Witness of John Penry

I JOHN PENRY DOO HEARE AS I SHALL ANSWERE BEFORE THE LORD MY GOD IN that great day of Judgment set down sumarily the Whole truth and nothing but the truth which I hold and profess at this hour either in regard of my faith towards my God and Dread Sovereign Queen Elizabeth unto whom only of all the potentas In the world I owe all reuerente, duty and submission in the Lord.

F Irst / because my allegiance unto her Majesty's: is chiefly called In question / that I am not at this day / nor yet ever was in all my life either guilty or privy in any purpose / consultation or intent of any sedition against or disturbance of her Majesty's Royal state and peaceable government. And if I were privy unto any such godlese wicked and undutiful actions or purposes as might any ways impayre or disquiet the peaceaeble state of my native prince and country I would reveal disclose / and withstand the same to the utmost of my power in all persons both foraigne and domestical of what prossession or religion soever they be.

Her supreance authority within her realms and dominions I acknowledge to be such over all persons in all causes / as no person either civil or ecclesiastical / may exempt himself or his cause from the power and censure of her laws and sword. I do also acknowledge that her Majesty hath full authority from the Lord by hir Royal power to establish and enact all laws both ecclesiastical and civil among hir subjects: In the making whereof the Lord requireth that hir eclesiasticall be warented by his writ̄ word / wich expressly containeth whatsoever belongeth to his worship: & her civil to be gronded upon the rules of common justice and equity / the wich bounds are so far from diminishing from the authority of kings and princes / as they are the only inexpugnable ways thereof. This sovereign prerogative authority of her hignes I am most willingly reddy to deffend and maintain / against all the estates / persons / and creatures under heaven to the loss of my life tēne tousandes times if it should be neefull. And I take the lord to record that / that day to my knowledge hath not passed over my head I ā sure since the first that the lord under her gracious reign brought me to the knowledge of the truth / wherein I have not or do not pray for the blessings of my God both outoward & inward to be poured with afull horn vpō hir right excellent Majesty's Throne Regimēt & dominions forever & ever: And that he would either convert / or speedily overthrow In his wrath all his and hir ennaemies with their entreprises whether they be home or foraigne Herof I cal the searcher of hearts as In wittnes of truth against my own soul if either I di • ssēble / or forge in the premises. Secondly touching my faith / I do beleve with my heart and cōfess▪ with my tongue that there is no God but the true God only which that written word reacheth to be one in substance and three in person / the father / the sonne / and the holy ghost three distinct persons of one and the self same substance. This most high God who also is my God in Christ Jesus I veleeve to be the creator / preserver maintainner sovereign Lord and supreme commander of all creatures In heavē and in earth men and Angels both good and bad. I do believe that nothing doth or can comme to 〈…〉 / but by the fore anointed and determinate will / purpose / 〈…〉 only by grace the sufferings and reghteousnes of Christ Jesus apprehended by true faith.

Christ Jesus In regard of his natures I beleve to be God & man / even God alone blessed forever more: And in respect of his offices to be the only king / Priest And Prophet of his Church / the which offices he so fully accōp • isshed In the days of us flesh by the manifesting of the whole will of his father thorough his preaching & teaching the full redemption of his Chu • ch / by his death and resurr • ction: and rec • aving full absolute power in heaven and in earth from his father / in such sort as he is not to retain a successor in any of these his offices / but is consecrated alone to them all forever more.

True faith / I believe to be the persuasion of the heart where by the soul is truly assured of remission of sins and Imputation of righteo • snes thorough Christ.

This true faith belongeth only to God's elect / and hath perseverance unto the end▪ with this true faith also / is inseparably joined (as the frut thereof) a dying unto sin: and a living unto righteousness in such sort as the menbers of Christ have a continual battle in them against sin. the wich by the power of Christ's death is so wounded and in some measure decayeth more and more in them / until at l • ngth it shall be utterly consumed whē the bodies and souls be separated / and not b • fore.

By the quickninge power of Christ / (I do beeleeue) that his here vpō earth are drawn more and more to like his blessed will and to practice the same / yea to give their lives rather then to dishonor their God in the will and voluntary denial of his truth / and the breach of his laws and will / in any point revealed unto them.

His revealed will I believe to be perfet • y contained in the written word of the old and new testament given by the holy ghost for Instruction and comfort of his pore church as longe as the same is a pilgrim here upon the earth.

This Church I believe to be a company of those whom the word calleth saints which do not only profess in word that they know God / but also are subject unto his laws and ordinance in deed: with this Church I do believe • that the Lord God of is mere favor hath entered into covenant that he will be their God / & they shall be his people the seals of this his covenant are only two / Baptism and the Lord supper.

The Church here upon earth / I do believe not to be perfect / although in regard of the order wich the Lord hath appointed for the same it be most absolute / but to have many blemishes and wātes in it / yet I assuredly believe that all th • true menders thereof shall at the day of judgment receive their perfect consumation by Jesus Christ and be crowned in him with eternal glory of his mere grace / end not for any merit of theirs.

Thorough the mercies of my God / and therefore I am wilingly content to undergo my trouble in this life for his name sake / who be glorified of my soul and body and of his saints forever more. Amen.

I detest all heresies / sects schimes / and errors wether new or old by whom soever they have bē invented as puritinisme / donatism • Anabatisterie Libertinism Brounisme & all the dreams and dotages of the family of one but especially all popery that most dredfull religion of Antichrist: the great enemy of the Lord Jesus & the most pestilent adversary of all the thrones of kings and princes. So that I abhor frō my soul that whole body and every part of that Romish religion called the son of perdition by the Spirit of God / because the Lord hath determined vterly to cōsum it by his appearinge in the brightness of his gospel before his second cominge.

I detest that proud superiority of this mā of sin whereby as the Apostle spake he hath exalted him self in his members and power to bear rule over the truth and menbers of Christevē over all that is called holy: wholly opposeth himself as most blodie adversary a gainst all truths and servants of the Lord which will not suffer him with his sard infernal power toreigne over them instead of Christ in his blessed ordinances.

I detest in regard of their offices (I speak not of the means persons touching the Lord's election) the head of that body the Pope his cursed triple crown / his usurped Iuridiction of either of both swords.

I det • st the limbs of that body / their spiritual pour / as Cardinals / Archbishop a Lord bishops / Sufraganes / Abbots / Fryors / Deans / Archdeacons / Commissaries / Chancelers / Officials / Munkfryers / Cannons / prebend Priests.

I detest their invented manners of calling / whereby they are placed in their cursed offices / their devised works wherein they are jmployed by reason of their offices / as the false doctrines and false worship of that kingdom with the livings and maintenances whereby they are maintained in their offices. And forasmuch as the members of Christ cannot have any communion or fellowshipe with any of those cursed jnuentions in so much as they can have no lawful use or spiritual communion of / or with any of these offices / callings / works and maintenances / in so much as they cannot lawfully be subject unto any parte of the ecclesiastical power of these offices: Therefore it is that I dare not participat • in these assemblies over which any of these officers b • are rule / or ecclesiasticallie jntermedle with the holy things of God / and where any of these devised callings and non else / works and maintenances are to be found: for I am forbidden to have any communion with these vnfructfull works of darkness though it be upon pr • tēce of mining the truth and sacraments of Christ / upon pain of everlasting formente day and night for evermore.

Ad if I may not be subject to the ceremonies of Moses / as Circoncision wich were sometimes the Lord's own sacred ordinances: how dare I or any other creature be in bondage unto those inventions of Antichrist the great enemy of the Lord Jesus / whereof neither the saints of God can / neither yet could have any sanctified use.

The truth of doctrine touching the trinity and touching the natures and offices of Christ / Justifying faith / Sacraments / externaly established by her Majesty / professed by her self / there H. H. & such as have knowledge in the assemblies of this land: I acknowledge frō my heart to be such as if I maintained not the unity & held not the cōmuniō of the same doctrine with thē in those points I could not possibly be saved / for out of that communiō of the true profession which her Miestye hath established in these and the like rules / there is no hop of salvation: but to join not with standing with the public worship of these assemblies of the land / I dare not for the same reasons.

I more over willingly confess that both of the teachers & also of the professors within these assemblies of the land / have so embraced this truth doctrine established and professed in this land / that the Lord in his infinite goodness hath granted thē the favor to show out / wherein regard of God's election I protest before men and Angels that I judge thē members of the body whereof the son of God Jesus Christ is the head / only herein the Lord be merciful unto thē as unto myself in regard of my sins / that they are not ordered in that outward order which Christ Jesus left in his Church but instead thereof are first subject unto those forenamed offices / secondly / have cōmuniō with there false manner of callings unto their offices: Thirdly participate with a great parte of their devised works wherein these officers are employed: fourthlie with the false maintenance and livings fiftlie are mingled with the known profane / ignorant and disordered persons which are joint members with them in their assemblies.

This is the some of my faith / and allegiance to my God and my Prince / here is the sonme of the whole difference which is between me and the clergy of this land / and the some of the whole cause for the which I and divers other of my poor brethren are judged to be schismatics / felons / heretics: If this may come to the Royal hands of my souueraygne and to the veiwe of their H. H. they will be soon induced that neither I nor any other that hold the same with me deserve the shortening of our days by her Majesty's sword for these things

And here is all that ever we hold. As touching that error / concerning the repeating of the Lord's praȳr / wherewith we are charged / far be it even far be it that we should deny the same or any the like scripture / to be an holy forine of prayer which containeth not only an e • quisite pattern of doctrine which a Christian soul may not only lawfully say / but also with great comfort have the use of the same: In deed we rather hold it for a doctrine then prayer / the abuse in the often repeating of it / we condemn and this I am sure was the judgment in this point of those holy servants of God who now rest from their labors. The good which this land getreth outwardite by these false offices afornamed and the livings belonging unto them is / the traitors (as Iesuistes and Seminary Priests are drawn by that hope they have of possessing this Babylonish gold / to become the unnatural betrayers of their natural Prince and Contrye into the hands of strangers: whereas if these offices and livings were by public authority once removed and converted to her Majesty’s use / the Pope would have no occasion to send over these locastes / they would be no baits to alluer them hither and the home Papists would be utterly void of hope to see their expected day / so that the maintaining of these offices and livings / their devised works and callings would fall: with them is joined that there is no small danger of her Maiesticall persō and the whole state of this land / I do point but at the inconveniences which in conscience towards her Maiestye and my contrie / I am bond to show / they that are wiser will think of the cause with seriousnes / and would not I hope think me worthy to be smitten for this showing the danger.

Whatsoever I hold in these points controverted I hold the same of mere conscience towards God / of that mere destetation which in conscience I am boud to have of all the invētions of men or Angels in religiō / and of that care which I ought to have of the salvation and safeguard of her Majesty whom the Lord preserve forever more and of my contrie. I have for my warrant not only the written word which is sufficient / but also in the points of greatest moment / the doctrine of the Church of England established by her Majesty and their Honors together with the writings / testimonies and blood of the famous servants and Martyrs of Christ viz. M. whickleff. M. Brute. M. Ashly. M. Parvy. M. Charch and many other holy witnesses of the Lord in former times M. Tyndale M. Lambert. M. Latimer. M. Bale the famous servants of God in this later age together with the witnesses of the reformed Churches at this day / in the points I say of special weight / my soul is so evinced by the word of God in all them as I am ready to give my life by the aid of my God for the truth of this testimony and the testimonies of the fornamed servants of God and holy Churches of Christ: yet if any mā can see by the written word of God that I err in anything / I will most willingly reform my judgment / crave pardon ernesthe for any oversight: yea and be most willing to suffer due punishment for my temerity: But if on the other side I testify nothing but verity in these points I am undoubtedly persuaded of: I most humbly crave that the percing edge of that sword may not in heat be turned against me and my brethren which was never professedlie violent against the open and sworn enemies of their native Prince and contrie.

Death / I thank God I fear not in this cause especially / for I know that the sting of death is taken away and that they are blessed which die in the Lord for witnessing against the former corruptions Reu. 14.9.13. Life I desire not if I be guilty of sedition / of defaming and disturbing the quiet state of her Majesty peceable government.

Lastly / I most humbly and earnestly beseech their Honors and worships in whose hands this writing of mine shall come to consider that it is to no purpose that her Majesty’s subjects shovld bestow their time in learning in study and meditation of th •• word, in reading the writings and doings of learned men and of the holy martyrs whic • have ben in former ages, especially the writings published by her Majesty's authority, they may not without danger proffesse and hold those truths as which they learn out of th •• and that in such sort as they are able to convince all the world that will stand against th •• by no other weapons then by the word of God. I beseech them also to consider what a lamentable cause it is that we may hold fellowship with the Romish Church in the inventions thereof without all danger & cannot without extreme peril be permited in Iudgmēt & practice to dissent from the same where it swerueth from the true way, & as they find the things to be of especial moment in religion, I beseech them in the bowels of Jesus • Christ to be a means unto her Majesty & their H. Hs. that my cause may be weighed in even balance, imprisonments, Indightments arainmēts yea death it self are no meet weapons to convince the conscience grounded upon the word of God & accompanied with so many witnesses of his famous servants & Churches.

let us think out lot and portiō more then blessed that now are vouchsaffed the favor not only to know & to profess, but also to suffer for the sincerity of the Gospel: & let us remember, that great is our reward in heaven; if we endure unto the end. I testify unto you for mine one part as I shall answer before Jesus Christ & his elect Angels that I never saw any truth more clear & undoubted then this witness wherein we stand, 1 against false offices. 2 the callings. 3 the works. 4. the maintenance left & retained in this land by and from Popery: 5. against the obedience wich spiritually either in soul or in body is yielded, & the comunion that is had with these inventions of darkness. 6, the mingling of all sorts in these assemblies. 7. the worship done but scant in one of the three partes of the commission given by our savior Scant done I say in one of the three partes of the commission, by the best teachers of this land, And I thank my God I am not only ready to be bound & banished but evē to die in this cause by his strength yea my brethrē I greatly long in regard of myself to be disolued, and to live in the blessed kingdom of heaven with Jesus 〈…〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 Christ and his Angels, with Adam Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Iobe. David, Jeremiah, Daniel, Paul the great Apostle of the Gentiles, and with the rest of the holy, saints both men and women, with the glorious kings, Prophets and martyrs, and witnesses of Jesus Christ that have bine from the beginning of the world, particularly with my twoe dear brethren master Henry Barrowe & master John Greenwoode which have last of all yielded their blood for this precious testimony: Cōfessing unto you my btethren and sisters that if I might live upon this earth the days of Methushelach twice told and that in no less comfort then Peter James, and John were in the mount, and after this life might be sure of the knigdōe of heavē that yet to gain all this I durst not go frō the former testimony. Wher fore my brethren I beseech you be of like mind herein with me, I doubt, not but you have the same precious faith with me & are partakers also of farte more glorious comfort, then my barren. and sinful soul cane be, strive for me & with me, that the Lord our God, may make me and us all able to ende our course with joy and patience: Strive also that he may stay his blessed hand [if it be his good pleasure] and not make any farther breach in his Church by the taking away of anymore of us as yet to the discouraging of the weak and the lifting up of the horn of our adversaries. I would indeed if it be his good pleasure live yet with you, to help you to bear that greueous and hard yoke which yet ye are like to sustain either here or in a strange land. And my good brethren seeing banishement with loss of goods is likely to betyde you all. preparcy our selves for this hard entreaty and rejoice that you are made worthy for CHRIST cause to suffer and bear all these things: And I beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ, that none of you in this case loke upon his particular estate but regard the general state of the Church of God that the same may go and be kept together whethersoeuer it shall please God to send you. Oh the blessing will be great that shall ensue this care, whereas if you go every man to prouid for his own house, and to loke for his own family. First neglecting pore Zion, the Lord will set his face against you and scatter you from the one end of heaven to the other, neither shall you find a resting place for the soles of your feet or a blesing upon anything you take in hand.

The Lord my brethren and sisters. hath not forgotten to be gracious unto Zion you shall yet find days of peace and of rest if you continue faith full: This Stampeing & treading of us under his feet this subuerting of our cause, and right in judgment is done by him to the end that we should search and try our ways, and repent us of our carelessnes profannes and rebellion in his sight, but he will yet maintain the cause of our souls and redeem our lives, if we return to him yea he will be with us in fire & water & will not forsakevs if our harts be only and especially of the building of Zion whethersoeuer we go. Let not those of you then that either have stocks in your hands, or some likely trades to live by dispose of yourselves where it may be most commodious for your outward estate and in the mean time suffer the poor ones that have no such means, either to bear the whole work upon their weak shoulders, or to ende their days in sorrow and morning▪ for want of outward and inward comforts in the land of strangers for the Lord will be an avenger of all such dealings. But cousult with the whole Church, yea with the brethten of other places, how the church may be kept together and built whethersoeuer they go, let not the poor and the freendlesse be forced to stay behind here and to break a good conscience for want of your support and kindness unto them that they may go with you, and here I humbly beseech you, not in any outward regard, as I shall answer before my God. that you would take my pore and desolate widow and my mess of fatherless and freindlesse orphaines with you into exile whether soever you go, and you shall find I doubt not that the blessed promesses of my God made unto me and mine will accompany them, & even the whole Church for their fakes for this also is the Lord's promise unto the holy seed) as you shall not need much to demand, what they shall eat, or wherewith they shall be clothed, and in short time I doubt not but they will be found helpful & not burthensome to the Church only I beseech you 〈◊〉 I and, where they must be enforced, to go again unto Egypt. and my God will bless you even with a joyful return unto your own country for it. there are of you, who I doubt not will be careful of the performance of the will of your dead brother in this point, who may yet live to show this kindness unto yours, I will say no more. Be kind loving and tender hearted, the one of you towards the other, labor every way to increase love and to show the duties of love one of you towards another, by visitinge, comfortinge and relieving one the other even for the reproach of the heathen that are round about us (as the Lord saith.) Be watching in prayer especially remember those of out brethren that are especially endaungered, particularly those our twoe brethren M. Studley and Robert Boule whom our God hath strengthened now to stand in the forefront of the battle. I fear me that our carelessness was over great to sue unto our God for the lives of these towe so notable lights of his Church who now rest with him, and that he took them away for many respects seeming good to his wisdom, soe also that we might learn to be more careful in prayer in all such causes, pray for them then my brethren and for our brother M. Fran: John's: and for me, who am likely to end my days either with them or before them that our God may spare us unto his church if it be his God pleasure, or give us exceeding faythfullnes and be every way comfortable unto the sister and wife of the dead

I mean unto my beloved M. Barrowe and M. Greenwoode whom I most hartly salute, and desire much to be comforted in their God who by his blessings from above, will counteruayle unto them, the want of soe notable a broher and husband. I would wish you earnestly to write, yea to send if you may to comfort the brethren in the west, and North countries, that they faint not in these troubles, and, that also you may have of their advise and they of yours what to do in these desolate times. and if you think it anything for their further comfort and direction send them conuenientlie a copy of this my letter, and of the declaration of my faith, and alegiance wishinge them before whomsoever they be called that their own mouths, be not had a witness against them in any thnge: yea I would wish you and them to be together if you may whethersoeuer you shall be banished and to this purpose to bethink you before hand where to be, yea to send some who may be meet to prepare you some resting place, & be all of you assured that he who is your god in England, will be your God in any land under the whole heaven for the earth, and the fullness thereof are his, and blessed are they that for his cause are bereaved of any parte of the same! Finally my brethren the eternal God bless you, and yours, that I may meet with you all unto my comfort in the blessed kingdom of heaven, Thus haujng from my heart and, with tears performed (it may be) my last duetje towards you in this life I salute you all in the Lord both men and womē, even those who I have not named, as hartelie as those whose names I have mentioned, [for all your names I know not] And remember to stand steedfast, and faithful in Jesus Christ, as you have received him unto your immortality: And he conferme and establish you to the ende for the praise of his glory. Amen.