Marginalia1555. Aprill.ueth blessyng of God. But that ground that beareth thornes and brears, is reproued, and is nyghe vnto cursyng, whose end is to be burned.

Neuertheles deare frendes, we trust to see better of you, & thinges which accompany saluation, & that ye being that MarginaliaThe good ground. MarginaliaLuke. 8.good ground, watred wyth the moystnes of Gods word plenteously preached amongest you, wyll wyth a good hart heare the woord of God and kepe it, bringyng forth fruit with pacience. MarginaliaIames. 1.And be none of those forgetfull and hypocritish hearers, which although they heare the word, yet MarginaliaMath. 13.the Deuill commeth, and catcheth away that which was sowen in the hart: either hauing no roote in them selues, endure but a season, & as soone as tribulation or persecution aryseth because of the worde, by and by they are offended: either with the cares of this world and deceitfulnes of riches choke the worde, and so are vnfruitfull. Read the parable of the sower, and amonges other thinges note and marke, MarginaliaThe most part of the hearers of Gods word are but hypocrites.that the most part of the hearers of Gods word are but hypocrites, & heare the word without any fruite or profite, yea only to their greater condēnation: for only the fourth part of the seede doth bring forth fruite. Therfore let not vs that be Ministers, or professours, and folowers of Gods word, be discouraged, though that very fewe do geue credite, and follow the doctrine of the Gospell, and be saued.

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Whosoeuer therfore hath eares to heare, let him heare: for MarginaliaTo hym that hath, it shalbe geuen, and how?whosoeuer hath, to hym shall be geuen, and he shall haue aboundaunce: but who soeuer hath not, from him shall bee taken away euen that he hath: that is to say, they that haue a desyre of ryghteousnes and of the truth, shall bee more and more illuminated of God: on the contrary part, they that doe not couet after righteousnes and truth, are more hardened and blynded, though they seme vnto them selues most wyse. For God doth here follow an example of a louyng father, which when he seeth that fatherly loue and correction doth not helpe towards his children, vseth an other way. MarginaliaExample of Gods dealing with stubburne children.He ceaseth to be benificial vnto them, and to minister vnto thē fatherly correction: he geueth them ouer vnto them selues, suffering them to lyue as they lust them selues.

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But we trust to see better of you (my dearely beloued) and that ye lyke very MarginaliaHeb. 6. Math. 8.Gadarenites, for feare to lose your worldly substance or other delites of this lyfe, wyll not banish away Christ and his Gospell from amongest you: but that ye with all diligence of minde wil receiue the word of God, taught you by MarginaliaActes. 14.such ministers, as now when persecution ariseth because of the word, Marginalia2. Tim. 1.are not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Iesus, but are content to suffer aduersity with the Gospell, Marginalia2. Timo. 2.and therein to suffer trouble as euyll doers, euen vnto bondes. And if ye refuse thus to do, MarginaliaActes. 18.your own bloud wyll be vpon your own heads. And as ye haue had plēteous preaching of þ^e Gospell, more then other haue had: MarginaliaThe more preaching with lesse following, draweth greater vengaunce at Gods hand.so shall ye be sure if ye repent not, and bring forth fruites worthy of repentaunce, to be sorer plaged, and to receiue greater vengeaunce at Gods hand, then others, and the kyngdome of God shall be taken from you, and be geuen to an other nation, which will bryng forth the fruites thereof.

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Wherefore my dearely beloued in Christ, take good heede to your selues, and ponder well in your myndes, howe fearefull and horrible a thing it is to fall into the handes of Marginalia2. Cor. 6.the lyuing God. And see that ye receaue not the woorde of God in vayne, but continually labour in fayth, & MarginaliaIam. 2. Gala. 5. Tit. 2.declare your fayth by your good workes, which are infallible witnesses of the true iustifying faith, which is neuer idle, but worketh by charity. And see that ye cōtinually geue your selues vnto al maner of good works: amongest the which, the chiefest are MarginaliaRom. 13.to bee obedient to the Magistrates, syth they are the ordinaunce of God, whether they be good or euyll, vnles they commaunde Idolatry and vngodlynes, that is to say, thinges contrary vnto true religion. For then ought we to say with Peter: MarginaliaActes. 5.VVe ought more to obey God then man. But in any wyse we must beware of tumult, insurrection, rebellion, or resistaunce.

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MarginaliaEphe. 6.The weapon of a Christian in this matter, ought to be the sword of the spirite, which is Gods word & praier, coupled with humility & due submissiō, & with readines of hart, rather to dye then to do any vngodlynes. Christ also doth teach vs, MarginaliaIohn. 19.that all power is of God, yea, euen the power of the wicked, which MarginaliaIob. 34.God causeth often times to raigne for our sinnes, and disobedience towardes him and hys word. MarginaliaRom. 14.Whosoeuer then doth resyst any power, doth resist the ordinaunce of God, and so purchase to him selfe vtter destruction and vndoing.

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We must also by all meanes, be promoters of vnitye,

peace and concord. Marginalia1. Pet. 2.We must honour & reuerence Princes, and all that bee in authoritye, and pray for them, and be diligent to set forth their profit and commodity.

Secondly, MarginaliaEphe. 6. 1. Timo. 5.we must obey our Parentes, or them that be in their roumes, and bee carefull for our housholdes, that they be prouided for and fed, not only wyth bodely foode, but much rather with spirituall food, which is the word of God.

Thirdly, we must serue our neighbours by al meanes we can, remembring well the saying of Christ: MarginaliaMath. 7. Marginalia1. Tim. 2.Whatsoeuer ye would that men should do vnto you, do ye likewise vnto them, for this is the law and the Prophetes.

Fourthly, we must diligently exercise the necessary worke of MarginaliaPraying for all estates.prayer for all estates: knowyng that God therfore hath so much commaunded it, and hath made so great promyses vnto it, and doth so well accept it. After these workes we must learne to knowe the crosse, & MarginaliaMath. 5. MarginaliaForbearing our aduersaryes.what affection and mynde we must beare towards our aduersaries and enemies, whatsoeuer they be, to suffer all aduersities and euils paciently,MarginaliaPatience in suffring aduersity and trouble. to pray for them that hurt, persecute, and trouble vs: and by thus vsing our selues, we shall obtayne an hope and certainty of our vocation, that we be the elect children of God.

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Marginalia2. Pet. 1.And thus, I commend you brethren vnto God, and to the word of hys grace, which is able to build further, and MarginaliaActes. 20.geue you an enheritaunce among all them, which are sanctified: beseching you to helpe M. Saunders  

and me your late Pastors,MarginaliaThis letter was written the yeare before, in the moneth of Iune. and all them that bee in bondes for the Gospels sake, with your prayers to God for vs, that MarginaliaRom. 15.we may be deliuered from all them that beleue not, and from vnreasonable and froward men, and that MarginaliaColoß. 4.this our imprisonment and affliction may bee to the glory and profite of our Christian brethren in the world, and that MarginaliaPhilip 1.Christ may be magnified in our bodyes, whether it be by death or by life, Amen.

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Salute frō me all the faithfull brethren: and because I write not seuerall letters to thē, let them eyther read or heare these my letters. The grace of our Lorde bee wyth you al, Amē. The 28. of Iune,  

by þ^e vnprofitable seruaunt of Iesus Christ, & now also his prisoner, George Marsh.

MarginaliaActes. 2.
Saue your selues from thys vntoward generation. Pray,
pray, pray. Neuer more nede.

MarginaliaAn other godly letter of G. Marsh to them of Manchester.GRace be with you, and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord Iesus Christ, Amen.

After salutations in Christ to you, wyth thankes for your frendly remembraunces of me, desyring and wishing vnto you, not only in my letters, but also in my daily prayers, such consolation in spirite, and taste of heauenly treasures, that ye may thereby continually worke in fayth, labour in loue, perseuer in hope, and bee pacient in all your tribulations and persecutions, euen vnto the end and glorious comming of Christ:MarginaliaColoß. 2. Phil. 2. 1. Pet. 3. these shall bee earnestly to exhort and besech you in Christ, as ye haue receaued the Lord Iesus, euen so to walke, rooted in him, and MarginaliaMath. 10. Luke. 11. MarginaliaAduersaries not to be feared.not to bee afraide of any terrour of your aduersaries, be they neuer so many and mighty, and you on the other syde neuer so fewe and weake: for the battayle is the Lordes. And as in tymes past, God was with Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Dauid the Machabes and other, and fought for them, and deliuered all their enemies into their handes, MarginaliaGods helpe alwayes ready with hys seruauntes.euen so hath he promised to bee with vs also, vnto the worldes ende, & so to assist, strengthen, and helpe vs, that no man shall be able to withstād vs. MarginaliaIosua. 2.For as I was with Moses, so wyll I be with thee (saith God) and wyll neuer leaue thee nor forsake thee. Be strong and bold: neither feare nor dread: for the Lord thy God is wyth thee, whether soeuer thou goest. Now: MarginaliaRom. 8.If God bee on our side, who can bee agaynst vs?

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In thys our spirituall warfare, is no man ouercome, vnles MarginaliaSpirituall cowardlynes.he trayterously leaue and forsake hys captayne, eyther cowardly cast away hys weapons, or willingly yelde hymselfe to hys enemyes, eyther fearfully turne his backe and flye. Be strong therefore in the Lord (deare brethren) and in the power of hys myght, and put on all the MarginaliaEphe. 6.armour of God, that ye may be able to stand stedfast agaynst the Marginalia2. Cor. 11. 12. Actes. 21.crafty assaultes of the deuill.

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Now, what weapons ye must fight withall, learne of Saint Paul, a champion both much exercised, and also most valiaunt and inuincible. For we must thinke none other, but that MarginaliaA Christian mans life, is a perpetuall warfare.the life of man is a perpetuall warfare vpon earth, as the examples of all godly men, through-

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