MarginaliaAn. 1555. Iuly.almighty in deede, and yet I may not beleue thinges contrary to his word, that Christes body was glorified before he dyed: for Gods omnipotencie doth not stand in thynges contrary to his will, but in performing his will at his pleasure in tyme. MarginaliaWe are bound to beleue what God hath expresly willed, not what he is able to doe.Neither doth hee require of vs to iudge or beleue of his almighty power, that he hath made the end of the world to come, before the begynnyng, nor yet the fruite to come before the blossome, and yet is he neuertheles almighty.

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But if peraduenture ye shall thinke with your selfe: Why, they are learned: it were maruel but they should know what is the truth, as well as other whiche neuer kept no such study. &c. To that I aunswere, that if they had studied Gods word þ^e authour of truth, as they haue done Logicke,MarginaliaHe speaketh not here agaynst the true vse of Logike. and Duns,  

with the Legende of lyes,   they shoulde haue bene as expert in the truth, as they be now in bald reasons. But thus hath GOD fulfilled his promise, that such should bee deluded with lyes, whiche would not beleue nor walke in his truth.

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And agayne, this is a good cause to make vs thinke surely, that this was the cause that God gaue them ouer at the first to errour, after the Apostles tyme by litle and litle, as they grewe in sinne. For seyng we had his truth now among vs a few yeares, because we did not obey vnto it, we see what a sodayne chaunge God hath brought vpon vs for our sinnes sake. And why should not we thincke that this and such like disobediēce was the cause that God tooke his word from all Christendome at the first, and cast a darknes vpon them that would not walke in his light.MarginaliaWhy God taketh his word from realmes. For it is euident enough to see how like their doynges bee to Christes and his Apostles, and that seene, either we must iudge Christes doynges very slender, and theirs good, or els that in deede they be the very Antichristes, whiche should come and turne all thynges out of frame. Thus I haue bene bold to trouble you, whiche I trust shall not bee altogether in vayne. Pray for me, as I do for you.

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By your brother Nicolas Shetterden,
prisoner for the truth in Westgate.  

MarginaliaAn other Letter of Nicholas Sheterden to his brother.GOd, whiche is the geuer of all goodnes, and that freely for his loue to vs (not onely without our desertes, but contrary to the same) graunt you my brother such encrease of Godly knowledge and loue vnto the vertues thereunto belongyng, as may geue you such a tast in heauenly thynges that all treasure of earthly thynges may sauour to you, as in deede they are, most vaine and vncertaine: so shall ye neuer take them for no better then they be. Yea, whether GOD take them from vs, and geue them vnto vs, we shall knowe our selues neither richer nor poorer before God: But if we laye vp in our hartes the treasure of his word, we shall not onely enrich our selues agaynst the time of neede, but also arme our selues agaynst the battell with weapons and harnes, which is inuincible, and cloth our selues agaynst the mariage. For beholde, the Lord hath called vs of long tyme to the feast, and blowen the trumpet to prepare the battel. MarginaliaTyme of Gods visitation to be receaued.Let vs know the tyme of our visitation, lest the Lord sittyng on hys mount bewayle our destruction, which he desireth not, but because he is iust to punish such as continue in sinne, euē as hee is mercyfull to forgeue the repentaunt that turne in tyme: for so is God that cannot deny himselfe.

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Let vs therefore in this day, while it is called to day, heare his voyce, and not harden our hartes by resistaunce of his will, lest hee sweare in his wrath, that we shall not enter into his rest: Lette vs count that sufficient, That we haue spēt the time past (as S. Peter saith) after the wil of the Gentiles, in eatyng and drinkyng, chamberyng and wantonnesse, and in abhominable Idolatry. &c. And now let vs assay a newe lyfe and trade our members in vertue an other while, lest peraduenture we might runne past any returne in the contrary. But if we may now returne and lay hand of his worde in deede and veritie, as we haue long tyme done in talke and libertie, then will God heape vp vppon vs such MarginaliaCertificate of conscience.certificate of conscience, as shall kindle our consolation in him, so that all treasure shal be doūg, to that excellēt knowledge of our Sauiour. Deare brother, my hartes desire and prayer to God is, that we may together enioy the blisse of eternall inheritaūce by one spirituall regeneration and new byrth, as we are ioyned by nature. But alacke, the waye and meane thereunto hath bene much neglected of me (I will not say of you) for I had rather ye should accuse your selfe: for no doubt the best of vs both hath not sought for wisedome in Gods word, as some in the world whom we know, haue sought for money: therfore they shall be our Iudges, if wee doe not learne by them: MarginaliaSpirituall prouision.yea the very Emmet,  

as Salomon saith, doth teach vs to prouide for the tyme to come: for she prouideth in Sommer agaynst Winter.

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This is the best tokē I haue for you now, which though

it bee simple, yet shall it declare partly my hartes desire to you ward, which is euen as myne owne soule. Let nothyng dismay you, for my cause: but bee ye sure I shall haue victory in the truth, Marginalia3. Esdras. 4.whiche truth is stronger then kynges, wyne, or women. For as Zorobabell sayth: MarginaliaThe victorye of truth.Wyne is vnrighteous, the kyng is vnrighteous, women are vnrighteous, yea all the childrē of men are vnrighteous, but the truth endureth, and is alwayes strong and conquereth for euer without ende: Therfore this is to desire you and all other my frendes that wishe me good, to pray that God will alwayes keepe me in his truth as he hath begun, which prayer if it be of such a mynde as laboureth to depart from euill, shall be to me the greatest pleasure vnder heauē. For I desire nothyng in comparison of Gods truth. I thanke him of his mercy, which so hath wrought, for I take it as a sure seale of the endlesse ioy which shall hereafter follow: whiche God bryng vs vnto, when his will and pleasure is, Amen. From Canterbury.

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By yours Nicholas Shetterden.

MarginaliaTo his mother an other letter writen the day before his death.O My good mother, whom I loue with reuerence in the Lord, and accordyng to my duety, I desire your fauourable blessyng, and forgeuenes of all my misdeedes towardes you. Oh my good mother, in fewe wordes I wishe you the same salutation, which I hope my selfe to feele, and partly tast of before this come to you to read: And in the resurrection. I verely beleue to haue it more perfectly in body and soule ioyned together for euer: and in that day God graunt you to see my face with ioy: but deare mother then beware of that great Idolatry and blasphemous Masse. O let not that be your God, whiche mice and wormes can deuoure.  

MarginaliaTestimony and warning agaynst the Idole of the aultar.Behold I call heauen and earth to record that it is no God, yea the fire that consumeth it, & the moystenes that causeth it to mould, and I take Christes Testamēt to witnes, that it is none of his ordinaunces, but a mere inuention of men, and a snare to catch innocentes bloud: and now that GOD hath shewed it vnto you, bee warned in tyme: O geue ouer old customes, and become new in the truth. MarginaliaWhatsoeuer the fathers were, gods word must needes be folowed.What state so euer your fathers be in, leaue that to God: and let vs follow the counsell of his worde. Deare mother, imbrace it with harty affection, read it with obedience, let it be your pastime, but yet cast of all carnal affections, & loue of worldly things: so shall we meete in ioy at the last day, or els I byd you fare well for euermore: Oh, farewell my frendes and louers all, God graunt me to see your faces in ioy, Amen.

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From Westgate the 11. of Iuly. 1555. Your
child written with his hand, and sealed
with his bloud, Nicolas Shetterden being
appointed to be slayne.  

MarginaliaAn other letter of Nicholas Sheterden to his wyfe.I Wrote vnto you as one that longed more to heare of your health, then of all worldly treasure, willyng you to entreate Esau the elder brother by nature gently, geuyng to him his owne, yea, and offer him one of the droues, and say they be Iacobs,and are sent for a present to my Lord Esau: but he will not take it. &c. Now my beloued ye know the blessing of our father is, that the elder shal serue the younger, and wisedome our mother hath taught vs the same, and I know ye do complayne of your *#42;Marginalia* By this seruaunt be like he ment her owne body, which she pinched to much with penury, or fasting, more then needed. seruaunt the fleshe, that he is rebellious, disobediēt, and vntoward:  

vnruly and crookedly ye thinke hee doth his seruice: but yet beholde, how shall ye pleade your cause before an indifferent   iudge: for if it be true that his seruice be not accordyng to his duety, as it is many tymes found in seruaunts: yet (I say) can you shew your cause to no indifferent iudge, but hee shall obiect agaynst you that hee is not kept lyke a seruaunt but hee lacketh both meate and drinke, and other necessaries meete & due for a seruaunt: MarginaliaHow a mans body is to be ordered with discretion.so shall ye take more shame of your own complaynt then remedy or vauntage agaynst your seruaunt, and it shalbe a cloke for him to hide all his rebellion & vntoward seruice, because ye haue misused him.

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And therefore my sentence is, that ye paciently beare with him in small faultes, and amende your owne great faultes, as oppression, crueltie and couetousnesse, requiryng more then a seruaunt can do, specially beyng tyred with labour, famined with hunger, and lamed with stripes. And these thynges amended, if hee doe his seruice negligently (as no doubt sometime he will) yet then ye may boldly correct him with discretiō, and sometyme if he do not his taske, ye may make him goe to bed superlesse: but yet beate hym not with durable strokes, neither withholde his meate in due tyme, and pinche him not by the belly continually, but *Marginalia* Corporis curam agite, non ad concupiscētias. let him haue some thyng to ioy in: onely watch him, and

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