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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	father_n	person_n	trinity_n	2,522	5	9.8786	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19465	Certain most godly, fruitful, and comfortable letters of such true saintes and holy martyrs of God, as in the late bloodye persecution here within this realme, gaue their lyues for the defence of Christes holy gospel written in the tyme of their affliction and cruell imprysonment.	Coverdale, Miles, 1488-1568.; Bradford, John, 1510?-1555, Exhortacion to the carienge of Chrystes crosse. Selections.; Cranmer, Thomas, 1489-1556. Copy of certain lettres sent to the Quene, and also to doctour Martin and doctour Storye. Selections.; Hooper, John, d. 1555. Soveraigne cordial for a Christian conscience.; Hooper, John, d. 1555. Whether Christian faith maye be kepte secret in the heart, without confession therof openly to the worlde as occasion shal serve.; Ridley, Nicholas, 1500?-1555. Frendly farewel.	1564 (1564)	STC 5886; ESTC S108888	571,783	726

them they harken vnto me and to no straungers and I geue them euerlastyng lyfe Iohn 10 for they shall not be loste nor no man shall plucke them out of my handes no nor yet this flatte ryng world wyth al his vayne pleasures nor any Tyranne wyth his great threates and stoute bragges can once moue them out of the way of eternall lyfe What consolation and cōfort may we haue more pleasaunt and effectuous then this God is on our side and fighteth for vs he suffereth he smarteth is afflicted with vs. As the world can do nothing against his might Esay 4 neither in takyng away or diminishing of hys glory nor putting him from his celestial throne so can it not harme nor hurte any one of his chyldren without his good wyll Ephesi 5 for we are members of hys bodye out of his flesh and of his bones and as deare to him as the apple of his eye Let vs therfore with an earnest fayth set fast hold and sure feeling vpon the promises of God in the gospel and let vs not be sundred from the same by any tēptation tribulation or persecution Let vs consider the verity of god to be inuincible inuiolable and immutable promising and geuing vs his faythfull souldiours life eternall It is he onely that hath deserued it for vs it is his only benefite and of his only mere mercy vnto hym only must we render thākes Let not therfore the vayne fantasies and dreames of mē the folish gauds and toyes of the world nor the crafty delusions of the deuil driue separate vs from our hope of the crown of righteousnes that is laid vppe in store for vs against the last day Oh that happy and mery last day I meane to the faythfull when Christ by hys couenaunt shall graunte and geue vnto them that ouercome and kepe hys wordes to the ende that they maye ascende and sit in seate with him as he hath ascended and sitteth on throne wyth hys father The same body and soule that is now wyth Christ afflicted shal then be wyth Christ glorified nowe in the butchers handes as shepe appointed to die 2. Timo. 2. then sitting at gods table wyth Christ in hys kyngdom as gods honourable and dere childerne where we shall haue for earthly pouerty heauenlye riches for hunger and thirst saturitye of the pleasaunt presence of the glory of God Psalm 16. for sorrowes troubles and colde irons celestial ioyes and the company of Aungels and for a bodely death lyfe eternall Oh happy soules oh precious death and euermore blessed righte deare in the eyes of god to you the spring of the Lord shall euer be florishyng Then as sayth Esay the redemed shall returne come againe into Sion praysing the Lord and eternall mercyes shal be ouer their heades they shall obtaine myrthe and solace sorrowe and woe shall be vtterly vanquished yea I am euen he sayeth the Lord that in all things geueth you euerlastyng consolation To whom with the Father and the holy ghost be glory and prayse for euer Amen Robert Samuell An other letter written to the Christian cōgregation called the fayth of Robert Samuell The beliefe of the hart iustifyeth and to knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe Rom. 10. Feare not the curse of men be not afrayde of theyr blasphemies and reuilinges for wormes and mothes shall eate them vppe lyke cloth and woll but my ryghteousnesse shall endure for euer and my sauing healthe from generation to generation Esay 51. COnsidering with my self these perillous times 2. Timo. 3. perishing daies the vnconstant and miserable state of man the decay of our fayth the sinister reporte false slaūder of gods most holy word these vrgent causes in coscience do constrayne me to confesse acknowledge my fayth and meanyng in Christes holy religion as S. Peter teacheth me saying 1. pet 3 be readye alwayes to geue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you and that with mekenes feare hauing a good cōscience that whē they backbite you as euill doers they may be ashamed for asmuche as they haue falselye accused your good conuersation in Christe As touching my doctrine for that litle talent that god hath geuen me god I take to recorde mine own conscience mine auditorie knoweth that I neither in doctrine nor maners willinglye taughte any other thing then I receaued of the holy Patriarckes Prophets Christ hys Apostles For it were not only sinne but also the very part of a cursed miscreant to deny to belye or betray the innocēcie of that heauēly doctrine or to be ashamed to cōfesse stād to the defence of the same Mar. 8. seing the christ plāted it with his most precious blood and all good men haue more estemed the true infallible word of god then al this transitorye worlde or their own mortal liues And I beleue this doctrine of the Patriarkes Prophets Christ hys Apostles to be sufficient absolutely perfect to enstruct teach me al the holy church of oure duties towards god the magistrates our neighbours Fyrst principally I do assuredly beleue wtout any douting that there is one deitie or diuine essence infinite substāce which is both called is in dede god euerlasting vnbodely vnpartable vnmeasurable in power wisdome goodnesse the maker preseruer of al things as wel visible as inuisible yet there be three distinct persons al of one godhead or diuine being of al one power coequal cōsubstantial coeternall the father the sonne the holy ghost I beleue in god the father almighty c. As touching god the father of heauē I beleue as much as holy scripture teacheth me to beleue The father is the first person in trinitie Ephesi ● first cause of our saluation which hath blessed vs with al maner of blessings in heauēly things by Christ which hath chosē vs before the foūdations of the worlde were layd that we should be holy without blame before him who hath predestinate vs ordeyned vs to be his childrē of adoption through Christ Iesu Act. 17. Psal 176. In him as it is sayd we liue we moue haue our being he nourisheth feedeth geueth meate to euery creature And in Iesus Christ hys onely sonne oure lord I beleue that the word that is the sonne of god the second person in trinitie did take mans nature in the wombe of the most blessed virgin Mary Heb. 1. So that there be in hym .ii. natures a diuine nature an humaine nature in the vnitie of persō inseperable conioyned knyt in one Christ truly god trulye mā the expresse perfect image of the inuisible god wherin the wil of god the father shineth apparantly wherin mā as it were in a glasse maye behold what he ought to do that maye please god the father Borne of the virgin Mary ●●trulye

without the other then fire can bee without heate saying these wordes with the hart man beleueth vnto righteousnes with the mouth he confesseth vnto saluation Wherein he declareth that euen as the cause of our acceptation through Christ is the confidence and faithe of the hart in the promises of god so is the confession outwardlye of the same fayth by the mouthe the fruite that all christian faythfull hartes brynge forthe throughe the same gyfte of GOD. And where as thys effecte of confession of faythe is not there wanteth also the cause of confession whiche is true faythe for as the tree is knowen by her fruites so is faythe by her effectes And as the wante of fruite is a demonstration that the tree is vnprofitable so the wante of true confession of faythe is a token that the faith is dead The ende of the vnprofitable tree Math. x. 1. Pet. 3. is cuttyng down and castynge into the fyre the ende of the fruitles faythe is death and castyng to eternall dampnation Wherefore Saincte Peter requyreth vs to make aunswere to euerye man that demaūdeth of vs of such hope as is in vs with gentlenes reuerence which is a very testimony that we sanctify god in our hartes as it is before expressed in the same chapter For the greatest honour that man can geue to god is to confesse in the tyme of trouble truly and faithfully hys holy worde and fayth Wherfore it is the duty of euery christian to pray study to haue a through knowledge of his faith in Christ and as the glory of god shall requyre the cause of his religion to bee readye to make aunswere for the same howe soeuer the world feare displeasure frendship or other lettes shall moue vs to the contrary vppon payne saieth Christe in the x Math. x. of Mathew that I will deny hym before my father which is in heauen But how harde a thyng it is to confesse Christe in the dayes of trouble not onely the scripture but also daily experiēce in good men and women doth declare True confession is warded on euery side with many daungers on the righte hande and on the lefte hande now with fayre meanes then wyth foule threatnynges fearefull and daungerous as it is sayde by Christe our Sauioure they shall betray you to the iudges and of them ye shall be beaten and iudged to deathe Of the other syde shall pull vs backe the loue of wyfe childrē brother Syster kin frends and the loue vnto our selues But he that is ouercommen by any of these meanes hath his iudgemēt he is not meete for me sayth Christ These thynges be impossible vnto men yet to christian men in Christ possible and so necessary that christianity and true religion cannot bee in hym that is a fearde to confesse Christ and his gospell in the tyme of persecution The wisdome of the world doth say although I accomplishe the desyre of my frendes and to the sight of the worlde am present at the masse and with my body do as other men do or as I may do yet my hart is clean contrary to their belief I do detest such Idolatry beleue that the thing that I am present at is mere idolatry and abhominatiō Here be fayre words for an euill purpose and pretenced excuse for a iust condemnation before God For if it be true that ye know the thing which ye resort vnto to be the dishonor of god why doe ye honour it with your presence If ye know it to be euil why refrayne ye not from it If your conscience saye it is Idolatry why serueth your body such things as your fayth abhorreth If in your hart you know but one God why with your exterior presence serue ye the thing that ye knowe is not God If your fayth see idolatrye why doth your silence cōfesse and allow the same Two mē in one god loueth not If the inwarde man knowe the truth why doth the outward man confesse a falsehode If your spirite be perswaded that the masse is idolatry why do ye with your bodely presence vse it as a God and geue godly honoure to it Do ye not perceaue that it is written Esay 25. Math. 15. these people honor me with theyr mouth but their harts be farre frō me The cause why God was offended with these people was that outwardly they confessed him serued him but their hartes were farre frō him inwardly Wherfore ye may see what it is to beare two faces in one hoode outwardly to serue God and inwardly to serue the deuil Now marke of thys place if it be so horrible damnable a thing to be false in the hart which none knoweth but God and is worthy also of damnatiō what is to be iudged of the outward and manifest vse of idolatry which not only God but also euery good man knoweth and abhorreth There is no coulor nor cloked hipocrisie that God cā away with If the hart thinke not as the tong speaketh or els the tong speake otherwise thē the hart thinketh both be abhominable before God 2. Cor. 6. Read ye the .3 and the .6 Chapters of the fyrst Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinth where as S. Paule sayth know ye not that your bodie is the temple of the holy ghost If your body be the temple of the holy ghost what agrement hath it with idolatry Can one body at one time bee the temple of the holy ghost and be present at such idolatry as god abhorreth and detesteth Can a mā serue two masters If he do he loueth as Christ saith the one and hateth the other Math. 6. As god requireth of a faithful man a pure hart euen so requyreth he that his external profession in al thinges be according therunto for both body and soule be detters vnto god he redemed them both The woorde of God sayth vnto vs 1. Cor. 6. glorifye and beare God in your bodies If we be present at such idolatry as God forbiddeth and our own knowledge in conscience is assured to be euill do we glorifye God in our bodies No doutlesse we dishonour him and make our bodyes the seruauntes of idolatry not only to Gods dishonoure but also to the great daunger both of body and soule For this is a true saying of S. Augustine he that doth against his conscience buildeth to hell fyre It is not enough for a Christian man to say I know the masse is nought but to obey ciuill lawes and orders I wil do outwardly as other men do yet in my hart abhorre it neuer thinke it to be good Doutlesse these two mindes the spirite to thinke wel the body to do euil in this respect be both naught god wil spue that whole mā out of his mouth as he did the minister of the cōgregatiō of Laodicia Apo. 3. The 8. chap. the .10 of the fyrst to the Corinthians in thys matter in this time be places very

pleasures treasures of this world be but trifilles Therfore good sister often haue it before your eyes daily set your selfe your doings as before the iudgemente seate of Christ now that hereafter you be not called into iudgemēt Thinke that it wil litle profite you to winne the whole world to lose your owne soule Marke Christes lessons well he that wil saue his life shal lose it The father frō heauen commaundeth you to heare Christ he sayth folow me this can you not do followe Idolatrye or Idolaters Flye from such sayth the Scripture Thys god graunt to you to me to al gods children Amen Thus in hast I haue accōplished your request god graunt that as you haue done me muche good bodely so thys maye be a litle meane to doe you some good spiritually Amen If tyme would serue I would haue written more at large The .2 of Marche Anno. 1556. To the worshipful and in God my most deare frend the Ladye Vane THe good spirite of God our father be more more plētifully perceaued of your good Ladiship through the mediation merites of our dere Sauiour Iesus Christ Amē Although your benefites towardes me haue deserued at my hands the seruice I can do for you yet right worshipful and dearly beloued in the Lord the true feare of god and the loue of his truth which I perceaue to be in you especially and aboue al other things doth binde me hereunto This bearer hath told me that your desire is to haue somthing sent to you cōcerning the vsurped authoritie of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome which is vndoubtedly the greate Antichrist of whom the Apostles do so much admonyshe vs that you may haue aswell somethyng the more to stay you on as also wherwith to answere the aduersaries because you may perchaunce therin be somthing aposed To satisfye this your desire I wyll brieflye go about and so that I will by gods grace fully set forth the same to enarme you to withstand the assaultes of the papistes herein if you marke well and read ouer agayne that which I now wryte The papists do place in preeminence ouer the whole church the Pope therby vnplacing Christ which is the heade of the church that geueth life to the whole bodye by his spirite doth make liuely euery member of the same This they doe without al scriptures For where they bring in this spoken to Peter feede my sheepe I wold gladly know whether this was not commaunded vnto others also As for that which perchaūce they wil vrge that he spake to Peter by name if they had any learnyng they would easelye perceaue howe that it was not for any such cause as they pretend but rather by a threfolde cōmaundement to restore to him the honour of an Apostle which he had lost by his threfold denyal And how dare they interpretate thys worde my shepe my Lābe● to be the vniuersal Church of Christ I trowe a man might easely by the like reason proue that Peter hymself had resigned that which Christ had geuen to hym in exhortyng hys fellowe pastoures to feede the flocke of Christ Is not thys pretye stuffe Because Christ sayth to Peter feede my sheepe therfore he ought to rule the vniuersal and whole church of Christ If Peter do truly write vnto others that they shold do the lyke that is fede Christes flocke eyther he translateth hys right authority cōmitted to him vpon them or els he doth participate cōmunicate it with them So that folyshly they goe aboute to establishe that which hath no ground Peter in dede was a shepeheard of the shepe but suche a one as bestowed hys labour on them so farre as he could stretch out hym selfe by hys ministerye But the papistes prate that he had ful power ouer all Churches Wherin they maye see Paul to improue them for els he had done vniustly in denying them the superiour place Howbeit who euer yet redde that Peter dyd take any thyng vppon him ouer Churches committed vnto other men Was not he sent of the churche sent as one not hauing rule ouer the reaile I graūt that he was an excellent instrument of God and for the excellencye of hys gyftes when soeuer they meete together place therfore was commonlye geuen vnto hym But what is thys to the purpose to make hym ruler head ouer all the whole Churche because he was so ouer a small congregation But be it so that Peter had as much geuen to him as they do affyrme who yet will graunt that Peter had a patrimony geuen for his heires ▪ He hath left say the papistes to hys successours the self same right which he receaued Oh Lord God then must hys successour be a Sathan Math. 4. for he receaued that title of Christ hym selfe I woulde gladly haue the papistes to shew me one place of successiō mencioned in the Scriptures I am sure that when Paule purposely paynteth oute the whole administration of the Churche he neyther maketh one head nor anye enheritable Primacye and yet he is altogether in commendation of vnitye After he hath made mencion of one God the father of one Christe of one spirite of one body of the Churche of one faythe and of one baptisme then he describeth the meane and manner howe vnitye is to be kept namelye because vnto euerye pastour is grace geuen after the measure wherewyth Christe hath endowed them Where I praye you is now any title of Plenitudinis potestatis of fulnes of power When he calleth home euery one vnto a certayne measure whye dyd he not forthwith say one Pope Which thyng he coulde not haue forgotten if the thinge had beene as the papistes make it But let vs graunt that perpetuitie of the Primacye in the Church was establyshed in Peter I woulde gladlye learne why the Seate of the Primacye shoulde bee rather at Rome then elswhere Marye saye they because Peters chaire was at Rome Thys is euen lyke to thys that because Moses the greatest Prophette And Aaron the fyrste Prieste exercised theyr offyces vnto theyr deathe in the deserte therefore the principallest place of the Iewyshe Churche shoulde bee in the wyldernesse But graunt them theyr reason that it is good What should Antioche clayme For Peters chaire was there also wherin Paule gaue him a checke which was vnsemely and vnmanerlye done of Paule that would not geue place to hys president better No saie the papistes Rome muste haue this authoritie because Peter died there But what and if a man should by probable coniectures shewe that it is but a fable which is fayned of Peters Bishoprike at Rome Read how Paule doth salute very many priuate persons when he writeth to the Romaines Three yeres after hys Epistle made he was brought to Rome prisoner Luke telleth that he was receaued of the brethren and yet in al these no mention at all of Peter whiche then by their Storyes was at Rome Belike he

father for as for the fansie of fortune it is wicked Amos. 3 Thren 3 Math. 10 Esaye 45. as many places of the scripture do teach we must nedes to the cōmendation of gods iustice for in al his doings he is iuste ackdowledge in our selues that we haue deserued at the hands of our heauenly father this hys crosse or rodde fallen vpon vs. We haue deserued it if not by our vnthankfulnesse slouthfulnesse negligence intemperancie vncleannes and other sinnes cōmitted often by vs wherof our consciences can wil accuse vs if we cal thē to counsell with the examination of our former lyfe yet at least by our originall byrth sinne as by doubting of the greatnes of gods anger and mercy by self loue cōcupiscence Psal 51 Heb. 12 Gala. 5. and such like sinnes which as we brought with vs into this worlde so doe the same alwaye abyde in vs and euen as a spring doe alwayes bring somthyng forth in acte with vs notwithstanding the continual fighte of Gods spirite in vs agaynst it The fyrst commoditie therfore that the crosse bringeth is knowledge and that double of God and of our selues Psalm 51. Genesi 8. Ierem. 17. Ephesi 17. 1. Regū 8. Genes 42. Of God that he is iust pure hateth synne Of our selues that we are borne in synne are from toppe to toe defyled wyth concupiscence and corruptiō out of the which hath spronge all the euils that euer at any tyme we haue spokē done The greatest and most speciall wherof by the crosse we are occasioned to cal to minde as did the brethren of Ioseph theyr euill facte against him when the crosse once came vpon thē And so by it we come to the fyrst steppe to get health for our soules that is we are driuen to knowe our sinnes originall and actuall by Gods iustice declared in the crosse Secondly the ende wherfore God declareth hys iustice against our synne original and actual woulde by hys crosse haue vs to consider the same and to cal to minde our former euill deedes the end hereof I saye is thys that we myghte lament be sory sygh and pray for pardon that so doing we myghte obtayne the same by the meanes of fayth in the merites of Iesus Christ hys deare Sonne and further that we being humbled because of the euill that dwelleth in vs might become thankefull for Gods goodnes and loue in continual watchyng and warynes to suppresse the euill which lyeth in vs Iacob 1. that it bring not forth fruites to death at any time This second commoditie of the crosse therfore must we not count to be a simple knowledge onlye but a great gayne of Gods mercy with wonderful riche and precious vertues of fayth repentaunce remission of sinnes humilitie thankefulnesse mortification and diligence in doing good Not that properly the crosse worketh these thinges of it selfe but because the crosse is the meane and way by the which God worketh the knowledge and felyng of these thynges in his children as many both testimonyes and examples in Scriptures are easely found of them that diligentlye waye what therein they read To these too commodities of the crosse ioyne the thyrd of Gods singuler wisedome that it may be coupled with hys iustice and mercye On thys sorte therfore let vs conceaue when we see the Gospell of God and hys Churche persecuted and troubled as now with vs it is that because the greate learned and wise men of the worlde vse not their wisedome to loue and ferue God as to naturall wisedome and reason he openeth hym selfe manifestlye by hys visible creatures Rom. 1. therefore doth God iustlye infatuate and make them folysh geuyng them vppe to vnsensiblenes especially herein For on thys maner reason they concerning the affliction whiche commeth for the Gospell If saye they thys were Gods woorde if these people were Gods children surelye God woulde then blesse and prosper them their doctrine But nowe in that there is no doctrine so much hated no people so muche persecuted as they bee therefore it can not bee of GOD. Rather this is of God whiche our Queene olde Byshops haue professed For how hath God preserued thē and kept them what a notable victorye hath GOD geuen vnto her where it was impossible that thynges shoulde so haue come to passe as they haue done And dyd not the greate Captayne confesse hys faulte that he was oute of the way and not of the fayth which these gospellers professe How many are come agayne from that which they professed to be gods word The most part of thys realme notwithstanding the diligence of preachers to persuade them concerning this new learnyng which nowe is persecuted neuer consented to it in harte as experience teacheth And what plagues haue come vpon this realme sythen this gospel as they cal it came in amongest vs Afore we had plentye but now there is nothing like as it was Moreouer al the houses of the Parliamente haue ouerthrowne the lawes made for the stablishyng of thys gospell and religion and newe lawes are erected for the continuance of the contrary How miraculously dothe God confounde their doctrine and confyrme oures For how was wyat ouerthrowne How prosperously came in our Kyng Howe hathe God blessed our Quene wyth fruite of wombe How is the Popes holines restored agayne to hys ryght All these do teache plainelye that thys their doctrine is not gods word Thus reason the worldly wyse whiche see not gods wisdome For els yf they considered that there was wyth vs vnthankefulnes for the gospell no amendment of lyfe but all kynde of contempt of God all kynde of shameles sinnyng ensued the preachyng of the Gospel they must nedes see that God coulde not but chastice and correct and as he let Sathan loose Apoc. 20. after he had bounde hym a certaine time for vnthankefulnes of men so to let these Champions of Sathan runne abroade by them to plague vs for oure vnthankefulnes Greate was gods anger against Achab because he saued Benadad kyng of Siria after he had geuen hym into his handes 3. Reg. 20. and afterwarde it turned to hys owne destruction God would that double sorrow should haue bene repayde to them by cause of the sorowe they dyd to the sayntes of God Read the .18 of the reuelation As for the victory geuen to the Quenes hyghnes if men had any godly witte they myght see many thyngs in it First god hath done it to wynne her harte to the Gospel Agayne he hathe done it aswel because they that wente agaynst her put their trust in horses and power of men and not in God as because in their doyng they soughte not the propagation of gods gospell which thyng is now plainlye sene Therfore no maruayle why god fought against them would they were hypocrites and vnder the cloke of the Gospel would haue debarred the Quenes highnes of her right but god would not so cloke them Now for the relentyng

my good and most deare Mother geue thankes for me to god that he hath made the fruite of your wōbe to be a wytnes of hys glory and attend to the truth whiche I thank god for it I haue truly taught out of the pulpit of Manchester Vse often and continual prayer to God the father through Christ Harken as you may to the scriptures serue God after hys worde and not after custome beware of the Romyshe religion in Englande defyle not your selfe wyth it cary Christes crosse as he shall saye it vppon your backe forgeue them that kyll me pray for thē for they know not what they do committe my cause to god our father bee myndeful of both your daughters to help them as you can I send all my writinges to you by my brother Roger doe wyth them as you will because I cannot as I woulde he can tel you more of my mynd I haue nothyng to geue you or to leaue behind me for you onely I pray God my father for hys christes sake to blesse you and kepe you from euyll He geue your patience he make you thankeful as for me so so for your selfe that wyll take the fruite of your wombe to witnesse hys verity wherin I confesse to the whole worlde I dye and departe thys lyfe in hope of a much better which I loke for at the hands of god my father through the merytes of hys deare sonne Iesus Christ Thus my deare Mother I take my laste farewell of you in this life besechyng the almighty and eternall father by Christ to graunte vs to mete in the lyfe to come where we shall geue hym continuall thankes and prayse for euer and euer Amen ¶ Out of pryson the .24 of Iune 1555. Your sonne in the Lord Iohn Bradforde To one by whom he had receiued much comfort and reliefe in hys trouble and imprisonment THe mercy of god in Christ peculier to hys children be euer more felt of you my derely beloued in the lord Amē When I consider with my selfe the benefites which 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 wyth drye eyes geue him thākes for certainly they are very many and great And nowe beyng yet still the lordes prisoner I perceiue from him moe benefits by you For the which I thinke my self so much bounde to you my good brother althoughe you were but the instrumēt by whō god wrought and blessed me that I loke not to come out of your dette by anye pleasure or seruice that I shal euer be able to do you in this life I shal hartely pray vnto god therfore to requite you the good you haue done to me for his sake for I knowe that which you haue done you haue done it simply in respect of god his word He therfore geue you dailye more more to be tonfirmed in his truth word so plētifully poure vpō you the riches of his holy spirit and heauēly treasures laid vp in store for you that your corporal earthly riches may be vsed of you as sacraments significations thereof the more to desire the one that is the heauēly and the lesse to esteme the other that is the earthly For Satans sollitation is so to set before you the earthly that therin and thereby you should not haue accesse to the consideration of the heauenly but as one bewitched should vtterly forgette them and altogether become a louer worshipper of the erthly Māmon so to fal to couetousnes a desire to be rich by the meanes to bring you into many noisom and hurtful lustes as now adais I heare of many which haue vtterly forsakē god al his heauēly riches for Antichrists pleasure the preseruing of their worldly pelf which they imagine to leaue to their posterity wherof they are vncertain as they may be most certain they leaue to thē gods wrath vēgeaūce in his time to be sent by visitation if they in time hartely repēt not preuēt not the same by earnest praier Wherin my good brother if you be diligēt harty perseuer I am sure god wil preserue you frō euyll frō yelding your self to do as the world now doth by allowing in bodely fact in the Romish seruice that which the inward cogitatiō mind doth disalowe But if you be cold in prayer come into cōsideration of earthly present thinges simply thā shal you fal into faithles folies woundyng of your conscsēce from which god euermore preserue you with your good wife your babe Leonard al your family to that which I wish the blessing of God now and for euer through Christ our Lord Amen I pray you geue thankes for me to your old bedfellow for his greate frendship for your sake shewed to me when I was in the Tower Iohn Bradford To my dearely beloued Syster Mystres A. VV. THe euerlasting peace of Christ be more more liuely felt in our hartes by the operatiō of the holy ghost now and for euer Amen Although I know it to be more then nedeth to write any thing vnto you good Syster beīg as I dont not you be diligētly exercised in reading of the scriptures meditating the same harty praier to god for the helpe of his holy spirit to haue the sense feelyng especially of the comfortes you reade in gods swete boke yet hauing such opportunitie knowing not whether hereafter I shall haue the like as this bringer can declare I thought good in few wordes to take my farewel in writing because otherwise I can not And now me thinkes I haue done it For what els can I or should I say vnto you my derely beloued in the lord but farewel Farewel dere Sister farewell How be it in the lord our lord I say farewel In him shal you farewel so much the better by how much in your self you fare euil shal fare euil Whē I speake of your self I meane also this world this life al things properly perteining to this life In thē as you loke not for your welfare so be not dismaide when accordinglye you shall not feele it To the lord our god to the Lambe our Christ which hath borne our sinnes on his back and is our mediator for euer do I send you In him loke for welfare that wtout all wauering because of his owne goodnes and truth whiche our euilnes and vntruth cannot take awaye Not that therefore I woulde haue you to flatter your selfe in any euill or vnbeliefe but that I would comfort you that they should not dismay you Yours is our Christe wholye Yours I say he is wyth all that euer he hath Is not thys welfare trow you Mountaynes shall moue and the earthe shall fall before you fynde it otherwyse say the lyer Sathan what he lyste Therfore good Sister farewel and be merye in the Lord be mery I say for you

please it god neuer so much We read not the Iames Iohn Andrew and Simon when they were called put of the tyme tyl they had knowen their fathers frends pleasure but the scripture sayeth they forsoke all and by and by followed Christ Christe lykened the kyngdome of GOD to a precious pearle Mat. 13. the which whosoeuer fyndeth selleth all that he hath for to bye it Yea whosoeuer hath but a litle taste or glimmeryng how precious a treasure the kyngdome of heauen is wyll gladly forgoe both lyfe and goodes for the obtaynyng of it But the moste part now a dayes be lyke to Aesopes cocke which when he hadde founde a precious stone wyshed rather to haue founde a barelye corne So ignoraunte bee they howe precious a iewell the woorde of God is that they choose rather the thynges of thys worlde whiche being compared to it be lesse in value then a barlye corne If I woulde haue geuen place to worldlye reasons these myght haue moued me Fyrste the forgoing of you and my children the consideration of the state of my children being yet tender of age and younge apte and inclinable to vertue and learnyng and so hauynge the more neede of my assistance beinge not altogether destitute of gyftes to helpe them wythall possessions aboue the common sorte of men because I was neuer called to be a preacher or minister and because of my sickenesse feare of death in imprisonment before I shoulde come to my answere and so my death to bee vnprofitable But these and such lyke I thanke my heauenly father which of hys infinite mercy inspyred me wyth his holye ghost for hys sonnes sake my only Sauioure and redemer preuayled not in me but when I had by the wonderfull permission of GOD fallen into their handes at the first sight of the Sherife nature a little abashed yet or euer I came to the pryson by the working of god and through his goodnes feare departed I sayd to the Sherife at his cōmyng vnto me what matter haue you Maister Sherife to charge me withal He answered you shal know when you come before the Maisters And so takyng me with him I loked to haue bene brought before the Maisters to haue heard what they could haue burdened me withal But cōtrary to my expectatiō I was cōmitted fortwith to the Iayle not being called to my answere litle iustice being shewed therin But the lesse iustice a man findeth at their hands the more consolation in conscience shal he fynde from God for whosoeuer is of the world the world will loue hym After I came into prison had reposed my self there a whyle I wept for ioye and gladnesse my belly ful musing much of the great mercies of god and as it were saying to my selfe after thys sorte O Lorde who am I on whom thou shouldest bestowe thus thy great mercy to be numbred among the Saintes that suffer for thy Gospels sake And so beholding and considering on the one side my imperfection vnablenesse sinnefull misery and vnworthynesse and on the other side the greatnesse of Gods mercy to be called to so hygh a promotion was as it were amased and ouercome for a whyle with ioye and gladnesse concluding thus with my self in my hart O Lord thou shewest power in weakenesse wysedome in folishenesse mercye in sinnefulnesse who shall let thee to choose where and whom thou wilte As I haue zelouslye loued the confession of thy worde so euer thoughte I my self to be most vnworthy to be pertaker of the affliction for the same Not long after came vnto me Maister W. Brasbryge Maister C. Phinees Maister N. Hopkins trauelynge wyth me to bee dysmissed vppon bondes to whom my answeare was to my remembraunce after thys sorte For as muche as the Maisters haue imprysonned me hauyng nothynge to burdeine me with all if I shoulde enter into bondes I shoulde in so doinge accuse my selfe And seing they haue no matter to laye to my charge they maye aswell lette me passe wythoute bondes as with bondes Secondarelye if I shall enter bondes couenaunte and promyse to appeare I shall doe nothyng but excuse coloure and cloke theyr wickednesse and endaunger my selfe neuerthelesse beinge bounde by my promyse to appeare They alledged manye worldlye persuasions vnto me to auoyde the presente peryll and also how to auoyd the forfiture if I brake my promyse I sayde vnto them I hadde caste my penyworthe by Gods helpe They vndertoke also to make the bonde easie And when they were somewhat importune I sayd to Maister Hopkins that libertye of conscience was a precious thyng and tooke as it were a pause lifting vppe my harte to God earnestlye for hys ayde and helpe that I mighte doe the thing that mighte please hym And so when they had let their sute fall my harte me thoughte was wonderfullye comforted Maister Dudlye commoned wyth me in lyke manner whom I aunsweared in effecte as I dyd before Afterwarde debatinge the matter with my selfe these considerations came to my head I haue frō tyme to tyme with good cōscience God I take to recorde moued all suche as I hadde conference with all to be no daliers in Gods matters but to shewe them selues after so greate a lyghte and knowledge hartye earnest constante and stable in so manifest a truth and not to geue place one iote contrarye to the same Nowe thoughte I if I shall withdrawe my selfe and make anye shiftes to pull my own necke out of the collor I shall geue great offence to my weake brethren in Christe and aduantage to the enemyes to slaunder Gods woorde It will be sayd he hath bene a greate boldner of others to be earnest feruent to feare no worldly perills or daungers but he him self wil geue no suche example Wherefore I thoughte it my bounden dutye both to God and man being as it were by the greate goodnesse of GOD. maruelouslye called and appoynted hereunto to sette asyde all feare perilles and daungers all worldlye respectes and considerations and lyke as I hadde heretofore accordyng to the measure of my small gifte wythin the cōpasse of my vocation callyng frō the bottome of my hart vnfaynedly moued exhorted persuaded al that professed gods word manfully to persiste in the defence of the same not wyth sword vyolence but wyth sufferyng and losse of life rather then to defyle themselues agayne with the whoryshe abhomination of the Romysh Antichrist so the houre being come wyth my facte and example to ratifye confyrme and proteste the same to the hartes of all true beleuers to this end by the myghtye assistance of Gods holy spirite I resolued my self wyth much peace of conscience willingly to sustayne what soeuer the Romyshe Antichrist should doe agaynste me and the rather because I vnderstoode the Byshoppes comming to be at hande and considered that poore mens consciences shoulde be then sharpely assaulted So remayned I prysoner in Couentrye by the space of .10 or .11 daies being neuer called to