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 of William Tyms to his sister Colfoxe and Agnes Glascocke.

GRace & peace from God the father of al mercy,* 1.1 through the merites of our deare sauiour Iesus Christ be per∣ceiued & felt in the harts of you my dearely beloued sisters in the Lord, by the mighty working of the holy Ghost the comforter, both now and euermore. Amen.

My most dear and entyrely beloued sisters in the Lord after my most harty commendatiōs, according to my most boūden duty, I do as I am accustomed, or at least boūd to doe: that is, I geue you warning of your enemies, which be the Papistes, and take good heed to them, for they serue a crafty mayster, yea, and as S. Peter saith, he slepeth not,* 1.2 but goeth about like a roaring Lyon, seeking whō he may deuour.* 1.3 For your old familiar frendes or worldly compa∣nions, when they see that you will not runne to the Idols Temple with them, it will seeme a straunge thing vnto them, that ye runne not to the same excesse of ryot, as S. Peter sayth, and therfore they will speak euill of you, rayle on you, and persecute you.

But my deare sisters, let it not trouble you, for it is but to try you, and let it not seeme a straunge thing vnto you. But when they doe so, remember wherefore it is, and for whose sake, euen because you wil not forsake God as they doe. For the hatred they beare you, is for the word of God, and then it is Gods cause, and I tell you hee will reuenge it. And therefore if ye bee rayled on and troubled for his sake, thinke your selues most happy.* 1.4 For if you suffer with the Patriarches, Prophetes, and Apostles, then shall you be sure to be partakers of the same ioy that they are in. Yea you haue heard by the worde of God howe cruelly the ty∣rauntes alwayes haue persecuted the true members of Christ, as he himselfe hath promised, that they shall do vn∣to the end of the word.

By the way I will bring to your remembraunce the holy Martyr S. Stephen, who for fauouring,* 1.5 mayntey∣ning, and defending the same doctrine that we now suffer for, was called a blasphemer, and stoned to death at Ieru∣salem.* 1.6 And Christes Apostles were diuerslye afflicted the world ouer, for the same by this viperous generation. An∣tipas the faythfull witnes of Christ was slayne at Perga∣mus. Iasan for receiuing of Paule and Silas with other disciples & teachers of the Gospel, was brought before the coūsell at Thessalonica, and accused for a seditious traytor agaynst Cesar. No maruell therefore though at this daye we be vexed on the same sort, mainteining the same cause, & fauoring the teachers therof. Is there any other reward folowing the true seruantes of God now, thē hath bene a∣fore times? No surely, for so hath Christ promised. And if they haue persecuted him, needes must they persecute his members, if they haue called the mayster of the house Bel∣zebub, so will they do his houshold: You shall be hated of all men (sayth Christ) for my names sake.

It is no new thing my deare hartes,* 1.7 to see the true mē∣bers of Christ handled as in our dayes they be, as it is not vnknown to you how they be cruelly entreated, & blasphe¦med w^tout any reasonable cause. For heretickes must they be taken, which folow not theyr traditions. And then they may as wel cal christ an heretick, for he neuer alowed their dirty ceremonyes. He neuer went a procession w^t a Cope, Crosse, or Candlesticke. He neuer censed Image, nor sang Latine seruice. He neuer sate in confession. He neuer prea∣ched of Purgatory, nor of the popes pardōs. He neuer ho∣nored sayntes, nor prayd for the dead. He neuer said masse, mattins, nor euensong. He neuer cōmaunded to fast Fry∣day nor Uigil, Lent, nor Aduēt. He neuer halowed church nor chalice, ashes, nor palmes, candles, nor bels. He neuer made holy water nor holy bread: with such like. But suche dumbe ceremonies,* 1.8 not hauing the expresse cōmaūdement of God, he calleth the leauen of the Phariseis and dānable hypocrisy: admonishing his disciples to beware of thē. He curseth al those that addeth to his word such beggerly sha∣dowes, wiping their names cleane out of the booke of life S. Paule sayth, they haue no portion with Christ, whiche. wrap themselues agayne with such yokes of bondage.

Therefore my deare hartes, seeing that our good God hath by the light of his holy word deliuered vs frō al such darck, blind, dumbe, beggerly traditions of men, stand fast in the libertye wherewith Christ hath made you free,* 1.9 and

wrap not your selues againe in the yoke of bondage. But let vs alwayes be ready, looking for the comming of oure Lord & sauior Iesus Christ, which, as S. Peter sayth, will come as a theefe in the night. And as our Captayne Chryst sayth: If the good man of the house knew what houre the theefe would come,* 1.10 he would surely watche.

Therfore my deare harts, be of good comfort, although the worlde neuer rage so sore agaynst you. And for youre comfort make wel the great mercy of God, who according to his promise, for y^e weaknes of our nature hath so asswa∣ged the heate of the fire, that our deare brethren which are gone before vs, to the sight of all men, haue found it rather to be ioy then payne. And thinke you surely that God wil be as mercifull vnto you, as he hath bene vnto them: and say with S. Paule: Who shall seperate vs from the loue of God?* 1.11 shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, eyther hunger either nakednes, either perill, either sword▪ as it is written: for thy sake are we killed all the day long. &c.

Therfore my deare sisters, if to saue your liues, any dis∣sembling Gospellers would haue you to go to the Idoles temple with them, say vnto them: No for my maister christ sayth:* 1.12 He that would saue his life, shall loose it. And in an o∣ther place to comfort vs he sayth: There shall not one heare fal from your head, without it be your heauenly fathers will. And therfore say you that you will not be of that sorte, that be neither hot nor cold,* 1.13 least God should spue you out of hys mouth. But make them this aunswere, saying. S. Paule sayth: Beare no straunge yoke with the vnbeleeuers. For what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnes, what compa∣ny hath light with darckenes, what concord hathe Christe wyth Beliall, either what part hath hee that beleueth, with an Infidell? How agreeth the temple of God with Images? And yee are the temple of God, as God sayth, I will dwell among them, walke among them and will be theyr God, and they shall be my people. Wherfore come out from among them, and seperate your selues (sayth the Lord) and touche no vncleane thing: so will I receaue you, and will be a father vnto you, and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters, sayth the Lord.

Thus mine owne bowels in the Lord, as I began, so make I an end, bidding you beware of your enemies, and take vp your Crosse and follow your captayne Christe in at the narrow gate here by persecution, and then you shal be sure to raigne and reioyce with him in his euerlastyng kingdome, whiche hee himselfe hath purchased with hys owne most precious bloud: to whom with the father and the holye Ghost, be all honour both nowe and for euer. Amen.

By me William Tyms.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A letter of W. Tyms to his sisters in the Lord Colfoxe▪ & Glascocke.
• * 1.2

  1. Pet. 5.
• * 1.3

  1. Pet. 4.
• * 1.4

  Rom. 1••.
• * 1.5

  Stephen for the same Gospell put to death.
• * 1.6

  Antipas. Iason. Act 7. Apoc. 2.3. 1. Thess. 2. Rom. 19. Act. 17. Iohn. 16. Act. 9. Phil. 2. Luke. 21. Iohn. 1.3. 1. Cor. 6. Math. 10.
• * 1.7

  Christ may as well be called an hereticke as these men.
• * 1.8

  Math. 16. Luke. 12. Deut. ••. Apoc. 22. Psal. 6••. Gala. 4.
• * 1.9

  Gala. 5.
• * 1.10

  ••. Pet 3. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••4.
• * 1.11

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.12

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• * 1.13

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉