Marginalia1556. Aprill.therin and ouercome, vsing dissimulation vnfaithfully, for feare of their displeasure, doyng one thyng outwardly, and thinking inwardly an other: so hauyng them in reuerence vnder a cloke and colour, to whom they ought not so muche as to say God speede: and adioyning them selues to the malignant congregation, which they ought to abhorre as a den of theeues and murtherers,MarginaliaIohn. 3. MarginaliaIohn. 10. Eze. 16. and as the Brothell house of most blasphemous fornicators: whose voyces beyng contrary to Christes voyce, if they were of his flocke, they would not knowe, but woulde flee from them: MarginaliaIohn. 10.as he hym selfe beyng the good sheepheard of our soules doth full well in his holy Gospel testifie. MarginaliaAgaynst desembling bearers with the PapistsAgaine, what do they els I pray you, but receyue the Beastes marke in their foreheades and in their handes, which doo beare a fayre face and countenaunce outwardly in supportyng them as other doo, being ashamed onely to confesse Christ and his holy Gospell? But this faynednes and dissimulation, Christe and his Gospel wyl in no wise allowe. Of whom it is sayde: MarginaliaMark. 18. Luke. 9.who soeuer shal be ashamed of me and my wordes in this adulterous and sinfull generation, of hym also shal the sonne of man be ashamed, when he shall come in the glory of his father with his holy angels. Therefore saith almighty God by his Prophet Malachie: MarginaliaMala. 1.Cursed be the dissemblers. MarginaliaHeb. 6.Ye were once lightened, and tasted of the heauenly gyft, and were become partakers of the holy ghost, and tasted of the worde of God, and of the power of the world to come. And our Saueour Christ saith: MarginaliaLuke. 6.No man that putteth his hand to the plough, and looketh backe, is apt for the kingdome of God. Therefore S. IohnMarginalia1. Iohn. 2. the Apostle vseth this for a manifest token, that the backsliding from the true preachers of Gods worde, declareth euidently, that they be not of the number of them. For, saith he: They went out from vs, but they were not of vs: for if they had ben of vs, no doubt, they would haue continued with vs. Surely, so long as we vse dissimulation, and to play on both hands, we are not in the light. For whatsoeuer is manifest, the same is light, as the elect vessel of God S. PaulMarginaliaEphe. 4. witnesseth.

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Wherfore (good Christians) for Gods most deare loue, deceiue not your selues through your owne wisedome, and through the wisedome of the world, which is foolishnes before God, Marginalia1. Cor. 3.but certifie and staye your owne conscience with the sure truth and faithful word of God, & with the infallible testimonies of holy scripture. MarginaliaPsal. 3.For although Gods mercy is ouer al his workes: yet it doth not extend but onely to them that MarginaliaHeb. 3.holde fast the confidence & reioysing of hope vnto the end, not being weery in well doyng, Marginalia2. Cor. 4.but rather waxing euery day stronger and stronger in the inward man. MarginaliaGods mercy to whom it belongeth.Therefore in the Reuelation of S. Iohn, where it is entreated of the Beast and his Image, it is also said: Here is the sufferance of Saintes, and here are they that keepe the cōmaundementes, and the faith of Iesus Christ. Whereby almighty God doth shewe plainly, that he doth vse those wicked men as instrumentes for a tyme, to trye the pacience and fayth of his peculiar people, without the perfourmance whereof we can haue no part among the liuyng, but as it is sayde in the same Reuelation: The fearefull shall haue their parte in the lake that burneth with fire and brymstone, whiche is the second death.

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But peraduenture ye wyl obiect & say vnto me: what shall we doo? Shall we cast our selues headlong to death? MarginaliaObiection aunswered.I say not so. But this I say that we are al bound (if euer we looke to receyue saluation at Gods hande) in this case wholy to be obedient to his determinate counsell and foreknowledge, Marginalia1. Cor. 12.expressed by the gyft of the spirite in holy Scripture: and then to caste all our care vpon hym, MarginaliaRom. 18.who worketh all in all for the best, vnto them that loue hym: and thus he geueth commaundement saying: MarginaliaApoc. 18.Come away from her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sinnes, and that ye receyue not of her plagues. Nowe who hearyng this terrible voyce of God, whiche must needes be fulfilled, wyll not with all speede and diligence apply hym selfe to doo thereafter, except such as wyl prisumptuously tempt hym? And as touchyng such the Wise man saith: MarginaliaEccle. 3.He that loueth peryl and daunger, shal perish therein. But they that be of the fayth of Abraham, euen as he dyd, so wyll they in all assayes and tryals be obedient to the heauenly voyce, howe so euer it seemeth contrary to their own natural wyl and carnal reason, according to the sure word of fayth, which saith: MarginaliaPsal. 36.Hope thou in the Lord and keepe his way: holde thee styll in the Lord, and abide paciently vpon hym. Let not thy ielousie moue thee also to doo euyll. Marginalia2. Cor. 6.Come out from among them, & ioyne not your selues to their vnlawful assemblies: yea, doo not once shewe your selues with the least parte of your body, to fauour their wicked doyngs, but glorifie God (as most right is) so wel in your whole body outwardly, as inwardly in your spirite, or els you can doo neither of both well: MarginaliaThe body must adioyne wyth the spirite in seruing God.for your body doth belong to God, so wel as your spirite. At the dreadfull day of iudgement, we shal all receyue

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the workes of our bodyes, accordyng to that we haue done, whether it be good or bad.

Therefore what soeuer we doo, we may not bring the spirite in bondage to the body, but contrarywise we muste subdue the body & þ^e wyll of the fleshe to the spirit, that the spirite may freely accomplish the wyl of God in al thynges: for otherwise we shall neuer be partakers of his promise, with the true children of Abraham. For as S. Paul saith: They which are the children of the flesh, are not the chyldren of God. If we shall liue according to the flesh, we shal dye. For to be carnally mynded, is death: but to be spiritually mynded, is lyfe and peace, because that the fleshly mynded is enmitie to God: for it is not obedient to the lawe of God, neither can be. So then they that are in the fleshe can not please God. Now chuse you which way you wil take: either þ^e narow way þ^t leadeth vnto lyfe, which Christ hym selfe and his faythfull folowers haue gone through before: or els the broad path way that leadeth to destruction, which the wicked worldlings take their pleasure in for a while. MarginaliaFaythfull admonition.I for my part haue nowe written this short admonition vnto you of good wyll (as God be my witnes) to exhorte you to that way which at length you your selues should proue and finde to be best, yea and reioyce therof. And I doo not onely write this, but I wyl also (w^t the assistance of Gods grace) ratifie and confirme, and seale the same with the effusion of my bloud, when the ful time shal be expired that he hath appoynted: which (so farre forth as I may iudgde) must needes be within these few dayes. Therefore I now byd you all most hartyly frrewell in the Lorde, whose grace be with your spirite. Amen. Watche and pray, watch and pray, pray, pray. So be it.

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Iohn Hullyer.

Besides these letters, the sayd Iohn Hullyer leaft also a godly prayer, whiche if any be disposed to peruse, it is extant in the old booke of Actes, to be found, pag. 1515.

MarginaliaAprill 28.NOt long after the death of Robert Drakes, William Tyms, and the other Essex Martyrs, executed in Smithfielde, as is aboue specified, folowed in the same order likewise of Martyrdome,MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of sixe men at Colchester.at one like fire, in the towne of Colchester (where the most part of them did inhabite) sixe other blessed martyrs, whose names be these:

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Christopher Lyster, of Dagneham, Husbandman.
Iohn Mace, of Colchester, Apothecary.  

Iohn Spenser, of Colchester, Weauer.
Simon Ioyne, Sawyer.
Richard Nicols, of Colchester, Weauer.  
Iohn Hamond, of Colchester, Tanner.  

With these sixe was also ioyned an other, MarginaliaRoger Grosbroke.whose name was Roger Grasbroke, but he afterwarde submitted hym selfe. These aboue named, the Bishop, because he (as it seemeth by the short processe recorded by his Register) waxed nowe weerye, made a verye quicke dispatche. For soone after that, they were deliuered vnto one Iohn Kingstone,MarginaliaIohn Kingston B. Boners Commissary in Essex. Bacheler of Ciuil Lawe, and then Commissary to the bishop, by the Earle of Oxford and other Commissioners (as appeareth by a byll endented, made betweene the Commissioners and the sayd Commissary, for the receyt of the sayd prisoners,MarginaliaThese Martyrs were deliuered by the Earle of Oxford to the Commissary, and by the Commissary sent to the Byshop. dated the. xxviij. day of March, Anno regni regis & Reginæ, Philippi & Mariæ, secundo & tertio:  

whiche is the yeare of our Lorde. 1556.) and by hym sent vp vnto his Lorde and Maister, the Bishop caused them to be brought vnto his house at Fulham: Where in the open Churche, iudicially were ministred vnto them the same articles that were propounded vnto Bartlet Grene and others, mentioned before pag. 1585.MarginaliaThese articles reade before pag. 1585. To the which they made their seuerall aunsweres, agreeing all together in one truth, as by the sūme and effect thereof here ensuing, more playnely appeareth.

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MarginaliaTheir aunsweres to the Byshops Articles.1 To the first article they all consented and agreed: Iohn Spenser adding further therto, that the church malignant, MarginaliaThe Church of Rome no part of Christes Catholicke Church.(which is the Churche of Rome) is no parte of Christes Catholike church: and that he neither hath, nor doth beleue the doctrine and religion, taught & set forth in the sayde Romish and malignant church.

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2 To the second they answered: that they beleued that in the true Catholike church of Christ, MarginaliaTwo Sacramentes.there be but two Sacraments: that is to say, the sacrament of Baptisme, & the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ.

3 To the thirde article they all agreed, confessing that