Marginalia1555. February.in the Scriptures of the foule dissension betwene Paul and Barnabe: of the fall of Peter, and of Dauids murther and adultery: why may or shoulde it not be as wel profitable for our posterity, to heare & know the falles of these godly Martyrs, MarginaliaThe falles and infirmities of holy Sainctes & Martyrs left for our consolatiō.whereby we may the lesse dispayre in our infirmitie, consideryng the same or greater infirmities to reigne in the holy Saintes of God, both Prophetes, Apostles, and Martyrs? And this by þ^e way, thou hast heard (good reader) hytherto the weakenes of these good mē, playnly and simply, as the truth was, declared vnto thee, to the ende their fall may minister occasion to vs, either of eschewyng þ^e like, or els to take hart and comfort in the like fall and frailnes of ours. Now agayne on the other part it remaineth to recorde after the foresayd discorde, MarginaliaNote how discord and reconciliation happeneth many times amongest good men.the godly reconciliations of these good mē in time of persecutiō, who afterward beyng in prison for the truthes sake, reconciled them selues agayne with most godly agreement, as appeareth by this letter sent by Byshop Ridley, to the sayd Byshop of Glocester. The copy wherof, as it was written with his own hand in Latin, hereafter foloweth, translated into Englishe.

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MarginaliaA letter of reconciliation sent by B. Ridley to Byshop Hooper.MY dearly beloued brother and fellowe Elder, whom I reuerence in the Lord, pardon me I beseech you, that hetherto since your captiuity and myne, I haue not saluted you by my letters: whereas (I do in deede confesse) I haue receiued from you (such was your gētlenes) two letters at sundry tymes: but yet at such tymes, as I coulde not be suffered to write vnto you agayne: or if I might, yet was I greatly in doubt, how my letters might safely come vnto your handes. But now my deare brother, forasmuch as I vnderstand by your workes, which I haue yet but superficially seene, that we thoroughly agree and wholy cōsent together in those things which are the groundes & substanciall points of our religion, against the which the world so furiously rageth, in these our dayes: how soeuer in tyme past in certayne bymatters & circumstances of religiō your wisedome & my simplicitie (I graunt) hath a litle iarred, ech of vs folowing the abundaunce of hys owne sense and iudgement: now (I say) be you assured that euen with my whole hart (God is my witnes) in the bowels of Christ, I loue you in truth and for the truthes sake, which abideth in vs, and (as I am perswaded) shall by the grace of God, abide with vs for euermore. And because the world, as I perceaue brother, ceaseth not to play his pageant, and busily cōspireth against Christ our Sauiour with al possible force and power, Marginalia1. Cor. 10.exalting high thynges agaynst the knovvledge of God: MarginaliaB. Ridley & Bishop Hooper ioyne hāds together.let vs ioyne handes together in Christ, and if we can not ouerthrow, yet to our power and asmuch as in vs lieth, let vs shake those high altitudes, not with carnall but with spirituall weapons: and withall brother, let vs prepare our selues to the day of our dissolution, by the which after the short tyme of this bodely affliction by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, we shall triumph together with hym in eternall glory.

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I pray you brother, salute in my name your reuerend fellow prisoner & venerable father D.C.  

by whom since the first day that I heard of his most godly and fatherly constancy in confessing the truth of the Gospell, I haue conceaued great consolation and ioy in the Lord. For the integrity and vprightnes of that man, his grauitie and innocency all England I thinke hath knowen long agoe. Blessed be God therfore, which in such aboundance of iniquity and decay of all godlines, hath geuen vnto vs in this reuerend olde age, such a witnes for the truth of his Gospell. Miserable and hard harted is hee, whom the godlines and constāt confessiō of so worthy, so graue, and innocent a man, will not moue to acknowledge and confesse the truth of God. I do not now brother require you to write any thing to me agayne: for I stand much in feare least your letters shoulde be intercepted before they can come to my handes. Neuertheles know you, MarginaliaB. Ridley reioyseth to heare of Byshop Hoopers constancy.that it shalbe to me great ioy to heare of your constancy and fortitude in the Lords quarel. And albeit I haue not hetherto written vnto you, yet haue I twise (as I could) sent vnto you my mind touching þ^e matter which in your letters you required to know. Neither can I yet brother be otherwise perswaded: I see me thinkes so many pe-

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rils whereby I am earnestly moued to counsell you not to hasten the publishing of your works, especially vnder the title of your owne name. For I feare greatly lest by this occasion both your mouth should be stopped hereafter, and all thinges taken away from the rest of the prisoners, whereby otherwise, if it so please God, they may be able to do good to many. Farewell in the Lorde my most deare brother: and if there be any moe in prison wyth you for Christes cause, I besech you as you may, salute them in my name. To whose prayers I do most humbly and hartely commende my selfe and my fellow prisoners & cōcaptiues in the Lord, and yet once againe, and for euer in Christ, my most deare brother, farewell.

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N. Rydley.

M. Hoper, after all these tumultes and vexations susteined about hys Inuestyng and Priestly vestures, at length entryng into his Dioces,  

dyd there employ his tyme which the Lord lent hym vnder kyng Edwardes reigne, with such diligence as may be a spectacle to all Bishops which shal euer hereafter succede him, not only in that place but in what soeuer Dioces through the whole Realme of England. MarginaliaThe diligent care of bishop Hooper in his dioces.So carefull was he in hys Cure, that he left neither paynes vntaken, nor wayes vnsought, how to trayne vppe the flocke of Christ in the true word of saluation, continually labouryng in the same. Other men commonly are wont for lucre or promotion sake to aspire to Byshoprikes, some hūtyng for them, and some purchasing or bying them as men vse to purchase Lordshyps, & whē they haue them, are loth to leaue them, and thereupon loth also to commit that thyng by worldly lawes, wherby to lose them.  

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To this sorte of men M. Hoper was cleane contrary, who abhorred nothing more then gayne, labouryng alwayes to saue and preserue the soules of his flocke. Who being MarginaliaM. Hooper Bishop of two Diocesses.Bishop of two Diocesses, so ruled and guided either of them and both together, as though he had in charge but one familie. No father in his household, no Gardiner in his garden, or husbandmā in his Vineyarde was more or better occupyed, then he in hys Dioces amongest his flocke, goyng all about hys Townes and Villages in teachyng and preachyng to the people there. That tyme that he had to spare frō preachyng, hee bestowed either in hearyng publicke causes, or els in hys priuate study, prayer, and visityng of Scholes. With his continuall doctrine, he adioyned due and discrete correction, not so much seuere to any, as to them which for abundaunce of riches and welthy state, thought they might do what they lysted. And doubtles hee spared no kynde of people, but was indifferent to all men, aswell rich as poore, to the great shame of no small number of mē now a dayes: Wherof many we see so addicted to the pleasing of great and rich men, that in the meane tyme they haue no regarde to the meaner sorte of poore people, whom Christ hath bought as dearely as the other.  

But now we will agayne returne our talke to M. Hoper: all whose life in fine was such, that MarginaliaM. Hooper a light to all Churchmen.to the Church and all Churchmen it might be a light and example, to the rest a perpetuall lesson and Sermon. Finally, how vertuous and good a Byshop he was, ye may conceyue, and know euidently by this: that euen as he was hated of none but of them which were euill, so yet the worste of them all coulde not reproue his lyfe in any one iote.

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I haue now declared his vsage & behauiour abroad in the publicke affayres of the Church: MarginaliaThe order and gouernance of M. Hoopers house.and certaynly there appeared in hym at home no lesse example of a worthy Prelates lyfe. For although he bestowed and conuerted the most part of hys care vpon the publicke flocke and congregation of Christ, for the which also he spent hys bloud: MarginaliaThe care of M. Hooper in instructing his family.yet neuertheles there lacked no prouision in him, to bring vp his own children in learnyng, and good maners: euen so much, that ye could not discerne whether he deserued more prayse for his fatherly vsage at home, or for his Byshoply doinges abroad. For euery where he kept one Religiō in one vniforme doctrine and integritie. So that if you entred into the

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