TO THE ENGLISH READER.
led in vs: yet our tribulation, which presently is momentanie, 2. Cor. 4.
and light, worketh (through grace) aboue measure
excedingly an eternal weight of glorie. VVhat shal we
therfore meditate of the especial prerogatiue of English
Catholiques at this time? For to you it is geuen for Christ,
not only that you beleue in him, but also that you suffer for English Catholiques most happie in this age.
him. A litle now, if you must be made pensiue in diuers 1. Pet. 1.
tentations, that the probation of your faith, much more
precious then gold, which is proued by the fire, may be
found vnto praise, and glorie, and honour, in the reuelation
of Iesus Christ. Manie of you haue susteyned the spoile
of your goodes with ioy, knowing that you haue a better
and a permanent substance. Others haue benne depriued
of your children, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters,
and nerest frendes, in readie resolution also, some with sentence
of death, to lose your owne liues. Others haue had trial
of reproches, mockeries, and stripes. Others of bandes,
prisons, and banishmentes. The innumerable renowmed
late English Martyres, & Confessors, whose happie soules The due praise of Martyres, and other glorious Sainctes excedeth mortal tongues.
for confessing true faith before men, are now most glorious
in heauen, we passe here with silence; because their
due praise, requiring longer discourse, yea rather Angels,
then English tongues, farre surpasseth the reach of our conceiptes.
And so we leaue it to your deuout meditation.
They now secure for themselues, and solicitous for vs their
dearest clientes, incessantly (we are wel assured) intercede
before Christs Diuine Maiestie, for our happie consummation,
with the conuersion of our whole countrie. To
you therfore (dearest frendes mortal) we direct this speach:
admonishing ourselues & you, in the Apostles wordes, that
for so much as we haue not yet resisted tentations to (last) Patience necessarie to the end of mans life.
bloud (and death itself) patience is stil necessarie for vs,
that doing the wil of God, we may receiue the promise. So
we repine not in tribulation, but euer loue them that hate
vs, pittying their case, and reioycing in our owne. Forneither
