This letter was printed, with Careless's letters, in 1563, p. 1538. It was reprinted in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 234-36.
THe spirite of truth reuealed vnto you my dearlye beloued, by the gospel of oure Sauioure Iesus Christ, be continualy adbydinge with you, and augmented into a perfect buildinge of you into the lyuelye temple of God, through the mightye operation of his power, Amen. I reade in the Euangelistes of certaine godlye women that continually ministred vnto Christ, folowing him in the daies of his passion and neuer forsoke him, but being dead in his graue, brought oyle to anointe hym, vntyll that he had shewed him selfe vnto them after his resurrection, and bidden them shewe vnto his disciples, which at his passion were dispersed, and telle them that he was risen, and that they shuld see him in Galile, to whom I maye iustly compare you, my louing sisters in christ who of late haue seene hym suffer in his members, and haue ministred to their necessity, annointing thē with the comfortable oile of your charitable assistance, euen to the death: & nowe since ye haue sene Christ to lyue in the ashes of them whom the tirauntes haue slayne, he willeth you to go a waye vpon iust occasion offered you, and to declare to oure dispersed brethren, and sisters, that he is risen and liueth in his elect members in England, and by deathe doth ouercom infidelity, and that they shal see hym in Galile, whyche is by forsakynge thys world, and by a faythful desyre to passe oute of this world by those wayes which he with hys holy martyrs hath gone on before. God therefore entyer systers, direct your way, as he dyd Abraham and Tobias vnto a straunge lande. God geue you health both of bodye and soule, that ye may go from vertue to vertue, & grow from strength to strength, vntyl ye may se face to face the God of Sion in hys holy hyl, wyth the innumerable company of his blessed Martirs and Saintes. Let there be continual ascensions vnto heauen in your hartes. Let ther be no decrease of any vertue, which is alredy plāted in you. Be as the lyght of the iust, suche as Salomon sayth increaseth to the perfecte daye of the Lord. Let the strength of god be cōmended in your weake vessels, as it is. Be exāples of fayth and sobriety to al that ye shal come in company with al. Let your godly conuersatiō speak where your toung may not, in the Congregation. Be swift to heare & slow to speake, after the counsel of S. Iames. Be not curious about other mens doinges, but be occupied in prayer and continuall meditation, with reuerent talkyng of the word of God wythout cōtention amongest the saintes. Let your faythe shyne in a straunge country, as it hath done in your owne, that your father which is in heauē may be glorified by you to the end. Thys fare wel I send you, not as a thing nedeful, whych know already what your duty is, and be desyrous to perfourme the same, but as one that would haue you vnderstande that he is mindful of your godly cōuersation, wherof he hath had good experiēce, & therfore writeth this, to be as a perpetual memorial betwixt you and hym vntyl our meeting together before god, where we shal ioy that we haue here louyngly put one another in memory of our duty to performe it. Farewel agayne mine own bow-
[Back to Top]els in Christ, and take me with you where soeuer you go, and leaue your selues wyth mee, that in spirit we maye be present one wyth an other. Commende me to the whole Congregation of Christ, wylling them not to leaue their country without wytnes of the Gospell, after that we al be slayne, which al ready be stalled vp and appoynted to the slaughter, and in the meane season to praye earnestlye for our constancy, that Christ may be glorified in vs, and in them both by lyfe and deathe. Farewell in the Lord. Yours for euer Iohn Philpot.
[Back to Top]This letter was first printed in the 1563 edition and is reprinted in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 657-58 but it was not reprinted in subsequent editions of the Acts and Monuments.
☞ The eurlasting peace of God in Iesus Christ, the eternal comfort of his most pure, holy, and mighty spirit, with the increase of faith in hys swete mercyes be with you my deare Sister, good maystres Cotton, to the full encrease of your ioy in Christe, now and euer. Amen.
MarginaliaA letter of I. Carles.AS from the very botome of my poore hart I wish vnto you health both of body and soule, my dere louing Sister in the lord: so wil I neuer cease prayyng vnto God for the same, according vnto my moste bounden duty. Howbeit of your body vpon condition, but of your soule without any condition, being wel assured that the Lord for hys deare sonnes sake wil perfectly graūt me the same, so farforth as shalbe most for your profyt. So that if the health of your bodye wyll stand with the wealth of your soule, I am sure I shal haue my petition graunted, for the health of the same. But if the syckenes of your bodye be for the healthe of your soule, as I am sure it is, then haue I also my desyre graunted, because I aske the same no further thē it maye stande with the other: but for the euerlasting health of your soule doo I hartelye pray without the additiō of any condition. for it is the lords good wil I shuld so do. Therfore I am sure my request is already graunted therein for hys sake, who hath redemed the same with his most precious bloude, yea in whom you were elected before the foundation of the worlde was layd. This is most true, and therfore let nothing perswade you to the contrary. Rest vpon thys rock, & be you sure the gates of hel shal not preuayle agaynste you. I know dere hart that you haue done much good to the poore for Iesus Christes sake: yet beware you do not put any trust or confidence in your good dedes, merits, or deseruings but only in Iesus christ, which hath geuen you him selfe wholye to be yours, with all hys holynes, righteousnes, iustification and redemptiō and al that euer he may. On the other syde he hath taken vpon himselfe al your synnes, myseryes, and infyrmitie, and hath made a ful satisfaction for them, wyth the sacrifice of hys owne bodye and bloud offered once for al. This I do know (my good syster) you do constantly confesse and beleue, as the godly fruits of your christian faith doth dayly testify. I trust to be a wytnes with you at the great day, that your faythe is vnfayned, and ful of godly charity. The lord encrease the same. I am cōstrained to make an end, ful sore against my wyl. My poore praiers shal supply that whych my pen doth lacke. The blessing of God be with you now and euer, Amen. your dayly Orator, Iohn Careles.
[Back to Top]This prayer was printed in the 1563 edition, but it was not reprinted in Letters of the Martyrs or in subsequent editions of the Acts and Monuments.
Verely, verely I say vnto you, whatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name, he will geue it you. Iohn. 16.
MarginaliaA godly prayer.OH almighty euerlasting God, & most gracious deare louing father, I besech the for Iesus Christes sake, thy most deare and onely sonne, to haue mercy, pity, and compassion vpon me, most vile, wretched, and myserable synner, whose innumerable offenses both old and new be most horryble, greuous, & great, wher through I haue iustly deserued thy greuous wrath and euerlasting damnation. But
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