be geueÌ„ vnto god our father for hys excedynge greate mercye towardes me through Iesus Christ our lord But perchaunce ye wil say vnto me what is the cause for the which you are coÌ„demned we heare say that you deny al prefeÌ„ce of Christ in his holy supper so make it a bare signe common bread nothing els My derely beloued what is said of me wil be I cannot tel It is told me that M. Pendleton is gone down to preach with you not as he hath recaÌ„ted for ye al know how he hath preached contrary to that he was wont to preach afore I came amongs you but to recaÌ„t that which he hath recaÌ„ted How he wil speake of me report before I come wheÌ„ I am come when I am burned I much passe not for he the is so vncertain wil speake so ofteÌ„ against him selfe I cannot thinke he wil speake wel of me except it make for his purpose profit But of this enough In dede the chiefe thing which I am condemned for as an heretyke is because I deny the sacrament of the altar whiche is not christes supper but a plaine peruertyng of it beyng vsed as the papists now vse it to be a real natural corporall presence of christes body blood vnder the formes accidents of bread and wine that is because I deny transubstantiatioÌ„ which is the derling of the deuil and doughter and heyre to Antichrists religion wherby the Masse is mainteyned christes supper peruerted his sacrifice crosse imperfected hys priesthode destroyed the ministery taken away repentance repelled and al true godlines abandoned In the supper of our lord or sacrament of christes body and blood I confesse beleue that there is a true very presence of whole Christe god man to the faith of the receauer but not of the staÌ„der by or loker on as there is a very true presence of breade and wine to the senses of him that is pertaker therof This faith this doctrine which coÌ„fenteth with the word of god with the true testimony of christes Churche whiche the popyshe church doth persecute will I not forsake and therefore am I coÌ„demned as an heretike shal be burned But my derely beloutd this truth which I haue taught ye haue receyued I beleued do beleue and therin geue my life I hope in god shall neuer be burned bound nor ouercome but shal tryumphe haue victory and be at liberty manger the heade of all gods aduersaries For there is no counsell against the lord nor no deuise of man can be hable to defeate the verity in any other then in such as be children of vnbeliefe which haue no loue to the truth and therefore are geuen vp to beleue lies From which plague the lorde of mercies delyuer you and all this realme my deare hartes in the Lorde I humblye beeseche hys mercye Amen And to the ende ye myght be delyuered from thys plague ryght deare to me in the Lorde I shall for my farewell wyth you for euer in thys presente lyfe hartely desyre you all in the bowels and bloode of oure moste mercifull Sauioure Iesus Christ to attende vnto these thynges whiche nowe I shall shortlye wryte vnto you out of the Holy scriptures of the Lorde Ye know an he â—aye plague or rather plagues of God is fallen vpon vs in takyng away our good kyng gods true religion Gods true prophetes and ministers c. and setting ouer vs suche as seeke not the Lorde after knowledge whose endeuoures GOD prospereth wonderfullyâ— to the triall of manye that hys people maye bothe better knowe themselues and be knowen Nowe the cause hereof is oure iniquities and greuous synnes We did not know the tyme of our visitation we were vnthankefull vnto god we contemned the gospell and carnally abused it to serue our hypocrisie our vayne glory our viciousnes auarice ydlenes security c. Longe did the lord lynger tary to haue shewed mercye vppon vs but we were euer the longer the worse Therfore most iustly hathe God dealt with vs and dealeth with vs. Yea yet we may see that his iustice is tempered with much mercy wherto let vs attribute that we are not vtterly consumed for if the lord should deale with vs after oure deserts alas how could we abide it In his anger therfore seyng he doth remember hys mercy vndeserued yea vndesyred on our behalfe let vs take occasion the more spedelye to go out to mete him not with force and armes for we are not so able to withstand hym much lesse to preuaile against hym but to beseche hym to be mercifull vnto vs and according to his waÌ„ted mercy to deale with vs. Let vs arise with Dauyd and say Ne intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo c. Enter not into iudgement oh Lorde with thy seruant for in thy sight no flesh liuyng shall be iustifyed Let vs send ambassadors wyth the Centurion and say Lord we are not worthy to come our selues vnto thee speake the worde and we shal haue peace Let vs peniteÌ„tly with the Publicane loke down on the earth knocke our hard hartes to burst them and cry out oh god be merciful vnto vs wretched synners Let vs with the lost sonne returne and say O father we haue synned against heauen and earth before thee we are vnworthy to be called thy children Let vs I say do on this sort that is hartely repente vs of our former euill lyfe and vnthankefull gospelling past conuert turne to god with our whole hartes hopyng in hys great mercy through Christ and hartelye calling vppon his holye name and then vndoubtedly we shall fynde and feele otherwyse then yet we fele both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly we shal fele peace of conscience betwene god and vs which peace passeth al vnderstaÌ„dyng outwardly we shall feele much mitigation of these miseries yf not an outward taking of theÌ„ away Therfore my derely beloued in the lorde I your poorest brother now departyng to the Lord for my vale in aeternum for this present lyfe pray you beseche you and euen from the very bottome of my hart for al the mercies of god in Christ shewed vnto you most earnestly begge and craue of you out of prison as often out of your pulpittes I haue done that ye will repente you leaue your wycked and euil lyfe be sory for your offences and turne to the lorde whose armes are wyde open to receiue and embrace you whose stretched out hande to strike to death stayeth that he might shewe mercy vpon you for he is the lord of mercy and god of all comfort he wyll not the death of a synner but rather that he should returne conuert and amend he hath no pleasure in the destruction of men hys long suffryng draweth to repentaunce before the tyme of vengeaunce and the daye of wrathe which is at hande doth come Now is the axe layed to the roote of the tree vtterlye to
ye repente not if ye leaue not your Idolatry if ye tourne not spedely to the Lord if ye stil be ashamed of Christes truth whiche ye knowe Oh Perne repent Oh Thomson repente Oh ye Doctors Bachelors and Maisters repent Oh Maior Aldermen towne dwellers repente repente repente that ye maye escape the nere vengeaunce of the Lord. Rent your harts and come apace calling on the Lord. Let vs al say Peccauimus we haue synned we haue done wickedlye we haue not harkened to thy voyce O Lord. Deale not with vs after our deserts but be merciful to our iniquities for they are great Oh pardon vs our offences In thyne anger remember thy mercy Turne vs vnto thee O Lorde God of hostes for the glorye of thy names sake spare vs and be mercifull vnto vs. Let not the wicked people say wher is now their god Oh for thine own sake for thy names sake deale mercifully with vs. Turne thy self vnto vs and vs vnto thee and we shall prayse thy name for euer If in thys sort my dearly beloued in hart and mouth we come vnto oure father and prostrate oure selues before the throne of his grace then surely surely we shal find mercye then shal the Lord loke merely vpon vs for his mercye sake in Christ then shal we heare him speake peace vnto his people for he is gracious and mercifull of greate pitye and compassion he cā not be chiding for euer his anger can not last long to the penitent Though we wepe in the morning yet at night we shal haue our sorow to cease for he is exorable hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner he rather wold our conuersion and turning Oh turne you nowe and conuert yet once againe I humbly besech you then the kingdome of heauen shall draw nygh The eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard nor the harte of mā is able to conceaue the ioyes prepared for vs if we repente amende oure liues and hartely turne to the Lord. But if ye repente not but be as ye were and goe on forwardes with the wicked following the fashion of the world the Lord will lead you on with wicked doers ye shall peryshe in your wickednes youre blood will be vppon your owne heades your part shall be with hipocrites where shall be wepyng and gnashyng of teeth ye shall be caste from the face of the Lorde for euer and euer eternall shame sorrow woe and misery shall be both in body and soule to you worlde without end Oh therfore ryght deare to me in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you amend amend your liues departe from euill do good follow peace and pursue it Come out frō Babilon caste of the woorkes of darkenes put on Christ confesse hys truth be not ashamed of hys Gospel prepare your selues to the crosse drinke of Gods cuppe before it come to the dregges and then shall I with you and for you reioyce in the daye of iudgemente whiche is at hand and therfore prepare your selues therto I hartely besech you And thus I take my Vale in aeternum with you in thys presente lyfe myne owne deare hartes in the Lorde The Lorde of mercy bee with vs all and geue vs a ioyfull and sure meetyng in his kingdome Amen Amen Out of prison the .11 of February Anno. 1555. Your owne in the Lord for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To all those that professe the name and true religion of our Sauioure Iesus Christe in Lankeshyre and Chesshire and specially abyding in Manchester and theraboutes Iohn Bradford a moste vnworthy seruant of the Lord now not only in bondes but also cōdemned for the same true religion wisheth mercye and grace peace and encrease of all godlines frō god the father of all pietie throughe the desertes of our Lorde Iesus Christ by the workyng of the most mighty and liuely spirite the comforter for euer Amen I Heare it reported credibly my derely beloued in the lord that my heauēly father hath thought it good to prouyde that The enemies had apointed to burne hym at Māchester but the lord altered their purpose as I haue preached his true gospel and doctrine amonges you by worde so I shal testify and confyrme the same by deede that is I shall with you leaue my life which by his prouidence I firste receaued there for in Manchester was I borne for a seale to the doctrine I haue taught with you emonges you so that if from henceforth you wauer in the same you haue none excuse at all I know the enemies of Christ which exercise this crueltye vpon me I speake it in respect of mine offence which is none to thē wardes thinke by killyng of me amongs you to affray you and others lest they should attempt to teach Christ truly or beleeue hys doctryne hereafter but I doubte not but that heauenly father will by my death more confyrme you in his truth for euer And therfore I greatly reioyce to see Sathā and his souldiours supplanted in their own sapience which is playne folishnes emonges the wise in deede that is emonges such as haue heard gods worde and do followe it for they onely are accompted wyse of the wisedome of God our sauiour In dede if I shoulde simplye consider my lyfe wyth that which it ought to haue bene and as God in hys lawe requireth then could I not but crye as I do Iustus es domine omnia iudicia tua vera Righteous art thou O lord and all thy iudgements are true For I haue muche greued thee and transgressed thy holy precepts not onely before my professing the gospel but sythen also yea euen sithē my commyng into prison I do not excuse but accuse my selfe before god and all his church that I haue greuouslye offended my Lorde god I haue not lyued hys gospell as I shoulde haue done I haue sought my selfe not symply onely his glory and my brethernes commodity I haue ben to vnthākful secure carnal hypocritical vayn glorious c. Al which my euils the lorde of mercy pardon me for his christes sake as I hope certainly beleue he hath done for hys great mercy in Christ our redemer But whē I consider the cause of my cōdemnation I can not but lamēt the I do no more reioyce thē I do for it is gods verity and truth so that the condēnation is not a condemnation of Bradford simply but rather a condemnation of Christ and his truth Bradford is nothing els but an instrument in whom Christ and his doctrine is condemned And therfore my dearely beloued reioyce reioyce and geue thākes with me for me that euer god did vouchsafe so great a benefit to our countrey as to choose the most vnworthy I meane my selfe to be one in whom it woulde please him to suffer any kynde of affliction much more thys violent kynd of death which I perceiue is prepared for me emongs you for his sake Al glory praise
we be ashamed hereof for losse of life frendes or goodes he wil be ashamed of vs before his father and his holy Angels in heauen Therfore take hede for the Lords sake take hede take hede defile not your bodies or soules with this Romish AntichristiaÌ„ religioÌ„ set vp amoÌ„gest vs again but come away come away as the Angell cryeth Apoca. 18. from amongest them in their Idolatrous seruice least you be partakers of their iniquitye HarkeÌ„ to your preachers as the ThessaloniaÌ„s did to Paul that is conferre their sayinges with the Scriptures and if they sound not therafter Esay 8. the morning light shal not shine vppon them Vse much and harty prayer for the spirit of wisedome knowledge humblenesse mekenesse sobrietye and repentauÌ„ce which we haue great nede of because our synnes haue thus prouoked the Lords anger agaynst vs but let vs beare his anger acknowledge our faultes with bitter teares and sorowful sighes doubtles he wil be merciful to vs after hys wonted mercy The which thing he vouchsafe to do for his holy names sake in Christ Iesu our Lord to whom with the father and the holy ghoste bee all honoure glorye prayse and euerlastynge thankes from thys tyme forth for euermore Amen Out of prison by yours in the Lorde to commaunde Iohn Bradford To my dearely beloued in the lord Mystres VV. and Mystres VV. ALmighty God our deare and most mercifull father be always with you both my entierly beloued mother and Syster in the Lorde and as hys babes he for euer kepe you vnto hys eternal kingdome throughe Christe our Sauiour Amen I purpose not to go about to render thankes to you for gods great goodnes towardes me by you because I can not Either of you hath so heaped vpon me benefits that it were hard for me to recken the tythes He for whose sake you haue done it and all the good you do one daye recompence you after your hartes desyre in hym In the meane season I beseche hym to reueale vnto you more and more the ryches of hys grace and loue in Christ by whom ye are beloued and were before the worlde was and shall be doutles worlde wythout ende Accordyng to the reuelation your sense or fayth herein so wyll you contend to all pietie and godlines as S. Iohn saith he that hath thys hope wyll purify hymselfe as Christ is pure 1. Iohn 3 For howe should it otherwyse bee but if we bee certainlye persuaded that heauen is ours and we citizens therof but I say we should desire the dissolution of our bodies and death to dispatche vs and to do hys office vpon vs If we dyd certainly beleue we were members of Christ and gods temples how should we but flie from all impuritie and corruption of the worlde whiche commeth by concupiscence If we dyd certainly beleue that god in dede of hys mercy in Christ is become our father in that hys good wyll is infinite and hys power accordyng therto how coulde we be afrayde of man or Deuil Howe coulde we doubte of saluation or any good thynge whiche myght make to Gods glorye and our owne weale Now that we shoulde be certayne and sure of thys that we are Gods children in Christ marke whether all thynges teache vs not Beholde the creation of thys worlde and the gubernation of the same doe not these teache vs that God loueth vs And is gods loue out of Christ the beloued If not his loue as he is vnchangeable Iohn 13. Doth not S. Iohn say that he loueth to the ende whom he loueth Therfore I say the very creatures of god concernyng both their creation conseruation tell vs that god loueth vs that is that we in Christ be his childreÌ„ and dearlinges although in our selues and of oure selues wee bee otherwyse namelye chyldren of wrathe Agayne loke vpon the law of god and tell me whether it do not requyre this certainty of you namely that you be gods dere childreÌ„ in Christ Doth not god plainly affirme say I am the Lord thy God Doth he not charge you to haue none other gods but hym How then can you perishe if god be your god psal 143 Doth not that make god no god Doth not Dauid say that those people be happy which haue the Lord for their God Besides this loke on your beliefe do you not professe that you beleue in God your father almighty whiche wanteth no power to helpe you as he wanted no good wyll in Christ to choose you Do you not say that you do beleue remission of synnes resurrection of the body life euerlasting felowship wyth the sainctes c. But how doe you saye you beleue thys geare and be not certayne therof Is not fayth a certaintie Is not doubtyng against fayth as S. Iames sayeth Pray in faythe and doubte not for he that doubteth obteyneth nothyng Math. 8 When Peter beganne to doubte he had lyke to haue bene drowned beware of it therfore Moreouer for to certifye youre consciences that you be gods childerne shal neuer finally perish through gods goodnes in Christe beholde your heade your Capitaine I meane Christe Iesus Wherefore came he into this world but to redeme you to marry you vnto hymselfe to destroye the workes of Sathan to saue and seeke that whiche was loste Wherfore suffered he so greate and bytter passions Dydde he it not to take awaye your synnes Wherefore dydde he ryse from deathe Dyd he it not to iustifye you Wherfore dyd he ascende into heauen Dyd he it not to take possession there for you to leade your captiuitye captiue to prepare and make ready all thynges for you to appeare before the father alwayes praying for you If these be true as they be most true why theÌ„ stand you in a doubt Do you not therby deny Christ Wherefore were you borne of Christian parentes and in gods churche but because you were Gods chylderne by Christ before you were borne For thys cause you were baptised and hetherto the Lorde hathe thus delte wyth you sparyng you correctyng you and blessyng you but why Verely because you be hys children and shal be for euer through Christ Tell me why hath God kepte you till thys tyme but that he wyll for hys sake haue you euen here made lyke vnto Christ thâ—t elsewhere you may so be Why hathe he opened youre eyes from Popery but because you be hys childerne in deede When you do praye doe you not call hym father Why doe you doubte of it then Why wyll you beleue the Deuil more theÌ„ God your father the Sonne and the holy ghoste more then the holye worde of GOD bothe in the lawe and in Gospell more then all the blessynges and castigations of God Do not all these preach to you and tell you that you are gods babes throughe Christ Therefore my derely beloued beleue it and geue not place to the Deuill but withstand hym strong in fayth Marke 9 Luk.
thereof thankefully vsing their counsell and obeying theyr preceptes so for gods sake let vs for our soules being sicke thankefullye receaue the heauenlye Phisicions phisicke and dyet so shall we waxe stronge men in GOD and in hys Christe Which thyng I besech thee O holy spirite to worke in vs all Amen My dearly beloued thys haue I brieflye written vnto you Phil. 4. not as one that seketh any giftes as Paul sayth but as one that seeketh aboundaunt fruites on your behalfe and to your commoditye For it is better to geue then to receaue sayteh Christe by hys Apostle S. Paule who testifyeth that according to that we sowe so shal we reape He that soweth little 2. Cor. 9. shall reape little he that soweth muche shall reape much Neuer shoulde we forgette how that the Lorde Iesus being riche for our sakes became poore that we myght be made riche by hym Agayn neuer shoulde we forget that we are dead to sinne and aliue to ryghteousnesse Therefore shold we liue wholy vnto god for god not for our selues In al things therfore we must auoide the sekyng of our selues as wel in doing as in leuing things vndone If the crosse come vpon vs therfore then are we happy for the spirite of God and the glorye of God resteth vpon vs. Therefore reioyce saith christ for your reward is great in heaueÌ„ Math. 5 In this we are made like to Christe here therefore we shal be so els where eueÌ„ in eternal ioye endlesse glory The high way to heaueÌ„ you know is affliccioÌ„ so that al that wil liue godly in Christ Iesu must suffer persecution If we were of the world the world wold loue vs Iohn 15 but we are not of the world but beare witnes against the world therfore the worlde doth hate vs. But let vs reioice our lord hath ouercome the world He suffred out of the Citie beariÌ„g our rebuke saith the Apostle Let vs then go out of oure tentes beare hys rebuke that is let vs denye our selues Heb. 13 take vp our crosse which is his also followe him Let vs know esteme this more riches theÌ„ al the treasures of the world as Moses did Let vs know that he that saueth his life shal lose it Let vs know that the way to saluatioÌ„ is a strait waye and a waye wherein we can not carye oure bagges and chestes with vs. Let vs know that no excuse of wife farme house or childreÌ„ wil excuse vs. Let vs know that in this case we must be so far froÌ„ louing father mother Luke 14 â–ª wife children that we must hate theÌ„ our own selues also Though this be a hard saying yet we must not leaue our loades man for a litle foule way Yea rather we shoulde knowe in dede that it is but hard to the flesh which if she be haÌ„dled deintely will be imperious vnder muste she be kepte that the spirit which is a precious thing in gods sight may haue her coÌ„modities If we should follow the fansye of the fleshe we coulde not please god Against it we haue made a solemne professioÌ„ as also agaynst the deuil the world in oure baptisme And shal we now loke for easie thyngs of our enemies Shal we not loke rather to be hardly entreated of theÌ„ O that we considered ofteÌ„ in dede what we haue professed in baptisme then the crosse we should be wel acquainted together For we are baptised into Christs death that is as to be pertakers of the benefite of his death which is remission of sinnes so to bee made like therunto coÌ„tinually by dying to sinne O that we coÌ„sidered what we be where we be whether we are going who calleth vs how he calleth vs to what felicitie he calleth vs wherby he calleth vs then my deare harts in the Lord we should say to al worldly persuasions persuaders follow me Sathan thou seuerest not those things that be of god but the things that be of men Shall we not drinke the cuppe which our heauenly father hath appoynted for vs O Lord god opeÌ„ thou our eyes that we may see the hope wherunto thou haste called vs. Geue vs eyes of seing eares of hearing hartes of vnderstanding In the fauour thou bearest to thy people remember vs visite vs with thy sauing health that we maye see the good things thou hast prepared for thy elect childreÌ„ that we may haue some syght of thy heauenly IerusaleÌ„ and haue some tast of the swetenes of thy house O deare father kindle in vs an earneste desire to bee with thee in soule and body to prayse thy name for euer withall thy saintes in thy eternall glorye Amen Iohn Bradford To my deare fathers D. Cranmer D. Ridley and. D. Latimer IEsus Emanuell My deare fathers in the Lorde I beseche God oure sweete father throughe Christ to make perfecte the good he hath begonne in vs all Amen I had thought that euery of your staues had stande nexte the doore but nowe it is otherwise perceaued Our deare brother Rogers hath broken the Ise valiauntlye and as thys daye I thinke or to morrowe at the vttermoste hartye Hoper syncere Saunders and trustye Taylour ende theyr course and receaue their crowne The nexte am I whiche hourely looke for the porter to open me the gates after them to enter into the desyred reste God forgeue me myne vnthankefulnesse for thys exceedyng greate mercye that amonges so manye thousandes it pleaseth hys mercye to choose me to be one in whom he wyll suffer For althoughe it bee most true that luste patior for I haue beene a greate hypocrite and a greuous synner the Lorde pardon me yea he hath done it he hath done it in deede yet hic autem quid mali fecit Christe whom the Prelates persecute hys veritye whiche they hate in me This is a singuler mercye of God to haue death which is a due punyshmente for synne turned into a demonstratioÌ„ and â—esâ—fication of the Lordes truth hath done no euill nor desermeth death Therefore oughte I moste hartelye to reioyce of thys dignation and tender kindnesse of the Lorde towardes me whiche vseth the remedye for my synne as a testimoniall of hys testament to hys glorye to my euerlasting comforte to the edifying of hys Church and to the ouerthrowing of Antichriste and hys kyngdome O what am I Lord that thou shouldest thus magnifye me so vyle a man and myser as alwayes I haue bene Is this thy wonte to sende for suche a wretche and an hypocrite as I haue bene in a fierye chariot 4. ReguÌ„ 2 as thou diddest for Helias Oh deare fathers be thankfull for me and praye for me that I styll maye bee founde worthie in whom the Lord would sanctifye hys holy name And for your parts make you readye for we are but your gentlemen hushers Nuptiae agni paratae sunt venite ad nuptias I now goe to leaue my flesh
miserable worlde aboue all thinges geue your selfe continuallye to prayer 1. Timo. 2 lifting vp as Saint Paul sayth cleane or pure handes withoute anger wrath or doubting forgeuing as he sayeth also if you haue any thing againste anye man as Christ forgeueth vs. And that we may be the better willing to forgeue it is good often to call to remembrance the multitude and greatnesse of our own sinnes which Christ dayly and hourely pardoneth and forgeueth vs then we shal as Saint Peter affirmeth 1. peter 4. be ready to couer and hide the offences of our brethren be they neuer so many And because gods word teacheth vs not only the true maner of praying but also what we ought to doe or not doe in the whole discourse and practise of this life What pleaseth or displeaseth God and that as Christ sayth the worde of god that he hath spoken shall iudge in the last daye let your prayer be to this end specially that god of his greate mercy woulde open and reuele more more daily to your hart the true sense knowledge and vndersteanding of his moste holy word and geue you grace in youre liuing to expresse the fruites thereof And for as muche as it is as the holye ghoste calleth it the woorde of affliction 1. Cor. 1. that is it is seldome withoute hatred persecution peryll daunger of losse of life and goodes and whatsoeuer seemeth pleasante in this worlde as experience teacheth you in this time call vpon GOD continuallye for hys assistance alwayes as Christ teacheth casting your accomptes what it is lyke to coste you endeuoring your selfe throughe the helpe of the holye ghoste by continuance of prayer to laye youre foundation so sure that no storme or tempeste shall be able to ouerthrowe or caste it downe remembryng alwayes as Christe sayeth Lothes wyfe Luke 17. that is to beware of lookinge backe to that thinge that displeaseth GOD. And because nothing displeaseth GOD so much as Idolatrye that is false worshippyng of God otherwyse then hys woorde commaundeth looke not backe I saye nor tourne not your face to their Idolatrous and blasphemous Massing manifestly agaynst the word practyse example of Christe as it is most manifest to all that haue any taste of the true vnderstanding of Gods word that there remayneth nothyng in the church of England at this presēt profitable or edifying to the church and congregation of the Lord all thynges being done in an vnknowen tonge contrary to the expresse comaundemente of the holy ghost They obiect that they be the Churche and therefore they must be beleued My aunswere was the Church of GOD knoweth and reknowledgeth no other heade but Iesus Christe the sonne of GOD whom ye haue refused and chosen the man of sinne the sonne of perdition enemye to Christ the deuilles deputye and Lieuetenaunte the Pope Christes Churche heareth Iohn 10 teacheth and is ruled by hys woorde as he sayeth my sheepe heare my voyce If you abyde in me my worde in you you be my Disciples Their churche repelleth gods worde and forceth all men to follow their traditions Christes Church dare not adde or diminyshe alter or chaunge his blessed testament but they be not afrayde to take awaye all that Christ instituted and goe a whoring as the Scripture sayeth with their own inuentions letari super operibus manuum suarum to glorye Act. 7. reioyce in the workes of their owne handes The Churche of Christ is hath bene and shal be in all ages vnder the crosse persecuted molested and afflicted the world euer hating thē because they be not of the worlde But these persecute murther slaye kill such as professe the true doctrine of Christ be they in learning liuing cōuersation other vertues neuer so excellent Christ and his Church reserued the tryal of their doctrine to the word of god Iohn 5. and gaue the people leaue to iudge therof by the same word search the scriptures But thys Churche taketh awaye the woorde from the people and suffer neyther learned nor vnlearned to examine or proue their doctryne by the woord of God The true Church of God laboureth by all meanes to resyste and withstande the lustes desyres and motions of the worlde the flesh and the deuyll These for the moste part geue themselues to all voluptuousnesse and secretlye commit suche thinges whiche as Saint Paule sayeth it is shame to speake of Ephe. 5. By these and suche like manifest probations they do declare themselues to be none of the Churche of Christe but rather of the Sinagoge of Sathan It shall be good for you oftentymes to conferre and compare theyr proceedynges and doinges with the practyse of those whom the woorde of God doth teache to haue bene true members of the Churche of God and it shall woorke in you both knowledge erudition and boldnesse to withstand wyth sufferyng their doings I likened them therfore to Nemrod whom the Scripture calleth a mightye hunter or a stoute champion telling them that that which they coulde not haue by the worde they would haue by the sworde and be the Church whether men wil or no and called them wyth good conscience as Christ called their forefathers the children of the deuil and as their father the deuyll is a lyer and murtherer so their kyngdome and church as they call it standeth by lying and murtheryng Haue no fellowshyppe with them therfore my deare wife with their doctrine and traditions least you be pertaker of their synnes for whom is reserued a heuye dampnation wythoute spedye repentaunce Beware of such as shall aduertyse you somethyng to beare with the worlde as they do for a season There is no dallying with Gods matters it is a fearefull thynge as Saincte Paule sayeth to fall into the handes of GOD. Remember the Prophet Helias 3. Regū 18 Luk. 9. why halte ye on both sydes Remember what Christe sayeth he that putteth hys handes to the ploughe and looketh backe is not worthy of me And seing god hath hetherto allowed you as a good souldiour in the forewarde play not the coward Apo. 2. neyther draw backe to the rereward Saint Iohn numbreth amonge them that shall dwell in the fierye lake suche as be fearefull in gods cause Set before your eyes alwayes the examples of suche as haue behaued themselues boldelye in Gods cause as Steuen Peter Paul Daniell the three children the wydowes sonnes and in youre dayes Anne Askewe Laurence Saunders Iohn Bradford with many other faythfull witnesses of christ Phil. 1. Be not afrayd in nothing sayth S. Paule of the aduersaries of Christes doctrine the which is to thē the cause of perdition but to you of euerlasting saluation Christe commaundeth the same saying feare thē not Let vs not followe the example of hym whiche asked tyme fyrste to take leaue of hys frendes If we so doe we shall fynde fewe of them that wyll encourage vs to goe forwarde in our businesse
loueth me vnto the ende and wyll not lose me but wyll rayse me vnto lyfe at the last day psalm 27. The lord is my lyght and my defence of whom then should I be afrayde The lorde is the preseruer of my lyfe what can man then do vnto me I am one of the lordes elect who shal lay ought thē to my charge The lord hymselfe doth iustifye me Rom. 8. who shall then condempne me Sith Christ is myne and I am hys what shal make me carefull or who shal separate me from his swete loue which as Salomon saith in his sweete songes is mightier then the deathe No no let the Tyrannes come when they wyll I trust they shall fynd me ready and wyllyng to goe home to my heauenly father whether my good brethern be gone before me wyth ioy tryumphe and victorye ouer the bloodye Beast and her Babilonicall broode blessed be god therfore Your swete examples of Helias Daniel and the Israelites doe muche confirme my faith in Christ although I be farre inferiour to any of them But as you say full well god himself is my father doth loue me his prodigal sonne wyth an euerlastyng loue sure I am therfore he wil not see me lacke eyther for body or soule for he fedeth the birdes brute beastes yea and men that he much worse then they as you ful wel haue sayd And further my deare hart where as you say that your heauines and sorowe is when you call to remēbrance my crosse and double crosse c ah my good louing sister let not my crosses make your good tender harte heuie but rather be glad reioyce with me that God of hys great mercye will repute me worthye to beare them for his sake Sing psalmes with me of prayse thankesgeuing for God hath made me able to beare them paciently if they wer a thousande times so many moe as they bee as in deede my sinnes haue iustly deserued Wel is me the euer I was born that he woulde vouch me worthy to suffer at al hands or al sorts of men for hys sake or rather that it would please his goodnes to choose me poore caitiffe in whom him self would suffer For the enemies doe not punishe me for my sinnes as they might iustely doe but they do persecute swete Christe in me whose truth I do professe And now as concerning the most comfortable doctrine of our eternall election in him before the foundation of the world was laid I do protest before God man that if euery heare of my head were a mans lyfe I would willingly geue them all in the defence therof Full litle wotteth our free wil men what they do whē they go about so rashely to condēne that doctrine The Lord illuminate their mindes with the light of his holy spirit that they may once see the truth therof and leaue their kicking against the pricke In dede deare frend in the respect of thē and the peril which they be in you and I both haue good cause to mourne lament and be sory to pray for them day night that the Lord if it be his wil would conuert them And whether their blindnes be of simplicitye as I hope it is or of wilful obstinacie which thing is greatly to be feared yet haue I no cause to be angry with them for it is their own harme where as mine should haue bene the like if god had left me to my self as he myght most iustly haue done and for that I am as I am his name only haue the prayse and for hys sake I will alwayes seeke to do them good as much as lyeth in me And what soeuer they haue sayd or shall saye or do againste me I doe and will as hartely forgeue them al as I would be forgeuen of god my great sinnes trespasses For sure I am that what soeuer he be that hath any true tast or liuely felyng of the great mercye loue and kyndnesse of God towardes hym in Christe he can not beare hate or displeasure agaynste anye thynge but synne Sathā the only author therof Therfore in that they doe talke so muche of loue and let so little appeare in their dedes it doth euidently appeare how litle taste and liuelye feelyng of the free mercye of God in Christe they haue A weake fayth hath euer a colde charitie annexed vnto it which is quenched with euery vnkinde worde Yours vnfaynedly Iohn Careles To my deare Sister M. C. THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the cōtinuall ayde strength comfort of hys most pure holy and mightye spirite with the increase of faith and liuely feling of hys eternall mercyes be moste effectuouslye wrought in your hart my deare and faithfull Syster to the full accomplishing of that good worke which the Lorde hath so graciously begonne in you that it may be to the setting forth of his glory the comfort of hys poore afflicted church and to your owne eternall consolation in hym Amen I thanke God most hartely for you my deare hart in the Lord with all remēbrance of you in my prayers as of duty I am bound not douting but you do the same for me to my great ioy comfort in the middest of my crosses which daily do increase yea and that in such sort that if the faythful god by your hartye prayer and others gods deare children dyd not put to hys helpyng hand I should surely syncke downe vnder thē Ah good sister begge hard of our deare father for me that he would shortly tread Sathan vnder my feete and that I may play the man in the Lordes battel as you bydde me be ioyfull in my Christ what payne or peril soeuer I suffer And reioyce wyth me good sister in the Lord and let vs be mery in him not only to chere the good harts of al our faythfull frends but also to anger the cankered hart of Sathā that croked Serpent our ancient enemy For I know that there is nothyng that can greue his malicious mind more thē the myrth gladnes and hartye reioysyng of the childrē of God in their good Christ Ah my faythfull frend if your good hart be heuye who cā make mine light If you be sory who cā make me glad But if you be mery and reioyce in the Lord there shal no trouble make me sad or sorowful Be of good cheare therfore my good sister comfort my swete brother V. Oh that I mighte once heare that he and his bridegrome were in bedde both together and that he had taken a swete slepe in hys louers armes as Iohn dyd vpon hys lappe on the Maundie night Iohn 13 Commend me vnto him most hartelye and desyre hym for the Lords sake to fulfyl my ioye increase my crowne Bid hym be mindefull of me in hys harty prayers as I neyther wyll nor can forget hym in myne Full deare is he vnto my soule So are you my good sister the Lord he knoweth
the swete promises of god and so do you my deare harte for to you they do as well pertaine as they did to him and as surely shall they be performed vpon you as they were vpon him for he is one god and deare father vnto you both and for his mercy truth and promyse sake he must nedes make good vnto you all that he hath sayd If his loue towardes you stode in the respect of your owne meryte or worthines you myghte well mourne lament complayne yea you had good cause to doubt feare and mistrust But seyng he loueth you onely for and in Iesus Christ who is your whole holines righteousnes redmption lay away all mourning lamenting and complaining banishe from you all feare mistrust and infidelitie and know that as long as Christ dothe continue gods sonne so long must the loue of the father continue towardes you immutable and his good wil vnchangeable cannot be altered through any of your infirmities For this is most true that as long as the cause of any thing doth last so long must the effect remain but christ is the whole cause why the father loueth you and he also continueth for euer then must I nedes conclude that the loue of the father continueth towardes you for euer and as the Palmiste moste ioyfully so often syngeth hys mercy endureth for euer and euer Thys is most true myne owne dere hart although the Lorde for a tyme byde it from your senses that you myghte be the more earnest in prayer to hym for the feelyng of it also the more thankefull for it when he dothe geue the liuely tast of it as doutles he wil do or euer it be long and then shall you bee well hable to comforte other in the same state that you are now in with the same comfort wherwyth you are and further shall be comforted of god Heb. 12 Therfore lift vp your handes that are now a little fallen downe and stretch forth the weake knees of your troubled minde which now mourneth with a godly mourning and therfore shal it be full well comforted wyth that swete peace of GOD whiche passeth all vnderstandyng and you are sure alreadye to enioye the blessing that Christe gaue vnto the godly mourners of Sion vpon the mounte Eccle. 7 at the fyrst set mō that he made Oh happy V. in whose mourning company I had rather be then in the house of mirth banckettyng of such as see not what cause they haue to mourne and be sory But yet my good brother vse a measure in thys your godly mournyng and make not your faythful frends to much sory for you Let the persuasions of such godlye louers as you do daily company withal or rather the persuasions of the holye ghoste by them moue you to some godly myrth and reioycing Phil 4 Consider that you are commaunded of God by the mouthe of Sainte Paule therto Reioyce in the Lord saithe he and I say agayne reioyce Marke howe he doubleth the sentence that we may perceiue it is a most earnest and necessarye thing he requireth Obey the commaundement of God in this behalf wherin as you cannot but highly please him so I assure you you shall very much reioyce my poore harte and the hartes of other whych pray for you wyth mournyng teares and make that cruell enemye Sathan and all your aduersaries sory which will reioyce and laughe to see you mourne Oh my good brother let it manifestly appeare that the lorde of hys great mercye hathe hearde oure faythfull and hartye requestes for you Oh howe woulde that reioyce me in the myddes of my troubles Therfore now to conclude because the darkenes constrayneth me to make an ende for thys tyme I say my dere and faythful brother V. in respecte of the greate cause you haue of your owne parte through Christ and for the glory and honour of almighty GOD the comfort ioy and reioycyng of your deare bretherne and Sisters in Christe also your owne duety by the commaundement of GOD and last of all to vexe molest and greue Sathan wythal reioyce in the Lord and be most hartely glad in hym who is wholy yours and you are hys and shal be for euermor◠Selah Farewell mine owne bowels in the Lord and prayse GOD with ioyfull lippes and a merye harte and praye for me his most vnprofitable seruaunt which haue more cause concerning my self to lament then any one man liuing out my good bridegrome is presēt byddeth me cast away my mourning garmentes and therfore I must nedes be mery with him so he biddeth you to be by my mouthe for he is present with you although for sorrowe you cannot knowe hym as Magdalen could not in the garden vntil he spake vnto her The Lord God speake the wordes of comforte in your hart and open the eies of your mynd that you maye perfectly perceiue and fele his blessed presence and so reioice in the same for euermore Amen Cōfort your hart in Christ and cast your care vpon him for he careth for you Your brother in the Lorde abydyng his good pleasure Iohn Careles Vnto all the faythful flocke of Iesus Christ within the city of Londō which feare god vnfainedlye seke to serue hym in suche holynes righteousnes as is acceptable in hys syght Iohn Careles wysheth the eternall peace of God in Iesus Chryst the continuall ayde strengthe and comforte of hys moste holye spirit wych the encrease of faythe and liuely feling of his mercy now euermore Amē WHen I had with my selfe well waied and considered right worshipfull citizens the greate charge and burden that you haue borne and ben at not only wyth me which am most vnworthye of your liberall benefites but also wyth many other the poore afflicted people of God euer since the tyme that Tyranny last broke lose into this miserable land c I was euen ashamed and in conscience confounded to thinke of my great slouthe and negligence yea ingratitude and vnthankfulnes towardes you in not sowing some of these spirituall gyftes whiche God hath geuen me emongest you of whome I haue reaped so manifoldly your temporall benefites God for hys dere sonnes sake forgeue me my great synne that in this pointe I haue commiited against both him and you desiring you also to do the same and I will promyse you by gods grace if he spare me lyfe I will henceforthe better performe my duety towardes you my poore prayer alwais supplieng that whych otherwyse I am not hable to performe And in testimony therof I haue here writen vnto you this simple admonition the which I wene wil be my leaue taking of you and last farewel in this corruptible life as by many likelyhodes it dothe appeare wherefore I besech you all to accept it in good parte as a sygne and token of some parcell of my good will towardes you But what shal I write vnto you or wherof shall I entreate that you alredy do
strengthe and comforte by your faythfull praiers and most godly and comfortable letters that I am put in great hope yea in ful assurance of a glorious victory Blessed be the tyme that euer I knew you for God I perceiue hathe made you an instrument in the steede of good Maister Bradforde to supple my soule with the oyle of hys mercy by powring into the same his most gratious promises god for Christes sake mollify my hard harte geue me grace to beleue them Oh Lord encrease my faith I beleue lord oh helpe my vnbeliefe that I may tast and feele the certaintie of my saluation and be throughly persuaded assured that thy grace good Lord is sufficient for me Oh pray praye dere hart pray for me and as you can comfort me with moe such swete letters that I may somtimes fele a flashe of gods fauourable coūtenaunce in my face as doutles I did at the reading of your last most cōfortable letter God verify your saieng or rather his saieng by you vpon me for euer the same Lord wil I continually besech to make you alwais plentifully to feele the fruition of his most gratious fauour that you may alwaies plentifully poure forth vpon me and all others that haue nede the consolacions of Iesus christ Oh that the tyme were now come that I myght put of this trayle tabernacle of the fleshe in this heauenly securitie and quietnes of conscience in Iesus Christ God make you dere brother and all other hys deare seruauntes to feele the like in your most nede Truly deare hart I haue vij most godly and comfortable letters of that blessed of the lord good maister Bradforde which he wrote only for my comfort When I signified my wofull state vnto hym This state to the worldly and such as haue not tasted of gods swete crosse semeth folishnes but it is not straunge to gods chyldren and thoughe he haue therein plentifully published the promises of gods mercye vnto me and sealed the same wyth hys blood yet had Sathan blynded mine eyes put the same for the of my weake and frayle memory vntil your most happy letter came yea in a most happy hower may I say But of this enough vntil an other tyme. I am here cōstrained to breake of frō this thyng which I haue scribled in hast as this bearer can testify Farewel in Christ farewel I say mine owne deare harte in the lord The Lorde our god blesse you and encrease hys good giftes in you to the setting forthe of hys glory and to your continall comfort in hym Amen Your daily Oratour and poore brother Iohn Careles Pray pray An other letter written to the same person BLessed be god the father of all mercy for the greate comfort and christian consolation which he hath so mercifully ministred vnto my poore afflicted hart by your meanes my most dere faithfull brother Truely me thynketh your wordes or rather gods wordes by you vttered haue a wōderful power efficacy working in my harte at the hearing or readyng of them Reioyce therfore my deare brother be thankeful vnto god for verely he both is wil be mightely magnified in you and that diuers and many ways both to the strengthenyng of thē that stand in his truth and also to the raisyng vp of such as are fallē from the same God make me thankefull for you and on your behalfe for verily great is the goodnes of god towardes me in geuyng me acquaintaunce in faithful loue and amitye wyth you gods name for euer be praysed therfore and he performe all hys mercyfull promises vpon you as I doubt not but he will for his sake in whome you trust I thāke my god most hartely also you my good brother for that you are so careful for me in your faithful praiers remēbring my iust deserued sorrowes as though they were your own labouring so much to solace the same Ah my gracious good god what am I for whō thou thy dere childrē should be so careful Oh swete lorde forgeue me my great ingratitude and sinne graunt that I neuer abuse thy great benefites Oh let the loue of thyne elect whiche loue me for thy sake be a sure signe token yea a most firme testimonye a seale to my sinful cōsciēce of thine euerlasting loue and mercy towardes me in Christ as verely it would and oughte to be if mine infidelity did not let it Oh circūcise therefore the foreskinne of my harte that I may with liuely faith behold thy great loue towardes me in al thyne elect that I may alwayes be thankfull for the same and loue thee and them agayne most hartely and vnfainedly Ah my deare hart how swetely and how truly yea howe godlye and howe comfortablye haue you rehersed the swete saying of Salomon concerning prosperitie with true and godly frendes I wil ioyne with it the sentence which goeth a little before for doubtles it maye bee well verified on you A sure frende saith the wyse man will be vnto thee euen as thine owne soule and deale faythfullye wyth thy householde folke If thou suffer trouble and aduersitie he is wyth thee and hydeth not hys face frō thee A faithfull frend is a strōg defēce who so fyndeth such a one fyndeth a treasure A faythfull frend hath no peere the wayght of golde is not to be cōpared to the goodnes of hys faith A faythfull frende is a medicine of lyfe and they that feare the lord shal finde him c. Lo my dere hart in the lord here is a liuely image or description of you for verely such a one haue I alwais found you vnto me not only sorrowyng for my great sorrow but also oftētimes making me mery ioyfull with such ioyes as the worlde cannot feele Now let the worlde bragge of hys fained frendeshippe but I will boast of thys true frendship in god and esteme it a more treasure then all trāsitory things And as for my mourning dere brother god hath made you to turne it vnto mirth for god hath put you in the stede of thē to be my cōfort whom he hathe in his great mercy takē away I trust henceforth to leaue the mourning for my great losse and to praise god for gayning vnto hymselfe so great glorye by his chosen children God make me a true mourner of Sion Such mourners shoulde we be continually with this other gods deare children and blessed be they that so mourne Math. 5. both for myne owne sinne and wyckednes and also to see his honour defaced that I maye bee made meete and apt to heare the ioyfull comfortable message that your beautiful feete shal bring me God blesse thee my deare hart and faithful louing brother and encrease his good gifts of grace in thee as he hath most happely begon that you may daily more effectually fele liuely perceiue the certaintie of gods grace wherin you stand and firmly to testify the same to
PRO REGE MEO PROSPERIS ET ADVERSIS William Hopkinson Certain most godly fruitful and comfortable letters of such true Saintes and holy Martyrs of God as in the late bloodye persecution here within this Realme gaue their lyues for the defence of Christes holy gospel written in the tyme of theyr affliction and cruell imprysonment Though they suffer payne amonge men yet is their hopefull of immortalitie Sap. 3. Jmprinted at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate beneath Saint Martines 1564. Cum gratia priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis For thy sake are we put to death euery day Psal 44. And are coūted as shepe appoynted to be slayne Roma 8. How long O Lorde Psalm 13. Behold I come shortlye Apoc. 22. Oh come Lorde Iesu Apoc. 22. He will come and nottary Abac. 2. Myles Couerdale vnto the Christian Reader moste hartelye wysheth the continuall encrease of heauenlye taste and spirituall swetnesse in the same assured saluation which commeth onely through Iesus Christ THe more nigh that mens wordes workes approch vnto the most wholesome sayinges fruitful doings of the old auncient Saincts chosē childrē of god which loued not only to heare his word but also to liue therafter the more worthy are they to be estemed embraced followed And therfore as we heare read of many godly both mē wemen whose cōuersatiō in old time was beautifyed with syngular giftes of the holy ghost according as the Apostle describeth thē in the .xi. chap. to the Hebrues so haue we iust cause to reioyce that we haue bene familiar acquainted with some of those which walked in the trade of their fotesteppes For the which cause it doth vs good to read and heare not the lying legendes of fayned false counterfayted and popish canonized saincts neither the triflyng toyes forged fables of corrupted writers but such true holy approued histories monuments orations epistles letters as do set forth vnto vs the blessed behauiour of gods deare seruaūtes It doth vs good I say by such comfortable remēbraunce conceaued by their notable writinges to be conuersaunt with them at the least in spirite S. Hierome writing to one Nitia and hauyng occasion to speake of letters or epystles maketh mention of a certayne Authour named Turpilius whose woordes sayeth he are these a letter or epistle is the thyng alone that maketh men present which are absent For among those that are absent what is so presente as to heare and talke with those whom thou louest Also that noble Clarke Erasmus Roterodame cōmendyng the booke of the Epistles or letters which S. Augustine dyd write sayeth thus by some of Augustines bokes we may perceaue what maner of man he was being an infant in Christ By other some we may knowe what maner a one he was being a young man and what he was being an olde man But by thys onely booke meaning the booke of the Epistles or letters thou shalt knowe whole Augustyne altogether And why doth S. Hierome or Erasmus saye thus No doubt euen because that in such writynges as in a cleare glasse we maye see and beholde not onely what plentifull furniture and store of heauenly grace wisedome knowledge vnderstanding fayth loue hope zeale pacience mekenes obedience with the worthy fruites thereof almighty god had bestowed vpon the same his most deare children but also what a fatherlye care he euer hadde vnto them how his mightye hand defended them howe hys prouidence kept watch and warde ouer them howe hys louyng eye loked vnto them howe hys gracious eare heard their prayers how he was alwaye myndfull of them neuer forgat them neither fayled them nor forsoke them how the armes of his mercye were streytched oute to embrace them when soeuer they faythfullye tourned vnto hym howe valiaunte also and stronge in spirite howe ioyfull vnder the crosse howe quyet and cheerefull in trouble he made them what victorye of their enemyes what deliueraunce oute of bondes and captiuitie what health from sicknes what recouerye from plagues what plentye from scarcenesse to bee shorte what helpe at all nede and necessity he gaue and bestowed vpon them By such lyke mounmentes also and writynges it is manifest and playne how the same deare children of God in their time behaued themselues aswel towards hym as also towardes their frendes and foes yea what the verye thoughts of their hartes were when they prayed as their maner was incessantlye to doe when they confessed their sinnes complained vnto god when they gaue thankes when they were persecuted and troubled when they were by the hand of god visited when they felte not onelye the horrour of death the griefe of synne the burthen of gods displeasure by reason of the same but also the swete tast of hys great mercy eternal comfort through Iesus Christ in theyr conscience Of the which thinges lyke as we may euidently perceiue rich and plentiful experience in the heauēly treasurie of that most excellēt boke which we cōmonly cal Dauids Psalter so hath not god nowe in our days left hymselfe without witnesses yea no more then he dyd in other ages before vs but of his aboundante goodnes euen when the late persecutiō was most cruel and the enemies rage most extreme he hath raised vp such zelous men women as by the wonderful operation of hys holy spirit of weake were made so valeant strong in him aswel against all idolatry superstitiō false doctrine and corrupted religion as against their own old blemishes sinnes that they haue turned to flight and cōfounded the whole rable of suche malicious papists as were the persecutors and murtherers of them Wherby they that list not stil to be blind may plainlye behold and see not onely the terrible iudgementes of God ouer against the wicked but also his wonderful doinges mixt wit mercy in and towardes hys chosen vnto whom as vnto them that loue him he causeth al things to worke for the best So that with him by the heauēly light of stedfast faith they see lyfe euen in death with him euen in heauines sorrow they faile not of ioy comfort wyth hym euen in pouerty affliction and trouble they neither perish nor are forsaken How els could they be so patiēt so quiet of minde so cherefull and merye in aduersitie and straite captiuitie some beyng throwne into dungeons vgsome holes darke lothesome and stinking corners other some lying in fetters and chaynes and loaded wyth so many irons that they could scarcely styrre some tied in the stocks wyth their heeles vpwarde some hauyng their legges in the stockes their neckes chayned to the walle wyth gorgets of iron some both handes and legges in the stockes at once sometimes both hands in and both legges out sometimes the right hand with the left leg or the left hand with the right legge fastened in the stockes wyth manicles and fetters hauyng neither stoole nor stone to sitte on to ease their wofull bodies withall
These engines are called Skeuingtons giues the forme maner wherof you shall see in the boke of Martyrs Fol. 1651. some standing in most painful engines of iron with their bodies doubled some whypped scourged beateÌ„ with roddes buffeted with fistes some hauing their handes burned with a caÌ„del to trie their patience or force theÌ„ to relente some hunger pyned most miserably famished Al these torments many moe eueÌ„ such as cruel Phalaris could not deuise worse If these vnmerciful monsters had the reward of their tiranny that Phalarts had yet shuld they not haue so muche as they haue iustly deserued wer practised by the papists the stout sturdy souldiours of Satan thus delityng in variety of tiranny and torments vpon the Saints of god as it is ful wel too well knowen as many can testify which are yet aliue and haue felte some smart therof Yea furthermore so extremely were these deare seruantes of god delt withal that although they were moste desirous by their pen and writing to edify their brethren other poore lambes of Christ one to comfort an other in him yet were they so narowly watched and straitly kepte from al necessary helpes as paper inke bokes such lyke that great maruail it is how they could be able to write any one of these or other so excellent worthy letters For so hardly were they vsed as I said afore for the most part that they could not end their letters begon Notwithstandyng al this cruel dealyng they wrote verye manye worthy and fruitfull letters moe wherof sundry are mentioned in this boke which shall God willing be published hereafter if they in whose handes they remaine wil bring them to light sometime for lacke of ease being so fettered with chaines otherwise handled as you haue heard sometime for lacke of light when they could neither see to write wel nor to reade their letters again somtyme through the hasty coÌ„ming in of the kepers or officers who left no corner nor bedstraw vnsearched yea somtime they were put to so hard shiftes that lyke as for lacke of pennes they were fayne to write with the lead of the windowes so for want of inke they toke their own blood as yet it remaineth to be sene and yet somtime they were faine to teare rent what they had writteÌ„ at the hasty coÌ„ming in of the officers Thus thus vnkindly thus churlishly thus cruelly vnnaturally were eueÌ„ they entreated handled whose most notable godly writings are here set forth in thys booke For the which such other monumeÌ„ts great cause haue we to praise god which he himself hath preserued broughte to light no dout by his siÌ„guler great prouideÌ„ce that herby we beiÌ„g taught to haue his mighty mercy merciful working the more in reuereÌ„t thaÌ„kful regard might not onely consider what heaueÌ„ly streÌ„gth rich possessioÌ„ of coÌ„stant faythe of ardent zeale of quiet patience of peace ioy in the holy ghost he vseth to arme theÌ„ that can find in their harts to abhor al vngodlines both of doctrine life but also to ioine with theÌ„ our selues in such sort that loking to Iesus our captain abiding the crosse despising the shame as they did for the ioy that was set before theÌ„ may with much quietnes of a good conscieÌ„ce end this our short course to his glory to the edifyeng of his church to the coÌ„fusion of Satan to the hinderaunce of al false doctrine to our own eternal coÌ„fort in the same our lord alone Sauiour Iesus Christ To whoÌ„ wyth the father and the holy ghost be all honour al glory al thankes and all praise world without ende Amen Faultes escaped in the pryntyng Leafe Line Faultes Corrected 3 22 I do I do know 19 1 Ridley Cranmer 19 30 Resilcat Rescilcat 20 34 proucratorum procuratorum 26 3 tanta constantia tantaque constantia 26 8 Annunciaueriâ—t Annunciauerunt 26 22 pufillum pusillum 26 34 Religioni Religionis 32 15 Sat egistis Sategistis 32 25 qÌ„ pij erant qui pij crant 33 23 equae aeque 44 14 omium omnium 44 36 Cromerum Cromeum 44 21 per manebit permanebit 45 6 veritati veritatis 49 16 felowes coÌ„captiues fellowes concaptiues 51 33 Gloria Christ Gloria Christi 53 5 before Ea. before Easter 56 11 Commedo Commendo 70 1 haue haue done 72 2 Consilij Concilij 78 4 in the se in the second 90 21 loeuers louers 92 37 after the Christes after Christes 96 30 truth it is truth is 192 7 pupose purpose 214 20 worlynges worldlinges 223 1 Saunders Philpot 249 28 Godtto God to 251 30 me from from me 297 15 thy vengeaunce gods vengeance 363 37 god gods 394 10 fayre farre 394 12 woulh would 427 9 loseth lasteth 429 9 inage Image 476 5 myne owne for myne owne 591 38 wholes holes 567 1 R. Smith I. Careles Certayne godly and fruitfull letters of D. Cranmer late Archbishop of Canterbury who first being imprisoned in the Tower of London and afterward in Oxford was there cruelly burnt for the true testimony of Christes gospel in the yeare of our Lorde 1556. the 16. daye of Februarye Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Caunterbury to Quene Mary MOst lamentably mourning moning himself vnto your highnes Thomas CraÌ„mer although vnworthy either to write or speake vnto your highnes yet hauing no persoÌ„ that I know to be mediatour for me and knowing your pitifull eares ready to heare al pitiful complaintes and seing so many before to haue felte your aboundaunt clemency in like case He desired to be released of his offence for consentyng vnto kyng Edwardes wyll and so he was but after was accused of heresy which he best liked for then he knewe hys cause was christes am now constrained most lamentably and with most penitent and sorowfull heart to aske mercy and pardon for my haynous folly and offence in consenting and folowyng the TestameÌ„t and last will of our late soueraigne Lord king Edward the syxt your graces brother which will god knoweth God he knoweth I neuer liked nor neuer any thing greued me so much that your graces brother did and if by any meanes it had bene in me to haue letted the makyng of that will I would haue done it and what I said therin as well to his counsell as to himselfe diuers of your Maiesties counsell can report but none so wel as the Marques of NorthhaÌ„pton and the Lord Darcy then Lord Chamberlayne to the kynges Maiesty which two were present at the communication betwene the Kynges Maiestye and me I desired to talke with the kings maiesty alone but I could not be suffered and so I fayled of my purpose for yf I might haue commoned with the king alone at good leasure my trust was that I shuld haue altered hym from that purpose but they being present my labour was in vayne Then when I could not disswade him from
other men but he that knoweth howe preiudiciall and iniurious the power and autoritye which he chalengeth euery where is to the crown lawes and customes of thys realm and yet wil allow the same I cannot se in any wyse how he can kepe hys due allegeaunce fydelity and truth to the crowne and state of this realme An other cause I alleged The thyrde cause why he could not allow the Pope why I could not allow the autoritye of the pope whyche is thys That by hys authoritye he subuerteth not only the lawe 〈…〉 realme but also the lawes of God The popes religion is agaynst Christs religion so that whosoeuer be vnder hys authority he suffereth them not to be vnder Christes religion purely as Christ did commaunde And for one example I brought forth that wheras by Gods lawes al christiaÌ„ people be boundeÌ„ diligently to learne hys word that they may know how to beleue and liue accordingly for that purpose he ordayned holy daies when they ought leauyng apart all other busines Why latin seruice oughte not to be restored in Englande to geue themselues wholy to knowe serue God Therfore Gods wyll and commaundement is that when the people be gathered together the ministers shuld vse such language as the people maye vnderstand and take profite therby or els hold theyr peace For as an harpe or lute if it geue no certaine sound that men may know what is striken who can daunce after it for all the sounde is in vayne so is it vayne and profiteth nothyng sayeth almighty god by the mouth of S. Paule if the priest speake to the people in a language which they knowe not for els he may profite hymselfe but profiteth not the people sayeth S. Paule But herein I was answered thus that S. Paul spake only of preachyng that the preacher should speake in a tongue which the people did know or els hys preachyng auayleth nothing But yf the preachyng auayleth nothing being spoken in a language which the people vnderstande not how should any other seruice auayle them beyng spoken in the same language And that yet S. Paule ment not only of preachyng it appeareth plainly by his own words for he speaketh by name expressely of praying singyng laudyng and thankyng of God and of al other thynges which the Priestes say in the churches wherunto the people saye Amen which they vsed not in preaching but in other diuine seruice that whether the Priestes rehearse the wonderfull workes of god or the great benefites of god vnto mankind aboue all other creatures or geue thaÌ„ks vnto god or make open profession of theyr faith or humble confession of theyr synnes wyth earnest requeste of mercy and forgeuenes or make sute or request vnto god for any thyng then al the people vnderstandyng what the Priestes say myght ioyne theyr myndes and voyces wyth them and say Amen that is to saye allowe what the Priestes saye that the rehersall of Gods vniuersall workes and benefites the geuyng of thankes the profession of faith the confession of synnes and the requestes and petitions of the Priestes and the people might ascend vp into the eares of god altogether and be as a swete sauour odour and incense in hys nose thus was it vsed many hundred yerrs after Christes ascension But the aforesayde thynges cannot be done when the priestes speake to the people in a language not knowen and so they or theyr clarke in theyr name say Amen but they cannot tell wherunto where as saint Paule saith how can the people say Amen to thy well saying when they vnderstand not what thou saiest And thus was S. Paule vnderstanded of all interpretours both the Grekes and Latines olde and new scholeautors and others that I haue redde vntyll about xxx yeres past at which time one Eckius with other of hys sort began to deuyse a new expositioÌ„ vnderstanding S. Paule of preachyng only But when a good number of the best learned men reputed wythin thys realme some fauouryng the old some the new learnyng as they terme it where in dede that which they call the old is the newe and that which they call the new is in dede the old but when a great number of such learned men of both sortes were gathered together at wynsor for the reformatioÌ„ of the seruice of the Churche It was agreed by bothe wythout controuersie not one sayeng contrary that the Seruyce of the Church ought to be in the mother tongue and that Sainct Paule in the .14 chapter to the Corynthians was so to bee vnderstanded And so is sainct Paule to be vnderstanded in the ciuil law more then a thousand yeres past where Instinianus amoste godly Emperour in a synode writeth on thys maner Iubemus vt omnes episcopi pariter praesbyterî non tacito modo sed clara voce quae a fideli populo exaudiaÌ„tur sacram oblationem preces in sacro baptismate adhibitas celebreÌ„t quo maiori exinde deuotione in depromendis Domini Dei laudibus audientium animi efferantur Ita enim Diuus Paulus docet in epistola ad Corinth Si solummodo benedicat spiritus quomodo is qui priuati locum tenet dicet ad gratiarum actionem tuam Amen quandoquidem quid dicas non videt Tu quidem pulchre gratias agis alter autem non aedificatur That is to say we commaund that all byshops and Priests celebrate the holy oblation and praiers vsed in holy baptisme not after a stil close maner but wyth a cleare loud voyce that they may be plainly heard of the faithful people so as the hearers mindes may be lifted vp therby with the greater deuotion in vtteryng the prayses of the Lord God For so Paule teacheth also in the epistle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14. Yf the spirit doe onely blesse or say wel howe shall he that occupieth the place of a priuate person say Amen to thy thankes geuyng for he perceiueth not what thou saiest Thou doest geue thaÌ„kes wel but the other is not edified And not onely the ciuile lawe al other writers a thousand fyue hundreth yeres continually together haue expouÌ„ded S. Paule not of preaching onely but of other Seruice saide in the churche but reason also geueth the same that if men bee commaunded to heare any thyng it must be spoken in a language whiche the hearers vnderstand or els as S. Paule sayth what auayleth it to beare So that the Pope geuyng a contrary commaundement The Pope coÌ„mauÌ„deth â—oth against God natural reasoÌ„ The sacrameÌ„t oughte to be receaued in both kinds of all christians that the people comming to the churche shall heare they wot not what and answer they know not wherto taketh vpon him to commaund not only against reason but also directly against god And againe I said wheras our sauiour Christ ordained the Sacrament of his most precious body and bloud to be receaued of all christian people vnder the formes both of
remembrance and wish you and all the rest of our foresayde companions well in Christ It should do vs much comfort if we might haue knowledge of the state of the rest of our most dearely beloued which in this troublesome time doe stande in Christes cause and in the defence of the truth therof We are in good health thankes be to God yet the manner of our entreting doth chaung as soure ale doth in sōmer It is reported to vs of our kepers that the vniuersity beareth vs heauely A cole chaunced to fal in the night out of the chimney burnt a hole in the floore no more harme was done the balifes seruants sitting by the fyer An other night there chaunced a drunken fellow to multiply wordes and for the same he was set in Bocardo Vpon these thinges as is reported there is risē a rumor in the towne countrey about that we would haue brokē the prisō with such violēce as if the balifes had not plaid the prety men we should haue made a scape We had out of our prisō a wal that we might haue walked vpon and our seruants had liberty to go abroad in the towne or fieldes but now both they and we are restrayned of both The bishop of Worceter passed by vs through Oxford but he did not visit vs. The same day beganne our restraint to be more and the boke of the communion was taken from vs by the balifes at the Mayors commaundemēt No man is licenced to come vnto vs afore they might that woulde see vs vpon the wal but that is so grudgod at and so euel reported that we are now restrayned c. Sir blessed be God with all oure euell reportes grudginges and restrayntes we are mery in God and all our eare is and shal be by gods grace to please serue him of whome we loke and hope after this temporall and momentany miseries to haue eternall ioy and perpetuall felicity with Abraham Isaac and Iacob Peter and Paule and al the blessed company of the aungels in heauen through Iesus Christ our lord As yet there was neuer lerned man or any scholer or other that visited vs since we came into Bocardo Bocardo is a stinking and filthy prison for drunkards whores and harlottes and the vilest sort of people which now in Oxford may be called a colledge of quondās for as you know we be no fewer here thē thre and I dare say euery one well contented with his portion whiche I doe recken to be our heauenly fathers gracious fatherly good gift Thus fare you wel We shal with gods grace one day mete together be mery the daye assuredly approcheth apace the lord graūt that it may shortly come for before that day come I feare me the world wyl waxe worse worse but thē al our enemies shal be ouerthrown troden vnder foote righteousnes truth then shall haue the victory and beare the bell away wherof the lord graunte vs to be partners all that sincerely loue the truth We al pray you as you can to cause al our commēdations to be made to all such as you know did visit vs you when we were in the tower with theyr frendly remēbrances benefites Mistres Wilkinson mistres Warcup haue not forgottē vs but euen since we came into Bocardo with theyr charitable frēdly beneuolence haue cōforted vs Not that els we lacke for god be blessed which euer hetherto hath prouided sufficiently for vs but it is a great cōfort an occasion for vs to blesse god when we se that he maketh them so frendly to tender vs whom some of vs were neuer familierly acquaynted withall Yours in Christ N. R. To maister Bradford DEarely beloued I wysh you grace mercy peace According to your mind I haue run ouer all your papers and what I haue done which is but smal therin may appeare Sir what shall beste be done with these thinges This was a treatise of the communiō with other thinges which M. Bradforde sent to hym to peruse to geue his iudgement therof now you must consider for if they come in sight at this time vndoubtedly they must to the fier with theyr father and as for any safegarde that your custody can be vnto them I am sure you loke not for it for as you haue bene partner of the worke so I am sure you loke for none other but to haue and receaue like wages and to drinke of the same cuppe Blessed be god that hath geuen you libertye in the meane ceason that you may vse your pen to his glory to the comfort as I heare say of manye I blesse god dayly in you and all your whole companye to whome I beseche you to commend me hartly Now I loue my countreyman in deede and in truth I meane D. Taylor not now for my earthly countreis sake but for oure heauenly fathers sake whome I heard say he did so stoutly in time of perill confesse and yet also now for our countreis sake and for all our mothers sake but I meane of the kingdome of heauen and of heauenly hierusalem and bicause of the sprite which bringeth in hym in you and in your cōpany such blessed fruites of boldnes in the lords cause of pacience and constācy The Lord which hath begon this worke in you al performe and perfite this his own dede vntill his own day come Amen As yet I perceiue you haue not beene baited the cause therof God knoweth which wil let them do no more to his then is his pleased will and good pleasure to suffer them to do for his own glory and to the profit of them which be trulye his for the father whiche dothe guide thē that be christs to Christe is more mighty than all they and no man is able to pulle thē out of the fathers hands except I say it please our father it please our maister Christe to suffer them they shal not be able to sturre one heare of your heades My brother P. the bearer hereof would that we shoulde say what we thynke good concerninge your mynde that is not for to aunswere excepte ye myghte haue somewhat indifferent iudges We are as ye know separated one of vs can not in any thing consult with an other and muche straite watching of the baylifes is about vs that there be no priuy conference amongest vs. And yet as we heare the scholers beare vs more heauelye then the townsemen A wonderful thing among so many neuer yet scholer offred to any of vs so farre as I know any manner of fauor either for or in Christes cause Now as concerning your demaunde of our counsell for my part I do not mislike that which I perceiue ye are minded to do for I loke for none other but if ye aunswere before the same commissioners that we did ye shal be serued handled as we were though ye were as wel lerned as euer was either Peter
therof wyll be so pitifull withoute spedye repentaunce that I tremble and feare to haue it in remembraunce I woulde to God it lay vpon some earthly burden so that fredome of conscience mighte begenen vnto them I write as god knoweth not of presumption but onlye lamentinge they re state whome I thought nowe in thys daungerous time should haue geuen bothe you and me comfortable instructions But alas in stede therof we haue perswasions to follow I lament me to rehearse it superstitions idolatrye yea that worste of all is they will seeke to proue it by the scripture The Lord for his mercy turne theyr hartes Amen Yours N. R. A letter which he wrote as his last farewell to al his true and faythefull frendes in God a little before he suffred with a sharpe admoniton by by the way to the papists the enemies of the truth AT the name of Iesus let euery kne bow both of thyngs in heauen and things in earth and thinges vnder the earth and let euerye tonge confesse that Iesus Christ is the lord vnto the glory of God the father Amen As a man minding to take a farre iourney and to depart from his familiar frendes commenly and naturally hath a desire to byd his frendes farewell before hys departure so likewise now I loking dayly when I shoulde be called for to departe hence from you O al ye my dearely beloued brethren and sisters in oure Sauioure Christe that dwel here in this world hauing a like mind towardes you all also blessed be God of this such time leasure whereof I right hartely thank his heauenly goodnes do byd you all my deare brethren and sisters I say in Christ that dwel vp on the earth after such manner as I can Farewell Farewel my deare Brother George Shypside whome I haue euer found faythfull trusty and louinge in all state and condicions and now in the time of my crosse ouer all other to me most frendly and steadfast that which liked me best ouer all other thinges in Gods cause euer harty Farewell my deare sister Alice his wyfe I am gladde to beare of thee that thou doest take Christes crosse whiche is layed now blessed be God both on thy backe and mine in good parte Thanke thou GOD that hathe geuen thee a godly and a louing husband se thou honor him and obey hym according to Gods lawe Honour thy mother in lawe his mother and loue al those that perteyne vnto hym being ready to do them good as it shall lye in thy power As for thy chyldren I doubte not of thy husbande but that he whyche hathe geuen hym a hearte to loue and feare God and in God them that pertayne vnto hym shall also make hym frendely and benefyciall vnto thy children euen as yf they had bene gotten of hys owne body Farewell my welbeloued brother Iohn Rydley of the Waltowne and you my gentle and louyng Syster Elizabeth whome besydes the naturall league of amitye your tender loue whiche you were sayde euer to beare towardes me aboue the reste of youre brethren dothe bynde me to loue My mynde was to haue acknowledged this youre louyng affection and to haue acquyted it wyth dedes and not wyth woordes alone Youre daughter Elizabeth I byd farewell whom I loue for the meeke and gentle Spiryte that God hath geuen her which is a precious thyng in the syght of God Farewell my beloued Syster of Vnthancke wyth all youre chyldren my nephewes and nices Synce the departure of my Brother Hughe my mynde was to haue beene vnto them in the steade of theyr father but the Lorde god must and will be theyr father if they wil loue hym and feare him and lyue in the trade of hys law Farewell my welbeloued and worshipfull Cosyns maister Nicholas Ridley of Wyllimountswick and your wife and I thanke you for all youre kyndnesse shewed bothe to me and also to all youre owne kynsefolke and myne Good Cosyn as GOD hath sette you in that oure stocke and kyndred not for anye respecte of youre personne but of hys aboundaunte grace and goodnesse to bee as it were the Belweather to order and conducte the reaste and hathe also endued you wyth his manyfold gyftes of grace bothe heauenlye and worldlye aboue others so I praye you good Cosin as my truste and hope is in you continue and increase in the mayntenaunce of truthe honestye rightuousnesse and all true godlynesse and to the vttermost of your power to wythstande falsehode vntruthe vnryghteousnesse and all vngodlynesse whych is forbid and condempned by the word and lawes of God Farewel my yong Cosin Rafe Whitfield Oh your tyme was verye shorte wyth me my mynde was to haue done you good and yet you caughte in that little tyme a losse but I truste it shall bee recompenced as it shall please almighty god Farewell al my whole kyndred and countreymen farewell in Christ altogether The Lorde which is the searcher of secrets knoweth that accordyng to my hartes desire my hope was of late that I should haue come among you and to haue brought wyth me aboundaunce of Christes blessed Gospell accordyng to the duetye of that office and ministerye wherevnto among you I was chosen named and appoincted by the mouth of that our late piereles Prince king Edwarde and so also denounced openly in hys court by his priuye counsayle I warne you all my welbeloued kynsfolke and countreymen that ye be not amased or astonied at the kynde of my departure or dissolution for I ensure you I thynke it the most honour that euer I was called vnto in all my life and therfore I thanke my Lorde GOD hartely for it that it hath pleased hym to cal me of hys great mercye vnto this hyghe honour to suffer deathe wyllynglye for hys sake and in hys cause vnto the which honour he called the holy Prophets hys dearly beloued Apostels and hys blessed chosē martyrs For knowe ye that I doubte no more but that the causes wherefore I am put to deathe are gods causes and the causes of the truthe then I doubte that the Gospell whyche Iohn wrote is the Gospell of Christe or that Paules Epystles are the verye worde of GOD. And to haue a harte wyllyng to abyde and stande in gods cause in Christs quarell euen vnto death I ensure thee O man it is an inestimable and an honourable gyft of GOD geuen onely to the true electes and dearely beloued children of GOD and inheritoures of the kyngdome of heauen For the holye Apostle and also Martyr in Christes cause Sayncte Peter sayeth ◠Pet. 4 yf ye suffer rebuke in the name of Chryste that is in Christes cause and for hys truthes sake then are ye happye and blessed for the glorye of the Spirite of God resteth vppon you If for rebukes sake suffered in Chrystes name a man is pronounced by the mouthe of that holye Apostle blessed and happye howe muche more happye and blessed is he that hathe
place for me to bryng in franlkely all that I could for the confyrmation of mine answers Now when he had promised all these thynges openly in the hearyng of other Commissioners and of the whole vniuersity of Oxforde yet good reader marke thys that in very deede he perfourmed nothyng of all that he promysed what faythe then shall a man looke to fynde at such iudges handes in the secrete mysteries of God which in theyrs promises so openly made and so duely det I will not speake of the witnesses of the matter are found to be so faithlesse both to God and man well I will leaue it to the iudgemente of the wyse And now for that is leste for vs to do let vs pray that God would haue mercy on his churche of Englande that yet once when it shall be hys good pleasure it may clearely see and gredely embrace in the face of Iesus Christ the wyl of the heauenly father and that of hys infinite mercye he would eyther turne to hym the ragyng and rauening wolues and most subtyll seducers of his people whiche are by them altogether spoyled and bewitched eyther that of hys most rightuous iudgement he would dryue these faythlesse feeders from hys flocke that they may no more bee able to trouble and scatter abroad Christes shepe from their shepeherd and that spedely Amen Amen And let euery one that hath the spirite as S. Iohn sayeth say Amen Yet further know thou that when Maister Prolocutour did put forth three propositions he dyd commaund vs to answer particularly to them all After our answers neyther he nor hys fellowes did euer enter into any disputation of any one of thē sauyng only of the fyrst Yea when that he had asked vs after disputations of the fyrst as ye haue heard for my part whether we would subscribe to the whole in such sort forme and words as there are set forth withoute further disputation whych thynge we denied by and by he gaue sentēce against vs all that is against me Doctour Cranmer Doctour Latimer my most dere fathers brethrē in christ cōdemning vs for hainous heretikes cōcerning euery of these propositiōs and so separated vs one from another sending vs seuerally into sundry and diuerse houses to be kept moste secretlye to the day of our burning and as before so still commaunded that all and euerye one of our seruauntes shoulde be kepte from vs wherto he added that at his departure thence pen inke and paper should depart from vs also He meaneth here that godlye and fruitefull report of his disputation in Oxford whiche he penned with his own hand But thanks be to God that gaue me to write thys before the vse of suche thinges were vtterly taken awaye Almyghty God whyche beholdeth the causes of the afflicted is wonted to lose loke mercifully on the bonds gronings of the captiues he vouch safe now to looke vpō the causes of hys pore church in Englād of his great wisdome vnspeakable mercy wyth speede to make an end of our misery Amen Amen Amen ⧠Letters of mayster Iohn Hoper late Byshoppe of Glocester wher after his long and cruel imprisonmente in the flete he was burnte wyth most terrible kindes of tormentes as you may reade in the boke of martyrs fol. 1062. for the defēce of the syncere truth of the gospell the 9. day of Ianuary in the yeare of our Lord. 1555. ¶ A letter which he wrote to certayn godly persons professours and louers of the truth instructing them howe they shoulde behaue them selues at the beginnynge of the chaunge of religion THe grace mercy and peace of God the father throughe our Lorde Iesus Chryste be wyth you my deare brethren and wyth al those that vnfaynedly loue and embrace his holye gospell Amen It is tolde me that the wycked Idole the masse is stablyshed agayne by a law passed in the Parleament house Lerne the truth of it I pray you what penalty is appointed in the act to such as speake agaynst it Also whether there be any cōpulsion to constraine men to be at it The statute throughlye knowne such as be abroade at liberty maye prouide for them selues and auoyd the daunger the better Doubtles there hath not bene sene before our tyme such a parleament as thys is that as many as were suspected to be fauourers of gods worde shoulde be banyshed out of both houses But we must geue god thankes for that truth he hathe opened in the time of hys blessed seruaunte kynge Edwarde the syxte and praye vnto hym that we denye it not nor dyshoner it with idolatrye but that we maye haue strength and patience rather to dye tenne tymes then to deny him once Blessed shall we be if euer god make vs worthye of that honoure to shede oure bloode for hys names sake And blessed then shall we thinke the parentes whiche broughte vs into thys worlde that we shoulde from thys mortalitye be caried into immortalitye If we followe the commaundemente of Saynte Paule that sayth if ye be risen agayne wyth Chryste Col. 3. seeke the thynges that be aboue where Chryste sytteth at the righte hande of God we shall neyther departe from the vayne transitorye goodes of thys worlde nor from thys wretched and mortall lyfe wyth so greate paynes as other doe Let vs praye to our heauenlye father that we maye knowe and loue hys blessed wyll and the gloryous ioye prepared for vs in time to come and that we maye knowe and hate all thynges contrarye to hys blessed wyll and also the payne prepared for the wicked men in the world to come There is no better waye to be vsed in thys troublesome tyme for your consolation then many tymes to haue assemblies to gether of suche menne and women as be of your religion in Chryste and there to talke and renewe amonge your selues the truth of youre religion to see what ye be by the woord of God and to remembre what yee were before yee came to the knowledge thereof to waygh and conferre the dreames and false lyes of the preachers that nowe preache wyth the woorde of God that retayneth all truth and by suche talke and familiar resortinge together ye shall the better fynde out all their lyes that nowe goe aboute to deceyue you and also both knowe and loue the truth that God hath opened to vs. It is muche requisite that the members of Chryste comforte one an other make prayers together conferre one with another so shall ye be the stronger and Gods spirite shall not be absent from you but in the myds of you to teach you to comfort you to make you wise in al godly thyngs patiente in aduersity and strong in persecution Ye se how the congregatiō of the wicked by helping one an other make their wicked religion themselues strong against Gods truth hys peple It ye may haue some lerned mā that can out of the scriptures speak vnto you of faith
your Churche No qoth I we did condēne her as an heritike Who was of your church quoth he xxx yeares paste Such quoth I as that Romyshe Antichrist andhis rable had reputed and cōdemned as heretikes Wicliffe Thorpe old castle quoth he c. Yea quoth I with many mo as storyes do tel The byshop of Rome hath quoth he long time played aparte in your rayling sermons but now be ye sure he must playe an other manner of part More pitie quoth I and yet some comfort it is to see how that the beste learned wisest and holyest of you al haue heretofore had hym to playe a parte likewyse in your sermons and writynges thoughe nowe to please the world ye turne with the wethercocke Did you euer quoth he heare me preach agaynst the byshop of Rome No quoth I for I neuer heard you preach but I trow you haue bene no wiser then other c. Pray pray God keepe that familye and blesse it Laurence Saunders To his wife and other of his deare frendes and louers in the Lorde GRace and comforte in Christe Iesu our onely comforte in al extreme assaultes be with you Amen Fayne woulde this flesh make straūge of that which the spirite doth embrace Oh Lorde howe lothe is thys loytryng sluggard to passe forth in Gods pathe It fantasieth forsoth much feare of fraybugges were it not for the force of fayth pulling it forwarde by the bridell of Gods moste sweete promises and of hope pricking on behinde greate aduenture there were of faynting by the waye But blessed and euerlastingly blessed be that heauenly father of oures who in his Christ our sufficient Sauiour hath vouched safe so to shine in our hartes that he geueth vs the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of Iesus Christ and hauing thys treasure in our earthen vessels that the excellency of the power myght be Gods 2. Cor. 4 and not ours we are according to his good will troubled on euery side yet are we not withoute shifte we are in pouertye but yet not withoute that is sufficiente we suffer persecution but are not forsaken therein we are caste downe neuerthelesse we peryshe not we beare in our bodye the dying of the Lorde Iesus that the life of Iesus might appeare also in oure bodyes Wherefore by the grace of our Christ we shall not be weryed nor be dismayed by this our probation through the fyre of affliction as though some straūge thing had happened vnto vs but by his power we shal reioyce in as much as we are pertakers of Christes passions that whē he doth appeare we may be mery glad knowing that our tribulation which is momentane light prepareth an exceding and eternall weyght of glorye vnto vs not looking on the things which are sene but on the things which are not sene They that sowe in teares shal reape in ioy Psa 126. he that goeth on hys way now weping scattereth hys good sede shal doutlesse come agayn with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Then then shal the Lord wipe away al teares frō our eyes Then then shal be brought to passe the saying that is written 1 Cor. 15 Death is swalowed vp in victorye Death where is thy sting hel where is thy victorye Yea thankes be to god who hath geuen vs the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Now then in the meane season it remayneth for vs to follow s Peters biddyng 1. Peter 4. Let them sayth he that are troubled accordyng to the wil of god committe their soules to him with wel doing as vnto a faythful creatour and maker He is our maker we be his handyworke creatures whō now whē he hath made he doth not so leaue forsake as the carpenter doth the shyp leauyng it at al aduentures to bee tossed in the tempest but he comforteth vs his creatures Actes 17 and in him we liue moue and haue our being Yea not only that but now that he hath in hys deare Christe repayred vs beyng before vtterly decayed and redemed vs purgyng vs vnto hymselfe as a peculier people by the bloude of hys sonne he hath put on a most tender good wyll and fatherly affectiō toward vs neuer to forget vs vnto whō by such sure promises he hath plyghted such faythe that though it were possible that the mother could forgette her infante and not be tender harted to the chyld of her wombe Esay 49. yet may it not be that his faithful beleuers should with him fal into forgetfulnes He byddeth vs to cast our care on hym telleth vs that he assuredly careth for vs. 1. Pet. 5. And what though for a season he suffereth vs to be tormoyled in the troublous tempestes of tēptation and seemeth in muche anger to haue geuen vs ouer and forgotten vs Let not vs for all that leaue of to put our trust in hym but let vs with godly Iob conclude in our selues and saye yea though he kyl me Iob. 13 yet wyll I put my trust in hym Let vs with the blessed Abraham in hope euen contrary to hope by beliefe leaue vnto that our louing Lord who though for our probatiō he suffreth vs to be afflicted proued for a seasō yet wil he not be always chiding neither kepeth he his anger for euer for he knoweth whereof we are made he remēbreth that we are but dust Psa 103. Wherfore loke how high the heauen is in cōparison of the earth so great is his mercy towardes thē which feare hym Loke how wide the East is from the West so farre hath he set our synnes from vs. Yea lyke as a father pitieth hys owne childrē euen so is the lord mercyful vnto thē that feare hym Oh what greate cause of reioycing haue wetherfore in our most gracious god We cānot but burst out into the praysing of such a boūtifull benefactor and say with the Psalmist Prayse the lorde O my soule and al that is within me prayse his holy name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefites My deare wyfe ryches I haue none to leaue behinde me wherwyth to endow you after the worldly maner but that treasure of tastyng how swete Christ is vnto hungrye consciences whereof I thanke my Christ I doe feele part and would feele more I bequeath vnto you and to the reste of my frends to al you I say that loue me in the Lorde to retayn the same insense of hart alwayes Pray praye I am merye I I trust shall be mery in the fpyght of al the Deuils in hel I vtterly refuse my self and I resigne my self wholy vnto my christ in whom I know I shal be strong as he seeth nedeful Praye pray pray L. Saunders ¶ To hys VVyfe GRace mercy and peace in Iesus Christ our lord Entierly beloued wife euen as vnto myne owne soule and body so do I daily in my harty prayer wyshe vnto you
for I doe dailye twyse at the least in thys sorte remember you And I do not doubt deare wyfe but that bothe I and you as we be writen in the boke of lyfe so we shal together enioy the same euerlastingly through the grace mercy of god our deare father in his sonne our Christ And for thys present life let vs wholy apoynte our selues to the wil of our good god to glorify him either by life or by death and euen that same mercyfull Lord make vs worthye to honour hym eyther way as pleaseth him Amen I am mery I thanke my god and my Christ in whome and through whome I shall I knowe be hable to fyght a good fighte and fynyshe a good course then receyue the crowne which is layde vp in store for me and all the true souldiours of Christ 1. Timo. 4. Wherfore wyfe let vs in the name of our God fyght lustely to ouercome the flesh the deuyll and the world What our harnesse and weapons be in thys kynd of fyght looke the vi vnto the Ephesians and pray praye praye I would that you make no sute for me in any wyse Thanke you knowe whom for her moste swete and comfortable puttyng me in remembraunce of my iourney whether I am passyng God send vs al good spede and a ioyfull meetyng I haue to fewe suche frendes to further me in that iorney which is in dede the greatest frendeship The blessyng of god be wyth you all Amen A prisoner in the Lord. Laurence Saunders ¶ To hys VVyfe GRace mercye and peace c. Deare wyfe euen that our mercifull God and moste louyng father whom we call vpon daily and of whose mercies we daily taste â—nd who wyl be a most tender father vnto all theÌ„ which hartely turne vnto hym beleue in hym and cast theyr care vpon hym that our good god I say euen for hys sonne our swete Christs sake be your helper and keper Amen Amen And nowe you see hys goodnes towardes you by manye wayes prouokyng you to embrace him as your only god only comfort He is more redy mercifully to receiue you theÌ„ you can be readye to runne vnto hym for helpe He saith by hys prophet I wyll fauour them euen as a father doth fauour hys chyld that offendeth Esay 49. And in an other place is it possible that a mother can forget her childe which she hathe borne If she be forgetfull yet wyl not I forget thee Thus sayth he vnto al such as vnfaynedly seke hym You be in the Lordes bondes and in his blessed tuition I do not doubte Commend your selfe and that which he hath geuen you vnto his mercyfull and blessed wyll and so do I and shall doe by hys goodnes Exercise your selfe in the comfortable remembraunce of gods manyfold mercifull promises Put hym in remembraunce of the same by often prayer and put your whole trust in him who for hys names sake hys promyse sake and for hys Christes sake wyl do that is best for you Commend me to all the godly there Send me word in any wyfe if you lacke Take hede that you be no more chargeable vnto them at whose house you be then you shal fully content them in any wise God kepe you A letter wrytten to Steuen Gardiner Byshop of VVynchester and then Lord Chauncellour as an aunswer to some thyngs wherwith he had before charged hym TOuching the cause of myne imprisonment I doubt whether I haue broken any law either proclamatioÌ„ In my doctrine I did not forasmuch as at the time it was permitted by the proclamatioÌ„ to vse accordyng vnto our coÌ„scieÌ„ces such seruice as was theÌ„ established My doctrine was theÌ„ agreable vnto my conscieÌ„ce and the seruice then vsed He meaneth the publike preaching of gods word in hys owne paryshe This proclamatioÌ„ was to inhibite the preaching of gods holy word The acte which I dyd was such as beyng indifferently weighed sounded to no breaking of the proclamation or at leaste to no wylful breakyng of it for as muche as I caused no bell to bee ronge neyther occupied I any place in the pulpit after the order of Sermons or lectures But be it that I dyd breake the proclamation thys long tyme of continuance in prysoÌ„ may be thought to be more then sufficient punishmente for such a faulte Touchyng the chargyng of me with my religion I say wyth S. Paule Confiteor hoc quod iuxta viani quaÌ„ vocaÌ„t haeresim Actes 24 sic colo patriuÌ„ deuÌ„ credens omnibus quae in lege et prophetis scripta sunt spem habeÌ„s in deuÌ„ c. Quin in hoc et ipse studeo sine offendiculo conscientiam habere erga deum et erga homines semper That is to saye this I confesse that after the waye whiche they call heresy so worshyp I the God of my forefathers beleuyng all thynges whyche are written in the law and prophets and haue hope towardes God c. And herein I endeuoure my selfe to haue alwaye a cleare conscience towardes God and towardes men So that GOD I call to witnes I haue a conscience And this my conscience is not grounded vppon vayne fantasye but vppon the infallible veritye of Gods woorde with the witnessyng of hys chosen churche agreable vnto the same It is an easye thynge for them whiche take Christe for their true pastour to discerne the voyce of their true shepeheard from the voyce of wolues hirelynges and straungers forasmuch as Christ saith Iohn 10 Oues meae vocem meam audiunt That is my shepe heare my voyce Yea and therby they shall haue the gifte to know the ryght voyce of the true shepehard and so to follow hym and to auoide the contrary as he also sayth Oues pastorem sequuntur quia nouerunt vocem eius altenum vero non sequuntur sed aufugiunt ab eo quia non noueruut vocem alienorum That is the shepe follow the shepeheard for they know hys voyce a straunger wyl they not follow but fly from him for they know not the voyce of a strauÌ„ger Such inward inspiratioÌ„ doth the holy ghost put into the children of God beyng in deede taught of god but otherwyse vnhable to vnderstaÌ„d the true way of theyr saluation And albeit that the wolfe as Christe sayth commeth in shepes clothyng yet he sayth ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos That is by their fruites ye shall know them For there be certaine fruites wherby the wolfe is bewraied notwithstandyng that otherwise in sundry sortes of deuout holines in outward shew he semeth neuer so simple a shepe That the Romish religion is rauenyng and woluishe it is apparant in three pryncipal pointes Fyrst it robbeth god of his due and only honour Secondly it taketh away the true comfort of conscieÌ„ce in obscuring or rather burieng of Christ his office of saluation Thirdly it spoyleth god of hys true worship seruice in spirit truth apointed in his prescript coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts
dryueth men vnto the incoÌ„uenience against the which Christ with the prophet Esay doth speake sharplye Populus hic labijs me honorat cor autem eorum longe a me est sed frustra me colunt docentes doctrinas praecepta hominuÌ„ Esay 26. Math. 25. That is thys people honoureth me wyth theyr lyppes but theyr hart is farre from me they worshyp me in vayne teachyng the doctryne and preceptes of men And in an other place Reijcitis mandatum Dei vt traditionem vestram statuatis That is ye cast away the coÌ„maundementes of god to maynteyne your owne traditions Wherfore I in conscience wayeng the Romyshe religion and by indifferent discussyng therof fyndyng the foundatioÌ„ vnstedfast and the buildyng therupon but vaine and on the other syde hauyng my conscience framed after the right and vncorrupt religion ratified and fully established by the worde of god and the consent of his true church neither may nor doe intend by gods gratious assistance to be pulled one iote froÌ„ the same no though an aungell from heauen should preach any other doctrine Explicita fideâ— is called of the scholemen that faith wherof a reason may be geueÌ„ and implicita fides is called that symple fayth whiche leaneth onely to the church althoughe there can no reason be geuen therof And although either for lacke of so learned knowledge and profound iudgement or of so expedite vtterance of that I do know and iudge as shal be required I shal not be able sufficiently to answer for the conuincing of the again sayer and albeit I cannot explicita fide as they call it conceiue all that is to be conceyued discusse all that is to be discussed effectually expresse al that is to be expressed Neuerthelesse I do bynd my self as by humble simplicitie so by my fidem implicitam as it is called to wrappe my belief in the credite therof that no aucthority of that Romysh religion repugnaunte therevnto shall by anye meanes remoue me from the same A prisoner in the Lord L. Saunders ¶ To hys wyfe and other of hys frendes after hys condemnation to rhe fyre and a litle before hys death GRace in Christ with the consolation of the holy ghost to the kepyng of faith and a good conscience confyrme and keepe you for euer vessels to gods glory Amen Oh what worthye thankes can be geuen to our gratious god for hys vnmeasurable mercies plentifully powred vpon vs And I most vnworthy wretche cannot but at this present from the bottome of my hart powre out the bewaylyng of my great ingratitude and vnkindnes towards so gratious a god and louing a lord I besech you al as for my other many sinnes so especiallye for this sinne of mine vnthankfulnes against god craue for me in your commendyng me vnto gods mercye in Christe by your hartye prayers pardon and forgeuenes To stand to number these mercies in perticulars were to number the droppes of the sea the sand on the shore the starres in the skie Oh my dere wyfe and ye the rest of my frendes that loue me in the lord reioyce reioyce with me reioyce I say with thaÌ„kesgeuing for thys my present promotion to be made worthy to magnify my god not only in my lyfe by my slow mouth vncircumcised lippes to heare testimony vnto hys truth but also by my bloode to seale the same to the glorye of GOD and confyrming of his church And as yet I testify vnto you the comfort in my swete christ doth driue from my phantasy the feare of death But if my deare husbaÌ„d do for my trial leaue me alone to my selfe I know in what case I shall then be but if for proofe he do so I am sure he wyll not be farre froÌ„ me Though he stand behynd the wal and hyde himselfe as Salomon saieth in his mystical ballade yet wil he peepe in by a crest to see how I do Cant. 2. He is so tender harted a Ioseph that though he speake roughlye to his brethren and handle them hardly yea and put his best beloued brother BeÌ„iamin in prison yet can he not conteyne himselfe from weepynge with vs and vpon vs with clipping vs about the neck and kyssing vs such a brother is our Christ vnto vs all Wherfore hasten to goe vnto hym as Iacob did and hys sonnes and family leauyng theyr own countrey and acquaintance Yea this Ioseph of oures hath obtained for vs his brethreÌ„ that Pharao the infidele shall minister vnto vs charetres wherin to be caried to come vnto hym as we haue experience how our verye aduersaries helpe vs vnto our euerlastyng blisse by their speedy dispatche yea howe all thynges haue bene holpynges vnto vs blessed be our God And be not afraid of fray bugges by the way feare rather the euerlastyng fyre feare the serpent that hath a stynge and that is thys bodely death to them which are not graffed in Christe beyng without fayth and a good conscience and so not acquainted wyth Christ the kyller of death But O my deare frendes and brethern we we whome God hath delyuered from the power of darkenes and hathe translated in to the kyngdome of hys deare sonne by puttyng of the olde man and by faithe puttyng on the newe euen our Lorde Iesus Christ his wisdome holines rightuousnes and redemptioÌ„ we I say haue to triumph against that terrible spiteful serpent the deuil sinne death hell daÌ„nation for Christe our brasen serpent hath pulled awaye the stinge thereof 1 Cor. 15 so that now we may boldly in beholdyng the serpente this bodely death spoiled of her stinge triumphe and with our Christe all his elett say O death where is thy sting O hel where where is thy victory ThaÌ„kes be vnto god who hath geuen vs the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Wherfore be mery my deare frendes and bretherne alwaies remember the Lord my fellow heyres of the euerlasting kyngdome reioyce in hope be patient in tribulation continue in prayer and for vs pray now already apointed to the slaughter that we may be vnto our heauenly father a fat of â—ring an accepted sacrifice I may hardly wryte vnto you To this his flocke he Wrote also a fruitfull letteâ— exhorting and chargyng theÌ„ to beware of the Romish religioÌ„ which is not yet come to light wherfore let these few words be a witnes of coÌ„mendations to you all theÌ„ which loue vs in the faith and namely vnto my flock emoÌ„gs whoÌ„ I am now resideÌ„t by gods prouideÌ„ce but as a prisoner And although I am not emoÌ„ges theÌ„ as I haue ben to preache to theÌ„ out of a pulpit yet doth god now preach vnto theÌ„ by me by this mine imprisoÌ„meÌ„t captiuity which now I suffer emoÌ„ges theÌ„ for christes gospels sake byddyng them to beware of the Romish Antichristian religion and kyngdome requiring and charging them to abide in the truth of Christ which is shortlye to be sealed with the blood of
god planteth I see the battel betwixt you him but the victory is yours yea that daily For you haue layd hold vpoÌ„ the anker of saluacioÌ„ which is hope in Christ the which will not suffer you to be made ashamed Be not discoÌ„forted that you haue this coÌ„flict but be glad that god hath geueÌ„ you the same to try your faith that you might appeare daily worthy of the kingdome of God for the which you striue God beholdeth your striuing fayth agaynst Sathan is pleased with your mightye resistaunce The spirite which is in you is myghtyer theÌ„ al the aduersaries power Tempt he may lying awayte at your heeles geue you a fal vnwares but ouercome he shall not yea he can not for you are sealed vp alreadye with a liuely fayth to be the child of God for euer and whom God hath once sealed for his own him he neuer vtterly forsaketh The iust falleth seueÌ„ times but he riseth agayn It is mans frailtie to fal but it is the propertie of the deuils childe to lie stil This strife against sinne is a sufficieÌ„t testimony that you are the childe of god for if you were not you should fele no such malice as he now troubleth you withal Luke 11 When thys strong Goliah hath the hold al things be in peace which he posseseth and bicause he hath you not he wil not suffer you vnassaulted But stand fast and hold out the buckler of faith and with the sweard of gods promises smite him on the scalpe that he may receaue a deadly wouÌ„d neuer be able to stand against you any more Iames. 4. S. Iames telleth you that he is but a coward saying resist the deuil and he wil flye away It is the wil of god that he should thus long tempt you and not go away as yet or els he had done with you long ere this He knoweth alreadye that he shall receaue the foyle at your hands and encrease the crowne of your glory for he that ouercoÌ„meth shall be trowned Therfore glory in your temptations since they shal turne to your felicitie Be not afrayd of your continual assaultes Ezechi 33. which be occasions of your daily victory The word of god abideth for euer in what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes they be forgeueÌ„ Who caÌ„ lay anything to the charge of gods elect Do you not perceaue the manifest tokens of your electioÌ„ First your vocation to the gospel after your vocation the manifest giftes of the spirit of god geueÌ„ vnto you aboue many other of your condition with godlines which beleueth and yeldeth to the authority of the scriptures is zelous for the same Seing you are gods own dearling who can hurt you Be not of a deiect mind for these temptations neyther make your vnfayned frendes to be more sorrowful for you then nede doth require Since God hath willed you at your Baptisme in Christ to be Carles why doe you make your selfe carefull Caste all your care on him set the Lord before your eyes alwayes for he is on your right side that you shal not be moued Behold the goodnes of god toward me I am careles being fast closed in a paire of stockes which pinch me for very straitnes wil you be careful I wil not haue the vnsemely addition to your name Be as your name pretendeth for doubtles you haue none other cause but so to be Pray I besech you that I may be stil careles in my carefull estate as you haue cause to be careles in your easier coÌ„ditioÌ„ Be thankful put away al care theÌ„ I shal be ioyful in my strayt preseÌ„t care CoÌ„mend me to al our brethreÌ„ desire them to pray for me that I may ouercome my temptations for the deuil rageth against me I am put in the stockes in a place alone bicause I would not answere to such articles as they woulde charge me with al in a corner at the bishops appoyntment bycause I did not come to masse when the bishop sent for me I wil lie al the dayes of my lyfe in the stockes by gods grace rather then I wil consent to the wicked generation Prayâ—e god be ioyful that it hath pleased him to make vs worthy to suffer somewhat for his names sake The deuill must rage for .x. dayes ComeÌ„d me to maister Fokes thank hym for his law bokes but law neither equity wil take any place among these bloud thirsty I would for your sake their vniust dealing were noted vnto the Parliamente house if it myght auaile God shorten these euil dayes I haue answered the bishop metely playne alredy I sayd to him if he wil cal me in open iudgement I will answer hym as playnlye as he wil require otherwise I haue refused bicause I feare they wil condemne me in hugger mugger The peace of god be with you my deare brother I caÌ„ write no more for lacke of lyght that I haue written I can not read my self god knoweth it is written farre vneasely I pray god you maye pytke out some vnderstanding of my minde towards you Written in a Colehouse of darkenes out of a paire of paynful stockes by thine owne in Christ Iohn Philpot. A letter of Iohn Careles writen to Maister Philpot which we thought best here to place a part from hys other letters hereafter followyng bicause it is an answere to the former letter A faythfull frende is a strong defence who so findeth suche a one findeth a treasure A faythfull frend hath no peere the weight of golde and siluer is not to be compared to the goodnes of hys fayth A faythfull frend is a medicine of lyfe and they that feare the Lorde shall finde him Ecclesiast 6. THe Father of mercye and God of all consolation comforte you with hys eternall spirite my moste deare and faythfull louyng frend good Maister Philpot as you haue comforted me by the mighty operatioÌ„ of the same the euerlasting God be praysed therefore for euer Amen Ah my deare hart and most louing brother if I shoulde do nothyng elles day and nyght so long as the daies of heauen doe endure but knele on my knees and reade psalmes I can neuer be able to render vnto God condigne thankes for hys great mercye fatherly kindnes most louing compassion extended vnto me moste vile sinnefull wicked and vnworthy wretch Oh that the lord would open my mouth and geue me a thankefull hart that from the bottome of the same might flowe his continual prayse Oh that my sinneful flesh which is the cause of my sorow were cleane separated from me that I might sing psalmes of thankesgeuing vnto the Lords name for euer that with good Samuells mother I might continually record thys noble verse following the which by good experience I haue found moste true praysed be my good god therfore 1 Reg 2 The Lord sayth the good womaÌ„ killeth and maketh aliue he bringeth
downe to hel and fetcheth vp agayne Praysed be that Lord for euer yea praysed be hys name for that he hath geuen me true experience and liuely feling of the same Blessed be the lord god whose mercy endureth for euer whiche hath not dealt with me according to my deepe desertes nor destroyed me in hys dyspleasure when I had iustly deserued it Oh what rewarde shal I geue agayne vnto the Lorde for all the great benefites that he hath done for my soule I will gladlye receyue the cup of saluation at his hande and will worshippe his name with prayer and with prayse Ah my deare hart yea most deare vnto me in the lord thynke not this sodaine chaunge in me to be some fickle phātasy of my folish head as in dede some other would surelye suspect it to be for doutles it is the meruelous doynge of the Lord most mercifull vnto me hys vnworthye creature God for his great mercy sake geue me grace to be more than full vnto him then I heretofore haue ben and kepe me that I neuer fall forth of hys fauour agayne And now my deare brother most blessed messenger of the lord whose beautifull feete haue brought much glad tydings vnto my soule what shall I do or say vnto you in the leaste parte to recompence your fatherly affection and godly care that you continually kepe for me Oh that god would geue me the spirite of feruent prayer that I might yet that waye supplye some little part of my duty toward you Ah my true louyng frend how sone did you lay aside all other busines to make a swete plaister for my wounded conscience yea and that out of a painfull payre of stockes which place must nedes be vneasye to wryte in But god hath brought you into a strait place that you might set my soule at libertye Out of your pynchyng payneful seat you haue plentifully powred vpon me your precious narde the swete sauour wherof hath greatly refreshed my tired soule The lord likewyse refresh you both bodye and soule by powring the oyle of his gratious Spirite into yours swete hart Ah good Ieremy Ieremy 20 hath Phasure put thee in the stockes Why now thou hast the ryghte rewarde of a prophet Thy glory neuer began to appeare vntil now I dout not but shortly in stede of Ahikam the sonne of Saphan Ieremy 26 Iesus the sonne of the liuyng god will come and deliuer thee forth of the hands of all thine enemies wil also make good against thē the Antichristian Sinagoge al the wordes that thou hast spoken in hys name Ieremy 1. The lord hath made thee this day a strong defēded Tower an iron pyller and a brasen wall against the whole rable of Antichrist and though they fyghte against thee neuer so fiercely Ieremy 15. yet shall they not ouercome thee for the Lord himselfe is with thee to helpe and delyuer thee and he will ridde thee out of the handes of the wycked wyll delyuer thee out of the hands of the tyrānes And in that you are not busy in casting pearles before swine Math. 7 nor in geuing holy things vnto dogs you are much to be commended in my simple iudgement And sure I am that your circumspect and modest behauiour hytherto hath bene as much to gods glory confusion of your enemies as any mans doinges that are gone before you Wherfore myne aduise most earnest desyre is wyth all other of your louyng frendes that you styll keepe that order with those bloodthursty byshoppes that you haue begonne For though in conclusion they wyll surely haue your blood yet shall they come by it wyth shame enough and to their perpetuall infamy whiles the world doth indure They would in dede condemne you in hugger mugger to darken gods glory if it might be but Sathans thoughtes are not vnknowen to you and the depthe of hys subtiliy is by you wel foreseene Therfore let them do whatsoeuer god shall suffer them to do for I know al thynges shall turne to your best Though you lye in the darke storryed wyth the bishoppes blacke cole dust yet shall you shortly be restored to the heauenly light psal 68 and made as whyte as snowe in Salmon and as the wyngs of a Doue that is couered wyth siluer wings and her fethers lyke golde You knowe the vessell before it is made bright is soyled wyth oyle and other thinges that it may scoure the better Oh happy be you that you be nowe in the scouryng house for shortly you shall be set vpon the celestial shelfe as bryght as aungels Therefore my deare harte I wyll nowe accordyng to your louyng requeste caste awaye all care and reioyse wyth you and prayse GOD for you and praye for you day and nighte Yea I will nowe with Gods grace synge psalmes of prayse and thankesgeuyng with you for nowe my soule is turned into her olde rest agayne and hath taken a swete nappe in Christes lappe I haue cast my care vpon the Lorde which careth for me and wyll be Careles accordyng to my name in that respecte whiche you woulde haue me I wyll leaue out my vnsemely addition as long as I lyue for it can take no place where true faythe and hope is residente So soone as I had red your most godly and comfortable letter my sorrowes vanished away as smoke in the wynde my spirite reuiued and comfort came agayne wherby I am sure the spirite of god was author of it Oh good maister Philpot which art a pryncipall potte in dede sylled with most precious lycour as it apeareth by the prenceous powryng forthe of the fame oh pot most happy of the high potter ordayned to honour whiche doest contayne such heauenlye treasure in thy earthen vessell oh potte chryse happy in whom Christ hath wrought a great myracle altering thy nature and turnyng water into wyne and that of the best whereout the maister of the feast hath fylled my cup so full that I am become dronken in ioy of the spirite through the same when Martyrdome shall breake thee O vessell of honour I knowe the fragraunce sauoure of thy precious narde wyll much reioyce the heauy hartes of Christes true members although the Indasses wyll grudge murmure at the same yea and burst out into wordes of slaunder saping it is but lost and waste Be not offended deare harte at my Metaphoricall speache for I am disposed to bee merye and with Dauid to daunce before the Arke of the Lord and though you play vpō a payre of Organes not very comely or easy to the flesh yet the swete sound that came from the same causeth me thus to do O that I were with you in body as presently I am in spirite that I might syng all care awaye in Christe for now the tyme of comforte is come I hope to be wyth you shortlye if all thinges happen arighte for my olde frendes of Couentrye haue put the Counsell in
remembraunce of me not sixe dais ago saying that I am more worthy to be burnt then any that was burned yet Gods blessyng on their hartes for their good reporte GOD make me worthye of that dignitie and hasten the tyme that I might set forthe hys glorye Praye for me deare harte I beseâ—h you and will all your company to doe the same and I wil pray GOD for you all so longe as I liue And now farewell in Christe thou blessed of gods owne mouthe I wil for a time take my leaue but not my last farewell Blessed be the tyme that euer I came into the kynges Benche to bee ioined in loue and fellowship with such deare childreÌ„ of the lord My good brother Bradford shal not be deade whyles you be alyue for verelye the spirite of hym dothe teste on you in most ample wyse Your letters of comforte vnto me in eche poynt do agree as though the one were a copy of the other He hath planted in me and you doe water the Lorde geue good increase My deare brethreÌ„ and fellow prisoners here haue them humbly and hartely commended vnto you and your company mournyng for your miserye but yet reioysing for your plenteous consolation and comfort in Christ We are all cherefull and mery vnder our crosse and do lack no necessaries praised be god for his prouidence and great mercyes towardes vs for euermore Amen Iohn Careles ¶ To certayne godly women forsakyng theyr owne countrey and goyng beyond the seas in the tyme of persecution for the testimony of the Gospell THe spirite of truth reueled vnto you my derely beloued by the gospell of our sauiour Iesus Christ be continually abidyng with you and augmented into a perfecte buildynge of you into the lyuely temple of God throughe the mighty operation of his power Amen I read in the Euangelists of certain godly women that ministred vnto Christ followyng hym in the dayes of his passion and neuer forsooke hym but beyng dead in hys graue brought oyle to annoynt him vntil that he had shewed himself vnto them after hys resurrection and hydden them shewe vnto hys disciples which at his passion were dispersed and tell them that he was rysen and that they should see him in Galile To whom I may iustly compare you my louing systers in Christ who of late haue sene hym suffer in hys members and haue ministred to their necessity annointing them with the comfortable oyle of your charitable assistance euen to the death and now since ye haue sene Christ to liue in the ashes of them whom the tyrannes haue slayne he wylleth you to go away vpon iust occasion offered you to declare to our dispersed brethren and systers that he is risen and liueth in hys elect members in England and by deathe doth ouercome infidelitye and that they shall see hym in Galile which is by forsakyng this world and by a faythfull desyre to passe out of this world by those wayes which he with his holy martyrs hath gone on before God therfore entier systers direct your way as he dyd Abraham and Tobias vnto a strauÌ„ge land God geue you helth both of body soule that ye may go from vertue to vertue grow froÌ„ streÌ„gth to strength vntyl ye may see face to face the god of Sion in his holy hyl with the innumerable coÌ„pany of hys blessed Martyrs and Sainctes Let there be continuall ascensions vnto heaueÌ„ in your hartes Let there be no decrease of any vetue which is already planted in you Be as the light of the iust such as Salomon sayth increaseth to the perfect day of the Lorde Let the strength of god be coÌ„mended in your weake vessels as it is Be examples of faythe and sobrietie to all that ye shall come in company withall Let your godly conuersation speake where your tonge may not in the congregation Be swift to heare and slow to speake after the counsell of S. Iames. Be not curious about other mens doings but be occupied in prayer and continuall meditation wyth reuerent talkyng of the worde of God without contention amongest the sainctes Let your faythe shine in a straunge countrey as it hathe done in your owne that your father which is in heauen may be glorified by you to the end This farewell I send you not as a thyng nedefull which know alredy what your duety is and be desirous to performe the same but as one that woulde haue you vnderstand that he is myndefull of your godly conuersation whereof he hathe had good experience and therefore wryteth this to bee as a perpetuall memoriall betwixt you and hym vntyll our metyng together before god where we shall ioy that we haue here louyngly put one another in memory of our duetye to performe it Farewell agayne myne owne bowels in christ and take me with you wheresoeuer you goe and leaue your selues with me that in spirite we may be present one wyth another Commend me to the whole congregation of christ wyllyng them not to leaue their countrey without witnes of the Gospell after that we all be slayne which already be stauled vp and appoynted to the slaughter and in the mean season to pray earnestly for our constancy that Christe may be glorified in vs and in them both by lyfe and death Farewell in the Lorde Yours for euer Iohn Philpot. ¶ An exhortation to a Syster of hys constantlye and cherefully to stick to the truth and to abide the triall of that doctrine which she had fruitefullye professed GOd the eternall father who hath iustifyed you by the bloode of hys sonne Iesus Christe and calleth you to hallowe hys name thoroughe a good conuersation and profession of lyfe he sanctifye you with daily encrease of vertue and fayth by his holy spirite that you may appeare a vessell of sanctification in the myddest of thys wycked and peruerse generation to the lande and prayse of the Gospell Amen I haue occasion myne own deare syster to prayse God in you for two causes the one that to your habilitie you are readye to shewe your selfe a naturall louyng syster vnto me your poore afflicted brother as by your gentle tokens you haue eftsones testified beyng absent as also presently visityng me which well declareth that you be a verye naturall syster in dede and to be praysed in this behalfe But in the other that you be also a syster to me in faythe after Christes gospell I am occasioned to thanke god so muche the more how much the one excelleth the other and the spiritual consaÌ„guinity is more perdurable then that which is of flesh and bloode and is a worker of that whyche is by nature for coÌ„monly such as be vngodly be vnnaturall and onely louers of themselues as daily experience teacheth us The lyuyng lord which throughe the incorruptible seed of hys worde hath begotten you to be my liege syster geue you grace so to grow in that generation that you may encrease to a perperfecte age in the lord to be
my sister wyth Christ for euer Loke therfore that you continue a faithfull syster as you are called and are godlye entered not onely to me but to all the churche of Christe yea to Christ hymself who voucheth you in this your vnfained faith worthy to be his sister Consider this dygnitye to surmounte all the vayne dignitye of the worlde and let it accordynglye preuayle more wyth you then all earthely delyghtes for thereby you are called to an equall portion of the euerlastyng inheritaunce of Christe yf nowe in no wyfe you doe shewe your selfe an vnnaturall syster to hym in forsakyng hym in trouble whiche I trust you wyll neuer for no kynde of worldly respecte doe You are vnder daungerous temptations to bee turned from that naturall loue you owe vnto Christ and you shall be tryed with gods people through a sieue of greate affliction for so Sathan desyreth vs to be sifted Luke 22 that through feare of sharpe troubles we myght fall from the stablenes of our fayth and so be depryued of that honour ioy and rewarde which is prepared for suche as continue faythfull brothers and systers in the Lordes couenaunte to the ende Therefore the wyse man in the booke of Ecclesiasticus byddeth them that come to the seruice of the Lord to prepare them selues to suffer temptations Synce then that for the glory of God and oure fayth we are called nowe to abyde the bronte of them and that when our aduersarye hathe done all that he can yet we maye be stable and stande thys Christ oure fyrste begotten brother looketh for at oure handes and all our brethren and systers in heauen desyre to see our faythe throughe afflictions to be perfecte that we myghte fulfyll theyr number and the vniuersall churche here militaunte reioyseth at our constancye whome all by the contrarye we shoulde make sorye to the daunger of the losse bothe of bodye and soule Feare not therefore what so euer be threatned of the wycked worlde prepare your backe and see it bee readye to carye Christes crosse And yf you see any vntowardnes in you as the fleshe is continuallye repugnaunte to the wyll of GOD aske wyth faythfull prayer that the good spiryte of GOD maye leade youre synnefull fleshe whether it woulde not Iohn 21 for yf we wyll dwell in the flesh and follow the counsel thereof we shal neuer do the wyll of God neyther worke that tendeth to our saluation You are at thys present in the confynes and of Babilon where you are in daunger to drinke of the whores cup vnlesse you be vigilāt in prayer Take hede the serpent seduce you not from the symplicity of your fayth as he dyd our fyrst mother Eue. Let no worldly felowshippe make you pertaker of iniquitie He that toucheth tarre cannot but be defyled thereby and with such as be peruerse a man shall soone be peruerted with the holy you shall be holy Psa 15. Therfore say continually with the prophet Dauid vnto the sainctes which be on the earth all my will is on them You haue bene sanctifyed and made pure through the truth take hede you be not vnholied and defyled least the laste be worse then the first I write not this bicause I stande in any doubt of your syncere continuance of the which I haue had so good experience but because the dayes be euyl and in the same it is the duty of euery one of vs to exhorte another I am bold to put you my good sister in remēbraunce of that which doth not a litle cōfort me to remember in my troubles daily temptations Wherfore I doubt not you wil take that in good part which commeth from your brother both in spirit and bodye who tendreth your saluation as earnestlye as his owne that we might ioy together eternally with such ioye as the world shall neuer be able to take from vs. Thankes be vnto god you haue begunne to runne a good and greate tyme well in the waies of the lord runne out the race to the ende which you haue begunne and then shall you receyue the crowne of glory None shal be crowned but such as law fully stryueth 2. Tim. 2. Be not ouercome of euyl but ouercome tuill wyth good and the Lord shall make you one of those faythfull virgins that shall followe the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth Apo. 4. the which Christ graunt both you and me Amen This was for the fyrst fruits of his Archdeaconry wherof al the tyme of his imprisonment he had no commodity and yet his sureties were compelled to pay the same Cōmend me to all thē that loue me in the Lord vnfaynedly God encrease our faith geue vs grace neuer to be ashamed of his gospel That same request which I haue made to my brother Thomas I make also to you desiring you by al meanes you can co accomplish my request that my sureties myghte be satiifyed wyth that is myne owne to the contentation of my mynde whyche cannot be quiet vntill they bee discharged therefore I pray you helpe to purchase quietnes that I myghte departe oute of this worlde in peace My dissolution I loke for daily but the Lord knoweth how vnworthye I am of so high an honour as to dye for the testimony of hys truth Pray that God would vouchsafe to make me worthy as he hath done of long imprisonmente for the which his name be praysed for euer Praye and looke for the comming of the Lord whose wrath is great ouer vs and I wil praye for you as long as I liue The .ix. of Iulye in the Kinges Benche Your owne louyng brother as well in Fayth as in bodye Iohn Philpot. To my deare frende and brother in the Lord. M. Robert Harrington GEntle maister Harrington I can not tel what condigne thankes I maye geue vnto God for you in respecte of that great gentlenes and payn which you haue takē for the relief of me of other our afflicted brethrē in Christ God be praysed for his mercy whose louing prouidēce we haue sene towards vs by such faythful stewards as you haue bene towards a great many Blessed be you of god for the louing care which you haue takē for his pore flocke God hath reserued your reward of thankes in heauē therfore I do not go about to render you any lest I might seme to iudge that you loked for that here which is reserued to a better place I thāke god for that I haue foūd by your faithful diligent industry god forgeue me my vnworthines of so great benefites god geue me grace to serue him faithfully to rūne out my race with ioy Glorious is the course of the martyrs of Christ at thys day Neuer had the elects of god a better time for their glory thē this is now may they be assured vnder the crosse that they are Christs disciples for euer Me thinke I see you desiring to be vnder the same the fleshe draweth backe Iohn
for the blood of Christ pardon me as I hope yea I certainelye beleue he hath done for his holy names sake through christ But my dearely beloued ye and all the whole worlde maye see and easely perceiue that the prelates persecute in me another thing then mine iniquities eueÌ„ christ himself christes verity and truthe bicause I can not dare not nor wyll not confesse transubstantiation and howe that wicked men yea myce and dogges eatyng the sacrament which they terme of the altare therby ouerthrowyng christes holy supper vtterly do eate christes naturall and reall bodye borne of the Virgine Mary To beleue and confesse as gods worde teacheth the primatiue churche beleued and al the catholyke good holy fathers taught for 500. yeres at the least after christ that in the supper of the Lorde which the masse ouerthroweth as it doth Christes priesthode sacrifyce death and passion the ministery of hys worde true fayth repentaunce and all godlines whole Christ god and man is present by grace to the fayth of the receyuers but not of the standers by and lokers on as bread wyne is to theyr senses wil not serue and therfore I am condempned and shal bee burned out of hand as an heretyke Wherfore I thanke my lord god hartely that wil doth vouch me worthy to be an instrument in whoÌ„ he him self wold suffer For ye see my affliction and death is not simplye bicause I haue deserued no lesse but much more at his handes and iustice but rather because I confesse hys veritye and truth and am not affrayd through his gifte so to doe that ye also mighte bee confirmed in his truth Therfore my dearely beloued I hartely do praye you and so many as vnfaynedly loue me in god to geue with me and for me most hartye thankes to our heauenly father through our Sauiour Iesus Christ for this his exceding great mercy towards me you also that your fayth shold not wauer froÌ„ the doctrine I haue taught and ye haue receaued For what can ye desire more to assure your consciences of the veritye taughte by your Preachers then their owne liues Goe to therfore my deare harts in the lord wauer not in Christes religioÌ„ truely taught you set forth in King Edwards dayes Neuer shal the enemyes be able to burne it to prison it and kepe it in bonds Vs they may prison they maye bynde and burne as they do and wil do so long as shal please the lord but our cause religion and doctrine which we confesse they shall neuer be able to vanquishe and put away Their Idolatry and popyshe religion shal neuer be builte in the consciences of men that loue the truth As for those that loue not gods truth that haue no pleasure to walke in the wayes of the Lord in those I say the deuill shal preuayle for god wil geue them strong illusioÌ„ to beleue lies Therfore deare brethren and sisters in the Lord I humbly besech you and pray you in the bowells and blood of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ now going to the death for the testimony of Iesus as often times I haue done before thys presente out of the pulpit that ye would loue the Lordes truth loue it I say to liue it and frame your liues thereafter Alas ye knowe the cause of all these plagues fallen vpon vs and of the successe which Gods aduersaryes haue dayly is for our not liuing gods wordâ— ye know how that we are Gospellers in lippes and not in life we are carnall full of concupiscene idle vnthankefull vncleane couetous aâ—â—â—gant dissemblers craftye subtile malicious false backebiters c. And euen glutted with gods word yea we lothed it as dyd the Israelites the Manna in the wildernes and therefore as to them the Lords wrath waxed whotte so doth it vnto vs so that there is no remedye but that for it is better late to turne then neuer to turne we confesse our faultes euen from the bottome of our harts and with hartie repentance which god worke in vs al for hys mercyes sake we runne vnto the Lord our God which is exorable merciful and sory for the euil poured out vpon vs and cry out vnto him with Daniell saying we haue sinned we haue sinned greuouslye Oh lord god against thy maiesty we haue heaped iniquitie vpoÌ„ iniquitie the measure of our transgressioÌ„s floweth ouer so that iust is thy wrath veÌ„geance falleÌ„ vpoÌ„ vs for we are very miserable we haue coÌ„teÌ„pned thy long suffering we haue not harkened to thy voyce when thou haste called vs by thy preaches we hardened our hartes and therefore now deserue that thou sende thy curse hereupon to harden our hartes also that we should henceforth haue eyes and see not eares and heare not hartes and vnderstande not leste we should be conuerted and saued Oh be merciful vnto vs space vs good Lord and al thy people whoÌ„ thou hast dearely bought Let not thine enemies triumphe altogether alwaies against thee for then wil they be puft vp Loke down and behold the pitifull complaintes of the poore let the sorrowfull sighinges of the simple come in thy sight and be not angry with vs for euer Turne vs Oh Lord god of hostes vnto thee and turne thee vnto vs that thou mayest be iustified in thy swete seÌ„tences and ouercome when thou art iudgâ—d as now thou art of our aduersaries for they saye where is their god Can God deliuer them now Can their gospell serue them Oh Lord how long For the glory of thy name and for thy honours sake in the bowels and blood of Iesus Christ we humbly besech thee come and helpe vs for we ar very miserable On this sort I say dearelye beloued let vs publikelye and priuately bewaile oure sinnes but so that hereto we ioyne ceasing from wilfulnes and sinne of purpose for ells the Lorde heareth not oure prayers as Dauid sayth And oâ— Saint Iohn it is written the impenitent synners god heareth not Now impenitent are they which purpose not to amend their liues as for example not only those which folow stil theyr pleasures in couetousnes vncleanes carnalitie but those also which for feare or fauour of man do against their conscience consent to the romish rags and resort to the rotten religion communicating in seruice and ceremonyes with the papistes thereby declaring themselues to loue more the worlde then God to feare more man then Christ to dread more the losse of temporall thinges then of eternal in whom it is euident the loue of God abideth not for he that loueth the worlde hath not Gods loue abidyng in him sayth the Euangelist Therfore my deare harts and deare agayne in the lord remember what ye haue professed Christes religioÌ„ name and the renouncing of the deuil sinne and the worlde Remember that before ye learned A. B. C. your lessoÌ„ was Christs crosse Forget not that Christ wil haue no disciples but such as wil promise to denie them selues to take
religion and therefore can not subscribe excepte we will dissemble both with God our selues and the world Haec tibi scribo frater mi charisime in domino I am legam tuā epiflolam Ah brother that I hadde practicam tecum scientiam in vite illa quā pingis Iohn 15 roga dominum vt ita verê sentiam Amen God make me thankeful for you Salutant te omnes cōcaptiui gratias domino pro te agunt idē tu facies pro nobis ores vt c. Your brother in the Lord Iesus to liue and dye with you Iohn Bradford An other letter to Maister Laurence Saunders MY good brother I besech our good god gratious father alwayes to cōtinue his gracious fauoure and loue towardes vs by vs as by instrumentes of his grace to worke hys glory confusion of his aduersaryes This frend moued them to subscribe to the papistes articles wyth this conditiō so farre as they wer not against Gods worde being in dede cleane contrary to it and yet shortly after he valiantly suffred death for refusing the same Ex ore infantium lactentium fundet laudem ad destruendum inimicū c Amē I haue perused your letters to my self haue redde them to others For answere whereof if I should write what D. Taylour and Maister Philpotte doe thinke then muste I saye that they thynke the salte sente vnto vs by your frende is vnseasonable And in deede I thynke they both wyll declare it hartelye if they shoulde come before them As for me if you woulde knowe what I thynke my good and moste deare brother Laurence because I am so synnefull and so conspurcate the Lorde knoweth I lye not with manye greuous sinnes whiche yet I hope are washed away sanguine Christi nostri I neither can nor would be cōsulted withal but as a sipher in Agrime Howbeit to tel you how and what I minde take this for a summe I pray God in no case I may seeke my self And in deede I thanke God therfore I purpose it not Quod reliquum est domino Deo meo committo spero in illum quod ipse faciet iuxta hoc iacta in dominum curam Psa 54 Psa 36 Psal 31. c. Omni cura vestra coniecta in illum c. Reuela domino viam tuam spera c. Sperantem in domino misericordia circumdabit I did not nor do not knowe but by youre letters quod cras we shal come corā nobis Myne owne hart sticke stil to dabitur vobis Math. 10. 1. Cor. 10 3. pet 2 fidelis enim est dominus dabit in tentatione euentum quo possimus sufferre Nouit dominus pios ê tentatione c. O vtinam pius ego essem Nouit dominus in die tribulationis sperātes in se c. Nahū 1. I can not thinke that they will offer any kinde of indifferent or meane conditions For if we wil not adorare bestiam we neuer shall be deliuered but against their will thinke I. God our Father and gracious Lord make perfecte the good he hath begonne in vs. Faciet mi frater charisime frater quem in intimis visceribus habeo ad conuinendum commoriendum O si tecum essem Praye for me myne own hart roote in the Lord. For euer your own Iohn Bradforde A letter which he wrote to a faythfull woman in her heauines and trouble most comfortable for all those that are afflicted and broken harted for their sinnes AH my dearly beloued most dearely beloued in the Lorde howe pensiue is my harte presently for you by reasō of the feareful iudgement of our god which euē now I heard for truth by Richarde Proude God oure good father for his greate mercies sake in christ haue mercy vpō vs so with his eternal consolation comforte you my deare harte as I desyre in my moste nede to be of him comforted Amen The cause why since the recept of your letter I haue not sent vnto you this bringer cā tel you yea if I had not heard for truth of this heuie chaunce as yet you had not thus sone heard from me For I beganne of late a peece of woorke for your comfort wherof I send you now but a parte because my hart is heauie for your sake and I can not be quiet til I heare how you do in thys crosse Wherein my deare sister I beseche you to bee of good comforte and to bee no more discouraged then was Dauid of Absolons death the good Ionathas of hys father Saules fearefull ende Adam of Cain Noe of Cham Iacob of Ruben and the Godly Bethsabee of the terrible ende of her father or at the leaste her Graundfathers death Achitophell Not that I vtterly condempne and iudge your father for I leaue it to God but because the facte of it selfe declareth Gods secrets and fearefull iudgemente and iustice towardes hym and all men and hys greate mercye towardes vs admonishynge all the worlde howe that he is to bee dred and feared and Sathan not to sleepe and vs his children especiallye howe weake and miserable we bee of oure selues and howe happie we are in hym whiche haue him to bee oure father protectour and keeper and shall haue for euer more so that no euill shall touche vs further then shall make to oure fathers glorye and to our euerlasting commoditie And therfore let thys iudgement of God be an occasiō to stirre vs vp more carefully to walke before GOD and vnfaynedly to caste oure whole care vppon oure deare father whiche neuer can nor will leaue vs for hys calling and giftes be such that he can neuer repente hym of them Roma 11. whom he loueth he loueth to the ende none of hys chosen can perish Of whiche number I knowe you are my dearely beloued sister God encrease the fayth thereof dayly more and more in you he geue vnto you to hange wholye on hym and on hys prouidence and protection For who so dwelleth vnder that secrete thyng and helpe of the Lorde Psa 90.31 he shall be cocke sure for euer more he that dwelleth I saye for if we be flitters and not dwellers as was Loth a flitter from Segor where GOD promised hym protection if he had dwelled there still we shall remoue to oure losse as he dyd into the Mountaines Genesis 19. Dwell therefore that is truste and that finallye vnto the ende in the Lorde my deare sister and you shall bee as Mounte Sion As Mountaynes compasse Ierusalem so dothe the Lorde all hys people Howe then can he forgette you whiche are as the apple of hys eye for hys deare sonnes sake Ah deare harte that I were nowe but one halfe houre wyth you to bee a Simon to helpe to carye youre crosse with you GOD sende you some good Simon to bee with you and helpe you I will bee a Simon absente to carye as I can learne youre crosse whiche you haue promysed not to hyde from
the hart of any creature can conceaue to your eternall ioye Amē Amen Amē The good spirite of god alwayes kepe vs as hys deare children he comfort you as I desyre to be comforted my derely beloued for euermore Amen I breake vp thus abruptly because our common prayer tyme calleth me The peace of Christe dwell in both our hartes for euer Amen ⧠As for the report of W. P. if it be as you heare you must prepare to beare it It is written on heauens dore do wel and heare euill Be content therfore to heare whatsoeuer the ennemye shall imagine to blotte you withal Gods holye spirite alwayes comfort and kepe you Amen Amen This 8. of August by hym that in the Lorde desireth to you as well and as much felicity as to his owne harte Iohn Bradford ¶ To my louyng brethren B. and C. wyth their wyues and whole families I Besech the euerliuing god to geue to you al my good bretherne and systers the comfort of his holy spirite and the continuall feelyng of his mercye in Christe oure Lord nowe and for euer Amen The world my brethern at this presente seemeth to haue the vpperhande iniquity ouerfloweth the truth and veritie seemeth to be suppressed and they whiche take part therwith are vniustly entreated The cause of all this is gods anger and mercy his anger because we haue greuously sinned against him his mercy because he here punisheth vs as a father nurtereth vs. We haue ben vnthākful for his word we haue contemned his kindnes we haue ben negligent in praier we haue ben to carnal couetous licētious c. we haue not hastened to heauēward but rather to helward we were fallen almost into an open cōtempt of god and all his good ordinaunces so that of hys iustice he could not long forbeare but make vs to feele hys anger as now he hath done in taking his word and true seruice from vs and permittyng Sathan to serue vs with Antichristian religion and that in such sorte that if we wil not yelde to it and seme to allow it in dede and outwarde fact our bodies are like to be laide in prison and our goodes geuen we cannot tell to whome This should we looke vppon as a sygne of gods anger procured by our synnes which my good brethern euery one of vs should now cal to our memories often tymes so perticulerly as we can that we might hartely lament them repent them hare them aske earnestly mercye for them and submitte our selues to beare in this lyfe anye kind of punishment which god wil lay vppon vs for them Thus should we do in consideration of gods anger in thys time Now his mercy in this time of wrath is sene should be sene of vs my derely beloued in this the god doth vouchsafe to punish vs in this present life If he should not haue punished vs do not ye thinke that we would haue continuin the euils we were in Yea verely we would haue ben worse and haue gone forwards in hardning our harts by impenitency negligence towardes God true godlines then yf death had come should not we haue perished bothe soule and bodye into eternall fyre and perdition Alas what misery should we haue fallen into if god shoulde haue suffered vs to haue gone forward in our euils No greater a signe of damnation there is then to lye in euill synne vnpunished of god as nowe the papists my derely beloued are cast into Iezabels bed of security Apoc. 3 Hebr. 12 which of all plagues is the most greuous plague that can be They are bastardes and not sonnes for they are not vnder Gods rodde of correction A great mercy it is therfore that god dothe punishe vs for yf he loued vs not he wuld not punish vs. Now doth he chastice vs that we shuld not be damned with the world 1. Cor. 2 Now doth he nurture vs because he fauoureth vs. Now may we thynke our selues to be Gods householde and children 1. pet 4 because he beginneth his chastising at vs. Nowe calleth he vs to remēber our synnes past Wherfore That we myght repent and and aske mercy And why That he might forgeue vs pardon vs iustify vs and make vs his chyldren and so begin to make vs here lyke vnto Christ Rom. 8 that we myght bee like vnto hym elsewhere euen in heauen where already we are set by faith with Christe and at hys commyng in verye dede shall enioye his presence when our synfull and vile bodies shal be made lyke to christes glorious body phil 3. accordyng to the power whereby he is able to make al thynges subiect to hymselfe Therfore my brethren let vs in respect hereof not lament but laude god not be sory but be mercy not wepe but reioyce and be glad that god doth vouchsafe to offer vs hys crosse Rom. 8 2. Timo. 3. Math. 10. therby to come to him to endles ioyes and comforts For if we suffer we shall raigne If we confesse hym before men he wil confesse vs before hys father in heauen If we be not ashamed of his Gospell nowe he wyll not bee ashamed of vs in the last day Math. 5. 1. pet 4 1. pet 5 but wyl be glorifyed in vs crownyng vs with crownes of glory and endeles felicity For blessed are they that suffer persecutiō for rightuousnes sake for their is the kingdom of heauē Be glad sayth Peter for the spirit of God resteth vpō you After that ye are a litle while afflicted god will comfort strengthen confyrme you And therfore my good bretherne be not discouraged for crosse for prison or losse of goodes for the confession of Christes gospell and truth whiche ye haue beleued and lyuely was taught emongs you in the days of our late good most holy prince Kyng Edwarde This is most certayne if ye lose any thyng for Christes sake Math. 19 and for contemnyng the Antichristian seruice set vp agayne amonge vs as ye for youre partes euen in prison shall find gods greate and riche mercies farre passing all worldly wealth so shall your wyues children in thys present lyfe fynd and feele gods prouidēce more plentifully then tounge can tell for he wyl shew merciful kindnes on thousāds of them that loue him The good mans sede shal not go a begging his bread Ye are good mē so many as suffer for christes sake Psalm 27 I trust ye all my dearely beloued wil cōsider this geare with your selues and in the crosse see gods mercy which is more swete and more to bee set by then life it self much more thē then any mucke or pelfe of thys world Rom. 8. This mercy of god should make you merye and chearefull for the afflictions of this lyfe are not to bee cōpared to the ioyes of the lyfe prepared for you Ye know the way to heauen is not the wyde way of the world which wyndeth to the deuil but it is a strayt
gospells sake trowe ye that god will make vs able or geue vs a wil to forsake it for natures sake Die ye must once and leaue al ye haue God knoweth how soone and when will ye or will ye not And seing perforce ye must do thys will ye not willinglye nowe doe it for gods sake If ye go to Masse and do as the most part doth then maye ye liue at reste and quietly but if ye denye to go to it then shal ye go to pryson lose your goods leaue your children comfortles yea lose your lyfe also But my dearely beloued open the eyes of your fayth and see howe shorte a thing thys lyfe is euen a very shadowe and smoke Again see howe intollerable the punishment of hell fyre is and that endles Last of al loke on the ioyes incomprehensible which God hath prepared for al them world without end whiche lose eyther landes or goods for hys names sake And then do ye reason thus if we go to Masse the greatest enemy that Christ hath though for a litle time we shal liue in quiet and leaue to our children that they maye liue hereafter yet shall we displease god fal into his hands which is horrible to hypocrites and be in wonderfull hazard of falling from eternal ioye into eternal misery first of soule and then of body with the deuill all Idolaters Againe we shal want peace of conscience which surmounteth al the riches of the world and for our children who knoweth whether god wil viset our Idolatrye on them in thys life yea our house goodes are in daūger of losing as our liues be through many casualties and when God is angrye with vs he can sende alwayes when he will one meane or an other to take all from vs for our sinnes and to cast vs into care for our own sakes which will not come into some litle trouble for hys sake On this sort reason with your selues thē doutles god wil worke otherwise with you and in you then ye are ware of Where now ye thinke your selues vnable to abide persecution be most assured if so be ye purpose not to forsake God that God will make you so able to beare hys crosse that therin ye shall reioyce 1. Cor. 1◠Faythful is god sayth Paul whiche will not tempt you further then he will make you able to beare yea he will geue you an outscape in the crosse which shal be to your comfort Thynke how great a benefite it is if God wil vouche you worthye this honoure to suffer losse of any thing for his sake He might iustly cast most greuous plages vpon you now he will correct you with that rodde wherby you shal be made like to his Christ that for euer ye maye reygne with him Suffer your selues therfore now to be made lyke to Christ for ells ye shal neuer be made like vnto him The deuill would gladly haue you now to ouerthrow that which godly ye haue of long time professed Oh how would he triumphe if he could winne hys purpose Oh how would the papistes triumphe against gods gospel in you Oh how would you confirme them in their wicked popery Oh how would the poore children of god be discomforted if nowe ye shoulde goe to Masse and other Idolatrous seruice doe as the world doth Hath God deliuered you from the Sweat to serue hym so Hath GOD miraculouslye restored you to health frō your greuous Agewes for such a purpose Hath God geuen you such blessings in this world good things al the dayes of your life hetherto now of equitie wil ye not receaue at his hands for hys sake some euil God forbyd I hope better of you Vse prayer and caste your care vppon God commit your childrē into his hands geue to god your goods bodyes and liues as he hath geuen them or rather lent them vnto you Say with Iob God hath geuen God hath taken away his name be praysed for euer Caste your care vpon him I say for he is careful for you and take it amonges the greatest blessings of God to suffer for hys sake I trust he hath kept you hetherto to that end And I besech thee O merciful father for Iesus Christes sake that thou wouldest be mercifull vnto vs comforte vs with thy grace and strengthē vs in thy truth that in harte we maye beleue in toung boldly confesse thy gospel to thy glorye and our eternal saluation Amen Pray for me and I by Gods grace wil do the same for you Iohn Bradforde An other letter to the same persons GOds mercy in Christ I wish you to fele my dere brother with my faythful sister your wife now for euer Amen Hauing thys occasion I could not but write something as wel to put my self in remembraunce of my duty to godwardes for you both in thankfulnes prayer as to put you in remēbrance of me your dutye towards god for me in praying for me for I dare not say in thankfulnes for me not that I woulde haue you to geue no thankes to God for his wonderful great sweete mercies towardes me vpon me in Christ his sonne but because I haue not deserued it at either of your hāds For ye both know right wel at least my conscience doth accuse me how that I haue not only not exhorted taught you as both my vocatiō your desertes required to walke worthy of that vocation which god hath made you worthy of with trembling feare to worke out your saluatiō that is in the feare of god to geue your selues to great vigilācie in prayer for the encrease of fayth to a wary circūspection in al your cōuersatiō not only in works wordes but also in thoughts because god is a sercher of the hart out of the hart it cōmeth that defileth vs in gods sight I haue I say not only not done this but also haue geuen you exāple of negligence in prayer watching fasting talking doing so that woe to me for geuing you suche offence Partely for thys cause deare brother sister god hath cast me and kepeth me here that I might repent me and tourne to hym that ye might also by this correction vpon me be more diligence to redresse these things and others if they in your conscience do accuse you My dearly beloued heuie is gods anger fallē vpon vs al doulefull is this day Now hath Antichrist all his power again now is Christes gospel trodē vnder fote now is gods people a derision a praye for the wicked Nowe is the greatest plague of al plagues fallē the want of gods word and al these we haue yea I alone haue iustly deserued Oh that as I write I alone I could with Dauid 1. Par. 21. with Ionas in hart say so But I do not I do not I se not howe greuouslye I haue sinned how great a misery is fallē for mine vnthākfulnes for gods
word for mine hypocrisie in professing preaching hearing speaking of gods word for my not praying to God for the continuance of it for my not liuing of it throughly as it requireth c. I wil speake nothing of my manyfeste euils for they are knowē to you wel enough Deare brother sister with me say ye the like for your owne parts with me ioyne your hartes let vs goe to our heauenly father for his Christes sake besech him to be mercifull vnto vs and to pardō vs Oh good father it is we that haue deserued the taking away of thy worde it is we that haue deserued these thy iust plagues fallen vppon vs we haue done a mysse we haue dealt vniustly with thy Gospel we haue procured thy wrath therfore iust art thou in punishing vs iust art thou in plaging vs for we are very miserable But good Lorde and deare father of mercy whose iustice is such that thou wilte not punish the poore soules of thys realme which yet haue not thus sinned against thee as we haue done for many yet neuer heard thy word for our trespasses whose mercye is so great that thou wilt put our iniquities out of thy remembraunce for thy Christes sake if we repent beleue graunt vs we besech thee true repētaunce and fayth that we hauing obtayned pardon for our sinnes may through thy Christ get deliueraunce frō the tyrannye of Antichrist now oppressing vs. Oh good father which haste sayd that the Scepter of the wicked should not long lie vpon and ouer the iuste lest they put forth their hands to iniquitie also make vs iust we pray thee in Christes name cut a sunder the cordes of thē that hate Sion let not the wicked people saye where is their god Thou our god art in heauen doest what soeuer it pleaseth thee vpō earth Oh that thou wouldest in the meane whiles before thou do deliuer vs that I say thou wouldest open oure eyes to see al these plagues to come frō thee al other that shal come whatsoeuer they be publike or priuate that they come not by chaunce nor by fortune but that they come euē frō thy hand and that iustly mercifully iustlye because we haue do deserue them not only by our birthpoyson stil sticking working in vs but also by our former euil life past which by this punishment al other punishments that wouldest haue vs to cal to our remēbrance to set before vs that the mightest put thē frō before thee where as they stād so long as they are not in our remēbrance to put thē away by repentance Mercifully oh lord god doest thou punish in that thou doest not correct to kil but to amend that we might repent our sinnes aske mercy obteine it freely in Christ and to beginne to suffer for righteousnes sake to be part of thy house wherat thy iudgement beginneth to be pertakers of the afflictions of thy church and thy Christ that we myght be pertakers of the glory of the same to weepe here that we might reioice elswhere to be iudged in this world that we might with thy Saints iudge hereafter the world to suffer with Christ that we might reigne with him to be like to Christ in shame that we might be like to him in glory to receaue our euelles here that we might with poore Lazarus finde rest elswhere rest I say such a rest as the eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard nor the hart of man is able to cōceaue Oh that our eyes were open to see this that the crosse cōmeth frō thee to declare thy iustice thy mercy and hereto that we might see how short a time the time of suffring is how long a time the time of reioysing is to thē that suffer here but to thē that wil not how long and miserable a time is appointed and prepared a time without tyme in eternal woe and perditiō too horrible to be thought vpon Frō the which kepe vs deare father geue more sight in soule to see this geare and how that al thy dearest childrē haue caried the crosse of greuous affliction in thys lyfe in whose cōpany do thou place vs and such a crosse lay vpō vs as thou wilt make vs able to beare to thy glory and our saluation in Christ for whose sake we pray thee to shorten the dayes of thys our great misery fallen vpon vs most iustlye and in the meane season geue vs pacience repētaunce faith and thy eternal consolation Amen Amen Amen And thus deare hartes I haue talked me thinkes a litle while with you or rather we haue all talked with god Oh that god would geue vs his spirite of grace and prayer My dearly beloued pray for it as for your selues so for me and that god would vouchsafe to make me worthy to suffer with a good conscience for his names sake Pray for me I shal do the like for you This .20 of December by him whom by this bringer ye shal learne I pray you geue my commendations to all that loue me in the Lord. Be mery in Christ for one day in heauen we shall mete and reioyce together for euer more Amen Iohn Bradford To my good brother Iohn Careles prysoner in the King Bench. THe father of mercy god of all cōfort viset vs with his eternal consolatiō according to his great mercies in Iesus Christ our Sauiour Amen My very deare brother if I shall report the truth vnto you I can not but signify that sithē I came into prisō I neuer receaued so much consolation as I did by your last letter the name of god be most hartely praysed therfore But if I shal report the truth vnto you and as I haue begonne speake stil the verity I must confesse that for mine vnthankfulnes to you wardes to god especially I haue more nede of gods merciful tydings thē I had euer heretofore Ah that Sathā enuieth vs so greatly Ah that our Lord would tread hys head vnder our feete shortly Ah that I myght for euer both my self beware be a godly example to you others to beware of vnthankefulnes Good brother Careles we had more nede to take hede after a lightning of a foile thē before God therfore is to be praysed euen whē he hideth that of long a chearful countenaunce from vs lest we being not expert how to vse it as we should do do hurt more our selues thereby so great is our ignorance and corruptiō Thys my good brother ryghte deare to my very hart I write vnto you as to one whō in the Lorde I embrace and I thanke god that you do me in like maner God our father more more geue vs both his good spirite that as by fayth we may fele our selues vnited vnto him in Christ so by loue we may fele oure selues linked in the same Christe one to an other I to you and you to me
of mercye in Christe blesse you both kepe you both and sende you both aswell to do as I wishe to my dearest and best beloued frendes and brethren in the Lorde I praye you continue to praye for me as I doubte not you doe and so geue thankes to God for me for he is good and hys mercye endureth foreuer The daye will come when we shall meere together and neuer departe God send it shortly Amen Iohn Bradforde To the worshipfull Syr VVilliam Fitzwilliams then being Knyghte Marshall of the Kinges Benche THe peace of god proper to his people the holy ghost worke daily and depely in your hart through Iesus Christ our Lorde Amen I thanke my Lorde and God throughe hys Sonne our mediatour and sauioure for hys mercyes and graces geuen to your Mastership the whiche I beseche hys goodnesse to encrease in you continuallye to youre euerlastyng comforte in hym By hys mercyes towardes you I meane not in your landes possessions offices naturall wysedome rychts healthe forme c. whiche in deede be giftes of God geuen to you of hys mercye withoute your desertes and therefore shoulde he bee daylye of you praysed for the same as I doubte not but he is for elles your ingratitude woulde prouoke hym to punyshe you in them and by them if he loue you but I meane hys mercyes towardes you in the knowledge and loue of hys truthe in religion The whiche benefite in that you amongest the not manye of youre estate and condition 1. Co. 1 as Sainte Paule witnesseth haue receaued as a verye testimoniall of youre election in Christ I woulde bee sorye that you shoulde neede anye suche as I am to moue you to thankefulnesse for I am not in a mammerynge whether you be thankful to god for thys great mercy which is much more to be estemed thē al that euer you haue I hūbly besech God in hys Christ to encrease the same in you to the very end And that by me he myght doe the same in some part I thought it good and also my bounden dutie deepely deserued on your behalfe towardes me for the whiche I beseche the Lord to reward you to send to you thys treatise of the doings of Maister Ridley at Oxford concernyng hys disputation about the Sacrament This treatyse of M. Ridleyes disputation which he sent to hym you shal read in the booke of Martyrs Fol. 963. I know that there hath gone diuerse copies abroade but none of them were as I knowe thys is for I haue translated it out of that copye in Latten which was corrected with hys owne hand whiche came vnto me not without hys own consente and therfore dare I be bolde to saye that thys hath not before beene seene on thys sorte In readyng whereof you shall well see thys I speake to be most true and also that whiche causeth me to suppresse commendations of the thyng the excellencye and worthines therof I meane because I thinke I cānot speake any thing so worthely as vndoubtedly these hys doings do deserue Vnto your Maistership I sende them as a token of my dutie towardes you thereby to declare that as you deserue muche of me so I woulde shewe my selfe willynge to recompence the same if I coulde but in that I can not and also youre doinge is simplye in respecte of GOD and hys cause I wyll accordyng to your expectation leaue the recompence vnto hym in the meane season prayinge hym that of hys goodnes he would as encrease the knowledge and loue of hys truth in you so strenghen you after your vocation both purelye to walke and manfullye to confesse hys Gospel if he shall thynke it needeful to call you to that honoure for surelye of all honours it is the greatest to suffer any thyng for Christes sake Most happye maye that man thynke hymselfe that hath any thyng for hys cause to lose As he shall bee sure to fynde for hys owne parte eternall felicitie and honoure endles so shall hys posteritye euen temporallye proue thys to be moste true For gods sake therefore ryghte worshipful Syr consider well thys geare and waye it not as the worlde and your mother witte wyll moue you to do but as the word of God doth teach you there shal you see thys I speake of to bee matter of much myrth ioye and glory though to the world it seme cleane contrary Gods good spirite alwayes guide you to hys glorye geue you the spirit of prayer continually to praye that God neuer further tempt you then he will make you able to beare Amen In that thys copie is not so fayre written as I wishe and woulde haue had it I shall desire you to consider where I am and how I can not haue thinges so done as I woulde and therefore you haue it as maye bee when it may not be as I woulde it were and shoulde be From the Kinges Benche Your humble Iohn Bradforde To my good brother Maister Coker at Maldon in Essex ALthoughe I haue presentlye both litle tyme and lesse oportunitie otherwyse to write as I would yet as I maye I thoughte better to write somethynge thē vtterlye to be silente For if I shoulde not so do hauing so conuenient a messenger as I mighte towardes you incurre the suspision of ingratitude and forgetfulnesse so might I not satisfye the desire of thys my poore brother and frende Iohn Searchfield which cōmeth vnto you for helpe and comforte in this troublesome time Thys dare I say that the man feareth God and for Gods sake and conscience towardes hym susteyneth both losse and labour For our common fathers sake therefore in Christ helpe him to some hole to hyde him selfe in for a litle time if conueniently you may and remember that he that receaueth one of Christes litle ones receaueth Christe as he him selfe in the last day will acknowledge Which laste daye let vs often loke on and set before vs as the thing which most maketh to our comfort Nowe we sorrowe and sighe to see the sea swell and rage on this sort as it doth And to confesse the truth we haue double cause as wel because we haue deserued this sower sauce by reasō of our vnthankfulnes and many sinnes which the Lord pardon as because gods glory is troden vnder foote But thys comfort we haue that as God our good father will not the death of a sinner so wyll he order this geare most to his glory and our ioye and comforte if we repent now and hartely lament our euilles vse earnest humble and often yea continuall prayer and caste our selues wholy on hym and hys goodnes still labouring to lothe thys life and longing for the life to come for the which we shoulde accompte thys as it is a very vale of miserye much to be mourned in because the time of our habitation herein and exile is prolonged God graunte vs hys holy spirite to strengthen vs in his truth professed that we may perseuer to the end in the
shall be able by the worde of God euer to impugne it muche lesse to confute it In the first chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians Ephesi 1. the Apostle sayeth thus Blessed be god the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs wyth all maner of blessynges in heauenly thinges by Christ accordyng as he hath elect or chosen vs in hym before the foundation of the world was layed that we should be holy and without blame before hym through loue and hath predestinate vs or ordeyned vs thorough Iesus Christ to bee heyres vnto hymselfe accordyng to the good pleasure of hys wyll to the prayse of the glory of hys grace wherwyth he hath made vs accepted in the beloued by whom we haue receyued redēption thorough hys bloud and the forgeuenes of our sinnes accordyng to the riches of hys grace which grace he hath shed on vs aboundauntly in all wisedome and vnderstandyng and hath opened vnto vs the mysterye of hys wyll accordyng to hys good pleasure which he purposed in hymselfe to haue it declared when the tyme was full come that he myght gather together all thynges by or in Christe as well the thynges that be in heauen as the thynges that be in earth euen in or by hym by or in whome we are made heyres beyng thereto predestinate accordyng to the purpose of hym whiche worketh all thynges accordynge to the decree or counsayle of hys owne wyll that we which hoped before you in Christe shoulde bee vnto the prayse of hys glory in whome ye also hoped after that ye heard the word of truth the gospell of your saluation wherein ye also beleuyng were sealed wyth the holy spirite of promyse whyche is the earnest of our inheritaunce vntyll the redēption or full fruition of the purchased possession vnto the prayse of hys glory These be the wordes of Paule which I haue faithfullye translated accordyng to the very texte in the Greeke as by the iudgement of all that be learned I desyre herein to bee tried Out of the which wordes of Paule we may wel perceiue euerye thing affirmed in my propositiō as I wil geue occasion plainly to them that wil to see it The cause of gods election is his grace good will First that the cause of gods election is of hys good wyll the Apostle sheweth in saying that it is throughe hys loue wherby we are holy and wythout blame also accordyng to the good pleasure of his will according to his good pleasure purposed in hymselfe accordyng to hys purpose which worketh all thynges after the counsel of his owne wyll The tyme of gods election was from the beginning Secondly that election was before the beginnyng of the world the apostle plainely sheweth in sayeng that we were chosen before the foundation of the world was laid and afterwardes in callyng it the mysterye of hys wyll purposed wyth hymselfe in tyme to be declared Election is in Christ Thirdly that election is in Christ the Apostle doth so flatly and plainly set it forth that I nede not here to repete it We sayeth he are chosen in him we are heyres by hym wt are accepted by him we are gathered together in him c. Electionis not of all men Fourthly that election is of some of Adams posteritye and not of al we may plainly see it if we cōsider that he maketh the true demonstration of it beleuing hoping and hauing the earnest of the spirite In whom yea hoped saith he after ye heard the word c. In whom ye beleued wer sealed vp c. Agayne in attributyng to the electe forgeuenes of synnes holynes blameles liuyng being in Christ c. That we shold be holy saieth he c. we haue receyued forgeuenes of sinnes c. Who seeth not that these are not common to al men 2. Thess 3 Act. 13. 1 Iohn 1 Math. 13 Al men haue not faithe saieth Paule elsewhere None beleued saith Luke but suche as were ordained to eternall life None beleue but such as be borne of god None beleue truly but such as haue good hartes and kepe gods seede to bring forth frute by patience Fayth is a demonstratiō of election to such as be of yeres of discretion Psal 125. So that it is plain faith being a demonstration of gods election to them that be of yeres of discretion that all men are not elect because all men beleue not For he that beleueth in the lord shal be as mount Sion that is he shal neuer be remoued for if he bee remoued that is finally perish surely he neuer truely beleued But what go I about to lighten a cādell in the cleare sonne light whē our sauiour plainly saith that all be not chosen but few Many be called saith he but few be chosen Mat. 20. And in the 2. chap. to the Ephes the Apostle plainly saith that the greate riches of gods mercy through hys exceding great loue hath saued thē before their parentes many other Gentiles whiche were excluded from Christ and straūgers from the promise hopeles godles c. Rom. 11. Psal 144. Wherthrough we may be occasioned to cry oh the depth of the iudgements of god which is iuste in all hys doynges and holy in al hys workes extendyng his mercy after hys good pleasure wyll aboue al his workes Fyftly that god hath predestinate these Election is to eternal life thus elect vnto euerlastyng lyfe in Christe the apostle dothe also in the wordes before writen declare in saying and hath predestinate vs through Iesus Christe to be heyres vnto hymselfe Agayne by hym sayth he yeare made heyres and predestinate to the prayse of hys glorye Rom. 8 So sayeth the Apostle elsewhere whom he hathe predestinate them hath he predestinate to be lyke fashioned vnto the shape of hys sonne Luke 10 And therfore Christ sayeth reioyce in thys that your names are writen in heauen Syxtlye The ende of election is to the prayse and glory of god that the ende of election is to the prayse of gods glory and grace the Apostle sheweth here in saying we are predestinate to be holye without blame before god c. In saying we are predestinate to the glory of hys grace And in saying also vnto the prayse of hys glory so that nothing can be more manifest Seuenthly Election is not without vocation and iustificatiō in time that predestination is not without vocation in gods tyme and iustification the Apostle here dothe teach in bringyng vs to the consideration of hearing the word of truthe beleuing receiuing the holye spirite remission of synnes c. In whom saith he ye haue hoped after that ye heard the word of truth c. Againe by whome ye haue redemption that is remission of synnes thorough the sheding of hys blood c. Also he hath in hys full tyme declared the mystery of hys wyl c. Vnto the Rom. the apostle sheweth it moste
manifestly in saieng whō he hath predestinate thē he calleth whō he calleth thē he iustifieth Wherby we may se the predestination or electiō is not vniuersal of al for al be not iustified Eightly and laste of all that election is so certayne that the elect and predestinate to eternall lyfe shall neuer peryshe or erre to dampnation finallye Election is certain for euer the Apostle dothe here also very playnly shewe in saieng that they are predestiinate to the prayse of gods grace He sayth not to the prayse of hys iustice to the praise of hys wisdome to the prayse of hys power although he myght moste truely saye so but he sayeth Rom. 12 to the prayse of hys grace whiche were not grace yf there were any respect at al of workes on our behalf for thē were grace not grace If there should be any condemnation of the electe and predestinate to eternall lyfe it must needes be because of theyr synnes but where were the praise of gods grace then which is the ende of gods election Shal we not by thys meanes make gods election without an ende and so wythout a heade and so no election at all as some would haue further then they elect themselues ▪ Let such feare they shall not find the benefit of gods election because they seke it as the Israelites dyd Rom. 11. Psalm 69 and not as the elect which not only finde it but also obtayne it The other are blinded as it is written God hath geuen them the spyryte of vnquietnes eyes that they should not see and eares that they shoulde heare euē to thys day c. Secondly he sheweth the certaintye of saluation to them that be elected in saying that they be accepted in the beloued Once accepted and beloued in Christ Iohn 13 Rom. 11 Iohn 13 and euer beloued for whome he loueth he loueth to the ende and gods giftes are suche that he cannot repente hym of them And therfore sayth Christ I know whome I haue chosen attributyng to election the cause of final perseuerance By which thyng Iudas was sene not to be elected to eternall lyfe althoughe he was elected to the office of an Apostle as Saule was elected to the office of a king Which kind of election is to be discerned in readyng the scriptures from thys kynd of election the which I speake of now that is from election to eternal lyfe in Christ Thirdly he sheweth the certaintye of saluation of the electe by callyng them heyres For yf we be heyres of god thē are we fellow heires wyth Christ Rom. 8 to be afflicted and glorifyed wyth Christe and therfore saith he accordyng to the decree of hys owne will Loe he calleth it a decree or counsel which shal stand as Esay saith Esay 46 the counsel of the Lorde shal stande Fourthlye he sheweth this certaintie by saying that they are elect and predestinate to the prayse of gods glory which we should more care for then for the saluation of all the worlde Thys glory of the lord is set forth as well in them that perishe and are reprobates as in the elect therefore Iohn 12 S. Iohn bringing in the place of Esay speaking of the reprobate sayth that Esay spake that whē he sawe the glory of the lord This glory of the Lord to bee set forth by vs is a great mercy and benefite of God I am assured that if the very deuilles and reprobates dyd not repine hereat but were thankful that they might be ministers in any poynte to set forth Gods glorye I am assured I say that they should finde no hell nor tormentes Their hel and tormentes cōmeth of the loue they haue to them selues and of the malice enuie and hatred they haue agaynste God hys glory Let them tremble and feare that may not away with the glory of the Lord in election and reprobation Let not their eyes be euil because god is good doth good to whom it pleaseth him wrong he doth to no man Rom. 9 nor can do for then he were not righteous so no God He can not condemne the iust for thē were he vntrue because his word is contrary He can not condemne the penitent and beleuer for that were againste his promise Let vs therfore laboure studie crye and praye for repentaunce and fayth Math. 25. then can not we bee damned because we are the blessed of the father before all worldes and therefore we beleue therfore we repent 1 Cor. 2 And for asmuch as it pertayneth to vs which be within to see and to speake of those things which are geuen vnto vs of God in Christe let vs laboure hereaboutes 1. Cor. 5. Ephesi 1. and leaue them that be withoute to the Lorde which will iudge them in hys tyme. The Apostle prayeth for the Ephesians for none other wisedome and reuelation from God Coloss 2 then wherby they might know god and haue their mindes illumined to see what they should hope for by their vocation and how rych the glorye of his enheritaunce is vppon hys Sainctes Further then thys I thynke is vnsemely for vs to search vntill we haue sought out how rych Gods goodnesse is and wil be to vs hys children The which we can neuer do but the more we goe theraboutes and the more we taste hys goodnes the more we shall loue hym and loth all thynges that displease him Thys I say let vs doe and not be too busy bodyes in searching the maiestie glorye of god or in nourishyng in any wise the doubting of our saluatiō wherto we are ready enough and the deuil goeth about nothing els so much as that for by it we are dul to do good to other we are so carefull for our selues By it we are more dulle to do good to our selues because we stand in doubt whether it profiteth vs or no. By it we dishonoure god either in making him as though he were not true or els as though our saluation came not only altogether from hym but hanged partly on our selues By it the deuil wil bring mē at length to dispaire and hatred of god Doubt once of thy saluation and continue therin surely he then wil aske no more It was the first thyng wherwith he tempted Christe Math. 4. if thou bee the sonne of god c. It is the first principallest darte he casteth at gods electe But as he preuailed not agaynst Christe no more shal he do against any of his members Ephesi 6 Luke 18. Psal 34. Psal 92 for they haue the shield of faith which quencheth his fiery dartes They praise god nyght day how then should they perish The Angels of the Lord pitch their tentes round about thē how thē should Sathan preuaile They are borne in the hands of the Angels least they should hurt their feete at any stone God hath geuen cōmaundement to hys Angels ouer them Heb. 1. Luk. 10 phil 4.
father for as for the fansie of fortune it is wicked Amos. 3 Thren 3 Math. 10 Esaye 45. as many places of the scripture do teach we must nedes to the cōmendation of gods iustice for in al his doings he is iuste ackdowledge in our selues that we haue deserued at the hands of our heauenly father this hys crosse or rodde fallen vpon vs. We haue deserued it if not by our vnthankfulnesse slouthfulnesse negligence intemperancie vncleannes and other sinnes cōmitted often by vs wherof our consciences can wil accuse vs if we cal thē to counsell with the examination of our former lyfe yet at least by our originall byrth sinne as by doubting of the greatnes of gods anger and mercy by self loue cōcupiscence Psal 51 Heb. 12 Gala. 5. and such like sinnes which as we brought with vs into this worlde so doe the same alwaye abyde in vs and euen as a spring doe alwayes bring somthyng forth in acte with vs notwithstanding the continual fighte of Gods spirite in vs agaynst it The fyrst commoditie therfore that the crosse bringeth is knowledge and that double of God and of our selues Psalm 51. Genesi 8. Ierem. 17. Ephesi 17. 1. Regū 8. Genes 42. Of God that he is iust pure hateth synne Of our selues that we are borne in synne are from toppe to toe defyled wyth concupiscence and corruptiō out of the which hath spronge all the euils that euer at any tyme we haue spokē done The greatest and most speciall wherof by the crosse we are occasioned to cal to minde as did the brethren of Ioseph theyr euill facte against him when the crosse once came vpon thē And so by it we come to the fyrst steppe to get health for our soules that is we are driuen to knowe our sinnes originall and actuall by Gods iustice declared in the crosse Secondly the ende wherfore God declareth hys iustice against our synne original and actual woulde by hys crosse haue vs to consider the same and to cal to minde our former euill deedes the end hereof I saye is thys that we myghte lament be sory sygh and pray for pardon that so doing we myghte obtayne the same by the meanes of fayth in the merites of Iesus Christ hys deare Sonne and further that we being humbled because of the euill that dwelleth in vs might become thankefull for Gods goodnes and loue in continual watchyng and warynes to suppresse the euill which lyeth in vs Iacob 1. that it bring not forth fruites to death at any time This second commoditie of the crosse therfore must we not count to be a simple knowledge onlye but a great gayne of Gods mercy with wonderful riche and precious vertues of fayth repentaunce remission of sinnes humilitie thankefulnesse mortification and diligence in doing good Not that properly the crosse worketh these thinges of it selfe but because the crosse is the meane and way by the which God worketh the knowledge and felyng of these thynges in his children as many both testimonyes and examples in Scriptures are easely found of them that diligentlye waye what therein they read To these too commodities of the crosse ioyne the thyrd of Gods singuler wisedome that it may be coupled with hys iustice and mercye On thys sorte therfore let vs conceaue when we see the Gospell of God and hys Churche persecuted and troubled as now with vs it is that because the greate learned and wise men of the worlde vse not their wisedome to loue and ferue God as to naturall wisedome and reason he openeth hym selfe manifestlye by hys visible creatures Rom. 1. therefore doth God iustlye infatuate and make them folysh geuyng them vppe to vnsensiblenes especially herein For on thys maner reason they concerning the affliction whiche commeth for the Gospell If saye they thys were Gods woorde if these people were Gods children surelye God woulde then blesse and prosper them their doctrine But nowe in that there is no doctrine so much hated no people so muche persecuted as they bee therefore it can not bee of GOD. Rather this is of God whiche our Queene olde Byshops haue professed For how hath God preserued thē and kept them what a notable victorye hath GOD geuen vnto her where it was impossible that thynges shoulde so haue come to passe as they haue done And dyd not the greate Captayne confesse hys faulte that he was oute of the way and not of the fayth which these gospellers professe How many are come agayne from that which they professed to be gods word The most part of thys realme notwithstanding the diligence of preachers to persuade them concerning this new learnyng which nowe is persecuted neuer consented to it in harte as experience teacheth And what plagues haue come vpon this realme sythen this gospel as they cal it came in amongest vs Afore we had plentye but now there is nothing like as it was Moreouer al the houses of the Parliamente haue ouerthrowne the lawes made for the stablishyng of thys gospell and religion and newe lawes are erected for the continuance of the contrary How miraculously dothe God confounde their doctrine and confyrme oures For how was wyat ouerthrowne How prosperously came in our Kyng Howe hathe God blessed our Quene wyth fruite of wombe How is the Popes holines restored agayne to hys ryght All these do teache plainelye that thys their doctrine is not gods word Thus reason the worldly wyse whiche see not gods wisdome For els yf they considered that there was wyth vs vnthankefulnes for the gospell no amendment of lyfe but all kynde of contempt of God all kynde of shameles sinnyng ensued the preachyng of the Gospel they must nedes see that God coulde not but chastice and correct and as he let Sathan loose Apoc. 20. after he had bounde hym a certaine time for vnthankefulnes of men so to let these Champions of Sathan runne abroade by them to plague vs for oure vnthankefulnes Greate was gods anger against Achab because he saued Benadad kyng of Siria after he had geuen hym into his handes 3. Reg. 20. and afterwarde it turned to hys owne destruction God would that double sorrow should haue bene repayde to them by cause of the sorowe they dyd to the sayntes of God Read the .18 of the reuelation As for the victory geuen to the Quenes hyghnes if men had any godly witte they myght see many thyngs in it First god hath done it to wynne her harte to the Gospel Agayne he hathe done it aswel because they that wente agaynst her put their trust in horses and power of men and not in God as because in their doyng they soughte not the propagation of gods gospell which thyng is now plainlye sene Therfore no maruayle why god fought against them would they were hypocrites and vnder the cloke of the Gospel would haue debarred the Quenes highnes of her right but god would not so cloke them Now for the relentyng
and learned companye bookes and all other necessaryes for myne ease comfort and commoditye I am in muche better case then I coulde wyshe and Gods mercifull prouidence here is farre aboue my worthines Worthines quoth I Alas I am worthye of nothyng but dampnation But besides all this for my soule I finde much more cōmoditie For god is my father I now perceaue through Christ therefore in prisonyng me for hys Gospel he maketh me lyke to the image of hys Sonne Iesus Christ here that when he cōmeth to iudgement I might then belike vnto him as my truste and hope is I shall bee Nowe maketh he me like to hys frendes the Prophets Apostles the holye Martyrs and Confessours Which of them dyd not suffer at the least imprisonmente or bannyshment for hys Gospell and woorde Nowe Mother how farre am I vnmeete to bee compared to them I I say whiche alwayes haue beene and am so vyle an hypocrite and grieuous a synner God myghte haue caused me long before thys tyme to haue beene caste into pryson as a theefe a blasphemer an vncleane liuer and an heynous offender of the lawes of the Realme but deare Mother hys mercye is so greate vppon both you and me and all that loue me that I shoulde bee caste into pryson as none of these or for anye suche vices but onelye for hys Christes sake for hys Gospelles sake for hys Churches sake that hereby as I myghte learne to lamente and bewayle my ingratitude and synnes so I myghte reioyce in hys mercye bee thankefull looke for eternall ioye wyth Christe for whose sake praysed bee hys name for it I nowe suffer and therfore shoulde be merye and gladde And in dede good Mother so I am as euer I was yea neuer so merye and gladde was I as I nowe shoulde bee if I coulde get you to bee merye with me to thanke God for me and to praye on thys sorte Ah good father whiche doest vouchsafe that my sonne being a greuous synner in thy fyghte shoulde fynde thys fauoure with thee to be one of thy Sonnes captaynes and men of warre to fyghte and suffer for hys Gospelles sake I thanke thee and praye thee in Christes name that thou wouldest forgeue hym hys synnes and vnthankefulnesse and make perfecte in hym that good whiche thou haste begonne yea Lorde I praye thee make hym worthye to suffer not onely imprisonmente but euen verye death for thy truth religion and Gospells sake As Anna dyd applye and geue her fyrste childe Samuell vnto thee so doe I deare father besechyng thee for Christes sake to accepte thys my gifte and geue my sonne Iohn Bradford grace alwayes trulye to serue thee and thy people as Samuell did Amen Amen If on thys sorte Mother from your harte you woulde praye as I should be the most meryest man that euer was so am I certayne the lettes of your prayer for my imprisonment woulde be taken awaye Good Mother therefore marke what I haue written and learne this prayer by hart to saye it daylye and then I shall be merye and you shall reioyce if that you continue as I truste you doe in Gods true religion euen the same I haue taughte you and my father Traues I trust will put you in remembraunce of my brother Roger also I truste doth so dayly Go to therfore and learne apace Although the deuyl cast diuerse lettes in the waye God in whom you trust wyll caste them awaye for hys Christes sake if you will call vppon hym and neuer wyll he suffer you to bee tempted aboue that he will make you able to beare But howe you shoulde doe herein the other letter I haue written herewith shall teache you This letter cōmeth not to our handes which I would none should read til my father Traues haue red it and he will geue you by Gods grace some instructions Now therfore wyll I make an ende praying you good Mother to looke for no moe letters for if it were knowen that I haue penne and inke and did write then shoulde I wante all the foresayde commodies I haue spoken of concernyng my body and be cast into some dungeon in fetters of yron which thing I know would greue you therefore for gods sake see that these be burned when thys litle prayer in it is copyed out by my brother Roger for perchaunce your house may be searched for such geare when you thinke litle of it looke for no moe swete Mother till eyther God shall deliuer me and sende me oute eyther you and I shall meere together in heauen where we shal neuer part a sunder Amen I require you Elizabeth Margeret my sisters that you wil feare God vse prayer loue your husbands be obediēt vnto them as God wylleth you brynge vppe your children in Gods feare and be good houswifes God blesse you both with both your husbande 's my good brethren whom to do good because I now can not I will pray for them and you Commend me to my sister Anne Mother Pike T. Sorrocold and hys wyfe R. Shalcrosse and his wyfe R. Bolton I. wilde M. Vicar the person of Mottrom Syr Laurence Hall with all that loue and I truste lyue the Gospell and God turne Syr Thomas hys harte Amen I wyll daylye praye for hym I nedee not to sette my name you knowe it well enoughe Because you shoulde geue my letters to father Traues to be burned I haue written here a prayer for you to learne to praye for me good Mother and an other for all youre house in your euenyng prayer to pray with my brother These prayers are written with myne own hand Kepe them styll but the letters geue to father Traues to burne and geue father Traues a copye of the latter praye Another letter to hys Mother as hys laste farewell vnto her in thys worlde a litle before he was burned GOds mercy and peace in Christ be more and more perceaued of vs Amen My moste deare Mother in the bowels of Christ I hartely pray besech you to be thākful for me vnto God which thus now taketh me vnto him self I die not my good Mother as a thiefe a murtherer an adulterer c but I die as a witnesse of Christ hys gospel veritye which hetherto I haue confessed I thanke god as well by preaching as by prisonment and now euen presently I shall moste willingly confyrme the same hy fyre I knowledge that god moste iustlye myght take me hence symply for my sinnes whiche are manye greate and greuous but the Lorde for hys mercye in Christ hath pardoned them all I hope but now deare Mother he taketh me hence by this deathe as a confessour and witnes that the religion taughte by Christe Iesu the Prophetes and the Apostles is gods truthe The prelates doe persecute in me Christ whom they hate and his truth which they may not abyde because their workes are euil and may not abide the truth and lyght lest men should see their darknes Therfore
not kepe away the foules from picking it vp would he so bestow his sede in you as he hath if that he would not hedge in your hartes his field froÌ„ commoÌ„ pathes froÌ„ breaking in of beastes to destroy it Wil he be more careles theÌ„ a good husbandmaÌ„ to wede out the wedes which are in vs lest they should ouergrow the corne of hys word Wil not he bestow mucke marle vpon vs that we may bring forth more fruite Yf in a good husbandman this be not lacking alas how should we thinke then but that the lord god a good husbandman nothing but good only good how I say should it be but that he is moste careful to kepe his sede alredy soweÌ„ in your hartes by the ministery of vs other his preachers that to the bringing forth of iust and ful frutes He that hath begoÌ„ne with you doute not my derely beloued but that he wil happely make an end with you He hath begon to sow his sede in you as I dare say ye feele it be sure theÌ„ that al this wil follow First he wil haue Skarecrowes in your hartes I meane such sparkcles of his feare wil he droppe yea already he hath dropped into you that the birdes of the aire vain euil cogitatioÌ„s shal not be cherished of you but expelled by crieng to the lord for his help SecoÌ„dly he wil make such hedges as shal kepe you aswell from by pathes of al euil customes vsages as also preserue you froÌ„ the power of euil dominioÌ„ of sinne which would haue the vpper haÌ„d on you Thirdly he wil doutles poure such showres vpoÌ„ you to supple you so â—ede you so mucke marle you by teÌ„ptation other exercises that the Sunshine of persecutioÌ„ shall make more to the ripenyng of hys seede in you then to the witheryng of it away These thynges my dearely beloued the Lord god which hath begonne them in you and for you wyll continue with you that in the ende you maye be broughte into hys barne there to reste wyth hym in eternall felicitie For Gods sake therfore wayte and looke for no lesse then I haue told you at hys handes a greater seruice can you not geue him Yf god kepe not the order I haue told you but perchauÌ„ce beginne to mucke and marle you to poure hys showers vpoÌ„ you to nippe you with his weeding tonges c reioice be glad that God wyll doe that in you and wyth you at once which a long tyme he hath bene a workyng in for others Now vndoubtedly great showers are fallen to supple our hartes that gods word might enter therin and take roote Now the Lord goeth a weedyng to weede out of vs oure carnality securirye couetousnes selfe loue forgetfulnes of God loue of this world Now the lord doth mucke marâ—e vs loading vs wyth heapes and burdens of crosses that our hartes myghte be made good grounde to bryng forthe fruite to gods glory by patience as well in suffryng inward temptations and griefes wherof we must complayn to the Lord for hys Skarecrowes to dryue them forth of vs â—s also in sufferyng outward assaultes for the which we must cry to our Maister for hys hedges and defence Which hathe ij partes the one concernyng vs to helpe and deliuer vs and the other concernyng our or rather hys obstinate aduersaries to take vengeaunce vpon them which he will do in hys tyme. Therfore let vs by patience possesse our soules knowing that they which perseuer to the ende shal be saued Let vs not be werye of well doyng for in our tyme we shall reape the fruites therof But rather whiles we haue tyme let vs redeme it in doyng well to al men but specially to the houshold of fayth which thyng hether to you haue done the lord therfore be praysed and in the day of hys comming he recoÌ„pence you and in the rest I hope well I meane that you haue declared no lesse in coÌ„fessyng the truth planted in your hartes by your wordes and workes after your uocation to the glory of God I hope you haue godly behaued your selues not being as too many be now a daies euen mungrels geuing halfe to God halfe to the worlde halting on both knees going two waies I meane it of the Masse gospellers which are worse theÌ„ any papistes In this point I hope wel of you my dearly beloued that you haue not contaminated your selues that you haue both confessed the truth as ofte as nede hath requyred and also haue refrayned from comming to church now where is nothing but idolatrous seruice â— hope you haue glorifyed god both in soule and body I hope you haue gathered with Christ not scattered abroad I hope you haue drawen no yoke with vnbeleuers nor communicated with other mens synnes but haue abstayned from all appearaunce of euill confessing in harte confessing in tong confessing in dede acte the true knowledge of God which he hath of hys great mercye geuen vnto you not to bee as a candle vnder a bushell but vppon the candlesticke to geue light that men may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen All thys I hope of you my beloued and also of al puritie of life and godly conuersation not doubting but in this behalf also you haue declared gods veritye in your harte and for the Lordes sake do so still in all poyntes that is in your vocations be diligent and ryghteous towards your selues be sober and pure towards your neyghbours be charitable and iuste towardes god be faythfull and thankefull louing and obedient Vse earnest and often hartye prayer Meditate much vpon and often hearken to the word of god If you be called geue with modestye an accompt of the hope whiche is in you Be not ashamed of Gods true seruice allow not that with your presence which is contrary to Gods wil. Make not the meÌ„bers of Christes Church that is your selues meÌ„bers of Antichristes church Be not ashamed of the gospel or of such as be bound therfore but rather be partakers therof first inwardly by coÌ„passion prayer c then outwardlye by geuing according to that the Lord hath lent you to that ende and laste of all by suffering wyth vs if God so will and if it be nedeful for you For my dearly beloued be certayne that no maÌ„ can touch you or lay handes vpon you but by the will of God which is all good towards you euen as the wil of a most deare father which an not alwayes be angrye or otherwyse vse his rodde then only to chastice and correct not to destroy hys children Agayne be certayne that no crosse shall come vnto you before you nede it For God is oure Phisicion and when he seeth oure soules in perill he preuenteth the peryll by purgation and ministring Phisicke which is the crosse As therfore for the body we follow the aduice of the Phisicions for the health
if you can hastely Prouide me Maister Philpots .ix. examinations for a frende of myne and I shal pay you therfore by the leaue of almighty GOD our heauenlye father who correcteth all hys deare chyldren in this world that they shoulde not be damned wyth the world and trieth the fayth of hys saintes through many tribulations that being found constant to the ende he may crowne his owne giftes in them and in heauen highly reward thē Whether I trust to go before loking for you to followe my faithful frend that we may sing perpetuall prayse to our louing Lord god for victory ouer Sathan sinne wonne for vs by Iesus christ God and man our only sufficient sauiour and aduocate Amen Farewel and pray in faith Yours Thomas Whittell Minister and now condemned to dye for the Gospels sake Anno 1555. Ianuary 21. ¶ To my deare frende and brother Thomas VVente and other hys prison fellowes in Lollardes Tower HE that preserued Ioseph prisoner in Egipt Act. 16 fed Daniel in the Lions denne deliuered Paule Peter and the other Apostels out of pryson vouchsafe of hys goodnes to kepe fede and deliuer you my good brother Wente wyth the other our fellow souldiours your prison fellowes as may be most to hys glorye to your consolation and the edification of hys church I cannot but prayse god most earnestly when I heare of your constancy in the fayth and ioy in the crosse of christ which you now beare and suffer together with many other good members of Christ 2. Thess ◠which is a token that by Christe ye are counted worthy the kyngdome of God as Paule sayeth And though the world counteth the yoke and crosse of Christ as a most pernicious hurtful thyng yet we whiche haue tasted how frendly the Lord is cannot but reioyce in this persecution as touching our selues 1. pet 2 in as muche as the cause for the which we suffer is the lordes cause and not altogether oures at whose hand if we endure to the ende we shall receyue through hys liberall promise in Christ not only a greate rewarde in heauen but also the kingdom of heauen it self and also in the meane season be sure to be defended cared for so that we shall lacke no necessary thynges Math. 10 neyther a heare of our heades shall perysh wtout his knowledge O what is he that woulde mystrust or not gladlye serue so louyng a father O howe vnhappye are they that forsake hym and put their truste in man But howe blessed are they that for hys loue and for hys holy wordes sake in these troublesome dayes 1. pet 4 doe committe their soules and bodies into hys handes with wel doing counting it greater happines and ryches to suffer rebuke wyth Christ and hys church Heb. 11 then to enioy the pleasures of this life for a litle short seasō This crosse that we now beare hath ben cōmon to al the faithful frō Abel hetherto shal be to the end for because the deuil hauyng great wrath agaynst god hys Christ Apo. 12 cānot abide that he should for his manifold mercies be lauded and magnified and Christ to be taken and beleued vpon for our only and sufficient redemer Sauiour and aduocate And therfore because wyll not denye Christ nor dissemble wyth our faythe but openly proteste and professe the same before the world he seketh by all meanes to styrre vp his wicked members to persecute and kyl the bodies of the true christians Apo. 2. psal 115 as Iohn sayeth the deuil shall caste some of you into prison And Dauid sayeth I beleued and therefore haue I spoken but I was sore troubled This notwythstandyng go forward deare brethren as ye haue begonne to fight the lordes battell consideryng Christ the captaine of your war who wil both fyght for you geue you victory and also highly reward your paines Consider to your comfort the notable chiefe shepehards and souldiours of Christ which are gone before vs in these days I meane those learned godlo bishops doctours and other ministers of gods worde whose faith and examples we that be inferiors ought to folow Heb. 13 as Paule saith Remember them that haue declared vnto you the word of god the ende of whose conuersation see that ye loke vpon and follow their fayth The grace blessyng of God wyth the ministery of hys holye Aungels be wyth you for euer Amē All my pryson fellowes grete you From the Colebouse this this .4 of December By your poore brother Thomas Whittell an vnworthy minyster of Christ now hys prysoner for the gospels sake Amen ¶ To all the true professours and louers of Gods holy Gospell wythin the Citye of London Rom. 4. Luke 1. THe same fayth for the which Abrahā was counted rightuous and Mary blessed the Lord god encrease and make stable in your hartes my dere and faythfull bretherne and Sisters of London for euer and euer Amen Dearly beloued be not troubled in this heate which is now come amongs you to try you 1. Pet. 4. as though some straūge thīg had happened vnto you but reioice in as much as ye are pertakers of Christes passions that when his glory appeareth ye may be merye glad c. Out of these words of S. Peter I gather most specially these .4 notes First the persecutiō happeneth to Christs church for their triall that is for the probation prose of their faith Which faith like as it is knowē with god in the depth of our hartes so wil he haue it made manifest to the whole world thorow persecutiō that so it may euidently appeare that he hath such a church people vpon earth which so trusteth in hym feareth hys holy name that no kind of persecution paynes Rom. 8. Gene. 22. Iob. 1 nor death shal be able to seperate thē frō the loue of hym And thus was Abrahā tryed Iob tempted that their fayth which before lay hyd almost in their harts might be made knowen to the whole world to be so stedfast stronge that the deuil natural loue nor no other enemy could be able to bereue thē therof wherby also god was to be magnifyed who both trieth his people by many tribulatiōs and also standeth by thē in the middest of their troubles to deliuer thē by life or death as he seeth best like as he assisted Loth deliuered him out of his enemies hands Rom. 9. 2 Cor. 11. Aect. 16. Genesis 4. 2. Macb. 6. Aect. 7. Matth. 27. Iames. 4. Ioseph out of the hands of his brethren out of prisō Paule frō his enemies in Damasco the Apostles out of the stockes prison These with many mo he deliuered to life also he deliuered Abel Eleazar Steuē Iohn Baptist with other many by death and hath also by the trial of their faith made them good presidents exāples to vs al that come after to suffer affliction
I being so long so nere you did not enterpryse to stirre vp familiaritie comunicatiō betwene vs by writing to our mutual cōsolation in Christe For what is there vpon earth wherin to reioyce where al things are transitory vaine yea mā him self respecting this life but as Dauid saith Psal 16 the Saints that dwel vpon the earth such as excel in vertue But here now I consider that if the felowship loue ioy of faythful men and children of god being as we now be in double bondage the body within clay walles the soule wtin these frayle earthly bodies be so great and comfortable howe vnspeakeable wil those ioyes be when we shal be deliuered frō al corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of god Where we shal be present together continually in our glorified bodies beholding the face of our father presently whō now we see but in the glasse of fayth with his dere sonne christ our redemer brother and the blessed companye of Angels al faithful saued soules Oh the incomparable good things and heauenly treasures layd vp for vs in heauen by christ Iesu For the obteyning wherof we ought to set light by al tēporal grefes and transitory afflictions so much the more in that our good God is faythful wil not suffer vs to be tēpted aboue oure strength that namely in the end of our life Eccle. 11. whē the tree where it falleth lieth stil as the preacher sayeth when euerye one causa sua dormit causa sua resurget for els before the end he suffereth hys somtime to fal but not finally to perysh as Peter sincked vpon the sea but yet was not drowned and synned greuously vpon the lande throughe infirmitie denying his Maister but yet found mercye for the ryghteous falleth oftentymes And Christs holy Apostles are taught to say remitte nobis debita nostra Yea thoughe the righteous fall saieth Dauid he shal not be cast away for the Lord vpholdeth hym wyth hys hande Oh the bottomlesse mercy of God toward vs miserable sinners He vouchsafe to plante in my harte true repentance and fayth to the obteyning of remission of al my synnes in the mercyes of God and merites of Christe hys sonne and therto I pray you say Amen Oh my hartely beloued it greueth me to see the spoyle hauocke the Saule maketh with the congregation of Christe but what remedye This is gods wil ordinance that his people shal here both be punished in the flesh tried in their fayth as it is writtē many are the troubles of the righteous but the lord deliuereth thē out of al for by a strait path narowe dore must we enter Whether Into the ioyful kingdome of heauē Therfore blessed are you other that suffer persecutiō for christs sake for the possessing of the same Pray for me my felowes good brother that we may fyght a good fyght that we may kepe the fayth and end our course with ioyful gladnes for now the tyme of our deliuerāce is at hand The lord guide defēd and kepe vs you al his people in our iourney that we may safely through a short death passe to that long lasting life Farewel my dere and louing brother fellow souldiour in Christ farewel I say in him who receaue our soules in peace when they shal depart frō these tabernacles and he graunt vs a ioyfull resurrection and a mery metyng at the last day and continuall dwelling together in hys eternall and heauenly kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Yours with my poore prayer other pleasure can I do you none Thomas Whittell minister To my deare brethren M. Filles and Cutbert MY dere and welbeloued brethren in Christ M. Filles and Cutbert I wish you al welfare of soule body Welfare to the soule is repentance of synne faythful affiance in christ Iesus a godly life Welfare to the body is the health of the same with al necessary things for this bodely life The soule of mā is immortal therfore ought to be wel kept lest immortalitie to ioy should turne to immortalitie of sorow As for the body be it neuer so wel kept much made of yet shortly by nature wil it perysh decay But those that are engraffed and incorporated into Christ by true fayth feeling the motion of Gods holy spirite as a pledge of their electition and enheritaunce excityng and stirring them not onelye to seke heauenly thyngs but also to hate vyce embrace vertue wyll not onely do those things but also if neede requyre wyll gladlye take vppe theyr crosse and followe theyr Captayne Mat. 26. Mar. 14 theyr Kynge and theyr Sauioure Iesus Christe as hys poore afflicted Churche of Englande nowe doth agaynste that false and Antichristian doctrine religiō nowe vsed and specially that blasphemous masse wherein christes supper and holy ordinaūce is altogether peruerted and abused contrary to his institution Luke 22. 2. Cor. 1◠and to Paules procedinges so that that whiche they haue in their Masse is neyther sacramēt of christ nor yet sacrifice for sinne as the priestes falsely pretende It is a sacrament that is as S. Augustine saith a visible signe of inuisible grace when it is ministred to the communicantes accordyng to christes example and as it was of late yeares in thys realme And as for sacrifice there is none to be made now for sinne Heb. 9.10 for Chryste with one sacrifice hath perfited for euer those that are sāctified Beware of false religion and mens vaine traditiōs and serue god wyth reuerence and godly feare accordyng to the doctryne of hys Gospel Luke i1 whereto cleane ye that ye maye be blessed though of wycked men ye be hated accursed Rather drinke of the cup of Christ wyth his church Apo. 18. then of the cup of that rose coloured whore of Babylon which is ful of abhominatiōs Rather striue ye to go to heauē by that path which is strayte to fleshe and bloud wyth the little flocke then to go the wyde way followyng the enticements of the worlde and the flesh which leadeth to damnation Lyke as Christ suffered in the flesh saith S. Peter pet 4.3 so arme ye yourselues with the same minde for Christe suffered for vs leauyng vs example to follow hys footesteppes Blessed are they that suffer for hys sake great is their reward in heauē He that ouercommeth saith S. Iohn shal eate of the tree of lyfe he shal haue a crowne of life Apoca. 2.3 and not be hurt of the second death he shall be clothed with white aray not be put out of the booke of life yea I wil confesse hys name sayth Christ before my father and before hys aungels he shal be a piller in the house of God and sit with me on my seate And thus I bydde you farewel mine owne bretherne and deare fellowes in Christ whose grace and peace be alwaye
stay your owne conscience wyth the sure truth faithful word of god 1. Cor. 3 with the infallible testimonies of holy scripture For although gods mercy is ouer al hys works Psal 3. Heb. 3. yet it doth not extend but only to them that hold fast the confydence reioicing of hope vnto the end not being weary in wel doing but rather waxe euery day strōger and stronger in the inward man Therfore in the Reuelatiō of S. Iohn 2. Cor. 4. where it is entreated of the beast and hys image it is also said here is the sufferaūce of saints here are they that kepe the commaundements the fayth of Iesus Christ Wherby almighty god doth shew plainly that he doth vse those wycked men as instruments for a tyme to try the patience fayth of hys peculiar people without the performance wherof we can haue no part among the lyuyng but as it is said in the same Reuelation the feareful shal haue theyr part in the lake that burneth wyth fyre and brymstone whych is the second death But peraduenture ye wyll obiect and saye vnto me what shal we do Shal we cast our selues hedlong to death I saye not so But this I saye that we are all bounde yf euer we loke to receyue saluation at gods hand in this case wholy to be obedient to hys determinate counsel and foreknowlege 1. Corin. 12 expressed by the gyft of the spiryt in holy Scripture and then to cast all our care vpon hym who worketh al in al for the best vnto them that loue hym Roma 28. thus he geueth commaundement saying come away from her my people Apo. 18. that ye bee not partakers of her synnes and that ye receyue not of her plagues Now who hearyng thys terrible voyce of god which must nedes be fulfylled wyl not wyth al spede dyligēce apply hymself to do therafter except such as wyll presūpteously tempt hym And as touchyng suche the wyse man sayeth Ecclesi 3. he that loueth peryl and daunger shal peryshe therein but they that be of the fayth of Abraham euen as he dyd so wyl they in al assayes trials be obediēt to the heauenly voyce howsoeuer it semeth contrary to theyr own natural wyl carnal reasō Psalm 36. according to the sure word of fayth which sayth hope thou in the lord kepe hys way hold thee styl in the lord abyde patiently vpon hym Let not thy ielousy moue thee also to do euil 2 Cor. 6. Come out from among thē ioyne not your selues to their vnlawful assembles yea do not once shew your selues wyth the least part of your body to fauour theyr wycked doyngs but glorify god as most ryght is so wel in your whole body outwardly 1. Cor. 6. as inwardly in your spirit or els you can doe neyther of hothe wel for your body doth belōg to god so wel as your spirit At the dreadful day of iudgement we shal al receyue the works of our bodyes accordyng to that we haue done 2. Cor. 5 whether it be good or bad Therfore whatsoeuer we do we may not bring the spirit in bondage to the body but contrariwise we must subdue the body and the will of the flesh to the spirite that the spirit may freely accomplishe the will of God in all thinges for otherwise we shall neuer bee partakers of his promise with the true children of Abrahā For as S. Paule saith they which are the children of the flesh are not the childrē of god if we shal liue according to the flesh we shal die For to be carnally minded is deth but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because that the fleshly mynded is enmity of god for it is not obedient to the lawe of God neyther can be So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God Nowe chose you which way you wil take either the narrow way that leadeth vnto life which christ himself and his faithful folowers haue gone through before or els the broad path way that leadeth to destruction which the wicked worldlings take their pleasure in for a while I for my part haue now written this short admonition vnto you of good wyl as God be my witnes to exhort you to that way which at length you your selues should proue and finde to be best yea and reioyce therof And I do not onely write this but I wil also wyth the assistance of gods grace ratify confirme and seale the same wyth the effusion of my blood when the full time shal be expired that he hath appointed which so farforth as I maye iudge muste nedes be within these few dayes Therfore I now byd you al most hartely farewel in the lord whose grace be with your spirit Amen Watch pray watch and pray pray pray So be it Iohn Hullyet ⧠Letters of Maister Robert Glouer a gentleman of muche godlye learnynge innocencye and vpryghtnes of lyfe and hartye zeale to the worde of God burnte at Couentrie for the faythfull testimonye of the same the .14 daye of September In the yere of our Lord .1555 To my moste intyrelye beloued wyfe Marye Glouer THe peace of conscience whiche passeth all vnderstanding the sweete consolation comfort strength and boldenesse of the holy ghoste be continuallye increased in your hart through a feruent earnest and stedfaste fayth in our most deare and only Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen I thanke you hartelye moste louyng wyfe for your letters sent vnto me in my imprysonment I redde them wyth teares more then once or twyse wyth teares I say for ioy and gladnesse that God had wroughte in you so mercyfull a worke fyrst an vnfayned repentaunce secondlye an humble and harty reconciliation thyrdly a willyng submission and obedience to the wyll of God in all thynges Whiche when I redde in your letters and iudged them to proceede from the bottome of your hart I coulde not but be thankfull to God reioysing with teares for you and these hys greate mercyes poured vppon you These your letters and the hearyng of your moste Godlye procedynges and constante doinges from tyme to tyme haue muche releued and comforted me at all tymes and shall bee a goodlye testimonye wyth you at the greate daye agaynste manye worldlye and deintye daines whiche set more by their owne pleasure and pelfe in this world then by Gods glory litle regarding as it appeareth the euerlasting healthe of their owne soules or others My prayer shal be whylest I am in this world that god whiche of his great mercy hath begonne his good worke in you will finishe it to the glory of his name and by the myghtie power and inspiration of hys holye spirite so strengthen stablishe and confyrme you in all his wayes to the ende that we maye together shewe forth his prayses in the worlde to come to our vnspeakeable consolation euerlastingly Amen So long as God shall lende you continuance in this
please it god neuer so much We read not the Iames Iohn Andrew and Simon when they were called put of the tyme tyl they had knowen their fathers frends pleasure but the scripture sayeth they forsoke all and by and by followed Christ Christe lykened the kyngdome of GOD to a precious pearle Mat. 13. the which whosoeuer fyndeth selleth all that he hath for to bye it Yea whosoeuer hath but a litle taste or glimmeryng how precious a treasure the kyngdome of heauen is wyll gladly forgoe both lyfe and goodes for the obtaynyng of it But the moste part now a dayes be lyke to Aesopes cocke which when he hadde founde a precious stone wyshed rather to haue founde a barelye corne So ignoraunte bee they howe precious a iewell the woorde of God is that they choose rather the thynges of thys worlde whiche being compared to it be lesse in value then a barlye corne If I woulde haue geuen place to worldlye reasons these myght haue moued me Fyrste the forgoing of you and my children the consideration of the state of my children being yet tender of age and younge apte and inclinable to vertue and learnyng and so hauynge the more neede of my assistance beinge not altogether destitute of gyftes to helpe them wythall possessions aboue the common sorte of men because I was neuer called to be a preacher or minister and because of my sickenesse feare of death in imprisonment before I shoulde come to my answere and so my death to bee vnprofitable But these and such lyke I thanke my heauenly father which of hys infinite mercy inspyred me wyth his holye ghost for hys sonnes sake my only Sauioure and redemer preuayled not in me but when I had by the wonderfull permission of GOD fallen into their handes at the first sight of the Sherife nature a little abashed yet or euer I came to the pryson by the working of god and through his goodnes feare departed I sayd to the Sherife at his cōmyng vnto me what matter haue you Maister Sherife to charge me withal He answered you shal know when you come before the Maisters And so takyng me with him I loked to haue bene brought before the Maisters to haue heard what they could haue burdened me withal But cōtrary to my expectatiō I was cōmitted fortwith to the Iayle not being called to my answere litle iustice being shewed therin But the lesse iustice a man findeth at their hands the more consolation in conscience shal he fynde from God for whosoeuer is of the world the world will loue hym After I came into prison had reposed my self there a whyle I wept for ioye and gladnesse my belly ful musing much of the great mercies of god and as it were saying to my selfe after thys sorte O Lorde who am I on whom thou shouldest bestowe thus thy great mercy to be numbred among the Saintes that suffer for thy Gospels sake And so beholding and considering on the one side my imperfection vnablenesse sinnefull misery and vnworthynesse and on the other side the greatnesse of Gods mercy to be called to so hygh a promotion was as it were amased and ouercome for a whyle with ioye and gladnesse concluding thus with my self in my hart O Lord thou shewest power in weakenesse wysedome in folishenesse mercye in sinnefulnesse who shall let thee to choose where and whom thou wilte As I haue zelouslye loued the confession of thy worde so euer thoughte I my self to be most vnworthy to be pertaker of the affliction for the same Not long after came vnto me Maister W. Brasbryge Maister C. Phinees Maister N. Hopkins trauelynge wyth me to bee dysmissed vppon bondes to whom my answeare was to my remembraunce after thys sorte For as muche as the Maisters haue imprysonned me hauyng nothynge to burdeine me with all if I shoulde enter into bondes I shoulde in so doinge accuse my selfe And seing they haue no matter to laye to my charge they maye aswell lette me passe wythoute bondes as with bondes Secondarelye if I shall enter bondes couenaunte and promyse to appeare I shall doe nothyng but excuse coloure and cloke theyr wickednesse and endaunger my selfe neuerthelesse beinge bounde by my promyse to appeare They alledged manye worldlye persuasions vnto me to auoyde the presente peryll and also how to auoyd the forfiture if I brake my promyse I sayde vnto them I hadde caste my penyworthe by Gods helpe They vndertoke also to make the bonde easie And when they were somewhat importune I sayd to Maister Hopkins that libertye of conscience was a precious thyng and tooke as it were a pause lifting vppe my harte to God earnestlye for hys ayde and helpe that I mighte doe the thing that mighte please hym And so when they had let their sute fall my harte me thoughte was wonderfullye comforted Maister Dudlye commoned wyth me in lyke manner whom I aunsweared in effecte as I dyd before Afterwarde debatinge the matter with my selfe these considerations came to my head I haue frō tyme to tyme with good cōscience God I take to recorde moued all suche as I hadde conference with all to be no daliers in Gods matters but to shewe them selues after so greate a lyghte and knowledge hartye earnest constante and stable in so manifest a truth and not to geue place one iote contrarye to the same Nowe thoughte I if I shall withdrawe my selfe and make anye shiftes to pull my own necke out of the collor I shall geue great offence to my weake brethren in Christe and aduantage to the enemyes to slaunder Gods woorde It will be sayd he hath bene a greate boldner of others to be earnest feruent to feare no worldly perills or daungers but he him self wil geue no suche example Wherefore I thoughte it my bounden dutye both to God and man being as it were by the greate goodnesse of GOD. maruelouslye called and appoynted hereunto to sette asyde all feare perilles and daungers all worldlye respectes and considerations and lyke as I hadde heretofore accordyng to the measure of my small gifte wythin the cōpasse of my vocation callyng frō the bottome of my hart vnfaynedly moued exhorted persuaded al that professed gods word manfully to persiste in the defence of the same not wyth sword vyolence but wyth sufferyng and losse of life rather then to defyle themselues agayne with the whoryshe abhomination of the Romysh Antichrist so the houre being come wyth my facte and example to ratifye confyrme and proteste the same to the hartes of all true beleuers to this end by the myghtye assistance of Gods holy spirite I resolued my self wyth much peace of conscience willingly to sustayne what soeuer the Romyshe Antichrist should doe agaynste me and the rather because I vnderstoode the Byshoppes comming to be at hande and considered that poore mens consciences shoulde be then sharpely assaulted So remayned I prysoner in Couentrye by the space of .10 or .11 daies being neuer called to
of goodly giftes in wit and learning and sauing that he is somwhat wilde likely to do wel hereafter There be also two women N. Coningham and Alice Alexander that may proue honest For these and al other poore prisoners here I make this my humble suite and prayer to you all my Maisters and especiall good frendes beseching you of all bondes of amitie for the precious bloode of Iesus Christe in the bowels of mercye to render the causes of miserable captiues Helpe to clothe Christ visite the afflicted comforte the sorrowfull and releue the nedye The verye God of peace guyde youre hartes to haue mercye on the poore and loue faythfullye together Amen Thys present Monday when I looke to die and liue for euer Yours for euer Bartelet Grene. ⧠Letters of that faythfull man of God John Careles who by cruell imprisonmente and vnmercifull dealing of the papistes dyed in the Marshalsee and was buryed in the fieldes on a dungehill and therefore is not vnworthye here to be placed amonges the Martyrs To my moste deare and faythfull brethren in Newgate condemned to die for the testimonye of Gods euerlasting truth THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the cōtinual ioy strength cōfort of his most pure holy mighty spirit with the encrease of faith liuely feeling of his eternal mercy be with you my most dere faithfull louing brother Timmes and with al the reste of my deare harts in the Lord your faithful fellow souldiours and most constant companions in bondes yea of men condemned most cruelly for the syncere testimony of gods euerlastīg truth to the ful finishing of that good worke which he hath so graciously begonne in you all that the same maye be to hys glory the cōmoditie of his pore afflicted church and to your euerlasting comfort in him Amen Ah my most swete and louing brethren dearest harts in the Lord what shal I say or how shal I write vnto you in the least point or part to vtter the great ioye that my poore hart hath conceaued in god through the most godly exāple of your christiā constancie syncere confessiō of Christs verity Truly my tong can not declare nor my penne expresse the aboundance of spirituall mirth gladnes that my mind inward man hath felt euer since I heard of your hartie boldnes and modest behauiour before that bloody butcher in the time of al your craftie examinations specially at your cruel condēnatiō in their cursed Cōsistorie place Blessed be god the father of al mercy praysed be his name for that he hath so graciouslye performed vpō you his dere darelīgs his most swete comefortable promises in not only geuing you the cōtinual aide strēgth cōfort of his holy mightie spirite to the faythfull confessiō of his christ for whose cause O most happie mē ye are condēned to die but also in geuing you such a mouth wisdome as al your wicked enemies were not able to resist but were faine to crie peace peace and not suffer you to speake As truly as god liueth my dere brethrē this is not only vnto you a most euidēt probatiō that god is on your side a sure certaintie of your euerlasting saluatiō in him but also to your cruell aduersaries or rather Gods cursed enemyes a plaine demonstration of their iust eternal woe and dampnation whiche they shall be full sure shortlye to feele when ye shal full sweetely possesse the place of felicitie and pleasure prepared for you from the beginning Therfore my dearly beloued cease not so long as ye be in this life to praise the lord with a lustye courage for that of hys great mercy infinite goodnes he hath vouched you worthy of this great dignitie to suffer for his sake not only the losse of goods wife children long imprisonment cruel oppression c but also the very depriuation of this mortal life with the dissolution of your bodies in the fyer The whiche is the greatest promotion that god can bring you or any other vnto in this vale of misery yea so great an honour as the highest Angel in heauen is not permitted to haue and yet hath the lord for his deare sonne Christes sake reputed you worthy of the same yea that before me and many other which haue both long loked longed for the same Ah my most deare brother Timmes whose time resteth altogether in the hands of thy Lord in a ful happye time camest thou into this troublesome worlde but in a much more blessed houre shalt thou depart forth of the same so that the swete saying of Salomō or rather of the holy ghost shal be ful wel verified vpō thee yea al thy faithful felowes Eccle. 7 better is the day of death saith he then the day of birth This saying can not be verified vpon euery man but vpon thee my deare brother and such as thou art whose death is most precious before God and full deare shal your bloode be in his sighte Blessed be god for thee my deare brother Timmes and blessed be god again that euer I knew thee for in a most happy time I came fyrst into thy company Pray for me deare brother pray for me that God wyll once vouch me worthy of that great dignitie whereunto he hath nowe brought you Ah my louing brother Drake whose soule draweth nowe nygh vnto god of whom you haue receaued the same full gladde maye you be that euer God gaue you a lyfe to leaue for hys sake Full well will he restore it to you agayne in a thousand fold more glorious wyse Prayse God good brother as you haue great cause and pray for me I besech you which am so muche vnworthy so great are my synnes of that great dignity wherunto the Lorde hath called you and the reast of your godlye brethrē whom I besech you to comforte in the Lord as you can full well praysed be God for hys giftes which you haue hartely applyed to the setting forth of his glory and the cōmoditie of his pore afflicted church Which thing shal surely redownde to your euerlasting ioy and comfort as you shall most effectually feele or euer it be long though the wycked of the world iudge farre otherwise Ah myne own hartes and most dearly beloued brethren Cauell Ambrose and both the Spurges blessed be the Lord on your behalfe and praysed be his name which hath geuen you such a glorious victory Ful valiaunt haue you shewed your selues in the lords fyght and ful faithful in your painfull seruice Faint not but go on forward as ye haue most godly begonne for great shal your reward be at the end of this your trauell Ah my good faithfull brethren al what shal I say or what shall I write vnto you but euen the same that good Elizabeth did saye to her godly kinneswoman Mary the blessed Mother of Christe Luke 1. Happie art thou quoth that good woman whiche haste beleued for
all thinges whiche the Lord hath spoken to thee shall be fulfilled So I saye to you my deare hartes in the Lorde happye are ye all yea twyse happye shall ye bee for euermore because ye haue stedfastlye beleued the moste swete promises which god the father hath made vnto you with his own mouth in that he hath promised you which are the faythful seede of the beleuing Abraham that ye shal be blessed euer world wtout end The promises of God your sweete father as ye do beleue so do ye beare record the god is true The testimony wherof ye haue full worthely borne to the world and shortly will full surely seale the same with your blood yea euen to morow I do vnderstand Oh constant Christians oh valiaunt souldiers of the high Captaine Iesus Christ who for your sake hath conquered the deuill death sinne hell and hath geuen you full victory ouer theÌ„ for euer more Oh worthy witnesses most glorious Martyrs whose inuincible fayth hath ouercome that proud sturdie bragging prince of the world and al his wicked army ouer whoÌ„ ye shall shortly triumphe for euermore Ah my swete hartes the euerlasting treasures are full surely layd vp for you in heaueÌ„ The immercessible and most glorious crowne of victory is already made and prepared for you to be shortly clapt vpon al your happy heads The holy Aungels of your heauenly father are already appointed to conduct your sweete soules into Abrahams bosome All the heauenly host reioyceth alreadye for that they shall shortlye receaue you with ioye and felicitye into their blessed fellowship Selach Reioyce with double ioy be glad my deare brethren for doubtles ye haue more cause then caÌ„ be expressed But alas I that for my sinnes am left behinde maye lie and lamente with the holye Prophet saying psalm 119. woe is me that the daies of my ioyfull rest are prolonged Ah cursed Sathan which hath caused me so sore to offende my moste deare louing father wherby my exile and banishment is so much prolonged Oh Christ my aduocate pacifie thy fathers wrath which I haue iustelye deserued that he maye take me home to him in his sweete mercy Oh that I might nowe come home vnto thee with my blessed brethren Wel thy wil Oh Lord be effectuouslye fulfilled for it is onely good turneth al things to the best for such as thou in thy mercyes haste chosen And now farewell my deare hartes moste happye in the Lord. I trust in my good God yet shortlye to see you in the celestiall Citye wherof vndoubtedly the Lord hath already made you free Citizens Though ye be yet with vs for a litle time your very home is in heauen where your treasure doth remaine with your swete lord redemer Iesus christ whose calling you haue heard with the eares of your harts therfore ye shall neuer come into iudgement but passe from death to life Your sinnes shal neuer be remeÌ„bred be they neuer so many so greuous or so great for your Sauiour hath cast theÌ„ all into the bottome of the sea he hath remoued them froÌ„ you as farre as the east is froÌ„ the west psalm 103. his mercy hath much more preuailed ouer you then is distance betwene heauen and earth and he hath geuen you for an euerlasting possession of the same al his holines righteousnes iustification yea and the holy ghost into your hartes wherwith ye are surely sealed vnto the day of redemption to certifie you of your eternal electioÌ„ and the ye are his true adopted soÌ„nes wherby ye may boldely crie vnto god Abba deare father for euer more so that nowe no creature in heaueÌ„ earth nor hel shall be able to accuse you before the throne of the heauenly King Gen 3. SathaÌ„ is now cast out from you he him self is iudged hath no part in you He wil once more bite you by the heele and then he hath done for at the time you shal squise his head through your own good Christ so haue finall victorie for euer more In ioyfull triumph wherof ye shall swetely ascende into the place of eternal rest whether your eldest brother Christ is gone before you to take possession for you and to prepare your place vnder the holy Alter with Cranmer Latymer Ridley Rogers Hoper Saunders Farrer Tailour Bradford Philpot with many other who will be full glad of your coÌ„ming to see vi moe of their appointed number that their blood may so much the soner be reuenged vpon them that dwel on the earth Thus I make an end committing you al to gods moste merciful defence whose quarrell ye haue defended whose cause ye haue promoted whose glory ye haue set forth and whose name ye haue constantlye confessed Farewell for a while my dere hartes in the Lord I wil make as much hast after you as I may Al our deare brethren salute you They praie for you and praise god for you continually Blessed be the dead that die in the Lord for they rest froÌ„ their labours saith the holy ghost Apo. â—1 and their workes followe them Your owne Iohn Careles a most vnprofitable seruaunt of the Lord yet of hys great mercy prysoner for his sake abiding his further good pleasure Pray praye praye To M. Greene M. VVhittell and certaine other prysoners in Newgate condemned and ready to be burnt for the testimony of the Lord Iesus THe euerlasting peace in Iesus Christ the continuall comfort of his most pure holy spirite be with you my most deare and faithful brethren and sisters of Newgate the Lordes appoynted shepe vnto the slaughter to the good performance of the great and notable worke of the lord which he hath so graciously begoÌ„ne in you all that the same may redownd to the setting forth of his glory and to the commoditie of his churche and to your owne euerlasting comfort in him So be it Ah my dere harts most faithful brethreÌ„ sisters in the lord what high laudes praise yea what humble and continuall thankes am I bouÌ„d to geue to god oure father for you on your moste happie behalfe who so mightely hath magnified himself in you thus farforth in geuiÌ„g you his holy mighty spirit to the constant confessing of christes veritye euen to the cruel condeÌ„pnation I dout not but he wil do the same to the death Oh happie blessed are you the euer you were borne that the lord wil vouch you worthie of this great dignitie to die for his sake Doubtles it is the greatest honour the god can geue you in this life Yea if they be so blessed of god that die in the Lord as the holy ghost saith they be how much more blessed happie then are you that die not only in the lord Apo. 11. but also for the lord Oh that it were the good will of god that the good houre were now come that I might go with you Ah that my sinnes made
of the wycked that you maye shortly receaue the glorious crowne of victory and in the same tryumphe ouer all your enemies foreuermore Amen I cannot expresse the excedyng great ioy consolation of my poore hart considering the meruelous workes of God most gratiously wrought vpō you not only in prouing you tryeng your faith by his great huge crosses both inwardly and outwardly but also in geuyng you so great consolation constancy in the middes of the same Faithful is god true of his promises who hath said that he wil neuer suffer his chosen children to be tēpted aboue their strength but in the middes of their temptatiō wil make an outscape for thē by such meanes as may make to his glory and their euerlastyng consolation My deare hart great cause haue you to be of good comfort for I see in you as lyuely a token of Gods euerlasting loue sauour in Iesus Christ as euer I perceiued in any man In respect wherof I do euē with my hart loue honour and reuerence you besechyng god for his glorious names sake in the bowels blood of our lord and only Sauiour Iesus christ to finish his good worke in you as I doubt not but he wil do according to his vnfallible promyses yea I am wel assured therof forasmuch as you haue so effectuallye receiued his holye spirite into your harte as a pledge sure seale of your eternal redēption a testimonye of your adoptiō in Christ Iesu For which cause Sathan so sore enuieth you that he hath now bente all his fierce ordynaunce against you thinking therby vtterly to destroy the inuincible forte of your faith founded most firmely vpon the vnmoueable rocke christ against the which the deuil sinne nor yet hell gates shal neuer preuaile Selah Therfore mine owne bowels in the lord be not discomforted for this your conflicte which doutles shal greatly encrease your crowne of glorye triumphe and victorye but take a good hart vnto you and buckle boldly with Sathan both in himself and in his suttle mēbers It is the very diuine ordinaunce of god that all his regenerate children shal be tempted proued and tried as we see by the exāple of our Sauiour Christe who as sone as he was baptised was straight waies led of the holy ghost into the wildernes ther to be tēpted of the deuill But there got he such a glorious victory of Satan that he could neuer since finally preuaile against any of his poore mēbers but in euery assault that he maketh either inwardly or outwardly he getteth a foile and taketd shame so that now he rageth with al the spite possible specially because he knoweth his tyme is but short Iames. 4. Saincte Iames testifieth that he is but a very coward that wil sone flye if he be faithfully resisted And as for his temptinge tooles the Lord hath made them manifest vnto vs so that he cannot deceiue vs though he assaulte vs for as Sainte Paule saythe 2. Cor. 3 hys verye thoughtes are not vnknowen to vs as it dothe in you largely appeare praysed bee the Lordes name therfore You see deare brother that now to molest you suche as you are that be euen passyng frō this vale of misery he hath but two waies or two pieces of ordinance to shoote at you wyth the whiche he cannot hurte you because you haue two bulwarkes to defend you The first of these terrible gunnes that Sathan hath shotte at you is the very same that he continually shooteth at me that is to say feare and infidelity for the vglesomnes of death horrour of my sinnes which be so many greuous and greate But this pellet is easily put away with the sure shield of faith in the most precious death and bloodsheding of our deare Lord and only Sauiour Iesus Christ whome the father hath geuen vnto vs wholy to be oures for euermore wyth him hath geuen vs al things as Paule saith so that though we be neuer so great sinners yet Christ is made vnto vs holines righteousnes and iustification He hathe clothed vs wyth all hys merites mercies and most swete sufferyngs and hath taken vnto hym al our misery wretchednes synne and infirmitie So that if anye should nowe be condemned for the same it must nedes be Iesus Christ which hath taken them vpō him But in dede he hath made satisfactiō for thē to the vttermost iote so that for his sake thei shal neuer be imputed to vs if they wer a thousād times so many moe as they be This do you most effectuously feele and know dere brother a great deale better then I can tel you blessed be God therefore And now Sathan seyng that he cannot preuaile wyth hys boistrous battery against this bulwarke of fayth which doth so quenche al his fiery dartes that they can do you no harme but rather do you good seruice to cast you down vnder the mighty hand of God that he may take you vp by his only grace power so you may render hym al the glory by Iesus Christ which thyng the enemy cannot abyde in no wise therfore he shooteth of his other piece most pestilent to prouoke you to put some parte of your truste and confidence in your selfe in your own holines righteousnes that you might that way robbe god of hys glory Christ of his honour and dignity of his death But blessed be the Lord God you haue also a full strong bulwarke to beate backe this pestiferous pellet also euen the pure law of god which proueth the best of vs al dānable sīners in the sight of god if he would enter into iudgement with vs accordyng to the seuerity of the same that euen our best workes are polluted defyled in such sort as the Prophet describeth them Wyth which maner of speakyng Esay 64. our freewyl Phariseis are muche offended for it felleth all mans righteousnes to the groūde I had lyke to haue sayd to the botome of hel and extolleth only the righteousnes of Iesus Christ which is allowed before god is frely geuen to all those that firmely beleue as blessed be god you do Ah my good brother Tymmes Satan hath put his hand in a wrong boxe when he beginneth to tempt you either to vayne glory or mystrust for you are an olde beaten souldiour and haue had good experience of these maner of temptations both by your selfe other whom you know wel were the beloued of god Be of good chere therfore deare harte be of good chere for now Satan hath wrought al hys malice he hath done al that he can and hath shotte of al hys last pieces wherw t he had thought to haue done most mischief but now he seeth he can not preuaile the strong tower of your fayth beyng so inuincible he wyll plucke vp al hys tentes and gette him to some other place to practise the like assaultes and then wil the aungels of god come and minister vnto
you the most swete and heauēly consolations of the holy ghost To him therfore who is able to do exceding aboūdātly aboue al that euer we can desire or thinke I do most hartely cōmit you with al the rest of your godly prison fellowes who comfort strengthen and defend you wyth hys grace and mighty operatiō of his holy spirit as he hath he therto done that you hauing a most glorious victory ouer the suttle Serpēt and all his wicked sede may also receiue the crown of glory immortalitie prepared for you before the foūdations of the world wer laid is so surely kept for you in the hands of him whose promise is vnfaflible that the Deuill sinne death or hell shall neuer be able to depriue you of the same The blessyng of God be with you now and for euermore Amen Pray pray pray for me Your owne for euer Iohn Careles ¶ To my derely beloued in the lord Mystres A. K. THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the helpe comfort and assistaunce of his most pure and holy spirite be wyth you my moste deare Syster to the performaunce of that he hath so graciously begon in you that it maye be to hys glory the profit of hys churche and your eternall comfort in hym Amen As I am ryght sory at my poore hart O worshipfull Matrone that any afflictiōs or passiōs of heauines should trouble your godly and louing hart vnto the which I wish vnfainedly all godly ioye quietnes euē so am I glad and geue god most harty thankes that he of hys great goodnes hath vsed me poore wretched miser by any meanes to be an occasion of the increase of your godlye mirthe and gladnes But O my good and faithfull Syster I see wherabout you go You play wyth me as a good louyng mother doth with her vnwilling child When it dothe any thyng at her desyre she prayseth it and maketh her selfe glad therof that it maye take courage to do better and be more willing against an other tyme. Euen so do you right reuerend Matrone make your selfe glad of my symple doinges to comforte encourage me to cōtinue in that which is good and to grow and go forwarde willingly in the same God for Christes sake geue me hys grace that in all thinges I maye satisfye your godly expectation that I may do some honour to hys heauenly doctrine And as you haue greatly comforted me with your most godly and louyng letter euen so I beseche you to assiste me with your faythful and harty praier as I dout not but you do for I feele the present helpe therof praised be God therfore God make me thankeful for you my deare Syster and also mindfull of my duetye towardes you all other the lordes elect children Ah my deare and faithfull hart in the Lorde how much and how depely am I bound to prayse god for you and to geue hym thankes day and night on your good behalfe Oh happy are you that euer you were borne the God wil so mightely be magnified in you O blessed woman that so surely beleuest and hast so plentifully tasted of gods holy spirit that out of thy wōbe doe flow the ryuers of the water of lyfe to whō god hath made manifest that myght of his meruelous mercy and hath geuen consolatiō in the same so that you are able of your own good experiēce to comfort others in all their afflictions which thyng I can wytnes I praise god therfore in that I do depely tast fele of the same God for christes sake recompence the same all other your good doinges seuen folde into your bosome as I doute not but he wil do according to hys promise God make me suche a one as you report me to be that my frutes might take suche effect as you speake of But alas I am a great horrible most greuous sinner therefore I feare me god be angry with me for presuming to take his word in my mouth God hide my sinnes from the sight of the world that I be not a slaūder to his truth But it is you O dere daughter of Abrahā whiche doe so loue liue the gospel that I other are more confirmed in the truth therof by your good example God hath at thys day in hys poore afflicted church a sort of worthy women which do him and his such seruice as is acceptable in hys sight I speake of experience I prayse god therfore and not to the ende to flatter you or any other the lord is my witnes God for my sinnes hath taken from me the companye of godly learned men to my great grief and heauy discomfort but of his great goodnes mercy he doth supply my spiritual lacke by the good ministery of godly vertuous womē Of which faithful labourers in the gospel whose names are writē in the boke of life my derely beloued Sister you are not the least The lord be thāked for you blessed be the time that euer I knew you for your loue faithful amity is to me a sure signe seale of gods loue mercy Oh dere lord what am I vpon whō thou shouldest vouchsafe to shew such great tokens of thine inestimable loue kindnes Oh faithful father forgeue me my great ingratitude sinnes Oh let me be no lōger negligent in doing my duty towardes thy dere childrē whiche thou haste lincked in loue wyth me knitting oure hartes together in a perfecte bonde of Christian charitye wherby all men may see that we are thy Disciples O my good Syster I would you knewe what ioy cōfort I doe fele in my good christ at this presēt houre God make you partaker of the same for this which I haue partly commeth by you whom god hath vsed as his good instrumēt therto And where as you do most godly counsell me with S. Peter 1. Pet. 5 to cast all my care vpon the Lorde and to be careles not only in name but also in effecte specially in respecte of hym for whose sake I do suffer and the syncere truth which I do professe I thanke you hartely for your most godly and comfortable exhortation and I entend by gods grace to folow the same as farreforth as he shall assist me with his holy and mighty spirit wythout the which I can neither take things patiently neither reioyce vnder the crosse as I ought for to do Oh what great cause haue I to reioyce be glad the god of his great mercy infinit goodnes wil count me worthy to suffer for hys sake to beare hys swete crosse wherwyth he doth meruelously begynne to fashion me into hys owne similitude and likenes that in his glory I maye bee like him also Oh how wel may I be Careles in dede as wel as in name seyng that I haue cast my care vpon the lord hymself who I am ryght well assured by fayth careth for me hath committed me to christes safe custody which
euē so are you you haue so surely knitte me to you with that bond of vnfayned loue whereby you are lyncked to the chyldren of God Oh blessed bonde of perfection and true badge of Christes Dysciples Oh true and vnfayned loue wroughte by hys spyrite in the hartes of all hys elect This is to vs a true sygne and sure seale that we are the verye children of GOD. Thys loue is that flower that neuer shall fade but floryshe daylye more and more and bee made perfect in that place where fayth and hope shall haue no offyce 1. Cor. 13. but possesse for euer that which they haue here long loked for wyth patience My deare hart be of good cheare for though our bodyes be here seperated a sūder for a litle time yet shal the lord bring vs together againe ere it be long into a place of great ioy where we shal dwel for euer Yea god cā wyll if he see it good for vs bring vs together agayn in this lyfe that we maye haue a mery meting further occasion to prayse hys holy name He can worke wonders when hym self listeth Psa 91. Oh what it is to dwell vnder the defence of the most highest and to sit vnder the shadow of the almighty The buggysh Byshops can not make such a one a feard because they can not take awaye one heare from our head vntil god geue them leaue which I am sure he wil not doe vntyl such time as he shall see it moste to hys glorye and the profytte of hys sainctes and when that time is once come who wyll desire to tarie here any longer Thus deare sister I haue scribled a fewe lines to you in haste I will not say that it shal be my last farewell although it be very like in this life Cōmend me to my good brethren M. Heath Robert Cole Iohn Lydley c. I would be glad to see them take my leaue of them if they may do it without daunger as I thinke they may but in no wise let them not daunger thēselues for that matter sure I am we shall all haue a most ioyfull meting shortly God strengthen you al in his truth and make you instrumentes of hys glory to defend the gospell of his grace against al sortes of enemyes therof Amongest whō me thinkes I do foresee deare sister the great plague that these frewill men shall poure vpon the poore afflicted Church of God for withoute all doubt the Dragon wil make the riuer of reproch Apo. 12 which you now sustaine for the verities sake a great floud or euer it be longe but in the end they shall drinke it vp all them selues as they now do that which they spued forth against our blessed brethren Bradford and Philpot. And yet the veritie doth floryshe and shall spyte of the Pye which greueth Sathan at the hart therfore he bestirreth him like a wode Liō knowing that his time is short The lord deliuer vs frō these poysoned tonges Verely I can not tell whether I maye more lament my long tarying amonges these Ismalites so geuen to malice or the leauing of you and other my deare louers in the Lord amonges them The Lord be mercifull vnto his elect and shorten these sorowful daies for their sakes as he hath sayd he will Farewel mine owne deare hart farewell in the Lord Iesus christ who poure his holy sprite plenteously vpon you that by the mighty operation of the same you may daily more more effectuously feele the sure certaintye of your eternall saluatiō in Iesus Christ that you may euer be able to comfort other with the same cōfortes wherwyth you are comforted in him To whose most mercifull defence I do hartely cōmit you now euer more Amen The blessing of God be with you all now and euer Amen Your own poore brother Iohn Careles prisoner of the Lorde abyding his good pleasure To my good Sister M. C. THe peace of god in Iesus Christe the eternall comfortes of his sweete spirite be with you my deare and fatithfull sister to the full accomplyshment of that good worke whiche he hath most graciously begōne in you that the same may be effectuall to the settyng forth of hys glorye and to your euerlastynge consolation in hym Amen My louing and faythfull syster in the Lorde I thanke you for all your louing kindnes shewed vnto me but specially for your godly remembrance of me in your feruent and faythfull prayers and for your most godly and comfortable letter wherby you do not only much encrease my ioye and comfort but also put me in remēbrance of my duty towards you Blessed be the Lord our God which of hys great mercy hath so beautifyed hys church in these our dayes that euen vnto many godly women he hath geuē most excellent giftes of knowledge and vnderstanding of hys truth so that they are not only wel able to enforme their own consciences in al things necessary to saluation but also most swetely to cōfort their sorowful brethrē sisters that sustaine any trouble for the testimony of gods truth yea that which is more euen in the middes of their greate confllictes of conscience Of which most happye nūber of godly vertuous women my deare hart you are one that of the chiefest being plentifully endewed with the giftes of gods most gracious spirit as it doth ful well appeare in your dayly doinges God only haue the prayse therfore For as much then as God hath geuen you the gifte to write I shall most hartely desyre you to let me heare frō you somtymes be it neuer so litle for truly I take great comfort courage therby specially in my poore conscience which is sore assaulted of subtyll Sathan in a maner oppressed of my synnes Pray deare syster that god may geue me true harty and earnest repentance and increase my fayth for they are both the good giftes of God only farre passe the reache of my power to take at my plearsure Therfore deare syster if you wil helpe me to begge the same of oure deare louing father I am sure that he both can will geue them me in his good time And as for the feare of death or terrour of the fyer I most hartely thanke my good God I feele it not only it is myne own sinnes and vnthankfulnes which holdeth hard battel wageth strong warre againste me which only goeth about to seperate me frō my good captayne Christ that I should not enioye hys glorious victorye but God being on my side as I am sure he is that can not continually preuaile agaynst me Though God for a time permitte Sathā to take his pleasure on me as he did vp on Iob yet I doubt not but in the end all shall turne to my profite through the merites of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ to whose most merciful defence I commit you deare sister with all the rest of the Lordes electe
Farewell in Christe Yours vnfaynedly Iohn Careles Pray pray praye praye To my moste deare and faythfull brother in the lord T. V. THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ with continuall ioy comfort and quietnes of conscience through the mightye operation of the holy ghost be with you my most dearelye beloued brother V. to the encrease of your crowne and victorye nowe and euer Amen I haue bene often times earnestlye minded to write vnto you my deare hart in the Lord syth I receaued your moste godly and louing letter but the likelyhode hope which I haue often since conceaued to see you talke with you mouthe to mouth hath caused me to forbeare that loue hath so often prouoked me vnto But sith mine expectatiō is not yet certifyed nor as farre as I can perceaue is like to be in thys life I can no longer forbeare the scribling of these fewe lynes vnto you The which I desire you to take in good worth for as I haue done the same altogether in hast so is it the contentes of an hart somthing troubled and not altogether in so swete a securitie as it hath bene in tymes past and I dout not but it shal be so full wel agayne Ah my deare brother if I should not now then drinke wyth Christe of the bitter cuppe of inwarde afflictions I shoulde to muche neglecte my dutye towardes you and other my deare hartes in the Lorde whom the mighty God hath made worthy to feele with Christ the fellowship of his passions But blessed be my God and most deare louing father which of his great mercy infinite goodnes in Christ wyl vouch me worthy wyth you other of hys deare dearlings to cary as well the inward crosse which is most greuous and heauye as the outward crosse which is so lyght easy 2. Cor. 4 I know there is an exceding waight of glory prepared for me although Sathan now by gods permission seketh all meanes possible to persuade me to the contrary by castyng of hys cloudes mistes ouer me that he myght darkē the loue of my deare lord Christ which dyed for me yea that whē I was hys vtter enemye by nature the very chyld of wrath and perdition but I know that the loue of my Christe being so great wyll burst out agayne moste gloryouslye Oh God me thynkes euen now I feele it beginne to kyndle in my brest meruelously Praye for me deare hart pray for me that my soule maye sweetely turne to her olde reste agayne for verelye Sathan hath made a sore ruffelyng wyth her of late that he myghte haue bereft her of her vyrginitye wyth the fornication of mistruste and infidelitye But I see wel my God is faythfull as Sainct Paule sayth and wyll not suffer her to be tempted aboue the strength he wyl geue der Praye for me deare harte I saye agayne and prayse GOD moste hartely for hys greate mercy extended towardes me as by your letter I vnderstand you doe I thanke you most hartelye therefore and I promyse you by Gods grace I wil neuer forget you so long as the breth is in my body neither can I though I would And now myne owne bowels in the Lord I long much to heare of your state which I trust be most happy blessed Gladly would I heare that the celestiall brydegrome were at home wyth you and that in respecte of hys moste blessed and cherefull presence you had caste awaye all your mournyng garmentes Oh that I myght once beare you hartely synge wyth the spouse thys sweete verse Can. 2. My delyght is to sitte vnder the shadowe of my loue for hys fruite is full swete vnto my throte he bringeth me into his wine seller hys banner spreadeth ouer me his loue hys left hand lyeth vnder my head and hys ryght hand shal embrace me c. Oh my deare hart I am nowe constrayned to end for thys tyme but god will send me an other I doubte not to whose most mercifull defence I do hartely committe you Yours vnfaynedly Iohn Careles To my deare brother T. V. THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus christ the continuall comfortes of hys most pure holy spirit be with you my most deare frend and faythfull brother V. to the encrease of your fayth comfort of your sorowfull spirite which is to the father a sweete sacrifyce through Christe for whose sake he wyll neuer despyse your humble and contrite hart but doth fauourablye accepte the same and wil in most ample wise performe the desyre therof to hys glory and your eternall comfort in hym In the middes of my manyfold crosses troubles wherin I am constrayned to flee vnto God for refuge succoure by earnest and faythfull prayer I can not forget you my deare harte in the Lorde but esteminge your state for myne owne I doe poure forth my complaynte for you as I doe for my selfe and rather more as I thynke presence neede doth require desyring most hartely to heare of the good successe of the same in you The Lorde God for hys great mercyes sake accomplish my desire as I doubt not but he wil whē he seeth it good most to hys glory to your comfort and commoditye Oh that I myght once see you so mery in christ as you haue iust cause to be that you might say with Dauyd psalm 57. Awake my glory awake Lure and Harpe bryng forth the Psalter with the mery song that I myght synge a new songe of prayse and thankesgeuynge vnto the Lorde for the lyghte of hys fauourable countenaunce hys helpe and deliueraunce Psa 45. Oh that woulde refreshe me as a most precious oyle and gladden my poore harte whiche is assaulted with sorrow moe waies then one I doubt not but the same shall by your meanes receiue much comfort though for a tyme it doth mourne wyth you that we may be made both glad together yea and that with such gladnes as shall continue for euer But in the meane space I say most happye are you that so hartely mourne the absence of the brydegrome Math. 9. If you were not a weddyng child you could neuer doe it Onely Christes true Disciples do mourne for his absence therfore shal they doubteles reioyce at hys presence which wil be so much more ioyful by how much the absence is more sorowful Therfore my good brother take a good hart vnto you be of good chere Say wyth the prophet Dauyd psalme 42 O my soule why art thou so heuye and why art thou so disquieted with in me O put thy trust in god for I wil yet geue him thākes for the helpe of hys louing countenaunce and because he is my god Reade psalm the .41 and .42 for your comfort and consider that the holy king and Prophet at the making and first saying of them was euen in the same case that you are now in but he styll comforted hymselfe with
contrary to all the reste to make them seme among the simple or carnall as though they serued for your purpose and euen so may the rankest heretyke in the world do to stablish his heresy withall But surely in the ende such rakers shal receiue a heuy reward which will be a great deale soner thē they wene let them make as light of the matter in the meane space as they list Ah what a great griefe is this how greatly to be lamēted in these our woful dais that so many which beare the name of christiās vnto whom it hath pleased the lord of his great goodnes infinit mercy to reuele the blessed knowlege of his holy sincere word and therto hath opened the eies of their minds illuminate their vnderstāding wherby they do perceiue aswel what is pleasaūt acceptable in his sight as also what is abhominable detestable in the same do yet that not withstāding not only leue the good which they ought withal their indevour to haue done but also with a wicked boldnes do commit that euil which they ought in no wise to haue done that is where as they ought by al godly meanes to haue encouraged their christian brethrē and Sisters to be strong in the lord and boldly to confesse Christe bearyng his crosse also with ioy and patience and to auoyde al detestable idolatry superstitiō and wickednes which is the right occupieng of their talent and the very ende wherto God hath geuen thē the same do contrariwise as much as in them lyeth both by worde wicked example discourge their weake bretherne and Sisters from the bold confession of christes verity that they shoulde not with ioye and patience beare Christes swete crosse and also do prouoke yea allure and draw thē to all kynde of idolaty supersticion and wickednes in beyng present with the papistes at their most horrible and blasphemous Masse and other Antichristian seruice Whereby it is now come to passe alas therfore that the old prouerbe that S. Peter speaketh of 2. Pet. 2. is found to true the dogge is turned to his vomite agayne and the Sowe that was washed to her wallowing in the mire to the vtter destruction of many a one vnles the lord of his great mercy geue them grace to repent and turne in time Oh world of wickednes and case most lamentable that euer any man to whome the Lorde hathe geuen any of hys good gifts should now apply the same to the destruction of his christian bretherne and Sisters for whome Christ shed his most precious bloud Alas that euer there shoulde be any such vnthankfulnes found amongest those that beare the name of gospellers It had bene muche better for such vnles they in time repent that they had neuer knowen the gospell then thus beastly to abuse their knowledge not only to the terrible destruction of themselues but also of many other simple soules whiche woulde neuer haue bene presēt or pertakers with the Antichristes at their Babilonical superstition had it not bene for such tēpting Serpents which haue subtely deceyued them vnder a pretence of knowlege Oh miserable blynd guides and blynd leaders of the blind who can sufficiently lament your wofull state into the which your worldly wisdom hath brought you hath god for your ingratitude so geuen you vp to your selues that you can nowe finde in your hart with your knowledge to go about to destroy that thing which you ought chiefly to edifie I meane the church of Christ wherof you pretend to be members also to erecte and edifie the thing which God he knoweth you ought by al lawful meanes to pul down destroy I meane the Sinagoge of Sathā or malignant church of Antichrist Ful well am I assured O you holow harted hypocrites that the pestilent papists thēselues neither by feare nor flattery coulde euer haue bene able to haue brought so many simple soules that had some zeale to gods word to the presence of their deuilyshe Idolatry if you such lyke carnal gospellers had not holpe thē aswel with your lying persuasions as also with your deuelysh doings most wicked exāples Therfore I must nedes say that you haue shewed your selues to be greater enemies to the church of Christ dearer scends to the church of Antichrist then the very papistes thē selues be Verely you are farre fitter instrumentes for the deuill to vse his disceate by then the papistes be they neuer so ranck yea to saye the truth you are a farre sweeter bayte to catche the simple soules that do not suspect you then the fynest papists vpon the whole earth For is not this a swete kind of gospelling trow you to the senses of the carnall man to come tel him that is somthing feareful worldly minded with al that he may by the word of God lawfully go to church do al things outwardly as the papists do only let his hart be towardes god and al shal be well enough yea and so he may liue be quiet saue his landes goods and do much good an other way many a day to come when the gospel shal come again c and to make this bayte yet somthing more sweter more subciller to deceaue to garnishe the same with diuerse sayings and examples of the holy scriptures which at the fyrst blush before they be wel weighed seme to make somthing for your purpose thinke you I say that thys is not a swete slight of the subtill Serpent to deceaue the simple soules of carnall wauering minded men withal Yes verelye for this is as the Prophet Ezechiell sayeth a sowing of pyllowes vnder al arme wholes EZec. 13. and bolsters vnder the heades of young and olde to catch soules and to lay the conscience a slepe vpon But when the tyme shall come that God doth waken them then will such slepers say with the Prophet woe be to thē that so haue done Woe be vnto such vngodly gospellers that geue such counsel vnto carnall mē making them by euill meanes to seeke to saue their liues wherby they are like vtterly to lose the same both in body soule for euer These be the enemies of the crosse that Saint Paule speaketh of Phil. 3. which with swete preaching flatteryng wordes deceaue vnstable soules These do not choose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioye the pleasure of synne for a litle season esteming the rebukes of Christe to bee greater ryches then all the treasures of Egipte Heb. 11. Matth. 8. as good Moses dyd But these godlesse hypocrites with the Gergesites set more by their Porkettes then by the companye of Christe and therefore haue they not onelye desyred hym but also compelled him to depart oute of their coastes and in hys stead they haue gently receaued the Deuill and Antichriste hys eldest sonne yea with all their force and might they haue brought him in againe as a good Swineheard to kepe
is a good confession of Christ and his verity before the wycked world Oh that you would follow the good example of a great nuÌ„ber of your godly neighbours which are graciously escaped the snares of SataÌ„ are nowe where they serue the Lord with a safe conscience and enioy the right and free vse of hys worde and sacramentes followe them for the lordes sake get you hastely out of Sodom for surely the lorde is vtterlye minded to destroy it Lynger not as Lothe did if you loue your owne liues lest you find not altogether so much mercy at the lordes hands as he did for verely you haue tempted him to farre alredy haue to much despised his long sufferyng leuitie and gentlenes whiche ought to leade you to earnest and hartye repentaunce He hath mercifully forborne you these ij yeres past and more if he fynd no fruite in you shortly make reckening to be pulled vp by the rotes euery mothers sonne of you for the axe is alredy laid at the rote of EnglaÌ„d as it was by the Romains at the roote of the Iewes when Iohn Baptiste began hys preachyng I pray god that we fele not the sharpe stroke of it as they did Pray pray pray and repent in time conuerte to the lord that he may heale your backslidings before your woundes be vncurable I could here say much more but time wil not suffer me I trust this shal be sufficient to al such as haue any sparke of faythe loue or true feare of God As for the rest they are as a point with themselues whatsoeuer any man either write or say thei wil surely disseÌ„ble one way or other to saue their pigges yea thoughe they doe but put their names in the Popes bookes Wel yet saye not an other daye but that ye were warned and though it were but by a poore symple man yet it was by him that wisheth wealthe to all youre soules one that in this pointe hath told you the truth and he trusteth shortly you shal see him seale the same wyth his blood through the helpe of the good prayers of all you that truly repeÌ„t and mind vnfainedly to turne the lord in time As for the rest I wil pray for them but let them kepe their owne praiers to themselues in goddes name for I wil bee no pertaker wyth them sith I know the same is turned vnto sinne Thus with most harty thankes for all your benefites and manifolde kindnes shewed vnto me my poore brethren beseching god to recompence the same seuen folde into all your bosomes as I doubt not but he wil according to his vnfallible promises I do hartely coÌ„mit you al vnto gods most merciful defeÌ„ce who euer haue you al in his blessed kepyng Amen The blessyng of God be with you al Amen Your poore daily and most bounden Oratour Iohn Careles prisoner of the Lorde in the kinges Bench at all tymes abiding gods moste mercifull will and pleasure Pray for me for gods sake as I will neuer forget you by gods grace To hys VVyfe AS by the great mercye of God at the tyme of hys good wyl and prouidence appointed my dearely beloued wife you and I were ioyned together in the holy and christian state of godly matrimony as well to our great ioye and comfort in Christe as also to the encrease of his blessed churche and faithfull congregation by hauyng lawful children by and in the same with the which God of his mercy hath blessed vs praised be his name therfore euen so now by his merciful wil and deuine ordinaunce the tyme is come so farre as I can perceiue wherin he wyl for his glory and our eternal comfort dissolue the same and separate vs asunder agayne for a tyme. Wherfore I thought it good yea and my bounden duetye by this simple letter to prouoke stirre and admonish you to behaue your self in all your doinges sayinges and thoughtes most thankfully vnto our good God for the same And therefore my deare wyfe as you haue hartely reioyced in the lord ofteÌ„times geuen god thankes for his goodnes in bringing vs together in his holy ordinaunce euen so now I desire you wheÌ„ thys tyme of our separation shal come to reioyce with me in the lord and to geue him most harty thanks that he hath to his glory and our endles commoditie separated vs agayne for a little time and hathe mercifullye taken me vnto him selfe forth of this miserable world into his celestial kingdom beleuing and hoping also assuredly that God of his goodnes for his sonne Christes sake will shortly bryng you youre dere childâ—rne thether to me that we may most ioyfully together sing praises vnto his glorious name for euer And yet once again I desire you for the loue of god as euer you loued me to reioyce with me and to geue GOD continuall thankes for doing his most mercifull wil vpon me I heare saye that you doe oftentimes vse to repete this godlye sayinge the Lordes will be fulfilled Doubtles it reioiceth my pore hart to heare that report of you and for the Lordes sake vse that godly praier continually teach your children and family to say the same day and nighte and not onely to say it wyth your tonges but also with your hart mind ioyfully to submit your wil to gods wil in very dede knowing and beleuing assuredly that nothing shal come to you or any of yours otherwise then it shall be his almyghty fatherly good will pleasure for your eternall comfort and commodity Which thing to be moste true and certaine Christ testifieth in his holy gospell saying are not .ij. Math. 10. little sparrowes sold for a farthing and yet not one of them shal perish without the wil of your heauenly father And he concludeth saying feare not ye therfore for ye are better theÌ„ many sparowes As though he should haue said if god haue such a respecte and care for a poore sparrow whiche is not worth one farthing that it shal not be takeÌ„ in the lime twig nette or pitfall vntil it be his good wyll and pleasure you may be wel assured that not one of you whom he so derely loueth that he hath geuen his only dere sonne for you shal perish or depart forth of this miserable life without his almighty good will and pleasure Therfore deare wyfe put your truste and confidence wholy and only in him and euer pray that his wyll be fulfilled and not yours excepte it be agreeing to his wil the which I praye GOD it may euer bee Amen And as for worldly things take you no care but bee you well assured the Lorde your deare God and father wyll not see you nor yours lacke if you continue in his loue and childly feare and kepe a cleare conscience from al kind of idolatry superstition and wickednes as my trust is that you will doe althoughe it bee with the losse and daunger of this temporall life And good
Margaret feare not them that can but kil the bodye and yet can they not do that vntill God geue them leaue but feare to displease him that can kill both body and soule and cast them into hel fire Let not the remembraunce of your children kepe you from God The Lorde hymselfe wil be a father and a mother better then euer you or I could haue bene vnto them He himselfe will do al things necessary for them yea as much as rocke the cradell if nede be He hath geuen his holy aungels charge ouer them therfore coÌ„mit them vnto hym But if you may liue with a cleare conscience for els I would not haue you to lyue and see the bringyng vp of your children your self loke that you nourture them in the feare of God and kepe them farre from Idolatry superstition and all other kynd of wickednes and for gods sake helpe them to some learning if it bee possible that they may increase in vertue godly knowledge which shal be a better dowry to mary them withal then any worldly substaunce and when they be come to age prouide them such husbandes as feare god and loue hys holye worde I charge you take heede that you matche them wyth no papistes and if you lyue and marrye agayne your self which thing I would wishe you to do if nede require or els not good wyfe take heede howe you bestowe your selfe that you and my poore children be not compelled to wickednes But if you shal bee able well to lyue gods true widowe I would counsell you so to lyue stil for the more quietnes of your selfe and your poore children Take hede Margaret play the wise womaÌ„s part You haue warning by other if you wil take an example And thus I committe you my swete children vnto gods most merciful defence The blessing of god be with you god send vs a mery meeting together in heauen Farewel in Christ farewel myne own deare harts all Pray pray To my deare Syster M. C. THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus christ the coÌ„tinuall comfortes of his most pure and holy spirit be wyth you my deare and faithful louing Sister and comforte your harte with the plenteous consolation in Christ that with the aboundance of the same you may according to your old custome comfort me in my sorowful estate that I may be occasioned therby to praise the lord with and for you and other his deare children Amen Albeit my dere faithful louing Sister that it were now my part very duty to shew myself so coÌ„fortable ioyful in god for the greate triuÌ„phe glorious victory that he hathe so graciously geueÌ„ vnto his dere faithful child good M. Philpot that you al other whose sorrowes I dare saye are much encreased might be solaced by the same yet alas such is my losse lack of him that I caÌ„not but so sore lameÌ„t the same that I feare me I shal not onely discoÌ„fort you therw t but also displease god which for my siÌ„ne hath takeÌ„ him away And thoughe it had ben both mine honesty duty seing my self to be in so much sorrow to haue kept the same to my self not to haue encreased yours therwith yet could I no loÌ„ger forbeare but to coÌ„municate some part therof to the ende that you might communicate again to me either your ioy or sorrow whether so euer you haue most store of If your ioy in christ haue the victory as doutles it ought to haue in the respect of gods glory which is so mightely set forth by his swete saint theÌ„ I pray you come to me as shortly as you can coÌ„municate some part thereof vnto me whose froward and stubborne harte cannot yet be coÌ„tent to preferre the good wil glorye of god before myne own wil coÌ„modity as I ought to do But if sorrow in you haue gotteÌ„ the vpper hand as in very dede it doth be guide to do in me good Sister come speake with me â—o loâ—e as you can that we may measure our mourning together and in coÌ„forting one an other may be both coÌ„strained to forget our sorrowes praise god with him who is now synging in solaâ—e â— hys swete companions that so constantly went before hym loking and wishing for vs two I dare wel say god graunt vs grace to follow their faith and fotesteppes vnto the end Amen Ah my dere harte me thinkes I am like a vessel of wine that after it hathe bene tumbled and tossed to and fro if it should not haue a vente would burst in pieces Euen so the takyng away of this very man of god whose swete coÌ„fort my poore soule doth lacke so tosseth and tormoileth my poore heuy harte that excepte I shoulde as it were wyth a vent expresse the same to god wyth weping teares and opeÌ„ the same to you wyth wordes and letters I thinke verelye it would burst in pieces which thyng were to me most happely welcome so that god were pleased therewithall Oh yf nature wil so worke in a wycked worldlyng to make hym hartely to lameÌ„t the losse of his frende by whose death he doth yet obtaine diuers commodities howe can it be but the tender harts that be mollified with the good spirit of god must nedes bewayle the taking awaye of those deare hartes by whose death they are depriued of so many heaueÌ„ly benefits which so farre without comparison do passe al earthly treasures Ah deare hart I neuer wiste what the benefit of that worthy Bradford was vntil now that I feele the wante of hys deare fellow Philpotte which full oft poured the precious water of lyfe and comforte vppon my poore afflicted foule But now alas for my great ingratitude negligence other my great sinnes god hath taken them bothe from me I shal no more hear theÌ„ in thys life the more is my sorrow declare vnto me the most coÌ„fortable message of gods great mercy towards me Their worthy writings alas shal no more bring me the most ioyfull newes and mery tidinges of the Gospel to tel me that al my horrible sinnes and offences are frely forgeueÌ„ me Oh my great losse which maketh me much to lament and so vexeth and tormenteth my minde that I cannot wel tel what I write Oh true token of gods terrible wrath agaynst me in takyng away suche precious iewels of comforte from me But iust is the iudgement of god against me for my synne which haue largely deserued to be depriued of their swete and comfortable company not onely in thys life but also in the lyfe to come But yet I know the Lord wil not so do but of his great mercy he hath taken theÌ„ at thys time froÌ„ me that I might make the more haste with harty desyre to be dissolued to be with them Oh gracious god how much is thy mercy How meruelous is thy louiÌ„g power how great is thy goodnes and the aboundance of thine exceding kindnes which
turnest all things to thy glory the commoditie of thy chosen children Oh make me so much to reioyce in the respecte of thy glory whiche thou so mightely hast magnifyed in thy swete Martyrs that the same may sone swallow vp my deserued sorrowes Amen Commend me to my good sister C. and bring her with you if you can Iohn was wonte to cōfort Mary but now good swete Maryes come comfort Iohn Written in hast with plentifull teares by your own in Christ Iohn Careles To my dere faithful brother Augustine Bernher THe peace of god in Iesus Christe the helpe comfort and assistance of his eternal spirit be with you my dere and faythful brother Augustine and with al the rest of my good brethren sisters of the houses of Baxterley Mancetur which mourneth for the miserye of gods people to your euerlasting consolation in him Amē Right glad I am to heare my deare faythfull brother Augustine that god of his great mercy infinite goodnes hath yet so graciously deliuered preserued you out of your enemies hands beseching almighty god also from the bottome of my hart to be your continual defence vnto the end as hetherto he hath most graciously bene that you may both liue die to gods glory the cōmodity of his church to the encrease of your own euerlasting ioy comfort in him Know you dere brother that I haue receaued your letter for the which I hartely thanke you Indede I thinke it verye short although it semeth somthing sharpely to rebuke me in the beginning for the breach of my promyse in not writing to you of this long time Wel brother I am cōtent to beare it with pacience cōsidering that you are troubled otherwise the Lord cōfort you and al heuie harts neither wil I spēd ynke paper for my purgatiō in this point God he knoweth whether I be so mindles of my promise as it appeareth in your sight I am Your request I will trulye performe to the vttermoste of my power as gladly as any poore wretch shall doe in the worlde and I thanke GOD I haue done no lesse of longe tyme. And as my poore prayer shall be a hand mayde to wayte vppon you whiche waye so euer you tyde or goe so I beseche you that my simple counsell maye take some place in you in thys time of your pilgrimage whiche you passe in no small parell GOD keepe and preserue you for his names sake I doe not disalowe but muche prayse and commende your hartye boldenesse in puttyng your selfe in preasse when any one of Gods people needeth your helpe in anye poynte But yet I woulde not haue you thruste your selfe in daunger when you can doe them no good or at least wyse when they maye well enoughe spare that good you woulde doe them For if you shoulde then chaunce to bee taken you shall not onelye bee no comforte vnto them but also a greate discomforte adding sorrowe vnto their sorrowe I doe not persuade you to absente your selfe from anye place where your presence of necessity is requyred for in all such places I know GOD will preserue you as he hath hetherto wonderfullye done praysed be his name therefore or if it shal please him to permitte you in any such place to bee taken I know he will moste sweetelye comforte your conscience with this consideration that it is the verye prouidence and appointmente of GOD that you shoulde there and then bee taken vppe for a witnesse of hys truth vnto the worlde but I can not allowe you nor bee contented that you shoulde rashelye or negligentlye thruste your selfe into that place where your wicked enemies doe continually haunte yea and laye waite for you when no necessitie of your selfe nor of anye other of Gods people doth require your companye Yf they neede anye of your Godlye counsell you maye write vnto them that thing that you thinke good whiche I dare saye will be sufficient vnto them For continuall thankes and prayses bee geuen vnto the euerlasting God there is none of those that be cruellye condemned for Gods truth that now be weakelings for they haue manfully passed through the pikes and they haue boldely abidden the brunte of the battel and therfore I recken the worst is past with thē alreadie So that nowe and then a Godlye letter from you to them shall doe as muche good as your companye shall doe and perchaūce more too For writing sticketh longer in the memorye then wordes doe yea thoughe your letters were as shorte to them as your laste was to me so that the same bee something sweter and not all thing so sharpe This deare brother is the simple coūsel which I would gladly haue you obserue partely for that I hartely pray for your preseruation to the commoditie of Christs church and partly for that I vnfainedly wish the peace comfort tranquilitie of your own conscience which I know will be quickly ready to accuse you if you do any thing wherein you haue not the worde of God for your warrante For in a glasse that is cleere a small mote wil sone appeare euen so the good conscience of Gods chosen children being more cleere then Christ all wil quickely accuse them at the least faulte they do commit where as the wicked worldlings haue their conscience clogged and corrupted throughe the custome of sinne that they can not once see nor perceaue their owne shameful deedes and wicked workes vntil GOD set the same before them for their vtter destruction and then dispayre they immediatly But seing the god hath geuē you a cleere conscience a pure sharpe quicke liuely sight in your soule I wold wishe you to beware that you do nothing vnaduisedly but vppon a good grounde For an accusing conscience is a sore thing whē death doth approche then Sathā wil not sticke to tel you that you haue to much tēpted god whē peraduēture you haue done nothīg so at all For this cause I saye partly I haue thought it good to admonish you as I haue done often to be circumspecte according to the counsel of Christ Math. 10. which biddeth you beware of men Other thinges I haue not for to write for I know this bearer can certefye you of al things at large better then I can declare it by writyng I beseche you good Augustine helpe me forwardes with your hartye prayers for I truste I haue but a smal time to tarye in this troublesome world Doctor Storye tolde oure Marshal that we should al be dispatched so sone as he came frō Oxforde whether he other bloodye butchers be gone to make slaughter of Christs shepe the lye there appointed to be slaine God for Christes sake put them and such lyke besides their cruell purpose if it bee his good will and pleasure Amen good Lord. I praye you doe my moste hartye commendations to my deare sister and faythfull frende good Mystres Marye Glouer I beseche GOD be her
comfort as I doubte not but he is I am very gladde to heare that shee doth so ioyfullye and so patientlye beare thys greate crosse that God hath layde vppon her I praye GOD strengthen her and all other hys deare Sainctes vnto the ende Amen Commende me vnto my deare and faythfull Sister Elizabeth B. I thanke her moste hartelye for my napkin and so I doe you deare brother for my sherte Trulye that daye that we were appoynted to come to oure aunsweare before the Commissioners whiche had sente worde the same morning that they woulde come to the Kynges Benche by viii of the clocke and the house and all thinges were trymmed and made ready for them I gotte that shert on my backe and that napkin in my hande and me thought that they dyd helpe to harnesse me and weapon me well to goe fighte agaynste that bloodye beaste of Babilon And truste me trulye if they hadde come I woulde haue stryken iij. strokes the more for your two sakes as well as GOD woulde haue abled me to haue sette them on as by Gods grace I will not fayle to doe at the nexte skirmyshe that I come to Wherefore I praye you praye for me that I maye be stronge and hardye to laye on good loade Oh that I myghte so strike hym downe that he shoulde neuer be able for to ryse agayne but that stroke belongeth only vnto the Lord to strike at his comming the whiche I truste will be shortly Oh hasten it good Lord and shorten these sorowful and sinnefull dayes for thy greate mercyes sake Fare well my deare and faythful brother the Lord defend kepe preserue you from the power of your enemies visible and inuisible and sende vs a moste ioyful and merye meting here or elswhere as it shall please hys goodnes to appoynt vs. In the meane space I shal most earnestly desire you to pray for me for I neuer had more nede in my life and doubtles you shal neuer want my poore prayer if it shal please god to accept the prayer of so synnefull a wretch as I am The Lord impute not my synnes to me for Iesus Christes sake vnto whose most mercifull defence I do most hartely cōmit you The blessing of God be with you now and euer Amen I pray you do my most harty commendations vnto M. Iohn Glouer I do not forget him in my daily prayers I trust he doth remember me Your pore brother alwaies mindful of you in my prayer Iohn Careles prysoner abyding gods pleasure To my deare brother Harry Adlington prysoner in the Lolardes Tower THe euerlasting peace of GOD in Iesus Christe the continuall ayde strength ioye and comforte of hys moste pure holye and mightye spirite with the encrease of fayth and liuelye feelyng of hys mercyes bee moste effectuouslye wroughte in your hart my deare and faythfull louing brother Adlington and in the hartes of all your other Godlye pryson fellowes to the full finishyng of that good woorke whiche the Lorde hath moste graciouslye begonne in you that the same maye be to the setting forth of his glorye the commoditye of hys poore afflicted Church and to your owne eternall ioye and comforte in him Amen My moste deare and faythfull louing brother in our Lord I with al the rest of my louing brethren here with me do moste humbly hartely commende vs vnto you with al faythfull remembrance of you in our daily prayers geuing god earnest thankes on your most happy behalfe for that he hath geuen you such hartye boldnesse and Christian constācye in the faithful confession of his euerlasting verity Blessed bee God for thee my dearly beloued brother which hath vouched thee worthye of so greate dignitie as to suffer for hys sake and the setting forth of his glorye Oh gladde in hart mayest thou bee to whom it is geuen not onelye to beleue in thy Lorde and Christe moste liuelye but also to suffer for hys sake as one of hys seelye shepe appoynted to the slaughter Be of good comforte therefore my good brother for your callynge vnto the crosse of Christe was after a merueilous sorte Surelye it was only the Lords appoyntmente and therefore he will well performe hys owne woorke in and vppon you to the greate magnifying of hys glorye and comforte of your brethren whose hartes are mightelye refreshed to heare howe hartelye you haue behaued your selfe hetherto Thys presente daye I receaued a letter from you at the reading whereof my brethren and I were not a litte comforted to see your conscience so quieted in Christe and your continuance so stedfaste in him whiche thinges be the speciall giftes of GOD not geuen vnto euery man but to you his deare dareling elect and chosen in Christe and suche as you be And where as you do require to know my simple minde concerning your aunsweare vnto Doctor Storye and the Chauncelour trulye I saye you did aunsweare them very well for there are but two Sacramentes in deede that is to saye the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Sacrament of the bodye and bloode of Christe as you haue full well aunsweared them praysed be God for hys good giftes who choseth the weake to confounde the stronge and the foolyshe to confounde the worldlye wyse If when you come before them againe they doe aske you what a Sacramente is saye you that a Sacramente being ministred according to Christes institution is a visible signe of an inuisible grace and hath the promyse of Gods mercye annexed vnto it auaileable to all suche as doe worthelye receaue it and not vnworthelye worshippe it as they woulde haue vs to doe contrarye to Gods commaundemente And these properties belonging to Christes true Sacramentes can not be applyed vnto anye one of those fiue Sacramentes whiche they haue inuented of their owne braine since Antichriste beganne to reigne to blinde the people with all I perceaue deare harte that vpon fridaye they do entende to condempne you and to geue you your iudgement Therefore I thinke they will haue no greate reasoning with you but bydde you aunsweare them directlye eyther yea or naye to all suche thinges as they haue to charge you with all whiche they haue gathered of you since you came into their cruell handes But if they will needes make manye woordes with you because you are but a simple man and therefore perchaunce they will be the busier with you to ttouble you with manye questions to comber your knowledge and then seeme to triumphe ouer you and that truth that you doe holde if I saye they doe thys as perhappes for some euill purpose they will then bee you so plaine and shorte as you can saying roundlye vnto them these or suche lyke woordes as nyghe as you can Bee it knowen vnto you that I in all pointes doe beleue as it becommeth a true Christian and as I haue bene truelye taughte in the daies of that good Kyng Edwarde of suche godlye Preachers and Prophetes sente of GOD as haue sealed their
victorye is once gotten you maye receiue the inmercessible crowne of glory of gods free gift through hys greate mercy in Iesus Christ our alone Sauiour To whome wyth the father and the holy ghost be all honour glory prayse thankes power rule and dominion for euer and euermore Amē The blessyng of God be wyth you all Iohn Careles ¶ To my faythfull and louyng brother VVilliam Aylsebury THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the continual aide strength comfortes of his most pure holye mighty spirite with the encrease of faith and liuely feelyng othys mercye be wyth you my deare and faythfull louyng brother W. Ailsebury to the increase of hys good gyftes in you and the full finishyng of that which the Lorde hath so gratiouslye begonne in you that the same maye bee to the setting forth of his glory the commoditye of hys poore afflicted churche and to your owne euerlastyng comforte in hym Amen Albeit my dere harte in the lord that at this very present my sorye slowe hande is something pestered with writyng to please my frendes which daily cal vpon me for the performance of my promise and duety towardes them by the meanes wherof I cannot now wryte vnto you in so ample maner as I fayne would yet lest by my to long silence my great ingratitude for your loue and godly letters shuld to muche appeare I haue here in haste scribled these fewe wordes vnto you desiring you to accepte the same in good parte vntyl the Lorde shall sende me a more conueniente tyme to expresse my good will and bounden dutye more largely vnto you promisyng you in the meane space that my poore praier shal supply that which wanteth otherwise as I trust you do not forget me in yours for verely I haue great nede of it My deare brother I thanke you most hartely for your godlye louing and moste comfortable letters in the which I do euidently perceiue the precious gyftes of God wherwith you are plentifully endued the Lorde be praised for you and from the bottome of my harte I do reuerence his spirite in you Wherfore my good brother bee not negligent in the talent that God hath deliuered vnto you but diligently applye the same as I knowe well you doe that the Lorde may receiue his owne wyth vauntage and you the rewarde of a faythfull seruaunt at the tyme of hys most ioyefull returne Truely I wyl not speake it to flatter you neither would I prouoke you to vaine glory but I wyll saye as I see iuste cause that god hathe aboundantly blessed you with the swete knowledge and pure vnderstandyng of his holy worde Be alwaies thankefull vnto god I charge you and humble and meke in your owne sight that GOD onely may haue al the glory from the bottome of your hart And loke that you be very circumspect in al your life conuersation that the light of your good workes may so shine before men that they may be occasioned to glorify your heauēly father on your behalfe Be diligent in your doings and quick trusty in al your Maisters busines that you go about that by al meanes you maye do honour to the doctrine of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Remēber that Sathan nowe wyll haue greater spite at you then at many other because you are such a mortall enemy to his kingdome on enerye syde Therefore bee you sure he will nowe lie bitynge at your heele to see if he can geue you a fall anye manner of waye that he myght make the truth of that godly doctrine which you constantly confesse to be slaundered by the meanes therof I knowe well that Sathans thoughtes are not hidde from you 2. Cor. 2. I doubt not but you will be more circūspecte thē I can declare notwithstanding I thought it my bounden duty to warne you as one whom I loue as myne owne soule wyshing you all the good I can possible Commend me vnto my deare frend Iohn Manning and thanke him for his manifold kindnes I am much to blame for him but if the lord do spare my lyfe a litle longer I wil write somthing to him for a remembraunce when I am gone Desire hym to praye for me as I do not forget hym I haue sente you your writinges agayne wyth thankes I pray you write me a copye of that cōcerning the Trinitie for I lyke it meruelous wel it is so briefe pithy I haue no leisure to write it yet wold I fayne haue it as knoweth the lord GOD to whose moste merciful defence I do hartely committe you wyth my good brother Iohn Manning that he with his grace and spirit wil guide you both with al the rest of his deare children vnto the ende Amen The blessing of God be with you nowe and euermore Amen Your owne vnfainedly Iohn Carelet prysoner of the Lorde Pray praye praye To my most faythefull and deare brother T. V. THe euerlasting peace of god in Iesus Christ the continuall comfortes of his moste pure holy spirit be with you my deare and faythfull brother V. and in all thinges make you ioyfull throughe the liuelye feeling of hys fatherly mercy and godly prouidēce for you that you hauing daily more and more the sure sence of the same may be able of your owne good experience perfectly to comfort me and all other with the same comfort which you haue and further shal receiue of god who blesse and kepe you now and euer Amen I cannot expresse my deare harte in the Lord howe my ioyes do increase to see how god of hys great mercye dothe daily adde vnto his true church and poore afflicted congregation such as he in Christ hath elected to saluation before the foundation of the world was laid of which most happy nūber preserued only by his free mercy and grace the lorde no doubte hath chosen and doth recken you for one and hath registred your name in his booke of life where it shal remaine for euer and that so sure that neither Sathan deathe sinne nor hell shall euer be able to blot or scrape out the same thoughe for the further proofe and triall of your faith god many times suffreth the same to appeare to your senses farre contrary Reioyce therefore and with gladnes geue god most humble prayse and harty thankes that euer you lyued to see this day in the which he hath surely sealed you with his holy mighty spirite vnto the day of your final redemption and most happy deliueraunce from all corruption God make the same certayn vnto you by thou true testimony of the holy ghost in your hart whose witnes vnto your spirit that you are the adopted sonne of God is more sure and certain then al the outward oracles in the world And as this most true heauenly doctryne doth bring al mirth ioy peace and quietnes vnto a christian conscience so doth it set Satan in a most sore rage malice against the same for that auncient enemye of ours
caÌ„not abide that we shoulde altogether hange and depend vpon god our most deare father with full trust and confidence He woulde not haue vs thoroughly persuaded of his great loue kindnes towards vs yea of his most fatherly care prouideÌ„ce for vs his dere childreÌ„ For the enemy knoweth that whosoeuer hath faithfully conceiued this true opinion of God shall by the same be allured yea forced and constrained to set all his loue and hartes delighte vpon the lorde agayne and in respect of the same onely be willing to serue him in true holines and righteousnes all the dayes of hys lyfe yea of loue and childlye feare seke to please him be lothe to offend hym redy with good wil to suffer all thyngs for his sake which be the points and properties belonging to the lordes elect Therefore aboue all thinges â–ª Sathan seeketh to darken and make dymme this doctryne of oure saluation yea cleane to quenche it out if he could and to bryng vs from this persuasion of gods spirite vnto distrust and infidelitie which is the very roote and fountayne where hence al other wickednes doth spryng for whatsoeuer is not done of thys faith and godly persuasion is sinne in the syght of god how glorious soeuer it doth appeare in the syght of men Let vs therfore aboue all thinges praye for the encrease of faythe by the lyghte whereof we doe perfectlye see in oure good Christ God to be presently ours with all that euer he is or can be and shall be for euermore Let vs hold thys faste as the sure shore ancker of our soule and though Satan styrre vp neuer so many stormes and teÌ„pestes of trouble and persecution or neuer so many foule and foggy mistes of darkenes and heresies yet shall our shippe sayle in safety for god himselfe is our lodes man and his holy and mighty spirite is the Maister marriner and both can and wil guide conduct vs into the hauen of health and port of euerlasting safegard Therfore let vs say with Dauid that though the waues and ragyng surges of the seas be meruailous yet the Lord is more mighty and meruailous and can styl them wyth a word Alas I am here constrained to make an ende eueÌ„ in the middest of my letter truly I haue bene faine by occasioÌ„s that hath come to lay aside this letter vi or vij tymes since I begaÌ„ Therefore take it in good worth as it is an other time I trust to finishe the same to your comfort and to the accoÌ„plishyng of my dutye towardes you to whome I doe owe my selfe and all that I can doe as knoweth God to whose most mercifull defence I doe hartely commit you my deare brother V. al the rest of his deare darlinges whom I loue as myne owne soule and thanke God for your loue to me The blessyng of God be with you all Amen Yours vnfainedly Iohn Careles prysoner of the Lorde at all tymes abyding hys moste mercyfull wyll and pleasure Pray for me for gods sake â–ª as I wyll neuer forget you To my most deare and faythefull brother T. V. THe euerlastyng peace of god in Iesus Christ the continuall ioy and comforte of hys moste pure holye and mightye spirite with the encrease of faith and liuely feling of his mercy be wyth you my deare hart in the Lorde and faithful louyng brother T. V. to the ful accomplishing of that good worke which he hath so gratiously begonne in you that the same by al meanes may be to the setting forth of his glory to the coÌ„moditie of his poore affliced congregation and to the swete coÌ„fort and quietnes of your conscience in hym now and euermore Amen With such due honour loue and reuerence as it becommeth me to beare vnto the swete saintes and dearely beloued children of god I haue me most hartely coÌ„mended vnto you my dere brother V. wyth al earnest and faythful remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of you in my daily praiers thanking God right hartely that you do likewyse remember me in yours assuryng you that my poore harte dothe dailie feele greate consolation thereby GOD onely haue the praise for the same and all other his benefites Ah my deare harte in the lord well is me that euer I was borne that God of hys great mercy and infinite goodnes hathe vsed me moste miserable wretche at anye tyme as his instrument to minister anye thyng vnto you either by worde or writing that might be an occasion of your ioye and comforte in the Lorde and a prouoking of you to praise and thankesgeuing vnto GOD for the same as your most louing and godlye letter seemeth to importe Oh happie am I that the Lorde hathe appointed me vnto so good a grounde to sowe his seede vpon but much more happy are you whose harte the lord hath prepared and made so meete to receiue the same so effectuouslye geuing thereto the sweete showres and heauenlye dewes of hys grace and holye spirit that it may bring forthe fruites in due season accordingly the encrease wherof we shal shortly reape together with perfect ioy gladnes that continually Therfore my deare brother I say vnto you as good Elizabeth did to her dere cosin Mary happy are you Luke â— happy shal you be for euermore because you haue beleued The most swete faithful promises of your redemer Iesus christ you haue surely laid vp in the treasury of your hart His coÌ„fortable callinges you haue faithfully heard his louing admonitions you haue humbly obeyed and therfore you shall neuer come into iudgement your synnes shal neuer be remembred for your sauiour hath cast them all into the bottome of the sea Miche 7 Psal â—03 he hath remoued them from you as farre as the East is froÌ„ the West hath geuen you for an euerlasting possession his iustification and holines so that now no creature neither in heauen nor in earth shal be able to accuse you before the throne of the heauenly kyng Satan is now iudged he is now cast out froÌ„ you he hath no parte in you you are wholy geuen vnto Christ which wil noâ— lose you your stedfast fayth in him hath ouercome that sturdie bragging prince of the worlde Christ hath geuen you the final victory ouer him and al his army that they shal neuer hurt you What would you haue more Oh my deare hart how great treasures are layde vppe in store for you and howe glorious a crowne is already made prepared for you And albeit the holy ghost doth beare witnes of all these thynges in your hart maketh you more sure and certayne therof then if you had all the outward oracles in the worlde yet I beyng certainly perswaded fully assured by the testimony of gods spirit in my coÌ„science of your eternal sure saluatioÌ„ in our swete Sauiour Iesus Christ haue thought it good yea and my bounden duty not only at this tyme to write vnto you and to shew my ioyfull
hart in that behalf but also by the worde and commaūdement of Christ to pronounce and affirme in the name and worde of the heauenly king Iehouah and in the behalfe of hys swete sonne Iesus Christ our lorde to whome all knees shall bowe whom al creatures shall worship and also by the impulsion of the holy ghost by whose power and strengthe all the faythfull be regenerate I do I say pronounce to thee my deare brother T. V. that thou art already a citizen of heauen The lord thy God in whom thou doest put all thy trust for hys deare sonnes sake in whome thou doest also vndoubtedlye beleue hath freely forgeuen thee all thy synnes clearely released all thyne iniquities and fully pardoned all thyne offences be they neuer so many so greuous or so great and will neuer remember them any more to condemnation As trulye as he liueth he wil not haue thee die the death but hath verely determined purposed eternallye decreed that thou shalt liue with him for euer Thy sore shal be healed and thy woundes bound vp euē of him self for his own names sake He doth not nor will not loke vpon thy synnes in thee but he respecteth beholdeth thee in christ in whō thou art liuely graffed by fayth in his blood and in whom thou art most assuredly elected and chosen to be a swete vessell of his mercye and saluation and waste thereto predestinate in him before the foundation of the world was layde In testimonye and earnest whereof he hath geuen thee his good and holye spirite which worketh in thee fayth loue and vnfayned repentance with other godly vertues contrary to the corruption of thy nature Also he hath commaunded me this daye although a most vnworthy wretch to be a witnesse hereof by the ministerye of his holy woorde grounded vppon the truth of his most faythful promises the which thou beleuīg shalt liue for euer Beleuest thou this my dere hart I know well thou doest beleue The Lord encrease thy fayth geue thee a liuelye feeling of all his mercyes whereof thou arte warranted and assured by the testimonye of the holy ghoste who confirme in thy conscience to the vtter ouerthrowing of Sathan and those his most hurtful dubitations wherby he is accustomed to molest and vexe the true childrē of god all that I haue sayd and by gods grace I will as a witnes therof confirme seale the same with my blood for a most certaine truth Wherefore my good brother prayse the Lorde with a ioyfull hart and geue hym thankes for thys his exceding greate mercye casting awaye all dubita◠on and waueryng yea all sorrowe of harte and pensiuenesse of minde for this the Lord your God and moste deare and louing father commaundeth you to do by me nay rather by his own mouth and worde pronounced by me But nowe my deare brother after that I haue done my message or rather the Lordes message in deede I could fynde in my hart to write ij or .iij. sheetes of paper declaryng the ioye I beare in my hart for you myne owne bowels in the Lord yet the time being so shorte as you do wel knowe I am here constrayned to make an ende desiring you to pardon my slacknesse and to forgeue my great negligence towardes you promising you still that so long as my poore life doth last my praier shall supplye that my penne doth want as knoweth the almighty god to whose most mercifull defence I do hartely commit you all other his deare children as wel as though I had rehearsed them by name desiring them most hartely to remember me in their harty daily prayers as I know right well they do for I feele the daily comfort and commoditie therof and therfore I neither will nor can forget them nor you or any such like The blessing of God be with you all Amen Yours for euer vnfaynedlye Iohn Careles still carefull for you prisoner for the testimony of gods euerlasting truth abiding his most blessed will and pleasure Pray p.p.p. To my deare frend and faythfull Syster Mystres Marye Glouer THe same euerlasting god and most gracious good Lord that blessed Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph and comforted them in al their crosses troubles manifolde afflictions yea preserued them prouided for thē in al extreme parell daunger and necessities blesse comfort preserue and kepe you with al your swete children and familye my deare frende and faythfull Sister in the Lord good Mystres Mary Glouer with and by the power of his holy and mighty spirite our eternal comforter nowe and for euermore Amen Ah my deare frende what shall I saye or howe shall I comforte you in thys great crosse that GOD hath layd vppon you in taking home to hym selfe those his blessed Sainctes whom he for a time lente you Verelye I am afrayde least I shall renewe your sorrowes in speaking of them But my deare hart let that bee farre from you rather now with them reioyce in GOD for their greate glory triumphe and victorye euer submitting with all meekenesse your will vnto his whiche onely is good and woorketh all thinges for your beste of whiche thing if you bee fullye and throughly perswaded you can by no meanes lacke spiritual ioy and comforte Wherof in fewe wordes I wil something saye althoughe I doubte not but you knowe it alreadye though perhappes now sorrow doth a litle darkē the same as at times it hath done in many good men but fayth is of such force and power if it be vnfayned that it will with Ionas forth of the Whales bellye crye vnto the Lorde and bring from him the comfortes of his spirite and promyses whiche chiefelye do consiste in that whiche is rehearsed in the fyrste commaundement Heare Israel sayth the Lorde I am thy Lord GOD and thou shall loue me c. Beholde with a stedfaste and liuely fayth this swete saying and commaundement of God He biddeth vs heare geue credence To what I pray you Forsooth that he of his goodnes hath geuen him selfe wholye vnto vs to bee oure owne peculiar and proper possession for euer Psal 16. as the Prophet Dauid doth pleasauntlye syng The Lord him selfe sayth he is my portion and enheritaunce my lotte is fallen vnto me in a happye grounde c. Oh gracious GOD what a thing is this that the greate Lorde Iehouah that omnipotente GOD whiche made heauen and earth the sea and all that is therein vppon whose prouidence all thinges doe depende at whose onelye becke both Aungell and deuill muste bee fayne to obeye Oh Lorde I saye what a thing is this that he will vouchsafe to geue him selfe wholye to be ours with all that euer he maye bee Oh what are we moste vyle dounge earth and ashes yea most wicked cattiffes and horrible sinners that he woulde vouche vs worthye of this greate benefite whiche can not bee expressed wyth the tounges of men or Aungels Thys muste we now nedes thynke and beleue
of GOD or elles we doe moste wickedly transgresse the greate and fyrste commaundemente But doe we obeye and beleue that thys is true So shall we of force by the same bee constrayned to fulfyll the seconde parte that is to saye loue hym wyth all oure harte c. For whoe seeing the goodnesse of GOD towardes hym in Iesus Christe for whose sake onelye he hath geuen hym selfe wholye to bee oures in most large ample wise that may be who I say seing thys woulde not with all his hart soule and minde loue the Lord againe and of loue not only leaue the doing of such things as might displease him but also be ready and willing to doe what so euer is acceptable in his sight yea moste gladly and ioyfullye suffer what soeuer he wil appoint vs to do for his sake knowing assuredly that nothing can come vnto vs no not the diminishing of one heare of our head wtout his good wil pleasure and merciful appointment and that he louing vs so wel that he would geue hys sonne him selfe the holye ghoste and finally all other thinges in Christe to vs will not appoynt any thing vnto vs otherwise then shall bee to the setting forth of his glory and our euerlasting commoditie This great aboundaunt bottomles loue and mercye of god did holy S. Paule depely feele when he made that bold proclamation in the latter ende of the .8 Chap. to the Rom. saying who is it or what is it that shal bee able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu our Lord Reade the whole Chapter often times I besech you Thus deare hart you see the eternall loue fatherly care prouidence of God towardes you In respecte whereof I trust you do not onely caste al your care vpon him but also most louingly obeye him in all his holy ordinaunces euermore meekely submitting your will vnto his in all and euery thing knowing that the same wil make all thinges turne to your beste and that without his pleasure a poore sparow shall not peryshe in the foulers nette muche lesse you or your deare husband your good Vncle M. Latymer or any of yours Let this fayth and godlye persuasion euer more be firme in your hart without doubting or wauering for â—ouâ— it al that euer you go about is in vaine yea without this faith in God you can not please him you can not commit and betake your self wholy vnto him you can not truly feare him you can not loue him in deede you can not call vpon him or hartely praye vnto him neither yet prayse him a tyght Therefore let this be your alone and continual endeuour to be confirmed more and more of this that GOD is your owne moste deare louing father throughe Christ that he hath a moste tender care ouer you and for you as alwayes he hath hadde and euer wyll haue both in soule and body for this life for eternal life how so euer things haue or shal happeÌ„ to appeare vnto you According to this your fayth and as you beleue so shal it be vnto you and as you thinke god to be vnto you so shal you feele him Thinke therfore swetely of the lord of his goodnes thaÌ„ke him most hartely that euer he would vouch you worthy to sustaine the losse of your chefest treasures in earth for his sake and that he would euer geue you any thing to bestowe for his loue And as you prayse the Lord for his great mercyes manifolde benefites so largelye geuen vnto you before many other so do you faythfully pray vnto him that he wil continue hys louing kindnes towards you and kepe you blamelesse through loue in Christ vnto the ende yea make you worthye stronge and able to suffer the losse of your owne life for the testimonye of his truth whiche as your good Vncle sayde to me once and your deare husband full often is the greatest promotion and dignitie that God can bring vs vnto in this life yea it is an honour which the highest Aungells in heauen be not permitted to haue And in this your hartye and faythfull prayer I doe moste humblye require you to remember me a moste miserable wretch I feare me not compted worthye to become one of his constante witnesses vnto the worlde in such sorte as I woulde fayne be pray for me my deare hart pray for me as I will neuer forgette you nor your blessed childreÌ„ so long as I am in this prison of the body CoÌ„mende me vnto Hewgh Glouer Marmaduke and to their younger brother and sister The Lord god comfort and blesse them and poure his good spirite vpon them wherewith their good father was plentifully endewed I praye you do my hartye commendations vnto my good brother her Augustine and his wife and I hartely thanke you for your goodnesse towardes them Desire them also to praye for me for now the needefull time doth approche I prayse God I am more harty then euer I was and so I beseche hym to make you all to bee I haue manye thinges to say more but I am here constrayned to make an end Al my doinges come to an ende with extremitie God graunt that I may enter into his glory through the straite gate though I struggle striue thrusting amonge the preasse with great violence I beseche you yet once againe all my deare frends in god to ayde strengtheÌ„ me with your praiers as I wil neuer forget any of you so long as this wrasteling life of mine doth laste as knoweth God to whose most merciful defence I do hartely coÌ„mitte you and al yours The swete blessing of god the father the sonne the holy ghoste be with you all Amen Your dayly and most bounden Oratour Iohn Careles prysoner of the Lorde pray praye for me in fayth To my good brother M. Iohn Bradford THe peace of god in Iesus Christ the eternal coÌ„fort of his swete spirite which hath surely sealed you vnto eternall saluation be with you and strengthen you in your ioyfull iourney towards the celestial HierusaleÌ„ my deare frend and most faythfull brother M. Bradforde to the setting forth of Gods glory and to your eternall ioy in Christ Amen Euer since the good M. Philpot shewed me your last letter my deare hart in the lord I haue continued in great heuynes perplexitie â–ª not for any hurt or discoÌ„moditie that I caÌ„ perceaue comming towardes you vnto whom doubtles death is made life and great felicitie but for the greate losse that gods chuch here in England shal sustaine by the taking away of so godly worthy and necessary an instrument as the lord hath made you to be Oh that my life a thousand such wretched liues moe might goe for yours Oh why doth god suffer me such other Caterpillers to liue that caÌ„ do nothing but consume the almes of the church and take away you so worthy a workmaÌ„ labourer in the Lords vineyard But woe
be to our sinnes great vnthankfulnes which is the greatest cause of the taking away of such worthy instruments of god as shold setforth his glory instruct his people If we had bene thankful vnto god for the good ministers of his worde we had not bene so sone depriued both of it and them The Lord forgeue our great ingratitude and sinnes geue vs true repentance fayth holde his hand of mercy ouer vs for hys dere sōne Christs sake Take not away al thy true preachers forth of this realme O lorde but leaue vs a sede least England be made like vnto Sodome Gomore when thy true Lothes be gone But what go I about to mīgle your mirth with my mourning your iust ioy with my deserued sorowe If I loued you in dede as I haue pretēded I should surely reioyce with you most hartely prayse god on your behalfe frō the very bottome of my hart I should prayse god day night for your excellēt electiō in through his great mercy should geue him most hūble thankes for your vocation by his gospel your true knowlege in the same I should earnestly praise him for your swete iustificatiō wherof you are most certain by gods grace spirite and should instantly pray vnto him for your glorificatiō which shal shortly ensue I shold reioyce be glad to see you so dignifyed by the crowne of martirdome and to be appointed to that honour to testifie hys truth to seale it with your blood I should highly extolle the lord who hath geuē you a glorious victory ouer al your enemies visible inuisible hath geuē you grace strēgth to finishe the tower that you haue begonne to build Finallye if I loued you I should most hartely reioyce bee glad to see you deliuered frō this body of sinne and vyle prison of the fleshe and brought into that heauenly tabernacle where you shal be safely kepte neuer offend him more This and much more should I do if I had a good hart towards god or you his deare child But alas I am an hypocrite and do seeke nothing but mine own cōmoditie I would haue gods euerlastīg prouidēce geue place to my peuish wil purpose although it were to the hinderance of his glory your swete cōmoditie God forgeue me my horrible ingratitude sinnes and offences against hym and good brother do you forgeue me my great negligence and vnthankfulnes towards you and hence forth I promise you I wil put my will to Gods will and pray that the same may be fulfilled in you so longe as you be on this earth and whē you are taken hence I wil most hartely prayse the Lord for you so long as I haue my being in this world Ah my deare harte now I muste take my leaue of you and as I thinke my vltimum Vale in this life but in the life to come I am ryght well assured we shall merely meete together and that shortly I trust And in taking of my leaue of you my deare hart in the lord I shall desyre you faythfully to remember all the sweete messages that the Lord our good God and moste deare louing father hath sent you by me his most vnworthye seruaunte whiche as they are moste true so shall they bee moste truely accomplyshed vppon you eternally and for the more assuraunce and certificate thereof to youre Godlye conscience he hath cōmaūded me to repete the same vnto you again in his own name word Therefore now geue eare faithful credence Harken O ye heauens thou earth geue eare and beare me witnes at the great day that I do here faithfully truly the lords message vnto his deare seruant his singularly beloued elect child Iohn Bradford Iohn Bradford thou man so specially beloued of god I pronounce testifie vnto thee in the word name of the lord Iehouah that al thy sinnes whatsoeuer they be be they neuer so many so greuous or so great be fully frely pardoned released forgeuen thee by the mercy of god in Iesus Christ thine only Lord and swete Sauiour in whom thou doste vndoubtedly beleue Christe hath clensed thee with hys bloode clothed thee with hys righteousnes hath made thee in the sight of god his father without spot or wrinckle So that whē the fier doth his appointed office thou shalt be receaued as a swete burnt sacrifice into heauen where thou shalt ioyfully remaine in gods presēce for euer as the true inheritour of his euerlasting kingdome vnto that which thou wast vndoutedly predestinate ordayned by the lords vnfallible purpose decree before the foundatiō of the world was layd And that this is most true that I haue said I cal the whole Trinitie the almighty eternal Maiestie of god the father the sonne the holy ghoste to my recorde at this present whom I humbly besech to confirme stablishe in thee the true and liuely feling of the same Amen Selah Now with a mery hart a ioyfull spirite something mixed with lawfull teares I take my farewell of you mine owne deare brother in the Lord who send vs shortly a mery meting in his kingdome that we may both sing prayses together vnto him with his holy Angels blessed spirites for euer euer Farewel thou blessed of the lord farewell in Christ depart vnto thy rest in the Lord pray for me for Gods sake As I had made an end of this simple letter I heard some comfort both of good Maister Philpottes seruant yours but alas I do scarcely beleue them Wel I wil hope in god and pray al night that god will sende me some comforte to morrow if the Lord geue you sparing to morrow let me heare .iiij. words of comfort frō you for gods sake The blessing of god be with you now and for euer Amen Yours for euer in the Lord Iesus Iohn Careles liuyng in hope agaynst hope To a faythfull frende of hys by whome he had receyued much comforte in hys trouble and affliction THe peace of God in Iesus Christ wyth the eternall comfort of hs swete spirite bee wyth you my deare brother now and euer Amen Ah my dere faithfull brother what hūble praise harty thākes am I boūd cōtinually to rēder vnto god for you in that he hath made you so worthy and comfortable an instrument vnto me his most vnworthy seruaunt in this tyme of my great conflict This is the cōflict whereby Sathan hath alwais sought to molest and vexe the true childrē of god to plucke them from the hope of their saluatiō in Christ ▪ Read psal 77.88.22 31.38.69 and concernyng this matter reade before fol. 152 194. 288. 325. the whole letter followyng not onely against flesh and blood but also against the spirituall power of darkenes In which wrestling though I be very weake yet haue I I thanke God most hartely therefore receiued such
these boysterous wyndes that blow The Lord can lay them when he luste And bring the raging waues full lowe But your safegard shall styl remayne In a strong castell of defence God graunt vs well to meete agayne With myrth and ioye in his presence Iohn Careles To the afflicted Christian ☞ Feare not for death passe not for handes Onely in God put thy whole trust For god wil requyre thy blood at their hands And this thou doest know that once die thou must Onely for Christ thy lyfe if thou geue Death is no death but a meane for to lyue A letter of Doctor Taylour of Hadley written to his wife This pacâ—er is called syr Robert Bracher a false protesstant in Kyng Edwardes dayes afterward a deadlye enemye to that religion whiche he had professed and now is become a protesstante agayne serueth at S. Denys in LoÌ„don in Fannâ—-church strete calleth hym self Harry Bradshawe Thys pedler coÌ„myng to the buryal of hys frende and gods great enemye Walter Clarke of Hadley albeit he came somewhat to late to the market as he sayd yet beâ—ng desyrous to vtter hys ware opened there his packe ful of most pâ—stilent poysoned doctrine Thys was one of theÌ„ that so vnmercâ—fully thrust D. Taylours wife childreÌ„ out of the doâ—es as she hâ—◠〈◊〉 can testifye whiche we haue here placed as it came to our handes with certayne other letters following DEare wife I pray god be euer with vs through Christ our only Mediatour Amen I thanke you for my cap I am somthing proud of it for it is one steppe froÌ„ the cleargy in these dayes I thank god my harte is cleane deuided from their proceedings For I know that no maÌ„ can serue .ij. Maisters specially if they agree no better theÌ„ Christ Antichrist do I am glad that Hadley can skil of such packing ware as was brought thether the fyrst day of May last past Christes shepe caÌ„ discerne christs voice froÌ„ the voyce of straungers theues or hyrelings The packe bringer was sory that he came to late to the funeral market of hys faythfull frend But here I wil leaue theÌ„ both to Gods iudgement someting touche the matter wherof the packer made mentioÌ„ on his opening day At the first he called the scripture as I heare ful of darke sentences but in dede it is called of S. Dauid a candle to our fete a light to our pathes Our Sauiour Christe calleth his word the light which euyll doers do flye froÌ„ hate lest their dedes should be reproued therby S. Paul wold haue vs to walke as childreÌ„ of light in any wise not to coÌ„tinue in ignoraÌ„ce or darknes But al we in the world perteyn to .ij. princes eyther to the father of light truth or els to the prince of darknes lyes In these dayes preachers declare euidently of whoÌ„ they are sent and with what spirit they speake to what prince they belong For they cry out againste Gods lightes sunne moone sterres torches lampes lanternes cressets caÌ„dels in gods booke the Bible prouided of gods great goodnes mercy to auoyd al foule darknes cloudes mistes or daungerous doubtful waies in this our iourney to our heaueÌ„ly father long home mansioÌ„ houses derely purchased heritage Esay gods faithfull messenger sayeth woe be vnto theÌ„ that call sweete sower good euil light darknes Therfore coÌ„meth my people into captiuitie because they haue no vnderstaÌ„dyng Our sauiour Christ pronouÌ„ceth errours heresyes to remaine amoÌ„g the people so long as ignorance of the scriptures remaineth And hereby it appeareth to al good coÌ„sciences what they meane which defame or accuse gods blessed word being ful of light as though it were ful of darknes These oules wold haue al day lightes scraped out of bokes harts churches Oh lord turne their hartes tonges bowe theÌ„ froÌ„ the way of darkenes lest they go to the prince of darknes be cast into the paradise of vtter darknes where is weping gnashing of teeth Now touching the packes of wolle packes of cloth I feare they were as al other their wares be transsubstantiate into flockes eueÌ„ his very finest packing stuffe against only fayth iustifying â–ª for the corporal presence of Christes body in the sacrameÌ„t for praying for soules departed for auriculer coÌ„fessioÌ„ Abrahams iustification by faith by grace by promise not by workes is plainly setforth both in the Epistle to the Rom. cap. 4 to the Gala Cap 3. And Abrahams works of obedience in offring vp his sonne so long after his iustification must nedes be takeÌ„ as a fruit of a good tree iustifying before men not of iustificatioÌ„ before god for theÌ„ had maÌ„ to glorye in then did Christ die in vaine And where as the .6 chap. of S. Iohn was alleaged to proue the Christ did geue his body corporally in his supper eueÌ„ as he had promised in the said 6. chap. it is most vntrue For only he gaue his body sacramentally spiritually effectually in his supper to the faithfull Apostles and corporally he gaue it in a bloody sacrifice for the life of the world vpoÌ„ the crosse once for al. There in his own persoÌ„ in his own natural body he bare al our sines by whole stripes we were healed as S. Peter proueth 1. Pet. 2. Esay cap 53. In dede receauing Christs sacrameÌ„t accordiÌ„gly as it was instituted we receaue Christes body Christs blood euen as I sayd before the Apostles dyd But the popysh Masse is an other matter The Masse as it is now is but one of Antichristes youngest doughters in the which the deuill is rather present receaued then our Sauiour the .2 person in Trinitie god man O Lorde god heauenly father for Christes sake we besech thee to turne againe England to the right way it was in in King Edwardes tyme from thys babilonicall stewyshe spirituall whoredome conspiracye tyranny detestable enormityes false doctrine heresye hardnesse of hart and contempte of thy worde coÌ„mauÌ„dements froÌ„ this euident opeÌ„ Idolatry sacriledge simony blasphemy superstitioÌ„ hypocrisy transubstaÌ„tiate Angel of light day deuil kingdoÌ„e of lies foule vain schismes sectes sedition apostasie gaye swete poyson honied and sugered viperous venime wily woluishnes Sathanical subtiltye and abhomination in the sight of God and of all such as put on the true spectakles of holy scripture I am the more plaine now in this matter because I feare greatly the many wil be to much ready to go froÌ„ Christ to Antichrist from the Bible true gods seruice religioÌ„ to latine lying legendes portases Massebokes superstition They say their church can not erre in any point when in dede they be not of gods church and therefore they can do nothing but erre euen as they do almoste in all cases of true fayth But to come again to the packer rather theÌ„ preacher he briÌ„geth S. Chrisostomes sentence writing ad popuâ—uÌ„ antiochenum
might be the better by them if he returne not agayne Euen so dearly beloued and ryght worshipfull my good frendes I hauing shortlye to passe vnto my heauenly inheritaunce whiche is hidden with Christ to our common countrey and eternal dwelling place which we shal haue ◠god neuer to returne before the latter day in the whiche our soules shall come to iudgement and receaue their bodyes to be glorifyed according to their doings haue thought it my dutye to cōmunicate vnto you somthing with whō I haue foūd great humanitie of the fewe heauenly treasures with the whiche God among others hath endued me in Christe whereby he hath made me his childe and assuredly the enheritour of the kingdome of heauen wich all those which vnfaynedly loue him and constantly cleaue to his holy gospell and that is by the renouation of his Image whereunto man was first created lyke vnto god which is to be in the fauour of God to know God truly to liue iustely to delight feruently in the contēpplacion of God to bee continually happye to be immortall voyde of al corruption and sinne the which blessed Image through synne is deformed in vs and in maner loste sauing that it hath pleased GOD of his mercye who willeth not the death of a sinner to restore that Image by grace throughe knowledge and beliefe of the Gospell whiche otherwyse in our nature is cleane suppressed extinguished Therefore we knowing the greate and lamentable losse whiche we doe sustaine in Adam ought moste earnestly to seeke the recouerye thereof that we mighte eternallye liue like vnto God in immortalitie and felicitie the whiche we shall neuer recouer vnlesse we goe aboute to mortifye our outwarde man all the dayes of our life more and more and bee renewed in spirite according to the true knowledge of GOD the whiche if we bee then may we bee assured that we haue found that ioye felicitie and eternall life whiche Adam had in paradise yea and more then that tenne thousand folde for that it is suche as the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither the hart cā cōceaue which christ hath prepared for vs. This image of god whosoeuer by faith doth fynd he hath found the most precious treasure that any man can finde for he is euen here a citizen of heauen and in possession of eternal life Therefore I cōmit vnto you principally a dailye care of the renouation of this image as the chiefest iewel you can desire in this world And hereof now I am the more moued to put you in remembraunce because I loue you entierly in the lord and desyre your fellowshyp which the iniquity of our tyme will not permit me to enioy here And for asmuche as we haue a better life to come then this present is an eternall societie with Christ whiche neyther the malice of tyme neither the distance of place can dissolue or separate I exhort you now as one that hath obtained mercy of god in the reparacion of hys image in me to embrace the care therof with earnest desyre to attayn the same wherby we shal al haue a perfect fruition of our loue frendship which alreadye we haue here begon with god in heauen shal bee wythout all doute made ioyfully perfect Let this be a perpetual remembrance of your poore afflicted frend which daily loketh through fire to enter into that eternal life where he trusteth assuredly to enioy your fellowship if the image of god be renued in you through the knowledge of Christ which you haue receyued do know Loke whose image the coyne beareth his it is Semblably if your conuersation be after the gospell verely you are the elect of Christ but if it be according to the world his seruants you are whom your lyfe doth expresse We haue all in Baptisme put on Christ whom if we endeuour to represēt we are in dede the sonnes of God and inheritours wyth Christ One good rule S. Paule to the Rom. in the xij chap. doth appoint for the restauration of this our image of God Fashion not your selues saith he vnto thys world but be ye chaūged in your shape by the renewyng of your mynde that ye maye proue what is the will of god which thing is good acceptable perfect God graūt that this rule may take place with you then doutles our companye shall be inseparable wyth all the saynts of God in eternall blesse Be you not deceyued by the vayne possessions and vncertayne pleasures of this worlde whiche serue to none other purpose then to blynde your eyes that they mighte not behold the things which be glorious and permanent for euer The thynges whiche we see are mortall but the thynges which we see not but certainly hope for be immortall For all flesh as the Prophete Esay saythe is but grasse and the glory therof as the flower of the fielde Oh that you whiche haue the possessions of thys world would so accompt thē not sel your eternal inheritance for a messe of porrige as Esau dyd God open your eyes that you may see the glory of Christ in the mount wyth Peter Iohn and Iames. Then I doubte not you would say with Peter Lord it is good for vs to abyde here let vs here make our dwelling places We haue in this world no fyrme mansion but we seke after that which is to come the which yf we seke nowe where it maye be found we shal surely finde it If we mortify the image of Adam which through synne raigneth in our flesh then shal the image of Christ reuiue in vs to our eternall glorye We are all baptised to die wyth Christe to the ende we shoulde walke in newnes of lyfe as persons dead to the world and liuyng to God And if we dye with hym by crucifieng our concupiscence and lustes we shall eternally lyue Infidelitie is the cause of all our misery which causeth vs to feare mā more then GOD and to esteme the thynges presence more then the thynges to come God illighten our eyes that we may vnderstand how precious an inheritaunce Christ hath prepared for suche as hunger and thurst therafter Then I doubte not we would say wyth Sayncte Paule I am surely persuaded that neyther deathe nor lyfe neyther Aungels nor rule neyther power neyther thynges present neyther thynges to come neyther anye other treasure or creature shall separate vs from the loue whych is in Christe Iesus The Lorde encrease our fayth and geue vs hys holy spirite to discerne wyth our selues howe muche we are growen in hys image and are lyke vnto hym for howe muche we are vnlyke to the worlde so muche more are we like vnto god and so much the more do we approche vnto hym The lord drawe you by hys holye spirite and fashion you vnto hys lykenes that we may eternally lyue together The meanes to come therevnto is diligent exercise in gods worde continuall and faithfull prayer a desyre and loue to
if you will not speake then I besech you let these my letters speake vnto M. Gates to M. Wrothe to M. Cicill whom all I doe take for men that doe feare God It was sayd here constantly my Lord Chamberlaine to haue bene departed Syr though the day be delayed yet he hath no pardon of long life therfore I do besech his good Lordship so many as shall read these letters if they feare God to helpe that neither horse neither yet dogge be suffered to deuour the poore liuings appointed founded by godly ordinance to the ministers of gods worde The causes of conscieÌ„ce which do moue me to speake write thus are not only those whiche I declared once in the cause of this Prebend before the Kings Maiesties Counsell which now I let passe but also now the man M. Grindal vnto whoÌ„ I would geue this Prebend doth moue me verye muche for he is a man knowen to be both of vertue honestie discretion wisedome learning And besides al this I haue a better opinion of the Kings Maiesties â–ª honourable Counsel theÌ„ although some of them haue subscribed at this their Clarkes crafâ—ie vngodly sute to such a letter then I say they wil let not suffer after request made vnto them the liuing appoynted founded for a preacher to bee bestowed vppon so honest and well a learned man Wherfore for gods sake I besech you al helpe that with the fauour of the Counsel I may haue knowledge of the kings maiesties good pleasure to geue thys preachers liuing vnto M. Grindall Of late there haue bene letters directed from the Kinges Maiestie and his honourable Counsell vnto all the bishops wherby we be charged commauÌ„ded both in our own persons and also to cause our preachers ministers especially to crie out against the insatiable serpeÌ„t of couetousnesse whereby is sayd to be suche a gredynes amonges the people that eche one goeth about to deuour other and to threaten theÌ„ with Gods greuous plagues both now presently throweÌ„ vpon them and that shal be likewise in the worlde to come Syr what preachers shall I gette to open and set forth suche matters and so as the Kings Maiestie and the Counsel do commaunde them to be set forth if either vngodlye men or vnreasonable beastes bee suffered to pull awaye deuoure the good and godlye learned preachers liuings Thus I wyshe you in god euer wel to fare to helpe Christes cause as you would haue helpe of him at your most nede From Fulham this present the 23. of Iulie 1551. Yours in Christe Nicholas London A letter of Cutbert Symson to certayne of hys frendes concernyng hys Rackyng and other cruell tormentes which he suffred in the Tower THe .13 daye of December I was sente to the Tower and on the Thursdaye after I was called into the warehouse before the Constable of the Tower and the Recorder of London Maister Cholmeley They commaunded me to tel them whom I dyd wil to come to the Englyshe seruice I aunswered I woulde declare nothyng Thys Engine is called Skenyngtons Giues wherin the body standeth double the head being draweÌ„ towardes the seete The forme maner of these Gyues and of his Rackyng you may see in the booke of Martyrs Folio 1631. Then was I set in an engine of Yron for the space of .iij. houres as I iudged After that they asked me if I woulde tell them I aunsweared as before Then was I losed and caryed to my lodging agayne On the Sundaye after I was broughte into the same place agayne before the Lieutenant being also Constable and the Recorder of London and they examined me As before I hadde sayd I aunsweared Then the Lieutenaunt sware by god I shoulde tell Then dyd they bynde my two forefyngers together and putte a small arrowe betwixt them and drew it through so faste that the bloode followed and the arrowe brake Then they racked me twyse After that was I caryed to my lodging agayne and tenne dayes after the Lieuetenaunt asked me if I woulde not confesse that whiâ—he before they had asked me I sayde I had sayde as muche as I woulde Then fyue weekes after he sent me vnto the hyghe priest where I was greatlye assaulted and at whose hande I receaued the Popes curse for hearyng witnesse of the resurrection of Iesus Christe And thus I commend you vnto God and to the woorde of his grace with all them that vnfaynedly call vppon the name of Iesus desiring GOD of his endles mercy through the merites of hys deare sonne Iesus Christ to bryng vs al to his euerlastyng kingdome Amen I prayse God for hys great mercy shewed vpon vs. Syng Osanna vnto the hyghest with me Cutbert SymsoÌ„ God forgeue me my sinnes I aske al the world forgeuenes I do forgeue al the world and thus I leaue this worlde in hope of a ioyfull resurrection Cutbert Symson A briefe admonition wrytten by M. Bradford in a newe testament of a frend of hys THis boke is called sermo crucis the word of the crosse 1. Cor. 2 because the crosse doth alwais accompany it so that if you wil be a student hereof you must nedes prepare your self to the crosse which you began to learne before you learned your Alphabet and Christ requireth it of euery one that wyll be his disciple therin not swaruing from the common trade of callings or vocations for no profession or kind of life wanteth hys crosse So that they are farre ouerseene whyche thynke that the profession of the gospel whiche the deuyll most enuieth the world most hateth the flesh most repineth at can be without a crosse Lette vs therfore pray that god would enable vs to take vp our crosse by denying our selues E carcere 18. Februarij 155â— Iohn Bradford A letter of Maister Thomas Leauer beyng then in exile for the testimonye of gods gospell to M. Bradford prisoner in the tower of London THe grace of god be vnto you wyth my harty commendations I haue sene the places noted the doctrine and discipline and talked wyth the learned men of Argentine Basyll Zurich Berne Lausan and Geneua and I haue had experience in all these places of syncere doctryne godly order and great learnyng and especially of suche vertuous learning diligence and charitie in Bullinger at Zurich and in Caluine at Geneua as doth much aduaunce gods glory vnto the edifying of Christes church with the same religioÌ„ for the which you be now in prison And as I dout not but you in readyng of their bookes haue fouÌ„d much godly and comfortable knowledge so I am sure that they in hearyng of your constancy patieÌ„ce take occasioÌ„ greatly to reioyce wyth thankes geuing vnto God whiche doth testifye his truth vnto the worlde not onely by their writyng but also by your suffering The lord therefore which vseth thys your suffering ioyned wyth godly learnyng to set forth his glory not onely vnto the comfort of simple soules in