DIVINE CONSOLATIONS FOR MOURNERS in SION Being an EXTRACT of certain Choyce EPISTLES OF DYING MARTYRS To each other and to their Fellow Prisoners for the CAUSE OF CHRIST In the Times of Cruell and Fiery Persecution Wherein is much Variety of suitable matter of Meditation for all such who are burthened under the Pressure of their Sins and Sorrows in these EVIL TIMES Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Psal 126.5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy Ver. 6. He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him Printed in the Year 1664. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Good Reader AMong all the sweet and precious fruits and graces of the Spirit of God held forth unto us in the Holy Scriptures how much are those of Faith and Love commended unto us as the principal and leading Graces unto all other the sweet fruits of the Spirit wrought in the hearts of the Elect of God To instance two or three places speaking to this purpose The Author to the Hebrews in his Catalogue of Saints Hebr. 11. how highly doth he advance the actings of Faith in their hearts and lives beginning with Abel that blessed Servant of the Lord and Proto-Martyr of the World whom our blessed Lord and Saviour honoureth with the same honour placing his Name in the Front of that blessed Company by the Name of Righteous Abel who had laid down their lives in the Cause Matth. 23.35 and for the Truths of God And for the grace of Love in that of 1 Cor. 8. the beginning whatever Instructions the Apostle had given them before he doth as it were recall himself and let them understand that all would prove as nothing unless it proceed from Love or Charity And further we are taught that although the grace of Faith be first in laying hold of the blessed object even our Lord Jesus who came into the World to save sinners yet this also of Love is by the gracious working of the same good Spirit of God begotten in the Soul even at the same instant of time with that of Faith and from their first appearing come forth as blessed Twins never to part again the same blessed Spirit carrying on the work of Grace in the Soul untill perfected in Glory To this purpose Gal. 5.6 it 's said to be Faith which worketh by Love Also to mention no more 1 Tim. 1.14 The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus A Reverend Messenger of Christ lately compared them to the two Arms that clasped Christ about according to that of the Spouse Cant. 3.5 It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my Soul loveth I held him and would not let him go Never do these precious gifts of the Holy Ghost so affect the hearts of the people of God as when the Saints are drawn forth to cause this Light to shine forth in their lives and actings which usually appears in them most clearly in times of greatest Sufferings How much are we of these times bound unto our gracious God for the innumerable helps the Lord hath this way granted us especially from the unwearied Labours of that man of God of blessed memory Mr. Iohn Fox out of whose rich Volumes this little Treatise following is taken being a particular brief story of him whose Soul as much longed for the Crown of Martyrdome although he passed through the Fire to it as any we reade of from the time of the Primitive Martyrs And notwithstanding the Lord of his Infinite wisedome denyed him that which he so much thirsted for reserving him although in Prison yet to be an Instrument who from his great experiences might Administer sweet Consolations unto others the sweet Saints and Martyrs of Jesus as indeed he did to the refreshing of many a good Soul as by the several excellently Spiritual Epistles of his doth manifestly appear and by which it may undoubtedly be gathered that himself was to be accounted among the blessed number of those that in his Generation loved the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity To those who have tasted how good the Lord is these following Epistles may through mercy prove unto them as that speaking of David did to Ionathan 1 Sam. 18.1 who no sooner heard him but his Soul was knit with the Soul of David and he loved him as his own Soul To this very end is this smal thing drawn out of the aforesaid Volume that the sorrowful Souls of such as are affected with Gods threatnings in this hour of darkness and temptation may finde some refreshing and support to which very end also they were first written by the Auâ—hor God is greatly threatning on every side even us who have sate in peace whilest our Brethâ—en lay bleeding yea were filled with plen y wâ—â—lest they were stripped of their comforts and even brought near to desolation surely we havâ— n t improved our precious opportunities but with Iesurun being waxed fat have lifted up the heel and now may justly fear that our day of visitation is hastening wherein we are like to drink of the Cup of Gods displeasure of which the Nations have begun before us Is not the Lâ—rd now crying aloud as sometimes to Jerusalem Oh New-England Oh Boston When will thou be made clean when will it once be when shall thy Pride and Prophaness Licentiousness Vncleanness and Vnrighteousness with so much cleaving to Self-interest cease to lodge within thee Blessed be the Lord who hath affected the hearts of thy Rulers so as to call for seeking God by Fasting and Prayer being the way and meanes of Gods appointment for the obtaining mercy in the day of thy distress The Lord hear thee in the day of thy seeking Joel 2.13 14. and teach thee to Rent thy heart and not thy garments and turn unto the Lord who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him Oh that God would give his People an heart to hearken to his voice and to turn unto him by unfeigned Repentance for surely they that yet see it not are like shortly to see Amos 5.13.14 15. that this time is a time for the Prudent to keep silence for it is an evil time as the Prophet saith therefore let us seek good and not evil and so the Lord God of Hosts shall be with us Let us hate evil and love good and establish Judgement in the Gate it may be that the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph A Table of the several Epistles and Letters contained in this Book THe effect of John Careles his Examination before Dr. Martin Folio 1 A Letter of Mr. Philpot to John Careles profitable â—o be read of all them which mourn in Repentance for their sins 6 A Letter of John Careles Answering to the loving Epistle or Letter sent to
fulfilled So I say to you my dear hearts in the Lord happy are ye all yea thrice happy shall ye be for evermore because ye have stedfastly believed the most sweet Promises which God the Father hath made unto you with his own mouth in that he hath promised you which are the faithful seed of the believing Abraham that ye shall be blessed ever world without end The Promises of God your sweet Father as ye do believe so do ye bear record that God is true The testimony whereof ye have worthily born to the world and shortly will full surely Seal the same with your Blood yea even to morrow I do understand He encourageth Gods Martyrs unto their death Oh constant Christians Oh valiant Souldiers of the high Captain Jesus Christ who for your sake hath conquered the Devil Death Sin and Hell and hath given you full victory over them for evermore Oh worthy Witnesses and most glorious Martyrs whose invincible Faith hath overcome that proud sturdy bragging Prince of the World and all his wicked Army over whom ye shall shortly triumph for evermore Ah my sweet hearts the everlasting treasures are full surely laid up for you in Heaven The immercessible and most glorious Crown of Victory is already made and prepared for you to be shortly clapt upon all your happy heads The holy Angels of your heavenly Father are already appointed to conduct your sweet Souls into Abrahams bosome All the heavenly Host rejoyceth already for that they shall shortly receive you with joy and felicity into their blessed Fellowship Selah Rejoyce with double joy and be glad my dear Brethren for doubtless ye have more cause then can be expressed But alas I that for my sins am left behinde may lye and lament with the holy Prophet Psal 119. saying Woe is me that the dayes of my joyfull rest are prolonged Ah cursed Satan which hath caused me so sore to offend my most dear loving Father whereby my exile and banishment is so much prolonged Oh Christ my Advocate pacifie thy Fathers wrath which I have justly deserved that he may take me home to him in his sweet mercy Oh that I might now come home unto thee with my blessed Brethren Well thy will O Lord be effectually fulfilled for it is onely good and turneth all things to the best for such as thou in thy mercies hast chosen And now farewell my dear Hearts most happy in the Lord I trust in my good God yet shortly to see you in the Celestial City whereof undoubtedly the Lord hath already made you free Citizens Though ye be yet with us for a little time your very home is in Heaven where your treasure doth remain with your sweet Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ whose calling you have heard with the ears of your hearts and therefore you shall never come into judgement but pass from death to life Your sins shall never be remembred be they never so many so grievous or so great for your Saviour hath cast them all into the bottom of the Sea he hath removed them from you as far as the East is from the West Psal 103. and his mercy hath much more prevailed over you then is distance between Heaven and Earth and hath given you for an everlasting possession of the same all his Holyness Righteousness and Justification Triumph of Martyrs yea and the Holy Ghost into your hearts wherewith ye are surely sealed unto the day of Redemption to certifie you of your eternal Election and that ye are his true Adopted Sons whereby ye may boldly cry unto God Abba dear Father for evermore so that now no creature in Heaven Earth nor Hell shall be able to accuse you before the throne of the Heavenly King Satan is now cast out from you he himself is judged and hath no part in you he will once more bite you by the heel and then he hath done Gen. 3. for at that time you shall squeeze his head through your own good Christ and so have you final victory for evermore In joyful triumph whereof ye shall sweetly ascend into the place of eternal rest whether your eldest Brother Christ is gone before you to take possâ—ssion for you and to prepare your place under the holy Altar with Cranmer Latimer Ridley Rogers Hooper Saunders Farrar Taylor Bradford Philpot with many other who will be full glad of your coming to see six more of their appointed number that their blood may so much the sooner be revenged on them that dwell on the Earth Thus I make an end committing you all to Gods most merciful defence whose quarrel ye have defended whose cause ye have promoted whose glory ye have set forth and whose name ye have constantly confessed Farewel for a while my dear hearts in the Lord I will make as much hast after you as I may All our dear Brethren salute you They Pray for you and praise God for you continually Blessed be the dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their Labours saith the Holy Ghost Apoc. 11. and their works follow them Your own John Careles a most unprofitable Servant of the Lord. Pray pray pray To Mr. Green Mr. Whittel and certain other Prisoners in Newgate Condemned and ready to be burnt for the Testimony of the Lord Jesus Another Letter of John Careles wherein he doth animate Green Whittel and the rest of that company unto their Martyrdome THe everlasting peace in Jesus Christ the continual comfort of his most pure and holy Spirit be with you my most dear and faithful Brethren and Sisters of Newgate the Lords appointed Sheep unto the slaughter to the good performance of the great and notable work of the Lord which he hath so graciously begun in you all that the same may redound to the setting forth of his Glory and to the commodity of his Church and to your own everlasting comfort in him So be it Ah my dear hearts and most faithful Brethren and sisters in the Lord what high lauds and praise yea what humble and continual thanks am I bound to give to God our Father for you and on your most happy behalf who so mightily hath magnified himself in you thus far forth in giving you his holy and mighty Spirit to the constant confessing of Christs verity even to the cruel Condemnation and I doubt not but he will do the same to the death Oh happy and blessed are you that ever you were born that the Lord will vouch you worthy of this great dignity to dye for his sake Doubtless it is the greatest honour that God can give you in this life Yea Apoc. 11. if they be so blessed of God that dye in the Lord as the Holy Ghost saith they be To dye in the Lord and for the Lord. how much more blessed and happy then are you that dye not onely in the Lord but also for the Lord Oh that it were the good will of
good load Oh that I might so strike him down that he should never be able for to rise again But that stroke belongeth onely to the Lord to stâ—ike at his coming the which I trust will be shortly Oh hasten it good Lord and shorten these sorrowful and sinful dayes for thy great mercies sake Farewel my dear and faithful loving Brother The Loâ—d defend keep and preserve you from the power of your Enemies v sible and invisible and send us a most joyful and merry meeting here or elswhere as it shall please his goodness to appoint us In the mean space I shall most earnestâ—y desire you to pray for me for I never had more need in my life and doubtless you shall never want my poor prayer if it shall please God to accept the Prayer of so sinful a wretch as I am The Lord impute not my sins to me for Iesus Christs sake unto whose most merciful defence I do most heartily commit you The blâ—ssing of God be with you now and ever Amen I pray you do my most hearty commendations to Mr. John Glover I do not forget him in my daily Prayers and I trust he doth Remember me Your poor Brother alwayes mindful of you in my Prayer John Careles Prisoner abiding Gods pleasure To my dear Brother Henry Adlington Prisoner in the Lollards Tower THe everlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ the continual ayd strength joy and comfort of his most pure holy and mighty Spirit with the increase of Faith and lively feeling of his Mercies be most effâ—ctuously wrought in your heart my dear and faithful loving Brother Aâ—ingtoâ— and in the hearts of all your other godly Prison fellows to the full finishing of that good work which the Lord hath most graciously begun in you that the same may be to the setting forth of his glory the commodity of his poor afflicted Church and to your own eternal joy and comfort in him Amen My most dear and faithful loving Brother in our Lord I with all the rest of my loving Brethren here with me do most humbly and heartily commend us unto you with all faithful Remembrance of you in our daily prayers giving God earnest thanks on your most happy behalf for that he hath given you such hearty boldness and Christian constancy in the faithful confession of his everlasting Verity Blessed be God for thee my dearly beloved Brother which hath vouched thee worthy of so great a dignity as to suffer for his sake and the setting forth of his glory Oh glad in heart mayest thou be to whom it is given not onely to believe in thy Lord and Christ most lively but also to suffer for his sake as one of his silly sheep appointed to the slaughter Be of good comfort therefore my good Brother for your Calling unto the Cross of Christ was after a marvellous sort surely it was onely the Lords appointment and therefore he will well perform his own work in and upon you to the great magnifying of his glory and comfort of your Brethren whose hearts are mightily refreshâ—d to hear how heartily you have behaved your self hitherto This present day I received a letter from you at the reading whereof my Brethren and I were not a little comforted to see your Conscience so quieted in Christ and your continuance so stedfast in him which things be the special gifts of God not given unto every man but to you his dear darling Elect and chosen in Christ and such as you be And whereas you do require to know my simple minde concerning your answer unto Dr. Story and the Chancellor Truly I say you did answer them very well for there are but two Sacraments indeed that is to say the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ as you have full well answered them Praised be God for his good gifts who chuseth the weak to confound the strong and the foolish to confound the worldly wise If when you come before them again they do ask you what a Sacrament is say you That a Sacrament being ministred according to Christs Institution is a visible Sign of an invisible Grace What a Sacrament is and hath the promise of Gods Mercy annexed unto it available to all such as do worthily receive it and not unworthily worship it as they would have us to do contrary to Gods Commandment And these properties belonging to Christs true Sacraments cannot be applyed to any one of those five Sacraments which they have invented of their own brain since Antichrist began to reign to blinde the people withal I perceive dear heart that upon Friday they do intend to Condemn you and to give you your Judgement Therefore I think they wâ—ll have no great reasoning with you but bid you answer them directly either Yea or Nay to all such things as they have to charge you withal which they have gathered of you since you came into their cruel hands But if they will needs make many words with you because you are but a simple man and therefore perchance they will be the busier with you to trouble you with many questions to cumber your knowledge and then seem to triumph over you and that truth that you do hold if I say they do this as perhaps for some evil purpose they will then be you so plain and short as you can saying roundly unto them these or such like words as nigh as you can Be it known unto you that I in all points do believe as it becometh a true Christian He instructeth him how and what to Answer to the adversaries and as I have been truly taught in the dayes of that good King Edward of such godly Preachers and Prophets sent of God as have sealed their Doctrine with their Blood from whom I will dissent in no point for I am a poor man without learning but am commanded of God to follow the counsel of his constant Preachers and so do I intend to do God giving me grace and assistance thereto As for you I know you to be none of Christs Shepherds but ravening Wolves which come to kill and scatter the Flock of Christ as the Lord said you should and doâ—h will us to beware of you and your poisoned Doctrine bidding us to judge you according to your fruits whereby all men may see and know what you be We are bound to follow â—ur true Preachers that will not be wilfully blinde But the good Shepherds have given their lives for the defence of Christs Flock and I am commanded to follow their faithful and godly example and to confess with them one Truth even to the fire if God shall see it good and this as a true Christian I have hitherto done and henceforth by Gods grace intend for to do And if for the same God shall suffer you to take away my life as you have done theirs I am contented therewith His will be done God wil require accouÌ„t of
my hearts desire Mart. And do you hold none otherwise then is there written Careles No verily nor never did Mart. Write that he saith otherwise he holdeth not So that was written It was told me also that thou dost affirm that Christ did not dye effectually for all men Careles Whatsoever hath been told you it is not much material unto me Let the tellers of such tales come before my fâ—ce and I trust to make them answer For indeed I do bâ—lieve that Christ did effectually dye for all those that do effectually repent and believe and for none other So that was written also Mart. Now sir what is Trewes faith of Predestination he believeth that all men be Predestinate and that none shall be Damned doth he not Careles No forsooth that he doth not Mart. How then Careles Truely I think he doth believe as your Mastership and the rest of the Clergy do believe of Predestination A wrong faith of Predestination believing to be elected in respect of Good works that we be Elected in respect of our good works and so long elected as we do them and no longer Mart. Write that he saith his fellow Trew believeth of Predestination as the Papists do believe Careles Ah Mr. Doctor did I so term you seeing that this my Confession shall come before the Council I pray you place my terms as reverently as I spake them Mart. Well well Write that Trew is of the same Faith as the Catholicks be Careles I did not so call you neither 〈◊〉 wonder what you mean Marsh You said thâ— Clergy â—â—d 〈…〉 Careles Careles Yes forsooth did I So then it was written of the Clergy Mart. Now Sir What say you more Careles Forsooth I have no further to say in this matter Mart. Dr. Martin pretendeth favour to Careles Well Careles I pray thee prove thy self a wise man and do not cast away thy self wilfully Careles Now the Lord he knoweth good Mr. Doctor I would full gladly live so that I might do the same with a safe Conscience And your Mastership shall right well perceive that I will be no wilful man but in all things that I stand upon I shall have a sure ground Mart. Now the Lord knoweth good Careles that I would gladly make some means to preserve thy life but thou speakest so much of the Lord the Lord wilt thou be content to go with my Lord Fitzwater into Ireland methinks thou art a goodly tall fellow to do the Queen service there How sayest thou Careles Verily Mr. Doctor whether I be in Ireland France or Spain or any place else I am ready to do her Grace the best service I can with Body Goods and Life so long as it doth last Mart. That is honestly said I promise thee every man will not say so How say you Mr. Marshall this man is meet for all manner of Service Indeed thou art worthy Careles to have the more favour Careles Indeed Sir I hope to be meet and ready unto all things that pertaineth unto a true Christian Subject to do And if her Grace or her Officers under her do require me to any thing contrary unto Christs Religion I am ready also to do my service in Smithfield for not observing it as my bedfellow and other Brethren have done praised be God for them Mart. By my troth thou art a pleasant fellow as ever I talked with of all the Protestants except it were Tomson I am sorry that I must depart with thee so soon but I have such business now that I can tarry with thee no longer Well yet thou canst not deny but you are at jarre amongst your selves in the Kings Bâ—nâ—h and it is so throughout all your Congregation for you will not be a Church Careles No Mr. Doctor that is noâ— so More variety in the Popes Church then is amongst the Protestants There is a thousand times more variety in Opinions among your Doctors which you call of the Catholick Chu ch â—ea and that in the Sacrament for the which there is so much bloodshed now adayes I mean of your latter Doctors and new Writers as for the old they agree wholly with us Mart. No Careles thâ—t is not so there thou art deceived Careles Verily it is so Mr. Doctor I am not deceived therein any thing at all as it hath been and is evidently proved by such as God â—ath indued with great Learning Then he turned to the Marshal and whispered with him a while Mart. Turning unto me again said Farewel Careles Dr. Martin taketh his leave gently of Careles for I can tarry no longer with thee now my businâ—ss is suck Careles God be with you good Mr. Doctor The Lord give your Mastership health of Body and Soul Martin God have mercy good Careles and God keep thee from all Errours and give thee grace to do as well as I would wâ—sh my self Careles I thank your good Mastership I pray God I may do always that is acceptable in his sight Whereunto they all said Amen And so I departed with a glad heart God onely have the whole praise Amen It appeareth by Examination of the foresaid John Careles that he endured Prisoner the space of two whole years having wife and Children In the which his captivity first being in Coventry Goal he was there in such credit with his Keeper that upon his word he was let out to play in the Pageant about the City with other his Companions And that done keeping touch with his Keeper he returned again into Prison at his hour appointed And after that being brought up to London he was endued with such patience and constant fortitude John Careles dved in Prison and wâ—s buried in the fields that he longed for nothing more earnestly thâ—n to come to that promotion to dye in the fire for the profession of his Faith and yet it so pleased the Lord to prevent him with death that he came not to it but dyed in the Prison and after was buried in the fields in a dunghill In the mean time while he was in Prison in the Kings Bench it chanced he was in great heaviness and perturbation of minde and Conscience whereupon he wrote to M. Philpot being then in the Colehouse Upon occasion hereof M. Philpot sent an Epistle Consolatory unto him as followeth A Letter of Mr. Philpot to John Careles profitable to be read of all them which mourn in Repentance for their Sins THe God of all comfort and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ send unto thee my dear Brother Careles the inward consolation of his holy Spirit in all the malicious assaults and troublous temptations of our common Adversary the Devil Amen That GOD giveth you so contrite an heart for your sins I cannot but rejoyce to behold the lively mark of the children of God whose property is to think â—ore lowly and vilely of themselves then of any other and oftentimes do set their sins before them that they
strait present care Commend me to all our Brethren and desire them to pray for me that I may overcome my temptations for the Dâ—vil rageth against me I am put in the Stocks in a place alone because I would not answer to such Articles as they would charge me withall in a corner at the Bishops appointment and because I did not come to Mass when the Bishop sent for me I w ll lye all the dayes of my life in the Stocks by Gods grace rather then I will consent to the wicked generation Praise God and be joyfull that it hath pleased him to make us worthy to suffer somewhat for his Names sake The Devil must rage for ten dayes Commend me to Mr. F. and thank him for his Law-books but Law neither Equity will take any place among these blood thirsty I would for your sake their unjust dealing were noted unto the Parliament-housâ— if it might avail God shorten these evil dayes I have answered the Bishop meetly plain already and I said to him If he will call me in open Judgemen I will answer him as plainly as he will require otherwise I have refused because I fear me they will condemn me in hugger-mugger The peace of God be with you my dear Brother I can write no more for lack of light and that I have written I cannot reade my self and God knoweth s is written farre uneasily I pray God you may pick out some understanding of my minde towards you Written in a Colehouse of daâ—kness out of a Pair of painfull Stocks by Thine own in Christ John Philpot. A Letter of John Careles answering to the loving Epistle or Letter sent to him before by Mr. Philpot. A faithfull friend is a strong defence whoso findeth such an one findeth a treasure A faithfull friend hath no peer the weight of gold and silver is not to be compared to the goodness of his Faith A faithfull friend is a Medicine of life and they that fear the Lord shall finde him Ecclesiast 6. A lettâ—r of John Careles to Mr. Philpot. THe Father of Mercy and God of all Consolation comfort you with his Eternal Spirit my most dear and faithful loving Friend good Mr. Philpot as you have comforted me by the mighty operation of the same The everlasting God be praised therefore for ever Amen Ah my dear heart and most loving Brother if I should do nothing else day and night so long as the dayes of Heaven do endure but kneel on my knees and reade Psalms I can never be able to render unto God condign thanks for his mercy fatherly kindness and most lovâ—ng compassion extended unto me most vile sinful wicked and unworthy wretch Oh that the Lord would open my mouth and give me a thankful heart that from the bottom of the same might flow his continual praise Oh that my sinful flesh which is the cause of my sorrow were clean separated from me that I might sing Psalms of Thanksgiving unto the Lords Name for ever that with good Samuels Mother I might continually record this noble Verse following the which by good experience I have found most true praised be my good God therefore 1. Sam. 2. John Careles raised up by the Lord out of great heaviness The Lord saith that good woman killeth and maketh alive he bringeth down to hell and fetcheth up again Praised be that Lord for ever yea and praised be his Name for that he hath given me true experience and lively feeling of the same Blessed be the Lord God whose mercy endureth for ever which hath not dealt with me according to my deep deserts nor destroyed me in his displeasure when I had justly deserved it Oh what reward shall I give again unto the Lord for all the great benefits that he hath done for my Soul I will gladly receive the Cup of Salvation at his hand and will worship his Name with Prayer and with Praise Ah my dear heart yea most dear unto me in the Lord think not this sudden change in me to be some fickle Phantasie of my foolish head as indeed some other would surely suspect it to be for doubtless it is the marvellous doing of the Lord most merciful unto me his unworthy Creature God for his great mercies sake give me grace to be more thankful unto him then I heretofore have been and keep me that I never fall forth of his favour again And now my dear Brother and most blessed Mâ—ssenger of the Lord whose beautiful feet have brought much glad tidings unto my Soul what shall I do or say unto you in the least part to recompence the fatherly affection and godly care that you continually keep for me Oh that God would give me the Spirit of fervent Prayer that I might yet that way supply some little part of my duty toward you Ah my true loving Friend how soon did you lay aside all other business to make a sweet Plaister for my wounded Conscience yea and that out of a painful Pair of Stocks which place must needs be uneasie to write in But God hath brought you into a strait place that you might set my Soul at liberty Out of your pinching and painful Seat you have plentifully poured upon me your precious Nard the sweet savour whereof hath greatly refreshed my tyred Soul The Lord likewise refresh you both Body and Soul by pouring the oyle of his gracious Spirit into your sweet heart Ah good Jeremy hath Pashur put thee in the Stocks why Jer. 20. now thou hast the right reward of a Prophet Thy glory never began to appear till now I doubt not but shortly Jer. 26. in stead of Ahikam the the Son of Shaphan Jesus the Son of the living God will come and deliver thee forth of the hands of all thine Enemies and will also make good against them and their Antichristian Synagogue all the words that thou hast spoken in his Name The Lord hath made thee this day a strong defenced Tower an iron Pillar Jer. 1. and a brazen Wall against the whole Rabble of Antichrist and though they fight against thee never so fiercely yet shall they not overcome thee for the Lord himself is with thee to help and deliver thee Jer. 15. and he will rid thee out of the hands of the wicked and will deliver thee out of the hands of the Tyrants And in that you are not busie in casting Pearls before Swine Matth. 7. nor in giving the holy things unto Dogs you are much to be commended in my simple judgement The circumspect behaviour of Mr. Philpot. And sure I am that your circumspect and modest behaviour hitherto hath been as much to Gods glory and to the shame and confusion of your enemies as any man's doings that are gone before you John Careles his advice to him Wherefore mine advice and most earnest desire is with all other of your loving Friends that you still keep that order with those
Careles through Christ the Beloved Say therefore with David Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name for he hath forgiven thee all thy sins as truely he hath And hereof I desire to be a Witness God make me worthy to hear from you the like true Message for my self Mine own dearly Beloved you have great cause to thank God most heartily that hath given you such Repentance and Faith The Lord increase the same in you and me a most miserable wretch whose heart is harder then the Adamant stone or else I could not thus long have stayed from writing unto you If I live and may I purpose and promise you to make amends Pray for me my most dear Brother I heartily beseech you and forgive me my long silence God our Father be with us for ever Amen Yours in the Lord John Bradford John Careles his Letter to Mr. Bradford THe Peace of God in Jesus Christ A sweet Letter of John Careles to Mr. Bradford a little before his Martyrdome the Eternal Comfort of his sweet Spirit which hath surely sealed you unto Eternal Salvation be with you and strengthen you in your joyful journey towards the Celestial Jerusalem my dear Friend and most faithful Brother Mr. Bradford to the setting forth of Gods glory and to your eternal joy in Christ Amen Ever since that good Mr. Philpot shewed me your last Letter my dear heart in the Lord I have continued in great heaviness and perplexity He mourneth for the loss and lâ—ck of Mr. Bradforâ— in the Church not for any hurt or discommodity that I can perceive coming towards you unto whom doubtless Death is made life and great felicity but for the great loss that Gods Church here in England shall sustain by the taking away of so godly worthy and necessary an instrument as the Lord hath made you to be Oh that my life and a thousand such wretched lives moe might go for yours Oh why doth God suffer me and such other Catterpillers to live that can do nothing but consume the Alms of the Church and take away you so worthy a Workman and Labourer in the Lords Vineyard But woe be to our sins and great unthanfulness which is the greatest cause of the taking away of such worthy instruments of God as should set forth his Glory and instruct his People If we had been thankful unto God for the good Ministers of his Word we had not been so soon deprived both of it and them The Lord forgive our great ingratitude and sins and give us true Repentance and Faith and hold his hand of Mercy over us for his dear Son Christs sake Take not away all thy tâ—ue Preachers forth of this Realm O Lord but leave us a Seed lest Englâ—nd be made like unto Sodom and Gomorrah when thy true Loâ—â— be gone But what go I about to mingle your mirth with my mourning and your just joy with my deserved sorrow If I loved you indeed as I have pretended I should surely rejoyce with you most heartily and praise God on your bâ—half from the very bottom of my heart He rejoyceth for the honour of Mr. Bradfords Martyrdome I should praise God day and night for your excellent Election in and through his great Mercy and should give him most humble thanks for your Vocation by his Gospel and your true Knowledge in the same I should earnestly praise him for your sweet justification whereof you are most certain by Gods Gâ—ace and Spirit and should instantly pray unto him for your Glorification which shall shortly ensue I should rejoyce and be glad to see you dignified by the Crown of Martyrdome and to be appointed to that honour to testifie his Truth and to Seal it with your Blood I should highly extoll the Lord who hath given you a glorious vâ—ctory over all your enemies visible and inv si le and hath given you Grace and Strength to finish the Tower that you have begun to build Finally if I loved you I should most heartily rejoice and be glad to see you delivered from this body of sin and vile person of the Flesh and brought into that heavenly Tabernacle where you shall be safely kept and never offend him more This and much more should I do if I had a good heart towards God or you his dear childe But alas I am an hypocrite and do seek nothing but mine own commodity I would have Gods everlasting Providence give place to my peevish will and purpose although it were to the hindrance of his glory and your sweet commodity God forgive me my horrible ingratitude sins and offences against him and good Brother do you forgive me my great negligence and unthankfulness towards you and henceforth I promise you I will put my will to Gods will and pray that the same may be fulfilled in you so long as you be on this earth and when you are taken hence I will most heartily praise the Lord for you so long as I have my being in this world Ah my dear heart now I must take my leave of you and as I think John Careles taketh his leave of M. Bradford my Vltimum Vale in this life but in the life to come I am right well assured we shall merrily meet together and that shortly I trust And in taking of my leave of you my dear heart in the Lord I shall desire you faithfully to remember all the sweet messages that the Lord our good God and most dear loving Father hath sent you by me his most unworthy Servant which as they are most true so shall they be most truly accomplished upon you eternally and for the more assurance and certificate thereof to your godly Conscience he hath commanded me to repeat the same unto you again in his own Name and Word Therefore now give ear and faithful credence Hearken Testimony of Gods Spirit O ye Heavens and thou earth give ear and bear me witness at the great Day that I do here faithfully and truely the Lords mâ—ssâ—ge unto his dear Servant John Careles doth Gods message to M. Bradford his singularly beloved and elâ—ct Childe â—â—â—n Bradford John Bradford thou man so specially beloved of God I pronounce and testifie unto thee in the Word and Name of the Lord Jehovah that all thy sins whatsoever they be be they never so many so grievous or so great be fully and freely pâ—â—doned released and forgiven thee by the mercy of God in Jesus Christ thine onely Lord and sweet Saviour in whom thou dost undoubtedly believe Power and practise of the keyes of the Gospel Christ hath cleansed thee with his Blood and clothed thee with his Righteousness and hath made â—hee in the sight of God his Father without spot or wrinckle so that when the fiâ—e doth his appointed office thou shalt be received as a sweet burnt Sacrifice into Heaven where thou shalt joyfully remain in Gods presence for
your self which thing I would wish you to do if need require or else not good Wife take heed how you bestow your self that you and my poor Children be not compelled to wickedness But if you sh ll be able well to live Gods true Widow I would counsel you so to live still for the more quietness of your self and your poor Children Take heed Margaret and play the wise womans part you have warning by other if you will take an example And thus I commit you and my sweet Children unto Gods most mercifull defence The Blessing of God be with you and God send us a merry meeting together in Heaven Farewell in Christ farewell mine own dear hearts all Pray pray To my most dear and fâ—ithful Brethren in Newgate Condemned to dye for the Testimony of Gods everlasting Truth THe everlasting pâ—ace of G d in Jesus Christ the continual joy strength and comfort of his most pâ—re holy and mighty Spirit with the encrease of Faith and lâ—vely feeling of his Eternal Mercy be with you my most dear and faithful lov ng B other Tyms and with all the rest of my dear hearts in the Lord your faithful Fellow-souldiers and most constant Companions in Bonds yea of men condemned most cruelly for the sincere Testimony of Gods everlasting Truth to the full finishing of that good work which he hath so graciously begun in you all that the same may be to his glory the commodity of his poor afflicted Church and to your everlasting comfort in him Amen Ah my most sweet and loving Bâ—ethren and dearest hearts in the Lord what shall I say or how shall I write unto you in the least point or part to utter the great joy that my poor heart hath received in God through the most godly example of your Christâ—an Constancy and sincere Confession of Christs Verity truely my tongue cannot declare Example of true love and charity among the Martyrs nor my pen express the abundance of spiritual mirth and gladness that my minde and inward man hath felt ever since I heard of your hearty boldness and modest behaviour before that bloody Butcher in the time of all your crafty Examinations especially at your cruel Condemnation in their cursed Consistory place Blâ—ssed be God the Father of all mercy and praised be his Name for that he hath so graciously performed upon you his dear darlings his most sweet and comfortable promises in not only giving you the continual ayd strength and comfort of his holy and mighty Spirit to the faithful confession of his Christ for whose cause O most happy men ye are condemned to dye but also in giving you such a mouth and wisdome as all your wicked Enemies were not able to resist The Enemies not able to withstand the w sedome of God in his Saints but compelled to bid them hold their peace but were fain to cry Peace peace and not suffer you to speak As truly as God liveth my dear Brethren this is not only unto you a most evident probation that God is on our side and a sure certainty of your everlasting Salvation in him but also to your cruel Adversaries or rather Gods cursed Enemies a plain demonstration of their just eternal woe and damnation which they shall be full sure shortly to feel when ye shall full sweetly possess the place of felicity and pleasure prepared for you from the beginning Therefore my dearly beloved cease not so long as ye be in this life to praise the Lord with a lusty courage for that of his great mercy and infinite goodness he hath vouched you worthy this great dignity to suffer for his sake not onely the loss of goods Wife and Children long imprisonment and cruel oppression c. but also the very deprivation of this mortal life with the dissolution of your bodies in the fire The which in the greatest promotion that God can bring you or any other unto in this vale of misery yea so great an honour as the highest Angel in Heaven is not permitted to have and yet hath the Lord for his dear Son Christs sake reputed you worthy of the same yea and that before me and many other which have both long looked and longed for the same John Careles longeth to dye a Martyr in the Gospels cause Ah my most dear Brother Tyms whose time resteth altogether in the hands of the Lord in a full happy time camest thou into this troublesome world but in a much more blessed houâ— shalt thou depart forth of the same so that the sweet saying of Solomon or rather of the Holy-ghost shall be full well verified upon thee yea and all thy faithful fellows Better is the day of death saith he then the day of birth Eccles 7. This saying cannot be verified upon every man but upon thee my dear Brother and such as thou art whose death is most precious before God and full dear shall your blood be in his sight Blessed be God for thee my dear Brother Tyms and blessed be God again that ever I knew thee for in a most happy time I came first into thy company Pray for me dear Brother pray for me that God will once vouch me worthy of that great dignity whereunto he hath now brought you Ah my loving Brother Drake whose Soul draweth now nigh unto God of whom you have received the same full glad may you be that ever God gave you a life to leave for his sake full well will he restore it to you again in a thousand fold more glorious wise Praise God good Brother as you have great cause and pray for me I beseech you which am so much unworthy so great are my sins of that great dignity whereunto the Lord hath called you and the rest of your godly Brethren whom I beseech you to comfort in the Lord as you can full well praised be God for his gifts which you have heartily applied to the setting forth of his glory and the commodity of his poor afflicted Church Which thing shall surely redound to your everlasting joy and comfort as you shall most effectually feel or ever it be long though the wicked of the World judge far otherwise Ah mine own Hearts and most dearly beloved Brethren Cavell Ambrose and both the Spurges Blessed be the Lord on your behalf and praised be his Name which hath given you such a glorious victory Full valiant have you shewed your selves in the Lords fight and full faithfully in your painful service Faint not but go on forward as you have most godly begun for great shall your reward be at the end of this your travel Ah my good faithful Brethren all what shall I say or what shall I write unto you but even the same that good Elizabeth did say to her godly kinswoman Mary the blessed Mother of Christ Luke 1. Happy art thou quoth that good woman which hast believed for all things which the Lord hath spoken to thee shall be
forget them nor you or any such like The blessing of God be with you all Amen Yours for ever unfeignedly John Careles A Letter of Thanks to a faithfull Friend of his by whom he had received much comfort in his inward troubles BLessed be God the Father of all mercy for the great comfort and Christian consolation which he hath so mercifully ministred unto my poor afflâ—cted heart by your means my most dear and faithful Brother Truly me thinketh your words or rather Gods words by you uttered have a wonderful power and efficacy working in my heart at the hearing or reading of them Rejoyce therefore my dear Brother and be thankful unto God for verily he both is and will be mightily magnified in you and that divers and many wayes both to the strengthning of them that stand in his Truth and also to the raising up of such as are faln from the same God make me thankful for you and on your behalf for verily great is the goodness of God towards me in giving me acquaintance in faithful love and amity with you Gods Name for ever be praised therefore and he perform all his merciful Promises upon you as I doubt not but he will for his sake in whom you trust I thank my God most heartily and also you my good Brother for that you are careful for me in your faithful Prayers remembring my just deserved sorrows as though they were your own and labouring so much to solace the same Ah my gracious good God what am I for whom thou and thy dear Children should be so careful Oh sweet Lord forgive me my great ingratitude and sin and grant that I never abuse thy great benefits Oh let the love of thine Elect which love me for thy sake be a sure sign and token yea a most firm testimony and a seal to my sinful Conscience of thine everlasting love and mercy towards me in Christ as verily it would and ought to be if mine infidelity did not let it Oh circumcise therefore the fore-skin of my heart that I may with lively Faith behold thy great love towards me in all thine Elect that I may alwayes be thankful for the same and love thee and them again most heartily and unfeignedly Ah my dear heart how sweetly and how truly yea how godly and how comfortably have yov rehearsed the sweet saying of Solomon concerning prosperity with true and godly friends What a treasure a trusty friend is I will joyn with it the Sentence which goeth a little before for doubtless it may be well verified on you A sure friend saith the Wise-man will be unto thee even as thine own Soul and deal faithfully with thy houshold folk If thou suffer trouble and adversity he is with thee and hideth not his face from thee A faithfull friend is a strong defence whose findeth such an one findeth a treasure A faithfull friend hath no peer the weight of gold is not to be compared to the goodness of his faith A faithfull friend is a medicine of life and they that fear the Lord shall finde him c. Lo my dear heart in the Lord here is a lively image or description of you for verily such an one have I alwayes found you unto me not onely sorrowing for my great sorrow but also oftentimes making me merry and joyful with such joyes as the world cannot feel There is no true friendship but amongst the godly Now let the world brag of his feigned friendship but I will boast of this true friendship in God and esteem it a more treasure then all transitory things And as for my mourning dear Brother God hath made you to turn it unto mirth for God hath put you in the stead of them to be my Comfort whom he hath in his great mercy taken away I trust henceforth to leave the mourning for my great loss and to praise God for gaining unto himself so great glory by his chosen children God make me a true mourner of Sion both for mine own sin and wickedness and also to see his honour defaced that I may be made meet and apt to hear the joyful and comfortable message that your beautiful feet shall bring me God bless thee my dear heart and faithful loving Brother and increase his good gifts of grace in thee as he hath most happily begun that you may daily more effectually feel and lively perceive the certainty of Gods grace wherein you stand and firmly to testifie the same to the Conversion or Confounding of all gainsayers and to the comfort and confirmation of all Gods dear children Amen Farewel mine own sweet Brother farewel as mine own heart Your own in Christ John Careles Another Letter of John Careles to a certain godly faithful Sister by the Name of E. K. THe grace and free mercy of God in Jesus Christ the sweet Consolations of the holy Ghost the guide of all Gods dear Children be with you strengthen and comfort you my dearly beloved sweet Sister E. K. now and ever Amen Albeit my dearly beloved Sister in Christ that as yet we did never see one another personally to any knowledge yet by the virtuous report that I have heard of you and also by the large loving Token that I have received from you methink that I do even presently see you and behold your person faithfully walking in the fear and love of God joying and rejoycing with you in the Spirit as though we were sweetly talking together of Christs Verity The Lord God do I humbly beseech in the bowels and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that he will strengthen us both with his holy and mighty Spirit that we may constantly continue in the confession of his Truth unto the end that like as we now see one another presently in Spirit we may also see one another personally in the glorious presence of God and his holy Angels where undoubtedly we shall know one anothers personage to our great joy felicity and endless Comfort Preparation to the Cross And now therefore dear Sister K. be strong in the Lord our God for doubtless the time of triall is at hand a great persecution with cruel Murthering of Gods dear Saints is like to be very shortly in this woful wicked Realm of England Therefore dear Sister for the love of God prepare you to the Cross with all diligence and make your self ready to dye with Christ that you may also live with him for ever There is no remedy if you will be Christs disciple you must needs take up your Cross and follow him for the Disciple must not look to be above his Master nor the Servant to be better intreated then his Lord. If we were of the World good Sister no doubt the world would love us But forasmuch as Christ hath chosen us out of the world to serve God in Spirit Verity let us be well assured the World will hate us and persecute us as it hath done our
Lord and Master Christ But yet let us be of good chear for Christ hath overcome the World The pain is but short that we can feel here but the pleasure is perpetual that we shall feel elsewhere Let us set before us the Example of Christ which abode the Cross and despised the shame Consolation under the Cross in respect of the joy that was set before him even so let us consider for whose sake we suffer whose Cause we defend and what glorious Reward we shall have at the day of our victory and then doubtless the consolation of these things will make sweet all our sufferings and soon swallow up all the sorrows that we are sowled in for Gods sake I could recite divers Texts of the Scriptures to confirm this point but I need not for I am well assured that you do know them most perfectly already The Lord give you strength and assist you with his holy Spirit that you may continually walk in all points according to your godly knowledge And then shall you do not as the most part of your Gospellers do now adayes the more is the pity There are a great many in England that do perfectly know that the Idolatrous Mass is abominable devillish and detestable in the sight of God and yet alas they be not afraid to pollute and defile their bodies which ought to be the Temples of the holy Ghost with being present at it so sinning against God and their own Conscience But dear Sister K. do you fly from it both in body and Soul as you would fly from the very Devil himself Drink not of the Whore of Babylons Cup by no means for it will infect the Body and poison the Soul Be not partakers of her sins saith the Angel lest you be partakers of the Plagues that shortly shall be poured upon her O what an array is this that so many that know Gods Truth will now turn again and defile themselves in the filthy Puddle of Antichrists stinking Religion They go about to save their lives with their double dissimulation but doubtless they shall lose everlasting life by it if they do not Repent in time and turn unto the Lord. But dear sister my trust is that you do utterly abhorre the coming to any such thing I hope that you will not by any means turn back into Egypt now but that you will boldly venture through the Wilderness of Trouble and Persecution that you may come into the Land that floweth with all kinde of Heavenly pleasures and joyful delectations and possess the same for ever Let us consider how that every one of us doth owe unto God a death by nature and how soon the Lord will require it of us we know not Oh how happy are we then if God of his goodness appoint us to pay Natures debt with suffering for his Truth and Gospel sake and so making us his faithful Witnesses with the Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Confessors yea with his dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ to whom he doth here begin to fashion us like in suffering that we might be like him also in glory Thus my dearly beloved Sister I have been bold to trouble you a little with my rude and simple Letter being made in haste as it doth appear Yet I desire you to take it in good worth as a token of my poor zeal unto you and do accept my good will And if it please God to spare me life and liberty I trust hereafter to write unto you more largely Fare ye well dear Sister E. K. the Lord bless you and all yours and pour upon you the heavenly dew of his Grace The Lord indue you with plentiful knowledge of his Verity and fill you with his holy and mighty Spirit that you may continually rejoyce in the Comforts of the same now and ever Amen Pray pray pray with stedfast Faith Your daily Oratour John Careles Prisoner of the Lord. A Letter of John Careles to Mrs. Agnes Glascock THe everlasting peace of God in Jesus Christ the continuall ayd strength and comforts of his most pure holy and mighty Spirit be with you my dear and faithfull Sister Glascock to the good performance of that good work which God hath so graciously begun in you to his glory and the commodity of his poor afflicted Church and to your own eternal comfort in him Amen In our Lord I have most humble and hearty commendations unto you my dear Sister and most faithful Mother Glascock with all remembrance of you in my daily Prayers giving God most hearty land praise and thanks for you and on your behalf in that he of his great mercy hath hitherto so mightily strengthned you constantly to cleave unto your Captain Christ notwithstanding the great assaults and manifold temptations that you have had to the contrary Doubtless dear heart it cannot be expressed what joy and comfort it is unto my very Soul to see how mightily the Lord hath magnified himself in you and other his dear elect darlings whom he will shortly glorifie with himself as he hath done other of his sweet Saints that are gone before you Rejoyce therefore and be glad for verily you have good cause if you diligently consider the great dignity that God hath called you unto even in your old age to be one of his worthy Witnesses unto the World and I think you shall with me and other your Brethren in Bonds seal the Lords Verity with the Testimony of your Blood Surely sweet Sister What an high honour it is to suffer for Christ this is the greatest promotion that God can bring you or any other unto in this life and an honour that the highest Angel in Heaven is not permitted to have Therefore happy are you Oh faithful daughter of Abraham that the Lord will now preferre you before many other yea or any other of your age that I do know in England Oh faithful and virtuous Matron which wilt not be moved from the sure Rock Christ upon whom you have so firmly built your house that neither storms nor tempests neither yet Hell gates or any other temptations shall ever be able once to prevail against it Full well doth it appear by your constant continuance that you have played the part of a wise builder in counting the Cost aforehand belonging to the finishing of your Tower and I doubt not but through Gods gift you have sufficient to the performance thereof that the Hypocrites of their part shall have no just cause to triumph against you or to mock you saying Lo this woman began to build but is not able to make an end Therefore go on boldly and fear not for God is faithfull as S. Paul saith which will not suffer you to be tempted above your strength but either will he give you grace and strength to stand unto the death which is the gate and entrance into life or else he will make such an out-scape for you as shall be to the setting forth of
his glory the which above all other things we that are his chosen children ought for to seek yea even with the loss of our own lives being yet well assured that the same shall not be shortned one minute of an hour before the time that God hath appointed Cast therefore dear Sister all your care upon the Lord which as S. Peter saith careth for you Great is his Providence for you and mighty is his love and mercy towards you with his grace he will defend you and with his holy Spirit he will evermore guide you wherewith he hath surely sealed you unto the day of Redemption He hath also given you the same in earnest for the recovery of the purchased Possession which he hath prepared for you before the foundation of the world was laid Be strong therefore and take a good heart as I hear say you be God for ever be blessed for you which hath graft his love in your good heart that nothing is able to separate you from the same but will rather chuse to suffer adversity with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little season Oh happy woman that canst finde in thine heart to esteem the rebukes of Christ to be greater riches then all the treasures of the world as good Moses did Doubtless great is your reward in Heaven which you shall shortly receive of his free gift and not of any deserving Thus dear Mother Glascock I have been bold to trouble you with my rude and simple Letters desiring you to take them in good worth being done in great haste as it doth appear but yet proceeding from a poor heart which floweth over in love towards you as my daily prayers for you can testifie which I trust shall supply that part of my duty towards you that my Pen now wanteth I thank you dear heart for all your loving Tokens and for the great kindness you have hitherto shewed unto my poor Brother Tyms and his Wife and Children with all other of Gods people to whom you daily do good the Lord recompence the same sevenfold into your bosome as I doubt not but he will according to his infallible Promises I pray you have my hearty commendations unto your Husband I beseech the Lord strengthen him in the Confession of his Truth as my trust is that he will that we may all joyfully rest with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of God unto the which he bring us that with his most precious blood hath bought us The Blessing of God be with you now and ever Amen Your daily Orator and unfeigned Lover John Careles Prisoner of the Lord Pray pray pray A brief Admonition written by John Careles to Mrs. Agnes Glascock in a Book of hers when she came to the Prison to visit him THere is nothing that the holy Scripture throughout doth so much commend unto us as true Faith and stedfast trust in the Promises of Gods eternal mercies towards us in Jesus Christ For from the same as forth of the chief Fountain and Well-spring of life do flow all kindes of virtues and godly fruits specially true love towards God in the which we ought purely to serve him all the dayes of our life and also Christian Charity towards our Neighbours as well to help them at all needs as also not to hurt them by any means Therefore pray earnestly for the increase of faith and lively feeling of Gods mercy for all things are possible to him that can undoubtedly believe The effects of Faith Faith is that thing which assureth us of Gods mercy and whereby we vanquish all the fiery darts of the Devil Our victory that overcometh the world The knife that killeth and mortifieth the flesh and finally that which setteth us at peace with God and quieteth our Consciences alwayes before him and maketh us merry and joyfull under the Cross with many moe things then I can now express Pray therefore for faith in faith And for the Lords sake beware of Popery and Popish Idolatry the Idol of the wicked Mass and other Idolatrous Service Make not your body which is a member of Christ a member of Antichrist Remember that we shall receive of God according to that we do in the body be it good or evil Therefore glorifie God in your body which is dearly bought Betray not the Truth lest the Lord deny you If God be God follow him You cannot serve two Masters I write not this as doubting you but by the way of Admonition God keep you from all evil My Sister dear God give you grace With stedfast Faith in Christ his Name His Gospel still for to embrace And live according to the same To dye therefore think it no shame But hope in God with faithfull trust And he will give you praise with fame When you shall rise out of the dust For which most sweet and joyfull day To God with faith your Prayer make And think on me I do you pray The which did write this for your sake And thus to God I you betake Who is your Castle and strong Rock He keep you whether you sleep or wake Farewell dear Mistris A. Glascock An other Letter of John Careles to Mrs. A. G. to comfort her in her repentance after she had been at Mass fruitful for all them to be read which have fallen and are to be raised up again THe peace of God in Jesus Christ the eternal comforts of his sweet Spirit be with you and strengthen and comfort you my dear and faitâ—ful Sister Amen Although the perillous dayes be come whereof Christ prophesied that if it were possible the very elect should be deceived yet let the true faithful Christians rejoyce and be glad knowing that the Lord himself is their keeper who will not suffer one hair of their heads to perish without his almighty good will and pleasure neither will suffer them to be further tempteâ— then he will give them strength to bear but will in the midst of their temptations make a way for them to escape out So good and gracious a God is he to all his chosen Children And though sometimes he do let his elect stumble and fall yet no doubt he will raise them up again to the further increase of their comfort and to the setting forth of his glory and praise Which thing my dear and faithful loving Sister I trust shall be well verified on you for I do hear say that by the manifold allurements inticements procurements yea and inforcements that you dear heart have had your foot hath chanced to slip forth of the way to the great discomfort of your Soul and the heaviness of your heart But my good Sister be of good chear for the Lord will not so leave you but he will raise you up again and make you stronger then ever you were so that your fall shall turn to his glory your profit For if you had not by this proved the experience of your
the life of the Gospel and bring our sheaves full of Corn. Yea the death of the Martyrs which is most precious in his sight shall be the life of the Gospel spight of the Papists hearts Pray for me dear heart that I may be counted worthy to sowe some seed amongst the sweet Saints of the Lord that I may reap the same again without ceasing A sowing time is Christs Church at the Harvest It is now sowing time of the year men say in the Country and I think I shall make an end of sowing before all March be past for I hear say that I shall prove how my Plough will enter into the stony ground of the hard hearted Papists within these four dayes I hope to hold fast and not to look back neither for fear nor flattery until I have made an end of sowing and then will I set me down and rest me and ask them all no leave and look for the lively fruit and increase thereof with joy and gladness My dear Brother the time approacheth near I praise God therefore that I must put off this siâ—ful tabernacle and go home to my heavenly Father where divers of my dear Brethren are already looking and wishing for me I beseech you therefore that you will help me forward with your faithful Prayers as I know you doe for I do feel the comfort and commodity thereof That you have observed my simple Counsell I am right glad This counsel was that he should marry notwithstanding certain lets whereby Satan sought to hinder his Marriage and I trust in the Lord God you shall finde comfort in the same And that you may so doe indeed I have been so bold to write these few words unto you because I shall see you no more in this corruptible life therefore mark them well First and above all things you must be very circumspect to keep the band of love and beware that there never spring up the root of bitterness between you If at any time there happen to rise any cause of unkindness between you as it is unpossible alwayes to be free from it see that you weed up the same with all lenity gentleness and patience The root of bitterness to be weeded out with the Spade of Patience and never suffer your self nor your wife to sleep in displeasure If you have cause to speak sharply and sometimes to reprove How and when the husband ought to reprove beware that you do not the same in the presence of other but keep your words until a convenient time which is the point of a wise man saith Solomon and then utter them in the spirit of meekness and the groaning spirit of perfect love which you must also let sometimes to cover faults and wink at them if they be not intollerable Whatsoever loss and mischance shall happen unto you Faults somtime must be covered with love take it patiently and bear it merrily and though the same should come partly through your wifes negligence yet let it rather be a loving warning to take heed in time to come then a cause of sorrow for that which is past and cannot be holpen I know by mine own experience that we are in this life subjâ—ct to many inconveniences and that of nature we are prone to displeasure Not to take unkindness for every trifle and ready to think unkindeness for every little trifle and specially with our best friends yea soonest with our loving wives which be most lothest to displease us But let us beware of this cankered corruption and consider that wrought most of all in love to bear with them according to Christs example towards his Congregation for whom he gave himself to cleanse it c. I had thought to have treated this matter at large but even now I am interrupted and otherwise letted I doubt not but you know your duty therein a great deal better then I can declare it unto you and as you know it so will do it but I love to be bold with you I intend also to write to your wife very shortly and so take my last farewel of you forever in this World And thus in great haste I am now constrained to make an end The blessing of God be alwayes with you Your own forever John Careles Pray pray pray with Faith Another Letter of John Careles to Elizabeth Wife of the said A. B. containing likewise certain godly Precepts of Matrimony pertaining to her duty THe everlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ the continual ayd strength and comfort of his most holy and mighty Spirit with increase of knowledge faith and perfect feeling of Gods eternal mercy be with you my dear and faithful loving Sister E. B. and with your godly loving husband and my dear and faithful Brother to the full performance of that good which he hath so graciously begun in you that in all things you may be madâ— rich and blessed in him and your seed after you now and ever Amen As I have been long desirous to write unto you my dear heart iâ— the Lord not onely being thereto bound of duty but also ofteâ— provoked of him to whom I owe my self and all that I am able to do I mean even that blessed of the Lords own mouth whom God hath joyned with you in that holy and Christian state of Matrimony even so at the last I have obtained time and occasion in some part to perform that which I have long purposed And forasmuch as the Lord of his great mercy and fatherly Care and Providence over you his dear childe hath now graciously accomplished that good work among many other which I as a friend of the Bridegroom have full heartily wished and often prayed for I think it good yea and my bounden duty to treat of such things as may be profitable to preserve mutual love and faithful amity between you Satan an enemy to all godly affairs which I know Satan will chiefly labour to diminish if he cannot altogether destroy the same lest by many joyful occasions you should be provoked continually to praise God for his good gâ—ft which that enemy hath by all means sought to hinder from you As for all other things I know you are sufficiently instructed and also have a most godly learned Companion who is well able further to teach you if need do require But in this thing I know my Experience is more then his Therefore my good Sister first and before all things see that you do diligently consider that as every good and perfect gift pertaining to Soul and Body is given from above and cometh from the Father of Light Even so to whomsoever the Lord dealeth any of his benefits of them he doth chiefly require alwayes a thankful heart for the same for else he will either take away his good gifts again or turn the same to their great discommodity and in the end to the increase of their condemnation So detestable in his
sight is the Sin of Ingratitude The sin of ingratitude But to such as be thankful for his benefits he doth not onely to the old ever adde new but also maketh the commodity of his former gifts ever more and more to increase untill by them they are fully perswaded and throughly certified of his everlasting love in Christ Jesus which is eternal life it self so much doth he of his great mercy delight in a thankful heart Therefore I do yet once again earnestly require you that above all things you be thankful to God for his benefits God loveth a thankful hoart not onely for your Election Creation Redemption and Preservation but also for his other temporal gifts wherewith he hath endued you amongst the which the chief and most excellent is as testifieth the holy Ghost your good godly and faithful loving Husband For as the Wiseman saith Goods and possessions may come to a man by the death of his friends but a good Wife is the gift of God A good wiâ—â—tâ—e gift of Goâ— which the Lord will give for a good portion to such as fear him And the like is of a good Husband as the Lord hath now given you praised be his Name therefore He hath not given you an ignorant froward churlish brawling wastful rioting drunken Husband wherewith he hath plagued many other as he might also have done you but he hath given you a most godly leaâ—ned gentle loving quiet patient thrifty diligent and sober Husband by whom he will nourish cherish keep and defend you instruct and teach you yea care and provide for you and your Children the which he will also by him give you such things as be necessary for you He hath not dealt so with every body and yet he hath done this and much more for you my dear Sister and will thereto increase joy and love between you God delighteth in the agreement between Man Wife for as he delighteth in the love godly agreement of man wife together so is it he only that maketh them and all the whole houshold to be of one mind Unto the which his gracious work he requireth your diligence and will use you as his instrument and mean the more effectuously to accomplâ—sh the same And therefore I now require you to observe this my simple counsel the which I have here written as a testimonial of my good will towards you because I think in this life I shall never more see you Now as I have shewed you how you should be thankful unto God for his good gifts so I exhort you and as much as in me lieth charge you to be evermore thankful unto your dear loving husband who hath given himself unto you which is a more precious jewel in the Church of God then perchance you are yet aware of The duty of Wives toward their Husbands Think your self unworthy to be matched with such an Instrument of God and also reverence evermore the gifts of God in him and seek with true obedience and love to serve him in recompence of his true and painful heart towards you Be loth in any wise to offend him yea rather be careful and diligent to please him that his Soul may bless you If at any time you shall chance to anger him or to do or speak any thing that shall grieve him see that you never rest until you have pacified him and made him merry again If at any time he shall chance to blame you without a cause or for that you cannnot do therewith which thing happeneth sometimes of the best men living see that you bear it patiently and give him no uncomely or unkinde word for it but ever more look upon him with a loving and chearful countenance and rather take the fault upon you then seem to be displeased A chearful countenance Be alwayes merry and chearful in his company but not with too much lightness Beware in any wise of swelling powting or lowring for that is a token of a cruel and unloving heart except it be in respect of sin or in the time of sickness Be not sorrowful for any adversity that God sendeth but beware that nothing be spilt or go to waste through your negligence In any wise see rhat you be quick and cleanly about his meat and drink and prepare him the same according to his diet in due season Temperance in apparrel Go cleanly and well favouredly in your Apparel but beware of of Pride in any wise Finally in word and deed shew your self wise humble merry and loving towards him and also towards such as he doth love and then shall you lead a blessed life I could speak of many other things the which I have learned and proved true by experience but I know that you will do in all things much better then I can teach you because you have that anointing that teacheth you all things who hath also given you an heart to obey and serve him Yet I trust you will not be offended for this which I have written but rather accept my good will towards you whom I love in the Lord as well as I do my daughter Judith Thus as mine own Soul I commend you both to God desiring him to bless you with all manner of Spiritual blessings in heavenly things and also with the dew of Heaven and fatness of the Earth that in all things you may be made rich in Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour The Lord increase and bless the fruit of your bodyes that your Children may stand round about your Table thick fresh and lusty like the Olive branches God give you both a long life that you may see and bless your Childrens Children unto the third and fourth Generation and teach them the true fear and love of God and that Faith for the which they shall be accepted in his sight God let you see the prosperity of Sion for whose lying in the dust let your hearts mourn The Lord make perfect your love together in him and alwayes increase the same Note that both these departed in quiet peace the one 1565. the other 1568. and bring you both in peace to your graves at a good age And now I bid you both most heartily farewel and I think I shall now take my leave of you for ever in this life I beseech you both to aid me with your continual Prayers as I will not forget you in mine that I may have a joyful victory through Jesus Christ To whose most mercifull defence I do most heartily for ever commend you to be kept unblameable untill his coming The which I beseech him to hasten for his Mercies sake Your own unfeignedly John Careles Prisoner of the Lord. Here endeth the Letters of John Careles A Letter of Mr. John Bradfords which he wrote to a faithfull Woman in her heaviness and trouble most comfortable for all those to reade that are afflicted and broken-hearted for their sins GOd
see Nay I should have said You shall feel he will turn to you You know that Moses when he went into the Mount to talk with God he entred into a dark Cloud and Elias had his face covered when God passed by Both these dear friends of God heard God but they saw him not but you would be preferred before them See now my dear heart how covetous you are Ah be thankful be thankful But God be praised that your covetousness is Moses covetousness Well with him you shall be satisfied But when Forsooth when he shall appear Here is not the time of seeing Psal 16. but as it were in a glass Isaac was deceived because he was not content with hearing onely Therefore to make an end of these many words wherewith I fear me I do but trouble you from better exercises inasmuch as you are indeed the childe of God elect in Christ before the beginning of all times inasmuch as you are given to the custody of Christ as one of Gods most precious jewels inasmuch as Christ is faithful and hitherto hath all power so that you shall never perish no one hair of your head shall not be lost I beseech you Learn here to put away doubting all tender hearts that seek after Christ I pray you I desire you I crave at youâ— hands with all my very heart I ask of you with hand pen tongue and minde in Christ through Christ for Christ for his Name Blood Mercies Power and Truths sake my most entirely beloved Sister that you admit no doubting of Gods finall Mercies towards you howsoever you feel your self but complain to God and crave of him as of your tender and dear Father all things and in that time which shall be most opportune you shall finde and feel far above that your heart or the heart of any creature can conceive to your eternal joy Amen Amen Amen The good Spirit of God alwayes keep us as his dear children he comfort you as I desire to be comforted my dearly beloved for evermore Amen This 8. of August by him that in the Lord desireth to you as well and as much felicity as to his own heart John Bradford A worthy Answer of a constant Martyr called Guy de Brez Anno Dom. 1566. GVy de BreZ a minister of the Gospel being committed Prisoner into the Castle of Tournay was visited by many Ladies and Gentlewomen only out of a desire to see him in regard he was a man so highly esteemed Some at the first view scoffed others railed on him but others were moved to take pitty and compassion on him Amongst the rest the Countess of Ren accompanied with certain Gentlewomen coming into the Prison and at her first entrance beholding the Iron chain to which was fastned Mr. Guy said she I wonder how you can either eat drink or sleep in quiet for wer I in your case the very terrour thereof would goe nigh to kill me O Madam said he the good cause for which I suffer and that inward peace of Conscience with which God hath endued mee makes me eat and drink with greater contentment then my enemies can which seek my life yea so far off is it that my bonds or chain do any way terrifie me or break off my sleep that on the contrary I glory and take delight therein esteeming them at a higher rate then chains and rings of Gold or any other Jewels of price whatsoever for they yield me much more profit Yea when I hear the ratling of my chains me thinks I hear as it were some sweet instrument of musick sounding in mine ears not that such an effect comes meerly from my chains but in regard I am bound therewith for maintaining the truth of the Gospel The same Martyr in a letter to his wife acquaints her with Gods graciâ—us dealing with him in all his assaults SPeaking of his apprehension he shews how carnal reason began to play its part against the Providence of God for saith he these thoughts came thronging into my head what meant we to go so many in company together as we did had it not been for such and such we had never been discovered or taken Under such like cogitations I lay for a while saith he even in a manner overwhelmed till by the assistance of Gods holy Spirit my minde was raised up to meditate on Gods Providence After which my heart began to feel wonderful rest and contentment saying thus in my self O my God the day and hour of my birth was before ordained by thee ever since thou hast preserved and kept me in great perils and dangers and hitherto delivered me out of them all And if now the hour be come wherein I must pass out of this life into thy kingdome thy holy will be done I cannot escape out of tâ—y hands yea though I could yet Lord thou knowest I would not seeing all my felicity depends upon conforming my Will unto thine From these considerations I received no small consolation and therefore dear wife rejoyce with mee I pray you and bless our good God for these his mercies towards me for he doâ—h nothing but that which is equal and right You have been privy to and acquainted with all the travels crosses and persecutions which have befallen me yea and have your self been partaker with me therein when you accompanied me in my voyages during the time of my exile and now after all these you see my welbeloved in the Lord how he holdeth forth to mee his hand of Providence to drive me home to himself into his blessed Kingdome I now lead you the way and when his will is you shall follow me thither Our separation shall not be for ever it will not be long ere we be gathered under one head Jesus Christ This World is not the place of our rest no Heaven is our home this is but the place of our banishment Let us therefore aspire after our true Country namely Heaven and long to be received into the mansions of our heavenly Father where we shall see our Head and Brother our Husband and Saviour Jesus Christ with the noble triumphant assemblies of the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and so many millions of Martyrs to whom I hope shortly to be gathered having finished the course of that administration which I have received of the Lord Jesus Wherefore dear wife be you comforted in the meditation of these things Take into consideration the honour the Lord doth you in giving you a Husband who is not only called to be a Minister of Christs Gospel but also so highly advanced of God as to be accounted worthy to partake of the Crown of Martyrdome It is an honour which the Angels in Heaven are not capable of Angels not capable of Mâ—rtyrdome I now rejoyce in my sufferings my heart leapeth within me in my Afflictions I finde nothing wanting unto mee I am filled with the abundant riches of my God yea so farre am I comforted therewith that I have sufficient store not only for my self but to impart thereof also to as many as I have opportunity to speak unto which bounty and favour I beseech my eternal Lord God to continue unto me his poor Prisoner yea Gods goodness to his afflicted children is oft above and beyond their expectation I am perswaded that he will perform it unto the end For by good expeience I feel that be never forsakes them that trust in him I could never have imagined that God would have been so gracious as he hath been to me his poor creature I now taste of the fidelity and bounty of Christ my Saviour I am here taught to practise what I have preached unto others Yea let me not be ashamed to confess that when I heretofore preached I spake but as a Parrat in regard of that which I have now better learned by proof and experience Prisons prove Gods School-houses to the faithful I have profited more in the Schoolhouse of this prison then ever I did in all my life before for I have the Holy Ghost who is my constant instrâ—cter and Schoolmaster teaching me how to handle my weapons in this fight of afflictions Satan on the other side who is the sworn enemy of all Gods Elect compasseth me about on every side as a roaring Lyon thinking to devour me But he who hath said Fear not John 16.33 I have overcome the World puts as it were new courage into me and then I see the Lord bruising Satan under my feet Rom. 16.20 feeling the power of God perfected in my weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 and that the Lord causeth me one while to feel my infirmity and weakness It is profitable for the godly so câ—iâ—es to feel their infirmities that so I may take knowledge how I am but a poor earthen vessel even weakness it self to humble me that God may have all the glory and then by and by he fortifies and comforts me I may truly say incredibly above all I could ask or think For I would not change my condition with theirs who persecute me I take my rest eat and drink with more hearts case then they I am indeed lodged in the strongest and vilest Prison they have dark and obscure which for the darkness thereof is called Brunaâ—â— Brunain a Prison of the Valencians where I have no ayre to breathe at but a little stinking hole where they lay all their rubbish and where the drunkards commonly vent their Urine I am laden with Irons both on my hands and feet By reason wherof he complains he wrote with â—uch difficulty and therefore could not write as otherwise he would have done which are a continual torment unto me the irons eating through the flesh even to the bare bones The Provost-Marshal comes to view my Fetters twice or thrice 〈◊〉 day fearing lest I should make an escape for preventing whereof he hath placed three Guards of Fourty men before the Prison door c. And thus having given to his Wife his Advice how to behave her self during her Widowhood and how to train up her Children with his loving Salutations remembred to her self and other his special Friends he closeth up his Letter FINIS
blood for that onely is good But of this be you sure the Lord will shortly call you to account for all the innocent blood that is shed within this Realm which you have brought into a most woful case and made many a heavy heart in the same and moe I perceive you will make so long as the Lord for our sins will suffer you to prosper and untill the time that your own iniquity be full ripe But then be you sure the Lord will sit in Judgement upon you as well as you do now upon his Saints and will reward you according to your deservings To whom with my whole heart I commit my cause and he will make answer for me when the full time of my refreshing cometh In the mean space I will keep silence with this that I have said trusting that I have sufficiently discharged my conscience in confessing my Faith and Religion to you declaring of what Church I am even of the Catholick Church of Jesus Christ which was well known to be here in England in our late good Kings dayes by two special tokens which cannot deceive me nor suffer me to be deceived that is to say The pure Preaching of his holy Word and the due administration of the holy Sacraments which is not to be seen in your Romish Church and therefore cannot be called the Church and Spouse of Christ I believe in the holy Trinity and all the other Articles of the Christian Faith contained in the three Creeds and finally all the Canonicall Scripture to be true in every sentence and I detest all Sects both of Arrians and Anabaptists or any other that divide themselves from the true Church of Christ which is his Mysticall Body the Ground and Pillar of Truth and the very House of the living God And if for these things you take away my life and make your selves guilty of my Blood you may for I am in your hands as the Sheep brought to the Shambles abiding the grace of the Butcher And be you sure your judgement sleepeth not but when you cry Peace peace and all is safe then shall your plagues begin like the sorrows of a woman travelling with childe 1 Thes 5. according to Christs infallible Poâ—mise This kinde of answer my dear heart it shall be best for you to make and by Gods grace I do intend to take the same order my self in time to come when the Lord shall vouch me worthy of that great dignity whereunto he hath called you And if they shall laugh you to scorn as I know they will saying thou art a Fool and an unlearned Ass-head and art able to make answer to nothing c. care not you for it but still commit your Cause unto God who will make answer for you tell them that they have bin answered again and again of divers godly and learned men but all will not help for you have one solution for all manner of questions even a fair Fire and Fagots this will be the end of your disputations Therefore I pray you to trouble me no more but do that which you are appointed when God shall permit the time I am no better then Christ his Apostles and other of my good Brethren that are gone before me This kinde of answer will cut their combs most and edifie the people that stand by so that the same be done coldly with sobriety meekness and patience as I heard say our sweet Brethren Thomas Harland and John Oswald did at Lewes in Sussex to the great rejoycing of the children of God that were in those parts and I heard say that they were dissolved from this earthly tabernacle at Lewes on Saturday last and were condemned but the Wednesday before so that we may perceive the Papists have quick work in hand 2 Chron. 2. that they make such haste to have us home to our heavenly Father Therefore let us make our selves ready to ride in the fiery Chariot leaving these sorry Mantles and old Clokes behinde us for a little time which God shall restore unto us again in a more glorious wise My good Brother Harry you shall understand that bragging John T. hath beguiled his Keepers who trusted him too well and is run away from them and hath brought the poor men into great danger by the same The one of them is cast by the Councils Commandment into the Gate-house at Westminster the other is fled forth of the Country for fear Thus you may see the fruits of our Free-will men that made so much boast of their own strength But that house which is not builded surely upon the unmoveable Rock will not long stand against the boisterous winds and storms that blow so strongly in these dayes of Trouble But my dearly beloved Brother blessed be God for you and such as you be which have played the parts of wise Builders You have digged down past the sand of your own natural strength and beneath the earth of your own worldly wisdome and are now come to the hard Stone and unmoveable Rock Christ who is your onely Keeper and upon him alone you have builded your Faith most firmly without doubting mistrust or wavering Therefore neither the storms nor tempests winds nor weathers that Satan and all his wily workmen can bring against you with the very Gates of Hell to help them shall ever be able once to move your House much less to overthrow it for the Lord God himself and no man is the Builder thereof and hath promised to preserve and keep the same safe for ever Unto his most merciful defence therefore I do heartily commit you and all your good company desiring him for his sweet Son Jesus Christs sake to confirm and strengthen you all that you may be constant unto the very end that after the final victory is once gotten you may receive the immercessible Crown of Glory of Gods free gift through his great mercy in Jesus Christ our alone Saviour To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour glory praise thanks power rule and dominion for ever and evermore Amen The Blessing of God be with you all John Careles To my most dear and faithfull Brother T. V. THe everlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ the continual joy and comfort of his most pure holy and mighty Spirit with the increase of Faith and lively feel ng of his mercy be with you my dear heart in the Lord and faithful lovâ—ng brother T. V. to the full accomplishing of that good work whâ—ch â—e â—ath so graciously begun in you that the same by all means may be to the setting forth of his glory to the commodity of his poor afflicted Congregation and to the sweet comfort and quietness of your Conscience in him now and evermore Amen With such due honour love and reverence as it becometh me to bear unto the sweet Saints dearly beloved children of God I have me most heartily commended unto you my dear Brother V.