Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 18 · Letter 6
*To hys deare frend in the Lord Iohn Careles prisoner in the kinges Benche.
MY dearely beloued brother Careles, I hauehave receaued youre louing letters full of louelove and compassion,Good consciēce. An other letter of M. Philpot to Iohn Careles. in somuch that they made my hard hart to weepe, to see you so carefull for one that hath bene so vnprofitable a member as I hauehave bene and am in Christes church God make me worthy of that I am called vntounto, and I pray you, cease not to pray for me but cease to weep for him who hath not deserued such gentle teares: and prayse God with me, for that I now approch to the company of them, whose want you may worthily lament: God geue your pittiful hart, his inward consolation. In deede my deare Careles, I am in thys world in hell, and in the shadow of death: but he that hath brought me for my desertes downe vntounto hell, shall shortly lift me vpp to heauen, where I shall looke continually for your commyng & others my faythfull brethren in the kinges Benche. And though I tell you that I am in hell in the iudgement of this world,Experience of the Lordes comfort in trouble. yet assuredly I feele in the same the consolation of heauen, I prayse God: and thys lothsome and horrible prison is as pleasaunt to me, as the walke in the garden of the kinges Bench.
You know brother Careles, that the way to heauen out of this life,Example of Christes comfort to be taken by M. Philpot. is very narrow, and wee must striue to enter in at a narrowe gate. If God do mitigate the ouglenes of myne imprisonment, what will he do in the rage of the fire whereunto I am appoynted? And this hath happened vntounto me that I might be hereafter an ensample of comfort, if the like happen vntounto you or to any other of my deare brethren with you in these cruell dayes, in the which the deuill so rageth at the faythfull flock of Chryst, but in vayne (I trust against any of vsus, who be perswaded that neither lyfe neither death is able to seperate vsus from the louelove of Christs Gospell, which is Gods high treasure committed to your brittle vessels to glorifie vsus by the same. God of hys mercye make vsus faythfull stewardes to the end, and geue vsus grace to feare nothing what soeuer in hys good pleasure we shal suffer for the same. That I hauehave not written vntounto you e…st, the cause is our strayt keepyng and the want of light by night, for the day serueth vsus but a while in our darke closet. This is the first letter that I hauehave writtē since I came to prison, besides the report of mine examinations: and I am fayne to scribble it out in hast.
Commend me to al our faythfull brethren, and bid thē with a good courage looke for theyr redemption, & frame themselues to be harty souldiours in Christ. They hauehave taken his prest money a great while, and now let them shew themselues readye to serue hym faythfully, and not to fly out of the Lordes campe into the world, as many do. Let them remēber that in the Apocalips the fearfull be excluded the kingdome.Apoc. 21. Let vsus be of good cheare for our Lord ouercame the world, that wee shoulde doe the like. Blessed is the seruaunt whome when the Lord commeth, he findeth watching. O let vsus watch and pray earnestly one for an other, that we be not led into tēptation. Be ioyful vnderunder the crosse & prayse the Lord cōtinually, for this is the whole burnt sacrifice which the Lord delighteth in. Cōmēd me to my father Hunt and desire him to louelove and continue in the vnitie of Christs true Church, which he hath begon, and then shal he make me more & more to ioy vnderunder my crosse with him. Tel my brother Clements that he hath cōforted me much by his louing token in significatiō of an vnfayned vnitie with vsus: let him encrease my ioy vntounto the end perfectly. The Lord of peace be with you al. Salute al my louyng frends. M. Mering, M. Crooche, with the rest, and specially. M. Marshal. & his wife, with great thāks for his kindnes shewed vntounto me. Farewel my deare Careles. I hauehave dalied with the deuil a while, but now I am ouer the shoes: God sende me well out.
Out of the Colehouse by your brother Iohn Philpot.