Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 1

To the university and town of Cambridge.

TO all that love the Lord Jesus and his true doctrine, being in the university and town of Cambridge, John Bradford a most unworthy servant of the Lord, now not only prisoned, but also condemned for the same true doctrine, wisheth, grace peace, and mercy, with increase of all godliness from God the father of all mercy, through the bloody passion of our Savior Jesus Christ, by the lively working of the holy spirit forever. Amen.

Although I look hourly when I should be had to the stake (my right dearly beloved in the Lord, and although the charge over me is great and strayt: yet having by the providence of God secretly pen and an ynke, I could not but something signify unto you my solicitude which I have for you and every of you in the Lord, though not as I would, yet as I may. You have often and openly heard the truth, (specially in this matter wherein I am condemned) disputed and preached, that it is needeles to do anymore but only to put you in remembrance of the same: but hitherto have you not heard it confirmed, and, as it were, sealed up, as now you do and shall hear by me, that is, by my death and burning. For albeit I have deserved (through my uncleanness, hypocrisy, avarice, vainglory, idleness, unthankfulness, and carnality, whereof I accuse myself, to my confusion before the world, that before God through Christ I might, as my assured hope is I shall, find mercy) eternal death, and hell fire, much more then this affliction and fire prepared for me: yet my dearly beloved, it is not these, or any of these things, wherefor the prelates do persecute me, but God's verity and truth: yea even christ him self is the only cause and thing wherefore I now am condemned, and shall be burned as an heretic, for because I will not grant the Antichrist of Rome to be Christ's vicar general and supreme head of his church here, and everywhere upon earth, by God's ordinance, and because I will not grant such corporal, real, and carnal presence of Christ's body & blood in the sacrament, as doth transubstanciate the substance of bread and wine, and is received of the wicked, yea of dogs & mise. Also I am excommunicated, and counted as a dead member of Christ's Church, as a rotten branch, and therefore shall be cast into the fire.

Therefore ye ought heartily to rejoice with me, and to give thanks for me, that God the eternal father hath vouched safe our mother to bring up any child in whom it would please him to magnify his holy name as he doth, and I hope for his mercy and truths sake, will do in me, and by me. Oh, what such benefit upon earth can it be, as that that which deserved death by reason of my sins, should be delivered to a demonstration, a testification, and confirmation of God's verity and truth? Thou my mother the University hast not only had the truth of gods word plainly manifested unto thee by reading, disputinge and preaching publicly and privately: but now to make thee altogether excuselesse, and as it were, almost to sin against the holy Ghost, if thou put to thy helpyng hand with the romysh route to suppress the verity, and set out the contrary, thou hast my life and blood as a zeal to confirm thee: if thou wilt be confirmed▪ or else to confound thee and bear witness against thee, if thou wilt take part with the prelates and Clergye, which now fill up the measure of their fathers which slew the Prophets and Apostles, that all righteous blood from Abel to Bradford, sued upon the earth, may be required at their hands.

Of this therefore I thought good before my death, as time and liberty would suffer me (for love and duty I bear unto thee) to admonish thee good mother, and my sister the Town, that you would call to mind from whence you are fallen, and study to do the first works. You know (if you will these matters of the Romish supremacy, and the Antichristian transubstantiation, wh ••• by Christ's supper is overthrown, his priesthood euacuat • , his sacrifice frustrate, the ministry of his word vnplaced, repentance repelled, faith faynted, godliness extinguished, the Mass maintained, idolatry supported, and all impiety cherished: you know I say (if you will) that these opinions are not only besides God's word, but even directly against it, and therefore to take part with them, is to take part against God, against whom you cannot prevail.

Therefore for the tender mercy of Christ, in his bowels and blood I beseech you, to take Christ's collyrium and eye salve to annoint your eyes, that you may see what you do and have done in admitting (as I hear you have admitted, yea alas authorised, and by consent confirmed) the Romish rotten rags, which once you utterly expelled. Oh be not canis reuersus ad vomitum, be not Sus lota reuersa ad volutabrum coeni, Beware least Satan enter in with seven other spirits, and then postrema shall be worse then the first. It had been better ye had never known the truth, then after knowledge to run from it. Ah, woe to this world and the things therein, which hath now so wrought with you. Oh that ever this dirt of the devil should daube up the eye of the Realm. For thou oh mother art as it were the eye of the Realm. If thou be light and give shine all the body shall fare the better: But if thou the light be darkness, alas how great will the darkness be? What is man whose breath is in his nostrils, that thou shouldest thus be afraid of him?

Oh what is honor and life here? Bubbles. What is glory in this world, but shame? Why art thou afraid to carrye Christ's Cross? Wilt thou come into his kingdom, and not drink of his cup? Doest thou not know Rome to be Babilō? doest thou not know that as the old Babylon had the children of Judah in captivity, so hath this Rome the true Judah, that is the confessors of Christ? Doest thou not know, that as destruction happened unto it, so shall it do unto this (And trowest thou that God will not deliver his people now when the time is come, as he did the • . Hath not God commanded his people to come out from her▪ and wilt thou give ensample to the whole Realm to run unto her▪ Hast thou forgotten the woe that Christ threatneh to offense givers? Wilt thou not remember that it were better that a Mylstone were hanged about thy neck, and thou throw into the sea, then that thou shouldest offend the little ones?

And alas, how hast thou offended? yea and howe doest thou still offend? Wilt thou consider things according to the outward show? Was not the Synagogue more seemly and like to be the true Church, then the simple flock of Christ's Disciples? Hath not the whore of Babylon more costly array, and rich apparel externally to set forth her self, then the homely housewyfe of Christ? Where is the beauty of the kings daughter the Church of Christ? without or within? Doth not David say within? Oh remember that as they are happy which are not offended at christ so are they happy which are not offended at his poor church. Can the Pope and his prelates mean honestly which make so much of the wife, and so little of the husband? The Church they magnify, but Christ they contemn. If this Church were an honest woman (that is, Christ's wife) except they would make much of her husband Christ and his word, she would not be made much of them.

When Christ and his Apostles were upon earth, who was more like to be the true Church, they, or the Prelates, Bishops, & Synagogue? If a man should have followed custom unity, antiquity, or the more part, should not Christ and his company have been cast out of the doors? Therefore bade Christ: Search the scriptures. And, good mother, shall the servant be above his master▪ shall we look for other entertaynment at the hands of the world, then Christ and his dear Disciples found? who was taken in Noes time for the Church? Poor Noah and his family, or others? Who was taken for God's Church in Sodom? Lot, or others? And doth not Christ say: As it was than, so shall it go now towards the coming of the son of man? What meaneth Christ when he saith: Iniquity shall have the upper hand? doth not he tell, that charity shall wax cold? And who seeth not a wonderful great lack of charity in those, which would now be taken for Christ's Church: All that fear GOD in this Realm truly, can tell more of this then I can write.

Therefore dear mother, receive some admonition of one of thy poor children, now going to be burned for the testimony of Jesus. Come again to God's truth: come out of Babylon: confess Christ and his true doctrine: repent that which is past: make amends by declaring thy repentance by the fruits. Remember the readings and preachings of God's Prophet and true Preacher M Bucer. Call to mind the threatenings of God, now something seen by the children Leauer and others. Let the exile of Leauer, Pilkinton, Grindall, Haddon, Horne, Scorye Ponet. &c. something awake thee. Let the imprisonment of thy dear sons, Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer move thee. Consider the Martyrdom of thy chickens, Rogers, Saunders, Taylor. And now cast not away the poor admonition of me going to be burned also, and to receive the like crown of glory with my fellows. Take to heart God's calling by us. Be not as Pharaoh was: for then will it happen unto thee as it did unto him. What is that hardness of heart. And what then? destructiō eternally both of body and soul. Ah therefore good mother awake, awake, repent, repent, buskle thyself, and make hast to turn to the Lord. For else it shall be more easy for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment then for thee. Oh harden not your hearts: Oh stop not your ears today in hearing God's voice, though it be by me a most unworthy messenger. Oh fear the Lord, for his anger is begun to kindle. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the tree.

You know I prophesied truly to you before the Sweate came, what would come, if you reap̄ted not your carnal Gospelling. And now I tell you before I depart hence, that the ears of men will tingle to hear of the vengeance of God that will fall upon you all, both Town and University, if you repent, not, if you leave not your Idolatry, if you turn not speedily to the Lord, if you still be ashamed of Christ's truth which you know.

Oh Perne repent, Oh Thomson repent, Oh you Doctors, Bachelers, & Masters repent, Oh Major, Aldermen, & Town dwellers repent, repent, repent, that you may escape the nere vengeance of the Lord. Rent your hearts, & come apace, calling on the Lord. Let us all say, Peccauimus, we have all sinned, we have done wickedly, we have not hearkened to thy voice O Lord. Deale not with us after our deserts, but be merciful to our iniquities, for they are great. Oh pardon our offenses. In thine anger remember thy mercy. Turn us unto thee, O Lord God of hosts, for the glory of thy names sake. Spare us, and be merciful unto us. Let not the wicked people say: where is now their God: Oh for thine own sake, for thy names sake, deal mercifully with us. Turn thyself unto us, and us unto thee, and we shall praise thy name forever.

If in this sort (my dearly beloved) in heart and mouth we come unto our father, & prostrate our selves before the throne of his grace, then surely surely we shall find mercy. Then shall the Lord loke merely upon us, for his mercy sake in Christ: then shall we hear him speak peace unto his people. For he is gracious & merciful, of great pity, & compassion: he cannot be chiding forever: his anger cannot last long to the penitent. Though we weep in the morning, yet at night we shall have our sorrow to cease. For he is exorable, and hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner: he rather would our conversion and turning.

Oh turn you now, and convert yet once again I humbly beseech you, and then the kingdom of heaven shall draw nigh. The eye hath not seen, the ear hath not heard, nor the heart of man is able to conceive the joys prepared for us if we repent, amende our lives, and heartily turn to the Lord. But if we repent not, but be as you were, and go on forwards with the wicked, following the fashion of the world, the Lord will lead you on with wicked doers, you shall perish in your wickedness, your blood will be upon your own heads, your part shall be with hypocrites, where shall be weeping & gnashyng of teeth, ye shall be cast from the face of the Lord forever and ever, eternal shame, sorrow, woe, and misery shall be both in body and soul to you world without end. Oh therefore right dear to me in the Lord, turn you turn you, repent you, repent you, amende, amende your lives, depart from evil, do good, follow peace and pursue it. Come out from Babylon, cast of the works of darkness, put on Christ, confess his truth, be not ashamed of his Gospel, prepare yourselves to the Cross, drink of God's cup before it come to the dregs: and then shall I with you and for you, rejoice in the day of Judgment, which is at hand, and therefore prepare yourselves thereto, I heartily beseech you. And thus I take my vale in aeternum with you in this present life, mine own dear hearts in the Lord. The Lord of mercy be with us all, and give us a joyful and sure meeting in his kingdom. Amen. Amen.

To Lankeshire and Cheshire.

TO all those that profess his name and true Religion of our savior Jesus Christ in Lankeshyre and Chesshyre, and specially abiding in Manchester and thereabout John Bradford a most unworthy servant of the Lord, now not only in bounds, but also condemned for y ^e same true religion, wisheth mercy and grace, peace and increase of all godliness from God the father of all pity, through y ^e deserts of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the working of the most mighty and lively spirit the comforter forever. Amen.

I heard it reported credibly, my dearly beloved in the Lord, that my heavenly father hath thought it good to provide, that as I have preached his true doctrine and Gospel amongst you by word: so I shall testify & confirm the same by deed: That is, I shall with you leave my life, which by his providence. I first received there (for in Manchester was I borne) for a seal to the doctrine I have taught with you, and amongst you so: so that if from henceforth you waver in the same, you have none excuse at all. I know the enemies of Christ, which exercise this cruelty upon me (I speak in respect of mine offense which is none to themwardes) think by killing of me amongst you, to affray you and others, least they should attempt to teach Christ truly, or believe his doctrine hereafter. But I doubt not but my heavenly father will be my death, more confirm you in his truth forever. And therefore I greatly rejoice to see Satan and his soldiers, supplanted in their own sapience, which is plain foolishness amongst the wise indeed, that is, amongst such as have heard God's word, and do follow it: for they only are counted wise of the wisdom of God our Savior.

In deed if I should simply consider my life with that which it ought to have been, and as God in his law requireth, then could I not but cry as I do. Iustus es domine & omnia iudicia tua vera. i. Righteous art thou O Lord, and all thy judgments are true. For I have much grieved thee, and transgressed thy holy precepts not only before my professing the Gospel, but sithen also: yea even sithen my coming into prison. I do not excuse, but accuse myself before God and all his Church, that I have grievously offended my Lord God, I have not loved his Gospel as I should have done, I have sought myself and not simply, and only his glory and my brethren's commodity, I have been to unthankfull, secure, carnal, hipocriticall, vayneglorious. &c. All which my evils the Lord of mercy pardon me for his Christ's sake, as I hope and certainly believe he hath done for his great mercy in Christ our redeemer.

But when I consider the cause of my condemnation, I cannot but lament, that I do no more rejoice then I do. For it is God's verity and truth: So that the condemnation is not a condemnation of Bradford simply: but rather a condemnation of Christ and his truth. Bradford is nothing else but an instrument, in whom Christ and his doctrine is condemned. And therefore my dearly beloved, rejoice, rejoice and give thanks with me and for me, that ever God did vouchsafe so great a benefit to our country, as to choose the most unworthy (I mean myself) to be one, in whom it would please him to suffer any kind of affliction: much more this violent kind of death, which I perceive is prepared for me with you for his sake. All glory and praise be given unto God our father, for his great exceeding mercy towards me, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

But perchance you will say unto me: what is the cause for the which you are condemned, we hear say that ye deny all presence of Christ in his holy Supper, and so make it a bare sign and common bread, and nothing else. My dearly beloved, what is said of me, and what will be, I cannot tell. It is told me that Pendleton is gone down to Preach with you, not as he once recanted (for you all know he hath preached contrary to that he was wont to preach afore I came amongst you) but to recant that which he hath recanted. Howe he will speak of me, and report before I come, when I am come, and when I am burned, I much pass not, for he that is so uncertain, and will speak so often against him self, I cannot think he will speak well of me, except it make for his purpose and profit: but of this enough.

In deed the chief thing, which I am condemned for as an heretic, is because I deny in the sacrament of the alter (which is not Christ's supper, but a plain perverting of it, being used as the papists now use it) to be a real, natural, and corporal presence of Christ's body and blood, under the forms and accidences of bread and wine, that is, because I deny transubstantiation, which is the dearling of the Devil, and daughter and heir to Antichrists religion, whereby the Mass is maintained Christ's supper perverted, his sacrifice and Cross imperfited, his Priesthood destroyed, the ministry taken away repentance repelled, and all true godliness abandoned. In the supper of our Lord or sacrament of Christ's body and blood, I confess and believe, that there is a true, and very presence of whole Christ God and man, to the faith of the receiver (but not of the stander by and looker on) as there is a very true presence of bread and wine to the senses of him that is partaker thereof. This faith, this doctrine, which consenteth with the word of God, and with the true testimony of Christ's Church (which the Popish Church doth persecute will I not forsake, and therefore am I condemned as an heretic, and shall be burned. But my dearly beloved, this truth (which I have taught, and you have received, I believed, and do believe, and therein give my life) I hope in God, shall never be burned, bound, nor overcome: but shall triumph have victory, and be at liberty, maugre the head of all God's adversaries. For there is no counsel against the Lord, nor no devise of man can be able to defeat the verity in any other, then such as be children of unbelief, which have no love to the truth, and therefore are given up to believe lies. Frō which plague the Lord of mercies deliver you and all the realm, my dear harts in the Lord I humbly beseech his mercy. Amen.

And to the ende you might be delivered from this plague (right dear to me in the Lord I shall for my fare well with you forever in this present life, heartily desire you all in the bowels and blood of our most merciful Savior Jesus Christ, to attend unto these things which I now shall shortly write unto you, out of the holy scriptures of the Lord.

You know an heavy plague (or rather plagues) of God is fallen upon us, in taking away our good Kyng, God's true Religion, God's true Prophets and Ministers. &c. And setting over us, such as seek not the Lord after knowledge: whose endeavours GOD prospereth wonderfully, to the trial of many, that his people may both better know themselves, and be known. Now the cause hereof is our iniquities and grievous sins. We did not know the time of our visitation: we were unthankfull unto God: we contemned the Gospel, & carnally abused it, to serve our hypocrisy, our vainglory our viciousnes, avarice, idleness, security. &c. Long did y ^e Lord linger, and tarry to have shown mercy upon us, but we were ever longer the worse. Therefore most justly hath God dealt with us, and dealeth with us: yea yet we may see, that his justice is tempered with much mercy, whereto let us attribute that we are not utterly consumed. For if the Lord should deal with us after our deserts, alas, howe could we abide it? In his anger therefore, seeing he doeth remember his mercy undeserved (yea undesired on our behalf) let us take occasion the more speedily to go out to meet him, not with force of arms (for we are not so able to withstand him, much less to prevail against him) but to beseech him to merciful unto us, and according to his wonted mercy to deal with us.

Let us arise with David and say: Ne intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo, &c. i. Enter not into judgment O Lord with thy servant, for in thy sight no flesh living shall be justified. Let us send Ambassadors with the Senturion, and say: Lord we are not worthy to come our selves unto thee, speak the word and we shall have peace. Let us penitently with the Publican loke down on the earth, knock our hard hearts to burst them, and cry out: Oh GOD be merciful unto us wretched sinners. Let us with the lost Son return and say: O Father, we have sinned against heaven and earth, and before thee we are unworthy to be called thy children. Let us I say do on this sort, y ^t is heartily repent us of our former evil life, & unthankful gospelling past, convert and turn to God w ^t our whole hearts, hoping in his great mercy thorough Christ, and heartily calling upon his holy name, and then undoubtedly we shall find and feel otherwise then yet we feel, both inwardly and outwardly. Inwardly we shall feel peace of conscience between God and us which peace passeth all understanding, and outwardlye we shall feel much mitigation of these miseries, if not an utter taking them away.

Therefore my dearly beloved in the Lord, I youre poorest brother now departing to the Lord, for my vale in aeternum for this present life, pray you beseech you, and even from the very bottom of my heart, for all the mercies of God in Christ shown unto you, most earnestly beg and crave of you out of prison (as often out of your Pulpies I have done) that you will repent you, leave your wicked and evil life, be sorry for your offenses, and turn to the Lord, whose arms are wide open to receive and embrace you, whose stretched out hand to strike to death, stayeth that he may show mercy upon you. For he is the Lord of mercy, and God of all comfort, he will not the death of a sinner, but rather that ye should return, convert and amend. He hath no pleasure in the destruction of men: his long suffering draweth to repentance before the time of vengeance, and the day of wrath which is at hand, doth come.

Now is the axe laid to the root of the tree, utterly to destroy the impenitente. Now is the fire gone out before the face of the Lord, and who is able to quench it? Oh therefore repent you, repent you. It is enough to have lived as we have done. It is enough to have pleased the wanton Gospellers, the proud Protestants, Hypocriticall and false Chrystians, as alas, we have done. Now the Lord speaketh to us in mercy and grace: Oh turn before he speaketh in wrath. Yet is there mercy with the Lord, and plenteous redemption: yet he hath not forgotten to show mercy to them that call upon him. Oh then call upon him, while he may be found. For he is riche in mercy, and plentiful to all them that call upon him. So that he that calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved. If your sins be as red as scarlet, the Lord saith, he will make them as white as snow. He hath sworn, and never will repent him thereof, that he will never remember our iniquities, but as he is good, faithful and true, so will he be our God, and we shall be his people: his law will he write in our hearts, & engraffe in our minds, and never will he have in mind our unrighteousness.

Therefore my dear hearts in the Lord, turn you, turn you to y ^e Lord your Father, to the Lord your Savior, to the Lord your comforter. Oh why do you stop your ears, and harden your harts • o day, whē you hear his voice by me your poorest brot ••• ? Oh forget not how that the Lord hath shown hymsel •• true and me his true preacher, by bringing to pass th • • lagues which at my mouth you often heard before they came to pass, specially when I entreated of Noes flood, and when I preached of the 22. chapter of Saint Matthews Gospel, on S. Stevens day the last time that I was with you. And now by me the Lord sendeth you word (dear countrymen) that if you will go on forwards in your impenitency, carnality, hypocrisy, idolatry, covetousness, swearing, gluttony, drunkenness, whoredom, &c. (Wherewith alas, alas our country floweth): if (I say) you will not turn and leave of seeing me now burned amongst you, to assure you on all sides how God seeketh you, and is sory to do you hurt, to plague you, to destroy you, to take vengeance upon you, oh your blood will be upon your own heads: you have been warned, and warned again by me in preaching, by me in burning.

As I said therefore, I say again, my dear harts and dearlings in the Lord, turn you, turn you, repent you, repent you, cease from doing evil, study to do well, away with idolatry, fly the Romish God and service, leave of from swearing, cut of carnality, abandon avarice▪ drive away drunkenness, fly from fornication and flattery, murder and malice, destroy deceiptfulnesse, and cast away all the works of darkness. Put on pity and godliness, serve God after his word, and not after custom, use your tongs to glorify God by prayer, thanksgiving and confession of his truth, &c. be spiritual, and by the spirit mortify carnal affections, be sober, holy, true, loving, gentle, merciful, and then shall the Lord's wrath cease, not for this our doings sake, but for his mercies sake. Go to therefore good countrymen) take this counsel of the Lord, by me now sent unto you, as the Lord's counsel, and not as mine, that in the day of judgment I may rejoice with you, and for you: the which thing I heartily desire, and not to be a witness against you. My blood will cry for vengeance, as against the Papists God's enemies (whom I beseech God if it be his will, heartily to forgive, yea even them which put me to death, and are the causers thereof, for they know not what they do (so will my blood cry for vengeance against you (my dearly beloved in the Lord) if ye repent not, amend not, and turn unto the Lord.

Turn unto the Lord yet once more, I heartily beseech thee thou Manchester, thou Ashton underline, thou Bolton, Bury, Wigme, Lierpoole, Mottrine, Stepport, Winsley, Eccles, Priestwich, Middleton, Radcliefe, and thou City of Westchester, where I have truly taught and preached the word of GOD. Turn, I say unto you all, and to all the inhabitours there aboutes unto the Lord our God and he will turn unto you, he will say unto his Angel: It is enough, put up the sword. The which thing that he will do, I humbly beseech his goodness, for the precious bloudes sake of his dear Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Ah good brethren take in good parte these my last words unto everyone of you. Pardon me mine offenses and negligences in behavior amongst you. The Lord of mercy pardon us all our offenses, for our Savior Jesus Christ's sake, Amen. Out of Prison ready to come to you the eleventh of February. Ann. 1555.

To the Town of Walden.

TO the faithful and such as profess the true doctrine of our Savior Jesus Christ, dwelling at Walden and thereaboutes, John Bradford a most unworthy servant of the Lord, now in bands, and condemned for the same true doctrine, wisheth grace, mercy, and peace, with the increase of all godliness in knowledge and living, from GOD the Father of all comfort, through the deserts of our alone and full redeemer Jesus Christ, by the mighty working of the most holy spirit, the comforter forever. Amen.

When I remember how that by the providence and grace of God, I have been a man, by whom it hath pleased him through my ministry to call you to repentance, and amendment of life, something effectually, as it seemed, and to sow amongst you his true doctrine and religion, least that by my affliction, & storms now arisen to try the faithful, and to conform them like to the Image of the son of GOD, into whose company we are called, you might be faint hearted: I could not but out of prison secretly (for my keepers may not know that I have pen & ynke) write unto you a signification of the desire I have, that you should not only be more confirmed in the doctrine I have taught amongst you, which I take on my death, as I shall answer at the day of dome, I am persuaded to be God's assured, infallible, and plain truth: but also should after your vocation avow the same by confession, profession and living. I have not taught you (my dearly beloved in the Lord) fables, tales, or untruth, but I have taught you the verity, as now by my blood gladly (praised be God therefore) I do seal the same.

In deed to confess the truth unto you, and to all the Church of Christ, I do not think of myself, but that I have moste justly deserved, not only this kind but also all kinds of death, and that eternally, for mine hypocrisy, vayneglory, uncleanness, self love, covetousness, idleness, unthankfulness, and carnal professing of God's holy Gospel, living therein not so purely, lovingly, and paynefully as I should have done. The Lord of mercy for the blood sake of Christ pardon me, as I hope, yea I certainly believe he hath done for his holy names sake thorough Christ. But my d • arely beloved, you and all the whole world may see, and easily perceive, that the Prelates persecute in me another thing then mine iniquities, even Christ himself, Christ's verity and truth, because I can not, dare not, nor will not confess Transubstantiation, and howe that wicked men, ye Mise and Dogs eating the Sacrament, which they term of the alter, thereby overthrowing Christ's holy Supper utterly, do eat Christ's natural and real body borne of the virgins Mary.

To believe, and confess as God's word teacheth, the primative Church believed, and all the Catholic and good holy Fathers taught five hundredth years at the least after Christ, that in the Supper of the Lord (which the Mass overthroweth, as it doth Christ's Priesthoode, sacrifice, death and passion, the ministry of his word, true • ayth repentance, and all godliness whole Christ God and man is present by grace, to the faith of the receivers, but not of the standers by, and lookers on, as bread and wyne is to their senses, will not serve: and therefore I am condemned & shall be burned out of hand as an heretic. Wherefore I hartelye thank my Lord God, that will and doth vouch me worthy to be an instrument, in whom he himself doeth suffer. For you see my affliction and death is not simply, because I have deserved no less, but much more at his hands and justice: but rather because I confess his verity and truth, and am not afraid through his gift that to do, that you also might be confirmed in his truth. Therefore my dearly beloved. I heartily do pray you, and so many as unfeignedly love me in God, to give with me and for me most hearty thanks to our heavenly Father, through our sweet Savior Jesus Christ, for this his exceeding great mercy towards me and you also, that your faith waver not from the doctrine I have taught, and ye have received. For what can you desire more to assure your consciences, of the verity taught by your preachers, then their own lives?

Go to therefore my dear hearts in the Lord, waver not in Christ's religion truly taught you, and set forth in king Edward's days. Never shall the enemies be able to burn it, to prison it, and keep it in bonds. Vs they may prison, they may bind and burn, as they do, and will do, so long as shall please the Lord: but our cause, religion, and doctrine which we confess, they shall never be able to vanquish and put away. Theyr Idolatry and Popish religion, shall never be builte in the consciences of men that love God's truth. As for those that love not God's truth, that have no pleasure to walk in the ways of the Lord, in those I say the Devil shall prevail: For God will give them strong illusion to believe lies. Therefore dear brethren and sisters in the Lord, I humbly beseech you, and pray you in the bowels and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus • Christ, now going to the death for the testimony of Jesus, as oftentimes I have done before this present out of your Pulpitte, that you would love the Lord's truth: love (I say) to love it, and frame your lives thereafter. Alas, you know the cause of all these plagues fallen up us, and of the success which God's adversaries have daily, is for our not loving God's word.

You know how that we were but Gospellers in lips, and not in life. We were carnal, concupiscentious, idle, unthankful, unclean, covetous, arrogant, dissemblers, crafty, subtle, malicious, false, backebiters. &c. and even glutted with God's word, yea, we lothed it, as did the Israelites the Manna in the wilderness: and therefore as to them the Lord's wrath waxed hot, so doth it unto us. So that there is no remedy, but that (for it is better late to turn, then never to turn) we confess our faults, even from the bottom of our hearts, & with hearty repentance (which God work in us all for his mercies sake) we run unto the Lord our God, which is exorable, merciful, & sory for the evil poured out upon us, and cry out unto him with Daniel saying: we have sinned, we have sinned grievously oh lord God, against thy majesty, we have heaped iniquity upon iniquity: the measure of our transgressions floweth over, so that just is thy vengeance and wrath fallen upon us. For we are very miserable, we have contemned thy longe suffering, we have not harkened to thy voice. When thou hast called us by Preachers, we hardened our hearts, and therefore now deserve that they send thy curse hereupon to harden our hearts also, that we should henceforth have eyes and see not, ears and hear▪ not, hearts and understand not, lease we should convert and be saved. Oh be merciful unto us: spare us good Lord and all thy people, whom thou hast dearly bought. Let not thine enemies triumph altogether, and always against thee, for then will they be puffed up. Look down and behold the pittyfull complaints of the poor: let the sorowefull sighing of the simple come in thy fright, and be not angry with us forever. Turn us oh Lord GOD of hosts unto thee, and turn thee unto us, that thou mayest be justified in thy sweet sentences, and overcome whē thou are judged, as now thou art of our adversaries, For they say, where is their God? Can God deliver them now? Canne their Gospel serve them? Oh Lord howe long? for the glory of thy name, and for thy honors sake, in the bowels and blood of Jesus Christ, we humbly beseech thee, come and help us, for we are very miserable.

On this sort I say dearly beloved, let us publicly and privately bewail our sins: but so that hereto we join, ceasing from willfulness & sin of purpose, for else the Lord heareth not our prayers, as Deuid saith. And in S. John it is written: The impenitent sinners God heareth not. Now, impenitent are they which purpose not to amend their lives. As for example: not only such which follow still their pleasures▪ uncleanness, carnality: but those also which for fear or favor of men, do against their conscience to consent to the Romish rags, and resort to the rotten Religion, communicating in Service & ceremonies with the Papists, thereby declaring themselves to love more the world then God, to fear man more then Christ, to dread more the loss of temporal things, then of spiritual: in whom it is evident, the love of God abideth not. For he that loveth the world, hath not God's love abiding in him saith Saint John: therefore my dear hearts, and dear again in the Lord remember what you have professed, Christ's Religion and name, and the renouncyng of the Devil, Sin and the world.

Remember that before ye learned A. B. C. your lesson was Christ's cross. Forgette not that Christ will have no Disciples, but such as will promise to deny thenselves▪ & take up their cross (mark, take it up) and follow him: and not the multitude, custom. &c. Consider for God's sake, that if we gather not with Christ, we scatter abroad. What should it profit a man to win the whole world, and loose his own soul? We must not forget that this life is a wilderness, and not a Paradise: here is not our home, we are now in warfare: we must needs fight, or else be taken prisoners. Of all things we have in this life, we shall carry nothing with us. If Christ be our Captayne, we must follow him as soldiers. If we keep company with him in affliction, we shall be sure of his society in glory. If we forsake not him, he will never forsake us. If we confess him, he will confess us: but if we deny him, he will deny us. If we be ashamed of him he will be ashamed of us. Wherefore as he forsook his father, and heaven, & all things to come to us, so let us forsake all things and come to him, being sure and most certain, that we shall not lose thereby. Your children shall find and feel it double, yea treble, whatsoever you loose for the Lord's sake: and you shall find and feel peace of conscience, and friendship with God which is more worth then all the goods of the world.

My dearly be loved, therefore for the Lord's sake, consider these things which now I write unto you of love, for my Vale, & last farewell forever in this present life. Turn to the Lord: repent you your evil and unthankfull life, declare repentance by the fruits: take time while you have it: come to the Lord whiles he calleth you: run into his lap whiles his arms be open to embrace you: seek him whiles he may be found: call upon him whiles time is convenient: forsake and fly from all evil, both in religion, and in the rest of your life and conversation. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your works, and praise God in the day of his visitation. Oh come again, come again you strange children, and I will receive you saith the Lord. Conuert and turn to me, and I will turn unto you. Why? will ye needs perish? As sure as I live (sweareth the Lord) I will not your death: turn therefore unto me. Can a woman forgette the child of her womb? If she should, yet will I not forget you, saith the Lod your God. I am he, I am he which put away your sins for mine own sake.

O then dear friends, turn I say unto your dearest father. Cast not these his sweet and loving words to the ground, and at your tail, for the Lord watcheth on his word to perform it: which is in two sortes: to them that lay it up in their hearts, and believe it, will he pay all, and eternal joy and comfort. But to thē that cast it at their backs, and will forget it, to them (I say) will he pour out indignation and eternal shame. Wherefore I heartily yet once more beseech and pray you, and every of you, not to contemn this poor and simple exhortation, which now out of prison I make unto you, or rather the Lord by me. Loth would I be a witness against you in the last day: as of truth I must be, if ye repent not, if ye love not God's Gospel, yea, if ye love it not.

Therefore to conclude, repent, love God's Gospel, live in it all your conversation so shall God's name be praised, his plagues be mitigated, his people comforted, and his enemies ashamed. Graūt all this thou gracious lord god to everyone of us for thy dear sons sake, our Savior Jesus Christ: To whom with thee and the holy Ghost, be eternal glory forever and ever. Amen.

*To my loving brethren B. C. &c. their Wives and whole families, I. Bradford.

I Beseech the everliving God, to grant you all, my good brethren and sisters, the comfort of the holy spirit, and the continual sense of his mercy in Christ our Lord, now and forever amen.

The world my brethren seemeth to have the upper hand, iniquity overfloweth, the truth and verity seemeth to be suppressed, and they which take parte therewith, are unjustly entreated: as they which love the truth lament to see and hear, as they do. The cause of all this is God's anger, and mercy: his anger, because we have grievously sinned against him: his mercy, because he here punisheth us, and as a Father nourtereth us. We have been unthankfull for his word: We have contemned his kyndenesse: We have been negligent in prayer: We have been so carnal, covetous, licentious. &c. We have not hastened to heaven ward, but rather to hellwarde. We were fallen almost into an open contempt of God, and all his good ordinances: so that of his justice he could no longer forbear, but make us feel his anger: as now he hath done, in taking his word and true service from us, and permitted Satan to serve us with Antichristian religion, and that in such sort, that if we will not yield to it, and seem to allow in deed an outward fact, our bodies are like to be laid in prison, and our goods given we cannot tell to whom.

This should we look upon as a sign of God's anger, procured by our sins: which my good brethren, every of us should now call to our memories oftentimes, so particularly as we can, that we might heartily lament them, repent them, hate them, ask earnestly mercy for them, and submit our selves to bear in this li • e any kind of punishment, which God will lay upon us for them. This should we do, in consideration of God's anger in this time. Now his mercy in this time of wrath is seen, and should be seen in us my dearly beloved, in this, that God doth vouchsafe to punish us in this present life. If he should not have punished us, do not you think that we would have continued in the evils we were in? Yes verily, we would have been worse, and have gone forwards in hardenyng our hearts by impenitency, and negligence of God & true godliness. And then if death had come, should not we have perished both soul and body into eternal fire and perdition? Alas, what misery should we have fallen into, if God should have suffered us to have gone on forward in our evils? No greater sign of damnatiō there is, then to lie in evil and sin unpunished of God, as now the Papists (my dearly beloved) are cast into Jezebels bed of security which of all plagues is the grieuousest plague that can be. They are bastards and not sons, for they are not under God's rod of correction.

A great mercy it is therefore that GOD doth punish us: For if he loved us not, he would not punish us. Now doth he chastise us, that we should not be damned with the world. Now doeth he nourtour us, because he favoreth us. Now may we think our selves God's house and children, because he beginneth his chastising at us: Now calleth he us to remember our sins past. Wherefore? that we might repent and ask mercy. And why? That he might forgive us, pardon us, iustifye us, and make us his children, and so begin to make us here like unto Christ, that we might be like unto him elsewhere, even in heaven where already we are set by faith with Christ, and at his coming in very deed, we shall then most joyfully enjoy, when our sinful and vile bodies shall be made like to Christ's glorious body, according to the power whereby he is able to make all things subject to himself.

Therefore my brethren, let us in respect hereof not lament, but land God, not to be sory, but be merry, not weep, but rejoice and be glad, that God doth vochsafe to offer us his Cross, thereby to come to him to endless joys and comforts. For if we suffer, we shall reign, if we confess him before men, he will confess us before his father in heaven: if we be not ashamed of his Gospel now, he will not be ashamed of us in the last day, but will be glorified in us, crowning us with crowns of glory and endless felicitye: For blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven: Be glad (say • h Peter) for the spirit of God resteth upon you. After that you are a little afflicted, God will comfort, strengthen, and confirm you. And therefore my good brethren, be not discouraged for Cross, for prison, or loss of goods, for confession of Christ's Gospel and truth, which ye have believed, and lively was taught amongst you in the days of our late good Kyng, and most holy Prince Kyng Edward. This is most certain, if you loose anything for Christ's fake, and for contemning the Antichristian service, set up again amongst us: as you for your partes, even in prison shall find God's great and riche mercy, far passing all worldly wealth: so shall your wives and children in this present life, find and feel God's providence, more plentifully then tongue can tell. For he will show merciful kindness on thousands of them that love him. The good man's seed shall not go a begging his bread. You are good men, so many as suffer for Christ's sake.

I trust you all, my dearelye beloved, will consider this gear with yourselves, & in the cross see God's mercy, which is more sweet, and to be set by, then life it self, much more then any Mucke or Pelfe of this world. This mercy of God should make you merye and cheerful: for the afflictions of this life, are not to be compared to the joys of the life prepared for you. You know the way to heaven is not the wide way of the world, which windeth to the devil, but it is a strayte way which few walk in. For few live Godlye in Christ Jesus, few regard the life to come, few remember the day of judgment, few remember howe Christ will deny them before his father, that do deny him here, few consider that Christ will be ashamed of them in the last day, which are ashamed of his truth and true service, few cast their accounts, what will be laid to their charge in the day of vengeance, few regard the condemnation of their own consciences, in doing that which inwardly they disallow, few love god better then their goods.

But I trust yet you are of this few, my dearly beloved, I trust you be of that little flock, which shall enherite the kingdom of heavē, I trust you are the mourners and lamenters, which shall be comforted with comfort, which never shall be taken from you, if you now repent your former evils, if now you strive against the evils that are in you, if now you continue to call upon God, if now you defile not your bodies with any Idolatrous service, used in the Antichristian Churches, if you molest not the good spirit of God, which is given you as a gage of eternal redemption, a counselor and Mayster to lead you into all truth, which good spirit I beseech the Father of mercy to give to us all, for his dear sons sake Jesus Christ our Lord: to whom I commend you all, and to the word of his grace, which is able to help you all, and save you all that believe it follow it, and serve GOD thereafter.

And of this I would ye were all certain, that all the hears of your heads are numbered, so that not one of them shall perish, neither shall any man or devil be able to attempt anything, much less to do anything to you, or any of you, before your heavenly father, which loveth you most tenderly, shall give them leave: and when he hath given them leave, they shall go no further then he will, nor keep you in trouble any longer then he will. Therefore cast on him all your care, for he is careful for you. Only study to please him, and to keep your consciences clean, & your bodies pure from the Idolatrous service, which now everywhere is used, and GOD will maruellouslye and mercifully defend and comfort you: which thing he do for his holy names sake in Christ our Lord. Amen.

*To his dearly beloved in Christ, Erkinalde Rawlins, and his wife.

GOd our dear and moste merciful Father thorough Christ, be with you my good Brother and Sister, as with his children forever, and in all things so guide you with his holy spirit, the leader of his people, as may be to his glory, and your own everlasting joy and comfort in him. Amen. Because I have oftentimes received from either of you, comfort corporal (for the which I beseech the Lord, as to make me thankful, so to recompense you both now & eternally) I cannot but go about (Lord help hereto for thy mercies sake) to write something for your comfort spiritually.

My dearly beloved, look not upon these days and the afflictions of the same here with us, simplye as they seem unto you, that is, as dismal days, and days of God's vengeance, but rather as lucky days, and days of God's fatherlye kindness towards you, and such as you be, that is, toward such as repent their sins, and evil life paste, and earnestly purpose to amende, walking not after the will of the world, and most part of men, for the preservation of their pelf, which will they nill they, they shall leave sooner or later, and to whom or howe it shall be used, they know not. In deed to such as walk in their wickedness, and wind on with the world, this time is a time of wrath and vengeance, and their beginning of sorrow is but now, because they contemn the Physic of their father, which by this purging time and cleansing days, would work their weal, which they will nor: and because they will not have God's blessing, which both ways he hath offered unto them by prosperity and adversity: therefore it shall be kept far enough from them. As when the sick man will no kind of Physic at the hands of the Physician, he is left alone, and so the malady increaseth, and destroyeth him at the length. To such men in deed, these days are and should be doleful days, days of woe and weeping, because their damnation draweth nigh.

But unto such as be penitent, and are desirous to live after the Lord's will (among whom I do not only count you, but as far as a man may judge, I know ye are) unto such I say, this time is and should be comfortable. For first now your father chastiseth you and me for our sins: for the which if he would have destroyed us, then would he have letten us alone, and left us to our selves, in nothing to take to heart his fatherly visitation, which here it pleaseth him to work presently, because else where he will not remember our transgressions, as Paul writeth: He chastiseth us in this world, least with the world we should perish. Therefore my dear hearts, call to mind your sins to lament them, and to ask mercy for them in his sight, and withal undoubtedly believe to obtain pardon and assured forgiveness of the same, for twice the Lord punisheth not for one thing.

So that I say, first we have cause to rejoice for these days, because our father suffereth us not to lie in Iesabels bed, sleeping in our own sins and security, but as mindful on us, doth correct us as his children. Whereby we may be certain, that we be no bastards, but children: for he chastiseth every child whom he receiveth. So that they which are not partakers of his chastising, or that contemn it, declare themselves to be bastards, and not children: as I know ye are, which as ye are chastised, so do ye take it to heart accordingly. And therefore be glad my dear hearts and folks, knowing certaynelye even by these visitations of the Lord, that ye are his dear elect children, whose faults your father doth visit with the rod of correction, but his mercy will he never take away from us. Amen.

Secondly, ye have cause to rejoice for these days, because they are days of trial, wherein not only ye yourselves, but also the world shall know that ye be none of his, but the Lord's dearelinges. Before these days came, Lord God, how many thought of them selves, they had been in God's bosom, and so were takē, and would be taken of the world? But now we see whose they are. For to whom we obey, his servants we are. If we obey the world (which god forbid, and hitherto ye have not done it) then are we the worlds: but if we obey God, then are we God's. Which thing (I mean that ye are God's) these days have declared both to you, to me, & to all other that know you, better then ever we knew it. Therefore ye have no cause to sorrow, but rather to sing, in seeing yourselves to be God's babes, and in seeing that all God's children do so count you.

What though the world repine thereat? What though he kick? What though he seek to trouble and molest you? My dear hearts, he doth but his kind, he cannot love the Lord, which liveth not in the Lord, he cannot brook the child, that hateth the Father, he can not mind the servant, that careth not for the Mayster. If ye were of the world, the world would love you, ye should dwell quietly, there would be no grief, no molestation. If the Devil dwelt in you (which the Lord forbid) he would not stir up his knights to besiege your house, to snatch your goods, or suffer his friends to enter into your Hogs. But because Christ dwelleth in you (as he doth by faith) therefore styreth he up his first begotten son the world, to seek how to disquiet you, to rob you, to spoil you, to destroy you: and perchance your dear Father, to try, and to make known unto you, and to the world, that ye are destinate to another dwelling the • here on earth, to another Citty then man's eyes have seen at any time: hath given, or will give power to Satan, and to the world, to take from you the things, which he hath lent you, and by taking them away, to try your fidelitye, obedience, and love towards him (for ye may not love them above him) as by giving that ye have, and keeping it, he hath declared his love towards you.

Satan perchance telleth GOD (as he did of Job) that ye love GOD for your goods sake. What now then, if the Lord do try you with Job, shall give him power on your goods and body accordingly, should ye be dismayed? should ye despair? should ye be faint hearted? should ye not rather rejoice, as did the Apostles, that they were counted worthy, to suffer anything for the Lord's sake? Oh forget not the end that happened to Job: for as it happened to him, so shall it happen unto you. For GOD is the same God, and cannot long forget to show mercy, to them that look and long for it, as I know ye do, and I pray you so to do still. For the Lord loveth you, and never can nor will forget to show, and pour out his mercy upon you. After a little while that he hath afflicted & tried you (saith Peter) he will visit, comfort and confirm you. As to Jacob wrestling with the Angel, at the length morning came, and the son arose: so dear hearts, doubtless it will happen unto you. Howbeit do ye as Job and Jacob did, that is (order and dispose your things that God hath lent you, as ye may and whiles ye have time. Who knoweth whether God hath given you power this long even to that end.

Go to therefore, dispose your goods, prepare yourselves to trial, that either ye may stand to it like God's Champions, or else if ye feel such infirmitye in yourselves, that ye be not able, give place to violence, and go where ye may with free and safe conscience serve the Lord. Think not this counsel to come by chance, or fortune, but to come from the Lord. Other Oracles we may not look for now. As God told Joseph in a dream by an Angel, that he should fly: so if you fele such infirmity in yourselves, as should turn to God's dishonor and your own destruction withal: know that at this present I am as God's Angel, to admonish you to take time whiles ye have it, and to see that in no case God's name by you might be dishonored. Joseph might have objected the omission of his vocation, as perchance ye will do. But dear hearts, let vocations and all things else give place to God's name, and the sanctifying thereof.

This I speak, not as though I would not have you rather to tarry, und to stand to it: but I speak it in respect of your infirmity, which if you feel to be so great in you that ye are not certain of this hope, that God will never tempt you above your ability: fly and get you hence, and know that thereby GOD will have you tried to yourselves, and to others. For by it you shall know howe to take this world, and your home here is no home, but that ye look for another, and so give occasion to others less to love this world, and perchance to some to doubt of their Religion. Wherein though they be earnest, yet would they not loose so much, as ye do for your Religion, which ye do confirm to me and others, by your giving place to violence.

Last of all, ye have cause to rejoice over these our days, because they be the days of conformation, in the which and by which, GOD our heavenly Father maketh us like unto Christ's Image here, that we may be like unto him elsewhere. For if that we suffer with him, then we shall reign also with him: if we be buried with him, then we shall rise with him again, if that we company with him in all troubles and afflictions, then we shall rejoice with him in glory: if we now sow with him in tears, we shall reap with him in gladness: if we confess him before men, he will confess us before his father in heaven: if we take his parte, he will take ours: if we loose ought for his names sake, he will give us all things for his truths sake. So that we ought to rejoice and be glad: for it is not given to everyone, to suffer loss of country, life, goods, house. &c. for the Lord's sake. What can God the father do more unto us, thē to call us into the camp with his son? What may Christ our Savior do more for us, thē to make us his Warriours? What can the holy Ghost do to us above this, to mark us with the cognisaunce of the Lord of hosts?

This cognisaunce of the Lord, standeth not in forked cappes, typettes, shaven crowns, or such other baggage and Antichristian pelf, but in suffering for the Lord's sake. The world shall hate you, saith Christ. Loe, • here is the Cognisaunce and Badge of God's children: The world shall hate you. Rejoice therefore my dearly beloved, rejoice, that God doth thus vouchsafe to begin to conform you, and make you like to Christ. By the trial of these days ye are occasioned more to repent, more to pray, more to contemn this world, more to desire life everlasting, more to be holy (for holy is the end wherefore God doth afflict us) and so to come to God's company. Whych thing because we cannot do, as long as this body is as it is, therefore by the door of death we must enter with Christ into eternal life, and immortality of soul and body: which God of his mercy send shortly for our Savior Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

To Maystres A. Worcup.

THe everlasting peace of Christ be more and more lively felt in our hearts, by the operation of the holy ghost, now and forever. Amen.

Although I know it be more then needeth to write any thing unto you (good Sister) being, as I doubt not you be, diligently exercised in reading of the Scriptures in meditating of the same, and in hearty prayer to GOD, for the help of his holy Spirit, to have the sense and feeling, especially of the comforts you read in God's sweet book: yet having such opportunity, and knowing not whether hereafter, I shall ever have the like (as this bringer can declare) I thought good in few words to take my farewell in writing, because otherwise I can not. And now me thinks I have done it. For what else can I, or should I say unto you (my dearly beloved in the Lord) but farewell? Farewell dear Sister, farewell: howbeit in the Lord, our Lord (I say) farewell. In him shall you farewell, & so much the better, by howe much in yourself you fare evil, and shall fare evil.

When I speak of yourself, I mean also this world, this life, and all things properly pertaining to this life. In them, as you look not for your welfare, so be not dismayed, when accordingly you shall not feel it. To the Lord our GOD, to the Lamb our Christ, which hath borne our sins on his back, & is our Mediator forever, do I send you. In him look for welfare, and that without all wavering, because of his own goodness and truth, which our evils and untruth cannot take away: Not that therefore I would have you to flatter yourself in any evil or unbelief, but that I would comfort you, that they should not dismay you. Yours is our Christ wholly, yours I say he is, with all that ever he hath. Is not this welfare trow you▪ Moūtaynes shall move, and the earth shall fall before you find it otherwise, say that liar Satan what he list.

Therefore good Sister farewell, and be merry in the Lord be merry I say, for you have good cause. If your welfare, joy, and salvation hanged upon any other thing then only God's mercy & truth, then might you well be sad, heavy, and stand in a doubt: but in that it hangeth only upon these two, tell Satan he lieth, whē he would you to stand in a mammering, by causing you to caste your eyes (which only in this case should be set on Christ your sweet Savior) on yourself. In some part in deed look on yourself, on your faith, on your love, obedience. &c. to wake you up from security, to stir you up to diligence, in doing the things appertaining to your vocation: but when you would be at peace with God, and have true consolation in your conscience, altogether look upon the goodness of God in Christ. Think on this commandment which precedeth all other: that you must have no other God's but the Lord Jehovah, which is your Lord & God: the which he could not be, if that he did not pardon your sins in very deed. Remember that Christ commandeth you to call him father for the same intent. And hereto call to mind all the benefits of God, hitherto shown upon you: and so shall you fele in very deed, that which I wish unto you now, and pray you to wish unto me. Farewell, or welfare in the Lord Jesus, with whom he grant us shortly to meet as his children, for his name and mercies sake, to our eternal welfare. Amen.

To mine own dear brother M. Laurence Saunders, prisoner in the Marshalsee.

MY good brother, I beseech our good and gracious Father, always to continue his gracious favor & love towards us, & by us, as by instruments of his grace, to work his glory &, the confusion of his adversaries. Ex ore infantium & lactentium fundet laudem ad destruendum inimicum. &c. Amen. 1. Out of the mouth of infantes and babes, he will show forth his praise to destroy the enemy. &c.

I have perused your letters to myself, and have read them to others. For answer whereof, if I should write what Doctor Taylor, and Mayster Philpot do think, then must I say that they think, the Salt sent unto us by your friend is unseasonable. And in deed I think they both will declare it heartily, if they should come before them. As form, if you would know what I think (my good and most dear brother Laurence) because I am so sinful and so conspurcate (the Lord knoweth I lie not) with many grievous sins (which I hope are washed away Sanguine Christi nostri) I neither can nor would be consulted withal, but as a sypher in Agrime. How be it, to tell you how and what I mind, take this for a sum: I pray GOD in no case I may seek myself, and in deed (I thank • GOD therefore) I purpose it not. Quod reliquum est Domino Deo meo committo, & spero in illum, quod ipse faciet iuxta hoc: Iacta in Dominum curam▪ &c. Omnis cura vestra coniecta sit in illum. &c. Reuela Domino viam tuam & spera. &c. Sperantem in Domino misericordia circundabit. i. That which remaineth, I commit to my Lord God: and I trust in him, that he will do according to this: Cast thy care on the Lord. &c Cast all your care upon him. &c. Reueale unto the Lord thy way, and trust. &c. Who that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. I did not, nor do not know, but by your Letters, quod cras we shall come, coram nobis. Mine own heart, stick still to dabitur vobis. Fidelis enim est Dominus, dabit in tentatione euentum quo possumus sufferre. Nouit Dominus pios e tentatione • ripere. &c. O vtinam pius ego essem. Nouit Dominus in die tribulationis sperantes in se. &c. i. It shall be given you &c. For the Lord is faithful. He will in temptation make away that ye may be able to bear it. The Lord knoweth how to rid out of temptation the godly. &c. O would God I were godly. The Lord knoweth howe to deliver out of temptation such as trust in him. &c. I can no • think that they will offer any kind of indifferent, or mean conditions: for if we will not adorare bestiā, we never shall be delivered, but against their will, think I, God our father & gracious Lord, make perfect the good he hath begun in us. Faciet mi ••• ter, charissime frater, quem in intimis visceribus habeo ad conuiuēdum & commoriendum. O si tecum essem. He will do it my brother, my dear brother, whom I have in my inward bowels to live and die with. O if I were with you. Pray for me mine own heart root in the Lord.

An other Letter to Mayster Laurence Saunders.

GOds sweet peace in Christ be with you, my good brother in the Lord Jesus, and with all your concaptiues. Amen.

I was letted this morning from musing on that, which I was purposed to have thought on by reason of you, against whom I saw myself guilty of negligence, even in this point that I would not write, I should say, that I had not written unto you as yet: therefore out of hand in manner I prepared myself, to purge myself hereof, not that I will go about to excuse my fault (for that were more to load me) but by asking both GOD and you pardon, to get it no more laid to my charge. Now then as I was thus purposing, and partly doing, cometh there one with a letter from you, for the which as I have cause to thank GOD and you (howbeit not so that you should think, I give not the whole to God) so I see myself more blame worthy, for this long holding my peace. Howbeit good brother, in this I have given a demonstration to you, to behold my negligence in all other things, and especially in praying for you, and for the Church of GOD, which for my sins and hypocrisy (hypocrisye in deed even in this writing, GOD deliver me • rom it) have deserved to be punished. Just is God, for we have deserved all kinds of plagues at his hands: but yet merciful is he that will on this wise chastise us with this world, ne cum mundo condemnemur. i. That we should not be condemned with the world. He might otherwise have punished us, I mean, he might have for other causes cast us in prison, me especially, then for his Gospel and words sake. Praised therefore be his name, which voucheth us worthy this honor. Ah good GOD forgive us our sins, and work by this thy fatherly correction on us, on me especially, affectually to love thee and thy Christ: and with joyfulness unto the end, to carry thy Cross through thick and thin. Always set before our eyes, not this gallows on earth, if we will stick to thee, but the gallows in Hell if we deny thee, and swerve from that we have professed.

Ah good Brother, if I could always have GOD, his Maiestye, mercy, heaven, hell. &c. before mine eyes then should I obdurare, as Paul writeth of Moses. Heb. 11. Obdurauit inquit, perinde quasi vidisset eum qui est inuisibilis. i. He endured (saith he) as he that saw him which is invisible. Pray for me, as I know you do, and give thanks also, for In Domino spero: non nutabo Si ambulauero per vallem vmbrae mortis, non tim • bo quia tu Domine mecum es. &c. Amen. i. In the Lord I trust: I shall not waver. If I walk by the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear, for thou art with me O Lord. I think we shall be shortly called forth, for now legem habent, & secundum legem. &c. otherwise will they not reason with us: and I think their shootanker will be, to have us to subscribe. The which thing if we do though with this condition: (so far as the thing subscribed to, repugneth not against God's word) yet this will be offensive. Therefore let us vadere plane and so sane, I mean, let us all confess that we are no chaungelings, but reipsa are the same we were in religion, and therefore cannot subscribe, except we will dissemble both with God, our selves and the world. Haec tibi scribo frater mi charissime in Domino. I am legam tuam Epistolā. i. These things I write to you dear brother in the Lord. Now I will read your Epistle. Ah brother that I had practicam tecum scientiam in vite illa quam pingis: roga Dominum vt ita vere sentiam. Amen. i. The practical understanding with you in that vine which you describe. Pray the Lord that I may so think in deed. God make me thankful for you. Salutant te omnes concaptiui & gratias Domino pro te agun • : idem tu facies pro nobis & ores. vt. &c. i. All our fellow prisoners salute you, & give thanks to God for you. The same do you for us, & pray that. &c.

To my dear Fathers, D. Cranmer, D. Ridley, and D. Latimer.

IEsus Immanuel. My dear fathers in the Lord, I beseech GOD our sweet Father through Christ, to make perfect the good he hath begun in us all. Amen.

I had thought that every of your staves had stand next the door, but now it is otherwise perceived. Our dear Brother Rogers hath broken the ise valiantly, and as this day (I think) or tomorrow at the uttermost, hearty Hooper, sincere Saunders, and trusty Taylor end their course, and receive their crown. The next am I, which hourly look for the porter to open me the gates after them, to enter into the desired rest. GOD forgive me mine unthankfulness for this exceeding great mercy, that amongst so many thowsandes, it pleaseth his mercy to choose me to be one, in whom he will suffer. For although it be moste true, that just patior. i. I justly suffer (for I have been a great hypocrite, and a grievous sinner, the Lord pardon me, yea he hath done it, he hath done it in deed) yet, hic autem quid mali fecit? i. What evil hath he done? Christ, whom the Prelates persecute, his verity which they hate in me, hath done no evil, nor deserveth death. Therefore ought I most heartily to rejoice of this dignation and tender kyndnesse of the Lord towards me, which useth the remedy for my sin as a testimonial of his Testament, to his glory, to my everlasting comfort, to the edifying of his Church, and to the overthrowing of Antichrist and his kingdom. O what am I Lord, that thou shouldest thus magnify me so vile a man and miser, as always I have been? Is this thy wont to send for such a wretch and an hypocrite as I have been, in a fiery Charyot, as thou diddest for Helias? Oh dear Fathers, be thankful for me, and pray for me, that I still may be found worthy in whom the Lord would sanctify his holy name. And for your part, make you ready, for we are but your gentlemen hushers. Nuptiae agni paratae sunt, venite ad nuptias. 1. The marriage of the Lamb is prepared, come unto the marriage. I now go to leave my flesh there, where I received it. I shall be cōueied thither, as Ignatius was at Rome, to Leopardis: by whose evil I hope to be made better. God grant, if it be his will that I ask, it may make them better by me. Amen.

For my farewell therefore, I write and send this unto you, trusting shortly to see you where we shall never be separated. In the mean season I will not cease, as I have done, to commend you to our father of heaven. And that you would so do by me, I most heartily pray everyone of you. You know now I have moste need. But fidelis Deus, qui nunquam sinet nos tenta • i supra id quod possumus. i. Faythfull is God, which will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength. He never did it hitherto, nor now, I am assured, he will never do. Amen. A dextris est mihi, non mouebor. Propter hoc laetabitur cor meum, quia non derelinquet animam meam in inferno, nec dabit me sanctum suum per gratiam in C • risto, videre corruptionem. E carcere raptim, expectens omni momento carnificem. i. He is on my righte hand, therefore I shall not fall. Wherefore my heart shall rejoice, for he shall not leave my soul in hell, neither shall suffer me his holy one by his grace in Christ, to see corruption. Out of prison in haste, looking for the Tormentour.

*To the honorable Lord Russell, now Earl of Bedford, being then in trouble for the verity of God's Gospel.

THe everlasting and most gracious God and Father of our Savior Jesus Christ, • less your good Lordship with all manner of heavenly blessings in the same Christ our only comfort and hope. Amen.

Praised be God our Father which hath vouched you worthy, as of faith in his Christ, so of his Cross for the same. Magnifyed be his holy name, who as he hath delivered you from one cross, so he hath made you willing (I trust) and ready to bear another whē he shall see his time to lay it upon you: for these are the most singular gifts of God given as to few, so to none else but to these few which are moste dear in his sight. Faith is reckoned, and worthily, among the greatest gifts of GOD, yea it is the greatest it self that we enjoy, for by it, as we be justified and made God's childrē, so are we temples and possessors of the holy spirit, yea of Christ also. Eph. 4. And of the Father himself. John. 14. By faith we drive the Devil away▪ 1. Peter. 5. We overcome the world. 1. John. And are already Citttizens of heaven and fellows with God's dear Saints. But who is able to reckon the riches that this faith bringeth with her unto the soul she sitteth upon? No man or Angel. And therefore (as I said) of all God's gifts, she may be set in the top and have the vpmost seat. The which thing if men considered (in that she cometh alonely from God's own mercy seat, by the hearing, not of Mass or Mattyns, Dyriges or such drasse, but of the word of God in such a tongue as we can and do understand) as they would be diligent and take great heed for doing or seeing any thing which might cast her down (for then they fall also) so would they with no less care read and hear God's holy word, joining thereto most earnest and often prayer, as well for the more and better understanding, as for the loving, living and confessing of the same, mauger the head of the devil, the world, our flesh, reason, goods, possessions, carnal friends, wife, children, and very life here: if they should pull us back to hearken to the voice and counsel, for more quiet, sure, and longer use of them.

Now, notwithstanding this excellency of faith in that we read the Apostle to match therewith, yea (as it were) to prefer suffering persecution for Christ's sake, I trow no man will be so fond as to think otherwise, but that I and all God's children have cause to glorify and praise God, which hath vouched you worthy so great a blessing. For though the reason or wisdom of the world think of the Cross according to their reach and according to their present sense, and therefore flieth from it as from a most great ignominye and shame: Yet God's Scholers have learned otherwise to think of the Cross, that is the frame house in the which God frameth his children like to his son Christ: the Fornace that fineth God's gold: the high way to Heaven: the Sute and Livery that God's servants are served withal: the earnest and beginning of all consolation and glory. For they (I mean God's scholars, as your Lordshyp is, I trust) do enter into God's sanctuary, least their fecte slip. They look not as beasts do, on things present only, but on things to come, and so have they as present to faith, the judgment and glorious coming of Christ, like as the wicked have now their worldly wealth wherein they wallow and will wallow till they tumble headlong into Hell, where are torments too terrible and endless. Now they follow the Feende as the Bear doth the trayne of Honye and the Sowe the swillinges, till they be brought into the slaughter house, and then they know that their prosperity hath brought them to perdition. Then cry they woe, woe. We went the wrong way: we counted these men (I mean such as you be that suffer for God's sake loss of goods, friends and life, whom they shall see endued with riche robes of righteousness, crowns of most pure precious gold, and Palms of conquest in the goodly glorious palace of the Lamb, where is eternal joy, felicity, &c.) We counted (will they then say) these men but fools and mad men, we took their conditions to be but curiosity. &c. But then will it be to late, then the time will be turned, laughing shall be turned into weeping, and weeping into rejoicing, Read Sapien. 2.3.4.5.

Therefore (as before I have said) great cause have I to thank God which hath vouched you worthy of this most bountiful blessing: much more then you have cause (my good Lord) so to be, I mean thankful. For look upon your vocation I pray you, and tell me how many noble men, Earls sons, Lord's, Knightes, and men of estimation hath God in this Realm of England dealt thus withal? I dare say you think not that you have deserved this. Only God's mercy in his christ hath wrought this on you, as he did in Ieremyes time on Abimelech, in Ahab's time on Abdias, in Christ's time on Joseph of Arimathia, in the Apostles time on Sergius Paulus, and the Queen of Candaces Chamberlayne. Only now be thankful and continue, continue, continue (my good Lord) continue to confess Christ. Be not ashamed of him before men, for then will not he be ashamed of you. Now will he try you: stick fast unto him and he will stick fast by you: he will be with you in trouble and deliver you. But then must you cry unto him, for so it proceedeth: He cried unto me and I heard him: I was with him in trouble. &c.

Remember Lottes wife which looked back. Remēber Francis Spira. Remember that none is crowned but he that striveth lawfully. Remēber that all you have, is at Christ's commandment. Remember he lost more for you then you can lose for him. Remember you lose not that which is lost for his sake, for you shall find much more here and elsewhere. Remember you shall die, and when, where, and howe, ye cannot tell. Remember the death of sinners is most terrible. Remember the death of God's Saints is precious in his sight. Remember the multitude goeth the wide way which windeth to woe. Remember that the straight gate which leadeth to glory hath but few travelers. Remember, Christ biddeth you strive to enter in thereat. Remember, he that trusteth in the Lord shall receive strength to stand against all the assaults of his enemies. Be certain all the hearers of your head are numbered. Be certain your good Father hath pointed bounds over the which the devil dare not look. Commit yourself to him: he is, hath been, and will be your Keeper. Cast your care on him and he will care for you. Let Christ be your scope and mark to prick at: let him be your patron to work by: let him be your ensample to follow: give him as your heart so your hand, as your mind so your tongue, as your faith so your feet, and let his word be your candle to go before you in all matters of Religion. Blessed is he that walketh not to these Popish prayers, nor standeth at them nor sitteth at them: glorify God in both soul and body. He that gathereth not with Christ: scattereth abroad. Use prayer, look for God's help, which is at hand to them that ask and hope thereafter assuredly. In which prayer I heartily desire your Lordshyp to remember us, who as we are going with you right gladly (God therefore be praised) so we look to go before you, hoping that you will follow, if God so will, according to your daily prayer: Thy will be done on earth. &c. The good spirit of God always guide your Lordship unto the end. Amen.

*To M. Warcup and his Wyfe, Maistres Wilkenson and others of his godly friends with their families.

THe same peace our Savior Christ left with his people, which is not without war with the world, almighty God work plentifully in your hearts now and forever, Amen.

The time I perceive is come, wherein the Lord's ground will be known, I mean it will now shortly appear who have received God's Gospel into their hearts in deed, to the taking of good root therein, for such will not for a little heat or sunburning, wither, but stiffly will stand and grow on maugre the malice of all burning showers and tempests. And for as much as (my beloved in the Lord) I am persuaded of you, that ye be in deed the children of GOD, God's good ground, which groweth and will grow on (by God's grace) bringing forth fruit to God's glory after your vocations, as occasion shall be offered (burn the Sun never so hot) therefore I cannot but so signify unto you, and heartily pray you and everyone of you, accordinglye to go on forwards after your Mayster Christ, not sticking at the foul way and stormye weather, which you are come into and are like so to do, of this being most certain, that the ende of your journey shall be pleasant and joy full in such a perpetual rest and blissfulness as cannot but swallow up the showers that ye now feel and are soussed in, if ye often set it before your eyes after Paul's counsel in the latter ende of the 4. and beginning of the 5. chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians. Read it I pray you, and remember it often, as a Restoratiue to refresh you, lease ye faint in the way.

And besides this, set before you also, that though the weather be foul and storms grow apace, yet go not ye alone, but other your brothers and sisters pad the same path, as Saint Peter telleth us, and therefore company should cause you to be the more courageous and cheerful. But if ye had no company at all to go presently with you, I pray you tell me, if even from the beginning the best of God's friends have found any fairer weather and way to the place whether ye are going (I mean heaven) then ye now find and are like to do, except ye will with the worldlings, which have their portion in this life, 〈◊〉 still by the way til the storms be overpast, and then either night will so approach that ye cannot travel, either the doors will be sparred before ye come, and so ye shall lodge without in wonderful evil lodginges. Read Apocal. 22. Begin at Abel, & come from him to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, the Patriarchs, Moses, David, Daniel, and all the Saints in the old testament, and tell me whether ever any of them found any fairer way then ye now find.

If the old Testament will not serve, I pray you come to the new, and begin with Mary and Joseph, and come from them to Zacharias, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, and everyone of the Apostles and Evangelists, and search whether they all found any other way into the Citty we travail towards, then by many tribulations. Besides these, if ye should call to remembrance the primative Church, Lord GOD, ye should see many to have given cheerfully their bodies to most grievous torments, rather then they would be stopped in their journey, that there is no day in the year, but (I dare say) a thousand was the fewest that with great joy lost their homes here, but in the City they went unto, have found other manner of homes then man's mind is able to conceive. But if none of all these were, if ye had no company now to go with you, as ye have me your poor brother and bondman of the Lord, with many other, I trust in GOD: if ye had none other of the Fathers, Patriarchs, Kynges, Prophettes, Apostles Evangelists, Martyrs, and other holy saints and children of God, that in their journey to heauenward, found as ye now find and are like to find if ye go on forward as I trust ye will: yet ye have your Mayster and your Captayne Jesus Christ, the dear dearlyng and only begotten and beloved son of God, in whom was all the fathers pleasure, joy, & delectation ye have him to go before you, no fairer way but much fouler, into this our City of Jerusalem. I need not (I trust) to rehearse what manner of way he found. Begin at his birth, and till ye come at his burial, ye shall find that every foot and stryde of his journey, was no better, but much worse then yours is now.

Wherefore (my dearly beloved in the Lord) be not so deintie as to look for that at God's hands your dear father, which the Fathers, Patriarckes, Prophets, Apostles, Evangelists, Martyrs, Saints▪ and his own son Jesus Christ did not find Hitherto we have had fair way (I trow) and fair weather also▪ now because we have loytered by the way, and not made the speed we should have done, our loving Lord and sweet father hath overcast the weather, and stirred up storms and tempests, that we might with more hast run out our race before night come, and the doors be sparred. The Devil standeth now at every Inn door in his City and Country of this world crying unto us to tarry and lodge in this or that place till the storms be overpast: not that he would not have us wet to the skin, but that the time might over pass us to our utter destruction. Therefore beware of his entisementes. Cast not your eyes on things that be present, how this man doth, and howe that man doth: But cast your eyes on the gleue ye run at, or else ye will lose the game. Ye know that he which runneth at the gleue, doth not look on other that stand by, and go this way or that way, but altogether he looketh on the gleue, and on them that run with him, that those which be behind overtake him not, and that he may overtake them which be before: even so should we do, leave of looking on those which will not run the race to heaven bliss by the pathe of persecution with us, and cast our eyes on the ende of our race, and on them that go before us, that we may overtake them, and on them which come after us, that we may provoke them to come the faster after.

He that shooteth, will not cast his eyes in his shootyng on them that stand by, or ride by the ways (I trow) but rather at the mark he shooteth at, for else he were like to wynne the wrong way: Even so my dearly beloved let your eyes be set on the mark ye shoot at, even Christ Jesus, who for the joy set before him, did joyfully carry his Cross, contemning the shame and therefore he now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God. Let us follow him, for this did he that we should not be fayntharted. For we may be most assured, that if we suffer with him, we shall undoubtedly reign with him, but if we deny him, surely he will deny us: for he that is ashamed of me (saith Christ) and of my Gospel, in this faythles generation, I will be ashamed of him before the Angels of God in heaven. Oh howe heavy a sentence is this to all such as know the Mass to be an abhominable idol, full of idolatrye, blasphemy, and sacrilege against God and his Christ (as undoubtedly it is) and yet for fear of men, for loss of life or goods, yea, some for aduaūtage and gain, will honest it with their presence, dissembling both with God and man, as their own heart and conscience doth accuse them? Better it were that such had never known the truth, then thus wittingly, and for the fear or favor of man, whose breath is in his nosethrels, to dissemble it, or rather (as in deeede it is) to deny it. The end of such is like to be worse then their beginning. Such had need to take heed of the two terrible places to the Hebrews in the sixth and tenth Chapiters, least by so doing they fall therein. Let them beware they play not wily begile themselves, as some do, I fear me, which go to Mass, and because they worship not, nor kneel not, nor knock not as others do, but sit still in their pues, therefore they think they rather do good to others then hurt.

But (alas) if these men would loooke into their own consciences, there should they see they are very dissemblers and in seeking to deceive others (for by this means the Magistrates think them of their sort) they deceive themselves. They think at the elevation time, all men's eyes are set upon them, to mark howe they do. They think others hearing of such men going to Mass, do see, o • inquire of their behavior there. Oh if there were in those men that are so present at the Mass, either love to God, or to their brethren, then would they for the one or both, openly take God's part, and admonish their people of their idolatry. They fear man more then him, which hath power to cast both soul and body to hell fire: they halte on both knees: they serve two masters. God have mercy upon such and open their eyes with his eye salve, that they may see, that they which take no part with God, are against God, and that they which gather not with Christ, do scatter abroad. Oh that they would read what S. John saith, will be done to the fearful. The counsel given to the Church of Laodicea, is good counsel for such.

But to return to you again (dearly beloved) be not ye ashamed of God's Gospel, It is the power of God to salvation, to all those that do believe it. Be therefore partakers of the afflictions, as God shall make you able, knowing for certain, that he will never tempt you farther then he will make you able to bear: and think it no small grace of God to suffer persecution for God's truth, for the spirit of God resteth upon you, and ye are happy, as one day ye shall see. Read 2. Thess. 1. Heb. 12. As the fire hurteth not gold but maketh it finer, so shall ye be more pure by suffering with Christ. 1. Pet 1. The flayle and wind hurteth not the wheat, but cleanseth it frō the chaff And ye dearly beloved are God's wheat▪ fear not therefore the flayle, fear not the fanning wind, fear not the millstone, fear not the oven, for all these make you more meet for the Lord's own toothe. Sope, though it be black, soyleth not the clothe, but rather at the length maketh it more clean: so doth the black Cross help us to more whiteness, if God strike with his battledore. Because ye are God's sheep, prepare yourselves to the slaughter, always knoing that in the sight of the Lord, our death shall be precious. The souls under the altar look for us to fill up their number: happy are we if God have so appointed us. How soever it be (dearly beloved) cast yourselves wholly upon the Lord with whom all the hears of your heads are numbered, so that not one of them shall perish. Will we nill we, we must drink God's cup, if he have appointed it for us. Drink it willingly then, and at the first when it is full, least peradventure if we linger, we shall drink at the length of the dregs with the wicked, if at the beginning we drink not with his children: for with thē his judgment beginneth, and when he hath wrought his will on mount Zion, then will he visit the nations round about.

Submit yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of the Lord. No man shall touche you without his knowledge When they touch you therefore, know it is your weal. God thereby will work to make you like unto Christ here, that ye may be also like unto him else where. Acknowledge your unthankfulness and sin, and bless God that correcteth you in the world, because ye shall not be damned with the world. Otherwise might he correct us, then in making us to suffer for righteousness sake: but this he doth because we are not of the world Call upon his name through Christ for his help, as he commandeth us. Believe that he is merciful to you, heareth you, and helpeth you: I am with him in trouble, and will deliver him, saith he. Knowe that God hath appointed bounds over the which the Devil, and all the world shall not pass. If all things seem to be against you, yet say with Job: If he will kill me, I will hope in him. Read the 91. Psalm, and pray for me your poor brother, and fellow sufferer for God's Gospelles sake: his name therefore be praised, and of his mercy he make me & you worthy to suffer with good conscience, for his names sake Die once we must, and when we know not: happy are they whom God giveth to pay Natures debt: I mean to die for his sake.

Here is not our home, therefore let us accordingly consider things, always having before our eyes the heavenly Jerusalem Heb. 12. Apoc. 21 22 the way thither to be by persecutions: the dear friends of God, howe they have gone it after the example of our Sauioure Jesus Christ, whose footesteppes let us follow even to the gallows, if God so will, not doubting but that as he within three days rose again immortal: even so we shall do in our time: that is, when the trump shall blow, and the Angel shall shoot, and the son of man shall appear in the clouds, with innumerable saints and Angels in majesty and great glory: then shall the dead arise, and we shall be caught up into the clouds to meet the Lord, and so be always with him. Comfort yourselves with these words, and pray for me for God's sake.

*To sir James Hales Knight, then prisoner in the Counter in Bredstreate.

THe God of mercy and father of all comfort, plentifully pour out upon you and in you his mercy, and with his consolations comfort and strengthen you to the end, for his and our Christ's sake, Amen.

Although, right worshipful sir, many causes might move me to be content, with crying for you to your God and my God, that he would give you grace to perseu • re well, as he hath right notably begun to the great glory of his name, and comfort of all such as fear him, as lack of learning, of familiarity, yea, acquayntance (for I think I am unknown to you, both by face and name) and other such like things: yet I cannot content myself, but presuming something to scrible unto you, not that I think my scribbling can do you good, but that I might declare my 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and compassion, love, and effection I bear towards your maistership, which is contented, yea desirous with us poor misers, and to confess Christ's Gospel, in these perilous times and days of trial. Oh Lord God how good art thou, which doest thus glean out grapes, I mean children for thyself, and brethren for Christ? Look good M. Hales on your vocation: not many Judges, not many knights, not myny landed men, not many riche men: and wealthy to • iue as you are, hath God chosen to suffer for his sake, as he hath now done you. Certainly I dare say you think not so of yourself, as though God were bound to prefer you, or had need of you: but rather attribute this, as all good things, unto his free mercy in Christ. Agayne, I dare say, that you being a wise man, do judge of things wisely, that is, concerning this your Cross, you judge of it not after y ^e world and people, which is magnus erro • is magister, nor after the judgment of reason and worldly wisdom, which is foolishness to faith, nor after the present sense, to the which non videtur gaudij sed molesti • e, i. it seemeth not to be joyous but grievous, as Paul writeth: but after the word of God, which reacheth youre Cross to be, in respect of yourself between God and you, God's chastising and your fathers correction, nurture, school, trial, patheway to heaven, glory and felicity, and the furnace to cōsum the dross, and mortify the relics of old Adam which yet remain, yea even the framehouse to fashyon you like to the dearest saints of God here, yea Christ to the Son of GOD, that elsewhere you might be like unto him.

Now, concerning your cross in respect of the world between the world and you, God's word teacheth it to be a testimonial of God's truth, of his providence, of his power, of his justice, of his wisdom, of his anger against sin, of his goodness, of his judgment, of your faith and religion: so that by it you are to the world, a witness of god one of his testes that he is true, he ruleth all things, he is just, wise, and at the length will judge the world, and cast the wicked into perdition, but the godly he will take & receive into his eternal habitation. I know you judge of things after faythes fetch, and the effects or ends of things, and so you see aeternum pondus gloriae. i. An eterweight of glory, which this Cross shall bring unto you dum non spectas ea quae videntur, sed ea quae non videntur. i. While you look not on things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen. Let the worldlings way things, and look upon the affairs of men with their worldly and corporal eyes, as did many in subscription of the kings last will, and therefore they did that, for the which, they beshrewed themselves: but let us look on things with other manner of eyes, as God be praised you did, in not doing that which you were desired, and drivē at to have done. You then beheld things not as a man, but as a man of God, and so you do now in Religion, at y ^e least hitherto you have done, and that you might do so still, I humbly beseech and pray you, say with David: Defecerunt oculi mei in eloquium tuum, quando consolaberis me? i. Myne eyes fail for thy word, saying: when wilt thou comfort me? Though you be as vter in fumo. i. like a bottle in the smoke: (for I hear you want health) yet ne obliuiscaris iustificationes Dei. i. Do not forget the statutes of y ^e Lord: but cry out, quot sunt dies serui tui • quando facies de persequētibus me iudicium? i. Howe many are the days o • thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me? And be certain quod Dominus veniens veniet & non tardabit. Si moram fecerit, expecta illum. i. The Lord will surely come, and not stay: though he tarry, wait for him: for he is but ad momentum in ira sua, & vita in voluntate eius, Ad vesperam demorabitur fletus, & ad matutinum laetitia. i. He is but a while in his anger, but in his favor is life, weeping may abide at evening, but joy cometh in y ^e morning, Follow therefore Isaiah’s counsel: Abscondere ad modicum, ad momentum, donec pertranseat indignatio eius, i. Hide thyself for a very little while, until the indignation pass over, which is not indignatio in deed, but to our sense, and therefore in the 26. chapiter of Isaiah God saith of his Church and people, that as he keepeth night and day, so non est indignatio mihi. i. There is no anger in me, (saith he.)

The mother sometime beateth the child, but yet her heart melteth upon it even in the very beating, and therefore she casteth the rod into the fire, and culleth the child giveth it an apple, and dandleth it most motherly. And to say the truth, the love of mothers to their children is but a trace to trayne us to behold the love of God towards us, and therefore saith he: can a mother forget the child of her womb? As who say, no: but if she should so do, yet will not I forget thee, saith the Lord of hosts. Ah comfortable saying: I will not forget thee, saith the Lord. In deed the children of God think oftentimes that God hath forgotten them, and therefore they cry: Ne abscondas faciem tuam â me. &c. i. Hide not thy face from me. &c. Ne de • elinquas me Domine. &c i. Leave me not O Lord. &c. Whereas in very truth it is not so but to their present sense, and therefore David said: Ego dixi in excessu meo, proiectus sum â facie tua. i. I said in my agony, I was clean cast away from thy face. But was it so? Nay verily. Read his Psalm and you shall see. So writeth he also in other places very often, especially in the person of Christ, as when he saith: Deus meus, Deus meus, vt quid derequisti me. i. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? he saith not, vt quid derelinquis? i. Why doest thou forsake me? or, derelinques? i. Why wilt thou forsake me? but, vt quid dereliquisti? Why hast thou forsaken me? Where in deed God had not left him but that it was so to his sense, & that this Psalm telleth full well: which Psalm I pray you now and then read, it is the 22. and thereto join the 30. and the 116. with diverse other. The same we read in the Prophet Isaiah in his 40. chapiter, where he reproveth Israel for saying, God had forgotten them. Nunquid nescis (saith he?) i. Knowest thou not? An non audiuisti? &c. i. Hast thou not heard? &c. Qui sperant in Domino mutabunt fortitudinē. i. They that trust in the Lord shall renew their strength. And in his 54. chapiter: Noli timere. &c. Ad punctum enim, in modico dereliqui te & in miserationibus magnis congregabo te. In momento indignationis obscondi faciem meam parumper â te, & in miserecordia sempiterna misertus sum tui, di xit redemptor tuus dominus. Nam istud erit mihi sicut aquae Noah. Vt enim iuraui ne porro aquae Noah pertransirent terram, sic iuraui vt non irascar tibi & non increpem te. Montes enim comouebuntur & colles contremiscent, miserecordia autem mea non recedet à te, & foedus pacis meae non mouebitur, dixit miserator tuus Dominus. i. Fear not. &c. For a little while I have forsaken thee, but with great compassion will I gather thee. For a moment in mine anger I hyd my face from thee, for a little season: but in everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer. For this is unto me, as the waters of Noah. For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry w ^t thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall remove, and hills shall fall down, but my mercy shall not depart from thee, neither shall the couenaunte of my peace fall away, saith the Lord, that hath compassion on thee.

But the scriptures are full of such sweet places to them that will portare iram domini & expectare salutem & auxilium eius. i. Bear the wrath of the Lord, and way for his health and help. As of all temptations this is the greatest, that God hath forgotten, or will not help us through the pykes, as they say: so of all services of God, this liketh him y ^e best, to hope assuredly on him & for his help always, which is adiutor in tribulationibus. i. An helper in tribulations, and doth more gloriously show his power by such as be weak, and feel themselves so. For quo infirmiores sumus, eo sumus in illo robustiores. Sic oculi domini. i. The weaker we are, the more strong we are in him. Thus the eyes of the Lord be on them that tremble and fear. Voluntatem eorum faciet: i. he will accomplish their desire: he is with them in their trouble, he will deliver them. Antequam clamauerint exaudit eos. i. before they cry, he heareth them, as all the scriptures teach us. To the reading whereof and hartye prayer, I heartily commend you, beseeching almighty God, that of his eternal mercies he would make perfect the good he hath begun in you, and strengthen you to the ende, that you might have no less hope, but much more, of his help to your comfort now against your enemies, then already he hath given you against. N. for not subscrybing to the kings will.

Be certain, be certain good M. Hales, that all the hears of your head your dear father hath numbered, so that one of them shall not pearishe: your name is written in the book of life. Therefore upon God cast all your care which will comfort you with his eternal consolations, and make you able to go through the fire (if need be) which is nothing to be compared to the fire where into our enemies shall fall and lie forever: from the which the Lord deliver us, though it be through temporal fire, which must be construed according to the ende and profit that cometh after it: so shall it then not much dear us to suffer it for our master Christ's cause, the which the Lord grant for his mercies sake. Amen.

To my very friend in the Lord Doctor Hyll Physician.

THe God of mercy and father of all comfort, at this present and forever engraffe in your heart the sense of his mercy in Christ, and for the continuance of his consolation, which cannot but enable you to carrye with joy, whatsoever cross he shall lay upon you, Amen.

Hitherto I could have no such liberty as to write unto you, as I think you know: but now in that through God's providence I have no such restraynte, I cannot but something write, as well to purge me of this suspicion of unthankfulness towards you as also to signify my carefulness for you in these perilous days, least you should wax cold in God's cause (which God forbid) or suffer the light of the Lord once kindled in your heart to be quenched, and so become as you were before, after the example of the world and of many othere, which would have been accounted otherwise in our days, and yet still beguile themselves, still would be so accounted, although by their outward life they declare the contrary, in that they think it enough to keep the heart pure, notwithstanding that the outward man doth curry favor.

In which doing, as they deny God to be jealous, and therefore requireth the whole man as well body as soul, being both create, as to immortality and societye with him, so redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and now sanctified by the holy spirit to be the temple of GOD, and member of his son, as (I say) by their parting stake to give God the heart, and the world the body, they deny God to be jealous (for else they would give him both, as the wife would do to her husband whether he be jealous or no, if she be honest,) so they play the dissemblers with the Church of GOD by their fact, offendyng the godly, whom either they provoke to fall with them, or make more careless and consciencelesse if they be fallen, and occasionyng the wicked and obstinate to tryumphe against God, and the more vehemently to prosecute their malice against such as will not defile themselves in body or soul with the Romish rags now revived amongst us. Because of this, I mean least you my dear Mayster and brother in the Lord, should do as many of our Gospellers do for fear of man, whose breathe is in his nostrils, and hath power but of the body, not fearing the Lord which hath power both of soul and body, and that not only temporallye, but also eternally: I could not but write something unto you, as well because duty deserveth it (for many benefits I have received of God by your hands, for the which he reward you, for I cannot, as also because charity and love compelleth me: not that I think you have any need (for as I may rather learn of you, so I doubt not but you have hitherto kept yourself upright from haltyng) but that I might both quiet my conscience calling upon me hereabout, and signify unto you by some thing my carefulness for your soul, as payneful and often you have done for my body.

Therefore I pray you call to mind that there be but two masters, two kinds of people, two ways, and two mansion places. The masters by Christ and Satan: the people be seruitures to either of these, the ways be strayte and wyde: the mansions be Heaven and Hell, Agayne, consider that this world is the place of trial of God's people and the devils servants for as the one will follow his master whatsoever cometh of it, so will the other. For a time it is hard to discern who pertaineth to God and who to the Devil: as in the calm and peace, who is a good shipman and warrior, and who is not. But as when the storm ariseth, the expert mariner is known, and as in war the good soldier is seen, so in affliction and the Cross, easily God's children are known from Satan's servants: for then as the good servant will follow his master, so will the godly follow their captain, come what come will, where as the wicked and hypocrites will bid adewe, and desire less of Christ's acquaintance. For which cause the Cross is called a probation and trial, because it trieth who will go with God and who will forsake him. And now in England we see howe small a company Christ hath in comparison of Satan's Souldioures. Let no man deceive himself, for he that gathereth not wy • h Christ, scattereth abroad. No man can serve two masters: the Lord abhorreth double hearts: the luke warm, that is, such as are both hot and cold, he spitteth out of his mouthe. None that halte on both knees doth GOD take for his servants. The way of Christ is the strayte way, and so strait, that as a few find it and few walk in it, so no man can halte in it but must needs go upright: for as the straytnes will suffer no reeling to this side or that side: so if any man halte, he is like to fall of the bridge into the pit of eternal perdition.

Strive therefore good master Doctor, now you have found it, to enter into it: and if you should be called or pulled back, look not on this side or that side, or behind you as Lots wife did: but strait forwards on the end which is set before you (though it be to come) as even now present: like as you do and will your pacientes to do in purgations and other your ministrations, to consider the effect that will ensue, where through the bitterness and lothsomnesse of the purgation is so overcome, and the paynefulnes in abiding the woorkyng of that is minystred, is so eased, that it maketh the patient willingly and ioyfullye to receive that is to be received, although it be never so unpleasant: so (I say) set before you the ende of this strayte way, and then doubtless, as Paul saith, aeternum pondus gloriae pariet. i. It shall bring with it an eternal weight of glory, whilst we look not on the thing which is seen, for that is temporal, but on the thing which is not seen, which is eternal. So doth the husbandman in plowing and tillyng, set before him the harvest time: so doth the fisher consider the draught of his net, rather then the casting in: so doth the Marchaunt the return of his marchaundise: and so should we in these stormye days set before us not the loss of our goods, liberty and very life, but the reapyng time, the coming of our Sauioure Christ to judgment, the fire that shall burn the wicked and disobedient to GOD'S Gospel, the blast of the Trump, the exceeding glory prepared for us in heaven eternally, such as the eye hath not seen, the ear hath not heard, not the heart of man can conceive. The more we lose here, the greater joy shall we have there. The more we suffer, the greater triumph. For corruptible dross, we shall find incorruptible treasures: for gold, glory: for silver, solace without ende: for riches, robes royal: for earthly houses, eternal palaces: myrthe without measure, pleasure without pain, felicity endless: Summa we shall have God the father, the son and the holy Ghost.

Oh happy place, oh that this day would come. Then shall the ende of the wicked be lamentable, then shall they receive the just reward of God's vengeance, then shall they cry woe, woe, that ever they did as they have done. Read Sapien. 2.3.4.5. Read Matthew. 25. Read 1 Corinthians 15. 2. Corrinthians 5. and by faith (which GOD increase in us) consider the thing there set forth. And for youre comfort, read Hebrews 11. to see what faith hath done, always considering the way to heaven to be by many trybulations, and that all they which will live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution. You know this is our Alphabet: He that will be my Disciple, saith Christ must deny himself, and take up his Cross and follow me not this Bishop, nor that Doctor, not this Emperor, nor that Kynge, but me, saith Christ: For he that loveth father, mother, wife, children, or very life better then me, is not worthy of me. Remember that the same Lord saith: He that will save his life shall lose it. Comforte yourself with this, that as the Devils had no power over the Porkets or over Job's goods without God's leave, so shall they have man over you. Remember also that all the hears of your head are numbered with God. The Devil may make one believe he will drown him, as the Sea in his surges threateneth to the land: but as the Lord hath appointed bounds for the one, over the which he cannot pass: so hath he done for the other.

On God therefore cast your care, love him, serve him after his word, fear him, trust in him, hope at his hand for all help, and always pray, looking for the Cross, and whensoever it cometh, be assured the Lord, as he is faithful, so he will never tempt you further then he will make you able to bear, but in the midst of the temptation will make such an evasion, as shall be most to his glory, and your eternal comfort. GOD for his mercy in Christ with his holy spirit endue you, comfort you, under the wings of his mercy shadow you, and as his dear child guide you for evermore. To whose mercfull tuition, as I do with my hearty prayer commit you: so I doubt not but you pray for me also, & so I beseech you to do still. My brother P. telleth me you would have the last part of S. Jerome's works, to have the use thereof for a fortenight. I cannot for these three days well forbear it, but yet on Thursday next I will send it you if God let me not, and use me and that I have, as your own. The LORD for his mercy in Christ direct our ways to his glory,

To Mistress M. H a godly gentlewoman, comfortyng her in that common heaviness and godly sorrow: which the feeling and sense of sin worketh in God's children.

I Humbly and heartily pray the everlasting good God and Father of mercy, to bless and keep your heart and mind in the knowledge and love of his truth, and of his Christ, through the inspiration and working of the holy spirit, Amen.

Although I have no doubt, but that you prosper and go forwards daily in the way of godliness, more and more drawing towards perfection, and have no need of any thing that I can write, yet because my desire is that you might be more fervent and persevere to the ende, I could not but write something unto you, beseechinge you both often and diligently to call unto your mind, as a mean to stir you hereunto, yea as a thing which God most straitly requireth you to believe, that you are beloved of God, and that he is your dear father, in, through, and for Christ and his deaths sake. This love and tender kindness of God towards us in Christ, is abundantly herein declared, and that he hath to y ^e Godly work of creation of this world, made us after his image, redeemed us being lost, called us into his Church, sealed us with his mark and sign manual of Baptism, kept and conserved us all the days of our life, fed, nourished, defended and most fatherly chastised us, and now hath kindled in our hearts the sparcles of his • ear, faith, love, and knowledge of his Christ and truth, and therefore we lament because we lament no more our unthankfulness, our fraylnes, our diffidence and wavering in things, wherein we should be most certain.

All these things we should use as means to confirm our faith of this, that God is our God and father & to assure us that he loveth us as our father in Christ: to this end (I say) we should use the things before touched especially in that of all things GOD requireth this faith and fatherly persuasion of his fatherly goodness, as his chiefest service. For before he ask any thing of us, he saith: I am the Lord thy God, giving himself, and then all he hath to us to be our own. And this he doth in respect of himself, of his own mercy and and truth, and not in respect of us, for then were grace no grace. In consideration whereof, when he saith: Thou shalt have none other God's but me, thou shalt love me with all thy heart. &c. though of duty we are bound to accomplish all that he requireth, and are culpable and guilty, if we do not the same, yet he requireth not these things further of us, then to make us more in love and more certain of this his covenant, that he is our Lord and GOD. In certayntye whereof, as he hath givē this whole world to serve to our need and commodity: so hath he given his son Christ Jesus, and in Christ, himself to be a pledge and gage: whereof the holy Ghost doth now and then give us some taste and sweet smell to our our eternal joy.

Therefore (as I said) because God is your father in Christ, and requireth of you straitly to believe it, give yourself to obedience, although you do it not with such feeling as you desire. First must faith go before, and then feeling will follow. If our imperfection, frayltie, and many evils should be occasions whereby Satan would have us to doubt, as much as we can, let us abhor that suggestion, as of all others most pernicious: for so in deed it is. For when we stand in a doubt, whether God be our Father, we cannot be thankful to God, we cannot heartily pray or think any thing we do acceptable to God, we cannot love our neighbors and give over our selves to care for them, and do for them as we should do, and therefore Satan is most subtle hereaboutes, knowing full well that if we doubt of God's eternal mercies towards us through Christ, we cannot please God, or do anything as we should do to man. Continually casteth he into our memories our imperfectiō, frayltie, falls and offenses, that we should doubt of God's mercy, and favor towards us.

Therefore my good sister, we must not be sluggishe herein, but as Satan laboreth to loosen our faith: so must we labor to fasten it by thinking on the promises and couenaunte of God in Christ's blood, namely that God is our God with all that ever he hath: which couenaunte dependeth and hangeth upon God's own goodness, mercy and truth only, and not on our obedience or worthiness in any point, for then should we never be certain. In deed God requireth of us obedience and worthiness, but not that thereby we might be his children and he our father, but because he is our father and we his children through his own goodness in Christ, therefore requireth he faith and obedience. Now if we want this obedience & worthiness which he requireth, should we doubt whether he be our father? Nay, that were to make our obedience and worthiness the cause, and so to put Christ out of place, for whose sake God is our father: But rather because he is our father, and we feel our selves to want such things as he requireth, we should be stirred up to a shamefastness and blushing, because we are not as we should be: and thereupon should we take occasion to go to our father in prayer on this manner:

Deare father, thou of thine own mercy in Jesus Christ hast chosen me to be thy child, and therefore thou wouldest I should be brought into thy Church and faithful company of thy children: wherein thou hast kept me hitherto, thy name therefore be praised. Now I see myself to want faith, hope, love. &c. which thy children have and thou requirest of me, wherthrough the devil would have me to doubt, yea utterly to despair of thy fatherly goodness, favor and mercy. Therefore I come to thee as to my merciful father through thy dear son Jesus Christ, and pray thee to help me good Lord: help me, and give me faith hope, love, &c. and grant that thy holy spirit may be with me forever, and more and more to assure me that thou art my father: that this merciful covenant that thou madest with them respect of thy grace in Christ, and for Christ and not in respect of any my worthiness, is always to me. &c.

On this sort (I say) you must pray and use your cogitations, when Satan would have you to doubt of salvation. He doth all he can to prevail herein. Do you all you can to prevail herein against him. Though you feel not as you would, yet doubt not, but hope beyond all hope, as Abraham did. For always (as I said) goeth faith before feeling. As certain as God is almighty, as certain as God is merciful, as certain as God is true, as certain as Jesus Christ was crucified, is risen, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father, as certain as this is GOD'S commandment: I am the Lord thy God. &c. so certain ought you to be that God is your father. As you are bound to have no other God's but him, so are ye no less bound to believe that God is your God. What profit should 〈◊〉 be to you to believe this to be true: I am the Lord thy God to others, if you should not believe that this is true to youre self? The devil believeth on this sort. And whatsoever it be that would move you to doubt of this, whether God be your God through Christ, that same cometh undoubtedly of the devil. Wherefore did God make you, but because he loved you? Might not he have made you blind dumb, deaf, lame, frantic. &c. Might not he have made you a Jew, a Turk, a Papist. &c? And why hath he not done so? verily because he loved youe? And why did he love you? What was there in you to move him to love you? Surely nothing moved him to love you, and therefore to make you, and so hitherto to keep you, but his own goodness in Christ. Now then in that his goodness in Christ still remaineth as much as it was, that is, even as great as himself, for it cannot be lessoned: how should it be but y ^t he is your God and father? Beleue this, believe this, my good sister, for God is no chaungeling: them whom he loveth, he loveth to the end.

Cast therefore yourself wholly upon him, and think without all wavering, that you are God's child, that you are a citizen of heaven, that you are the daughter of God, the temple of the holy Ghost. &c. If hereof you be assured as you ought to be, then shall your conscience be quieted, then shall you lament more & more that you want many things which God loveth: then shall you labor to be holy in soul and body: then shall you go about that God's glory may shine in all your words and works: then shall you not be afraid what man can do unto you: then shall you have such wisdom to answer your adversaries, as shall serve to their shame, and your comfort: then shall you be certain y ^t no man can touch one hear of your head further then shall please your good father, to your everlasting joy: then shall you be moste certain, that God as youre good father, will be more careful for your Children, and make better provision for them, if all you have were gone then you can: then shall you (being assured I say of gods favor towards you) give over yourself wholly to help and care for others that be in need: then shall you contemn this life, and desire to be at home with youre good and sweet father, then shall you labor to mortify all things that would spot either soul or body. All these things spring out of this certain persuasion and faith, that God is our father, and we are his children by Christ Jesus. All things should help our faith herein: but Satan goeth about in all things to hinder us.

Therefore let us use earnest and hartye prayer: let us often remember this covenant: I am the Lord thy God: let us look upon Christ and his precious blood shed for the obsignation and confirmation of his covenant: let us remember all the free promises of the Gospel: let us set before us God's benefits generally in making this world, in ruling it, in governing it, in calling and keeping his Church. &c. let us set before us God's benefits particularly, howe he hath made his creatures after his image, howe he made us of perfect lymmes, form, beautye, memory, &c. how he hath made us as Christians, and given us a right judgment in his religion: how he hath ever sithen we were b • rne, blessed, kept, nourished, and defended us: how he hath often beaten, chastised, and fatherly corrected us: how he hath spared us & doth now spare us, giving us time, space, place, grace. This if you do & use earnest prayer, and so flee from all things which might wound your conscience, giving yourself to diligence in your vocation, you shall find at the length that (which God grant to me with you) a sure certayntie of salvation, without all such doubt as may trouble the peace of conscience, to your eternal joy, and comfort. Amen. Amen.

An other letter full of Godly comfort, written to the same person.

THe good spirit of God which guideth his children, be with you my good sister in the Lord, forever. Amen.

Although, as I to you, so you unto me in person are unknown, yet to him whom we desire to please, we are not only in persons, but also in hearts known and thoroughly seen: and therefore as for his sake you would by that you sent, of me be perceived how that in God you bear to me a good will: so, that I to you might be seen in God to bear you the like, I send to you these few words in writing, wishing that in all your doings and speech, yea even in your very thoughts, you would labor to feel that they are all present and open before the sight of God, be they good or bad. This cogitation often had in mind and prayer made to God for the working of his spirit, thereby, as a mean, you shall at the length feel more comfort and commodity, then any man can know, but such as be exercised there in. Howbeit, this is to be added, that in thinking youre self, & all that you have and do, to be in the sight of God: this (I say) is to be added, that you think his sight is the fight, not only of a Lord, but rather of a father, which tendereth more your infirmities, then you can tender the infirmities of any your Children. Yea when in yourself you see a motherly affection to your little one that is weak, let the same be unto you a trace to train you to see the unspeakable kind affection of God your father towards you.

And therefore upon the consideration of your infirmities and natural evils, which continually cleave unto us, take occasion to go to God, as your father through Christ, and before his merciful heart, lay open your infirmities and evils, with desire of pardon and help, after his good will and pleasure, but in his time, and not when you will, and by what means he will, not by that way you would: in the mean season hange on hope of his fatherly goodness, and surely you shall never be ashamed. For if a woman that is natural, cannot finally forget the Child of her womb, be • ure God which is a father supernatural, cannot, nor will not forget you. Yea if a woman could be so forgetful, yet God himself saith, he will not be so.

This opinion, yea rather certain persuasion of God our father through Christ, see that you cherish and by all means, as well by diligent consideration of his benefits, as of his loving corrections, whether they be inward or outward, see that you nourish: knowing for certain, that as the devil goeth about nothing so much as to bring you in a doubt whether ye be God's child, or no: so whatsoever shall move you to admit that dubitation, be assured the same to come from the Devil. If you feel in yourself not only the want of good things, but also plenty of evil, do not therefore doubt whether you be God's child in Christ, or no.

For if for your goodness or ilnesse sake, which you feel or feel not, ye should believe or doubt, then should you make Christ Jesus for whose sake only God is your father, either nothing, or else but half Christ.

But rather take occasion of your wants in good, and of your plenty in evil, to go to God as to your father, and to pray to him, that in as much as he commandeth you to believe that he is your God and father: so he would give you his good spirit, that you might feel the same, and live as his child, to his glory: and cease not upon such prayers to look for comfort God's good time, still hoping the best, and rejecting all dubitation, and so all evil works, words and cogitations, as the Lord shall enable you by his good spirit and grace, which I beseech him to give unto you, my good sister, forever. And further I pray you, that as he hath made you to be an helper unto your husband, so you would endeavor yourself therein to show the same as well in soul as body: and beg grace of God, that your endeavor may be effectual to both your comforts in Christ. Amen.

To my well-beloved in the Lord, W. P.

GRace and peace from God the father, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Deare brother, God most justly hath cast me down into a dungeon, but much better then I deserve: wherein I see no man but my keeper, nor can see any except they borne to me So • ething in the earth my lodging is: which as an example and memorial of my earthly affections (which God I trust will mortify) and of my sepulcher, whereunto I trust my Lord God will bring me in peace in his good time. In the mean season he give me patience, lively hope, and his good spirit. I pray you pray for me, for the prayer of the godly, if it be effectual, worketh much with God. I thank God my common disease doth less trouble me, then when I was abroad, which doth teache me the merciful providence of God towards me. Use true and hearty prayer, and you shall perceive GOD at length will declare himself to see, where now many think he sleepeth.

A letter which he wrote to a faithful woman in her heaviness and trouble: most comfortable for all those to read that are afflicted and broken hearted for their sins.

Here followeth another letter of his, written to the good Lady Uane, wherein he resolveth certain questions which she demanded. This Lady Uane was a special Nourse, and a great supporter, to her power, of the godly Saints, which were imprisoned in Queen Mary's time. Unto whom, diverse Letters I have both of M. Philpot, Carelesse, Traherne, Thomas Rose, and of other moe, wherein they render unto her moste grateful thanks for her exceeding goodness extended toward them, with their singular commendation and testimony also of her Christian zeal toward God's afflicted prisoners, and to the verity of his Gospel. She departed of late at Holburne. Anno 1568. whose ende was more like a sleep, then any death: so quietly and meekly she deceased and departed hence in the Lord.

Amongest other which wrote unto her, M. Bradford also sent these letters to the said Lady: the tenor whereof here followeth.

To my good Lady Vane.

THe true sense and sweet feeling of God's eternal mercies in Christ Jesus, be ever more and more lively wrought in your heart by the holy Ghost. Amen.

I moste heartily thank you (good Madame) for your comfortable Letters: and whereas you would be advertised what were best to be done on your behalf, concerning your three questions: the truth is, that the questions are never well seen nor answered, until the thing whereof they arise, be well considered, I mean, until it be seen howe great an evil the thing is. If it be once in deed in your heart perceived upon probable & pithy places gathered out of God's book, that there was never thing upon the earth so great, and so much an adversary to God's true Service, to Christ's Death, Passion, Priesthood, Sacrifice, and kingdom, to the Ministry of God's word and sacraments, to the church of God, to repentance, faith, and all true godliness of life, as that is whereof the questions arise (as moste assuredly it is in deed) then cannot a Christian heart, but so much the more abhor it, and all things that in any point might seem to allow it, or anything pertaining to y ^e same, by how much it hath the name of God's service.

Again, your Ladyship doth know, that as all is to be discommended and avoided, which is followed or fled from in respect of our selves, in respect of avoiding Christ's Cross: so the ende of all our doings should be to Godwards, to his glory, to our neighbors, to edification and good example, whereof none can be given in allowing any of the three questions by you propounded. But because this which I write now is brief, and needeth the more consideration or explication: as I doubt not of the one in you, so from me by God's grace, you shall receive y ^e other shortly. For I have already written a little book of it, which I will send unto you, in the which you shall have youre questions fully answered and satisfied, and therefore I omit to write anymore hereaboutes presently: beseeching God our good Father to guide you as his dear child w ^t his spirit of wisdom, power, and comfort unto eternal lie • e, that you may be strong, and rejoice in him and with his Church, to carry Christ's cross, if he shall so think it need. 1. Peter 1. Which is a thing to be desired, wished and embraced, if we looked on things after the judgment of God's word, and tried them by that touchstone.

If you be accustomed to think on the brevity, vanity, and misery of this life, and on the eternitye, truth, and felicity of everlasting life: if you look on things after their ends, and not after their present appearance only: if you use yourself to set God's presence, power, and mercy always before your eyes, to see them as God by every creature would you should: I doubt not but you shall find such strength and comfort in the Lord, as you shall not be shaken with all the power of Satan. God's mercy in Christ be with you, and his good spirit guide you forever. Amen.

An other letter to the Lady Vane.

AS to mine own soul, I wish to your Ladishippe, grace and mercy from God our dear father in Christ our Lord and Savior.

I thank God that something he hath eased you, and mitigated his fatherly correction in us both: I would to God he had done so much in the behalf of the grief of the body to you, as he hath done to me. For as for the soul, I trust you feel that which I pray God increase in you, I mean his fatherly love, and grant that I may with you feel the same in such degree as may please him: I will not say, as you feel, least I should seem to ask too much at one time. God doeth often much more plentifully visit with the sense of his mercy, them that humble them selves under his mighty hand, and are sore exercised (as you long have been) then others, which to the face of the world have a more show and appearance.

Therefore I wish as I do, and that not only for mine own commodity, but also that I might occasion you to the consideration of the goodness of God, which I by your letters do well esp • e, which is in deed the hye way, whereby as God increaseth his gifts, so showeth he more lively his salvation. Psalm. 50.107. I have received God's blessing from you, the which I have partly distributed unto my three fellow prisoners, Master Farrar, Master Tailor, Master Philpot, and the residue I will bestow upon four poor souls which are imprisonned in the common Gayle, for Religion also. As for mine own parte, if I had need, I would have served my tourne also. But because I had not, nor (I thank God) have not, I have been and will be your Almner in such sort as I have already advertised you. God reward you, and give you to find it spiritually and corporally. Because otherwise I can not talk with you, therefore on this sort, as occasion and opportunity will serve, I am ready to show my good will and desire of youre help and furtherance in the Lord to everlasting life, whereunto God bring us shortly, for his mercies sake. Amen.

Good Madame be thankful to God, as I hope you be: be earnest in prayer, continue in reading and hearing God's word, and if God's further Cross come, as therein God doeth serve his providence (for else it shall not come unto you) so be certain the same shall turn to your eternal joy and comfort. Amen.

To my dear friends and brethren, R. and E. with their wives and families.

THe comfort of Christ fealt commonly of his children in their Cross for his sake, the everlasting God work in both your hearts, my good brethren, and in the hearts of both your yokefelows, especially of good Mary my good sister in the Lord. Amen.

If I had not something heard of the hazard which you are in for the Gospels sake, if you continue the profession & confession thereof, as I trust you do & will do, and that unto the ende, God enabling you, as he will doubtless for his mercies sake, if you hope in him (for this binedeth him, as David in Christ's person witnesseth: Our Fathers hoped in thee, and thou deliueredst them. &c. Psal. 22.) yet by cōiectures I could not but suppose, (though not so certainly) the time of your suffering and probation to be at hand. For now is the power of darkness fully come upon this realm most justly for o • r sins, and abusing the light lent us of the Lord, to the setting forth of our selves more then of God's glory, y ^t as well we might be brought into the better knowledge of our evils, and so heartily reap̄t (which God grant us to do) as also we might have more feeling and sense of our sweet savior Jesus Christ, by the humbling and deiecting of us, thereby to make us, as more desirous of him, so him more sweet and pleasant unto us: the which thing the good spirit of God work sensibly in all our hearts, for God's holy names sake.

For this cause I thought it my duty, being now where I have some liberty to write (the Lord be praised) and hearing of you as I hear: to do that which I should have done, if I had heard nothing at all: that is, to desire you to be of good cheare and comfort in the Lord (although in the world you see cause rather to the contrary) and to go on forewardes in the way of God whereinto you are entered, considering that the same cannot but so much more and more wax strait to the outward man, by howe much you draw nearer to the ende of it: Even as in the travail of a woman, the nearer she draweth to her delivery, the more her pains increase: so it goeth with us in y ^e Lord's way, the nearer we draw to our deliverance by death to eternal felicity.

Example whereof we have, I will not say, in the holy Prophets and Apostles of God, which when they were young, girded them selves, and went in manner whether they would, but when they waxed old, they went girded of others, whither they would not, concerning y ^e outward man: but rather and moste lively in our Savior Jesus Christ, whose life & way was much more painful to him towards the ende, then it was at the beginning. And no marueyle, for Satan cane something abide a man to begin well & set forewards, but rather then he should go on to the ende, he will vomit his gorge, and cast floods to overflow him, before he will suffer that to come to pass.

Therefore as we should not be dismayed now at this world, as though some strange thing were happened unto us, in that it is but as it was wont to be to the godly, in that the Devil declareth him self after his old wont, in that we have professed no less but to forsake the world and the devil as God's very enemy, in that we learned no less at the first when we came to God's school, then to deny our selves, and take up our cross and follow our master, which leadeth us none other way then he him self hath gone before us: as (I say) we should not be dismayed: so we should with patience and joy go forewards, if we set before us as present, the time to come, like as the wife in her travail, doeth the deliverance of her child, and as the saints of God did, but especially our savior and pattern Jesus Christ: for the Apostle saith: He set before him the joy and glory to come, and therefore contemned the shame & sorrow of the cross: so if we did, we should find at the length as they found. For whom would it grieve which hath a long journey to go, to go through a piece of foul way, if he knew that after that the way should be moste pleasant, yea the journey should be ended, and he at his resting place most happy? Who will be afeard, or loath to leave a little pelf for a little time, if he knew he should shortly after receive most plentiful riches? Who will be unwilling for a little while to forsake his wife, children, or friends. &c. when he knoweth he shall shortly after be associated unto them inseparably, even after his own hearts desire? Who will be sory to forsake this life, which cannot but be moste certain of eternal life? Who loveth the shadow better then the body? Who can love this life, but they that regard not the life to come? Who can desire the dross of this world but such as be ignorant of the treasures of the everlasting joy in heaven? I mean, who is afeard to die, but such as hope not to live eternally? Christ hath promised pleasures, richesse, joy, felicity, and all good things to them that for his sake lose anything, or suffer any sorrow. And is he not true? Howe can he but be true, for guile was never found in his mouth.

Alas then, why are we so slack and slow, yea hard of heart to believe him, promising us thus plentifully eternal blisfulnes, and are so ready to believe the world promising us many things, and paying us nothing? If we will currie favor now and hal • e on both partes, then it promiseth us peace, quietness, and many things else. But howe doeth it pay this gear? or if it pay it, with what quietness of conscience? Or if so: howe long I pray you? Do not we see before our eyes men to die shamefully, I mean, as Rebelles and other malefactors, which refuse to die for God's cause? What way is so sure a way to heaven, as to suffer in Christ's cause? If there be any way on horseback to heaven, surely this is the way: By many troubles (saith the Apostle) we must enter into heaven. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution. For the world cannot love them that are of God: the devil cannot love his enemies: the world will love none but his own: you are Christ's, therefore look for no love here. Should we look for fire to quench our thirste? And as soon shall God's true servants find peace and favor in Antichrists regiment.

Therefore my dearly beloved, be stout in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on you his armor: stand in the liberty of Christ which you have learned: rejoice that you may be counted worthy to suffer any thing for God's cause: to all men this is not given. Your reward is great in heaven, though in earth you find nothing. The journey is almost past: you are almost in the haven: halt on a pace I beseech you, and merrily ho • se up your sails. Cast you selves on Christ, who careth for you. Kepe company with him now still to the ende: he is faithful and will never leave you, nor tempt you further then he will make you able to bear: yea in the midst of the temptation he will make an outscape. Now pray unto him heartily, be thankful of his indignation, rejoice in hope of the health you shall receive, and be mindful of us which are in the vawarde, and by God's grace trust in Christ to be made able to break the Ise before you, that you following, may find the way more easy. God grant it may so be. Amen, Amen.

To Maistresse Wilkenson.

ALmighty God our most loving father increase in your heart (my good mother & dear maistresse in the Lord) his true knowledge and love in Christ, to y ^e encouraging and comforting of your faith in these stormy days: as necessary unto us, so profitable if we per • iste unto the ende, which thing God grant to us. Amen.

My righte dearly beloved, I know not what other thing to write unto you, then to desire you to be thankful unto the Lord, in that amongst thee not many of your calling and state, it pleaseth him to give you his rare blessing, I mean to keep you from all the filthe wherewith on • e Country is horribly defiled. Thys blessing assuredly is rare, as you see. But now if he shall bless you with another blessing which is more rare, I mean to cal you forth as a Martyr, and a witness against this filth, I hope you will become double thankful. For a greater token commonly we have not to judge of our election and salvation, next to Christ and faith in him, then the cross, especially when it is so glorious, as on this sort to suffer anything, but chiefly loss of this life, which in deed is never found til it be so lost: except the grain of wheat fall and be dead, it remaineth fruitless.

You know how that he which was wrapped into the third heaven, and did know what he wrote, doeth say: That as the corn liveth not except it be dead, and cast into the earth, so truly our bodies. And therefore the cross should so little fear us, that even death it self should altogether be desired of us, as the Tailor which putteth off our rags, and araieth us with the Royal Roabes of immortality, incorruption, and glory. Great shame it should be for us, that all the whole creatures of God should desire, yea, groan in their kind for our liberty, and we our selves to loath it: as doubtless we do, if for the cross, yea for death it self, we with joy swallow not up all sorrow that might let us from following the Lord's calling, and obtaining the Lord's providence: whereby doubtless all crosses, and death it self doth come, and not by hap or chance. In consideration whereof (right dear Mother) that this providence stretcheth it self so unto us, and for us, that evē the hair of our heads are numbered with God, not one of them to fall to our hurt: surely we declare our selves very faint in faith, if we receive not such comfort, that we can willingly offer our selves to the Lord, and cast our whole care upon his back, honoring him with this honor, that he is and ever will be careful for us, and all we have, as for his dear children. Be therefore of good cheare even in the midst of these miseries, be thankful to the Lord, and prepare yourself for a further trial, which if God send you, as I hope, so do you believe, that God therein will help & comfort you, and make you able to bear whatsoever shall happen. And thus much, having this opportunity, I thought good to write, praying God our father to recompense into your bosom, all the good that ever you have done, to me especially, and to many others, both in this time of trouble, and always heretofore.

An other letter written to certain godly persons, encouraging them to prepare them selves with patience to the cross.

GRatious God and moste merciful Father, for Jesus Christ's sake thy dearly beloved son, grant us thy mercy, grace, wisdom, and holy spirit, to counsel, comfort, and guide us in all our cogitations, words, and works, to thy glory, and our everlasting joy and peace forever. Amen.

In my last letter you might perceive my coniecturing to be no less towards you, then now I have learned. But (my dearly beloved) I have learned none other thing, then before I have told you would come to pass, if ye cast not away that which ye have learned. I do appeal to both your consciences, whether herein I speak truth, as well of my telling (though not so often as I might and should, God forgive me) as also of your learning. Now God will try you, to make others to learn by you, that which ye have learned by others: and by them which suffered this day ye might learn, (if already ye had not learned) that life and honor is not to be set by more then God's commandment. They in no point for all y ^t ever their ghostly fathers could do, having doctor Death to take their part, would consent or seem to consent to the popish mass and papistical God, otherwise then in y ^e days of our late king they had received. And this their faith they have confessed with their deaths, to their great glory, and all our comforts, if we follow them: but to our confusion, if we star back from the same. Wherefore I beseech you to consider it, as well to praise God for them, as to go the same way with them, if God so will.

Consider not the things of this life, which is a very prison to all God's children: but the things of everlasting life, which is our very home. But to the beholding of this gear, ye must open the eyes of your mind, of faith I should have said, as Moses did, which set more by trouble with God's people, then by the riches of Egypt, and Pharaoh's Court. Your house, home and goods, yea life and all that ever ye have, God hath given you as love tokens, to admonish you of his love, & to win your love to him again. Now will he try your love, whether ye set more by him then by his tokens, or no. If ye for his tokens sake, that is, for your home, house, goods, yea life, will go w ^t the world, least ye should loose them, then be assured your love, as he cannot but espy it to be a strumpets love, so will he cast it away with the world. Remember that he which will save his life, shall loose it, if Christ be true: but he which aduentureth, yea looseth his life for the Gospels sake, the same shall be sure to find it eternally. Do not ye know that the way to salvation is not the broad way, which many run in, but the straight way, which few now walk in.

Before persecution came, men might partly have stand in a doubt by the outward estate of the world with us (although by God's word it was plain) whether was the high way, (for there was as many that pretended the gospel, as popery) but now the sun is risen, & the wind bloweth, so that the corn which hath not taken fast root, cannot nor will not abide: and therefore easily ye may see the straight way by the small number that passeth thorough it. Who will now adventure their goods and life for Christ's sake, which yet gave his life for our sakes? We are now become Gergesites, that would rather loose Christ, then our Porkets. A faithful wife is never tried so to be, but when she rejecteth and withstandeth woers. A faithful Christian is then found so to be, when his faith is assaulted.

If we be not able, I mean, if we will not forsake this world for God's glory and Gospels sake, trow ye that God will make us able, or give us a will to forsake it for natures sake? Die ye must once, and leave all ye have (God knoweth how soon and when) will ye, or will ye not, and seeing perforce ye must do this, will ye not willingly now do it for God's sake?

If ye go to Mass, and do as the most part doeth, then may ye live at rest & quietly: but if ye deny to go to it, then shall ye go to prison, lose your goods, leave your children comfortless, yea lose your life also. But my dearly beloved, open the eyes of your faith, & see how short a thing this life is, even a very shadow and smoke. Again, see how intolerable the punishment of hell fire is, and that endless. Last of all, look on the joys incomprehēsible, which God hath prepared for all them world without ende, which loose either lands or goods for his names sake. And then do ye reason thus: If we go to Mass, the greatest enemy that Christ hath, though for a little time we shall live in quiet, and leave to our children that they may live hereafter, yet shall we displease God, fall into his hands (which is horrible to hypocrites) and be in wonderful hazarde of falling from eternal joy into eternal misery, first of soul, and then of body, with the Devil and all Idolaters.

Again, we shall want peace of conscience, which surmounteth all the riches of the world: and for our children, who knoweth whether God will visit our Idolatry on them in this life: yea our house and goods are in danger of loosing, as our lives be, through many casualties, & when God is angry with us, he can send always when he will, one mean or another to take all from us for our sins, and to cast us into care for our own sakes, which will not come into some little trouble for his sake.

On this sort reason with yourselves, and then doubtless God will work otherwise with you and in you, then ye are ware of. Where now ye think yourselves unable to abide persecutiō, be most assured, if so be ye purpose not to forsake God, that God will make you so able to bear his Cross, that therein you shall rejoice. Faithful is God, (saith Paul) which will not tempt you further then he will make you able to bear, yea he will give you an outscape in the Cross, which shall be to your comfort. Think howe great a benefit it is, if God will vouche you worthy this honor, to suffer loss of anything for his sake. He might justly cast most grievous plagues upon you, and yet now he will correct you with that rod whereby you shall be made like to his Christ, that forever ye may reign with him. Suffer yourselves therefore now to be made like to Christ, for else ye shall never be made like unto him. The Devil would gladly have you now to overthrow that which godly ye have of long time professed. Oh howe would he triumph, if he could win his purpose? Oh howe would the Papists triumph against God's gospel in you? Oh howe would you confirm them in their wicked Popery? Oh how would the poor children of God be discomforted, if now ye should go to mass and other idolatrous service, and do as the world doth?

Hath God delivered you from y ^e Sweate to serve him so? Hath God myraculously restored you to health from your grievous Agewes for such a purpose? Hath God given you such blessings in this world and good things all the days of your life hitherto, and now of equity will ye not receive at his hands, and for his sake, some evil? God forbid: I hope better of you. Use prayer, and cast your care upon God: commit your children into his hands: give to God your goods, bodies, and lives as he hath given them or rather sent them unto you. Say with Job: God hath given, and God hath taken away, his name be praised forever. Caste your care upon him (I say) for he is careful for you: and take it amongst the greatest blessings of God to suffer for his sake. I trust he hath kept you hitherto to that ende.

And I beseech thee, O merciful Father for Jesus Christ's sake, that thou wouldest be merciful unto us, comfort us with thy grace, and strengthen us in thy truth, that in heart we may believe, and in tongue boldly confess thy Gospel, to thy glory, and our eternal salvation. Amen. Pray for me, and I by God's grace will do the same for you.

An admonition to certain professors of the Gospel, to beware they fall not from it in consenting to the Romish religion, by the example of other halting and double faced Gospellers.

THe peace of Christ which is the true effect of God's Gospel believed (my dearly beloved) be more and more plentifully perceived of you, through the grace of our dere father, by the mighty working of the holy spirit our comforter. Amen.

Thoughe I have many lets presently to hinder me from writing unto you, yet being desired, I could not but something signify my ready good will in this behalf, so much as I may, when I cannot so much as I would.

You hear and see howe Satan bestirreth him, raging as a roaring Lyon to devour us. You see and feel partly what storms he hath raised up to drown the poor Boat of Christ, I mean his Church. You see howe terribly he traineth his soldiers to give a fierce onset on vowarde of God's battle. You see how he hath received power of God, to molest God's children, and to begin at his house. By reason whereof consider two things: one, the cause on our behalf: the other, what will be the sequel on strangers.

For the first, if we be not blind, we cannot but well see that our sins are the cause of all this misery: our sins I say, which I would that everyone of us would apply to our selves after the example of Jonah and David, turning over the wallet, that other men's offenses might lie behind, and our own before. Not that I would excuse other men, which exteriourly have walked much more grossly then many of you have done: but that I would provoke you all as myself to more hearty repentance and prayer. Let us more and more increase to know and lament our doubting of God, of his presence, power, anger, mercy. &c.

Let us better feel and hate our selfloue, security, negligence, unthankfulness, unbelief, impacience. &c. and then doubtless the cross shall be less careful, yea it shall be comfortable, and Christ moste dear and pleasant: death then shall be desired, as the dispatcher of us ou • of all misery, and entrance into eternal felicity and joy unspeakable: the which is so much the more longed for, by howe much we feel in deed the serpents bits wherewith he woundeth our heels, that is, our outward Adam and senses. If we had, I say, a lively and true feeling of his poison, we could not but as rejoice over our captain y ^t hath bruised his head, so be desirous to follow his example, that is, to give our lives with him and for him, and so to fill up his passions, that he might conquer and overcome in us and by us, to his glory and comfort of his children.

Now the seconde (I mean the sequel, or that which will follow on the strangers) my dearly beloved, let us well look upon. For if so be that God justly do thus give to Satan and his seed, to vex and molest Christ and his penitent people: Oh what and how justly may he and will he give to Satan to entreat the rechlesse and impenitent sinners? If judgment begin thus at God's house, what will follow on them that be without, if they repent not? Certainly for them is reserved the dregs of God's cup, that is, brimstone, fire, and tempest intolerable. Now are they unwilling to drink of God's cup of afflictions which he offereth commō with his son Christ our Lord, least they should lose their pigges with the Gergelites. They are unwilling to come into the way that bringeth to heaven, even afflictions: they in their hearts cry, Let us cast his yoke from us: they walk two ways, that is, they seek to serve God & Mammon, which is impossible, they will not come nigh the straight way that bringeth to life: they open their eyes to behold present things only: they judge of Religion after reason, and not after God's word: they follow the more part, and not the better: they profess God with their mouths, but in their hearts they deny him, or else they would sanctify him by serving him more then men: they parte stake with God, which would have all, giving part to the world, to the Romish rout, and Antichristian Idolatry now set abroad amongst us publicly: they will have Christ, but none of his cross, which will not be: they will be counted to live godly in Christ, but yet they will suffer no persecution: they love this world, wherthrough the love of God is driven forth of them: they savor of those things that be of men, and not that be of God: Summa, they love God in their lips, but in their hearts, yea and in their deeds deny him, as well by not repenting their evils past, as by continuing in evil still, by doing as the world, the flesh and the devil willeth, and yet still perchance they will pray or rather prate: Thy will be done in earth, which is generallye that everyone should take up his cross and follow Christ. But this is a hard saying: who is able to abide it? Therefore Christ must be prayed to depart, least all their pigges be drowned. The devil shall have his dwelling again in themselves, rather then in their pigges, and therefore to the Devil shall they go, and dwell with him in eternal perdition and damnation, even in hell fire a torment endless, and above all cogitations incomprehensible, if they repent not.

Wherefore by them (my dearly beloved) be admonyshed to remember your profession, howe that in Baptism you made a solempne vow to forsake the Devil, the world. &c. You promised to fight under Christ's standard. You learned Christ's Cross afore you begun with A. B. C. Go to then, pay your vow to the Lord: fright like mende, and valiant men under Christ's standarde: take up your Cross and follow your master, as your brethren M. Hoper, Rogers, Tailor, and Sanders have done, and as now your brethren M. Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, Farrar, Bradford, Haukes. &c. be ready to do. The Ise is broken before you, therefore be not afraid, but be content to die for the Lord. You have no cause to waver or doubt of the doctrine thus declared by the blood of the pastors. Remember that Christ saith: He that will save his life, shall lose it. And what should it profit you to win the whole world, much less a little quietness, your goods. &c. and to lose your own souls? Render to the Lord that he hath lent you, by such means as he would have you render it, and not as you would. Forget not, Christ's disciples must deny themselves, as well concerning their will, as concerning their wisdom. Have in mind, that as it is no small mercy to believe in the Lord, so it is no small kindness of God towards you to suffer anything, much more death for the Lord. If they be blessed that die in the Lord, howe shall they be that die for the Lord? Oh what a blessing is it to have death due for our sins, diverted into a demonstration and testification of the Lord's truth? Oh that we had a little of Moses faith to look upon the ende of the Cross, to look upon the reward, to see continually with Christ and his people, greater richesse then the richesse of Egypt. Oh let us pray that God would open our eyes to see his hi • Manna, heavenly Jerusalem, the congregation of the first borne, the melody of the Saints the tabernacle of God dwelling with men: then should we run and become violent men, and so take the kingdom o • heaven as it were by force. God our father give us for his Christ's sake, to see a little, what and howe great joy he hath prepared for us, he hath called us unto, & most assuredly giveth us for his own goodness and truths sake. Amen.

My dearly beloved, repent, be sober and watch in prayer, be obedient, and after your vocations show your obedience to the higher powers in all things that are not against God's word, therein acknowledging y ^e sovereign power of the Lord: howbeit, so that ye be no rebels or rebellers for no cause: but because with good conscience you cannot obey, be patient sufferers, and the glory and good spirit of God shall dwell upon us. I pray you remember us your afflicted brethren, being in the Lord's bonds for the testimony of Christ, and abiding the gracious hour of our dear and most merciful father. The Lord for Christ's sake, give us merry hearts to drink lustely of his sweet cup, which daily we groan and sigh for, lamenting that the time is thus prolonged. The Lord Jesus give us grace to be thankful, and to abide patiently the provident hour of his most gracious good will. Amen. Amen.

To my good brother John Careles, prisoner in the kings Benche.

THe father of mercy and God of all comfort, visit us with his eternal consolation, according to his great mercies in Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

My very dear brother, if I shall report the truth unto you, I cannot but signify that sithen I came into prison, I never received so much consolation as I did by your last letter, the name of God be most heartily praised therefore. But if I shall report the truth unto you, and as I have begun, speak still the verity, I must confess that for mine unthankfulness to you wards, and to God especially, I have more need of God's merciful tidings, then I had ever heretofore. Ah that Satan envieth us so greatly. Ah that our Lord would tread his head under our feet shortly. Ah that I might forever, both myself beware, and be a godly example to you and others to beware of unthankfulness. Good brother Careles, we had more need to take heed after a lightening, of a foil then before. God therefore is to be praised even when he hideth, and that not of long, a cheerful countenance from us, least we being not expert howe to use it as we should do, do hurt more our selves thereby, so great is our ignorance and corruption. This my good brother & right dear to my very heart, I write unto you as to one whom in the Lord I embrace, and I thank God that you do me in like manner. God our father more and more give us both his good spirit, that as by faith we may fele our selves united unto him in Christ, so by love we may feel our selves linked in the same Christ one to another, I to you, and you to me, we to all the children of God, and all the children of God to us, Amen. Amen.

Commende me to our good brother Skelthrop, for whom I heartily praise my God, which hath given him to see his truth at the length, and to give place to it. I doubt not, but that he will be so heedie in all his conversation, that his old acquaintance may ever thereby think them selves astray. Woe and woe again should be unto us, if we by our example should make men to stumble at the truth. Forgette not salutations in Christ, as you shall think good to Trewe, and his fellows. The Lord hath his time (I hope) for them also, although we perchance think otherwise. A drop maketh the stone hollowe, not with once, but with often dropping: so if with hearty prayer for them and good example, you still and drop upon them as you can, you shall see God's work at the length. I beseech God to make perfect all the good he hath begun in us all, Amen. I desire you all to pray for me the most unworthy prisoner of the Lord.

To M. John Hall and his wife, prisoners in Newgate for the testimony of the Gospel.

ALmightye God our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, be w ^t you both my dearly beloved, as with his dear children forever, & so he bless you with his holy spirit, that you may in this your cross (for his cause doubtless) rejoice, and gladly take it up to bear it so long as he shall think good. I have heard (my good brother & sister) how that god hath brought you both into his scholehouse, (whereas you were both purposed by his leave to have pla • ed the trewands) that thereby you might see his carefulness & love toward you. For if it be a token of a loving and careful father for his children, to prevent the purpose, and disappoint the intent of his children, purposing to depart a while from the school for fear of beating, (which thing they would not do if they did as much consider the commodity of learning which there they might get): how should you take this work of the Lord preventing your purpose, but as an evident sign of love and fatherly carefulness that he beareth towards you? If he should have winked at your willes, then would you have escaped beating: I mean the cross, but then should you have lost the commodity of learning, which your father will now have you to learn and feel, and therefore hath he sent to you his cross. He I say, hath brought you where you be: and though your reason and wit will tell you, it is by chance or fortune, or otherwise, yet (my dearly beloved) know for certain that what so ever was the mean, God your father was the worker hereof, and that for your weal, although otherwise your old Adam doth tell you, & you fele: yet I say of truth that your duty is to think of this cross, that as it is of God's sending, and cometh from him: so although your deserts be otherwise, it is of love & fatherly affection for your weal and commodities sake.

What commodity is hereby, you will perchance object. You are now kept in close prison you will say: your family and children be without good overseers: your substance diminisheth by these means: poverty will approach: and perchance more peari • s also, yea and loss of life too. These are no commodities but discommodities, and that no small ones: so that justly you would be glad to know what commodity can come to you by this cross, whereby cometh so great discommodities,

To these things I answer, that in deed it is true you • ay of your bodies, families, children, substance, poverty, life. &c. Which things, if you would consider a while with inward eyes, as you behold them with outward, then perhaps you should find more ease. Do not you now by the inward sense perceive that you must part frō all these and all other commodities in the world? Tell me then, have not you this commodity by your cross, to learn to loath and leave the world, and to long for and desire another world, where is perpetuity? You ought of your own head and free will to have (according to your profession in baptism) forsaken the world and all earthly things, using the world, as though you used it not, Your heart only set upon your hourde in heaven, or else you could never be Christ's true disciples, that is be saved, and be where he is. And trow you (my good hearts in the Lord) trow you I say, that this is no commodity, by this cross to be compelled hereto, that you might assuredly enjoy with the Lord endless glory? Howe now doth God (as it were) fatherly pull you by the ears to remember your former offenses concerning these things & all other things, that repentance and remission might ensue? Howe doth God now compel you to call upon him, and to be earnest in prayer? Are these no commodities? Doth not the scripture say, that God doth correct us in the world because we shall not be damned with the world? That God chasteneth everyone whom he loveth? that the ende of this correction shall be joy and holiness? Doeth not the Scripture say, That they are happy that suffer for righteousness sake, as you now do, that the glory and spirit of God is upon them? that, as you are now made like unto Christ in suffering, so shall you be made like him in reigning? Doeth not the Scripture say that you are now going the high and right way to heaven? that your suffering is Christ's suffering? My dearly beloved, what greater commodities then these, can a godly heart desire?

Therefore ye are commanded to rejoice and be glad when ye suffer, as now ye do: for through the goodness of God, great shall be your reward: Where? Forsooth on earth first for your children: for now they are in God's mere and immediate protection. Never was father so careful for his children, as God's is for yours presently. God's blessing which is more worth then all the world, you leave in deed to your children. Though all your providence for thē should be pulled away: yet God is not poor, he hath promised to provide for them moste fatherly. Cast thy burden upon me (saith he) and I will bear it. Do you therefore cast them and commend them unto God your father, and doubt not that he will die in your dette. He never yet was found unfaithful, and he will not now begin with you. The good man's seed shall not go a begging his bread: for he will show mercy upon thousands of the posterity of them that fea • e him. Therefore as I said, God's reward first upon earth shall be felt by your children even corporally, and so also upon you if God see it more for your commodity, at the least inwardly you shall feel it by quietness and comfort of conscience: and secondly after this life, you shall find it so plentifully, as the eye hath not seen, the ear hath not hard, the heart cannot conceive how great & glorious God's reward will be upon your bodies, much more upon your souls. God open our eyes to see and feel this in deed. Then shall we think the cross which is a mean hereto, to be commodious. Then shall we thank God that he would chastise us. Then shall we say with David: Happy am I that thou hast punished me, for before I went astray, but now I keep thy laws.

This that we may do in deed my dearly beloved, let us first know y ^t our cross cometh from God: Secondly, that it cometh from God as a father, that is, to our weal and good. Therefore let us thirdly cal to mind our sins and ask pardon. Whereto let us fourthly look for help certainly at God's hand in his good time: help I • ay, such as shall make most to God's glory, and to the comfort and commodity of our souls & bodies eternally. This if we certainly conceive, then will there issue out of us hearty thanks giving, which God requireth as a most precious sacrifice. That we may all through Christ offer this, let us use earnest prayer to our God and dear father, who bless us, keep us, and comfort us under his sweet cross forever. Amen. Amen.

My dear hearts, if I could any way comfort you, you should be sure thereof, though my life lay thereon, but now I must do as I may, because I cannot as I would. Oh y ^t it would please our dear father shortly to bring us where we should never depart, but enjoy continually the blessed fruition of his heavenly presence: pray, pray, that it may speedily come to pass, pray. To morrow I will send unto you to know your estate, send me word what are the chiefest things they charge you withal. From the Counter.

To Maistresse Hall prisoner in Newgate and ready to make answer before her adversaries.

Here followeth another letter of M. Bradford, to one Richard Hopkins, shiriffe sometimes of Coventry, & yet being (as I hear say) alive. This Hopkins whom M. Bradford commendeth so much in this letter, during the time of his shiri • ealtie, was detected and accused by certain malignant adversaries, of matter pertaing to religion. What matter it was, I am not yet certainly informed, unless it were for sending and lendyng unto a thief being then in prison ready to be hanged, a certain English book of scripture for his spiritual comfort.

Whereupon, or else upon some such like matter, he being maliciously accused, was sent for and committed to the Fleet, and there endured a sufficient time, not without great peril of life. Notwithstandyng, the said Hopkins being at length delivered out of prison, following this counsel of M. Bradford, and mindyng to keep his conscience pure from Idolatry, was driven with his wife and 8. young children, to avoid the realm, and so leaving all other worldly respects, with his great loss and damage went into high Germany, where he contiued in the City of Basel, till the death of Queen Mary, being like a good Tobias, to his power a friendly helper, and a comfortable relieuer of other English exiles there about him: God's holy blessing so working with him therefore, that in those far countries, neither he fell in any great decay, neither any one of all his household, during all that time there miscarried, but so many as he brought out, so many he recaried home again, yea & that with advantage, and gods plenty withal upon him. Now the letter written to this Richard Hopkins by M. Bradford, is this.

A Letter to Master Richard Hopkins, then Sheriff of Coventry, and prisoner in the Fleet, for the faithful and constant confessing of God's holy Gospel.

DEarely beloved in the Lord, I wish unto you, as unto mine own brother, yea as to mine own heart root, God's mercy & the feeling of the same plentifully in Christ our sweet savior, who gave himself a ransom for our sins, and price for our redemption, praised therefore be his holy name forever and ever. Amen.

I will not go about to excuse myself for not sending unto you hitherto, suffering for the Lord's sake as you do, to the comfort of me and of all that love you in the truth: but rather accuse myself both before God and you, desiring you of forgiveness, and with me to pray to God for pardon of this my unkind forgetting you, and all other my sins, which I beseech the Lord in his mercy, to do away for his Christ's sake. Amen.

Now to make amends to you ward, I would be glad if I could, but because I cannot, I shall heartily desire you to accept that will, and this which I shall now write unto you, there after: I mean, after my will and not after the deed, to accept and take it. At this present my dear heart in the Lord, you are in a blessed state, although it seem otherwise to you, or rather unto your old Adam, the which I 〈1 page duplicate〉 dare now be so bold as to discern from you, because you would have him not only discerned, but also utterly destroyed. For if God be true, then is his word true.

Now his word pronounceth of your state that it is happy, therefore it must needs be so. To prove this I think it need not: for you know that the holy ghost saith, That they are happy which suffer for righteousness sake, and that God's glory and spirit resteth on them which suffer for conscience to God. Now this you cannot but know, that this your suffering is for righteousness sake, and for conscience to Godwards, for else you might be out of trouble evē out of hand. I know in very deed that you have felt and do feel your unthankfulness to God and other sins, to witness to you, that you have deserved this prisonment and lack of liberty, betwixt God and yourself, and I would you so would confess unto God in your prayers, with petition for pardon and thanks giving, for his correctyng you here. But you know that the Magistrates do not persecute in you your sins, your unthankfulness. &c. But they persecute in you Christ himself, his righteousness, his verity, and therefore happy be you that have found such favor with God your father, as to accompt you worthy to suffer for his sake in the sight of man: surely you shall rejoice therefore one day with a joy unspeakable, in the sight of man also.

You may think yourself borne in a blessed time, that have found this grace with God, to be a vessel of honor to suffer with his Saints, yea with his son. My beloved, God hath not done so with many. The Apostle saith: Not many noble, not many riche, not many wise in the world, hath the Lord God chosen. Oh then what cause have you to rejoice, that amongst the not many, he hath chosen you to be one? For that cause hath God placed you in your office, that therefore ye might the more see his special dignation and love towards you. It had not been so great a thing for M. Hopkins to have suffered as M. Hopkins, as it is for M. Hopkins also to suffer as M. Sheriff. Oh happy day that you were made shiriffe, by the which as God in this world would promote you to a more honorable degree, so by suffering in this room he hath exalted you in heaven, and in the sight of his church & children, to a much more excellent glory. When was it read, that a shiriffe of a city hath suffered for the Lord's sake? Where read we of any Sheriff that hath been cast in prison for conscience to Godward? How could God have dealt more lovingly w ^t you, then herein he hath done? To the end of the world it shall be written for a memorial to your praise, that Rich. Hopkins shiriffe of Coventry, for conscience to do his office before God, was cast in the Fleet, and there kept prisoner a long time. Happy, & twice happy are you, if herefore you may give your life. Never could you have attained to this promotion on this sort out of that office. How do you preach now, not only to all men, but specially to magistrates in this realm? Who would ever have thoght that you should have been the first magistrate that for Christ's sake should have lost anything? As I said before, therefore I say again, that your state is happy. Good brother, before God I write the truth unto you, my conscience bearing me witness, that you are in a most happy state with the Lord, and before his sight.

Be thankful therefore, rejoice in your trouble, pray for patience, persevere to the ende, let patience have her perfect work. If you want this wisdom and power, ask it of God, who will give it to you in his good time. Hope still in him, yea if he should slay you, yet trust in him with Job, and you shall perceive that the ende will be to find him merciful & full of compassion: for he will not break promise with you, which hitherto did never so with any. He is with you in trouble, he heareth you calling upon him, yea before you cal, your desires are not only known, but accepted through Christ. If now and then he hide his face from you, it is but to provoke your appetite, to make you the more to long for him. This is most true: He is a coming, and will come, he will not be long. But if for a time he seem to tarry, yet stand you still, and you shall see the wonderful works of the Lord. Oh beloved, wherefore should you be heavy? Is not Christ Immanuel, God with us? Shall you not find that as he is true in saying: In the world you shall have trouble: so is he in saying: In me you shall have comfort? He doth not swear only that trouble will come, but with all he sweareth that comfort shall ensue. And what comfort? such a comfort as the eye hath not seen, the ear hath not heard, nor the heart of man can conceive. Oh great comfort: who shall have this? Forsooth they that suffer for the Lord. And are not you one of them? Yea verily are you. Then (as I said) happy, happy, and happy again are you my dearly beloved in the Lord. You now suffer with the Lord, surely you shall be glorified with him. Call upon God therefore in your trouble, and he will hear you, yea deliver you in such sort, as most shall make both to his & your glory also. And in this calling, I heartily pray you to pray for me your fellow in affliction. Now we be both going in the high way to heaven, for by many afflictions must we enter in thither, whether God bring us for his mercies sake, Amen. Amen.

To my good Sister Maistresse Elizabeth Brown.

GOod sister, God our Father make perfect the good he hath begun in you unto the end.

I am afraid to write unto you because you so overcharge yourself at all times, even when so ever I do but send to you commendations. I would be more bold on you then many others, and therefore you might suspend so great tokens til I should write unto you of my need: which thing doubtless I would do if it urged me. Deare sister, I see your unfeigned love to me wards in God, and have done of long time, the which I do recompense with the like, and will do by gods grace so long as I live, & therefore I hope not to forget you, but in my poor prayers to have you in remembrance, as I hope you have me. Otherwyse I can do you no service, except it be now and then by my writing to let you from better exercise, where yet the end of my writing is to excite and stir up your heart more earnestly to go on forwards in your well begun enterprise. For you know none shall be crowned, but such as strive lawfully, & none receiveth the gleue, but those that run to the appointed mark. None shall be saved but such as persist and continue to the very end.

Therefore (dear Sister) remember that we have need of patience, that when we have done the good will of God, we may receive the promise. Patience and perseueraunce be the proper notes whereby God's children are known from counterfaites. They that persevere not, were always but hypocrites. Many make godly beginnings, yea their progress seemeth marvelous but yet after in the end they fail. These were never of us say • h S. John: for if they had been of us, they would have continued unto the very end.

Go to now therefore mine own beloved in the Lord: as you have well begun, and well gone forward, so well persist and happily end, and then all is yours. Though this be sharp and sower, yet it is not tedious or long. Do all that ever you do, simply for God, and as to God, so shall never vnkyndnesse nor any other thing make you to leave of from well doing, so long as you may do well. Accustome yourself now to see God continually, that he may be all in all unto you. In good things behold his mercy, and apply it unto yourself. In evil things and plagues beho • d his judgments, where through learn to fear him. Beware of sin, as the serpent of the soul which spoileth us of all our o • nature and seemly apparel in God's sight. Let Christ crucified be your book to study on, and that both night and day▪ Mark your vocation, and be diligent in the works thereof. Use hearty & earnest prayer, and that in spirit. In all things give thanks to God our father through Christ. Labor to have here life everlasting begun in you: for else it will not be elsewhere enjoyed. Set God's judgment often before your eyes, that now examinyng yourself, you may make diligent suit, and obtain never to come into judgment. Vncouer your evils to God, that he may cover thē. Beware of this Antichristian trash: defile not yourself in soul or body therewith, but accomplish holiness in the fear of God, & bear no yoke with unbelievers. Look for the coming of the Lord which is at hand: by earnest prayer and godly 〈…〉 it. God our father accomplish his good work in you. Am • . Commend me to my good mother maistres Wilkinson, & to my very dear sister maistresse Warcuppe▪ I shall daily commend you all to God, and I pray you do the like for me.

To a friend of his, instructing him how he should answer his adversaries.

MY good brother, our merciful God and dear Father through christ, opē your eyes effectually to see, & your heart ardently to desire the everlasting joy which he hath prepared for his slaughter sheep, that is, for such as shrink not from his truth for any such storms sake. Amen.

When you shall come before the Magistrates to give an answer of the hope which is in you, do it with all reverence and simplicity. And because you may be something afraid by the power of the Maiestrates & cruelty which they will threaten against you, I would you set before you the good father Moses to follow his example: for he set the invisible God before his eyes of faith, and with them looked upon God and his glorious Majesty and power, as with his corporal eyes he saw Pharaoh and all his fearful terrors. So do you my dearly beloved: let your inward eyes give such light unto you, that as you know you ar • before the magistrates, so and much more, you & they also are present before the face of God, which will give such wisdom to you, fearing him and seeking his praise, as the enemies shall wonder at, and further, he will so order their harts and doings, that they shall, will they, • ill they, serve God's providence towards you (which you cannot avoid though you would) as shall be most to his glory, and your everlasting comfort.

Therefore my good brother, let your whole study be only to please God: put him always before your eyes, for he is on your right hand lest you should be moved, he is faithful, and never will suffer you to be tempted above that he will make you able to bear. Yea every hair of your hed he hath numbered, so that one of them shall not perish without his good will, which cannot be, but be good unto you, in that he is become your father▪ through Christ, and therefore as he hath given you to believe in him (God increase this belief in us all) so doth he now graciously give unto you to suffer for his names sake: the which you ought with all thankfulness to receive, in that you are made worthy to drink of the self same cup, which not only the very sons of God have drunk of before you, but even the very natural son of God himself hath brought you good luck. Oh he of his mercy make us thankful to pledge him again. Amen.

Because the chiefest matter they will trouble you and go about to deceive you withal, is the Sacrament, not of Christ's body and blood, but of the altar (as they call it) thereby destroieng the Sacrament which Christ instituted: I would you noted these two things: First, that the Sacrament of the altar which the Priest offereth in the Mass, and eateth privately with himself, is not the Sacrament of Christ's body add blood instituted by him, as Christ's institution plainly written and set forth in the scriptures, being compared to their using of it, plainly doth declare.

Again, if they talk with you of Christ's Sacrament instituted by him, whether it be Christ's body or no: answer them, that as to the eyes of your reason, to your taste and corporal senses it is bread and wyne, and therefore the Scripture calleth it after the consecration so: evē so to the eyes, taste, and senses of your faith, which ascendeth to the right hand of God in heaven, where Christ sitteth, it is in very deed Christ's body and blood, which spiritually your soul feedeth on to everlasting life in faith and by faith, evē as your body presently feedeth on the sacramental bread and sacramental wyne.

By this means as you shall not allow transubstantiation, nor none of their popish opinions: so shall you declare the Sacrament to be a matter of faith, and not of reason, as the Papists make it. For they deny God's omnipotency, in that they say Christ is not there, if bread be there: but faith looketh on the omnipotency of God, joined with this promise, and doubteth not but that Christ is able to give that he promiseth us spiritually by faith, the bread still remaining in substance, as well as if the substance of bread were takē away: for Christ saith not in any place this is no bread. But of this gear God shall instruct you, if you hang on his promise, and pray for the power & wisdom of his spirit, which vn • oubtedly as you are bound to look for, praying for it, so he hath bound himself by his promise to give it: the which thing grant unto us both, and to all his people, for his names sake, thorough Christ our Lord, Amen.

To certain godly men, whom he exhorteth to be patient under the cross, and constant in the true doctrine which they had professed.

MY dearly beloved in the Lord, as in him I wish you well to fare, so I pray God I and you may continue in his true service, that perpetually we may enjoy the same welfare, as here in hope so in heaven in deed, and eternally.

You know this world is not your home, but a pilgrimage & place wherein God trieth his children, and therefore as it knoweth you not, nor can know you: so I trust you know not it, that is, you allow it not, nor in any point will seem so to do, although by many you be occasioned thereto. For this hot sun which now shineth, burneth so sore, that the corn which is sown upon sand and stony ground, beginneth to wither: that is, many which before times were taken for hearty Gospellers, begin now for the fear of afflictions to relent, yea to turn to their vomit again, thereby declaring that though they go from amongst us, yet were they never of us▪ for else they would have still tarried with us, and neither for gain nor loss, have left us either in word or deed As for their heart (which undoubtedly is double and therefore in danger to God's curse) we have as much with us, as the Papists have with them, and more too by their own judgment. For they playing wily beguile thense • ues, think it enough inwardly to favor the truth, though outwardly they curry favor▪ What though with my body (say they) I do this or that▪ God knoweth my heart is whole with him.

Ah brother, if thy heart be whole with God, why doest not thou confess & declare thyself accordingly by word and fact? Either that which thou sayest thou believest in thy heart is good or no. If it be good, why art thou ashamed of it? If it be evil, why doest thou keep it in thy heart? Is not God able to defend thee, aduenturyng thyself for his cause? Or will he not defend his worshippers? Doth not the Scripture say that the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him, and trust in his mercy? And whereto? Forsooth to deliver their souls from death, and to feed them in the time of hunger.

If this be true (as it is most true) why are we afraid of death, as though God could not comfort or deliver us, or would not, contrary to his promise? Why are we afraid of the loss of our goods, as though God would leave them that fear him, destitute of all good things, and so do against his most ample promises? Ah faith, faith, how few feel thee now a day? Full true • lie said Christ, that he should scarcely find faith when he came, on earth. For if men believed the • e promises, they would never do any thing outwardly, which inwardly they disallow. No example of men, how many soever they be, or how learned soever they be, can prevail in this behalf: for the pattern which we must follow, is Christ himself, and not the more company or custom. His word is the lantern to lighten our steppes, and not learned men. Company and custom are to be considered according to the thing they allow. Learned men are to be listened to and followed according to God's lore and law, for else the more part goeth to the devil. As custom causeth error and blindness, so learning, if it be not according to the light of God's word, is poison, and learned men most pernicious. The Devil is called Daemon for his cunning, and the children of this world are much wiser then the children of light in their generation: and I know the Devil and his dearlyngs have always for the most part, more helps in this life then Christ's Church and her children. They (the devil and his Synagogue I mean) have custom, multitude unity, antiquity, learning, power, riches, honor, dignity & promotions plenty, as always they have had, and shall have commonly and for the most part, until Christ's coming, much more then the true church hath presently, heretofore hath had, or hereafter shall have. For her glory, riches, and honor is not here, her trial, cross, and warfare is here.

And therefore (my dear hearts in the Lord) consider these things accordingly. Consider what you be, not worldlyngs, but God's children. Consider where you be, not at home, but in a strange country. Consider among whom ye are conversant, even in the midst of your enemies, and of a wicked generation, and then I trust you will not much muse at affliction. Which you cannot be without, being as you be, God's children, in a strange country, and in the midst of your enemies, except you would leave your captain Christ, and follow Satan for the mucke of this mould, rest, and quietness, which he may promise you, & you in deed think you shall receive it by doing as he would have you to do (my sweet hearts) he is not able to pay that he promiseth. Peace and war come from God, riches and poverty, wealth & woe. The Devil hath no power but by God's permission. If then God permit him a little on your goods, body or life, I pray you tell me what can much hurt you (as Peter saith) you being followers of godliness? Think you that God will not remember you in his time, as most shall be to your comfort? Can a woman forget the child of her womb? And if she should, yet will not I forget thee (saith the Lord.) Look upon Abraham in his exile & misery, look upon Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, the Prophets, Apostles, and all the godly from the beginning: and my good brethren, is not God the same God? Is he a chaungeling? You have heard of the patience of Job, (saith S James) and you have seen the end how that God is merciful, patient and long suffering: even so I say unto you that you shall find accordingly, if so be you be patient, that is, if so be you fear him, set his word before you, serve him thereafter, and if he lay his cross on you, you bear it with patience: the which you shall do when you consider it not according to the present sense, but according to the end. Heb. 12. 2. Cor. 4.

Therefore I heartily beseech you, & out of my bonds which I suffer for your sake, pray you (mine own sweet harts in the Lord) that you would cleave in heart and humble obedience to the doctrine taught you by me, and many other my brethren. For we have taught you no fables nor tales of men, or our own fantasies, but the very word of GOD, which we are ready with our lives (God so inhabling us, as we trust he will) to confirm, and by the sheading of our bloods in all patience and humble obedience to the superior powers, to testify and seal up, as well that you might be more certain of the doctrine, as that you might be ready to confess the same before this wicked world, knowing that if we confess Christ and his truth before men, he will confess us before his father in heaven: if so be we be ashamed hereof for loss of life friends or goods, he will be ashamed of us before his father, and his holy Angels in heaven.

Therefore take heed, for the Lord's sake take heed, take heed, and defile not your bodies or souls with this Romish and Antichristian religion set up amongst us again: but come away, come away, as the Angel crieth from amongst them in their idolatrous service, lest you be partakers of their iniquity. Hearken to your preachers as the Thessalonians did to Paul: that is, confer their sayings with the scriptures, & if they sound not thereafter, the morning light shall not shine upon them.

Use much and hearty prayer for the spirit of wisdom, knowledge, humbleness, meekness, sobriety, and repentance: which we have great need of, because our sins have thus provoked the Lord's anger against us: but let us bear his anger, and acknowledge our faults with bitter tears, and sorrowful sighs, and doubtless he will be merciful to us after his wonted mercy. The which thing he vouchsafe to do for his holy names sake, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom with the father and the holy ghost, be all honor, glory, praise, and everlasting thanks from this time forth for evermore. Amen.

A letter to M. George Eaton.

ALmighty God our heavenly Father, recompense abundantly into your bosom (my dearly beloved) here and eternally, the good which frō him by you I have continually received sithen my coming into prison. Otherwyse can I never be able to requite your loving kindness here then by praying for you, and after this life, by witnessing your faith declared to me by your fruits, whē we shall come and appear together before the throne of our Savior Jesus Christ, whether (I thank God) I am even now a going, ever looking when officers will come, & satisfy the precept of the Prelates, whereof though I cannot complain, because I have justly deserved an hundredth thousand deaths at gods hands by reason of my sins, yet I may and must rejoice, because the Pr • lates do not persecute in me mine iniquities, but Christ Jesus & his verity: so that they persecute not me, they hate not me, but they persecute Christ, they hate Christ.

And because they can do him no hurt (for he sitteth in heaven, and laugheth them and their devises to scorn, as one day they shall feel, therefore they turn their rage vpō his poor sheep, as Herod their father did upon the infants. Math. 2. Great cause therefore have I to rejoice, that my dere Savior Christ will vouchsafe amongst many, to choose me to be a vessel of grace to suffer in me (which have deserved so often & justly to suffer for my sins) that I might be most assured I shall be a vessel of honor, in whom he will be glorified.

Therefore (my right dear brother in the Lord) rejoice with me, give thanks for me, and cease not to pray, that God for his mercies sake would make perfect the good he hath begun in me. And as for the doctrine which I have professed and preached, I do confess unto you in writing, as to the whole world I shortly shall by gods grace in suffering, that it is the very true doctrine of Jesus Christ, of his Church, of his Prophets, Apostles and all good men: so that if an Angel should come from heaven and preach otherwise, the same were accursed.

Therefore waver not (dear heart in the Lord) but be confirmed in it, and as your vocation requireth, whē God so will, confess it, though it be perilous so to do. The end shall evidently show another manner of pleasure for so doing, then tongue can tell. Be diligent in prayer, and watch therein. Use reverent reading of God's word. Set the shortness of this time before your eyes, and let not the eternity that is to come, depart out of your memory. Practice in doing that you learn, by reading and hearing. Decline from evil, and pursue good. Remember them that be in bonds, especially for the Lord's cause, as members of your body, and fellow heirs of grace. Forget not the afflictions of Zion, and the oppression of Jerusalem: and God our Father shall give you his continual blessing thorough Christ our Lord, who guide us as his dear children forever, Amen. And thus I take my Vale and farewell with you (dear brother) forever in this present life, till we shall meet in eternal bliss: whether our good God and Father bring us shortly, Amen. God bless all your babes forever, Amen.

An other Letter to Maistresse Anne Warcuppe.

In the story of M. Bradford it was above rehearsed, how a certain Gentlewoman being in trouble by her father and mother for not coming to Mass, sent her servant to visit M. Bradford in prison. Who tenderyng the woeful case of the Gentlewoman, to the intent partly to confirm her with counsel, partly to relieve her oppressed mind with some comfort, directed this letter unto her: the contents whereof are these.

To a certain godly Gentlewoman, troubled and afflicted by her friends, for not coming to the Mass.

I Wish unto you right worshipful, and my dearly beloved sister in the Lord, as to myself, the continual grace and comfort of Christ and of his holy word through the operation of the holy spirit, who strengthen your inward man with the strength of God, that you may continue to the end, in the faithful obedience of God's gospel, whereto you are called, Amen.

I perceived by yourself the last day when you were with me, how that you are in the Scholehouse, and trial parlor of the Lord, which to me is (as the least it should be) a great comfort, to see the number of gods elect by you increased, which is in that state whereof God hath not called many, as Paul saith. And as it is a comfort to me, so should it be a confirmation unto me, that the Lord for his faithfulness sake, will make perfect and finish the good he hath begun in you to the end.

If then your cross be to me a comfort or token of your election, and a confirmation of God's continual favor (my • early beloved): how much more ought it to be so unto you? Unto whom he hath not only given to believe but also to come into the trace of suffering for his sake, and that not commonly of common enemies, but even of your own father, mother, and all your fr • ends, I mean kinsfolks as you told me. By which I see Christ's words to be true: How that he came to give his childrē such a peace with him, as the Devil might not, nor may abide, & therefore stirreth up father and mother, sister and brother, rather then it should continue. But (my dear sister) if you cry with David to the Lord, and complain to him: how that for conscience to him, your father and mother have forsaken you, you shall hear him speak in your heart, that he hath received you, and by this would have you to see, how that he maketh you here like to Christ, that elsewhere in heaven you might be like unto him whereof you ought to be most assured, knowing that in time, even whē Christ shall appear, you shall be like unto him. For he will make your body which now you defile not with Idolatrical service in going to Mass, like unto his own glorious and immortal body, according to the power whereby he is able to do all things. He will confess you before his father, which do not deny his verity in word nor deed before your father: he will make you to reign with him, that now suffer for him and with him: he will not leave you comfortless, that seek no comfort but at his hand, though for a little time you be afflicted, yet therein will he comfort and strength you, and at the length make you to be merry with him, in such joy as is infinite and endless. He will wipe all the tears from your eyes: he will embrace you as your dear husband: he will after he hath proved you, crown you with a crown of glory and immortality, such as the heart of man shall never be able to conceive in such sort as the thing is. He now beholdeth your steadfastness, and st • iuyng to do his good will: and shortly will he show you how steadfast he is, and will be ready to do your will, after that you have fully resigned it to his will.

Pledge him in his cup of the cross, & you shall pledge him in the cup of his glory. Desire to drink it before it come to the dregs, whereof the wicked shall drink, and all those that for fear of the cross and pledging the Lord, do walk with the wicked in betraying in fact and deed, that which their heart embraceth for verity. The which thing if you should do (which God forbid) then my dear Mistress and Sister in the Lord, you should not only loose all that I have before spoken, and much more infinitely of eternal joy and glory, but also be a cast away, and partaker of gods most heavy displeasure in hell fire eternally: and so for a little ease, which you cannot tell how long it will last, to l • ose forever and ever, all ease and comfort. For he that gathereth not with me (saith Christ, as no Mass Gospel • er doth) scattere • h abroad. Accordyng to that we do in this body, we shall receive, be it good or bad. If of our words we shall be judged to condemnation or salvation: much more then of our facts and deeds. You cannot be partaker of God's religion and Antichrists service, whereof the Mass is most principal. You cannot be a member of Christ's Church, and a member of the Popes Church. You must glorify God not only in soul and heart, but also in body and deed. You may not think that God requireth less of you his wife now, then your husband did of you. I • both heart and body your husband would have, shall Christ have less (trow you) which hath so bitterly & dearly bought it? If your husband could not admit an excuse how your heart is his only if he should have taken your body in bed with another: do you think that Christ will allow your body at Mass, although your heart consent not to it?

God esteemeth his children, not only of their hearts, but of their pure hands and works, and therefore in Helias time, he counted none to be his servants and people, but such as had not bowed their knees to Baal: as now he doth not in England accompt any other to be his derlings, which know the truth in heart, and deny it in their deeds, as do our Mass Gospellers.

We ought to desire above all things the sanctifieng of God's holy name, and the coming of his kingdom, and shall we then see his name blasphemed so horribly as it is at Mass, by making it a sacrifice propitiatory, and setting forth a false Christ of the Priests and bakers making, to be worshipped as GOD, and say nothing? The Jews rent their clothes asunder in seeing or hearing any thing blasphemously done or spoken against God, and shall we yet come to Church where Mass is, and be mute? Paul and Barnabas rent their clothes to see the people of Lycaonia to offer sacrifice unto them, and shall we see sacrifice and gods service done to an inanimate creature and be mumme? What thing helpeth more or so much Antichrists kingdom as doth the Mass? And what destroyeth preaching and the kingdom of Christ upon earth more then it doth? And how can we then say: Let thy kingdom come, and go to Mass? How can we pray before God: Thy will be done on earth, when we will do our own will, and the will of our father or friends? How pray we: Deliver us from evil: which knowing the Mass to be evil, do come to it?

But what go I about to light a candle in the Noone day, that is, to tell you that we may not go to Mass, or to the congregation where it is, except it be to reprove it, in that all men in so doing, do but dissemble both with God and man? And is dissembling now to be allowed? How long will men yet halt on both knees (saith God)? Halting (saith Paul) bringeth out of the way, that is to say, out of Christ, which is the way: so that he which is not in him shall wither away, and be cast into hell fire. For Christ will be ashamed of them before his father, which be now ashamed of his truth before this wicked generation.