for saying and hearing of the holy Psalms and the word of eternal life. These cruel doings do declare, that the Papists' church is more bloody and tyrannical, than ever was the sword of the heathens and gentiles.

When I heard of your taking, and what ye were doing, wherefore, and by whom ye were taken; I remembered how the Christians in the primitive church were used by the cruelty of unchristianed heathens in the time of Trajan the emperor, about 77 years after Christ's ascension into heaven. The Christians were persecuted very sore, as though they had been traitors and movers of sedition. Whereupon the gentile emperor Trajan required to know the true cause of Christian men's troubles. A great learned man called Plinius Secundus wrote unto him and said, it was because the Christians said certain Psalms before day unto one called Christ, whom they worshipped for God. When Trajan the emperor understood it was for nothing but for conscience and religion, he caused by his commandments every where, that no man should be persecuted for serving of God. Lo! a gentile and heathen man would not have such, as were of a contrary religion, punished for serving of God.

But the Pope and his church have cast you into prison, being taken even in doing the work of God, and one of the most excellent works that is required of Christian men, that is to wit, whiles ye were in prayer, and not in such wicked and superstitious prayer, as the Papists use, but in the same prayer that Christ hath taught you to pray; and in his name only ye gave God thanks for that ye have received, and for his sake ye ask for such things, as ye want. O glad may ye be that ever ye were born, to be apprehended whilst ye were so virtuously occupied. Blessed be they that suffer for righteousness sake. For if

God had suffered them that took your bodies, then to have taken your life also: now had ye been following the Lamb in perpetual joys away from the company and assembly of wicked men. But the Lord would not have you suddenly so to depart, but reserveth you gloriously to speak and maintain his truth to the world.

Be ye not careful what ye shall say, for God will go out and in with you, and will be present in your hearts and in your mouths to speak his wisdom, although it seem foolishness to the world. He that hath begun this good work in you, confirm, strengthen, and continue you in the same unto the end, and pray unto him, that ye may fear Him only, that hath power to kill both body and soul, and to cast them into hell fire. Be of good comfort: all the hairs of your heads be numbered, and there is not one of them can perish, except your heavenly Father suffer it to perish. Now ye be even in the field, and placed in the fore front of Christ's battle. Doubtless it is a singular favour of God, and a special love of him towards you, to give you this foreward and pre-eminence, and a sign that he trusteth you before others of his people.

Wherefore (dear brethren and sisters) continually fight this fight of the Lord. Your cause is most just and godly; ye stand for the true Christ, who is after the flesh in heaven, and for his true religion and honour, which is amply, fully, sufficiently, and abundantly contained in the holy Testament sealed with Christ's own blood.

How much be ye bound to God, to put you in trust with so holy and just a cause! Remember what lookers upon ye have, to see and behold you in your fight, even God and all his holy angels, who be ready always to take you up into heaven, if ye be slain in this fight. Also you have standing at your backs all

the multitude of the faithful, who shall take courage, strength, and desire, to follow such noble and valiant Christians as ye be. Be not afraid of your adversaries, for He that is in you, is stronger than he that is in them. Shrink not although it be pain to you. Your pains be not so great, as hereafter your joys shall be.

Read the comfortable chapters to the Rom. viii. x. xv. Heb. xi. xii. And upon your knees thank God that ever ye were accounted worthy to suffer any thing for his name sake. Read the second chapter of St. Luke's gospel, and there ye shall see, how the shepherds that watched their sheep all night, as soon as they heard that Christ was born at Bethlehem, by and by they went to see him. They did not reason nor debate with themselves, who should keep the wolf from the sheep in the mean time, but did as they were commanded, and committed their sheep unto Him whose pleasure they obeyed. So let us do now, when we be called, and commit all other things unto Him that calleth us. He will take heed that all things shall be well: he will help the husband, he will comfort the wife, he will guide the servants, he will keep the house, he will preserve the goods; yea, rather than it should be undone, he will wash the dishes, and rock the cradle. Cast, therefore, all your care upon God, for he careth for you.

Besides this ye may perceive by your imprisonment, that your adversaries' weapons against you be nothing but flesh, blood, and tyranny. For, if they were able, they would maintain their wicked religion by God's word: but for lack of that, they would violently compel such as they cannot by the holy Scriptures persuade, because the holy word of God and all Christ's doings be clean contrary unto them. I pray you, pray for me, and I will for you. And although we be asunder after the world, yet we are in Christ (I trust) for ever, joying in the spirit, and

so shall meet in the place of the heavenly joys after this short and transitory life is ended. God's peace be with you, Amen. Fourth of January 1554. JOHN HOOPEr.

Another Letter to certain godly Persons, exhorting them to stick constantly to the professed Truth of the Gospel in these Days of Trial, and not to shrink Trouble.

from any

The grace of God be with you, Amen. I do give our heavenly Father thanks, that moveth you to remember your afflicted brethren, and I do (as I am bound) pray for you, that with your remembrance of me, ye provide help, and succour me with such goods, as God doth endue you withal. Doubtless if ever wretch and vile sinner was bound unto God, I am most specially bound for these ten months almost. Ever since my imprisonment, I have had no living nor goods to sustain myself withal, yet such hath been the favour of our heavenly Father, that I have had sufficient to eat and drink, and the same paid for. Seeing he is so merciful and careful for my sinful body, I doubt not, but he hath more care of my wretched soul, so that in both I may serve his majesty, and be a lively and profitable member of his poor afflicted church. I do not care what extremity this world shall work or devise, praying you in the bowels of Him that shed his precious blood for you, to remember and follow the knowledge ye have learned of his truth.

Be not ashamed nor afraid to follow him; beware of this sentence, that it take no place in you: "No man (saith Christ) that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh backward, is meet for the kingdom of God." Remember, that Christ willed him that would build a tower, to sit down first and look

whether he were able to perform it, lest he should begin and leave off in the midst, and so be mocked of his neighbours, and lose therewithal as much as he bestowed. Christ told such as would build in him eternal life, what the price thereof was, even at the beginning of his doctrine, and said they should be persecuted. Also they should sometimes pay and bestow both goods and lands, before the tower of salvation would be builded.

Seeing the price of truth in religion hath been always the displeasure and persecution of the world, let us bear it, and Christ will recompense the charges abundantly. It is no loss to lack the love of the world, and to find the love of God; nor no harm to suffer the loss of worldly things, and find eternal life. If man hate and God love, man kill the body, and God bring both body and soul to eternal life, the exchange is good and profitable. For the love of God use singleness towards him. Beware of this foolish and deceitful collusion, to think a man may serve God in spirit secretly to his conscience, although outwardly with his body and bodily presence he cleave for civil order to such rites and ceremonies as now be used contrary to God and his word. Be assured that whatsoever he be that giveth this counsel, shall be before God able to do you no more profit than the fig-leaves did unto Adam.

your

Glorify God both in your bodies and in spirits which are God's." Take heed of that com. mandment, no man is able to dispense with it. Such as be yet clear, and have not been present at the wicked mass and idolatrous service, let them pray to God to stand fast: such as for weakness and fear have been at it, repent and desire God's forgiveness, and doubtless he will have mercy upon you. It is a fearful thing, that many do not only thus dissemble with God, but also excuse and defend the dissimu