To all my dear Brethren, my Relievers and Helpers in the City of London.

The grace of God be with you, Amen. I have received from you (dearly beloved in our Saviour Jesus Christ), by the hands of my servant, William Downton, your liberality, for the which I most heartily thank you, and I praise God highly in you for you, who hath moved your hearts to shew this kindness towards me, praying him to preserve you from all famine, scarcity, and lack of the truth of his word, which is the lively food of your souls, as you preserve my body from hunger, and other necessities, which should have happened unto me, were it not cared for by the benevolence and charity of godly people. Such as have taken all worldly goods and lands from me, and spoiled me of all that I had, have imprisoned my body, and appointed not one halfpenny to feed or relieve me withal: but I do forgive them, and pray for them daily in my poor prayer unto God, and from my heart I wish their salvation, and quietly and patiently bear their injuries, wishing no farther extremity to be used towards us.

Yet, if the contrary seem best unto our heavenly Father, I have made my reckoning, and fully resolve myself to suffer the uttermost what they are able to do against me, yea, death itself by the aid of Christ Jesus, who died the most vile death of the cross for us wretches and miserable sinners. But of this I am assured, that the wicked world, with all its force and power, shall not touch one of the hairs of our heads without leave and license of our heavenly Father, whose will be done in all things. If he will life, life be; if he will death, death be it. Only we pray, that our wills may be subject unto his will;

and then, although both we and all the world see none other thing but death, yet if he think life best, we shall not die, no, although the sword be drawn out over our heads: as Abraham thought to kill his son Isaac, yet when God perceived that Abraham had surrendered his will to God's will, and was con- . tent to kill his son, God then saved his son.

Dearly beloved, if we be contented to obey God's will, and for his commandment's sake to surrender. our goods and our lives to be at his pleasure, it maketh no matter whether we keep goods and life, or lose them. Nothing can hurt us that is taken from us for God's cause, nor can any thing at length do us good, that is preferred contrary to God's commandments. Let us wholly suffer God to use us and ours after his holy wisdom, and beware we neither use nor govern ourselves contrary to his will by our own wisdom: for if we do, our wisdom will at length prove foolishness. It is kept to no good purpose, that we keep contrary unto his commandments.. It can by no means be taken from us, which he would should tarry with us. He is no good Christian that ruleth himself and his, as worldly means serve: for he that so doth shall have many changes as chance in the world. To-day with the world he shall like and praise the truth of God, to-morrow as the world will, so will he like and praise the falsehood. of man; to-day with Christ, and to-morrow with an-.. tichrist. Wherefore, dear brethren, as touchingyour behaviour towards God, use both your inward spirits, and your outward bodies; your inward and your outward man (say) not after the manner of men, but after the infallible word of God,

Restrain from evil in both; and glorify your heavenly Father in both. For if ye think ye can inwardly in the heart serve him, and yet outwardly serve with the world in external service the thing that

is not God, ye deceive yourselves; for both the body and the soul must together concur in the honour of God, as St. Paul plainly teacheth. (1 Cor, vi.) For if an honest wife be bound to give both heart and body to faith and service in marriage; and if an honest wife's faith in the heart cannot stand with an whorish or defiled body outwardly; much less can the true faith of a Christian in the service of Christianity, stand with the bodily service of eternal idolatry for the mystery of marriage is not so honourable between man and wife, as it is between Christ and every Christian man, as St. Paul saith.

Therefore (dear brethren) pray to the heavenly Father, that as he spared not the soul nor the body of his dearly beloved Son, but applied both of them with extreme pain, to work our salvation both of body and soul; so he will give us all grace to apply our bodies and souls to be servants unto him: for doubtless he requireth as well the one as the other, and cannot be discontented with the one, and well pleased with the other. Either he hateth both, or loveth both; he divideth not his love to one, and his hatred to the other. Let not us therefore, good brethren, divide ourselves, and say our souls serve him, whatsoever our bodies do to the contrary for civil order and policy.

But, alas! I know by myself, what troubles you, that is, the great danger of the world, that will revenge (ye think) your service to God with sword and fire, with loss of goods and lands. But (dear brethren) weigh of the other side, that your enemies and God's enemies shall not do so much as they would, but as much as God shall suffer them, who can trap them in their own counsels, and destroy them in the midst of their fury. Remember, ye be the workmen of the Lord, and called into his vineyard, there to labour till evening tide, that you may

receive your penny, which is more worth than all the kingdoms of the earth. But He that calleth us into his vineyard, hath not told us how sore and how fervently the sun shall trouble us in our labour: but hath bid us labour, and commit the bitterness thereof unto Him, who can and will so moderate all afflictions, that no man shall have more laid upon him, than in Christ he shall be able to bear. Unto whose merciful tuition and defence I commend both your souls and bodies. September 2, Anno 1554.

Your with my poor prayer,
JOHN HOOPER

To a Merchant of London, by whose Means he had received much Comfort in his great Necessities in the Fleet.

Grace, mercy, and peace in Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God and you for the great help and consolation I have received in the time of adversity by your charitable means, but most rejoice, that you be not altered from truth, although falsehood cruelly seeketh to distain her. Judge not, my brother, truth by outward appearance, for truth now worse appeareth and more vilely is rejected than falsehood. Leave the outward show, and see by the word of God what truth is, and accept truth, and dislike her not though man call her falsehood. As it is now, so hath it been heretofore, the truth rejected, and falsehood received. Such as have professed truth, for truth have smarted, and, the friends of falsehood laughed them to scorn. The trial of both hath been by contrary success: the one having the commendation of truth by man, but the condemnation of falsehood by God, flourishing for a time with endless destruction; the

other afflicted a little season, but ending with immortal joys.

Wherefore, dear brother, ask and demand of your book, the Testament of Jesus Christ, in these woful and wretched days, what you should think, and what you should stay upon for a certain truth; and whatsoever you hear taught, try it by your book, whether it be true or false. The days be dangerous, and full of peril, not only for the world and worldly things, but for heaven and heavenly things. It is a trouble to lose the treasure of this life, but yet a very pain, if it be kept with the offence of God.

Cry, call, pray, and in Christ daily require help, succour, mercy, wisdom, grace, and defence, that the wickedness of this world prevail not against us. We began well, God preserve us until the end. I would write more often unto you, but I do perceive you to be at so much charges with me, that I fear you would think when I write, I crave. Send me nothing till I send to you for it; and so tell the good men your partners: and when I need, I will be bold with you. December 3, 1554.

Yours with my prayer,

JOHN HOOPER.

To Mrs. WILKINSON, a Woman hearty in God's. Cause, and comfortable to his afflicted Members.

The grace of God, and the comfort of his holy' Spirit, be with you. Amen.

I am very glad to hear of your health, and do thank you for your loving tokens. But I am a great deal more glad to hear how christianly you avoid idolatry, and prepare yourself to suffer the extremity of the world, rather than to endanger yourself to God. You do as you ought to do in this behalf; and in suffering of transitory pains, you shall avoid permanent