Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 2] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

An other letter to Iohn Careles, profitable to be read of all them which mourne in repentaunce for theyr sinnes.* 1.1

THe God of all comfort, and the father of our Lord Ie∣sus Christ, send vnto thee my deare brother Carles, y^e in∣ward consolation of hys holy spirite, in all the malicious assaultes and troublous temptations of our common ad∣uersarye the deuill. Amen.

That God geueth you so contrite a hart for your sins I cannot but reioyce to beholde the liuely marke of y^e chil∣dren of God, whole propertie is to think more lowly and vily of themselues, then of any other,* 1.2 and oftentymes doe set theyr sinnes before them, that they might the more hee stirred to bring forth the fruites of repentance, & learne to mourne in this world, y^t in an other they might the more be stirred to bring forth the fruites of repentance, & learne to mourne in this worlde, that in an other they might bee glad and reioyce. Such a broken hart is a pleasaunt sacri∣fice vnto God: O that I had the like contrite hart. GOD mollifie my stony hart, which lamenteth not in suche wyse my former detestable iniquities. Praysed be God y^t he hath geuen you this sorrowful hart in respect of righteousnesse & I pray you let me be partaker of these godly sorrowes for sin, which be y^e testimony of the presence of y^e holy ghost Did not the sword of sorrow pearce the hart of the electe & blessed mother of our Lord? Did not Peter weepe bitterly for his sinnes, which was so beloued of christ? Did not Ma∣ry Magdalen wash the feet of our sauiour with her teares, & receaued therwithall remission of her seuenfold sinnes.

Be of good comfort therefore myne owne deare hart,* 1.3 in this thy sorrow, for it is the earnest peny of eternal con∣solation. In thy sorrow laugh, for y^e spirite of God is with thee. Blessed be they (sayth Chryst) that mourne: for they shall be comforted. They went forth and wept saythe y^e prophet such shall come agayne, hauing theyr gripes full of glad∣nes. And although a sorrowfull hart in consideratiō of his sinne, be an acceptable sacrifice before God, whereby wee are styrred vp to more thankfulnes vnto God, knowing y^t much is forgeuen vs that we might loue the more: yet the mā of God must keep a measure in y^e same,* 1.4 least he be swal¦lowed vp by too much sorow. S. Paul would not y^e Thes∣saloniās to be sory as other mē which haue no hope: suche a sorrow is not cōmēdable, but worketh dānation, & is far frō y^e childrē of God, who are cōtinually sorrowfull in god whē they look vpō their owne vnworthines, with hope of forgeuenes. For God to this end by his spirite setteth the sinnes of his elect still before them, y^t where they perceiue sinne to abound,* 1.5 there they might be assured y^t grace shall superabound: & bringeth them down vnto hell, y^t he might lift thē vp with greater ioy vnto heauen. Wherefore myne own bowels in Christ, as long as you are not voyd alto∣gether of hope: be not dismayd through your pens••••e hart for your sinnes, how huge so euer they haue bene, for God is able to forgeue more then you are able to sinne: yea, and he will forgeue hym which with hope is sory for his sins.

But know brother, that as oft as we doe go about, by the helpe of Gods spirite, to do that is good,* 1.6 the euill spi∣rite Sathan layeth hard wayt to turne the good vnto euil & goeth about to mixe the detestable darnell of desperation with the godly sorrow of a pure penitent hart. You be not ignoraunt of hys malicious subtletie, and howe that con∣tinually he assaulteth y^e good which the grace of God plan∣teth, I see the battel betwixt you and hym, but the victory is yours, yea and that dayly: For you haue layde hold vp∣pon the anker of saluation, whiche is hope in Christe, the which will not suffer you to be made ashamed.

Be not discomforted that you haue this conflict: but be glad that God hath geuen you the same to try your faith, & that you might appeare dayly worthy of the kingdome of God, for the whiche you striue. God beholdeth your stry∣uing faith against Sathan, & is pleased w^t your mighty re∣sistance. The spirite which is in you, is mightyer then al y^e aduersaries power. Tēpt he may, & lying awayt at youre heelees, geue you a fall vnwares: but ouercome hee shall not: yea he cannot,* 1.7 for you are sealed vp already w^t a liuely fayth to be y^e childe of God for euer: & whō God hath once sealed for hys owne, hym he neuer vtterly forsaketh. The iust falleth 7. times, but he ryseth agayne. It is mās frayl∣ty to fall, but it is y^e propertie of the deuils child to lye still.

This strife against sinne is a sufficient testimonye that you are the childe of God, for if you were not,* 1.8 you shoulde feele no such malice as he now troubleth you withal. Whē this strōg Goliah hath y^e hold, al things be in peace which he possesseth, & because he hath you not, hee will not suffer you vnassaulted. But stand fast,* 1.9 & hold out the Buckler of fayth, & with the sword of Gods promises smite hym on y^e scalpe, y^t he may receiue a deadly wound, and neuer be able to stand agaynst you any more. S. Iames telleth you that he is but a coward, saying: Resist the deuill and he will flye a∣way. It is the will of God that he should thus long tempt you and not go away as yet, or els he had done wyth you long ere this. He knoweth already that he shal receiue the

foyle at your hands, and encrease the crowne of your glo∣ry: for he that ouercommeth shall be crowned. Therefore glory in your temptations, since they shall turne to your felicity. Be not afraide of your continuall assaults: which be occasions of your daily victorie.* 1.10 The woorde of God a∣bideth for euer. In what houre soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes, they be forgeuen. Who cā lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect: Do you not perceiue the ma∣nifest tokens of your election? First your vocation to the Gospell, and after your vocation, the manifest gifts of the spirite of God geuen vnto you aboue many other of your condition, with godlinesse which beleueth and yeldeth to the authority of y^e scriptures, and is zealous for the same? Seeing you are Gods owne dearling, who can hurt you? Be not of a deiecte minde for these temptations, neyther make your vnfained frends to be more sorrowful for you, then neede doth require.

Since God hath willed you at your baptisme in Christ to be carelesse, why doe you make your selfe carefull: Cast all your care on him.* 1.11 Sette the Lorde before your eyes al∣waies, for he is on your right side, y^t you shall not be moo∣ued. Behold the goodnesse of God toward me. I am care∣les, being fast closed in a paire of stockes, which pinche me for very straitnes: and wil you be careful? I wil not haue that vnseemely addition to your name. Be as your name pretendeth, for doubtles you haue none other cause but so to be. Pray, I beseech you, that I may be stil careles in my careful estate, as you haue cause to be carelesse in your ea∣sier condition. Be thākful and put away all care, and then I shall be ioyfull in my straite present care. Commend me to all our brethren, and desire them to praye for me, that I may ouercome my tēptations: for the deuil rageth against me, I am putte in the stockes in a place alone, because I would not answer to such articles, as they would charge me w^tall in a corner at the bishops appoyntment, and be∣cause I did not come to Masse when the bish. sent for me, I will sic all the dayes of my life in the stockes (by Gods grace) rather then I wil consent to y^e wicked generation. Praise God & be ioyfull, that it hath pleased him to make vs worthy to suffer somwhat for his names sake. The de∣uil must rage for 10. daies. Commend me to maister F. and thanke him for his lawe bookes, but lawe, neither equitie wil take any place among these bloud thirsty. I would for your sake their vniust dealing were noted vnto the parla∣ment house, if it might auaile. God shortē these euil daies, I haue answered the bish. meetely plaine already, and I said to him, if he wil cal me in open iudgement, I wil an∣swer him as plainly as he will require: otherwise I haue refused, because I feare they will condemne me in hugger mugger. The peace of God be with you my dear brother. I canne wryte no more for lacke of light, and that I haue wrytten I can not reade my selfe, and God knoweth it is wrytten farre vneasily. I pray God you may picke out some vnderstanding of my minde towards you. Wrytten in a Colehouse of darkenesse, oute of a paire of paynefull stockes, by thine owne in Christ.

Iohn Philpot.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An other letter of M. Philpot to the same partye.
• * 1.2

  To this let∣ter Careles maketh a very godly aunswere, which you shall see af∣ter in his story.
• * 1.3

  Math. 15. Psal. 125. Psal. 51. Luke. 7. Sorow in a Christian man ought to be mo∣derate. 1. Thess. 4.
• * 1.4

  2. Cor. 7.
• * 1.5

  Rom. 5.
• * 1.6

  Sathans practise to bring the godly repē∣tance of a sinner, to desperatiō.
• * 1.7

  Gods chil∣dren fall. The deuills children lye still.
• * 1.8

  Luke. 11.
• * 1.9

  Strife a∣gaynst sinne i•• a token of Gods child. Iames. 4.
• * 1.10

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• * 1.11

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