MarginaliaAnno 1555. Iune.gone, sodainely and contrary to all expectation, the blessed seruaunt of GOD, MarginaliaA token geuen in the fire that burning is not so intollerable a payne as it was thought.beyng myndefull of his promise afore made, reached vp his hands burning on a light fier (which was marueilous to behold) ouer his head to þ^e liuing God, and with great reioysing, as seemed, strooke or clapped thē three tymes together together. At the sight whereof there followed such applause & outcry of the people, and especially of them which vnderstode the matter:  

that þ^e like hath not cōmonly bene heard: MarginaliaThe end and Martyrdome of Thomas Haukes at Coxhall.   And so the blessed Martyr of Christ, straight way sinckyng downe into the fire, gaue vp his spirite. An. 1555. Iune. 10. And thus haue you playnely and expresly described vnto you the whole story, as well of the lyfe, as of the death of Thomas Haukes, a most constant & faythfull witnes of Christes holy Gospell.

[Back to Top]

 

MarginaliaA letter of Thomas Haukes to the congregation.GRace, mercy, and peace, from God the father, and from our Lord Iesust Christ, bee alway with you all (my deare brethren and sisterne in the Lord Iesus Christ) for euer: and his holy Spirite conduct and leade you all in all your doynges, that you may alwayes direct your deedes according to his holy word, that when he shall appeare to reward euery man according to their woorkes: ye may as obedient children be found watching, ready to enter into his euerlasting kingdome with your lamps burning,   and when the Bridegrome shall shew himselfe, ye neede not to be ashamed of this life that God has lent you, whiche is but trāsitory, vaine, and like vnto a vapour, that for a season appeareth and vanisheth away: so soone passeth away all our terrestriall honour, glory, and felicitie. For all fleshe (sayth the Prophet) is grasse, and all his glory, as the floure of the fielde, which for a season sheweth her beautie, and as soone as the Lord bloweth vpon it, it withereth awaye, and departeth.   MarginaliaThe manifolde daungers which a true Christian hath to passe thorow in this world.For in this transitory and daungerous wildnernes, we are as Pilgrimes and straungers, following the footesteps of Moses, among many vnspeakeable daungers, beholding nothing with our outward man, but all vaine vanities, and vexation of mind: subiect to hunger, colde, nakednesse, bondes, sickenes, losse, labours, banishment, in daunger of that dreadfull dragon, and his sinnefull seede, to be deuoured, tempted, and tormented, who ceaseth not behind euery bush to lay a baite, when we walke awry to haue his pleasure vpō vs, casting abroad his apples in al places, times, and seasons, to see if Adam will be allured and entised to leaue the liuing God & his most holy Commaundements whereby hee is assured of euerlasting life, promising the world at will, to all that will fall downe in all ages, & for a messe of potage,   sel & set at naught, the euerlasting kingdome of heauen. So frayle is flesh and bloud: And in especiall Israell is most ready to walke awry, when he is filled wyth al maner of riches (as sayth the Prophet.)  

[Back to Top]

Therefore I am bolde in bondes (as entirely desiring your euerlasting health & felicitie) to warne you, and most hartely desire you to watch and pray: for our estate is dangerous, and requireth continuall prayer. MarginaliaThe higher in dignity, the nearer to daunger.For on the hygh mountaynes doth not grow most plenty of grasse, neither are the highest trees farthest from daunger, but seldome sure, & alwaies shaken of euery wind that bloweth. Such a deceitfull thing (saith our sauior) is honor and riches, þ^t without grace it choketh vp the good seede sowne on hys creatures, & blindeth so their seeing, that they go gropyng at none day in darckenes: it maketh a man thinck himselfe somewhat, þ^t is nothing at all. For though for our honour we esteeme our selues & stand in our owne light, yet when we shall stand before the liuing God, there shalbe no respect of persons. MarginaliaProuerb. 11. Riches helpe not before God.For riches helpeth not in the day of vengeance: neither can we make the Lord partiall for money. But as ye haue ministred vnto the Saintes, so shall ye receiue þ^e reward, which I am fully persuaded & assured shal be plenteously poured vppon you all, for þ^e great goodnes shewed vnto the seruants of the liuing God. And I most hartely beseeche almighty God to poure forth a plenteous reward vpon you for þ^e same, & that he wil assist you wyth his holy spirite in al your doings, that ye may growe (as you haue begon) vnto such a perfection as may be to gods honour, your owne saluation , and the strengthning of the weake members of christ. MarginaliaGods elect alwayes beare the sclaunder in this worlde.For though the world rage, and blaspheme the elect of God, ye knowe that it did so vnto Christ, his Apostles, and to all that were in the primitiue Church, and shalbe vnto the worldes end.

[Back to Top]

Therefore beleue in the light, while ye haue it, least it be taken away from you: If you shall seeme to neglect the great mercy of God that hath bene opened vnto you, and your harts cōsented vnto it þ^t it is the very and onely truthprounoūced by Gods onely sonne Iesus Christ, by the good will of our heauenly father. Therfore I say in the bowels of my Lord Iesus Christ, sticke fast vnto it: let it neuer departe out of your harts and couersation, that you with vs and we with you, at the great day being one flocke, as we haue one shepheard, may rise to the life immortall, through Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour. Amen.

[Back to Top]

¶ Yours in him that liueth for euer.
Thomas Haukes.

Here followeth an other letter of Tho. Haukes sent to his wife after his condemnation, being prisoner in Newgate: the copy wherof is this.

MarginaliaA letter of Tho. Haukes vnto his wyfe.GRace be with you, and peace from God the father, and from our Lord Iesus Christ, which gaue himselfe for our sinnes, to deliuer vs from this present euill worlde, through the good will of God our father, to whō be praise for euer and euer. Amen.

My deare Yokefellow in the Lord, for as much as the Lord hath not onely called me to worke in his vineyarde but hath also fulfilled his good worke in me (I trust to his glory, & to the comfort of al those þ^t looke for his comming) I thought it my duety (deare yokefellowe) to write vnto you some lessons out of Gods booke: and if you will direct your selfe therafter, doubt not of it, but God, who refuseth none that will come to him with theyr whole hart, will astist you with his holy spirit, and direct you in al his wayes, to his honour, and glory, who graūt it for his mercies sake. Amen.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaLessons for instructions to his wyfe.First I exhort you to feare God, to serue and honour his holye name, loue hym with all your hart, soule and minde to beleue faithfully all his promises, to lay sure hold vpon them, that in al your troubles what so euer they are ye may runne straight to the great mercye of God, and hee will bring you forth of them, keepe you within hys wings then shall ye be sure that neither deuill, flesh, nor hell shall be able to hurt you.

[Back to Top]

But take heede: If ye wil not keepe his holy preceptes and lawes, and to the vttermost of your power, cal for the helpe of God to walke in the same, but will leaue them and runne to all abhominations with the wicked world & doe as they do, then be sure to haue your part with the wicked world in the burning lake that neuer shall bee quenched. MarginaliaHe exhorteth her to beware of Idolatry.Therefore beware of Idolatrye, whiche doth most of all stincke before the face of almighty God, and was of al good men most detested from the beginning of the worlde. MarginaliaIdolatry punished of God.For the which, what kingdomes, nations, and realmes God hath punished with most terrible plagues, w^t fire, brymstone, hunger, sword, and pestilence. &c. to the vtter subuersion of them, it is manifestly to be seene through the whole Byble. Yea his owne peculiar people, whome he had done so muche for, when they fell from him, and went & serued other gods, contrary to his commaundement, he vtterly destroyed, and rooted them out from of the earth: and as many as dyed in that damnable state (not repenting their abhominable euill) he threw them into þ^e pit of hell. Again how he hath preserued those that abhorre superstition and Idolatry, and that haue onely taken hold vpon God with their whole hart, to serue him, & to loue him, to feare him, &c. it is most manifestly to be seene euen frō the beginning, out of what great daungers he hath euer deliuered them: yea whē al hope of deliuerāce was past as touchyng their expectation, euen then in þ^e sight of all his enemies would he work his godly will and purpose, to the vtter amazing and destructiō of all those that were his manifest enemies.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaExhortatiō to prayer.Further I exhort you in the bowels of Christ, that you will exercise and be steadfast in prayer: for prayer is þ^e onely meane to pearce the heauens to obtayne at the hand of God, what soeuer we desire, so þ^t it be asked in fayth. Oh what notable thinges do we read in Scriptures that hath bene obtayned through feruent praier? We are commaunded to call vpon him for helpe, ayde and succour iu necessities & troubles, & he hath promised to help vs. MarginaliaPraying to God & not to creatures.Again they that will not cal vpon him, with thesr whole hart, but vpon other dead creatures, in whō there is no help (for there was none found worthy to open the booke, but onely the Lambe Christ whiche was killed for our sinnes)  

I saye who that wil refuse his help, must euen by þ^e terrible iudgment of God, come vtterly to confusion: as it hath, and is dayly manifest to be seene. MarginaliaTo continue in prayer, & to pray in the name onely of Christ.And whatsoeuer you desire of God in your prayer, aske it for Iesus Christes sake, for whom & in whō God hath promised to geue vs all things necessary. And though that which ye aske, come not by and by at þ^e first and second calling, yet continue still knocking and hee will at the length open his trasures of mercye, so

[Back to Top]