MarginaliaAn. 1556. July.blessed of Gods owne mouth. I will for a time take my leaue, but not my last farewell. Blessed be the time that euer I came into the Kings Bench, to be ioyned in loue and felowship with such deare children of the Lord. MarginaliaNote how cōfortably the Lord worketh in his prisoned Sainctes.My good brother Bradford shall not be dead whiles you be aliue: for verely the spirite of him doth rest on you in most ample wise. Your letters of comfort vnto me in ech point do agree, as though the one were a copie of the other. He hath planted in me, and you do water: the Lord geue good increase. My deare brethren and felow prisoners here, haue them humbly and hartly commēded vnto you, and your company, mournyng for your misery, but yet reioycing for your plenteous consolation & comfort in CHRIST. MarginaliaGods prouidence toward hys people.We are all cherefull and mery vnder our Crosse, and do lacke no necessaries, praised be God for his prouidence, and great mercy towardes vs for euermore, Amen.

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MarginaliaAn other Letter of Iohn Careles to his wife.  

AS by the great mercy of GOD, at the time of his good will and prouidence appointed (my dearely beloued wife) you and I were ioyned together in the holy and Christian state of Godly matrimony, as well to our great ioy and comfort in CHRIST, as also to the encrease of his blessed Church & faithfull congregation, by hauing lawfull children by and in the same, with the which God of his mercy hath blessed vs, praised be his name therfore: euen so now, by his merciful will and diuine ordinaunce, the time is come (so farre as I can perceiue) wherin he will, for his glory and our eternal cōfort, dissolue the same and separate vs asunder againe for a time. Wherfore I thought it good, yea and my bounden duety, by this simple letter to prouoke, stirre, & admonish you, to behaue your selfe in all your doynges, sayings, and thoughtes, most thankfully vnto our good God for the same. And therfore (my deare wife) as you haue hartely reioyced in the Lord, and oftentimes geuen God thankes for his goodnes in bringyng vs together in his holy ordinaunce: euen so now I desire you, when this time of our separation shall come, to reioyce with me in the Lord, and to geue him most harty thākes, that he hath (to his glory and our endles commoditie) separated vs agayne for a litle time, MarginaliaHere is a true marke of a faythfull Christiā, forsaking wife and children for Christes sake.and hath mercyfully taken me vnto him selfe forth of this miserable world, into his celestiall kingdome: beleuing and hoping also assuredly, that God of his goodnes, for his sonne CHRISTES sake, will shortly bring you and your deare children thether to me, that we may most ioyfully together sing praises vnto his glorious name for euer. And yet once againe I desire you for the loue of God, & as euer you loued me, to reioyce with me, and to geue God continuall thankes for doyng his most mercifull will vpon me.

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I heare say that you do oftentimes vse to repete this godly saying: The Lordes will be fulfilled. MarginaliaTrue obedience of a faythfull woman.Doubtles it reioyceth my poore hart to heare that report of you, and for the Lordes sake vse that godly prayer continually, and teach your children and familie to say the same day and night: and not onely to say it with your tounges, but also with your hart and mind, and ioyfully to submit your wil to Gods wil in very dede, knowing & beleuing assuredly that nothing shall come to you or any of yours, otherwise then it shall be his almightie and fatherly good will and pleasure, and for your eternal comfort and commoditie. Which thing to be most true and certaine, Christ testifieth in his holy Gospel, saying: MarginaliaMath. 10.Are not two litle sparrowes sold for a farthing, and yet not one of them shall perish without the will of your heauenly father? And he concludeth saying: Feare not ye therfore, for ye are better then many sparowes. As though he should haue sayd, if GOD haue such a respect & care for a pore sparow, which is not worth one farthing, that it shall not be taken in the lyme twig, nette, or pitfall, vntill it be his good will and pleasure: you may be well assured that not one of you (whom he so dearely loueth, that he hath geuen his onely deare sonne for you) shall perish, or depart forth of this miserable life without his almightie good will and pleasure.

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Therfore deare wife, put your trust and confidence wholy and onely in him, and euer pray that his will be fulfilled and not yours, except it be agreeing to his will: the which I pray God it may euer be. Amen. MarginaliaGood counsell geuen to hys wife.And as for worldly thinges, take you no care, but be you well assured the Lord your deare God and father will not see you nor yours lacke, if you continue in his loue and childly feare, and keepe a cleare conscience from all kinde of idolatrie, superstition and wickednes, as my trust is that

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you will do, although it be with the losse and daunger of this temporall life. And good Margaret, feare not thē that can but kill the body (and yet can they not do that vntill God geue them leaue) but feare to displease him that can kill both body and soule, and cast them into hell fire. Let not the remembraunce of your children keepe you from God. The Lord him selfe will be a father and a mother, better then euer you or I could haue ben, vnto them. MarginaliaCare of children to be cast vpō the Lord.He him selfe will do all thinges necessary for them: yea as much as rocke the cradell if neede be. He hath geuen his holy Aungels charge ouer them, therfore commit them vnto him. But if you may liue with a cleare conscience (for els I would not haue you to liue) and see the bringing vp of your children your selfe, MarginaliaThe mothers dutie in bringing vp her children.looke that you nourture them in the feare of God, and kepe them farre from Idolatrie, superstition, and al other kinde of wickednes: and for Gods sake helpe them to some learning, if it be possible, that they may increase in vertue & godly knowledge, which shalbe a better dowry to mary them withall, then any worldly substance: and when they be come to age, prouide them such husbandes as feare God, and loue his holy word. I charge you take heede that you match them with no Papistes, and if you liue, and marry againe your selfe (which thing I would wishe you to do if neede require, or els not) good wife take heede how you bestow your selfe, that you and my poore children be not compelled to wickednes. But if you shalbe able well to liue Gods true widow, I would counsell you so to liue still, for þ^e more quietnes of your selfe and your poore children. Take heede Margaret & play the wise womans part. You haue warning by other if you will take an example. And thus I commit you and my swete children vnto Gods most merciful defence. The blessing of God be with you, and God send vs a mery meetyng together in heauen. Farewell in CHRIST, farewell mine owne deare hartes all. Pray, pray.

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MarginaliaA sweete Letter of Iohn Careles to Master Bradford, a litle before hys Martyrdome.THe peace of God in IESVS CHRIST, the eternal comfort of his swete spirite, which hath surely sealed you vnto eternall saluation, be with you and strengthen you in your ioyfull iourney towardes the celestial Hierusalem (my deare frend and most faythfull brother M, Bradford) to the settyng forth of Gods glory, and to your eternall ioy in CHRIST, Amen.

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Euer since that good M. Philpot shewed me your last letter (my deare hart in the Lord) I haue continued in great heauines and perplexitie: not for any hurt or discommoditie that I can perceaue comming towardes you, vnto whom doubtles, death is made life and great felicitie: MarginaliaHe mourneth for the losse and lacke of Master Bradford in the Church.but for the great losse that Gods Church here in England shall sustaine by the taking away of so godly, worthy, and necessary an instrument, as the Lord hath made you to be. Oh that my life & a thousand such wretched liues mo might go for yours. Oh, why doth GOD suffer me and such other Caterpillers to liue, that can do nothing but consume the almes of the Church, and take away you so worthy a workemā & labourer in þ^e Lordes vineyard? But wo be to our sinnes and great vnthankfulnes, which is the greatest cause of the taking away of such worthy instrumentes of God as should set forth his glory and instruct his people. If we had bene thankefull vnto God for the good Ministers of his word, we had not ben so soone depriued both of it and them. The Lord forgeue our great ingratitude and sinnes, and geue vs true repentaunce and faith, and hold his hand of mercy ouer vs, for his deare sonne CHRISTES sake. Take not away all thy true preachers forth of this realme (O Lord) but leaue vs a seede, lest England be made like vnto Sodome and Gomorre, when thy true Lothes be gone.

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But what goe I about to mingle your myrth with my mourning, and your iust ioy with my deserued sorow? If I loued you in deede, as I haue pretended, I shoulde surely reioyce with you most hartely, and prayse God on your behalfe from the very bottome of my hart: I should praise God day and night for your excellent election in and through his great mercy, and should geue him most humble thākes for your vocation by his Gospell and your true knowledge in the same: MarginaliaHe reioyceth for the honour of Master Bradfords Martyrdome.I should earnestly praise him for your swete iustification, wherof you are most certaine by Gods grace and spirit, and should instantly pray vnto him for your glorificatiō which shall shortly ensue: I should reioyce and be glad to see you so dignified by þ^e crowne of Martyrdome, and to be appointed to that honour, to testifie his truth, and

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