Marginalia1555. Decemb.MarginaliaAnother letter of Master Philpot to þ^e same Lady.THe mercy of God the father, and the consolation of the holy ghost through IESVS CHRIST, be with you and strength you my deare mother and sister in the Lord in these daungerous daies, to the crowne of eternal glorye which is now offered to all faythfull souldiers in the Gospell, Amen.

[Back to Top]

As your good Ladyship doth desire to heare from me, so am I desirous to wryte, as your gentlenes and dayly goodnes byndeth me. But Satan of late hath letted me, who enuying all good exercises which I haue had and receyued by myne easy imprisonment in times past, hath brought me out of the Kinges Bench into the Bishop of Londons Colehouse a darke & a vglie prison as any is about London (but my darke body of sinne hath well deserued the same, & the Lord now hath brought me into outward darkenes that I might the more bee lightened by him, as he is most present with his childrē in þ^e midst of darknes) where I cannot be suffred to haue any candle light, neyther inke, nor paper, but by stealth. Wherfore I can not wryte to you as I would, neyther as my duty is. As CHRIST my Master was sent from Annas to Caiphas, so am I sent frō Winchester dioces to Lōdon. I trust to make a spedy ende of my course: God geue me grace and pacience to be a faithful folower of my master. I haue ben already this seuennight in this Colehouse, and haue of late bene foure tymes called to myne aunswere, but hitherto not called to iudgement, which I do dayly loke for, but I feare they will prolong me and trye mee by strait  

imprisonment a whyle, in the which Gods will be done.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaExperiēce of Christ comforting his saintes in their persecutiō.Pray (deare Lady) that my fayth faynt not, which I prayse God is presently more liuely with me then it hath bene in tymes past. I tast and feele the faythfulnes of God in his promise, who hath promised to be with his in their trouble and to deliuer thē. I thanke the Lord, I am not alone but haue sixe other faithfull companions: who in our darkenes do chearefull sing hymmes and praises vnto God for his great goodnes. We are so ioyfull that I wish you part of my ioy. For you that are so carefull of my bodily reliefe, how can I but wish you spirituall consolation & that aboundantly? Let not, deare hart, my strait imprisonment any thing molest you: for it hath added and dayly doth, vnto my ioy: but rather be glad and thankfull vnto God with me, that it hath pleased him to make me most wretched sinner, worthy to suffer any thing for his sake. Hitherto we haue not resisted vnto bloud. God make vs neuer to count our bloud more precious in our eyes then his truth.

[Back to Top]

Ah my deare sister, I thanke you agayne for your last letter you sent me: it is a singular comfort vnto me as oft as I read þ^e same. I haue it in my bosome & wil cary the same euen to the stake with me in witnes that CHRIST hath so constant and faythfull a Lady in England. God succour and kepe that spirit in you, for it is the very spirite of adoption of the chyld of God. Such chearfull and holy spirites vnder the crosse be acceptable sacrifices in the sight of God: for CHRIST came to cast fyer into the earth and loketh that it should be kindled. Be you feruent in spirit in our CHRISTES cause as you haue begon, for that is the principall spirit wherewithall Dauid desyred to be confirmed. O how I do reioise your Ladyship to go arme in arme with me vnto CHRIST, or rather before me. I can not but ioy of such a worshipfull felowe. Me thinketh I see you to mourne & desyre to be loosed out of the earthly and frayle habitacle  

of this body. O how amiable and pleasaunt is it to dwell in the Lords tabernacle? Our CHRIST and his heauenly company looke for vs: let vs hast and runne therto, for behold the Lord is ready to embrace vs. Myne own bowels in the Lord, be mery in þ^e lord with your afflicted brother, who dayly offreth your mercifull almes, which most vnworthely I do receiue still of you, vnto the Lord.   But nowe deare mother, you nede not to burden so much your self, (as my last letters did signify) for that my chargable imprisonment is cut of, and a little now serueth me:   wherefore I pray you send no more vntill I send to you, for I haue sufficient and abound. Gods peace be wyth you for euer. Out of my Lorde of Londons Colehouse the last of October.

[Back to Top]

Your owne Iohn Philpot.

MarginaliaAn other letter of Master Philpot.I Cānot but ioy with you, my harty beloued in CHRIST, of the fall of Senacherib,  

MarginaliaBy this Senacharib, hee meaneth the death of the Bishop of Winchester. since it is to the glory of God, and to the consolation of his church, to see the fal of their enemies before their face, according as it is written: The iust shall reioyce when he seeth the vengeaunce of the wicked. God make this your ioy perfite: for as concerning my selfe, I count not to see those good daies whereof you haue a glimmering, in this life. For although the Cokatrice   be dead, yet his pestilent Chickens, wyth the whoore of Babylō yet liueth. But a great hope there is of their short cōfusion, because God doth not prosper their doings according to their expectation. Most happiest shall hee be, whom the Lord shall most soonest take out of this lyfe, that he may not see the plagues, which the manifest periury, and the manifold idolatry and detestable dissimulation, and that of such as do know the truth, do threaten to come.

[Back to Top]

The Lord is iust, and all vnrighteousnes displeaseth him, and either here or els in an other world he wyll punish this grosse infidelitie of the world: but his elect, and such as he loueth, will he punishe here, that they shoulde not bee condemned hereafter with the world eternally. We haue nothing so much to reioyce in, as in the crosse of IESV CHRIST, and in that we are partakers of his affilctions, which be the earnest penny of that eternall kyngcome, which hee vpon the crosse for vs hath purchased. For as Paule his faithfull witnes saith: If wee suffer wyth hym, we shall raygne wyth hym. If we dye wyth hym, we shall lyue wyth hym.

[Back to Top]

Wherfore, mine own deare bowels, prayse God with me most intirely, that it hath pleased hym now mercifully to visit the sinnes of my youth, & my huge vnthankfulnes, and by the same doth geue mee such consolation, that he assureth me of his great goodnes and mercy, and turneth his fatherly castigatiō into my crowne of glory. O good God, what am I on whom he should shew this great mercy? To him that is immortall, inuisible, and onely wise, be all honor, praise & glory therefore, Amen.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaHe expresseth the great ioy which Gods prisoners fele in their sufferinges.This is the day that the lord hath made, let vs reioyce and be glad in the same. This is the way, though it be narrow, which is full of the peace of God, and leadeth vnto eternall blisse. O how my hart leapeth for ioy, that I am so neare the apprehension thereof. God forgeue me myne vnthankefulnes, and vnworthines of so great glory. The swordes which pearced Maries hart in þ^e passion of our Sauiour, which daily also go through your faithfull hart, be more glorious, and to be desired then the golden Scepters of this world. O blessed be they that mourne in this world to Godward, for they shall eternally be comforted. God make my stony hart to mourne more then it doth. I haue so much ioy of the reward that is prepared for me most wretched sinner, that though I be in a place of darkenes and mourning, yet I cā not lament, but both night and day am so ioyfull, as though I were vnder no crosse at all: MarginaliaIohn Philpot neuer so mery in all his life before.yea in all the daies of my life I was neuer so mery, the name of the Lord bee praysed therfore for euer and euer, and he pardon mine vnthankfulnes. Our enemies do freate, fume, and gnash their teeth to see and heare that we, vnder this greuous affliction in the world, can be so mery. We are of them counted as desperate persons, for the certaine hope and feeling which we haue of our euerlastyng saluation: and it is no maruell, for the worldly man can not perceiue the thinges of God, it is mere foolishnes and abomination to them.

[Back to Top]

Be thankefull vnto our God myne owne deare helper, for his wonderous working in his chosen people. Pray instantly that this ioy be neuer taken from vs, for it passeth al the delights of this world. This is the peace of God which surmounteth al vnderstanding: this peace the more his chosen be afflicted, the more they feele, and therefore can not faint, neither for fire neither for water. Let vs pray for our weake brethren and sisters sake, that it may please God to alleuate the greeuous and intolerable burden of these cruell daies. But touching our selues, let vs hartely besech our Sauiour to vouchsafe to geue vs this glorious gift to suffer for his Gospels sake, and that we may thinke the shame of the world to be our glory, as it is in deede. God increase our faith, and open our eyes to behold what is prepared for vs. I lacke nothing, prayse be to God. I trust my mariage garment  

is

[Back to Top]