Marginalia1555. Decemb.MarginaliaAn other letter of M. Philpot to a certayne godly Lady.I Can not but most hartily geue God thankes for these his giftes in you, whose brightnes many beholding that are weake, are muche encouraged to seeke God likewise, and to cleaue to hym, hauing the ensample of so faithfull and constant a Gentlewoman before their eyes. If the Queene of the South shall rise with the men of Christes generation, and condemne them, for that shee came from the ende of the worlde to heare the wisedome of Salomon: then shall your sincere and godly conuersation, thus shinyng in this daungerous tyme of the trial of Christes people (being a woman of a right worshipfull estate and wealthy condition) condemne in the latter day a greate many of these fainte harted Gospellers, MarginaliaAgainst faint harted Gospellers.which so soone be gone backe and turned from the truth, at the voyce of a handmaiden: seeing that neither the feare of imprisonment, neither the possessions of the world (wherwithal you are sufficiētly indued aboue a great many) can separate you from the loue of the truthe, whiche God hath reueled vnto you. Whereby it appeareth that the seede of Gods woord which was sowen in you, fel not, neyther in the high way, neither amōg the thornes, neither vpō the stones, but vpon a good ground, which is blessed of god & bringeth forth fruite, with great affliction, an hūdreth fold, to the glory of God, and the encrease of his church. &c.

[Back to Top]

In consideration wherof, S. Iames biddeth vs highly to reioyce, when soeuer we fall in into many temptations, knowing that it is but the trial of our faith, that we might bring forth that excellent vertue pacience, by the which we are made like to our Redeemer Christ, with whō we here being like in suffering, assuredly shal hereafter be partakers of his eternall glory. Therfore S. Paul saith: God forbid that I should glory in any thing, but in the crosse of our lord Iesus Christ. I that am vnder the crosse with you (thanks be geuen to God therfore) haue fealt in the same more true ioye and consolation, then euer I dyd by any benefite that God hath geuen me in my life before. For the more the worlde dooth hate vs, the nigher God is vnto vs, and there is no perfect ioy, but in God. Wherfore Christ said: MarginaliaIohn. 16.In me you shall haue ioy, but in the worlde affliction. Blessed be God whiche sendeth vs this affliction, that we might perfectly ioy in him. For this cause in the ripest tyme of iniquitie, and in the moste feruent season of persecution of the true church, which Christ in þ^e. xxi. of LukeMarginaliaLuke. 21. prophesied to come, he wylleth vs to be of good cheare, and to lift vp our heads, for our redemption is at hand.

[Back to Top]

O that the Lord would come and deliuer vs from this worlde, whiche is a vale of miserye, vnto his owne kingdome, where floweth perpetuall ioy and consolation. MarginaliaPerfect ioy considered.And veryly that is the true and onely ioy whiche is conceyued, not of the creature, but of the Creator, the which when we doo possesse, no bodye can take it awaye from vs. MarginaliaComparison betwene the ioy in God and the ioy in this worldTo the which ioy al other ioyes being cōpared, are but mournings, al delightes sorrowe, al sweetenes sower, all beautie filth, and finally all other thynges that be counted pleasaunt, are tediousnes. Your owne selfe is better witnes of this, then I: aske your selfe, with whom you are best acquainted. Doth not the holy Ghost speake the same in your harte? Haue you not perswaded your self this to be true, before I wrote thereof? For howe shoulde you, being a woman, and a young Gentlewoman, beautifull, and at your owne libertie, haue ouercome this your fraile kinde and age, and despised your excellent beautie and estate, vnlesse all those thinges which be subiect to the senses, had bene counted of you vile, and litle to be esteemed in comparison of those things which inwardly do comfort you, to ouercome the fleshe, the worlde, and the deuyll. &c.

[Back to Top]

God encrease your ioy in all spirituall thyngs, and establish your hope to the day of eternal rest. You haue forsaken darkenes, and are entred into light, God graunt the same may shine styll in you, vntyl the perfect day come of the lord, in the whiche is all our consolation. Here we must be darkened, that there we may appeare as bright as the Sunne in the face of the whole world, and of al them that now condemne vs for our wel doyng: MarginaliaGods Saintes shal be as Iudges agaynst their aduersaryes.whose Iudges then we shal be, to their horrible griefe, though nowe wrongfully they iudge vs. Pray hartily, and that often, that God once again for his Christes sake, woulde be mercyfull to his afflicted church in England. Faythfull prayer is the onely remedye that we haue against the fiery dartes of the deuyl, that be kindled agaynst vs. By prayer the Amalechites shal be ouercome, and the roaryngs of the Lyon, which seeketh stil to deuoure vs, shalbe stopped and put to silence. The Lord stop Leuiathans mouth, that he swalowe not vp Gods seely  

people, according to his expectation. &c.

[Back to Top]

Prayse the Lord for the faithfull testimonie and sacrifice which two of our brethren of late haue through fire rendred

to the truth of the Gospell, MarginaliaThe Gospell triumpheth by the death of Martyrs.which nowe triumpheth by the death of godly Martyrs. The Lord is at hande, therefore Watche and pray. The last of May. 1555. Captiue in the Kynges Bench.

Yours with hart in Christ, Iohn Philpot.

MarginaliaAn other letter of Iohn Philpot to the Lady Vane.GOd the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ encrease in your godly hart the faith of the Gospel, which is your eternal inheritance, & the holy ghost comfort your spirit with al spiritual consolation, to the day of the Lord, Amen.

I can not but prayse God most highly and earnestly my deare & faythful Lady, for the great & vnfained loue whiche you beare vnto me in Christe, declared oftentymes, as well now as of late, MarginaliaLady Vane a liberall benefactor to Gods Saintes.by manifest and liberall tokens. Blessed be God that hath made you so worthy a member in his kingdome. For it can not be but such shal reape with abundance in tyme of reward, that here do sowe so plenteously in well doyng. Albeit I am most vnworthy to receiue any such benefite at your handes, as in respecte of a pyller of Christes church, which am scarse a shadowe therof. But the zeale of Christes Church in you wisheth me to be such a one as the tyme doth require. God fulfil your desire of me, that I may be found constant, & no wandring starre. I am not worthy of the name of a Prophet, or of a Minister of Gods word, for that I haue (beyng letted  

by the iniquitie of tyme) litle or nothing laboured therin. I am a frende of our cōmon spouse Iesus, and doo reioyce of the veritie of his woorde: for the which (praysed be his name) he hath counted me woorthy to suffer: and in deede MarginaliaMark. 9.who that geueth a draught of water in the name of a Disciple (as Christe hath promised) shall not loose his rewarde. Therfore, that your gentlenes doth in the name of hym, which I am not, the Lord recompence vnto you in all his blessinges, whiche he is accustomed to poure on them which loue his flocke vnfainedly.

[Back to Top]

Good Lady, you haue to ioy that the kingdome of God is thus continually before your eyes, and that you are not ashamed of the bandes of Christe, which you with his people in part do suffer. They may be assured of the glory euerlastyng, which here are not ashamed to take vp the crosse of Christe, and to folowe hym. Here we must weepe and lament, whiles the worlde laugheth and triumpheth ouer vs: but our teares shal shortly be turned into vnspeakeable ioy, and we shall eternally be merye together, when the worlde shal lament their infidelitie without ende. &c.

[Back to Top]

I would I were able to do any thyng that might shew codigne thanks for that sincere loue you beare vnto me in Christe. You adiure me (as it were) by your gentle letters to be bold on you in al my nedes. I thanke God which ceaseth not to prouide for his. I lacke nothing at this present, but onely habilitie to thanke your faithfull harte for your goodnes towardes me. I loue you and not yours, as it is meete Christians to loue one an other in God: & your faith which I behold in you, is more worth vnto me then al your possessions. And I thinke I shal not neede long to be chargeable vnto you, for that this weeke I looke for Commissioners to sit on me, and on my felow prisoners in prison, lest þ^e spirit of our breath might blow further abroad. The will of God be done. We are not so good as Iohn the Baptist which was beheaded in prison. Darknes can not abide the light. Therfore their doynges must declare what they are. We are as sheepe appoynted for a sacrifice to the Lorde. We must not feare the fire, for our lord is a cōsuming fire, which wyll put out the fiercenes of raging torments frō vs. Be not afraid of them that can kyl the body, but feare hym that can caste both bodye and soule into Hel fire. God forbyd that we should reioyce otherwise thē in the crosse of Christ, & pray that he would make vs worthy to suffer for his sake. God wyl haue our faith tried & knowen,MarginaliaA perfect Christā man how he is knowen. and therfore let vs willyngly hūble our selues vnder the mighty hand of God, that he may gloriously lyft vs vp in his good tyme. There is none perfectly faithfull in deede tyll he can say with S. Paul: MarginaliaRom. 8.I am perswaded that neither death, neither life, neither augels, neither princes or powers, neither thinges present, neither thinges to come, neither highnes, neither lownes, neither any other creature is able to separate me from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu our Lorde. This faith God plant both in you and me vnmoueably. In this faith we haue to reioyce and in none other.

[Back to Top]

Al the tribulations of the worlde are not worthy of the eternall weight of glorye whiche is prepared for them, that here do with pacience abide the crosse. Wherefore let vs be strong with the strength in hym, that is able to make vs strong, and lament the weakenes, I might say the infidelitie of our faint Gospellers. Christe whom we would pretend to haue put vpon vs, is the strength of God, and how

[Back to Top]