Marginalia1555. Febru.should in his sermon shew hym self apparelled as the other Bishops were.  

Wherfore, appointed to preache before the king as a new player in a straunge apparell, he commeth forth on the stage. MarginaliaM. Hooper compelled to preach before the King in Bishop like aparel.His vpper garment was a long scarlet Chymere downe to the foot, and vnder that a white linnen Rochet that couered al his shoulders. Vpon his head he had a Geometrial, that is, a foure squared cappe, albeit that his head was round. What cause of shame the strangenes hereof was that day to that good preacher, euery man may easily iudge. But this priuate contumely and reproch in respect of the publike profite of the Churche, whiche he onely sought, he bare and suffered paciently. And I woulde to God in like maner they which tooke vpon them the other part of that tragedie, had yeelded their priuate cause, what soeuer it was, to the publike concorde and edifying of the Church: for no man in al the citie was one heare the better for that hote contention.

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I wyl name no body, partly for that his oppugners being afterwardes ioyned in the moste sure frendship with him in one & for one cause, suffered martyrdome: and partly for that I commonly vse according to my accustomed maner, to keepe my penne from presumptuous iudging of any person: yet I thought to note the thing for this consideration, to admonishe the reader hereby, MarginaliaThe crosse maketh peace.how wholesome and necessary the Crosse of Christ is sometyme in the Churche of Christ, as by the sequele hereof did afterwarde appeare. For as in a ciuil gouernance and common wealth, nothing is more occasion of warre, then ouermuche peace: so in the Churche and among Churchmen, as nothing is more pernitious then too much quietnes, so nothing more ceaseth priuate contentions oftentymes rising amongest them, then the publike crosse of persecution.

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Furthermore, so I perswaded my selfe, the same not to be vnexpedient, to haue extant such examples of holy and blessed men. For if it do not a litle appertaine to our publike consolation and comfort, when we reade in the scriptures of the foule dissension betweene Paul and Barnabe: of the fall of Peter, and of Dauids murder and adulterie: why may or shoulde it not be as well profitable for our posteritie, to heare and knowe the falles of these godly martyrs, MarginaliaThe falles and infirmityes of holy Saints and Martirs left for our consolation.whereby we may the lesse dispaire in our infirmitie, considering the same or greater infirmities to raigne in the holy Saints of God, both Prophetes, Apostles and Martyrs.

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And this by the way, thou hast heard (good reader) hitherto the weaknes of these good mē, playnly and simply, as the truth was, declared vnto thee, to the end their fall may minister occasion to vs, either of eschewing the like, or els to take hart and comfort in the like fall and fraylenes of ours. MarginaliaNote how discord and recōsiliation happeneth many times amongst good men. Now againe on the other part it remayneth to record after the foresaid discorde, the godly reconciliations of these good men in time of persecution, who afterward being in prison for the truthes sake, reconciled them selues againe with most godly agreement, as appeareth by this letter sent by Byshop Ridly, to the said bishop of Glocester. The copie wherof, as it was written with his owne hand in Latine, hereafter foloweth, translated into Englishe.

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MarginaliaA letter of reconciliation sent by D. Redley to Bishop Hoper.MY dearly beloued brother and felowe Elder, whom I reuerence in the Lord, pardon me, I beseeche you, that hytherto since your captiuitie and myne, I haue not saluted you by my letters: wheras (I doo in deede confesse) I haue receyued from you (such was your gentlenes) two letters at sundrye tymes: but yet at suche tymes as I coulde not be suffered to write vnto you againe: or if I might, yet was I greatly in doubt howe my letters might safely come vnto your handes. But nowe my deare brother, for as much as I vnderstand by your workes, which I haue but superficially seene, that wee throughly agree and wholy consent together in those thinges whiche are the groundes and substantial poyntes of our Religion, against the whiche the world so furiously rageth in these our dayes: how soeuer in tyme past in certaine bymatters and circūstaunces of Religion your wisedome and my simplicitie (I graūt) hath a litle iarred, ech of vs folowing the abūdance of hys owne sense and iudgement: nowe (I say) be you assured, that euen with my whole hart (God is my witnes) in the bowels of Christe, I loue you in the truth and for the truthes sake, which abideth in vs, and (as I am perswaded) shall by the grace of God, abide in vs for euermore.

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And because the worlde, as I perceiue brother, ceaseth not to playe his pageaunt, and busily conspireth againste Christ our Saueour, with al possible force and power, Marginalia1. Cor. 10.Exalting high thynges agaynst the knowledge of God: MarginaliaB. Ridley & Bishop Hooper ioyne hands together.let vs ioyne handes together in Christe, and if we can not ouer-

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throwe, yet to our power, and as muche as in vs lyeth, let vs shake those high altitudes, not with carnall, but with spiritual weapons: and withall brother, let vs prepare our selues to the day of our dissolution, by the which after the short tyme of this bodily affliction, by the grace of our lord Iesus Christ, we shall triumph together with hym in eternall glory.

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I pray you brother, salute in my name your reuerend felow prisoner and venerable father D. Cran.  

by whom since the first daye that I hearde of his moste godly and fatherly constancie, in confessing the truth of the gospel, I haue conceyued great consolation and ioy in the Lord. For the integritie and vprigthnes of that man, his grauitie and innocencie all Englande I thinke hath knowen long agoe. Blessed be God therfore, which in such abundance of iniquitie and decay of all godlynes, hath geuen vnto vs in this reuerende olde age, suche a witnes for the truth of his Gospell. Miserable and harde harted is he, whom the godlynes and constant confession of so woorthy, so graue, and innocent a man, wyll not moue to acknowledge and confesse the truth of God.

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I do not now brother require you to write any thyng to me againe: for I stand much in feare lest your letters should be intercepted before they can come to my handes. Neuertheles know you, that it shal be to me great ioy to heare of your constancie and fortitude in the Lordes quarrel. And albeit I haue not hytherto written vnto you, yet haue I twise (as I coulde) sent vnto you my mynde touchyng the matter whiche in your letters you required to knowe. Neyther can I, yet brother, be otherwise perswaded: I see me thynkes so many peryls, whereby I am earnestly moued to coūsel you not to hastē the publishing of your works, especially vnder the title of your owne name. For I feare greatly least by this occasion both your mouth should be stopped hereafter, & al thinges taken away from the rest of the prisoners, wherby otherwise, if it so please God, they may be able to doo good to many. Farewell in the Lorde my most deare brother: and if there be any moe in prison with you for Christes cause, I beseeche you, as you may, salute them in my name. To whose prayers I doo most humbly & hartyly commende my selfe and my felowe prisoners and concaptiues in the Lorde, and yet once againe, and for euer in Christ, my most deare brother, farewel.

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N. Rydley.

M. Hooper, after all these tumultes and vexations susteyned about his inuesting and priestly vestures, MarginaliaB. Ridley reioyseth to heare of Byshop Hoopers constancy.at length entring into his Dioces,  

dyd there employ his tyme which the Lord lent hym vnder kyng Edwardes raigne, with such diligence, as may be a spectacle to al Bishops, whiche shal euer hereafter succeede him, not only in that place, but in what soeuer Dioces through the whole Realme of England, so carefull was he in his Cure, that he leaft neyther paynes vntaken, nor waies vnsought, how to traine vp the flocke of Christe in the true worde of saluation, continually labouring in the same. Other men commonly are woont for lucre or promotions, sake to aspire to Bishoprikes, some huntyng for them, and some purchasing or bying them, as men vse to purchase Lordships, and when they haue them, are loth to leaue them, and thereupō also loth to commit that thyng by worldly lawes, wherby to loose them.  

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To this sort of men M. Hooper was cleane contrary,MarginaliaThe diligent care of bishop Hooper in his dioces.who abhorred nothing more then gaine, labouryng alwayes to saue and preserue the soules of his flocke. Who beyng Bishop of two Diocesses, so ruled and guided either of thē and both together, as though he had in charge but one familie, No father in his houshold, no gardiner in his garden, nor husbandman in his vineyarde was more or better occupied, then he in his Dioces amongest his flocke, goyng a about hys townes and villages in teaching and preaching to the people there.

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That tyme that he had to spare from preaching, hee bestowed eyther in hearyng publicke causes, or els in priuate study, prayer, and visiting of Schooles. With his continuall doctrine, he adioyned due & discrete correction, not so much seuere to any, as to them whiche for abundance of riches & welthy state, thought they might do what they listed. And doubtles he spared no kind of people, but was indifferent to all men, as wel rich as poore, MarginaliaM. Hooper B. of two Dioces. M. Hooper a light to al church men.to the great shame of no small number of men nowe adayes: Whereof many we doo see so addicted to the pleasing of great and riche men, that in the meane time they haue no regard to the meaner sorte of poore people, whom Christe hath bought as dearely as the other.  

But nowe againe we wyll returne our talke to M. Hooper: al whose lyfe in fine was such, that to the Churche and all Churchmen it might be a light and example, to the rest a perpetuall lesson and sermon. Finally, how vertuous and good a Bishop he was, ye may conceiue, and knowe eui-

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