rule in judgment of religion is God's word-that the religion, the rule and order, the doctrine and faith, which this harlot of Babylon and the beast whereupon she doth sit, maintains at this day with all violence of fire and sword, with spoil and banishment, according to Daniel's prophecy; and with all falsehood, deceit, hypocrisy, and all kinds of ungodliness, that these things, I say, are as clean contrary to God's word, as darkness is unto light, or light unto darkness; white to black, or black to white; or as Belial unto Christ, or Christ unto antichrist himself.

I know, my lords, and foresaw, when I wrote this, that so many of you as should see this my writing, not being before endued with the Spirit of grace and the light of God's word; that so many, I say, would, at these my words, lord-like stamp, and spurn, and spit thereat. But sober yourselves with patience, and be still, and know that, in my writing of this, my mind was none other, but in God, as the living God bears me witness, both to do you profit and pleasure. And otherwise, as for your displeasure, by the time this shall come to your knowledge, I trust, by God's grace, to be in the hands and protection of the Almighty, my heavenly Father, and the living Lord, who is, as St. John saith, the greatest of all. And then I shall not need, I trow, to fear what any lord, no nor what any king or prince can do unto me.

My lords, if in time past you have been contented to hear me sometimes in matters of religion before the prince in the pulpit, and in the parliament house, and have not seemed to have despised what I have said, when, if you had perceived just occasion, you might then have suspected in my talk, though it had been reasonable, either desire of worldly gain, or fear of displeasure; how much more then have your lordships cause to hearken to my word, and to hear me patiently, seeing that now you cannot justly think of me otherwise, being in this case appointed to die, and looking daily when I shall be called to come before the eternal Judge, but that I only study to serve my Lord God, and to say that which I am persuaded assuredly by God's word shall and doth please him, and profit all them to whom God shall give grace to hear and believe what I say. And I do say even that which I have said heretofore, both of the see of Rome, and of the bishop

thereof: I mean according to their present state at this day, wherein, if you will not believe the ministers of God, and the true preachers of his word, verily I denounce unto you, in the words of the Lord, except ye do repent betime, it shall turn to your confusion, and to your smart on the latter day.

Forget not what I say, my lords, for God's sake forget not, but remember it upon your bed. For I tell you, moreover, as I know I must be accountable for this my talk, and for my speaking thus, to the eternal Judge, who will judge nothing amiss; so shall you be accountable for your duty in hearing, and you shall be charged, if you will hearken to God's word, for not obeying the truth.

Alas, my lords, how happens it that this matter is now anew again to be persuaded unto you? Who would have thought of late, but that your lordships had been persuaded indeed sufficiently, or else that you could ever have agreed so uniformly with one consent to the abolishment of the usurpation of the bishop of Rome? If that matter then were but a matter of policy, wherein the prince must be obeyed, how is it now made a matter wherein, as your clergy say now, and so say the pope's laws indeed, standeth the unity of the catholic church, and a matter necessary for our salvation? Has the time, being so short since the death of the two last kings, Henry the eighth, and Edward his son, altered the nature of the matter? If it have not, but was of the same nature and danger before God then, as it is now; and is now, as it is said by the pope's laws and the instructions set forth in English to the curates of the diocese of York, indeed a matter of necessity to salvation: how then happened it, that you were all, O my lords, so light,* and thought so little upon the catholic faith and the unity thereof, without which no man can be saved, that for your princes' pleasures, who were but mortal men, you have forsaken the unity of your catholic faith, that is, forsaken Christ and his holy gospel.

And, furthermore, if it were both then and now so necessary to salvation, how happened it that you all, the whole body of the parliament agreeing with you, did not only abolish and expel the bishop of Rome, but also abjured him in your own persons, and decreed in your acts great oaths to be taken both by the spirituality and tem* So fickle.

porality, whosoever should enter into any weighty and chargeable office in the commonwealth?

But on the other side, if the law and decree, which makes the supremacy of the see and bishop of Rome over the universal church of Christ, a thing of necessity required unto salvation; if this be an antichristian law, as it is indeed, and such instructions as are given to the diocese of York, are indeed a setting forth of the power of that beast of Babylon, by the craft and falsehood of his false prophets, as of truth, when compared unto God's word, and truly judged by the same, it shall plainly appear that they are: then, my lords, never think but the day shall come, when you shall be charged with this, I mean your undoing of that which once you had well done; and with your perjury and breach of your oath, which oath was done in judgment, justice, and truth, agreeably to God's law.

The harlot of Babylon may well for a time dally with you, and make you so drunken with the wine of her filthy stews and harlotry, as with her dispensations and promises of pardon from punishment and blame, that for drunkenness and blindness you may think yourselves safe! But be you assured, when the living Lord shall try this matter by the fire, and judge it according to his word; when all her abominations shall appear what they are, then you, my lords, I give your lordships warning in time, repent, if you would be happy and love your own souls' health. Repent, I say; or else, without all doubt, you shall never escape the hands of the living Lord, for the guilt of your perjury and the breach of your oath.

As you have banqueted with the Romish harlot in her dispensations, pardons, idolatry, and such like abominations, so shall you drink with her, except you repent in time, of the cup of the Lord's indignation and everlasting wrath, which is prepared for the beast, his false prophets, and all their partakers. For he that is partner with them in their whoredom and abominations, must also be partner with them in their plagues; and in the latter day shall be thrown with them into the lake burning with brimstone and unquenchable fire.

Thus fare ye well, my lords, all. I pray God give you understanding of his blessed will and pleasure, and cause. you to believe and embrace the truth. Amen.

ANOTHER FAREWELL

To the prisoners in Christ's gospel's cause, and to all those who, for the same cause, are exiled and banished out from their own country, choosing rather to leave all worldly commodity, than their Master Christ.

FAREWELL, my dearly beloved brethren in Christ, both you, my fellow-prisoners, and you also who are exiled and banished out of your country, because you will forsake all worldly advantages rather than the gospel of Christ.

Farewell, all ye together in Christ, farewell, and be joyful, for you know that the trial of your faith bringeth forth patience, and patience shall make us perfect, whole, and sound on every side: and such, after trial, you know, shall receive the crown of life, according to the promise of the Lord, made to his dearly beloved. Let us, therefore, be patient unto the coming of the Lord. As the husbandman abideth patiently the former and latter rain for the increase of his crop so let us be patient and pluck up our hearts; for the coming of the Lord approaches apace. Let us, my dear brethren, take example of patience in tribulation from the prophets, who likewise spake God's word truly in his name.

Let Job be to us an example of patience; and the end which the Lord suffered, which is full of mercy and pity. We know, my brethren, by God's word, that our faith is much more precious than any corruptible gold, and yet that is tried by the fire: even so our faith is tried in tribulations, that it may be found when the Lord shall appear, laudable, glorious, and honourable. For if we for Christ's cause do suffer, it is grateful before God; for thereunto are we called. That is our state and vocation, therewith let us be content. Christ, we know, suffered afflictions for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his footsteps. For he committed no sin, nor was guile found in his mouth: when he was railed upon and reviled, he railed not again; when he was evil entreated, he did not threaten, but committed the punishment thereof to Him that judgeth aright.

Let us ever have in fresh remembrance those wonderful and comfortable sentences, spoken by the mouth of our Saviour Christ: "Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men revile you, persecute you, and speak all evil against you for my sake; rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so did they persecute the prophets, which were before you. Therefore, let us always bear this in our minds, that if any incommodity happen unto us for righteousness' sake, happy are we, whatever the world thinks of us. Christ, our master, has told us beforehand, that the brother should put the brother to death, and the father the son, and the children should rise against their parents and kill them: and that Christ's true apostles should be hated of all men for his name's sake: but he, that shall abide patiently unto the end, shall be saved.

Let us then in all troubles endure patiently, after the example of our master Christ, and be contented thereat: for he suffered, being our master and Lord; how doth it not then become us to suffer? "For the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It may suffice the disciple to be as his master, and the servant to be as his lord. If they have called the father of the family, the master of the household, Beelzebub, how much more shall they so call them of his household?" "Fear them not, then," saith our Saviour, "for all secrets shall be made plain: there is now nothing secret, but it shall be showed in light." Of Christ's words let us not be ashamed, nor afraid to speak them. For so Christ our master commands us, saying, "That which I tell you privily, speak openly abroad: and that which I tell you in your ear, preach it upon the house-top." And, "Fear not them which kill the body, for the soul they cannot kill; but fear Him who can cast both body and soul into hell-fire."

Know ye, that the heavenly Father ever hath a gracious eye and respect towards you, and a fatherly providence for you: so that, without his knowledge and permission, nothing can do you harm. Let us, therefore, cast all our care upon him, and he shall provide that which shall be best for us. For if, of two small sparrows, which both are sold for a farthing, not one of them lighteth on the ground without your Father; and since all the hairs of your head