Marginalia1555. February.ly established by the word of God, and the consent of his true church, I neither may, nor do entend by Gods gracious assistance, to be pulled one iote from the same, no though an Aungell out of heauen shoulde preach an other Gospel, then that which I haue receiued of the lord.

And although that for lacke, eyther of such depe knowledge and profound iudgement, or of so expedite vttering of that I do know and iudge, as is required in an excellent Clarke, I shall not be able sufficiently to aunswere, for the conuincing of the gainsayer: yet neuertheles this my protestatiō shal be of me premised, that for the respect of the groundes and causes before considered, albeit I cā not *Marginalia* Explicita fides, is when a mā hath to aunswere to euery point of his fayth by sufficient ground and learning. explicita fide, as they call it, conceiue all that is to be conceiued, neyther cā discusse al that is to be discussed, nor can effectually expresse all that is to be expresed in the discourse of the doctrine of thys most true religion, whereunto I am professed: Yet do I binde my self as by my humble simplicity, so by my fidem *Marginalia* Implicita fides, is when a man without instruction in him self groundeth onely vpon the fayth of the Church, not able to render any reason of that which he beleueth. implicitam: that is, by fayth in generaltie (as they call it) to wrap my beliefe in the credite of the same, þ^t no authority of that Romish religion repugnant thereunto, shall by any meanes remoue me from the same, though it may happe that our aduersaries wyll labour to beguile vs with entising wordes, and seeke to spoyle vs thorugh Philosophy and deceitfull vanity, after the traditions of mē, and after the ordinaunces of the world, and not after Christ. &c.

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And thus much out of M. Saūders letter, so much as remayned therof. The residue, because it was rent away, I could not adioyne hereunto.  

Notwithstāding by this already expressed, it is sufficient to vnderstād how good was the cause and estate of thys blessed chylde of God, being prisoner for Christes cause. For the defēce whereof he wholy bestowed and resigned him selfe in such sorte as he forbad hys wife to sue for his deliuery, and when other of hys friendes had by suite almost obtayned it, he discouraged thē, so that they dyd not folow their suite, as by thys letter following it may appeare.

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MarginaliaMaister Saunders letter to hys wife.GRace, mercy, and peace in Iesus Christ our Lord.Entirely beloued wyfe, euen as vnto myne owne soule and body, so doe I dayly in my harty prayer wysh vnto you, for I doe dayly, twyse at the least in thys sorte remember you. And I doe not doubt (deare wyfe) but that both I and you, as we be wrytten in the booke of lyfe, so we shall together enioye the same euerlastingly, through the grace and mercy of God our deare father, in hys sonne our Christ. And for thys present lyfe, let vs wholy appoynt our selues to the wyll of our good God, to glorify hym either by lyfe or by death, and euen that same mercyfull Lorde make vs worthy to honour hym eyther way, as pleaseth hym, Amen. I am merye I thanke my God and my Christ, in whom and through whom I shall (I knowe) be able Marginalia1. Tim. 4.to fight a good fight, and finish a good course, and then receyue the crowne which is layd vp in store for me, and all the true Soldiours of Christ. Wherfore wyfe let vs in the name of our God, fight lustely to ouercome the flesh, the deuil, and the world. What our harnesse and weapons bee in thys kynde of fight, looke the. vj. vnto the Ephesians, and pray, pray, pray. MarginaliaMaister Saunders would haue no sute made for hym.I would that you make no suite for me in any wyse. Thanke, you know whom, for her most swete and comfortable putting me in remembrance of my iourney, whether I am passing. God send vs all good spede, and a ioyful meeting. I haue to few such frendes to further me in that iourney, which is in deede the greatest friendship. The blessing of God be wyth you all. Amen.

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A prisoner in the Lord Laurence Saunders.

Thys hys constancie is sufficiently commended and declared by his valiant buckling with MarginaliaAntichrist and Death 2. enemies.two mighty enemies, Antichrist and Death. To neyther of these dyd he geue place: but by suffering their malice, got the victory ouer them both. One of the conflictes which hee had wyth Antichrist and hys members, I haue gathered out of a letter of hys own hand writyng. It was wyth Doctor Weston, a man whom though I should prayse, yet would all good and godly men worthely disprayse. Of this, the said Laurence Saunders thus writeth in a letter which hee sent to one of hys friendes,

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which wrote to hym to know what Doct. Weston dyd at the Marshalsey: wherunto he thus aunswereth.

 

Maister Weston came to conferre wyth Mayster Grimoald.MarginaliaThys Doct. Weston and M. Grimoald dyed both about the Coronation of Q. Elizabeth. What he hath cōcluded with him, I know not: I wysh it may be to Gods glory, Amen, Amen. Maister Weston of hys gentlenes visited me, and offered me friendship in hys worldly wily sort. &c. I had not so much good maner, as to take it at hys hand: for I sayd, that I was well inough, and ready cherefully to abyde the extremity, to keepe thereby a good conscience. You be a sleepe in sinne (sayd hee). I would awake (quoth I) and doe not forget, Vigilate & orate. i. Watch and pray. MarginaliaThe Church goeth not alwayes by number.What church was there, sayd hee. xxx. yeares past? What church was there, quoth I, in Helias tyme? Ione of Kent, sayd he, was of your church. No, quoth I, we dyd condemne her as an hereticke.   Who was of your church, sayd he. xxx. yeares past? Such quoth I, as that Romish Antichrist, and his rable haue reputed and condemned as heretickes. Wicklife sayd he, Thorp, Oldcastle. &c.   Yea, quoth I, with many moe, as storyes doe tell.

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The B. of Rome hath, said he, long time plaied a part in your rayling Sermons: but now bee ye sure hee must play an other maner of part. The more pitye, quoth I, and yet some comfort is it to see how that the best learned, wysest, and holyest of you all, haue heretofore had hym to play a part likewyse in your Sermons and MarginaliaWinchesters boke De vera Obedientia.writyngs, though now to please the world, you do turne wyth the weathercocke. Did you euer, sayd hee, heare me preach agaynst the Bishop of Rome? No quoth I, for I neuer heard you preach. But I trowe you haue bene no wyser thē other. &c. with more about the Sacrament. Pray, pray. God keepe your family and blesse it.

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MarginaliaWhat a blessed taste Maister Saunders had of Christes comfortes.What a blessed taste this good man had of Gods holy spirit, by diuers and sondry his letters may right wel appeare to him that is disposed to peruse þ^e same: wherof certayn we haue here thought good, þ^e Lord wyllyng, to expresse, first beginnyng with that which he wrote out of the Marshalsey to D. Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer, prisoners for the like cause of Christ, in Oxford.

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MarginaliaM. Saunders writeth to D. Cranmer, Ridley, &c.IN my most humble wyse I salute you most reuerend fathers in Christ Iesus our Lord. Immortal thākes and euerlastyng prayses be geuen vnto that our Father of mercies, MarginaliaColoß. 1.Which hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritaunce of Saintes in light, which hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes, and hath translated vs into the kingdome of hys beloued Sonne, by whom we haue redemption through hys bloud. &c. Oh most happy estate, that in an vnspeakeable wise, MarginaliaColoß. 3.our lyfe is hyd wyth Christ in God: but whensoeuer Christ, which is our lyfe, shall shew him selfe, then shall we also appeare with him in glory. In the meane season, as Marginalia1. Cor. 13.our sight is but in a glasse, euen in a darke speaking, so wee walke in fayth, not after outwarde appearaunce. The which fayth, although for want of outward appearance, reason reputeth but as vayne: ye the chosen of God doe know the effect thereof, to bring a more substantiall taste and liuely fruition of very felicity and perfect blessednes, then reason can reach, or senses conceiue. By this fayth, we haue in our profession all good things: yea, euen thē MarginaliaEsay. 64. 1. Cor. 2.which the eye hath not seene, and the eare hath not heard, neither hath entred into the hart of mā. &c. Thē if hereby we do enioy all good thinges, it foloweth, þ^t we must needes professe, haue and enioy you most reuerend Fathers, who be no smal part of our ioy, & good things geuen vs of God.

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We heretofore haue had the fruition of you by bodely presence to our inexplicable benefite, praysed be that our gratious God therfore. And now in spirite we haue the experience of vnspeakable cōfort, by your reuerēd father hodes, for that in this so glorious sort, ye become a town set vpō a hill, a candle vpō a Candlesticke, a spectacle vnto the world, both to the Aungels, and vnto men.MarginaliaMath. 5. So that, as we to our great comfort doe feele, you also may assuredly say with Saint Paule, that Marginalia1. Cor. 4.the thinges which happen vnto vs, do chaunce vnto the great furtherance of the Gospell: so that MarginaliaPhil. 1.our bondes in Christ are many-

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