MarginaliaAn. 1555. Iune.all maner of riches (as sayth the Prophet.)
If Haukes is quoting a biblical verse here it is unclear which one he is quoting.
Therfore I am bold in bondes (as entierly desiryng your euerlastyng health and felicity) to warne you, and most hartely desire you to watch & pray: for your estate is daungerous, and requireth continuall prayer. MarginaliaThe hyer in dignity, the nearer to daunger.For on the hye moūtaines doth not grow most plenty of grasse, neither are the hyest trees farthest from daunger, but seldome sure, and alwayes shaken of euery winde that bloweth. Such a deceitfull thyng (sayth our Sauiour) is honour and riches, that without grace it choketh vp the good seede sowen on his creatures, and blindeth so their seyng, that they go gropyng at noone day in darknes: it maketh a man thincke him selfe somewhat, that is nothyng at all. For though for our honour we esteme our selues and stand in our owne light, yet when we shall stand before the liuyng God, there shalbe no respect of persons. Marginalia
Prouerb. 11.
Riches helpe not before God.For riches helpeth not in the day of vengeaūce: neither can we make the Lord partiall for money. But as ye haue ministred vnto the Saintes, so shal ye receiue the reward, which I am fully persuaded and assured shalbe plenteously poured vppon you all, for the great goodnes shewed vnto the seruaūtes of the lyuing God. And I most hartely besech almighty God to poure forth a plenteous reward vppon you for the same, and that he will assist you with his holy spirite in all your doynges, that ye may grow (as you haue begon) vnto such a perfection as may be to Gods honour, your owne saluatiō, and the strengthenyng of the weake members of Christ. MarginaliaGods elect alwayes beare the sclaūder in this world.For though the world rage, and blaspheme the elect people of God, ye know that it did so vnto Christ, his Apostles, and to all that were in the primatiue Church, and shalbe to the worldes end.
Therfore, beleue in the light, while ye haue it, lest it be taken away from you, if you shal seeme to neglect the great mercy of God that hath ben opened vnto you, and your hartes cōsented vnto it that it is the very and onely truth pronounced by Gods onely sonne Iesus Christ by the good will of our heauenly father. Therfore I say in the bowels of my Lord Iesus Christ, sticke fast vnto it: let it neuer departe out of your hartes and conuersatiō, that you with vs and we with you, at the great day beyng one flocke, as we haue one shepheard, may rise to the lyfe immortall, through Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour, Amen.
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Yours in hym that lyueth for euer
Thomas Haukes.
Here followeth an other letter of Thomas Haukes sent to his wyfe after hys condemnation, being prisoner in Newgate: the copy wherof is this.
This letter first appears in the 1563 edition. It is not reprinted in the Letters of the Martyrs, but it is reprinted in each subsequent edition of the Acts and Monuments.
MarginaliaA letter of Tho. Haukes vnto his wife.GRace be wyth you, and peace from God the father, and from our Lord Iesus Christ, which gaue hym selfe for our synnes, to delyuer vs from this present euyll world, through the good wyll of God our father, to whō be prayse for euer and euer, Amen.
My deare yokefellow in the Lord, for as much as the Lord hath not onely called me to worke in his vinyeard, but hath also fulfylled hys good worke in me (I trust to his glory, and to the comfort of al those that looke for his comming) I thought it my duty (deare yokefellow) to wryte vnto you some lessons out of Gods booke: and if you wyll direct your selfe thereafter, doubt not of it, but God, who refuseth none that wyll come to hym wyth their whole hart, will assist you with hys holy spirit, and direct you in all hys wayes, to hys honour and glory, who graunt it for his mercies sake, Amen.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaLessons or instructions to his wife.Fyrst I exhort you to feare God, to serue and honour hys holy name, to loue hym wyth al your hart, soule and mynde, to beleue faythfully all hys promises, to lay sure hold vpon them, that in all your troubles what so euer they are, ye may runne strayght to the great mercy of God, and he wyll bryng you forth of them. Keepe you wythin hys wynges: then shall ye be sure that neyther deuyll, flesh, nor hell shall be able to hurt you.
[Back to Top]But take heede: If ye wyll not keepe hys holy preceptes and lawes, and to the vttermost of your power, call for the helpe of God to walke in the same, but wyll leaue them and runne to all abominations with the wicked world, and do as they do, then bee sure to haue your part with the wicked world in the burning lake that neuer shall be quenched. Therefore MarginaliaHe exhorteth her to beware of Idolatry.beware of Idolatrye, which doth most of all styncke before the face of almighty God, and was of all good men most detested from the be
[Back to Top]ginning of the world. For the which, what kingdomes, nations and Realmes God hath punished wyth most terrible plages,MarginaliaIdolatry punished of God. with fire, brimstone, hunger, sweard, and pestilence. &c. to the vtter subuersion of them, it is manifestly to be seene through the whole Bible. Yea his own peculiar people, whom hee had done so much for, when they fell from hym, and went and serued other Gods, contrary to hys commaundement, he vtterly destroyed, and rooted them out from of the earth: and as many as dyed in that damnable state (not repenting their abominable euyll) he threw thē into þe pyt of hell. Againe, how he hath preserued those that abhorre superstition and Idolatry, and that haue onely taken hold vpon God wyth their whole hart, to serue him, to loue hym, to feare him &c. it is most manyfestly to be seene euē frō þe beginning, out of what great daungers he hath euer delyuered thē: yea, when all hope of deliueraunce was past as touching theyr expectation, euen then in the syght of all his enemies would he worke hys godly wyll and purpose, to the vtter amazing and destruction of all those that were hys manifest enemies.
[Back to Top]Further, MarginaliaExhortation to prayer.I exhort you in the bowels of Christ, that you wyll exercise and be stedfast in prayer: for prayer is the onely meane to pearce the heauens, to obtaine at the hand of God, what so euer we desyre, so that it bee asked in fayth. Oh what notable things do we reade in scriptures that hath bene obtayned through feruent prayer? We are commaunded to call vpon hym for helpe, ayde, & succour in necessities and troubles, and he hath promised to helpe vs. Agayne, they that wyll not call vpon hym wyth theyr whole hart, MarginaliaPraying to God and not to creatures.but vpon other dead creatures, in whom there is no helpe (for there was none founde worthy to open the booke, but onely the Lambe Christ which was kylled for our synnes)
The imagery in this passage is derived from Revalation 20: 12-15.
Further, where it hath pleased God to sende vs chyldren, my desyre is that they may bee brought vp in the feare of God, and in hys lawes. MarginaliaCare for his childrē.And this is to certifye you, that ye deliuer in anye wyse my eldest Sonne vnto MarginaliaHe meaneth M. Clement Throgmorton, who desired to haue the bringing vp of hys childe.Maister Throgmorton, who vpon hys good wyll hath promysed me to bring hym vp according to my desyre, and (I trust) as God hath put into hys hart. See therfore that ye delyuer hym in any wise, without delay: and as for the other, if ye shall seeme to bee burthened wyth hym (which I thinke nature wyll not suffer) my desire is that it be brought vp in the feare of God, to the vttermost of your endeuour, with some honest man that hath the feare of God before hys eyes, and let vs geue thanks vnto God which hath geuen them vs, beseeching hym that they may be coūted worthy to be of that flocke, that shall stand on the ryght hande of the Maiestye of God, when he shall iudge the world, Amen.
[Back to Top]Yet once again I warne you, that ye cōtinue in feruēt prayer, as I sayd before: then shall you be sure, that God euen of hys own mercy, according as he hath promised, wyll be an husband vnto you, and prouide better for you then I was euer able to do: yea, he wil cause al men that feare hym, to pitye you, to helpe you, succour you in all your necessities, so that if any wyl do you wrong, he wil be auenged on hym. Moreouer, I wysh you MarginaliaKeeping of good company.to kepe cōpanye with those, of whom ye may learne to come to a more perfect knowledge in God: and I doubt not but God wyl prouide that such wyll be glad to receiue you, if you shall professe and go forward in hys truth.
[Back to Top]Finallye and to make an ende, I desyre you that ye MarginaliaExhortation to take heede whome she marieth, and that she mary in the Lord.take heede wyth whom ye couple your self. See that he be a man that feareth God, loueth hys lawes, and wyll walke in the same to the vttermost of hys power: such a one as cā be content to loue you, & to care for you. Take heede he be no brawler, no dronkard, no wycked person, not geuē to filthynes, no worldling, no dicer nor carder:
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