Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 14 · Letter 3
*An other farewell to the Prisoners in Christes Gospelles cause, and to all them whiche for the same cause are exiled and banished out from theyr owne countrey, choosing rather to leaue all worldly commodity, then theyr mayster Christ.
FArewell my dearely beloued brethren in Christ, bothe ye my felow prisoners,An other farewell of … &c. and ye also that be exiled and banished out of your countryes, because ye will rather forsake all worldly cō modity, then the Gospell of Christ.
Farewell all ye together in Christ: farewell and be mery, for ye know that the triall of your fayth bringeth forth patience, and pacience shall make vsus perfecte, whole and sound on eueryevery side, and such after triall (ye knowe) shall receiue the crowne of lyfe, according to the promise of the Lorde made to his dearely beloued, let vsus therefore be pacient vntounto the comming of the Lord. As the husbandmanne abideth pacientlye the former and latter rayne for the encrease of his croppe,…. 5. so let vsus bee paciente and plucke vp our hartes, for the comming of the Lord approacheth apace. Let vsus (my deare brethren) take example of pacience in tribulation of the Prophetes, which spake likewise Gods word truely in his name. Let Iob be to vsus an example of pacience, & the end which the Lord suffered, which is full of mercy and pitty. We know my brethren by Gods worde, that our fayth is muche more precious then any corruptible golde, and yet that is tryed by the fire: euen so our fayth is therfore tried likewise in tribulations, that it may be found when the Lord shal appeare, laudable, glorious and honorable. For if we for Christs cause do suffer, that is gratefull before God,…. 1 …. 2. for thereunto are we called, that is our state and vocation, wherewith let vsus be content. Christ we know suffered for vsus afflictions, leauing vsus an example that we shoulde folow his footesteps, for he committed no sinne, not was there any guile found in his mouth: when he was rayled vponupon, and all to reuiled, he rayled not agayne: when he was euill entreated, he dyd not threaten, but committed the punishment therof to hym that iudgeth a right.
Let vsus euer hauehave in freshe remembraunce those wonderfull comfortable sentences spokē by the mouth of our Sauior Christ: Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake, for theirs is the kingdome of heauen.Mat…. 5. Blessed are ye when men reuile you, persecute you, & speake all euill against you for my sake: reioyce and be glad, for great is your reward in heauen: for so did they persecute the Prophets which were before you. Therfore let vsus alway beare this in our mindes, that if any incommodity doe chaunce vntounto vsus for righteousnes sake,Luke. 21. happy are we whatsoeuer the world doth thinke of vsus. Christ our mayster hath tolde vsus before hand, that the brother should put the brother to death, & the father the sonne, and the children should rise agaynst their parēts and kill them, and that Christes true Apostles should be hated of all men for his names sake: but he that shall abide paciently vntounto the end, shalbe saued.
Let vsus then endure in all troubles paciently after the example of our Mayster Christ, and be contented therewith, for he suffered being our mayster and Lord: how doth it not then become vsus to suffer? For the disciple is not aboue his mayster,Luke, 6. Math. 10. nor the seruaunt aboue his Lord. It may suffice the disciple to be as his maister, and the seruaunt to be as his Lord. If they hauehave called the Father of the family, the Mayster of the householde Belzebub, howe much more shall they call so them of his householde? Feare them not then (sayth our Sauiour) for all p…iuityes shall be made playne: there is nowe nothing secret, but it shall bee shewed in light. Of Christes wordes let vsus neither be ashamed nor afrayd to speake them, for so Christ our mayster commaundeth vsus, saying:Math. 10· that I tell you priuily, speake openly abroade, and that I tell you in your eare, preach it vponupon the house toppe. And feare not them which kill the body, for the soule they cannot kill, but feare hym which can cast both body and soule into hell fire.
Know ye that the heauenly Father hath euer a gracious eye and respect towarde you, and a Fatherly prouidence for you, so that without his knowledge and permission, nothing canne doe you harme. Let vsus therefore cast all our care vponupon him, and hee shall prouide that whiche shall be best for vsus. For if of two small sparrowes whiche both are sold for a mite, one of them lighteth not on the grounde without your father, and all the heares of our head are numbred, feare not them (sayth our Mayster Christ) for yee are more worth then many small sparrowes.Math. 10. To confesse Christ, and not to feare danger. And let vsus not sticke to confesse our Mayster Christe for feare of daunger whatsoeuer it shalbe, remēbring the promise that Christ maketh, saying: whosoeuer shall confesse me before men, him shall I confesse before my father whiche is in heauen: but whosoeuer shall denye me, him shall I likewise denye before my father which is in heauen. Christ came not to geue vntounto vsus here a carnall amity, and a worldly peace, or to knitte his vntounto the world in ease and peace, but rather to separate and deuide them from the world, and to ioyne them vntounto himselfe: in whose cause we must, if wee will bee his, forsake father and mother, and sticke vntounto him. If wee forsake him or shrinke from him for trouble or deathes sake, which hee calleth his crosse: he will none of vsus, we cannot bee hys. If for his cause we shall lose our temporall liues here, wee shall finde them agayne and enioy them for euermore: but if in his cause we will not be contented to leaue nor loose them here: then shall we loose them so, that we shall neuer finde them again, but in euerlasting death. What thoughe our troubles here bee paynefull for the time,2. Cor. 4. and the sting of death bitter and vnpleasaunt: yet we know that they shall not last in comparison of eternity, no not to the twinckling of an eye, & that they paciētly taken in Christes cause, shall procure and gette vsus vnmeasurable heapes of heauenly glory, vntounto the which these temporall paines of death and troubles compared, are not to be estemed, but to be reioyced vponupon. Wonder not (sayth S. Peter) as though it were any straunge matter that ye are tryed by the fire (he meaneth of tribulation) which thing (sayth he) is done to proue you:1. Peter. 3. nay rather in that ye are partners of Christes afflictions, reioyce, that in his glorious reuelation, ye may reioyce with mery hartes. If ye suffer rebukes in Christes name, happy are ye, for the glory and spirit of God resteth vponupon you. Of them God is reuiled and dishonored, but of you he is glorified.
Let no manne be ashamed of that he suffereth as a Christian, and in Christes cause: for nowe is the time that iudgement and correction must beginne at the house of GOD, and if it begin first at vsus: what shall be the end of those, thinke ye, which beleue not the Gospell? And if the righteous shall bee hardlye saued, the wicked and the sinner where shall he appeare? Wherefore they which are afflicted according to the wil of God, let thē lay downe and commit theyr soules to him by well doing, as to a trustye and faythfull maker. This (as I sayde) maye not seeme straunge to vsus, for we know that al the whole fraternity of Christes Congregation in this worlde, is serued with the like, and by the same is made perfect. For the seruent louelove that the Apostles had vntounto their maister Christ,The causes why the Apostles so reioysed in their affliction. and for the great commodities and increase of all godlines which they felt by theyr fayth to insue of afflictions in Christes cause, & thirdly for the heapes of heauenly ioyes which the same doe get vntounto the godly; which shall endure in heauen for euermore: for these causes (I saye) the Apostles of their afflictions did ioy, and reioyced in that they were had and accounted worthy to suffer contumelies & rebukes for Christes name. And Paul, as he gloried in the grace & fauor of God, whervnto he was brought & stoode in by fayth:1. Corin. 2. so he reioyced in hys afflictions the heauenlye and spirituall profites which he numbred to rise vponupon them: yea, he was so farre in louelove wyth that that the carnall man lothed so much, that is, with Christes crosse, that he iudged himselfe to know nothing els but christ crucified: he will glory (he sayth) in nothing els but in Christes crosse, yea and he blesseth all those, as the onelyonly true Israelites & elect people of God with peace and mercy, whiche walketh after that rule and after none other.
O Lord, what a wonderfull spirit was that that made Paule, in setting forth of himselfe agaynst the vanity of Satans Pseudopostles,2. Cor. 12. and in his clayme there, that he in Christes cause did excell and passe them all, what wonderfull spirite was that (I saye) that made him to reckon vppe all his troubles, his laboures, hys beatinges, his whippinges and scourginges, his shippewrackes, his daungers and perilles by water and by land, his famine, hunger, nakednesse, and colde, with many moe, and the dayly care of all the congregations of Christ,2. Tim. 1. The glory of Paule wherein it consisted. among whom eueryevery mans payne did pearce his heart, and eueryevery mannes griese was grieuous vntounto him? O Lord, is this Paules primacye, whereof hee thought so much good that he did excell other? Is not this Paules sayinge vntounto Timothy his owne scholer? and doth it not perteyn to who so euer will be Christes true souldiours: beare thou (sayth he) affliction like a good souldiour of Iesu Christ This is true: if we dye with him (he meaneth Christ) we shall liue with him:2. Tim. 2. if we suffer with him, we shall raigne with him: if we deny him, he shall denye vsus: if we be faythlesse, he remayneth faythfull, he cannot denye himselfe. This Paule would hauehave knowne to eueryevery bodye: for there is none other way to heauen but Christ and his way: & all that will liue godly in Christ, shall (sayth S. Paule) suffer persecution. By this way went to heauen the Patriarches, the Prophets, Christ our Mayster, his Apostles, his Martyrs, and all the godly since the beginning.…. Tim. 3. And as it hath bene of olde, that hee which was borne after the flesh, persecuted him which was born after the spirite,Gal. 4. for so it was in Isaacks time: so sayde S. Paule, it was in his time also: And whether it be so or no now, let the spirituall man, the selfe same man I meane that is indued with the spirit of almighty God, let him be iudge. Of the crosse of the Patriarches,The waye to heauen is by afflictions. as ye may read in theyr storyes if ye reade the booke of Genesis, ye shall perceiue. Of other S. Paule in few wordes comprehendeth much matter, speaking in a generality of the wonderfull afflictions, death, and tormentes which the men of GOD in Gods cause and for the truth sake willingly and gladly did suffer.Heb. 11. After much particuler rehearsall of many, he sayeth: other were racked and despised and would not be deliuered, that they might obteyne a better resurrection. Other agayne were tried wyth mockinges and scourginges, and moreouer with bondes & imprisonment: they were stoned, beweene asunder, tempted, fell & were slayne vponupon the edge of the sword, some wandred to & fro in sheepes pilches, in goates pilches, forsaken, oppressed, afflicted, such godly men as the world was vnworthy of, wandring in wildernesse, in mountaynes, in caues, and in dennes, and all these were commended for theyr fayth. And yet they abide for vsus the seruauntes of God, and for those theyr brethren which are to bee slayne as they were for the word of Gods sake, that none be shut out, but that we may all go together to meete our Mayster Christ in the ayre at his comming, and so to be in blisse with him in body and soule for euermore.
Therefore, seing we hauehave so muche occasion to suffer and to take afflictions for Christes names sake paciently, so many commodities thereby, so waighty causes, so many good examples, so great necessitye,Heb. 12. so pure promises of eternall life and heauenlye ioyes, of him that cānot lye: Let vsus throw away whatsoeuer might let vsus,Reasons to moue vsus to pacience vnderunder the Crosse. all burden of sinne, and all kinde of carnality, and paciently and constantly let vsus runne for the best game in this race that is set before vsus, euer hauing our eyes vponupon Iesus Christ the ringleader, Capitayne, and Perfiter of our fayth, which for the ioye that was set before him, endured the crosse, not passing vponupon the ignominy and shame thereof, and is set now at the right hande of the throne of GOD. Consider this, that he suffered such strife of sinners agaynst himselfe, that yee shoulde not geue ouer, nor faynt in your mindes. As yet brethren we hauehave not withstand vntounto death, fighting agaynst sinne. Let vsus neuer forget deare Brethren for Christes sake, that Fatherly exhortation of the wise that speaketh vntounto vsus as vntounto his children the Godlye wysedome of God,Prouerb. …. saying thus: My sonne, despise not the correction of the Lord, nor fall not from him when thou art rebuked of hym, for whom the Lord loueth, him doth he correct, and scourgeth eueryevery childe whom he receiueth. What childe is he whom the father doth not chasten:Heb. 1…. If ye bee free from chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastardes and no children. Seing then, when as we hauehave had carnall parents which chastened vsus, we reuerenced them, shall not we much more be subiect vntounto our spirituall father that we might liue? And they for a litle time taughte vsus after theyr owne mind: but this father teacheth vsus to our commodity, to geue vntounto vsus his holinesse. Al chastisment for the present tyme, appeareth not pleasaunt but paynefull: but afterward it rendereth the fruite of righteousnesse on them, which are exercised in it. Wherefore let vsus bee of good cheere (good Brethren) and let vsus plucke vppe our feeble members that were fallen or beganne to faynt, hart, handes, knees, and all the rest, and let vsus walke vpright and straight, that no limping no… … bring vsus out of the way. Let vsus looke, not vponupon the thinges that be present, but with the eyes of our fayth let vsus stedfastly, behold the thinges that be euerlasting in heauen, and so choose rather in respecte of that whiche is to come, with the chosen members of Christ to beare Christes Crosse, then for this short life time, to inioy all the riches, honours, and pleasures of the broade worlde. Why should we Christians feare death? Can death depriue vsus of Christ, which is all our cō …ort, our ioy, and our life▪ Nay forsooth. But contrary, death shall deliuer vsus from this mortall body,2. Cor. 5. whiche lodeth and beareth downe the spirite that it cannot so well perceiue heauenly thinges: in the which so long as we dwell, wee are absent from God.
Wherefore, vnderstanding our state in that we be Christians, that if our mortall body, which is our earthly house,2. Cor. 5. were destroied, we hauehave a building, a house not made with handes, but euerlasting in heauen &c. therefore wee are of good cheere, and know that when we are in the body, we are absent from GOD, for we walke by fayth, and not by cleare fight. Neuerthelesse we are bolde, and had rather be absent from the bodye and present with GOD. Wherefore, we striue, whether we be present at home, or absent abroad, that we may alwayes please him. And who that hath true fayth in our Sauior Christ, whereby he knoweth somewhat truely what Christ our Sauiour is, that he is the eternall sonne of God, life, light, the wisedome of the father, all goodnesse, all righteousnesse and whatsoeuer is good that heart canne desire, yea infinite plentye of all these, aboue that that mans hart canne either conceiue or thinke, (for in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godheade corporally) and also that he is geuen vsus of the Father, and made of GOD to be our wisedome, our righteousnesse, our hol…nesse, and our redemption: who (I say) is he that beleueth this in deede, that woulde not gladly bee with his mayster christ? Paul for this knowledge coueted to hauehave bene loosed from the body, and to hauehave beene with Christ,1. Cor 1. Phil. 1. for that he counted it muche better for himselfe, and had rather to be loosed then to liue. Therefore these wordes of Christe to the thiefe on the Crosse, that asked of him mercy, were full of comfort and solace: This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. To dye in the defence of Christes Gospell,Luke. 25. Rom 9. 1. Iohn. 3. it is our bounden duety to Christ, and also to our neighbour. To Christ, for he dyed for vsus, and rose agayne that he might be Lord ouer all. And seing he dyed for vsus, we also (sayth S. Iohn) shoulde ieopard, yea geue our life for our Brethren, And this kinde of geuing and loosing, is getting and winning in deede: for hee that geueth or looseth his life thus, getteth & winneth it for euermore.Apoc. 14. To couet to be with Christ, and not to fear… death. Blessed are they therefore that die in the Lord, and if they dye in the Lordes cause, they are most happy of all. Let vsus not then feare death, which can do vsus no harme, otherwise then for a momēt to make the flesh to smart: but that our fayth whiche is surely fastened and fixed vntounto the worde of GOD, telleth vsus that we shall be anon after death, in peace, in the handes of GOD, in ioye, in solace, and that from death we shall go straight vntounto life. For Saynt Iohn sayeth: he that liueth and beleeueth in me, shall neuer dye.Iohn. 11. Iohn. 5. And in an other place: he shall depart from death vntounto life. And therefore this death of the Christian, is not to be called death, but rather a gate or entraunce into euerlasting life: Therefore Paule calleth it but a dissolution and resolution, and both Peter and Paul, a putting of this Tabernacle or dwelling house.2. Peter. …. 2. Cor. 5. Meaning thereby the mortall body, as wherein the soule or spirite doth dwell here in this worlde for a small time. Yea this death may be called to the Christian, an end of all miseries. For so long as we liue here, we must passe through many tribulations before we canne enter into the kingdome of heauen. And nowe,Act. 14. after that death hath shot his bolt, all the christian mans enemies hauehave done what they canne, after that they hauehave no more to doe. What coulde hurte or harme poore Lazarus that lay at the rich mannes Gate? His former penury and pouerty? his misery, beggery,Luke. 16. and horrible sores and sickenesse? For so soone as death had stricken him with his dart, so soone came the aungels, and caryed him straight vp into Abrahams bosome. What lost he by death, who from misery and payne, is set by the ministery of Aungels in a place both of ioy and solace.
Farewell deare brethren, farewell, and let vsus comforte our hartes in all troubles, and in death with the worde of God: for heauen and earth shall perish, but the word of the Lord endureth for euer.
Farewell Christes dearely beloued spouse here wandering in this world as in a straunge land, farre from thine owne coūtry, & cōpassed about on eueryevery hand with deadly enemies, which cease not to assault thee, euer seeking thy destruction.
Farewell, farewell, O ye the whole and vniuersall congregation of the chosen of God here liuing vponupon earth, the true churche militant of Christ, the true misticall body of Christ, the very house holde and family of God, and the sacred temple of the holy ghost. Farewell.
Farewell,Luke. 12. O thou litle flocke of the highe heauenlye pastour Christ, for to thee it hath pleased the heauenlye father to geue an euerlasting and eternall kingdome. Farewell.
Farewell thou spirituall house of God, thou holy and royall priesthood, thou chosē generatiō, thou holy nation, thou wonne spouse. Farewell. Farewell.
N. R.