Selected quad for the lemma: blood_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
blood_n	flesh_n	sacrament_n	wine_n	5,507	4	7.5506	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70635	A cloud of witnesses, or, The sufferers mirrour made up of the swanlike-songs, and other choice passages of several martyrs and confessors to the sixteenth century, in their treatises, speeches, letters, prayers, &c. in their prisons, or exiles, at the bar, or stake, &c. / collected out of the ecclesiastical histories of Eusebius, Fox, Fuller, Petrie, Scotland, and Mr. Samuel Ward's Life of faith in death, &c. and alphabetically disposed by T.M. ...	Mall, Thomas, b. 1629 or 30.; Mall, Thomas, b. 1629 or 30. Offer of farther help to suffering saints.; Ward, Samuel, 1577-1640.	1665 (1665)	Wing M330; Wing M332; ESTC R232057	171,145	273

the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Do you not receive the very body and blood of Christ No surely said she I believe that the Supper I neither receive flesh nor blood but Bread and Wine which Bread when it is broken and Wine when it is drunken putteth me in remembrance how that for my sins the Body of Christ was broken his Blood shed on the Cross and with that Bread and Wine I receive the Benefits that come by the breaking of his Body shedding of his Blood for our sins on the Cross Why said he doth not Christ speak these words Take eat this is my Body Require you any plainer words Doth he not say it is his Body I grant he saith so said she and so he saith I am the Vine I am the Door and yet is not the Vine or the Door Doth not St. Paul say Rom. 4. He calleth things that are not a● though they were When Fecknam took his leave he said That he was sorry for her for I am sure said he that we two shall never meet True it is said she that we shall never meet except God turn your heart for I am assured unless you repent turn to God you are in an evil case and I pray God in the Bowels of mercy to send you his Holy Spirit In her Letter to her Father Father although it hath pleased God to hasten my death by you by whom my life should rather have been lengthened yet can I so patiently take it as I yield to God more hearty thanks for shortening my woful dayes than if all the world had been given unto my Possessions with life lengthened at my own will Pag. 33. Although my death at hand to you seem right woful to me there is nothing that can be more welcome than from this vale of misery to aspire to that heavenly Throne of all joy and pleasure with Christ our Saviour in whose stedfast faith if it be lawful for the Daughter so to write to the Father the Lord that hitherto hath strengthened you so continue you that at last we may meet in Heaven with the Father the Son and the holy Ghost In her Letter to Mr. Harding formerly her Fathers Chaplain and a zealous Preacher of the Gospel but then turn'd Papist she writes thus As oft as I call to mind the dreadful and fearful saying of God That he which layeth hold on the Plough Luke 9. and looketh back is not meet for the Kingdome of Heaven and on the other side the comfortable words of our Saviour Christ to those That forsaking themselves do follow him I cannot but marvel at thee and lament thy Case who seemed sometime to be the lively Member of Christ but now the deformed Imp of the Devil sometime the beautiful Temple of God but now the filthy and stinking Kennel of Satan sometime the unspotted Spouse of Christ but now the shameless Paramour of Antichrist sometime my faithful Brother but now a Stranger an Apostate sometime a stout Christian Souldier but now a cowardly Run-away yea when I consider these things I cannot but cry out upon thee thou seed of Satan and not of Judah whom the Devil hath deceived the world hath beguiled and the desire of life subverted and made thee of a Christian an Infidel Wherefore hast thou taken the Testament of the Lord in thy mouth Wherefore hast thou instructed others to be strong in Christ when thou thy self dost now so shamefully shrink so horribly abuse the Testament and the Law of the Lord When thou thy self preachest not to steal yet most abominably stealest not from men but from God and committing most hainous facriledge robbest Christ thy Lord of his right members thy body soul and choosest rather to live miserably with shame to the world than to die and gloriously with honour reign with Christ in whom even in death is life Why dost thou now shew thy self most weak when indeed thou oughtest to be most strong The strength of a fort is unknown before the assault but thou yieldest thy hold before any battery be made Oh wretched and unhappy man what art thou but dust and ashes and wilt thou resist thy Maker that fashioned and framed thee Wilt thou now forsake him that called thee from the custome-gathering of the Romish Antichristians to be an Ambassadour and Messenger of his Word He that first framed thee and since the first Creation and Birth preserved thee nourished and kept thee yea and inspired thee with the Spirit of Knowledge I cannot say of grace shall he not now possess thee Darest thou deliver up thy self to another being not thine own but his How canst thou having knowledge or how darest thou neglect the law of the Lord and follow the vain traditions of men and whereas thou hast been a publick Professor of his Name become now a Defacer of his glory W●lt thou refuse the true God and worship the invention of man the golden Calf the whore of Babylon the Romish Religion the abominable Idol the most wicked Mass Wilt thou torment again rent and tear the most precious Body of our Saviour Corist with thy bodily and fleshly teeth Wilt thou take upon thee to offer up any Sacrifice unto God for our sins considering that Christ offered up himself as Paul saith upon the Cross a lively Sacrifice once for all Can neither the punishment of the Israelites which for their Idolatry they oft received nor the terrible threatnings of the Prophets nor the curses of Gods own mouth fear thee to honour any other God than him Dost thou so regard him that spared not his dear onely Son for thee so diminishing yea utterly extinguishing his glory that thou wilt attribute the praise and honour due unto him to the Idols which have mouths and speak not eyes and see not ears and hear not which shall perish with them that made thee Pa. 34. Confounded be all they that worship them Christ offereth up himself once for all and wilt thou offer him up again daily at thy pleasure But thou wilt say thou dost it for a good intent Oh sink of sin Oh child of perdition Dost thou dream therein of a good intent where thy conscience bears thee witness of Gods threatned wrath against thee How did Saul how for that he disobeyed the Word of the Lord for a good intent was thrown from his worldly and temporal Kingdome Wilt thou for a good intent dishonour God offend thy Brother and danger thy soul wherefore Christ hath shed his most precious blood Wilt thou for a good intent pluck Christ out of Heaven and make his death void deface the triumph of his Cross by offering him up daily Wilt thou either for fear of death or hope of life deny and refuse thy God who enriched thy poverty healed thy infirmity and yielded to thee his Victory if thou couldst have kept it Dost thou not consider that the thread of thy life

with an holy scorn smiling at the threats of Tyrants who are the terrors of the mighty in the Land of the Living Wouldst thou see shackled Prisoners behave themselves like Judges and Judges stand like Prisoners before them Wouldst thou see some of the rare exploits of Faith in its highest elevation immediatly before it be swallowed up in the beatifical vision To conclude Wouldst thou see the heavenly Jerusalem pourtraied on Earth as the earthly Jerusalem once was upon a Tile Ezek. 4.1 And wouldst thou hear the melodious voices of ascending Saints in a ravishing consort ready to joyn with the heavenly Chorus in their ravishing Hallelujahs Then draw near come and see If thou be a man of an heavenly spirit here is brave suitable entertainment for thy spirit And after thou hast conversed a while with these excellent Spirits it may be thou wilt judge as I do That dead Saints are sweeter Companions in some respects for thee to converse with then those that are living And when thou shalt see the magnificent acts of their Faith their invincible patience their flaming love to Christ their strange contempt of the World their plainness and simplicity in the profession of the Gospel and their servent love to each other thou wilt mourn also with me to consider the scandalous and shameful relapse of Professors from these glorious heights and to think how many degrees these Graces are gone back in the souls of Professors as the Sun upon the Dial of Ahaz The Judicious Collector hath gathered this Posie from the Martyrs Graves bound up in an excellent method and presented it to thee Here thou hast the Cream of the larger Martyrologies scum'd off the very Spirits of them extracted which is more cheap and less tiresome He intends if God permit a Second Part speedily And I assure thee he is a Person singularly qualified for the Work having both Materials and Judgement to dispose his Collections Bless God for such profitable Instruments and improve their Labours Such a Book hath been long desired many have attempted it but every one hath not that Furniture of Books Parts for it Solomon detecting some of those artifices which the Buyer useth in Trading Prov. 20.14 detects this as one It is naught it is naught saith he Buyer i.e. he disparageth the Commodity to ●eat down the price but when he is gone he boasteth ● am mistaken if thou also do not boast of thy penny worth in this Book when thou art gone and hast well perused it that it may reach the end upon thy ●eart for which it is designed is the desire of thy ●riend to serve thee J. F. The Books Poetical Prologue I Tell their death's who dying made Death yield By Scriptures sword and Faith's unbattered shield Their number 's numberless who ran to dye Vnder their Saviours Standard valiantly More Saints ten Tyrant Emperours did slay Then for a year Five thousand to each day Since Jesuites from th' infernal Lake did rise More then Eight hundred thousand lost their lives In thirty years Bloody Duke d' Alva will'd In Six years Eighteen thousand to be kill'd In Henry 's and in Mary's Bloody Reign Eight thousand have inhumanely been slain Twelve thousand and seven hundred more were Stockt Or Whipt or Wrackt or else Exil'd or Mockt I only promise many a Swan-like Song Read them and beg of God with heart and tongue That as the Vine that 's cut and prun'd bears more In one year then it did in three before So may Christs Vine and may the Saints of God As Camomile grow better being trod And may Christs Sufferers in like cases find The living God as near as true as kind As these have found and learn sin more to fear Then parting with what er'e they count most dear Swan-like SONGS A. Adrian Ward 's life of faith in death pag. 160. ADrian's wife seeing the Coffin hooped with Iron wherein she was to be buried alive spake thus Have you provided this Pasty-crust to bake my flesh in Agnes Fax's Acts and Monuments c. Vel. 1.122 Agnes a Roman Martyr contemning all threats of tortures was assaulted as to her chastity To the lascivious Wretch she said Thou shalt willingly bathe thy sword in my blood if thou wilt but thou shalt not defile my body with filthy lust do what thou canst Hereupon his eyes were struck out by a flame of fire like unto a flash of lightning and upon her prayer he was restored to sight again When she saw a sturdy cruel fellow to behold approaching with a naked sword in his hand I am now glad said she and rejoyce more that such an one as thou a stout fierce strong and sturdy Souldier art come then if one more feeble weak and faint-hearted should come This even this is he I now confess that I do love I will make haste to meet him and will no longer protract my longing desire Albane Fox Vol. 1. pag. 114. Albane England's Proto-Martyr delivered up himself to the Souldiers instead of Amphibolus who had converted him to Christianity after he had fled to his house for refuge and being bound was carried before the Judge who at that time was sacrificing to his Idols The Judge perceiving the fraud told Albane Forasmuch as thou hadst rather convey away the Rebel and Traytor to our gods than deliver him up to the Souldiers that he might undergo due punishment for blaspheming our gods look what torments he should have suffered if he had been taken the same shalt thou suffer if thou refuse to practise the Rites of our Religion Albane notwithstanding his threats told him plainly to his face that he would not obey his command Then said the Judge of what House and Stock art thou Albane answered It matters not of what Stock I am but if thou desirest to know my Religion be it known unto thee I am a Christian c. Then the Judge demanded his name my Parents said he named me Albane and I honour and worship the true and living God that made all things of nothing The Judge told him If he would save his life he must come and sacrifice to their gods Albane answered The sacrifice that you offer to the Devil profits you nothing but rather purchaseth for you eternal pains and Hell fire The Judge commanded him to be beheaded The Executioner observing his faith and servent prayers fell down at his feet casting from him the sword desired rather to be executed for or with him than to do execution upon him yet afterwards another gave the fatal blow Alcock Constable Rolf John Alcocks Master having bail'd his Servant Fox Vol. 3.383 said unto him I am sorry for thee for truly the Parson will seek thy destruction Sir said Alcock I am sorry I am a trouble to you as for my self I am not sorry but I do commit my self into Gods hands and I trust he will give me a mouth and wisdom to answer according to

when we stood up to purge our selves thereof you said You would cut out our tongues and cause us to be pulled out of the Church by violence But there you gave your self a shrewd blow c. Being asked by the Bishop of Winchester if he would recant he said My faith is grounded more stedfastly than to change in a moment It is no process of time can alter me unless my faith were as the wayes of the Sea When he was condemned he desired God wi● a loud voice That he would not lay his blood 〈◊〉 their charge if it were his good will Green Mr. Fox Vol. 3. pag. 622. Bartlet Green wrote in Mr. Bartram Calthr●● Book a little before his death thus Two thing have very much troubled me whilst I was in 〈◊〉 Temple Pride and Gluttony which under 〈◊〉 colour of Glory and good Fellowship drew 〈◊〉 almost from God Forsomuch as vain-glory is so subtile an adves sary that almost it woundeth deadly ere ever 〈◊〉 man can perceive himself to be smitten therefo●● we ought so much the rather by continual praye● to labour for humbleness of mind Glutrony beginneth under a charitable pretence of love and society and hath in it most uncharitableness Let us therefore watch and be sober for o● adversary the Devil walketh about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour Vale mi Buirame mei memineris ut semper simillimi efficismur Vale c. Farewell my Bartram and remember me that we may be alwayes like Farewell at Newgate Jan. 20. A. 1556. In his Letter to Mr. Pa. 623. Philpet Being accused that I spake against the real Presence and the S●crifice of the Mass and that I affirmed that the●● Church was the Church of Antichrist I confesse● it and that I would continue therein though no● maintain it by learning my conscience being satisfied in the truth which is sufficient to my salvation I told Mr. Welch Forasmuch as it ple●seth you to use me so familiarly for he behave● himself towards me as though I had been his equal I shall open my mind freely to you I consider my youth lack of wit and learning which would God it were but a little under the opinion that some men have of me But God is not bound to time wit or knowledge but rather chooseth the weak things of the world to confound the mighty neither can men appoint bounds to Gods mercy Rom. 9. For I will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy There is no respect of persons with God whether he be old or young rich or poor wise or foolish Fisher or Basket-maker God giveth knowledge of his truth through his free grace James 1. to whom he list Now I am brought hither before a great many Bishops and learned men to be made a fool and a laughing-stock but I weigh it not a rush for God knoweth that my whole study is to please him Besides that I care not for mans pleasure or displeasure As he was going to Newgate after he was condemned there met with him two Gentlemen Pa. 627. that seeing him burst out into tears to whom Mr. Green said Ah my friends is this your comfort you are come to give me Must I who needed to have comfort ministred to me become now a comforter of you When he was going to and was at the Stake he repeated this Distich Christe Deus sine te spes est mihi nulla salutis Te duce vera sequor te duce falsa nego In English thus O Christ my God sure hope of health Besi●es thee I have none The truth I love and falshood hate By thee my guide alone These Verses he wrote in a Book of Mr. Hussey's of the Temple Behold thy self by me Such one was I as thou And thou in time shall be Even dust as I am now Bartlet Green In his Letter to his Friends of the Temple Pa. 628. Very Friends are they which are knit together by the knot of Charity Charity doth not decay but increase in them that die faithfully If thy Friend be out of sight is thy friendship ended If he be carried into Heaven is Charity hindred thereby The Fathers of the Primitive Church gave thanks for their Friends that died in the Faith to prove that Charity died not with Death What saith Saint Paul We are members of his body of his flesh and of his blood we are members one of another Is the hand or Arm Foot or Leg a member when it is dissevered from the body What is it that couples us but love When all things shall fail love faileth never Hope hath his end when we get that we hoped for Faith is finished in Heaven Love endureth for ever Spiritual love I mean for carnal love when that which we love is lost doth perish with the flesh Neither was that ever but fleshly love which by distance of place or severing of bodies is parted asunder If we keep Christs commandment in loving each other as he loved us then should our love be everlasting This friendship Paul felt when it moved him to say That neither length nor breadth neither height nor depth should sever him from the love of Christ Now you may say Why writeth thou this Truly to the end that if our friendship be stable you may accomplish this the last request of your Friend c. Mr. Fleetwood I beseech you remember Wittrance and Cook two singular men among common Prisoners Mr. Fernham Mr. Bell and Mr. Hussey as I hope will dispatch Palmer and Richardson with his companions I pray you Mr. Palmer think on J. Grove an honest poor man Traiford and Rice Apprice his Accomplices My Cousin Thomas Witton a Scrivener in Lombard-street hath promised to further their delivery at the least he can instruct you which way to works I doubt not but that Mr. Bowyer will labour for Goodwife Cooper for she is worthy to be holpen and Berard the Frenchman There be also divers others well-disposed men whose deliverance if you will not labour for yet I humbly beseech you to seek their relief For these and all other poor Prisoners I make this my humble suit and prayer to you all my especial good Friends beseeching you by all the bonds of amity in the bowels of mercy to tender the cases of miserable Captives Help to cloath Christ visit the Afflicted comfort the Sorrowful and relieve the Needy The very God of peace guide your hearts to have mercy on the poor and love faithfully together Amen This present Monday when I look to die and to live for ever Yours for ever Bartlet Green In his Letter to Mrs. Elizabeth Clark I shall not cease with continual Prayer to labour for you desiring Almighty God to increase that which he hath long since begun in you of fober life and earnest zeal towards his Religion 1 Tim. 5. She that is a true Widow and friendless putteth her trust in God continuing day

and night in supplication and prayer but she that liveth in pleasure is dead even yet alive And verily she is a true widow that hath married Christ forsaking the vanities of the world and the lusts of the flesh 1 Cor. 7. For as the married woman careth how to love and serve and please her Husband so ought the Widow to give all her soul and heart thoughts and words studies and labours faithfully to love God vertuously to bring up her children and houshold and diligently to provide for the poor and oppressed Not to live in pleasure but to watch unto prayer stedfostly laying up all her trust in God Luke 2. Of Anna it is written That she never went out of the Temple but served God with fasting and prayer night and day to bring up her children and houshold godly in the nurture and information of the Lord. Ephes 6. There are most manifest examples against Parents for the offences of Children Contrariwise how greatly might Hanna rejoyce over Samuel her Son whom she had brought up in the House of the Lord Pa. 629. But above all Widows thrice blessed was the happy Mother of the seven Sons that so had instructed them in the fear of the Lord that by no torments they would shrink from the love of his Truth To be liberal to Strangers 1 Tim. 5. to wash the Saints feet and minister to them in their adversity Saint Paul as though they onely had been therefore meet appointed onely Widows to minister to the Saints and to gather for the poor Alas That Christ so hungreth and no man will feed him is so fore opprest with thirst and no man will give him drink destitute of all lodging and not relieved sick and not visitted imprisoned and not seen In times past men could bestow large sums of money on Copes Vestments and Ornaments of the Church why rather follow we not St. Ambrose his example who sold the same for the relief of the poor or Chrysostom's command who willed first to deck and garnish the living Temple of God But alas such is the wickedness of these our last dayes that nothing moves us neither the pure Doctrine the godliness of life nor good examples of the Ancient Fathers If in any thing they erred that will their charitable children embrace publish and maintain with sword faggot and fire but all in vain they strive against the stream for though in despite of the Truth by force of the ears of crafty perswasion they may bring themselves into the haven of Hell yet can they not make all men believe that the banks move while the ship saileth nor ever shall be able to turn the direct course of the stream of Gods Truth In another Letter Better is the day of death saith Solomon than the day of birth Happy are the dead that die in the Lord. Man of woman is born in travel to live in misery man through Christ doth die in joy to live in felicity he is born to die and dieth to live Strait as he cometh into the world with cries he uttereth his miserable estate strait as he departeth with Songs he praiseth God for ever Scarce yet in his cradle three deadly enemies affault him after death no Adversary may annoy him whilst he is here he displeaseth God when he is dead he fulfilleth his will Here he dieth every hour there he liveth continually here is sin there is righteousness here is time there is eternity here is hatred there is love here is pain there is pleasure here is misery there is felicity Seek therefore the things that are above c. Grey The Lady Jane Grey Daughter to the Duke of Suffolk For Vol 3 pag. 13 14 c. whose Mother was Daughter to Mary King Henry the Second's Sister having personated a Queen for ten dayes and upon Queen Maries Proclamation being imprisoned the Queen sent Mr. Fecknam to her two dayes before her death to commune with her and reduce her from the Doctrine of Christ to Queen Maries Religion Pag. 31. The effect of which communication here followeth Madam said Fecknam I lament your heavy Case c. You are welcome unto me Sir said the Lady Jane if you come to give me Christian Exhortation And as for my heavy Case I thank God I do so little lament it that rather I account the same for a more manifest Declaration of Gods favour towards me than ever he shewed me at any time before and therefore there is no cause why either you or other which bear me good will should lament or be grieved with this my Case being a thing so profitable for my souls health I am here come said he from the Queen and Council to instruct you in the true Doctrine of the right Faith c. I heartily thank the Queen said she who is not unmindful of her humble Subject I hope no less that you will do your duty therein both truly and faithfully What is then said he required of a Christian To believe said she in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost three Persons and one God What said he is there nothing else required or looked for in a Christian but to believe in him Pag. 32. Yes said she We must love him with all our heart with all our soul and with all our mind and our Neighbour as our self Why then said he faith justifies not and saveth not Yes verily said she Faith as Paul saith onely justifies Why said he St. Paul saith If I have all faith without love it is nothing True said she for how can I love him whom I trust not or how can I trust him whom I love not Faith and love go both together and yet love is comprehended in faith How must we love our Neighbour said he To love our Neighbour said she is to feed the hungry to cloath the naked and give drink to the thirsty and to do to him as we would do to our selves Why then said he it is necessary unto salvation to do good works also and it is not sufficient onely to believe It is meet said she that a Christian in token that he follows his Master Christ to do good works yet may we not say that they profit to our salvation for when we have done all we be unprofitable servants and faith onely in Christs blood saveth us How many Sacraments are there said he Two said she The one the Sacrament of Baptisme by which I am washed with water regenerated by the Spirit that washing is a token to me that I am a child of God the other the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which offered to me is a sure seal and testimony that I am by the blood of Christ which he shed for me on the Cross made partaker of the everlasting Kingdome There are seven said he By what Scripture said she find you that Well said he we will talk of that hereafter What do you receive in

How think you being a private person to be indulged with to the disturbance of the publick Uniformity of the Church H. If it please your Grace but to read these Letters I hope you will be satisfied and then he produced the Letters from the Earl of Warwick and King Edward C. These are to desire that in such reasonable things wherein my Lord Elect of Glocester craveth to be born withall at your hands you would vouchsafe your graces favour the principal cause is that you would not charge him with any thing burdenous to his conscience J. Warwick WE do understand you stay from Consecrating our well-beloved Mr. J. Hooper because be would have you omit and let pass certain Rites and Ceremonies offensive to his Conscience whereby you think you shall fall in premunire of Laws We have thought good by advice of Our Council to discharge you of all manner of Dangers Penalties and Forfeitures you should run into by omitting any of the same and these Our Letters shall be your sufficient Warrant and Discharge Edwardus Rex In his Letter writ in Answer to one sent him concerning certain taken in Bow Church-yard Fox Vol. 3 Pag. 116. whilst they were praying I do rejoyce in that men can be so well occupied in this perilous time and flee for remedy to God by Prayer as well for their own lacks and necessities as also charitably to pray for them that persecute them So doth the Word of God command all men to pray charitably for them that hate them and not to revile any Magistrate with words or to mean him evil by force and violence They also may rejoyce that in well doing they wer● taken to prison Thus fare you well and pray God to send his true Word into this Realm again amongst us which the ungodly Bishops have now banished In his Letter to those Christians so taken Prisoners The grace favour consolation Pa. 1●● and aid of the Holy Ghost be with you now and ever So be it Dearly beloved in the Lord ever since I heard of your imprisonment I have been marvellously moved with great affections and passions as well of mirth and gladness as of heaviness and sorrow Of gladness in this that I perceived how ye be bent and given to prayer and invocation of Gods help in these dark and wicked proceedings of men against Gods glory I have been sorry to perceive the malice and wickedness of men to be so cruel devillish and tyranical to persecute the people of God for serving of God c. These cruel doings do declare that the Papists Church is more bloody and tyrannical than ever was the sword of the Ethnicks and Gentiles Trajan the Emperour commanded That no man should be persecuted for serving of God but the Pope and his Church have cast you into Prison being taken doing the Work of God and one of the excellentest Works that is required of Christians viz. whilest ye were in Prayer O glad may ye be that ever ye were born to be apprehended whilest ye were so vertuously occupied Blessed be they that suffer for righteousness sake If God had suffered them that took your bodies then to have taken your life also now had you been following the Lamo in perpetual joyes away from the company and assembly of the wicked men But the Lord would not have you suddenly so to depart but reserveth you gloriously to speak and maintain his Truth to the world Be ye not careful what ye shall say for God will go out and in with you and will be present in your hearts and in your mouths to speak his wisedome though it seems foolishness to the world He that hath begun this good work in you continue in the same unto the end Pray unto him Mat. 10. that ye may fear him only that hath power to kill both body and soul and to cast them into hell fire Luke 12. Be of good comfort all the hairs of your head are numbred and there is not one of them can perish except your heavenly Father suffer it to perish Now you be in the field and placed in the fore-front of Christs battel Doubtless it is a singular favour of God and a special love of him towards you to give him his preheminence as a sign that he trusteth you before others of his people Wherefore dear Brethren and Sisters continually fight this Fight of the Lord. Your Cause is most just and godly ye stand for the true Christ who is after the flesh in Heaven and for his true Religion and Honour which is amply fully sufficiently and abundantly contained in the holy Testament sealed with Christs own blood How much be ye bound to God who puts you in trust with so holy and just a cause Remember what lookers on you have to lee and behold you in your fight God and all his holy Angels who be ready alwayes to take you up into Heaven if ye be flain in his fight Also you have standing at your backs all the multitude of the Faithful who shall take courage strength and desire to follow such noble and valiant Christians as you be Be not afraid of your Adversaries 1 Joh. 4. for he that is in you is stronger than he that is in them Shrink not although it be pain to you your pains be not now so great as hereafter your joyes shall be Read the Comfortable Chapters to the Romans 8.10 15. Hebrews 11.12 And upon your knees thank God that ever ye were accounted worthy to suffer any thing for his Names sake Read the second Chapter of Luke and there you shall see how the Shepherds that watched their Sheep all night as soon as they heard that Christ was born at Bethelem by and by went to see him They did not reason not debate with themselves who should keep the Wolf from the Sheep in the mean time but did as they were commanded and committed their Sheep unto him whose pleasure they obeyed So let us do now we be called commit all other things to him that calleth us He will take heed that all things shall be well He will help the Husband he will comfort the Wife he will guide the Servants he will keep the House he will preserve the Goods yea rather then it should be undone he wil wash the Dishes and rock the Cradle Cast therefore all your care upon God for he careth for you Besides this you may perceive by your imprisonment that your Adversaries weapons against you be nothing but flesh and blood and tyranny for if they were able they would maintain their Religion by Gods Word but for lack of that they would violently compel such as they cannot by holy Scripture perswade because the holy Word of God and all Christs doings be contrary unto them Ipray you pray for me and I will pray for you Fleet Jan. 24. 1555. In a Letter to certain of his Friends Pa. 156. Now is the time of trial to see