MarginaliaAnno. 1555. October.about to spoyle both vs and the whole churche of such goodes, is most high and honourable seruice done vnto God.

hese churchrobbers be also much more false, craftie, and deceitfull, then the theues vppon the borders: for these haue not the craft so to commende their thefte that they dare auouch  

it, and therefore as acknowledging themselues to be euill, they steale commonly vpon the night, they dare not appeare at iudgementes and Sessions where iustice is executed, and when they are taken and brought thether, they neuer hang any man, but they bee ofte tymes hanged for their faultes: MarginaliaPopish persecuters when they are false theues, yet will they be called true catholikes.But these Churche robbers can so cloke and colour their spirituall robbery, that they can make the people to beleue falshed to be truth, and truth falshed, good to bee euill, and euil good, light to be darkenes, and darknes light, superstition to bee true religion, and idolatrie to be the true worship of God, and that whiche is in substance the creature of bread and wine, to be none other substaunce but onely the substance of Christ the liuing Lord both God and man. And with this their falshod and crafte, they can so iuggle and bewitch the vnderstanding of the simple, that they dare auouch it openly in court and in towne, and feare neither hangyng nor headyng, as the poore theues of the borders doe, but stout and strong like Nembroth,   dare condemne to be burned in flamyng fire quicke and aliue, whosoeuer will goe about to bewraie their falshed.

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MarginaliaThe fight with spirituall theues, is worse then with temporall theues.The kind of fight against these Churche robbers, is also of an other sort and kind, then is that whiche is against the theues of the borders. For there the true m? go forth against them with speare and launce, with bow and bill, and all suche kinde of bodely weapons as the true men haue: but here as the enimies bee of an other nature, so the watchmen of Christes flocke, the warriours that fight in the Lords warre, must be armed and fight with an other kind of weapons and armour. For here the enemies of God, the souldiours of Antichrist, although the battell is setforth against the Church by mortall men being flesh and bloud, & neuertheles members of their father the deuill, yet for that their graund maister is the power of darkenes, their members are spirituall wickednes, wicked spirites, spirites of errours, of heresies, of all deceite and vngodlines, spirites of idolatrie, superstition and hipocrisie, whiche are called of S. Paule MarginaliaEphesians. 6.Principates and powers, Lordes of the world, rulers of the darknes of this worlde, and spirituall subtelties concernyng heauenly thinges, and therfore our weapons must be fit and meete to fight againe suche, not carnall nor bodily weapons as speare and launce, but spirituall and heauenly: we muste fight against such with the armour of God, not entending to kil their bodies, but their errours, their false craft and heresies, their idolatrie, superstition and hipocrisy, and to saue (as muche as lieth in vs) both their bodies and soules.

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And therfore, as S. Paule teacheth vs, MarginaliaEphesians. 6.we fight not against flesh and bloud, that is, we fight not with bodely weapon to kill the man, but with the weap?s of god, to put to flight his wicked errors and vice, and to saue both body and soule. MarginaliaThe weapons of a christian warriour.Our weapons therefore are faith, hope, charitie, righteousnes, truth, patience, praier vnto god, and our sword wherwith we smite our enemies, we beate and batter and beare downe all falshed, is the word of God. With these weapons, vnder the banner of the crosse of Christ we do fight, euer hauyng our eye vpon our graund maister, Duke and capitaine Christ, and then we recken our selues to triumphe, and to win the croune of euerlastyng blisse, when enduring in this battaile without any shrinkyng or yeldyng to the enemies, after the example of our graund capitaine Christ our Maister, after the example of his holy Prophets, Apostles & Martyrs, when (I say) we are slaine in our mortall bodies, of ours enimies, and are most cruelly and without all mercie murdered doune like a meanie  

of sheepe. And the more cruell, the more painefull, the more vile and spitefull is the kinde of the death where-vnto we be put: the more glorious in GOD, the more blessed and happie we recken, (without all doubtes) our Martyrdome to be.

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And thus much deare louers and frendes in God, my countreymen and kinsfolke, I haue spoken for youre comfort, lest of my death (of whose life you looked peraduenture sometymes to haue had honestie, pleasures, and commodities)  

ye might be abashed or thinke any euill: whereas ye haue rather cause to reioyse (if ye loue

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me in deede) for that it hath pleased God to call me to a greater honour and dignitie, then euer I did enioye before either in Rochester or in the Sea of London, or euer should haue had in the Sea of Durham,MarginaliaD. Ridley named to the Sea of Durham. wherunto I was last of all elected and named:  

yea I count it greater honour before god in dede to die in his cause (whereof I nothing doubt) then is any earthly or temporal promotion or honour that can be geuen to a man in this world. And who is he that knoweth the cause to be Gods, to be Christes quarell and of his Gospell, to bee the common weale of all the electe and chosen children of God,MarginaliaThe cause of Martyrs is the c?mon cause of Christ, and of al his elect sainctes. of all the inheritours of the kingdome of heauen, who is he (I say) that knoweth this assuredlie by Gods worde, and the testimony of his owne conscience (as I through the infinite goodnes of God, not of my selfe, but by his grace, acknowledge my selfe to do) who is he (I saye) that knoweth this and both loueth and feareth God in deede and in truth, loueth and beleueth his Master Christ and his blessed gospel, loueth his brotherhode the chosen children of god, and also lusteth and longeth for euerlasting life, who is he (I saye againe) that would not or can not finde in his harte in this cause to be content to die?MarginaliaLet no man shrinke to die in such a blessed and common quarell. The Lorde forbid that any suche should bee that shoulde forsake this grace of God. I trust in my Lord God, the God of mercies and the Father of all comforte through Iesus Christe our Lord, that he which hath put this minde, will, and affection by his holy spirite in my hart to stand against the face of the enemy in his cause, and to chuse rather the losse of al my worldly substance, yea and of my life too, then to denie his knowne truth, that he will comforte me, ayde mee, and strengthen mee euermore euen vnto the ende, and to the yeldyng vp of my spirite and soule into his holy handes: whereof I moste hartely beseech his most holy Sacred maiestie of his infinite goodnes and mercie, through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

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MarginaliaTo his frendes in Cambridge.Now that I haue taken my leaue of my countreymen and kinsfolke, and the Lord doth lend me life and geueth me leysure, I will bid my other good frendes in God of other places also, farewell. And whom first or before other, th? the vniuersity of Cambridge wheras I haue dwelt longer, found more faithfull and hartie frendes, receiued more benefites (the benefits of my naturall parentes only excepted) then euer I did euen in mine owne natiue countrey  

wherin I was borne.

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Farewel therfore Cambridge my louing mother and tender nurse. If I should not acknowledge thy manyfold benefites,MarginaliaBenefites shewed to D. Ridley in Cambridge. yea if I shoulde not for thy benefites at the least loue thee againe, truely I were to be counted vngrate and vnkind. What benefites hadst thou euer, that thou vsest to geue and bestow vpon thy best beloued childr?, that thou thoughtest to good for me? Thou diddest bestow on me all thy schole degrees: of thy common offices, the Chaplainship of the Vniuersitie, the office of the Proctorship, and of a common reader, and of thy priuate commodities and emoluments in Colledges: what was it that thou madest me not partner of? Firste to bee Scholer, then Fellowe, and after my departure from thee, thou calledst me againe to a Mastership of a right worshipfull colledge. I thanke thee my louyng mother for all this thy kindnes, and I pray God that his lawes and the sincere gospell of Christe, may euer be truely taught & faithfully learned in thee.

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MarginaliaPembroke hall in Cambridge.Farewell Pembroke Hall, of late mine owne Colledge, my cure & my charge: what case thou art in now God knoweth, I know not well. Thou wast euer named sithens  

I knew thee (which is now a. xxx. yeres agoe) to bee studious, well learned, and a greate setter forth of Christes gospell, and of Gods true word:MarginaliaCommendation of Pembroke hall to be a setter forth euer of the gospell. so I found thee, and blessed be God, so I left thee in deede. Wo is me for thee mine owne deare Colledge, if euer thou suffer thy selfe by any meanes to be brought from that trade. In thy Orchard (the wals, buttes,   & trees, if they could speake, would beare me witnes) I learned without booke almost all Paules Epistles, yea and I wene   all the Canonicall Epistles saue onely the Apocalipse.MarginaliaD. Ridley learned the Epistles of S. Paul and Peter without booke in Pembroke hall.Of which study, although in time a great parte did depart from me, yet the sweete smell therof I trust I shall cary with me into heauen: for the profite therof I thinke I haue felt in all my life tyme euer after, & I weene of late (whether they abide there nowe or no I cannot tell) there was that did the like. The Lorde graunt that this zeale and loue towarde that parte of Gods word, which is a kay and a true commentary to all holy Scripture, may euer abide in that Colledge so long as the world shall endure.

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