A Friendly Farewell, Part 2
¶ To the Prisoners in Christes Gospels cause, and to al them whiche for the same cause are exiled and banished oute from theyr owne countrye, chosynge rather to lose all worldly commodity then their master Christ.
FArewell my deare beloued brethren in Christe, both you my fellow prisonners, and you also that bee exiled and banished oute of youre Countries, because ye wyll rather forsake all worldlye commoditye then the Gospell of Christe.
Farewel al ye together in Christ farewell: and be mearye. For you knowe that the triall of your faith, bringeth forth paciēce, and paciēce shall make vsus perfecte, whole and sound on eueryevery side. And such after triall ye know shal receiue ye crown af life: let vsus therefore be paciente vntounto the comming of the Lord. As the husbandman abideth paciently the former and latter rain. For the encrese of his crop: let vsus likewise, be pacient and plucke vp our harts for the cōming of the Lorde approcheth apase. Let vsus my deare brethren take example of patience in tribulation of the Prophets, which spake likewise Gods word truelye in his name. Let Iob be to vsus an example of pacience. And the ende which the Lord suffered whiche is ful of mercy and pity, we know my brethren by gods word, yt our faith is muche more precious then anye corruptible gold: and yet yt is tried by the fire. Euen so therefore oure faith is tried likewise in tribulations, that it may be found (when the Lord shall appere) laudable, gloryous and Honorable: For if we for Christes cause do suffer that, that is grateful before God, for therunto are we called. That is our state and our vocation, wherwith let vsus be content: Christ we know suffred for vsus afflictions: leuing vsus an example that we shuld folow his fotesteppes. For he committed no sinne nor was there any guile founde in hys mouthe, when he was railed vppon, and all to reuiled he did not threaten, but cōmitted ye punishmēt therof to hym that iudgeth a right.
Let vsus euer hauehave in freshe remē brance those wonderful cōfortable sentences spoken by ye mouth of our sauioure Christe. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for ryghteousnes sake, for theirs is ye kyngdom of heauē. Blessed are you whē men reuile you, persecute you, and speake all euil againste you for my sake. Reioyse & be glad, for greate is your reward in heauē. For so did they persecute the prophets, which were before you. Therefore beare this alway in your mind, yt if anye incōmodity doth chāce vntounto vsus for righteousnes sake, yt happy are we whatsoeuer the world doth thincke of vsus. Christ our master hath told vsus before hande yt the brother shall put ye brother to death, & the father the sonne, & the children should rise against their parēts & kil thē. And yt Christes true apostles should be hated of all mē for his names sake But he that shal abide patiētly vntounto thend he shalbe saued. Let vsus thē endure in al troubles paciently after thexāple of our master Christ, & be contented therwt. For he suffred being our master & Lord, how doth it not then become vsus to suffer? For the disciple is not aboue his master nor the seruaūt aboue his Lord. It may suffice the disciple to be as his master, and the seruaunte to be as Lord. If they hauehave called the master of the family, the master of the housholde Belzebub, howe muche more shall they call so, them of his houshold? Feare them not thē saith our sauior, for all preuities shalbe made plain. Ther is now nothing secreate, but it shall be shewed in lighte. Of Christes wordes, let vsus neyther be ashamed nor afrayde to speake it. For so oure master commaundeth vsus, saying. That I tell preuely, speke openli abrode: and yt I tel you in your eare, preach it vp on the house top. And be not afraid of your selfe, of them whyche kyll the bodye, for the soule they canne not kyll. But feare hym whyche canne caste boothe Bodye and soul into hel fire. Know ye that the heauenly father, hathe euer a gratious eie and respect toward you, & a fatherly prouidence for you, so yt withoute his knowledge and permission, nothing cā do you harme. Let vsus therfore cast al care vppon him, and he shal prouide yt whyche shalbe best for vsus. For if of .ii. small sparrowes which both are sold for a mite, one of them lighteth not on the ground without the father.
And all the heeres of oure head are nombred, feare not then saith oure Maister Christe, for you are more worth then many small sparowes. And let vsus not stick to confesse our master Christ for feare of daunger whatsoeuer it shalbe: remembryng the promisse that Christ maketh & saieth: eueryevery one that shall confesse me before men, him shal I confesse before my father which is in heauē But whosoeuer shal deny me, hym shal I likewise deny before my father whyche is in heauen, Christe came not to geue vntounto vsus heare a carnal amitie, and a worldly peace or to knit his vntounto ye worlde in ease and peace: but rather to seperate & deuide them from the world: and to ioyn them vntounto him self. In whose cause we must if we wilbe his, forsake father and mother, and stycke vntounto hym, if we forsake hym, or shrinck frō him for trouble or deathes sake, whiche he calleth his crosse: he wil none of vsus, we cannot be his, if for hys cause we shal lose oure temporall liues here, we shall find it again and enioy it for euermore: but if in his cause wee will not be contented to leaue nor lose it here: then shal we lose it so, that we shall neuer finde it againe. But in euerlasting death.
What though our troubles here be painful for the time, and the stinge of death bitter & vnpleasant: yet we know they shal not laste in cōparisō of eternity, no not the twinkling of an eie. And that they pacientlye takē in Christes cause shal procure & get vsus, vnmesurable hepes of heuēly glory, vntounto the which these tē poral pains & troubles of death cō pared: are not to be estemed, but to be reioysed vponupon. Wonder not saith S. Peter, as thoughe it were anye straung matter that ye are tried by fire (he meaneth of tribulaciō) whiche thing saith he, is done to proue you. Nay but in yt ye are partners of Christes afflictions reioyse, yt in his glorious reuelacion, ye mai reioyse wt mery harts. If ye suffer rebukes in Christes name, happy are for the glory of the spirit of God resteth vponupon you. Of thē God is reuiled and dishonored: but of you he is glorified. Let no mā be ashamed in yt he suffereth as a christian and in Christes cause. For now is ye time yt iudgement & gods correctiō must begin at ye house of God. And if it begin first at vsus, what shalbe thend of those thinke ye, which beleue not yt gospel? And if the righteous shal be hardly saued, the wicked and the sinner wher shal he apere? wherfor they which are afflicted accordinge to ye wil of God, let thē lay downe & cōmit their souls to him, by wel doing as to a trusty & faithfulmaker: this as I said may not seme straūg to vsus. For we know yt al ye hole fraterniti of christes cōgregatiō in this world is serued wt the like: & by the same is made perfect: for ye feruent louelove yt the appostles had vntounto their master christ for ye great cōmodities & increse of al godlines, which they by their faith to ensue of afflictiōs in Christes cause, & thirdlye for the heapes of heauenly ioyse which the same do get vntounto the godly whyche shal endure in heauē for euermore. For these causes I sai, the apostles of their afflictions did ioy, & reioysed in that they wer had & accompted worthy to suffer contumelies & rebukes for christes name: & Paul as he glorified in the grace and fauoure of God, whereunto he was brought and stode in by faith: so he glorified in his afflictions for the heauenli & spiritual profits, which resteth vppon them, yea, he was so much in louelove wyth that, yt the carnal mā lothe the so much, yt is with Christes crosse, that he iudged hym self to know nothing els, but christ crucified, he wil glori he saith in nothing els but in Christes crosse, yea & he blesseth al those (as thonli true Israelites and elect people of god) with peace and mercy, which walketh after ye rule & after none other.
O Lord what a wonderfull spirite was that, that made Paule in setting forth of him self against the vanitie of Sathan his Pseudo postels, and in his claime ther, that he in Christes cause did excell & passe them all? what wonderful Spirite was that I say, that made hym to recken vp all his troubles, his labors, his beatings, his whippings his scourginges, his shipwrackes, his dangers and pearils by water and by lande, his famine, hunger, nakednes, and cold: with many mo and the daily care of al the congregacions of Christ. Among whome eueryevery mannes paine did pearse his hart, and eueryevery mannes grief was greuous vntounto him.
O Lord is this Pauls primacy wherin he thought so muche good of it, that he did excel other? Is not this Paules sayinge vntounto Timothy his owne schollers and doth it not pertaine to whosoeuer will be Christes true souldiour? bere thou (saith he) the afflictiōs like a good souldioure of Iesu Christ. This is true if we die with him (he meneth Christ:) we shall liue with him. If we suffer with him, we shal reigne with him. If we deny him, he shall denye vsus: if we be faithlesse he remaineth faithfull, he cannot denye him self. This Paule woulde hauehave knowen to eueryevery body. For ther is none other wai to heauē, but Christ and his waye. And al that wil liue godlye in Christ, shall (saith Saint Paule) suffer persecution.
By this waye wente to heauen the Patriarckes, the Prophetes, Christe oure master, his Apostles, his Martirs, and all the Godlye since the beginning. And as it hath bene of olde, that he whyche was borne after the fleshe, persecuteth him which was borne after the spirite. So it was in Isaackes time, so said Saint Peter, it was in his time also. And whether it be so or no nowe, let the spirituall man, the manne (I meane) that is indued with the spirite of God, let him be iudge. Of the crosse of the Patriarckes, if ye reade the booke of Genesis, ye shall perceiue.
Of other Saint Paule in fewe words comprehendeth much matter, speaking in a generalitie of the wonderfull afflictions, death, and tormentes, whiche the men of God in Goddes cause, and for the truth sake, willingly did suffer after muche perticuler rehearsall of manye, he saith.
Other were racked: and dispised to be redemed, that thei might obtain a better resurrection. Other again were tried with Mockinges and scourginges, and moreouer wyth bondes and imprisonmēt, they wer stoned, hewen insunder, teinted, fel and were slain vponupon the edge of the sworde, some wandred to and fro in shepes pilches, in gotes pilches, forsaken, oppressed, afflicted, such godlye men as the world was vnworthy of, wandering in wildernes, in mountains, in caues, and in dens. And all these were commended for their faithe. And yet they abide for vsus the seruauntes of God, & those their brethren, which are to be slain as they were for the word of Gods sake, that none be shut out, but that we may all go together to mete our maister Christ in thair at his comminge, & so to be in blisse with him in body and soule for euermore.
Therfore seing we hauehave so much occasion to suffer and to take afflictions for Christes name sake paciently: so many commodities therby so waighty causes, so manye good examples, so great necessity, so sure promises of eternall life, and eternall ioyes of him that can not lye. Let vsus throwe away what so euer might let vsus, all burden of sinne, & all kinde of carnalitie. And paciētly and constantlye let vsus ronne for the best game, in this race that is set before vsus, euer hauing our eyes vponupon Iesus Christ the ringleader, capitain, and profiter of our faith, which for to hauehave the ioy set before him, suffered the crosse, not passing vponupon ignomie and shame therof. & is set nowe at the righthande of the throne of God Count this yt he suffered such strife of sinners against him self, that ye should not geue ouer nor fainte in your mindes. As yet brethren we hauehave not withstād vntounto death, fighting against sinne. Let vsus neuer forget (deare brethrē for Christes sake) that fatherly exhortation of the wise that speaketh vntounto vsus, as vntounto his children, the godly wisdom of god, saying thus. My sonne dispise not the correction of the Lord, nor fal not frō him, when thou art rebuked of him. For whome the Lord loueth, him dothe he correct, & scourgeth eueryevery childe whome he receiueth, what child is he whome the father doth not chasten? If ye be free from chastisement (wherof al are partners) then are ye bastardes and no children. Seing then when as we hauehave had carnall parents, which Christened vsus, we reuerenced them: shall not we be much more subiect, vntounto our spiritual father? and shal liue. And they for a little time taughte vsus after their own mind: but this father teacheth vsus to our commoditye, to geue vntounto vsus his holines. All chastisement for the present time, apereth not pleasant but painful. But afterward it rendereth the frute of righteousnesse on them, whiche are exercised in it. Wherefore let vsus be of good chere (good brethren,) and lette vsus plucke vp our feble membres that were fallen or began to fainte, harte, hande, knees, and all the reaste, and lette vsus walcke vp a righte and straighte, that no Lympinge nor Haulting bring vsus oute of the waye. Let vsus loke not vppon the thinges that be presente, but with the eies of our faithe, lette vsus stedfastly beholde the thinges that be euerlasting in heauen.
And chose rather in respecte of ye whiche is to come with the chosen members of Christ to beare Christes Crosse, then for his shorte life time to enioy all the riches, honors and pleasers of the brode world.
Why shuld we Christians feare death? cā death depriue vsus of Christ which is all our comfort, our ioy, & our life? Nay forsoth. But contrary deathe shall deliuer vsus from this mortall body, whiche lodeth & beareth downe the spirite, that it can not so wel perceiue heauēly things in the which so longe as we dwell, we are absent from God.
Wherfore vnderstandinge oure state in that we be Christians, that if our mortal bodye, whiche is oure earthlye house, were destroyed, we hauehave a building, a house not made with hāds, but euerlasting in heauen. &c. Therefore we are of good cheare, and knowe that when we are in the body, we are absent from God. For we walcke by faithe, and not by cleare sighte. But we hauehave fiance, and had rather be from the body and present with God: wherfore we striue whether we be present at home, or absent abrode that we maye alwaies please him. And who that hath true faith in our sauioure Christ, wherby he knoweth somwhat truely what Christe oure sauioure is: that he is the eternall sonne of God, life, light, the wisdōe of the father, all goodnes, al truth, all righteousnesse and whatsoeuer is good, that hart cā desire, yea infinite plenty of al these aboue that, that mans hart can either conceiue or thinke. For in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhed corporally. And also that he is geuen vsus of the father: and made of God to be our wisdome, our righteousnesse, oure holinesse, and oure redemptiō? who I saye is he that beleueth this in dede, that wold not gladly be with his master Christ?
Paule for this knowledge coueted to hauehave bene losed from the bodye, and to hauehave bene with Christ: For that, he compted muche better for him self, & had rather to be losed then to liue. Therfore these words of Christ to the theife on the crosse, that asked of him mercye, were full of comforte, and solace. This daye thou shalte be with me in paradise. To dye in the defence of Christes Gospell, is oure bounden duetie to Christe, and also to oure neighbor. To Christ: for he died for vsus, & rose again yt he shuld be Lord ouer all. And seing he died for vsus, we also (saith s. Ihon) shuld ieopard, yea, geue oure life for oure brethren. And this kinde of geuinge and losinge, is gettinge and winninge in deede. For he that geueth or loseth his life thus, getteth and winneth it for euermore.
Blessed are they therefore that dieth in the Lorde. And if they dye also in the Lordes cause, they are mooste happye of all. Lette vsus not feare then death, whiche can do vsus no harme, otherwise then for a moment, to make the flesh to smart: but that our faith which is fast fastned and fixed vntounto the word of god, telleth vsus that we shall be anon after death in peace, in the hands of god, in ioy, in solace, and that frō deathe we shall go straighte vntounto life. For Ihon saieth, he that liueth and beleueth in me shall neuer die: and in an other place: he shall depart from death into life.
And therefore thys deathe of the christian, is not to be called deathe, but rather a gate or entraunce into euerlasting life. Therefore Paule calleth it but a dissolution and resolutiō. And both Peter and Paul a puttinge of this Tabernacle or dwelling house, meaning thereby, the mortall bodye, as wherein the soule or spirite dothe dwell here in this world for a smal time. Yea this death may be called to the Christian an ende of all miseries. For so long as we liue here, we must passe through many tribulations before we can enter into the kingdome of heanen. And now after that death hath shot hys bolt, all the Christian mannes ennemies hauehave don what they can, and after that they hauehave no more to do. What could hurt, or harme poore Lazarus that laye at the ritch mannes gate, his former penury and pouerty, his miserable beggery and horrible sores & sicknes? For so sone as death had strickē him with his dart: so sone came the angels, and caried him vp into Abrahams bosome: what lost he by death? who from misery and paine is set forth by the ministery of Angels in a place both of ioye and solace. Farewel deare brethren, farewel, and let vsus comfort our hartes in all troubles and in deathe with the worde of God. For heauen and earth shal pearishe, But the worde of God endureth for euer.
Farewel Christes dere beloued spouse, here wādring in this world as in a straunge lande farre from thine own country, and compassed about on eueryevery hand with deadlye enemies which ceseth not to assalt the, euer seking thy destruction.
Farewel, farewel. O ye the hole and vniuersall congregation of the chosen of God, here liuinge vppon earth, the true Church militant of Christe, the true misticall bodye of Christ, the very houshold & familye of God, and the sacred temple of the holy ghost. Farewel.
Farewel, O thou little flock of ye high heauenly pastor christe, for to thee it hath pleased the heauenlye father to geue an euerlastinge aud eternall kingdome. Farewell.
Farewel thou spiritual house of God, thou holye and royall priesthode, thou chosen generation, thou won spouse. Farewel. Farewell.
N. R.
FINIS.
End of the text · Nicholas Ridley, A Friendly Farewell (1559)