A PITVOUS LAMENTATION OF THE MISERABLE ESTATE OF THE CHURCH of Christ in England, in the time of the late revolt from the gospel, wherein is contained a learned comparison between the comfortable doctrine of the gospel, & the traditions of the popish religion: with an instruction how the true Christian ought to behave himself in the time of trial. written by that worthy martyr of god Nicolas Rydley, late bishop of London. Never before this time imprinted.  
¶ Whereunto are also annexed certain letters of john Careless, written in the time of his imprisonment.  
Perused and allowed according to the queens majesties Injunctions.   

A Lamentation of the Church.  
ALAS, what misery is thy church brought unto (O Lord) at this day? Whereof late the word of the Lord was truly preached, was red and heard in every town, in every church, in every village, yea almost in every honest man's house: alas now is it exiled & banished out of the whole Realm. Of late who was not glad to be taken for a lover of God's word, for a reader, for a ready hearer, and for a learner of the same: & now (alas) who dare bear any open countenance toward it, but such as are content in Christ's cause & for his words sake to stand to the danger & loss of all that they have?  
Of late there was to be found of every age, of every degree and kind of people, that gave their diligence to learn as they could out of god's word, the articles of the christian faith, the commandments of god and the lords prayer. The babes and young children were taught these things of their parents, of their masters, & weakly of their curates in every church: & the aged folk which had been brought up in blindness and in ignorance of those things which every christian is bound to know, when otherwise they could not, yet they learned the same by often hearing their children and servants repeating the same: But now, alas, and alas again, the false prophets of Antichrist which are past all shame, do openly preach in pulpits unto the people of God that the cat●chisme is to be counted heresy: whereby their old blindness is brought home again: for the aged are afraid of the higher powers, and the youth is abashed & ashamed even of that which they have learned, though it be God's word and dare no more meddle.  
Of late in every congregation throughout all England was made prayer & petition unto God to be delivered from the tyranny of the bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities: from all false doctrine and heresy: And now alas, Satan hath persuaded England by his falsehood and craft to revoke her old godly prayer, to recant the same, & provoke the fearful wrath and indignation of god upon her own pate.  
Of late by strait laws and ordinances, with the consent of the nobles and commonalty, and full agreement and counsel of the prelate's & clergy, was banished hence the beast of Babylon, with laws, I say, and with oaths and all means that then could be devised for so godly a purpose: But now alas, all these laws are trodden under foot: the nobles, the commonalty, the prelate's & clergy are quite changed and all those oaths though they were herein made in judgement, justice and truth, and the matter never so good, doth no more hold than a bond of rushes, or of a barley straw, nor public perjury no more feareth them then a shadow upon the wall.  
Of late it was agreed in England of all hands, according to Paul's doctrine and Christ'S commandment, as Paul saith plain, that nothing ought to be done in the church in the public congregation, but in that tongue which the congregation could understand, that all might be edified thereby, whether it were common prayer, administration of the sacraments, or any other thing belonging to the public ministry of gods holy and wholesome word: but alas all is turned upside-down. Paul's doctrine is put apart: Christ's commandment is not regarded: for nothing is heard commonly in the Church but in a strange tongue that the people doth nothing understand.  
Of late all men and women were taught after Christ's doctrine to pray in that tongue which they could understand, that they might pray with heart, that which they should speak with their tongue: Now, alas, the unlearned people is brought in that blindness again, to think that they pray, when they speak with their tongue, they can not tell what, nor whereof: their heart is nothing mindful at all, for that it can understand never a whit thereof.  
Of late the lords supper was duly ministered and taught to be made common to all that were true christians, with thanks giving and setting forth of the lords death and passion, until his returning again to judge both quick and dead: But now alas, the lords table is quite overthrown, and that which ought to be common to all godly, is made private to a few ungodly, with out any kind of thanksgiving, or any setting forth of the lords death at all, that the people is able to understand.  
Of late all that were endued with the light and grace of understanding of gods holy mysteries, did bless god which had brought them out of that horrible blindness and ignorance, whereby in times passed being seduced by Satan's subtleties, they believed that the sacrament was not the sacrament, but the thing itself, whereof it is a sacrament: that the creature was the creator, and that the thing which hath neither life nor sense (alas such was the horrible blindness) was the Lord himself, which made the eye to see, and hath given all senses and understanding unto man. But now alas, England is returned again like a dog to her own vomit and spuing, and is in worse case than ever she was: for it had been better never to have known the truth then to forsake the truth once received and known. And now, not only that light is turned into darkness, and god's grace is received in vain, but also laws of death are made by high court of parliament masterfully to maintain by sword fire and all kind of violence that heinous Idolatry wherein that adoration is given unto the liveless and dumb creature, which is only dew unto the everliving God: yea they say they can and do make of bread both man and god by their transubstantiation. O wicked invention, and Satan's own brood.  
Of late was the lords cup at his table distributed according to his own commandment by his express words in his gospel as well to the laity as to the clergy, which order Christ's church observed so many hundredth years after (as all the ancient ecclesiastical writers do testify) without contradiction of any one of them that can be showed unto this day. But now, alas, not only the lords commandment is broken, his cup is denied to his servants, to whom he commanded it should be distributed, but also with the same is set up a new blasphemous kind of sacrifice, to satisfy & pay the price of sins, both of the dead and of the quick, to the great and intolerable contumely of Christ our saviour his death & passion, which was and is the one only sufficient and everlasting available sacrifice satisfactory for all the elects of god, from Adam the first, to the last that shall be borne in the end of the world.  
Of late that commandment of god, thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor any similitude or likeness of any thing in heaven above, or in earth beneath, or in the water under the earth, thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them: this comaundment of God (I say) was graven almost every where in churches, was learned of every body both young and old: whereupon Images that provoked the simple and ignorant people unto idolatry (as the wise man saith) were taken out of the churches, and straightly forbidden that none should any where either bow down to them or worship them: But now alas gods holy word is blotted and razed out of churches, and stocks and stones are set up in the place thereof. God commanded his word so to be ordered that it might be had in continual remembrance at all times and in every place: and on the otherside he forbade images and idols so to be either made or set in any place where any should bow or worship them: But now alas, that which god commanded is not passed upon, and that which he forbiddeth is masterfully maintained by falsehood and craft, and wickedly upholden.  
Of late all ministers that were admitted to the public office and ministry of gods holy word, in their admission made a solemn profession before the congregation that they should teach the people nothing as doctrine necessary to attain eternal salvation, but that which is gods own holy word or may be thereof grounded without any doubt: whereby vanished and melted away of themselves many vain yea wicked traditions of man, as wax before the fire: but now at one brunt they are revived and are in full hope all to return again in as great strength as ever they have been. And how can any man look for any other thing, but when you have received the head, you must also receive the whole body withal, or elles how can the head abide? The head under Satan of all mischief is Antichrist & his brood, and the same is he which is the babylonical beast. The beast is he whereupon the whore sitteth, the whore is that City saith john in plain words, 
Apoc. 17.  which hath the empire over the kings of the earth. This whore hath a golden cup of abominations in her hand, whereof she maketh to drink the kings of the earth, & of the wine of this harlot hath all nations drunk, yea and kings of the earth have lain by this whore, and merchants of the earth by virtue of her pleasant merchandise have been made rich.  
Now what city is there in all the whole world that when john wrote, ruled over the kings of the earth? or what City can be red of in any time, that of the city itself, challenged the empire over the kings of the earth, but only the city of Rome, & that sense the usurpation of that see hath grown to her full strength? And is it not red that old and ancient writers understand Peter's former Epistle to be written at Rome, and it to be called of him in the same Epistle, in plain terms, Babylon? by the abominations thereof I understand all the whole trade of the romish religion under the name & title of Christ, which is contrary to the only rule of all true religion, that is god's word. What word of god hath that dy●elishe drab for the maintenance of her manifold abominations, and to set to sell souche merchandise wherewith (alas the madness of man) the wicked harlot hath bewitched almost the whole world? Did not Peter the true apostle of Christ, of whom this stinking strumpette beareth herself so high (but falsely and without all just cause) did not he I say, give all the world warning of her pelf and trash, of her false doctors and apostles (for this whore and beast will be called Dominus Apostolicus, who so ever say nay) after this manner in his later epistle? There was among the people in times past false prophets as there shall be also among you in time to come false teachers, which shall privily bring in pestilent sects, even denying the lord which hath bought them and redeemed them, procuring to them selves swift damp nation, and many shall follow their damnable ways, by whom the way of truth shall be railed upon, and through covetousness by counterfeit tales or sermons they shall (saith Peter) make merchandise upon you. etc. And doth not john likewise in his revelation, after he hath reckoned up a great rabblement of this whores mystical merchandise, at the last (as though he would knit up all in plain words, without any mist at all, setting out the whores merchandise) reckon up among the rest, & concludeth saying, Et animas hominum, that is to say, & the souls of men too? Where, upon I pray you else rose this true proverb in latin, Omnia Rome venalia, all things for money are set to sale at Rome? Was not that a worthy commendation of Christ's vicar in earth that was written of our holy father, one of the Alexanders a bishop of Rome, thus I ween, in latin? 
Vendit Alexander cruces: altaria Christum,  
Vendere iuri potest emerat ille prius.  These two verses in latin, I have red thus of one translated into english rhyme.  
Alexander our holy father the pope of Rome  
selleth for money both right and doom  
And all kind of holiness the holy father doth not stick  
to set to sell, ready money for to get.  
And eke Christ himself he dare be bold,  
to chop and change for silver and gold.  
And why should any think this to be sore,  
for what doth he sell but that he bought before?  
I grant these verses to be light gear, and the verse is but rude, but alas such conditions were more wicked and lewd than any wit could express. If these had been but the faults of one or a few in number, they had been less pernicious, and might have been taken for personal crimes, not to be imputed unto that see, but now alas the matter is more than evident to all that hath godly understanding, that these crimes be grounded upon laws, be established by costom, and set forth by all kind of wicked doctrine, falsehood, & craft, and therefore are not now to be esteemed for any one man's or of a few men's personal crimes, but are now by laws, custom, and doctrine incorporated into that wicked see, & maketh in deed the body of the beast whereupon the abominable whore doth sit.  
But you would know which be those merchandise which I said this whore setteth forth to sell, for the which all her false prophets with all their jugglings & crafty gloss can not bring one ●ote of god's word. Surely surely, they be not only all these abominations which are come into the church of England already, whereof I have spoken somewhat before, but also an innumerable rabblement of abominations and wicked abuses which now must needs follow As popish pardons, pi●grymages, romish purgatory, romish masses, Placebo & dirige, with trentals & Scala coeli, dispensations & immunities from all godly discipline, laws and good order, pluralities, unions, and tot quots, with a thousand more. Now shall come in the flattering friars, and the false pardoners and play their old pranks and knavery as they were wont to do. Now you shall have (but of the see of rome only, and that for money) canonysing of such saints as hath stood stout in the pope's cause, shrining of relicques and from any kind of wickedness (if you will pay well for it) clear absolution, a pena et cupla, with thousands of years, yea at every poor bishops hand and suffragan ye shall have hallowing of churches, chapels, altars, superalteres, chaleces, and of all the whole household stuff and adornament, which shall be used in the church after the romish guise, for all these things must be esteemed of such high pry●e that they may not be done but by a consecrate bishop only. O Lord, all these things are such as thy apostles never knew. As for conjuring (they call it hallowing, but it is conjuring in deed) of water and salt, of chrysteninge of bells and such like light things, what need I to speak? for every priest that can but read, hath power (they say) not only to do that but also hath such power over Christ'S body as to make both god & man once at the lest every day of a water cake. After the rehearsal of the said abominations, and remembrance of a number of many more, which (the lord knoweth) irketh me to think upon, and were to long to describe: when I consider on the other side the eternal word of god that abideth for ever, and the undefiled law of the Lord, which turneth the soul from all wyekednesse, and giveth wisdom unto the innocent Babes, I mean that milk that is without all gu●le, as Peter doth call it, that good word of god, that word of truth, which must be graven within the heart, and then is able to save men's souls, that wholesome seed, not mortal but immortal of the eternal and everliving God, whereby the man is borne a new and made the child of God, that seed of God whereby the man of god so being borne can not sin, as john saith (he meaneth so long as that seed doth abide in him) that holy scripture which hath not been devised by the wit of man, but taught from heaven by the inspiration of the holy ghost, which is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct to instruct and give order in all righteousness, that the man of god may be whole & sound, ready to perform every good work: when (I say) I consider this holy and wholesome true word that teacheth us truly our bounden duty towards our lord god in every point, what his blessed will and pleasure is, what his infinite great goodness and mercy is, what he hath done for us, how he hath given his own only dear beloved to death for our salvation, & by him hath sent us the revelation of his blessed will & pleasure, what his eternal word willeth us both to believe & also to do, and hath for the same purpose inspired the holy apostles with the holy ghost, and sent them abroad into all the world, and also made them and other disciples of christ, inspired by the same spirit, to write and leave behind them the same things that they taught, which as they did proceed of the spirit of truth, so by the confession of all them that ever were endued with the spirit of God, were sufficient to the obtaining of eternal salvation: and likewise when I consider that all that man doth profess in his regeneration when he is received into the holy catholic church of Christ, and is now to be accounted for one of the lively members of Christ's own body, all that is grounded upon God's holy word, and standeth in the profession of that faith, and obedience of those commandments which are all contained and comprised in God's holy word: and furthermore when I consider whom our saviour christ pronounceth in his gospel to be blessed, and to whom Moses giveth his benedictions in the law, what ways the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, and all holy Scriptures both new and old doth declare to be the ways of the Lord, what is good for man to obtain and abide in God's favour, which is that saith that justifieth before God, and what is that charity that doth pass and excel all, which be the properties of heavenly wisdom, and which is that undefiled religion that is allowed of god, which things christ himself calleth the weighty matters of the law, what thing is that which is only available in christ, and what knowledge is that that Paul esteemed so much that he counted himself only to know, what shall be the manner of the extreme judgement of the later day, who shall judge, and by what he shall judge, and what shall be required at our hands at that fearful day, how all things must be tried by the fire, and that that only shall stand for ever which Christ's words shall allow, which shall be the judge of all flesh to give sentence upon all flesh, and every living soul, either of eternal damnation or of everlasting salvation, from which sentence there shall be no place to appeal, no wit shall serve to delude, nor no power to withstand or revoke: when (I say) I consider all these things and confer the same again and again, all those ways wherein standeth the substance of the romish religion, (whereof I spoke before) it may be evident and easy to perceive, that these two ways, these two religions, the one of christ the other of the romish see in these latter days, be as far distant the one from the other as light and darkness, good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness, christ & Belial. He that is hard of belief, let him note and way well with himself the places of holy Scriptures which be appointed in the margin, whereupon this talk is grounded, and by God's grace he may receive some light. And unto the contemner I have nothing now to say, but to rehearse the saying of the prophet Isaiah, which Paul spoke to the jews in the end of the acts of the apostles. After he had expounded unto them the truth of God's word, and declared unto them christ out of the law of Moses and the Prophets from morning to night all the day long, he said unto them that would not believe, well (said he) spoke the holy ghost unto our father's saying, go unto this people and tell them ye shall hear with your ears and not understand, and seeing you shall behold, and not see the thing, for the heart of this people is waxed gross or, dull, and with their ears they are hard of hearing, and they have shut together their eyes that they should not see, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts, that they might return, and I should heal them, saith the lord God. Alas England alas that this heavy plague of god should fall upon thee, alas my dear beloved country, what thing is it now that may do the good? Undoubtedly thy plague is so great that it is utterly uncurable, but by the bottomless mercy and infinite power of almighty god. Alas my dear country what hast thou done that thus thou hast provoked the wrath of God to pour out his vengeance upon thee for thine own deserts? Canst thou be content to hear thy faults told thee? Alas thou hast heard oft, and wouldst never amend. England, thy faults of all degrees and sorts of men, of the magistrates, of the ministers, & of the common people, were never more plainly told, sense thou barest that name, than thou diddest bear them of late even before the magistrates in king Edward's days, but thou hardest them only and didst amend never a whit. For even of thy greatest magestrats some (the king's highness then, that innocent, that godly hearted, & peerless young christian prince excepted) evermore unkindly & ungently against those that went about most husely & most wholesomely to cure their sore backs, spurned privily, and would not spare to speak evil of them even unto the prince himself, & yet would they towards the same preacher outwardly bear a jolly countenance and a fair face. I have heard that Cranmer and an other whom I will not name, 
He meaneth himself.  were both in high displeasure, the one for shewing his conscience secretly but plainly and fully in the duke of Somersets' cause, and both of late, but specially Cranmer for repugning as they might against the late spoil of the church goods, taken away only by commandment of the higher powers without any law or order of justice, and without any request of consent of them to whom they did belong. As for Latymer, Lever, Bradford, and knoxe, their tongues were so sharp, they ripped in so deep in their galled backs, to have purged them, no doubt, of the filthy matter that was festered in their hearts, of insatiable covetousness, of filthy carnality and voluptuousness, of intolerable ambition and pride, of ungodly loathsomeness to hear poor men's causes, and to hear gods word, that these men of all other, these magistrates than could never abide. Other there were very godly men & well learned that went about by the wholesome plasters of gods word, how be it after a more soft manner of handling of the matter, but alas all sped in like. For all that could be done of all hands, their disease did not minish, but daily did increase, which no doubt is no small occasion in the state, of the heavy plague of god that is poured upon England at this day. As for the common sort of other inferior magistrates, as judges of the law: justices of peace, sergeants, common lawyers, it may be truly said of them as of the most part of the Clergy, of curates, vicar's, persons, prebendaries, doctors of the law, archdeacon's, deans, yea, & I may say of bishops also I fear me, for the more part (although I doubt not but god had and hath ever whom he in every state knew and knoweth to be his) but for the most part I say, they were never persuaded in their hearts but from the teeth forward, and for the king's sake in the truth of god's word, and yet all these did dissemble and bare a copy of a countenance as if they had been ●ound within.  
And this dissimulation Satan knew well enough, and therefore desired and hath ever gone about that the high magistrates by any manner of means might be deceived in matters of religion, for than he being of counsel with the dissimulation in the worldly, knew well enough that he should bring to pass and rule all even after his own will.  
Hypocrisy and dissimulation S. Jerome doth call well a double wickedness, for neither it loveth the truth, (which is one great evil) and also falsely it pretendeth to deceive the simple for an other thing. This hypocrisy and dissimulation with God in matters of religion, no doubt, hath wholly also provoked the anger of god. And as for the common people, although there were many good where they were well and diligently taught, yet god knoweth a great number received Gods true word and high benefits with unthankful hearts. For it was great pity & a lamentable thing to have seen in many places the people so loathsomely & so unreligiously to come to the holy communion & to receive it accordingly, and to the common prayers and other divine service, which were according to the true vain of gods holy word, in all points so godly and wholesomely set forth, in comparison of that blind zeal and undiscrete devotion which they had afore times to those things whereof they understood never one whit nor could be edified by them any thing at all. And again as for alms deeds which are taught in god's word (whereby we are certain that god is pleased with them, and doth and will require such at our hands, which are a part of true religion as S. james saith, and such as he saith himself he setteth more by then by sacrifice, as to provide for the fatherless infants and orphans, for the lame, aged, and impotent poor needy folk, and to make public provision that the poverty that might labour, should have wherewith to labour upon, and so be kept from shameful beggary and stealing) in these works I say, how wayward were many, in comparison (I mean) of that great prodigality, whereby in time's paste they spared not to spend upon flattering friars, false pardoners, painting and gild of stocks & stones, to be set up and honoured in churches plainly against god's word. And yet because no place is to be defrauded of their just commendation, London I must confess that such godly works in sir Dobson knight then lord Maior his year, began marvellous well, the Lord grant the same may so likewise persever, continue, yea and increase to the comfort & relief of the needy and helpless, that was so godly begun. Amen.  
All these things do minister matter of more mourning and bewaling the miserable state that now is, for by this it may be perceayved how well England hath deserved this just plague of God.  
And also it is greatly to be feared, that those good things whatsoever they were that had their beginning in the time when God's word was freely preached, now with the exile and banishment of the same, they will depart again.  
But to return again to the consideration of this miserable state of Christ's church in England, and to leave farther and more exquisite searching of the causes thereof unto gods secret and unsearchable judgements, let us see what is best now to be done for Christ'S little silly flock. This is one Maxim and principle in Christ's law: he that denieth me before men, him shall Christ deny afore his father and all his angels of heaven. And therefore every one that looketh to have by Christ our saviour everlasting life, let him prepare himself so, that he deny not his master Christ, or else he is but a cast away and a wretch, howsoever he be counted or taken here in the world.  
Now then seeing the doctrine of antechriste is returned again into this realm, and the higher powers (alas) are so deceived and bewitched that they are persuaded it to be truth, and Christ's true doctrine to be error and heresy, and the old laws of antichrist are allowed to return with the power of their Father again, what can be hereafter looked for by reason to the man of God and true christian abiding in this realm, but extreme violence of death or else to deny his master. I grant the heart of princes are in God's hands, and whether soever he will he can make them to bow, and also that christian princes in old time used a more gentle kind of punishment, even to them which were heretics in deed, as degradation and deposition out of their rooms and offices, exile and banishment out of their dominions & countries, and also (as it is red) the true bishops of Christ's church were sometimes intercessors for the heretics unto princes that they would not kill them, as is red of S. Augustine. But as yet Antichrist's kingdom was not so erected at that time, nor is now accustomed to order them that will not fall down and worship the beast and his image, but (even as all the world knoweth) after the same manner that both john and Daniel hath prophesied before, that is by violence of death, and Daniel declareth farther the kind of death accustomably should be by sword, fire, and imprisonment. Therefore if thou O man of God, do purpose to abide in this realm, prepare and arm thyself to die, for, both by antechristes accustomable laws, and these prophecies, there is no appearance or likelihood of any other thing, except thou wilt deny thy master Christ, which is the loss at the last both of body & soul unto everlasting death. Therefore my good brother or sister in christ whatsoever thou be, to thee that canst and mayest so do, that counsel that I think is the best safeguard for thee, both for thy body, and most surety for thy soul's health, is that which I shall show thee hereafter. But first I warn thee to understand me to speak to him or her which be not in captivity or called already for to confess christ, but is at liberty abroad. My counsel I say therefore is this, to fly from the plague and to get thee hence. I consider not only the subtleties of sathan, and how he is able to deceive by his false persuasions, if it were possible, even the chosen of God, and also the great frailty which is often times more in a man than he doth know in himself, which in the time of temptation than will utter itself: I do not only consider these things I say, but that our master christ whose life was and is a perfect rule of the christian man's life, that he himself avoided oftentimes the fury and madness of the jews by departing from the country or place.  
Paul like wise when he was sought in Damascus, and the gates of the city were laid in wait for him, he was conveyed by night, let down in a basket out at a window over the wall, and Helias the prophet fled the persecution of wicked jesabel. And Christ our Saviour saith in the Gospel, when they persecute you in one city fly unto another: and so did many good great learned and virtuous men of god, which were great & stout champions nevertheless, and stout confessors and maintainers of Christ and his truth in due time and place. Of such was the great clerk Athanasius. But this is so plain to be lawful by gods word & examples of holy men, that I need not to stand in it. Having this for my ground, I say to thee O man of god this seemeth to me to be the most sure way for thy safeguard, to departed and fly far from the plague, & that swiftly also: for truly before god, I think that the abomination that Daniel prophesied of so long before, is now set up in the holy place. For all Antichrist's doctrine, laws, rites & religion, contrary to Christ and to the true serving and worshipping of god, I understand to be that abomination: therefore now is the time in England for those words of Christ: Tunc, inquit, quinn ●udaea runt fugiant ad montes. Then, saith he, mark this Christ's (then) for truly I am persuaded and I trust by the spirit of god, that this then, is commanded: Then, saith christ, they that be in jewry let them fly into the mountains, & he that is on the house top let him not come down to take away any thing out of his house, and he that is abroad in the field, let him not return to take his clothes. Woe be to the great bellied women and to them that give suck, but pray saith Christ, that your flight be not in winter nor on the sabbath day. These words of Christ are mystical, & therefore have need of interpretation. I understand all those to be in jewryspiritually, which truly confess one true living god, and the whole truth of his word after the doctrine of the gospel of Christ. Such are they whom here christ biddeth in the time of the reign of Antechrystes abominations to fly unto the mountains, which signifieth places of safeguard, and all such things which are able to defend from the plague. That he biddeth him that is on the house top not to come down, nor him that is in the field not to return to take with him his clothes, he meaneth that they should speed them to get them away betime, least in their tarrying & trifling about worldly provision, they be trapped in the snare, or ever they be aware and caught by the back, and for gain of small worldly things endanger and cast themselves in to great perils of more weighty matter. And where he saith woe to the great bellied women, and to them that give suck: women great with child, and nigh to their lying down, and to be brought to bed are not able to travel, nor also those women which are brought to bed, & now giveth their babes suck: by these therefore christ spiritually understandeth all such to be in extreme danger (which this word woe signifieth) all such I say, as are so letted by any manner of means, that they no ways be able to fly from the plague. That which christ saith, pray that your flight be not in winter nor on the sabbath day: In winter the common course of the year teacheth us that the ways be foul, and therefore it is a hard thing then to take a far journey for many incommodities and dangers of the ways in that time of the year: and on the sabbath day it was not lawful to journey but a little way. Now Christ therefore meaning that we should have need both to speed our journey quickly, which can not be done in winter for the incommodities of the ways, and also to go far, which can not be done on the Sabbath day: he biddeth us therefore pray that our flight be not in winter nor on the sabbath day, that is, to pray that we may fly in time, and also far enough from the danger of the plague. Now the causes why we should fly, followeth in the same place of s. Mathewes gospel, 
Math. 24.  which I now pass over: thou mayest read them there.  
And in the 18. chapter of the Revelation, the angel is said to have cried mightily with a loud voice, fly my people out of Babylon least you be infected with her faults and so be made partners of her plagues: for her offences and sins are grown so great that they swell and are come unto the heaven: certainly the time doth approach and the lords day is at hand. Hear, I beseech you, also holy Paul, that blessed apostle: he plainly forbiddeth us ducere jugum cum incredulis that is, to join or couple ourselves with the unfaithful, for what fellowship can there be (saith he) of righteousness with unrighteousness, 
2. Cor. 6.  what company hath light with darkness, or what agreement hath christ with belial, or what part can the faithful have with the unfaithful, or how doth the temple of god agree with images or idols, for you are the temple of the living god: as god hath said, I will walk and dwell in them. I will be their god, and they shallbe my people, wherefore depart from amongst them and get you from them, saith the lord, & touch no unclean thing and I will receive you and be to you in the stead of your father & you shall be unto me as my sons and daughters, saith the almighty Lord.  
This counsel to departed the realm, I do not marvel if it do seem to divers (even of them I mean the bear favour to godward) diversly. Many (I trust) that he learned shall think the counsel good. Other there be peradventure that will think it rather a thing to be more tolerable and that it may be in deed by god's word lawfully done, rather than to be counseled to be done, for they will (peradventure) say, we should counsel a man always to do that which is best of all, and of most parfection, but boldly in Christ's cause to spend a man's life, is best of all, and of most perfection, and to fly it may seem to smell of cowardness. In many things, that which is best for one at some times, is not best for all at all times, and it is not most perfection nor meet for a child to covet to run before he can go. I will not make here a discourse in this matter what might here be objected, and what might be answered again: I leave that to the witty and eloquent men of the world.  
This is my mind which I would thou shouldest know, o man of god, as I would wish and I do pray to almighty God it may be, that every true christian either brother or sister (after they be called and brought in to the wrestling place, to strive in Christ's cause for the best game, that is to confess the truth of the gospel and of the Christian faith in hope of everlasting life) should not shrink nor relent one inch, or give back what soever shall befall, but stand to their tackle, and styrke by it even unto death, as they will Christ shall stick by them at the latter day. So likewise I dare not wish nor counsel any, either brother or sister of their own swinge to start up into the stage, or to cast themselves either before or farther in danger then time and need shall require: for undoubtedly when God seeth his time, and his pleasure is that his glory shallbe set forth, and his church edified by thy death and confession, means shall be found by his fatherly universal providence, that thou without thine own presumptuous provocation, shalt be law fully called to do thy feat & to play thy part. The miserable end that one Quintus came unto, may be a warning and a fearful example for all men to beware of presumption and rashness in such things (as Eusebius writeth in Ecclesiastica historia) for evermore. 
Lib. 4. Cap. 15.   
But a third sort of men there be which also will be counted favourers of gods word & are, I fear, in number far more and worse to be persuaded to that which is the godly mean. I mean of such as w●ll peradventure say or think that my former counsel which was, to 〈◊〉 the infection of the antichristian doctrine by departure out of the realm, is more than needeth, and other ways and means may be found both to abide and also to be clear out of danger of the foresaid plague. If that could be found in deed truly agreeable to god's word I would be as glad to hear it (god is my witness) as who is the other.  
Yes peradventure will some say, thus it may be. Thou mayst keep thyself, thy faith, and thy religion close to thyself, and inwardly and privately worship god in spirit & in truth, and outwardly see thou be no open meddler, nor talker, nor transgressor of common order: so mayest thou be suffered in the common wealth, & yet use thy religion without offence of thy conscience. In other countre●es somewhere this peradventure might be used, but in Eng●ande what sh●ll be, god wots, but it was never yet, so far as ever I have known or heard. And also how can it be, but either thou must transgress the common order and the Romy●he laws and customs which have been used in ●ngland in the times pa●t of popery, and now (it is certain) they return again: I say, thou must either be a breaker of these rites, laws, and customs, and so bewray thyself, or else if thou be in deed a man of God, thou shalt offend thy conscience, for in observing of them thou shalt be compelled to break gods law which is the rule of conscience to the man of god. For how canst thou resort every holy day to the church and bear a face to worship the creature for the creator (as thou must do) and peradventure confess it to with thy mouth and to sprinkle thyself with their conjured water? Thou must be contributor also to the charges of all their popery, as of books for antechristes service, of lights of the rood loft, of the sepulchre, for setting up and painting of images (nay in deed of idols) and thou must bear a face to worship them also, or else thou must be had by the back. Thou must serve the turn to give the holy loves, as they call it, which is nothing else but a very mockery of the lords holy table. Thou must be a contributor to the charges of all the disguised apparel that the popish sacrificing priest, like unto Aaron, must play his part in. Yea when the pardoner cometh about, or the flattering friar to beg for the maintenance of superstition, except thou do as thy neighbours do, look not long for to live in rest. If any of thy household die, if thou wilt not pay money for ringing and singing, for requiem masses, dirige, & commendations, and such like trumpery of the antichristian religion, thinkest thou that thou shalt be reckoned for a catholic man or for Amicus Caesaris? A hundred things more may be reckoned, & many of more weight and of more evident superstition and Idolatry, than some of these which I have now rehearsed, which god knoweth be ill enough: but these are enough to declare and to set before thine eyes the thing that I intend, that is if thou abide and wilt dwell in England, thou must either do these and many other more contrary to god's word, which forbiddeth not only the thing which is evil, but also saith, Ab omni specie mali abstinete vos, abstain from all things that hath any appearance of evil: or else if thou wilt not do them, how thou canst live in England in rest and safe from the stake, truly I can not tell. But peradventure (as a man is ready to find and invent some colour to cloak his conscience, to do that thing that his heart desireth) thou wilt say, though at any time I shall be forced to do any of these things and such like, yet will I have no confidence in them, but outwardly with my body: I will keep my heart unto god, & will not do that of mine own mind willingly neither, but to avoid an other inconvenience: I trust therefore God will hold me excused, for he shall have my heart, what can I do more? O mi friend beware for god's sake, and know that the subtleties of Satan are deep. He that is not able by gods word to perceive them, is heau●ly laden, prai therefore with David: Lord let me not have a mind to invent excuses for to cloak my sin. Examine my dear friend, these thy wily ways with the word of god, and if the● do agree, thou mayest use them, if not, know, though they may seem never so fine & goodly, yet in deed they be of Satan's ●roode● God's word it is certain, that forbiddeth to worship the creature for the creator, for that is heinous idolatry, and against the first commandment of god, and it is also against the second commandment of the first table, to bow down, or to do worship unto any images of god or of any other thing, and gods word requireth not only the belief of the heart, but also▪ the confession of the mouth: and to bear part of the charges to the maintenance of things vngodly●, what is that but in thy so doing a con●ent to the thing done? Now consenters and the doers gods word accounteth to be guilty both. And it is not lawful by S. Paul's doctrine which was inspired him by the spirit of god, to do il that thereof the thing which is good may come. Thy ha●t, thou sayest, god shall have, and yet wilt thou suffer thy body to do the thing that god doth abhor. Beware O man, take heed what thou sayest. Man may be deceived, but no man may deceive God, for he is called and is truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say, the searcher of the heart. Now to give god thy heart is to give him thy whole heart, to love him, to dread him, and to trust in him above all other things. He that hath my commandment saith Christ, and observeth and keepeth them, it is he that loveth me, and to dread god above all other, is rather willingly to incur the danger and peril of all fearful things, then wyttinglye to do that thing which is contrary to his blessed will and commandment: and to trust in him above all things, is assuredly to trust to his promise of his reward, and of his tuition and of his goodness and mercy, and to prefer that above all things in the world, seem they never so strong, so wise, or so good. Now how canst thou say truly, that God hath thy heart after this manner of sort (which is to have thy heart in deed) when thy deeds do declare far an other thing? Thy body, o man, is gods, and all the parts thereof even as thy soul is: he made them both and Christ with his blood hath redeemed them both, and is lord of both, for he hath bought them both dear, & darest thou suffer any part of either of them to do service to Satan? Surely in so doing, thou committest sacrilege and dost rob God, thou de●ilest the lively temple of the living god if thou suffer thy body to do sathan service. Do you not know saith S. Paul, that your body is a lively temple of god? and may a man then take and use any part thereof but in the service of God? No surely it is not lawful so to do so that man of god, neither with hand, tongue, nor foot, nor any part of the whole body.  
Doth not Paul command to the Romans, which pertaineth to every Christian soul: As you have in times past (saith he) given your members to do service unto uncleanness and wickedness, from one wickedness to another, so now give your members to do service unto righteousness that you may be sanctified. And I prai thee good brother, what dost thou think is, to bear the mark of the beast in the forehead and in the hand that s. john speaketh of? I know we ought warily to speak of gods mysteries which he showed by the spirit of prophesying to his servant john, yet to read them with reverence, and to pray for the understanding of the same so much as god knoweth is necessary for our time to know, I think it necessary and good. Wherefore what I suppose is to bear the beasts mark, I will tell thee, and commit the judgement of mine interpretation, as in all other things, to the spiritual man. I suppose he beareth the beast of Babylon's mark in his forehead, which is not ashamed of the beasts ways, but will profess them openly to set forth his master the beast Abaddon, 
Apo. 9  And likewise be beareth his mark in his hands that will and doth practise the works of the beast with his power and hand. And likewise I will not let to tell thee, what I think to be signed in the forehead for the servants of God, whereof john also speaketh, reckoning up many thousands so to have been signed of every tribe. I suppose he is signed in the forehead for the servant of god, whom god hath appointed of his infinite goodness, and hath given him gra●e and strength▪ stoutly to confess him and his truth before the world. And to have grace & strength to confess christ and the doctrine of the cross, and to lament and mourn for the abominations of antichrist, I suppose is to be signed with Tau whereof ezechiel the prophet doth speak. Thus I suppose these prophecies are spiritually to be understanded, and to look for other corporal marks to be seen in men's foreheads or in their hands, is nothing else but to look that there should come some brute beast out of Babylon, or some Elephante, leopard, Lion, or Camel or some other such monstrous beast with ten horns, that should do all the wonderful things spoken in john: & yet of a beast speaketh john, but I understand him so to be called not for that he shallbe any such brute beast, but for that he is & shallbe the child of perdition, which for his cruelty and beastly manners is well called a beast.  
The carnal jews knew there was a promise made that Helias should come before christ Messiah the anointed of god, to prepare his ways: they knew also there was a promise of Messiah, that he should come and be a king & reign in the house of David for evermore, but they understood all so grossly & so carnally, that they neither knew Helias nor Messiah when they came, for they looked for Helias to come down from heaven in his own person, & for Messiah to come & reign in worldly pomp, power, riches & glory, when as the prophecies of both were spiritually to have been understanded: of Helias that he should come not in person but in spirit, that is, one which should be endued with the spirit and gifts of grace of Helias, which was in deed john Baptist, as christ himself did declare to his apostles: & of Messiah reign, all the prophets were to be understanded of the reign of his spiritual kingdom over the house of jacob, & the true Israelites for evermore. And so by that their gross and carnal understanding they mistake both Helias and the true Messiah, and when they came, knew neither of them both. So likewise I fear me (nay it is certain) the world that wanteth the light of the spirit of god, (for the world is not able to receive him, sayeth john) neither doth, nor shall know the beast nor his marks, though he rage cruelly & live never so beastly, & though his marked men be in number like the sand of the sea. The lord therefore vouchsafe to open the eyes of the blind with the light of grace, that they may see & perceive, and understand the words of god after the mind of his spirit. Amen.  
Here remaineth two objections which may seem almyghty, and the which may peradventure move many not to follow the former counsel. The former reason is? a man will say, Oh sir it is no small mat●er ye speak of, to departed from a man's own native country into a strange realm. Many men have so great lets, as how is it possible that they can or may do so? Some have lands and possessions which they can not carry with them, some have father, mother, wife, children, and kinsfolk, from whom to departed is as hard a thing (and all one almost) as to suffer death, and to go to a strange country that thou knowest not, neither the manner of the people nor how thou mayst away either with the people or with the country. Oh what a hard thing it is to live among a strange people whose tongue thou dost not understand etc.  
I grant here thou mayest heap a number of worldly incommodities which are surely very 〈◊〉 en●ue the departure out of a man●es own native country, I mean 〈◊〉 of the whole realm into a strange land: but what of all these and a thousand more of the like sort? I will set unto them one saying of our saviour Christ which unto the faithful child of god and to the true Christian, is able to countervail all these, yea and to way them down. Christ our saviour saith in Luke: if any come to me and do not hate his father & mother (he meaneth and will not in his cause forsake his father and mother) his wife, children, and brethren, yea and his life to, he cannot be my disciple: and who soever doth not bear his cross and come after me he cannot be my disciple. And in the same place he declareth by two parables, one of a builder, & the other of a king that is a warrior, that every man that will not in Christ's cause forsake all that ever he hath, he can not be his disciple. Look the place who will, the matter is so plainly set forth, that no gloss nor cloaking of conscience to the man of god, can serve to the contrary. Many places there be for the same purpose, for the embracing of Christ's cross, when Christ and his cause layeth it upon our back, but this is so plain that I need here to rehearse no more.  
The latter reason & objection whereof I spoke before, is of more force, and includeth a necessity which after the common saying hath no law, and therefore it is more hard to shape for it a good answer.  
This may be objected of some. Alas sir I grant all these things do grieve me, and because I understand they do not agree with god's word which is the rule of my conscience, I loath either to look on them or to hear them. But sir, alas, I am an impotent man, an aged man, a sick man, a lame man, or I have so many small infants and a lame wife, which all liveth by my labour and by my provision, if I leave them, they shall starve, & I am not able to carry them with me, such is my state. Alas sir what shall I do? And these causes may chance to some men of god, whereby either it shallbe for them utterly impossible to departed the country, or else in departing, they shall be enforced to forsake such in extreme necessities of whom both god and nature hath committed unto them the care. Alas what counsel is here to be given? O lamentable state, O sorrowful heart that neither can depart, and without extreme danger and peril is not able to tarry still. And these are they whom our saviour Christ saw before should be, and called them in his prophecy of the latter time, great bellied or traveling women, and women that giveth after they be brought to bed, their small babes suck. The state of such as are not able to fly the infection of the pestiferous plague of Antichrist's abominations, christ lamenting & not cursing, saith: woe be unto the great bellied and travelling women, and women that giveth suck in those days. For these alas my heart mourneth the more, the less I am able to give any comfortable counsel but this, that always, as they look for everlasting life, they abide still in the confession of his truth whatsoever shall befall, and for the rest to put their trust now wholly in God, which is able to save them against all apparau●ce: & commonly in extremities, when all worldly comfort saileth and the danger is at highest, then unto his he is wont after his accustomed mercy to be most ready for to put his helping hand. Daniel God suffered to be cast into the den of lions, and the three children into the hot burning furnace, and yet he saved them all▪ Paul was plucked out of the mouth of the lion, as be saith of himself, and in Asta he was brought in such trouble that he looked for no other thing but for present death, & yet he that raiseth the dead to life: again did bring him out of all his troubles, and taught him and all other that he in troubles for Christ's cause not to trust to themselves but in almighty God. Of gods gracious aid in extreme perils toward them the put their trust in him, all scripture is full both old & new. What dangers were the patriarchs often brought unto, as Abraham, Isaac and jacob, but of all other joseph, & how mercifully were they delivered again: In what perils was Moses: when he was feign to fly for the safeguard of his life? & when was he sent again: to deliver the israelites from the ser●yle bondage? not before they were brought into extreme misery. And when did the lord mightily deliver his people from Pharaoh his sword? not before they were brought in such straits that they were so compassed en every side (the main sea on the one side, & the main host on the other) that they could look for none other; yea what did they▪ else in deed look for then, but either to have been drowned in the sea, or else to have fallen on the edge of Pharaoh his sword. These judges, which wrought most wonderful things in the delivery of the people, were ever given when the people was brought to most misery before: as Othoniel, Aioth, Sangar, Gedeon, ●ephthe, Samson, And so was Saul endued with strength and boldness from above, against the Ammonites, Philistines, & Amalechites for the defence of the people of God. David likewise felt gods help most sensibly ever in his extreme persecutions. What shall I speak of the prophets of god whom god suffered so oft to be brought into extreme perils and so mightily delivered them again? As Helias, Hieremy, Daniel, Micheas, and jonas, and many other whom it were but to long to rehearse, and set out at large. And did the lord use his servants otherwise in the new law after Christ's incarnation? Read the acts of the apostles and you shall see no. Were not th'apostles cast into prison and brought out by the mighty hand of god? Did not the angel deliver Peter out of the strong prison & bring him out by the iron gates of the city and set him free? And when I pray you? even the same night before Herod appointed to have brought him in judgement for to have slain him, as he had a little before killed james the brother of john. Paul and Silas, when after they had been sore scourged and were put into the inner prison and there were laid fast in the stocks, I pray you what appearance was there that the magestrats should be glad to come the next day themselves to them, to desire them to be content and to depart in peace? who provided for Paul, that he should be safely conducted out of all danger and brought to Felix the Emperors deputy? when as both the high priests the Pharisees and rulers of the jews had conspired to require judgement of death against him, he being fast in prison, and also more than forty men had sworn each one to other that they would never eat nor drink until they had slain Paul. A thing wondered, that no reason could have invented, or man could have looked for, god provided Paul his own sister's son a young man, that disaponited that conspiracy and all their former conjuration. The manner how the thiuge came to pass, thou mayest read in the .23. of the acts. I will not be tedious unto thee here with the rehearsal thereof.  
Now to descend from the apostles to the martyrs that followed next in Christ's church, & in them likewise to declare how gracious our good god ever hath been to work wonderfully with them, which in his cause have been in extreme perils, it were a matter enough to write a long book. I will here name but one man and one woman that is Athanasius the great clerk & godly man stoutly standing in Christ's cause against the Arrians, & that holy woman Blandina, standing so constantly in all extreme pains, in the simple confession of christ. If thou wilt have examples of more, look and thou shalt have both these & a hundred more in Ecclesiastica historia of Eusebius, & in Tripartita historia.  
But for all these examples both of holy scripture and of other histories, I fear me the weak man of God encumbered with the frailty and infirmity of the flesh, will have now and then such thoughts and guawmes (as they call them) to run over his heart, and to think thus: all these things which are rehearsed out of the scripture, I believe to be true, & of the rest truly I do think well, and can believe them also to be true, but all these we must needs grant were special miracles of god, which now in our days are ceased we see, & to require them at gods hands, were it not to tempt god?  
Well-beloved brother, I grant such were great wonderful works of god, and we have not seen many of such miracles in our time, either for that our sight is not clear (for truly God worketh with his, his part in all times) or else because we have not the like faith of them for whose cause God wrought such things: or because after that he had set forth the truth of his doctrine by such miracles then sufficiently, the time of so many miracles to be done was expired withal. Which of these is the most special cause of all others, or whether there be any other, God knoweth: I leave that to God. But know thou this my well-beloved in God, that God's hand is as strong as ever it was, he may do what his gracious pleasure is, and he is as good and gracious as ever he was. Man changeth as the garment doth, but god our heavenly father is even the same now that he was, and shallbe for evermore.  
The world without doubt (this I do believe, & therefore I say) draweth towards an end, and in all age's god hath had his own manner, after his secret and unsearchable wisdom to use his elect, sometimes to deliver them and to keep them safe, and sometimes to suffer them to drink of Christ's cup, that is to feel the smart, and to feel of the whip.  
And though the flesh smarteth at the one, and feeleth ease in the other: is glad of the one, and sore vexed in the other: yet the lord is all one, towards them in both, and loveth them nolesse when he suffereth them to be beaten, yea and to be put to bodily death, then when he worketh wonderes for their marvelous delivery.  
Nay rather he doth more for them when in anguish of the torments he standeth by them & strenghneth them in their faith, to suffer in the confession of the truth and his faith, the bitter pangs of death, then when he openeth the prison door and letteth them go lose: for here he doth but respite them to an other time, and leaveth them in danger to fall in like peril again: and there be maketh them Perfect, to be without danger, pain, or peril after that for ever more. But this his love towards them, how soever the world doth judge of it, is all one, both when he delivereth and when he suffereth them to be put to death. He loved as well Peter & Paul when, after they had (according to his blessed will, pleasure and providence) finished their courses, and done their services appointed them by him here in preaching of his Gospel, the one was beheaded, and tother was banged or crucified of the cruel tyrant Nero, as the Ecclesiastical history saith: as when he sent the Angel to bring Peter out of prison, and for Paul's delivery, he made all the doors of the prison to fly wide open, and the foundation of the same like an earthquake to tremble and shake.  
Thinkest thou O thou man of god, that Christ our Saviour had less affection to the first martyr Stephen, because he suffered his enemies even at the first conflict to stone him to death? No surely, nor james john's brother, which was one of the three that Paul calleth Primates or Principals amongst the Apostles of Christ. He loved him never a whit the worse than he did the other, although he suffered Herod the tyrant's sword to cut of his head, Nay doth not Daniel say speaking of the cruelty of Antichrist his time: 
Daniel. 11.  Et docti in populo docebunt plutimos, & ●uent in gladio, & in flamma, & in captivitate, & in rapina dierum etc. Et de cruditis ruent 〈◊〉 conflentur & e●●gātur & dealbentu●, etc. That is, and the learned (he meaneth truly learned in god's law) shall teach many, and shall fall upon the sword, and in the flame (that is, shall be burned in the flaming ●yer) and in captivity (that is, shallbe in prison, and be wo●●d and rob of their goods for along season). And after a little in the same place of Daniel it followeth: and of the learned there be, which shall fall or be overthrown the they may be known, tried, chosen, & made white: he meaneth, be furnished and scou●●d a new, picked and chosen; & made fresh and lustre. If that then was foreseen for to be done to the godly learned, and for so gracious causes, let every one to whom any such thing by the will of God doth chance, be merry in God, and rejoice, for it is to God's glory and to his own everlasting wealth. Wherefore well is he that ever he was borne; for whom thus graciously God hath provided, having grace of God and strength of the holy ghost to stand steadfastly in the height of the storm. Happy is he that ever he was borne, whom God his heavenly father hath vouchsafed to appoint to glorify him, & to edify his church by the effusion of his blood. To die in Christ's cause is an high honour, to the which no man certainly shall or can espire, but to whom god vouthsafeth that dignity: for no man is allowed to presume for to take unto himself any office of honour, but he which is there unto called of god. Therefore john saith well, speaking of them which have obtained the victory by the blood of the lamb and by the word of his testimony, 
Apoc. 12.  that they loved not their lives, even unto death. And our saviour christ sayeth, he that shall lose his life for my cause shall find it. And this manner of speech pertaineth not to one kind of christians, as the worldly do wickedly dream, but to all that do truly pertain unto Christ. For when christ had called unto him the multitude together with his disciples, he said unto them (mark that he said not this to the disciples and apostles only, but he said it to all) whosoever will so low me let him forsake or deny himself & take up his cross and follow me: for whosoever will save his life shall lose it (he meaneth whosoever will to save his life, both forsake or leave him & his truth) and whosoever shall lose his life for my cause and the gospels sake, shall save it: for what shall it profit a man if he shall win the whole world and lose his own soul? his own life? or what shall a man give to recompense that loss of his own life and of his own soul? Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words (that is to confess me and my gospel) before this adulterous & sinful generation, of him shall the son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his father, with the holy angels. Know thou O man of god, that all things are ordained for thy behoof and to the furtherance of thee, towards thy salvation. All things (saith Paul) worketh with the good to goodness, even the enemies of god. and such kind of punishments whereby they go about to destroy them, shall be forced by God's power, might, and fatherly providence, for to do them service.  
It is not as the wicked thinketh, that poverty, adversity, sickness, tribulation, yea painful death of the godly, be tokens that God doth not love them: but even clean the contrary, as all the whole course of scripture doth evidently declare: for than he would never have suffered his most dear beloved the patriarchs to have had such troubles, his prophets, his Apostles, his Martyrs and chief champions and maintainers of his truth and gospels, so cruelly of the wicked to have been murdered and ●●in. Of the which (some were racked as the apostle saith) and would not he delivered, that they might re●e●l● better resurrection. Some were lived by mockings and scourgings, yea more over by bonds and imprison mente: they were ●oned, they were he wen and cut in ●under, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword, they wandered up and down in sheep skins and Goats skins, being forsaken, afflicted and tormented, such men as the world was not worthy to have, wandringe in wildernesses, in mountains, in dens and caves of earth. All these were approved by the testimony of faith, and received not the promise, because god did provide better for us, that wyth●u●e us they should not be consummated. They tarry now for us undoubtedly longing for the day. But they are commanded to have patience yet, sayeth the lord, a little while, until the number of their fellow servants be fulfilled, and or, their brethren which are yet to be slain, as they were.  
Now thou O man of God, for our Lord's sake, let us not for the love of this life, tarry them to long, and be occasion of delay of that glorious consummation, in hope and expectation whereof they departed in the lord, and the which also the living endued with God's spirit, ought so earnestly to desire and to groan for with all the creatures of God. Let us all with john the servant of God, cry in our hearts unto our saviour Christ: Veni domme jesu, come Lord jesus come. For then when christ which is our life, shallbe made manifest and appear with him in glory, them shall the children of god appear what they be, even like unto Christ: for this our weak body shall be transfygurated and made like unto Christ's glorious body, & that by the power whereby he is able to subdue unto himself all things. Then, that which is now corruptible, shall be made incorruptible: that is now vile, shall then be made glorious, that is now weak, shall rise then mighty and strong, that is gross and carnal, shallbe made fine and spiritual, for them we shall see & have the unspeakable joy and fruition of the glorious majesty of our lord even as he is.  
Who or what then shall let us to jeopard, to leopard? yea to spend this life which we have here in Christ's cause? in our lord God his cause? O thou therefore man of god, thou that art laden and so letted like unto a great bellied woman▪ that thou canst not fly the plague, yet if thou lust after such things as I have spoken of, stand fast what soever shall befall in thy masters cause: and take this thy letting to fly, for a calling of god to feighte in thy master Christ his cause. Of this be thou certain, they can do nothing unto thee, which thy father is not aware of, or hath not foreseen before: they can do no more than it shall please him to suffer them to do for the furtherance of his glory, edifying of his church and thine own salvation. Let them then do what they shall, seeing to thee O man of God, all things shall be forced to serve, and to work with thee unto the best before God. O be not afraid and remember the end.  
All this which I have spoken for the comfort of the lamentable case of the man whom christ calleth the great bellied woman: I mean to be spoken likewise to the captive and prisoner in God's cause: for such I count to be as it were already summoned and pressed to fight under the banner of the cross of christ, and as it were soldiers allowed and taken up for the Lords wars, to do to their lord and master good and honourable service, and to stick to him as men of trusty service in his cause even unto death, and to think their life lost in his cause, is to win it in eternal glory for evermore.  
Therefore now to conclude and to make an end of this treatise, I say unto all that love God our heavenly father, that love Christ jesus our redeemer and saviour: that love to followeth ways of the holy ghost, which is our comforter and sanct●●er of all: unto all that love Christ's spouse and body, the true catholic church of Christ, yea that love life & there own soul's health: I say unto all these, hearken my dear brethren and sisters, all you that be of God, of all sorts, ages, dignities, or degree: hearken to the word of our saviour jesus Christ spoken to his apostles and meant to all his in Saint Mathewes Gospel: 
Math. 10.  Fear not them which kill the body, for they can not kill the soul: but fear him more which may destroy and cast both body and soul into ●ell fire. Are not two small-sparrowes ●old for a mite and one of them shall not fall or light upon the ground without your father? All the hears of your head be numbered. Fear them not, you are much more worth than are the little sparrows. Every one then that confesseth me before men, him shall I likewise confess before my father, which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, I shall deny him likewise before my father which is in heaven.  
The lord grant us therefore of his heavenly grace & strength, that here we may so confess him in this world amongst this adulterous and sinful generation, that he may confess us again at the latter day, before his father which is in heaven, to his glory and our everlasting comfort, joy and salvation.  
To our heavenvly father, to our saviour & redeemer jesus Christ, and to the holy ghost, be all glory and honour now and for ever Amen. (⸫)   

CERTAIN Godly and comfortable letters of the constaut witness of Christ john Careless, written in the time of his imprisonment, and now first set forth in print. (⸫)  
Anno Domini. 1566.   

Thomas Pirry to the Christian reader, in commendation of that worthy man of god john Careless.  

MUch care did careful Careless bide,  
in time of romish rage:  
When flesh & blood with fire was tried,  
to make men's faith to suage.   

But god be thanked for his grace,  
who did him so defend:  
that in the truth he ran his race,  
and made a godly end.   

No man more careful for the cross,  
of Christ his saving health:  
no man more careless for the loss,  
of friends and worldly wealth.   

When he was hated and abhorred,  
of Cayphas and his seed:  
he cast his care upon the Lord,  
and Careless was in deed.   

For why? he knew that worldly power,  
no farther could proceed:  
then god, whose word doth still endure,  
already had decreed.   

And that the Lord would in the end,  
work all things for the best:  
when of great mercy he should send,  
his soul to joyful rest,   

In hope whereof he careless was,  
and ready to the stake:  
if god so would, he did not pass:  
such end on earth to make.   

But gods will was he should not die,  
such death in open sight:  
wherefore in prison joyfully,  
to Christ he yield his spirit.   Psalm. 54. Cast thy care upon the lord: and he shall nourish thee, he will not suffer the righteous to fall for ever.  
¶ The grace and free mercy of God in jesus christ, the sweet consolations of the holy ghost, the guide of all Gods dear children be with you, strengthen and comfort you my dearly beloved sweet sister K. E. now & ever. Amen. 
ALL be it, my derly beloved sister in christ, that as yet we did never see one an other personally to any knowledge, yet by the virtuous report, that I have heard of you, and also by the large loving token that I have received from you, my think that I do even presently see you, & behold your person, faithfully walking in the fear and love of god, joying and rejoicing with you in the spirit as though we were sweetly talking together of Christ's verity. The lord god do I humbly beseech in the bowels and blood of our lord and saviour jesus Christ, that he will strengthen us both, with his holy and mighty spirit, that we may constantly continue in the confession of his truth unto the end: that like as we now see one another presently in spirit, we may also see one another personally in the glorious presence of God, and his holy angels. where undoubtedly, we shall know one an others parsonage, to our great joy, felicity, and endless comfort. And now therefore dear sister K. be strong in the Lord our god, for doubtless the time of trial is at hand: a great persecution with cruel murdering of gods dear saints is like to be very shortly in this woeful wicked realm of England. Therefore dear sister, for the love of God, prepare you to the cross with all diligence, and make yourself ready to die with christ, that you may also live with him for ever. There is no remedy, if you will be Christ's disciple, you must needs take up your cross, and follow him, for the disciple must not look to be above his master, nor the servant to be better entreated, than his lord. If we were of the world (good sister) no doubt the world would love us.  
But for as much as Christ hath chosen us out of the world to serve God in spirit and verity, let us be well assured the world will hate us & persecute us, as it hath done our lord & master christ. But yet let us be of good cheer, for Christ hath overcome the world. The pain is but short that we can feel here, but the pleasure is perpetual that we shall feel else where. Let us set before us the example of Christ, which abode the cross and despised the shame, in respect of the joy that was set before him: Even so let us consider, for whose sake we suffer, whose cause we defend, & what glorious reward we shall have at the day of our victory, and then doubtless the consolation of these things will make sweet all our sufferings, and soon swallow up all the sorrows that we are soused in for God's sake. I could recite divers texts of the scripture to confirm this point. But I need not, for I am well assured that you do know them most perfectly all ready. The lord give you strength & assist you with his holy spirit, that you may continually walk in all points according to your godly knowledge: And then shall you not do as the most part of our Gospelers do now a days, the more is the pity. There are a great many in England, that do perfectly know, that the idolatrous mass is abominable, devilish and detestable in the sight of God. And yet, alas they be not afraid to pollute and defile their bodies, which ought to be the temples of the holy ghost, with being present at it, so sinning against God and their own conscience. But dear sister K. do you fly from it, both in body and soul, as you would fly from the very devil himself. Drink not of the whore of Babylon's cup by no means, for it will infect the body & poison the soul. Be not partakers of her sins (saith the angel) lest you be partakers of the plagues, that shortly shallbe powered upon her. O what an array is this? that so many that know gods truth, will now turn again and defile themselves in the filthy puddle of antichristes stinking religion. They go about to save their lives with their double dissimulation, but doubtless, they shall lose everlasting life by it, if they do not repent in time and turn unto the lord. But dear sister, my trust is, that you do utterly abhor the coming to any such thing. I hope that you will not by any means turn back into egypt now, but that you will boldly venture through the wilderness of trouble & persecution, that you may come into the land that floweth with all kind of heavenly pleasures & joyful delectations, and possess the same for ever. Let us consider, how that every one of us doth owe unto god a death by nature, and how soon the Lord will require it of us, we know not. O how happy are we then, if god of his goodness appoint us to pay nature's det with suffering for his truth and Gospels sake, and so making us his faithful witnesses with the prophets, apostles, martyrs, & confessors, yea with his dearly beloved son jesus Christ, to whom he doth here begin to fashion us like in suffering, that we might be like him also in glory. Thus my dearly beloved sister, I have been bold to trouble you a little with my rude and simple letter, being made in haste as it doth appear. Yet I desire you to take it in good worth, as a token of my poor zeal unto you, & to accept my good will. And if it please god to spare me life and liberty. I trust hereafter to write unto you more largely. Far ye well dear sister K. E. the Lord bless you and all yours, and power upon you the heavenly dew of his grace. The lord endue you with plentiful knowledge of his verity, and fill you with his holy and mighty spirit, that you may continually rejoice in the comforts of the same now and ever. Amen. Pray, pray, pray, with steadfast faith.  
Your daily Orator John Careless prisoner of the Lord at all times abiding his most merciful will and pleasure.   
Another letter of the same john Careless sent to the same party. 
¶ Grace, mercy and peace, from god our eternal and most dear loving father, with quietness of conscience in our sweet lord and only saviour jesus christ, with increase of knowledge, health, strength, and spiritual joy in and through the mighty operation of the holy ghost our everlasting comfort, be with you now and ever, my most dear & loving sister K. E. to the good performance of all that he hath so graciously begun in you, in such sort as may be most to his glory●, the comfort of his poor afflicted church, and to the eucrease of your own everlasting joy in him. Amen.  
AS I am by no means able, (my dear heart in the lord) in the least point to recompense any part of the great love, faithful friendship & manifold kindness, that you have so largely extended unto me: even so am I not able to declare, how much, and how deeply I am continually bound to give god most humble praise and continual thanks for you, and on your behalf. Before God I speak it, I can not with pen express what joy and comfort my poor afflicted heart hath conceived of you, and that in more respects than I will or can now declare. Ah my dear sister K. whose humble heart and lowly spirit doth to me presently appear in your most godly and loving letter, blessed are you, and all such meek handmaids of the lord. For doubtless you shall be eralted in that day, when the proud persons of the world, and high minded Pharaseys shall be cast down. God for evermore be blessed, who hath given you (contrary to nature) such a meek & humble heart. For upon all such (he saith himself) his holy spirit shall rest, which promise is full well verified on you: which holy spirit of his, is the good guide and leader, yea the only teacher and instructor of all the lords dear elect children. And as it hath truly taught you to cast yourself down (as it is most convenient) even so will it raise you up again (as I doubt not but it hath already done, and set you upon a high rock of stone, whereon you shall stand sure, and dwell safe for ever: I mean upon jesus Christ, on whom your faith is firmly built, so that the gates of death or hell, shall not finally prevail against the same. Selah. But as I do right well on your part admit the similitude of the faithful wife of Cana, which came to Christ for to have her daughter's health, with whom you may be well compared, both for faith, and humble meekness: even so I will in no wise allow, that you should so much exalt me (a most vile wretched sinner, yea slime, earth, and ashes, and a very lump of Adam's dung) as thought there were some thing in me, in respect whereof you should think yourself unworthy to call me brother, Alas, what am I (in respect of myself) but a deep and a damnable sinner, yea such a one, as daily doth deserve not only this long imprisonment, and death which now knocketh at my door, but also Gehenna and hell fire, if God for his son Christ his sake did not forgive the same, I mean my sin, which partly hath provoked God to plague all this Realm. Therefore my dear sister, if you think yourself unworthy to call me brother, let it be only in respect that I am most unworthy of that name. Otherwise you must consider, that you may (and I trust daily do) boldly call jesus christ the eternal son of God your most dear and loving brother, who by his death hath brought you life, and hath made you the child of God, and fellow heir with him, of the kingdom of heaven, whither he is also ascended for your possession taking, and hath thereto left with you in pledge his pure and holy spirit, as a sure earnest penny of the same, wherewith I am right sure we are both sealed unto the day of redemption. That spirit certifieth our spirit, that we are the true adopted sons of God, and therefore we may boldly call him dear father: then must I needs be your brother, and so I pray you call me: god make me worthy of that name. And where as you dear heart, do desire to be refreshed with the fruitful water of life, which floweth forth of the holy ghost, the fountain of all grace: I say with Christ that blessed is your hungry soul, for it shall be well satisfied with that heavenly manna, which maketh the eaters thereof to live for evermore. For God hath given you his spirit, which hath taught, and doth still teach you, what you ought to believe, and how to live according to the same, as hitherto you have done, your light so shining before men, that god hath been and is greatly glorified by the same. Therefore be you certain & sure, that God will likewise glorify you with himself in everlasting glory. For as the lord did know and elect you for his before the foundation of the world was laydi●: so hath he called you by the sincere preaching of his holy gospel. And as he hath truly called you, so doth he most mercifully justify you of his free grace and favour. And as he doth justify you, or repute you righteous in his sight: so will he glorify you with a crown of immortality in his kingdom for ever. Read the eight to the Romans for your consolation: and put your trust in God, who careth for you, and will keep you in his safe custody, free from all the assaults of your cruel adversary: though in his mischievous members he do transform himself into an angel of light, most craftily to deceive, yea ●uen the very elect, if it were possible for him so to do. I perceive dear sister ●k. that you have met with some of the grievous wolves, which are fearslye entered in amongst the silly sheep of Christ to scatter them. I know well that you have been sore assaulted of the Papists. But I am sure they shall not prevail against you. For their cruel tyranny and all the rest of their devilish doings, is so directly against the word of God in all points, that they can not beguile you though they would never so fain. Perchance you have also been troubled with our sprung up heretics the Arrians and anabaptists. God keep you and all his dear children forth of their wicked company: for verily they are a crafty kind of men, and many a gentle heart and simple soul, they do full sore abuse, & deeply deceive, bringing them far from the sincere faith of Christ, and from the pure understanding of his holy word, though in their outward appearance they would seem as holy as any flattering friar. If any such come about you to persuade you from that everlasting truth, which was taught you in the days of our late good king Edward, by those worthy witnesses which have sealed the same with their blood: let them not come within your doors, neither bid them once god speed, If I were sure that any such blind prophets did go about to lead you in to the dike of darkness, I would take a little more pain for your sake. I have sent unto my good brother Henry jones of Witney, a true and christian confession of my faith, the which I would wish you to read, and in all points to be ruled thereby. My good brother Richard Brice will help you to it well enough: I have spoken to him and to my brother Henrye also. Ah dear sister, these be the dangerous days, in which Christ did prophecy, and Paul, and Peter also, that many false Prophets should appear, & bring in damnable sects, even denying the lord that bought them, as these devilish Arrians do, in denying jesus Christ to be the ternall son of God, of one substance and equal with the father. But my dear heart in the lord be of good cheer. For though this time of darkness, be never so dangerous to the cage of unclean and hateful birds, that can not abide the light, that is to say, the congregation of Satan which had no lust to believe the truth, and therefore God hath sent them strong delusion to believe lies: yet the sure ground of Ged, remaineth still, and hath his seal, which is the spirit of truth: The lord knoweth them that are his, and hath committed them unto Christ his keeping, who will lose nothing of that which his father hath given him, but will raise it up at the last day. yea for his choose sake, the Lord hath said, these sorrowful days shallbe shortened, of which most happy number, whose names are registered in the book of life, my firm faith is, that you are one, as by your steadfast faith, and fruits of the same, it doth appear. And whereas you say that my simple letters have been a stay and comfort to you, I am most glad thereof, & do most heartily praise God therefore: that God of his great mercy will use me poor miser of the world, as his instrument or mean to do good to any one of his dear saints. And I do most heartily desire you to forgive me my great negligence towards you, in that I have not more oftener written letters to you, seeing that you do so well esteem them as you do. But if god spare me life, I will be a little more diligent to write unto you, than heretofore I have been. And as for my poor prayer, as you have been, so shall you continually be sure of it. I trust you do also remember me in yours, as your large and loving deeds do declare no less. Ah good sister what do you mean to send me so rich a token. Alas you make me sorry to see how careful you are for me, and what great cost you have bestowed upon me a most unprofitable member in Christ's church. But verily I do perceive whereabout you go. You are minded to bring God a great deal into your debt, and to put your money unto a godly usury, according to the saying of the wise man: He that hath pity upon the poor (saith he) dareth unto the lord, and look what he layeth out, it shallbe paid him again. The lord recompense your pitiful heart, which is so careful for the children of God in the time of their captivity. God be blessed who hath made you so cheerful in giving, and diligent in well ●●ing, for verily the time is at hand, that you shall reap without ceasing, the fruit of eternal life. Therefore be of good cheer, for they that now sow their good seed with tears, shall then reap their full sheaves with gladness, and god shall wipe all tears from their eyes for ever. Cast all your care upon the lord, and commit your soul and body unto him as unto a faithful creator: for doubtless dear sister, he continually keepeth you, and careth for you. The most and principal thing that God requireth of you, is, that you be fully persuaded, that he careth for you, and that he is your god and most dear loving father, and willbe so for ever. Without this faith and true persuasion, you can not please him, you can not commit and betake yourself wholly unto him, you can not truly fear him, or love him in deed, you can not call upon him, or heartily pray unto him. Therefore let this be your alone and continual endeavour, to be confirmed more and more of this, that God is your most bear loving faher, through▪ jesus Christ, that he hath a most tender care over you and for you, as always he hath had, and always will have, both in soul and body, for this life and for eternal life, howsoever things appear and seem unto you. According as you believe, so shall it be unto you, and as you think God will be unto you, so shall you feel him: Think therefore sweetly of the lord and his goodness, and pray for the increase of faith, which God grant unto us both for his mercy's sake. Amen. Thus, most dear and faithful sister, for this time I make an end, committing you and all yours, to Gods most merciful defence, who bless, keep, and preserve you, now and ●or evermore Amen. Far you well in Christ good sister.  
your poor brother and daily Orator Thou Careless prisoner of the Lord at all time abiding his most merciful will and pleasure. pray, pray.   
another letter sent from the same john Careless to the self same woman. 
¶ The everlasting peace of GOD in jesus Christ, the continual aid and strength, joy and comforts of his most puer, holy, & mighty spirit, with the increase of faith and lively feelings of his eternal mercies, be most effectuously wrought in your heart, and graven in your mind, my dear friend and faithful loving sister K. E. to the full finishing of all the good works which he hath most graciously begun in you, that the same (by all means) may be to the setting forth of God's glory, the commodity of his poor afflicted Church and to your own everlasting comfort in him. Amen  
AS the daily occasions which happen to me, dear sister in the lord, putting me in remembrance of my most happy departure and final deliverance to be at hand, do move my poor heart to much spiritual mirth and gladness in the lord, even so doth the daily remembrance of you, and other the dear saints of God (whom I shall leave behind me) engender much sorrow and sadness, even to my very soul, to see in what a miserable world you must remain, subject to our deserved plagues both spiritual and temporal. In respect whereof, as I daily make mention of you in my cotinual prayers, that God will protect you under the wings of his mercy, from all things that may be hurtful either to soul or body: so have I thought it good, yea, & my very bounden duty, to write these few lines unto you, as well to comfort you, what soever cross it shall please the Lord to lay upon you, as also to warn you to walk circumspectly, as the child of light, least at any time the darkness should overtake you, as it is like to do those foolish virgins, which have let their lamps go out already, the bridegrooms coming being so nigh at hand, as surely it is not far hence, as it appeareth both by the prophecies of the holy scriptures, & also by daily examples, whereof we have experience. God for his Christ's sake give us all grace diligently to watch and pray, that we may be ready prepared for that long desired day. Amen. My dear sister K. call to your remembrance always the great love and merciful kindness that God your most dear loving father hath from time to time extended unto you, specially in that he would vouchsafe to give for you his own only & dearly beloved son, in whom was and is all his whole pleasure and delight, unto the very death of the cross, yea and that when you were his very enemy, the child of wrath, the bond servant of Satan, and a very firebrand of hell, and should have so remained for ever. Consider also, how he hath given you with his sweet son, all things necessary either for body or soul, yea all that ever is in heaven and earth, and hath made you by him, heir unto himself, and owner and possessor of all that ever he hath. In consideration whereof, you ought so to love him again, that nothing should be able to separate you from him: yea of very love only you ought to serve him in such holiness and righteousness, as is accept before him, all the days of your life: and also to abstain most willingly, from all things that be detestable in his sight, what danger so ever should ensue to you for the same. But in deed, my dear heart, to be plain with you, I do hear to my great grief that the due consideration of this great love and infinite mercy of god, hath not yet effectuously wrought all these aforesaid things in you, according to my lonng expectation: but it is informed me by credible persons▪ that you, notwithstanding the great love of God towards you, and the excellent knowledge he hath so graciously given you before many other, do yet many times defile your faith, or marriage garment, with coming into the company of filthy idolaters, at the time of their Antichristian service. truly if it be so, it is a token that the great abundant bottomless love & mercy of God towards you, hath not yet in such sort been considered of you, that it hath (as it ought to have done) swallowed up all the vain love of the world. Ah, where is true faith become, and lively seling of God's mercy, that were wont to make the children of god diligent to keep God's commandments, and merrily to bear his cross? But perchance you do not think it a breaking of God's commandments, to go to the Idols temple, and to be present with the papists at their superstitious service. etc. But god forbidden you should be so ignorant, after so many instructions, in so great & weighty a matter. For surely the unknown sickness is most dangerous evermore, as experience teacheth. But I verily think, at the least wise I hope, that your knowledge is so great in these things, that the danger in being partaker with the wicked, is not hid from your eyes. Therefore your fault is so much the greater, & the sorer punishment is due for the same. But my undoubted trust is, that almighty God our most dear loving father, will not leave you in your weakness, but will raise you up again, by true and earnest repentance, and give you such grace and strength of his spirit, that henceforth you shallbe so far from coming to any of their abominable superstition, that you shall be able well to persuade this bearer, and many other the saints of God from the same. I know dear heart that this thing which I require of you, will bring a great cross unto you, as well at the hands of your husband, as of many other your worldly friends and foes. But let not that discourage you any thing at all, sith you are one of the chosen children of God, to whom his cross doth specially belong. Let not tribulation for righteousness sake, seem a strange thing unto you: but rather rejoice and be glad, that God will vouch you worthy of so great dignity. For truly it is the greatest honour, that God can bring his elect unto in this mortal life: I mean to make them his witnesses to the world, and to make them worthy to suffer for his sake, which thing is not permitted to the highest Angel in heaven: albeit I believe they would more rejoice thereof, then in all the glory they have. Oh why are we then so loath to come to this great promotion, seeing it is the very ordinance of god upon all his dear children, as S. Paul affirmeth, saying: To you it is given not only that you should believe in jesus Christ, but also that you should suffer for his sake. Again he saith: all that will live godly in Christ jesus, must suffer persecution. Oh what cause have we to rejoice, if it please God, by sufferings to make us some thing conformable to the passions of our sweet Christ, who first suffered for us, and afterward entered into his glory? We have in this world nothing so much to rejoice in, as that we are made meet to be under the cross with Chryst. For thereby are we assured, not only that the glorious spirit of god resteth upon us, but also that we shall reign with Christ, and be glorified together with him, who hath testified with his own mouth, that they be blessed which suffer persecution for righteousness sake, for theirs (saith he) is the kingdom of heaven: into the which we must also enter by many tribulations. Happy is he (saith christ) that endureth to th'end. 
Apoc. 2.  Be faithful unto death (saith the holy ghost) & I will give thee a crown of life. etc. But what mean I to make so long a circumstance unto you, my dear heart, who knoweth all these things as well or better than I? Oh that you had the grace and strength to do all things according to your knowledge: I mean, concerning the fleeing from Idolatry, and suffering for the truth. As for all other things, I know you are unspotted, praised be god for you. Oh that you durst pledge me of the same cup, (if need do require) whereof the lord of our glory hath not refused himself to drink before us, and hath left us an example to follow his fotesteps, that he might crown us with his own glory, and most precious gifts. Oh lord help thy dear children that would feign come unto thee, and look not narrowly upon our sins, which are the cause of our long absence from thee, but cover them for thy Christ's sake, with the mantel of thy manifold mercies, which far surmounteth all thy works, that we may not be ashamed, but rejoice at thy most glorious coming, the which do thou hasten according to thy promise, for thy chosen's sake. We have dear sister, been of long season acquainted with this earthly old man of ours to much, which is full of sin, and presseth down sore our understanding, that it is needful for us to be tried through many tribulations, that the rust thereof might be worn away, that we might be made meet vessels for the lords own use, and be sanctified to honour. Happy is he that endureth chastising. Which blessing (my good sister) God offereth unto us at this present, yea, and himself also as our most dear loving father. Let us willingly embrace him therefore, and give thanks unto his name, that hath triumphantly gotten victory over all our enemies, and is now pleading our cause on the right hand of God his father, in the kingdom of heaven, where he keepeth possession for us. To whom if we direct our eyes with a steadfast faith, we shall not need to fear, neither death, sin, nor hell, for their whole power is taken away, and Christ's righteousness maketh answer for us. Yea he is wholly ours with all his merits, mercies and most sweet sufferings, and we are his for evermore: so that we may boldly say, the lord is our help, and therefore we will not fear what man may do unto us, for he is but flesh, and his breath is in his nostrils: but the strength of the lord, and the power of his word endureth for ever: unto the which let us steadfastly trust, & then shall we not be confounded. My dear friend & faithful sister K. think no unkindness in me, that I writ thus boldly unto you: for verily it is of pure love and a true heart that I bear unto you, as I am most deeply bound, yea double and triple. I have plentifully reaped your temporal things, god recompense you for it. And ought not I then much more to sow unto you some of those spiritual things, wherewith God hath blessed me? yes truly: and everlasting woe and damnation were most due and sure unto me, if I did it not. God for his Christ's sake, forgive me my great negligence in this behalf towards you, and all the rest of his dear children, whom I love in the lord, as mine own soul, and thank God most heartily, that you do me likewise, which am most unworthy of the same. God give me the spirit of prayer, that I may therewith supply some part of my duty towards you: for verily I am far in your debt, and so am like to die. But my sure trust is, that my good God, for whose sake I lose life and goods, and all earthly commodities, will abundantly recompense you with his blessing, both spiritual and temporal, and in the end bring you unto me, in the place of perpetual joy and quietness, where we shall rest from all our labours, and remain together for evermore. There shall we most perfectly know one another personally: though in this life we are not like to do so, for I am already proclaimed heretic at Paul's cross, I praise god most heartily for it. For now I know I shall shortly be with him, for whose sake I am so called: and shallbe yet more solennely the sunday after Trinity sunday, doctor Harpesfield saith▪ I thank him for his pains. For he hath given me good warning to prepare myself ready against the day of slaughter: which time is not yet in their hands, for all their brags and proud boastings, but in the good will & determination of my most dear God, and loving father. And right sure I am, that they (I mean my enemies) and if all the devils in hell do help them, can not shorten my life one minute of an hour, otherwise than GOD hath appointed, for his glory and my eternal profit. Therefore upon him will I cast all my care, & be careless, according to my name, in spite of them all, and tell them I will, when I come before them, that God doth laugh all their doings to scorn, and shortly will bring all their counsels to nought, to their own utter confusion, if they be not converted. For which thing let us pray to him, which only is able to do it, and will, when he seeth his good time and pleasure. In the mean space, the same LORD give us his peace and patience, with plentiful consolation and joy in the holy ghost: who govern, guides, lead and conduct us unto the very end. Thus yet once again I commit you unto Gods most merciful defence, who ever have you, and all yours, in his blessed keeping. The blessing of God be with you evermore. Amen.  
yours for ever most unfeignedly, john Careless, prisoner of the Lord, at all times abiding his most merciful will & pleasure. Pray, pray, pray.  
FINIS.   

Imprinted at London by William powel, dwelling in Fleetstreet, at the sign of the George, near to Saint Dunston's Church.