Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 13 · Letter 7
¶To the breathren which constantly cleaue vntounto Christ▪ in suffering affliction with him, and for his sake.
An other letter of B. Ridley wherein he cō firmeth the brethren in captiuitye translated out of the Latin.GRace and peace from God the father, and frō our Lord Iesus Christ be multiplied vntounto you. Amen.
Although brethren, we hauehave of late heard nothing from you, neither hauehave at this present any newes to send you: yet we thought good somthing to write vntounto you, wherby ye might vnderstand that we hauehave good remembraunce of you continually, as we doubt not but ye hauehave of vsus also. When this messenger comming vntounto vsus from you of late, had brought vsus good tidinges of your great constancie, fortitude,Communion & vnitye of Saints. and patience in the Lord: we were filled with much ioy & gladnes, geuing thankes to God the father through our Lord Iesus Christe, which hath caused his face so to shine vponupon you, and with the light of spirituall vnderstanding hath so lightened your hartes, that now being in captiuitie & bandes for Christes cause, ye hauehave not ceased, as much as in you lyeth, by wordes, but much more by deede and by your example, to stablysh and confirme that thing, which when ye were at libertie in the world, ye laboured to publish and set abrode by the word and doctrine: that is to say, holding fast the worde of life, ye shine as lightes in the worlde in the middest of a wicked and crooked nation, and that with so much the greater glory of our Lord Iesus Christe,Phil. 2. and profite of your brethren, by how muche Satan more cruelly now rageth and busily laboureth to darken the light of the Gospel.
And as for the darkenes that Satan nowe bringeth vponupon the Church of England, who needeth to doubt therof? Of late tyme our Sauiour Christe, his Apostles,Reasons prouing the reli…ion in Q. Maryes tyme not to be of God. Prophetes, and Teachers, spake in the Temple to the people of England in the Englishe tongue, so that they might be vnderstanded playnly and without any hardnesse, of the godly and such as sought for heauenly knowledge in matters whiche of necessitie of saluation perteyned to the obteyning of eternall life: but now those thinges which once were written of them for the edifiyng of the congregation, are read in a strange tongue without interpretatiō, manifestly agaynst saint Paules commaundement, so that there is no man able to vnderstand them which hath not learned that strange and vnknowen tongue.
Of late dayes those heauenly mysteries, whereby Christe hath ingrafted vsus into his body,Comparisō betwene the religion in K Edwards time, & the religion set out in Q. Maryes tyme. Scriptures in K. Edwards tyme knowen, in Queene Maryes tyme vnknowen. and hath vnited vsus one to another, whereby also being regenerate & borne anew vntounto God, he hath nourished, encreased, and strengthened vsus, whereby moreouer, eyther he hath taught and set foorth an order amongest them which are whole, or els to the sicke in soule or body hath geuen, as it were wholesome medicines and remedies: those (I say) were al plainlye set foorth to the people in their owne language, so that what great and exceeding good things eueryevery man had receiued of God: what duetie eueryevery one owed to an other by Gods ordinaunce: what eueryevery one had professed in his vocation, and was bound to obserue: where remedy was to be had for the wicked and feeble, he to whom God had geuen a desire and willing hart to vnderstand those thinges, might soone perceiue and vnderstand. But now all these thinges are taught & set forth in such sort, that the people redeemed with Christes bloud, and for whose sakes they were by Christe himselfe ordeined, can hauehave no maner of vnderstanding thereof at all.
Of late, (for as much as we knowe not how to pray as we ought) our Lorde Iesus Christe in his Prayer, wherof he would hauehave no man ignoraūt, and also the holy Ghost in the Psalmes, Hymnes,In king Edwards tyme the people knew what they prayed: in Q. Maries time they neithe… knew what, nor to whō they praied. The Catechisme set forth in K. Edwardes tyme for children in Q. Maryes tyme forbidden. and spirituall songes which are set foorth in the Bible, did teache and instructe all the people of Englande in the Englyshe tongue, that they might aske such thinges as are according to the will of the Father, and might ioyne their hartes and lyppes in prayer together: but nowe all these thynges are commaunded to be hid and shutte vp from them in a straunge tongue, whereby it must needes followe, that the people neyther can tell how to pray, nor what to pray for: and how can they ioyne their hartes and voyce together, whē they vnderstande no more what the voyce signifieth, than a bruite beast.
Finally, I heare say, that the Catechisme whiche was lately set foorth in the Englyshe tongue, is now in eueryevery Pulpite condemned. O deuilishe malice, and most spitefully iniurious to ye saluation of mankinde purchased by Iesus Christe. In deede Satan coulde not long suffer that so great light should be spread abrode in ye world: he sawe well enough that nothing was able to ouerthrow his kingdome so much, as if childrē being godly instructed in Religion, should learne to knowe Christe whilest they are yet young: whereby not onelyonly chyldren, but the elder sort also and aged folkes that before were not taught to know Christe in their childehood, shoulde now euen with children and babes be forced to learne to know him. Now therefore he roreth, now he rageth. But what els do they (brethren) which serue Satan and become his ministers & slaues in mainteining of his impietie, but euen the same which they did, to whom Christ our Sauiour threatneth this curse in the Gospell: Woe vntounto you which shutte vp the kingdome of heauen before men, Math. 23.& take away the key of knowledge from them: you your selues hauehave not entred in, neither hauehave you suffered them that would enter, to come in.
And from whence shall we say (brethren) that this horrible & mischeuous darknes proceedeth,The Catholicke Pharisies neyther enter themselues, no… will suffer other to enter Gods kingdome. Apoc 9. The pit of the Locusts opened. Apoc. …. 1. Iohn. 5. Exhortatiō to stand constant i… Christ and his truth. which is nowe brought vponupon the worlde? From whence I pray you, but euen from the smoke of the great furnace of ye bottomlesse pit, so that the sunne and the ayre are now darkened by the smoke of the pit? Now, euen now (out of doubt brethren) the pit is opened agaynst vsus, and the Locustes begyn to swarme, and Abbadon now raigneth.
Ye therfore (my brethren) which pertaine vntounto Christ, and hauehave the seale of God marked in your foreheades, that is to wit, are sealed with ye earnest of the spirite to be a peculiar people of God, quite your selues like men, and be strong, for he that is in vsus, is stronger then he which is in the world: and ye know, that al that is borne of God ouercommeth the world, and this is our victory that ouercommeth the worlde, euen our fayth. Let the world freat, let it rage neuer so much, be it neuer so cruel and bloudy, yet be ye sure that no man can take vsus out of the fathers handes, for he is greater then all: who hath not spared his owne sonne, but hath geuen him to death for vsus all, and therefore how shall he not with him geue vsus all thinges also? Who shall lay any thyng to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that iustifieth, who shall then condemne? It is Christ that is dead, yea rather which is risen againe, who is also at the right hand of God, and maketh request also for vsus. Who shall seperate vsus from the louelove of Christe? Shall tribulation,… or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakednes, or perill, or sworde? the rest ye knowe, breathren. We are certainely perswaded with S. Paul, by the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christe, that no kynde of thyng shalbe able to seperate vsus from the louelove of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Which thyng, that it may come to passe by the grace and mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ, to the comfort both of you & of vsus all, as we for our partes will continually (God wyllyng) pray for you: so (deare brethren in the Lorde) with all earnest and harty request we beseech you, euen in the bowelles of our Lorde Iesus Christ, that ye will not cease to pray for vsus. Fare ye well, deare brethren. The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christe be with you all euermore. Amen.