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¶To maistres Wilkinson a godly matrone, exhor∣tyng her to flye in the tyme of persecution and to seeke her dwellyng, where she might serue God accordyng to his word.
THe true cōforter in all distresse is onely God, through his sonne Iesus Christ, and who soeuer hath him, hath company enough although he were in a wildernesse all alone, and he that hath xx. thousād in his company, if God be absent, is in a miserable wil∣dernesse and desolation. In him is all comfort, and without him is none. Wherfore I beseech you seeke your dwellyng there, as you may truely and rightly serue God and dwell in hym, and haue him euer dwellyng in you. What can be so heauy a burden as an vnquiet conscience, to be in such a place as a man can not be suffered to serue God in Christes true Religion? I lye be loth to depart from your kin and frendes, remember that Christ calleth them his mother sisters and brethren that do his Fathers will.* 1.1 Where we finde therefore God truely honored ac∣cordyng to his will, there we can lacke neither frend nor kin. If you be loth to depart for slaunderyng of Gods word, remember that Christ when his houre was not yet come, de∣parted out of his countrey into Samaria,* 1.2 to auoyde the malice of the Scribes and Pha∣riseis, and commaunded his Apostles that if they were pursued in one place, they should flye to an other. And was not Paule let downe by a basket out at a window, to auoyde the persecution of Areta?* 1.3 And what wisedome and policie he vsed from tyme to tyme to es∣cape the malice of his enemies, the Actes of the Apostles doe declare. And after the same sorte did the other Apostles: albeit whē it came to such a poynt, that they could no longer escape daunger of the persecutours of Gods true Religion, than they shewed them selues, that their flyeng before came not of feare, but of godly wisedome to doe more good, & that they would not rashly without vrgent necessitie offer them selues to death, whiche had bene but a temptation of God. Yea when they were apprehended and could no longer a∣uoyde, then they stoode boldly to the profession of Christ, then they shewed how litle they passed of death, how much they feared God more then men, how much they loued and pre∣ferred the eternall life to come, aboue this short and miserable lyfe. Wherfore I exhort you, aswell by Christes commaundement, as by the example of him and his Apostles, to with∣draw your selfe from the malice of your and Gods enemyes, into some place where God is most purely serued, which is no slaūdering of the truth, but a preseruyng of your selfe to God and the truth, and to the societie and comfort of Christes litle flocke. And that you will doe, do it with speede, least by your owne follie you fall into the persecutours handes, and the Lord send his holy spirite to lead and guide you, where soeuer you goe, and all that be godly will say.