greater and the sweeter smell commeth therof. And therefore, this heauenly smel of Gods word, wil not as a smoke passe away with the winde: but it will descende and rest in some cleane soule, that thirsteth thereafter. And thus some deale by this writing may be perceaued thorough Gods grace, how that the enemies of the trueth (standing boldly in their malice) inforce them to withstand the fredome of Christes Gospell, for which freedome Christ became man & shed his hart bloud. And therefore it is great pitty & sorrow: þ^t many men & women do their own weyward will nor busy thē not to know nor to do þ^e pleasant wil of God.

MarginaliaGodly counsell geuen if it may be followed.The men & women that heare the trueth and southfastnes, and heare or know of this (perceauing what is nowe in þ^e churche) ought here through, to be the more moued in all their wits, to able them to grace, & to set lesser price by themselues, that they without tarieng: forsake wilfully & bodely all the wretchednes of this life, since they know not how soon, nor whē, nor where, nor by whō God wil teach them, & assay their pacience. MarginaliaPersecution followeth the true Church.For no doubt, who that euer will liue pittiously, that is charitably in Christ Iesu, shall suffer now here in this life persecution, in one wise or an other. That is, if we shalbe saued, it behoueth vs to imagin ful busily: the vility and foulnes of sinne, and how þ^e Lord God is displeased therfore: & so of this vility of hidiousnes of sinne, it behoueth vs to busy vs in al our wits, for to abhorre and hold in our mind a great shame of sinne euer, & so then we owe to sorrow hartely therfore, and euer fleing all occasion therof. And then behoueth vs to take vpon vs sharpe penāce, continuing therin, for to obtayne of þ^e Lord forgeuenes of our foredone sinnes, and grace to abstain vs hereafter from sinne. And but if we enforce vs to do thys wilfully: and in conueniēt time, the Lord (if he will not vtterly destroy and cast vs awaye) will in diuers manners moue tyrantes agaynst vs: for to constrayne vs violentlye to do penance, which we would not do wilfully. MarginaliaThe cause why persecution is suffered to comeAnd trust that this doing is a special grace of the Lord, & a great token of life & mercy. And no doubt, who euer will not apply him selfe (as is sayd before) to punish himself wilfully, neither wil suffer paciently, meekely, and gladly the rod of the Lord, howsoeuer that he will punish him: their wayward willes and their impacience, are vnto them earnest of euelasting damnation. But because there are but few in number that do able them thus faythfully to grace, for to liue here so simply and purely, and without gall of malice and of grudging: herefore the louers of this worlde hate & pursue them that they knowe patient, meek, chaste, & wilfully poore, hating and fleing all wordly vanities & sleshly lusts. For surely, their verteous conditions are euen cōtrary to the manners of this world.

MarginaliaThe third cause.The third thing that moueth me to wryte this sentēce is this, I thought I shall busie me in my selfe to do faythfully, that all men and women (occupying all their busines in knowing and in keeping of Gods commaundements) able them so to grace, that they might vnderstād truely the trueth, and haue and vse vertue and prudēce, and so deserue to be lightned from aboue with heauenly wisedome: so that all their words & their workes may be hereby made pleasant sacrifice vnto the Lord God: MarginaliaEdification of other, necessary to be considered.and not onely for helpe of their own soules, but also for edification of holy Church For I doubt not: but all they that will apply them to haue this foresayd busines, shall profite full mekill both to frēds & foes. For some enemies of the truth, through the grace of God, shall through charitable folkes be made astonied in their conscience, and peraduenture conuerted from vices to vertues: and also, they that labour to know and to keep faythfully the biddinges of God, and to suffer paciently all aduersities, shall hereby comfort many frendes.

MarginaliaThe 4. cause.And the fourth thing that moueth me to write this sētēce is this: I knowe by my sodein & vnwarned apposing and aunswering, that all they that will of good hart w^tout faining, able themselues wilfully & gladly after theyr cunning and their power, to follow christ paciently, traueling busily, priuily, and apertly in worke and in word, to withdraw whom soeuer that they may from vices, planting in them (if the may) vertues, comforting them & furtheryng them that stand in gtrace: so that therwith they be not born vp in vaine glory, through presumption of theyr wisdome not inflamed with any worldly prosperitie: but euer meek and pacient: purposing to abide stedfastly in þ^e wil of God, suffering wilfully and gladly without any grutching what souer rod the Lord wil chastise them with: that then, thys good Lord will not forget to comfort al such men and women in all their tribulations, & at euery poynt of temptation that any enemy purposed for to doe agaynst them. To such faithfull louers specially, & pacient followers of christ the Lord sendeth by his wisedome frō aboue, them which the aduersaries of the truth, may not know nor vnderstād.But through their old and new vnshamefast sines, those tyrantes and enemies of southfastness, shalbe so blinded & obstinate in euill, that they shall weene themselues to doe pleasant sacrifices vnto the Lorde God in their malicious and wrongfull pursuing and destroying of innocent mens and womens bodyes: which men & women, for theyr vertuous liuing, and for their true knowledging of the trueth and theyr pacient wilfull and glad suffering of persecution for righteousnes, deserue through the grace of God, to be heyres of the endlesse blesse of heauen.MarginaliaThe assistance of God neuer fayleth thē that are persecuted. And for the feruent desire and the great loue that these men haue, as to stand in southfastnes and witnes of it: though they be sodeinly & vnwarnedly brought foorth to be aposed of their aduersaries: the holy Ghost yet that moueth and ruleth them thorough his charitie, will in that houre of theyr aunswering speake in them and shewe hys wisedome: that all theyr enemies shall not agayn say, nor agaynst stand, lawfully.

And therfore, al they that are stedfast in þ^e fayth of God yea, which through diligent keeping of his commaundementes, & for theyr pacient suffering of whatsoeuer aduersitie that commeth to them, hope surely in his mercy, purposing to stand cōtinually in perfect charitie. For those mē and womē, dred not so the aduersities of this life, that they wil feare (after their cunning and their power) to knoweledge prudently the truth of gods word, when, where, and to whom they thinke their knowledging may profite. Yea and though therfore persecution come to them in one wise or an other, certes they paciently take it, knowing theyr conuersation to be in heauen. It is an high rewarde and a speciall grace of God: for to haue and enioy the euerlasting inheritance of heauen, for the suffering of one persecution in so short time as is the terme of this life. For loe, this heuenly heritage & endles reward: is the Lord God hymselfe which is the best thing that may be. This sētence witnesseth the Lord God himselfe where as he sayd to Abrahā I am thy meede: And as the Lord sayd: he was and is the meede of Abraham: so he is of all his other saynts. This most blessed and best meede, he graunt to vs all for his holy name, that made vs of naught, and sent his onely most deare worthy sonne, our Lorde Iesu Christ for to redeeme vs with his most precious hart bloud. Amen.

MarginaliaExaminatiō of William Thorpe before Tho. Arundell Archb.KNowne be it to al men, that read or heare this writing that on the sonday next after the feast of S. Peter: that we call Lammesse: in the yeare of our Lord. 1407. I William Thorpe being in prison in the Castle of Saltwoode, was brought before Tho. Arundel Archbishop of Canterbnry and Chauncellor then of Englande. And when that I came to him: he stode in a great chamber and much people about him: and when that he saw me, he went fast into a closit bidding all seculer men þ^t followed hum to go foorth from him soone, so that no man was left than in that closet but the Archbishop himselfe and a Phisitian þ^t was called Malueren, person of S. Dunstanes in London, & other two persons vnknowne to me which were ministers of þ^e law. And I standing before them, by and by the Archbish. sayd to me:MarginaliaLoyteryng prelates, cānot abyde trauellyng preachers. William, I know well that though hast this xx. Winters & more, trauelled about busily in the north coūtry and in other diuers countryes of England, sowing about false doctrine, hauing great businesse if thou might with thine vntrue teaching and shrewd will, for to infect & poysō all this land. MarginaliaThe grace of God and of my Lord of Cant. be 2. thinges.But through the grace of God thou art now withstanded & brought into my ward, so that I shall now sequester thee from thine euill purpose, and let thee to enuenime the sheep of my prouince. Neuertheles S. Paul sayth: If it may be, as much as in vs is, we ought to haue peace w^t all men. Therfore William, if þ^u wilt now meekly and of good hart, without any feyning, kneele downe and lay they hand vpō a booke and kisse it, promising faythfully as I shall here charge thee, þ^t thou wilt submit thee to my correction, & stād to myne ordinaunce,MarginaliaYour ordinaunce, and why not to Gods ordinance if it please your grace? & fulfill it duely by all thy cūning and power, thou shalt yet find me gracious vnto thee. Then sayd I to the archbishop. Syr, since ye deme me an hereticke & out of beleue, will ye geue me here audience to tell my beleue. And he sayd, yea tell on. And I sayde. I beleue that there is not but one God almighty, and in this Godhead, and of this Godhead, are three persons, that is, the father, the sonne, and the sothfast holye Ghost. And I beleue, that all these three persons are euen in power and in cunning, and in might, full of grace and of all goodnes. For what soeuer that the father doth or can or will, that thing also the sonne doth and can and will: and in all theyr power, cunning and will, the holy Ghost is equall to the father and to the sonne.