forsake wilfully and bodely all the wretchednes of thys life, since they know not how soone, nor whē, nor where, nor by whom God wyll teach them, and assay their pacience. MarginaliaPersecution foloweth the true church.For no doubt, who that euer wyll liue piteously, that is charitably in Christ Iesu, shall suffer nowe here in this life persecutiō, in one wise or an other. That is, if we shall be saued, it behoueth vs to imagin full besely, the vilite and foulnes of sinne, and howe the Lorde God is displeased therefore: and so of this vilitie of hidousnes of sinne, it behoueth vs to besie vs in all our wyts, for to abhorre and hold in our mynde a great shame of sinne euer, and so then we owe to sorrowe hartelye therefore, and euer fleing all occasion thereof. And then behoueth vs to take vpon vs sharpe penance, continuing therin, for to obtayne of the Lord forgeuenes of our foredone sinnes, and grace to abstayne vs hereafter from sinne. And but if we enforce vs to do this wilfully, & in conuenient tyme, the Lord (if he wyll not vtterly destroye and cast vs away) will in diuers maners moue tyrauntes against vs, for to constrayne vs violently to do penance, which we would not doo wilfullye. MarginaliaThe cause why persecution is suffred to comeAnd trust that thys doing is a speciall grace of the Lord, and a great token of lyfe and mercy. And no doubt, who euer wyll not apply him selfe (as is sayd before) to punish himself wilfully, neither will suffer paciently, meekely, and gladlye the rod of the Lord, howsoeuer that he wil punish him: their wayward wils and their impacience, are vnto them earnest of euerlasting damnation. But because there are but few in number that do able them thus faithfullye to grace, for to liue here simplye and purelye, and without gall of malice and of grudging, herefore þ^e louers of this worlde hate and pursue them that they knowe pacient, meeke, chaste, and wylfully poore, hating and fleing all worldly vanities and fleshly lustes. For surely, their vertuous conditions are euen contrarye to the maners of thys world.

MarginaliaThe third causeThe third thyng that moueth me to write thys sentence is thys. I thought I shall busie me in my self to do faythfully, that all men and women (occupying all their busines in knowing & in keping of Gods commaundements) able them so to grace, that they myght vnderstand truely the truth, and haue & vse vertue and prudence, and so deserue to be lightened from aboue with heauenly wisedome: so that all their wordes and their workes may be hereby made, pleasaunt sacrifices vnto the Lorde God: MarginaliaEdification of other necessary to be cōsidered.and not onely for helpe of their owne soules, but also for edification of all holy church. For I doubt not, but all they þ^t will apply thē to haue this foresayd busines, shal profit full mekill both to frendes and to foes. For some enemies of the truth thorow the grace of God, shall thorowe charitable folkes be made astonied in their conscience, and peraduenture conuerted frō vices to vertues: and also, they that labour to know & to kepe faythfully the biddings of god, & to suffer paciently all aduersities, shal hereby cōfort many frendes.

MarginaliaThe 4. cause.And the fourthe thyng that moueth me to wryte thys sentence is thys: I know my soden and vnwarned apposing and aunswering, that all they that will of good hart without fayning, able themselues wilfully & gladly after their cunning and their power, to folow Christ paciently, traueling busilye, priuely and apertly in worke and in worde, to withdrawe whōsoeuer that they may from vices, planting in them (if they may) vertues, comforting them and furthering them that stande in grace, so that therwith they be not borne vp in vaine glorye, thorowe presumption of their wisedome, nor enflamed with any worldlye prosperitie: but euer meke and pacient, purposing to abyde stedfastly in the will of God, suffering wilfully & gladly w^tout any grutching whatsoeuer rod the Lord wil chastise them with: That then, this good Lord will not forget to comfort all such men and women in all their tribulations, and at euery poynt oftemptation that any enemie purposeth for to do against thē. To such faythfull louers specially, and pacient followers of Christe, the Lord sendeth by his wysedom frō aboue, to them: which the aduersaries of the truth, may not know nor vnderstand. But thorowe their olde and new vnshamefast sinnes, those tirauntes and enemyes of southfastnes, shalbe so blinded and obstinate in euill, that they shall wene them self to do pleasaunt sacrifices vnto the Lorde God in their malicious and wrongfull persewing and destroying of innocent mens and womens bodyes: MarginaliaThe assistence of God neuer fayleth thē that are persecuted.which men and women, for their vertuous liuing, and for their true knowledging of the truth and their pacient wilfull and glad suffering of persecution for rightousnes, deserue thorow the grace of God, to be heires of the endles blisse of heauē. And for the feruent desire and the great loue that those men haue, as to stand in southfastnes and witnes of it, though they be sodeinlye and vnwarnedly brought forth to be apposed of their aduersaries: the holy ghost yet that moueth and ruleth them thorowe hys charitie, will in that houre of their aunswering, speake in them and shewe hys wysedome, that all their enemyes shall not agayne say nor agaynst stand, lawfully. And therfore, all they that are stedfast in the fayth of God, yea, which thorow diligent keping of hys commaundementes, and for their pacient suffring of whatsoeuer aduersitie that cōmeth to them, hope surely in hys mercy, purposing to stād continually in perfect charitie. For those men & women, drede not so the aduersities of thys lyfe, þ^t they wil feare (after their cunning and their power) to knowledge prudentlye the truthe of Gods worde, when, where, and to whome they thinke their knowledging may profite. Yea, and though therfore persecution come to them in one wyse or an other, certes they paciently take it, knowing their conuersation to be in heauē. It is an high reward and a speciall grace of God, for to haue and enioye the euerlasting inheritaunce of heauen, for the suffering of one persecution in so short tyme as is the terme of thys life. For loe, thys heauenly heritage and endles rewarde, is the Lord God himself, which is the best thing þ^t may be. Thys sentence wytnesseth the Lord God himself where as he said to Abraham, I am thy meede. And as the lord said, he was and is the meede of Abraham: so he is of all hys other sainctes. Thys most blessed and best meede, he graūt to vs all for hys holy name, þ^t made vs of naught, and sent hys onely most deare worthy sonne, our Lorde Iesu Christ for to redeme vs w^t his moste precious hart bloud. Amen.

MarginaliaExamination of W. Thorpe before Tho. Arundel Archb.KNowen be it to all men, that read or heare thys writing, that on the sonday next after the feast of S. Peter, that we call Lammesse, in þ^e yere of our Lord. 1407. I William Thorpe being in prison in þ^e castle of Saltwode, was brought before Thomas Arundell Archb. of Canterbury and Chauncellour then of England. And when that I came to hym, he stoode in a great chamber and much people about hym: and whē that he sawe me, he went faste into a closet bydding all secular men that followed hym to go forth from him soone, so that no mā was left than in that closet, but the Archb. hymself and a Phisician that was called Malueren, person of S. Dunstanes in London, and other two persons vnknowen to me which were ministers of the lawe. And I standing before them, by and by the Archbishop sayd to me: William, I know well that thou hast this xx. winter & more, traueled about busilie in the North countrey and in other diuers countreyes of England, MarginaliaLoytering prelates, cā not abyde traueling preachers.sowing about false doctrine, hauing great busines if thou myght with thine vntrue teaching and shrewd will, for to enfecte and poyson all thys land. But through the grace of God thou