ready to suffer with all patience whatsoever Tyranny any Power would minister unto them giving all people example to do the same whereas the Papists exempt the Pope and Priests from being bound to obey Magistrates Yea as to the people they teach that the words requiring Subjection are a Counsel and not a Command and that the Popes Authority is sufficient to Dispense with all the Commandments of God Wherefore most gracious Prince I lowly and meerly desire your Majesty to Judge between the Bishops and me which of us is truest faithfullest to God and to your Majesty The following Articles were some of Dr. Barnes his Position in his Sermon which the Bishops condemned for Heresie 1 If thou believe that thou art more bound to serve God to morrow which is Christmass day or on Easter day or on Whitsunday for any holiness that is in one day more then another thou art superstitious 2 Now dare no man preach the Truth and the very Gospel of God especially they that be feeble and fearful but I trust yea I pray to God that it may shortly come that false and manifest errours may be plainly shewed c. 3 We make now adayes Martyrs I truâ—â— we shall have many more shortly for the Verity could never be preached plainly but persecution followed 6 I will never believe neither can I believe that one man may be by the Law of God 〈◊〉 Bishop of two or three Cities yea of a whole Countrey for it is contrary to Saint Paul who saith I have left thee behind to set in every City a Bishop 7 It cannot be proved by Scripture that a man of the Church should have so great temporal possessions 8 Sure I am that they cannot by the Law of God have any Jurisdiction secular 9 They say they be the Successors of Christ and his Apostles but I can see them follow none but Iudas for they bear the purse and have all the money To burn me or to destroy me saith he in his Defence of the Two and twentieth Article cannot so greatly profit them for when I am dead the Sun and the Moon and the Stars and the Elements yea and also Stones shall defend this Cause against them rather then the Verity should perish As for me I do promise them here by this present Writing and by the fidelity I owe to my Prince that if they will be bound to our noble Prince after the manner of his Law and after good conscience and right that they shall do me no violence nor wrong but discuss and dispute these Articles and all other that I have written after the holy Word of God and by Christs holy Scripture with me then will I as soon as I may know it present my self unto our most noble Prince to prove these things by Gods Word against you all He also writ unto King Henry the Eighth an excellent Treatise to prove from the Scriptures of Truth and out of the Writings of the Fathers that faith onely justifieth before God Prefacing it thus Now if your Grace do not take upon you to hear the Disputation of this Article out of the ground of holy Scripture my Lords the Bishops will condemn it before they read it as their manner is to do with all things that please them not and which they understand not and then cry they Heresie Heresie an Heretick an Heretick he ought not to be heard c. He writ also several other Treatises as what the Church is what the Keyes of the Church be and to whom they were given Against free-will that it is lawful for all men to read the holy Scriptures that mens constitutions which are not grounded in Scripture bind not the Conscience c. In which Treatise he tells us there be two manners of Powers a Temporal and a Spiritual Power The Temporal is committed to Magistrates in this Power the King is chief and full Ruler c. Unto this Power must we be obedient in all things that pertain to the ministration of this present life and of the Commonwealth not onely for avoiding of punishment but for conscience sake So that if this Power command any thing of Tyranny against right and law alwayes provided it repugne not against the Gospel nor destroy our Faith our Charity must needs suffer it Nevertheless if he command thee any thing against right or do thee any wrong if thou canst by any reasonable and quiet means without sedition insurrection or breaking of the common Peace save thy self or avoid his Tyranny thou mayest do it with good Conscience But in no wise mayest thou make any resistance with sword or with hand but obey except thou canst avoid as I have shewed thee But now it will be enquired if it please the King to condemn the New Testament in English and to command that none of his Subjects shall have it under displeasure whether they be bound to obey this Command or no To this he answers having shewed why the King should not lay any such Command on his Subjects If the King forbid the New Testament or any of Christs Sacraments or the preaching of the Word of God or any other thing that is against Christ under a temporal pain or under the pain of death men should first make faithful prayers to God and then intercede the King for a release of the Command If he will not do it they shall keep their Testament with all other Ordinances of Christ and let the King exercise his Tyranny if they cannot flee and in no wise under pain of damnation shall they withstand him with violence but suffer patiently and leave the Vengeance of it to their heavenly Father which hath a scourge to tame those Bedlams with when he sees his time Neither shall they deny Christs Verity nor forsake it before the Prince lest they run the danger of being denied by Christ before his Father This may be proved by the examples of the Apostles when the High Priests of the Temple commanded Peter and Iohn that they should no more Preach and Teach in the Name of Jesus They made them answer It was more right to obey God then man Also the Pharisees came and commanded our Master Christ in Herods Name to depart from thence under pain of death But he would not obey but bid them go tell that Wolf Behold I cast out Devils c. Nevertheless I must continue this day to morrow and the next day c. So that he left not the Ministration of the Word for the Kings pleasure nor yet for fear of death The three Children also would not obey the Kings command against Gods Word Daniel would not leave off Prayer though commanded by the King So that Christians are bound to obey in suffering the Kings Tyranny but not in consenting to his unlawful Command Alwayes having before their eyes the comfortable saying of our Master Christ Fear not them that can onely kill the body and that
to confute me by the Scriptures of the Prophets or Evangelists and Apostles and I will be most ready when taught to recant any Errour yea will be the first that shall cast mine own Books into the fire I suppose hereby it is manifest that I have well weighed the perils and dangers as also the divisions and dissentions which have risen through the World by occasion of my Doctrine of which I was yesterday gravely and sharply admonished As for me the face of things is very pleasant when I see discords and dissentions stirred up upon the account of the Word for such is the course the lot and event of the Gospel for Christ saith I came not to send Peace but a Sword I came to set a man at variance with his Father The Emperours Prolocutor telling him That he had not answered to the purpose neither ought he to call in question what hath been in time past defined and condemned in Councils and therefore a plain and direct answer whether he would recant or no was demanded of him Seeing therefore said Luther your most Excellent Majesty c. require a plain answer I will give one and that without horns or teeth Unless I shall be convinced by Scripture testimonies or evident reason for I believe neither Pope nor Councils onely seeing it is evident that they have often erred and contradicted themselves I am so evercome by the Scritures which I have alledged and my Conscience is so captiv'd to the Words of the Lord that I may not neither will I recant at all and that because it is neither safe nor honest to act against Conscience Here I stand I have nothing else to say God be merciful to me The Princes consulted together upon this Answer given by Luther and when they had examined it the Prolocutor endeavoured to refell it telling him That it nothing availeth to renew disputation concerning things condemned by the Church and Councils through so many Ages unless it should be necessary to give a reason to every one of every thing that is concluded but if this should be permitted to every one that gain ayeth the determination of the Church and Councils to be convinced by the Scriptures we shall have nothing certain and established in Christianity And therefore the Emperour required of him a plain and direct Answer either negative or affirmative to this Question Art thou resolved to defend all thy Works as Orthodoxâ— Or wilt thou recant any thing in them Then Dr. Martin besought the Emperour that he might not be compelled to recant against his Conscience captiv'd to and hindred by the holy Scriptures without manifest Arguments to the contrary The Answer said he that is required is a plain and direct Answer I have no other then what I have already given Unless my Adversaries can deliver my Conscience from captivity to those they call Errours by sufficient Arguments I cannot get out of the Net in which I am intangled All things which Councils have determined are not therefore true yea Councils have erred and determined often things contrary to themselves and therefore the Prolocutors Argument falleth I can shew that Councils have erred and therefore I may not revoke what is plainly and diligently exprest in Scripture Hereupon the Emperour resolved to pursue Martin Luther and his Adherents by Excommunication and other means that may be devised to extinguish his Doctrine yet would not violate his Faith but intended to give order for his safe return thither whence he was called and certified the Princes Electors Dukes and the other Estates assembled so much in a Letter to them Before Luther had any Answer from the Emperour several of all ranks visited him and conferred with him among the rest the ArchBishop of Triers sent for him and Dr. Vaeus in the presence of many Nobles protested that Luther was not called to dispute but onely the Princes had procured license from the Emperour benignly and brotherly to exhort him c. To whom he gave this Answer Most gracious and illustious Princes and Lords I give you most humble thanks for your clemency and singular good will from whence proceedeth this admonition I do indeed acknowledge my self altogether unworthy to be admonished by so Mighty Princes I have not reprehended all Councils but onely that of Constence and that because that Council hath condemned the Word of God as appears in that this Article of Iohn Hus That the Church of Christ is the Company of the Elect is condemned by it I am ready to lose blood and life for you so I be not compelled to revoke the manifest Word of God in defence whereof we ought rather to obey God then man Here I cannot avoid scandal There be two manners of offences at Manners and at Faith Now it is not in my power to make Christ not to be a Rock of Offence I am ready to obey Magistrates how wickedly soever they live so that I be not inforced to deny the Word of God Hereupon Dr. Vaeus admonished Luther to submit his Writings to the Emperours and the Princes judgement He answered humbly and modestly That he was so far from fearing their Examination that he was content to suffer his Writings to be discussed most accurately of the meanest so that it were done by the Authority of the Word of God and of the holy Scripture The Word of God said he makes so clearly for me that I may not yield unless I be untaught and taught better by the Word of the Lord. St. Austin writeth thus I give this honour onely unto the Canonical Books to believe them to be altogether true as for other holy and learned Doctors I onely so far believe them as they write the truth St. Paul bids us Prove all things and hold fast that which is good He saith also Though an Angel from Heaven should preach any other Doctrine c. Wherefore I humbly beseech you not to urge my Conscience bound in Scripture bonds to deny the so clear Word of God In all other cases I will be most obedient to you The Marquess of Branderburg asking him Whether he was not resolved not to yield unless he were convinced by the holy Scripture Yes said he most noble Lord or else by clear and evident reasons Afterwards Pentinger and Dr. Vaeus endeavoured to perswade Luther to let the Emperour and Empire to pass judgement upon his Writings simply and absolutely He answered That he was ready to do and suffer any thing so that they would build on the Authority of the holy Scripture Otherwise he could not consent for God by the Prophet saith Trust ye not in Princes nor in the children c. Cursed is he that trusteth in man When notwithstanding this answer they urged him more vehemently he told them Nothing is less to be permitted to mans judgement then the Word of God Then they prayed him to submit his Writings to the judgement of the next Council He agreed thereunto
said Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit In her troubles she writ the following Verse with a pin Non aliena putes homini quae obtingere possunt Sors hodierna mihi tunc erit illa tibi In English thus Think nothing strange which man cannot decline My Lot's to day to merren may le thine Deo juvante nil nocet livor malus Et non juvante nil juvat labor gravis Post tenebras spero lucem In English thus If God protect me malice cannot end me If not all I can do will not defend me After dark night I hope for light H. Haggar He was persecuted for saying A. 1520. that There shouâ—d be a battel of Priests and all the Priests should be slain and that the Priests should a while rule but they should all be destroyed for making of false gods That the men of the Church should be put down and the false gods that they mâ—ke and after that they should know more and then shouâ—d be a merry world Hale When Thomas Hale was taken by an Alderman of Bristow and another he said unto them You have sought my blood these two years and now much good do it you He was burned A. 1557. for saying The Sacrament of the Altar is an Idol Hall Nicholas Hall in his Answer to the first Article against him granted himself a Christian man and acknowledged the determinations of the holy Church i. e. of the Congregation or Body of Christ but denied to call the Catholick and Apostolick Church his Mother because he found not this Word Mother in the Scripture To the second he said That whereas before he held the Sacrament to be but onely a token or remembrance of Christ's death now he said that There is neither token nor remembrance becasue it is now misused and clean turned from Christs institution c. Hallewin Harman When Cornelius Hallewin of Antwerp had received a sharp Letter sent him from the Minister of the Flemish Church upon the occasion of a recantation spread and falsly fathered upon Cornelius the blood gushed out of his nose he spread abroad his arms and made pitiful out-cries What to deny the Truth said he God forbid O that the faithful should conceive so hardly of me Good God thou knowest I am innocent nor have I this way offended When he was condemned to die the Margrave offered him that he should die a more easie kind of death if he would give ear to the Priests which he had brought to him to Prison No Sir said he God forbid I should do such a thing Do ye with my body what ye will As they bound him and Harman of Amsterdam Harman willed the Margrave to take heed what he did for said he this will not go for payment in Gods sight in bereaving us thus of our Lives I wish you therefore to repent before it be too late You cannot long continue this tyrannous course for the Lord will shortly avenge it A Cross being offered them and a promise that they should be beheaded and not burnt if they would take it into their hands they said They would not give the least sign that might be of betraying the Truth and that it was all one to them what death they were put to so they died in and for the Lord. The punishment they said could last but for a while but the glory to come was eternal At the Stake Cornelius fell on his knees praying God to forgive his enemies who had sinned through ignorance When the Margrave of Antwerp offered Halleâ—iâ— and Harmar mitigation of torments upon abjuation We are resolved said they these momentary afflictions are not worthy that exceeding weight of glory that shall be revealed Hallingdale Articles against Iohn Hallingdale 3 That during the reign of King Edward he did depart from his former Faith and Religion and so doth continue and determineth so to do as he saith to his life's end 4 That he hath divers times said That the Faith Religion and Ecclesiastical Service received observed and used now in this Realm is not good but against Gods command c. And that he will not in any wise conform himself to the same â—ut speak and think against it during his natural life 5 That he absenteth himself continually from his Parish Church c. 6 That he will not have his Child by his will as he saith confirmed by the Bishop Unto all which Articles he made this answer that he confessed all and every part to be true He told Bâ—nner that the blood of the Prophets and of the Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth was found in the Babylonical Church which is the Church where the Pope is head Because I will not come to your Babylonical Church therefore you go about to condemn me Being demanded whether he would recant he answered That he would continue and persist in his Opinions to the death When the Sentence was read He openly thanked God that he never came into the Church since the abomination came into it When William Hallywell and the twelve more that were burnt in one Fire at Stratford the how near London were condemned and carried down thither to be burnt they were divided into two parts in two several Chambers Thereupon the Sheriffe came to the one part and told them That the other had recanted and their lives therefore should be saved willing and exhorting them to do the like and not to cast away themselves unto whom they answered That their Faith was not built on man but on Christ crucified Then the Sheriffe went to the other part and said the like to them but they answered as their Brethren had done before That their Faith was not built on man but on Christ and his Word Hamelin Mr. Philibert Hamelin of Tournay refusing offers of escape out of Prison said I esteem it altogetder unleseeming for a man that is called to preach Gods Word unto others to run away and to break Prison for fear of danger but rather to maintain the Truth taught even in the midst of the flaming fire After Sentence of death was past upon him he eat his meat as joyfully as though he had been in no danger speaking to them of the happiness of eternal life evidencing that A good conscience is a continual feast When he was apprehended there was apprehended with him his Host whom he thought he had converted but afterward he renounced Christ and his Word Whereupon he said unto him O unhaâ—py and more then miserable Is it possible for you to be so foolish as for the sâ—ving of a few dayes which you have â—o â—â—ve by the course of nature so to start away and deny the Truth Know you therefore that although you have by your folishness avoided the corporal fire yet your life shall be never the longer for you shall die before me and God shall not give you the grace that it shall
and necessities as also charitably to pray for them that persecute them So doth the Word of God command all men to pray charitably for them that hate them and not to revile any Magistrate with words or to mean him evil by force and violence They also may rejoyce that in well doing they were taken to Prison Thus fare you well and pray God to send his true Word into this Realm again amongst us which the ungodly Bishops have now banished In his Letter to those Christians so taken Prisoners The grace favour consolation and â—â—d of the Holy Ghost be with you now and ever So be it Dearly Beloved in the Lord ever since I â—eard of your imprisonment I have been marvellously moved with great affections and passions as well of mirth and gladness as of heaviness and sorrow Of gladness in this that I perceived how ye be bent and given to prayer and invocation of Gods help in these dark and wicked proceedings of men against Gods glory I have been sorry to perceive the malice and wickedness of men to be so 〈◊〉 devillish and tyrannical to persecute the 〈◊〉 of God for serving of God c. These 〈◊〉 doings do declate that the Papists Church is 〈◊〉 bloody and tyrannical then ever was the 〈◊〉 of the Ethnicks and Gentiles Trajan the Emperour commanded That no man should be persecuted for serving of God but the Pope and his Church have cast you into Prison being taken doing the Work of God and one of the excellentest Works that is required of Christians viz. whilest ye were in Prayer O glad may ye be that ever ye were born to be apprehended whilest ye were so vertuously occupied Blessed be they that suffer for righeeousness sake If God had suffered them that took your bodies then to have taken your life also now had you been following the Lamb in pertual joyes away from the company and assembly of wicked men But the Lord would not have you suddenly so to depart but reserveth you gloriously to speak and maintain his Truth to the world Be ye not careful what ye shall say for God will go out and in with you and will be present in your hearts and in your mouths to speak his wisdome though it seems foolishness to the world He that hath begun this good work in you continue in the same unto the end Pray unto him that ye may fear him only that hath power to kill both body and soul and to cast them into hell fire Be of good comfort all the hairs of your head are numbred and there is not one of them can perish except your heavenly Father suffer it to perish Now you be in the field and placed in the fore-front of Christs battel Doubtless it is a singular favour of God and a special love of him towards you to give him this preheminence as a sign that he trusteth you before others of his people Wherefore dear Brethren and Sisters continually fight this Fight of the 〈◊〉 Your Cause is most just and godly ye stan◠〈◊〉 the true Christ who is after the flesh in Heâ—â—â—â— and for his true Religion and Honour 〈…〉 amply fully sufficiently and abundantly contained in the holy Testament sealed with Christs own blood How much be ye bound to God who putâ— you in trust with so holy and just a Cause Remember what lookers on you have to see and behold you in your fight God and all his holy Angels who be ready alwayes to take you up into Heaven if ye be slain in his Fight Also you have standing aâ— your backs all the multitude of the Faithful who shall take courage strength and desire to follow such noble and valiant Christians as you be Be not afraid of your Adversaries for he that is in you is stronger then he that is in them Shrink not although it be pain to you your pains be not now so great as hereafter your joyes shall be Read the comfortable Chapters to the Romanes 8.10 15. Hebrews 11.12 And upon your knees thank God that ever ye were accounted worthy to suffer any thing for his Names sake Read the second Chapter of Luke and there you shall see how the Shepherds that watched their Sheep all night as soon as they heard that Christ was born at Bethlehem by and by went to see him They did not reason nor debate with themselves who should keep the Wolf from the Sheep in the mean time but did as they were commanded and committed their Sheep unto him whose pleasure they obeyed So let us do now we be called commit all other things to him that calleth us He will take heed that all things shall be well He will help the Husband he will comfort the Wife he will guide the Servants he will keep the House he will preserve the Goods yea rather then it should be undone he will wash the Dishes and rock the Cradle Cast therefore all your care upon God for he careth for you Besides this you may perceive by your imprisonment that your Adversaries weapons against you be nothing but flesh and blood and tyranny for if they were able they would maintain their Religion by Gods Word but for lack of that they would violently compel such as they cannot by holy Scripture perswade because the holy Word of God and all Christs doings be contrary unto them I pray you pray for me and I will pray for you Fleet Ian. 14. 1555. In a Letter to certain of his Friends Now is the time of trial to see whether we fear more God or man It was an easie thing to hold with Christ whilst the Prince and world held with him but now the world hateth him it is the true trial who be his Wherefore in the Name and in the Vertue Strength and Power of his holy Spirit prepare your selves in any case to adversity and constancy Let us not run away when it is most time to fight Remember none shall be crowned but such as fight manfully and he that endureth to the end shall be saved Ye must now turn all your cogitations from the peril you see and mark the felicity that followeth the peril either victory in this world of your enemies or else a surrender of this life to inherit the everlasting Kingdome Beware of beholding too much the felicity or misery of this world for the consideration and too earnest love or fear of either of them draweth from God Wherefore think with your selves as touching the felicity of the world it is good but yet none otherwise then it standeth with the favour of God It is to be kept but yet so far forth as by keeping of it we lose not God It is good abiding and tarrying still among our friends here but yet so that we tarry not therewithal in Gods displeasure and hereafter dwell with the Devils in fire everlasting There is nothing under God but may be kept so that God being above all things we have
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
for one of those precious Chains about his neck in honour of his Lord. Why I pray you said he do you deny me the badge of so excellent an Order Is not my Cause the same with theirs Marsh. Mr. George Marsh Minister in Lancashire writes thus concerning his Troubles My Friends and Relations advised me to flee If I were taken said they and would not recant as they thought I would not and God strengthning and assisting me never shall it would not onely put them to great sorrow and losses and shame but also my self after troubles and painful imprisonment unto shameful death To their counsel my weak flesh would gladly have consented but my spirit did not fully agree thinking and saying thus unto my self That if I so fled away it would be thought and reported that I did not onely flee my Countrey and nearest and dearest Friends but from Christ holy Word of late years within my heart or at least with my life professed and with my mouâ—h taught I knew not what to do but ceased not by earnest prayer to ask and seek counsel of God aâ—â— of other my Friends whose godly judgement and knowledge I much trusted to Still I was undetermined what to do but told a Friend that had prayed with me for direction I doubted not but God according as our prayer and trust was would give me such wisdome and counsel as should be most to his honour and glory the profit of my Neighbours and Brethren and mine own eternal salvation by Christ in Heaven At length one came to me with Letters from a faithful Friend which I never read nor looked on who said thus My Friends advice was that I should in no wise flee but abide and boldly confess the Faith of Jesus Christ. At which words I was so confirmed and established in my Conscience that from thenceforth I consulted no more whether it were better to flee or to tarry but was at a point with my self that I would not flee but go to Mr. Barton who did seek me and patiently bear what cross it should please God to lay upon me Whereupow my mind and conscience being much troubled before was now merry and in quiet state Thereupon I went to Mr. Barton He shewed me a Letter from the Earl of Derby wherein he was commanded to send me to Lathum Thither I went The Earl asked me whether I was one that sowed dissention among the people I denied it and desired to know mine Accusers but that could not be granted He asked me whether I was a Priest I said No but a Minister c. I was asked whether I had ministred with a good Conscience I answered I had ministred one year with a good Conscience I thanked God and if the Laws of the Realm would have suffered me I would have ministred still and if the Laws at any time hereafter would suffer me to minister after that sort I would minister again The Vicar of Prescot having communed with me a good while concerning the Sacrament of the Altar told my Lord and his Council that the answer which I had made before and then made was sufficient for a Beginner and one that did not profess a perfect Knowledge in that matter and thereupon I had more favour Hereupon I was much more troubled in my spirit then before because I had not with more boldness confessed Christ but in such sort as mine Adversaries thereby thought they should prevail against me Hitherto I went about as much as lay in me to rid my self out of their hands if by any means without open denying of Christ and his Word that could be done This considered I cried more earnestly to God to strengthen me with his holy Spirit with boldness to confess him and to deliver me from their enticing words and that I might not be spoiled through their Philosophy and deceitful vanity after the traditions of men and ordinances of the world and not after Christ. The Vicar of Prescot and Parson of Grapnal much exhorted me to leave mine Opinions saying I was much deceived understanding the Scriptures amiss and much counselled me to follow the Catholick Church of Christ and to do as others did I answered My faith in Christ conceived by his holy Word I neither might nor would deny alter or change for any living creature whatsoâ—vâ—r â—e were Afterwards Mr. Sherburn and Mr. Mâ—â—r perswaded me to leave mine Opinions because of the advâ—rsity of the Maintainers of them and the prosperity of the Favourers of the Religion now used I answered That I believed and leaned onely to the Scriptures not judging things by prosperity or adversity They advised me not to let shame hinder me from renouncing mine Opinions I answered That what I did I did not for the avoiding of any worldly shame saying My soul and life were dearer to me then the avoiding of any worldly shame neither yet did I it for any vain praise of the world but in the reverent fear of the Lord. Mr. Sherburn told me that it was great pity I should cast my self away c. I answered That my Life Mother Children Brethren Sisters and Friends with other Delights of this life were as dear and sweet to me as unto any other man and that I should be as loth to lose them as another would if I might hold them with a good conscience and without the ignominy of Christ. But seeing I could not do that my trust was that God would strengthen me with his holy Spirit to lose them all for his sake for I take my self said I for a Sheep appointed to be slain patiently to suffer what cross soever it shall please my merciful Father to lay upon me After this Mr. Moor told me I was unlearned and erred from the Catholick Faith stubborn and stood altogether in mine own conceit I answered For my learning I acknowledge my self to know nothing but Jesus Christ even him that was crucified and that my Faith was grounded on Gods holy Word onely and such as I doubted not pleased God and as I would stand in to the last God assisting me and that I did not say or do any thing of stubbornness self-wilfulness vain-glory or any other worldly purpose but with good conscience and in the fear of God Desiring him to speak to my Lord and his Council that I might find some mercy at their hands but he giving me but short answer then I said I commit my Cause to God who hath numbred the hairs of my head and appointed the dayes of my life saying I am sure God who is a Righteous Iudge would make inquisition for my blood according as he hath promised I desire the Reader of this Relation to pray for me and all them that be in bonds that God would assist us with his holy Spirit that we may with boldness confess his holy Name and that Christ may be magnified in our bodies that we may stand full and perfect
true cause for it 29 That we are no more bound to pray in the Kirk then in other places 32 That the Pope is the head of the Kirk of Antichrist 34 That they which are called Princes and Prelates in the Church are Thieves and Robbers By these Articles exhibited in the year 1494 which God of his merfull providence caused the enemies of his Truth to keep in their Registers may appear how God retained some spark of light in Scotland in the time of greatest darkness When Arch Bishop Blacater asked Adam Read Whether he believed that God was in Heaven he answered Not as I do the Sacraments seven Whereupon Blacater insultingly said unto the King Sir Lo he denies that God is in Heaven Whereat the King wondring said Adam Read what say you He answered May it please your Majesty to hear the end between the Churle and me and therewith turned to the Bishop and said I neither think nor believe as thou thinkest that God is in Heaven though I am most assured that he is not onely in Heaven but also in the Earth but thou and thy Faction declare by your works that either you think there is no God at all or else that he is so set up in Heaven that he regards not what is done on Earth for if thou firmly believedst that God were in Heaven thou shouldst not make thy self Check-mate to the King and altogether forget that charge that Iesus Christ the Son of God gave to his Apostles to preach the Gospel and not to play the proud Prelates as all the rabble of you do this day And now Sir said he to the King judge you whether the Bishop or I believe best that God is in Heaven Then the King said to him Adam Read Wilt thou burn thy Bill He answered Sir the Bishop and you will Ridley Dr. Nicholas Ridley then Bishop of London went about Septemb. 8. â— 1552. to see the Lady Mary and offered to preach before her but she told him The door of the Parish Church adjoyning shall be open to you if you come and you may preach if you list but neither I nor any of mine shall hear you Madam said he I trust you will not refuse Gods Word I cannot tell said she what you call Gods Word that is not Gods Word now that was Gods Word in my Fathers dayes Gods Word said he is all one in all times but hath been better understood and practised in some Ages then in other After this Conference Sir Thomas Wharton one of the Lady Mary's Officers brought the Bishop to the place where they dined but the Bishop after he had drunk pausing a little while and looking very sadly brake out into these words Surely I have done amiss Why so said the Knight For I have drunk said he in that place where Gods Word offered hath been refused whereas if I had remembred my duty I ought to have departed immediately and to have shaken off the dust of my feet for a testimony against this House These words were spoken by the Bishop with such vehemency that some of the Hearers afterwards confessed That their hairstood upright upon their heads This done the Bishop departed In the time of Queen Iane in his Sermon at Paul's Cross he prophesied at it were That if ever the Lady Mary were Queen she would bring in Foreign Power to reign over them besides the subverting the Christian Religion then established Shortly after this Sermon Queen Mary was proclaimed and Dr. Ridley speedily repaired to Fremingham in Suffolk to Queen Mary but had but cold welcome there he was spoiled of his Dignity and sent back upon a lame halting Horse to the Tower In the Tower he was sometimes invited to the Lieutenants Table where he had conference with Secretary Brown c. In that Conference It is not in Scripture said Dr. Ridley as in the witness of men where a â—umber is credited more then one A multitude of affirmations in Scripture and one affirmation is all one as to the truth if the matter That which any one of the Evangeâ—ists spâ—ke inspired by the Holy Ghost is as true â—s that which is spoken by them all What John saith of Christ I am the door of the Sheâ—p is as true as what Matthew Mark Luke c. say This is my body â—â—t the Scripture words are onely true in the sence in which they were spoken As for Unity I embrace it â—it be with Verity and joyned to our Head Christ. â—â—r Antiquity I am perswaded that to be true which â—reneus saith That which is first is true Our Religion was first truly taught by Christ himself and his Apostles c. You know I were a very fool if I â—iu'd in this matter dissent from you if that in my â—onscience the Truth did not inforce me sâ— to do Ye perâ—ive I trow it is out of my way if I esteemed worldly â—â—in Afterwards he was sent out of the Tower with Cranmer and Latimer to dispute at Oxford When he was the first time brought before the Commissioners they asked him Whether he would dispute or no He answered That as long as God gave him life he should not onely have his heart but also his mouth and Pen to defend his Truth In his Protestation before his Disputation Whilst I weighed with my self how great a charge of the Lords Flock was of late committed to me for which I am certain I must render an account to my Lord God c. and that moreover by the command of the Apostle Peter I ought to be ready alwayes to give a reason of the hope that is in me with meekness and reverence unto every one that shall demand the same Besides this considering my duty to the Church of Christ and to your Worships being Commissioners by publick Authority I determined to obey your command in openly declaring to you my mind touching the Propositions which you gave me And albeit plainly to confess unto you the truth in these things which ye now demand of me I have thought otherwise in times past then now I do yet God I call to record unto my soul I lye not I have not altered my judgement as now it is either by constraint of any man or Laws or for the dread of any dangers of this world or for any hope of commodity but onely for love of the Truth revealed to me by the grace of God as I am undoubtedly perswaded in his holy Word and in the reading of the Ancient Fathers Dr. Weston telling him What he said contained onely evasions and starting holes I cannot said Dr. Ridley start far from you I am captive and bound Bertram said he was the first that pulled me â—y thâ— ear and that first â—rought me from the common errour of the Popish Church and caused me to search more diligently and exactly both the Scriptures and the Writings of the old Ecclesiastical Fathers in this matter
favour his life yet that he would favour his own soul He answered What care I have of my soul you may see by this that I had rather give my body to be burned then to do that thing that were against my conscience B Babilas Babilas Bishop of Antioch being cast by Decius into a filthy stinking Prison for the name of Christ with as many irons as he could bear intreated his Friends that visited him that after his death they would bury with him the signs and tokens of his valour meaning his bolts and fetters Now said he will God wipe away all tears and now I shall walk with God in the land of the living Bainham Mr. Iames Bainham when he repented of his Recantation in Austin's Church in London He declared openly with weeping eyes that he had denied God and prayed all the people to beware of his weakness and not to do as he did For saie he If I should not return again unto the truth this Word of God he having a New Testament in his hand would damn me both body and soul at the Day of Judgement He perswaded them to die by and dy rather then to do as he did for he would not feel such an hell again for all the worlds good When he was at the Stake in the midst of the flaming fire which had half consumed his Arms and Legs he spake these words O ye Papists Behold ye look for miracles and here now you may see a miracle for in this fire I feel no more pain then if I were in a Bed of Down it is to me as a Bed of Roses Barâ—evil Iohn Barbevil said to the Friers that called him ignorant Ass Well Admit I were so yet shall my bloud witness against such Balaams as you be Bale Mr. John Bale in his excellent Paraphrase in Apocalyps In his Preface He that will live godly in Christ Jesus and be a patient sufferer he that will stand in Gods fear and prepare himself to temptation he that will be strong when adversity shall come and avoid all assaults of Antichrist and the Devil let him give himself wholly to the study of this prophesie He that knoweth not this Book knoweth not what the Church is Whereof he is a member It containeth the universal troubles persecutions and crosses that the Church suffered in the Primitive Spring what is suffereth now and what it shall suffer in the later Times by the subtilties of Antichrist and his Followers the cruel Members of Satan and it manifesteth what Promises what Crowns and what Glory the said Congregation shall have after this present Conflict with the Enemies that the promised Rewards might quicken the hearts of those that the Torments feareth Unto St. Iohn were these Mysteries revealed when he was by the Emperor Domitianus exiled for his Preaching into the Isle of Patmos at the cruel Complaints of the Idolatrous Priests and Bishops and by him writ and sent out of the same exile into the Congregations The Contents of this Book are from no place more freely and clearly opened nor told forth more boldly then out of exile Flattery dwelling at home and sucking there still his Mothers breasts may never tell out the truth he seeth so many dangers on every side as displeasure of Friends decay of Name loss of Goods offence of Great men and jeopardy of Life c. The forsaken wretched sort hath the Lord provided alwayes to rebuke the world of sin hypocrisie blindness for nought is it therefore that he hath exiled a certain number of believing Brethren the Realms of England of the which afflicted Family my faith is that I am one Whereupon I have considered it is no less my bounden duty under pain of damnation to admonish Christs flock by this present Revelation of their perils past and dangers to come for contempt of the Gospel which now reigneth there above all in the Clergy Graciously hath the Lord called them especially now of late but his voice is nothing regarded His Servants have they imprisoned tormented and slain having his Verity in much more contempt then before We looked for a time of peace saith the Prophet Ieremiah and we fare not the better at all we waited for a time of health and we find here nothing else but trouble And no marvel considering the Beasts head that was wounded is now healed up again so workmanly as Rev. 13. mentioneth The abominable hopocrisie idolatry pride and filthiness of those terrible termagaunts of Antichrists holy houshold those two-horned Whoremongers those Conjurers of Egypt and lecherous Locusts leaping out of the bottomless Pit which daily deceive the ignorant multitude with their Sorceries and Charms must be shewed to the World to their utter shame and confusion To tell them freely of their wicked works by the Scriptures I have exiled my self for ever from mine own native Countrey Kindred Friends Acquaintance which are the great delights of this life and am well contented for the sake of Christ and for the comfort of my Brethren there to suffer poverty penury abjection reproof and all that shall come beside Here are we admonished before-hand of two most dangerous evils neither to agree with those Tyrants that wage war with the Lamb in his elect Members nor yet to obey those deceitful Bishops that in hypocrisie usurp the Churches Titles Of those hath our heavenly Lord premonished us in this heavenly work of his and graciously called us away from their abominations lest we should be partakers of their sins and so receive of their plagues If we unthankfully neglect it the greater is our danger Barlaam He holding his hand in the flame over the Altar sung that of the Psalmist Thou teachest my hands to war and my fingers to fight Barnes I have been reported said Dr. Barnes at the Stake to be a Preacher of Sedition and disobedient to the Kings Majesty but here I say to you that you are all bound by the command of God to obey your Prince with all humility and with all your heart and that not onely for fear of the sword but also for conscience sake before God Yea I say further If the King should command you any thing against Gods Law if it be in your power to resist him yet may you not do it Basil. When Valens the Emperour sent his Officers to him seeking to turn him from the Faith And first of all great preferments were offered him Basil rejected them with scorn Offer these things said he to Children When he was afterwards threatned grievously Threaten said he your Purple Gallants that give themselves to their pleasures When the Emperors Messenger promised him great preferment Alas Sir said this Bishop of Caesâ—rca these speeches are fit to catch little Children that look after such things but we that are taught and nourished by the holy Scriptures are ready to suffer a thousand deaths rather then to suffer one syllable or tittle of
to turn away from us But turn again O Lord let us fall into thine hands c. least these vain Idolaters do rejoyce at the miserable destruction of those men whom they make Proselvtes and from thy Doctrine Apostates But O Lord thy will be fulfilled this is thy righteous judgement to punish us with the tyrannical yoke of blindness because we have cast away from us the sweet yoke of the wholesome Word of thy Son our Saviour Yet consider the horrible blasphemies of thine and our enemies They say in their hearts there is no God which either can or will deliver us Wherefore O heavenly Father the Governour of all things the Avenger of the Causes of the poor the fatherless the widow and the oppressed look down from Heaven with the face of thy fatherly mercies and forgive us all former offences and for thy Son Jesus Christs sake have mercy upon us who by the force and cruelty of wicked and blasphemous Idolaters without causes approved are haled and pulled from our own houses are slandered slain and murdered as Rebels and Traytors like persons pernicious pestiferous seditious pestilent and full of mortal poyson to all men contagious whereas we do meddle no farther but against the hellish powers of darkness c. which would deny the will of our Christ unto us we do contend no farther but onely for our Christ Crucified and the onely salvation by 〈◊〉 blessed Passion Therefore O Lord for 〈◊〉 glorious Names sake for Jesus Christs sake c. make the wicked Idolaters to wonder and stanâ— amazed at thy Almighty power Use thy wonteâ— strength to the confusion of thine enemies and 〈◊〉 the help and deliverance of thy persecuted people All thy Saints do beseech thee therefore The young Infants which have some deal tasted of thy sweet Word by whose mouths thou hast promised to make perfect thy praises whose Angels do always behold thy face who besides the loss of us their Parents are in danger to be compelled and driven without thy great mercies to serve dumb and insensible Idols do cry and call unto thee Their pitiful Mothers with lamentable tears lie prostrate before the Throne of thy Grace Thou Father of the fatherless Judge of the widdows and Avenger of all the oppressed Let it appear O Lord Omnipotent that thou dost here Judge Avenge and punish all wrongs offered to all thy little Ones that do believe in thee Do this O Lord For thy Names sake Arise up O Lord and thine enemies shall be scattered and confounded So be it O Lord most merciful at thy time appointed Brown Iohn Brown told his wife as he sate in the Stocks that the Arch-Bishop had burnt his feet to the bones so as he could not set them upon the ground and all to make them deny Christ which said he I will never do for if I should deny him in this world he would deny me hereafter Thomas Brown being brought forth to be condemned Bonner said to him Brown you have been before me many times and I have took much pains to win thee from thine errors yet thou and such like have and do report that I go about to seek thy blood Yea my Lord said Brown indeed you be a Blood-sucker and I would I had as much blood as there is water in the Sea for you to suck Bruger A Frier offering Iohn Bruger a forreign Martyr a Wooden Cross at the Stake No said he I have another true Cross imposed on me which now I will take up I worship not the work of mans hands but the Son of God I am content with him for my onely Advocate Bruse I thank God said Peter Bruse my broken Leg suffered me not to flie this Martyrdome Buisson I shall now have said Iohn Buisson a double Goal-delivery one out of my sinful flesh another from the loathsome Dungeon I have long lain in Burgins Lord said Annas Burgins in the midst of his torments forsake me not least I forsake thee Burgon Iohn Burgon to his Judges asking him if he would appeal to the High-Court answered Is it not enough that your hands are polluted with blood but you will make more guilty of it Barnes When Dr. Barnes was brought before Cardinal Wolsey He told him he thought it necessary that his Golden Shoos and Golden Cushions c. should be sold and given to the poor for that such things were not comely for his Calling neither was the Kings Majesty maintained by his Pomp but by God who saith By me Kings reign When the Cardinal would have had him to reâ—fer himself to him promising him Favour he anâ—swered I will stick to the Holy Scripture and tâ— Gods Book according to the simple Talent thaâ— God hath lent me Being called before the Bishops and Abbot oâ— Westminster who demanded of him whether hâ— would abjure or burn he was in a great agony and then thought rather to burn then to abjure but perswaded by Gardiner and Fox because they said he should do more good in time to come He abjured and carried his Fagot to Pauls After they had long detained him in Prison notwithstanding upon notice given him of their intentions to burn him notwithstanding his abjuration he escaped out of England into Germany where he made his supplication to King Henry the Eighth against the Lordly Bishops and Prelates of England for the intollerable injuries wrongs and oppressions wherewith they had vexed not onely himself but all true Preachers of Gods Word and Professors of the same contrary to the Word of God and their own Laws and Doctors I do not believe saith he that ever God will suffer long so great Tyranny against his Word and so violent Oppressions of Christians as they now use and that in the Name of Christ and his Holy Church Now it is come to that that whoever he be high or low poor or rich wise or foolish that speaketh against them and their vicious living he is either made a Traytor to your Grace or an Heretick against Holy Church as though they were Kings or Gods If there be any men that Preach Dispute or put forth in Writing not any thing touching them though it be never so blasphemous against God the Blood of Christ and his Holy Word they will not once be moved therewith But if any man speak against their Cloaked Hypocrisie or against any thing belonging to them by which their abominations are disclosed nothing can excuse but he must either to open shame or cruel death and that under the accusation of Treason But who is he that would be a Traitor or maintain a Traitor against your Majesty Sure no man can do it without the great displeasure of the eternal God The Doctrine of the Gospel teacheth all obedience to Rulers and not Sedition and such as have preached the Word of God onely have never been the movers of disobedience or rebellion against Princes but they have been
is the true Cross saith Mr. Frith in his Treatise called A preparation to the Cross which God doth lay upon us For the Word of God to suffer all scorns mocks lyes and persecutions and not to fear the most cruel yea even the most shameful death That we may be prepared to bear the true Cross we must consider that no calamity falleth on us by fortune or chance but by the counsel and appointment of God as witnesseth the holy Scripture It is undoubtedly no smaâ— comfort to be assured that the Cross is of God and that we are chastened of God and not of the Devil or of any wicked man who utterly can have no power upon us not so much as to move one hair of our head beside the will of the Lord. But it is not enough to consider that we are afflicted through the counsel and will of God but must moreover mark the cause and intent of his godly will for reason judgeth that we are punished to the end to be hurt or destroyed c. but we must forsake Reason and cleave to the Word of God which teacheth that we suffer affliction to our health and salvation for afflictions are not signs of wrath and displeasure but of grace and favour This is no small comfort to them that bear the Cross that they are not punished of the Lord to their hurt or destruction but to their health and salvation and that their afflictions poverty c. are not signs of Gods wrath but instruments by which God is glorified When God doth afflict his people for their sins he doth not therefore afflict them that by their afflictions they should satisfie for their sins for the passion and suffering of Jesus Christ is the ransome and expiation of our sins but that by affliction he may bring sinners to repentance When a Christian seeth himself forsaken of all men he must pray and not cease to pray but pray in faith mistrusting nothing God calleth Invocation or crying on him in trouble a Sacrifice the true and most acceptable honour So likewise he calleth the Hope whereby we tarry his help in affliction Sacrifice Sacrifice you the sacrifice of Justice and hope ye in the Lord q. d. that Hope is a Sacrifice whereby we yield justice to God that seeing he hath so promised he will pluck us out and deliver us for so much as he is righteous and true Of patience to God-ward springeth forth patience toward men for when the heart is at peace with God it tarrieth help of him and utterly setteth aside lust to revenge Our reason is therefore troubled and vexed in persecution because it thinketh that we are afflicted because God either hateth us or doth not regard us neither will help us These false opinions God plucketh from us and teacheth us that we are afflicted not because he hateth us but because he will either amend us or when we be amended continue us so And that in our affliction he will help us and keep us and also comfort us with the Holy Ghost and set our Conscience at peace and make us be glad in God c. Christian patience hath certain conditions whereby it is known to be true patience 1 It grudgeth not neither excuseth it self as though it should suffer unworthily for his sins wherefore he sitteth down and holdeth his peace as Iâ—remiah saith 2 Is casteth all carefulness on God and committeth it self wholly to God that Gods will be done and not his 3 It humbleth himself and casteth off the pleasures of the World 4 He is merry and ready to suffer yet more heavy and gâ—ievous evils We must look for help in all afflictions for God promiseth his help saying I am with you Fâ—ar ye nâ—t I will strengthen you But the manner time and kind of help is unknown unto us that Faith and Hope may have place which sticketh to these things which are not seen nor heard God delivereth when most need is that his glory may shine the brighter He will therefore help when we be in a manner compelled to despair in all humane help and when all carnal counsel deceiveth us for God only will be glorified He doth prolong help for our utility and profit that he might exercise and prove Faith by temptation so that he onely might possess the title and name of Helper He that believeth makes not haste He which yet seems afar off shall appear at the end and shall not lye although he tarry yet look for him for he is coming and at the last he shall come and shall not be slow It is also a great comfort to them that be in affliction to remember that they have Christ and his Prophets and Apostles and all good and holy men for their examples Furthermore it is a great comfort to the godly that the wicked whom God doth use as a rod to scourge the godly go not clear away without punishment whom he maketh either shamefully ashamed or through their own counsel he doth take them and bringeth them into the same destruction which they themselves have studied and found out for others The cause is For he that hurteth one faithful wrongeth not onely him but God who doth revenge the injury and wrong done to the faithful as injury done to himself He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Saul Saul why persecuteth thou me If thou beest tempted concerning the Gospel or suffering persecution for the Gospel think of these Scriptures He that receeveth not my Cross and follows not me is not worthy of me If any man will come after me let him forsake himself and take his Cross and follow me For he that will save his soul shall lose it Contrariwise he that loseth his soul for my sake shall find it He that will confess me before men I will confess him before my Father The Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy The Servant is not above his Lord all they that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution If thou must die and leave Wife and Children and thy dear Friends say The Lord shall be their Defender for Gâ—â— both will and is able to cherish mine to nouriâ—â— and defend them for he is the Father of the faâ—therless and the Widows Husband I forget thingâ— behind my back and endeavour my self to thâ—â— things that are before my face They that haâ—â— Wives let them be as though they had none anâ— they that weep as though they wept not If Satan say thou must forsake the world what then Answer thou contrariwise I shall attain Heaven For blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. All thâ— world lyeth in wickedness All that are born â—â— God overcome the world and this the victorâ— which overcometh the world our faith All thâ— world shall perish with its lusts and desires Loâ—â— not the world nor the things of
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
entirely desiring your everlasting felicity to warn you and most heartily desire you to watch and pray On the high mountains doth not grow most plenty of grass neither are the highest trees farthest from danger but seldome sure and alwayes shaken of every wind that bloweth Such a deceitful thing saith our Saviour is honour and riches that without grace it choketh up the good seed sown c. It maketh a man think himself somewhat that is nothing at all for though for our honour we esteem our selves and stand in our own light yet when we shall stand before the living God there shall be no respect of persons for riches helpeth not in the day of vengeance nor can we make the Lord partial for money Though the world rage and blaspheme the Elect of God ye know that it did so unto Christ his Apostles and to all that were in the Primitive Church and shall be unto the worlds end I beseech you in the bowels of Christ my Lord Jesus stick fast unto the Truth let it never depart out of your hearts and conversations c. Yours in him that liveth for ever In his Letter to his Wife after his Condemnation I exhort you to love God with all your heart and soul and mind c. To lay sure hold on all his promises that in all your troubles you may run strait to the great mercy of God c. And be sure that neither Devil Flesh nor Hell shall be able to hurt you But if you will not keep his holy Precepts and call for Gods help to walk in the same but will leave them and do as the wicked world does then be sure to have your part with the wicked world in the burning lake Beware of Idolatry which most of all stinks in Gods Nostrils and hath been of all good men detested from the beginning of the world for the which what Kingdomes c. God hath punished with most terrible plagues c. to the utter subversion of them is manifestly to be seen through the whole Bible yea for this he draadfully plagued his own people c. But how he hath preserved those that abhorred superstition and idolatry c. is also to be seen from the beginning out of what great danger he hath delivered them yea when all hope of deliverance was past as touching their expectation c. I exhort you also in the bowels of Christ that you will exercise and be stedfast in Prayer the onely mean to obtain of God whatsoever we desire so it be askt in Faith O what notable things do we read in Scripture that have been obtained through fervent Prayer Whatsoever you desire of God in Prayer ask it for Jesus Christ's sake for whom and in whom God hath promised to give us all things necessary Though what we ask come not by and by continue still knocking and he will at length open his treasures of mercy c. Yet once again I warn you that ye continue fervent in Prayer c. In his Letter to Mr. Throgmorton Whereas the love of God hath moved you to require my Son to be brought up before your eyes and the self same love hath also moved me to leave him in your hands as a Father in my absence I shall require you in Gods behalf according to your promise that ye will see him brought up in the fear of the Lord and instructed in the knowledge of his holy Word that he may learn to leave the evil and know the good c. And this I require you to fulfill or cause to be fulfilled as ye before the Living God will make answer for the same Yours and all mens in Christ Iesus Hector Bartholomew Hector being condemned was threatned that if he spake any thing to the People his Tongue should be cut off yet he did not forbear He pray'd for the Judges That God would forgive them and open their eyes He refused a Pardon offered him at the Stake At his Death many wept saying Why doth this man die who speaketh of nothing but of God When he was called before Authority to be examined he would answer them to nothing before he had made his Prayer to God Whereupon falling down upan his knees he said Lord open my mouth and direct my Speech to utter that onely that may tend to thy honour and glory and the edification of thy Church When he was bound to the Stake Gunpowder and Brimstone was brought to be placed about him he lifting up his eyes to Heaven said Lord how sweet and welcome is this to me Hernaudes Mr. Iulian Hernaudes a Spanish Martyr came from the Wrack and the Tortures of the Inquisition inflicted on him for bringing with him and causing to be brought into Spain many Books of the Holy Scriptures in Spanish as from a Conquest saying to his Fellow-prisoners as he past by them These Hypocrites are gone away confounded no less then wolves that have been long hunted When he was brought forth to his Execution he said to the rest Courage my valiant and constant Brethren now is the hour come in which as the true Champions of Iesus Christ we must witness his Truth before men and for a short tryal for his sake we shall triumph with him for ever and ever Herwyn When Iohn Herwyn of Flanders was led to Prison the Bailiffe meeting certain Drunkards in the Street and saying They say we have many Gospellers in Houscot but it little appears by these disorders he replied Mr. Bailiffe is drunkenness a sin What of that said the Bailiffe Why then said Herwyn commit you not these fellows to Prison seeing it is your office to punish vice and to protect such as fear God After he was in Prison because he was not called forth before the Magistrates assoon as he desired and expected he grew heavy and sad asking Why they so delayed the matter for his heart was fired with an holy zeal to confess Christ before his Judges When he was brought forth he admonished his Judges to examine the Doctrine of the Roman Church by the true Touch-stone which is the holy Scripture that so they might discern how opposite and contrary the one is to the other Consider also said he what the words of St. Peter import where the affirms That we ought to obey God rather then man c. When he craved for Justice either one way or another they urged him to desist from his Opinion but he answered That his faith was not built on an Opinion but said he the Lord hath taught me to eschew evil and do good Seest thou not said they how these opinions have troubled the world and how many of the learneder sort do contradict them So far is it off said he that the Doctrine of the Gospel should be the cause of troubles debates and strifes which raign in the world These troubles indeed arise from the rage of men And as for your learned
to speak to them or receive any thing of them upon pain of imprisonment Notwithstanding the people cried out desiring God to strengthen them and they prayed for the people and the restoring of his Word At length Mr. Holland embracing the Stake and the Reeds said Lord I most humbly thank thy Majesty that thou hast called me from the stake of death unto the light of thy heavenly Word and now unto the fellowship of thy Saints that I may sing and say Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts Lord into thy hands I commit my spirit Lord bless these thy people and save them from idolatry Hooper Mr. Iohn Hooper in his exile writ a Declaration of Christ and his Office and a Declaration of the holy Commandmants of Almighty God c. In his Epistle before his Declaration of Christ and his Office to the Duke of Somerset Because the right of every just and lawful Heir is half lost and more when his Title and Claim is unknown I have written this little Book containing what Christ is and what his Office is that every godly man may put to his helping hand to restore him again to his Kingdome who hath sustained open and manifest wrong this many years as it appeareth by his evidence and writing the Gospel sealed with his precious blood In his Declaration ch 3. Jesus Christ in all things executed the true Office of a Bishop to whom it appertained to teach the people which was the chiefest part of the Bishops Office and most diligently and straitly commanded by God As all the Books of Moses and the Prophets teach and Christ commanded Peter Iohn 20. and Paul all the Bishops and Priests of his time Acts 20. Christ left nothing untaught but as a good Doctor manifested unto his Audience all things necessary for the health of man Iohn 4. He gave also his Apostles and Disciples after his resurrection commandment to preach and likewise what they should preach Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature teaching them to observe what I have commanded Matt. 28. As they did most sincerely and plainly without all glosses or additions of their own inventions and were as testimonies of the Truth and not the Authors thereof Alwayes in their Doctrine they taught the thing that Christ first taught and Gods holy Spirit inspired them Gal. 1. 2 Cor. 3. Holy Apostles never took upon them to be Christ's Vicar in the Earth nor to be his Lieutenant But said Let a men so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 And in the same Epistle the Apostle Paul hiddeth the Corinthians to follow him in nothing but where he followed Christ chap. 11. They ministred not in the Church as though Christ was absent although his most glorious Body was departed into the Heavens above but as present that alwayes governeth his Church with his Spirit of Truth as he promised Matth. ult Behold I will be with you to the end of the world In the absence of his Body he hath commended the protection and governance of his Church to the Holy Ghost one and the same God with the Father and himself It was no little pain that Christ suffered in washing away the sins of this Church therefore he will not commit the defence thereof to man It is no less glory to defend and keep the thing won by force then it is by force to obtain the victory Therefore he keepeth the defence and governance of the Church onely and solely himself in whom the Devil hath not a jot of right Though the Apostles were instructed in all truth c. they were but Ministers Servants Testimonies and Preachers of this verity and not Christ's Vicars on Earth c. but onely appointed to approve the thing to be good that God's Law commanded and that to be ill which the Word of God condemned Seeing that Christ doth govern his Church alwayes by his holy Spirit and bindeth all the Ministers thereof unto the sole Word of God what abomination is this that one Bishop of Rome c. should claim to be Christ's Vicar on Earth and take upon him to make any Laws in the Church of God to bind the conscience beside the Word of God and by their Superstition and Idolatry put the Word of God out of his place All that are not blinded with the smoke of Rome know the Bishop of Rome to be the Beast Iohn describeth in the Apocalyps as well as the Logician knoweth that risibilitate distinguitur homo a caeteris animantibus Christs supremacy and continual presence in the Church admits no Lieutenant nor general Vicar Likewise it admitteth not the Decrees and Laws of men brought into the Church contrary unto the Word and Scripture of God which is onely sufficient to teach all verity and truth for the salvation of man ch 4. This Law teacheth man sufficiently as well what he is bound to do unto God as unto the Princes of the world Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. Nothing necessary for man but in this Law it is prescribed Of what degree vocation or calling soever he be his duty is shewed unto him in the Scripture And in this it differeth from mans laws because it is absolutely perfect and never to be changed nothing to be added to it nor taken from it And the Church of Christ the more it was and is burdened with mans laws the farther it is from the true and sincere verity of Gods Word Though Basil Ambrose Epiphanius Augustine Bernard and others erred not in any principal Article of the Faith yet they did not inordinately and more then enough extol the Doctrine and Tradition of men and after the death of the Apostles every Doctors time was subject to such Ceremonies and manners that were neither profitable nor necessary Unto the writings of Scripture onely and not unto the writings of men God hath bound and obligated his Church In this passage I admonish the Christian Reader that I speak not of the Laws of Magistrates or Princes that daily order new Laws for the preservation of their Commonwealths as they see the necessity of their Realms or Cities require but of such Laws as men have ordained for the Church of Christ which should be now and for ever governed by the Word of God This Law must prevail We must obey God rather then man The example hereof we have in Daniel of the Three Children who chose rather to burn in the fiery Furnace then to worship the Image that Nebuchadnezzar had made So did the Apostles Acts 5. Cursed be those that make such Laws and cursed be those that with sophistry defend them ch 5. The Authority of Gods word requireth me to pronounce this true Judgement in the case of Images that be not worshipped in the Church that their presence in the Church is against Gods Word as well as to say Sancta Maria ora pro nobis The Old
Testament saith Exod. 20. Deut. 6. Thou shalt make no Image The New saith that Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it Matth. 5. Christ therefore hath left the commandments of the old Law unto the Church in which he saith Thou shalt not make any Image Of late years Images were in the Temple and honoured with pater noster heart and mind leg and knee Now they be applyed to another use to teach the people to be Lay-mens Books as Damascene c. saith O blasphemous and devillish Doctrine The most perfect Churches of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles used no such mean and we ought to follow them and the Word of God writ by the Prophets and Apostles The words of Gregory ad Seren. Episcop Mâ—ssil part 10. Ep. 4. should move no man though he say Quod legentibus Scriptura hoc ideotis pictura praestat cernentibus This is but Gregory's opinion Epiphanius was not of his mind He willed the occasion of ill to be taken out of the Church as Paul commandeth 1 Thes. 5. This Doctor was as all men know of singular learning and vertue Again against the Authority of Gregory the Great I set the Authority of Athanasius the Great who denieth in express words the Images to be the Books of the Lay people Lactantius Firmianus crieth so out against Images that he saith there can be no true Religion where they be Tertullian judgeth the same Loved we God we would be content with the Scripture Shall not the Patriarks Prophets Christ and his Apostles suffice the Church of God What although many learned men have approved Images should their wisdome maintain any contrary to the Word of God Such as defend them have nothing but sophistical arguments to blind the people with The Scripture nor Apostles Church used none Had all Asia Africa and Europe and Gabriel the Archangel descended from Heaven approved the use of Images forasmuch as the Apostles never taught nor wrote any such thing their Authority should have no place the Word of God solely and onely is to be prefer'd which forbiddeth Images ch 10. The Office of Christ to sanctifie us according to Iohn 17.1 sanctifie my self that they may be sanctified doth abrogate all other things that mans constitutions attribute any holiness unto as bewitched water c. for onely Christ sanctifieth and all holiness we must attribute unto him Sacraments must be used holily yet not have this Office of Christ added to them ch 11. In the later dayes when Christ as King was to be born the Angel declared the Power and Puissance of his Kingdome He shall reign over the house of Jacob and of his Kingdome there shall be no end Luke 1. Although the Commonwealth of the Church hath no certain place appointed where it shall remain as it was appointed in the old Law yet certain we be that this Kingdome of Christ remaineth upon the Earth and shall do till the Earth be burned Matth. 16.28 1 Cor. 15. Howbeit as Christ wan and obtained this Kingdome in the later dayes without shield or spear so doth he preserve it with his holy Spirit and not with carnal weapons My Kingdome is not of this world John 18. Meaning he would not reign in this world as a Prince of this world in pomp and pride but defend his people with his holy Spirit that the Devil and the World should not break their patience though many afflictions and sorrows should fight against them for the Truth 's sake Christ doth not deny to be King of the world but he meant not to reign worldlily to the hinderance and defacing of the Emperours Dignity and Title as the Jews falsly accused him as Cyrillus l. 12. c. 10. in Iohannem saith This Kingdome shall be ever persecuted till the worlds end Isaiah the Prophet described the Church of this present life saying He will give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction but he will not remove thy teachers chap. 30.20 Thus the Church shall alwayes remain but in affliction I know such as favour not the Truth will interpret my words that I condemn all Princes and Kings as enemies of the Gospel because they peaceably enjoy their Kingdomes whereas I wish them alwayes so to do to the glory of God but of the one thing I will assure every Prince of world The more sincere he is in the Cause of God the more shall be his Cross. God indeed preserveth above humane reason his Ministers as he did Iacob from the hands of Esau David from Saul Daniel from the Lions and Paul in the Ship when there was no humane hope of salvation Likewise he governeth his Church with his onely Laws The onely Law whereunto this Congregation is bound is the Gospel as Christ saith Iohn 4. The Holy Ghost shall teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things which I have said unto you Here Christ bindeth the Apostles and all the Church unto the things that he had taught them Such as teach the people to know the Commonwealth of the true Church by these signs the traditions of men and the succession of Bishops teach wrong Those two false opinions have given unto the succession of Bishops power to interpret the Scripture and power to make such Laws in the Church as it pleased them God hath given the Civil Magistrates power and authority to make such Laws for the Commonwealth as shall be agreeable with reason and not against Gods Law and likewise power to interpret the same Laws but this is not to be admitted in the Church unto whom God hath given the Gospel and interpreted the same by his onely Son taught the meaning and contents thereof himself The adversaries of the Truth defend many an errour under the name of the holy Church when the Church therefore is named diligently consider when the Articles they would defend were accepted of the Church by whom and who was the Author of them Leave not till the matter be brought unto the first original and most perfect Church of the Apostles If thou find by their writings that their Church used the thing that the Preacher would prove then accept it or else not Be not amazed though they speak of never so many years nor name never so many Doctors If either the Authority of Bishops or the greater part should have power to interpret the Scripture the sentence of the Pharisees should have been prefer'd before the sentence of Zachary Simion Elizabeth or the blessed Virgin Consider the true Church is many time but a small Congregation as Isaiah saith Unless God had left us a remnant we had been as Sodom Therefore the interpretation of the Scripture is not obligated to ordinary power nor the most part Beware of deceit when thou hearest the name of the Church The verity is then assaulted They call the Church of the Devil the holy Church many time Remember Christian Reader that the gift of interpreting the Scripture is
you do require me so to do I will not refuse to go with you and if it happen that they evil intreat me yet nevertheless I trust in my Lord Jesus that he will so comfort and strengthen me that I shall desire much rather to die for his glory sake then to deny the Verity which I have learned by his holy Scriptures When he came to the Cardinals they told him they had heard that he had taught great and manifest errors through the Realm of Bohemia c. You shall understand answered Mr. Hus that I am thus minded and affectioned that I should rather chuse to die then I should be found culpable of one only error much less of many and great errors For this cause I am willingly come to the general Council to receive correction if any man can prove any errors in me Some of the Articles presented to the Council against him 4 He saith that all Priests be of like power 8 He holdeth this opinion That a man being once ordained a Priest or a Deacon cannot be forbidden or kept back from the office of preaching When several false witnesses rose up against him he said Albeit they were as many more in number as they are I do much more esteem yea and without comparison regard the witness of my Lord God before the witness of all mine adversaries He being ask'd whether it was lawful for him to appeal unto Christ answered Verily I do affirm before you all that there is no more just nor effectual plea then that which is made unto Christ forasmuch as the Law doth determine that to appeal is no other thing then in a cause of grief or wrong done by an inferiour Judge to implore and require aid and remedy at an higher Judges hands Who is then an higher Judge then Christ Who can know or judge the matter more justly or with more equity In him is found no deceit nor can he be deceived Who can better help the miserable and oppressed then he It being in his Accusation that he counsel'd the people to resist with the sword all such as did gainsay his Doctrine c. he answered That he at all times when he preached did diligently admonish and warn the people that they should arm themselves to defend the truth of the Gospel according to the saying of tbe Apostle With the helmet and sword of salvation that he never spake of any material sword but of that which is the Word of God Some more Articles against him taken out of his Treatise of the Church 1 There is but one holy universal or Catholick Church which is the universal Company of all the Predestinate 6 A reprobate man is never a member of the holy Church 18 An Heretick ought not to be committed to the secular powers to be put to death for it is sufficient that he suffer the Ecclesiastical censure In his appeal Forasmuch as the most mighty Lord One in Essence Three in Person is both the chief and first and also the last and uttermost refuge of all those which are oppressed and forasmuch as the Lord Jesus Christ very God and Man being compassed in with the Priests Scribes and Pharisees wicked Judges and Witnesses c. hath left behind him this godly example for them that shall come after him to the intent they should commit all their causes into the hand of God O Lord behold my affliction c. thou art my Protector and Defender O Lord thou hast given me understanding and I have acknowledged thee For mine own part I have been as a meek Lamb which is led unto sacrifice and have not resisted against them Deliver me from mine enemies for thou art my God I appeal to the Sovereign and most just Judge who is not defiled with cruelty nor can be corrupted with gifts and rewards neither yet be deceived by false witness I Iohn Hus do present and offer this my appeal to my Lord Jesus Christ my just Judge who knoweth and defendeth and justly judgeth every mans just and true cause The day before his condemnation when four Bishops were sent by the Emperour to him to know whether he would stand to the judgement of the Council Mr. Iohn de Clum spake thus unto him Mr. I. Hus I require you if you know your self guilty of any of those errours which are objected against you that you will not be ashamed to alter your mind to the will of the Council if contraiwise I will be no Author to you that you should do any thing contrary to your conscience but rather to suffer any kind of punishment then to deny that which you have known to be the truth Mr. Hus with tears answered Verily as before I have oftentimes done I do take the most High God for my witness that I am ready with my whole heart and mind if the Council can instruct me any better by the Scripture to change my purpose One of the Bishops telling him he should not be so arrogant as to prefer his own opinion before the judgement of the whole Council he said If he which is the meanest or least in all this Council can convict me of errour I will with an humble heart and mind do whatsoever the Council shall require of me When they condemned his appeal as heretical he said O Lord Jesus Christ whose Word is openly condemned here in this Council unto thee again do I appeal which when thou wast evil intreated of thine enemies didst appeal unto God thy Father committing thy Cause unto a most just Judge that by thy example we also being oppressed with manifest wrongs and injuries should flee unto thee Whilst they were reading his Sentence He interrupted them often and specially when he was charged with obstinacy he said with a loud voice I was never obstinate but as alwayes heretofore even so now again I desire to be taught by the holy Scriptures and I do profess my self to be so desirous of the truth that if I might by one onely word subvert the errours of all Hereticks I would not refuse to enter into what peril soever it were to speak it When the Sentence was ended kneeling down upon his knees he said Lord Jesus Christ forgive mine enemies by whom thou knowest that I am falsly accused c. forgive them for thy great mercies sake When he was degraded he spake to the people thus These Lords and Bishops do exhort and counsel me that I should here confess before you all that I have erred the which thing to do if it might be done with the infamy and reproach of man onely they might peradventure easily perswade me thereunto but now truly I am in the sight of the Lord my God without whose great ignominy and grudge of mine own conscience I can by no means do that which they require of me With what countenance should I behold the Heavens With what face should I look upon
light into the World Weston pressing him to recant You shall have no hope said he in me to turn I pray for the Queen daily even from the bottom of my heart that she may turn from this Religion When he was excommunicated by Weston he said I thank God most heartily that he hath prolonged my life to this end that I may in this case glorifie God by that kind of death When he was brought forth from the Bailiffs to see a Mass with a general Procession and understood so much he run as fast as his old bones would carry him to a Shop and would not look towards it After the Sentence was past upon him he was committed again to Prison in Oxford where in Prayer he oftentimes continued so long kneeling that he was not able to rise without help and among other things these were three principal matters he prayed for 1 That as God had appointed him to be a Preacher of his Word so he would give him grace to stand to his Doctrine to death that he might give his hearts blood for the same 2 That God of his mercy would restore his Gospel to England once again and these words Once again once again he did so inculcate and beat into the ears of the Lord God as though he had seen God before him and spoke to him face to face 3 That God would preserve the Lady Elizabeth and make her a comfort to this comfortless Realm of England Neither were these things desired of him in vain but the Lord most graciously granted every one of these requests 1 The Lord assisted him to be constant to the last At the Stake he lifted up his eyes towards Heaven with an amiable and comfortable countenance saying God is faithful which doth not suffer us to be tempted above our strength Afterward he shed his blood in the Caâ—se of Christ. The blood ran out of his heart in great abundance his body being opened by the force of the fire 2 The Gospel was restored again unto England 3 When the enemies trâ—umphed Gods Word was banished no place left for Gods Servants to cover their heads God havâ—ng wonderfully preserved the Lady Elizabeth set her on the Throne and thereby the captivity of sorrowfull Christians was released In his Letter to Mr. Morice I thank you that now of late you would vouchsase to write unto me so poor a wretch to my great comfort among all these my troubles Seeing there is no pain that can break my charity and patience cause me to dishonour God to displease God to be displeased with God nor to joy in God bring me from surety of Salvation separate me from Christ or Christ from me I care the less for it In his Letter in answer to Dr. Sherwood God gives us both what he knows best for us to me patience becoming a Christian in the midst of my sufferings and to you as sound a judgement as you have now a fervent zeal I said that all Popes Bishops Vicars Rectors not entring by the door but ascending some other way are Thieves and Robbers c. Hence you gather that I said all Popes Bishops Vicars Rectors simply are so O my Brother is this a good collection Is there not a vast difference between these two assertions All not entring in by the door are Thieves And all simply are Thieves Whence I pray you could it seem to you to say Simply all are Thieves when I said onely All not entring in by the door are Thieves Unless perhaps all appear to you to ascend some other way and not to enter by the door If you think so if you be wise do not say that you do so think you know how dangerous it will be for you to say so You say that Christ did onely in secret and not in publick task the Pharisees but I am but a man not a searcher of hearts c. But did not Christ by name accuse them even before the multitude saying Woe unto you Scriles and Pharisees Hypocrites It is true I am but a man that see not the spot lying hid in anothers heart but onely the life exposed to the view of all and so knowing them by their fruits whom Christ would have so known I do condemn that course of life whoever take it up which I find often condemned in the holy Scriptures and in the holy Interpreters thereof Am not I then undeservedly found fault with by you What I spake rightly concerning the Church you wickedly calumniate as if I had made all equal with Peter as to the use of the Keys when there was not a word mentioned concerning the power of the Keys c. But I onely admonished my hearers that the Church of Christ was built upon a Rock and not upon the Sands least they trust in a dead faith and not shew forth their faith by their works In his Letter to Sir Edward Bainton To recompence your goodness towards me I shall not cease to pray my Lord God who is able and also doth indeed reward all them that favour the favourers of his Truth for his sake for the truth is a common thing pertaining to every man for the which every man shall answer another day and I desire favour neither of your Worship nor of any man else but in truth and for the truth I take God to witness which knoweth all I marvel not a little how the Bishop of London having so broad wide and large Diocess committed unto his Cure and so peopled as it is can have leisure for preaching and teaching the Word in season out of season privately publickly to his own flock convincing exhorting admonishing c. to trouble me or to trouble himself with me c. I do not think Judges now adayes so deeply confirmed in grace or so impeccable but that it may behove and become Preachers to admonish them to do well to examine whether the accusers do not pervert the words of the accused and this I did upon occasion of the Apostles saying Ye are not under the Law but under Grace What a saying is this said I if it be not rightly understood The words sound as if he would encourage Christians to break Law seeing they be not under the Law and what if Paul's adversaries would have so taken them and accused him of the same to my Lord of London If he would have heard Paul declare his own mind he would have escaped but if he would have rigorously followed utcunque allegata probata and have given sentence after the relation of the Accusers good St. Paul must have born a fagot at Paul's Cross the Bishop of London being his Judge But my Lord will say Peradventure that men will not take the Preachers words otherwise then they mean therein As though St. Paul's words were not otherwise taken Because he said That our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God he was reported to mean That we
He that believeth God attendeth to his commands And the Devils believe to their little comfort I pray God save you and your Friends from that Believing Congregation St. Hierâ—m exhorts true Preachers to suffer death for the same when evil Priests and false Teachers and the people that be by them deceived are angry with them for preaching the truth though they be Christned as well as others I fear St. Hierom might appear to some Christian Congregation as they will be called to write seditiously to divide the unity of a great honest number confessing Christ in one Baptism one Lord one Faith Hierom calleth the Priests Masters and very proverly Servants teach not their own Doctrine but the Doctrine of their Master Christ to his glory Masters teach not Christs Doctrine but their own to their own glory Your Friends have learned of St. Iohn That every one that confesseth Iesus Christ in flesh is of God and I have learned of St. Paul That there have been not among Heathens but among the Christned who confess Christ with their mouth and deny him with their acts I leave it to your Friends to shew Utrum qui factis negant Christum vita sint ex Deo necne per solam oris confessionem for they knew well enough from the same St. Iohn He that is of God sinneth not and heareth the Word of God Many shall hear I never knew you who shall not onely be Christned but also Prophecy and do many mighty works in the Name of Christ. False Prophets are called naughty Servants Servants because they confess Christ in the flesh and naughty because they deny him in their deeds not giving meat in due season and exercising Mastership over the Flock In the people there is required a judgement to discern when Gods Ordinances are ministred and when mens own lest we take Chalk for Cheese which all edge our teeth and hinder digestion for it is commonly said The blind eateth many a fly as they did which were perswaded of the High Priests to ask Barabbas and crucifie Christ and ye know that to follow the blind guides is to come into the pit with the same Better it were to have a deformity in preaching so that some would preach the truth of God and that which is to be preached without cauponation and adulteration of the Word then to have such an uniformity that the silly people should thereby be occasioned to continue still in their lamentable ignorance corrupt judgement superstition and idolatry c. I see well whosoever will be happy and busie with vae votis shall shortly after come coram noâ—is I shall have need of great patience to bear the false reports of the malignant Church I wonder how men can go quietly to bed who have great Cures and many and yet peradventure are in none of them all I must suffer of necessity and so enter so perillous a thing it is to live godly in Christ Iesus even in a Christian Congregation God make us all Christians after the right fashion Amen In his Letter to King Henry the Eighth Saint Austin saith That he who for fear of any Power hidâ—th the Truth provoketh the wrath of God to come upon him for he feareth men more then God Saint Chrysostome saith That he is not onely a Traitor to the Truth who openly for Truth teacheth a Lye but he also who doth not freely pronounce and shew the Truth that he knoweth These passages made me sore afraid and troubled in conscience and at last drew me to this strait that either I must shew forth such things as I have read and learned in the Scripture or else be of that sort that provoke the wrath of God upon them and be Traitors to the Truth the which thing rather then it should happen I had rather suffer extreme punishment For what other thing is it to be a Traitor to the Truth then to be a Traitor and a Iudas unto Christ who is the very Truth and cause of all Truth who saith That whosoever deny him here before men he will deny him before his Father in Heaven the which denying ought more to be feared and dreaded then the loss of all temporal goods honour promotion fame prison slander hurts banishments and all manner of torments and cruelties yea and death it self be it never so shameful and painful But alas how little do men fear the terrible judgement of Almighty God and especially they who boast themselves to be Guides unto others and challenge to themselves the knowledge of holy Scriptures yet will neither shew the Truth themselves as they be bound nor suffer them that would So that what Christ said to the Pharisees may be said to them Woe be to you c. who shut up the Kingdome of Heaven before men and neither will you enter in your selves nor suffer them that would to enter in Now they have made it Treason to have the Scripture in English Here I beseech your Grace to hear patiently a word or two Though as concerning your Regal Power you are to me and all your Subjects in Gods stead c. yet as concerning that you be a mortal man in danger of sin having in you the corrupt nature of Adam in the which all be conceived and born and so have no less need of the merits of Christs Passion for your salvation then I or other of your Subjects have c. I was bold to write this rude homely and simple Letter to your Grace First I exhort you to make the life and process of Christ and his Apâ—stles in preaching and the words of Christ to his Disciples when he sent them forth to preach his Gospel Christ was born and lived very poor though he might by his Divine Power have had all the Treasures of this World when where he would But this he did to shew us that his Followers should not regard and set by the Riches and Treasures of this World if they happen to them they should not set their hearts upon them It is not against the poverty in spirit which Christ praiseth to be rich to be in dignity and honour so that the heart be not set upon them They be enemies to this poverty in spirit though they have never so little that have greedy desires to the Goods of this World onely because they would live after their own pleasure and lusts I will not that your Grace should take away the Goods due to the Church but take away all evil persons from the Goods and set better in their stead I name nor appoint no person or persons but remit your Grace to the Rule of our Saviour Christ By their fruits ye shall know them The words that Christ spake to his Disciples when he sent them to preach his Gospel are that here they shall be hated and despised of all men worldly and brought before Kings and Rulers and that all evil should be
said of them for their preaching sake but he exhorteth them to take patiently such persecution by his own example saying It becomes not the Servant to â—e above the Master c. Read also the fourteeth Chapter and there your Grace shall see that he promised to the true Preachers no worldly promotion or dignity but persecution and that they should be betrayed even by their own Brethren and Children In Iohn also he saith In the world you shall have oppression and the wâ—rld shall hate you but in me you shall have peace And elsewhere Lo I send you as Sheep among Wolves The true Preachers go like Sheep harmless and be persecuted and yet they revenge not their wrong but remit all to God So far is it off that they will persecute any other but with the Word of God onely which is their weapon This is the most evident token that Christ would that his Gospel and the Preachers of it should be known by that it should be despised among worldly wise men and be reputed foolishness by them and deceivable Doctrine and the true Preachers should be persecuâ—ed and driven from Town to Town and at last lose both Goods and Life and yet they that persecuted them should think they did well and a great pleasure to God Where the Word of God is truly preached there is persecution as well of the Hearers as of the Teachers He that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution It is not onely given you to believe in the Lord but to suffer perseâ—ution for his sake Where is quietness and rest in worldly pleasure there is not the Truth for the world loveth all that are of the world and hateth all things that are contrary to it St. Paul calleth the Gospel The Word of the Cross. May it please your Grace to return to the golden Rule of your Saviour By their fruits you shall know them Where you see persecution there is the Gospel and there is the Truth and they that do persecute be without the Truth They whose works be naught dare not come to the Light but go about to hinder it letting as much as they may that the holy Scriptures should not be read in our Mother Tongue saying That it would cause Heresie and Insurrections and so perswade or fain would perswade your Grace to keep it back But here mark their shameless boldness which be not ashamed to gather Grapes of Thorns c. and to call Light Darkness c. and to say That that which teacheth all Obedience should cause Dissention and Strife Therefore good King seeing the right David our Saviour Christ hath sent his Servants his true Preachers and his Word to comfort our weak and sick souls let not worldly wise men make your Grace believe that they will cause Insurrections and Heresies and such Mischiefs as they imagine of their own mad brains lest that he be avenged upon you and upon your Realm as was David upon the Ammonites and as he hath ever been avenged upon them which have obstinately withstood and gainsaid his Word But peradventure they will say experience shews How that such men as call themselves Followers of the Gospel regard not your Graces Command neither set by your Proclamation as appears by those that were punished in London for keeping such Books as your Grace had prohibited by Proclamation and so like as they regarded not this so they will not regard other your Laws Statutes and Ordinances But this is but a crafty perswasion The very cause of your last Proclamation and the chief Councellors as men say and of likelyhood it should be were they whose evil living and cloked hypocrisie those Books uttered and disclosed And so it might be that these men did not take this Proclamation as yours but as theirs set forth in your Name as they have done many times more c. There is no man I hear say that can lay any word or deed to their charge that should sound to the breaking of your Graces Laws this onely excepted If it be yours and not theirs There be some that for fear of losing of their wordly honour will not leave off their opinion which rashly and that to please men withall by whom they had great promotion they took upon to desend by writing c. Let these men remember St. Paul and David Take heed of their worldly wisdome which is foolishness before God that you may do what God commandeth and not what seems good in your own sight without the Word that your Grace may be found acceptable in his sight and one of the Members of his Church and according to the Office he hath called your Grace unto you may be found a faithful Minister of his Gifts and not a Defender of his Faith for he will not have it defended by man or by mans power but by his Word onely by the which he hath evermore defended it and that by a way far above mans power or reason c. Wherefore Gracious King remember your self have pity upon your soul and think that the day is even at hand when you shall give an account of your Office and of the Blood that hath been shed with your Sword In the which day that your Grace may stand stedfastly and not be ashamed but be clear and ready in your reckoning and to have as they say your quietus est sealed with the blood of our Saviour Christ which only serveth at that day is my daily Prayer Decemb. 1. A. 1530. Observe in this Letter saith Mr. Fox the duty of a right Pastour to Truth that Kings are many times abused by Flatterers and wicked Councellors the subtile practises of Prelates in abusing the Name and Authority of Kings to set forth their own malignant proceedings and the great boldness and divine stoutness of this Servant of Christ who as yet being no Bishop so plainly and freely without fear of death adventuring his Life to discharge his Conscience durst so boldly to so mighty a Prince in such a dangerous case against the Kings Law and Proclamation set out in such a terrible time take upon him to write and to admonish that which no Councellor durst once speak to him in defence of Christs Gospel and yet though his wholsome counsel did not prevail God so wrought with his Servant in doing his duty that no danger no nor displeasure rose to him thereby It was not long after that the King made him Bishop of Worcester Touching the memorable acts and doings of this worthy man I cannot neglect the taking notice of one for therein he spoke notably though he said not a word viz. his bold enterprize in sending to King Henry a Present It was a custome that every year upon Ian. 1. every Bishop should send the King a New-years-gift Mr. Latimer being then Bishop of Worcester presented a New Testament for his New-years-gift with a Napkin having this Posy about it
if it may be put to your helping hand by bridling those Parasites the great Enemies of Peace whilst they pretend to be for peace None may presume that I will recant I cannot bear the imposition of any Laws for the interpreting of the Word of God which ought not to be bound c. These two things excepted there is nothing that I cannot yea will not do or suffer for peace I hate contentions I will provoke none no more will I be provoked If I be provoked I will not be without a tongue for my Master Christ. Take heed my Father of hearkning to those Syrens who make you more then a meer man even an half God so that you may command any thing These are your Enemies and seek your soul to destroy How unlike is Christ unto his Successors who yet would be his Vicars and I fear many are so too properly A Vicar is of one absent If the Pope be President Christ being absent what is he other then Christs Vicar But what then is that Church but a multitude without Christ and what is such a Vicar but Antichrist and an Idol How much better do the Apostles who call themselves the Servants of Christ present not the Vicars of Christ absent In his Appeal Nov. 17. 1520. Seeing Leo the Tent doth persevere hardned in his tyranny and hath by his Bull condemned unheard and unconvicted and moreover as an Infidel and an Apostate doth flie and find fault with Councils and most wickedly prefer his Tyranny before their Power and most impudently doth require me to deny the Faith of Christ c. and to omit nothing that may shew him to be Antichrist doth subject the Scripture to himself and with incredible blasphemy trample thereupon I Martin Luther do make it known to all that I stick to my former Appeal from him to the next Council c. In a Letter of his to Herman Tulichins before his Treatise de Captivitate Babylonica Ecclesiae Whether I will or no I am made more learned daily so many and so great Masters contending with me I have writ more then two years ago concerning Indulgences but so that I am now wonderfully sorry for the publishing of that Book for I was then very superstitiously devoted to the Roman Tyranny and therefore would not have Indulgences which I saw so generally approved altogether rejected Now O that I could perswade all Booksellers and others that read my Books to burn those concerning Indulgences and instead thereof receive this position Indulgences are the wickednesses of the Flatterers of Rome Whereas then I denied the Popes primacy to be of Divine Right I yielded it to be of Humane Right but now I know and am certain that the Papacy is the Kingdome of Babylon and the power of Nimrod that mighty Hunter and therefore instead of what I have written of that subject take this position Papacy is the mighty hunting of the Roman Bishop When the Cardinals burnt Luther's Books he burnt the Popes Decrees and his Bull lately sent out against him and gives us the following account why he did so I Martin Luther called Dr. of Divinity do notifie to all that by my will counsel and help the Books of the Pope of Rome were burnt c. and that 1 Because we have ancient examples for the burning of wicked and corrupt Books Acts 19. 2 I am a Baptised Christian and a Doctor of holy Scripture and a daily Preacher and therefore it belongs to me my Condition my Oath my Office to abolish at least to hinder perverse false seducing and wicked Doctrines And yet 3 I had not gone about this work unless I had upon experience found the Pope and Pontificians Corrupters and Seducers not onely to erre and seduce but after many admonitions by me given so hardned and bewitched that they will not onely not suffer themselves to be taught but condemn and burn the Evangelical Doctrine to confirm their Antichristian Diabolical abominations 5 Because by their burning of my Books Truth is endangered c. I have also being moved as I hope by the holy Ghost for the confirming and preserving the Christian Verity and the common people have caused their Books to be burnt having looked for their hopeless amendment Let none therefore be moved by the sublime Titles of the Books the Canon Law The Decreetals c. but first see what is taught therein and then judge whether they be burnt justly or unjustly When Luther threw the Popes Bull into the fire Decemb. 10. 1520. Because said he thou hast troubled the holy One of the Lord eternal fire shall trouble thee The same day in his Prelection on the Psalter he admonished his Hearers to take heed of Popish Institutions That this burning was but a small business it should be that the Pope that is the Papal See should be burned Unless said he with a grave countenance ye do with all your hearts depart from the Popish Kingdome your souls cannot be saved so diverse is the Kingdome of the Pope from the Kingdome of Christ and the life of a Christian that it would be safer to live in a Wilderness and see no man then to live in that Antichristian Kingdome Let every one therefore that hath any care of his own soul take heed lest he deny Christ by assenting to Popery Whoever will now be a Minister he must perish either in this World or that which is to come If he dare not contradict the working of errour in the World to come if he doth contradict in this World his life will be hazarded For my part I had rather run any danger here then expose my Conscience to give such an account for Silence as God will require Therefore having heartily dissented from the Roman madness I do now abominate that Babylonian Plague And these things I will declare to my Brethren as long as I live If I cannot withstand so great a destruction of Souls yet many of our own may be kept from running headlong to Hell Let others do what they please It is high time to repent In his Letter to Prince Frederick Duke of Saxony before his Postills The Apostle requires that a Bishop should not onely be mighty in Doctrine but able to convince gain-sayers Not that I account my self a Bishop seeing the Riches and Mitre by which a Bishop is now known are wanting but because whosoever fulfills the Office of preaching dischargeth the Office of Bishop who ought to be a two-handed Ehud and kill Eglon and I do set my self to the work of peace being through the grace of God a bold Contemner of my Adversaries though in the midst of Swords Bulls Trumpets and Papistical Alarms that cannot terrifie me And indeed what cannot I do in him who comforts me In his Letter to Iustus Ionas I fear lest whilst we fight valiantly for grace and good works we do in the mean time deprive our selves of grace and good
provided That they pass judgement concerning them out of the Scriptures and prove the contrary by testimonies thence Afterwards the Arch Bishop of Triers treated privately with him to perswade him Luther told him It was not sâ—fe for him to submit so momentous a business to them who after they had called him under safe conduct attempting him with new commands had condemned his Opinion and approved the Popes Bull. Afterwards the Arch Bishop desired Luther to shew what remedies there were in this case He answered None better then Gamalieâ—'s who said If this câ—unsel or work proceed of men it shall come to nâ—ught but if it be of God ye cannot destroy it Caesar and the States may write to the Pope that they are certain If this his purpose 〈◊〉 of God it will of iâ—s own accâ—rd come to nâ—ught within three yea within two years The Arch Bishop asking him What if the same Aâ—â—icles which the â—ouncil of Constance condemned be collected out of your Writings to be submitted to a Couâ—cil I may not said he and I will not hold my peace concerning such because I am certain the Word of God is condemned by their Decrees therefore I will rather lose life and head then abandon the manifest Word of the Lord. When Luther was commanded by the Emperour to return within one and twenty dayes under safe conduct He said It is as pleaseth the Lord. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. I humbly give most hearty thanks to the Emperour and all the Princes c. for so benign and favourable audience and for safe conduct to come and return I desire nothing of you but a reformation by the holy Scripture and that I do most earnestly desire Otherwise I am ready to suffer all things life and death shame and reproach for the Emperour and Empire reserving nothing for my self but onely the free Word of God to be confessed and testified by me In his Letter to his Father Know dear Father that your Son is come to this to be most certainly perswaded that nothing is before nothing more holy more religious then Gods command But you will say Didst thou ever doubt hereof Truly I did not onely doubt hereof but I was altogether ignorant that it was so and if you will suffer me I am ready to demonstrate that this ignorance was common to you with me If you had known that Gods Command is to be preferred before all things you would by your Paternal Authority have taken away my Monks Cole and if I had known it I should not have entred into the Monastery without your leave and against your consent But God hath caused all to work for good He would have me to experience the wisdome of the Universities and the holiness of the Monasteries that is that they should be known to me by many sins and impieties lest occasion should be given to wicked men to triumph over their future Adversary that I condemned what I knew not I therefore lived a Monk though without crime not without fault Will you now come and free me my Father The Lord hath come before you and freed me My Conscience is freed which is the richest liberty I am now a Monk and no Monk a new Creature not of the Pope but of Christ. The Pope doth indeed create Puppets that is Idols like himself in which Number I was once a poor seduced One but now freed by grace Your authority over me doth indeed remain intire But he that hath freed me hath greater authority over me Novemb. 21. 1521. In his Epistle to Prince Frederick The perils and dangers which seem to hang over your Person Dominions and Subjects and especially my self condemned by Edicts and Bulls by the Popes and Emperours Authority upon my return are not unobserved Certainly no less then a violent death is to be expected by me every hour But what shall I do God calls and urges me to return To this I am not induced by pride and contempt of the Emperour or of your Excellency or of any Magistrate for although sometimes we must not do what is commanded by man as when any thing is commanded contrary or repugnant to the Word of God yet the Power and Authority is never to be contemned but alwayes to be highly honoured But I am assured that the beginning of my Preaching at Wittenberg came not from my self but from God Neither can any kind of persecution and death teach me otherwise yea I think I prophesie rightly That no terrours nor cruelty shall be able to put out this Light Besides whilst I was absent from Wittenberg Satan hath entred in among my flock c. and I have resolved rather to regard the great necessity of that Church then the offending or pleasing your Excellency yea then the hatred and fury of the whole world Certainly this is my flock committed to me by the Lord These are my children in Christ. Shall I doubt whether I should câ—me to or stay from them for whom I ought to lose my life and chuse death which I shall God helping me willingly and cheerfully I do also very much fear least some great and horrible insurrection be in Germany to punish Germany ' s contempt of and ingratitude for the Blessings of God We see with how great liking applause and concurrency the Gospel is received by very many but many receive this Blessing carnally they plainly see the truth but do not walk in the truth as they ought The Ecclesiastical Tyranny is weakned and broken and that was all I aimed at in my Writings Now I see God will proceed farther and will sometime do the same that he did to Ierusalem when he overturned altogether both the Ecclesiastical and Political Government for persecuting the Gospel and other outrages I have lately begun to learn that not onely the Ecclesiastical Spiritual but the Political and Civil Authority ought to yield unto the Gospel c. Seeing therefore that God requires by Ezekiel that we be as a Wall unto the people I have thought it necessary to do all we can and ought by mutual counsels studies instructions admonitions exhortations for the averting or at least for the deferring â—f the anger and judgement of God This I dare affirm and wish that your Excellency were assured thereof that it is far otherwise concluded in Heaven then in the Convention at Norinberg and in short time we shall see that they who nâ—w dream that they have quite devâ—ured and eâ—ten up the Gospel have not so much as far fashiâ—n sake said Grâ—ce as the English expressiâ—n is for these untouched dainâ—ies The Gospel begins to be â—ppressed and therefore herein I ought not to regard any mortal I beseech therefâ—re your Excelâ—ency to take in good part my coming home without your command yea privity You are the Lord of my body and little fortunes but Christ of the souls to whâ—m he hath sent me c. I hope being confident
to die then to do any ungodliness 2 We must obey our Parents and be careful for our Houses that they be fed not onely with bodily food but much rather with spiritual food the Word of God 3 Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye likewise unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets 4 Pray for all Estates 5 After these works we must learn to know the Cross and 6 What affection and mind we must bear towards our enemies whatsoever they be to suffer all evils patiently to pray for them that persecute us And thus doing we shall obtain a certainty of our vocation that we be the elect Children of God And thus I commend you Brethren unto God and to the Word of his grace which is able to â—uild farther c beseeching you to help Mr. Saunders and me your late Pastors and all them that be in bonds for the Gospels sake with your Prayers to God for us that we may be delivered from unreasonable men c. and that this our imprisonment may be to the glory and profit of our Christian Brethren in this world and that Christ may be magnified in our bodies whether it be by death or life Amen The grace of our Lord be with you all The unprofitable Servant of Iesus Christ and now also his Prisoner G. M. Iune 28. 1555. Postscript Save your selves from this untoward generation Pray pray pray Never more need In his Letter to his Friends at Manchester These are earnestly to exhort you and beseech you in Christ as ye have received the Lord Iesus even so to walk rooted in him and not to be afraid of any terrour of your adversaries be they never so many and mighty and you on the other side never so few and weak for the battel is the Lords As I was with Moses so will I be with thee saith God and will never leave thee nor forsake thee Be strong and bold neither fear nor dread for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest Now if God be â—n our side who can be against us In this our spiritual warfare is no man overcome unless he traiterously leave and forsake his Captain or cowardly cast away his Weapons or willingly yield himself unto his Enemies or fearfully turn his back and flie Be strong therefore in the Lord and in the power of his might and put on all the armour of God that ye may be able to stand stedfâ—st against all the assaults of Satan If we submit our selves to God and his holy Word no man shall be able to hurt us God will deliver us from all troubles yea from death also till such time as we covet and desire to die as he did Paul c. Let us therefore run with patience unto the battel that is set before us and look unto Iesus the Captain and Finisher of our Faith and after his example for the rewards sake that is set out unto us patiently to bear the Cross and despise the shame All that will live godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution Christ was no sooner Baptized and declared to the world to be the Son of God but Satan was by and by ready to tempt him which thing we must look for also yea the more we shall increase our faith and vertuous living the more strongly will Satan assault us whom we must learn after the example of Christ to fight against and overcome with the Holy and Sacred Scriptures c. and let the fasting of Christ when he was tempted in the Wilderness be an example unto us of our sober living not for the space of fourty dayes as the Papists do fondly fancy of their own brains but us long as we are in the Wilderness of this wretched life assaulted of Satan who like a roaring Lion c. It is the nature and property of the Devil alwayes to hurt and do mischief if God do not forbid Indeed if God will not permit him he cannot so much as enter into a filthy Hog c. Let us knowing Satans deceits and rankor walk the more warily and take unto us the shield of faith c. Let us fast and pray continually c. To fasting and prayer must be joyned mercy to the poor and needy c. Let us go boldly to the seat of grace where we shall be sure to find grace and mercy to help in time of need Wherefore my dear Brethren be ye fervent in the Law of God and jeopard ye your lives if need shall require for the testament of the Fathers and so shall ye receive great honour and an everlasting name Remember Abraham was not he found faithful in temptation and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness Ioseph in time of his trouble kept the Commandment and was made a Lord of Egypt Phineas was so fervent for the honour of God that he obtained the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood Ioshua for the fulfilling of the Word of God was made the Captain of Israel Caleb bare record before the Congregation and received an Inheritance David also in his merciful kindness obtained the Throne of an everlasting Kingdome Elias being zealous and fervent in the Law was taken up into Heaven The three Children remained stedfast in the Faith and were delivered out of the fire and Daniel from the mouth of the Lions Thus whoever put their trust in the Lord were not overcome Fear not ye then the words of ungodly men for their glory is but dung and worms to day they are set up and to morrow they are gone they are turned into earth and their memorial cometh to nought Wherefore let us take good hearts unto us and quit our selves like men in the Law c. Let us not faint because of affliction wherewith God trieth all them that are sealed to everlasting life c. Seeing we are in the narrow and strait way that leadeth unto the mâ—st joyful and pleasant City of everlasting life let us not stagger or turn back being afraid of the perilous way but follow our Captain Christ therein and be afraid no not of death it self Consider also the course of this world how many for their Master's sake or a little promotions sake will adventure their lives as commonly in Wars and yet is their reward but light and transitory and ours is unspeakably great and everlasting They suffer pains to be made Lords on Earth for a short season how much more ought we to endure it may be much less pains to be made Kings in Heaven for evermore Seeing Brethren it hath pleased God to set me and that worthy Minister of Christ Iohn Bradford your Countreyman in the forefront of this Battel where for the time is most danger I beseech you all in the bowels of Christ to help us and all our fellow Souldiers standing in like perilous place with your Prayers to God for us that we may quit our selves like men in the Lord and
not for murther or theft but because we will believe no more then the Word of God teacheth us Both rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the same When the fire was kindled with lifting up their hands to Heaven in an holy accord they said Lord Iesus into thy hands we commend our spirits Oldcastle Sir Iohn Oldcastle Lord Cobham was of great birth and in great favour with King Henry the Fifth so as Arch Bishop Arundel durst not meddle with him till he knew the Kings mind The King when he heard the Priests Accusations promised to deal with him himself which accordingly he did in private admonishing him to submit himself to his Mother the holy Church and as an obedient Child to acknowledge himself cupable The Christian Knight thus answered the King Most worthy Prince I am alwayes prompt and ready to obey forasmuch as I know you a Christian King and the appointed Minister of God bearing the sword to the punishment of evil doers and for safeguard of them that be vertuous Unto you next my Eternal God owe I my whole obedience and submit thereunto as I have done ever all that I have either of Fortuns or Nature ready at all times to fulfill whatsoever ye shall in the Lord command me But as touching the Pope and his Spirituality I owe them neither suit nor service forasmuch as I know him by the Scripture to be the great Antichrist the son of perdition the open Adversary of God and the abomination standing in the holy Place When he was by a wiâ—e cited to appear before the Arch Bishop c. he told the Messenger though he affirmed to him that it was the Kings pleasure that he should obey that citation of the Sumner that he would in no case consent to those most devillish practises of the Priests Upon his non-appearance the Arch Bishop judged him contumacious and afterwards excommunicated him c. This constant Servant of the Lord perceiving himself compassed on every side with deadly dangers he wrote a Christian Confession of his Faith and signed and sealed it with his own hand which was a brief Exposition of the Common Sum of the Churches Faith called the Apostles Creed In the close thereof I believe the Universal Law of God to be most true and perfect and they which do not follow it in their faith and works at one time or another can never be saved whereas he that seeketh it in faith accepteth it learneth it delighteth therein and performeth it in love shall tast for it the felicity of everlasting innocency This is my faith also that God will ask no more of a Christian Believer in this life but only to obey the Precepts of that most blessed Law If any Prelates of the Church require more or any other kind of obedience he contemneth Christ exalting himself above God and so becomes an open Antichrist All the Premises I believe particularly and generally all that God hath left in his holy Scripture that I should believe This Confession he delivered to the King desiring him that it might be examined by the most godly wife learned men of his Realm and if it be found in all points agreeable to the Verity that he might be holden for a true Christian if it be proved otherwise let it be condemned provided that he be taught a better Belief by the Word of God But the King would not receive it but commanded it to be delivered to his Judges Being threatned by Arch Bishop Arundel that he should be proclaimed an Heretick He said Do as ye shall think best for I am at a point I shall stand to my Bill to the death The Arch Bishop telling him That all Christians should follow the Determinations of holy Church he said That he would gladly believe and observe whatsoever the holy Church of Christs institution had determined or whatsoever God had willed him either to believe or do but that the Pope of Rome with his Cardinals Arch Bishops Bishops c. had lawfull power to determine such matters as stood not throughly with his Word he would not affirm When the Arch Bishop sent him their Determination concerning the Sacrament of the Altar c. he saw that God had given them over for their unbeliefs sake into most deep errours and blindness of mind and that their uttermost malice was purposed against him however he should answer and therefore he put his life into the hands of God desiring his onely Spirit to assist him in his next Answer At his second Appearance the Arch Bishop offering to absolve him from the Curse that was against him He with a chearfull countenance said God hath said by his holy Prophet Maledicam benedictionibus vestris i. e. I shall curse where you do bless and further said I will not desire your Absolution for I never trespassed against you And with that he kneeled down on the pavement holding up his hands towards Heaven and said I shrieve me here unto thee my Eternal Living God that in my frail youth I offended thee O Lord most grievously in pride wrath and gluttony in covetousness and in lechery Many men have I hurt in mine anger c. Good Lord I ask thee mercy And therewith weepingly stood up again and said with a mighty voice Lo good people lo for the breaking of Gods Law and his great Commandements they never yet cursed me but for their own Laws and Traditions most cruelly do they handle both me and other men and therefore both they and their Laws by the promise of God shall utterly be destroyed Being asked if he believed not in the determinations of the Church No forsooth said Ire for it is no God Being taxed to be one of Wickliff's Scholars As for the vertuous man Wickliffe said he I speak it before God and man that before I knew that despised Doctrine of his I never abstained from sin but since I learned therein to fear my Lord God it hath otherwise I trust been with me So much grace I could never find in all your glorious instructions He said further Your Fathers the old Pharisees ascribed Christs miracles to Belzebub and his Doctrine to the Devil and you as their natural children have still the self same judgement concerning his faithfull Followers They that rebuke your vicious living must needs be Hereticks and that must your Doctors prove when you have no Scripture to do it Since the venome of Iudas was shed into the Church ye never followed Christ nor stood in the perfection of Gods Law Being asked what he meant by that venome He answered Your Possessions and Lordships for then cried an Angel in the aire as your own Churches mention Wo wo wo this Day is venome shed into the Church of God Rome is the very nest of Antichrist and out of that nest come all his Disciples of whom Prelates Priests and Monks are the Body these pild Friers are the Tail
in errour did call their gods whom they confess to have been mortal ones and to have died but the God whom he preached was ever living and never died and is the Life of all things that be like as he was the Creatour of them The Emperour telling him that he much marvelled why men of such great and wonderfull knowledge should honour for God a Man that was crucified being but of a poor estate and condition O noble Emperour said Origen consider what honour the wise Athenians at this present do to the name and image of Codrus their last King for that when they had war with their enemies who had answer made by the Oracle of Apollo That if they slew not the King of Athens they should have the Victory Codrus hearing thereof preferring the safeguard of his people before his own life took to him garments of a Slave and bearing upon his shoulder a burden of sticks he went to his enemies Camp and there quarrelling of purpose with some of them and in the press hurting one with his knife he was by him that was hurt struck through the body and slain which being known to the enemies they being confused raised their Camp and departed and for this cause the Athenians have ever since had the name of Codrus in reverence worthily and not without cause Now then consider most Excellent Prince how much more worthily with what greater reason and bounden duty ought we and all men to honour Christ being the Son of God and God who not onely to preserve mankind from danger of the Devil his ancient enemy but also to deliver man out of his dark and stinking dungeon of errour being sent by God the Father from the highest Heavens willingly took on him the servile garment of a mortal body and hiding his Majesty lived under the visage of poverty And finally not of his enemies immediately but much more against reason of his own chosen people the Iews unto whom he had extended benefits innumerable and after his temporal Nativity were his natural people and subjects he quarrelling with them by declaring to them their abuses and pricking them with condign rebukes at the last he was not slain with so easie a death as Codrus was but in most cruel fashion was scourged until no place in his body was without wounds and then had long and sharp thorns set and press'd upon his head and after long torments and despights he was constrained to bear an heavy Cross whereon afterwards both his hands and feet were nailed with long great nails of iron and the Cross with his naked and bloody body being lift up on high was let fall with violence into a Mortais that his joynts were loosened and notwithstanding all this torment and ingratitude he never grudged but lifting up his eyes to heaven he prayed with a loud voice saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do This was the Charity most incomparable of the Son of God imployed for the redemption of mankind who by the transgression of Adam the first man that was created was taken prisoner by the Devil i. e. kept in the bondage of sin and errour from actual visage of Gods Majesty until he were on this wise redeemed as it was ordained at the beginning But what maketh you bold to affirm said the Emperour that Jesus which in this wise was crucified was the Son of God Sir said Origen sufficient testimony which of all creatures reasonable ought to be believed and for most certain proof to be allowed What testimony is that said the Emperour Truly said Origen it is in divers things First the promise of God by whom this world was made also by his holy Scriptures speaking by the mouths of his Prophets as well Hebrews as Greeks and others whom ye call Vates and Sybillas also by the Nativity of Jesus of a pure Virgin without carnal company of a man the most clean and pure form of his living without sin his Doctrine divine and celestial his miracles most wonderfull and innumerable all grounded on charity onely without ostentation his undoubted and perfect Resurrection the third day after he was put to death his glorious Ascension up into Heaven in the presence and sight of five hundred persons which were vertuous and of credence also the gift of the Holy Ghost in speaking all manner of Languages and interpreting the Scriptures not onely by himself but afterwards by his Apostles and Disciples and given to others by imposition of their hands And all these ordinarily followed according to the said Promises and Prophesies In the reign of Decius for the Doctrine of Christ he underwent bands and torments in his body racking with bars of irons Dungeons besides terrible threats of death and burning c. At length hearing that some Christians were carried to an Idol-Temple to force them to sacrifice he out of his zeal ran thither to encourage and disswade them from it When his Adversaries saw him they let go the other and laid hold upon him putting him to his choice whether he would offer Incense to the Idol or have his body defiled with a foul and ugly Blackmoor He chose to offer Incense Then did they presently put Incense into his trembling hands and whilst he demurr'd upon it they took his hands and caused him to throw it into the fire and thereupon presently cried out Origen hath sacrificed Origen hath sacrificed After this fact he was excommunicated by the Church and being filled with shame and sorrow he left Alexandria and came to Ierusalem where he was even constrained by importunity to preach to them He took his Bible opened it and the first place he cast his eye upon was this Scripture Unto the wicked saith God Why dost thou preach my Laws and take my Covenant into thy mâ—uth When he had read these words he sate down and burst out into abundance of tears the whole Congregation weeping with him also so that he was not able to say any more unto them After this he wandred up and down in great grief and torment of Conscience and wrote the following Lamentation In the bitterness and grief of mind I go about to speak unto them who shall hereafter read this confused writing But how can I speak when my tongue is tied up and my lips dare not once move or wag My tongue doth not his office my throat is dried up and all my senses and instruments are polluted with iniquity O ye Saints and blessed of God with waterish eyes and wet cheeks soaked in dolour and pain I beseech you to fall down before the Seat of Almighty God for me miserable sinner who by reason of my sins dare not crave ought at the hands of God Wo is me because of the sorrow of my heart Wo is me my Mother that ever thou broughtest me forth A righteous man to be conversant in unrighteousness an heir of the Kingdome of God
examined before me The Lord grant us grace to stand together fighting lawfully in his Cause till we be smitten down together if the Lords Will be so to permit it for there shall not an hair of our heads perish against his Will but with his Will whereunto the same Lord grant us to be obedient unto the end and in the end Amen Sweet mighty and mercifull Lord Jesus the Son of David and of God Amen Amen let every true Christian say and pray I told the Chancellor That I would not be out of the Catholick Church but into his Church by Gods grace I would never come Well said he then is our Church false and Antichristian Yes said I. When I desired leave to confirm my Doctrine by writing you would not grant it because I was a private person and the Parliament was above the Authority of all private Persons and therefore the sentence thereof might not be found fault with c. And yet my Lord said I I can shew that one man hath come into a general Council and after the whole had agreed upon an Article hath by the Word of God declared so pithily that the Council had erred in declaring the said Article that he caused the whole Council to alter their Act. Panormitanus also said I saith That unto a simple Lay-man that bringeth the Word of God with him there ought to be given more credit then to a whole Council assembled together The Chancellor facing me and hoping to dash me out of Couutenance I told him in that Cause being Gods Cause he should not make me afraid to speak I was never the worse but the better to be earnest in a just and true cause and in my Master Christs matters When Winchester had read the Condemnation he declared that I was in the great curse c. Well my Lord said I here I stand before God and you and all this honourable Audience and take him to witness that I never wittingly nor willingly taught any false Doctrine and therefore have I a good conscience before God and all good men I am sure you and I shall come before a God that is righteous before whom I shall be as good a man as you and I nothing doubt but that I shall be found there a true Member of the true Catholick Church of Christ and everlastingly saved and as for your false Church ye need not to excommunicate me forth of it I have not been in it these twenty years the Lord be thanked therefore But now ye have done what ye can my Lord I pray you yet grant me one thing that my poor wife being a stranger and having ten children by me may come and speak with me as long as I live She shall not come at thee said he Then I have tried out all your charity said I. Two things more I purposed to have touched if I could have been permitted The one how it was lawfull for a private man to reason and write against a wicked Act of Parliament or ungodly Council c. The other was to prove that Prosperity was not alwayes a token of Gods love For the first I shall adde one example more The high Priests the Elders Scribes and Pharisees decreed in their Council and gave â—he same command to the Apostles that they should â—ot preach in the Name of Christ as ye have also forbidden us Notwithstanding when they were charged therewithall they answered We ought more to obey God then man Even so we may answer you God is more to be obeyed then man and your wicked Laws cannot so tongue-tie us but we will speak the Truth The Apostles were beaten for their boldness and they rejoyced that they suffered for Christs Cause Ye have also provided rods for â—s and bloody whips yet when ye have done that which Gods Hand and Counsel hath determined that ye shall do be it life or death I trust that â—od will so assist us by his holy Spirit and Grace that we shall patiently suffer it and praise God for it And whatsoever become of me and others which now suffer for speaking and professing the Truth yet be ye sure that Gods Word will prevail and have the upper hand when your bloody Laws and wicked Decrees for want of sure foundation shall fall in the dust For the second point It may please your Lordship to understand That we poor Preachers whom you so evil intreat did most boldly and plainly rebuke the evil government of those under King Edward in many things especially their covetousness and neglect and small regard to live after the Gospel as also their negligence to occasion others to live thereafter I might instance in what I once did at Paul's Cross for which I was fain to answer before all the Council and many of my Brethren did the like so that we for the not rebuking of their faults shall not answer before God nor be blame-worthy before men I am an English man born and God knoweth do naturally wish well to my Countrey I have often proved that the things which I have much feared should come to pass have indeed followed I fear you have and will with your Governing bring England out of Gods Blessing into a warm Sun I pray God I may fail of my guessing in this behalf but truly that Englands welfare will not be with expelling the true Word of God out of the Realm and the shedding innocent blood Gods works are wonderfull and incomprehensible by mans Wisdome c. He hath put his Beloved and Dear Heart into his enemies hands This to worldly wise men is a madness above all madness and yet God doth this Can the world shew the cause This I am right sure of that it was not because they were in Heresies and subject to false gods services and idolatry and their enemies men of God and beloved of God The Herods and Pharaohs plainly determined that if the men which they killed and handled evil had been Gods people God would never have suffered them to come into their hands but rather have done the contrary and have let Iohn Baptist kill Herod and the Israelites Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar Even the like is now to be seen in us and in our most cruel adversaries They are not therefore the Catholick Church because our mercifull God hath at this present given our lives into their hands neither are we therefore Hereticks because we suffer punishment at their hands The holy men of God recorded in Scripture were in their dayes accounted to be Hereticks Seditious and Dâ—sturbers of the whole world But here they will cry out Lo these men will be still like â—â—hn Baptists the Apostles and Prophets c. I anâ—â—er We make not our selves like to them in doing â—iracles c. but onely in this in Doctrine and in â—ffering persecution and infamy for the same We â—â—ve preached their very Doctrine and none other â—â—ing and for this Cause