AN EPISTLE OF the Lady jane a right virtuous woman, To a learned man of late fallen from the truth of Gods most holy word, for fear of the world.  
Read it, to thy consolation.  
whereunto is added the communication that she had with master Feckenham upon her faith, and belief of the Sacraments.  
Also another Epistle which she wrote to her sister, with the words she spoke upon the Scaffold before she suffered. Anno. M. D. liv.   

SO oftas I call to mind the dreadful, & fearful sayings of god: that he which layeth hold upon the plough, and looketh back again, is not meet for the kingdom of heaven. And on the other side, to remember the comfortable words of our saviour Christ, to all those that forsaking themselves, do follow him, I can not but marvel at thee, and lament thy case. That thou, which some time waste the lively member of Christ: but now the deformed imp of the devil, some time the beautiful temple of God: but now the stinking & filthy kennel of Satan, some time the unspotted spouse of Christ, but now the unshamefast paramour of Antichrist, sometime my faithful brother: but now a stranger and Apostata yea some time a stout christian soldier: but now a cowardly runaway. So oft as I consider the threatenings & promises of god to all those that faith fully love him: I can not but speak to thee, yea, rather cry out upon thee, thou seed of Satan, & not of juda whom the devil hath deceived, the world hath beguiled, and desire of life hath subverted & made the of a Christian, aninfidel. wherefore hast thou taken upon thee, the testament of the lord in thy mouth? wherefore hast thou hitherto yielded thy body to the fire, and blodi hands of cruel tyrants? wherefore hast thou instructed other to be strong in Christ, when thou thyself dost now so horribly abuse the testament and law of the lord: when thou thyself preachedst (not to steal) yet most abominably stealest (not from men) but from God, and as a most heinous sacreleger, robbest, Christ thy Lord, of his right, of his members, thy body and thy soul▪ when thou thyself dost rather chose to live miserably (with shame) to the world then to die, and gloriously with honour to taigne with Christ, In whom? even in death, theris life. And when I say thou thyself art most week, thou oughtest, to show thyself most strong. For the strength of a fort, is not known before the assault, but thou yieldest thy hold, before any battery be made.  
Oh wretched and unhappy man what art thou but dust and ashes? And wilt thou resist thy maker that formed thee, & fashioned thee, wilt thou now forsake him that called the from custom gathering, among the Romish antichristians to be an ambassador and messenger of his eternal word, he that first framed thee: and since thy creation, and birth preserved thee: no rished thee: and kept thee: yea, & in spired the with the spirit of knowledge: (I cannot say of grace) shall he not possess thee? Darest thou deliver up thyself to another, being not thine own, but his? How canst, thou having knowledge, or how darest thou neglect the law of the lord: & follow the vain traditions of men? And where as thou hast been a public professor of his name, become now a defacer of his glory. I will thou refuse the true GOD: and worship the invencio of man, The golden Calf, the whore of Babylon, the Romish religion, the abominable idol, the most wicked mass: wilt thou torment again, rent & tear the most precious body, of our Saviour Christ, with thy bodily and fleshly teeth? without the breaking whereof upon the cross, our sinful sins could else noways be redeemed. wilt thou take upon the to offer up any sacrifice unto God for our sins? considering that Christ offered up himself (as Paul saith) upon the cross a lively sacrifice once for al.  
Can neither the punisment of the Israelites (which for their ido latrye so oft they received) move thee, neither the terrible threatenings of the ancient prophets, stir thee, nor the curses of gods own mouth, fear the to honour any other god than him? wilt thou so regard him, that spared not his dear and only son for thee, so diminishing, yea, utterly extinguishing his glori, that thou wilt attribute the praise & honour to idols, which have mouths. & speak not, eyes, and see not, eats and yet hear not: which shall perish with them that made them? what saith the prophet Barucke, where he reciteth the epistle of jeremi, written to the captive jews? Did he not forewarn them, that in Babylon they should see gods of gold, silver, wood, & stone, borne upon men's shoulders, to cast a fear before the heathen, but be not ye afraid of them (saith jeremy) nor do as other do. But when you see other worship them, say you in your hearts: it is thou (O Lord) that oughtest only to be worshipped: for as for the timber of those gods, the Carpenter framed them and polished them, yea, gilded be they, and laid over with silver, and vain things: and can not speak. He showeth moreover, the abuse of their deckings, how the priests took of their ornaments, and apparelled their women withal. How one holdeth a Sceptre, another a sword in his hand, and yet can they judge in no matter, nor defend themselves, much jesse any other, from either batte● or murder, nor yet from gnawing of worms, nor any other evil thing. These, & such like words, speaketh jeremy unto them, where by he proveth them butvain things, and no gods. And at last he concludeth thus: Confounded be they that worship them. They were warned by jeremy, and thou as jeremy, hast warned other, & art warned thyself, by many scriptures, in many places.  
God saith: he is a gelious god, which will have all honour, glory, and worship given to him only. And Christ saith in the fourth of Luke to Satan, which tempted him: even to the same Satan, the same Beelzebub, the same dyveil, which hath prevailed against thee. It is written (saith he) thou shalt honour the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. These and such like do prohibit thee and all Christians to worship any other God then which was before all worlds: and laid the foundations both of heaven and earth. And wilt thou honour a detestable idol, invented by Romish Popes, & the abominable college of crafty Cardinals? Christ offered himself up once for all, and wilt thou offer him up again daily at thy pleasure? But thou wilt say▪ thou dost it for a good intent. Oh sink of sin, Oh child of perdition: Dost thou dream therein a good intent, where thy conscience beareth the witness, the promise of god's wrath toward thee? How did Saul: who for that he dysobeied the word of god for a good intent, was thrown from his worldli & tem poral kingdom? Shalt thou then, that dost so deface gods honour, & rob him of his right: inherit the eternal and heavenly kingdom? wilt thou for a good intent pluck Christ out of heaven, and make his death void, and deface the triumph of his cross, offering him up daily? wilt thou either for fear of death, or hope of life, deny and refusethi God, who enriched thy poverti, healed thine infirmity, & yielded to this victori, if thou couldst have kept it? Doth thou not consider that the third of life, hangeth upon him that made thee: who can (as his will is) either twine it hard, to last the longer, or untwine it again to break it the sooner? Dost thou not remember the saying of David a notable king, which teacheth thee a miserable wretch, in his, ciiii. Psalm, where he saith: when thou takest away thy spirit (O Lord) from men, they die, and are turned again to their dust, but when thou lettest thy breath go fourth, they shallbe made, & thou shalt renew the face of the earth?  
Remember the saying of Christ in his Gospel, who soever seeketh to save his life, shall lose it, but whosoever will lose it for mi sake, shall find it. And in another place: whosoever loveth father or mother above me: is not meet for me. For he that will be my disciple, must for sake Father and Mother, and himself, & take up his cross and follow me. What cross? the cross of infamy, & shame, of misery and poverty, of affliction & persecution for his name's sake.  
Let the oft faliing of those heavenly showers pierce thy stony heart. Let the two edged sword of gods holy word, shear a sunder the sewed together sino was of world lie respects, even to the very mari of thy carnal heart, that thou mayest once again forsake thyself, & embrace Christ. And like as good subjects will not refuse to hazard all in the defence of his earthly & temporal governor: So fly not like a white hewred milk sop from thy standing, wherein thy chief captain Christ hath set the in a rai of this life, Viriliter age comfortetur cortuum, & sustine Dominum. Fight manfully, come life, come death, the quarrel is gods, & undoubtedly the victory is ours. But thou wilt say: I will not break unity. what, not the unity of Satan and his members? Not the unity of darkness, the agreement of Antichrist and his adhearentes? Nay, thou deceivest thyself with fond imaginations of such an unity as is among the enemies of Christ. were not the false prophets in an unity? were not joseph's brethren, and jacobs' sons in an unity? were not the heathen, as the Amelechites, the Feresites and jebusites in an uniti? I keep no order but rather look to mi matter. were not the Scribes and Phariyses in an unity? Doth not king David testify: Conuenerunt in unum, adversus Dominum? Yea, thieves and murderers conspirators, have their unity.  
But mark my friend (ye friend) if thou be not God's enemy. There is no unity, but where Christ knitteth the knot among such as be his. Yea, be you well assured, that where his truth is resident, the● it is verified that he sayeth: Non veni mittere pacem in terram, sed gladium. That is, Christ came to set one against another: the son against the father, the daughter against the mother. Deceive not thy self therefore with the glistering and glorious name of unity. For Antichrist hath his unity, yet not in deed, but in name. The agreement of every man, is not an uniti, but a conspiracy.  
Thou hast heard some threatenings, some curses, and some admonishions out of the Scripture, to those that love themselves above Christ. Thou hast heard also, the sharp and biting words, to those that deny him for love of life. saith he not, that he that denieth me before men, I will deny him, before my father in heaven? And to the same effect writeth Saint Paul. Hebru. vi. It is impossible (saith he) that they which be once lightened and have tested of the heavenly gift, and be partakers of the holy ghost, and have tasted of the good word of God, if they fall and slide away, it is impossible that they should be renewed again by repentance, crucifiing again to themselves the son of God, and making him a mocking stock. And again (saith he) if we shall willingly sin, after we have receined the knowledge of the truth, there is no oblation left for sin, but the terrible expectation of judgement, & fire which shall devour the adversaries. Thus S. Paul writeth, and this thou readest. And dost thou not quake and tremble? well, if these terrible & thundering threat ninges cannot stur thee, to cleave unto Christ & forsake the world: yet let the sweet consolations and promises of the scriptures, let the example of Christ & his Apostles, holy Martyrs and Confessors, encourage the to take faster hold by Christ. hearken what he saith: blessed are you when men revile you & persecute you for my sake, Rejoice, & be glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For so persecuted they the prophets before you. Hear what Esay saith: Fear not the curse of men, be not afraid of their blasphemies & revilings, for worms and moths shall eat them up like cloth & will, but my righteousness shall endure for ever, and my saving health, from generation to generation. What art thou then (saith he) that featest a mortal man, the child of a man that fadeth away as doth the flower, and forgettest the Lord that made thee, that spread out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth. I am the Lord thy God that maketh the sea to tag, and to be still, who is the lord of hosts. I shall put my word in thy mouth, and defend thee, with the turning of a hand. And our saviour Christ saith to his disciples: They shall accuse you, and bring you befote the princes and rulers, for mi name's sake. And some of you they shall persecute & kill, but fear you not (saith he) neither care you not what you shall say, for it is mi spirit that speaketh in you, the hand of the highest fhal defend you, for the heats of your head are numbered, and none of them shall perish. I have laid up treasure for you (saith he) where no thief can steal, nor moth corrupt, and happy are you, if you endure to the end. Fear not them (saith Christ) that have power over the body only, but fear him that hath power both over the body and soul. The world loveth her own, and if ye were of the world, the world would love you, but you are mine, therefore the world doth hate you. Let these and such like consolations, out of the Sctyptures, strengthen you to Godward. Let not the ensamples of holy men & women, go out of your mind, as Daniel, & the test of the prophets, of the three Children, of Eleazarus that constant father, of the seven. of the Machabes Children, of Peter, Paul, Steven, & other Apostles and holy Martyrs in the beginning of the church. As of good Simeon Archbishop of Seloma, and zetrophone, with infinite other under Sapores the king of the Persians and Indians, who contemned all torments devised by the tyrants, for their saviours sake. Return, return, again into Christ's water, & as becometh a faithful watriour, put on that armour that S. Paul teacheth to be most necessatye for a Christian man. And above all things take to you the shield of faith.  
And be ye provoked by Christ's own example to withstand the devil, to forsake the world, and to be come a true and faithful member of his mystical body, who spared not his own body for our sins. through we down thyself with the fear of his threatened vengeance for this so great & heinous offence of Apostasy, and comfort your self on the other part with the mercy, blood and promises of him that is ready to turn to you, when soever thou turn to him. Disdain not to come again with the lost son seeing you have so wandered with him. Be not ashamed to turn again with him from the swill of strangers, to the delicates of the most benign and loving father, Acknoledginge, that you have sinned against heaven and earth. Against heaven by staining his glorious name, and caused his most cinsere and pure word to be evil spoken of, through you. Against earth, by offending your so many weak brethren, to whom you have been a stumbling block through your sudden sliding.  
Be not ashamed to come again with mary, and to weep bitterly with Peter, not only with shedding of tears out of your bodily eyes: but also pouring out the streams of your heart, to wash away out of the sight of God, the filth and mire of your offensive fall. Be not ashamed to say with the Publican: Lord be merciful to me a sinner. Remember the horrible history of julien of old, and the lamentable case of Frances Spira of late, whose case (me thinketh) should be yet so green in your remembrance, that being a thing of our time, you should fear the like inconvenience, seeing that you are fallen into the like offence. Last of all, let the lively remembrance of the last day be always afore your eyes, remembering the terror that such shallbe in at that time, with the runagates and fugitives from Christ, which setting more by the world, then by heaven, more by their life, than b● him that gave them their life, did shrink, yea did clean shall away from him that never forsook them. And contrary wise the inestimable joys prepared for them that feared no parel, nor dreading death, have manfully fought, and victoriously triumphed overall power of darkness, over hell, death, & damnation, through their most redoubted captain Christ, who now stretcheth out his arms to receive you, ready to fall upon your neck and kiss you, and last of all to feast you with the dainties & delicates of his own precious blood, which undoubtedly, if it might stand with his determinate purpose, he would not let to shed again, rather than you should be lost. To whom with the father and the holy ghost, be honour, praise and glory everlasting . Amen.  
Be constant, be constant, fear not for pain:  
Christ hath redeemed thee, and heaven is thy gain.   

A CERTAIN COMMVNYcation, between the Lady jane, & Master Feckenham, iiii. days before her death, even word for word, her own hand being put thereto.  
Feckenham fitst speaketh.  
WHat thing is required in a Christian?  jane. 
To believe in God the Father, in God the son, in god the holy ghost, three persons and one God.  Fecken. 
Is there nothing else required in a Christian, but to believe in God?  jane. 
Yes, we must believe in him, we must love him, with all our heart, with all our soul, and all our mind, and our neighbour as ourself.  Fecken. 
Why them faith justifieth not, nor saveth not.  jane. 
Yes verily, saith (as S. Paul saith) only justifieth.  Fec. 
why. s. Paul saith: if I have all faith without love, it is nothing.  jane. 
True it is, for how can I love him, in whom I trust not? Or how can I trust in him, whom I love not? faith and love agreeth both together, & yet love is comprehended in faith.  Fecken. 
How shall we love our neighbour?  jane. 
To love our neighbour, is to feed the hungri, cloth the naked, and give drink to the thirsty, and to do to him, as we would do to ourselves.  Feck. 
why then it is necessary to salvation to do good works, and it it not sufficient to believe.  jane. 
I deny that, and I affirm that faith only saveth. But it is meet for Christians in token that they follow their master Christ, to do good works, yet may we not say that they profit to salvation. For although we have all done all that we can, yet we be unprofitable servants, and the faith only in Christ's blood, saveth.  Fecken. 
How many sacraments be there?  jane. 
Two, the one the sacrament of Baptism, & the other the sacrament of our lords suppet.  Fecken. 
No, there be. seven.  jane. 
By what scripture find you that?  Fecken. 
well, we will talk there of hereafter. But what is signified by your two sacraments? jan. By the sacrament of baptism, I am washed with water, & regenerated by the spirit, & that washing is a token to me, that I am the child of God. The sacrament of the lords supper is offered unto me as a sure seal and testimoni, that I am by the blood of Christ which 〈◊〉 shed for me on the cross, mad● partaket, of the everlasting kingdom.  Feck. 
why▪ what do you receive in that bread? Do you not receive the very body and blood of Christ?  jane. 
No surely, I do not believe so, I think that at that supper sireceive neither flesh, nor blood, but only bread & wine. The which bread when it is broken, & the wine when it is drunk, putteth me in mind, how that for my sins the body of Christ was broken, & his blood shed on the cross, and with that bread & wine, I receive the benefits that came by breaking of his body, & by the shedding of his blood on the cross for mi sins.  Feck. 
why doth not Christ speak these words▪ take, eat, this is my bod●? Require we any plainer words? Doth not he say that it is his body?  jane. 
I grant he saith so, & so he saith: I am the vine, I am 〈…〉, but yet he is never the mote, the vine nor do●e. Doth not S. Paul say, that he calleth those things that are not as though they were? God forbidden that I should say that I eat the very natural body & blood of Christ, for then either I should pluck away my redention, either else there were ii bodies, or ii Christ's or else. two. bodies, the one body was tormented on the cross, & then if they did eat another body, than either he had. two. bodies, either else if his body were eaten, it was not broken upon the cross, or else if it were broken upon the cross, it was not eaten of his disciples.  Feck. 
why is it not as possible, that Christ by his power could make his body both to be eaten & broken, as to be boren of a woman, without the seed of man, & as to walk on the sea, having a body, & other such like miracles as he wrought by his power only?  jane. 
Yesvereli if god would have done at his supper a miracle, he might have done so, but I say he minded no work nor miracle, but only to break his body, & shed his blood on the cross for our sins. But I pray you answer me to this one question, where was Christ when he said: Take, eat, this is my body? was not he at the table when he said so? He was at that time alive, and suffered not, till the next day. well, what took he, but bread? and what broke he, but bread? and what gave he, but bread? Look what he took, he broke, and look what he broke, he gave, and look what he gave, that did they eat, and yet all this while he himself was at supper before his disciples or else they were deceived.  Feck. 
You ground your faith, upon such authors as say & unsay, both with a breath, & not upon the church, to whom you ought to give credit.  jane. 
No, I ground my faith upon god's word, & not upon the church. For if the church be a good church, the faith of the church must be tried by god's word, & not gods word by the church, neither yet mi faith. Shall I believe the church, because of antiquity? Or shall I give credit to that church, that taketh away from me, that half part of the lords supper, and will let no lai man receive it in both kinds: but themselves? which thing if they deny to us, they deny us part of our salvation, and I say that is an evil church, and not the spouse of Christ, but the spouse of the devil, that altereth the lords supper, & both taketh from it, and addeth to it. To that church I say, God will add plagues, & from that church will he take their part out of the book of life. Do you not learn that of S. Paul, when he ministered it to the Corinthians in both kinds? Shall I believe that church? God forbidden.  Fecken. 
That was done of a good intent of the church to avoid an heresy that sprung on it.  jane. 
why, shall the church alter gods will and ordinances, for a good intent? How did king Saul the lord define. with these & such like persuasions. He would have had me to have leaned to the church, but it would not be. There were many more things, whereof we reasoned, but these were the chief.  
Be me jane Dudley.  
These words were spoken openly. After this Master Feckenham took his leave saying: that he was sorry for her. For (said he) I am sure we two shall never meet▪ Troth it is (quoth she) that we shall never meet, unless god turn your heart▪ For I am sure (unless you repent and turn to God) you are in an evil case, and I pray to god, in the bowels of his mercy, to send you his holy spirit. For he hath given you his great gift of utterance, if it please him to open the eyes of your heart to his truth And so she departed.   

AN EXORTATION written by the Lady jane the night before she suffered, in the end of the New-testament in Greek, which she sent to her sister, Lady Katetine.  
I Have here sent you good sister Katetine, a book: which although it be not outwardly trimmed with gold, yet inwardli it is more worth than precious stones. It is the book (dear Sister) of the Law of the Lord. It is his testament and last will, which he bequeathed unto us wretches, which shall lead you to the path of eternal joy. And if you with a good mind read it, and with an earnest desire follow it, it shall bring you to an immortal and everlasting life. It will teach you to live and learn you to die. It shall win you more, than you should have gained by the possession of your woeful father's lands For as if God had prospered him you should have inherited his lands: so if you appli diligently this book, seeking to direct your life after it, you shallbe an inheritor of such riches, as neither the covetous shall withdtaw from you, neither the thief shall steal, neither yet the moths corrupt. Desire with David (good sister) to understand the law of the lord your god. Live still to die, that you by death may purchase eternal life. And trust not that the tenderness of your age, shall lengthen your life: For assoon (if God call) goth the young as the old. And labour alway to learn to die. Deny the world, defy the devil, and despiseth flesh and delight yourself only in the Lord. Be penitent for your sins and yet despair not: Be strong in saith, and yet presume not: and desire with S. Paul, to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, with whom, even in death there is life.  
Be like the good servant, and even at midnight be wakig: Lest when death cometh and steal upon you like a these in the night, you be with the devils servant found sleeping: and lest for lack of oil ye be found like the five foolish women, and like him that had not on the wedding garment, and then you be cast out from the Marriage. Rejoice in Christ, as I trust ye do. And seeing ye have the name of a Christian, as near as ye can, follow the steps of your master Christ, and take up your cross, lay your sins on his back, and always embrace him. And as touching my death, rejoice as I do (good sister) that I shallbe delivered of this corruption, and put on uncorruption. For I am assured, that I shall for losing of a mortal life, win an immortal life. The which I pray God grant you, send you of his grace to live in his fear, and to die in the true Christian saith. From the which in god's name I exhort you that ye never serve, neither for hope of life, ner fear of death For if ye will deny his truth, to leng then your life: God will deny you, and yet shorten your days, And if ye will cleave to him, he will prolong your days, to your comfort and his glory. To the which glory, God bring me now, and you hereafter, when it shall please god to call you. Far well good sister and put your only trustin God, who only must help you. Amen.  
Your loving sister, jane Dudley.   

The Lady Jane's words upon the Scaffold.  
GOod Christian people, I am under a law and by a law I am coudempned to die, not for any thing I have offended the queens Maiesti, for I will wash my hands guiltless thereof, but only for that I consented to the thing which I was enforced unto. Not withstanding I have offended almighty god, for that I have felowed over much the lust of mi flesh, and the pleasure of this wretched world, and I have not lived according to the knowledge that God hath given me, whetfote God harh plagued me now with this kind of death, and that worthily according to my deserts. How be it I thank him heartily that he hath given me time to repent my sins here in this world, wherefore good Christian people, I shall desire you all to pray with me, & for me while I am now alive, that god of his goodness will forgive me my sins. And I pray you all to bear me witness, that I here die a true Christian woman, and that I trust to be saved by the blood of jesus Christ, and by none other means, and now I pray you all, pray for me and with me, & so said the psalm of Miserere mei, that done, she said Lord save my soul, which now I commend into thy hands, and so prepared herself meekly to the block.  
Finis.