Marginalia1555. Februa.brother Beniamin, yet can hee not conteyne hymselfe from weepyng with vs and vpō vs, with fallyng on our neckes, and sweetely kissyng vs. MarginaliaChrist a sweete brother vnto vs.Such, such a brother is our Christ vnto vs all. Wherfore hasten to go vnto hym as Iacob dyd with hys Sonnes and family, leauyng their countrey and acquaintaunce. Yea this our Ioseph hath obtayned for vs, that Pharao the Infidel shall minister vnto vs chariots, wherein at ease we may be caryed to come vnto hym: as we haue experience how our very aduersaries doe helpe vs vnto our euerlastyng blisse by their speedy dispatch, yea & how all thynges haue bene helpynges hereunto: blessed be our God. Be not afrayde of fraybugges whiche lye in the way. Feare rather the euerlasting fire: feare the Serpēt which hath that deadly styng of whiche by bodely death they shall be brought to taste whiche are not grafted in Christ, wantyng fayth and a good conscience, and so are not acquainted with Christ the killer of death. But oh my deare wife and frendes, we, we whom God hath deliuered from the power of darkenes, & hath translated vs into the kyngdome of his deare sonne, by puttyng of the old man, & by fayth puttyng on the new, euen our Lord Iesus Christ, his wisedome, holynes, righteousnes & redemption, we I say haue to triumphe agaynst the terrible spitefull Serpent the deuill, sinne, hell, death, & damnation. For Christ our brasen Serpent hath MarginaliaThe sting of death pluckt out.pulled away the styng of this serpent, so that now we may boldly in beholdyng it spoyled of his sting, triūph, and with our Christ & al his elect say: Marginalia1. Cor. 15.Death where is thy sting? Hell where is thy victory? Thankes be to God, who hath geuen vs [Vs] the victory, through our Lord Iesus Christ.

Wherfore be mery my deare wife, and all my deare felow heyres of the euerlastyng kyngdome, alwayes remember the Lord. Reioyce in hope, be pacient in tribulation, continue in prayer, and pray for vs now appoynted to the slaughter, that we may be vnto our heauenly father, a fat offeryng, and an acceptable sacrifice. I may hardly write to you. Wherefore let these few wordes be a witnesse of commendations to you, and all them which loue vs in the fayth, and namely vnto my MarginaliaTo this his flocke the parishe of Alhallowes in Bredstreat, he wrote also a fruitfull letter, exhorting and charging them to beware of the Romish religion and constantly to sticke to the truth which they had confessed.flocke, among whom I am resident by Gods prouidence, but as a prisoner.

And although I am not so among them, as I haue bene to preach to them out of a Pulpit, yet doth God now preach vnto them by me, by this my imprisonement and captiuitie, whiche now I suffer among them for Christes Gospelles sake, byddyng them to beware of the Romish Antichristian religion and kyngdome, requiryng & chargyng them to abide in the truth of Christ, which is shortly to be sealed with the bloud of their Pastor: who though he be vnworthy of such a ministery, yet Christ there high Pastor is to be regarded, whose truth hath bene taught them by me, is witnessed by my chaynes, & shall be by my death, through the power of that high Pastor. Be not carefull good wife, cast your care on the Lord, & commend me vnto him in repentaūte prayer, as I do you and our Samuell: whom euen at the stake, I will offer as my selfe vnto God. Fare ye wel al in Christ, in hope to be ioyned with you in ioy euerlastyng. This hope is put vp in my bosome, Amen, Amen, Amen. Pray, pray.

¶ An other letter to Maistres Lucy Harington, a godly Gentlewoman, and frendly to him in his troubles.  

Commentary     Close

First in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 212-15. ECL 260, fos. 42r-43v is a copy of this letter.

MarginaliaAn other comfortable letter of M. Saunders.YOur most gentle commendations, wherof this messenger made remembraunce vnto me, was for two causes very comfortable. First, for that thereby I vnderstode of the state of your health and bodely welfare, for the which I geue thankes vnto God, who graunt the long continuaunce therof to his honour and fatherly good will, whereunto I wil dayly say, Amen. And father, I was refreshed by the expressing of your myndefull frendshyp towardes me farre vnworthy therof. Wherin I take occasion of much reioysing in our so gracious a God and mercyfull father, who as he hath in hys vnmeasurable mercy by fayth handfasted vs his chosen childrē vnto his deare sonne our Christ, as the spirituall spouse of such an heauēly husbād: so he lincketh vs by loue one vnto an other, beyng by that bond cōpact together with charitable readynes to doe good one vnto an other: so that first to the glory of our God and his Christ, then to our owne ioying in the testimony of a good conscience, and last of all to the stoppyng of the mouthes and confusion of our aduersaries, we beare MarginaliaThe true badge of Christ.the badge as the right spouse of our Christ, which he hymselfe noted in this his saying: MarginaliaIohn. 13.Herein shall all men know that ye be my Disciples, if ye loue one an other. Then farther, by thys bond of mutuall loue, is set forth the fatherly prouidence of God towardes vs his children, that though it be he whiche careth for vs, In whom we lyue, moue and bee, who feedeth all fleshe with bodely sustenaunce, yet hath hee appoynted vs in these present necessities, to stand in his stede one vnto an other. Wherin

is not onely set forth our dignitie, but also that vnspeakeable accorde and vnitie among vs the many members in his mysticall body. And though that either for lacke of habilitie, or els thorough distaunce of place, power and oportunitie of helpyng one an other do fayle: yet wonderfull is the workyng of Gods children through the spirite of prayer, as whereby they fetch all heauenly influēce from Christ their celestiall head by hys spirite, to be measured seuerally as may serue to the maintenaunce of the whole body.MarginaliaIohn. 15.

Thus doth our faythfull prayer which we make one for an other, distribute and scatter Gods bountyfull blessinges both Ghostly and bodely, when ordinary habilitie lacketh,MarginaliaPrayer distributeth Gods blessinges from one to an other. & when the arme may not reach forth such Gods riches. Accordyng hereunto I well perceiue and vnderstand your readynes to do good vnto all, and especially I haue experience of your ready good will towardes me in your harty desire to stretch out your helpyng hand to relieue my lacke, and of your helpe to be extended to me in the other spirituall sorte by your good prayer, I doubt not: as I also therein assure you of my helpe, beyng all that I may do, and yet the same not so much as I would do.

My neede concernyng bodely necessaries, is as yet furnished by Gods prouision, so that I am not driuen to any extremitie wherfore to be burdenous to you, as your gentle beneuolence prouoketh me, the Lord reward you therefore. If GOD make me worthy to be his witnesse at this present, in geuyng this corruptible body to burne for the testimony of his truth, it is enough for me to say vnto you that I haue a poore wife and childe whom I loue in the Lord, and whom I know for my sake you will tender when I am departed hence. &c.

MarginaliaAn other letter of M. Saunders.GRace & mercy, &c. It happeneth oftentimes that aboundaunce of matter bringyng with it much vehemencie of frendly affection, maketh men dumme, and euen then chiefly when there is most eger purpose of speakyng, silence doth suppresse, & causeth the party so affected, vnperfectly to expresse that he goeth about to vtter. Such impediment by much matter myngled with feruēcie of affectiō, feele I some tymes in my selfe, lettyng the vtteraūce either by toung or writing, of the aboundaūce of the hart. The loue of our most gracious God & heauenly father bestowed vppon vs in the merites of his Christ our Sauiour, who may by concept of mynde comprehend, passing in deede all vnderstandyng? much lesse may the same by any meanes be expressedly vttered. And as such heauēly blessinges which by fayth we fetch frō aboue, be inexplicable: so is it hard to vtter, whē þ^e faythfull are set on fire by loue, their readynes to reach forth & to giue by charitie, as by fayth they haue receiued. Marginalia2. Cor. 4.But (alas) we cary this treasure in earthen vessels. Many tymes fayth is feeble and then loue loseth her feruour.MarginaliaFayth many tymes in vs is feeble. Pray we therfore, Lord encrease our fayth, and loue forthwith will be on fire. And immortal thākes be geuen vnto our God, who in our Christ hath bestowed vpon vs the first fruites of his spirite, who cryeth in our hartes, MarginaliaRom. 8.Abba Father. And (as S. Paul sayth) Marginalia1. Cor. 4. seyng we haue the same spirite of fayth, accordyng as it is written: I beleued and therfore haue I spokē: we also beleue and therfore we speake: Yea God knoweth this spirite putteth in vs a minde to speake, but in attēpting therof, we are driuē with Moses to say: MarginaliaExod. 8.O Lord, I am slow mouthed and of vncircūcised lippes: & w^t Ieremy: MarginaliaIerome. 1.O Lord I cā not speake.

Albeit that this infancie restrayneth the openyng of such aboundaunce of hart in my tender Christian duety to be declared towardes you, yet I beseech you let this be setled in your vnderstandyng, that as S. Paule expresseth vnto his Corinthians that they were in his hart either to lyue or to dye, with many other such sayinges vttered vnto thē & the Galathians, expressyng his vehement affection towardes them: so in some part I would be lyke affected towardes all Gods children, and especially towardes you whom I know in Christ, and to whom I will not say, how much I am indebted. I thāke you for your great frendshyp and tender good will towardes my wife: yea that good gracious God recompence you, whiche may worthely with the more coūtreuaile the same, & fulfil that which lacketh of thākeful duety in vs. And because of that which heretofore I haue conceaued of you & of your more thē naturall loue towardes me & myne: I make my selfe thus bold to lay this burden vppon you, euen the care and charge of my sayd poore wife I meane, to be vnto her a mother and mistres to rule & direct her by your discret counsell.MarginaliaM. Saunders commendeth the care of his wyfe to Maistres Harrington. I know she cōceaueth of you the same that I do, & is thākefull vnto God with me for such a frend, and therfore I besech you euen for Christes sake, put neuer from you this frendly charge ouer her, whether I liue lōger or shortly depart. But to charge you other wise, thākes be to God, neither I neither she haue any such