Whole Works, Letter
¶ A Letter which Iohn Frith wrote vntounto the faythfull folowers of Chriſtes Goſpell, whyles he was priſoner in the Tower of London for the worde of God. Anno. M. D. xxxij.
¶ Grace and peace from God the father through our Sauiour Christe Ieſu be with all them that louelove the Lord vnfaynedly. Amen.
IT can not bee expreſſed (dearely beloued in the Lord) what ioy and comfort it is to myhart to perceiue how the woorde of God hath wrought and continually worketh among you: ſo that I finde Iohn. 2.no ſmal number walkyng in yt wayes of the Lord, accordyng as he gaue vsus Iohn. 15.commaundement, willyng that we ſhould louelove ech other, as he loued vsus. Now hauehave I experience of the fayth which is in you, and can teſtifie that Roma. 12.it is without ſimulation, that ye louelove not in word and toung onelyonly, but in worke and veritie.Iohn. 3.
What can be more triall of a faythfull hart, then to aduenture not onelyonly to ayde and ſuccour by the meanes of other (whiche without daunger may not be admitted vntounto vsus) but alſo perſonally to viſite the poore oppreſſed, & ſée that nothyng be lackyng vntounto thē, but that they hauehave both ghoſtly comfort and bodely ſuſtenaunce, notwith ſtādyng the ſtrayte inhibition and terrible manacyng of theſe worldly rulers: euen ready to abyde the extreme ieoperdies that tyraūts can imagine.
This is an euidence, that you hauehave prepared your ſelues to the Croſſe of Chriſt, accordyng vntounto the councell of the wiſe man which ſayth: my ſonne when thou ſhalt enter into the way of the Lord, prepare thy ſelfe vntounto tribulation. This is an euidence that ye hauehave caſt your accomptes, and hauehave wherewith to finiſh the tower which ye hauehave begon to builde. And I doubt Luke. 14.not but that he whiche hath begon to worke in you, ſhall for his glory accō pliſh Phil. 1.the ſame, euē vntounto the commyng of the Lord, which ſhal giuegive vntounto eueryevery man accordyng to his déedes.
And albeit God of his ſecret iudgementes Roma, 21.for a time kéepe the rod from ſome of them that enſue his ſteppes yet let them ſurely reken vppon it for there is no doubt but all whiche will deuoutly lyue in Chriſt, muſt ſuffer 2. Ti. 3.perſecution: for whom the Lord loueth Heb. 12.he correcteth, and ſcourgeth eueryevery child that he receaueth: for what child is that, whom the father chaſtiſeth not. If ye be not vnderunder correction of which we are all partakers, thē are ye baſtardes and not children.
Neuertheles we may not ſuppoſe that our moſt louyng father ſhould do that becauſe he reioiſeth in our bloud or puniſhment, but he doth it for our ſingular profite, that we may be partakers of holynes, and that the remnaunt of ſinne (whiche through the frayltie of our mēbers) rebell agaynſt the ſpirite & will, cauſing our workes to go vnparfectly forwardes, & may ſomedel be ſuppreſſed, leſt they ſhould ſubdue vsus and reigne ouer vsus, as I hauehave ſufficiently declared in the Epiſtle of my booke whiche intreateth of Purgatory, to the which I remit thē that deſire to be further inſtructed in this matter.
Of theſe thynges God had geuen me the ſpeculation before, and now it hath pleaſed hym to put in vre and practiſe vponupon me. I euer thought and yet doe thinke, that to walke after Gods word, would coſt me my life at one tyme or an other. And albeit that the kynges grace ſhould take me into his fauour and not to ſuffer the bloudy Edomites to hauehave their pleaſures vponupon me, yet will I not thinke that I am eſcaped, but that God hath onelyonly differred it for a ſeaſon to the intent that I ſhould woorke ſomewhat that he hath appointed me to do, and ſo to vſe me vntounto his glory.
And I beſeche all the faythfull followers of the Lord, to arme them ſelues with the ſame ſuppoſition, markyng thē ſelues with the ſigne of the croſſe, not from the croſſe as the ſuperſtitious multitude doth, but rather to the croſſe in token that they be euer readye willingly to receaue the croſſe, when it ſhall pleaſe God to lay it vponupon them. The day that it cōmeth not, counte it cleare wonne, geuyng thankes to the Lord, which hath kept it from you. And then when it commeth, it ſhall nothing diſmay you: for it is no new thing, but euē that which ye hauehave continually looked for.
Cor. 10.And doubt not but that god which is faythfull ſhall not ſuffer you to be tempted aboue that which ye are able to beare, but ſhall euer ſend ſome occaſion by the which ye ſhall ſtand ſtedfaſt: for either he ſhall blind the eyes of your enemies and diminiſh theyr tyrannous power, or els when he hath ſuffred them to do theyr beſt, and that the Dragon hath caſt a whole floudde of waters after you, he ſhall cauſe euen the very earth to open hir mouth and ſwalow them vp. Apoc. 12.So faith full is he and careful to eaſe vsus what time the vexation ſhould be too heauy for vsus.
He ſhall ſend a Ioſeph before you againſt ye ſhall come into Egypt, yea he ſhal ſo prouide for you, that ye ſhall hauehave an hundred fathers for one, an hūdred mothers for one, an hundred houſes for one, and that in thys lyfe, as I hauehave proued by experience. Marke. 1.And after this life, euerlaſting ioy wyth Chriſt our Sauiour.
Not withſtandyng ſith this ſtedfaſtnes commeth not of our ſelues (for as S. Auſten ſayth) there was neuer man ſo weake or frayle no not the greateſt offender that euer lyued but that eueryevery man of hys owne nature ſhould be as frayle and committe as great enormities, except he were kept from it by the ſpirite & power of God I beſeche you brethren in the Lord Ieſu Chriſte and for the louelove of hys Roma. 15.ſpirite, to pray with me that we may be veſſels to his laude & prayſe, what tyme ſoeuer it pleaſeth hym to call vponupon vsus.
Ephe. 1.The father of glory giuegive vsus the ſpirite of wiſedome vnderſtandyng and knowledge, and lighten the eyes of our mynde, that we may know hys wayes, prayſing the Lord eternally. If it pleaſe any of our brethren to write vntounto vsus of any ſuch doubtes as peraduenture may be founde in our bookes it ſhould be very acceptable vntounto vsus, and as I truſt not vnfrutefull for them. For I will endeuour my ſelfe to ſatiſfie thē in all poyntes by Gods grace. To whom I committe to be gouerned and defended, for euer.
Amen.
Iohn Frith the priſoner of Ieſu Chriſt, at all tymes abydyng his pleaſure.