phet describes them. (Isa. lxiv.) With which manner of speaking our free-will pharisees are much offended; for it felleth all man's righteousness to the ground, I had like to have said, to the bottom of hell; and extolleth only the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is allowed before God, and is freely given to all those that firmly believe, as blessed be God you do.

Ah, my good brother Tyms, Satan hath mistaken when he begins to tempt you either to vain-glory or mistrust: for you are an old beaten soldier, and have had good experience of these manner of temptations, both by yourself and others, who you know well were beloved of God. Be of good cheer, therefore, dear heart, be of good cheer, for now Satan hath wrought all his malice, he has done all that he can, and has shot off all his last pieces wherewith he had thought to have done most mischief: but now he sees he cannot prevail, the strong tower of your faith being so invincible, he will pluck up all his tents, and get him to some other place to practise the like assaults, and then will the angels of God come and minister unto you the most sweet and heavenly consolations of the Holy Ghost. To Him therefore who is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that ever we can desire or think, I do most heartily commit you, with all the rest of your godly prisonfellows, who comfort, strengthen, and defend you with his grace and mighty operation of his Holy Spirit, as he hath hitherto done; that you, having a most glorious victory over the subtle serpent, and all his wicked seed, may also receive the crown of glory and immortality prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laid, and which is so surely kept for you in the hands of Him whose promise is infallible, that the devil, sin, death, or hell, shall never be able to deprive you of the same. The blessing of God be with you, now and for evermore. Amen. Pray, pray, pray for me.*

Your own for ever,

JOHN CARELES.

* William Tyms was curate of Hockley, in Essex, and being put from his cure, preached in the woods in that neighbourhood. For this he was apprehended by justice Tyrrel, a noted persecutor of those days, and sent to the bishops, by whom he was condemned and burned with others, April 23, 1556. Fox has preserved several interesting and valuable letters written by this martyr.

LETTER IV.

A letter of John Careless answering to the loving epistle or letter sent to him before by M. John Philpot, then in the stocks in the bishop of London's coal-house.

(See Philpot's Letters, XVIII.)

A faithful friend is a strong defence; whoso findeth such a one findeth a treasure.

A faithful friend hath no equal, the weight of gold and silver is not to be compared to the goodness of his faith.

A faithful friend is a medicine of life, and they that fear the Lord shall find him. Eccles. vi.

The Father of mercy and God of all consolation comfort you with his eternal Spirit, my most dear and faithful loving friend, good master Philpot, as you have comforted me by the mighty operation of the same; the everlasting God be praised therefore, for ever. Amen.

Ah my dear heart and most loving brother, if I should do nothing else day and night, so long as the days of heaven do endure, but kneel on my knees and read psalms, I can never be able to render unto God worthy thanks, for his great mercy, fatherly kindness, and most loving compassion, extended unto me most vile, sinful, wicked, and unworthy wretch. O that the Lord would open my mouth and give me a thankful heart, that from the bottom of the same might flow his continual praise. O that my sinful flesh, which is the cause of my sorrow, were clean separated from me, that I might sing psalms of thanksgiving unto the Lord's name for ever; that with good Samuel's mother I might continually record this noble verse following, which by good experience I have found most true; praised be my good God therefore.

"The Lord," saith that good woman "killeth and maketh alive; he bringeth down to hell, and fetcheth up again.' Praised be the Lord for ever, yea, and praised be his name, for that he hath given me true experience and lively feeling of the same. Blessed be the Lord God, whose mercy endureth for ever, who hath not dealt with me according to my deep deserts, nor destroyed me in his displeasure when I had justly deserved it. O what reward shall I give again unto the Lord, for all the great benefits that he hath done for my soul? I will gladly receive the

cup of salvation at his hand, and will worship his name with prayer and with praise.

Ah my dear heart, yea, most dear unto me in the Lord, think not this sudden change in me to be some fickle phantasy of my foolish head, as indeed some others would surely suspect it to be. For doubtless it is the marvellous doing of the Lord, most merciful unto me his unworthy creature. God, for his great mercies' sake, give me grace to be more thankful unto him than I heretofore have been, and keep me that I never fall from his favour again.

And now, my dear brother, and most blessed messenger of the Lord, whose beautiful feet have brought much glad tidings unto my soul, what shall I do or say unto you, in the least to recompense the fatherly affection and godly care that you continually keep for me? O that God would give me the spirit of fervent prayer, that I might yet that way supply some little part of my duty toward you. Ah, my true loving friend, how soon did you lay aside all other business, to make a sweet plaster for my wounded conscience, yea, and that out of a painful pair of stocks, which place must needs be uneasy to write in! But God hath brought you into a strait place, that you might set my soul at liberty. Out of your pinching and painful seat you have plentifully poured upon me your precious nard,* the sweet savour whereof hath greatly refreshed my tired soul. The Lord likewise refresh you, both body and soul, by pouring the oil of his gracious Spirit into your sweet heart.

Ah, good Jeremiah, hath Pashur put thee in the stocks? (Jer. xx.) Now thou hast the right reward of a prophet. Thy glory never began to appear until now, I doubt not but shortly, instead of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, (Jer. xxvi.) Jesus the son of the living God will come and deliver thee forth of the hands of all thine enemies, and will also make good against them and their antichristian synagogue, all the words that thou hast spoken in his name. The Lord hath made thee this day a strong defended tower, an iron pillar, and a brazen wall against the whole rabble of antichrist: and though they fight against thee ever so fiercely, yet shall they not overcome thee, for the Lord himself is with thee to help and deliver thee; and he will rid thee out of the hands of the wicked, and will deliver thee out of the hands of the tyrants. And in that you are not busy in casting pearls before swine, nor in giving the holy things * Ointment.

unto dogs, you are much to be commended in my simple judgment. And sure I am, that your circumspect and

modest behaviour hitherto hath been as much to God's

glory and to the shame and confusion of your enemies, as any man's doings that are gone before you.

Wherefore mine advice and most earnest desire is, with all others of your loving friends, that you still keep that order with those blood-thirsty bitesheeps, (bishops I should say,) that you have begun.* For though in conclusion they will surely have your blood, yet shall they come by it with shame enough, and to their perpetual infamy while the world doth endure. They would indeed condemn you in hugger muggert to darken God's glory, if it might be. But Satan's thoughts are not unknown to you, and the depth of his subtlety is by you well foreseen. Therefore let them do whatsoever God shall suffer them to do; for I know all things shall turn to your best. Though you lie in the dark, slorried‡ with the bishop's black coal dust; yet shall you be shortly restored unto the heavenly light, and made as white as snow in Salmon, and as the wings of a dove that is covered with silver wings, and her feathers like gold. (Psal. lxviii.) You know the vessel, before it is made bright, is soiled with oil, and other things, that it may scour the better.

Oh happy are you that you are now in the scouring house; for shortly you shall be set upon the celestial shelf as bright as angels. Therefore, my dear heart, I will now, according to your loving request, cast away all care, and rejoice with you, and praise God for you, and pray for you day and night, yea, I will now, with God's grace, sing psalms of praise and thanksgiving with you. For now my soul is turned to her old rest again, and hath taken a sweet rest in Christ's lap. I have cast my care upon the Lord who careth for me, and will be careless, according to my name, in that respect which you would have me. will leave out my unseemly addition as long as I live; for it can take no place where true faith and hope is resident. So soon as I had read your most godly and comfortable letter, my sorrows vanished away as smoke in the wind, my spirit revived, and comfort came again, whereby I am sure the Spirit of God was author of it.

I

O my good M. Philpot, who art a principal pot indeed

* See Philpot's examinations,

Smeared, soiled.

CARELESS.

37

+ In secret.

425

filled with most precious liquor, as it appeareth by the plenteous pouring forth of the same: oh, pot most happy, of the High Potter ordained to honour, which dost contain such heavenly treasure in the earthen vessel. Oh pot thrice happy, in whom Christ hath wrought a great miracle, altering thy nature, and turning water into wine, and that of the best, whereout the master of the feast hath filled my cup so full, that I have drunken in the joy of the Spirit through the same. When martyrdom shall break thee, O vessel of honour, I know the fragrant savour of thy precious nard will much rejoice the heavy hearts of Christ's true members, although the Judases will grudge and murmur at the same. Yea, and burst out into words of slander, saying, it is but lost and waste.

Be not offended, dear heart, at my metaphorical speech.* For I am disposed to be merry, and with David to dance before the ark of the Lord: and though you play upon a pair of organs not very comely or easy to the flesh, yet the sweet sound that came from the same causeth me thus to do. O that I were with you in body, as present I am in spirit, that I might sing all care away in Christ: for now the time of comfort is come. I hope to be with you shortly, if all things happen aright; for my old friends of Coventry have put the council in remembrance of me, not six days ago, saying that I am more worthy to be burned than any that was burned yet. God's blessing on their hearts for their good report. God make me worthy of that dignity, and hasten the time that I might set forth his glory.

Pray for me, dear heart, I beseech you, and will that all your company do the same, and I will pray God for you all, so long as I live. And now farewell in Christ, thou blessed of God's own mouth. I will for a time take my leave, but not my last farewell. Blessed be the time that ever I came into the King's Bench, to be joined in love and fellowship with such dear children of the Lord. My good brother Bradford shall not be dead while you are alive; for verily the spirit of him doth rest on you in most ample wise. Your letters of comfort unto me in each point do agree, as though the one were a copy of the other. He hath planted in me and you have watered; the Lord give

* Some readers may feel inclined "to be offended" thereat, but allowance must be made for the taste of that age respecting such allusions, and to the homeliness of the writer; the sentiment itself is exceedingly scriptural and beautiful.