LETTERS OF MASTER ROBERT GLOVER,

A gentleman of much godly learning, innocency and uprightness of life, and hearty zeal to the word of God; burnt at Coventry for the faithful testimony of the same, the 14, day of September, in the year of our Lord, 1555.

To my most entirely beloved wife, Mary Glober.

The peace of conscience which passeth all understanding, the sweet consolation, comfort, strength, and boldness of the Holy Ghost, be continually increased in your heart, through a fervent, earnest, and stedfast faith in our most dear and only Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

I thank you heartily, most loving wife, for your letters sent unto me in my imprisonment. I read them with tears, more than once or twice; with tears (I say) for joy and gladness, that God had wrought in you so merciful a work; first, an unfeigned repentance, secondly, an humble and hearty reconciliation, thirdly, a willing submission and obedience to the will of God in all things. Which when I read in your letters, and judged them to proceed from the bottom of your heart, I could not but be thankful to God, rejoicing with tears for you, and these his great mercies poured upon you. These your letters, and the hearing of your most godly proceedings and constant doings from time to time, have much relieved and comforted me at all times: and shall be a goodly testimony with you at the great day, against many worldly and dainty dames, which set more by their own pleasure and pelf in this world, than by God's glory; little regarding, as it appeareth, the everlasting health of their own souls or others. My prayer shall be, whilst I am in this world, that God, which of his great mercy hath begun his good work in you, will finish it to the glory of his name; and by the mighty power and inspiration of his Holy Spirit so strengthen, establish, and confirm you in all his ways to the end, that we may together shew forth his praise in the world to come, to our unspeakable consolation everlastingly. Amen.

So long as God shall lend you continuance in this miserable world, above all things give yourself continually to prayer, lifting 1 Tim. 2. up, as St. Paul saith, clean or pure hands without anger, wrath, or doubting; forgiving (as he saith also), if you have any thing against any man, as Christ forgiveth us. And that we may be the better willing to forgive, it is good often to call to remembrance

the multitude and greatness of our own sins, which Christ daily and hourly pardoneth and forgiveth us; and then we shall, as 1 Peter 4. St. Peter affirmeth, be ready to cover and hide the offences of our brethren, be they never so many. And because God's word teacheth us, not only the true manner of praying, but also what we ought to do or not do in the whole discourse and practice of this life; what pleaseth or displeaseth God; and that, as Christ saith, the word of God that he hath spoken shall judge in the last day let your prayer be to this end specially, that God of his great mercy would open and reveal more and more daily to your heart the true sense, knowledge, and understanding of his most holy word; and give you grace in your living to express the fruits thereof. And forasmuch as it is, as the Holy Ghost calleth it, 1 Cor. 1. the word of affliction, that is, it is seldom without hatred, persecution, peril, danger of loss of life and goods, and whatsoever seemeth pleasure in this world, as experience teacheth you in this time; call upon GOD continually for his assistance always, as Christ teacheth, casting your accounts what it is like to cost you, endeavouring yourself, through the help of the Holy Ghost, by continuance of prayer, to lay your foundation so sure, that no storm or tempest shall be able to overthrow or cast it down; Luke 17. remembering always (as Christ saith) Lot's wife, that is, to beware of looking back to that thing that displeaseth GOD. And because nothing displeaseth GOD so much as idolatry, that is, false worshipping of God otherwise than his word commandeth; look not back (I say), nor turn not your face to their idolatrous and blasphemous massing, manifestly against the word, practice and example of Christ: as it is most manifest to all that have any taste of the true understanding of God's word, that there remaineth nothing in the church of England at this present, profitable or edifying to the church and congregation of the Lord; all things being done in an unknown tongue, contrary to the express commandment of the Holy Ghost.

They object that they be the church, and therefore they must be believed. My answer was, The church of GOD knoweth and acknowledgeth no other head but Jesus Christ the Son of GOD; whom ye have refused, and chosen the man of sin, the son of perdition, enemy to Christ, the devil's deputy and lieutenant, the pope. Christ's church heareth, teacheth, and is ruled by his John 10. Word; as he saith, My sheep hear my voice. If you abide in me and my word in you, you be my disciples. Their church repelleth God's word, and forceth all men to follow their traditions. Christ's church dare not add or diminish, alter or change his blessed testament: but they be not afraid to take away all that Christ instituted, and go a whoring (as the Scripture saith) with their own inventions, et lætari super operibus manuum suarum— to glory and rejoice in the works of their own hands.

Acta 7.

The

church of Christ is, hath been, and shall be in all ages, under the cross, persecuted, molested, and afflicted; the world ever hating them, because they be not of the world. But these persecute, murder, slay, and kill such as profess the true doctrine of Christ, be they in learning, living, conversation, and other virtues, never so excellent. Christ and his church reserved the trial of their doctrine to the word of God, and gave the people leave to judge thereof by the same word; Search the Scriptures. But this John 5. church taketh away the word from the people, and suffer neither learned nor unlearned to examine or prove their doctrine by the word of God. The true church of God laboureth by all means to resist and withstand the lusts, desires, and motions of the world, the flesh and the devil. These, for the most part, give themselves to all voluptuousness, and secretly commit such things, which (as St. Paul saith) it is shame to speak of. By these and Eph. 5. such like manifest probations, they do declare themselves to be none of the church of Christ, but rather of the synagogue of Satan. It shall be good for you oftentimes to confer and compare their proceedings and doings, with the practice of those whom the word of God doth teach to have been true members of the church of God; and it shall work in you both knowledge, erudition, and boldness to withstand with suffering, their doings. I likened them therefore to Nimrod, whom the Scripture calleth a mighty hunter or a stout champion; telling them that that which they could not have by the word, they would have by the sword, and be the church whether men will or no; and called them, with good conscience, as Christ called their forefathers, the children of the devil; and as their father the devil is a liar and murderer, so their kingdom and church (as they call it) standeth by lying and murdering.

Have no fellowship with them therefore, my dear wife, with their doctrine and traditions, lest you be partaker of their sins ; for whom is reserved a heavy damnation, without speedy repentance. Beware of such as shall advertise you something to bear with the world, as they do, for a season. There is no dallying with God's matters; It is a fearful thing (as St. Paul saith) to fall into the hands of GOD. Remember the prophet Elias; Why halt ye on both sides? Remember what Christ saith: He 1 King 18. that putteth his hands to the plough and looketh back, is not Luke 9. worthy of me. And seeing God hath hitherto allowed you as a good soldier in the foreward, play not the coward, neither draw back to the rearward. St. John numbereth among them that shall dwell in the fiery lake, such as be fearful in God's cause. Set Apo. 21. before your eyes always the examples of such as have behaved themselves boldly in God's cause; as Stephen, Peter, Paul, Daniel, the three children, the widow's sons, and in your days Ann Askew, Laurence Saunders, John Bradford, with many other

Phil. 1. faithful witnesses of Christ. Be not afraid in nothing, saith St. Paul, of the adversaries of Christ's doctrine: the which is to them the cause of perdition, but to you, of everlasting salvation. Christ commandeth the same, saying, Fear them not. Let us not follow the example of him which asked time, first to take leave of his friends. If we so do, we shall find few of them that will encourage us to go forward in our business, please it God never so much. We read not that James and John, Andrew and Simon, when they were called, put off the time till they had known their fathers' and friends' pleasure: but the Scripture saith, They forsook all, and by and by followed Christ. Christ likened Matt. 13. the kingdom of GOD to a precious pearl, the which whosoever findeth, selleth all that he hath for to buy it. Yea, whosoever hath but a little taste or glimmering how precious a treasure the kingdom of heaven is, will gladly forego both life and goods for the obtaining of it. But the most part, now-a-days, be like to 'Æsop's cock; which when he had found a precious stone, wished rather to have found a barley-corn. So ignorant be they how precious a jewel the word of God is, that they choose rather the things of this world; which, being compared to it, be less in value than a barley corn.

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If I would have given place to worldly reasons, these might have moved me. First, the foregoing of you and my children: the consideration of the state of my children, being yet tender of age and young, apt and inclinable to virtue and learning, and so having the more need of my assistance, being not altogether destitute of gifts to help them withal: possessions above the common sort of men: because I was never called to be a preacher or minister and (because of my sickness) fear of death in imprisonment before I should come to my answer, and so my death to be unprofitable. But these and such like, I thank my heavenly Father (which of his infinite mercy inspired me with his Holy Ghost, for his Son's sake, my only Saviour and Redeemer), prevailed not in me: but when I had, by the wonderful permission of GOD, fallen into their hands, at the first sight of the Sheriff, 1 before nature a little abashed; yet or ever1 I came to the prison, by the working of God and through his goodness fear departed. I said to the Sheriff at his coming unto me, What matter have you, master Sheriff, to charge me withal? He answered, You shall know when you come before the masters; and so taking me with him, I looked to have been brought before the masters, and to have heard what they could have burdened me withal. But contrary to my expectation, I was committed forthwith to the jail, not being called to my answer, little justice being shewed therein. But the less justice a man findeth at their hands, the more consolation in conscience shall he find from God; for whosoever is of the world, the world will love him .After I came into prison, and

had reposed myself there a while, I wept for joy and gladness my-belly full, musing much of the great mercies of God, and as it were, saying to myself after this sort; O Lord, who am I, on whom thou shouldest bestow thus thy great mercy, to be numbered among the saints that suffer for thy Gospel's sake? And so, beholding and considering on the one side my imperfection, unableness, sinful misery, and unworthiness, and on the other side the greatness of God's mercy, to be called to so high a promotion, was, as it were, amazed and overcome for a while with joy and gladness, concluding thus with myself in my heart; O Lord, that shewest power in weakness, wisdom in foolishness, mercy in sinfulness, who shall let' thee to choose where and 1 hinder whom thou wilt? As I have zealously loved the confession of thy word, so ever thought I myself be most unworthy to be partaker of the affliction for the same.

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Not long after, came unto me Master W. Brasbridge, Master C. 2 persuaPhinees, Master N. Hopkins, travailing with me, to be dismissed ding me upon bonds; to whom my answer was (to my remembrance) after this sort. Forasmuch as the Masters have imprisoned me having nothing to burden me withal, if I should enter into bonds, I should in so doing accuse myself. And seeing they have no matter to lay to my charge, they may all well let me pass without bonds, as with bonds. Secondarily, if I shall enter into bonds, covenant, and promise to appear, I shall do nothing but excuse, colour, and cloke their wickedness, and endanger myself nevertheless, being bound by my promise to appear. They alleged many worldly persuasions unto me to avoid the present peril; and also how to avoid the forfeiture, if I break my promise. I said unto them, I had cast my pennyworth, by God's help. They undertook also to make the bond easy. And when they were somewhat importune, I said to Master Hopkins, that liberty of conscience was a precious thing; and took as it were a pause, lifting up my heart to God earnestly for his aid and help, that I might do the thing that might please him. And so, when they had let their suit fall, my heart, me-thought, was wonderfully comforted. Master Dudly communed with me in like manner; whom I answered in effect as I did before. Afterward debating the matter with myself, these considerations came to my head: I have from time to time with good conscience (God I take to record) moved all such as I had conference withal, to be no dalliers in God's matters; but to shew themselves, after so great a light and knowledge, hearty, earnest, constant, and stable in so manifest a truth, and not to give place one jot contrary to the Now, thought I, if I shall withdraw myself, and make any shifts to pull my own neck out of the collar, I shall give great offence to my weak brethren in Christ, and advantage to the

same.

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