as of the Teachers He that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution It is not onely given you to believe in the Lord but to suffer perseâ—ution for his sake Where is quietness and rest in worldly pleasure there is not the Truth for the world loveth all that are of the world and hateth all things that are contrary to it St. Paul calleth the Gospel The Word of the Cross. May it please your Grace to return to the golden Rule of your Saviour By their fruits you shall know them Where you see persecution there is the Gospel and there is the Truth and they that do persecute be without the Truth They whose works be naught dare not come to the Light but go about to hinder it letting as much as they may that the holy Scriptures should not be read in our Mother Tongue saying That it would cause Heresie and Insurrections and so perswade or fain would perswade your Grace to keep it back But here mark their shameless boldness which be not ashamed to gather Grapes of Thorns c. and to call Light Darkness c. and to say That that which teacheth all Obedience should cause Dissention and Strife Therefore good King seeing the right David our Saviour Christ hath sent his Servants his true Preachers and his Word to comfort our weak and sick souls let not worldly wise men make your Grace believe that they will cause Insurrections and Heresies and such Mischiefs as they imagine of their own mad brains lest that he be avenged upon you and upon your Realm as was David upon the Ammonites and as he hath ever been avenged upon them which have obstinately withstood and gainsaid his Word But peradventure they will say experience shews How that such men as call themselves Followers of the Gospel regard not your Graces Command neither set by your Proclamation as appears by those that were punished in London for keeping such Books as your Grace had prohibited by Proclamation and so like as they regarded not this so they will not regard other your Laws Statutes and Ordinances But this is but a crafty perswasion The very cause of your last Proclamation and the chief Councellors as men say and of likelyhood it should be were they whose evil living and cloked hypocrisie those Books uttered and disclosed And so it might be that these men did not take this Proclamation as yours but as theirs set forth in your Name as they have done many times more c. There is no man I hear say that can lay any word or deed to their charge that should sound to the breaking of your Graces Laws this onely excepted If it be yours and not theirs There be some that for fear of losing of their wordly honour will not leave off their opinion which rashly and that to please men withall by whom they had great promotion they took upon to desend by writing c. Let these men remember St. Paul and David Take heed of their worldly wisdome which is foolishness before God that you may do what God commandeth and not what seems good in your own sight without the Word that your Grace may be found acceptable in his sight and one of the Members of his Church and according to the Office he hath called your Grace unto you may be found a faithful Minister of his Gifts and not a Defender of his Faith for he will not have it defended by man or by mans power but by his Word onely by the which he hath evermore defended it and that by a way far above mans power or reason c. Wherefore Gracious King remember your self have pity upon your soul and think that the day is even at hand when you shall give an account of your Office and of the Blood that hath been shed with your Sword In the which day that your Grace may stand stedfastly and not be ashamed but be clear and ready in your reckoning and to have as they say your quietus est sealed with the blood of our Saviour Christ which only serveth at that day is my daily Prayer Decemb. 1. A. 1530. Observe in this Letter saith Mr. Fox the duty of a right Pastour to Truth that Kings are many times abused by Flatterers and wicked Councellors the subtile practises of Prelates in abusing the Name and Authority of Kings to set forth their own malignant proceedings and the great boldness and divine stoutness of this Servant of Christ who as yet being no Bishop so plainly and freely without fear of death adventuring his Life to discharge his Conscience durst so boldly to so mighty a Prince in such a dangerous case against the Kings Law and Proclamation set out in such a terrible time take upon him to write and to admonish that which no Councellor durst once speak to him in defence of Christs Gospel and yet though his wholsome counsel did not prevail God so wrought with his Servant in doing his duty that no danger no nor displeasure rose to him thereby It was not long after that the King made him Bishop of Worcester Touching the memorable acts and doings of this worthy man I cannot neglect the taking notice of one for therein he spoke notably though he said not a word viz. his bold enterprize in sending to King Henry a Present It was a custome that every year upon Ian. 1. every Bishop should send the King a New-years-gift Mr. Latimer being then Bishop of Worcester presented a New Testament for his New-years-gift with a Napkin having this Posy about it
that condition After that he began to speak to the people shewing the cause of his death and would have exhorted them to stick unto Christ. Whereupon one of the Sheriffs said We must have no Sermoning now When the Beholders supposed no less but that he had been dead having been so long in the fire he spread abroad his Arms saying Father of Heaven have mercy upon me Upon this many of the people said That he was a Martyr and died marvellous patiently and godly which thing caused Dr. Cotes the Bishop shortly after to preach in the Cathedral that he was an Heretick burnt like an Heretick and was a firebrand in hell But shortly after the judgement of God took hold of the Bishop it was a report in all mens mouths that he died burnt by an harlot In his Letter to the Reader touching his Examinations Though Satan be suffered to sift us as wheat for a time yet faileth not our faith through Christs aid but that we are at all times able and ready to confirm the Faith of our weak Brethren and alwayes ready to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us and that with meekness and reverence having a good conscience and whenas they backbite us as evil doers they may be ashamed forasmuch as they have falsly accused our good conversation in Christ. I thought my self well settled with my loving Wife and Children and also well quieted in the peaceable possession of that pleasant Euphrates but the Lord who worketh all for the best to them that love him would not there leave me but took my dear and beloved Wife from me whose death was a painful cross to my flesh I thought also my self well placed under most loving and gentle Mr. Laurence Saunders in the Cure of Langton But the Lord of his great mercy would not suffer me long there to continue although for the small time I was in his Vineyard I was not an idle workman but he hath provided me to taste of a far other Cup for by violence hath he yet once again driven me out of that glorious Babylon that I should not taste too much of her wanton pleasures but with his most dearly beloved Disciples to have my inward rejoycing in the Cross of his Son Iesus Christ the glory of whose Church I see it well standeth not in the harmonious sound of Bells and Organs nor yet in the glistering of Mitres and Copes nor in the shining of gilt Images and Lights but in continual Labours and Afflictions for his Names sake God at this present here in England hath his Fan in his hand and after his great Harvest whereinto these years past he hath sent his Labourers is now sifting the Corn from the Chaffe and purging his Floor and ready to gather the Wheat into his Garner and burn up the Chaffe with unquenchable fire Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharises Try all things and choose that which is good Believe not every Spirit but prove the Spirits whether they be of God or not The true Touch-stone is the Word of God In his Letter to the faithful Professors of Langton Grace be unto you and peace be multiplied in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen I thought it my duty to write unto you my Beloved in the Lord to stir up your minds and to call to your remembrance the words that have been spoken to you before and to exhort you as that good man and full of the Holy Ghost Barnabas did the Antiochians that with purpose of heart ye continually cleave unto the Lord and that ye stand fast and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gospel whereof God be thanked ye have had plenteous preaching by Mr. Sanders and other Ministers of Christ who now when persecution doth arise because of the Word do not fall away and forsake the Truth being ashamed of the Gospel whereof they have been Preachers but are willing and ready for your sakes to forsake not onely the chief and principal delights of this life viz. their native Countrey Friends Livings c. but also to fulfill their Ministry to the utmost viz. with their painful imprisonments and blood-sheddings if need shall require to confirm and seal Christs Gospel whereof they have been Ministers They are ready not onely to be cast into prison but also to be killed for the Name of the Lord Jesus Whether those being that good salt of the earth i. e. true Ministers of Gods Word by whose Doctrine being received by Faith men are made savoury unto God and which themselves lose not their saltness now when they be proved with the boisterous storms of persecution or others being that unsavoury salt which hath lost it saltness i. e. those ungodly Ministers who do fall from the Word of God to the dreams and traditions of Antichrist whether of these I say be more to be credited and believed let all men judge Wherefore my dearly Beloved Receive the Word of God with meekness that is grafted in you which is able to save your souls and see that ye be not forgetfull hearers deceiving your selves with Sophistry but doers of the Word whom Christ doth liken to a Wise man which buildeth his house upon a rock c. That when Satan with all his Legions of Devils with all their subtile suggestions and the world with all the mighty Princes thereof with their crafty counsels do furiously rage against us we faint not but abide constant in the Truth being grounded upon a most sure Rock which is Christ and the Doctrine of the Gospel against which the gates of Hell i. e. the power of Satan cannot prevail And be ye followers of Christ and his Apostles and receive the Word in much affliction as the godly Thessalonians did They onely are the true followers of Christ and his Apostles that receive the Word And they onely receive the Word who both believe it and also frame their lives after it and be ready to suffer all manner of adversity for the Name of the Lord as Christ and all the Apostles did and as all that will live godly in Christ Iesus must do for there is none other way into the Kingdome of Heaven but through much tribulation And if we suffer any thing for the Kingdome of Heavens sake and for Righteousness sake we have the Prophets Christ the Apostles and Martyrs for an example to comfort us for they did all enter into the Kingdome of Heaven at the strait gate and narrow way which few do find and unless we will be content to deny our selves and take up the Cross of Christ and his Saints it is an evident argument that we shall never reign with him But if we can find in our hearts patiently to suffer persecutions and tribulations it is a sure token of the righteous Judgement of God that we
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
glory my care in my great temptations was to have the senses of my soul open to perceive the Voice of God saying Whosoever denieth me before men him will I deny before my Father and his Angels And to save the life corporal is to lose the life eternal and he that will not suffer with Christ shall not reign with him Therefore most tender Ones I have by Gods Spirit given over the flesh with the fight of my soul and the Spirit hath the victory The flesh shall now ere it be long leave off to sin the Spirit shall reign eternally I have chosen Death to confirm the Truth by me taught What can I do more Consider with your selves that I have done it for the confirmation of Gods Truth Pray that I may continue to the end The greatest part of the assault is past I praise my God I have in all my assaults felt the present aid of my God I give him most hearty thanks therefore Look not back nor be ye ashamed of Christs Gospel nor of the bonds I have suffered for the same It is no time for the loss of one man in the Battel for the Camp to turn Back Up with mens hearts blow down the dawbed Walls of Heresie Let one take the Banner and the other the Trumdet I mean not to make corporal resistance but pray and ye shall have Elias defence and Elizeus company to fight for you The Cause is the Lords My heart with pangs of death is assaulted but I am at home yet with my God alive Pray for me c. From Newgate Prison in haste the day of my Condemnation I. R. In his Letter to the Congregation two dayes before he suffered Whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution for it is given unto them not onely to believe but to suffer and the Servant or Scholar cannot be greater then his Lord or Master but by the same way the Head is entred the Members must follow My dear soul is departing this Life to my great advantage I make change of morality for immortality of corruption to put on incorruption to make my body like to the Corn cast into the ground which except it die first it can bring forth no good fruit Happy are they that die in the Lord which is to die in the Faith of Christ professing and confessing the same before many Witnesses What a Journey by Gods power I have made these eight dayes is above flesh and blood to bear but as Paul saith I may do all things through him who worketh in me Iesus Christ. My course Brethren I have run I have fought a good fight the Crown of Righteousness is laid up for me my day to receive it is not long to Pray Brethren for the enemy doth yet assault Be not ashamed of the Gospel of the Cross by me preached nor of my suffering for with my blood I affirm the same I go before I suffer first the baiting of the Butchers Dogs yet I have not done what I should have done What was undone impute that to frailty and ignorance and with your love cover that which was and is naked in me God knoweth ye are all tender to me My heart bursteth for the love of you Ye are not without the great Pastour of your souls who so loveth you that if men were not to be found as God be praised there is no want of them he would cause stones to minister unto you Cast your care on that Rock the wind of temptation shall not prevail Past and pray for the dayes are evil Look up with your eyes of hope for your redemption is not far off but my wickedness hath deserved that I shall not see it and also that which is behind of the blood of our Brethren which shall also be laid under the Altar shall cry for your relief The Friday at night before Mr. Rough was taken being in his Bed he dreamed That he saw two of the Guard leading Cuthbert Sympson Deacon of the said Congregation and that he had the Book about him wherein were written the Names of all them that were of the Congregation Afterwards he awaked and having told the dream unto his Wife after some time spent in reading he fell asleep again and dreamed the same dream again and awaking told his Wife his dream and said O Brother Cuthbert is gone And whilst he was making ready for to go and see how it was with him Mr. Sympson came into Mr. Rough's House and brought the Book with him Mr. Rough having told him his dream perswaded him to carry the Book no more about with him which he was loth to promise because said he dreams are but fancies and not to be credited Then Mr. Rough straitly charged him in the Name of the Lord to do it Whereupon Mr. Sympson left the Book with Mrs. Rough. And so the Congregation was preserved The next night Mr. Rough dreamed That he himself was forcibly carried to the Bishop and that the Bishop pluckt off his beard and cast it into the fire saying these words Now I may say I have had a piece of an Heretick burned in my House And so accordingly it came to pass Rose Mr. Thomas Rose born at Exmouth in Devon when he was first taken was sorely stocked in Prison The Stocks were very high and great so that day and night he did lie with his back on the ground upon a little straw with his heels so high that by means the blood was fallen from his feet his feet were without sense for a long time His Mother might not be suffered to see him Afterwards Cranmer set him at liberty When he was brought before Gardiner being taken at Bow in London with five and thirty more Winchester told him That he would know who were his Maintainers or else he would make him a foot longer My Lord said he you shall do as much as pleaseth God and no more yet the Law is in your hand but I have God for my Maintainer and none other At his second Examination the Chancellour ask'd him What he said to the real presence in the Sacrament I wist right well said he you are made an instrument to seek innocent blood Well you may have it if God permit it is present and at hand for I came not hither to lie but to die if God see it good in defence of that which I have said Wherefore you may begin when you think good c. At his third Examination the Bishop saying Ah Sirrah you will admit nothing but Scripture I see well No truly my Lord said he I admit nothing but Scripture for the Regiment of the Soul for Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and where the Word of God is not there ought no belief to be given for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Roth. Richard Roth in his Letter to certain Brethren and Sisters condemned at Colchester
of Peter Happy are ye if ye suffer for righteousness sake c. As for the Spiritual Power it hath no authority to make Statutes or Laws to order the World by but onely faithfully and truly to preach the Word not adding thereto nor taking therefrom If these Ministers will of Tyranny above the Word of God make any Law or Statute it must be considered whether it be openly and directly against the Word of God and to the destruction of the Faith c. such Statutes men are not bound for to obey neither of Charity for here Faith is hurt which giveth no place to Charity nor for avoiding of slander c. The more that men be offended at the Word and the stiffer they be against it the more openly and plainly yea and that to their faces that make such Statutes must we resist them with these words We are more bound to obey God then man The other manner of Statutes be when certain things that be called indifferent be commanded to be done of necessity c. Here must they also be withstood and in no wise obeyed for in this is our Faith hurt and liberty of Christianity c. and therefore must withstand them that will take this liberty from us with this Text of Scripture We are bought with the price of Christs blood we will not be the servants of men This Text is open against them that will bind menâ— Consciences in those things that Christ hath left them free in Of this we have an evident example in Paul who would not circumcise Titus when the false Brethren would have compelled him thereunto as a thing of necessity It is plain that by Christ we are made free and nothing can bind us to sin but his Word At the Stake Dr. Barnes began with this Protestation following I am come hither to be burned as an Heretick and you shall hear my belief whereby you shall perceive what erroneous opinions I hold I believe in the holy and blessed Trinity three Persons and one God that cteated and made all the World and that this blessed Trinity sent down the Second Person Jesus Christ into the womb of the most blessed and purest Virgin Mary c. I believe that without the consent of mans will or power he was conceived by the Holy Ghost and took flesh of her and that he suffered hunger thirst cold and other passions of our body sin except c. And I do believe that he lived here among us and after he had preached and taught his Fathers Will he suffered the most bitter and cruel Death for me and all mankind And I do believe that this his Death and Passion was the sufficient Price and Ransome for the sin of all the World And I do believe that through his Death he overcame the Devil Sin Death and Hell and that there is none other satisfaction unto the Father but this his Death and Passion onely and that no work of man did deserve any thing of God but only his Passion as touching our justification for I acknowledge the best work that ever I did is impure and unperfect Herewithal he cast abroad his Arms and desired God to forgive him his Trespasses Wherefore I trust in no good work that ever I did but onely in the Death of Christ and I do not doubt but through him to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven The Sheriffe hastening him to make an end he turned to the people and desired all men to forgive him and if he had said any evil at any time unadvisedly whereby he had offended any man or given any occasion of evil that they would forgive it him and amend that evil they took of him and to bear witness that he detested and abhorred all evil Opinions and Doctrines against the Word of God and that he died in the Faith of Jesus Christ by whom he doubted not to be saved Bressius If Gods Spirit say true I shall streight rest from my labours My soul is even taking her wings to flie to her resting place Brez A Lady visiting Mr. Guy de Brez a French Minister Prisoner in the Castle of Tournay told him She wondred how he could either eat or drink or sleep in quiet for were I in your case said she the very terrour thereof would go â—igh to kill me O Madam said he the good Cause for which I suffer and that inward Peace of Conscience wherewith God hath endued me makes me eat and drink with greater content then mine enemies can which seek my life Yea so far off is it that my bonds or chains do any way terrifie me or break off my sleep that on the contrary I glory and take delight therein esteeming them at an higher rate then Chains and Rings of Gold or any other Jewels of price whatsoever Yeâ— when I hear the ratling of my Chains methinks I hear some Instrument of Musick sounding in mine ears not that such an effect comes meerly from my Chains but in regard I am bound therewith for maintaining the truth of thâ— Gospel In his Letter to his Wife These thought came at first thronging into my head What mean we to go so many in company together as we did Had it not been for such and such we had never been discovered or taken But meditating on the Providence of God my heart began to find wonderful rest saying thus in my self O my God the day and hour of my birth was before ordained of thee and ever since thou hast preserved and kepâ— me in great perils and dangers and hitherto delivered me out of all And if now the hour be come wherein I must pass out of this life into thy Kingdome thy will be done I cannot escape out oâ— thine hands yea though I could yet Lord theâ— knowest I would not seeing all my felicity depends upon conforming my will to thine This World is not the place of our Rest No Heaven is ouâ— Home this is but the place of our Banishment Take into your consideration the honour the Lord doth you in giving you an Husband that is not onely called to be a Minister of Christs Gospel but also so highly advanced of God as to be accounted worthy to partake of the Crown of Martyrdome It is an honour which the Angels in Heaven are not capable of I am here taughâ— to practise what I have preached to others yea let me not be ashamed to confess that when I heretofore preached I spake but as a Parrot in regard of that which I have now better learned by prooâ— and experience All my former discourses were as a blind mans of Colours in comparison of my present feeling Oh what a precious Comforter in a good Conscience I have profited more in the School-house of this Prison then ever I did in all my life before I would not change my condition with theirs that persecute me though I am lodged in the vilest Prison they have dark and obscure where
me not six dayes ago saying I am more worthy to be burnt then any that hath been burned yet God's blessing on their hearts for their good report God make me worthy of that dignity and hasten the time that I may set forth his glory Blessed be the time that ever I came into the Kings Bench to be joyned in love and fellowship with such dear children of the Lord. In his Letter to his Wife Are not two sparrows saith Christ sold fer a farthing and yet not one of them shall perish without the will of your Heavenly Father c. As though he should have said if God hath such respect and care for a poor sparrow which is not worth one farthing it shall not be taken in the lime-twig net or pitfall untill it be his good will and pleasure you may be well assured that not one of you whom he so dearly loveth that he hath given his onely dear Son for you shall perish or depart forth of this miserable life without his good will and pleasure Let not the remembrance of children keep you from God The Lord himself will be a Father and a Mother better then ever yoâ—â— or I could have been unto them He himself will do all things necessary for them yea as much as rock the cradle if need be In his Letter to Mr. Bradford If we had been thanful to God for the good Ministers of his Word we had not so soon been deprived both of it and them Take not away all thy true Preachers forth of this Realm O Lord but leave us a seed least England be made like unto Sodom and Gomorrah when thy true Lots be gone Hearken O Heavens and then Earth give ear and bear me witness at the great Day that I do here faithfully and truly the Lord's message to his dear Servant to his singularly beloved and elect child Iohn Bradford Iohn Bradford thou man so specially beloved of God I pronounce and testifie unto thee in the Name of the Lord Jehovah that all thy sins whatsoever they be be they never so many so grievous or so great be fully and freely pardoned released and forgiven thee by the mercy of God in Jesus Christ thine onely Lord and sweet Saviour in whom thou doest undoubtedly believe Christ hath cleansed thee with his blood and cloathed thee with his Righteousness and hath made thee in the sight of God his Father without spot or wrinckle so that when the fire doth his appointed office thou shalt be received as a sweet burnt-sacrifice into Heaven where thou shalt joyfully remaâ—n in God's presence for ever as the true inheriter of his everlasting Kingdom unto the which thou wast undoubtedly predestinate and ordaâ—ned by the Lords infallible purpose and decree before the foundation of the world was laid and that this is most true that I have said I call the whole Trinity the Almighty and Eternal Majesty of God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost to my record at this present whom I humbly beseech to confirm and stablish in thee the true and lively feeling of the same Amen Selah In his Letter to his dear and faithful Brethren in Newgate condemned to die Cease not my dearly Beloved so long as you be in this life to praise the Lord with all your hearts for that of his great mercy and infinite goodness he hath vouched you worthy of this great dignity to suffer for his sake not onely the loss of goods wife and children long imprisonment cruel oppression but death it self in the fire This is the greatest promotion that God can bring you or any other into in this vail of misery yea so great an honour as the highest Angel in Heaven is not permitted to have and yet hath the Lord for his dear Son Christ's sake reputed you worthy of the same yea and that before me and many others who have both long looked and longed for the same Rejoyce with double joy and be glad my dear Brethren for doubtless you have more cause then can be exprest But alas I that for my sins am left behind may lament with the holy Prophet Woe is me that the dayes of my joyful râ—st are prolonged Ah cursed Satan which hath caused me so sore to offend my most dear loving Father whereby mine exile and banishment is so long prolonged Oh Christ my dear Advocate pacifie thy Father's wrath which I have justly deserved that he may take me home to him in his sweet mercy In his Letter to Mr. Green c. If they be so blessed of God that die in the Lord as the Holy Ghost saith they be how much more blessed and happy then are you that die not onely in the Lord but for the Lord. O blessed Green c. fresh and green shalt thou be in the Lord's House and thy fruits shall never wither nor decay O happy Mr. Whittle Peter's part thou hast well play'd therefore thy reward and portion shall be like his Now hast thou good experience of man infirmity but much more proof and taste yea sense and feeling of God's abundant bottomless mercyâ— Although Satan desired to sift thee yet Christ thy good Captain pray'd that thy faith should not failâ— God's strength is made perfect by thy weakness c. But alas I lye like the lame man aâ— the Pools side and every one goeth into the place of health before me In his Letter to William Tyms Satan hath two great pieces of Ordinance to shoot at you with the which he cannot hurt you because you have two bul-warks to defend you The first of these terrible Guns that he hath shot at you is fear and infidelity for the uglesomness of death and horrour of your many and great sins But this pellet is easily put away with the sure shield of faith in the most precious death and blood-shedding of our dear Lord and onely Saviour Jesus Christ whom the Father hath given to us wholly to be ours for evermore and with him hath given us all things as Paul saith so that though we be never so great sinners yet Christ is made unto us holiness righteousness and justification He hath clothed us all his merits c. and taken to himself all our sin c. so that if any should be now condemned for the same it must needs be Jesus Christ who hath taken them upon him But indeed he hath made satisfaction for them to the uttermost so that for his sake they shall never be imputed to us if they were a thousand times more then they be The other pestilent Piece he shooteth off at you is to provoke you to put some part of your trust and confidence in yourself and in your own holiness and righteousness that you may that way rob God of his glory and Christ of the honour and dignity of his death but blessed be the Lord God you have also a full strong Bul-work to beat back this pestilent Pellet even the
the world We are strangers in this world and citizens of Heaven Ye sons of men why love ye vanities and seek lies how long love you infancy or childhood The godly have most comfort though iâ— this life they be as sheep ordained to be slain and seem forsaken of God c. yet they do not despair no not in death but are sure they shall pass through death to life eternal c. Also they have this comfort that their death is good and precious theâ— also know that through Christs death death is overcome and abolished Christ by his death hath changed their death into a sleep Such as be at the point of death ought to take comfort and be strong in that they know that they carry with them both Letter and Token which is Baptisme whereby their death is incorporate with the death of Christ and that it is not their death so much as the death of Christ. Wherefore let them surely trust that they shall overcome as that death of Christ hath overcome Unto the godly it is a great comfort that they know that death is not in the power of Tyrants nor put into the hand of any Creature least they should be much troubled c. they shall onely die when it pleaseth the Lord. We cannot live any longer then the Lord hath appointed and we shall not die though we be in the greatest peril and extreme jeopardy before our hour Then wherefore should they fear death they cannot live longer then God hath appointed nor die any sooner It is the comfort of the godly in all adversity that through the Grace of God they shall be revived and raised up as well the body as the soul the souls to Justice the bodies to Glory This hope the wicked have not c. It is a great comfort that affliction shall not endure continually and the afflictions of this time are not worthy of the Glory which shall be shewed upon us Our trouble which is but temporal and light worketh an exceeding and eternal weight of Glory unto us who look not on the things that are seen but on them which are not seen If a man praise a very fool saith Mr. Frith in his Preface to his Mirrour and think his wit good and profound he is indeed more fool then the other Thus seeing man praiseth and commends riches honour c. and such other vain and transitory things which are but as a dream and vanish like a flower of the field when a man should have most need of them he himself is more vain then those things which are but vanity If God hath opened the eyes of thy mind saith the Mirrour it self and have given thee Spirit and Wisdome through the knowledge of his Word boast not thy self of it but rather fear and tremble for a chargeable Office is committed unto thee which if thou fulfil it is like to cost thee thy 〈◊〉 at one time or other with much trouble and persâ—â—cution but if thou fulfill it not then shall tâ—â— Office be thy Damnation For St. Paul saith Wâ—â—â— to me if I â—â—each not And by the Propher Ezekâ—â— God saith If I say unto the wicked that he shall die tâ— death and thou shew him not of it the wicked shall 〈◊〉 in his iniquity but I shall require his blood at thy haâ—â—â— But peradventure our Divines would expouâ—â— these Texts onely of them that are sent and haâ—â— cure of souls Whereunto I answer That eveâ— man that hath the light of Gods Word revealed unto him is sent wheresoever he seeth necessity anâ— hath the cure of his Neighbours soul e. g. If Goâ— hath given me my sight and I perceive a blinâ— man going in the way which is ready for lack 〈◊〉 sight to fall into a pit wherein he would likely perish I am bound by Gods Command to guide hiâ— till he be past that jeopardy or else if he perisâ—â— therein his blood shall be required at my handâ— Thus if I perceive my Neighbour like to perish 〈◊〉 lack of Christs Doctrine then am I bound to instruct him with the knowledge God hath given me or else his blood shall be required at my hand Peradventure they will say that there is already one appointed to watch the Pit c. and thereforâ— I am discharged and need take no thought Where unto I answer I would be glad that so it were notwithstanding if I perceive that the Watchmen bâ— asleep or run to the Ale-house c. and through his negligence espie my Neighbour in danger oâ— the Pit then am I nevertheless bound to lead him from it I think that God hath sent me at that time to save that soul from perishing and the Law oâ— God and Nature that bindeth me thereunto which chargeth me to love my Neighbour as my self to do unto him as I would be done unto If God hath given thee riches c. thou art yet the very owner of them but God is the Owner who saith by the Prophet Gold is mine and silver is mine and he hath for a season made thee a Steward of them so see whether thou with be faithful in the distribution of them according to his Commands Our spiritual Possessionaries are double Thieves and Murtherers as concerning the body besides their murthering of the soul for lack of Gods Word which they will neither preach or suffer any other to do it purely but persecute them and put them unto most cruel death First they are Thieves and Murtherers because they distribute not what they have from charitable Forefathers to the intent it should have been ministred unto the Poor but upon Horses Coaches c. gorgeous apparel and delicate fare c. Thus they defraud the Poor of their bread and so are Thieves and because this bread is their life they are Murtherers also Besides they are Thieves and Murtherers for withdrawing their perfect Members from labour whereby they might minister unto their Neighbours necessities I speak of as many as are not occupied about preaching Gods Word Besides these and many other Treatises he wrote also several choice Letters whilest he was Prisoner in the Tower In his Letter to the faithful Followers of Christs Gospel he thus expresseth himself It cannot be express'd Dearly Beloved in the Lord what joy and comfort it is to my heart to perceive how the Word of God hath wrought and continually worketh among you so that I find no small number walking in the wayes of the Lord according as he gave us Commandment willing that we should love each other as he loved us Now have I experience of the faith which is in you and can testifie that it is without simulation that ye love not in word and tongue onely but in deed and truth What can be more trial of a faithful heart then to adventure not onely to aid and succour by the means of other which without danger may not be admitted
and seven children brought to him the Bishop hoping to overcome him by his natâ—ral affection to them and his wife beginning to exhort him to favour himself He desired her not to be a block in his way for that he was in good course running toward the mark of his salvation Gibson Some of the Articles exhibited against Mr. Richard Gibson 3 That he hath commended allowed defended and liked both Cranmer Lâ—timâ—r Ridley and all other Hereticks here in this Realm of England according to the Ecclesiastical Laws condemned for Hereticks and also liked their Opinions 4 That he hath comforted aided assisted and maintained both by words and otherwise Hereticks and erroneous Persons or at the least suspected and infamed of Heresies c. 5 That he hath affirmed that the Religion now used in this Realm is in no wise agreeable to Gods Word and Commandment c. The Bishop asking him if he knew any cause why the Sentence should not be read against him he said the Bishop had nothing wherefore justly to condemn him Sentence being read He again admonished Gibson to remember himself and so save his soul. Mr. Gibson answered That he would not hear the Bishops babling boldly protesting that he was contrary to them all in his mind though he aforet me kept it secret for fear of the Law And speaking to the Bishop he said Blessed am I that am cursed at your hands We have nothing now but thus will I for as the Bishop saith so it must be And no heresie is it to turn the truth of Gods Word into lies and that do you Mr. Gibson also propounded Nine Articles to Bonner by him to be answered by yea or nay or else by saying he could not tell 1 Whether the Scriptures of God written by Moses and other holy Prophets of God through faith that is in Christ Jesus be available Doctrine to make all men in all things unto salvation learned without the help of any other Doctrine or no 3 Whether the holy Word of God as it is written doth sufficiently teach all men of what dignity estate or calling by Office whatsoever be or they be their full true and lawful duty in their Office and whether every man be found upon the pain of eternal damnation in all things to do as he is thereby taught and commanded and in no wise to leave undone any thing that is to be done being taught and commanded by the same 4 Whether any man the Lord Jesus Christ God and man only except by the holy Ordinance of God ever was is or shall be Lord over Faith 5 By what lawful Authority or Power any man of what Dignity Estate or Calling soever he or they be may be so bold as to alter or change the holy Ordinances of God or any of them or any part of them 6 By what evident tokens Antichrist in his Ministers may be known seeing it is written That Satan can change himself into the similitude of an Angel of Light and his Ministers fashion themselves as though they were Ministers of righteousness 7 What the Beast is which maketh war with the Saints of God and what the gorgeous and glittering Whore is which sitteth upon the Beast Gilby Mr. Anthony Gilby an exiled Minister of Christ in Queen Mary's dayes in his Admonition speaks thus Whereas many have written many profitable Admonitions to you twain O England and Scotland both making one Island most happy if you could know your own hapiness and others with Pen and Tongue with Word with Writing with jeopardy and loss of Lands Goods and Lives have admonished you both twain of that cankered poyson of Papistry that ye foster and pamper to your own perdition and utter destruction of your selves and yours souls and bodies for now and ever I thought it my duty seeing your destruction to mans judgement to draw so near hom much or how little soever they have prevailed yet once again to admonish you both to give testimony to that truth which my Brethren have written and especially to stir your hearts to repentance or at the least to offer my self a witness against you for the justice of God and his righteous judgements which doubtless if your hearts be hardned against you both are at hand to be uttered Thus by our writing whom it pleaseth God to stir up of your Nations all men that now lâ—ve and that shall come after us shall have cause also to praise the mercy of God that so oft admonisheth before he strikes and to consider his just punishment when he shall pour forth his vengeance Give ear therefore betimes O Britain for of that name both rejoyceth whilest the Lord calleth exhorteth and admonisheth that is the acceptable time when he will be found If ye refuse the time offered ye cannot have it afterward though with tears as did Esau ye do seem to seek it Yet once again in Gods behalf I do offer you the very means which if God of his mercies grant you grace to follow I doubt nothing but that of all your enemies speedily ye shall be delivered Ye rejoyce at his Word I am sure if ye have any hope of the performance Then hearken to the matter which I write unto you not forth of mens Dreams and Fables nor forth of prophane Histories painted with mans wisdome vain eloquence or subtile reasons but forth of the infallible Word of God Is not this Gods curse and threatning amongst many others pronounced against the sinful Land and disobedient people That strangers shall devour the fruit of thy Land and be above thee c. and thy strong walls wherein thou trusted shall be destroyed c. And doth not Isaiah reckon this also as the extremity of all plagues for the wickedness of the people to have women raised up to rule over them But what saith the same Prophet in the beginning of his prophesie for a remedy against these and all other evils Yâ—ur hands are full of blood saith he O ye Princes of Sodom and people of Gomorrah but wash you make you clean take away your wicked thoughts forth of my sight â—ease to do evil learn to do well c. Then will I turn my hand to thee and purge out all thy dross and take away thy tynne and I will restore thy Iudges as aforetime and Counsellors as of old And Moses said before in the place alledged That if thou wilt hear the voice of the Lord 〈◊〉 God and do his Commandments thou shalt be blessed 〈◊〉 the Town and blessed in the Field The Lord shall caâ—â—â— thine enemies that rise up against thee to fall befoâ—â— thee c. Lo the way in few words O Britany 〈◊〉 win Gods favour and therefore to overcome thinâ— enemies But to print this more deeply upon your hearts O ye Princes and people of that Island whom God hath begun to punish seek I want you no snifting holes to excuse your faults no political
I doubt not to â—aâ—ment your wickedness that so contemned the voicâ—â— of God for your own lusts for your cruelty for your covetousness that the Name of God was by your vanities evil spoken of in other Nations God grant you all repentant hearts for no order or state did any part of his duty in those dayes Bâ—â— to speak of the best whereof you use to boast your Religion was but an English Mattins patch'd forth of the Popes portess Many things were in your great Book superstitious and foolish all were driven to a present service like the Papists that they should think their duties discharged if the number were said of Psalms and Chapters Finally there could no Discipline be brought into the Church nor correction of manners To what contempt was Gods Word and the admonition of his Prophets come in all estates before God did strike some men are not ignorant The Preachers themselves for the most part could find no fault in Religion but that the Church was poor and lacked living Sure many things should have been reformed before that the Kitchin had been better provided for our Prelates in England It was most evident that many of you under the cloak of Religion served your own bellies some where so busie to heap benefice upon benefice some to labour in Parliament for purchasing of Lands that the time was small which could be found for the Reformation of abuses and every little that was spent upon the feeding of your flocks In a word the Goâ—â—spel was so lightly esteemed that the most part of men thought rather that God should bow and stoop to their appetites then that they should be subject to his holy Commandments Even the Nobility and Council would suffer no rebukes of Gods Messengers though their offences were never so manifest let those that preached in the Court the Lent before King Edward deceased speak their conscience and accuse me if I lie yea let a writing of Northumberland's to Mr. Harlow be brought to light and it shall testifie that he was not ashamed to say That the liberty of the Preachers tongues would cause the Council and Nobility to rise up against them for they could not suffer so to be entreated These were the fruits in the time of Harvest a little before the Winter came and of the time of Mary what should I write It hath cast off the Truth known and confessed and followeth lies and errours which once it detested It buildeth the building which once it destroyed it raiseth up the idols which once were there confounded They persecute they banish they burn Christ the Son of God in his members But to be short this onely remaineth for both these Nations that they repent and return into the Vineyard with the first Son and bring forth the fruits of Repentance The fruits of Repentance I call not onely to know your sins and to lament them but to amend your lives and to make strait the Lords paths by resisting Satan and Sin and obeying God in doing the works of righteousness and executing Gods Precepts and Judgements so long amongst you contemned for even now is the Axe put to the root of the tree c. Thâ— Lord hath now his Fan in his hand and will purge his floor c. Repent therefore whilst you have time before you be â—anned hewn down and fired Here have we to lament the miserable state of mankind which iâ— so seduced by the subtile Serpent that he cannoâ— know his misery when he is admonished nor perceive his perdition when it draweth so near Wheâ— the Servants of God set forth his Truth they are charged to trouble Realms and Countreys as waâ— Elias when they warn men to joyn hands with wicked Kings and Princes they are counted Traytors as was Isaiah and Ieremiah such is mans malice Wherefore I do admonish and exhort you both in the Name of the living God that howsoever yoâ— have hitherto shewed your selves the Servants oâ— men to bear and flatter with the world that noâ— ye learn in Gods cause to despise the faces of men to bend your selves against this wicked world neither regarding the Visors of Honours vain Titles nor dignities any farther then they seek Gods onely Glory for his Glory will he not suffer to be contemned for any cause no he will pour contempâ— on those Princes that strive against his Truth bâ—â— those that glorifie him will he glorifie Behold your onely remedy remaining is to repenâ— your time of ignorance of stubbornness of cruelty of idolatry wherein ye have so long continued Mourn for your ignorance and now with all diligence seek for knowledge of the World of God and openly profess the Gospel which is the poweâ— of God whereof ye ought not to be ashamed Cease at the last from your old stubbornness and labour in the Vineyard with all meekness Cease from your cruelty against Christs Members and learn tâ— suffer for Christs sake if ye will be true Christians Banish all Idolatry and Popish Superstitioâ— from amongst you else can ye have no part iâ— Christs Kingdome no more then Christ can be partaker with Antichrist Pray to the Lord of Hosts and Armies to give you the courage strength and means The Lords Arm is not shortened now no more then of old Be strong therefore in the Lord for the defence of the Truth though all the World rise against it Now when the battel is fierce against the living God for dead idols against the Gospel of Christ for the inventions of Antichrist against Christ members for Popish ceremonies can any of you that will be accounted Gods Children still halt of both hands If you will maintain Gods truth in the Earth he will receive you as his Children into the Heavens if you confess his Christ before this wicked Generation Christ shall confess you before his Father in the Heavens in the presence of his Angels But if you persist stubbornly to banish Gods Word and his Son Christ in his Members forth of your Earthly Kingdomes how can ye look for any part in his Heavenly Kingdome Lo here is the choice of life and death of misery and wealth offered to you by Gods mercies and the means how you may win Gods favour opened whereby onely ye may prevail against your enemies God grant you hearts to answer as the people did to Ioshua offering the like choice God forbid say they that we should forsake God we will serve the Lord our God and obey his voice for he is our God And we your banâ—shed Brethren by the Power of God to provoke you forwards will thus pronounce with Ioshua That we and our Fâ—milies will serve the Lord God though all Nations run to Idols though all people do persecute us We know that Satan hath but a short time to rage and that Christ our Captain right speedily will crown his Souldiers to whom as he is the eternal God with his Father
pour upon the diligent hearers of his Word as was in David who desired being a King Rather to be a door-keeper in the House of God then to dwell in the tents of the ungodly lamenting nothing so much the injuries done to him by his Son Absalom which were not small as that he was deprived of the comfortable exercises in the Tabernacle of the Lord which then was in Sion Neither doth there appear in such persons that greedy desire whereof Isaiah makes mention which ought to be in the Professours of the Gospel who never would cease or rest till they should climb up to the Lords hill meaning the Church of Christ saying one to another Let us ascend to the hill of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach us his wayes and we shall walk in his footsteps for the Law shall come forth of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem Which zeal the Prophet doth not mention in vain but to shew what a thirst and earnest desire should be in true Christians and how the same appeareth in seeking and resorting to those places where it is set forth in greatest abundance and perfection as was after Christs Ascension in Ierusalem And as that zeal shewed them to be of Christ by the like must we be judged Christians also that if we flee for Christ the places whereunto we flee may bear witness for what cause we are fled Neither is it a sufficient excuse which many alledge that they believe to be saved by Christ that they have sufficient knowledge of their duty and the rest they can supply by their own diligence I dare say their faith is not so much but they had need to desire with the Apostles Lord encrease our fâ—ith And if they will so confess why do they forsake the chiefest means that God hath ordained which is the open Congregations of his people where his Word the fountain of Faith is most purely preached and where the godly Examples of others may be a sharper spur to prick them forward and as for the knowledge and diligence of such there may be no buckler to defend their doings for if they have those gifts whereof they boast where may they better bestow them then in the Church of God except they will say they are born to themselves and have the gifts of God which he would have common to others applied to their own private fancy which is to lap them up in a clout and not to put them forth to the vantage of the owner as did the unprofitable Servant and as do all they to whom God hath given either learning counsel or worldly substance who either for the strength of Cities pleasantness of the air traâ—fick or merchandize or for any other worldly respect or policy do absent themselves from the Congregation and company of their poor Brethren where Christ hath advanced his Standard and blown his Trumpet If God then give you not strength at the first to stand in his Profession to the death nor that you cannot be quiet in conscience abiding in your Countrey you see how his mercy hath given you liberty to kill and what places he hath appointed you to flee unto that is where you may do good to your selves and others where ye may be free from Superstition and Idolatry where your faith may be encreased and not diminished and your selves strengthened and confirmed and more strongly armed But if you in tarrying will neither stand manfully to Christ your Master but betray him doing as the Papists do nor yet with thanks use this remedy that God hath granted to our infirmity to resort to his Churches godlily instituted what answer shall ye be able to make to his Majesty when he shall call for an account of your doings How shall you avoid his wrathful indignation now ready to be poured upon his enemies For in taking part with their impiety you must be partakers of their Cup likewise Neither is this any new or hard Doctrine that may exceed your capacity but may rather be termed your A. B. C. and first Principles wherein none ought to be ignorant That if we will be Christs Scholars we must learn to bear his Cross and to follow him not to cast it off our shoulders with the enemies and run from him Be no more deceived in so plain a matter If the Lord be God follow him if Bâ—al be God go after him Let not the example of any lead you into errour for men are but mortal Trust in the Lord for he is a sure rock Trust not your own shifts for they will deceive you Mark the end of others and in time be warned These Lessons are hard to the flesh but eaâ—â—e to the spirit The way of the Lord is a strait path but most faithful sure and comfortable From Geneva this first of Ian. An. 1558. Goose. Iohn Goose burnt in England An. 1473. being prest by the Sheâ—â—ff of Lâ—ndon to recant and so deliver himself from death answered That for his Religion he was at a pass and neither could nor would recant the same When the Sheriff gave him some meat of which he did eat heartily he said to the standers by I eat now a good and competent Dinner for I shall pass a sharp shower before I go to Supper Gordius When a solemn Feast was celebrated in Caesarea in honour to Mars Gordius a Citizen thereof who had been a Centurion and had chosen exile for sometime in the heat of Persecution left the Desert wherein he lived in exile and got him up into the chief place of the Theater and with a loud voice cried out Behold I am found of them that sought me not and to those that asked not for me have I openly appeared The Sheriff asking him who he was from whence he came and for what he came thither I am come said he to publish that I set nothing by your desires against the Christian Religion but that I profess Jesus Christ to be my hope and safety The Sheriff threatning him with all kind of torments It would be to me a damage said he if I should not endure divers torments for Christs Cause When he was tormented he lifted up his eyes to Heaven saying The Lord is my helper I will not fear the thing that man can do unto me I will learn no evil for thou Lord art with me He blamed the Tormentors if they favoured him at all The Sheriff promising great things if he would deny Christ It lieth not in you said he to place any in Authority which be worthy to have a place in Heaven When he was led out of the City to be burnt many with tears beg'd him to save himself but he said Weep not I beseech you for me but rather for those that bring us to the fire and thereby purchase Hell fire to themselves Truly I am ready for the Name of Christ to suffer
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
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
be not lost Of adversity judge the same Imprisonment is painful but yet liberty upon evil conditions is more painful The Prisons stink but yet not so much as sweet Houses where the fear and true honour of God is lacking I must be alone and solitary It is better to be so and have God with me then to be in company with the wicked Loss of Goods is great but loss of Gods grace and favour is greater I am a poor simple creature and cannot tell how to answer before such a great sort of noble learned and wise men It is better to make answer before the pomp and pride of wicked men then to stand naked in the light of all Heaven and Earth before the just God at the later day I shall die then by the hands of the cruel man He is blessed that loseth his life full of miseries and findeth the life of eternal joyes It is pain and grief to depart from Goods and Friends but yet not so much as to depart from grace and Heaven it self Wherefore there is neither felicity nor adversity of this world that can appear to be great if it be weighed with the joyes or pains in the world to come I can do no more but pray for you do the same for me for Gods sake For my part I thank the heavenly Father I have made mine accounts and appointed my self unto the will of the heavenly Father as he will so I will by his grace I am a precious jewel now and daintily kept never so daintily for neither mine own man nor any of the Servants of the House may come to me but my Keeper alone Ian. 21. 1555. In another Letter The grace mercy and peace of God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ be with you my dear Brethren and with all those that unfeignedly love and embrace his holy Gospel Amen We must give God thanks for the Truth he hath opened c. and pray unto him that we deny it not nor dishonour it with idolatry but that we may have strength and patience rather to die ten times then to deny him once Blessed shall we be if ever God make us worthy of that honour to shed our blood for his Names sake and blessed then shall we think those Parents which brought us into this world that we should be carried from this mortality into immortality If we follow the command of Paul that saith If ye be risen with Christ sâ—ek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God we shall neither depart from the vain transiâ—ory goods of this world nor from this wretched and mortal life with so great pains as others do There is no better way to be used in this troublesome time for your consolation then many times to have Assemblies together of such men and women as be of your Religion in Christ and there to take and renew among your selves the truth of your Religion to see what ye be by the Word of God and to remember what ye were before ye came to the knowledge thereof to weigh and confer the dreams and false lyes of the Preachers that now preach with the Word of God that retaineth all truth and by such talk and familiar resorting together ye shall the better find out all their lyes that now go about to deceive you and also both know and love the Truth that God hath opened to us It is much requisite that the Members of Christ comfort one another make prayers together confer one with another so shall ye be stronger and Gods Spirit shall not be absent from you but in the midst of you to teach you to comfort you to make you wise in all godly things patient in adversity and strong in persecution Ye see how the Congregation of the wicked by helping one another make their wicked Religion and themselves strong against Gods Truth and his people Ye may perceive bâ—â— the life of our fore-fathers that Christs words In the world ye shall have trouble Hâ— that will live godly in Christ must suffer persecution be true for none of all his before our time escaped trouble then shall ye perceive that it is but a folly for one that professeth Christ truly to look for the love of the world Ye be no better then your fore-fathers Be glad that ye may be counted worthy Souldiers for this War and pray to God when ye come together that he will use and order you and your doings 1 That ye glorifie God 2 That ye edifie the Church and Congregation 3 That ye profit your own souls In all your doings beware ye be not deceived for although this time be not yet so bloody and tyrannous as the time of our fore-fathers that could not bear the Name of Christ without danger of life and goods yet is our time more perillous for soul and body Therefore of us Christ said Think ye when the Son of man cometh he shall find faith upon the earth He speaks not of being christened and in name a Christian but of saving Faith and doubtless the scarcity of Faith is now more and will I fear increase then it was in the time of the greatest Tyrants that ever were In Rev. 6. ye may perceive that at the opening of the fourth Seal came out a pale Horse and he that sate upon him was called Death and Hell followed him This Horse is the time when Hypocrites and Dissemblers entred into the Church under pretence of the true Religion c. that have killed more souls with heresie and superstition then all the Tyrants that ever killed bodies by fire sword or banishment c. and all souls that trust to these Hypocrites live to the Devil in everlasting pain as is declared by Hells following the pale Horse These pale Hypocrites have stirred up Earthquakes i. e. the Princes of the world against Christs Church They have darkned the Sun and made the Moon bloody and have caused the Stars to fall from Heaven i. e. they have darkned with mists and daily darken the Sun of Gods Word imprisoned and chained and butchered Gods true Preachers which fetch only light at the Sun of Gods Word that their light cannot shine unto the world as they would Whereupon it comes to pass that many Christians fall from Gods true Word to hypocrisie most devillish superstition and idolatry In his Letter to Bishop Farrar Doctor Tailor Mr. Bradford and Mr. Philpot Prisoners in the Kings Bench in Southwark I am advertised that we shall be carried shortly to Cambride there to dispute for the Faith and for the Religion of Christ which is most true that we have and do profess I am as I doubt not ye be in Christ ready not onely to go to Camâ—ridge but also to suffer by Gods help death it self in the maintenance thereof I write this to comfort you in the Lord that the time draweth near and is at hand that we shall
that you be cursed by the sentence of the Catholick Church with such like terrours that pray to God and follow the Star of his Word and you shall arrive at the Port of Eternal Salvation by the merits onely of Jesus Christ. Hudson When Thomas Hudson of Ailesham in Norfolk saw the Constables come to his house to apprehend him he said Now mine hour is welcome friends welcome you be they that shall lead me to life in Christ. I thank God therefore and the Lord enable me thereto for his mercies sake for his desire was and he ever prayed if it were the Lords will that he might suffer for the Gospel of Christ. When Berry threatned him saying I will write to the Bishop my good Lord c. O Sir said he there is no Lord but God though there be many lords and many gods Wilt thou recant said Berry the Priest or no The Lord forbid said Hudson I had rather die many deaths then to do so When he came first to the Stake he was very sad not for his death but for lack of feeling his Christ and therefore came from his Fellow-sufferers under the Chain and fell down upon his knees and prayed and at last he rose with great joy as a man new changed even from death to life and said Now I thank God I am strong and pass not what man can do unto me Hullier Mr. Iohn Hullier Conduct in Kings Colledge at Cambridge suffered martyrdome at Cambridge April 2. A. 1556. In his Letter to the Christian Congegation It standeth now most in hand O dear Christians all them that look to be accounted of Christs flock at the great and terrible day when a separation shall be made c. faithfully in this time of great afflictions to hear our Master Christs voice the onely true Shepherd of our souls who saith Whosoevâ—r shall endure to the end shall be saved In this time we must needs either shew that we be his faithful Souldiers and continue in his battel to the end putting on the armour of God the buckler of Faith the breast-plate of Love the helmet of Hope and Salvation and the Sword of his holy Word with all instance of supplication and prayer or else if we do not work and labour with these we are Apostates and false Souldiers shrinking most unthankfully from our Gracious and Sovereign Lord and Captain Christ and leaning to Beliaâ— for he saith plainly Whosoever beareth not my Cross and followeth me cannot be my Disciple and No man can serve two Masters for either he must hate the one and love the other or else he shall lean to the one and despise the other Elias also said unto the people Why halt ye between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him or if Baal be he follow him If Christ be that onely good and true Shepherd that gave his life for us then let us that bear his mark and have our consciences sprinkled with his blood follow altogether for our salvation his heavenly voice and calling according to our profession and first promise If we shall not certainly say what we can though we bear the Name of Christ we are none of his Sheep indeed for he saith manifestly My sheep hear my voice and follow me A stranger they will not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of a stranger The craft and wiliness of our subtile enemy is manifold and divers and full of close windings At this present day if he cannot induce one throughly as others do to savour his devillish Religion and of good will and free heart to help to uphold the same yet he will inveigle him to resort to his wicked and whorish School-house and to keep company with his Congregation there and to hold his peace and say nothing whatsoever he think c. by that subtile means flattering him that he shall both save his life and also his goods and live in quiet But if we look well on Christs holy Will and Testament we shall perceive that he came not to make any such peace upon Earth nor that he gave any such peace to his Disciples I leave peace with you saith he my peace I give you not as the world giveth it give I unto you Let not your heart be troubled and fearful These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye should have peace in the world ye shall have affliction but be of good cheer I have overcome the world The Servant is not greater then his Lord and Master if they have persecuted me they shall also persecute you If any man come to me and hateth not his father and mother c. yea and moreover his own life it is not possible for him to be my Disciple Blessed be ye that now weep for ye shall laugh and woe be unto you that now laugh for ye shall mourn and weep He that will find his life shall lose it Therefore the God of that true peace and comfort preserve us that we never obey such a false Flatterer who at length will pay us home once for all bringing for temporal peace and quietness everlasting trouble c. for these vain and transitory goods extream loss of the eternal treasure and inheritance for this mortal life deprivation of the most joyful life immortal and endless death most miserable c. I judge it better to go to School with our Master Christ and to be under his Ferula and Rod although it seems sharp and grievous for a time that at length we may be inheriters with him of everlasting joy rather then to keep company with the Devils Scholars the adulterous generation in his School that is all full of pleasure for a while and at the end to be payed with the wages of continual burning in the most horrible Lake which burneth evermore with fire and brimstone c. What doth he else I pray you that resorteth to the Ministration and Service that is most repugnant to Christs holy Testament there keeping still silence and nothing reproving the same but in the face of the world by his very deed it self declare himself to be of a false fearful dissembling feigned and unfaithful heart discouraging as much as lies in him all the residues of Christs Host and giving a manifest offence unto the weak and also confirming encouraging and rejoycing the hearts of the adversaries in all their evil doing by which he sheweth himself neither to love God whom he seeth to be dishonoured and blasphemed of an Antichristian Minister nor yet his Neighbour before whom he should rebuke the evil according to the command Thou shalt not hate thy Neighbour but reprove him c. But God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and love Be not ashamed to testifie our Lord but suffer adversity with the Gospel through the power of God c. Fear not them that
you must prove that God hath commanded them else they are sin for whatsoever is not of faith is sin S. Will ye bind us so strait that we may do nothing without the express Word of God What if I ask drink think ye that I sin and yet I have not Gods Word for me K. I would ye should not jest in so grave a matter neither would I that you should begin to hide the truth with Sophistry As to your drinking I say that if ye either eat or drink without assurance of Gods Word in so doing you displease God by sinning against him for the creatures are sanctified by the Word and Prayer The Word is this all things are clean to the clean But the Question is not of meat or drink wherein the Kingdome of God consisteth not but of Gods true Worshipping without which we can have no society with God and here it is doubted if we may take the same liberty in using of Christs Sacraments that we may do in eating and drinking Moses saith All that the Lord thy God commandeth thee to do that do thou to the Lord thy God adde nothing to it diminish nothing from it By these Rules I think the Church of Christ will measure Gods Religion and not by that which seems good in their own eyes S. Pardon me I spake it because I was dry Frier follow the Argument F. I will prove that those Ceremonies ye damn are ordained by God for the Ceremonies of the Church are the gold silver and precious stones which do abide the fire and consume not away c. K. I praise God through Christ I find his Word true Christ bids us not fear when we shall be called before men to give Confession of his truth For it shall be given in that hour what we shall speak If I had sought the whole Scriptures I could not have produced a place more potent to confound you I would learn of you what fire it is that your Ceremonies do abide and in the mean give you this Argument from the same Text against you That which can abide the fire can abide the Word but your Ceremonies cannot abide the Word therefore they cannot abide the fire then are they not gold silver and precious stones F. I deny your Mâ—nor viz. That our Ceremonies may not abide the trial of Gods Word K. I prove That abides not the trial of Gods Word which Gods Word condemns but Gods Word condemns your Ceremonies therefore they do not abide the trial thereof but as a Thieâ— abides the trial of the Inquest and thereby is condemned to be hanged c. The Minor is evident for the plain and strait Commandement is Not thâ—â— thing that appears good in thine eyes shalt thou do to the Lord thy God but what the Lord thy God hath commanded thee that do thou adde nothing to it diminish nothing from it Now unless ye be able to prove that God hath commanded your Ceremonies this Command will damn both you and them The Frier would not answer directly but ever fled to the Authority of the Church Whereto Mr. Knox answered oftner then once That the Spouse of Christ had neither Power nor Authority against the Word of God Then said the Frier you will leave us no Church Indeed said Mr. Knox in David I read that there is a Church of Malignants that Church ye may have without the Word c. but as for me I will be of none other Church except of that which hath Jesus Christ to be Pastour which hears his voice and will not hear a stranger Upon the appearance of one and twenty French Gallies in the sight of the Castle the Castle was demanded to be delivered and the Governour refusing it was besieged by Sea and Land the Plague being within Mr. Knox ever told them within That their corrupt life having fallen into all kind of licentiousness puft up with pride of their success and relying on England for help in case of need could not escape the punishment of God When they triumphed of their Victory he lamented and said They saw not what he saw When they bragged of the force and thickness of their Walls he said They should be but Egge-shells When they vaunted England will rescue us he said Ye shall not see them but ye shall be delivered into your enemies hands and shall be carried into a strange Countrey The last of Iuly the Castle was delivered upon Articles That the lives of all in the Castle should be saved and safely transported into France c. In France the principal that looked for freedome were put into several Prisons and the rest were left in the Gallies and miserably used among which Mr. Knox was all the Winter When Mr. Iames Balfour afterwards Sir Iames Balfour and an Apostate would ask Mr. Knox if he thought that ever they should be delivered his Answer ever was That God would deliver them from that bondage to his glory even in this life When the Gallies returned to Scotland within sight of St. Andrews Mr. Iames willed Mr. Knox who was then extremely sick that few hoped his life to look to the Land and asked if he knew it He answered Yes I know it well for I see the Steeple of that place where God in publick opened my mouth to his glory and I am fully perswaded how weak soever I now appear that I shall not depart this life till that my tongue shall glorifie his holy Name in the same place This he spake many years before he sate foot on Scottish ground In answer to a Letter from those that were imprisoned in Mount Michel Mr. Knox writes That if without the blood of any shed or spilt by them for their deliverance they might set themselves at liberty they might safely do it But to shed any mans blood for their freedome thereto would he never consent Adding farther that he was assured that God would deliver them and the rest of that company even in the eyes of the world but not by such means they looked for that the praise of their deliverance should redound to his glory onely He willed therefore every one to take the occasion that God offered to them provided that they did nothing against Gods command for deliverance Adding that in one instant God delivered the whole company into the hands of unfaithful men but so would he not relieve them but some would he deliver by one means and at one time and others must abide for a season upon his good pleasure When Mr. Knox was delivered he came into England and was Preacher to Barwick then to Newcastle then to London c. But before he was delivered whilst in the Gallies he wrote a Treatise containing the Summe of his Doctrine and the Confession of his Faith and sent it to his Familiars in Scotland with his Exhortation that they should continue in the truth which they had professed notwithstanding any
be denied being granted 1 That the most ancient Councils â—ighest to the Primitive Church in which the learned and godly Fathers examined all matters by Gods Word may be holden of most authority 2 That no determination of Councils or man be admitted against the plain verity of Gods Word nor against the determination of those four chief Councils c. 3 That to no Doctor be given greater authority then Augustine required to be given to his Writings viz. If he plainly prove not his affirmation by Gods infallible Word that then his Sentence be rejected and imputed to the errour of a man To the Commonalty of Scotland I am most assuredly perswaded that whatsoever is used in the Papistical Church is altogether repugnant to Christs blessed Ordinance and is nothing but mortal venome of which whosoever drinketh therewith he drinketh death and damnation except by true conversion unto God he be purged from the same It will be said That it is unreasonable that ye should call your Religion in doubt which hath been approved and established by so long continuance and by the consent of so many men before you But I shortly answer That neither is the long continuance of time neither the multitude of men a sufficient approbation which God will allow for our Religion For as some of the Ancients witness neither can long process of time justifie an errour nor can the multitude of such as follow it change the nature of the same but if it was an errour in the beginning so it is in the end and the longer that it be followed and the more that do receive it it is the more pestilent and the more to be avoided If Antiquity or Multitude of men could justifie any Religion then was the idolatry of the Gentiles and now is the abomination of the Turks good Religion for antiquity approved the one and a multitude have received and do defend the other But otherwise to answer Godlâ— men may wonder from what Fountain such a Sentence doth flow that no man ought to try his Faith and Religion by Gods Word but he may safely believe and follow every thing which Antiquity and Multitude have approved The Spirit of God doth otherwise teach us Search the Scriptures c. The Bareans are commended for trying the Apostles Doctrine by Gods plain Scriptures Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits c. Whoso doth evil hateth the light neither will he come to the light lest that his works be manifested and rebuked Truth being of the nature of fine purified Gold doth not fear the trial of the Furnace but the stubble and chaffe of mens inventions such is their Religion may not abide the flame of the fire Seeing Religion is to man as the stomack to the body which if it be corrupted doth infect all the members it is necessary that the same be examined and if it be found replenished with pestilent humours I mean with the fancies of men then of necessity it is that those be purged else shall your bodies and souls perish for ever A corrupt Religion defileth the whole life of man appear it never so holy Neither would I that ye should esteem the reformation and care of Religion less to appertain to you because you are no Kings Rulers Iudges Nobles nor in Authority To believe and receive the Gospel the Commonalty are no less bound then be their Rulers and Princes As your bodies cannot escape corporal death if with your Princes ye eat re drink deadly poyson although it be by ignorance or negligence so shall ye not escape the everlasting if with them ye proâ—ess a corrupt Religion As the just liveth by his own faith so doth the unfaithful perish by his own infidelity If ye look for the life everlasting you must try if ye stand in the faith and if ye would be assured of a true and lively faith you must needs have Christ truly preached unto you When the Tabernacle was built and set in order God provided how it and the things pertaining to the same should be sustained so that they should not fall in decay and this provision albeit Heaven and Earth obey his Empire would he not take from the secret and hid treasures which lie dispersed in the veins of the Earth neither yet would he take it onely from the rich and potent of the people but the rich should give no more for that use then the poor nor the poor less then the rich If this equality was commanded by God for the maintenance of that transitory Tabernacle which was but a shadow of a better to come is not the same required of us who have the Verity which is Christ Jesus He being clad in our nature is Immanuel i. e. God with us And for the more assurance of his promise of being with us c. he hath erected among us the signs of his own presence with us the true preaching of his Word and right administration of the Sacraments his spiritual Tabernacle to the maintenance whereof is no less bound the Subject then the Prince the poor then the rich As the one is obliged to believe in heart and with mouth to confess the Lord Iesus so also is the other The poorest that in the dayes of this cruel persecution believeth in Christ and boldly doth confess him before this wicked generation is no less acceptable before God then is the King that by his Sword and Power rooteth out Idolatry and so advanceth Christs Glory From Geneva Iuly 4. 1558. Afterwards Mr. Knox called back again into Scotland by some Lords c. but a stop being for a while put upon his return he writ from Diep Octob. 27. 1557. having left Geneva In his Letter If any perswade you for fear of dangers that may follow to faint in your former purpose let him be judged of you both foolish and your mortal enemy foolish because he understood nothing of Gods approved wisdome and enemy unto you because he laboured to separate you from Gods favour provoking his vengeance and grievous plagues against you because he would that you should prefer your worldly rest to Gods praise and glory and the friendship of the wicked to the salvation of your Brethren I am not ignorant that fearful troubles shall ensue your enterprise But O joyful and comfortable are the troubles and adversities which man sustaineth for accomplishment of Gods Will revealed by his Word How terrible soever they appear to the judgement of the natural man yet are they never able to devour nor utterly to consume the Sufferers for the invisible and invincible power of God sustaineth and preserveth according to his promise all such as with simplicity do obey him When the Bishop of Saint Andrews threatned Mr. Knox that if he preached there as he intended he should be assaulted with a dozen of Culverings Being demanded his judgement whether his preaching should not be delayed answered God is
not suffer him to do by strength by crafty deceit making the Prince party c. After a long conference between the Queen and Mr. Knox the Secretary told him He might return to his house for that night I thank God and the Queens Majesty said he and Madam I pray God to purge your heart from Papistry and to preserve you from the counsel of â—latterers for how pleasant soever they appear to your ear and corrupt affections for the time experience hath taught us in what perplexity they have brought famous Princes After he was gone the Nobility in the presence of the Queen absolved Mr. Knox. In his Prayer for the Queen O Lord if thy good pleasure be purge the heart of the Queen Majesty from the venome of Idolatry and deliver her from the thraldome and bondage of Satan into the which she hath been brought up and yet remains for the lack of true Doctrine and let her see by the illumination of thy Spirit that there is no means to please thee but by Jesus Christ thy onely Son and that Jesus Christ cannot be found but in thy holy Word nor yet received but as it prescribes which is to renounce our own wisdome and preconceived opinion and worship thee as it commands that in so doing she may avoid the eternal damnation which is ordained for all obstinate impenitenâ—s and that this poor Realm may also escape that plague and vengeance which inevitably followeth Idolatry maintained against the manifest Word and the light thereof Secretary Lethington was offended at two things therein 1 Because he prayed for the Queen conditionally If it be thy good pleasure c. Where have ye an example of such a Prayer Mr. Knox answered Wheresoever the examples are I am sure of the Rule which is this If we shall ask any thing according to his Will he shall grant us I have learned to pray in faith now faith you know depends upon the Word of God and so it is that the Word of God teacheth me that Prayer profiteth the Sons and Daughters of Gods Election Besides did not the Apostles pray as they commanded others to pray Now Peter commanded Simon Magus to pray conditionally If it be pâ—ssible c. 2 Where find ye that the Scriptures call any the Bond-slaves of Satan said the Secretary or that the Prophets of God spake of Kings and Princes so irreverently The Scripture saith said Mr. Knox that by nature we are all the children of wrath and our Master Christ affirms That such as do sin are servants to sin c. Behold I send thee saith Christ to Paul to the Gentiles to turn them from the power of Satan unto God Kings and Queens are not excepted but all unfaithfull are pronounced to stand in one rank and to be in bondage to one Tyrant the Devil Elisha was a Subject in the Kingdome of Israel and yet how little reverence did he give to the King he feared not to say to King Iehoram What have I to do with thee c. As the Lord of Hosts liveth in whose sight I stand if it were not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah I would not have looked toward thee c. Lethington telling him That we are not bound to follow extraordinary examples unless we have the like command c. I grant said Mr. Knox if the example repugne the Law as if a covetous man should borrow silver raiment c. from his neighbour and withhold the same alledging the example of the Israelites in Egypt c. But where the example agrees with the Law c. it stands to us in place of a Commandement for as God in his Nature is constant and immutable so cannot he condemn in the ages subsequent that which he hath approved in his Servants before us Lethington telling him That prosperity doth not alwaies prove that God approves the facts of men Yes said he when the facts of men agree with the Law of God and are rewarded according to his own promise expressed in his Law the prosperity that succeeds them is a most infallible assurance that God hath approved them Upon the nineteenth of August An. 1565. a little while after the Queen was married to the Lord Darley who to please the Protestants came to Church Mr Knox preached upon Isa. 26.13 14 15 16 c. wherein he said That God sets in Government for the offences and ingratitude of the people Boyes and Women and that God justly punished Ahab and his posterity because lie would not take order with that harlot Iezabel for which Sermon he was called in question and in answering said more then he had preached for he added That as the King had to please the Queen gone to Mass and dishonoured the Lord God so should God in his Justice make her an instrument of his ruine and so it fell out in a very short time But the Queen being incensed at these words to please her he was forbid to preach for a time This Sermon he took care to have it printed to make known to the world what ground there was to deal so with him as he tells us In his Epistle to the Reader I dare not deny least that in so doing I should be injurious to the Giver but that God hath revealed to me secrets unknown to the world and also that he hath made my tongue a Trumpet to forewarn Realms and Nations yea certain great revelations of mutations and changes when no such things were feared nor yet was appearing A portion whereof cannot the world deny be it never so blind to be fulfilled and the rest alas I fear shall follow with greater hast and in more full perfection then my sorrowfull heart desireth Notwithstanding these revelations and assurances I did ever abstain to commit any thing to writing contented onely to have obeyed the charge of him who commanded me to cry If any then will ask to what purpose this onely Sermon is set forth and greater matters omitted I answer To let such as Satan hath not altogether blinded see upon how small occasions great offence is now conceived For this Sermon from my Bed I was called before the Council and after long reasoning I was by some forbidden to preach in Edinburg so long as the King and Queen were in Town The Sermon he writ for the Press the last day of August 1565. when the Castle of Edinburg was shooting against the Exiled for Christs sake and therefore he concluded thus Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit for the terrible roaring of Guns and the noise of Armour do so pierce my heart that my soul thirsteth to depart Be merciful to thy flock O Lord and at thy good pleasure put an end to my misery The next Sabbath after the Earl of Murray was slain a Note was sent to Mr. Knox among the Papers wherein were written the names of those that desired
age and by the same Spirit he did so evidently foreshew and prophesie of all those plagues which aâ—terward ensued that if England ever had a Prophet he was one As touching himself he ever affirmed That the preaching of the Gospel would cost him his liâ—e to the which he no less chearfully prepared himself then certainly was perswaded that Winchâ—ster was kept in the Tower for that purpose as the event did too truly prove the same It may be queried Seeing that Latimer was outed of his Bishoprick in the dayes of King Henry the Eighth on the account of the sixth Article why was he not restored to the same under King Edward the Sixth especiall seeing Heath his Successour was legally deprived and the place actually void whereas on the contrary Hugh Latimer continued Hugh Latimer without any addition of preferment A late Ecclesiastical Historian answers It was not for want of any favour from the King c. nor because his down-right Sermons disobliged the Courtiers who generally delight in soft Preaching as in soft Clothing nor out of sullenness because he would not be bedded again with that wife which though unwillingly had in his absence embraced another c. But we impute it either to his conscience oft-times sharpest in the bluntest men because he would not be built on the ruines of another especially knowing Heath one of a meek and moderate nature or to his age who Barzillai like was superannuated for earthly honour c. Or because he found himself not fit for Government better for Preaching then Ordering Ecclesiâ—stical Affairs Or lastly because he prophetically foresaw that the ingratitude of the English Nation would shorten their happiness and King Edward's life and he was loth to come into a place onely to go out thereof Sure I am it was a loud lye which Parsons tells That Latimer was kept bare He kept himself bare living not in the want but neglect yea contempt of all worldly wealth though he was the Corban or Treasury into which restored-ill-gotten-goods were cast to be bestowed on the poor according to his discretion At the coming of Queen Mary by the means no doubt of Winchester a Pursevant was sent down to cite him to appear at London of which Iohn Carles gave him notice six hours before yet he would not escape but prepared himself for his journey before the said Messenger came to his house at which the Pursevant wondred thereupon he said unto him My Friend you be a welcome Messenger to me And be it known unto you and to all the world that I go as willingly to London at this present being called by my Prince to render an account of my Doctrine as ever I was at any place in the world I doubt not but that God as he hath made me worthy to preach his Word before two excellent Princes so will he enable me to witness the same unto the third either to her comfort or discomfort eternally c. As he came up to London through Smithfield without the Pursevant for he having delivered his Letters departed affirming that he had command not to tarry for him whereby it is evident they would have had him fled out of the Realm he said merrily That Smithfield had long groaned for him In the Tower being kept without fire in the frosty weather he bade the Lieutenant's man tell his Master That if he did not look better to him perhaps he would deceive him The Lieutenant charging him with these words His Answer was I did indeed say so for you look I think that I should burn but except you let me have some fire I am like to deceive your expectation for I am like here to starve for cold From the Tower he was transported to Oxford with Archbishop Cranmer and Bishop Ridley to dispute with the learned Men of both Universities about the Presence Substance and Sacrifice of the Sacrament When he was brought before the Commissioners and appointed to dispute he alledged age sickness disuse and lack of Books saying That he was almost as meet to dispute as to be a Captain of Calice but he would he said declare his mind either by writing or word and would stand to all that they could lay upon his back complaining That he was permitted to have neither Pen nor Ink nor any Book but onely the New Testament then in his hand which he said he had read over seven times deliberately and yet could not find the Mass in it neither the Marrow-bones nor the sinewes of the same When he was brought to dispute in the Close of his Protestation which he delivered to Dr. Weston in writing saying Let me here protest my Faith for I am not able to dispute and afterwards do your pleasure with me He hath these words O Sir you may chance to live till you come to this age and weakness that I am of I have spoken in my time before two Kings more then once two or three hours together without interruption but now I could not be suffered to declare my mind before you no not by the space of a Quarter of an hour without snatchings revilings checks rebukes and taunts I pray God give you grace ever well to use your gifts and ever to remember That he that dwelleth on High looketh on the low things on the earth and that there is no counsel against the Lord and also that this World hath been and yet is a tottering World and that though we must obey Princes yet in the Lord for who so doth obey them against the Lord they be most pernicious to them and the greatest adversaries that they have for they so procure Gods vengeance on them if God be onely the Ruler of things I would as fain obey my Sovereign as any in this Realm but in these things I can never do it with an upright conscience God be mercifull to us Amen Then said Westâ—n you refuse to dispute will you here then subscribe No good Master said Mr. Latimer I pray be good to an old man you may if it please God be once as old as I am you may come to this age and to this debility Dr. Cartwright telling him That he was of his opinion but he was sorry for it and desired he might repent also Will you give me leave said Mr. Latimer to tell what hath caused Mr. Doctor here to recant It is Poena Legis the Pain of the Law hath brought you back and converted you and many more the which letteth many to confess God And this is a great Argument There are few here that can dissolve it Smith telling him He was not of Chrysostome's and St. Austine's Faith I am said he of their Faith when they say well and bring Scripture for them and farther Austine requireth not to be believed Weston telling him He could not have found his Doctrine forty years agone The more cause said he have we to thank God that hath now sent the
works Truly having beheld these terrible dayes of anger I desire nothing more then that my head were a fountain of water that I may weep for that late devastation of souls which the Kingdome of Sin and Perdition wrought The Roman Monster sits in the midst of the Church and boasts of his Deity the Pontificials flatter him the Sophisters obey him and the Hypocrites will do any thing for him In the mean time Hell enlargeth her bosome and openeth her mouth beyond measure and Satan sports in the ruining of Souls Pray to God for me that I may be delivered from wicked and unbelieving men in this Babylon and that my mouth may be opened to the praise of the glory of the grace of the Gospel of his Son Be of good courage and fear not this Baal-phogor seeing he is scarce Baal-zebub a Fly if yet we believe seeing Jesus Christ is God blessed for ever From the place of my Exile June 8. 1521. When he had safe conduct from the Emperour Charles the Fifth to come to and return from Wormes dated March 6. 1521. he took his Journey thither and though his Friends informed him in a Town near Wormes that his Books were before his coming condemned in publick Proclamations and therefore that it was dangerous for him to go notwithstanding the Emparours promise yet having heard all they could say he told them As for me since I am sent for I am resolved and certainly determined to enter the City in the name of our Lord Christ Iesus yea although I knew that there were so many Devils to resist me as there are Tiles to cover all the Houses in the whole World c. At his first appearance before the Emperour two things were demanded of him Whether those Books there present were his and whether he would recant their Contents or edhere thereunto He granted the former but as to the later Forasmuch said he as the question concerneth Faith and the salvation of Souls and because it concerns the Word of God then which nothing is of greater account as well in Heaven as on Earth and which all ought duly to rererence it will be rash and dangerous to pronounce any thing before I be well advised seeing through unadvisedness I may speak less then the business requires and more then truth both which call to mind that of Christ Whosoever shall deny me before men him will I deny before my Father in Heaven I therefore humbly beseech the Imperial Majesty to grant me time to deliberate so that I may satisfie the Question without any prejudice to the Word of God and peril of my own soul. Whereupon a days time was granted him It is observable that as he was going to appear and whilst he was in that Assembly of Princes Luther was exhorted by some present to be couragious and to play the man and not to fear that onely can kill the body c. and also when thou art before Kings think not what thou shalt speak for it shall be given to you in that hour When he appeared the next time he answered thus Most Serene Emperour and your most Illustrious Princes and most merciful Lords I appear before you here at the hour prescribed unto me yesterday in obedience to your Command humbly beseeching for Gods mercy that your renowned Majesty and your most Illustrious Honours would be pleased benignly to hear this Cause which is I hope the Cause of Righteousness and Truth As for my self I can affirm nothing but this That I have taught and writ hitherto in singleness of heart what I thought tended onely to Gods glory and the sincere instruction of Christs faithful Ones As for the second Question I beseech your most Excellent Majesty and your Honours to observe that all my Books are not of one sort There be some in which I have so Sincerely and Evangelically handled the Religion that consists in Faith and Observance that my very Enemies are forced to be harmless profitable and worthy to be read of Christians If I should revoke these what shall I do Even I alone of all men repugning the unanimous confession of all shall condemn that Truth which both Friends and Foes confess Another sort of my Books inveigheth against the Papacy and the Doctrine of the Papists as those who by their Doctrines and most wicked Examples have corrupted the whole state of Christianity in soul and body for none can deny nor hide it seeing the experience and sad complaints of all are witnesses that the Consciences of the Faithful are most miserably insnared vexed and tortured by the Popes Laws and the Doctrines of men and that the substance especially of this famous Germany hath been and is yet most tyrannically and by unworthy means devoured When as they themselves by their Laws provide as in Dist. 9. 25. q. 1. 2. that the Popes Laws and Doctrines that are contrary to the Scripture and the Sentiments of the Fathers should be reprobated for erroneous If therefore I should revoke these I shall strengthen Tyranny and open not onely Windows but Doors and wide Gates to so great wickedness which is like to extend farther and with greater licentiousnesses then ever it durst heretofore and by the testimony of this my retractation their most licentious Kingdome of Wickedness and lest subject to punishment most intollerable to the miserable common people will yet be more confirmed and established especially if this be bruited that I have done this by the Authority of your most Excellent Majesty and the whole Râ—man Empire Good Lord What a Cloak shall I be to their Wickedness and Tyranny The third sort is of such as I have writ against some particular persons such who have laboured all that ever they could to maintain the Romish Tyranny and to demolish the Religion which I have taught I confess I have been more bitter against these then became my Religion and Profession Neither do I make my self a Saint nor do I dispute concerning my Life but concerning the Dâ—ctrine of Christ. It is notwithstanding unsafe for me to revoke these for this Recantation will occasion Tyranny and Wickedness to reign again more ragingly over Gods people then ever Yet seeing I am a man and not God I can no otherwise defend my Books then Iesus Christ himself my Lord defended his Doctrine who being examined about his Doctrine before Annas and cufft by a Servant said If I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil If the Lord himself who knew he could not erre did not refuse to have testimony given against his Doctrine even by a most vile Servant how much more then should I that am but vile corruption and can of my self do nothing but erre desire and expect the testimony of any against my Doctrine Therefore I beseech for Gods mercy your most Excellent Majesty and your most Illustrious Honours or any other of high or low degree to give in his testimony to convict my Errours
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
for one of those precious Chains about his neck in honour of his Lord. Why I pray you said he do you deny me the badge of so excellent an Order Is not my Cause the same with theirs Marsh. Mr. George Marsh Minister in Lancashire writes thus concerning his Troubles My Friends and Relations advised me to flee If I were taken said they and would not recant as they thought I would not and God strengthning and assisting me never shall it would not onely put them to great sorrow and losses and shame but also my self after troubles and painful imprisonment unto shameful death To their counsel my weak flesh would gladly have consented but my spirit did not fully agree thinking and saying thus unto my self That if I so fled away it would be thought and reported that I did not onely flee my Countrey and nearest and dearest Friends but from Christ holy Word of late years within my heart or at least with my life professed and with my mouâ—h taught I knew not what to do but ceased not by earnest prayer to ask and seek counsel of God aâ—â— of other my Friends whose godly judgement and knowledge I much trusted to Still I was undetermined what to do but told a Friend that had prayed with me for direction I doubted not but God according as our prayer and trust was would give me such wisdome and counsel as should be most to his honour and glory the profit of my Neighbours and Brethren and mine own eternal salvation by Christ in Heaven At length one came to me with Letters from a faithful Friend which I never read nor looked on who said thus My Friends advice was that I should in no wise flee but abide and boldly confess the Faith of Jesus Christ. At which words I was so confirmed and established in my Conscience that from thenceforth I consulted no more whether it were better to flee or to tarry but was at a point with my self that I would not flee but go to Mr. Barton who did seek me and patiently bear what cross it should please God to lay upon me Whereupow my mind and conscience being much troubled before was now merry and in quiet state Thereupon I went to Mr. Barton He shewed me a Letter from the Earl of Derby wherein he was commanded to send me to Lathum Thither I went The Earl asked me whether I was one that sowed dissention among the people I denied it and desired to know mine Accusers but that could not be granted He asked me whether I was a Priest I said No but a Minister c. I was asked whether I had ministred with a good Conscience I answered I had ministred one year with a good Conscience I thanked God and if the Laws of the Realm would have suffered me I would have ministred still and if the Laws at any time hereafter would suffer me to minister after that sort I would minister again The Vicar of Prescot having communed with me a good while concerning the Sacrament of the Altar told my Lord and his Council that the answer which I had made before and then made was sufficient for a Beginner and one that did not profess a perfect Knowledge in that matter and thereupon I had more favour Hereupon I was much more troubled in my spirit then before because I had not with more boldness confessed Christ but in such sort as mine Adversaries thereby thought they should prevail against me Hitherto I went about as much as lay in me to rid my self out of their hands if by any means without open denying of Christ and his Word that could be done This considered I cried more earnestly to God to strengthen me with his holy Spirit with boldness to confess him and to deliver me from their enticing words and that I might not be spoiled through their Philosophy and deceitful vanity after the traditions of men and ordinances of the world and not after Christ. The Vicar of Prescot and Parson of Grapnal much exhorted me to leave mine Opinions saying I was much deceived understanding the Scriptures amiss and much counselled me to follow the Catholick Church of Christ and to do as others did I answered My faith in Christ conceived by his holy Word I neither might nor would deny alter or change for any living creature whatsoâ—vâ—r â—e were Afterwards Mr. Sherburn and Mr. Mâ—â—r perswaded me to leave mine Opinions because of the advâ—rsity of the Maintainers of them and the prosperity of the Favourers of the Religion now used I answered That I believed and leaned onely to the Scriptures not judging things by prosperity or adversity They advised me not to let shame hinder me from renouncing mine Opinions I answered That what I did I did not for the avoiding of any worldly shame saying My soul and life were dearer to me then the avoiding of any worldly shame neither yet did I it for any vain praise of the world but in the reverent fear of the Lord. Mr. Sherburn told me that it was great pity I should cast my self away c. I answered That my Life Mother Children Brethren Sisters and Friends with other Delights of this life were as dear and sweet to me as unto any other man and that I should be as loth to lose them as another would if I might hold them with a good conscience and without the ignominy of Christ. But seeing I could not do that my trust was that God would strengthen me with his holy Spirit to lose them all for his sake for I take my self said I for a Sheep appointed to be slain patiently to suffer what cross soever it shall please my merciful Father to lay upon me After this Mr. Moor told me I was unlearned and erred from the Catholick Faith stubborn and stood altogether in mine own conceit I answered For my learning I acknowledge my self to know nothing but Jesus Christ even him that was crucified and that my Faith was grounded on Gods holy Word onely and such as I doubted not pleased God and as I would stand in to the last God assisting me and that I did not say or do any thing of stubbornness self-wilfulness vain-glory or any other worldly purpose but with good conscience and in the fear of God Desiring him to speak to my Lord and his Council that I might find some mercy at their hands but he giving me but short answer then I said I commit my Cause to God who hath numbred the hairs of my head and appointed the dayes of my life saying I am sure God who is a Righteous Iudge would make inquisition for my blood according as he hath promised I desire the Reader of this Relation to pray for me and all them that be in bonds that God would assist us with his holy Spirit that we may with boldness confess his holy Name and that Christ may be magnified in our bodies that we may stand full and perfect
to die then to do any ungodliness 2 We must obey our Parents and be careful for our Houses that they be fed not onely with bodily food but much rather with spiritual food the Word of God 3 Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye likewise unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets 4 Pray for all Estates 5 After these works we must learn to know the Cross and 6 What affection and mind we must bear towards our enemies whatsoever they be to suffer all evils patiently to pray for them that persecute us And thus doing we shall obtain a certainty of our vocation that we be the elect Children of God And thus I commend you Brethren unto God and to the Word of his grace which is able to â—uild farther c beseeching you to help Mr. Saunders and me your late Pastors and all them that be in bonds for the Gospels sake with your Prayers to God for us that we may be delivered from unreasonable men c. and that this our imprisonment may be to the glory and profit of our Christian Brethren in this world and that Christ may be magnified in our bodies whether it be by death or life Amen The grace of our Lord be with you all The unprofitable Servant of Iesus Christ and now also his Prisoner G. M. Iune 28. 1555. Postscript Save your selves from this untoward generation Pray pray pray Never more need In his Letter to his Friends at Manchester These are earnestly to exhort you and beseech you in Christ as ye have received the Lord Iesus even so to walk rooted in him and not to be afraid of any terrour of your adversaries be they never so many and mighty and you on the other side never so few and weak for the battel is the Lords As I was with Moses so will I be with thee saith God and will never leave thee nor forsake thee Be strong and bold neither fear nor dread for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest Now if God be â—n our side who can be against us In this our spiritual warfare is no man overcome unless he traiterously leave and forsake his Captain or cowardly cast away his Weapons or willingly yield himself unto his Enemies or fearfully turn his back and flie Be strong therefore in the Lord and in the power of his might and put on all the armour of God that ye may be able to stand stedfâ—st against all the assaults of Satan If we submit our selves to God and his holy Word no man shall be able to hurt us God will deliver us from all troubles yea from death also till such time as we covet and desire to die as he did Paul c. Let us therefore run with patience unto the battel that is set before us and look unto Iesus the Captain and Finisher of our Faith and after his example for the rewards sake that is set out unto us patiently to bear the Cross and despise the shame All that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution Christ was no sooner Baptized and declared to the world to be the Son of God but Satan was by and by ready to tempt him which thing we must look for also yea the more we shall increase our faith and vertuous living the more strongly will Satan assault us whom we must learn after the example of Christ to fight against and overcome with the Holy and Sacred Scriptures c. and let the fasting of Christ when he was tempted in the Wilderness be an example unto us of our sober living not for the space of fourty dayes as the Papists do fondly fancy of their own brains but us long as we are in the Wilderness of this wretched life assaulted of Satan who like a roaring Lion c. It is the nature and property of the Devil alwayes to hurt and do mischief if God do not forbid Indeed if God will not permit him he cannot so much as enter into a filthy Hog c. Let us knowing Satans deceits and rankor walk the more warily and take unto us the shield of faith c. Let us fast and pray continually c. To fasting and prayer must be joyned mercy to the poor and needy c. Let us go boldly to the seat of grace where we shall be sure to find grace and mercy to help in time of need Wherefore my dear Brethren be ye fervent in the Law of God and jeopard ye your lives if need shall require for the testament of the Fathers and so shall ye receive great honour and an everlasting name Remember Abraham was not he found faithful in temptation and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness Ioseph in time of his trouble kept the Commandment and was made a Lord of Egypt Phineas was so fervent for the honour of God that he obtained the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood Ioshua for the fulfilling of the Word of God was made the Captain of Israel Caleb bare record before the Congregation and received an Inheritance David also in his merciful kindness obtained the Throne of an everlasting Kingdome Elias being zealous and fervent in the Law was taken up into Heaven The three Children remained stedfast in the Faith and were delivered out of the fire and Daniel from the mouth of the Lions Thus whoever put their trust in the Lord were not overcome Fear not ye then the words of ungodly men for their glory is but dung and worms to day they are set up and to morrow they are gone they are turned into earth and their memorial cometh to nought Wherefore let us take good hearts unto us and quit our selves like men in the Law c. Let us not faint because of affliction wherewith God trieth all them that are sealed to everlasting life c. Seeing we are in the narrow and strait way that leadeth unto the mâ—st joyful and pleasant City of everlasting life let us not stagger or turn back being afraid of the perilous way but follow our Captain Christ therein and be afraid no not of death it self Consider also the course of this world how many for their Master's sake or a little promotions sake will adventure their lives as commonly in Wars and yet is their reward but light and transitory and ours is unspeakably great and everlasting They suffer pains to be made Lords on Earth for a short season how much more ought we to endure it may be much less pains to be made Kings in Heaven for evermore Seeing Brethren it hath pleased God to set me and that worthy Minister of Christ Iohn Bradford your Countreyman in the forefront of this Battel where for the time is most danger I beseech you all in the bowels of Christ to help us and all our fellow Souldiers standing in like perilous place with your Prayers to God for us that we may quit our selves like men in the Lord and
whole truth of his Word after the Doctrine of Christs Gospel these are bid in the time of Antichrists reign to flie into the Mountains i. e. places of safeguard The wo that followeth signifieth that such are then in extreme danger who are letted by any means whatsoever so that they be no wayes able to flie from the plague and Christs bidding to pray that our flight be not in Winter nor on the Sabbath day bids us to pray that we may flie in time and far enough from the danger of the plague Rev. 18. The Angel cries mightily with a loud voice Fliâ— my people out of Babylon lest you be infected with her faults and so be made partakers of her plagues for her offences and sins are grown so great that they come to Heaven Certainly the time doth approach and the Lords day is at hand Paul also that blessed Apostle forbids us 2 Cor. 6. to joyn our selves with the unfaithfull c. This counsel to depart the Realm some good persons may think good others may think it may indeed by Gods Word be lawfully done but not to be counselled to be done for they will peradventure say We should counsel a man alwayes to do that which is best of all and of most perfection but boldly in Christs Cause to spend a mans life is best of all and of most perfection and to flee may smell of cowardliness whereas in many things that which is best for one at sometimes is not best for all at all times and it is not meet for a child to covet to run before he can go But every true Christian either Brother or Sister after they be be called and brought into the wrestling-place to strive in Christs Cause for the best game i. e. to confess the Truth of the Gospel in hope of everlasting life should not shrink nor relent one inch nor give back whatsoever shall befall but to stand to their tackle and stick by it even unto death as they will Christ shall stick by them at the later day Some may think they may stay and escape the danger notwithstanding by keeping their Faith and Religion close to themselves inwardly worshipping God in spirit and truth and outwardly not transgressing common order Whereas Gods Word requireth not onely the belief of the heart but the confession of the mouth forbids not onely the thing that is evil but to abstain from all appearance of evil and both consenters and doers are accounted guilty by Gods Word and we may not do evil that good may come thereof Thy heart thou sayest God shall have and yet will suffer thy body to do the thing that God abhors Take heed O man what thou sayest thou canst not deceive the heart-searcher To give God thy heart is to give him thy whole heart to love him to dread him and to trust in him above all other things and he loveth God that keeps his commands and to dread God above all other is rather willingly to incur the danger and perill of all fearfull things then wittingly to do what God forbids and to trust in him above all things is assuredly to trust to his promise of his reward and of his tuition and of his goodness and mercy and to prefer that above all things in the world seem they never so strong so wise or so good Now how canst thou say truly that God hath thus thy heart when thy deeds do declare far another thing Thy body O man is Gods and all the parts thereof even as thy soul is he made them both and Christ with his blood redemed them both and is Lord of both for he hath bought them both dearly and darest thou suffer any part of either of them to do service to Satan Surely in so doing thou committest sacriledge and dost rob God What is it to bear the mark of the Beast in the forehead and in the hand that St. Iohn speaketh of I suppose he bears the mark of the Beast in his forehead which is not ashamed of the Beasts wayes but will profess them openly and he beareth his mark in the hand that doth the works though he may be ashamed to own them It may be objected O Sir it is no small matter you speak of to depart from a mans own Native Countrey into a strange Realm Some have Lands and Possessions which they cannot carry with them Some have Father Mother Wife Children and Kinsfolk from whom to depart is as hard a thing and almost all one as to suffer death c. I grant here thou mayest heap a number of worldly in commodities which are very like to ensue the departure out of a mans own Countrey but what of all these and a thousand more of the like sort I will set against them all one saying of Christ which to the true Christian is able to countervail all these yea to weigh them down viz. If any man do come to me and do not hate Father and Mother he means and will not in his Cause forsake his Father and Mother c. he cannot be my Disciple It may further be objected Alas Sir I am an impotent man an aged man a sick man a lame man or I have so many small Infants a Wife which live by my labour if I leave them they will starve and I am not able to carry them with me such is my state what shall I do O lamentable state O sorrowfull heart that can neither depart nor without extreme perill is able to tarry still Of the state of such as are not able to flie the infection of the pestiferous plague of Antichrists abominations Christ lamenting not cursing saith Wo be to the great bellied and travelling women c. For these my heart mourneth the more the less I am able to give any comfortable counsel but this That alwayes as they look for everlasting life they abide still in the confession of his Truth whatsoever shall befall and for the rest to put their trust wholly in God who is able to save them against all appearance And commonly in extremities when all worldly comfort faileth and the danger is at highest then unto his he is wont after his accustomed mercy to be most ready to put his helping hand instance in Daniel the three Children Paul pluckt out of the mouth of the Lion in the Mount God raised up most of the Judges for the delivering of his people As to such instances it may be objected these were special miracles of God which now are ceased and to require them at Gods hands were it not to tempt God I grant such were great wonderfull works of God c. but Gods hand is as strong as ever it was and he is as good and as gracious as ever he was but in such as are put to death for his sake he doth more when in anguish of the torments he standeth by them and strengthneth them in their saith to suffer in confession of
examined before me The Lord grant us grace to stand together fighting lawfully in his Cause till we be smitten down together if the Lords Will be so to permit it for there shall not an hair of our heads perish against his Will but with his Will whereunto the same Lord grant us to be obedient unto the end and in the end Amen Sweet mighty and mercifull Lord Jesus the Son of David and of God Amen Amen let every true Christian say and pray I told the Chancellor That I would not be out of the Catholick Church but into his Church by Gods grace I would never come Well said he then is our Church false and Antichristian Yes said I. When I desired leave to confirm my Doctrine by writing you would not grant it because I was a private person and the Parliament was above the Authority of all private Persons and therefore the sentence thereof might not be found fault with c. And yet my Lord said I I can shew that one man hath come into a general Council and after the whole had agreed upon an Article hath by the Word of God declared so pithily that the Council had erred in declaring the said Article that he caused the whole Council to alter their Act. Panormitanus also said I saith That unto a simple Lay-man that bringeth the Word of God with him there ought to be given more credit then to a whole Council assembled together The Chancellor facing me and hoping to dash me out of Couutenance I told him in that Cause being Gods Cause he should not make me afraid to speak I was never the worse but the better to be earnest in a just and true cause and in my Master Christs matters When Winchester had read the Condemnation he declared that I was in the great curse c. Well my Lord said I here I stand before God and you and all this honourable Audience and take him to witness that I never wittingly nor willingly taught any false Doctrine and therefore have I a good conscience before God and all good men I am sure you and I shall come before a God that is righteous before whom I shall be as good a man as you and I nothing doubt but that I shall be found there a true Member of the true Catholick Church of Christ and everlastingly saved and as for your false Church ye need not to excommunicate me forth of it I have not been in it these twenty years the Lord be thanked therefore But now ye have done what ye can my Lord I pray you yet grant me one thing that my poor wife being a stranger and having ten children by me may come and speak with me as long as I live She shall not come at thee said he Then I have tried out all your charity said I. Two things more I purposed to have touched if I could have been permitted The one how it was lawfull for a private man to reason and write against a wicked Act of Parliament or ungodly Council c. The other was to prove that Prosperity was not alwayes a token of Gods love For the first I shall adde one example more The high Priests the Elders Scribes and Pharisees decreed in their Council and gave â—he same command to the Apostles that they should â—ot preach in the Name of Christ as ye have also forbidden us Notwithstanding when they were charged therewithall they answered We ought more to obey God then man Even so we may answer you God is more to be obeyed then man and your wicked Laws cannot so tongue-tie us but we will speak the Truth The Apostles were beaten for their boldness and they rejoyced that they suffered for Christs Cause Ye have also provided rods for â—s and bloody whips yet when ye have done that which Gods Hand and Counsel hath determined that ye shall do be it life or death I trust that â—od will so assist us by his holy Spirit and Grace that we shall patiently suffer it and praise God for it And whatsoever become of me and others which now suffer for speaking and professing the Truth yet be ye sure that Gods Word will prevail and have the upper hand when your bloody Laws and wicked Decrees for want of sure foundation shall fall in the dust For the second point It may please your Lordship to understand That we poor Preachers whom you so evil intreat did most boldly and plainly rebuke the evil government of those under King Edward in many things especially their covetousness and neglect and small regard to live after the Gospel as also their negligence to occasion others to live thereafter I might instance in what I once did at Paul's Cross for which I was fain to answer before all the Council and many of my Brethren did the like so that we for the not rebuking of their faults shall not answer before God nor be blame-worthy before men I am an English man born and God knoweth do naturally wish well to my Countrey I have often proved that the things which I have much feared should come to pass have indeed followed I fear you have and will with your Governing bring England out of Gods Blessing into a warm Sun I pray God I may fail of my guessing in this behalf but truly that Englands welfare will not be with expelling the true Word of God out of the Realm and the shedding innocent blood Gods works are wonderfull and incomprehensible by mans Wisdome c. He hath put his Beloved and Dear Heart into his enemies hands This to worldly wise men is a madness above all madness and yet God doth this Can the world shew the cause This I am right sure of that it was not because they were in Heresies and subject to false gods services and idolatry and their enemies men of God and beloved of God The Herods and Pharaohs plainly determined that if the men which they killed and handled evil had been Gods people God would never have suffered them to come into their hands but rather have done the contrary and have let Iohn Baptist kill Herod and the Israelites Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar Even the like is now to be seen in us and in our most cruel adversaries They are not therefore the Catholick Church because our mercifull God hath at this present given our lives into their hands neither are we therefore Hereticks because we suffer punishment at their hands The holy men of God recorded in Scripture were in their dayes accounted to be Hereticks Seditious and Dâ—sturbers of the whole world But here they will cry out Lo these men will be still like â—â—hn Baptists the Apostles and Prophets c. I anâ—â—er We make not our selves like to them in doing â—iracles c. but onely in this in Doctrine and in â—ffering persecution and infamy for the same We â—â—ve preached their very Doctrine and none other â—â—ing and for this Cause