Marginalia1554. February.But thou wilt say, I will not breake vnitie. What? not the vnity of Sathan and his members? not the vnitie of darknes, the agreement of Antichrist and hys adherentes? Nay thou deceauest thy selfe with the fonde imagination of such a vnitie as is among the enemies of Christ. MarginaliaAntichrist also hath hys vnitie, which is not to be kept.Were not the false Prophets in an vnity? were not Iosephes brethren and Iacobs Sonnes in an vnitye? Were not the Heathen, as the Amelechites, the Pheresites and Iebusites in an vnitie? Were not the Scribes and Phariseis in an vnitie? Doth not king Dauid testifie: Conuenerunt in vnum aduersus dominum? Yea theues, murtherers, conspiratours haue their vnitie. But what vnitie? Tully sayth of amitie: Amicitia non est, nisi inter bonos. But marke my friend, yea friend, if thou be not Gods enemy: there is no vnitie but where Christ knitteth the knot among such as be his. Yea, be wel assured, that where his truth is resident, there it is verified that he him selfe sayth: Non veni mittere pacem in terram, sed gladium. &c. but to set one against an other, the sōne agaynst the father, and the daughter against the mother in law. Deceaue not thy selfe therfore with the glittring and glorious name of vnity: for Antichrist hath this vnitie, not yet in deede, but in name. MarginaliaThe agreementes of euill men is no vnitie, but a conspiracie.The agrement of ill men is not an vnity, but a conspiracie.

>Thou hast heard some threatninges, some curses, and some admonitions out of the scripture to those that loue them selues aboue Christ. Thou hast heard also the sharpe and biting wordes to those that denye him for loue of lyfe. Saith he not: MarginaliaMath. 10. He that denieth me before men, I vvyll deny him before my father in heauen? And to the same effect writeth Paule, Hebr. vj. MarginaliaHeb. 6. It is impoßible (sayth he) that they which were once lightned, & haue tasted of the heauenly gift, and were partakers of the holy Ghost, and haue tasted of the good worde of God, if they fall and slide away, crucifying to them selues the Sonne of God a freshe, and making of hym a mocking stocke, shoulde bee renued againe by repentaunce. And agayne sayth he: MarginaliaRom. 10.if vve shall vvillingly sinne after vve haue receiued the knovvledge of his truth, there is no oblation left for sinne, but the terrible expectation of iudgement and fire, vvhich shall deuour the aduersaries. Thus S. Paule writeth, and this thou readest, and doest thou not quake and tremble?

Well, if these terrible & thundring threatninges cā not sturre thee to cleaue vnto Christ, & forsake the world: yet let the sweete cōsolations & promises of the Scriptures, let the example of Christ and his Apostles, holy Martyrs and Confessours encourage thee to take faster hold by Christ. Harken what hee sayth: MarginaliaMath. 5. Blessed are you vvhen men reuile you, and persecute you for my sake: reioyce and be glad, for great is your revvard in heauen: for so persecuted they the Prophetes that vvere before you. Heare what Esay the Prophet sayth: MarginaliaEsay. 51. Feare not the curse of men, be not afrayde of their blasphemies and reuilinges: For vvormes and mothes shall eate them vp lyke cloth and vvool, but my righteousnes shall endure for euer, and my sauing health from generation to generation. VVhat art thou then (sayth he) that fearest a mortall man, the childe of man, vvhych vadeth avvay like the flovver: and forgettest the Lord that made thee, that spread out the heauens and layd the foundation of the earth? I am thy Lord thy God, that make the sea to rage, and be styll, vvhose name is the Lord of hostes. I shall put my vvord in thy mouth and defend thee vvith the turning of an hand. And our Sauiour Christ sayth to his disciples: MarginaliaMath. 10. They shall accuse you and bring you before Princes and Rulers for my names sake, and some of you they shall persecute and kill: but feare you not (sayth heMarginaliaLuke. 12.) nor care you not vvhat you shall say: for it is the spirite of your father that speaketh within you. Euen the very heares of your head are all numbred. Lay vp treasure for your selues (sayth heMarginaliaMath. 10.) where no theefe commeth, nor moth corrupteth. Feare not them that kill the body but are not able to kill the soule, but feare hym that hath povver to destroy both soule and body. MarginaliaIohn. 15. If ye were of the worlde, the worlde would loue hys owne: but because ye are not of the worlde, but I haue chosen you out of the worlde, therfore the worlde hateth you.

Let these and such like consolations taken out of the scriptures, strengthen you to Godward. Let not the examples of holy men and women go out of your minde, as Daniell and the rest of the Prophetes, of the three Children, of Eleazarus that constant father, of the. vij. of the Machabies children, of Peter, Paule, Steuen, and other Apostles and holy Martyrs in the beginning of the church: As of good Simeon Archbishop of Seloma, and Zetrophone, with infinite other vnder Sapores the King of the Persians and Indians: who cōtemned all tormentes deuysed by the tyrauntes, for their Sauiours sake. Returne, returne agayne into Christes warre, and as becommeth a faithfull warriour, put on that armour that

S. Paule teacheth to be most necessary for a Christian mā.MarginaliaEphes. 6. And aboue all thinges take to you the shield of fayth, and be you prouoked by Christes own example to withstand the deuill, to forsake the world, and to become a true and faithfull member of his misticall body, who spared not his owne body for our sinnes.

Throwe downe your selfe with the feare of his threatned vengeaunce for this so great & haynous an offence of Apostasie: and comfort your selfe on þ^e other part with the mercy, bloud & promise of him that is ready to turne vnto you when soeuer you turne vnto him. Disdayne not to come agayne with the lost sonne, seing you haue so wandred with him. Be not ashamed to turne agayne with him from the swyll of straungers, to the delicates of your most benigne & louing father, acknowledging that you haue sinned against heauen & earth. Against heauen by stayning the glorious name of God, and causing his most sincere and pure word to be euill spoken of through you. Against earth by offending so many of your weake brethren, to whom you haue bene a stumbling blocke through your sodayne slyding. Be not abashed to come home agayne with Mary, and weepe bitterly with Peter, not onely with sheeding the teares of your bodily eyes, but also powring out the streames of your hart, to wash away out of the sight of God, the filth and myre of your offensiue fal. Be not abashed to say with the Publicane. MarginaliaLuke. 18. Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner. Remember the horrible hystory of Iulian of olde, and the lamentable case of Spira of late, whose case (me thinke) should be yet so greene in your remembraunce, that being a thing of our tyme, you should feare the lyke inconuenience seyng you are fallen into the lyke offence.

Last of all, let the liuely rememberaunce of the laste day be alwayes afore your eyes, remembring the terrour that such shall be in at that tyme, with the runnagates and fugitiues from Christ, which setting more by the world then by heauen, more by their life then by him that gaue them lyfe, did shrinke, yea did cleane fall away from him that forsoke not them: and contrary wise the inestimable ioyes prepared for them that fearing no peril nor dreading death, haue manfully fought, and victoriously triumphed ouer all power of darkenes, ouer hell, death, and damnation, through their most redoubted captaine Christ, who nowe stretcheth out his armes to receaue you, ready to fall vpon your necke and kisse you, and last of all to feast you with the deinties and delicates of hys own precious bloud, which vndoubtedly, if it might stand with his determinate purpose, he would not let to sheed agayne, rather then you should be loste. To whom with the father & the holy ghost be all honour, prayse and glory euerlastingly. Amen.

Be constant, be constant, feare not for payne:
Christ hath redeemed thee, and heauen is thy gayne.

MarginaliaA faythfull exhortatiō of the Lady Jane to the Lady Katherine her sister, to read Gods worde.I Haue here sēt you (good sister Katherine) a boke, which although it be not outwardly trimmed with gold, yet inwardly it is more worth thē precious stones. It is the booke (deare Sister) of the law of the Lord. It is his Testamēt and last wil which he bequethed vnto vs wretches: which shal lead you to the path of eternall ioy: and if you with a good mind read it, and with an earnest minde do purpose to folow it, it shall bryng you to an immortall & euerlasting life. It shall teach you to liue, and learne you to dye. It shall wynne you more thē you should haue gayned by the possession of your wofull fathers landes. For, as if God had prospered him you should haue inherited his landes: so if you apply diligently this booke, seekyng to direct your life after it, you shalbe an inheritour of such riches, as neither the couetous shall withdraw from you, neither theefe shall steale, neither yet the mothes corrupt. Desire with Dauid (good Sister) to vnderstand the law of the Lord your God. MarginaliaSo liue to die, that by death you may liue. Lyue still to dye, that you (by death) may purchase eternal life. And trust not that the tendernes of your age shall lengthen your life. For as soone (if God call) goeth the younge as the olde, and labour alwayes to learne to die. Defie the world, deny the deuil, and despise the flesh, and delite your selfe onely in the Lord. Be penitent for your sinnes, and yet dispayre not: be strong in fayth, and yet presume not, & desire with S. Paul to be dissolued & to bee with Christ, with whom euen in death there is life. Be like the good