*An other farewell to the Prisoners in Christes Gos∣pelles cause, and to all them whiche for the same cause are exiled and banished out from theyr owne countrey, choosing rather to leaue all worldly com∣modity, then theyr mayster Christ.
FArewell my dearely beloued brethren in Christ, bothe ye my felow prisoners,* 1.1 and ye also that be exiled and banished out of your countryes, because ye will rather forsake all worldly cō∣modity, then the Gospell of Christ.
Farewell all ye together in Christ: farewell and be mery, for ye know that the triall of your fayth bringeth forth patience, and pacience shall make vs perfecte, whole and sound on euery side, and such after triall (ye knowe) shall receiue the crowne of lyfe, according to the promise of the Lorde made to his dearely belo∣ued, let vs therefore be pacient vnto the comming of the Lord. As the husbandmanne abideth pacientlye the former and latter rayne for the encrease of his croppe,* 1.2 so let vs bee paciente and plucke vp our hartes, for the comming of the Lord approacheth apace. Let vs (my deare brethren) take example of pacience in tribulation of the Prophetes, which spake likewise Gods word truely in his name. Let Iob be to vs an example of pacience, & the end which the Lord suffered, which is full of mercy and pitty. We know my brethren by Gods worde, that our fayth is muche more precious then any corruptible golde, and yet that is tryed by the fire: euen so our fayth is therfore tried likewise in tribula∣tions, that it may be found when the Lord shal appeare, laudable, glorious and honorable. For if we for Christs cause do suffer, that is gratefull before God,* 1.3 for thereunto are we called, that is our state and vocation, wherewith let vs be content. Christ we know suffered for vs afflictions, leauing vs an example that we shoulde folow his footesteps, for he committed no sinne, not was there a∣ny guile found in his mouth: when he was rayled vpon, and all to reuiled, he rayled not agayne: when he was euill entreated, he dyd not threaten, but committed the punishment therof to hym that iudgeth a right.
Let vs euer haue in freshe remembraunce those wonderfull comfortable sentences spokē by the mouth of our Sauior Christ: Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnes sake, for theirs is the kingdome of heauen.* 1.4 Blessed are ye when men re∣uile you, persecute you, & speake all euill against you for my sake: reioyce and be glad, for great is your reward in heauen: for so did they persecute the Prophets which were before you. Therfore let vs alway beare this in our mindes, that if any incommodity doe chaunce vnto vs for righteousnes sake,* 1.5 happy are we whatsoeuer the world doth thinke of vs. Christ our mayster hath tolde vs be∣fore hand, that the brother should put the brother to death, & the father the sonne, and the children should rise agaynst their parēts and kill them, and that Christes true Apostles should be hated of all men for his names sake: but he that shall abide paciently vnto the end, shalbe saued.
Let vs then endure in all troubles paciently after the exam∣ple of our Mayster Christ, and be contented therewith, for he suf∣fered being our mayster and Lord: how doth it not then become vs to suffer? For the disciple is not aboue his mayster,* 1.6 nor the ser∣uaunt aboue his Lord. It may suffice the disciple to be as his mai∣ster, and the seruaunt to be as his Lord. If they haue called the Father of the family, the Mayster of the householde Belzebub, howe much more shall they call so them of his householde? Feare them not then (sayth our Sauiour) for all p••iuityes shall be made playne: there is nowe nothing secret, but it shall bee shewed in light. Of Christes wordes let vs neither be ashamed nor afrayd to speake them, for so Christ our mayster commaundeth vs, saying:* 1.7 that I tell you priuily, speake openly abroade, and that I tell you in your eare, preach it vpon the house toppe. And feare not them which kill the body, for the soule they cannot kill, but feare hym which can cast both body and soule into hell fire.
Know ye that the heauenly Father hath euer a gracious eye and respect towarde you, and a Fatherly prouidence for you, so that without his knowledge and permission, nothing canne doe you harme. Let vs therefore cast all our care vpon him, and hee shall prouide that whiche shall be best for vs. For if of two small sparrowes whiche both are sold for a mite, one of them lighteth not on the grounde without your father, and all the heares of our head are numbred, feare not them (sayth our Mayster Christ) for yee are more worth then many small sparrowes.* 1.8 And let vs not sticke to confesse our Mayster Christe for feare of daunger whatsoeuer it shalbe, remēbring the promise that Christ maketh, saying: whosoeuer shall confesse me before men, him shall I con∣fesse before my father whiche is in heauen: but whosoeuer shall denye me, him shall I likewise denye before my father which is in heauen. Christ came not to geue vnto vs here a carnall amity, and a worldly peace, or to knitte his vnto the world in ease and peace, but rather to separate and deuide them from the world, and to ioyne them vnto himselfe: in whose cause we must, if wee will bee his, forsake father and mother, and sticke vnto him. If wee forsake him or shrinke from him for trouble or deathes sake, which hee calleth his crosse: he will none of vs, we cannot bee hys. If for his cause we shall lose our temporall liues here, wee shall finde them agayne and enioy them for euermore: but if in his cause we will not be contented to leaue nor loose them here: then shall we loose them so, that we shall neuer finde them again, but in euerlasting death. What thoughe our troubles here bee paynefull for the time,* 1.9 and the sting of death bitter and vnplea∣saunt: yet we know that they shall not last in comparison of eter∣nity, no not to the twinckling of an eye, & that they paciētly ta∣ken in Christes cause, shall procure and gette vs vnmeasurable heapes of heauenly glory, vnto the which these temporall paines of death and troubles compared, are not to be estemed, but to be reioyced vpon. Wonder not (sayth S. Peter) as though it were a∣ny straunge matter that ye are tryed by the fire (he meaneth of tribulation) which thing (sayth he) is done to proue you:* 1.10 nay ra∣ther in that ye are partners of Christes afflictions, reioyce, that in his glorious reuelation, ye may reioyce with mery hartes. If ye suffer rebukes in Christes name, happy are ye, for the glory and spirit of God resteth vpon you. Of them God is reuiled and disho∣nored, but of you he is glorified.
Let no manne be ashamed of that he suffereth as a Christian, and in Christes cause: for nowe is the time that iudgement and correction must beginne at the house of GOD, and if it begin first at vs: what shall be the end of those, thinke ye, which be∣leue not the Gospell? And if the righteous shall bee hardlye sa∣ued, the wicked and the sinner where shall he appeare? Where∣fore they which are afflicted according to the wil of God, let thē lay downe and commit theyr soules to him by well doing, as to a trustye and faythfull maker. This (as I sayde) maye not seeme straunge to vs, for we know that al the whole fraternity of Chri∣stes Congregation in this worlde, is serued with the like, and by the same is made perfect. For the seruent loue that the Apostles had vnto their maister Christ,* 1.11 and for the great commodities and increase of all godlines which they felt by theyr fayth to insue of afflictions in Christes cause, & thirdly for the heapes of heauenly ioyes which the same doe get vnto the godly; which shall endure in heauen for euermore: for these causes (I saye) the Apostles of their afflictions did ioy, and reioyced in that they were had and accounted worthy to suffer contumelies & rebukes for Christes name. And Paul, as he gloried in the grace & fauor of God, wher∣vnto he was brought & stoode in by fayth:* 1.12 so he reioyced in hys afflictions the heauenlye and spirituall profites which he num∣bred to rise vpon them: yea, he was so farre in loue wyth that