Marginalia1557. Iune.vppon you (deare sister Robertes) that you may the more ioyfully beare the Crosse of Christ that ye are vnder, vnto the ende, to your onely comfort and consolation, and to all our brethren and sisters that are round about you, both now and euer, Amen.

In my most humble wise I commende me vnto you, and to all our brethren and sisters in those parties, that loue our Lord vnfaynedly,MarginaliaPhil. 2. certifiyng you that I and all my brethren with me, are mery and ioyfull, we prayse God therfore, lookyng dayly to be dissolued from these our mortall bodyes, MarginaliaMath. 24.accordyng to the good pleasure of our heau?ly father: praysing God also for your constauncie, and gentle beneuolence, that you haue shewed vnto Gods elect people, in this troublesome tyme of persecution: whiche may be a sure pledge and token of Gods good will and fauour towardes you, and to all other that heare therof. MarginaliaMath. 5.For blessed are the mercyfull, for they shall obteine mercy. Wherefore the fruites declare alway what the tree is. For a good man or wom?, out of the good treasure of their hartes bryng forth good thynges.

Wherfore deare Sister, it is not as many affirme in these dayes (the more it is to be lamented) that say MarginaliaGod asketh more then the hart onely.God asketh but a m?s hart: which is the greatest iniury that c? be deuised agaynst God and his word. For S. Iames sayth: MarginaliaIames. 2.Shew me thy fayth by thy deedes, and I will shewe thee my fayth by my deedes, saying: the deuils haue fayth, and tremble for feare, and yet shall be but deuils still, because their myndes were neuer to do good. Let not vs therefore be like them, but let our fayth be made manifest to the whole worlde by our deedes: MarginaliaPhil. 2.and in the middest of a crooked and peruerse nation, as S. Paule sayth, let our light shine as in a darke place.

Oh deare hartes, now is the Gospell of GOD ouerwhelmed with many blacke and troublesome cloudes of persecution, for the which cause very few go about to haue their eyes made cleare by the true light of the Gospell, for feare of losing of the treasures of this world which are but vayne, and shall perish.

Let not vs therfore be like vnto them which light their candle MarginaliaMath. 5.and put it vnder a bushell: but let vs set our candle vpon a candlesticke, that it may geue light vnto all them that are in the house: that is to say, let al the people of the houshold of God see our good workes, in sufferyng all thynges patiently that shalbe layd vpon vs for the Gospels sake, if it be death it selfe. For Christ dyed for vs, leauyng vs an example, that we should folow his steppes, and as he hath geuen his life for vs, so ought we to geue our lyues for the defence of the Gospell, to the comfort of our brethren.

How is it then that some will say, that their fayth is good, and yet they doe all the deedes of Antichrist the deuill, and be not ashamed to alledge certaine Scriptures to mainteine their wickednesse? S. Paule sayth: MarginaliaRom. 10.To beleue with the hart iustifieth, and to confesse with the mouth maketh a man safe.MarginaliaConfessing with the mouth, and beleuing in hart, must goe togetherOh good GOD: here may all men see that no man nor woman can haue a true fayth, vnlesse they haue deedes also: & he that doubteth, is like the waues of the Sea tossed aboute of the wynde, and can looke for no good thyng at the Lordes handes. May not a man iudge all such to be like those whiche Saint Iohn speaketh of,MarginaliaApoc. 1. that be neither hoate nor cold, and therfore God will (he sayth) spue them out of his mouth? If we iudge euill of such, haue not they geuen vs occasion? MarginaliaMath. 18.Had it not bene better for them to haue had a milstone tyed about their neckes, and to haue bene cast into the Sea, then they should geue such offences to Gods elect people in condemnyng them as they doe, in goyng to the Sinagoge of Sathan,MarginaliaApoc. 13. and there to receiue the marke of the beast, in that they see and heare GOD blasphemed there, and hold their peace? Doth not that declare to the whole worlde, that they allow their doynges to be good? MarginaliaSclaunderers of the Gospell.and these do not onely defile themselues, but also be an occasion to confirme the Papistes in their Papistrie, and so be an occasion of our weake brothers fallyng, the whiche will be all required at their handes: whiche will be to heauy a burden for them to beare, if they repent it not with speede.MarginaliaLuke. 12. For they that know their Maisters will and do it not, shalbe beaten with many stripes. Oh, doe not we perceiue that now is the acceptable tyme that Christ speaketh of? yea eu? now is the axe put to the rootes of the trees, MarginaliaMath. 3.so that euery tree that bryngeth not forth good fruites now, must be hewed downe and cast into the fire.

Now is the Lord come with his fanne in his hand, to try the wheate from the chaffe. The wheat he will gather into his barne, and the chaffe he will burne as is aforesayd. Now is the tyme come, MarginaliaMath. 25.that we must goe meete the bridgrome with oyle in our lampes. We are also bidden to the feast: let vs make no excuses. Yea, our Maister hath deliuered his talentes vnto vs: God geue vs grace to occupye them wel, that at his commyng he may receiue his owne with vauntage. Yea now is the Lord come to see if there be any fruite

vpon his trees,MarginaliaLuke. 13.so that if the Lord come and finde none, he wil serue vs as he did the wild figge tree, that is, neuer fruite shall grow on him more. Also, if we go to meete the bridgrome without oyle in our l?pes, and should go to bye: the doubt is, we should be serued as was the foolishe virgines: that was, God sayd to them: MarginaliaLuke. 14.departe, I know you not. Or if we shoulde make excuses to come to the feast, other shall be bidden in our rowmes. If we occupy not our talentes well, MarginaliaMath. 25.they shalbe taken away from vs and geuen to other, and all such vnprofitable seruauntes shalbe cast into prison in hell, where shalbe weepyng and gnashyng of teeth.

Oh good GOD, what a sorte of fearefull sayinges are here contained? what Christian hart will not harken diligently hereto? Oh, may not all people well perceaue now that this is the tyme that our maister Christ speaketh of, MarginaliaMath. 10.that the father should be agaynst the sonne, and the sonne agaynst the father, and one brother agaynst an other: that the brother shall deliuer the brother to death: MarginaliaMath. 5.yea and that the wicked shall say all manner of euill sayings agaynst vs for his names sake? the which I haue well found by experience, I prayse God therfore, that hath geu? me strength to beare, it. For I thinke there can no euill bee deuised but it hath bene imagined agaynst me,MarginaliaRichard Woodman vexed of his owne frendes. and that of my familiar frendes, as Dauid sayd: but I prayse my Lord God, they are not able to proue any of their sayinges true, but that they go about to finde fault in them that God hath chosen, because they themselues list not to take vp their crosse and folow Christ, and therfore they speake euill of the thyng that they know not: the whiche shall geue account for it before him that is ready to iudge both the quicke and the dead.

But my trust is, that all the people of God will be ruled by the counsell of S. Iohn saying: MarginaliaIohn. 10.My sheepe will heare my voyce, straungers they will not heare: meanyng thereby that ye should not beleue straungers, countyng them stra?gers that go about to subuert the Gospell. Wherfore marke well what they be, and try them well or euer you geue credite to them, accordyng to S. Iohns counsell in his Epistle, saying: Marginalia1. Iohn. 4.Beleue not euery spirite, but try the spirites whether they be of God or not: meanyng thereby that they that be not of God, will speake good of none but of them that be as they be. Wherfore (deare sister) be of good cheare, & geue no credite to such people, what so euer ye heare them say. For I haue no mistrust, by Gods helpe, but that all the world shall see and know that my bloud shall not be deare in myne owne sight, when so euer it shall please GOD to geue my aduersaries leaue to sheede it. I do earnestly beleue, that God whiche hath begon this good worke in me, will performe it to the ende, as he hath geuen me grace, and will alway, to beare this easie yoke and light burden: the which I haue alwayes founde, I prayse my Lord God.

MarginaliaThe manifold troubles which Woodman hath passed through.For when I haue bene in prison, wearyng other while boltes, other while shakels, other while lying on the bare grounde, sometyme sittyng in the stockes, sometyme bounde with corde, that all my body hath bene swollen, much like to bee ouercome for the payne that hath bene in my fleshe, sometyme fayne to lye without in the woodes and fieldes, wandring to and fro, few I say, that durst to keepe my company for feare of the rulers, sometyme brought before the Iustices, Sheriffes, Lordes, Doctours, and Bishops, sometyme called dogge, sometime deuill, hereticke, whoremonger, traytour, theefe, deceauer, with diuers other such like: yea and euen they that did eate of my bread, that should haue bene most my fr?des by nature, haue betrayed me. MarginaliaWoodman comforted in his troubles.Yet for all this I prayse my Lorde God that hath separated me from my mothers wombe, all this that hath happened to me hath bene easie, light, & most delectable & ioyful of any treaure that euer I possessed: for I prayse God they are not able to proue one iote or title of their sayinges true. But that way that they call heresie. I serue my Lord God, and at all tymes before whom so euer I haue bene brought, God hath geuen me mouth and wisedome, where agaynst all my aduersaries haue not bene able to resist, I prayse Gode therfore.

Wherfore deare sister, be of good comfort, with all your brethren and sisters, MarginaliaLuke. 21. Math. 10.and take no thought what you shall say, for it shall be geuen you the same hower, accordyng to the promises, MarginaliaExperience of the Lord to keepe promise with his people.as I haue alwayes founde, and as you and all other of Gods elect shall well finde when the tyme is full come And where as I and many other haue hoped, that this persecution would haue bene at an ende ere this tyme: now I perceaue, God will haue a further tryall to roote out all dissemblers, that no man should reioyce in him selfe: but he that reioyceth, shall reioyce of God.

Marginalia1. Cor. 13.Wherfore if prophecy should fayle, and tounges should cease, yet loue must endure. For feare hath paynefulnes, but a perfect loue casteth out all feare: whiche loue I haue no mistrust but God hath poured it vpon you so aboundantly, that nothing in the world shalbe able to separate you from