Two Letters: One written by a Protestant to his brother being a Papist, to withdraw him forth of the country of the Papists, who was partly by him persuaded, but that his wealth made him peremptory, whereupon he took occasion to write this letter, to move him rather to make choice of the kingdom of God, then the riches of the world.  
The other written by Master Ramon, a Minister of the word of God, being prisoner in the city of Valencia, to his wife being in London, to comfort her; who after suffered for the gospel.  
Translated out of French.  
 printer's or publisher's device  
Imprinted at London by T. east for matthew Law. 1603.   

A Letter written from a Protestant, to his brother being a Papist.  
Grace and peace through Iesus Christ.  
MOst dear and well-beloved brother,  
with all my heart I recommend me unto you, and to my indeered sister your wife; may it please you to understand that wee are here arrived the 11. of Octo. in good& perfect health, the Lord bee praised, who hath shewed unto us such great mercy, in withdrawing us from thence, to the end to bring us into the land of promise, that happy land, where his majesty is glorified, and his name unfeignedly and purely called on, even as he hath commanded by his holy word. Now therefore wee are meruailouslie bound to aclowledge this vnestimable mercy, for he hath not onely given us the knowledge of the right way, to attain & come to that life that endureth world without end, but also he hath led and conducted us in this way by his holy Ghost, and animated and as it were thrusted us forward in his love, that we make no estimation either of our parents, friends, lands, possessions, or riches, but as a small shadow and of no continuance, but altogether uncertain, and not to bee compared to one of the smallest spiritual gifts: He hath given us to understand I say, that all this is nothing to be compared with the life eternal and everlasting. For david saith, that a thousand yeares before the Lord are but a minute, therefore the Lord be praised, who doth print such comfort for our souls in our harts, and giveth us power to resist against all assaults and promises, which the flesh doth oppose against us, and sets before our eyes, for if we will taste of the everlasting life, there is no other way than the very selfsame which the son of GOD hath shewed unto us, to wit, as he saith, he that shall not forsake father, mother, brother, sister, lands& goods, and all he hath for my names sake, he is not worthy of me; and whosoever taketh not his cross vpon him forsaking himself to follow me, he is not worthy to be my disciple; and all these words do proceed from the mouth of the son of God, the onely almighty and everliving God.  
O my brother, what think you to do, do you think that the son of God is a liar? no, no, he can not lie. Oh my most affencted brother, will you not haue pity of your soul, shall the world and the flesh seduce& miscarry you always to the end of your life. do you not fear that the Lord shall take you as the sleepy and vnigatchfull sernant, and as the five foolish& careless virgin, the Lord, the Lord will come in the time when you think not vpon it: O what grief! what lamentation will you make then? For you will haue in abomination and curse, all the goods of this wicked world, seeing they haue been the onely and original cause of your destruction& perdition, in respect and for that, the Lord of might had given them unto you to serve and apply them to his glory. And moreover, all the warnings and admonitions which you haue had, and promises which you made unto God when you were visited with sickness, those will cry vengeance, vengeance against you, before the highest.  
O my brother, consider that the way is large and broad which leadeth to perdition, and many ther are that do find it, but the way which bringeth and leadeth to the life eternal of all felicity, is narrow, and few they are that enter the same, for that is full of thorns& troublesone to pass. Oh my brother, will you be one of them that walk the broad and wide way? God forbid. Therfore do not flatter yourself, nor do not fashion yourself to tread any other way than that which Iesus Christ hath shewed unto all his beloved. What? for getting or purchacing one foot of land, will you loose a kingdom? No, no, be not so foolish, for it will cost you deere; you will not onely lament with exceeding grief, but also use thextremitie of sorrow in wringing your distempered hands.  
And yet it will then bee too late, for when that is once lost, man can not recover it again, therefore being yet time enough, and that God almighty doth show his great mercy vpon you, to give you time to think on that which you ought to do, I mean your souls salvation, and that he will not see you perish headlong, but rather hath stirred me up, and provoked me at this time to writ unto you this letter, for your great good, or for your condemnation, for if this admonition and warning will not profit and take effect, insomuch that it doth not go to the very bottom of your hart, surely that will turn to your condemnation, and will cry vengeance against you, at the day of Iudgement, when there can be no excuse heard whatsoever.  
Now then my deere brother, will you be so foolish to leave and loose a kingdom, which is not for twenty, thirty or a hundred yeares, but a kingdom everlasting and without end? and more over the ioy contained within the circuit of that heavenly region, which no man can express, for that it is incomprehensible; Note further yet, he that shall not enjoy and be partaker of this great pleasure and loy, yet the want thereof shall not bee sufficient punishment and reward, but he shall endure intolerable fearful and terrible torments and pains, that in regard that the joy is great, even so the torment is greater, and that which is more terrible, without end. where then shall they look for fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, kinsmen and friends, the rents and heritages, and all the goods of the world, that before time were so deere unto them, where then I say shall they look for them? alas, nothing in the world can then help them, but all their worldly comfort will then cry vengeance against themselves, because they haue more loved and obeied their goods, then the almighty.  
Oh what horror, what discomfort will it bee, that you must loose the everlasting life without end, because you haue loved more the goods of this world which vanish and pass away like clouds, then the joys of heaven, which are of as long continuance as heaven itself. Commit these words to memory, and give thy meditation charge of them my brother, show that you will not be one of those, but learn and listen to the word of the son of God, which he himself with his mouth hath spoken, do not hold him for a liar, and his word as a fable, for it will cost you deere; consider the threatenings which he made against them that loved more the goods of the world, then their saviour, that would rather please and obey their fathers, mothers,& their possessions, then him, I mean their redeemer: and mark again the promises which he made to those that do follow him, and that would rather please and obey him then their flesh and goods. O my brother encourage yourself, do not sleep and roote yourself in these worldly goods, leave them as soon as you can, for fear the Lord do not give you leisure to repent, do not you appoint him the day, for he will not give it you, cut cut this knot, for you will not bee able at your pleasure to untie the same: you haue made so many promises to God and us, and yet always still you fall a sleep again, and slack in your promises.  
Take heed, take heed, that the Lord doth not at this time anger himself bitterly against you: Therfore my dearly beloved brother, encourage yourself, awake and pray unto the Lord without ceasing to assist you and to give you strength and means to obey his will, for you shall haue many temprations, but do you resist them with prayers, and the Lord will deliver you from them, for he hath promised it, and he is the truth himself, seeing you ask of him things streaching to his glory, and in respect that this is to his glory, which I entreat you to perform, he will rejoice at your reformation. Combute Combute then and God will assist you, and when you shall haue gotten the viorbrie you shall feel daielie that the graces of God do multiply in you, and you would not for all the goods of the world after, but that you had fought& gotten the victory, resist then against all with prayers, and the Lord will deliver you from all, for surely brother you do not live there where you are, but you die every day, and if the Lord should call you one of the world in such estate, I should bee exceeding sorry for it, and it should much grieve me;  
You may perhaps here vpon thus argue, my father and mother are they then lost, I will not indge it for God is the judge thereof, but it is an other ma●ter with you, for you cannot excuse yourself if you do hid in the ground, the talent which the Lord hath given you, through his mercy: but God forbids that you should do so but rather let your talent do profit, that the Lord may say unto you, good seruant, thou hast been faithful in a small thing, I will set you about a greater thing, come enter thou into the joy of my kingdom.  
But he that shall hid his talent in the ground, he shall bee cast into extreme darkness, where there shall bee worshipping and gnashing of teeth. Therefore my brother do not cover your talent in the ground, but turn it to profit,& halt no more on both sides, serve no longer god and the world, for you cannot please them both, nor ferue two masters; mark that which is written in Apocalipsi, That God will cast out of his mouth him that shal be luke warm, neither could nor hot. fear fear then to be cast out of the mouth of God, for perdition follows. O my deere brother, encourage yourself, and pray without ceasing, bee not the stones, but the good ground, let not the seed fall vpon the stones, or in the way, as it hath done at other times; you haue received the word, you haue been resolved to make an end, but that same hath not taken roote, for incontinently the sun, that is to say, temptation came, or the divell came, who took this seed, and you went always backward,& was very untoward, when God did so sweetly invite you, and reach his hand so lovingly unto you.  
What brother? will you refuse him, will you be so foolish to forsake the hand of God? O no, no, but be more virtuous, and show the true marks that you are one of the chosen and elected of your maker, the living God, and that your name is written in the book of life, show that you are one of them that shalbe a King triumphing with the son of the Father for ever. And now my dear brother I will make an end for this time, praying you in the name of God, to take this admonition and warning in good part, of the hand of God, for doubtless God himself hath stirred me up and moved me thereunto, for the great desire and love I bear for your salvation, and great fear which I haue of your condemnation.  
Therefore I pray you do not think that it is I which sand it, but the Lord your Father, who gladly would not loose a soul, but work him unto repentance, and true knowledge of his salvation: for surely it is much to say, that you haue true knowledge of your salvation, I mean such as you ought to haue; I know it by myself, therefore the Lord hath shewed great mercy unto me, that he hath brought me to them whom he hath ordained to instruct me therein, the Lord bee praised and thanked therefore.  
And it will bee also a great sign of Gods grace toward you, if he shall vouchsafe to withdraw you from thence, to the end that you may be one of his faithful seruants, the Lord sand you grace thereunto through his great mercy, and that he will give me grace to pray heartily for you, even as I do daily without ceasing, but take heed that our prayers bee not in vain, and unfruitful, for if you do not put the hand to work, all our hearty praying will prove unprofitable and nothing available.  
fulfil and accomplish then that desire which wee haue of your salvation, for truly brother if I were not desirous of your salvation, I would not haue writ this unto you now, therefore take it in good part, and make use of my love, my good counsel, and brotherly admonitions. Farewell.   

A Letter written by Master Ramon a Minister of the word of God, prisoner in Valencia, to his wife in London.  
KAtherine Ramon my deere and well-beloved spouse,& sister in our Lord Iesus Christ,  
the great grief and dolour perturbing and troubling somewhat my content, ioy,& the gladness of my hart, which I haue in the Lord God, hath caused me to writ unto you these presents, as well for your own as my comfort, I say especially for your comfort, because that you haue always loved me with a most sincere affection. And therefore since at this present it hath pleased the Lord to make a division& separation between us, one from another, for which separation I do feel more your bitterness sorrow and grief, then mine own.  
I most heartily pray you as much as I may, not to trouble yourself with grief above measure, least you offend God. You know very well that when you did mary me you took a mortal husband, who was uncertain to live a minute of an hour, but yet it hath pleased our eternal Father, to suffer us to live to gether about the space of seven yeeres, sending us five children. If it had ben the Lords will we should haue lived together any longer, he might haue done it, but it hath not pleased him, therefore his holy will bee done.  
you must consider also, that I am not fallen into the hands of mine enemies; by casualty or chance, but by the divine providence of God, which ruleth and governeth all things, as well the less, as greater; as it appeareth by the words of our saviour, Your hairs are numbered, fear not, are not two sparrows sold for a halfpenny, and none of them shall fall on the earth without the providence of God, fear not then, you are more excellent than any sparrows. Which of us is esteemed lesser than an hair, and yet peruse the divine writ of the wise, and you shall read, that GOD hath enregistered the number of mans hairs; how can then any adversity happen unto me without the will and providence of God: sure I persuade myself that cannot bee, except one would say, that God were not God.  
And therefore the Prophet saith, There is no adversity in the city which the Lord hath not sent, and we see that in this doctrine all the holy men that haue been before us, haue comforted themselves in their afflictions and tribulations. joseph being sold into egypt by his brethren said, you haue done ill, but God will turn it to your good, God hath sent me before you into egypt for your good.  
As much did david with Semey who cursed him; the like did job, and also consequently all other, and this is the cause that the evangelists( treating so faithfully of the suffering and death of the Lord Tesus Christ) do say that this is done because that might be fulfilled which is written of him, and might also be truly said of all the members of him.  
It is very true that, human reason doth strive against this doctrine, and doth resist against it as much as she can, and I found it by experience, when I was apprehended, I said unto myself, we haue not well done to walk by great troops together, we haue been betrayed by such and such one, we ought not haue stayed any where, and with the cogitations thereof, I was overwhelmed and troubled in my thoughts, until I had lifted up my hart& spirit higher to the meditation of the divine providence of God, then began my hart to feel a marvelous rest, and likewise to say to my God, thou hast caused me to be born in the time& hour which thou hast ordained for me, and during all the term& time of my mortal life, thou hast kept& miraculously preserved me from the threatening terror of danger,& if now my hour be come to depart out of this life,& to attain the height of happiness in thy kingdom, thy will be done my saviour, my soul thereby reaps rest and content, because it is my felicity to bee conformed to thy will.  
All these considerations came into my heart, whereat my spirit rejoiced; and I pray you my deere and well-beloved wise to rejoice with me, and to thank god the almighty, for that which he intendeth toward me, for he doth nothing but that which is just,& according to equity,& so especially you ought to rejoice yourself, because it is for my good and quiet of my soul: you haue heretofore ben partaker of some of my troubles, when you bare me company in my travailing, during the time of my exile.  
And seeing the Lord will lend me his hand, to lead me into his kingdom; blessed I am that go before you, and when it shall please God, you shall follow me; this separation will not be long, the Lord will call you to join us together with Iesus Christ. This is not the place of our habitation, but in heaven; here on earth is but the place of our pilgrimage, therfore let us aspire to our own country, which is in heaven, and let us desire to be received in the house of our father; yea; our brother, head& saviour, Iesus Christ, to see the most noble company of the patriarchs, prophets, apostles& so many thousand martyrs, in whose company I hope to be received, when I haue achieved my course of administration which I haue received from the Lord Iesus Christ: I pray you then my sister and friend, that you will comfort your soul in the meditation of those things, consider the honour which God hath shewed unto you, in that he hath given you a husband who is not onely a minister of the son of God, but also in high estimation with his father, and besides that, it hath pleased him to vouchsafe to make me a partaker with the crown of martyrdom, it is such an honour, that he sheweth not the like unto his Angels. I am glad, and my hart is merry, I lack nothing in my afflictions, I am satisfied with the store of heavenly riches, I am so comforted, that I haue enough for myself, and for all to whom I can haue sufferance to speak; I praise the Lord for it, and beseech him that he will continue his goodness and fatherly clemency towards me his prisoner, which as I hope he will, for I do find by experience, that he never will forsake such as trust in him, I had never thought that God had been so meek and good to such a poor creature as I am, I feel now the faithfulness of the Lord Iesus Christ, I do practise now that which I haue preached, I did speak as a painted angel in regard of that which I do feel now in this practise, I haue prospered& learned more since I haue been prisoner; then I haue done in all my life time; I am in a very good school, the holy ghost is continually with me, and doth inspire and teach me to use the weapons in this combat.  
On the other side satan, the adversary& enemy of all the children of God, doth tempt me, compassing me round about, like a roaring Lion, to destroy me, but he that said unto me( fear not I haue overcome the world) maketh me victorious. I see the most of power my sacred Father to tread satan under my feet,& I do feel the power of God to strengthen my infirmity and weakness, and on the one side the Lord God doth show me, that I am a poor frail earthen vessel, to th'end I should humble myself,& that all the glory of the victory should be ascribed to him. On the other side he doth so strengthen and comfort me, that I am better at my case then the enemies of the gospel; I do eat, drink, and rest better then they do; I am lodged in a place a strong house, dark and tenebrous, which for his darkness sake they call it Breuuain; I haue the air and light but through a little stinking hole, where through they cast all filthiness; I haue great irons on my feet& hands which do serve me for a continual hell, freting& piercing into my flesh to the very bones. Then the provost of the Marshall cometh to visit me& my brethren twice or thrice a day, fearing that I might escape, they haue three guards before the prison gate, every one of four men.  
Monsieur de Harmeyde cometh also to visit me, who doth comfort me and exhort me to patience, as he saith, but he cometh most commonly after dinner, when the wine is in his head and the belly full. You may well think what comfort it is unto me, when he doth threaten and tell me, that if I proffer the least show for an escape, that he will chain me by the neck, body and legs, so that I shall not bee able to stir me, and many other such like threatening words. But for all that my God doth not forget me, to keep his promise and to comfort my hart, giuing me great contentment, as he teacheth us by the mouth of the Prophet david, saying: I am with you when you are in tribulation. And in another place, can a mother forget her child? and though shee should forget it, yet I will never forget you.  
Seeing than that the Lord doth never forsake us, therfore good sister and faithful spouse, I pray you to be comforted in the Lord, in your afflictions,& to commit to his protection& government, both yourself& all your actions, for he is a husband to faithful widows, and a father to the fatherless children, he will never forsake you, and thereof I am most certain; behave yourself always as an honest christian and faithful woman, in the fear of God, as you hitherto haue done,& honour as much as in you lieth and shal be possible by your good conversation, the doctrine of the son of God, which I your husband haue preached. And even as you always haue loved me most dearly, even so I heartily pray you, that you will continue the like love towards your small children, instruct them in the fear& knowledge of our true God,& his son Iesus Christ, be you their father and mother,& look that they may be brought up honestly with that little which god hath given you. If it shall please god to give you grace after my decease, to live in widowhood with your little children, you shall do very well, if you can not, and that the means do fail you, look that you do match with an honest and faithful man, one that feareth God,& one of whom you haue heard good report,& when I shal haue better means, I will writ unto our friends to haue a special care for you, as I hope they will not forsake you. You may if you please, fall to your former trade, after that the Lord shal call me,& for your better comfort, you shal haue our daughter Sara to keep you company, and to assist you in your afflictions,& comfort you in your tribulations,& my hope is, God will be always with you. Salute all our good friends in my name, and desire them to pray for me, that the Lord will give me strength and wisdom, to open my mouth to maintain the truth, of the son of God, to the very end, and the last gasp of my life. Farewell katherine, my most dearest friend, I pray God to comfort you as long as I am in this world. Deere, keep this letter for my remembrance. It is not well written, but as I can it is,& not as I would, I pray you commend me to your good mother, desire her that she be of good cheer, I hope to writ her some letter of comfort, when it shal please God; salute also my good sister, will her to take all her afflictions patiently; and so fare you well,  
out of the prison of Valencia, the 12. day of april.