doe offend at anie time, wee may submitte our selves. Policarpus the most constant martyr, when he stoode before the chiefe ruler, and was commanded to blaspheme Christ, and to sweare by the fortune of Cesar, &c. hee answered with milde spirite: Wee are taught saith he, to give honour unto princes, and those powers which be of God; but such honour as is not contrarie to Gods religion'. 1 To Gods religion.] The plea alleged in this last objection, with some others to which the Protestants were exposed, whether from the suggestions of their own minds, the persuasions of friends, or the alternate threats and temptations of their Romish adversaries, is considered in an interesting letter of the martyr, John Philpot, archdeacon of Winchester; from which I shall here produce some short extracts. "It is a lamentable thing to behold at this present in England, the faithless departing both of men and women from the true knowledge and use of Christes syncere religion, which so plentifully they have bene taught and do know, their own consciences bearing witness to the verity thereof. If that earth be cursed of God, which eftsoons receiving moysture and pleasaunt dewes from heaven, doth not bryng forth fruit accordyngly, how much more grevous judgement shall such persons receive, who having received from the Father of heaven the perfitte knowledge of hys worde by the mynistery thereof, do not shew forth Gods worshippe after the same? . . . "Some fondely thynke that the presence of the bodye is not materiall, so that the hearte doe not consente to their wycked doyngs. But such persons little consider what S. Paule writeth to the Corinthians, commandyng them to glorify God as well in body as in soule? (1 Cor. vi.) Moreover we can do no greater injurye to the true churche of Christe, than to seeme to have forsaken her, or to disallowe her by cleaving to her adversarye; whereby it appeareth to others whiche be weake, that we allow the same, and so, contrary to the word do give a great offence to the churche of God, and doe outwardly slaunder (as much as men may) the truth of Christ. . . . 6 "Many will say for their vain excuse, God is merciful, and his mercy is over all.'-But the Scripture teacheth us, that cursed is he that synneth upon hope of forgiveness. Truth it is that the mercy of God is above all his workes; and yet, but upon such as feare him; for so is it written in the psalme; the mercy of God is on them that feare hym, and on such as put theyr trust in him. . . "Another sort of persons do make them a cloke for the rayn under the pretence of obedience to the magistrates, whom we oughte to obey, althoughe they bee wycked:-But such muste learn of Christe to give to Cesar that is Cesars, and to God that is due to God, (Luke xx.) and wyth S. Peter (c. ii.) to obey the hygher powers, in the Lord, albeit they be evil, if they commaund nothing contrary to Gods worde; otherwise, we oughte not to obey theyr commaundements, althoughe we should suffer death therefore: as we have the apostles for our example herein to follow, who answered the magistrates as we ought to doe in this case, not obeying their wicked pre Hitherunto ye see good father, how I have in words onelie made as it were a flourish before the fight, which I shortly look after, and how I have begun to prepare certain kinds of weapons, to fight against the adversarie of Christ, and to muse with my selfe how the dartes of the old enemie may bee borne off, and after what sort I may smite him againe with the sworde of the Spirit. I learne also hereby to be in ure with armour, and to assaie how I canne goe armed. In Tyndall where I was borne, not farre from the Scottish borders, I have known my countrie men to watch night and day in their harnesse, such as they ceptes, saying, Judge you whether it bee more ryghteous that we shoulde obeye men rather than God. (Acts iv.) . ... "Some other there be that for an extreme refuge in their evill doyngs do run to Gods prædestination and election, saying, that if I be elected of God to salvation, I shall be saved whatsoever I do.-But such be great tempters of God; and abhominable blasphemers of Gods holy election, and caste themselves downe from the pynacle of the temple in presumption, that God may preserve them by his aungels by prædestination. Such verily may reckon themselves to be none of Gods elect children, that wil doe evil that good may ensue, whose damnation is just, as S. Paule saith. (Rom. iii.) . . . "Manye affirme theyr conscience will beare them well enough, to doe all that they doe; and to goe to the idolatrous churche to service, whose conscience is very large to satisfye man more than God. And although theyr conscience can beare them so to doe, yet I am sure that a good conscience will not; whiche cannot be good unlesse it bee directed after the knowledge of Gods word. And therefore if oure conscience bee ledde of herselfe, and not after true knowledge, yet we are not so to bee excused." Letters of the Martyrs, p. 216, &c. edit. 1564. Robert Glover again, a layman, a gentleman of Gloucestershire, whom we shall again have occasion to quote, thus describes to his wife, the workings of his mind. "If I woulde have given place to worldlye reasons, these myghte have moved me. Fyrste, the foregoing of you and my children; the consideration of the state of my children, being yet tender of age and younge, apt and inclinable to virtue and learning, and so having the more neede of my assistance, being not altogether destitute of gyftes to helpe them withall; possessions above the common sorte of men; because I was never called to be a preacher or minister; and (because of my sickenesse), feare of death in imprisonment before I shoulde come to my answere, and so my death to bee unprofitable.—But these, and such like, I thanke my heavenly Father, (which of hys infinite mercy inspyred me with hys Holye Ghoste, for hys Sonnes sake, my only savioure and redeemer) prevayled not in me: but when I had by the wonderful permission of God fallen into their handes, at the fyrst sight of the sheriffe, nature a little abashed: yet, or ever I came to the prison, by the working of God, and through his goodness, feare departed." Letters of the Martyrs, p. 531, 2. edit. 1564. hadde, that is in their jacks, and their speares in their hands (you call them Northern gads) specially when they had anie privie warning of the comming of the Scottes. And so doing, although at everie such bickering some of them spent their lives, yet by such meanes like prettie men they defended their countrey. And those that so died, I think that before God they died in a good quarrell, and their offspring and progenie all the countrey loved them the better for their fathers sake. And in the quarrell of Christ our Saviour, in the defence of his owne divine ordinances, by the which he giveth unto us life and immortalitie, yea, in the quarrell of faith, and Christian religion, wherein resteth our everlasting salvation, shall wee not watch? shall we not goe alwaies armed? ever looking when our adversarie (which like a roring lyon seeketh whom he may devoure) shall come upon us by reason of our slothfulness? Yea, and woe be unto us, if he can oppresse us unawares, which undoubtedly he will doe, if he finde us sleeping. Let us awake therefore. For if the good man of the house knew at what houre the theefe would come, he would surely watch and not suffer his house to bee broken uppe. Let us awake therefore I say: let us not suffer our house to be broken up. Resist the divell saith saint James, and he will flee from you. Let us therefore resist him manfully, and taking the crosse upon our shoulders, let us follow our captaine Christ, who by his owne bloud hath dedicated and hallowed the way which leadeth unto the Father, that is, to the light which no man can attaine, the fountaine of the everlasting joys. Let us follow I say, whither hee calleth and allureth us, that after these afflictions which last but for a moment, whereby hee tryeth our faith as golde by the fire, wee may everlastingly raigne and triumph with him in the glorie of the Father, and that through the same our lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; to whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost bee all honor and glorie now and for ever, Amen, amen. Good father, forsomuch as I have determined with my selfe, to powre forth these my cogitations into your bosome, here me thinketh I see you sodainlie lifting up your head towards heaven, after your manner, and then looking upon me with your propheticall countenance, and speaking unto me, with these or like wordes, Trust not my sonne (I beseech you vouchsafe me the honour of this name; for in so dooing I shall thinke my selfe both honoured, and loved of you.) Trust not, I say, my sonne to these word weapons: for the kingdome of God is not in words. but in power. And remember alwayes the wordes of the Lord, "doe not imagine aforehand, what and how you will speake. For it shall be given you, even in that same houre what ye shall speake; for it is not ye that speake, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." I pray you therefore father, pray for me, that I may cast my whole care upon him, and trust upon him in all perils. For I knowe, and am surely perswaded, that whatsoever I can imagine or thinke aforehand, it is nothing, except he assist me with his Spirit when the time is.-I beseech you therfore father, pray for me, that such a complet harneis of the Spirit, such boldnesse of mind may bee given unto me, that I may out of a true faith say with David, "I will not trust in my bow, and it is not my sword that shal save me. For he hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse, &c. but the Lords delight is in them that feare him and put their trust in his mercie." I beseech you pray, pray, that I may enter this fight onelie in the name of God, and that when all is past, I being not overcome, through his gracious aide, may remaine and stande fast in him, till that day of the Lord, in the which to them that obtaine the victorie, shall bee given the lively manna to eate, and a triumphant crowne for evermore. Now father, I pray you helpe me to buckle on this geare a little better. For yee knowe the deepenes of Sathan, being a knowne souldior, and you have collared with him or now: blessed be God, that hath ever ayded you so well. I suppose he may we hold you at the bay but truely he will not bee so willing (I thinke) to joine with you, as with us yonglings. Sir, I beseech you, let your servant read this my babling unto you, and now and then as it shall seeme unto you best, let your pen run on my booke: spare not to blot my paper. I give you good leave. M. Latimer. Sir, I have caused my man not only to read your armour unto mee, but also to write it out. For it is not To write it out.] Upon an occasion of alarm, and after some writings of Ridley's, among which was this conference, had fallen into the hands of his enemies, in a letter to Cranmer, he gives this advice, Bicause in the book of N. R. and H. L. it is saide in the ende, that H. L. hath caused his servant to write it, I would Austine" (Bernher)" should have word, if any further onelie no bare armour, but also well buckled armour. I see not how it could be better. I thanke you even from the bottome of my hart for it, and my prayer shall you not lacke, trusting that you doe the like for me. For indeede there is the helpe, &c.Many thinges make confusion in memorie. And if I were as well learned as saint Paule, I would not bestow much amongst them: further than to gall them, and spurgall too, when and where as occasion were given and matter came to minde: for the lawe shall be their shoot anchor, stay, and refuge. Therefore there is no remedie, namely, now when they have the maister bowl in their hand and rule the roste, but patience. Better it is to suffer what cruelty they will put unto us, than to incurre Gods high indignation. Wherefore good my lord be of good cheere in the Lord, with due consideration what he requireth of you, and what he doth promise you. Our common enemie shall do no more than God will permit him. God is faithfull, which will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength, &c. Be at a point what ye will stand unto sticke unto that, and let them both say and do what they list. They can but kill the body, which otherwise is of it self mortall. Neither yet shall they do that when they list, but when God will suffer them, when the houre appointed is come. To use many wordes with them it shall bee but in vaine, now that they have a bloudie and deadly lawe prepared for them. But it is verie requisite that ye give a reasonable account of your faith, if they will quietlie heare you: else yee knowe, in a wicked place of judgment a man may keepe silence, after the example of Christ. Let them not deceive you with their sophisticall sophismes and fallacies. You know that false thinges may have more appearance of truth, than thinges that bee most true: therefore Paule giveth us a watchword; "Let no manne deceive you with likelinesse of speech." Neither is it requisite that with the contentious yee should followe strife of wordes, which tend to no edification, but to the subversion of the hearers, and the vaine bragging and ostentation of the adversaries. Feare of death doth most perswade a great number. Be well ware of that argument: for that perswaded Shaxton' (as many men thought) after that hee had once made a good profession, openly before the judgement serch be, to kepe him out of the way." Coverdale's Letters of the Martyrs, p. 57. A. D. 1564. 3 Perswaded Shaxton] See Strype's Eccles. Memorials, vol. iii. p. 353. Also vol. i. p. 352. |