Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 39 · Letter 10
*To my deare and faythfull brother,An other letter of Iohn Ca…les to fayt…full Augustine Bernhe… counsell him to be circumsp… in these daunger dayes. Augustine Bernher.
The peace of God in Iesus Christ, the helpe comforte and assistance of his eternall spirite be with you, my deare and faythfull brother Augustine, and with all the rest of my good brethren and sisters of the houses of Baxterley & Manceter (which mourneth for the miserye of Gods people) to your euerlasting consolation in hym, Amen.
Right glad I am to heare (my deare and faithfull brother Augustine) that God of his greate mercy and infinite goodnes, hath yet so graciously deliuered & preserued you out of your enemyes handes, beseeching almighty God also, from the bottome of my hart, to be your continuall defence vntounto the ende, as hitherto he hath most graciously bene, that you may liue & dye both to Gods glory, the commodity of his Church and to the increase of your owne euerlasting ioy and comfort in hym.
Knowe you, deare brother, that I hauehave receaued your letter, for the which I hartely thanke you. In dede I thinke it very shorte, although it seemeth something sharpely to rebuke me in the beginning, for the breach of my promise, in not writing to you of this long tyme. Well brother, I am contente to beare it with pacience, considering that you are troubled otherwise (the Lorde comforte you and all heauy hartes) neyther will I spende ynke & paper for my purgation in this poynte.He counselleth Augustine to be circumspect, and not rashely to thrust himselfe daunger. God he knoweth whether I bee so mindeles of my promise as it appeareth in your sight I am. Your request I will truely performe to the vttermost of my power, as gladly as any poore wretch shall do in the world and I thanke God I hauehave done no lesse of longe tyme. And as my poore prayer shallbe a handmayd to waite vponupon you which way soeuer you ryde or go, so I beseech you that my simple counsell may take some place in you, in this tyme of your pilgrimage, whiche you passe in no small perill: God keepe and preserue you for his names sake.
I doe not disalowe, but muche prayse and commende your harty boldenesse in putting your selfe in preasse, when any one of Gods people needeth your helpe in any poynte. But yet I would not hauehave you thrust your selfe in daunger, when you canne doe them no good, or at least wise when they may well inough spare that good you woulde doe them: For if you should then chaunce to be taken, you shall not onelyonly be no comfort vntounto them, but also a great discomfort, adding sorrow vntounto their sorrow.
I doe not perswade you to absent your selfe from any place where your presence of necessity is required: for in all such places, I know, God will preserue you as he hath hitherto wonderfully done, praysed be his name therefore: or if it shall please him to permit you in any such place to be taken, I know he will most sweetely cōfort your consciēce with this consideratiō, that it is the very prouidēce & appointmēt of God that you should there and then be taken vp for a witnes of his truthe vntounto the worlde: but I cannot alowe, nor be contented that you shoulde rashly or negligently thrust your selfe into that place where your wicked enemyes do continually haunt, yea and lay wayte for you, when no necessitye of your selfe nor of any other of Gods people dothe require your company. If they neede any of your godly counsel, you may write vntounto them that thinge that you thinke good: which (I dare say) will be sufficient vntounto them. For (continuall thankes and prayses be giuen vntounto the euerlasting God) there is none of those that be cruelly condemned for Gods truthe, that now be weakelings: for they hauehave manfully passed throughe the pikes, and they hauehave boldly abidden the brunt of the battell, and therefore I recken the worste is paste with them alreadye, So that nowe and thē a godly letter from you to them, shall doe as much good as your company shall doe, and perchaunce more too▪ for writing sticketh longer in the memorye then wordes doe yea though your letters were as shorte to them, as your laste was to me, so that the same bee something sweeter and not althing so sharpe.
This (deare brother) is the simple counsell which I woulde gladly hauehave you obserue, partely for that I hartely pray for your preseruation to the commoditye of Christes Church, and partly for that I vnfainedly wish the peace, comfort, and tranquility of your owne conscience, which I knowe will be quickely ready to accuse you,A good conscience … soone troubled. if you do any thing wherein you hauehave not the worde of God for your warrante. For in a glasse that is cleare, a small mote will soone appeare: euen so the good conscience of Gods chosen children being more cleare then Cristall, will quickely accuse them at the least fault they do commit, whereas the wicked worldlinges hauehave their conscience so clogged & corrupted thorough the custome of sinne, that they cannot once see or perceiue their owne shamefull deedes & wicked workes, vntill God set the same before them for their vtter destruction, & then dispayre they immediately. But seing that God hathe geuen you a cleare conscience and a pure, sharpe, quicke, and liuely sight in your soule, I woulde wishe you to beware that you doe nothing vnaduisedly, but vponupon a good ground. For an accusing conscience is a sore thing when death doth approche, and then Sathan will not sticke to tell you that you hauehave to much tempted God, when peraduenture you hauehave done nothing so at all. For thys cause (I say) partly I hauehave thought it good to admonishe you (as I hauehave done often) to be cirumspecte,Conscience … …here none … commit…ed. M…h. 10. according to the counsell of Christ, whiche biddeth you to beware of men. Other thynges I hauehave not to write, for I knowe this bearer can certifie you of all thinges at large, better then I can declare it by writing.
I beseeche you good Augustine, helpe me forwardes with your harty prayers, for I trust I hauehave but a small time to tary in this troublesome worlde. Doctour Story tolde oure Marshall that we should all be dispatched so soone as hee came from Oxford, whether he and other bloudy butchers bee gone to make slaughter of Christes sheepe that lye there appoynted to be slain. God for Christes sake put them and such like,… besides theyr cruell purpose, if it be his good will and pleasure: Amen good Lord. I pray you doe my moste harty commendations to my deare sister and faythfull friend, good Mistres Mary glouer, I beseeche God be her comforte, as I doubte not but hee is, I am verye glad to heare that she doth so ioyfully and so patiently beare this great crosse that God hath layde vppon her. I pray God strengthen her, and all other his deare Sayntes vntounto the end, Amen. Commende me vntounto my deare and faythfull sister Elizabeth B. I thanke her most hartily for my napkin and so I doe youre deare brother, for my sherte. Truely that day that wee were appoynted to come to oure aunswere before the Commissioners (which had sent word the same morning, that they woulde come to the kinges Benche by viii. of the clocke, and the house and all thinges were trimmed and made ready for them) I got that sherte on my backe and that napkin in my hand, and me thoughte that they did helpe to harnesse me and weapon me well,… to goe fight agaynst that bloudy beast of Babilon. And trust me truely, if they had come, I woulde hauehave stricken three strokes the more for your two sakes, as well as God would hauehave abled me to hauehave set them on, as by Gods grace I will not fayle to do at the next skirmish that I come to: Wherfore I pray you pray for me, that I may be stronge and hardy to laye on good loade. Oh that I might so strike him downe, that hee should neuer be able for to rise agayne. But that stroke belongeth onelyonly vntounto the Lorde, to strike at his comming, the which I truste will be shortly. O hasten it good Lorde, and shorten these sorrowfull and sinfull dayes, for thy great mercies sake.
Farewell my deare and faithfull louing brother. The Lorde defende, keepe, and preserue you from the power of youre enemies visible and inuisible, and sende vsus a most ioyfull and merry meeting here or elswhere, as it shall please his goodnes to appoynt vsus.
In the meane space I shall most earnestly desire you to pray for me, for I neuer had more neede in my life: and doubtles you shall neuer want my poore prayer, if it shall please God to accept the prayer of so sinnefull a wretch as I am. The Lord impute not my sinnes to me, for Iesus Christes sake: vntounto whose most mercifull defence, I do most hartily commit you The blessing of God be with you now and euer, Amen. I pray you doe my most hartye commendations vntounto M. Iohn Glouer. I doe not forget him in my dayly prayers, and I trust he doth remember me.
Your poore brother, alwayes mindefull of you in my prayer, Iohn Careles prysoner, abiding Gods pleasure.