poor Prisoners I make this my humble suit and prayer to you all my especial good Friends beseeching you by all the bonds of amity in the bowels of mercy to tender the cases of miserable Captives Help to cloath Christ visit the Afflicted comfort the Sorrowful and relieve the Needy The very God of peace guide your hearts to have mercy on the poor and love faithfully together Amen This present Monday when I look to die and to live for ever Yours for ever Bartlet Green In his Letter to Mrs. Elizabeth Clark I shall not cease with continual Prayer to labour for you desiring Almighty God to increase that which he hath long since begun in you of sober life and earnest zeal towards his Region She that is a true Widow and friendless putteth her trust in God continuing day and night in supplication and prayer but she that liveth in pleasure is dead even yet alive And verily she is a true widow that hath married Christ forsaking the vanities of the world and the lusts of the flesh For as the married woman careth how to love and serve and please her Husband so ought the Widow to give all her soul and heart thoughts and words studies and labours faithfully to love God vertuously to bring up her children and houshold and diligently to provide for the poor and oppressed Not to live in pleasure but to watch unto prayer stedfastly laying up all her trust in God Of Anna it is written That she never went out of the Temple but served God with fasting and prayer night and day to â—ring up her children and houshold godly in the nurture and information of the Lord. There are most manifest examples against Parents for the offences of Children Contrariwise how greatly might Hanna rejoyce over Samuâ—l her Son whom she had brought up in the House of the Lord But above all Widows thrice blessed was the happy Mother of the seven Sons that so had instructed them in the fear of the Lord that by no torments they would sâ—rink from the love of his Truth To be liberal to Strangers to wash the Saints feet and minister to them in their adversity Saint Paul as though they onely had been therefore meet appointed onely Widows to minister to the Saints and to gather for the poor Alas That Christ so hungreth and no man will feed him is so sore opprest with thirst and no man will give him drink destitute of all lodging and not relieved sick and not visitted imprisoned and not seen In times past men could bestow large sums of money on Copes Vestments and Ornaments of the Church why rather follow we not St. Ambrose his example who sold the same for the relief of the poor or Chrysostom's command who willed first to deck and garnish the living Temple of God But alas such is the wickedness of these our last dayes that nothing moves us neither the pure Doctrine the godliness of life nor good examples of the Ancient Fathers If in any thing they erred that will their charitable children embrace publish and maintain with sword faggot and fire but all in vain they strive against the stream for though in despite of the Truth by force of the ears of crafty perswasion they may bring themselves into the haven of Hell yet can they not make all men believe that the banks move while the ship saileth nor ever shall be able to turn the direct course of the stream of Gods Truth In another Letter Better is the day of death saith Solomâ—n then the day of birth Happy are the dead that die in the Lord. Man of woman is born in travel to live in misery man through Christ doth die in joy to live in felicity he is born to die and dieth to live Strait as he cometh into the world with cries he uttereth his miserable estate strait as he departeth with Songs he praiseth God for ever Scarce yet in his cradle three deadly enemies assault him after death no Adversary may annoy him whilst he is here he displeaseth God when he is dead he fulfilleth his will Here he dieth every hour there he liveth continually here is sin there is righteousness here is time there is eternity here is harted there is love here is pain there is pleasure here is misery there is felicity Seek therefore the things that are above c. Grey The Lady Iane Grey Daughter to the Duke of Suffolk whose Mother was Daughter to Mary King Henry the Second's Sister having personated a Queen for ten dayes and upon Queen Mâ—ries Proclamation being imprisoned the Queen sent Mr. Fecknam to her two dayes before her death to commune with her and reduce her from the Doctrine of Christ to Queen Maries Religion The effect which communication here followeth Madam said Fecknam I lament your heavy Case c. You are welcome unto me Sir said the Lady Iane if you come to give me Christian Exhortation And as for my heavy Case I thank God I do so little lament it that rather I account the same for a more manifest Declaration of Gods favour towards me then ever he shewed me at any time before and therefore there is no cause why either you or other which bear me good will should lament or be grieved with this my Case being a thing so profitable for my souls health I am here come said he from the Queen and Council to instruct you in the true Doctrine of the right Faith c. I heartily thank the Queen said she who is not unmindful of her humble Subject and I hope no less that you will do your duty therein both truly and faithfully What is then said he requried of a Christian To believe said she in God the Father Son and holy Ghost three Persons and one God What said he is there nothing else required or looked for in a Christian but to believe in him Yes said she We must love him with all our heart with all our soul and with all our mind and our Neighbour as our self Why then said he faith justifies not and saveth not Yes verily said she Faith as Paul saith onely justifies Why said he St. Paul saith If I have all faith without love it is nothing True said she for how can I love him whom I trust not or how can I trust him whom I love not Faith and love go both together and yet love is comprehended in faith How must we love our Neighbour said he To love our Neighbour said she is to feed the hungry to cloath the naked and give drink to the thirsty and to do to him as we would do to our selves Why then said he it is necessary unto salvation to do good works also and it is not sufficient onely to believe It is meet said she that a Christian in token that he follows his Master Christ to do good works yet may we not say that they profit to our salvation for
Hunter you can do no more then God will permit you Well said B. will you recant indeed by no means No said H. never while I live God willing Bonner asking him how old he was he said He was Nineteen years old Well said B. you will be burned ere you be Twenty if you will not recant H. answered God strengthen me in his Truth Bonner even after Sentence was past offering him if he would then recant to make him a Freeman of the City and to give him Forty pound in money to set up with or to make him Steward of his House c. Hunter said unto him My Lord if you cannot perswade my Conscience by Scriptures I cannot find in my heart to turn from God for the love of the world for I count all things worldly but loss and dung in respect of the love of Christ. If thou diest in this mind said B. thou art condemned for ever God judgeth righteously said H. and justifieth them whom man condemneth unjustly When he was brought to Burntwood to be burned his Father and Mother came to him and desired heartily of God that he might continue to the end in that good way which he had begun and his Mother said unto him That she was glad that ever she was so happy to bear such a Child which could find in his heart to lose his life for Christs Names sake Then said he to his Mother For my little pain which I shall suffer which is but short Christ hath promised me a Crown of Joy May you not be glad of that Mother With that his Mother kneeled down on her knees saying I pray God strengthen thee my Son to the end Yea I think thee as well bestowed as any Child that ever I bare His Father said I was afraid of nothing but that my Son should have been killed in the Prison for hunger and cold the Bishop was so hard to him The night before his Execution he had a dream that he was where the Stake was pitcht where he should be burned and that it was at the Towns end where the Butts stood which was so indeed and that he met his Father going to the Stake and that there was a Priest at the Stake which went about to have him recant and that he said to him Away false Prophet and that he exhorted the people to beware of him and such as he was which things came to pass accordingly Whilst he was led to the Stake the Sheriffs Son came to William and embraced him saying William be not afraid of these men who are here present with Bills and Weapons ready prepared to bring you to the place where you shall be burned William answered I thank God I am not afraid for I have cast my account what it will cost me already Then the Sheriffs Son could speak no more to him for weeping When he met his Father according to his dream his Father said unto him God be with thee Son William William answered God be with you good Father and be of good comfort for I hope we shall meet again when we shall be merry At the Stake the Sheriffe told him That there was a Letter from the Queen if he would recant he should live if not he must be burned No said William I will not recant God willing Mr. Brown telling him upon his desire to the people to pray for him as long as he was alive I will pray no more for thee then I will pray for a Dog Mr. Brown said William now you have that you sought for and I pray God it be not laid to your charge in the last day howbeit I forgive you I ask no forgiveness of thee said Mr. Brown Well said William if God forgive you not I shall require my blood at your hands Then said William Hunter Son of God shine upon me Immediately the Sun in the Firmament shined out of a dark cloud so full in his face that he was constrained to look another way When the Priest came according to his dream he said Away thou false Prophet Beware of them good people and come away from their abominations lest that you be partakers of their plagues Then said the Priest look how thou burnest here so shalt thou burn in Hell William answered Thou lyest thou false Prophet away thou false Prophet away When the fire was kindled his Brother said to him William think on the holy Passion of Christ and be not afraid of Death William answered I am not afraid Then lift he up his hands to Heaven and said Lord Lord Lord receive my spirit Higbed Mr. Higbed of Essex being prest by Bonner to recant answered I will not abjure for I have been of this mind these sixteen years and do what ye can ye shall do no more then God will permit you to do and with what measure ye measure unto us look for the same again at Gods hands When his Articles and Answers were read he said Ye go about to trap us with your subtilties and snares and though my Father and Mother and other my Kinsfolk did believe as you say yet they were deceived in so believing and whereas you say Doctor Cranmer and others c. be Hereticks I do wish that I were such an Heretick as they were and be Then Bonner asked him again Whether he would turn from his error and come to the unity of their Church No said he I would ye would recant for I am in the truth and you in error Hus. Mr. Iohn Hus preaching at the honourable and very solemn Funeral of three in Prague who had been put to death in Prison for calling the Pope Antichrist and speaking against Indulgences at whose Funeral was sung on this wise These be the Saints which for the Testament of God gave their bodies c. much commended them for their constancy and blest God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who had hid the way of his Verity so from the prudent of the world and had revealed it to the simple who chose rather to please God then man This occasioned his expulsion out of Prague being before excommunicated by the Pope The Emperour having given safe conduct to Mr. Iohn Hus to come to the general Council at Constance he promised to come professing he was ready alwayes to satisfie all men which shall require him to give a reason of his faith and hope c. and giving notice to all that could object any error or heresie to him to appear and not spare him The Twenty sixth day after he came to Constance two Bishops c. were sent to him to bring him before the Pope and his Cardinals To whom he answered I am not come to defend my Cause particularly before the Pope and his Cardinals but to appear before the whole Council and there answer for my defence openly c. unto all such things as shall be demanded or required of me Notwithstanding forasmuch as
Letter to the Brethren imprisoned What worthy thanks can we render unto the Lord for you my Brethren namely for the great consolation which through you we have received in the Lord who notwithstanding the rage of Satan that goeth about by all manner of subtile means to beguile the world and also busily laboureth to restore and set up his Kingdome again that of late began to decay and to fall to ruine ye remain still unmoveable as men grounded upon a strong rock And now albeit that Satan by his Souldiers and wicked Ministers daily as we hear draweth numbers unto him so that it is said of him That he plucketh even the Stars out of Heaven whiles he driveth into some men the fear of death and loss of all their Goods and offereth unto others the pleasant baits of the world c. to the intent they should fall down and worship not the Lord but the Dragon the old Serpent which is the Devil that great beast and his image and should be enticed to commit fornication with the Strumpet of Babylon c. Yet blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which hath given unto you a manly courage and hath so strengthned you in the inward man by the Power of his Spirit that you can contemn as well all the terrours as also the vain allurements of the world esteeming them as meer trifles and things of nought In the Faith of Christ stand ye fast my Brethren and suffer not your selves to be brought under the yoke of bondage and superstition any more and be of good comfort and remember that our grand Captain hath overcome the world We never had a better or more just cause either to contemn our life or shed our blood we cannot take in hand the defence of a more certain clear and manifest Truth Shall we or can we receive and acknowledge any other Christ instead of him who is alone the everlasting Son of the everlasting Father c. Let such wickedness my Brethren let such horrible wickedness be far from us What can your Adversaries else do unto you by persecuting you and working all cruelty and villainy against you but make your Crowns more glorious yea beautifie and multiply the same c. In another Letter to the Brethren Now even now out of doubt Brethren the pit is opened against us and the locusts begin to swarm and Abaddon now reigneth ye therefore my Brethren which pertain unto Christ and have the Seal of God marked in your foreheads i. e. are sealed with the Earnest of the Spirit to be a peculiar people of God quit your selves like men and be strong for he that is in us is stronger then he which is in the world and ye know all that is born of God overcometh the world and this is our victory that overcometh the world even our Faith Let the world fret let it rage never so much be it never so cruel and bloody yet be sure that no man can take us out of the Fathers hands for he is greater then all c. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect c. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation c. In his Letter to Mr. West his quondam Chaplain I wish you grace in God and love of the Truth without which truly established in mens hearts by the mighty hand of the Almighty God it is no more possible to stand by the Truth in Christ in time of trouble then it is for the wax to abide the heat of the fire I am perswaded Christs words to be true Whosoever shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven and I believe that no earthly Creature shall be saved whom the Redeemer and Saviour of the world shall before his Father deny If you had wished that neither fear of death nor hope of worldly prosperity should let me to maintain Gods Word and his Truth which is his glory and true honour it would have like me well You desire me for Gods sake to remember my self Indeed it is now time so to do for so far as I can perceive it standeth me upon no less danger then of the loss both of body and soul and I trow then it is time for a man to awake if any thing will awake him He that will not fear him that threatneth to cast both body and soul into everlasting fire whom will he fear With this fear O Lord fasten thou together our frail flesh that we never swerve from thy laws You say you have made much suit for me God grant that you have not in suing for my worldly deliverance impaired and hindred the furtherance of Gods Word and his Truth To write unto these whom you name I cannot see what it will avail me but this I would have you know That I esteem nothing available for me which also will not further the glory of God Sir How nigh the day of my dissolution and departure out of this world is at hand I cannot tell the Lords Will be fulfilled how soon soever it shall come My conscience moves me to require both you and my Friend Dr. Harvey to remember your promises made to me in times past of the pure setting forth and preaching of Gods Word and his Truth These promises although you shall not need to fear to be charged with them of me hereafter before the world yet look for none other but to be charged with them at Gods hand My conscience and the love I bear you biddeth me now say unto you both in Gods Name fear God and love not the world for God is able to cast both soul and body into hell fire What is it else to confess or deny Christ in this world but to maintain the Truth taught in Gods Word or for any worldly respect to shrink from the same He that will wittingly forsake either for fear or gain of the world any one open Truth of Gods Word if he be constrained he will assuredly forsake God and all his Truth rather then he will endanger himself to lose or to leave that he loveth indeed better then he doth God and the Truth of his Word I like very well your plain speaking telling me I must either agree or die Sir I know I must die whether I agree or no. But what folly were it then to make such an agreement by the which I could never escape the death which is common to all and also incur the guilt of death and eternal damnation Lord grant that I may utterly abhor and detest this damnable agreement so long as I live If you do not confess and maintain to your power and knowledge that which is grounded upon Gods Word but will either for fear or gain of the world shrink and play the Apostate indeed you shall die the death In his Letter to Mr. Grindall then in Exile at Frankford afterward Arch Bishop
for Heaven and much too high for Earth Wouldst thou see poor frail Creatures trampling the World under their feet and with an holy scorn smiling at the threatâ— of Tyrants who are the terrors of the mighty in the Land of the Living Wouldst thou see shackled Prisoners behave themselves like Iudges and Iudges stand like Prisoners before them Wouldsâ— thou see some of the rare exploits of Faith in it highest elevation immediately before it be swallowed up in the beatifical vision To conclude Wouldsâ— thou see the heavenly Ierusalem pourtraied oâ— Earth as the earthly Ierusalem once was upon 〈◊〉 Tile Ezek. 4.1 And wouldst thou hear the melodious voices of ascending Saints in a ravishing consort ready to joyn with the heavenly Chorus 〈◊〉 their ravishing Hallelujahs Then draw near come and see If thou be a man of an heavenly Spirit here is brave and suitable entertainment for thâ— spirit And after thou hast conversed a while wit these excellent Spirits it may be thou wilt judgâ— as I do That dead Saints are sweeter Companion in some respects for thee to converse with theâ— those that are living And when thou shalt see thâ— magnificent acts of their Faith their invincible patience their flaming love to Christ their strange contempt of the World their plainness and simplicity in the profession of the Gospel and their fervent love to each other thou wilt mourn also with me to consider the scandalous and shamefull relapse of Professors from these glorious heights and to think how many degrees these Graces are gone back in the souls of Professors as the Sun upon the Dial of Ahaz The Judicious Collector hath gathered this Posie from the Martyrs Graves bound up in an excellent method and presented it to thee Here thou hast the Cream of the larger Martyrologies scum'd off the very Spirits of them extracted which is more cheap and less tiresome He intends if God permit a Second Part speedily And I assure thee he is a Person singularly qualified for the Work having both Materials and Judgement to dispose his Collections Bless God for such profitable Instruments and improve their Labours Such a Book hath been long desired many have attempted it but every one hath not that Furniture of Books and Parts for it Solomon detecting some of those artifices which the Buyer useth in Trading Prov. 20.14 detects this as one It is naught it is naught saith the Buyer i. e. he disparageth the Commodity to beat down the price but when he is gone he boâ—steth I am mistaken if thou also do not boast of thy penny-worth in this Book when thou art gone and hast well perused it that it may reach the end upon thy heart for which it is designed is the desire of thy Friend to serve thee I. F. The Books Poetical Prologue I Tell their death's who dying made Death yield By Scriptures sword and Faith's unbattered shield Their number 's numberless who ran to die Under their Saviour's Standard valiantly More Saints ten Tyrant Emperours did slay Then for a year Five thousand to each day Since Iesuâ—tes from th' infernal Lake did rise More then Eight hundred thousand lost their lives In Thirty years Bloody Duke d' Alva will'd In Six years Eighteen thousand to be kill'd In Henry's and in Mary's Bloody Reign Eight thousand have inhumanely been slain Twelve thousand and seven hundred more were Stockt Or Whipt or Wrackt or else Exil'd or Mockt I onely promise many a Swan-like Song Read them and beg of God with Heart and Tongue That as the Vine that 's cut and prun'd bears more In one year then it did in three before So may Christs Vine And may the Saints of God As Cammomile grow better being trod And may Christs Suffererâ— in like cases find The Living God as near as true as kind As these have found and learn Sin more â—o fear Then parting with what er'e they count most dear Swan-like SONGS A. Adrian ADrian's wife seeing the Coffin hooped with Iron wherein she was to be buried alive spake thus Have you provided this Pasty-crust to bake my flesh in Agnes Agnes a Roman Martyr contemning all threats of tortures was assaulted as to her chastity To the lascivious Wretch she said Thou shalt willingly bathe thy sword in my blood if thou wilt but thou shalt not defile my body with filthy lust do what thou canst Hereupon his eyes were struck out by a flame of fire like unto a flash of lightning and upon her prayer he was restored to sight again When she saw a sturdy cruel fellow to behold approaching with a naked sword in his hand I am now glad said she and rejoyce more that such an one as thou a stout fierce strong and sturdy Souldier art come then if one more feeble weak and faint-hearted should come This even this is he I now confess that I do love I will make haste to meet him and will no longer protract my longing desire Albane Albane England's Proto-Martyr delivered up himself to the Souldiers instead of Amphibolus who had converted him to Christianity after he had fled to his house for refuge and being bound was carried before the Judge who at that time was sacrificing to his Idols The Judge perceiving the fraud told Albane Forasmuch as thou hadst rather convey away the Rebel and Traytor to our gods then deliver him up to the Souldiers that he might undergo due punishment for blaspheming our gods look what torments he should have suffered if he had been taken the same shalt thou suffer if thou refuse to practise the Rites of our Religion Albane notwithstanding his threats told him plainly to his face that he would not obey his command Then said the Judge of what House and Stock art thou Albane answered It matters not of what Stock I am but if thou desirest to know my Religion be it known unto thee I am a Christian c. Then the Judge demanded his name my Parents said he named me Albane and I honour and worship the true and living God that made all things of nothing The Judge told him If he would save his life he must come and sacrifice to their gods Albane answered The sacrifice that you offer to the Devil profits you nothing but rather purchaseth for you eternal pains and Hell fire The Judge commanded him to be beheaded The Executioner observing his saith and fervent prayers fell down at his feet casting from him the sword desired rather to be executed for or with him then to do execution upon him yet afterwards another gave the fatal blow Alcock Constable Rolf Iohn Alcocks Master having bail'd his Servant said unto him I am sorry for thee for truly the Parson will seek thy destruction Sir said Alcock I am sorry I am a trouble to you as for my self I am not sorry but I do commit my self into Gods hands and I trust he will give me a mouth and wisdome to answer according to right Yet said
Rolph take heed of him he is a blood-sucker c. I fear not said Aâ—cock he shall do no more to me then God will give him leave and happy shall I be if God will call me to die for his Truths sake In his first Letter to Hadley he writes thus O my Brethren of Hadley why are ye so soon turned from them which called you into the Grace of Christ to another Doctrine Though those should come unto you that have been your true Preachers and preach another way of salvation then by Jesus Christs death and passion hold them accursed yea if it were an Angel came from Heaven and would tell you that the sacrifice of Christs body upon the Cross once for all were not sufficient for all the sins of all those that shall be saved accursed be he Why cometh this plague upon us Cometh not this upon thee because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Thine own wickedness shall reprove thee and thy turning away shall condemn thee that thou mayest know how evil and hurtful a thing it is that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Algerius Pomponius Algerius whilst he was a Prisoner at Venice before he was burnt at Rome writ thus in his comfortable Letter to the Christians departed out of Babylon into Mount Sion To mitigate your sorrow which you take for me I cannot but impart unto you some portion of my joyes which I feel to the intent you may rejoyce with me I shall utter that which scarce any will believe I have found a nest of honey an honey-comb in the entrails of a Lion In the deep dark Dungeon I have found a Paradise of pleasure In the place of sorrow and death tranquility of hope and life where others do weep I do rejoyce when others do shake and tremble there I have found plenty of strength and boldness in strait bands and cold irons I have had rest Behold he that was once far from me now is present with me whom once I could scarce feel I now see most apparently whom once I saw afar off now I behold near at hand whom once I hungred for the same now approacheth and reacheth his hand unto me he doth comfort me and heapeth me up with gladness he driveth away all bitterness he ministreth strength and courage c. O how easie and sweet is the Lords yoke Learn ye well-beloved how amiable the Lord is how meek and merciful who visiteth his servants in temptations neither disdaineth he to keep company with us in such vile and stinking Caves Will the blind and incredulous world think you believe this or rather will it not say thus No thou wilt never be able to abide long the burning heat the pinching hardness of that place c. The rebukes and frowning faces of great men how wilt thou suffer Dost not thou consider thy pleasant Countrey the Riches of the World thy Kinsfolk the delicate pleasures and Honours of this life Dost thou forget the solace of thy Sciences and fruit of all thy Labours Wilt thou thus lose all thy labours which thou hast hitherto sustained Finally fearest thou not death which hangeth over thee O what a fool art thou which for one words speaking mayest salve all this and wilt not But now to answer Let this blind world hearken to this again What heat can there be more burning then that fire which is prepared for thee hereafter What things more hard and sharp and crooked then this present life which we lead What thing more odious and hateful then this world here present And let these worldly men here answer me What Countrey can we have more sweet then the Heavenly Countrey above What treasures more rich or precious then everlasting life and who be our Kinsmen but they which hear the Word of God Where be greater riches or dignities more honourable then in Heaven And as touching the Sciences let this foolish world consider Be not they ordained to know God whom unless we do know all our labours our night-watchings our studies and all our enterprises here serve to no purpose all is but labour lost Furthermore let the miserable worldly men answer me What remedy or safe refuge can there be unto him who lacks God who is the life medicine of all men how can he be said to fly from death when he himself is already dead in sin If Christ be the way verity life how can there be any life without Christ The solely heat of the Prison to me is coldness the cold winter to me is a fresh spring in the Lord. He that feareth not to be burned in the fire how will he fear the heat of weather Or what careth he for the pinching frost which burneth for the love of the Lord The place is sharp and tedious to them that be guilty but to the innocent it is mellifluous Here droppeth the delectable dew here floweth the pleasant Nectar here runneth the sweet milk here is plenty of all good things In this world there is no mansion firm to me and therefore I will travel up to the New Ierusalem which is in Heaven and which offereth it self to me without paying any Fine or Income I have travelled hitherto laboured and sweat early and late watching day and night and now my travels begin to come to effect What man can now cavil that these our labours are lost which have followed and found out the Lord and Maker of the World and which have changed death with life If to die in the Lord be not to die but to live most joyfully where is this wretched worldly Rebel which blameth us of folly for giving away our lives unto death O how delectable is this death to me to taste of the Lords Câ—p. I am accused of foolishness for that I do not rid my self out of these troubles when with one word I may But doth not Christ say Fear not them which kill the body but him which killeth both body and soul and whosoever shall confess me before men him will I also câ—nâ—ess before my Father which is in Heâ—vâ—n and he that denieth me before men him will I also deny before my Heavenly Father Seeing the words of the Lord be so plain how or by what authority will this wise Counsellor approve this his counsel which he doth give God forbid that I should relinquish the commandements of God and follow the counsels of men for it is written Blessed is the man that hath not gâ—ne in the way of sinners and hath not stood in the counsel of the ungodly c. Psal. 1.1 God forbid I should deny Christ where I ough to confess him I will not set more by my life then by my soul neither will I exchange the life to come for this world here present This Letter he underwrit thus From the delectable Orchard of Leonine Prison 12 Calend. August An. 1555. Allen. Sir Edmond Tyrrel bidding Rose Allen to give her Father and Mother
if she will condemn me to perpetual imprisonment I will thank her The Chancellor pressing him to do as they had done in hopes of the Queens mercy and pardon My Lord said he I desire mercy with Gods mercy i. e. without doing or saying any thing against God and his Truth pag. 290. but mercy with Gods wrath God keep me from Gods mercy I desire and also would be glad of the Qâ—eens favour to live as a Subject without clog on Conscience but otherwise the Lords mercy is better to me then life Life in his displeasure is worse then death and death with his favour is true life He having refused again and again to answer to the Chancellors Quaeries said That no fear but the fear of perjury made him unwilling to answer he having been six times sworn not to consent to the practising of any Jurisdiction or any Authority on the Bishop of Râ—me's behalf within the Realm of England I am not afraid of death I thank God I look and have looked for nothing else from your hands a long time but I am afraid when death cometh I should have maâ—ter to trouble my Conscience by the guilt of perjury As for my death as I know there are twelve hours in the day so with the Lord my time is appointed and when it shall be his good time then I shall depart hence but in the mean season I am safe enough though all the reople had sworn my death into his hands have I committed it and do his good will be done The Earl of Derby sending one of his Servants to him willing him to tender himself He told the Messenger that he thanked his Lordship for his good will towards him but in this case I cannot tender my self more then Gods honour The same Servant saying also Ah Mr. Bradford consider your Mother Sister Friends Kinsfolk Countrey what a great discomfort it will be to them to see you die as an Heretick Mr. Bradford replied I have learned to forsake Father Mother Brother Sister Friends and all that ever I have yea and my own self for else I cannot be Christs Disciple Being askt by a good Gentlewomans Servant that was sent to him How he did he answered Well I thank God for as men in Sailing which be near to the Shore or Haven where they would be would be nearer even so the nearer I am to God the nearer I would be In a Letter to his Mother and Brethren I am at this time in Prison sure enough from starting to confirm that I have preached unto you As I am ready I thank God with my life and blood to seal the same if God vouchsafe me worthy of that honour If we suffer with him we shall also reign wâ—th him Be not therefore faint-hearted but rather rejoyce at the least for my sake who now am in the right and high way to Heaven for by many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of God Now will God made known his Children When the wind doth not blow the Wheat cannot be known from the Chaffe but when the blast cometh then flieth away the Chaffe but the Wheat remaineth and is so far from being hurt that by the wind it is more cleansed from the Chaffe Gold when it is cast into the fire is the more precious so are Gods Children by afflictions Indeed I thank God more for this Prison then for any Parlour yea then for any pleasure that eyer I had for in it I find God my most sweet good God alwayes Of all deaths it is most to be desired to die for Gods sake such are sure to go to Heaven Death nor Life nor Prison nor Pleasure I trust in God shall be able to separate me from my Lord God and his Gospel Rejoyce in my sufferings for it is for your sakes to confirm the truth I have taught Howsoever you do be obedient to the Higher Powers that is in no point either in hand or tongue Rebel but rather if they command that which with good conscience you cannot obey lay your head on the Block and suffer what they shall do or say By patience possess your souls In his Letter to the City of London I ask God heartily mercy that I do no more rejoyce then I do having so great cause as to be an instrument wherein it may please my dear Lord and Saviour to suffer Although my sins be manifold and grievous yet the Bishops and Prelates do not persecute them in me but Christ himself his Word his Truth and Religion Let the anger and plagues of God most justly fallen upon us be applied to every one of our deserts that from the bottome of our hearts every one of us may say It is I Lord that have sinned against thee It is my hypocrisie my vain-glory my covetousness uncleanness carnality security idleness unthankfulness self-self-love c. which have deserved the taking away of thy Word and true Religion of thy good Ministers by Exile Imprisonment Death c. Prepare your selves to the Cross be obedient to all that be in Authority in all things that be not against God his Word for then answer with the Apostle It is more meet to obey God then man Howbeit never for any thing resist or rise against the Magistrates Avenge not your selves Commit your Cause to the Lord. If you feel in your selves an hope and trust in God that he will never tempt you above that he will make you able to bear be assured the Lord will be true to you and you shall be able to bear all brunts but if you want this Hope flee and get you hence rather then by your tarrying Gods Name should be dishonoured In his Letter to Cambridge Thou my Mother the University hast not onely had the truth of Gods Word plainly manifested unto thee by Reading Disputing and Preaching publickly and privately but now to make thee altogether excuseless and as it were almost to sin against the Holy Ghost if thou put to thy helping hand with the Romish Rout to suppress the Verity and set out the contrary thou hast my life and blood as a Seal to confirm thee if thou wilt be confirmed or else to confound thee if thou wilt take part with the Prelates and Clergy which now fill up the measure of their Fathers which slew the Prophets and Apostles that all the righteous blood from Abel to Bradford may be required at their hands For the tender mercy of Christ in his bowels and blood I beseech you to take Christs eye-salve to anoint your eyes that you may see what you do and have done in admitting the Romish rotten Rags which once you utterly expelled O be not the Dog returned to his vomit be not the Sow that was washed returning to her wallowing in the mire Beware least Satan enter in with seven worse Spirits c. It had been better you had never known the truth then after knowledge to have run
me not six dayes ago saying I am more worthy to be burnt then any that hath been burned yet God's blessing on their hearts for their good report God make me worthy of that dignity and hasten the time that I may set forth his glory Blessed be the time that ever I came into the Kings Bench to be joyned in love and fellowship with such dear children of the Lord. In his Letter to his Wife Are not two sparrows saith Christ sold fer a farthing and yet not one of them shall perish without the will of your Heavenly Father c. As though he should have said if God hath such respect and care for a poor sparrow which is not worth one farthing it shall not be taken in the lime-twig net or pitfall untill it be his good will and pleasure you may be well assured that not one of you whom he so dearly loveth that he hath given his onely dear Son for you shall perish or depart forth of this miserable life without his good will and pleasure Let not the remembrance of children keep you from God The Lord himself will be a Father and a Mother better then ever yoâ—â— or I could have been unto them He himself will do all things necessary for them yea as much as rock the cradle if need be In his Letter to Mr. Bradford If we had been thanful to God for the good Ministers of his Word we had not so soon been deprived both of it and them Take not away all thy true Preachers forth of this Realm O Lord but leave us a seed least England be made like unto Sodom and Gomorrah when thy true Lots be gone Hearken O Heavens and then Earth give ear and bear me witness at the great Day that I do here faithfully and truly the Lord's message to his dear Servant to his singularly beloved and elect child Iohn Bradford Iohn Bradford thou man so specially beloved of God I pronounce and testifie unto thee in the 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 pardoned released and forgiven thee by the mercy of God in Jesus Christ thine onely Lord and sweet Saviour in whom thou doest undoubtedly believe Christ hath cleansed thee with his blood and cloathed thee with his Righteousness and hath made thee in the sight of God his Father without spot or wrinckle so that when the fire doth his appointed office thou shalt be received as a sweet burnt-sacrifice into Heaven where thou shalt joyfully remaâ—n in God's presence for ever as the true inheriter of his everlasting Kingdom unto the which thou wast undoubtedly predestinate and ordaâ—ned by the Lords infallible purpose and decree before the foundation of the world was laid and that this is most true that I have said I call the whole Trinity the Almighty and Eternal Majesty of God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost to my record at this present whom I humbly beseech to confirm and stablish in thee the true and lively feeling of the same Amen Selah In his Letter to his dear and faithful Brethren in Newgate condemned to die Cease not my dearly Beloved so long as you be in this life to praise the Lord with all your hearts for that of his great mercy and infinite goodness he hath vouched you worthy of this great dignity to suffer for his sake not onely the loss of goods wife and children long imprisonment cruel oppression but death it self in the fire This is the greatest promotion that God can bring you or any other into in this vail 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 Christ's sake reputed you worthy of the same yea and that before me and many others who have both long looked and longed for the same Rejoyce with double joy and be glad my dear Brethren for doubtless you have more cause then can be exprest But alas I that for my sins am left behind may lament with the holy Prophet Woe is me that the dayes of my joyful râ—st are prolonged Ah cursed Satan which hath caused me so sore to offend my most dear loving Father whereby mine exile and banishment is so long prolonged Oh Christ my dear Advocate pacifie thy Father's wrath which I have justly deserved that he may take me home to him in his sweet mercy In his Letter to Mr. Green c. If they be so blessed of God that die in the Lord as the Holy Ghost saith they be how much more blessed and happy then are you that die not onely in the Lord but for the Lord. O blessed Green c. fresh and green shalt thou be in the Lord's House and thy fruits shall never wither nor decay O happy Mr. Whittle Peter's part thou hast well play'd therefore thy reward and portion shall be like his Now hast thou good experience of man infirmity but much more proof and taste yea sense and feeling of God's abundant bottomless mercyâ— Although Satan desired to sift thee yet Christ thy good Captain pray'd that thy faith should not failâ— God's strength is made perfect by thy weakness c. But alas I lye like the lame man aâ— the Pools side and every one goeth into the place of health before me In his Letter to William Tyms Satan hath two great pieces of Ordinance to shoot at you with the which he cannot hurt you because you have two bul-warks to defend you The first of these terrible Guns that he hath shot at you is fear and infidelity for the uglesomness of death and horrour of your many and great sins But this pellet is easily put away with the sure shield of faith in the most precious death and blood-shedding of our dear Lord and onely Saviour Jesus Christ whom the Father hath given to us wholly to be ours for evermore and with him hath given us all things as Paul saith so that though we be never so great sinners yet Christ is made unto us holiness righteousness and justification He hath clothed us all his merits c. and taken to himself all our sin c. so that if any should be now condemned for the same it must needs be Jesus Christ who hath taken them upon him But indeed he hath made satisfaction for them to the uttermost so that for his sake they shall never be imputed to us if they were a thousand times more then they be The other pestilent Piece he shooteth off at you is to provoke you to put some part of your trust and confidence in yourself and in your own holiness and righteousness that you may that way rob God of his glory and Christ of the honour and dignity of his death but blessed be the Lord God you have also a full strong Bul-work to beat back this pestilent Pellet even the
when his hour was not yet come departed out of his Countrey into Samaria to avoid the malice of the Scribes and Pharisees and commanded his Apostles that if they were pursued in one place they should fly to another Thus did Paul and the other Apostles Albeit when it came to such a point that they could no longer escape then they evidenced that their flying before came not of fear but of godly wisdome to do more good and that they would not rashly without urgent necessity offer themselves to death which had been a tempting of God After he had recanted and was brought to Saint Mâ—ry's Church in Oxford where Dr. Cole after he had preached bitterly against him shewing why he was to be executed notwithstanding his Recantation prest him to evidence to the people his conversion to Popery Dr. Cranmer entreated the people to pray with him and for him that God would pardon his sins especially his Recantation After he had prayed he told them It is a sad thing to see so many so much dote upon the love of this false World and be so careful of it and so careless of Gods love or the World to come therefore this shall be my first exhortation thaâ— you set not your minds overmuch upon this glozing World but upon God and the World to come and to learn to know what this Lesson meaneth which St. Iohn teacheth That the Love of this World is hatred against God Let rich men consider and weigh three Scriptures Luke 18. It is hâ—rd for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of Heaven 1 John 3. He that hath the suâ—stance of this world and seeth his Brother in necessity and shutteth up his mercy from him how can he say that he loveth God James 5.1 2. Go to now ye rich men weep and hard for the miseries that are coming upon you your riches are corrupted Another exhortation is That next under God you obey your King and Queen willingly and gladly without murmuring or grudging They are Gods Mâ—nisters Whosoever resisteth them resisteth the Ordinance of God And now I come said he to the great thing that so much troubleth my Conscience more then any thing that ever I did or said in my whole life and that is the setting abroad a Writing contrary to the Truth which now here I renounce and refuse as things written with my hand contrary to the Truth which I thought in my heart and written for fear of death and to save my life if it might be And forasmuch as my hand offended writâ—ng contrary to my heart my hand shall first be punished therefore for may I come to the fire it shall be first burned At the Stake when the fire began to burn near him he stretching out his arm put his right hand into the flame which he held so stedfast that all men might see his hand burned before his body was touched His eyes lifted up to Heaven he cried out even as long as he could speak O his unworthy hand His last words were the words of Stephen Lord Iesus receive my spirit Cromwel Thomas Lord Cromweâ— Earl of Essâ—x the morning that he was executed having chearfully eaten his break-fast passing out of the Prison down the Hill in the Tower met the Lord Hungerford going to Execution for other matter and perceiving him to be heavy and doleful he willed him to be of good comfort for if you repent said he of what you have done there is mercy enough for you with the Lord who for Christs sake will forgive you and though the break-fast we are going to be sharp yet trusting in the mercy of the Lord we shall have a joyful dinner In his Prayer on the Scaffold O Lord Jesus who art the onely health of all men living and the everlasting life of them which die in thee Being sure that the thing cannot perish which is committed to thy mercy willingly now I leave this frail and wicked flesh in sure hope that thou wilt in better wise restore it to me again at the last day in the resurrection of the Jâ—st I see and acknowledge there is in my self no hope of salvation but all my confidence hope and trust is in thy most merciful goodness Thou merciful Lord wast born for my sake didst suffer hunger and thirst for my sake didst teach pray and fast for my sake all thy holy actions and works thou wroughtest for my sake thou sufferedst most grievous pains and torments for my sake and finally thou gavest thy most precious body and blood to be shed on the Cross for my sake Now most merciful Saviour let all these things profit me c. Let thy blood cleanse and wash away the spots and foulness of â—â— sins let thy righteousness hide and cover my unâ—righteousness Cyprian He went in the time of Persecution into volunâ—tary Banishment lest as he said he should 〈◊〉 more hurt then good to the Congregation When he heard the sentence pronounced aâ—gainst him he said I thank God for freeing mâ— from the Prison of this Body He said Amen to his own sentence of Martyrdome The Proconsul bidding him consult abouâ— it he answered In so just a Cause there needs no deliberation D. Daigerfield William Daigerfield and Ioan his Wife who then gave suck to her tenth child being imprisoned in several Prisons Bishop Brooks sent for the man and told him that his Wife had recanted and so perswaded him to recant and so sent him to his Wife with a Form of Recantation with him which when his Wife saw her heart clave in sunder and she cried out Alas Husband thus long we have continued one and hath Satan so far pervaâ—led with you as to cause you to break the Vow which you made to God in Baptisme Hereupon he bewailed his promise and beg'd of God that he might not live so long as to call evil good and good evil light darkness or darkness light And accordingly it came to pass Damlip Mr. Adam Damlip when he had been almost two years in the Marshalsey considering how he could not employ his talent there to God's Glory as he desired though he had many Favours in Prison resolved to write to the Bishop of Winchester earnestlâ— to desire that he might come to his Tryal for said he I know the worst I can but lose my present life which I had rather do then here to remain and not to be suffered to use my talent to God's Glory When he understood by the Keeper that his suffering was near he was notwithstanding very merry and did eat his meat as well as ever he did in all his life insomuch that some at the Board said unto him they wondred how he could eat his meat so chearfully knowing he was so near his death Ah Masters said he Do you think that I have been so long God's Prisoner in the Marshalsey and have not yet learned to die Yes yes and I doubt not but God
be all honour and glory for ever and ever So be it A short Prayer which Mr. Gilby made for tâ—â— faithful in those dayes O Lord God and most merciful Father we beseech thee for the honour of thâ— Holy Name to defend us from that Antichrist 〈◊〉 Rome and from all his detestable enormities manners laws garments and ceremonies Destroy thoâ— the counsel of all the Papists and Atheists enemiâ—â— of thy Gospel and of this Realm of England Dâ—â—â—close their mischiefs and subtile practises Câ—â— found their devices Let them be taken in theâ— own wiliness And strengthen all those that maiâ—tain the Cause and Quarrel of thy Gospel with iâ—vincible force and power of the Holy Spirit so thâ— they fail not to proceed and go forward to that trâ—â— Godliness commanded in thy Holy Word with 〈◊〉 simplicity and sincerity to thy Honour and Glorâ— the comfort of thine Elect and the confusion 〈◊〉 thine enemies through Jesus Christ our Lord anâ— Saviour Amen Amen And say from the hearâ—â— Amen Glee When the Friers told Madam La Glee that 〈◊〉 was in a damnable estate It seems so indeed saiâ—â—sne being now in your hands but I have a 〈◊〉 that will never leave me nor forsake me for 〈◊〉 that Thou hast said they renounced the Faith It is true said she I have renounced your faith which I am able to shew is rejected and accurseâ— of God and therefore deserves not so much as 〈◊〉 be called Faith When news was brought her that she was coâ—â—demned to be hang'd she fell down upon heâ— knees and blessed God for that it pleased him 〈◊〉 snew her so much mercy as to deliver her by such kind of death out of the troubles of this wretcheâ— world and to honour her so far as to call her 〈◊〉 die for his Truth and to wear his Livery meaning the Haltar which the Hangman had put about her neck Then sitting down at Table to break her fast with the three other condemned Servants of Christ giving thanks to God she exhorted them to be of good courage and to trust unto the end in his free and onely mercy She then called for a clean linen Wastcoat making her self ready as if she had been going to a Wedding Mr. Wâ—rd tells us that she put on her Bracelets for I go said she unto my Husband Being commanded as she was led to execution to take a Torch into her hand and to acknowledge she had offended God and the King Away away said she with it I have neither offended God nor the King according to your meaning nor in respect of the cause for which I suffer I am I confess a sinful woman but I need no such light for helping me to ask forgiveness of God for my sins past or present Life such things your selves who sit and walk in the darkness of ignorance and errour Then one of her Kinsfolks met her in the way and presented to her view her little children praying her to have compassion on them I must needs tell you said she that I love my children dearly but yet neither for the love I bear to them or any thing else in this world will I renounce the Truth or my God who is and will be a Father unto them to provide better for them then I should have done and therefore to his providence and protection I commend and leave them When she saw the three men about to die silent and not to call on God she exâ—orted then thereto and gave them an example Glover Mr. Robert Glover in his Letter to his Wife haâ— many memorable passages the chief I shall collecâ— I thank you heartily most loving Wife 〈◊〉 your Letters sent to me in my imprisonment read them with tears more then once or twicâ— with tears I say for joy and gladness that Goâ— hath wrought in you so merciful a work 1 〈◊〉 unfeigned repentance 2 An humble and heart reconciliaton 3 A willing submission and obâ—â—dience to the will of God in all things Theâ—â— your Letters and the hearing of your godly prâ—â—ceedings have much relieved and comforteâ— me c. and shall be a goodly Testimony for you at the great Day against many worldly and dainâ—â— Dames which set more by their own pleasure anâ— praise in this world then by Gods Glory little reâ—garding as it appeareth the everlasting health 〈◊〉 their own souls or others So long as God shalâ— lend you continuance in this miserable world above all things give your self continually to Prayer lifting up pure hands without anger wrath oâ— doubting forgiving as Christ forgives And that wâ—â— may be the better willing to forgive it is good ofteâ— to call to remembrance the multitude and greatness of our sins which Christ daily and hourâ—â— pardoneth and forgiveth us And because Godâ— Word teacheth us not onely the true manner â—â— praying but also what we ought to do or not to 〈◊〉 in the whole course of our life what pleaseth 〈◊〉 displeaseth God and that as Christ saith The Woâ—â— of God that he hath spoken shall judge us Let youâ— Prayer be to this end especially that God of hiâ— great mercy would open and reveal more and morâ— daily to your heart the true sense knowledge anâ— understanding of his most holy Word and giâ—â— you grace in your living to express the fruit thereof And forasmuch as Gods Word is as the Holy Ghost calleth it The Word of affliction i. e. it is seldome without hatred persecution peril danger of loss of goods and life c. Call upon God continually for his assistance casting your accounts what is like to cost you endeavouring your self through the help of the Holy Ghost by continuance of prayer to lay your foundation so sure that no storm or tempest shall be able to overthrow it remembering alwayes as Christ saith Lots wife i. e. to beware of looking back to that thing that displeaseth God and nothing more displeaseth God then Idolatry that is false worshiping of God otherwise then his Word commandeth They object they be the Church c. My answer was The Church of God knoweth and acknowledgeth no other head but Jesus Christ the Son of God whom ye have refused and chosen the man of sin the Son oâ— perdition enemy to Christ the Devils Deputy and Lieutenant the Pope Christs Church heareth teacheth and is ruled by his Word as he saith My Sheep hear my voice If you abide in me and my Word aâ—ide in you you be my Disciples Their Church repelleth Gods Word and forceth all men to follow their traditions Christs Church dares not adde nor diminish alter or change his blessed Testament but they be not afraid to take away all that Christ instituted and go a whoring as the Scripture saith with their own inventions c. The Church of Christ is hath been and shall be in all ages under the Cross persecuted molested and afflicted the world ever hating them
entirely desiring your everlasting felicity to warn you and most heartily desire you to watch and pray On the high mountains doth not grow most plenty of grass neither are the highest trees farthest from danger but seldome sure and alwayes shaken of every wind that bloweth Such a deceitful thing saith our Saviour is honour and riches that without grace it choketh up the good seed sown c. It maketh a man think himself somewhat that is nothing at all for though for our honour we esteem our selves and stand in our own light yet when we shall stand before the living God there shall be no respect of persons for riches helpeth not in the day of vengeance nor can we make the Lord partial for money Though the world rage and blaspheme the Elect of God ye know that it did so unto Christ his Apostles and to all that were in the Primitive Church and shall be unto the worlds end I beseech you in the bowels of Christ my Lord Jesus stick fast unto the Truth let it never depart out of your hearts and conversations c. Yours in him that liveth for ever In his Letter to his Wife after his Condemnation I exhort you to love God with all your heart and soul and mind c. To lay sure hold on all his promises that in all your troubles you may run strait to the great mercy of God c. And be sure that neither Devil Flesh nor Hell shall be able to hurt you But if you will not keep his holy Precepts and call for Gods help to walk in the same but will leave them and do as the wicked world does then be sure to have your part with the wicked world in the burning lake Beware of Idolatry which most of all stinks in Gods Nostrils and hath been of all good men detested from the beginning of the world for the which what Kingdomes c. God hath punished with most terrible plagues c. to the utter subversion of them is manifestly to be seen through the whole Bible yea for this he draadfully plagued his own people c. But how he hath preserved those that abhorred superstition and idolatry c. is also to be seen from the beginning out of what great danger he hath delivered them yea when all hope of deliverance was past as touching their expectation c. I exhort you also in the bowels of Christ that you will exercise and be stedfast in Prayer the onely mean to obtain of God whatsoever we desire so it be askt in Faith O what notable things do we read in Scripture that have been obtained through fervent Prayer Whatsoever you desire of God in Prayer ask it for Jesus Christ's sake for whom and in whom God hath promised to give us all things necessary Though what we ask come not by and by continue still knocking and he will at length open his treasures of mercy c. Yet once again I warn you that ye continue fervent in Prayer c. In his Letter to Mr. Throgmorton Whereas the love of God hath moved you to require my Son to be brought up before your eyes and the self same love hath also moved me to leave him in your hands as a Father in my absence I shall require you in Gods behalf according to your promise that ye will see him brought up in the fear of the Lord and instructed in the knowledge of his holy Word that he may learn to leave the evil and know the good c. And this I require you to fulfill or cause to be fulfilled as ye before the Living God will make answer for the same Yours and all mens in Christ Iesus Hector Bartholomew Hector being condemned was threatned that if he spake any thing to the People his Tongue should be cut off yet he did not forbear He pray'd for the Judges That God would forgive them and open their eyes He refused a Pardon offered him at the Stake At his Death many wept saying Why doth this man die who speaketh of nothing but of God When he was called before Authority to be examined he would answer them to nothing before he had made his Prayer to God Whereupon falling down upan his knees he said Lord open my mouth and direct my Speech to utter that onely that may tend to thy honour and glory and the edification of thy Church When he was bound to the Stake Gunpowder and Brimstone was brought to be placed about him he lifting up his eyes to Heaven said Lord how sweet and welcome is this to me Hernaudes Mr. Iulian Hernaudes a Spanish Martyr came from the Wrack and the Tortures of the Inquisition inflicted on him for bringing with him and causing to be brought into Spain many Books of the Holy Scriptures in Spanish as from a Conquest saying to his Fellow-prisoners as he past by them These Hypocrites are gone away confounded no less then wolves that have been long hunted When he was brought forth to his Execution he said to the rest Courage my valiant and constant Brethren now is the hour come in which as the true Champions of Iesus Christ we must witness his Truth before men and for a short tryal for his sake we shall triumph with him for ever and ever Herwyn When Iohn Herwyn of Flanders was led to Prison the Bailiffe meeting certain Drunkards in the Street and saying They say we have many Gospellers in Houscot but it little appears by these disorders he replied Mr. Bailiffe is drunkenness a sin What of that said the Bailiffe Why then said Herwyn commit you not these fellows to Prison seeing it is your office to punish vice and to protect such as fear God After he was in Prison because he was not called forth before the Magistrates assoon as he desired and expected he grew heavy and sad asking Why they so delayed the matter for his heart was fired with an holy zeal to confess Christ before his Judges When he was brought forth he admonished his Judges to examine the Doctrine of the Roman Church by the true Touch-stone which is the holy Scripture that so they might discern how opposite and contrary the one is to the other Consider also said he what the words of St. Peter import where the affirms That we ought to obey God rather then man c. When he craved for Justice either one way or another they urged him to desist from his Opinion but he answered That his faith was not built on an Opinion but said he the Lord hath taught me to eschew evil and do good Seest thou not said they how these opinions have troubled the world and how many of the learneder sort do contradict them So far is it off said he that the Doctrine of the Gospel should be the cause of troubles debates and strifes which raign in the world These troubles indeed arise from the rage of men And as for your learned
and necessities as also charitably to pray for them that persecute them So doth the Word of God command all men to pray charitably for them that hate them and not to revile any Magistrate with words or to mean him evil by force and violence They also may rejoyce that in well doing they were taken to Prison Thus fare you well and pray God to send his true Word into this Realm again amongst us which the ungodly Bishops have now banished In his Letter to those Christians so taken Prisoners The grace favour consolation and â—â—d of the Holy Ghost be with you now and ever So be it Dearly Beloved in the Lord ever since I â—eard of your imprisonment I have been marvellously moved with great affections and passions as well of mirth and gladness as of heaviness and sorrow Of gladness in this that I perceived how ye be bent and given to prayer and invocation of Gods help in these dark and wicked proceedings of men against Gods glory I have been sorry to perceive the malice and wickedness of men to be so 〈◊〉 devillish and tyrannical to persecute the 〈◊〉 of God for serving of God c. These 〈◊〉 doings do declate that the Papists Church is 〈◊〉 bloody and tyrannical then ever was the 〈◊〉 of the Ethnicks and Gentiles Trajan the Emperour commanded That no man should be persecuted for serving of God but the Pope and his Church have cast you into Prison being taken doing the Work of God and one of the excellentest Works that is required of Christians viz. whilest ye were in Prayer O glad may ye be that ever ye were born to be apprehended whilest ye were so vertuously occupied Blessed be they that suffer for righeeousness sake If God had suffered them that took your bodies then to have taken your life also now had you been following the Lamb in pertual joyes away from the company and assembly of wicked men But the Lord would not have you suddenly so to depart but reserveth you gloriously to speak and maintain his Truth to the world Be ye not careful what ye shall say for God will go out and in with you and will be present in your hearts and in your mouths to speak his wisdome though it seems foolishness to the world He that hath begun this good work in you continue in the same unto the end Pray unto him that ye may fear him only that hath power to kill both body and soul and to cast them into hell fire Be of good comfort all the hairs of your head are numbred and there is not one of them can perish except your heavenly Father suffer it to perish Now you be in the field and placed in the fore-front of Christs battel Doubtless it is a singular favour of God and a special love of him towards you to give him this preheminence as a sign that he trusteth you before others of his people Wherefore dear Brethren and Sisters continually fight this Fight of the 〈◊〉 Your Cause is most just and godly ye stan◠〈◊〉 the true Christ who is after the flesh in Heâ—â—â—â— and for his true Religion and Honour 〈…〉 amply fully sufficiently and abundantly contained in the holy Testament sealed with Christs own blood How much be ye bound to God who putâ— you in trust with so holy and just a Cause Remember what lookers on you have to see and behold you in your fight God and all his holy Angels who be ready alwayes to take you up into Heaven if ye be slain in his Fight Also you have standing aâ— your backs all the multitude of the Faithful who shall take courage strength and desire to follow such noble and valiant Christians as you be Be not afraid of your Adversaries for he that is in you is stronger then he that is in them Shrink not although it be pain to you your pains be not now so great as hereafter your joyes shall be Read the comfortable Chapters to the Romanes 8.10 15. Hebrews 11.12 And upon your knees thank God that ever ye were accounted worthy to suffer any thing for his Names sake Read the second Chapter of Luke and there you shall see how the Shepherds that watched their Sheep all night as soon as they heard that Christ was born at Bethlehem by and by went to see him They did not reason nor debate with themselves who should keep the Wolf from the Sheep in the mean time but did as they were commanded and committed their Sheep unto him whose pleasure they obeyed So let us do now we be called commit all other things to him that calleth us He will take heed that all things shall be well He will help the Husband he will comfort the Wife he will guide the Servants he will keep the House he will preserve the Goods yea rather then it should be undone he will wash the Dishes and rock the Cradle Cast therefore all your care upon God for he careth for you Besides this you may perceive by your imprisonment that your Adversaries weapons against you be nothing but flesh and blood and tyranny for if they were able they would maintain their Religion by Gods Word but for lack of that they would violently compel such as they cannot by holy Scripture perswade because the holy Word of God and all Christs doings be contrary unto them I pray you pray for me and I will pray for you Fleet Ian. 14. 1555. In a Letter to certain of his Friends Now is the time of trial to see whether we fear more God or man It was an easie thing to hold with Christ whilst the Prince and world held with him but now the world hateth him it is the true trial who be his Wherefore in the Name and in the Vertue Strength and Power of his holy Spirit prepare your selves in any case to adversity and constancy Let us not run away when it is most time to fight Remember none shall be crowned but such as fight manfully and he that endureth to the end shall be saved Ye must now turn all your cogitations from the peril you see and mark the felicity that followeth the peril either victory in this world of your enemies or else a surrender of this life to inherit the everlasting Kingdome Beware of beholding too much the felicity or misery of this world for the consideration and too earnest love or fear of either of them draweth from God Wherefore think with your selves as touching the felicity of the world it is good but yet none otherwise then it standeth with the favour of God It is to be kept but yet so far forth as by keeping of it we lose not God It is good abiding and tarrying still among our friends here but yet so that we tarry not therewithal in Gods displeasure and hereafter dwell with the Devils in fire everlasting There is nothing under God but may be kept so that God being above all things we have
be not lost Of adversity judge the same Imprisonment is painful but yet liberty upon evil conditions is more painful The Prisons stink but yet not so much as sweet Houses where the fear and true honour of God is lacking I must be alone and solitary It is better to be so and have God with me then to be in company with the wicked Loss of Goods is great but loss of Gods grace and favour is greater I am a poor simple creature and cannot tell how to answer before such a great sort of noble learned and wise men It is better to make answer before the pomp and pride of wicked men then to stand naked in the light of all Heaven and Earth before the just God at the later day I shall die then by the hands of the cruel man He is blessed that loseth his life full of miseries and findeth the life of eternal joyes It is pain and grief to depart from Goods and Friends but yet not so much as to depart from grace and Heaven it self Wherefore there is neither felicity nor adversity of this world that can appear to be great if it be weighed with the joyes or pains in the world to come I can do no more but pray for you do the same for me for Gods sake For my part I thank the heavenly Father I have made mine accounts and appointed my self unto the will of the heavenly Father as he will so I will by his grace I am a precious jewel now and daintily kept never so daintily for neither mine own man nor any of the Servants of the House may come to me but my Keeper alone Ian. 21. 1555. In another Letter The grace mercy and peace of God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ be with you my dear Brethren and with all those that unfeignedly love and embrace his holy Gospel Amen We must give God thanks for the Truth he hath opened c. and pray unto him that we deny it not nor dishonour it with idolatry but that we may have strength and patience rather to die ten times then to deny him once Blessed shall we be if ever God make us worthy of that honour to shed our blood for his Names sake and blessed then shall we think those Parents which brought us into this world that we should be carried from this mortality into immortality If we follow the command of Paul that saith If ye be risen with Christ sâ—ek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God we shall neither depart from the vain transiâ—ory goods of this world nor from this wretched and mortal life with so great pains as others do There is no better way to be used in this troublesome time for your consolation then many times to have Assemblies together of such men and women as be of your Religion in Christ and there to take and renew among your selves the truth of your Religion to see what ye be by the Word of God and to remember what ye were before ye came to the knowledge thereof to weigh and confer the dreams and false lyes of the Preachers that now preach with the Word of God that retaineth all truth and by such talk and familiar resorting together ye shall the better find out all their lyes that now go about to deceive you and also both know and love the Truth that God hath opened to us It is much requisite that the Members of Christ comfort one another make prayers together confer one with another so shall ye be stronger and Gods Spirit shall not be absent from you but in the midst of you to teach you to comfort you to make you wise in all godly things patient in adversity and strong in persecution Ye see how the Congregation of the wicked by helping one another make their wicked Religion and themselves strong against Gods Truth and his people Ye may perceive bâ—â— the life of our fore-fathers that Christs words In the world ye shall have trouble Hâ— that will live godly in Christ must suffer persecution be true for none of all his before our time escaped trouble then shall ye perceive that it is but a folly for one that professeth Christ truly to look for the love of the world Ye be no better then your fore-fathers Be glad that ye may be counted worthy Souldiers for this War and pray to God when ye come together that he will use and order you and your doings 1 That ye glorifie God 2 That ye edifie the Church and Congregation 3 That ye profit your own souls In all your doings beware ye be not deceived for although this time be not yet so bloody and tyrannous as the time of our fore-fathers that could not bear the Name of Christ without danger of life and goods yet is our time more perillous for soul and body Therefore of us Christ said Think ye when the Son of man cometh he shall find faith upon the earth He speaks not of being christened and in name a Christian but of saving Faith and doubtless the scarcity of Faith is now more and will I fear increase then it was in the time of the greatest Tyrants that ever were In Rev. 6. ye may perceive that at the opening of the fourth Seal came out a pale Horse and he that sate upon him was called Death and Hell followed him This Horse is the time when Hypocrites and Dissemblers entred into the Church under pretence of the true Religion c. that have killed more souls with heresie and superstition then all the Tyrants that ever killed bodies by fire sword or banishment c. and all souls that trust to these Hypocrites live to the Devil in everlasting pain as is declared by Hells following the pale Horse These pale Hypocrites have stirred up Earthquakes i. e. the Princes of the world against Christs Church They have darkned the Sun and made the Moon bloody and have caused the Stars to fall from Heaven i. e. they have darkned with mists and daily darken the Sun of Gods Word imprisoned and chained and butchered Gods true Preachers which fetch only light at the Sun of Gods Word that their light cannot shine unto the world as they would Whereupon it comes to pass that many Christians fall from Gods true Word to hypocrisie most devillish superstition and idolatry In his Letter to Bishop Farrar Doctor Tailor Mr. Bradford and Mr. Philpot Prisoners in the Kings Bench in Southwark I am advertised that we shall be carried shortly to Cambride there to dispute for the Faith and for the Religion of Christ which is most true that we have and do profess I am as I doubt not ye be in Christ ready not onely to go to Camâ—ridge but also to suffer by Gods help death it self in the maintenance thereof I write this to comfort you in the Lord that the time draweth near and is at hand that we shall
that you be cursed by the sentence of the Catholick Church with such like terrours that pray to God and follow the Star of his Word and you shall arrive at the Port of Eternal Salvation by the merits onely of Jesus Christ. Hudson When Thomas Hudson of Ailesham in Norfolk saw the Constables come to his house to apprehend him he said Now mine hour is welcome friends welcome you be they that shall lead me to life in Christ. I thank God therefore and the Lord enable me thereto for his mercies sake for his desire was and he ever prayed if it were the Lords will that he might suffer for the Gospel of Christ. When Berry threatned him saying I will write to the Bishop my good Lord c. O Sir said he there is no Lord but God though there be many lords and many gods Wilt thou recant said Berry the Priest or no The Lord forbid said Hudson I had rather die many deaths then to do so When he came first to the Stake he was very sad not for his death but for lack of feeling his Christ and therefore came from his Fellow-sufferers under the Chain and fell down upon his knees and prayed and at last he rose with great joy as a man new changed even from death to life and said Now I thank God I am strong and pass not what man can do unto me Hullier Mr. Iohn Hullier Conduct in Kings Colledge at Cambridge suffered martyrdome at Cambridge April 2. A. 1556. In his Letter to the Christian Congegation It standeth now most in hand O dear Christians all them that look to be accounted of Christs flock at the great and terrible day when a separation shall be made c. faithfully in this time of great afflictions to hear our Master Christs voice the onely true Shepherd of our souls who saith Whosoevâ—r shall endure to the end shall be saved In this time we must needs either shew that we be his faithful Souldiers and continue in his battel to the end putting on the armour of God the buckler of Faith the breast-plate of Love the helmet of Hope and Salvation and the Sword of his holy Word with all instance of supplication and prayer or else if we do not work and labour with these we are Apostates and false Souldiers shrinking most unthankfully from our Gracious and Sovereign Lord and Captain Christ and leaning to Beliaâ— for he saith plainly Whosoever beareth not my Cross and followeth me cannot be my Disciple and No man can serve two Masters for either he must hate the one and love the other or else he shall lean to the one and despise the other Elias also said unto the people Why halt ye between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him or if Baal be he follow him If Christ be that onely good and true Shepherd that gave his life for us then let us that bear his mark and have our consciences sprinkled with his blood follow altogether for our salvation his heavenly voice and calling according to our profession and first promise If we shall not certainly say what we can though we bear the Name of Christ we are none of his Sheep indeed for he saith manifestly My sheep hear my voice and follow me A stranger they will not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of a stranger The craft and wiliness of our subtile enemy is manifold and divers and full of close windings At this present day if he cannot induce one throughly as others do to savour his devillish Religion and of good will and free heart to help to uphold the same yet he will inveigle him to resort to his wicked and whorish School-house and to keep company with his Congregation there and to hold his peace and say nothing whatsoever he think c. by that subtile means flattering him that he shall both save his life and also his goods and live in quiet But if we look well on Christs holy Will and Testament we shall perceive that he came not to make any such peace upon Earth nor that he gave any such peace to his Disciples I leave peace with you saith he my peace I give you not as the world giveth it give I unto you Let not your heart be troubled and fearful These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye should have peace in the world ye shall have affliction but be of good cheer I have overcome the world The Servant is not greater then his Lord and Master if they have persecuted me they shall also persecute you If any man come to me and hateth not his father and mother c. yea and moreover his own life it is not possible for him to be my Disciple Blessed be ye that now weep for ye shall laugh and woe be unto you that now laugh for ye shall mourn and weep He that will find his life shall lose it Therefore the God of that true peace and comfort preserve us that we never obey such a false Flatterer who at length will pay us home once for all bringing for temporal peace and quietness everlasting trouble c. for these vain and transitory goods extream loss of the eternal treasure and inheritance for this mortal life deprivation of the most joyful life immortal and endless death most miserable c. I judge it better to go to School with our Master Christ and to be under his Ferula and Rod although it seems sharp and grievous for a time that at length we may be inheriters with him of everlasting joy rather then to keep company with the Devils Scholars the adulterous generation in his School that is all full of pleasure for a while and at the end to be payed with the wages of continual burning in the most horrible Lake which burneth evermore with fire and brimstone c. What doth he else I pray you that resorteth to the Ministration and Service that is most repugnant to Christs holy Testament there keeping still silence and nothing reproving the same but in the face of the world by his very deed it self declare himself to be of a false fearful dissembling feigned and unfaithful heart discouraging as much as lies in him all the residues of Christs Host and giving a manifest offence unto the weak and also confirming encouraging and rejoycing the hearts of the adversaries in all their evil doing by which he sheweth himself neither to love God whom he seeth to be dishonoured and blasphemed of an Antichristian Minister nor yet his Neighbour before whom he should rebuke the evil according to the command Thou shalt not hate thy Neighbour but reprove him c. But God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and love Be not ashamed to testifie our Lord but suffer adversity with the Gospel through the power of God c. Fear not them that
kill the body c. Fear not though they seem terrible unto you neither be troubled but sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts Onely let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel c. in nothing fearing your adversaries which is to them a token of damnation and to you of salvation and that of God for unto you it is given not onely to believe in Christ but to suffer for his sake In the Revelation it is written That the fearful shall have their part with the Unbelieving and Abominable in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Wide is the gate and broad is the way which leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat but strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Thus I wholly commit you to him and to the Word of his grace which is able to build further beseeching you most heartily to pray for me that I may be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and stand perfect in all things being alwayes prepared and ready looking for the mercy of our Lord unto eternal rest and I will pray for you as I am most bound So I trust he will graciously hear us for his promise sake in Christ. Your Christian Brother a Prisoner of the Lord John Hullier In another Letter to the Congregation of Christs faithful followers Most dear Christians having now the sweet comfort of Gods saving health and being confirmed with his free Spirit be he onely praised therefore I am constrained in my conscience to admonish you as ye tender the salvation of your souls by all manner of means to separate your selves from the Antichristian Company considering what is said in the Revelation If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his mark in the forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured into the cup of his wrath c. The Beast is none other but the carnal and fleshly Kingdome of Antichrist What do they else but worship this Beast and his Image who after they had escaped from the filthiness of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are yet again tangled therein and overcome using dissimulation for fear of their displeasure doing one thing outwardly and thinking inwardly another So having them in reverence under a cloak and colour to whom they ought not so much as to say God speed and adjoyning themselves to the Malignant Congregation which they ought to abhor as a Den of Thieves and Murderers and a Brothel-house of most blasphemous Fornicators But this feignedness and dissimulation Christ and his Gospel will no wayes allow Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Sâ—n of man be ashamed when he shall come in the glory of his Father c. Cursed be the dissemblers c. Ye were once enlightned and tasted of the heavenly gift And no man that putteth his hand to the Plough and looketh back is apt for the Kingdome of God They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us no doubt they would have continued with us Wherefore good Christians for Gods dear love deceive not your selves through your own wisdome and through the wisdome of the world which is foolishness before God but certifie and stay your own consciences with the faithful Word of God c. Though Gods mercy is over all his works yet it doth not extend but onely to them that hold fast the confidence and rejoycing of hope unto the end not being weary of well doing but rather every day waxing stronger and stronger in the inward man In the Revelation where it is entreated of the Beast and his Image it is said Here is the sufferance of Saints and here are they that keep the Commandments and Faith of Iesus Christ intimating that God doth use those wicked men as instruments for a time to try the patience and faith of his peculiar people c. Peradventure you will say What shall we do shall we cast our selves head-long to death I say not so but this I say That we are all bound if ever we look to receive salvation at Gods hands in this case to be wholly obedient to his determinate counsel c. and then to cast all our care on him who worketh all in all for the best unto them that love him Now thus be commandeth Come away from her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Come out from among them and joyn not your selves to their unlawful Assemblies yea do not once shew your selves with the least part of your body to favour their wicked doings Now chuse you which way you will take either the narrow c. or the broad way c. I for my part have now written this short Admonition to you of good will as God is my witness to exhort you to that way which at length you shall prove and find to be best and I do not onely write this but I will with the assistance of Gods grace seal it with my blood Hunter Atwell a Sumner telling William Hunter it was never a merry world since the Bible came abroad in English Say not so for Gods sake said Hunter for it is Gods Book out of which every one that hath grace may learn to know what things both please God and also what displeaseth him Could not we tell said Atwell before this time how God was served No said Hunter nothing so well as we may now if that we might have his blessed Word amongst us still as we have had You must turn or burn said Atwell God give me grace said Hunter that I may believe his Word and confess his Name whatsoever come thereof Whereas you doubt of my belief said Hunter to Wood the Vicar of Southwell I would it were tryed Whether that you or I would stand faster in our Faith Yea thou Heretick said Wood wouldst thou have it so tryed That which you call heresie said Hunter I serve my Lord God withall I would that you and I were fast tyed to a Stake to prove whether that you or I would stand strongest to our Faith It shall not be so tryed said Wood No said Hunter I think so for if I might I think I know who would soonest recant for I durst set my foot against yours eyen to the death Bonner telling him That he was content he should keep his conscience to himself so that he would go to Church and receive c. No said he I will not do so for all the good in the world Then said Bonner I will make you sure enough I warrant you Well said
was laid up for them In the Epistle it self I savour many things in God but I keep my self within bounds lest I perish by vain glory Now I am mostly to fear neither am I to mind those that would puffe me up They that praise me scourage me I do indeed love to suffer but that I am worthy I know not I beseech you not I but the love of Christ Jesus to make use onely of Christian Food and to abstain from Heresie a strange Herb. Temporaries embrace Christ but they are not of the Fathers planting If they were there would appear the Branches of the Cross and their fruit would be incorruptible In his Epistle to the Romans I Christ Jesus his bond-man hope I may salute you if it be his will that I may be judged worthy to reach the goal I have begun well if or O that I may have grace to take my lot without let I fear least your love hurt me I would not that you should please men but God even as you do Do you labour that I may be sacrificed unto God seeing the Altar is prepared that you in love making a Quire may sing to the Father in Christ Jesus that a Bishop of Syria hath been honoured thus to set in the West being called from the East It is good to fall from the World to God that I may rise in him Beg onely this for me that I may be supplyed with inward and outward strength that I may not onely say but will and not onely be called but be found a Christian. If I be found so I shall be called so even then when I shall not appear to be a Believer to the World Nothing visible is perpetual The things that are seen are temporary those which are not seen are eternal Christianity is a work not a work of perswasion but of greatness when it is hated by the World I write to the Churches and require of all that I may voluntarily die for God if that you forbid it not I beseech you bestow not upon me unseasonable love Suffer me to be the food for the wild Beasts by whom I shall enjoy God I am Gods Corn when the wild Beasts have ground me to powder with their teeth I shall be his White-bread Yea rather cunningly entice the wild Beasts to be my Sepulcher and to leave nothing of my body behind them lest when I am dead I be found troublesome to any Then shall I be a true Disciple of Christ indeed when the World shall not see even my body Pray unto God for me that by these instruments I may become a sacrifice unto God From Syria even till I came to Rome I fought with Beasts as well by Sea as by Land night and day being bound among the cruel Leopards I mean my Military Guard who the more benefits they received at my hands became so much the worse unto me but I being exercised and now well acquainted with their injuries am taught every day more and more to bear the Cross yet hereby am I not justified Would to God I might once enjoy the Beasts prepared for me which I wish also to fall upon me with all their violence whom also I will cunningly entice without delay to devour me and not to abstain from me as they have from others whom for fear they have left untouched and if they be unwilling to it I will even compell them to fall upon me Pardon me I know what is for my advantage Mr. Clark renders it I know well how much this will avail me Now do I begin to be a Disciple seeing I neither regard things visible nor invisible so I may gain Christ. Let Fire the Cross Skirmishings with wild Beasts Cuttings Butcherings or Rentings in pieces Breakin gs of my Bones asunder Manglings of my Members Bruisings of my whole Body and the Torments of the Devil all the Torments that man and the Devil can invent fall upon me so that I may enjoy Jesus The Ends and Kingdomes of this World will not help me It is better for me to die for Christ Jesus then to reign over the Ends of the Earth What will it profit a man to gain the whole World and lose his own soul I seek him who died for us and rose again Pardon me my Brethren be not an hindrance to me that I may not live be not unwilling that I should die Seeing I desire to be Gods do not gratifie the World Suffer me to enjoy pure light when I shall be there I shall be a man of God Permit me to emulate the sufferings of Christ my God Whosoever enjoyes him understands what I desire and will bear with me when he knows what constrains me The Prince of this World would hold me and corrupt my soul and will for God Let none of you help him but rather help me that is God Do not name Christ Jesus and love or covet the World Let not envy dwell in you Living but in love with dying I write unto you My love is crucified and there is not in me a fire of love towards any thing of an earthly matter but living water and he that speaks within me saith unto me Come unto the Father I rejoyce not in corruptible nourishment nor in the pleasures of this life I would have the bread of God heavenly bread the bread of Life which is the flesh of Christ the Son of God who in these last times is made of the seed of David and Abraham and for drink I would have his blood who is love incorruptible and life eternal Be mindful in your prayers of the Church in Syria which instead of me hath the Lord for their Pastor Jesus Christ alone will take care for it and your love to him But I am ashamed to be called one of that number Neither am I worthy seeing I am the last of them and an abortive but through the mercy of God I have obtained that I may be some one if I can enjoy God In his Letter to the Philadelphians Ye children of the Light flie the dividing of Truth and wicked Doctrines Follow as sheep your Pastor In your concord there is no place for the Wolves to get in If any one preach Judaism unto you do not hear him It is better to hear Christianity from one that is circumcised then Iudaism from one that is uncircumcised If both do not preach Christ Jesus they are to me Funeral Pillars and Monuments of the dead upon whom Names onely are inscribed Where division and anger is God dwells not In his Letter to the Smyrnaeans Jesus Christ is truly dead and truly risen He hath not suffered onely according to appearance as some Infidels teach If these things be done by Christ onely in opinion I am bound onely in opinion But why should I deliver up my self unto Death to the Fire to the Sword to Beasts but that he that is near the Sword is near unto
God he that is present with the Beasts is present with God I hear all onely in the Name of Christ that I may suffer with him he strengthning me who is made perfect man What doth it profit me if any one praise me and blaspheme my Lord not confessing him to be clothed with flesh Your prayer hath reached to the Church of Antioch which is in Syria whence I salute you all being bound in Gods honourable bonds though unworthy being the last of all there yet made worthy by the will of God not according to my Conscience but of the meer grace of God c. In one of his Epistles he saith Truly I did see him Christ in flesh after his resurrection and do believe that it is he c. He used to say That there is nothing better then the peace of a good Conscience That good and wicked men are like true and counterfeit money the one seems to be good and is not the other both seems and is good That the Lions teeth are but like a Mill which though it bruiseth yet wasteth not the good Wheat onely prepares and sits it to be made pure Bread Let me said he be broken by them so I may be made pure Manchet for Heaven Other graces are but parts of a Christians armour as the shield of Faith c. but Patience is the Panoply or whole armour of the man of God Ioan. The Lady Ioan Queen of Navar who was poysoned at Paris a few dayes before the bloody Massacre on Aug. 24. 1572. in her sickness she said I take all this as sent from the hand of God my most merciful Father nor have I during this extremity feared to die much less murmured against God for inflicting the same upon me knowing that whatsoever he doth he doth the same so as all in the end shall turn to my everlasting good I depend wholly upon Gods providence knowing that all things are wisely disposed of by him As for this life I am in a good measure weaned from the love of it in regard of the afflictions that have followed me from my youth hitherto but especially because I cannot live without daily offending my good God with whom I desire to be with all my heart In regard of mine own particular my life is not dear unto me seeing so long as I live in this frail flesh I am still prone and apt to sin against God onely my care is somewhat for my children which God hath given me because they shall be now deprived of me in their young years yet I doubt not but although it should please God to take me from them that himself will be a Father to them and a Protector over them as he hath been to me in my greatest afflictions and therefore I commit them wholly to his government and Fatherly care She often uttered these words O my God in thy good time deliver me from this body of death and from the miseries of this life that I may no more offend thee and that I may attain to that felicity which thou in thy Word hast promised me To a Minister a little before her death she said I neither expect Salvation Righteousness nor Life from any else then from my onely Saviour Jesus Christ being assured that his onely merit abundantly sufficeth for the full satisfaction of all my sins albeit they are innumerable Ioris Iohn Ioris of Assahen in a Letter of his to his Parents and Friends a little before his Martyrdome writ thus Most dear Father and Mother Sister and Brother I write here unto you comfortable news viz. That in all my life I never saw any day so pleasing to me as this is in which the Lord hath counted me worthy to be one of his Champions and to suffer for his holy Name for which I give him most humble and hearty thanks Rejoyce with me I pray you that God hath now called me to so glorious and welcome Marriage Day O how precious in the sight of the Lord our God is the death of his Martyrs Dear Friends two Priests and some of the Magistrates have sought to terrifie me with many threats thinking to turn me aside from my holy Profession but the Lord of his great mercy hath given me grace to withstand them all I plainly told them I was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ but would be willing and ready to die in the defence thereof following my Lord and Master Jesus Christ through all afflictions to be made Partaker with him at last of his eternal joyes in his celestial Tabernacle Wherefore if God shall call any of you forth to suffer ought for his Names sake bear the same I beseech you with meekness and patience not declining from the truth for fear or favour to the right hand or to the left But fear him rather who is able to cast soul and body into hell The time which God hath lent us to converse in this world is but short and therefore let us begin to abandon the love of this world with all things therein betimes that so we may be ready to follow the call of God Dear Father and Mother I do take my last farewell of you until we meet together again in the Kingdome of Heaven where we shall partake of that joy that shall last for ever all sorrows tears and griefs being wiped away Be ye not therefore grieved I pray you but be patient for the affliction which is befallen me is most acceptable to me for which also I bless and praise the Lord. Iueson Thomas Iueson being prest to recant said I would not recant for all the goods in London I do appeal to Gods mercy and will be none of your Church nor submit my self to the same And that I have said I will say it again And if there came an Angel from Heaven to teach me any other Doctrine then that which I am in now I would not believe him Iuleddo or Iulitta A Servant to a good Gentlewoman telling Mr. Bradford that her Mistress had been sorer afflicted with her own Father and Mother then ever he was with his imprisonment Mr. Bradford bid her tell her Mistress That he had read that day a godly History written by Basilius Magnus of Iuleddo a vertuous Widow She had great Lands and many children and nigh her dwelt a Cormorant which for her godliness hated her and out of very malice took away her lands so that she was fain to go to Law The Judge demanded of him why he wrongfully with-held these Lands from this Woman He answered he might because she was disobedient to the Kings proceedings for she will in no wise worship his gods nor offer sacrifice unto them Woman said the Judge thereupon if this be true thou art like not onely to lose thy Land but thy Life Whereupon she said And is there no remedy but either to worship your false gods or else to lose my
Lands and life then farewell Suit farewell Lands farewell Children farewell Friends yea and farewell Life too and in respect of the true honour of the everliving God farewell all At the place of her Execution she exhorted all women to be strong and constant for said she ye were redeemed with as dear a price as men for although ye were made of the rib of the man yet be you all of his flesh so that also in the case and trial of your faith towards God ye ought to be as strong Mr. Ward calleth her Iulitta and records her Speech thus We women received not onely flesh from men but are bone of their bone and therefore ought to be as strong in Christs Cause Mr. Fox out of Basil tells the Story thus That when the Judge passed Sentence against Iulitta she said Farewell riches and welcome poverty farewell life and welcome death All that I have if it were a thousand times more would I rather lose then speak one wicked and blasphemous word against God my Creatour I yield thee most hearty thanks O my God for this grace that I can contemn and despise this frail and transitory world esteeming Christian Profession above all treasures Afterwards when any Question was demanded her Answer was I am the Servant of Jesus Christ. At the Stake she said to the women beholding her Stick not O Sisters to labour and travel after true pieâ—y and godliness Cease to accuse the frailty of feminine Nature What are not we created of the same matter that men are yea after Gods Image and Similitude are we made as lively as they Not flesh onely did God use in the Creation of the woman in sign and token of her infirmity and weakness but bone of bones is she in token that she must be strong in the true and living God all falshoods forsaken constant in faith all infidelity renounced patient in adversity all worldly ease refused Wax weary my dear Sisters of your lives led in darkness and be in love with my Christ my God my Redeemer my Comforter which is the true light of the world Perswade your selves or rather the Spirit of the living God perswade you that there is a world to come wherein the Worshippers of Idols and Devils shall be tormented perpetually and the Servants of the High God be crowned eternally Iusberg Brethren said Iustus Iusberg you see that my end approacheth which howsoever I fear as a man burdened with the body of sin yet am I resolved as a Christian joyfully to endure it being assured that all my sins are fastened to the Cross of Christ. Iuventius Chrysostome in an Oration on Iuventius and Maximus two Martyrs brings in this objection of the Persecutours against them Do not you see others of your rank do thus and them answering thus for this very reason we will manfully stand and offer our selves as a sacrifice for the breach that they have made K. Kennedy Alexander Kennedy who passed not eighteen years of age when he was presented before his bloody Butcherers at first was faint and gladly would have recanted but while the place of repentance was denied him the Spirit of God wrought in him and with a chearful countenance and a joyful voice upon his knees he said O eternal God how wonderful is that love and mercy that thou bearest unto mankind and unto me the most Caitiffe and miserable wretch above all others for even now when I would have denied thee and thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ my onely Saviour and so have cast my self into everlasting dammation Thou by thy own hand hast pulled me from the very bottom of hell and made me to feel that heavenly comfort which takes from me that ungodly fear wherewith before I was oppressed Now I defie death do what you please I praise my God I am ready Kerby Mr. Wingfield telling him the fire is hot the terrour is great the pain extreme life sweet Better it were betime to stick to mercy while there is hope of life then rashly to begin and then to sâ—rink He said Ah Mr. Wingfield be at my burning and you shall say there standeth a Christian Souldier in the fire for I know that fire water sword and all other things are in the hands of God and he will suffer no more to be laid upon us then he will enable us to bear When Sentence was past against him he with most humble reverence holding up his hands and bowing himself devoutly said Praised be Almighty God Kilian To such as asked Kilian a Dutch School-Master if he loved not his Wife and Children He answered Yes if all the world were gold and were mine to dispose of I would give it all to live with them though it were but in Prison yet is my soul and my Lord Christ dearer to me then all things whatsoever Knight When Stephen Knight was at the Stake he prayed O Lord Jesus Christ for whose love I leave willingly this life and desire rather the bitter death of thy Cross with the loss of all earthly things then to abide the blasphemy of thy most holy Name or to obey men in breaking thy holy Commandement Thou seest O Lord that where I might live in worldly wealth to worship a false god and honour thine enemy I chuse rather the torment of the body and the loss of this life and have counted all things but vile dust and dung that I might win thee which death is dearer unto me then thousands of gold and silver Such love O Lord hast thou laid up in my breast that I hunger for thee as the Deer that is wounded desireth the soil Send thy holy Comforter O Lord to aid comfort and strengthen this weak piece of earth which is empty of all strength of it self Thou remembrest O Lord that I am but dust and able to do nothing that is good Therefore O Lord as of thine accustomed goodness and love thou hast bidden me to this banket and accounted me worthy to drink of thine own Cup amongst thine Elect even so give me strength O Lord against this thine Element which as to my sight it is most irksome and terrible so to my mind it may at thy Commandement as an obedient Servant be sweet and pleasant that through the strength of thy holy Spirit I may pass through the rage of this fire into thy bosome according to thy promise and for this mortal receive an immortal and for this corruption put on incorruption Accept this burnt-sacrifice and offering O Lord not for the sacrifice but for thy Dear Sons sake my Saviour for whose Testimony â— offer this free-will-offering with all my heart and with all my soul. O Heavenly Father forgive me my sins as I forgive all the world O sweet Son of God my Saviour spread thy wings over me O blessed and holy Ghost through whose merciful inspiration I am come hither conduct me into everlasting life Lord
before of these dolorous dayes fore-spake also the everlasting joy prepared for such as should continue to the end The trouble is come O dear Brethren look for the comfort and after the example of the Apostle abide in resisting this vehement storm a little space The third watch is not yet ended Remember that Christ came not to his Disciples till the fourth watch Observe next that the Disciples at the presence of Christ were more afraid then they were before That Christ useth no other instrument but his Word to pacifie their hearts That Peter in a fervency first left the Ship and yet after feared That Christ permitted neither Peter nor the rest of his Disciples to perish in that fear but gloriously delivered all and pacified the tempest There were three causes why the Disciples knew not Christ but judged him to be a Spirit The darkness of the night that letted their eyes to see him The unaccustomed Vision that appeared and it was above nature that a massy weighty and heavy body of a man such as they understood their Master Christ to have should be born up of and walk upon the water of the raging Sea and not sink And finally the horrour of the tempest and great danger they were in perswaded them to look for none other but certainly to be drowned What here hapned to Christ himself daily hapneth to the verity of his blessed Word c. The truth and sincere preaching of his glorious Gospel sent by God for mans deliverance from sin c. is judged to be Heresie and deceiveable Doctrine sent by the Devil to mans destruction The chief note is this The more nigh deliverance and salvation approacheth the more strong and vehement is the temptation of the Church of God and the more nigh that Gods vengeance approacheth to the wicked the more proud cruel and arrogant are they Whereby it commonly comes to pass that the Messengers of Life are judged to be the Authors of all mischief Thus the Israelites cursed Moses alledging that he and Aaron was the whole cause of their last extreme trouble This I write to admonish you that although you see tribulation so abound that no hope be left that yet you decline not from God And that albeit sometimes ye be moved to hate the Messengers of Life that therefore ye shall not judge that God will never shew mercy after No dear Brethren as he hath dealt with others before you so will he deal with you One cause why God permitteth such blood-thirsty Tyrants to molest his Church is this Such is his justice that he will not pour forth his extreme vengeance upon the wicked until such time as their iniquity be so manifest that their very flatterers cannot excuse it Pharaoh was not destroyed till his own houshold Servants and Subjects abhorred and condemned his stubborn disobedience If Gardener Tunstal and Bonner had suffered death when first they deserved it Papists would have alledged as they did that they were reformable neither thirsted they for the blood of any man And of Lady Mary who hath not heard that she was sober merciful and one that loved the Commonwealth of England Had she and her pestilent Council been dead before these dayes their iniquity and cruelty had not so manifestly appeared to the world Thus dear Brethren must the Sons of the Devil declare their own impiety and ungodliness that when Gods vengeance which shall not sleep shall be poured forth upon them all tongues shall confess and say That God is righteous in all his judgements The means Christ used to remove the Disciples fear is onely his Word he said Be of good comfort it is I be not afraid The natural man that cannot understand the power of God would have desired some other present comfort in so great a danger as either to have had the Heavens to have opened and to have shewed them such a light in that darkness that Christ might have been fully known by his own face or else that the winds and raging waves of the Sea suddenly should have ceased or some other miracle that had been subject to all their senses whereby they might have perfectly known that they were delivered from all danger And truly equal it had been to Christ Jesus to have done any of these or any work greater as to have said It is I be not afraid but he would hereby teach us the dignity and effectual power of his holy Word This I write Beloved in the Lord that ye knowing the Word of God not onely to be that whereby were created Heaven and Earth but also to be the Power of God to Salvation to all that believe c. may now in this hour of darkness and most raging tempest thirst and pray that ye may hear yet once again this amiable voice of your Saviour Christ Be of good comfort it is I be not afraid Exercise your selves secretly in revolving that which sometimes you have heard openly proclaimed in your ears and be every man now a faithful Preacher to his Brother If your communication be of Christ assuredly he will come before ye be aware What comfort was in the hearts of the Disciples when they heard these words It is I your Master your Master most familiar whose voice you know whose work you have seen who commanded you to enter into this journey it is I be not afraid cannot be exprest but by those that have experienced the comforts of the Spirit after great conflicts c. It is certain Christs voice had wrought in Peter's heart not onely a forgetting and contempt of the great tempest but such boldness and love that he could fear no danger following but assuredly did believe that nothing could resist his Masters Command and therefore he saith Command me to come q. d. I desire no more then the assurance of thy command If thou wilt command I am determined to obey The waters cannot prevail against me if thou speak the word so that whatsoever is possible unto thee by thy Will and Word may be possible unto me Such as bear reverence to Gods most holy Word are drawn by the power and vertue of the same to believe and follow and obey that which God commandeth be it never so hard and contrary to their affections and therefore are they wonderfully preserved when Gods vengeances are poured forth upon the disobedient In Peter's being afraid seeing a mighty wind and when he began to sink crying Lord save me Three things are principally to be noted From whence cometh the fear of Gods Elect Why they faint in adversity What resteth with them in the time of their fear and down-sinking The cause of our fear who would through the storms of the Sea go to Christ is that we more consider the dangers and lets that are in our journey then we do the Almighty Power of him that hath commanded us to come to himself This I note
the Will of God and fear not them that kill the body but have no power upon your souls My flesh repugneth marvellously against the Spirit but shortly I shall cast it away I beseech you pray for me O Lord my God into thy hands I commend my soul. Laurence I find three of this name recorded in the Book of Martyrs First Laurence the Deacon when Xistus his Pastour was martyred under the Emperour Valerianus was grieved that the Son should be secluded from the Father that he should not suffer with him Seeing him led alone as a Sheep to the slaughter he cried out to him O Dear Father whither goest thou without the company of thy dear Son whither hastenest thou O Reverend Pastour without thy Deacon never wast thou wont to offer sacrifice without thy Minister What crime is there in me that offendeth thy fatherhood Deniest thou unto him the fellowship of thy blood to whom thou hast committed the distribution of the Lords blood He having after three dayes respit promised the merciless Tyrant to declare where the Churches treasure lay caused a good company of poor Christians to be congregated and when the day of his answer was come and he was strictly charged to staud to his promise he stretching out his arms over the poor said These are the precious treasure of the Church these are the treasure indeed in whom the faith of Christ reigneth in whom Iesus Christ hath his mansion-place What more precious jewels can Christ have then those in whom he hath promised to dwell It is written I was hungry and ye gave me to eat I was thirsty and ye gave me to drink I was harbourless and ye lodged me Look what ye have done to the least of these the same have ye done to me No tongue is able to expreâ—s the Tyrant's fury and madness hereupon Kindle the fire of wood saith he make no spare Hath this Villain deluded the Emperour Away with him away with him whip him buffet him brain him Jesteth the Traitor with the Emperour roast him boyl him toss him turn him on pain of our high Displeasure do every one his office O ye Tormentors When he was on the fiery Gridiron which was as a soft Bed of Down to him he spake thus unto the Tyrant This side is now roasted enough Turn up O Tyrant great Essay whether roasted or raw Thou think the better meat Secondly Iohn Laurence who was burnt at Colchester March 29. An. 1555. He being not able to go being lamed with Irons in Prison was born to the fire in a Chair and whilst he sate in the fire the young children came about the fire and cried as well as they could Lord strengthen thy Servant and keep thy promise Lord strengthen thy Servant and keep thy promise Thirdly Henry Laurence who was burnt at Canterbury about the later end of August the same year He being required to put his hand to his Answers wrote Ye are all of Antichrist and him ye fol probably he would have written And him ye follow had not he been hindred Lawson Elizabeth Lawson continuing almost three years in Prison in which time her own Son and many others were burnt said often Good Lord what is the cause that I may not yet come to thee with thy children Well good Lord thy blessed Will be done and not mine This good old Woman about the age of sixty before she went to Prison had the Falling-sickness but she told a friend of hers That after she was apprehended she never had it more Leafe Bonner pressing Iohn Leafe an Apprentice of London to recant he said No but I will die in that Doctrine that Mr. Rogers Hooper Cardmaker c. died for My Lord you call mine Opinion Heresie it is the true Light of the Word of God and I profess I will never forsake my well-grounded Opinion whilst I have breath in my body When two Bills were sent to him in the Counter in Breadstreet the one containing a Recantation the other his Confessions to see which of them he would sign when that which contained his Confessions was read for he could neither read nor write in stead of a Pen he took a Pin and so pricking his hand sprinkled the blood upon the said Bill willing the Reader thereof to shew the Bishop that he had sealed the same Bill with his blood already Lewes Mrs. Ioyce Lewes was converted by Mr. Iohn Glover who after she was in some trouble willed her in any case not to meddle with that matter in respect of vain-glory or to get her self a Name shewing to her the great danger she was like to cast her self into if she should meddle in Gods matter otherwise then Christ doth teach When the Bishop reasoned with her she told him I find not these things in Gods Word which you urge and magnifie as things most needfull for mens Salvation If these things were in the same Word of God commanded I would with all my heart receive esteem and believe them The Bishop answering If thou wilt believe no more then is in the Scriptures concerning matters of Religion thou art in a damnable case she was amazed and being moved by the Spirit of God told him That his words were ungodly and wicked When news was brought of the coming down of the Writ de comburendo c. she sent for several Christians to consult with them how she might behave her self that her death might be more glorious to the Name of God comfortable to his people and most discomfortable to the enemies of God As for death said she I do not greatly pass when I behold the amiable Countenance of Christ my Dear Saviour the ugly face of death doth not greatly trouble me Two Priests sending her word that they were come to hear her Confession she sent them word again That she had made her Confession to Christ her Saviour at whose hands she was sure to have forgiveness of her sins As concerning the Cause for the which she should die she had no cause to confess that but rather to give unto God most humble praise that he did make her worthy to suffer death for his Word And as concerning that Absolution That they were able to give unto her by Authority from the Pope she did defie the same even from the bottom of her heart About three of the Clock in the morning before her Execution Satan questioned with her How she could tell that she was chosen to eternal life and that Christ died for her I grant that he died but that he died for thee How canst thou tell But Satan was soon put to flight and she comforted in Christ by arguing her Election and Christ dying for her in particular from her Vocation and the holy Spirit working in her heart love and desire towards God to please him and to be justified by him through Christ c. When the Sheriff about eight of the Clock
they labourel with Gods Word c. Wherefore until such time as our consciences are otherwise taught and instructed by Gods Word we cannot with safeguard of our consciences take it as many suppose at this time And we trust in God that the Queens Highness and her most Honourable Council will not in a matter of Faith use compulsion or violence because Faith is the gift of God and cometh not of man or of mans Laws nor at such time as men require it but at such time as God giveth it Being asked whether he would stand to what he had said I must need stand to it said he till I be perswaded by a further truth It being replied Nay you will not be perswaded but stand to your own Opinion Nay said he I stand not to mine own Opinion God I take to witness but onely to the Scriptures of Gâ—d and I take God to witness that I do nothing of presumption but that that I do is onely my Conscience and if there be a further truth then I see except it appear a truth to me I cannot receive it as a truth And seeing Faith is the gift of God and cometh not of man for it is not you that can give me Faith nor no man else therefore I trust ye will bear the more with me seeing it must be wrought by God and when it shall please God to open a further truth to me I shall receive it with all my heart In his Confession of his Faith The Lord is the Protector of my life The just shall live by Faith and if he withdraw himself my soul shall have no pleasure in him Thus have I declared my Faith briefly which were no Faith if I were in doubt of it This Faith I desire God to increase in me Praise God for his gifts Nicaise Nicaise a Say-maker in Tournay for refusing to live according to the Customes of the Romish Church and to observe the traditions invented by her c. being condemned and having heard the sentence as he rose up he said Now praised be God As he was led to execution seeing a great multitude of people he lifted up his voice and said O ye men of Tournay open your eyes awake ye that sleep and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give ye light As he joyfully ascended up the Scaffold he said Lord they have hated me without a cause As he was fastning to the Stake he said Eternal Father have pity and compassion upon me according as thou hast promised to all that ask the same of thee in thy sons Name Noyes When Iohn Noyes was asked by his Brother in Law if he did fear death when the Bishop gave judgement against him he answered He thanked God he feared death no more at that time then himself or any other did being at liberty Being bound to the Stake he said Fear not them that can kill the body but fear him that can kill both body and soul and cast it into everlasting fire When he saw his Sister weeping and making moan for him he bade her Weep not for him but weep for her sins When a Fagot was set against him he took it and kissed it and said Blessed be the time that ever I was born to come to this He said also Good people bear witness that I do believe to be saved by the merits and passion of Jesus Christ and not by my own deeds When the fire was kindled and burned about him he said Lord have mercy upon me Christ have mercy upon me Son of David have mercy upon me In his Letter to his Wife out of Prison You desired me to send you some tokens to remember me I therefore send you these Scriptures even for a remembrance St. Peter saith Dearly beloved be not troubled with this heat that is now come among you to try you as though some strange thing had hapned unto you but rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory appeareth ye may be merry and glad If ye be railed on for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God restest on you See that none of you suffer as a Murtherer c. but if any suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but glorifie God in this behalf for the time is come that judgement must begin at the House of God If it first begin at us what shall the end of them be that believe not the Gospel of God Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in well doing St. Paul saith All that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution St. Iohn saith See that ye love not the world nor the things of the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him for all that is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world which vanisheth away and the lust thereof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for ever St. Paul saith What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness what company hath light with darkness or what part hath the Believer with the Infidel c. Wherefore come out from among them and separate your selves now saith the Lord and touch no unclean thing so will I receive you and I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty So farewell Wife and Children and leave worldly care and see that ye be diligent to pray Take no thought saith Christ saying what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink or wherewith shall we be clothed after all these things do the Geneiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things but seek ye first the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereâ—f and all these things shall be ministred to you O. Oâ—colampadius He fell sick in the year 1531. and of his age 49. about the same time that Zuinglius was unhappily slain His grief for his death much increased his sickness He foretold his own death was very desirous to enjoy the heavenly Light Sending for the Ministers of the Gospel to him he spake to them thus O my Brethren you see what is done The Lord is come he is he is now calling me away What shall I say unto you the Servants of the Lord whom the love of God your Master the same study and doctrine have most intimately united now that I am to take my leave of you Salvation hopes of Heaven Truth Light for our feet is procured by Christ for us It becomes us to cast away all sadness all fear of life and death c. My Brethren this onely remains That we who have for some time walked in the wayes of Christ continue constant
of the common Laws the common quieâ— should be disturbed How can you say you will be the Queens true Subject whenas you do openly profess you will not keep her Laws Answ. I grant it to be reasonable that he that â—y words and gentleness cannot be made to yield to that which is right and good he that will not be subject to Gods Word should be punished by the Laws These things ought to take place against him who refuseth to do that is right and just according to true godliness not against him which cannot bear superstitions quietly but doth hate and detost from his heart such kind of proceedings and that for the glory of the Name of God Whosoever love their Countrey in Truth i. e. in God they will alwayes judge if at any time the Laws of God and man are contrary that a man ought rather to obey God then man and they that think otherwise and pretend a love to their Countrey forasmuch as they make their Countrey to fight as it were against God in whom consisteth the onely stay of that Countrey such are to be judged most deadly enemies and Traitors to their Countrey Satan indeed hath ever this dart in readiness to hurl against his Adversaries to accuse them of sedition that he may bring them if he can in danger of the higher Powers Thus Ahab said unto Elias Art thou he that troubleth Israel The false prophets complained of Jeremy to their Princes that his words were seditious and not to be suffered The Scribes and Pharises accused Christ as a seditious person and one that spake against Caesar. Did not they at the last cry If you let this man go you are not Caesars friend Thus the Oratour Tertullus accused Paul before Felix the Deputy We have found this man saith he a pestilent fellow and a stirrer up of sedition unto all the Iews in the whole world But were these indeed seditious persons God forbid but they were of men falsly accused and wherefore I pray you but because the reproved before the people their guiles superstitions and deceits A man indeed ought to obey his Prince but in the Lord and never against the Lord for he that knowingly obeyeth his Prince against God doth not a duty to the Prince but is a deceiver of the Prince and a helper to him to work his own destruction He is also unjust which giveth not to the Prince that is the Princes and to God that is Gods Hitherto you see good Father how I have in words onely made a flourish before the fight which I shortly look for and how I have begun to prepare certain kind of weapons to fight against the adversary of Christ. And here methinks I see you suddenly lifting up your head to Heaven after your manner and then looking upon me with your Prophetical Countenance and speaking thus unto me Trust not my Son I beseech you vouchsafe me the honour of this Name for in so doing I shall think my self both honoured and loved of you Trust not to these word-weapons for the Kingdome of God is not in words but in power Remember alwayes the words of the Lord Do not imagine aforehand what and how you will speak for it shall be given you even in that same hour what ye shall speak Mat. 10. For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you Mar. 11. I pray you therefore Father pray for me that I may cast my whole care on him and trust on him in all perils for I know and am surely perswaded that whatsoever I can think aforehand is nothing except he assist me with his Spirit when the time is Pray that I may out of a true Faith say with David I will not trust in my bow and it is not my sword that shall save me Psal. 44. For he hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse c. But the Lord delights in them that fear him and put their trust in his mercy I beseech you Pray pray pray that I may enter this fight onely in the Name of God In his Letter to Mr. Bradford and his Fellow-Prisoners How joyfull it was to us to hear the report of Dr. Tailor and of his godly Confession c. I assure you it is hard for me to express Blessed be God which was and is the Giver of that and of all godly strength and stomack in the time of adversity It is not the slanderers evil tongue but a mans evil deed that can with God defile a man and therefore with Gods grace ye shall never have cause to doubt but that we will continue c. Sir Blessed be God with all our evil reports grudges and restraints we are merry in God and all our cure and care is and shall be by Gods grace to please and serve him of whom we look and hope after these temporal and momentary miseries to have eternal joy and perpetual felicity with Abraham c. through Jesus Christ our Lord. In his Letter to his Cousin I can do no less then lament their case who for fear of trouble or loss of goods will do in the sight of the world those things they know and are assured are contrary to the Will of God being assdred their end will be so pitifull without speedy repentance that I tremble to think of it Alas such as should in this dangerous time have given you and me comfortable instructions have perswaded us to follow I lament to rehearse it superstitious Idolatry yea and the worst of all is they seek to prove it by Scriptures The Lord for his mercy turn their hearts Amen In another Letter to Mr. Bradford Oh dear Brother seeing the time is now come wherein it pleaseth the Heavenly Father for Christ our Saviour his sake to call upon you and to bid you come happy are you that ever you were born thus to be found awake at the Lords Calling If it be not the place that sanctisieth the man but the holy man doth by Christ sanctifie the place then happy and holy shall be that place where in thou shalt suffer and which shall be sprinkled over with thy ashes in Christs Cause All thy Countrey may rejoyce of thee that it ever brought forth such an one which would render his life again in his Cause of whom he had received it We do look now every day when we shall be called on blessed be God I ween I am the weakest many wayes of our company and yet I thank our Lord God and Heavenly Father by Christ that since I heard of our dear Brother Rogers his departing and stout confession of Christ and his Truth even unto death my heart blessed be God rejoyced of it that since that time I never felt any lumpish heaviness in my heart as I grant I have felt sometimes before Oh good Brother blessed be God in thee and blessed be the time that ever I knew thee In his
of Canterbury Rejoyce in the Lord and as you love me and the other my Reverend Fathers and Concaptives which undoubtedly are gloria Christi lament not our state but I beseech you to give to our Heavenly Father for his endless mercies and unspeakable benefits even in the midst of all our troubles given to us most hearty thanks for know ye that as the weight of his Cross hath encreased upon us so he hath not nor doth he cease to multiply his mercies to strengthen us and I trust yea by his grace I doubt nothing but he will so do for Christ our Masters sake even to the end West your old Companion and sometime my Chaplain alas hath relented but the Lord hath shortned his dayes soon after he had said Mass against his conscience he pined away and died for sorrow My daily Prayer is as God doth know and by Gods grace shall be so long as I live in this world for you my Dear Brethren that are fled out of your own Countrey because you will rather forsake all worldly things then the Truth of Gods Word that God our eternal Father for our Saviour Christs sake will daily encrease in you the gracious gift of his Heavenly Spirit to the true setting forth of his Glory and Gospel and make you to agree brotherly in the Truth of the same that there arise no root of bitterness among you that may infect that good seed which God hath sown in your hearts already and that your life may be pure and honest according to the Rule of Gods Word that others may be in love with your Doctrine and with you and glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Now we expect nothing but the triumphant Crowns in the Lord of our Confession from our old enemy I commend my self humbly and heartily to your Prayers Dr. Grindal and to the rest of the Brethren with you dearly beloved by me in the Lord viz. Cheek Cox Turner Lever Sampson Chambers c. and others who love the Lord in Truth I commend also to you my Reverend Fathers and Fellow-prisoners in the Lord Thomas Cranmer now most worthy the Name of a true and great Shepherd yea Arch Bishop and Hugh Latimer that old Souldier of Christs and the true Apostle of our English Nation In his Letter to Augustine Bornher Brother Augustine I bless God with all my heart in his manifold merciful gifts given unto our dear Brethren in Christ specially to our Brother Rogers c. and also to Hooper Saunders and Tailor whom it hath pleased the Lord to set in the forefront of the Battel against his Adversaries and hath endued them all so far as I can hear to stand in the Confession of his Truth and to be content in his Cause and for his Gospels sake to lose their lives And evermore and without end blessed be our Heavenly Father for our dear and entirely beloved Brother Bradford whom now I perceive the Lord calleth for for I ween he will no longer suffer him to abide among the adulterous and wicked generation of this world I doubt not but he hath holpen those which are gone before in their journey that is hath animated and encouraged them to keep the high way and so to run that at length they might obtain the Prize The Lord be his comfort whereof I do not doubt I thank God heartily that ever I was acquainted with him and that ever I had such an one in my house I trust to God it shall please him of his goodness to strengthen me to make up the Trinity out of Paul's Church to suffer for Christ c. Upon the thirtieth of September 1555. Dr. Ridley with Father Latimer was brought before the Queens Commissioners to undergo his last Examination Whilst the Commission was reading he stood bare till he heard the Cardinal named and the Popes Holiness then he put on his Cap and being admonished by the Bishoy of Lincoln the Popes Delegate to pull it off he answered I do not put it on in contempt of your Lordship nor of the Cardinal in that he came of Royal Blood c. but that by this my behaviour I may make it appear that I acknowledge in no point the usurped Supremacy of Rome and therefore I contemn and despite all Authority coming from the Pope As for taking off my Cap do as it shall please your Lordships and I shall be content When Lincoln in a long Rhetorical Speech perswaded him to recant c. he said My Lord in your Exhortation I have marked especially three points which you used to perswade me to leave my Doctrine and Religion which I perfectly know and am throughly perswaded to be grounded not upon mans imaginations and decrees but upon the infallible Truth of Christs Gospel and to look back and return to the Romish See contrary to my Oath contrary to the Prerogative and Crown of this Realm and especially which moveth me most contrary to the expressed Word of God 1 That the See of Rome taking his â—eginning from Peter upon whom you say Christ hath builded his Church hath in all ages lineally from Bishop to Bishop been brought to this time 2 That the holy Fathers in their Writings from time to time have confessed the same 3 That I was once of the same Opinion For the first Christ in saying Upon this stone doth not mean Peter himself c. but his Confession that he was the Son of God upon this Rock-stone I will build my Church for this is the foundation and beginning of all Christianity with word heart and mind to confess that Christ is the Son of God Christs Church is built not on the frailty of man but upon the stable and infallible Word of God that Christ is the Son of God Whilst the See of Rome continued in the Promotion and setting forth of Gods glory and due preaching of the Gospel the Fathers commended and honoured Rome and so do I but after the Bishops of that See seeking their own pride and not Gods honour set themselves above Kings challenging to them the Title of Gods Vicars c. I cannot but with S. Gregory a Bishop of Rome confess that the Bishop of that place is the very true Antichrist whereof St. Iohn speaketh by the name of the Whore of Babylon For the third I cannot but confess I was once of the same Religion you are of yet so was St. Paul a Persecutour of Christ. Lincoln farther urging him to recant c. he said am fully perswaded that Christs Church is foundâ—d in every place where his Gospel is truly received and effectually followed Your gentleness is the same that Christ had of the High Priests Your Lordship saith You have no power to condemn me neither at any time to put a man to death so the High Priests said That it was not lawfull for them to put any man to death but committed Christ to Pilate neither would suffer him
will have his course When his Brother brought him Gun-powder he said I will take it to be sent of God therefore I will receive it as sent of him To my Lord Williams he said My Lord I must be a Suitor to you for divers poor men and my Sister c. There is nothing in all this world troubleth my conscience I praise God this onely excepted When he saw the fire flaming towards him he said Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit Lord receive my soul Lord have mercy upon me In his Letter to all his true Friends I warn you all that ye be not amazed or astonied at the kind of my departure and dissolution for I assure you I think it the most honour that ever I was called to in all my life and therefore I thank my Lord God heartily for it c. For know ye that I doubt no more but that the causes wherefore I am put to death are Gods causes and the causes of the Truth then I doubt that the Gospel which Iohn wrote is the Gospel of Christ or that Paul's Epistles are the very Word of God And to have an heart willing to abide and stand in Gods Cause and in Christs Quarrel even unto death I assure thee O man it is an inestimable gift of God given onely to the true Elect and dearly beloved Children of God and Inheritors of the Kingdome of Heaven for the holy Apostle and also Martyr in Christs Cause St. Peter 1 Pet. 4. saith If ye suffer rebuke in the Name of Christ i. e. in Christs Cause and for his Truths sake then are ye happy and blessed for the glory of the Spirit of God resteth upon you and if for rebukes suffered in the Name of Christ a man is pronounced blessed and happy how much more blessed and happy is he that hath the grace to suffer death also Wherefore all ye that be my true Lovers and Friends rejoyce and rejoyce with me again and render with me hearty thanks to God our heavenly Father that for his Sons sake my Saviour and Redeemer Christ he hath vouchsafed to call me being so vile and sinfull a wretch in my self unto the high dignity of his true Prophets of his faithfull Apostles and of his holy Elect and chosen Martyrs to die in defence and maintenance of his eternal and everlasting Truth If ye love me indeed you have cause to rejoyce for that it hath pleased God to call me to a greater honour and dignity then ever I did enjoy before either in Rochester or London or should have had in Durham whereunto I was last of all elected yea I count it greater honour before God indeed to die in his Cause then is any earthly or temporal promotion or honour that can be given to a man in this world And who is he that knoweth the Cause to be Gods to be Christs Quarrel and of his Gospel to be the Commonweal of all the Elect and chosen Children of God of all the Inheritors of the Kingdome of Heaven Who is he I say that knoweth this assuredly by Gods own Word and the Testimony of his Conscience as I through the infinite goodness of God not of my self but by his grace acknowledge my self to do and doth in deed and in truth love and fear God love and believe his Master Christ and his blessed Gospel and the Brotherhood the chosen Children of God and also lusteth and longeth for eternal life who is he I say again that would not that cannot find in his heart in this Cause to be content to die Farewell Pembrohe Hall in C. of late mine own Colledge my Cure and my Charge what cafe thou art in now God knoweth I know not well Wo is me for thee mine own dear Colledge if ever thou suffer thy self by any means to be brought from setting forth Gods true Word In thy Orchard I learned without Book all Pauls Epistles yea and I ween all the Canonical Epistles save only the Apocalyps Of which study although in time a great part did depart from me yet the sweet smell thereof I trust I shall carry with me into Heaven The Lord grant that this zeal and love to that part of Gods Word which is a Key to all the Scripture may ever abide in that Colledge so long as the world shall endure O thou now wicked and bloody See of London c. hearken thou whorish Bawd of Babylon thou wicked limb of Antichrist thou bloody Wolf why slayest thou and makest havock of the Prophets of God why murthereft thou so cruelly Christs poor silly Sheep which will not hear thy voice because thou art a stranger and will follow none other but their own Pastor Christ his voice Thinkest thou to escape or that the Lord will not require the blood of his Saints at thy hands Instead of my farewell to thee now I say fie upon thee fie upon thee silthy Drab and all thy false Prophets To you my Lords of the Temporality will I speak c. Know ye that I had before mine eyes onely the fear of God and Christian charity toward you that moved me to write for of you hereafter I look not in this world either for pleasure or displeasure if my talk shall do you never so much pleasure or profit you cannot promote me nor if I displease you can you harm me for I shall be out of your reach I say unto you as St. Paul saith unto the Galatians I wonder my Lords what hath bewitched you that ye so suddenly are fallen from Christ unto Antichrist from Christs Gospel unto mans Traditions from the Lord that bought you unto the Bishop of Rome I warn you of your perill be not deceived except you will be found willingly consenters to your own death Understand my Lords it was neither for the priviledge of the Place or Person thereof that the See and Bishop of Rome were called Apostolick but for the true trade of Christs Religion which was taught and maintained in that See at the first of those godly men and therefore as truly and justly as that See then for that true trade of Religion and consanguinity of Doctrine with the Religion and Doctrine of Christs Apostle was called Apostolick so as truly and as justly for the contrariety of Religion and diversity of Doctrine from Christ and his Apostles that See and the Bishop thereof at this day both ought to be called and are indeed Antichristian The See is the Seat of Satan and the Bishop of the same that maintaineth the Abominations thereof is Antichrist himself indeed As for your displeasure by that time this shall come to your knowledge I trust by Gods grace to be in the hands and protection of the Almighty my heavenly Father the living Lord the greatest of all and then I shall not need I trow to fear what any Lord no nor what King or Prince can do unto me Much cause have you to
we suffer the like reproach â—ame and rebuke of the world and the like perâ—ecution losing of our goods and lives forsaking as â—â—r Master Christ commandeth Father Mother â—â—ster Brethren Wives Children and all â—â—at there is being assured of a joyfull Resurâ—â—ction and to be crowned in glory with them â—ccording to the infallible Promises made unto us in Christ our onely and sufficient Mediatour c. But let us consider that if it be Gods good will and pleasure to give his own beloved heart i. e. his beloved Church and the Members thereof into the hands of their Enemies â—o chasten try and prove them and to bring them â—o the true unfeigned acknowledging of their own â—atural stubbornness disobedience towards God â—nd his Commands as touching the love of God â—nd their Brethren and their natural inclination â—and readiness to love Creatures to seek their own â—usts and pleasures c. to promote repentance in â—hem and crying to God for forgiveness and for he said of the Spirit daily to mortifie those evil deâ—ires and lusts c. with many other causes What doth he hereafter with those Enemies into whose â—ands he hath given his tenderly beloved Darlings He destroyeth and damneth the impenitent Enemies as is evident in Herod Pharaoh c. And think ye that bloody butcherly Bishop of W. and his most bloody Brethren shall escape or that England shall not for their offences and especially for the maintenance of their Idolatry and wilful following of them not abide a great brunt Ye undoubtedly If God look not mercifully on England the seeds of utter destruction are sown in iâ— already c. Spite of Nebuchadnezzar's beard and maugre his heart the captive inthralled and miserable Jews must come home again and have their City and Temple builded up again by Zerubbabel c. and Babylon's Kingdome must go to ruine and be taken of Strangers the Persians and Medes So shall the dispersed English Flock be brought again into their former estate or to a better c. and our bloody Babylonical Bishops c. brought to utter shame and ruine for God cannot and undoubtedly will not for ever suffer their abominable lying false doctrine their hypocrisie blood-thirst whoredome idleness their pestilent life pampered in all kind of pleasure their Thrasonical boasting pride their malicious envious and poysoned stomacks which they bear towards his poor and miserable Christians If judgement begin at the House of God c. The morning that he should be burnt he was found fast asleep so that he could scarce with much jogging be awakened At last being raised and waked and bid to make haste Then said he if it be so I need not to tie my Points So little daunted was this Proto Martyr of all the blessed Company that suffered in Queen Mary's dayes at the tidings of death and of such a death After he was degraded by Bonner but one Petition viz. That he might talk a few words with his Wife before his burning but that would not be granted Probably he desired to speak to her that he might reveal where he had hid the Book he had writ of his Examinations and Answers But mans malice could not hinder Gods Providence from bringing that Book to his Wifes hands after his death out of the blind corner in the Prison where he had hid and where it could not be found by his enemies though they made diligent search for his Papers When he was in Prison he told the Printer of Mr. Fox's Acts and Mon. who was then a Prisoner also for Religion thus Thou shalt live to see the alteration if this Religion and the Gospel to be freely preached again and therefore have me commended to my Brethren as well in Exile as others and bid them be circumspect in displacing the Papists and putting good Ministers into Churches or else their end will be worse then ours Whilst he was a Prisoner in Newgate he had devised that he with his Fellows should have but one meal a day they paying for two the other meal should be given to those that lacked on the other side of the Prison but their Keeper would not suffer it The Lords Day before he suffered he drank to Mr. Hooper being then underneath him and said That there never was a little Fellow that would better stick to a man then he would stick to him Supposing they should both be burnt together But it hapned otherwise As he was to be brought out of Newgate to Smithfield Mr. Woodroâ—fe one of the Sheriffs came to him and asked him if he would recant That which I have preached said Mr. Rogers I will seal with my blood Then said the Sheriffe thou art an Heretick That shall be known said he at the day of Judgement Well said W. I will never pray for thee But said he I will pray for you A little before his burning at the Stake his Pardon was brought to him if he would recant but he utterly refused it His Wife and Children being eleven in number ten that could go and one sucking on the Breast met him by the way as he was going towards Smithfield but this sight grievous indeed to flesh and blood could nothing move him As he was burning he washed his hands as it were in the flame Romanus When Galerius with Asclepiades invaded the City of Antioch by force of Armes to drive the Christians to renounce their pure Religion Romanus ran to the Christians at that time congregated together and declared that the Wolves were at hand that would devour the Christian Flock but fear not said he neither let this imminent peril disturb you my Brethren Hereupon old Men and Matrons Fathers and Mothers young Men and Maidens were most ready to shed their blood in the defence of their Christian Profession Romanus so encouraged them that they did not stick to offer their naked throats wishing gloriously to die for the Name of their Christ. Whereupon Romanus was brought before the Emperour who said What art thou the Author of this sedition art thou the cause why so many shall lose their lives By the gods I swear thou shalt smart for it and first in thy flesh shalt thou suffer the pains whereunto thou hast encouraged the hearts of thy fellows Romanus answered Thy sentence O Emperour I joyfully embrace I refuse not to be sacrificed for my Brethren and that by as cruel means as thou canst invent And whereas thy Souldiers were repelled from the Christian Congregation that so hapned because it lay not in Idolaters and worshippers of Devils to enter into the holy House of God and to pollute the Place of true Prayer When the Tormenters would not truss him up and draw out his Bowels because he was of noble Parentage the Captain commanded him to be scourged with Whips with knaps of Lead at the ends Instead of tears sighs and groans Romanus sung Psalms all the time of his whipping requiring them not to favour him
glory my care in my great temptations was to have the senses of my soul open to perceive the Voice of God saying Whosoever denieth me before men him will I deny before my Father and his Angels And to save the life corporal is to lose the life eternal and he that will not suffer with Christ shall not reign with him Therefore most tender Ones I have by Gods Spirit given over the flesh with the fight of my soul and the Spirit hath the victory The flesh shall now ere it be long leave off to sin the Spirit shall reign eternally I have chosen Death to confirm the Truth by me taught What can I do more Consider with your selves that I have done it for the confirmation of Gods Truth Pray that I may continue to the end The greatest part of the assault is past I praise my God I have in all my assaults felt the present aid of my God I give him most hearty thanks therefore Look not back nor be ye ashamed of Christs Gospel nor of the bonds I have suffered for the same It is no time for the loss of one man in the Battel for the Camp to turn Back Up with mens hearts blow down the dawbed Walls of Heresie Let one take the Banner and the other the Trumdet I mean not to make corporal resistance but pray and ye shall have Elias defence and Elizeus company to fight for you The Cause is the Lords My heart with pangs of death is assaulted but I am at home yet with my God alive Pray for me c. From Newgate Prison in haste the day of my Condemnation I. R. In his Letter to the Congregation two dayes before he suffered Whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution for it is given unto them not onely to believe but to suffer and the Servant or Scholar cannot be greater then his Lord or Master but by the same way the Head is entred the Members must follow My dear soul is departing this Life to my great advantage I make change of morality for immortality of corruption to put on incorruption to make my body like to the Corn cast into the ground which except it die first it can bring forth no good fruit Happy are they that die in the Lord which is to die in the Faith of Christ professing and confessing the same before many Witnesses What a Journey by Gods power I have made these eight dayes is above flesh and blood to bear but as Paul saith I may do all things through him who worketh in me Iesus Christ. My course Brethren I have run I have fought a good fight the Crown of Righteousness is laid up for me my day to receive it is not long to Pray Brethren for the enemy doth yet assault Be not ashamed of the Gospel of the Cross by me preached nor of my suffering for with my blood I affirm the same I go before I suffer first the baiting of the Butchers Dogs yet I have not done what I should have done What was undone impute that to frailty and ignorance and with your love cover that which was and is naked in me God knoweth ye are all tender to me My heart bursteth for the love of you Ye are not without the great Pastour of your souls who so loveth you that if men were not to be found as God be praised there is no want of them he would cause stones to minister unto you Cast your care on that Rock the wind of temptation shall not prevail Past and pray for the dayes are evil Look up with your eyes of hope for your redemption is not far off but my wickedness hath deserved that I shall not see it and also that which is behind of the blood of our Brethren which shall also be laid under the Altar shall cry for your relief The Friday at night before Mr. Rough was taken being in his Bed he dreamed That he saw two of the Guard leading Cuthbert Sympson Deacon of the said Congregation and that he had the Book about him wherein were written the Names of all them that were of the Congregation Afterwards he awaked and having told the dream unto his Wife after some time spent in reading he fell asleep again and dreamed the same dream again and awaking told his Wife his dream and said O Brother Cuthbert is gone And whilst he was making ready for to go and see how it was with him Mr. Sympson came into Mr. Rough's House and brought the Book with him Mr. Rough having told him his dream perswaded him to carry the Book no more about with him which he was loth to promise because said he dreams are but fancies and not to be credited Then Mr. Rough straitly charged him in the Name of the Lord to do it Whereupon Mr. Sympson left the Book with Mrs. Rough. And so the Congregation was preserved The next night Mr. Rough dreamed That he himself was forcibly carried to the Bishop and that the Bishop pluckt off his beard and cast it into the fire saying these words Now I may say I have had a piece of an Heretick burned in my House And so accordingly it came to pass Rose Mr. Thomas Rose born at Exmouth in Devon when he was first taken was sorely stocked in Prison The Stocks were very high and great so that day and night he did lie with his back on the ground upon a little straw with his heels so high that by means the blood was fallen from his feet his feet were without sense for a long time His Mother might not be suffered to see him Afterwards Cranmer set him at liberty When he was brought before Gardiner being taken at Bow in London with five and thirty more Winchester told him That he would know who were his Maintainers or else he would make him a foot longer My Lord said he you shall do as much as pleaseth God and no more yet the Law is in your hand but I have God for my Maintainer and none other At his second Examination the Chancellour ask'd him What he said to the real presence in the Sacrament I wist right well said he you are made an instrument to seek innocent blood Well you may have it if God permit it is present and at hand for I came not hither to lie but to die if God see it good in defence of that which I have said Wherefore you may begin when you think good c. At his third Examination the Bishop saying Ah Sirrah you will admit nothing but Scripture I see well No truly my Lord said he I admit nothing but Scripture for the Regiment of the Soul for Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and where the Word of God is not there ought no belief to be given for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Roth. Richard Roth in his Letter to certain Brethren and Sisters condemned at Colchester