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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	wont_a	word_n	world_n	24	3	3.5864	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19420	The mirror of martyrs in a short vieuu lively expressing the force of their faith, the feruency of their loue, the wisedome of their sayings, the patience of their suffrings, etc. : with their prayers and preparation for their last farevvell : whereunto is added two godly letters written by M. Bradford, full of sweet consolation for such as are afflicted in conscience.	Cotton, Clement.; Bradford, John, 1510?-1555.	1613 (1613)	STC 5848; ESTC S756	48,602	243

present so admired him that their eies were no lesse thorowly occupied in beholding him thē their eares gaue place to the hearing of his prayers At his departing the chāber hee made in like sort a prayer in which hee vehemently desired of God that his wordes might not bee spoken in vaine ¶ His behauiour at his death MR. Bradford cōming to the stake fell flat vpon his face praying the space of one minute of an hower the Sheriffe willed him to make an end because the presse was great at that word standing vpon his feet he tooke a Fagot in his hand and kissed it and so likewise the Stake so putting off his rayment he went to the Stake holding vp his hands and casting vp his countenance to heaven sayd thus O England Englād repēt thee of thy sins repent thee of thy sins c. To the young man that suffered with him hee sayd Be of good comfort Brother for we shall haue a merry Supper with the Lord this night and spake no more wordes that any man heard but jmbracing the Reeds sayd thus Straight is the way and narrow is the gate that leadeth vnto life eternall and fewe there be that find it M. William Tims WIlliam Tims being convented before Bonner Winchester Tims said the Bishops thou hast a good fresh spirit it were well if thou had'st learning to thy spirit Yea my Lords sayd TIMS and it were well also that as you bee Learned men so yee had a good Spirit to your learning Bishop Latimer REuerend LATIMER writes thus to Bishop RIDLEY Lo Sir I haue blotted your papers and play'd the foole egregiously but so I thought it better then not to fulfill your request at this time Pardon me and pray for me pray for me pray for me I say For I am sometimes so scarefull that I could creepe into a mouse hole Sometimes God doth visit me againe with his Comforts So he is comming and going comming and going to teach me to know mine owne infirmitie that I might thanke him who is worthy least I should rob him of his glorie as many doe and almost all the world fare yee well ¶ The 3 requests which Father Latimer was wont to make THe first was that as GOD had appointed him to be a preacher of his word so also he would giue him grace to stand to his doctrine vnto the death and that he might giue his heart blood for the same The second was that GOD of his mercie would restore his Gospell to Enggland once againe and these words once againe once againe hee did so inculcate and beat into the eares of the Lord as though hee had seene god face to face and would haue no nay His third request was for the Lady ELIZABETH our late Soueraigne whō in his prayer hee was wont to name euen with teares begged of God that shee might liue to be a comfort to this comfortlesse Realme Bishop Ridley RIDLEY writes thus in a Letter to Bradford wee looke euery day to be called on I weene I am the weakest many waies of our company and yet I thanke our Lord God and heauenly Father through Christ that since I heard of our deere Brother ROGERS departing and his stout Confession of Christ and his truth euen vnto death mine heart blessed be God reioyced so in it that since that time I say I never felt any lumpishnesse nor heauinesse of heart as I grant I haue felt sometimes before O good Brother Bradford blessed bee God for thee and blessed be the time that euer I knew thee Iohn Rogers MAISTER ROGERS that Morning hee should be burned being in a sound sleepe was hardly awaked with much shogging whē the keepers wife came sodainely vp to giue him warning of his burning At length beeing awaked and bid to make hast Nay then sayd hee and if it be so I shall not need to tye my points The Sunday before hee suffred hee dranke to M. HOOPER being then in a Chamber vnderneath him in Newgate and bad them commend him to him and to tell him that there was never little fellow would better sticke to a man then he would sticke to him supposing they should haue beene burned together Laurence Saunders MR. SAVNDERS at the time of his first examination before STEVEN GARDINER reporto his bed-fellow that lay with him the night following that in the time of his examination he was so wonderfully comforted that not onely in his spirit but also in body hee receiued a certaine tast of that holy Communion of Saints whilst a most pleasant refreshing issued from euery part and member of his body vnto the seat of the heart and from thence did ebbe and flow to fro vnto all the parts againe In a Letter to his Wife faine would this flesh make strange of that which the spirit doth imbrace Oh Lord how loth is this loytring sluggard to passe foorth into Gods path It fancieth forsooth much feare of fraybugs and were it not for the force of Faith which pulleth it forwards by the raines of Gods most sweet promise and hope which pricketh on behind great aduenture there would be of fainting by the way But blessed euerlastingly blessed be that heauenly Father of ours who in his Christ our sufficient Sauiour hath vouchsafed to shine in our hearts by the light of his knowledge in the face of Iesus Christ. His Wife comming to visit him in prison was forbidden to enter the prison by reason whereof the keeper tooke the little babe shee had in her armes and caried him to his Father LAVRENCE SAVNDERS seeing him reioyced greatly saying that hee esteemed more of such a boy then if 2000 pound should be giuen him And to the standers by which praysed the goodlinesse of the child he sayd what man fearing God would not loose this life presently rather then by preserving it heere hee should adiudge this boy to be a bastard and his wife an Whore and him-sefe an Whoremonger yea were there no other cause why a man of my estate should loose his life yet who would not giue it to avouch this child to be legitimate and his mariage to be lawfull and holy Beeing come to the stake where hee was burned hee fell prostrate to the groūd and prayed And rysing vppe againe hee tooke the stake in his armes to which he should be chained and kissed it saying Welcome the Crosse of Christ Welcome euerlasting life Robert Glouer Gen. MR. GLOVER a day or twoo before hee should bee burnt felt his heart so lumpish and heavy that hee found in himselfe no aptnes not willingnesse to die but rather a dulnesse of Spiritfull of much discomfort to beare the bitter Crosse of Martyrdome ready now to bee layd vppon him Wherevpon fearing in himselfe least the Lord had vtterly withdrawen his wonted favour from him he made his moane to one AVGVSTINE BERNHERE his deere friend signifying vnto him how earnestly hee had praied vnto the Lord and yet could receiue

him hee sayd good Lord deliver me from you and gojng from them vp to his chamber hee sayd good Lord deliuer me from you good Lord deliuer mee from you Iohn Leafe THis IOHN LEAFE a prentise to one HVMPHREY GAVVDY tallow Chandler who was burned with M. IOHN BRADFORD had 2 bils sent him into the Counter in breadstreet after his judgement th' one containing a recantation th' other his confession to know to which of them hee would subscribe Hearing first the bill of his recantation read vnto him because hee could nether write nor read himselfe that hee refused and when hee heard th' other read vnto him which hee liked well off in stead of a pen he tooke a pinne and so pricking his hand sprinkled the blood vppon the sayd bill willing the reader thereof to shew the Bishop that hee had sealed the same with his blood already Richard Woodman THe conflicts whieh Richard Woodman had with the feare of death recorded in his owne words as followeth Then 3 daies after my Lord Chamberlain sent 3 of his men to take mee whose names were Deane Ieffrey and Frauncis I being at plough with my folkes right in the way as they were comming to my house least mistrusting them of all other came vnto them and asked them how they did And they said they arrested me in the King and Queenes name and that I must goe with them to my Lord Chamberlaine their Maister Which words made my flesh to tremble and quake in regard the thing was sodaine But I answered them that I would goe with them Yet I desired them to go with me to my house that I might break my fast and put on some other geare And they sayd I should Then I remembred my selfe saying in my heart why am I thus afrayd They can lay none euill to my charge If they kill me for well dooing I may thinke my selfe happy I remembred how I was contented gladly to dye before in that quarrell and so haue continued euer since and should I now feare to die God forbid I should for then were all my labour in vaine So by and by I was perswaded I praise god cōsidering it was but the frailtie of my flesh which was loth to forgoe my wife children goods for I saw nothing but present death before mine eies And as soone as I was perswaded in mine heart to die I regarded nothing in this world but was as merrie glad and ioyfull I praise God as euer I was This battaile lasted but a quarter of an houre but it was sharper for the time then death I dare say M. Glouer ROBERT GLOVER had a contrarie effect in his troubles as his owne words testifye After I came into prison sayth hee and had reposed my selfe a while I wept for joy and gladnes my bellyfull musing much of the great mercies of GOD and as it were saying thus vnto my selfe O Lord who am I on whome thou should'st bestow thus thy great mercie to bee numbred among thy Saints which suffer for thy Gospell sake And so beholding on the one side my jmperfection vnablenes sinnefull miserie and vnworthines and on th' other side the greatnes of Gods mercie to be called to so high promotion I was as it were amazed and overcome for a while with joy and gladnes concluding thus with my selfe in mine heart O Lord thou shewest power in weakenes wisedome in foolishnes Mercie in sinfulnesse who shall let thee to choose where and whom thou wilt As I haue euer zealously loued the profession of thy word so haue I euer thought my selfe vnworthie to bee partaker of th' afflictions of the same The same ROBERT GLOVER at an other time was much discouraged by Satan not to persevere in his suffring suggesting to him his vnworthines to suffer for Christ and his Gospell but these his suggestions were thus repelled by him What were all those whome GOD in former time chose to be his witnesses were they not men subiect to sinne and imperfection as other men bee All wee sayth Iohn haue receiued of his fulnes They were no bringers of any goodnes to GOD they were altogether receiuers They chose not GOD first but hee chose them They loued not GOD first but hee loued them yea when they were enemies to him and full of sinne Hee is and wil be the same God still As rich in mercie as mighty as ready as willing to forgiue sinnes now without respect of persons as hee was then and so wil be to the worlds end to all that call vppon him It is no arrogancie nor presumption in any man to burthen God with his promise chalenging his ayd and assistance in all perils and daungers Calling vpon him in the name of Christ for whose sake whosoeuer commeth to the Father is sure to receiue more then hee can wish or desire I also answered the enemie on this manner I am a sinner and therefore vnworthy to be a Martyr What then must I deny GODS word because I am a sinner and not worthy to professe it What bring I to passe in so dooing but adding sinne to sinne What is a greater sinne then to deny the truth af Christs Gospell I might also by the like reason forbeare to doe any of GODS commaundements when I am prouoked to pray th' enemie may say vnto mee thou art not worthy to pray and therefore I shall not pray I shall not forbeare to steale c. because I am not worthy to do any of GODS commaundements These be delusiōs of the Deuill which must be ouercome by continuance of prayer and with the word of GOD applied according to the measure of euery mans gift George Wise-heart THis WISE-HEART a Scottishman rightly so called in regard of that true wisedome of the spirit wherewith his heart was filled beejng come to the place of execution the hangman came vnto him vppon his knees craving forgiuenesse of him To whome he answered come hether to me when hee was come nie him hee kissed his cheeke and sayd loe here is a signe that I forgiue thee my heart doe thine office And by and by hee was put vpon the Gibbet and martyred Walter Mill. WALTER MILL a Scottish Minister beejng disturbed in his praier in the time of his examination having ended the same sayd wee ought more to obay GOD then Men. I serue one more mightie even th'omnipotent Lord. And where ye call me S r. Walter they vsually call mee WALTER and not S r. WALTER I haue beene one of the Popes Knights too long Beejng threatned with the sentence of death I know I must die once saith he and therefore as Christ said to Iudas Quod facis fac citius Ye shall know that I will not recant the truth for I am Corne I am no Chaffe I will not be blowne away with the wind nor burst with the flaile I will abide both Patrick Hamleton MR. Patrick Hamleton beejng in the fire was heard by certaine faithfull men of credit then

certaine all the haires of your head are numbred Be certain your good Father hath appointed your bounds over which the devill dare not looke Commit your selfe to him hee is hath been and will bee your keeper Let Christ be your marke and scope to prick at Let him be your patterne to worke by Let him be your ensample to follow giue him as your heart so your hand as your mind so your tongue as your Faith so your feet And let his word be your Candle to goe before you in al matters of Religion Blessed is he that Walketh not to these Popish praiers nor standeth at them nor sitteth at them glorifie God both in soule and body ¶ Fifteene short sentences left by Robert Smith Martyr to ANNE SMITH his wife 1 SEEke first to loue God deere wife with your whole heart and then it shall be easie for you to loue your neighbour 2 Be friendly to all creatures but especially to your owne Soule 3 Be alwaies an enemie to the Deuill the world but chiefely to your owne flesh 4 In hearing of good things ioyne the eares of your head and heart together 5 Seeke vnitie and quietnesse with all men but specially with your conscience for it will not easily be pacified 6 Loue all men but specially your enemies 7 Hate the sinnes that are past but especially those to come 8 Be as ready to further your enemie as hee is to hinder you that yee may bee the child of God 9 Defile not that which Christ hath cleansed least his blood bee layd to your charge 10 Remember that god hath hedged in your tongue with the teeth and lippes that it might speake vnder correction 11 Be ready at all times to looke to your brothers eye but especially to your owne eye For he that warneth an other of that hee himselfe is faultie giueth his neighbour the cleere Wine and himselfe the dregges 12 Beware of riches and worldly honor for without vnderstanding prayer and fasting it is a snare like to consuming fier of which if a man take a little it will warme him but if too much it will consume him 13 Shew mercie to the Saints for Christs sake Christ shall reward you for the Saints sake 14 Among all other prisoners visit your owne Soule for it is inclosed in a perillous prison 15 If you loue GOD hate euill c. Your Husband RO SMITH If yee will meet with me againe Forsake not Christ for any paine CERTAINE deuout Prayers which some of the godly Martyrs made at the hower of their death ¶ The Prayer which M r. HOOPER Bishop of Glocester made at his death LORD sayd he I am Hell but thou art Heaven I am swill and a sincke of sinne but thou art a gracious GOD and a merciful Saviour and Redeemer Haue mercie therefore vppon me most miserable and wretched offender after thy great mercie and according to thine jnestimable goodnes thou art assended into Heaven receiue me Hell to be partaker of thy joyes where thou sittest in equall glory with the Father For well thou knowest Lord wherefore I am come hither to suffer and why the wicked doe persecute this thy poore seruant not for my sinnes and transgressions committed against thee but because I will not allow of their wicked doings to the contaminating of thy blood and to the deniall of the knowledge of thy truth wherwith it did please thee by thy holy spirit to jnstruct mee the which with as much diligence as a poore wretch might being called thereto I haue set forth to thy glory And well thou seest my Lord God what terrible paynes and cruel torments be here prepared for thy poore Creature such Lord as without thy strength none is able to beare or patiently to passe But all things that are jmpossible with man with thee are possible Therefore strengthen me of thy goodnesse that in the fire I breake not the bounds of patience or else asswage the terrour of the paines as shall seeme most to thy glory Heere the party who heard thus much of his prayer beeing espied of the Maior was commaunded away and could be suffred to heare no more ¶ The Prayer of Doctor CRANMER Archbishop of Canterburie when it was thought he would haue made his Recantation O Father of Heauen O Sonne of GOD redeemer of the world O holy Ghost three persons and one GOD haue mercy vppon me most wretched Caytiffe and miserable sinner I haue offended both against Heauen and Earth more then my tongue can expresse Whether then may I goe or whether should I flee To heauen I am ashamed to lift vppe mine eyes and in Earth I find no place of refuge or succour To thee therefore o Lord do I runne to thee do I humble my selfe saying O Lord my GOD my sinnes be great but yet haue Mercie vppon mee for thy great Mercie The great mistery that God became man was not wroght for small or few offences Thou didst not giue thy Sonne O Heauenly Father vnto death for little sinnes onely but for all the greatest sinnes of the world so that the sinner returne to thee with his whole heart as I doe heere at this present Wherfore haue mercie vppon mee ô GOD whose property it is always to haue mercie haue mercie vpon mee ô Lord for thy great mercie I craue nothing for mine owne merits but for thy names sake that it may be hallowed thereby and for thy deere Sonne Iesus Christs sake And now therefore O our Father c. His repentance for subscription vttered a little before his death And now I come to the great thing that so much troubleth my conscience more then any thing that ever I did or sayd in my whole life and that is the setting abroad of a writing contrarie to the truth which now I heere renownce refuse as things written with my hand contrary to the truth which I thought in mine heart and written for feare of death and to saue life if it might be and that is all such bils and papers which I haue written or signed with mine hand since my degradatiō wherein I haue written many things vntrue And for as much as my hand offeded in writing cōtrary to my heart mine hand shal be punished therefore for may I come to the fire it shall first be burned which accordingly he did For being at the stake whē the fire began to flame hee put his right hand vnto it which hee held so stedfast and jmmoueable saving that once with the same hand hee wiped his face that all men might see his hand burned before it touched his body ¶ The Prayer of Steven Knight made vppon his knees at his death O Lord Iesus Christ for whose loue I willingly leaue this life and desire rather the bitter death of the Crosse with the losse of all earthly things then to abide the blaspheaming of thy most holy name or to obay men in breaking thy holy Commandemēt Thou seest oh

vppon mee haue mercie vpon me for thy deere Sonne our Saviour Christs sake in whom I confesse onely to bee all salvation and justification and that there is none other meane nor way nor holinesse in which or by which any man can be saved in this world This is my faith which I beseech men heere to beare witnes off Then sayd hee the Lords Prayer and so made an end Fier beeing set vnto him and burning therein he cried thrise with a loud voice O Sonne of GOD haue mercy vpon mee O Sonne of GOD receiue my soule and so his speach beeing taken from him hee spake no more lifting vp notwithstanding his stumpe with his other arme as long as he could ¶ Here followeth two worthy and godly Letters full of heavenly consolation written by that holie man of God M. Iohn Bradford Martyr fit for all such to read and obserue as feele in them a wounded spirit ¶ The first Letter written to Mistres H. a godly Gentlewoman comforting her in that common and godly sorrow which the feeling and sence of sinne worketh in Gods children I Humblie and heartilie praye the everlasting good God and Father of mercie to blesse and keepe your hart and mind in the knowledge and the loue of his truth and of his Christ through th'jnspiration working of the holy spirit Amen Although I haue no doubt but that you prosper and goe forwards daily in the way of Godlinesse more and more drawing towards perfection and haue no need of any thing that I can write yet because my desire is that you might be more fervent and persevere vnto the end I could not but write something vnto you beseeching you both often and diligentlie to call vnto your mind as a meane to stirre you hervnto yea as a thing which god most straightly requireth you to belieue that you are the beloued of God and that hee is your deare Father in through for Christ his deaths sake This loue and tender kindnesse of God towards vs in Christ is aboundantlie herein declared in that he hath to the godly worke of Creation of this world made vs after his jmage redeemed vs being lost called vs into his church sealed vs with his marke and signe Manuel of Baptisme kept and conserved vs all the daies of our life fedde nowrished defended and most mercifullie chastised vs and now hath kindled in our hearts the sparkles of his feare faith loue and knowledge of his Christ truth and therefore we lament because wee can lament no more our vnthankefulnesse our frailenes our diffidence and wavering in things whereof we should be most certain All these things we should vse as meanes to confirme our faith of this that God is our God and Father and to assure vs that he loueth vs as our Father in Christ to this end I say should we vse the things before touched especiallie in that of all things God requireth this faith and perswasion of his Father by goodnesse as his chiefest seruice For before he aske any thing of vs he saith I am the Lord thy God giuing himselfe and all he hath to vs to be our own And this he doth in respect of himselfe of his owne mercie truth and not in respect of vs for then were grace no more grace In consideration wherof when he saith Thou shalt haue none other Gods but mee thou shalt loue mee with all thy heart c. Though of dutie wee are bound to accomplish all that he requireth and are culpable and guiltie if wee doe not the same yet he requireth not these things further of vs then to make vs more in loue and more certaine of this his covenant that hee is the Lord our GOD. In certaintie whereof as he hath giuen this world to serue our need and commoditie so hath he giuen vs his son Christ Iesus and in Christ himselfe to be a pledge and gage wherof the Holie Ghost doth now and then giue vs some tast and sweet feeling and smell to our eternall ioye Therefore as I said because God is your Father in Christ and requireth of you straightly to belieue it giue your selfe to obedience although you doe it not with such feeling as you desire First must faith goe before and then feeling will follow If our jmperfection frailty many evils should bee occasions whereby Satan would haue vs doubt as much as in vs lyeth let vs abhorre that suggestion as of all others most pernicious for so indeed it is For whē we stand in doubt whether God bee our Father or no we cannot bee thankfull to God we cannot heartily pray or thinke any thing we do acceptable to God we cannot loue our neighbours and giue ouer our selues to care for them and doe for them as we should do and therfore Satā is most busie hereabouts knowing full wel that if we doubt of gods eternall sweet mercies in Christ wee cannot please God or doe any thing as we should to man Continually casteth he into our memories our jmperfection frailty folly and offences that we shold doubt of gods mercie and fauour towards vs. Therefore my good Sister we must not bee sluggish herein but as Satan laboreth to loosen our faith so must we labour to fasten it by thinking on the promises and covenant of god in Christs bloud namelie that God is our God with all that ever he hath which Covenant dependeth and hangeth vpon Gods owne goodnes mercie and truth onely and not on our obedience and worthines in any poynt for then should we never bee certaine Indeed God requireth of vs obedience and worthines but not that thereby wee might be made his childrē and he our Father but because he is our Father and wee his children through his own goodnes in christ therfore requireth he faith and obedience Now if we want this obedience worthinesse which hee requireth should wee therefore doubt whether he bee our Father Nay that were to make our obedience worthines the cause and so to put Christ out of place for whose sake God is our Father But rather because hee is our Father and wee feele our selues to want such things as he requireth wee should be stirred vppe to an holy blushing and shamfastnesse because wee are not as wee should bee and therevpon should wee take occasion to go to our father in prayer on this manner Deare Father thou of thine owne Mercie in Christ Iesus hast chosen me to bee thy child and therefore thou would'st I should be brought into thy Church and faithfull company of thy children wherein thou hast kept me hitherto thy name bee praised therefore Now I see my selfe to want faith hope loue c. which thy children haue and thou requirest of me wherethrough the deuill would haue me doubt yea vtterly to despaire off thy Fatherly goodnesse favour and mercie Therefore I come to thee as to my merciful father through thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ and pray thee to helpe me