An epistle of comfort to the reuerend priestes, & to the honorable, worshipful, & other of the laye sort restrayned in durance for the Catholicke fayth.

* 1.1Cap. 16.

* 1.2BVT Now to returne to you moste glorious Confessors remēber who sayd vnto you Feare you not my litle flocke.* 1.3 For the aduersaries of our Lord shalbe afray¦ed of him more then you of them and he will thunder from heauen vppon them. He wil tourne theyre lyghteninges into rayne of consolation.* 1.4 And if here he measure the waters of your short miseries with his clo∣sed fiste; heauen and his eternall rewardes he will measure vnto you with his open span.* 1.5 If here he hath made darkenesse his secrete place: he will afterwarde shew himselfe vnto you clothed with lighte as with a gar∣mente, and will make the comfortlesse de∣serte wherin you nowe dwell as it were a place of delights: and the wildernesse of your desolation as the garden of our Lorde: In

the meane tyme, you muste be conten∣ted to saye with Iob,* 1.6 I haue bene a brother vnto Dragons and a felowe of Ostriges; ta∣king well theyre euill vsage, and requi∣tinge Dragons spite, with brotherlye charitye and the vnnaturalnesse of the Ostrige, that as the Scripture sayeth is hardened against her yonglinges as thoughe they were not hers with friendlye demea∣nour & dutifull subiection.* 1.7 Remember what S. Gregorye sayth Abel esse non potest, quem Caini malitia non exercet. & rosa quae redolet, crescit cum spina que pungit. Abel he cannot be, that is not exercysed by the malice of Cayne & the rose whose plea∣sant sauour delighteth,* 1.8 groweth with a stalke whose prickle woundeth. God will not be angrye for euer, neyther will he all wayes conteyn in wrath his mercyes.* 1.9 Adhuc paululum modicumque & consummabitur indignatio mea, & furor meus super scelus eorum.* 1.10 Iuxta est dies perditionis, & ad∣esse festinant tempora. Yett a litle whyle and a verye shorte space and my wrath (sayeth he) shalbe consummated and my rage vppon the enormitye of mine enemyes. The daye of theyr destructiō is nere, and the tymes hasten to be at

hande.* 1.11 And then shall the burthen be taken from your shoulders and the yoke from youre necke. Then shall God afford you a crowne of glorye, in stead of the ashes of your dis∣grace. Oyle of ioye for your mourning,* 1.12 and a garmente of prayse, for the spirite of heaui∣nes.* 1.13 Happy therfore is he that drinketh in the way of the torrēt of martirdome for he shall lifte vp his heade to an vnspeakeable crowne.* 1.14 Hapye is he, that is quasi torris raptus ex incendio, lyke a fyre brand snat∣ched out of the flame of persecution, because with a most fortunate vyolence is he caryed brighte with an enflamed charitye to the presence of God. Hap∣pye is he that sucketh honye out of this rock,* 1.15 and oyle out of this most harde stone. For by the taste of this honye shall his eyes be opened,* 1.16 as it hapened to Ionatha•• and he shall see the yoake of all miserye rott a∣waye from the face of this oyle.* 1.17 Finally bles∣sed is he, that with Dauid can saye, my mouth sayde in my tribulation I will offer vpp vnto the holocaustes full of marow,* 1.18 yelding himselfe with Isaac as a perfecte sacry∣fyce, rather then our mother the Chur∣che, shold want lyuing hoastes euen of her owne children to offer when God

shall appoynte it for the confirmation of his trueth.* 1.19 For withe suche hoastes is Gods fauoure earned. And seeinge that persecutiō in Gods cause, is a signe that you are Sathans enemyes, sith he thus pursueth you: That you are Gods chil¦dren, sith he thus chastiseth you: See∣inge that you haue Christes example, to encourage you: the necessarye mise∣ryes of this world to make you willing: the auoyding of greater paynes due vn¦to your sinnes, to comforte you: seing your cause is so good: the estate of the persecuted so honorable in Gods Chur¦che: imprisonmente glorious: martir∣dome pretious in it selfe: profitable to the Churche: and so beneficiall to the sufferers: and last of all your finall re∣warde so ample and greate: what re∣mayneth, but for you to reioyce in so∣manye tytles of consolation, & happe∣lye to continew that which you haue fortunatlye begonne.* 1.20 For as S. Cypri∣an seyeth: Parum est adipiscialiquid potu isse, plus est, quod adeptus es, posse seruare. It is a small matter to haue ben able to gett a thinge: more it is to be able to keepe it, when it is once gotten. Now

is the time that many of our forfathers haue desyred to lyue in, that is when they might not only profitt the Chur∣che by example of theyre lyfe, and by vertue of theyre preachinge; but also (which they accounted most to be desy¦red) by effusiō of their blood. Whē Eng¦lande was Catholike, it had manye glo∣rious Confessors. It is now for the ho∣nour and benefit of our countrye that it be also well stored with the number of Martyrs. and we haue God be than∣ked suche martyrquellers now in autho¦ritye, as meane if they may haue theyre will, to make Saynctes enough to fur∣nishe all our Churches with treasure whē it shall please God to restore them to theyre true honoures. I doubte not but eyther they or theyre posteritye shall see the verye prisons and places of executiō, places of reuerence and great deuotion, and the scattered bones of these that in this cause haue suffered, which are now thoughte vnworthye of Christiā burial, shrined in gold: whē the prophane carcases of hereticks, now so costly enbalmed, shalbe esteemed more worthy of the martyrs presēt disgrace,

& farr more vnworthy of such funerall solēnyties. So is the example manifest in other contryes, where such places of martyrs executions, and tormentes are frequented by Kinges, Princes, & great potentates, though theyr owne prede¦cessors, had ben the chiefe persecutors. Lett vs in the meane tyme, take this oc∣casion, of so greate preferment in gods courte, and be as carefull in this age to aspyre, vnto this present dignity of wa∣teringe Gods Church with our blood, as our fore-fathers haue bene to guide it, and further it, by theyr vertuous ex∣ample and glorye of good workes. Erat Ecclesia,* 1.21 in operibus fratrum, candida: nunc facta est in martyrum cruore purpurea. Flori bus .n. nec rosae desunt nec lilia. Certent nunc singuli ad vtriusque honoris amplissimam dig nitatem, vt accipiant coronas, vel de operi∣bus, candidas; vel de sanguine purpureas. The Church sayth S. Cyprian was heretofore white in the workes of our brethrē: it is now purplein the bloode of Martyrs For emonge the Churches flowers, ne∣ther Roses are wanting nor lilyes. Lett euerye one therfore now endeuoure to attayne to the moste ample dignitye of

eche honoure, that they maye receyue crownes eyther whyte of theyre good workes, or purple of theyr blood. Looke vp vnto the Rock out of which you are hewē,* 1.22 that is the martyred bodye of our Saui¦our and to the caue of the lake out of which you are cutt, that is the deepe and wide wounde of his blessed syde: that con∣sideringe from whence you come, you maye shew your selues worthy stones of so noble a quarrye, and not vnworthye mettall of so honorable a myne. Remē¦ber your daye penye and you will easily beare the heat & wayght of your toyle.* 1.23 Let your Rocke be stroken, that water of Lyfe maye issue out,* 1.24 and be conten∣ted to set vppon earth,* 1.25 and in the dung of worldlye disgrace, the better to be placed with the Princes of Gods peo∣ple. Regnum coelorū aliud nō quaerit pretiū ni si teipsum, tantum valet quantum es; te da, & habebis illud. The Kingdome of heauē sayeth S. Augustine requireth no other price but thy selfe.* 1.26 It is worth all thou art. geue thy selfe & thou shalt haueit. O thrise happy are you that are now in the last stepp to this glory. Ioye in your happynes, & pray that God may accept

vs also to the lyke comforte,* 1.27 alwayes re¦mēbring with your selues that this light and momentary tribulation will worke in you an eternall poyse of glorye. And confirming your selues with these com∣fortable words siue viuimus,* 1.28 Domino viui¦mus siue morimur domino morimur, siue vi∣uimus siue morimur Domini sumus. Whe∣ther we liue, vnto our Lord we liue: whe¦ther we dye, vnto our Lord we dye: whe¦ther we liue or dye, our Lordes we are. Finallye,* 1.29 to conclude with S. Bernardes wordes,

what now remayneth my dee∣rest, but that you be warned of perseue¦rāce, which only deserueth renoume to the men, and rewarde to their vertues. For without perseuerance, neither get∣teth the champion the cōquest, nor the conquerour his crowne. The accompli∣shing of vertue, is the vertue of courage nurce to our meritts, & mediatrice to our meede. It is the sister of patiēce, the daughter of cōstancy, the louer of peace the knott of frendship, the bande of a∣greement, the bulwarke of godlinesse. Take away perseuerāce: no seruice hath any paye, no good turne anye thankes, no prowes anye prayse. In summe, not

who beginneth, but who perseuereth vnto the end he shalbe saued.

By one, that reuerenceth your prisons, bea¦reth most dutiful affection to your persons, & humbly craueth parte in your prayers,

I Saiae. ca. 30. In silentio & spe, erit fortitudo vestra. In silence & hope shalbe your strength.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap 16.
• * 1.2

  The Conclusiō
• * 1.3

  Luc. 12 1. Reg. 2
• * 1.4

  Psa. 134 Isa. 40
• * 1.5

  Psa. 19 Psa 103 Isa: 31.
• * 1.6

  Iob: 30
• * 1.7

  Gregor▪ in mo¦ral: in id: fra∣ter fui draco∣num. ••t socius struthionum
• * 1.8

  Iob: 39
• * 1.9

  Isa: 10
• * 1.10

  Deuter: 32
• * 1.11

  Isa: 10
• * 1.12

  Isa. 61.
• * 1.13

  Psa: 109
• * 1.14

  Amos: 4
• * 1.15

  Deuter: 32
• * 1.16

  1 Reg: 14
• * 1.17

  Isa. 110
• * 1.18

  Psa: 65
• * 1.19

  Heb: 1••
• * 1.20

  Epist: 24. ad Reg.
• * 1.21

  Cip: Ep: 4
• * 1.22

  Isa. 51
• * 1.23

  Matt: 20
• * 1.24

  Psa: 77
• * 1.25

  Psa: 112
• * 1.26

  Aug serm 37 de SS siue ser. 1. de restomi∣••um SS.
• * 1.27

  Rom: 5
• * 1.28

  Rom: 14
• * 1.29

  Bernar: Ep 119: ad ••••n••∣enses