pp. 136–1375 passages
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
HE that preserved Joseph, prisoner in Egypt, fed Daniel in the lion's den, and delivered Paul, Peter, and the apostles out of prison, vouchsafe of his goodness to keep, fe•d, and deliver you, my good brother Went, with the other our fellow-soldiers your prison-fellows, as may be most to his glory, to your consolation, and the edification of his church.
I cannot but praise God most earnestly, when I hear of your constancy in the faith, and joy in the cross of Christ, which you now bear and suffer together, with many other good members of Christ, which is a token that by Christ you are counted worthy of the kingdom of God, as St. Paul saith. And though the world counteth the yoke and cross of Christ as a most pernicious and hurtful thing, yet we which have tasted how friendly the Lord is, cannot but rejoice in this persecution as touching ourselves; inasmuch as the cause for which we suffer is the Lord's cause and not our's, at whose hand, if we endure to the end, we shall receive, through his liberal promise in Christ, not only a great reward in heaven, but also in the mean season be sure to be defended and cared for, so that we shall lack no necessary things, neither a hair of […] heads shall perish without his knowledge. O what is he that would mistrust, or not gladly serve so loving a Father! O how unhappy are they that forsake him, and put their trust in man; but how blessed are they that for his love and for his holy word's sake, in these troublesome days do comm•• their souls and bodies into his hands with well doing, counting it greater happiness and riches to suffer rebuke with Christ and h•s church, than to enjoy the pleasures of this life for a short season? This cross that we now bear hath been common to all the faithful from Abel hitherto, and shall be to the end, because the devil having great wrath against God and his Christ, cannot abide that he should for his manifold mercies be lauded and magnified, and Christ to be taken and believed upon for our only sufficient Redeemer, Saviour, and Advocate: and therefore because we will not deny Christ, nor dissemble with our faith, but openly protest and profess the same before the world, he seeketh by all means to stir up his wicked members to persecute and kill the bodies of the true christians; as St. John saith, "The devil shall cast some of you into prison." And David saith, "I believed, and therefore have I spoken, but I was sore troubled." Notwithstanding this, go forward, dear brethren, as ye have begun, to fight the Lord's ⟨p. 137⟩battle, considering Christ the captain of your war, who will both fight for you, give you victory, and also highly reward your pains.
I cannot but praise God most earnestly, when I hear of your constancy in the faith, and joy in the cross of Christ, which you now bear and suffer together, with many other good members of Christ, which is a token that by Christ you are counted worthy of the kingdom of God, as St. Paul saith. And though the world counteth the yoke and cross of Christ as a most pernicious and hurtful thing, yet we which have tasted how friendly the Lord is, cannot but rejoice in this persecution as touching ourselves; inasmuch as the cause for which we suffer is the Lord's cause and not our's, at whose hand, if we endure to the end, we shall receive, through his liberal promise in Christ, not only a great reward in heaven, but also in the mean season be sure to be defended and cared for, so that we shall lack no necessary things, neither a hair of 〈…〉 heads shall perish without his knowledge. O what is he that would mistrust, or not gladly serve so loving a Father! O how unhappy are they that forsake him, and put their trust in man; but how blessed are they that for his love and for his holy word's sake, in these troublesome days do comm•• their souls and bodies into his hands with well doing, counting it greater happiness and riches to suffer rebuke with Christ and h•s church, than to enjoy the pleasures of this life for a short season? This cross that we now bear hath been common to all the faithful from Abel hitherto, and shall be to the end, because the devil having great wrath against God and his Christ, cannot abide that he should for his manifold mercies be lauded and magnified, and Christ to be taken and believed upon for our only sufficient Redeemer, Saviour, and Advocate: and therefore because we will not deny Christ, nor dissemble with our faith, but openly protest and profess the same before the world, he seeketh by all means to stir up his wicked members to persecute and kill the bodies of the true christians; as St. John saith, "The devil shall cast some of you into prison." And David saith, "I believed, and therefore have I spoken, but I was sore troubled." Notwithstanding this, go forward, dear brethren, as ye have begun, to fight the Lord's ⟨p. 137⟩battle, considering Christ the captain of your war, who will both fight for you, give you victory, and also highly reward your pains.
Consider to your comfort the notable and chief shepherds and soldiers of Christ, which are gone before us in these days, I mean those learned and godly bishops, doctors, and other ministers of God's word; whose faith and examples we that are inferiors ought to follow; as St. Paul saith, "Remember them that have declared unto you the word of God, the end of those conversation see that you look upon, and follow their faith." The grace and blessing of God, with the ministry of his holy angels, be with you for ever, Amen. All my prison-fellows greet you. From the Coal-house, this 4th of December.
By your poor brother, THOMAS WHITTLE, an unworthy minister of Christ, now his▪ prisoner for the gospel's sake, Amen.
