DEERE SISTERS my care, my loue, and of all worldlye thinges (next to my good MOTHER) my greatest comforte and ioy. Vnlesse you did thinke that I doe most har­tily loue you, you coulde not alwaies heeretofore haue decla­red your exceedinge great loue soe plentifullye towardes mee, for the which Almightie God [Page] reward you. This my loue be­cause it is not a naturall affecti­on onely, but syncere and true Charitie forceth mee to wishe vnto you my louing SISTERS, not only many worldly commo­dities, which (God be thanked) you lacke not: but much more, all Spirituall treasure and Hea­uenly riches, whereof you can­not haue greate store, because you dwel not where it groweth.

I know good SISTERS, that you meane well, and most wil­ling are you to doe that which might please God: but in good sooth you are out of the way, & therefore the further you holde [Page] on, the further you are from your iorneis ende, and the fur­ther from Heauen. The wise man saith: Prouerbs. 14. There is away which seemeth to a man right but the end thereof leadeth to destruction. Beare with me if I write bouldly, and tell you the truth plainely. I am your Bro­ther, I loue you as nature bind­eth me, not onely in wordly re­specte, but much more towards God. Your soules are deare vn­to me: my heart alwaies mour­neth to thinke vpon your dan­gerous state wherein you stand. O good SISTERS, the paine, of Hell exceedeth all torments, [Page] and that fire shall burne for e­uer. Happie are they that keepe them selues by GOD his great goodnesse within the Catho­licke Church, for out of it there is no hope of saluation: And moste happie are they that ha­uing bene out of this Church by the wicked perswasions of false Preachers, when that it pleaseth God to sende them trew teach­ers: will not remaine obstinate: but follow good exhortations, and good holsome doctrine, and so returne againe as obedient Children to Christ their father, and to the Church theire Mo­ther, who are alwaies ready to [Page] receiue them: remembring that which a most ancient & learned Father writeth. S. Austin in the 88. Psal. He can neuer account God to be his Father, who will not haue the Church to be his mother.

If you aske me what this Church is, that is called Catho­licke, and how you may knowe it, behold the true and certaine markes thereof, and your selfe iudge whether you be within it or no. This Church is a Con­gregation of all true Christians, which began in Christ and his Disciples at Ierusalem, & from thence, grewe and multiplied throughout the wholle world, [Page] according as it is saide in the Psalme: their sound (speaking of the Apostles) is gone out into the whole world, & their wordes into the ends of the earth. Psa. 18. ve. 5 The first marke of the church is to be vsible So that the first marke of the true Church is, that it must grow and multiplie, be seene, & appeare alwaies as a light in the world: and therfore Christ calleth it A Citie builded vpon a hill, which cannot be hid. And the blessed Martyr S. Cip. saith: The Church being light­ned with the brightnesse of our Lord, doth reach forth her bea­mes throghout the whole world [Page] And S. Aust. besides many other places to this purpose, cōpareth Christ & his Church, to that stone which was cut out of a hill with­out mens hāds, & after grew to be a mighty moūtain, so that it filled the whole earth. For vndoubtedly this stone whereof the Prophet speaketh in CHRIST, who was borne of a Virgine without the helpe of man, & is now growne from a few Apostles and Disci­ples to an infinite number of Christian people in all countries confessing one Faith, & one Be­leefe: and this is the Catholicke Church, whereof your CREED telleth, and teacheth you to say. [Page] I beleeue the Catholicke Church.

Let vs see now whether this marke doth agree to your bre­thren in England, who cal them selues Protestants: or to vs whō it pleaseth them to call Papists. First, they call them-selues in their books the English Church, that is to say, of that faith which is professed in England: but we are of the Catholicke Church, that is, of such a faith as is pro­fessed in France, in Spaine, in Flanders, Brabant, Zeland, &c. In a great part of Germanie, in all Italy, and beyond, whersoe­uer there be Christians, and is preached in the Indians, that [Page] neuer heard of Christ before, & increaseth wonderfullye. And within these fortie yeeres, in England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmarke, and Germany, there was no other faith openly pro­fessed but ours. And now also in all these countries, how ma­ny are there thinke you of se­cret Catholickes that wishe for the olde religion againe with all their heart, and follow the new only for feare? Nay how many are there especially in England that do yet openly professe the Catholike faith?

Aske good Sisters aske, and you shall learne that all the pri­sons [Page] not onely of London, but of England are full of them, be­cause they will not yeelde to these new proceedings, nor cō ­taminate their soules with this new seruice, and leaue the olde true and Catholicke faith: be­sides a number of sundrie de­grees, which are dead in prison: namely twentie three Bishops, all depriued of their liuing these twentie three yeeres, and now but two of them aliue: I omitt Doctours, Deanes, Archdeacons Knightes, Squires, partly in pri­son, partly departed the realme and forsaking all, rather then they will forsake God, and his [Page] most true and vndoubted Reli­gion. This is true (good Sisters) as knoweth God, you seldome heare of these thinges, & there­fore you thinke eyther there is no other Religion but that cold seruice without all comfort and deuotion which you see in your parishe Church, or you thinke that must needes, bee the best, because you are not taught any other: whereas you see (if you beleeue me) that all Christen­dome almost is of another Reli­gion. And therefore this is the Catholicke Church, and yours is worthely called by your owne ministers, the Church of Englād. [Page] The secōd mark is succession. But this shall better appear if I giue you an other marke of the true and Catholicke Church, which is, that it may continue for euer, and from the first beginning, which was in Christ & his Apo­stles, neuer to faile, but to ap­peare & be seene stil as a City vp on a hill, or a light in the world: For Christ said. I will be with you vnto the end of the world. Mat. 28 And againe: I will send you an­other comforter, the spirit of truth who shal romaine with you for euer And vnto Peter. vpon this Rocke will I build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not preuiale a­gainst [Page] it. Mat. 16. That is to say, the Diuell and all his Ministers, shall neuer so preuaile against this Church, but that it will still appeare and professe one & the same faith: So that there shall be no time wherein this faith & this Church is not. Now marke good Sisters I pray you hartely, whether your Church and your English religion hath bene al­waies in the world since Christ his time. I will speake vnto you as before God, and as I shall an­swere before him at the latter day, and therfore I request you to marke well my wordes, and to consider of them. A whole [Page] thousand & fiue hundred yeeres after Christ, your English reli­gion was not heard of in anie part of the worlde, but I tolde you before, that the true Church must continue for euer, and ap­peare alwaies, vnlesse you think CHRIST is false of his promise. Whē began your religion them Forsooth about fiftie veeres a­gone, by one Martin Luther in Germanie a Friar: who as well for other vngodly respectes, as also because hee would needes marrye, and breake his vowe which he had made of chastitie, beganne to preach against the Pope, and against the Catho­licke [Page] Church, and because hee taught greate libertie, as that Princes ought not to reuerence the Pope, that all Priestes might marry, that no man need to fast, and such like: he found many Disciples in Germany, and hath vnto this day carnall and fleshly men that loue their own plesure more then the will of God, and his holy Church.

But will you know what mā ­ner of man this was? Forsooth being examined by learned mē concerninge his doctrine, hee was so prest and so angred with the force of truth, that he saide in a great rage. This quarrell was [Page] neuer begun for Gods sake, neither for his sake shall it be ended. Will you know further that he wrote against the Pope for malice and not for conscience? him selfe in his letter to ARgentmenses saith: I neither can deny, neither will I, that if Carolstadius or any other man cold fiue yeres agon haue per­swaded me, that in the Sacramēt is nothing but bread and wine, he might haue deserued of me great thanks: for I laboured in that matter very carefully, knowing right well that by that meanes, I might much haue hindred the Popes au­tority. Marke that this man wold gladly haue found some what a­gainst [Page] the blessed Sacramēt, but a long time he could not, till at length the Diuell had taught him to write against the Masse, as him selfe witnesseth in his books, de Missa angulari. where he telleth what talke he and the Diuell had togither. Much more could I tell you of this man: but of this litle you may iudge whe­ther you may aduēture to build your faith vpon this man, who liued within these fiftie yeares, and to forsake the ancient faith of all Christendome: continued from Christ vntill this day: for it is most certaine that from this man came your newe Religion [Page] into England, but not immedi­atly at the first when hee began to preach, Maiesties Fa­ther wrote a learned Book against Lu­ther for the Pope. After­ward he for­sooke him not vpon religion or conscience but vpon dis­pleasure. for King Henry the eight, wrote a learned booke ve­rie earnestly against The Queens him, which is com­mō to be seene, but long after, partlie when the King be­gan to take displeasure against the Pope, because he might not be mar­ried & vnmaried as he list, partlye & e­specially, when King Edward beeing in the beginning of his raigne, but a very Childe, was ouerruled by wicked Coūsellers [Page] to maintaine such a Religion, as might best agree to their carnal appetite. This was the begin­ning of your Religion, the be­ginning I saye, for as for King Henry, he went nothing so far as they are now come: but where­as for his pleasure he had put a­way the Popes authority, & for his profite had plucked downe Abbeies, he let all other pointes in manner remaine as before, & for this repented before he died as it is knowne, if not? woe be to him that euer he was bornes for there in the nexte worlde, good Sisters, Kings & Queenes come to their accountes, as well [Page] as you and we poore folkes.

I could here tell you of many learned and vertuous men that were then put to death, because they woulde not yeelde to the King in his vnlawfull dooinges: knowing right well that it was all contrary to the law of God. Amongst whō were these two: the Bishop of Rochester the most vertuous and best learned of all the clargie, as appeareth by his bookes. And Sir Thomas Moore Lord Chauncel or of England a Lay-man, who for his vertue, wisedome and learning passed all temporal men that euer were in that realme, as appeareth by [Page] his learned works written in the English tongue, but nowe not suffred to be read: because they teach the Catholick faith: some man will tell you, that they were beheaded for treason: but be­leeue him not, vnlesse it be trea­son to obay God rather then Princes, surelye other treason they committed none. The .3. mark is vnitie. One marke more I will shew you to discerne the true church, & that in fewe wordes: but so plaine that your selfe will confesse it. To know the Catholick Church this is a certaine and an vnfalli­ble marke, if it be in vnitie and [Page] concord if it haue an agreement & consent of harts & opinions: that is to say, if it haue but one faith & religion: For of the true Church it is said, The whole mul­titude of beleuers had one hart & one mind. Act. 5. And saint Paul saith. One God, one faith, one Bap­tisme. Eph. 4. And againe. God is not a God of dissentiō, but of peace & vnitie. 1. Cor. 14. Looke now and consider the state of your Protestantes in England onely, are they all of one religiō? Haue you not among them some Lu­therans, some Caluinists, some Puritanes, all agreeing against the Pope, and each disagreeing [Page] one from the other? Doe not your Lutherans preach yea be­fore the Queene, not without greate thankes for their labour, that the Body of Christ is really present in the Sacrament? And doe not your Caluerusts preach cleane contrarie, that there is only bread and wine? And as for your Puritanes do not they preach and write so far contrary from the other two, that they are now forbidden to preach & cast into prison, and put from all liuings? Yea the communion booke it selfe, doth it not now say clean contrary to that which it said in the latter end of King [Page] Henry his time? Then you were expresly cōmanded to beleeue that vnder each kind, of bread, & wine, are contained the body and blood of Christ, now it is a petty treason to say so: I speake not heere of Denmarke, of Ge­neua, of other citties in Germa­ny, who are all Protestants, and are differing among them selues and from you. I haue onely de­clared how great diuersity and disagreing there is among your Protestants at home within one litle Iland: which is so euident, and so far from good Christiani­ty, that it may bee vnto you a verie certaine and sure token, [Page] that the true faith can not be a­mong them, which hitherto can not agree in one faith, each con­demning the others opinion.

Thus (dearly beloued, and my very louing Sisters) I haue giuē you certaine generall mar­kes to learne the true Church: To write all were infinite, be­cause all bookes are full of our religion, I trust hereafter to in­struct you in euery point as you would desire, and I pray GOD giue you grace, that you may desire it: All at once would be too tedious: in the meane time remember these two thinges: When your religion began, and by [Page] whome, & how it came at length into England. This is the yeare of Christ, a thousand fiue hun­dred eightie and three. Luther begane to preach within these fiftie yeares: If he preached the truth, & all before him were de­ceaued, where was the Church of Christ in all the world for a thousand & fiue hundred yeares before? and how is Christ true of his promise, that said: I will remaine with you for euer, & the holy Ghost shal teach you all truth & the gates of hell shal not preuail a­gainst it. But for our Church, that is to say, the Catholick Church, we can shew how it is growne, [Page] and continued from the Apo­stles vntill this day, and neuer fayled: we can recken you from time to time, Councels, Bishops Doctours, infinite numbers of good Christians of all ages that were all of our faith, and of our Church. Can your Ministers de­ny but that Saint Chrisostome al­loweth praying to Saintes? Or that S. Ierome calleth the Bishop of Rome, Supreame head of the whole Church vnder Christ? Or that S. Austin praied for his mo­ther being dead? Or that he ho­noured the Reliques of S. Steuē. Or that S. Gregory saide Masse? Or that S. Ambrose saith, before [Page] the wordes of consecration it is bread and wine, but after the wordes are spoken by the Priest, it is the very body and blood of Christ? or that all Christians in S. Austins time? did worship the blessed Sacrament? Or that the second Councell of Nice, did many hundred yeares, alow the vse of Images, for the memorie and representation of Christ & his Saintes, condemning Image breakers. Or that Saint Bernard was an Abbot and had Monkes vnder him, as in Catholicke Countries now a daies? can they denie but that all this is true? and dare they deny these [Page] vertuous Fathers, and Doctors of the Church to be now Saints in heauen?

O my good Sisters, that you could vnderstand their bookes and theire writinges that you might your selues see what they say, and what wonderfull men they were, endued with the spi­rite of God exceedingly aboue other, euen good men, much more then your licentious lea­ders, I doubt not but you would suspect your new Doctors, and follow these: you shoulde per­ceaue they had the Scriptures at their fingers ends, they knew right well the meaning & sense [Page] therof, night and day by fasting and praier, and chaste life, be­seeching God that they might vnderstand and truely expound his worde. O what a difference is there betweene them and these new preachers? Sisters, I appeale to your consciences, whether will you, or ought you to trust in the expoundinge of Scripture, your yong vnlearned and fleshly ministers, or these auncient, most skilfull, and most vertuous Fathers.

When Christ saied: Take eate, this is my Body. All these Fathers say and agree, that it was his Body in very deed: your mi­nisters [Page] tell you it was but Bread and Wine. When Christ sayed to Peter: Thou art Peter, that is a rocke, & on this rocke wil I build my Church. Mat. 16. These Fa­thers say that Peter was made head of the Church, and after him all his successors in the See of Roome where Peter was the first Bishop. Your Ministers tell you that Peter had no more pre­heminence then the other Apo­stles, and therfore the Bishoppe of Roome hath no more autho­ritie then an other Bishop hath. Whē Christ said to his Apostles: Receaue yee the Holy Ghost what soeuer yee doe loose in earth, shall [Page] be loosed in heauen, & what soeuer ye do binde in earth shall be bound in heauen. These Fathers say that Christ gaue to his Church auto­ritie to remitt sinne by the mi­nistrie of the Priest, to all such as do truely repent, and there­fore will haue the people go to confession: your ministers haue taken that comfortable Sacra­ment of Pennance away altoge­ther. When Raphael the Angell saith in the twelfth chapter of Tobias: That he did offer vp Tobi as praier to Almightie God. And when in the second booke of Macchabes the 15. chap. Onias the Priest saith of Ieremie being [Page] dead. This is hee that prayeth much for his people, and for the holy Citty: these Fathers say, that the Angels and Saintes do pray for vs, and that we may pray to them: your ministers do not stick to say, that these bookes of Toby and the Machabees are scant good Scripture.

Many other thinges like vn­to these, I could reckon, but I should be too long, fearing least I should weary you: these fewe are sufficient to giue you to tast of such markes as may shew you the Catholicke Church. These and many other greate reasons doe keepe all good Christians [Page] within the church. These things make so many Catholicks, part­ly to haue suffered death: part­ly to haue died in prison: partly to continue in prison so manie yeares: partly to forsake theire pleasant countrie, theire deere friends, and to liue to their con­science among strangers, being thought of many worldly men to be very fooles for so doing: but they knowright wel that the wisdome of this world is foolishnes before GOD. And Christ saith, He that loueth father & mother, sister & brother, better than me, is not worthy of me. Mat. 10.

Sisters geue me leaue to tell [Page] you somewhat of my selfe, not for any bragge, but the more to moue you and to giue God all the praise for his great goodnes towards me. It pleased my Pa­rents to bring me vp in learning as you knowe, as I was not the best, so I was at all times not counted the worst amongst my fellowes and companions: some small estimation I had in Ox­ford aboue my desert, more af­terwardes when it pleased the Duke to make me though vn­worthy, Tutor to the Earle his sonne: as long as his grace did prosper, I liued in his house to my conscience without trouble: [Page] when he was in the Tower, and other men ruled his house, I was willed to receiue the Commu­nion, or to depart: if I woulde haue yeelded, I had very large offers which I need not tell. It pleased God to stay me so with his grace, that I chose rather to forsake all then to doe against my beleefe, against my know­ledge, against my conscience, against the lawe of Almightie God: For a time I lay secretlie in England, afterwardes I came beyond the Seas into these Ca­tholicke countries, out of schis­me and heresie: for the which I doe thanke Almightie GOD [Page] much more, then for all the e­stimation that I had, or might haue had in England. Whatso­euer my estate is heere, I doe more esteeme it, then all the ri­ches of England as it now stan­deth.

And were I so mad think you to forsake all preferment, all li­uings, all estimation, to liue frō my good mother, from you my louing sisters, & your husbands, from other my deare friendes & companions, out of mine owne most pleasant countrie, would I do this thinke you, but that my learninge and my conscience, telleth me, that to follow your [Page] Religion is present daunger of body and soule, and to be in the Catholicke Church is the onely way to saluation? Fie vpon all worldly riches, when the soule is in danger, nothing is so preti­ous as the soule: first seeke for the Kingdome of heauen, & for other things as it pleaseth God. O that I might vnderstand once that you were of my mind, and of the Catholicke religion: O my hart would leape for ioy, to consider that although we can­not liue together vppon earth, yet we may hereafter meete in heauen: which is impossible as long as we disagree in faith. S. [Page] Paul saith. There is one God, one Faith, one Baptisme. S. Austin sai­eth, speaking of one Emeritus, He cannot be saued but in the Catholicke Church.

Doe you thinke it sufficient to beleeue in the Father, the Son, & the holy Ghost? Harken what S. Austine saith in the 88. Psalme. What doth it profite thee, if thou confesse the Lord? If thou honor God? if thou prech & praise him? if thou acknowledge his Son? if thou cōfess that he sitteth at the right hand of his Father? what doth this profit thee, if thou blas­pheme his Church? S. Athanasius in his Creed saith: Whosoeuer wil [Page] be saued it is necessarie that hee hold the Catholicke Faith, which Faith vnles a man beleeue in all pointes, and euery article, with­out doubt (saith he) he shall perish euerlastingly. One point is (good Sisters) that Christ gaue vs at his last Supper, his owne blessed bo­dy & blood to feed vpon in the remēbrance of his bitter death: he that saith it is not so, doth he beleeue in Christ? Doth he not in effect say that Christ was not able to do it, and by that reason that he was not omnipotēt? For when the three Euangelistes re­port it so plainly, & S. Paul after them: Take, eate, this is my Body [Page] that shall be deliuered for you: this is my blood that shall be shed for you: Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Luke. 22.1. Cor. 11. What maketh a man to doubt but that it is so in deed O you wil say, I see nothing but bread and wine. If you should see his body: no god a mercy if you did beleeue it: But Christ saide to Thomas: Thou Thomas dost beleue because thou hast sene: but happie are they that beleeue when they see not. Ioh. 20. Mat. 2.

I pray you when the three wise men came from the East to worship Christ, what did they see in him? forsooth a young In­fant, not able to helpe him selfe [Page] sucking his mother a poore car­penters wife, and that in an Oxe staule: yet they fell downe and worshipped him as God: Is it not as easie to beleeue the bo­dy of Christ is vnder the forme of bread, as that Almighty God him selfe was then vnder the shape of a seely weake Infant? O good Sisters, vnles you beleeue, you shall neuer vnderstand: be­leeue once Christ his wordes, & that he is almighty, and that he is able to do whatsoeuer he sai­eth, and you will thinke that all is easie: returne to the Catho­licke Church, and bee content to learne that which you know [Page] not, of them that will not for all the world deceaue you, and you shall find exceeding comfort.

When Christ shall say at the latter day, as it were in this ma­ner. Was it not of my greate kindnesse that I left vnto you mine owne Bodie and Blood? and was it not of my exceeding goodnes and wisdome to leaue it, not in the forme of fleshe and blood, least your nature should abhorre it, but of bread & wine which can be lothsome to no man? and you make me this gay recompence, saying that it was nothing but breade and wine, because you could tast nothing [Page] els in your mouth, and because your new Preachers tolde you so, whom I sent not? were not you christned in an other Faith? Did not my Church which is my spouse, Apoc. 21. and the piller of truth, 1. Tim. 3. alwaies teach otherwaies. What haue you to say for your selfe, but that you haue most vnkindly abused that blessed Sacrament and heauen­ly mistery, and make me a lyar, and deny my omnipotency, and therefore deserue eternall dam­nation with all such as haue de­ceaued you?

When Christ shall say this, will it not be a heauy case? whē [Page] Cyprian, Ambrose, Chrisostome, Augustine, Ierome, Gregory, Bernard, all the olde Fathers, now Saints in heauen, shall come & beare witnesse against you, and say that they taught other-wise? When your Bishoppes that are now partly dead, and partly in prison for the defending of this cause, shall condemne you be­cause you did not follow theire good example? When your owne Doctours and Teachers shall not be able to answere for them selues, will it not be a pit­tifull case? But I hope better of you (good Sisters) I can not mi­strust your good natures, but [Page] thar you will bee glad to learne the trewth which: Almightie God graunt vnto you for his deare Sonnes sake, who died for vs: and that I maye heare some comfortable newes from you.

Doe but fignifie vnto mee that you are content, if any thing be amisse to be better in­structed. Proue me what I can say for any thing that troubleth your consciences: It shall be far better newes vnto mee, to re­ceaue two lines from you to such a purpose, then to vnder­stand that your husbandes were made Lordes, and you Ladies. [Page] He is rich that is in the Catho­licke Church, and he is honou­rable that is in the fauour of God. Sisters if I might doe you good to God-ward, I woulde not sticke to aduenture this bo­dy of mine to saue your soules, to come and talke with you: my body is not more pretious vnto me then your soules: how you are disposed, and what you would haue me to doe for your sakes let me vnderstand by the next. Deale wisely I pray you and warily, both for our owne sake, and for our good friende this bearer: It is not reason that for his good will, he should in­curre [Page] any danger: God forbid, my truste is in your wisdome, that you will keepe this verie close tell herafter, by reason of the great persecution.

The matter is waighty, and conserneth both you and this bearer very much: bee wise and trustie, and deceaue not your Brother that loueth you as him selfe, and therefore wisheth by all meanes to doe you good. Saint Paule sayth: 1. Timothy. 5. Hee that hath not regard of his own kindred, hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidell. Saint Chrisostome vpon the same place writeth thus.

If a man instruct strangers in the Faith, & suffer his owne kinne to continue in there errour with whome he were likely to preuaile most, because they make most ac­count of him, were it not a moste cruell & barbarous man? For this cause I write vnto you, & wishe you all grace, al goodnes, al heauenly comfort: last of all & least of all, to prosper in this worlde, and yet I wish you that with all my hart at the pleasure of God.

Other good thing I haue none to send you but this, I will remaine in your debt for your gentle tokens. Commend mee to your selues, your louing hus­bandes, [Page] & your little ones, and when you haue learned to be­leeue right your selues, bring them vp accordingly and teach them to feare God. Make much of this bearer I pray you, and saue him harmeles by your wise and discreet dealings. Almigh­tie God preserue you, and by his Holy spiritte lead you into all truth. Amen.