MarginaliaAn. 1556. July.Pray for me (deare hart) that I may be counted worthy to sowe some seede amongest the sweete Saintes of the Lord, that I may reape the same againe without ceasing, at the haruest. MarginaliaA sowing time in Christes Church.It is now sowyng time of the yeare, men say in the countrey, and I thinke that I shall make an ende of sowyng before all march be past: for I heare say that I shall proue how my plough will enter into the stonie ground of the hard harted Papistes, within these foure dayes. I hope to hold fast, and not to looke backe, neither for feare nor flattery, vntill I haue made an ende of sowyng, and then will I set me downe and rest me, and aske them all no leaue, and looke for the liuely frute and encrease therof with ioy and gladnes.

My deare brother, the time approcheth nere (I prayse God therfore) that I must put of this sinfull tabernacle and go home to my heauenly father, where diuers of my deare brethren are already, looking and wishing for me. I besech you therfore that you will helpe me foreward with your faithfull prayers, as I know you do, for I do feele the comfort and commoditie therof.

That you haue obserued my simple counsell,MarginaliaThis counsell was that hee should marry, notwithstandyng certeine lettes wherby Sathā sought to hynder hys mariage. I am right glad, and I trust in the Lord God, you shall fynde comfort in the same. And that you may so do in deede, I haue bene so bold to write these few wordes vnto you, because I shall see you no more in this corruptible life: therfore marke them well. First and aboue all thynges, you must be very circumspect to keepe the band of loue, and beware that there neuer spryng vp the roote of bitternes betwene you.MarginaliaThe roote of bitternes to be weeded out with the spade of pacience. If at any tyme there happen to rise any cause of vnkindnes betwene you (as it is vnpossible alwayes to be free frō it) see that you weede vp the same with all lenitie, gentlenes and patience, and neuer suffer your selfe, nor you wife to sleepe in displeasure.

MarginaliaHow and whē the husband ought to reproue.If you haue cause to speake sharpely, and sometymes to reproue, beware that you do not the same in the presence of other: but kepe your wordes vntill a conuenient tyme (which is the poynt of a wise man, sayth Salomon) and then vtter them in the spirite of meekenes and the gronyng spirite of perfect loue: MarginaliaFaultes sometyme must bee couered with loue.which you must also let sometymes to couer faultes, and winke at them if they be not intolerable. What so euer losse and mischaunce shal happen vnto you, take it patiently, and beare it merely: and though the same should come partly through your wiues negligence, yet let it rather be a louing warning to take heede in tyme to come, thē a cause of sorrow for that which is past and can not be holpen. I know by mine own experiēce that we are in this life subiect to many inconueniences, & that of nature we are prone to displeasure, MarginaliaNot to take vnkindnes for euery trifle.and ready to thinke vnkindnes for euery litle trifle, & specially with our best frendes, yea soonest with our louyng wiues, which be most lothest to displease vs.

But let vs beware of this cankered corruption, and consider that we ought most of all, in loue to beare with them, accordyng to CHRISTES example towardes hys congregation, for whom he gaue him selfe to clense it. &c. I had thought to haue treated this matter at large, but euen now I am interrupted & otherwise letted. I doubt not but you know your duetie therin a great deale better them I can declare it vnto you, and as you know it, so will do it: but I loue to be bold with you. I entende to write also to your wife very shortly and so take my last farewell of you for euer in this world. And thus in great hast I am now constreined to make an end. The blessing of God be alwayes with you.

Your owne for euer Iohn Careles.
Pray, pray, pray with fayth.

¶ An other Letter of Iohn Careles to Elisabeth, wife of the sayd A. B.  

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Augustine Bernher. Careless, as Foxe mentions in a marginal note, encouraged Augustine Bernher to marry Elizabeth despite what Foxe describes as 'certain lets' [i.e., obstacles] against the marriage. (One of Careless's letters to Bernher, urging him to press forward with his suit of Elizabeth, is ECL 260, fos. 242r-243r. This letter makes it clear that these obstacles included the oppositionof Elizabeth's family to the match).

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conteinyng likewise certaine godly preceptes of Matrimony perteyning to her duty.  

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This letter was first printed in 1570 and is not in Letters of the Martyrs. ECL 260, fo. 237r-v is the original of this letter.

MarginaliaAn other Letter of Iohn Careles to the wife of the partie aboue specified.THe euerlastyng peace of God in IESVS CHRIST, the continuall ayde, strength, and comfort of his most holy & mighty spirite, with increase of knowledge, faith, and perfect feelyng of Gods eternall mercy be with you my deare and faithfull louyng sister. E. B. and with your godly louyng husbād my deare & faithfull brother, to the full performance of that good which he hath so graciously begon in you, that in all things you may be made rich and blessed in him, and your seede after you, now and euer, Amen.

As I haue bene long desirous to write vnto you (my deare hart in the Lord) not onely beyng therto bounde of dutie, but also often prouoked of hym, to whom I owe my selfe and all that I am hable to do (I meane euē that blessed of the Lordes own mouth, whom God hath ioy-

ned with you in that holy and Christian state of Matrimony) euen so at the last I haue obteined tyme and occasion, in some parte to performe that which I haue long purposed. And for as much as the Lord of his great mercie and fatherly care and prouidence ouer you his deare child, hath now graciously accōplished that good worke amongest many others, which I (as a frend of the bridgrome) haue full hartely wished and often prayed for: I thinke it good, yea and my bounden dutie, to treate of such thinges as may be profitable to preserue mutuall loue and faithfull amitie betwene you: MarginaliaSathan enemie to all godly affayres.which I know Sathan will chiefly labour to diminish, if he can not altogether destroy the same, lest by many ioyfull occasions you should bee prouoked continually to prayse God for his good gift, which that enemy hath by all meanes sought to hynder from you.

As for all other thynges, I know you are sufficiently instructed, and also haue a most godly learned companion, who is well hable further to teach you if neede do require. But in this thyng I know my experience is more then his. Therfore my good sister, first and before all thynges, see that you do diligently consider, that as euery good and perfect gift preteinyng to soule and body, is giuen from aboue, and commeth from the father of light: euen so to whom so euer the Lord dealeth any of his benefites, of them he doth chiefly require alwayes a thankefull hart for the same: For els he will either take away his good giftes agayne, or turne the same to their great discommoditie, and in the ende to the encrease of their damnation: MarginaliaThe sinne of ingratitude.So detestable in his sight is the sinne of ingratitude. But to such as be thankefull for his benefites, he doth not onely to the old euer adde new, but also maketh the commoditie of his former giftes euer more and more to encrease, vntill by them they are fully persuaded and throughly certified of his euerlastyng loue in CHRIST IESV, which is eternall lyfe it selfe: So much doth he of his great mercie, delight in a thankefull hart.

Therfore I do yet once agayne earnestly require you, that aboue all thinges you be thankefull to God for hys benefites:MarginaliaGod loueth a thankfull hart. not onely for your election, creation, redemption, and preseruation, but also for his other temporall giftes wherewith he hath indued you: amongest þ^e which the chief and most excellēt is (as testifieth the holy ghost) your good, godly, and faithfull louyng husband. For (as the wise man sayth) Goodes and possessions may come to a man by the death of his frendes, but a good wife is the gift of God,MarginaliaA good wife is the gift of God. which the Lord will gyue for a good portion, to such as feare hym.

And the lyke is of a good husband, as the Lord hath now giuen you, praysed be his name therfore. He hath not giuen you an ignorant, froward, churlish, brawlyng, wastefull, riotryng, dronken husband, wherewith he hath plagued many other (as he might also haue done you) but he hath giuen you a most godly, learned, gentle, louyng, quiet, patient, thriftie, diligent and sober husbād: by whom he will nourish, cherish, keepe and defend you: instruct and teach you, yea care and prouide for you and your children (the which he will also by hym giue you) such thynges as be necessary for you. He hath not dealt so with euery body: and yet he hath done this and much more for you my deare sister, and will therto increase ioy and loue betwene you: MarginaliaGod deliteth in the agreement betwene man and wife.For as he delighteth in the loue and godly agreement of man and wife together: so is it he onely that maketh them and all the whole houshold to be of one mynde. Vnto the which his gracious worke he requireth your diligence, and will vse you as his instrument and meane, the more effectuously to accomplish the same. And therefore I now require you to obserue this my simple counsell, the which I haue here written as a testimoniall of my good will towardes you, because I thinke in this lyfe I shall neuer more see you.

Now, as I haue shewed you how you should bee thākefull vnto God for his good giftes: so I exhort you, and (as much as in me lyeth) charge you to be euermore thankefull vnto your deare louyng husband: who hath giuen him selfe vnto you: which is a more precious Iuell in the Church of God, then perchaunce you are yet aware of. Thinke your selfe vnworthy to be matched with such an instrument of God: MarginaliaThe duty of wiues toward their husbandes.and also reuerence euer more the giftes of God in hym, and seeke with true obedience and loue to serue hym, in recompense of hys true and paynefull hart towardes you. Be loth in any wise to offende him: yea rather be carefull and diligent to please hym, that his soule may blesse you. If at any tyme you shall chaunce to anger hym, or to do or speake any thyng that shall greue hym, see that you neuer rest vntill you