Marginalia1555. October.vs of our Sauyour Christ, of his gospell, of his heauenly spirite, and of the heauenly heritage of the kingdome of heauen so dearely purchased vnto vs wyth the death of our Maister and Sauyour Christ. These be the goodes and godly substance whereupon the Christian before God must liue, and without the which he can not lyue: these goodes (I say) these theues, these church robbers, goe about to spoyle vs of. The which goodes, as to the man of God they excell and farre passe all worldly treasure: so to wythstande euen vnto the death, such theues as goe about to spoyle both vs and the whole church of such goodes, is most high and honourable seruice done vnto God.

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These churchrobbers be also much more false, crafty, and deceitfull, then the theues vpon the borders: for these haue not the craft so to commend theyr theft that they dare auouch  

it, and therefore as acknowledging themselues to be euyll, they steale commonly vpon the nyght, they dare not appeare at iudgements and sessions where iustice is executed, and when they are taken and brought thether, they neuer hang any man, but they be ofte times hanged for theyr faultes: MarginaliaPopish persecuters wh? they are false theues, yet wil they be called true catholickes.But these Church robbers can so cloke and coloure theyr spirituall robbery, that they can make the people to beleue falshed to be truth, and truth falshed, good to be euell, and euell good, light to be darknes, and darknes light, superstition to be true religion, and idolatry to be the true worshyp of God, and that which is in substance the creature of bread & wine, to be none other substance but only the substance of Christ the liuing Lord both God and man. And with this theyr falshed and craft, they can so iuggle and bewitch the vnderstandyng of the simple, that they dare auouch it openly in court and in towne, and feare neyther hanging nor heading, as the pore theues of the borders doe, but stout and strong like Nembroth,   dare condemne to be burned in flaming fire quicke and aliue, whosoeuer will goe about to bewray theyr falshed.

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MarginaliaThe fight with spiritual theues, is worse then with t?porall theues.The kind of fight agaynst these Church robbers, is also of an other sort and kind, then is that which is against the theues of the borders. For there the true m? go forth agaynst them with speare and lauce, with bow and bill, and all such kind of bodely weapons as the true men haue: but here as the enemyes be of an other nature, so the watchmen of Christes flocke, the warriors that fight in the Lordes warre, must be armed and fight with an other kind of weapons and armour. For here the enemies of God, the souldiours of Antichrist, although the battell is setforth agaynst the church by mortall m? being flesh and bloud, and neuertheles members of theyr father the Deuill: yet for that theyr graund master is the power of darknes, theyr members are spirituall wickednes, wicked spirites, spirites of errours, of heresies, of all deceite and vngodlines, spirites of idolatry, superstition and hipocrisye, which are called of S. Paule MarginaliaEphe. 6.Principates and powers, Lordes of the world, rulers of the darknes of this world, and spirituall subtelties concerning heauenly things, and therfore our weapons must be fit and mete to fight against such, not carnall nor bodely weapons as speare and la?ce, but spiritual and heauenly: we must fight against such with the armour of God, not ent?ding to kill their bodyes, but theyr errours, theyr false craft and heresies, theyr idolatry, superstition and hipocrisy, and to saue (as much as lieth in vs) both theyr bodyes and soules,

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And therefore, as S. Paule teacheth vs, MarginaliaEphe. 6.we fight not against flesh and bloud, that is, we fight not with bodely weapon to kill the man, but with the weapons of God, to put to flight his wicked errours and vice: and to saue both body and soule. MarginaliaThe weap?s of a christian warryour.Our weapones therfore are fayth, hope, charity, righteousnes, truth, patience, prayer vnto God, and our sword wherwith we smite our enemyes, we beate and batter and beare downe all falshed, is the worde of God. With these weapons, vnder the banner of the crosse of Christ we do fight, euer hauing our eye vpon our graund Maister, Duke and captaine Christ, and then we recken our selues to tryumph, and to winne the crowne of euerlasting blisse, when enduryng in in this battaile without any shrinking or yelding to the enemyes, after the example of our graund capitaine Christ our Maister, after the example of his holy Prophets, Apostles and Martyrs, when (I say) we are slaine in our mortal bodyes, of our enemyes, and are most cruelly and without all mercy murdered downe like a meany  

of shepe. And the more cruell, the more painefull, the more vile and spitefull is the kind of the death wherunto we be put: the more gloryous in God, the more blessed and happy we recken, (without all doubts) our Martyrdome to be.

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And thus much deare louers and frends in God, my countreymen and kinsfolke, I haue spoken for your comfort, lest of my death (of whose life you loked peraduenture sometimes to haue had honesty, pleasures, and commodities)  

ye might be abashed or thinke any euill: whereas ye haue rather cause to reioyse (if ye loue me in deede) for that it hath pleased God to call me to a greater honour and dignity, then euer I did enioy before either in Rochester or in the Sea of London, or euer should haue had in the Sea of Durham,MarginaliaD. Ridley named to the sea of Durh?. whereunto I was last of all elected and named:   yea I count it greater honour before God in deede to die in hys cause (whereof I nothing doubt) then is any earthly or temporall promotion or honour that can be geuen to a man in this worlde. And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Gods, to be Christes quarell and of his gospell, to be the common weale of all the electe and chosen children of God,MarginaliaThe cause of martyrs is the common cause of Christ, and of all his elect sainctes. of all the inheritours of the kingdome of heauen, who is he (I say) that knoweth this assuredly by Gods word, and the testimony of his owne conscience (as I through the infinite goodnes of God, not of my selfe, but by his grace, acknowledge my selfe to doe) who is he (I say) that knoweth this & both loueth and feareth God in dede and in truth, loueth and beleueth his Master Christ and his blessed gospell, loueth his brotherhode the chosen children of God, and also lusteth and longeth for euerlasting life, who is he (I say againe) that would not or can not finde

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in his hart in this cause to be content to die?MarginaliaLet no man shrinke to die in such a blessed and common quarell. The Lord forbid that any such should be that should forsake this grace of God. I trust in my Lord God, the God of mercyes and the father of all comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord, that he which hath put this minde, wil and affection by his holy spirite in my hart to stand against the face of the enemy in his cause, and to chuse rather the losse of all my worldly substaunce, yea and of my life too, then to deny his knowne truth, that he wil comfort me, ayde me, & strengthen me euermore euen vnto the ende, and to the yelding vp of my spirite and soule into his holy hands: wherof I most hartely besech his most holy sacred Maiesty of his infinite goodnes and mercy, through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

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MarginaliaTo his frends in Cambridge.Now that I haue taken my leaue of my countreymen and kinsfolke, and the Lord doth lend me life and geueth me leysure, I will bid my other good friendes in God of other places also, farewell. And whom first or before other, then the vniuersitye of Cambridge, wheras I haue dwelt longer, found more faithful and harty frendes, receiued more benefits (the benefites of my natural parentes only excepted) then euer I did euen in mine owne natiue countrey  

wherein I was borne.

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Farewell therefore Cambridge my louing mother and tender nurse. If I should not acknowledge thy manyfold benefites,MarginaliaBenefits shewed to D. Ridley in Cambridge. yea if I should not for thy benefits at the least loue thee againe, truely I were to be counted vngrate and vnkind. What benefites hadst thou euer, that thou vsest to geue and bestow vpon thy best beloued children, that thou thoughtest to good for me? Thou diddest bestow on me all thy Schole degrees: of thy common offyces, the Chaplainship of the Vniuersitye, the office of the Proctorshyp, and of a common reader, and of thy priuate commodities and emoluments in colledges, what was it that thou madest me not partner of? First to be Scholer, then Fellow, and after my departure from thee, thou calledst me againe to a Mastership of a right worshipfull colledge. I thanke thee my louing mother for all thys thy kindnes, and I pray God that his lawes and the sincere gospell of Christ, may euer be truly taught and faithfully learned in thee.

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MarginaliaPembroke hall in Cambridge.Farewell Pembroke hall, of late mine owne Colledge, my cure and my charge: what case thou art in now God knoweth, I know not well. Thou wast euer named sithens  

I knewe thee (which is now a. xxx. yeares agoe) to be studious, well learned, and a great setter forth of Christes gospell, and of gods true word:MarginaliaCommendation of Pembroke hal to be a setter forth euer of the gospell. so I found thee, and blessed be God, so I left thee in deede. Wo is me for thee mine owne deare Colledge, if euer thou suffer thy selfe by any meanes to be brought from that trade. In thy Orchard (the wals, buttes,   and trees, if they could speake, would beare me witnes) I learned without booke almost all Paules Eipstles, yea and I weene all the Canonicall Epistles saue only the Apocalipse.MarginaliaD. Ridley learned the Epistles of S. Paul and Peter without boke in P?broke hal. Of which study, although in time a great part did depart from me, yet the sweete smell thereof I trust I shall cary with me into heauen: for the profite thereof I thinke I haue felt in all my life tyme euer after, and I weene   of late (whether they abide there now or no I can not tell) there was, that did the like. The Lord graunt that this zeale and loue toward that part of gods word, which is a kay and a true commentary to all holy scripture, may euer abide in that Colledge so long as the world shall endure.

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MarginaliaD. Ridley called into Kent by Archb. Cranmer.From Cambridge I was called into Kent by the Archbishop of Caunterbury Thomas Cranmer, that most reuerende father and man of God, and of him by and by sent to be Vicar of Herne in East Kent.MarginaliaTo the parish of Herne in Kent. Wherefore farewell Herne thou worshipfull and wealthy parish, the first cure wherunto I was called to minister Gods word. Thou hast heard of my mouth oft times the worde of God preached, not after the popish trade, but after Christes gospel: Oh that the fruite had aunswered to the seede. And yet I must knowledge me to be thy dettour for the doctrine of the Lordes supper, which at that time I acknowledge God had not reueled vnto me:  

but I blesse God in all that godly vertue and zeale of Gods word, which the Lord by preaching of his worde did kindle manifestly both in the hart and in the life & workes of that godly woman there my MarginaliaThe godly Lady Phines in Herne parishe.Lady Phines: the Lord graunt that his word tooke like effect there in many other moe.

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MarginaliaTo the metropolitike Sea of Canterbury.Farewell thou Cathedrall church of Caunterbury, the Metropolitike sea,  

whereof once I was a member. To speake things pleasant vnto thee, I dare not for da?ger of conscience and displeasure of my Lord God, and to say what lieth in my hart, were now to much, and I feare were able to do thee now but little good. Neuertheles, for the frendship I haue found in some there, and for charity sake, I wish thee to be washed cleane of all worldlines and vngodlines, that thou maist be found of God after thy name, Christes church in dede and in truth.  

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MarginaliaTo the Sea of Rochester.Farewell Rochester, sometime my Cathedrall Sea, in whom (to say the truth) I did find much gentlenes and obedience, and I trust thou wilt not say the contrary but I did vse it to gods glory, and thine owne profite in God. Oh that thou haddest and myghtest haue continued and gone foreward in the trade of gods law wherin I did leaue thee: then thy charge and burden should not haue bene so terrible and dangerous, as I suppose verely it is like to be (alas) on the latter day.

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MarginaliaTo Westminster.To Westminster,  

other aduertisement in God I haue not now to say, then I haue sayd before to the Cathedrall church of Caunterburye: and so God geue thee of his grace that thou mayst learne in deede and in truth to please him after his owne lawes. And thus fare you well.

MarginaliaTo the Sea of London.Oh London, London, to whom now may I speake in thee, or whom shall I bid farewel? Shal I speake to the Prebendaries of Paules? Alas, all that loued gods word, and were true setters forth thereof, are nowe (as I heare say) some burnt and slaine, some exiled and banyshed, and some holden in hard prison, and appoynted daily to be put to most cruell death for Christes gospell sake.  

As for the rest of them, I know they could neuer brooke me well, nor I could neuer delight in them.

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