Marginalia1555. October.by the true Apostolicall doctrine taught by the mouthes of the Apostles them selues. If ye wil know how long that was and how many hundreth of yeres, to be curious in poynting the precise nōber of yeres I will not be to bolde, but thus I say: so long and so many hundreth yeres as that Sea did truly teach and preach that gospel, that religion, exercised that power, and ordered euery thing by those lawes and rules which MarginaliaThe church receiued of the Apostles of Christ, Christ of god. Tertull.that Sea receiued of the Apostles, and (as Tertullian saith) the Apostles of Christ, and Christ of God: so long (I say) that Sea might well haue bene called Peter and Paules chaire and Sea, or rather Christes chaire, and the bishop therof Apostolicus, or a true disciple and successour of the Apostles, and a minister of Christ.

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But since the time that MarginaliaThe sea of Rome hath degenerated from the Apostles rules and hast set vp another religion.that Sea hath degenerated from the trade of truth and true religion the which it receiued of the Apostles at the beginning, and hath preached an other Gospell, hath set vp an other religion, hath exercised an other power,MarginaliaHath exercised an other power. and hath taken vpon it to order and rule the church of Christ by other straunge lawes,MarginaliaHath ordered straunge lawes. Cannons and rules then euer it receiued of the Apostles, or the Apostles of Christ, which things it doth at this day, and hath continued so doing (alas, alas) of too too long a time: since the time (I say) that the state and condition of that Sea hath thus bene chaunged, in truth it ought of duty and of right to haue the names chaunged both of the Sea and of the sitter therin. For vnderstand my Lords, it was neyther for the priuilege of the place or person therof, that that Sea and bishop therof were called Apostolike: but for the true trade of Christes Religion which was taught and maintained in that Sea at the first, and of those godly men.MarginaliaIf true doctrine make the sea apostolicke, then contrary doctrine maketh the sea to be antichrist. And therfore as truly and iustly as that Sea then, for that true trade of religion and consanguinity of doctrine with the religion & doctrine of Christes Apostles, was called Apostolike: so as truely and as iustly for the contrariety of religion, and diuersity of doctrine from Christ and his Apostles, that Sea and the bishop thereof, at this day both ought to be called, and are in dede antichristian.

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The Sea is the seat of Sathan, and the bishop of the same, that mainteineth the abominatiōs therof, is Antichrist himself in deede. And for þ^e same causes this Sea at this day is the same which S. Iohn calleth in his reuelatiō, MarginaliaApoc. 17.Babylon or the whore of Babylon, & spiritual Sodoma & Egyptus,MarginaliaApoc. 11. the mother of fornications and of the abominations vppon the earth. And with this whore doth spiritually medle and lyeth with her, and committeth most stinking and abominable adultry before God, all those kings and princes, yea and all nations of the earth which doe consent to her abominations, and vse or practise the same: MarginaliaKinges committing adultery with the whore of Babylon, what it meaneth.that is (of the innumerable multitude of them to reherse some for example sake) her dispensations, her pardons and pilgrimages, her inuocation of saintes, her worshipping of images, her false counterfait religion in her monkery and frerage, and her traditions whereby Gods lawes are defiled: as her massing and false ministring of Gods worde and the sacraments of Christ cleane contrary to Christes word and the Apostles doctrine, whereof in particularity I haue touched something before in my talke had with the Sea of London, and in other treatises more at large: wherin (if it shall please God to bring the same to light) it shall appeare I trust by Gods grace, plainly to the man of God, and to him whose rule in iudgement of religion is Gods word, that that religion, that rule and order, that doctrine and faith which this MarginaliaApoc. 17.whore of Babylon, & the Beast wherupon she doth sit, maintaineth at this day with all violence of fire and sworde, with spoile and banishment (according to Daniels prophecyMarginaliaDaniel. 7.) and finally with all falshed, deceit, hipocrisy, and all kind of vngodlines: are as cleane contrary to gods word as darknes is vnto light or light to darkenes, white to blacke or blacke to white, or as Beliall vnto Christ or Christ vnto Antichrist him self.

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MarginaliaHe speaketh to the lordes temporall.I know my Lords, and foresaw when I wrote this, that so many of you as should see this my wryting, not being before indued with the spirit of grace and the light of gods word, so many (I say) would at these my wordes lordlike stampe and spurne, and spit thereat. But sober  

your selues with pacience and be still, and know ye that in my wryting of this, my mind was none other, but in God (as the liuing God doth beare me witnes) both to doe you profit and pleasure. And otherwise, as for your displeasure, by that time this shal come to your knowledge, I trust by gods grace to be in the hands & protection of the almightye my heauenly father and the liuing Lord, which is (as S. Iohn saith) the greatest of al, and then I shall not neede (I trow)   to feare what any Lord, no nor what king or prince can do vnto me.

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My Lords, if in times past ye haue bene contented to heare me sometimes in matters of religion before the Prince in the pulpit, and in the Parlament house, and haue not seemed to haue despised what I haue sayd (when as els if ye had perceiued iust occasion, ye might then haue suspected in my talke, though it had bene reasonable, either desire of worldly gaine, or feare of displeasure) how hath then your Lordships more cause to harken to my worde and to heare me paciently, seing now ye cā not iustly thinke of me being in this case appointed to die, and loking daily when I shall be called to come before the eternall iudge, otherwise but that I only studye to serue my Lord God, and to say that thing which I am persuaded assuredly by gods word shall and doth please him, and profit all them to whom God shal geue grace to heare and beleue what I do say? And I do say euē that I haue said heretofore both of the Sea of Rome and of the bishop therof, I meane this their present state at this day. Wherin if ye will not beleue the ministers of God and true preachers of his word, verely I denounce vnto you in verbo domini, except ye do repent betime, it shall turne to your confusion, and to your smart on the latter day. Forget not what I say my Lords, for gods sake forget not, MarginaliaPsal. 4.but remember it vpō your bed. For I tell you moreouer, as I know I must be countable of this my talke and of my speaking thus, to the eternall iudge (who will iudge nothing amisse) so shall you be countable of your duety in hearing, and you shal be charged, if ye wil harken to gods word, for not obeying to the truth. Alas my Lords, how chaunceth this,

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that this matter is now a new againe to be persuaded vnto you? Who would haue thought of late, but your Lordships had bene persuaded in deede sufficiently, or that ye could euer haue agreed so vniformely with one consent to the abolishment of the vsurpation of the bishop of Rome? If that matter were then but a matter of policy wherin the Prince must be obeyed, how is it now made a matter, wherein (as your clergy sayth now, and so sayth the popes lawes in deede) standeth the vnity of the catholike church, and a matter of necessity of our saluation? Hath the time, being so shorte since the death of the two last kings, Henry the. viij. and Edwarde his sonne, altered the nature of the matter? If it haue not, but was of the same nature and daunger before God then as it is now, and be now (as it is sayd by the popes lawes, and the instructions set forth in English to the curates of the dioces of Yorke) in deede a matter of necessity to saluation: MarginaliaIf the vnity of the Popes church stand vpon necessitie of saluation: why did the lordes of this realme abiure this vnitie in K. Henry, and King Edwardes dayes? If it be otherwise, why then do they periure themselues turning to it againe?how then chaunced it that ye were all (O my Lords) so light, and so little passed vpon the catholicke fayth and the vnity thereof (without the which no man can be saued) as for your princes pleasures, which were but mortal men, to forsake the vnitye of your catholike faith, that is, to forsake Christ and hys holy gospell? And furthermore, if it were both then & now is so necessary to saluatiō, how chaūced it also that ye, al the whole body of the Parliament agreing with you, did not only abolish and expell the bishop of Rome, but also did abiure him in your owne parsons, and did decree in your actes great othes to be takē of both the spiritualty and temporalty, whoseuer should enter into any waighty and chargeable office in the common wealth? But on the other side, if the law and decree which maketh the supremacy of the Sea & bishop of Rome ouer þ^e vniuersal church of Christ, be a thing of necessity required vnto saluation by an Antichristian law (as it is in deede) & such instructions as are geuen to the dioces of Yorke, be in deede a setting forth of the power of that Beast of Babilon by the craft and falshode of hys false Prophets (as of truth, compared vnto gods word, and truely iudged by the same, it shall plainely appere that they be) then my Lordes neuer thynke other, but the day shall come whē MarginaliaIeremy 9.ye shall be charged with this your vndoing of that, þ^t once ye had wel done, & with this your periury and breach of your oth, whych oth was done in iudgement, iustice, and truth agreable to gods law. The whore of Babylon may wel for a time dally with you, and make you so dronken with the wine of her filthy stewes  

and whoredome (as wyth her dispensations and promises of pardō A pœna & culpa)   that for dronkēnes and blindnes ye may thynke your selues safe. But be ye assured, when the liuyng Lord shall try the matter by the fire and iudge it according to hys word, when all her abominations shall appeare what they be: then ye my Lordes, (I geue your Lordships warning in time) repent if ye be happy & loue your owne soules health, repēt I say, or els without all doubt, ye shall neuer escape the hāds of the liuyng Lord for the gilt of your periury and the breach of your oth. As ye haue banketted and laine by the Whore in the fornication of her whorish dispensations, pardons, idolatry, and such like abominations: so shall ye drinke wyth her (except ye repent betime) of the cuppe of the Lords indignation and euerlasting wrath, which is prepared for the Beast, hys false prophets, and all theyr partakers. For he that is partner with thē in their whoredome and abominations, must also be partner with them of theyr plagues, and on the latter day shall be throwne with them into the lake burning wyth brimstone and vnquenchable fire. Thus fare ye well my Lords all. I pray God geue you vnderstāding of hys blessed will and pleasure, and make you to beleue and embrace the truth, Amen.

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MarginaliaAn other farwel of B. Ridley to the prisoners &c.FArewell my dearely beloued brethren in Christ, both ye my fellow prisoners, and ye also that be exiled & banished out of your countreys because ye will rather forsake all worldly commoditye, then the gospell of Christ.

Farewell all ye together in Christ: farewel and be mery, for ye know that the triall of your fayth bringeth forth patience, and pacience shall make vs perfect, whole and sound on euery syde, & such after triall (ye know) shal receiue the crowne of life, according to þ^e promise of the Lord made to his dearely beloued: let vs therfore be pacient vnto the comming of the Lord. MarginaliaIacob. 5.As the husbandman abydeth paciently the former and latter raine for the encrease of hys croppe: so let vs be patient and plucke vp our hartes, for the comming of the Lord approcheth apace. Let vs (my dear brethrē) take example of patience in tribulation of the Prophets, whych spake likewise gods word truely in his name. Let Iob be to vs an example of patience, and the end which the Lord suffered, which is full of mercy and pity. Marginalia1. Peter. 1.We know my brethren by gods word, that our faith is much more precious then any corruptible gold, and yet that is tryed by the fire: euen so our fayth is therefore tried likewise in tribulations, that it may be found when the Lord shal appeare, laudable, gloryous, and honorable. Marginalia1. Peter. 8.For if we for Christes cause doe suffer, that is grateful before God, for thervnto are we called, that is our state and vocation, wherwyth let vs be content. Christ we know suffred for vs afflictiōs, leauing vs an exāple that we should folow his fotesteps, for he committed no sinne, nor was there any guile found in his mouth: when he was railed vpon, and all to reuiled, he rayled not againe: when he was euill intreated, he dyd not threaten, but committed the punishment therof to hym that iudgeth a ryght.

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Let vs euer haue in fresh remembrance those wonderfull comfortable sentences spoken by the mouth of our Sauiour Christ: MarginaliaMath. 5.Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake, for theyrs is the kingdome of heauen. Blessed are ye when men reuile you, persecute you, and speake all euill against you for my sake: re-

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