MarginaliaAn. 1555. October.wrote, is the Gospell of Christ, or that Paules Epistles are the very word of God. And to haue a hart wylling to abyde & stande in Gods cause and in Christes quarell euen vnto death, I ensure thee (O man) it is an inestimable and an honourable gift of God, geuen onely to the true electes and dearely beloued children of God, and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen. For the holy Apostle, and also Martyr in Christes cause, S. Peter sayeth: Marginalia1. Peter. 4.If ye suffer rebuke in the name of CHRIST, that is, in Christes cause, and for hys truthes sake, then are ye happy and blessed, for the glory of the spirite of God resteth vpon you. If for rebukes sake suffered in Christes name, a man is pronounced by the mouth of that holy Apostle, blessed and happy: how much more happy and blessed is he that hath the grace to suffer death also?MarginaliaA blessed thing to suffer death for Christ. Wherefore, all ye that be my true louers and frendes, reioyce, and reioyce with me agayne, and render wyth me harty thanekes to God our heauenly father, that for his sonnes sake my Sauiour and redemer Christ, he hath vouchsafed to call me, being elles without his gracious goodnes, in my selfe but a sinnefull and a vile wretche, to call me (I say) vnto this highe dignitye of his true Prophettes, of his faythfull Apostles, and of his holy electe and chosen Martyrs, that is, to die and to spende this temporall life in the defence and maintenaunce of hys eternall and euerlasting truth.

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Ye know that be my Countreymē dwelling vpon the borders,  

where (alas) the true man suffreth oftentimes much wrong at the theeues hand, MarginaliaIf it be a poynt of a faithfull frēd to die wyth his frend vpō theues for worldly goods: how much more then to dye in Christes quarel vpō the enemies of his church?if it chaunce a man to be slaine of a theefe (as it oft chaunceth there) which went out with his neighbour to helpe him to rescue his goodes againe, that the more cruelly he be slaine, and the more stedfastly he stoocke by his neighbour in the fyght against the face of the theefe, the more fauour and frendship shall all his posterity haue for the slaine mans sake, of all them that be true, as long as the memory of his fact   and his posteritye doth endure: Euen so, ye that be my kinsefolke and coūtreymen, know ye (how soeuer the blind, ignoraunt, and wicked world hereafter shall raile vpon my death,   which thing they can not doe worse then theyr fathers did of the death of Christ our Sauior, of his holy prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs): know ye (I say) that both before God & all them that be godly, and that truely know and follow the lawes of God, ye haue and shall haue by gods grace, euer cause to reioyce, and to thanke God highly, and to thinke good of it, and in God to reioyce of me your flesh and bloud, whom God of his gracious goodnes hath vouchsafed to associate vnto the blessed company of his holy Martyrs in heauen: and I dout not in the infinite goodnes of my Lord God, nor in the faithfull felowship of his elect and chosen people, but at both theyr hands in my cause, ye shall rather find the more fauour & grace: For the Lord sayth, that he will be both to them and theirs that loue him, the more louing againe in a thousand generations: MarginaliaDeuter. 7.the Lord is so ful of mercy to them (I say) and theyrs which doe loue him in deede. And Christ sayth agayne, MarginaliaIohn. 15.that no man can shew more loue then to geue his life for his frend.Now also know ye, all my true louers in God, my kinsfolke and countreymen, that the cause wherefore I am put to death, is euen after the same sort and cōdition, but touching more nere gods cause and in more waighty matters, but in the general kind al one, for both is Gods cause, both is in the mainteinance of right, and both for the commō wealth, and both for the weale   also of the christian brother:MarginaliaTo die in any right, whatsoeuer it be, is to die in gods cause. although yet there is in these two no smal difference, both concerning the enemyes, the goods stolne, and the manner of the fight. For know ye all, that like as there, when the pore true man is robbed by the theefe of his owne goods truely gottē (where vpon he and his houshold should liue) he is greatly wronged and the theefe in stealing and robbing with violence the poore mans goods, doth offend God, doth transgresse his law, and is iniurious both to the pore man and to the commen wealth: so I say, know ye all that euen here in the cause of my death it is with the Church of England, I meane the congregation of the true chosen children of God in this realme of England, which I knowledge not only to be my neighbors, but rather the congregation of my spirituall brethren and sisters in Christ, yea members of one body, wherein by gods grace I am and haue bene grafted in Christ. MarginaliaTo die in the truth against theeues, and to die for the truth against Christes enemies, compared.This church of England had of late of the infinite goodnes and aboūdant grace of almighty God, great substāce, great riches of heauenly treasure, great plēty of gods true and sincere word, the true and wholesome adminstration of Christes holy Sacraments, the whole profession of Christes religion truely and plainely set forth in Baptisme, the plaine declaration and vnderstanding of the same taught in the holy Cathechisme to haue bene learned of all true Christians.

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MarginaliaTruth taught in the church of England.This church had also a true and sincere forme and manner of the Lordes supper, wherein according to Iesus Christes owne ordinaunce and holy institution, Christes commaundements were executed and done. For vpon the bread and wine set vpō the Lords table, MarginaliaTrue ministratiō of the Lordes supper.thankes were geuen, the commemoration of the Lords death was had, the bread in the remembrance of Christes body torne vpon the crosse, was broken, and the cuppe in remembraunce of Christes bloud shed, was distributed, and both communicated vnto al that were present and would receiue them, and also they were exhorted of the minister so to doe.

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All was done openly in the vulgare tongue, so that euery thing might be both easly heard and plainly vnderstand of all the people to gods high glory, and the edification of the whole church.MarginaliaSeruice in the vulgare tongue. Thys church had of late the whole diuine seruice, all common & publique prayers ordeined to be said and heard in the common congregation, not onely framed and fashioned to the true vaine of holy scripture, but also set forth according to the commaundement of the Lord and S. Paules doctrine for the peoples edification in theyr vulgare tongue.

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It had also holy and wholesome MarginaliaHomilies in the church of England.Homelies in commendation of the principall vertues which are commended in scrypture, and

likewise other Homelies against the most pernicious and capitall vices that vseth (alas) to raigne in this Realme of Englād. This Church had in matters of controuersie, MarginaliaArticles set forth for matters of controuersye.articles so penned and framed after the holy Scripture, and grounded vpon the true vnderstanding of gods word, that in short time, if they had bene vniuersally receiued, they should haue bene able to haue sette in Christes church, much concorde and vnitie in Christes true religion, and to haue expelled many false errours and heresies, wherewyth this church (alas) was almost ouergone.

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But (alas) of late into this spirituall possession of the heauenly tresure of these godly riches, are entred in theeues that haue robbed and spoiled all this heauenly treasure away. I may well complaine on these theues, and cry out vpon them wyth the Prophet, saying: Deus venerunt gentes in hæreditatem tuam. &c.  

Psalme. 72. O Lord God, the Gentiles, heathen nations are come into thy heritage: they haue defiled thy holy Temple, and made Ierusalem an heape of stones, that is: they haue broken and beate downe to the ground thy holy Citye. MarginaliaTheeues of Samaria in Christes church, Sabei, Chaldei.This hethenish generation, these theeues of Samaria, these Sabei and Caldei, these robbers haue rushed out of theyr dennes, MarginaliaRobbing of Christes church.and haue robbed the Church of England of all the foresayd holy treasure of God: they haue caryed it away and ouerthrowne it, and in the stede of Gods holy word, the true and right administration of Christes holy Sacraments, as of MarginaliaBaptisme mixt wyth mens fantasies.Baptisme and others, they mixt theyr mynistery with mens folysh fantasies, and many wicked and vngodly traditions withall.

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In the stede of the Lords holy table, they geue the people, with much solemne disguising, a thing which they call theyr Masse, but in deede and in truth it is a very masking and mockery of the true supper of the Lord, MarginaliaThe Lordes supper turned to the Masse.or rather I may call it a crafty iugling, whereby these false theeues and iuglers haue bewitched the mindes of the simple people, that they haue brought them from the true worship of God vnto pernicious Idolatry, and make them to beleue that to be Christ our Lord and Sauiour, which in deede is neither God nor man, nor hath any life in it selfe, but in substance is the creature of bread and wine, and in vse of the Lordes table is the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud: and for  

this holy vse, for the which the Lord hath ordained them in his table to represent vnto vs his blessed body torne vpon the crosse for vs, and his bloud there shed, it pleased him to call them his body and bloud, which vnderstanding Christ declareth to be his true meaning, when he sayeth: MarginaliaLuke. 22.Doe thys in the remembrance of me. And againe, S. Paule likewise doth set out the same more plainly, speaking of the same Sacrament after the wordes of the consecration, saying: Marginalia1. Cor. 11.As often as ye shall eat of this bread, and drinke of this Cuppe, ye shall set forth (he meaneth wyth the same) the Lordes death vntill his comming agayne. MarginaliaThe Lordes cuppe robbed.And here againe these theeues haue robbed also the people of the Lordes cuppe, contrary to the playne wordes of Christ, wrytten in hys gospell.

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Now, for the commen publique prayers which were in the vulgare tōgue, these theeues haue brought in againe a strange tongue, whereof the people vnderstand not one word.MarginaliaPrayers turned to an vnknowne tounge. Wherein what doe they elles, but robbe the people of theyr diuine seruice, wherein they ought to pray together with the minister: and to pray in a straunge tongue, what is it, but (as S. Paule calleth it) barbarousnes, childishnes, vnprofitable folly, yea and plaine madnes?

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For the godly articles of vnity in Religion, and for the wholesome Homelies, MarginaliaIn stead of Homelies the Popes decrees set vp.what doe these theeues place in the stede of them, but the Popes lawes and decrees, lying Legendes, fayned fables and myracles, to delude and abuse the simplicitie of the rude people. Thus this robbery and theft is not only committed, nay sacrilege and wicked spoile of heauenly things, but also in the stede of the same, is brought in and placed the abominable desolation of the tyrant Antiochus, of proud Senacherib, of the shameles faced king, and of the Babylonicall Beast. Vnto this robbery, this thefte and sacrilege, for that I cannot consent, nor (God willyng) neuer shall so long as the breath is in my body, because it is blasphemy against God,MarginaliaThe Popes doctrine containeth blasphemy to God, treason to Christ, is contrary to Gods word, is a subuersion of true godlines, & destruction of mans soule. high treason vnto Christ our heauenly King, Lord, master, and our only Sauiour and redemer, it is plaine contrary to Gods word and to Christes gospell, it is the subuersion of all true godlines, and agaynst the euerlastyng saluation of myne owne soule, and of all my brethren and sisters whom Christ my Sauiour hath so dearely bought with no lesse price then wyth the effusion and sheedyng forth of hys most precyous bloude: therefore, all ye be my true louers in God, my kynsefolke and Countreymen, for this cause (I say) know ye that I am put to death, which by Gods grace I shall willingly take, wyth harty thankes to God therefore, in certaine hope wythout any doubting, to receiue at Gods hand againe of his free mercy and grace, euerlasting life.

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Although the cause of the true man slayne of the theefe, helping hys neighbour to recouer hys goodes againe, and the cause wherefore I am to be put to death, in a generalitie is both one (as I sayd before) yet know ye that there is no small difference. MarginaliaComparison betwene Popish persecuters & strong theeues.These theeues against whom I do stand, are much worse then the robbers and theeues of the borders. The goodes which they steale, are much more precious, & theyr kinds of fight are farre diuers. These theues are worse (I say) for they are more cruel, more wicked, more false, more deceitfull and crafty: for those wil but kill the body, but these wil not sticke to kil both body and soule. Those for the generall theft and robbery, be called and are in dede theeues and robbers: but these for theyr spiritual kind of robbery are called Sacrilegi, as ye would say, church robbers. They are more wicked: for those goe about but to spoyle men of worldly thinges, worldly riches, golde and siluer, and worldly substaunce: these goe about in the wayes of the Deuill theyr ghostly  

father, to steale from the vniuersall Church, and perticularly from euery man, all heauenly treasure, true fayth, true charitye, and hope of saluation in the bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, yea to spoyle

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