Ah, my most sweet and loving brethren, and dearest hearts in the Lord, what shall I say, or how shall I write unto you, in the least point or part to utter the great joy that my poor heart hath conceived in God, through that most godly example of your christian constancy, and sincere confession of Christ's verity? Truly my tongue cannot declare, nor my pen express, that abundance of spiritual mirth and gladness, that my mind and inward man hath felt, ever since I heard of your hearty boldness, and modest behaviour, before that bloody butcher in the time of all your crafty examinations; especially at your cruel condemnation in their cursed Consistory place. Blessed be God, the Father of all mercy, and praised be his name, for that he hath so graciously performed upon you, his dear darlings, his most sweet and comfortable promises: in not only giving you the continual aid, strength, and comfort of his holy and mighty Spirit, to the faithful confession of his Christ, for whose cause (O most happy men) ye are condemned to die; but also in giving you such a mouth and wisdom, as all your wicked enemies were not able to resist, but were fain to cry Peace, peace, and not suffer you to speak. As truly as God liveth, my dear brethren, this is not only unto you a most evident probation that God is on your side, and a sure certainty of your everlasting salvation in him; but also to your cruel adversaries (or rather God's cursed enemies) a plain demonstration of their just eternal woe and damnation, which they shall be full sure shortly to feel, when ye shall full sweetly possess the place of felicity and pleasure, prepared for you from the beginning.

Therefore, my dearly beloved, cease not so long as ye be in this life, to praise the Lord with a lusty courage, for that, of his great mercy and infinite goodness, he hath vouched you worthy of this great dignity; to suffer for his sake, not only the loss of goods, wife, and children, long imprisonment, cruel oppression &c., but also the very deprivation of this mortal life, with the dissolution of your bodies in the fire. The which is the greatest promotion that God can bring you or any other unto, in this vale of misery; yea, so great an honour, as the highest angel in heaven is not permitted to have and yet hath the Lord (for his dear Son Christ's sake) reputed you worthy of the same, yea, and that before me and many other, which have both long looked and longed for the same.-Ah, my most dear brother Timms, whose time resteth altogether in the hands of thy Lord, in a full happy time camest thou into this troublesome world, but in a much more blessed hour shalt thou depart forth of the same; so that the sweet saying of Solomon, or rather of the Holy Ghost, shall be Eccle. 7. full well verified upon thee, yea, and all thy faithful fellows: Better the day of death (saith he), than the day of birth. This saying cannot be verified upon every man, but upon thee, my dear

brother, and such as thou art; whose death is most precious before God, and dear shall your blood be in his sight. Blessed be God for thee, my dear brother Timms, and blessed be God again that ever I knew thee, for in a most happy time I came first into thy company. Pray for me, dear brother, pray for me, that God will once vouch me worthy of that great dignity, whereunto he hath now brought you.-Ah, my loving brother Drake, whose soul draweth now nigh unto God, of whom you have received the same, full glad may you be that ever God gave you a life to leave for his sake. Full well will he restore it to you again, in a thousand fold more glorious wise. Praise God, good brother, as you have great cause, and pray for me, I beseech you, which am so much unworthy (so great are my sins) of that great dignity, whereunto the Lord hath called you and the rest of your godly brethren; whom I beseech you to comfort in the Lord, as you can full well: praised be God for his gifts, which you have heartily applied to the setting forth of his glory, and the commodity' of his poor afflicted church. Which thing shall surely 1 benefit redound to your everlasting joy and comfort, as you shall most effectually feel or ever it be long, though the wicked of the 2 before world judge far otherwise.

Ah, mine own hearts, and most dearly beloved brethren, Cavel, Ambrose, and both the Spurges: blessed be the Lord on your behalf, and praised be his name, which hath given you such a glorious victory. Full valiant have you shewed yourselves in the Lord's fight, and full faithful in your painful service. Faint not, but go on forward as ye have most godly begun; for great shall your reward be at the end of this your travail. Ah, my good faithful brethren all, what shall I say, or what shall I write unto you, but even the same that good Elizabeth did say to her godly kinswoman Mary, the blessed Mother of Christ. Happy art thou Luke 1. (quoth that good woman) which hast believed; for all things which the Lord hath spoken to thee, shall be fulfilled. So I say to you, my dear hearts in the Lord; happy are ye all, yea, twice happy shall ye be for evermore, because ye have stedfastly believed the most sweet promises which God the Father hath made unto you with his own mouth, in that he hath promised you (which are the faithful seed of the believing Abraham), that ye shall be blessed ever world without end. The promises of God your sweet Father as ye do believe, so do ye bear record that God is true. The testimony whereof ye have full worthily borne to the world, and shortly will full surely seal the same with your blood; yea, even to morrow, I do understand. Oh, constant Christians! Oh, valiant soldiers of the high captain Jesus Christ, who for your sake hath conquered the devil, death, sin, and hell, and hath given you full victory over them for evermore! Oh, worthy witnesses and most glorious Martyrs, whose invincible faith hath overcome that

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proud, sturdy, bragging prince of the world, and all his wicked army, over whom ye shall shortly triumph for evermore! Ah, my sweet hearts, the everlasting treasures are full surely laid up for you in heaven. The immarcescible' and most glorious crown of victory is already made and prepared for you, to be shortly clapped upon all your happy heads. The holy angels of your heavenly Father are already appointed to conduct your sweet souls into Abraham's bosom. All the heavenly host rejoiceth already, for that they shall shortly receive you, with joy and felicity, into their blessed fellowship. Selah.

Rejoice with double joy, and be glad, my dear brethren, for doubtless ye have more cause than can be expressed. But alas! I that for my sins am left behind, may lie and lament with the holy prophet, saying, Woe is me that the days of my joyful rest are prolonged. Ah cursed Satan, which hath caused me so sore to offend my most dear loving Father, whereby my exile and banishment is so much prolonged. Oh Christ my advocate, pacify thy Father's wrath which I have justly deserved, that he may take me home to him in his sweet mercy. Oh that I might now come home unto thee, with my blessed brethren, Well, thy will, O Lord, be effectuously fulfilled; for it is only good, and turneth all things to the best, for such as thou in thy mercy hast chosen.

And now farewell, my dear hearts, most happy in the Lord. I trust in my good God, yet shortly to see you in the celestial city, whereof undoubtedly the Lord hath already made you free citizens. Though ye be yet with us for a little time, your very home is in heaven, where your treasure doth remain with your sweet Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ; whose calling you have heard with the ears of your hearts, and therefore ye shall never come into judgment, but pass from death to life. Your sins shall never be remembered, be they never so many, so grievous, or so great; for your Saviour hath cast them all into the bottom of the Psa. 103. sea: he hath removed them from you as far as the east is from the west, and his mercy hath much more prevailed over you, than is distance between heaven and earth: and he hath given you, for an everlasting possession of the same, all his holiness, righteousness, and justification, yea, and the Holy Ghost into your hearts, wherewith ye are surely sealed unto the day of redemption, to certify you of your eternal election, and that ye are his true adopted sons, whereby ye may boldly cry unto God, Abba, dear Father, for evermore : so that now no creature in heaven, earth, nor hell shall be able to accuse you before the throne of the heavenly King. Satan is now cast out from you; he himself is judged, and hath no part in you. He will once more bite you by the heel, and then he hath done; for at the time you shall squeeze his head through your own good Christ, and so have final

victory for ever more. In joyful triumph whereof, he shall sweetly ascend into the place of eternal rest, whither your eldest brother Christ is gone before you to take possession for you, and to prepare your place under the holy altar, with Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, Rogers, Hooper, Saunders, Farrer, Taylor, Bradford, Philpot, with many other; who will be full glad of your coming, to see six more of their appointed number, that their blood may so much the sooner be revenged upon them that dwell on the earth.

Thus I make an end, committing you all to God's most merciful defence, whose quarrel ye have defended, whose cause ye have promoted, whose glory ye have set forth, and whose name ye have constantly confessed. Farewell for a while, my dear hearts in the Lord I will make as much haste after you as I may. All

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our dear brethren salute you. They pray for you, and praise God for you, continually. Blessed be the dead that die in the Lord, for they rest from their labours, saith the Holy Ghost, and Apoc. 14. their works follow them.

Your own John Careless, a most unprofitable servant of the Lord, yet, of his great mercy, prisoner for his sake, abiding his further good pleasure, Pray, pray, pray !

To Master Green, Master Whittell,

And certain other prisoners in Newgate, condemned, and ready to be burnt, for the testimony of the Lord Jesus.

The everlasting peace in Jesus Christ, the continual comfort of his most pure and holy Spirit, be with you, my most dear and faithful brethren and sisters of Newgate, the Lord's appointed sheep unto the slaughter; to the good performance of the great and notable work of the Lord, which he hath so graciously begun in you all: that the same may redound to the setting forth of his glory, and to the commodity of his church, and to your 1 benefit own everlasting comfort in him. So be it.

Ah, my dear hearts, and most faithful brethren and sisters in the Lord, what high lauds and praise, yea, what humble and continual thanks am I bound to give to God our Father for you and on your most happy behalf, who so mightily hath magnified himself in you thus far forth, in giving you his holy and mighty Spirit, to the constant confessing of Christ's verity, even to the cruel condemnation; and I doubt not but he will do the same to the death. Oh, happy and blessed are you that ever you were born, that the Lord will vouch you worthy of this great dignity, to die for his sake. Doubtless it is the greatest honour that God can give you in this life. Yea, if they be so blessed of God that die in the Lord, as the Holy Ghost saith they be: how much

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more blessed and happy then are you, that die not only in the Lord, but also for the Lord. Oh that it were the good will of God that the good hour were now come, that I might go with you. Ah that my sins made me not unworthy of such an excel. lent dignity.

Be thankful, dear hearts, be thankful and rejoice in the Lord : for mighty is his mercy towards you, and great is your reward in heaven; the which you, like faithful persons, have plucked to you with a godly violence of an invincible faith. Oh worthy warriors of the most high Captain; oh constant confessors of the everlasting verity: how glorious a crown of victory shall you shortly receive, which is prepared for all such as do continue to the end. Oh, you sweet saints of the Lord, how precious shall your death be in his sight. Oh how dear are your souls to your Redeemer, in whose hand they shall most joyfully rest, and the pains of death shall never touch you. Oh how blessed shall you be, when Christ shall appear, at the which time you shall receive your bodies again full of immortality. Oh how joyful shall you be, when Christ, according to his promise, shall acknowledge you before his Father and his holy angels, as you have most constantly confessed him to be your Lord and only Saviour before

men.

Oh, blessed Green, thou meek and loving lamb of the Lord, how happy art thou to be appointed to die for his sake. A full dainty dish art thou for the Lord's own tooth. Fresh and green shalt thou be in the house of the Lord, and thy fruits shall never wither nor decay. Although thou go here forth sowing thy good fruits with tears, the time shall come that thou shall reap with joy and gladness the fruits of everlasting life, and that Luke 12. without ceasing. Be merry therefore and fear not, for it is thy Father's will to give thee a kingdom, whereunto he hath chosen thee before the foundations of the world were laid.

Oh happy minister, thou man of God, how glad mayest thou be of God's gracious favour, which hath prevented thee in the day of thy trial. Oh happy Peter, whose part thou hast well played; therefore thy reward and portion shall be like unto his. Now hast thou good experience of man's infirmity, but much more proof and taste, yea, sense and feeling, of God's abundant Luke 22. bottomless mercy. Although Satan desired to sift thee, yet Christ, thy good Captain, prayed that thy faith should not fail. God's strength is made perfect by thy weakness, and his grace is sufficient for thee his dear child. Thine example did so encourage and strengthen thy poor brethren, that God is every way glorified by thee, and shortly will he glorify thee with himself, with that glory which he hath prepared for thee, his elect darling, before the world was made. Therefore rejoice and be glad, for thou hast good occasion, in finding such favour in his sight.