fielde lyke a cowarde. But what occasion of griefe and offence shoulde thys tourne to theyr ghostly warriors of Christ: and contrary what cause of reioycing and derision were it to the aduersaries. and might not this of right (I pray you) be spoken of me, and caste in my teethe? Beholde and see howe our woorthie champion and expert captayne, whyche with woordes of late boldly dyd animate vs to constancie of doctrine, and stoutely to stycke to it, nowe retireth, and ouercomme with feare sheweth no example of fortitude, whyche he so bragged and bosted of. Wherefore I thought it my dutie, bothe to God and manne, (especiallye for that the syngular grace of God hath playnely called me to that scope) to despise worldlye minaces and fleshlye prouocations, and finallye wyth manfulnesse to stande to so honeste and good a quarrell. Besydes, what impudencye and dastardye were it for me, that when I beyng oute of all ieoperdye, was authour to all the reste, and encouraged theym to goe thorough the thycke and thinne, in the trade and course of godlines which they hadde begunne, nowe when tyme and cause requireth, not to performe the same? Tossing therfore too and fro these thynges in my mynde, at laste wyth muche quietnes of conscience, perswaded my selfe rather to serue the maner of cause and my callyng, then any priuate affection. Wherfore I am redye to suffer and sustaine all thynges, that the violence of the Romayne Antichriste, maye or can inferre. Beyng hartened also the more, for that I dydde vnderstande of the Bishoppe hys commynge shortely into these parties, beyng not ignoraunte how the conscience of the weake shoulde thereby bee molested and tormented.
[Back to Top]I doe therfore nowe remayne in pryson at Couentrye, tenne or twelue dayes, duryng all whiche my abode there, no man hadde anye thynge to burden me wythall, bothe agaynste the common lawe of this realme, and all priuate righte and equitie, no man hauyng anye commission, or commaundement to apprehend me. In deede the authors thereof layed all the faulte in the Officers necke: and yet he, when he was called to question for the same, stiffelye denyed, that he had in commaundement to apprehende me, but Iohn mine Elder brother.
Robert was arrested while the authorities were searching for his brother John.
But now because mention hath bene made of the Elder brother, I thought good to speake some thynge of hym, aswell for that the order of thys tragedye so requireth, as because hys vertues and qualities were suche as I coulde in no wayes committe them to silence. Thys mans name was Iohn Glouer, some thynge Elder then Robert, a Gentleman borne and heire to hys father, a man of fayre landes, but not so aboundyng in worldlye gooddes and
[Back to Top]possessions, as nourished with heauenlye cogitations and vertuous doynges. The whiche manye yeres hadde professed and acknowleged the blissefull, and gracious knowledge of the Gospell: shewyng no lesse by hys lyfe and example the same, muche vnlyke our gospellers nowe adayes, whiche suppose the profession of the gospell to consiste in woordes. But thys man vsed an other kynde of professynge of it farre differente, conuertynge all hys care that he mighte appeare a gospeller, as well wythin as withoute, Not so muche that he shoulde so seeme afore men, as that he myghte fyrste frame hys lyfe correspondente, and worthy his profession before God. He sawe and perceiued, (as in deede it was) the Summe of Christianitie not to consyste in stoute disputations, contentions, reasonynges, loude clamours, stronge diffinitions, and ambicious pertinacie of mynde: but rather in orderyng and subduynge affections, in the quiet and silente mynde, in good conscien e and deuoute prayer: and laboured euer to thys ende, not so much to bragge and talke of the Gospell, as to shewe the same by example of his lyfe. And therefore he gaue not daylye diligence to the readyng of the Gospell onelye, to collecte thereof, (as manye doo) common places, but aswell to bee instructed thereby with good mynde and conscience.
[Back to Top]He was a greate studente of Diuinitie: the occasyon whereof, was not the desyre of nouelles, arguynge and talkynge, or that he myghte seeme the more learned to other, but that he hymselfe myght bee the better for it. And also not so muche to be the more instructed, to the conflictes of ydle contention, as to be the readyer and meeter for the kyngdome of Christe. To bee shorte, he redde the Gospell of Christe, not so muche to collect therof any Common places, as to gather necessarye matter of edifyenge, whereof he dayelye sucked those thynges, whyche no lesse made for the confirmation of hys faythe and godly lyfe, than for the knowledge of Christ and hys saluation. And doubtelesse by this hys assiduous laboure he profyted meruaylouslye, as by the syngular fruites and example of hys lyfe, sufficiently is declared, whose mynde was alwayes vppon our Sauiour Iesus Christe and hys woorkes, euen so muche that he contemnyng the worlde, and beeyng all wholye possessed wyth the earneste zeale of Godlynes was in euerye place as wel abroad as at home, a Lanterne of godlye lyuynge to all the reste. And also beeyng as one placed in heauen, and deade in thys worlde, he bothe meditated and ledde a lyfe altogether celestiall, beeynge a worlde to see, how that he abhorred the Prophane doynges: No nor yet hys talke in any wyse differed from hys lyfe: throwyng out neuer anye ydle, vyle, or vayne language. The moste parte of hys landes
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