MarginaliaAnno. 1555. October.error and heresie, and the old lawes of Antichriste are allowed to returne with þ^e power of their father again: what can be hereafter looked for by reason, to the man of God, and true christian abidyng in this realme, but extreme violence of death, or els to deny his maister. I graunt the hartes of princes are in Gods handes, and whether soeuer he will, he can make them to bowe: and also that MarginaliaPunishment of heretiques more gentle in the old time, and how it was vsed.christiā princes in old tyme, vsed a more gētle kinde of punishment, euen to them whiche were heritikes in deede, as degradation, and depositiō out of their roumes and offices, exile and banishement out of their dominions and coūtreis, and also (as it is red) the true bishops of Christes church, were somtyme intercessors for the heretickes vnto princes, that thei would not kil them, as is red of S. Augustine. But as yet Antichristes kyngdome was not so erected at that tyme, nor is now accustomed so to order thē, that will not fal doune and worship the Beast and his Image, but (euen as al the worlde knoweth) after the same maner that bothe Iohn and Daniell hath prophesied before, that is by violence of death: and Daniell declareth farther, that the kinde of death accustomably should be by sworde, fire, and imprisonmente. Therefore if thou, O man of God, doest purpose to abide in this realme, prepare and arme thy selfe to die: for bothe by Antichristes accustomable lawes, and these prophecies, there is no appearance, or likelihod of any other thyng, except thou wilt deny thy maister Christ, whiche is the losse at the laste, bothe of body and soule vnto euerlasting death. Therfore my good brother or sister in Christe, whatsoeuer thou be, to thee that canst, and maiest so do, MarginaliaCounsel geuen in these daies of persecution, what to doe.that counsaile that I thinke is þ^e best sauegard for thee, both for thy body and most suretie for thy soules health, is that whiche I shal shewe thee hereafter. But first I warne thee to vnderstande me, to speake to hym or her, which bee not in captiuitie, or called already for to conesse Christ, but are at libertie abrode.

My councell (I saie) therfore is this, to flie frō the plague, and to get thee hence. I consider not onely the subtelties of Sathan, and how he is able to deceiue by his false persuasions (if it were possible) euen the chosen of God, and also the greate frailtie, whiche is oftētymes more in a man, then he doeth knowe in hym self, whiche in the tyme of temptation, then wil vtter it self: I do not onely consider these thynges (I saie) but that our master Christ, whose life was, and is a perfect rule of the Christian mannes life, that he hym self auoided oftentymes the furie, and madnes of the Iewes, by departyng from the countrey or place.

Paule likewise, when he was sought in Damasco, and the gates of the citie were laied in waite for hym, was conueighed by night, beyng let doune in a basket, out at a windowe ouer the wall: and Helias the Prophet fled the persecution of wicked Iesabell: & Christ our Sauiour saith in the Gospell: MarginaliaSuch as remayned out of captiuity counsayled to voyde the realme.When thei persecute you in one citie, flie vnto an other: & so did many good, greate learned, and vertuous men of God, which wer greate and stoute champions neuerthelesse, and stoute confessors, and mainteiners of Christ and his truthe, in due tyme and place. Of suche was the greate clarke Athanasius. But this is so plaine to bee lawfull by gods worde, and exāples of holy men, that I neede not to stande in it. Hauyng this for my groūd, I say to thee O man of God, thys semeth to me to bee the moste sure waie for thy sauegard, to depart and flie farre from the plague, and that swiftly also: for truely, before God, I thinke that the abomination that Daniell Prophesied of so long before, is now set vp in the holie place.MarginaliaThe abomination of desolation set vp in England. For all Antichristes doctrine, lawes, rites and religion, cōtrary to Christe, and to the true seruyng and worshippyng of God, I vnderstande to be that abhomination: Therefore now is the tyme in Englāde, for those wordes of Christ: Tunc, inquit, qui in Iudea sunt fugiant ad mōtes.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

Ridley in a treatise lamenting the state of England, citing St. Matthew, 24. 16. (cf. St. Mark, 13. 14. and St. Luke, 21. 21.)

Foxe text Latin

Tunc, inquit, qui in Iudea sunt fugiant ad montes.

Foxe text translation

Then (saith Christ) thei that be in Jewrie, let them flie into the mountaines

Actual text of St. Matthew, 24. 16. (Vulgate)

tunc qui in Iudaea sunt fugiant ad montes.

[Accurate citation.]

These wordes of Christ are misticall, and therfore haue nede of interpretation. I vnderstande all those to be in Iewrie spiritually, which truely confesse one true

liuyng God, & the whole truthe of his worde, after the doctrine of the Gospell of Christ. Suche are they whō Christ here biddeth, in þ^e time of the raigne of Antichristes abominations, MarginaliaChrist cōmaundeth to flie vnto the mountaynesto flie vnto the mountaines: whiche signifieth places of safegard, & all suche thinges which are able to defende from the plague. That he biddeth hym that is on the house top, not to come doune, and hym that is in the field, not to returne to take with hym his clothes, he meaneth that thei should spede thē to get them awaie betyme, lest in their tariyng, and triflyng about worldly prouisiō, thei be trapped in the snare ere euer thei be aware, and caught by the backe, & for gain of small worldly thinges, endaunger and cast them selues into great perilles of more waightie matters. And where he saieth: wo bee to the greate bealied women, & to them that giue sucke: women greate with childe, and nigh to their liyng doune, and to be brought to bed, are not able to trauell: nor also those women, whiche are brought to bed, and now giueth their babes sucke. By these therefore Christe Spiritually vnderstandeth all suche to be in extreme daunger, whiche this worde [wo] signifieth: all suche (I saie) as are so letted by any maner of meanes, that thei no waies be able to flie from the plague. And wher Christ saith: praie that your flight be not in winter, nor on the Sabboth daie: in winter the commō course of the yere teacheth vs, that the waies be foule, and therefore it is a harde thyng, then to take a farre iourney for many incommodities, and daungers of the waies in that time of the yere: & on the Sabboth daie it was not lawfull to iourney, but a little waye. Now Christ therefore, meanyng that wee should haue nede, bothe to spede our iourney quickly, which cannot be doen in Winter, for the incōmodities of the waies, and also to go far, whiche cannot be doen on the Sabboth daie: he biddeth vs therefore praie, that our flight be not in Winter, nor on the Sabboth daie: that is, to praie that we maie flie in tyme, and also farre enough frō the danger of the plague. Now, the causes why we should flie, followeth in the same place of sainct Matthewes Gospell, whiche I now passe ouer: thou maiest read them there.

MarginaliaApocalip. 18.And in the. xviij. chapter of the Reuelation, the angell is said to haue cried mightely with a loude voyce: Flie my people out of Babilon, lest you be infected with her faultes, and so bee made partners of her plagues: for her offences & sinnes are growne so great, that thei swell and are come vnto the heauens: certainly the tyme doth approche, and the Lordes daie is at hande. Heare (I beseche you) also holy Paule, that blessed Apostle: He plainly forbiddeth vs: Marginalia2. Cor. 6.ducere iugum cum incredulis,  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

Ridley in a treatise lamenting the state of England, citing II Corinthians, 6. 14.

Foxe text Latin

ducere iugum cum incredulis

Foxe text translation

to ioyne or couple our selues with the vnfaithefull, [for what fellowship can there be]

Actual text of II Corinthians, 6. 14. (Vulgate)

nolite iugum ducere cum infidelibus.

[Accurate citation, except forincredulisforinfidelibus.]

MarginaliaCounsell to depart the realme.This councell to depart the realme, I do not maruell if it doe seme to diuers (euen of thē I meane that beare fauour to Godward) diuersly. Many (I truste) that bee learned shall thinke the councell good. Other there be peraduēture that will thinke it rather a thing to bee more tolerable, and that it maie bee in deede by Gods worde lawfully doen, rather then to be counsailed to bee doen, for thei will peraduenture saie, wee should counsell a man alwaies to doe that, whiche is best of all, and of moste perfection: but boldly in Christes cause to spende a mannes life, is beste of all, and of moste perfection, and to flie it maie seme to smell of cowardnes. In many thynges, that whiche is beste for one at some tymes, is not best for all at all tymes, and it is not moste perfection, nor mete for a childe to couet to run, before he can goe.MarginaliaDoubtes whether to fly or to tary debated.I will not make here a discourse in this matter,what mighte here bee obiected, and what might be aunswered againe: I leaue that to the wittie, and eloquent men of the worlde.

This is my minde, whiche I would thou shouldest knowe, O man of God, as I would wishe, and I doe praie to almightie God it maie be, that euery true christian, either brother or sister (after thei bee called, and