to be favourers of God's word, should be banished out of both Houses. But we must give God thanks for that truth he hath opened in the time of his blessed servant King Edward the Sixth, and pray unto him that we deny it not, nor dishonour it with idolatry; but that we may have strength and patience rather to die ten times, than to deny him once. Blessed shall we be, if ever God make us worthy of that honour to shed our blood for his name sake: and blessed then shall we think the parents which brought us into this world, that we should from this mortality be carried into immortality. If we follow the commandment of St. Paul, that saith, "If ye then be risen again with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God," we shall neither depart from the vain transitory goods of this world, nor from this wretched and mortal life, with so great pains as others do.

Let us pray to our heavenly Father, that we may know and love his blessed will, and the glorious joy prepared for us in time to come, and that we may know and hate all things contrary to his blessed will, and also the pain prepared for the wicked in the world to come. There is no better way to be used in this troublesome time for your consolation, than many times to have assemblies together of such men and women as be of your religion in Christ, and there to talk and renew amongst yourselves the truth of your religion, to see what ye be by the word of God, and to remember what ye were before ye came to the knowledge thereof, to weigh and confer the dreams and false lies of the preachers, that now preach, with the word of God that retaineth all truth and by such talk and familiar resorting together, ye shall the better find out all their lies that now go about to deceive you, and also both know and love the truth that God hath opened to us. It

is much requisite, that the members of Christ comfort one another, make prayers together, confer one with another; so shall ye be the stronger, and God's Spirit shall not be absent from you, but in the midst of you, to teach you, to teach you, to comfort you, to make you wise in all godly things, patient in all adversity, and strong in all persecution.

Ye see how the congregation of the wicked, by helping one another, make their wicked religion and themselves strong against God's truth and his people. If ye may have some learned man, that can out of the Scriptures speak unto you of faith, and true honouring of God, also that can shew you the descent of Christ's church from the beginning of it until this day, that ye may perceive by the life of your forefathers these two things: the one, that Christ's words, which said that all his must suffer persecution and trouble in the world, be true; the other, that none of all his, before our time, escaped trouble; then shall ye perceive that it is but a folly for one that professeth Christ truly, to look for the love of the world.

Thus shall ye learn to bear trouble, and exercise your religion, and feel indeed that Christ's words be true,"In the world ye shall suffer persecution." And when ye feel your religion indeed, say, ye be no better than your forefathers; but be glad, that ye may be counted worthy soldiers for this war: and pray to God when ye come together, that he will use and order you and your doings in these three ends, which ye must take heed to: the first, that ye glorify God; the next, that ye edify the church and congregation; the third, that you profit your

own souls.

In all your doings beware ye be not deceived. For although this time be not so bloody and tyrannous as the time of our forefathers, that could not

bear the name of Christ, without danger of life and goods; yet is our time more perilous both for body and soul. Therefore of us Christ saith, Think ye when the Son of man cometh, he shall find faith upon the earth? He saith not, Think ye he shall find any man or woman christened, and in name a Christian? But he spake of the faith that saveth the Christian inan in Christ and doubtless the scarcity of faith is now more (and will, I fear, increase) than it was in the time of the greatest tyrants that ever were; and no marvel why. Read the sixth chapter of St. John's Revelations, and ye shall perceive, amongst other things, that at the opening of the fourth seal came out a pale horse, and he that sat upon him was called Death, and hell followed him. This horse is the time wherein hypocrites and dissemblers entered into the church under the pretence of true religion, as monks, friars, nuns, massing-priests, with such others, that have killed more souls with heresy and superstition, than all the tyrants that ever killed bodies with fire, sword, or banishment, as it appeareth by his name that sitteth upon the horse, who is called Death for all souls that leave Christ, and trust to these hypocrites, live to the devil in everlasting pain, as is declared by him that followeth the pale horse, which is hell.

These pretended and pale hypocrites have stirred the earthquakes, that is to wit, the prinees of the world, against Christ's church, and have also darkened the sun, and made the moon bloody, and have caused the stars to fall from heaven, that is to say, have darkened with mists, and daily do darken (as ye hear by their sermons) the clear sun of God's most pure word: the moon, which be God's true preachers, which fetch only light at the sun of God's word, are turned into blood, prisons, and chains, that their light cannot shine unto the world as they would:

whereupon it cometh to pass, that the stars, that is to say, Christian people, fall from heaven, that is to wit, from God's most true word to hypocrisy, most devilish superstition and idolatry. Let some learned man shew you all the articles of your belief and monuments of Christian faith, from the time of Christ hitherto, and ye shall perceive that there was never mention of such articles as those hypocrites teach. God bless you, and pray for me as I do for you.

Out of the Fleet, by your brother in Christ,
JOHN HOOPer.

To Master FARRAR, Bishop of St. DAVID'S, Doctor TAYLOR, Master BRADFORD, Master PHILPOT, Prisoners in the King's Bench in Southwark.

The grace of God be with you, Amen. I am advised by divers, as well such as love the truth, as also by such as yet be not come unto it, that ye and I shall be carried shortly to Cambridge, there to dispute for the faith, and for the religion of Christ (which is most true) that we have and do profess. I am (as I doubt not ye be) in Christ ready, not only to go to Cambridge, but also to suffer, by God's help, death itself in the maintenance thereof. Weston and his accomplices have obtained forth the commission. already, and speedily (most like) he will put it in execution. Wherefore, dear brethren, I do advertise you of the thing before for divers causes. The one, to comfort you in the Lord, that the time draweth near and is at hand, that we shall testify before God's enemies God's truth. The next, that ye should prepare yourselves the better for it. The third, to shew you what way I think ourselves were best to use in this matter, and also to hear of every one of you your better advice, if mine be not good. Ye know such, as shall be censors and judges over us, breathe

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and thirst for our blood, and whether we, by God's help, overcome after the word of God, or by force and subtilty of our adversaries be overcome, this will be the conclusion: our adversaries will say, they overcome, and ye perceive how they report of those great, learned men and godly personages at Oxford.

Wherefore I mind never to answer them, except I have books present, because they use not only false allegations of the doctors, but also a piece of the doctors against the whole course of the doctors' mind. The next, that we may have sworn notaries, to take things spoken indifferently: which will be very hard to have, for the adversaries will have the oversight of all things, and then make theirs better than it was, and ours worse than it was. Then if we see that two or three, or more, will speak together, or with scoffs and taunts illude and mock us: I suppose it were best to appeal, to be heard before the Queen and the whole Council, and that would much set forth the glory of God. For many of them already know the truth, many of them err rather of zeal than malice, and the others that be indurate should be answered fully to their shame (I doubt not), although to our smart and blood-shedding. For of this I am assured, that the commissioners appointed to hear us and judge us, mean nothing less than to hear the cause indifferently; for they be enemies unto us and our cause, and be at a point already to give sentence against us: so that if it were possible with St. Stephen to speak so that they could not resist us, or to use such silence and patience as Christ did, they will proceed to revenging.

Wherefore, my dear brethren, in the mercy of Jesus Christ, I would be glad to know your advice this day or to-morrow; for shortly we shall be gone, and I verily suppose that we shall not company together, but be kept one abroad from another. They