MarginaliaAn.no 1555. February.our constaunt continuance in the cheerefull confession of Gods euerlasting veritie. MarginaliaThe constant minde of a christian souldiour.For euen as we haue receyued the word of truth, euen the Gospell of our saluation, wherin we beleeuing, are sealed with the holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritaunce MarginaliaEphes. 1. (the which spirite certifieth our spirit, that we are the children of God, and therefore God hath sente the spirite of his Sonne into our harts, crying Abba, Father) MarginaliaRom 8.so after such portion as God measureth vnto vs, we with the whole Church of Christ, and with your reuerend fathers, receiuing the same spirite of faith, according as it is written: I beleeued, and therefore I haue spoken.MarginaliaGalat. 4. 2. Cor. 4. Psal. 116. We also beleeue, and therefore speake. For the which we in this dangerous bondage and other afflictions, hauing euen such a fight as we haue seene in you and haue heard of you, are in no wise afraid of our aduersaries.MarginaliaPhil. 1.

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And forasmuch as we haue such an office, euen as God hath had mercy on vs, we go not out of kind, but eu? with you, after our little power, we labour to maintain the faith of the Gospell, knowing most certainely that though we haue this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of thys power might be Gods and not ours:Marginalia1. Cor. 4. yet shall we not be dashed in pieces: For the Lord will put his hand vnder vs. [When] we are troubled on euery side, yet are we not without shift: [when] we are in pouerty, we are not vtterly without some thing: [when] we suffer persecution, we are not forsaken therein: [when] we are cast downe, yet we shall not perish: Marginalia2. Cor. 4.but to communicate with our sweete Sauiour Christ in bearing the crosse, it is appointed vnto vs, that euen with him also we shall be glorified. For it is a true saying: If we be dead with him, we shall also liue with him: If we be patient, we shall also raigne with him: If we deny him, he shall also deny vs. Marginalia2. Tim. 2.Wherefore be we of good cheere, alwayes bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Iesus, that the life of Iesus might appeare also in our body: For we know that he which raised vp the Lorde Iesus, shall rayse vp vs also by the meanes of Iesus, and shall ioyne vs to himselfe together with you. Wherefore we are not weeried: but though our outward man perish, yet the inwarde man is renued day by day. For our tribulation, which is momentane and light, prepareth an exceeding and eternall weight of glory vnto vs, while we looke not on the things which are seene, but on the things which are not seene. For the things which are seene, are temporall: but the things which are not seene, are eternall.Marginalia3. Cor. 4.

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We testifie vnto you, Reuerend fathers, that we drawe these waters with ioy out of the Wels of the sauiour. And I trust we shall c?tinually with you blesse the Lord, & giue thanks to the Lord out of the wels of Israell: MarginaliaEsay. 12. Psal. 48.we trust to bee merry together at that greate Supper of the Lambe, whose spouse we are by faith, and there to sing that song of euerlasting Haleluyah, Amen. Yea come Lorde Iesu. The grace of our Lord Iesu Christ be with you, Amen.

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Another letter written to his wife, wherein is to bee seene how this woorthy warriour prepared himselfe to the appoynted fight, and to keepe hys standyng in Christes Campe.

MarginaliaM. Saunders letter to his wife.GRace and comfort in Christ Iesu our onely comfort, in all extreme assaultes, Amen.

Fayne woulde this flesh make strange of that which the spirit doth embrace. Oh Lorde how loth is this loitering sluggard to passe forth in Gods pathe? It fantasieth forsooth much feare of fraybugs:  

and were it not for the force of faith which pulleth it forwarde by the reyne of Gods most sweete promise, and of hope which pricketh on behinde, great aduenture there were of fainting by the way. But blessed, and euerlastingly blessed be that heauenly father of ours, who in his Christ, our sufficient Sauiour, hath vouched safe to shine in our harts, that he geueth vs the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Iesu Christ: Marginalia2. Cor. 4.and hauing this treasure in our earthen vessles, that the excellencie of the power might be Gods, and not oures, we are [according to his good will] troubled on euery side, yet are we not without shift: we are in pouerty, but yet not without that is sufficient: we suffer persecution, but are not forsaken therein: we are cast downe, neuertheles we perish not: we beare in the body the dying of the Lorde Iesus, that the life of Iesus might also appeare in our body. Marginalia2. Cor. 4.Wherefore by the grace of our Christ we shall not be weeried, neyther be dismayed by this our probation thorough the fire of affliction, as though some strange thing had hapned vnto vs: but by his power we shall reioyce, in as much as we are pertakers of Christes passion, that when he doth appeare, we may be merry and glad, knowing that our tribulation which is momentane and light, prepareth an exceeding and an eternall weyght of glory vnto vs, while wee looke not on the thyngs which are seene, but on the things whych are not seene. Marginalia2. Cor. 4.They that sowe in teares, shall reape in ioye. MarginaliaPsal. 126.For he that goeth on his way weeping and scattering his good seede, shall doubtles

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come agayne wyth ioy, and bring his whole sheaues wyth him.

Then, then shall the Lorde wipe awaye all teares from our eyes. Then, then shall be brought to passe that saying which is written: Death is swallowed vp in victory. Death, where is thy sting? Hell, where is thy victory? Yea, thankes be to God which hath geuen vs the victory thorough our Lord Iesus Christ, Amen.Marginalia1. Cor. 15.

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In the meane season it remayneth for vs to followe S. Peters bidding: Let them (sayth he) that are troubled according to the will of God, commit their soules to him with well doing, as a faithfull Creator and Maker. Marginalia1. Pet. 4.He is our maker: we are his handyworke and creatures, whome now when he hath made, he doth not leaue and forsake as the shipwright doth the shyp, leauing it at all aduentures to be tossed in the tempest, but he comforteth vs his creatures, and in him we liue, moue, and haue our being: MarginaliaActes. 17.Ye not onely that, but now that he hath in his deare Christ repayred vs, being before vtterly decayed, and redeemed vs, purging vs vnto himselfe as a peculiar people by the bloud of hys Sonne he hath put on a most tender good will and fatherly affection toward vs, neuer to forget vs: MarginaliaGods promises firme and sure vnto whome by such promises he hath plighted such faith, that though it were possible that the mother could forget her infant, and not be tender harted to the childe of her wombe, yet may not it be that his faithfull beleeuers should be forgotten of him. He biddeth vs to cast our care on him, and sayth, that assuredly he careth for vs. MarginaliaEsay. 49. 1. Pet. 5.And what though for a season he doth suffer vs to be turmoyled in the troublous tempestes of temptation, and seemeth as in much anger to haue geuen vs ouer, and forgotten vs? let not vs for all that leaue off to put our trust in him, but let vs with godly Iob conclude in our selues and say: Euen though he kill mee, yet will I put my trust in him. MarginaliaIob. 3.Let vs with the blessed Abraham in hope, euen contrary to hope by beliefe, MarginaliaTrust vpon Gods promise.leane vnto that our louing Lord, who though for our probation, he suffereth vs to be afflicted, yet will he not bee alwayes chiding, neyther keepeth he his anger for euer: for he knoweth whereof wee bee made: he remembreth that we are but dust. MarginaliaPsal. 103.Wherefore, looke how high the heauen is in comparison of the earth, so great is his mercy towards them which feare him. Looke how wide the East is from the West, so farre hath he set our sinnes from vs. Yea, like as a father pitieth his owne children, euen so is the Lorde mercifull vnto them that feare him. Oh what great cause of reioycing haue we in our most gracious God? we can not but burst foorth into the praysing of suche a bountifull benefactour, and say with the same Psalmist: Prayse the Lord O my soule, and all that is within me prayse his holy name Praise the Lord O my soule, and forget not all his benefites.

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Deare wife, riches haue I none to leaue behynde mee, wherewith to endow you after the worldly maner. MarginaliaSaunders godly bequest to his wife.But that treasure of tasting how sweete Christ is vnto hungry consciences (whereof I thanke my Christ, I do feele part, and would feele more) that I bequeath vnto you, and to the rest of my beloued in Christ, to retaine the same in sense of hart alwayes. Pray, pray, I am merry, and MarginaliaExperience of the comfortes of Christ in prison.I trust I shall be merry, maugre the teeth of all the deuils in hell. I vtterly refuse my selfe, and resigne my selfe vnto my Christ in whome I knowe I shall be strong as he seeth needefull. Pray, pray, pray.

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Laurence Saunders.

As the sayde Mayster Saunders was in prison, strayte charge was geuen to the keeper, that no person shoulde speake with him. His wife yet came to the prison gate with her yong childe in her armes, to visit her husband. The keeper, though for his charge, MarginaliaM. Saunders wife not suffered to speake with him in prison.he durst not suffer her to come into the prison, yet did he take the little babe out of her armes, and brought him vnto his father. Laurence Saunders seeing him, reioyced greatly, saying, that he reioysed more to haue such a boy, then he should if two thousand pounde were geuen him. And vnto the standers by, which praysed the goodlines of the childe, he sayde: what man fearing God woulde not lose this life present, rather then by prolonging it heere, he should adiudge this boy to be a Bastard, his wife a whoore, and himselfe a whooremonger? Yea, if there were no other cause, for which a man of my estate should loose his life, yet who woulde not geue it, to aduouch  

this child to be legitimate, and his mariage to be lawfull and holy?

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I do (good Reader) recite thys saying, not onely to let thee see what he thought of Priests mariage: but chiefly to let all maryed couples and parents learne to beare in their bosome true affections: naturall, but yet seasoned with the true salt of the spirit, vnfaynedly and throughly mortifyed to do the naturall workes and offices of maried couples & parents, so l?g as with their doing they may keepe Christ with a free confessing faith, in a conscience vnfoyled: otherwise, both they and their owne liues are so to be forsaken,

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