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alac! great is the vntowardnesse, and muche is the hardenesse of mannis harte, that he neglecteth so high a benefight as is also the patefaction of Christe in the gospel, by whome we are redemed, and so remayne vnthankefull for the same. A most swete voyce is it vnto vs, from the Son of God, Iesus Christ, That he will not leaue vs as orphanes, or fatherlesse and motherlesse children, without confort, but will come vnto vs, loan. 14. That is, like a gentill and mercifull Lorde he will continually stande by his churche, assistinge, helpinge, and scouringe it alwaies. I will be with yow, saith he, to the end of the worlde, Math. 28. Lete this be thy confort, thu sorowfull churche of Englande, and staie thy selfe in him which was incarnate, lyued, wrought, taught, and dyed for thy sinne; yea, he arose from the deathe and ascended to heauen for thy iustificacion, Rom. 4. Cleaue thu fast to him, repent thy folyes past, and take heede to thy doynges from hensfourth. Praye and fast busily, for this frantyck kinde of deuyls is neuer taken awaye, but in prayer and fastinge, Math. 17. So shalt thu be restored plenteously, and florish in vertues hereafter fruitfully, to the prayse of one God etermal, which liueth and reigneth worlde without ende. Amen.

AN

EPISTLE OF THE LADYE IANE,

A righte vertuous Woman,

TO A LEARNED MAN

Of late falne from the Truth of Gods most holy Word, for fear of the Worlde.

Read it, to thy Consolacion.

Whereunto is added,

The Communication that she had with Master Feckenham, vpon her Faith, and Belefe of the Sacraments. Also, another Epistle whiche she wrote to her Sister; with the words she spake vpon ths Scaffold before she suffered.

Printed Anno M.D.LIV, Duodecimo, containing Thirty-one Pages.

S

oft as I cal to mind the dreadful and feareful sayings of God, That he whiche laieth hold vpon the plough, and looketh back again, is not meete for the kyngdome of heauen?' And, on the other syde, to remember the comfortable words of our Sauiour Christ to all those that, forsaking them selues, do folowe him, I cannot but maruel at thee, and lament thy case; that thou, which sometyme wast the liuely member of Christ, but now the defourmed impe of the diuel; sometyme the beautiful temple of God, but now the stincking and filthy

kenell of Sathan; sometyme the vnspotted spouse of Christ, but now the unshamefast paramour of Antichrist; sometyme my faithful brother, but now a straunger and apostata; yea sometyme a stout Christen souldier, but now a cowardly runawaye. So ofte as I consider the threatninges, and promises of God to al those that loue him: I cannot but speak to the, yea, rather cry out vpon the, thou sede of Sathan, and not of Iuda, whom the diuel hathe deceiued, the worlde hath begiled, and desire of life hath subuerted, and made the, of a Christian, an infidel. Wherefore hast thou taken vpon the the testament of the Lord in thi mouth? Wherefore hast thou yelded thi body to the fire, and blodi handes of cruel tirauntes? Wherefore hast thou instructed other to be strong in Christ, when thou thy selfe dost nowe so horribly abuse the testament and law of the Lord? When thou thy selfe preachedst (not to steale) yet most abhominably stealest (not from men) but from God, and as a most hainous sacreleger, robbest Christ, thi Lorde, of his right of his members, of thi body, and thi soule: When thou thy selfe dost rather chose to liue miserably, with shame, to the world, then to dye, and gloriouslye, with honour, to raigne with Christ; in whom, euen in death, there is life. And, when I say thou thy selfe art most weke, thou oughtest to shew thy selfe moost stronge; for the strength of a forte is not knowne before the assaulte, but thou yeldest thy holde, before any battry be made.

Oh wretched and vnhappi man, What art thou but dust and ashes? And wilte thou resist thy Maker that formed the, and fashioned the? Wilt thou nowe forsake him that called the from costome-gathering, among the Romish Antichristians to be an imbassadour and messenger of his eternall worde, he that first framed the, and since thi creation, and birth, preserued the, norished the, and kept the, yea, and inspired the with the spirit of knowledge (I cannot say of grace) shal he not pos sesse the? Darest thou deliuer vp thy selfe to another, being not thine owne, but his? How canst thou, hauing knowledge, or how darest thou neglect the law of the Lord, and folow the vaine tradicions of men? And, whereas thou hast been a publicke professour of his name, become how a defacer of his glorye? I will thou refuse the true God, and worshippe the invencion of manne, the golden calfe, the whoore of Babilon, the Romish religion, the abhominable idol, the most wicked masse? Wilt thou torment againe, rent and teare the most precious bodi of our Sauiour Christ, with thi bodily and fleshly teeth? without the breaking wherof vpon the crosse, our sinful sinnes could els nowaies be redemed? Wilt thou take vpon the to offer vp ani sacrifice vnto God for our synnes ? consydering that Christ offred vp him selfe (as Paul saith) vpon the crosse a lyuely sacrifice once for al.

Can neyther the punisment of the Israelites, whiche for their idolatrye so oft they receaued, moue the? Neyther the terrible threateninges of the auncient prophetes stirre thee, nor the cursses of Gods own mouth feare the to honour any other God than hym? Wilt thou so regarde him, that spared not his deare and only Sonne for the? Só deminishing, yea, vtterlye extinguishing his glorye, that thou wilt attri bute the praise and honour to idols, whiche haue mouthes, and speake not, eyes, and se not, eares; and yet heare not; which shal perish with

them that made them? What saith the prophet Barucke, wher he re citeth the epistel of Ieremie, written to the captiue lewes? Did he not forewarne them, that in Babilon thei should se gods of gold, siluer, wood, and stone, borne upon mens shoulders, to cast a fear before the heathen; but be not ye afraide of them (saith Ieremie) nor do as other do; but, when you se other worship them, saye you in your hartes: It is thou, O Lord, that oughtest only to be worshipped for, as for the timber of those gods, the carpenter framed them, and polyshed them, yea, gylded be they, and laid ouer with siluer, and vayne thynges, and cannot speake. He sheweth, moreouer, the abuse of their deckings, how the priests toke of their ornaments, and appareled their women withall: Howe one holdeth a septer, another a sworde in hys hande, and yet can they judge in no matter, nor defend them selues, much lesse any other, from either battel, or murther, nor yet from gnawing of woormes, nor anye other euill thyng. These, and such lyke words, speaketh Ieremie vnto them, wherby he proueth them but vain thinges, and no Gods. And, at last, he concludeth thus: Confounded be thei that worship them. They wer warned by Ieremie, and thou, as Ieremie, hast warned other, and art warned thy selfe, by many scriptures, in many places.

God saieth, he is a gelious God, which wil haue al honour, glorye, and worship giuen to him onlye. And Christ saith in the fourth of Luke to Sathan, whiche tempted him, euen to the same Sathan, the srme Belzabub, the same dyueil, whyche hath preuayled againste thee, It is written, saieth he, thou shalt honour the Lorde thy God, and him onlye shalt thou serue.' These, and such like, do prohibite thee and al Christians to worship anie other God then whiche was before all worldes, and laied the foundations bothe of heauen and earth. And wilt thou honour a detestable idol, inuented by Romish popes, and the abhominable colledge of craftie cardinals? Christ offered him selfe vp once for al, and wilt thou offer him vp againe dayly at thy pleasure? But thou wilt saye, thou dost it for a good intent. Oh sincke of sinne, Oh child of perdition! Doest thou dreame therein a good entent, wher thy conscience beareth the witness the promis of Gods wrath toward the? How did Saule, who, for that he dysobeied the word of God for a good entent, was throwen from his worldli and temporal kingdome? Shalt thou then, that dost so deface Gods honor, and robbe him of his right, inherit the eternal and heauenly kingdome? Wilt thou for a good entent pluk Christ oute of heauen, and make hys deathe voyde, and deface the tryumphe of hys crosse, offeryng hym vp daylye? Wilt thou, eyther for feare of death, or hope of life, deny and refuse thi God, who enriched thi pouerti, healed thine infirmitic, and yelded to this victori, if thou couldest have kept it? Dost thou not consider that the thryde of lyfe hangeth vpon hym that made the, who can, as his wyll is, either twine it hard, to last the longer, or vntwine it againe, to breake it the sooner? Doest thou not remember the saying of Dauid, a notable king, whiche teacheth thee, a myserable wretche, hys ciiii Psalme, where he sayth, When thou takest away thy Spirit, O Lord, from men, they dye, and ar turned againe to their dust; but, when thou lettest thy breath go fourth, they shal be made, and thou shalt renew the face of the earth." Remember the saying of Christ in his gospel, Whosoeuer seeketh to

saue his lyfe, shal lese it; but whosoeuer wil lese it for nri sake, shal find it.' And in another place, Whosoeuer loueth father or mother aboue me, is not mete for me: For he that wyll be my dysciple, must forsake father and mother, and him selfe, and take vp his crosse and folow me.' What crosse? the crosse of infamy and shame, of misery and pouerty, of affliction and persecution, for bys names sake.

Let the oft falling of those heauenly showres pearce thy stonye hart. Let the two edged sword of Gods holy word, shere a sonder the sewed together sinowes of worldly respectes, euen to the very mari of thy carnal hart, that thou maiest once againe forsake thy self, and embrace Christ; and like as good subjectes wil not refuse to hasard al in the defence of hys earthly and temporal gouernour: So flye not lyke a white hewred milksoppe from thy standynge, wherein thy chief captaine, Christ, hath set the in a rai of this life, Viriliter age, confortetur cor tuum, & sustine Dominum. Fight manfullye, come lyfe, come death, the quarel is Gods, and vndoubtedly the victorye is ours. But thou wilt say, I will not break vnitie. What, not the vnitie of Sathan and his members? Not the vnitie of darknes, the agrement of Antichrist, and hys adhearentes? Nay, thou deceiuest thy selfe with fond imaginations of such an vnitie as is among the enemyes of Christ. Were not the false prophetes in an vnitie? Were not Iosephs brethren and Iacobs sonnes in an vnitie? Were not the Heathen, as the Amelechites, the Feresites, and lebusites, in an vnitie? I kepe no order, but rather looke to mi matter. Were not the Scribes and Pharisees in an vnitie? Doth not King David testifie, Convenerunt in vnum aduersus dominum? Yea, theeues and murderers, conspyratours, hane theyr vnitie.

But marke, my frende (ye frende) if thou be not Gods enemy? ther is no vnitie but wher Christ knitteth the knotte among such as be hys. Yea, be you wel assured, that, where his truthe is resident, there it is verefyed that he sayeth, non veni mittere pacem in terram, sed gladium. That is, Christ came to set one against another; the sonne against the father, the daughter against the mother. Deceiue not thi selfe therfore with the glysteryng and gloryous name of vnitie; for Antichrist hath his vnitie, yet not in deede, but in name. The agreement of euery man is not an unitie, but a conspiracie.

Thou hast heard some threateninges, some curses, and some admonishions out of the Scripture, to those that loue themselnes aboue Christ; thou hast heard also the sharpe and byting wordes, to those that denye him for loue of life. Saieth he not, that he that denieth me before men, I wyl denye hym before my father in heauen? And to the same effecte wryteth Sainte Paule. Hebru. vi. It is impossible (saith he) that they, which be once lightned, and haue tasted of the heauenly gyfte, and be partakers of the Holy Ghost, and haue tasted of the good worde of God, if they fal and slide away, it is impossible that they shuld be renewed againe by repentaunce, crucifyinge againe to themselues the Sonne of God, and makinge him a mocking-stocke. And again, saieth he, If we shal willinglie sinne, after we haue receiued the knowledge of the truthe, there is no oblation left for sinne, but the terrible expectation of judgement, and fire, which shall deuour the aduersaries.' Thus S. Paule writeth, and this thou readest, and

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dost thou not quake and tremble? Well, yf these terrible and thundring threatninges cannot stur thee, to cleaue unto Christ, and forsake the world, yet let the swete consolacions and promises of the scriptures, let the example of Christ and his apostles, holi martirs and confessours, encourage the to take faster hold by Christ. Harken what he saith, " Blessed are you when men reuile you, and persecute you for my sake; reioyce and be glad, for great is your reward in heauen; for so persecuted thei the prophets before you.' Heare what Esay saith, Feare not the cursse of men, be not afraid of thei blasphemies and reuylynges; for wormes and mothes shal eate them vp like clothe and wol, but my righteousnes shal endure for euer, and my sauing-health from generation to generation. What art thou then, saith he, that fearest a mortal man, the child of a man, that fadeth away as doth the flower, and forgettest the lorde that made the, that spread out the heauens, and laid the foundations of the earth. I am the Lord thy God that maketh the Sea to rage, and to be styl, who is the Lord of hosts. I shal put my word in thy mouth. and defend the with the turning of a hand.' And our Sauiour Christ saith to his disciples, They shall accuse you, and brynge you before the princes and rulers, før mi names sake. And some of you thei shal persecute and kil, but feare you not, saich he, neither care you not what you shal say, for it is mi spirit that speaketh in you, the hand of the highest shal defend you, for the heares of your head are nombred, and none of them shall perish. I have layed vp treasure for you, saith he, where no theefe can steale, nor moth corrupt, and happye are you, if you endure to the end. Feare not them, saith Christ, that haue power ouer the bodi only, but feare him that hath power both ouer the bodi and soul. The world loueth her owne, and, if ye wer of the world, the world wold loue you; but you are mine, therfore the world doth hate you.' Lette these and such like consolacions, out of the scriptures, strengthen you to godward. Let not the ensamples of holy men and women go out of your mind, as Daniel, and the rest of the prophetes, of the three children, of Eleazarus, that constant father, of the vii. of the Machabes children, of Peter, Paule, Steuen, and other apostles and holi martirs in the beginning of the church. As of good Simeon Archbishop of Seloma, and Zetrophone, with infynite other vnder Sapores the King of the Persians and Indians, who contempned al tormentes deuysed by the tiraunts, for theyr Sauiours sake. Returne, returne, againe into Christes warre, and, as becommeth a faithful warriour, put on that armour that S. Paule teacheth to be moste necessarye for a Christian man. And, aboue al thynges, take to you the sheylde of faythe.

And be ye prouoked, by Christes owne example, to withstande the deuil, to forsake the world, and to becomme a true and faithful member of his mistical body, who spared not his own body for our sins. Throwe doune thy selfe with the feare of his thretned vengeaunce for this so great and heinous offence of apostacy, and comfort your selfe on the other part with the mercy, bloud, and promises of him that is ready to tourne to you, whensoeuer thou tourne to him. Disdaine not to come again with the lost son, seinge you haue so wandred with him.

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