Marginalia1555. Iuly.let this torment bee to me the last enemy destroyed, euen death, the end of misery, and the beginnyng of all ioy, peace, solace: and when the time of resurrection commeth, then let me enioy agayne these members then glorified, which now be spoyled and consumed by the fire. O Lord Iesu receiue my spirite into thy handes, Amen.

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MarginaliaA letter of Nicolas Sheterden to his mother.AFter my humble and bounden dutye remembred, welbeloued Mother, this shall bee to wishe you increase of grace and godly wisedome, that ye may see and perceyue the crafty bewitchyng of Sathan our mortall enemy, which as I haue diuers times declared vnto you, doth not openly shewe him selfe in his owne likenesse, MarginaliaSathan transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light.but vnder colour of deuotion deceaueth them that keepe not a diligent eye vppon him, but hauyng confidence in mans traditions and customes of the worlde, leauyng the commaundementes of God, and Testament of his Sonne Christ Iesus our Lord, do grow more into superstition and hypocrisie, then into wisedome and true holynesse. For this is most true, that Sathan the enemy of soules, doth by his Ministers make many beleue, that those thynges which they compell vs vnto for their bellyes sake, haue many godly significations, although they be most contrary to Gods will, as doubtlesse they be, euen as did the Serpent in Paradise to our first mother Eue. What (sayd he) hath God commaunded ye shall not eate of all the trees in the Garden? The woman sayd of the fruites of the trees in the Garden we may eate: but of the tree in the middest of the Garden, sayd God, see ye eate not, least ye dye. MarginaliaAs the Serpent seduced Eue by an Aple: so priestes seduce the people by Images.Euen so our Ministers now a dayes say: hath God commaunded ye shall not make you any Image or likenesse of any thyng? Yea forsooth. Tushe say they, what harme can they do? May we not remember God the better when we see his Image or Picture? For they are good bookes for the lay men: but in deede they be better for the Priestes, because they receiue the offerynges.MarginaliaImages more profitable bookes for priestes then for lay men.

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And looke how truely the promise of the Serpent was kept with Eue, so is the perswasion of our Priestes founde true to vs. For as Adam and Eue did become lyke God in knowyng good and euill, so are we in remembryng God by his Image. For Adams eyes were so open, that he lost both innocency and righteousnes, and was become most miserable of all creatures: and euen so we remember Christ so wel by Images, that we forget his commaundementes, and count his Testament confirmed in his bloud for starke madnesse or heresie: so miserably haue we remembred him, that of all people we are most blynd: MarginaliaSheterden prophesieth of Gods plagues.and this doth follow vppon our presumption, when we remember God by breakyng of hys law: and therfore surely except we repent shortly, God will remember vs in his wrath, and reward vs with his plagues: as sure as there is a God it will come to passe.

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But I know the craftynes of them herein (I thanke God) which will say: Where went he to schoole?MarginaliaLearning agaynst or without Gods word, is vayne and to no purpose MarginaliaAntichrist hath turned the church cleane vpside downe.Is he wiser then our great Doctours that studyed all their lyfe?  

And loe, they say that it is good hay, although we smell it musty our selues, yet we must beleue it is sweete, and then pay them well for their so saying, and all is safe. But I might say agayne: What Syr, bee ye wiser then Christe, and God his Father, or the holy Ghost? What wiser then the Prophetes, and the Apostles, and all the holy Martyrs? I pray you Syr, where had you your hygh learning? Is it hygher then God (beyng in heauen) is able to reach, or haue ye set it lower in hell then euer Christ durst to venter? For it is some straūge learnyng belike, that Christ nor his Apostles could neuer attaine to the knowledge of it. But vayne men are neuer with out some shift: For peraduenture they will not be ashamed to say, that Christ comming on his Fathers message, did forget halfe his errand by the way. For I dare say, the greater halfe of their ceremonyes were neuer commaunded by Christ: yea I doubte it would bee hard to finde one in the Church perfectly as he left: so Romishly hath Antichrist turned the church vpsidowne for lukers sake.

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Beloued mother, as I often tymes haue sayde vnto you, euen so now I beseeche you from my very hart roote in Christ, to consider your owne soules health is offered you, doe not cast it of: we haue not long tyme here. Why should we deceaue our selues, either for ease of our flesh, or for the winnyng of this worldes treasure? I know that some will say to you, why should we condemne our fathers that lyued thus? God forbid that we should condemne any that dyd according to their knowledge. But let vs take heede that they condemne not vs: for if they had heard the word as we haue, and had bene warned as we haue, it is to bee thought that they would more thankefully haue receiued it then we do: yea they were more faythful in that they knew,

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then many now are. Therefore they shall be our condemnatiō, if we do not embrace this grace offered vs.MarginaliaThe fathers that heard no better are not to be cōdēned but rather will condeme vs that heare and receaue it not. And surely looke how many of them God will accept and saue, those shall we neuer see, nor haue any part among them: for our disobedience is more great then their ignoraunce. Wherfore if we will meete our fathers in blisse and ioy, let vs not refuse hys mercy offered more largely to vs, then to them, euē accordyng to Christes promise, which sayd, after such great ignoraunce, as to seeke him from countrey to countrey, and finde him not: Yet shall the Gospell (sayth he) be preached in all the world, and then shall the end come.

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And now let vs know the time of our visitation, and not turne backe agayne, seyng we are once deliuered:MarginaliaGods visitation not to be refused. for surely God wil not beare it at our handes to turne backeward. Oh remember Lots wife. God must needes punish out of hand our shamefull backslidyng, either wyth induration  

and hardnes of hart, so that they shall persecute his Church and true seruauntes, or els reward it with open vengeaunce and plagues. And therefore good mother, accept this my simple letter as a fruite of my loue & obediēce to you. Would God we might so be knitte in fayth and trust in Gods worde and promises here in this life, as we might together enioye the blisse and consolation of eternall lyfe: which I desire and seeke aboue all worldly treasure, as ye partly knowe. MarginaliaExperience how Gods Martyrs seeke not the worlde.If I would seeke the good will of men cōtrary to my consciēce, I could make some my frendes, which now peraduenture are ielous ouer me amisse. But I thanke God, let them way the matter betwene God & their cōsciences, & they haue no iust cause so to doe: neuerthelesse I would they would yet refrayne and put their matter and myne into the euen balance of Gods most holy worde, there to be wayed by the mynde of the holy Ghost, expressed vnto vs by the holy Patriarkes, and Prophetes, and by Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour and Mediatour, and by his Apostles: and then I doubt not, but our matter shall be ended with peace, and ioyfulnes of hart, which God graunt vs for his mercies sake. Amen.

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Your own child Nicholas Shet-
terden prisoner for the truth in
Westgate. 1555.

I Wish you health in Christ, true knowledge of his word and a faythfull obedient hart vnto the same. It is shewed me my brother, that ye willed me by a Letter made to a frend of yours, to perswade with me, that I should be ruled by mine Vncle,MarginaliaMy vncle hath bene with me and made great promises and greate threates also. which sayth he will bestowe hys goodes very largely vppon me, if I would not stand to hyghe in myne owne conceit.  

But my good brother, I trust ye do not iudge so euill of me, that I should haue a fayth to sell for money. For though he or you were able to geue me the treasure of the whole coūtrey, yet I thanke my Lord God, I do iudge it but an heape of dong, in respect of that treasure hid within: yet do I esteeme a bukle of your shoo, if it come with good will. And for to be counselled and ruled by him or you, or any other my frendes, I do not, neither haue refused it, if they require no more of me then my power, and that which belongeth to mortall men. But if they require of me any thyng which pertaineth to God onely, there is neither hygh nor low, frend nor foe, I trust in God, shall get it of me, no nor yet the Aungels in heauen.

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MarginaliaSo should he haue two bodies at once, one glorified, and an other mortall. MarginaliaNo order nor reason in the Popes doctrine.For though I be not learned (as the vayne men of the world call learnyng)  

yet I thanke my Lord God, I haue learned out of Gods booke, to know GOD from his creatures, and to know Christ from his Sacramentes, and to put a difference betwene the merites of Christes Passion and his Supper, and a difference betwene the water of Baptisme, and the holy Ghost, and not to mixe and mingle all thynges confusely together, so that if one aske me a question or a reason of my fayth, I must say thus, I beleue as holy Churche beleueth: if he aske me what is the order of that fayth, I should be so ignoraunt that I could not discerne God from his creatures, nor Christ frō his Sacramentes. If I should so monstrously vtter my fayth, that I were not able to iudge betwene Christes birth and his burial, nor which were first, of his mortification, and his glorification, who would beleue that my fayth were sound?

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For some affirme that Christ did not geue to his Apostles a mortall and a passible body, but an immortall and a glorified body, so that he should haue a glorified body before his death and so his glorification was before his resurrection: and that he was risen before he was crucified, and crucified before his Baptisme, and then they may as well say, hee was Baptised before his byrth, and borne before hee was conceiued, and conceiued before hee was promised, and that were euen right Antichrist to turne all thynges backeward, and then say: Oh ye must beleue, for GOD is almightie, he can doe all thynges. &c. Truth it is, that God is

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