limites dwell not oute of them and they which be of the townes villages of the said valleis dwel not out of them nor of their borders The liberty of Trafficke graunted and in so doing they shall not be molested by any meanes and shall not be offended nor troubled in body or goods but shall remaine vnder the protection and sauegarde of his highnesse Furthermore his highnes shal set order to stay al troubles inconueniences secret cōspiracies of wicked persons after such sort The elders of the Valleys of Pyemont that they shall remaine quietly in theyr religion For obseruation whereof George Monastier one of the elders of Angrongne Constantion Dialestini otherwise called Rembaldo one of the Elders of Uillars Pirrone Arduino sent frō the comminaltie of Boby Michael Ramondet sent from the comminaltie of Tailleret and of la Rua de Bonet bordering vpon Tour Iohn Malenote sent from certaine persons of S. Iohn Peter Paschal sent from the comminaltie of the valley of S. Martin Thom. Roman of S. Germain sent from the comminaltie of the same place and of all the Ualley of Perouse promise for thē and their comminalties seuerally that the cōtents of these conclusions aforesayd shall be inuiolately kepte and for breach thereof do submit themselues to such punishment as shall please his hignes promising likewise to cause the chiefe of the families of the comminalties to allow and confirme the sayd promise The honourable Lorde of Raconis doth promise that the Dukes highnes shall confirme and allow the foresayde conclusions to them both generally and perticularly The Lord of Raconnis at the intercession and especiall fauour of the noble Lady the Princesse The Lady Princes intercessour for the Waldoys In testimonie whereof the foresayde Lord of Raconis hath confirmed these present conclusions wyth hys owne hand and the Ministers haue lykewise subscribed in the name of all the sayd Ualleys and they which can write in the name of all theyr comminalties At Cauor the v. of Iune 1561. Phillip of Sauoy Fraunces Valla Minister of Villars Claudius Bergius Minister of Taillaret Georgius Monasterius Michael Raymundet THis accord being thus made and passed by the meanes of the Duchesse of Sauoy the poore Waldoys haue ben in quiet vntill this present and God of his infinite goodnes hauyng deliuered them out of so many troubles and conflicts hath set them at libertie to serue him purely and with quietnes of conscience Wherfore there is none at this present except he be altogether blind or senceles but he seeth and well perceiueth that God would make it knowen by experience to these poore Waldoys All thinges turne to the best to thē that loue the Lord. and al other faithful people that al things turne to the best to them which loue and feare hym For by all these afflictions which they suffered as is before rehearsed this good heauenly father hath brought them to repentance and amendement of life He hath effectuously taught them to haue recourse to his fatherly mercy and to embrace Iesus Christ for their onely Sauiour and redeemer Furthermore he hath taught them to tame the desires and lustes of the flesh to withdrawe their harts from the world and lift them vp to heauen and to be alwayes in a readines to come to him as vnto their most louing and pitifull father To be short hee hath set them to the schoole of hys children to the end they should profite in patience and hope to make them to mourne weepe and cry vnto hym And aboue all he hath made them so oft to proue his succours at time of need to see them before their eyes to feele and touch them with their handes as a man would say after such sort that they haue had good occasion and all the faithfull with them neuer to distrust so good a father and so carefull for the health of his children but to assure themselues neuer to be confounded what thing soeuer happen And yet to see thys more manifestly and that euery man may take profite therof it shal be good to vnderstand what this poore people did whiles they were in these combates and conflictes The behauiour of these good men in their persecutiōs So soone as they sawe the armye of theyr enemies approch they cryed altogether for ayde and succour to the Lord and before they begā to defend thēselues they fell to prayer and in fighting lifted vp their hartes and sighed to the Lorde As long as the enemyes were at rest euery one of these poore people on their knees called vpon God When the combate was ended they gaue him thankes for the comfort and succour which they had felte In the meane time the rest of the people with the Ministers made their harty prayer vnto God with sighes and teares and that from the morning vntill the euening When night was come they assembled agayne together They which had fought rehearsed the woonderfull ayde and succour which God had sent them and so altogether rendred thankes vnto hym for hys fatherly goodnes Alwayes he chaunged their sorrow into ioye In the morning trouble and affliction appeared before them wyth great terrour on all sides but by the euening they were deliuered and had great cause of reioysing and comfort Warre and famine two enemies against these men This poore people had two terrible enemies warre and famine which kepte them vnder in such sort that a man would haue thought they had bene vtterly lost destroyed But God of his endles mercy deliuered thē from such dangers and restored them to their houses where they remained afterwards in peace and quietnes al they which had declared themselues to be their open enemyes were brought to confusion as well those whiche fought to get their goodes as those whiche onely desired to shedde their bloud For proofe wherof the onely exāple of two Gentlemen of the Ualley of Luserne shall suffice These not onely moued cruell warre agaynst their poore tenauntes and others but most shamefully spoyled them and tooke vntollerable fines of all those that disobeyed their Edictes to keepe a good conscience Besides this Example of Gods fauour toward his seruantes cōfusion toward their persecutors they went about to sease all their goodes as forfaite waytyng to haue the whole forfayture thereof themselues And for this cause they did not onely incense the Duke with false reportes and with greeuous complayntes and accusations agaynst these poore Waldoys but also pursued the same so long and with such charges that they were fayne to sell their inheritaunce in hope to bring their purpose to passe and to enioy that goodly pray which they thought could not escape their handes But in the ende for their rewarde they got nothyng but shame and confusion And as for the Monkes and Priestes whiche by such meanes thought to aduaunce themselues to bryng their trumpery to estimation they haue lost the litle rule which they had ouer
I haue preached before him It is Gods truth I haue taught It is that same infallible word whereof he sayd Heauen and earth shall passe but my word shall not passe The masse and such baggage as the false worshippers of God and enemies of Christes Crosse the Papistes I say haue brought in agayne The Masse is a poyson to the Church to poyson the Church of God withall displeaseth God highly and is abhominable in his sight Happy may he be whiche of conscience suffereth losse of life or goodes in dissalowing it Come not at it If God be God follow him If y e Masse be God let them that will see it heare or be present at it ComparisoÌ„ betweene the Lordes supper and the Masse go to the deuill with it What is there as God ordayned His supper was ordayned to be receiued of vs in the memoriall of his death for the confirmation of our fayth that his body was broken for vs his bloud shed for pardon of our sinnes but in the masse there is no receiuing but the pâ—iest keepeth all to himselfe alone Christ sayth Take eate No sayth the Priest gape peepe There is a sacrificing yea killing of Christ agayne as much as they may There is Idolatry in worshipping the outward signe of bread wyne there is all in Latine you cannot tell what he saith To conclude there is nothing as God ordeyned Wherefore my good mother come not at it Oh will some say it will hinder you Doubtes obiections aunswered Math. 19. if you refuse to come to masse and to do as other do But God wil further you be you assured as you shall one day find who hath promised to them that suffer hinderaunce or losse of anye thing in this world his great blessing here and in y e world to come life euerlasting You shall bee counted an hereticke but not of others then of heretickes whose prayse is a disprayse You are not able to reason agaynst the Priestes but God wil that all they shall not be able to withstand you No body wil do so but you onely In deede no matter for â—ewe enter into the narrow gate which bringeth to saluation Howbeit you shall haue with you I doubt not Father Traues and other my brothers and sisters to go with you therein but if they will not I your sonne in God I trust shall not leaue you an inche but go before you pray that I may geue thankes for me Reioyce in my suffering for it is for your sakes to confirme the truth I haue taught How soeuer you do beware this letter come not abroad but into father Traues his handes For all this caueat yet this letter came to the Earle of Darbyes knowledge for if it should be knowne that I haue pen and inke in the prison then would it be worse with me Therfore to your selues keep this letter commending me to God his mercy in Christ Iesus who make me worthy for his names sake to geue my life for his Gospel and Church sake Out of the Tower of London the sixt day of October 1553. My name I write not for causes you know it well enough Like the letter neuer the worse Commend me to all our good brethren and sisters in the Lord. Howsoeuer you do be obedient to the higher powers that is no point either in hand or tongue rebell but rather if they coÌ„maund that which with good conscience you caÌ„not obey lay your head on the blocke and suffer what soeuer they shall do or say By pacience possesse your soules After the time that M. Bradford was condemned and sent to the Counter it was purposed of his aduersaryes as ye heard before that hee shoulde be had to Manchester where he was borne and there be burned Whereupon he writeth to the Cittye of London thinking to take his last Vale of them in this letter ¶ To the Citie of London TO all that professe the Gospell and true doctrine of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in the Cittie of London A fruitefull letter of M. Bradford 〈◊〉 the citye oâ— London Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of y e Lord now not onely in prison but also excommunicated condemned to be burned for the same true doctrine wisheth mercy grace peace with increase of al godly knowledge and pietie from God the father of mercy through the merites of oure alone and omnisufficient Redeemer Iesus Christ by the operation of the holy spirite for euer Amen My dearely beloued brethren in our Sauiour Christ although the tyme I haue to liue is very little for hourly I looke when I shoulde be had hence to be conueyed into Lankeshyre there to be burned and to render my lyfe by the prouidence of God where I first receaued it by y e same prouidence and although the charge is great to keepe me from all things wherby I might signifie any thing to the world of my state yet hauing as now I haue pen inke through Gods working maugre the head of Satan and his souldiours I thought good to write a shorte confession of my fayth and thereto ioyne a little exhortation vnto you all to liue according to your profession First for my fayth I do confesse and pray all the whole Congregation of Christ to beare witnesse with me of the same that I do beleue constantly through the gift goodnes of God for fayth is Gods onely gifte all the 12. articles of the Symbole or Creede commonly attributed to the collection of the Apostles This my faythe I woulde gladly particularly declare and expound to the confirmation and comfort of the simple but alas by starts stealth I write in maner that I write and therfore I shall desire you all to take this breuitie in good part And this fayth I holde not because of the Creede it selfe but because of the word of God the which teacheth and confirmeth euery Article accordingly This worde of God written by the Prophetes and Apostles left and contayned in the Canonicall bookes of the whole Bible I do beleue to containe plentifully all thinges necessary to saluation so that nothing as necessary to saluation ought to be added thereto and therfore the Church of Christ nor none of his congregation ought to be burdened with any other doctrine theÌ„ which hereout hath his foundation and ground In testimony of this fayth I render and geue my life being condemned as well for not acknowledging the Antichrist of Rome to be Christes vicar generall and supreme head of his Catholicke and vniuersall Church here or els wherevppon earth as for denying the horrible and idolatrous doctrine of Transubstantiation and Christes reall corporall and carnall presence in his supper vnder the formes and accidences of bread and wine To beleeue Christ our Sauiour to be the head of hys Churche and kinges in their Realmes to be the supreme powers to whom euery soule oweth obedience and to beleue that
miserationibus magnis congregabo te In momento indignationis obscondi faciem meam parumper â te in miserecordia sempiterna misertus sum tui di xit redemptor tuus dominus Nam istud erit mihi sicut aquae Noe. Vt enim iuraui ne porro aquae Noe pertransirent terram sic iuraui vt non irascar tibi non increpem te Montes enim comouebuntur colles contremiscent miserecordia autem mea non recedet à te foedus pacis meae non mouebitur dixit miserator tuus Dominus i. Feare not c. For a little while I haue forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee For a moment in mine anger I hyd my face from thee for a little season but in euerlastyng mercy haue I had compassion on thee sayth the Lorde thy redeemer For this is vnto me as the waters of Noe. For as I haue sworne that the waters of Noe should no more goe ouer the earth so haue I sworne that I would not be angry w t thee nor rebuke thee For the mountaynes shal remoue and hilles shall fall downe but my mercye shall not departe from thee neyther shall the couenaunte of my peace fall awaye sayth the Lorde that hath compassion on thee But the scriptures are full of suche sweete places to them that will portare iram domini expectare salutem auxilium eius i. Beare the wrathe of the Lorde Math. â— and waye for his health and helpe As of all temptations this is the greatest that God hathe forgotten or will not helpe vs through the pykes as they say so of all seruices of God this liketh hym y e best to hope assuredly on him for hys helpe alwayes whiche is adiutor in tribulationibus i. An helper in tribulations 1. Cor. â—â— Psalm 1â— and doth more gloriously shew his power by suche as be weake and feele themselues so For quo infirmiores sumus eo sumus in illo robustiores Sic oculi domini i. The weaker we are the more stronge we are in hym Thus the eyes of the Lord be on them that tremble and feare Voluntatem eorum faciet i. hee will accomplishe their desire he is with them in their trouble hee will deliuer them Antequam clamauerint exaudit eos i. before they cry he heareth them as all the scriptures teach vs. To the reading whereof and hartye prayer I hartily commend you beseechyng almighty God that of his eternall mercies hee woulde make perfecte the good hee hathe begunne in you and strengthen you to the ende that you might haue no lesse hope but much more of hys helpe to your comforte nowe agaynst your enemies then already he hathe geuen you agaynst N. for not subscrybing to the kinges will Be certayne be certayne good M. Hales that all the heares of your head your deare father hath numbred so that one of them shall not pearishe your name is written in the booke of lyfe Therefore vpon God cast all your care whiche will comforte you with his eternall consolations and make you able to goe through the fire if neede bee whiche is nothing to be compared to the fire where into our enemies shall fall and lye for euer from the whiche the Lorde deliuer vs though it be through temporall fire which must be construed according to the ende and profite that commeth after it so shall it then not muche deare vs to suffer it for our mayster Christes cause the whiche the Lord graunt for his mercies sake Amen From the kings Bench. Your humble Iohn Bradford ⧠To my very friend in the Lord Doctor Hyll Phisition THe God of mercy and father of all comforte at this present and for euer engraffe in your harte the sense of his mercy in Christ â—etter to 〈◊〉 Hill 〈◊〉 and for the continuaunce of hys consolation whiche cannnot but enable you to carrye wyth ioye whatsoeuer crosse he shall lay vpon you Amen Hetherto I coulde haue no suche libertye as to wryte vnto you as I thynke you knowe but nowe in that throughe Gods prouidence I haue no suche restraynte I cannot but somthing write as well to purge me of this suspicion of vnthankfulnes towardes you as also to signifie my carefulnes for you in these perilous dayes least you should waxe colde in Gods cause whiche God forbid or suffer the light of the Lord once kindled in your harte to be quenched and so become as you were before after the example of the worlde and of many othere whiche woulde haue bene accompted otherwise in our dayes and yet still beguile themselues still would be so accompted although by their outward lyfe they declare the contrary in that they thinke it inough to keepe the harte pure notwythstandynge that the outward man doth curry fauour In whiche doyng as they deny God to be ielous and therefore requireth the whole man as well body as soule being bothe create as to immortalitie and societye wyth hym so redeemed by the bloud of Iesus Christ and now sanctified by the holy spirite to be the temple of GOD and member of hys sonne as I say by their parting stake to geue God the harte â—â—rting 〈◊〉 bâ—â—wene God and the world 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 church and the world the body they deny God to be ielous for els they woulde geue hym both as the wyfe would doe to her husband whether he be ielous or noe if shee bee honest so they playe the dissemblers with the Churche of GOD by theyr facte offendyng the godlye whome eyther they prouoke to fall wyth them or make more carelesse and consciencelesse if they be fallen and occasionyng the wicked and obstinate to tryumphe against God and the more vehemently to prosecute theyr malyce agaynst suche as will not defile themselues in bodye or soule with the Romyshe ragges now reuiued amongest vs. Because of thys I meane least you my deare Mayster and brother in the Lorde shoulde doe as many of our Gospellers doe for feare of man whose breathe is in hys nostrels and hathe power but of the body Gospell 〈◊〉 â—say 2. not fearyng the Lord which hath power both of soule and body and that not onely temporallye but also eternally I could not but write something vnto you aswell because duety deserueth it for many benefites I haue receiued of God by your handes for the whiche hee rewarde you for I cannot as also because charitie and loue compelleth me not that I thinke you haue anye neede for as I may rather learne of you so I doubt not but you haue hetherto kept your selfe vpright from haltyng but that I might both quyet my conscience callyng vppon me hereabout â— Hill M. â—radfordes â—hisition Maiâ—eâ—s Sortes of â—biectes Wayes Kingâ—â—mes and signifie vnto you by some thynge my carefulnes for your soule as payneful and often you haue done for my body Therefore I praye you call to minde that there bee but two maysters two kindes of
Require you any plainer words doeth he not say it is his body Iane. I graunt hee sayeth so and so he sayth I am the vine I am the doore Rom. 4. but hee is neuer the more for that the dore not the vine Doth not S. Paul say He calleth things that are not as though they were God forbid that I should say that I eat the very naturall body and bloud of Christ for then eyther I should plucke away my redeÌ„ption either els there were two bodies or two Christes One body was tormeÌ„ted on the Crosse. And if they did eate an other body then had hee two bodies either els if his body were eaten than was it not broken vpon the Crosse or if it were broken vpon the Crosse it was not eaten of his Disciples Feck Why is it not possible that Christe by hys power coulde make his body both to be eaten and broken as to be borne of a woman wythout seede of man and as to walke vppon the sea hauing a body and other suche like myracles as he wrought by his power onely Iane. Yes verely Christ 〈◊〉 power to turne the bread into his body no argument to proue that he 〈◊〉 so if God would haue done at his Supper any myracle he myght haue done so but I say that then he minded no worke nor myracle but onely to breake his body and shed his bloud on the Crosse for our sinnes But I pray you to answere me to thys one question where was Christ when he sayd Take eate this is my body Was hee not at the table when he sayde so Hee was at that time alyue and suffered not till the next day What tooke he but bread What brake he but breade and what gaue hee but breade Looke what he tooke he brake and looke what hee brake he gaue and looke what he gaue they did eate and yet all this while he himselfe was aliue and at Supper before his disciples or else they were deceiued Feck You ground your faith vppon such authours as say and vnsay both with a breath and not vpon the Church Fecknaâ— goeth from the word 〈◊〉 the churcâ— to whom ye ought to geue credite Iane. No I grounde my faith on Gods woorde and not vpon the Churche For if the Churche be a good Churche Fayth to groundeâ— vppon the word and not vpon the church the faith of the Churche must be tried by Gods worde and not Goddes woorde by the Churche either yet my Faithe Shall I beleeue the Churche because of antiquitye or shal I geue credite to the Churche that taketh away from mee the halfe parte of the Lordes Supper and will not lette any man receiue it in both kindes A note 〈◊〉 the false 〈◊〉 Church Whych thing if they denie to vs then denie they to vs part of our saluation And I saye that it is an euill Churche and not the Spouse of Christ but the Spouse of the Deuill that altereth the Lordes Supper and both taketh from it and addeth to it To that Church say I God will adde plagues and from that Church will he take their parte out of the booke of life Doe they learne that of S. Paule when he ministred to the Corinthians in both kindes Shall I beleeue this Churche God forbid Feck That was done for a good intent of the Churche to auoide an heresie that sprong on it Gods 〈◊〉 not to be altered 〈◊〉 good â—â—tentes Iane. Why shal the church alter Gods wil ordinance for a good inteÌ„t How did king Saul The Lord God defend With these and such like persuasions he would haue had her leaue to the Church but it woulde not be There were many more things whereof they reasoned but these were the chiefest After this Fecknam tooke his leaue saying that he was sory for her For I am sure quoth he that we two shall neuer meete Iane. True it is sayd she that we shall neuer meete except God turne your hart The wordes 〈◊〉 spoken 〈◊〉 For I am assured vnlesse you repent and turne to God you are in an euill case and I pray God in the bowels of his mercy to send you his holy spirite for he hath geuen you his great gift of vtterance if it pleased him also to open the eyes of your hart ¶ A letter of the Lady Iane sent vnto her father FAther although it hath pleased God to hasten my death by you by whome my life should rather haue bene lengthened yet can I so patiently take it 〈◊〉 Ianes 〈◊〉 sent to her father as I yeeld God more harty thankes for shortening my wofull dayes then if all the world had bene geuen into my possession with life lengthened at my owne will And albeit I am well assured of your impacient dolours redoubled manyfold wayes both in bewayling your owne woe and especially as I heare my vnfortunate state yet my deare father if I may without offence reioyce in my owne mishaps me seemes in this I may accompt my selfe blessed that washing my handes with the innocencie of my fact my giltles bloud may cry before the Lord mercy to the innocent And yet though I must needes acknowledge that being constrayned and as you wot well inough continually assayed in taking vpon me I seemed to consent and therein greeuously offended the Queene and her lawes yet do I assuredly trust that this mine offence towards God is so much the lesse in that being in so royall estate as I was mine enforced honour being neuer with mine innocent hart And thus good father I haue opened vnto you the state wherein I presently stand Whose death at hand although to you perhaps it may seme right wofull to me there is nothing that can be more welcome then from this vale of miserie to aspire to that heauenly throne of all ioy and pleasure with Christ our Sauiour This Parenthesis includeth with a praier a priuy admonition to her father that he fall not from his religion In whose stedfast fayth if it may be lawfull for the daughter so to write to the Father the Lord that hetherto hath strengthened you so continue you that at the last we may meete in heauen with the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost At what time her father was florishing in freedome and prosperitie in the time of King Edward there belonged vnto him a certayne learned man student and Graduate of the Uniuersitie of Oxford Who then being Chaplayne to the sayd Duke and a sincere Preacher as he appeared of the Gospell according to the doctrine of that time set foorth and receiued shortly after that the state of Religion began to alter by Queene Mary altered also in his profession with the time and of a Protestant became a friend and defender of the Popes proceedings At whose sodayne mutation and inconstant mutabilitie February this Christian Lady being not a little agreeued and most of all lamenting the daungerous state of his soule in sliding
benefite and grace offred from the apostolick sea vntill the abrogation of such lawes wherby you haue disioined and disseuered your selues from the vnity of Christes Church It remayneth therefore that you like true christians prouident men for the weale of your soules bodyes ponder what is to be done in this so weighty a cause and so to frame your actes and procedings as they may tend first to the glory of God and next to the conseruation of your coÌ„mon wealth surety and quietnes The next day after the 3. Estates assembled agayne in the great chamber of the Court at Westminster where the king and queenes maiesties and the Cardinall being present they did exhibite sitting all on theyr knees a supplication to theyr highnesses the tenor wherof ensueth * The Copy of the supplication and submission exhibited to the king and Queenes maiesties by the Lordes and Commons of the Parliament WE the Lordes spirituall and temporall and the commoÌ„s of this present parliament assembled The suppâ—â—â—catioÌ„ â—â—â—â—mission oâ— the Loâ—â— and Comâ—mons to the king 〈◊〉 Queenes maiesties representing the whole body of the realme of England and dominions of the same in our own names particularly and also of the sayd body vniuersally in this supplicatioÌ„ directed to your maiestyes with most huÌ„ble sute that it may by your gracious intercession and meane be exhibited to the most reuerend father in God the Lord Cardinall Poole Legate sent specially hither from our most holy father Pope Iulius the third and the Sea Apostolick of Rome do declare our selues very sorye and repentaunt for the schisme and disobedience committed in this realme and the dominions of the same against the sayd sea Apostolicke either by making agreing or executing any lawes ordinaunces O great sâ—â—row and deepe repentauncâ— or commaundementes agaynst the supremacye of the sayde sea or otherwise doing or speaking that might impugne the same Offring our selues promising by this our supplication that for a token and knowledge of our sayd repentance we be and shal be alway ready vnder and with the authorities of your Maiesties to the vttermost of our power to doe that shal be in vs for the abrogation and repealing of the sayd lawes and ordinaunces in this present parliament as well for our selues as for the whole body whom we represent Whereupon we most humbly beseech your maiesties as persons vndefiled in the offence of his body towardes the sayde Sea which neuerthelesse God by his prouidence hath made subiecte to your maiesties so to set forth this our moste humble sute The Popâ— absolutioâ— caÌ„not 〈◊〉 but by inâ—tercessioâ— of kinge Queene The suppâ—â—â—cation 〈◊〉 vp by the king and Queene 〈◊〉 the Caâ—â—â—â—nall that we may obteine from the sea Apostolicke by the sayd most reuerent father as wel particularly as vniuersally Absolution release and discharge from all daunger of such Censures and sentences as by the lawes of the church we be fallen in and that we may as children repentant be receiued into the bosome vnity of Christes church so as this noble Realme with all the members therof may in vnity and perfect obedience to the Sea Apostolicke and Popes for the time being serue GOD and your Maiesties to the furtheraunce and aduancement of his Honour and Glorye Amen The Supplication being read the king and Queene deliuered the same vnto the Cardinall who perceiuing y e effect thereof to aunswere his expectation did receiue the same most gladly from theyr Maiesties and after he had in fewe wordes geuen thankes to God and declared what great cause he had to reioyce aboue all others that his coÌ„ming from Rome into England had takeÌ„ most happy successe He by the Popes authority did geue them this absolution folowing ¶ An absolution pronounced by Cardinall Poole to the whole Parliament of England in the presence of the King and Queene OUr Lord Iesus Christ which with his most precious bloud hath redemed and washed vs froÌ„ all our sinnes and iniquities that he might purchase vnto himselfe a glorious spouse without spot or wrinckle whoÌ„ the Father hath appoynted head ouer all his church he by his mercy absolue you And we by apostolick authority geuen vnto vs by the most holy lord Pope Iulius the 3. his Uicegerent in earth do absolue deliuer you and euery of you with the whole Realme and the Dominions therof from all Heresy and Schisme and from all and euerye iudgement Censures and paynes for that cause incurred also we do restore you agayn vnto the vnity of our Mother the holy Church as in our Letters more playnely it shall appeare In the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy Ghost When all this was done they went into the Chappell and there singing Te Deum with great solemnity declared the ioy and gladnesse that for this reconciliation was pretended The reporte of thys was with great speede sent vnto Rome as well by the king and Cardinals Letters which hereafter folow as also otherwise WherupoÌ„ the pope caused there at Rome processions to be made and thankes to be geueÌ„ to God with great ioy for the conuersion of England to his Churche and therefore praysing the Cardinals diligence and the deuotion of the king and queen on Christmas euen by his Buls he set forth a generall pardoÌ„ to all such as did truely reioyce for the same ¶ A copy of king Philips Letter written with his owne hand to Pope Iulius touching the restoring of the Realme of England MOst holy Father I wrote yesterday vnto Don Iohn Maurique Nouember 30. K. Phillips letter to the Pope tranâ—uted out of Spanish into English that he shoulde declare by worde of mouth or els write to your holynes in what good state the matter of religion stoode in this Realme and of the submission to your holinesse as to the chiefe As this day which is the feast of S. Andrew late in the euening we haue done God that seruice to whose onely goodnesse we must impute it and to your holynes who haue taken so great payne to gayne these soules that this realme with full generall consent of all them that represent the state being very peniteÌ„t for that was past and well bent to that they come to doe submitted themselues to youe holynes to that holy Sea whom at the request of the Queene and me your Legate did absolue And forasmuch as the sayd Don Iohn shall signify vnto your holinesse all that passed in this matter I will write no more therof but onely that the Queene I as most faythful deuout children of your holynes haue receiued the greatest ioy and comfort hereof that may be expressed with tong Considering that besides the seruice done to God hereby it hath chaunced in the time of your holynes to place as it were in the lappe of the holy Catholicke churche such a kingdome as this is And therfore I thinke I cannot be thankefull enough
not after Christ c. And thus much out of M. Sanders letter so much as remained thereof The residue because it was rent away I could not adioine hereunto NotwithstaÌ„ding by this alredy expressed it is sufficient to vnderstand how good was y e cause estate of this blessed child of god being prisoner for Christes cause Ann. 1555. February For y e defence wherof he wholy bestowed resigned himself in such sort as he forbad his wife to sue for his deliuery wheÌ„ other of his friends had by suite almost obtained it he discouraged them so that they did not folow their suite as by this letter following may appeare ¶ A letter of M. Saunders to his wife GRace mercy and peace in Iesus Christ our Lord. Entirely beloued wife euen as vnto mine owne soule and body so do I dayly in my harty prayer wish vnto you for I doo dayly twise at the least in this sort remember you And I do not doubt deare wife but that both I and you as we be written in the booke of life so we shall together enioy the same euerlastingly through the grace and mercy of God our deare father in hys sonne our Christ. And for this present life let vs wholy appoynt our selues to the will of our good God to glorifie him either by life or by death and euen that same mercifull Lord make vs worthy to honour him either way as pleaseth him Amen I am mery I thanke my God and my Christ 1. Tim. 4. in whome and through whome I shall I knowe be able to fight a good fight and finishe a good course and then receiue the crowne which is layde vp in store for me and all the true Soldiours of Christ. Wherefore wife let vs in the name of our God fight lustely to ouercome the flesh the deuil and the world What our harnesse and weapons be in this kind of fight looke the 6. vnto the Ephesians and pray pray pray I would that you make no suite for me in any wise M Saunders would haue no suite made for him Thanke you knowe whome for her most sweete and comfortable putting me in remembrance of my iourney whether I am passing God send vs all good speede and a ioyfull meeting I haue too fewe suche frends to further me in that iourney which is in deede the greatest friendship The blessing of God be with you all Amen A prisoner in the Lord Laurence Saunders This his constancie is sufficiently commended and declared by his valiant buckling with two mighty enemies Antichrist and death two enemies Antichrist and death To neither of these did he geue place but by suffering their malice got y e victory ouer them both One of the conflictes which he had with Antichrist hys members I haue gathered out of a letter of his own hand writing It was with Doctour Weston a man whome though I should prayse yet would all good and godly meÌ„ worthely disprayse Of this the said Laurence Saunders thus writeth in a letter which he sent to one of his frends which wrote to him to knowe what Doct. Weston dyd at the Marshalsey whereunto he thus aunswereth M. Weston came to conferre with M. Grimoald What he hath coÌ„cluded with him This Doct. Weston and M. Griâ—moald dyed both about the Coronation of Q. Elizabeth I know not I wish it may be to Gods glory Amen Amen M. Weston of his gentlenes visited me ofâ—red me frendship in his worldly wily sort c. I had not so much good maner as to take it at his haÌ„d for I said that I was well inough and ready cherefully to abide the extremity to keepe thereby a good coÌ„science You be a sleepe in sin said he I would awake quoth I and do not forget Vigilate orate i. Watch pray What church was there The church goeth not alwayes by number said he 30. yeres past What church was there quoth I in Helias time Ioane of Kent sayd he was of youre Church No quoth I we did coÌ„demne her as an heretick Who was of your Church sayd he 30. yeares past Such quoth I as that Romish Antichrist and his rabble haue reputed and condemned as heretickes Wicklife sayd he Thorpe Old castle c. Yea quoth I with many moe as storyes do tell The B. of Rome hath sayd he long tyme played a part in your tayling sermons but now be ye sure he must play another maner of part The more pitie quoth I and yet some coÌ„fort it is to see how that the best learned Winchesters booke De Vera Obedientia wisest holiest of you all haue heeretofore had him to play a part likewise in your sermoÌ„s writings though now to please the world you do turne with the weathercocke Did you euer said he heare me preach against the Bishop of Rome No quoth I for I neuer heard you preach But I trowe you haue ben no wiser then other c. with more about the Sacrament Pray pray God keepe your family blesse it What a blessed taste thys good man had of Gods holy spirit by diuers and sondry his letters may right wel appeare to him that is disposed to peruse the same What a blessed taste of M. Sanders had of christes comforts whereof certayne we haue here thought good the Lord willing to expresse first beginning with that whiche he wrote out of the Marshalsey to D. Cranmer Ridley and Latimer prisoners for the like cause of Christ in Oxford To the Archbishop Cranmer Bish. Ridley and M. Latimer being prisoned in Oxford IN my most humble wise I salute you most reuerend fathers in Christ Iesus our Lord M. Saunders writeth to D. Cranmer Ridley c. Coloss. 1. Immortall thanks and euerlasting prayses be geuen vnto that our father of mercies Whiche hath made vs meete to be pertakers of the inheritaunce of Saintes in light whiche hath deliuered vs from the power of darckenes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his beloued Sonne by whome we haue redemption through his bloud c O most happy estate that in an vnspeakable wise our life is hid with Christ in God Coloss. 3. But whensoeuer Christ which is our life shall shew himselfe then shall we also appeare with him in glory In y e meane season as our sight is but in a glasse euen in a darcke speaking 1. Cor. 13. so wee walke in fayth not after outward appearaunce the which fayth although for want of outward appearaunce reason reputeth but as vaine yea the chosen of God do know the effect thereof to bring a more substanciall taste and liuely fruition of very felicitie and perfect blessednes then reason can reach or sences receaue By this fayth we haue in our profession all good thinges yea euen them whiche the eye hath not seene and the eare hath not heard neither hath entred the hart of man c. Esay 54. 1. Cor. 2. Then
or rise agaynst the magistrates Auenge not your selues but commit your cause to the Lord to whome vengeance pertayneth and he in his tyme will reward it If you feele in your selues an hope and trust in God that he will neuer tempt you aboue that he will make you able to beare Patience be assured the Lord will be true to you and you shall be able to beare all bruntes But if you want this hope flee and get you hence rather then by your tarying Gods name should be dishonored In summe cast your care on the Lorde knowing for most certayne that he is carefull for you with him are all the heares of your head numbred so that not one of them shall perish without his good pleasure and wille muche more thē nothing shall happē to your bodies which shall not be profitable how soeuer for a time it seeme otherwise to your sences Hang on the prouidence of God We ought to depend vpon Gods prouidence alwayes not onely when you haue meanes to helpe you but also when you haue no meanes yea when all meanes be agaynst you Geue him this honour which of all other thinges he most chiefly requireth at your handes namely beleeue that you are his children through Christ that he is your father and God through him y t he loueth you pardoneth you al your offences he is with you in trouble and will be with you for euer When you fall he will put vnder his hande you shall not lye still before you cal vpon him he heareth you out of euill hee will finally bryng you and deliuer you to his eternall ioy Doubt not my dearly beloued hereof doubt not I say this will God your father do for you in respect not of your selues but in respect of christ your Captayne your Pastor your keeper out of whose hands none shal be able to catch you All our hope is only in Christ for his sake to be receaued in him be quiet oftē cōsider your dignitie namely how that ye be Gods children the saints of God citizens of heauen temples of the holy Ghost the thrones of God members of Christ and Lordes ouer all Therfore be ashamed to think speake or do any thing that should be vnseemely for Gods children Gods saynts Christes members To beare the Crosse. c. Marueile not though the deuil and the worlde hate you though ye be persecuted here for the seruaunt is not aboue his mayster Couet not earthly ryches Mortification feare not the power of man loue not this world nor thinges that be in this world but long for the Lord Iesus his comming at whiche time youre bodies shall be made like vnto his glorious body when he appeareth you shall be like vnto him when your lyfe shall thus be reuealed then shall ye appeare with him in glory In the meane season liue in hope hereof Let the lyfe you lead be in the faith of the sonne of God For the iust doth liue by fayth which fayth fleeth from al euill followeth y e word of God as a Lanterne to her feete and a light to her steppes her eyes be aboue where Christ is shee behouldeth not the thinges present but rather thinges to come she glorieth in affliction she knoweth that the afflictions of this life are not like to be compared to the glory whiche God will reueale to vs We must liue in the fayth of Christ. The property of fayth and in vs. Of this glory GOD graunt vs here a liuely taste then shall wee runne after the sent it sendeth forth It wil make vs valiaunt men to take to vs the kingdome of God whyther the Lorde of mercy bryng vs in hys good tyme through Chryste oure Lorde to whome with the father and the holy ghost three persōs and one God be al honour and glory world without end Amen My dearly beloued I woulde gladly haue geuen here my body to haue bene burned for the confirmation of the true doctrine I haue taught here vnto you But that my Countrey must haue Therefore I pray you take in good part this signification of my good will towardes euery of you Impute the want herein to tyme and trouble Pardon me mine offensiue and negligent behauiour when I was amongest you With me repent labour to amend Continue in the trueth whiche I haue truely taught vnto you by preaching in al places where I haue come Gods name therefore be praysed Confesse Christ when you be called whatsoeuer commeth therof and the God of peace be with vs all Amen This xi of Februar an 1555. Your brother in bondes for the Lordes sake Iohn Bradford To the vniuersitie and towne of Cambridge TO all that loue the Lorde Iesus and his true doctrine being in the vniuersitie and towne of Cambridge An other letter of M. Bradford to the vniuersity of Cambridge Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lord nowe not onely prisoned but also condemned for the same true doctrine wisheth grace peace and mercye with increase of all godlines from God the father of all mercy through the bloudy passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ by the liuely working of the holy spirite for euer Amen Although I looke hourely when I should be had to the stake my right dearely beloued in the Lord and although the charge ouer me is great and strayt yet hauing by the prouidēce of God secretly pen and an ynke I could not but something signifie vnto you my solicitude which I haue for you and euerye of you in the Lord though not as I woulde yet as I may You haue often and openly heard the truth speciallye in this matter wherein I am condemned disputed and preached that it is needeles to do any more but onely to put you in remembraunce of the same but hitherto haue you not heard it confirmed and as it were sealed vp as now you doe and shall heare by me that is by my death and burning For albeit I haue deserued through my vncleannes hypocrisie auarice vainglory idlenes vnthankfulnes and carnalitie wherof I accuse my selfe to my confusion before the world that before God through Christ I might as my assured hope is I shall find mercy eternall death and hell fire much more then this affliction and fire prepared for me yet my dearly beloued it is not these or any of these thinges wherfore the prelates do persecute me but Gods verity and truth yea euen christ him selfe is the onely cause and thing wherefore I nowe am condemned The Martyrs persecuted of the prelates not for their sinnes but onely for Christ. and shal be burned as an hereticke for because I will not graunt the Antichrist of Rome to be Christes vicar generall and supreme head of his churche here and euery where vppon earth by Gods ordinaunce and because I will not graunt suche corporall reall and carnall presence of Christes body bloud in the sacrament as doth transubstanciate the
tell more of this then I can write Therfore deare mother receiue some admonition of one of thy poore children nowe goyng to be burned for the testimonye of Iesus Come agayne to Gods truth come out of Babilon confesse Christ and his true doctrine repent that whiche is past make amendes by declaryng thy repentaunce by the fruites Remember the readings and preachinges of Gods Prophet and true Preacher M Bucer Call to minde the threatninges of God nowe something seene by the children Leauer and others Let the exile of Leauer Pilkinton Grindall Haddon Horne Scorye Ponet c. something awake thee Let the imprisonmēt of thy deare sonnes Cranmer Ridley and Latimer moue thee Consider the Martyrdome of thy chickens Rogers Saunders Taylor And nowe cast not awaye the poore admonition of me goyng to be burned also and to receiue the like crowne of glorye with my fellowes Take to harte Gods calling by vs. Be not as Pharao was for then will it happen vnto thee as it did vnto hym What is that hardnes of hart And what then destructiō eternally both of body and soule Ah therefore good mother awake awake repent repent buskle thy selfe and make hast to turne to the Lord. For els it shal be more easie for Sodome and Gomorra in the daye of iudgement then for thee Oh harden not your hartes Oh stop not your eares to day in hearyng Gods voyce though it be by me a most vnworthy messenger Oh feare the Lord for his anger is begon to kindle Euen now the axe is layd to the roote of the tree You know I prophecied truely to you before the Sweate came what would come if you repēted not your carnall Gospelling And now I tel you before I depart hence that the eares of men will tingle to heare of the vengeaunce of God that will fall vpon you all both Towne and Vniuersitie if you repent not if you leaue not your Idolatrie if you turne not speedely to the Lord if you still be ashamed of Christes truth which you know Oh Perne repent Oh Thomson repent Oh you Doctors Bachelers Maisters repent Oh Maior Aldermen Towne dwellers repent repent repent that you may escape the nere vengeaunce of the Lord. Rent your hartes come apace calling on the Lord. Let vs all say Peccauimus we haue all sinned we haue done wickedly we haue not hearkned to thy voyce O Lord. Deale not with vs after our desertes but be mercifull to our iniquities for they are great Oh pardon our offenses In thine anger remember thy mercy Turne vs vnto thee O Lord God of hostes for the glory of thy names sake Spare vs and be mercifull vnto vs. Let not the wicked people say where is now their God Oh for thine owne sake for thy names sake deale mercifully with vs. Turne thy selfe vnto vs and vs vnto thee and we shall prayse thy name for euer If in this sort my dearely beloued in hart and mouth we come vnto our father prostrate our selues before the throne of his grace then surely surely we shall finde mercie Then shall the Lord loke merely vpon vs for his mercy sake in Christ then shall we heare him speake peace vnto his people God◠mercy 〈◊〉 to Cambridge if it repent For he is gracious mercifull of great pitie compassion he can not be chiding for euer his anger can not last long to the penitent Though we weepe in the morning yet at night we shall haue our sorow to cease For he is exorable and hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner he rather would our conuersion and turning Oh turne you now and conuert yet once agayne I humbly besech you and then the kingdome of heauen shall draw nigh The eye hath not seane the eare hath not heard nor the hart of man is able to conceiue the ioyes prepared for vs if we repent amende our liues and hartely turne to the Lord. But if we repent not but be as you were and goe on forwardes with the wicked following the fashion of the world the Lord will leade you on with wicked doers you shall perish in your wickednes your bloud will be vpon your owne heades your part shal be with hypocrites where shal be weepyng gnashyng of teeth ye shal be cast from the face of the Lord for euer and euer eternall shame sorrow wo and miserie shal be both in body and soule to you world without end Oh therefore right deare to me in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you amende amende your liues depart from euill do good follow peace and pursue it Come out from Babilon cast of the workes of darkenesse put on Christ confesse his truth be not ashamed of his Gospell prepare your selues to the Crosse drinke of Gods cup before it come to the dregges and then shall I with you and for you reioyce in the day of Iudgement which is at hand and therefore prepare your selues thereto I hartely beseche you And thus I take my vale in aeternum with you in this present life myne owne deare hartes in the Lord. The Lord of mercie be with vs all and geue vs a ioyfull and sure meetyng in his kyngdome Amen Amen Out of prison the 11. of Februarie Anno. 1555. Your owne in the Lorde for euer Iohn Bradford ¶ To Lankeshire and Cheshire TO all those that professe his name and true Religion of our sauiour Iesus Christ in Lankeshyre and Chesshyre An other letter of M. Bradford to Lankeshire Cheshire and specially to Manchester and specially abiding in Manchester and therabout Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lorde now not onely in boundes but also condemned for y e same true religion wisheth mercy and grace peace and increase of all godlines from God the father of all pitty through y e desertes of our Lord Iesus Christ by the working of the most mighty and liuely spirite the comforter for euer Amen I heard it reported credibly my dearely beloued in the Lord that my heauenly father hath thought it good to prouide that as I haue preached his true doctrine and Gospell amongest you by worde so I shall testifie confirme the same by deede That is I shall with you leaue my life whiche by hys prouidence I first receaued there for in Manchester was I borne for a seale to the doctrine I haue taught with you and amongest you so so that if from henceforth you wauer in the same you haue none excuse at all I know the enemies of Christ whiche exercise this crueltie vpon me I speake in respect of myne offence which is none to themwardes thinke by killing of me amongest you to affray you and others least they shoulde attempt to teach Christ truely or beleue his doctrine hereafter But I doubt not but my heauenly father will be my death more confirme you in his truth for euer And therefore I greatly reioyce to see sathan and his souldiours supplanted
in their owne sapience which is playne foolishnes amongest the wise indeede that is amongest such as haue heard Gods worde and doe followe it for they onely are counted wise of the wisedome of God our Sauiour In deede if I should simply consider my life with that whiche it ought to haue bene He confesseth his sinnes before God and as God in his lawe requireth then could I not but cry as I do Iustus es domine omnia iudicia tua vera i. Righteous art thou O Lord and all thy iudgemēts are true For I haue much greeued thee and transgressed thy holy preceptes not onely before my professing the Gospell but sithen also yea euen sithen my comming into prison I do not excuse but accuse my selfe before God and al his Church that I haue greeuously offended my Lord God I haue not loued his Gospell as I should haue done I haue sought my selfe and not simply and onely his glory and my brethrens commoditie I haue bene to vnthankefull secure carnall hipocriticall vayneglorious c. All which my euils the Lord of mercy pardon me for his Christes sake as I hope and certaynly beleeue he hath done for his great mercy in Christ oure redeemer But when I consider the cause of my condemnation I cannot but lament that I doe no more reioyce then I doe For it is Gods veritie and trueth The Papistes condemne not Bradford but Christ. So that the condemnation is not a condemnation of Bradford simply but rather a condemnation of Christ and his trueth Bradford is nothing els but an instrument in whome Christe and his doctrine is condemned And therefore my dearely beloued reioyce reioyce and geue thankes with me and for me that euer God did vouchsafe so great a benefite to our countrey as to choose the most vnworthye I meane my selfe to be one in whome it would please him to suffer any kinde of affliction muche more this violent kinde of death whiche I perceiue is prepared for me with you for his sake All glory and prayse be geuen vnto God our father for his great exceeding mercy towardes me through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen But perchaunce you will saye vnto me what is the cause for the whiche you are condemned we heare say that ye denye all presence of Christ in his holy Supper and so make it a bare signe and common bread and nothyng els My dearly beloued what is sayde of me and what will be I cannot tell It is tolde me that Pendleton is gone doune to Preach with you not as he once recanted for you all knowe hee hath preached contrary to that hee was wont to preach afore I came amongest you but to recant that which he hath recanted D. Pendleton recanted first in K. Edwardes tyme and now agayne in Q. Maryes tyme. Howe hee will speake of me and report before I come when I am come and when I am burned I muche passe not for he that is so vncertayne and wil speake so often agaynst him selfe I can not thinke hee will speake well of me except it make for hys purpose and profite but of this inough The causes why M. Bradford was cōdemned In deede the chiefe thing which I am condemned for as an hereticke is because I deny in the sacrament of the aultar whiche is not Christes supper but a playne peruerting of it being vsed as the papistes now vse it to be a reall naturall and corporall presence of Christes bodye and bloud vnder the formes and accidences of bread and wine Transubstantiation the deuills darling and daughter of Antichrist that is because I deny transubstantiation whiche is the dearling of the Deuill and daughter and heyre to Antichristes religion whereby the Masse is mayntayned Christes supper peruerted his sacrifice and Crosse imperfited hys Priesthood destroyed the ministery taken away repentaunce repelled and all true godlynes abandoned In the supper of our Lord or sacrament of Christes body and bloud I confesse and beleeue that there is a true and very presence of whole Christ God and man to the fayth of the receiuer but not of the stander by and looker on as there is a verye true presence of bread and wine to the sences of him that is partaker thereof This fayth this doctrine whiche consenteth with the worde of God and with the true testimony of Christes Church whiche the Popishe Churche doth persecute will I not forsake and therefore am I condemned as an hereticke and shall be burned But my dearely beloued this trueth whiche I haue taught and you haue receiued I beleued and do beleue and therein geue my life I hope in God shall neuer be burned bound nor ouercome but shall triumphe haue victorye and be at libertye maugre the head of all Gods aduersaries For there is no counsayle agaynst the Lord nor no deuise of man can be able to defeate the veritie in anye other then suche as be children of vnbeliefe whiche haue no loue to the truth and therefore are geuen vp to beleue lyes Frō which plague the Lord of mercies deliuer you and all the realme my deare harts in the Lord I humblie beseeche his mercy Amen M. Bradfordes farewell to the countrey of Lankeshire And to the ende you might be deliuered from thys plague right deare to me in the Lorde I shall for my fare well with you for euer in this present lyfe hartely desire you all in the bowels and bloud of our most mercifull Sauiour Iesus Christ to attend vnto these things which I now shall shortly write vnto you out of the holy scriptures of the Lord. You knowe an heauy plague or rather plagues of God is fallen vpon vs Gods manifold plagues vpon England in Q. Maryes dayes in takyng away our good Kyng Gods true Religion Gods true Prophetes and Ministers c. And setting ouer vs such as seeke not the Lorde after knowledge whose endeuours GOD prospereth wonderfully to the tryall of many that his people may bothe better knowe themselues The cause of Gods plagues is our iniquities and not knowing the tyme of Gods visitation and be knowen Nowe the cause hereof is our iniquities and greeuous sinnes We did not know the tyme of our visitation we were vnthankefull vnto God we contemned the Gospell carnally abused it to serue our hipocrisie our vaynglory our viciousnes auarice idlenes securitie c. Long did y e Lord linger and tary to haue shewed mercy vppon vs but we were euer longer the worse Therefore most iustly hath God dealt with vs and dealeth with vs yea yet we may see that his iustice is tempered with much mercy whereto let vs attribute that we are not vtterly consumed For if the Lord should deale with vs after our desertes alas howe coulde we abide it In his anger therfore seeyng hee doeth remember his mercye vndeserued yea vndesired on our behalfe let vs take occasion the more speedily to goe out to meete him not with force
preached the worde of GOD. Turne I saye vnto you all and to all the inhabitours there aboutes vnto the Lord our God and hee will turne vnto you he will saye vnto his Aungell It is enough put vppe the sworde The whiche thyng that he will doe I humblye beseeche his goodnesse for the precious bloudes sake of hys deare Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Ah good brethren take in good parte these my last wordes vnto euery one of you Pardon me myne offences and negligences in behauiour amongest you The Lorde of mercye pardon vs all our offences for our Sauiour Iesus Christes sake Amen Out of Prison readye to come to you the eleuenth of February Ann. 1555. ¶ To the Towne of Walden 〈…〉 of M. Bradford to 〈◊〉 towne 〈◊〉 Walden TO the faythfull and such as professe the true doctrine of our Sauiour Iesus Christ dwelling at Walden and thereaboutes Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lorde nowe in bandes and condemned for the same true doctrine wysheth grace mercy and peace with the encrease of all godlynesse in knowledge and liuing from GOD the Father of all comforte through the desertes of our alone and full redeemer Iesus Christ by the mighty working of the most holy spirit the comforter for euer Amen When I remember how that by the prouidence and grace of God I haue bene a man by whome it hath pleased him through my ministery to call you to repentaunce and amendment of life something effectually as it seemed and to sowe amongest you his true doctrine and religion least that by my affliction stormes now arisen to trye the faythfull and to conforme them lyke to the Image of the sonne of GOD into whose companye wee are called you might be faint harted I could not but out of prison secretly for my keepers may not know that I haue penne ynke write vnto you a signification of the desire I haue that you should not only be more coÌ„firmed in the doctrine I haue taught amongest you which I take on my death as I shall answere at the day of dome I am perswaded to be Gods assured infallible and playne trueth 〈…〉 answeâ—â— with 〈◊〉 bloud 〈◊〉 his docâ—â—â—ne but also should after your vocation auow the same by confession profession and liuing I haue not taught you my dearely beloued in the Lord fables tales or vntruthe but I haue taught you the verity as now by my bloud gladlye praysed bee God therfore I do seale the same In deed to confesse the truth vnto you and to all the Churche of Christ I doe not thinke of my selfe but that I haue moste iustly deserued not onely this kinde but also all kindes of death and that eternally â— Bradford 〈…〉 his 〈◊〉 lyfe for myne hypocrisy vayneglory vncleannesse selfe loue couetousnesse idlenesse vnthankefulnesse and carnall professing of Gods holy Gospell liuing therein not so purely louyngly and paynefully as I should haue done The Lord of mercy for the bloud sake of Christ pardon me as I hope yea I certainely beleue he hath done for his holy names sake thorowe Christe But my dâ—arely beloued you and all the whole world may see and easely perceiue that the Prelates persecute in me an other thing then mine iniquities euen Christ himselfe Christes verity and trueth because I canne not dare not nor wyll not confesse Transubstantiation and howe that wicked menne ye Mise and Dogges eating the Sacrament which they terme of the aultar thereby ouerthrowing Christes holy Supper vtterly do eate Christes naturall and reall body borne of the virgine Mary To beleue and confesse as Gods worde teacheth the primatiue Church beleued and all the Catholicke and good holy Fathers taught fiue hundreth yeares at the least after Christ that in the Supper of the Lord which the Masse ouerthroweth as it doth Christes Priesthoode sacrifice death and passion the ministerye of his word true â—ayth repentance and all godlines whole Christ God and man is present by grace to the fayth of the receiuers but not of the standers by and lookers on as bread and wyne is to theyr sences will not serue and therefore I am condemned shall be burned out of hand as an hereticke Wherefore I hartelye thanke my Lord God that will and doth vouch me worthy to be an instrument in whome he himselfe doeth suffer For you see my affliction and death is not simply M. Bradford persecuted for confessing the truth because I haue deserued no lesse but muche more at his handes and iustice but rather because I confesse his verity and trueth and am not affrayd through his gift that to do that you also might be confirmed in his truth Therefore my dearely beloued I hartely do pray you and so many as vnfaynedly loue mee in God to geue with mee and for mee most harty thankes to our heauenly Father through our sweete Sauiour Iesus Christ for this his exceeding great mercy towardes me and you also that your fayth wauer not from the doctrine I haue taught and ye haue receiued For what can you desire more to assure your coÌ„sciences of the verity taught by your preachers then theyr owne liues Goe to therefore my deare hartes in the Lord wauer not in Christes religion truely taught you and set forth in king Edwardes dayes Neuer shall the enemies be able to burne it to prison it and keepe it in bondes Vs they may prison Gods truth can neuer be kepte vnder by the aduersaryes they may bynde and burne as they doe and will doe so long as shall please the Lord but our cause religion and doctrine which we confesse they shall neuer be able to vanquish and put away Theyr Idolatry and Popish religion shall neuer bee builte in the consciences of menne that loue Gods trueth As for those that loue not Gods truth that haue no pleasure to walke in the wayes of the Lord in those I say the Deuill shall preuayle For God will geue them strong illusion to beleue lyes Therefore deare brethren and sisters in the Lord I humbly beseech you and pray you in the bowelles and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesuâ— Christ He exhorteth them to loue Gods truth and to liue therafter now goyng to the death for the testimony of Iesus as ofteÌ„times I haue done before this present out of your Pulpitte that you woulde loue the Lordes trueth loue I saye to loue it and frame your liues thereafter Alas you know the cause of all these plagues fallen vp vs and of the successe which Gods aduersaryes haue dayly is for our not louing Gods word You knowe how that we were but Gospellers in lippes and not in life We were carnall concupiscentious idle Gods Gospell abused· vnthankfull vncleane couetous arrogant dissemblers crafty subtle malicious false backebiters c. and euen glutted with Gods word yea we lothed it Gods Gospell lothed as did the Israelites the Manna in the wildernes and therefore as to them
this life Rom â— are not to bee compared to the ioyes of the lyfe prepared for you You knowe the way to heauen is not the wide way of the worlde Math. â— whiche windeth to the deuill but it is a strayte waye which fewe walke in For fewe liue Godlye in Christ Iesu 2. Tim â— 2. Cor. â— Math. â— fewe regarde the lyfe to come fewe remember the daye of iudgement few remember howe Christ will denye them before his father that do deny him here few consider that Christ will be ashamed of them in the last day whiche are ashamed of his truth and true seruice few cast their accountes what wil be layed to theyr charge in the day of vengeance few regard the condemnation of theyr owne consciences in doing that which inwardly they disalow few loue god better then theyr goodes But I trust yet you are of this fewe my dearely beloued I trust you be of that little flocke which shall enherite the kingdome of heaueÌ„ I trust you are the mourners and lamenters 〈◊〉 10. which shal be comforted with comfort whyche neuer shall be taken from you if you nowe repent your former euilles if nowe you striue agaynst the euilles that are in you if now you continue to call vpon God if nowe you defile not your bodyes with any Idolatrous seruice 〈◊〉 4. vsed in the Antichristian Churches if you molest not the good spirite of God which is geuen you as a gage of eternall redemption a counseller and Mayster to lead you into all trueth whiche good spirite I beseeche the Father of mercye to geue to vs all for his deare sonnes sake Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome I commend you all and to the worde of his grace Actes 10. which is able to helpe you all and saue you all that beleue it folow it and serue GOD therafter And of this I would ye were all certayne that all the heares of your heads are numbred Math. 10. Math. spanâ— 1. Psalm 1â—4 Psalm 31. Pet. 5. so that not one of them shall perishe neither shall any man or deuill be able to attempt any thing much lesse to do any thing to you or any of you before your heauenly father which loueth you most tenderly shall geue them leaue and when he hath geuen them leaue they shall go no further then he will nor keepe you in trouble any longer then he will Therefore cast on him all your care for he is carefull for you Onely study to please hym and to keepe your consciences cleane your bodyes pure from the Idolatrous seruice whiche nowe euery where is vsed and GOD will maruellouslye and mercifully defend and comfort you which thing he doe for his holy names sake in Christ our Lord. Amen * To his dearely beloued in Christ Erkinalde Rawlins and his wife GOd our deare and moste mercyfull Father thorough Christ be with you my good Brother and Sister as with his children for euer and in all thinges so guide you with his holy spirite the leader of his people as may bee to his glory and your owne euerlasting ioy and comfort in him Amen Because I haue oftentimes receiued from either of you comfort corporall for the which I beseeche the Lorde as to make me thankefull so to recompence you both now eternally I can not but goe about Lord help hereto for thy mercyes sake to write some thing for your comfort spiritually My dearely beloued looke not vppon these dayes and the afflictions of the same here with vs 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 godly 〈◊〉 ioyfull the 〈…〉 simplye as they seeme vnto you that is as dismall dayes and dayes of Gods vengeaunce but rather as lucky dayes and dayes of Gods fatherlye kindenesse towardes you and suche as you be that is toward such as repent theyr sinnes and euill life paste and earnestly purpose to amende walking not after the will of the world and most part of men for the preseruation of theyr pelfe whiche will they nill they they shall leaue sooner or later and to whome or howe it shall be vsed they know not In deede to suche as walke in theyr wickednesse and winde on with the worlde this tyme is a tyme of wrath and vengeaunce and theyr beginning of sorrowe is but nowe because they contemne the Phisicke of theyr father whiche by this purging time and cleansing dayes would worke theyr weale whiche they will nor Clensing dayes and because they will not haue Gods blessing which both wayes he hath offered vnto them by prosperity and aduersity Gods 〈◊〉 not to 〈◊〉 refused therefore it shall be kepte farre enough from them As when the sicke man will no kinde of Phisicke at the handes of the Phisition he is lefte alone and so the malady encreaseth and destroyeth him at the length To such men in deed these dayes are and should be dolefull dayes dayes of woe and weeping because theyr damnation draweth nigh But vnto such as be penitent and are desirous to liue after the Lordes wil among whom I do not onely count you but as far as a man may iudge I know ye are vnto such I say 〈…〉 receaâ—ed with 〈◊〉 this time is and should be comfortable For first now your father chastiseth you and me for our sinnes for the which if he would haue destroyed vs then woulde hee haue letten vs alone and left vs to our selues in nothyng to take to hart his fatherly visitation which here it pleaseth him to worke presently because else where he wyll not remember our transgressions as Paule writeth He chastiseth vs in this world least with the world we should perishe Therefore my deare hartes call to minde your sinnes to lament them God punisheth not twise for one thing and to aske mercye for them in hys sight and withall vndoubtedly beleue to obteyne pardon and assured forgeuenesse of the same for twise the Lord punisheth not for one thing So that I saye first wee haue cause to reioyce for these dayes because our father suffereth vs not to lye in Iesabels bed sleeping in our owne sinnes and security but as mindefull on vs doth correct vs as his children Whereby we may be certayne that we be no bastardes but children for he chastiseth euery childe whom he receiueth Difference betweene bastards and children So that they which are not partakers of his chastising or that contemne it declare themselues to be bastardes and not children as I know ye are which as ye are chastised so do ye take it to hart accordingly And therefore be glad my deare hartes and folkes knowing certaynelye euen by these visitatioÌ„s of the Lord that ye are his deare elect children whose faultes your father doth visite with the rodde of correction but his mercy will he neuer take away from vs. Amen Secondly ye haue cause to reioyce for these dayes because they are dayes of triall wherein not onely ye your selues but also the worlde shall
before hys mercifull harte laye open your infirmities and euilles with desire of pardon and helpe after hys good will and pleasure but in hys time and not when you will and by what meanes he will not by that waye you woulde in the meane season hange on hope of his fatherly goodnes and surely you shall neuer be ashamed For if a woman that is naturall cannot finally forget the Childe of her wombe be â—ure God whiche is a father supernaturall Esay â—9 cannot nor will not forget you Yea if a woman coulde be so forgetfull yet God hymselfe sayth he will not be so This opinion yea rather certayne perswasion of God our father through Christe see that you cherishe and by all meanes as well by dilligent consideration of his benefites as of his louing corrections whether they be inward or outwarde see that you nourishe knowyng for certayne that as the deuill goeth about nothing so muche as to bring you in a doubte whether yee be Gods childe or no so what soeuer shall moue you to admitte that dubitation be assured the same to come from the Deuill If you feele in your selfe not onely the want of good thinges but also plentye of euill do not therefore doubte whether you be Gods childe in Christ or no. For if for your goodnes or ilnesse sake which you feel or feele not ye should beleue or doubte then shoulde you make Christe Iesus for whose sake onely God is your father either nothyng or els but halfe Christ. But rather take occasion of your wants in good and of your plenty in euill to goe to God as to your father and to praye to him that in asmuch as he commaundeth you to beleue that he is your God and father so he would geue you his good spirite that you might feele the same and liue as hys childe to hys glorye and cease not vpon such prayers to look for comfort Gods good tyme still hoping the best and reiecting all dubitation and so all euill workes words and cogitations as the Lord shal enable you by hys good spirite and grace which I beseeche hym to geue vnto you my good sister for euer And further I pray you that as hee hath made you to be an helper vnto your husband so you would endeuour your selfe therein to shewe the same as well in soule as body and begge grace of God that your indeuour may be effectual to both your comfortes in Christ. Amen Iohn Bradford To my welbeloued in the Lord VV. P. GRace and peace from God the father through our Lorde Iesus Chryste Amen Deare brother God most iustly hath cast me downe into a dungeon but much better then I deserue wherein I see no man but my keeper nor can see any except they borne to me Soâ—ething in the earth my lodgyng is which as an example and memoriall of my earthly affections which God I trust will mortifie and of my sepulchre whereunto I trust my Lord God will bryng me in peace in hys good time In the meane season hee geue me pacience liuely hope and his good spirite I pray you praye for me for the prayer of the godly if it be effectuall This disease was a rewme with a feblenes of stomacke wherewith he was much troubled whiles he was at libertye worketh muche with God I thanke God my common disease doth lesse trouble me then when I was abroad which doth teache me the merciful prouidence of God towardes me Vse true and harty prayer and you shall perceiue GOD at length will declare himselfe to see where now many thinke he sleepeth Out of the Tower by the Lordes prisoner Iohn Bradford A letter whiche he wrote to a faythfull woman in her heauines and trouble most comfortable for all those to read that are afflicted and broken harted for their sinnes GOd oure good father for hys mercies sake in Christe with his eternall consolation so comforte you A letter of M. Bradford to a faythfull womaÌ„ inwardly afflicted as I desire to be comforted of him in my moste neede Yea he will comfort you my deare sister onely caste your care vppon hym and he neuer can nor will forsake you For his calling and giftes be suche that he can neuer repente hym of them Whome he loueth he loueth to the end none of his chosen can perishe Romans 11. Of whiche number I knowe you are my dearely beloued sister God increase the fayth thereof dayly more and more in you hee geue vnto you to hange wholy on hym and on his prouidence and protection For who so dwelleth vnder * * Gods prouidence and protection Psalm 31.90 Gene. 19. that secret thing and help of the Lord he shall be cocke sure for euermore He that dwelleth I say for if we be flitters and not dwellers as was Loth a flitter from Segor where God promised hym protection if hee had dwelled there still wee shall remoue to oure losse as he did into the mountaynes Dwell therefore that is truste and that finally vnto the ende in the Lorde my deare sister and you shal be as Mount Syon As Mountaynes compasse Ierusalem so dooth the Lorde all hys people How then can hee forget you whiche are as y e apple of hys eye for his dear sonnes sake Ah deare heart that I were now but one half houre with you to be a Symon to helpe to cary your crosse with you God sende you some good Symon to bee with you and helpe you You complayne in your letters of the blyndenesse of your minde and the troubles you feele My dearely beloued God make you thankefull for that whiche God hathe geuen vnto you he open your eyes to see what and howe great benefites you haue receiued that you may be lesse couetous or rather impacient for so I feare me it should be called and more thankefull Haue not you receiued at his handes sight to see your blindnesse and thereto a desirous and seeking heart to see where he lyeth in the mydday as his deare Spouse speaketh of her selfe in the Canticles Oh Ioyce my good Ioyce what a gifte is thys Many haue some sight but none this sobbing and sighing none this seeking whiche you haue I knowe but such as he hath marryed vnto hym in his mercies You are not content to kisse hys feete w t the Magdalen but you would be kissed euen with the kisse of his mouthe Cant. 1. You would see his face with Moses forgetting how he biddeth vs seeke hys face Psalme 27. yea and that for euer psalm 105. which signifieth no such sight as you desire to bee in this present life which would see God nowe face to face where as he cannot be seene but couered vnder something yea sometyme in that whiche is as you would say cleane contrary to God as to see his mercye in hys anger In bringing vs to hell fayth seethe hym bryng vs to heauen in darkenesse it beholdeth brightnesse God cannot be seene
with coâ—â—rage Cast you selues on Christ who careth for you Kepe company with him now stil to the ende he is faithfull and wil neuer leaue you nor tempt you further then hee will make you able to beare yea in the middest of the temptation hee will make an outscape Nowe pray vnto him heartely be thankefull of his indignation reioyce in hope of the health you shall receiue and be mindefull of vs whych are in the vawarde and by Gods grace trust in Christ to be made able to breake the Ise before you that you followynge may finde the way more easie God graunte it may so be Amen Amen Out of prison by your brother in Christ Iohn Bradford To Maistresse Wilkenson ALmighty God our most louing father increase in your heart my good mother deare maistresse in the Lord his true knowledge and loue in Christe A letter M. Bradfâ—â—â— to 〈◊〉 Wilkinsâ—â— to y e encouraging and comforting of your faith in these stormy dayes as necessary vnto vs so profitable if we perâ—iste vnto the ende which thing God graunt to vs. Amen My righte dearely beloued I knowe not what other thing to wryte vnto you then to desire you to be thankfull vnto the Lord in that amongst thee not many of your calling and state it pleaseth him to geue you his rare blessing I meane to keepe you from all the filthe wherewyth onâ—e Countrey is horribly defiled Thys blessing assuredly is rare as you see But nowe if he shall blesse you with an other blessing which is more rare I meane to cal you foorth as a Martyr and a witnesse against this filth I hope you will become double thankefull For a greater token commonly we haue not to iudge of our election and saluation next to Christe and faith in him then the crosse especiallye when it is so glorious as on this sorte to suffer any thing The 〈◊〉 a great of Electâ—â—â— but chiefly losse of this life which in deede is neuer founde til it be so lost except the graine of wheate fall and be dead it remaineth fruitlesse You know how that he which was rapt into the third heauen and did knowe what he wrote doeth say That as the corne liueth not except it be dead and cast into the earth 1. Cor. â—â— so truely oure bodies And therefore the crosse shoulde so little feare vs that euen death it selfe shoulde altogether be desired of vs as the Tailour which putteth off oure ragges and araieth vs with the Royall Roabes of immortalitie incorruption and glory Great shame it shoulde be for vs â—om 8. that all the whole creatures of God shoulde desire yea grone in their kinde for our libertie and wee our selues to loath it as doubtlesse we doe if for the crosse yea for death it selfe we with ioy swallow not vp all sorrow that might let vs from following the Lordes calling and obtaining the Lordes prouidence whereby doubtles all crosses and death it selfe doth come and not by hap or chance In consideration whereof right deare Mother that this prouidence stretcheth it selfe so vnto vs and for vs that eueÌ„ the hair of our heads are numbred with God not one of them to fall to our hurte surely we declare our selues very faint in faith if we receiue not such comfort that we can willingly offer our selues to the Lord and cast our whole care vpon his backe honouring him with this honour that he is and euer will be carefull for vs and all we haue as for hys deare children Be therfore of good cheare euen in the middest of these miseries be thankful to the Lord and prepare your selfe for a further triall which if God sende you as I hope so do you beleeue that God therein wil help comfort you and make you able to bear whatsoeuer shall happen And thus much hauing this oportunitie I thoughte good to wryte praying God our father to recompence into your bosome all the good that euer you haue done to mee especially and to many others both in this time of trouble and alwaies heeretofore Your owne in the Lord Iohn Bradford An other letter wrytten to certaine godly persons encouraging them to prepare them selues with pacience to the crosse GRatious God and moste mercifull Father for Iesus Christes sake thy dearely beloued sonne graunte vs thy mercy grace wisedome and holy spirite to counsaile comforte and guide vs in al our cogitations woordes and woorkes to thy glorye and our euerlasting ioy and peace for euer Amen In my last letter you might perceiue my coniecturing to be no lesse towards you then now I haue learned But my dearely beloued I haue learned none other thyng then before I haue told you would come to passe if ye cast not away that which ye haue learned I do appeale to both your consciences whether herein I speake trueth as well of my telling though not so often as I might and should God forgeue mee as also of your learning Nowe God will trie you to make others to learne by you that whych ye haue learned by others and by them which suffred thys day ye might learne if already yee had not learned that life and honour is not to be set by more then Gods commandement They in no poynt for all y t euer their ghostly fathers could do hauing doctour Death to take their part would consent or seeme to consent to the popish masse and papisticall God otherwise then in y e daies of our late king they had receiued And this their faith they haue confessed with their deathes to their great glorye and all our comfortes if we follow them but to our confusion if we starre backe from the same Wherfore I beseeche you to consider it as well to praise God for them as to goe the same way with them if God so will Consider not the things of this life whyche is a verye prison to all Gods children but the things of euerlasting life which is our very home But to the beholding of thys geare â—â—ample of 〈…〉 goe with 〈…〉 ye must open the eyes of your mind of faith I shuld haue sayde as Moses did which set more by trouble wyth Gods people then by the riches of Egypt and Pharaos Court Your house home and goodes yea life and all that euer yee haue God hath geuen you as loue tokens to admonish you of his loue to win your loue to him againe Nowe will he trie your loue whether ye set more by hym then by his tokens or no. If ye for his tokeÌ„s sake that is for your home house goods yea life will goe w t the world least ye should loose them then be assured your loue as hee can not but espie it to be a strumpets loue â— strumpet 〈◊〉 more her 〈◊〉 then by â—ouer so will he cast it away with the world Remember that he which will saue his life shall loose it if Christ be true but he which aduentureth yea
open our eyes to see his hiâ— Manna heauenly Ierusalem the congregation of the first borne the melodie of the Saintes the tabernacle of God dwelling with men then shuld we runne and become violent men and so take the kingdome oâ— heauen as it were by force God our father geue vs for hys Christes sake to see a litle what and howe great ioy he hath prepared for vs he hath called vs vnto most assuredly geueth vs for his owne goodnes and truthes sake Amen My dearely beloued repent be sober and watche in prayer be obedient and after your vocations shewe your obedience to the higher powers in all thinges that are not against Gods word therein acknowledging y e soueraigne power of the Lorde howbeit so that ye be no rebels or rebellers for no cause but because wyth good conscience you can not obey be pacient sufferers and the glorye and good spirit of God shall dwel vppon vs. I pray you remember vs your afflicted brethren being in the Lordes bondes for the testimonie of Christ and abiding the gracious houre of our deare and most merciful father The Lord for Christes sake geue vs merry hearts to drinke lustely of his sweete cuppe which daily we grone and sigh for lamenting that the tyme is thus prolonged The Lorde Iesus geue vs grace to be thankeful and to abide paciently the prouident houre of his most gracious good will Amen Amen From the Counter in the Poultrie Yours in Christ Iohn Bradford To my good brother Iohn Careles prisoner in the kings Benche THe father of mercie and God of all comfort visite vs with his eternall consolation according to his great mercies in Iesus Christ our Sauiour Amen A lette◠〈◊〉 M. Bradâ—â—â—â— to I. Caâ—â—â—les My very deare brother if I shall reporte the truthe vnto you I can not but signifie that sithen I came into prisone I neuer receaued so much consolation as I did by your last letter the name of God be most heartely praised therefore But if I shall reporte the trueth vnto you and as I haue begonne speake still the veritie I must confesse that for mine vnthankefulnes to you wardes and to God especially I haue more neede of Gods mercifull tidinges then I hadde euer heeretofore Ah that Sathan enuieth vs so greatly Ah that our Lorde woulde treade his head vnder our feete shortly Ah that I mighte for euer both my selfe beware and be a godly example to you and others to beware of vnthankefulnesse Good brother Careles After a lightniâ—â— take 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 we hadde more neede to take heede after a lightening of a foile then before God therefore is to be praised euen when he hideth and that not of long a chearefull countenaunce from vs least we being not expert howe to vse it as we shoulde doe doe hurt more oure selues thereby so great is our ignoraunce and corruption This my good brother ryght deare to my very heart I wryte vnto you as to one whom in the Lorde I embrace and I thanke God that you doe me in like manner God our father more and more geue vs both his good spirit that as by faith we may fele our selues vnited vnto him in Christ so by loue we may feele our selues linked in the same Christ one to an other I to you and you to me we to al the children of God and all the children of God to vs Amen Amen Commende me to our good brother Skelthrop for whome I heartely praise my God which hath geuen him to see hys trueth at the length and to geue place to it I doubt not but that he will be so heedie in all his conuersation that hys olde acquaintaunce may euer thereby thinke them selues astray Woe and woe againe shoulde be vnto vs if we by our example should make menne to stumble at the trueth Forgette not salutations in Christe as you shall thinke good to Trewe and hys fellowes The Lorde hath his time I hope for them also although we perchance thinke otherwise A drop maketh the stone hollowe not with once but wyth often dropping so if with hearty praier for them and good example you stil and drop vppon them as you can you shall see Gods worke at the length I beseeche God to make perfect all the good he hath begun in vs all Amen I desire you all to pray for me the most vnworthy prisoner of the Lorde Your brother Iohn Bradford To M. Iohn Hall and his wife prisoners in Newgate for the testimonie of the Gospell ALmightye God oure heauenly Father through Iesus Christ be w t you both my dearely beloued as with hys deare children for euer so he blesse you with his holy spirite that you may in thys your crosse for his cause doubtles reioyce and gladly take it vp to beare it so long as hee shall thinke good I haue heard my good brother sister how that god hath brought you both into his scholehouse whereas you were bothe purposed by his leaue to haue plaâ—ed the trewands that thereby you might see his carefulnes loue towarde you For if it be a token of a louing and careful father for his children to preuent the purpose and disappoynt the intent of his children purposing to depart a while from the schoole for feare of beating whych thing they woulde not doe if they did as much consider the commodity of learning which there they might get how should you take this worke of the Lorde preuenting your purpose but as an euident signe of loue and fatherly carefulnes that he beareth towardes you If he shoulde haue winked at your willes then would you haue escaped beating I meane the crosse but then should you haue lost the commoditie of learning which your father will now haue you to learne and feele and therfore hath he sent to you his crosse Hee I say hath brought you where you be and though your reason and wit wil tell you it is by chance or fortune or otherwise yet my dearely beloued knowe for certaine that what so euer was the meane God your father was the worker heereof and that for your weale although otherwise your old Adam doth tel you you fele yet I say of truth that your duty is to thinke of this crosse that as it is of Gods sending and commeth from him so although your deserts be otherwise it is of loue fatherly affection for your weale and commodities sake What commodity is hereby you wil perchance obiect You are now kept in close prison you wil say your family and children be without good ouerseers your substance diminisheth by these meanes pouertie will approche and perchance more peariâ—s also yea and losse of life too These are no commodities but discommodities and that no smal ones so that iustly you would be glad to know what commoditie can come to you by this crosse whereby commeth so great discommodities To these things I answer that in deede it is true you
religion set vp amongest vs agayne but come away come away as the Angell crieth from amongst them in their idolatrous seruice Apoca. 18. lest you be partakers of their iniquitie Harken to your preachers as the Thessalonians did to Paule that is conferre their sayings with the scriptures if they sound not thereafter the morning light shall not shyne vpon them Esay 8. Vse much and hearty prayer for the spirite of wisedome knowledge humblenes meekenes sobrietie and repentaunce which we haue great need of because our sinnes haue thus prouoked the Lordes anger against vs but let vs beare his anger and acknowledge our faultes with bitter teares and sorowfull sighes and doubtles he will be mercifull to vs after his wonted mercy The which thyng he vouchsafe to do for his holy names sake in Christ Iesu our Lord to whome with the father and the holy ghost be all honour glory prayse and euerlastyng thankes from this tyme forth for euermore Amen Out of prison by yours in the Lord to commaund Iohn Bradford ¶ A letter to M. George Eaton ALmighty God our heauenly Father recompence aboundantly into your bosome my dearely beloued here and eternally A letter aâ— M. Bradford to M. George Eaton the good which froÌ„ him by you I haue continually receiued sithen my comming into prison Otherwyse can I neuer be able to requite your louing kindnesse here then by praying for you and after this lyfe by witnessing your fayth declared to me by your fruits wheÌ„ we shall come and appeare together before the throne of our Sauiour Iesus Christ whether I thanke God I am euen now a goyng euer looking when officers wyll come satisfie the precept of the Prelates wherof though I can not complayne because I haue iustly deserued an hundreth thousand deaths at gods hands by reason of my sinnes yet I may and must reioyce because the Prâ—lates do not persecute in me myne iniquities but Christ Iesus his veritie so that they persecute not me they hate not me but they persecute Christ they hate Christ. And because they can do hym no hurt for he sitteth in heauen The Prelates persecute and hate the Martirs not for their iniquities but for hatred of Christ of his veritye in them and laugheth them and their deuises to scorne as one day they shall feele therfore they turne their rage vpoÌ„ his poore sheepe as Herode their father did vpon the infants Math. 2. Great cause therefore haue I to reioyce that my dere Sauiour Christ wil vouchsafe amongst many to chuse me to be a vessel of grace to suffer in me which haue deserued so often iustly to suffer for my sinnes that I might be most assured I shall be a vessell of honour in whom he will be glorified Therfore my right deare brother in the Lord reioice with me geue thankes for me and cease not to pray that God for his mercies sake would make perfect the good he hath begun in me And as for the doctrine which I haue professed and preached I do confesse vnto you in writing as to the whole world I shortly shall by gods grace in suffering Iohn Bradford geueth testimony of his doctrine that it is the very true doctrine of Iesus Christ of his Church of his Prophets Apostles and all good men so that if an Angell should come from heauen and preach otherwise the same were accursed Therefore wauer not deare hart in the Lord but be confirmed in it and as your vocation requireth wheÌ„ God so will confesse it though it be perillous so to do The end shall euidently shew an other maner of pleasure for so doyng then tong can tell Bee diligent in prayer and watch therein Use reuerent readyng of Gods worde Set the shortnesse of this tyme before your eyes and let not the eternitie that is to come depart out of your memory Practise in doing that you learne by reading and hearing Decline from euill and pursue good Remember them that be in bondes especially for the Lordes cause as members of your body and fellow heires of grace Forget not the afflictions of Syon and the oppression of Ierusalem and God our Father shall geue you hys continuall blessyng thorough Christ our Lorde who guide vs as hys deare children for euer Amen And thus I take my Vale and farewell with you deare brother for euer in this present lyfe till wee shall meete in eternall blisse whether our good God and Father bryng vs shortly Amen God blesse all your babes for euer Amen Out of pryson this viij of February Your afflicted brother for the Lordes cause Iohn Bradford ¶ An other Letter to Maistresse Anne Warcuppe ALmighty God our heauenly father for his Christes sake encrease in vs fayth An 〈◊〉 letter Mistreâ— Anne 〈◊〉 by which we may more more see what glory and honour is reposed and safely kept in heauen for all theÌ„ that beleeue with the hart and confesse Christ his truth wyth the mouth Amen My dearely beloued I remember that once heretofore I wrote vnto you a Vale or a farewell vpon coniecture but now I write my farewel to you in this lyfe in deed vpon certaine knowledge My staffe standeth at the dore I continually looke for the shiriffe to come for me and I thanke God I am ready for him Now goe I to practise that which I haue preached Now am I climing vp the hill it wil cause me to puffe and blow before I come to the cliffe The hill is steepe and high my breath is short and my strength is feeble pray therfore to the Lord for me that as I haue now thorough his goodnes euen almost come to the toppe I may by his grace be strengthened not to rest till I come where I should bee Oh louing Lord put out thy hand and drawe me vnto thee for no man commeth but he whoÌ„ the father draweth See my derely beloued Gods louing mercy he knoweth my short breath great weakenes As he sent for Helias in a firy chariot so sendeth he for me for by fire my drosse must be purified that I may bee fine gold in his sight Oh vnthankfull wretch that I am Lord do thou forgeue me myne vnthankfulnes In deed I confesse right deare to me in the Lord that my sinnes haue deserued hell fire much more then this fire But loe so louyng is my Lord God 〈◊〉 the â—â—â—serued 〈◊〉 death of his to a gloâ—â—â—ous testiâ—â—â—niall of his truth that he conuerteth the remedy for my sins the punishment for my transgressions into a testimoniall of his truth and a testification of his veritie which the Prelates do persecute in me not my sinnes therfore they persecute not me but Christ in me which I doubt not will take my part vnto the very end Amen Oh that I had so open an hart as could so receiue as I should do this great benefite and vnspeakeable dignitie which God my father offreth to me Now
in that they make it so necessary a thyng and a worshippyng of God it cannot but be agaynst Christ and the freedome of hys Gospell and the same thyng teacheth vs that it is agaynst the commoditie of our brethren which eyther be weake eyther be strong eyther be ignorant either be obstinate If they be weake by your resortyng to it they be made more weake If they be strong you do what you can to infirme their strength If they be ignorant therein you helpe to keepe them by your facte If they bee obstinate your resortyng to it cannot but rocke them a sleepe in their obstinate errour of the necessitie of this rite and ceremony These causes recited doe shew you what I thinke in this but my thinkyng must no further bynd you then a mans thought should do except the same be grounded vpon Gods worde which byndeth in deede as I thinke they doe I doubt not but you waying these causes and especially two of the first and the last if you pray to God for his spirite to direct you and thereto aske the aduise of this my good brother and other godly learned men I doubt not I say but you should be guided to do that which is best in gods sight although in the sight of the world perhaps you should bee counted foolish and precise But bee at a poynt with your selues as the disciples of Christ which had forsaken themselues to follow not your will but Gods will as you daily pray in the Lordes prayer The crosse of Christ bee willyng to cary least you cary the crosse of the world the flesh or the deuill 4. Crosâ—â—â— whereof 〈◊〉 bringeth 〈◊〉 hell One of these 4. crosses you must cary Three of them bringeth to hell and therefore the more part goeth that way which is a broad way Only the fourth bringeth to heauen but few go that way as wel because the way is straite as also because few walke in it Howbeit Why thâ— more 〈◊〉 go that 〈◊〉 that lâ—â—â—deth to â—â—â—dition though it bee straite it is but short and the few are many if you consider the godly as the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors and Christ Iesus with all his gard and trayne Thinke not scorne to come after them which are gone before you and after them which now go before you in whose number I trust I am apointed to be one and I beseech you pray for me that God would vouch me worthy that honour Our sinnes deserue plagues prison and the losse of all that euer wee haue therefore if God remooue our sinnes out of sight and sende vs prison or losse of goods and liuyng for his names sake Oh how happy are we My deare hearts in the Lord consider this geare and bee assured that he which looseth any thyng for Christes sake the same in his posteritie shall finde it here and in heauen elsewhere As for vnablenes to aunswer for your fayth it shall be enough to will them to dispute with your teachers Faith standeth not in disputyng I thinke few if it came to disputing could defend the godhead of Christ and many other articles I speake it for the simple sorte Pray for me Lacke of paper maketh this end Commend me to my good brother R. B. and my good sister his wyfe I pray them to pray for me I trust by this bearer to heare how you do Iohn Bradford ¶ Another letter to N. and his wyfe GOds mercy in Christ I wish you to feele An other letter of Bradford a dearâ— friend 〈◊〉 his wyâ—â— my dere brother with my faithfull sister your wyfe now and for euer Amen Hauing this occasion I could not but write something as wel to put my selfe in remembrance of my duty to godwards for you both in thankefulnes and praier as to put you in remembrance of me and your duety towards God for me in praying for me for I dare not say in thankfulnes for me nor that I would haue you to geue no thaÌ„ks to God for his wonderfull great and sweete mercies towards me and vpon me in Christ his sonne but because I haue not deserued it at either of your hands For ye both know right wel at least my coÌ„science doth accuse me how that I haue not onely not exhorted taught you as both my vocation and your deserts required to walke worthy of that vocation which god hath made you worthy of and with treÌ„bling and feare to woorke out your saluation that is in the feare of God to geue your selues to great vigilaÌ„cie in praier for the encrease of faith and to a wary circumspection in all your conuersation not onely in works and woords but also in thoughts because God is a searcher of the heart and out of the heart it commeth that defileth vs in Gods sight I haue I say not onely not done thys but also haue geuen you example of negligence in praier watching fasting talking and doing so that woe to me for geuing suche offence Partly for this cause deare brother and sister God hath cast me heere that I might repent me and turne to him and that ye might also by this correction vpon me be more diligent to redresse these things and others if they in your conscience doe accuse you My dearly beloued heauy is Gods anger fallen vpon vs all doulefull is this day Nowe hath Antichrist all his power again Now is Christes gospel troden vnder fote Now is Gods people a derision and pray for the wicked Now is the greatest plague of al plagues fallen the want of Gods word and al these we haue yea I alone haue iustly deserued Oh that as I wryte I alone I could w t Dauid 1. Par. 21. and with Ionas in heart say so But I doe not I do not I see not howe greeuously I haue sinned howe great a misery is fallen for mine vnthankefulnes for Gods worde for mine hypocrisie in professing preaching hearing and speaking of Gods word for my not praying to God for the coÌ„tinuance of it for my not louing of it thoroughly as it requireth c. I will speake nothing of my manifest euils for they are knowen to you wel enough Deare brother and sister wyth me say yee the lyke for your owne partes and with me ioyne your hearts and let vs go to our heauenly father and for his Christes sake beseeche him to be mercifull vnto vs and to pardon vs Oh good father it is we that haue deserued the taking away of thy woorde it is we that haue deserued these thy iust plagues fallen vpon vs we haue done amisse we haue dealt vniustly wyth thy Gospell we haue procured thy wrathe and therfore iust art thou in punishing vs iust art thou in plaging vs for we are very miserable But good Lord and deare father of mercy whose iustice is such that thou wilt not punish the poore soules of thys realme which yet haue not thus sinned against thee as wee
aegestate aut angustijs esse No father the Lord geueth me omnia affatim and will doe I trust I shall shortly here haue a fellowship I am so promised and therefore I haue taken the degree of maister of Arte which els I could not haue attained If I get a fellowship I shall not need de crastino sollicitum esse as here after I shal more write to you by Gods grace I pray you write againe and often yray for me In hast as appeareth the 22. of October Ne sciat mater mea quod herus meus adeo duriter mecum egit c. Miserrimus peccator Iohn Bradford Another letter of Maister Bradford to father Traues THe peace and plenteous mercy of God our heauenly father in his Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour bee euer encreased in you by the holy spirit qui efficit omnia in omnibus Amen Father Traues though I might thinke my selfe more happy if you would often write vnto me yet because I ought to haue respect to your paynes whiche nowe that olde man cannot so well sustaine as it might I had rather loose my happines in y t behalfe then will your grief forasmuch as it can be no happines vnto mee which turneth to your payne yet because payne is not payneful when it is ioyned with gayne I therfore desire you for Gods sake o pray often for me for if I shall not be worthy of your praier as the Lord who knoweth all thyngs doth right well see it and so my conscience witnesseth yet your good prayer shall returne into your owne bosome And know this that who so conuerteth a sinner by prayer whether it bee by prayer preachyng or writyng letters c. the same hath saued a soule Use therefore for Gods sake I aske it that paynes whereunto is ioyned profite I meane prayer to God for me a miserable and most wretched sinner and as for the gaynelesse payne in writyng to me vse it yet as you may and surely God for whose sake you doe it in that he will reward a cup of cold water wil in some thing requite you And I know certainly that if you did see what spirituall profite I receyue by your letters I am certayne you would not thinke all your labour lost For Christes sake therefore begin agayne to write vnto me and reprooue me sharpely for my horrible vnthankfulnesse to GOD. You know how that God hath exonerated the loden conscieÌ„ce of the great waighty burthen for so I did write to you yea the Lord hath in maner vnburthened me of the lesser burthen also for I haue an asâ—uraunce of the payment of the same by Candlemas Loe thus you see what a good God the Lord is vnto me Oh father Traues geue thaÌ„ks for me and pray God to forgeue me my vnthankfulnesse But what should I reherse the benefite of God towardes me Alas I cannot I am to little for all his mercies yea I am not onely vnthankfull but I am to farre contumelious agaynst God For where you know the Sonne the Moone and the seuen starres did forsake me would not shine vpon me you know what I meane per herum heriles amicos yet the Lord hath geuen me here in the Uniuersitie as good a liuyng as I would haue wished For I am now a fellow of Pembroke hall of the whiche I nor any other for me did euer make any sute yea there was a contention betwixt the M. of Katherines hall and the bishop of Rochester who is M. of Pembroke hall whether should haue me sit hoc tibi dictum Thus you may see the Lordes carefulnes for me My fellowship here is woorth 7. pound a yere for I haue allowed me 18. pence a weeke and as good as xxxiij shillings foure pence a yeare in money besides my Chamber Launder Barbour c. and I am bound to nothing but once or twise a yeare to keepe a Probleme Thus you see what a good Lord God is vnto me But I pray you what do I now to God for all this I will not speake of the great mercies he sheweth vpon my soule Surely father Traues I haue cleaue forgotteÌ„ God I am all secure idle proud hard harted vtterly voyde of brotherly loue I am enuious and disdaine others I am a very starke hypocrite not onely in my words and works but euen in these my letters to you I am all sensual without the true feare of God an other manner of man then I haue bene sithens my call Alas father Traues I wryte this to put my selfe in remembraunce but I am wythout all sence I do but only write it For Gods sake praye for me which am onely in name a christian in very deed a very worldlyng to say to you the very truth a most worldling of all other I pray you exhort my mother now then with my sister Margaret to feare the Lord and if my mother had not sold the Foxe furre which was in my fathers gown I would she would send it me she must haue your counsaile in a piece of cloth Yours for euer I. Bradford Another letter of M. Bradford to father Traues THe selfe same mercy grace and peace which heretofore I haue felt plenteously thogh now through myne vnthankfulnes wilfull obedience to the pleasure of thys outward man I neither feele neither can bee perswaded that I possesse yea if I shall truly write I in maner passe not vpon the same so far am I fallen the Lord helpe me the same mercy c. I say I wish vnto you as I can with all encrease of godlines Hipocritically with my pen and mouth beseeching you in your earnest prayers to God to be an earnest suter vnto God for me whith am fallen into such a securitie euen an hardnes of hart that neyther I sorow my state neither with any griefe or feare of Gods abiection do write this before the Lorde which knoweth the harts of all men I lye not Consider for Christes sake therefore good father Traues my necessitie though I my selfe do it not pray for me that God cast me not of as I deserue most iustly For where I ought to haue well proceeded in Gods schoole by reason of the tyme I confesse it to my shame I am so far gone back as alas if shame were in me I might be ashamed to write it but much more to write it to thinke it not such is the reward of vnthankfulnes For where God wrought the restitution of y e great thing you know of the which benefit should bynde me to all obedience Alas father Traues I am to vnthankful I find no will in hart though by my writing it wil be hard to perswade you either to be thankfull either to beginne a new life in all things to mortifie this outward man and hartily to be well content to serue the lord in spirit veritie withstand myne affections especially my beastly sensualitie in meat drinke wherewith
into a pyt or ditche and earnestly perswaded by some of her ignoraunt neighbours to go on Pilgrimage to S. Laurēce for helpe for her child sayd that neither S. Laurence Against inuocation of dead Images nor any other S. could helpe her child therfore none ought to goe on Pilgrimage to any Image made with mās hād but one-to vnto almightie God for Pilgrimages were nothyng worth sauing to make the Priestes rich Vid. plura inferius VNto Iohn Houshold Robert Rascall Iohn Houshold c. and Elizabeth Stamford as well the Article against the Sacrament of the altar was obiected as also that they had spoken agaynst praying to Saintes had despised the authoritie of the Byshop of Rome and others of his Clergy Against trāsubstantiation and authoritie of the Pope But especially Iohn Houshold was charged to haue called thē Antichristes and whooremongers and the Pope him selfe a strong strumpet and a common bande vnto the world who with his Pardōs had drowned in blindnes all Christian Realmes and that for money ALso among diuers other ordinary Articles propounded agaynst George Browne George Brown these were coūted very heynous hereticall First that he had sayd that he knew no cause why the Crosse should be worshipped Against adoration of the crosse seyng that the same was an hurt payne vnto our Sauiour Christ in the tyme of his Passion and not any ease or pleasure alledging for example that if he had had a frend hanged or drowned he would euer after haue loued that gallowes or water by the which his frend dyed rather worse for that thē better An other obiection was that he had erroneously obstinately and maliciously said for so are theyr words that the Church was too rich Against immoderate riches of the popes clergy This matter I may tell you touched somewhat the quicke and therefore no maruell though they counted it erroneous and malicious for take away their gaine and farewell their religion They also charged him to haue refused holy water to be cast about his chamber and likewise to haue spoken against priests with other vaine matters Iohn Wikes THe greatest matter wherewith they burdened Iohn Wikes was that he had often and of long time kept company with diuers persons suspected of heresie as they termed them and had receiued them into his house and there did suffer and heare them sundry times reade erroneous and hereticall bookes cōtrary to the faith of the Romish Church and did also himselfe consent vnto their doctrine and had many times secretly conueyed them from the taking of such as were appointed to apprehend them Ioh. Southacke Rich Butler c Vide inferius Against the real presence LIke as the greatest number of those before mentioned so were also Iohn Southake Richard Butler Iohn Samme William King Robert Durdant and Henrye Woolmā especially charged with speaking words against the real presence of Christes body in the Sacrament of the Altar and also against Images and the rest of the seauen Sacraments Howbeit they burdened the last v. persons with the reading of certaine English hereticall bookes accounting most blasphemously the Gospel of Iesus Christ writtē by the 4. Euangelists to be of that number as appeareth euidently by the 8. article obiected by Tho. Benet Doctour of lawe and Chancelour and vicare general vnto Rich. Fitziames then Bish. of London against the sayd Rich. Butler The very words of which article for a more declaration of truth I haue thought good heere to infert which are these Reading of Englishe bookes Also we obiect to you that diuers times and especially vpon a certaine night about the space of three yeares last past in Robert Durdantes house of Yuercourt neare vnto Stanes you erroneously and damnably read in a great booke of heresie of the sayd Robert Durdants all that same night certaine chapters of the Euangelists in English conteining in them diuers erroneous and damnable opinions and conclusions of heresie in the presence of the sayde Robert Durdant Iohn Butler Robert Carder Ienkin Butler William King and diuers other suspect persons of heresie then being present and hearing your sayd erroneous lectours and opinions Of these men see more hereafter in the table following To the same effect and purpose tended the tenour of some of the Articles propounded against the other foure Whereby as also by others like before specified we may easily iudge what reuerence they which yet will be counted the true and onely Churche of Christ did beare to the word and Gospell of Christ who shamed not to blaspheme the same with most horrible titles of erroneous and damnable opinions and conclusions of heresie But why should we maruel thereat seeing the holy Ghost in sundry places of the Scripture doth declare that in the latter daies there should come such proud and cursed speakers which shal speake lies through hypocrisy and haue their consciences marked with an hot yron Let vs therefore now thanke our heauenly father for reuealing them vnto vs and let vs also pray him that of his free mercies in his sonne Christ Iesus he would if it be to his glory eyther turne and mollifie all such harts or else for the peace and quietnes of his Church he woulde in his righteous iudgement take them from vs. About this time Richard Fitziames ended his life After whose death The death of Richard Fitziames bishop of London Cuthbert Tonstall Bishop of London Cutbert Tunstall afterwards Byshop of Durham succeeded in the Sea and Bishoprike of London who soone vpon his first entrie into the roome minding to follow rightly the footesteps of his predecessour caused Edmund Spilman priest Henry Chambers Iohn Higgins and Thomas Eglestone to be apprehended and so to be examined vpon sundry like Articles as before are expressed and in the end either for feare of his crueltie and the rigour of death The reall presence denied or else through hope of his flattering promises such was their weakenesse he compelled them to abiure and renounce their true professed faith touching the holy Sacrament of Christes body and bloud which was that Christes corpall body was not in the sacrament but in heauen and that the Sacrament was a figure of his body and not the body it selfe MOreouer about the same time there were certaine articles obiected against Iohn Hig aliâs Noke aliâs Iohnson by the saide Bishops vicar generall Amongst which were these Against a priest to haue two benefices First that he had affirmed that it was as lawfull for a tēporall mā to haue two wiues at once as for a priest to haue two benefices Also that he had in hys custody a booke of the foure Euangelistes in English and did often reade therein and that he fauoured the doctrines opinions of Martin Luther Testimony touching M. Luther openly pronouncing that Luther had more learning in his litle finger then all y e doctours in England in their
Burforde vpon holy roode day with Colyns Lyuord Thomas Hall and other  Rob. Colins his wife Iohn Colins and his wife For buying a Bible of Stacy for 20. s.  The father of Rob. Colins This father Colins had beene of his doctrine from the yeare of our Lord. 1480. The foresaid Roger Dods of Burford by his othe was compelled to vtter these persons here annexed Tho. Baker of Whatley Robert Lyuord Iohn Symson of Steuenton Tho. Ryley of Burford Iohn Clemson seruaunt to the Prior of Burford Iohn Edmundes of Burford William Gunne of Wytney To these was layd that they beyng in the house of Iohn Harris of Upton at the mariage of Ioane the wife of Roberte Burges dyd reade in a Booke called Nicodemus gospell that made the cloth which our Lorde was buryed in as the Register sayth and in that Booke is the story of the destruction of Hierusalem Iohn Baker Weauer of Wytney The Bayliffe of Wytney Iohn Hakker Iohn Brabant and his wife Iohn Brabant his sonne For reading the Scripture in Englishe with his wife Iohn Brabant the younger sonne with his wife Reginald Brabant of Stanlake For reading in a certayne English book of Scripture they being together in Ioh. Brabantes house of Stanlake  Henry Fyppe The crime and detection against this HeÌ„ry was for that he being asked of this Dâ—ddes an 1515. Whether he would go to Wycomb or not aunswered agayne that hee was chosen Rood man that is keeper of the Roode loft saying y t he muste go tind a candle before his Blocke almightye BLOCKE ALMIGHTIE  Olyuer Smyth of Newlyne and his Wyfe  William Hobbis This William Hobbis was detected first by Radulphe Hobbys his brother to Byshop Smyth but was deliuered throughe the suite of the Curate of Westwycame Iohn Edmundes Against the bodely presence of the Sacrament otherwise called Iohn Ogins of Burford did detect Philp Brabant seruaunt of Rich. Colyns For saying that the sacrament of the aultar was made in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of Christs own body but it was not y e body of Christ.  The shepheardes kalender was also accused detected Because the same Edmundes sayde that hee was persuaded by this booke readynge these woordes Against 〈◊〉 bodely presence that the Sacrament was made in the remembrance of Christ.  The booke of William Thorpe likewise was muche complayned of both by thys Iohn Edmundes and diuers other  Richard Colyns of Gynges This Richard Colins as he was a great doer among these good men so was he muche complayned vppon by diuers also by thys Edmundes for bringing with him a booke called the king of Beeme The booke called the king of Beeme into theyr company and did read thereof a greate parte vnto them in this Edmundes house of Burford Iohn Edmundes otherwise called Iohn Ogyns of Burford did de detect Alice Colins wife of Rich. Colyns This Alice likewise was a famous womaÌ„ among them and had a good memory could recite much of y e scriptures and other good bookes And therefore when any conuenticle of these men did meete at Burford commonly she was sent for to recite vnto them the declaration of the x. commaundementes the Epistles of Peter and Iames. Ioanne Colyns daughter of Rich. and of Alice Colyns This Ioanne also following her fathers and Mothers steppes was noted for that she had learned with her father and mother the x. CommauÌ„dementes For hauyng the x. Commaundements in Englishe the seueÌ„ deadly sinnes the seuen woorkes of mercy the fiue wittes bodely and ghostly the eight blessings and v. chapters of S. Iames Epistle  Agnes Edmundes his owne daughter This Agnes Edmundes was also detected by her Father that he brought her to the house of Richarde Colyns to seruice The father accuseth his owne daughter to the intent shee myght bee instructed there in Gods law where she had learned likewise the x. Commaundementes the fiue wits Bodely and Ghostly and the 7. deadly sins  Alyce Gunne W. Russell of Colmanstreet One mother Ioanne Father Iohn Hungerford Ioanne Taylor seruaunt of Iohn Harrys of Burford Thomas Quicke Weauer of Redyng Philip Brabant Weauer Iohn Barbar Clerke of Amersham Iohn Eding of Hungerford One Brabant brother to Philippe Brabant of Stanlake  Robert Butterfield Thomas Whyte and Thomas Clerke did appeach Cost lost For saying Our Ladye is not at Wilsedon but in heauen William Dorset The wordes of William Dorsette were these that pilgrimage was of none effect and offering candles or other things to saynts stoode in no steede and was but cost lost Also when his Wyfe was going on pilgrimage and hee asked whether and she sayd to our Ladye of Wilsedon our Lady sayd he is in heauen Iohn Baker being vrged vpon his othe The Image of God did disclose Iohn Edmundes This Iohn EdmuÌ„des was detected because that hee talking with the sayde Baker of pilgrimage bad hym goe offer his money to the Image of GOD. when the other asked what that was he said that the Image of GOD was the poore people blinde and lame and sayde that hee offended almighty God in goinge on pilgrimage William Phyppe adiured by his othe did accuse Father accuseth his owne soÌ„ne Henry Phippe his owne sonne For communing with Roger Dods agaynst pilgrimage and adoration of Images BLOCKE ALMIGHTIE Henry Phip being examined and abiured by the Bishop was compelled to disclose his owne wordes spoken to Roger Dods saying to him that he must light a candle before his BLOCKE ALMIGHTYE being then roode man Roger Parker William Phip his owne father For talking together agaynste Pilgrimage and Idolatry Iohn Brabant the elder sonne of Iohn Brabant did nominate Iohn Hakker Robert Pope For reading the holy Scripture in his fathers house and for saying these woordes Christ made his mauÌ„dy and sayd take thys breade eate it thys is my body Take this wine drinke it thys is my bloude And Priestes saye by these wordes that the Sacrament of the aulter is the body of Christ.  Iohn Brabant his Father his Mother For being present when Hacker was reading the Scripture in theyr house  Philip Brabant his Vncle The wordes of Philippe Brabant were these that it was deadly sin to goe on pilgrimage ¶ Concerning this Iohn Brabant here is to be noted the forme and effect of the Byshoppes examination asking and demaunding thus of the sayde Brabant Ex Regist. Io. LonglaÌ„d Fol. 85. An vnquam audiuit Ioannem Hakker legentem sacram Scripturam contra determinationem Ecclesiae That is whether he euer heard Iohn Hacker reade the which wordes if he meane that it is agaynst the determination of the church to read the holy Scripture it may therby appeare to be a blind church And if they meane that the holy scripture conteineth anye such thing in it whiche is agaynst the determination of the church then it appeareth theyr church to be coÌ„trary vnto
their sentence should be holden and ratified which was that the iudgement of determining this dissension should be reserued to the next Councell which by the report of maister Chauncelour was now in hand to be called and gathered Also vntill all discord and dissension should be appeased whatsoeuer was receiued and beleeued by theyr neighbours he promised in the name of the rest that they would willingly receiue and beleeue the same So that if the word of God hath not hitherto bene clearely and sincerely preached as they said vnto y e people and that there be now some which can teache and preach the same more sincerely it is not their mind or intent to withstand or resist their good doings but that the presidents would wish this one thing diligently to be taken heede of that there be no occasion geuen by any man to moue sedition and in the meane time he commaunded all men quietly to geue ouer all matters vntill Easter nexte and by that time it shoulde be made euident what shoulde be receiued and what left vndone With this answere they were all very well contented and the messengers returned againe to Meldorphe with great ioy and gladnes declaring to the whole congregation what answere was made cōceiuing a sure hope that the matter would shortly come to passe Upon S. Nicholas daye thys Henry preached twise first vpon the Gospell Homo quidam nobilis c. A certaine noble man Luke 19. c. Secondly vpon this text Plures facti sunt sacerdotes c. There are many made Priestes c. with suche a spirit and grace Heb. 7. that all men had him in admiration praieng God most earnestly that they might long haue such a preacher Upon the day of the conception of our Lady he also made two Sermons vpon the first chapter of Mathew expounding the booke of the generation wherein he rehearsed the promises made by God vnto oure forefathers and vnder what faith our fathers that then were had liued adding also that all respect of works being set apart we must be iustified by the same faith All these things were spoken with such boldnes of spirit that al mē greatly maruelled at him geuing thankes to God for his great mercy that had sente them such a Preacher desiring hym moreouer that he would tarrie with them al Christmas to preach for they feared least he should be sent for to some other place In the meane space the Priour and maister Iohn Schinke were not idle The Prier and the Monkes againe conspired against the Gospell for when the Prior perceiued that his malitious enterprise tooke no good successe he adioyned vnto him a companion William a Doctour of the Iacobines and so went vp to Laudanum to the Monks Franciscanes and Minors for helpe and counsaile For those kindes of Friers aboue all other are best instruct by their hypocrisie to deceiue the poore and simple people These Friers streightwaies sent for certaine of the rulers which had all the rule and authoritie and specially Peter Hannus Peter Swine and Nicholas Roden vnto whome they declared after their accustomed maner with great complaintes what an heretique Monke had preached and how he had obteined the fauour almost of all the simple people which if they did not spedily prouide for and withstand the beginnings and put the heretique to death it would come to passe that shortly the honour of our Lady and all Saints together with the two Abbeys shoulde vtterly come to ruine and decay When these simple ignorant men heard these wordes they were greatly moued Whereunto Peter Swine aunswered thus that they had before written vnto the parish priest to Henry what was best to be done notwithstanding if they thought good they would write againe No said y e Prior this matter must be attempted another way for if you write vnto the heretike he wil by and by answer you againe And it is to be feared least the contagion of his heresie do also infect you being vnlearned men for if you geue him leaue to speake and to answere there is no hope that you shall ouercome him The death of Henry conspired by the Monkes and Friers Wherefore they finally determined to take this Henry by night and burne him before the people should know it or he come to his defence to answere This deuise pleased all mē but specially the Franciscane Friers Petrus Hannus the Priors chiefe frend willing to get the chiefe praise and thankes of this matter by the help of maister Gunter did associate vnto him certaine other rulers of the townes neere adioining whose names are heere not to be hidden because they so much affected praise and glorye The names of the conspirators persecutors The names of the Presidentes were these Petrus Hannus Peter Swines sonne Hennicke Lūdane Iohn Holneus Laurence Hannemanus Nicholas Weslingbourgus Ambrose Iohn Brenthusius Marquardus Kremmerus Henstedanus Ludekus Iohānes Weslingus and Petrus Grossus President of Himmigstate All these Presidentes all other that were of Councell to this pretēce assembled together in the Parish of the new Church in the house of maister Gunter where also the Chauncelour was consultyng together with thē how they might burne the sayd Henry secretly comming vpon him without any iudgement or sentence They concluded the next day after the conception of our Lady to meete at Hennyng which is v. myle frō Meldorphe with a great band of husbādmen This determination this made they layd scoutes in euery place that there should no newes of their pretēsed mischiefes come vnto Meldorphe cōmaundyng that as soone as it began to waxe darke they should all gather together There assembled aboue v. C. mē of the countrey vnto whom was declared the cause of their assemble also they were instructed what was to be done for before no mā knew the cause of the assemble but onely the Presidentes When the husbandmē vnderstood it they would haue returned backe agayne refusing to do such a detestable and horrible deede The Presidentes with most bitter threates kept them in obedience A droncken murther to the intent they should be the more couragious they gaue them three barrels of Hamborow beere to drinke About midnight they came in armour to Meldorphe The Iacobines and Monkes prepared torches for them that Henry should not slip away sodēly in the darke They had also with them a false betrayer named Hennegus Hennegus the betrayer of the preacher by whose treason they had perfect knowledge of all thynges With great violēce they burst into the house of the Parish Priest breakyng spoylyng all thynges as the maner of that dronken people is If they found either gold or siluer they tooke it away When they had spoyled all things they violently fell vpon the Parish Priest with great noyse cried out kill the theefe kill the theefe The parish priest violently taken in his house by night Some of
hys speach And so these two after they had confirmed manye in Gods truth gaue their lyfe for Christes Gospell Ibidem Ioan. Andreas Promoter Tho. Sanpaulinus martyr Peter Liset President of the Counsel of Paris Mailardus Doctor Sorbonius Aubertus Consiliarius Thomas Sanpaulinus At Paris An. 1551. This Thomas a yong man of the age of 18. yeares commyng from Geneua to Paris rebuked there a maÌ„ for swearing For the which cause he being suspected for a Lutheran was followed and watched whether he went and was taken and broughte before the Counsaile of Paris and put in prisoÌ„ where he was racked and miserably tormented to the inteÌ„t he should eyther chaunge his opinion or confes other of hys profession Hys tormentes and rackinges were so sore through the setting on of Maillard and other Sorbonistes that the sight therof made Aubertus one of the counsayle a cruell and vehement enemy against y e Gospel to turne hys back and weepe The youÌ„g man when he had made the tormenters weary with racking and yet woulde vtter none at last was had to Maulbert place in Paris to be burned Where he being in the fire was pluckt vp agayn vpon y e gybbet and asked whether he would turne To whome he sayd that he was in hys way toward God and therfore desired them to let him go Thus this glorious martir remayning inexpugnable glorified the Lord with constant confession of his truth Ibid.  Mauricius Secenat In Prouince An. 1551. He first hauing interrogations put to hym by the Lieuetenaunt of that place Mauryce Senenat martyr made hys aunsweres thereunto so as no great aduantage could be taken thereof But he being greatly compuncted and troubled in hys conscience for dissembling with the truth and called afterward before the Lorde chiefe Iudge aunswered so directly that he was condemned for y e same and burned in Prouince Ex eodeÌ„ A Cittizen of Vzez Ioannes Putte or de Puteo surnamed Medicus At Vzez in Prouince An. 1551. This Medicus beyng a Carpenter and vnlettered Ioannes de Puteo martyr had a controuersie about a certaine pitte withe a Citizene of the towne of Uzez where he dwelled He to cast thys Medicus in the lawe from the pitte accused him of heresie bringing for his witnesses those labourers whome Meddicus had hyred to work in his vineyard wherfore he being examined of the Sacrament of y e Lords Supper was condemned and burned At Uzez in Prouince Ex eodem The gouernour of Lyons The Official of the Archdeacon of Lyons Claudius Monerius At Lyons An. 1551. This man being well instructed in y e knowledge of Gods worde for the whiche he was also driuen from Auernia came to Lyons Claudius Monerius martyr and there taught children He hearing of y e Lord Presidents comming to the citie went to geue warning to a certain familiar friend of hys and so conducted him out of y t town In returning agayne to comforte the mans wife and children he was taken in hys house and so he confessing that which he knew to be true and standing to that whiche he confessed after muche affliction in prison and doungeons was condemned and burned at Lyons He was noted to be so gentle and milde of conditions and constant withall and also learned that certayne of the Iudges coulde not forbeare weeping at his death The sayd Monerius being in Prison wrote certeine letters but one specially very comfortable to all the faythful which the Lorde willing in y e ende of these histories shal be inserted He wrote also y e questioÌ„s interrogatories of y e Official w t his aunsweres likewise to the same which summarily we haue here contracted as followeth Officiall What beleue you of the Sacrament The Sacrâ—ment is the bodye of Christ in the bread or no The Martyr I worship Iesus Christ in heauen sitting at the right hand of God the Father Officiall What say you by purgatory The Martyr Forsomuch as there is no place of mercy after thys life therefore no neede there is of any purgation but necessary it is that wee be purged before wee passe hence Officiall Supremacie Of the Pope what thinke you The Martyr I say he is a Bishop as other Bishops are if he be a true folower of S. Peter Officiall Vowes What say you of vowes The Martyr No man can vow to God so much but the lawe requireth much more then he can vow Officiall Praying to Saintes Are not Sayntes to be inuocated The Martyr They can not pray without fayth and therfore it is in vayne to call vnto them And againe God hath appoynted his Aungels about vs to minister in our necessities Officiall Is it not good to salute the blessed virgine wyth Aue Maria The Martyr When she was on this earth she had then need of the Aungels greeting for then she had need of saluation as well as other but now she is so blessed that no more blessing can be wished vnto her Officiall Images Are not Images to be had The Martyr For that the nature of man is so prone to Idolatry euer occupyed and fixed in those thinges whych lye before his eies rather then vpon those which are not seene Images therefore are not to be sette before Christians You know nothing is to be adored but that which is not seene with eies that is God alone which is a spirit and him we must worship onely in spirit and truth Officiall What say you by the canonicall or ordinary houres for prayer The Martyr To houres and times prayer ought not to be tied But when so euer Gods spirit doth mooue vs or when any necessity driueth vs theÌ„ ought we to pray Then the Officiall asked what he thought of holy oyle salt with such other like To whome the Martyr aunswered that all these thinges were a meere * Maranatha is an Hebrue word mentioned 1. Cor. l 6. and signifieth curse or malediction to the losse of all that a man hath and thereof commeth Matanismas vid. Nic. Lyr. Renate Poyet martyr Maranismus that is sauoured of the law of MaranoruÌ„ and of the superstition of the Iewes  Renate Poyet At Salmure in Fraunce An. 1552. Renate Poyet the sonne of William Poiet which was Chauncellour of Fraunce for the true and syncere profession of the word of GOD constantly suffered Martyrdome and was burned in the Citty of Salmure an 1552. Ex Crisp.  Iohn Ioyer and his seruant a young man Ioh. Ioyer with his seruaunt martyrs At Tholouse An. 1552. These twoe comming from Geneua to theyr Countrey with certayne bookes were appreheÌ„ded by y e way and at length hadde to Thoulouse Where the mayster was first condemned The seruaunt beyng young was not so prompt to aunswere them but sent them to his mayster saying that he should answer them When they were brought to the stake the yong man first going vp began to weep The mayster fearyng least he would geue ouer ranne to
brother whome he hath seene how can he loue God whome he hath not seene ¶ The 2. proposition ¶ He that loueth his neighbour as himselfe keepeth all the Commaundements of God The second proposition Probation Math. 7. Rom. 13. This proposition is proued Mat. 7. Rom. 13. Whatsoeuer ye would that men should do to you euen so do to them For this is the Law and the Prophets Math. 7. He that loueth his neighbour fulfilleth the Law Thou shalt not commit aduoutry Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not beare false wytnes Thou shalt not desire c. and if there be any other Commaundement all are comprehended in this sayeng Rom. 13. Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Rom. xiij All the Law is fulfilled in one word that is Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Gal. v. Galat. 5. ¶ Argument Bar. He that loueth his neighbour keepeth all the Commaundements of God Maior Rom. 13. Minor ba. He that loueth God loueth his neighbour 1. Iohn 4. Conclus ra Ergo he that loueth God keepeth all the Commaundements of God ¶ The 3. proposition The third proposition Probation Iohn 16. ¶ He that hath fayth loueth God My father loueth you because you loue me and beleeue that I come of God Iohn 16. ¶ Argument Bar. He that keepeth the Commaundements of God hath the loue of God Maior ba. He that hath fayth Minor keepeth the Commaundementes of God ra Ergo he that hath fayth loueth God Conclus ¶ The 4. proposition ¶ He that keepeth one Commaundement of God The 4. proposition Probation Heb. 11. keepeth them all This proposition is confirmed Heb. 11. It is vnpossible for a man without fayth to please God that is to keepe any one of Gods Commaundements as he should do Then whosoeuer keepeth any one Commaundement hath fayth ¶ Argument Bar. He that hath fayth keepeth all the Commaundementes of God Maior ba. He that keepeth any one Commaundement of God hath fayth Minor ra Ergo he that keepeth one Commaundement Conclus keepeth them all The 5. proposition ¶ He that keepeth not all the Commandements of God keepeth not one of them The 5. proposition The law requireth perfecte obedience Enthymema The 6. proposition or assertion ¶ Argument He that keepeth one Commaundemente of God keepeth all Ergo he that keepeth not all the Commaundements of God keepeth not one of them ¶ The 6. proposition ¶ It is not in our power to keepe any one of the Commaundements of God ¶ Argument Ba. It is vnpossible to keepe any of the Commaundements of God without grace Maior ro It is not in our power to haue grace co Ergo it is not in our power Minor to keepe any of the Commandements of God Conclus And euen so may you reason coÌ„cerning the holy Ghost and fayth for so much as neyther without them we are able to keepe any of the Commaundements of God neyther yet be they in our power to haue Non est volentis neque currentis c. Rom. 9. ¶ The 7. proposition ¶ The Law was geuen vs to shew our sinne The 7. proposition The office of the law By the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne Rom. 3. I knew not what sinne meant but thorow the law For I had not knowne what lust had meant except the Lawe had sayde Thou shalt not lust Without the Law sinne was dead that is it moued me not neyther wyst I that it was sinne which notwithstanding was sin and forbidden by the Law Rom. 7. Rom. 7. The 8. proposition ¶ The Law biddeth vs do that thing which is vnpossible for vs. The 8. proposition ¶ Argument Da. Maior The keeping of the Commaundementes is to vs vnpossible â—i Minor The Law commaundeth to vs the keeping of the Commaundements j. Ergo the Law commaundeth vnto vs that is vnpossible Conclus ¶ Obiection But thou wilt say wherefore doth God bid vs do that is impossible for vs. Obiection ☞ Aunswere I aunswere to make thee know that thou art but euill Aunswere The lawe ordayned to bring vs to Christ. that there is no remedy to saue thee in thine owne hand and that thou mayst seeke remedy at some other for the Law doth nothing else but commaund thee ¶ The doctrine of the Gospell THe Gospell is as much to say in our toung Luke 2 as good tidings like as these be heere vnder folowing and such other Christ is the Sauiour of the world Iohn 4. Luke 2 Rom. 5. Rom. 4. 1. Pet. 2 Apoc. 1. Galat. 1. Esay 53. 1. Tim. 1. 1. Iohn 3. 1. Tim. 2. Rom. 8. Coloss. 2. 1. Cor. 7. 1. Cor. 1 1. Cor. 1. Ephe. 2. Christ is the Sauiour Christ dyed for vs. Christ dyed for our sinnes Christ bought vs with his bloud Christ washt vs with his bloud Christ offred himselfe for vs. Christ bare our sinnes on his backe Christ came into this world to saue sinners Christ came into this world to take away our sinnes Christ was the price that was geuen for vs our sinnes Christ was made debtour for vs. Christ hath payd our debt for he dyed for vs. Christ made satisfaction for vs and our sinnes Christ is our righteousnes Christ is our sanctification Christ is our redemption Christ is our peace Christ hath pacified the father of heauen for vs. Christ is our and all his Christ hath deliuered vs from the lawe from the deuill and from hell The father of heauen hath forgeuen vs our sinnes for Christes sake Or any suche other like to the same whyche declare vnto vs the mercy of God The nature and office of the lawe and of the Gospell THe lawe sheweth vs our sinne The Gospell sheweth vs remedy for it Rom. 3. Iohn 1. Rom. 7. Coloss. 1. Rom. 4. Act. 14.20 Deut. 27. Luke 2. Rom. 7. Epi. c. 6. The lawe sheweth vs our condemnation The Gospel sheweth vs our redemption The lawe is the word of Ire The Gospel is the word of grace The lawe is the word of dispaire The Gospell is the worde of comfort The lawe is the word of vnrest The Gospell is the word of peace * A disputation betweene the lawe and the Gospell where is shewed the difference or contrarietie betwene them both THe lawe sayth pay thy dette The contrary operation of the lawe and of the Gospell The Gospel sayth Christ hath paide it The law saith thou art a sinner despaire and thou shalt be damned The Gospell sayeth thy sinnes are forgeuen thee be of good comfort thou shalt be saued The lawe sayth make amends for thy sinnes The Gospel sayth Christ hath made it for thee The lawe saith the father of heauen is angry with thee The Gospell sayeth Christ hath pacified hym wyth hys bloud The lawe sayth where is thy righteousnesse goodnesse and satisfaction The Gospell sayeth Christe is thy
a knotte so fast tyed and folded so many wayes that as the saying was whosoeuer could loose it should haue all Asia So Alexander comming to it when he could not loose it with his haÌ„ds he cutte it a â—uÌ„der with his sworde Gordian knotte would not be loosed at rome he was driueÌ„ against his wil as God would to play the noble Alexander himselfe and with the sword of his princely authority knapt the knot at one stroke clean a sunder loosing as it were with one solutioÌ„ infinite questions For where the Doctours and Canonistes had loÌ„g disputed and yet could neuer throughly discusse the largenes and fulnes of the popes two swordes both temporall and spirituall the king with one sword did so cut of bothe cleane out of England as ye shall see more anone But first the king like a prudent prince before he would come to the head of the sore thought best to pare away such rank fleshe and putrified places as were about it and therefore following his owne prouerbe like as one goyng about to cast downe an olde rotten wall will not beginne with the foundation first but with the stones that lye in the toppe so he to prepare his way better vnto the Pope The kinges proâ—â—uerbe Looke before first beganne with the Cardinall castinge him by the lawe of Premunire out of his goods possessions and so at leÌ„gth by poysoning himselfe he procured his owne death which was in the yeare 1530. Thys done shortly after about the the yeare 1532. the King to prouide by time agaynste mischiefes that might come from Rome gaue foorth eftsoones this proclamation as followeth THe kings highnes straightly chargeth and commandeth that no maner of person what estate degree A restraynte of the king that nothing should be purchased from Rome or condition so euer hee or they be of doe purchase or attempt to purchase from the Court of Rome or els where nor vse and put in executioÌ„ diuulge or publish any thing heretofore wâ—thin this yeare passed purchased or to be purchased heereafter containing matter preiudiciall to the highe authoritie iurisdiction and prerogatiue Royall of thys hys sayde realme or to theÌ„ lette hinderaunce or impeache ment of his graces noble and vertuous intended purposes in the premises vppon paine of incurring his highnes indignation and imprisonment and further punishment of their bodies for their so doing at his graces pleasure to the dreadful exâ—mple of all other After this was done the king then proceeding farther caused the rest of the spirituall Lordes to be called by proces into the kinges benche to make their appearaunce Ex Edw. Hallo for so much as the whole Clergie of Englande in supporting and maintaining the power Legatiue of the Cardinall The whole clergy of England in the Premunire by the reason thereof were all entangled likewise in the Premunire and therefore were called into the kings benche to aunswere But before the day of theyr appearaunce the Prelates together in theyr conuocation concluded among themselues an humble submission in wryting and offered the king for a subsidie or contribution that hee woulde be their good Lord and release them of the Premunire by Act of Parliament first to be gathered in the prouince of Caunterbury a C.M. poundes And in the Prouince of Yorke xviij hundreth and xl pound x. pence The whyche offer with much labour was accepted and their pardon promised The Clergy geueth to the king 11840 pound to be released from the Premunire In this submission the clergie called the kyng supreme head of the Churche of Englande whych thing they neuer confessed before wherupon many things folowed as after God willing ye shall heare But first forsomuch as we are in hand nowe wyth the matter we wil borow by the way a few words of the reader to speake of this clergie money of a 118840. pounds x. pence to be leuied to the king as is aboue touched For the leuying of which summe an order was taken amonge the prelates that euery B. in his Dioces should call before him all the Priestes Parsons Uicars amongst whome D. Stokesley B. of London a man then counted to be of some witte and learning but of litle discretion and humanitie which caused him to be out of the fauour of the common people called before him all the Priestes wythin the Citie of London whether they were Curates or Stipendaries the first day of Sept. being Friday in the Chapter house of S. Paule At which day the priests appeared and the Bishops policie was to haue onely 6. or 8. priestes together and by perswasions to haue caused them to graunt some portion toward the paiment of the foresaid hundreth M. pound But the number of the Priestes was so greate for they were 6. hundreth at the least and with them came many temporall men to heare the matter that the Bishop was disapoynted of his purpose For when the Byshops Officers called in certaine Priests by name into the chapter house The bishops policy with the Priests for payment of the kinges money wyth that a great number entred for they putte the Bishops Officers that kept the doore a side After this the Officers got the dore shut againe Then the Priestes without sayde we will not be kept wythout and our felowes be within we know not what the bishop will do with them The temporal men being present comforted and encouraged the priestes to enter so that by force they opened the doore and one strake the Bishops Officer ouer the face and entred the Chapter house and many teÌ„porall men with them and long it was ere any sileÌ„ce could be made At last wheÌ„ they were appeased the bishop stode vp and sayd Brethren I maruell not a litle why you be so heady and know not what shal be sayd to you therefore I pray you to keepe silence and to heare me paciently My frendes all you knowe well that we be men fraile of condition and no Aungels and by frailtie and lacke of wisedome wee haue misdemeaned oure selfe towarde the king our soueraigne Lord and his lawes The bishops perswasion to the priestes to helpe theÌ„ to pay there forfaite so that all we of the Cleargie were in the Premunire by reason whereof all our promotions landes goodes and cattels were to hym forfaite our bodies ready to be imprisoned yet his grace moued with pitie and compassion demaunded of vs what we could say why he should not extend his lawes vpoÌ„ vs. Then the Fathers of the Cleargye humbly besought hys grace of mercy To whom he aunswered that he was euer enclined to mercy Then for all our great offences we had litle penaunce For where he might by the rigour of hys law haue taken all our liuelode goods and cattels he was contented with one hundreth thousand pounds to be payd in 5. yeres And although that this summe be more then we may easely beare yet by the rigor of his lawes we
this Call vppon me in time of your tribulation and I shal deliuer you Marke howe he sayeth here call vppon me Psal. â—â— God onely to be â—â—â—ted What is 〈◊〉 call 〈◊〉 vpon God Psal 143. appointing neyther S. Thomas ne maister Iohn Shorne Also in an other place The Lorde is nigh vnto them thar call vpon hym that call vpon him truely and with that he sheweth who calleth truely vppon him saying thus He shall do the will or desire of them that reuerenceth him and shall heare graciously their prayer and make them safe for the Lord loueth al that loueth him and all sinners shall be destroyed And thus vsed y e holy prophets Patriarks Apostles other good faithfull people in olde time in al tribulation anguish to resort vnto the head fountain which is of grace infinite as is shewed in other places in this wise Psal. â— Psal. 1â— Psal. 1â—7 In my trouble I called vpon the Lord saith Dauid and he hearde me gratiously when I was troubled I cried vnto the Lorde and he mercifully heard me Also I lift mine eyes vp vnto the mountaines but from whence shall helpe come vnto me Myne helpe quoth he shall come from the Lorde that made both heauen and earth I reade the first of these verses in forme of interrogation folowing saint Augustine which as I remember interpreteth it in this wise If I recite not authorities in all places in the moste perfite forme I would pray you somewhat to pardon me for you know y t I lacke books and haue not them lying by me Notwithstanding I am certain I shal not decline much from him The hylles toward the which Dauid did lift vp his eyes were Saintes and holy men of whom when he could not haue his minde satisfied he turned another way saying from whence shall help come vnto me Anone he remembring himselfe better sued vnto God himselfe of whom incontinent he obteined the accomplishment of his wish and so witnessed the same for our instruction saying God onely is the geuer of helpe and not Saintes Myne helpe is of the Lord or commeth from the Lorde which made heauen and earth This interpretation as neare as I remember is after the minde of Saint Augustine and I suppose verely that it is not contrary vnto the mind of God ne disagreeing with the sequele of Scripture Also in this wise it is reported in the new Testament by authoritie reduced out of the olde where it is written Marke 13. Ioel. 2. Euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued And marke howe cum * That is with a special efficacie for vs to marke more attentiuely energia it is said vpon the name of the Lord without any sending vs either to S. Christopher though he be paynted neuer so stout either to S. Patrickes purgatory in Ireland or to S. Iames in Galicia in the yeare of grace or yet to anye other sainct or place but would vs y t we shuld call vpoÌ„ almighty God and vpon his name for the loue that hee beareth to Christ and is alway our Aduocate before our father to purchase mercy for our sinnes 1. Ioh. 3. August in Iohanneâ— Christ aduocate as well for Saintes and Apostles 〈◊〉 for vs. and not for our sinnes onely quoth S. Iohn who is y e writer of this saying and testimony but also for the sinnes of all the world S. Augustine vppon the same noteth that S. Iohn in that place sayth we haue an Aduocate and that Christ is Aduocate for him like as he is for all other to purchase mercy for him like as hee doth for all other that shall be saued and that Sainct Iohn will not be knowne for our aduocate but that Christ shoulde be taken for Aduocate of all S. Bede as I remember vppon the same maketh as much for this purpose as doth S. Augustine or well more so that by course of scripture we are taught to resort for all ayde and reliefe as I haue sayd vnto the head spring and fountayne of all comfort and mercye Bede vpon S. Iohn as S. Paule calleth him the father of mercies and of all comforte which is readye to comforte vs in all tribulation which as the psalme reporteth healeth all our infirmities and taketh mercy vppon al our iniquities For he is sweete as is sayd in an other place and gentle and many mercies are layd vp for all those that call vpoÌ„ him Yet he sheweth vs no where I trow of benefites that we shall purchase by praying vnto saintes departed and if any person can or will vouchsafe to teach me that by some authoritie of Scripture I woulde thinke my selfe hyghly beholding to him what soeuer hee were eyther great or small young or olde but I weene it cannot be I haue made truely long search yet could I neuer find any such substantiall teaching Howbeit I offer my selfe euer to learne and know that my rude witte foolish youth vnexpert experience and feeble discretion had need of good instruction as much as any other Howbeit I see thaÌ„ked be god that sometime he sheweth some sparcle of light and wisedome to children hiding the same from other that are reputed of higher prudence so that the world thereby many times is brought into admiration seeing suche factes done of God before theyr face and laugh thereat sometime with indignation as the Phariseis did at the blinde man whom Christ had restored to sight where they said to him Thou caitife was borne blinde for thy sinnes Iohn 9. and wilt thou teach vs that are a great multitude of high officers of the temple and Doctours to teach the law As who would say it becommeth ther fullâ—â—ll Yet we ought not to maruell greatly at suche doing for so much as S. Paule 1. Corinthians 1. sheweth of like practise done in his time and that he writeth for the instruction of all ages after ensuing so that it perteyneth like as all the holy Scripture doth as well to our tyme as it did to that it was first written in 1. Cor 1. The doctrine of Christes crosse that is to wit of the new testament is to them that perish foly sayth he but to vs that obtayne thereby saluation incaning thereby to such as beleue it is the might or power of God for it is written sayth he by the Prophet Esay that God aforetime sayd he woulde destroy the wisedome of the wise and the vnderstanding or learning of the learned woulde he throw away and despise This prophecy alleged Paule thought to be authority sufficient to disswade the Corinthians from the foolish affiaunce vayneglory or opinion that they had in men whom they peraduenture euer highly estemed for their offices or solemne titles So that he proceedeth foorth in the same where are ye now quoth he the worldly wise the scribes that is to say 1. Cor. 1. Doctors and such other like officers Hath not god shewed the wisedome of
the world to be foolish vnsauery for after that by the wisedome of God which is shewed in Scripture I suppose the world hath not studied to knowe God The wisedome of this world confounded by wisedome it hath pleased God now to saue them that beleue thorow the foolishnes of preaching He calleth the word of God foolish preaching Why the Gospell is called folish preaching not because it was foolish for afore he called it godly wisedome but he spake after the opinion of theÌ„ that set litle or nought therby esteming it as Esops Cock did the precious stone and as swine do pearles After long proces in the same matter he coÌ„cludeth thus BrethreÌ„ sayth he you see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh are called to the beliefe of the Gospel nor many mighty men ne many of noble parentage but those that beâ— fooles after the estimation of the world hath God chosen to coÌ„found the wise c. Therfore I say as I sayd afore that thankes bee to God albeit I am as I shewed before voyd of such great prudency that other be well endued with yet I see partly how theyr great reasons be not very substantiall wherby they contend by the treaty of reason when authority fayleth theÌ„ to shew that we ought to pray to Sayntes departed for to be Mediators for vs to Christ. And amoÌ„g other this is one that they leaue much vpon bringing it forth so vsually that common people well nigh altogether harpe vpon the same Some fauoring it other contrariwise esteming it of no value The reason is this If wheÌ„ one shuld desire to come to y t speach of our soueraigne to obteine some bowne of hym Obiection to proue inuocation of 〈◊〉 takeÌ„ out of reasoÌ„ neede it were first to purchase the fauour of his Chamberlaines or some like officers to bring him to the kinges presence for els he may watch long in vayne vntill he be full a colde ere that he shall speake with his grace and muche lesse is hee like to obteine his petition In likewise it fareth as they say betwixt God and vs of whom if we should purchase any benefite we must first break vnto the Sayntes departed making them our freÌ„des to go betwext God and vs as Mediatours and Intercessors But such with theyr leaue I would speake it I thinke are deceyued Answere to the obiectioÌ„ wherein is declared that God and an earthly king are not to be conferred in that they resemble God and the king together For though the king be a full gracious Prince as I heare by common reporte he is yet he is not in graciousnesse to be conferred with God and though he were as gracious as might be yet hath he not the knowledge that is in God for God knewe of all thinges before the beginning of the world and is euery where to see not onely our outwarde dealing but also all secret thoughtes of all mens hartes so that he needeth no Mediatours to enforme him of our desires as the king doth neede And he is so full of infinite mercy that I may as lightly or as soone obtein of him that is for my behoofe as I shoulde wynne by praying holy Sayntes to be intercessors to him for me Therfore I passing such apparant reasons take me to the ensample of antiquity No comparison betwene God an earthly king I meane of the Patriarckes Prophets and the Apostles and authority of Scripture which teach that we need not so to feare but may boldly resort vnto Christ hymselfe and his holy Father for so much as he biddeth vs in these wordes and other lyke so for to do saying Come vnto me all ye that trauell are vexed and sore charged Math. 11 and I will refresh and ease you Marke how he biddeth vs to resort vnto himselfe and that without feare The Lord onely to be sought vnto with prayer For he and his father which are all one geueth abouÌ„dantly of all gooddnes vnto all men and vphrayde no body for theyr vnworthinesse But if we entend to obteyne of hym we must all doubtfulnes as I sayd afore put a part with a sure confidence of his mercy aske of him that we woulde haue So y e I leaue vnto other what they lust to doe praying Iesu that we al may lust for that that is most pleasing to him But I thinke concerning my selfe that according to Christes owne coÌ„maundemeÌ„t I may without any doubt casting resort in all encombraunces to seeke ease thereof euen vnto himselfe and to his blessed father Therefore he biddeth vs when we should pray to say after this fashion Our father which arâ— in heauen c. For there is no creature ne creatures that euer were or be that hath more nor so much neither of might God in myghte mercy knowledge incomparable wherby commeth hability to geue helpe ne of mercy and tendernes which should make them willing in proportion agreable with hability ne of knowledge that should teach to minister both the other as is our Lord God which not onely is almighty all mercifull and all wise but also infinite in all these glorious properties Might mercy knowledg how when whom to helpe so that vndoubtedly he can will best knoweth how to relieue and succour vs in all necessity anguish vnto whom be honor without end for euer Amen One thing yet I will shewe you in thys case of whych thing I was once aduertised by a great learned man who as I suppose is nowe liuing I will not name hym least I should perhaps cause any displeasure to be conceyued against him thorough my relation The thing was this The laying of a learned mâ—n I will quoth he pray vnto Saintes but that shall be when I thinke that God either can not Saintes are to be prayed to when God is not able or will not heare vs. or will not geue me my petition But that as I shewed in the conuocation house shall neuer be I hope And therfore it is to me needlesse to seeke any further about standing in such trust and beliefâ— as I hope I haue found vpon Gods sure promise ¶ To the 15. Article where you doe demaund whether the Saints in heauen as Mediatours pray for vs I say Answere to the 15. article that I beleue Saintes in heauen do pray for vs for I suppose they know that all meÌ„ generally liuing vpoÌ„ earth be wrapped in manifolde miseries like as they also were theyr soules being imprisoned within theyr bodyes beyng mortall Albeit I thinke they know not what particular miseries men vpoÌ„ earth be entangled and clogged with Saintes know no particular myseryes on earth as sheweth Augustine or els some other as I thinke rather vnder his name in a certayne worke saying in this wyse Ibi sunt spiritus defunctorum vbi non vident quaecunque aguntur aut eueniunt in ista vita hominum
lawes binding men to the obseruance of them vnder pain of deadly sinne more then hath the king or the Emperour and to say soth I say as I haue said afore I thinke veryly that the Churche was more full of vertue before the Decrees or Decretals were made which is not very long agoe but in the time of Constantine if it be true that is reported in the Decrees Dist. 15. ca Canones generalium then it hath bene sith God repayre it and restore it again to the auncient puritie and perfection In the xxx where you do aske whether I beleeue that the Pope and other prelats and their deputies in spiritual thinges haue power to excommunicate Priestes and laye people that are inobedient and sturdy from entring into y e church and to suspend or let them from ministration of the Sacramentes of the same I thinke that the Pope and other prelates haue power to excommunicate both priests and lay men such as be rebellious against the ordinance of God and disobedient to his law for such are sundred from God afore the prelates do giue sentence by reason of their sinne and contumacie according as it is said in Esay by almighty God Esa. 59. Your sinnes quoth he do make diuision betwixt you and me And the Prelates by right iudgement should pronounce of sinners as they do find them and that is to pronounce such to be excommunicat of God and vnworthy to minister any Sacramentes or to be conuersant with Christen folke that will not amende 1. Cor. 5. For thus biddeth Paul 1. Corinth 5. If any amongest you called a brother shall be a whoremonger or a couetous person or a worshipper of images or Idolles or a rayler or a drunkard or an extortioner see that with such you eate no meate Such ought to bee put out of the Churche and not be suffered to come within it I am not certaine that Prelats haue any such power A doubte whether Prelates haue any such power to exclude any from the church Distin. 1. de consecra Dist. 1. de consecr And though they had I doubt whether charitie shoulde permit them to shew it forth and execute it without singular discretion For in Churches ought the word of God to be declared and preached through the whiche the sturdy comming thither and hearing it might soone be smitten with compunction and repentance and thervpon come to amendement This confirmeth well a lawe made in the Councel of Carthage which is this A Bishop ought to prohibite no person to come into the Church and to heare the word of God whether he be Gentile or Iewe or heretike vntil the masse time of them that are called Catechumini de Conse distinct 1. Moreouer where you speake of Prelates Deputies I thinke suche be but little behoueable to Christes flocke It were necessary and right Byshops deputies not behoueable that as the Prelates themselues wil haue the reuenewes tythes oblations of their benefices they them selues should labour and teache diligently the word of God therefore and not to shift the labor from one vnto an other til all be leaft pitie it is vndone Such doth S. Iohn call Fures latrones Theeues and murtherers although they make neuer so goodly a worldly shew outward and beare a stout porte This I saye that the Pope and other prelates haue power to excommunicate rebels against Gods ordinance and to suspend them froÌ„ receiuing or ministring the sacrament but I am not sure that they haue power to forefend them from out of Churches especially when Gods word is there preached vnles the sinners be so sore desperat that they scorne the same And I would that euery Prelate receauing his liuing of benefices Euery prelat beneficed persoÌ„ ought himselfe to discharg his cure without deputye or vicar should him selfe worke in the same specially in true preaching of Christes doctrine without winding his owne necke out of the yoke charging therwith other called deputies or Uicares Curates and suce lyke For God would haue euery man to get his liuing by sweate of his owne face that is to say by his labour according to his estate and calling And like as euery workeman is worthy his meate so contrariwise they that labour not vnlesse they be let by impotencie are worthy to haue no meate and much lesse to take of those to whom they do no seruice .50 or 40. pounde a yeare for wayting after none other thing then the Moone shining in the water The Canon law maketh clearely with the same Looke in the Decrees Cap. 21. quest 2. Capitulo precipimus and you shall finde plainly as I say ¶ In the xxxj where you aske whether faith only with out good workes may suffice vnto a man fallen into sinne after his Baptisme To the 31. â—â—â—icle 〈◊〉 onely 〈…〉 for his saluation and iustifying I say that it is the vsage of Scripture to say that faith onely doeth iustifie and worke saluation afore a man do any other good works and that is shewed by many authorities both of scripture also of many holy Fathers in a treatise called Vnio dissidentium which I would to Christ as it is in French and other languages we had it truly translated in English 〈…〉 to be 〈◊〉 in Englishe 〈…〉 not a 〈◊〉 iustified 〈◊〉 a iustified man maâ—â—th good workes And truely I do thinke in this matter like as is here shewed by many authorities of holy fathers that a maÌ„ falleÌ„ into sinne after Baptisme shal be saued through faith and haue forgiuenes by Christs passion although he doth no more good deeds therafter as when a maÌ„ hauing short lyfe lacketh leasure to exercise other deeds of mercy Notwithstanding true fayth is of such vertue and nature that when oportunity commeth it can not but work plenteouly deeds of charity which are a testimony and witnes bearers of a mans true faith This declareth S. Augustine vpon Iohn I trowe it is where he expoundtth this text Si diligitis me August in Ioâ—nnem precepta mea seruate If you loue me keepe my commaundementes .. Whereas within a little after he speaketh in this wise Opera bona non faciunt iustum sed iustificatus facit bona opera That is to say good workes make not a iust or righteous man but a man once iustified doth good workes ¶ In the xxxij where you aske whether a Priest marying a wife that without the dispensation of the Pope begetting also children of her without slaunder giuing To the 32. article do sinne deadly I say that he doth not so much offende as those which in Wales as I haue heard say and also in many partes beyoÌ„d the Sea or rather in all places do giue openly dispensations for money to Priestes to take concubines neither doth he offende so much as the purchasers of such dispensations for they on euery hand do clearly coÌ„mit fornication and aduoutry vtterly forefended by Gods law and
may easily be coniectured what these practisers haue likewyse done in the rest Thirdly by one Italian tricke of Polydore Uirgill in our daies An ItaliaÌ„ tricke of Polydore Virgill to burne his bookes which he had gotten into his handes the properties and doinges of all other Italian papists of elder time may partly be coniectured For so I am informed by such as precisely will affirme it to be true y t when Polydore being licensed by the king to viewe and searche all Libraries had once accomplished his storye by the help of such books as he had compiled out of Libraries in y e end when he had taken out what he would like a true factor for y e popes own tooth he piled his bookes together set them al on a light fire For what cause he so did I can not certaynly pronounce but who so considereth well his religion may shrewdly suspect him For a probatioÌ„ wherof this may serue for a sufficient tryall that whereas of all other writers of historyes that haue bene in EnglaÌ„d as of Fabian Lanquer Rastall More Leland Balle Halle such other some of their bookes which they then occupyed yet remayn in hands to be seene Onely of suche books as Polydore vsed and which past his handes what Englishe man is he that hath seene or can shewe me one Whereby it may wel be thought the foresaid information to be true As also by this one Italian tricke of Polydore may other Italians likewise be suspected in making away such Latin books within this land as made not for their purpose But for somuch as those Latine bookes be nâ—w abolished and can not be had let vs returne to our Saxon tongue agayne and see what this Saxon sermon of Elfricus translation doth say for transubstantiation The copy whereof here ensueth ¶ A Sermon translated out of Latin into the Saxon tongue by Aelfricus against Transubstantiation An. 996. In die Sanctae Pascae ¶ The Alphabet of the Saxon tongue ¶ a. b. c. d. d. e. f. f. È g. h. i. l. m. n. o. p. r. r. s. s. t. t u. Æ¿. w. x. y. y. z. z. Abbreuiations AE Ae. Þ. Th. Þ. Th. S. S. Æ¿. W. and. ð. th þ. th This Sermon was vsuall to be read in the Church here in England in the Saxons time An. 366. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same in English A Sermon on Easter day MEn beloued it hathe bene often sayde vnto you about our Sauiours resurrection A Sermon 〈◊〉 Saxon 〈◊〉 into transâ—â—â—ed into Englishe howe hee on this present day after his suffering mightely rose from deathe Nowe will we open vnto you through Gods grace of the holye housell which ye should nowe go vnto and instruct your vnderstanding about this mysterie both after the olde couenaunt and also after the newe that no doubting maye trouble you about thys liuely foode The almightye God bad Moses hys Captaine in the Lande of Egypt to commaund the people of Israel to take to euery family a lamb of one yere old the night they departed out of the countrey to the land of promise and to offer that lambe to God and after to cutte it and to make the ✚ ✚ This signe of the crosse is beside the text but here we must beare with the ignorance of that time Exod. 12. signe of the Crosse wyth the lambes bloud vpon the side postes and the vpper post of theyr doore and afterwarde to eate the Lambes flesh rosted and vnleauened bread with wilde lettisse God sayeth vnto Moyses Eate of the Lambe nothing rawe nor sodden in water but rosted at the fire Eate the heade the feete and the inwardes and lette nothing of it be left vntill the morning if anye thing therof remaine that shall you burne with fire Eate it in this wise Girde your loynes and doe your shoes on your feete haue you staues in your handes and eate it in haste The tyme is the Lordes Passeouer And there was slaine on that night in euery house through oute Pharaos raigne the firste borne childe and Gods people of Israel were deliuered froÌ„ that sodaine death through the Lambes offering his bloudes marking Then sayde God vnto Moyses Keepe this day in your remembraunce and holde it a great feaste in your kindredes wyth a perpetuall obseruation and eate vnleauened breade alwayes seuen dayes at this feaste Exod. 14. After thys deede God led the people of Israel ouer the red Sea with drye foote drowned therein Pharao and all his army together with theyr possessions and fedde afterward the Israelites 40. yeares wyth heauenly foode Exod. 17. and gaue them water out of the hard rocke vntill they came to the promised land Parte of thys storie we haue treated off in an other place partly we shall nowe declare to witte that which belongeth to the holye housell Christen men may not nowe keepe that olde lawe bodely but it behooueth them to knowe what it Ghostlye signifieth That innocent Lambe which the old Israelites did then kil had signification after Ghostly vnderstanding of Christes suffering who vnguiltie shedde his holy bloud for our redemption Hereof sing Gods seruaunts at euery * * This Masse was not theÌ„ 〈◊〉 to these 〈◊〉 Popishe 〈◊〉 blasphemous masâ—es 〈◊〉 Masse Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis That is in our speach Thou Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vppon vs. Those Israelites were deliuered from that sodaine deathe and from Pharaos bondage by the lambes offeryng which signified Christes suffering through which we be deliuered from euerlasting death and from the deuils cruell raigne if we rightly beleue in the true redemer of the whole world Christ the Sauiour That Lambe was offered in the euening and our sauiour suffered in the sixt age of this world This age of this corruptible worlde is reckened vnto the euening They marked with the lambes bloud vppon the doores and the vpper postes * * This Hebrewe letter Thau was not marked for the signe of the crosse but for the word â—orat that 〈◊〉 the law of God the first letter for the whole world Ezech. 9. Thau that is the signe of the crosse and wer so defended from the Angels that killed the Egyptians first borne childe And wee * * That oneâ—y crosse is it wherewith we are marked that S. Paule speaketh of Ephe 2. Christ reconciled both to God 〈◊〉 one body through 〈◊〉 crosse ought to marke our foreheades and our bodies with the token of Christes roode y t we may be also deliuered from destruction when we shal be marked both on forehead and also in heart with the bloude of oure Lordes suffering Those Israelites dyd eate the lambes flesh at their Easter time when they were deliuered and we receiue ghostly Christes body
do vse at their boordes is most commonly by the next day forgotten How Winchester hâ—â—teth for D. Haynes and so it was with me Didst thou neuer quoth the Gentleman talke with him nor with none of thy fellowes of the Masse or of the blessed Sacrament No forsooth quoth he Now forsooth quoth the Gentleman thou liest for thou hast bene sene to talke with Testwood and other of thy fellowes an houre together in the church wheÌ„ honest men haue walked vp and downe beside you as euer they haue drawen neare you ye haue staied your talk till they haue bene past you because they should not heare wherof you talked I deny not quoth he but I haue talked with Testwood and other of my felowes I cannot tel how oft which maketh not that we talked eyther of the Masse or of the sacrament for men may common talke of many matters that they would not y t euery man should heare and yet far from any such thyng therefore it is good to iudge the best Well quoth the Gentleman thou must be playner with my Lord then this or els it wyll bee wrong with thee and that sooner then thou weenest How playne will his Lordship haue me to be Sir quoth he There is nothing that I can do and say with a safe conscieÌ„ce but I am ready to do it at his Lordships pleasure What tellest thou me quoth the gentleman of thy conscieÌ„ce Thou maist with a sate conscience vtter those that be heretikes and so doyng thou canst do God and the king no greater seruice If I knew sir quoth he who were an heretike in deede it were a thing Conscience â—ittle passed 〈◊〉 among 〈…〉 but if I should accuse him to be an heretike that is none what a worme would that be in my conscieÌ„ce so long as I liued yea it were a great deale better for me to be out of this lyfe then to lyue in such torment In faith quoth the Gentleman thou knowst as well who be heretikes of thy fellowes at home and who be none as I doo know this paper to be in my hand but it maketh no matter for they shall al be sent for and examined and thinkest thou that they will not vtter and tell of thee all that they can yes I warrant thee And what a folish dolt art thou that wilt not vtter aforehand what they be seeyng it standeth vpon thy deliueraunce to tell the truth Whatsoeuer quoth he they shall say of me let theÌ„ doe it in the name of God 〈◊〉 here 〈◊〉 of â—â—â—chester for I will say no more of theÌ„ nor of no man els then I know Mary quoth the Gentleman if thou wilt doe so my L. requireth no more And for as much as now peraduenture thy wits are troubled so that thou canst not call things euen by by to remembrance I haue brought thee inke paper that thou mayest excogitate with thy selfe write such things as shal come to thy mynd â—aâ—beck 〈◊〉 to acâ—â—se his brâ—â—â—ren O lord quoth Marbecke what will my L. do Will his lordship compell me to accuse men and wot not whereof No quoth the Gentleman my L. compelleth thee not but gently entreated thee to say the truth Therfore make no more adoe but write for my Lord will haue it so and so layd downe the ynke and paper and went his way Now was Marbecke so full of heauines and wo that he wyst not what to do nor how to set the pen to the booke to satisfie the Byshops mynd Marbecke brought to great distresse vnlesse he did accuse men to the woundyng of his owne soule And thus beyng compassed about with nothing but sorrow and care he cryed out to God in his hart fallyng downe with weping tears and sayd O most mercifull father of heauen thou that knowest the secret doyngs of all men Marbeckes praier vnto God haue mercy vppon thy poore prisoner which is destitute of all helpe and comfort Assist me O Lorde with thy speciall grace that to saue this frayle and vile bodye which shall turne to corruption at his tyme I haue no power to say or to write any thing that may be to the casting awaye of my christen brother but rather O Lord let this vile flesh suffer at thy will and pleasure Grant this O most mercifull father for thy deare sonne Iesus Christes sake Then he rose vp and beganne to search his conscience what he might write and at last framed out these wordes Where as your Lordship will haue me write such thyngs as I knowe of my fellowes at home Marbeckes wordes written in Winchesters paper pleaseth it your lordship to vnderstand that I cannot call to remembraunce any maner of thing whereby I might iustly accuse any one of them vnlesse it be that the readyng of the new testament which is common to all men be an offence more theÌ„ this I know not Now the Gentleman about his houre appointed came agayne and found Marbecke walking vp and downe the chamber How now quoth he hast thou written nothing Winchesters gentleman returneth the third time to Marbecke yes Sir quoth he as much as I know Well sayd quoth the Gentleman and tooke vp the paper Which when hee had read he cast it from him in a great fume swearyng by our lordes body that he would not for xx pound cary it to his L. and maister Therfore quoth he go to it againe and aduise thy selfe better or els thou wilt set my Lord against thee and then art thou vtterly vndone By my troth Sir Well sworne and like a right Papist quoth Marbecke if hys Lordshyppe shall keepe me here these seuen yeares I can say no more then I haue sayde Then wilt thou repent it quoth the Gentleman and so putting vp hys penner and inkehorne departed wyth the paper in hys hand The third examination of Marbecke before the Byshop of Winchester hymselfe in his owne house THe next day which was Wednesday by viij of the clocke in the morning The third examination of Marbeck the bishop sent for Marbecke to his house at S. Mary Oueries and as he was entring into the bishops hall he sawe the bishop himselfe commyng out at a doore in y e vpper end therof with a rolle in his haÌ„d and goyng toward the great wyndow he called the poore man vnto him and sayd Marbecke wilt thou cast awaye thy selfe No my Lord quoth he I trust Yes quoth the B. thou goest about it for thou wilt vtter nothing What a deuill made thee to meddle with the scriptures Thy vocation was an other way wherin thou hast a goodly gyft Christ sayth Scrutamini Scripturas And Winchester sayth the Deuill maketh men to meddle with the Scriptures if thou didst esteeme it Yes my Lord quoth he I doe esteme it and haue done my part therin accordyng to that litle knowlege that God hath geuen me And why the deuill quoth the Byshop
the king seemed not very well to like of their so extreme handlyng of the woman and also graunted to the Lieftenant his pardon willing him to returne and see to hys charge Great expectation was in the meane season among the Warders and other officers of the Tower waiting for his returne Whom when they saw come so cheerefully declaring vnto them how he had sped with the king they were not a little ioyous and gaue thanks to God therfore ¶ Anne Askews aunswer vnto Iohn Lacels letter OH friend most dearely beloued in God I meruaile not a litle what should mooue you to iudge in me so slender a fayth as to feare death which is the ende of all misery in the Lord I desire you not to beleeue of me such wickednes The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Askew to M. Lacel◠〈◊〉 For I doubt it not but God will performe his worke in me like as he hath begun I vnderstand the counsaile is not a little displeased that it should be reported abroad that I was racked in the tower They say now that they did there was but to feare me whereby I perceyue they are ashamed of their vncomely doyngs and feare much least the kings Maiestie should haue information thereof Wherefore they would no man to noyse it Well their crueltye God forgeue them Your hart in Christ Iesu. Farewel and pray The purgation or aunswer of Anne Askew against the false surmises of her recantation I Haue read the processe whiche is reported of them that knowe not the truth to be my recantation An. Askew answering to the false suspicion of her recanting But as the Lord liueth I neuer ment thing lesse then to recant Notwithstanding this I confesse that in my first troubles I was examined of the Bishop of London about the Sacrament Yet had they no graunt yf my mouth but this that I beleeued therein as the word of God did bynd me to beleeue more had they neuer of me Then he made a Copie whiche is nowe in print and required me to set thereunto my hand But I refused it Then my ij sureties did wyll me in no wise to sticke thereat for it was no great matter they sayd Then with much ado at the last I wrote thus I Anne Askew do beleue this if Gods word do agree to the same and the true catholike church Then the B. beyng in great displeasure with me An. Askew falsely suspected to recant and vpon what occasion because I made doubtes in my writing commaunded me to prison where I was a whyle but afterwards by the meanes of frendes I came out againe Here is the truth of that matter And as concerning the thing that ye couet most to know resort to the sixt of Iohn and be ruled always thereby Thus fareye well Anne Askew The confession of the faith which Anne Askew made in Newgate before she suffered I Anne Askew of good memory although my merciful father hath geuen me the bread of aduersitie The confession of An. Askew going to her execution and the water of trouble yet not so muche as my sinnes haue deserued confesse my selfe here a sinner before the throne of hys heauenly maiestie desiring his forgeuenes and mercye And for so much as I am by the law vnrighteously condemned for an euill doer concerning opinions I take y e same most mercifull God of myne which hath made both heauen and earth to record that I hold no opinions contrary to hys most holy word And I trust in my mercifull Lord which is the geuer of all grace that he will graciously assist me agaynst all euill opinions which are contrary to his blessed veritie For I take him to witnes that I haue done wil do vnto my lyues end vtterly abhorre them to the vttermost of my power But this is the heresie which they report me to holde that after the Priest hath spoken the wordes of consecration there remaineth bread still They both say The matter and cause why Anne Askew suffered death also teach it for a necessary article of fayth that after those wordes be once spoken there remayneth no bread but euen the selfe-same body that hoong vpon the crosse on good Friday both fleshe bloud and bone To this belief of theirs say I nay For then were our common Crede false which saith that he sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty from thence shall come to iudge the quicke and dead Loe this is the heresie that I holde and for it must suffer the death But as touâ—hing the holy and blessed supper of the Lord I beleue it to be a most necessary remembraunce of his glorious suffrings and death Moreouer I beleue as much therein as my eternall and onely redeemer Iesus Christ would I should beleue Finally I beleue al those scriptures to be true which he hath confirmed with his most precious bloud Yea as s. Paul saith those scriptures are sufficient for our â—erning saluatioÌ„ that Christ hath left here with vs so that I beleue we nede no vnwritten verities to rule his church w t. Therfore looke what he hath sayd vnto me with his owne mouth in his holy Gospell that haue I with Gods grace closed vp in my hart and my full trust is as Dauid saith that it shal be a lanterne to my footsteps Psal. xxviij There be some do say that I deny the Eucharist or sacrament of thankes geuyng but those people do vntruly report of me For I both say and beleue it that if it wer ordered lyke as Christ instituted it and left it a most singular comfort it were vnto vs all But as coÌ„cerning your masse as it is now vsed in our daies I do say and beleue it to be the most abhominable Idoll that is in the world The Masse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idoll For my God will not be eaten with teeth neyther yet dieth he agayne And vpon these wordes that I haue now spoken wyll I suffer death O Lord I haue mo enemies now then there be haires on my head The prayer of Anne Askew Yet Lord let them neuer ouercome me with vaine words but fight thou Lord in my stead for on thee cast I my care With all the spite they can imagine they fall vpon me which am thy poore creature Yet sweete Lord let me not set by them which are against me for in thee is my whole delight And Lord I hartily desire of thee that thou wilt of thy most mercifull goodnes forgeue them that violence which they do and haue done vnto me Open also thou their blynd hartes that they may hereafter doe that thing in thy sight which is only acceptable before thee and to set forth thy veritie aright without all vaine fantasies of sinnefull men So be it O Lord so be it By me Anne Askew ⧠The order and maner of the burning of Anne Askew Iohn Lacels Iohn Adams Nicholas Belenian with certayne of the Councell
colourably or expresly priuily or apertly either in their houses or in other publike or priuate places to read hold preach print publishe or defend eyther by themselues or by others but straight wayes after the publishing hereof they doe burne or cause to be burned the sayd errors by their Ordinaries diligeÌ„tly beyng searched out and solemnely presented in the sight of the whole Clergy of the people vnder all and singular the penalties aforesayd Now as touching the sayd Martin O good lord what haue we left * * Let vs see here what ye haue not done Fyrst Luther gently submitted himseâ—fe but you reiected him He then referred him to the iudgement of 4. Vniuersiâ—ies in Germâ—nye it would not be taken he then appealed froÌ„ the Cardinal to the Pope the Pope refused himâ— then he appealed from the Pope to the Councell neyther did the pope admit that he required to be conuinced by the Scriptures the Pope neyther would nor could so do And yet the Pope sayeth he left nothing vndone vndone what haue we left vnattempted what fatherly charitie haue we not shewed whereby to haue reduced him from these errours For after that wee did cite hym thinking to proceed with him more fauourably we inuited and exhorted him as well by diuers tractations had with our Legate as by our owne letters that he would relinquish the foresayd errors or els hauing safe conduct offred to him with money necessary for his iourney to come to vs without any feare or dread which perfect charitie ought to cast out and so after the example of our sauiour and his Apostle S. Paule he would speake not in corners and in secret but openly to our face Which if he had done of truth we thinke no lesse but that reformyng himselfe he would haue recognised his errors neyther should haue found so many faults in y e court of Rome which he beyng seduced with the rumours of malitious people more theÌ„ he ought doth so much reprehend Where we would haue taught him to see more clearely then the light day that the holy fathers of Rome our predecessors whome he without all modestie most iniuriously doth rayle vpon did neuer erre in their Canons and constitutions which he so much depraueth For as saith the prophet Neither is there Rosine or Phisition lacking in Galaao But he hath alwayes shewed himselfe disobedient and refused at our Citation to appeare and yet to this present day continuing still in hys stubburne mynd and heart indurate hath remayned now more then a yeare vnder our curse yea moreouer adding mischiefe to mischief which is worst of all he hearing of this our Citation burst out into a presumptuous appellation from vs vnto the next generall Councell Ierem. 8. against the constitution both of Pope Pius the second and Pope Iulius the second our predecessours which so decreed that all they which so did appeale Here note good reader that Luther appealed froÌ„ the pope to the Councell two yeares before this Bull which was an 1518. should be punished as heretikes In vayne also he seeketh refuge to the generall Councell which professeth himselfe not greatly to regard such couÌ„cels So that now we might lawfully proceed against hym as against one notoriously suspected of his fayth yea a very heretike in deed without any further citation or delay to the condemnation of him as of an heretike and to the seueritie of all and singuler paynes and censures afore written Yet we notwithstandyng by the counsell of our brethren aforesayd following the clemencie of almighty God which wyll not the death of a sinner but rather that hee should conuert and lyue and forgetting all iniuries heretofore done vnto vs and to the See apostolike haue thoght good to vse all fauourable meanes toward hym that wee might and so to worke as much as in vs lyeth that he by this way of mansuetude might be brought to reformation so that he forsaking hys former errours might be receiued as the lost chyld and returne home againe into the lap of his mother the Church Wherfore in most harty wise we exhort and beseech the said Martin and all his adherents receiuers and fautors by the bowels of the mercy of our God The Popes exhortation to Luther and by the sprinklyng of the bloud of our Lord Iesu Christ in whome and by whom is made the redemption of mankind and the edification of holy mother church that they will cease to disturbe the peace vnitie and veritie of the said Church for the which our sauior so instantly prayed to his father and that they will absteine from such pernicious errors aforesaid Who in so doyng shall find with vs if they shal obey or shall certifie vs by lawfull witnesses to haue obeied effectually herein the affection of fatherly charitie and a ful fountayne opened of all mercy and clemencie willing and charging the said Martine notwithstanding from henceforth that he vtterly desist in the meane time from all preachyng and office of preaching Or els if the loue of Iustice and vertue shall not restraine the said Martin from sinne neither the hope of our pardon shall reduce hym to repentaunce to the intent that the terror of punishment and of discipline may bridle him we require and admonish y e said Martin and his adherents abbettors fautors and receyuers by the tenor hereof in the veritie of holy obedience vnder incurring all the penalties aforesaid districtly charging and commaunding that within fourty days whereof twenty we assign for the first twenty for the second and the other twenty for the third peremptory terme immediately following after the settyng vp of these present letters The Pope threatneth M. Luther with punishment that the sayd Martin his abettors fautors adhereÌ„ts and receiuers aforesayd do surcease from the foresayd errors and from the preching publishing mainteining and defending of the same also from settyng out of booke or scriptures vpon the said errors or any of them furthermore that they burne or cause to be burned all and singular such bookes and scriptures as containe the foresaid errors or any of them by any maner of way Also that the said Martin doe vtterly reuoke those errors and assertions and so to certifie vs of the reuokyng thereof by publike testimonie in due forme of lawe signed by the handes of two prelates to be sent vnto vs within the terme of other like xl daies or els to be brought by him vnto vs if he himselfe will come which would please vs much rather with a full safeconduct aboue mentioned which from henceforth we are content to offer vnto hym to the entent that no scruple of doubt touching hys true obedience The Popes safe conduct to Luther offered should hereafter remayne Contrarywise if the said Martin which God defend his abettors fautors adherents and mainteiners aforesaid shal otherwise do or shal not fulfill to euery effect and purpose all and singuler the premisses within the terme
pulled it vp agayne with violence so plucking it too and fro through the meate pipe in suche sorte as with muche lesse griefe they might haue ridde him out of his life at once Thus at the last when all tormentes and tormenters were weeried and that it did nothing at all preuaile to go this way to worke they asked him whether he did not repent his wicked and seditious deede As touching the deede aunswered that it was so farre off that he did repent that if it were to do againe he thought he should do the same But as touching the maner of the deede he was not a little sory that it was done in the Kings presence to the disquietnes of his minde Howbeit that was not to be imputed vnto him which neither enterprised or thought vpon any such matter Williaâ— Gardiâ—â—â— not 〈…〉 but rather to be ascribed vnto the King in that he hauing power woulde not prohibite so great Idolatry vsed among his people This he spake with great feruencie After they had vsed all kynde of torments and saw thâ—t there could nothing more be gathered of him and also that through his woundes and paynes he could not long liue they brought him three dayes after to execution And first of all The right hand of W. Gardiner 〈◊〉 of in the 〈◊〉 The left 〈◊〉 of W. Gardiner cut of in the Market place bringing him into the Uestry cut off his right hand which he taking vp with his left haÌ„d kissed Then he was brought into the market place wheras his other hand also was cut off which he kneeling downe vpon the grounde also kissed These things thus done after the manner and fashion of Spaine his armes being bound behinde him his feete vnder the horse bellye hee was caried to the place of execution ⧠The order and manner of the cruell handlinge of William Gardiner an English Merchaunt tormented and burned in Portugall in the cause of God and of his truthe There was in that place a certaine engine froÌ„ the which a great rope comming downe by a pulley The wretched cruelâ—â— of the â—ortugals in 〈◊〉 a Christian Martyr was fastened about the middle of this Christian Martyr which first pulled him vp Then was there a great pile of woode sette on fire vnderneath him into the which he was by little little let downe not with the whole body but so that his fete only felt the fire Then he was hoised vp and so let downe againe into the fire and thus oftentimes pulled vppe and downe In which great torment for al that he continued w t a constant spirite and the more terribly he burned y e more vehemently he prayed At the last when his feete were consumed the tormentors asked him whether hee did not yet repent hym of his deede William Gardiner at 〈◊〉 burning 〈…〉 and exhorted him to call vppon oure Ladie and the Saintes Wherunto he answered that as he had done nothing whereof hee did repent him so hee had the lesse neede of the helpe of our Lady or any other Sainte and what externall torments so euer they vsed the truthe he sayde remaineth alwaies one and like vnto it selfe the which as he had before confessed in his life so would he not nowe denie it in his death desiring them to leaue of such vanities and follie For when as Christ did cease any more to be our aduocate then he would pray to our lady to be his aduocate W. Gardiner would not pray to our Lady so long as he had Christ to be his aduocate The prayer of W. Gardiner out of the 43. Psalme and sayd O eternall God father of all mercies I beseeche thee looke downe vpon thy seruant c. And when as they sought by all meanes possible to stoppe his praying and praising God in this sorte he cried out with a loude voyce rehearsing the 43. Psalme Iudica me Deus discerne causam meam de gente non sancta Iudge me O God and defende my cause against the vnmercifull people He was not come vnto the latter ending of the Psalme when as they pulling him vp and downe in the fire for the more torment the rope being burnt a sonder he fel downe in the midst therof wheras geuing his body for a sacrifice hee chaunged his temporall paines for perpetuall rest and quietnesse Thus it seemed good in the sighte of God by this Messenger to prouoke the Portugales to y e sincere knowledge of him and therfore they ought the more to haue acknowledged the great loue kindnesse of God offred vnto them and also the more to be mindefull of their owne duetie and thankefulnesse towardes him And if it be so great an offence to violate the ordinaunces of mans lawe and to contemne the Ambassadours of Kyngs and Princes lette the Portugalles and all other looke well vnto it A lesson for the Portugales what it is so cruelly to handle the heauenly messenger of the high God Neither was this their cruelty altogether vnreuenged by the mighty hand of God The iust hand of God vpon persecuters when as not onely the very same night amongst diuers of the kings ships which were in y e next hauen ready to saile one was burned being set on fire by a sparcle of Gardiners fire driuen thether w t the winde but also y e kings sonne which then was maried died within halfe a yere It is reported that that sparcle lighted amoÌ„gest gunpouder and the next yere after the King himselfe also died and so both within one yeare after the tormenting of this blessed Martyr Thus the body of the sayd Gardiner being consumed yet the rage fury of the common people so ceased not but they were as cruell against him being deade as they were when he was aliue and with their tongues tormeÌ„ted this Martyr when they could doe no more with their handes yea for very madnes they would scarse tarry vntil he were burned but euery man as they could catch any pece of him halfe burned threwe it into the sea Thys Sacrifice thus ended the Cleargie to pacifie Gods wrath which they feared The blind and miserable cruelty of the Portugals agaynst a poore Englishe man A Popeholy fast for pacefying the wrath of theyr God of the Altar for the violating of theyr aultar appoynted a solemne fast of certaine dayes for penaunce to purge that facte which facte rather shoulde haue taught them to purge them selues and to put awaye theyr filthy Idolatrie and much rather they shoulde haue fasted repented for that their extreeme cruelty they had shewed vnto the liuely member of Christ. Albeit this death of William Gardiner seemeth to haue profited very many of them litle or nothing yet for all that there are some as I haue hearde diuers reporte oute of whose mindes the remembraunce of this constant Martir can neuer be pulled and is so freshe yet amongest them as if it were nowe lately
✚ sanctifiest thou quickenest thou ✚ blessest and geuest vnto vs. Here let him w t â—couer the chalice and make a signe of the crosse with the host fiue times first beyond the chalice on euery side secondly eauen with the chalice thirdly within the chalice fourthly like as at the first Fifthly before the chalice Thorow ✚ him and with ✚ him and in him is vnto thee God father ✚ almighty in the vnitie of the ✚ holy Ghost all honour and glory Here let the Priest couer the chalice and holde hys handes still vppon the altar till the pater noster be spoken saying thus Worlde without ende Amen Let vs praye Being aduertised by holsome preceptes and taught by Gods institution we are bold to say Heere let the Deacon take the paten and holde it vncouered on the right syde of the Priest hys arme beeyng stretched out an high vntill da propitius Heere let the Priest lift vp his hands saying pater noster c. The quire must say Sed libera nos c. Deliuer vs we beseeche thee O Lorde from all euill past present and for to come and that by the intercession of the blessed glorious and our virgin Mary the mother of God and thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and Andrew with all Saincts Heere let the Deacon commit the patten to the Priest kissing hys hande and let the Priest kisse the patten Afterward let him put it to his left eye and then to the right After that let him make a crosse with the paten aboue vpon his head and so lay it downe againe into hys place sayeng geue peace graciously in our dayes that we being helped through the succour of thy mercy may both be alway free from sinne and safe from all trouble Heere let him vncouer the chalice and take the body doing reuerence shifting it ouer in the holow roome of the chalice holding it betweene his thombes and forefingers and let him breake it into three partes the first breaking while there is sayd Through the same our Lord Iesus Christ thy Sonne The second breaking Who with thee in the vnity of the holy Ghost liueth and reigneth God Heere let him hold two peeces in his left hand and the third peece in the right hand vpon the brinke of the chalice sayeng this with open voice World without ende Let the quire answere Amen Heere let him make three crosses within the chalice with the thirde parte of the hoste saying The peace of the Lord ✚ be alwayes ✚ with ✚ you Let the quire answere And with thy spirite To saye Agnus dei let the Deacon and subdeacon approch neere vnto the Priest both being on the right hande the Deacon neerer the subdeacon farther off And let them say priuately O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world graunt vs peace In Masses for the dead it is sayd thus O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world geue them rest With this addition in the third repetition Euerlasting Heere making a crosse let him put downe the said third part of the hoste into the sacrament of the bloud sayeng This holy mingling together of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesu Christ be vnto me and to all that receiue it saluation of mind and body an holesome preparation both to deserue and to receiue eternall life through the same Christ our Lord. Afore the Paxe be geuen let the Priest say O Lord holy father almighty eternall God graunt me so woorthily to take this holy body and bloud of thy Sonne our Lord Iesu Christ that by this I may merite to receyue forgeuenesse of all my synnes and be replenished wyth thy holy spirite and to haue thy peace for thou art GOD alone neyther is there anye other without thee whose glorious kingdome and Empyre endureth continuallye worlde without ende Amen Heere let the Priest kisse the corporas on the right side and the brinke of the chalice and afterwarde let hym say to the Deacon Peace be vnto thee and to the Church of God Aunswere And with thy spirite On the right hand of the Priest let the Deacon receaue the pax of him and reach it to the subdeacon Then to the step of the quere let the Deacon himselfe beare the pax vnto the rectors of the quere And let them bring it to the quere eyther of them to his owne side beginning at the eldest But in feastes and feriall dayes when the quere is not gouerned the pax is borne from the deacon vnto the quere by two of the lowest of the seconde forme like as afore After the pax geuen let the Priest say the prayers folowing priuately before he communicate holding the hoste (c) â—or falling with both his hands O God father thou fountaine originall of all goodnesse who being moued with mercye haste willed thine onely-begotten sonne for our sakes to descende into the lower partes of the worlde and to be incarnate whom I (d) Holde him fast Whyle ye haue him in your handes lest he flye from you as lyke he wil if ye mocke with him to much vnworthy hold in my handes Here let the priest bowe (e) Why notâ— if it be his maker him selfe to the hoost saying I worshippe thee I glorifie thee I prayse thee wyth whole intention of mind and hart And I beseech thee that thou (f) If it faâ—â—e your kitchen wil be the colder faile not vs thy seruauntes but forgeue our sinnes so as with pure hart and chaste body wee may be able to serue thee (g) Note that the priest speaketh all this to the host whereby it is euident how horribly they abuse Gods creatures the onely liuing and true God through the same Christ our Lord. Amen O Lord Iesu Christ thou sonne of y e liuing God who according to the will of the father the holy Ghost working with all hast quickened the world through thy death Deliuer me I beseeche thee through this thy holy body and this thy bloude from all my iniquities and from all euils And make me alway obey thy commaundements and neuer suffer me to be seperated from thee for euermore thou Sauiour of the worlde Who with God the father and the same holy Ghost liuest and raignest God worlde without end Amen O Lord Iesu Christ let not the sacrameÌ„t of thy body bloud which I receiue though vnworthy be to my iudgment and damnation but thorow thy goodnes let it profite to the saluation of my body and soule Amen To the body let him say with humilation afore he receaue Haile for euermore thou most holy (a) that neuer was borne of our Ladye flesh of Christ vnto mee afore all
Suffolke with his brethren departed from his house at Shene and tooke hys voyage into Leycester shyre After whome was sent the Earle of Huntington to take hym and bring hym to London who proclaimed the said Duke traytor by the way as he râ—ade As touching the rising of master Wyate with Syr W. Cobham and others in Kent and there comming to London in the moneth of Februarie also of the Queenes comming to the Guilde Hall and her Oration there made and after of the taking of the said Wyat and his company likewise of the apprehension of the Duke of Suffolke with his brother Lord Iohn Gray and the next day after of beheading of Lord Gildford and Lady Iane which was the 12. day of February and how the day before which was 11. of the sayd moneth Lord William Haward and sir Edwarde Hastings were sent for the Ladie Elizabeth and how the same Sonday Syr Harrye Iseley M. Culpeper The Lady Elizabeth sent for The byshoâ— of Winchâ—â—ster preacheth and M. Winter were committed to the Tower the B. of Winchester the same daye being the 11. of Februarie preaching before the Queene and perswading her to vse no mercy towarde these Kentishmen but seuere execution all whyche was in the moneth of February because most of these matters haue bene briefly touched before or els may be founde in other Chronicles I wil cease to make any further story of them hauing somwhat notwithstanding to declare touching the rainment and death of the Duke of Suffolke Uppon Saterday beinge the 17. day of Februarye the Duke of Suffolke was arraigned at Westminster and the same day condemned to die by his Peres the Earle Arundel was chiefe Iudge for this day The Duke of Suffolke arraigned Uppon the Sonday following which was the 18. day of the sayd moneth Sessions was kept in London whych hath not before bene sene to be kept vpon the Sonday Upon the monday the 19. of Februarie the Lord Cobhams 3. sonnes and 4. other men were arraigned at Westminster of whiche sonnes the youngest was condemned whose name is Thomas and the other two came not at the barre and the other 4. were condemned Upon the Tuesday being the 20. of February The Lord Iohn Graâ— arraygned the Lord Iohn Gray was araigned at Westminster and there condemned the same day and other 3. men whereof one was named Nailer Upon the Wedensday the 21. of Februarie the L. Thomas Gray and sir Iames Croft were broughte throughe London to the Tower with a number of horsemen Sir Nicholas Throgmorton committed to the Tower Upon the Thursday being the 22. of Februarie syr Nicholas Throgmorton was committed to the Tower Uppon the Friday being the 23. of Februarie 1554. the Duke of Suffolke was beheaded at the Tower hil the order of whose death heere followeth The godly ende and death of the Duke of Suffolke beheaded at Tower hil An. 1554. Febr. 23. ON Friday the 23. of February 1554. about 9. of y e clocke in the fore noone the Lorde Henrie Gray duke of Suffolke was broughte foorth of the Tower of London vnto the Scaffolde on the Tower hill The order and maner of the Duke of Suffolkes death D. Weston the Duke Ghostly â—â—ther agaiâ—â—â— the Dukeâ— will Weston 〈◊〉 back by the Dukes 〈◊〉 The word of the Duâ—â— to the people wyth a greate company c. and in his comming thither there accompanied him Doctor Weston as his Ghostly father notwythstanding as it should seeme against the will of the sayde Duke For when the Duke went vp to the Scaffolde the sayd Weston being on his left hand preased to goe vp wyth hym The Duke with his hand put him downe againe of the staires and Weston taking holde of the Duke forced hym downe likewise And as they ascended the second time the Duke againe put him downe Then Weston sayde that it was the Queenes pleasure he shoulde so doe Wherewyth the Duke casting hys handes abroade ascended vppe the Scaffolde and paused a pretie while after And then he sayde Maisters I haue offended the Queene and her lawes and thereby am iustly condemned to die and am willing to die desiring all men to be obedient and I praye God that thys my death may be an ensample to all men The godly fayth and confession of the Duâ—â— at his deaâ—â— beseeching you all to beare mee witnesse that I die in the faithe of Christe trusting to bee saued by his bloude onely and by no other trumperie the whych died for me and for all them that truely repent and stedfastly trust in him And I do repent desiring you all to pray to God for me that when you see my breathe departe froÌ„ me you wil pray to God that he may receiue my soule And then he desired all men to forgeue him saying that the Queene had forgeuen him Then M. Weston declared with a loude voyce that the Queenes Maiestie had forgiuen him With that diuers of the standers by said with meetely good and audible voice such forgiuenes God send thee meaning Doctor Weston Then the Duke kneeled downe vpon his knees and sayd the Psalme Miserere mei Deus vnto the end holding vp his hands and looking vp to heauen And when he had ended the Psalme The Duke 〈◊〉 he sayd In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum c. Then he arose and stoode vp and deliuered his cap and his skarffe vnto the executioner Then the sayd executioner kneeled downe and asked the Duke forgiuenes And the Duke sayd God forgiue thee I do when thou doest thine office I pray thee do it wel and bring me out of this world quickly The Duke 〈…〉 and God haue mercy to thee Then stood there a man and sayd my Lord how shal I do for the money that you do owe me And the Duke sayd alas good felow I pray thee trouble mee not now but go thy way to my officers Then he knit a kercher about his face and kneeled downe and said Our father which art in heauen c. vnto the ende And then he saide Christ haue mercy vpon me The end of the Duke of Sufolke and layd downe his head on the blocke and the executioner tooke the Axe and at the first chop stroke off his head and held it vp to y e people c. The same day a number of prisoners had their pardon and came through the Citie with their halters about theyr neckes They were in * The number of these are 240. which with 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 passed through 〈◊〉 citty to Wâ—stminster and had their pardon Priestes diuorced number about two hundreth Upon the Saterday the 24. of February Syr William Sentlow was committed as prisoner to the maister of the horse to be kept This Syr William was at this time one of the Lady Elizabeths Gentlemen Upon the Sonday beeing 25. of February Syr Iohn Rogers was committed to the Tower In this weeke all suche Priestes
vs notwythstanding when they were charged therewithall they aunsweared Obedire oportet Deo magis quam hominibus that is we ought more to obey God then man euen so we may and doe answere you God is more to be obeyed then maÌ„ your wicked lawes can not so tongue tie vs but we will speake the truthe The Apostles were beaten for theyr boldnesse and they reioyced that they suffered for Christes cause Yee haue also prouided roddes for vs and bloudy whippes yet when ye haue done that whiche Goddes hande and Counsell hathe determined that yee shall doe be it life or deathe I truste that God wil so assist vs by his holy spirite and grace that wee shall paciently suffer it praise God for it and whatsoeuer become of mee and others whiche nowe suffer for speaking and professing of the truthe yet be yee sure that Goddes woorde will preuaile and haue the ouer hande when youre bloudy lawes and wicked decrees for want of sure foundation shall fal in the dust and that which I haue spoken of your Actes of Parliament the same may be sayd of the generall Councels of these latter dayes whych haue bene wythin these fiue hundreth yeares where as the Antichrist of Rome by reason of hys vsurped authority ruled the roaste and decreed suche things as made for his gaine not regarding Goddes glorye and therefore are they to be spoken wrytten and cried against of all such as fear God and loue hys truthe And thus muche I purposed to haue sayde concerning the first poynte Nowe touching the second poynte That where as my Lorde Chauncellour hadde the daye before sayde hys pleasure of them that ruled the Realme while hee was in prysone and also reioyced as though God hadde make this alteration euen for his sake and his Catholike Churche as hee calleth it and to declare as it were by myracle that we were before in a Schisme and Heresie and the Realme was nowe brought to an vnitie and to a trueth and I can not tell whereto Thereto was I fully purposed to haue sayde Secondlye my Lorde where as yee yesterdaye so highly dispraised the gouernment of them that ruled in innocent King Edwardes dayes it maye please your Lordshippe to vnderstande that wee poore Preachers whome yee so euill allowe did moste boldly and plainely rebuke theyr euill gouernaunce in manye things speciallye theyr couetousnesse and neglecte and small regarde to liue after the Gospell as also theyr negligence to occasion other to liue thereafter wyth mo things then I can now rehearse Thys can all London testifie wyth vs I would also haue tolde hym what I my selfe for my parte did once at Pauls Crosse concerning the misuse of Abbeys and other church goodes and I am assured right well that neuer a Papiste of them all did euer so much therein as I did I thanke the Lorde therefore I was also as it is well knowen faine to aunsweare therefore before all the Counsell and manye of my brethren did the like so that wee for the not rebuking of theyr faultes shall not aunsweare before God nor be blame worthy before menne Therefore lette the Gentlemen and the Courtiers them selues and all the Citizens of London testifie what we did But my Lord you could not abide them for that which they did vnto you and for that they were of a contrary Religion vnto you Whereâ—ore in that you seeme so infest against them it is neither any iust or publique cause but it is your owne priuate hate that maketh you to reporte so euill of their gouernaunce And yee may now say what yee list of them when they be partely dead and gone and partly by you put out of office But what shal be sayde of you when your fall shall folowe yee shall then heare And I muste say my conscience to you I feare me ye haue and wil with your gouernance bring England out of Gods blessing into a warme sunne I pray God you doe not I am an Englishe manne borne and God knoweth doe naturally wishe well to my Countrey And my Lorde I haue often prooued that the thyngs which I haue much feared afore hande shoulde come to passe haue in deede followed I praye God I may faile of my gessing in thys behalfe but truely that will not be wyth expellyng the true woorde of God out of the Realme and wyth sheading of innocent bloude And as touching your reioycing as thoughe God had sette you alofte to punishe vs by myracle for so you reporte and bragge openly of yourselfe and to minister Iustice if wee will not receaue youre holye fathers mercye and thereby to declare youre churche to be true and oures false to that I aunsweare thus Goddes workes be wonderful are not to be compreheÌ„ded and perceiued by maÌ„s wisedome not by the witte of the moste wise and prudent Yea they are soonest deceiued and doe moste easely iudge amisse of Goddes wonderfull woorkes that are moste worldly wise God hathe made all the wisedome of thys worlde foolishnesse first Corrinthians the firste and the seconde Chapter Dedit dilectam animam suam in manus inimicorum eius Hierem. xij That is Hee doeth putte his beloued and deare heart into the handes of the ennemies thereof Thys thing doeth God whiche thing all wise menne accompte to be the moste foolish and vnwise parte that can be Will the wise of the worlde trowe ye putte their most deare frendes and tenderly beloued children into their enmies handes to kill slaye burne c. that is vnto them a madnesse aboue all madnesse And yet doeth God vse thys order and thys is an highe and singular wisedome in his syght which the world taketh to be most extreme madnes Canne the worlde shewe a cause whye hee suffered the greate multitude of innocente children to be murthered of Herode of Ascalon or why he putte that moste holy man Iohn Baptiste into the handes of Herode hys sonne to be headed and that in prisone secreatly wythout open iudgement moste tyrannously Whye he suffered hys beloued Apostle Iames to be beheaded of another Herode Acts 12 Whye he suffered his beloued seede of Abraham Isaac and Iacob to be foure hundred yeares in thraldome and bondage and vnder Pharao And all the stocke of Iuda and Beniamin hys beloued children and Churche to come vnder the power sweard and tyrannie of Nabuchodonosor No verely but hys true Catholicke Churche knoweth diuers causes heereof whyche are nowe too long to reherse and whych I would right gladly shew if I had time But this I am righte sure off that it was not because that the aforesayd Godly menne were in heresies and subiecte to false gods seruices and Idolatrie and that theyr aduersaries were men of God and beloued of God The contrarye was true Ihon Baptist was beloued of God and Herode hated and so foorth of the rest and Iohn Baptist the innocent children Iames the Children of Israel in Egypte and in Babylon were the catholike members and
people of God and theyr aduersaries into whose handes they were putte and deliuered and that of GOD and by hys good will and pleasure were Idolatrers and the people of the Deuill but they woulde be called the chiefe members of God and reioyced that they hadde the true God and that it was nowe declared by myracle that the Israelites hadde but a false God and a false religion seeing they were deliuered into the Babylonians handes And all the other the Herodes and Pharao I meane plainely determined that if the menne whiche they killed and handled euil hadde bene Goddes people God would neuer haue suffered them to come into their hands but rather haue done the contrarye and haue lette Iohn Baptist kill Herode and the Israelites Pharao and Nabuchodonosor Euen the like is nowe to be seene in vs and in our most cruell aduersaries They are not therfore the catholike Church because our merciful God hath at this present geueÌ„ our liues into their handes neyther are wee therefore heretickes because wee suffer punishment at theyr handes as the Lord Chauncellour by hys reioycing seemeth to gather the contrarye is hereby to be gathered that we be the members of the true Catholike church because wee suffer for the same Doctrine which Iohn Baptiste Iames the Israelites yea Christe the Apostles did teache of which none taught any thing of oure aduersaries doctrine namely that the rotten Antichristian heade of Rome shoulde be the heade of Christes church But they haue manifestly taught the contrary specially Paule 2. to the Thessalonians the 2. chapter Iohn in the Apocalipse Dan. 11. which thing if I might haue life and Bookes I would so by Gods grace set foorth that all the world should see it and that our aduersaries with their Antichristian head are the members of the Deuils church as they vndoubtedly are And in like case as the aboue meÌ„tioned holy men though they in their dayes were counted to be heretickes seditious and disturbers of the whole worlde for vnto Iohn Baptiste it was sayde Iohn 1. Wherefore baptisest thou if thou be not Helias nor that Prophet c. As who saye thou haste no such authoritie to beginne a newe Ceremonie in the Churche For we be in ordinarie possession of the churche and of vs thou haste receiued no such power We abide by our circumcision and the like coulde I declare of Iames and of all the Apostles and Prophetes and of our Sauiour Christe him selfe that were all condemned as heretickes blasphemers of God and disturbers of the whole world Paule and Silas Act. 16. heard like woordes of the Philippians these men trouble our Citie seeing they are Iewes and preache institutions whych are not lawful for vs to receiue seeing we be Romaines And in 17. In Athens the wise menne of this world suche as gaue their endeuour to wisedom said by S. Paule Quid vult spermologus hic dicere That is What will this prater as my Lord Chancelour sayd to me shall we suffer this felow to prate wheÌ„ I would faine haue sayd that thyng that I haue heere wrytten trifler newes caryer or â—ringer that telleth what so euer men will haue him for gaine and aduauntage that will for a piece of bread say what yee will haue hym c. And an other sayd in the same place hee seemeth to be a preacher of newe Deuelles c. And Actes 21. The Iewes say by Paule laying handes on hym helpe O yee Israelites saye they this is the manne that teacheth all men euery where against the people meaning the Iewes and the law and this place meaning Ierusalem and yet was neuer a woorde of these true And Actes 22. the same Iewes sayde of Paule out of the earthe wyth that man or away wyth him For it is not lawfull for him to liue or he is not woorthy to liue And howe many moe of these examples are to be found in the Bible Although I say these men were in their dayes taken for heretickes of them that were then in authoritye and of the great multitude of the worlde yet it is nowe wel knowen yea and very shortly after their deathes this was known yea and euen in theyr liues also vnto the true Catholicke Churche that they were not onely the chiefe and speciall members of the true Catholicke Churche but also the founders and builders thereof notwithstanding the sinister iudgement that the wise and mighty menne and the great multitude of the worlde hadde of them and in theyr consciences they were alwayes assuredlye certified of the same Euen the same shall the world find true in vs shortlye after oure deathes as also there be at thys houre the Lorde be thanked therefore not a fewe that already know it as we our selues also are by Gods grace assuredly certified in our consciences that we are no heretikes but members of the true catholike church and that our aduersaries the bishops and popish cleargie which wil haue that title are the members of Sathans churche and theyr Antichristian head of Rome wyth them But here they wil crie out loe these men wil be stil like Iohn Baptist the Apostles and the Prophets c. I answere we make not our selues like vnto them in the singular vertues and giftes of God geuen vnto them as of miracles doing and of many other things The similitude and likenesse of them and vs consisteth not in all things but only in this that is that we be like them in doctrine and in the sufferinge of persecution and infamie for the same We haue preached theyr very doctrine and none other thing that we are able sufficiently to declare by theyr wrytings by wryting for my part I haue profered to prooue the same as is now often sayd And for this cause we suffer the like reproche shame and rebuke of the worlde the like persecution leesing of our liues and goodes forsaking as our maister Christ commandeth father mother sister brethren wiues children and all that there is being assured of a ioyfull resurrection and to be crowned in glorye wyth them according to the vnfallible promises made vnto vs in Christ our onely and sufficient mediatour reconciler priest and sacrifice which hath pleased the father and quieted and pacified his wrath against our sinnes made vs wythout spot or wrinkle in his sight by imputation although wee off and in our selues are bespotted be blotted w t many filthy sinnes which if the great mercy graunted in Christ did not put away by not imputing them vnto vs of his measurelesse vnspeakeable mercye and loue to saue vs they woulde haue brought vs to euerlasting damnation and death perpetuall Heerein and in no other doe we affirme our selues to be like vnto our head Christe and all his Apostles Prophetes Martyrs and Saintes And heerein oughte all Christian menne to be like them and heerein are all true Christen men and women lyke them euery one according to the measure of y e faith that
heauier lumpe of this vile carkase ought therfore of nature to be more frayle then you yet sayth he The stouâ— bragges 〈◊〉 D. Pendlâ—â—ton at thâ— first begiâ—â—ning God geueth strength where feâ—â—blenes is confessed I will see the vttermost drop of this grease of mine molteÌ„ away the last gobbet of this flesh consumed to ashes before I wil forsake God and his truth Wherunto the other answering but litle wishing that almighty God woulde geue him more strength theÌ„ he presently felt in himselfe acknowledging his owne weaknes conseÌ„ted notwithstanding though it were somewhat fayntly to ioyne w t him in the profession of the Gospell so to go vp to London set forth the same wherupon they gaue ech other theyr haÌ„ds Now when they were come to London Lord what a great chaunge was there betwene these two persons The poore feeble faynt harted Saunders by the goodnes of almighty God taking hart of grace to him seking the same in humility boldly stoutly confirmed his flock out of the pulpit where his charge lay mightely beating down Antichrist lustely preached Christ his maister for the which he afterward suffered most willingly as is afore declared Wheras on the other side Pendleton the proud who as it appeared by the sequele had bene more stout in words Example how feebâ—â— man is 〈◊〉 himselfe without the Lord support him theÌ„ constant in deeds and a greater bragger then a good warrior folowed Peter so iustly in crackes howsoeuer he did in repentance which God onely knoweth that he came not so soone to London but he chauÌ„ged his tipet playd y e Apostata preaching in stede of sound doctrine nothing almost but errors lyes aduauncing Antichrist and ouerthrowing poore Christ with all his mayne so his former boldnes came to nothing vnlesse it were a contrarye key becomming of a faithfull pastour a false runnagate and of a true Preacher a sworne enemy of Gods euerlasting Testament to the great offence of his brethren the hurt of hys flock and the vtter vndoing with our Gods greater mercy of his owne soule Wherein are specially to be considered the deepe and maruellous iudgementes of God who as he can and doth make strong whome it pleaseth hym when he seeth his time most commonly such as appeare most feeblest euen so contrariwise throweth he downe other some seeme they neuer so stoute stand they neuer so much in theyr own conceites Wherefore let him that standeth take heed he fall not and let vs pray continually to almighty God though we haue fayth that he will helpe and encrease our faith that in him it may be made stroÌ„g which of it selfe is so weake that it is soone ouerthrowne Anno 1555. February This blessed man of God enduring long time in prisoÌ„ did not passe all his time in vnfruitfull idlenes but still froÌ„ time to time did visite his frendes as is sayd and especially his wife with many letters full of godly instruction consolatioÌ„ All which letters it shall not be greatly needful here to insert partly because they are to be found in the booke of letters partly because we enteÌ„d also if God will to prosecute the same more at large In the meane time it shall not be out of place here preseÌ„tly to coÌ„prehend certein of them as in order foloweth ¶ A letter sent to M. Farrar Bishop of S. Dauids Doctor Tailor M. Bradford and M. Philpot. A letter of M Saundeâ—s sent to B. Farrar D. Taylor M. Bradford and M. Pâ—ilpot 〈◊〉 8. GRace mercy and peace in Iesus Christ our Lord. c. Good fathers and deare brethren be thankefull vnto our most gracious God which hath preserued vs and shall I doubt not from blaspheming his blessed name yea not onely that but also ex ore Infantium Lactentium perficiet laudem c. i. Out of the mouthes of very babes and sucklinges shall be set forth his praise They offer vs forsooth our liberty pardon so that we will rise with them vnto that faith which we with them were fallen from Yea or no must be answered in hast They will not admit any need full circumstances but all as heretofore most detestable abhominable Rise with them we must vnto the vnity And pardon say I of me must not be so dearely purchased A pardon I desire for to liue with an vnclogged coÌ„science The Donatists say they sought for such singularitye but they were not meete to liue in a common wealth no more be you as you shall shortly vnderstand Wherefore away with him yea the time was named within thys seuen night There be 12. houres in the day Death shall be wellcome say I as being looked for long since and yet do iustice ye were best for Abels bloud cryed ye wot what The spirite of God be vpon you Iohn 11. God saue your honors Thus departed I from theÌ„ Pray pray Ah ah puer sum nescio loqui i. I am a childe I cannot speake My brother P. shall shew you more herein By him send me word what you haue done Fare ye well and pray pray I woulde gladly meet with my good brother Bradford on the backeside about 11. of the clock Before that time I cannot start out we haue such outwalkers but then will they be at dinner Yours as you know Laurence Saunders ¶ A Letter which L. Saunders did write to his wife and others of the faythfull after his condemnation to the fire written the last of Ianua 1555. out of the Counter in Breadstreete THe grace of Christ w t the coÌ„solation of the holy Ghost to the keeping of fayth and a good conscience coÌ„firme keep you for euer vessels to Gods glory A comforâ—â—ble letter â—f M. Saunders to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 Amen Oh what worthy thanks can be geueÌ„ to our gracious God for his vnmeasurable mercies pleÌ„tifully poured vpoÌ„ vs And I most vnworthy wretch cannot but poure forth at this present eueÌ„ from the bottom of my hart the bewayling of my great ingratitude and vnkindnes towardes so gracious a good God and louing father I beseech you all as for my other many sinnes so especially for that sinne of my vnthankefulnesse craue pardon for me in your earnest prayers commendyng me to Goddes greate mercyes in Christ. To number these mercies in particular where to number the drops of water which are in the Sea the sandes on the shore the starres in the skie O my deare wife ye the rest of my frends reioyce with me I say reioyce w t thanksgeuing for this my present promotion The sweete comfort of 〈…〉 away 〈◊〉 feare of death from 〈…〉 in that I am made worthy to magnifye my God not onely in my life by my slow mouth vncircuÌ„cised lips bearing witnes vnto hys truth but also by my bloud to seale the same to the glory of my God and confirming of his true church And as
yet I testify vnto you that the comfort of my sweete Christ doth driue from my phantasy the feare of death But if my deare husband Christ doe for my triall leaue me alone a little to my selfe alas I know in what case I shal be thē but if for my proofe he do so yet am I sure he will not be long or far from me Though he stand behind the wal hide himselfe as Salomō saith in his mistical ballet yet will he peep in by a crest to see how I do He is a very tender harted Ioseph though he speak roughly to his brethren handle thē hardly yea threatē greuous bondage to his best beloued brother Beniamin yet can he not conteyne hymselfe from weeping with vs vpon vs with falling on our neckes and sweetly kissing vs. Such Christ a sweete brother vnto vs. such a brother is our Christ vnto vs all Wherfore hasten to go vnto him as Iacob did with his Sonnes and family leauing theyr country and acquayntaunce Yea this our Ioseph hath obteined for vs that Pharao the Infidell shall minister vnto vs chariots wherin at ease we may be caryed to come vnto him as we haue experience how our very aduersaries do help vs vnto our euerlasting blisse by theyr spedy dispatch yea how all thinges haue bene helpinges hereunto blessed be our God Be not afrayde of fraybugges which lye in the way Feare rather the euerlasting fire feare the Serpent which hath that deadly sting of which by bodely death they shall be brought to taste which are not grafted in Christ wanting fayth and a good conscience and so are not acquaynted with Christ the killer of death But oh my deare wyfe and frends we we whom God hath deliuered from the power of darcknes and hath translated vs into the kingdom of his deare sonne by putting of the old man by fayth putting on the newe euen our Lord Iesus Christ his wisedome holines righteousnes redēption we I say haue to triumph agaynst the terrible spitefull Serpent the Deuill sinne hell death damnation For Christ our brasen Serpent hath pulled away the sting of this serpēt The sting of death pluck◠out 1. Cor. 15. so that now we may boldly in beholding it spoyled of his sting triūph with our Christ al his elect say Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory Thankes be to God who hath geuen vs Vs the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. Wherfore be mery my deare wife all my deare felow heyres of the euerlasting kingdome alwayes remēber the Lord. Reioyce in hope be pacient in tribulation continue in prayer pray for vs now appoynted to the slaughter y t we may be vnto our heauenly father a fat offering and an acceptable sacrifice I may hardlye write to you Wherfore let these few words be a witnes of commendations to you and all them which loue vs in fayth To this his flocke the parish of Alhallowes in Bredstreate He wrote also a fruitefull letter exhorting and charging them to beware of the Romish religiō and constantly to sticke to the truth which they had confessed and namely vnto my flocke among whom I am resident by Gods prouidence but as a prisoner And although I am not so amōg them as I haue bene to preach to them out of a pulpit yet doth god now preach vnto them by me by this my imprisonment and captiuity which now I suffer among them for Christes Gospelles sake bidding them to beware of the Romish Antichristian religion and kingdome requiring and charging them to abide in the trueth of Christ which is shortly to be sealed w t the bloud of theyr Pastor who though he be vnworthy of such a ministery yet Christ there high pastor is to be regarded whose truth hath bene taught thē by me is witnessed by my chaynes shall be by my death through the power of that hye pastor Be not carefull good wife cast your care on the Lord commend me vnto him in repentant praier as I do you and our Samuell whom euen at the stake I will offer as my selfe vnto God Fare ye wel all in Christ in hope to be ioyned w t you in ioy euerlasting This hope is put vp in my bosome Amen Amen Amen Pray pray * An other Letter to Maystres Lucy Harington a Godly Gentlewoman and frendly to him in his troubles YOur most gentle commendations An other comfortable lette◠of M. Saunders whereof this messenger made remembraunce vnto me was for two causes very comfortable First for that thereby I vnderstood of the state of your health bodely welfare for the which I geue thankes vnto god who graunt the long continuaunce thereof to his honour and fatherly good will whereunto I will dayly say Amen And farther I was refreshed by the expressing of your mindefull frendship towardes me farre vnworthy thereof Wherein I take occasion of much reioysing in our so gracious a God and mercifull Father who as he hath in his vnmeasurable mercy by fayth handfasted vs his chosen childrē vnto his deare sonne our Christ as the spirituall spouse of such an heauēly husband so he linketh vs by loue one vnto an other being by that bond cōpact together with charitable readines to doe good one vnto another so that first to the glory of our God his Christ thē to our owne ioying in the testimony of a good cōscience and last of all to the stopping of the mouthes and confusiō of our aduersaries we beare the badge as the right spouse of our Christ which himselfe noted in this saying Herein shall all men know that ye be my Disciples if ye loue one another Then farther by this bond of mutuall loue The true badge of Christ. Iohn 13. is sette forth the fatherly prouidence of God towardes vs his children that though it be he that careth for vs in whome we liue mooue and be who feedeth all flesh with bodely sustenaunce yet hath he appoynted vs in these present necessities to stand in his sted one vnto another Wherein is not onelye sette forth our dignitye but also that vnspeakeable accorde and vnitye among vs the many members in his mysticall body And though that either for lacke of ability or els through distaunce of place power and oportunity of helping one another doe fayle yet wonderfull is the working of Gods children through the spirite of prayer as wherby they fetch all heauenly influence frō Christ theyr celestiall head by his spirite to be measured seuerally as maye serue to the mayntenaunce of the whole body Thus doth our faythfull prayer which we make one for another distribute and scater Gods bountiful blessinges both ghostly and bodely Iohn 15. when ordinary ability lacketh and when the arme may not reach forth such Gods riches According herunto I well perceiue and vnderstand your readines to do good vnto all and especially I haue experience of your
other time for which he gaue God thankes and vsed the same to his necessitie Amâ—y Couper Shiriffes of Chesâ—er When the time and day appointed came that he should suffer the Sheriffes of y e Cittie whose names were Amry Couper with their Officers and a great nuÌ„ber of poore simple Barbers with rousty Billes Polaxes went to the Northgate there tooke out the said George Marsh who came with them most humbly meekly Marsh led to his MartyrdoÌ„e with a lock vpon his feete And as he came vpon the waye towardes y e place of execution some folkes proferd him money looked that he should haue gone with a litle purse in his hand as the maner of felons was The old vse in Lancashyre to geue money to bye Trâ—ntalls accustomed in that Cittye in times past at their goyng to execution to y e end to gather money to geue vnto a priest to say Trentals of Masses for theÌ„ after their death wherby they might as they thought be saued G. Marsh refuseth to receaue money going to his death but Marsh sayd he would not as theÌ„ be troubled w t medling with mony but willed some good man to take the mony if y e people were disposed to geue any to geue it vnto the prisoners or poore people So hee went all the way vnto his death w t his booke in his hand looking vpoÌ„ the same many of y e people sayd this maÌ„ goeth not vnto his death as a theefe or as one that deserueth to dye Now when he came to the place of execution w tout the Citie G. Marsh refuseth the Quenes pardon neare vnto Spittle boughton one Uawdrey being then deputie chamberleine of Chester shewed Marshe a writyng vnder a great seale saying that it was a pardon for him if he would recant Wherat Marsh answered that he would gladly accept the same and sayd farther that he loued the Queene but for asmuch as it tended to plucke him froÌ„ God he would not receiue it vpon that condition After that hee began to speake to the people shewing the cause of his death G. Marsh not suffred to speake to the people and woulde haue exhorted them to sticke vnto Christ. Whereupon one of the Sheriffes sayd George Marshe we must haue no sermoning nowe To whom he sayd Mayster I cry you mercy and so kneeling downe made his prayers and then put of his clothes vnto his shirt and then was he chayned vnto the post hauyng o number of Fagottes vnder him and a thing made like a firkin with pitch and tarre in the same ouer his head by reason the fire was vnskilfully made and that the winde dyd dryue the flame to and fro he suffered great extremitie in his death whiche notwithstanding he abode very paciently ¶ The cruell burning of George Marsh Martyr Wherein this in him is to be noted that when as hee had bene a long time tormented in y e fire without mouing hauing his fleshe so broyled and puft vp that they whiche stoode before him vnneth could see the chayne wherewith he was fastened and therfore supposed no lesse but he had bene dead notwithstanding sodenly he spread abroad hys armes saying father of heauen haue mercy vpon me so yelded his spirite into the handes of the Lord. Upon this many of y e people sayd that he was a martyr and died maruelous patiently and godly The 〈◊〉 of G. Marâ—â— the blesseâ— Martyr Which thing caused the Bishop shortly after to make a Sermon in the Cathedrall Church and therein affirmed that the sayde Marshe was an hereticke burnt like an hereticke was a firebrand in hell In recompence of this hys good and charitable sermoÌ„ within short time after the iust iudgement of God appeared vppon the sayde Byshop Gods iust reuenging hand vpoÌ„ persecutiâ—â— Bishop recompensing hym in suche wise that not long after he turned vp his heeles and dyed Upon what cause his death was gendred I haue not here precisely to pronounce because the rumour and voyce of y e people is not alwayes to be followed Notwithstanding such a report went in all mens mouthes that he was burned of an harlot Whereupon whether he dyed or no I am not certayne neyther dare leane to much vppon publicke speach Albeit this is certayn that wheÌ„ he was afterward searched being dead by some of hys secret frends certain Aldermen for stoppyng the rumour of y e people this maydenly Priest and Byshop was fouÌ„d not to be free froÌ„ certayne appearaunce which declared but small virginitie in him that the rumour was not raysed vp altogether vpoÌ„ naught amongest the people But of this I will stay and proceed no further not because more caÌ„ not be said but because I will not be so vncharitable in defacing these men as they are cruel in condemning Gods seruants to death Letters of George Marshe This good maÌ„ wrote diuers and sondry letters out of prison besides his examinations as before ye haue heard Touching the which hys examinations this letter first he sendeth to his frendes the copy wherof here followeth ¶ A letter of George Marsh to the reader touching the matter of his examination HEre haue ye dearely beloued frendes in Christ the chiefe principal Articles of Christian doctrine briefly touched A letter of G. Marshâ— to the reader whiche heretofore I haue both beleeued professed and taught and as yet do beleue professe and teach and am surely purposed by Gods grace to continue in the same vntill the last day I do waÌ„t both time and oportunitie to write out at large the probations causes partes effectes and contraries or erroures of these Articles which who so desireth to know let them read ouer the coÌ„mon places of the godly learned men Philippe Melancthon and Erasmus Sarcerius whose iudgement in these matters of Religion I do chiefly follow and leane vnto The Lorde geue vs vnderstanding in all thinges and deliuer vs from this present euill world according to his will and pleasure and bryng vs agayn out of this hell of affliction into which it hath pleased the mercifull Lord to throw vs downe and deliuer vs out of the mouth of the Lyon and from all euill doing and keepe vs vnto his heauenly and euerlasting kingdome Amen Though Sathan be suffered as wheate to sift vs for a tyme yet fayleth not our fayth through Christes ayde but that we are at all tymes able and readye to confirme the fayth of our weake brethren 1. Pet. 3. and alwayes ready to geue an aunswere to euerye man that asketh vs a reason of the hope that is in vs and that wyth meekenes and reuerence hauing a good conscience that when as they backbyte vs as euill doers they may be ashamed for asmuch as they haue falsely accused our good coÌ„uersatioÌ„ in christ I thought my selfe nowe of late yeares for the cares of this lyfe well setteled with my louing
as the rest of the examinates doe and that this sayd Iurate was present there at the deed doyng After the depositions of these foresayd witnesses being taken published and denounced the sayd B. speakyng to Wil. Flower asked hym if he knew any matter or cause why his sentence should not be red and he to be pronounced as an heretike Wherevnto the martyr of God answereth agayne as followeth I haue nothyng at all to say for I haue already sayd vnto you all that I haue to say that I haue said I will not go from and therfore do what you wyll c. ⧠The burning of William Flower at Westminster the 24. of Aprill An. 1555. ¶ A prayer and confession of W. Flower OH eternall God most mighty and mercifull father who hast sent downe thy sonne vpon the earth Flowers prayer to saue me all mankynd who ascended vp into heauen agayne and left hys bloud here vpon the earth behynd hym for the redemption of our sins haue mercy vpon me haue mercy vppon me for thy deare sonne our sauiour Iesus Christes sake in whom I confesse onely to bee all saluation and iustification and that there is none other mean nor way nor holynes in which or by which any man can be saued in this world This is my fayth which I beseech all men here to beare witnesse of Then he sayd the Lords prayer and so made an end Then M. Cholmley came to him willyng hym to recant his heresie Talke betweene W. Flower and M. Cholmely whereby he might do good to the people or els he would be damned Flower answered as followeth Sir I beseech you for Gods sake be contented for that I haue sayd I haue said and I haue bene of this fayth from the beginnyng and I trust to the liuyng God hee will geue me his holy spirite to continue to the ende Then he desired all the world to forgeue hym whome he had offended as he forgaue all the world This done first his hand beyng held vp agaynst the stake was stroken of his left hand beyng stayed behynde hym At the which striking of his hand certaine that were present beholders of the matter and purposely obseruyng the same credibly enformed vs that he in no part of hys body did once shrinke at the strikyng therof but once a little he stirred his shoulders And thus fire was set vnto hym who burning therein cried with a loud voyce Oh the sonne of God haue mercye vpon me Oh the sonne of God receyue my soule three tymes and so his spech beyng taken from hym he spake no more liftyng vp notwithstandyng his stumpe with hys other arme as long as he could And thus endured this constant witnes and faythfull seruaunt of God the extremitie of the fire beyng therein cruelly handled by reason that to his burning little wood was brought so that for lacke of fagots there not sufficient to burne hym they were fayne to strike hym downe into the fire Where he lying along which was dolefull to behold vpon the ground hys nether part was consumed in the fire whilest hys vpper part was cleane without the fire hys tongue in all mens sight still moouyng in hys mouth May. 1555. The 3. of May a letter was sent to George Colte and Thom. Daniell to make search for and apprehend Iohn Bernard and Iohn Walshe who vsed to repaire to Sudbury and carying about with them the bones of Pigotte that was burned do shew them to the people persuading them to be constant in his religion and vpon examination to commit them to further orderyng accordyng to the lawes This day Stephen Appes was committed to the litle ease in the Tower there to remayne two or three dayes vntill further examination The 12. day M. Thomas Rosse preacher was by the counsailes letters deliuered from the Tower to the Shiriffe of Northfolke to be conueyed and deliuered to the B. of Norwich and he eyther to reduce hym to recant or els proceed agaynst hym according to the law The 16. a letter was sent to the L. Treasurer signifiyng what the L. had done for Rosse and that order should be geuen according to his L. request for letters to the Bishops as Appes whom the Lieuetenant of the Tower reporteth to be mad his L. perceiuyng the same to be true should commit hym to Bedlem there to remayne vntill their further order The 26. a letter was sent to the L. Treasurer to conferre with the B. of London and the Iustices of Peace of that Countie wherein they are to be executed that are alredy condemned for religion vpon agrement of places to geue order for their execution accordingly· The 28. a letter was sent to the L. Treasurer to cause speedie preparation to be made of such mony as was appoynted for such persons as should cary the ioyful tidings of Queene Maries good deliuery of chyld to diuers princes so as they be not compelled to stay when tyme shall come The Embassadors were to the Emperour the L. Admirall to the French King the L. Fitzwaters to the kyng of Romains Sir Henry Sidney to the K. of Portingall Rich. Shelley whose free passage through France M. Doctor Wootton was willed to procure by letters the 24. of Iune The 29. was a letter directed to Sir Frances Inglefield to make search for one Iohn D. at LondoÌ„ Anno 15â—5 May. and to apprehend him and send him to the Counsaile and to make search for such papers bookes as may thinke may touch the same D. or one Benger ⧠The burning and Martyrdome of Iohn Cardmaker Iohn Warne Vpholster which suffered both together in Smithfield An. 1555. May. 30. 〈◊〉 Cardâ—â—â—er and 〈◊〉 Warne â—â—â—tyrs VPon the 30. day of May suffred together in Smithfield Iohn Cardmaker otherwise called Tailour Prebendarie of the church of Wels Ioh. Warne Upholster of the parish of S. Iohn in Walbrooke Of whome it remaineth now particularly to entreat beginning first with M. Cardmaker who first was an obseruant Frier before the dissolution of the Abbeys then after was a maried Minister and in king Edwards time appointed to be Reader in Paules where the Papistes were so much agrieued with hym for his doctrines sake that in his reading they cut and mangled his gowne with their kniues This Cardmaker being apprehended in the beginnyng of Queene Maries raigne Cardmaker 〈◊〉 M. 〈◊〉 apâ—â—â—hended 〈◊〉 layd in 〈◊〉 Fleete with M. Barlowe Bishop of Bathe was brought to London and layde in prison in the Fleete king Edwards lawes yet beyng in force But after the Parliament was ended in which the Pope was againe admitted as supreme hed of the church and the Byshops had also gotten power and authoritie Ex officio to exercise their tyranny these two were both brought before Winchester Chauncellour and others appointed by Commission as before is mentioned to examine the fayth of such as were then prisoners and as vnto others before so now vnto
substaunce of bread and wine and is receiued of the wicked The 〈◊〉 of his coâ—â—demnaâ—ioâ— declared yea of dogges mise Also I am excommunicated and counted as a dead menber of Christes Church as a rotten braunche and therefore shall be cast into the fire Therefore ye ought hartily to reioyce with me and to geue thankes for me that God the eternall father hath vouched safe our mother to bring vp any childe in whom it would please him to magnifie his holy name as hee doth A great mercy of God to turne the death of â— saintes 〈◊〉 deseruâ—â— to serue a confirmâ—â—tion of his owne glorâ— and I hope for his mercye and truthes sake will do in me and by me Oh what such benefite vppon earth can it be as that that which deserued deathe by reason of my sinnes should be deliuered to a demonstration a testification and confirmation of Gods veritie and trueth Thou my mother the Vniuersitie hast not onely had the truth of gods word playnely manifested vnto thee by reading disputinge and preaching publickely and priuately but now to make thee altogether excuselesse and as it were almost to sinne agaynst the holy Ghost if thou put to thy helpyng hand with the romysh route to suppresse the veritie and set out the contrary thou hast my lyfe and bloud as a zeale to confirme thee if thou wilt be confirmed or els to confound thee and beare witnes agaynst thee if thou wilt take part with the prelates and Clergye Cantabriâ—â—ense◠〈…〉 moniti which nowe fill vp the measure of their fathers which slew the Prophetes and Apostles that all righteous bloud from Abell to Bradforde sued vpon the earth may be required at theyr handes Of this therefore I thought good before my death as tyme and libertie woulde suffer me for loue and duetye I beare vnto thee to admonishe thee good mother and my sister the Towne that you would call to minde from whence you are fallen and study to do the first workes You know if you wil these matters of the Read before the letter Cambridâ—â— to K. Henâ—â— 8. pag. 1104. Romish supremacy and the Antichristian transubstantiation whâ—â—â—by Christes supper is ouerthrowne his priesthoode euacuatâ— his sacrifice frustrate the ministery of his word vnplaced repentaunce repelled fayth faynted godlines extinguished the Masse mayntayned idolatry supported and all impietie cherished you know I say if you will that these opinions are not onely besides Gods word but euen directly agaynst it and therfore to take part with them is to take part agaynst God agaynst whome you cannot preuayle Therefore for the tender mercy of Christ in his bowels and bloud I beseeche you to take Christes collyrium and eye salue to annoynt your eyes that you may see what you doe and haue done in admitting as I heare you haue admitted yea alas authorised and by consent confirmed the Romish rotten rags whiche once you vtterly expelled Oh be not canis reuersus ad vomitum be not * The 〈◊〉 returned to his owne â—omitte Sus lota reuersa ad volutabrum coeni Beware least Satan enter in with seuen other spirites and then postrema shal be worse then the first It had bene better yee had neuer knowne the truth then after knowledge to runne from it Ah woe to this world and the thinges therein * The soâ—â— that was washed returned to 〈…〉 in the â—ite 2. Pet. 1. which hath nowe so wrought with you Oh that euer this dirt of the deuill shoulde daube vpp the eye of the Realme For thou oh mother art as it were the eye of the Realme If thou be light and geue shyne all the body shall fare the better But if thou the light be darcknes alas how great will the darckenes be What is man whose breath is in his nostrels that thou shouldest thus be afrayde of him Oh what is honour and life here Bubbles What is glorye in this worlde but shame Why art thou afrayde to carrye Christes Crosse Wilt thou come into hys kingdome and not drynke of his cup Doest thou not know Rome to be BabiloÌ„ The glory of this world is a vaine thing Babylon hath Iuda in captiuity doest thou not know that as the olde Babilon had the children of Iuda in captiuitie so hath this Rome the true Iuda that is the confessours of Christ Doest thou not know that as destruction happened vnto it so shall it do vnto this And trowest thou that God will not deliuer his people now when the time is come as hee did theâ— Hath not God commaunded hys people to come out from her and wilt thou geue ensample to the whole Realme to runne vnto her Hast thou forgotten the woe that Christ threatneh to offence geuers Wilt thou not remember that it were better that a Mylstone were hanged about thy necke and thou throwe into the sea then that thou shouldest offend the little ones And alas how hast thou offended yea and howe doest thou still offend The church â—â—ndeth 〈◊〉 in the outward shew Wilt thou consider thinges according to the outward shew Was not the Synagogue more seemely and like to be the true Church then the simple flocke of Christes Disciples Hath not the whore of Babilon more costly aray and rich apparell externally to set forth her selfe then the homely housewyfe of Christ Where is the beautie of the kinges daughter the Churche of Christ without or within Doth not Dauid saye wythin Oh remeÌ„ber that as they are happy which are not offended at christ so are they happy whiche are not offended at hys poore church Can the Pope and his prelates meane honestly whiche make so much of the wife and so little of the husband The Churche they magnifie but Christ they contemne If this Church were an honest woman that is Christes wife except they woulde make much of her husband Christ and his worde shee woulde not be made much of them When Christ and hys Apostles were vppon earth who was more like to be the true Church they or the Prelates Byshops Synagogue If a man should haue followed custome vnitie antiquitie or the more part shoulde not Christ and his companye haue bene cast out of the dores Therfore bade Christ Search the scriptures And good mother shall the seruaunt be aboue his master shall we looke for other entertaynment at the handes of the world then Christ and his deare Disciples found who was taken in Noes tyme for the Church Poore Noe and his familie or others Who was taken for Gods Churche in Sodom Lot or others And doth not Christ say As it was than so shall it goe now towardes the comming of the sonne of man What meaneth Christ when he sayth Iniquitie shall haue the vpper hand doth not he tell that charitie shall waxe colde And who seeth not a wonderfull great lacke of charitie in those whiche woulde nowe be taken for Christes Church All that feare GOD in thys Realme truely can
if ye loue not Gods Gospell yea if ye loue it not Therefore to conclude repent loue Gods Gospell liue in it all your conuersation so shall Gods name be praysed his plagues be mitigated his people comforted and his enemies ashamed GrauÌ„t all this thou gracious lord god to euery one of vs for thy deare sonnes sake our Sauiour Iesus Christ To whome with thee and the holy Ghost be eternal glory for euer and euer Amen The 12. of February 1555. By the bondman of the Lord and your afflicted poore brother Iohn Bradford * To my louing brethren B. C. c. their Wiues and whole families I. Bradford I Beseech the euerliuing God to graunt you all my good brethren and sisters An other letter of M. Bradford to certayne frendes of his whom for danger of that time he would not name the comfort of the holy spirit and the continuall sense of his mercy in Christ our Lord now and for euer amen The world my brethren semeth to haue the vpper hand iniquity ouerfloweth the trueth and verity seemeth to bee suppressed and they which take parte therewith are vniustly entreated as they which loue the trueth lament to see and heare as they doe The cause of all this is Gods anger and mercy his anger because we haue greuously sinned agaynst him his mercy because he here punisheth vs and as a Father nourtereth vs. Wee haue beene vnthankefull for his word We haue contemned his kyndenesse Gods anger and mercy both together vpon his Church The contempt of God and his Gospell punished Wee haue bene negligent in prayer We haue bene so carnall couetous licencious c. We haue not hastened to heauen warde but rather to hellwarde We were fallen almost into an open contempt of God and all his good ordinaunces so that of his iustice he coulde no longer forbeare but make vs feele his anger as now he hath done in taking his worde and true seruice from vs and permitted Sathan to serue vs with Antichristian religion and that in such sort that if we will not yelde to it and seeme to allow in deede an outwarde facte our bodyes are like to be layed in prison and our goodes geuen we can not tell to whom This should we looke vpon as a signe of Gods anger procured by our sinnes which my good brethren euery of vs should now call to our memories oftentymes so particularly as we can that wee might hartely lament them Exhortâ—â— to repâ—â—â—tance 〈…〉 repent them hate them aske earnestly mercy for them and submit our selues to beare in this liâ—e any kinde of punishment which God will lay vpon vs for them This should we do in consideration of Gods anger in this time Now his mercy in this time of wrath is seene and should be sene in vs my dearely beloued in this that God doth vouchsafe to punish vs in this present life If he should not haue punished vs Gods 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 why we punished here do not you thinke that we would haue continued in the euilles we were in Yes verely we woulde haue bene worse and haue gone forwardes in hardenyng our hartes by impenitency and negligence of God true godlines And then if death had come should not we haue perished both soule and body into eternall fire and perdition Alas what misery shoulde we haue fallen into if God shoulde haue suffered vs to haue gone on forwarde in our euils No greater signe of damnatioÌ„ there is then to lie in euill and sinne vnpunished of God as now the Papistes my dearely beloued are cast into Iezabels bed of security which of all plagues is the grieuousest plague that can be They are bastards and not sonnes for they are not vnder Gods rod of correction A great mercy it is therefore that GOD doth punish vs For if he loued vs not he would not punish vs. Iesabeâ— bed of 〈◊〉 Apoc. â— Heb. 1â— 1. Cor. â— 1. Pet. â— The 〈…〉 God 's 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 in thâ—â— world Phillip â— Now doth he chastice vs that we shoulde not be damned with the worlde Nowe doeth he nourtour vs because he fauoureth vs. Now may we thinke our selues Gods house and children because he beginneth his chastising at vs Now calleth he vs to remember our sinnes past Wherefore that we might repent and aske mercy And why That he might forgeue vs pardon vs iustifye vs and make vs his children and so begin to make vs here lyke vnto Christ that we might be lyke vnto hym elswhere euen in heauen where already wee are sette by fayth with Christ and at his comming in very deede we shall then most ioyfully enioy when our sinnefull and vile bodyes shall be made like to Christes glorious body accordynge to the power whereby he is able to make all thinges subiect to himselfe Therefore my brethren let vs in respect hereof not lament but land God not to be sory but be mery not weep but reioyce and be gladde that God doth vochsafe to offer vs his Crosse Rom. â— thereby to come to him to endlesse ioyes and comfortes For if we suffer we shall raigne 2. Tim. â— if we confesse him before men he will confesse vs before his father in heauen if we be not ashamed of his Gospell now Math. â—â— he wyll not be ashamed of vs in the last day but will be glorifyed in vs crowning vs with crownes of glorye and endlesse felicitye Math. â— For blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theyrs is the kingdome of heauen Be glad sayâ—h Peter for the spirite of God resteth vpon you After that you are a litle afflicted God will comforte 1. 〈…〉 strengthen and confirme you 1. 〈…〉 And therefore my good brethren be not discouraged for Crosse for prison or losse of goodes for confession of Christes Gospell and truth He 〈…〉 to takâ— comforâ— the 〈◊〉 Math. â— whiche ye haue beleued and liuely was taught amongest you in the dayes of our late good Kyng and most holy Prince Kyng Edward This is most certayne if you loose any thing for Christes fake and for contemning the Antichristian seruice set vppe agayne amongst vs as you for your partes euen in prison shall finde Gods great and riche mercy farre passing all worldly wealth so shall your wiues and children in this present life finde and feele Gods prouidence more plentifully then tongue can tell For he will shew mercifull kindenesse on thowsands of them that loue hym Psalm â— The good mannes seed shall not goe a begging his bread You are good men so many as suffer for Christes sake I truste you all my dearelye beloued Gods 〈◊〉 seene 〈◊〉 Crosse. wyll consyder this geare with your selues in the crosse see Gods mercy which is more sweete and to be set by then life it selfe muche more then anye Mucke or Pelfe of this worlde This mercy of God shoulde make you merye and chearefull for the afflictions of
behauiour there Oh if there were in those men that are so present at the Masse eyther loue to God or to theyr brethren then woulde they for the one or bothe openly take Gods part and admonish theyr people of their idolatry They feare man more then hym which hath power to cast both soule and bodye to hell fire they halte on bothe knees they serue two maysters God haue mercy vppon suche and open theyr eyes with his eye salue that they may see that they which take no part with God are agaynst God and that they whiche gather not wyth Christ doe scatter abroade Oh that they woulde read what S. Iohn sayth will be done to the fearefull The counsayle geuen to the Churche of Laodicea is good counsaile for suche But to returne to you agayne dearely beloued be not yee ashamed of Gods Gospell It is the power of God to saluation to all those that doe beleue it 2. Timothy 1. Romans 1. Be therefore partakers of the afflictions as God shal make you able knowyng for certayne that he will neuer tempt you farther then hee will make you able to beare 1. Corinth 10. Philip. 1. 1. Peter 3. Math. 5. and thinke it no small grace of God to suffer persecution for Gods truth for the spirite of God resteth vpon you and ye are happie as one day yee shall see Read 2. Thess. 1. Heb. 12. As the fire hurteth not gold but maketh it finer so shall yee be more pure by suffering with Christ. 1. Pet 1. The flayle and wind hurteth not the wheat but clenseth it froÌ„ the chaffe And ye dearly beloued are Gods wheate feare not therefore the flayle feare not the fanning winde feare not the milstone feare not the ouen Persecution compared to the flayle which hurteth not but clenseth the wheat for all these make you more meete for the Lordes owne toothe Sope though it be blacke soyleth not the clothe but rather at the length maketh it more cleane so doth the blacke Crosse helpe vs to more whitenes if God strike with his battledore Because ye are Gods sheepe prepare your selues to the slaughter alwayes knoing that in the sight of the Lord our death shall be precious The soules vnder the aulter looke for vs to fill vp their number Romans 8. 1. Peter 5. Mathew 10. happy are we if God haue so appoynted vs. How soeuer it be dearely beloued cast your selues wholly vpon the Lord with whome all the heares of your heades are numbred so that not one of them shall perish Will we nill we we must drinke Gods cuppe if he haue appoynted it for vs. Drinke it willingly then Psalme 75. 1. Pet. 4. and at the first when it is full least peraduenture if we linger we shall drinke at the length of the dregges with the wicked if at the beginning we drinke not with his children for with theÌ„ his iudgement beginneth and when he hath wrought his will on mount Syon then will he visite the nations round about Submit your selues therefore vnder the mighty hande of the Lorde 1. Peter 5. Romans 8. No man shall touche you without his knowledge When they touch you therfore know it is your weale God therby will worke to make you like vnto Christ here that yee may be also like vnto him els where Acknowledge your vnthankfulnes and sinne and blesse God that correcteth you in the world 1. Cor. 11. because ye shall not be damned with the world Otherwise might he correct vs then in making vs to suffer for righteousnes sake but this he doth because we are not of the world Call vppon his name through Christ for his helpe as hee commaundeth vs. Beleeue that he is mercifull to you heareth you and helpeth you Psalme 50. Psalme 22. I am with him in trouble and will deliuer him sayth hee Knowe that God hath appoynted boundes ouer the whiche the Deuill and all the worlde shall not passe If all thinges seeme to be agaynst you yet say with Iob If he will kill me I will hope in hym Read the 91. Psalme and pray for me your poore brother and fellow sufferer for Gods Gospelles sake his name therefore be praysed and of his mercy he make me you worthy to suffer with good conscience for his names sake Die once we must and when we knowe not Happy is that death which seeing once it must needes be payd is bestowed vpon the Lord. happy are they whome God geueth to pay Natures debte I meane to dye for his sake Here is not our home therefore let vs accordingly consider thinges alwayes hauing before our eyes the heauenly Ierusalem Heb. 12. Apoc. 21 22 the way thether to be by persecutions the deare frendes of God howe they haue gone it after the example of our Sauioure Iesus Christ whose footesteppes let vs followe euen to the gallowes if God so will not doubting but that as he within three dayes rose agayne immortall euen so wee shall doe in our tyme that is when the trumpe shall blow and the Angell shall shoote and the sonne of man shall appeare in the cloudes with innumerable sainctes and Aungels in maiestie and greate glory then shall the dead arise and we shall be caught vp into the cloudes to meete the Lorde and so be alwayes with hym Comfort your selues with these wordes and praye for me for Gods sake E carcere 19. Nouemb. 1553. Iohn Bradford * To sir Iames Hales Knight then prisoner in the Counter in Bredstreate THe God of mercy and father of all comfort plentifully poure out vpon you and in you his mercye Another letter of M. Bradford to Syr Iames Hales Knight and wyth his consolations comforte and strengthen you to the end for his and our Christes sake Amen Although right worshipfull sir many causes myght moue me to be content with crying for you to your God and my God that he woulde geue you grace to perseuâ—re well as he hath right notably begunne to the great glory of his name and comfort of all suche as feare him as lacke of learning of familiaritie yea acquayntance for I think I am vnknown to you both by face and name and other such like thinges yet I cannot content my selfe but presuming something to scrible vnto you not that I thynke my scribling can do you good but that I might declare my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and compassion loue and effection I beare towardes your maistership which is contented yea desirous with vs poore misers and to confesse Christes Gospell in these perilous times and dayes of tryall Oh Lord God how good art thou which doest thus gleane out grapes I meane children for thy self and brethren for Christ Looke good M. Hales on your vocation not many Iudges How God gleaneth out his people not many knightes not myny landed men not many riche men and wealthye to â—iue as you are hath God chosen to suffer for his sake as hee hath nowe
¶ To Mistres M. H a godly gentlewoman comfortyng her in that common heauinesse and godly sorrowe which the feelyng and sense of sinne worketh in Gods children I Humbly and hartily praye the euerlasting good God and Father of mercy An other ghostly letter of M. Bradford to Mistres M. H. to blesse and keepe your harte and minde in the knowledge and loue of his truthe and of his Christ through the inspiration and working of the holye spirite Amen Anno 1555. Iuly Although I haue no doubt but that you prosper and goe forwardes dayly in the way of godlinesse more and more drawing towardes perfection and haue no neede of anye thinge that I can write yet because my desire is that you might be more feruent and perseuer to the ende I coulde not but write something vnto you beseechinge you both often and diligently to call vnto your minde as a meane to stirre you hereunto yea as a thing which God most straitly requireth you to beleeue that you are beloued of God and that he is your deare father in through and for Christ and his deathes sake This loue and tender kindnes of God towardes vs in Christe is aboundantly herein declared and that he hath to y e Godly work of creation of this world made vs after his image redeemed vs being lost called vs into his Churche sealed vs with his marke and signe manuell of Baptisme kept and conserued vs all the dayes of our lyfe Gods benefites to be declared fed nourished defeÌ„ded and most fatherly chastised vs and now hath kindled in our hartes the sparcles of his â—eare fayth loue and knowledge of his Christ and truthe and therefore wee lament because we lament no more our vnthankfulnes our fraylnes our diffidence and wauering in thinges wherein we should be most certayne All these thinges wee shoulde vse as meanes to confirme our fayth of this that God is our God and father to assure vs that he loueth vs as our father in Christ to this end I say we should vse the thinges before touched especially in that of all thinges GOD requireth thys faythe and fatherly perswasion of his fatherly goodnesse The chiefest seruice of God is to thinke well of his fatherly goodnes in Christ. as his chiefest seruice For before he aske anye thing of vs he sayth I am the Lorde thy God geuing himselfe and then all he hath to vs to be our owne And this he doth in respect of himselfe of his owne mercy and and truthe and not in respect of vs for then were grace no grace In consideration whereof when he sayth Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me thou shalt loue me with all thy harte c. though of duetie we are bound to accomplishe all that he requireth and are culpable and giltie if we doe not the same yet he requireth not these thinges further of vs then to make vs more in loue and more certayne of this his couenaunt that he is our Lord and GOD. In certayntye wherof as he hath geueÌ„ this whole world to serue to our neede and commoditie so hath he geuen his sonne Chryst Iesus and in Christe hymselfe to be a pledge and gage whereof the holy Ghost doth now and then geue vs some taste and sweete smell to our our eternall ioy Where feeling fayleth yet obedience is required Therefore as I sayde because God is your father in Christ and requireth of you straitly to beleue it geue your selfe to obedience although you doe it not with suche feelyng as you desire First must faithe goe before and then feeling will follow If our imperfection frayltie and many euils shoulde be occasions whereby Sathan woulde haue vs to doubte as muche as we canne let vs abhorre that suggestion Let no suggestion make vs doubte of Gods fauour in Christ. as of all others most pernicious for so in deede it is For when we stande in a doubte whether God be oure Father we cannot be thankefull to God we can not hartily pray or thinke anye thyng wee doe acceptable to God we can not loue our neighboures and geue ouer our selues to care for them and doe for them as we should do and therefore Sathan is most subtile hereaboutes knowing full well that if we doubt of Gods eternal mercies towardes vs through Christ we cannot please God or do any thing as we should do to man Continually casteth he into our memories our imperfectioÌ„ frayltie falles and offences that we should doubte of Gods mercie and fauour towardes vs. Therefore my good sister wee must not be sluggishe herein To stay vpon Gods promise to christs bloud but as Sathan laboureth to loosen our faythe so must we labour to fasten it by thinking on the promyses and couenaunte of God in Christes bloude namely that God is our God with all that euer hee hath whiche couenaunte dependeth and hangeth vppon Gods own goodnes mercy and trueth onely and not on our obedience or worthines in any poynt for then should we neuer be certayne In deede God requireth of vs obedience and worthines but not that thereby we might be his children and he our father Obedience geueth not to vs to 〈◊〉 Godschildren but Gods â—hildren geueth obedience but because he is our father and we his children through his owne goodnes in Christe therefore requireth he fayth and obedience Now if we want this obedience worthines which he requireth shuld we doubt whether he be our father Nay that were to make our obedience and worthines the cause and so to put Christ out of place for whose sake God is our father But rather because he is our father and we feel our selues to want such things as he requireth we shuld be styrred vp to a shamefastnes and blushing because we are not as we should be and thereupon should we take occasion to go to our father in prayer on this maner Deare father thou of thyne owne mercye in Iesus Chryst hast chosen me to be thy childe and therefore thou wouldest I should be brought into thy Churche and faythfull companye of thy children wherein thou hast kept me hetherto How a 〈◊〉 should 〈◊〉 wheÌ„ feelinâ— of Gods comfort lacketh thy name therfore be praysed Now I see my self to want fayth hope loue c. whiche thy children haue and thou requirest of me wherthrough the deuill would haue me to doubt yea vtterly to dispayre of thy fatherly goodnes fauour and mercy Therefore I come to thee as to my mercifull father through thy deare sonne Iesus Christ and pray thee to helpe me good Lorde helpe me and geue me fayth hope loue c. and graunt that thy holy spirite may be with me for euer and more and more to assure me that thou art my father that this mercifull couenaunt that thou madest with them respect of thy grace in Christ and for Christ and not in respecte of any my worthines is alwayes to me c. On this
â—ay of your bodies families children substance pouertie life c. Which things if you would consider a while wyth inwarde eyes as you beholde them with outwarde then perhaps you should finde more ease Doe not you now by the inward sense perceiue that you must part froÌ„ all these and all other commodities in the worlde Tell me then haue not you this commoditie by your crosse to learne to loath and leaue the worlde and to long for and desire an other world where is perpetuity You ought of your own head and free will to haue according to your profession in baptisme forsaken the worlde and all earthly things vsing the world as though you vsed it not Your hart only sette vpon your hourde in heauen or els you coulde neuer be Christes true disciples that is be saued and be where he is And trowe you my good heartes in the Lorde trowe you I say that this is no commoditie by this crosse to be compelled hereto that you might assuredly enioy with the Lord endles glory Howe now doth God as it were fatherly pull you by the eares to remeÌ„ber your former offences concerning these things al other things that repentance and remission might ensue Howe doth God nowe compell you to call vpon him and to be earnest in prayer Are these no commodities Doth not the scripture say that God doth correct vs in the worlde because we shall not be damned with the worlde That God chasteneth euery one whome he loueth that the ende of this correction shall be ioy and holinesse Doeth not the Scripture saye That they are happie that suffer for righteousnesse sake as you nowe doe that the glory and spirite of God is vpon them that as you are nowe made like vnto Christ in suffering so shall you be made like him in raigning Doeth not the Scripture say that you are nowe going the high and right way to heauen that your suffering is Christes suffering My dearly beloued what greater commodities then these can a godly heart desire Therefore ye are commaunded to reioyce and be glad when ye suffer as now ye doe for through the goodnesse of God great shal be your reward Where Forsooth on earth first for your children for now they are in Gods mere and immediate protection Neuer was father so careful for his children as Gods is for yours presently Gods blessing which is more woorth then all the world you leaue in dede to your children Though all your prouidence for theÌ„ shuld be pulled away yet God is not poore he hath promised to prouide for them moste fatherly 〈◊〉 55. Cast thy burthen vppon me sayth he and I will beare it Do you therfore cast them and commend them vnto God your father and doubt not that he will die in your dette He neuer yet was found vnfaithfull 〈◊〉 37. and he wil not nowe begin with you The good mans seede shal not go a begging his bread for he wil shew mercy vpon thousands of the posterity of them that feaâ—e him Care of children to be left to Gods prouidence Therfore as I sayd Gods reward first vpon earth shal be felt by your children euen corporally and so also vpon you if God see it more for your coÌ„moditie at the least inwardly you shal feele it by quietnes and comfort of conscience and secondly after this life you shal find it so plentifully as the eye hath not seene the eare hath not hard the heart cannot conceiue how great glorious Gods reward wil be vpon your bodies much more vpon your soules God open our eies to see and feele this in deede Then shall we thinke the crosse which is a meane hereto to be commodious Then shal we thanke God that he would chastice vs. Then shal we say with Dauid Happie am I that thou hast punished me for before I went astray but nowe I keepe thy lawes This that we may doe in deede my dearely beloued let vs first know y t our crosse commeth from God Secondly 4 Thinges to be considered of all men that be vnder the crosse that it coÌ„meth from God as a father that is to our weale and good Therefore let vs thirdly cal to minde our sinnes and aske pardone Whereto let vs fourthly looke for helpe certainly at Gods hand in his good time helpe I â—ay such as shall make most to Gods glory and to the comfort and commodity of our soules bodies eternally This if we certainely conceiue then will there issue out of vs heartie thankes geuing which God requireth as a most precious sacrifice That we may all through Christ offer this let vs vse earnest prayer to our God and deare father who blesse vs keepe vs and comforte vs vnder his sweete crosse for euer Amen Amen My deare hearts if I could any way comfort you you should be sure therof though my life lay thereon but now I must do as I may because I cannot as I would Oh y t it would please our deare father shortly to bring vs where we shoulde neuer depart but enioy continually the blessed fruition of his heauenly presence pray pray that it maye speedely come to passe pray To morrow I will send vnto you to know your estate send me word what are the chiefest things they charge you withall From the Counter By your brother in the Lord Iohn Bradford ¶ To Maistresse Hall prisoner in Newgate and readye to make aunswer before her aduersaries OVr most mercifull God and father through Christ Iesus our Lord and Sauiour be merciful vnto vs An other letter of M. Bradford to Mistres Hall Math. 5. and make perfect the good he hath begon in vs vnto the end Amen My deare Sister reioyce in the Lord reioyce be glad I say be mery and thankefull not onely because Christ so commaundeth vs but also because our state wherein we are presently requireth no lesse for we are the Lordes witnesses God the father hath vouched safe to chose vs amongst many to witnesse and testifie that Christ his sonne is kyng that his word is true Christ our Sauiour for his loues sake towards vs will haue vs to beare record that he is no vsurper nor deceiuer of the people but gods Embassadour Prophet and Messias so that of all dignities vpon earth this is the highest Greater honor had not his Prophets Apostles The bloud of Martyrs standeth for the verity of Christ agaynst the world Saâ—haÌ„ who would suppresse the same nor dearest friends then to beare witnesse with Christ as we now do The world followyng the counsaile of their Sire Sathan would gladly condemne Christ and his veritie but lo the Lord hath chosen vs to be his champions to let this As stout soldiours therefore let vs stand to our maister who is with vs and standeth on our right hand that we shall not be much mooued if we hope and hang on his meâ—cy he is so faythfull and true that he wil neuer
pray for me my dearely beloued pray for me that I neuer shrinke I shall neuer shrinke I hope I trust in the Lord I shall neuer shrinke for he that alwayes hath taken my part I am assured will not leaue me when I haue most neede for his truth and mercies sake Oh Lord help me Into thy handes I commend me wholy In the Lord is my trust I care not what maÌ„ can do vnto me Amen My dearely beloued say you Amen also and come after if so God call you Bee not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ but keepe company with him still He wyll neuer leaue you but in the midst of temptation will geue you an outscape to make you able to beare the brunt Vse hearty prayer reuerently read and heare Gods word put it in practise looke for the crosse lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth nye know that the death of Gods saints is precious in his sight Bee mery in the Lord pray for the mitigation of Gods heauy displeasure vppon our countrey God keepe vs for euer God blesse vs with his spirituall blessings in Christ. And thus I bid you farewel for euer in this present lyfe Pray for me pray for me for Gods sake pray for me God make perfect his good worke begun in me Amen Out of prison this vij of February Yours in the Lord. Iohn Bradford In the story of M. Bradford it was aboue rehearsed how a certaine Gentlewoman beyng in trouble by her father and mother for not comming to Masse sent her seruant to visite M. Bradford in prison Who tenderyng the wofull case of the Gentlewoman to the entent partly to confirme her with counsaile partly to relieue her oppressed mynd with some comfort directed this letter vnto her the contents whereof are these ¶ To a certaine godly Gentlewoman troubled and afflicted by her friends for not comming to the Masse I Wish vnto you right worshipfull and my dearely beloued sister in the Lord as to my selfe An other letter of M. Bradford a godly â—â—â—â—tlewoman Rom. 1. the continual grace and comfort of Christ and of his holy word through the operation of the holy spirit who strengthen your inward man with the strength of God that you may continue to the end in the faithful obedience of Gods gospel whereto you are called Amen I perceiued by your selfe the last day when you were with me how that you are in the Scholehouse and triall parlour of the Lord 1. Cor. 1. which to me is as the least it should be a great comfort to see the number of gods elect by you encreased which is in that state wherof God hath not called many as Paule saith And as it is a comfort to mee 1. Cor. 1. and 10. so should it be a confirmation vnto me that the Lord for his faithfulnes sake will make perfect and finish the good hee hath begun in you to the end If then your crosse be to me a comfort or token of your election and a confirmation of Gods continuall fauour my â—earely beloued how much more ought it to bee so vnto you Unto whom he hath not onely geuen to beleue but also to come into the trace of suffering for his sake and that not commonly of common enemies but euen of your owne father mother and all your frâ—ends I meane kinsfolks as you told me By which I see Christes wordes to be true How that he came to geue his childreÌ„ such a peace with him as the Deuill might not nor may abide therfore stirreth vp father and mother sister and brother rather then it should continue But my deare sister if you cry with Dauid to the Lord and complaine to him how that for conscience to him your father and mother haue forsaken you you shal heare him speake in your heart that he hath receiued you and by this would haue you to see how that he maketh you here lyke to Christ that elswhere in heauen you might be like vnto him whereof you ought to be most assured knowing that in time euen wheÌ„ Christ shall appeare you shal be lyke vnto hym For he wil make your body which now you defile not with Idolatrical seruice in goyng to Masse Iohn 3. 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 10. 〈…〉 â— Tim. 2 lyke vnto his owne glorious and immortall body accordyng to the power whereby he is able to do all thyngs He wil confesse you before his father which doe not deny his veritie in worde nor deede before your father he wil make you to raign with him that now suffer for him and with him he wil not leaue you comfortles that seeke no comfort but at his hand though for a little tyme you be afflicted yet therein will hee comfort and strength you and at the length make you to be mery with hym in such ioy as is infinite and endlesse He wil wipe al the teares from your eyes he will embrace you as your deare husband he will after he hath prooued you crowne you with a crowne of glory and immortalitie such as the hart of man shall neuer be able to conceiue in such sorte as the thyng is He now beholdeth your stedfastnes and stâ—iuyng to doe his good will and shortly will hee shew you how stedfast he is and will be ready to do your will after that you haue fully resigned it to his will Pledge him in his cup of the crosse you shall pledge him in the cuppe of his glory Desire to drinke it before it come to the dregs whereof the wicked shall drinke and all those that for feare of the crosse and pledging the Lord doe walke with the wicked in betraying in fact and deed that which their hart embraceth for veritie The which thyng if you should do which God forbid then my deare Mistres and Sister in the Lord you should not onely loose all that I haue before spoken and much more infinitely of eternall ioy and glory but also be a cast away and partaker of gods most heauy displeasure in hell fire eternally and so for a little ease â—â—ke 11. which you cannot tell how long it wyll last to lâ—ose for euer and euer all ease and comfort For hee that gathereth not with me sayth Christ Cor ◠〈◊〉 12. Cor 10. as no Masse Gospelâ—er doth scattereâ—h abroad Accordyng to that we do in this body we shall receyue be it good or badde If of our words we shall be iudged to condemnation or saluation 〈…〉 Cor. 6. much more then of our factes and deedes You cannot be partaker of Gods religion and Antichrists seruice wherof the Masse is most principall You cannot be a member of Christes Church and a member of the Popes Church You must glorifie God not onely in soule and hart but also in body and deede You may not thinke that God requireth lesse of you his wyfe now then your husband dyd of you Iâ— both hart and body your husband would haue shall
Christ haue lesse trow you which hath so bitterly dearely bought it If your husband could not admitte an excuse how your hart is his onely if he should haue taken your body in bed with another do you thinke that Christ will allow your body at Masse although your heart consent not to it â—sal 125. God esteemeth his children not onely of their hartes but of their pure hands and workes Reg 19. 〈…〉 and therefore in Helias tyme he counted none to be his seruants and people but such as had not bowed their knees to Baall as now he doth not in England accompt any other to be his derlings which know the truth in hart and deny it in theyr deeds as do our Masse Gospellers We ought to desire aboue all thyngs the sanctifieng of Gods holy name and the commyng of his kingdom and shall we then see his name blasphemed so horribly as it is at Masse by making it a sacrifice propitiatorie and setting forth a false Christ of the Priests and bakers makyng to be worshipped as GOD and say nothing The Iewes rent their clothes asunder in seeyng or hearing any thyng blasphemously done or spoken against God and shall we yet come to Church where Masse is and be mute Paule and Barnabas rent their clothes to see the people of Lycaonia to offer sacrifice vnto them and shall we see sacrifice and gods seruice done to an inanimate creature and be mumme What thing helpeth more or so much Antichrists kingdom as doth the Masse The Masse destroyeth pâ—eaching and the kingâ—om of Christ. And what destroyeth preachyng and the kyngdome of Christ vpon earth more then it doth And how can we then say Let thy kyngdome come and go to Masse How can we pray before God Thy will be done on earth when we will do our owne will and the will of our father or friendes How pray we Deliuer vs from euill which knowyng the Masse to be euill do come to it But what goe I about to light a candle in the Noone day that is to tell you that we may not go to Masse or to the congregation where it is except it be to reprooue it in that all men in so doyng do but dissemble both with God and man And is dissembling now to be allowed How loÌ„g will men yet halt on both knees saith God Halting sayeth Paule bringeth out of the way that is to say out of Christ which is the way so that he which is not in him shal wither away and be cast into hell fire For Christ will be ashamed of them before his father which be now ashamed of his truth before this wicked generation He diâ—suadeth her â—rom the Masse Therfore my good maistresse take good heed for it had bene better for you neuer to haue knowen the truth and there through to haue escaped from papisticall vncleanes then now to returne to it making eftsoones your meÌ„bers beyng members of righteousnesse members of vnrighteousnesse as you do if you do but goe to the Church where Masse is Be pure therefore and keepe your selfe from all filth of the spirit and of the flesh Abstaine not onely from all euil but from all appearance of euill And so the God of peace shall be with you the glory of God shall gouerne you the spirite of God shall sanctifie you and be with you for euer to keepe you from all euill and to comfort you in all your distresse and trouble which is but short if you consider the eternitie you shall enioy in glory and felicitie in the Lorde which vndoubtedly you shall not fayle but inherite for euer if so be you as the elect chylde of God put your trust in hys mercy call vpon hys name vnfainedly and yeld not ouer to the wicked world but sticke still agaynst it vnto the ende God for his holy names sake which is properly the God of the Widowes be your good and deare Father for euer and helpe you alwayes as I my selfe would bee holpen at hys handes in all thynges and especially in this hys owne cause Amen Amen Iohn Bradford ¶ To one by whome he had receyued much comfort and reliefe in his trouble and imprisonment THe mercy of God in Christ peculiar to hys children A letter of thankes to a good benâ—factour of his be euermore felt of you my derely beloued in the Lord Amen When I consider with my selfe the benefites whiche God hath shewed vnto me by your meanes if I had so good and thankfull a hart as I would I had I could not with dry eies geue him thanks for certainly they are very many and great And now beyng yet still the Lords prisoner I perceiue from him mo benefits by you For y e which I thinke my selfe so much bounde to you my good brother although you were but the instrument by whome God wrought and blessed me that I looke not to come out of your debt by any pleasure or seruice that I shall euer be able to do you in this lyfe I shall hartily praye vnto God therefore to requite you the good you haue done to me for hys sake for I know that which you haue done you haue done it simply in respect of God his word He therefore geue you daily more and more to be coÌ„firmed in his truth and word and so plentifully poure vpon you the riches of his holy spirit and heauenly treasures layd vp in store for you that your corporall and earthly riches may be vsed of you as Sacraments and significations thereof the more to desire the one that is the heauenly the lesse to esteeme the other that is the earthly For Sathans sollicitation is so to set before you the earthly that therein and therby you should not haue accesse to the consideration of the heauenly but as one bewitched should vtterly forget them altogether become a louer and worshipper of the earthlye Mammon and so to fall to couetousnes Châ—ist forsaken of many for the presâ—â—uing of worldly pelfe and a desire to be rich by that meanes to bring you into many noisome and hurtfull lustes as now a dayes I heare of many whiche haue vtterly forsaken God and all his heauenly riches for Antichrists pleasure and the preseruing of theyr worldly pelfe which they imagine to leaue to their posterity wherof they are vncertaine as they may be most certaine they leaue to them Gods wrath and vengeance in his tyme to be sent by visitation if they in tyme hartily repent not preuent not the same by earnest prayer Wherein my good brother if you be diligent harty and perseuere I am sure God will preserue you from euill and from yelding your selfe to do as the world now doth by allowyng in bodily fact in the Romish seruice that which the inward cogitation and mynd doth disallow But if you be cold in prayer and come into consideration of earthly present things simply then shall you fall into faithlesse
haue done for manye yet neuer heard thy woorde for oure trespasses and whose mercy is so great that thou wilt put our iniquities out of thy remembraunce for thy Christes sake if we repent and beleue graunt vs we beseech thee true repentance faith that we hauing obtained pardon for our sinnes may thorough thy Christ get deliuerance from the tirannie of Antichrist now oppressing vs. Oh good Father whych haste sayde that the Scepter of the wicked should not long lie vpon and ouer the iust 〈◊〉 125. least they put foorth their handes to iniquitie also make vs iust we pray thee in Christes name and cut a sunder the cordes of them that hate Sion let not the wicked people say wher is their God Thou our God art in heauen and doest whatsoeuer it pleaseth thee vpon earth Oh that thou wouldest in the meane whiles before thou doe deliuer vs that I say thou wouldest open our eyes to see all these plagues to come from thee all other that shall come what so euer they be publicke or priuate that they come not by chance nor by fortune but that they come euen from thy hande and that iustly and mercifully iustly because we haue doe deserue them not only by our birth poysone still sticking and working in vs but also by our former euill life past whiche by thys punishment and all other pâ—nishmentes thou wouldest haue vs to call to our remembraunce and to set before vs that thou mightest put them from before thee where as they stand so long as they are not in oure remembraunce to put them awaye by repentaunce Mercifully oh Lord God doest thou punish in that thou doest not correct to kill but to amend that we mighte repent our sinnes aske mercye obtaine it freely in Christe and beginne to suffer for righteousnesse sake to be part of thy house whereat thy iudgement beginneth to be partakers of the afflictions of thy Church and thy Christ that wee might be partakers of the glorye of the same to weepe here that we might reioyce else where to be iudged in this world that we might with thy Saintes iudge here after y e worlde to suffer with Christ that we might raigne with him to be like to Christe in shame that we might be like to hym in glory to receiue our euils here y t we might with poore Lazarus finde rest else where rest I saye and such a rest as the eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard nor the heart of man is able to conceiue Oh that our eyes were open to see thys The Crosse seÌ„t from God and to what ende that the crosse commeth from thee to declare thy iustice thy mercye and hereto that we might see howe short a time the time of suffering is how long a time the time of reioysing is to them that suffer heere but to them that will not how longe and miserable a time is appoynted and prepared a time withoute time in eternall woe and perdition too horrible to be thought vpon From the which keepe vs deare father and geue more sight in soule to see thys geare and how that all thy dearest children haue caried the crosse of greeuous affliction in this life in whose coÌ„pany do thou place vs and such a crosse lay vpoÌ„ vs as thou wilt make vs able to bear to thy glory and our saluation in Christ for whose sake we pray thee to shorten the dayes of this our great misery fallen vppon vs most iustly and in the meane season geue vs patience repentaunce faith and thy eternall consolation Amen Amen Amen And thus deare heartes I haue talked me thinkes a litle while w t you or rather we haue all talked wyth God Oh that God would geue vs his spirit of grace and prayer My deaâ—ly beloued pray for it as for your selues so for me and that God would vouchsafe to make me worthy to suffer with a good conscience for his names sake Pray for me and I shall do the like for you This 20. of December by him whome by this bringer ye shal learne I praye you geue me commendations to all that loue me in the Lorde Be mery in Christe for one daye in heauen we shall meete and reioyce together for euermore Amen To my good brother Augustine Barneher MIne owne good Augustine the Lorde of mercye blesse thee my deare brother for euer This Austen being a Dutchman was Latimers seruant a faythfull minister in the time of K. Edwarde and in Q. Maryes time a dilligent attendant vpon the Lordes prisoners Mich. 6. I haue good hope that if you come late at night I shall speake with you but come as secretely as you can Howbeit in the meane season if you can and as you can learne what maister G. hath spoken to Doctor Storie and others The cause of all this trouble both to my keeper and me is thought to come by him It is said that I shal be burned in Smithfield and that shortly Domini voluntas fiat Ecce ego Domine mitte me i The Lordes will be done Behold here I am Lord send me Ah mine owne sweete frend I am now alone leaste I shoulde make you and others worse If I should liue I would more warely vse the companye of Gods children then euer I haue done Iram Domini portabo quoniam peccaui ei i. I wil bear the Lords anger because I haue sinned against him CommeÌ„d me to my most deare Sister for whome my heart bledeth the Lorde comfort her and strengthen her vnto the ende I thinke I haue taken my leaue of her for euer in thys life but in eternall life we shall most surely mete and praise the Lord continually I haue now takeÌ„ a more certaine aunswere of death then euer I did and yet not so certaine as I thinke I shoulde doe I am nowe as a sheepe appoynted to the slaughter Ah my God the houre is come glorifie thy most vnworthy childe I haue glorified thee sayeth this my sweete father and I will glorifie thee Amen Ah mine owne bowels praise God for me and pray for mee for I am his I hope I hope hee will neuer forsake me though I haue aboue all other moste deserued it I am the most singular example of his mercye praised be hys name therefore for euer Cause Mistres Perpoint to learne of the Sheriffe Master Chester what they purpose to doe with mee and knowe if you can whether there be any wryt foorth for me Factus sum sicut nicticorax in domicilio passer solitarius in tecto i. I am like to an Owle in the house Psal. 101. and as a sparrowe alone in the house toppe Ah my Augustine howe long shall Gods enemies thus triumphe I haue sent you this of the Baptisme of children to wryte out when this is done you shall haue other things Pray pray mine owne deare heart on whome I am bolde The keeper telleth me that it is death for any
thee and thy people as Samuel did Amen Amen If on this sort good Mother from your heart you wold pray as I shoulde be the moste meriest man that euer was so am I certaine the lettes of your praier for my imprisonmeÌ„t would be taken away Good Mother therefore marke what I haue wrytten and learne this Prayer by heart to say it daily and then I shall be merye and you shall reioyce if that you continue as I truste you doe in Gods true Religion euen the same I haue taught you and my father Traues I trust wil putte you in remembraunce of 〈◊〉 letter 〈◊〉 not to 〈◊〉 handes my brother Roger also I trust doeth so daily Goe to therefore and learne apace Although the deuill cast diuers lettes in the waye God in whome you truste will cast them awaye for hys Christes sake if you will call vppon him and neuer will he suffer you to be tempted aboue that he will make you able to beare But howe you shoulde doe heerein the other Letter which I haue wrytten herewith shall teache you which I woulde none should reade till my father Traues haue read it he wil geue you by Gods grace some instructions Nowe therefore will I make an ende praying you good Mother to looke for no mo Letters for if it were knowen that I haue penne and inke and did wryte then should I want all the foresayd commodities I haue spoken of concerning my body and be cast into some dungeon in fetters of yron which thing I know would greeue you and therefore for Gods sake see that these be burned when this little prayer in it is copied out by my brother Roger for perchaunce your house may be searched for such geare when you thinke little of it and looke for no moe sweete Mother till eyther God shall deliuer mee and sende mee oute eyther you and I shall meete together in heauen where we shall neuer part asunder Amen I require you Elizabeth and Margarete my sisters that you will feare God vse Prayer loue your husbandes be obedient vnto them as God willeth you bring vppe youre children in Gods feare and be good housewiues God blesse you both wyth both your husbandes my good brethren whome to doe good because I nowe can not I will pray for them and you Commende me to my sister Anne mother Pike T. Sorrocolde and his wife R. Shalcrosse his wife R Bolton I. Wild M. Vicare the Parson of Mottrom Syr Laurence Hall with all that loue I trust liue in the Gospel and God turne Syr Thomas his heart Amen I will daily pray for him I nede not to set my name you know it wel inough Because you shoulde geue my Letters to my father Traues to bee burned I haue wrytten heere a Prayer for you to learne to pray for me good mother and an other for all your house in your euening Prayer to pray with my brother These Praiers are written wyth mine owne hande keepe them still but the letters geue to father Traues to burne and geue father Traues a copie of the latter Prayer An other Letter to his Mother as hys last farewell vnto her in this world a litle before he was burned GOds mercy and peace in Christ be more and more perceiued of vs Amen My moste deare Mother in the bowelles of Christe I heartely pray and beseeche you to be thankefull for me vnto God which thus nowe taketh me vnto hymselfe I dye not my good mother as a theefe a murderer an adulterer c. but I die as a witnesse of Christe hys Gospell and veritie which hetherto I haue confessed I thanke God as well by preaching as by prisonement and now euen presently I shall moste willingly confirme the same by fire I knowledge that God moste iustly mighte take mee hence simply for my sinnes which are many great grieuous but the Lorde for his mercy in Christ hath pardoned them all I hope but nowe deare Mother he taketh mee hence by this death as a Confessour and witnesse that the Religion taughte by Christe Iesu the Prophetes Bradford perecuted of the prelates not for his sinnes but for the truth of Christ. and the Apostles is Gods truth The Prelates doe persecute in me Christ whome they hate and hys trueth which they maye not abide because theyr woorkes are euill and maye not abide the truth and light least men shoulde see theyr darkenesse Therefore my good and moste deare Mother geue thankes for me to God that hee hathe made the fruite of your wombe to be a witnesse of hys glory attend to the truthe which I thanke God for it I haue truely taughte out of the Pulpit of Manchester Use often and continuall Prayer to God the Father through Christe Hearken as you may to the scriptures serue God after his word and not after custome beware of the Romish religion in England defile not your selfe with it carye Christes Crosse as he shall lay it vppon your backe forgeue them that kil me pray for them for they knowe not what they doe commit my cause to God our father be mindefull of bothe youre daughters to helpe them as you can I send all my wrytings to you by my brother Roger do with them as you will because I cannot as I woulde he can tell you more of my minde I haue nothing to geue you or to leaue behinde me for you onely I pray God my father for his Christes sake to blesse you and keepe you froÌ„ euil He geue you pacience he make you thankefull as for me so for your selfe that wil take the fruit of your wombe to witnesse hys veritie wherein I confesse to the whole world I die and depart thys life in hope of a much better which I looke for at the hands of God my father thorough the merites of hys deare sonne Iesus Christ. Thus my deare Mother I take my last farewell of you in this life beseeching the almighty and eternal father by Christ to graunt vs to meete in the life to come where we shall geue him continuall thankes and praise for euer and euer Amen Out of prison the 24. of Iune 1555. Your sonne in the Lord Iohn Bradford A letter sent wyth a supplication to Queene Mary her Counsell and the whole Parlament IN moste humble wise complaineth vnto your Maiestie and honours a poore subiecte persecuted for the confession of Christes veritie A letter of M. Bradford ioyned with a supplication sent to Q. Maâ—y her Counsayle and the Parlament the which veritie deserueth at your hands to be maintained and defended as the thing by the whiche you raigne and haue your honour and authorities Althoughe we that be professours and thorough the grace of God the constante confessours of the same are as it were the outsweepings of the worlde yet I say the veritie it selfe is a thing not vnwoorthy for your eares to heare for your eyes to see and for youre handes to handle
help succor according to that the Lorde hath made you able and placed you where you are for the same purpose Your highnesse and honours ought to knowe that there is no innocencie in woordes or deedes where it is enoughe and suffiseth onely to accuse It behoueth Kinges Queenes and all that be in authoritie to knowe that in the administration of their kingdomes they are Gods Ministers It behoueth them to knowe Difference betweene kinges and Tyrantes that they are no Kinges but plaine Tyrannes which raigne not to thys ende that they may serue and set foorth Gods glory after true knowledge and therefore it is required of them that they woulde be wise and suffer them selues to be taughte to submit them selues to the Lords discipline and to kisse their Soueraigne least they pearish as all those Potentates with their principalities and dominions can not long prosper but pearish in deede if they and their kingdomes be not ruled with the Scepter of God that is wyth hys worde which who so honoureth not honoureth not God and they that honour not the Lorde the Lord will not honour them Good warning to Q. Mary but bring them into contempt and at the lengthe take hys owne cause whiche hee hath moste chieflye committed vnto them to care for into hys owne handes and so ouerthrowe them and set vp his trueth gloriously the people also pearishinge wyth the Princes where the worde of Prophecie is wanting muche more is suppressed as it is now in this Realme of Englande ouer which the eyes of the Lorde are sette to destroy it Princes made slaues to Antichrist your highnesse and al your honours if in time you looke not better to youre office and dueties herein and not suffer your selues to be slaues hangmen to Antichriste and his Prelates which haue broughte your highnesse and honours already to let Barrabas lose and to hange vp Christ as by the grace and helpe of God I shall make apparante if first it would please your excellent maiestie and al your honors to take to heart Gods doctrine which rather through the malice of the Pharisies I meane the Bishoppes and Prelates then youre consciences is oppressed and not for our contemptible and execrable state in the sight of the world to passe the lesse of it For it the doctrine I meane is higher and of more honour and Maiestie then all the whole worlde It standeth inuincible aboue all power 〈…〉 ordeyned 〈…〉 dominion ouer all being not our doctrine but the doctrine of the euerliuing God and of his Christ whom the father hath ordained king to haue dominion from sea to sea and from the riuer vnto the endes of the worlde And truely so doth he and will he raigne that hee will shake all the whole earth with his yron and brasen power with his golden and siluerie brightnesse onely by the rod of hys mouth to shiâ—ers in such sorte as though they were pottes of claie according to that which the Prophetes doe wryte of the magnificence of hys kingdome And thus much for the thynge I meane the doctrine and your dueties to hearken to propagate and defend the same Christes Martirs falsely belyed of the prelates for heretickes and Schismatickes But nowe will our aduersaries mainely crie out againste vs because no man maye be admitted once to whist againste them that wee pretende falsely the doctrine and worde of God calling vs the most wicked contemners of it and heretikes Schismatikes traytours c. All which their sayings howe malicious and false they are though I might make report to that which is written by those men whose workes they haue condemned and all that retaine any of them publikely by proclamation yet here will I occasion your maiestie and honours by this my wryting to see that it is farre otherwise then they report of vs. God our father for his holy names sake direct my penne to be his instrument to put into your eyes eares and hearts that which most may make to hys glory to the sauegarde of your soules and bodies and preseruation of the whole Realme Amen Iohn Bradford To certaine his frendes N.S. and R.C. A letter of M. Bradford to certayne persons being at that tyme not throughly instructed in the doctrine of Gods election I Wish to you my good brethren the same grace of God in Christe which I wishe and pray the father of mercies to geue me for his holy names sake Amen Your letter thoughe I haue not read my selfe because I would not alienate my minde from conceiued things to wryte to others yet I haue hearde the summe of it that it is of Gods election wherein I will briefely wryte to you my faith and howe I thinke it good and meete for a Christian man to wade in it I beleeue that man made after the Image of God dyd fall from that blessed state to the condemnation of him selfe and all hys posteritie I beleue that Christ for man being thus fallen did oppose him selfe to the iustice of God a Mediatour paying the raunsome and price of redemption for Adame and his whole posteritie that refuse it not finally True fayth Exod. 14. I beleeue that all that beleue in Christ I speake of such as be of yeares of discretion are partakers of Christe and all hys merites I beleue that faith and to beleue in Christ I speake not nowe of Faith that men haue by reason of myracles Iohn 2.11 Actes 8. or by reason of earthly commoditie Mathew 13. custome and authoritie of men which is commonly seene the hearts of them that so beleue being not right and simple before God but I speake of that faith which in deede is the true faith * M.B. For the certainty of this fayth search your hartes 〈◊〉 you haue it prayse the Lord for 〈…〉 happy and 〈…〉 cannot 〈◊〉 pâ—â—ishe for 〈◊〉 hapâ—ines were not happines if it 〈…〉 WheÌ„ you 〈◊〉 the Lorde 〈…〉 his hand that you sâ—all not lye 〈◊〉 But if ye 〈◊〉 not this sâ—yth then know that prâ—destimation is to 〈…〉 matter for you to be disPuters of vntill you haue â—eene better sâ—holeâ—s in the school◠〈◊〉 of repentance iustificâ—â—ion which is thâ— Grammer schoole wherein we muâ—â— be conuersant and learned before we goe to thâ— vniuersitye of Gods most holy predestination and prouidence Of this matter he writeth more at large in the booke of letters of the Martyrs Fol. 391. the iustifying and regenerating faith I beleeue I say that this faith and beliefe in Christe is the woorke and gift of God geuen to none other then to those whych be the children of God that is to those whom God the Father before the beginning of the worlde hath predestinate in Christ vnto eternall life Thus doe I wade in Predestination in suche sorte as God hath paâ—ified and opened it Thoughe in God it be the firste yet to vs it is last opened And therefore I begin wyth creation from whence
of God Not that the action it selfe of beleeuing as it is a qualitie in man doeth so deserue but because it taketh that dignitie of the obiect For as I sayde in the acte of iustifying faith as it is an action in man is not to be considered alone but must euer go with his obiecte and taketh his vertue therof Like as the looking vp of the olde Israelites did not of it selfe procure any healthe vnto them but the promise made in the obiecte which was the brasen serpent whereupon they looked gaue them healthe by their looking vp Euen so after like sort are we saued by our faith and spirituall looking vp to the bodye of Christe crucified Which faith to define is this To beleeue Iesus Christe to be the sonne of the liuing God sent into thys worlde by hys death to satisfie for oure sinnes and so to receiue the same And thus much touching election and Faith with the order and explication of the causes necessary to be considered in our saluation Wherby may appeare howe farre the pretensed catholikes do swarne from the right mind of the scriptures For where the scriptures in declaring the causes of saluation do send vs only to faith as the onely condition whereby these causes haue their working these catholikes do quite leaue out faith and in stead thereof place in other conditions of doings merites wil workes pardons masses and especially auricular confession with penance and satisfaction for our sinnes c. And besides these letters aboue specified of M. Iohn Bradforde there hath come to our handes certaine other letters of his not long a goe sent by a certaine olde frende of the sayd Iohn Bradforde vnto vs. Which letters beyng written of him in former times before his trouble as they haue not bene yet printed nor seene abroade so I thought it not amisse to communicate the same to the châ—istian reader for the worthinesse of the matter and the goodnesse of the man which may redound I trust to no small fruite to him that with godly eyes shall aduise the same A letter of M. Bradford to father Trauers Minister of Blackeley THe aboundant grace and rich mercy of God in Christe our only sauiour and high bishop be increased in your heart thorow the liuely woorker of all goodnesse the holye spirite vntill the day of the Lorde c. I haue receiued youre two letters good father Trauers sithen y t I did wryte any vnto you whereof though honesty willeth to make an excuse yet truth biddeth me otherwise and sayeth it is better wyth shame to confesse the fault for therein is as a man mighte say halfe a deseruing of pardon then without shame to lie I might haue written vnto you twise notwythstanding in deede some businesse wherein I haue some thing bene occupied but yet I haue not Nowe the cause is because I woulde not And why woulde I not But because I coulde not I meane because my canning is taken away by sinne for my sinnes doe forbid goodnesse vnto me In dede if my sinning were of infirmitie there were good hope of recouerie of that which I haue lost But seeing both willing and knowing I haue too much yeelded and yet doe yeelde to my infirmities iustly I doe deserue that because I haue cast awaye and reiected the woord of the Lord behinde my backe that the Lord should reiecte me And because I would not haue blessing I am woorthye as Dauid sayeth that it be taken away from me I haue nowe at length experience that to bring a man foorth of Gods fauour is sooner seene when a man hath receiued all things abouÌ„dantly then when nede or the crosse pincheth Afore it pleased God to woorke the restitution you know what I meane and afore it pleased God to prouide for me as he hath done so that I can saye in nothing where any want is as pertaining to my body I was an other maner of man then nowe I am and yet Gods deserts haue otherwise bounden me But the scripture is true I haue aduanced my children Deut. 32. and nourished them but they haue contemned me I haue fedde them that they were fatte and grosse and they spurned agaynste me Perchaunce you will aske me wherein Oh father Trauers I warrante you this my stile in carnall and not in spirituall wryting doeth some thing shewe vnto you but as for it in comparison of other things is nothynge For where the life of man is such that either it paireth or ameÌ„deth as Paule sayeth the outwarde man is corrupted day by day and therefore except the inwarde man be renewed the shoe goeth awrie euery building in Christ doth grow to a holy temple as the wicked on the contrary parte shall proceede to worser 2. Tim. 3. 2. Tim. 3. I haue made a change farre otherwise in going backe than I thinke by letters I can perswade you wherein will you say For the first seconde and thirde and to be brief in all things As for an example Gods true feare is flowen away from me loue to my brethren is exiled from me faith is vtterly taken awaye In stead wherof is distrust doubtfulnes bearing rule Contempt of Gods honor of my brethreÌ„ raigning in stead of true feare an imagined feare accordinge to my brayne holding the principalitie For I extenuate sinne and I do not consider that in sinne which a Christian ought to consider that sinne being not forgeuen is such a thyng for the which God casteth his creature away as exaÌ„ples not only of Saule of Iudas of the Israelites which were beloued in deede yet for sinne are reiected but also of others on whome lately for my warning God hathe shewed the same do admonish me But it is but my pen which writes this for the wicked sayth Salomon when they come into the depth of their sinnes then they grow in securitye Prouerb 18. I am I caÌ„not tel what I feare but it is but blindly or els wold I awake otherwise then I do 2. Tim. 2 I feare me I say that I am intangled of the deuil after his desire Pray for me that the Lord would geue me repentance that I may escape out of his snares Alas the spirite of praier which before I haue felt plentifully is taken cleane away from me The Lorde be mercifull vnto me I am solde vnder sinne I am the bondslaue of sinne for whome I obey his seruaunt I am I am ashamed to speake ofte no I shame not at all for I haue forgot to blush I haue geuen ouer to wepe And truly I obey I obey I say mine owne coÌ„cupiscences namely in eating in drinking in iangling and idlenesse I will not speake of vaine glorie enuie disdaine hypocrisie desire of estimation selfeloue and who can tell all Is thys the rewarde thou renderest to GOD O Bradforde It is true yea to true thou knowst it O Lord for thy mercies sake pardon me In your letters you touch me home how that
the let I neither send you spectacles the price of the Paraphrases nor thanks for your cheese as by the next that coÌ„meth I will God willyng send the premisses to you and a goodly Testament for Sir Thomas Hall which is at the bindyng But be not acknowen that I haue now written to you for so I haue prayed this bringer God be with vs and pray for me and abhorre not my rude scribling which if it were as well written as it is ment woulde deserue pardon Thus make I an ende imputing to the hastines of this bringer all blame which you may lay vnto me From the Temple this Sonday immediately after M. Latimers famous Sermon whiche this bringer as hee sayth did heare By your poorest friend Iohn Bradford It shall not be long God willyng but you shall both haue and heare from me Keepe with you Melancthons Common places for I haue an other ¶ Another letter of Maister Bradford to father Traues GRace mercy and peace from God the father through our Lord Iesus Christ with encrease of all manner godly knowledge and liuing bee with you and all your houshold now and euer Amen To excuse this my long silence within v. or vj. dayes after my like foolish letters writteÌ„ to you by Ioh. Mâ—sse it pleased God to send my M. hither to London whome as I lately tofore had aduertised by letters I mooued you know wherein and prayed him to discharge y e same or els I would submit my selfe c. Whereunto he answered that if the bookes would declare it he would satisfy c The bookes I shewed whereupon he promised as much as I could aske But beyng herein something more mooued then he had cause God be praysed therefore which of his meere good pleasure wrought it at tymes as I could I desired to know how and in what tyme he would discharge vs both He thinking me to be ouer curious herein was not therewith contented and hearyng me to alledge the vncertaintie of tyme and the feare of Gods iustice which oh gracious Lord graunt me to feele in deede as much as thou knowest good for me he aunswered me to be scrupulous and of a superstitious conscience for animalis homo non percipit ea quae sunt Dei and plainely sayde further that I shold not know nor by these words haue his head so vnder my girdle And wheÌ„ I shewed him that God witnessed with me I went about no suche thyng He sayd that there was no godly conscience seyng he promised afore the face of God to discharge me and to pay the thing but it ought so to be quieted And thus at dyuers sundry tymes moouing eftsoones to know of hym the way and tyme of discharging the debt and hauyng none other aunsweres then tofore I doubting worldly wisedome which vseth delayes to raigne in hym with this Mammon the which oh merciful God eradicate out of his hart mynd and all others I was somethyng more sharp and told hym non ego tamen sed gratia tua Domine I would obey God more then man the which hee lightly regardyng as seemed I departed and went to M. Latimer to haue had hym to haue brought me to my L. Protector whose grace than was purposed shortly to take his iourney to visite the Ports M. Latimer I say willed me to stay vntill his returne which will be not long tofore Easter In this meane tyme I bade my bedfellow my maisters sonne whom my M. had vsed as his instrument to mooue mee carnally for my M. discharged him of hys exhibitioÌ„ tellyng hym that he could not be able to keep eyther house or chyld for I purposed to vndoe both hym and all hys vntruly thou knowest good Lord and bade hym to take that as a warnyng that both he and his brethren should prouide for themselues as they could I bade I say my sayde bedfellow to shew my M. as of himself my further purpose which thyng when he knew so mooued feared him that he began somethyng to relent then made faire promises that looke what I would deuise that would he do I deuised but my deuises pleased hym not And thus but not vainly I trust as I now do with you but I knowe your gentlenes which euer hath borne with me I spended the tyme in which I haue bene silent to write nay bable to you And he departing out of LondoÌ„ tofore I knew did send me word by an other of his said sonnes not so giuen to the Gospell and a lyfe accordyng as my bedfellow and therefore more to be suspected for though pietas non est suspiciosa as I should thinke my selfe rather impius yet Christ bade vs to be prudeÌ„tes sicut serpentes this other brother I say told me that my M. would do all thyngs onely his fame and abilitie preserued quid prodest totum mundum lucrari animae vero iacturam facere And with the sayd brother my M. sent me a little billet also wherein he confessed that he was contented within 12. months to deliuer to my hands the whole money which bill I thinking not so good as it might haue bene haue deuised an other and haue sent it downe to hym in the countrey with request that he will seale and signe it For thus M. Latymer thinketh sufficieÌ„t but as yet I heare not of it doubting worldly wisedome which was the whore that ouercame Sampson y t mooued Dauid to slay Urias that brought wyse Salomon to idolatry that crucified Christ the which moued mee to perpetrate hoc facinus the whiche worketh in my maisters hart hauyng higher place there than Timor Dâ—mini What say I there ye ye with me it sitteth in the holy place the Lord deliuer vs doubtyng I say worldly wisedome I remaine in that same state now for this matter though in worse for my soule which is more lamented pray therfore I beseech you pray with me and for me that I may do so earnestly than I was in at my last writyng vnto you And as I than was purposed so I doubt not graunt it Lord but that I shall perseuere if in the meane season I shall not heare from my M. accordingly Thus I haue like my selfe folishly but truely declared vnto you in many babling wordes which wit if I had it would haue shortly and briefly comprehended Arrogant nay Gods working vnthankfull wretch my workyng in this matter which is and was the onely cause as I now do I troubled you not afore to the intent I might aduertise you some certaintie in this thyng And though silence had bene much better then this foolish pratyng yet your fatherly kyndnesse euer towardes me in expectyng from you a correction as I haue herein geuen cause may thogh not to you yet to me be profitable In hope whereof I proceed in requiring you to continue your remembraunce of mee a most vnkynde wretche to God and you in your prayers with the almighty mercyfull Lorde that I maye more regard
punisheth myne arrogancy Alas what shall I doe I am an vnprofitable and an idle member I thought I shoulde haue bene therein profitable but medice cura teipsum How should I or what should I doe I cannot labour wyth my handes Well I trust God will geue mee grace and knowledge to translate nothyng I feare me yea I distrust me that I shall neuer be minister of Gods worde yea if arrogancy were not in me how shuld I of all wretches the greatest thinke me to looke to the highest roume and vocation that is vppon earth Therefore eftsoones I desire you to pray for me that Gods will may bee done in me whether I lyue or dye so that hys name be honoured My maister which was hath denied me all his benefiseÌ„ce but I haue for this lyfe more then enough thankes bee to God As this Winter I entend by Gods fauor to declare more vnto you This booke which I haue sent take it in good part it is the first I trust it shall not be the last God hath appoynted me to translate The print is very false I am sory for it I pray you be not offended at my babling in the Prologues c. Iohn Bradford I will lye God willyng this Sommer at Katherines hall in Cambridge write to me ¶ Another letter of Maister Bradford to father Traues THe louyng kyndnes and aboundant mercy of God the father poured plentifully vpon all the faythfull in the bloud of that meeke Lambe Iesus Christ our onely satisfaction and mediator thorough the working of the most holy spirite be encreased and perceiued in you daily more and more to the glory of God c. Because I stand both in doubt of the readyng and deliuerie of such letters as I write and send vnto you derely beloued father Traues I am constrained to leaue of such griefes and spirituall wantes as thankes vnto the Lord I vnwillingly feele for the flesh as you knowe loueth nothyng so much as securitie of all enemies most perillous and not a little familiar with me from the which with vaine glory hypocrisie c. and worldlines the Lord deliuer me I had not thought to haue writen thus much but these I cannot keepe but commit them to your prayers And to the intent I would you should not thinke any ingratitude in me as also that I might geue you occasion to write to me agayne as heretofore I haue done euen so doe I enterturbe trouble you w t my babling but yet hauyng this coÌ„moditie that I babble not so much as I was woont to do The cause I haue declared which had almost bene the cause I had not written at all I did write vnto you from London when I came hither sende mee word what letters you haue receiued for from you I haue receiued but two and both by Iohn Mosse and in the latter I perceiued that the Lord had visited you with sickenes his fatherly rod whereby he declareth his loue vpon you and that he careth for you vt in tempore supremo exultes nunc ad breue tempus afflictus quo exploratio fidei multo praeciosior auro quod perit tamen probatur c Siquidem in hoc vocatus es vt cum Christo patiaris nam illo glorificabeâ—is Certus enim sermo est si sufferimus conregnabimus You know that Christ etsi filius Dei erat tamen ex his quae pastus est didicit obedientiam Patientia opus perfectum habeat vt sitis perfecti integri nullaque in parte diminuti and dothe not patientia come of probatio the one then you had so that you were goyng a schoole to learne the other with lerned what want you the ende of all Gods proouing is as Paule sayth vt impartiat nobis sanctimoniam igitur gratias age Deo patri qui idoneum te fecit ad participationem sortis sanctorum in lumine c. Nam qui te parumper afflixit idem instauret te fulciet roboret stabiliat And the Lord knoweth how eripere pios è testatione and that in tempore oportuno euen shortly for haud tardat qui promisit nam modicum tempus videbitis me veniens enim veniet non tardabit Itaque qui consortes estis crucis Christi gaudete sayth Peter vt in reuelatione quoque gloriae eius gaudeatis exultantes O how doth my will ouer runne my wit Why Bradford whom writest thou vnto Thou shewest thy selfe Thus father Traues you may see my rashnes to rable out the scriptures without purpose ryme or reason I will not blot it out as I had thought to haue done for that hereby you shall see my neede of your prayer Well I looke for a watchword from you Write for Gods sake and pray for me that I may be in somethyng profitable to the Lordes congregation that I may bee no stumbling blocke vt non confundantur in me qui illum expectant Send me such counsaile as the Lordes spirite shall mooue you how to study My desire is in somethyng to be profitable if it were the Lordes will for to be Minister verbi Alas I am vnmeete and my tyme my tyme yea the Lordes tyme I haue hitherto euill ye most wickedly mispent it c. Thus will I end The Lord be with you and your bedfellow to whom haue me hartily commended to all your children and family the which I beseeche the Lord to lighten his countenaunce ouer and graunt you his peace pray for me I long for Winter to speake wyth you Rescribe ora Pray for mee This assumption daye in Katherines hall in Cambridge Yours with all I haue and can Iohn Bradford ¶ Another letter of Maister Bradford to father Traues THe plentifull grace of God the father through our only maister and Lord Iesus Christ encrease in vs daily to the glory of his name Amen Forasmuch as I haue often written to you good father Traues and yet haue not once heard from you sithens Pentecost I can not now bee so bolde either in writing much or often as I would haue bene Howbeit this I say that I much meruaile that I heare not from you but not so for I am so wretched a sinner that the Lordes spirite I am certaine doth not mooue you to write to me yet for Gods sake pray for me and in the Lordes name I desire you geue thankes to God for me And when it maye please God to mooue you write to me thogh it be but two wordes and counsaile me how to study the worde of lyfe the ministerie whereof I desire if it bee the Lordes pleasure to professe and that I may doe it both in liuyng and learnyng pray for me Herus meus omnibus rebus suis me abdicauit quae prius concesserat iam soluere renuit mihi prorsus factus inimicus I know not when I shal see you in body therefore let me heare from you I write not this that you should thinke me in
it musty our selues yet must we beleue it is sweete and then pay them well for theyr so saying and all is safe But I might saye agayne What sir be ye wiser then Christ and God hys father or the holy Ghost What wiser then the Prophetes and the holy Apostles and all the holye Martyrs I pray you sir where had you your high learning It is higher thē God being in heauen is able to teache or haue ye set it lower in hell then euer Christ durst to venter For it is some straunge learning belike that Christ nor his Apostles could neuer attaine to the knowledge of it But vayne men are neuer without some shift For peraduenture they will not be ashamed to saye that Christ cōming on his fathers message did forget half his errād by the way For I dare say the greater halfe of theyr ceremonyes were neuer commaunded by Christ Yea I doubt it would bee hard to finde one in the Churche perfectly as hee lefte so Romishly hath Antichrist turned the church vpsidedown for lukers sake Beloued Mother as I oftentymes sayde vnto you euen so now I beseeeche you from my very hart roote in Christ to consider your owne soules health is offered you doe not cast it off we haue not long time here Why should we deceiue our selues either for ease of our fleshe or for the winning of this worldes treasure I know that some will say to you why should wee condemne our fathers that liued thus God forbid that wee shoulde condemne any that did according to their knowledge But let vs take heede that they condemne not vs for if they had hearde the word as we haue and had bene warned as wee haue it is to bee thought that they would more thankefully haue receaued it thē we do The fathers that heard no better are not to be condemned but rather will condemne vs that heare and receaue it not yea they were more faythfull in that they knewe then many now are Therefore they shall be our condemnation if wee doe not embrace this grace offered vs. And surely looke how many of them God will accept and saue those shall wee neuer see nor haue any part among them for our disobedience is more great then their ignoraunce Wherefore if we will meete our fathers in blisse and ioye let vs not refuse his mercye offered more largely to vs then to them euen according to Christes promise which sayd after such great ignoraunce as to seek hym from country to country and finde him not Yet shall the Gospel sayth he be preached in all the world and then shall the ende come And now let vs knowe the time of our visitation and not turne backe agayne seeing we are once deliuered for surely God will not beare it at our handes to turne backeward Gods visitation not to be refused Oh remember Lots life God must needes punish out of hand our shamefull backesliding eyther with induration and hardnes of hart so that they shall persecute his Churche and true seruauntes or els reward it with open vengeaunce and plagues And therefore good mother accept this my simple letter as a fruite of my loue obedience to you Would God we might be so knitte in fayth trust in Gods word and promises here in this lyfe as wee myght together enioye the blisse and consolation of eternall lyfe which I desire and seeke aboue all worldly treasure as ye partly know If I woulde seeke the good will of men contrarye to my conscience I could make some my frendes whiche now peraduenture are ielous ouer me amisse Experience how Gods Martyrs seeke not the world But I thanke God let them waye the matter betweene God and theyr consciences and they haue no iust cause so to do neuerthelesse I would they would yet refrain and put theyr matter and myne into the euen ballaunce of gods most holy worde there to be wayed by the mynde of the holye Ghost expressed vnto vs by the holy Patriarckes and Prophetes and by Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour and Mediatour and by his holy Apostles and then I doubt not but our matter shall be ended with peace and ioyfulnes of hart whiche God graunt vs for his mercies sake Amen Your owne childe Nicholas Shetterden prisoner for the trueth in Westgate 1555. A letter to his brother VVater Sheterden My vncle hath bene with me made great promises and great threates also I Wishe you healthe in Christe true knowledge of hys word a faithful obedient hart vnto y e same It is shewed me my brother y t yee willed me by a letter made to a frend of yours to perswade with me that I shoulde be ruled by mine Uncle which saith he wil bestow his goods very largely vpon me If I shoulde not stand to highe in mine own conceipt But my good brother I trust ye doe not iudge so euill of me that I should haue a fayth to sell for money For though he or you were able to geue me the treasure of the whole countrey yet I thanke my Lorde God I do iudge it but an heape of dongue in respecte of y e treasure hid w tin yet I do esteme a buckle of your shoe if it come with good wil. And for to be counselled and ruled by him or you or any other my frends I do not neither haue refused it if they require no more of me then my power that which belongeth to mortall men But if they require of me any thing which pertayneth to God onely there is neither high nor low frend nor foe I trust in God shall get it of me nor yet the Aungels in heauen For though I be not learned as the vayne men of the world call learning yet I thanke my Lorde God So should he haue 2. bodyes at once one glorified and an other mortall No order nor reason in the popes doctrine I haue learned out of Gods booke to know God from his creatures and to know Christ from hys sacramentes and to put a difference betweene the merites of Christes Passion and hys Supper a difference betwene y e water of Baptisme and the holy Ghost and not to mixe and mingle all thinges confusely together so that if one aske me a question or a reason of my fayth I must say thus I beleeue as holy Church beleeueth if he aske me what is the order of that fayth I should be so ignoraunt that I could not discerne God from his creatures nor Christ from his sacramentes If I should so monstrously vtter my faythe that I were not able to iudge betweene Christes byrth and his buriall nor which were first of his mortification and hys glorification who would beleue that my faith wer sound For some affirme that Christ did not geue to his Apostles a mortall and a passible bodye but an immortall glorified body so that he should haue a glorified bodye before his death so his glorification was before