1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1778 
CloseAs is usual with the martyrs' letters, scriptural references dominate. There are also glosses which contrast worldly and outer things with godly and inner things ('The glory of the Church standeth not in outward shewes'; 'If worldly men ieopard so much for earthly thinges, how much more ought we to ieopard for euerlasting thinges?' ). There are glosses relating to the binary between truth and falsehood ('True salte discerned from the corrupt and vnsauory salt'; 'True receauers of the word, who they be'). The paradoxical characterisation 'Death is a dore to lyfe' is also highlighted. A section concerned with the proper conditions for godly fasting is quite heavily annotated ('Praying and fasting'; 'True fast what it is'; 'How to fast without hipocrisie'; 'Abuse of fasting among Christians'; 'The Iewish maner of fasting reproued'; 'The Christians in superstitious fasting exceede the Iewes'). Most of the non-scriptural glosses simply note the basic topics under discussion, but there are some examples of Foxe drawing out some of the theological issues implicit in Marsh's letters, as with the soteriological 'Workes of mercy doe not merite with God touching our saluation, any thing' and the glossing of the term 'we' as the 'elect' in 'Straite is the way which the elect must walke in' (there is a reversal of this in 'The Church is euer forewarned before afflictions', in which the 'the Church' is substituted for the 'elect' in the text). Marsh's warning against strange doctrine is taken by Foxe (without direct textual warrant) as a reference to 'Doctrine of good workes'. There are many examples of disagreement between editions among the large number of scriptural references.
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CloseThis letter first appears in the 1570 edition and it was almost certainly sent to Foxe along with Marsh's account of his examinations by the earl of Derby. In fact, it was probably the cover letter for Marsh's account of his examinations.
MarginaliaA letter of G. Marsh to the reader.HEre haue ye dearly beloued frendes in Christ, the chiefe and principall articles of Christan doctryne briefely touched, which heretofore I haue both beleued, professed, and taught, and as yet do beleue, professe, and teach, and am surely purposed by Gods grace to continue in the same vntil the last day. I do want both tyme & opportunity to wryte out at large the probations, causes, partes, effectes, and contraries or errours of these articles, which who so desireth to know, let them read ouer the common places of the godly learned men, Philip Melancton, and Erasmus Sarcerius, whose iudgementes in these matters of religion I do chiefely follow and leane vnto. The Lord geue vs vnderstāding in all things, and deliuer vs from this present euill world, according to his wyll and pleasure, and bring vs againe out of this hell of affliction, into which it hath pleased the mercifull Lord to throw vs downe: and deliuer vs out of the mouth of the Lion and from all euill doyng, and kepe vs vnto his heauenly and euerlasting kingdome, Amen.
[Back to Top]Though Sathan be suffred, as wheate to sift vs for a tyme, yet faileth not our fayth through Christes ayde, but that we are at all tymes able and ready to confirme the fayth of our weake brethren, and alwayes ready to geue an answere to euery man that asketh vs a reason of the hope that is in vs,Marginalia1. Pet. 3. & that with mekenes & reuerence, hauing a good conscience, that when as they backebyte vs as euill doers, they may be ashamed, for as much as they haue falsely accused our good conuersatiō in Christ. I thought my selfe now of late yeares, for the cares of this lyfe well setteled with my louing and faythfull wife and children, and also well quieted in the peaseable possession of that pleasaunt Euphrates, I do confesse it: but the Lord who worketh all thinges for the best to thē that loue hym, would not there leaue me, but dyd take my deare and beloued wyfe from me: whose death was a painefull crosse to my flesh. Also I thought my selfe now of late well placed vnder my most louing and most gentell Maister, MarginaliaG. Marsh Curate to Laurence Saunders.L. Saunders in the Cure of Langhton. But the Lord of his great mercy would not suffer me there long to continue (although for the small tyme I was in his vinyard, I was not all an idle workman). But he hath prouided me (I perceaue it) to tast of a farre other cuppe, for by violence hath he yet once agayne dryuen me out of that gloryous Babylon, that I should not tast to much of her wanton pleasures, but wyth his most dearly beloued disciples to haue my inward reioicing in the crosse of hys sonne Iesus Christ: MarginaliaThe glory of the church standeth not in outward shewes.the glory of whose church I see it well, standeth not in the harmonious sound of Belles and Organes, nor yet in þe glistring of Mitors & Copes, neither in the shyning of gilte Images and lightes (as the blind Papistes do iudge it) but in continuall labours and dayly afflictions for hys name sake.
[Back to Top]God at this present here in England hath hys fanne in hys hand, and after hys great haruest, wherinto these yeares past he hath sent hys labourers, is now siftyng the corne from the chaffe & purging his floore, and ready to gather the wheat into hys garnar and to burne the chaffe with vnquenchable fire.
[Back to Top]Take heede and beware of the leuen of the Scribes & of the Saduces, I meane the erroneous doctrine of the Papistes, which with their gloses depraue the Scriptures. For as the Apostle S. Peter doth teach vs: There shalbe false teachers amongest vs, which priuely shall bryng in damnable, sectes: And sayth, that many shall folow their damnable wayes, by whom the way of truth shall be euill spoken of: and that through couetousnes they shall with fayned wordes make marchaundise of vs.
Close2 Peter 2: 1-3.
CloseSee Matthew 7: 15-18.
Close1 Thessalonians 5: 21.
CloseI John 4: 1.
CloseSee Acts 17: 11.
CloseMarsh's letter to his congregation at [Church] Langton, and his letter to his friends in Manchester, were both first printed in the Rerum and then subsequently in all editions of the Acts and Monuments, and in the Letters of the Martyrs as well. All of the other letters of Marsh were first printed in the 1570 edition of the Acts and Monuments and are not in the Letters of the Martyrs. They may very well have been sent to Foxe by the same person or persons (perhaps Robert Langley) who sent him Marsh's account of his examinations.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaA letter of G. Marsh to men of Langhton.GRace
CloseThis letter, from Marsh to his congregation at [Church] Langton, was first printed in the Rerum (pp. 432-7). This letter was reprinted in all editions of the Acts and Monuments and in the Letters of the Martyrs (pp. 664-72) as well.
I thought it my duty to write vnto you, my beloued in the Lorde at Langhton, to stirre vp your myndes, and to call to your remembraunce the woordes which haue bene told you before, and to exhort you (as that good man and full of the holy Ghost MarginaliaActes. 11.Barnabas did the Antiochians) that with purpose of hart ye continually cleaue vnto the Lord, and that ye stand fast, and be not moued away from the hope of the Gospel, wherof (God be thanked) ye haue had plentuous preachyng vnto you by your late pastor Maister Saunders,
CloseLaurence Saunders, the martyr.
Whether these, being that good MarginaliaMath. 5.salte of the earth, that is, true ministers of Gods word, by whose doctrine (being receaued thorow fayth) men are made sauory vnto God, and MarginaliaTrue salt discerned from the corrupt & vnsauery salt.which them selues lose not their saltnes, now when they be proued with the boysterous stormes of aduersitie and persecution: or others being that vnsauery salt which hath lost hys saltnes, that is to wit, those vngodly ministers, which doe fall from the worde of God vnto the dreames and traditions of Antichrist: whether of these, I say, be more to be credited and beleued, let all men iudge.
[Back to Top]Wherfore my dearely beloued, MarginaliaIames. 1.receiue the worde of God with mekenes that is graffed in you, which is able to saue your soules: And see that ye be not forgetfull hearers, deceiuyng your selues with Sophistry, but doers of the word, whō MarginaliaMath. 7.Christ doth liken to a wise man, which buildeth his house on a rocke, that when the great rayne descendeth, and the floudes come and beate vppon that house, it fall not, because it was grounded vpon a rocke: that is to witte, that whē Sathan, with all his legion of deuils with all their subtile suggestiōs, & the world with all the mighty Princes therof, whith their crafty coūsells do MarginaliaPsalme. 2.furiously rage against vs, we faint not, but abide constant in the truth, beyng grounded vpō a most sure rocke which is Christ, and the doctrine of the Gospell, agaynst which MarginaliaMath. 16.the gates of hell (that is, the power of Sathan) can not preuaile.
[Back to Top]And be ye folowers of Christ and the Apostles, and receiue the word in much affliction (as the godly Marginalia1. Theß. 1.Thessalonians did): for the true folowers of Christ and the Apostles, MarginaliaTrue receauers of the word who they be.be they which receiue the word of God. They onely receiue the word of God, which both beleue it, and also frame their liues after it, and be ready to suffer all maner of aduersitie for the name of the Lord, as Christ and all the Apostles did, and as Marginalia2. Timo. 3.all that will lyue godly in Christ Iesu must do: for there is none other way into the kyngdome of heauen, but MarginaliaActes. 14. Math. 5.through much tribulation. And if we suffer any thyng for the kyngdome of heauens sake, and for rightuousnes sake, we haue the Prophetes, Christ, the Apostles and Martyrs for an ensample to cōfort vs: for they did all enter into the kyngdome of heauen at the MarginaliaMath. 7.strait gate and narrow way that leadeth vnto lyfe, which fewe do fynd. MarginaliaMark. 8. MarginaliaMortification and bearing of the Crosse, necessary for all them that will raygne wyth Christ.And vnles we wyl be content to deny our owne selues, and take vp the crosse of Christ and follow him, we can not be his disciples. For if we deny to suffer with Christ and his Saintes, it is an euident argument, that we shall neuer reigne with him. And agayne, if we can fynde in our hartes patiently to suffer persecutions and tribulations, it is a sure token of the ryghteous iudgement of God, that we are counted worthy of the kyngdome of God, for the which we also suffer. Marginalia2. Thess. 1.It is verily (sayth the Apostle) a righteous thyng with
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