A godly letter sent too the faithful in London, Newcastle, Berwick, and to all…A godly letter sent too the fayethfull in London, Newcastell, Barwyke, and to all…

So zealous is God over his gifts / that if we labour not to employ them to the glory of God / and to profit of others his creatures / he will according to the threatening of Christ / take the talent from us / and will give it to such as will labour there upon. Some perchance would gladly labour / but these not ⟨image 20⟩what fruit shall succeed / & therefore judge they better to cease. Even as God could bring forth no fruit / except he make us first of counsel. God is to be obeyed in his commandments / and the success is to be committed to him / whose wisdom is unsearchable / he commandeth us refrain Idolatry / to let other men see that they do wrong.¹ This ought we obey / albeit the present death should follow / for we are called as witness between God & the blind world / as is beforesaid: Israel thou art my witness. The world asketh / ²is the mans Gods service / or is it Idolatry? God hath opened to us / that it is abominable Idolatry / but when that we for fear of our vile carcasses / ³do as the blind world doth. What witness bear we? Assuredly false witness against God / for that we justify and maintain that with our presence / which God condemneth against our neighbour / for that we confirm him in error to both our condemnations. But when we abstain from all fellowship of Idolatry / what ever ensue there upon / we do our duties unto Gods glory. Let no man think that I am more severe then necessity requireth. No brethren / I always contain my affirmations / within the bounds of Gods scriptures / and that shall Jeremiah the prophet witness / who writing to the Jews / being prisoners in Babylon / after he had forbidden them to follow the vain religion of that people / amongest whom they wax then conversant by many reasons / proving that their Idols were no Gods / at ⟨image 20⟩last he saith / you shall say to them:⁴ The Gods that made neither heaven neither earth, shall perish from the earth / and from under the heaven. Here is to be observed / as John Calvin / that singular instrument off God most diligently noteth.