*To my deare brethren M. Filles and Cutbert.
MY deare and welbeloued brethren in Christ, Mayster Filles and Cutbert,* 1.1 I wish you all welfare of soule & body. Welfare to the soule, is repentance of sinne, faythfull affiaunce in Christ Iesus, & a godly life. Welfare to the bo∣dy, is the health of the same, with all necessary thinges for this bodely life. The soule of man is immortall, and there∣fore ought to be well kept, least immortality to ioy, should turne to immortality of sorow. As for the body, be it neuer so well kept and much made of, yet shortly by nature will it perish and decay: But those that are engraffed & incor∣porated into Christe by true fayth, feeling the motion of Gods holy spirite, as a pledge of theyr election and inhe∣ritaunce, exciting and styrring them, not onely to seek hea∣uenly thinges, but also to hate vice, and embrace vertue, will not onely doe these thinges, but also if need requyre, will gladly take vp theyr Crosse and folow their capteine, their king,* 1.2 & theyr Sauior Iesus Christ (as his poore affli∣cted church of England now doth) agaynst that false and Antichristian doctrine and religion now vsed, & specially that blasphemous Masse,* 1.3 wherin Christs supper and holy ordinaunce is altogether peruerted & abused contrarye to his institutiō, & to Paules procedinges: so that, that which they haue in theyr Masse, is neither Sacrament of Christ,* 1.4 nor yet sacrifice for sinne, as the Priestes falsely pretend. It is a sacrament, that is, as S. Augustine saith,* 1.5 a visible sign of inuisible grace, when it is ministred to ye communicants according to Christes example, and as it was of late yeres in this realm. And as for sacrifice, there is none to be made now for sinne: for Christ with one sacrifice hath perfited for euer those that are sanctified.
Beware of false Religion, and mens vayne traditiōs, and serue God with reuerence and godlye feare according to the doctrine of his Gospell, whereto cleaue ye that yee may be blessed,* 1.6 though of wicked men ye bee hated and ac∣cursed. Rather drink of the cup of Christ with his church, then of the cuppe of that rosecoloured whore of Babilon, which is full of abhominations. Rather striue ye to go to heauen by the path which is strait to flesh and bloud, with the litle flock, then to goe in the wide waye, folowing the enticementes of the world and the flesh, which leadeth to damnation. Like as Christ suffered in the flesh, sayeth S. Peter, so arme ye your selues with the same minde:* 1.7 for Christ suffred for vs, leauing vs example to folow his foot∣steps. Blessed are they that suffer for his sake, great is their reward in heauen.* 1.8 He that ouercommeth (sayth S. Iohn) shall eat of the tree of life: he shall haue a crowne of life, & not be hurt of the second death: he shall be clothed wt white araye, & not be put out of the booke of life: Yea I will con∣fesse his name sayth Christ, before my father, and before his Aungels, & he shalbe a piller in the house of God, and sitte with me on my seat. And thus I bidde you farewell, myne owne Brethren and deare felowes in Christ. Whose grace and peace be alway with you. Amen.
This world I do forsake: To Christ I me betake, And for his Gospell sake. Paciently death I take. My body to the dust, Now to returne it must: My soule I know full well, With my God it shal dwel.
Thomas Whittell.