veritate adorent Amen Vester in Domino frater quem tabellarius vobis denunciabit per Dei gratiam ad conuiuendum commoriendum The same in English ☞ To the Brethren remaynyng in Captiuitie of the flesh and dispersed abroade in sundry prisons but knit together in vnity of spirite and holy religion in the bowels of the Lord Iesus GRace peace and mercy be multiplied among you What worthy thāks can we render vnto the Lord for you my brethrē namely for the great consolation which throughe you we haue receaued in the lorde who notwithstandyng the rage of Satan that goeth about by all maner of subtil meanes to begyle the world and also busilye laboureth to restore and sette vp his kingdome agayne that of late beganne to decaye and fall to ruyne ye remayne yet still vnmoueable as men surely grounded vpō a strōg rocke And now albeit that Satan by hys souldiours and wycked ministers daily as we heare draweth numbers vnto him so that it is said of him that he plucketh euen the very starres out of heauen whiles he dryueth into some men the feare of death and losse of all theyr goods and sheweth and offereth to other some the pleasaunte baites of the world namely riches wealth and all kynd of delights and pleasures fayre houses great reuenewes fatte benefices and what not all to the intent they should fall down and worship Apoc. xii not in the lord but in the dragon the old Serpent which is the diuell that great beast and his image and should be enticed to commit fornication wyth the strompet of Babilon together wyth the kynges of the earth wyth the lesser beast Apo. xvii◠and with the false prophets and so to reioice and be pleasaunt with her and to be dronkē with the wine of her fornication yet blessed be god the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath geuen vnto you a manly courage hath so strengthned you in the inward man by the power of his spirite that you can contemne aswell all the terrors as also the vayne flatteryng allurements of the world estemyng them as vanities mere trifles thinges of nought who hath also wroughte planted and surely stablished in in your hearts so stedfast a faith and loue of our lord Iesus Christ ioyned with suche constancie that by no engines of Antichrist be they neuer so terrible or plausible ye will suffer any other Iesus or any other Christ to be forced vppon you besydes hym whome the Prophets haue spoken of before the Apostels haue preached and the holye Martyrs of God haue confessed and testified with the effusion of theyr bloode In this faith stand ye fast my brethren Gal. 5 and suffer not your selues to be brought vnder the yoke of bondage and superstition any more For ye knowe bretherne howe that oure Sauioure warned hys before hande that suche shoulde come as would poynt vnto the worlde an other Christ and would set hym out with so many false myracles and with such deceaueable and subtyle practises that euen the very electe if it were possible should be thereby disceaued suche strong delusion to come dyd our Sauiour geue warnyng of before But continue ye faithfull and constante and be of good comfort and remember that our graūd captayn hath ouercome the worlde 1. Iohn 4. for he that is in vs is strōger then he that is in the worlde and the Lorde promiseth vnto vs that for the electes sake the dayes of wickednesse shall be shortned In the meane season abide ye and endure with patience as ye haue begun endure I say Virgil eneid 1. Phil. 1. Heb. 10. and reserue youre selues vnto better times as one of the Heathen Poetes said Cease not to shewe your selues valiaunt Souldiors of the lord and healpe to maintayne the trauelyng faith of the gospell Ye haue nede of patience that after ye haue done the will of god ye may receaue the promises For yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and wil not tary and the iust shal lyue by faith but if any withdraw himselfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him saieth the Lord. But we are not they which do withdraw our selues vnto damnatiō but beleue vnto the saluation of the soule Let vs not suffer these wordes of Christ to fall oute of oure heartes by anye manner of terrors or threatnynges of the world feare not them which kil the body the rest ye know 1. Iohn 2 For I write not vnto you as to men which are ignoraunt of the truth but which knowe the truthe and to this ende only that we agreeyng together in one faith may take comfort one of an other and be the more confirmed and strengchened therby We neuer had a better or more iuste cause either to contēne our life or shed our blood we can not take in hand the defence of a more certayne cleare and manifest truth For it is not any ceremony for the which we contend but it toucheth the very substāce of our whole religion yea euen Christe him selfe Shall we either can we receaue and acknowledge any other Christ in stead of him who is alone the euerlastyng sonne of the euerlasting father and is the brightnes of the glory and liuely image of the substaunce of the father in whom only dwelleth corporally the fulnes of the godhed who is the onely waye the truthe and the lyfe Let such wickednes my brethren let such horrible wickednes be farre from vs. For although there bee that are called gods 1. Corin. 8. whether in heauen either in earth as there be manye gods and many Lordes yet vnto vs there is but one God which is the father of whom are all thinges and we in him and one Lorde Iesus Christ by whom are all thynges and we by him but euery mā hath not knowledge This is life eternal saith s Iohn the they know thee to be the only true god whom thou hast sent Iesus Christe Iohn 17. Yf any therfore would force vpon vs any other God besydes hym whome Paule and the Apostles haue taught let vs not heare hym but let vs flye from hym hold hym accursed Brethren ye are not ignoraunte of the deepe and profound subtilties of Sathan for he wyll not cease to raunge about you seeking by all meanes possible whome he maye deuoure but playe ye the men and be of good comforte in the Lorde And albeit your ennemies and the aduersaries of the truthe armed with al worldly force and power that may be do set vppon you yet be not ye fainte harted nor shrink not therfore but truste vnto your captayne Christe trust vnto the Spirite of truthe and trust to the truth of your cause which as it may by the malice of Sathan bee darkened so canne it neuer be cleane put oute For we haue hygh prayse be geuen to God therfore moste playnly euidently and clearly on oure side all the Prophetes all
without the other then fire can bee without heate saying these wordes with the hart man beleueth vnto righteousnes with the mouth he confesseth vnto saluation Wherein he declareth that euen as the cause of our acceptation through Christ is the confidence and faithe of the hart in the promises of god so is the confession outwardlye of the same fayth by the mouthe the fruite that all christian faythfull hartes brynge forthe throughe the same gyfte of GOD. And where as thys effecte of confession of faythe is not there wanteth also the cause of confession whiche is true faythe for as the tree is knowen by her fruites so is faythe by her effectes And as the wante of fruite is a demonstration that the tree is vnprofitable so the wante of true confession of faythe is a token that the faith is dead The ende of the vnprofitable tree Math. x. 1. Pet. 3. is cuttyng down and castynge into the fyre the ende of the fruitles faythe is death and castyng to eternall dampnation Wherefore Saincte Peter requyreth vs to make aunswere to euerye man that demaūdeth of vs of such hope as is in vs with gentlenes reuerence which is a very testimony that we sanctify god in our hartes as it is before expressed in the same chapter For the greatest honour that man can geue to god is to confesse in the tyme of trouble truly and faithfully hys holy worde and fayth Wherfore it is the duty of euery christian to pray study to haue a through knowledge of his faith in Christ and as the glory of god shall requyre the cause of his religion to bee readye to make aunswere for the same howe soeuer the world feare displeasure frendship or other lettes shall moue vs to the contrary vppon payne saieth Christe in the x Math. x. of Mathew that I will deny hym before my father which is in heauen But how harde a thyng it is to confesse Christe in the dayes of trouble not onely the scripture but also daily experiēce in good men and women doth declare True confession is warded on euery side with many daungers on the righte hande and on the lefte hande now with fayre meanes then wyth foule threatnynges fearefull and daungerous as it is sayde by Christe our Sauioure they shall betray you to the iudges and of them ye shall be beaten and iudged to deathe Of the other syde shall pull vs backe the loue of wyfe childrē brother Syster kin frends and the loue vnto our selues But he that is ouercommen by any of these meanes hath his iudgemēt he is not meete for me sayth Christ These thynges be impossible vnto men yet to christian men in Christ possible and so necessary that christianity and true religion cannot bee in hym that is a fearde to confesse Christ and his gospell in the tyme of persecution The wisdome of the world doth say although I accomplishe the desyre of my frendes and to the sight of the worlde am present at the masse and with my body do as other men do or as I may do yet my hart is clean contrary to their belief I do detest such Idolatry beleue that the thing that I am present at is mere idolatry and abhominatiō Here be fayre words for an euill purpose and pretenced excuse for a iust condemnation before God For if it be true that ye know the thing which ye resort vnto to be the dishonor of god why doe ye honour it with your presence If ye know it to be euil why refrayne ye not from it If your conscience saye it is Idolatry why serueth your body such things as your fayth abhorreth If in your hart you know but one God why with your exterior presence serue ye the thing that ye knowe is not God If your fayth see idolatrye why doth your silence cōfesse and allow the same Two mē in one god loueth not If the inwarde man knowe the truth why doth the outward man confesse a falsehode If your spirite be perswaded that the masse is idolatry why do ye with your bodely presence vse it as a God and geue godly honoure to it Do ye not perceaue that it is written Esay 25. Math. 15. these people honor me with theyr mouth but their harts be farre frō me The cause why God was offended with these people was that outwardly they confessed him serued him but their hartes were farre frō him inwardly Wherfore ye may see what it is to beare two faces in one hoode outwardly to serue God and inwardly to serue the deuil Now marke of thys place if it be so horrible damnable a thing to be false in the hart which none knoweth but God and is worthy also of damnatiō what is to be iudged of the outward and manifest vse of idolatry which not only God but also euery good man knoweth and abhorreth There is no coulor nor cloked hipocrisie that God cā away with If the hart thinke not as the tong speaketh or els the tong speake otherwise thē the hart thinketh both be abhominable before God 2. Cor. 6. Read ye the .3 and the .6 Chapters of the fyrst Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinth where as S. Paule sayth know ye not that your bodie is the temple of the holy ghost If your body be the temple of the holy ghost what agrement hath it with idolatry Can one body at one time bee the temple of the holy ghost and be present at such idolatry as god abhorreth and detesteth Can a mā serue two masters If he do he loueth as Christ saith the one and hateth the other Math. 6. As god requireth of a faithful man a pure hart euen so requyreth he that his external profession in al thinges be according therunto for both body and soule be detters vnto god he redemed them both The woorde of God sayth vnto vs 1. Cor. 6. glorifye and beare God in your bodies If we be present at such idolatry as God forbiddeth and our own knowledge in conscience is assured to be euill do we glorifye God in our bodies No doutlesse we dishonour him and make our bodyes the seruauntes of idolatry not only to Gods dishonoure but also to the great daunger both of body and soule For this is a true saying of S. Augustine he that doth against his conscience buildeth to hell fyre It is not enough for a Christian man to say I know the masse is nought but to obey ciuill lawes and orders I wil do outwardly as other men do yet in my hart abhorre it neuer thinke it to be good Doutlesse these two mindes the spirite to thinke wel the body to do euil in this respect be both naught god wil spue that whole mā out of his mouth as he did the minister of the cōgregatiō of Laodicia Apo. 3. The 8. chap. the .10 of the fyrst to the Corinthians in thys matter in this time be places very
with sulphure brimstone wyth wailing gnashing of teeth world wtout end But yet many wil say for their vain excuse god is merciful his mercy is ouer al. But The scripture teacheth vs that cursed is he that synneth vpon hope of forgeuenes Truth it is that the mercy of God is aboue al his workes and yet but vpon such as feare him for so is it writen in the psalmes Psa 102.146 the mercy of GOD is on them that feare hym and on such as put theyr trust in hym Where we may learne that they onely put theyr trust in god that feare him and to feare god is to turne from euyll and to do that is good So that such as do loke to be pertakers of gods mercy may not abyde in that which is knowne to be manifest euill and detestable in the syght of god An other sort of persons do make them a cloke for the rayn vnder the pretence of obedieÌ„ce to the magistrates whom we oughte to obey althoughe they bee wycked But such muste learn of Christ to geue to Cesar that is Cesars and to god that is due to god Luke 20. 1. Peter 2. and wyth S. Peter to obey the hygher powers in the Lord albeit they be euill if they coÌ„maund nothing contrary to gods worde otherwise we oughte not to obey theyr commaundementes although we should suffer death therfore as we haue the apostles for our example herein to follow who answered the magistrates as we ought to doe in this case not obeying their wicked preceptes saying iudge you whether it bee more ryghteous that we shoulde obeye men rather then GOD. Actes 4. Daniel 6. Math. 15 Also Daniell chose rather to bee cast into the denne of Lyons to be deuoured theÌ„ to obey the kynges wycked commaundements If the blynde leade the blynde both fall into the ditche There is no excuse for the transgression of gods woorde whether a man doe it voluntarily or at commaundemente althoughe greate damnation is to them by whom the offence coÌ„meth Some other there be that for an extreme refuge in their euill doyngs do run to gods predestination and election saying that if I be elected of god to saluatioÌ„ I shal be saued whatsoeuer I do But such be great temptours of God and abhominable blasphemours of gods holy election and caste themselues downe from the pynacle of the temple in presumptioÌ„ that god may preserue them by his aungels through predestination Such verily may recken themselues to be none of gods elect childreÌ„ that wil do euill that good may ensue whose damnation is iust as S Paule faith Gods predestination and election ought to be with a symple eye considered Rom. 3. to make vs more warely to walke in good and godly conuersation according to Gods woorde and not to set cocke in the hoope and put all on Gods backe to doe wickedly at large for the elect children of God muste walke in ryghteousnes and holynes after that they be once called to true knowledge for so sayeth Sainte Paule to the Ephesians Ephe. 1. that God hath chosen vs before the foundations of the worlde were layde that we shoulde be holy and blameles in his sight 2. Peter 1. Therefore Saint Peter willeth vs through good works to make oure vocation and election certayne to oure selues whiche we knowe not but by the good workyng of Gods spirite in vs according to the rule of the Gospel and he that transformeth not him selfe to the same in Godly conuersation may iustlye tremble and doubte that he is none of the electe children of God but of the viperous generation a child of darkenes For the children of lyghte will walke in the workes of lyghte and not of darkenes thoughe they fall Proue â—4 Iohn 12 they do not lye still Let all vayne excusations be set a part and whyles ye haue lyghte as Christe commaundeth beleue the lyghte and abide in the same Iohn 3. least eternall darkenes ouertake you vnwares The lyghte is come into the worlde but alas men loue darkenes more then the lyght God geue vs hys pure eyesalue to heale oure blyndnes in thys behalfe O that men and women woulde be healed and not seeke to bee wilfully blynded The Lord open their eyes Heb. 6.10 â–ª that they maye see howe daungerous a thynge it is to declyne from the knowledge of truth contrarye to theyr conscience But what sayde I conscience manye affirme theyr conscience will beare them well enoughe to doe all that they doe and to goe to the Idolatrous Churche to seruice whose conscience is verye large to satisfye man more than God And although theyr conscience can beare them so to doe yet I am sure that a good conscience will not permitte them so to doe whiche can not bee good vnlesse it bee directed after the knowledge of Gods word and therfore in Latyn thys feelyng of mynde is called Conscientia whiche soundeth by interpretation with knowledge And therefore if oure conscience bee ledde of her selfe and not after true knowledge yet we are not so to bee excused as Sainte Paule beareth witnes saying 1. Cor. 4. 1. Timo 1. althoughe my conscience accuseth me not yet in thys I am not iustifyed And he ioyneth a good conscience with these three sisters charitye a pure hart and vnfayned fayth Charitie kepeth Gods commaundementes a pure harte loueth and feareth God aboue all and vnfayned fayth is neuer ashamed of the profession of the Gospell what soeuer damage she shall suffer in bodye thereby The Lorde whiche hath reuealed hys holy wil vnto vs by hys woorde graunte vs neuer to bee ashamed of it and geue vs grace so earnestlye to cleaue to hys holye woorde and true Churche that for no manner of worldlye respecte we become partakers of the workes of hipocrisye whiche God doth abhorre so that we may be founde faythfull in the Lordes Testamente to the ende both in harte word and deede to the glorye of God and oure euerlasting saluation Amen Iohn Philpot prisoner in the Kinges Benche for the testimonye of the truth 1555. To hys deare frende in the Lorde Iohn Careles prisoner in the kings Bench. MY dearely beloued brother Careles I haue receaued your louing letters ful of loue coÌ„passioÌ„ in so much that they made my hard hart to wepe to see you so careful for one that hath bene so vnprofitable a member as I haue bene am in Christes Church God make me worthye of that I am called vnto and I pray you cease not to pray for me but cease to weepe for hym who hath not deserued suche gentle teares and prayse God with me for that I now approch to the coÌ„pany of them whose want you may worthely lament god geue your pitiful hart his inward consolation In dede my deare Careles I am in this worlde in hell in the shadowe of death but he that hath brought me for my desertes down vnto hell shall shortly lift
trial of our fayth for the beautifying therof Be not peruerted with them that be peruerse and intractable they resist not you they resiste Christ and bee workers agaynst their own saluation Shew as much modestye and humilitie as you maye possible so shall your labour please God beste and your aduersaryes receaue the more shame and others seing your modest conuersation amongest these contentious bablers shal glorifye god in hys truth by you the more abhorre them as you see it hath come to passe in tymes paste Be contente that Semei doe rayle at Dauid and cast stones a whyle 2. Reg. 16. be sure his raylyng iudgement wil fall vpon hys owne pate Haue alwais that notable rule of Christes church before your eyes 1. Cor. 11. which Sainct Paul writeth that if any bodye be contentious neyther we neyther the churche of god hath any suche custome Desyre all oure brethren in the bowells of Iesus Christe to keepe the bonde of peace which is the vnity of Christs church where bee all the treasures of spirituall consolation in heauenlye thynges Hebr. 12 Let no roote of bytternes sprynge vp which the deuill with all diligence seeketh to thruste in amongest the children of god Kysse one another with the kysse of vnfayned brotherlye loue and take one another by the hande cherefully and say let vs take vp our crosse together and go to the mount of Caluary there be willing to suffer what soeuer it pleaseth god we shal Hetherto we haue not resisted to blodshedding Our blood must not be to deare for the lord and then hys kingdome shall not be to deare for vs. Thus exhorte one an other to offer your selues a ioyfull sacrifice vnto God for thys is that pleasaunte sacrifyce wherew t his wrathe shal be pacifyed which is now kindled moste iustly agaynste vs. Be thankefull vnto God that it hath pleased him to make you worthye of this glrious afflictiō yea I pray you geue thankes vnto god for me that it hath bene hys good wil to take me most filthy vnthankeful sinner to be one of this nūber My ioy of the loue of God towardes me in this behalfe is such that it maketh al my straite imprisonmēt to seme pleasure god be praised I cā not be sory though I would O how great is the loue of God towardes vs Be mery brethren reioyce continually in the lord for the victorye is ours yea heauē is ours all the glory therof Faynte not but runne out for we are euen at an end Be glad of nothing so much as in the mortification of the old Adam murmure not in no case what soeuer necessitie you be in Cōmunicate your necessities to me to others of his people and God will make vs to deuide stakes Be alwaies praysyng God talking cōforting teaching exhorting in God and he will not see you vtterly destitute I commend me to your faythful prayers all And you Careles see that you be in my doungeon with me as I am in spirite with you in the Kynges Bench and with you al. Thyne owne brother Iohn Philpot To Maistres Anne Hartipole who was fallen from the syncerity of the gospel which she had before long knowē and professed to the Pope and his Idolatrous religion THe grace of God and true lyght wherewith he lighteneth the hartes of all the true and faythfull beleuers louers and followers of his holy Gospell lyghten your harte by the mightye operation of his holy spirit Amen I haue not hetherto beene accustomed to write vnto you in the matters of oure cōmon fayth which is now daūgerously assaulted especially for that otherwyse by corporall presence and mutuall conference we haue had consolation in the same as the time present dyd requyre In the which I perceiued your iudgement and constancy to be so much that I receiued by your good and godlye example strength in the same as I haue done euen from the begynnyng before I was called vnto the lyghte of the gospell in the whych you wente before me and ministred occasion to me to follow at such tyme as that blessed woman Anne Askewe nowe a glorious Martyr in the syghte of Iesus christ was harboured in your house so that I thought it superfluous and not nedefull to wryte thereof vnto you that of so long tyme haue ben instructed and by so many learned bookes confyrmed But now hearyng that the old serpente our auncient enemy which lyeth in continual wayte of our steppes hath bytten you by the heele and geuen you a foule fall I cannot but be hartely sory and as brotherly charitye moueth me testifye the same vnto you by writyng for that I maye not presently otherwyse open my selfe in thys behalfe Alas syster that so syncere profession shoulde receyue so grosse an infection to the dishonoure of god and of hys churche What meaneth it that you are so sodeinly departed from Ierusalem vnto Hierico Luk 10 to be a companion of theues idolaters to the vtter ouerthrowyng of that good which you haue professed for as sainct Iames teacheth vs he that offendeth in one is gyltye in all and to come to Idolatrye and straunge worshyppyng of god forbidden by his word is of all transgressions the moste detestable Therefore I cannot cease to wonder howe you could so soone be allured or drawen therto I had thought the loue of the truthe had beene so graffed in youre harte that neyther persecution sworde fyre nor gallowes myght haue broughte thys to passe that at the voyce of a handemayde in the fyrste temptation you shoulde haue denyed Christe For not to walke after the synceritye of hys Gospell in deede is to denye hym and none can be pertakers of the Lordes table and of the table of deuylles whyche is the popyshe Masse and the malignaunte synagoge vsyng the same Me thynke I heare your excuse pretendyng your conscience to be sounde before GOD notwythstandyng and that your conscience wyll geue you leaue thus to doe wyth the common sorte of dissemblers both wyth God and man but I must tell you playn Syster in Gods cause that your conscience so affected is a syckelye and vnsound conscience and craftely blinded for before GOD there is no suche conscience alowed whyche alloweth your bodye to do that whiche it condemneth We shall receyue all accordynge to that whyche we doe in oure bodies whether it bee good or euyll and it is commaunded vs as well to glorifye GOD in our bodies as in oure soules We must shewe oure faythe by our outwarde conuersation that men seynge oure good workes myghte glorifye oure father whiche is in heauen Wyll ye nowe wyth youre presence goe aboute to beautifye that whyche hetherto you haue iustely destroyed What do you elles in so doynge but notifye your selfe to bee an infydell to the churche of Christe that wyll be contente to associate your selfe wyth her enemye for the contentation of man Hathe euer any personne of God so done that
be geueÌ„ vnto god our father for hys excedynge greate mercye towardes me through Iesus Christ our lord But perchaunce ye wil say vnto me what is the cause for the which you are coÌ„demned we heare say that you deny al prefeÌ„ce of Christ in his holy supper so make it a bare signe common bread nothing els My derely beloued what is said of me wil be I cannot tel It is told me that M. Pendleton is gone down to preach with you not as he hath recaÌ„ted for ye al know how he hath preached contrary to that he was wont to preach afore I came amongs you but to recaÌ„t that which he hath recaÌ„ted How he wil speake of me report before I come wheÌ„ I am come when I am burned I much passe not for he the is so vncertain wil speake so ofteÌ„ against him selfe I cannot thinke he wil speake wel of me except it make for his purpose profit But of this enough In dede the chiefe thing which I am condemned for as an heretyke is because I deny the sacrament of the altar whiche is not christes supper but a plaine peruertyng of it beyng vsed as the papists now vse it to be a real natural corporall presence of christes body blood vnder the formes accidents of bread and wine that is because I deny transubstantiatioÌ„ which is the derling of the deuil and doughter and heyre to Antichrists religion wherby the Masse is mainteyned christes supper peruerted his sacrifice crosse imperfected hys priesthode destroyed the ministery taken away repentance repelled and al true godlines abandoned In the supper of our lord or sacrament of christes body and blood I confesse beleue that there is a true very presence of whole Christe god man to the faith of the receauer but not of the staÌ„der by or loker on as there is a very true presence of breade and wine to the senses of him that is pertaker therof This faith this doctrine which coÌ„fenteth with the word of god with the true testimony of christes Churche whiche the popyshe church doth persecute will I not forsake and therefore am I coÌ„demned as an heretike shal be burned But my derely beloutd this truth which I haue taught ye haue receyued I beleued do beleue and therin geue my life I hope in god shall neuer be burned bound nor ouercome but shal tryumphe haue victory and be at liberty manger the heade of all gods aduersaries For there is no counsell against the lord nor no deuise of man can be hable to defeate the verity in any other then in such as be children of vnbeliefe which haue no loue to the truth and therefore are geuen vp to beleue lies From which plague the lorde of mercies delyuer you and all this realme my deare hartes in the Lorde I humblye beeseche hys mercye Amen And to the ende ye myght be delyuered from thys plague ryght deare to me in the Lorde I shall for my farewell wyth you for euer in thys presente lyfe hartely desyre you all in the bowels and bloode of oure moste mercifull Sauioure Iesus Christ to attende vnto these thynges whiche nowe I shall shortlye wryte vnto you out of the Holy scriptures of the Lorde Ye know an he â—aye plague or rather plagues of God is fallen vpon vs in takyng away our good kyng gods true religion Gods true prophetes and ministers c. and setting ouer vs suche as seeke not the Lorde after knowledge whose endeuoures GOD prospereth wonderfullyâ— to the triall of manye that hys people maye bothe better knowe themselues and be knowen Nowe the cause hereof is oure iniquities and greuous synnes We did not know the tyme of our visitation we were vnthankefull vnto god we contemned the gospell and carnally abused it to serue our hypocrisie our vayne glory our viciousnes auarice ydlenes security c. Longe did the lord lynger tary to haue shewed mercye vppon vs but we were euer the longer the worse Therfore most iustly hathe God dealt with vs and dealeth with vs. Yea yet we may see that his iustice is tempered with much mercy wherto let vs attribute that we are not vtterly consumed for if the lord should deale with vs after oure deserts alas how could we abide it In his anger therfore seyng he doth remember hys mercy vndeserued yea vndesyred on our behalfe let vs take occasion the more spedelye to go out to mete him not with force and armes for we are not so able to withstand hym much lesse to preuaile against hym but to beseche hym to be mercifull vnto vs and according to his waÌ„ted mercy to deale with vs. Let vs arise with Dauyd and say Ne intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo c. Enter not into iudgement oh Lorde with thy seruant for in thy sight no flesh liuyng shall be iustifyed Let vs send ambassadors wyth the Centurion and say Lord we are not worthy to come our selues vnto thee speake the worde and we shal haue peace Let vs peniteÌ„tly with the Publicane loke down on the earth knocke our hard hartes to burst them and cry out oh god be merciful vnto vs wretched synners Let vs with the lost sonne returne and say O father we haue synned against heauen and earth before thee we are vnworthy to be called thy children Let vs I say do on this sort that is hartely repente vs of our former euill lyfe and vnthankefull gospelling past conuert turne to god with our whole hartes hopyng in hys great mercy through Christ and hartelye calling vppon his holye name and then vndoubtedly we shall fynde and feele otherwyse then yet we fele both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly we shal fele peace of conscience betwene god and vs which peace passeth al vnderstaÌ„dyng outwardly we shall feele much mitigation of these miseries yf not an outward taking of theÌ„ away Therfore my derely beloued in the lorde I your poorest brother now departyng to the Lord for my vale in aeternum for this present lyfe pray you beseche you and euen from the very bottome of my hart for al the mercies of god in Christ shewed vnto you most earnestly begge and craue of you out of prison as often out of your pulpittes I haue done that ye will repente you leaue your wycked and euil lyfe be sory for your offences and turne to the lorde whose armes are wyde open to receiue and embrace you whose stretched out hande to strike to death stayeth that he might shewe mercy vpon you for he is the lord of mercy and god of all comfort he wyll not the death of a synner but rather that he should returne conuert and amend he hath no pleasure in the destruction of men hys long suffryng draweth to repentaunce before the tyme of vengeaunce and the daye of wrathe which is at hande doth come Now is the axe layed to the roote of the tree vtterlye to
shall be able by the worde of God euer to impugne it muche lesse to confute it In the first chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians Ephesi 1. the Apostle sayeth thus Blessed be god the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs wyth all maner of blessynges in heauenly thinges by Christ accordyng as he hath elect or chosen vs in hym before the foundation of the world was layed that we should be holy and without blame before hym through loue and hath predestinate vs or ordeyned vs thorough Iesus Christ to bee heyres vnto hymselfe accordyng to the good pleasure of hys wyll to the prayse of the glory of hys grace wherwyth he hath made vs accepted in the beloued by whom we haue receyued redēption thorough hys bloud and the forgeuenes of our sinnes accordyng to the riches of hys grace which grace he hath shed on vs aboundauntly in all wisedome and vnderstandyng and hath opened vnto vs the mysterye of hys wyll accordyng to hys good pleasure which he purposed in hymselfe to haue it declared when the tyme was full come that he myght gather together all thynges by or in Christe as well the thynges that be in heauen as the thynges that be in earth euen in or by hym by or in whome we are made heyres beyng thereto predestinate accordyng to the purpose of hym whiche worketh all thynges accordynge to the decree or counsayle of hys owne wyll that we which hoped before you in Christe shoulde bee vnto the prayse of hys glory in whome ye also hoped after that ye heard the word of truth the gospell of your saluation wherein ye also beleuyng were sealed wyth the holy spirite of promyse whyche is the earnest of our inheritaunce vntyll the redēption or full fruition of the purchased possession vnto the prayse of hys glory These be the wordes of Paule which I haue faithfullye translated accordyng to the very texte in the Greeke as by the iudgement of all that be learned I desyre herein to bee tried Out of the which wordes of Paule we may wel perceiue euerye thing affirmed in my propositiō as I wil geue occasion plainly to them that wil to see it The cause of gods election is his grace good will First that the cause of gods election is of hys good wyll the Apostle sheweth in saying that it is throughe hys loue wherby we are holy and wythout blame also accordyng to the good pleasure of his will according to his good pleasure purposed in hymselfe accordyng to hys purpose which worketh all thynges after the counsel of his owne wyll The tyme of gods election was from the beginning Secondly that election was before the beginnyng of the world the apostle plainely sheweth in sayeng that we were chosen before the foundation of the world was laid and afterwardes in callyng it the mysterye of hys wyll purposed wyth hymselfe in tyme to be declared Election is in Christ Thirdly that election is in Christ the Apostle doth so flatly and plainly set it forth that I nede not here to repete it We sayeth he are chosen in him we are heyres by hym wt are accepted by him we are gathered together in him c. Electionis not of all men Fourthly that election is of some of Adams posteritye and not of al we may plainly see it if we cōsider that he maketh the true demonstration of it beleuing hoping and hauing the earnest of the spirite In whom yea hoped saith he after ye heard the word c. In whom ye beleued wer sealed vp c. Agayne in attributyng to the electe forgeuenes of synnes holynes blameles liuyng being in Christ c. That we shold be holy saieth he c. we haue receyued forgeuenes of sinnes c. Who seeth not that these are not common to al men 2. Thess 3 Act. 13. 1 Iohn 1 Math. 13 Al men haue not faithe saieth Paule elsewhere None beleued saith Luke but suche as were ordained to eternall life None beleue but such as be borne of god None beleue truly but such as haue good hartes and kepe gods seede to bring forth frute by patience Fayth is a demonstratiō of election to such as be of yeres of discretion Psal 125. So that it is plain faith being a demonstration of gods election to them that be of yeres of discretion that all men are not elect because all men beleue not For he that beleueth in the lord shal be as mount Sion that is he shal neuer be remoued for if he bee remoued that is finally perish surely he neuer truely beleued But what go I about to lighten a cādell in the cleare sonne light whē our sauiour plainly saith that all be not chosen but few Many be called saith he but few be chosen Mat. 20. And in the 2. chap. to the Ephes the Apostle plainly saith that the greate riches of gods mercy through hys exceding great loue hath saued thē before their parentes many other Gentiles whiche were excluded from Christ and straūgers from the promise hopeles godles c. Rom. 11. Psal 144. Wherthrough we may be occasioned to cry oh the depth of the iudgements of god which is iuste in all hys doynges and holy in al hys workes extendyng his mercy after hys good pleasure wyll aboue al his workes Fyftly that god hath predestinate these Election is to eternal life thus elect vnto euerlastyng lyfe in Christe the apostle dothe also in the wordes before writen declare in saying and hath predestinate vs through Iesus Christe to be heyres vnto hymselfe Agayne by hym sayth he yeare made heyres and predestinate to the prayse of hys glorye Rom. 8 So sayeth the Apostle elsewhere whom he hathe predestinate them hath he predestinate to be lyke fashioned vnto the shape of hys sonne Luke 10 And therfore Christ sayeth reioyce in thys that your names are writen in heauen Syxtlye The ende of election is to the prayse and glory of god that the ende of election is to the prayse of gods glory and grace the Apostle sheweth here in saying we are predestinate to be holye without blame before god c. In saying we are predestinate to the glory of hys grace And in saying also vnto the prayse of hys glory so that nothing can be more manifest Seuenthly Election is not without vocation and iustificatiō in time that predestination is not without vocation in gods tyme and iustification the Apostle here dothe teach in bringyng vs to the consideration of hearing the word of truthe beleuing receiuing the holye spirite remission of synnes c. In whom saith he ye haue hoped after that ye heard the word of truth c. Againe by whome ye haue redemption that is remission of synnes thorough the sheding of hys blood c. Also he hath in hys full tyme declared the mystery of hys wyl c. Vnto the Rom. the apostle sheweth it moste
I beleue that man made after the image of god did fal frō that blessed state to the condēnation of himself and al his posterity I beleue that Christ for man being thus fallē did appose himself to the iustice of god a mediator paying the raunsome and price of redēption for Adā and his whole posteritie that refuse it not finally I beleue that al that beleue in Christ I speake of such as be of yeres of discressiō are pertakers of christ al his merites I beleue that faith to beleue in Christ I speake not now of faith that mē haue by reason of miracles Io. 2.12 Act. 8. or by reason of earthly cōmodity Mat. 13. custome autority of me which is commonly sene the hartes of them that so beleue beyng not right and simple before god Exod. 14 but I speake of that faith which in dede is the true faythe the iustifyeng and regeneratyng fayth I beleue I say that this fayth and beliefe in Christe is the worke and gyfte of God geuen to none other then to those whyche bee the chyldren of God that is to those whome GOD the father before the begynnynge of the worlde hath predestinate in Christ vnto eternall lyfe Thus do I wade in predestination For the certeyntie of this fayth search your hartes If you haue it prayse the Lord for you are happy and therfore cannot fynally peryshe for then happynes were not happynes yf it could be lost when you fal the Lord wil put vnder hys hande that you shall not lye still But if ye feele not thys fayth then know that predestination is to hygh a matter for you to be disputers of vntyl ye haue ben better scholers in the scholehouse of repentaunce and iustification which is the Grammer schole wherin we must be conuersant and learned before we go to the vniuersity of gods most holy predestination and prouidence in such sort as god hath pacifyed and opened it Though in god it be the first yet to vs it is last opened And therfore I beginne wyth creation from thence I come to redemption so to iustification and so to election On this sort I am sure that warelye wysely a man may walk in it easely by the light of gods spirite in and by hys worde seyng thys faith not to be geuen to al men 2. Thess 3. but to such as are borne of god predestinate before the worlde was made after the purpose and good wyll of God whiche will we may not call into disputation but in tremblyng and feare submit our selues to it as to that which can will none otherwise then that which is holy right good how farre so euer otherwyse it seme to the iudgement of reason whych must nedes bee beaten downe to bee more careful for gods glory then for mans saluation which dependeth onelye thereon as all gods chyldren full well see for they seeke not the glorye whyche commeth of men but the glory whyche commeth of GOD. Ieremye 9. Ioan. 5. They knowe God to bee a God whiche dothe on earthe not onely mercy but also iudgement which is iustyce most iustice although our folishe reason cannot see it And in this knowlege they glory and reioyce thoughe others through vayne curiosity grudch and murmure there agaynst Thus briefly I haue sent you my mynd and meanyng concernyng thys matter Hereafter you shal haue I thynke your letter particulerlye aunswered by M. Philpotte as also if I haue tyme and you so require it I will do Iohn Bradford To my good brother R. Cole MYne owne good brother our good most merciful father more and more embrace vs in the armes of hys mercy as hys louyng own natural children and geue vs one to embrace an other in the armes of loue as true bretherne that wyth one hart and mynde we may prayse hys holye name in Christe our Sauiour and throughe the grace of hys spirite may mightely euery one fyght againste sinne and all that is against the kyngdome of Christ wherunto my beloued we are called effectually to our euerlasting felicity I dout not praysed be the name of our good god therefore for euer and euer Amen Myne owne hart in the lord desire our bretherne that euery one would bend himself to bowe let vs neuer breake Loue suffreth long and seeketh not her selfe We haue al one father we are all brethern God kepe vs from dissention If we cānot agree in al pointes eyther the poyntes perchaūce bee not so necessarye or elles by loue we shall hereafter hee brought to see that which yet is hidde If loue may appeare in al our doynges and that we seeke one an other wyth a symple and a syngle eye in gods syght doubtlesse all preiudice wherby we are letted to see manifest thynges wyll bee had away and we will take thyngs spoken and done in the best part and so doutles the name of our father shal be sanctified in vs and by vs as by instruments of grace and gods kingdome shal encrease apace in vs and by vs also whiche thing he graunt for his mercies sake Amen Commend me hartely I pray you to bothe those good women Good I cal them because I am persuaded that god wil deliuer them especiall my good Mary I will not cease but euen as for my self to pray to god for them and for you my right deare brother in the Lorde If you were acquainted with M. Robert Harrington you should fynd a playne Nathanael you should see the worst at the fyrst I dare saye for hym hys onely desyre is to please God and he is afrayde to offende hym Praye for hym and for my good Syster I. H. as I knowe she doth for you The peace of God be with you myne owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ To my good Syster Mystres Elizabeth Browne GOod Sister god our father make perfecte the good he hath begunne in you vnto the ende I am afrayd to wryte vnto you because you so ouercharge your self at al times euē whēsoeuer I do but send to you cōmendatiōs I wold be more bold on you then on many others and therfore you myght suspend so great tokens till I shoulde wryte vnto you of my nede which thyng doutles I would do if it vrged me Deare Syster I see your vnfayned loue to me wardes in god and haue done of long time the which I do recompence wyth the like and wil doe by gods grace so long as I liue and therfore I hope not to forget you but in my poore praiers to haue you in remēbraunce as I hope you haue me Otherwise I can do you no seruice excepte it be now and then by my writing to let you from better exercise where yet the ende of my writing is to excite styrre vp your harte more earnestlye to go on forwardes in your well begunne enterpryse 2. Timo. 2. For you know none shal be crowned but such as striue lawfully and none receiueth the
19 Say wyth the poore man I beleue Lord helpe my vnbelief Say with the Apostels Lord encrease oure fayth This myne owne hartes in the Lorde I wryte not that you shoulde lyue more securely and carnally doing as the Spiders doe whiche gather poyson where bees gather honye but that as the electe of god you mighte liue in all puritie godlines and peace which god encrease in vs all for his Christes sake Amen I pray you hartelie pray for vs that to the verie ende we may as I hope we shall goe lustelie and cherefullie whether soeuer our heauenly father shal bring and lead vs. His will whiche is alwaies good bee done in earthe as it is in heauen Amen Your brother in bondes for the testimonye of Iesus Christ Iohn Bradforde To my good Syster M. H. THe peace of God wyth encrease of fayth and feeling of his mercy to your cōfort in Christ the holy ghost worke in your hart now and for euer Amen As it is much to my comfort that God hath geuen you such a loue and zeale to hys truth so I exhort you my good Syster diligētly to labour as by cōtinual readyng and meditation of gods holy word so by earnest prayer and other godly exercises to maintayne and encrease the same that by the feelyng of gods gratious spirite workyng in you suche good fruites as wytnesses of your fayth you may growe in strength therof and certayntie of gods fauour and good wyl towardes you For aboue all thyngs of thys I woulde haue you to be moste assured that you are beloued of god that you are hys dere chylde and shall bee for euermore throughe Christe in whome you are by fayth and he in you Out of thys certeintie the cause wherof is gods owne goodnes grace and truth spryngeth true loue and louyng feare and obedience to god continually and in all thynges Where it is I meane thys fayth certaintie and persuasion of gods eternall goodnes to you in Christe there no synnes are imputed to you or layd to your charge to condēnation nor shal be though for correctiō sake now thē your heauenly father visit them fatherly or rather you for them Where it is not there is nothyng be it neuer so well done that pleaseth God Labour therfore for this certainty of faith through Christ Whēsoeuer you dout you heape sinne vpō sinne If Satan your cōsciēce or gods law do accuse you confesse your fault hide it not before the lord But whē they woulde inferre that because of your synne you are condemned you are cast away then aunswer them that it is but their office to accuse and witnes not to geue sentence iudge it onely apperteyneth to god to geue iudgement Paule sayth it is god that absolueth who then shall condemne vs God hymselfe promiseth before he demaund any thyng of vs that he is our Lord and our god and are not they happy which haue the lord for their god Is he god to any whose sinnes he remitteth not Through Christ he is our father and therfore we are commaunded so to call him and can there want any fatherly kyndnes in hym towardes vs which be hys children No verely Therfore be sure and wauer not of gods loue fauour towardes you in Christ The cause of hys loue is his owne goodnes and mercy this lasting for euer hys loue loseth for euer How can you then but be quiete happy Vse this geare to comforte the weake conscience and not to vnbridle the mighty affections of the fleshe or olde Adam which must haue other meate Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ An exhortation to the patient sufferyng of trouble and afflictions for Christes cause wrytten to all the vnfayned professours of the gospell thoroughout the realme of England at the beginning of hys imprisonmente and here placed as it came to our handes THe holy spirite of God whiche is the earnest and pledge of God geuen to hys people for theyr comfort and consolation be powred into our hartes by the mighty power merites of our alone Sauiour Iesus Christ now and for euer Amen Because I perceiue plainly that to the euils fallen vpō vs which professe Christes gospell greater are most like to ensue and after them greater Gene. 15. Luke 9. Genes 19 tyl the measure of iniquity be vp heaped except we shrynke hauyng put our handes to the plough do loke back and so wyth Lothes wyfe and the Israelits desiryng to returne into Egipt fal into gods heauy displeasure vncurably al which god forbidde and because I am persuaded of you my derely beloued brethern and Systers throughe out the realme of Englande which haue professed vnfainedly the gospell of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ for vnto such do I wryte this epistle that as ye haue begonne to take parte wyth gods gospell and truth so throughe his grace ye will perseuer and goe on forwardes notwithstandyng the stormes risen and to arise I cannot but wryte something vnto you lustely to goe on forwardes in the way of the Lord and not to become faynte harted or fearefull Apoca. 25. whose place S. Iohn appointeth with the vnbeleuers murtherers and Idolaters in eternall perdicion but cherefully to take the Lordes cuppe and drynke of it afore it drawe towardes the dregges and bottom Psal 75 wherof at the length they shall drynke with the wycked to eternal destruction 1. pet 4 which wil not receiue it at the first with gods children with whome god beginneth hys iudgemente that as the wicked world reioyceth when they lament Iohn 16. so they may reioyce when the wycked world shall mourne and without ende fynde woe intollerable First therfore my dearely beloued in the Lord I besech you to consider Iohn 14 Psal 17 2. Cor. 4. Apoc. 12 Heb. 11 1. pet 2 Heb. 13 Psalm 119 Heb. 12 Mat. 28 Rom. 9 1. Ioh. 5 Apo. 13 Luke 6. EZech. 9. Math. 5. Esay 22 1. Cor. 15 that thoughe ye be in the worlde yet ye are not of the world Ye are not of them whiche looke for their porciō in this lyfe whose Captain is the god of this world euen Sathan who now ruffleth it apace as he were woode because his tyme on earthe is not long But ye are of them that loke for a Citye of gods owne blessing Ye are of them that know your selues to be here but pylgrimes and straūgers for here ye haue no dwellyng place Ye are of them whose porcion is the lorde and whiche haue their hope in heauen whose captayn is Christ Iesus the Sonne of God and gouernour of heauen and earth Vnto him is geuen all power yea he is god almighty with the father and the holy ghost prayse worthy for euer Ye are not of them which receyue the beastes marke which here reioyce laugh and haue their hartes ease ioye paradise and pleasure but ye are of them whiche haue receyued the Aungels marke yea Gods marke which here
of it to the behoofe of the church or of the house And moreouer I had not only no part of his moueable goods but also as his old receiuer then min called M. StauÌ„ton caÌ„ testify I paied for him towards his seruantes coÌ„moÌ„ liuertes and wages after his deposition 53. li. or 55. pouÌ„des I canot tel whether Notwithstanding these godly and iust requestes no iustice could be had vntil that now of late some of these shameful iniuries by order of law haue bene redressed In al these matters I besech your honourable maiesty to heare the aduise of meÌ„ of conscience and especially the archbishop now of Yorke which for that he was continually in my house a yeare and more before myne imprisonment I suppose he is not altogether ignoraunt of some part of these things and also hys grace doth know my sister for whose succour and some relief now vnto your highnes I make most humble suit The .xvi. day of October Anno. 1555. N. R. ¶ An aunswer to a letter written vnto him by West sometyme hys Chaplayne I Wish you grace in god and loue of the truth without the which truely stablished in mens hartes by the mighty haÌ„d of almighty god it is no more possible to stand by the truth in Christ in time of trouble then it is for the waxe to abide the heat of the fyre Syr know you this that I am blessed be God perswaded that this world is but transitory and as sainct Iohn saith the world passeth away the lust therof i. Iohn 2 Math. 10. I am persuaded christs worâ—es to be true whosoeuer shall confesse me before men him wil I confesse also before my father which is in heauen and I beleue that no earthly creature shall be saued whom the redemer and sauiour of the world shal before his father deny This the lorde graunt that it may be so graffed established and fixed in my harte that neither thinges present nor to come high nor low life nor death bee able to remoue me thence It is a goodly wish that you wish me depely to consider thynges pertaynyng vnto gods glorye but if you had wished also the neither feare of death nor hope of worldly prosperity should let me to maintain gods word and his truth which is his glory and true honour it would haue liked me well You desire me for gods sake to remember my selfe In dede syr now it is tyme so to doe for so farre as I can perceiue it standeth me vpon no lesse daunger then of the losse both of body and soule and I trowe then it is time for a man to awake if any thyng will awake him He that will not feare him that threatneth to cast both body soule into euerlasting fier Luk. 12. whom will he feare With this feare O Lord fasten thou together oure fraile fleshe that we neuer swarue from thy lawes You say you haue made much suite for me Sir God graunt that you haue not in sauyng for my worldly deliueraunce empayred and hindered the furtheraunce of Gods worde and his truthe You haue knowen me long in dede in the which tyme it hathe chaunced me as you say to mislyke some thynges It is true I graunt for sodayne chaunges wythout substantial and necessary cause and the heady setting forth of extremities I did neuer loue Canfession vnto the minister which is able to iustruct correcte comforte and enforme the weake wounded and ignoraunt conscience in dede I euer thought myght do much good in Christs congregation and so I assure you I think euen at this day My doctrine and my preaching you saye you haue heard often after your iudgement haue thought it godly sauyng onely for the Sacrament whiche thyng although it was of me reuerently handled and a greate deale better then of the rest as you say yet in the margeÌ„t you write warely and in this world wisely and yet me thoughte all sounded not well Syr but that I see so many chaunges in thys worlde and so much alteration els at this your saying I would not a lyttle maruayle I haue taken you for my frend and a man whom I fansied for plainesse and faith fulnes as much I assure you as for your learnyng and haue you kept this so close in your hart from me vnto this day Sir I consider mo thinges then one and will not say al that I thynke But what nede you to care what I think for any thing that I shal be able to do vnto you either good or harme You geue me good lessons to stand in nothyng against my learning to beware of vayne glory Truely sir I herein lyke your counsel very wel and by Gods grace I entend to follow it vnto my liues ende To write vnto those whom you name I cannot see what it wyll auayle me For this I would haue you know that I esteme nothyng auailable for me which also wil not further the glory of God And now because I perceiue you haue an entire zeale and desyre of my deliueraunce out of this captiuitie and worldly misery if I shoulde not beare you a good heart in god agayne me thynke I were to blame Sir how nighe the daye of my dissolution and departure oute of thys world is at hand I can not tel the Lords wyll be fulfilled how soone soeuer it shall come I know the Lordes wordes must be verified on me that I shall appeare before the incorrupt iudge and be countable to him of al my former life And although the hope of his mercye is my shooteanker of eternall saluation yet am I perswaded that whosoeuer wittingly neglecteth and regardeth not to cleare his conscience he caÌ„not haue peace with God nor a liuely fayth in his mercye Conscience therefore moueth me consideryng you were one of my familye and one of my householde of whom then I thynke I had a speciall cure and of all them which were within my house whiche in dede ought to haue bene an example of godlinesse to al the rest of my cure not only of good lyfe but also in promotyng of gods word to the vttermost of their power but alas now when the tryal doth separate the chaffe from the corne how small a deale it is god knoweth which the wynd doth not blowe awaye this conscience I say doth moue me to feare least the lightnes of my family shal be layd to my charge for lack of more earnest diligent instruction which should haue ben done But blessed be god which hath geuen me grace to see this my default and to lament it from the bottome of my heart before my departyng hence This conscience doth moue me also now to requyre both you and my frend Doctour Haruy to remember your promises made to me in times past of the pure setting forth preachyng of gods word hys truth These promises although you shal not nede to fear to be charged with them of me hereafter before the world
therof wyll be so pitifull withoute spedye repentaunce that I tremble and feare to haue it in remembraunce I woulde to God it lay vpon some earthly burden so that fredome of conscience mighte begenen vnto them I write as god knoweth not of presumption but onlye lamentinge they re state whome I thought nowe in thys daungerous time should haue geuen bothe you and me comfortable instructions But alas in stede therof we haue perswasions to follow I lament me to rehearse it superstitions idolatrye yea that worste of all is they will seeke to proue it by the scripture The Lord for his mercy turne theyr hartes Amen Yours N. R. A letter which he wrote as his last farewell to al his true and faythefull frendes in God a little before he suffred with a sharpe admoniton by by the way to the papists the enemies of the truth AT the name of Iesus let euery kne bow both of thyngs in heauen and things in earth and thinges vnder the earth and let euerye tonge confesse that Iesus Christ is the lord vnto the glory of God the father Amen As a man minding to take a farre iourney and to depart from his familiar frendes commenly and naturally hath a desire to byd his frendes farewell before hys departure so likewise now I loking dayly when I shoulde be called for to departe hence from you O al ye my dearely beloued brethren and sisters in oure Sauioure Christe that dwel here in this world hauing a like mind towardes you all also blessed be God of this such time leasure whereof I right hartely thank his heauenly goodnes do byd you all my deare brethren and sisters I say in Christ that dwel vp on the earth after such manner as I can Farewell Farewel my deare Brother George Shypside whome I haue euer found faythfull trusty and louinge in all state and condicions and now in the time of my crosse ouer all other to me most frendly and steadfast that which liked me best ouer all other thinges in Gods cause euer harty Farewell my deare sister Alice his wyfe I am gladde to beare of thee that thou doest take Christes crosse whiche is layed now blessed be God both on thy backe and mine in good parte Thanke thou GOD that hathe geuen thee a godly and a louing husband se thou honor him and obey hym according to Gods lawe Honour thy mother in lawe his mother and loue al those that perteyne vnto hym being ready to do them good as it shall lye in thy power As for thy chyldren I doubte not of thy husbande but that he whyche hathe geuen hym a hearte to loue and feare God and in God them that pertayne vnto hym shall also make hym frendely and benefyciall vnto thy children euen as yf they had bene gotten of hys owne body Farewell my welbeloued brother Iohn Rydley of the Waltowne and you my gentle and louyng Syster Elizabeth whome besydes the naturall league of amitye your tender loue whiche you were sayde euer to beare towardes me aboue the reste of youre brethren dothe bynde me to loue My mynde was to haue acknowledged this youre louyng affection and to haue acquyted it wyth dedes and not wyth woordes alone Youre daughter Elizabeth I byd farewell whom I loue for the meeke and gentle Spiryte that God hath geuen her which is a precious thyng in the syght of God Farewell my beloued Syster of Vnthancke wyth all youre chyldren my nephewes and nices Synce the departure of my Brother Hughe my mynde was to haue beene vnto them in the steade of theyr father but the Lorde god must and will be theyr father if they wil loue hym and feare him and lyue in the trade of hys law Farewell my welbeloued and worshipfull Cosyns maister Nicholas Ridley of Wyllimountswick and your wife and I thanke you for all youre kyndnesse shewed bothe to me and also to all youre owne kynsefolke and myne Good Cosyn as GOD hath sette you in that oure stocke and kyndred not for anye respecte of youre personne but of hys aboundaunte grace and goodnesse to bee as it were the Belweather to order and conducte the reaste and hathe also endued you wyth his manyfold gyftes of grace bothe heauenlye and worldlye aboue others so I praye you good Cosin as my truste and hope is in you continue and increase in the mayntenaunce of truthe honestye rightuousnesse and all true godlynesse and to the vttermost of your power to wythstande falsehode vntruthe vnryghteousnesse and all vngodlynesse whych is forbid and condempned by the word and lawes of God Farewel my yong Cosin Rafe Whitfield Oh your tyme was verye shorte wyth me my mynde was to haue done you good and yet you caughte in that little tyme a losse but I truste it shall bee recompenced as it shall please almighty god Farewell al my whole kyndred and countreymen farewell in Christ altogether The Lorde which is the searcher of secrets knoweth that accordyng to my hartes desire my hope was of late that I should haue come among you and to haue brought wyth me aboundaunce of Christes blessed Gospell accordyng to the duetye of that office and ministerye wherevnto among you I was chosen named and appoincted by the mouth of that our late piereles Prince king Edwarde and so also denounced openly in hys court by his priuye counsayle I warne you all my welbeloued kynsfolke and countreymen that ye be not amased or astonied at the kynde of my departure or dissolution for I ensure you I thynke it the most honour that euer I was called vnto in all my life and therfore I thanke my Lorde GOD hartely for it that it hath pleased hym to cal me of hys great mercye vnto this hyghe honour to suffer deathe wyllynglye for hys sake and in hys cause vnto the which honour he called the holy Prophets hys dearly beloued Apostels and hys blessed chosē martyrs For knowe ye that I doubte no more but that the causes wherefore I am put to deathe are gods causes and the causes of the truthe then I doubte that the Gospell whyche Iohn wrote is the Gospell of Christe or that Paules Epystles are the verye worde of GOD. And to haue a harte wyllyng to abyde and stande in gods cause in Christs quarell euen vnto death I ensure thee O man it is an inestimable and an honourable gyft of GOD geuen onely to the true electes and dearely beloued children of GOD and inheritoures of the kyngdome of heauen For the holye Apostle and also Martyr in Christes cause Sayncte Peter sayeth ◠Pet. 4 yf ye suffer rebuke in the name of Chryste that is in Christes cause and for hys truthes sake then are ye happye and blessed for the glorye of the Spirite of God resteth vppon you If for rebukes sake suffered in Chrystes name a man is pronounced by the mouthe of that holye Apostle blessed and happye howe muche more happye and blessed is he that hathe
thus Although thy Episcopall Sea now beinge ioyned in league with the seate of Sathā thus hath now both handled me the saintes of God yet I do not doubt but in that greate City there be many priuy mourners which do dayly mourne for that mischief the which neuer did nor shall consent to that wickednesse but do detest abhorre it as the wayes of Satan But these preuy mourners here I wil passe by and bid them fare well with theyr fellowes hereafter His farewel to these mourners is in the letter nexte followyng when the place and occasion shall more conueniently require Amonge the worshipfull of the City and speciallye which were in office of the Meraltye yea and in other Citizens also whome to name now it shall not be necessary in the time of my Ministerye which was from the later parte of sir Rowland hilles yeare vnto sir George Barnes yere a great part therof I do acknowledge that I found no small humanity gētlenesse as me thought but to say the truth that I do esteme aboue al other for true christiā kīdnes which is shewed in gods cause and done for his sake Wherfore O Dobbes Dobbes Alder man knight thou in thy yere diddest win my hart for euer more for that honorable act that most blessed worke of god of the erection setting vp of Christs holy hospitales truly religions houses which by thee through thee were begon For thou like a mā of God whē the matter was moued for the reliefe of Christes poore selye members to be holpen from extreame miserye hunger and famine thy harte I say was moued with pity and as Christs highe honourable officer in that cause thou calledst together thy Brethren the Aldermen of the City before whome thou brakest the matter for the poore thou diddest pleade theyr cause yea and not only in thine own person thou diddest setforth Christs cause but to further the matter thou broughtest me into the counsell Chamber of the City before the Aldermen alone whom thou haddest assembled there together to heare me speake what I could say as an aduocate by office and duetye in the pore mens cause the Lord wrought with thee and gaue thee the consent of thy brethren wherby the matter was brought to the common counsell and so to the whole bodye of the Citye by whome withe an vniforme consente it was committed to be drawne ordered and deuysed by a certayn number of the moste wittye citizens and politique endued also wyth godlines with ready hartes to setforward such a noble act as could be chosē in all the whole city they like true faythful ministers both to their city their maister Christ so ordered deuised and brought forth the matter that thousandes of sely poore mēbers of Christ which els for extreme hunger and misery should haue famished and perished shal be relieued holpen brought vp shal haue cause to blesse the Aldermen of that time the common counsell and the whole body of the city but specially thee O Dobbes and those chosen men by whom this honorable worke of god was begon and wrought and that so long through out al ages as that godly work shal endure which I pray almighty god may be euer vnto the worldes ende Amen And thou O Sir George Barnes the truth it is to be cōfessed to gods glory and to the good example of other thou wast in thy yeare not only a furtherer and contynuer of that which before thee by thy predecessor was well begon but also diddest laboure so to haue perfyted the woorke that it should haue bene an absolute thing and a perfect spectacle of true charity and godlines vnto all christendome Thyne endeuour was to haue set vp an house of occupatiōs both that al kind of pouerty beyng able to worke should not haue lacked whervpon profytablye they myght haue bene occupied to theyr own relief and to the profyte and commodity of the commen wealth of the City and also to haue retired thithers the poore babes broughte vp in the Hospitales when they hadde come to a certayne age and strengthe and also al those which in the Hospitalles aforesayd haue bene cured of theyr diseases And to haue brought this to passe thou obteinedst not without great diligence and labor both of thee and thy brethren of that godly king Edward that christian and pierles Princes hand his princely place of Bridewell and what other things to the performance of the same and vnder what condition it is not vnknown That this thine endeuor hath not had like successe the fault is not in thee but in the conditiō state of the time which the lord of his infinit mercy vouchsafe to amende when it shal be hys grations wil pleasure Farewel now al ye Citizens that be of god of what state cōdition so euer ye be vndoubtedly in London ye haue heard Gods word truely preached My harts desire and dayly prayer shal be for you as for whom for my time I know to my lord God I am countable that ye neuer swarue neyther for losse of life nor worldly goodes from Gods holy word and yeld vnto Antichrist wherupō must nedes follow the extreme displeasure of God the losse both of youre bodies soules into perpetuall dampnation for euermore Now that I haue gone through the places where I haue dwelt any space in the time of my pilgrimage here vpō earth remembringe that for the space of kinge Ewardes raygne which was for the time of mine office in the Seas of Lōdon and Rochester I was a member of the higher house of the parliament therefore seing my God hath geuen me leysure and the remembraunce therof I will byd my Lordes of the temporalty farewell They shall haue no iust cause by Gods grace to take it that I entende to say in ill parte As for the spiritul Prelacy that now is I haue nothing to say to them except I should repeat again a great part of that I haue sayd before nowe alredye to the sea of London To you therfore my Lordes of the temporaltie wil I speake and this would I haue you fyrst to vnderstande that when I wrote this I loked dayly when I should be called to the chaunge of thys lyfe and thought that thys my wrytyng should not come to your knowlege before the time of the dissolution of my body and soule shoulde bee expired and therefore knowe ye that I had before myne eyes only the feare of God and christian charity towarde you whiche moued me to wryte for of you hereafter I looke not in this worlde either for pleasure or displeasure If my talke shall do you neuer so much pleasure or profite you cānot promote me nor if I displease you ye can not hurte me or harme me for I shall be out of youre reache Now therfore if you feare God and can be contente to heare the talk of him that seeketh nothing at your
them close after the marchaūts fashion that they be not opened William Dounton my seruant hath the fyrst copy of that I wrote concerning mayster Hales hurt I woulde mayster Bradforde did se it and then the copy to be well kept least anye man of malice should adde any thing to the matter more and worse then I haue made it I passe not of that maye come of it I thanke God and my conscience beareth me recorde that I did it of zeale to the word of God which the byshop of Winchester called the doctryn of desperation Not only my hart but also my mouth my penne and all my power shall be agaynste him euen till death by Gods helpe in this case let god do with the matter as it pleaseth his highe maiestye to whom I commend you 29. April 1554. Yours Iohn Hoper To my dearely beloued frende in Christe mayster Iohn Hal. THe grace of God be with you Amē It was much to my comfort I assure you when I vnderstoode by thys bearer my faithful seruant William Doūton that you and your wife were in health Many times I had occasion to enquire for you before the departure of my poore wife to haue holpē her out of the land from the hands of the cruel but I coulde heare nothing wher you were It was told me you abode in the coūtrey with your wife to whom make my harty commendations and to the rest of al your house that feare God and my trust is you do not forget your duty towardes God in this troublesome worlde See that you tarye with him in one howre of trouble and doubtles he will kepe you for euer with him in the ioyes euerlasting I would write more but this bearer can tel what nede I haue to make hast Fare you well as my self be stronge in Christ for I thanke him for my part I am not ashamed of his gospel neither afeard of the Pope the deuill nor the gates of hel The lordes will be done Written the .4 day of August Anno. 1554. Your poore frend Iohn Hoper ☞ An exhortation to patience sent to his godlye wife Anne Hoper wherby all the true members of Christe may take comforte and courage to suffer trouble and affliction for the profession of his holy Gospell OVr sauiour Iesus Christ derely beloued my godlye wife in S. Mathewes gospell said to his disciples Math. 18. that it was necessary slaūders should come and that thei could not be auoyded he perceiued as well by the condition of those that should perish and be lost for euer in the worlde to come as also by theyr affliction that should be saued For he saw the greatest part of the people would contempne and neglect what soeuer true doctrine or godlye wayes shoulde be shewed vnto them or els receaue it vse it as they thought good to serue theyr pleasures without any profit to their soules at all not caringe whether they liued as they were commaunded by Gods word or not but would thinke it sufficient to be coūted to haue the name of a Christian man with such workes and frutes of his professiō and christianity as his fathers elders after their custome and maner esteme and take to be good frutes faythfull workes will not trye them by the word of God at all These men by the iuste iudgemente of God be deliuered vnto the craft and subteltye of the deuill that they may be kept by one slaunderous stumblinge block or other that they neuer come vnto Christ Math. 2 4 who came to saue those that were lost as ye may see how god deliuereth wicked men vp vnto theyr owne lustes to do one mischief after an other careles vntil they come into a reprobate mind Rom i 1. Thes 2. that forgetteh it selfe and cannot knowe what is expediente to be done or to be left vndone because they close theyr eyes wyl not see the lighte of Gods word offered vnto them and being thus blinded they preferre theyr owne vanities before the truth of Gods word Whereas such corrupt mindes be there is also corrupt election and choise of Gods honour so that the mind of manne taketh falshode for truth supersticion for true religion death for life dampnation for saluatiō hell for heauen and persecution of Christes members for Gods seruice and honoure And as these menne wilfullly and voluntarily reiecte the woorde of God euen so God most iustly deliuereth them into the blyndnes of mynd Iohn 8.9 and hardnes of hart that they cannot vnderstand nor yet consēt to any thing that God would haue preached and setforth to his glory after his owne wil and word wherfore they hate it mortally and of all thinges most derest gods holy worde And as the diuel hath entred into their hartes that they thē selues cannot nor will not come to Christe to be instructed by his holy word euen so can they not abyde any other man to be a christian man and to leade his life after the worde of God but hate him persecute him robbe him imprison him yea kil him whether he be man or woman if God suffre it And so much are those wicked mē blinded that they passe of no lawe whether it be gods or mans but persecute suche as neuer offended yea do euell to those that dayly haue prayed for them and wish thē Gods grace In their Pharaonicall and blinde fury they haue no respecte to nature for the brother persecuteth the brother the father the sonne moste deare frendes in deuelishe slaunder and offence are become most mortall enemyes And no maruayle for whē they haue chosen sundrye maysters the one the deuill the other God th one shall agree with the other as god and the diuell agre betwene thēselues For thys cause that the more parte of the world doth choose to serue the deuil vnder cloked hipocrisy of Gods title Christ sayd it is expedient and necessary that slaunders should come and many means be deuised to kepe the little babes of Christ frō the heauenly father Math. 18. But Christ sayeth wo be vnto him by whome the offence commeth yet is there no remedy man being of such corruption and hatred towardes God but that the euell shal be deceaued and persecute the good and the good shall vnderstande the truthe and suffre persecution for it Gene. 4 Gala. 4 vntill the worldes ende For as he that was borne after the fleshe persecuted in tymes paste hym that was borne after the spiryte euen so it is now Seyng therefore we liue for this life emonges so many greate perils and daūgers we must be well assured by gods word how to beare them and how pacientlye to take them as they be sent to vs from God We must also assure our selues that ther is no other remedy for christians in the time of trouble Luke ij then Christ him self hath appointed vs. In S. Luke he geueth vs this commaundemente ye shall
me vp to heauen where I shal loke continually for your cōming and others my faithful brethrē in the kinges Bench. And though I tel you that I am in hel in the iudgement of thys world yet assuredly I feele in the same the consolation of heauen prayse god And thys lothsome horrible prison is as pleasaūt to me as the walke in the gardē of the kings Bench. You know brother Careles that the way to heauē out of this life is very narrowe we must striue to enter in at a narrow gate If God do mitigate the ouglenes of mine imprisonment what wil he do in the rage of the fier wherunto I am appointed And thys hath happened vnto me that I might be hereafter an ensample of cōfort if the like happen vnto you or to any other of my deare brethrē with you in these cruel daies in the which the deuil so rageth at the faithful flocke of Christ but in vaine I trust againste any of vs who be persuaded that neyther lyfe neither death is hable to separate vs from the loue of Christes Gospell which is gods high treasure cōmitted to our brittle vessels to glorify vs by the same God of his mercye make vs faythful stewardes to the end geue vs grace to feare nothing whatsoeuer in his good pleasure we shall suffer for the same That I haue not written vnto you erste the cause is our straite keping the want of light by night for the day serueth vs but a while in our darke closet This is the first letter that I haue writen since I came to prison besides the report of mine examinatiōs I am faine to scrible it out in haste Comend me to al our faythful brethren byd them with a good courage loke for their redēption and frame thēselues to be harty souldiers in Christ They haue taken his prest money a great while now let thē shew thē selues readye to serue him faythfully not to flye out of the lords campe into the world as many do Let them remember that in the Apocalips the feareful bee excluded the kingdome Let vs bee of good cheare for our lord ouercame the world that we should do the like Blessed is the seruant whō when the Lord cōmeth he fyndeth watching O let vs watch and pray earnestly one for an other that we be not led into temptation Be ioyfull vnder the crosse prayse the Lord continually for this is the whole burnt sacrifice which the lord chiefly delyghteth in Cōmend me to my father Hunt desire him to loue continue in the vnitie of Christes true church which he hath begon then shall he make me more more to ioye vnder my crosse with him Tell my brother Clements that he hath comforted me muche by his louing token in significatiō of an vnfayned vnitie with vs let him encreace my ioye vnto the end perfectly The Lord of peace be with you all Salute all my louing frendes Maister Meryng Maister Crooth with the rest specially Maister Marshall and hys wyfe with great thankes for hys kyndnes shewed vnto me Fare well my deare Careles I haue dalied with the deuill a while but now I am ouer the shooes God send me well out Out of the Colehouse by your brother Iohn Philpot. An other letter written to Iohn Careles out of the Colehouse of darkenes whereby he geueth lighte and heauenlye comforte to hys heauy and troubled mynde THe God of all comfort and the father of oure Lord Iesus Christ send vnto thee my deare brother Careles the inwarde consolation of hys holy spirite in al the malicious assaultes and troublous temptations of our common aduersarye the Deuill Amen That god geueth you so contrite a harte for your sinnes I can not but reioyce to behold the liuely marke of the children of god whose propertye is to thinke more lowlye and vily of themselues then of any other and often tymes doe set their sinnes before them that they myghte the more bee styrred to bryng forth the fruites of repentaunce and learne to mourne in thys worlde that in an other they myghte bee glad and reioyce Such a broken heart is a pleasaunt sacryfyce vnto God O that I had the lyke contrite harte God mollifye my stonye harte which lamenteth not in such wise my former detestable iniquities Praised be god that he hath geuen you thys sorrowful hart in respect of righteousnes I praye you let me be pertaker of these Godly sorrowes for sinne which be the testimony of the presence of the holy ghoste Dyd not the sword of sorrow pearce the harte of the elect and blessed mother of our Lord Did not Peter wepe bitterly for hys sinnes which was so beloued of Christ Dyd not Mary Magdalene was the feete of oure Sauiour with her teares and receaued therwithall remission of her seuenfold sinnes Be of good comfort therfore mine own deare heart in thys thy sorrowe for it is the earnest peny of eternall consolatiō In thy sorrowe laughe for the spirite of God is with thee Blessed be they sayth Christ that mourne Math. 15. Psa 125. psal 51 Luke 7 for they shal bee comforted They went forth and wepte fayth the Prophet such shall come agayne hauing their gripes full of gladnes And althoughe a sorrowfull harte in consideration of hys sinne be an acceptable sacrifice before God whereby we are stirred vp to more thankefulnes vnto God knowing that much is forgeuen vs that we might loue the more yet the mā of god muste keepe a measure in the same leaste he bee swallowed vppe by to muche sorrowe Sainte Paule woulde not the Thessalonians to be sory as other men whiche haue no hope Such a sorow is not commendable 1. Thess 4. 2. Cor. 7. but worketh damnation and is farre from the children of God who are continually sorrowfull in god when they loke vppon theyr own vnworthynes with hope of forgeuenes For God to thys end by his spirite setteth the sinnes of hys electe still before them that where they perceaue sinne to abounde Rom. 5. there they myght be assured that grace shall superabounde bringeth them downe vnto hell that he myght lift thē vp with greater ioy vnto heauē Wherfore myne own bowels in Christ as long as you are not voyde altogether of hope be not dismayde throughe your pensiue harte for your sinnes howe huge so euer they haue beene for God is hable to forgeue more then you are able to sinne yea and he wil forgeue him which with hope is sory for hys sinnes But know brother that as oft as we do go aboute by the helpe of Gods spirite to do that is good the euil spirit Sathan layeth hard wayte to turne the good vnto euill goeth about to mixe the detestable darnell of desperation with the godly sorrow of a pure penitent heart You be not ignoraunt of hys malicious subtelty and how that continually he assaulteth that good which the grace of
before you though it be to come as euen now present lyke as you do and wyl your patientes to doe in purgations and other your ministrations to consyder the effecte that wil ensue where through the bitternes and lothesomnes of the purgatiō is so ouercome and the painfulnes in abydyng the workyng of that is mynistred is so eased that it maketh the patient willyngly ioyfully to receiue that is to be receiued although it be neuer so vnpleasaūt so I say set before you the ende of this straite way and thē doutles as Paule saith aeternū pōdus gloriae pariet whiles you loke not on the thyng sene for that is temporal but on the thing which is not sene which is eternall So dothe the husbandman in plowing and tilling set before him the haruest time so doth the fisher consider the draught of his nette rather thē the casting in so doth the merchaunt the returne of his merchaūdise and so shoulde we in these stormy daies set before vs not the losse of our goods liberty very lyfe but the reaping time the comming of our sauiour Christ to iudgement the fire that shall burne the wicked disobediēt to gods gospel the blast of the Trumpe the exceding glory prepared for vs in heauen eternally suche as the eie hathe not sene the eare hath not heard nor the harte of man can conceyue The more we lose here the greater ioye shall wee haue there The more we suffer the greater tryumphe For corruptible drosse we shall fynde incorruptible treasures for golde glorye for syluer solace without ende for ryches robes royall for earthely houses eternall Palaces myrthe wythout measure pleasure wythout payne felicitye endeles Summa we shall haue God the father the sonne and the holy Ghoste Oh happye place oh that thys daye woulde come Then shal the ende of the wicked be lamentable then shall they receiue the iust rewarde of thy vengeaunce then shall they crye woe woe that euer they dyd as they haue done Reade Sapien 2.3.4.5 Reade Mathew 25. Reade 1. Corrinthians 15. 2. Corrinthians 5. and by fayth whiche GOD encrease in vs consyder the thinges there set forth And for your comforte reade Hebrewes 11. to see what faythe hath done alwayes consyderyng the way to heauen to be by many tribulations that all they which wyll lyue godlye in Christe Iesu must suffer persecution You know thys is oure Alphabet he that wyll bee my Disciple sayeth Christ must denye hymselfe and take vppe his crosse and followe me not thys Bishoppe nor that Doctour not thys Emperour nor that Kynge but me sayeth Christe for he that loueth father mother wyfe chyldren or verye lyfe better then me is not worthye of me Remember that the same Lorde sayeth Math. 8. he that wyll saue hys lyfe shall loose it Comforte your selfe wyth thys that as the Deuyls had no power ouer the Porkettes or ouer Iobes goodes wythout Gods leaue so shall they haue none ouer you Remember also that all the heares of your head are numbred wyth GOD. The Deuyll maye make one beeleue he wyll drowne hym as the Sea in hys surges threateneth to the lande but as the Lorde hathe appoynted boundes for the one ouer the whyche he cannot passe so hathe he done for the other On god therfore cast your care loue him serue him after hys worde feare him trust in him hope at his hande for all helpe and alwayes praye lookyng for the crosse and when soeuer it commeth bee assured the Lorde as he is faythfull so he will neuer tempte you further then he will make you able to beare but in the myddest of the tēptation wil make such an euasion as shal be most to his glorye and your eternall comfort God for his mercy in Christe with his holye spirite endue you comforte you vnder the winges of hys mercy shadow you and as his deare childe guide you for euermore To whose merciful tuition as I doe wyth my hartye prayer committe you so I doubte not but you praye for me also and so I beseche you to do stil My brother P. telleth me you would haue the last part of sainct Hieromes workes to haue the vse thereof for a fortenighte I cannot for these .iij. dais wel forbeare it but yet on thursday next I wil send it you if god let me not vse me that I haue as your owne The lorde for his mercy in Christe directe oure wayes to his glory Amen Out of pryson by yours to commaunde Iohn Bradford To Maystres M. H. a godly gentlewoman comfortyng her in that common heauines and godly sorrow which the feeling and sense of sinne worketh in gods children I Humblye and hartelye praye the euerlyuyng good god and father of mercye to blesse and kepe your harte and mynd in the knowledge and loue of his truth of his Christ through the inspiration and workyng of the holy spyryte Amen Although I haue no doubte but that you prosper and go forwardes daily in the way of godlines more and more drawyng towardes perfection and haue no neede of anyethyng that I can wryte yet because my desyre is that you myghte be more feruent and perseuer to the ende I coulde not but wryte somethyng vnto you besechyng you bothe often and diligently to call vnto your mynd as a meane to styrre you hereunto yea as a thyng which god most straitly requireth you to beleue that you are beloued of god that he is your dere father in through and for Christ and his deathes sake This loue tender kyndnes of god towards vs in Christ is aboundātly herein declared in that he hath to the godly worst of creation of this worlde made vs after his image redemed vs beyng lost called vs into his church sealed vs with his marke and signe manuel of Baptisme kept and conserued vs all the dais of our lyfe fed nourished defended and moste fatherlye chastised vs and nowe hath kindled in our hartes the sparcles of hys feare faith loue and knowlege of hys Christ and truth and therfore we lament because we lament no more our vnthankfulnes our frailenes our diffidence and waueryng in things wherin we should be moste certain Al these thyngs we shuld vse as meanes to cōfyrme our faith of this that god is our god and father and to assure vs that he loueth vs as our father in Christ to this end I say we should vse the thynges before touched especially in that of all thinges god requyreth this faith and persuasion of hys fatherly goodnes as hys chiefest seruyce For before he aske any thyng of vs he saieth I am the Lord thy god geuyng hymselfe and then all he hath to vs to be our own And this he doth in respect of hymself of hys owne mercye and truth and not in respect of vs for then were grace no grace In consideration wherof when he saieth Thou shalte haue none other gods but me thou shalt loue me with all thy hart
with God I thanke God my common disease doth lesse trouble me now then whē I was abroad which doth teach me the merciful prouidence of god towards me Commend me to Maistres Wilkinson whom we pray god to strengthē in his truth grace vnto the end Vse true and harty prayer and you shall perceaue god at length will declare him selfe to see where now many thinke he sleepeth Out of the Tower by the Lordes prisoner Iohn Bradford To Maistres I. H. a faythfull woman and fearyng God whom he exhorteth to bee pacient vnder the crosse not to feare death MY dearly beloued I besech our mercifull father to comfort your heauie and pensiue hart with his own cōsolations in Christ as I am assured he will in his good time which with pacience loke for good sister after the example of Iob Iames. 5. Helias Abrahā and al the deare Sainctes of God whiche are set forth vnto vs for patrons of pacience god graunte vs well to cutte oure clothe after them for God is the same God nowe and the ende will shewe that he is a mercifull Lorde and full of compassion My deare sister you shall vnfaynedly feele it at the length though presently it semeth otherwise vnto your sense you shall after you be a litle exercised herein Heb. 12 finde a quiet fruite of righteousnes the God of grace which hath called you vnto hys eternal glorye confirming strengthning you being some deale afflicted with your brethren and sisters that be in the worlde 1. pet 5 for alone you suffer not as I truste you knowe It comforted me to reade in your letters that no displeasure of father mother husband children c. doth moue you to be ruled after the counsell of the worlde and therefore you will me not to bee afearde for you Oh my beloued what thankes shoulde I geue to our god and deare father for thys hys excedyng kindenes towards you His name be magnified for you for euer his mercy be more and more multiplyed vnto you in you vpon you for euer and euer Amen God make me thankefull herefore But you adde that the feare of death doth now and then moue you a little Howbeit you saye that as I haue counseyled you you wyll stryue there agaynste My good Ioyce I take you at your woorde keepe promyse I praye you that is stryue agaynste it and I promyse you in the name of the Lord that you shall haue the victorie which I woulde wishe you to set before your eyes also so shall the terrour of death trouble you the lesse Souldiers goinge to warre set not before their eyes simplye the stripe but rather the victorye and my good sister will not you herein followe them In your trauaile with childe doth not the hope of the babe to be deliuered mitigate the maladye Doth not the sicke in taking bitter and lothsome Phisicke set before him the commoditie which wil ensue And my deare sister wil not you by these be somthing enformed Consider what this life is consider what death is consider what is prepared for you after death Concerning thys life you knowe that it is full of miserye vanitie and woe it is a playne exile and hath nothing in it permanente It is therfore compared to a vapor to a smoke to a shadowe yea to a warrefare a wildernes a vale of wretchednes wherein we are compafed on euery side with moste fearce and fearefull enemyes and shoulde we desire to dwell here Should we lust to liue in this lothsome and laborious life Shoulde we wyshe to tarrie in thys wretchednes Shoulde we haue pleasure to remaine in thys perillous state Daniells denne is not so dreadfull as is this dongeon we dwell in Concerning death to them that be as I knowe you are Gods deare children my tenderlye beloued sister what other thynge is it then the dispatcher of all displeasure the ende of al trauaile the doore of desires the gate of gladnes the porte of paradyse the hauen of heauen the rayle of reste and quietnes the entraunce to felicitie the beginnyng of all blisfulnes It is the very bedde of doune and therefore wel compared to a sleepe for the doulefull bodies of Gods people to reste in oute of the whiche they shall rise and awake moste freshe and lustye to life euerlasting It is a passage to the Father a chariot to heauen the Lordes messenger a leader vnto Christ a going to oure home a deliueraunce from bondage and prison a dimission from warre a securitie from all sorrowes and a manumission from all miserye So that the very heathen dyd in some places cause the daye of their death to be celebrated with myrth melody and minstrelsie and should we be dismayde at it Shoulde we be afrayde of it Should we tremble to heare of it Should such a frend as it is be vnwelcome Should the foulnes of hys face feare vs from his good conditions Should the hardenes of his huske hinder vs from his swete cornell Shoulde the roughnes of the tide tie vs to the bancke and shore there to be drowned rather then the desire of oure home dryue vs to go aburde Shoulde the hardnes of the saddle set vs on our feete to perish by the waye rather then to leape vp and endure the same a litle and so to be where we woulde be Concerning that which is prepared for you after death if I shoulde go about to expresse it the more I should so do the further I should be from it For the eye hath not seene neither the eare hath heard nor the harte of man is able to conceaue in any poynte the ioye myrth melodye pleasure power welth riches honour beautie fellowshippe deynties odours glorye wisedome knowledge threasures securitie peace quietnes and eternall felicitie which you shal haue and enioye world without ende with God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost with the Aungels Archangels with the Patriarckes and Prophetes with the Apostles and Euangelistes with the Martyrs and Confessors and with all the Saintes of God in the Palace of the Lorde in heauen the kingdome of God the glorye of the Father Oh woe to the blyndnes of our eyes that see not this Woe to the hardnes of our hartes that feele not this Woe to the deafnes of our eares that heare not thys in suche sort as we should do wherthrough we might be so farre from fearyng death that rather we shoulde wish it crying with Simeon Now let thy seruaunt depart in peace With Paul I desire to be desoulued and to be with Christ With Dauid when shall I come and appeare before thee And agayne Oh woe is me that my habitation is thus prolonged c. Psa 119. But halas deare sister great is oure vnbeliefe Full faynte is oure fayth or elles nyghte and daye teares shoulde be oure bread and drinke Psal 41. whilest it is sayde vnto vs where is your GOD It is a token of little loue
the hart of any creature can conceaue to your eternall ioye Amē Amen Amē The good spirite of god alwayes kepe vs as hys deare children he comfort you as I desyre to be comforted my derely beloued for euermore Amen I breake vp thus abruptly because our common prayer tyme calleth me The peace of Christe dwell in both our hartes for euer Amen ⧠As for the report of W. P. if it be as you heare you must prepare to beare it It is written on heauens dore do wel and heare euill Be content therfore to heare whatsoeuer the ennemye shall imagine to blotte you withal Gods holye spirite alwayes comfort and kepe you Amen Amen This 8. of August by hym that in the Lorde desireth to you as well and as much felicity as to his owne harte Iohn Bradford ¶ To my louyng brethren B. and C. wyth their wyues and whole families I Besech the euerliuing god to geue to you al my good bretherne and systers the comfort of his holy spirite and the continuall feelyng of his mercye in Christe oure Lord nowe and for euer Amen The world my brethern at this presente seemeth to haue the vpperhande iniquity ouerfloweth the truth and veritie seemeth to be suppressed and they whiche take part therwith are vniustly entreated The cause of all this is gods anger and mercy his anger because we haue greuously sinned against him his mercy because he here punisheth vs as a father nurtereth vs. We haue ben vnthākful for his word we haue contemned his kindnes we haue ben negligent in praier we haue ben to carnal couetous licētious c. we haue not hastened to heauēward but rather to helward we were fallen almost into an open cōtempt of god and all his good ordinaunces so that of hys iustice he could not long forbeare but make vs to feele hys anger as now he hath done in taking his word and true seruice from vs and permittyng Sathan to serue vs with Antichristian religion and that in such sorte that if we wil not yelde to it and seme to allow it in dede and outwarde fact our bodies are like to be laide in prison and our goodes geuen we cannot tell to whome This should we looke vppon as a sygne of gods anger procured by our synnes which my good brethern euery one of vs should now cal to our memories often tymes so perticulerly as we can that we might hartely lament them repent them hare them aske earnestly mercye for them and submitte our selues to beare in this lyfe anye kind of punishment which god wil lay vppon vs for them Thus should we do in consideration of gods anger in thys time Now his mercy in this time of wrath is sene should be sene of vs my derely beloued in this the god doth vouchsafe to punish vs in this present life If he should not haue punished vs do not ye thinke that we would haue continuin the euils we were in Yea verely we would haue ben worse and haue gone forwards in hardning our harts by impenitency negligence towardes God true godlines then yf death had come should not we haue perished bothe soule and bodye into eternall fyre and perdition Alas what misery should we haue fallen into if god shoulde haue suffered vs to haue gone forward in our euils No greater a signe of damnation there is then to lye in euill synne vnpunished of god as nowe the papists my derely beloued are cast into Iezabels bed of security Apoc. 3 Hebr. 12 which of all plagues is the most greuous plague that can be They are bastardes and not sonnes for they are not vnder Gods rodde of correction A great mercy it is therfore that god dothe punishe vs for yf he loued vs not he wuld not punish vs. Now doth he chastice vs that we shuld not be damned with the world 1. Cor. 2 Now doth he nurture vs because he fauoureth vs. Now may we thynke our selues to be Gods householde and children 1. pet 4 because he beginneth his chastising at vs. Nowe calleth he vs to remēber our synnes past Wherfore That we myght repent and and aske mercy And why That he might forgeue vs pardon vs iustify vs and make vs his chyldren and so begin to make vs here lyke vnto Christ Rom. 8 that we myght bee like vnto hym elsewhere euen in heauen where already we are set by faith with Christe and at hys commyng in verye dede shall enioye his presence when our synfull and vile bodies shal be made lyke to christes glorious body phil 3. accordyng to the power whereby he is able to make al thynges subiect to hymselfe Therfore my brethren let vs in respect hereof not lament but laude god not be sory but be mercy not wepe but reioyce and be glad that god doth vouchsafe to offer vs hys crosse Rom. 8 2. Timo. 3. Math. 10. therby to come to him to endles ioyes and comforts For if we suffer we shall raigne If we confesse hym before men he wil confesse vs before hys father in heauen If we be not ashamed of his Gospell nowe he wyll not bee ashamed of vs in the last day Math. 5. 1. pet 4 1. pet 5 but wyl be glorifyed in vs crownyng vs with crownes of glory and endeles felicity For blessed are they that suffer persecutiō for rightuousnes sake for their is the kingdom of heauē Be glad sayth Peter for the spirit of God resteth vpō you After that ye are a litle while afflicted god will comfort strengthen confyrme you And therfore my good bretherne be not discouraged for crosse for prison or losse of goodes for the confession of Christes gospell and truth whiche ye haue beleued and lyuely was taught emongs you in the days of our late good most holy prince Kyng Edwarde This is most certayne if ye lose any thyng for Christes sake Math. 19 and for contemnyng the Antichristian seruice set vp agayne amonge vs as ye for youre partes euen in prison shall find gods greate and riche mercies farre passing all worldly wealth so shall your wyues children in thys present lyfe fynd and feele gods prouidēce more plentifully then tounge can tell for he wyl shew merciful kindnes on thousāds of them that loue him The good mans sede shal not go a begging his bread Ye are good mē so many as suffer for christes sake Psalm 27 I trust ye all my dearely beloued wil cōsider this geare with your selues and in the crosse see gods mercy which is more swete and more to bee set by then life it self much more thē then any mucke or pelfe of thys world Rom. 8. This mercy of god should make you merye and chearefull for the afflictions of this lyfe are not to bee cōpared to the ioyes of the lyfe prepared for you Ye know the way to heauen is not the wyde way of the world which wyndeth to the deuil but it is a strayt
deede the hygh waye whereby as God encreaseth his giftes so sheweth he more linelye hys saluation Psalme 50.107 I haue receaued Gods blessing frō you the which I haue partly distributed vnto my three fellowe prisoners Maister Farer Maister Taylour Maister Philpot and the residue I will bestowe vppon .iiii. poore soules which are imprisoned in the cōmon Iayle for religiō also As for mine own part if I had had nede I would haue serued my turne also But because I had not nor I thanke God haue not I haue beene and will hee your Almner in suche sorte as I haue already aduertised you God rewarde you and geue you to finde it spiritually and corporally Because otherwise I can not talke with you therefore on thys sort as occasion and opportunitie wil serue I am readye to shewe my good will and desire of youre healpe and furtheraunce in the Lorde to euerlasting life whereunto GOD bryng vs shortlye for hys mercyes sake Amen Good Madame bee thankefull to God as I hope you be be earnest in prayer continue in readynge and hearinge Gods woord and if Gods further crosse come as therein God doth serue hys prouidence for elles it shall not come vnto you so bee certayne the same shall tourne to your eternal ioy and comforte Amen Iohn Bradford To the Lady Vane THe euerlasting and most merciful god which is the father of our sauiour Iesus Christ encrease in your ladiship the knowledge loue of hys truth with the gift of perseuerāce to cōtinue therin to the end Amē Albeit at this present I haue no cōuenient leasure to write is shold be semely to send to your personage yet cōsidering your gētle good wil for gods cause towards me I thought I mought be the more bold to write somthing although not in such sort as I would perchaunce on your behalfe might be loked for I doubt not but that your ladiship considereth often with your self the you are the childe of god and a citizen of heauē by Christ in whō God the father before the worlde was made hath chosen you of his own mere mercy and not of your desertes done or to be done That you shoulde with thankefulnes cal this to minde often thereby to excite and stirre vp yourself to the loue of god in his sight and to al holinesse of life in the sight of man many things should moue occasion you iustly as that you were borne of Christen parents that the name of god was called vpon you in baptisme which is a sacrament of regeneratiō and adoption into the children of god with all other benefites which hytherto you haue receaued Amonges which surely your ladiship should not thinke the least euen the crosses that god hath hetherto exercised you with all as the losse of youre good husband landes and other worldly commodities c. But aboue al next to Christ crucifyed this is most thankefully to be considered that god as he hath geuen you pacience I trust in your trouble so in these daungerous dayes he hath geuen you a desire to know him and to helpe them which for hys sake be in trouble for thys I gather and euidentlye see by your twise sending to me which am not otherwise knowen to you but by name I pray god I may be hartely thankeful to him for you and so dispose your benefites as you desyre My best I will doe by gods grace but enough of thys My desire is good Madame although I haue no doubt as I said but that you be diligēt herein that you would oftē call to minde your state before god I meane howe that you be hys childe through Christ and this I would you dyd for diuerse causes Fyrst that you myghte be quiet in conscience before him in this troublesome worlde as we neuer can bee vntill thys be something setled Secondly that you myghte bee carefull to appeare in hys syghte and in the syghte of man as one of Gods children Thyrdly that you myght in all troubles boldelye by prayer throughe Christe goe to hym and cal hym by the name of father with hope of hys helpe alwayes to your comforte Fourthly that you myghte not bee dismayed if trouble come vnto you as it can not be but more or lesse it must needes come for the worlde loueth none but suche as be his the deuill can neuer suffer the children of God to be quiet I will not speake of our mortal and familiar enemye the fleshe which ceaseth not to fyght agaynst the spirite But God your father being hartely called vpon in and through Christ as he will with hys holye spirite helpe you so will he geue you the victorye at the length to your singular comforte Which I pray God you may daily more and more feele Amen From the Kings Benche in hast as appeareth Your Ladiships own in Christ to commaunde Iohn Bradforde To my deare frendes and brethren R. and E. with their wiues and families THe comfort of Christ felte commonly of hys children in their crosse for his sake the euerliuing God worke in both youre hartes my good brethren and in the hartes of bothe your yokefellowes especially of good Mary my good sister in the Lorde Amen If I had not somthing heard of the hazard which you are in for the gospels sake if you continue the profession confession therof as I truste you doe and will doe and that vnto the end God enabling you as he will doubtles for his mercyes sake if you hope in him for this bindeth him as Dauid in Christes person witnesseth our father keped in thee and thou deliuerest them c. Psal 22 yet by coniectures I could not but suppose though not so certainly the tyme of suffering and probation to bee at hande For nowe is the power of darkenesse fullye come vppon this Realme moste iustlye for oure synnes and abusynge the lyghte lente vs of the Lorde to the settynge forthe of oure selues more then of Gods glorye that aswell we myghte bee broughte into the better knowledge of our euilles and so hartely repente which god graūt vs to do as also we might haue more feling sense of our swete sauiour Iesus Christ by the humbling and deiecting of vs therby to make vs as more desirous of him so him more sweete and pleasaunt vnto vs the which thing the good spirite of God woorke sensiblye in all our hartes for Gods holy names sake For thys cause I thoughte it my dutye being now where I haue some libertie to write the Lorde bee praysed and hearing of you as I heare to doe that which I should haue done if I had hearde nothing at all that is to desire you to be of good cheare and comfort in the Lorde although in the worlde you see cause rather to the contrarye and to go on forwardes in the waye of God wherinto you are entred considering that the same can not but so much more and more waxe streite to the outwarde man by howe much
losse of this life which in dede is neuer founde til it be so loste excepte the graine of wheate fal and be dead it remaineth fruitles You know how that he which was rapte into the third heauen did know what he wrote doth say that as the corne liueth not excepte it bee dead and cast into the earth so truly our bodyes And therefore the crosse should so litle feare vs that euen death it selfe shold altogether be desired of vs as the taylour which putteth of our ragges and arayeth vs with the royall robes of immortalitie incorruptioÌ„ and glory Great shame it should be for vs that al the whole creatures of God should desire yea grone in their kinde for our libertie Rom. 8. we our selues to loth it as doubtles we do if for the crosse yea for death it self we with ioye swallow not vp all sorrow that myght let vs from followyng the Lordes calling and obeying the lords prouidence wherby doubtles all crosses and death it selfe doth come and not by hap or chauÌ„ce In consideratioÌ„ wherof righte deare Mother in that this prouidence stretcheth it self so vnto vs and for vs that euen the heares of our heads are numbred with GOD not one of them to fall to oure hurt surely we declare our selues very faint in faith yf we receiue not such comfort that we can willinglye offer oure selues to the Lord and cast our whole care vpon his backe honouring him wyth this honour that he is euer wyll be carefull for vs and all we haue as for hys deare chyldren Be therfore of good chere euen in the myddest of these miseries be thankefull to the Lorde and prepare your selfe for a further trial which if god send you as I hope so do you beleue that god therin will helpe and comfort you and make you able to beare whatsoeuer shall happen And thus much hauyng this oportunitie I thoughte good to wryte praying god our father to recompence into your bosome all the good that euer you haue done to me especially and to many others bothe in this tyme of trouble and alwaies heretofore Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford To Maystres VVylkinson THe Lorde of mercye in Christe his sonne our Sauiour and only comforter be with you all now and for euer Amen Although preseÌ„tly I haue litle tyme by reason of this bringers short departing lesse occasioÌ„ of necessary mater to write vnto you yet in that it hath pleased god to offer me more liberty to write theÌ„ before I had as this reader can report I thought good to signifye vnto you the same with the acknowledging of the receipt of your tokens for the which I neither can nor wil go about to flatter you with thankes in that I know you loke for none at myne hands god beyng the cause and his word the ende wherfore you dyd so to him I know you woulde haue me thankefull and I beseche you praye that I may so bee and not onelye thankefull for my selfe and his benefites towardes me but also thankefull for you to whome God hath geuen to feare his name and loue his truth The which giftes farre passe the riches of the world for they shal perish and be left we know not vnto whoÌ„ but these gifts of god as they last for euer so they make happy the possessours of the same Go to therfore and pray god to encrease them of hys goodnes as of his mercy he hath beguÌ„ne theÌ„ in you in dede so he wyll For to whome he geueth the earnest of wyllyng to the same he will geue the grace of continuyng yf we reiect not the same as we do when we bee double harred â—4 Reg. 17. and parte our feare and loue as dyd the Samaritanes which feared god and their Adramelech loued gods religion and their olde countrey customes c. If this doublenes come on vs that we feare more the worlde and couple it wyth the feare of God yf we loue the mucke of this molde and couple it wyth the loue of Gods religion then parte we stake then marre we the markette then the spiryte of GOD wyll departe Act. 5. then playe we as Ananias and Saphyra dydde and so sooner or later shall fall to perdition wyth them But as I sayde I thynke no suche thynge of you I thynke of you as of Gods deare chyldren whose hartes are whole wyth the Lorde And therefore I wryte not thys as thoughe you were suche but because it is Gods goodnes you bee not suche because Sathan woulde haue you suche and because manye that were as you nowe bee are suche Therefore to make you as thankeful so carefull to continue but yet so that youre care bee caste all on the Lorde is the onelye cause I write thys and woulde wryte more but that the brynger can not carye And therfore hastely and abruptlye I make an ende besechynge almyghty GOD in our redemer Iesus Christ to bee wyth you and wyth hys holye spiryte comforte you all and helpe my good Syster Maistres W. to bee an happye and a good mother of the chylde of whiche as yet I heare God hathe not deliuered her By your owne to vse in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To my deare Brother in the Lorde Mayster Rychard Hopkyns and hys wyfe dwellyng in Couentrye and other my faythfull bretherne and Systers professours of gods holye Gospel there and theraboutes THe peace whiche Christe lefte to hys churche and to euerye true member of the same Iohn 14. Rom. 8 the holye spirite the guide of Gods chyldren so engrafte in youre harte and in the harte of youre good wyfe and of all my good bretherne and systers aboute you that vnfaynedlye ye maye in respecte thereof contempne all worldlye peace whyche is contrarye to that peace that I speake of and dryueth it vtterlye oute of the hartes of all those whiche woulde patche them both together For we cannot serue two maisters Math. 6 no man can serue GOD and mammon Christes peace cannot bee kepte with this worldes peace God therfore of hys mercy doe I beseche to geue vnto you his peace whiche passeth all vnderstandyng and so kepe your hartes and mynds phil 4. that they may be pure habitacles and mansions for the holye spirite yea for the blessed trinitie Iohn 14 who hathe promised to come and dwell in all them that loue Chryste and keepe hys sayenges My dearely beloued the tyme is nowe come wherein tryall is made of men that haue professed to loue Chryste and woulde haue beene counted kepers of hys testimonyes But weale awaye the tenthe person perseuereth not the more parte doe parte stakes wythe the papistes and protestantes so that they are become maungye Mongrelles to the infectynge of all that company wyth them and to theyr no smale peryll For they pretend outwardly popery The Mongrels excuse goyng to Masse with the papistes tarying with them personallye at theyr Antichristian and
of christ In this life your childrē shal finde gods plentiful blessyng vpon thē whē you are gone and all your goods taken away God is so good that he helpeth the young Rauens before they can flye and feedeth them when their dammes haue moste vnkindly lefte them and trowe ye that God which is the God of the wydowes and fatherlesse children Psa 68 2. Cor. 4. Iohn 21. 1. Pet. 5. Psa 55. math 6. Luke 12. will not speciallye haue a care for the babes of hys deare Sainctes whiche dye or lose any thyng for conscience to hym Oh my dearely beloued therfore looke vp with the eyes of fayth Consider not things presente but rather things to come Be cōtent nowe to goe whether God shal girde lead vs. Let vs now cast our selues wholy into his hands with our wiues children al that euer we haue Let vs be sure the heares of our heade are nūbred so that one heare shall not peryshe without the good will of our dere father Math. 10 Psal 91. who hath commaūded his Angels to pitche their tentes about vs in their hāds to take hold vs vp that we shal not hurt as much as our foote against a stone Let vs vse earnest prayer Ephesi 6. Luke 13. Deut. 6. 3. Cor. 7. 1. Thess 5. Math. 25. 1. Timo. 5. Rom. 12 Rom. 16. let vs hartely repent let vs harken diligently to gods word let vs kepe our selues pure frō all vncleanesse both of spirite and body let vs flee from al euil and al appearance of euill let vs be diligent in our vocation and in doing good to al men especially to them that be of the housholde of fayth let vs liue in peace with al men as muche as is in vs. And the Lorde of peace geue vs hys peace and that for euer more Amen I praye you remember me youre poore afflicted brother in your hartye prayers to god This .2 of September Iohn Brdford An other letter to Maister Richarde Hopkins then Shriefe of Couentrye and prysoner in the Fleete for the faythfull and constant confessing of gods holy Gospell DEarelye beloued in the Lorde I wyshe vnto you as vnto myne owne brother yea as to myne owne harte roote Gods mercye and the feeling of the same plentifullye in Christe our sweete Sauioure who gaue hym selfe a raunsome for oure synnes and price for oure redēption praysed therefore be hys holy name for euer and euer Amen I will not goe aboute to excuse my selfe for not sending vnto you hetherto sufferynge for the Lordes sake as you doe to the comforte of me and of all that loue you in the truth but rather accuse my selfe both before GOD and you desirynge you of forgeuenesse and with me to praye to GOD for pardon of thys my vnkynde forgettinge you and all other my synnes whiche I beseche the Lorde in his mercye to doe awaye for hys Christes sake Amen Nowe to make amends to your ward I would be glad if I could but bycause I cannot I shall hartely desire you to accepte the will and thys whiche I shall nowe wryte vnto you thereafter I meane after my will and not after the dede to accept and take it At this present my deare hart in the lord you are in a blessed state although it seme otherwise to you or rather vnto your olde Adam the which I dare now bee so bolde as to discerne frō you because you would haue him not only discerned but also vtterly destroyed For if god be true then is his word true Now his word pronounceth of your state that it is happie therfore it must nedes be so To proue this I thinke it nede not for you know that the holy ghost sayth that they are happie which suffer for righteousnesse sake that Gods glorye and spirite resteth on them which suffer for conscience to God Now this you can not but know that this your suffering is for righteousnes sake and for conscience to god wards for els you might be out of trouble euē out of hand I know in very dede that you haue and feele your vnthankefulnes to god and other sinnes to witnes to you that you haue deserued this prisonment and lacke of libertie betwixt god your self and I would you so would confesse vnto god in your prayers with peticion for pardon thankesgeuing for his correcting you here But you know that the Magistrates do not persecute in you youre sinnes your vnthankefulnes c. but they persecute in you Christ himselfe his righteousnes his veritie and therefore happie be you that haue founde such fauour with God your father as to accompt you worthy to suffer for his sake in the sight of man surely you shal reioyce therfore one daye with a ioy vnspeakeable in the sight of man also You may thinke your self borne in a blessed time that haue found this grace with God to be a vessel of honour to suffer with his Saints yea with his sonne My beloued god hath not done so with many The Apostle saith not many noble 1. Cor. 8 not many riche not many wise in the world hath the Lord god chosen Oh then what cause haue you to reioyce that amongest the not many he hath chosen you to be one For thys cause hath God placed you in your office that therefore you might the more see his special dignation loue towards you It had not been so greate a thing for Maister Hopkins to haue suffred as Maister Hopkins as it is for M. Hopkins also to suffer as Maister Shrefe Oh happie day that you were made Shrefe by the whiche as God in this worlde woulde promote you to a more honourable degree so by suffering in this roume he hath exalted you in heauen in the sighte of his church children to a much more excellent glory When was it redde that a Shrefe of a citie hath suffred for the Lords sake Where reade we of any shrefe that hath bene cast in prison for conscience to godwardes How could god haue delt more louingly with you then herein he hath done To the end of the world it shall be written for a memoriall to youre prayse that Richard Hopkins Shrefe of Couentry for conscience to do his office before god was cast in the Flete there kept prisoner a long time Happie twyse happy are you if herefore you may geue your life Neuer could you haue attayned to this promotiō on this sort out of that office How do you preach nowe not onely to all men but speciallye to Magestrates in this realme Who would euer haue thought that you should haue bene the first Magestrate that so Christes sake should haue lost any thing As I sayd before therefore I saye agayne that your state is happie Good brother before god I write the truth vnto you may conscience hearing me witnes that you are in a most happy state with the lord and before hys sight Be thankefull therfore reioyce
we be ashamed hereof for losse of life frendes or goodes he wil be ashamed of vs before his father and his holy Angels in heauen Therfore take hede for the Lords sake take hede take hede defile not your bodies or soules with this Romish AntichristiaÌ„ religioÌ„ set vp amoÌ„gest vs again but come away come away as the Angell cryeth Apoca. 18. from amongest them in their Idolatrous seruice least you be partakers of their iniquitye HarkeÌ„ to your preachers as the ThessaloniaÌ„s did to Paul that is conferre their sayinges with the Scriptures and if they sound not therafter Esay 8. the morning light shal not shine vppon them Vse much and harty prayer for the spirit of wisedome knowledge humblenesse mekenesse sobrietye and repentauÌ„ce which we haue great nede of because our synnes haue thus prouoked the Lords anger agaynst vs but let vs beare his anger acknowledge our faultes with bitter teares and sorowful sighes doubtles he wil be merciful to vs after hys wonted mercy The which thing he vouchsafe to do for his holy names sake in Christ Iesu our Lord to whom with the father and the holy ghoste bee all honoure glorye prayse and euerlastynge thankes from thys tyme forth for euermore Amen Out of prison by yours in the Lorde to commaunde Iohn Bradford To my dearely beloued in the lord Mystres VV. and Mystres VV. ALmighty God our deare and most mercifull father be always with you both my entierly beloued mother and Syster in the Lorde and as hys babes he for euer kepe you vnto hys eternal kingdome throughe Christe our Sauiour Amen I purpose not to go about to render thankes to you for gods great goodnes towardes me by you because I can not Either of you hath so heaped vpon me benefits that it were hard for me to recken the tythes He for whose sake you haue done it and all the good you do one daye recompence you after your hartes desyre in hym In the meane season I beseche hym to reueale vnto you more and more the ryches of hys grace and loue in Christ by whom ye are beloued and were before the worlde was and shall be doutles worlde wythout ende Accordyng to the reuelation your sense or fayth herein so wyll you contend to all pietie and godlines as S. Iohn saith he that hath thys hope wyll purify hymselfe as Christ is pure 1. Iohn 3 For howe should it otherwyse bee but if we bee certainlye persuaded that heauen is ours and we citizens therof but I say we should desire the dissolution of our bodies and death to dispatche vs and to do hys office vpon vs If we dyd certainly beleue we were members of Christ and gods temples how should we but flie from all impuritie and corruption of the worlde whiche commeth by concupiscence If we dyd certainly beleue that god in dede of hys mercy in Christ is become our father in that hys good wyll is infinite and hys power accordyng therto how coulde we be afrayde of man or Deuil Howe coulde we doubte of saluation or any good thynge whiche myght make to Gods glorye and our owne weale Now that we shoulde be certayne and sure of thys that we are Gods children in Christ marke whether all thynges teache vs not Beholde the creation of thys worlde and the gubernation of the same doe not these teache vs that God loueth vs And is gods loue out of Christ the beloued If not his loue as he is vnchangeable Iohn 13. Doth not S. Iohn say that he loueth to the ende whom he loueth Therfore I say the very creatures of god concernyng both their creation conseruation tell vs that god loueth vs that is that we in Christ be his childreÌ„ and dearlinges although in our selues and of oure selues wee bee otherwyse namelye chyldren of wrathe Agayne loke vpon the law of god and tell me whether it do not requyre this certainty of you namely that you be gods dere childreÌ„ in Christ Doth not god plainly affirme say I am the Lord thy God Doth he not charge you to haue none other gods but hym How then can you perishe if god be your god psal 143 Doth not that make god no god Doth not Dauid say that those people be happy which haue the Lord for their God Besides this loke on your beliefe do you not professe that you beleue in God your father almighty whiche wanteth no power to helpe you as he wanted no good wyll in Christ to choose you Do you not say that you do beleue remission of synnes resurrection of the body life euerlasting felowship wyth the sainctes c. But how doe you saye you beleue thys geare and be not certayne therof Is not fayth a certaintie Is not doubtyng against fayth as S. Iames sayeth Pray in faythe and doubte not for he that doubteth obteyneth nothyng Math. 8 When Peter beganne to doubte he had lyke to haue bene drowned beware of it therfore Moreouer for to certifye youre consciences that you be gods childerne shal neuer finally perish through gods goodnes in Christe beholde your heade your Capitaine I meane Christe Iesus Wherefore came he into this world but to redeme you to marry you vnto hymselfe to destroye the workes of Sathan to saue and seeke that whiche was loste Wherfore suffered he so greate and bytter passions Dydde he it not to take awaye your synnes Wherefore dydde he ryse from deathe Dyd he it not to iustifye you Wherfore dyd he ascende into heauen Dyd he it not to take possession there for you to leade your captiuitye captiue to prepare and make ready all thynges for you to appeare before the father alwayes praying for you If these be true as they be most true why theÌ„ stand you in a doubt Do you not therby deny Christ Wherefore were you borne of Christian parentes and in gods churche but because you were Gods chylderne by Christ before you were borne For thys cause you were baptised and hetherto the Lorde hathe thus delte wyth you sparyng you correctyng you and blessyng you but why Verely because you be hys children and shal be for euer through Christ Tell me why hath God kepte you till thys tyme but that he wyll for hys sake haue you euen here made lyke vnto Christ thâ—t elsewhere you may so be Why hathe he opened youre eyes from Popery but because you be hys childerne in deede When you do praye doe you not call hym father Why doe you doubte of it then Why wyll you beleue the Deuil more theÌ„ God your father the Sonne and the holy ghoste more then the holye worde of GOD bothe in the lawe and in Gospell more then all the blessynges and castigations of God Do not all these preach to you and tell you that you are gods babes throughe Christ Therefore my derely beloued beleue it and geue not place to the Deuill but withstand hym strong in fayth Marke 9 Luk.
10. Heb. 6.10 Mar. 8. Luke i1 that they returne not to their vomyte stumblyng on those synnes from the which there is no recouery causing thee to deny theÌ„ before thy father making their later end worse theÌ„ the beginning as it chauÌ„ced to Lothes wife Iudas Iscariot FrauÌ„ces Spira and to many others But rather strengthen them and vs all in thy grace and in those thynges which thy worde teacheth that we may here hazarde our lyfe for thy sake and so shal we be sure to saue it as yf we seke to saue it Math. 6 we cannot but loose it and that beyng lost what profyte can we haue yf we wynne the whole worlde Oh set thou alwayes before our eyes not as reason doth thys lyfe the pleasure of the same death of the body and prysonment c but euerlastyng lyfe and those vnspeakable ioyes which vndoubtedlye they shall haue which take vp the crosse and follow thee and eternal hell fire and destruction of soule and bodye for euermore which they must nedes at leÌ„gth fal into the which are afrayde for the hoare froste of aduersitye that man or the Deuil styrreth vppe to stoppe or hynder vs for goyng forward our iourney to heauens blisse to the which do thou bryng vs for thy names sake Amen Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ To my deare frende and brother in the Lorde Maister George Eaton ALmightye God our deare father geue to you dailye more and more the knowledge of hys truth and a loue and lyfe to the same for euer in all thynges throughe Iesus Chryste oure Lorde Amen I shoulde begynne with thankes geuyng to god and to you as hys steward for the great benefites I haue oftentymes receyued from you and speciallye in this tyme of of my most nede farre aboue my expectatioÌ„ but because thankfulnes lyeth not in wordes or letters and because you loke not to heare of your wel doyng of man I am purposed to passe it ouer wyth sylence and to geue my selfe presentlye to that whiche is more profitable vnto you that is as god shall lend me hys grace briefly to labour or at least to shew my good wyl to helpe you in gods gifte to me as you by your doyng the lyke in gods gyfte vnto you haue as alreadye done so occasioned me greatly hereto I woulde gladlye haue done it heretofore but I haue bene discouraged to write vnto you leaste hurte thereby mighte come vnto you which is the only cause I haue not hetherto writted nor now would not haue done but that I stand in adout whether euer herafter I shal haue liberty to write vnto you And therfore whilest I somthing may I thought good to doe thus much to declare vnto you howe that as I thynke my selfe muche bounde to God for you so I desyre to gratifye the same as God should enable me The dayes are come and more and more do approch in the whych tryal wyl be of such as haue vnfainedly redde and hearde the gospel for all others wyll abyde no tryall but as the worlde wyll But of you because I haue better hope I cannot but as pray to god in hym to confyrme you so to beseche you of the same I knowe it will be a daungerous thinge in deede to declare that whiche in woorde you haue confessed and in harte haue beleued speciallye concernyng the papisticall Masse but notwithstandyng we must not for daungers departe from the truth excepte we wyll depart from God For in as muche as GOD is the truth and the truth is God he that departeth from the one departeth from the other Nowe what a thyng it is to departe from God I nede not to tell you because you know it is no lesse then a departyng from all that good is and not onely so but also a coupling of your selfe to all that euill is for there is no meane eyther we departe from god and sticke to the deuill or departe from the deuyll and sticke to God Some men there be whiche for feare of daunger and loâ—le of that they must leaue when where and to whom they knowe not doe deceaue them selues after the iuste iudgement of God to beleue the deuill because they haue no luste to beleue God in harkenyng to Sathans counsaile of partynge stake with God as to be persuaded that it is not euyll or elles no great euill inwardlye in harte to conceale the truth and outwardly in facte to betraye it And therefore thoughe they know the Masse to be abhomination yet they make it but a strawe in going to it as the world doth in whiche thynge the Lorde knoweth they deceaue them selues to dampnation dreame they as they luste For surely the bodye departyng from the veritye and so from god wil drawe and drowne in dampnation the soule also For we shall receaue accordyng to that we doe in the body good or badde And therefore the matter is more to bee considered then men make of it the more it is to bee lamented But I trust my ryghte dearely beloued you wyll consider thys with your self and call your conscience to accompt as gods word maketh the charge Beware of false Auditours which makyng a false charge can get no quietnesse of the conscience after gods woorde Therefore caste your charge and there shall you see that no beliefe of the harte iustifyeth whiche hath not confession of the mouth to declare the same No man can serue .ii. Maisters He that gathereth not with Christ as no masse seer vnreprouyng it doth scattereth abroade Gods chosen are such as not only haue good hartes but also kisse not their hands nor bowe their knee to Baal Christes Disciples are none but such as deny theÌ„selues take vp their crosse folow him He that is ashamed of Christ his truth in thys generation must loke that Christ wil be ashamed of him in the day of iudgement He that denyeth Christ before men shal be denyed before God Now two kindes of denial there be yea three kindes one in hart an other in worde the thirde in deede In the which kindes al masse gospellers be so bitten that all the Surgeons in the world can laye no healing playster therto till repentaunce appeare and drawe out the matteâ— of vsing the euill and resorting to the Masse For pure should we be froÌ„ all spottes not onely of the flesh but also of the spirite And our dutye is to departe not only from euill that is from the Masse But also from the appearaunce of euil that is from coÌ„ming at it Woe vnto theÌ„ that geue offence to the children of God that is which occasion by any meanes any to tarye in the church at Masse time much more then they which occasioÌ„ any to come therto most of all they which enforce any therto Assuredly a most heuie vengeaunce of goâ— hangeth vpon such Suche as decline to their crokednes God wil lead on with wicked workers whose portion shal be snares Psa 11. fyre
my good and most deare Mother geue thankes for me to god that he hath made the fruite of your wōbe to be a wytnes of hys glory and attend to the truth whiche I thank god for it I haue truly taught out of the pulpit of Manchester Vse often and continual prayer to God the father through Christ Harken as you may to the scriptures serue God after hys worde and not after custome beware of the Romyshe religion in Englande defyle not your selfe wyth it cary Christes crosse as he shall saye it vppon your backe forgeue them that kyll me pray for thē for they know not what they do committe my cause to god our father bee myndeful of both your daughters to help them as you can I send all my writinges to you by my brother Roger doe wyth them as you will because I cannot as I woulde he can tel you more of my mynd I haue nothyng to geue you or to leaue behind me for you onely I pray God my father for hys christes sake to blesse you and kepe you from euyll He geue your patience he make you thankeful as for me so so for your selfe that wyll take the fruite of your wombe to witnesse hys verity wherin I confesse to the whole worlde I dye and departe thys lyfe in hope of a much better which I loke for at the hands of god my father through the merytes of hys deare sonne Iesus Christ Thus my deare Mother I take my laste farewell of you in this life besechyng the almighty and eternall father by Christ to graunte vs to mete in the lyfe to come where we shall geue hym continuall thankes and prayse for euer and euer Amen ¶ Out of pryson the .24 of Iune 1555. Your sonne in the Lord Iohn Bradforde To one by whom he had receiued much comfort and reliefe in hys trouble and imprisonment THe mercy of god in Christ peculier to hys children be euer more felt of you my derely beloued in the lord Amē When I consider with my selfe the benefites which God hath shewed vnto me by your meanes if I had so good and thankfull a hart as I would I had I could not wyth drye eyes geue him thākes for certainly they are very many and great And nowe beyng yet still the lordes prisoner I perceiue from him moe benefits by you For the which I thinke my self so much bounde to you my good brother althoughe you were but the instrumēt by whō god wrought and blessed me that I loke not to come out of your dette by anye pleasure or seruice that I shal euer be able to do you in this life I shal hartely pray vnto god therfore to requite you the good you haue done to me for his sake for I knowe that which you haue done you haue done it simply in respect of god his word He therfore geue you dailye more more to be tonfirmed in his truth word so plētifully poure vpō you the riches of his holy spirit and heauēly treasures laid vp in store for you that your corporal earthly riches may be vsed of you as sacraments significations thereof the more to desire the one that is the heauēly and the lesse to esteme the other that is the earthly For Satans sollitation is so to set before you the earthly that therin and thereby you should not haue accesse to the consideration of the heauenly but as one bewitched should vtterly forgette them and altogether become a louer worshipper of the erthly Māmon so to fal to couetousnes a desire to be rich by the meanes to bring you into many noisom and hurtful lustes as now adais I heare of many which haue vtterly forsakē god al his heauēly riches for Antichrists pleasure the preseruing of their worldly pelf which they imagine to leaue to their posterity wherof they are vncertain as they may be most certain they leaue to thē gods wrath vēgeaūce in his time to be sent by visitation if they in time hartely repēt not preuēt not the same by earnest praier Wherin my good brother if you be diligēt harty perseuer I am sure god wil preserue you frō euyll frō yelding your self to do as the world now doth by allowing in bodely fact in the Romish seruice that which the inward cogitatiō mind doth disalowe But if you be cold in prayer come into cōsideration of earthly present thinges simply thā shal you fal into faithles folies woundyng of your conscsēce from which god euermore preserue you with your good wife your babe Leonard al your family to that which I wish the blessing of God now and for euer through Christ our Lord Amen I pray you geue thankes for me to your old bedfellow for his greate frendship for your sake shewed to me when I was in the Tower Iohn Bradford To my dearely beloued Syster Mystres A. VV. THe euerlasting peace of Christ be more more liuely felt in our hartes by the operatiō of the holy ghost now and for euer Amen Although I know it to be more then nedeth to write any thing vnto you good Syster beīg as I dont not you be diligētly exercised in reading of the scriptures meditating the same harty praier to god for the helpe of his holy spirit to haue the sense feelyng especially of the comfortes you reade in gods swete boke yet hauing such opportunitie knowing not whether hereafter I shall haue the like as this bringer can declare I thought good in few wordes to take my farewel in writing because otherwise I can not And now me thinkes I haue done it For what els can I or should I say vnto you my derely beloued in the lord but farewel Farewel dere Sister farewell How be it in the lord our lord I say farewel In him shal you farewel so much the better by how much in your self you fare euil shal fare euil Whē I speake of your self I meane also this world this life al things properly perteining to this life In thē as you loke not for your welfare so be not dismaide when accordinglye you shall not feele it To the lord our god to the Lambe our Christ which hath borne our sinnes on his back and is our mediator for euer do I send you In him loke for welfare that wtout all wauering because of his owne goodnes and truth whiche our euilnes and vntruth cannot take awaye Not that therefore I woulde haue you to flatter your selfe in any euill or vnbeliefe but that I would comfort you that they should not dismay you Yours is our Christe wholye Yours I say he is wyth all that euer he hath Is not thys welfare trow you Mountaynes shall moue and the earthe shall fall before you fynde it otherwyse say the lyer Sathan what he lyste Therfore good Sister farewel and be merye in the Lord be mery I say for you
haue good cause If your welfare ioy and saluation hanged vpon any other thyng then only gods mercy and truth then might you wel be sad heauy and stand in a doubte But in that it hangeth only vpon these two tell Satan he lyeth when he would haue you to stand in a maÌ„meryng by causyng you to cast your eyes which only in thys case should be set on Christ your sweete sauiour on your selfe in some parte In dede looke on your selfe on your fayth on your loue obedieÌ„ce c. to awake you vp from securitie to styrre you vp to diligence in doyng the things apperteyning to your vocatioÌ„ but when you would be at peace wyth god and haue true consolation in your coÌ„science altogether loke vpon the goodnes of god in Christ Thynke on this commaundement which precedeth all others that you must haue no other gods but the Lorde Iehouah which is your Lord and god the which he could not be if that he dyd not pardon your synnes in very dede Remember that Christe commaundeth you to call hym father for the same entente And hereto call to mynde all the benefites of god hetherto shewed vpon you and so shal you fele in very dede that which I wyshe vnto you now and praye you to wyshe vnto me farewell or welfare in the Lord Iesus wyth whome he graunte vs shortlye to meete as hys chyldren for hys name and mercyes sake to oure eternall welfare Amen Amen Your owne in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ An other letter to Mystres A.VV. ALmighty god our heauenly father for hys christes sake encrease in vs fayth by which we may more and more see what glory and honour is reposed and safely kept in heauen for all them that beleue wyth the hart and confesse Christe and hys truthe wyth the mouthe Amen My derely beloued I remember that once heretofore I wrote vnto you a Vale or a farewell vpon coniecture but now I wryte my farewell to you in thys lyfe in dede vpon certaine knowledge My staffe standeth at the dore I continually looke for the Shiriffe to come for me and I thank God I am ready for hym Now go I to practise that which I haue preached Now am I climing vp the hil it wil cause me to puffe and blow before I come to the cliffe The hill is stepe and high my breath is short and my strength is feble pray therfore to the lord for me that as I haue now through hys goodnes euen almost come to the toppe I may by hys grace be strengthned not to rest til I come where I should be Oh louing Lord put out thy hande and drawe me vnto thee for no man coÌ„meth but he whome the father draweth Se my derely beloued gods louing mercy he knoweth my short breath and great weakenes As he sent for Helias a fâ—ry chariote so sendeth he for me for by fyre my drosse muste be purifyed that I may be fine gold in hys syghte Oh vnthankefull wretche that I am Lorde do thou forgeue me myne vnthankfulnes In dede I confesse ryghte deare to me in the lord that my synnes haue deserued hell fyre much more then thys fyer But loe so louyng is my Lorde that he conuerteth the remedye for my synnes the punishmente for my transgressions into a testimoniall of hys truth and a testification of hys verity which the Prelates doe persecute in me and not my synnes therfore they persecute not me but Christ in me which I doubte not wyl take my part vnto the very ende Amen Oh that I had so open an harte as coulde so receiue as I should do this great benefite and vnspeakable dignitye which God my father offreth to me Now pray for me my derely beloued pray for me that I neuer shrinke I shal neuer shrynke I hope I trust in the Lorde I shal neuer shrinke for he that alwayes hath taken my parte I am assured wil not leaue me when I haue most nede for hys truth merties sake Oh Lord helpe me into thy handes I commende me wholy In the Lorde is my my truste I care not what man can do vnto me Amen My derely beloued say you Amen also and come after if so god call you Be not ashamed of the gospell of Christ but kepe company wyth hym stil He wyll neuer leaue you but in the myddest of temptation wil geue you an outscape to make you able to beare the brunte Vse harty prayer reuerently reade and heare gods worde put it in practise looke forthe crosse lift vp your heades for your redeÌ„ption draweth nigh know that the death of gods saintes is precious in hys syght be mery in the Lorde pray for the mitigation of gods heauy displeasure vpon our countrey God kepe vs for euer God blesse vs wyth his spirituall blessynges in Christ And thus I bydde you farewell for euer in thys present lyfe Pray for me praye for me for gods sake pray for me God make perfecte hys good worke begonne in me Amen Out of prison this 7. of February Yours in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ To certayne godlye men relieuers and helpers of hym and others in theyr imprisonmente THe peace of Christ which passeth all pleasure and worldly felicity be daily more and more felte in your hartes my right derely beloued in the Lord by the inwarde workyng of the holy spirite the earnest of our inheritaunce and guider of gods electe wyth the whyche god our dere father more more endue vs al vnto the ende for hys beloued sonnes sake our lord Iesus Christ Amen Praysed be god the father of our lord Iesus Christ which is a father of mercy a god of al consolation that hath blessed you with the knowlege loue of his truth not only to your own coÌ„fortes but also the great ease coÌ„fort of many which without the helpe of god by you hetherto had bene in much more misery By your releuing the lordes prisoners I am brought to see the rote wherof the worke doth spring euen the knowlege loue of gods truth wherfore we are in haÌ„des The which knowledge loue in that it is a blessyng of all blessings the greatest for it is euen eternal life Ioh. 17 I caÌ„not but praise god for you on this behalfe that it hath pleased hym to much you worthy so excelleÌ„t singuler a benefit which is more to be estemed desired cared for theÌ„ any thyng els The world for al that euer it hath caÌ„not attayne by any meanes to this blessing which God our father hath geueÌ„ you freely of his own good wil through christ eueÌ„ before ye were purposed to desire it Therfore I besech you al to be thankful with me to reioyce in the lord For if he haue geueÌ„ vs such a gift vnasked vndesired yea vnthought vpoÌ„ how can it be the he wil deny vs any good thing now which may be necessary for vs Wil he trow ye sowe his sede in the ground of your hartes
write Fyrst wil my man William to make all thinges readye for me for I am persuaded I shall into Lankeshire there to be burnt howbeit first they say I must to the Fleete Then will him to harken earelye in the morning whether I be not conueyed away before men beware Also I pray you will Robert Harrington who I hope wil go with me to looke for that iourney Visit often my deare sister and although I can not nowe write vnto her as I would for al things are more straunge here cases more more perelous yet tell her that I am carefull for her desire her to be of good comforte God shall geue vs to meete in hys kingdome In the meane season I will praye for her as my dearest sister Of truth I neuer did loue her halfe so well as I now do and yet I loue her not halfe so well as I woulde doe shee is the very daughter of Abraham I pray thee hartelye bee merye my good brother and desire all my frendes so to be for I thanke god I feele a greater benefite then all the Byshops in England can take from me Praise God and praye for me mine owne deare harte in the Lord whom I hope I shall neuer forget Your poore brother in the Lorde Iohn Bradford To certaine men not ryghtly persuaded in the most true comfortable and necessarye doctrine of Gods holy election and predestination GRace mercye and peace wyth encreace of all godly knowlege and liuing from god the eternal father of al consolation through the bloudy death of our alone and full redemer Iesus Christ by the mighty and liuely workyng and power of the holy spirit the comforter I wish vnto you now and for euer Amen Although I loke hourely for officers to come and haue me to execution yet can I not but attēpt to write somthing vnto you my dearely beloued as alwayes you haue bene how soeuer you haue taken me to occasion you the more to wey the things wherin some controuersy hath bene emongest vs especially the article and doctrine of predestination Wherof I haue writē a little treatise therin as briefly shewing my faith so answering the enormities gathered of some to slaūder the same necessary comfortable doctryne That litle piece of worke I commend vnto you as a thing wherof I doute not to answer to my comfort before the trubual seat of Iesus Christ and therfore I hartely pray you and euery of you for the tender mercies of God in Christe that you woulde not be rashe to condemne thinges vnknowen lest gods woe should fall vpon you for callyng good euyll and euyll good For the greate loue of god in Christe cauil not at things that be wel spoken nor construe not things to the euil part when ye haue occasion otherwise Do not suppose that any man by affirmyng predestination as in that boke I haue truly set it forth accordyng to gods worde and the consent of christes church either to seke carnalitie or to set forth matter of desperation Only by the doctrine of it I haue taught as to my selfe so to others a certaintie of saluation a setting vp of Christ only an exaltatiō of gods grace mercye righteousnes truth wisdom power and glory and a casting downe of man and al hys power that he that glorieth may glory onelye and altogether and continuallye in the Lorde Man consisteth on .ij. partes the soule and the body euery man of god hath as a man wold say ij men an outward or old man and an inward or new man The Deuils drifte is to bryng the one into a carnalitie and the other into a doubt and so to dispayre and hatred of god but god for remedy hereof hath ordeined hys word which is deuided into ij partes the one is a doctrine which demaundeth of vs our duety but geueth no power thereto the other is a doctrine which not so much demaundeth as geueth The former is called the law which hath hys promises cōditionals and comminations or threates accordinglye The other is called the gospel or rather the free promises hanging not on conditiōs on our behalfe but simply on gods verity mercy although they requyre conditions but not as hangyng theron of which promyses the gospell may well be called a puplication The former that is the law wyth her promyses and comminations tell man what he is and shew hym what he can do The later that is the gospell and free promises tell and set forth Christ and what mercy at Gods hand throughe Christ we haue offred and geuen vnto vs. The former parte serueth to keepe the olde man from carnalitie and security and to stirre hym vp to diligence and sollicitude The later parte serueth howe to kepe the newe and inwarde man from doubtyng and dispayre to bryng vs in to an assured certayntye and quietenes wyth God through Chryste The olde man and the fielde he resteth in maye not be sowen with any other seede then is agreable to the former doctrine The newe man and the fielde he resteth in maye not be sowen wyth anye other then is agreeynge to the later doctryne By thys meanes man shall be kepte from carnalitie and from desperation also and broughte into diligence and godlye peace of conscience It is forbydden in the olde law Deut. 22. to sowe .ij. kyndes of seedes in one fielde to weare lynsey wolsey perticotes or to eate beastes that dyd not cleaue the hofes Deut. 14. God graunte vs to be wyse husbandmen to sowe accordyng as I haue sayd God graunte vs to bee wyse tayloures to cutte oure coates for two men of one whole clothe as is declared GOD graunt vs to be cleane beasts to cleaue the hofes accordinglye that is to geue the olde man meate meete for the mowers that is the lawe wyth hys appurtenaunces conditionals promises and comminations and to geue to the newe man the gospel and sweete free promises as appertayneth and then doutles we shall walke in the ryghte hyghe waye vnto eternal lyfe that is in Chryste Iesu the ende of the lawe and the fulfyllyng of the promises in whome they be yea and Amen If thys my poore aduise bee obserued my deare bretherne in the Lorde I doubte not but all controuersies for predestination originall synne freewyll c shall so cease that there shall be no breache of loue nor suspicion emonges vs which GOD graunte for hys mercies sake I am persuaded of you that you feare the Lord and therfore I loue you and haue loued you in hym my deare hartes thoughe otherwyse you haue taken it wythout cause on my parte geuen so farre as I know For hetherto I haue not suffred any copye of the treatise aboue specified to goe abroade because I woulde suppresse all occasions so farre as myghte bee Nowe am I goyng before you to my God and your God to my father and your father to my Christ and your Christe to my home and your home I goe
before but you shall come after sooner or later Howebeit I could not but before I goe sygnify thus much vnto you as I haue done that you myghte see my loue and thereby bee occasioned to increase in loue and learne rather to beare then breake My poore most dere Syster to me that euer I had with whō I leaue thys lettter I commende vnto you all and to euery of you beseechyng you and hartelye praying you in the bowels and bloode of Iesus Chryste to care for her as for one whyche is deare in Gods syghte and one whiche loueth you all in GOD and hath done as I can and doe beare her wytnes althoughe in the poynte of predestination it hathe pleased God by my ministerye to open vnto her hys truthe Wherein as she is setled and I truste in God confyrmed so yf you cannot thynke wyth her therein as she dothe I hartelye praye you and as I can in Gods behalfe charge you that you molest her not nor dysquiete her but lette loue abounde and therein contende who can goe moste before I commende also vnto you my good Syster M. C. makyng for her the lyke sure vnto you all Ah dere hartes be not faint harted for these euyll dais which are come to trie vs purify vs that we may the more be parteners of gods holines as to our selues so to the worlde we shal be beter knowen Continue to walke in the feare of the Lord as ye haue wel begonne Kepe your selues pure as I hope you do from thys rotten Romish yea Antichristian religion Reuerently read gods word therto ioyning prayer that as you heare in readyng god speake vnto you so in praying you may speake vnto hym Labour after your callyngs to helpe other As you haue done do styll and I pray god geue you grace to continue as I dout not but he wil for hys goodnes sake At the lēgth we shal mete together in Christes kyngdome and there neuer part a sunder but prayse the name of our good god and father wyth the Patriarkes Prophets Apostels Aungels Archaungels and all the Saintes of God Oh ioyfull place oh place of all places desyred My brethren I thynke my selfe more happye then you by how much I am nowe more nere vnto it Helias chariote I hourely loke for 4 Reg. 2 to come and catch me vppe My cloke that is my carcas I shall leaue behind me in ashes which I doute not my Lord wyl rayse vp and restore to me again in the last day glorifyed euen lyke vnto hys owne most glorious body The portion of the good spirit which my father hath lent me I wyshe yea double and treble vnto you al. God the father of mercy in the blood of his christ geue to euery of you my dere hartes in hym hys blessyng and poure plentifullye vpon you hys holy spirite that you may increase in all godly knowledge and godlines to your owne comfort and the edification of many others Amen Yet once more I commend vnto you my foresaid most dere and beloued Syster in the lord who alwais be vnto her a most louyng father spouse and pastour Amen Amen Out of prison the 16. of February 1554. Your owne harte Iohn Bradforde To Trewe and Abyngton wyth other of their company teachers and maynteiners of the errour of mans freewyll YEt once more beloued in the Lord before penne and yuke be vtterly taken from me as I looke it to bee thys after noone I thought good to write vnto you because I stande in a doubte whether at any tyme hereafter I shall see or speake wyth you for within this seuen night my lord Chaūcelour bade loke for iudgement God knoweth I lye not I neuer did beare you malice nor sought the hynderance of any one of you but youre good bothe in soule and bodye Read the 1. Cor. 13. chap. and compare these spirites wyth the spirit of humblenes vnity and loue which here you se in this man of God doyng good euen to his aduersaries and then iudge of them theyr doctrine as when we shall all appeare together before God I am certayne you shall then know though now you doubte it and that causes I am right well assured For myne owne conscience can and doth beare witnes wyth me that I neuer defrauded you or any of you of the valewe of one peny or peny worth of any thyng but haue sought wyth that whyche hath bene geuen not onely in common but also vnto me to myne owne vse discretion and distribution to doe you good Therfore disdaine not the good will of your louer in god And in hope that you wil not I haue eftsones euē now sente vnto you xiij.s iiij d. Yf you nede as much more you shall haue it or any thyng olles I haue or can doe for you Though in some thyngs we agree not yet let loue beare the bell away and let vs one pray for another He meaneth concerning freewyl original sume predestinatiō c. wherein they are playne Pelagians and papistes and bee carefull one for another for I hope we bee all Christes As you hope your selues to perteyne to hym so thinke of me and as you be hys so am I yours Iohn Bradford ¶ At thys letter these men were so sore offended because he sayde he had hyndered hymselfe to further them as though be had therby vpbrayded them that in dyspleasure they sent it to hym agayne Whereupon he wrote vnto them as followeth HE that seketh not to hynder hym selfe temporally that he may further hys brother in more nede the same wanteth true loue I haue done do and wil except you refuse it hynder my selfe thys way that I may further you and in dede my selfe also that way Though he distributed to them emōges other prisoners there not only that which was geuen in cōmon but also to hys owne vse yet they suspected hym of euil dealyng Thus do not they in whom the loue of God dwelleth wherein I desyre to be furthered Yf I would seke mine owne gaynes temporallye then coulde I haue taken vsed many portiōs of mony whiche haue bene geuen to me mine owne vse I neuer mynded to vpbraide you but that whiche I dyd wryte of myne owne hynderance was that you myght see I loued you and sought your weale as I doe and wyll be glad to doe it continually The lord of mercy hath forgeuen vs all wherefore henceforth lette vs rather beare then breake Yours in the Lorde Iohn Bradford ¶ A letter whyche he set as a preface before a supplication sente to Quene Marye her counsel and the whole Parliamente whiche supplication commeth not yet to our handes IN most humble wise complaineth vnto your Maiesty and honours a poore subiect persecuted for the confession of Christes verity the which verity deserueth at your handes to be maintayned and defended as the thynge by the which you reigne and haue your honoure and authorities Althoughe we that bee
if you can hastely Prouide me Maister Philpots .ix. examinations for a frende of myne and I shal pay you therfore by the leaue of almighty GOD our heauenlye father who correcteth all hys deare chyldren in this world that they shoulde not be damned wyth the world and trieth the fayth of hys saintes through many tribulations that being found constant to the ende he may crowne his owne giftes in them and in heauen highly reward thē Whether I trust to go before loking for you to followe my faithful frend that we may sing perpetuall prayse to our louing Lord god for victory ouer Sathan sinne wonne for vs by Iesus christ God and man our only sufficient sauiour and aduocate Amen Farewel and pray in faith Yours Thomas Whittell Minister and now condemned to dye for the Gospels sake Anno 1555. Ianuary 21. ¶ To my deare frende and brother Thomas VVente and other hys prison fellowes in Lollardes Tower HE that preserued Ioseph prisoner in Egipt Act. 16 fed Daniel in the Lions denne deliuered Paule Peter and the other Apostels out of pryson vouchsafe of hys goodnes to kepe fede and deliuer you my good brother Wente wyth the other our fellow souldiours your prison fellowes as may be most to hys glorye to your consolation and the edification of hys church I cannot but prayse god most earnestly when I heare of your constancy in the fayth and ioy in the crosse of christ which you now beare and suffer together with many other good members of Christ 2. Thess ◠which is a token that by Christe ye are counted worthy the kyngdome of God as Paule sayeth And though the world counteth the yoke and crosse of Christ as a most pernicious hurtful thyng yet we whiche haue tasted how frendly the Lord is cannot but reioyce in this persecution as touching our selues 1. pet 2 in as muche as the cause for the which we suffer is the lordes cause and not altogether oures at whose hand if we endure to the ende we shall receyue through hys liberall promise in Christ not only a greate rewarde in heauen but also the kingdom of heauen it self and also in the meane season be sure to be defended cared for so that we shall lacke no necessary thynges Math. 10 neyther a heare of our heades shall perysh wtout his knowledge O what is he that woulde mystrust or not gladlye serue so louyng a father O howe vnhappye are they that forsake hym and put their truste in man But howe blessed are they that for hys loue and for hys holy wordes sake in these troublesome dayes 1. pet 4 doe committe their soules and bodies into hys handes with wel doing counting it greater happines and ryches to suffer rebuke wyth Christ and hys church Heb. 11 then to enioy the pleasures of this life for a litle short seasō This crosse that we now beare hath ben cōmon to al the faithful frō Abel hetherto shal be to the end for because the deuil hauyng great wrath agaynst god hys Christ Apo. 12 cānot abide that he should for his manifold mercies be lauded and magnified and Christ to be taken and beleued vpon for our only and sufficient redemer Sauiour and aduocate And therfore because wyll not denye Christ nor dissemble wyth our faythe but openly proteste and professe the same before the world he seketh by all meanes to styrre vp his wicked members to persecute and kyl the bodies of the true christians Apo. 2. psal 115 as Iohn sayeth the deuil shall caste some of you into prison And Dauid sayeth I beleued and therefore haue I spoken but I was sore troubled This notwythstandyng go forward deare brethren as ye haue begonne to fight the lordes battell consideryng Christ the captaine of your war who wil both fyght for you geue you victory and also highly reward your paines Consider to your comfort the notable chiefe shepehards and souldiours of Christ which are gone before vs in these days I meane those learned godlo bishops doctours and other ministers of gods worde whose faith and examples we that be inferiors ought to folow Heb. 13 as Paule saith Remember them that haue declared vnto you the word of god the ende of whose conuersation see that ye loke vpon and follow their fayth The grace blessyng of God wyth the ministery of hys holye Aungels be wyth you for euer Amē All my pryson fellowes grete you From the Colebouse this this .4 of December By your poore brother Thomas Whittell an vnworthy minyster of Christ now hys prysoner for the gospels sake Amen ¶ To all the true professours and louers of Gods holy Gospell wythin the Citye of London Rom. 4. Luke 1. THe same fayth for the which Abrahā was counted rightuous and Mary blessed the Lord god encrease and make stable in your hartes my dere and faythfull bretherne and Sisters of London for euer and euer Amen Dearly beloued be not troubled in this heate which is now come amongs you to try you 1. Pet. 4. as though some straūge thīg had happened vnto you but reioice in as much as ye are pertakers of Christes passions that when his glory appeareth ye may be merye glad c. Out of these words of S. Peter I gather most specially these .4 notes First the persecutiō happeneth to Christs church for their triall that is for the probation prose of their faith Which faith like as it is knowē with god in the depth of our hartes so wil he haue it made manifest to the whole world thorow persecutiō that so it may euidently appeare that he hath such a church people vpon earth which so trusteth in hym feareth hys holy name that no kind of persecution paynes Rom. 8. Gene. 22. Iob. 1 nor death shal be able to seperate thē frō the loue of hym And thus was Abrahā tryed Iob tempted that their fayth which before lay hyd almost in their harts might be made knowen to the whole world to be so stedfast stronge that the deuil natural loue nor no other enemy could be able to bereue thē therof wherby also god was to be magnifyed who both trieth his people by many tribulatiōs and also standeth by thē in the middest of their troubles to deliuer thē by life or death as he seeth best like as he assisted Loth deliuered him out of his enemies hands Rom. 9. 2 Cor. 11. Aect. 16. Genesis 4. 2. Macb. 6. Aect. 7. Matth. 27. Iames. 4. Ioseph out of the hands of his brethren out of prisō Paule frō his enemies in Damasco the Apostles out of the stockes prison These with many mo he deliuered to life also he deliuered Abel Eleazar Steuē Iohn Baptist with other many by death and hath also by the trial of their faith made them good presidents exāples to vs al that come after to suffer affliction
sufferyng hys passion crucyfyed dead and buryed to the entent to bring vs again into fauour with god the father almighty to be a sacrifice host oblation Esa 48.43 Gen. 1.22 Esay 53. Act. 10. Math. 8. not only for original sinne but also for al actuall sinnes of the whole generatioÌ„ of mankind For al the works merites deseruings doings obedieÌ„ce of maÌ„ towards god although they be done by the spirit of god in the grace of god yet being thus done be of no validitye worthynes nor merite before god except god for his mercy grace accompt theÌ„ worthy for the worthines merites of Christe Iesus The same Christe went downe to the hels and trulye rose agayn the thyrd day and ascended into the heauens that he mighte there stil reigne haue dominioÌ„ ouer al creatures froÌ„ theÌ„ce shall come c. I beleue in the holy ghost coequal with god the father the soÌ„ne proceding froÌ„ theÌ„ both by whose vertue streÌ„gth operation the true catholike church which is the comunioÌ„ societie of Saints is guyded in al truth veritie kept froÌ„ al errours false doctrine the deuil all power of sinne Which church is sanctifyed hallowed with the precious blood spirite of our Lord Iesus Christ Iohn 10.8 Galat. 1. 1. Timo. 3. which hath also her signe and marke that she heareth foloweth the voyce of her only true pastour christ no straungers Thys church also is the house of god the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ of the liuing god the pyller of truth the liuely body of Christ a church both in name in dede I beleue the remission of synnes by the only meanes merites of christs death passioÌ„ who was made vnto vs of god that only sacrifice oblation offered once for al for euer for al theÌ„ that be sanctifyed I beleue the resurrectioÌ„ of the body wherby in the last day al meÌ„ shal ryse again froÌ„ death the soules ioyned againe to the bodyes the good to euerlastinge lyfe the wycked to euerlastyng payne punyshment And nothyng may more certaynly stablysh confyrme our fayth that we shal ryse agayn immortal both in body soule theÌ„ the resurrectioÌ„ of Christ our Sauiour fyrst fruites of the dead Now that Christ our head is rysen we being his body meÌ„bers must folow our head Death hell and synne can not sunder nor plucke vs from him For as the sonne can not be deuyded nor sundred froÌ„ the father nor the holy ghost from them both no more may we being the faythful meÌ„bers of Christ be seperated froÌ„ christ And for a confyrmatioÌ„ of our resurrection christ wold be sene after his resurrectioÌ„ in his most gloryous bodye hys wouÌ„des being handled felt speaking teaching eating drinking c. We looke sayth S. Paule Iohn 10 Iohn 1. Phil. 3. for Iesus Christ our Sauiour which shall transfygure our vile bodies conforme theÌ„ to his glorious body by the same power vertue wherwith he is able to subdue all things euen like as the grayn of wheate soweÌ„ in the grouÌ„d Iohn 12. is fyrst putrifyed brought as into a thiÌ„g of nought yet after that it spriÌ„geth vp freshly with a goodlyer colour forme beautye then it had before The bodye is sowen in corruption and ryseth in incorruptioÌ„ 1. Cor. 15 it is soâ—en in dishonour riseth in honour Thus I verely knowe and assuredly beleue the resurrection of our bodyes to haue lyfe eternal by Christ for Christes sake Verely verely I say vnto you sayeth Christe he that heareth my woorde and beleueth on hym that sent me Iohn 5. hath euerlasting lyfe and shall not come into dampnation but is escaped from death to lyfe It is Christ that died once for our sinnes Roma 10 Ose 13. and is rysen agayne neuer more to dye it is he that swallowed vppe death and hath caste it vnder hys fete for euer What nowe can death doe vnto vs Verely nothyng ells but for a little tyme seperate our precious soules from oure wretched bodyes that diuyne substance from a Masse of synne that eternall lyfe from a bodye of death and so send our soules out of this miserable wretched sorrowfull lyfe cumbred wyth all calamities vnto that most blessed felicitie and ioyes eternall As concerning the holye and reuerente sacramentes of Christes Church whiche be in number .ii. the Sacramente of baptiseme and the Supper of the Lord I beleue them to be as Saint Paule calleth them confyrmations or seales of Gods promises whiche haue added to them a promyse of grace and therefore they are called inuisible signes of inuisible grace The Sacramente of baptisme is a marke of Christes Churche a seale and confirmation of oure acceptation into the grace and fauour of God for Christes sake For hys innocencye hys ryghteousnesse hys holynesse hys iustyce is ours geuen vs of God and our synnes and vnryghteousnesse by hys obedience and abasing of hymselfe to the death of the crosse are hys whereof baptisme is the signe seale and confirmation Baptisme is also a signe of repentaunce to testifye that we be borne to the waues of perilles and chaunges of lyfe to the entent that we shoulde dye continuallye as longe as we liue from sinne and ryse agayne like new men vnto ryghteousnesse Rom. 6. The other sacrament which is the Supper holy maundy of our Sauiour Christ wherby the church of Christ is knowen I beleue it is a remembraunce of Christes death passion a seale confirmation of his most precious body geueÌ„ vnto death eueÌ„ to the vile death of the crosse wherwith we are redemed deliuered from synne death hel damnation It is a visible word because it worketh the same thing in the eyes which the word worketh in the eares For like as the woorde is a meane to the eares wherby the holy ghost moueth the hart to beleue Ro. 10 so thys Sacramente is a meane to the eyes whereby the holy ghoste moueth the harte to beleue it preacheth peace betwene God and man it exhorteth to mutuall loue and all godly life and teacheth to contemne the world for the lyfe to come when as Christe shal appeare which now is in heaueÌ„ no where els as concernyng thys humaine body Act. 1.3 â–ª Yet doe I beleue assuredly that hys very body is present in his most holy supper at the contemplatioÌ„ of our spirituall eyes so verely eaten with the mouth of our fayth For as sone as I heare these most comfortable heauenly words spoken and pronounced by the mouth of the minister thys is my bodye which is geuen for you when I heare I say thys heauenly harmonye of gods vnfallible promises truth I loke not vpoÌ„ neyther do I behold bread wyne for I take beleue the words simply and plainly euen as Christ spake them For hearing these words my senses be rapte vtterly
meanes flatteryng hym that he shall both saue hys lyfe and also hys goodes and lyue in quiete But yf we loke wel on Christes holy wil and testament we shall perceyue that he came not to make any such peace vppon earth Math. 10 Iohn 14.15.16 nor yet that he gaue any such peace to hys Disciples I leaue peace wyth you saieth he my peace I geue you not as the world geueth it geue I vnto you Let not your harte be troubled nor fearefull these thynges haue I spoken vnto you that in me ye shoulde haue peace In the world ye haue affliction but be of good cheare I haue ouer come the world The seruaunt is not greater then his lorde and maister if they haue persecueed me they shall also persecute you If any man come to me and hateth not hys own father and Mother wyfe chyldren Systers yea and moreouer his owne lyfe Luk. 6.14 it is not possible for hym to be my disciple Blessed be ye that nowe wepe for ye shall laughe wo be vnto you that now laugh for ye shal mourne and wepe he that wyll fynde his lyfe shall lose it Iohn 12 Therfore the god of that true peace and comfort preserue and kepe vs that we neuer obey such false flatteryng which at length will paye vs home once for all bringyng for hys temporall peace and quietnes euerlastyng trouble vexation disquietnes for these vayne and transitory goodes extreme losse and vtter dammage of the eternall treasure and inhericaunce for thys mortal lyfe depriuation of the most ioyful lyfe immortal finally the entrance into endles deth most miserable vnmeasurable payne and torment both of body and soule Now cōferring these two Scholemaisters together let vs cōsider the thyng wel and determine with our selues which way we ought to take and not to take the common broade way which semeth here most pleasaunt and that the most part of people take Surely I iudge it to be better to go to schole wyth our maister Christ and to be vnder hys ferula rodde although it seme sharpe and greuous for a time that at the length we may be coheritours wyth hym of euerlastyng ioy rather thē to kepe cōpany with the Deuils scholers the adulterous generatiō in his Schole that is al ful of pleasure for a while and at the ende to be payd wyth the wages of continual burning in the most horrible lake which burneth euermore wyth fire and brimstone without any ende What shal then these vayne goods and temporal pleasures auayle Who shall then helpe when we cry incessantly wo wo alas and weale away for vnmeasurable payne griefe sorrowe O let vs therfore take hede betime and rather bee content to take paynes in thys worlde for a tyme that we may please god Our sauiour Christ the true teacher sayeth euery braunche that bringeth not forth fruite in me Iohn 15 Eccl. 41. my father wyll take away It is also written not in vayne the chyldren of the vngodly are abhominable children and so are they that kepe company wythe the vngodly What doth he els I pray you that resorteth to the ministration seruice that is most repugnaunt and contrary to christes holye testament there kepyng styl silence and nothing reprouing the same but in the face of the world by hys very dede it self declareth hymself to be of a false fearefull dissembling fayned and vnfaithfull hart and to haue laid away from hym the armour of light discouraging asmuch as lyeth in him al the residue of Christes hoste and geuyng a manifest offence to the weake and also confirmyng encouraging and reioycing the hartes of the aduersaries in al theyr euil doing By which example he doth shew hymselfe neyther to loue god whom he seeth to be dishonoured blasphemed of an Antichristian minister nor yet hys neighbour before whome he should rebuke the euyll Leuit. 18. as it is expressely commaunded in gods holy law where it is sayd thou shalt in any wyse rebuke thy neighbour that thou beare not sinne for his sake Wherfore let such a one neuer fantasy to deceiue himselfe that his name is registred in the boke of lyfe to haue the stipend of christes souldiour except he do the duty and performe the part of a faithful right true souldiour as other haue done before For such fearefulnes commeth not from god as testifieth S. Paule saysng 2. Timot. 1. God hath not geuen vs the spirite of feare but of power of loue Be not ashamed saith he to testify our lord but suffer aduersitie also with the gospel through the power of god which saued vs called vs with an holy callyng To be now feareful when most nede is that we shuld be of strōg hartes is vtterly that reiecting of the feare of god plaine vnfaithfulnes disobedience to the expresse commaūdemēt of our Sauiour christ which saith in his holy gospel Mat. 10. feare not them that kil the body c. For what faithfulnes do we expresse towardes hym when he saith thus to vs and yet we declare in our doings the very contrary beyng euer feareful euē as the vnbeleuyng Israrlites which vnfaythfully feared gods enemies the heathē Cananites where as he had oftētimes geuen thē commaundemēt by his true prophet Moses to do the contrary For the which cause Nume 13.14 al the whole nūber of that secte were destroyed in processe of time in the wildernes and enioyed not the pleasaunt land of promise Which was a bodely figure shewed before and now agreing to the promise of the heauēly inheritaūce which shal be geuē to none other but only to all such as with loue vnfained be wholy bent without any feare of mā to fulfil gods holy wil pleasure But all they that pertaine to the lyuely faith to the winning of the soule wil faithfully sticke to the cōmaundement trusting most firmely faithfully that he that gaue the same wil also geue strength plentifully to performe it euen in the weakest vessels of al as we haue heard sene by many and diuers exāples he only be praised therfore S. Peter saith feare not though they seeme terrible vnto you ◠pet 3. neither be troubled but sanctify the lord god in your harts Only saith S. Paule let your conuersation be as it becommeth the gospel of christ Cōtinue in one spirit in one soule phil 3 labouring as we doe to maintayne the faith of the gospel in nothyng fearing your aduersaries which is to thē a tokē of damnation and to you of saluatiō that of god for vnto you it is geuē the not only ye should beleue in Christ but also suffer for his sake Wherfore let vs be right wel assured that we shal yelde a most straight reckening and accompt yf we transgresse the said most wholsome precepts geuē us of our maister Christ of his apostles now in thys troublesome time wherin the gospel is persecuted
please it god neuer so much We read not the Iames Iohn Andrew and Simon when they were called put of the tyme tyl they had knowen their fathers frends pleasure but the scripture sayeth they forsoke all and by and by followed Christ Christe lykened the kyngdome of GOD to a precious pearle Mat. 13. the which whosoeuer fyndeth selleth all that he hath for to bye it Yea whosoeuer hath but a litle taste or glimmeryng how precious a treasure the kyngdome of heauen is wyll gladly forgoe both lyfe and goodes for the obtaynyng of it But the moste part now a dayes be lyke to Aesopes cocke which when he hadde founde a precious stone wyshed rather to haue founde a barelye corne So ignoraunte bee they howe precious a iewell the woorde of God is that they choose rather the thynges of thys worlde whiche being compared to it be lesse in value then a barlye corne If I woulde haue geuen place to worldlye reasons these myght haue moued me Fyrste the forgoing of you and my children the consideration of the state of my children being yet tender of age and younge apte and inclinable to vertue and learnyng and so hauynge the more neede of my assistance beinge not altogether destitute of gyftes to helpe them wythall possessions aboue the common sorte of men because I was neuer called to be a preacher or minister and because of my sickenesse feare of death in imprisonment before I shoulde come to my answere and so my death to bee vnprofitable But these and such lyke I thanke my heauenly father which of hys infinite mercy inspyred me wyth his holye ghost for hys sonnes sake my only Sauioure and redemer preuayled not in me but when I had by the wonderfull permission of GOD fallen into their handes at the first sight of the Sherife nature a little abashed yet or euer I came to the pryson by the working of god and through his goodnes feare departed I sayd to the Sherife at his cōmyng vnto me what matter haue you Maister Sherife to charge me withal He answered you shal know when you come before the Maisters And so takyng me with him I loked to haue bene brought before the Maisters to haue heard what they could haue burdened me withal But cōtrary to my expectatiō I was cōmitted fortwith to the Iayle not being called to my answere litle iustice being shewed therin But the lesse iustice a man findeth at their hands the more consolation in conscience shal he fynde from God for whosoeuer is of the world the world will loue hym After I came into prison had reposed my self there a whyle I wept for ioye and gladnesse my belly ful musing much of the great mercies of god and as it were saying to my selfe after thys sorte O Lorde who am I on whom thou shouldest bestowe thus thy great mercy to be numbred among the Saintes that suffer for thy Gospels sake And so beholding and considering on the one side my imperfection vnablenesse sinnefull misery and vnworthynesse and on the other side the greatnesse of Gods mercy to be called to so hygh a promotion was as it were amased and ouercome for a whyle with ioye and gladnesse concluding thus with my self in my hart O Lord thou shewest power in weakenesse wysedome in folishenesse mercye in sinnefulnesse who shall let thee to choose where and whom thou wilte As I haue zelouslye loued the confession of thy worde so euer thoughte I my self to be most vnworthy to be pertaker of the affliction for the same Not long after came vnto me Maister W. Brasbryge Maister C. Phinees Maister N. Hopkins trauelynge wyth me to bee dysmissed vppon bondes to whom my answeare was to my remembraunce after thys sorte For as muche as the Maisters haue imprysonned me hauyng nothynge to burdeine me with all if I shoulde enter into bondes I shoulde in so doinge accuse my selfe And seing they haue no matter to laye to my charge they maye aswell lette me passe wythoute bondes as with bondes Secondarelye if I shall enter bondes couenaunte and promyse to appeare I shall doe nothyng but excuse coloure and cloke theyr wickednesse and endaunger my selfe neuerthelesse beinge bounde by my promyse to appeare They alledged manye worldlye persuasions vnto me to auoyde the presente peryll and also how to auoyd the forfiture if I brake my promyse I sayde vnto them I hadde caste my penyworthe by Gods helpe They vndertoke also to make the bonde easie And when they were somewhat importune I sayd to Maister Hopkins that libertye of conscience was a precious thyng and tooke as it were a pause lifting vppe my harte to God earnestlye for hys ayde and helpe that I mighte doe the thing that mighte please hym And so when they had let their sute fall my harte me thoughte was wonderfullye comforted Maister Dudlye commoned wyth me in lyke manner whom I aunsweared in effecte as I dyd before Afterwarde debatinge the matter with my selfe these considerations came to my head I haue frō tyme to tyme with good cōscience God I take to recorde moued all suche as I hadde conference with all to be no daliers in Gods matters but to shewe them selues after so greate a lyghte and knowledge hartye earnest constante and stable in so manifest a truth and not to geue place one iote contrarye to the same Nowe thoughte I if I shall withdrawe my selfe and make anye shiftes to pull my own necke out of the collor I shall geue great offence to my weake brethren in Christe and aduantage to the enemyes to slaunder Gods woorde It will be sayd he hath bene a greate boldner of others to be earnest feruent to feare no worldly perills or daungers but he him self wil geue no suche example Wherefore I thoughte it my bounden dutye both to God and man being as it were by the greate goodnesse of GOD. maruelouslye called and appoynted hereunto to sette asyde all feare perilles and daungers all worldlye respectes and considerations and lyke as I hadde heretofore accordyng to the measure of my small gifte wythin the cōpasse of my vocation callyng frō the bottome of my hart vnfaynedly moued exhorted persuaded al that professed gods word manfully to persiste in the defence of the same not wyth sword vyolence but wyth sufferyng and losse of life rather then to defyle themselues agayne with the whoryshe abhomination of the Romysh Antichrist so the houre being come wyth my facte and example to ratifye confyrme and proteste the same to the hartes of all true beleuers to this end by the myghtye assistance of Gods holy spirite I resolued my self wyth much peace of conscience willingly to sustayne what soeuer the Romyshe Antichrist should doe agaynste me and the rather because I vnderstoode the Byshoppes comming to be at hande and considered that poore mens consciences shoulde be then sharpely assaulted So remayned I prysoner in Couentrye by the space of .10 or .11 daies being neuer called to
death for hys sonnes sake What a spectacle shall it beto the worlde to beholde so godlye a fellowshippe as you seruauntes of god in so iust a quarrel as the gospel of Christ is with so pure a conscience so stronge a fayth and so liuelye a hope to offer your selues to suffer moste cruell tormentes at the handes of Gods enemyes and so to ende your dayes in peace to receaue in the resurrection of the ryghteous life euerlasting Heb. 11. Be stronge therfore in your battayle The Lord God is on your syde and hys truth is your cause phi 3 and agaynst you be none but the enemies of the crosse of Christ as the Serpent and hys seede the Dragon wyth hys tayle Math. 3. Iohn 8. the marked mē of the Beast the ofspring of the Pharisees the congregation malignaunt the generation of Vipers murtheters as theyr father the deuyll hath bene from the beginnynge To conclude such are they are the Lord God hath alwayes abhorred and in all ages resisted and ouerthrowen God from whom nothing is hid knoweth what they are He that searcheth the hartes of men Psal 34. Heb. 4. he hath founde them oute to be craftye subtyll full of poyson proude disdaynefull stifenecked deuourers rauenees and barkers agaynste the truthe fylthye and shamelesse and therefore doth the spirite of God by the mouthes of his holye Prophettes and Apostles call them by the names of Foxes Iude. 1. Serpents Cockatrices Lions Leopardes Bulles Beares Wolues Dogges Swine Beastes teaching vs thereby to vnderstande that their naturall inclination is to deceaue poyson and destroye as muche as in them lyeth the faythfull and elect of God Psalm 76. But the Lord with his right arme shall defende hys little flocke agaynste the whole rabblement of these worldlings Matth. 20. Luk. 2i Math. 10. 1. Pet. 2. whiche haue conspired against him he hath numbred all the heares of hys childrens heades so that not one of them shall peryshe withoute hys fatherly will He keepeth the sparowes muche more will he preserue them whom he hath purchased with the bloode of the immaculate Lambe He wil keepe them vnto the houre appoynted wherein the name of God shall bee glorifyed in his Sainctes In the meane tyme let them woorke theyr willes Math. 10 Sapi. 3. let them enuye let them maligne let them blaspheme let thē curse banne betraye whyppe scourge hange and burne for by these meanes God will trye his electe as golde in the furnace and by these fruites shall they also bring themselues to be knowen what they be for all theyr shepes skinnes For as he that in suffering patiently for the Gospell of God is thereby knowen to be of Christe euen so in likewise is the persecutour of hym knowen Psal 7. to be a member of Antichriste Besydes thys their extreme crueltye shall be a meane the sooner to prouoke god to take pitie vppon hys seruauntes and to destroye them that so tyranouslye entreate hys people as we maye learne by the historyes as well in the bondage of Israell vnder Pharao in Egypte Exod. 13. Esd 3.13 as also in the miserable captiuitie of Iuda in Babilon Where as when the people of God were in moste extreme thraldome then did the Lord stretch forth his mighty power to deliuer hys seruauntes 2. Mach. 7. Iacob 4. i Pet. 5. Apo. 9. Heb 12. Iacob 2 Though God for a time suffer them to bee exalted in theyr owne pride yet shall they not scape hys vengeaunce They are hys roddes and when he hath worne them to the stumpes then wil he caste them into the fyer thys shall bee their fynall rewarde Our dutie is in the meane while paciently to abide the wil of god which worketh all thinges for the beste Thus dealeth he wyth vs partly for our trial 2 Cor i2 Esdras 36 partly also for our synnes which we most greuously haue committed to the great slaunder of hys gospel wherby the name of God was euill spoken of amonge his enemies Roma 2. for the whiche he nowe punisheth vs wyth hys fatherly corrections in this worlde i. Cor i Luke 15 that we should not be dampned wyth the worlde By thys meanes seeketh he hys sheepe that were lost to bryng them home to the folde agayne By this way seketh he to reforme vs that we may be like vnto him Ephesi 4 after the image of his sonne Iesus Christ in all holines and righteousnes before hym Finally thys way vseth his godly wisdome to make vs therby to know hym Ose 13. our selues in hym that afore tyme had in a maner forgotten him praysed bee his name therefore And as for these Balaamites which now do molest vs commit thē to the handes of god geue hym the vengeaunce and he will reward them Rom. 12. phil 2 Luke 8. Marke 4. psal 8. psal 4. Ieremy 12. Fal ye to prayer and let these belly gods prate For he is in heauen and slepeth not that kepeth Israell He is in heauen that made the seas calme when the Disciples were afraid Let vs now faithfully call vpon hym and he will heare vs. Let vs cry vnto the Lord for he is gratious and merciful When we are in trouble he is wyth vs he wyll deliuer vs and he wyll glorify vs. If we come vnto hym we shal fynde hym turned vnto vs. If we repent vs of our wickednes done against hym Ieremy 18 then shal he take away the plague that he hathe deuised against vs. Let vs therfore earnestly repent bryng forth the worthy frutes of repentaunce Let vs study to be hys then shall we not nede to feare what these hypocrites do agaīst vs Matth. 12. which with their pretensed holines deceiue the hartes of the symple and abuse the authoritie of god in hys Prynces causing them by their procurement to testify their ambicious prelacie and to erect vp their Idole agayne wyth the Romish Masie God in whose handes are the hartes of kynges Iob. i2 pro. 15.22 opē the harte of the Quenes hyghnes to espye them out what they be so to wede them out that they no longer be suffred to trouble the congregation of God to poyson the realme wyth Pope holy doctrine psal 24.30 78. God almighty for hys sonne Iesus Christes sake deliuer the Quenes highnes and this her church realme from these proude prelates which are as profitable in the churche of Christe as a polecatte in the myddes of a warren of connies To conclude my bretherne I commit you to God and to the power of hys worde whiche is hable to establysh you in all truth Hys spirite be wyth you and worke alway that ye maye be myndful of your dueties towardes hym whose ye are both bodye and soule Whome see that ye loue serue dreade obey aboue all worldly powers and for nothyng vnder the heauens defyle your conscience before God Dissemble not wyth hys worde
all thinges whiche the Lord hath spoken to thee shall be fulfilled So I saye to you my deare hartes in the Lorde happye are ye all yea twyse happye shall ye bee for euermore because ye haue stedfastlye beleued the moste swete promises which god the father hath made vnto you with his own mouth in that he hath promised you which are the faythful seede of the beleuing Abraham that ye shal be blessed euer world wtout end The promises of God your sweete father as ye do beleue so do ye beare record the god is true The testimony wherof ye haue full worthely borne to the world and shortly will full surely seale the same with your blood yea euen to morow I do vnderstand Oh constant Christians oh valiaunt souldiers of the high Captaine Iesus Christ who for your sake hath conquered the deuill death sinne hell and hath geuen you full victory ouer theÌ„ for euer more Oh worthy witnesses most glorious Martyrs whose inuincible fayth hath ouercome that proud sturdie bragging prince of the world and al his wicked army ouer whoÌ„ ye shall shortly triumphe for euermore Ah my swete hartes the euerlasting treasures are full surely layd vp for you in heaueÌ„ The immercessible and most glorious crowne of victory is already made and prepared for you to be shortly clapt vpon al your happy heads The holy Aungels of your heauenly father are already appointed to conduct your sweete soules into Abrahams bosome All the heauenly host reioyceth alreadye for that they shall shortlye receaue you with ioye and felicitye into their blessed fellowship Selach Reioyce with double ioy be glad my deare brethren for doubtles ye haue more cause then caÌ„ be expressed But alas I that for my sinnes am left behinde maye lie and lamente with the holye Prophet saying psalm 119. woe is me that the daies of my ioyfull rest are prolonged Ah cursed Sathan which hath caused me so sore to offende my moste deare louing father wherby my exile and banishment is so much prolonged Oh Christ my aduocate pacifie thy fathers wrath which I haue iustelye deserued that he maye take me home to him in his sweete mercy Oh that I might nowe come home vnto thee with my blessed brethren Wel thy wil Oh Lord be effectuouslye fulfilled for it is onely good turneth al things to the best for such as thou in thy mercyes haste chosen And now farewell my deare hartes moste happye in the Lord. I trust in my good God yet shortlye to see you in the celestiall Citye wherof vndoubtedly the Lord hath already made you free Citizens Though ye be yet with vs for a litle time your very home is in heauen where your treasure doth remaine with your swete lord redemer Iesus christ whose calling you haue heard with the eares of your harts therfore ye shall neuer come into iudgement but passe from death to life Your sinnes shal neuer be remeÌ„bred be they neuer so many so greuous or so great for your Sauiour hath cast theÌ„ all into the bottome of the sea he hath remoued them froÌ„ you as farre as the east is froÌ„ the west psalm 103. his mercy hath much more preuailed ouer you then is distance betwene heauen and earth and he hath geuen you for an euerlasting possession of the same al his holines righteousnes iustification yea and the holy ghost into your hartes wherwith ye are surely sealed vnto the day of redemption to certifie you of your eternal electioÌ„ and the ye are his true adopted soÌ„nes wherby ye may boldely crie vnto god Abba deare father for euer more so that nowe no creature in heaueÌ„ earth nor hel shall be able to accuse you before the throne of the heauenly King Gen 3. SathaÌ„ is now cast out from you he him self is iudged hath no part in you He wil once more bite you by the heele and then he hath done for at the time you shal squise his head through your own good Christ so haue finall victorie for euer more In ioyfull triumph wherof ye shall swetely ascende into the place of eternal rest whether your eldest brother Christ is gone before you to take possession for you and to prepare your place vnder the holy Alter with Cranmer Latymer Ridley Rogers Hoper Saunders Farrer Tailour Bradford Philpot with many other who will be full glad of your coÌ„ming to see vi moe of their appointed number that their blood may so much the soner be reuenged vpon them that dwel on the earth Thus I make an end committing you al to gods moste merciful defence whose quarrell ye haue defended whose cause ye haue promoted whose glory ye haue set forth and whose name ye haue constantlye confessed Farewell for a while my dere hartes in the Lord I wil make as much hast after you as I may Al our deare brethren salute you They praie for you and praise god for you continually Blessed be the dead that die in the Lord for they rest froÌ„ their labours saith the holy ghost Apo. â—1 and their workes followe them Your owne Iohn Careles a most vnprofitable seruaunt of the Lord yet of hys great mercy prysoner for his sake abiding his further good pleasure Pray praye praye To M. Greene M. VVhittell and certaine other prysoners in Newgate condemned and ready to be burnt for the testimony of the Lord Iesus THe euerlasting peace in Iesus Christ the continuall comfort of his most pure holy spirite be with you my most deare and faithful brethren and sisters of Newgate the Lordes appoynted shepe vnto the slaughter to the good performance of the great and notable worke of the lord which he hath so graciously begoÌ„ne in you all that the same may redownd to the setting forth of his glory and to the commoditie of his churche and to your owne euerlasting comfort in him So be it Ah my dere harts most faithful brethreÌ„ sisters in the lord what high laudes praise yea what humble and continuall thankes am I bouÌ„d to geue to god oure father for you on your moste happie behalfe who so mightely hath magnified himself in you thus farforth in geuiÌ„g you his holy mighty spirit to the constant confessing of christes veritye euen to the cruel condeÌ„pnation I dout not but he wil do the same to the death Oh happie blessed are you the euer you were borne that the lord wil vouch you worthie of this great dignitie to die for his sake Doubtles it is the greatest honour the god can geue you in this life Yea if they be so blessed of god that die in the Lord as the holy ghost saith they be how much more blessed happie then are you that die not only in the lord Apo. 11. but also for the lord Oh that it were the good will of god that the good houre were now come that I might go with you Ah that my sinnes made
not perfectly know You haue had the pure worde of God plentifully preached amōgest you yea and the same sealed praysed be god therfore wyth good store of bloode You haue also the blessed Bible and al other good bokes of godly mens doings among you so that I thynke you are ignoraunt of nothyng that perteineth to the life of a perfect christian Therfore I wyl not here take vpon me to teache you any thing syth I know that the most part of you perceiueth of the mind of God as much or more then I do But I wil now most hūbly pray you hartely besech you that by the mercifulnes of god in Iesus Christ and as we shal al assemble shortly before him that you will in no wise do contrary to your knowlege least your owne conscience become also a swifte witnes at the great day against you I wyl not meddle with secret maters but speak of those things which be to much apparant and yet not of all but namely of one the which as it semeth to be least regarded amongest you so am I sure the same is yet most horrible odious in the sight of god that is to say the beyng present wyth the papistes at any of their Antichristian and idolatrous seruice whiche is not only a wicked dissemblyng of your fayth and a verye outward deniall of the gospell of God but also a manifest committyng of idolatry wyth the wycked and doth depely deserue gods heuy wrath and displeasure which is not farre of vnlesse you hartelye repente in tyme and turne to the Lord comming cleane away from the filthines aforesaid as he doth louingly call you Ah my dere hartes what shal I say to you or how shall I temper my pen to persuade you Al the godly preachers that in tymes past haue taken paines amongest you haue fully agreed and wholy concluded yea and by the holy scriptures plainly proued that it is not lawful for any of you to be personally present with the papistes at any part of their Antichristiā seruice This haue they truly taught you this haue they largely and learnedly written vnto you and this haue they most godly confirmed with their blood before you What wold you haue more Yea many a faithful hart hath folowed them and to their power done the lyke and yet alas all wil not now serue Howe happeneth this my dere frendes of Londō that neither the louing admonitiōs of al gods good Prophets nor the earnest warnings of hys deare witnesses and worthy Martyrs wil take no place amongest you Do you thynke that they haue not told you the truthe but some dreame or vayne tale that shal not so come to passe Do you thinke that they did but dallye with you to delude you and to make you afraid of a flea bityng or vayne shadow wher no nede of fear is Certainly you shal find it otherwise shortly if you so thinke as you maye see if you wil by experience of that which is already come to passe euen as they did truly tel you in their preachyng or rather prophesye for youre for warning Be you sure the Lorde is no lesse myghtye to-performe his word pronounced by these his fore runners before his latter comming then he was true to poure forth his plagues vpō the Iewes prophecied both by Iohn Baptist other hys forerūners before hys first comming Latymer Rydley Hoper Rogers Bradforde Saunders wyth the rest of their blessed bretherne that are fled or burned are as well to be beleued in this pointe as Helias Esay Ieremy or Iohn Baptist in those thinges that they warned the world of It is al one word which they al haue preached in the power of one spirit that they haue ministred And as verely as they were the lordes messengers to Israel for that age so surely were these later sort the lordes ministers to warne England for this age I feare the last that euer shal be sent vnto it But I aske againe how hapneth it that you pretending to be of the flocke of Christ do not now harken to the voyce of your head pastour Christ pronounced by hys seruauntes to obey follow it Verely I feare me because you be but wilde goates none of christes true elect shepe For if you were Christes shepe in dede you woulde surelye geue more regard to the voice of your shepeharde speakyng in his godly preachers and not presume to follow straungers as I here say you do which entise you to lewdnes and backeloking from the plough on which you had once layd hand Luke 17 but Christ byddeth you remember Lottes wife I here saye that there is amongest you nowe adaies a sort of worldly wise men whose doinges will proue folishnes before god one day wtout doubt which haue so diligently sought the scripture that they haue found out that whiche none of our good preachers euer coulde doe thoughe their whole studye was only therin day and nighte And what is that Forsoth as some say they haue found there that it is permitted lawful for christian men that know the truth to be presente with the papistes at their Anitchristian and idolatrous seruice and that they maye cloke their knoweledge and dissemble their faythe seeke what shiftes they can to saue their life lādes goodes so that they do not vtterly deny the truth in their hartes or by expresse wordes in the way of recanting Ah sirrha haue they so Yea Syr I warrant you they haue not had the Bible in their houses al this while for naught They haue found one tricke to serue their turne whē the time of trial cōmeth that al our folish preachers coulde not perceaue for had they knowē that knacke they would not fo hedlong haue runne into the fire as they haue done But with your leue I wil now a while talke with these worldly wise Diuines which haue found out this hyd mystery I myght say of iniquitie wel inough I praye you my Maisters Massemongrel gospellers where do you find that any faythful christiā may dissemble the profession of his Maisters religion to frame and fashion hym self lyke vnto the wicked world where out the Lord hath chosen hym to serue hym in spirit truth You finde it be like in the bottome of your bagges of gold siluer for in gods Bible boke I am sure you finde it not but altogether the contrary You here there how god doth byd you not to beare a straūge yoke with the vnbeleuers but to come out frō amongest them to seperate your selues frō thē but many mens hearing wil not serue them on that syde You here there also that God wyll spue out suche luke warme gentlemē as be neither hote nor colde forth of his mouthe Apo. 3. but I weene you doe not beleue it well I saye no more but marke the ende of thys geare I will not denye but that you maye wryng and wrest some places of the holy scripture
Margaret feare not them that can but kil the bodye and yet can they not do that vntill God geue them leaue but feare to displease him that can kill both body and soule and cast them into hel fire Let not the remembraunce of your children kepe you from God The Lorde hymselfe wil be a father and a mother better then euer you or I could haue bene vnto them He himselfe will do al things necessary for them yea as much as rocke the cradell if nede be He hath geuen his holy aungels charge ouer them therfore coÌ„mit them vnto hym But if you may liue with a cleare conscience for els I would not haue you to lyue and see the bringyng vp of your children your self loke that you nourture them in the feare of God and kepe them farre from Idolatry superstition and all other kynd of wickednes and for gods sake helpe them to some learning if it bee possible that they may increase in vertue godly knowledge which shal be a better dowry to mary them withal then any worldly substaunce and when they be come to age prouide them such husbandes as feare god and loue hys holye worde I charge you take heede that you matche them wyth no papistes and if you lyue and marrye agayne your self which thing I would wishe you to do if nede require or els not good wyfe take heede howe you bestowe your selfe that you and my poore children be not compelled to wickednes But if you shal bee able well to lyue gods true widowe I would counsell you so to lyue stil for the more quietnes of your selfe and your poore children Take hede Margaret play the wise womaÌ„s part You haue warning by other if you wil take an example And thus I committe you my swete children vnto gods most merciful defence The blessing of god be with you god send vs a mery meeting together in heauen Farewel in Christ farewel myne own deare harts all Pray pray To my deare Syster M. C. THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus christ the coÌ„tinuall comfortes of his most pure and holy spirit be wyth you my deare and faithful louing Sister and comforte your harte with the plenteous consolation in Christ that with the aboundance of the same you may according to your old custome comfort me in my sorowful estate that I may be occasioned therby to praise the lord with and for you and other his deare children Amen Albeit my dere faithful louing Sister that it were now my part very duty to shew myself so coÌ„fortable ioyful in god for the greate triuÌ„phe glorious victory that he hathe so graciously geueÌ„ vnto his dere faithful child good M. Philpot that you al other whose sorrowes I dare saye are much encreased might be solaced by the same yet alas such is my losse lack of him that I caÌ„not but so sore lameÌ„t the same that I feare me I shal not onely discoÌ„fort you therw t but also displease god which for my siÌ„ne hath takeÌ„ him away And thoughe it had ben both mine honesty duty seing my self to be in so much sorrow to haue kept the same to my self not to haue encreased yours therwith yet could I no loÌ„ger forbeare but to coÌ„municate some part therof to the ende that you might communicate again to me either your ioy or sorrow whether so euer you haue most store of If your ioy in christ haue the victory as doutles it ought to haue in the respect of gods glory which is so mightely set forth by his swete saint theÌ„ I pray you come to me as shortly as you can coÌ„municate some part thereof vnto me whose froward and stubborne harte cannot yet be coÌ„tent to preferre the good wil glorye of god before myne own wil coÌ„modity as I ought to do But if sorrow in you haue gotteÌ„ the vpper hand as in very dede it doth be guide to do in me good Sister come speake with me â—o loâ—e as you can that we may measure our mourning together and in coÌ„forting one an other may be both coÌ„strained to forget our sorrowes praise god with him who is now synging in solaâ—e â— hys swete companions that so constantly went before hym loking and wishing for vs two I dare wel say god graunt vs grace to follow their faith and fotesteppes vnto the end Amen Ah my dere harte me thinkes I am like a vessel of wine that after it hathe bene tumbled and tossed to and fro if it should not haue a vente would burst in pieces Euen so the takyng away of this very man of god whose swete coÌ„fort my poore soule doth lacke so tosseth and tormoileth my poore heuy harte that excepte I shoulde as it were wyth a vent expresse the same to god wyth weping teares and opeÌ„ the same to you wyth wordes and letters I thinke verelye it would burst in pieces which thyng were to me most happely welcome so that god were pleased therewithall Oh yf nature wil so worke in a wycked worldlyng to make hym hartely to lameÌ„t the losse of his frende by whose death he doth yet obtaine diuers commodities howe can it be but the tender harts that be mollified with the good spirit of god must nedes bewayle the taking awaye of those deare hartes by whose death they are depriued of so many heaueÌ„ly benefits which so farre without comparison do passe al earthly treasures Ah deare hart I neuer wiste what the benefit of that worthy Bradford was vntil now that I feele the wante of hys deare fellow Philpotte which full oft poured the precious water of lyfe and comforte vppon my poore afflicted foule But now alas for my great ingratitude negligence other my great sinnes god hath taken them bothe from me I shal no more hear theÌ„ in thys life the more is my sorrow declare vnto me the most coÌ„fortable message of gods great mercy towards me Their worthy writings alas shal no more bring me the most ioyfull newes and mery tidinges of the Gospel to tel me that al my horrible sinnes and offences are frely forgeueÌ„ me Oh my great losse which maketh me much to lament and so vexeth and tormenteth my minde that I cannot wel tel what I write Oh true token of gods terrible wrath agaynst me in takyng away suche precious iewels of comforte from me But iust is the iudgement of god against me for my synne which haue largely deserued to be depriued of their swete and comfortable company not onely in thys life but also in the lyfe to come But yet I know the Lord wil not so do but of his great mercy he hath taken theÌ„ at thys time froÌ„ me that I might make the more haste with harty desyre to be dissolued to be with them Oh gracious god how much is thy mercy How meruelous is thy louiÌ„g power how great is thy goodnes and the aboundance of thine exceding kindnes which
caÌ„not abide that we shoulde altogether hange and depend vpon god our most deare father with full trust and confidence He woulde not haue vs thoroughly persuaded of his great loue kindnes towards vs yea of his most fatherly care prouideÌ„ce for vs his dere childreÌ„ For the enemy knoweth that whosoeuer hath faithfully conceiued this true opinion of God shall by the same be allured yea forced and constrained to set all his loue and hartes delighte vpon the lorde agayne and in respect of the same onely be willing to serue him in true holines and righteousnes all the dayes of hys lyfe yea of loue and childlye feare seke to please him be lothe to offend hym redy with good wil to suffer all thyngs for his sake which be the points and properties belonging to the lordes elect Therefore aboue all thinges â–ª Sathan seeketh to darken and make dymme this doctryne of oure saluation yea cleane to quenche it out if he could and to bryng vs from this persuasion of gods spirite vnto distrust and infidelitie which is the very roote and fountayne where hence al other wickednes doth spryng for whatsoeuer is not done of thys faith and godly persuasion is sinne in the syght of god how glorious soeuer it doth appeare in the syght of men Let vs therfore aboue all thinges praye for the encrease of faythe by the lyghte whereof we doe perfectlye see in oure good Christ God to be presently ours with all that euer he is or can be and shall be for euermore Let vs hold thys faste as the sure shore ancker of our soule and though Satan styrre vp neuer so many stormes and teÌ„pestes of trouble and persecution or neuer so many foule and foggy mistes of darkenes and heresies yet shall our shippe sayle in safety for god himselfe is our lodes man and his holy and mighty spirite is the Maister marriner and both can and wil guide conduct vs into the hauen of health and port of euerlasting safegard Therfore let vs say with Dauid that though the waues and ragyng surges of the seas be meruailous yet the Lord is more mighty and meruailous and can styl them wyth a word Alas I am here constrained to make an ende eueÌ„ in the middest of my letter truly I haue bene faine by occasioÌ„s that hath come to lay aside this letter vi or vij tymes since I begaÌ„ Therefore take it in good worth as it is an other time I trust to finishe the same to your comfort and to the accoÌ„plishyng of my dutye towardes you to whome I doe owe my selfe and all that I can doe as knoweth God to whose most mercifull defence I doe hartely commit you my deare brother V. al the rest of his deare darlinges whom I loue as myne owne soule and thanke God for your loue to me The blessyng of God be with you all Amen Yours vnfainedly Iohn Careles prysoner of the Lorde at all tymes abyding hys moste mercyfull wyll and pleasure Pray for me for gods sake â–ª as I wyll neuer forget you To my most deare and faythefull brother T. V. THe euerlastyng peace of god in Iesus Christ the continuall ioy and comforte of hys moste pure holye and mightye spirite with the encrease of faith and liuely feling of his mercy be wyth you my deare hart in the Lorde and faithful louyng brother T. V. to the ful accomplishing of that good worke which he hath so gratiously begonne in you that the same by al meanes may be to the setting forth of his glory to the coÌ„moditie of his poore affliced congregation and to the swete coÌ„fort and quietnes of your conscience in hym now and euermore Amen With such due honour loue and reuerence as it becommeth me to beare vnto the swete saintes and dearely beloued children of god I haue me most hartely coÌ„mended vnto you my dere brother V. wyth al earnest and faythful remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of you in my daily praiers thanking God right hartely that you do likewyse remember me in yours assuryng you that my poore harte dothe dailie feele greate consolation thereby GOD onely haue the praise for the same and all other his benefites Ah my deare harte in the lord well is me that euer I was borne that God of hys great mercy and infinite goodnes hathe vsed me moste miserable wretche at anye tyme as his instrument to minister anye thyng vnto you either by worde or writing that might be an occasion of your ioye and comforte in the Lorde and a prouoking of you to praise and thankesgeuing vnto GOD for the same as your most louing and godlye letter seemeth to importe Oh happie am I that the Lorde hathe appointed me vnto so good a grounde to sowe his seede vpon but much more happy are you whose harte the lord hath prepared and made so meete to receiue the same so effectuouslye geuing thereto the sweete showres and heauenlye dewes of hys grace and holye spirit that it may bring forthe fruites in due season accordingly the encrease wherof we shal shortly reape together with perfect ioy gladnes that continually Therfore my deare brother I say vnto you as good Elizabeth did to her dere cosin Mary happy are you Luke â— happy shal you be for euermore because you haue beleued The most swete faithful promises of your redemer Iesus christ you haue surely laid vp in the treasury of your hart His coÌ„fortable callinges you haue faithfully heard his louing admonitions you haue humbly obeyed and therfore you shall neuer come into iudgement your synnes shal neuer be remembred for your sauiour hath cast them all into the bottome of the sea Miche 7 Psal â—03 he hath remoued them from you as farre as the East is froÌ„ the West hath geuen you for an euerlasting possession his iustification and holines so that now no creature neither in heauen nor in earth shal be able to accuse you before the throne of the heauenly kyng Satan is now iudged he is now cast out froÌ„ you he hath no parte in you you are wholy geuen vnto Christ which wil noâ— lose you your stedfast fayth in him hath ouercome that sturdie bragging prince of the worlde Christ hath geuen you the final victory ouer him and al his army that they shal neuer hurt you What would you haue more Oh my deare hart how great treasures are layde vppe in store for you and howe glorious a crowne is already made prepared for you And albeit the holy ghost doth beare witnes of all these thynges in your hart maketh you more sure and certayne therof then if you had all the outward oracles in the worlde yet I beyng certainly perswaded fully assured by the testimony of gods spirit in my coÌ„science of your eternal sure saluatioÌ„ in our swete Sauiour Iesus Christ haue thought it good yea and my bounden duty not only at this tyme to write vnto you and to shew my ioyfull
of GOD or elles we doe moste wickedly transgresse the greate and fyrste commaundemente But doe we obeye and beleue that thys is true So shall we of force by the same bee constrayned to fulfyll the seconde parte that is to saye loue hym wyth all oure harte c. For whoe seeing the goodnesse of GOD towardes hym in Iesus Christe for whose sake onelye he hath geuen hym selfe wholye to bee oures in most large ample wise that may be who I say seing thys woulde not with all his hart soule and minde loue the Lord againe and of loue not only leaue the doing of such things as might displease him but also be ready and willing to doe what so euer is acceptable in his sight yea moste gladly and ioyfullye suffer what soeuer he wil appoint vs to do for his sake knowing assuredly that nothing can come vnto vs no not the diminishing of one heare of our head wtout his good wil pleasure and merciful appointment and that he louing vs so wel that he would geue hys sonne him selfe the holye ghoste and finally all other thinges in Christe to vs will not appoynt any thing vnto vs otherwise then shall bee to the setting forth of his glory and our euerlasting commoditie This great aboundaunt bottomles loue and mercye of god did holy S. Paule depely feele when he made that bold proclamation in the latter ende of the .8 Chap. to the Rom. saying who is it or what is it that shal bee able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu our Lord Reade the whole Chapter often times I besech you Thus deare hart you see the eternall loue fatherly care prouidence of God towardes you In respecte whereof I trust you do not onely caste al your care vpon him but also most louingly obeye him in all his holy ordinaunces euermore meekely submitting your will vnto his in all and euery thing knowing that the same wil make all thinges turne to your beste and that without his pleasure a poore sparow shall not peryshe in the foulers nette muche lesse you or your deare husband your good Vncle M. Latymer or any of yours Let this fayth and godlye persuasion euer more be firme in your hart without doubting or wauering for â—ouâ— it al that euer you go about is in vaine yea without this faith in God you can not please him you can not commit and betake your self wholy vnto him you can not truly feare him you can not loue him in deede you can not call vpon him or hartely praye vnto him neither yet prayse him a tyght Therefore let this be your alone and continual endeuour to be confirmed more and more of this that GOD is your owne moste deare louing father throughe Christ that he hath a moste tender care ouer you and for you as alwayes he hath hadde and euer wyll haue both in soule and body for this life for eternal life how so euer things haue or shal happeÌ„ to appeare vnto you According to this your fayth and as you beleue so shal it be vnto you and as you thinke god to be vnto you so shal you feele him Thinke therfore swetely of the lord of his goodnes thaÌ„ke him most hartely that euer he would vouch you worthy to sustaine the losse of your chefest treasures in earth for his sake and that he would euer geue you any thing to bestowe for his loue And as you prayse the Lord for his great mercyes manifolde benefites so largelye geuen vnto you before many other so do you faythfully pray vnto him that he wil continue hys louing kindnes towards you and kepe you blamelesse through loue in Christ vnto the ende yea make you worthye stronge and able to suffer the losse of your owne life for the testimonye of his truth whiche as your good Vncle sayde to me once and your deare husband full often is the greatest promotion and dignitie that God can bring vs vnto in this life yea it is an honour which the highest Aungells in heauen be not permitted to haue And in this your hartye and faythfull prayer I doe moste humblye require you to remember me a moste miserable wretch I feare me not compted worthye to become one of his constante witnesses vnto the worlde in such sorte as I woulde fayne be pray for me my deare hart pray for me as I will neuer forgette you nor your blessed childreÌ„ so long as I am in this prison of the body CoÌ„mende me vnto Hewgh Glouer Marmaduke and to their younger brother and sister The Lord god comfort and blesse them and poure his good spirite vpon them wherewith their good father was plentifully endewed I praye you do my hartye commendations vnto my good brother her Augustine and his wife and I hartely thanke you for your goodnesse towardes them Desire them also to praye for me for now the needefull time doth approche I prayse God I am more harty then euer I was and so I beseche hym to make you all to bee I haue manye thinges to say more but I am here constrayned to make an end Al my doinges come to an ende with extremitie God graunt that I may enter into his glory through the straite gate though I struggle striue thrusting amonge the preasse with great violence I beseche you yet once againe all my deare frends in god to ayde strengtheÌ„ me with your praiers as I wil neuer forget any of you so long as this wrasteling life of mine doth laste as knoweth God to whose most merciful defence I do hartely coÌ„mitte you and al yours The swete blessing of god the father the sonne the holy ghoste be with you all Amen Your dayly and most bounden Oratour Iohn Careles prysoner of the Lorde pray praye for me in fayth To my good brother M. Iohn Bradford THe peace of god in Iesus Christ the eternal coÌ„fort of his swete spirite which hath surely sealed you vnto eternall saluation be with you and strengthen you in your ioyfull iourney towards the celestial HierusaleÌ„ my deare frend and most faythfull brother M. Bradforde to the setting forth of Gods glory and to your eternall ioy in Christ Amen Euer since the good M. Philpot shewed me your last letter my deare hart in the lord I haue continued in great heuynes perplexitie â–ª not for any hurt or discoÌ„moditie that I caÌ„ perceaue comming towardes you vnto whom doubtles death is made life and great felicitie but for the greate losse that gods chuch here in England shal sustaine by the taking away of so godly worthy and necessary an instrument as the lord hath made you to be Oh that my life a thousand such wretched liues moe might goe for yours Oh why doth god suffer me such other Caterpillers to liue that caÌ„ do nothing but consume the almes of the church and take away you so worthy a workmaÌ„ labourer in the Lords vineyard But woe
where he making a coÌ„parisoÌ„ betwene Christes flesh Elias cloke cast down to Elizeus wheÌ„ Elias was takeÌ„ vp in the fiery chariot at length he sayth the Christ ascending vp to heauen toke his flesh with him also lefte his flesh behind hym in earth The meaning of it is he did ascend with his flesh and left a memorial cloke of the same body flesh which he calleth his fleshe as he in the sacramentall phrase calleth bread his body because it represeÌ„teth his body and as in the like maner of sacramentall speche a Lambe was called the passeouer the circumcisioÌ„ gods couenant He toke vp his flesh corporally left his flesh in mystery sacrament spiritually Or it may he said that he left his fleshe vpoÌ„ earth that is his mystical body his faithful people whoÌ„ S. Paul calleth the meÌ„bers of his body of his flesh of his bones Eph. 5. In the .49 chap. of Gene. there is no word of Christes sacrament but there is a prophecie of Christs passioÌ„ wherin his fole was bouÌ„d that is his body And where he speaketh there of grapes wine it is as that is spokeÌ„ of christ in an other place where he sayth ego solus torcular calcaui I alone did treade the wine presse meaning therby that christ alone suffered painful passioÌ„ for the remissioÌ„ of sinnes for the consolation of al his faithful souldiours It is not true that the packer said that Christs infinite power may make his body to be in a thousand places at once as a loafe to be in a thousand bellies for theÌ„ might christ diuide the partes of his body as a lofe is diuided so coÌ„sumed theÌ„ might scripture be false appoynting Christs body to be but in one place Act 3. Phi. 3 He. 1. The Articles of our fayth tel vs sufficieÌ„tly where Christs body is It was neuer in .ij. places at once neyther euer shal bee neither euer can be corporally naturally neyther euer was is can or shal be eateÌ„ so â— anye corporal mouthes as the Capernaires papists most erroniously heretically do iudge If our sauiour Iesus christ hath no other body natural theÌ„ is made of the substance of bread is in a thousaÌ„d places at once as I haue ofteÌ„ sayd in Hadley we are not yet redemed neyther shal our bodies rise agayn be made like vnto his glorious body We are sure that our Sauiour Christes body is made of none other substaÌ„ce theÌ„ of his mother the blessed Virgin Maryes substaÌ„ce We are sure that he taketh not the nature of Angels much lesse of bread Only he taketh on him the sede of AbrahaÌ„ Heb 2. in al thyngs like vnto vs only synne except And this is a coÌ„fortable doctrine to vs christiaÌ„s beleuing stedfastly as the true catholike sayth is the Christ hath but .ij. natures perfite god perfite man VpoÌ„ thys rocke Christs church is builded the gates of hel shal neuer preuaile agaynste it Math 16. I speak nothiÌ„g now of auricular coÌ„fessioÌ„ prayiÌ„g for soules departed because I do not heare what authors the packer brought in for this purpose Sure I am the he caÌ„ bring no autheÌ„tical canonical warrant for such his packware He may say what he wyll of Hebricians Grecians fleshe vnder formes not aboue formes or aboue the borde He may coniure coÌ„uay passe repasse eueÌ„ what he wyl in such cloudes mystes He reproued the scriptures as ful of darkenes yet is full of darkenes hym self He dyd wittily to bring profes out of Iewrye Turkye and other straunge places for hys round white cake for that such hys pedlary pelf packe is contrary to the playne symplicitye of Christes supper He glaunced at priestes mariages He myght agaynst that haue brought as auncient a Doctor as any he alleaged out of Hebrue for his Masse or wafer cake the is doctor Deuil 1. Tim. 4 I meruaile that he dyd not confute confound S. Paul for the sentences writteÌ„ aboue the alter of the which he made meÌ„tion in the pulpit For he his felowes of Oxford be so profound so excellent so glorious tryumphant clearkes that they can easely proue a man an asse al wryters in the Byble ignoraunt symple ful of errours full of heresyes beggerly fooles Yet they wil be called catholykes faythful true christiaÌ„ people defendours of the holy mother the church but truly they take part with the Prince of darkenes with Antichrist with Iezabell Apo. 2. They wyll not be called papists Pharisees Iewes Turkes heretikes so forth but what soeuer they wyll be called gods religioÌ„ had neuer more euydent aduersaryes and that in al the chief poyntes of it no not then wheÌ„ our Sauiour Christ whipte such marchauntes out of the reÌ„â—le calling them a companye of theues Maâ— 21. God geue them grace to repent God be thaÌ„ked that the nobilitye somthyng of late hath spyed stopped theyr tyranny Oh vnhappy England Oh more vngrate people soner bewitched theÌ„ the folysh Galathians We haue nowe none excuse We haue vndoubtedly sene the true trace of the prophetical apostolical prymatyue catholike church We are warned to beware lest we be led oute of that way societie rule of religioÌ„ Nowe we shal shew what couÌ„trey meÌ„ we be whether spirituall heaueÌ„ly or carnal worldly We had as true knowlege as euer was in any countrey or in any tyme synce the beginnyng of the world god be praysed therfore If Hadley being so many yeres persuaded in such truth wil now wyllingly wittingly forsake the same defyle it self with the cake god Idolatry other Antichristianitie therunto beloÌ„ging let it surely loke after many and wonderfull plagues of god shortly Though an other haue now the benefice yet as god knoweth I can not but be carefull for my dere Hadley And therfore as I could not but speake after the first abhominable Masse begonne there I being present no more I can not but write now being absent hearing of the wicked prophanation of my late pulpyt by such a wylye wolfe Gods loue mercy goodnes and fauour hath bene vnspeakeable in teaching vs the ryght way of saluation and iustificatioÌ„ Let vs al haue some zeale some care how to serue him according to hys good wyl wrytten The God of loue and peace be euer in Hadley through Christ our only aduocate Amen Rouland Taylour A leter of M. Philpot written to certain of his faithfull frends as his last farewell a litle before he suffred THe knowledge of god whiche hath illightned you wyth true vnderstanding of the gospell of Christ be remayning with you stil to the end be augmeÌ„ted in your hartes doyngs through the operatioÌ„ of the holy spirit to the glory of God your eternal saluatioÌ„ AmeÌ„ A man that is passing into farre countreyes before his departing committeth such goods as god hath endued him with al to his dearest frends to the end that they
body blood offred once for al. This I know my good sister you do constaÌ„tly coÌ„fesse beleue as the godly fruite of your christiaÌ„ fayth doth dayly testify I trust to be a witnes with you at the great day that your fayth is vnfayned ful of godly charitie the lord encrease the same I am constrayned here to make an end full sore agaynst my will My poore prayers shall supply that whiche my penne doth lacke The blessing of God be with you nowe and euer Amen Your dayly Oratour Iohn Careles A letter of M. John Rough wrytten a little before hys death to the Christian congregation in London whereof he was a minister and Preacher THe comfort of the holy ghost make you able to geue consolation to others in these daungerous dayes when Sathan is let lose to the tryal of the chosen when it pleaseth our God to sift his wheate from the chaffe I haue not leasure and time to write the great temptations I haue bene vnder I speake to Gods glorye my care was to haue the senses of my soule open to perceaue the voyce of god saying who that denieth me before men them wil I denie before my father his Angels and to saue the life corporall is to lose the life eternall and he that will not suffer with Christe shall not reigne with him Therefore moste tender ones I haue by Gods spirite geuen ouer the fleshe with the fyghte of my soule and the spirite hath the victorye The fleshe shall nowe ere it be longe leaue of to sinne the spyrite shall reygne eternallye I haue chosen the death to confyrme the truth by me taughte What can I doe more Consider with your selues that I haue done it for confyrmation of Gods truth Praye that I maye continue vnto the ende The great parte of the assaulte is paste I prayse my GOD. I haue in all my assaultes felte hys presente ayde I geue hym moste hartye thankes therefore Loke not backe nor bee ye ashamed of Christes Gospell nor of the bondes I haue suffered for the same thereby ye maye bee assured it is the true word of God The holy ones haue bene sealed with the same marke It is no tyme for the losse of one man in the battel for the campe to turne backe Vp with mens hartes blowe downe the dawbed walles of heresyes Let one take the Banner an other the Trumpet I meane not to make corporall resistance but praye and ye shall haue Elias defence and Heliseus companye to fight for you for the cause is the lords Now my brethren I can write no more tyme will not suffer and my harte wyth panges of death is assaulted but I am at home wyth my God yet alyue Pray for me and salute one an other wyth the holy kysse The peace of God reste with you all Amen From Newgate pryson in hast the day of my condeÌ„nation Iohn Rough. A letter of Cutberte Symson a Deacon of the Christian congregation in London burnt in Smythfielde for the veretye of Christes Gospell written to his wyfe out of the Colehouse MY dearelye beloued in the Lorde Iesus Christe Of the exceeding cruell vnmercifull Rackings and other tormeÌ„ts that thys man of God most paciently suffred read see in the boke of Martyrs Fol. 16â—1 I can not wryte as I doe wyshe vnto you I besethe you with my soule submytte your self vnder the mighty hand of our God trusting in hys mercy and he will surely helpe vs as shal be moste vnto hys glorye and oure euerlasting comforte being sure of thys that he will suffer nothing to come vnto vs but that which shal be most profitable for vs. For it is eyther a correction for oure synnes or a tryall of oure fayth or to set forth hys glorye or for altogether and therefore muste needes be well done for there is nothing that commeth vnto vs by fortune or chauÌ„ce but by our heauenly fathers prouidence And therfore pray vnto our heauenly father that he wil euer geue vs his grace so to consider it Let vs geue him most harty thankes for these hys fatherly corrections for as many as he loueth he correcteth And I besech you now be of good chere counte the crosse of Christ greater riches then al the vaine pleasures of England I do not doubt I prayse God for it but that you haue supped with Christ at his Maundie I meane that you beleue in him for that is the effect theÌ„ must you drinke of his cup I meane his crosse for that doth the cup signifye vnto vs. Take the cup with a good stomacke in the name of god then shal you be sure to haue the good wine Christs blood to your poore thirstye soule And when you haue the wine you muste drinke it out of this cup. Learne this wheÌ„ you come to the Lords supper Pray continually In al things geue thankes Cutbert Symson A letter of VVilliam Coker then prysoner in Caunterburye and afterwarde burnt for the testimonye of the truth wrytten to a frend of hys AS your hartye frend in god and through the mercy of our lord Iesus Christ as pertaining to the fayth your brother I send you greting most ChristiaÌ„ salutations For your kindenes in that you wrote so spedely to me again I coÌ„mend you thanke god for it though of necessitie you say you were partly moued so to do by reasoÌ„ of my bondes in the Lorde I hartely ioyed by occasioÌ„ of your letter because I vnderstode thereby the state of mine olde frends godly acquaintance and how ye al continually labour as we do in the Gospel of Christ which is the worde of saluation to as many as beleue Wherin we haue this coÌ„fidence through our fayth in the blood of Christ the thoughe Sathan his rabble of ministers doe rage neuer so muche with lying deceaueable power yea though he shoulde appeare neuer so glorious Angellike in the sight of the world yet shal his fiery dartes be quenched he neuer able to preuaile against vs. For the which testimonye of conscience I geue thankes vnto god froÌ„ the bottome of my hart praye alwaies vnto the Lord that as we haue begonne eueÌ„ so we may go forwardes vnto the end vntil the time that the darknes be cleane put away and the perfect light shine in oure harts soules bodyes in the eternal kingdome with god where we shal be sure our enemies shal not preuaile agaiÌ„st vs but then most victoriouslye be ouercome by that sweete Lambe the sonne of God In the meane time the Lord preserue keepe vs froÌ„ euil The Lorde make vs stoute in hys cause geue vs grace to confesse the truth before thys whorysh generation The Lord graunt we may worke his heauenly wil that when the time shal come he may receaue vs vnto himself in the glory euerlasting To whom be prayse honour for euer and euer Amen Your brother in bondes for the
Lordes cause VVilliam Coker A letter of Nicholas Shetterden a faith full Martyr of Iesus Christ written to hys Mother a little before hys death O My good Mother whoÌ„ I loue with reuerence in the Lorde according to my dutye I desire your fauourable blessing and forgeuenesse of all my misdedes towards you Oh my deare Mother in fewe wordes I wyshe you the same saluation whiche I hope my selfe to feele and partly taste of before thys come to you to read and in the resurrection I verely beleue to haue it more perfectlye in bodye and soule ioyned together for euer and in that daye GOD graunte you to see my face with ioye but deare Mother then beware of that greate Idolatrye and blasphemous Masse O let not that be your GOD whiche Mice and wormes can deuoure beholde I call heauen and earth to recorde that it is no GOD yea the fyre that consumeth it and the moystnes that causeth it to moulde And I take Christs Testament to wytnesse that it is none of his ordinaunces but a mere inuention of men and a snare to catche innocentes bloode and nowe that GOD hath shewed it vnto you be warned in tyme. O geue ouer old customes and become new in the truth What state soeuer your fathers be in leaue that to God let vs followe the counsel of his word deare Mother embrace it with hartye affection reade it with obedience let it be your pastime and cast of all carnall affections and loue of worldly thinges so shall we meete in ioye at the last day or els I bid you farewell for euermore Oh farewell my frendes and louers all God graunt me to see your faces in ioye Amen From Westgate the .11 of Iuly .555 Nicholas Shetterden appoynted to be slayne for Christes cause and the mayntenaunce of hys most sounde and true religion A letter wrytttn by the Ladye Iane Gray to her Syster the Lady Katheryne immediatly before she suffered I Haue here sent you good Syster Katherin a booke which although it be not outwardly trymmed with gold This booke was a newe Testament in Greke in the end whereof she had written this letter yet inwardly it is more worth then precious stones It is the booke deare Syster of the law of the Lorde it is his testament and last wyll which he bequethed vnto vs wretches whiche shall lead you to the path of eternall ioy and if you with a good mynd do read it with an earnest purpose follow it it shall bring you to an immortal euerlasting life It wil teach you to liue learne you to die It shal winne you more theÌ„ you shold haue gayned by the possessioÌ„ of your woful fathers lands For as if god had prospered him you should haue in herited his lands so if you apply diligently this boke seking to directe your life after it you shal bee an inheritour of suche riches as neither the couetous shal withdraw from you neither the these shal steale neither yet the mothes corrupte Desire with Dauid good Sister to vnderstand the law of the Lord your god Liue stil to die that you by death may purchase eternal life And trust not that the tendernes of your age shal lengtheÌ„ your life for as sone if God cal goeth the young as the old And labour alwayes to learne to die Defye the world denye the deuil despise the flesh delight your self only in the Lord. Be penitent for your sinnes yet despayre not be strong in faith yet presume not desire with S. Paule to be dissolued to be with christ with whoÌ„ eueÌ„ in death there is lyfe Be lyke the good seruaunt euen at midnight be wakyng lest wheÌ„ death coÌ„meth and stealeth vpon you lyke a thefe in the night you be with the euil seruaunt found slepyng and least for lacke of oyle you be found lyke the fyue folyshe women like hym that had not on the weddynge garmente and so be caste out from the mariage Reioyce in Christ as I prayse God I do Folow the steppes of your maister christ take vp your crosse lay your sinnes on his backe alwais embrace him And as touchyng my deathe reioyce as I do good Sister that I shal be deliuered froÌ„ this corruptioÌ„ and put on incorruption for I am assured that I shal for loosing of a mortal lyfe winne an immortal life The which I pray god graunt you send you of hys grace to lyue in hys feare and to dye in the true christian faith from the which in gods name I exhort you that you neuer swarne neither for hope of life nor for feare of death For if you wil deny his truthe to lengthen your life God wil deny you and yet shorteÌ„ your daies And if you wil cleaue vnto him he wil prolong your dais to your comfort his glorye to the which glory god bring me now and you herafter wheÌ„ it pleaseth him to cal you Fare you wel good Sister and put your only trust in god who only must helpe you Letters of M. George Marshe a godly faythfull and learned pastour in Christes churche put to deathe at VVestchester wyth moste cruell kyndes of tormentes as you may see in the booke of Martyrs fol. 1122 for the constant and faythfull confession of Christes Gospell To the professours of gods worde and true religion in the towne of Langhton GRace be wyth you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of Iesus Christ our Lord Amen I thought it my duty to wryte vnto you my beloued in the lord at Langhton to stirre vp your harts to cal to your remeÌ„brance the words which haue ben told you before and to exhort you as that good man and full of the holy ghost Barnabas dyd the AntiochiaÌ„s that with purpose of hart ye continually cleaue vnto the lord Actes â—â— and that ye stand fast be not moued away from the hope of the gospel wherof God be thanked ye haue had plenteous preaching vnto you by your late pastour M. Saunders other faythful ministers of Iesus Christ Luke 8. Rom. 1 which now when persecution aryseth because of the word do not fall away like shrinking children and forsake the truth being ashamed of the gospell wherof they haue bene preachers but are willing and redy for your sakes which are Christes mistical body to forsake not onely the chiefe principal delites of this lyfe I meane their natiue countreyes frendes liuings c but also to fulfill their ministery vnto the vttermost that is to wyt with theyr paynful imprisonments bloodshedings if nede shal require to confirme and seale christes gospel whereof they haue bene ministers and as S. Paule saith they are ready not onely to be cast into prison Acts. 12 but also to be kylled for the name of the lord Iesu Whether these beyng that good salte of the earth Matth. 5. that is true ministers of gods worde by whose doctrine being
hart in that behalf but also by the worde and commaūdement of Christ to pronounce and affirme in the name and worde of the heauenly king Iehouah and in the behalfe of hys swete sonne Iesus Christ our lorde to whome all knees shall bowe whom al creatures shall worship and also by the impulsion of the holy ghost by whose power and strengthe all the faythfull be regenerate I do I say pronounce to thee my deare brother T. V. that thou art already a citizen of heauen The lord thy God in whom thou doest put all thy trust for hys deare sonnes sake in whome thou doest also vndoubtedlye beleue hath freely forgeuen thee all thy synnes clearely released all thyne iniquities and fully pardoned all thyne offences be they neuer so many so greuous or so great and will neuer remember them any more to condemnation As trulye as he liueth he wil not haue thee die the death but hath verely determined purposed eternallye decreed that thou shalt liue with him for euer Thy sore shal be healed and thy woundes bound vp euē of him self for his own names sake He doth not nor will not loke vpon thy synnes in thee but he respecteth beholdeth thee in christ in whō thou art liuely graffed by fayth in his blood and in whom thou art most assuredly elected and chosen to be a swete vessell of his mercye and saluation and waste thereto predestinate in him before the foundation of the world was layde In testimonye and earnest whereof he hath geuen thee his good and holye spirite which worketh in thee fayth loue and vnfayned repentance with other godly vertues contrary to the corruption of thy nature Also he hath commaunded me this daye although a most vnworthy wretch to be a witnesse hereof by the ministerye of his holy woorde grounded vppon the truth of his most faythful promises the which thou beleuīg shalt liue for euer Beleuest thou this my dere hart I know well thou doest beleue The Lord encrease thy fayth geue thee a liuelye feeling of all his mercyes whereof thou arte warranted and assured by the testimonye of the holy ghoste who confirme in thy conscience to the vtter ouerthrowing of Sathan and those his most hurtful dubitations wherby he is accustomed to molest and vexe the true childrē of god all that I haue sayd and by gods grace I will as a witnes therof confirme seale the same with my blood for a most certaine truth Wherefore my good brother prayse the Lorde with a ioyfull hart and geue hym thankes for thys his exceding greate mercye casting awaye all dubita◠on and waueryng yea all sorrowe of harte and pensiuenesse of minde for this the Lord your God and moste deare and louing father commaundeth you to do by me nay rather by his own mouth and worde pronounced by me But nowe my deare brother after that I haue done my message or rather the Lordes message in deede I could fynde in my hart to write ij or .iij. sheetes of paper declaryng the ioye I beare in my hart for you myne owne bowels in the Lord yet the time being so shorte as you do wel knowe I am here constrayned to make an ende desiring you to pardon my slacknesse and to forgeue my great negligence towardes you promising you still that so long as my poore life doth last my praier shall supplye that my penne doth want as knoweth the almighty god to whose most mercifull defence I do hartely commit you all other his deare children as wel as though I had rehearsed them by name desiring them most hartely to remember me in their harty daily prayers as I know right well they do for I feele the daily comfort and commoditie therof and therfore I neither will nor can forget them nor you or any such like The blessing of God be with you all Amen Yours for euer vnfaynedlye Iohn Careles still carefull for you prisoner for the testimony of gods euerlasting truth abiding his most blessed will and pleasure Pray p.p.p. To my deare frend and faythfull Syster Mystres Marye Glouer THe same euerlasting god and most gracious good Lord that blessed Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph and comforted them in al their crosses troubles manifolde afflictions yea preserued them prouided for thē in al extreme parell daunger and necessities blesse comfort preserue and kepe you with al your swete children and familye my deare frende and faythfull Sister in the Lord good Mystres Mary Glouer with and by the power of his holy and mighty spirite our eternal comforter nowe and for euermore Amen Ah my deare frende what shall I saye or howe shall I comforte you in thys great crosse that GOD hath layd vppon you in taking home to hym selfe those his blessed Sainctes whom he for a time lente you Verelye I am afrayde least I shall renewe your sorrowes in speaking of them But my deare hart let that bee farre from you rather now with them reioyce in GOD for their greate glory triumphe and victorye euer submitting with all meekenesse your will vnto his whiche onely is good and woorketh all thinges for your beste of whiche thing if you bee fullye and throughly perswaded you can by no meanes lacke spiritual ioy and comforte Wherof in fewe wordes I wil something saye althoughe I doubte not but you knowe it alreadye though perhappes now sorrow doth a litle darkē the same as at times it hath done in many good men but fayth is of such force and power if it be vnfayned that it will with Ionas forth of the Whales bellye crye vnto the Lorde and bring from him the comfortes of his spirite and promyses whiche chiefelye do consiste in that whiche is rehearsed in the fyrste commaundement Heare Israel sayth the Lorde I am thy Lord GOD and thou shall loue me c. Beholde with a stedfaste and liuely fayth this swete saying and commaundement of God He biddeth vs heare geue credence To what I pray you Forsooth that he of his goodnes hath geuen him selfe wholye vnto vs to bee oure owne peculiar and proper possession for euer Psal 16. as the Prophet Dauid doth pleasauntlye syng The Lord him selfe sayth he is my portion and enheritaunce my lotte is fallen vnto me in a happye grounde c. Oh gracious GOD what a thing is this that the greate Lorde Iehouah that omnipotente GOD whiche made heauen and earth the sea and all that is therein vppon whose prouidence all thinges doe depende at whose onelye becke both Aungell and deuill muste bee fayne to obeye Oh Lorde I saye what a thing is this that he will vouchsafe to geue him selfe wholye to be ours with all that euer he maye bee Oh what are we moste vyle dounge earth and ashes yea most wicked cattiffes and horrible sinners that he woulde vouche vs worthye of this greate benefite whiche can not bee expressed wyth the tounges of men or Aungels Thys muste we now nedes thynke and beleue