A present consolation for the sufferers of persecucion for ryghtwysenes .

WHen Chryst was comen into the region of the Matth. viij . Gadarens , and had casten the legyon of deuillis out of the naked wylde man , and at these deuillis desyer permitted them to go into the herde of h●gges , at whose entresse , the swyne tumbled al hedlongs into the meare and were drowned . The Gadarens hearinge of this miracle , comen forthe and beholdinge Chryst , were greatly afrayd of him : & desyered Chryst to go out of their region . Which Gadarens all be it they did vngodly and greatly agenst theyr owne saluacion , to desyer him to auoide from out of their region whiche cam to caste out their deuillis , to heale and to saue them , yet shewed they them selues more ientle and humane vnto Chryst than these princes magistrats and comon peple , to whom the worde of god the gospell of their saluacion nowe mercifully offred them , yet cruelly and violently thei thrust it from them with fagots fyer and swerde , blaspheminge it with a legion of deuilysshe horrible newe names . But yet , as the Gadarens were beter content to haue had still emonge them this mischeuose mad man possessed of so many deuilis then Christ to haue dwelled in their loude . Euen so li●fer had these hoggishe Papistes and cruell persewers of the gospell & of the professours therof , to haue dwellinge still in their dioceses chirches and regions many legions of deuylisshe rytes , supersticiose ceremonyes , dirtye tradicions and heythen ydolatrye , then Christ and his pure worde shulde once sette in fote amonge them frely & faithfully to be preached . And why ? Chryst hathe drowned their swyne , say they . And if he shulde tary longe emonge vs he wold drowne vs to , say they . Siche an answere made some polytyke gredy Gergesens of late possessed verely of legions of deuyls dryuinge them yet hedlongs into the meare of almaner of mischeif , murther , lechery , dronkenes , glotony pryde ambicion enuye &c. refrayned with no shame no reuerence , with no feare nor lawe nether of god nor man , lyke mad wylde men cryinge out in their pulpits and comon tauerus . That yf this newe lerninge and Lutherane gospell ( for so call they gods holy worde ) shulde come in frely to be preched , oh what an innouacion , commocions & mutacions wold it make in this realme ▪ What sedicions , tumults and hurle burlis shuld we haue a none in this now so peaceable a region ? Beter it were therfor eche of vs all were still possessed and laden with legions of deuyls , fetered still in all idolatry and false religion , then that Iesus Chryst withe his worde shulde here tary any longer .

Hereof may ye se what a preposter feare and sinister iugement there is nowe in this worlde . Men to be more afrayd of Chryst & his gospell of saluacion to dwel with them , then of a legion of deuyls redy to rende them in peses . Be you ( oh papystes ) sewerer ( thynke ye ) vnder the deuyl then vnder Chryst : Do ye promyse your selues to be more quyet in Satans seruyce than in Christs peaceable religion ? What harme ( I pray you ) hath our lorde Iesus Chryst & his gospell done to you , so that yf ye walke in his wais and receyue his gospell , ye shulde feare any suche perels of batail sedicions and tumults to fall vpon you ? He hath drowned our swyne ( say you ) he is not the autor of euill say I. He came to drowne and to mortifye your swynisshe filthynes & bestly affectis and to blesse you and yours with encrease . He is the autor of peace and not of sedicion batail and tumult . Your selues thrustinge him and his worde awaye from you so truelly persecuting him in his preachers and professours be the very autors & cause of all batail sedicions trouble morin of your beastis derthe famyn and pestelence . And forbecause you feare so sore these euils to fall vpon you for receiuinge and retayninge Chryst with his gospell , therfore be ye sewer , all these heuey heapes of calamities and yet greter & grenoser plages shorteli to be powered forth vpon you .

But here obiecteth the vnfaythfull cruell Gadarens sayinge . We se it dayly that where this newe lerninge is preached , there foloweth myche trouble , inquietnes tumult sondri sectes diuerse opinions . Truth it is . For neuer was the sead of gods worde sow●e & begane to aryse , Satan beinge a sleape . And therfore trede downe this blessed sead with your filthy feet , suffocate it , burne it , thrust it from you with swerde and fyer , and nourisshe still emonge you rather a legion of deuilis compellinge men to recant and renye the truthe openly & oft preched , orels burne them . Compell them to sayt . This is a realme of rightwijsenes where in is ministred all inste execucion and uo perse cucion . For where the heade and gouerner professeth Chryst there can be no persecucion . Nether is Chryst ( tell it them ) per secuted but emonge the Iewes and gentiles . Unto this I answer . That the gospel preched is the worde of the crosse , Paul to witnes . i. Cor. i. And the true preachers therof , Chrystsendeth as lombes emonge wolues , Matth. x. Wherfor where as ye haue chased awaye & suppressed the worde of the crosse there can be no persecucion therof , & where as be no lombes sent emonge wolues , there can not the wolues deuoure any lombes . And thus breifly by your owne factis and recantacion wordes , you haue properly proued your selues nether to haue the gospell nor any true prechers sent amonge you purely and frely to preache it , which as it is the most euident token of gods heuey wrath to take awaye his worde and preachers from you , so is it the present token of his fauor to sende vs them . Also where so euer is Christ our head , there are his members . And what the worlde and Satan did to our head and father of the houshold , the same do thei Mat . yet still to his members and faithfull seruants . If the highe preistes and bisshops Caiphas and Annas with the pharisais persecuted our heade Chryst so shall their successours persecute his members , for persecucion is as comon to the body as to the heade . And therfore sayd Paul , Col. i ▪ I nowe reioyse in myne affliccions for your sakis . For I supple that at yet remayneth and shall euer endure in the affliccions of Chryst in my fleshe for his bodye whiche is the chirche . Here is it playn , Chryst in his members to suffer persecucions vnto the worldes ende vntill his aduersaries be slayne with the breath of his mouthe , wherfore take awaye persecucion out of Englond , and so take ye awaye the worde of the crosse euen the gospell , the chirche of Christ & all true preachers . Which all gone , there must the persewers & thrusters out of Chryst and his worde be possessed with legions of deuyls . For neuer was there any chirche so litle , so hole and perfit , but it had an aduersarye to persecute it . Chryst was euer to many mo a stomblinge stone and a signe to be agene Luke . ij . sayd , then to be beleued & to ryse at hym . Then beginneth Satan to rustle when a strouger armed inuadeth his realme . Orels what shuld he do but lydowun & laugh or sleape to se his realme in tranquilyte and in a paceable possession ? Caiphas Annas the bishops , scribes & pharisais were holy religiouse gostely fathers ( but no lordes ) till Chryst begane to preache and reueled hym self very god and man , and the beleuers in him onely to besaued . The Iewes were the peple of god agreinge in theyr religion , waitinge for Messias , kepinge theyr ceremonyes rites &c. quiet●1 and in peace till Chryst was comen & had preched his gospell , yea Christe is not so sone borne but he hath an Antichryst , as sone as he preched he had a Iudas . And shall there any man preache this gospell nowe in Englond , onely faithe to iustifye our work is not to deserue grace remission nor heuen , or ageynst ymages to stande in the place of worshippinge , or ageynst inuocation of the dead sayntes , or prayinge for the dead or ageynst the popis supersticiouse rytes & cere ▪ yet maytained in the chirches of Englond , or ageynst their prophana●io● of the lordis souper , and of his baptisme or agenst the wyuelesse vnchast chastite of the preistes and theyr vnlawfull vowes , and estape persecucion ?

If these blynde buzerds and wealy vepers whelps wolde but loke bake vnto the arke of Noe euer tossed and inquie●ed vpon the vehement troublous sourges , & yet neuer into any place of it receyuinge any water , or wolde they consyder the persecuted heuey state of Iacob , Genesis xxviij . what reste and lodgynge he had when he fownd out the place of the house of god . Or wold they beholde the perellouse sharp situacion of the temple compassed aboute with hir haythen aduersaries builded vpon the northe este syde of the mount Syon , euer open and redy to receyue , all the northe easte stormes and wyndes , whiche be moste rolde and bitterreste . Agen loke with what difficultye and resistence , & how longe it was ere it coude be builden ayen after the fyrst destruccion and ende of the Babylonike captiuite y wolde they ( I say ) beholde the figures of Chrystis chyrche in the olde testament thei shulde sone se the heuey face & troblouse state of the chirche of Christe all though them selues as thei neuer were of this chirche , so neuer suffred they any persecucion for the gospell . Solomon in his balets described the situacion of Cant. ij . ● . v. Chrystis spouse to be as a lyle emonge thor●es . And whyles she is in sekinge hir spouse , she is fownde of siche kepers as are our bisshops and theyr inquisitors in theyr questes and woluesshe honters for chrysten lombes blode , which saith Solomon , do smyte and wounde this pore sely spouse and lytle fearefull floke of Christe , and they take awaye hir best garment , that is to saye . These bisshops whiche shulde kepe defende and edifye the walles of Hierusalem , are become very theues and cruell murtherers of the chirche of Chryst , takinge awaye hir beste garments , euen the holy Bybles , Testaments the worde of our faithe and saluacion , storuinge the pore Hongrye sowlis with famyn , verefyinge the prophetye of Amos. Thei were these builders Amos. viij . that reiected Chryst the foundacion stone of his chirche , whiche name edificantes our bisshoply builders haue vsurped so longe tyll thei haue nowe worthely destroyd all theirs , throne downe their abbeis , & shortely shal thei throdowne their owne bishoprykes to . The scriptures , the prophetis as Daniel & the Apocalypse paynt forth christes chirche in farre other blody colours of affliccion & persecucion then do our wealy proud bulls of Basan whiche as they neuer felt trouble for the truth , so knowe they not what the chirche of Chryst is . There is nothing that so miche displeaseth god , as when wealy idle men sittinge in securite and ease , pite not the persecucion of the pore chirche , as Amos complayneth sayinge . Wo be to Amos. vi . the wealy riche &c. which be not moued with heuynes and pyte to se Ioseph , that is the people of god broken slayne persecuted &c.

But yet do our bisshops compell men to recant sayinge . That where the head & gouerner professeth Chryst , there can be no persecucion . Nether is Chryst persecuted but amonge the Iewes and gentyls . Ah subtyle serpentyne sead . Wyll ye yet make vs beleue the gospell not to haue ben persecuted of you in Englonde ? What thinge ( I pray ye ) was it , that in the Cardynall Thomas wolsaye , his days , and in that traytor syr Thomas More his tyme , beynge chanceler , and in Iohan stokisly bisshop of Londons tyme , you persecuted , when ye presoned , vndid and brent so many and chased awaye ●oo for bringinge in , for readinge and for hauinge the newe Testament and other bokis of prayers out of the scripture in English : What thinge persecuted you when ye brent at Paulis crosse 500 Testaments with ▪ wother holy bokis in Englisshe ? What thinge persecuted ye , when ye com pelled doctor barnes , Master Bilney ● master Artur to bere fagots for preching ageynst the popes falsely vsurped primarye , ageynst his purgatory and pardons ? Ioan Fyssher bisshop of Rochester , after warde a traytour , then preachinge openly at Paulis crosse , and efte a nother called doctor Ridleye , stokisleis chaplen and person of fulham , bothe extollinge the popis powr supremite defendinge & mayntayninge his pardons purgatorie and his falsely vsurped power ? Well I wot , that I my selfe was then by the bisshop of Lin colne called la●gley , by bysshop West of Ely , by Iohan asshwell laste priour of Newn ham abey besydes bedforde , and by syr William Gascoyne knyght and tresurer to the cardinal , persecuted & chased out of the realme , compelled to lese my college a perpetuall sufficient lyuinge , ● all that I had , for sayinge . That any simple syr Iohan had as great power to bynde and to lose ( if he coulde preche the gospell ) as had the pope him selfe that neuer preched it . They had then brent me to for prechinge ageynst their pelgrimaginge to postes and stones , for sayinge that onely faith iustifieth before god , & good workis to declare owr faith , our obedience to god , & our loue to god , and to our neyghbours , for sayinge that it was godlier the bisshops , priours , abots and preistis to haue their owne wyues then so openly to kepe other mennis , and because I affirmed the pope , cardinalls , bisshops and all the ecclesiastike sorte to be by gods worde subiecte to the seclare ordinary powers as to their emprowr and their owne kinges , for thus prechinge and sayinge , thei had brent me to , if I had not fled out of the loude . Nowe I reporte me to your selues whether was this your execrable exe cucion , or els your pestelent persecucion ? And whether may there not be persecucion where the heade professeth Chryst ? ● agen whether not in England there hathe ben and is yet persecucion or onely emonge the Iewes and gentyls ? Wyll ye yet thus contend to kouer and cloke your owne open trayterouse towches ? Wold ye set vs to seke persecucion emonge the Iewes & Turkes whyles your selues moste trayterously at home persecute not onely your owne floke the kinges subiectis but also your head & gouerner euen the kinges maiestye him selfe . By whose preuey ●oniuracions , secrete conspiriso●s in auriculare confessions and crafty consultacion were so many of the nobles of the northe and lyncolne shyer set on fyer Master Aske made the capitayne to lead forthe so rebelliouse a sorte of traytours ageynst our prince ? Were they not the bysshops , abots & preistes which were the autours of that sediciouse insurreccion and persecucion of their owne kinge ? And how say you , my lordis , was it iuste execucion or persecucion that ye wold haue prosecuted ageynsty our owne head & gouerner at that tyme if ye might haue had your daye so longe loked fore ? To put you therfore out of dout , your owne worthei punisshmentes & plages hitherto iustely executed vpon you and your abbayes , & your destruccion at hande shall no notherwyse certifie you to haue had then persecuted your head & his subiectes then did the terrible example and worthey punisshment of the sonnes of Chore of Dathan & Abyron , the erthe deuoweringe & swallowinge in them quy●e downe a lyue into hell , declare them to haue persecuted Moyses their moste mylde head & godly gouerner constituted of god to haue led them out of that yerney fornace of bondage from Pharao . And this is lo , the humble obedient seruice & loue that siche ingrate rebelles render to their so louinge & ientle princes . Now I aske them ageyne whether the first chirche whiche consisted of Adam Eue Cain & Abel , had not Adam a godly gouerner professinge that blessed sead Chryst promised ? and yet did one brother vnder the same head persecute the tother , Cayn slewe Abell , & now tell me my lordis , was Cayn a Iewe or a gentyle ? Under Isaac a godly gouerner and head of his familye and chirche , Esau persecuted Iacob . Was Esau a Iewe or a gentyle ? And as it was then so is it nowe , saithe Paul , euen one brother to persecute another , vnder Abraham , Ismael persecuted Isaac , vnder Moses the head gouerner of gods chirche was there no persecution ? Read the boke of nowmbers . xij . and. xvi . Chapters , and ye shall see euen the cheif bysshop with his wyfe Maria , Dathan and A●yron wyth theyr wycked complices to haue persecuted their head Moses murmuryng ageynst him for that he was so highe in fauour with god , enuyinge him for his prophecing & interpreting so highly gods pleasure and minde , and was it execucion ore persecucion that thei prosecuted ageynst Mose● ? Lo here may y● see the Christen persecuted of his owne subiectis one Iewe to persecute an other , one brother a no ther , one gentile another , one crystian in name a nother , one englissh man a nother as Chryst sayd , Matt. x. One brother to betraye a nother vnto deathe , the father his sone , the sonnes their parents for my names sake saith Chryst. Nowe ye se that persecution is where so euer the gospell ● Chryst be frely preached , whether it be in England , France or in Germany &c. and not onely emonge the Iewes and gentils as our bishops wolde haue men beleue it . They say they be the Iewes and Turkes that shall persecute you . But Christ sayth they shall be our owne familiare false bro therne the bisshops and the preists to per secute their head and vs to whiche shulde tender defende and fede vs . This is lo theyr olde wont facion , to set vs to loke & beware of the Iewes and gentyls persecucions , whyles them selues burne vs for the gospell . As did the thefe crye to the people kepe the thefe , whyles hym selfe myght rune his waye the frelyer . And if there be no persecucion in Englond , why praye ye in your newe lytanpes and suffrages , god forgeue owr persewers and persecuters and turne their hertes , and to be delyuered from them ▪ Why pray ye ●he same in the moste parte of your Psalmes euery haye sunge and red in your chirches ?

I meruell of what lerninge and religion these bisshops be , that graunte the gospell to be in Englond , and not to be persecuted . The scripture techeth playnely , Matth. xvi . that emonge men , there was , and shall be euer , diuerse and sondre opinions of Christe and his religion and the worde of god euer to be agene sayd & persecuted as longe as this worlde standeth . Who resisted Moses bringinge gods message and gospell into Egipt but the preistes of Egipte ? In Israel , Helias prechynge gods worde , had he not the preistes of Baal his aduersaries and per sewers ? The false prophetes resisted Ieremye ▪ The Pharisais persecuted Chryst. And not only the false Apostles but also the hole worlde persecuted the trwe Apostles . Of this lecte , sayd they to Paule we knowe it to be ageyn sayd and persecuted euery where . After the Apostles Act. xxviij . tyme the worde of god was not onely resy●ted withe the persecucion of tyrants , but also with the wicked doctrynes of heretiques . In the popis kingdome , vntill Erasmus , Ioha Hasse & Wycleue , Martyn Luther , & other men begane to wryte , there semed to be a good quiete concorde of the chrysten religion , as longe as men beleued in the pope to be head of Chrysts chirche , receyued his false doctryne , rytes cere , tradicions , pardons , satisfaccions , merits , prayd for the dead and to sayuts , and for the souls in purgatory , pelgrimaged , worshipped stockes and stones , and his misse as a sacrifice for the syunes of the quike and dead . Whiche was euen the same that Chryst sayd in his gospell . As longe as the strong armed kepeth his fore courte and castel gates , all thinges are in peace and salf gard that he hathe . For where Satan hath the rule and dominion ouer the comon doctryne and techers there taketh he diligent heed lest any or many externe dissensions or tumults aryse , nether stereth he vp there many herespes , no not in the Turkes nor Iewes chirches in these dayes , because he hath them sewer at his pleasure beinge lorde head and kinge openly ouer their religion . And euen so , in the popis kingedom hathe he kept & pet dothe he kepe his fore castle gates , that those thinges whiche he yet possedith myght continewe in peace . Unto this Satans peaceable possession haue our bisshops brought , orels entend they to bringe ageyue their chirche of Englond lo , so that nowe , thanked be their father Satan , all is in peace without persecucion ( say they ) turned into iuste execucion after theyr owne crafty construccion and execrable exposicion .

But when the stronger armed cometh vpon hym , then rustleth Satan his har●es , then stereth he vp tumults , then bloweth he forth bataill , sedicions , conspirisons , insurreccions , rebellions , amonge his bishops & preists that yet by these means were it possible , he might kepe stil his kingdome and be not thrust out of his castle . So that there is no certayner argument and more euident token of the gospell to be vtterly oppressed , & of Satan to raigne in peace , as to se the publike concorde of , and in the religion . And there is no token so certayn manifest and euident of the worde of god arysing and cominge forth into syght , as when ye se a comon publike discorde in , and of the religion . For and yf euer men shuld haue loked and trusted for any open and generall concorde of , & in the religion in the worlde , at the reuelynge and open prechinge of the gospell , it shuld haue ben at that tyme when our lorde Iesus Chryst him selfe reueled and preached it emonge the Iewes . He is the sone of god by whom al things were created , no aposte , nor prophete to be compa ●ed to him . And yet when he shulde preche forth with great honour and created the prince of all Egipt . Iob loste all his good but double was restored him . Dauid was caste out into exile of Saul , but yet was he called home agen and exalted into the regall maiestye . Daniel was cast in to the lyons , and a non made the prince of the Persians . And as ye se , that if our god in this worlde promoueth his , out of affliccion and persecucion into glorye honor and felicite , miche more translateth he his derely beloued chosen out of these miserable and heuey present persecucions into that heuenly perpetuall ioye and felicite in the other worlde . And the lenger it is differred the more sweter it is when we haue it , our lorde god yet counfortinge vs with his assewered promises sayinge . I shall delyuer mi people from all their tribulacions . Soner shall heuen and erth passe awaye then mi wordis to passe vnfulfilled , hills and mountayns shal be shaken down but my mercy shal not go fro me , & the couenant of mi peace shall not be moued saith the lorde god moste mercifull . Loke vpon Christe the sone of god whiche aftir he was deiected vnto the dethe of the crosse , was he not exalted into the moste hyghe honor & glory , & had geuen him a name aboue al names so that in the name of Iesu euery since boweth downe bothe in heuen erthe & in hell ? and what is done in the head shall not the same be done in the members ? Wherfore the more affliccion and persecucion the worde of the crosse bringeth to vs , the more felicite and greter ioye abideth vs in heuen . But the worldly peace , idle ease , welthey pleasure and this present transitory felicyte which the vngodly imagin to procure them selues here by persecutinge and thrustinge awaye the gospell , shal be turned here into their owne trouble bataill ( as ye now this daye see it ) and at laste into the horrible destruccions and mutacions of their realmes , and aftir this ( if they repent not ) into ther own perpetual infelicite , perdicion and dampnacion . And if our lordely prowed bishops wolde consider and measure the state of the christen chirche by the actes of the Apostles , they shuld see in howe greuouse persecucion it was , when the moste nowmber of disciples Act. vi . encreased . Agen if they wolde read the storyes ether of the holy or haithen , they shulde see that when the chyrche was in moste welthe and ease , the prelats in idlenes aspiringe for riches and honor , then entred into it , the most pestelent poyson and destruccion of all godly doctrine , then encreased all ydolatry heresyes supersticion , and mens deuilyssh tradicions as ye may see in constantyne the emperours dayes , and in gregoryes the grete his tyme , howe Chrystes religion then began to dekaye . And sone aftir , or in Heraclius tyme howe the deuill did put forth his two litle great Antichristen hornes Mahumet and the Pope of Rome . So that where as is no persecucion of Christes religion but all in securite and reste there is that chirche lykely not to continewe longe in the trwe faithe . For Christe is no where borne , be he neuer so lytle without tumulte & blodshedinge of innocents as it is wryten , Matth. i● . Trowth it is that Huldrike Zwing lius sayd . In blode is the gospell planted , wyth blode therfore must it be conserued and defended .

Let vs therfore ( chrysten brethren ) be constant in obeyinge god rather then men , although they slay vs for the verite . For our innocent blode shed for the gospell , shall preache it with more frute ( as did abelis , steuens etc ) then euer did our mouthes and pennes . Consyder the begynninge of the chrysten religion , and the fyrste frutes of the prymitiue chirche , and we shall se innumerable innocents slayne , as it hath ben these . 20. yeres paste , for the preachinge and bringinge in agen of the gospell . For neuer did the ●aythe nor innocent lyuinge more flor●sshe then in those dayes . Let vs therfore reioyse and thanke ▪ God that it wold please him to vse our bodyes and bloude vnto his glorye and promouinge of his worde and edifyinge of his chirche . For the lordis felde when it wexeth drye , lea●e and baryn , it must be watered , made fat , dunged and composed with the innocent blode and bodyes of his faithfull . For what profit , sayd Dauid , comethe Psalm. xxix . of my blode if it be layd downe with my body in graue to be corrupted ? Is it not beter spent powered forth vpon the lordis felde to be there wyth made fatte fe●unde and fertyle ▪ Nowe thou seest christen reader , that they that wrote and pre●hed , persecucion to be a perpetuall inseperable companion of the gospell , erred not , as it was wel vere fyed of them selues beynge compelled to recant this manyfeste verite . But of whom were they compelled ? verely of them that yet beleue not the gospell to be the worde of the crosse euen the very enemyes vnto the crosse of Chryste , of them , I say , that laugh Chryst and his worde to skorne , which yet sit in the chayer of the peruerse pestelent skorners , to whom ( as to the wyse gentilis of the worlde ) the gospell of Chryst is but folisshnes , and ( as it was ●o the Iewes ) a sclaunder and ▪ stomblinge stone : where at thei now fallen haue prouoked the wrath of god vpon them Deus misereatur nostri et benedicat nobis : vt cognoscamus in terra viam suam , Amen . I thought not ( when I began ) to haue digressed so farre . I returne therfore to our Gadarens . Of whiche some ther be feble saythed , a fraid greatly of the losse of their litle pigges ; sayinge . Yet we set siche as professe Chryste and his gospell to be cruelly handled and to suffer miche misery , presone , affliccions , persecucion and losse of all they haue . And therfore although we know it to be the trwth which is now restored by prechers brent , & bokes banisshed and restrayned , yet be we more a fraid of Chryst for feare of the losse , of our litle goodis and disquietinge of our mortall bodyes in this transitory lyfe , then of a legion of deuils drawinge vs by litle and litle from hearinge and readinge the worde of this crosse vnto vanites , lyes fables , and to this flateringe welthey worlde . Unto you therfore , whiche yet do not cruelly resiste nor wetingly persecute Christe in his members and in his gospell , but for feare , for weaknes , and as it were iently with the Gadarens pray Christe withe his Byble and bokes to passe from you : and also vnto them whiche haue fermely receyued and constantly professe Chryst and his worde now suffering for their sakes the crosse of persecucion , euen the inseperable companion of Chryst and his worde : do I wryte this counfortable boke , by the grace of our almighty god to animate & to acourage you in your affliccions , to desyer Chryst to dwell still with you and not to take his worde of trwth at any tyme oute of your mouthes , to strengthen you with his holy spyryte , to confirme and counfort you in these your heuey affliccyons and greuouse persecucyons , ioyously and paciently to bere them , as the swete crosse and lyght burdens of ou● moste mercyfull louinge father , ther by to be facioned and formed lyke vnto his owne sone our sauiour Christe , that we might with ioye and felicite be also glorifyed with him in heuen . So be it .