A Friendly Farewell, which Master Doctor Ridley, late Bishop of London did write being prisoner in Oxeforde, unto all his true Lovers and friends in God, a little before that he suffered for the testimony of the truth of Christ his Gospel.  
Newly set forth and allowed according to the order appointed in the queens majesties Injunctions.  
Ecclesiasticus. 4.  
For the truth strive thou unto death.  
¶ Imprinted at London by John Day, dwelling over Aldersgate, beneath. S. Martius. 1559. The .10. of Novembre.  
Cum gratia & privilegio Regia Maiestatis per Septennium.   

JOHN FOX to the gentle Reader.  
Amongst many other worthy & sundry Histories, and notable acts which we have in hand, and intend (by the grace of Christ our Lord) shortly to set abroad, of such as of late days have been persecuted, murdered, & martyred for the true Gospel of Christ, in Queen Mary's reign. first to begin with this little treatis of Doct. Nicholas Ridley, late bishop of London, this shallbe to desire thee (gentle Reader) to accept it, and studiously to peruse it in the mean time, while the other Uolumes be addressing, which we are about, touching the full History, process, and examinations, of all our blessed brethren, lately persecuted for righteousness sake. Which Histories when they shall come to light, (I suppose) thou shalt see as horrible a slaughter of the Saints, joined with as much cruelty of some English hearts, as ever in any one realm before Christ, or after was seen. In the mean time because all thing can not be done at once, & the Uolumes be long, accept well in worth this little, (but pithy) work of this foresaid Bishop, in expectation of greater things, which shall (perchance) more largely satisfy thy desire. Concerning the contents of this Book, the Argument doth easily import. For the worthiness thereof, the name only of the Author is a sufficient commendation, though I bestow no praise thereof. first when thou readest it by the name of a Far well, thou mayest understand a faithful Declaration, as of one, being in that case, nothing dissembling his conscience in such matters and controversies of religion, wherefore he suffered.  
Again, when thou readest written by Doctor Ridley, Bishop of London, by that only name, thou mayest understand, of what excellency and learning, the work is to be thought proceeding from such a man whose profound learning is unknown to few.  
Thus double ways are we bound to the Lord, who not only by the blood and death of his Saints, confirmeth the testimony of his truth, but also besides their death, leaveth such monuments behind them, which no less confound the adversary, as confirm the godly.  
Briefly, as there is nothing in this Book that greatly needeth any man's commendation, being able enough of his own praise: so neither do I so mistrust thy virtuous towardness (good and Christian Reader) in godly study & reading that thou shouldst greatly nead my exhortation thereunto, or any Epistle before the work: save only that I would desire the aid of thy Christian prayer, whereby the things may the more luckily come forward, which for thy sake at this present we do achieve, to the furthering of God his glory, the testimony of true religion, and establishing of thy conscience. Thus desiring the brotherly help of thy prayer I wish thee to far well with well far in the Lord. The grace of Christ confirm us, and stablish us in all well doing, to the glory of his name.  
Amen.   

¶ A FRIENDLY farewell.  
AS a man minding to take a far journey and to depart from his familiar friends, commonly, and naturally hath a desire to bid his friends farewell before his departure. So likewise now I, looking when that I should be called for to departed hence from you (O all ye my dear beloved brethren, and sisters in our Saviour Christ,) that dwell here in this world, having now a like mind towards you all. And also blessed be God of this such time and leisure, whereof I right heartily thank his heavenvly goodness, I bid you all my dear brethren and sisters in Christ, that dwell upon the earth, after such manner as I can. Farewell.  
Farewell my dear Brother George Shypside, whom I have ever found faithful, trusty and loving in all state and conditions: And now in the time of my cross, over all other to me most friendly, and steadfast. And that which liked me best over all other things: in God's cause ever hearty.  
Farewell my dear sister Alice, his wife: I am glad to hear of that that thou dost take Christ's cross, which is laid now (blessed be god) both on thy back, and mine in good part: Thank thou God, that hath given thee a godly, and a loving husband: See thou honour him, and obey him, according to God's law. Honour thy mother-in-law his mother, and love all that pertaineth unto him: being ready to do them good as it shall lie in thy power. As for thy children I doubt not of thy husband, but that he which hath given him a heart to love, and fear God, and in God, than that pertain unto him, he shall also make him friendly and beneficial unto thy children, even as if they had been gotten of his own body.  
Farewell my well-beloved brother john Rydley of the Waltown and you my gentle and loving sister Elizabeth, whom besides the natural leauge of amity, your tender love which you were said ever to bear towards me, above the rest of your brethren doth bind me to love: My mind was to have acknowledged this your loving affection, & to have acquitted it with deeds, & not with words alone, your daughter Elizabeth I bid farewell, whom I love for the meek & gentle spirit that God hath given her, which is a precious thing in the sight of God.  
Farewell my beloved Sister of Unthancke, with all your children my Nephews and Nices, since the departure of my Brother Hugh, my mind was to have been unto them in the stead of their father. But the Lord God must & will be their father, if they will love him & fear him, and live in the trade of his law.  
Farewell my well-beloved worshipful Cozein Nicholas Ridley of Willymountswicke & your wife, And I thank you for all your kindness showed both to me: and also to all your own kinsfolk and mine. Good Cozein, as God hath set you in that our stock and kindred not for any respect of your person, but of his abundant grace and goodness to be as it were the Belwether to order and conduct the rest, and hath also endued you with his manifold gifts of grace both heavenly & worldly above others: So I pray you good cozen, as my trust & hope is in you, continue & increase in maintenance of truth, honesty, righteousness & all true godliness: & to the uttermost of your power to withstand falsehood, untruth, unrighteousness and all ungodliness, which is forbid and condemned by the word and laws of God.  
Farewell my Cousin Raffe Whitfield, oh your time was very short with me: mi mind was to have done you good, & yet you caught in that little time a loss. But I trust it shallbe recompensed as it shall please almighty god.  
Farewell all my whole kindred & countrymen. Farewell in Christ altogether: the Lord which is the searcher of secrets knoweth, that according to my heart's desire, mi hope was of late that I should have come among you, and to have brought with me abundance of Christ's blessed Gospel: according to the duty of that office and ministry, where unto among you I was chosen, named and appointed by the mouth of that our late piereles Prince and king Edward. And so also denounced openly in his court by his privy counsel.  
I warn you all my well-beloved kinsfolks and contreimen that ye be not amazed or astonished at the kind of my departure or dissolution. For I ensure you I think it the most honour that ever I was called unto in all my life. And therefore I thank my Lord God heartily for it, that it hath pleased him to call me of his great mercy unto this high honour, to suffer death willingly for his sake, and in his cause, unto the which honour he called the holy Prophets, and his dearly beloved apostles, and his blessed chosen martyrs. For know ye that I doubt no more, but that the causes wherefore I am put to death are God's causes and of truth, than I doubt that the Gospel which John wrote is the Gospel of Christ, or that Paul's Epistles are the very word of God. And to have a heart willing to abide and stand in God's cause, and in Christ's quarrel even unto death, I ensure thee (O man) it is an in estimable and a honourable gift of God given only to the true elects and dearly beloved children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. For the holy Apostle, and also martyr in Christ's cause. Saint Peter saith: If ye suffer rebuke in the name of Christ, that is in Christ's cause, and for his truths sake, than ye are happy and blessed, for the glory of the spirit of God resteth upon you. If for rebuke sake suffered in Christ's name, a man is pronounced by the mouth of the holy Apostle, blessed and happy, how much more happy and blessed is he that hath the grace to suffer death also. Wherefore all you that be my true lovers and friends, rejoice, and rejoice with me again. And render with me hearty thanks to God our heavenly father, that for his sons sake, my saviour & redeemer Christ, he hath vouchsafed to call me, being else without his gracious goodness, in myself but a sinful and a vile wretch: to call me I say, unto this high dignity of his true Prophets, and of his faithful Apostles: and of his holy elected and chosen Martyrs, that is to die and to spend this Temporal life in the defence and maintenance of his eternal and everlasting truth. Ye know that be my Country men, dwelling upon the Borders, where (alas) the true man suffereth oft-times much wrong at the thieves hand: if it chance a man to be slain of the thief (as it oft chanceth there) which went out with his neighbour to help him, to rescue his goods again, that the more cruelly he be slain: and the more steadfast he stuck by his neighbour in fight against the face of the thief, the more favour and friendship shall all his posterity have for the slain man's sake of all them that be true: as long as the memory of his fact, and his Posterity doth endure.  
Even so ye that be my Kinsfolk and Country men, know ye, how so ever the blind, ignorant and wicked world hereafter shall rail upon my Death, which thing they can not do worse than their fathers did of the death of Christ our saviour of his holy Prophets, Apostles, and martyrs. Know ye (I say) that both before God, and all them that be godly, and that truly knoweth, and followeth the laws of God, ye have and shall have by God's grace ever cause to rejoice, and to thank God highly, and to think good of it: and in god, to rejoice of me your flesh and blood, whom God of his gracious goodness hath vouchsafed to associate unto the blessed company of his holy martyrs in heaven: & I doubt not in the infinite goodness of my Lord God, nor in the faithful fellowship of his elect & chosen people: but at both their hands in my cause, ye shall rather find the more favour & grace. For the Lord saith that he will be both to them and theirs that loveth him, the more loving again in a thousand generations. The Lord is so full of mercy to them I say: & theirs which do love him in deed. And Christ saith again that no man can show more love then to give his life for his friend. Now also know ye all my true lovers in God, my kinsfolk and Countrymen, that the cause wherefore I am put to death, is even after the same sort and condition, but touching more nigh God's cause, and in more weighty matters: but in the general kind all one, for both is God's cause, both is in the maintenance of right, both is for the comen wealth, and both for the weal also of the Christian brother: although yet there is in these two no small difference, both concerning the enemies, the goods stolen, and the manner of the fight. For know ye all, as there: when the poor true man is rob by the thief of his own goods truly gotten, whereupon he & his household should live, is greatli wronged, and the thief in stealing & robbing with violence the poor man's goods, doth offend God, doth transgress his law, & is injurious both to the poor man and to the comen wealth: so I say know ye all that even here in the cause of my death, the Church of England, I mean the congregation of the true choose children of God in this realm of England, which I knowledge not only to be my neighbours, but rather the congregation of my true spiritual brethren and sisters in Christ, yea members of one body, wherein by God's grace I am and have been graft in Christ. This Church of England had of late of the infinite goodness and abundant grace of almighty God, great substance, great riches, of heavenly treasure: great plenty of God's true and sincere word, the true and wholesome administration of Christ's holy Sacramenes, the hole profession of Christ's religion truly and plainly set forth in Baptism, the plain declaration and understanding of the same taught in the holy catechism to have been learned of all true Christians. This church had also a true and sincere form and manner of the lords Supper, wherein according to Christ's own ordinance and holy institution: Christ's commandments were executed & done. For upon the bread and wine set upon the lords table, thanks were given, the commemoration of the lords death was had, the bread in the remembrance of Christ's body torn upon the cross, was broken, and the Cup in the remembrance of Christ's blood shed, was distributed, and both comminicated unto all that were present and would receive them: and thereunto were also exhorted of the minister to do. All was done openly in the mother tongue, so that every thing might be both easily hard and plainly understand of all the people to God's high glory, and the edification of the hole Church. This Church had of late the hole divine Service, all comen and public Prayers ordained to be said and hard in the comen congregation: not only framed and fashioned to the true vain of holy scripture: but also all things so set forth according to the commandment of the Lord and Saint Paul's doctrine for the people's edification also in their vulgar tongue, it had also holy and wholesome Homilies in commendation of the principal virtues, which are commended in scripture, and likewise other Homilies against the most pernicious and capital vices that useth (alas) to reign in this Realm of England. This Church had in matters of controversy, articles so penned and framed after the holy Scripture, and grounded upon the true understanding of God's word, that in short time if they had been universally received they should have been able to have set in Christ's church, much concord and unity in Christ's true Religion, and to have expelled many false errors & heresies, wherewith this church (alas) was almost nigh overgone. But, alas, of late into this spiritual possession of this heavenly treasure of these godly riches, are entered in thieves, that have rob and spoiled all this heavenly treasure away. I may well complain on them and cry out upon these thieves with the Prophet, saying Deus venerunt gentes in hereditatem tuam. etc. Psal. 79.  
O Lord God the gentiles, heathen nations are come into thy heritage, they have defiled thy holy Temple, and made jerusalem an heap of stones, that is, they have broken and beat down to the ground thy holy City: This Ethenishe generation, these thieves of Samaria, these Sabei and Caldei, these robbers have rushed out of their dens, and hath rob the Church of England of all the foresaid holy treasure of God, they have carried away and overthrown it, and in stead of God's holy word, the true and right administration of Christ's holy Sacraments, as of baptism, and others, they mixed their ministry with men's foolish fantasies, and many wicked and ungodly traditions withal.  
In the stead of the Lords holy table, they give the people with much solemn disguising a thing they call it their mass, but in dead and in truth it is a very masking and a mockery of the true Supper of the Lord or rather I may call it a crafty juggling, whereby these false thieves & jugglers hath bewitched the minds of the simple people that they have brought them from the true worship of god unto pernicious Idolatry, & make them to believe that to be Christ our Lord & saviour, which in deed, is neither God nor man, nor hath any life in itself, but in substance is the creature of bread and wine, and in use of the lords table is the Sacrament of Christ's body and blood. And for this holy use which the Lord hath ordained them in his Table, to represent unto us his blessed body torn upon the cross for us, & his blood there shed, it pleased him to call them his body and blood, which understanding, Christ declareth to be his true meaning, when he saith: do this in the remembrance of me. And again Saint Paul doth set out the same more plainly, speaking of the same Sacrament after the words of the consecration, & saying. As often as ye shall eat of this bread and drink of this Cup: ye shall set forth (he meaneth with the same) the Lord's death until his coming again: And here also these thieves have rob again the people of the lords Cup, contrary to the plain words of Christ, written in his Gospel. Now for the comen public prayers which were in the vulgar tongue: these thieves have brought again a strange tongue, whereof the people understand not one word: wherein what do they else but rob the people of their divine service, wherein they ought to pray together with the Priest. And to pray in a strange tongue, what is it but as saint Paul calleth it barbarousness, childishness, unprofitable folly: yea and plain madness. For the godly articles of unity in Religion, and for the wholesome Homilies, what do these thieves place in the stead of them, but the Pope's laws & decrees, lying Legandes: and feigned fables and miracles to delude and abuse the simplicity of the rude people. Thus this robbery and theft is not only committed (nay sacrilege and wicked spoil of heavenly things) but also in the stead of the same is brought in and placed the abominable desolation of the tyrant Antiochus, of proud Senacherib, of the shameless faced king, and of the babylon beast. Unto this robbery, this theft and sacrilege because I can not consent nor God willing, never shall, so long as the breath is in my body, because it is blasphemy against God, high treason unto Christ our heavenly King, Lord, Master, and our only saviour and redeemer: it is plain contrary to God's word, & to Christ's Gospel, it is the subversion of all true godliness, and against the everlasting salvation of mine own soul, and all my brethren & sisters whom Christ my saviour hath so dearly bought with no less price than with the effusion and shedding forth of his most precious blood. Therefore all ye my true lovers in God, my Kinsfolk and countrymen, for this cause know ye that I am put to death, which by God's grace I shall willingly take with hearty thanks to God therefore: in certain hope without any doubting to receive at God's hand again of his free mercy and grace, everlasting life.  
Although the cause of the true man slain of the thief, healpinge his neighbour to recover his goods again, and the cause wherefore I am to be put to death in a generality, is both one, as I said before, yet know ye that there is no small difference. These thieves as against whom I stand, are much worse than the robbers and thieves of the borders.  
The goods which they steal are much more precious, & their kind of fight are far divers. These thieves are worse I say: for they are more cruel, more wicked, more false, deceitful & more crafty. For those will kill but the body. These will not stick to kill both body and soul. Those for the general theft & robbery be called (& are in deed) thieves and robbers. But these for their spiritual kind of robbery are called Sacrilegi, as ye would say, Church robbers. They are more wicked. For those goeth about but to spoil men of worldly things, worldly riches, gold and silver, and worldly substance. These go about in the ways of the devil (there ghostly father) to steel from the universal church, and particularly from every man, all heavenly treasure, true Faith, true Charity, and hope of salvation in the blood of our saviour jesus Christ: yea to spoil us of our Saviour Christ, of his Gospel, of his heavenly spirit: and of the heavenly heritage of the kingdom of heaven, so dearly purchased unto us with the death of our Master and saviour Christ. These be the goods and godly substance whereupon the Christian before God must live. And with out the which he can not live. These goods, these thieves, these church robbers, go about to spoil us of. The which goods as to the man of God they excel, and far passeth all worldly treasure: so to withstand even unto the death such thieves as go about to spoil both us and the hole Church of such goods, is most high and honourable service done unto God.  
These Church robbers be also much more false, crafty, and deceitful than the thieves upon the borders. For these have not the craft so to commend their theft, that they dare avouch it. And therefore as acknowledging themselves to be evil, they steal commonly upon the night, they dare not appear at judgements and sessions, where justice is executed. And when they are taken and brought thither: they never hang no man, but they be oft times hanged for their faults.  
But these Church robbers can so cloak and colour their spiritual robbery, that they can make the people to believe falsehood to be truth, and truth falsehood, good to be evil, and evil good, light to be darkness, and darkness light, Superstition to be true Religion, and idolatry to be the true worship of God: and that which is in substance the creature of bread and wine, to be none other substance but only the substance of Christ the living Lord both God and man. And this there falsehood and craft they can so juggle and bewitch the understanding of the simple, that they dare avouch it openly in Court and in town, and feareth neither hanging nor heddinge as the poor thieves of the borders do. But stout and strong like Nembrothe, dare condemn to be burned in flaming fire quick & alive, who so ever will go about to bewray their falsehood.  
The kind of fight against these Church robbers, is also of an other sort and kind: then is that which is against the thieves of the borders.  
For there the true men go forth against them with spear and lance, with bow and bill, and all such kind of bodily weapons, as the true men hath.  
But here as the enemies be of another nature: so the watchmen of Christ's flock, the warriors that fight in the Lord's war, must be armed, and fight with another kind of weapons and Armour, For here the enemies of God, the soldiers of Antichrist although the battle is set forth against the Church by mortal men, being flesh and blood, and nevertheless members of their father the devil: yet for that their grand master is the power of darkness, their members are spiritual wickedness, wicked spirits, spirits of errors, of heresies, of all deceit, and ungodliness, spirits of idolatry, superstition, & hypocrisy, which are called of S. Paul Principates & powers, Lords of the world and spiritual subtleties concerning heavenly things. And therefore our weapons must be fit and meet to fight against such, not carnal nor Lordly weapons as spear or sans, but spiritual and heavenvly: we must fight against such with the armour of God, not intending to kill their bodies, but their errors, their false craft and heresies, their Idolatry, Superstition and hypocrisy, and to save as much as lieth in us both their bodies and souls. And therefore as S. Paul teacheth us, we fight not against flesh and blood, that is, we fight not with bodily weapon to kill the man, but with the weapons of God, to put to flight his wicked errors and vice, and to save both body and soul.  
Our weapons therefore are faith hope and Charity, righteousness, truth, patience, prayer unto God: and our sword wherewith me smite our enemies, we beat and batter, & bear down all falsehood, is the word of God. With these weapons under the banner of the Cross of Christ we do fight: ever having an eye upon our grand Master, Duke, and captain Christ. And then we reckon ourselves to triumph and to win the crown of everlasting bliss: when enduring in this battle without any shrinking or yielding to the enemies after the example of our grand captain Christ our Master, after the example of his holy Prophets, apostles and martyrs, when (I say) we are slain in our mortal bodies of our enemies, & are most cruelly & without all mercy murdered down like a meinie of sheep. And the more cruel, the more painful the more vile and spiteful is the kind of the death, whereunto we be put the more glorious in God, the more blessed and happy we reckon without all doubts our martyrdom to be.  
And thus much dear lovers and friends in God, my countrymen & kinsfolk I have spoken for your comfort: lest of mi death (of whose life you looked peradventure sometimes to have had honesty, pleasures, and some commodities) ye might be abashed or think any evil, but rather to rejoice if ye love me in deed, for that it hath pleased God to call me to a greater honour & dignity, them ever I did enjoy before either in Rochester or in the sea of London, or ever should have had in the Sea of Durham, whereunto I was last of all elected and named: yea I count it greater honour before God in deed to die in his cause (whereof I nothing doubt) then is any earthly or temporal promotion or honour that can be given to a man in this world. And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Gods, to be Christ's quarrel, and of his Gospel, to be the comen weal of all the elect and chosen children of God, of all the inheritors of the kingdom of heaven: who is he (I say) that knoweth this assuredly by God's word, and the testimony of his own conscience, as through thinfinite goodness of God, not of myself, but by his grace, acknowledge myself to do, who is I say that knoweth this and both loveth and feareth God, in deed and in truth, loveth & believeth in his master Christ and his blessed Gospel, loveth his brotherhood the chosen children of God, & also lusteth and longeth for everlasting life, who is he (I say again) that would not or can not find in his heart in this cause to be content to die. God forbidden that any such should be that should forsake this grace of God. I trust in my Lord God, the God of mercies, & the father of all comfort, through jesus Christ our Lord that he which hath put this mind, will, and affection by his spirit in my heart, to stand against the face of the enemy in his cause, and to chose rather the loss of my worldly substance, yea and of my life to, then to deny his known truth, that he will comfort me, aid me, and strengthen me evermore even unto th'end: and to the yielding up of my spirit, and soul: into his holy hands, whereof I most heartily beseech his holy sacred Majesty of his infinite goodness & mercy, through jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  
Now that I have taken my leave of my Countrymen and kinsfolk: and the Lord doth lend me life and giveth me leisure, I will bid my other good friends in God of other places, also farewell. And whom first or before other than the university of Cambrige, where as I have dwelt, longer, found more faithful and hearty friends, received more benefits (the benefits of my natural parents only excepted) then ever I did even in my own native country wherein I was borne.  
Farewell therefore Cambridge, my loving mother & nurse. If I should not acknowledge thy manifold benefits, yea if I should not for thy benefits at the least love the again truly I were to be counted ungrate & unkind: what benefits hadst thou ever, that thou usest to give & bestow upon thy best beloved children that thou thoughtest to good for me? thou didst bestow on me all thy school degrees. Of thy common offices the chaplainship of the university, the Office of the proctorship, and of a common reader. And of thy private commodities & emoluments in colleges, what was it thou madest me not partner of? First scholar, than fellow, & after mi departure from thee, thou called me again to a mastership of a right worshipful college: I thanck the my loving kindness for all this thy kindness. And I pray God that his laws and the sincere Gospel of Christ may ever be truly taught & faithfully learned in thee.  
Farewell Pembroke hall, of late mine own College, my Cure and my charge? what case thou art in now GOD knoweth. I know not well. Thou wast ever named sithence I knew the which is now a xxx years ago to be studious, well learned, & a great setter forth of Christ's Gospel, and of God's true word: so I found thee, and blessed be God so I left the in deed. Woe is me for the mine own dear College: if ever thou suffer thy self by any means to be brought from that trade. In thy Orchard the walls butts and trees if they could speak, would bear me witness, I learned without book almost all Paul's Epistles, yea and I ween all the Canonical Epistles (save only the Apocalypse) of which study although in time a great part did depart from me: yet the sweet smell thereof I trust I shall carry with me into heaven. For the profit there of I think I have felt in all my life time ever after. And I ween of late whether they abide there now or no (I can not tell) there was, that did the like. The Lord grant that this zeal & love toward that part of God's word, which is a key & a commentary to all holy scripture may ever abide in that college so long as the world shall endure.  
From Cambridge I was called into Kent by the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer that most reverend father and man of God. And of him by and by sent to be vicar of Herne in East Kent. Wherefore farewell Herne the worshipful and wealthy parish, the first cure whereunto I was called to minister God's word. Thou hast hard of my mouth ofttimes the word of God preached, not after the popiste trade, but after Christ's Gospel. Oh that the fruit had answered to the seed. And yet I must knowledge me to be thy debtor for the Doctrine of the lords Supper, which them at that time I acknowledge God had not revealed unto me. But I bless God in all the godly virtue and zeal of God's word, which the Lord by preaching of his word did kindle manifestly both in the heart, life and works of that godly woman, there my Lady Phynes. God grant that his word took like effect there in many other more.  
Farewell thou Cathedral church of Canterbury the Metropolitike sea, where of once I was a member. To speak things pleasant unto thee I dare not, for danger of conscience, and displeasure of my Lord God. And to say what lieth in my heart were now to much and I fear were able to do thee now but a little good.  
Nevertheless for the friendship I have found in some there: and for charity sake I wish the to be washed clean of all worldliness and ungodliness, that thou mayst be found of God after thy name in truth, Christ's Church in deed.  
Farewell Rochester, sometime my Cathedral sea. In whom to say the truth I did find much gentleness and obedience, which I trust thou wilt not say the contrary, but I did use it to God's glory, and thine own profit in God. Oh that thou hadst and might have continued and gone forward in the trade of God's law, wherein I did leave thee.  
Then thy charge and burden should not have been so terrible and dangerous, as I suppose verily it is like to be (alas) on the latter day.  
To Westminster other advertisement in God I have not now to say, than I have said before to the Cathedral church of Canterbury. And so God give the of his grace that thou mayst learn in deed and in truth to please him after his own laws. And thus far you well.  
Oh London, London, to whom now may I speak in thee, or whom shall I bid farewell: shall I speak to the Prebendaries of Paul's, alas all that loved God's word, and were true setters forth thereof are now as I hear say some brent and slain, some exiled and banished and some holden in hard prison: and appointed daily to be put to most cruel death for Christ's Gospel sake. As for the rest of them I know they could never broke me well, nor I could never delight in them. Shall I speak to the Sea thereof wherein of late I was placed, almost and not fully by the space of three years. But what may I say to it, being as I hear say, I am deposed and expulsed by judgement as an unjust usurper of that room. O judgement, judgement: can this be just judgement to condemn the chief minister of God's word, the pastor and bishop of the Diocese, & never bring him into judgement, that he might have hard what crimes were laid to his charge, nor never suffer him to have any place or time to answer for himself.  
thinkest thou that hereafter when true justice shall have place, that this justice can ever be allowed either of God or of man? well as for the cause and hole matter of mi deposition, and the spoil of my goods which thou possessest yet, I refer it unto God, which is a just judge. And I beseek God if it be his pleasure, that that which is but my personal wrong be not laid to thy charge on the latter day. But this can I pray for thee. O thou now wicked and bloody sea, why dost thou now set up again many altars of Idolatry, which by the word of God were justly taken away? why hast thou overthrown the lords Table? why dost thou daily delude the people, Maskinge in thy Masses in the stead of the Lords holy Supper, which ought to be comen aswell (saith Chrisostom, yea the Lord himself) to the people as to the Priest? why darest thou deny to the people of christ contrary to his expressed commandment in the gospel his holy cup? why judgest thou to the people the comen prayer in a strange tongue, wherein. S. Paul commandeth in the Lords name no man should speak before the congregation, except it should be by and by declared in their comen tongue that all might be edified. Nai hearken thou whorish band of Babilone, thou wicked limb of antichrist, thou bloody Wolffe, why slayest thou down and makest havoc of the Prophets of god? why murderest thou so cruelly Christ's poor silly sheep? which will not hear thy voice because thou art a stranger, and they will follow none other but their pastor Christ his voice?  
thinkest to escape, or that the LORD will not require the blood of his Saints at thy hands. Thy GOD which is the work of thy hands, and whom thou sayest thou hast power to make. That thy Deaf and dumb God will not in deed, nor can not (although thou art not ashamed to call him thy Maker) make the to escape the revenging hand of the high and almighty God. But be thou assured, our living Lord, our saviour and redeemer, which setteth on the right-hand of his father in glory, he seeth all thy wicked ways and cruelty done to his dear members, and he will not forget his holy ones. And his hands, O thou whorish drab, shalt thou never escape. In stead of my farewell, to the now I say. Fie upon the. Fie upon the filthy drab and all thy false prophets.  
Yet O thou London, I may not leave thee thus, although thy Episcopal sea, now being joined in league with the seat of Satan, thus hath now both handled me & the Saints of God, yet I do not doubt but in that great City there be many privy mourners which daily mourneth for that mischief which never did nor shall consent to that wickedness, but do detest & abhor it as the ways of Satan. But these privy mourners here I will pass by and bid them farewell with their fellows hereafter, when the place and occasion shall more conveniently require. Among the worshipful of the City, and specially which were in office of the meralty, ye and in other Citizens also whom to name now it shall not be necessary. In the time of my ministry, which was from the latter part of sir Rowland Hills year, unto sir George Barnes year, and a great part thereof, I do acknowledge that I found no small humanity and gentleness, as me thought. But to say the truth that I esteem before all other for true Christian kindness that is showed in God's cause, and done for his sake: wherefore O Dobbes, Dobbes, Alderman and Knight: thou in thy year didst win my heart for evermore, for that honourable act, that most blessed work of God, of the erection and setting up of Christ's holy Hospitals and truly religious houses, which bithe & through the was begun. For thou like a man of God, when the matter was moved for the relief of Christ's poor silly members to be helped from extreme misery, hunger and famine, thy heart was moved with Pity. And as Christ high honourable officer in that cause, thou called'st together thy Brethrens and Aldermen of the City, before whom thou broke the matter for the poor, thou pleadest their cause, yea, and not only in thy own Person, thou didst set forth Christ's cause, but to further the matter, thou broughtest me into the Counsel Chamber of the City before the aldermen alone, which thou hadst assembled there together to hear me speak, what I could say as an advocate by office and duty in the poor men's cause. The Lord wrought with thee, and gave thee the consent of thy brethren.  
Whereby the matter was brought to the comen Counsel, and so to the whole body of the City. by whom with an uniform consent, the matter was committed to be drawn, ordered, and devised by a certain number of the most witty citizens, and Politic, endued also with godliness, & with ready hearts to set forward such a noble act as could be chosen in all the hole City. And they like true and faithful Ministers, both to their City, and to their Master Christ, so ordered, devised, & brought forth the matter, that thousands of silly poor members of Christ, which else for extreme hunger and misery should have famished and pearished, shall be relieved and helped up, and shall have cause to bliss the Aldermen, the comen counsel and the hole body of the City, but specially thee o Dobbes, and those chosen men by whom this honourable work of God was begun & wrought: and that so long through out all ages, as that godly work shall endure: which I pray almighty God may be ever unto the worlds end.  
And thou o sir George Barnes, the truth is to be confessed to God's glory, and to the good example of other, thou waste in thy year not only a furtherer and continuer of that, which before thee, by thy predecessor Dobbes was well begun: but also didst labour so to have profited the work, that it should have been an absolute thing a perfect spectacle of true charity & godliness unto all Christendom.  
Thine endeavour was to have set up an house of occupations, both that all kind of poverty, being able to work, should not have lacked whereupon profitably they might have been occupied to their own relief, and to the profit and commodity of the comen wealth of the City, and also to have retired thither, the poor babes brought up in the Hospitals, when they had come to a certain age and strength.  
And also all those which in the Hospitals aforesaid have been cured of their diseases: and to have brought this to pass (not without diligence and labour both, of the and thy brethren) thou obtained at that godly king Edward that christian and pierles Prince's hand, his Princely place of Bridewell, with what other things to the performance of the same, and under what condition it is not unknown: That this thine endeavour hath not had like success, the fault is not in thee, but in the condition and state of the time, which the Lord of his infinite mercy vouchsafe to amend, when it shallbe his gracious will and pleasure.  
Farewell now all ye Citizens that be of God, of what state and condition so ever ye be: undoubtedly in London ye have hard God's word truly preached. My hearts desire and daily prayer shall be for you, as for whom (for my time) I know to my Lord God I am comptable: that ye never serve, neither for loss of life or worldly goods, from God's holy word, and yield unto Antichrist, whereupon must needs follow the great displeaser of God, and the loss of your bodies & souls into perpetual damnation for evermore.  
Now that I have gone through the places where I have dwelled any space in the time of my pilgrimage here upon earth. Remembering that for the space of King Edward's reign, which was for the time of mine Office in the Seas of London and Rochester, I was a member of the higher house of the parliament. Therefore seeing my God hath given me laysoure, and the remembrance thereof. I will bid my Lords of the temporalty farewell: They shall have no just cause by God's grace to take it that I intend to say in ill part. As for spiritual prelacy, that now is, I have nothing to say to them: except I should repeat again a great part of that I have said before now, all ready to the Sea of London.  
But to you my Lords of the temporalty, understand ye this first. That when I wrote this, I looked daily, when I should be called to the change of my life. And thought that that this my writing should not come to your knowledge before the time of the dissolution of my body and soul should be expired: and therefore know ye that I had before mine eyes only the fear of God, & Christian Charity toward you, which moved me to write: for of you hereafter I look not in this world, other for pleaser or displeaser, if my talk shall do you never so much pleasure or profit, you can not promote me. Nor if I displease you, ye can not hurt me, or harm me: For I shall be out of your reach. Now therefore if you fear God, and can be content to hear the talk of him that seeketh nothing at your hands, but to serve God, and to do you good: hearken what I say: I say unto you as. S. Paul saith to the Galathians, I wonder mi Lords what hath bewitched you, that ye so suddenly are fallen from Christ unto Antichrist: from Christ's gospel unto men's traditions: from the Lord that bought you, unto the Bishop now of Rome. I warn you of your peril, be not deceived, except you will be found willingly consenters unto your own death. For if ye think thus, we are lay men, this is a matter of Religion, we follow as we are taught and led, if our teachers and governors teach us, and lead us amiss, the fault is in them, they shall bear the blame. My Lords this is true, I grant you that both the false teacher, and the corrupt governor, both shall be punished for the death of their subject, whom they have falsely taught and corruptly led: And his blood shall be required at their hands. But yet nevertheless shall that subject die the death himself also, that is: he shall also be dampened for his own sin.  
For if the blind lead the blind, Christ saith not the leader only, but he saith, both shall fall in the ditch. Shall the synagogue and the Senate of the jews (trow ye) which forsook Christ and consented to his Death, therefore be excused, because Annas, Caiphas, with the Scribes and Phariseis, and their clergy did teach them amiss? yea and also Pilate their governor, and the Emperors lieutenant by his tyranny did without cause put him to death. Forsooth no my Lords, no: but notwithstanding that corrupt doctrine or pilate's washing of his hands, neither of both shall excuse other, that synagogue and signior, or Pilate. But at the lords hand for the effusion of that innocentes blood on the latter day, all shall drink of the deadly whip. Ye are witty and understand what I mean. Therefore I will pass over this, and return to tell you how you are fallen from Christ to his adversary the Bishyp of Rome.  
And lest my Lords I may peradventure think me thus barely to call the Bishop of Rome Christ's adversary, or to speak it in plain terms to call him Antichrist, that it is done in mine anguish, and that I do but rage, and as a desperate man do not care, what I say, or upon whom I do rail. Therefore that your Lordships may perceive my mind, and understand that I speak the words of truth and of sobriety, as S. Paul said unto Festus. Be it known unto your Lordships all, that as concerning the bishop of Rome, I neither hate the person, nor the place. For I ensure your Lordships, the living Lord beareth me witness before whom I speak, I do think many a good holy man, many martyrs and Saints of God, hath set and taught in that place, Christ's Gospel truly: which therefore justly may be called Apostolici, that is true Disciples of the Apostles. And also that Church and congregation of Christians: Apostolic Church, yea and that certain hundredth years after the same was first erected & builded upon Christ, by the true Apostolical Doctrine, taught by the mouths of the Apostles themselves.  
If ye will know how long that was, and how many hundredth of years: to be curious in pointing the precise number of years, I will not be to bold, but thus I say, so long and so many hundred of years, as that sea did truly teach and preach that gospel, that religion, exercised that power, & ordered every thing by those laws and rules, which that sea received of the Apostles (and as tertulian saith) and the apostles of Christ, and Christ of God: so long that Sea might well have been called Peter and Paul's chair and Sea, or rather Christ's Chair, and the Bishop thereof Apostolicus, or a true Disciple of the Apostles, and a minister of Christ. But since that time, that Sea hath degenerated from that trade of truth and true Religion, which it received of the Apostles at the beginning, and hath preached another Gospel, hath set up an other Religion, hath exercised an other power, and hath taken upon it to order and rule the Church of Christ by other strange laws, Cannons and rules, than ever that Sea received of the Apostles of Christ, which things it doth at this day, and hath continued so doing alas, alas, of to, to long a time. From time I say that the state and condition of this Sea, hath thus been changed. In truth it ought of duty and of right to have the names changed, both of the Sea, and of the sitter therein.  
For understand my Lords, it was neither for the Privilege of that place or Person thereof, that that Sea and Bishop thereof, were called Apostolic: but for the true trade of Christ's Religion, which was taught and maintained in that Sea at the first, and of those godly men. And therefore as truly and justly as that Sea, then for that true trade of Religion and consanguinity of Doctrine, with the Religion and Doctrine of Christ's Apostles was called Apostolic: So as truly & as justly for the contrariety of religion and diversity of doctrine from Christ and his apostles, that Sea and the Bishop thereof at this day, both aught to be called, and are in deed Antichristian. The Sea is the seat of Satan, and the Bishop of the same that maintaineth the Abominations thereof, is antichrist himself in deed. And for the same causes this sea at this day is the same which. s. John calleth in his revelation, Babylon, or the whore of Babylon, and spiritually Sodoma and Egiptus, the mother of fornications, and of the abominations upon the earth. And with this whore doth spiritually mell and lies with her, and committeth most stinking and abominable adultery before God. Al those Kings and Princes, yea and all nations of th'earth, which consenteth and doth use and practise her abominations.  
That is of the innumerable multitude of them to rehearse, some for example sake, her dispensations, her Pardons, and pilgrimages, her invocation of Saints, her worshipping of Images, her false counterfeit religion, in her monkery and frerage, in her traditions, where by God's laws are defiled, as in her Massing, and false ministering of God's word, and the sacraments of Christ amiss, contrary clean to Christ's word and the Apostles doctrine, whereof in particularity I have touched something before in my talk, had with the Sea of London, and in other treatises more at large, wherein if it shall please God to bring the same to light, shall appear I trust by gods grace plain lie to the man of God, and to him whose rule in judgement of religion is God's word. That that religion that rule, and order, that doctrine and faith, which this whore of Babylon, and the beast whereupon she doth sit, maintaineth at this day withal violence of fire and sword, with spoil and banishment (according to daniel's Prophecy) and finally with all falsehood, deceit, hypocrisy, and all kind of ungodliness, are as clean contrary to god's word, as darkness is unto light, or light to darkness, white to black, or black to white, or as Belial unto Christ, or christ unto Antichrist himself. I know my Lords & for saw when I wrote this, that to so many of you, as should see this my writing, and not being before endued with the spirit of grace and & light of god's word, so many would at these my words Lordlike stamp & sporn at, spit at it. But sober yourselves with patience and be still, & know ye that in mi writing of this mi mind was none other but in God, (as the living God doth bear me witness) both to do you profit & pleasure. And otherwise as for your displeasure by that time that this shall come to your knowledge, I trust by god's grace to be in the hands & protection of th'almighty mi heavenly father, and the living Lord, which is (as S John saith) the greatest of all. And thed them I shall not need I trow, what any lord: no nor what any king or prince can do unto me.  
My Lords if in times passed ye have been contented to hear me sometimes in matters of Religion before the Prince in the pulpit, and in the Parliament house, and have not seemed to have despised what I have said: when as else then if ye had perceived just occasion: ye might have suspected in my talk, though it had been reasonable, either desire of worldly gain, or fear of displeasure. How hath then your Lordships more cause to hearken to my word, and to hear me patiently seeing now ye cannot justly think of me being in this case appointed to die, and looking daily when I shall be called to come before the eternal judge, otherwise, but that I only study now to serve my Lord god: & to say that thing which I am persuaded assuredly by God's word, shall and doth please him, and profit all them to whom God shall give grace to hear & believe what I do say. And I do say even that I have said heretofore, both of the sea of Rome, and of the bishop thereof, I mean after this their present state at this day. Wherein if ye will not believe the ministers of God, & the true preachers of his word, truly I denounce unto you in Verbum domini, except ye do repent be time, it shall turn to your confusion: and to your smart on the latter day. Forget not what I say my Lords for God's sake forget not, but remember it upon your death bed. For I tell you moreover as I know I must be comptable of this my speaking thus, to the eternal judge: (who will judge nothing amiss) so shall you be comptable of your duty in hearing, and you shall be charged, if ye will hearken to God's word, for not obeying to the truth. Alas my Lords, how chanceth this, that this matter is now a new again to be persuaded unto you: who would have thought of late but your Lordships had been persuaded in deed sufficiently, or else that ye could ever have agreed so uniformly with one consent to the abolishment of the usurpation of the bishop of Rome. If that matter were then but a matter of policy, wherein the Prince must be obeyed, how is it now made a matter, wherein as your Clergy saith now (and so saith the Pope's laws in deed) standeth the unity of the catholic Church, and a matter of necessity of our salvation? Hath the time being so short since the death of the ii last kings, Henry the eight, & Edward his son, altered the nature of the matter? If it have not, but was of the same nature and danger then, as it is now, and be now, as it is said by the Pope's laws, and the instructions set forth in English to the Curates of the diocese of York, in deed a matter of necessity to salvation. How then chanced that ye were all (O my Lords) so light, and so little passed upon the Catholic faith, and the unity thereof (without the which no man can be saved) as for your Prince's pleasures, which were but mortal men to forsake the unity of your Catholic faith, that is to forsake Christ and his holy Gospel. And furthermore if it were then, and now so necessary to salvation, how chanced it also, that ye all the hole body of the Parliament agreeing, with you, did not only abolish and expel the Bishop of Rome, but also did abjure him in your persons, and did decree in your acts great oaths to be taken of both the spiritualty and temporalty: whosoever should enter into aniwaity & chargeable office in the comen wealth. But on th'otherside, if that law and decree, which maketh the supremacy of the Sea and Bishop of Rome over the universal church of christ, a thing of necessiti required unto salvation, be an Antichristian law (as it is in deed.) And such instructions as is given to the diocese of York, be in deed a setting forth of the power of that beast of Babylon, by the craft and falsehood of his false Prophets, as of a truth compared unto God's word, & truly judged by the same, it shall plainly appear that they be: then my Lords never think other, but the day shall come when ye shallbe charged with this your undoing of that, that once ye had well done: & with this your perjury & breach of your oath, which oath was done in judgement, justice and truth agreeable to God's law. The whore of Babylon maywel for a time dally with you, and make you so drunk with the wine of her filthy stews and whoredom, as with her dispensations and promises of pardon, A pena & culpa, that for drunkenness and blindness ye may think yourselves safe. But be ye assured when the living Lord shall try the matter by the fire, and judge it according to his word: when all her abominations shall appear what they be. Then ye my Lords (I give your Lordship's warning in time, repent if ye be happy, and love your own soul's health, repent I say, or else without all doubt) ye shall never escape the hands of the living Lord for the gilt of your Prince and the breach of your oath. And as ye have banqueted & line with the whore in the fornication of her whorish dispensations, Pardons, Idolatry, & such like abhomioations: so shall ye drink, with her (except ye repent be time) of the cup of the Lords indignation & everlasting wrath, which is prepared for the beast, his false Prophets, and all their partakers. For he that is Partner with them in their whoredom and abominations, must also be partner with them of their plagues. And on the latter day shallbe thrown in with them, in the lake burning with brimstone and unquenchable fire. Thus far you well my lords al. I pray God give you understanding of his blessed will and pleasure, and make you to believe and embrace the truth.  
Amen.   

¶ To the Prisoners in Christ's Gospel's cause, and to all them which for the same cause are exiled and banished out from their own country, choosing rather to lose all worldly commodity than their master Christ.  
FArewell my dear beloved brethren in Christ, both you my fellow prisoners, and you also that be exiled and banished out of your Countries, because ye will rather forsake all worldly commodity than the Gospel of Christ.  
Farewell all ye together in Christ farewell: and be mearye. For you know that the trial of your faith, bringeth forth patience, and patience shall make us perfect, whole and sound on every side. And such after trial ye know shall receive the crown of life: let us therefore be patient unto the coming of the Lord. As the husbandman abideth patiently the former and latter rain. For the increase of his crop: let us likewise, be patient and pluck up our hearts for the coming of the Lord approacheth apace. Let us my dear brethren take example of patience in tribulation of the Prophets, which spoke likewise God's word truly in his name. Let job be to us an example of patience. And the end which the Lord suffered which is full of mercy and pity, we know my brethren by gods word, that our faith is much more precious than any corruptible gold: and yet that is tried by the fire. Even so therefore our faith is tried likewise in tribulations, that it may be found (when the Lord shall appear) laudable, glorious and Honourable: For if we for Christ's cause do suffer that, that is grateful before God, for thereunto are we called. That is our state and our vocation, wherewith let us be content: Christ we know suffered for us afflictions: leving us an example that we should follow his footsteps. For he committed no sin nor was there any guile found in his mouth, when he was railed upon, and all to reviled he did not threaten, but committed the punishment thereof to him that judgeth a right.  
Let us ever have in fresh remembrance those wonderful comfortable sentences spoken by the mouth of our saviour Christ. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you, persecute you, and speak all evil against you for my sake. Rejoice & be glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For so did they persecute the prophets, which were before you. Therefore bear this always in your mind, that if any incommodity doth chance unto us for righteousness sake, that happy are we whatsoever the world doth think of us. Christ our master hath told us before hand that the brother shall put the brother to death, & the father the son, & the children should rise against their parents & kill them. And that Christ's true apostles should be hated of all men for his name's sake But he that shall abide patiently unto th'end he shallbe saved. Let us then endure in all troubles patiently after th'example of our master Christ, & be contented therwt. For he suffered being our master & Lord, how doth it not then become us to suffer? For the disciple is not above his master nor the servant above his Lord. It may suffice the disciple to be as his master, and the servant to be as Lord. If they have called the master of the family, the master of the household Belzebub, how much more shall they call so, them of his household? Fear them not then saith our saviour, for all privities shallbe made plain. There is now nothing secret, but it shall be showed in light. Of Christ's words, let us neither be ashamed nor afraid to speak it. For so our master commandeth us, saying. That I tell privily, speak openli abroad: and that I tell you in your ear, preach it up on the house top. And be not afraid of yourself, of them which kill the body, for the soul they can not kill. But fear him which can cast both Body and soul into hell fire. Know ye that the heavenly father, hath ever a gracious eye and respect toward you, & a fatherly providence for you, so that without his knowledge and permission, nothing can do you harm. Let us therefore cast all care upon him, and he shall provide that which shallbe best for us. For if of ii small sparrows which both are sold for a mite, one of them lighteth not on the ground without the father.  
And all the hairs of our head are numbered, fear not then saith our Master Christ, for you are more worth than many small sparrows. And let us not stick to confess our master Christ for fear of danger whatsoever it shallbe: remembering the promiss that Christ maketh & saith: every one that shall confess me before men, him shall I confess before my father which is in heaven But whosoever shall deny me, him shall I likewise deny before my father which is in heaven, Christ came not to give unto us hear a carnal amity, and a worldly peace or to knit his unto the world in ease and peace: but rather to separate & divide them from the world: and to join them unto himself. In whose cause we must if we willbe his, forsake father and mother, and stick unto him, if we forsake him, or shrink from him for trouble or deaths sake, which he calleth his cross: he will none of us, we cannot be his, if for his cause we shall lose our temporal lives here, we shall find it again and enjoy it for evermore: but if in his cause we will not be contented to leave nor lose it here: then shall we lose it so, that we shall never find it again. But in everlasting death.  
What though our troubles here be painful for the time, and the sting of death bitter & unpleasant: yet we know they shall not last in comparison of eternity, no not the twinkling of an eye. And that they patiently taken in Christ's cause shall procure & get us, unmeasurable heaps of heavenly glory, unto the which these temporal pains & troubles of death compared: are not to be esteemed, but to be rejoiced upon. Wonder not saith S. Peter, as though it were any strange matter that ye are tried by fire (he meaneth of tribulation) which thing saith he, is done to prove you. Nay but in that ye are partners of Christ's afflictions rejoice, that in his glorious revelation, ye may rejoice with merry hearts. If ye suffer rebukes in Christ's name, happy are for the glory of the spirit of God resteth upon you. Of them God is reviled and dishonoured: but of you he is glorified. Let no man be ashamed in that he suffereth as a christian and in Christ's cause. For now is the time that judgement & god's correction must begin at the house of God. And if it begin first at us, what Shallbe th'end of those think ye, which believe not that gospel? And if the righteous shall be hardly saved, the wicked and the sinner where shall he apere? wherefore they which are afflicted according to the will of God, let them lay down & commit their souls to him, by well doing as to a trusty & faithfulmaker: this as I said may not seem strange to us. For we know that all the hole fraterniti of christes congregation in this world is served with the like: & by the same is made perfect: for the fervent love that the apostles had unto their master christ for the great commodities & increase of all godliness, which they by their faith to ensue of afflictions in Christ's cause, & thirdly for the heaps of heavenly joys which the same do get unto the godly which shall endure in heaven for evermore. For these causes I say, the apostles of their afflictions did joy, & rejoiced in that they were had & accounted worthy to suffer contumelies & rebukes for Christ's name: & Paul as he glorified in the grace and favour of God, whereunto he was brought and stood in by faith: so he glorified in his afflictions for the heavenly & spiritual profits, which resteth upon them, yea, he was so much in love with that, that the carnal man loath the so much, that is with Christ's cross, that he judged himself to know nothing else, but christ crucified, he will glori he saith in nothing else but in Christ's cross, yea & he blesseth all those (as thonli true Israelites and elect people of god) with peace and mercy, which walketh after the rule & after none other.  
O Lord what a wonderful spirit was that, that made Paul in setting forth of himself against the vanity of Satan his Pseudo postles, and in his claim there, that he in Christ's cause did excel & pass them all? what wonderful Spirit was that I say, that made him to reckon up all his troubles, his labours, his beatings, his whippings his scourgings, his shipwreck, his dangers and perils by water and by land, his famine, hunger, nakedness, and cold: with many more and the daily care of all the congregations of Christ. Among whom every man's pain did pierce his heart, and every man's grief was grievous unto him.  
O Lord is this Paul's primacy wherein he thought so much good of it, that he did excel other? Is not this Paul's saying unto Timothy his own scholars and doth it not pertain to whosoever will be Christ's true soldier? bear thou (saith he) the afflictions like a good soldier of jesus Christ. This is true if we die with him (he meaneth Christ:) we shall live with him. If we suffer with him, we shall reign with him. If we deny him, he shall deny us: if we be faithless he remaineth faithful, he cannot deny himself. This Paul would have known to every body. For there is none other wai to heaven, but Christ and his way. And all that will live godly in Christ, shall (saith Saint Paul) suffer persecution.  
By this way went to heaven the patriarchs, the Prophets, Christ our master, his Apostles, his Martyrs, and all the Godly since the beginning. And as it hath been of old, that he which was borne after the flesh, persecuteth him which was borne after the spirit. So it was in Isaac's time, so said Saint Peter, it was in his time also. And whether it be so or no now, let the spiritual man, the man (I mean) that is endued with the spirit of God, let him be judge. Of the cross of the patriarchs, if ye read the book of Genesis, ye shall perceive.  
Of other Saint Paul in few words comprehendeth much matter, speaking in a generality of the wonderful afflictions, death, and torments, which the men of God in God's cause, and for the truth sake, willingly did suffer after much particular rehearsal of many, he saith.  
Other were racked: and despised to be redeemed, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Other again were tried with mockings and scourgings, and moreover with bonds and imprisonment, they were stoned, hewn insunder, teinted, fell and were slain upon the edge of the sword, some wandered to and fro in sheeps pilches, in goats pilches, forsaken, oppressed, afflicted, such godly men as the world was unworthy of, wandering in wilderness, in mountains, in caves, and in dens. And all these were commended for their faith. And yet they abide for us the servants of God, & those their brethren, which are to be slain as they were for the word of God's sake, that none be shut out, but that we may all go together to meet our master Christ in their at his coming, & so to be in bliss with him in body and soul for evermore.  
Therefore seeing we have so much occasion to suffer and to take afflictions for Christ's name sake patiently: so many commodities thereby so weighty causes, so many good examples, so great necessity, so sure promises of eternal life, and eternal joys of him that can not lie. Let us throw away what so ever might let us, all burden of sin, & all kind of carnality. And patiently and constantly let us run for the best game, in this race that is set before us, ever having our eyes upon jesus Christ the ringleader, captain, and profiter of our faith, which for to have the joy set before him, suffered the cross, not passing upon ignomy and shame thereof. & is set now at the right-hand of the throne of God Count this that he suffered such strife of sinners against himself, that ye should not give over nor faint in your minds. As yet brethren we have not withstand unto death, fight against sin. Let us never forget (dear brethren for Christ's sake) that fatherly exhortation of the wise that speaketh unto us, as unto his children, the godly wisdom of god, saying thus. My son despise not the correction of the Lord, nor fall not from him, when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth, him doth he correct, & scourgeth every child whom he receiveth, what child is he whom the father doth not chasten? If ye be free from chastisement (whereof all are partners) then are ye bastards and no children. Seeing then when as we have had carnal parents, which Christened us, we reverenced them: shall not we be much more subject, unto our spiritual father? and shall live. And they for a little time taught us after their own mind: but this father teacheth us to our commodity, to give unto us his holiness. All chastisement for the present time, appeareth not pleasant but painful. But afterward it rendereth the fruit of righteousness on them, which are exercised in it. Wherefore let us be of good cheer (good brethren,) and let us pluck up our feeble membres that were fallen or began to faint, heart, hand, knees, and all the rest, and let us walk up a right and straight, that no Lympinge nor Halting bring us out of the way. Let us look not upon the things that be present, but with the eyes of our faith, let us steadfastly behold the things that be everlasting in heaven.  
And chose rather in respect of the which is to come with the chosen members of Christ to bear Christ's Cross, then for his short life time to enjoy all the riches, honours and pleasers of the broad world.  
Why should we Christians fear death? can death deprive us of Christ which is all our comfort, our joy, & our life? Nay forsooth. But contrary death shall deliver us from this mortal body, which loadeth & beareth down the spirit, that it can not so well perceive heavenvly things in the which so long as we dwell, we are absent from God.  
Wherefore understanding our state in that we be Christians, that if our mortal body, which is our earthly house, were destroyed, we have a building, a house not made with hands, but everlasting in heaven. etc. Therefore we are of good cheer, and know that when we are in the body, we are absent from God. For we walk by faith, and not by clear sight. But we have fiance, and had rather be from the body and present with God: wherefore we strive whether we be present at home, or absent abroad that we may always please him. And who that hath true faith in our saviour Christ, whereby he knoweth somewhat truly what Christ our saviour is: that he is the eternal son of God, life, light, the wisdom of the father, all goodness, all truth, all righteousness and whatsoever is good, that heart can desire, yea infinite plenty of all these above that, that man's heart can either conceive or think. For in him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead corporally. And also that he is given us of the father: and made of God to be our wisdom, our righteousness, our holiness, and our redemption? who I say is he that believeth this in deed, that would not gladly be with his master Christ?  
Paul for this knowledge coveted to have been loosed from the body, and to have been with Christ: For that, he counted much better for himself, & had rather to be loosed then to live. Therefore these words of Christ to the thief on the cross, that asked of him mercy, were full of comfort, and solace. This day thou shalt be with me in paradise. To die in the defence of Christ's Gospel, is our bounden duty to Christ, and also to our neighbour. To Christ: for he died for us, & rose again that he should be Lord over all. And seeing he died for us, we also (saith s. John) should jeopard, yea, give our life for our brethren. And this kind of giving and losing, is getting and winning in deed. For he that giveth or loseth his life thus, getteth and winneth it for evermore.  
Blessed are they therefore that dieth in the Lord. And if they die also in the lords cause, they are most happy of all. Let us not fear then death, which can do us no harm, otherwise then for a moment, to make the flesh to smart: but that our faith which is fast fastened and fixed unto the word of god, telleth us that we shall be anon after death in peace, in the hands of god, in joy, in solace, and that from death we shall go straight unto life. For John saith, he that liveth and believeth in me shall never die: and in an other place: he shall departed from death into life.  
And therefore this death of the christian, is not to be called death, but rather a gate or entrance into everlasting life. Therefore Paul calleth it but a dissolution and resolution. And both Peter and Paul a putting of this Tabernacle or dwelling house, meaning thereby, the mortal body, as wherein the soul or spirit doth dwell here in this world for a small time. Yea this death may be called to the Christian an end of all miseries. For so long as we live here, we must pass through many tribulations before we can enter into the kingdom of heaven. And now after that death hath shot his bolt, all the Christian man's enemies have done what they can, and after that they have no more to do. What could hurt, or harm poor Lazarus that lay at the rich man's gate, his former penury and poverty, his miserable beggary and horrible sores & sickness? For so soon as death had strike him with his dart: so soon came the angels, and carried him up into Abraham's bosom: what lost he by death? who from misery and pain is set forth by the ministry of Angels in a place both of joy and solace. Farewell dear brethren, farewell, and let us comfort our hearts in all troubles and in death with the word of God. For heaven and earth shall perish, But the word of God endureth for ever.  
Farewell Christ's dear beloved spouse, here wandering in this world as in a strange land far from thine own country, and compassed about on every hand with deadly enemies which ceseth not to assault thee, ever seeking thy destruction.  
Farewell, farewell. O ye the hole and universal congregation of the chosen of God, here living upon earth, the true Church militant of Christ, the true mystical body of Christ, the very household & family of God, and the sacred temple of the holy ghost. Farewell.  
Farewell, O thou little flock of the high heavenly pastor christ, for to thee it hath pleased the heavenly father to give an everlasting and eternal kingdom. Farewell.  
Farewell thou spiritual house of God, thou holy and royal priesthood, thou chosen generation, thou won spouse. Farewell. Farewell.  N. R. 
FINIS.