MarginaliaAn. 1555. February.fest, not onely throughout all the iudgement Hall, but in all whole Europa: In so much that many of the brethren in the Lord, being encouraged through our bondes, dare more boldly speake the word without feare. And herein as you haue with S. Paule greatly to reioyce: so we doe reioyce wyth you, and wee doe in deede with you geue thankes for this excellent worthy fauour of our God towardes you, that Christ is thus magnified in you, yea and hereafter shall bee magnifyed in your bodyes, whether it be through lyfe or death. Of which thing truely we are assured in our praiers for you, and ministring of the spirite. And although for your own partes MarginaliaPhil. 1.Christ is vnto you lyfe, and death aduauntage, and that your desire is (as in deede it were better for you) to bee loosed, and to be with Christ, yet for the church of Christ were it much more necessary, that ye should abyde in the flesh. Yea, that mercyful God, euen for his Christes sake graunt that ye may abyde and continue for the furtherance of the church and reioysing of faith, that the reioysing therof may be the more abundaunt through Iesus Christ, by your restoring, Amen, Amen.

[Back to Top]

But if it seeme better otherwyse vnto the diuine wisdome, that by speedy death, he hath appointed you to glorify him, the Lordes wyll be done. Yea, euen as we doe reioyce both on your behalfes, and also on our own, that God is magnified by life, and should be more aboundātly glad for the continuaunce thereof: so we shall no lesse reioyce to haue the same wrought by death. We shal geue thankes for this honor geuen vnto you, reioycing that ye are accompted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ, and that, MarginaliaPhil. 1.it is geuen to you of God, not onely that ye should beleue in hym, but also that ye should suffer for his sake. And herein we shall haue to reioyce in the behalfe of the church of Christ whose faith may be the faster fixed vpon Gods verity, being confirmed with three such worthy witnesses. Oh thankes be to God for this his vnspeakeable gift.

[Back to Top]

And now most Reuerend Fathers, that you may vnderstand the truth of vs and our estate how we stand in the Lord, I do assure your Reuerences, partly by that I perceaue by such of our brethren as be here in bondes with me, partly by that I heare of them which be in other places, and partly by that inward experience which I most vnworthy wretch haue of Gods good comfort, (more abundaunce wherof I know there is in others) you may be assured (I say) by Gods grace, MarginaliaThe constant minde of a Christian Souldiour.that you shall not be frustrate of your hope of our constant continuance in the chearefull confession of Gods euerlasting veritie. For euen as we haue receiued the word of truth, euen the Gospell of our saluation, MarginaliaEphes. 1.wherin we beleuyng are sealed with the holy spirite of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritaunce (MarginaliaRom. 8.the which spirite certifieth our spirite that we are the children of God, and therfore MarginaliaGalat. 4.God hath sent the spirite of his sonne into our hartes, crying, Abba, Father) so after such portion as God measureth vnto vs, we with the whole Church of Christ, and with you, Reuerend Fathers, receauyng the same spirite of fayth, accordyng as it is written: Marginalia2. Cor. 4. Psal. 116.I beleued and therfore I haue spoken, we also beleue, and therefore speake. For the which we in this daungerous bondage and other afflictions, hauing euē such a fight as we haue seene in you and haue heard of you, MarginaliaPhil. 1.are in no wise afrayd of our aduersaries.

[Back to Top]

Marginalia2. Cor. 4.And for asmuch as we haue such an office, euē as God hath had mercy on vs, we go not out of kynd, but euen with you, after our litle power, we labour to maintayne the fayth of the Gospell: knowyng most certainely, that though Marginalia2. Cor. 4.we haue this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of this power might be Gods and not ours: yet shall we not be dashed in pieces: For the Lord will put his hand vnder vs. [When] we are troubled on euery side, yet are we not without shift: [when] we are in pouertie, we are not vtterly without some thyng: [when] we suffer persecution, we are not forsakē therin: [when] we are cast down, yet we shall not perish: but to communicate with our swete Sauiour Christ in bearyng þ^e Crosse, it is appointed vnto vs, that euen with him also we shalbe glorified. For it is a true saying: Marginalia2. Tim. 2.If we be dead with him, we shall also lyue with hym: If we be patient, we shall also reigne with hym: If we deny hym, he shall also deny vs. Wherfore we be of good chere, Marginalia2. Cor. 4.alwayes bearyng about in our body the dying of the Lord Iesus, that the lyfe of Iesus might appeare also in our body: For we know that he which raysed vp the Lord Iesus, shall rayse vp vs also by the meanes of Iesus, and shall ioyne vs to hym selfe together with you. Wherfore we are not weryed: but though our outward man perishe, yet the inward man is renued day by day. For our tribulation, which is momentane and light, prepareth an excedyng and eternall weight of glory vn-

[Back to Top]

to vs, while we looke not on the thynges which are seene, but on the thynges which are not seene. For the thynges which are seene, are temporall: but the thynges which are not seene, are eternall.

We testifie vnto you, Reuerend Fathers, that we draw these waters with ioy out of the Welles of the Sauiour.MarginaliaEsay. 12. And I trust we shall continually with you blesse the Lord, and geue thākes to the Lord out of the welles of Israel:MarginaliaPsal. 48. we trust to be mery together at that great Supper of the Lambe, whose Spouse we are by Fayth, and therto syng that song of euerlastyng Haleluyah, Amen. Yea come Lorde Iesu. The grace of our Lord Iesu Christ be with you, Amen.

[Back to Top]

An other letter written to his wife, wherein is to be sene how this worthy Warriour prepared hym selfe to the appoynted fight, and to keepe hys standyng in Christes campe.

MarginaliaMaister Saunders letter to hys wife.

GRace and comfort in Christ Iesu our onely comfort, in all extreme assaultes, Amen.

Fayne would this flesh make straunge of that which the spirite doth embrace. Oh Lord, how loth is this loyteryng sluggard to passe forth in Gods path? It fātasieth forsoth much feare of fraybugges:  

and were it not for the force of Fayth, which pulleth it forward by the reyne of Gods most sweete promisses, & of hope which pricketh on behynde, great aduenture there were of fayntyng by the way. But blessed, & euerlastingly blessed be that heauenly father of ours, who in his Christ, our sufficiēt Sauiour, hath vouched safe so to shyne in our hartes, Marginalia2. Cor. 4.that he giueth vs þ^t light of þ^e knowledge of þ^e glory of God, in the face of Iesu Christ: & hauing this treasure in our earthen vessels, þ^t the excellency of þ^e power might be gods, & not ours, Marginalia2. Cor. 4.we are [accordyng to his good will] troubled on euery side, yet are we not without shift: we are in pouertie, but yet not without that is sufficient: we suffer persecution, but are not forsaken therein: we are cast down, neuertheles we perish not: we beare in the body the dying the Lord Iesus, that the lyfe of Iesus might also appeare in our body. Wherfore by the grace of our Christ we shall not be weryed, neither be dismayed by this our probation thorow the fyre of affliction, as though some straunge thing had happened vnto vs: but by his power we shall reioyce, in as much as we are partakers of Christes Passion, that when he doth appeare we may be mery and glad, knowyng that, Marginalia2. Cor. 4.our tribulation which is momentane and light, prepareth an exceding and an eternall weight of glory vnto vs, while we looke not on the thinges which are seene, but on the thynges which are not seene. MarginaliaPsal. 136.They that sow in teares, shall reape in ioye. For hee that goeth on hys way weeping, and scattering hys good seede, shall doubtles come agayne with ioye, and bryng hys whole sheaues with hym. Then, then shall the Lord wype away all teares from our eyes. Then, then shall be brought to passe that saying which is written: Marginalia1. Cor. 15.Death is swalowed vp in victory. Death where is thy styng? Hell where is thy victory? Yea, thankes bee to God which hath geuen vs the victory thorow our Lord Iesus Christ, Amen.

[Back to Top]

In the meane season it remaineth for vs to folow Saint Peters byddyng: Marginalia1. Pet. 4.Let them (sayth he) that are troubled accordyng to the will of God, committe theyr soules to hym with well doyng, as vnto a faythfull Creatour and Maker. He is our maker: we are his handiworke and creatures, whom now whē he hath made, he doth not leaue and forsake as the shypwright doth the shyp, leauyng it at all aduentures to be tossed in the tempest, but he comforteth vs his creatures, and MarginaliaActes. 17.in hym we lyue, moue, and haue our beyng: Yea not onely that, but now that he hath in his deare Christ repayred vs, beyng before vtterly decayed, and redemed vs, purgyng vs vnto him selfe as a peculiar people by the bloud of his sonne, he hath put on a most tēder good will, and fatherly affectiō toward vs, neuer to forget vs: MarginaliaGods promises firme and sure.vnto whom by such promisses hee hath plighted such fayth, that though it were possible that the mother could forget her infant, and not be tender harted to the childe of her wombe,MarginaliaEsay. 49. yet may not it be that his faithfull beleuers should be forgotten of him. He byddeth vs to cast our care on him, & sayth that assuredly he careth for vs.Marginalia1. Pet. 5. And what though for a seasō he doth suffer vs to be turmoyled in the troublous tēpestes of temptatiō, & semeth as in much anger to haue geuen vs ouer, and forgotten vs? let not vs for all that leaue of to put our trust in hym, but let vs with Godly Iob conclude in our selues and say: MarginaliaIob. 13.Euen though he kill me, yet will I put my trust in hym. MarginaliaTrust vpon Gods promise.Let vs with the blessed Abraham in hope, euen contrary to hope by belief leane vnto that our louyng Lord, who

[Back to Top]