answer. For indeed I do believe that Christ did effectually die for all those Mary. that do effectually repent and believe, and for no other." So that was written also. Martin :-"Now sir, what is Trew's faith of predestination? He believeth that all men be predestinate, and that none shall be damned. Doth he not?" Careless ::-"No forsooth, that he doth not." Martin:-"How then?" Careless." Truly I think he doth believe as your mastership and the rest of the clergy do believe of predestination, that we be elected in respect of our good works, and so long elected as we do them, and no longer." Martin:-" Write that he saith, that his fellow Trew believeth of predestination, as the papists do believe." Careless:-"Ah, master doctor! did I so term you? Seeing that this my confession shall come before the council, I pray you place my terms as reverently as I speak them." Martin:" Well, well, write that Trew is of the same faith as the catholics be." Careless:-" I did not so call you neither; I wonder what you mean?" Careless:- "Yes, forsooth, did I." So then it was written of the clergy. Martin :-"Now, sir, what say you more?" Careless:-" Forsooth I have no further to say in this matter." * Martin :-" What, have you any other matter? brethren that are in the King's Bench which deny the say you to their opinion?" How say you to the two Careless:-"O Lord! I perceive your mastership knoweth that which of all other things I wish to have been kept from you: verily he was to blame that told you of that. Truly, sir, these be two simple poor men, for whom I am sorry at my very heart. They did indeed deny the divinity of Jesus Christ; but whether they do so still or no I cannot say; for I spake with neither of them this quarter of a year and more, as master marshal can tell, who keepeth me as a close prisoner from them and all the rest, except it be sometimes at a chink of the door. But as for their opinion, if they do hold it still, I do most heartily detest and abhor it.' Martin :-" Write that he saith, he doth detest the opinion of the two brethren against the divinity of Christ." Careless:-"As for the two brethren, I know not whether they hold it still or no: they may be converted since I saw them, and I trust they be. But that I do abhor that opinion it appeareth plainly in my first and second articles, as your mastership may perceive." Martin: "It is truth: but how art thou able to prove it, if thou wert put to it? Truly not by the Scripture, but by the general councils." Careless:- If I were not able to prove the same most evidently by the holy Scriptures, I would not believe it though all the general councils in the world had determined it; and yet I bear as much reverence to the determinations of the general councils as any poor man can do in the world, so that the same be agreeable to the word of God, as I am sure the article of Christ's divinity is, as I will prove before you by and by, if it please you to hear me." Martin:-" Well, it shall not need now. I pray thee prove thyself a wise man, and do not cast away thy life wilfully."* Careless :-" :-" Now the Lord he knoweth, good master doctor, I would full gladly live, so that I might do the same with a safe conscience. And your mastership shall right well perceive that I will be no wilful man, but in all things that I stand upon, I will have sure ground." A.D. 1556. eth favour Martin ::-"Now the Lord knoweth, good Careless, that I would gladly make Martin some means to preserve thy life. But thou speakest so much of the Lord, the pretendLord-wilt thou be content to go with my lord Fitzwalter into Ireland? methinks to Carethou art a goodly tall fellow to do the queen service there. How sayest thou?" less. Careless: "Verily master doctor, whether I be in Ireland, France, or Spain, or any place else, I am ready to do her grace the best service that I can, with body, goods and life, so long as it doth last." (1) This is a wrong faith of predestination, believing to be elected in respect of good works. (2) See Edition 1563, p. 1534.-ED. Mary. A.D. 1556. More variety in the pope's Martin :-" That is honestly said, I promise thee; every man will not say so. How say you, master marshal? This man is meet for all manner of service. Indeed thou art worthy, Careless, to have the more favour." Careless:" Indeed sir, I hope to be meet and ready unto all things that pertain unto a true christian subject to do. And if her grace or her officers under her do require me to do any thing contrary to Christ's religion, I am ready also to do my service in Smithfield for not observing it, as my bed-fellow and other brethren have done, praised be God for them." Martin:-"By my troth thou art a pleasant fellow as ever I talked with of all the Protestants, except it were Tomson. I am sorry that I must depart with thee so soon; but I have such business now, that I can tarry with thee no longer. Well, yet thou canst not deny, but you are at jar amongst yourselves in the King's Bench, and it is so throughout all your congregation: for you will not be a church." Careless:-" No, master doctor, that is not so. There is a thousand times more variety in opinions among your doctors, which you call of the catholic church, yea and that in the sacrament, for the which there is so much blood shed now a-days-I mean of your latter doctors and new writers; as for the old, the Pro- they agree wholly with us." church than is amongst testants. Martin taketh his leave gently of Martin :-" No, Careless, this is not so; there thou art deceived." Careless:-"Verily it is so, master doctor; I am not deceived therein any thing at all, as it hath been and is evidently proved by such as God hath indued with great learning." Then he turned to the marshal, and whispered with him a while. Turning unto me again, Martin said, "Farewell, Careless; for I can tarry no longer with thee now, my business is such." Careless:- "God be with you, good master doctor; the Lord give your Careless. mastership health of body and soul.' Martin:-" God have mercy, good Careless, and God keep thee from all errors, and give thee grace to do as well as I would wish myself." Careless:- -"I thank your good mastership; I pray God I may do always that is acceptable in his sight.' Whereunto they all said, “ Amen." And so I departed with a glad heart; God only have the whole praise. Amen. It appeareth by the examination of the foresaid John Careless, that he endured prisoner the space of two whole years, having wife and children in the which his captivity, first being in Coventry jail, he was there in such credit with his keeper, that upon his word he was let out to play in the pageant about the city with his companions. And that done, keeping touch with his keeper, he returned again into prison at his hour appointed. And after that, being brought up to London, he was indued with such patience and constant fortitude, Careless that he longed for nothing more earnestly than to come to that promotion to die in the fire for the profession of his faith and yet it so pleased the Lord to prevent him with death that he came not to it, the fields. but died in the prison, and afterwards was buried in the fields, in a dunghill. dies in prison, and is buried in In the mean time, while he was in prison in the King's Bench, it chanced he was in great heaviness and perturbation of mind and conscience, whereupon he wrote to master Philpot, being then in the coalhouse. Upon the occasion hereof master Philpot sent an epistle consolatory unto him, specified before among master Philpot's letters. Unto the which epistle John Careless maketh answer again as followeth. LETTERS OF JOHN CARELESS. A Letter of John Careless, answering to the loving Epistle or Letter sent to him before' by Master John Philpot. “A faithful friend is a strong defence; whoso findeth such a one, findeth a treasure. "A faithful friend hath no peer; the weight of gold and silver is not to be compared to the goodness of his faith. “A faithful friend is a medicine of life, and they that fear the Lord shall find him."2 The Father of mercy and God of all consolation comfort you with his eternal Spirit, my most dear and faithful-loving friend, good master Philpot, as you have comforted me by the mighty operation of the same; the everlasting God be praised there-for for ever. Amen. Mary. A.D. 1556. Ah, my dear heart and most loving brother! if I should do nothing else day and night so long as the days of heaven do endure, but kneel on my knees, and read psalms, I can never be able to render unto God condign thanks, for his great mercy, fatherly kindness, and most loving compassion extended unto me, most vile, sinful, wicked, and unworthy wretch. O that the Lord would open my mouth and give me a thankful heart, that from the bottom of the same might flow his continual praise. O that my sinful flesh (which is the cause of sorrow) were clean separated from me, that I might sing psalms of thanksgiving unto the Lord's name for ever; that with good Samuel's mother I might continually record this noble verse following, the which by good experience I have found most true, praised be my good God there-for. "The Lord," saith that good woman, "killeth and maketh alive; he bringeth down to hell, and fetcheth up again." Praised be the Lord for ever, yea, and praised be his name for that he hath given me true experience and lively feeling of the John same. Blessed be the Lord God, whose mercy endureth for ever, which hath not dealt with me according to my deep deserts, nor destroyed me in his dis- by the pleasure when I had justly deserved it. O what reward shall I give again unto Lord, out of great the Lord for all the great benefits that he hath done for my soul! I will gladly heavi receive the cup of salvation at his hand, and will worship his name with ness. prayer and with praise. Ah, my dear heart! yea most dear unto me in the Lord, think not this sudden change in me to be some fickle phantasy of my foolish head (as indeed some others would surely suspect it to be), for doubtless it is the marvellous doing of the Lord, most merciful unto me, his unworthy creature. God for his great mercies' sake give me grace to be more thankful unto him than I heretofore have been, and keep me that I never fall forth of his favour again. And now, my dear brother and most blessed messenger of the Lord, whose beautiful feet have brought much glad tidings to my soul, what shall I do or say unto you, in the least part to recompense the fatherly affection and godly care that you continually keep for me? O that God would give me the spirit of fervent prayer, that I might yet that way supply some little part of my duty toward you. Ah, my true loving friend! how soon did you lay aside all other business, to make a sweet plaster for my wounded conscience, yea, and that out of a painful pair of stocks, which place must needs be uneasy to write in! But God hath brought you into a strait place, that you might set my soul at liberty. Out of your pinching and painful seat, you have plentifully poured upon me your precious nard, the sweet savour whereof hath greatly refreshed my tried soul. The Lord likewise refresh you, both body and soul, by pouring the oil of his gracious Spirit into your sweet heart. Ah, good Jeremy! hath Pashur put thee into the stocks?5 Why, now thou hast the right reward of a prophet. Thy glory never began to appear until now. I doubt not but shortly, instead of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Jesus the Son of the living God will come and deliver thee forth of the hands of all thine enemies, and will also make good against them and their antichristian (2) Ecclus. vi. (1) See vol. vii. p. 691, of this edition.-ED. (3) 1 Sam. ii. Careless raised up A. D. 1556. behaviour 2 Mary. synagogue, all the words that thou hast spoken in his name. The Lord hath made thee here, this day, a strong defenced tower, an iron pillar, and a brazen wall1 against the whole rabble of antichrist; and though they fight against thee never so fiercely, yet shall they not overcome thee, for the Lord himself is with thee to help and deliver thee; and he will rid thee out of the hands of the wicked, and will deliver thee out of the hands of the tyrants. And in that you are not busy in casting pearls before swine, nor in giving the holy things unto dogs, The cir- you are much to be commended, in my simple judgment. And sure I am, that cumspect your circumspect and modest behaviour hitherto hath been as much to God's of Philpot. glory, and to the shame and confusion of your enemies, as any men's doings Careless's that are gone before you. Wherefore mine advice and most earnest desire is, advice to with all other of your loving friends, that you still keep that order with those Philpot. bloodthirsty bitesheeps (bishops, I should say) that you have begun. For though in conclusion they will surely have your blood, yet shall they come by it with shame enough, and to their perpetual infamy while the world doth endure. They would indeed condemn you in hugger-mugger, to darken God's glory, if it might be but Satan's thoughts are not unknown to you, and the depth of his subtlety is by you well foreseen. Therefore let them do whatsoever God shall suffer them to do: for I know all things shall turn to your best. Though you lie in the dark, slorried3 with the bishops' black coal-dust, yet shall you be shortly restored unto the heavenly light, and made as white as snow in Salmon, and as the wings of a dove that is covered with silver wings, and her feathers like gold. You know the vessel, before it be made bright, is soiled with oil, and other things, that it may scour the better. Careless's care turned O how happy be you that you be now in the scouring house: for shortly you shall be set upon the celestial shelf as bright as angels. Therefore my dear into joy. heart, I will now, according to your loving request, cast away all care, and rejoice with you, and praise God for you, and pray for you day and night; yea, I will now with God's grace sing psalms of praise and thanksgiving with you. For now my soul is turned to her old rest again, and hath taken a sweet nap in Christ's lap. I have cast my care upon the Lord, which careth for me, and will be careless, according to my name, in that respect you would have me. I will leave out my unseemly addition as long as I live for it can take no gracious place where true faith and hope is resident. So soon as I had read your most godly and comfortable letter, my sorrows vanished away as smoke in the wind; Philpot's my spirit revived, and comfort came again, whereby I am sure the Spirit of God was author of it. God's work through letter. Careless drunken Spirit. O my good master Philpot, which art a principal pot indeed, filled with most precious liquor, as it appeareth by the plenteous pouring forth of the same-O pot most happy, of thy high Potter ordained to honour, which dost contain such heavenly treasure in thy earthen vessel; O pot thrice happy, in whom Christ hath wrought a great miracle, altering thy nature, and turning water into wine, and that of the best, whereout the Master of the feast hath filled my cup so full, that I am become drunken in the joy of the Spirit through the same. When martyrdom shall break thee, O vessel of honour, I know the frawith the grant savour of thy precious nard will much rejoice the heavy hearts of Christ's joy of the true members, although the Judases will grudge and murmur at the same: yea, and burst out into words of slander, saying, "It is but lost and waste." Be not offended, dear heart, at my metaphorical speech; for I am disposed to be merry, and with David to dance before the ark of the Lord and though you play upon a pair of organs not very comely or easy to the flesh, yet the sweet sound that came from the same, causeth me thus to do. O that I were with you in body, as present I am in spirit, that I might sing all care away in Christ for now the time of comfort is come. I hope to be with you shortly, if all things happen right. For my old friends of Coventry have put the council in remembrance of me not six days ago, saying, that I am more worthy by certain to be burned than any that was burned yet. God's blessing on their hearts for friends in their good report! God make me worthy of that dignity, and hasten the time, Coventry. that I might set forth his glory! Accused to the council back : Pray for me, dear heart, I beseech you, and will all your company to do the same; and I will pray God for you all, so long as I live. And now farewell (2) Ibid. xv. (1) Jer. i. (4) Psalm lxviii. Mary. A. D. in Christ, thou blessed of God's own mouth. I will for a time take my leave, but not my last farewell. Blessed be the time that ever I came into the King's Bench, to be joined in love and fellowship with such dear children of the Lord.1 My good brother Bradford shall not be dead whiles you be alive: for verily the 1556. spirit of him doth rest on you in most ample wise. Your letters of comfort God's prounto me in each point do agree, as though the one were a copy of the other. vidence He hath planted in me, and you do water; the Lord give good increase! My his peodear brethren and fellow-prisoners here, have them humbly and heartily com- ple." mended unto you and your company, mourning for your misery, but yet rejoicing for your plenteous consolation and comfort in Christ. We are all cheerful and merry under our cross, and do lack no necessaries, praised be God for his providence and great mercy towards us for evermore, Amen. To his Wife. As by the great mercy of God, at the time of his good-will and providence appointed, my dearly beloved wife, you and I were joined together in the holy and christian state of godly matrimony, as well to our great joy and comfort in Christ, as also to the increase of his blessed church and faithful congregation, by having lawful children by and in the same, with the which God of his mercy hath blessed us, praised be his name there-for: even so now by his merciful will and divine ordinance, the time is come (so far as I can perceive) wherein he will, for his glory and our eternal comfort, dissolve the same, and separate us asunder again for a time. Wherefore I thought it good, yea and my bounden duty, by this simple letter to provoke, stir, and admonish you, to behave yourself in all your doings, sayings, and thoughts, most thankfully unto our good God for the same. And therefore, my dear wife, as you have heartily rejoiced in the Lord, and oftentimes given God thanks for his goodness in bringing us together in his holy ordinance: even so now I desire you, when this time of our separation shall come, to rejoice with me in the Lord, and to give him most hearty thanks, that he hath (to his glory and our endless commodity) separated us again for a little time, and hath mercifully taken me unto himself, forth of this miserable world, into his celestial kingdom; believing and hoping also assuredly, that God of his goodness, for his Son Christ's sake, will shortly bring you, and your dear children thither to me, that we may most joyfully together sing praises unto his glorious name for ever. And yet once again I desire you for the love of God, and as ever you loved me, to rejoice with me, and to give God continual thanks for doing his most merciful will upon me. toward a faithful I hear say that you do oftentimes use to repeat this godly saying, "The True obeLord's will be fulfilled." Doubtless it rejoiceth my poor heart to hear that dience of report of you, and, for the Lord's sake, use that godly prayer continually, and woman. teach your children and family to say the same day and night: and not only say it with your tongues, but also with your heart and mind, and joyfully submit your will to God's will in very deed, knowing and believing assuredly, that nothing shall come to you or any of yours, otherwise than it shall be his almighty and fatherly good-will and pleasure, and for your eternal comfort and commodity. Which thing to be most true and certain, Christ testifieth in his holy gospel, saying, "Are not two little sparrows sold for a farthing, and yet not one of them shall perish without the will of our heavenly Father?" and he concludeth saying, " Fear not ye therefore, for ye are better than many sparrows." As though he should have said, If God have such respect and care for a poor sparrow, which is not worth one farthing, that it shall not be taken in the lime-twig, net, nor pitfall, until it be his good will and pleasure; you may be well assured, that not one of you (whom he so dearly loveth, that he hath given his only dear Son for you,) shall perish, or depart forth of this miserable life without his almighty good-will and pleasure. counsel Therefore dear wife, put your trust and confidence wholly and only in him, Good and ever pray that his will be fulfilled, and not yours, except it be agreeing to given to his will; the which I pray God it may ever be, Amen. And as for worldly his wife. things, take you no care, but be you well assured the Lord, your dear God and Father, will not see you nor yours lack, if you continue in his love and childly (1) Note how comfortably the Lord worketh in his prisoned saints. (2) Here is a true mark of a faithful christian, forsaking wife and children for Christ's sake. (3) Matt. x. |