Hunter you can do no more then God will permit you Well said B. will you recant indeed by no means No said H. never while I live God willing Bonner asking him how old he was he said He was Nineteen years old Well said B. you will be burned ere you be Twenty if you will not recant H. answered God strengthen me in his Truth Bonner even after Sentence was past offering him if he would then recant to make him a Freeman of the City and to give him Forty pound in money to set up with or to make him Steward of his House c. Hunter said unto him My Lord if you cannot perswade my Conscience by Scriptures I cannot find in my heart to turn from God for the love of the world for I count all things worldly but loss and dung in respect of the love of Christ. If thou diest in this mind said B. thou art condemned for ever God judgeth righteously said H. and justifieth them whom man condemneth unjustly When he was brought to Burntwood to be burned his Father and Mother came to him and desired heartily of God that he might continue to the end in that good way which he had begun and his Mother said unto him That she was glad that ever she was so happy to bear such a Child which could find in his heart to lose his life for Christs Names sake Then said he to his Mother For my little pain which I shall suffer which is but short Christ hath promised me a Crown of Joy May you not be glad of that Mother With that his Mother kneeled down on her knees saying I pray God strengthen thee my Son to the end Yea I think thee as well bestowed as any Child that ever I bare His Father said I was afraid of nothing but that my Son should have been killed in the Prison for hunger and cold the Bishop was so hard to him The night before his Execution he had a dream that he was where the Stake was pitcht where he should be burned and that it was at the Towns end where the Butts stood which was so indeed and that he met his Father going to the Stake and that there was a Priest at the Stake which went about to have him recant and that he said to him Away false Prophet and that he exhorted the people to beware of him and such as he was which things came to pass accordingly Whilst he was led to the Stake the Sheriffs Son came to William and embraced him saying William be not afraid of these men who are here present with Bills and Weapons ready prepared to bring you to the place where you shall be burned William answered I thank God I am not afraid for I have cast my account what it will cost me already Then the Sheriffs Son could speak no more to him for weeping When he met his Father according to his dream his Father said unto him God be with thee Son William William answered God be with you good Father and be of good comfort for I hope we shall meet again when we shall be merry At the Stake the Sheriffe told him That there was a Letter from the Queen if he would recant he should live if not he must be burned No said William I will not recant God willing Mr. Brown telling him upon his desire to the people to pray for him as long as he was alive I will pray no more for thee then I will pray for a Dog Mr. Brown said William now you have that you sought for and I pray God it be not laid to your charge in the last day howbeit I forgive you I ask no forgiveness of thee said Mr. Brown Well said William if God forgive you not I shall require my blood at your hands Then said William Hunter Son of God shine upon me Immediately the Sun in the Firmament shined out of a dark cloud so full in his face that he was constrained to look another way When the Priest came according to his dream he said Away thou false Prophet Beware of them good people and come away from their abominations lest that you be partakers of their plagues Then said the Priest look how thou burnest here so shalt thou burn in Hell William answered Thou lyest thou false Prophet away thou false Prophet away When the fire was kindled his Brother said to him William think on the holy Passion of Christ and be not afraid of Death William answered I am not afraid Then lift he up his hands to Heaven and said Lord Lord Lord receive my spirit Higbed Mr. Higbed of Essex being prest by Bonner to recant answered I will not abjure for I have been of this mind these sixteen years and do what ye can ye shall do no more then God will permit you to do and with what measure ye measure unto us look for the same again at Gods hands When his Articles and Answers were read he said Ye go about to trap us with your subtilties and snares and though my Father and Mother and other my Kinsfolk did believe as you say yet they were deceived in so believing and whereas you say Doctor Cranmer and others c. be Hereticks I do wish that I were such an Heretick as they were and be Then Bonner asked him again Whether he would turn from his error and come to the unity of their Church No said he I would ye would recant for I am in the truth and you in error Hus. Mr. Iohn Hus preaching at the honourable and very solemn Funeral of three in Prague who had been put to death in Prison for calling the Pope Antichrist and speaking against Indulgences at whose Funeral was sung on this wise These be the Saints which for the Testament of God gave their bodies c. much commended them for their constancy and blest God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who had hid the way of his Verity so from the prudent of the world and had revealed it to the simple who chose rather to please God then man This occasioned his expulsion out of Prague being before excommunicated by the Pope The Emperour having given safe conduct to Mr. Iohn Hus to come to the general Council at Constance he promised to come professing he was ready alwayes to satisfie all men which shall require him to give a reason of his faith and hope c. and giving notice to all that could object any error or heresie to him to appear and not spare him The Twenty sixth day after he came to Constance two Bishops c. were sent to him to bring him before the Pope and his Cardinals To whom he answered I am not come to defend my Cause particularly before the Pope and his Cardinals but to appear before the whole Council and there answer for my defence openly c. unto all such things as shall be demanded or required of me Notwithstanding forasmuch as
and Confessours yea with thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ to whom thou dost now here begin to fashion us like that in his glory we may be like him also O good God what are we on whom thou shouldest shew this great mercy O loving Lord forgive us our unthankfulness and sins O faithful Father give us thy holy Spirit now to cry in our hearts Abba dear Father to assure us of our eternal election in Christ to reveal more and more thy Truth unto us to confirm strengthen and stablish us so in the same that we may live and die in it as Vessels of thy mercy to thy glory and to the commodity of thy Church Indue us with the Spirit of thy wisdome that with good conscience we may alwayes so answer the enemies in thy cause as may turn to their conversion or confusion and our unspeakable consolation in Jesus Christ for whose sake we beseech thee henceforth to keep us to give us patience and to will none otherwise for deliverance or mitigation of our misery then may stand alwayes with thy good pleasure and merciful will towards us Grant this dear Father not onely to us in this place but also to all others elsewhere afflicted for thy Names sake through the death and merit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen In his godly Meditations We are rather to be placed among the wicked then among thy children for that we are so shameless for our sin and careless for thy wrath which we may well say to be most grievous against us and evidently set forth in the taking away of our good King and the true Religion in the exile of thy Servants imprisonment of thy People misery of thy Children and death of thy Saints and by placing over us in authority thine enemies by the success thou gavest them in all that they took in hand by the returning again into our Countrey of Antichrist the Pope What shall we do what shall we say who can give us penitent hearts who can open our lips that our mouths might make acceptable confession unto thee O what now may we do Despair no for thou art God and therefore good thou art merciful and therefore thou forgivest sins with thee is mercy and propitiation and therefore thou art worshipped When Adam had sinned thou gavest him mercy before he desired it and wilt thou deny us mercy which now desire the same Adam excused his fault and accused thee but we accuse our selves and excuse thee and shall we be sent empty away Abraham was pulled out of Idolatry when the world was drown'd therein and art thou his God onely Israel in captivity in Egypt was graciously visited and delivered and dear God that same good Lord shall we alwayes be forgotten How often in the wilderness didst thou defer and spare thy plagues at the request of Moses when the people themselves made no Petition to thee and seeing we do not onely make our Petitions to thee but also have a Mediator for us now far above Moses even Jesus Christ shall we I say dear Lord depart ashamed Take into thy custody and governance for ever our souls and bodies our lives and all that ever we have Tempt us never further then thou wilt make us able to bear and alwayes as thy children guide us so that our life may please thee and our deaths praise thee through Jesus Christ our Lord for whose sake we heartily pray thee to grant these things c. not onely to us but c. especially for thy children that be in thraldome under their enemies in exile in prison poverty c. Be merciful to all the whole Realm of England grant us all true repentance and mitigation of our misery And if it be thy good will that thy holy Word and Religion may continue amongst us Pardon our Enemies Persecutors and Slanderers and if it be thy pleasure turn their hearts Oh mighty King and most High Almighty God who mercifully governest all things which thou hast made look down upon the faithful seed of Abraham c. consecrated to thee by the anointing of thy holy Spirit and appointed to thy Kingdome by thy eternal purpose free mercy and grace but yet as strangers wandring in this vile vile of misery brought forth daily by worldly Tyrants like Sheep to the slaughter Thou hast destroyed Pharaoh with all his Horse and Chariots puffed up with pride against thy people leading forth safely by the hands of thy mercy thy beloved Israel through the high waves of the roaring waters Thou O God the Lord of all Hosts and Armies didst first drive away from the Gates of thy people the blasphemous Senacherib slaying of his Army 85000 by the Angel in one night and after by his own Sons before his Idols didst kill the same blasphemous Idolater c. Thou didst transforâ— and change proud Nebuchadnezzar the enemy oâ— thy people into a bruit beast to eat grass and hayâ— to the horrible terrour of all worldly Tyrants c. Thou didst preserve those thy three Servants iâ— Babylon who with bold courage gave their bodies to the fire because they would not worship any dead Idol and when they were cast into the burning Furnace thou didst give them chearful hearts to rejoyce and sing Psalms and savedâ—â— unhurt the very hairs of their heads turnâ—ng the flame from them to devour their enemies Thou O Lord God by the might of thy right arm which governeth all broughtest Daniel thy Prophet safe into light and life forth of the dark Den of the devouring Lions c. Now also O heavenly Father beholder of all things to whom belongs vengeance thou seest and conâ—iderest how thy holy Name by the wicked Worldlings and blasphemons Idolaters is dishonoured thy sacred Word forsaken refused and despised thy holy Spirit provoked offended thy chosen Temple polluted and defiled Tarry not too long therefore but shew thy power speedily upon thy chosen Houshold which is so grievously vexed and so cruelly handled by thy open enemies Avenge thine own glorâ— and shorten these evil dayes for thine Elects sake Let thy Kingdome come of all thy Servants desired and though we have all offended thy Majesty Yet for thine own glory O merciful Lord suffer not the enemy of thy Son Christ the Romish Antichrist thus wretchedly to delude and draw from thee our poor brethren for whom thy Son once died that by his cruelty after so clear light they they should be made Captives to dumb Idols and devillish inventions of Popish Ceremonies thereunto pertaining Suffer him not to seduce the simple sort with this fond opinion that his false gods blind mumbling feigned Religion or his foolish Superstition doth give him such conquest such victories such triumph and so high an hand over us We know most certainly O Lord that it is not their arm and power but our sins and offences that hath delivered us to their fury and hath caused thee
and perswaded all that proâ—ess Gods Word manfully to persist in the defence of the same not with sword and violence but with suffering and loss of life rather then to deâ—ile themselves again with the whorish abominaon of the Romish Antichrist So the hour being come with my fact and example to ratifie confirm and protest the same to the hearts of all true Believers and to this end by the mighty assistance of Gods holy Spirit I resolved my self with much peace of conscience willingly to sustain whatsoever the Romish Antichrist should do against me When Mr. Warren the Chancellor willed 〈◊〉 chief Jaylor to carry me to the Bishop I laid 〈◊〉 his charge the cruel seeking of my death aâ—â— when he would have excused himself I told hâ—â— he could not wipe his hands so He was as gâ—â—â—â— of my blood before God as though he had muâ—thered me with his own hands He departed froâ— me saying I needed not to fear if I would be 〈◊〉 his belief God open his eyes and give him graâ—â— to believe this which he and all of his inclinatioâ— shall find I fear too true for their parts that 〈◊〉 they which cruelly maliciously and spitefully peâ—secute molest and afflict the Members of Chriâ—â— for their Conscience sake and for the true testâ—â—mony of Christs Word and cause them to be moâ—â— unjustly slain and murthered without speedy reâ—pentance shall dwell with the Devil and his Angeâ— in the fiery lake everlastingly where they shaâ—â— wish and desire cry and call but in vain as theâ—â— right companion Epulo to be refreshed of them whom in this world they contemned despised disdained as slaves misers and wretches The Bishop laid to my charge my not coming to Church Here I might have dallied with him and put him to his proofs Notwithstanding I answered him through Gods merciful help that I neither haâ— nor would come at their Church as long as their Mass was used there to save if I had them 〈◊〉 hundred lives The Bishop asking me whâ— should judge the Word I told him Christ waâ— content that the people should judge his Doctrine by searching the Scriptures and so was Paul Methinks ye should claim no farther priviledge noâ— preheminence then they had The Bishop telling me He was my Bishop and therefore I muâ—â— believe him If you say black is white said I must I also say as you say and believe the same because you say it is so If you will be believed because you be a Bishop Why find you fault with the people that believed Mr. Latimer Mr. Ridley Mr. Hooper c. that were Bishops Because they were Hereticks said the Bishop And may not you erre quoth I as well as they I looked for learning at my Lords hand to perswade me and he oppressed me onely with his Authority He said I dissented from the Church and asked me where my Church was before Kings Edward's time I desired him to shew me where their Church was in Elias time and what outward shew it had in Christs time The tidings that I should be carried to Lichfield did at first somewhat discourage me fearing least I should by reason of my great sickness through extream handling which I looked for have died in the Prison before I should come to my answer But I rebuked immediately with Gods Word this infidelity in my self c. after this manner What make I of God Is not his power as great in Lichfield as Coventry Doth not his providence extend as well to Lichfield as Coventry Was he not with Habakkuk Daniel Meshach and Ieremy in their most dangerous imprisonments He knows what things we have need of them He hath numbred all the hairs of our head The Sparrow falleth not to the ground without our heavenly Fathers will much more will he care for us if we be not faithless whom he hath made worthy to be witnesses of his truth So long as we put our trust in him we shall never be destitute of his help neither in prison nor in sickness nor in health nor in death nor before Kings nor before Bishops Not the Devil himself much less one of his Ministers shall be able to prevail against us With such like meditations I waxed chearful of good consolation and comfort So that hearing one say They could not provide Horses enough for us I said Let them carry us in a Dung-Cart for lack of Horses if they list I am well content for my part I told Iephcot the Chancellors Servant That they should have judgement without mercy that shewed no mercy and this mercy I found at his hand at Lichfield He put me into a Prison that same night where I continued till I was condemned in a place next to the Dungeon c. very cold with small light and there he allowed me a bundle of Straw instead of a Bed without Chair Form or any other thing to ease my self withall God of his mercy gave me great patience through prayer that night so that if it had been his pleasure I could have have been contented to have ended my life In the time of my imprisonment I gave my self continually to prayer and meditation of the merciful promises of God made unto all without exception of persons that call upon the Name of his dear Son Jesus Christ. I â—ound in my self daily amendment of health of body increase of peace in conscience and many consolations from God by the help of his holy Spirit sometime as it were a taste and glimmering of the life to come All for his onely Son Jesus Christs sake To him be all the praise for ever and ever The enemy ceased not many times sundry wayes to assault me Oftentimes objecting to my conscience my own unworthiness of the greatness of the benefit to be accounted amongst those that suffer for Christ for his Gospels sake Against him I replied with the Word of God on this sort What were all those whom God had chosen from the beginning to be his Witnesses and to carry his Name before the world Were they not men as well subject to sin and imperfections as other men be Who gave first unto him What hast thou that thou hast not received All have received of his fulness They were no bringers of any goodness to God but altogether receivers They chose not God first but God chose them They loved not God first but he loved them first Yea he both loved and chose them when they were his enemies full of sin and corruption as well as void of all goodness He is and will be the same God as rich in mercy as mighty as able as ready as willing to forgive sins without respect of persons to the worlds end of all them that call upon him God is near he is at hand he is with all with all I say and refuseth none excepteth none that faithâ—ully in true repentance call upon him in what hour what place or what time soever it be
when we have done all we be unprofitable servants and faith onely in Christs blood saveth us How many Sacraments are there said he Two said she The one the Sacrament of Baptisme by which I am washed with water and regenerated by the Spirit and that washing is a token to me that I am a child of God the other the Sacrament of the Lords Sâ—pper which offered to me is a sure seal and testimony that I am by the blood of Christ which he shed for me on the Cross made partaker of the everlasting Kingdome There are seven said he By what Scripture said she find you that Well said he we will talk of that hereafter What do you receive in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Do you not receive the very body and blood of Christ No surely said she I believe that the Supper I neither receive flesh nor blood but Bread and Wine which Bread when it is broken and Wine when it is drunken putteth me in remembrance how that for my sins the Body of Christ was broken and his Blood shed on the Cross and with that Bread and Wine I receive the Benefits that come by the breaking of his Body and shedding of his Blood for our sins on the Cross. Why said he doth not Christ speak these words Take eat this is my Body Require you any plainer words Doth he not say it is his Body I grant he saith so said she and so he saith I am the Vine I am the Door and yet is not the Vine or the Door Doth nor St. Paul say He calleth things that are not as though they were When Fecknam took his leave he said That he was sorry for her for I am sure said he that we two shall never meet True it is said she that we shall never meet except God turn your heart for I am assured unless you repent and turn to God you are in an evil case and I pray God in the Bowels of mercy to send you his Holy Spirit In her Letter to her Father Father although it hath pleased God to hasten my death by you by whom my life should rather have been lengthened yet can I so patiently take it as I yield to God more hearty thanks for shortening my woful dayes then if all the world had been given unto my Possessions with life lengthened at my own will Although my death at hand to you seem right woful to me there is nothing that can be more welcome then from this vale of misery to aspire to that heavenly Throne of all joy and pleasure with Christ our Saviour in whose stedfast faith if it be lawful for the Daughter so to write to the Father the Lord that hitherto hath strengthened you so continue you that at last we may meet in Heaven with the Father the Son and the holy Ghost In her Letter to Mr. Harding formerly her Fathers Chaplain and a zealous Preacher of the Gospel but then tnrn'd Papist she writes thus As oft as I call to mind the dreadful and fearful saying of God That he which layeth hold on the Plough and looketh back is not meet for the Kingdome of Heaven and on the other side the comfortable words of our Saviour Christ to those That forsaking themselves do follow him I cannot but marvel at thee and lament thy Case who seemed sometime to be the lively Member of Christ but now the deformed Imp of the Devil sometime the beautiful Temple of God but now the filthy and stinking Kennel of Satan sometime the unspotted Spouse of Christ but now the shameless Paramour of Antichrist sometime my faithful Brother but now a Stranger and an Apostate sometime a stout Christian Souldier but now a cowardly Run-away yea when I consider these things I cannot but cry out upon thee thou seed of Satan and not of Iudah whom the Devil hath deceived the world hath beguiled and the desire of life subverted and made thee of a Christian an Infidel Wherefore hast thou taken the Testament of the Lord in thy mouth Wherefore hast thou instructed others to be strong in Christ when thou thy self dost now so shamefully shrink and so horribly abuse the Testament and the Law of the Lord When thou thy self preachest not to steal yet most abominably stealest not from men but from God and committing most hainous sacriledge robbest Christ thy Lord of his right members thy body and soul and choosest rather to live miserably with shame to the world then to die and gloriously with honour reign with Christ in whom even in death is life Why dost thou now shew thy self most weak when indeed thou oughtest to be most strong The strâ—â—gth of a fort is unknown before the assault but thou yieldest thy hold before any battery be made Oh wretched and unhappy man what art thou but dust and ashes and wilt thou resist thy Maker that fashioned and framed thee Wilt thou now forsake him that called thee from the custome-gathering of the Romish Antichristians to be an Ambassadour and Messenger of his Word He that first framed thee and since thy first Creation and Birth preserved thee nourished and kept thee yea and inspired thee with the Spirit of Knowledge I cannot say of grace shall he not now possess thee Darest thou deliver up thy self to another being not thine own but his How canst thou having knowledge or how darest thou neglect the law of the Lord and follow the vain traditions of men and whereas thou hast been a publick Professor of his Name become now a Defacer of his glory Wilt thou refuse the true God and worship the invention of man the golden Calf the whore of Bâ—bylon the Romish Religion the abominable Idol the most wicked Mass Wilt thou torment again rent and tear the most precâ—ous Body of our Saviour Christ with thy bodily and fleshly teeth Wilt thou take upon thee to offer up any Sacrifice unto God for our sins considering that Christ â—ffâ—red up himself as Pâ—uâ— saith uâ—â—n the Cross a liveâ—y Sacrifice once for all Can neither the punishment of the Israelites which for their Idolatry they oft received nor the terrible threatnings of the Prophets nor the curse of Gods own mouth fear thee to honour any other god then him Dost thou so regard him that spared not his dear and onely-Son for thee so diminishing yea utterly extinguishing his glory that thou wilt attribute the praise and honour due unto him to the Idols which have mouths and speak not eyes and see not ears and hear not whiâ—â—â—â—all perish with them that made thee Confounded be all they that worship them Christ oâ—â—ereth up himself once for all and wilt thou offer him up again daily at thy pleasure But thou wilt say thou dost it for a good intent Oh sink of sin Oh child of perdition Dost thou dream therein of a good intent where thy conscience bears thee witness of Gods threatned wrath against thee How did Saul how for
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
c. but you guilty in the same offences hath he fostered as it were in his own bosome during the time of that most miserable thraldome under Queen Mary and now hath set you at such liberty as the fury of Gods enemies cannot hurt you except that willingly against his Honour you take pleasure to conspire with them God requires of you earnest repentance for your former defection and an heart mindful of his merciful providence and a will ready to advance his glory that evidently it may appear that in vain you have not received these graces of God To performance whereof of necessity it is that carnal wisdome and worldly policy to both which you are too much inclined give place to Gods naked Truth Very love compells me to say That except the Spirit of God purge your heart from that Venome which your eyes have seen destructive to others that you shall not long escape the reward of Dissemblers Now you are in that estate and credit in the which you shall either comfort the sorrowful and affâ—icted for righteousness sake or else you shall molest and oppugne the Spirit of God speaking in his Messengers The Comforters of the afflicted for godliness have promise of comfort in their greatest necessities but the Troublers of Gods Servants how contemned soever they appear before the world are threatned to have their Names in execration to the Posterities following Except that in the Cause of Christs Evangel you be found simple sincere fervent and unfeigned you shall taste of the same cup which Politick Heads have drunk in before I hear that some of that poor Flock of late assembled in Geneva are so extremely handled that those who most rudely have shed the blood of Gods most dear Children find this day among you greater favours then they do Alas This appeareth much to repugne to Christian Charity for whatsoever hath been mine offence this I fear not to affirm in their Cause That if any that have suffered Exile in those most dolorous dayes of Persecution deserve praise and commendation for peace concord sober and quiet living it is they From Diep April 10. 1559. In his Letter to Queen Elizabeth Consider deeply how for fear of your life you did decline from God and bow to Idolatry going to Mass under your Sister Mary her persecution of Gods Saints Let it not appear a small offence in your eyes that you have declined from Christ Jesus in the day of your Battel neither would I that you should esteem that mercy to be vulgar and common which you have received viz. that God hath covered your Offence hath preserved your Person when you were most unthankful and hath Exalted you c. Commonly it is seen that such as refuse the counsel of the Faithful appear it never so sharp are compelled to follow the deceit of Flatterers to their own perdition Edinburg Iuly 28. A. 1559. When Mass was permitted to the Queen for a time Mr. Knox the next Sabbath after the first Mass shewed what terrible plagues God had taken upon Realms and Nations for Idolatry and added That one Mass was more fearful to him then if Ten thousand armed Enemies were Landed in any part of the Realm of purpose to suppress the whole Religion for said he in our God there is strength to resist and confound multitudes if we unfeignedly depend upon him whereof heretofore we have had experience but when we joyn hands with Idolatry it is no doubt but both Gods amiable presence and comfortable defence will leave us and what shall then become of us Alas I fear that experience will teach us to the grief of many When God began to make his words good He did in the audience of many Dec. 1565. ask God mercy that he was not more vehement and upright in suppressing that Idol at the beginning For said he albeit I spake that which offended some which this day they see and feel to be true yet did I not that which might have been done for God had not onely given me knowledge and a tongue to make known the impiety of that Idol but he had given me credit with many who would have put in execution Gods Judgements if I would onely have consented thereto but so careful was I of that common tranquility and so loth was I to offend some that in secret conference with zealous men I travelled rather to mitigate yea to slacken that fervency God had kindled in them then to animate or encourage them to put their hands to the Lords Work wherein I acknowledge my self to have done most wickedly and from the bottome of my heart do ask of my God pardon that I did not what in me lay to have suppressed that Idol in the beginning When the Queen accused him for stirring up her Subjects against her Mother her Self and that he was the cause of much sedition great slaughter in England and that all he did was by Necromancy Madam said Mr. Knox may it please your Majesty patiently to hear my simple answers and first If to teach the Word of God in sincerity if to rebuke Idolatry and to will a people to worship God according to his Word be to raise Subjects against their Princes then cannot I be excused but if the true knowledge of God and his right worshipping be the chief cause which must move men to obey their just Princess from their heart as it is most certain they are wherein can I be reprehended I think and am surely perswaded that your Majesty hath had and now hath as unfeigned obedience of such as profess Christ Jesus within this Realm as ever your Father or Progenitors had of those that were called Bishops And now shortly to answer the other two Accusations I heartily praise my God through Jesus Christ that Satan that enemy of mankind and the wicked of the world have no other crimes to lay to my charge then such as the world it self knoweth to be most false and vain If indeed in any of the places where I was in England during the time of my being there there was either Battel Sedition or Mutiny I shall confess my self a shedder of blood but God so blessed my weak labours in Barwick wherein then commonly used to be slaughter by reason of quarrels that used to arise among Souldiers that there was great quietness all the time that I remained there And whereas they slander me of Magick Necromancy c. all the Congregations that ever heard me know what I spake against such acts and those that use such impiety but seeing my Master was accused thus even that he was possessed with Belzebub I must patiently bear their false accusations But yet said the Queen you have taught the people to receive another Religion then their Princes can allow and how can that Doctrine be of God seeing God commandeth Subjects to be obedient to their Princes Madam said he as right Religion took neither
not suffer him to do by strength by crafty deceit making the Prince party c. After a long conference between the Queen and Mr. Knox the Secretary told him He might return to his house for that night I thank God and the Queens Majesty said he and Madam I pray God to purge your heart from Papistry and to preserve you from the counsel of â—latterers for how pleasant soever they appear to your ear and corrupt affections for the time experience hath taught us in what perplexity they have brought famous Princes After he was gone the Nobility in the presence of the Queen absolved Mr. Knox. In his Prayer for the Queen O Lord if thy good pleasure be purge the heart of the Queen Majesty from the venome of Idolatry and deliver her from the thraldome and bondage of Satan into the which she hath been brought up and yet remains for the lack of true Doctrine and let her see by the illumination of thy Spirit that there is no means to please thee but by Jesus Christ thy onely Son and that Jesus Christ cannot be found but in thy holy Word nor yet received but as it prescribes which is to renounce our own wisdome and preconceived opinion and worship thee as it commands that in so doing she may avoid the eternal damnation which is ordained for all obstinate impenitenâ—s and that this poor Realm may also escape that plague and vengeance which inevitably followeth Idolatry maintained against the manifest Word and the light thereof Secretary Lethington was offended at two things therein 1 Because he prayed for the Queen conditionally If it be thy good pleasure c. Where have ye an example of such a Prayer Mr. Knox answered Wheresoever the examples are I am sure of the Rule which is this If we shall ask any thing according to his Will he shall grant us I have learned to pray in faith now faith you know depends upon the Word of God and so it is that the Word of God teacheth me that Prayer profiteth the Sons and Daughters of Gods Election Besides did not the Apostles pray as they commanded others to pray Now Peter commanded Simon Magus to pray conditionally If it be pâ—ssible c. 2 Where find ye that the Scriptures call any the Bond-slaves of Satan said the Secretary or that the Prophets of God spake of Kings and Princes so irreverently The Scripture saith said Mr. Knox that by nature we are all the children of wrath and our Master Christ affirms That such as do sin are servants to sin c. Behold I send thee saith Christ to Paul to the Gentiles to turn them from the power of Satan unto God Kings and Queens are not excepted but all unfaithfull are pronounced to stand in one rank and to be in bondage to one Tyrant the Devil Elisha was a Subject in the Kingdome of Israel and yet how little reverence did he give to the King he feared not to say to King Iehoram What have I to do with thee c. As the Lord of Hosts liveth in whose sight I stand if it were not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah I would not have looked toward thee c. Lethington telling him That we are not bound to follow extraordinary examples unless we have the like command c. I grant said Mr. Knox if the example repugne the Law as if a covetous man should borrow silver raiment c. from his neighbour and withhold the same alledging the example of the Israelites in Egypt c. But where the example agrees with the Law c. it stands to us in place of a Commandement for as God in his Nature is constant and immutable so cannot he condemn in the ages subsequent that which he hath approved in his Servants before us Lethington telling him That prosperity doth not alwaies prove that God approves the facts of men Yes said he when the facts of men agree with the Law of God and are rewarded according to his own promise expressed in his Law the prosperity that succeeds them is a most infallible assurance that God hath approved them Upon the nineteenth of August An. 1565. a little while after the Queen was married to the Lord Darley who to please the Protestants came to Church Mr Knox preached upon Isa. 26.13 14 15 16 c. wherein he said That God sets in Government for the offences and ingratitude of the people Boyes and Women and that God justly punished Ahab and his posterity because lie would not take order with that harlot Iezabel for which Sermon he was called in question and in answering said more then he had preached for he added That as the King had to please the Queen gone to Mass and dishonoured the Lord God so should God in his Justice make her an instrument of his ruine and so it fell out in a very short time But the Queen being incensed at these words to please her he was forbid to preach for a time This Sermon he took care to have it printed to make known to the world what ground there was to deal so with him as he tells us In his Epistle to the Reader I dare not deny least that in so doing I should be injurious to the Giver but that God hath revealed to me secrets unknown to the world and also that he hath made my tongue a Trumpet to forewarn Realms and Nations yea certain great revelations of mutations and changes when no such things were feared nor yet was appearing A portion whereof cannot the world deny be it never so blind to be fulfilled and the rest alas I fear shall follow with greater hast and in more full perfection then my sorrowfull heart desireth Notwithstanding these revelations and assurances I did ever abstain to commit any thing to writing contented onely to have obeyed the charge of him who commanded me to cry If any then will ask to what purpose this onely Sermon is set forth and greater matters omitted I answer To let such as Satan hath not altogether blinded see upon how small occasions great offence is now conceived For this Sermon from my Bed I was called before the Council and after long reasoning I was by some forbidden to preach in Edinburg so long as the King and Queen were in Town The Sermon he writ for the Press the last day of August 1565. when the Castle of Edinburg was shooting against the Exiled for Christs sake and therefore he concluded thus Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit for the terrible roaring of Guns and the noise of Armour do so pierce my heart that my soul thirsteth to depart Be merciful to thy flock O Lord and at thy good pleasure put an end to my misery The next Sabbath after the Earl of Murray was slain a Note was sent to Mr. Knox among the Papers wherein were written the names of those that desired
the Prayers of the Church with these words Take up the man whom ye accounted another god At the end of his Sermon he bemoaned the loss that the Church and State of Scotland received by the death of that man and said That as God in his mercy giveth good and wise Rulers so he taketh them away in his wrath and then added There is one in this Company that maketh the subject of his mirth this horrible murder whereat all good men have cause to be sorry I tell him he shall die where there shall be none to lament him The young Gentleman that writ the Note hearing this Comination went home and said to his Sister that Iohn Knox was raving to speak of he knew not whom His Sister replied with tears in her eyes telling him That none of Iohn Knox's threatnings fell to the ground without effect and so it fell out in this particular for this Mr. Thomas Metellan shortly after went beyond Sea to travel and died in Italy having no known man to assist him much less to lament him He told his People it was his desire to finish and close his preaching with preaching upon the History of Christs Passion In his last Sermon to his People at Edinburg which was preached at the Election of Mr. Iames Lawson to succeed him to whom he had writ thus Accelera mi frater alioqui sero venies Make haste Brother otherwise you will come too late meaning That if he made any stay he should find him dead and gone He called God to witness that he had walked in a good conscience among them not seeking to please men nor serving his own or other mens affections but in all sincerity and truth preached the Gospel of Christ most gravely and pithily exhorting them to stand fast in the faith which they had received In his sickness he said unto the Earl of Morton who came to visit him My Lord God hath given you wisdome honour high birth riches many good and great friends and is now to prefer you to the Government of the Realm In his Name I charge you that you will use these Blessings better in time to come then you have done in times past In all your actions seek first the glory of God the furtherance of his Gospel the maintenance of his Church and Ministry next be carefull of the King and the welfare of the Realm If you shall do this God will be with you and honour you if otherwise you do it not he will deprive you of all these benefits and your end shall be shame and ignominy These Speeches the Earl about nine years after at the time of his Execution called to mind saying That he had found them true and Mr. Knox therein a true Prophet A day or two before his death he sent for Mr. Lindsay Mr. Lawson and the Elders and Deacons of the Church and said unto them The time is approaching for which I have long thirsted wherein I shall be released from all my cares and be with my Saviour Christ for ever and now God is my Witness whom I have served with my Spirit in the Gospel of his Son that I have taught nothing but the true and sincere Word of God the true and solid Doctrine of the Gospel and that the end I proposed in all my Doctrine was to instruct the ignorant to confirm the weak to comfort the consciences of those who were humbled under the sense of their sins and born down with the threatnings of Gods judgements Such as were proud and rebellious I am not ignorant have blamed and do yet blame my too great rigour and severity but God knoweth that in my heart I never hated the persons of those against whom I thundred Gods judgements I did onely hate their sins and laboured according to my power to gain them to Christ. That I did forbear none of whatsoever condition I did it out of the fear of my God who hath placed me in the Ministry and I know will bring me to an account Now Brethren for your selves I have no more to say but to warn you to take heed to the Flock over which God hath placed you overseers which he hath redeemed with the blood of his onely begotten Son And now Mr. Lawson Fight a good fight do the work of the Lord with courage and with a willing mind and God from above bless you and the Church whereof you have charge against it so long as it continueth in the Doctrine of the Truth the gates of Hell shall not prevail This spoken and the Elders and Deacons dismissed he called the two Preachers to him and said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly You have sometimes seen the courage and constancy of the Laird of Grange in the Cause of God and that most unhappy man hath cast himself away I pray you two to take the pains to go to him and say from me That unless he forsake that wicked course wherein he is entred neither shall the rock in which he confideth defend him nor the carnal wisdome of that man whom he counteth half a god this was young Lethington yield him help but shamefully he shall be pulled out of that nest and his carkass hang before the Sun and so it fell out for the next year the Castle which he did keep against the Kings Authority was taken and he hanged before the Sun the Soul of that man is dear unto me and if it be possible I would fain have him saved They went but could not prevail yet at his death he did express serious repentance for his sins The next day he was much in Prayer crying Come Lord Jesus Sweet Jesus into thy hands I commend my Spirit Being asked by those about him if his pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a pain which should be unto him the end of all troubles and beginning of eternal joyes Oftentimes after some deep Meditations he burst forth in these words O serve the Lord in fear and death shall not be troublesome unto you blessed is the death of those that have part in the death of Christ. In the Evening having slept some hours together but with great unquietness for he was heard to send forth many sighs and groans Being asked after he awaked How he did find himself and what it was that made him to mourn so heartily in his sleep He answered In my life time I have oft been assaulted with Satan many times he hath cast in my teeth my sins to bring me to despair yet God gave me strength to overcome all his temptations and now that subtile Serpent who never ceaseth to tempt hath taken another course and seeks to perswade me that all my labours in the Ministry and the fidelity that I have shewn in that Service hath merited Heaven and immortality but blessed be God that brought to my mind these Scriptures What hast thou that thou hast not received and not
I but the grace of God in me With which he is gone away ashamed and shall no more return And now I am sure my Battel is at an end and that without pain of body or trouble of spirit I shall shortly change this mortal and miserable life with that happy and immortal which never shall have end After one had prayed for him he was ask'd whether he heard the Prayer he answered Would to God that ye had heard it with such an ear and heart as I have done adding Lord Jesus receive my spirit With which words without any motion of hands or feet as one falling asleep rather then dying he ended his life When he was buried the Earl of Morton being near the Grave said by way of Epitaph Here lies the body of him who in his life time never feared the face of man L. Lalaeus Simon Lalaeus to Silvester his Executioner said Never saw I a man in all my life whose coming was more welcome to me then thine Silvester seeing the great faith and constancy of this blessed Martyr was converted and with all his Family removed to the Church at Geneva Lambert The first Article against him was Whether he was suspect or infamed of heresie Unto your first Demand said he I answer That I am not certain what all persons at all seasons have deemed or suspected of me peradventure some better some worse The opinion of the people was never one but thought diversly of all the famous Prophets and of the Apostles yea and of Christ himself some saying that he was a very good man others said nay and called him a Seducer c. Seeing therefore that all men did not say well by Christ the Author of Verity and Truth yea Truth it self c. what should I need to regard if at some time some person for a little cause should suspect of me amiss and evil report of me c. Woe be unto you when all men speak well of you for so did their Fathers to the false Prophets In his Answer to their second Demand Our Prelates have sent out commandments that if any person shall adventure to keep any of Luther's Books they shall be excommunicated c. But this is no novelty for so did their fore-fathers the Prelates in Christs time c. When Christ went about preaching the Scribes and Pharisees who were Prelates then gave a general command That whosoever confessed him to be Christ should be put out of the Synagogue c. The Apostles were in like manner served In the Old Testament they procured of one that was a temporal Ruler at that season to have the Prophecy of Ieremy for he of all other is most vehement against the dissimulation of Priests to be burned If they had the Spirit of Christ which they claim and pretend to they would follow the counsel of the Apostles To prove all things and to retain that onely which is good refraining from all that hath semblance of evil and to try the spirits of them that should speak whether they were of God or no. The Priests saith Chrysostome on Matthew that were Pharisees in Christs time made aâ—â— Ordinance That whosoever should acknowledge Iâ—sâ—â— to be Christ should be excommunicate If the Phâ—risees or Priests that now do occupy their rooms should make a like Ordinance because they would not have Christs Doctrine professed for hindring their lucre should we leave off to seek after the knowledge of Christs Doctrine No verily When it was objected against Hierom that he retained by him the Works of Eusebius and Origen he bringeth to prove That it was lawful for him that passage of the Apostle Prove all things c. These things prove that I and others may safely no good Law inhibiting but Constitutions Pharisaical read the Works of Luther c. In his Answer to their fifth Demand It is evident from Christs words When you have done all things commanded say yet you be unprofitable Servants c. That he would not have us esteem our merits when we have done what is commanded by God but reckon our selves to be servants unprofitable to God forasmuch as he hath no need of our well doing for his own advancement c. and if we ought not to attend our merits in doing the Commandment of God much less in observing our own Inventions or Traditions of men unto which there is no benefit in all Scripture which Paul calleth the Word of Truth and Faith promised In his Answer to the sixth Demand That they will not suffer Marriage to be solemnized at all times of the year I think it standeth not with Christs Rule but rather is against the same It ought also freely to be administred and without mony In the Primitive Church as ancient Doctors deem and the Scripture in mine opinion recordeth the same there were no more Officers in the Churches of God then Bishops and Deacons Hierome in his Com. on the Epistles of Paul saith That those whom we call Priests were none other then Bishops and the Bishops none other then Priests c. Neither were they chosen as they be now adayes c. But they were chosen not onely of the Bishop but with the consent of the people among whom they should have their Living as sheweth Cyprian and the people ought to have power as he saith to chuse Priests c. But alas such Elections are now banished and new Fashions brought in In his Answer to the thirteenth Demand I say that there is a Purgatory in this world the Fire of Tribulation through which all Christians shall pass as testifies Paul whose testimony is full notable and true albeit that few do know it and fewer will believe it That all that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution In this Purgatory do I now reckon my self to stand God send me well to persevere unto his honour Of this speaketh St. Peter For a season ye are sundry wayes afflicted and tormented that the trial of your Faith c. though it be tried with fire might be found unto laud glory and honour at the appearing of Iesus Christ c. other Purgatory know I none In his Answer to the seventeenth Demand Forsomuch as no positive law of man made without foundation of Scripture may bind any person so that in breaking of such he shall therefore sin deadly and of this sort made by man is the Fast of Lent and other dayes ordained in your laws without authority of Scripture c. In his Answer to the one and twentieth Demand Men may be wrongfully suspected of heresie as the Bishops and Priests with their Oratour Tertullus suspected Paul c. And their Predecessors spake of the Prophets yea and of Christ himself calling him a Seducer and Preacher of heresie Men being thus suspected ought in no wise therefore to cease preaching as is evident in the instance of Peter
He that believeth God attendeth to his commands And the Devils believe to their little comfort I pray God save you and your Friends from that Believing Congregation St. Hierâ—m exhorts true Preachers to suffer death for the same when evil Priests and false Teachers and the people that be by them deceived are angry with them for preaching the truth though they be Christned as well as others I fear St. Hierom might appear to some Christian Congregation as they will be called to write seditiously to divide the unity of a great honest number confessing Christ in one Baptism one Lord one Faith Hierom calleth the Priests Masters and very proverly Servants teach not their own Doctrine but the Doctrine of their Master Christ to his glory Masters teach not Christs Doctrine but their own to their own glory Your Friends have learned of St. Iohn That every one that confesseth Iesus Christ in flesh is of God and I have learned of St. Paul That there have been not among Heathens but among the Christned who confess Christ with their mouth and deny him with their acts I leave it to your Friends to shew Utrum qui factis negant Christum vita sint ex Deo necne per solam oris confessionem for they knew well enough from the same St. Iohn He that is of God sinneth not and heareth the Word of God Many shall hear I never knew you who shall not onely be Christned but also Prophecy and do many mighty works in the Name of Christ. False Prophets are called naughty Servants Servants because they confess Christ in the flesh and naughty because they deny him in their deeds not giving meat in due season and exercising Mastership over the Flock In the people there is required a judgement to discern when Gods Ordinances are ministred and when mens own lest we take Chalk for Cheese which all edge our teeth and hinder digestion for it is commonly said The blind eateth many a fly as they did which were perswaded of the High Priests to ask Barabbas and crucifie Christ and ye know that to follow the blind guides is to come into the pit with the same Better it were to have a deformity in preaching so that some would preach the truth of God and that which is to be preached without cauponation and adulteration of the Word then to have such an uniformity that the silly people should thereby be occasioned to continue still in their lamentable ignorance corrupt judgement superstition and idolatry c. I see well whosoever will be happy and busie with vae votis shall shortly after come coram noâ—is I shall have need of great patience to bear the false reports of the malignant Church I wonder how men can go quietly to bed who have great Cures and many and yet peradventure are in none of them all I must suffer of necessity and so enter so perillous a thing it is to live godly in Christ Iesus even in a Christian Congregation God make us all Christians after the right fashion Amen In his Letter to King Henry the Eighth Saint Austin saith That he who for fear of any Power hidâ—th the Truth provoketh the wrath of God to come upon him for he feareth men more then God Saint Chrysostome saith That he is not onely a Traitor to the Truth who openly for Truth teacheth a Lye but he also who doth not freely pronounce and shew the Truth that he knoweth These passages made me sore afraid and troubled in conscience and at last drew me to this strait that either I must shew forth such things as I have read and learned in the Scripture or else be of that sort that provoke the wrath of God upon them and be Traitors to the Truth the which thing rather then it should happen I had rather suffer extreme punishment For what other thing is it to be a Traitor to the Truth then to be a Traitor and a Iudas unto Christ who is the very Truth and cause of all Truth who saith That whosoever deny him here before men he will deny him before his Father in Heaven the which denying ought more to be feared and dreaded then the loss of all temporal goods honour promotion fame prison slander hurts banishments and all manner of torments and cruelties yea and death it self be it never so shameful and painful But alas how little do men fear the terrible judgement of Almighty God and especially they who boast themselves to be Guides unto others and challenge to themselves the knowledge of holy Scriptures yet will neither shew the Truth themselves as they be bound nor suffer them that would So that what Christ said to the Pharisees may be said to them Woe be to you c. who shut up the Kingdome of Heaven before men and neither will you enter in your selves nor suffer them that would to enter in Now they have made it Treason to have the Scripture in English Here I beseech your Grace to hear patiently a word or two Though as concerning your Regal Power you are to me and all your Subjects in Gods stead c. yet as concerning that you be a mortal man in danger of sin having in you the corrupt nature of Adam in the which all be conceived and born and so have no less need of the merits of Christs Passion for your salvation then I or other of your Subjects have c. I was bold to write this rude homely and simple Letter to your Grace First I exhort you to make the life and process of Christ and his Apâ—stles in preaching and the words of Christ to his Disciples when he sent them forth to preach his Gospel Christ was born and lived very poor though he might by his Divine Power have had all the Treasures of this World when where he would But this he did to shew us that his Followers should not regard and set by the Riches and Treasures of this World if they happen to them they should not set their hearts upon them It is not against the poverty in spirit which Christ praiseth to be rich to be in dignity and honour so that the heart be not set upon them They be enemies to this poverty in spirit though they have never so little that have greedy desires to the Goods of this World onely because they would live after their own pleasure and lusts I will not that your Grace should take away the Goods due to the Church but take away all evil persons from the Goods and set better in their stead I name nor appoint no person or persons but remit your Grace to the Rule of our Saviour Christ By their fruits ye shall know them The words that Christ spake to his Disciples when he sent them to preach his Gospel are that here they shall be hated and despised of all men worldly and brought before Kings and Rulers and that all evil should be
the Will of God and fear not them that kill the body but have no power upon your souls My flesh repugneth marvellously against the Spirit but shortly I shall cast it away I beseech you pray for me O Lord my God into thy hands I commend my soul. Laurence I find three of this name recorded in the Book of Martyrs First Laurence the Deacon when Xistus his Pastour was martyred under the Emperour Valerianus was grieved that the Son should be secluded from the Father that he should not suffer with him Seeing him led alone as a Sheep to the slaughter he cried out to him O Dear Father whither goest thou without the company of thy dear Son whither hastenest thou O Reverend Pastour without thy Deacon never wast thou wont to offer sacrifice without thy Minister What crime is there in me that offendeth thy fatherhood Deniest thou unto him the fellowship of thy blood to whom thou hast committed the distribution of the Lords blood He having after three dayes respit promised the merciless Tyrant to declare where the Churches treasure lay caused a good company of poor Christians to be congregated and when the day of his answer was come and he was strictly charged to staud to his promise he stretching out his arms over the poor said These are the precious treasure of the Church these are the treasure indeed in whom the faith of Christ reigneth in whom Iesus Christ hath his mansion-place What more precious jewels can Christ have then those in whom he hath promised to dwell It is written I was hungry and ye gave me to eat I was thirsty and ye gave me to drink I was harbourless and ye lodged me Look what ye have done to the least of these the same have ye done to me No tongue is able to expreâ—s the Tyrant's fury and madness hereupon Kindle the fire of wood saith he make no spare Hath this Villain deluded the Emperour Away with him away with him whip him buffet him brain him Jesteth the Traitor with the Emperour roast him boyl him toss him turn him on pain of our high Displeasure do every one his office O ye Tormentors When he was on the fiery Gridiron which was as a soft Bed of Down to him he spake thus unto the Tyrant This side is now roasted enough Turn up O Tyrant great Essay whether roasted or raw Thou think the better meat Secondly Iohn Laurence who was burnt at Colchester March 29. An. 1555. He being not able to go being lamed with Irons in Prison was born to the fire in a Chair and whilst he sate in the fire the young children came about the fire and cried as well as they could Lord strengthen thy Servant and keep thy promise Lord strengthen thy Servant and keep thy promise Thirdly Henry Laurence who was burnt at Canterbury about the later end of August the same year He being required to put his hand to his Answers wrote Ye are all of Antichrist and him ye fol probably he would have written And him ye follow had not he been hindred Lawson Elizabeth Lawson continuing almost three years in Prison in which time her own Son and many others were burnt said often Good Lord what is the cause that I may not yet come to thee with thy children Well good Lord thy blessed Will be done and not mine This good old Woman about the age of sixty before she went to Prison had the Falling-sickness but she told a friend of hers That after she was apprehended she never had it more Leafe Bonner pressing Iohn Leafe an Apprentice of London to recant he said No but I will die in that Doctrine that Mr. Rogers Hooper Cardmaker c. died for My Lord you call mine Opinion Heresie it is the true Light of the Word of God and I profess I will never forsake my well-grounded Opinion whilst I have breath in my body When two Bills were sent to him in the Counter in Breadstreet the one containing a Recantation the other his Confessions to see which of them he would sign when that which contained his Confessions was read for he could neither read nor write in stead of a Pen he took a Pin and so pricking his hand sprinkled the blood upon the said Bill willing the Reader thereof to shew the Bishop that he had sealed the same Bill with his blood already Lewes Mrs. Ioyce Lewes was converted by Mr. Iohn Glover who after she was in some trouble willed her in any case not to meddle with that matter in respect of vain-glory or to get her self a Name shewing to her the great danger she was like to cast her self into if she should meddle in Gods matter otherwise then Christ doth teach When the Bishop reasoned with her she told him I find not these things in Gods Word which you urge and magnifie as things most needfull for mens Salvation If these things were in the same Word of God commanded I would with all my heart receive esteem and believe them The Bishop answering If thou wilt believe no more then is in the Scriptures concerning matters of Religion thou art in a damnable case she was amazed and being moved by the Spirit of God told him That his words were ungodly and wicked When news was brought of the coming down of the Writ de comburendo c. she sent for several Christians to consult with them how she might behave her self that her death might be more glorious to the Name of God comfortable to his people and most discomfortable to the enemies of God As for death said she I do not greatly pass when I behold the amiable Countenance of Christ my Dear Saviour the ugly face of death doth not greatly trouble me Two Priests sending her word that they were come to hear her Confession she sent them word again That she had made her Confession to Christ her Saviour at whose hands she was sure to have forgiveness of her sins As concerning the Cause for the which she should die she had no cause to confess that but rather to give unto God most humble praise that he did make her worthy to suffer death for his Word And as concerning that Absolution That they were able to give unto her by Authority from the Pope she did defie the same even from the bottom of her heart About three of the Clock in the morning before her Execution Satan questioned with her How she could tell that she was chosen to eternal life and that Christ died for her I grant that he died but that he died for thee How canst thou tell But Satan was soon put to flight and she comforted in Christ by arguing her Election and Christ dying for her in particular from her Vocation and the holy Spirit working in her heart love and desire towards God to please him and to be justified by him through Christ c. When the Sheriff about eight of the Clock
are accounted worthy of the Kingdome of Heaven for which we also suffer It is verily saith the Apostle a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulations to them that trouble us and rest to us that be troubled These things we ought to have before our eyes alwayes that in the time of persecution whereof all that will be the children of God shall be partakers and some of us are already we may stand stedfast in the Lord and endure even to the end that we may be saved for unless we like good Warriers of Iesus Christ will endeavour our selves to please him who hath chosen us to be souldiers and fight the good Fight of Faith to the end we shall not obtain that crown of Righteousness which the Lord that is a right our Iudge shall give all them that love his Coming Let us therefore ground our selves on the sure Rock Christ for other foundation can no man lay besideâ— that which is laid already which is Iesus Christ. If any buâ—ld on this foundation gold silver c. By fire the Apostle doth mean persecution the portion of those that do preach and profess the Word of Christ which is called the Word of the Cross. By gold c. he understands them that in the midst of persecution abide stedfast in the Word By hay and stubble such as in time of persecution do fall away from the Truth When Christ doth purge his floor with the wind of adversity these are scattered as light chaffe which shall be burnt with unquenchable fire If they which do believe do in time of persecution stand stedfastly in the Truth the Builder I mean the Preacher of the Word shall receive a reward and the Work shall be preserved and saved but if so be that they go back and swerve when persecution ariseth the Builder suffereth loss i. e. shall lose his labour and cost but let he shall be saved if he being tried in the fire of persecution doth abide fast in the Faith Wherefore my Beloved give diligent heed that ye as liâ—ing stones be â—uilt upon the sure Rock c. Let â—s be sure that unless we keep Christ and his holy Word dwelling by Faith in the House and Temple of our hearts the same thing that Christ threatneth to the Iews shall happen unto us viz. The unclean spirit of ignorance superstition idolatry and unbelief the Mother and Head of all Vices which by the grace of God was cast out of us bringing with him seven other spirits worse then himself shall to our utter ruine return again to us and so shall we be in worse case then ever we were before for if â—e after we have escaped from the filthiness of the world through the Knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ be yet entangled therein and overcome then is the latâ—r end worse then the beginning and it had been letter for us not to have known the way of righteousness 〈◊〉 after we have known it to turn from the holy Commandment given unto us for it is then hapned unto us according to the true Proverb The Dog is turned to his vomit and the Son that was washed to wallowing in the mire It is not possible saith the Apostle that they which were once enlightned c. if they fall away should be renewed again by repentance c. St. Paul's meaning in this place is That they that believe unfeignedly Gods Word do abide stedfast in the known Truth If any therefore fall away from Christ and his Word it is a plain token that they were but dissembling Hypocrites for all their fair faces outwardly and never believed truly c. They went out from us because they were not of us c. If we sin willingly after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgement c. Wherefore let us on whom the ends of the world are come take diligent heed unto our selves that now in these last and perillous times in which the Devil is come down and hath great wrath because he knoweth his time is but short and whereof the Prophets Christ and the Apostles have given us such warning we withhold not the Truth in unrighteousness believing doing or speaking any thing against our knowledge and conscience or without faith c. If ye believe me ye shall die in your sins Dear Friends we trust to see better of you and things which accompany salvation and that ye being the good ground watered with the moistness of Gods Word plentifully preached among you will with a good heart hear the Word of God and keep it bringing forth fruit with patience and that you will be none of those forgetful and hypocritical hearers who although they hear the Word suffer the Devil to catch away what was sown in their hearts either having no root in themselves endure but a season and as soon as persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by they are offended or with the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches choak the Word and so are unfruitful Read the Parable of the Sower and note especially That the most part of the hearers of Gods Word are but Hypocrites hearing the Word without any fruit or profit yea to their greater condemnation for onely the fourth part of the seed doth bring forth fruit Therefore let not us that be Ministers or Professors and Followers of Gods Word be discouraged though that very few do give credit and follow the Doctrine of the Gospel and be saved We trust that ye will not like the Gadarenes for fear to lose your worldly substance or other delights of this life banish away Christ and his Gospel from among you If ye do your own blood will be upon your own heads And as ye have had more plentiful preaching of the Gospel then others so ye shall be sure to be sorer plagued and the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to another Nation that will bring forth the fruits thereof Wherefore my dearly beloved in Christ take good heed unto your selves and ponder well in your minds how fearful and horrible a thing it is to fall into the hands of the Living God and see that ye receive not the Word in vain but declare your faith by your good works among which the chiefest are to be obedient to the Magistrates sith they are the Ordinance of God whether they be good or evil unless they command idolatry and ungodliness i. e. things contrary to true Religion for then we ought to say with Peter We ought more to they God then man But in any wise we must beware of Tumult Insurrection Rebellion or Resistance The weapon of a Christian in this matter ought to be the Sword of the Spirit which is Gods Word and Prayer coupled with humility and due submission and with readiness of heart rather
give some exmple of boldness and constancy mingled with patience in the fear of God that ye and others of our Brethren through our example may be encouraged and strengthned to follow us that ye also may leave example to your weak Brethren in the world to follow you Amen Brethren the time is short it remaineth that ye use this world as though ye used it not for the fashion of this world passeth away See that ye love not the world nor the things that be in the world but set your affections on heavenly things c. Be meek and long-suffering serve and edifie one another with the gift that God hath given you beware of strange Doctrine c. August 30 1555. In his Letter to Ienkin Crampton c. These be earnestly to exhort you yea and to beseech you in the tender mercy of Christ that with purpose of heart ye cleave unto the Lord and that ye worship him in spirit in the Gospel of his Son for God will not be worshipped after the commandments and traditions of men nor yet by any other means appointed prescribed and taught us but by his holy Word and though all men almost defile themselves with the wicked traditions of men and ordinances after the world and not after Christ yet do ye after the ensample of Daniel and his three Companions c. Be at a point with your selves that ye will not be defiled with the unclean meats of the Heathen I mean the filthiness of Idolatry and the very Heathenish Ceremonies of the Papists but as the true Worshippers serve ye God in spirit and verity according to the sacred Scriptures Above all things I wish you continually and reverently to search and read the Scriptures and with the wholesome admonitions of the same to teach exhort comfort and edifie one another now in this time of the great famishment of souls for want of the food of Gods Word And doubt not but that the merciful Lord who hath promised to be with us even to the worlds end and when two or three are gathered together in his Name he will be in the midst of them will assist you and teach you the right meaning of the sacred Scriptures will keep you from all errours and lead you into all truth as he hath promised And though you think your selves unable to teach yet at the command of Christ now in time of famine seeing the hungry people in the wilderness far from any Towns if they be sent away fasting are sure to faint and perish by the way employ those five loaves and two fishes that ye have upon that hungry multitude although you think it nothing among so many And he that increased the five loaves and two fishes to feed five thousand men c. shall also augment his gifts in you not onely to the edifying of others but to an exceeding great increase of your own knowledge in God and his holy Word And fear not your Adversaries for either according to his accustomed manner God shall blind their eyes that they shall not spie you or get you favour in their sight or else graciously deliver you out of their hands by one means or other Comfort your selves in all your adversities and stay your selves in him who hath promised not to leave you as fatherless and motherless children without any comfort but that he will come unto you like a most gentle and merciful Lord. In another Letter The same grace and peace do I wish unto you which St. Paul wisheth to them to whom he writ c. Grace is taken for the free mercy and favour of God whereby he saveth us freely without any of our deservings or works of the Law Peace is taken for the tranquility of conscience being perswaded that through the onely merits of Christs death and blood-shedding there is an atonement and peace made between God and us so that God will no more impute our sins unto us nor condemn us Be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Jesus nor of us his Prisoners but suffer ye adversity with the Gospel for which word we suffer as evil doers unto bonds but the Word of God is not bound with us Therefore we suffer all things for the Elects sake that they also may obtain the Salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory Wherefore stand ye fast in the Faith and be not moved from the hope of the Gospel so shall ye make us with joy to suffer for your sakes and as the Apostle saith To fulfill that which is behind of the Passions of Christ in our flesh for his Bodies sake which is the Congregation St. Paul doth not here mean that there wanteth any thing in the Passion of Christ which may be supplied by man but the words are to be understood of the Elect in whom Christ is and shall be persecuted to the worlds end The Passion of Christ then i. e. of this Châ—rch his mystical Body shall not be perfect till all whom God hath appointed have suffered for his sake On our parts nothing can be greater consolation and inward joy to us in our Adversity then to hear of your Faith and Love and that ye have a good remembrance of us alwayes praying for us as we do for you Now are we alive if ye stand stedfast in the Lord. Good Shepherds do alwayes count the welfare and prosperous estate of Christs Flock to be their own While it goeth well with the Congregation it goeth well with them also in whatever affliction they be but when they see the Church in peril then be they weary of their own lives and can have no rest nor joy Who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I do not burn But this affection is not in them that seek their own lucre and glory God is wont for the most part to warn his Elect what trouble shall happen to them for his sake not to frighten them thereby but rather to prepare their minds against the boisterous storms of Persecution In his Letter to Robert Langley I thank you for visitting me a Prisoner for Christ and unacquainted with to your cost and for your promise that if I did want any thing necessary to this life you with some others would help me and rejoyce greatly in the Lord who stirs up the hearts of others to be careful for me in this my great necessity I thank God as yet I do want nothing and intend to be as little chargeable to others as I can yet if I want I will be bold with you and others to send for your help desiring you in the mean while to pray for me and all others in the bonds of Christ that God would perform the thing which he hath begun in us that we may confess Jesus Christ with boldness and fight the good Fight of Faith In another Letter These be to certifie you that I greatly rejoyce in the Lord for that
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
of the common Laws the common quieâ— should be disturbed How can you say you will be the Queens true Subject whenas you do openly profess you will not keep her Laws Answ. I grant it to be reasonable that he that â—y words and gentleness cannot be made to yield to that which is right and good he that will not be subject to Gods Word should be punished by the Laws These things ought to take place against him who refuseth to do that is right and just according to true godliness not against him which cannot bear superstitions quietly but doth hate and detost from his heart such kind of proceedings and that for the glory of the Name of God Whosoever love their Countrey in Truth i. e. in God they will alwayes judge if at any time the Laws of God and man are contrary that a man ought rather to obey God then man and they that think otherwise and pretend a love to their Countrey forasmuch as they make their Countrey to fight as it were against God in whom consisteth the onely stay of that Countrey such are to be judged most deadly enemies and Traitors to their Countrey Satan indeed hath ever this dart in readiness to hurl against his Adversaries to accuse them of sedition that he may bring them if he can in danger of the higher Powers Thus Ahab said unto Elias Art thou he that troubleth Israel The false prophets complained of Jeremy to their Princes that his words were seditious and not to be suffered The Scribes and Pharises accused Christ as a seditious person and one that spake against Caesar. Did not they at the last cry If you let this man go you are not Caesars friend Thus the Oratour Tertullus accused Paul before Felix the Deputy We have found this man saith he a pestilent fellow and a stirrer up of sedition unto all the Iews in the whole world But were these indeed seditious persons God forbid but they were of men falsly accused and wherefore I pray you but because the reproved before the people their guiles superstitions and deceits A man indeed ought to obey his Prince but in the Lord and never against the Lord for he that knowingly obeyeth his Prince against God doth not a duty to the Prince but is a deceiver of the Prince and a helper to him to work his own destruction He is also unjust which giveth not to the Prince that is the Princes and to God that is Gods Hitherto you see good Father how I have in words onely made a flourish before the fight which I shortly look for and how I have begun to prepare certain kind of weapons to fight against the adversary of Christ. And here methinks I see you suddenly lifting up your head to Heaven after your manner and then looking upon me with your Prophetical Countenance and speaking thus unto me Trust not my Son I beseech you vouchsafe me the honour of this Name for in so doing I shall think my self both honoured and loved of you Trust not to these word-weapons for the Kingdome of God is not in words but in power Remember alwayes the words of the Lord Do not imagine aforehand what and how you will speak for it shall be given you even in that same hour what ye shall speak Mat. 10. For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you Mar. 11. I pray you therefore Father pray for me that I may cast my whole care on him and trust on him in all perils for I know and am surely perswaded that whatsoever I can think aforehand is nothing except he assist me with his Spirit when the time is Pray that I may out of a true Faith say with David I will not trust in my bow and it is not my sword that shall save me Psal. 44. For he hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse c. But the Lord delights in them that fear him and put their trust in his mercy I beseech you Pray pray pray that I may enter this fight onely in the Name of God In his Letter to Mr. Bradford and his Fellow-Prisoners How joyfull it was to us to hear the report of Dr. Tailor and of his godly Confession c. I assure you it is hard for me to express Blessed be God which was and is the Giver of that and of all godly strength and stomack in the time of adversity It is not the slanderers evil tongue but a mans evil deed that can with God defile a man and therefore with Gods grace ye shall never have cause to doubt but that we will continue c. Sir Blessed be God with all our evil reports grudges and restraints we are merry in God and all our cure and care is and shall be by Gods grace to please and serve him of whom we look and hope after these temporal and momentary miseries to have eternal joy and perpetual felicity with Abraham c. through Jesus Christ our Lord. In his Letter to his Cousin I can do no less then lament their case who for fear of trouble or loss of goods will do in the sight of the world those things they know and are assured are contrary to the Will of God being assdred their end will be so pitifull without speedy repentance that I tremble to think of it Alas such as should in this dangerous time have given you and me comfortable instructions have perswaded us to follow I lament to rehearse it superstitious Idolatry yea and the worst of all is they seek to prove it by Scriptures The Lord for his mercy turn their hearts Amen In another Letter to Mr. Bradford Oh dear Brother seeing the time is now come wherein it pleaseth the Heavenly Father for Christ our Saviour his sake to call upon you and to bid you come happy are you that ever you were born thus to be found awake at the Lords Calling If it be not the place that sanctisieth the man but the holy man doth by Christ sanctifie the place then happy and holy shall be that place where in thou shalt suffer and which shall be sprinkled over with thy ashes in Christs Cause All thy Countrey may rejoyce of thee that it ever brought forth such an one which would render his life again in his Cause of whom he had received it We do look now every day when we shall be called on blessed be God I ween I am the weakest many wayes of our company and yet I thank our Lord God and Heavenly Father by Christ that since I heard of our dear Brother Rogers his departing and stout confession of Christ and his Truth even unto death my heart blessed be God rejoyced of it that since that time I never felt any lumpish heaviness in my heart as I grant I have felt sometimes before Oh good Brother blessed be God in thee and blessed be the time that ever I knew thee In his