my sweet Saviour Christ doth stir up the minds not onely of my familiar friends in times past but of sundry heretofore to me unknown to help me sending me not onely necessaries for this life but comfortable Letters encouraging me and exhorting me to continue grounded and stablished in the Faith c. I call daily upon God in whom is all my trust and without whom I can do nothing that he would perfect what he hath begun being assured he will so do forasmuch as he hath given me not onely to believe â—ut to suffer for his sake The Lord strengthen me with his Holy Spirit that I may be one of the number of those Blessed which enduring to the end shall be saved My trust in the Lord is that this my business shall happen to the furtherance of the Gospel God will to your consolation gloriously deliver by one means or other his Oppressed Onely tarry ye the Lords leisure and wait still for the Lord. He tarrieth not that will come look for him therefore and faint not and he will never fail you Marshall I was from eternity said Christopher Marshall of Antwerp a sheep destined to the slaughter and now I go the Shambles Gold must be tried in the fire Massey I must needs here mention an Infant without a Christian Name and not capable of speaking because its death still speaks aloud This Infant was the child of Perotine Massey the Wife of a Minister of Gods Word for fear fled out of the Island of Guernsey She with her Mother and Sister were burnt for absence from Church The Babe properly was never born but by the force of the flame burst out of his Mothers Belly alive and yet by the command of the Bailiffe supreme Officer in the then absence of the Governour cast again into the fire and therein consumed to ashes It seems this bloody Bailiffe was minded like the cruel Tyrant commanding Canis pessimi ne catulum esse relinquendum though this indeed was no dog but a Lamb and that of the first minute and therefore too young by the Levitical Law to be sacrificed Here was a spectacle without precedent a cruelty built three generations high that Grandmother Mother and Grandchild should all suffer in the same flame Maximinus We are ready said Maximinus and Iubentius to lay off the last garment the flesh Melancthon I tremble to think said Philip Melancthon with what blind devotion I went to Images whilst I was a Papist When Luther began to oppose the Pope he was sent for by Prince Frederick Duke of Saxony to Wittenberg to teach the Greek Tongue and yet then he was but two and twenty years old An. 1518. When he was first converted he thought it impossible for his Hearers to withstand the evidence of the Truth in the Ministry of the Gospel but after he had been a Preacher a while he complained That old Adam was too hard for young Melancthon In the year 1519. he went with Luther to Lipswich where he disputed with Eccius In this Disputation Eccius brought a very subtile Argument which he being not able suddenly to answer said I will answer you to morrow Eccius replying That is little for your credit if you cannot answer it presently Sir said he I seek dot mine own glory in this business but the Truth To morrow God willing you shall hear further In the year 1521. when the Divines of Paris had condemned Luther's Doctrine and Books he wrote an Apology for him against their furious Decree In his Epistle to the Reader See Christian Reader what Monsters in Divinity Europe hath bred The last year the Sophisters of Colen and Lorain condemned the Gospel by some naked Propositions confirmed neither by Scripture nor reason Mâ—dder then they are they whoever they be who have at Paris condemned Luther There is no cause to wonder that they are no more favourable to Luther Alas they were not more favourable to their own great Gerson when the Schools at Paris were more wholesome It concerns us to consider what is decreed not who have decreed it The Apostle will not have us give place no not to Angels corrupting the Gospel Farewell to the Name of our Masters farewell to the Name of Parisians unless in their own Schools In the Christian Commonwealth nothing prevails but the Voice of Christ which whosoever hears not is not Christs They say that Luther ought rather to be overcome by fire then by reason They accuse Luther of Heresie not because he dissents from Universities Fathers Councils not because he dissents from the Scripture and the Opinions of Universities Fathers Councils they call the first Principles of Faith But it will be said Luther doth dissent from the Scripture because he dissents from the Expositions of Scripture which from Fathers Councils and Schools have hitherto been received This is as I perceive the Hinge of the Controversie Here I ask this Question of our Masters Whether the Scriptures be so delivered that their meaning cannot certainly be collected without the Exposition of Councils Fathers and Schools If you deny that the meaning of the Scripture cannot certainly be concluded without their glosses I cannot see why the Scriptures were delivered or why the Apostles invite us to the study of the Scriptures If you grant it certainly the Scripture ought to be preferred not onely before the Schools and Fathers but before Councils determining otherwise May not then Luther oppose unto Councils Fathers Schools the certain sense and meaning of Scripture But we will not yield so much that Luther opposeth the Fathers and Councils When the Wars for Religion brake out in Germany he foresaw in a Dream the Captivity of the Eâ—ectâ—r of Saxony and the Lantgrave of Hess fifteen dayes before they were taken When the Plague broke out in Wittinberg and the University was removed he said He feared not that Plague but a far worse Plague which threatned the ruine of the Commonwealth In the year 1534. in his Letter to Camerarius he gives this reason why he refused King Henry's offers if he would come into England Perhaps saith he many things are reported amongst you concerning England that it lyeth open now for the Religion of the purer Doctrine but I have intelligence from a good hand that the King hath no great care of the Affairs of the Church onely this Good comes of his rejecting the Popes Authority that for the present no cruelty is used towards those that are desirous of better Doctrine When he went to Hagenaw to meet the Protestant Divines there foreseeing that he should fall into a mortal disease he made his Will and left it with Cruciger saying Viximus in Synodis jam moriemur in illis In English thus Imploy'd in Synods living oft was I Now in a Synod I am like to die He was often threatned with Banishment out of Germany of which he writes thus I have through Gods mercy been here
I doubt not to â—aâ—ment your wickedness that so contemned the voicâ—â— of God for your own lusts for your cruelty for your covetousness that the Name of God was by your vanities evil spoken of in other Nations God grant you all repentant hearts for no order or state did any part of his duty in those dayes Bâ—â— to speak of the best whereof you use to boast your Religion was but an English Mattins patch'd forth of the Popes portess Many things were in your great Book superstitious and foolish all were driven to a present service like the Papists that they should think their duties discharged if the number were said of Psalms and Chapters Finally there could no Discipline be brought into the Church nor correction of manners To what contempt was Gods Word and the admonition of his Prophets come in all estates before God did strike some men are not ignorant The Preachers themselves for the most part could find no fault in Religion but that the Church was poor and lacked living Sure many things should have been reformed before that the Kitchin had been better provided for our Prelates in England It was most evident that many of you under the cloak of Religion served your own bellies some where so busie to heap benefice upon benefice some to labour in Parliament for purchasing of Lands that the time was small which could be found for the Reformation of abuses and every little that was spent upon the feeding of your flocks In a word the Goâ—â—spel was so lightly esteemed that the most part of men thought rather that God should bow and stoop to their appetites then that they should be subject to his holy Commandments Even the Nobility and Council would suffer no rebukes of Gods Messengers though their offences were never so manifest let those that preached in the Court the Lent before King Edward deceased speak their conscience and accuse me if I lie yea let a writing of Northumberland's to Mr. Harlow be brought to light and it shall testifie that he was not ashamed to say That the liberty of the Preachers tongues would cause the Council and Nobility to rise up against them for they could not suffer so to be entreated These were the fruits in the time of Harvest a little before the Winter came and of the time of Mary what should I write It hath cast off the Truth known and confessed and followeth lies and errours which once it detested It buildeth the building which once it destroyed it raiseth up the idols which once were there confounded They persecute they banish they burn Christ the Son of God in his members But to be short this onely remaineth for both these Nations that they repent and return into the Vineyard with the first Son and bring forth the fruits of Repentance The fruits of Repentance I call not onely to know your sins and to lament them but to amend your lives and to make strait the Lords paths by resisting Satan and Sin and obeying God in doing the works of righteousness and executing Gods Precepts and Judgements so long amongst you contemned for even now is the Axe put to the root of the tree c. Thâ— Lord hath now his Fan in his hand and will purge his floor c. Repent therefore whilst you have time before you be â—anned hewn down and fired Here have we to lament the miserable state of mankind which iâ— so seduced by the subtile Serpent that he cannoâ— know his misery when he is admonished nor perceive his perdition when it draweth so near Wheâ— the Servants of God set forth his Truth they are charged to trouble Realms and Countreys as waâ— Elias when they warn men to joyn hands with wicked Kings and Princes they are counted Traytors as was Isaiah and Ieremiah such is mans malice Wherefore I do admonish and exhort you both in the Name of the living God that howsoever yoâ— have hitherto shewed your selves the Servants oâ— men to bear and flatter with the world that noâ— ye learn in Gods cause to despise the faces of men to bend your selves against this wicked world neither regarding the Visors of Honours vain Titles nor dignities any farther then they seek Gods onely Glory for his Glory will he not suffer to be contemned for any cause no he will pour contempâ— on those Princes that strive against his Truth bâ—â— those that glorifie him will he glorifie Behold your onely remedy remaining is to repenâ— your time of ignorance of stubbornness of cruelty of idolatry wherein ye have so long continued Mourn for your ignorance and now with all diligence seek for knowledge of the World of God and openly profess the Gospel which is the poweâ— of God whereof ye ought not to be ashamed Cease at the last from your old stubbornness and labour in the Vineyard with all meekness Cease from your cruelty against Christs Members and learn tâ— suffer for Christs sake if ye will be true Christians Banish all Idolatry and Popish Superstitioâ— from amongst you else can ye have no part iâ— Christs Kingdome no more then Christ can be partaker with Antichrist Pray to the Lord of Hosts and Armies to give you the courage strength and means The Lords Arm is not shortened now no more then of old Be strong therefore in the Lord for the defence of the Truth though all the World rise against it Now when the battel is fierce against the living God for dead idols against the Gospel of Christ for the inventions of Antichrist against Christ members for Popish ceremonies can any of you that will be accounted Gods Children still halt of both hands If you will maintain Gods truth in the Earth he will receive you as his Children into the Heavens if you confess his Christ before this wicked Generation Christ shall confess you before his Father in the Heavens in the presence of his Angels But if you persist stubbornly to banish Gods Word and his Son Christ in his Members forth of your Earthly Kingdomes how can ye look for any part in his Heavenly Kingdome Lo here is the choice of life and death of misery and wealth offered to you by Gods mercies and the means how you may win Gods favour opened whereby onely ye may prevail against your enemies God grant you hearts to answer as the people did to Ioshua offering the like choice God forbid say they that we should forsake God we will serve the Lord our God and obey his voice for he is our God And we your banâ—shed Brethren by the Power of God to provoke you forwards will thus pronounce with Ioshua That we and our Fâ—milies will serve the Lord God though all Nations run to Idols though all people do persecute us We know that Satan hath but a short time to rage and that Christ our Captain right speedily will crown his Souldiers to whom as he is the eternal God with his Father
and Confessours yea with thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ to whom thou dost now here begin to fashion us like that in his glory we may be like him also O good God what are we on whom thou shouldest shew this great mercy O loving Lord forgive us our unthankfulness and sins O faithful Father give us thy holy Spirit now to cry in our hearts Abba dear Father to assure us of our eternal election in Christ to reveal more and more thy Truth unto us to confirm strengthen and stablish us so in the same that we may live and die in it as Vessels of thy mercy to thy glory and to the commodity of thy Church Indue us with the Spirit of thy wisdome that with good conscience we may alwayes so answer the enemies in thy cause as may turn to their conversion or confusion and our unspeakable consolation in Jesus Christ for whose sake we beseech thee henceforth to keep us to give us patience and to will none otherwise for deliverance or mitigation of our misery then may stand alwayes with thy good pleasure and merciful will towards us Grant this dear Father not onely to us in this place but also to all others elsewhere afflicted for thy Names sake through the death and merit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen In his godly Meditations We are rather to be placed among the wicked then among thy children for that we are so shameless for our sin and careless for thy wrath which we may well say to be most grievous against us and evidently set forth in the taking away of our good King and the true Religion in the exile of thy Servants imprisonment of thy People misery of thy Children and death of thy Saints and by placing over us in authority thine enemies by the success thou gavest them in all that they took in hand by the returning again into our Countrey of Antichrist the Pope What shall we do what shall we say who can give us penitent hearts who can open our lips that our mouths might make acceptable confession unto thee O what now may we do Despair no for thou art God and therefore good thou art merciful and therefore thou forgivest sins with thee is mercy and propitiation and therefore thou art worshipped When Adam had sinned thou gavest him mercy before he desired it and wilt thou deny us mercy which now desire the same Adam excused his fault and accused thee but we accuse our selves and excuse thee and shall we be sent empty away Abraham was pulled out of Idolatry when the world was drown'd therein and art thou his God onely Israel in captivity in Egypt was graciously visited and delivered and dear God that same good Lord shall we alwayes be forgotten How often in the wilderness didst thou defer and spare thy plagues at the request of Moses when the people themselves made no Petition to thee and seeing we do not onely make our Petitions to thee but also have a Mediator for us now far above Moses even Jesus Christ shall we I say dear Lord depart ashamed Take into thy custody and governance for ever our souls and bodies our lives and all that ever we have Tempt us never further then thou wilt make us able to bear and alwayes as thy children guide us so that our life may please thee and our deaths praise thee through Jesus Christ our Lord for whose sake we heartily pray thee to grant these things c. not onely to us but c. especially for thy children that be in thraldome under their enemies in exile in prison poverty c. Be merciful to all the whole Realm of England grant us all true repentance and mitigation of our misery And if it be thy good will that thy holy Word and Religion may continue amongst us Pardon our Enemies Persecutors and Slanderers and if it be thy pleasure turn their hearts Oh mighty King and most High Almighty God who mercifully governest all things which thou hast made look down upon the faithful seed of Abraham c. consecrated to thee by the anointing of thy holy Spirit and appointed to thy Kingdome by thy eternal purpose free mercy and grace but yet as strangers wandring in this vile vile of misery brought forth daily by worldly Tyrants like Sheep to the slaughter Thou hast destroyed Pharaoh with all his Horse and Chariots puffed up with pride against thy people leading forth safely by the hands of thy mercy thy beloved Israel through the high waves of the roaring waters Thou O God the Lord of all Hosts and Armies didst first drive away from the Gates of thy people the blasphemous Senacherib slaying of his Army 85000 by the Angel in one night and after by his own Sons before his Idols didst kill the same blasphemous Idolater c. Thou didst transforâ— and change proud Nebuchadnezzar the enemy oâ— thy people into a bruit beast to eat grass and hayâ— to the horrible terrour of all worldly Tyrants c. Thou didst preserve those thy three Servants iâ— Babylon who with bold courage gave their bodies to the fire because they would not worship any dead Idol and when they were cast into the burning Furnace thou didst give them chearful hearts to rejoyce and sing Psalms and savedâ—â— unhurt the very hairs of their heads turnâ—ng the flame from them to devour their enemies Thou O Lord God by the might of thy right arm which governeth all broughtest Daniel thy Prophet safe into light and life forth of the dark Den of the devouring Lions c. Now also O heavenly Father beholder of all things to whom belongs vengeance thou seest and conâ—iderest how thy holy Name by the wicked Worldlings and blasphemons Idolaters is dishonoured thy sacred Word forsaken refused and despised thy holy Spirit provoked offended thy chosen Temple polluted and defiled Tarry not too long therefore but shew thy power speedily upon thy chosen Houshold which is so grievously vexed and so cruelly handled by thy open enemies Avenge thine own glorâ— and shorten these evil dayes for thine Elects sake Let thy Kingdome come of all thy Servants desired and though we have all offended thy Majesty Yet for thine own glory O merciful Lord suffer not the enemy of thy Son Christ the Romish Antichrist thus wretchedly to delude and draw from thee our poor brethren for whom thy Son once died that by his cruelty after so clear light they they should be made Captives to dumb Idols and devillish inventions of Popish Ceremonies thereunto pertaining Suffer him not to seduce the simple sort with this fond opinion that his false gods blind mumbling feigned Religion or his foolish Superstition doth give him such conquest such victories such triumph and so high an hand over us We know most certainly O Lord that it is not their arm and power but our sins and offences that hath delivered us to their fury and hath caused thee
pure Law of God which proveth the best of us all damnable sinners in the light of God and that our best works are polluted in such sort as the Prophet describes them with the which manner of speaking our free-will Pharisees are much offended for it felleth all mans righteousness to the ground In his Letter to Mr. Augustine Bernher Pray for me that I may be strong and hardy to lay a good load on that bloody beast of Babylon O that I might so strike him down that he should never be able to rise again but that stroke belongeth onely to the Lord to strike at his coming which I hope will be shortly Carpenter All Bavaria said George Carpenter is not so dear to me as my wife and children yet for Christs sake I will forsake them cheerfully Carver Mr. Derick Carver being asked by Bonner whether he would stand for his Confession answered He would for your Doctrine is poyson and sorcery If Christ were here you would put him to a worse death then he was put to before At the stake he spake thus Dear Brethren and Sisters I am come here to seal with my blood Christs Gospel because that I know it to be true As many of you as do believe upon the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost unto everlasting life see you do the works pertaining to the same As many of you as do believe on the Pope of Rome you do believe to your utter condemnation and except the great mercy of God prevent not you shall burn in Hell perpetually In his Prayer O Lord my God thou hasâ— written He that will not forsake wife children house and all that ever he hath and take up his cross and follow thee is not worthy of thee Lord thou knowest that I have forsaken all to come unto thee Lord have mercy upon me for unto thee I commend my Spirit and my soul doth rejoyce in thee Chrysostome Eud xia the Emperess having sent him a very threatning message he gave this answer Go tell her Nil nisi peccatum timeo I fear nothing but sin When she had procured his banishment as he went forth of the City he said None of these things trouble me but I said within my self if the Queen will let her banish me the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if she will let her cast me into the sea I will remember Ionah if she will let her cast me into a burning fiery Furnace or among wild beasts the three children and Daniel were so dealt with if she will let her stone me or cut off my head I have St. Stephen and the Baptist my blessed Companions if she will let her take away all my substance Naked came I out of my Mothers womb and naked shall I return thither again He used to say the Devil 's first assault is violent resist that and his second will be weaker and that being resisted he proves a Coward Clarebachius I believe said Adolphus Clarebachius that there is not a merrier heart in the world at this instant then mine is Behold you shall see me die by that faith I have lived in Colham See Sir Iohn Oldcastle under the Letter O Clark When Roger Clark was sentenced he said with much vehemency Fight for your God for he hath not long to continue At the Stake he cried out to the people Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Coligni Iasper Coligni great Admiral of France who was slain in the Massacre at Paris August 24. 1572. being shot in the left Arm with two Bullets and the fore-finger of the right hand broke off with a third and being told by a Gentleman that it was to be feared the Bullets were poysoned he said All must be as it pleaseth God Seeing his Friends weep which held his Arm whilst the Incisions were made he said My Friends why do you weep I judge my self happy that bear these wounds for the Cause of my God To Mr. Merlin his Chaplain he said These wounds my Friend are Gods blessings The smart indeed is troublesome but I acknowledge the will of my Lord therein and I bless his Majesty who hath been pleased thus to honour me and to lay any pain upon me for his holy Names sake Let us beg of him that he will enable me to persevere to the end Speaking concerning those that wounded him I know assuredly said he that it is not in their power to hurt me No though they should kill me for my death is a most certain passage to eternal life N When the Blood-hounds brake open the house where he lay wounded he spake thus I perceive what is a doing I was never afraid of death and I am ready to undergo it patiently for which â— have long since prepared my self I bless God that I shall die in the Lord. â— now need no longer any help of man therefore my friends get ye hence The presence of God to whose goodness I commend my soul is abundantly sufficiently for me Coâ—vâ—r Sheep we are for the slaughter said Francâ— Co'ver to his two Sons massacred together with himself this is no new thing let us follow millions of Martyrs through temporal death unto eternal life Coo. Roger Coo being asked by the Bishop of Norâ—ichâ— whether he would not obey the Kings Laws answered As far as they agree with the Word of God I will obey them Whether they agree with the Word of God or no we are bound to obey them said the Bishop though the King were an Infidel Coo replyed If Shadrach Mâ—shach and Abednâ—go had so done Neluchadnâ—zzar had neveâ— confessed the Living God Constantine Being carried with other Martyrs in a Dungâ— Cart to the place of Execution he spake thusâ— Well yet are we a precious odour and a sweeâ— savour to God in Christ. Cornford Iohn Cornford one of the last five that suffered Martyrdome in Queen Mary's dayes when thâ— Sentence should have been passed and they should have been executed by the Papists being moveâ— in Spirit with a vehement zeal for God in the namâ— of them all pronounced Sentence of Excommunication against the Papists in these words In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the most mighty God and by the power of the holy Spirit and the authority of his holy and Apostolick Church We do hereby give into the hands of Satan to be destroyed the bodies of those Blasphemers and Hereticks that do maintain any errour against his most holy Word or do condemn his most holy Truth for Heresie to the maintenance of any false Church or feigned Religion so that by this thy just judgement against thy Adversaries thy true Religion may be known to thy great glory and our comfort and to the edifying of all our Nation Lord Jesus So be it It is observable that within six dayes after this Excommunication Queen Mary died and the tyranny of all
all salvation and justification and that there is none other mean nor way noâ— holiness in which or by which any man can be saved in this World Burning in the fire he cried out three timesâ—punc O the Son of God have mercy upon me O the Son of God receive my soul. Folks Elizabeth Folks being examined whether she believed the presence of Christs Body to be in the Sacrament substantially and really answered That she believed that that was a substantial and real lâ—e When Sentence of Condemnation was reaâ— against her she kneeled down lifting up her eye and hands to Heaven she praised God that ever she was born to see that most blessed and happy day that the Lord would count her worthy to suffer for the testimony of Christ and Lord if it be thy will forgive them that have done this against me for they know not what they do At the Stake she being hindred from giving her Petticoat to her Mother who kissed her and exhorted her to be strong in the Lord threw it away from her saying Farewel all the World farewel Faith and Hope and so taking the Stake in her hand said Welcome Love c. When she and the other five that suffered with her were nailed to the Stakes and the fire about them they clapped their hands together for joy in the fire Fox The day after Queen Mary's death Mr. Iohn Fox preaching at Basil to the English Exiles did with confidence tell them That now was the time come for their return into England and that he brought that News by command from God The Lady Anne Hennage being given up for dead He told her she had done well in fitting her self for death but that she should not die of that Sickness and being blamed by her Son in Law for disquieting her mind with hopes of life He answered that he had said no more then was commanded hâ—m for it seemed good to God that she should recover and so she did Mrs. Honywood having been sick of a Consumption almost twenty years was scarce able to speak when Mr. Fox came to her onely faintly she breathed forth a desire to end her dayes Mr. Fox after he had prayed with her told her That she should not onely grow well of that Consumption but also live to an exceeding great age As well might you have said quoth Mrs. Honywood that if I should throw this Glass against the Wall I might believe it would not break to pieces and holding a Glass in her hand out of which she had newly drunk she threw it forth but the Glass falling first on a Chest and then on the ground neither brake nor crackt Accordingly this eminent Christian Gentlewoman being then Sixty years of age recovered and lived till she was above Ninety and could reckon above three hundred and sixty of her Children and Childrens Children He also foresaw his own death and therefore sent away his sons that they might not be present Frith Mr. Iohn Frith with some others chosen into Christs Church Oxford whose Foundation was laid by Cardinal Wolsey conferring together upon the abuse of Religion then crept into the Church were therefoâ—e accuâ—ed of Heresie unto the Cardinal and cast into Prison within a deep Cave under the ground of the same Colledge where their salt Fish was laid Through the filthy stinch thereof they were all infected and some took their death but Mr. Frith was wonderfully preserved and was translated from that University after many miseries undergone both beyond Sea and in his own Land to another School namely to a more setled Discipline of affliction the Tower of London where as he remained a Patient in regard of the Persecution which he suffered so did he also the office of a Physician in prescribing to others Preparatives and Remedies in the like case To which end A.D. 1532. he employed his pen in writing those Treatises which now go under the name of Vox Pisces or the Book-Fish Concerning which the Author of the Preface thereunto observes that in some sort they ran the Fortune of the Author being held in captivity in the Sea and kept in Iohah's Prison the belly of a Fish being in danger there to be consumed as the Author was like to have perished in the Dungeon at Oxford by the noysome stinch of Fish The Wine therein offered saith the same Author is the purest juyce of a Grape of the Vine Christ Jesus trode in the Wine-press of Persecution about an hundred years since Which being put in a Paper Vessel and formerly miscarrying by wrack in the transporting is now beyond expectation in a strange Living Vessel brought back again to Land no doubt to the end that it might after long lying hid in store be anew broached and dispersed abroad for the refreshing of many thirsty souls to whom it is like to taste not the worse but the better for the long lying in so salt a Cellar as is the bottome of the Sea wherein by all probability it hath been buried for many years Mr. Frith did not light his Candle at the Lamp of Mr. Calvin which then was not extant nor of great Luther who was then but in the beginning of his growth And yet saith the same Author How judiciously is there shewn the use of the Cross among Christians to consist in the due preparation for it and constant patience under it How foundly are we taught that our Election and Justification are of Gods meer mercy and not for any thing foreseen in us That remission of sins is through Christ onely That no man can merit for others That true Believers do sin yet fall not away utterly from Christ. As the Work commends the Author so the Author much more the Work When he wrote of the Cross he fought valiantly under the Cross he turned his words of patience into the perfect work of patience He had the like happâ—ness to that of St. Paul to bring forth children unto Christ in his bands Whilst he was kept close Prisoner in the Tower by his Letters and Treatises he gained many souls to Christ and among others which is most observable he converted one Râ—sâ—â—l to the Truth who had formerly dipped his Pen in Gall and wrote most bitterly against the Truth of the Gospel and against the Writings of this Prisoner of Christ then â— bands for the Gospel Like a Swan he sang most sweetly before his death and foretold both particularly his own Martyrdome and the propagation of the Gospel through all England within twenty years after his death which accordingly came to pass in the Reign of King Edward He was as it were a Prâ—mrose in the new Spring of the Gospel And though he wrote in the twilight between the night of Popery and the day of Reformation yet God so enlightned him that his Treâ—â—ise of the Sacraments was the Candle at which that great Torch Archbishop Cranmer was lighted as Mr. Fox reporteth That
misery for felicity continual vexation and trouble for perpetual rest and quietness chusing rather to die with shame of the world being the Servants of God then to live among men in honour being the servants of Satan and condemned of God Otherwise if you give place to the wickedness of men to escape their malice and bodily dangers you shew your selves therein to fear man more then the mighty and dreadful God him that hath but power of your body and that at Gods appointment then God himself who hath power after he hath destroyed the body to cast both soul and body into hell-fire there to remain everlastingly in torments unspeakable And moreover that which you look to obtain by these sinful shifts you shall be sure to lose with grief and trouble of conscience for this saying of your Master being true and certain that They which seek to save their life meaning by any worldly reason or policy shall lose it What shall be their gains at length when by dissimulation and yielding to Popish Blasphemy they dishonour the Majesty of God to enjoy this short miserable and mortal life to be cast from the favour of God and company of his heavenly Angels to enjoy for a short time their goods and possessions among their fleshly and carnal Friends whenas their conscience within shall be deeply wounded with hell-like torments when Gods curse and indignation hangeth continually over the heads of such ready to be poured down upon them when they shall find no comfort but utter despair with Iudas who for this worldly riches as he did have sold their Master seeking either to hang themselves with Iudas to murther themselves with Francis Spira to drown themselves with Justice Hales or else to fall into a raging madness with Justice Morgan What comfort had Iudas then by his money received for betraying his Master was he not shortly after compelled to cast it from him with this pitiful voice I have sinned in betraying innocent blood Then dear Brethren in Christ what other reward can any of you look for committing the like offences There is no trust but in God no comfort but in Christ no assurance but in his promise by whose obedience onely you shall avoid all danger And whatsoever you lose in this world and suffer for his Name it shall be here recompenced with double according to his promise and in the world to come with life everlasting which is to find your life when you are willing to lay it down at his Commandment I am not ignorant how unnatural a thing it is and contrary to the flesh willingly to sustain such cruel death as the Adversaries have appointed to all the Children of God who mind constantly to stand by their prosession yet to the Spirit notwithstanding is easie and joyful for though the flesh be frail the Spirit is prompt and ready Whereof praised be the Name of God you have had notable experience in many of your Brethren very Martyrs for Christ who with joy patiently and triumphing have suffered and drunk with thirst of that bitter Cup which nature so much abhorreth wonderfully strengthened no doubt by the secret inspiration of Gods holy Spirit so that there ought to be none among you so feeble weak or timerous whom the wonderful examples of Gods present power and singular favour in those persons should not encourage bolden and fortifie to shew the like constancy in the same Cause and Profession Nevertheless great cause we have thankfully to consider the unspeakable mercy of God in Christ who hath farther respect to our infirmity that when we have not that boldness of Spirit to stand to the death as we see others he hath provided a present remedy that being persecuted in one place we have liberty to flee into another When we cannot be in our own Countrey with a safe conscience except we would make open profession of our Religion which is every mans duty and so be brought to offer up our lives in sacrifice to God in testimony that we are his he hath mollified and prepared the hearts of Strangers to receive us with all pity and gladness where you may be also not onely delivered from the fear of death and the Papistâ—cal Tyranny practised without all measure in that Countrey but with great freedom of conscience hear the Word of God continually preached and the Sacraments of our Saviour Christ purely and duely ministred without all dregs of Popery or Superstition of mans invention to the intent that you being with others refreshed for a space and more strongly fortified may be also with others more ready and willing to lay down your lives at Gods appointment for that is the chiefest grace of God and greatest perfection to sight even unto blood under Christs Banner and with him to give our lives But if you will thus flee Beloved in the Lord you must not chuse unto your selves places according as you fancy as many of us who have left our Countrey have done dwelling in Popish places among the enemies of God in the midst of impiety some in France as in Paris Orleance Roan some in Italy as in Rome Venice Padua which persons in fleeing from their Queen run to the Pope fearing the danger of their bodies seek where they may poyson their souls thinking by this means to be less suspected of Iezebel shew themselves afraid and ashamed of the Gospel which in times past they have stoutly professed And lest they should be thought favourers of Christ have purposely ridden by the Churches and Congregations of his Servants their Brethren neither minded to comfort others there nor to be comforted themselves wherein they have shewed the coldness of their zeal towards Religion and given no small occasion of slander to the Word of God which they seemed to prosess This manner of fleeing then in ungodly c. Neither is it enough to keep you out of the Dominions of Antichrist and to place your selves in corners you may be quiet and at ease and not burthened with the charges of the poor thinking it sufficient if you have a little exercise in your houses in reading a Chapter or two of the Scriptures and then will be counted zealous persons and great Gospellers No Brethren and Sâ—sters this is not the way to shew your selves manful souldiers of Christ except you resort where his Banner is displayed and his Standard set up where the Assembly of your Bâ—ethren is and his Word openlâ— preached and Sacraments faithfully ministred for otherwise what may a man judge but that such either disdain the company of their poor Brethren whom they ought by all means to help and comfort according to that power that God hath given them for that end onely and not for their own ease or else that they have not that zeal to the House of God the Assembly of his Servants and to the spiritual gifts and graces which God hath promised to
a thousand deaths if need were Some perswading him to deny Christ with his tongue and to keep his Conscience to himself My tongue said he which by the goodness of God I have cannot be brought to deny the Author and giver of it for with the heart we believe unto righteousness and with the mouth we confess unto salvation Gorgius When the Tyrant offered Gorgius promotion Have ye any thing said he equal to or more worthy then the Kingdome of Heaven Gonzalve Mr. Iohn Gonzalve a famous Preacher in Sevil was often observed in all his Sermons to aime at this mark To deliver mens minds from that blind conceit of meriting by works that so way might be made for justification onely by saith in Christ Jesus and deeply to ingraft in them the knowledge of the sole merit of his plenary satisfaction When he was led to the place of his Martyrdome he never shewed the least sign of his being dismay'd but contrariwise with great constancy and courage of heart standing above all the people to whom he had formerly preached and delivered the pattern of sound doctrine he began with a loud voice to recite the Psalm which begins thus O Lord my Rock be not thou silent to me c. He changed not his countenance upon the Scaffold though they had gagged him there because he comforted and freely exhorted one of his Sisters to be constant When the time was come that those which should be burned were brought to the place of Execution they were every one commanded to recite the Articles of their belief which they willingly did but when they came to the Article I believe the holy Catholick Church they were bid to adde the word Romane but they were silent Then did the Monks and Friers importune Gonzalve's Sisters c. to repeat the word Romane who answered They would if they might hear Gonzalve pronounce it He being ungagged the first word he spake was That they should be of good courage and not to adde one word more then what they had recited Grange The Bishop of Arres telling Mr. Peregrine de la Grange that he was sorry to see him in that condition in Prison Sir said he as for the base estate in which you now see me God hath so comforted me therein with his grace that I do without any great difficulty patiently suffer what he hath pleased to lay upon me yea I praise and bless his Name that he hath ballanced the weight of my afflictions according to the strength which he hath given me so as I sink not under the burden for as my sufferings in Christ abound he causeth his consolations by Christ to abound in me also It is usual said the Bishop with such as you are to glory in this kind of speech for as soon as any afflictions do befall you you by and by stile them the sufferings of Christ and if any of you be put to death then it is for Gods truth but when things are laid to the touchstone the matter is nothing so nor so Sir said Mr. Grange if your meaning be of such as have died for the Doctrine for which I am bound with this Chain and thus fettered with Irons I doubt not but they have given such a reason of their Faith that whosoever shall read their Answers and weigh the same without partiality must needs judge as we do And for my own part I am ready to make it good That the Doctrine I now hold and teach is according to godliness taken out of the pure Fountains of the holy Scriptures without adding thereto diminishing or varying any way therefrom We read said the Bishop that in all times men have been wont to shelter themselves under the title of Gods Word even the old Hereticks c. I am not ignorant hereof said Mr. Grange in regard that Satan knows how to transform himself into an Angel of light thereby to establish his delusions causing darkness to be taken for light But the Holy Ghost who is the Spirit of truth hath in such wise discovered his juglings that none are deluded thereby but those who at noon day close their eyes that they may not behold the light Do you think said the Bishop that the Holy Ghost hath given you such an illumination that the truth should onely be revealed to you and to none other God forbid Sir said Mr. Grange I should have any such thought I am not of the mind of those Dreamers who brag of their having particular Revelations of the Holy Spirit but I speak of an ordinary and general Revelation such as is taught us out of the Bible c. I am neither Calvinist nor Papist I am a Christian and what I hold concerning Religion is taken out of Christs Doctrine who is the onely Doctor of his Church What Calvin hath taught conformable to the Word of God I am of the same mind with him And whereas you call your Religion the Old Religion and ours the New it troubles me not at all since the Father of Lies hath long since forged the same to disgrace the Truth c. In his dispute with the Bishop concerning the Real Presence c. We may see what holy boldness mixed with meekness the Lord had endued this holy Servant of his with When the Provost gave him and Monsieur de Brâ—z of whom before notice that they should die that day they magnified God for his goodness and gave the Provost thanks for the good news which he had brought them Monsieur la Grange going to the rest of the Prisoners said I am this day to die for the Truth and then the heavenly inheritance is prepared for me My name is written in the Book of Life never to be blotted out because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance He called for a Brush to brush his Hat and Cloak causing his Shoos to be blacked for now said he I am bidden to the marriage of the Lamb where I am to feast with him for ever and ever Being askt Whether he meant to suffer with those Shackles on his heels I would I might said he yea and that they would bury them with me to that they might manifest the inhumanity of my adversaries He told his friends he felt such joy of the Holy Ghost in his heart that he could not with tongue express adding that God shewed him a thousand times more favour by taking him after this manner out of this transitory life then if he had let him die in his bed by sickness for now I shall die said he enjoying the benefit of all the powers of my soul praying the Lord to have mercy on me Monsieur la Grange and de Brez were sentenced to be hang'd for administring the Lords Supper against an express charge by the King given them to the contrary When la Grange was upon the Ladder he protested with a loud voice that he died onely
be not lost Of adversity judge the same Imprisonment is painful but yet liberty upon evil conditions is more painful The Prisons stink but yet not so much as sweet Houses where the fear and true honour of God is lacking I must be alone and solitary It is better to be so and have God with me then to be in company with the wicked Loss of Goods is great but loss of Gods grace and favour is greater I am a poor simple creature and cannot tell how to answer before such a great sort of noble learned and wise men It is better to make answer before the pomp and pride of wicked men then to stand naked in the light of all Heaven and Earth before the just God at the later day I shall die then by the hands of the cruel man He is blessed that loseth his life full of miseries and findeth the life of eternal joyes It is pain and grief to depart from Goods and Friends but yet not so much as to depart from grace and Heaven it self Wherefore there is neither felicity nor adversity of this world that can appear to be great if it be weighed with the joyes or pains in the world to come I can do no more but pray for you do the same for me for Gods sake For my part I thank the heavenly Father I have made mine accounts and appointed my self unto the will of the heavenly Father as he will so I will by his grace I am a precious jewel now and daintily kept never so daintily for neither mine own man nor any of the Servants of the House may come to me but my Keeper alone Ian. 21. 1555. In another Letter The grace mercy and peace of God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ be with you my dear Brethren and with all those that unfeignedly love and embrace his holy Gospel Amen We must give God thanks for the Truth he hath opened c. and pray unto him that we deny it not nor dishonour it with idolatry but that we may have strength and patience rather to die ten times then to deny him once Blessed shall we be if ever God make us worthy of that honour to shed our blood for his Names sake and blessed then shall we think those Parents which brought us into this world that we should be carried from this mortality into immortality If we follow the command of Paul that saith If ye be risen with Christ sâ—ek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God we shall neither depart from the vain transiâ—ory goods of this world nor from this wretched and mortal life with so great pains as others do There is no better way to be used in this troublesome time for your consolation then many times to have Assemblies together of such men and women as be of your Religion in Christ and there to take and renew among your selves the truth of your Religion to see what ye be by the Word of God and to remember what ye were before ye came to the knowledge thereof to weigh and confer the dreams and false lyes of the Preachers that now preach with the Word of God that retaineth all truth and by such talk and familiar resorting together ye shall the better find out all their lyes that now go about to deceive you and also both know and love the Truth that God hath opened to us It is much requisite that the Members of Christ comfort one another make prayers together confer one with another so shall ye be stronger and Gods Spirit shall not be absent from you but in the midst of you to teach you to comfort you to make you wise in all godly things patient in adversity and strong in persecution Ye see how the Congregation of the wicked by helping one another make their wicked Religion and themselves strong against Gods Truth and his people Ye may perceive bâ—â— the life of our fore-fathers that Christs words In the world ye shall have trouble Hâ— that will live godly in Christ must suffer persecution be true for none of all his before our time escaped trouble then shall ye perceive that it is but a folly for one that professeth Christ truly to look for the love of the world Ye be no better then your fore-fathers Be glad that ye may be counted worthy Souldiers for this War and pray to God when ye come together that he will use and order you and your doings 1 That ye glorifie God 2 That ye edifie the Church and Congregation 3 That ye profit your own souls In all your doings beware ye be not deceived for although this time be not yet so bloody and tyrannous as the time of our fore-fathers that could not bear the Name of Christ without danger of life and goods yet is our time more perillous for soul and body Therefore of us Christ said Think ye when the Son of man cometh he shall find faith upon the earth He speaks not of being christened and in name a Christian but of saving Faith and doubtless the scarcity of Faith is now more and will I fear increase then it was in the time of the greatest Tyrants that ever were In Rev. 6. ye may perceive that at the opening of the fourth Seal came out a pale Horse and he that sate upon him was called Death and Hell followed him This Horse is the time when Hypocrites and Dissemblers entred into the Church under pretence of the true Religion c. that have killed more souls with heresie and superstition then all the Tyrants that ever killed bodies by fire sword or banishment c. and all souls that trust to these Hypocrites live to the Devil in everlasting pain as is declared by Hells following the pale Horse These pale Hypocrites have stirred up Earthquakes i. e. the Princes of the world against Christs Church They have darkned the Sun and made the Moon bloody and have caused the Stars to fall from Heaven i. e. they have darkned with mists and daily darken the Sun of Gods Word imprisoned and chained and butchered Gods true Preachers which fetch only light at the Sun of Gods Word that their light cannot shine unto the world as they would Whereupon it comes to pass that many Christians fall from Gods true Word to hypocrisie most devillish superstition and idolatry In his Letter to Bishop Farrar Doctor Tailor Mr. Bradford and Mr. Philpot Prisoners in the Kings Bench in Southwark I am advertised that we shall be carried shortly to Cambride there to dispute for the Faith and for the Religion of Christ which is most true that we have and do profess I am as I doubt not ye be in Christ ready not onely to go to Camâ—ridge but also to suffer by Gods help death it self in the maintenance thereof I write this to comfort you in the Lord that the time draweth near and is at hand that we shall
you must prove that God hath commanded them else they are sin for whatsoever is not of faith is sin S. Will ye bind us so strait that we may do nothing without the express Word of God What if I ask drink think ye that I sin and yet I have not Gods Word for me K. I would ye should not jest in so grave a matter neither would I that you should begin to hide the truth with Sophistry As to your drinking I say that if ye either eat or drink without assurance of Gods Word in so doing you displease God by sinning against him for the creatures are sanctified by the Word and Prayer The Word is this all things are clean to the clean But the Question is not of meat or drink wherein the Kingdome of God consisteth not but of Gods true Worshipping without which we can have no society with God and here it is doubted if we may take the same liberty in using of Christs Sacraments that we may do in eating and drinking Moses saith All that the Lord thy God commandeth thee to do that do thou to the Lord thy God adde nothing to it diminish nothing from it By these Rules I think the Church of Christ will measure Gods Religion and not by that which seems good in their own eyes S. Pardon me I spake it because I was dry Frier follow the Argument F. I will prove that those Ceremonies ye damn are ordained by God for the Ceremonies of the Church are the gold silver and precious stones which do abide the fire and consume not away c. K. I praise God through Christ I find his Word true Christ bids us not fear when we shall be called before men to give Confession of his truth For it shall be given in that hour what we shall speak If I had sought the whole Scriptures I could not have produced a place more potent to confound you I would learn of you what fire it is that your Ceremonies do abide and in the mean give you this Argument from the same Text against you That which can abide the fire can abide the Word but your Ceremonies cannot abide the Word therefore they cannot abide the fire then are they not gold silver and precious stones F. I deny your Mâ—nor viz. That our Ceremonies may not abide the trial of Gods Word K. I prove That abides not the trial of Gods Word which Gods Word condemns but Gods Word condemns your Ceremonies therefore they do not abide the trial thereof but as a Thieâ— abides the trial of the Inquest and thereby is condemned to be hanged c. The Minor is evident for the plain and strait Commandement is Not thâ—â— thing that appears good in thine eyes shalt thou do to the Lord thy God but what the Lord thy God hath commanded thee that do thou adde nothing to it diminish nothing from it Now unless ye be able to prove that God hath commanded your Ceremonies this Command will damn both you and them The Frier would not answer directly but ever fled to the Authority of the Church Whereto Mr. Knox answered oftner then once That the Spouse of Christ had neither Power nor Authority against the Word of God Then said the Frier you will leave us no Church Indeed said Mr. Knox in David I read that there is a Church of Malignants that Church ye may have without the Word c. but as for me I will be of none other Church except of that which hath Jesus Christ to be Pastour which hears his voice and will not hear a stranger Upon the appearance of one and twenty French Gallies in the sight of the Castle the Castle was demanded to be delivered and the Governour refusing it was besieged by Sea and Land the Plague being within Mr. Knox ever told them within That their corrupt life having fallen into all kind of licentiousness puft up with pride of their success and relying on England for help in case of need could not escape the punishment of God When they triumphed of their Victory he lamented and said They saw not what he saw When they bragged of the force and thickness of their Walls he said They should be but Egge-shells When they vaunted England will rescue us he said Ye shall not see them but ye shall be delivered into your enemies hands and shall be carried into a strange Countrey The last of Iuly the Castle was delivered upon Articles That the lives of all in the Castle should be saved and safely transported into France c. In France the principal that looked for freedome were put into several Prisons and the rest were left in the Gallies and miserably used among which Mr. Knox was all the Winter When Mr. Iames Balfour afterwards Sir Iames Balfour and an Apostate would ask Mr. Knox if he thought that ever they should be delivered his Answer ever was That God would deliver them from that bondage to his glory even in this life When the Gallies returned to Scotland within sight of St. Andrews Mr. Iames willed Mr. Knox who was then extremely sick that few hoped his life to look to the Land and asked if he knew it He answered Yes I know it well for I see the Steeple of that place where God in publick opened my mouth to his glory and I am fully perswaded how weak soever I now appear that I shall not depart this life till that my tongue shall glorifie his holy Name in the same place This he spake many years before he sate foot on Scottish ground In answer to a Letter from those that were imprisoned in Mount Michel Mr. Knox writes That if without the blood of any shed or spilt by them for their deliverance they might set themselves at liberty they might safely do it But to shed any mans blood for their freedome thereto would he never consent Adding farther that he was assured that God would deliver them and the rest of that company even in the eyes of the world but not by such means they looked for that the praise of their deliverance should redound to his glory onely He willed therefore every one to take the occasion that God offered to them provided that they did nothing against Gods command for deliverance Adding that in one instant God delivered the whole company into the hands of unfaithful men but so would he not relieve them but some would he deliver by one means and at one time and others must abide for a season upon his good pleasure When Mr. Knox was delivered he came into England and was Preacher to Barwick then to Newcastle then to London c. But before he was delivered whilst in the Gallies he wrote a Treatise containing the Summe of his Doctrine and the Confession of his Faith and sent it to his Familiars in Scotland with his Exhortation that they should continue in the truth which they had professed notwithstanding any
be denied being granted 1 That the most ancient Councils â—ighest to the Primitive Church in which the learned and godly Fathers examined all matters by Gods Word may be holden of most authority 2 That no determination of Councils or man be admitted against the plain verity of Gods Word nor against the determination of those four chief Councils c. 3 That to no Doctor be given greater authority then Augustine required to be given to his Writings viz. If he plainly prove not his affirmation by Gods infallible Word that then his Sentence be rejected and imputed to the errour of a man To the Commonalty of Scotland I am most assuredly perswaded that whatsoever is used in the Papistical Church is altogether repugnant to Christs blessed Ordinance and is nothing but mortal venome of which whosoever drinketh therewith he drinketh death and damnation except by true conversion unto God he be purged from the same It will be said That it is unreasonable that ye should call your Religion in doubt which hath been approved and established by so long continuance and by the consent of so many men before you But I shortly answer That neither is the long continuance of time neither the multitude of men a sufficient approbation which God will allow for our Religion For as some of the Ancients witness neither can long process of time justifie an errour nor can the multitude of such as follow it change the nature of the same but if it was an errour in the beginning so it is in the end and the longer that it be followed and the more that do receive it it is the more pestilent and the more to be avoided If Antiquity or Multitude of men could justifie any Religion then was the idolatry of the Gentiles and now is the abomination of the Turks good Religion for antiquity approved the one and a multitude have received and do defend the other But otherwise to answer Godlâ— men may wonder from what Fountain such a Sentence doth flow that no man ought to try his Faith and Religion by Gods Word but he may safely believe and follow every thing which Antiquity and Multitude have approved The Spirit of God doth otherwise teach us Search the Scriptures c. The Bareans are commended for trying the Apostles Doctrine by Gods plain Scriptures Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits c. Whoso doth evil hateth the light neither will he come to the light lest that his works be manifested and rebuked Truth being of the nature of fine purified Gold doth not fear the trial of the Furnace but the stubble and chaffe of mens inventions such is their Religion may not abide the flame of the fire Seeing Religion is to man as the stomack to the body which if it be corrupted doth infect all the members it is necessary that the same be examined and if it be found replenished with pestilent humours I mean with the fancies of men then of necessity it is that those be purged else shall your bodies and souls perish for ever A corrupt Religion defileth the whole life of man appear it never so holy Neither would I that ye should esteem the reformation and care of Religion less to appertain to you because you are no Kings Rulers Iudges Nobles nor in Authority To believe and receive the Gospel the Commonalty are no less bound then be their Rulers and Princes As your bodies cannot escape corporal death if with your Princes ye eat re drink deadly poyson although it be by ignorance or negligence so shall ye not escape the everlasting if with them ye proâ—ess a corrupt Religion As the just liveth by his own faith so doth the unfaithful perish by his own infidelity If ye look for the life everlasting you must try if ye stand in the faith and if ye would be assured of a true and lively faith you must needs have Christ truly preached unto you When the Tabernacle was built and set in order God provided how it and the things pertaining to the same should be sustained so that they should not fall in decay and this provision albeit Heaven and Earth obey his Empire would he not take from the secret and hid treasures which lie dispersed in the veins of the Earth neither yet would he take it onely from the rich and potent of the people but the rich should give no more for that use then the poor nor the poor less then the rich If this equality was commanded by God for the maintenance of that transitory Tabernacle which was but a shadow of a better to come is not the same required of us who have the Verity which is Christ Jesus He being clad in our nature is Immanuel i. e. God with us And for the more assurance of his promise of being with us c. he hath erected among us the signs of his own presence with us the true preaching of his Word and right administration of the Sacraments his spiritual Tabernacle to the maintenance whereof is no less bound the Subject then the Prince the poor then the rich As the one is obliged to believe in heart and with mouth to confess the Lord Iesus so also is the other The poorest that in the dayes of this cruel persecution believeth in Christ and boldly doth confess him before this wicked generation is no less acceptable before God then is the King that by his Sword and Power rooteth out Idolatry and so advanceth Christs Glory From Geneva Iuly 4. 1558. Afterwards Mr. Knox called back again into Scotland by some Lords c. but a stop being for a while put upon his return he writ from Diep Octob. 27. 1557. having left Geneva In his Letter If any perswade you for fear of dangers that may follow to faint in your former purpose let him be judged of you both foolish and your mortal enemy foolish because he understood nothing of Gods approved wisdome and enemy unto you because he laboured to separate you from Gods favour provoking his vengeance and grievous plagues against you because he would that you should prefer your worldly rest to Gods praise and glory and the friendship of the wicked to the salvation of your Brethren I am not ignorant that fearful troubles shall ensue your enterprise But O joyful and comfortable are the troubles and adversities which man sustaineth for accomplishment of Gods Will revealed by his Word How terrible soever they appear to the judgement of the natural man yet are they never able to devour nor utterly to consume the Sufferers for the invisible and invincible power of God sustaineth and preserveth according to his promise all such as with simplicity do obey him When the Bishop of Saint Andrews threatned Mr. Knox that if he preached there as he intended he should be assaulted with a dozen of Culverings Being demanded his judgement whether his preaching should not be delayed answered God is
original nor antiquity from worldly Princes but from the eternal God alone so are not Subjects bound to frame their Religion according to the appetite of their Princes Daniel and his fellows were Subjects to Nebuchadnezzar and unto Darius and yet they would not be of their Religion The three Children said We make it known to thee O King that we will not worship thy gods And Daniel prayed publickly to his God against the express command of the King You are not the Church said the Queen that I will nourish I will defend the Church of Rome for I think it is the true Church of God Your will Madam said he is no reason neither doth your thought make that Roman Harlot to be the immaculate Spouse of Jesus Christ. And wonder not Madam that I call Rome an Harlot for that Church is altogether polluted with all kind of spiritual fornication c. Yea I offer my self further to prove that the Church of the Iews who crucified Christ Jesus when they manifestly denied the Son of God was not so far degenerated from the Ordinances and Statutes which God gave by Moses and Aaron to his people as the Church of Rome is declined from the purity of Religion which the Apostles taught and planted You interpret the Scriptures said she in one manner and they in another whom shall I believe who shall be Iudge Believe said he God that speaketh plainly in his Word and further then the Word teacheth you ye shall believe neither the one nor the other The Word of God is plain in it self and if there appear any obscurity in one place the Holy Ghost who is never contrarious to himself explains the same more clearly in other places When he was accused as one that had irreverently spoken of the Queen and that travelled to bring her into hatred and contempt of the people and that he had exceeded the bounds of his Text. Madam said he if your ears had heard the whole matter that I treated of if there be in you any spark of the Spirit of God yea of honesty and wisdome you would not justly be offended with any thing I spake My Text was this And now O Kings understand be learned ye Iudges of the earth After Madam I had declared the dignity of Kings and Rulers the obedience due to them I demanded this Question But oh alas what account shall the most part of Princes make before the supreme Judge whose Throne and Authority so shamefully they abuse The complaint of Solomon is this day most true That Violence and Oppression do occupy the Throne of God on earth for whilst that Murtherers Blood-thirsty men Oppressors c. dare present themselves before Kings and Princes and the poor Saints of God are banished and exiled what shall we say but that the Devil hath taken possession in the Throne of God which ought to be â—earful to all wicked doers and a refuge to the innocent and oppressed And how can it be otherwise For Princes will not understand c. Gods Law they despise his Statutes and holy Ordinances they will not understand for in fidling and singing they are more exercised then in reading or hearing Gods most blessed Word c. And of dancing Madam I said That albeit in Scripture I find no praise of it and in profane Writers it is termed the gesture rather of those that are mad then of sober men Yet do I not utterly condemn it provided that two vices be avoided 1 That the principal Vocation of those that use that exercise be not neglected for the pleasure of dancing 2 That they dance not as the Philistines their Fathers for the pleasure that they take in the displeasure of Gods people for if they do so they shall receive the reward of dancers and that will be to drink in Hell unless they speedily repent So shall God turn their mirth into sudden sorrow for God will not alwayes afflict his people nor wink at the tyranny of Tyrants Many that stood by witnessed That Mr. Knâ—x had recited the very words that publickly he spake The Queen looked about upon some of the Reporters and said Your words are sharp enough as you have spoken them but yet they were told me in another manner If you hear any thing of my self that misliketh you come to my self and tell me and I shall hear you Madam said he I am called to a publick Function within the Church of God and appointed by God to rebuke the sins of all I am not appointed to come to every man in particular to shew him his offence for that labour were infinite If your Majesty pleaseth to frequent the publick Sermons then I doubt not but you shall fully understand both what I like and mislike as well in your Majesty as in all others Or if your Majesty will assign me a certain day and hour when it shall please you to hear the Form and Substance of Doctrine which is proposed in publick to the Churches of this Realm I will most gladly wait upon your Majesties pleasure time and place but to come and wait upon your Chamber door or elsewhere and then to have no farther liberty but to whisper my mind in your Majesties ear or to tell you what others think or speak of you neither will my conscience nor the Vocation whereto God hath called me suffer it Mr. Knox departed with a reasonable merry countenance whereat some Papists offended said He is not afraid which heard by him he answered Why should the pleasant face of a Lady afray me I have looked in the faces of many angry men and yet have not been afraid above measure When the Courtiers pickt quarrels against the Preachers for reprehending avarice oppression excess riotous cheer banquetting immoderate dancing and whoredome that thereof ensues which then began to abound at Court alledging That all their preaching was turned into railing Mr. Knox told them It cometh to our ears that we are called Railers whereof albeit we wonder yet we are not ashamed seeing that the most worthy Servants of God that before us have travelled in this Vocation have so been stiled but unto you do I say that the same God who from the beginning hath punished the contempt of his Word and hath poured forth his vengeance on such proud mockers shall not spare you yea he shall not spare you before the eyes of this wicked generation for the pleasure whereof ye despise all wholesome admonition Have you not seen greater then any of you sitting where ye sit Earl Huntly pick his nails and pull down his Bonnet over his eyes when Idolatry Witchcraft Murder Oppression c. were rebuked was not this his common talk When these Knaves have railed their fill then will they hold their peace Have ye not heard it affirmed to his own face that God should revenge that his blasphemy even in the eyes of such as were witness to his iniquity By your hands
this Realm that I am acquainted with but they shall write unto you and godlily threaten you with their Authority I will do all this yea I will kneel upon both my knees before the Kings Majesty and all his honourable Council with most humble Petition for your Reformation rather then the Devil shall possess you still to your final damnation so that I do not despair but verily trust one way or other to pluck both you and your crabbed Brother as crabbed as you say he is out of the Devils claws maugre the Devils heart In the moneth of October An. 1555. Mr. Latimer and Dr. Ridley were brought forth together to their final Examination and Execution At his last appearence being prest to recant he said I must use here the counsel of Cyprian who when he was ascited before certain Bishops that gave him leave to take deliberation and counsel to try and examine his opinion he answered them thus In sticking to and persevering in the truth no counsel nor deliberation must be taken and being asked which was most like to be the Church of Christ whether the persecuted or the persecutor Christ said he hath foreshewed That he that doth follow him must take up his Cross. How think you then my Lords Is it like that the See of Rome which hath been a continual persecutor is rather the Church or that small flock which hath alwayes been persecuted even to death Mr. Latimer being told That his and St. Cyprian's case was not one Yes verily said he my cause is as good as St. Cyprian's for his was persecution for the Word of God and so is mine As he was going to Execution Dr. Ridley spying him behind him said O be ye there Yes said Mr. Latimer have after as fast as I can follow When he could not be suffered to answer Dr. Smith's Sermon at their Execution on that in the Corinthians If I give my body to be burned and have not charity c. he said Well there is nothing hid but it shall be opened When a Fagot was brought kindled with fire and laid at Dr. Ridley's feet Mr. Latimer said Be of good comfort Mr. Ridley and play the man We shall this day light such a Candle by Gods Grace in England as I trust will never be put out He received the flame as it were embracing it and crying out vehemently O Father of Heaven receive my soul. Laverock Hugh Laverock an old lame man after he was chained to the Stake cast away his Crutch and comforting Iohn Apprice a blind man his Fellow-Martyr said unto him Be of good comfort my Brother for my Lord of London is our good Physician he will heal us both shortly thee of thy blindess and me of my lameness Lavoy Mr. Aymond de Lavoy a French Minister having intelligence that some were sent to apprehend him and being willed by his Friends to flie and shift for himself he said That he had rather never to have been born then so to do It is the office of a good Shepherd not to flie in time of peril but rather to abide the danger lest the Flock be scattered or else least in so doing he should leave some scruple in their minds Thus to think That he had fed them with dreams and fables contrary to the Word of God Wherefore beseeching them to move him no more therein he told them That he feared not to yield up both body and soul in the quarrel of that Truth which he had taught saying with St. Paul I am ready not onely to be bound for the testimony of Christ in the City of Bourdeaux but to die also When his Hearers flew upon the Sumner to deliver their Preacher out of his hands he desired them not to stop his Martyrdome seeing it was the Will of God that he should suffer for him he would not said he resist Whilst he was in Prison he bewailed exceedingly his former life though there was no man that could charge him outwardly with any crime One of the Presidents coming to him and shaking him by his beard bid him tell what fellows he had of his Religion None said he but such as know and do the Will of God my Father whether they be Nobles Merchants Husbandmen or of whatsoever degree they be In his torments in Prison he comforted himself thus This body once must die but the Spirit shall live The Kingdome of God abideth for ever In the time of his tormenting being but of a weak body he swounded afterward coming to himself again he said O Lord Lord why hast thou forsaken me The President answering Nay wicked Lutheran thou hast forsaken God Alas said he why do ye thus torment me O Lord I beseech thee forgive them they know not what they do All their tortures could not force him to confess one mans name but he said unto them I thought to have found more mercy with men Wherefore I pray God I may find mercy with him To the Friers that came to confess him after his condemnation he said Depart I will confess my sins to the Lord. Do ye not see how I am troubled enough with men will ye yet trouble me more others have had my body will ye also take from me my soul away from me At last he took a certain Carmelite bidding the rest to depart whom after much talk he did convert to the Truth Such trust have I said he to the Judge in my God that the same day when I shall die I shall enter into Paradise The Church said he is a Greek word signifying as much as Congregation or Assembly And so I say Whensoever the Faithfull do congregate together to the honour of God and amplifying of Christian Religion the Holy Ghost is verily with them By this it should follow said the Judge that there be many Churches It is no absurd thing said he to say there be many Churches or Congregations among the Christians and so speaketh St. Paul To all the Churches which are in Galatia When the Judges left him looking on him as a damned Creature he said with St. Paul Who shall separate me from the love of God shall the sword hunger or nakedness No nothing shall pluck me from him As he was carried to the place of Execution he sang Psal. 114. and preaching still as he went one of the Souldiers bidding the Carter therefore to drive apace he said unto him He that is of God heareth the Word of God Many being offended that passing by an image of the Virgin Mary he would not pray unto her lifted up his voice to God praying That he would not suffer him at any time to invocate any other but him alone At his Execution he said O Lord Make haste to help me tarry not do not despise the work of thy hands and you my Brethren that be Students I exhort you to learn the Gospel for the Word of God abideth for ever Labour to know
the Truth the bitter pangs of death c. To die in Christs Cause is an high honour to the which no man should aspire but to whom God vouchsafeth that priviledge for no man is allowed to presume to take to himself any office of honour but he which is thereunto called of God Iohn saith well speaking of them which have obtained the Victory by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of his Testimony that they loved not their lives even unto death And our Saviour Christ saith He that shall lose his life for my Cause shall find it This manner of speech pertaineth not to one kind of Christians as the worldly do wickedly dream but to all that truly pertain to Christ for when Christ had called unto him the multitude together with his Disciples he said unto them Mark he said not this unto his Disciples or Apostles only but unto all Whosoever will follow me let him forsake or deny himself c. for whosoever will to save his life forsake me and my Truth shall lose it and whosoever shall lose c. Whosoever shall â—e ashamed of me and my words i. e. to confess me and my Gospel before this adulterous generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed c. Know thou O man of God that all things are ordained for the furtherance of thee towards thy salvation All things saith Paul work with the good to goodness c. It is not as the wicked think That poverty adversity sickness tribulation yea painfull death of the godly be tokens that God doth not love them but even the clean contrary Now thou O man of God for the Lords sake let us not for the love of this life tarry here too long and be occasion of delay of that glorious consummation of all Christs Sufferers in hope and expectation whereof the former Martyrs have departed in the Lord and the which also the living indued with Gods Spirit ought so earnestly to desire c. crying out Come Lord Iesus come Then shall our weak body be transfigured and made like to Christs glorious body and then shall we see and have the unspeakable joy and fruition of the glorious Majesty of our Lord even as he is Who or what then shall let us to jeopard yea to spend this life which we have here in Christs Cause in our Lord God his Cause O therefore thou man of God that art loaden and so letted like unto a great bellied woman that thou canst not flie the plague yet if thou lust after such things as I have spoken of stand fast whatsoever shall befall thee in thy Masters Cause and take this thy letting to flie for a call from God to fight in thy Master Christs Cause Of this be thou certain they can do nothing unto thee which thy Father is not aware of or hath not foreseen before they can do no more then it shall please him to suffer them to do for the furtherance of his glory edifying of his Church and thine own salvation O be not afraid and remember the end What I have spoken for the comfort of the big-bellied woman I mean to be spoken likewise to the Captive and Prisoner in Gods Cause for such I count to be as it were already summoned and pressed to fight under the Banner of the Cross of Christ and as it were Souldiers allowed and taken up for the Lords Wars to do their Lord and Master good and honourable service and to stick to him even unto death c. To conclude I say unto all that love Christ Jesus our Redeemer and Saviour that love to follow the wayes of the holy Ghost who is our Comforter and Sanctifier that love Christs Spouse and Body c. yea that love life and their souls health Hearken my dear Brethren and Sisters c. to the Word of our Saviour Jesus Christ spoken to his Apostles and meant to all his in St. Matthew's Gospel Fear not them which kill the body for they cannot kill the soul but fear him c. The Lord grant us of his heavenly grace and strength that here we may so confess him in this world amongst this adulterous generation that he may confess us again at the last day before his Father c. In his Reasons why Images should not be placed and erected in Churches First the words of the Command Exod. 20. repeated more plainly Deut. 27. where observe those words Thou shalt not make to thy self mean to any use of Religion and those And setteth it in a secret place imply that no man durst then commit Idolatry openly The reason why God gave this general Prohibition is lest thou being deceived shouldst bow down to them and worship them This general Law is generally to be observed though some be not hurt by them Moses was not deceived or seduced by Iethro's Daughter nor Boaz by Ruth a woman of Moab yet the general Law was to be observed Thou shalt not joyn thy children in marriage with strangers least she seduce thy Son c. If by vertue of the second Commandment Images were not lawfull in the Temple of the Jews then by the second Command they are unlawfull in the Churches of Christians but c. in the Tabernacle and Temple of God no Images were appointed openly to beset nor by practice afterwards used or permitted so long as Religion was purely observed therefore c. For the second Command is moral and not ceremonial c. The Jews by no means would consent to Herod Pilate or Peâ—ronius that Images should be placed in the Temple at Jerusalem but rather offered themselves unto death then to consent unto it Besides that Iosephus commends them for observing the meaning of the Law sure they would not have endangered themselves so far if they had thought Images had been indifferent in the Temple of God Athâ—nasius tells us The invention of Images came of no good but of evil and whatsoever hath an evil beginning can never in any thing be judged good seeing it is wholly naught Tâ—rtullian expounding those words Little Children beware of Images saith That the meaning is as if he had said Little Children keep your selves from the shape it self or form of them Images in the Church either serve to edify or to destroy If they edify then there is one kind of edification which the Scriptures neither teach nor command but alwayes disallow if they destroy they are not to be in the Church The Command of God is Thou shalt not lay a stumbling-block before the blind and cursed is he that maketh the blind wander in his way Images are snares and traps for the feet of the ignorant Images do not stir up the mind to Devotion but distract the mind from Prayer hearing of Gods Word c. Hence in the Council-chamber of the Lacedemonians no picture was suffered least in Consultation of the weighty matters of the
Commonwealth their minds by the sight of the outward Image might be withdrawn or wander from the matter To allow a most certain peril for an uncertain profit and the greatest danger for the smallest benefit in matters of Faith and Religion is a tempting of God and a grievous offence In the Primitive Church there were no Images in places of Assembly for Religion this the Heathens objected to the Christians for a crime as Origen and Arnobius testifie c. Lactantius saith It is not to be doubted that there is no Religion wheresoever is any Image Not onely by Varro's judgement but also by St. Augustine's approbation of Varro the most pure and chast observation of Religion and nearest the Truth is to be without Images By the judgement of this ancient Father Epiphanius to permit Images in Churches is against the Authority of Scripture meaning against the second Commandment c. Besides Epiphanius doth reject not onely graven and molten but painted Images Again he spared not the Image of Christ yea he did not onely remove it but with a vehemency of zeal cut in pieces and he is carefull that no such kind of painted Images be permitted in the Church It is manifest to them that read Histories that not onely Emperours but also divers and sundry Councils in the East Church have condemned and abolished Images both by Decrees and Examples But this notwithstanding experience hath declared That neither Councils nor Writings Preachings Decrees making of Laws prescribing of Punishments have holpen against Images to which Idolatry hath been committed nor against Idolatry whilst Images stood In his Letter to his Dear Brother and Reverend Fellow-Elder in Christ Iohn Hooper My dearly beloved Brother c. whom I reverence in the Lord c. Forasmuch as I understand by your works that we throughly agree and wholly consent together in those things which are the grounds and substantial points of our Religion against which the world so furiously rageth in our dayes howsoever in time past by certain by-matters and circumstances of Religion your wisdome and my simplicity I grant hath a little jarred each of us following the abundance of his own sense and judgement Now I say be you assured that even with my whole heart God is my witness in the bowels of Christ I love you in the Truth and for the Truths sake which abideth in us and as I am perswaded shall by the grace of God abide in us for evermore Because the world as I perceive Brother busily conspireth against Christ our Saviour with all possible force and power let us joyn hands together in Christ and if we cannot overthrow yet to our power and as much as in us lies let us shake those high Altitudes not with carnal but with spiritual weapons Let us also prepare our selves for death by which after our short afflictions here by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall triumph together with him in eternal glory I pray you Brother salute in my Name your Reverend Fellow-Prisoner and Venerable Father Dr. Cranmer by whom since the first day that I heard of his most godly and fatherly constancy in confessing the Truth of the Gospel I have conceived great consolation and joy in the Lord. It will also be to me great joy to hear of your constancy and fortitude in the Lords Quarrel I am earnestly moved to counsel you not to hasten the publishing of your Works especially under your own Name least your mouth should be stopped hereafter and all things taken away from the rest of the Prisoners whereby otherwise if it so please God may be able to do good to many Farewell in the Lord my most Dear Brother Once again and for ever in Christ my most Dear Brother farewell Rieux Dionysius de Rieux was one of them who was first burned at Melda or Meaux in France An. 1528. for saying That the Mass is a plain denial of the Death and Passion of Christ. He was alwayes wont to have in his mouth the Words of Christ He that denieth me before men him also will I deny before my Father Rogers Mr. Iohn Rogers preaching at Paul's Cross even after Queen Mary was come to the Tower of London confirmed the Truth of that Doctrine which he and others had there taught in King Edward's dayes exhorting the people constantly to remain in the same and to beware of all pestilent Popery Idolatry and Superstition For that Sermon he was called in Question In his Examination and Answer Ian. 22. 1555. I never granted King Henry the Eighth to have any Supremacy in spiritual things as are the forgiveness of sins giving of the holy Ghost authority to be a Judge above the Word of God The Chancellor asserting That the Parliament that abolished the Popes Supremacy was with most great cruelty constrained thereunto He answered With cruelty Why then I perceive that you take a wrong way with cruelty to perswade mens consciences for it should appear by your doings now that the cruelty then used hath not perswaded your consciences How would you then have your consciences perswaded with cruelty Sir Richard Southwell telling him That he would not burn in this year when it cometh to the Purpose he answered Sir I cannot tell but I trust to my Lord God yes lifting up his eyes to Heaven I desire the hearty and unfeigned help of the Prayers of all Christs true Members the true Imps of the true unfeigned Catholick Church that the Lord God of all consolation will now be my comfort aid strength buckler and shield as also of all my Brethren that are in the same case and distress that I and they all may despise all manner of threats and cruelty and even the bitter burning fire and the dreadfull dart of death and stick like true Souldiers to our dear and loving Captain Christ our onely Saviour and Redeemer and the onely true Head of the Church that doth all in us all which is the property of an Head and that we do not traiterously run out of his Tents or rather out of the plain field from him in the greatest jeopardy of the battel but that we may persevere in the fight if he will not otherwise deliver us till we be most cruelly slain of his enemies For this I most heartily and at this present with tears most instantly and earnestly desire and besâ—ech you all to pray In his second Examination and Answer Ian. 28 29. 1555. Should said the Chancellor when the Parliament hath concluded a thing any private person have authority to discuss whether they had done right or wrong No that may not be I answered shortly That all the Laws of men might not neither could rule the Word of God but that they all must be discussed and judged thereby and obey thereto and neither my conscience nor any Christians could be satisfied with such Laws as disagreed from that Word Mr. Hooper and Mr. Cardmaker were