1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 2047 
MarginaliaAn. 1555. December.any poynt of our religion to the Antichristiā Sinagoge, and that we be not ouerthrowen of these temptations. Stand therefore and be no cowards in the cause of your saluation: for his spirite that is in vs, is stronger then he which in the world doth now rage agaynst vs. Let vs not put out the spirite of God from vs, by whose myght we shall ouercome our enemyes, and then death shall be as a great a gaine to vs as it was to the blessed Apostle S. Paule. MarginaliaHe exhorteth to be ioyfull in affliction.Why then do yee mourne? why do yee weepe? why be ye so carefull, as though God had forsaken you? he is neuer more present wyth vs, then when we be in trouble, if we do dot forsake hym. We are in his handes, and no body can do vs any iniury or wronge without his good will and pleasure. He hath commaunded his Aungels to keepe vs, that wee stomble not at a stone wythout his diuine prouidence. The deuill cannot hurt any of vs, and much lesse any of his ministers, wythout the good will of our eternall father.
[Back to Top]Therefore let vs be of good comfort, and continually geue thākes vnto God for our estate, what soeuer it be: MarginaliaTo be patient and not to murmure in afflictions.for if we murmure against þe same, we murmure against God, who sendeth the same. Which if we do, we kycke but agaynst the pricke, and prouoke more the wrath of God agaynst vs: which by pacient suffring, otherwyse would soner be turned into our fauour through faythfull prayer.
[Back to Top]I besech you with S. Paule, to geue your bodies pure, & holy sacrifices vnto God. Hee hath geuen vs bodies to bestow vnto hys glory, and not after our owne concupiscence. If many yeares God hath suffred vs to vse our bodies, which be his temples, after the lust of the flesh, in vayne delyghtes, not according to hys glory: is it not our duety in the latter end of our lyfe, the more willingly to yeld vnto Gods glory our bodyes, wyth all that we haue, in demonstration of trew repentaunce of that wee haue euill spent before? Cannot the ensample of the blessed man Iob horribly afflicted, cause vs to say? MarginaliaIob. 1.the Lorde hath geuen it, the Lord hath taken it: blessed bee the name of the Lord. Euen as it hath pleased the Lord, so is it come to passe. If we cast our whole care likewise vppon God, hee will turne our mysery into felicitie, as well he did to Iob. God tempteth vs now, as hee did our father Abraham,MarginaliaGene. 22. commaundyng him to slay his sonne Isaac in sacrifice to him: which Isaac by interpretation doth signifieth mirth and ioy. Who by his obediēce preserued Isaac vnto long lyfe, and offered in his stede a Ramme that was tyed by the hornes in the brambles. MarginaliaHow to sacrifice our Isaac to God.Semblably we all are cōmaunded, to sacrifice vnto God our Isaac, which is our ioy and consolation: the which if we be ready to do, as Abraham was, our ioy shall not perish, but lyue and be encreased, although our Ramme be sacrificed for our Isaac: which doth signifie that the pride and concupiscence of our flesh entangled through sinne, with the cares of this stingyng world, must be mortified for the preseruation, and perfect augmentation of our myrth and ioy, which is sealed vp for vs in CHRIST.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaRemedyes agaynst the temptations of the deuill and the world.And to withstand these present temptations, wherewith all we are now encombred, ye can not haue a better remedy then to set before your eyes, how our Sauiour CHRIST ouercame them in þe desert, and to folow his ensample: that if the deuill him selfe, or any other by him, willeth you to make stones bread, that is, to take such a worldly wise way that ye may haue your fayre houses, landes, and goodes to lyue on still, ye must say, that man lyueth not onely by bread, but by euery word that procedeth out of the mouth of God.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaChristes tēptations mistically applied.Againe, if the deuil counsaileth you, to cast your selues downe to the earth, as to reuoke your sincere beliefe, and godly conuersation, and to be conformable to the learned men of the world, pretendyng that GOD wilbe well enough content therewith: ye must aunswere that it is written, that a man shall not tempt his Lord God.
[Back to Top]Further, if the deuill offer you large promises of honour, dignitie and possessions, so that ye will worshyp Idols in his Synagoge, ye must say: go behind me Sathan, for it is otherwise written, that a man must worshyp his Lord God and serue him onely.
Finally, if your mother, brother, sister, wife, childe, kynsman, or frend, do seeke of you, to do otherwayes thē the word of GOD hath taught you, ye must say with CHRIST that they are your mothers, brothers, sisters, wiues children and kynsmen, which do the will of God the father. To the which will the Lord for his mercy, cōforme vs all vnfaynedly to the end, Amen.
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Your louing and faithfull brother in Christ,
in captiuitie, Iohn Philpot. An. 1555.
CloseECL 260, fo. 64r-v is the original letter. The letter is undated but it was written after 24 October 1555 when Philpot was translated to Bonner's custody.
MarginaliaAn other letter of I. Philpot to Master Harrington his frend.GEntle M. Harrington, I can not tell what condigne
CloseSuitable, appropriate.
Me thinke I see you desiryng to be vnder the same. The flesh draweth backe, but the spirite sayth, it must be brought whether it would not.MarginaliaIohn. 21. Here is the victory of the world: here is true fayth and euerlastyng glory. Who is he which desireth not to be found faithfull to his master? And now is the tyme that euery faythfull seruant of CHRIST hath iust oportunitie to shew hym selfe a glorious souldiour in the Lordes sight. Now do the Amalachites inuade the true Israelites, that the Israelites might with spede be glorified. I neede not, for want of vnderstandyng, to admonish you hereof, but as a willyng souldiour in CHRIST, to exhort you so to runne as you may get the victory, and that spedely, with vs. A mā that is byd to a glorious feast, wisheth his frend to goe with him and to be partaker therof. God doth call me most vnworthy, among other, to drinke of the bridecup of his sonne, wherby we shalbe made worthy (as many of our brethren haue bene before vs) to sit at the right hand and at the left hand of CHRIST. O what vnspeakeable condition is that? may any worldly thing stay vs from the desire therof? Since we seeke the kyngdome of God, why do we not apprehend it beyng so neare offred vnto vs?
[Back to Top]Let vs approch nere vnto God, and God will draw nere vnto vs. God draw vs after hym, that we may all runne after the fauour of his sweete oyntmētes. CHRIST annoynt vs, that we may be suppled in these euill dayes, to runne lightly vnto the glory of the Lord. Shame, imprisonment, losse of goods, and shedyng of our bloud, be the iust price which we must willingly bestow for the same. Wherfore (dearely beloued in the Lord) let not the great charges kepe you backe from bying this glory: MarginaliaReward greater then the price.for the reward is ten thousand fold greater then the price.
[Back to Top]That you haue maryed a wife, whom God blesse, I can not excuse you from this Marte, MarginaliaGodly matrimony how to be vsed.but you must bryng your wife for a vsury
CloseA gift, an offering.
Commend me to M. Heath, and tell hym that I would wishe him with me, to proue how apt he is to cary the crosse of CHRIST. I pray for his continuance in CHRIST, as for myne owne. Commend me to his wyfe
ClosePhilpot wrote to Mrs Heath on 11 November 1555, urging her to remain constant in the faith (ECL 260, fos. 77r-78v).
CloseStrict.
This day I looke to be called before the Commissioners agayne. Pray (deare brother) for the spirite of wisedome to remayne with me. Commend me to your wife,
CloseLucy Harrington, who would die in Frankfurt in November 1555. Her husband, the recipient of this letter, appears to have been in London at this time.