Rolph take heed of him he is a blood-sucker c. I fear not said Aâ—cock he shall do no more to me then God will give him leave and happy shall I be if God will call me to die for his Truths sake In his first Letter to Hadley he writes thus O my Brethren of Hadley why are ye so soon turned from them which called you into the Grace of Christ to another Doctrine Though those should come unto you that have been your true Preachers and preach another way of salvation then by Jesus Christs death and passion hold them accursed yea if it were an Angel came from Heaven and would tell you that the sacrifice of Christs body upon the Cross once for all were not sufficient for all the sins of all those that shall be saved accursed be he Why cometh this plague upon us Cometh not this upon thee because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Thine own wickedness shall reprove thee and thy turning away shall condemn thee that thou mayest know how evil and hurtful a thing it is that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Algerius Pomponius Algerius whilst he was a Prisoner at Venice before he was burnt at Rome writ thus in his comfortable Letter to the Christians departed out of Babylon into Mount Sion To mitigate your sorrow which you take for me I cannot but impart unto you some portion of my joyes which I feel to the intent you may rejoyce with me I shall utter that which scarce any will believe I have found a nest of honey an honey-comb in the entrails of a Lion In the deep dark Dungeon I have found a Paradise of pleasure In the place of sorrow and death tranquility of hope and life where others do weep I do rejoyce when others do shake and tremble there I have found plenty of strength and boldness in strait bands and cold irons I have had rest Behold he that was once far from me now is present with me whom once I could scarce feel I now see most apparently whom once I saw afar off now I behold near at hand whom once I hungred for the same now approacheth and reacheth his hand unto me he doth comfort me and heapeth me up with gladness he driveth away all bitterness he ministreth strength and courage c. O how easie and sweet is the Lords yoke Learn ye well-beloved how amiable the Lord is how meek and merciful who visiteth his servants in temptations neither disdaineth he to keep company with us in such vile and stinking Caves Will the blind and incredulous world think you believe this or rather will it not say thus No thou wilt never be able to abide long the burning heat the pinching hardness of that place c. The rebukes and frowning faces of great men how wilt thou suffer Dost not thou consider thy pleasant Countrey the Riches of the World thy Kinsfolk the delicate pleasures and Honours of this life Dost thou forget the solace of thy Sciences and fruit of all thy Labours Wilt thou thus lose all thy labours which thou hast hitherto sustained Finally fearest thou not death which hangeth over thee O what a fool art thou which for one words speaking mayest salve all this and wilt not But now to answer Let this blind world hearken to this again What heat can there be more burning then that fire which is prepared for thee hereafter What things more hard and sharp and crooked then this present life which we lead What thing more odious and hateful then this world here present And let these worldly men here answer me What Countrey can we have more sweet then the Heavenly Countrey above What treasures more rich or precious then everlasting life and who be our Kinsmen but they which hear the Word of God Where be greater riches or dignities more honourable then in Heaven And as touching the Sciences let this foolish world consider Be not they ordained to know God whom unless we do know all our labours our night-watchings our studies and all our enterprises here serve to no purpose all is but labour lost Furthermore let the miserable worldly men answer me What remedy or safe refuge can there be unto him who lacks God who is the life medicine of all men how can he be said to fly from death when he himself is already dead in sin If Christ be the way verity life how can there be any life without Christ The solely heat of the Prison to me is coldness the cold winter to me is a fresh spring in the Lord. He that feareth not to be burned in the fire how will he fear the heat of weather Or what careth he for the pinching frost which burneth for the love of the Lord The place is sharp and tedious to them that be guilty but to the innocent it is mellifluous Here droppeth the delectable dew here floweth the pleasant Nectar here runneth the sweet milk here is plenty of all good things In this world there is no mansion firm to me and therefore I will travel up to the New Ierusalem which is in Heaven and which offereth it self to me without paying any Fine or Income I have travelled hitherto laboured and sweat early and late watching day and night and now my travels begin to come to effect What man can now cavil that these our labours are lost which have followed and found out the Lord and Maker of the World and which have changed death with life If to die in the Lord be not to die but to live most joyfully where is this wretched worldly Rebel which blameth us of folly for giving away our lives unto death O how delectable is this death to me to taste of the Lords Câ—p. I am accused of foolishness for that I do not rid my self out of these troubles when with one word I may But doth not Christ say Fear not them which kill the body but him which killeth both body and soul and whosoever shall confess me before men him will I also câ—nâ—ess before my Father which is in Heâ—vâ—n and he that denieth me before men him will I also deny before my Heavenly Father Seeing the words of the Lord be so plain how or by what authority will this wise Counsellor approve this his counsel which he doth give God forbid that I should relinquish the commandements of God and follow the counsels of men for it is written Blessed is the man that hath not gâ—ne in the way of sinners and hath not stood in the counsel of the ungodly c. Psal. 1.1 God forbid I should deny Christ where I ough to confess him I will not set more by my life then by my soul neither will I exchange the life to come for this world here present This Letter he underwrit thus From the delectable Orchard of Leonine Prison 12 Calend. August An. 1555. Allen. Sir Edmond Tyrrel bidding Rose Allen to give her Father and Mother
Malefactour You have heard a Sentence of death pronounced against me by the Priests c. I stand in your presence whom God hath made Princes your Power is above their Tyranny before you do I expose my cause I cannot resist to suffer what you think just but least my lenity and patience should make you negligent in the defence of me in my just cause c. I dare not conceal That if you murder me which thing ye do if ye defend me not ye make your selves and this whole City guilty of my blood whereupon they freed him from the Sentence The same this Prophet did before Zedekiah This will more plainly appear in the fact of Saint Paul He appealed from all judgement of the Priests at Ierusalem to the Emperour It seems that his Cause was greatly to be suspected partly for that he refused the judgement of those that had most knowledge as all men supposed of Gods Will and Religion and partly because he appealed to the Emperour who then was at Rome far absent from Ierusalem a man ignorant of God and enemy to all vertue But the Apostle considering the nature of his enemies and what things they had intended against him did not fear to appeal from them c. grounding himself upon his innocency he neither regarded the displeasure of Festus nor the brunt of the ignorant multitude but appealed to Caesar c. What I think of mine own person God will reveal when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed c. But touching the Doctrine and Cause for which that adulterous and wicked generation of Antichrists Servants who will be called Bishops among you have condemned me I fear not neither do I shame to confess and avow before man and Angel to be the eternal truth of the eternal God and in that case I doubt not to compare my self with any member in whom the Truth hath been impugned since the beginning Seeing that my battel is against the proud and cruel hypocrites of this Age as that battel of those most excellent instruments was against the false Prophets and Malignant Church of their ages No man ought to think it strange that I compare my self with them with whom I sustain a common cause But lest that some doubt remain that I require more of you then you of conscience are bound to grant I purpose briefly but yet freely to speak what God by his Word doth assure me to be true 1 That in conscience you are bound to punish Malefactours and to defend Innocents imploring your help 2 That God requireth of you to provide that your Subjects be rightly instructed in his true Religion and that the same be by you reformed whensoever abuses do creep in by the malice of Satan and negligence of men 3 That you are bound to remove from Honour and to punish with Death if the Crime so require such as deceive the people or defraud them of that food of their souls I mean Gods lively Word After that Mâ—ses had declared what was true Religion viz. To honour God as he commanded adding nothing to his Word neither diminishing any thing from it and after also he had vehemently exhorted them to observe the same Law he denounceth the punishment against the transgressours If thy Brother Son Daughter Wife or Neighbour whom thou lovest as thine own life sollicite thee secret saying Let us go serve other gods c. let not thine eye spare him c. Observe here 1 That such as sollicitate onely to idolatry ought to be punished to death without favour or respect of person c. 2 That the punishment of such crimes as are Idolatry Blasphemy and others that touch the Majesty of God doth not appertain to Kings onely but also to the whole body of the people and every member thereof according to his vocation c. God even streightly commandeth that a City declining to idolatry should fall by the edge of the Sword and that the whole spoil of the same should be burned no portion of it reserved that the Lord may turn from the fury of his wrath c. hinting that by the defection and idolatry of a few Gods wrath is kindled against the whole which is never quenched till such punishment be taken upon the Offenders that whosoever served them in their idolatry be brought to destruction because that it is execrable and accursed before God If any think that this is contrary to the practise of the Apâ—stles who finding the Gentiles in idolatry did call them to repentance requiring no such punishment I answer That the Gentiles before the preaching of Christ were never avowed by God to be his people nor received into his houshold neither were his Laws given unto them to be kept in Religion nor Policy and therefore no corporal punishment was inflicted on them c. But after they repented of their idolatries and embraced and made one people with the believing Iews they were subject to the same Law as the Iews were and were liable to the same punisâ—ment if they returned to idolatry again In universal defections and a general revolt such as was in Israel after Ieroboam there is a diverse consideration for then because the whole people were conspired against God none could be found to execute the punishment God had appointed till God raised up Iehu whom he appointed for that purpose I know that your Bishops c. will cry A damned Heretick ought not to be heard But remember my Lords what I protested in the beginning upon which ground I continually stand I am no Heretick no deceivable Teacher but the Servant of Christ Jesus a Preacher of his infallible Verity innocent in all they can lay to my charge c. and therefore am unjustly condemned from which cruel Sentence I have appealed and do appeal as before in the mean time most humbly requiring your Honours to take me into your protection to be Auditors of my just defences granting unto me the same liberty which Ahab a wicked King and Israel at that time a blinded people granted to Elijah in the like case viz. that your Bishops and the whole rable of your Clergy may be called before you and before the people whom they have deceived that I be not condemned by multitude custome authority or law devised by man but that God himself may be judge betwixt me and my adversaries Let God I say speak by his Law Prophets Christ Jesus Apostles and so let him pronounce what Religion he approveth and then be my enemies never so many and appear they never so strong and learned no more do I fear victory then did Elijah being but one man against the multitude of Baal's Priests And if they think to have advantage by their Councils and Doctors this I farther offer to admit the one and the other as witnesses in all matters debatable three things which justly cannot
hear me patiently seeing I am appointed to die and look daily when I shall be called to come before the eternal Judge and therefore you cannot think but that I onely study to serve my Lord God and to say that thing which I am perswaded assuredly by Gods Word shall and doth please him and profit all to whom God shall give grace to hear and believe what I do say If the Popes supremacy be necessary to salvation to be owned How chanced it that ye were all my Lords so light as for your Princes pleasures H. 8. and E. 6. which were but mortal men to forsake the Unity of your Catholick Faith i. e. to forsake Christ and his Gospel How chanced it also that ye and the whole Parliament did not onely abolish and expell the Bishop of Rome but also did abjure him in your own persons and did decree in your Acts great Oaths to be taken for that purpose On the other side if the Law and Decree which maketh the supremacy of the See and Bishop of Rome over the universal Church of Christ be a thing of necessity required unto salvation by an Antichristian Law as it is indeed then my Lords never think other but the day shall come when ye shall be charged with this your undoing that which once ye had well done and with this your perjury and breach of your Oath which Oath was done in judgement justice and truth agreeable to Gods Law The Whore of Babylon may for a time dally with you and make you so drunken with the wine of her filthy stews and whoredomes as with her dispensations and promises of pardon a poena culpa that you may think your selves safe but be ye assured when the Living Lord shall try the matter by fire and judge it according to his Word unless ye repent without all doubt ye shall never escape the hands of the Living God for the guilt of your perjury and breach of your Oath then shall ye drink of the Cup of the Lords indignation and everlasting wrath which is prepared for the Beast his false Prophets and all their partakers For he that is partner with them in their whoredomes and abominations must also be partner with them in their plagues and be thrown with them into the Lake burning with brimstone and unquenchable fire In his Letter to the Prisoners c. and Exiles For the fervent love that the Apostles had unto their Master Christ and for the great commodities and increase of all godliness which they felt by their faith to ensue of afflictions in Christs Cause And thirdly For the heaps of heavenly joyes which the same do get unto the godly which shall endure in Heaven for evermore for these causes they rejoyced that they were accounted worthy to suffer contumelies and rebukes for Christs Name And Paul was so much in love in that which the carnal man loatheth so much i. e. with Christs Cross that he judged himself to know nothing else but Christ crucified he gloried in nothing else but Christs Cross. Why should we Christians fear death Can death deprive us of Christ who is all our comfort our joy and our life Nay forsooth But on the contrary Death shall deliver us from this mortal body which loadeth and beareth down the Spirit that it cannot so well perceive heavenly things in the which so long as we dwell we are absent from the Lord. And who that hath a right knowledge of Christ our Saviour that he is the eternal Son of God life light the wisdome of the Father all goodness all righteousness and whatsoever heart can desire yea infinite plenty of all these above that that mans heart can conceive or imagine for in him dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily and also that he is given us of the Father and made of God to be our wisdome our righteousness our holiness and our redemption who I say is that believeth this indeed that would not gladly be with his Master Christ To die in the defence of Christs Gospel is our bounden duty to Christ and also to our neighbour to Christ for he died for us and rose that he might be Lord of all and seeing he died for us we also saith St. Iohn 1 Ioh. 3. should jeopard yea give our life for the Brethren Farewell dear Brethren farewell and let us comfort our hearts in all troubles and in death with the Word of God for Heaven and Earth shall perish but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever In his Lamentation for the change of Religion in England Of late in every Congregation throughout all England was made Prayer and Petition unto God to be delivered from the Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities from all false doctrine and heresie and now alas Satan hath perswaded England by his falâ—hood and craft to revoke her old godly prayer c. This is one maxime and principle in Christs Law He that denieth Christ before men him shall Christ deny before his Father and all his holy Angels in Heaven Now then seeing the doctrine of Antichrist is returned again into this Realm and the higher Powers alas are so deceived and bewitched that they are perswaded it to be Truth and Christs true Doctrine to be errour and heresie and the old Laws of Anticrist are allowed to return with the power of their Father again What can be hereafter looked for of Christians abiding in this Realm but extreme violence of death or else to deny their Master Therefore prepare and arm thy self to die for both by Antichrists accustomable Laws and Scripture Prophesies there is no likelyhood of any other thing except thou wilt deny thy Master Christ which is the loss at the last of body and soul unto everlasting death My counsel to such as are yet at liberty is to flie from the plague and get them hence I consider not onely the subtilties of Satan and how he is like to deceive it it were possible even the chosen of God and also the great frailty which is oftentimes more in a man then he doth know in himself and which in the time of temptation will utter it self but also the examples of Christ Paul Elias c. and Christ saith When they persecute you in one City flie unto another Truly before God I think that the abomination that Daniel prophesied of so long before is now set up in the holy Place the Doctrine of Antichrist his Laws Rites and Religion contrary to Christ and to the true serving and worshipping of God I understand to be that abominition therefore now is the time in England for those words of Christ Then saith Christ they that be in Jewry let them flie into the Mountains then saith he mark this then for truly I am perswaded and I trust by the Spirit of God that this then is commanded By those in Iewry I understand such who truly confess one Living God and the
pure Law of God which proveth the best of us all damnable sinners in the light of God and that our best works are polluted in such sort as the Prophet describes them with the which manner of speaking our free-will Pharisees are much offended for it felleth all mans righteousness to the ground In his Letter to Mr. Augustine Bernher Pray for me that I may be strong and hardy to lay a good load on that bloody beast of Babylon O that I might so strike him down that he should never be able to rise again but that stroke belongeth onely to the Lord to strike at his coming which I hope will be shortly Carpenter All Bavaria said George Carpenter is not so dear to me as my wife and children yet for Christs sake I will forsake them cheerfully Carver Mr. Derick Carver being asked by Bonner whether he would stand for his Confession answered He would for your Doctrine is poyson and sorcery If Christ were here you would put him to a worse death then he was put to before At the stake he spake thus Dear Brethren and Sisters I am come here to seal with my blood Christs Gospel because that I know it to be true As many of you as do believe upon the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost unto everlasting life see you do the works pertaining to the same As many of you as do believe on the Pope of Rome you do believe to your utter condemnation and except the great mercy of God prevent not you shall burn in Hell perpetually In his Prayer O Lord my God thou hasâ— written He that will not forsake wife children house and all that ever he hath and take up his cross and follow thee is not worthy of thee Lord thou knowest that I have forsaken all to come unto thee Lord have mercy upon me for unto thee I commend my Spirit and my soul doth rejoyce in thee Chrysostome Eud xia the Emperess having sent him a very threatning message he gave this answer Go tell her Nil nisi peccatum timeo I fear nothing but sin When she had procured his banishment as he went forth of the City he said None of these things trouble me but I said within my self if the Queen will let her banish me the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if she will let her cast me into the sea I will remember Ionah if she will let her cast me into a burning fiery Furnace or among wild beasts the three children and Daniel were so dealt with if she will let her stone me or cut off my head I have St. Stephen and the Baptist my blessed Companions if she will let her take away all my substance Naked came I out of my Mothers womb and naked shall I return thither again He used to say the Devil 's first assault is violent resist that and his second will be weaker and that being resisted he proves a Coward Clarebachius I believe said Adolphus Clarebachius that there is not a merrier heart in the world at this instant then mine is Behold you shall see me die by that faith I have lived in Colham See Sir Iohn Oldcastle under the Letter O Clark When Roger Clark was sentenced he said with much vehemency Fight for your God for he hath not long to continue At the Stake he cried out to the people Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Coligni Iasper Coligni great Admiral of France who was slain in the Massacre at Paris August 24. 1572. being shot in the left Arm with two Bullets and the fore-finger of the right hand broke off with a third and being told by a Gentleman that it was to be feared the Bullets were poysoned he said All must be as it pleaseth God Seeing his Friends weep which held his Arm whilst the Incisions were made he said My Friends why do you weep I judge my self happy that bear these wounds for the Cause of my God To Mr. Merlin his Chaplain he said These wounds my Friend are Gods blessings The smart indeed is troublesome but I acknowledge the will of my Lord therein and I bless his Majesty who hath been pleased thus to honour me and to lay any pain upon me for his holy Names sake Let us beg of him that he will enable me to persevere to the end Speaking concerning those that wounded him I know assuredly said he that it is not in their power to hurt me No though they should kill me for my death is a most certain passage to eternal life N When the Blood-hounds brake open the house where he lay wounded he spake thus I perceive what is a doing I was never afraid of death and I am ready to undergo it patiently for which â— have long since prepared my self I bless God that I shall die in the Lord. â— now need no longer any help of man therefore my friends get ye hence The presence of God to whose goodness I commend my soul is abundantly sufficiently for me Coâ—vâ—r Sheep we are for the slaughter said Francâ— Co'ver to his two Sons massacred together with himself this is no new thing let us follow millions of Martyrs through temporal death unto eternal life Coo. Roger Coo being asked by the Bishop of Norâ—ichâ— whether he would not obey the Kings Laws answered As far as they agree with the Word of God I will obey them Whether they agree with the Word of God or no we are bound to obey them said the Bishop though the King were an Infidel Coo replyed If Shadrach Mâ—shach and Abednâ—go had so done Neluchadnâ—zzar had neveâ— confessed the Living God Constantine Being carried with other Martyrs in a Dungâ— Cart to the place of Execution he spake thusâ— Well yet are we a precious odour and a sweeâ— savour to God in Christ. Cornford Iohn Cornford one of the last five that suffered Martyrdome in Queen Mary's dayes when thâ— Sentence should have been passed and they should have been executed by the Papists being moveâ— in Spirit with a vehement zeal for God in the namâ— of them all pronounced Sentence of Excommunication against the Papists in these words In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the most mighty God and by the power of the holy Spirit and the authority of his holy and Apostolick Church We do hereby give into the hands of Satan to be destroyed the bodies of those Blasphemers and Hereticks that do maintain any errour against his most holy Word or do condemn his most holy Truth for Heresie to the maintenance of any false Church or feigned Religion so that by this thy just judgement against thy Adversaries thy true Religion may be known to thy great glory and our comfort and to the edifying of all our Nation Lord Jesus So be it It is observable that within six dayes after this Excommunication Queen Mary died and the tyranny of all
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
stopt Romes breath And dead will be Romes death In this last Prayer Feb. 18. 1546. I pray God to preserve the Doctrine of his Gospel among us for the Pâ—pe and the Council of Trenâ— have grievous things in hand O heavenly Father my gracious God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ thou God of all consolation I give thee hearty thanks that thou hast revealed to met thy Son Jesus Christ whom I believe whom I profess whom I glorifie whom the Pope and the reut of the wicked persecute and dishonour I beseech thee Lord Jesus Christ receive my soul. O my heavenly Father though I be taken out of this life and must lay down this frail body yet I certainly know that I shall live with thee eternally and that I cannot be taken out of thy hands Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit Thou O God of Truth hast redeemed me In this last Will. O Lord God I thank thee that thou wouldst have me live a poor and indigent person upon earth I have neither house nor lands nor possessions nor money to leave Thou Lord hast given me Wife and children Them Lord I give back unto thee Nourish instruct and keep them O thou the Father of Orphans and Judge of the Widow as thou hast done to me so do to them When he saw his Daughter Magdalen ready to die he read to her Isa. 26.19 Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise c. Adding My Daughter Enter thou into thy Chamber in peace I shall ere long â—e with thee for God will not permit me to see the punishment which hangs over the head of Germany When the Elector gave him a new Gown he said I am made too much of for if here we receive a full recompence for our labours we shall hope for none in another life I say flatly That God shall not put me off with these low things In the Cause of God said he I am content to undergo the hatred and violence of all the world When his head was out of order as it used to be towards his later end he would usually say Strike Lord strike mercifully I am prepared because by thy Word I am forgiven mine iniquities and have fed upon thy body and blood He used to say that three things would destroy Christian Religion Forgetfulness of the Blessings received by the Gospel security which reigns every where and worldly wisdome which will seek to bring all things into Order and to support the publick Peace by wicked counsels Erasmus said of him God hath given to this later age a sharp Physician and that because of the greatness of its diseases Mr. Fox saith of him That Luther a poor Fryer should be able to stand against the Pope was a great miracle that he should prevail against the Pope was a greater and after all to die in peace having so many enemies was the greatest of all When Myconius fell into a Consumption 1541. and wrote to Luther That he was sick unto life and not unto death Luther wrote back I pray Christ our Lord our salvation and health c. that I may not live to see thee and some others of our Colleagues to die and go to Heaven and leave me here among the Devils alone I pray God I may first lay down this dry exhausted and unprofitable Tabernacle Farewell and God forbid that I should hear of thy death while I live The Lord prolong thy life for me This I desire this I will and let my will be done Amen for this will hath the glory of God not my pleasure nor advantage for its end By and by hopeless Myconius recovered and lived six years longer even till after Luther's death Hence Iustus Ionas speaking of him saith That man could have of God what he pleased He would by no means endure that any should be called after his Name for said he the Doctrine which I teach is none of mine neither did Idie for any man neither would Paul 1 Cor. 3.4 c. endure such terms Besides we are all Christians and profess the Doctrine of Christ And lastly because the Papists use to do so calling themselves Pontificians whom we nought not to imitate M. Mallot Often have we hazarded our lives said Iohn Mallot a Souldier for the Emperour Charles the Fifth and shall we now shrink to die for the King of Kings Let us follow our Captain Man Thomas Man having broken Prison after his recantation said If I be taken again of the pild knave Priests I wist well I shall go the holy Angel and then be an Angel in Heaven Accordingly the Sheriffe of London when he had brought him into Smithfield to be burnt put him into Gods Angel He thanked God that he had been instrumental to convert seven hundred persons Marbeck Iohn Marbeck was a skilfull Organist in the Quire of Windsor a man of admirable industry and ingenuity His English Concordance the first that ever was in English Bishop Gardiner himself could not but commend as a piece of singular industry King Henry the Eighth hearing thereof said That he was better imployed then those Priests that accused him Being prest to discover Hereticks and being told he could not do God and the King greater service If I knew said he who were Hereticks indeed it were somewhat But if I should accuse him to be an Heretick that is none What a worm would that be in my conscience so long as I live Yea it were a great deal better for me to be out of this life then to live in such torment He being called a Dolt who would not discover them who should be sent for and would utter then all they can of him Whatsoever said he they shall say of me let them do it in the Name of God I will say no more of them nor of any man else then I know Being further prest to write down what he knew of such he thus prayed unto God O most merciful Father of Heaven thou that knowest the secret doings of all men have mercy upon thy poor Prisoner that is destitute of all help and comfort Assist me O Lord with thy special grace that to save this frail and vile body which shall turn to corruption in its time I have no power to say or to write any thing that may be to the casting away of my Christian Brother but rather O Lord let this vile flesh suffer at thy will and pleasure Grant this O most merciful Father for thy dear Son Jesus Christs sake Then he rose up and began to search his Conscience what he might write and at last writ thus Whereas your Lordship will have me to write of such things as I know not of my Fellows at home May it please your Lordship to understand that I cannot call to remembrance any manner of thing whereby I may justly accuse any one of them
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
which cover his most filthy part This is not onely my saying but the Prophet Isaiah who saith He that preacheth lies is the tail behind Then said he unto them all Christ saith in his Gospel Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye close up the Kingdome of Heaven before men neither enter ye in your selves nor suffer any other that would enter into it but ye stop up the wayes thereunto by your own Traditions The Arch Bishop telling him That none should preach in his Diocess yea in his Iurisdiction that make division or dissention among the poor Commons He answered Both Christ and his Apostles were accused of sedition-making yet were they most peaceable men But Daniel and Christ prophesied That such a troublesome time should come as hath not been yet since the worlds beginning and this prophesie is partly fulfilled in your dayes c. Christ saith also If these dayes of yours were not shortned scarcely should any flesh be saved therefore look for it justly for God! will shorten your dayes Being asked what he said of the Pope He said As I said before so say I again That he and you together make up whole Antichrist After the Arch Bishop had read the Bill of his Condemnation the Lord Cobham said with a cheerfull countenance Though you judge my Body which is a wretched thing yet am I certain and sure ye can do no harm to my soul no more then could Satan to the soul of Iob. He that created that will of his infinite mercy and promise save it I have therein no manner of doubt And therewith he turned himself to the people and said with a loud voice Good people for Gods love be well ware of these men for they will else beguile you and lead you blind-fold into Hell with themselves for Christ saith plainly unto you If one blind man lead another they are like both to fall into a ditch After this he fell down upon his knees and before them all prayed thus for his enemies Lord God Eternal I beseech thee of thy great mercy sake forgive my pursuers if it be thy blessed Will Here it is observable That Arch Bishop Arundel that passed Sentence of Death against Lord Cobham did feel the stroke of Death and had the Sentence of God executed upon him before the Death of this famous Martyr The Arch Bishop died Feb. 20. 1414. and this condemned Lord survived his Condemner three or four years Oom Wonter Oom writes thus from his Prison at Antwerp Wellbeloved Brother and Sister whom I love dearly for the Truths sake and for your faith in Christ Jesus These are to certifie you that I enjoy the comfort of a good conscience c. Whosoever will forsake this present evil world and become followers of their Captain Christ must make account to meet with many persecutions for Christ hath told us aforehand that we should be hated persecuted and banished out of the world for his Names sake and this they will do because they have neither known the Father nâ—r me But be not afraid for I have overcome the world St. Paul also witnesseth the same thing saying All that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution and to you ie it given to suffer c. And doth not our Lord Iesus say Blessed are you when men persecute you and speak all manner of evil falsly c. Now whereto serveth all this but to bring us into a conformity with our Lord and Master Jesus Christ for Christ hath suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps He endured the Cross and despised the shame c. and became poor to make us rich By him also are we brought by faith into that state of grace wherein we stand rejoycing in the hope of the glory of God knowing that tribulation worketh patience c. Wherefore be not afraid of the fiery trial that is now sent among us to prove us for what father loving his child doth not correct it Even so doth the Lord correct those whom he loves for if we should be without correction whereof all true Christians are partakers then were we bastards and not sons And therefore Solomon saith Despise not the chastning of the Lord c. Fear not then to follow the footsteps of Christ for he is the Head and we are the Members We must after his example through many tribulations enter into Heaven Let us say with St. Paul Christ is unto me in life and death advantage and O wretched creatures that we are who shall deliver us from this body of death It is a good thing to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord and to bear the yoke in ones youth c. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord He is their strength in the time of trouble Wherefore giving all diligence let us adde to faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness c. Out of my Role Dec. 11. 1562. Origen When he was but seventeen years old his Father being carried to Prison he had such a fervent mind to suffer Martyrdome with him that he would have thrust himself into the Persecutors hands had it not been for his Mother who in the night time privily stole away his clothes and his very shirt also whereupon more for shame to be seen naked then for fear to die he was constrained to remain at home yet when he could do no more he wrote to his Father in Prison thus See O Father that you do not change your resolution for my sake His fame was so great that the Emperour Severus sent for him to come to Rome and commanded the Provost of Egypt to furnish him with all things necessary for his journey The Provost was very carefull to provide a Ship and divers Garments c. But Origen would receive no part thereof no not so much as hose or shoes but went in a single Garment of Cloth and bare foot went to Rome and when at his arrival there were brought to him a Mule and a Chariot to use which he liked best he answered That he was much less then his Master Christ who rode but one day in all his life and that was on a silly she Ass and therefore he would not ride except he were sick or decrepid as his legs might not serve him to go When he was brought into the presence of the Emperour and his Mother they saluted him and rejoyced much to see him Being demanded what he professed he answered Verity The Emperour asking him what he meant thereby It is the Word said he of the Living God which is infallible The Emperour asked which is the Living God and why he so called him Origen answered That he did put that distinction for a difference from them whom men being long drowned
the Truth the bitter pangs of death c. To die in Christs Cause is an high honour to the which no man should aspire but to whom God vouchsafeth that priviledge for no man is allowed to presume to take to himself any office of honour but he which is thereunto called of God Iohn saith well speaking of them which have obtained the Victory by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of his Testimony that they loved not their lives even unto death And our Saviour Christ saith He that shall lose his life for my Cause shall find it This manner of speech pertaineth not to one kind of Christians as the worldly do wickedly dream but to all that truly pertain to Christ for when Christ had called unto him the multitude together with his Disciples he said unto them Mark he said not this unto his Disciples or Apostles only but unto all Whosoever will follow me let him forsake or deny himself c. for whosoever will to save his life forsake me and my Truth shall lose it and whosoever shall lose c. Whosoever shall â—e ashamed of me and my words i. e. to confess me and my Gospel before this adulterous generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed c. Know thou O man of God that all things are ordained for the furtherance of thee towards thy salvation All things saith Paul work with the good to goodness c. It is not as the wicked think That poverty adversity sickness tribulation yea painfull death of the godly be tokens that God doth not love them but even the clean contrary Now thou O man of God for the Lords sake let us not for the love of this life tarry here too long and be occasion of delay of that glorious consummation of all Christs Sufferers in hope and expectation whereof the former Martyrs have departed in the Lord and the which also the living indued with Gods Spirit ought so earnestly to desire c. crying out Come Lord Iesus come Then shall our weak body be transfigured and made like to Christs glorious body and then shall we see and have the unspeakable joy and fruition of the glorious Majesty of our Lord even as he is Who or what then shall let us to jeopard yea to spend this life which we have here in Christs Cause in our Lord God his Cause O therefore thou man of God that art loaden and so letted like unto a great bellied woman that thou canst not flie the plague yet if thou lust after such things as I have spoken of stand fast whatsoever shall befall thee in thy Masters Cause and take this thy letting to flie for a call from God to fight in thy Master Christs Cause Of this be thou certain they can do nothing unto thee which thy Father is not aware of or hath not foreseen before they can do no more then it shall please him to suffer them to do for the furtherance of his glory edifying of his Church and thine own salvation O be not afraid and remember the end What I have spoken for the comfort of the big-bellied woman I mean to be spoken likewise to the Captive and Prisoner in Gods Cause for such I count to be as it were already summoned and pressed to fight under the Banner of the Cross of Christ and as it were Souldiers allowed and taken up for the Lords Wars to do their Lord and Master good and honourable service and to stick to him even unto death c. To conclude I say unto all that love Christ Jesus our Redeemer and Saviour that love to follow the wayes of the holy Ghost who is our Comforter and Sanctifier that love Christs Spouse and Body c. yea that love life and their souls health Hearken my dear Brethren and Sisters c. to the Word of our Saviour Jesus Christ spoken to his Apostles and meant to all his in St. Matthew's Gospel Fear not them which kill the body for they cannot kill the soul but fear him c. The Lord grant us of his heavenly grace and strength that here we may so confess him in this world amongst this adulterous generation that he may confess us again at the last day before his Father c. In his Reasons why Images should not be placed and erected in Churches First the words of the Command Exod. 20. repeated more plainly Deut. 27. where observe those words Thou shalt not make to thy self mean to any use of Religion and those And setteth it in a secret place imply that no man durst then commit Idolatry openly The reason why God gave this general Prohibition is lest thou being deceived shouldst bow down to them and worship them This general Law is generally to be observed though some be not hurt by them Moses was not deceived or seduced by Iethro's Daughter nor Boaz by Ruth a woman of Moab yet the general Law was to be observed Thou shalt not joyn thy children in marriage with strangers least she seduce thy Son c. If by vertue of the second Commandment Images were not lawfull in the Temple of the Jews then by the second Command they are unlawfull in the Churches of Christians but c. in the Tabernacle and Temple of God no Images were appointed openly to beset nor by practice afterwards used or permitted so long as Religion was purely observed therefore c. For the second Command is moral and not ceremonial c. The Jews by no means would consent to Herod Pilate or Peâ—ronius that Images should be placed in the Temple at Jerusalem but rather offered themselves unto death then to consent unto it Besides that Iosephus commends them for observing the meaning of the Law sure they would not have endangered themselves so far if they had thought Images had been indifferent in the Temple of God Athâ—nasius tells us The invention of Images came of no good but of evil and whatsoever hath an evil beginning can never in any thing be judged good seeing it is wholly naught Tâ—rtullian expounding those words Little Children beware of Images saith That the meaning is as if he had said Little Children keep your selves from the shape it self or form of them Images in the Church either serve to edify or to destroy If they edify then there is one kind of edification which the Scriptures neither teach nor command but alwayes disallow if they destroy they are not to be in the Church The Command of God is Thou shalt not lay a stumbling-block before the blind and cursed is he that maketh the blind wander in his way Images are snares and traps for the feet of the ignorant Images do not stir up the mind to Devotion but distract the mind from Prayer hearing of Gods Word c. Hence in the Council-chamber of the Lacedemonians no picture was suffered least in Consultation of the weighty matters of the
the Scripture to be altered When the Emperour threatned to banish him c. if he obeyed not he said Those Bug-bears were to be propounded to Children but for his part though they might take away his life yet they could not hinder him from professing the Truth When Modestus the Praefect asked him Know you not who we are that command it No body said Basil whilst you command such things Know ye not said the Praefect that we have Honours to bestow upon you They are but changeable said Basil like your selves Hereupon he threatned to confiscate his Goods to torment him to banish him or kill him he answered He need not fear confiscation that had nothing to lose nor banishment to whom Heaven onely is a Countrey nor torments when his body would be dash'd with one blow nor death which is the onely way to set him at liberty The Praefect telling him he was Mad he said Opto me in aeâ—â—ernum sic delirare I wish I may for ever be thus Mad. The Praefect another time threatning him with death he said Would it would fall out so well on my side that I might lay down this carkass of mine in the quarrel of Christ and in the defence oâ— his Truth who is my Head and Captain The Praefect desiring that he would not by rashly answering throw himself away offered him a day and night to consider further of it but Basil said I have no need to take further counsel about this matter Look what I am to day the same thou shalt find me to morrow but I pray God that thou change not thy mind Benden Alice Benden when she was in Prison at Canterbury agreed with a fellow Prisoner to live both of them with two pence half penny a day to try thereby how well they could sustain penury and hunger before they were put to it At her first coming into the Bishops Prison she was much troubled and expostulated why her Lord did suffer her to be sequestred from her loving Fellowes in so extreme misery But was comforted by these words Why arâ— thou so heavy O my soul The right hand of the Lord can change all At the stake she took forth a shilling of Philip and Mary which her father had bowedâ— and sent her when she was first in Prison desiring her Brother there present to return the same to her Father again that he might understand she never lacked money whilst she lay in Prison Bennet Mr. Thomas â—ennet a School-master in Exceter being press't by a Doctour a Gray Frier to recant for putting upon the doors of the Cathedral in Schedules That the Pope is Antichrist and that we ought to worship God onely and not the Saints said I take God to record my life is not dear to me I am weary of it seeing your detestable doings to the utter destruction of Gods flock so that I desire death that I may no longer be partaker of your detestable idolatries and superstitions or be subject unto Antichrist your Pope Away from me I pray you vex my soul no longer ye shall not prevail If I should hear and follow you this day everlasting death should hang over me a just reward for them that prefer the life of this world before life eternal Berger Peter Berger burnt at Lions 155â— beholding the multitude at the stake said Great is the Harvest Lord send Labourers I see the heavens open to receive me Bâ—tken When she was brought to the Rack she said My Masters wherefore will you put me to this torture seeing I have no way offended you Is it for my Faith's sake you need not torment me for that for as I was never ashamed to make confession thereof no more will I be now at this present before you I will freely shew you my mind therein But for all 〈◊〉 when they proceeded on with what they inteâ—â—â—â— Alas my Masters said she If it be so that I must suffer this pain then give me leave first to call upon God Her request they granted whilst she waâ— praying one of the Commissioners was so surâ—â—â—â— with fear and terrour that by and by he swoâ—â—â— â—nd could not be fetcht again and so she escaâ—â—â— the torture Bilney Mr. Thomas Bilney in a Letter to Dr. Tonstal Bishop of London he gives this account of his conversion The woman which was twelve years vexed with the bloudy Flux had consumed all that she had upon Physicians and yet was still worse and worse untill such time as she came to Christ and after she had once touched the hem of his vesture through faith she was healed O mighty power of the most High which I also most miserable sinner have often tasted and felt Before I came to Christ I had likewise spent all I had upon ignorant Physicians They appointed me Fastings Watchings buying of Pardons and Masses c. But at last I heard speak of Jesus even then when the New Testament was first set out by Erasmuâ— At first I was allured to read rather for the Latine having heard it was eloquently done then for the Word of God At the first reading I hit upon this sentence of St. Paul O most sweet and comfortable sentence to my soul in 1 Tim. 1. It is a true saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief This sentence through Gods instruction and inward working did so exhilarate my heart being before wounded with the guilt of my sins insomuch that my bruised bones leapt for joy After this the Scripture began to be more pleasant to me then the honey or the honey-comb Therein I learned that all my Travels all my Fasting and Watching all the redemption of Masses and Pardons without faith in Christ were but a hasty and swift running out of the right way or else much like the vesture made of Fig-leaves wherewithall Adam and Eve went about in vain to cover their nakedness and could never obtain quietness and rest till they believed in the promise of God that Christ the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head Neither could I be relieved or eased of the sharp stingings of my sins before I was taught of God that even as Moses exalted the serpent in the Desart so shall the Son of man be exalted that all which believe on him should not perish but have everlasting life As soon as I began to taste and savour this heavenly Lesson which none can teach but God onely I desired the Lord to encrease my faith And at last I desired nothing more then that I being so comforted by him might be strengthened by his holy Spirit and grace from above to teach the wicked his wayes which are mercy and truth that the wicked may be converted unto him by me who sometimes was also wicked Accordingly I did teach and set forth Christ being made for us by God his Father our Wisdome Righteousness
of prison for alonely by it the Devil hath a door to tempt and so to hurt me If it were dissolved and I out of it then could Satan no more hurt me then wouldst thou speak unto me face to face then the conflicting time were at an end then sorrow would cease and joy would encrease and I should enter into inestimable rest In his Meditation for exercise of true mortification He that will be ready in weighty matters to deny his own will and to be obedient to the will of God the same had need to accustome himself to deny his desires in matters of less weight and to exercise mortification of his will in trifles If we cannot watch with Christ one hour as he saith to Peter we undoubtedly can much less go to death with him Wherefore that in great temptations we may be ready to say with Christ Not my will but thine be done c. Help me to accustome my self continually to mortifie my concupiscence of pleasant things i. e. of wealth riches glory liberty favour of men meats drink apparel ease yea and life it self c. In his Meditation of Gods Providence This ought to be unto us most certain that nothing iâ— done without thy Providence O lord i. e. without thy Knowledge i. e. without thy Will Wisdome and Ordinance for all these Knowledge doth comprehend in it c. This will we must believe most assurely to beâ— all just and good howsoever otherwise it seem so unto us But though all things be done by thy Providence yet Providence hath many and diversâ— means to work by which means being contemned thy Providence is contemned also Indeed when means cannot be had then should we not tye thy Providence to means but make it free as thou art free for it is not of any need that thou usest any instrument or mean to serve thy Providence Thy Power and Wisdome is infinite and therefore should we hang on thy Providence even when all is clean against us Grant Dear Father that I may use this knowledge to my comfort and commodity in thee i. e. Grant that in what state soever I be I may not doubt but the same doth come to me by thy most just Ordinance yea by thy merciful Ordinance for as thou art just and thou art merciful yea thy mercy is above all thy works Look for thy help in time convenient not onely when I have means by which thou mayest work and art so accustomed to do but also when I have no means but am destitute yea when all means be directly and clean against me grant I say yet that I may still hang on thee and on thy Providence not doubting of a Fatherly end in thy good time And least I should contemn thy Providence or presuming upon it by uncoupling those things which thou hast coupled together preserve me from neglecting thy ordinary and lawful means in all my needs if so be I may have them and with a good conscience use them although I know thy Providence be not tyed to them farther then pleaseth thee Howbeit so that I depend in no part on the means or on my diligence wisedome and industry but on thy Providence which more and more perswade me to be altogether fatherly and good how far soever otherwise it appear yea is felt of me In his Meditation of Gods presence There is nothing that maketh more to true godliness of life then the perswasion of thy presence Dear Father and that nothing is hid from thee but all to thee is open and naked even the very thoughts which one day thou wilt reveal either to our praise or punishment in this life as thou didst David's faults 2 King 12. or in the life to come Mat. 25. Grant to me Dear God mercy for all my sins especially my hid and close sins c. and that henceforth I alwayes think my self conversant before thee so that if I do well I pass not the publishing of it as Hypocrites do if I do or think any evil I may know that the same shall not alwayes be hid from men Grant me that I may alwayes have in mind that day wherein all my works shall be revealed so in trouble and wrong I shall find comfort and otherwise be kept through thy grace from evil In his Meditation of God's powâ—r beauty and goodness Because thou Lord wouldest have us to love thee not onely dost thou will entice allure and provoke us but also dost command us so to do promising thy self unto such as love thee and threatning us with damnation if we do otherwise whereby we may see both our great corruption and naughtiness and also thine exceeding great mercy towards us What a thing is it that power riches authority beauty goodness liberality truth justice which all thou art good Lord cannot move us to love thee whatsoever things we see fair good wise mighty are but even sparkles of thy power beauty goodness wisdome which thou art In his Meditation of death c O Dear Father That our hearts were perswaded that when we go out of the prison of the body and so taken into thy blessed company then Whatsoever good we can wish we shall have and whatsoever we loath shall be far from us c. Then should we live in longing for that which we now most loath If we remember the good things that after this life shall ensue without wavering in the certainty of faith the passage of death shall be the more desired It is like a sailing over the sea to thy home and countrey it is like a medicine or purgation to the health of the soul and body It is the best Physician It is like a woman in travail for as the child being delivered cometh into a more large place then the womb wherein it did lye before so the soul being delivered out of the body cometh into a much more large and â—air place even into Heaven In his Prayer for the remission of sins O gracious God who seekest all means possible how to bring thy children to the feeling and sure sense of thy mercy and therefore when prosperity will not serve then sendest thou adversity graciously correcting them here whom thou wilt shall with thee elsewhere live for ever We poor Misers give humble praises and thanks to thee Dear Father that thou hast vouchsafed us worthy of thy correction at this present hereby to work that which we in prosperity and liberty did neglect For the which neglecting and many other our grievous sins whereof we now accuse our selves before thee most merciful Lord thou mightest have most justly given us over and destroyed both souls and bodies But such is thy goodness towards us in Christ that thou seemest to forget all our offences and wilt that we should suffer this Cross now laid upon us for thy Truth and Gospels sake and so to be thy witnesses with the Prophets Apostles Martyrs
will strengthen me therein When he was told that his four Quarters should be hanged at four parts of Calice and his Head upon the Lanthern-gate Then shall I not need said he to provide for my Burial Delos Alas said Iames Delos to the Monks that called him proud Heretick here I get nothing but shame I expect indeed preferment hereafter Denley Mr. Iâ—hn Denlâ—y being entreated by Bishop Bonner to recant said God save me from your Counsel In the Fire with the burning flame about him he sung a Psalm and having his face hurt with a Fagot hurled at him he left singing for a while and clapt his hands in his bleeding face and afterwards put his hands abroad and sung again till he died Dionysius Dionysius Areopagita who seeing the generâ—â—â— Eclipse of the Sun at Christ's death said to oneâ— Either the God of Nature now suffers or the frame of the World shall be dissolved and to another God unknown in the flesh doth suffer When he was apprehended by Sisinius the Praefect and sharply reproved for preaching against the worship of their Gods and required to confess his errour said That they were no gods whom they worshipped but Idols the works of mens hands and that it was through meer ignorance folly and idolatry that they adored them adding that there was but one true God as he had preached After he was grievously tormented he was brought before Sisinius the second time who sentenced him to be beheaded forthwith Dyonisius told him he worshipped such Gods as would perish like Dâ—ng upon the Earth but as for my self said he come life come death I will worship none but the God of Heaven and Earth He pray'd thus at his death O Lord God Almighty thou onely-begotten Son and Holy Spirit O Sacred Trinity which art without beginning and in whom is no division Receive the soul of thy Servant in peace who is put to death for thy Cause and Gospel He used to say That he desired these two things of God 1 That he might know the Truth himself and 2 That he might preach it as he ought to others Driver Alice Driver in her first Examination havâ—ng got her Adversaries to acknowledge that a Sacrament is a sign and that it was Christ's Body his Disciples did eat the night before he was crucified Seeing it is said she a sign it cannot be the thing signified and how could it be Christ's Body that was crucified seeing his Disciples had eaten him up over night except he had two Bodies At the end of her second Examination She said Have you no more to say God be honoured You be not able to resist the Spirit of God in me a poor Woman I was an honest poor man's Daughter never brought up in the University as you have been but I have driven the Plough before my Father many a time I thank God yet notwithstanding in the defence of God's Truth and in the Cause of my Mr. Christ by his Grace I will set my foot against the foot of any of you all in the maintenance and defence of the same and if I had a thousand lives they should go for payment thereof When she was tied to the Stake and the iron Chain put about her neck O said she here is a goodly Neckerchief blessed be God for it Drowry Thomas Drowry the blind Boy to whom Bishop Hooper as he was going to the Stake after he had examined him said Ah poor Boy God hath taken from thee thy outward sight but he hath given thee another sight much more precious He that endued thy soul with the eye of Knowledge and Faith Shortly after Bishop Hooper's Martyrdome was cast into Prison Afterwards the Chancellor of Glocester asking him who taught him that Heresie that Christ's Body was not really present in the Sacrament of the Altar he said You Mr. Chancellor when in yonder Pulpit you taught us that the Sacrament was to be received spiritually by Faith and not carnally and really as the Papâ—â— teach But said the Chancellor Do thou as I haâ—â— done and thou shalt live as I do and escape buâ—â—ing Though you said Drowry can so easily dâ—â—pense with your Conscience and mock God aâ—â— the World yet will not I do so Then said tâ—â— Chancellor I will condemn thee God's Will bâ—â— fulfilled said Drowry E. Edward King Edward the Sixth our English Iâ—sias being prest by Archbishop Cranmer and Bishop Ruley to permit the Lady Mâ—ry to have Mass in heâ—â— House after he had argued notably against iâ—â—bid them be content for he would spend his life and all he had rather then to agree to and graâ—â—â— that he knew certainly to be against the Truth and then fell a weeping insomuch that the Bishop wept as fast as he and the Archbishop tolâ— Mr. Cheek his Scholar had more Divinity in hiâ—â— little finger then all they had in all their Bodies Elizabeth The Lady Elizabeth afterward Queen of England when she came out of the Barge at Traytorâ— Stairs going into the Tower said Here landed as true a Subject being a Prisoner as ever landeâ— at these Stairs And before thee O God I speak it having no other Friends but thee alone Her Gentleman-Usher weeping she demandeâ— of him what he meant so uncomfortably to use her seeing she took him to be her Comfort and not to dismay her especially for that she knew her Truth to be such that no man should have cause to weep for her When the Doors of the Prison were locked and bolted upon her she called for her Book desiring God not to suffer her to build her foundation upon the Sands but upon the Rock wâ—ereby all blasts of blustering weather should have no power against her When she was locked up close in Prison at first she was much daunted but afterwards she brake forth into this Speech The skill of a Pilot is unknown but in a Tempest the valour of a Captain is unseen but in a Battel and the worth of a Christian doth not appear but in time of Tryal and Temptation Mr. Burrough's Mos. Self-denial pag. 31. Upon Gardeners and other Counsellors strict Examination of her she said My Lords you do sift me very narrowly but well I am assured you shall not do more to me then God hath appointed and so God forgive you all Some telling her that they were perswaded God would not suffer Sir Henry Bâ—nâ—field to make her away privately Well said she God grant it be so for thou O God canst mollifie all such tyrannous hearts and disappoint all such cruel purposes and I beseech thee to hear thy Creature which am thy Servant and at thy Command trusting by thy Grace ever so to remain As she passed over the Water to Richmond going towards Windsor in their Journey to Woodstock she espied certain of her old Servants standing on the other side very desirous to see her and sent one of her men standing by unto
men it is impossible for humane wisedom to comprehend the Doctrine of God for which cause Christ saith Father I thank thee that thou hast hid these secrets from the wise men of the world and hast revealed them unto Babes When those two Malefactors that were coupled with him brake Prison and fled he might have escaped but fearing his flight might be imputed to the godly Christians in the City he would not fly When he was advertised of his Sentence He thanked God for advancing him to so high an honour as to be counted worthy to suffer for his Name As he passed forth from the Court viewing the people who waited to see him he said See here how this wicked world rewards the poor Servants of Christ. Whilst I gave my self to drunkenness c. I was never in danger of these bands lifting up his hands which were bound I was then counted a good fellow and at that time who but I But no sooner began I by conversion to ask after a godly life but the world made war upon me and became my enemy persecuting and imprisoning me and now lest of all sending me to the place where I must pay my last debt But the Servant is no better then his Lord for seeing they persecuted him no question they will persecute us At the Stake he said Brethren I fight under the Standard and in the quarrel of my great Lord and Captain Christ. I am now going to be crucified follow you me when God of his goodness shall call yoâ— to it He was burnt Nov. 4. An. 1560. Hierome I find two of this Name 1. Mr. William Hierome Vicar of Stepney near London Being accused for preaching against Magistrates he affirmed as before he had preached That 〈◊〉 Magistrate of himself could make any Law or Laws 〈◊〉 bind the infeâ—i ur people unless it were by the power and authority of his or their Princes to him or them given but onely the Prince Adding If the Prince make Laws consenting to Gods Laws we are bound to obey them and if he make Laws repugnant to the Laws of God c. yet we are bound not violently to resist or grudge against him At the Stake he gave the following Exhortation to the people I say unto you good Brethren that God hath bâ—ught us all with no small price neither with gold nor silver nor other such things of small value but with his most precious blood Be not unthankful therefore but do what you can to keep his Commandments i. e love your Brethren If God hath sent thee plenty help thy neighbour that hath need give him good counsel if he lack Bear your Cross with Christ. Let all Christians put no trust nor confidence in their works but in the blood of Christ to whom I commit my soul beseeching you all to pray to God for me and for my Brethren here present with us c. 2. Mr. Hierome of Prage When he was brought Prisoner to Constance several of the Bishops said unto him Hierome why didst thou fly and didst not appear when thou wast cited He answered Because I could not have any safe conduct c. and I would not my self be the occasion of my perils and danger but if I had known of this citation although I had been in Bohemia I would have returned again When certain cried out Let him be burned let him be burned He answered If my death doth delight and please you in the Name of God let it le so When he was welcomed to Prison by a Friend of Mr. Hus saying to him Be constant and fear not death for the Truths sake of the which when you â—ere at liberty you did preach so much goodness He answered Truly Brother I do not fear death and forâ—smuch as we know that we have spoken much thereof in times past let us now see what may be known or done in â—ffect Vitus asking him how he did He answered Truly Brother I do very well After a long sore imprisonment he was forced to recant and consent unto the death of Mr. Iohn Hus that he was justly condemned and put to death but his hopes of freedome thereupon were disappointed for they caused him to be carried back unto the same Prison but not so straitly chained and bound as before After his Recantation and Consent to the death of Mr. Hus he refused to answer to any Questions propounded to him in private except he might be brought before the Council They supposing he would confirm his former Recantation sent for him May 25. An. 1416. When he was brought before them he began with Prayer to God beseeching him to give him Spirit ability and utterance which might most tend to the profit and salvation of his own soul. Then he spake unto them thus I know that there have been many excellent men which have suffered much otherwise then they have deserved being oppressed with false witnesses and condemned with wrong judgement as Socrates Plato Anaxagoras Zeno Boetius Moses Ioseph Isaiah Daniel and almost all the Prophets c. Iohn Baptist Christ Stephen and all the Apostles who were condemned to death not as good men but as seditious stirrers up of the people and contemners of the gods and evil doers This was the old manner of ancient and learned men and most holy Elders that in matters of Faith they did differ many times in Arguments not to destroy the Faith but to find out the Verity So did Augustine and Hierome dissent As for Mr. Hus he was a good just and holy man to his knowledge and much unworthy that death which he did suffer At last he added That all the sinâ— that ever he had committed did not so much gnaw and trouble his conscience as did that onely sin which he had committed in that most pestiferous fact whenas in his Recantation he had unjustly spoken against that good and holyman and his Doctrine and especially in consenting to his wicked condemnation Concluding that he did utterly revoke that wicked Recantation which he made in that cursed place and that he did it through weakness of heart and fear of death and that whatsoever he had spoken against that blessed man he had altogether lied upon him and that it did repent him with his whole heart that ever he did it Being again brought forth to have judgement given him and prest to recant what he had before spoken in open audience in commendation of Mr. Wickliffe and Mr. Hus He said unto them I take God to my witness and I protest here before you all that I do believe and hold the Articles of the Faith as the holy Catholick Church doth hold and believe the fame but for this cause shall I now ceâ—oondemned for that I will not consent with you to the condemnation of those most holy and blessed men aforesaid whom you have most wickedly condemned for their detesting and abhorring your wicked and abominable life
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
testifie before Gods enemies Gods Truth May 6. 1554. Yours and with you unto death in Christ J. H. In his Letter to his Wife As the Devil hath entred into their hearts that they themselves cannot or will not come to Christ to be instructed by his holy Word so can they not abide any others to become Christians and lead their lives after the Word of God but hate persecute rob imprison and kill them whether male or female though they have never offended Gods or Mans Law yea though they daily pray for them and wish them Gods grace having no respect to nature The Brother persecuteth the Brother the Father the Son and most dear Friends are become most mortal Enemies And no marvel for they have chosen sundry Masters the one the Devil the other God The one agree with the other as God and the Devil agree between themselves As he that was born after the flesh persecuted in times pâ—st him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now Therefore forasmuch as we live in this life amongst so many great perils and dangers the onely remedy is what Christ hath appointed Ye shall possess your selves in patience When troubles come we must be patient and in no case violently nor seditiously to resist our persecutors because God hath such care of us that he will keep in the midst of all troubles the very hairs of our heads c. And seeing he hath such care of the hairs of our heads how much more doth he care for our life it self Their cruelty hath no farther power then God permitteth and that which cometh unto us by the will of our heavenly Father can be no harm loss destruction to us but rather gain wealth and felicity That the spirit of man may feel these consolations the giver of them the heavenly Father must be prayed unto for the merits of Christs Passion for it is not the nature of man that can be contented until it be regenerated and possessed with Gods Spirit to bear patiently the troubles of mind or body When the mind of man sees troubles on every side threatning poverty yea death except the man weigh these brittle and uncertain treasures that be taken from him with the riches of the life to come and this life of the body with the life in Christs blood and so for the love and certainty of the heavenly joyes contemn all things present doubtless he shall never be able to bear the loss of goods and life The Christian mans faith must be alwayes upon the resurrection of Christ when he is in trouble and in that glorious resurrection he shall see continual joy yea victory and triumph over all persecution trouble sin death hell the Devil and all other persecutors the tears and weepings of the faithful dried up their wounds healed their bodies made immortal in joy their souls for ever praising the Lord in conjuction and society everlasting with the blessed company of Gods Elect in perpetual joy If ye le risen with Christ seek the things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father When he biddeth us seek the things that are above he requireth that our minds never cease from prayer and study in Gods Word until we see know and understand the vanities of this world the shortness and misery of this life and the treasures of the world to come the immortality thereof the joyes of that life and so never cease seeking until such time as we know certainly and be perswaded what a blessed man he is that seeketh the one and findeth it and careth not for the other though he lose it and in seeking to have right judgement between the life present and the life to come we shall find how little the pains imprisonment slanders lies and death it self is in the world in respect of pains everlasting the Prison infernal and Dungeon of Hell the Sentence of Gods Judgement and everlasting Death When a man hath by seeking the Word of God found out what the things above be then must he set his affections upon them And this Command is more hard then the other for for mans knowledge many times sees the best men know that there is a life to come better then this present c. Yet they set not their affection upon it they do more affect and love indeed a trifle of nothing in this world that pleaseth their affection then the treasure of all treasures in Heaven We must set our affections on things above i. e. when any thing worse then Heaven offereth it self to be ours if we will give our good wills to it and love it in our hearts then ought we to see by the judgement of Gods Word whether we may have it without Gods displeasure if we cannot if the riches of this world may not be gotten nor kept by Gods Law neither our lives continued without the denial of his honour we must set our affections upon the riches and life that is above and not upon things that be upon the earth This second Command requires that as our mind judgeth Heavenly things to be better then Earthly and the life to come better then the present life so we should chuse them before other and prefer them c. These things be easie to be spoken of but not so easie to be used and practised Read Psa. 88. wherein is contained the prayer of a man that being vexed with Adversaries and persecutions saw nothing but death and hell apprehending not onely man but God angry with him yet he by Prayer humbly resorted unto God and put the hope of his salvation in him whom he felt his enemy In this Command possess your lives by your patience God requires every one to be patient he saith not It is sufficient that other holy Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Evangelists and Martyrs continued their lives in patient suffering the troubles of this world but Christ saith it to every one of his people By your patience continue you your life not that man hath patience in himself but that he must have it for himself of God the onely Giver of it if he purpose to be a godly man Besides as our Profession and Religion requireth patience outwardly without resistance and force so requireth it patience of the mind and not to be angry with God although he use us that be his own creatures as him listeth We may not murmure against God but say alwayes his Judgements be right and just and rejoyce that it pleaseth him to use us as he used heretofore such as he most loved in this world Have a singular care to this command be glad and rejoyce c. he sheweth great cause why because your reward is great in Heaven Christ also takes from us all shame and rebuke as though it were not an honour to suffer for him because the wicked world doth curse and abhor such poor troubled Christians He placeth all
of their Faith Against fleshly lust preach continually all that ever you can for that is the raging beast which devoureth men for whom the flesh of Christ did suffer In another Letter O holy God how largely doth Antichrist extend his power and cruelty But I trust that his power shall be shortned and his iniquity shall be detected more and more amongst the faithful people Let Antichrist rage so much as he will yet he shall not prevail against Christ. I am greatly comforted in those words of our Saviour Happy be you when men shall hate you and shall separate you and shall reâ—uke you and shall câ—st out your name as execrable for the Son of man Rejoyce and be glad for great is your reward in Heaven O worthy yea a most worthy consolation which not to understand but to practiae in time of tribulation is an hard Lesson Certainly it is a great matter for a man to rejoyce in trouble and to take it for joy to be in divers temptations A light matter it is to speak it and to expound it but a great matter to fulfill it For why our most patient and most valiant Champion himself c. was troubled in spirit and said My soul is heavy unto death c. and yet he notwithstanding being so troubled said to his Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled O most merciful Christ draw us weak creatures after thee for except thou shouldst draw us we are not able to follow thee Without thee we can do nothing much less enter into the cruel death for thy sake Give us that prompt and ready spirit a bold heart an upright faith a firm hope and perfect charity that we may give our lives patiently and joyfully for thy Names sake In another Letter I love the counsel of the Lord above gold and precious stones Wherefore I trust in the mercy of Jesus Christ that he will give me his Spirit to stand in his Truth Pray to the Lord for the spirit is ready but the flesh is weak Know this for certain that I have had great conflicts by dreams in such sort as I had much ado to refrain from crying out I dreamed of the Popes escape before he went and after the Lord Iohn had told me thereof immediataly in the night it was told me that the Pope should return to you again I dreamed also of the apprehending Mr. Hierom although not in full manner as it was done All the imprisonments whither and how I am carried were opened to me before although not fully after the same form and circumstance Many Serpents oftentimes appeared to me having heads also in their tail but none of them could bite me These things I write not esteeming my self a Prophet or that I extol my self but onely to signifie to you what temptations I had in body and also in mind and what great fear I had lest I should transgress the Commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ. In a Letter to the Lord Iohn de Clum I pray you expound to me the dream of this night I saw how that in my Church of Bethlem they came to raze all the Images of Christ and did put them out The next day after I arose and saw many Painters which made more fairer Images and many more then I had done before which thing I was very glad and joyful to behold And the Painters with much people about them said Let the Bishops and Priests come now and put out these Pictures Which being done much people seemed to me in Bethlem to rejoyce and I with them and I awaking therewith felt my self to laugh c. This Vision the Lord Iohn and Mr. Hus himself in his Book of Epistles Ep. 45. seemeth to expound and applieth the Images of Christ to the preaching of Christ and of his life The which preaching and doctrine of Christ though the Pope and Cardinals should extinguish in him yet did he foresee and declare that the time should come wherein the same doctrine should be revived again by others so plenteously that the Pope with all his power should not be able to prevail against it In the Forty eighth Epistle seeming to speak with the same Spirit of Prophesie he hath these words But I trust those things which I have spoken within the House hereafter shall be preached upon the top of the House In a certain Treatise also by him written De Sacerdotum Monachorum carnalium abominatione speaking Prophetically of the reformation of the Church he hath these words Moreover hereupon note and mark by the way that the Church of God cannot be reduced to its former dignity or be reformed before all things first be made new The truth whereof is plain by the Temple of Solomon As my mind now giveth me I believe that there shall arise a new people formed after the new man which is created after God of the which people new Clerks and Priests shall come and be taken which all shall hate covetousness and the glory of this life hastening to an heavenly conversation All these things shall come to pass and be brought by little and little in order of times dispensed of God for the same purpose and this God doth and will do for his own goodness and mercy and for the riches of his great longanimity and patience giving time and space of repentance to them that have long lain in their sins to amend and flie from the face of the Lords fury whilest in the mean time the carnal people and carnal Priests successively shall fall away and be consumed as with the moth c. In another Letter You know how I have detested the avarice and inordinate life of the Clergy wherefore through the grace of God I suffer now persecution which shortly shall be consummate in me neither do I fear to have my heart poured out for the Name of Christ Jesus If you shall be called to any Cure in the Countrey let the honour of God and the salvation of souls move you thereunto and not the having of the living or Commodities thereof See that you be a Builder of your Spiritual House being gentle to the poor and humble of mind and waste not your goods in great fare I fear if you do not amend your life ceasing from your costly and superfluous apparel lest you shall be grievously chastised as I also wretched man shall be punished which have used the like being seduced by custome and evil men and worldly glory whereby I have been wounded against God with the spirit of pride And because you have notably known both my preaching and outward conversation even from my youth I have no need to write many things to you but to desire you for the mercy of Jesus Christ that you do not follow me in any such levity and lightness which you have seen in me You know how before my Priesthood which grieveth me now I have delighted oftentimes to play at Chess
the hatred of all men against me As I was not so fervent in rebuking manifest iniquity as I should so was I not so indifferent a feeder as is required of Christs Steward for the love of friends and carnal affection of some men with whom I was most familiar allured me to make more residence in one place then in another having more respect to the pleasure of a few then the necessity of many Moreover remaining in one place I was not so diligent as mine office required but sometime by counsel of carnal friends I spared the body some time I spent in worldly business of particular friends and sometime in taking recreation c. And albeit men may judge these to be light and small offences yet I acknowledge that unless pardon should be granted unto me in Christs blood that every one of these three offences deserved damnation And beside these I am assaulted yea infected and corrupted with seeking the favour estimation and praise of men O Lord be merciful to my great offence and deal not with me according to my great iniquity but according to the multitude of thy mercies remove from me the burden of my sin for of purpose and mind to have avoided the vain displeasure of man I spared little to offend thy Majesty Think not that I thus accuse my self without cause to appear more holy or to accuse my Brethren No God is Judge to my Conscience that I do it from an unfeigned and sore troubled heart This great tempest cometh from the great mercy of our heavenly Father to provoke us to unfeigned repentance for neither Preacher nor Professor did rightly consider the time of our merciful visitation but we spent our time as though Gods Word had rather been preached to satisfie our phantasies then to reform our evil manners Which thing if we earnestly repent then shall Jesus Christ appear unto our comfort be the storm never so great Haste O Lord for thy Names sake Observe next the vehemency of the fear which the Disciples indured in that great danger of longer continuance then any before They were in the midst of the raging Sea and it was night and Christ their Comforter absent from them and cometh not to them neither in the first second nor third Watch. What fear think you were they in Such as be in like danger in England do by this storm better understand then my Pen can express What we read here to have chanced to Christs Disciples and their poor Boat the same thing hath chanced doth and will chance to the true Church travelling like a Ship in the Sea of this troublesome World to the Haven of eternal felicity The wind that alwayes hath blown against the Church of God is the malice of the Devil As the wind is invisible and yet the poor Disciples feel that it troubleth and letteth their Ship so the pestilent envy of the Devil worketh in Reprobates so subtily that it cannot be espied by Gods Elect nor by his Messengers till first they feel the blasts thereof to blow their Ship backward As the vehement wind causeth the waves of the Sea to rage and yet the dead water neither knoweth what it doth nor can cease from being troubled and troubling Christs Disciples in their poor Ship so by the envy and malice of the Devil are wicked and cruel both Subjects and Princes whose hearts are like the raging Sea compelled to persecute the true Church of Christ and yet so blinded that they see not their manifest iniquity nor can they cease to run to their own destruction The whole malice of the Devil hath alwayes this end to vex and overthrow Christs afflicted Church Albeit the Tyrants of the Earth have learned by long experience that they are never able to prevail against Gods Truth yet because they are bound Slaves to their Master the Devil they cannot cease to persecute the Members of Christ when the Devil bloweth his wind in the darkness of the night i. e. when the Light of Christs Gospel is taken away and the Devil reigneth by Idolatry Superstition and Tyranny It is fearful to be heard that the Devil hath such power over any man but yet the Word of God hath so instructed us and therefore we must believe it He is called the Prince and god of this world because he reigneth and is honoured by Tyranny and Idolatry in it He is called the Prince of darkness that hath power in the aire It is said he worketh in the children of unbelief c. And therefore wonder not that now the Devil rageth in his obedient Servants for this is their hour and power granted to them they cannot cease nor asswage their furious fumes for the Devil their Sire stirreth moveth and carrieth them at his will I do not attribute to him or them power at their pleasure but onely as God shall suffer When therefore I hear what the ravenous Lions do I pray O Lord those cruel Tyrants are loosed by thy hand to punish our former ingratitude whom we trust thou wilt not suffer to prevail for ever but when thou hast corrected us a little and hast declared to the world the tyranny that lurked in their boldened breasts then wilt thou break their jaw-bones and wilt shut them up in their Caves again that the generation and posterity following may praise thy holy Name before thy Congregation Amen I know that God shall yet shew mercy to his afflicted Church in England and repress the pride of these present Tyrants as he hath done those that were before us Therefore beloved Brethren in our Saviour Jesus Christ hold up to God your hands that are fainted through fear and hear the voice of your God who sweareth by himself that he will not suffer his Church to be oppressed for ever and that he will not despise our sobs to the end if we will rowe and strive against this vehement wind I mean if that ye will not turn back headlong to Idolatry then shall this storm be asswaged in despight of the Devil Be not moved from the sure Foundation of your Faith for albeit that Christ Iesus be absent from you as he was from his Disciples in that great storm by his bodily presence yet he is present by his mighty power and grace He standeth upon the mountain in security and rest i. e. his flesh and whole humanity is now in Heaven and can suffer no such trouble as once he did yet he is full of pity and compassion and doth consider all our travel anguish and labours wherefore it is not to be doubted but that he will suddenly appear to our great comfort The tyranny of this world cannot keep back his coming more then the blustering wind and raging Seas let Christ to come to his Disciples looking for present death We gave you warning of these dayes long ago for the reverence of Christs blood let these words be noted The same Truth that spake
Fornicatâ—res Adulteros judicabit Dominus i. e. Whoremongers and Adulterers God will jundge In his Letter to Mrs. Wiâ—kinson out of Bocardo in Oxford If the gift of a pot of cold water shall not be in oblivion with God how can God forget your manifold and bountiful gifts when he shall say to you I was in Prison and you visited me God grant us all to do and suffer while we be here as may be to his will and pleasure Amen Yours in Bocardo H. L. In his Letter to Dr. Ridley You say except the Lord assist me with his gracious aid in the time of his Service I shall I know play but the part of a white-livered Knight Truth it is for Without me saith Christ ye can do nothing much less suffer death of our Adversaries through the Bloody Law prepared against us But it followeth If you abide in me and my Word abide in you ask what you will and it shall be done for you What can be more comfortable Better a few things well pondered then to trouble the memory with too much You shall prevail more with praying then with studying though mixture be best for so one shall alleviate the tediousness of the other I intend not to contend much with them in words after a reasonable account of my Faith given for it shall be but in vain They will say as their Fatherr said when they have no more to say We have a Law and by our Law he ought to die Be ye stedfast and unmoveable Stand fast If ye abide if ye abide c. But we shall be called obstinate sturdy ignorant heady and what not So that a man hath need of much patience that hath to do with such men Diotrephes now of late did ever harp upon Unity Unity Yea Sir said I but in Verity not in Popery Better is a diversity then an unity in Popery The Marrow-bones of the Mass are altogether detestable and therefore by no means to be born withall so that of necessity the mending of it is to abolish it for ever What fellowship hath Christ with Antichrist Come forth from among them and separate your selves from them saith the Lord. It is one thing to be the Church indeed and another thing to counterfeit the Church I thank you that you have vouchsafed to minister so plentiful Armour unto me being otherwise altogether unarmed saving that he cannot be left destitute of help who rightly trusteth in the help of God I onely learn to die in reading of the New Testament and am still praying to my God to help me in time of need My Prayer shall you not lack trusting that you do the like for me for indeed there is the help c. There is no remedy now they have the Master bowl in their hand and rule the roast but patience Better it is to suffer what cruelty they will put upon us then to incur Gods high indignation Wherefore be of good cheer in the Lord duly considering what he requireth of you and what he doth promise you Our common enemy shall do no more then God will permit him God is faithful who will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength c. Be at a point what you will stand to stick unto that and let them both say and do what they list They can but kill the body which is of it self mortal neither shall they do that when they list but when God will suffer them when the hour appointed is come Let them not deceive you with their sophistical sophisms and fallacies you know that false things may have more appearance of truth then things that be most true Remember Paul's watch-word Let no man deceive you with likeliness of speech Fear of death doth most perswade a great number be well ware of that argument The flesh is weak but the willingness of the spirit shall refresh the weakness of the flesh The number of the Cryers under the Altar must needs be fulfilled If we be segregated thereunto Happy are we That is the greatest promotion that God giveth in this world to be such Philippians to whom it is given not onely to believe but to suffer c. But who is able to do these things Surely all our ability all our sufficiency is of God He requireth and promiseth Let us declare our obedience to his will when it shall be requisite in the time of trouble yea in the midst of the fire When that Number is fulfilled which I ween shall be shortly then have at the Papists when they shall say Peace all things are safe c. Christ shall come gloriously to the terrour of all Papists but to the great consolation of all that will here suffer for him Comfort your selves one another with these words Pray for me pray for me I say pray for me I say for I am sometime so fearful that I would creep into a Mouse-hole sometime again God doth visit me with his comfort So he cometh and goeth to teach me to feel and know mine infirmity to the intent to give thanks to him that is worthy lest I should rob him of his due as many do yea almost all the world Farewell Fare you well once again and be thou stedfast and unmoveable in the Lord. Paul loved Timothy marvellous well notwithstaing he saith unto him Be thou partaker of the affliction of the Gospel and again Harden thy self to suffer afflictions Be faithfull unto death and I will give thee a Crown of Life saith the Lord. Mr. Fox records one Letter more of this holy mans which he wrote when he was Bishop of Worcester to a Iustice of Peace who could not at first bear his being told by this Servant of God his fault in oppressing and wronging a poor man but sent him word in great displeasure that he would not take it at his hands c. but afterward proved a good man in which Letter his close is very observable Consider with your self saith Mr. Latimer what it is to oppress and defraud your Brother and what followeth thereof It is truly said The sin is not forgiven except the thing be restored again that is taken away No restitution no salvation which is as well to be understood of things gotten by fraud guile and deceit as of things gotten by open theft and rollery I will do the best I can and wrestle with the Devil omnibus vâ—riâ—us to deliver you and your Brother out of his possession I will leave no one stone unmoved to have you both saved There is neither Arch Bishop nor Bishop nor any learned man in either University or elsewhere that I am acquainted with that shall not write to you and by their learning confute you There is no godly man of Law in this Realm that I am acquainted with but they shall write to you and confute you by Law There is neither Lâ—rd nor Lady nor any Noble person in
they labourel with Gods Word c. Wherefore until such time as our consciences are otherwise taught and instructed by Gods Word we cannot with safeguard of our consciences take it as many suppose at this time And we trust in God that the Queens Highness and her most Honourable Council will not in a matter of Faith use compulsion or violence because Faith is the gift of God and cometh not of man or of mans Laws nor at such time as men require it but at such time as God giveth it Being asked whether he would stand to what he had said I must need stand to it said he till I be perswaded by a further truth It being replied Nay you will not be perswaded but stand to your own Opinion Nay said he I stand not to mine own Opinion God I take to witness but onely to the Scriptures of Gâ—d and I take God to witness that I do nothing of presumption but that that I do is onely my Conscience and if there be a further truth then I see except it appear a truth to me I cannot receive it as a truth And seeing Faith is the gift of God and cometh not of man for it is not you that can give me Faith nor no man else therefore I trust ye will bear the more with me seeing it must be wrought by God and when it shall please God to open a further truth to me I shall receive it with all my heart In his Confession of his Faith The Lord is the Protector of my life The just shall live by Faith and if he withdraw himself my soul shall have no pleasure in him Thus have I declared my Faith briefly which were no Faith if I were in doubt of it This Faith I desire God to increase in me Praise God for his gifts Nicaise Nicaise a Say-maker in Tournay for refusing to live according to the Customes of the Romish Church and to observe the traditions invented by her c. being condemned and having heard the sentence as he rose up he said Now praised be God As he was led to execution seeing a great multitude of people he lifted up his voice and said O ye men of Tournay open your eyes awake ye that sleep and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give ye light As he joyfully ascended up the Scaffold he said Lord they have hated me without a cause As he was fastning to the Stake he said Eternal Father have pity and compassion upon me according as thou hast promised to all that ask the same of thee in thy sons Name Noyes When Iohn Noyes was asked by his Brother in Law if he did fear death when the Bishop gave judgement against him he answered He thanked God he feared death no more at that time then himself or any other did being at liberty Being bound to the Stake he said Fear not them that can kill the body but fear him that can kill both body and soul and cast it into everlasting fire When he saw his Sister weeping and making moan for him he bade her Weep not for him but weep for her sins When a Fagot was set against him he took it and kissed it and said Blessed be the time that ever I was born to come to this He said also Good people bear witness that I do believe to be saved by the merits and passion of Jesus Christ and not by my own deeds When the fire was kindled and burned about him he said Lord have mercy upon me Christ have mercy upon me Son of David have mercy upon me In his Letter to his Wife out of Prison You desired me to send you some tokens to remember me I therefore send you these Scriptures even for a remembrance St. Peter saith Dearly beloved be not troubled with this heat that is now come among you to try you as though some strange thing had hapned unto you but rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory appeareth ye may be merry and glad If ye be railed on for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God restest on you See that none of you suffer as a Murtherer c. but if any suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but glorifie God in this behalf for the time is come that judgement must begin at the House of God If it first begin at us what shall the end of them be that believe not the Gospel of God Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in well doing St. Paul saith All that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution St. Iohn saith See that ye love not the world nor the things of the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him for all that is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world which vanisheth away and the lust thereof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for ever St. Paul saith What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness what company hath light with darkness or what part hath the Believer with the Infidel c. Wherefore come out from among them and separate your selves now saith the Lord and touch no unclean thing so will I receive you and I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty So farewell Wife and Children and leave worldly care and see that ye be diligent to pray Take no thought saith Christ saying what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink or wherewith shall we be clothed after all these things do the Geneiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things but seek ye first the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereâ—f and all these things shall be ministred to you O. Oâ—colampadius He fell sick in the year 1531. and of his age 49. about the same time that Zuinglius was unhappily slain His grief for his death much increased his sickness He foretold his own death was very desirous to enjoy the heavenly Light Sending for the Ministers of the Gospel to him he spake to them thus O my Brethren you see what is done The Lord is come he is he is now calling me away What shall I say unto you the Servants of the Lord whom the love of God your Master the same study and doctrine have most intimately united now that I am to take my leave of you Salvation hopes of Heaven Truth Light for our feet is procured by Christ for us It becomes us to cast away all sadness all fear of life and death c. My Brethren this onely remains That we who have for some time walked in the wayes of Christ continue constant
hath the people to be offended with us for not receiving of a Jesus Christ of wood We bear upon our hearts the Cross of Christ the Son of the everliving God feeling his Word written therein in letters of Gold Baudicon beginning to sing on the Scaffold the Sixteenth Psalm a Frier cried out Do ye hear my Masters what wicked errours these Hereticks sing to beguile the people withall whereupon Baudicon replyed Thou simple Idiot callest thou the Psalms of David the Prophet Errours But no marvel for thus you are wont to blaspheme against the Spirit of God Then turning his eye to his Father who was about to be chained to the Stake he said Be of good courage Father the worst will be past by and by The old man complaining of the blow which the Executioner gave him on the foot as he was fastning to the Post a Frier said Ah these Hereticks they would be counted Martyrs forsooth but if they be but touched a little they cry out as if they were killed Whereupon Baudicon said Think you then that we fear the Tormentâ—rs No such matter for had we feared the same we had never exposed our bodies to this so shameful and painful a kind of death Then he often reiterated those short breathings O God Father everlasting accept the sacrifice of our bodies for thy wellbeloved Son Jesus Christ his sake With his eyes fixed on Heaven he said to his Father Behold for I see Heavens open and millions of Angels ready prest to receive us rejoycing to see us thus witnessing the Truth in the view of the world Father let us be glad and rejoyce for the joyes of Heaven are set open to us When the fire was kindled he often repeated this in his Fathers ear Faint not Father nor be afraid yet a very little while and we shall enter into the Heavenly Mansions The last words they were heard to pronounce were Iesus Christ thou Son of God into thy hands we commend our spirits Iane the Wife of Robert whilst in Prison separated from her Son Martin was drawn away by a Monk and prevailed with to let go her first faith and having promised to draw her Son Martin from his errours he was suffered to come to her which when he understood O Mother said he what have you done Have you denied him who hath redeemed you Alas What evil hath he done you that you should requite him with this so great an injury and dishonour Now I am plunged into that wo which I have most feared Ah good God! that I should live to see this This pierceth me to the very heart His Mother hearing this and seeing his tears she with tears cried out O Father of mercies be merciful to me miserable sinner and cover my transgression under the righteousness of thy blessed Son Lord enable me with strength from above to stand to my first Confession and make me to abide stedfast therein even to my last breath When they that had seduced her came to her again with detestation she said Avoid Satan get thee behind me from henceforth thou hast neither part nor portion in me I will by the help of God stand to my first Confession and if I may not sign it with ink I will seal it with my blood When Iane and Martin heard the Sentence past returning to Prison they said Now blessed be our God who causeth us thus to triumph over our Enemies This is the wished hour Our gladsome day is come Let us not then said Martin forget to be thankfull for the honour he doth us in conforming us to the image of his Son Let us remember those that have traced this death before us for this is the high way to the Kingdome of Heaven Let us then good Mother go on boldly out of the Camp with the Son of God bearing his reproach with all his holy Martyrs for so we shall find passage into the glorious Kingdome of the everliving God Some of the Company not brooking these words said We see now thou Heretick that thou art wholly possest body and soul with a Devil as was thy Father and Brother who are both in Hell Martin replied Sirs as for your railings and cursings our God will this day turn them into blessings in the sight of all his holy Angels A certain Temporizer endeavouring to stagger Martin by the consideration of the multitude that believed not as he did his Mother said Sir Christ Jesus our Lord saith That it is the wide gate and broad way that leadeth to destruction and therefore many go in thereat but the gate is narrow that leadeth to life and few there be that find it Do ye then doubt whether we be in the strait way or no when ye behold our sufferings Would you have a better sign then this to know whether we are in the right way Compare our Doctrine with that of your Priests and Monks We for our part are determined to have but one Christ and him crucified We onely embrace the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament Are we deceived in believing that which the holy Prophets and Apostles have taught Martin being asked Whether he thought himself wiser then so many learned Doctors answered I pray you Sir doth not Christ our Lord tell us That his Father hath hid the secrets of his Kingdome from the wise and prudent and revealed them to Babes And doth not the Lord oftentimes catch the wise in their own craftiness Then came into the Prison to Martin two men of great Authority and perswading him to recant promised him great matters c. Martin gave them this answer Sirs you present before me many temporal commodities but alas do you think me so simple as to forsake an eternal Kingdome for enjoying a short transitory life No Sirs it is too late to speak to me now of worldly commodities Speak of those spiritual ones which God hath prepared for me to day in his Kingdome I purpose not to hearken after any other Onely let me crave one hours respite to my self to give my self to Prayer Afterwards Martin declared the effect of this combate to certain Brethren in Prison saying Let us lift up our heads Brethren the brunt is over this I hope is their last assault Forget not I pray you the holy Doctrine of the Gospel nor those good Lessons which you have learned from our Brother Guy probably he meant Mr. Guy de Brez of whom before in letter B. Manifest it now to all that you have received them not onely into your ears but also into your hearts Follow me We lead you the way Fear not God will never leave you nor forsake you Iane having ascended the Scaffold cried out to Martin Come up come up my Son As Martin was speaking to the people she said Speak out Martin that it may appear to all that we die not Hereticks She being bound to the Stake said We are Christians and that which we now suffer is
to the joyes of thy salvation Now all ye which behold my wound tremble for fear and take heed that ye slumber not nor fall into the like crime but rather let us assemble together and rend our hearts c. I mourn and am sorry at the heart-root O ye my Friends that ever I so fell c. Let the Angels lament over me because of this my dangerous fall Let the Assemblies of Saints lament over me for that I am severed from their blessed societies Let the holy Church lament over me for that I am wofully declined Let all the people lament over me for that I have my deaths wound Bewail me that am in like case with the reprobate Jews for this which was said unto them by the Prophet Why dost thou preach my Laws c. now soundeth alike in mine ears What shall I do that am thus beset with manifest mischiefs Alas O death why dost thou linger Herein thou dost spite and bear me malice O Satan what mischief hast thou wrought unto me How hast thou pierced my breast with thy poysonous dart Thinkest thou that my ruine will avail any thing at all Thinkest thou to procure to thy self any ease or rest whilst that I am grievously tormented who is able to signifie unto thee whether my sins be wiped and done away whether I shall not again be coupled with and made a Companion to the Saints O Lord I fall down before thy Mercy-seat have mercy upon me who mourn thus out of measure because I have greatly offended Rid my soul O Lord from the roaring Lion The Assembly of the Saints doth make intercession for me who am an unprofitable Servant Shew mercy O Lord to thy wandring Sheep who is subject to the rending teeth of the ravenous Wolf save me O Lord out of his mouth c. Let my sackcloth be rent asunder and gird me with joy and gladness Let me be received again into the joy of my God Let me be thought worthy of his Kingdome through the earnest Petitions of the Church which sorroweth over me and humbleth her self to Jesus Christ in my behalf to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all glory and honour for ever and ever Amen Ormes Cicely Ormes of Norwich was taken for that she said to two Martyrs at the Stake That she would pledge them of the same Cup. The Chancellour of Norwich offered her That if she would go to the Church and keep her tongue she should be at liberty and believe as she would She told him She would not consent to his wicked desire therein do with her what he would for if she should she said God would surely plague her Then the Chancellour told her He had shewed more favour to her then ever he did to any and that he was loth to condemn her c. But she answered him That if he did he should not be so desirous of her sinful flesh as she would by Gods grace be content to give it in so good a quarrel Before she was taken this time she had recanted but never was quiet in Conscience till she had forsaken all Popery Between the time she had recanted and now was taken she had provided a Letter for the Chancellour to let him know that she repented her recantation from the bottom of her heart and would never do the like again while she lived but before the Letter was delivered she was taken When she came to the Stake she kneeled down and prayed and then said Good people I believe in God the Gather God the Son and God the Holy Ghost three Persons and one God This do I not nor will I recant but I recant utterly from the bottom of my heart the doings of the Pope of Rome and all his Popish Priests and Shavelings I utterly refuse and never will have to do with them again by Gods grace And good people I would ye should not think of me that I believe to be saved in that I offer my self here unto the death for the Lords Cause but I believe to be saved by Christs Death and Passion and this my death is and shall be a witness of my faith unto you all here present Good people as many of you as believe as I believe pray for me Laying her hand on the Stake she said Welcome the Cross of Christ. She was burnt at the same Stake that that Simon Miller and Elizabeth Cooper was burned at to whom she had said That she would pledge them c. After she had wiped her hand blacked with the Stake she touched the Stake again with her hand and kissed it and said Welcome the sweet Cross of Christ. After the Tormentors had kindled the sire about her she said My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour Oswald Iohn Oswald denied to answer any thing untill his Accusers should be brought face to face before him Nevertheless said he the Fire and Fagots cannot make me afraid but as the good Preachers which were in King Edward's dayes have suffered and gone before so am I ready to suffer and come after and would be glad thereof P. Palmer Mr. Iulius Palmer was wont to say None were to be accounted valiant but such as could despise injuries When he was a Papist he told Mr. Bullingham then a Papist also As touching our Religion even our Consciences bear witness that we taste not such an inward sweetness in the profession thereof as we understand the Gospellers to taste in their Religion yea to say the truth we maintain we wot not what rather of will then of knowledge But what then rather then I will yield to them I will beg my bread His Conversion was occasioned by the constancy of the Martyrs at their death he having oft said in King Edward's dayes That none of them all would stand to death for their Religion When he returned from the burning of Bishop Ridley and Bishop Latimer he cried out Oh raging Cruelty Oh Tyranny tragical and more then barbarous From that time he studiously sought to understand the Truth for which they suffered When he resolved upon leaving his Fellowship in Magdalens Colledge in Oxford he was demanded of a special Friend Whither he would go or how he would live He made this answer Domini est terra plenitudo ejus The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Let the Lord work I will commit my self to God and the wide world After his leaving his Fellowship being at Oxford he was perswaded to hear Frier Iohn that succeeded Peter Martyr in the Divinity Lecture and hearing him blaspheme the Truth departed and being found in his Chamber weeping and askt why he slipt away so on a sudden O said he if I had not openly departed I should have openly stopped my ears for the Friers blasphemous talk in depraving the Verity made my heart worse to smart then if mine ears had been cut off
him said Ah Master farewell Mr. Bradford said unto him Serve God and he will help thee Entring into Smithfield the way was foul and two Officers took him up to bear him to the Stake whereupon he said merrily What will ye make me a Pope I am content to go to my journeys end on foot Coming into Smithfield he kneeled down saying I will pay my vows in thee O Smithfield Kissing the Stake he said Shall I disdain to suffer at this Stake seeing my Redeemer did not refuse to suffer a most vile death upon the Cross for me In his Letter to the Christian Congregation It is a lamentable thing to behold at this present in England the faithless departing both of men and women from the true knowledge and use of Christs sincere Religion which so plentifully they have been taught and do know their own conscience bearing witness to the verity thereof If that earth be cursed of God which eftsoons receiving moisture and pleasant dews from Heaven doth not bring forth fruit accordingly how much more grievous judgement shall such persons receive which prove Apostates It is nâ—t onely given us to believe but also to confess and declare what we believe in our outward Conversation The belief of the heart justifieth and to acknowledge with the mouth makes a man safe Rom. 10 It is all one before God not to believe at all and not to shew forth the lively works of our belief Whosoever in time of tryal is ashamed of me saith Christ and of my words of him the Son of man will be ashamed before his Father The Prophet Aggeus 2. telleth us The Lord shaketh the earth that those might abide for ever which be not overcome Let no man deceive you with vain words saying That you may keep your faith to your selves and dissemble with Antichrist c. This is the wisdome of the flesh but the wisdome of the flesh is death and enmity of God as our Saviour for example aptly did declare in Peter who exhorteth Christ not to go to Ierusalem but counselled him to look better to himself We cannot serve two Masters we may not halt on both sides and think to please God Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost and whosoever doth profane the temple of God him will God destroy 2 Cor. 3. God judgeth all strange religion which is not according to his Institution for whoredome and adultery We must glorifie God as well in body as in soul moreorer we can do no greater injury to the true Church of Christ then to seem to have forsaken her by cleaving to her Adversaries Wo be to him by whom any such offence cometh it were better for him to have a milstone tied about his neck c. Such be Judasses Traitors to the Truth c. St. John in the Apocalyps telleth us plainly That none of those who are written in the Book of Life do receive the mark of the beast i. e papistical Synagogue either in their foreheads or hands i. e. apparently or obediently See the commands for separation Phil. 2. 2 Cor. 6. Rev. 18. 2 Thes. 3. Many will say for their vain excuse God is mercifull c. Truth it is The mercy of God is above all his works but cursed is he that sinneth upon hope of forgiveness Others say But we ought to obey the Magistrates although they be wicked true but God must have his due as well as Caesar his If they command any thing contrary to Gods Word we ought not to obey their commandments although we should suffer death therefore Acts 4. Dan. â— Some run to this If I be elected to Salvation I shall be saved whatsoever I do such verily may reckon themselves to be none of Gods elect Children that will do evil that good may-ensue Rom. 3. God having chosen us that we should be holy c. Eph. 1. The Lord open our eyes that we may see how dangerous it is to decline from the knowledge of Truth contrary to their conscience In his Letter to Iohn Carles I am in this world in Hell but shall be shortly lifted up to Heaven where I shall look continually for your coming and though I tell you that I am in Hell in the judgement of the world yet assuredly I feel in the same the consolation of Heaven I praise God and this loathsome and horrible Prison is as pleasant to me as the walk in the Garden of the Kings Bench. If God doth mitigate the ugliness of mine imprisonment what will he do in the rage of the fire whereunto I am appointed And this hath hapned unto me that I might be hereafter an ensample of comfort if the like happen unto you or any other of my dear Brethren with you c. Be joyfull under the Cross and praise the Lord continually for this is the whole burnt-sacrifice which the Lord delighteth in In another Letter to Careles Behold the goodness of God towards me I am careless being fast closed in a pair of Stocks which pinch me for very straitness and will you be carefull Be as your name pretendeth Cast all your care on God set the Lord before your eyes alwayes for he is on your right side that you should not be moved Praise God and be joyfull that it hath pleased him to make uâ— worthy to suffer somewhat for his Names sake The Devil must rage for ten dayes Written in a Cole-house of darkness out of a pair of painfull Stocks by thine own in Christ Iohn Philpot. In his Letter to certain godly women forsaking their own Countrey for the Gospel I read in the Evangelists of certain godly women that ministred unto Christ following him in the dayes of his Passion and never forsook him but brought oyl to anoint him being dead until he had shewed himself unto them after his Resurrection and bid them tell his dispersed Disciples that he was risen and they should see him in Galile To whom I may justly compare you my loving Sisters in Christ who of late have seen him suffer in his members and have ministred to their necessity anointing them with the comfortable oyl of your assistance even unto death and now seeing ye have seen Christ live in the ashes of them he willed you to go away and to declare to our dispersed Brethren and Sisters that he is risen and liveth in his elect Members in England and by death doth overcome infidelity and that they shall see him in Galile which is by forsaking this world c. Let your faith shine in a strange Countrey as it hath done in your own that your Father which is in Heaven may be glorified by you to the end Commend me to the whole Congregation of Christ willing them not to leave their Countrey without witness of the Gospel after that we all be slain which already be stalled up and appointed to the slaughter and in the mean season to pray earnestly for our constancy that
Christ may be glorified in us and in them both by life and death In his Letter to his Sister Fear not whatsoever is threatned of the wicked world prepare your back and see it be ready to carry Christs Cross and if you see any untowardness in you as the flesh is continually repugnant to the Will of God ask with faithfull Prayer that the good Spirit of God may lead your sinfull flesh whither it would not My dissolution I look for daily but the Lord knoweth how unworthy I am of so high an honour as to die for the Testimony of his Truth Pray that God would vouchsafe to make me worthy as he hath for long imprisonment for the which his Name be praised for ever In his Letter to certain godly Brethren It is an easie thing to begin to do well but to continue out in well doing is the onely property of the Children of God and such as assuredly shall be saved Blessed are they that persevere to the end God in Rev. 3. doth signifie to the Church That there shall come a time of temptation upon the whole world to try the dwellers on earth from the danger of which temptation all such shall be delivered as observe his Word which Word there is called the Word of patience to give us to understand that we must be ready to suffer all kind of injuries and slanders for the profession thereof Oh how glorious be the Crosses â—f Christ which bring the Bearers of them unto so blessed â—n end Shall we not be glad to be partakers of such shame as may bring us to so high a dignity It is commanded us by the Gospel not to fear them that can kill the body but to fear God who can cast both soul and body into Hell fire so much are we bound to observe this Commandment as any other which God hath given us Now it will appear what we love best for to that we love we will stick What loseth he which in this life receiveth an hundred for one with assurance of eternal life O happy exchange Even now he is of the City and Houshold of the Saints with God he possesseth the peace of God which passeth understanding and is made a fellow of the innumerable company of Heaven and a perpetual friend of all those that have died in the Lord from the beginning of the world Is not this more then an hundred fold Stand and be no cowards in the Cause of your Salvation for his Spirit that is in us is stronger then he which in the world doth now rage against us I beseech you with St. Paul to give your bodies pure and holy sacrifices unto God God tempteth us now as he did our Father Abraham commanding him to sacrifice his Isaac which signifieth mirth joy c. He by obedience preserved his Isaac alive God commands us to sacrifice our Isaac our joy which if we be ready to do as Aâ—raham was our joy shall not perish but live and be increased the Ram shall be sacrificed in the stead thereof onely the concupiscence of the flesh intangled with the cares of this stinging world shall be mortified To withstand the present temptations set before your eyes how our Saviour Christ overcame them in the desert and follow his example if the Devil tempt you to take a worldly wise way that you may have your fair Houses Lands and Goods to live on still say Man liveth not onely by bread c. If the Devil tempt you to forsake the Faith to be conformable to the learned men of the world say It is written a man shall not tempt his Lord God If the Devil offer you large promises of honour dignity c. so that ye will worship Idols say Go behind me Satan it is written a man must worship his Lord God and serve him onely If your Mother Brother Sister Wife Child Kinsman or Friend do seek of you to do otherwise then the Word of God hath taught you say with Christ That they are your Mothers Brothers Sisters Wives Children and Kinsmen which do the will of God the Father In his Letter to Mr. Harrington Glorious is the course of the Martyrs of Christ at this day never had the Elect of God a better time for their glory then this is A man that is bid to a glorious Feast wisheth his Friend to go with him and to be partaker thereof God doth call me most unworthy among others to drink of the Bride-Cup of his Son c. I wish you be as I am except these horrible bands but yet most comfortable to the Spirit Praised be the Lord for the affliction which we suffer and he gives us strength to continue to the end Though my Lords Cole-house be but very black yet it is more to be desired of the Faithfull then the Queens Palace In his Letter to the Lady Vâ—ne The Spirit confirm strengthen and stablish you in the true Knowledge of the Gospel that your faithfâ—ll heart may attain and tast with all the Saints what is the heighth the depth the length and the breadth of the sweet Cross of Christ. Amen Ah! great be the plagues that hang over England yea though the Gospel should be restored again Happy shall that person be whom the Lord shall take out of this world not to see them Ah the great perjury which â—en have run into so wilfully by receâ—ving Antichrist again and his wicked Laws Oh that the Lord would turn his just judgements upon the Authors of the truce-breaking between God and us c. The world wondreth how we can be merry in such extream misery but our God is omnipotent which turneth misery into felicity Believe me Dear Sister there is no such joy in the world as the people of Christ have under the Cross I speak by experience therefore believe me and fear nothing that the world can do unto you for when they imprison our bodies they set our souls at liberty with God when they cast us down they lift us up yea when they kill us then do they bring us to everlasting life What greater glory can there be then to be at conformity with Christ which afflictions do work in us God open our eyes to see more and more the glory of God in the Cross of Jesus Christ and make us worthy partakers of the same Let us rejoyce in nothing with St. Paul But in the Cross of Iesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto us and we unto the world Death why should I fear thee since thou canst not hurt me but rid me from misery to eternal glory J. P. Dead to the world and living to Christ. In another Letter to the same Lady I have felt under the Cross thanks be given to God therefore more true joy and consolation then ever I did by any benefit that God hath given me in my life before For the more the world doth hate us the â—igher God is
unto us and there is no perfect joy but in God In a fourth Letter to the same Lady Satan hath brought me out of the Kings Bench into the Bishop of London's Cole-house a dark and an ugly Prison as any is about London but my dark body of sin hath welâ— deserved the same and the Lord hath now brought me into outward darkness that I might the more be enlightned by him who is most present with his Children in the midst of darkness where I cannot be suffered to have any candle-light neither ink nor Paper but by stealth Pray Dear Lady that my Faith faint not which at present I thank God is more lively with me then it hath been in times past I tast and feel the faithfulness of God in his promise who hath promised to be with his in their trouble and to deliver them I thank the Lord I am not alone but have six other faithfull Companions who in our darkness do cheerfully sing Hymns and Praises unto God for his great goodness We are so joyfull that I wish you part of my joy Let not my strait imprisonment any thing molest you for it hath added and daily doth unto my joy but rather be glad and thankfull unto God with me Cheerfull and holy Spirits under the Cross be acceptable Sacrifices in the sight of God In another Letter to the same Lady This is the day that the Lord hath made let us be glad and rejoyce in the same this is the way though it be narrow which is full of the peace of God and leadeth to eternal bliss O how my heart leapeth for joy that I am so near the apprehension thereof God forgive me mine unthankfulness and unworthiness of so great glory I have so much joy of the reward that is prepared for me most wretched sinner that though I be in place of darkness and mourning yet I cannot lament but both night and day am so joyfull as though I were under no cross at all yea in all the dayes of my life I was never so merry the Name of the Lord be praised therefore for ever and ever and he pardon mine unthankfulness Pray instantly that this joy be never taken from us for it passeth all the delights of this world it surmounteth all understanding I trust my Marriage-garment is ready In his Letter to a Friend in Prison that writ to him concerning Infant-baptisme The same night I received your Letter as I was musing on it I sell asleep and in the midst of my sweet rest I saw a great beautifull City all of the colour of Azure and White and four-square in a marvellous beautifull composition in the midst of the Sky The sight hereof so inwardly comforted me that I am not able to express the consolation I had yea the remembrance thereof causeth as yet my heart to leap for joy and as Charity is no Churl but would others to be partakers of his delight so methought I called to others and when we together had beheld the same by and by to my great grief it vanished This Dream I take to be of the working of Gods Spirit I interpret the City the Church and the appearance of it in the Sky the heavenly state thereof and that according to the Primitive Church which is now in Heaven men ought to measure and judge of the Church of Christ and on earth the marvellous Quadrature of the same the universal agreement in the same that all here in the Church Militant ought to consent to the Primitive Church throughout the four parts of the world the wonderfull joy I conceived the unspeakable joy which they have that be at Unity with Christs Primitive Church and my calling others to the fruition of this Vision my moving you and others to behold the Primitive Church in all your Opinions concerning Faith and to conform your self in all points to the same which is the Pillar of Truth Let the bitter Passion of Christ which he suffered for your sake and the horrible torments which the godly Martyrs of Christ have endured before us and also the inestimable reward of your life to come which is hidden yet a little while from you with Christ strengthen comfort and encourage you to the end of that glorious race which you are in Amen Pikes William Pikes some while before he was last taken he was in his Garden reading the Bible and about twelve a clock of the day his face being towards the South there fell down four drops of fresh blood upon his Book he not knowing from whence it came Calling his Wife to him he said What meaneth this will the Lord have four Sacrifices I see well enough the Lord will have blood His will be done and give me grace to abide the triall Wife let us pray the day draweth nigh Afterward he daily looked to be apprehended till the time came indeed Being at the point of death in Newgate so that no man looked he should live six hours he declared to them that stood by that he had been twice in persecution before and that now he desired the Lord if it were his will that he might glorifie his Name at the Stake Place Monsieur Pierre de la Place President of the Court of Requests in France when out of that entire love which his Wife bore him fell down at the feet of one of those bloody Instruments of that barbarous Mâ—ssacre 1572. to intreat some favour for her Husband He rebuked her and told her That it is not the arm of flesh we must stoop unto but unto God onely Perceiving in his Sons Hat a White Cross which through infirmity he had placed there thinking thereby to save himself he sharply chid him and commanded him to pluck that mark of sedition thence telling him We must now submit to bear the true Cross of Christ. Pothnius Pothnius Bishop of Lions to the President asking him in the midst of his torments What that Christ was answered If thou wert worthy thou shouldst know Polycarp This famous Bishop of Smyrna St. Iohn's Disciple having been in Prayer three dayes before his apprehension in a Vision by night he saw the Bed set on fire under his head and suddenly to be consumed When he awoke he gave this exposition of the Vision to them that were present That in the fire he should lose his life for Christs Cause When the Pursuers were brought to the Inne where he was he might have escaped but would not saying The will of God be done As he was going to the place of Judgement there came a voice from Heaven heard by several of his Church saying Be of good cheer Polycarpus and play the man When the Proconsul bid him say Destroy these naughty men he looked up to Heaven saying Thou thou it is that wilt destroy these wicked naughty men The Proconsul bidding him defie Christ and he should be discharged he answered Fourscore and six years have I
her life should be spared if she would recant Nay that will I not said she God forbid that I should lose the life eternal for this carnal and short life I will never turn from my heavenly Husband to my earthly Husband from the fellowship of Angels to mortal Children and if my Husband and Children be faithfull then am I theirs God is my Father God is my Mother God is my Sister my Brother my Kinsman God is my friend most faithfull After her Condemnation she refused to receive my money from well affected people saying I am going to a City where money beareth no mastery Whilst I am here God hath promised to feed me When she was brought to the Stake without the â—alls of Exeter in a place called So then hay in the â—roneth of November 1558. the Priests again asâ—â—ulted her but she prayed them to have no more â—alk with her and cried still God be mercifull to 〈◊〉 a sinner God be mercifull to me a sinner This Agnes Priest or Prest was the sole Devonshire Martyr saith Dr. Fuller under the reign of Queen Mary Wherefore as those Parents which have but one Child may afford it the better attendance as more at leisure So seeing by Gods goodness we have but this single Native of this Countrey yea of this Diocess we will enlarge c. 1 Her Christian Name which Mr. Fox could not learn â—e have recovered from another excellent Author Mr. Vowell in Hollingshead pag. 1309. 2 I am informed by the Inhabitants thereabout that she lived at Northcot in the Parish of Boynton in the County of Cornwall c. 3 She was a simple woman to behold thick but liltle and short in staâ—â—re about Four and fifty years of age 4 She was endited on Munday the fourth week in Lent An. Phil. Mar. 2. and 3. before W. Stanford Iustice of the Assize So that we may observe more legal formality was used about the condemnation of this poor woman then any Martyr of far greater degree 5 Her own Husband and Children were her greatest Persecutors from whom she fled because they would force her to be present at Mass. 6 She was condemned by Bishop Troublefield Bishop of Exeter c. yea she was the onely person in whose persecution Bishop Troublefield did appear and it is justly conceived that Blackstone his Chancellour was more active then the Bishop in procuring her death Potten Agnes Potten of Ipswich in a night a little before her death being asleep in her bed saw a bright burning fire right up as a Pole and on the side thereof she thought there stood a number of Queen Mary's Friends looking on then being asleep she seemed to muse with her self whether her fire should burn so bright or no. And indeed her suffering was not far unlike her dream At the Stake she and Ioan Trunchfield who sufferred with her required the people to credit and to lay hold on the Word of God and not upon mans devices and inventions and to despise the Ordinances and Institutions of the Romish Antichrist with all his superstitious and rotten Religion Pusices Shut thine eyes but a while said Pusices to an old man trembling at Martyrdome and thou shalt see Gods Light R. Rabeck Iâ—hn Rabeck a French Martyr being urged to pronounce Iesu Maria conjoyned in one Prayer boldly answered That if his Tongue should but offer to utter those words at their bidding he himself would bite it asunder with his Teeth Ramus The great crime that the Sorbonists objected against Peter Ramus and for which he suffered much was That by opposing Aristotle he enervated Divinity Whence we may see what a Divinity they were for who made Aristotle the great Master thereof who laughs at the Creation of the World Divine Providence and the Immortality of the Soul and slighting Life eternal placed the happiness of man in this mortal Life onely and left nothing for man after death then to have it said He was happy in a word who defined humane felicity from mans ability and not from divine grace In his adverse condition he would comfort himself with the following Verses 1. Committe vitam rem decus Dei unius arbitrio Animi tibi ex sententia Confecta reddet omnia Illustris aurorae ut jubar Tua faciet ul sit aquitas Ut luce virtus sit tuaâ— Meridiana clarior In English thus Commit to God life wealth and name And what thou wilt shalt have the same Thy righteousness shall shine more clear Then the light of the morning 〈◊〉 2. Deus â—abit his quoque finemâ— Durate ut vosâ—â—t rebus servate secundis These shall not want an end Bear up and wait till Gâ—d doth better send That which he first disliked in Popery was their execrable idolatry in corrupting the second Commandment and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper When in the Possiac Synod he heard the Cardinaâ— of Lorain acknowledge That the first of the fifteetâ— Centuries since Christ was a truly golden Age but the rest were so much the worse by how much they farther departed from the first Peter Ramus concluded That the Age of Christ and his Apostles was to be restored and chosen When the Civil Wars brake forth in France for Religion he went into Germany and at Heidelberg having made to Tremellius and the Church a Confession of his Faith he received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in that Church After his conversion he daily did read the Old and New Testament and out of each Chapter collected an Index containing Rules and Examples relating to both the parts of Christian Doctrine viz. Faith and the Actions of Faith and so made his Commentaries and certainly he had made much greater progress in Divinity had he not been so soon not much above two years after his conversion taken away by a violent death When in that horrid Massacre at Paris begun Aug. 24. 1572. he was mortally wounded Aug. 26. in the seven and fiftieth year of his age he was heard to commend his soul to God in these words O Iehovah against thee onely have I sinned and done evil before thee Thy judgements are truth and righteousness Have mercy upon and pardon my Murtherers for they know not what they do Read Some of the Articles that were exhibited against Adam Read and other Scotch Confessors were these following 1 That Images are not to be had in the Kirk nor to be worshipped 4 That it is not lawfull to fight for the Faith nor to defend the Faith by the Sword if we be not driven to it by necessity which is above all Law 12 That the Pope is not the Successor of Peter but where he said Go behind me Satan 17 That the Pope exalts himself against God and above God 19 That the blessings of the Bishops of dumb Dogs they should have been stiled are of no value 20 That the excommunication of the Kirk is not to be feared if there be no
Commonwealth their minds by the sight of the outward Image might be withdrawn or wander from the matter To allow a most certain peril for an uncertain profit and the greatest danger for the smallest benefit in matters of Faith and Religion is a tempting of God and a grievous offence In the Primitive Church there were no Images in places of Assembly for Religion this the Heathens objected to the Christians for a crime as Origen and Arnobius testifie c. Lactantius saith It is not to be doubted that there is no Religion wheresoever is any Image Not onely by Varro's judgement but also by St. Augustine's approbation of Varro the most pure and chast observation of Religion and nearest the Truth is to be without Images By the judgement of this ancient Father Epiphanius to permit Images in Churches is against the Authority of Scripture meaning against the second Commandment c. Besides Epiphanius doth reject not onely graven and molten but painted Images Again he spared not the Image of Christ yea he did not onely remove it but with a vehemency of zeal cut in pieces and he is carefull that no such kind of painted Images be permitted in the Church It is manifest to them that read Histories that not onely Emperours but also divers and sundry Councils in the East Church have condemned and abolished Images both by Decrees and Examples But this notwithstanding experience hath declared That neither Councils nor Writings Preachings Decrees making of Laws prescribing of Punishments have holpen against Images to which Idolatry hath been committed nor against Idolatry whilst Images stood In his Letter to his Dear Brother and Reverend Fellow-Elder in Christ Iohn Hooper My dearly beloved Brother c. whom I reverence in the Lord c. Forasmuch as I understand by your works that we throughly agree and wholly consent together in those things which are the grounds and substantial points of our Religion against which the world so furiously rageth in our dayes howsoever in time past by certain by-matters and circumstances of Religion your wisdome and my simplicity I grant hath a little jarred each of us following the abundance of his own sense and judgement Now I say be you assured that even with my whole heart God is my witness in the bowels of Christ I love you in the Truth and for the Truths sake which abideth in us and as I am perswaded shall by the grace of God abide in us for evermore Because the world as I perceive Brother busily conspireth against Christ our Saviour with all possible force and power let us joyn hands together in Christ and if we cannot overthrow yet to our power and as much as in us lies let us shake those high Altitudes not with carnal but with spiritual weapons Let us also prepare our selves for death by which after our short afflictions here by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall triumph together with him in eternal glory I pray you Brother salute in my Name your Reverend Fellow-Prisoner and Venerable Father Dr. Cranmer by whom since the first day that I heard of his most godly and fatherly constancy in confessing the Truth of the Gospel I have conceived great consolation and joy in the Lord. It will also be to me great joy to hear of your constancy and fortitude in the Lords Quarrel I am earnestly moved to counsel you not to hasten the publishing of your Works especially under your own Name least your mouth should be stopped hereafter and all things taken away from the rest of the Prisoners whereby otherwise if it so please God may be able to do good to many Farewell in the Lord my most Dear Brother Once again and for ever in Christ my most Dear Brother farewell Rieux Dionysius de Rieux was one of them who was first burned at Melda or Meaux in France An. 1528. for saying That the Mass is a plain denial of the Death and Passion of Christ. He was alwayes wont to have in his mouth the Words of Christ He that denieth me before men him also will I deny before my Father Rogers Mr. Iohn Rogers preaching at Paul's Cross even after Queen Mary was come to the Tower of London confirmed the Truth of that Doctrine which he and others had there taught in King Edward's dayes exhorting the people constantly to remain in the same and to beware of all pestilent Popery Idolatry and Superstition For that Sermon he was called in Question In his Examination and Answer Ian. 22. 1555. I never granted King Henry the Eighth to have any Supremacy in spiritual things as are the forgiveness of sins giving of the holy Ghost authority to be a Judge above the Word of God The Chancellor asserting That the Parliament that abolished the Popes Supremacy was with most great cruelty constrained thereunto He answered With cruelty Why then I perceive that you take a wrong way with cruelty to perswade mens consciences for it should appear by your doings now that the cruelty then used hath not perswaded your consciences How would you then have your consciences perswaded with cruelty Sir Richard Southwell telling him That he would not burn in this year when it cometh to the Purpose he answered Sir I cannot tell but I trust to my Lord God yes lifting up his eyes to Heaven I desire the hearty and unfeigned help of the Prayers of all Christs true Members the true Imps of the true unfeigned Catholick Church that the Lord God of all consolation will now be my comfort aid strength buckler and shield as also of all my Brethren that are in the same case and distress that I and they all may despise all manner of threats and cruelty and even the bitter burning fire and the dreadfull dart of death and stick like true Souldiers to our dear and loving Captain Christ our onely Saviour and Redeemer and the onely true Head of the Church that doth all in us all which is the property of an Head and that we do not traiterously run out of his Tents or rather out of the plain field from him in the greatest jeopardy of the battel but that we may persevere in the fight if he will not otherwise deliver us till we be most cruelly slain of his enemies For this I most heartily and at this present with tears most instantly and earnestly desire and besâ—ech you all to pray In his second Examination and Answer Ian. 28 29. 1555. Should said the Chancellor when the Parliament hath concluded a thing any private person have authority to discuss whether they had done right or wrong No that may not be I answered shortly That all the Laws of men might not neither could rule the Word of God but that they all must be discussed and judged thereby and obey thereto and neither my conscience nor any Christians could be satisfied with such Laws as disagreed from that Word Mr. Hooper and Mr. Cardmaker were
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
and ready to be burned for the testimony of the Truth O dear Brethren and Sisters how much have you to rejoyce in God that he hath given you such faith to overcome this blood-thirsty Tyrant thus far And no doubt but he that hath begun that good work in you will fulfill it to the end O dear Hearts in Christ what a Crown of Glory shall ye receive with Christ in the Kingdome of God Oh that it had been the good will of God that I had been ready to have gone with you I lie in my Lords Little-ease in the day and in the night in the Cole-house alone and we look every day when we shall be condemned but I lie still at the Pools brink and every man goeth in before me but we abide patiently the Lords leisure with many Bands in Fetters and Stocks by the which we have received great joy in the Lord. And now fare you well dear Brethren and Sisters in this World but I trust to see you in the Heavens face to face How blessed are you in the Lord that God hath found you worthy to suffer for his sake O be joyfull even unto death Fear it not saith Christ for I have overcome death Be strong let your hearts be of good comfort and wait you still for the Lord. He is at hand The Angel of the Lord pitcheth his Tent round about them that fear him and delivereth them which way he seeth best for our lives are in the Lords hands and they can do nothing unto us before God suffer them Therefore give all thanks to God O dear Hearts you shall be clothed with long white Garments upon the Mount Sion with the multitude of Saints and with Jesus Christ our Saviour who will never forsake us O blessed Virgins you have played the wise Virgins part in that you have taken Oyl in your Vessels that ye may go in with the Bridegroom when he cometh c. but as for the foolish they shall be shut out because they made not themselves ready to suffer with Christ neither go out to take up his Cross. O dear Hearts How precious shall your death be in the sight of the Lord for dear is the death of his Saints O fare you well and pray The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Amen Pray pray pray By me R. R. written with mine own blood The Bishop asking him what he thought of his Fellow-Prisoner Ralf Allerton He answered That he thought him to be one of the elect Children of God and if he were put to death for his Faith and Religion he thought he should die a true Martyr The Bishop asking him how he did like the Order and Rites of the Church then used here in England He said That he ever had and then did abhor the same with all his heart Being perswaded to recant and ask mercy of the Bishop No said he I will not ask mercy of him that cannot give it Rought A Suffolk man so called and his Wife and several others being rebuked for going so openly and talking so freely Their answer was They acknowledged and believed and therefore they must speak and that the tribulation was by Gods good will and providence and that his Judgements were right to purâ—â—â— them with others for their sins and that of very faithfulness and mercy God had caused them to be troubled bled and that one hair of their heads should not perish before the time but all things should work unto the best to them that love God and that Christ Jesus was their life and onely righteousness and that onely by faith in him and for his seke all good things were freely given them also forgiveness of sins and life everlasting Rupea You may said Castalia Rupea throw my body from this steep Hill yet will my soul mount upward again Your blasphemies more offend my soul then your torments do my body Russel Ieremy Russel being apprehended in the Diocess of Glasgow in Scotland A. 1539. and railed upon answered This is your hour and power of darkness Now sit ye as Judges and we stand wrongfully accused and more wrongfully to be condemned but the day shall come when our innocence shall appear and that ye shall see your own blindness to your everlasting confusion Go forward and fulfill the measure of your iniquity He comforted his Fellow-Prisoner Alexander Kennedy of whom see the second Part under K. saying Brother fear not more mighty is he that is in us then he that is in the world the pain that we shall suffer is short and shall be light but our joy and consolation shall never have end and therefore let us contend to enter in unto our Master and Saviour by the same strait way which he hath taken before us Death cannot destroy us for it is destroyed already by him for whose sake we suffer Rycetto Mr. Anthony Rycetto of Vincence being condemned to be drowned his Son about twelve years of age comieg to visit him besought him with tears to yield and to save his life that he might not be left fatherless A true Christian said his Father is bound to forego Goods Children yea and life it self for the maintenance of Gods honour and glory A Captain telling him That Francis Sega was resolved to recant What tell you me said he of Sega I will perform my vows unto the Lord my God A Priest presenting him with a wooden Crucifix exhorting him to return and to die in the favour of God reconciling himself to the Church of Rome the holy Spouse of Christ But he rejected the Crucifix and besought the Priest to come out of the snare of the Devil to cleave to Jesus Christ and to live not according to the flesh but after the Spirit If you do otherwise said he assure your selves your unbelief will bring yâ—u into that Lake of fire that shall never be quenched for though yâ—u confess with your mouth that you know Iesus Christ yet you not onely deny him by your works but you persecute him in his Members being bewitched by the Pope the open enemy of the Son of God As he was carrying to be drowned because it was very cold he called for his Cloke which they had taken from him Whereupon the Wherry-man said unto him Fearest thou a little cold What wilt thou do when thou art cast into the Sea Why art not thou carefull to save thy self from drowing Dost not thou see that the poor Flea skips hither and thither to save her life His answer was And I am now flying to escape eternal death Being arrived at the place where he was to suffer the Captain put a Chain of Iron about his middle with a very heavy Stone fastned thereto Then Rycetto lifting his eyes to Heaven said Father forgive them for they know not what they do And being laid on the Planck he said Lord Iesus into thy hands I commend my spirit FINIS These are the