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
like to be no lesse thā your lyfe for I beleue as Paul sayth that god hath appoynted vs in these latter daies lyke shepe to the slaughter Rom. 8 Antichrist is come agayne and he must make a feast to Beelzebub his father of many Christiā bodyes for the restoring againe of his kingdome let vs watche and pray that the same daye maye not fynde vs vnredy The peace of god be with you and remaine with you for euer Your louing brother in Christ in spirit your familier frende captiue in the Kynges Benche Iohn Philpot. To my dearely beloued Sister in the Lord Maistres Heath THe lyght of the Gospel of Christ which hath illigthned you with the true vnderstanding of fayth be dayly encreased in you my dearly beloued sister vnto the perfyte day of the Lord through the mighty operation of hys spirite Amen Where as you haue required of me a token at your departyng that myghte be a remembraunce with you of my brotherly loue toward you I mused of diuerse things what I might cōmend vnto you best among al other I found none so certayne a token either of the loue of God toward vs or els of the loue of vs one to an other as to beare the crosse together with Christ To beare the crosse is to be partaker of the afflictions of Christ which now he suffreth in his members for the accomplishmente of his body the church which are we that beleue in him sincerely which is the surest token of Gods loue towards vs that we can haue in thys world for whom god loueth he chasteneth and as it is written Heb. 12 he chasteneth euery sonne whō he receaueth Wherfore aboue all things loue the crosse of Christ vnder the which al the church of Christ in England nowe is be content to haue your fayth tried euery daye by some crosse or other as it pleaseth God to put on you and if God putteth no greuous crosse vppon you let your brethrens crosse be your crosse whiche is a certayn token of true brotherly loue If the church in England had learned with the Gospel to haue borne the crosse of Christ as all that be professours of the Gospel be called thereunto they woulde not so lightly at the commaundement of man haue turned from the wayes of saluation to their old vomite againe contrary to their conscience and al to auoide the crosse the mercifull signe of Gods loue towards vs. If the crosse were not the faythfull could not be knowen If the crosse were not God should not so manifestly appeare to be our deliuerer and cōforter as he doth shewe himselfe in the middest therof vnto al thē that put their trust in him Therfore beleue them verely to be in most happie estate that be vnder the crosse such as doe vtterly abhorre the same are cowards not fytte souldiers for the lord We haue al receaued the credit of faith from god in Christ that we should beautifie the same or rather god in the same 1. Cor. 4. We haue this treasure in brittel vessels let vs take hede that the britelnes of the vessels shee de not out our precious treasure on the earth as it is lamentable to see at this day many haue most vnfaythfully done Are they worthy of the heauenly kingdome which here esteeme more earth then heauen O palpable infidelity Wil not god require the credit of fayth which he hath committed vnto vs Yea verely Is thys the vsury of fayth to loue the world more then the Gospel and to feare mā more then god If men which coūt themselues stronger worthyer vessels haue thus vnfaythfully dealt in the thinges of god let the weakenes of womē be more fyrme in their fayth to the glory of God whose might appeareth in weakenes There is no exceptiō of person before god both man and woman be on in god and that persō in al sortes of people is acceptable to him that striueth to do hys will Wherfore contend in these crosse dayes whiche be the loue dayes of god towardes vs to shew your self faythful to him that calleth you and to be redy to do his will according to true knowledge and that vnder the crosse God hath geuen you a faythful guide whom see you loue with al humilitie pacience and obedience as it becommeth a holy woman to be subiect to her faythful head in the Lord comfort him in our common crosse and bid him cherefully take vp the one end and you will beare the other a double string knit together As you in your godly matrimonye do represent the mysterye of Christ and his churche so continue you liuely members of fayth in the same and learne daily more and more to beare the crosse of Christ that other seing your strength may be comforted and be ashamed of their weakenes in their maisters cause The faythful seruaunt the Lord loueth which bringeth his talent to his table with encrease Now is the time to encrease to the lord and not to decrease to multiply our fayth vnder the crosse not to diminysh it Ose 6 Gene. 9. The waies of the iust do encrease as the dauning of the day Embrace therfore the crosse as the raynebow of gods merciful couenaunt pray that we may together end our course therin with ioy Take my token in good worth vntil we be made partakers of the glory of the crosse Out of my Lorde of Londons Colehouse The .xi. of Nouember Yours Iohn Philpot. To my brother Iohn Careles prisoner in the Kinges Benche THe grace of God the father through his deare sonne Christ our Sauiour with perseuerance in all godly verity be with thee my deare brother Careles and with al my prison fellowes Amen Ah my own loue in Christ These were certeyne free-wil mē arrogant frowerd and vnquiet spirites I am sory to heare of thy great trouble which these shismatiks do daily put thee to I wold I were with thee in part to releue thy greefe but since that it hath pleased God otherwise take my aduice in thys your conflict be pacient what soeuer your aduersaryes can saye or do against you Know that you are appoynted for the defence of the gospel for the which you god be praysed do suffer yet you must vnderstand that you are but a voyce in the wildernes a planter that it is god which must geue the encease And therefore if there come not suche fruite of your good labours as you would wyshe be content know that a stony groūd can not fructifye yet shal not god forget your labour but you shal reape as plētiously in the day of reward as though it had encreased after your expectatiō Haue patience therfore in your labour and let not care eate out your hart Committe the successe to God and cease not with charitye to be earnest in the defence of the truth agaynste these arrogant and self will blynded scatterers These sectes are necessary for the
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
in the lyke cause as s Iames sayth Take my brethren sayth he the Prophets for an ensāple of suffering aduersitie and of long pacience which spake vnto you in the name of the Lord behold we count thē happy which endure Y e haue heard of the paciēce of Iob haue knowen what end the lord made with hym for the lord is very pitiful merciful Also the lord trieth vs to let vs see our own harts thoughts that no hypocrisy nor ambitiō deceaue vs that the stronge in Christ may pray that he fal not but endure to the end that those that fal through fearful infirmitie might spedely repent ryse agayn wyth Peter also that the weake ones myght bewayle theyr weakenes cry with Dauid haue mercy vpō me O lord Psalme 6. for I am weake O lorde heale me for all my bones are vexed Of thys opening of the hart by persecutiō spake holy Simeō to Marye Christes Mother when he sayde Luke 2. the sworde that is the crosse of persecution shall pearse thy soule that the thoughtes of manye hartes maye be opened For like as a King that shoulde goe to battell is compelled to looke in hys cofers what treasure he hath and also what number and puisaunce of men and weapons so that if he see hymselfe vnreadye and vnarmed to bycker wyth hys ennemye he surceaseth and taketh truce for a tyme euen so we by persecutions haue oure hartes opened that we maye looke therein to see what faythe in Christe we haue and what strengthe to wythstande the enemyes and to beare the crosse that if we bee ryche in these treasures we myghte reioyce and valiauntlye goe to battell or if we wante these thinges with all speede to call and crye vppon him whiche geueth all good giftes to those that aske them Item the crosse trieth the good people from the badde the faithfull frō the worldlings hypocrites also clēseth scoureth the faythful hartes from al corruption filthynesse both of the flesh the spirit And euē as an yron except it be oftē scoured wil sone waxe rustye so except our sinfull hartes flesh be often scoured with the whetstone of the crosse they wil sone corrupt ouergrow with the rust of al filthynesse and sinne And therfore it is mete good for vs as the wismā sayth that as gold siluer are tryed in the fyre Sirach 2. so shoulde the hartes of acceptable men be tryed in the fornace of aduersitie Abide the tryal dere frends that ye may obtayne the crowne of life Fyght manfully in thys the Lords cause that ye may obteyne a gloryous victory here and receaue a great reward in heauen hereafter As ye are called Christians and would be angrye to be called Iewes or Turkes so declare your christianitye by followyng the steppes of Christe whose name ye beare suffer with hym and for hys Gospelles sake rather then to denye hym or to defyle youre fayth and conscience wyth false worshippyng or Romyshe religion Take vppe your crosse my deare hartes nowe when it is offered you and goe vppe wyth Christe to Ierusalem amongest the Byshoppes Priestes and rulers yf GOD call you thereto and they wyl anone send you to Caluarye from whence dying in the cause of the Gospell wherin oure good preachers and brethren haue geuen their lyues your soules I warrant you through Christe Iesu Eccle. 12. shall ascende to GOD that gaue them and the bodye shall come after at the laste daye and so shall ye dwell wyth the Lorde for euer in vnspeakeable ioye and blysse O blessed are they that suffer persecution for ryghteousnesse sake as Christes people in thys Iewyshe Englande now doth for theirs is the kyngdome of heauen O my beloued sette your myndes on this kyngdome where Christe our heade and Kyng is consideryng that as the brute beaste looketh downewardes wyth the face towardes the earth so is man made contrarye wise wyth hys face looking vpwardes towardes the heauens because hys conuersation shoulde be in heauen and heauenly thyngs and not vppon the earth and earthlye chynges Col. 3 as Sainct Paule sayth set your myndes on thynges which are are aboue where Christe is And agayne he sayeth phil 3. our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for oure Sauiour who wyll chaunge oure vyle bodyes and make them like to his glorious body Oh the glorious estate that we bee called vnto the Lorde preserue vs blamelesse to hys eternall kyngdome throughe Christe Iesus oure Lorde Amen The seconde thyng that I note in the foresayde wordes of Peter is that he calleth persecution no straunge thynge And truth it is for whiche of the Prophettes were not persecuted wyth Christe and hys Apostles and some of them in the ende cruellye kylled for the truthes sake Caine kylled Abell Isaac was persecuted of Ismaell 3. Regum 4. Regum Iacob was hated of Esau Iosephe was prysoned and sette in the stockes The Prophette Esaye was cutte in two wyth a sawe Ieremye was stoned Micheas was buffeted and fedde wyth breade and water Helias was sore persecuted Eleazer and the woman with her seuen sonnes were cruellye kylled 2. mac 6.7 What Christe and the Apostles suffered it is well knowen so that by manye tribulations as Paule sayeth we muste enter into the kyngdome of heauen Act. 14 All the holy Prophettes Christe and hys Apostles suffered suche afflictions not for euel doing but for preachinge Gods woord for rebukyng the worlde of synne and for their fayth in Iesus Christe Thys is the ordinaunce of GOD my frends this is the hygh way to heauen by corporal death to eternal lyfe Iohn 5. as Christ sayth he that heareth my words beleueth in hym that sent me hath eternal life shal not come into iudgemēt but is escaped from death to lyfe Let vs neuer feare death which is kylled by christ but beleue in him liue for euer Roman 8. as Paul sayth there is no damnation to them that are in christ Iesu which walke not after the fleshe but after the spirit 1. Corin. 15. And agayne Paule sayth Death where is thy sting Hel where is thy victory Thankes be to god whiche hath geuen vs victory through Iesu Christ Besides this ye haue sene dayly do see the blood of your good preachers brethren which hath bene shed in the gospels cause in thys sinful Sodome thys bloody Ierusalē this vnhappie citie of Londō Let not their blood be forgottē nor the blood of your good byshop Ridley who like a good shepeherd to your cōfort exāple hath geuē hys lyfe for his shepe S. Paul saith remember them that haue spokē to you the word of god Iohn 10. Heb. 13 loke vpon the end of their conuersation and folow their faith The deuil euer stirreth vp false teachers as he hath done now ouer al England 2. peter 2. 1. Timot 4. 2. Timo. 3.
will and pleasure make you to beleue embrace the truth Amen An other farewell to the prisoners in Christes gospels cause and to all them which for the same cause are exiled and banished out form theyr own country chosing rather to leaue al worldly commodity then theyr mayster Christ FArewel my dearly beloued brethrē in Christ both ye my fellowe prisoners ye also that be exiled banished out of your countreis because ye wyl rather forsake all worldly commodity then the gospel of Christ Farewell al ye together in Christ farewell be mery for ye know that the trial of your faith bringeth forth patience and pacience shal make vs perfect whole and sound on euery syde and such after trial ye know shal receiue the crown of life according to the promise of the lord made to his derely beloued let vs therfore be pacient vnto the comminge of the Lorde Iacob 5 As the husbandman abideth paciently the former and latter raine for the encrease of his croppe so let vs bee patiente and plucke vp our hartes for the comminge of the lord approcheth apace Let vs my deare brethren take example of patience in tribulation of the Prophetes which spake lykewise Gods worde truelye in his name Let Iob be to vs an example of patience and the end which the Lord suffered 1. Pet. 1. which is full of mercy and pity We know my brethren by gods word that our fayth is much more precious then anye corruptible golde and yet that is tried by the fyre euen so our fayth is therfore tried likewise in tribulations that it may be found when the Lord shall appeare laudable glorious and honorable 1. Pet. 2. For if we for Christes cause doe suffer that is gratefull before God for thervnto are we called that is our state and vocation wherwith let vs be contēt Christ we knowe suffred for vs afflictions leuinge vs an example that we shoulde folowe his fotesteppes for he committed no sinne nor was there anye guile founde in hys mouth when he was rayled vpon and al to reuiled rayled not again whē he was euill intreated he did not threaten but committed the punishment therof to hym that iudgeth a right Let vs euer haue in fresh remembrance those wonderfull comfortable sentences spoken by the mouth of our sauioure Christ blessed are they whiche suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theyrs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are ye when men reuile you Math. 5 persecute you and speake all euell againste you for my sake reioyse and bee gladde for great is you reward in heauen for so did they persecute the prophetes which were before you Therefore let vs alwaye beare this in our minds that if any incommodity do chaūce vnto vs for rightousnes sake happy are we whatsoeuer the world doth think of vs. Luke 21. Christ our maister hath told vs before hand that the brother should put the brother to death the father the sonne and the children should rise against their parentes and kill them that Christs true Apostles should be hated of all men for his names sake but he that shal abide patiētly vnto th end shal be saued Let vs thē endure in al trobles paciētly after the exāple of our maister Christ be cōtēted therw t for he suffred being our maister lord how doth it not thē become vs to suffer Luke 6. For the disciple is not aboue hys maister nor the seruant aboue hys lord It may suffice the disciple to be as his maister and the seruaunte to be as his lord If they haue called the father of the family Math. 10. the maister of the household Belzebub how muche more shall they call so thē of hys household Feare thē not then sayth our sauiour for all priuities shal be made playne there is now nothyng secrete but it shall be shewed in light Of Christes woordes let vs neyther be ashamed nor afrayde to speake them for so Christ our maister commaūdeth vs saieng that I tell you priuily speake openly abroad and that I tel you in your eare preach it vpon the house top And feare not thē which kyll the body for the soule they can not kill but feare him which can cast both body and soule into hel fire Know ye that the heauenly father hathe euer a gratious eye and respecte towarde you and a fatherlye prouidence for you so that withoute his knowledge and permission nothyng can do you harme Let vs therfore cast al our care vpō him and he shall prouyde that which shall be best for vs. For if of ij small sparowes which both are sold for a mite one of them lighteth not on the ground without your father and all the heares of oure head are numbred Math. 10. feare not then sayth oure Maister Christ for ye are more worth then many smal sparowes And let vs not sticke to confesse our maister Christe for feare of daunger whatsoeuer it shal be remembryng the promise that Christe maketh sayeng whosoeuer shall confesse me before men him shall I confesse before my father which is in heauen but whosoeuer shall deny me him shall I lykewyse deny before my father which is in heauē Christ came not to geue vnto vs heare a carnall amity a worldly peace or to knitte hys vnto the world in ease peace but rather to separate deuide thē frō the worlde to ioyn thē vnto hymself in whose cause we must if we wil be his forsake father and mother and stycke vnto hym If we forsake him or shrinke from him for trouble or deathes sake which he calleth hys crosse he wyll none of vs we cannot be hys If for hys cause we shall loose oure temporall lyues here we shall fynde them agayne and enioye them for euermore but if in hys cause we wyll not bee contented to leaue nor lose them here then shall we lose them so that we shall neuer fynd them again but in euerlasting death What though our troubles here be painfull for the tyme and the sting of death bitter vnpleasaunt yet we know that they shal not laste in comparison of eternitye no not the twincklyng of an eie and that they pacientlye taken in Christes cause shall procure and get vs vnmeasurable heapes of heauenly glory 2. Cor 4. vnto the whiche these temporal paynes of death and troubles compared 1. Pet. 4. are not to be estemed but to be reioysed vpon Wonder not saith S. Peter as thoughe it were anye straunge matter that ye are tryed by the fire he meaneth of tribulation whiche thyng sayeth he is done to proue you Nay rather in that ye are parteners of Christs afflictions reioyce that in hys glorious reuelaciō ye may reioice with mery hartes If ye suffer rebukes in Christes name happye are ye for the glory and spirite of god resteth vpon you Ol them God is reuiled and dishonored but of you he is glorifyed Let no man
true honoryng of God also that can shew you the descente of Christes church from the begynning of it vntyll thys daye that ye maye perceaue by the lyfe of your forefathers these two thynges the one that Chrystes woorde whych sayde that al hys must suffer persecutiō and trouble in the world be true the other that none of all hys before our time escaped trouble then shall ye perceiue that it is but a folly for one that professeth Christe trulye to looke for the loue of the worlde Thus shall ye learne to beare trouble and to exercise youre religion and feele in deede that Chrystes woordes be true in the worlde ye shall suffer persecution Iohn 16 And when ye feele your religion in deede saye yee be no better then youre forefathers but be gladde that ye maye be counted worthye souldioures for thys warre and praye to God when ye come together that he wyll vse and order you and youre doyinges to these thre endes whyche ye muste take heede of the fyrste that ye gloryfye God the nexte that ye edifye the churche and congregation the thyrde that ye profyte your owne soules In all youre doynges beware ye be not deceaued For although thys tyme be not yet bloodye and tyrannous as the time of oure forfathers that coulde not beare the name of Christe wythout daunger of lyfe and goodes yet is oure tyme more perellous both for bodye and soule Therefore of vs Chryst sayde Luke 18. thinke ye when the sonne of manne commeth he shall fynde anye fayth vpon earth He sayde not thynke ye he shal fynde anye man or woman chrystened and in name a christian but he spake of the faythe that saueth the christian man in Chryst and doubtles the scarsitye of faith is now more and wyll I feare increase then it was in the time of the greatest Tyrannes that euer were and no maruell whye Reade yee the syxte chapter of Saynte Iohns Reuelation and ye shall perceyue amonges other thynges that at the opening of the fourthe seale came out a pale horse and he that satte vppon hym was called deathe and hell followed hym Thys horse is the time wherein hypocrites and dissemblers entred into the Churche vnder the precente of true religion as monkers Friers Nonnes massynge priestes wyth suche other that haue killed moe soules wythe heresyes and superstystitiō thē al the Tyrānes that euer were killed bodies with fyre sword or banishement as it appereth by hys name that sitteth vpon the horse who is called death for all soules that leaue Christ and trust to these hipocrytes lyue to the diuil in euerlasting payne as is declared by him that followeth the pale horse which is hel These pretēsed and pale hypocrites haue stirred the earthquakes that is to witte the princes of the world agaynst Christes church and haue also darkned the sonne and made the moone bloody and haue caused the starres to fall from heauen that is to saye haue darkned wyth mistes and daylye doe darken as ye heare by they re sermons the cleare sonne of Gods moste pure woorde the moone whiche be Gods true preachers whiche fetche onelye lyghte at the sonne of Gods woorde are turned into blood prisons and chaines that theyr light can not shine vnto the world as they would Wherupō it cōmeth to passe that the stars that is to say Christian people fal frō heauen that is to witte from Gods moste true word to hypocrisye most deuelyshe superstition and idolatrye Let some learned man shew you al the articles of your belief and monuments of Christian fayth from the time of Christe hetherto and ye shall perceiue that there was neuer mention of such articles as these hypocrites teache God blesse you and praye for me as I do for you Out of the Flete by your brother in Christe Iohn Hoper To all my deare brethren my relieuers and helpers in the City of London THe grace of God bee with you Amen I haue receaued from you dearelye beloued in our sauioure Iesus Christe by the hands of my seruant william Downton your liberality for the which I do most hartly thank you and I prayse god hyghly in you and for you who hathe moued youre heartes to showe this kindnes towardes me prayinge hym to preserue you from all famyne scarcity and lacke of the truth of hys word which is the liuely foode of your soules as you preserue my body from hunger and other necessities which should happē vnto me were it not cared for by the beneuolence and charity of godly people Suche as haue taken all worldlye gooddes and landes from me and spoyled me of all that I had haue emprisoned my bodye and appoynted no one halfepeny to feede or to relieue me wythall But I doe forgeue them and praye for them daylye in my poore prayer vnto God and from my hearte I wyshe their saluation and quietlye and pacientlye beare theyr iniuries wyshyng no farther extremity to bee vsed towardes vs. Yet yf it seeme contrary beste vnto oure heauenlye father I haue made my reckenyng and fullye resolued my selfe to suffer the vttermost that they are able to do against me yea death it selfe by the ayde of Christ Iesu who dyed the moste vyle deathe of the crosse for vs wretches and myserable synners But of thys I am assured that the wycked world with all his force and power shall not touche one of the heares of our heades wythout leaue ad lycence of oure heauenly father whose wyll be done in al thynges If he wyll lyfe lyfe bee it if he wyll deathe deathe be it Onelye we praye that oure wylles maye bee subiecte vnto hys wyll and then althoughe bothe we and all the worlde see none other thynge but deathe yet yf he thynke lyfe best we shall not dye no althoughe the sword be drawen oute ouer oure heades as Abraham thoughte to kyll his sonne Isaac yet when god perceaued that Abraham had surrendred hys wyll to Gods wyll and was contente to kill hys sonne god then saued hys sonne Dearely beloued if we be contented to obeye gods wyll and for hys commaundementes sake to surrender oure goodes and our selues to be at his pleasure it maketh no mater whether we kepe goods and lyfe or loose them Nothing can hurte vs that is taken from vs for Gods cause nor nothyng can at length doe vs good that is preserued contrary vnto Gods commaundemente Lette vs wholye suffer God to vse vs and ours after hys holye wysedome and beware we neyther vse nor gouerne oure selues contrarye to hys wyll by oure owne wisedome for yf we doe oure wisdome wyll at lengthe proue folishnes It is kept to no good purpose that we kepe contrarye vnto his commaundementes It can by no meanes be takē from vs that he would should tary with vs. He is no good christian that ruleth hym selfe and his as worldlye meanes serueth for he that so doth shall haue as many chaunges as chaunceth in the world To daye wyth the
mortall man may be Oh Lord how slipper the loue of man yea man him self is It were better for them to pray for vs rather then to credite or reise rumours that bee vntrue vnlesse they were more certaine thereof then euer they shall be able to proue we haue enemies enough of such as knowe not God Truly this report of weake brethern is a double trouble and a triple crosse I do wyshe you eternall saluation in Chryste Iesu and also require your continuall prayer that he whyche hath begonne in vs may saue vs to the ende I haue taught this truth wyth my tounge and penne heretofore and hereafter shortly will confyrme by Gods grace the same wyth my bloode Pray for me gentle brethern haue no mistrust From New gate 2. February Your brother Iohn Hoper To maistres Wilkinson a woman harty in gods cause comfortable to his aflicted members THe grace of God and the comfort of hys holy spiryte be with you Amen I am very glad to heare of your health doe thank you for your louing tokeÌ„s But I am a great deale more glad to heare how christianly you auoyd idolatry prepare your selfe to suffer the extremity of the world rather theÌ„ to endaunger your selfe to God You do as you ought to do in this behalfe and in suffrynge of transitory paynes you shall auoyde permanent torments in the world to come Vse your life and keepe it with as much quietnes as you canne so that you offeÌ„d not God The ease that coÌ„meth with hys displeasure turneth at length to vnspeakable paynes the gaines of the world with the losse of his fauour is beggary wretchednes Reason is to be ameÌ„ded in this cause of religioÌ„ for it wil choose follow an errour with the multitude if it may be allowed rather then turne to fayth and follow the truth wyth the people of God Moses found the same fault in himselfe did amend it choosyng rather to be afflicted with the people of God Heb. 11. then to vse the libertye of the kynges daughter that accounted hym as her sonne Praye for contentation and peace of the spryte and reioyce in such troubles as shall happeÌ„ vnto you for the truthes sake for in that part Christ saith you be happy Math. 5. Pray also for me I pray you that I may do in al things the wil of our heauenly father to whose tuition and defence I commend you To my dearely beloued Syster in the Lord maistres A. W. THe grace of god be with you AmeÌ„ I thank you for your louing token I pray you burden not your self to much it were mete for me rather to beare a payn then to be a hinderance to many I did reioice at the coÌ„ming of this bearer to vnderstaÌ„d of your constaÌ„cy how that you be fully resolued by gods grace rather to suffer extremity theÌ„ to go froÌ„ that truth in God whych you haue professed He that gaue you grace to begyn in so infallible a truth wil followe you in the same vnto the end But my louing Sister as you be traueling this perillous iourney take this lessoÌ„ with you practised by wyse men whereof ye may reade in the seconde of Sayncte Mathewes gospel Such as traueled to fynde Chryst followed onely the starre and as long as they sawe it they were assured they were in the right way and had greate mirth in thery iourney But when they entred into Ierusalem wher as the starre led them not thether but vnto Bethelem and there asked the citizens the thinge that the starre shewed before as long as they taried in Hierusalem and would be instructed where Christ was borne they were not only ignoraunt of Bethelem but also lost the syghte of the starre that ledde them before Whereof we learne in any case whiles we be going in this life to seeke Christ that is aboue to beware we lose not the starre of Gods word that only is the marke that sheweth vs where Christe is and which waye we maye come vnto hym But as Ierusalem stode in the way was an impedimentte to these wise menne so doth the sinagoge of Antichryste that beareth the name of Ierusalem whiche by interpretacion is called the vision of peace and amonges the people now is called the catholike church standeth in the way that pilgrymes must go by through thys world to Bethelem the house of saturity and plentifulnes and is an impediment to al Christian trauellers yea and except the more grace of God be will kepe the pilgrimes stil in her that they shall not come wher Christ is at al. And to stay them in dede they take away the starre of light which is Gods word that it can not be sene as as ye maye see howe the celestiall starre was hyd froÌ„ the wyse men wheÌ„ they asked of the Phareseis at HierusaleÌ„ wher Christ was borne Ye may see what great daungers happened vnto these wise men whyles they were a learning of liers where Christ was Fyrst they were oute of theyr way and next they lost their guide and conductour the heauenly starre Christ is mounted from vs into heauen and there we seke hym as we say let vs therfore go the theâ—ward by the starre of hys worde and beware we happen not to come into Hierusalem the church of men aske for him If we do we go out of the way lose also our conductor guide that only leadeth vs strayght thether The Poetes write in fables that Iason wheÌ„ he fought with the dragoÌ„ in the I le of Colchis was preserued by the medicines of Medea and so wan the golden fleese And they write also that Titan whom they fayne to be sonne and heyre of the highe God Iubiter woulde neades vpon a day haue the conducting of the Sun round about the world but as they fayne he missed of the accustomed course wherupon when he went to hygh he burned heauen wheÌ„ he went to low he burned the earth the water These prophane histories do shame vs that he christiaÌ„ men Iason agaynst the poison of the dragon vsed onlye the medicine of Medea What a shame is it for a Christian man agaynste the poyson of the deuyl heresye and synne to vse any other remedye then Christ and hys woorde Titan for lacke of knowledge was afearde of euerye signe of the Zodiake that the sonne passeth by wherfore he now went to low and now to high and at length fell down and drowned him selfe in the sea Christian men for lacke of knowlege and for feare of such daungers as ChristiaÌ„ men must nedes passe by goe cleane out of order at length fall into the pitte of hel Sister take heede you shall in your iourney towardes heauen mete with manye a moÌ„strous beast haue salue of gods word therfore ready Ye shall mete husband children louers frendes that shal if god be not with them as god be praysed he is I would it were with al other
reason of sinne He dyd commaunde therfore his disciples when he shewed them that they should take patiently the state of this present life ful of troubles persecutiō Math. 24. Luke ij to pray that they might wel escape those troubles that were to come and be able to stād before the sonne of man When ye finde your selfe to muche oppressed as euery man shall be sometyme with the feare of gods iudgement vse the 77. psal that beginneth psalm 77. I wyll try vnto god with my voice and he shall harken vnto me In which psalme is both godly doctrine and great consolation vnto the man or woman that is in anguish of mind Read also his exposition vpon this psalm most cōfortable for all broken and afflicted hartes Vse also in such troubles the .88 psalme wherin is conteyned the prayer of a mā that was brought into extreme anguish and misery and beyng vexed with aduersaries and persecutions saw nothyng but death and hell and although he felt in himselfe that he had not onely man but also god angrye towardes hym yet he by praier humbly resorted vnto god as the onely porte of consolation and in the middes of his desperate state of trouble put the hope of his saluation in him whom he felt his enemye Howe be it no man of hym selfe can do this but the spirit of god that striketh the mans hart with feare Rom. 8 prayeth for the man striken feared with vnspeakable groninges And when you feele your selfe or know any other oppressed after suche sort be glad for after that god hath made you to know what you be of your self he wil doutles shew you comfort Note this well to thy comfort that art afflicted and read the 4. chap. of Eccle. declare vnto you what you be in Christ hys only sonne vse prayer often for that is the meanes wherby god wil be saught vnto for his gifts These psalmes be for the purpose when the minde can take no vnderstādyng nor the hart any ioye of gods promises therfore were these psalmes also made .6.22.30.31.38.69 frō the which you shal learne both patience consolation Remēber that although your lyfe as all christian mens be be hyd and appeareth not Col. 3. what it is yet is it safe as S. Paule saith with god in Christ and when Christ shal appeare thē shall our liues be made open in him with glory But in the meane time with seekyng and settyng our affections vpon the thynges that be aboue we muste patiently suffer whatsoeuer god shall send vnto vs in this mortal lyfe Notwithstandyng it might fortune some would saye who is so perfect that can let all thynges passe as they come and haue no care of them suffer all thynges and feele nothyng be attēpted of the deuill the worlde and the fleshe and not be troubled Verily no man liuyng But this I say that in the strēgth of Iesus Christ thinges that come may passe with care for we be worldly yet are we not caried with thē frō Christ for we be in hym godly We may suffer things and fele them as mortall men yet beare them and ouercome thē as christian men We may be attempted of the deuil the flesh the world but yet although these thinges pinche they doe not pearce and although they worke sinne in vs Rom. 8. yet in Christe no damnation to those that be grafted in hym Hereof may the christian man learne both consolation patience Consolation in that he is compelled bothe in hys bodye and goodes to feele payne and losse and in the soule heauines and anguish of mynde how be it none of thē both shall separate him from the loue that God beareth hym in Christ He may learne patience for as much as his enemies both of the body and soule and the paines also they vexe vs withal for the time if they tary with vs as long as we liue yet when death commeth they shal auoide and geue place to such ioyes as be prepared for vs in Christ for no paynes of the worlde be perpetuall and whether they shall afflicte vs for all the tyme of our mortall lyfe we knowe not for they be the seruauntes of god to go and to come as he cōmaundeth them But we must take hede we meddle not forceably nor seditiously to put away the persecution appointed vnto vs by God but remember Christes saying Luke 2 possesse you your liues by your patience And in this commaundement god requireth in euery man and woman this patient obedience He sayeth not it is sufficient that other holye Patryarckes Prophetes Apostles Euangelistes and Martyrs continued theyr lyues in patience and pacient sufferyng the troubles of this worlde but Christe sayeth to euerye one of his people by your owne patience ye shall continue your lyfe not that man hathe patience of hym selfe but that he must haue it for hymselfe of God the onelye geuer of it if he purpose to be a godly man Now therfore as our profession and religion requireth patience outwardlye withoute resistaunce and force so requireth it patience of the mynde and not to be angrye wyth God althoughe he vse vs that be his own creatures as him listeth We may not also murmure against God but say alwais his iudgements be right iust and reioyce that it pleaseth him by troubles to vse vs as he vsed heretofore suche as he most loued in this worlde haue a synguler eare to this commaundemēt Gaudete exultate be glad reioyce for he sheweth great cause why Math. 5. your reward saith he is great in heauen These promises of hym that is the truth it selfe shall by gods grace worke both consolation patience in the afflicted christian person And when our sauiour Christ hath willed men in trouble to be content and pacient because god in the ende of trouble in Christ hath ordeyned eternall consolation he vseth also to take from vs all shame and rebuke as thoughe it were not an honour to suffer for Christe because the wycked worlde dothe curse and abhorre suche poore troubled Christians Wherfore Christ placeth all his honourably Math. 24. and saith euen so persecuted they the Prophetes that were before you We may also se with whom the afflicted for Christs sake be estemed Heb. 11. by S. Paule to the Hebrewes where as the number of the blessed and glorious company of Sainctes appeare nowe to our faith in heauen in ioye yet in the letter for the tyme of thys lyfe in suche paynes and contempte as was neuer more Let vs therfore consider bothe them and all other thinges of the worlde sithens the fall of man and we shall perceiue nothing to come to perfection but wyth such confusion and disorder to the eye of the worlde as thoughe thinges were rather lost for euer then like to come to anye perfection at all For of godly men who euer came to heauē no not Christ himselfe
be lose and free Be myndefull of all duety due vnto the Lord aboue Be thankefull for his benefites the pledges of his loue Consyder with your selues I say to sanctifye the Lord In euery place continually by thought dede and by word L. Saunders ⧠Letters of that hartie and zelous man of God Maister Iohn Philpot Archdeacō of Winchester who besides the great tyrannye and tormentes whiche he suffered in Boners blynde colehouse and other hys paynfull imprisonments was also most cruelly martyred for the testimony of the Lord Iesus The .18 daye of December in the yeare of our Lorde .1557 ¶ A letter which he sent to the Christian congregation exhortyng them to refrayne themselues from the Idolatrous seruice of the papistes and to serue god wyth a pure and vndefiled conscience after hys worde IT is a lamentable thing to behold at this present in England the faithles departyng both of men and women from the true knowledge and vse of christes syncere religion whiche so plentifully they haue ben taught do know their own consciences bearyng witnes to the verity therof Hebr. 6. If that earth be cursed of god which eftsoues receiuing moysture and pleasaunt dewes from heauen doth not bryng forth fruit accordyngly how much more greuous iudgement shall such persons receiue which hauyng receiued from the father of heauen the perfitte knowledge of hys worde by the mynistery therof do not shew forth gods worshippe after the same If the lord will requyre in the daye of iudgemente a godly vsury of all manner of talentes whiche he lendeth vnto men and women Math. 25. howe much more wyll he requyre the same of hys pure religion reueled vnto vs which is of all other talentes the chiefest and most perteynyng to our exercise in thys lyfe if we hydde the same in a napkyn and set it not forth to the vsurie of gods glory and edifieng of his church by true confession God hath kindled the bryght lyght of his gospell whyche in tymes paste was suppressed and hyd vnder the vyle ashes of mans traditiōs and hath caused the bryghtnes therof to shine in our harts to th ende that the same myght shyne before men to the honour of hys name It is not only geuen vs to beleue Math 5. Rom. x Math. 12. Luke 12. Math. 7 but also to confesse and declare what we beleue in our outwarde conuersation For as S. Paule wryteth to the Romaynes the belief of the hart iustifyeth to knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe It is all one before god not to beleue at al and not to shew forth the lyuely workes of our beliefe For Christ saith either make the tree good and hys fruites good or els make the tree euill and the fruites euil because a good tree bryngeth forthe good fruites so that the person which knoweth hys maisters wyll and doth it not shall be beaten wyth many strypes And not all they which say lord lord shall enter into the kyngdom of God but he that doth the wyll of the father Luke 9 And whosoeuer in the tyme of tryall is ashamed of me saith Christ and of my words of him the sonne of man will be ashamed before hys father After that we haue built our selues in to the true church of god it hath pleased hym by geuyng vs ouer into the handes of the wicked Sinagoges to proue our buildyng Math. 7. to haue it known aswell to the world as to our selues that we haue ben wise builders into the true church of god vpon the rock and not on the sande and therfore now the tempest is risen and the stormes do mightely blow agaynste vs that we might notwythstandyng stand vpryghte and bee firme in the Lorde to hys honoure and glorye and to oure eternall felicitye There is no newe thynge happened vnto vs for wyth suche tempestes and daungerous weathers the churche of GOD hathe continuallye bene exercised Nowe once agayne as the Prophete Aggey telleth vs the Lorde shaketh the earthe Aggeus 2. that those myghte abyde for euer whyche be not ouerthrowne Therfore my dearely beloued bee stable and immoueable in the worde of god and in the faithfull obseruation therof and let no man deceiue you with vayne words saying that you may kepe your faith to your selues and dissēble with Antichriste and so liue at rest quietnes in the world as moste men do yeldyng to necessitie This is the wisedome of the flesh Rom. 8 1 Cor. 6. Math. 16. but the wisedome of the flesh is death and enmitye to god as our sauiour for ensample aptely did declare in Peter who exhorted christ not to go to Ierusalem to celebrate the passeouer and there to be slayne but councelled hym to loke better to himselfe Likewise the world would not haue vs to forsake him neither to associate oure selues to the true church which is the body of Christe whereof we are liuely members and to vse the sacraments after gods word with the daunger of our lyues But we must learne to aunswer the world as Christ dyd Peter and say go behynd me Satā thou sauourest not the thyngs of god Heb. 11. Psa 116. Shal I not drynke of the cup which the father geueth me For it is better to be afflicted to be slayn in the church of god then to be counted the sonne of the king in the Sinagoge of false religiō Death for righteousnes is not to be abhorred but rather to be desired which assuredly bringeth with it the crown of euerlasting glory These bloodye executioners doe not persecute Christes Martyrs but crowne them with euerlastyng felicitye We were borne into this world to be witnesses vnto the truth both learned vnlearned Nowe since the time is come that we must shew our faithe declare whether we wil be gods seruauntes in righteousnes and holines as we haue bene taught and are bound to follow or els with hypocrisy serue vnrighteousnes let vs take good heede that we bee founde faythful in the lordes couenaunt and true members of hys church in the which through knowledge we are ingraffed from the which if we fall by transgression wyth the commē sort of people it will more straightly be required of vs thā many yet do make accompt therof We cānot serue two maisters Luke 18. 3. Reg. 18 Apoc. 3. we may not halte on both sides and thynke to please god we must be feruent in gods cause or els he wyll cast vs out from hym For by the first commaundement we are cōmaunded to loue God wyth all our harte with al our mynde with all our power and strength but they are manifest trāsgressours of this commaundement which with theyr hart mynd or bodely power doe communicate with a straunge religion contrary to the worde of god in the papistical Synagoge which calleth it self the church and is not As greatly do they offend god now whiche so doe as the Israelites dyd in tymes past by forsakyng
remembraunce of me not sixe dais ago saying that I am more worthy to be burnt then any that was burned yet Gods blessyng on their hartes for their good reporte GOD make me worthye of that dignitie and hasten the tyme that I might set forthe hys glorye Praye for me deare harte I beseâ—h you and will all your company to doe the same and I wil pray GOD for you all so longe as I liue And now farewell in Christe thou blessed of gods owne mouthe I wil for a time take my leaue but not my last farewell Blessed be the tyme that euer I came into the kynges Benche to bee ioined in loue and fellowship with such deare childreÌ„ of the lord My good brother Bradford shal not be deade whyles you be alyue for verelye the spirite of hym dothe teste on you in most ample wyse Your letters of comforte vnto me in eche poynt do agree as though the one were a copy of the other He hath planted in me and you doe water the Lorde geue good increase My deare brethreÌ„ and fellow prisoners here haue them humbly and hartely commended vnto you and your company mournyng for your miserye but yet reioysing for your plenteous consolation and comfort in Christ We are all cherefull and mery vnder our crosse and do lack no necessaries praised be god for his prouidence and great mercyes towardes vs for euermore Amen Iohn Careles ¶ To certayne godly women forsakyng theyr owne countrey and goyng beyond the seas in the tyme of persecution for the testimony of the Gospell THe spirite of truth reueled vnto you my derely beloued by the gospell of our sauiour Iesus Christ be continually abidyng with you and augmented into a perfecte buildynge of you into the lyuely temple of God throughe the mighty operation of his power Amen I read in the Euangelists of certain godly women that ministred vnto Christ followyng hym in the dayes of his passion and neuer forsooke hym but beyng dead in hys graue brought oyle to annoynt him vntil that he had shewed himself vnto them after hys resurrection and hydden them shewe vnto hys disciples which at his passion were dispersed and tell them that he was rysen and that they should see him in Galile To whom I may iustly compare you my louing systers in Christ who of late haue sene hym suffer in hys members and haue ministred to their necessity annointing them with the comfortable oyle of your charitable assistance euen to the death and now since ye haue sene Christ to liue in the ashes of them whom the tyrannes haue slayne he wylleth you to go away vpon iust occasion offered you to declare to our dispersed brethren and systers that he is risen and liueth in hys elect members in England and by deathe doth ouercome infidelitye and that they shall see hym in Galile which is by forsakyng this world and by a faythfull desyre to passe out of this world by those wayes which he with his holy martyrs hath gone on before God therfore entier systers direct your way as he dyd Abraham and Tobias vnto a strauÌ„ge land God geue you helth both of body soule that ye may go from vertue to vertue grow froÌ„ streÌ„gth to strength vntyl ye may see face to face the god of Sion in his holy hyl with the innumerable coÌ„pany of hys blessed Martyrs and Sainctes Let there be continuall ascensions vnto heaueÌ„ in your hartes Let there be no decrease of any vetue which is already planted in you Be as the light of the iust such as Salomon sayth increaseth to the perfect day of the Lorde Let the strength of god be coÌ„mended in your weake vessels as it is Be examples of faythe and sobrietie to all that ye shall come in company withall Let your godly conuersation speake where your tonge may not in the congregation Be swift to heare and slow to speake after the counsell of S. Iames. Be not curious about other mens doings but be occupied in prayer and continuall meditation wyth reuerent talkyng of the worde of God without contention amongest the sainctes Let your faythe shine in a straunge countrey as it hathe done in your owne that your father which is in heauen may be glorified by you to the end This farewell I send you not as a thyng nedefull which know alredy what your duety is and be desirous to performe the same but as one that woulde haue you vnderstand that he is myndefull of your godly conuersation whereof he hathe had good experience and therefore wryteth this to bee as a perpetuall memoriall betwixt you and hym vntyll our metyng together before god where we shall ioy that we haue here louyngly put one another in memory of our duetye to performe it Farewell agayne myne owne bowels in christ and take me with you wheresoeuer you goe and leaue your selues with me that in spirite we may be present one wyth another Commend me to the whole congregation of christ wyllyng them not to leaue their countrey without witnes of the Gospell after that we all be slayne which already be stauled vp and appoynted to the slaughter and in the mean season to pray earnestly for our constancy that Christe may be glorified in vs and in them both by lyfe and death Farewell in the Lorde Yours for euer Iohn Philpot. ¶ An exhortation to a Syster of hys constantlye and cherefully to stick to the truth and to abide the triall of that doctrine which she had fruitefullye professed GOd the eternall father who hath iustifyed you by the bloode of hys sonne Iesus Christe and calleth you to hallowe hys name thoroughe a good conuersation and profession of lyfe he sanctifye you with daily encrease of vertue and fayth by his holy spirite that you may appeare a vessell of sanctification in the myddest of thys wycked and peruerse generation to the lande and prayse of the Gospell Amen I haue occasion myne own deare syster to prayse God in you for two causes the one that to your habilitie you are readye to shewe your selfe a naturall louyng syster vnto me your poore afflicted brother as by your gentle tokens you haue eftsones testified beyng absent as also presently visityng me which well declareth that you be a verye naturall syster in dede and to be praysed in this behalfe But in the other that you be also a syster to me in faythe after Christes gospell I am occasioned to thanke god so muche the more how much the one excelleth the other and the spiritual consaÌ„guinity is more perdurable then that which is of flesh and bloode and is a worker of that whyche is by nature for coÌ„monly such as be vngodly be vnnaturall and onely louers of themselues as daily experience teacheth us The lyuyng lord which throughe the incorruptible seed of hys worde hath begotten you to be my liege syster geue you grace so to grow in that generation that you may encrease to a perperfecte age in the lord to be
was alowed therein Bee not deceyued good Syster wyth the perswasible wordes of man neyther be afrayd of his threates Followe the Gospell of Christe accordynge to true knowledge and feare to doe that whyche by the same is straightlye forbydden you Tempte not GOD anye longer by thys euyll doynge for you can doe nothynge more haynous in hys syghte Lette thys haltyng bee healed vppe and turne not from the ryghte wayes of the Lord. Be not ashamed of his gospel neither of the crosse which is the badge of the true and vnfayned professons therof whyche you see now hys faythefull praised be his name therfore are so wel content and wyllyng to beare but rather as you are called take vppe your crosse and be assured thereby to enter into Christes glorye for onlesse we suffer wyth hym we shall not raygne wyth hym and yf we dye not with Christ we shall not lyue wyth Christe The crosse nowe is the redye way to heauen therfore I wish you should choose to be afflitted with the people of god rather then to liue in the tabernacles of the wicked Do not any more that whych of all thynges ye haue now most cause to repent neyther lay daily the foundation of repentance but let this fal be a teaching vnto you of the wante of faythe whyche is in you and so become more feruente in prayer and godlye exercises that wyth thys newe yeare ye maye become a newe woman in a godlye and newe perfection the whyche GOD for hys mercies sake in Christ worke bothe in you and me to the ende Amen VVritten in hast by your brother in captiuity Iohn Philpot. ¶ To a faythful woman and late wyfe to one of the bishops which gaue theyr liues in the Lordes quarell REmember deare Syster that your lyfe in this world is a continual warfare to fight against the world the flesh and the deuil in the which you are apointed for the tryal of your faith loue to godt to fight manfully to ouercom for the spirit of god which is in you is strōger thē he which is in the world by this you may know that you are the child of god euen by the spirit which striueth in you against the flesh sinne wil not suffer sinne to raigne in you This spirit is obtained by often and daylye readynge and hearynge the woorde of GOD ioyned with faithful and hartye prayer for diligent readyng of Gods worde planteth the holy spyryte in you and earneste prayer encreaseth the same Reade therefore the worde studiouslye and praye hartelye that the same good gyfte of faythe whiche you haue learned of youre faythefull husbande and good bishop in the Lorde who hath gloriouslye yelded hys lyfe for the same maye be confyrmed in you euen vnto deathe that you may receyue the same crowne of glorye whiche he nowe hathe for precious is the deathe of the faythfull in the Lordes syghte therefore desire still to dye to the Lorde and be glad to be poore both in bodye and spirit and thus assure your selfe the kyngdō of heauen is yours Your owne in the Lord Iohn Philpot. ⧠Letters of Maister Iohn Bradforde a faythfull Minister and a synguler pyller of Christes churche by whose greate trauailes and diligence in preaching and plāting the syncerity of the gospel by whose most godly and innocent lyfe and by whose long and payneful imprisonments for the maintenance of the truth the kyngdom of god was not a litle aduaūced who also at last most valiātly cherefully gaue his blood for the same The .4 day of Iuly In the yere of our Lord. 1553. ¶ To all that professe the gospell and true doctryne of our Lorde and Sauioure Iesus Christe in the City of London Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lorde now not only in prison but also excommunicated and condemned to be burned for the same true doctrine wysheth mercy grace and peace wyth encrease of all godly knowledge from God the father of mercy through the merites of oure alone and omnisufficient redemer Iesus Christ by the operation of his holy spirite for euer Amen MY dearely beloued brethren in our sauiour Christ althoughe the tyme I haue to lyue is very little for hourely I looke when I shoulde be had hence to bee conueyed into Lankeshyre there to bee burned and to render my lyfe by the prouidence of God where I fyrst receyued it by the same prouidence and althoughe the charge is great to kepe me from all thyngs wherby I might sygnify any thyng to the world of my state yet hauyng as now I haue pen ynke through gods workyng manger the head of Sathan and his souldiours I thought good to write a short cōfession of my faith and therto ioyne a little exhortation vnto you all to lyue according to your profession This my faith I would gladly particularly declare and expound to the confirmation and comfort of the simple but alas by startes and stelth I wryte in maner that that I write and therefore I shal desyre you al to take this breuitye in good part First for my faith I do confesse and praye all the whole congregatiō of Christ to bear witnes with me of the same that I do beleue constantly through the gift and goodnes of god for faith is gods only gift al the xij articles of the symbole or crede commenly attributed to the collection of the Apostles not bicause of the crede it selfe but bicause of the worde of god the which teacheth and confyrmeth euery article accordyngly This word of god writtē by the prophets and Apostles left and conteined in the canonical bookes of the holy Bible I do beleue to conteyne plētifully al things necessarye to saluation so that nothyng as necessary to saluation ought to be added therto and therfore the church of Christ nor none of hys congregation ought to be burdened with any other doctrine then which here out hath her foundation and grounde In testimony of which fayth I render and geue my life beyng condemned as wel for not acknowledging the Antichrist of Rome to be christs Vicar general and supreme head of hys catholike vniuersall church here and els where vpon earthe as for denying the horrible and idolatrous doctrine of transubstantiation and christes real corporall carnal presence in his supper vnder the formes and accidentes of bread and wyne To beleue Christ our sauiout to bee the heade of hys churche and kinges in their realmes to be the supreme powers to whome euerye soule oweth obedience and to beleue that in the supper of Christe which the sacrament of the aultar as the papistes cal it and vse it dothe vtterlye ouerthrowe is a true and a very presence of whole Christe god and man to the faythe of the receauer but not to the stander by and loker vpon as it is a true and a very presence of breade and wyne to the senses of men to beleue this I say wyl not serue and therfore
as an heretyke I am condemned shall be burned wherof I aske god hartely mercy that I do no more reioyce then I do hauing so great cause as to be an instrument wherein it maye please my deare lorde and Sauiour to suffer For albeit my manyfolde synnes euen sythen I came into prison haue deserued at the handes of God not onelye this temporall but also eternall fyer in hell much more then my former synful life which the lord pardō for his christs sake as I know he of his mercy hath done neuer wil lay my iniquities to my charge to condemnatiō so great is his goodnes praised therfore be his holy name although I say my manyfold greuous late sinnes haue deserued most iustly all the tyranny that man or deuil can do vnto me and therfore I cōfesse that the lord is iust that his iudgements be true deserued on my behalfe yet the bishops and prelates do not persecute them in me but Christ himself his word his truth and religion And therfore I haue great cause yea most great cause to reioyce that euer I was borne hetherto kept of the lord that by my death which is deserued for my sinnes it pleaseth the heauēly father to glorify his name to testify his truth to cōfirm his verity to oppugne his aduersaries Oh good god merciful father forgeue me my great vnthākfulnes especially herein And you my derely beloued for the lord Iesu christs sake I humbly hartely in his bowels blood do now for my last Yale farewel in this presēt life besech you euery of you that you wil cōsider this worke of the lord accordingly First by me to be admonished to beware of hypocrisie carnal security Professe not the gospel with tong lips only but in hart veritye frame and fashiō your liues accordingly Be ware gods name be not euil spokē of the gospel lesse regarded by your cōuersatiō God forgeue me that I haue not so hartely professed it as I should haue done but haue sought much my self therin The gospel is a new doctrine to the old man it is new wine therfore cannot be put in old bottels without greater hurt then good to the botlels If we will talk with the lord we must put of our shooes carnal affectiōs if we wil heare the voyce of the lord we must wash our garmēts be holy if we wil be christes disciples we must deny our selues take vp our crosse folow christ We cānot serue ij masters if we seke christes kingdō we must also seke for the righteousnes therof To the petition of let thy kingdome come we muste ioyne thy wyll be done done done on earthe as it is in heauen If we wil not be doers of the word but hearers of it we sore deceiue our selues Yf we heare the gospel loue it not we declare our selues to be but fooles builders vpō the sand The lordes spirit hateth faining disceitfulnes the lord abhorteth If we come to him we muste beware we come not with a double hart for thē it may chāce that god wil answer vs according to the blocke which is in our harte so we shal deceiue our selues and others To faithe see that we couple a good conscience lest we make a shipwracke To the Lorde we must come with feare and reuerence If we will be gospellers we must be Christes if we be Christes we must crucify our fleshe wyth the lust and concupiscences thereof If we wyl be vnder grace synne must not beare rule in vs. We may not come to the lord and draw nigh to hym wyth our lippes and leaue our hartes elsewhere lest the lords wrath waxe whotte and he take from vs the good remaynyng in no case can the kyngdome of Christe approche to them that repente not Therfore my dearely beloued let vs repente be hartely sory that we haue so carnally so hypocritically so couetously so vayne gloriously professed the gospel For al these I confesse of my selfe to the glorye of God and myne owne confusion here that he may couer myne offences in the day of iudgement Let the anger and plagues of god most iustly fallen vpō vs be applyed to euery one of our desertes that from the bottome of our harts euery of vs may say it is I Lord that haue sinned against thee it is mine hypocrisy my vayn glory my couetousnes vncleanes carnality security idlenes vnthankefulnes self loue and such lyke which haue deserued the takyng away of our good kynge of thy worde and true religion of thy good ministers by exile prisonmēt and death it is my wickednes that causeth successe and encrease of auctoritye and peace to thine enemyes Oh be mercifull be mercifull vnto vs. Turne to vs agayne oh lord of hostes and turne vs vnto thee Correcte vs but not in thy furye leaste we bee consumed In thy wrathfull displeasure reproue vs not but in the myddes of thine anger remember thy mercye for if thou wylte marke what is done amysse who shall be able to abyde it But with thee is mercifulnes that thou mightest be worshypped oh then be mercyfull vnto vs that we myghte truelye worshyppe thee Helpe vs for the glorye of thy name bee mercyfull vnto our sinnes for they are greate oh heale vs and helpe vs for thyne honoure let not the wycked people say where is theyr god c. On this sorte my right dearely beloued let vs hartely bewayle our synnes repent vs of our former euyll lyfe hartely and earnestly purpose to amende our lyues in all thynges continually watch in praier diligently and reuerently attend heare and read the holy scriptures labour after our vocation to amend our brethren Let vs reproue the workes of darkenes let vs flye from all Idolatrye let vs abhorre the Antichristian romish rotten seruice detest the popyshe masse forsake their Romish God prepare oure selues to the crosse be obediente to all that be in authoritye in all thynges that be not agaynst God and his woorde for then aunswere with the Apostles it is more meete to obeye God then man Howbeit neuer for any thing resiste or ryse agaynst the Magistrates auenge not your selues but committe your cause to the lord to whom vengeaunce pertayneth and he in his time wil reward it If ye feele in your selues an hope trust in god that he will neuer tempte you aboue that he will make you able to beare be assured the lorde wil be true to you and ye shal bee able to beare al bruntes But if ye want this hope fly get you hence rather then by your tarying gods name should be dishonoured In sūme cast your care on the Lord knowing for most certayne that he is careful for you with him are all that heares of your head numbred so that not one of thē shall perish without his good pleasure wil much more then nothing shal happen to your bodies which shal not be profitable
vp their crosse marke they must take it vp follow him not the multitude custome vse Cōsider for gods sake that if we gather not with Christ we scatter abroade What should it profite a mā to winne the whole world and lose his own soule We must not forget that this life is a wildernes and not a paradyse here is not oure home we are nowe in warfare we muste nedes fight or els be taken prisoners Of al things we haue in this life we shal cary nothing with vs. If Christ be our captain we must folow hī as good souldiers If we kepe cōpany with him in afflittion we shal be sure of his societie in glory If we forsake not him he wil neuer for sake vs. If we cōfesse him he wil cōfesse vs but if we deny him he wil deny vs. If we be ashamed of him he wil be ashamed of vs. Wherefore as he forsoke father heauen and al things to come to vs so let vs forsake all thinges to come to him being sure moste certayne that we shal not lose therby Your children shal finde feele it double yea treble what soeuer ye lose for the Lords sake and ye shal finde and fele peace of conscience frendeship with god which is more worth then al the goods of the world My dearly beloued therfore for the Lordes sake cōsider these thynges which I now write vnto you of loue for my Vale and laste farewell for euer in thys present life Turne to the Lorde repente ye your euill and vnthankeful life declare repentaunce by the fruites take time whyles you haue it come to the Lorde whiles he calleth you runne into his lappe whiles his armes be opē to embrase you seeke him whiles he may be found cal vpon him whiles time is conueniente forsake and flye from all euill both in religion and in the rest of your life and conuersation let your lighte so shine before men that they may see your good woorkes and prayse god in the day of his visitation Oh come again come againe ye straunge children I wil receaue you sayth the Lord. Conuert and turne to me and I will turne vnto you Why wil ye nedes perishe As sure as I liue swereth the Lord I wil not your death tourne therefore vnto me Can a woman forget the child of her wombe If she should yet wil not I forget you sayth the lord your god I am he I am he which putteth awaye your sinnes for mine owne sake Oh then deare frends turne I say vnto your dearest father Cast not these his sweete and louing woordes to the grounde and at your tayle for the Lorde watcheth on hys worde to performe it which is in two sortes to them that lay it vp in their hartes and beleue it will he pay all and eternall ioye and comforte But to them that caste it at their backes and wilfully forget it to them I say wil he poure out indignation and eternal shame Wherfore I hartely yet once more besech and pray you and euery of you not to contemne this poore and simple exhortation which now out of prison I make vnto you or rather the Lord by me Loth would I be to be a witnes against you in the last day as of truth I must be if ye repent not if ye loue not gods gospel yea if ye lyue it not Therfore to conclude repent loue gods gospell lyue it in all your conuersation so shall gods name be praysed his plagues mitigated his people comforted his enemies ashamed Graunt all thys thou gracious Lord god to euery of vs for thy deare sonnes sake oure Sauiour Iesus Christ To whom with thee and the holy ghost be eternall glory for euer and euer Amen The 12. of Febr. 1555. By the bondman of the Lord your afflicted poore brother Iohn Bradford To the honourable lord Russell nowe Earle of Bedford being then in trouble for the veritye of gods Gospell THe euerlasting and most gracious god father of our sauioure Iesu Christ blesse your good Lordship with al manner of heauenly blessinges in the same Christ our onely comfort and hope Amen Praysed be god our father which hath vouched you worthy as of fayth in his Christ so of his crosse for the same Magnified be his holy name who as he hath deliuered you from one crosse so he hath made you willinge I trust and ready to beare an other when he shal see his time to lay it vpon you for these are the most singular giftes of God geuē as to fewe so to none els but to those few which are most deare in his sight Faith is reckened and worthely among the greatest giftes of god yea it is the greatest it self that we enioy for by it as we be iustifyed made gods childrē so are we temples possessours of the holy spirit yea of Christ also Eph. 4. and of the father him self Iohn 14. By fayth we driue the deuil away 1. Pet. 5. We ouercome the world 1. Ioh. and are already citizens of heauen and fellowes with gods deare saints But who is able to recken the riches that thys fayth bringeth with her vnto the soule shee sitteth vpō No man nor Angell And therfore as I sayd of al gods giftes she may be set in the toppe haue the vppermost feare The which thing if men considered in that she commeth alonely frō gods own mercy seate by the hearing not of Masse or Mattyns Diriges or such draffe but of the word of God in such a tong as we can and do vnderstand as they would be diligent and take great heede for doing or seing any thyng which might caste her down for thē they fal also so would they with no lesse care read and heare Gods holy woorde ioyning therto moste earnest and often prayer aswel for the more and better vnderstanding as for the louyng liuing confessing of the same maugre the head of the deuil the world our flesh reason goods possessions carnall frendes wyfe children and very life here if they shoulde pulle vs barke to harken to their voyce and counsell for more quiet sure and longer vse of them Now notwithstanding this excellency of fayth in that we read the Apostle to match therewith yea as it were to preferre suffering persecution for Christes sake Philip. 1. I trowe no man will be so fonde as to thinke otherwise but that I and all gods children haue cause to glorifie prayse god which hath vouched you worthy so great a blessing For though the reason or wisedome of the world thinke of the crosse according to their reach and according to their present sense therefore flyeth from it as from a most great ignominie shame yet Gods scholers haue learned otherwise to thinke of the crosse that it is the frame house in the which god frameth his children like to his sonne Christe the fornace that fyneth gods golde the highe waye to heauen the Sute and
champions or els yf ye feele suche infirmitie in your selues that ye be not hable geue place to violence and go where ye maye with free and safe conscience serue the lord Thinke not this counsel to come by chaunce or fortune but to come from the Lorde other oracles we may not looke for nowe As God tolde Ioseph in a dreame by an aungel that he shoulde flye so yf ye feele such infirmity in your selues as shoulde turne to gods dishonor and your owne destruction wythal know that at this present I am as gods aungel to admonish you to take tyme whyles ye haue it and to see that in no case Gods name by you myghte be dishonoured Ioseph myghte haue obiected the omission of his vocation as perchaunce ye wil doe but deare hartes let vocations and all things els geue place to gods name the sanctifyeng therof Thys I speak not as though I wuld not haue you rather to tary to staÌ„d to it but I speake it in respect of your infirmity which if ye feele to bee so greate in you that ye are not certayne of thys hope that god wyll neuer tempt you aboue you hability fly and get you hence and know that therby god wil haue you tried to your selues to others For by this you shal know how to take thys world and your home here as no home but that ye loke for an other and so geue occasion to others lesse to loue thys world and perchaunce to some to doubte of their religion Wherin though they be earnest yet would not they loose so much as ye do for your religion which ye confyrme to me others by your geuyng place to violence Laste of all ye haue cause to reioyce ouer these daies because they be dayes of conformation in the which and by the which god our father maketh vs lyke to christes image here that we may be like to him elswhere For if we suffer with him we shall reigne with him if we be buryed with him we shal rise with him if we coÌ„pany with him in afflictions we shall reioyce with him in glorye if we sowe with him in teares we shal reape with him in gladnes if we coÌ„fesse him before men he will confesse vs before his Father in heauen if we take his part he will take ours if we lose ought for his names sake he wil geue vs all thinges for his truthes sake So that we ought to reioyce bee glad for it is not geueÌ„ to euery one to suffer losse of couÌ„trey life goods house c. for the Lords sake What can god the father do more vnto vs then to cal vs into campe with his sonne What may Christe our Sauiour doe more for vs then to make vs his warriours What can the holy ghost doe to vs aboue this to marke vs with the cognisaunce of the Lord of hostes This cognisance of the Lord standeth not in forket cappes tippettes shauen crownes or such other baggage and antichristian pelfe but in suffering for the Lords sake The worlde shall hate you saith Christ Loe there is the cognisance and badge of gods children the world shal hate you Reioyce therfore my dearly beloued reioyce that god doth thus vouchsafe to beginne to conforme you and make you like to Christ By the triall of these dayes ye are accasioned more to repeÌ„t more to pray more to contempne this worlde more to desire life euerlasting more to be holy for holy is the ende wherfore GOD doth afflict vs and so come to gods company Which thing because we can not do as long as this body is as it is therfore by the doore of death we must entre with Christ into eternall life and immortalitie of soule and body which God of his mercy send shortlye for our Sauiour Iesus Christes sake Amen Iohn Bradford To myne owne deare brother Maister Laurence Saunders prisoner in the Marshalsee GOds sweete peace in Christe be with you my good brother in the Lord Iesus with all your concaptiues AmeÌ„ I was letted this morning from musing on that which I was purposed to haue thought on by reasoÌ„ of you against whoÌ„ I sawe my selfe giltie of negligence euen in this poynt that I would not write I should say that I had not written vnto you as yet therfore out of hande in maner I prepared my selfe to purge my self hereof not that I wil go about to excuse my fault for that were more to loade me but by asking both god and you pardon to get it no more layde to my charge Now then as I was thus purposing partly doing coÌ„meth there one with a letter from you for the which as I haue cause to thanke god and you howbeit not so that you should thinke I geue not the whole to god so I see my selfe more blame worthye for thus longe holding my peace Howbeit good brother in this I haue geuen a demonstration to you to behold my negligence in all other things and especially in praying for you and for the church of god whiche for my sinnes and hypocrisie hypocrisie in dede euen in this writing god deliuer me from it haue deserued to bee punished Iust is god for we haue deserued all kindes of plaggues at his hands but yet merciful is he that will on thys wise chastise vs with this world ne cuÌ„ muÌ„do condeÌ„nemur He myght otherwise haue punished vs I meane he might haue for other causes cast vs in prison me especially then for his gospell and wordes sake Praysed therfore be his name whiche voucheth vs worthy thys honour Ah good god forgeue vs our sinnes and worke by this thy fatherly correction on vs on me especially effectually to loue thee and thy Christ and with ioyfulnes vnto the end to cary thy crosse through thicke and thinne Alwayes set before our eyes not this gallowes on earth if we still sticke to thee but the gallowes in hell if we denye thee or swarne from that we haue professed Ah good brother if I coulde alwayes haue GOD hys maiestie mercye heauen hell c. before mine eyes then should I obdurare as Paule writeth of Moses Heb. 11. obdurauit in quit perinde quasi vidisset eum qui est inuisibilis Praye for me as I know you doe and geue thankes also for in domino spero non nutabo Psal 22. Si ambulauero per valleâ—n vmbrae mortis non timebo quia tu domine mecum es Amen I thinke we shall bee shortly called forth for now legeÌ„ habent secuÌ„duÌ„ legem c. otherwise will they not reason with vs and I thynke theyr shootanker wil be to haue vs to subscribe The which thing if we do though with this condition so farre as the thing subscribed to repugneth not agaynst Gods word yet thys will be offensiue Therefore let vs vadere planê and so sanê I meane let vs all confesse that we are no chaungelinges but reipsa are the same we were in
me Oh that GOD woulde hartelye touche youre husbandes harte so that he woulde gette hym beyonde the Seas althoughe by that meanes I shoulde neuer more corporallye see you as in deede I feare it I feare it but Gods good will bee done I haue wrytten to hym God for hys mercyes sake tourne it to youre and hys good Amen But to come agayne to that from whence I am digressed whereunto you occasion me also by youre letters complayning to me of the blyndnesse of youre mynde and of the trouble you feele throughe talke with some my dearlye beloued GOD make you thankefull for that whiche he hath geuen vnto you he open youre eyes to see what and howe greate benefytes you haue receaued that you maye be lesse couetous or rather impaciente for so I feare me it should bee called and more thankefull Haue not you receaued at his handes syghte to see youre blyndnesse and thereto a desirous and seekyng harte to see where he lyeth in the mydde day as hys deare spouse speaketh of her selfe in the Canticles Oh Ioyce my good Ioyce what a gifte is thys Manye haue some syghte but none thys sobbing and sighinge none thys seekynge whiche you haue I knowe but suche as he hath marryed vnto hym in hys mercyes You are not contente to kysse hys feete with the Magdalen but you woulde bee kissed euen with the kysse of hys mouth Canti 1. You woulde see hys face wyth Moses forgettyng howe he biddeth vs seeke hys face Psalme 27. yea and that for euer Psalme 105. Whiche sygnifyeth no suche syghte as you desire to bee in thys presente life whiche woulde see GOD nowe face to face where as he can not bee seene but couered vnder somethynge yea some tyme in that whiche is as you woulde saye cleane contrarye to God as to see hys mercye in hys anger in bringyng vs to hell fayth seeth hym bring vs to heauen in darkenesse it beholdeth bryghtnes in hydyng hys face from vs it beholdeth hys merye countenaunce Howe dyd Iob see God but as you woulde saye vnder Sathans cloke For who caste the fyre from heauen vppon hys goodes Who ouerthrewe hys house and styrred vppe men to take awaye hys cattell but Sathan And yet Iob pearced throughe all these and sawe Gods worke saying the Lorde hath geuen the Lorde hath taken awaye c. In reading of the psalmes howe often doe you see that Dauid in the shadowe of death sawe Gods sweete loue And so my dearelye beloued I see that you in your darkenesse and dymnesse by fayth doe see claritie and bryghtnesse by fayth I saye because fayth is of thynges absente of thynges hoped for of thynges whiche I appeale to your conscience whether you desire not And can you desire anye thyng whiche you knowe not And is there of heauenlye things any other true knowlegde then by fayth Therefore my deare harte be thankefull for before God I write it you haue greate cause Ah my Ioyce howe happye is the state wherein you are Verelye you are euen in the blessed state of Gods children for they mourne and do not you so and that not for worldly weale but for spiritual riches faythe hope charitie c. Math. 5 Do you not hunger and thirste for righteousnesse And I praye you saieth not Christ whoe can not lie that happye are such How shoulde GOD wipe awaye the teares from youre eyes in heauen if now on earth you shed no teares How could heauen be a place of reste if on earth you dyd finde it Howe coulde you desire to bee at home if in youre iourneye you founde no greffe Howe could you so often cal vpō god and talke with him as I knowe you doe if your enemye should sleepe all daye longe Howe shoulde you elswhere be made lyke vnto Christe I meane in ioye if in sorrowe you sobbed not with hym If you wil haue ioye and felicitie you muste firste needes feele sorrowe and miserye If you will goe to heauen you must sayle by hell If you will embrace Christe in hys robes you muste not thynke scorne of hym in hys ragges If you will sitte at Christes table in hys kingdome you muste fyrste abide with hym in hys temptations If you will drinke of hys cuppe of glorye forsake not hys cuppe of ignominye Can the head corner stone bee reiected and the other more base stones in Gods buildyng be in thys worlde set by You are one of hys liuely stones be contente therefore to be hewen and snagged at that you myghte be made the more meete to bee ioyned to youre fellowes which suffer with you Sathans snatches the worlds woundes contempte of conscience and frettes of the fleshe where throughe they are enforced to crye Oh wretches that we are Rom. 6 who shall deliuer vs You are of Gods corne feare not therfore the flayle the fanne mylstone nor ouen You are one of Christes Lambes looke therefore to bee fleeced hayled at and euen flayne If you were a market shepe you shoulde goe in more fatte and grasye pasture If you were for the Faire you shoulde bee staulfed and wante no weale but because you are for Gods owne occupying therefore you must pasture on the bare common abyding the stormes and tempestes that will fall Happye and twyse happye are you my deare syster that GOD nowe haileth you whether you woulde not Iohn 21. that you myghte come whether you woulde Suffer a little and bee still Let Sathan rage agaynste you let the worlde crye oute let youre conscience accuse you let the lawe loade you and presse you downe yet shall they not preuaile for Christe is Emanuell that is god with vs. If God be with vs who can be agaynst vs The Lord is with you your father cā not forget you your spouse loueth you Math. 8 If the waues and surges arise crye with Peter Lord I perishe and he wil put out his hand and helpe you Cast out your anker of hope and it wyll not cease for all the stormy surges till it take holde on the rocke of gods truthe and mercy Thinke not that he whiche hathe geuen you so many thynges corporallye as inductions of spirituall and heauenlye mercies and that wythout your desertes or desyre can deny you any spiritual comfort desiring it phi 2. For yf he geue to desire he will geue you to haue and enioye the thyng desired The desyre to haue and the goyng aboute to aske ought to certifye your conscience that they be his earnest of the thyng whiche you askyng he will geue you yea before you aske and whilest you are aboute to aske he wyll graunt the same as Esay sayth to his glory and your eternal consolation He that spared not his owne sonne for you Rom. 8 wyll not nor cannot thynke anye thynge to good for you my hartely beloued If he had not chosen you as most certainlye he hathe he would not haue so called you he would neuer haue iustified you he
two thynges one the cause on our behalfe the other what wil be the sequel on straungers For the first yf we be not blynd we cannot but well see that our sinnes are the cause of all this misery our synnes I saye whiche I woulde that euerye one of vs woulde applye to our selues after the example of Ionas and Dauid turnyng ouer the wallet that other mens offences myghte lye behynde and our own before Not that I would excuse other men which exteriorly haue walked much more grossely then manye of you haue done but that I woulde prouoke you all as my selfe to more harty repentaunce and prayer Let vs more more encrease to know and lament our doubtyng of God of hys presence power anger mercy c. Let vs better feele and hate our selfe loue securitie negligence vnthankefulnes vnbeliefe impatience c. and then doubteles the crosse shall be lesse carefull yea it shall be comfortable and Christ most deare and pleasaunt death then shall be desired as the dispatcher of vs out of all misery and entraunce into eternall felicity ioy vnspeakable the which is so much the more longed for by howe muche we feele in dede the Serpentes byttes wherwyth he woundeth our heeles that is our outward Adam and senses If we had I say a liuely and true feelyng of his poyson we could not but as reioyce ouer our Captayn that hath brused hys head so be desirous to follow hys example that is to geue oure lyues wyth hym and for hym Coloss 1 and so to fyll vp hys passions that he myght conquere and ouercome in vs and by vs to his glory and comfort of hys chyldren Now the second I meane the sequell or that whyche wil follow on the straungers my derely beloued let vs wel loke vpon For if so be that god iustly do thus geue to Sathan and hys sede to vexe and molest Christe and hys penitente people oh what and how iustly maye he and wyll he geue to Sathan to intreate the rechlesse and impenitent synners If iudgement beginne thus at gods house what wil follow on them that be wythout if they repent not Certainly for them is reserued the dregges of gods cuppe that is Brymstone fyre and tempest intollerable Nowe are they vnwilling to drynke of gods cuppe of afflictions which he offreth common with hys sonne Christ our Lord lest they shoulde lose theyr pygges wyth the Gergesites Math. 8. They are vnwillyng to come into the waye that bryngeth to heauen euen afflictions they in their hartes crye let vs caste his yoke from vs they walke two wayes that is they seeke to serue god and Mammon which is vnpossible They wil not come nighe the straite waye that bryngeth to lyfe they open their eyes to beholde presente thynges onelye they iudge of religion after reasō and not after gods word they follow the more part and not the better they professe God wyth their mouthes but in their hartes they deny hym or elles they woulde sanctifye hym by seruing him more then men they part stake wyth GGD whych woulde haue al geuing part to the world to the Romishe route and Antichristian Idolatry now set abroad emongest vs publikely they will haue Christ but none of his crosse which will not be they wil be counted to lyue godly in Christe but yet they wil suffer no persecutiō they loue thys world wher through the loue of god is driuen forth of them they sauer those things that be of men and not that be of god Summa they loue god in their lippes ▪ but in their harts yea and in their dedes deny him aswel by not repenting their euils past as by continuing in euil stil by doyng as the world the flesh and the deuil willeth yet stil perchaunce they wil praye or rather prate thy wyll be done in earth which is generally that euery one shuld take vp his crosse and follow christ But this is a hard sermō who is able to abide it Therfore Christ must be praied to depart lest al their pigges be drowned The deuil shal haue his dwelling again in thēselues rather thē in their pigges therfore to the deuil shal they go dwel with him in eternal perdiciō dānation euē in hel fier a torment endles aboue al cogitations incomprehensible if they repent not Wherfore by thē my derely beloued be admonished to remēber your professiō how that in Baptisme you made a solēpne vow to renoūce the deuil the world c. You promised to fight vnder christes stāderd You learned christs crosse afore you begun with A. B. C. Go to thē pay your vow to the lord fyght lyke men and valiant men vnder Christes standerde take vp your crosse and follow your maister as your brethern M. Hoper Rogers Tailor and Saūders haue done and as now your bretherne M. Cranmer Latymer Rydley Farror Bradforde Hawkes c. be redy to do The Ise is broken before you therfore be not afraide but be content to dye for the lord You haue no cause to wauer or doubte of the doctryne thus declared by the bloud of the pastours Remember that Chryste sayeth he that wyll saue hys lyfe shall lose it And what shoulde it profite you to wynne the whole worlde much lesse a little quietnes your goodes c. and to lose your owne soules Render to the Lorde that he hath lent you by such meanes as he would haue you render it and not as you woulde Forgette not Christes disciples must denye themselues as well concernyng their wyl as concernyng their wisedome Haue in mynde that as it is no small mercy to beleue in the Lord so it is no smal kindnes of God towardes you to suffer any thyng muche more death for the Lord. If they be blessed that dye in the Lorde howe shall they be that dye for the Lorde Oh what a blessyng is it to haue death due for our synnes diuerted into a demonstration and testification of the lordes truth Oh that we had a little of Moses faith to loke vpon the ende of the crosse to loke vpon the rewarde to see continuallye wyth Christe and hys people greater ryches then the ryches of Egipt Oh let vs pray that god would open our eyes to see hys hyd Manna heauenlye Ierusalem the congregation of the first borne the melodye of the sainctes the tabernacle of God dwellyng wyth men then should we runne and become violent men and so take the kyngdome of heauen as it were by force God oure father geue vs for hys Christes sake to see a little what and howe great ioye he hath prepared for vs he hathe called vs vnto and most assuredlye geueth vs for hys owne goodnes and truthes sake Amen My derely beloued repent bee sober watch in prayer be obediēt after your vocations shewe your obedience to the hygher powers in all thyngs that are not agaynst gods worde therein acknowledge the soueraigne power of the Lorde howbeit so
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
people they do communicate the same both to heauen and earth to euery thing elles As for example when the Prophets do foreshowe the ouerthrowes of realmes peoples how do they say that the whole shape of the worlde shal be moued therat Loke vpō Esay how he whē he prophecieth the fall of Babilon doth say that the starres shall not shyne from heauen the sunne shal be darkened in his rising the mone shall not geue her light And afterwards he saith I wil shake the heauens the earth shall be moued out of his place Esay 13. But the historyes do witnesse that there are wonderful chaunges of al creatures both heauenly earthly in the ouerthrowes and destructions of realmes people Agayne when Esay doth Prophecye of the kingdome of Christ he doth promyse new heauens new earth and that so excellent and new that he sheweth the former heauens earth to be vtterly forgotten Esay 63. Wherto the Apostle agreeth making Christ the repairer of al things in heauen in earth Ephesi 1. Col. 1. Howe dyd both heauen and earth geue their seruice to the Israelites cōming forth of Egipte aswel in preseruing them as in destroying their enemyes How did the sunne shyne longer thē it was wont to do for Iosue to ouercome hys enemies How did euē the very Angels fyght for Ezechias against the Assirians Read the .30 chap. of Esay And behold the history of Christ cōsider how the Angels reioyced how the starre brought the wise men to Christe howe the Aungells were ministers vnto him in the wildernesse howe the deuilles confessed hym In his death how dyd all the whole world shew compassion The sunne was darkened the earth dyd quake the rockes claue a sunder the vaile of the temple rent a sunder When he arose both heauē for the Angels with great heauēly brightnesse appeared and earth which was moued dyd reioyce the Angels were preachers of it In hys ascension also dyd not a bryghte cloude receaue him and take hym vp Dyd not the Angels testifye of hys returne When he sent the holy ghoste and made his new couenaunte of grace dyd not all the whole worlde serue thereto by thunder smoke fyer earthquake Now how wonderfully they will do their seruice to Christ comming to iudgement it is more plaine then I nede to rehearse And in asmuch as we are the members of Christe he being our head we may sone see how that all thyngs haue a certayne compassion with man do after their kinde as the Apostle writeth loke for a deliuerance from vanitye which they shal obteyne in their restauration I therfore tolde you how that I do take the Apostle to meane by euery creature simply euē al the whole shape creatures in the world He doth attribute vnto them how that they looke for the perfection of our saluatiō how that they are subiecte to vanitie howe that they are subiecte in hope how that they grone and trauel attributing these things vnto the senseles creature by trāslation from man to signifye the societie cognation and cōsent which all euery creature hath with man that as euery all thinges were made for man so by the man Christ al and euery thing both earthly and heauenly shal be restored These thinges you know in effecte I spake vnto you to stirre vp both my self and you to a deper consideratiō of our blessed state which now we enioy in hope which wil neuer deceaue vs the more to occasion vs to desire the ful fruition of the same But I do remēber that you were something troubled with some doutfulnes hereabout Therfore I purpose now to write of thys matter more at large therby to occasion vs both to see better through the helpe of gods spirit that which we desire I pray God graunt vnto vs both for his mercies sake I meane the felicitie of his childrē and the happie state which one day in very deede my dere hart we shal fully possesse and both together prayse the Lord with al hys Saintes world without end Amen Amen Thys was your doubt If so be that S. Paul dyd meane by all creatures simply as I haue spoken that they shal be deliuered from corruption into suche a state as shall adorne the fredome of Gods children whether that plantes beasts and other thinges hauing life shal bee restored If yea then you would know whether al thinges that haue bene shal be restored also And after thys you wil perchaunce aske in what place they shall be what they shall do and so forth As I thinke vpon this matter and as I am accustomed to answere such questiōs cōming to me I wil here write for an answere vnto you also not douting but that therwith you wil be satisfyed because I know your hart is satisfyed with godlye sufficient answeres Thus I thinke All euery creature groneth traueleth as yet hoping loking for my restauration for they be subiect to corruption for my synnes sake but they al shal be deliuered by my Christ frō the bondage of corruptiō thē whē he shal restore vs his mēbers Thys wil I muse on way with my self that I may dulye knowe both in me and in al other things the atrocitie and bitternesse of synne whieh dwelleth in me so may the more hartely geue ouer my self wholy to the lord Christ my Sauiour that he may with what crosse soeuer shal please him sley synne in me and bring me after his own wil way to newnesse of life Wherunto that I for my part may faythfully withal my whole hart do my diligence in mortifying the desires of my flesh in labouring to obey the desires of the spirite to liue a life acceptable to him I besech him of his grace And that I maye do this cherefully cōtinue in thys purpose diligence I wil fasten my minde as much as the Lord shal enable me to cōsider this my so great happinesse wherunto I shal be restored in the resurrection the which resurrection doutles shall be adourned by the whole shape of the world deliuered frō corruptiō These thinges wil I thinke on these things wil I pause on herein wil I as it were drowne my self being careles of thys I meane what partes of the world the Lorde Christ wil restore with me or how he wil do it or what state or condition he wil geue it It is enough enough for me that I and all the whole world with me shal be much more happie thē now I can by any meanes conceaue By reasō hereof I will prayse and glorifye my Lorde and by hys grace I wil study to please hym with al my hart with all my soule with all my strengthe singing vnto him that he both doth wel and hath done and made al thinges wel to hym be eternal glory for euer This is my cogitation in thys matter and not mine only He meaneth that most godly and learned father M.
Martyne Buâ—er but the cogitation of one which was my father in the Lord and now I am assured with the Lord at home where we yet are from home by reason of thys oure corruptible habitacles wherein we abyde the Lordes leasure If you would knowe the reason that moueth me to aunsweare as I haue done to the foresayde doubtes or questions it is thys You see that the Apostle in thys place to the Romaines speaketh of the deliueraunce of euerye creature from the bondage of corruption and that to the beautifying of the glorye of Gods children Thys is so manifest that no man can well denye it It is but a simple shyfte to saye that the Apostle doth meane in thys place by euerye creature man onelye He is not wonte to speake on that fort Neyther dare I saye that the Apostle speaketh here hyperbotically or excessiuely although some thinke so But as I sayd I say agayn that the Apostle doth here simply affirme that there shall be a renouacion a deliuerance from corruption not only of man but also of al and of euery part of the whole world of euery part I say meaning partes in deede not such as be rather vices added for plagues then for partes For by reason of sinne â–ª many spottes corruptions are come into the world as is all that is hurtfull and filthy in the creatures Also al that commeth of corruption as perchaunce flees vermyne and such like Thys renouation of all things the Prophets do seme to promyse when they promise new heauens new earth For a newe earth seemeth to require no lesse renouation of earthly thinges then new heauens do of heauenly thyngs But these things the Apostle doth playnely affirme the Christ will restore euen whatsoeuer be in heauen in earth Col. 1. Therfore me thinkes it is the dutye of a Godly minde simply to acknowledge and therof to bragge in the Lord that in our resurrection al things shal be so repayred to eternitie as for our sinne they were made subiecte to corruption The auncient writers our of Peter haue as it were 2. pet 3 agreed to this sentence that the shape of this world shall passe a way through the burning of earthly fire as it was drowned wyth the flowing of earthly waters August de ciuitate dei lib. cap. 6 These be S. Augustines wordes Wherto I will adde these which he there writeth the qualities sayth he of the corruptible elementes which agreed with our corruptible bodyes shal vtterly be burned with that same worldlye conflagration and burning as I sayd but the substance it self shall haue those qualities which do agree by a meruelous chaunge to oure bodyes that the world chaunging into the better may openly be made mete to man returned euen in the flesh into the better These be hys words Wherby it is plaine that this good man did beleue that the elements should be renewed but of other things he medleth not except it be of the sea by the occasion of that which is in the Apocalips howbeit so he speaketh that he can not wel tel whether it also shal be chauÌ„ged into the better adding these wordes but we read that there shal be a new heauen and a newe earth For he dyd vnderstand the place of Esay concerning the new heauen and new earth simply of other things he expresseth nothing But Thomas Aquinas entreateth thys questioÌ„ more exactly or rather curiouslye affyrming the celestial bodies the elementes mankinde to be renewed but in no wise beasts plantes c. to bee so and this is hys principall reason The renouation of the world shal be for man therfore such shall be the renouation as shal be conformable to the renouation of man But the renouation of man shal be from corruption to incorruption froÌ„ mouing to rest the things therfore that shall be renewed with man must be broughte also to incorruption Now the celestial bodies the elementes were made to incorruptioÌ„ the one wholy in euery part the other that is the elementes though in part they are corruptible yet coÌ„cerning the whole they are incorruptible as man is incorruptible coÌ„cerning part that is the soule But beasts plaÌ„tes c. are corruptible both wholy in euery part therefore they were not made to incorruption and so are they not conformable to the renewing that is they are not receaueable of incorruption and therfore they shall not be restored This reason is true in this part that it affirmeth thyngs shal be restored with man and with him shal be brought to perpetuitie as the Apostle sayth to be deliuered from the bondage of corruption Agayne hys reason is true herein also that mans reason may soner be persuaded the things now partly incorruptible shal be restored altogether to incorruptioÌ„ But now to say that by no reason those things may be broughte to perpetuitie which now both wholy partly be teÌ„porall and momentane howe can he proue it in that the nature being of all thyngs dependeth on the omnipotencie of God which after hys own pleasure doth geue to things which he hath made their being and al is one to him to make a thing temporall and to make it eternall For he made all thynges of nothing and therefore heauen and the celestiall bodyes haue no more of them selues that they be perpetuall then haue those thinges that laste but a daye Wherfore thys reason which Thomas maketh is not fyrme in that it wholye leaueth to that which now seemeth and appeareth in thynges In deede as I said it hath some shewe or probabilitie that these things shal be renewed to eternitie for the glory of gods childreÌ„ which now somthyng are pertakers of the same But now seing that both it which they nowe haue and also shall haue dependeth vpon the becke pleasure of God whoÌ„ hath God made of counsell with hym concerning the renouation of the world of al things that he can tel what partes of things what kindes of things he wil renewe Yea euen Aristotle dyd acknowledge that Physice or natural knowlege because it bringeth his reasons froÌ„ the disposition nature of things hath not ful necessitie of his reasons For nature is nothing els theÌ„ the ordinarie woÌ„ted wil of god as a miracle porteÌ„t or monster is the rare vnwonted wil of God We say that the nature of stones al heuie things is to sinke dounward which is nothing elles but the pleasure of God so depelling them and puttinge them downe for elles of them selues nothyng is eyther heuye or lyghte all is a like to be caryed downewardes or vpwardes Who may make God subiecte to hys worke Can not he that made all things of nothyng geue hereafter to the thinges that he hath made that wherof nowe in them selues they haue no capacitie These thyngs I do therfore rehearse to the end I myghte declare that when we dispute what god wyl do concernyng hys workes how
that it is not seemely for vs to conclude according to that which semeth appeareth to vs in things but rather as godlynesse requireth to referre all thynges to the wil of God This wil if it be expressed in holy scripture then may we simplye determine that which we read expressed there But if it be not so then ought we frely to confesse our ignoraunce and not prescribe to God what he ought to doe of hys workes by that which alreadye he hath done God is of power infinite of nothīg did he not only make al things but also will doe what pleaseth him both in heauen and in earth sayth Dauid The foresayd Thomas bringeth forth also other reasons but which he hym selfe counteth not for inuincible One is if beastes and plantes shall bee restored eyther all or some shall be restored If al shal be restored then must the resurrectiō be cōmunicate vnto them that the same in nūber be restored which is not cōueniēt If some shal be restored there appeareth no reason why these shoulde be restored more then other therefore saith he they shal not be restored But here what would he aunswere if one shoulde aske him howe he knoweth it is not conuenient that eyther al in number bee restored as mā shal aryse eyther only some in the thys thing wholye resteth in the hand and wil of God An other reason he maketh out of Aristotle and out of a grounde whiche is vncertayne Aristotle affyrmeth the perpetuitie of thinges to hang on the continual mouing of heauen Thomas now hereto gathereth thus but the mouing of heauē shall cease therfore he concludeth that in these inferiour things no perpetuitie maye be looked for But here what answere wil he make if a man shall say that all thynges hange at the becke and pleasure of God who nowe for the conseruation of his creatures whiche now aryse and spring and nowe dye and fall downe vseth the mouyng of heauen and can afterwardes not vse it for thys purpose Thys is a truth that all thynges of them selues are nothyng muche more then can they not doe any thyng Now men may coniecture that the mouyng of heauen shall cease but yet by the certaine word of God they can not proue it In like manner is hys laste reason which he maketh of the ende of beastes and plantes but which end he knoweth not Beastes and plantes sayth he were made for the sustentation of the mutual life of mā but thys lyfe shall cease therefore shall they also But here hath he no aunsweare if a man shoulde demaunde who knoweth whether GOD haue made them to none other ende or vse Seing therfore these thynges be as you see I suppose it not to pertayne to a godly man to denye the beastes and plātes to be restored in that the Apostle doth here expressely say that euery creature which is now subiecte to vanitie shal bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of god In that the holy ghost doth affirme thys of euery creature by what reason dare a godly mind exempt any part frō this deliuerance to come Howbeit neyther wyll the Godlye mynde contende whether euery creature shal be renewed For the holy ghost spake of the creature generally and not perticulerly and therfore we maye not otherwyse affirme because we muste not speake but gods worde Therfore it is the parte of a godlye man and of one that hangeth in all thynges vppon the worde of god to learne out of thys place that whatsoeuer corruption deathe or griefe he seeth in anye thyng wheresoeuer it bee that I saye he ascribe that wholye vnto hys synnes and thereby prouoke hymselfe to true repentaunce Nowe as soone as that repentaunce compelleth hym to goe to Christe lette hym thynke thus but thys my Sauiour and my head Iesus Christ dyd for my synnes and therewith as he toke away death so hath he taken away all the corruption and labour of all thynges and wyll restore them in his tyme whether so euer they be in heauen or in earthe Now euery creature trauayleth and groneth wyth vs but we beyng restored they also shal be restored There shall be newe heauens newe earth and all thynges newe Thus I wyshe that our myndes myght staye in thys generalitye of the renouation of the worlde and not curiously to searche what partes of the worlde shal be restored and what shall not or how al thyngs shal be restored much more then I would not haue vs curious nor inquisitiue of theyr place where they shall be of theyr action what they shall doe or of theyr properties and suche lyke For if to haue fore knowen these thynges woulde haue made muche to godlines surely the holy ghost woulde moste playnely haue tolde them For accordyng to christes promise he bringeth vs into all truth all truth I saye suche as the knowledge of it would profite vs. Al the scripture is geuen to vs for this purpose that the man of god might be made perfect and enstructed to al good workes and truely that can be no good worke which we do except god teach vs the same He hath prepared the good workes wherin we walke Ephesi 2 But the certayne and bottomles fountayne of these good workes is in all thynges to hange on the becke and pleasure of god and throughe our Lorde Iesus Christ to looke for with remission of synnes lyfe euerlastyng and the glorye of the resurrection To the ende therefore that we maye more fully know our synnes and more make of our redēption from them by Christ let vs set before oure eyes death the hyre of synne and that not only in our selues but also in euery creature of the world Howbeit this let vs do wyth a hope of so ample a restauration and neuer enough to be merueled at which shal be euen in al thinges for our renouation by the Lord Iesus Christ the renewer of all things whatsoeuer be in heauen or in earth He that with true faith wayeth cōsidereth these things wil be as it were swallowed vp in the admiration of so excedyng great beneuolence and loue of God our heauenly father that he can neuer admitte to yelde to thys curiositie of searchyng what kynde of thyngs shal be renewed and how they shall be renewed or what state or condition they shall be in when they are renewed These be thynges of the lyfe to come wherof thys foreknowledge is sufficient that all these thynges shall be more perfect and happy thē the reach of reason is hable to loke vpon the glory of them For the eye hath not sene nor the eare hath heard nor it cannot ascend into mans hart that God hath prepared for them that loue hym For concernyng our resurrection what other thyng do we knowe before hand but that we shall be most happy euen so therfore let vs not doubt but that there shall be a deliueraunce of the creature from the seruitude of
Iude. 1. as Peter Paul Iude prophecyed it shold be to poison kil our soules wyth false doctrine And where he fayleth hys purpose that way then moueth he hys members to persecute the sely carcases of the Saints because they wyl not denye nor dissemble theyr pure fayth in our liuyng Christ confesse a dead bready christ and honour the same as Christ god man Exod 20. 1. Iohn 5. 2. Corin. 10 contrary to gods cōmaundements Thys is the working of Sathā who knowing hys own iust dāpnation would al mankynd to be pertakers wyth him of the same such a mortal hatred beareth he agaynst god his people Matth. 4. And therfore when thys wicked tempter could not kyll Christ with suttel temtation to fal down worship him thē he stirred vp hys seruantes the byshops Pharisees to kil hys body wherby notwithstanding the deuyl lost hys title enterest which he had to mans soule and mā by his precious passion and death was raunsomed frō the deuil death hel to immortalitie lyfe euerlasting and so when Sathan thought to haue wonne all in kylling of Christ he lost all and so shall he do in vs if we abyde constant and strong in the fayth of our lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ vnto the end God graunt it for his mercyes sake in Christ blessed are al they that put their trust in hym Amen Wherfore my hartely beloued brethrē sisters be of good cōfort through Iesus Christ for he that is in vs is strōger thē he that is in the world Therfore draw ye nere to god Iames. 2 he wil draw nere to you Resist the deuil he wil as Iames saith flee frō you Beware of the leuē of the Pharisees Math. 16. Touch not pitche least ye be defiled therewith Eate no swynes fleshe for it is against the lawe I meane defyle not your selues neither inwardly nor outwardly with thys false wicked religion of Antichrist for it is nothing els but pitch Apo. 13.14 Apo. 18 2. Cor. 6. swynes flesh Beware of the beastes marke lest ye drinke of the cup of gods wrath If god haue geuē you knowlege fayth dissēble not therwith Deny not the knowen verity before men lest Christ denie you before hys father Come away frō Babilon as Iohn biddeth you touch no vncleane thing but seperate your selues from the companye of the vngodly as Paul commaundeth you What soeuer ye haue done amysse heretofore now repent and amend psal 129. for with the lord there is mercye and plenteous redemption The third thing note which I gather out of the foresayd words of Peter is this that he sayth reioyce because ye are pertakers of Christs passiōs Our sufferings my welbeloued are christs sufferings and that iniury that is done to vs for his sake he rekoneth it to be done to himself as he said to Paul Act. 9. Saule Saule why persecutest thou me Col. 1. Therfore we ought to reioyce in our sufferings as Paul writeth which we suffer with Christ one with an other as Peter sayth so to fulfyll that which is behinde of the passions of Christ in our flesh which Christ hath by hys passion fully redemed saued vs in hys own person howbeit hys elect must suffer with him for him vnto the worldes end Mat. 5. that he may be glorifyed in thē and they therby corrected clensed frō sinne in thys world be made more mete temples for the holy ghost and also obtain a great reward in heauē for their suffering for righteousnes sake according to his promise And therfore I say my brethrē reioyce in the lord alwayes agayne I say reioice Let vs reioyce in the crosse of our lord Iesus Christ Phil 3. Galat. 6. wherby the word is crucifyed to vs we to it And why shoulde we so greatly reioyce in the crosse of Christ which we now suffer Because saith Peter when his glory appeareth we may be mery glad And this is the fourth note that I gather out of his words aboue writē Wherin is set out the reward of suffering not to be had in this world but at his coming to iudgement when we shal be raysed agayn and then shall they that haue sowen in teares reape in ioy as christ sayth blessed are they that wepe here for they shal laughe Blessed are ye when mē hate you thrust you out of their company rayling on you abhorring your name as an euel thīge for the sonne of mās sake Luke 6 reioyce ye in that day and be glad for your rewarde is great in heauen Wherfore my dearly beloued through hope of thys heauenly ioye reward 1. Cor. 2. Heb. 12 which he that cā not lie hath promised which ioy is so great that no eare hath heard no eie hath sene nor the hart cā thinke where we shal dwel for euer in the heauenly citie the celestiall Ierusalē in the presence of God the father Iesus Christ our mediatour as Paul sayeth and in the cōpany of innumerable Angels and with the spirits soules of al faythful iust men reioyce be glad seīg ye be called to so great glory 2 pet i. see that ye make your election vocation sure by good workes specially by suffering aduersitie for the Gospels sake Phil. 1. for it is geuen vs of god saith Paul not only to beleue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake Continue in prayer pray for me that I may end my course with ioye Haue brotherly loue amongest your selues Iohn 14 which is a tokē that ye be Christs distiples Edifie cōfort one an other in the word of the lord the god of peace loue be with you alwaies Amē For your liberalitie kindnesse shewed vpō the prisoners afflicted people of god in this time of persecutiō the lord wil reward you whē he cometh to reward euery mā according to their dedes and wil not leaue a cup of cold water bestowed vpon his faythfull people vnrewarded God make you rich in al grace Matth. 10. 2. Cor. 8. that ye alwayes hauing sufficient may be ryche vnto al manner of good workes The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of god and the felowship of the holy ghost be with you alwayes Amen Your brother nowe in bondes for the gospell Thomas Whittell To my louyng and faythfull brother Iohn Careles prisoner in the Kynges Benche THe same faith for the which Abrahā was accompted iuste and Mary blessed wherby also al iust men liue the lorde god our louing father encrease and stablyshe in you and me to the obteining of eternal life in our alone and swete Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen I cā not worthely sufficiently prayse god my hartely be loued brother for the consolation ioye that I receaued by reasō of your louing letters repēting me much that
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
might be the better by them if he returne not agayne Euen so dearly beloued and ryght worshipfull my good frendes I hauing shortlye to passe vnto my heauenly inheritaunce whiche is hidden with Christ to our common countrey and eternal dwelling place which we shal haue ◠god neuer to returne before the latter day in the whiche our soules shall come to iudgement and receaue their bodyes to be glorifyed according to their doings haue thought it my dutye to cōmunicate vnto you somthing with whō I haue foūd great humanitie of the fewe heauenly treasures with the whiche God among others hath endued me in Christe whereby he hath made me his childe and assuredly the enheritour of the kingdome of heauen wich all those which vnfaynedly loue him and constantly cleaue to his holy gospell and that is by the renouation of his Image whereunto man was first created lyke vnto god which is to be in the fauour of God to know God truly to liue iustely to delight feruently in the contēpplacion of God to bee continually happye to be immortall voyde of al corruption and sinne the which blessed Image through synne is deformed in vs and in maner loste sauing that it hath pleased GOD of his mercye who willeth not the death of a sinner to restore that Image by grace throughe knowledge and beliefe of the Gospell whiche otherwyse in our nature is cleane suppressed extinguished Therefore we knowing the greate and lamentable losse whiche we doe sustaine in Adam ought moste earnestly to seeke the recouerye thereof that we mighte eternallye liue like vnto God in immortalitie and felicitie the whiche we shall neuer recouer vnlesse we goe aboute to mortifye our outwarde man all the dayes of our life more and more and bee renewed in spirite according to the true knowledge of GOD the whiche if we bee then may we bee assured that we haue found that ioye felicitie and eternall life whiche Adam had in paradise yea and more then that tenne thousand folde for that it is suche as the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither the hart cā cōceaue which christ hath prepared for vs. This image of god whosoeuer by faith doth fynd he hath found the most precious treasure that any man can finde for he is euen here a citizen of heauen and in possession of eternal life Therefore I cōmit vnto you principally a dailye care of the renouation of this image as the chiefest iewel you can desire in this world And hereof now I am the more moued to put you in remembraunce because I loue you entierly in the lord and desyre your fellowshyp which the iniquity of our tyme will not permit me to enioy here And for asmuche as we haue a better life to come then this present is an eternall societie with Christ whiche neyther the malice of tyme neither the distance of place can dissolue or separate I exhort you now as one that hath obtained mercy of god in the reparacion of hys image in me to embrace the care therof with earnest desyre to attayn the same wherby we shal al haue a perfect fruition of our loue frendship which alreadye we haue here begon with god in heauen shal bee wythout all doute made ioyfully perfect Let this be a perpetual remembrance of your poore afflicted frend which daily loketh through fire to enter into that eternal life where he trusteth assuredly to enioy your fellowship if the image of god be renued in you through the knowledge of Christ which you haue receyued do know Loke whose image the coyne beareth his it is Semblably if your conuersation be after the gospell verely you are the elect of Christ but if it be according to the world his seruants you are whom your lyfe doth expresse We haue all in Baptisme put on Christ whom if we endeuour to represēt we are in dede the sonnes of God and inheritours wyth Christ One good rule S. Paule to the Rom. in the xij chap. doth appoint for the restauration of this our image of God Fashion not your selues saith he vnto thys world but be ye chaūged in your shape by the renewyng of your mynde that ye maye proue what is the will of god which thing is good acceptable perfect God graūt that this rule may take place with you then doutles our companye shall be inseparable wyth all the saynts of God in eternall blesse Be you not deceyued by the vayne possessions and vncertayne pleasures of this worlde whiche serue to none other purpose then to blynde your eyes that they mighte not behold the things which be glorious and permanent for euer The thynges whiche we see are mortall but the thynges which we see not but certainly hope for be immortall For all flesh as the Prophete Esay saythe is but grasse and the glory therof as the flower of the fielde Oh that you whiche haue the possessions of thys world would so accompt thē not sel your eternal inheritance for a messe of porrige as Esau dyd God open your eyes that you may see the glory of Christ in the mount wyth Peter Iohn and Iames. Then I doubte not you would say with Peter Lord it is good for vs to abyde here let vs here make our dwelling places We haue in this world no fyrme mansion but we seke after that which is to come the which yf we seke nowe where it maye be found we shal surely finde it If we mortify the image of Adam which through synne raigneth in our flesh then shal the image of Christ reuiue in vs to our eternall glorye We are all baptised to die wyth Christe to the ende we shoulde walke in newnes of lyfe as persons dead to the world and liuyng to God And if we dye with hym by crucifieng our concupiscence and lustes we shall eternally lyue Infidelitie is the cause of all our misery which causeth vs to feare mā more then GOD and to esteme the thynges presence more then the thynges to come God illighten our eyes that we may vnderstand how precious an inheritaunce Christ hath prepared for suche as hunger and thurst therafter Then I doubte not we would say wyth Sayncte Paule I am surely persuaded that neyther deathe nor lyfe neyther Aungels nor rule neyther power neyther thynges present neyther thynges to come neyther anye other treasure or creature shall separate vs from the loue whych is in Christe Iesus The Lorde encrease our fayth and geue vs hys holy spirite to discerne wyth our selues howe muche we are growen in hys image and are lyke vnto hym for howe muche we are vnlyke to the worlde so muche more are we like vnto god and so much the more do we approche vnto hym The lord drawe you by hys holye spirite and fashion you vnto hys lykenes that we may eternally lyue together The meanes to come therevnto is diligent exercise in gods worde continuall and faithfull prayer a desyre and loue to
of my fal also deliuered me his name be praised foreuermore Amē Neyther deuil nor cruel Tyrāne can plucke any of christes shepe out of hys hand Of the whych flocke of christes shepe I trust vndoubtedly I am one by meanes of his death bloudshedyng which shal at the last day stand at hys right hand and receyue wyth other his blessed benediction And now beyng condēned to dye my cōscience mind I prayse god is quyet in Christ I by his grace am very wel willyng content to geue ouer thys body to the death for the testimony of hys truth and pure religiō agaynste Antichriste and all hys false religion and doctryne They that reyort otherwyse of me speake not truely And as for Fountayne I saw him not all thys while Thomas Whittle Ministes Another letter of M. Thomas VVhittell written to a cerrayne godly woman OH my deare and louing Sister in Christ bee not dismayd in this storme of persecution for Paul calleth the gospel the word of the crosse because it is neuer truly taught but the crosse and cruell persecution immediatlye and necessarilye doth followe the same and therefore it is a manifeste token of Gods truth that hath bene here and is styl abroade and that is a cause of the rage and crueltye of Sathan agaynste Christ and hys members whiche muste bee corrected for their sinnes in thys worlde their fayth muste bee tryed that after tryall and paciente suffering the faythfull maye receaue the crowne of glorye Feare not therefore my welbeloued but proceede in the knowledge and feare of GOD and he will keepe you from all euill Call vppon hys holy name and he will strengthen you and assiste you in all your wayes and if it please hym to lay his crosse vppon you for his Gospells sake refuse it not neyther shake it of by vnlawfull meanes leste you shoulde as God forbyd fynde a more greuous crosse and tormente of conscience if you shoulde dissemble and denye the knowen veritye then is any persecution or death of bodye Oh howe happye are they that suffer persecution for ryghteousnesse sake Their rewarde is greate in heauen The momentane afflictions of thys lyfe are not worthy of the glorye that shall bee shewed vppon vs. Oh remember the Godly wemen of the olde testamente and newe whiche liued in Gods seruice and feare and therefore are nowe in blisse and cōmended for euer as namely Iudith Hester Abigaell the Mother of the .vij. sonnes Marye Elizabeth Susanna Lidia and Phebe and others Set their examples before your eyes and feare nothing for Sathan is conquered by our Sauiour Christ sinne is putte to flyght and the gate of immortalitie and eternall life is sette wyde open God graunt we may enter therin through the doore Iesus Christe Amen Thomas Whittel Maister Bartlet Grene to certayne of hys frends a litle before his death BEtter is the day of death sayth Salomon then the day of byrth Mā that is borne of woman liueth but a short time and is replenyshed with many miseries but happy are the dead that die in the Lord. Man of woman is borne in trauell to liue in misery Man through Christ doth die in ioye and liue in felicitie He is borne to die and dyeth to liue Strayght as he commeth into the world with cryes he vttereth his miserable estate strayghte as he departeth with songes he prayseth god for euer Scarce yet in hys cradell in deadly enemyes assaultes him after death no aduersarye maye anoye him Whilest he is here he displeaseth god whē he is dead he fulfilleth his will In thys life here he dyeth through sinne in the life to come he liueth in righteousnes Through manye tribulations in earth is he still purged with ioye vnspeakeable in heauen is he made pure for euer Here he dyeth euerye houre there he liueth continualy Here is synne there is righteousnesse Here is tyme there is eternitie Here is hatred there is loue Here is payne there is pleasure Here is myserye there is felicitie Here is corruption there is immortalitie Here we see vanitie there shall we beholde the Maiestie of God with triumphant and vnspeakeable ioye in glorye euerlasting Seeke therfore the thynges that are aboue where Christe sitteth on the ryghte hand of God the father vnto whom with the sonne and the holy ghost be all honour and glorye worlde wythoute end Amen Christe deus sine te spes est mihe nulla salutis Te duce vera sequor te duce falsa nego In Englyshe thus O Christ my God sure hope of health besides thee haue I none That truth I loue and falshode hate thou arte my guyde alone Yours in Christe Bartlet Grene. A letter of Iohn Careles to one Mystres Cotton THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the eternall comfortes of his most pure holy mightye spirit with the encrease of fayth liuely feeling of his swete mercies be with you dere frend faythfull louing Sister good Mystres Cotton to the ful encrease of your ioye in Christe now and euermore Amen As from the very bottome of my poore hart I wish vnto you health both of body soule my deare louing Syster in the Lord so will I neuer cease praying vnto god for the same according vnto my most boūdē duty Howbeit of your body vpō conditiō but of your soule without any conditiō being wel assured that the lord for his deare sonnes sake wil perfectly graūt me the same so farre forth as shal be most for your profite So that if the health of your body wil stand with the wealth of your soule I am sure I shal haue my peticiō graunted for the health of the same But if the sicknes of your body be for the health of your soule as I am sure it is then haue I also my desire graūted because I aske the same no further thē it maye stand with the other But for the euerlasting health of your soule do I hartely pray without the additiō of any conditiō for it is the lords good wil I should so do Therefore I am sure my request is already graunted therin for his sake who hath redemed the same with his most precious blood yea in whō you were elected before the foūdation of the world was layd This is moste true therfore let nothīg perswade you to the contrary Rest vpō this rocke be you sure the gates of hel shal not preuaile agaīst you I know deare hart that you haue done much good to the poore for Iesus Christs sake yet beware you do not put any truste or confidence in your good dedes merits or deseruings but only in Iesus christ which hath geuē you him self wholy to be yours with al his holynes righteousnes iustificatiō redēptiō al that euer he may On the other side he hath takē vpon himself al your sinnes misery infirmitye hath made a full satisfaction for them with the sacrifice of his own
prayer must be ioyned almes and mercy towards the poore nedy And that our almes may be acceptable vnto god three things are chiefly requyred First 2. Cor. 9. that we geue with a cherefull ioyful hart for the lord loueth a cherefull geuer Secondly that we geue liberally putting a syde al nigardship knowing that he the soweth litle shal reap little and he that soweth plentifully shal reape plentifully Let euery mā therfore do according as he is able The porest caitife in the world may geue as great acceptable an almes in the syght of god as the rychest man in the world can do The poore wydowe that did offer but two mytes Marke 12 whiche make a farthing did hyghly please Christ in so much that he affyrmed wyth an othe that she of her penury had added more to the offrings of god then al the rych mē which of their superfluitie had cast in very much For if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to the a man hath not according to that a mā hath not Thirdly we must geue wtout hypocrisie ostentatiō not seking the prayse of mē or our own glory or profite And althoughe the scriptures in some places ake mentiō of a reward to our almes other good works yet ought we not to think that we do merite or deserue any thīg but rather we ought to acknowledge that god of his meere mercy rewardeth in vs his own giftes For what hath he that geueth almes that he hath not receaued He than the geueth vnto a poore mā any maner of thing geueth not of his own but of those goods which he hath receaued of god What hast thou saith the Apostle that thou hast not receaued If thou hast receaued it ◠Cor. 4 why reioycest thou as though thou haddest not receaued it This sentence ought to be had in remēbrance of al mē for if we haue nothing but that which we haue receaued what can we deserue or what nede we to dispute reasō of oure own merites It cōmeth of the free gift of God that we liue that we loue god that we walke in his feare where is our deseruing them ▪ We must also in this our spirituall warfare arme our selues with continual prayer a very necessary strong inuincible weapon Math. 26. Heb. 4. ◠Mach. 4 after the exāple of Christ al other godly men cry hartely vnto god in fayth in all our distresses anguyshes Let vs goe boldely to the seate of grace where we shal be sure to receaue mercy and fynde grace to helpe in time of nede For now is pryde and persecution encreased now is the time of destruction and wrathfull displeasure Wherfore my dere brethren he ye feruent in the law of god ieoperd ye your liues if nede shal so require for the testament of the fathers so shall ye receaue great honour an euerlasting name Remēber Abrahā was not he foūd faythful in temptation Gene. 22. Gene. 41. Num. 25. it was reckned vnto him for ryghteousnesse Ioseph in time of his trouble kept the cōmaūdemēt was made a Lord of Egipt Phinees was so feruent for the honour of god that he obtayned the couenaunt of an euerlasting priesthod Iosua 1 Num. 14 1. Regū 24 Iosua for fulfilling the word of God was made the captayne of Israell Caleb bare recorde before the congregation and receaued an heritage Dauid also in hys merciful kindnes obtained the throne of an euerlasting kingdome 4. Regū 2 Elias being zelous and feruent in the law was takē vp into heauen Annias Azarias Dan. 3. Misaell remayned stedfast in the fayth and were deliuered out of the fyre In lyke maner Daniell being vngiltie Dan. 6. was saued frō the mouth of the Lyons And thus ye maye consyder throughout al ages synce the world began that whosoeuer put their trust in god were not ouercome Feare not ye then the words of vngodly men for their glory is but donge wormes Psal 38. To day are they set vp to morrowe are they gone for they are turned into earth their memorial cōmeth to nought Wherfore let vs take good hartes vnto vs quyte our selues like mē in the law for if we do the things that are cōmaunded vs in the law of the lord our god we shal obteyn great honour therin Beloued in Christe let vs not faynt because of affliction wherwith God tryeth al thē that are sealed vnto life euerlasting for the only way into the kyngdome of god Act. 14. 4. Esdr 7. is through much tribulation For the kingdome of heauen as god teacheth vs by his Prophet Esdras is lyke a citie builded and set vpō a broad field full of all good things but the enteraunce is narrow sodayne ful of sorow trauaile perils labours like as if there were a fyre at the right hand a depe water at the left and as it were one strayte pathe betwene thē both so small that there could but one man go there If thys citie nowe were geuen to an heyre and he neuer went through the perilous way how would he receaue his enheritance Wherfore seing we are in this narowe strayt way which leadeth vnto the most ioyful pleasant citie of euerlasting life let vs not stagger either turne back being afraid of the daūgerous perillous way but folow our Captayn Iesus Christ in the narow strayt way be affrayd of nothyng no not euen of death it selfe for it is he that must lead vs to our iourneyes end open vs the dore vnto euerlastīg lyfe Cōsider also the course of thys world how many there be which for their Maisters sake or for a litle promotions sake would aduēture their liues in worldly affayres as cōmonly in warres yet is their reward but light transitorye ours is vnspeakeable great and euerlasting They suffer paines to be made Lordes on the earth for a shorte season howe muche more oughte wee to endure lyke paynes yea peraduenture muche lesse to bee made kinges in heauen for euer more Consider also the wycked of this world which for a litle pleasures sake or to be auenged on their enemies wil fyght with sword weapons putte thē selues in daunger of imprisonment hanging So much as vertue is better then vyce god myghtyer thē the deuil so much ought we to excel thē in this our spirituall battell And seing brethrē it hath pleased God to set me that most worthy minister of Christ ▪ Iohn Bradford your countreymē in the forefront of this battel where for the time is most daunger I beseche you all in the bowels of Christ to helpe vs al others our felow souldiers stāding in like perilous place with your prayers to god for vs that we maye quite our selues like men in the Lord geue some exāple of boldnesse constancie mingled
a like be very lettes impedimēts to your purpose You shal meete with slaūder contēpt of the world and be accōpted vngracious vngodlye you shal heare mete with cruell tyranny to doe you al extremities you shal now thē see the troubles of your own consciēce fele your own weaknes you shal heare that you be cursed by the sentence of the catholike church wit suche like terrours but praye to God followe the starre of hys word you shall ariue at the port of eternall saluaciō by the merites only of Iesus Christ to whome I commende you and all yours most hartely Yours in Christ Iohn Hoper To mayster Ferrar byshop of S. Dauids D. Taylor maister Bradford and mayster Philpot prisoners in the kinges Bench in South warke THe grace of God be wyth you Amen I am aduertised by diuerse aswell suche as loue the truth as also by such as yet be not come vnto it that ye I shall be caried shortlye to Cambrige there to dispute in the faith for the religion of Christe which is moste true that we haue do professe I am as I doubt not ye be in Christe redy not only to goe to Cambridge but also to suffer by gods helpe death it selfe in the mayntenance thereof Weston and hys complices haue opteined forth the commission already and spedely most lyke he wyl put it in execution Wherfore deare brethren I do aduertyse you of the thing before for diuerse causes The one to comfort you in the Lorde that the tyme draweth nygh and is at hand that we shall testifye before gods enemies gods truth The next that ye shuld prepare your selues the better for it The thirde to showe you what wayes I thinke were beste to vse our selues in thys mater also to hear of euery one of you your better aduise if mine be not good Ye know suche as shal be Censours and Iudges ouer vs breath thurst our blood whether we by gods help ouercome after the word of god or by force subtilty of our aduersaryes be ouercome this wil be the conclusyon our aduersaryes will saye they ouercome as you perceaue how they report of those great learned men and godly personages at Oxford Wherfore I mynd neuer to aunswere them except I haue the bookes present because they vse not only false allegation of the doctors but also a pece of the D. against the whole course of the doctors mind The next that we may haue sworne notaries to take thinges spoken indifferētly which will be very hard to haue for the aduersaries wyll haue the ouersyght of al thynges and then make theirs better then it was and ours worse then it was Then if we see that two or three or more will speake together or with scoffes and tauntes illude and mocke vs I suppose it were beste to appeale to be heard before the Quene and the whole Coūsel that would much setforth the glory of god For many of them know already the truth manye of them erre rather of zeale then malice and the others that be iudurate should be aunsweared fully to theyr shame I doubt not although to our smarte and bloodsheedyng For of thys I am assured that the commissioners appointed to hear vs iudge vs meane nothyng lesse then to heare the cause indifferentlye for they be enemies vnto vs vnto our cause and be at a poynt alredy to geue sentence agaynst vs so that if it were possible wyth Saynte Stephen to speake so that they could not resyst vs or to vse such sylence pacience as Christ did they wil procede to reuenging Wherfore my deare brethren in the mercye of Iesus Chryste I would be gladde to know your aduyse thys daye or to morrowe for shortlye we shall be gone and I verelye suppose that we shall not companye together but be kepte abroade one from the other They wyll denye oure appeale yet let vs challenge the appeale and take wytnesse therof of such as be present and require for indiffencye of hearynge and iudgemente to be hearde eyther before the Quene and the Counsell or els before all the parleamēt as they were vsed in kyng Edwards dayes Further for my parte I will requyre both bookes and tyme to aunsweare We haue bene prisoners now three quarters of a yeare and haue lacked oure bokes and oure memories by close keepynge and ingratitude of they re partes be not as present and quicke as theyrs be I trust God wil be with vs yea I doubte not but he wyll and teache vs to doe all things in hys cause godly and constātly If our aduersaries that shal be our iudges may haue theyr purpose we shal dispute one day be condēned the next day suffer the third day And yet is ther no law to cōdēne vs as far as I know so one of the cōuocatiō house sayd thys weke to D. Westō To whome Weston made thys aunswere it forceth not quoth he for a law wee haue commission to proceede wyth them when they be dispatched let theyr frendes sue the law Now how sone a man may haue such a comission at my Lord chaūcellours hād you knowe it is as hard to be opteined as an inditement for Christe at Cayphas hande Besides that the byshops hauinge the Quene so vpon theyr sydes may do all thinges both without the aduise and also the knowledge of the reast of the Lords of the temporalty who at this present haue founde out the marke that the byshops shoote at and doubtles be not pleased with theyr doings I pray you helpe that our brother Saūders the rest in the Marshalsey may vnderstād these things send me your aunswere be tyme. Iudas non dormit nec scimus diem neque horam Dominus Iesus Christus suo sancto numine nos omnes consoletur adiuuet Amen 6. Maii. 1554. Yours and with you vnto death in Chryste Iohn Hoper To my deare frendes in God mayster Iohn Hall and hys wyfe THe grace of God bee withe you Amen I thanke you for your louing and gentle frendship at all tymes praing god to shew vnto you such fauour that whatsoeuer trouble aduersity happen ye go not backe from hym These dayes be daungerous and full of peril but yet let vs comforte our selues in callinge to remembrance the dayes of our forefathers vpon whome the Lord sente such troubles that many hundrethes yea many thousandes died for the testimony of Iesus Christ both men women suffring with pacience constācy asmuch cruelty as Tyrannes could deuise so departed out of thys miserable world to the blisse euerlasting where as now they remayn for euer loking alwayes for the end of this sinful world whē they shal receiue their bodies again in immortality and see the number of the elects associated with them in ful and consummate ioyes Heb. 11 And as vertuous men suffring martyrdom and tarieng a litle while in this worlde with paines by