The copies of certaine letters vvhich haue passed betweene Spaine and England in matter of religion Concerning the generall motiues to the Romane obedience. Betweene Master Iames Wadesworth, a late pensioner of the holy Inquisition in Siuill, and W. Bedell a minister of the Gospell of Iesus Christ in Suffolke.

To the Worshipfull my very good friend Ma∣ster IAMES WADDESWORTH at Madrid, deliuer this.

Salutem in Christo Iesu.

THe late receipt of your Letters (good Master Waddesworth) did diuersly affect me with ioy and shame; and I know not with whether most. I was glad to heare of you, and your prosperous state, much more to receiue a kinde Letter from you. Ashamed,

therein to be called vpon for debt; who haue euer en∣deuoured to liue by that rule of the Apostle; Owe no∣thing to any man. Yet not so much for that which you must vrge the debt of loue, sith by that Text it appears, that it can neuer be so discharged, as there should not be more behinde to pay. And your selfe who challenge this of me, doe owe me as much or well more. For let me tell you, I haue the aduantage of you herein by my profession, for where your loue is to me as to a man, or to an ho∣nest man, nor can by your present perswasion goe any further, I can and doe loue you as my deare brother, and fellow member in the mysticall body of our Lord Iesus Christ. And from this ground (to his knowledge I doe appeale) I doe heartily pray for you, and beare with you, and as the Apostle enioynes, Rom. 15. 7. Re∣ceiue you with a true brotherly affection. I am not therefore ashamed of this debt, but doe reioyce as much in the owing of it, as in the payment. But my shame growes from the being behinde with you in the office of writing. Wherein yet heare my honest and true ex∣cuse. Neither will I goe about to set off one debt with another. For you may remember how at our parting you promised to write to me touching the state of Re∣ligion there, which if wee shall make out a perfect reckoning, I account to be a good debt still. But this I say, when your Letters of the first of April, 1615▪ came to my hands, I purposed to returne answere by the same B••arer, who as hee told mee, was to returne about the Midsommer following. But I had a sodaine and extra∣ordinarie iourny which came betweene, and kept me from home till after the Commencement, so as that op∣portunitie was lost. Besides, vpon the reading of your

Letters, I perceiued your intention was to haue them imparted to Doctor Hall, expecting in a sort some re∣ply from him. To him threfore did I send them. After some moneths I receiued this answere, which though I had once purposed to conceale, as not willing to be the meane of any exasperation betweene you, yet now hoping of your wisedome and patience I send you inclosed, that it may be some euidence of my true excuse. Vpon the receipt of it, I began to frame an answere to the points of your Letter, according to your desire, full, and in friendly termes. I had well-nigh finished it, when I was presented to this Benefice, and thereby entered into a world of distractions. These, together with the labour of writing it ouer, and vncertaintie of safe conueighing my Letters to you, did make mee pro∣crastinate my payment, till now to my shame you should neede to demand it. And that I may by the more sha∣ming my selfe obtaine a more easie penance from you; I confesse to you, I was sometime halfe in the minde (hauing especially differred it so long) to suppresse it altogether. First, out of mine owne naturall disposition, who haue euer abhorred contention: and whereas in matters of Religion there ought to be the fairest wars, I could neuer yet meete with any of that side of so pa∣tient a minde, but by opposition he would be vnsetled. For your selfe, though I knew your former moderate temper, and (as I remember I wrote to Doctor Hall) beleeued you in that which you protest, that out of con∣science you were such as you professe; yet me thought I perceiued by your quick manner to him, and some pas∣sages in the conclusion of your Letter, you were rather desirous to enioy the quiet possession of your owne opi∣nion,

then come to any fur••her disputation whose is the right. And in truth the time of that triall had beene proper, before your departure: nor you had to•• farre engaged your selfe; and were to iustifie by your constancie, the wisedome of your change. Besides, since the sum of the errour of that side, as I haue euer con∣ceiued it, is beleeuing rather too much, then failing in any point necessary to saluation, that notable place of the Apostle, Rom. 14. 1. came to my minde, especial∣ly after that I had once occasion to preach of it, where he forbids controuersies of disputations with those that are infirme in faith. Who art thou (saith he) that iudgest another mans seruant? he standeth or falleth to his owne Master. Why should I grieue you, and perhaps make my friend mine enemy (as Saint Paul the Galathians) by saying the truth. The world is full enough of contentious writings, which as by your letter appeares you had seen ere ye resolued. If those had not satisfied you, what could I hope to adde to them? These things moued me; but as you say, they did not yet satisfie me. For all men are interessed in the defence of truth, how much more he that is called to be a Preacher of it? All Christians are admonished by Saint Iude, to fight for the faith once giuen to the Saints; how much more those that are leaders in this warfare: How could I say I loued our Lord Iesus Christ, if his ho∣nour being questioned I should be silent? How could I approue to mine owne soule that I loued you, if I suf∣ered you to enioy your owne error, suppose not damna∣ble. Besides that, you and perhaps others also might be confirmed in it, perhaps interpreting my silence for a confession that your Motiues were vnanswerable. But

therein I was not onely resolued selfe to the contrary, but thought it so easie to resolue any indifferent minde, as me thought it was more shame not to haue done it at the first, then praise to doe it at the last. As for the suc∣cesse of my endeauour, I was to leaue it to God. Many and secret are the wayes of his Prouidence, which ser∣ueth it selfe sometimes euen of our errours, to the safer conduct of vs to our finall happinesse. Some I had known, and heard of more, who being at first carried away with the shewes of Vnity, Order, Succession, Infallabili∣ty; when they found them emptie of Truth, and the cloakes of Pride, ambition, coue••ousnesse, ioyned with an obstinacie to defend all corruptions how pal∣pable so euer, by finding the difference of these Hulles from their Fathers Table, had with the prodigall Son returned home againe. To conclude, I accounted my selfe still in debt, and was I confesse to you unwilling to die in it; and somtimes vowed to God, in the middest of my troubles, if I might once see an end of them, to en∣deuour to discharge it. And now hauing by his mercy not onely attained that, but a new occasion presented me presently thereupon, by your calling for satisfaction to pay it, and meanes offered me to send it safely: I take this motion to proceede from God, and doe humbly de∣sire his Maiesty to turne it to good. It remaines there∣fore, good Master Wadesworth, that I doe intreat your pardo•• of that slacknesse that is past, and gentlenesse to take it as I shall be able to pay it. My employments both ordinary and extraordinary are many: the bulke of it is to great to conuey in one Letter, consisting of sundry sheetes of paper; and at this present there lies an ex∣traordinary taske vpon me, so as I cannot presently writ

it out. I doe therefore no more now but acknowledge the debt, and promise speedy paiment. Vnlesse I shall adde this also, that I doe vndertake to pay interest for the forbearance; and according as I shall vnderstand by Master Austen shall be fittest, and safest, to send it in parts, or all at once. To the conclusion of your last Let∣ter, wherein you professe your desire to spend the rest of your life rather in the heate of deuotion, then of disputation, desiring pardon of coldenesse that way, and of all other your sinnes, and that it would please God to guide and keepe me in all happinesse as your selfe, through the redemption of our sweete Sauiour, and by the intercession of his holy mother and all Saints. I doe most thankefully and willingly sub∣scribe Amen: returning vnto you from my heart your owne best wishes. Neither is it my purpose to call into question the soliditie of truth, or firmenesse of the hope of saluation, which you finde in your present way. This onely I say. Et pro nobis Christus mortuus est, & pro nostra Redemptione sanguinem suum fudit. Peccatores quidem, sed de ipsius grege sumus, & inter eius ouiculas numeramur: This is my tenet. And if the doctrine of the holy Bible doe containe solid truth, and beleeuing in the name of the Son of God doe giue firme hope of saluation, according to Gods own record, 1 Iohn 5. 10. 11. 12. we are perswaded we haue both. I will adde this more; We know that wee are translated from death to life, because wee loue our brethren. With this Oyle in our Lampes, which we desire may be alwayes in store in our Vessels also our hearts, we attend the comming of the Bridegroome; and say cheerefully, Etiam veni Domine Iesu. To

whose gracious protection I doe most hartily commit you, and doe rest,

Your assured friend and louing Brother, W. BEDELL.

Horningesherth this fifth of August 1619.

Notes

• Euen for vs al∣so hath Christ died, and for our redempti∣on hath hee shed his bloud. Sinners indeed we are, but of his flocke, and among his poore sheepe are we num∣bred.
• Euen so come Lord Iesus.