Advice of certain Learned Men. Another was that he had been the great setter forth of all this Heresy received into the Church in this last Time had written in it had disputed had continued it even to the last Hour and that it had never been seen in this Realm but in the time of Schism that any Man continuing so long hath been pardoned and that it was not to be remitted for Ensamples-sake Other Causes he alledged but these were the chief why it was not thought good to pardon him Other Causes beside he said moved the Queen and the Council thereto which were not meet and convenient for every one to understand them The second Part touched the Audience how they should consider this thing That they should hereby take example to fear God and that there was no Power against the Lord having before their Eyes a Man of so high Degree sometime one of the chiefest Prelates of the Church an Arch-bishop the chief of the Council the second Peer in the Realm of long time a Man as might be thought in greatest assurance a King of his side notwithstanding all his Authority and Defence to be debased from an high Estate to a low Degree of a Counsellor to be a Caitiff and to be set in so wretched Estate that the poorest Wretch would not change Conditions with him The last and End appertained unto him Whom he comforted and encouraged to take his Death well by many places of Scripture And with these and such bidding him nothing mistrust but he should incontinently receive that the Thief did To whom Christ said Hodiè mecum eris in Paradiso And out of S. Paul armed him against the Terrors of the Fire by this Dominus fidelis est Non sinet nos tentari ultra quam ferre potestis By the Example of the three Children to whom God made the Flame seem like a pleasant Dew He added hereunto the Rejoicing of S. Andrew in his Cross the Patience of S. Laurence on the Fire Ascertaining him that God if he called on him and to such as die in his Faith either will abate the fury of the Flame or give him Strength to abide it He glorified God much in his Conversion because it appeared to be only his Work Declaring what Travel and Conference had been used with him to convert him and all prevailed not till it pleased God of his Mercy to reclaim him and call him Home In discouring of which place he much commended Cranmer and qualified his former Doing And I had almost forgotten to tell you that Mr. Cole promised him that he should be prayed for in every Church in Oxford and should have Mass and Dirige Sung for him and spake to all the Priests present to say Mass for his Soul When he had ended his Sermon he desired all the People to pray for him Mr. Cranmer kneeling down with them and praying for himself I think there was never such a number so earnestly praying together For they that hated him before now loved him for his Conversion and hope of Continuance They that loved him before could not sodenly hate him having hope of his Confession again of his Fall So Love and Hope encreased Devotion on every side I shall not need for the time of Sermon to describe his Behaviour his Sorrowful Countenance his heavy Chear his Face bedewed with Tears sometime lifting his Eyes to Heaven in Hope sometime casting them down to the Earth for Shame To be brief an Image of Sorrow the Dolor of his Heart bursting out at his Eyes in plenty of Tears Retaining ever a quiet and grave Behaviour Which encreased the Pity in Mens Hearts that they unfeignedly loved him hoping it had been his Repentance for his Transgression and Error I shall not need I say to point it out unto you you can much better imagine it your self When Praying was done he stood up and having leave to speak said Good People I had intended indeed to desire you to pray for me which because Mr. Doctor hath desired and you have done already I thank you most heartily for it And now will I pray for my self as I could best devise for mine own comfort and say the Prayer word for word as I have here written it And he read it standing and after kneeled down and said the Lord's Prayer and all the People on their Knees devoutly praying with him His Prayer was thus O Father of Heaven O Son of God Redeemer of the World O Holy Ghost proceeding from them both Three Persons and one God have Mercy upon me most wretched Caitiff and miserable Sinner I who have offended both Heaven and Earth and more grievously than any Tongue can express whither then may I go or whither should I fly for succor To Heaven I may be ashamed to lift up mine Eyes and in Earth I find no refuge What shall I then do shall I despair God forbid O good God thou art Merciful and refusest none that come unto thee for Succour To thee therefore do I run To thee do I humble my self saying O Lord God my Sins be great but yet have Mercy upon me for thy great Mercy O God the Son thou wast not made Man this great Mystery was not wrought for few or small Offences Nor thou didst not give thy Son unto Death O God the Father for our little and small Sins only but for all the greatest Sins of the World so that the Sinner return unto thee with a penitent Heart as I do here at this present Wherefore have Mercy upon me O Lord whose Property is always to have Mercy For although my Sins be great yet thy Mercy is greater I crave nothing O Lord for mine own Merits but for thy Name 's Sake that it may be glorified thereby and for thy dear Son Jesus Christ's Sake And now therefore Our Father which art in Heaven c. Then rising he said Every Man desireth good People at the time of their Deaths to give some good Exhortation that other may remember after their Deaths and be the better thereby So I beseech God grant me Grace that I may speak something at this my departing whereby God may be glorified and you edified First It is an heavy case to see that many Folks be so much doted upon the Love of this false World and so careful for it that or the Love of God or the Love of the World to come they seem to care very little or nothing therefore This shall be my first Exhortation That you set not over-much by this false glosing World but upon God and the World to come And learn to know what this Lesson meaneth which S. Iohn teacheth That the Love of this World is Hatred against God The Second Exhortation is That next unto God you obey your King and Queen willingly and gladly without murmur or grudging And not for fear of them only but much more for the Fear of God Knowing
such things in them written as be not consonant to the Scripture as they wil avoyd occasion of error and tender the truth of Gods word and his glory To whom be laud praise and honor Amen NUM XL. Archbishop Cranmers Answers to the fifteen Articles of the Rebells Devon Anno 1549. WHen I first read your Requests O ignorant men of Devonshire and Cornwal straitwayes came to my mind a request which Iames and Iohn made unto Christ to whom Christ answered You ask you wot not what Even so thought I of you assoon as ever I heard your Articles that you were deceived by some crafty Papist which devised those Articles for you to make you ask you wist not what As for the Devisors of your Articles if they understand them I may not cal them ignorant persons but as they be indeed most rank Papists and wilful Traitors and Adversaries both to God and our Soveraign Lord the King and to the whole realm But I cannot be persuaded so to think of you that in your hearts willingly you be Papists and Traitors but that those that be such have craftily seduced you being simple and unlearned people to ask you wot not what Wherfore my duty unto God and the pity that I have of your ignorance move me now at this time to open plainly and particularly your own Articles unto you that you may understand them and no longer be deceived In your first Article you require that al the General Councels and holy Decrees of our forefathers may be observed and kept and whosoever shal againsay them to be holden as Hereticks This you al ask but what you ask I dare say very few or none of you understand For how many of you I pray you do know certainly which be called the General Councels and holy Decrees of the Fathers and what is in them contained The holy Decrees as they cal them be nothing else but the Laws and Ordinances of the Bp. of Rome Wherof the most part be made for his own advancement glory and lucre and to make him and his Clergy Governors of the whole world and to be exempted from al Princes Lawes and to do what they list And would you ask if you knew what you asked that we should put away the Lawes of our own realm and be governed by the Bp. of Romes Lawes If you mean this then be you Traitors to the King and enemies to your own realm And if you mean it not consider what persons they be and how they have deceived you that make you ask you wot not what And as for the General Councels you say you wil have them al kept but you be not so destitute of al reason that you would have spoken such words if you had known what you had said For a great number of the Councels repugn one against another How should they then be al kept when one is contrary to another and the keeping of one is the breaking of another And among your own Articles you say you wil have divers things observed which be not only contrary to the General Councels but also contrary to the Law of this realm and also to Gods Laws as it shal be plainly declared when we come to the Articles And al reason is contrary that you should have asked such things if you had known what you had asked I have this opinion of the greater number of you that you would fain walk in the right way if you could find it And forasmuch as I perceive that wicked and false guides under pretence to bring you to the high way have brought you clean out of it my good wil shal be seeing you so far wandring out of the way and so blindfolded with il persuasions that you cannot see where you go to open your eyes that you may see and to set you again into the right way And when your eyes be so opened that you may se and the right way shewed unto you wherin you should walk then if you wil stil wink and not see and run headlong in error and not come to the right way you may no longer be called simple and ignorant people but perverse froward and wicked Papists and Traitors Enemies to God and your own realm But now I wil come to your Articles particularly opening every one of them by himself that you may se the bowels therof and what is contained in the same That when you shal understand the whole you may judge whether you knew before what you asked or you were deceived by subtil and wily Papistical Traitors I. Your first Article is this WEE wil have al the General Councels and holy Decrees of our forefathers observed kept and performed and whosoever shal againsay them we hold them as Hereticks First to begin with the manner of your phrase Is this the fashion of Subjects to speak unto their Prince We wil have Waâ— this maner of speech at any time used of the Subjects to their Prince since the beginning of the world Have not al true Subjects ever used to their Soveraign Lord this form of speaking Most humbly beseecheth your faithful and obedient Subjects Altho the Papists have abused your ignorance in propounding such Articles which you understand not yet you should not have suffered your selves so much to be led by the nose and bridled by them that you should clearly forget your duty of Allegiance unto your Soveraign Lord saying unto him This we wil have and that saying with armour upon your backs and swords in your hands Would any of you that be Householders be content that your servants should come upon you with harness unto their backs and swords in their hands and say unto you This we wil have If then you would abhor and detest this in your servants towards your selves how can you allow your fact With what conscience can you being but subjects do to your King that thing which you would condemne in your servants towards your selves But answer me this Be you Subjects or no If you be Subjects then I admonish you as S. Paul taught Titus saying Warn them to be subject to Princes and Rulers obeying them at a word But tel me again Pertaineth this to subjection and obedience to say This we wil have S. Peter saith Be subject unto Kings as unto chief heads and to other Rulers sent by them For so is the Wil of God Gods wil is that you should be ruâ—ed by your Princes But whether is this to be ruled by your King or to rule your King to say Thus we wil have the Realm governed Your Servants be by the Scripture commanded as they fear God to be obedient to their Masters whether their Masters be good or evil And can you think it meet and lawful for you to disobey your undoubted King being a Prince most innocent most godly and most careful for your sorrow and wealth If any thing can declare disobedience what can declare it more then Subjects to come
hardly kepe our selves in such things that the scripture do speake of the heavens and of Christes sytting in heaven 28. I have a conscience in so high misteries to allow such kinde of speaking as is not taught in the scripture though such be much used yea and that by the authority of the holy fathers for to what point through such speakyng the devyll and antychrist hath brought us we all lamentably complayne 29. Wherfore with reverence and in a true meanyng I wyll understand the sayinges of the holy fathers as touching the mutation of the sygnes I wyll never graunt their sayings so to be taken as to mutch straunge from gods worde and after such sort as men myght now a daies be overthrowen with Antichristes doctrine into the idolatrye which of all other is most detestable 30. So likewyse if any thing may be found that the holy fathers have wrytten of Christ placed in heaven more then the scripture doth certaynely teach I wyll not without reverence refuse it nor yet wyth any man contend therin for I have nothing to say that such writyng is contrary to any place of scripture I do but only desyre that no necessary doctrine be made therof and that I may be suffered to abyde in the playnes of Gods written word 31. But they will say that a man well expert in saith when he heareth that Christ is present in the holy supper and is geven receyved and had with the bread cannot refraine but imagine such a presence of Christ in the bread as is there placed or els like to such a thing as hath a place 32. I cannot se how the wordes of the Holy Ghost ought to be refourmed because of the weakenes of our understanding either that we should allow such utteraunce of wordes wherby it might appeare that the Holy Ghost had not uttered the matter circumspectly and strongly inough yea and that most aptly and effectually as well to the edefying of faith as to the putting away of all errours 33. These now be the wordes of Christ Where two or three be gathered in my name ther am I in the mydst of them In the name of Christ we assemble together at the Lords Supper rightly ministred In the world we be yea and somewhere placed and whersoever we be Christ is among us which notwithstanding is not in the world and also dwelleth in our hartes But we cannot perseâ—ve nor attaine it neyther by our sense nor by reason but by faith For how can the head be away from his body Wherfore I defyne or determine Christes presence howsoever we perceive it either by the sacraments or by the word of the gospell to be onely the attainyng and perceyving of the commodities we have by Christ both God and man which is our head raignyng in heaven dwelling and lyving in us Which presence we have by no worldly meanes but we have it by faith and take the fruit therof when it is offered us in the word and in the sacraments But the force therof we feele in all our parties and powers what tyme by the spirit of Christ they be sanctifyed and renewed unto obedience and godly lyfe 34. He is called present by some knowledge of perceyvyng him even as one may be called present with an other and so we do say that they be here present whom we know by hearing or by syght to be present but now the thing which we know by faith is much more certaine then any thing we can know by sence or reason Why may not we then say that Christ our head is present with his members when we know by faith that he both liveth and dwelleth in us 35. They say that the holy fathers expound the scriptures recording the Lords presence that Christ by his Godhead by his majesty and by his providence is present with us yet lyving in this world Truth it is but the Lord saith I am with you unto the worldes end and Paule affirmeth that Christ lyveth and dwelleth in our hartes Yea and the holy fathers themselves declare that we have Christ present in the sacrament of baptisme and in the meate and drink of the aulter which call that presence carnall that is knowen by our senses and is set over against the presence which we have by faith 36. Faith truly embraceth Christ both God and man and kepeth him present which by his Godhead is not onely present in the congregation of his saintes and in his members but is also present in every place But some cannot be contented unles we graunt that we have his body and bloud really carnally and substantially present in the supper 37. Wyse and good men will eschew all uncertaine wordes in every talk and speaking how much more are they to be avoyded in Christes sacramentes Moreover in the treatyse of Christes sacraments we may justly refuse such straunge wordes as be not used in the scripture unles they may be perfectly applied for the declaration of Christes truth For such uncertaine wordes doth more darken the true doctrine and therfore we must not medle with them except ther be some consideration of the using of them 38. I would wysh these wordes realiter and substantialiter to be altogether refused neither to be allowed in reasonyng to or fro because we shall seme to graunt their contraries and to say that Christ is receyved counterfeâ—tlye and accydenâ—ly if we deny him to be received in the supper really and substantiallye 39. If the matter so require that these words be brought into reâ—sonyng I would for the maintenance of Christes truth against the adversaries among the children of God defyne these wordes realiter and substantialiter as if one would understand by the presence of the Lord really and substantially that he is received verely in dede by faith and his substaunce is geven in the sacrament but if he would enterlace any worldly presence with these words I will deny it because the Lord is departed this world 40. I can never admyt or allow these words carnally and naturally because they bring in a meanyng that he is receyved with our sences 41. Hereby I thinke it evydent agreeable to the holy scripture and according to the reverence we owe to God and his scripture and toward the auncient church that we should frame our selves to the words of the Lord of his Apostles and of the auncient Church and to say that ther is geven and receyved the body and bloud of the Lord that is to say very Christ himselfe both God and man but he is geven with the word and the signes but received with true faith and that he is geven and received to the end that we may move and lyve more parfectly in him and he in us 42. And I thinke it an easy thing to make answer when they say that the thing which is already cannot be received and that he which cometh to the Lords supper and hath not Christ in himselfe receiveth not Christ
deserved Tumults in England Iack Cade Iack Straw In Germany for their Sedition were slain almost in one month about two hundred thousand The Sword by Gods word pertaineth not to Subjects but only to Magistrates Tho the Magistrates be evil and very tyrants against the Common-wealth and enemies to Christs religion yet yee Subjects must obey in all worldly things as the Christians do under the Turk and ought so to do as long as he commandeth them not to do against God How ungodly then is it for our Subjects to take the Sword where there reigneth a most Christian prince most desirous to reform al griefs Subjects ought to make humble suit to their Prince for Reformation of al injuries and not to come with force The Sword of the Subjects at this present cometh not of God nor for the Common wealth of the Realm but of the Devil and destroyeth the Commonweale First For that it is against the word of God Secondly For that they rise so many lies whereof the Devil is ever the Author Quia mendax est Pater ejus Thirdly For that they spoile and rob men and command every man to come to them and to send to them what they please Fourthly For that they let the harvest Which is the chief sustentation of our life and God of his goodness hath sent it abundantly And they by their folly do cause it to be lost and abandoned Fiftly For that they be led by rage and fury without reason have no respect neither of the Kings Authority nor of the Papists in the West Country nor of our affaires in France nor Scotland Which by their Sedition is so much hindred that there could not be imagined so great a dammage to the Realm Sixtly That they give Commandment in the Kings name and in pain of death having none authority so to do Ever against God the Devil hath raised Sedition As appeareth by the Sedition of Dathan and Abiram and al the murmurations of the children of Israel against Moses and Aaron Also of the conspiracy against Zorobabel in the reedifying of the Temple Also against Christ and his Apostles in sundry parts of the World Also In Germany lately and now among us For the Devil can abide no right reformation in religion Civil war is the greatest scourge that can be and most certain argument of Gods indignation against us for our ingratitude that we either wil not receive his true word or that they which receive the same dishonor God in their living when they pretend to honor him with their mouths Which ingratitude and contumely God can in no wise bear at our hands The Remedies to avert Gods Indignation from us is to receive his Word and to live according therunto Returning unto God with prayer and penance Or else surely more grievous afflictions shal follow if more grievous may be then Civil wars among our selves The chief Authors of al these tumults be idle and naughty people Which nothing have nor nothing or little wil labor to have that wil riot in expending but not labor in getting And these tumults first were excitated by the Papists and others which came from the Western Camp To the intent that by sowing division among our selves we should not be able to impeach them NUM XLII The Lady Mary to the Councel justifying her self for using the Mass in K. Edwards Minority IT is no smal greyf to me to parceyve that they whom the Kings Majesty my father whose Soule god pardon made in thys worlde of nothing in respecte of that they be come to now and at hys last ende put in trust to se hys Wyll perfourmed wherunto they were al sworne upon a boke it gryeveth me I say for the Love I beare to theym to se bothe howe they break his wyll and what usurped power they take upon theym in making as they cal it lawes both cleane contrarye to hys procedynges and wyll and also ageyust the coustome of al Crystendome and in my conscyence ageynst the lawe of god and hys chyrche Which passeth al the reste But thoughe you among you have forgotten the Kyng my father yet both gods commandment and nature wyll not suffre me to do so Wherfore with gods helpe I wyll remayne an obedyent chylde to hys lawes as he left theym tylle suche tyme as the Kynges majeste my brother shal have parfayt yers of discrecyon to order the power that god hath sent hym and to be a Judge in theyse matters hymself And I doubte not but he shal then accept my so doing better then theyrs which have taken a pece of his power upon them in his mynoryte I do not a little mervayle that you can find fawte with me for observing of that lawe which was allowed by him that was a kyng not only of power but also of knowledge how to order his power To which lawes al you consented and seemed at that tyme to the outward appearance very wel to lyke the same And more immediately when the Kyng reasons to have his proceedyngs observed Wherfore I do wonder that you can fynde fawte with me and non al thys whyle with some amongst your selves for runnyng halfe a year before that which you now call a lawe ye and before the byshopps cam together Wherin me thynketh you do me very myche wronge if I should not have as mych preemynence to contynew in kepyng a ful authorysed Lawe made without parcyalyte they had both to break the lawe which at that tyme your selves must nedes confesse was of ful power and strengthe and to use alteracyons of theyr own invencyon contrary both to that ye and to your new Lawe as you call it NUM XLIII The Archbishops letter to Martin Bucer inviting him over into England GRatiam pacem Dei in Christo. Legi tuas literas ad Iohannem Halesium in quibus tristissimos Germaniae casus commemorans te in tua urbe verbi ministerio vix diutius praeesse posse scribis Gemens igitur Prophetae illud exclamavi Mirifica misericordias tuas qui Salvos facis sperantes in te a resistentibus dexterae tuae Nec dubito quin Deus hoc similes piorum gemitus exauditurus sit veram doctrinam quae hactenus in vestris Ecclesijs syncere propagata est conservaturus defensurus sit adversus omnes diaboli mundi furores Interim Saevientibus fluctuum procellis in portus confugiendum est ijs qui vela in altum tendere non possunt Tibi igitur mi Bucere portus longe tutissimus erit nostrum regnum in quo Dei beneficio semina verae doctrinae feliciter spargi caeperunt Veni igitur ad nos te nobis operarium praesta in messe Domini Non minus proderis Catholicae Dei Ecclesiae cum apud nos fueris quam si pristinas sedes retineres Adde quod adflictae patriae vulnera absens melius sanare poteris quam nunc possis praesens Omni
can no proper names by geven but suche translation of worâ—les as the Holy Ghost doth use and ther cannot be devysed more proper more mete for the purpose nor more famouse wordes then they are 13. It is not mete therfore that we should attempt to expound these Metaphors with our own proper wordes wherof we be all together destytute in matters of regeneration neyther is it convenyent that we should deface theyr perfection wyth more slender Metaphors and wyth such geare as be of kinred to our natural reason 14. We must beware that with no superstitious stately eloquence we do make darke the brightnes of the Lordes commandement unto such as have their eyes lightened on every syde by fayth We must in lyke maner take heede we demynysh not the force and majesty of Christes sacraments set furth by the Holy Ghost rather of us to be beleved then by our naturall reason to be out-searched as by the exposition rather proceding of our owne imagynations then of the very word of God and of the nature of his sacraments 15. The Word is made flesh that their myght be both God and man in one substaunce and such as was a very earthely man which dyed rose againe from the dead ascended into heaven remayneth in the heavens and sytteth on the right hand of the father which governeth and fulfylleth all things and in the syght of all the world he shall come agayne in the clowdes to judge the quycke and the dead And they all must nedes receyve their owne bodies againe All these things truly do so farre passe the reache of mans wyt that of necessitye we must lay hold of them by fayth 16. Fayth bycause she is practysed and fortyfyed in the dayly use of these things causeth them clearely and manyfestly to appeare even as she doth make all the other misteries of Chryst to such as doth perfectly beleve Which thinges should be made darke unto us if we would suffer our selves to make inquirye of them according to the trade of our own reason following her natural princyples 17. Christ our Lord is for ever both God and man he is the head of all the sayntes and the first begotten among the children of God Wherfore we must so marke with our myndes and expres in wordes the propertyes of the natures that by no maner of imagynations we separate the unity of substaunce 18. There is nothing better agreeth with it selfe then doth the word of God so that what so ever the scripture speaketh of Christes beyng among us of the receyvyng of him of his aby ding and dwelling in us and eatyng of him agreeth all together and is consonant with these evydent scriptures openly declaring that he hath forsaken the world that he is in heaven yea and that he hath a very body and therfore lymited and bounden in one place 19. When we therfore entreate of the mistery eyther of the supper of the Lord or of Christes plaine presence with us for why should we not say that he is present which dwelleth in us and is in the mydst of us it is to no purpose to lay agaynst the presence of him such places of scripture as declare Christ to have departed from this world to be in heaven and to be very man havyng a very body and therfore such a body as is bounded in a place which may not be placed in all or many places at one tyme. 20. For Christes presence whether it be offered or declared eyther in the word onely or els in the sacramentes is no presence of place neyther of sensies nor of reason nor yet no yearthly presence but it is a spiritual presence a presence of faith and an heavenly presence For as much as we are conveyde into heaven by faith beyng placed in Christ. So that we lay hold upon him and embrace him in his heavenly majestye all be it he be here offered and declared after a sorte unto us in the glasse and darke speaking of sensyble wordes and sacramentes 21. The Antichristes make the simple people to beleve by these wordes that we receyve and have Christ here present after some worldly fashion that is to say eyther inclosed with the bread and wine or els that he is present under their accydences so that ther he ought to be honoured and worshipped 22. Let them therfore that be apt to learne be taught that ther is no presence of Christ in the supper but onely in the lawful use therof and such as is obtayned and gotten by fayth onely As for the other sort byd them adew as the blynde guydes of the blynde and that plantyng which our heavenly Father hath not planted For such as heare not Gods word are not borne of God 23. We must tourne away from their disceytes and craftes from which we ought verely to withdraw our selves howbeit they cannot be avoyded other wayes then by the true expounding of Gods word yea and that but only of them whom the Lord himself hath taught by the ministration he hath committed to us 24. The good men moreover hearing that Christ in the sacramente is presently geven receyved and had do imagyne a certaine presence of place and many tymes they fantsye also that God himself is bounded in a place havyng a body even as he were a man 25. They must therfore be contynually taught that these heavenly misteries do passe all mens capasityes and that they must be perceyved and knowen in the only word of God so that all worldly fasions must be far from our mindes because the word of God declareth Christ to be a very man havyng the bodye of a man in the which body he departed this world and was caried into heaven he may not therfore by no worldly maner be sought for in this world but after such sort as he offereth himselfe beyng in heaven to be received of us Which things are not knowen by sense and reason but by faith 26. As for these heavens because they be above all the heavens I dare not by the predicamente of our reason discusse what they be but by the wordes of the scripture But thâ— scripture discribeth them not by the distaunce of places but by the majestye of God and his blessednes openly declaring that such heavenly blys hath not come into the hart of man 27. I do not perceyve what further knowledge the holy fathers would geve writing of the proper place of Christes body in heaven but that we should observe the propertye of both the natures in Christ. So that as it is the propertye of the godly nature to be in every place and to fulfyll all things even by his substance so it is the propertye of the nature of man to be lymited in place and state not to be spread abroade in many or in all places at once These things agree with the scripture albeit we place not Christes body in heaven after the maner of the fourth booke of Aristotle's Naturalls Yea let us
pro Martyribus deprecatur fit ipse Martyr NUM LXXXVI Dr. Ridley late Bishop of London to West formerly his Steward who had complyed with the Romish religion I Wish you grace in God and love of the trueth Without the which truly established in mans heart by the mighty hand of Almighty God it is no more possible to stand by the truth in Christs cause in the time of tribulation then it is for wax to abide the heat of the fire Sir know you this that I am blessed be God persuaded that this world is but transitory as S. Iohn saith Mundus transit concupiscentia ejus I am persuaded Christs words to be true Qui me confessus fuerit coram hominibus I wil confes him before my father which is in heaven And I believe that no earthly creature shal be saved whom the Redeemer and Savior of the world shal before his Father deny This the Lord grant that it may be so grafted established and fixed in my heart that neither things present or to come high or low life or death be able to remove It is a godly wish that yee wish me depely to considre things perteinyng to Gods honor and glory But if ye had wished also that neither fear of death or hope of worldly prosperity shuld let me to maintein gods word and his truth which is his glory and true honour it wold have liked me very wel You desire me for Gods sake to remembre my self Indeed Sir now it is time for me so to do For so far as I can perceyve it standeth me of no les daunger then of the los both of body and soule And I trow then it is time for a man to awake if any thing wil awake him He that wil not fear him that threatneth to cast body and soule into everlasting fire whom wil he fear Oh Lord fasten thou together our frayl flesh that we never swarve from thy Lawes You say you have made much sute for me Sir God gâ—aunt that you have not in sueing for my worldly deliveraâ—ce empaired or hindred the furtheraunce of Gods word and his â—ruth You have knowen me long indede in the which time it hath chaunced me to mislyke some things It is true I graunte For sodeine chaunges without substantial aud necessary causes and the heady setting furth of extremities I did never love Confession to the minister which is able to instruct correct comfort and enform the weak and ignorant consciences I have ever thought might do much good in Christs Congregation And so I assure you I do think even at this day My doctrin and my preaching you say you have heard oft and after your judgment have thought it godly saving of the Sacrament Which thing although it was of me reverendly handled and a great deal better than of the rest as you say yet in the margent you write warily and in this world wysely thus And yet methought not al soundly Wel Sir but I see so many chaunges in the world and so much alteration or els at this your saying I wold not a litle mervayl I have taken you for my trustie freynd and a man whom I fantasied for plainness and faithfulnes as much I ensure you as for your learning And have you kept this so close in your heart from me unto this day Sir I considre mo things than one and wil not say al that I think But what need you to care what I thynke for any thing that I shal be able to do unto you either good or harm You geve me good lessons to stand in nothing against my learning and to beware of vain glory Truly Sir herein I like your counsel very wel and by Gods grace I intend to follow it unto my lyves end To write to them whom you name I cannot se what it wil avayle me For this I wold now have you know it I esteme nothing avaylabâ—e for me which also wil not set furth the glory of God And now because I perceive you have an entyre zeal and desire of my deliverance out of this captivitie and worldly misery if I shuld not bear you a good heart in God again methynk I were to blame Sir how nigh the day of my dissolution and departure hence out of this world is at hand I cannot tel The Lords wil be fulfilled How soon soever it shal come I know the Lords words must be verified on me that I shal appear before the uncorrupt Judge and be countable to him of al my former lyfe Although the hope of his mercy is my shote ankor of eternal Salvation yet am I persuaded that whosoever wittingly neglecteth and regardeth not to clear his conscience he cannot have peace with God nor a lyvely faith in his mercy Conscience moveth me considering you were one of my family and of my household of whom then I thynke I had a special cure and of all them which were in my house which indede ought to have been an example of godlines to al the rest of my cure not only in godly life but also in promoting of Gods word to thuttermost of their power But now alas when the trial doth separate the corn from the chaff how smal a deyl it is God knoweth which the wynde doth not blow away This conscience I say doth move me to have fear lest the lightnes of my family shal be layd unto me for lack of more earnest and diligent instructions which shuld have been doon But blessed be God which hath geven me grace to se my default and to lament it from the bottome of my heart before my departure hence This Conscience also doth move me now to require both you and my freynd Dr. Harvy to remembre your promises made to me in time past of the pure setting furth and preaching of Gods word and his truth These promises although you shal not nede to fear to be charged with them of me hereafter before the world Yet look for none other I exhort you as my freynds but to be charged with them at Gods hand This Conscience and the love that I bear unto you byddeth me now say to you both in Gods name Fear God and love not the world for God is able to cast both body and soul into hel fire Cum exarserit in brevi ira ejus beati omnes saith the Psalme qui confidunt in eo And the saying of S. Iohn is true Quicquid est in mundo veluti concupiscentia carnis concupiscentia oculorum fastus vitae non ex patre sed ex mundo est Et mundus transit concupiscentia ejus Qui autem facit voluntatem Dei manet in aeternum If these gifts of grace which undoubtedly are necessarily required unto eternal salvation were truly and unfeignedly grafted and firmely stablished in mens hearts they wold not be so light so sodaynly to shrink from the maintenance and confession of the truth as it is now alas