be slaine as they were Now thou O man of God for our Lords sake let vs not for the loue of this life tary them to longe and be occasion of delay of that glorious coÌ„summation in hope and expectation wherof thei departed in the lord and the which also the liuing endâ—ed with Gods spirit ought so earnestly to desire and to grone for with al the creatures of God Let vs all with Iohn the seruant of God cry in our harts vnto our sauiour Christ Veni domme Iesu come Lorde Iesu come For then when christ which is our life shal be made manifest and apeare with him in glory theÌ„ shal the children of god appeare what thei be euen like vnto Christ for this our weake body shall be transfygurated and made lyke vnto Christes glorious body that by the power wherby he is able to subdue vnto himself all thinges Then that which is now corruptible shall be made incorruptible that is nowe vyle shal theÌ„ be made glorious that is nowe weake shal rise then mighty and strong that is grosse and carnal shal be made fine and spirituall for theÌ„ we shal see haue the vnspeakable ioy and fruition of the glorious maiesty of our lorde euen as he is Who or what then shall let vs to ieopard to leopard yea to spend this life which we haue here in Christes cause in our lorde God his cause O thou therefore man of god thou that arte loden and so letted lyke vnto a great bellied woman â–ª that thou canst not fly the plague yet if thou lust after such things as I haue spoken of stand fast what soeuer shall befall in thy maysters cause and take thys thy letting to fly for a calling of god to feighte in thy maister Christe hys cause Of this be thou certaine they can do nothing vnto thee which thy father is not aware of or hathe not foresene before they can do no more then it shal please him to suffer them to do for the furtheraunce of his glory edifyinge of his church and thyne owne saluation Lette them then doe what they shal seing to thee O man of God all thinges shall be forced to serue and to worcke with thee vnto the best before God O be not afraide and remember the ende All thys whiche I haue spoken for the comfort of the lamentable case of the man whoÌ„ christ calleth the great bellied woman I meane to be spokeÌ„ likewise to the captiue and prisoner in Gods cause for suche I count to be as it were already summoned and prested to fight vnder the banner of the crosse of Chryste and as it were souldiours allowed and taken vp for the Lords warres to do to their lord and maister good and honorable seruice and to stycke to him as men of trustie seruice in his cause euen vnto death and to thinke their life lost in his cause is to winne it in eternall glory for euermore Therefore now to conclude and to make an ende of this treatise I saye vnto all that loue God our heauenly father that loue Christe Iesus oure redemer and Sauioure that loue to folowethe wayes of the holy ghoste which is our comforter and sanctâ—â—er of all vnto all that loue Christes spouse and body the true catholicke churche of Christe yea that loue life ther owne soules health I say vnto all theis harken my deare brethreÌ„ and sisters all you that be of God of all sortes ages dignities or degre harken to the worde of our sauioure Iesus Christe spoken to his Apostels and ment to all his in Saincte Mathewes Gospell Feare not theym whiche kyll the bodye for they can not kil the soule but feare him more whiche maie destroye and caste both bodye and soule into â—ell fyer Are not twoo small-sparrowes â—old for a mite and one of them shal not fal or light vpon the ground without your father All the hears of your head be numbred Feare them not you are much more worth then are the littel sparrowes Euery one then that confesseth me before meÌ„ him shal I likwise confesse before my father which is in heauen But whosoeuer shal denye me before men I shall denye him likewyse before my father whyche is in heauen The lord graunt vs therfore of his heauenly grace strength that here we may so confesse him in this world amongest this adulterous and sinfull generation that he maye confesse vs again at the latter day before his father which is in heauen to his glory and our euerlasting comforte ioy and saluation To our heaueÌ„ly father to our sauiour redemer Iesus Christ and to the holy ghost be al glory and honor now and for euer Amen ⸫ CERTEYNE Godly and comfortable letters of the constaut wytnes of Christ Iohn Careles written in the time of his imprisonment and now fyrste set forth in printe ⸫ Anno Domini 1566. Thomas Pirry to the Christian reader in commendacion of that worthy man of god Iohn Careles MUch care did carefull Careles bide in time of Romishe rage WheÌ„ flesh bloud with fier was tried to make mennes faith to swage But god be thanked for his grace who did him so defende that in the truth he ran his race and made a godly ende No man more carefull for the crosse of Christe his sauinge health no man more careles for the losse of frendes and worldly wealth When he was hated and abhorde of Cayphas and his sede he cast his care vpon the Lorde and Careles was in dede For why he knewe that worldly power no farther coulde procede then god whose worde doth still endure already had decrede And that the Lorde would in the ende worke all things for the best when of great mercy he shoulde sende his soule to ioyfull rest In hope wherof he careles was and ready to the stake if god so woulde he did not passe such ende on earth to make But gods will was he should not die such death in open sighte wherefore in prison ioyfully to Christ he yelde his sprite Psalme 54. Caste thy care vpon the lorde and he shall nouryshe thee he wil not suffer the righteous to fall for euer ¶ The grace and free mercy of God in Iesus Chryst the swete consolations of the holy ghost the guide of all Gods dere children be with you strengthen and comforte you my derely beloued swete sister K. E. nowe euer Amen AL be it my derly beloued syster in Chryste that as yet we dyd neuer see one an other personally to any knowledge yet by the vertuous reporte that I haue heard of you and also by the large louynge token that I haue receaued froÌ„ you my thinke that I doe euen presently see you beholde your person faithfully walkinge in the feare and loue of god ioying and reioycing with you in the spirite as though we were swetly talkynge together of Christes veritie The lorde god do I humbly besech in the bowels and bloude of our lorde and sauyour
whose names are registred in the booke of life my firme faith is that you are one as by your stedfast faith and fruits of the same it doth appeare And wheras you say that my simple letters haue bene a stay and comfort to you I am moste glad therof do most hartely prayse God therfore that God of his greate mercy will vse me poore miser of the worlde as his instrument or meane to doe good to anye one of hys deare saincts And I do moste hartely desier you to forgeue mee my great neglygence towardes you in that I haue not more oftner written letters to you seing that you do so well esteme them as you do But if god spare me life I wyll be a littell more diligent to write vnto you then heretofore I haue bene And as for my pore prayer as you haue bene so shal you continually be sure of it I truste you doe also remember me in youres as your large and louing dedes do declare no lesse Ah good syster what doe you meane to sende me fo rich a token Alas you make me sory to se how carefull you are for me and what greate cost you haue bestowed vppon me a most vnprofitable member in Christes church But verily I do perceiue whereaboute you go You are minded to bring God a great deale into your debt and to put your money vnto a godly vsury according to the sainge of the wise man He that hath pitye vpon the pore saith he lendeth vnto the lord and loke what he laieth out it shal be paid him againe The lorde recompence your pitiful hert which is so careful for the children of God in the time of their captiuity God be blessed who hath made you so chereful in geuinge and diligent in well â—â—ing for verely the time is at hand that you shal reap without ceasing the fruit of eternall life Therfore be of good chere for they that now sow their good sede with teares shal theÌ„ reap their full sheues with gladnes and god shal wipe al teares froÌ„ their eyes for euer Cast all your care vpon the lord and commit your soule and body vnto him as vnto a faithful creator for doubtles deare sister he coÌ„tinuallye kepeth you and careth for you The moste and principall thing that God requireth of you is that you be fullye perswaded that he careth for you and that he is your god and most deare louinge father and wil be so for euer Without this faith and true perswasion you can not please him you can not commit and betake your selfe wholye vnto hym you can not truly feare him or loue him in dede you can not call vppon him or hartely pray vnto him Therfore let this be your alone and continuall endeuor to be confirmed more and more of this that God is youre most beare louinge faher throughe â–ª Iesus Christ that he hath a most teÌ„der care ouer you and for you as alwaies he hath had and alwais wil haue both in soule and body for this lyfe and for eternall lyfe howsoeuer thinges appeare and seme vnto you According as you beleue so shal it be vnto you and as you think God wil bee vnto you so shall you fele hym Think therfore swetelye of the lorde and his goodnes and pray for the encrease of faith whiche God graunte vnto vs both for his mercies sake Amen Thus most deare and faithfull sister for this time I make an ende commyttinge you and all yours to Goddes most mercifull defence who blesse kepe and preserue you nowe and â—or euermore Amen Fare you well in Christ good sister your pore brother and daily Orator Thou Careles prisoner of the Lorde at al time abyding hys most merciful wil and plesure pray pray An other letter sent froÌ„ the same Iohn Careles to the selfe same woman ¶ The euerlasting peace of GOD in Iesus Christ the continuall aide and strength ioye and comfortes of his most puer holy mighty spirit with the encrease of faith and liuely felinges of his eternal mercies be most effectuously wrought in your hart and grauen in your mind my deare frend and faithful louing sister K. E. to the full finishing of all the good workes which he hath most graciously begon in you that the same by al meanes may be to the setting forth of Gods glorye the commodity of his pore afflicted Church and to youre owne euerlastinge comforte in him Amen AS the dailye occasions whyche happen to me deare sister in the lord puttinge me in remembraunce of my mooste happy departure and final deliueraÌ„ce to be at hand do moue my pore hart to much spiritual mirth and gladnes in the lord euen so doth the daily remembrance of you and other the deare sainctes of God whom I shall leaue behynde mee engender much sorow and sadnes euen to my very soule to se in what a miserable worlde you must remaine subiect to our deserued plages bothe spirituall and teÌ„poral In respect wherof as I daily make mention of you in my cotinual prayers that God wil protect you vnder the wynges of hys mercy from al things that may be hurtfull eyther to soule or bodye so haue I thought it good yea my very bounden duty to write these few lines vnto you as well to comfort you what soeuer crosse it shal please the Lorde to lay vpoÌ„ you as also to warne you to walke circumspectly as the chylde of light least at any time the darkenes should ouertake you as it is like to doe those foolishe virgins whiche haue let their lampes go out alredy the bridegromes coÌ„ming being so nigh at hand as suerly it is not far hence as it appeareth both by the prophecies of the holy scriptures also by daily exaÌ„ples wherof we haue experience God for his Christes sake geue vs al grace diligently to watch and pray that we maye be readye prepared for that longe desired daye Amen My deare sister K. cal to your remeÌ„brance always the great loue and mercifull kindnes that God your most deare louing father hathe from time to time extended vnto you speciallye in that he would vouchesafe to geue for you his owne only dearly beloued son in whome was and is all his whole pleasure and delighte vnto the verye death of the crosse yea and that wheÌ„ you were his very enemy the chylde of wrath the bonde seruaunt of Sathan and a very fierbrand of hel and should haue so remained for euer CoÌ„sider also howe he hathe geuen you with his swete sonne al thinges necessary either for bodye or soule yea all that euer is in heauen and earth and hath made you by him heire vnto himselfe and owner and possessor of al that euer he hath In consideratioÌ„ wherof you ought so to loue him againe that nothinge should be able to seperate you from him yea of very loue only you ought to serue him in such holines and righteousnes as is accept before him all the dayes of youre life
exquisite searching of the causes therof vnto gods secret and vnserchable iudgements lette vs see what is beste nowe to be done for Chrystes lyttle selye flocke This is one Maxime and princyple in Christes law he that denieth me before men him shall Christ deny afore his father and al his aungels of heauen And therfore euery one that loketh to haue by Christ our sauiour euerlasting life let him prepare him selfe so that he denye not his master Christ or els he is but a caste away and a wretch howesoeuer he be couÌ„ted or taken here in the worlde Nowe then seinge the doctrine of antechriste is retourned agayne into this realme and the higher powers alas are so deceaued and bewitched that they are perswaded it to be truth and Christes true doctrin to be error and heresie and the old lawes of antechrist are allowed to returne wyth the power of their Father agayne what can be hereafter loked for by reason to the man of God and trewe christian abiding in this realme but extreame violence of deathe or els to deny his master I graunt the harte of prynces are in Gods handes and whether soeuer he will he can make them to bowe and also that christiaÌ„ princes in old time vsed a more gentell kinde of punishment euen to theÌ„ which were heritikes in dede as degradation and depositioÌ„ out of theyr rowmes and offices exile and banishmente out of their dominions couÌ„treyes and also as it is red the true bishops of christes church were somtimes intercessours for the heretikes vnto princes that they would not kil them as is red of S. Augustine But as yet Antechristes kyngedome was not so erected at that time nor is now accustomed to order theym that wyll not fal downe and worship the beast and hys image but euen as all the worlde knoweth after the same maner that both Iohn and Daniel hath prophesied before that is by violence of death and Daniell declareth farder the kynde of death accustomably should be by sworde fier and imprysonment Therefore if thou O man of God doe purpose to abide in thys realme prepare and arme thy self to die for bothe by antechristes accustomable lawes and these prophecies ther is no apparance or likelyhode of any other thinge excepte thou wylte deny thy master Christ which is the losse at the laste both of body soule vnto euerlastinge death Therefore my good brother or syster in Chryste whatsoeuer thou be to thee that caÌ„st and mayest so do that counsel that I thinke is the best sauegarde for thee both for thy bodi and most suerty for thy soules helth is that which I shal shew thee herafter But first I warn thee to vnderstande me to speake to him or her which be not in captiuity or called already for to confesse christ but is at liberty abrode My counsell I say therfore is this to flie from the plague and to get thee hense I consider not only the subtelties of sathaÌ„ and howe he is able to deceiue by his false perswasions if it were possible euen the chosen of God and also the greate frailty whiche is often tymes more in a man then he doth know in himselfe which in the time of temptation then wyll vtter it selfe I doe not only consider these thyngs I say but that our master christ whose life was and is a perfect rule of the christian mannes life that he himselfe auoyded oftentimes the fury and madnes of the Iewes by departing from the countrye or place Paule like wise when he was sought in Damasco and the gates of the citie were layde in wayte for hym he was conueyed by night let down in a basket oute at a windowe ouer the wall and Helias the prophet fledde the persecution of wycked Iesabell And Christ our Sauiour saith in the Gospell when they persecute you in one citie flie vnto another and so did many good greate learned and verteouse men of god which were great stoute chaÌ„pions neuerthelesse and stoute confessors and mainteyners of Christ and his truth in due time and place Of such was the greate clarke Athanasius But this is so playne to be lawfull by gods word examples of holy men that I nede not to stand in it Hauing this for my grouÌ„d I saye to thee O man of god this semeth to me to be the most sure waye for thy sauegard to depart and flie far from the plague that swiftly also for truly before god I thinck that the abhomination that Daniel prophecied of so long before is now set vp in the holy place For al antechrists doctrine lawes rytes religion contrary to Christe and to the true seruynge and worshypping of god I vnderstande to be that abhomination therefore now is the time in EnglaÌ„d for those words of Christ TuÌ„c inquit quiâ—n â—udaea runt fugiant ad montes Then saith he marke this christes then for truly I am perswaded and I trust by the spirit of god that this then is coÌ„maunded Then saith Chryst they that be in Iewry let them flie into the mouÌ„taynes he that is on the house top let him not come down to take away any thynge out of his house and he that is abrode in the fielde let hym not returne to take his clothes Wo be to the great bellied women and to them that geue sucke but pray saith Christ that your flight be not in winter nor on the sabboth daye These wordes of Christ are mistical there fore haue nede of interpretatioÌ„ I vnderstand all those to be in Iewryspiritually which truly coÌ„fesse one true liuinge god and the whole trueth of hys worde after the doctryne of the gospel of Christ. Such are they whoÌ„ here chryst biddeth in the time of the reygne of Antechrystes abhominations to flie vnto the mouÌ„tains which signifieth places of safegarde and all such thinges whych are able to defeÌ„d froÌ„ the plague That he biddeth him that is on the house top not to come downe nor him that is in the fyelde not to returne to take with him hys clothes he meaneth that they should spede them to get theÌ„ awaye betime least in their tarying trifling about worldly prouision thei be trapped in the snare or euer they be aware and caughte by the backe and for gayne of small worldly thinges endaunger and cast them selues in to greate perilles of more weighty matter And where he sayth wo to the greate bellyed women and to theim that geue sucke women great with childe and nigh to their lying downe and to be brought to bedde are not able to trauel nor also those women which are brought to bedde now geueth their babes sucke by these therefore christ spiritually vnderstaÌ„deth al such to be in extreme danger which this word wo signifieth all suche I saye as are soo letted by any maner of meanes that they no wayes be able to fly froÌ„ the plague That which christ saith praye that your flight be not in winter nor on the sabboth
had by the back Thou must serue the turne to geue the holy loues as they call it whiche is nothynge els but a very mockery of the lords holy table Thou must be a coÌ„tributor to the charges of al the disgised apparel that the popish sacrificing priest like vnto AaroÌ„ must play his part in Yea when the pardoner commeth about or the flatteringe frier to begge for the mayntenaunce of supersticion except thou doe as thy neighboures doe loke not longe for to liue in rest If any of thy housholde dye if thou wilte not paye money for ringinge and singing for requiem masses dirige commendations and suche like trumpery of the antechristian religion thinkest thou that thou shalt be reckned for a catholyke man or for Amicus Caesaris A hundred thynges mo may be reckned many of more weyght and of more euident superstitioÌ„ and Idolatrie then some of these which I haue now rehersed whiche god knoweth be ill enough but these are enough to declare and to set before thine eies the thing that I intende that is if thou abyde and wylt dwell in Englande thou must eyther do these and manye other mo contrarye to gods worde whiche forbiddeth not onely the thynge whyche is euyll but also sayth Ab omni specie mali abstinete vos absteine froÌ„ al things that hathe any apparance of euyll or els if thou wilte not doe theim howe thou canst lyue in Englande in reste and safe from the stake trulye I can not tel But peraduenture as a man is redy to finde and inuente some coloure to clooke his conscyence to doe that thynge that hys harte desyreth thou wilte say thoughe at any tyme I shall be forced to doe anye of these thyngs and such lyke yet wil I haue no confidence in them but outwardly with my body I wil kepe my hart vnto god wil not doe that of mine owne mynde willingly neyther but to auoyde an other inconuenyence I trust therfore God wyl holde me excuâ—ed for he shal haue my hart what can I doe more O mi friend beware for gods sake and know that the subteâ—ties of Satan are depe He that is not able by gods worde to perceiue them is heauâ—ly laden prai therfore with Dauid Lord let me not haue a minde to inuente excuses for to cloke my synne Examâ—ne my deare frend these thy wily waies wyth the word of god and if theâ— do agre thou maiest vse them if not knowe thoughe they may seme neuer so fine goodlye yet in deede they be of Sathans â—roodeâ— Goddes worde it is certaine that forbyddeth to worshyp the creature for the creatour for that is heynous idolaâ—ry and agaynst the fyrste coÌ„maundement of god and it is also against the second coÌ„maundement of the firste table to bowe downe or to do worshyp vnto any images of god or of any other thing and gods word requireth not onely the beliefe of the harte but also â–ª the confession of the mouth and to beare parte of the charges to the mayntenaunce of thynges vngodlyâ— what is that but in thy so doinge a conâ—ent to the thinge done Now consenters and the doers gods worde accounteâ—h to be giltye bothe And it is not lawefull by S. Paules doctrine whych was inspired hym by the spirite of god to do il that therof the thyng which is good may come Thy haâ—t thou saiest god shal haue and yet wilte thou suffer thy body to do the thing that god doeth abhorre Beware O maÌ„ take hede what thou saiest Man may be deceaued but no man may deceaue God for he is called and is trewely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye the searcher of the harte Now to geue god thy hart is to geue him thy whole harte to loue him to dread him and to trust in hym aboue al other things He that hath my coÌ„mauÌ„dement sayth Christ and obserueth and kepeth them it is he that loueth me and to dreade god aboue all other is rather willingly to incurre the danger and peryll of all fearefull thinges then wyttinglye to doe that thynge which is contrary to his blessed wyll and commaundemente and to truste in him aboue all thinges is assuredly to truste to hys promyse of his reward and of hys tuition and of his goodnesse and mercy and to prefer that aboue al thinges in the world seme they neuer so strong so wyse or so good Now howe canste thou saye truly that God hathe thy harte after this maner of sorte which is to haue thy harte in dede when thy dedes do declare far an other thinge Thy body o man is gods and al the partes thereof euen as thy soule is he made them both and Christ with his bloud hath redemed them both and is lorde of both for he hath boughte theÌ„ both deare darest thou suffer any parte of eyther of them to do seruice to Satan Surely in so doinge thou committest sacriledge and doest rob God thou deâ—ilest the liuely temple of the liuing god if thou suffer thy body to do sathan seruice Do you not know saith S. Paule that your body is a liuely temple of god and may a man then take and vse anye parte thereof but in the seruice of God No surely it is not lawful so to doe so that man of god neither with hand tongue nor fote nor any part of the whole body Doth not Paule commaund to the Romaines which pertaineth to euery Chrystian soule As you haue in times past saith he geuen your members to doe seruice vnto vncleanesse and wickednes from one wickednes to another so nowe geue your members to do seruice vnto righteousnes that you may be saÌ„ctified And I prai thee good brother what doest thou thinke is to beare the marcke of the beaste in the forhead and in the hand that s. Iohn speaketh of I know we ought warely to speake of gods misteries which he shewed by the spirit of prophecying to his seruant Iohn yet to reade theym wyth reuerence and to praye for the vnderstandynge of the same so much as god knoweth is necessary for our time to knowe I thinke it necessary and good Wherfore what I suppose is to beare the beastes marke I wyll tell thee and commit the iudgement of mine interpretation as in all other thinges to the spirituall man I suppose he beareth the beast of Babilons marke in his forhead which is not ashamed of the beastes waies but wyll professe them openly to set forthe hys master the beaste Abaddon And likewyse be beareth his marke in his hands that wil and doeth practise the workes of the beaste with his power and hand And likewyse I will not lette to tell thee what I thincke to be sygned in the forhead for the seruants of God whereof Iohn also speaketh reckening vp many thousandes so to haue bene sygned of euery tribe I suppose he is signed in the forhead for the seruant of god whom god hath appointed of his infinite goodnes and hath
in the other yet the lord is al one towards them in both and loueth theym nolesse when he sufferethe theym to be beaten yea and to be put to bodelye death then when he woorketh wonderes for their maruelous deliuery Nay rather he doth more for them when in anguish of the torments he standeth by them strenghneth them iu their faith to suffer in the confession of the truethe and his faithe the bitter panges of death then when he openeth the prison doore and letteth them go lose for here he doth but respit theÌ„ to an other time and leaueth them in daunger to fall in like peryl agayne and there be maketh theym Perfect to be without dauÌ„ger payne or peril after that for euer more But this his loue towardes theym howe soeuer the world doth iudge of it is all one both when he deliuereth and when he suffereth theym to be put to death He loued as wel Peter Paul when after thei had according to his blessed wil pleasure and prouidence finished their courses and done their seruices appointed them by him here in preaching of his Gospell the one was beheaded and thother was banged or crucified of the cruell tyraunte Nero as the Ecclesiasticall historye saythe as when he sent the Aungell to bring Peter out of prison and for Paules deliuery he made all the dores of the prison to flie wide open and the foundation of the same like an earthquake to tremble and shake Thinkest thou O thou man of god that Christ our Sauiour had lesse affection to the fyrste martyr Stephen bicause he suffered his enemies euen at the firste conflicte to stone him to death No suerlye nor Iames Iohns brother whiche was one of the three that Paul calleth Primates or Principals amongst the Apostles of Christe He loued him neuer a whit the worse then he did the other although he suffered Herod the tyrants sword to cut of his head Nay doth not Daniel say speaking of the cruelty of Antechrist his time Et docti in populo docebunt plutimos â—uent in gladio in flamma in captiuitate in rapina dierum c. Et de cruditis ruent 〈◊〉 coÌ„flentur eâ—â—gaÌ„tur dealbentuâ— c. That is and the lerned he meaneth truly learned in gods law shal teach many and shal fal vpon the sworde and in the flame that is shal be burned in the flaming â—yer and in captiuitye that is shal be in prison and be woâ—â—d and robbed of their goods for alonge season And after a lyttel in the same place of Daniel it foloweth and of the lerned ther be whiche shal fal or be ouerthrowen the they maye be knowen tried chosen made white he meaneth be furnyshed and scouâ—â—d a new picked and chosen made freshe and lustre Yf that then was foresene for to be done to the godlye lerned and for so gracious causes let euery one to whome any such thinge by the wyll of God doeth chaunce be mery in God and reioyce for it is to Gods glory and to hys owne euerlastinge wealth Wherefore well is he that euer he was borne for whome thus graciouslye God hath prouided hauinge grace of God and strenghe of the holy ghoste to stande stedfastly in the height of the storme Happy is he that euer he was borne whom God his heauenly father hath vouchsafed to appointe to glorify him to edifie his church by the effusion of his bloud To die in Christes cause is an hyghe honour to the which no man certainlye shall or can espire but to whome god vouthsafeth that dignitie for no man is alowed to presume for to take vnto himselfe any offyce of honoure but he whiche is there vnto called of god Therfore Iohn sayth wel speaking of them whiche haue obteyned the victory by the bloud of the lambe and by the worde of hys testimonye that they loued not their lyues euen vnto death And our sauiour Chryste sayeth he that shall lose hys lyfe for my cause shall finde it And this maner of speache pertayneth not to one kind of christians as the worldly do wyckedly dreame but to all that doe truly pertain vnto Christ. For when christ had called vnto him the multitude together wyth hys dysciples he saide vnto them marke that he said not this to the disciples and apostles only but he said it to al whosoeuer wil so low me let him forsake or deny hiÌ„self take vp his crosse and folow me for whosoeuer wil saue his life shal lose it he meaneth whosoeuer wil to saue his lyfe bothe forsake or leaue him his trueth and whosoeuer shall lose his life for my cause and the gospels sake shal saue it for what shal it profit a man if he shal winne the whole worlde and lese his owne soule hys owne life or what shall a man geue to recompence that losse of his owne life and of his owne soule Whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me and my words that is to confesse me and my gospell before this adulterous sinful generation of him shal the son of man be ashamed when he coÌ„meth in the glory of his father with the holy aungels Know thou O man of god that all thinges are ordeyned for thy behofe and to the furtheraÌ„ce of thee towardes thy saluation All thinges saith Paule worketh with the good to goodnes euen the enemies of god and such kind of punishments wherby they go about to destroye theym shall be forced by Goddes power might and fatherly prouidence for to do them seruyce It is not as the wycked thinketh that pouertie aduersity sycknes tribulation yea paynefull death of the godly be tokens that God doeth not loue theym but euen cleane the contrary as al the whole course of scripture doth euedently declare for then he wold neuer haue suffred his most deare beloued the Patriarches to haue had such troubles his prophetes his Apostles his Martyrs and chiefe chaÌ„pions and maintainers of his trueth and gospelâ— so cruelly of the wycked to haue bene murdered and â—â—in Of the whiche some were racked as the apostle sayth and would not he deliuered that they might reâ—eâ—lâ— better resurrection Some were lived by mockings and scourgings yea more ouer by bondes and imprison mente they were â—oned they were he wen and cut in â—uÌ„der they were tempted they were slain with the sword they wandered vppe and downe in sheepe skins and Gotes skinnes being forsaken afflicted and tormented suche men as the worlde was not worthye to haue wandringe in wildernesses in mountaines in dennes and caues of earth All these were approued by the testimony of fayth and receiued not the promise bicause god did prouide better for vs that wythâ—uâ—e vs they shuld not be consuÌ„mated They tary now for vs vndoubtedly loÌ„ging for the day But they are commaunded to haue patience yet sayeth the lord a littel while vntil the number of their fellowe seruauntes be fulfilled and or theyr brethren whych are yet to
Iesus Christ that he will strengthen vs both wyth hys holy and mighty spirit that we may constantly continue in the confession of his truth vnto the ende that lyke as we nowe see one another presently in spirite we may also see one another personally in the glorious presence of God and his holye aungels where vndoutedly we shal know one an others personage to oure greate ioy felicity and endles comfort And now therfore deare sister K. be strong in the Lord our god for doubtles the time of trial is at hande a great persecution with cruell murtherynge of gods deare sainctes is like to be very shortly in this wofull wicked realme of England Therfore dere sister for the loue of God prepare you to the crosse with all diligence and make your selfe ready to die with Chryste that you may also liue with hym for euer There is no remedy if you wil be Christes disciple you muste nedes take vp your crosse and follow him for the disciple must not loke to be aboue his master nor the seruaunt to be better intreated then his lord Yf we were of the world good sister no doubt the worlde would loue vs. But for as much as Christ hath chosen vs out of the world to serue God in spirite and veritye let vs be well assured the worlde will hate vs persecute vs as it hath done our lorde master Chryste But yet let vs be of good chere for Christ hath ouercome the worlde The payne is but shorte that we can fele here but the plesure is perpetuall that we shall feele els where Let vs set before vs the exāple of Christe which abode the crosse and despised the shame in respect of the ioy that was set before him Euē so let vs consider for whose sake wee suffer whose cause we defend what glorious reward we shal haue at the day of our victory and then doubtles the consolation of these thinges will make sweete all our sufferinges and sone swallow vp al the sorowes that we are sowsed in for Goddes sake I could recite diuers texts of the scripture to confirme this poynt But I nede not for I am well assured that you do know them most perfectly all ready The lorde geue you strength assiste you with his holy spirite that you maye continuallye walcke in all points accordīg to your godly knowledge And then shall you not doe as the moste parte of our Gospellers doe nowe a dayes the more is the pitie There are a greate manye in Englande that doe perfectly knowe that the idolatrous masse is abhominable diuelyshe and detestable in the sighte of God And yet alas they be not afrayde to pollute and defyle theyr bodies whych ought to be the tēples of the holy ghost with being present at it so synning agaynst God and their owne conscience But dere syster K. doe you flie from it both in body and soule as you would flie from the very diuell himselfe Drinke not of the whore of Babylons cup by no meanes for it will infecte the body poyson the soule Be not partakers of her sinnes saith the aungell least you be partakers of the plagues that shortly shal be powred vpon her O what an araye is this that so manye that knowe gods truth will nowe tourne agayne and defyle them selues in the filthy puddle of antichristes stinking religiō They go about to saue theyr liues with their double dissimulatiō but doubtles they shall lose euerlasting life by it if they do not repente in time and turne vnto the lord But deare sister my truste is that you doe vtterly abhorre the comminge to any such thinge I hope that you wil not by anye meanes turne backe into Egypte nowe but that you wil boldly venter through the wildernes of troble persecution that you may come into the lande that floweth wyth all kinde of heauenly pleasures ioyfull delectatiōs and possesse the same for euer Let vs cōsider howe that euery one of vs doth owe vnto god a death by nature and howe sone the Lorde will require it of vs we knowe not O howe happy are we then if god of his goodnesse appoint vs to paye natures det with suffringe for his truth and Gospelles sake and so makynge vs his faythfull wytnesses wyth the prophetes apostles martyres confessours yea with his dearly beloued sonne Iesus Christ to whom he doth here begin to facion vs lyke in sufferynge that we might be like him also in glory Thus my derely beloued sister I haue ben bold to trouble you a littel with my rude and simple letter beinge made in haste as it doeth apeare Yet I desier you to take it in good woorthe as a token of my pore zeale vnto you to accepte my good will And if it please god to spare me life and libertye I truste hereafter to write vnto you more largelye Fare ye well deare sister K. E. the Lorde blesse you and all youres and powre vpon you the heauenlye dewe of hys grace The lord endue you with plentifull knowledge of his veritye and fill you with his holye and mightye spirite that you may continually reioyce in the cōfortes of the same now and euer Amen Praye pray praye with stedfast fayth Your daily Orator Ihon Careles prisoner of the Lorde at al times abydinge hys most merciful wil and pleasure Another letter of the same Iohn Careles sent to the same party ¶ Grace mercy and peace from god our eternall and most deere louing father wyth quyetnes of conscience in our swete lorde and only sauiour Iesus Chryst with increase of knowledge health strength and spiritual ioy in and through the mighty operatiō of the holy ghost our euerlastinge comforte be wyth you nowe and euer my moste dere louing sister K. E. to the good perfourmance of all that he hathe so graciously begon in you in such sort as may be moste to his glory◠the comforte of hys pore afflicted churche and to the eucrease of your owne euerlastinge ioy in him Amen AS I am by no meanes hable my deere harte in the lord in the leaste pointe to recompence anye part of the greate loue faithfull frēdship manifolde kindnes that you haue so largely extended vnto me euen so am I not able to declare how much and how depelye I am continuallye bound to geue god most hūble praise and continuall thankes for you and on your behalfe Before God I speak it I can not with pen expresse what ioy and comforte my poore afflycted hart hath conceyued of you and that in mo respectes then I wyll or can now declare Ah my deare syster K. whose humble hart and lowly spirit doth to me presētly appeare in youre most godly and louing letter blessed are you and all such meke handmaides of the lord For doubtles you shall be eralted in that day when the proud persones of the world and hygh minded Pharaseys shall be cast downe God for euermore bee blessed who hath geuen