in tentations, neither disdaineth he to keepe company with vs in such vile and stinkyng caues. Wil the blynd and incredulous world (thinke you) beleue this? or rather will it not say thus? No thou wilt neuer be able to abyde long, the burnyng heate, the cold snow, and the pinchyng hardnes of that place: the manifold miseries, and other greuaunces innumerable: the rebukes, & frownyng faces of men how wilt thou suffer? Doest thou not consider & reuolue in thy minde thy pleasaunt countrey, the riches of the world, thy kinsfolkes, the delicate pleasures, and honors of this life? Doest thou forget the solace of thy Sciences, and fruite of all thy labours? Wilt thou thus loose all thy labours, which thou hast hetherto susteined? so many nights watched? thy painful trauails, & all thy laudable enterprises, wherin thou hast bene exercised continually, euen from thy childhode? Finally, fearest thou not death, which hangeth ouer thee, and that for no crime committed? O what a foole art thou, which for one word speakyng, mayst salue all this, & wilt not? What a rude and vnmanerly thyng is this, not to be entreated at the instant petitions & desires of such, so many & so mighty, so iust, so vertuous, so prudent, and gracious Senatours, and such noble personages? &c.

[Back to Top]

But now to aunswere, let this blynd world hearken to this agayne: What heate can there be more burnyng, then that fire, which is prepared for thee hereafter? And likewise what snow cā be more cold, then thy hart which is in darknes, and hath no light? What thyng is more hard & sharpe, or crooked, then this present life, which here we lead? What thyng more odious & hatefull, then this world here present? And let these worldly men here aunswere me: what countrey can we haue more sweete, then the heauenly countrey aboue? what treasures more rich or precious, then euerlastyng lyfe? And who be our kinsmen, but they which heare the word of GOD? where be greater riches, or dignities more honorable, then in heauen? And as touchyng these sciences, let this foolish world consider, be they not ordeined to learne to know God? whom vnles we do know, all our labours, our night watchyngs, our studies, and all our enterprises serue to no vse nor purpose, all is but labor lost. Furthermore let the miserable worldly mā aunswere me, what remedy or safe refuge cā there be vnto hym, if he lacke God, who is the lyfe and medicine of all men? And how can he be sayd to flye from death, when he hymselfe is already dead in sinne?  

If Christ be the way, veritie, and lyfe, how can there be any lyfe thē, without Christ? The sooly heate of the prison, to me is coldnes: the cold wynter to me is a fresh spryng tyme in þ^e Lord. He that feareth not to be burned in the fire, how will he feare the heate of weather? or what careth he for the pinchyng frost, which burneth with the loue of the Lord? the place is sharpe and tedious to them that be gilty, but to the innocent and giltles, it is mellifluous. Here droppeth the delectable dew, here floweth the pleasaunt nectar, here runneth the sweete milke, here is plenty of all good thynges. And although the place it selfe be deserte and barren yet to me it seemeth a large walke, and a valley of pleasure: here to me is the better and more noble part of the world. Let the miserable worldlyng say and confesse, if there be any plot, pastor, or medow so delightfull to the mynde of man, as here? Here I see Kynges, Princes, Cities, & people: here I see warres, where some be ouerthrowen, some be victours, some thrust downe, some lifted vp. Here is the mount Sion: here I am already in heauen it selfe. Here stādeth first Christ Iesus in the fronte. About hym stand the old fathers, Prophetes, and Euangelistes, Apostles, and all the seruaunts of God. Of whom some do embrace and cherish me, some exhort me, some open the Sacramentes vnto me, some cōfort me, other some singyng about me. And how then shall I be thought to be alone, among so many, & such as these be? The beholdyng of whom, to me is both solace, and exāple. For here I see some crucified, some slayne, some stoned, some cut a sunder and quartered, some rosted, some broyled, some put in hoate caulderns, some hauing their eyes bored through, some their toungs cut out, some their skinne plucked ouer their heades, some their handes & feete chopt of, some put in kilnes & furnaces, some cast downe headlong, and giuen to the beastes, & foules of the ayre, to feede vpon. It would aske a long tyme if I should recite all.

[Back to Top]

To be short, diuers I see, with diuers and sundry tormentes excruciate: yet notwithstanding, all lyuing, and all safe. One plaister, one salue cureth all their wounds: which also geueth to me, strength and life: so that I susteine all these transitory anguishes, & small afflictions, with a quiet mynde, hauyng a greater hope layde vp in heauen. Neither do I feare myne aduersaries which here persecute me and oppresse me: For he that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne, and the Lord shall deride them. I feare not thousandes of people, which compasse me about. The lord my God shall deliuer me, my hope, my supporter, my com forter, who exalteth vp my head. He shall smite all them that stand agaynst me without cause, and shall dashe the teeth and iawes of sinners a sunder: for he onely is all blessednes and maiestie. The rebukes for Christes cause make vs iocant:  

for so it is written: If ye be rebuked and scorned for the name of Christ, happy be you, for the glory, and the spirite of God resteth vpon you. 1 Pet. 4. Be you therefore certified, that our rebukes which are layd vpon vs, redoūde to the shame and harme of the rebukers. In thys worlde there is no mansion firme to me, and therfore I trauaile vp to the new Hierusalem, which is in heauen, and which offereth it selfe vnto me, without paying any fine or Income. Beholde I haue entred already in my iourney, where my house standeth for me prepared, and where I shall haue riches, kinsfolkes, delites, honours neuer fayling.   As for these earthly thynges here present, they are transitory shadowes, vanishyng vapors, and ruinous walles. Brieflye, all is but very vanitie of vanities, where as hope, and the substaunce of eternitie to come, are wantyng: Which the mercifull goodnes of the Lord hath geuen, as companions, to accompany me, and to comfort me: and now do the same begyn to worke and to bringe forth fruites in me. I haue trauailed hetherto, laboured and swette early and late, watchyng day and nyght, and now my trauayles begin to come to effecte. Dayes and houres haue I bestowed vpon my studies. Beholde the true countenaunce of God is sealed vppon me, the Lorde hath geuen myrth in my hart. And therefore in the same wyll I lay me downe in peace & rest. Psal. 4. And who then shall dare to blame thys our age cōsumed, or say that our yeares be cut of? What man cā now cauill, that these our labours are last, which haue folowed and found out the Lord and maker of the world, and which haue chaunged death wyth lyfe?   My portion is the Lorde (sayth my soule) and therfore I wyll seeke and wayte for hym. Now then, if to die in the Lord, be not to dye, but to lyue most ioyfully: where is thys wretched worldly rebell, which blameth vs of folly, for geuyng away our lyues to death? O how delectable is thys death to me, to taste the Lordes cup, which is an assured pledge of true saluation? for so hath þ^e Lord himselfe forewarned vs, saying:   The same that they haue done to me, they will also do vnto you.

[Back to Top]

Wherefore let the doltish world, with his blind worldlynges (who in the bright sunne shine, yet go stumbling in darckenes, beyng as blynde as betels) cease thus vnwisely to carpe agaynst vs, for our rashe sufferyng, as they count it. To whom thus we aunswere agayne with the holy Apostle:  

That neyther tribulation, nor anguishe, nor hunger, nor nakednes, nor ieoperdy, nor persecutiō, nor sword, shalbe able euer to separate vs from the loue of Christ. We are slayne all the day lōg, we are made like sheepe ordeined to the shambles. Rom. 8. Thus do we resēble Christ our head which sayd:   That the Disciple can not be aboue his maister, nor the seruaunt aboue his Lord. The same Lord also hath so commaunded: That euery one shall take vp his Crosse, and folow him. Luc. 9. Reioyce, reioyce (my deare brethren, & felow seruauntes) and be of good comfort, when ye fall into sondry tentations. Let your pacience be perfect on all parts. For so is it foreshewed vs before, and is written:   That they which shal kill you, shall thinke to do God good seruice. Thefore afflictions, and death be as tokens and Sacramentes of our election, and lyfe to come. Let vs then be glad, and sing to the Lord, when as we beyng cleare from all iust accusation, are persecuted and geuen to death.   For better it is, that we in doyng well, do suffer, if it so be the will of the Lord, then doyng euill. 1. Pet. 3. We haue for our example, Christ and the Prophetes, which spake in the name of the Lord, whom the childrē of iniquitie did quelle and murder: and now we blesse & magnifie them, that then suffered. Let vs be glad and ioyous in our innocēcie, and vprightnes. The Lord shall reward them that persecute vs: let vs referre all reuengement to hym.

[Back to Top]

I am accused of foolishnes, for that I do not shrinke frō the true doctrine and knowledge of God, and do not ryd me selfe out of these troubles, when with one word, I may. O the blyndnes of man, which seeth not the Sunne shynyng, neither remembreth the Lordes wordes. Consider therefore what he sayth:  

You are the light of the world: A citie builded on the hill cā not be hyd: Neither do men light a cādle, and put it vnder a bushell, but vppon a candlesticke, that it may shyne, and gyue light to them in the house. And in an other place he sayth:   You shalbe led before kinges and rulers, feare ye not them, which kill the body, but him which killeth both body and soule. Who soeuer shall confesse me before men, him will I also confesse before my father which is in heauen: And he that denyeth me before men, him will I also deny before my heauenly father. Wherfore, seyng the wordes of the Lord be so playne, how or by what authoritie will this wise counseller then approue this his counsayle,

[Back to Top]