MarginaliaAnno. 1556. Ianuary.for vs by Iesus Christe God and man, our onely and sufficient Sauiour and Aduocate. Amen. Farewell, and praie in faith.

Yours Thomas Whittell Minister,
and now condemned to die for the Go-
spels sake. 1556. Ianuary. 21.

¶ All my felowes salute you. Salute all our
faithfull brethren with you.

¶ To my deare frend and brother Iohn VVent, and other his prison felowes in Lollards Tower.  

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This letter first appeared in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 493-94 and was reprinted in 1570. This letter is dated 4 December 1555.

HE that preserued Ioseph prisoner in Egypt, fedde Daniell in the Lions denne, and deliueredMarginaliaAct. 16. Paul, Peter, and the Apostles out of prison, vouchsafe of his goodnes to keepe, feede, and deliuer you my good brother Went, with the other our felow souldiours your prison felowes, as may be most to his glorie, to your consolation, and the edification of his Churche.

I cannot but praise God most earnestly, when I heare of your constancy in the faithe and ioye in the Crosse of Christe whiche you now beare and suffer together, with manie other good members of Christ: whiche is a token that by Christe Marginalia2. Thess. 1.ye are counted worthy the kyngdome of God, as Paule sayth. And though the world counteth the yoke and crosse of Christ as a most pernicious and hurtfull thing, yet wee whiche haue tasted howe frendly the Lorde is, Marginalia1. Peter. 2.cannot but reioyce in this persecution as touchyng our selues, in as muche as the cause for the which we suffer is the Lordes cause, and not ours: at whose hand, if we endure to the ende, we shall receiue through his liberall promise in Christe, not onely a greate reward in heauen, but also the kyngdome of heauen it selfe, and also in the meane season be sure to be defended & cared for, so that wee shall lacke no necessary thinges, MarginaliaMath. 10.neither a heare of our heades shall perishe without his knowledge. O what is hee that woulde mistrust, or not gladly serue so louyng a father? O how vnhappy are they that forsake hym and put their trust in manne? But howe blessed are they that for his loue and for his holy woordes sake, Marginalia1. Pet. 4.in these troublesome daies do committe their soules and bodies into his handes with well doyng, countyng it greater happines and riches to suffer rebuke with Christe and his Church, then to enioy the pleasures of this life for a litle short season? MarginaliaHeb.. 11.This crosse that wee now beare, hath beene common to all the faithfull from Abell hetherto, and shalbe to the ende, MarginaliaApocalip. 12.because the deuill hauing greate wrath against God and his Christe, can not abyde that he should for his manifolde mercies be lauded and magnified, and Christe to be taken and beleued vpon for our onely and sufficient redemer, Sauiour, and aduocate: MarginaliaSathan can not abide Christ to be receiued for our onely Sauiour and therof riseth all this persecution.and therefore, because we will not deny Christ, nor dissemble with our faith, but openly protest and professe the same before the world, he seeketh by all meanes to styrre vp his wicked members, to persecute and kill the bodies of the true Christians: as Saint Iohn saith, MarginaliaApocalip. 2.the Deuill shal cast some of you into Prison. And Dauid saith, MarginaliaPsalme 115.I beleued, and therfore haue I spoken, but I was sore troubled. This notwithstandyng, go forward deare brethren, as ye haue begon, to fight the Lordes battell, consideryng Christe the Captaine of your warre, who will both fight for you, geue you victory, and also highly rewarde your paynes. Consider to your comfort, the notable and chiefe sheepheardes and souldiours of Christe whiche are gone before vs in these daies, I meane those learned and Godlie Bishops, Doctours, and other ministers of Gods woorde: whose faith and examples wee that bee inferiours ought to follow, as Saint Paul saith: MarginaliaHeb. 13.Remember them that haue declared vnto you the worde of God, the ende of whose conuersation see that ye looke vppon, and followe their faith. The grace and blessyng of God, with the ministery of his holy Angels, be with you for euer, Amen. All my prison felowes grete you.

From the Colehouse  

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I.e., from the coal house of Bonner's London palace which was being used as a makeshift prison for prisoners being examined by the bishop.

¶ To all the true professours and louers of Gods holy Gospell within the Citie of London.  

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This letter was first printed in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 494-500 and was reprinted in 1570. ECL 260, fos. 146r-147v is a copy of this letter.

MarginaliaA letter of Thomas Whittell to the true professors of the Citie of London.THe same faith for the which Abraham was counted righteous, and Mary blessed, the Lorde God encrease and make stable in your hartes, my dere and

MarginaliaRom. 4. Luke. 1.faithfull brethren and sisters of London, for euer and euer, Amen.

Marginalia1. Pet. 1.Dearly beloued, be not troubled in this heat which is now come amonges you to trie you, as though some straunge thing had happened vnto you, but reioyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christes passions, that whē his glory appeareth, ye may be merie and glad. &c. Out of these woordes of Saint Peter I gather moste specially these. 4. notes. Marginalia4. Notes.Firste, that the persecution happeneth to Christes churche for their triall, that is, for the probation and proofe of their faith. Whiche faith, like as it is knowne with God in the depth of our hartes, so will hee haue it made manifeste to the whole worlde thorow persecution, that so it maie euidentlie appeare that hee hath suche a churche and people vpoon earth, whiche so trusteth in hym and feareth his holie name, MarginaliaRom. 8.that no kinde of persecution, paines, nor death shall be able to separate them from the loue of hym. And thus was MarginaliaGene. 22.Abraham tried, and MarginaliaIob. 1.Iob tempted, that their faithe whiche before lay hid almoste in their hartes, might be made knowne to the whole world to be so stedfast and strong, that the deuill, naturall loue, nor no other enemy could be able to bereue them thereof. MarginaliaRom. 9.Wherby also God was to bee magnified, who both trieth his people by many tribulations, and also standeth by them in the middeste of their troubles to deliuer them by lyfe or death, as he seeth beste: like as he assisted Loth, and deliuered hym out of his enemies handes, Ioseph out of the handes of his Brethren and out of Prison, Marginalia2. Cor. 11.Paule from his enemies in Damasco, and MarginaliaAct. 16.the Apostls out of the Stockes and Prison. These with many mo he deliuered to life: and also hee deliuered MarginaliaGenesis 4. 2. Machab. 6. Act. 7. Math. 17.Abell, Eleazar, Steuē and Iohn Baptist, with other manie by death, and hath also by the triall of their faithe made them good presidents and examples to vs and all that come after, to suffer affliction in the like cause, as Saint Iames saith: MarginaliaIames. 5. 4.Take, my brethren (saith he) the Prophets for an ensample of sufferyng aduersitie and of long patience, which spake vnto you in the name of the Lorde: behold wee count them happie whiche endure. Ye haue heard of the patience of Iob, and haue knowne what ende the Lorde made with hym, for the Lorde is verie pitifull and merciful. Also the Lorde trieth vs, to let vs see our owne hartes and thoughtes, that no hypocrisie nor ambition deceiue vs, and that the stronge in Christe may praie that hee fall not but endure to the ende, and that those that fall through fearefull infirmitie, might speedelye repent and rise againe with Peter, and also that the weake ones might bewaile their weakenes, and crye with Dauid: MarginaliaPsalme. 6.haue mercie vpon mee O Lorde, for I am weake: O Lorde heale mee for all my bones are vexed.

Of this openyng of the harte by persecution, spake holie Simion to Mary Christes mother when he said: MarginaliaLuke. 2.the Sworde, that is, the Crosse of persecution shall pearse thy Soule, that the thoughtes of manie hartes may bee opened. For like as a king that shoulde go to battell, is compelled to looke in his cofers what treasure hee hath, and also what number and puisance of menne and weapons hee hath, so that if he see hymselfe vnreadye and vnarmed to bicker with his enemie, hee surceaseth and taketh truce for a tyme: euen so wee by persecutions haue our hartes opened that we may loke therein to see what faith in Christe we haue, and what strength to withstande the enemies, and to beare the crosse, that if we bee riche in these treasures, wee might reioyce and valiauntlie go to Battell: or if wee wante these thinges, with all speede to call and crie vpon hym whiche geueth all good giftes to those that aske them. MarginaliaThe crosse trieth the good people from the bad.Item, the crosse trieth the good people from the bad, the faithfull from the worldlinges and hipocrites, and also clenseth and scoureth the faithfull hartes from all corruption and filthines both of the fleshe and the spirite. And euen as yron, except it be often scoured, will soone waxe rustie: so except our sinfull hartes and flesh be often scoured with þ^e whetston of the Crosse, they wil soone corrupt and ouergrowe with the ruste of all filthines and sinne. And therefore it is meete and good for vs (as the wise manMarginaliaSirach. 2. saieth) that as golde and siluer are tried in the fire, so shoulde the hartes of acceptable menne be tried in the Fornace of aduersitie. Abide the triall (deare frendes) that ye maie obtaine the crowne of life. Fight manfullie in this the Lordes cause, that ye maie obtaine a glorious victorie here, and receiue a great rewarde in Heauen hereafter. As ye are called Christians, and would be angry to be called Iewes or