Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 18 · Letter 13
An other letter of M. Philpot, wrytten to the same Lady, being a great supporter of hym.
I Can not but most hartily geue God thāks for these hys gifts in you,An other letter of M. Philpot to a certayne godly Lady. whose brightnes many beholding that are weake, are muche encouraged to seeke God likewise, & to cleaue to him, hauing the ensample of so faithful and constant a gentlewoman before their eyes. If the Queene of the South shall rise with the men of Christes generation, and condemne them, for that she came from the end of the world to heare the wisedome of Salomon: then shal your sincere and godly conuersation, thus shining in this dangerous time of the trial of christes people (being a womā of a right worshipfull estate and wealthy condition) condemne in the latter day a great many of these faint harted gospellers, which so soone be gone backe and turned from the truth, at ye voyce of a handmaiden: seeing that neyther the feare of imprisonment, neither the possessions of the world (wherwtal you are sufficiently indued aboue a great many) can separate you from the louelove of the truthe,Agaynst faint harted Gosspellers. which God hath reueled vntounto you. Wherby it appeareth that the seede of Gods word which was sown in you, fel not, neitheir in ye high way, neither amōg the thorns, neither vpō ye stones, but vponupon a good ground, which is blessed of god, and bringeth forth fruit, with great affliction, an 100. fold, to the glory of God, and the encrease of his church. &c.
In consideration wherof, S. Iames biddeth vsus highly to reioyce, when soeuer we fall into many temptations, knowing that it is but ye triall of our faith, that we might bring foorth that excellēt vertue pacience, by the which we are made like to our redeemer Christ, wt whome we heere being like in suffering, assuredly shall heereafter be pertakers of his eternall glory. Therefore s. Paul saith: God forbid that I should glory in any thing, but in the crosse of our lord Iesus Christ. I that am vnderunder the crosse with you (thankes be geuen to God therefore) hauehave felt in the same more true ioye and consolation, then euer I did by any benefite that God hath geuen mee in my life before. For the more the world doth hate vsus, the nigher God is vntounto vsus, and there is no perfect ioy,… 16. but in God. Wherefore Christ sayd: In me you shall hauehave ioy, but in the worlde affliction. Blessed be God which sendeth vsus this affliction, that we mighte perfectly ioy in hym. For this cause in the ripest time of iniquitie, and in the moste feruent season of persecution of the true church,… which Christ in the 21. of Luke prophesied to come he willeth vsus to be of good chere, and to lift vp our heads, for our redemption is at hand.
Perfect ioy ….O that the Lorde would come and deliuer vsus from this worlde, which is a vale of miserie, vntounto his owne kingdome, where floweth perpetuall ioy and consolation. And verily that is the true and onelyonly ioy which is conceiued, not of the creature, but of the Creator, the which when we doe possesse, no body canne take it away from vsus. To the which ioy all other ioyes being compared,Comparisō … the … this …. are but mournings, all delights sorrow, al sweetenes sower, all beauty filth, and finally al other things that be counted pleasant, are tediousnes. Your owne selfe is better witnes of thys, then I: aske your selfe, wt whom you are best acquainted. Doeth not the holy Ghost speake the same in your heart? HaueHave you not perswaded your selfe this to be true, before I wrote thereof? For howe should you, being a woman, and a yong Gentlewoman, beautifull, and at your owne liberty, hauehave ouercome this your fraile kinde and age, and despised your excellent beautie and estate, vnlesse all those things which be subiect to the senses, had bene counted of you vile, & l…tle to be estemed in cōparison of those things which inwardly do comfort you, to ouercome the flesh, the world, and the deuil. &c.
God encrease your ioy in all spirituall things, and establish your hope to ye day of eternal rest. You hauehave forsaken darkenes, and are entred into light, God graunt the same may shine stil in you, vntil ye perfect day come of the Lord, in the which is all our consolation.Gods Saintes shal … lud…es agaynst …. Here we must be darkened, that there we may appeare as brighte as the sunne in the face of the whole world, & of all them that now condemne vsus for our wel doing: whose iudges then we shall be, to their horrible griefe, though nowe wrongfully they iudge vsus. Pray hartily, & that often, that God once again for his Christes sake, woulde be mercifull to his afflicted church in England. Faithfull prayer is the onelyonly remedy that we hauehave against the fierie dartes of the Deuil, that be kindled against vsus. By prayer the Amalechites shall be ouercome, and the roarings of the Lion, which seeketh still to deuoure vsus, shalbe stopped & put to silence. The Lorde stoppe Leuiathans mouth, that he swalow not vp Gods seely people, according to his expectation.
Praise the Lord for the faithfull testimonie and sacrifice which 2. of our brethren of late, hauehave through fire rendred to the truth of the gospell, which nowe triumpheth by the death of godly Martyrs.The Gospel triumpheth by the death of Martyrs. The Lorde is at hande, therefore watche and pray. The last of May. 1555. Captiue in the kings Bench.
Yours with heart in Christ, Iohn Philpot.