part of the Scripture to founde his purpose vpon yet came to the Pulpit the first of Nouember being the Feast of All hallowes an 1551. and tooke the text of the Gospell for that day read in their Masse written in the 5. of Mathew conteining these wordes Blessed are the poore in spirite for to them pertayneth the kingdome of heauen Math. 5. This feeble foundation being layde the Frier began to reason most impertinently The doctrine of the Papistes 〈◊〉 that the Pater noster may be 〈◊〉 to Saintes and why that the Lordes Prayer might be offered to Saints because euery petition therof appertaine to them For if we meete an old maÌ„ in y e streete sayd he we will say to him good day father and therefore much more may we call the Saints our fathers and because we graunt also that they be in heauen we may say to euery one of them Our father which art in heauen Father God hath made their names holy and therefore ought we as followers of God to holde their names holy and so we may say to any of the Saints Blaspheâ—â—us doctrine against the glory 〈◊〉 name of God A Fryerly glosing vpoÌ„ 〈◊〉 Pater â—oâ—ter Our father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name And for the same cause sayd the Frier as they are in the kingdome of heauen so that kingdome is theirs by possession and so praying for the kingdome of heauen we may say to them and euery one of them Thy kingdome come And except their will had bene the very will of God they had neuer come to that kingdome and therefore seeing their will is Gods will we may say to euery one of them Thy will be done But when the Frier came to the fourth petitioÌ„ touching our dayly bread he began to be astonished and ashamed so that he did sweate abundantly partly bicause his sophistry began to fayle him The Fryers sophistry 〈◊〉 fayled 〈◊〉 not findyng such a colour for that part as for the other which went before and partly because he spake against his owne knowledge and conscience and so was compelled to confesse that it was not in the Saintes power to giue vs our daily bread but that they shoulde pray to God for vs said he that we may obtaine our daily bread by their intercession and so glosed he the rest to the ende Not standing yet content with this detestable doctrine hee affirmed most blasphemously that S. Paules napkyn and S. Peters shadow did miracles and that the vertue of Eliseus cloke deuided the waters attributing nothing to the power of God with many other errours of the Papistes horrible to be heard Upon this folowed incontinent a daungerous schisme in the Church of Scotland for not onely the Cleargie but the whole people were deuided among themselues one defending the trueth and an other the Papistry in suche sort that there rose a Prouerbe To whome say you youre Pater noster A Scottishe prouerbe And although the Papists had the vpper hand as then whose words were almost holdeÌ„ for law so great was the blindnes of that age yet God so inspired y e harts of the common people that so many as could get the vnderstanding of the bare words of the Lords prayer in english which was then saide in Latin vtterly detested that opinioÌ„ holding that it should in no wise be said to Saints So that the craftes men and their seruauntes in theyr boothes when the Frier came exploded him with shame enough Fryer Pater noster driueÌ„ out of S. Andrewes crying Frier Pater noster Frier Pater noster who at the last being conuict in his owne conscience and ashamed of his former Sermon was compelled to leaue the Towne of S. Andrewes In the meane time of this brute there were two Pasquils set on the Abbay Churche the one in Latin beatyng these words Doctores nostri de Collegio Concludunt idem cum Lucifero Quod Sancti sunt similes altissimo Et se tuentur grauatorio De mandato Officialis Ad instantiam fiscalis Gâ—w â—eruey non varij In premissis connotarij M. Dauid â—aw and M. Thomas â—â—ruy 〈◊〉 procuâ—â—tors The other in English bearing these words Doctors of Theologie of fourescore of yeares And old iolâ—e Lupoys the bald gray Friers They would be called Rabbi and Magister noster And wot not to whome they say their Pater noster Shortly the Christians were so 〈◊〉 offended and the Papistes on the other side so proud and wilfull that necessary it was to eschew greater incoÌ„ueniences that y e Clergy at least should be assembled to dispute and conclude the whole matter that y e lay people might be put out of doubt Disputation in Scotland to whom they should say their Pater noster Pater noster to be sayd to God formaliter to Saintes materialiter Vltimatè to god non vltimatè to Sayntes Principaliter to God minus principaliter to Saintes Primariè to god secundariè to Saintes Strictè to God largè to Saintes Which being done and the Uniuersitie agreed whosoeuer had bene present might haue heard much subtile sophistry For some of the popish Doctours affirmed that it shoulde be sayd to God formaliter and to Sayntes materialiter Others vltimatè non vltimatè Others sayde it shoulde be said to God principaliter and to sayntes minus principaliter Others that it should be sayd to GOD primariè and to saintes secundariè Others that it would be sayd to GOD capiendo strictè to sayntes capiendo largè Whiche vayne distinctions being heard and considered by the people they y t were simple remayned in greater doubtfulnes theÌ„ they were in before so that a well aged man and seruaunt to y e Suppriour of S. Andrewes called y e Suppriours Thome being demaunded to whome hee sayde hys Pater noster he answered to God onely Then they asked agayne what should be sayd to the sayntes he answered geue them Aues and Credes inough in the deuils name for that may suffice them wel inough albeit they doe spoyle God of his right Others making their vauntes of the Doctours sayd that because Christ who made the Pater noster neuer came into the I le of Britaine so vnderstood not the English tonge therefore it was that the Doctors concluded it shoulde be sayd in Latine This perturbation and open sclaunder yet depending it was thought good to call a principal Councell to decide the matter Whiche being assembled at Edenbrough The aunswere of an olde man to whom they should say their Pater noster A doctorly reason why the Pater noster should be sayd in Latine The Councell of Edenbrough could not agree to whom they should say theyr Pater noster The Papistes mainteyne their cause with lyes and rayling when reason lacketh the Papistes being destitute of reason defended theyr partes with lyes alledging that the Uniuersitie of Paris had coÌ„cluded that the Lordes Prayer should be sayd to Saintes But
the which Philpot answered doe you recken heauen to be a prisone God graunt vs all to come to that prisone After this Harpsfield inferred that this word Oportet in S. Peter If Weston charge them for prisoning christ in heauen how may they charge the papistes for prisoning Christ in a boxe which signifieth in Englishe must did not import so much as I woulde inferre of necessitie as by other places of Scripture it may appeare as in the first to Tim. where Paule sayeth Oportet Episcopum esse vnius vxoris virum A bishop must be the husband of one wife Here quoth he Oportet doeth not import suche a necessitie but that hee that neuer was maried may be a Bishop To this Philpot saide againe that the places were not like whych he went about to compare and that in comparing of the Scriptures wee muste not consider the naked wordes M. Philpot. but the meaning rather of the Scriptures for y t in the place by him alleaged Oportet how it is taken diuersly in Scripture S. Paule doeth declare of what qualitie a Bishop ought to be But in the other S. Peter teacheth vs the place where Christ must necessarily be vntil the ende of the worlde which we ought to beleeue to be true And this comparison of this worde Oportet doeth no more aunswer mine argument then if I should say of you now being here Oportet te hic esse you must nedes be heere which importeth such necessity for the time that you can no otherwise be but here yet you would go about in words to auoide this necessitye with another Oportet in an other sense as this Oportet te esse viruÌ„ bonum you must be a good man where Oportet doeth not in very deede conclude any such necessity but that you may be an euill man Thus you may see that your answere is not sufficient as it were no answere to mine argument Then the Prolocutour brought in another Oportet to helpe this matter if it mighte be sayinge Weston what say you to this Oportet haereses esse must heresies needes be therefore because of thys word Oportet Philpot. Yea truely quoth Philpotte it cannot otherwise be if you will adde that which followeth immediatly vpon these woordes of Paul that is Vt qui electi sunt manifestentur that is That suche as be y e elect of God may be manifested and knowen Why quoth the Prolocutor the time hath bene that no heresies were Weston I knowe no suche time quoth Philpot. For since the time of Abell and Caine heresies haue bene and then began they Philpot. Then sayd the Prolocutor wil you nowe answer Morgan an argument or two I wil quoth Philpot if I may first be answered to my argument any thyng according to truth and learning Weston What quoth the Prolocutor you will neuer be answeared Howe I am answeared quoth Philpot Philpot. let all men that are here present iudge and specially such as be learned with what cauillations you haue dallied with me First to the auncient authority of Vigilius you haue answered nothing at all but only denying it to be scripture y t he sayth Secondly to the saying of S. Peter in the actes yee haue aunsweared thus demaunding of me whether I would keepe Christ in prison or no let men nowe iudge if this be a sufficient answere or no. Then stoode Morgane vp againe and asked Philpotte whether he would be ruled by the vniuersal church Morgan or no. Yes quoth he if it be the true Catholicke Church And sith you speake so much of the Churche Philpot. I would faine that you would declare what the church is The church quoth Morgan is diffused and dispearsed throughout the whole worlde Morgan That is a diffuse definition quod Philpot for I am yet as vncertaine as I was before what you meane by y e church Philpot. but I knowledge no church but that which is grounded and founded on Gods woord as S. Paul sayth Moreman Whether the Church was before the Scripture vpon the foundation of the Apostles Prophets and vpon the scriptures of God What quoth Moreman was the Scripture before the church yea quoth Philpot. But I will prooue nay quoth Moreman and I wil begin at Christes time The Church of Christ was before any scripture wrytten For Mathewe was the first that wrote the Gospell about a dosen yeares after Christ Ergo the church was before the scripture To whom Philpot answering denied this argument Which when Moreman could not prooue Philpot shewed that his argument was Elenchus or a fallace that is a deceiueable argument For he tooke the Scripture only to be that whych is wrytten by men in letters wheras in very deede Scripture consisteth not onely in letters but is that which is inspired in the hartes of good men by the holy Ghost all Prophecie vttered by the spirite of God was counted to be Scripture before it was wrytten in paper inke for that it was wrytten in the heartes and grauen in the mindes yea and inspired in the mouthes of good men and of Christes Apostles by the spirite of Christ As the salutation of the Angel was the scripture of Christe and the word of God before it was written At that Moreman cried fie fie wondring that the Scripture of God shoulde be counted scripture before it was wrytten and affirmed that he had no knowledge that said so Philpot. To whom Philpot answered that concerning knowledge in this behalfe for the triall of the truth about y e questions in controuersie he woulde wish hymselfe no worse matched then with Moreman At the which saying the Prolocutor was greuously offended saying that it was arrogantly spoken of hym Weston that woulde compare with suche a worshipfull learned man as Moreman was being himselfe a manne vnlearned Weston rayâ—eth against Phâ—â—â—pot to be madde 〈◊〉 yea a madde man meter to be sent to Bedlem then to be among such a sorte of learned and graue men as there were and a man that neuer woulde be answeared and one that troubled the whole house and therefore he did commaund him that he shoulde come no more into the house demaunding of the house whether they would agree thereuppon or no. To whome a great number aunsweraed yea Then sayde Philpot againe that he might thinke himselfe happye that was out of that companie After this Morgan rose vp and rounded the Prolocutor in the eare Philpot commauâ—â—ded to 〈◊〉 in a long gowne and a â—ippet or els to 〈◊〉 no more to the conuoâ—cation And then againe the Prolocutor spake to Philpot and said least you should slaunder the house say that we will not suffer you to declare youre minde we are content you shal come into the house as you haue done before so that you be apparelled wyth a long gowne a tippette as we be and that
talke they departed ¶ The talke of Doctor Heth Archbishop of Yorke and day Byshop of Chichester with Maister Bradford THe xxiii of the same moneth the Archbishop of Yorke and the Bishop of Chichester came to the Counter to speake with Bradford When hee was come before them Talke bâ—â—tweene Byshopâ— Bradford they both and especially the Bishop of York vsed him very gently they would haue him to sit downe and because he would not they also would not sit So they all stode whether he woulde or not they would needes he shoulde put on not only his night cap but his vpper cap also saying vnto him that obedience was better then sacrifice Now thus standing together my Lord of Yorke began to tell Bradford howe that they were not sent to him but of loue charitie they came to him and he for that acquayntance also whiche he had with Bradford more then the Bishoppe of Chichester had then after commending Bradfordes godly life he concluded w t this question how he was certaine of saluation and of his Religion Brad After thankes for theyr good will Bradford aunswered by the word of God euen by the Scriptures I am certayne of saluation and Religion Yorke Uery well sayd but how do ye know the worde of God and the scriptures but by the Church Bradford In deede my Lorde the Churche was and is a meane to bring a man more speedely to knowe the Scriptures and the worde of God as was the woman of Samaria a meane that the Samaritans knewe Christ but ⧠Certayne Bishops talking with Maister Bradford in prison as when they had heard him speake they sayde nowe we know that he is Christ not because of thy wordes but because wee our selues haue heard him so after we came to the hearing and reading of the Scriptures shewed vnto vs and discerned by the Church we doe beleue them and knowe them as Christes sheepe not because y e Church saith they are the Scriptures but because they be so being thereof assured by the same spirite whiche wrote and spake them Yorke You knowe in the Apostles time at the first the word was not written Bradford True if you meane it for some books of the new Testament but els for the old Testament Peter telleth vs Firmâ—orem sermonem propheticum habemus We haue a more sure worde of prophecie not that it is simply so but in respect of the Apostles which being aliue and compassed w t infirmitiâ— attributed to the worde written mâ—re firmitie as wherewith no fault coulde be found where as for the infirmitie of their persons men perchaunce might haue found some faulte at their preaching albeit in very deede no lesse obedience and fayth ought to haue bene geuen to the one then to the other for all proceedeth foorth of one spirite of truth Yorke That place of Peter is not so to be vnderstand of the word written Brad. Yea syr that it is and of none other Chic Yea in deede Maister Bradford doth tell you truely in that poynt Yorke Well you know that Irenaeus and others doe magnifie much and alleage the Church agaynst the heretickes and not the scripture Bradford True for they had to do with such heretickes as did deny the scriptures and yet did magnifie the Apostles so that they were inforced to vse the authoritie of those Churches wherein the Apostles had taught and whiche had still retayned the same doctrine Chic You speake the very truth for the heretickes dyd refuse all scriptures except it were a peece of Lukes Gospel Brad. Then the alledgyng of the Church cannot be princially vsed agaynst me whiche am so farre from denying of the Scriptures that I appeale vnto them vtterly as to the onely iudge Yorke A pretty matter that you will take vppon you to iudge the Churche I pray you where hath your Churche bene hetherto For the church of Christ is Catholicke and visible hetherto Brad. My Lord I doe not iudge the Church when I discerne it from that congregation those whiche be not the Church I neuer denyed the Church to be Catholicke visible althought at some times it is more visible then at some Chic I pray you tell me where the Church which allowed your doctrine was these foure hundreth yeares Brad. I will tell you my Lord or rather you shal tell your selfe if you will tell me this one thing where the Churche was in Helias his time when Helias sayde that hee was left alone Chic That is no aunswere Bradford I am sory that you say so but this will I tell your Lordship that if you had the same eyes wherwith a man might haue espied the Churche then you woulde not say it were no answere The true 〈…〉 euery man hath not eyes to see it The fault why the Church is not seene of you is not because the Churche is not visible but because your eyes are not cleare inough to see it Chic You are much deceaued in making this collation betwixt the Church then and now Yorke Uery well spoken my Lord for Christ sayde aedificabo Ecclesiam I will build my Church and not I doe or haue built it but I will build it Bradford The â—ishops 〈◊〉 to an 〈…〉 My Lordes Peter teacheth me to make thys collation saying as in y e people there were false Prophetes which were most in estimation afore Christes comming so shall there be false teachers amongest the people after Christes comming and very many shall follow them And as for your future tense I hope your grace will not therby conclude christes Church not to haue bene before but rather that there is no building in the Church but by Christes worke onely for Paule and Apollo be but watterers Chichester In good fayth I am sory to see you so light in iudging the Church Yorke He taketh vpon him as they all doe to iudge the Church A man shall neuer come to certaintie that doth as they do Brad. My Lordes I speake simply what I thinke desire reason to aunswere my obiections Your affections sorrowes can not be my rules If that you consider y e order and case of my condemnation I can not thinke but y t it should somethyng moâ—e your honours You knowe it well enough for you heard it no matter was layd against me but what was gathered vpon mine owne confession Because I did denye Transubstantiation and the wicked to receaue Christes body in the Sacrament therefore I was condemned and excoÌ„municate but not of the churche although the pillers of the church as they be taken did it Chichester No. I heard say the cause of your imprisonmeÌ„t was for that you exhorted the people to take the sword in the one hand and the mattocke in the other Brad. My Lord I neuer ment any such thing nor spake any thing in that sort False surmâ—â—e agaynst Bradford Yorke Yea and you behaued your selfe before the Counsel so stoutly at the
was condemned wyth Gillotus to be burned Ex Crisp.  Godfridus Hamelle At Dornic An. 1252. Thys Godfryde a Taylor was taken condemned at Dornic or Tournay When they had condemned him by the name of an hereticke Nay sayd he not an hereticke but a seruaunt of Iesus Christ vnprofitable When the hangmaÌ„ went about to strangle him to diminish his punishment he refused it saying that he woulde abide the sentence that the Iudges had geueÌ„ Ex eod ☞ Besides these Germaynes aboue specified a great number there was both in the higher lower countryes of Germanye which were secretly drowned or buryed or otherwise in prison made away whose names although they be not knowne to vs yet they are registred in the booke of life Furthermore in the Dutch booke of Adrian diuers other be numbred in the Catalogue of these Germane Martyrs which likewise suffered in diuers places of the lower country the names of certayn wherof be these At Bergis or Berghen in Hennegow were burnt Iohn Malo Damian Witroke Weldrewe Calier Iohn Porceau Iulian van den Swerde Adrian Lopphen Bawdwyne in the yeare of our Lord. 1555. Iohn Malo Diuers of the lower countrieâ— martyreâ— Damian Witrocke Weldrew Calier buried quicke Iohn Porceau At Aste suffered also one Iulian. an 1541. and Adrian LoppheÌ„ an 1555. Ex 〈◊〉 hist. Adriano At Bruxels an 1559. one Bawdwyne beheaded An other called Gilleken Tielman buxnt an 1541. Adde moreouer to the same Catalogue of Duch Martyrs burnt and consumed in the lower countryes vnder the Emperours dominion the names of these folowing W. Swolle burnt at Mechlin an 1529. Nico. Paul at Gaunt beheaded Robert Orguier and Ioanne his wife with Baudicon and Martin Orguier their children which suffered at Lisle an 1556. M. Nicholas burnt at Mons. Iames Fosseau at Mons. Corniels Uolcart at Brugis an 1553. Hubert the Printer and Philippe Iopner at Brugis an 1553. A woman buryed wyth thornes vnder her Peter le Roux at Brugis an 1552 At Mechlin suffered Frances and Nicholas Thijs ij brethren an 1555. At Antwerpe were burnt Adrian a Painter and Henry a Taylor an 155. Also Cornelys Halewyne Locksmith Herman Ianson the same yeare M. Iohn Champ. Scholemayster an 1557. with a number of other besides whiche in the sayd booke are to be seene and read ¶ An. 1525. we read also in the French history of a certayne Monk who because he forsooke his abhominable order and was maryed was burnt at Prage The Priestes of Erford A Preacher poysoned at Erford In the Collections of Henry Pantalion we reade also of a certaine godly preacher to be poysoned for preaching the woorde of trueth by the Priestes of Erford Ex Elegia cuiusdam viri Docti in Pantal. And here ceasing with these persecutions in Germany A preacher at Erdphord poysoned we will now Christ willing proceed further to the Frenche Martyrs comprehending in a lyke Table the names and causes of such as in that kingdome suffered for the word of God and cause of righteousnes as in this briefe Summary consequentlye hereunder ensueth ¶ An other Table of them which suffered in Fraunce for the like witnesse of the Gospell * The French Martyrâ— Persecuters Martyrs The Causes Doctour Martiall of Paris Iames Pauane scholemaister At Paris An. 1524. THis Iames fyrste being taken by the Byshop of Melden Iames Pauane Martyr or Meaux was compelled to recant by Doctor Martiall Afterwarde returning agayne to his confession he was burnt at Paris 1525. Ex. Ioan. Crisp.  Dionisius de Rieux At Melda or Meaux An. 1528. Dionysius de Rieux Martyr This Denys was one of theÌ„ which were first burne at Melda for sayinge that the Masse is a playne denyall of the death and Passion of Christ. He was alwayes wont to haue in his mouth the woordes of Christ This Denys hauing a wodden crosse put into his handes by the Friers with hys teeth cast it into the ryuer which made the Fryers mad He that denyeth mee before men hym wyll I denye before my Father and to muse vpon the same earnestlyâ— He was burnt with a slow fire and dyd abyde muche torment Ex Crisp. alijs  Ioannes Cadurcus Martyr Ioannes de Cadurco Bacheler of the Ciuill law An. 1533. This Iohn first for makyng a Sermon or exhortation to his couÌ„treymen of Lunosin in Fraunce vpon Alhallow daye and after sitting at a feast where it was propouÌ„ded that euerye one shoulde bryng foorth some sentence for that he brought forth thys Christe reygne in our hartes and dyd prosecute the same by the Scryptures in muche length of words was thereupon accused taken and disgraded and after burned At this degradation one of the black Friers of Paris preached taking for his theame the wordes of S. Paule 1. Tim. 4. The spirite speaketh that in the latter dayes menne shall departe from fayth geuing heed to lying spirites and doctrine of error c. And in handling that place either be could not or woulde not proceed further in the text Cadurcus cryed out to him to proceede and read further The Frier stood dombe and coulde not speake a word Then Cadurcus taking the text did prosecute the same as foloweth Teaching false doctrine in hypocrisy hauing theyr conscience marked with a hoate yron forbidding to mary and to eat meates created of God to bee eaten with thankesgeuing c. Ex Ioan. Crispi. Promoâ—â—â—â— of Paris 5. Martyrs burned Batthelmew MyleÌ„ a lame creple Iohn Burges Marchaunt The receiuer of Names Henry Poille of Coâ—beron Cantella a Scholemistres Stephen de la Forge Marchaunt An. 1533. These fine here specified for certayne Billes cast abroad and set vppe soundyng agaynst the abhomination of the Masse and other superstitious absurdityes of the Pope were condemned and burned in the City of Paris Henry of Couberon had hys tongue bored through and wyth an yron wyer tyed fast to one of hys cheekes Who lykewise with the other was burned as is aforesayde Ex Ioanne Crisp.  Alexander Canus priest otherwise called Laurentius Crucens At Paris An. 1534. For the sincere doctrine and confession of Christes true religion Alexander Canus Martyr hee was burned in Paris hauing but small fire and abydde muche torment Ex Henr. Pantal. The Gray Friers in Paris Doctour Clerke a Sorbonist Iohn Poynter a Surgeon At Paris An. 1533. Thys Surgeon beyng detected and accused by the Fryers Iohn Poyntet Martyr and suche as he had cured before of the Frenche pockes In Fraunce the maner was that the Martyrs comming by any Image as they went to burning and would not worship the same had their tongues cut out was first condemned to be straÌ„gled and then burned but afterwarde because he would not do homage to a certayne Idole at the commaundemente of a Fryer that came to confesse hym his sentence was turned to haue hys toung cutte of and so to bee burned Ex Crisp. A certayne Knight of Rhodes Vncle to
the cause why he did it not And if he had sayd neuer a word yet thou knowest well what a witty part it is for a man to suspend his iudgemente and not to be too rash in geuing of sentence It is an olde sayd sawe Mary Magdalene profited vs lesse in her quicke beliefe that Christ was risen Wint. wryteth againâ—t the pope with aduised iudgement then Thomas that was longer in doubt A man may rightly call him Fabius that with his aduised taking of leasure restored the matter Albeit I speake not this as though Winchester had not boulted out this matter secretly with hymselfe before hand for he without doubt tried it out long ago but that running faire and softly he woulde firste with his paynefull study plucke the matter out of the darke although of it selfe it was cleare enough but by reason of sondry opinions it was lapped vp in darkenes and then did he debate it wittely too and fro and so at last after long and great deliberation had in the matter because there is no better counseller then leasure anâ— time he would resolutely with his learned and coÌ„summate iudgement confirme it Thou shouldest gentle Reader esteeme his censure and authoritie to be of more weighty credence No newe matter 〈◊〉 write againâ— the Byshop of Rome in as much as the matter was not rashly and at all aduentures but with iudgemente as thou seest and with wisedome examined and discussed And this is no new example to be against the tyrany of the Byshop of Rome seeing that not only this man but many men often times yea and right great learned men afore now haue done the same euen in writing whereby they both painted him out in his right colours and made his sleightes falshoode fraudes and deceiptfull wyles openly knowne to the world Therefore if thou at any time heeretofore haue doubted either of true obedience or of the Kinges Maiesties mariage or title either else of the Bishop of Romes false pretensed supremacy as if thou haddest a good smelling nose and a sound iudgemente I thinke thou diddest not yet hauing read this Oration which if thou fauour the truth and hate the tyranny of the Byshop of Rome and his Sathanicall fraudulente falshode shall doubtles wonderfully content thee forsake thyne errour and acknowledge the truth now freely offered thee at length considering with thy selfe that it is better late so to doo then neuer to repent Fare thou hartily well most gentle Reader Note and not only loue this most valiant King of England of France who vndoubtedly was by the prouideÌ„ce of God borne to defend the Gospell but also honor him and serue him most obediently As for this Winchester who was long ago without doubt reputed among the greatest learned men geue him thy good word wyth highest commendation The end of Byshop Boners Prologue What man reading and aduising this booke of Winchester De vera obedientia The inconstant mutabilitye of Wint. and Boner with Boners Preface before the same would euer haue thought any alteration coulde so worke in mans hart to make these men thus to turne the catte as they say in the panne and to start so sodenly from the truth so manifestly knowne so pithâ—ly proued so vehemently defended and as it seemed so faithfully subscribed If they dissembled all this that they wrote subscribed and sware vnto what periury most execrable was it before God and man If they meant good fayth and spake then as they thought what pestilent blindnes is this so sodenly fallen vpon them to make that false nowe whiche was true before or that to be now true which before was false Thus to say vnsay then to say againe to doe and vndo as a maÌ„ would say to play fast or loose with truth truly a man may say is not the doing of a man whiche is in any case to be trusted whatsoeuer he doth or saith But heere a man may see what man is of himselfe when Gods good humble spirit lacked to be his guide Furthermore to adde vnto them the iudgement also and argumentes of Tonstall Bishop of Duresme let vs see how he agreeth with them or rather much exceedeth The sermon of Tonstall before the king made on Palme Sonday them in his Sermon made before King Henry vpon Palmesonday remayning yet in print In the whiche Sermon disputing against the wrongfull supremacie of the Bishop of Rome he proueth by manifest groundes most effectuously both out of the Scripture auncient Doctors and of Councels not only that the Bishop of Rome hath no such authoritie by the worde of God committed to him as hee doth chalenge but also in requiring chaleÌ„ging the same he reproueth condemneth him with great zeale ardent spirit to be a proude Lucifer disobediente to the ordinarie Powers of God set ouer him contrary to Christ and Peter and finally in raising vp warre against vs for y e same he therefore rebuketh and defieth him as a most detestable sower of discord and murtherer of Christian men FIrst by the scripture he reasoneth thus proueth That popes and Byshops ought to be subiecte to theer soueraigns 1. Pet. 2. that all good meÌ„ ought to obey the potestates Gouernors of y e world as Emperours Kings Princes of all sortes what name soeuer the sayde supreme powers do beare or vse for theyr countreys in whiche they be for so S. Peter doth playnely teach vs 1. Pet. 2. sayeng Be yee subiect to euerye humane creature for Gods cause whether it be Kyng as chiefe head or Dukes or Gouernours c. So that S. Peter in his Epistle commaundeth all worldly Princes in their office to be obeyed as the Ministers of God by all Christian men And according vnto the same S. Paule Ro. 13. saith Let euery liuing man be subiect to the high powers Whosoeuer resisteth the high powers resisteth God The Pope resisteth the highe powers Ergo the Pope resisteth God for the high powers bee of God and who soeuer resisteth the high powers resisteth the ordinaunce of God and purchaseth thereby to himselfe damnation c. And in the same place of Tonstall it foloweth and least men should forget their duetie of obedience to their Princes it is thrise repeated that they be the ministers of God whose place in their gouernance they represent so that vnto them all men must obey Apostles Patriarches Primates Archbyshops Bishops Priestes and all of the Clergy c. And therefore saith he the Bishop of Rome oweth to his seueraigne and superior like subiection by the word of God taught vnto vs by Peter and Paule as other Bishops do to theyr princes vnder whom they be c. Also an other expresse commaundement wee haue of Christ. Luk. 22. who vpon the occasion of his disciples striuing for superiority discusseth the matter saying on thys 〈◊〉 The kinges of the people and nations haue dominion ouer them and those that haue
c. Segewicke In the olde law there were many sacrifices propiciatory ergo there be also in the new law or els you must graunt that God is not so beneficiall now to vs as then he was to them seing that we be as frayle and as nedy as euer were they whiche must be especially the moste pure dayly sacrifice of Christes body and bloud that holy Malachy speaketh of Madew What sacrifice it is that Malachie speaketh of As touching the place of Malachy the Prophet I answere that it is nothing to your purpose for the offering of Christ dayly in the Sacrament For that sacrifice there spoken of is nothing els but the sincere most pure preaching of Gods holy word prayer and of thankesgeuing to God the Father thorow Iesus Christ. Here M. Segewicke was commaunded to cease to Mayster Yong. Yong. WOrshipful mayster Doctor although you haue learnedly and Clarkely defended these your conclusioÌ„s this day yet seeing that I am now placed to impugne theÌ„ in place of a better I do begin thus w t you It hath pleased Christ to make vs partakers of his holy spirite and that in very deede by receiuing of the Christen fayth hope and charitye ergo muche more of his owne blessed bodye and bloud spiritually and in very deede in the Lordes supper Item the Aungels foode was altogether holy from aboue and heauenly called Manna ergo also this celestial and heauenly foode can be iustly estemed to be of no lesse excellency then that The wordes of Scripture euer effectuall but without comparison better and so no very wheate after due consecration of it Item the wordes of holy scripture are euermore effectuall and working ergo they must performe the thing indeede that they doe promise For he that might create might also chaunge at hys pleasure the natures and substaunces of creatures as appeareth that Christ did by chaunging water into wyne at a Mariage in Galile But Christ in the Scripture dyd promise Iohn 6. that the bread that he would geue is hys flesh in deede whiche promise was neuer fulâ—illed till in his last supper when he tooke bread gaue thankes blessed it and gaue it to his disciples saying take eate this is my body Which bread then was his flesh in deede as doth well appeare in the sayd place and next promise depending vpon the same thus which flesh I will geue for the life of the world This last promise was fulfilled by him vpon the Crosse ergo the first was likewise at his last Supper So that it was but one and the same flesh first and last promised and performed Rochester In deed the wordes of holy scripture doe worke theyr effectes potencially and thorowly by the mighty operation of the spirite of God Yong. If it please your Lordship Man is â—â—â—rished bâ— the 〈◊〉 Christeâ— bloud bâ— faith bâ— not by drinckiâ—â— really in cuppe man is fedde and nourished with Christes bloud ergo theÌ„ it is his bloud indeed though it do not so appeare to our outward senses which be deceiued for Christ sayth this is my bloud And also my bloud is drinke in deede And because that we shoulde not abhorre his blessed bloud in his naturall kinde or his flesh if they shoulde be so ministred vnto vs of his most excellent mercy and goodnesse condescending to our weake infirmityes he hath appoynted them to be geuen vs vnder the sensible kindes of his conuenient creatures that is to say of bread and wyne Also our body is fedde with Christes body which is meate in deede but it can not be nourished with that that is not there present ergo Christs body that feedeth vs must needes be present in very deede in the sacrament Item the nature of bread is chaunged but the nature of the bread and the substaunce of it is all one thing ergo the substaunce also is chaunged My first proposition is S. Cyprian de coena domini saying that the bread in figure is not chaunged but in nature Rochester Cyprian there doth take thys worde nature for a propertye of nature onelye Cypriaâ— expound and not for the naturall substaunce Yong. That is a straunge acception that I haue not read in any author before this time but yet by your leaue the communion of Christes body can not be there where hys body is not but the communion of Christes body is in the sacrament ergo Christes body is there preseÌ„t in very deed Rochester Grace is there communicated to vs by the benefite of Christes body sitting in heauen Yong. Not so onely for we are members of his flesh and bones of his bones Rochester We be not consubstantiall with Christ We be 〈◊〉 consubsâ—â—â—â—ciall witâ— Christ ioyned 〈◊〉 him by 〈◊〉 holy spiâ—â—â— God forbid that but we are ioyned to his mistical body thorow his holy spirite and the communion of hys fleshe is communicated to vs spiritually thorow the benefite of his flesh in heauen Yong. Well I am contented and do most humbly beseeche your good Lordshippe to pardon me of my greate rudenesse and imbecillity which I haue here shewed ¶ Here ended the first disputation holden at Cambridge the 20. day of Iune 1549. ¶ The second disputation holden at Cambridge 24 of Iune Ann. 1549. Doctor Glin in his first conclusion Misterieâ— may 〈◊〉 be beleeâ—â— then cuâ—â—â—ously seaâ—â—ched TThe misteries of fayth as August witnesseth may very profitably be beleued but they cannot well be searched forth as sayth the scripture I beleued therefore I spake and he that confesseth me before men him will I coÌ„fesse before my father which is in heauen We beleue euery man in his arte therefore much more Christ our sauior in his word Maruell not most honorable Lordes and worshipfull Doctours that I speake thus nowe for once you your selues spake the same But peraduenture some wyll say beleue not euery spirite I aunswere charity beleeueth all thinges but not in all thinges If those thinges whiche I shall vtter be conuinced as false I shall desire you to take them as not spoken at all But these are the wordes of of trueth hoc est corpus meum this is my body Christ spake them therefore I dare not say this bread is my body As 〈◊〉 called 〈◊〉 the breaâ— figure 〈◊〉 speaking â—â—â—guratiue at other tymes caâ—â—led theâ— not plaâ—â— figures though they 〈◊〉 so for so Christ sayd not Christ sayd thus this is my body and therfore I but duste and ashes yea a worme before him dare not say this is a figure of his body heauen and earth saith he shal passe but my word shall not passe Whatsoeuer our old father Adam called euery creature that is his name to this day y e new Adam Christ Iesus sayd this is my body is it not so he neuer sayd this is a figure of my bodye nor eat you this figure or signe of my body And therfore wheÌ„ y e paschall lambe was set before him he sayd not this
you not Glin. Neither in other mysteries of fayth we know not the meane how although this may partly be prooued by reason For as my soule is wholy in my head and wholy in my foote and wholy in my finger and so in other parts of my body and as there is one voyce or sound which all men hearyng do vnderstand so the body of Christ beyng one and the same is wholy in the aulter and in many places els For if God could do this in my foule how much more in hys owne body Rochest I beseech you shew vs what difference is betwixt these two to be in a place circumscriptiuely diffinitiuely Glin. Your Lordship knoweth very well but yet if any would know the difference let hym read August ad Volusianum ad Dardanium c. Gest. If the bread be changed it is made the body of Christ but that is not so The bread 〈◊〉 chaunâ—â—â— Ergo it is not changed Glin. I deny your Minor Gest. It is not generate or begot ergo it is not the body Glin. That foloweth not as though to be made to be generate or begot were all one thing or as thogh there were no other mutation then a generation so you impugne a thing y t you know not But what call you the generation Gest. The generation is the production of the accidents Glin. A new definition of a new philosopher Gest. That which he tooke he blessed that which he blessed he brake and gaue it vnto them Ergo c. Glin. Christ tooke bread brake bread gaue his body that is the substance of his body saying This is my body Gest. The bread is not chaunged into the bloud of Christ Ergo not into his body neither Glin. I deny your antecedent Gest. The maister of the sentences saith it Glin. You vnderstand him not for the bread is changed into the bloud of Christ â—apistes 〈◊〉 of â—â—an substaÌ„â—â—â—tion by the power of Gods word Rochest Ye dreame of a reall presence of Christes body in the sacrament by the force of the words spoken which the holy scripture doth impugne Glin. We say that not only by the power of the worde but also by the spirit secret vertue in the words it is brought to passe for there is no power in one word alone as before in baptisme but in all the words duly prolated according to the custome of the ancient catholike church Gest. If there were any transubstantiation the accidences should not remayne still If there were transubstantiation there â—â—ould remayne no â—â—â—idents but they haue no matter whereto they may leane or cleaue but the accidentes remayne not themselues alone Ergo c. Glin. I confesse the accidents cannot stande themselues alone by their own nature without a subiect but by y e power of God they may not after the opinion of philosophers but of the scriptures although I could shew out of y e scriptures the accidents to haue bene without the subiect as in Genesis The light was made without a subiect where as the subiect of the light was made the fourth day after as Basill beareth me record Here M. Pilkington disputed Pilkington THis one thing I desire of you most worshipfull M. Doctor that you will answer me with like breuitie as I shall propound and thus I reason The body of Christ that was broken on the crosse is a full satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world but the sacrament is not the satisfaction of the whole world Ergo the Sacrament is not the body of Christ. Glin. I deny your argument Pilking It is a Sillogisme Glin. It is not so for there be 4. termines Touching this word Sacrament it is manifold but thus I aunswer If you take the sacrament for the matter of the sacrameÌ„t that is the body of Christ then is your Minor propositioÌ„ true and y e matter of y e sacrament is the satisfaction for y e sinnes of the whole world but if you take the sacrament for the signe which we call a sacrament then is your Minor proposition false Pilking The body of Christ hath satisfied for the sinnes of the whole world but the sacrament hath not satisfied Ergo the sacrament is not the body of Christ. Glin. I deny your Minor vnderstanding the Sacrament for the matter of the sacrament Pilking The sacrament only profiteth him that receiueth it but many were saued before the institution of this Sacrament was begun ergo y e sacrament is not y e body of Christ. Glin. If you meane of the bare signe onely it profiteth nothing but if you meane of the thing signified than what is spoke of the body of Christ is spoke also of the thing of the sacrament it selfe Pilking Transubstantiation is not a Sacrament but that which I meane is a sacrament Ergo that which I meane is not transubstantiated Glin. I meane not that transubstantiation is a sacrament neither do I say that the Sacrament is transubstantiate but the bread Pilking The body of Christ is resiant in heauen the body of Christ is in the sacrament Ergo the Sacrament is in heauen Glin. A goodly reason forsooth but I aunswer he is after one sort in heauen and after another sort in the sacrament for in heauen he is locally in the sacrament not so in heauen visibly and circumscriptiuely but in the sacrament inuisibly and sacramentally Rochest S. Augustine sayth take away the spaces from the bodies and they shall be no where and that which is no where is not at all so whilest you take away the spaces and dymensions from the body of Christ in the Sacrament you bryng to passe that it is not there at all Glin. In that place Augustine speaketh of naturall bodies not of supernaturall otherwyse I could deny that Christ had a true body when he entred into his disciples y e gates beyng shut Rochest Of the gates beyng shut a diuers and doubtfull meanyng may be gathered for it may be that he entered in before the gates were shutte and afterward opened them beyng shut c. Glin. Then it could be no myracle but the Euangelists all sound interpreters say and affirme this to be a miracle of our sauiour Christ. Rochest Whether Christ entred in miraculously the gates beyng shut or els open the scripture setteth not downe Glin. As Christ the wombe of the virgin being shut was borne into the world without violation of her pure virginitie or apertion of her wombe for so he might haue bene polluted so entred he through the dores to hys Disciples miraculously Pilking In the bodye of Christ which was geuen for vs there are no accidents of bread but in the sacrament there be accidents of bread ergo in the Sacrament there is not the body of Christ. Glin. In the matter of the sacrament that is in the body of Christ is no accidents of bread but accidents are the very sacrament it selfe Pilking I beseech you what
Berengarius Zuinglius Oecolampadius and many others who are certaynely knowen to be of no lesse variaunce amongest themselues then vncertayn of theyr fayth what to beleeue Zuinglius wryteth thus of hymselfe Although this thyng which I meane to intreate of doth lyke me very well yet notwithstandyng I dare define nothyng but only shew my poore iudgement abroad to others that if it please the Lord others may be therby instructed by the spirit of God which teacheth all good thynges In vayne doe I spende many wordes You see playnely he dare not define anye thyng certainely but doubteth whether it please GOD or not Oecolampadius writyng to a certayne brother of hys sayth thus Peace be with thee As farre as I can coniecture out of the learned Fathers these wordes Iohn 6. This is my body be figuratiue locutions c. You see hereby how vncertaine they be of their opinions They leane not to the Scriptures to Doctors nor yet to the trueth but to supposals and coniectures who therefore hereafter wyll cleane vnto them But nowe I come to your Oration whose beginnyng pleased me very well and whose progresse therein offended me not But in the end you concluded in such sort that you left the whole matter to me as it were confirmyng my partes by the same And herein you framed a Syllogisme after this maner What Christ tooke that he blessed what he blessed that he brake what he brake that he gaue Ergo what he receyued he gaue c. Whereto I aunswer wyth a lyke Syllogisme out of Genesis God tooke a ribbe out of Adams side what hee tooke he built what he built that he brought what he brought that hee gaue to Adam to be hys wyfe but he tooke a ribbe Ergo he gaue a ribbe to Adam to wyfe c. Also in your sayd Oration you shute much at those wordes of Paule where he calleth it bread so often c. But the Scripture in another place calleth it water when in deede it was wyne a rodde when it was a playne serpent Rochest You haue pretended great zeale words inough but what pith or substance your reasons will affourd we shall see hereafter Vauisor Christ gaue the same flesh to vs that he receyued of the virgine but he tooke true and naturall flesh of her Ergo he gaue vs true and naturall fleshe My Maior I prooue by August vpon the 98. Psalme Rochest M. Uauisor you are in a wrong boxe for y e place maketh altogether for maintenāce of adoration if it make for any thyng Vauisor I know it very well and therefore I alledge it as the ground of my reason These bee Augustines woordes Christ of the earth receyued earth and of the flesh of Mary he receyued flesh acknowledge his substance therefore Rochest I acknowledge it Vauisor And in the very same flesh he walked here vppon the earth acknowledgge his substaunce Anno. 1549. Rochest I acknowledge it Vauisor And the very same fleshe he gaue vs to eate acknowledge hys substaunce Rochest I acknowlege not hys reall substance to be there but the propertie of hys substance Vauisor Then Uauisor recited the place to the ende hee myght prooue that hys reall substaunce ought to bee acknowledged as well in the last place as in the first and second affirmyng it out of Saint Augustine who sayeth thus The Disciples of Christ approchyng the Lordes table by fayth dranke the same bloud which the tormenters most cruelly spilt c. but the tormenters spilt no figure of bloud Ergo c. this place will not permit the other so to be illuded Rochest It is no illusion good M. Uauisor but surely you would moue a Saint with your impertinent reasons Vauisor I beseech your fatherhood to pardon my rudenes for surely I cannot otherwyse speake without breache of conscience Perne That place of Augustine is to bee vnderstoode of a spirituall kynd of eatyng Vauisor I demand whether the faythfull may receyue spiritually so as they neede not to receiue sacramentally Perne They may Vauisor Then thus to you To the spirituall eatyng there is no need to come to the Lordes table for so it is the meat of the soule not of the teeth but the faythfull come to the Lordes table Ergo that place is to be vnderstood of a sacramentall eatyng And agayne Augustine sayth that he caried hymselfe in hys hands Rochest Augustine sheweth a little after what he meaneth thereby where he sayeth he caried hymselfe in his owne hands after a certayne sort or maner Vauisor True it is that after one maner he sate at the table and after another maner was in the sacrament ¶ M. Yong here disputeth agaynst Perne as followeth Yong. I Understand the meanyng o◠this worde Proprietas proprietie well enough for in Hillarie and Eusebius it signifieth not the vertue or power of any substance or beyng but rather a naturall beyng or substance Rochest I commend your great diligence in searchyng of authors but in diuinitie the matter standeth not so for the proprietie of essence in the deitie is the very essence and whatsoeuer is in God is God Yong. True it is most reuerend father that this worde Proprietas proprietie in Hillary in hys 8. booke de Trinitate intreatyng there of the diuinitie of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghost is so meant and taken but the same Hillary almost in the same place speaketh of our communion and vnitie wyth Christ c. Tertullian also writyng of the resurrection of the flesh affirmeth that the fleshe of our sauiour is that whereof our soule is allied to God that is it which causeth that our soules are ioyned to hym but our flesh is made cleane that the soule may be purged our flesh is annoynted that the soule may be made holy the flesh is sealed that the soule may be comforted the fleshe is shadowed with the imposition of the handes that our soule may be lightened with the glory of the spirite Our flesh is clothed with a body and bloud that the soule may be fed and nourished of God Rochest The fleshe in deede is fed with the body and the bloud of the Lord When our bodyes be fed with the bodye and bloud of Christ when our bodies by mortification are made lyke to his body And our body is nourished when the vertue and power of the body of Christ doth feede vs. The same Tertullian is not afrayd to cal it flesh and bloud but he meaneth a figure of the same Yong. Then by your leaue it should follow by good consequence that where anye mortification is there must needes be a sacramentall communion which cannot be Ergo c. ¶ Here endeth the third and last Disputation holden at Cambridge 1549. This disputation continued three dayes In the first dyd aunswer Doctour Madew Agaynst whome disputed Doctour Glinne M. Langdale M. Segewike M. Young In the second disputation did answer Doctor Glinne Agaynst whome disputed M. Grindall
aliud commutentur That is to say This bread is breade before the wordes of the Sacraments when the consecration commeth to it The wordes of Ambrose in Englishe of bread it is made the flesh of Christ. Let vs coÌ„firme this therfore how can that whyche is breade by consecration be the bodye of Christ by what words then is the consecration made and by whose wordes by the wordes of our Lorde Iesus For touching all other things that are sayde praise is geuen to God prayer is made for the people for kinges and for the rest When it commeth that the reuerent Sacrament must be made then the Priest vseth not his own words but the wordes of Christ therfore the word of Christe maketh this Sacrament What word That word by which all things were made The Lorde * But the Lord Iesus here vsed not such words of commauÌ„ding in the sacrament as in creatioÌ„ for we read not fiat hoc corpus meuÌ„ as we read fiat lux commaunded and heauen was made the Lord commaunded and the earth was made the Lord commanded and the seas were made the Lord commaunded and all creatures were made Doest thou not see then how strong in working the woorde of Christe is If therfore so great strength be in the Lords word that those things shuld begin to be which were not before how much the rather is it of strength to worke y t these thinges which were shoulde be chaunged into an other thing Ambrose sayth that the wordes are of strength to worke Weston You omit those wordes which follow whych maketh the sence of Ambrose plaine Read them Young Coelum non erat mare non erat terra non erat Sed audi dicentem Ambros. de Sacr. cap. 5. ipse dixit facta sunt ipse mandauit creata sunt Ergo tibi vt respondeam non erat corpus Christi ante consecrationem sed post consecrationem dico tibi quòd iam * Alloiosis reruÌ„ symboloruÌ„ corpus Christi est That is Heauen was not the sea was not the earth was not but heare him that said he spake the worde and they were made he commaunded and they were created Therfore to answer thee it was not the body of Christ before consecration but after the coÌ„secration I say to thee that now it is the body of Christ. Cran. All these thinges are common I say that God doth chiefly worke in the Sacraments Yong. How doth he worke Cran. By his power as he doth in Baptisme Yong. Nay by the worde he chaungeth the bread into hys body This is the truth acknowledge the truth geue place to the trueth Cran. O glorious wordes you are too full of wordes Yong. Nay O glorious trueth you make no change at all Cran. Not so but I make a great chaunge as in them that are baptised is there not a great chaunge when the child of the bondslaue of the deuil is made the sonne of God So it is also in the sacrament of the supper when he receyueth vs into his protection and fauour Yong. If he worke in the sacraments he worketh in thys sacrament Cran. God woorketh in his Faithfull not in the Sacraments West In the supper the words are directed to the breade in baptisme to the spirite He sayd not the water is the spirite but of the bread he sayd This is my body Cran. He called the spirit a Doue when the spirit descended in likenesse of a Doue As the Doue is called the spirit so the bread is called the body West He doth not call the spirit a Doue but he sayth that he descended as a Doue He was seene in the likenesse of a Doue As in Baptisme the words are directed to him that is baptized so in the supper the woordes are directed vnto the bread Cran. Nay it is wrytten Vpon whomesoeuer thou shalt see the spirite descending Iohn 1. Hee calleth that whych descended the holy spirit And Augustine calleth the doue the spirit Heare what Augustine sayth in 1. Iohn August in Iohn cap. 1. Quid voluit per columbam id est per spiritum sanctuÌ„ docere qui miserat eum That is What meant he by the Doue that is by the holy Ghost forsoothe to teach who sent him Yong. He vnderstandeth of the spirit descending as a doue the spirit is inuisible Ambrose againe repeated de Sacrament cap. 4. If you minde to haue the truth heard let vs proceede Heare what Ambrose saith Vides quam operatorius sit sermo Christi Si ergo tanta vis in sermone domini c. vt supra That is You see what a working power the word of Christe hath Therefore if there be so great power in the Lordes woorde that those thinges whiche were not begin to be howe much more of strength is it to worke that those things that were should be chaunged into an other thing And in the 5. chap. Antequam consecretur panis est vbi autem verba Christi accesserint Idem cap. 5. corpus est Christi i. Before it is consecrated it is bread but when the words of Christ come to it it is the body of Christ. But hear what he sayth more Accipite edite hoc est corpus meum Take yee eate yee this is my bodye Ante verba Christi calix est vini aquae plenus vbi verba Christi operata fuerint ibi sanguis efficitur qui redemit plebem That is Before the wordes of Christe the cuppe is full of wine and water when the words of Christ haue wrought there is made the bloude of Christe which redeemed the people What can be more plaine Cran. Aunswere to Ambrose Nay what can be lesse to the purpose The wordes are of strength to worke in this Sacrament as they are in Baptisme Pie The wordes of Christ as Amb. sayth are of strength to worke What do they worke Ambrose sayeth they make the bloud which redeemed the people Ergo the naturall bloud is made Cran. The Sacrament of his bloud is made The wordes make the bloude to them that receiue it not that the bloude is in the cuppe but in the receiuer Pie There is made the bloud which redeemed the people Cran. The bloude is made that is the Sacrament of the bloude by which he redeemed the people Fit it is made that is to say ostenditur it is shewed forth there And Ambrose sayth we receiue in a similitude As thou hast receiued the similitude of his death so also thou drinkest the similitude of his precious bloud West He sayth in a similitude Marke D. Wesâ— expound to eate similituâ—â— because it is ministred vnder another likenesse And this is the argument * If this logismâ—â— in the 〈…〉 standâ—â— the 〈◊〉 appear then iâ— false beâ—cause it â—â—â—cludeth firmatâ—â—â— Ambr. â— cap. 1. dâ—â—crament Operaâ—â— Mutare Conuerâ— There is made the bloud which redeemed the people But the naturall bloud redeemed the
world The causes whâ— they 〈…〉 otherwise dispute theâ— before indifferent Iudges The matter of the disputation is against Gods word The second cause that the determinations of both the Uniuersities in matters of Religion especially wherin we should dispute are directly against Gods word yea against their own determinations in the time of our late soueraigne Lord and most godly Prince King Edward and further it is knowen they be our open enemies and haue already condemned our causes before any disputation had of the same Secondly because the Prelates and clergie do not seeke either vs or the verity but our destruction and their glory For if they had sought vs as charity requireth theÌ„ would they haue called vs forth hereaboutes before theyr lawes were so made that franckly and without perill we might haue spoken our consciences Againe if they had sought for the veritie they woulde not haue concluded of controuersies In the disputation neither charitie nor veritie sought for tofore they had bene disputed so that it easely appeareth that they seeke their owne glory and our destruction and not vs and the veritie and therefore we haue good cause to refuse disputation as a thing which shall not further preuaile then to the setting forth of their glory and the suppression of the veritie Thirdly because the Censors and Iudges as we heare who they be are manifest enemies to the truth and that which worse is obstinate enemies before whome pearles are not to be cast The third cause The Iudges of the disputation professed enemies against the truth The 4. cause by the commaundements of our Sauior Iesus Christ and by his owne example That they be such their doings of late at Oxford and in the Conuocation house in October last past do most euidently declare Fourthly because some of vs haue bene in prison these 8. or 9. monethes where we haue had no bookes no paper no penne no inke or conuenient place for study we thinke we should do euill thus sodainly to descend into disputation with them which may alledge as they list the fathers and their testimonies Want of booâ—es necessaâ—â— for disputation bicause our memories haue not that which we haue read so readily as to reproue when they shall report and wrest the authors to their purpose or to bring forth that we may haue there for our aduantage Fiftly because in disputation we shall not be permitted to prosecute our Argumentes The 5. cause but be stopped when we would speake one saying thus another that the third his mind Example of 〈◊〉 disputation at Oxford c. As was done to the godly learned fathers especially D. Ridley at Oxford who could not be permitted to declare his minde and meaning of the propositions had oftentimes halfe a dosen at once speaking against hym alwayes letting him to prosecute his argument and to aunswere accordingly we will not speake of the hissing scoffing and taunting which wonderfully then was vsed If on this sorte and much worse they handled these fathers much more will they be shameles bold with vs if we shuld enter into disputation with them Sixtly because the Notaries that shall receiue write the disputations shal be of their appointment and such as either do not or dare not fauour y e truth and therefore must write eyther to please them or else they themselues the Censours and Iudges we meane at their pleasure wyll put to and take from The 6. cause that which is writteÌ„ by y e Notaries who can not Notaries 〈◊〉 indiffeâ—â—nt nor must not haue in their custody that which they write longer then the disputation indureth as their doings at Oxford declareth No copy nor scroule could anye man haue by their good will For the Censors and Iudges will haue all deliuered into their hands Yea if any man was sene there to write as the report is the same man was sent for and his writings taken from him so must the disputation serue only for the glory not of God but of the enemies of his truth For these causes we all thinke it so necessary not to dispute with them as if we did dispute we shuld do that whiche they desire purposely seek to promote the kingdome of Antichrist and to suppresse as much as may be y e truth We will not speake of the offence that might come to the godly wheÌ„ they shuld heare by the report of our enemies our aunsweres and arguments framed you may be sure for their fantasies to the sclaundering of the veritie Therfore we publish and by this writing notifie vnto the whole congregation and church of England Exceptions taken agaâ—nst the aduersaries that for these aforesaid causes we will not dispute with theÌ„ otherwise then with the penne vnlesse it be before the Queenes highnes and her Councell or before the houses of the parliament as is aboue sayd If they will write Conditions assigned how they would dispute we will aunswere by writing confirm and proue out of the infallible veritie euen the very word of God and by the testimonye of y e good and most auncient fathers in Christes Churche this our fayth and euery peece thereof which hereafter we in a summe do write and send abroad purposely that oure good brethren and sisterne in the Lord may knowe it and to seale vp y e same Exhortation to obedience we are ready through Gods helpe and grace to geue our liues to y e halter of fire or otherwise as God shall appoynt humbly requiring in the bowels of our Sauiour Iesus Christ beseeching all that feare God to behaue themselues as obedient subiects to the Queenes highnes and the superiour powers which are ordeyned of god vnder her rather after our exaÌ„ple to geue their heads to the blocke then in any poynt to rebell or once to mutter agaynst the Lordes annoynted we meane our soueraigne Lady Queene Mary into whose hart we beseech the Lord of mercye plentifully to doure the wisedome and grace of his holy spirite now and for euer Amen First we confesse and beleue all the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament The confession and fayth of the prisoned Preachers and al the bookes of the new Testament to be the very true word of God and to be written by the inspiration of the holy Ghost and are therfore to be heard accordingly as the Iudge in all controuersies and matters of religion Secondly The Catholicke Church we confesse and beleue the Catholick church whiche is the spouse of Christ as a most obedient and louing wife to embrace and follow the doctrin of these books in all matters of religion and therefore is shee to be heard accordingly so that those which will not heare this church thus following and obeying the word of her husband we accompt as heretickes and schismatickes accordyng to this saying If he will not heare the Church let him be vnto thee as a Heathen Thirdly we
bene maruelously mooued with great affections and passions as well of myrth and gladnes as of heauines sorrow Of gladnes in this that I perceyued how ye be bent geuen to prayer and inuocation of gods helpe in these darke wicked proceedings of men agaynst Gods glory I haue bene sory to perceiue the malice and wickednes of men to be so cruel diuelish tyrannicall to persecute the people of God for seruyng of God saying hearing of the holy Psalmes and the word of eternall life These cruell doings do declare that the Papistes Church is more bloudy and tyrannicall then euer was the sword of the Ethnikes and Gentiles When I heard of your taking and what ye were doing wherfore and by whom ye were takeÌ„ I remembred how the Christians in the Primatiue Church were vsed by the crueltie of vnchristened heathens in the tyme of Traiane the Emperour about 77. yeares after Christes ascension into heauen Of this persecution 〈◊〉 before and how the Christians were persecuted very sore as though they had bene traytors and moouers of sedition Wherupon the gentle Emperor Traiane required to know the true cause of Christian mens trouble A great learned man called Plinius wrote vnto him said it was because the Christians said certaine psalmes before day The Pope 〈◊〉 then Traians the Heaâ—â—â— Emperour vnto one called Christ whoÌ„ they worshipped for god When Traiane the Emperour vnderstood it was for nothyng but for conscience religion he caused by hys commaundements euery where that no man should be persecuted for seruing of God But the Pope his church hath cast you into prison beyng taken euen doyng the worke of God and one of the excellents workes that is required of Christian men that is to wit whiles ye were in praier not in such wicked superstitious prayers as the papists vse but in the same prayer that Christ hath taught you to pray And in his name onely ye gaue God thanks for that ye haue receiued and for his sake ye asked for such thyngs as ye want O glad may ye be that euer ye were borne to be apprehended whilest ye were so vertuously occupied Blessed be they that suffer for righteousnesse sake For if God had suffred them that tooke your bodies then to haue taken your life also now had ye bene following the Lamb in perpetual ioyes away from the company and assembly of wicked men But the Lord would not haue you sodainly so to depart but reserueth you gloriously to speake and maintaine his truth to the world Be ye not careful what ye shall say for God will go out in with you and will be present in your harts in your mouthes to speake his wisedome although it seemeth foolishnes to the world He that hath begun this good worke in you continue you in the same vnto the end pray vnto him that ye may feare him only that hath power to kill both body soule and to cast them into hel fire Be of good comfort All the haires of your hed are numbred and there is not one of them can perish Math. 10. 〈◊〉 12. except your heauenly father suffer it to perish Now ye be in the field placed in y e forefront of Christs battel Doubtles it is a singuler fauour of God a special loue of him towards you to geue you this foreward preeminence a signe that he trusteth you before others of his people The first onset of this persecution geuen in Bowchurchyarde Wherfore deare brethren and sisters continually fight this fight of the Lord. Your cause is most iust and godly ye stand for the true Christ who is after the flesh in heauen for his true religion and honor which is amply fully sufficiently and abundantly conteyned in the holy Testament sealed with Christes owne bloud How much be ye bound to God to put you in trust with so holy and iust a cause Remember what lookers vpon you haue to see behold you in your sight God all his Angels who be ready alway to take you vp into heauen if ye be slaine in his fight Also you haue standing at your backes all the multitude of the faithfull who shal take courage strength 1. Iohn 4. and desire to follow such noble valiant Christians as you be Be not afraid of your aduersaries for he that is in you is stronger then he that is in them Shrinke not although it be payne to you your paynes be not now so great as here after your ioyes shall be Read the comfortable chapiters to the Romans 8.10.15 Heb. 11.12 Comfort taken out of Scriptures And vpon your knees thanke God that euer ye were accompted worthy to suffer any thing for his names sake Read the 2. chap. of s. Lukes gospell there you shal see how the shepeherds that watched vpon their sheep all night as soone as they heard that Christ was borne at Bethlem True obedience putteth no doubtes by and by they went to see him They did not reason nor debate with theÌ„selues who should keepe the Wolfe from the sheep in the meane time but did as they were commanded committed their sheep vnto him whose pleasure they obeyed So let vs do now we be called commit all other thinges to him that calleth vs. He will take heed that all things shall be well He wil helpe the husband he will comfort the wyfe he will guide the seruaunts he will keepe the house All carefulnes to be cast vpon the Lorde he will preserue the goods yea rather then it should be vndone he will wash the dishes and rocke the cradle Cast therfore all your care vpon God for he careth for you Besides this you may perceiue by your imprisonment that your aduersaries weapons against you be nothyng but flesh bloud and tyrannie For if they were able All the streÌ„gth of the Popes religioÌ„ standeth in outward force they would maintaine their wicked religion by Gods worde but for lacke of that they would violently compell such as they cannot by holy Scripture perswade because the holy word of God and all Christes doyngs be contrary vnto them I pray you pray for me I will pray for you And although we be asunder after the world yet in Christ I trust for euer ioyning in the spirite and so shall meete in the pallace of the heauenly ioyes after this short and transitorie lyfe is ended Gods peace be with you Amen The 14 of Ianuary 1554. Upon the Friday after this following being the 18. of Ianuary all the Counsaile went vnto the Tower there the same day discharged and set at libertie all the prisoners of the Tower or the most part of them namely Ianuary 18. Gentlemen deliuered out of the Tower by the Queens pardon the late duke of Northumberlands sonnes Ambrose Robert and Henry sir Andrew Dudley sir Iohn Rogers sir Iames Crofts sir Nich. Throgmorton sir
withstande vs. For as I was with Moses so will I be with thee sayth God and wil neuer leaue thee nor forsake thee Be strong and bolde neither feare nor dread for the Lord thy God is wyth thee whether soeuer thou goest Nowe if God be on oure side who can be against vs Iosua 2. Rom. 8. In this our spirituall warfare is no man ouercome vnles he traiterously leaue and forsake his captaine Spirituall cowardlynes either cowardly cast away his weapons or willingly yelde himselfe to his ennemies either fearefully turne his backe and flie Be strong therefore in the Lord deare brethren and in the power of his might and put on all the armour of God Ephe. 6. 2. Cor. 11.12 Actes 21. that ye may be able to stand stedfast against the craftie assaults of the deuill Now what weapons ye must fight withall learne of S. Paul a champion both much exercised and also most valiaunt and inuincible A Christian mans lyfe is a perpetuall warfare For we must thinke none other but that the life of man is a perpetuall warfare vppon earth as the examples of all godly men throughout all ages to declare The valiant warrior S. Paul being deliuered from the handes of the vngodly and that so many times and also from so many extreme pearils and dangers of death as he his owne selfe doth witnes is faine to commit him selfe in the ende to the rough waters of the sea The manifâ—â—â—e deliuerances of S. Paule be examples â—or our comfort where he was in great pearil and ieoperdie of his owne life yet was God alwaies to the great comfort of all that heare of it most ready to comfort and succour him and gloriously deliuered him out of all his troubles so that no manne that inuaded him could doe him any harme and in the ende he was compelled to saye I haue finished my course Actes 18. â— Tim. 4. Phil. 1. the time of my departing is at hand I long to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all most heartely desiring death These things be written for our learning and comforte and be to vs a sure obligation Rom. 15. that if we submit our selues to God his holy word no man shal be able to hurt vs and that he will deliuer vs from all troubles yea from death also vntil such time as we couet and desire to die Let vs therefore runne with patience vnto the battaile that is set before vs Heb. 12. Persecution foloweth Christian godlines 2. Tim. 3. and looke vnto Iesus the Captaine and finisher of our faith and after his example for the rewardes sake that is set out vnto vs patiently beare the crosse and despise the shame For all that will liue godly in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecution Christ was no sooner baptised and declared to the world to be the sonne of God Math. 3.4 Where Christ is Sathan there is alwayes ready Ephe. 6. but Sathan was by and by ready to tempte hym which thing we must looke for also yea the more we shall encrease in faith and vertuous liuing the more strongly will Sathan assault vs whom we must learne after the example of Christ to fight againste and ouercome with the holy and sacred Scriptures and worde of God which are our heauenly armour and sword of the spirite And let the fasting of Christ while hee was tempted in the wildernes be vnto vs an example of sober liuing not for the space of 40. daies as the Papists doe fondly fansie of their owne braines but as long as wee are in the wildernesse of this wretched life assaulted of Sathan Math. 4. The fast of Christ is to vs Example of sober liuing 1. Pet. 5. who like a roaring Lyon walketh about and ceaseth not seeking our vtter destruction Neither can the seruaunts of God at any time come stand before God that is leade a godly life and walke innocently before God But Sathan commeth also among them that is he daily accuseth finedeth fault vexeth Iob. 1.2 When the seruantes of God stand before him Sathan commeth also Math. 8. persecuteth and troubleth the godly for it is the nature and propertie of the deuill alwayes to hurt and do mischiefe vnlesse he be forbidden of God for vnlesse God do permit him he can do nothing at all not so much as enter into a filthy hogge but we are more of price then many hogs before God if we cleaue vnto his sonne by faith Let vs therefore knowing Sathans deceits and rancor walke the more warely and take vnto vs the shield of faith Ephe. 6. The shield of fayth The helmet of saluation The sword of the spirite wherewith we may be able to quench and ouercome all the fiery and deadly dartes of the wicked Let vs take to vs the helmet of saluation sworde of the spirit which is the word of God and learne to vse the same according to the example of oure graunde Captayne Christ. Let vs fast and pray continually For this frantike kinde of deuils goeth not out otherwise as Christ doeth teach vs but by faithfull praier and fasting whiche is true abstinence and sobernesse of liuing Math. 4. Math. 17. if we vse the same according to the doctrin of the gospell and worde of God Fasting is acceptable to God if it be done without hypocrisie that is to say â—f we vse it to this entent that thereby this mortall body and disobedient carcase maye be â—amed and brought vnder the subiection of the spirite Prayer and fasting True fast what it is How to fast without hipocrisie Abuse of fasting among Christians Esay 58. and againe if we fast to this intent that we maye spare wherewyth to helpe and succour our poore needie brethren This fast do the true Christians vse all the dayes of their life although among the common sort of people remaineth yet still that superstitious kinde of fasting which God so earnestly reprooueth by his Prophet Esay For as for true chastening of the body and abstaining from vice with shewing mercye towardes our needy neighbours we wil neither vnderstand nor heare of but still thinke with the Iewes that we doe God a great pleasure when we fast and that we then fast The Iewish maner of fasting reproued The Christians in superstitious fasting exceede the Iewes Mercy to the poore when we abstaine from one thing and fil our bellies with an other And verely in this poynt doth our superstition much excede the superstitioÌ„ of the Iewes for we neuer reade that they euer tooke it for a fast to abstaine from flesh and to eate either fish or white meat as they call it To fasting and praier must be ioyned almes and mercye towardes the poore and needie and that our almes may be acceptable vnto God three things are chiefly required First that we geue with a chearefull and ioyfull heart For the Lord loueth a chearefull geuer Secondly
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
pestiferous canker can not with supple and gentle medecines be cured more sharper salues must be proued and fiery searinges the putrified members must be cut of from the body least the sound partes also be infected So God did cast downe into hell the schismaticall brethren * * Let the Pope followe the worde of God as Moses dyd and be sent of God expresly as Moses was and then let Luther be punished as Dathon and Abyron were Againe if the Pope be the succâ—ssour of Peter haue his authoritie why then doeth not the Pope beaâ—ing the keyes of Peter exercise the power of his spirite vpon Luther his great enemie as Peter did vpon Ananias and Sâ—phira Dathan and Abiron And him that would not obey the authority of the priest God commaunded to bee punished with death So Peter prince of the Apostles denounced sodeine death to Ananias and Saphira which lyed vnto God So the olde and godly Emperours commaunded * * If Iouinianus Priscillianus and Vigilantius were proued heretickes They were proued not onely by CanoÌ„s couÌ„cels but by scripture so was Lutherneâ—â—r Iouinianus and Priscillianus as heretiques to be beheaded So S Ierome wisheth Vigilantius as an heretick to be geuen to the destructioÌ„ of the flesh that the spirit might be saued in the day of the Lord. So also did our predecessours in the Councell of * * Your fathers in the Councell of Constance did kill the prophets of God and you make vp their graues But thankes bee vnto God whiche hath geuen suche light to the world to vnderstande your cruell impietie in killing I. Hus which you thought should neuer be espied CoÌ„stance condemne to death Iohn Hus his felow Hierome which now appeareth to reuiue agayne in Luther The worthy * * You haue well imitated your forefathers alreadie in burning so many Lutherians yet how haue you prospered against the Turkish Infidels the space of these 40. yeares acts and examples of which forefathers if you in this doinges seeing otherwise ye can not shall imitate wee doe not doubt but Gods mercifull clemency shall eftsoones releue his Church which being now sore vexed of infidels hath her eies chiefely and principally directed vpoÌ„ you as being the most puisaunt and most populous nation that wee haue in Christendome Wherefore vpon the blessing of almighty God and of blessed S. Peter which here we send vnto you take courage vnto you The false Dragon resembleth the Pope and the strong Lyon the Turke as well agaynst the false Dragon as the strong Lion that both these that is as well the inward heresyes as the forreigne enemyes by you being ouercome you may purchase to your honours an immortal victory both here and in the world to come This we geue you to vnderstand that whatsoeuer the Lord hath geuen vs to aid you withall either in money or authoritye wee will not fayle to support you herein The false Dragon here seeth that it is time to bestirre hym yea and to bestowe our life also in this holye quarrell and for the health of our sheepe to vs committed Other thinges as touching the matter of Luther we haue committed to this Cheregatus our Legate whom wee haue directed purposelye for the same vnto your assemble whom we wish you to Credite as being our trusty Legate Datum Rom. apud S. Petrum sub anulo piscatoris die .25 Nouemb. ann 1522. pontificatus nostri anno primo ¶ By this letter aboue prefixed thou hast gentle reader to note and vnderstand what eyther wyly perswasions or strength of authoritie could deuise against Luther here not to haue lacked If plausible termes or glosyng sentences or outward facyng and bracyng could haue serued where no ground of scripture is brought this might seeme apparantly a pithie Epistle But if a man should require the particulars or y e specialties of this doctrine which he here reprehendeth to bee examined and tryed by Gods word there is no substaunce in it but onely wordes of office whiche may seeme well to serue for waste paper And yet I thought to exhibite the saide letter vnto thee to the entent that the more thou seest mans strength with all his policie bent against Luther the more thou mayst consider the almightie power of God in defending the cause of this poore man against so mightie enemies Nowe heare further what instructions the sayde Pope Adrian sent to his Legate Cheregatus how and by what reasons to moue and inflame the princes of Germany to the destruction of Luther and his cause and yet was not able to bring it to passe Instructions geuen by Pope Adrian to Cheregatus his Legate touching his proceedings in the diete of Norenberg how and by what persuasions to incense the Princes agaynst Luther IN primis Instructions of the Pope against Luther you shall declare to them the great griefe of our hart for the prospering of Luthers secte to see the innumerable soules redemed with Christs bloud and committed to our pastorall gouernement to be turned away from the true fayth and religion into perdition by this occasion that especially in the nation of Germany being our natiue country which hath bene euer heretofore til these few yeares past most faythfull and deuour in religion therefore our desire to be the greater that this pestilence should be stopped by time least the same happen to that countrey of Germany which happened of late to Bohemia And as for our part * The first cause to stirre men against Luther there shal be no lacke to helpe forward what we may As likewise we desire them to â—ndeuoure them selues to the vttermost of theyr power whom these causes ought to moue which here we direct vnto you to be declared vnto them * The honour of God consisteth principally in honouring Iesus the Sonne of God whom the father hath sent Now examine good reader whether more extoileth the honour of Christ the doctrine of Luther or the doctrine of the Pope Luther sendeth vs onely to christ The Pope sendeth vs to other Patrons and helpers Luthers doctrine tendeth wholy to the glory of Christ the popes doctrine if it be well wayed tendeth to the glory of man Luther cleaueth onely to Scripture The Pope leaneth to the Canons and Councels of men First the honor of God which before all other thinges ought to be preferred whose honor by these heresyes is greatly defaced and his worship not onely diminished but rather whollye corrupted Also the charity toward our neighbor by which charity euery man is bound to reduce his neighbor out of errour otherwise God will requyre at theyr handes all such as by theyr negligence do perish The second cause to moue them agaynst Luther The 2. cause is the infamy of theyr nation whiche being counted before time alwayes most Christian now by these sectaries of Luther is euill spoken of in all other quartes The third cause is the respecte of theyr owne
apperteineth to the charge of a good Bishop lawful heire of S. Peter And though all errors corruptions and abuses be not straight wayes amended by vs men ought not therat to maruell The sore is great and farre growen You proceede so by litle litle that nothing at all is seene Sodeine mutations be not for the Popes purpose but the Lord promiseth to come sodenly when he is not looked for and is not single but of manifolde maladies together compacted therefore to the curing therof we must proceede by litle and litle first beginning to cure the greater and the most dangerous least while we intend to amend all we destroy all All sodaine mutations sayth Aristotle in a common wealth are perilous And he that wringeth too hard straineth out bloud Prou. 30 And whereas in your last letters you wryte that the Princes complaine howe this See hath bene and is preiudiciall to their ordinaunces and agreements heereunto you shall thus aunswere That suche excesses which haue bene done before our time ought not to be imputed to vs who alwayes haue misliked these derogations and therefore bidde them so assure them selues that though they had required no such matter we of our owne accorde woulde haue refrained the same partly for that it is good right reason that euery one haue that which is due vnto hym and partly also that the sayd noble natioÌ„ of Germany shal haue by vs no hinderance but furtherance rather so much as in vs shall lie to do for them And as touching the processes whyche they desire to haue remoued away a Rota and to be referred down to the parties Rota is some office in the court or ChauÌ„cery of Rome you shall signifie vnto them that we will gratifie them herein asmuch as honestly we may But because our auditors are now presently absent from the citie by reason of the Plague wee can not be infourmed as yet touching the qualitie of those processes Assoone as they shall returne which we hope will be shortly we shal do in the Princes fauour what reasonably we may Further wheras we vnderstande that there be many fresh florishing wits in Germanie and many well learned men which are not seene vnto but be reiected and vnlooked to while in the meane time throughe the Apostolicall prouisions dignities The Pope flattereth for aduauntage and promotions are bestowed vpon tapsters and daunsers and vnfitte persons we wil therefore that you inquire out what those learned men are and what be their names to the intent that when any such vacation of benefices in Germany do fal we of our voluntary motioÌ„ may prouide for them accordingly For why we consider howe much it is against Gods glory And why then haue you abusâ—â— the church so long with theâ—â— Apostolical prâ—uisions and yet doe not redresâ—â— the same and against the health and the edification of soules that benefices and dignities of the church haue now so long time bene bestowed vpon vnworthy and vnable persons As touching the subsidie for the Hungarians we send no other information to you but that which we gaue you at your departure saue onely that we will you to extende your diligence therein as we also will do the like in soliciting the matter with the princes and cities of Italie that euery one may helpe after his abilitie Ex Orth. Gratio These popish suggestions and instructions of the Pope himselfe against Luther I thought Christen reader to set before thine eyes to the intent thou maiest see here as in a paterne and go no further all the crimes obiectioÌ„s exclamations suspitions accusations slaÌ„ders offensions contumelies rebukes vntruths cauillations railings Luther cried out of without any iust cause what soeuer they haue deuised or can deuise inuent articulate denounce infer or surmise against Luth. and his teaching They crie heresy heresy but they prooue no heresy They cry Councels Councels and yet none traÌ„sgresseth Councels more then themselues If Councels go alwaies with Scripture then Luther goethe with them If Councells doe iarre sometime from the Scripture what heresie is in Luth. in standing with Scripture against those councels And yet neither hath he hitherto spoken against any councels saue onely the Councell of Constance They inflame kings and princes against Luth and yet they haue no iust cause wherefore They accuse him for teaching libertie Liberty of flesh Liberty of spirite If they meane the libertye of fleshe they accuse him falsely if they meane the liberty of spirit they teach wickedly which teach contrary and yet when they haue all sayde none liue so licentiously as themselues They preteÌ„de the zeale of the Churche but vnder that churche lieth their owne priuate welfare and belly cheare They charge Luth. with disobedience and none are so disobedient to Magistrates and ciuile lawes as they They lay to his charge oppression and spoiling of lay mens goods and who spoileth the lay meÌ„s liuings so much as the Pope For probation whereof let the Popes accountes be cast Turne onely the names of the persons and all the accusations of the Papistes against the Lutherians agree chiefly vpon theÌ„ selues what hee raketh out of euery Christian realme Briefly turne only the names of the persons and in steede of Luthers name place the name of the Pope and the effect of this letter aboue prefixed shal agree vpon none more aptly then vpon the Pope him selfe and his owne sectaries Now to proceede further in the proces of this foresaide matter let vs see what the Princes againe for their partes answere to these foresaide suggestions and instructions of Pope Adrian sent vnto them in their diete of Norenberg in the cause of Luther the answer of whom here foloweth vnder wrytten The answere of the noble and reuerend princes and states of the sacred Romane Empire exhibited to the Popes ambassador THe noble renowmed Prince Lord Ferdinandus The answere of the Princes of Germany to the Popes letter instructions Lieutenant to the Emperors maiesty with other reuerend pieres in Christ and mighty princes Electors and other states and orders of this present assemble of the Romane Empire in Norenberge conuented haue gratefully receiued and diligently perused the letters sent in forme of a Brief with the instructions also of that most holy father in Christ and L.L. Adrian the hie Bishop of the holy and vniuersall Church of Rome presented vnto them in the cause of Luthers faction By the which foresaid letters and wrytings first where as they vnderstande his holinesse to haue bene borne and to haue had his natiue origine and parentage out of this noble nation of Germanie they doe not a little reioyce Pope Adrian a Germane borne Of whose egregious vertues and ornaments both of minde and body they haue heard great fame and commendation euen from his tender yeares by reason wherof they are so muche the more ioyous of his aduauncement and preferment by such consent of election to
him and he was comforted and they beganne to sing As they were in the fire the maister stādyng vprighte to the stake shifted the fire frō him to his seruaunt being more carefull for hym then for himselfe and when he saw him dead he bowed downe into the flame so expired Ex Crisp. alijs  Hugonius Grauier a Scholemayster and minister after of Cortillon in the County of Newcastle At Burge An. 1552. At Burge in Bresse a dayes iourney from Lyons Hugh Grauier martyr this Grauier was burned He comming from Geneua to Newcastle there was elected to be Minister But first hee going to see hys wyues frends at Mascon there as he was commyng away out of the towne was taken vppon the Brydge wyth all hys company and in the ende hee willing the women and rest of the companye to laye the fault in him for bringing them out was sentēced to be burnt notwithstanding y e Lords of Berne sent theyr Heraldes to saue his life also that the Officiall declared him to bee an honest man to holde nothing but agreeing to the scriptures Ex Ioan Crisp. lib. 3. Tignacius the gouernour or deputy of Lyons Buatherius Officiall to the Archb. of Lyons Clepierius Chamberlayne Thre orders of Friers Iudge Melierus Doct. Cunubanus a gray frier Iudge Vilard Primatius Officiall Cortrerius Iudge Martiall Alba. Petrus Scriba Bernard Seguine Charles Faber Peter Nauihere At Lyons An. 1553. These 5. Students V. studentes martyrs Martiall Alba. after they head remayned in the Uniuersitye of Lausanna a certayn time Petrus Scriba Bernard Seguine consulted among themselues being all French men to return home euery one to hys countrey to the intent they mighte instructe theyr parentes other theyr friendes in suche knowledge as y e Lord had geuen them So taking theyr iourney frō Lausanna Charles Faber Peter Nauihere firste they came to Geneua wher thei remained a while Frō thence they wēt to Lyons Where they sitting at the table of one that mette them by the way and desired them home to his house were apprehended and led to prison where they continued a whol yeare that is from the first day of May to the 16. of the sayd moneth agayne As they were learned and well exercised in the scriptures so euery one of thē exhibited seuerally a learned confession of his fayth and with great dexterity through the power of the Lordes spirite they confounded the Friers with whō they disputed especially Peter Scribe or Scriuener and Seguine They were examined sonderly of the Sacrament of the Lordes body of Purgatory of confession and Inuocation of freewill and of the supremacy c. Although they approued their cause by good scripture and refuted theyr aduersaryes in reasoning yet right being ouercome by might sentence was geuen and they burned in y e said towne of Lions Being set vpon the cart they began to sing psalmes As they passed by the market place one of thē with a loud voyce saluted the people with the words of the last chap. to the Heb. The God of peace which brought again frō death the great pastor of the sheep in the bloud of the eternall Testament c. Comming to the place first the 2. youngest one after an other went vp vpon the heap of wood to the stake there were fastened and so after them the rest Martiall Alba being the eldest was the last who likewise being stripped of his clothes and brought to the stake desired this petitiō of the gouernor which was that he might go about his felowes tied at the stake and kisse them Which being graunted he went and kissed euery one saying farewel my brother Likewise the other foure following the same example bad each one farewel my brother With that fire was commaunded to be put vnto thē The hangman had tyed a rope about al theyr necks thinking first to strangle them but theyr faces being smered with fat and brimstone the rope was burnt before they were strangled So the blessed Martyrs in the midst of the fire spake one to an other to be of good cheare and so departed Ex Crisp Pantal. c. ¶ Theyr examinations briefely touched The Frier Thou sayst frend in thy confession that the Pope is not supreme head of the Church Supremacy I will proue the contrary The Pope is the successor of S. Peter Ergo he is supreame head of the Church The Martyr I deny first your antecedent The Frier The Pope sitteth in the place of S. Peter Ergo he is the successor of S. Peter The Martyr I will graunt neither of both First because that he which succeedeth in the roome of Peter ought to preach and teach as Peter did Which thing the pope doth not The head of the Church Secondly although he did so preach as Peter did he might wel folow the example of Peter yet should he not therefore be the head of the Church but a member onely of the same The head of menne and Aungels whom God hath appoynted is Christ alone Ephe. 1. sayth S. Paule The Frier Although Christ be the head of the whole church militant and tryumphant yet his vicar here in earth is left to supply his roome The Martyr Not so for the power of his Diuinitye being so great to fill all things he needeth no Uicar or deputy to supply his absence The Frier I wil proue that although Christ be king both of heauen and earth yet he hath here in earth many vicars vnder him Regiment ciuile Regiment spirituall to gouerne his people The Martyr It is one thing to rule in the ciuill state another thing to rule spiritually For in ciuill regiment we haue kinges princes ordeined of God by the scriptures for the obseruation of publicke society In the spirituall regiment and kingdome of the Church it is not so Then another Frier Thou sayest that S. Peter is not the head of the church I will proue he is Our Lord sayd to Peter Thou shalt be called Cephas Which Cephas is as much to say in latine as head Iohn 1. Cephas Ergo Peter is head of the Church The Martyr Where finde you that interpretation S. Iohn in his first chap. doth expoūd it otherwise Thou shalt be called Cephas y t is as much saith he as Petrus or stone Then the iudge Uilardus calling for a new testament turned to the place and found it to be so Wher upon the Frier was vtterly dashed and stood mute The Frier Thou sayst in thy confession that a man hath no free will I wil proue it It is written in the Gospel how a man going from Hierusalem to Iericho Luke 10. fell among theeues was spoyled maymed left halfe dead c. Thomas of Aquine expoundeth this parable to meane free wil which he sayth is maymed yet not so but y e some power remayneth in mā to work The Martyr This interpretation I do refuse and denye The
his word will be aboue theyr gouernours in refusing to obey them Secondly beside this rebellious disobedience in these Bishops of Rome not sufferable The pride of the Pope described theyr pride moreouer so farre exceedeth all measure that they will haue theyr princes to whoÌ„ they owe subiection prostrate vpon y e ground to adore them by godly honor vpon the earth and to kysse theyr feet as if they were God where as they be but wretched men and yet they looke that theyr princes should do it vnto them and also all other christen men owing them no subiection should do the same And who be these I pray you that men may knowe them Surely sayth he the Bishoppes of Rome be these whom I do meane Who following the pride of Lucifer theyr father make themselues fellowes to God and do exalâ— theyr seate aboue the starres of God and do ascend aboue the cloudes and will be like to almighty God The starres of God be ment the aungels of heauen for as stars doe shew vnto vs in part the light of heauen so do Aungelles sent vnto men shew the heauenly light of the grace of God to those to whom they be sent And the cloudes signified in the olde Testament the Prophettes and in the new doe signify the Apostles and Preachers of the woord of God For as the cloudes do conceiue and gather in the skye moysture The Pope 〈◊〉 aboue the cloudes and the 〈◊〉 of heauen which they after poure downe vpon the ground to make it thereby more fruitfull so the Prophets in the olde Testament and the Apostles and Preachers in the newe do poure into our eares the moysture of theyr heauenly doctrine of the word of God to make therewith by grace our soules beinge scere and drye to bring foorth fruit of the spirite Thus doe all auncient expositours and amongest them Saynt Augustine interpret to be ment in Scripture starres and cloudes in the exposition of the 45. Psalme But S. Iohn the Euangelist writeth in the 19. chapter of the Apocalips Apoc. 19.22 in the 22. also that wheÌ„ he would haue fallen downe at the Aungels foote that did shew him those visions there written to haue adored him with godly worship the Aungell sayd vnto him See thou do not so for I am the seruaunt of God as thou art Geue adoration and Godly worship to God and not to me Here it appeareth that the Bishops of Rome suffering all men prostrate before them to kisse theyr feet yea the same Princes The Pope exalted aboue Angels to whom they owe subiection do clime vp aboue the starres and Aungels too offering their feet to be kissed with shoes and all For so I saw my selfe being present 34. yeares ago wheÌ„ Iulius theÌ„ Bishop of Rome stood on his feet and one of his chamberlaynes held vp his skyrâ— because it stood not as he thought with his dignity that he should do it himselfe that his shoo might appeare whiles a noble man of great age did prostrate himselfe vpon the ground and kissed his shoo which he stately suffered to be done as of duety Where me think I saw Cornelius the Centurion Captayn of the Italians â—and spoken of in the tenth Chapiter of the Actes submitting himselfe to Peter and much honoring him but I saw not Peter there to take him vp and to bidde him rise saying I am a man as thou art as Saynt Peter did say to Cornelius The Pope climeth aboue the Apostles so that the Bishops of Rome admittting such adoration due vnto God doe clime aboue the heauenlye cloudes that is to say aboue the Apostles sent into the world by Christ to water the earthly and carnal hartes of men by theyr heauenly doctrine of the word of God Thus Bishop Tonstall hauing described the passing pride of the Pope surmounting like Lucifer aboue Byshops Apostles Aungelles and starres of heauen proceeding then further to the latter ende of his Sermon commeth to speake of his rage and malice most furious and pestilent The Pope stirreth vp warre agaynst England in that he being iustly put from his kingdome here to wreake his spitefull malice styrreth vppe warre against vs bloweth y e horn of mischief in geuing our land for a spoyle and pray to all whosoeuer at his setting on will come and inuade vs. The treason of Cardinal Poole But let vs heare his owne wordes preaching to the king and all Englishmen touchyng both the popes malice and the treason of Cardinall Poole Now sayth he because he can no longer in this realm wrongfully vse his vsurped power in all thinges as he was wont to do and sucke out of this Realme by auarice insatiable innumerable summes of money yearely to the great exhausting of the same he therefore moued and repleat with furious ire and pestilent malice goeth about to styrre all Christen nations that will geue eares to hys deuillish enchauntmentes to moue warre agaynst this realme of England geuing it in pray to all those that by hys instigation will inuade it And here expounding these foresayd wordes to geue in pray he declareth what great mischiefe they conteyne and willeth euery true Englisheman well to marke the same First to make this realme sayth he a pray to all veÌ„turers The Pope geueth England away for a pray all spoylers all snappehaunses all forlornehopes all cormorantes all rauenors of the world that will inuade this Realme is to say thou possessioner of any landes of thys Realme of what degree soeuer thou be from the highest to the lowest shalt be slayne and destroyed and thy lands taken from thee by those that will haue all for themselues thou mayest be sure to be slayne for they will not suffer thee nor none of thy progeny to liue to make any claime afterwarde or to be reuenged for that were theyr vnsurety Thy wife shal be abused before thy face thy daughter lykewise defloured before thee thy children slayne before thine eyes thy house spoyled thy cattell driuâ—n away sold before thy visage thy plate thy mony by force taken froÌ„ thee all thy goodes wherin thou hast any delight or hast gathered for thy children rauened broken and diâ—tributed â—n thy presence that euery rauenour may haue his share Thou Marchaunt art sure to be slaine for thou hast either money or ware or both which they search for Thou Byshoppe or priest whatsoeuer thou be shalt neuer escape because thou wouldest not take the Bishop of Romes part and rebell agaynst God and thy Prince as he doth If thou shalt fiâ—e and escape for a season whatsoeuer thou be thou shalt see and heare of so much misery and abhomination that thou shalt iudge them happy that be dead before for sure it is thou shalt not finally escape For to take the whol realme in pray is to kill the whole people and to take the place for themselues as they will do if they can And the Bishop of Rome now
French kyng There be in Antwerpe that say they saw him come into Paris with an C. and L. horses and that they spake with him If the Frenchmē receiue the word of God he will plant the * * By the affirmatiue he meaneth the opiniō which M. Luther and the Saxons do hold◠of the sacramēt M. Tindall againe beareth with tyme. affirmatiue in thē George Ioy would haue put forth a Treatise of the matter but I haue stopt him as yet what he wil do if he get money I wot not I beleue he would make many reasons little seruing to the purpose My mynd is that nothyng be put forth till we heare how you shall haue sped I would haue the right vse preached and the presence to be an indifferent thyng till the matter might be reasoned in peace at laysure of both parties If you be required shew the phrases of the Scripture and let them talke what they will For as to beleue that God is euery where hurteth no man that worshippeth him no where but within in the hart in spirite and veritie Vbiquitie cānot be proued euen so to beleue that the body of Christ is euery where though it cannot be◠proued hurteth no man that worshyppeth hym no where saue in the faith of his Gospell You perceiue my mynde howbeit if God shewe you otherwise it is free for you to doe as he moueth you I gessed long agoe that God would send a dasing into the head of the spiritualitie Eating the Whores fleshe is to spoyle the Popes Church onely for the pray and spoile thereof Worldly wisedome so farre as it may serue to Gods glory may be vsed to catche them selues in their owne subtletie and I trust it is come to passe And now me thinketh I smell a counsaile to be taken litle for their profites in tyme to come But you must vnderstand that it is not of a pure hart and for loue of the truth but to aduenge them selues and to eate the whores fleshe and to sucke the mary of her bones Wherefore cleaue fast to the rocke of the helpe of God and commit the ende of all thynges to him and if God shall call you that you may then vse the wisedome of the worldly as farre as you perceiue the glory of God may come thereof refuse it not and euer among thrust in that the Scripture may be in the mother toung and learnyng set vp in the Vniuersities But and if ought be required contrary to the glory of God and his Christ then stand fast and commit your selfe to God and be not ouercome of mens persuasions whiche happely shall say we see no other way to bryng in the truth Brother Iacob beloued in my hart there lyueth not in whom I haue so good hope and trust and in whom myne hart reioyseth and my soule comforteth her selfe as in you Low walking not the thousand part so much for your learnyng and what other gifts els you haue as that you will creepe allow by the ground and walke in those thynges that the conscience may feele and not in the imaginations of the brayne in feare and not in boldnesse in open necessary thynges and not to pronounce or define of hyd secretes or thynges that neither helpe or hynder whether they be so or no in vnitie and not in seditious opinions in so much that if you be sure you know yet in thynges that may abide laysure you will deferre or say till other agree with you◠me thinke the text requireth this sense or vnderstādyng Yea and that if you be sure that your part be good and an other hold the contrary yet if it be a thyng that maketh no matter you will laugh and let it passe and referre the thyng to other men and sticke you stifly and stubburnely in earnest and necessary thynges And I trust you bee perswaded euen so of me For I call GOD to recorde agaynst the day we shall appeare before our Lord Iesus The vpright handling in the translation of M. Tindall to geue a reckenyng of our doynges that I neuer altered one syllable of Gods word agaynst my conscience nor would this day if all that is in the earth whether it be pleasure honour or riches might be geuen me Moreouer I take God to recorde to my conscience that I desire of God to my selfe in this world no more then that without which I can not keepe his lawes Finally if there were in me any gift that could helpe at hād and ayde you if neede required I promise you I would not be farre of and commit the ende to God my soule is not faynt though my body be wery But God hath made me euill fauoured in this world and without grace in the sight of mē speachlesse and rude dull and slow wytted your part shal be to supply that lacketh in me remembryng that as lowlynesse of hart shall make you hygh with GOD euen so meekenesse of wordes shall make you sinke into the hartes of men Nature geueth age authoritie but meekenesse is the glory of youth and geueth them honour Aboundance of loue maketh me exceede in babling A low hart maketh a man high with God Authority is the glory of age Syr as concerning Purgatory and many other things if you be demaunded you may say if you erre the spiritualtie hath so led you and that they haue taught you to beleeue as you do For they preached you all such things out of Gods word and alledged a thousand textes by reason of which textes you beleeued as they taught you Meeknes is the glory of youth But now you finde thē lyers and that the textes meane no suche things and therefore you can beleeue them no longer but are as you were before they taught you and beleeue no such thing howbeit you are ready to beleeue if they haue any other way to prooue it for without proofe you can not beleeue them when you haue found them with so many lies c. If you perceyue wherein we may helpe other in being still or doyng somewhat let vs haue word and I will do mine vttermost My Lord of London hath a seruaunt called Iohn Tisen with a red beard and a blacke reddish head and was once my scholler he was seene in Antwerpe but came not among the Englishmen whether he is gone an Ambassadour secret I wot not The mighty God of Iacob be with you to supplant his enemies and geue you the fauour of Ioseph and the wisedome and the spirit of Stephen be with your hart and with your mouth Purgatory hath no proofe by Scripture and teach your lippes what they shall say and how to aunswere to all things He is our God if we despaire in our selues and trust in hym and his is the glory Amen William Tyndall ¶ I hope our redemption is nygh ¶ This letter was written an 1533. in the moneth of Ianuary Which letter although it do pretend the name of
ful of softnes and lenitie lowlines and humilitie patience and temperancie voyde of all wilfulnes tiranny yea it should cause them not to preuent 1. Thess. 5. but easily to followe the counsaile and doctrine of Christes Apostles holy saintes that be their interpretours Christians bidden to try spirites 1. Iohn 4. As S. Paul which writing vnto the Thessalonians would them all to proue al things and to retaine or hold that only which is good in refraining froÌ„ all that hath semblance of euil And Saint Iohn would haue Christian people 1. Iohn 1. to try the spirite of them that shoulde speake whether they were of God or no. Also he writing in another Epistle vnto a noble woman and vnto her children sayth If any person shall come vnto you bringing with them the doctrine that is not of Christ receiue hym not into your house ne make him any cheare So that in this he would haue women to knowe the doctrine of Christ and to loue that refusing to giue credence vnto forraine teaching not sauouring the same In the 1. Epistle also to the Corinthians S. Paule writing in general to all the inhabitants of that city saith Brethren 1. Cor. 14. be you not children in wit and vnderstanding but as concerning maliciousnes be you children In wit I would haue you perfite and why Uerily for none other cause but that we should as he writeth vnto the Hebrues haue discretion to iudge the good from ill and the ill from the good and so to be like men differing from beasts Psal· 32. according to y e saying of the prophet See that ye be not like vnto an horse or a mule which lacke vnderstanding And we should pray with him in another Psalme O Lord teach me the way that I should walke in Psal. 143. for I lift vp my soule vnto thee Saint Chrysostome according vnto this in a certaine of hys Commentaries vpon Mathew Chrisost. in opere imperfecto the booke is called Opus imperfectum writeth after this fashion so neare as my remembrance doth serue and certaine I am that I shall not misreport him and that I will be tried when soeuer it shall please you to bring the booke The priestes that were Pharises in the time sayth he of Christe made an ordinance that who so euer shoulde knowledge Iesus to be Christe should be accursed and excommunicate If then the Pharises or Priestes that now do occupy their rowmes should make a like ordinance because they would not haue Christes doctrine to be professed for hindring of their lucre should we therefore giue in all poyntes credence vnto them and leaue of to seeke after the knowledge of Christes doctrine Nay truely Why quoth he shal we not be excused herein by ignoraunce Authority of rulers wil not discharge our ignorance leeing we be forefended by the rulers to haue knowledge He aunswereth no verily for if saith he when thou desirest to buy cloth thou wilt not be content to see one merchaunts ware but go from the first to the second from the second to the third and so further to knowe where is the best cloth and best cheape thou vsing such careful diligence for a temporal profite art well worthy great reproche that wilt be more remisse and negligent for thy soule health Seeke therfore about from one Doctor or teacher vnto an other that thou mayest know who doth most duely and truely teache Christ and him follow accordâ—ng to the saying of the Apostle Prooue all and holde the good 1. Thess. 5. and as it is sayde in the Gospell that thou maist know Qui funt probati nummularij qui non That is to wit Math. â—5 know who be true or lawful chaungers or coyners Chris. Ibid. and who be not He also addeth another similitude or parable When thou goest quoth he a iourney not knowing perfitely the way thou wilt lest thou should fayle of the right way enquire of one man and after of an other and if thou shouldest chaunce to go somewhat wyde yet thou wilt not so leaue of the iourney vndone but make inquisition againe to come where thou wouldest rest So likewise sayth he ought wee to seeke about intentiuely for the wealth of our soule Qui sunt probi clauigeri qui non that is to saye who are the right key bearers and who not meaning thereby the key bearers Christes apostles and bearers of his testimony or message Which saying although it were written of no autenticall authour howbeit it is written euen of him whome I shewed you in the sayde worke but vttered of one that were in little estimation euery indifferent person hauing wit and reason would assent I doubt not that it is full true The same author also in an Epistle which you shall find in a work called Psegmata Chrysostomi Psegmata Chrisost. sheweth as I remember how certain men deemed ill of him for because he did study Origenes workes which afore was condemned for an heretick Lawfull to 〈◊〉 and try 〈◊〉 bookes but he maketh an Apologie to the same shewing that Christian men ought not to be reprehended for so doing In whiche Apologie he bringeth for his defence Hierome the saying of Paul aboue rehearsed Proue all thinges c. Likewise did S. Hierome I wote not well in what place of his works but you shal find it in a treatise called vnio dissidentium where he entreateth De maÌ„datis hominû When it was obiected agiynst him that he retained by him the workes of Eusebius of Origine studying vpon theÌ„ he bringeth for him that it was so lawfull the sayde place of the Apostle making therwith an aunswere worthye to be greatly noted The same is also reported in the booke called Ecclesiastica historia or els Historia Tripartita I wote not now precisely whether So that these and other moe authorities of the scripture and semblable ensamples of holy interpretours shall proue that I and other may safely no good law inhibiting vnles constitutions Pharisaical read and search the woorkes not onely of Luther but also of all other be they neuer so ill or good namely seeing I am a Priest whoÌ„ the bish of Norwich ought not to haue admitted into orders vnles he had seene me to haue had iudgement to discerne good from ill neither ought any of you to geue orders to any such in whom you do not finde like habilitie for to iudge the light from darckenes and the trueth from falshood and therefore if for this you would punish me I cannot see but you shall condemne your selues iudgyng rather of sensuall pleasure then of equitie which in men of your order were a great shame and much vncomely ¶ Unto your third demaund wherto you do aske whether I was constitute a Priest and in what dioces Answere to the third article Lambeâ—t made priest in Norwich and of what Bishop I say that I was made Priest in Norwich
Thus sayth S. Iohn speaking of all Christen people 1. Peter 2. In like maner is it sayde 1. Peter 2. where he writeth vnto all Christen men You quoth he be a chosen generation a regall priest hood an holy people Beede vpon the epistle of S. Peter S. Bede expounding the same as my remembraunce doth serue shall testify playnely with me And S. Augustine I wot well in diuers places recordeth that all Christen men be so called Regale Lacerdotium And likewise doth Faber in his Commentaries vpon the same place Whosoeuer looketh vpon the treatise called Vnio dissidentium shall finde a multitude of auncient Fathers sayinges declaring the same But this may yet seme a strange thing a new that al persons should be called priests that in scripture which can not lye Truth it is in deede it may seeme straunge to diuers as it did to me and many other How all men are Priestes when we read it first because we neuer read ne heard of the same before and so did Christes doctrine and his apostles seeme new to his audience when he himselfe preached Albeit he yet proued his doing and sayinges by authority of the law and Prophetes as is shewed in the first to the Romanes where Paule reporteth Rom. 1. That he was chosen a part to be a minister of the Gospell that was promised before by the Prophettes And our Sauiour testifieth the same in Saynt Iohn saying to the Iewes Iohn â— Thinke you not quoth he that I shall accuse you before my Father There is one to accuse you which is Moyses in whome ye doe trust But if you beleued Moyses you should certaynely beleue me for he writeth of me c. Likewise a litle aboue he biddeth theÌ„ search the Scriptures for they make report of him But although these sayinges doe seeme newe for lacke that we haue not had olde familiarity with Scripture and vsage in reading the same God amend and help it when it shall please him yet truely so standeth it written as I haue sayd and so is interpreted by the Doctors aboue named and so was it preached of a certayne Doctour also of Diuinity in London the second day of Aduent last past in this sentence I wote not whether these were the selfe wordes or no. The church quoth the doctor is nothing els but the congregatioÌ„ of faythfull people The saying of a Doctour preaching at Paules and you all quoth he to the people are of the church as well as I or any other if you be of God And likewise we all men are priestes but yet are not all alike ordeyned Ministers sayd he for to consecrate the body of Christ in the Churche All 〈◊〉 priestes but not all ministers publicke Thus sayd the preacher whom when I see oportunity I dare be bolde to name And these I say ought not all to preach openly in generall conuentions or assembles neither canne they but they rather should come to learne yet priuatelye are they bound for instructions of theyr seruauntes children Euery man mynister of good instruction in his owne house Eph. â— kinsfolke and such like to speak that should be for the destruction of vice and encrease or vpholding of vertue whensoeuer time and place so behoueth as sheweth Saint Paul saying in this wise You that are fathers prouoke noâ— your children to wrath or anger but bring them vp in the doctrine and discipline of the Lord. In the xxiij where you doe aske whether I beleeue that it is lawefull for lay people of both kindes Answere to the 23. article that is to wit both men and women to sacrifice and preach the word of God I say that it is not meet for none in mine opinion to preach openly the word of God No man to preach opeÌ„ly except he be chosen Gal. 1. Rom. 5. except they be chosen elect to the same either by God or solemnly by men or els by both and therefore S. Paule calleth him selfe in all his Epistles an Apostle of God that is to wit a messenger of God And to the Galathians he writeth thus Paule an Apostle not sent by men nor by man but by Iesus Christ. Also to the Romanes How shall men preach truely quoth he excepte they be sent Notwithstanding I say this both by supportation of Gods law In tyme of great necessity lay people man or woman may preach 1. Cor. 1â— 1. Cor. 11. and also of lawes written in the Decrees that in time of great necessity laye people may preach and that of both kindes both men and women as you may see in the Epistle to the Corinthians where as he sayth That it is a shame for a woman to speake in a multitude or congregation Yet in an other place he sayth That euery woman praying or prophecying hauing nothing vpoÌ„ her head doth dishonor her head To this accordeth the prophesye of Ioel recited Act. 2. where in the person of God is sayd thus Ioell 2. Act. 2. Luke 2. Wâ—men that prophesied in the scripture I shall poure out of my spirit vpon all flesh both your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecy Thus did Anna the Prophetesse daughter of Phanuel geue prayse vnto Christ in the Temple spake of him to all men of Hierusalem that looked after the redeÌ„tion of Israel This also doth yet speake vnto vs in Scripture the virgine Mary by the song which she made that is dayly recited in the Church called Magnificat Yea Stephen also being no Priest Act. 7. but a Deacon made a wonderful good sermon Actes 7. This also willeth your Decrees Dist. 9. de Conse Distin. 9. de consecrat where is thus sayde A woman although shee is learned holy may not presume to teach men in the congregation ne baptise except necessity requireth So that where need is I shall adde this but not without the mind of him that wrote the Lawe like as a woman maye baptise Cap. 16. quest 1. Dist. 1â— cap abijcimus so may she teach the woord of God or preach as is declared more playnely Cap. 16. quest 1. in Glosa 11. Cap adijcimus dist 18. And I beseeche God that for lacke of true and well learned Officers suche necessity doe not come now vpon vs that such shal need to take vpon them to preach There is a learned man which in a Dialogue that he maketh betwixt a rude Abbot a Gentlewoman He meaneth the dialogue of Erasmus intituled Abbas Eâ—udita hauing skill in learning iesteth but with prety earnest as his maner is and geueth a watch worde touching somewhat my purpose It is in the end of the Dialogue The gentlewoman aunswering the Abbot for that he had partly checked her because she was quicke in vtterance of learning Syr quoth she if you continue therin so dull as you haue done and dayly do the world perceiuing it as they begin fast to grow quicke in
her and them but onely her husband who laboured for theyr liuings Unto whom the Maior aunswered what come ye to me You are taken vp with the Kinges Counsell I supposed that you had come to desire me that your husbande shoulde not stand vpon the Pillary in Cheapeside on Monday nexte with the one halfe of the pyg on his one shoulder and the other halfe on the other Also the Maior sayd vnto her that he could not deliuer him without the consent of the rest of his brethren the Aldermen Wherefore he bade her the next day folowing which was Sonday to reâ—ort vnto Paules to Saint Dunstones Chappell and when he had spoken with his brethren he woulde then tell her more Other answere could she get none at that time Wherfore she weÌ„t vnto M. Wilkenson then being Sheriffe of London desiring him to be good vnto her and that she might haue her poore husband out of prison Unto whom M. Wilkenson answered O woman Christ hath layd a piece of his crosse vpon thy necke The gentle 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 of London to the poore woman to proue whether thou wilt helpe hym to beare it or no saying moreouer to her that if the Lord maior had sent him to his Counter as he sent him to his brothers he should not haue taryed there an houre and so coÌ„maunded her to come the next day vnto him to dinner and he would do y e best for her he could So the next day came this woman resorted again to M. WilkensoÌ„s according as he bad her who also had biddeÌ„ diuers gestes vnto whoÌ„ he spake in her behalfe But as they were set at dinner and she also sitting at the table wheÌ„ she saw the hote fish come in she felt downe in a swound so that for the space of two houres the could keepe no life in her Wherefore they sent her home to her house in Pater noster row and then they sent for the Midwife supposing that she would haue bene deliuered incontinent of her childe that she went with but after that she came somewhat agayn to herselfe where she lay sicke and kept her bed the space of xv weekes after being not able to helpe her selfe but as she was helped of others during the time of xv weekes Now to shew further what became of this Pig wherof we haue spoken so much it was carryed into Finsburye field by the Bishop of Londons Sumner That God ordeyneth to be eaten superstition buryeth at his maisters commaundement and there buried The Monday folowing being the fourth day after that this prisoner aforesayd was apprehended the Maior of London with the residue of his brethren being at Guild hall sent for the prisoner aforenamed and demaunded sureties of him for his forth coÌ„ming what so euer hereafter should or might be layd vnto his charge Thomas Frebarne deliuered out of prisoÌ„ Tho. Frebarne discharged out of his house by M. Garter his Landlorde but for lacke of such suretyes as they required vpon his owne band which was a Recognisaunce of twenty pound he was deliuered out of theyr handes But shortly after that he was deliuered out of this his trouble mayster Garter of whome we haue spoken before beyng his landlord warned him out of his house so that in foure yeares after he could not get an other but was constrayned to be within other good folkes to his great hindrance and vndoing Hard it were and almost out of number to rehearse the names and stories of all them which felt the gentle helpe of this good man in some case or other Where might be remembred the notable deliueraunce of one Gray a Smyth of Bishops Starford Gray a Smith accused of 〈◊〉 â—eliueâ—ed by the Lord Cromwell who being accused for denying y e sacrameÌ„t of the aulter to be our Sauior was sent vp for the same to LondoÌ„ and there should haue bene condemned to be burnt but that by the meanes of the L. Cromwell he was sent home agayne and deliuered One other example though it be somewhat long with the circuÌ„stances and all I will declare how be helped the Secretary that theÌ„ was to Doctor Cranmer Archbishop of Caunterbury whiche Secretary is yet aliue and can beare present record of the same ¶ How the Lord Cromwell helped Cranmers Secretary MEntion was made before how king Henry in y e yeare of his reigne 21. caused the 6. Articles to passe much agaynst the mind and contrary to the conseÌ„t of the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas CraÌ„mer The Archb. Cranmer disputed 3. dayes in the Parliament against the 6. Aâ—ticles who had disputed three daies against the same in the Parliament house with great reasons and authorities Which Articles after they were graunted and past by the ParliameÌ„t the king for the singuler fauor which he euer bare to Cranmer and reuerence to his learning being desirous to know what he had sayd and obiected in the ParliameÌ„t agaynst these Articles or what could be alleged by learning agaynst the same required a note of the Archbishop of his doings what he had sayd and opposed in the Parliament touchâ—â—g that matter And this word was sent to him from the king by Cromwell and other Lordes of the Parliament whom the king then sent to dine with him at Lambeth somewhat to comfort agayne his greued mind and troubled spirits as hath bene aboue recited pag 1136. Wherupon when his dinner was finished the next day after the Archbishop collecting both his argumeÌ„ts authorities of scriptures and Doctors together caused his Secretary to write a fayre booke therof for the king after this order First the Scriptures were alleadged then the Doctors thirdly folowed the Arguments deducted from those authorities This booke was written in his Secretaryes Chamber Where in a by Chamber lay the Archbishops Almosiner When this booke was fayre writteÌ„ The name of this Secretary was M. Rafe Morice being yet aliuâ— and whiles the Secretary was gone to deliuer the same vnto y e Archbishop his maister who was as it then chaunced rydde to Croydon returning backe to his chamber found hys doore shut and the key caryed away to London by the Almosiner At this season also chauÌ„ced the father of the sayd Secretary to come to the Citty by whose occasion it so â—ell out that he must nedes go to London The booke he could not lay into his chamber neither durst he commit it to any other person to keepe being straitly charged in any coÌ„ditioÌ„ of the Archbishop his maister to be circumspect thereof so that he determined to go to his father and to keep the book about him And so thâ—usting the booke vnder his girdle he went ouer vnto Westminster bridge with a sculler where he entred into a whirry that went to London wherein were 4. of the Garde who ment to land at Paules wharfe and to passe by the kinges highnesse who then was in hys Barge with a great number of Barges and boates about him then baiting of
he went from me I tolde hym he came to me about euensong time and that one brought hym vnto my Chamber doore whome I knowe not and that he told me he would goe to Woodstocke for some venison to make mery withall this Shroftide and that he woulde haue borowed a hatte and a paire of high shoes of me but I had none such to leÌ„d hym and then he straight went hys way froÌ„ me but whether I knowe not All these my sayings the scribe wrote in a paper booke Then they earnestly required me to tell them whether I had conueyed hym for surely they sayde I brought hym going some whether this morning for that thei might wel perceiue by my foule shoes and dirty hosen that I had trauailed wyth hym the most part of this night I aunswered plainly that I lay at Alborne Hall with sir Fitziames and that I had good witnes therof there They asked me wher I was at Euensong I tolde them at Friswides and that I sawe firste M. Commissarie and then maister D. London come thether at that time vnto M. Deane of Frisewides and that I saw them talking together in y e Church there D. London and the Deane threatned mee that if I would not tell the truthe where I had done hym or whether he was gone I should surely be sent vnto the Toure of London and there be racked and put into litle ease But M. Commissary prayed me with gentle words to tell him where he was that he might haue him againe he would be my very great frende deliuer me out of trouble straitway I told hym I could not tel where he was nor whether he was become Thus did they occupie and tosse mee almost two houres in the chappel sometimes with threatnings and foule wordes and then wyth faire wordes and fayre promises flattering mee Then was hee that brought M. Garret vnto my chamber brought before me and caused to declare what M. Garret sayde vnto me at hys comming to my chamber but I saide plainely I heard him say no such thing for I thoughte my nay to be as good as hys yea seeing it was to rid and deliuer my Godly brother out of trouble and pearill of his life At the last when they could get nothing of me whereby to hurt or accuse any maÌ„ or to know any thyng of y t which they sought they al 3. together brought me vp a loÌ„g staires into a great chamber ouer M. coÌ„missaries chamber wherin stode a great paire of very high stocks Then M. Commissary asked me for my purse girdie toke away my mony and my kniues and then they put both my legs into y e stockes and so locked me faste in them in which I sate my fete being almost as high as my head and so departed they I thinke to their abominable masse locking fast y e chamber doore and leauing me alone When all they were gone then came vnto my remembrance the worthy forewarning and godly declaration of that most coÌ„stant martyr of God M. Iohn Clarke my father in Christ who well nigh two yeres before that wheÌ„ I did earnestly desire hym to grauÌ„t me to be his scholler that I myght go w t hym continually when and wheresoeuer he shoulde teache or preache the whych he did daily sayd vnto me much after this sort Dalaber you desire you wot not what that you are I feare me vnable to take vpon you For though nowe my preaching be swete and pleasaunt vnto you because there is yet no persecution laide on you for it yet the time will come that peraduenture shortly if ye continue to liue godly therin that God will lay on you the crosse of persecution to try you withall whether you can as pure golde abide the fire or as stubble and drosse be consumed therew t. For the holy Ghoste plainely affirmeth by S. Paule quod omnes qui pie volunt viuere in Christo Iesu persecutionem patientur Yea 2. Tim. 3. you shall be called and iudged an heretike you shal be abhorred of the world your owne friends and kinsfolke wil forsake you and also hate you and you shal be cast into prison and no man shall dare to help or comfort you and you shall be accused brought before the bishops to your reproche and shame to the great sorow of all your faithfull friendes and kinsfolke Then wil yee wish yee had neuer knowen thys doctrine Then will ye curse Clarke 〈◊〉 Crosse â—â—â—monly folâ—â—weth the Gospel and wish that yee had neuer knowen him because he hath brought you to al these troubles Therfore rather then that ye shuld do this leaue of from medling of this doctrine and desire not to be and continue in my company At which wordes I was so grieued that I fell downe on my knees at his feete with aboundance of teares and sighes euen from the bottome of my heart I earnestly besought him y t for the tender mercy of God shewed vnto vs in our Lord Iesus Christ he would not refuse me but receiue me into his company as I had desired saying that I trusted verily that he which had begon this in me woulde not forsake me but geue me grace to continue therin vnto the ende When he heard me say so he came to me and toke me vp in his armes kissed me the teares trickling downe from his eyes sayd vnto me The Lorde almighty grauÌ„t you so to do and from henceforth for euer take me for your father and I will take you for my sonne in Christe Nowe were there at that time in Oxforde diuers Graduates and Scholers of sundry Colledges Halles whome God had called to the knowledge of his holy worde which all resorted vnto M. Clarkes disputations lectures in diuinitie at all times as they might and when they might not come conueniently I was by M. Clarke appoynted to resort to euery one of them wekely and to know what doubts they had in any place of the scriptures that by me froÌ„ hym they might haue the true vnderstanding of the same which exercise did me most good and profite to the vnderstandinge of the holy scriptures which I most desired This foresaide forewarnyng and godly declaration I say of this most godly Martir of God M. Clarke coÌ„ming to my remembrance caused me wyth depe sighs to cry vnto God from my hart to assist me wyth his holy spirit that I might be able paciently quietly to beare suffer whatsoeuer it shuld please him of his fatherly loue to lay on me to his glory the comfort of my dearely beloued brethren whom I thought now to be in great feare anguish least I would be an accuser of them all for vnto me they al were well knowne all theyr doings in that matter But God be blessed I was fully beÌ„t neuer to acuse any of theÌ„ whatsoeuer should happen of me Before dinner M. Cotisforde came vp to me
Rich. Bonfeld Tho. Couper Humfrey Skinner Ioh. Sneudnam Rich. Philips Iohn Celos These ix persons were presented for that they were not confessed in Lente nor had receiued at Easter Iohn Iones Wil. Wright Peter Butcher Roger Butcher S. Nicholas in â—he fleshe shambles These foure were presented for not keeping the diuine seruice in the holydayes Brisleys wife Brisleys wife for busie reasoning on the newe learning and not keeping the Church Mistres Castle S. Anâ—â—ewes in Holborne M. Castle for being a medler and a reader of the Scripture in the Church M. Galias of Bernardes Inne M. Galias for withstanding the Curate sensing the alters on Corpus Christi euen and saieng openly that he did nought M. Pates of Dauids Inne M. Pates and M. Galias for vexing the Curate in the body of the Churche in declaring the Kings Iniunctions reading the Byshops booke so that hee had muche adoe to make an end Wil. Beckes and his wife S. Mildred in Bredstret Beckes and his wife suspected to be Sacramentaries and for not creeping to the crosse on good Friday Thomas LanghaÌ„ Wil. Thomas Rich. Beckes Wil. Beckes These foure were presented for interruptyng the deuyne seruice Rafe Symonds Symondes for not keeping our Ladies Masse whiche he was bound to keepe Ioh. Smith preÌ„tise Smith for sayeng that he had rather heare the crieng of dogges then Priestes singing Mattins or Euensong Tho. Bele Ioh. Sturgion Ioh. Wilshire Tho. Symon Rafe Cleruis and his wife Iames Banaster Nicolas Barker Iohn Sterky Christofer Smith Thom. Net These xj persons of Saint Magnus parish S. Magnus parishe were presented and accused for mainteyning of certayne preachers as then it was called of the newe learning as Wisedome Rose frier Ward sir Wil. Smith aliâs Wright Nich. Philips Philips for mainteing heretikes and scripture bookes and for vsing neyther fasting nor prayer Rich. Bygges Bigges for despising holye bread putting it in the throte of a bitch and for not looking vp to the eleuation Mistres Elizabeth Statham For mainteining in her house Latimer Barnes Garret S. Mary Magdalene in Milkestreâ—e Hierome and diuers other Iohn Duffet Duffet for marrieng a woman which was thought to be a Nunne Wil. Hilliard Hilliard Duffet for mainteining Barnes Hierome S. Owens parishe in Newgate market and Garret with other mo Grafton Whitchurch Grafton and Whitchurch suspected not to haue bene confessed S. Martins at the well with two buckets Ioh. Grene. Mother Palmer Christop Cootes Wil. Selly Alexander Frere Wil. Bredy Iohn Bushe W. Somerton George Durant M. Dauids preÌ„tise All these being of the parish of S. Martins at the wel with ij buckets were presented for coÌ„temning the ceremonies of the Church Also some for walking in the sacring tyme with theyr caps on Some for turning their heads awaye Some for sitting at their dores when sermons were in the Church c. Rob. Andrew Andrew for receiuing heretikes into his house S. Michaels in Woodstrete and keeping disputatioÌ„ of heresie there Ioh. Williamson Tho. Buge Tho. Gilbert W. Hickson Rob. Daniel Rob. Smitton These other sixe were suspected to bee Sacramentaries and rancke heretikes and procurers of heretikes to preache and to bee followers of theyr doctrine Ioh. Mayler To be a Sacramentary and a rayler against the Masse S. Buttolphes 〈◊〉 Billingesgate Rich. Bilby Draper Bilby presented for sayeng these words that Christ is not present in y e blessed sacrament Henry Patinson Anthony Barber Rob. Norman These two were detected for maynteyning theyr boyes to sing a song against y e sacrameÌ„t of y e alter S Gyles without Criplegate Also Patinson came not to confession Norman also refused to come to coÌ„fession saieng that none of his seruants shuld be shriueÌ„ of a kna priest Ioh. Humfrey For speaking against the sacramentes and ceremonies of the Church Ex Reg. Lond. Wil. Smith and his wife Iohn Cooke and his wife These ij couples were presented for not comming to seruice in their Parish Churche and for sayeng it was lawfull for Priests to haue wiues W. Gate or Cote Wil. Aston Iohn Humfrey Iohn Cooke To these foure it was layde for sayeng that the Masse was made of peeces and patches Also for deprauing of mattins Masse and Euensong Ioh. Miles and his wife Ioh. Millen Ioh. Robinson Rich. Millar Ioh. Greene and his wife Arnold Chost All these were put vp for railing against the Sacramentes and Ceremonies Ioh. Crosdall Ioh. Clerke Ioh. Owell These three labouring men for not comming to diuine seruice on holydayes and for labouring in the same S. Gyles without Cryplegate Tho. Granger Ioh. Dictier Noted for common syngars against the sacraments and ceremonies Ioh. Sutton and his wyfe Ioh. Segar These three were noted to be despisers of auriculare confession Ioh. Raulins Ioh. Shiler W. Chalinger Ioh. Edmunds Ioh. Richmond his wife For despising holy bread and holy water and lettyng diuine seruice Margaret Smith For dressing fleshemeate in Lent Tho. Trentham Rob. Granger For reasoning agaynste the sacramente of the aultere and saieng that the sacrament was a good thing but it was not as men tooke it very God W. Petyngale Wil. May and his wife Iohn Henrison his wife Rob. Welsh S. Thomas the Apostle Ioh. Benglosse Ioh. Pitly Henry Foster Rob. Causy W. Pinchbecke his wife All these thirteene were put vp by the Inquisition for giuing small reuerence at the sacring of the Masse Martin Byshops wyfe She was presented by her Curate for being not shriuen in Lente S. Benet Fynch nor receiuing at Easter Also she did set light by the curate when he told her therof Rob. Platte and his wife These were great reasoners in Scripture sayeng that they had it of the spirite and that confession auayleth nothing and that hee not able to reade would vse no beades Tho. Aduet Ioh. Palmer Rob. Cooke S. Michaell at Queene hyth The cause layd to these three persons was for reasoning of the scripture of y e sacrameÌ„ts The Register saith that they denied all the Sacramentes But this Popish hiperbole wil finde little credite where experience acquaynted with popish practises sitteth to be y e iudge Ioh. Cockes This man was noted for a great searcher out of new preachers mainteiner of Barnes opinions Ioh. Boultes * Tho. Kelde Forbidding his wife to vse beades * He refused to take penaÌ„ce absolutioÌ„ did eate flesh vpon a Friday before Lent S. Mary Wolchurch Nich Newell Newel a frenchmaÌ„ presented to be a man far gone in y e newe sect that he was a great iester at y e saints at our Lady Ioh. Hawkins and his seruant Ex Regist. Lond. Tho. Chamberlain and his wife Iohn Curteys M. Dissel his wife and his seruant These eight were great reasoners and despisers of ceremonies The Curate of S. Katherine ColmaÌ„ He was noted for calling of suspecte persons to hys Sermons by a bedle without ringing of any bell
whole body of the scripture Neither can any make this an heresie The Papistes of the principles of diuinitye make heresie but they must make S. Paule an hereticke and shew themselues ennemies to the promises of grace and to the crosse of Christ. 2. The law maketh vs to heare God because we be borne vnder the power of the Deuill 2. article Fol. 59. 3. It is impossible for vs to consent to the will of God Fol. 59. 3. article The place of Tyndall from whence these Articles be wrasted is in the wicked Mammon as followeth Whych place I beseeche thee indifferente to reade and then to iudge Herein is no thing conteyned but that which is rightly consonant vnto the Scripture In the faith which we haue in Christ in Gods promises finde we mercy life fauour peace In the law we finde death damnation and wrath moreouer the curse and vengeance of God vpon vs. And it that is to say the law is called of Paul the ministratioÌ„ of death and damnation In the lawe wee are prooued to be the ennemies of God and that we hate hym For howe can we be at peace wyth God and loue hym seeing we are coÌ„ceiued and borne vnder the power of the Deuill and are his possession kingdome hys captiues and bondmen and led at hys will and he holdeth our hearts so that it is impossible for vs to consent to the will of God Muche more is it impossible for a man to fulfill the lawe of hys owne strength and power seeing that we are by birth and nature the heires of the eternall damnation c. 4. The lawe requireth impossible things of vs Fol. 59. Read the place 4. article The law when it commaundeth y t thou shalt not lust geueth thee not power so to do but daumeth thee because thou canst not so doe What hereâ—sy is in the wordes 2. Cor. 3. If thou wilt therefore be at peace with God and loue hym then must thou turne to the promises and to the gospel which is called of Paul the ministration of righteousnesse and of the spirite 5. The spirit of God turneth vs our nature that we do good as naturally as a tree doth bring fourth fruit Fol. 65. 5. article The place is this the spirite of God accompanyeth fayth and bringeth with her light wherwith a man beholdeth himself in the law of God and seeth his miserable boÌ„dage captiuitie and humbleth himselfe This place speaking of the 〈◊〉 effecteâ— fayth conteyneth noâ—thing but which is mayntaynâ—â—ble by the Scripture abhorreth himselfe She bringeth Gods promises of all good thynges in Christ God worketh with his word in his worde And as hys word is preached fayth rooteth her selfe in y e harts of the elect and as fayth entreth and the worde of God is beleued the power of God looseth the hart from the captiuitie bondage vnder sinne and knitteth coupleth hym to God to the will of God altereth hym changeth him cleane fashioneth and forgeth hym a new geueth him power to loue and to do that which before was impossible for him either to loue or doe and turneth him into a new nature so that he loueth that which before hee hated hateth that which he before loued and is cleane altered and changed and contrary disposed and is knitt and coupled fast to gods will and naturally bringeth fourth good workes y t is to say that which God commandeth to do not things of his owne imagination and that doth hee of his owne accord as a tree bringeth forth fruit of his owne accord c. 6. Workes doe onely declare to thee that thou art iustified Fol. 65. If Tindall say 6. article that workes doe onely declare our iustification he doth not thereby destroy good works but onely sheweth the right vse and office of good workes to be noted to merite our iustificatioÌ„ but rather to testify a liuely fayth which onely iustifieth vs The article is playn by the scripture and S. Paule 7. Christ with all his workes did not deserue heauen fol. 69. Reade the place Al good workes must be done freely w t a single eye without respect of any thing 7. article so that no profit be sought thereby That commaundeth Christ where hee sayth Free haue you receaued free geue agayne For look as Christ with all his workes did not Math. 10. He meaneth in his diuinitye but iâ— his humanitye he deserued heauen by his workes not onely for himselfe 〈◊〉 for vs all deserue heauen for that was his already but did vs seruice therewith neyther looked for nor sought his owne profite but ours and the honour of god his father onely euen so we withal our workes may not seeke our owne profite neither in thys world nor in heauen but must and ought freely to worke to honour God withall and without all maner of respect seeke our neighbours profite and do him seruice c. 8. Labouring by good workes to come to heauen thou shamest Christes bloud Fol. 9. Read the place 8. article If thou wouldest obteine heauen with the merites and deseruings of thine owne works so doest thou wrong yea and shamest the bloud of Christ and vnto thee Christ is dead in vaine Now is the true beleuer heire of God by christes deseruings To say that heauen is gotten by our deseruings is a Popishe heresie contrary to the Scriptures yea and in Christ was predestinate and ordained vnto eternall life before the worlde began And when the Gospell is preached vnto vs we beleue the mercy of God and in beleuing we receiue the spirit of God which is the earnest of eternall life and we are in eternal life already and feele already in our harts y e sweetnes thereof and are ouercome with the kindnes of God Christ and therefore loue the will of God and of loue are ready to woorke freely and not to obtaine that whyche is geuen vs freely and whereof we are heyres already c. 9. Saintes in heauen can not helpe vs thither fol. 69. Whether saintes can helpe vs vnto heauen see y e scripture 9. article and marke wel the office of the sonne of God our only Sauiour and redeemer and thou shalt not nede to seeke any further 10. To builde a Churche in the honour of our Ladye or anye other Saincte is in vaine they cannot helpe thee 10. article they be not thy friends fol. 71. Read the place of Tind What buildest thou Churches foundest Abbeys Chauntreis Colledges in the honour of Saintes to my mother S. Peter Paule The place â—â—nexed and Saintes that be deade to make of them thy friendes They neede it not yea they be not thy friends Thy friends are thy poore neighbours which neede thy help and succour TheÌ„ make thy friendes with the vnrighteous Mammon that they may testifie of thy fayth and that thou mayest
knowe and feele that thy faith is right and not fayned c. 11. All flesh is in bondage of sinne and can not but sinne fol. 74. This Article is euident enough of it selfe confirmed by the scripture and needeth no allegations 12. Thou canst not be damned without Christ be damned nor Christ be saued without thou be saued fol. 76. Reade the plaâ—e A phisition serueth but for sicke men that for such men as feele their sicknes moorne therefore and long for health 〈◊〉 article 〈◊〉 place 〈◊〉 Christ likewise serueth but for sinners only that feele their sin and that for such sinnes as sorow mourne in their harts for health Health is the power or strength to fulfill the law or to keepe the coÌ„mandements Now he that longeth for that health that is to say for to do the law of God is blessed in Christ and hath a promise that his lust shall be fulfilled and that hee shall be made whole Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousnes sake that is to fulfill the law for their lust shall be fulfilled The beleuing man standing vpon the 〈◊〉 of Gods promise may 〈◊〉 himselfe of his saluation as truely as Christ himselfe is saued he can no more then Christ himselfe be damned and although the scripture doth not vse this phrase of speaking yeâ— it importeth no lesse in effecte by reason of the â—erity of Gods promise which impossible it is to faile Matth. 5. This longing and the consent of the hart vnto the lawe of God is the working of the spirit which God hath poured into thine hart in earnest that thou mightst be sure that God will fulfill all his promises that he hath made thee It is also the seale and marke which God putteth on all men that he chooseth vnto euerlasting life So long as thou seest thy sinne and mournest and consentest to the lawe and longest though thou be neuer so weake yet the spirit shall keepe thee in al temptations from desperation and certifie thine hart that God for his truth shall delyuer thee and saue thee yea and by thy good deedes shalt thou be saued not which thou hast done but which Christ hath done for thee For Christ is thine and al his deedes are thy deedes Christ is in thee and thou in him knit together inseparably neyther canst thou be damned except Christ be damned with thee neither can Christ be saued except thou be saued with him c. The like comfortable wordes he hath afterwarde fol. 38. which are these He that desireth mercy the same feeleth his owne misery and sin and moorneth in his hart to be deliuered that he might honor God and God for his truth must heare him which saith by the mouth of Christ Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes for they shall be satisfied God for hys truthes sake must put the righteousnes of Christ in hym and wash his vnrighteousnes away in the blood of Christ. And be the sinner neuer so weake neuer so feeble and fraile though he haue sinned neuer so oft and so greeuous yet so long as this lust desire and mourning to be deliuered remaineth in him God seeth not his sinnes reckoneth them not for his truthes sake and loue in Christ. He is not a sinner in the sight of God that would be no sinner Hee that would be deliuered hath his hart loose already His hart sinneth not but mourneth repenteth and consenteth vnto the lawe and will of God and iustifieth God that is beareth record that God which made the law is righteous and iust And such an hart trusting in Christes bloud is accepted for full righteousnes and his weakenes infirmitie and frailtie is pardoned and his sinnes are not looked vpon vntill God put more strength in him and fulfill his desire c. 13. article 13. The commaundements be geuen vs not to do them but to know our damnation and call for mercy of God fol. 76. 〈◊〉 article is 〈◊〉 wraked 〈◊〉 whâ—ch 〈…〉 should 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 we canâ—â—◠〈◊〉 them 14. article Reade the place If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundements Math. 15 19. First remember that wheÌ„ God commaundeth vs to do any thing he doth it not therefore because that we of our selues are able to doe that he commaundeth but that by the lawe we might see and know our horrible damnation and captiuitie vnder sinne and so repent and come to Christ and receiue mercy c. 14. Fasting is only to auoyde surfet and to tame the body all other purposes be nought fol. 81. The words of Tyndall be these Fasting is to abstayne from surfetting or ouermuch eating from dronkennes and cares of the world as thou mayst reade Luke 20. And the end of fasting is to tame the body that the spirite may haue y e free course vnto God The true end of fasting and may quietly talke with God For ouermuch eating and drinking and care of worldly busines presseth downe the spirit choketh it and tangleth it that it can not lift vp it selfe to God Now he that fasteth for any other entent then to subdue the body that the Spirit may wayte on God and freely exercise it selfe in the things of God the same is blinde and wotteth not what he doth erreth and shooteth at a wrong marke and hys entent and imagination is abhominable in the sighte of God c. 15. article 15. To bid the poore man pray for me is onely to remember him to do his dutie not that I haue any trust in his prayer fol. 82. The words of Tindall be these When we desire one another to pray for vs The place biddeth vs put oure trust in Christ onely and not in poore meÌ„s prayers and so doth the Scripture likewise yet no heresy therein 16. article that do we to put our neighbour in remembrance of his dutie and not that we trust in his holines our trust is in God in Christ and in the trueth of Gods promises We haue also a promise that when two or three or moe agree together in one thing according to the will of God God heareth vs notwithstanding as God heareth many so heareth he few so heareth he one if he pray after the will of God desire the honour of God c. 16. Though thou geue me a thousand pound to pray for thee I am no more bound now then I was before fol. 83. The wordes be these If thou geue me a thousand pound to pray for thee I am no more bound then I was before This place aunswereth for himselfe sufficiently Mans imagination can make the commaundemente of God neither greater nor smaller neither can the lawe of God either adde or diminish Gods commaundemente is as great as himselfe c. 17. A good deede done and not of feruent charitie as Christes was is sinne fol. 83. 17. article The wordes of Tindall be these Though
and Priestes to God his father c. Apoc. 1. Of y t maner is Christ a priest for euer and all we are Priestes through him and neede no more of anye such priest to be a meane for vs vnto God c. 12 He destroyeth the sacraments of Matrimony and Orders Fol. 144. 12. article As truly as matrimony and orders be sacramentes so truely is this article an heresie 13 He sayth that Purgatory is of the popes inuention and therefore he may doe there what soeuer he will Fol 150. One of the popes owne writers saith thus 13. articlâ— soules being in purgatory are vnder y e popes iurisdiction the P. may if he will euacuate all purgatory Ioannes Angelus Furthermore y e olde Fathers make litle mention of purgatory y e Greek church neuer beleued Purgatory S. Augustine doubteth of purgatory and the scriptures playnly disproue purgatory S. Iohn sayth The bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of God purgeth vs from all sinne And the pope sayth sinne can not be purged but by the fire of purgatory 1. Iohn 1. nowe whose inuention can Purgatory be but onely the popes 14 Saintes be saued not by theyr merites but onely by the merites of Christ. fol. 151. What can be more manifest and playne by the Scryptures then this Esay sayth All we haue erred 14. article euery man in his owne wayes Veritye made heresie and God hath layd vpon him all our iniquities c. 15 He sayth no man may be hired to pray fol. 155. The wordes in the obedience be true which are these 15. article To pray one for an other are we equally bound to pray is a thing that we may alwayes doe what soeuer we haue in hand and that to do may no man hyre an other The place annexed christes bloud hath hyred vs already c. 16 Why should I trust sayth he in Paules prayer or holines 16. article If S. Paule were aliue he would compare himselfe to S. Paule and be as good as he fol. 159. The wordes of Tindall be these Why am not I also a false Prophet if I teache thee to trust in Paule The place annexed or in hys holines or praier or in any thing sauing in Gods word as Paule did Iâ— Paule were here and loued me as hee loued them of his time The wordes of Tindall import no such meaning as is in the article to whom hee was a seruaunt to preache Christ what good could he do for me or wish me but preache christ pray to God for me to open my hart to geue me his spirite and to bring me vnto the ful knowledge of Christ Unto which port or hauen when I am once come I am as safe as Paule ioynt heire with Paule of all the promises of God c. 17. article 17 He sayth that all that be baptised become Christ himselfe fol. 163. With this Article conferre the words of the Obedience The place annexed which be these In Math. 28. sayth Christ in as muche as ye haue done it to any of the least of these my brethreÌ„ ye haue done it to me And in as much as ye haue not done it vnto one of the least of these ye haue not done it vnto me Here seest thou that we are Christes brethren and euen Christ himselfe and whatsoeuer we doe one to another that do we to Christ. c. 18 He sayth that the children of fayth be not vnder no lawe 18. Article fol. 163. The wordes of Tindall be these The place annexed The article is true being truly taken I serue thee not because thou art my mayster or king for hope of rewarde or feare of payne but for the loue of Christ. For the childreÌ„ of fayth are vnder no law as thou seest in the Epistle to the Romaines to the Galath and the 1. to Tim. but are free The spirite of Christ hath written the liuely law of loue in their hartes whiche driueth them to worke of theyr owne accorde freely and willingly for the great loue sake onelye which they see in Christ and therfore need they no lawe to compell them c. 19 There is no deede so good 19. Article but that the law condemneth it fol. 177. The place in the Obedience is this The place annexed Thou hast the story of Peter how he smote Malchus eare and howe Christ healed it agayne There hast thou in plaine text great fruit and great edifying which I passe ouer TheÌ„ come I wheÌ„ I preach of the law and the gospell and borow this example to expresse the nature of the law and of the Gospell and to paynt it vnto thee before thine eyes What heresie is in this and of Peter hys sword make I the law and of Christ the gospel saying as Peters sworde cutteth of the eare so doth the lawe The law damneth the law killeth and mangleth the conscieÌ„ce There is no eare so righteous that can abide the hearyng of the law There is no deede so good but that the law daÌ„neth it But Christ that is to say the Gospell the promises and Testament that God hath made in Christ healeth the eare and conscience which the law hath hurt c. 20 To aske of God more then he hath promised 20. Aâ—ticleâ— commeth of a false fayth and is playne idolatry 171. The wordes of Tindall are these Looke wherin thou canst best keep the commaundementes The place annexed thither get thy self and there abide c. If we haue infirmities y t draw vs froÌ„ the lawes of God let vs cure them with the remedies that God hath made If thou burne marry for God hath promised thee no chastitie as long as thou mayest vse y e remedy that he hath ordayned What heresie is in this no more then hee hath promysed to slacke thine hunger without meate Now to aske of God more then he hath promised commeth of a false fayth and is playne Idolatry c. 21 Our payne taken in keeping the commaundements doth nothing but purge the sinne that remayneth in the fleshe 21. article But to looke for any other reward or promotion in heauen then God hath promised for Christes sake is abhominable in the sight of God fol. 171. Consider the place in the Obedience which is this To looke for any other reward or promotion in heauen or in the life to come The place annexed then that which God hath promised for Christes sake and which Christ hath deserued for vs with his payne taking is abhominable in the sight of God For Christ only hath purchased the reward and our payne taking to keepe the commaundements doth but purge the sinne that remayneth in the flesh and certifie vs that wee are chosen and sealed with Gods spirit vnto the rewarde that Christ hath purchased for vs c. 22 The Pope hath no other authoritie but to preache onely fol. 173.
to feare death fol. 36. Although our nature be frayle full of imperfectioÌ„ so that we do not as we should yet doing as we ought as we are lead by the Scriptures to do we should not dread but desire rather to dye and to be with Christ as the place it selfe doth well declare which is this We must loue death The place 〈…〉 â—â—rfecte and more desire to die and to be w t god as did S. Paul then to feare death For Iesus Christ dyed for vs to the intent that we shoulde not feare to dye and he hath slayn death and destroyd the sting of death as writeth S. Paule saying O death where is thy sting 1. Cor. 1â— death is swalowed vp in victory And to the Philippians Christ is to me life and death is to me aduauntage 20 God made vs his children and his heires while we were his enemies and before we knew him fol. 44. I maruell what the Papistes meane in the Registers to condemn this article as an heresy vnlesse theyr purpose be vtterly to impugne gainstand the scripture the writinges of S. Paule who in the fift chapter to the Rom. other his Epistles importeth euen the same doctrine in all respectes declaring in formall words that we be made the children and heyres of God and that we were reconciled vnto him when we were his enemies 21 It were better neuer to haue done good worke and aske mercy therfore then to do good workes and thinke that for theÌ„ god is bound to a man by promise fol. 48. 22 We can shew no more honor to God then fayth and trust in him fol. 48. The place out of the which these two articles are gathered is this It were better for thee a thowsande folde that thou haddest bene a sinner and neuer had done good deed to acknowledge thine offences euill life vnto God asking mercy with a good hart lamenting thy sinnes then to haue done good workes in them to put thy trust thinking that therfore God were bound to thee There is nothing which after the maner of speaking bindeth God but fyrme and stedfast fayth and trust in him his promises c. For we can shew vnto God no greater honor then to haue faith and trust in him For whosoeuer doth that he confesseth that God is true good mighty mercifull c. 23 Fayth without good workes is no litle or no feeble faith but it is no fayth fol. 50. 24 Euery man doth as much as he beleueth fol. 50. The place out of the which the two Articles be gathered is this If thy fayth induce thee not to do good workes theÌ„ hast thou not y e right fayth thou doest but onely thinke that thou hast it For S. Iames sayth that fayth wythout workes is dead in it selfe He sayth not that it is little or feeble but that it is dead and that is dead is not Therfore wheÌ„ thou art not moued by fayth vnto the loue of god and by the loue of god vnto good works thou hast no fayth but fayth is dead in thee for the spirit of God that by fayth commeth in to our hartes to styrre vp loue cannot be idle Euery one doth as much as he beleueth loueth as much as he hopeth as writeth S. Iohn He that hath thys hope that he is the sonne of god purifieth himself as he is pure He sayth not he that purifieth himselfe hath this hope for the hope must come before proceeding from the fayth as it behoueth that the tree must first be good which must bring forth good fruit 25 We cannot be without motions of euill desires but we must mortify them in resisting them 25. Article fol. 52 They which note this article of heresy may note them selues rather to be like the Pharisy Luke 18. who foolishly flattering himselfe in the false opinion of his owne righteousnes was not subdued to the righteousnes which standeth before God No man 〈◊〉 finde 〈◊〉 heresie 〈◊〉 place 〈…〉 by fayth and therefore went home to his house lesse iustified then the publican If the scriptures condemne the hart of man to be crooked euen from his youth Gene. 6. and also condemneth all the righteousnes of man to be like a filed cloth if S. Paule could finde in his flesh no good thing dwelling but sheweth a coÌ„tinuall resistance betwene the old man and the new then must it folow that these phariseis which condemne this article of heresy eyther cary no flesh nor no old man about them to be resisted or verely say what they will they can not choose but bee combred with euill motions for the inward man continually to fight agaynst The place of the authour sufficiently defendeth it selfe as foloweth S. Paule byddeth vs mortify all our euill desyres and carnall lustes as vncleanesse couetousnesse wrath blasphemy Col. â— The place of the author detractation pride and other like vices And vnto the Rom. 6. he sayth let no sinne raigne in your mortall bodyes That is to say albeit that we cannot liue without the motion of suche euill desires yet we shall not suffer them to rule in vs but shall mortifye them in resisting them c. 26 All true Christianity lyeth in loue of our neighbors for God and not in fasting 26. Article keeping of holy dayes watching praying and singing long prayers dayly and all day long hearing Masse running on pilgrimage c. fol. 52. The place of this article is this Thou hast alwaies occasion to mortify thine euill desires to serue thine neighbor Conferre this article with the 〈…〉 to comfort him and to helpe him with word and deed with couÌ„sell and exhortation and other semblable meanes In such loue towardes our neighbor for the loue of God lyeth all the law and the prophets as saith Christ yea and all christianity and not in fasting keeping of holydayes watching singing and long praiers daily and all day loÌ„g hearing of masses setting vp of candles running on pilgrimages and such other things which as well the hypocrites proud people enuious and subiect to all wicked affections do c. 27 Many Doctors in diuinity and not onely common people beleueth that it is the part of Christen fayth onely to beleue that Iesus Christ hath liued here in earth fol. 53.54 27. Article The place is this We beleeue that Iesus Christ hath here liued-on earth and that he hath preached and that he dyed for vs To beleeue that Christ here liued and dyed is good but this is not the thing onely that 〈◊〉 a Christian and did many other thinges When we beleue these things after the story we beleue that this is our christen fayth This not onely the simple people beleueth but also Doctors in diuinity which are takeÌ„ for wise men Yea the deuill hath also this fayth as sayth S. Iames The deuils beleue and they tremble For
not probably appeare to all the Nobilitie and Commons in the highe Court of Parliament that thys Marryage shall be for the high benefit coÌ„moditie of all the whole Realme then I wil abstaine from Mariage while I liue And now good Subiects plucke vp your hearts and like true men The promise of Queene Mary touching her Maryage stande fast against these rebels both our enemies and yours and feare them not for I assure you I feare them nothing at all And I will leaue with you my Lord Haward my Lord Treasoror who shal be assistants with the Mayor for your defence ¶ Here is to be noted that at the comming of Queene Mary to the Guild hall being bruted before that shee was comming w t harnessed men such a feare came among them that a number of the Londiners fearing least they shoulde be there intrapped put to death made out of the gate before her entring in Furthermore note that when shee had ended her Oration which she semed to haue perfectly conned without booke Winchester standing by her when the Oration was done with great admiration cried to y e people O how happy are we to whom God hath geuen such a wise and learned Prince c. Two dayes after whiche was the 3. of Februarie the L. Cobham was committed to the Tower February 3. M. Wyat in southwarke and M. Wyat entred into Southwarke Who for so muche as he coulde not enter y t way into London returning another way by Kingstone with his army came vp through the streetes to Ludgate and returning thence hee was resisted at Temple barre M. Wyat came to Ludgate and there yealded himself to Sir Clement Parson and so was brought by him to the Courte with hym the residue of his armye for before Sir George Harpar almost halfe of his men ran awaye from him at Kingstone bridge were also taken M. Wyat apprehended at Templebar and aboute an 100. killed and they that were taken were had to prisone and a great manye of them were hanged and he himselfe afterwarde executed at the Tower hill and then quartered whose heade after being set vp vpon Haihil M. Wyat executed was thence stolne away and great search made for the same Of which story ye shal here more the Lord willing heereafter The 12. day of February was beheaded the lady Iane to whom was sent M. Fecknam alias Howman from the Queene 2. dayes before her deathe February 12. to commune wyth her and to reduce her from the doctrine of Christe to Queene Maries religion The effect of which communication here followeth The communication had betweene the Ladie Iane and Fecknam FEcknam Madam I lament your heauy case and yet I doubt not Talke betweene the Lady Iane and Fecknam but that you beare out this sorow of youres wyth a constant and patient minde Iane. You are welcome vnto me sir if your comming be to geue Christian exhortation And as for my heauye case I thanke God I do so litle lament it that rather I accompt the same for a more manifest declaration of Gods fauor towarde me then euer he shewed me at any time before And therefore there is no cause why either you or other whych beare me good wil Lady Iane comfortably taketh her trouble should lament or be grieued wyth thys my case being a thing so profitable for my soule health Feck I am heere come to you at this present sent from the Queene and her counsaile to instructe you in the true doctrine of y e right faith although I haue so great confidence in you that I shall haue I trust little neede to trauaile wyth you much therein Iane. Forsooth I heartely thanke the Queenes highnesse which is not vnmindful of her humble subiect and I hope likewise that you no lesse will doe your duety therein both truely and faithfully according to that you were sent for Feck What is then required of a Christian Iane. That he should beleue in God the Father y e Sonne and the holy Ghost three persons and one God Feck What is there nothing els to be required or looked for in a Christian but to beleeue in him Iane. Yes we must also loue him with all our heart with all our soule and with all our minde and our neighbor as our selfe Feck Why then faith iustifieth not nor saueth not Iane. Yes verely faith as Paule sayth only iustifieth Feck Why S. Paul sayeth If I haue all faith without loue it is nothing Iane. Faith onely iustifieth True it is for how caÌ„ I loue him whom I trust not or how can I trust him whome I loue not Faith and loue go both together and yet loue is comprehended in faith Feck How shall we loue our neighbour Iane. To loue our neighbor is to feede the hungry to cloth the naked and geue drinke to the thirsty and to doe to him as we would doe to our selues Feck Why then it is necessary vnto saluation to doe good workes also and it is not sufficient only to beleeue Iane. I denye that and I affirme that faith onely saueth Good 〈…〉 in a 〈…〉 they 〈◊〉 profite to saluatioâ— but it is meete for a Christian in token that hee followeth his Maister Christe to doe good workes yet may wee not say that they profit to our saluation For wheÌ„ we haue done all yet we be vnprofitable seruaÌ„ts and faith only in Christes bloud saueth vs. Feck How many Sacraments are there Iane. Two The one the Sacrament of Baptisme 2. Sacraâ—menteâ— and the other the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper Feck No there are seuen Iane. By what Scripture finde you that Feck Well we will talke of that heereafter The Sacâ—â—â—ment of Baptism what it â—â—â—â—nifieth But what is signified by your two Sacraments Iane. By the Sacramente of Baptisme I am washed wyth water and regenerated by the spirite and that washing is a token to mee that I am the childe of God The Sacrament of the Lordes Supper offered vnto mee The Sacâ—â—â—ment of 〈◊〉 Lordes 〈◊〉 what signifietâ— is a sure seale and testimonie that I am by the bloude of Christ which he shedde for me on the Crosse made partaker of the euerlasting kingdome Feck Why what doe you receiue in that Sacrament Doe you not receiue the very body and bloud of Christ Iane. No surely I doe not so beleeue I thinke that at the Supper I neyther receiue flesh nor bloude What 〈◊〉 receaue with thâ— sacrameâ—â— but bread and wine Which bread when it is broken and the wine when it is dronken putteth mee in remembraunce howe that for my sinnes the body of Christ was broken his bloudshed on the Crosse and with that breade and wine I receiue the benefites that come by the breaking of his body sheding of his bloud for our sinnes on the Crosse. Feck Why doeth not Christ speake these woordes Take eate this is my body
me downe the hangman sayd no Madame Then tyed she the kerchefe about her eyes and feeling for y e block she sayd what shall I doe where is it where is it One of the standers by guiding her thereunto she layd her head downe vpon the blocke and then stretched foorth her body and sayd Lord into thy handes I commend my spirit and so finished her life in the yeare of our Lord God 1553. the 12. day of February ¶ Certayne prety verses written by the sayd Lady Iane with a pinne Non aliena put es homini quae obtingere possunt Sors hodierna mihi tunc erit illa tibi Iane Dudley Deo iuuante nil nocet liuor malus Et non iuuante nil iuuat labor grauis Post tenebras spero lucem ¶ Certaine Epitaphes written in commendation of the worthy Lady Iane Gray De Iana Graia Ioan. Parkhursti Carmen Graia being her surname signifieth in Latina Grecyan Miraris Ianam Graio sermone valere Quo primum nata est tempore Graia fuit In historiam Ianae I. F. Tu quibus ista legas in certum est lector ocellis Ipse equidem siccis scribere non potui De Iana D. Laurentij Humfredi decastichon Iana iacet saeuo non aequae vulnere mortis Nobilis ingenio sanguine martyrio Ingenium latijs ornauit foemina musis Foemina virgineo tota dicata choro Sanguine clara fuit regali stirpe creata Ipsaque Reginae nobilitata throno Bis Graia est pulchrè Graijs nutrita camaenis Et prisco Graiûm sanguine creta ducum Bis Martyr sacrae fidei verissima testis Atque vacans regni crimine Iana iacet Thus the xij day of February as I sayd was beheaded the Lady Iane February 12. Lady Iane and L. Gylforde Dudley beheaded and with her also the Lord Gilford her husband one of the Duke of Northumberlands sonnes two innocēts in comparison of them that sate vpon them For they did but ignorantly accept that which the others had willingly deuised and by open Proclamation consented to take from others and geue to them Touching the condemnation of this Lady Iane heere is to be noted that the Iudge Morgan who gaue the sentence of condemnation against hir A wonderfull example vpon Morgan the Iudge who gaue sentence agaynst the Lady Iane. shortly after he had condemned her fell madde and in his rauing cried out continually to haue the Lady Iane taken away from hym and so ended his life And not long after the death of the Lady Iane vppon the xxj of the same moneth was Henry Duke of Suffolke her father also beheaded at the Tower Hill the iiij day after his condemnation about which time also were condemned for this conspiracie many Gentlemen and Yeomen February 21. whereof some were executed at London and some in the Countrey Henry D. of Suffolke beheaded L. Thomas Gray apprehended and executed In the number of whome was also Lorde Thomas Gray brother to the sayde Duke being apprehended not long after in North Wales and executed for the same Sir Nicholas Throgmorton very hardly escaped as ye shall heare the Lord willing in another place The xxiiij of the same moneth the yeare of our Lorde 1554. Boner Bishop of London sent downe a Commission directed to all the Curates and Pastors of his dioces for the taking of the names of such as would not come the Lent following to auriculare confession February 24. and to the receyuing at Easter the copie of which monition heere followeth ¶ A monition of Boner Byshop of London sent downe to all and singular Curates of his Dioces for the certifying of the names of such as would not come in Lent to Confession and receiuing at Easter EDmund by the permission of God Byshop of London to all Parsons A monition of Boner B. of London to all ministers of his Dioces Vicares Curates and Ministers of the Church within the Citie and Dioces of London sendeth grace peace and mercy in our Lorde euerlasting For as much as by the order of the Ecclesiasticall lawes and constitutions of thys Realme and the lawdable vsage custome of the whole Catholicke Church by many hundreth yeares agone duely and deuoutly obserued and kept all faithfull people beeing of lawfull age and discretion are bounde once in the yeare at least except reasonable cause excuse them to be confessed to theyr owne proper Curate and to receaue the Sacrament of the aultar with due preparation and deuotion and for as much also as we be credibly enformed that sundry euill disposed and vndeuout persons geuen to sensuall pleasures and carnall appetites following the lusts of their body and neglecting vtterly the health of their soules do forbeare to come to confession according to the sayd vsage Comming to confession and to receaue the Sacrament of the aulter accordingly geuing therby pernicious and euill example to the yonger sort to neglect and contemne the same we minding the reformation heereof for our owne discharge Receiuing the sacrament of the aultar and desirous of good order to be kept and good example to be geuen do will and commaund you by vertue heereof that immediately vpon the receipt of this our commaundement yee and euery ech of you within your cure and charge do vse all your diligence and dexteritie to declare the same straightly charging and commaunding all your parishioners being of lawfull age and discretion to come before Easter next comming to confession according to the sayd ordinaunce and vsage and with due preparation and deuotion to receiue the sayd Sacrament of the aulter and that ye do note the names of all such as be not confessed vnto you and do not receiue of you the sayd Sacrament certifying vs or our Chauncellour or Commissary thereof before the sixt day of Aprill next ensuing the date heereof so that we knowing thereby who did not come to confession and receyuing the Sacrament accordingly may proceede agaynst them as beeyng persons culpable and transgressours of the sayd ecclesiasticall lawe and vsage Further also certifying vs or our sayd Chauncellour or Commissary before the day aforesayde whether ye haue your aultars set vp chalice booke vestiments and all things necessary for Masse and the administration of sacraments and sacramentals with procession and all other diuine seruice prepared and in readines according to the order of the Catholike Church and the vertuous and godly example of the Queenes Maiesties and if ye so haue not yee then with the Churchwardens cause the same to be prouided for signifying by whose faulte and negligence the same want or faulte hath proceeded and generally of the not comming of your parishioners to Church vndue walking talking or vsing of themselues there vnreuerently in the tyme of diuine seruice and of all other open faults and misdemeanours not omitting thus to doo and certifie as before as you will answere vpon your perill for the contrarye Geuen at London the 23. of
word Priestes compared to the virgin Mary in three pointes so the priest by 5. wordes doth make the verye body of Christe Euen as immediately after the consent of Mary Christ was all whole in her wombe so immediatly after the speaking of the wordes of consecration y e bread is transubstantiated into the very body of Christ. Secondly as the Uirgin caried Christ in her armes and layd him in an Oxe shall after his byrth euen so the Priest after the consecration doth lift vp the body of Christ placeth it caryeth it and handleth it with his hands Thyrdly as the blessed Uirgin was sanctified before she was conceiued so the Priest being ordeined annoynted before he doth consecrate because without orders he could coÌ„secrate nothing therefore the lay man cannot do the thing although he bee neuer so holy and do speake the selfe same wordes of consecration Therfore here is to be knowne that the dignity of Priestes by some meanes passeth the dignity of angels Priesthood coÌ„pared preferred before the state of Angels because there is no power geuen to any of the Aungels to make the body of Christ. Wherby the least priest may do in earth that the greatest and highest Aungell in heauen can not do as S. Barnard sayth O worshipful dignity of Priestes in whose hands the Sonne of God is as in the wombe of the Virgin he was incarnate S. Augustine sayth that Angels in the consecration of the sacred host do serue him and the Lorde of heauen descendeth to him Whereupon Saynt Ambrose vpon Saynt Luke sayth Doubt thou not the Aungels to be where Christ is present vpon the Aultare Wherefore Priestes are to be honoured before all kinges of the earth Princes and Nobles For a Priest is higher then a King Blasphemy happyer then an Aungell Maker of his Creator Wherefore c. It was declared a litle before how Doct. Ridley was had from Fremingham to the Tower where being in duraunce and inuited to the Lieftenants table he had certain talke or conference with Secretary Bourne M. Fecknam and other concerning the controuersies in religioÌ„ y t suÌ„me whereof as it was penned with his owne hand hereafter ensueth * Here foloweth the summe and effect of the communication betwene D. Ridley and Secretary Bourne with others at the Lieuetenauntes table in the Tower MAister Thomas of Bridges sayd at his brother mayster Lieuetenantes boorde I pray you M. Doctours Sir Tho. Abridges for my learning tell me what an heretick is M. Secretary Bourne sayd I will tell you who is an hereticke who so stubbernly stifly maynteineth an vntruth he is an hereticke Who is an hereticke Ye meane syr sayd I an vntrueth in matters of religion concerning our fayth Yea that is true sayd he in this we are soone agreed Then sayd maister Fecknam sitting at the vpper end of the table whom they called M. Deane of Paules I wil tell you by S. Austine who is an hereticke Qui adulandi principibus vel lucri gratia falsas opiniones gignit vel sequitur hereticus est sayth S. Austine An hereticke defined by S. Austen And then he englished the same Sir sayd I I wene S. Austine addeth the thyrd member which is vel vanae gloriae causa Ye say euen true M. Doctor sayd he and thus farre we did agree all three M. Fecknam began againe to say who so doth not beleue that scripture affirmeth Fecknam prouoking M. Ridley but will obstinately maintein the contrary he is Haereticus as in the sacrameÌ„t of the aultar Mathew doth affirm there to be Christs body Marke doth affirme it Luke affirmeth it Paule affirmeth it and none denyeth it therfore to hold the coÌ„trary it is heresy It is the same body and flesh that was borne of the virgine this is confirmed by vnity antiquity vniuersalitye For none before Berengarius did euer doubt of this Vnitie Antiquitie Vniuersalitie he was an heretick as M. doctor there knoweth full well I do testify his owne conscience sayd he Mary sir saide mayster Secretary maister Fecknam hath spoken well These be great matters vnitie antiquitie and vniuersalitie Do ye not thinke so maister Doctour said he to me Here while I strayned curtesye and pretended as nothinge to talke sayd one of the Commissioners peraduenture M. Ridley doth agree with M. Fecknam and then there needes not much debating of the matter Syr saide I in some thinges I doe and shall agree with him and in some things which he hath spoken to be playne I doe not agree with him at all Maister sayde I ye be as I vnderstaÌ„d the Queenes Commissioners here and if ye haue commissioÌ„ to examine me in these matters I shall declare vnto you playnely my faythe if yee haue not then I shall pray you either geue mee leaue to speake my minde freely or els to hold my peace There is none here sayde M. Secretary that doth not fauour you and theÌ„ euery man shewed what fauour they bare towardes me and howe glad they woulde be of an agreement But as I strayned to haue licence of theÌ„ in playn wordes to speak my minde Anno 1154. Aprill so me thought they graunted me it but vix or agrè Well at the last I was content to take it for licenced and so began to talke To M. Fecknams argumentes of the manifold affirmatioÌ„ where no denial was B. Ridley aunsweâ—ing to Fecknam I answered where is a multitude of affirmations in scripture and where is one affirmation all is one concerning the trueth of the matter for that any one of the Euangelists spake inspired by the holy ghost Truth in Scripture goeth not by number of affiâ—mation where one is sufficient was as true as that which is spoken of them all It is as true that Iohn sayth of Christ Ego sum ostium ouium i. I am the dore of the sheepe as if all had sayde it For it is not in scripture as in witnes of men where the number is credited more then one because it is vncertayne of whose spirit he doth speake And where M. Fecknam spake of so many affirming without any negation c. Syr sayd I all they do affirme the thing which they ment Now if ye take theyr wordes to leaue theyr meaning then do they affirme what ye take Words in Scripture must be taken with theyr meaning but not what they ment Syr sayde I if in talke with you I should so vtter my minde in words that ye by the same do and may playnely perceiue my meaning could if ye wold be captious cauil at my words writh them to an other sense I would thinke ye were no gentle companion to talke with except ye would take my words as ye did perceiue that I did meane Mary quoth M. Secretary we should els do you plain iniury and wrong M. Fecknam perceiuing whereunto my talke went why quoth he what circumstaunces
noâ— denyed whyche is grounded vpon the word of God and made more plaine by the commentaries of y e faithfull fathers They that thinke so of me the Lord knoweth how far they are deceiued And to make the same euident vnto you I will in fewe woords declare what true presence of Christes body in the sacrameÌ„t of the Lordes supper I hold and affirme with the worde of God and the auncient fathers I say and confesse with the Euangelist Luke The fayth confession of D. Ridley in affiâ—â—ming the true preseÌ„t in the Sacrament and wyth the Apostle Paule that the bread on the which thankes are geuen is the body of Christe in the remembraunce of hym and of his death to be set foorth perpetually of the faithfull vntill his comming I say and confesse the bread which we breake to be the Communion and partaking of Christes bodye wyth the auncient and the faithfull fathers I say and beleeue that there is not onely a signification of Christes body sette foorth by the sacrament The grace of 〈◊〉 and immortal geuen with the Sacrament to the â—â—ythfull Life eaten Aâ—â—gust The Lord 〈◊〉 grace Emisse Celestiall foode receaued 〈◊〉 The property naturall communion receâ—â—ued Hilar. The vertue oâ— Christes flesh Cyrill The misticall â—â—uent of Chriâ—â— Basill The 〈…〉 Ambros. The body by grace 〈…〉 but not that which 〈…〉 Hierom Grace 〈…〉 a sacrifice 〈◊〉 Chrisost. Grace 〈…〉 verâ—ty The power of Gods 〈…〉 Bertram but also that therewith is geuen to the godly and faithfull the grace of Christes body that is the foode of life immortalitye And this I holde wyth Cyprian I say also with S. Augustine that wee eate life and wee drinke life with Emisene that we feele the Lorde to be present in grace wyth Athanasius that wee receiue Celestiall foode which commeth from aboue the propertie of natural Communion wyth Hyllarius the nature of flesh and benediction whych geueth life in breade and wine wyth Cyrill and wyth the same Cyrill the vertue of the very flesh of Christ life and grace of his body the propertie of the onely begotten that is to say life as he himselfe in plaine words expoundeth it I confesse also with Basil that we receiue the mysticall Aduent and comming of Christ grace the vertue of hys very nature the sacrament of his very flesh with Ambrose the body by grace with Epiphanius spirituall flesh but not that which was crucified with Hierome Grace flowing into a sacrifice and the grace of the spirite with Chrysostome grace and inuisible veritie grace and societie of the members of Christes body with Augustine Finally with Bertram which was the last of all these I confesse that Christes body is in the Sacrament in thys respect namely as he writeth because there is in it the spirite of Christ that is the power of the worde of God which not onely feedeth the soule but also clenseth it Out of these I suppose it may clearely appeare vnto al meÌ„ how farre we are froÌ„ that opinion wherof some go about falsly to slaunder vs to the world saying we teach that the godly and faithfull shoulde receiue nothing else at the Lordes table but a figure of the body of Christ. ¶ The second proposition After the consecration there remayneth no substaunce of bread and wine neyther any other substaunce then the substaunce of God and man The Aunswere â—â—swere to 〈…〉 THE seconde conclusion is manifestly false directly against the word of God the nature of the Sacramente and the most euident testimonies of the godly Fathers and it is the rotten foundation of the other two conclusions propounded by you The â— proâ—â—sition of transubstantation deâ—ye both of the first and of the third I will not therefore now tary vpon any further explication of this aunswere being contented with that which is already added afore to the aunswer of the first proposition ¶ The first argument for the confirmation of this aunswere IT is very playne by the worde of God that Christ did geue bread vnto his Disciples and called it his body But the substance of bread is another maner of substaÌ„ce then is the substance of Christes body God and man Confirm thou 〈◊〉 his answere Therefore the conclusion is false The second part of mine argument is playne and the first 〈◊〉 proued thus ¶ The second argument Da That which Christ dyd take on the which he gaue thanâ—â—s and the which he brake he gaue to his Disciples and called it his body ri But he toke bread gaue thaÌ„ks on bread brake bread si Ergo the first part is true And it is confirmed with the authorities of the Fathers Irene Tertullian Origene Cyprian Epiphaâ—ius Hierome Augustine Theodoret Cirill Rabanus and Beâ—â— Whose places I will take vpon me to shew most manifest in this behalfe if I may be suffered to haue my bookes as my request is Bread is the body of Christ Ergo it is bread * The rule of Logicke is this A propositione de tertio adiacente ad cam 〈◊〉 est de secundo 〈◊〉 verbo 〈…〉 A tertio adiacente ad secundâ—m adiacens cum verbi substantiui pura copula ¶ The third Argument Ba As the bread of the Lordes table is Christes naturall body so is it his mysticall body ro But it is not Christes mysticall body by transubstantiation co Ergo it is not his naturall body by transubstantiatioÌ„ The second part of my argument is plaine and the first is proued thus As Christ who is the veritie spake of the bread This is my body which shall be betrayed for you speaking there of his naturall body euen so Paul moued with y e same spirit of truth The Maior 〈◊〉 said We though we be many yet are we all one bread and one body which be partakers of one bread â— Cor. 10. ¶ The fourth Argument We may no more beleeue bread to be transubstantiate into the body of Christ The argument holdeth a destructione 〈…〉 Math. 26. Marke 14. then the wine into his bloud But the wine is not transubstantiate into his bloud Ergo neyther is that bread therefore transubstantiate into his body ¶ The first part of this argument is manifest the second part is proued out of the authoritie of Gods word in Mathew Marke I will not drinke of the fruite of the vine c. Now the fruite of the vine was wine which Christ dranke and gaue to his disciplis to drinke With this sentence agreeth playnely the place of Chrysostome on the xx Chapter of Mathew ChrisostoÌ„e Cyprian As Ciprian doth also affirming that there is no bloud if wine be not in the cup. 〈◊〉 argument holâ—eth after 〈◊〉 same 〈◊〉 as 〈…〉 ¶ The fift Argument Ba The words of Christ spoken vpon the cup and vpon the bread haue like effect and working ro But the wordes spoken vpon the cup haue not vertue to transubstantiate co Ergo it followeth that
against me maister Ridley and maister Latimer in three matters concerning the Sacrament First of the reall presence secondly of TransubstaÌ„tiation thirdly of the sacrifice of the Masse vpon Monday against me vpon Tuesday against Doctour Ridley and vppon Wednesday against maister Latimer Howe the other two were ordered I knowe not for we were seperated so that none of vs knoweth what the other sayd nor how they were ordered But as concerning my selfe I can report Doctour Chadsey was appoynted to dispute against me but the disputation was so confused that I neuer knewe the like euery man bringing foorth what him liked without order and such hast was made The Archb. not suffered to aunswere fully to any argument that no aunsweare coulde be suffered to be taken fully to any argument before an other brought a newe argument and in suche waightie matters the disputation must needes be ended in one day which can scantly well be ended in three moneths And when we had answeared them they woulde not appoynte vs one day to bring foorth our proofes that they might answeare vs being required by me thereunto whereas I my selfe haue more to say then can be well discussed as I suppose in twentie dayes The meanes to resolue the truth had bene to haue suffered vs to aunsweare fully to all that they coulde say and then they again to answeare vs fully to all that we can say But why they woulde not answeare vs what other cause can there be but that either they feared their matter that they were not able to answere vs or else for some consideration they made such hast not to seke the truth but to condemne vs that it must be done in poast haste before the matters coulde be throughly heard for in all haste we were all 3. condemned of heresie Thus much I thought good to signifie vnto your Lordshippes that you may knowe the indifferent handlinge of matters leauing the iudgement thereof vnto your wisedomes Hast made in condemning the Archb. and hys fellowes And I beseeche your Lordships to remember me a poore prisonner vnto the Queenes Maiestie and I shall pray as I doe daily vnto God for the long preseruation of your good Lordshippes in all godlinesse and felicitie April 23. Doctour Ridley to the Archbishop of Caunterburie I Wishe ye might haue seene these mine answeares before I had deliuered them y t yee myght haue corrected them B. Ridley writeth to the archbishop But I truste in the substaunce of the matter wee doe agree fully both led by one spirite of truth and both walking after one rule of Gods woorde It is reported that Sergeant Morgane This Iustice Morgan gaue sentence against Lady Iane. the chiefe Iustice of the Common place is gone madde It is sayde also that Iustice Hales hath recanted peruerted by D. Moreman Item that M. Rogers D. Crome and M. Bradforde shall be had to Cambridge and there be disputed with as we were here and that the Doctours of Oxforde shall goe likewise thither Disputation in Cambridge intended as Cambridge men came hither When ye haue red mine answeares sende theÌ„ againe to Austen except ye wil put any thing to them I trust the day of oure deliuerie out of all miseries and of our entrance into perpetuall rest and vnto perpetuall ioye and felicitie draweth me the Lorde strengthe vs wyth hys mighty spirite of grace If you haue not to wryte with you must make your man your frende And this bearer deserueth to be rewarded so he may and will doe you pleasure My man is trustie but it greeueth both him and mee that when I sende hym with any thing to you your man will not let him come vp to see you as he maye to M. Latimer and yours to me I haue a promise to see how my answers were wrytten in the schooles but as yet I cannot come by it Praye for me I pray for you and so shall I for you The Lord haue mercy of his church and lighten the eyes of the magistrates that Gods extreme plagues light not on this realme of England Turne or burne These disputations being thus discoursed and ended which were at Oxforde in the moneth of April as is aforesayd nowe let vs returne againe to the prosecuting of our story touching other things likewise y t happened in other parties of the realme in this tumultuous time of Queene Marie And because thinges that happened in that time were so many and diuers that it is hard to keepe a perfecte order in reciting them all to the entent therefore to inserte things leaft out before or els to prosecute the same more at full we haue thought heere a litle to interrupt the order of time albeit not muche returning againe to the moneth of Iulie the yeare before videlicet 1553. In the which moneth of Iuly I shewed before howe the Duke of Northumberland was apprehended by the Gard and brought to London by the Earle of Arundell and other Lordes and Gentlemen appoynted for that purpose on S. Iames day being the 25. day of Iuly and so to the tower where they remained These be the names of them which were committed to the Tower with the Duke First the Earle of Warwike the Earle of Huntington Lord Ambrose The names of them that were committed to the Tower with the Duke of Northumberland and Lord Henry Dudley Lord Hastings who was deliuered againe y e same night sir Iohn Gates sir Henry Gates sir Andrew Dudley sir Thom. Palmer and D. Sandes Chancelour of Cambridge The 26. day the Lorde Marques of Northampton the B. of London Lord Robert Dudly and sir Richard Corbet were brought and committed to the Tower The 27. day the Lorde chiefe Iustice of Englande and the Lord Mountacute chiefe Iustice of the common place were committed to the Tower Uppon the Friday being the 28. of Iulye the Duke of Suffolke and Sir Iohn Cheeke were committed to the Tower The 30. of Iulye the Lorde Russell was committed to the Sheriffe of Londons custodie The 31. day the Earle of Rutlande was committed to the Fleete The Duke of Suffolke deliuered out of the Tower Uppon the monday the last of Iuly the Duke of Suffolke was deliuered out of the Tower againe Upon thursday the 3. of August the Queene entred into the citie of London at Algate so to the Tower where shee remained seuen daies and then remooued to Richmond Uppon friday the fourth day doct Day was deliuered out of the Fleete Upon saterday the 5. day the Lorde Feries was committed to the tower and the same daye D. Boner was deliuered out of the Marshalsey The same day at nyght D. Coâ—kes was committed to the Marshalsey and one M. Edward Underhill to Newgate Also the same day doctor Tonsâ—â—â— and Ste. Gardiner were deliuered out of the Tower and Gardiner receiued into the Quenes priuie counsaile and made Lord Chancelor Uppon Sunday the 7. day Henry Dudley captaine of the Garde at
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
if hereby we doe enioy all good thinges it followeth that we must needes possesse haue and enioy you most reuerend Fathers who be no small part of our ioy and good thinges geuen vs of God We heretofore haue had the fruition of you by bodily presence to our inexplicable benefite praysed be that oure gracious God therfore And nowe in spirite we haue the experience of vnspeakeable cōfort by your reuerēt fatherhoodes for y t in this so glorious sort Math. 5. ye become a towne set vpon a hill a candle vpon a candlestick a specktacle vnto y e world both to the Angels vnto men So y t as we to our great cōfort do feele 1. Cor. 4. Phil. 1. you also may assuredly say with saint Paule y t the things which happē vnto vs do chance vnto y e great furtherance of the Gospell so y t our bonds in christ are manifest not onely throughout all the iudgement hall but in all wholl Europa in so much that many of the brethren in the Lord being incouraged through our bondes dare more boldly speake the word without feare And here in as you haue with s. Paule greatly to reioyce so we doe reioyce with you and we do in deed with you geue thāks for this worthy excellēt fauour of our God towards you that christ is thus magnified in you yea and hereafter shal be magnified in your bodies Phil. 1. Phil. 1. whether it be through life or death Of which thing truely wee are assured in our prayers for you and ministring of the spirite And although for your owne partes Christ is vnto you life and death aduantage and that your desire is as in deede it were better for you to be loosed and to be w t Christ yet for the Church of Christ were it much more necessary that ye shuld abide in the fleshe Yea that mercifull God euen for his Christes sake graunt that ye may abide and continue for the furtheraunce of the Churche and reioysing of fayth that the reioysing therof may be the more aboundant through Iesus Christ by your restoring Amen Amen But if it seeme better otherwise vnto the diuine wisedome y t by speedy death he hath appoynted you to glorifie him y e Lords wil be done Yea euen as we do reioyce both on your behalfes also on our own that God is magnified by life and shuld be more aboundantly glad for the continuance thereof so we shall no lesse reioyce to haue y e same wrought by death We shall geue thankes for this honour geuen vnto you reioysing that ye are accounted worthye to suffer for the name of Christ and that it is geuen to you of God not onely that ye shoulde beleue in him but also that ye should suffer for his sake And herein we shal haue to reioyce in the behalfe of the Churche of Christ whose faith may be the faster fixed vpon Gods veritie being confirmed with three such worthy witnesses Oh thankes be to God for this his vnspeakeable gift And now most reuerend Fathers that you may vnderstand the trueth of vs and our estate howe we stand in the lord I do assure your reuerences partly by y t I perceaue by such of our brethren as be here in bondes w t me partly by that I heare of them which be in other places partly by that inward experiēce which I most vnworthy wretch haue of Gods good comfort more aboundance whereof I knowe there is in others you may be assured I say by Gods grace that you shall not be frustrate of your hope of our constaunt continuance in the cheerefull confession of Gods euerlasting veritie For euen as we haue receyued the word of truth euen the Gospell of our saluation wherin we beleeuing are sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritaunce the which spirite certifieth our spirit The constant minde of a christian souldiour Ephes. 1. Rom. 8. Galat. 4. that we are the children of God and therefore God hath sente the spirite of his Sonne into our harts crying Abba Father so after such portion as God measureth vnto vs we with the whole Church of Christ and with you reuerend fathers receiuing the same spirite of faith according as it is written I beleeued and therefore I haue spoken 2. Cor. 4. Psal. 116. We also beleeue and therefore speake For the which we in this dangerous bondage and other afflictions hauing euen such a fight as we haue seene in you and haue heard of you Phil. 1. are in no wise afraid of our aduersaries And forasmuch as we haue such an office euen as God hath had mercy on vs 1. Cor. 4. we go not out of kind but euē with you after our little power we labour to maintain the faith of the Gospell knowing most certainely that though we haue this treasure in earthen vessels 2. Cor 4. that the excellency of thys power might be Gods and not ours yet shall we not be dashed in pieces For the Lord will put his hand vnder vs. When we are troubled on euery side yet are we not without shift when we are in pouerty we are not vtterly without some thing when we suffer persecution we are not forsaken therein when we are cast downe yet we shall not perish but to communicate with our sweete Sauiour Christ in bearing the crosse it is appointed vnto vs that euen with him also we shall be glorified For it is a true saying If we be dead with him 2. Tim. 2. we shall also liue with him If we be patient we shall also raigne with him If we deny him he shall also deny vs. Wherefore be we of good cheere 3. Cor. 4. alwayes bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life of Iesus might appeare also in our body For we know that he which raised vp the Lorde Iesus shall rayse vp vs also by the meanes of Iesus and shall ioyne vs to himselfe together with you Wherefore we are not weeried but though our outward man perish yet the inwarde man is renued day by day For our tribulation which is momentane and light prepareth an exceeding and eternall weight of glory vnto vs while we looke not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene For the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall Esay 12. We testifie vnto you Reuerend fathers that we drawe these waters with ioy out of the Wels of the sauiour And I trust we shall cōtinually with you blesse the Lord Psal. 48. giue thanks to the Lord out of the wels of Israell we trust to bee merry together at that greate Supper of the Lambe whose spouse we are by faith and there to sing that song of euerlasting Haleluyah Amen Yea come Lorde Iesu. The grace of our Lord Iesu Christ be with you Amen Another letter written
readye good will towardes me in your hartye desire to stretch out your helping hand to relieue my lacke Prayer distributeth Gods blessinges from one to an other and of your helpe to be extended to me in the other spirituall sort by your good prayer I doubt not as I also therin assure you of my helpe being all that I may do yet the same not so much as I would do My need concerning bodely necessaryes is as yet furnished by Gods prouision so that I am not driueÌ„ to any extremity wherfore to be burdenous to you as your gentle beneuolence prouoketh me the Lord reward you therefore If God make me worthy to be eis witnes at this present in geuing this corruptible body to burne for the testimony of his truth it is enough for me to say vnto you that I haue a poore wife and childe whom I loue in the Lord and whome I know for my sake you will tender when I am departed hence c. ¶ An other Letter to Maystres Lucy Harrington GRace and mercy c. It happeneth oftentimes that aboundaunce of matter bringing with it much vehemeÌ„cy of frendly affection maketh men dumbe and euen then chiefely when there is most eger purpose of speaking An other letter of M. Saunders silence doth suppresse and causeth the party so affected vnperfectly to expresse that he goeth about to vtter Such impediment by much matter mingled with feruency of affection feele I some times in my selfe letting the vtteraunce either by tongue or writing of the aboundance of the hart The loue of our most gracious God and heauenly Father bestowed vpon vs in the merites of Christ our Sauiour who may by coÌ„ceipt of minde comprehend passing in deed al vnderstanding much lesse may the same by any meanes be expressedly vttered And as suche heauenlye blessinges which by fayth we fetch from aboue be inexplicable so is it hard to vtter when the faythfull are set on fire by loue theyr readines to reach forth and to geue by charity as by fayth they haue receiued But alas we cary this treasure in earthen vessels Many times fayth is feble and then loue loseth her feruor 2. Cor. 4. Fayth many tymes in vs is feeble Pray we therfore Lord encrease our fayth and loue forthwith will be on fire And immortall thanks be geuen vnto our God who in our Christ hath bestowed vpon vs the first fruites of his spirite who cryeth in our hartes Abba Father And as S. Paule sayth seeing we haue the same spirit of fayth Rom 8. 1. Cor 4. according as it is written I beleeued and therfore haue I spoken we also beleue and therfore we speak Yea God knoweth this spirit putteth in vs a minde to speake but in attempting therof we are driuen w t Moyses to say O Lord I am slow mouthed and of vncircumcised lippes with Ieremy Exod. 8. Ierome 1. O Lord I cannot speake Albeit that this infancy restraineth the opening of such aboundance of hart in my tender Christian duety to be declared towardes you yet I beseech you let this be setled in your vnderstanding that as S. Paule expresseth vnto his Corinthians that they were in his hart eyther to liue or to dye with many other such sayings vttered vnto them and the Galathians expressing his vehement affection towardes them so in some part I would be like affected towardes all Gods children and especially towardes you whoÌ„ I know in Christ and to whom I will not say how muche I am indebted I thanke you for your great frendshyp and tender good will towards my wife yea that good gracious God recompeÌ„ce you which may worthely with the more counteruayle the same and fulfill that which lacketh of thankefull duety in vs. And because of that which heretofore I haue conceiued of you and of your more then naturall loue towardes me and mine I make my selfe thus bold to lay this burdeÌ„ vpon you euen the care and charge of my sayd poore wife I meane to be vnto her a mother mistres to rule and direct her by your discreet counsell M. Saunders commeÌ„deth the care of his wyfe to Maistres Harrington I know she conceiueth of you the same that I do is thankfull vnto God with me for such a frend and therfore I beseech you euen for Christes sake put neuer from you thys frendly charge ouer her whether I liue longer or shortly depart But to charge you otherwise thankes be to God neither I neither she haue any such extreme need if we had I would be as bold with you as mine owne mother I beseech you geue my harty salutations vnto M. Fitzwilliams my good Lady with thankes also for my poort wife and child the Lord recompence them Laurence Saunders Furthermore as touching his fatherly care affection to his wife and his litle child the same is liuely set forth in an other letter which he did write to his wife wherein he admonished her that she should not resort much to the prison where he was for dauÌ„ger of trouble that might ensue the tenour of whose letter here foloweth ¶ An other letter to his wife with a certayne remembraunce to M. Harrington and M. Hurland GRace and comfort c. Wife you shall do best not to come often vnto the Grate where the Porter may see you An other letter of Saunderâ— his wyfe Putte not your selfe in daunger where it needes not you shall I think shortly come farre enough into daunger by keeping fayth and a good conscience which deare wife I trust you do not slacke to make reckoning and account vpon by exercising your inward man in meditation of Gods most holy word being the sustenance of the soule and also by geuing your selfe to huÌ„ble prayer for these two thinges be very meanes how to be made members of our Christ meet to inherite his kingdome Do this deare wife in earnest and not leauing of and so we two shall with our Christ and all his chosen children enioye the mery world in that euerlasting immortality wheras here will nothing els be found but extreme misery euen of them which most greedely seeke this worldlye wealth and so if we two continue Gods children graffed in our Christ the same Goddes blessing which we receiue shall also settle vpon our Samuel Though wee do shortly depart hence and leaue the poore Infant to our seeming at all aduentures yet shall he haue our gracious God to be his God for so hath he sayd and he cannot lye I will be thy God sayth he and the God of thy seed Yea if you leaue him in the wâ—ldernes destitute of all helpe being called of God to do his wil either to dye for the confession of Christ Care of children tyme of nâ—â—cessitye ought to left to Goâ— who wilâ— not see thâ— forsaken either any worke of obedience that God which heard the crye of the litle poore infant of Agar Saraes handmayden and
paine and griefe to departe from goods and frends but yet not so muche as to departe from grace and heauen it selfe Wherefore there is neither felicitye nor aduersitye of this world that can appeare to be great if it be wayed with the ioyes or paines in the world to come I can do no more but pray for you do the same for me for Gods sake For my parte I thanke the heauenly Father I haue made mine accompts and appoynted my selfe vnto the wil of the heauenly father as he will so I will by hys grace For Gods sake as soone as ye can send my poore wife and children some letter from you and my letter also which I sent of late to D. As it was tolde me shee neuer had letter from me sithens the coÌ„ming of M.S. vnto her the more to blame the messengers for I haue wrytten diuers times The Lord comfort them and prouide for them for I am able to doe nothing in worldly things Shee is a godly and wise woman If my meaning had bene accomplished she should haue hadde necessary things but that I meant God can performe to whom I commend both heâ— and you all M. Hoopeâ— care and commendation of his wife I am a precious Iewell nowe and daintely kept neuer so daintely for neither mine owne man nor any of the seruants of the house may come to me but my keper alone a simple rude maÌ„ God knoweth but I am nothing carefull thereof Fare yee well the 21. of Ian. 1555. Yours bounden Iohn Hooper Amongst many other memorable acts and notes worthy to be remembred in the hystorie of M. Hooper thys also is not to be forgotten which happened betwene hym and a bragging Frier a little after the beginning of his imprisonment the storie whereof heere followeth A Frier came from Fraunce to England wyth greate vaunt Talke betwene M. Hooper anâ— a Fryer in the prison asking who was the greatest hereticke in all England thinking belike to doe some great act vpon hym To whom aunswere was made that M. Hooper had then the greatest name to be the chiefest ringleader who was then in the Fleete The Frier comming to him asked whye hee was committed to prison He sayd for debt Nay sayde he it was for heresie Which when the other had denyed what sayst thou quoth he to hoc est corpus meum M. Hooper being partly mooued at the sodaine question desired that hee mighte aske of him againe an other question whyche was thys What remained after the consecration in the Sacrament any breade or no No breade at all sayeth hee And when yee breake it what doe yee breake If the mateâ—riall body of Christ be broken in the sacrament then iâ— the commaundemâ—t of Gods word broken either bread or the body sayde Maister Hooper No bread sayd the Frier but the body onely If you doe so sayd M. Hooper ye do great iniurie not onely to the body of Christe but also yee breake the Scriptures which saye Yee shall not breake of hym one bone c. Wyth y t the Frier hauing nothing be like to aunswere recoyled backe and with his circles and crosses began to vse exorcisme against M. Hooper as though c. Thys and more wrote master Hooper to mistres Wilkinson in a letter which letter was read vnto her by Iohn Kelke Comparison betwene M. Hooper and Polycarpus WHen I see and beholde y e great patience of these blessed Martyrs in our daies in their sufferings so quietly and coÌ„stantly abiding the torments that are ministred vnto them of princes for Gods cause â— compariâ—â—n beâ—weene M. â—ooper â—olycarpus mee thinkes I maye wel and worthely compare them vnto the olde Martyrs of the primatiue Churche In the number of whome if comparison be to be made betwixt Saint and Saint Martyr and Martyr with whom might I match this blessed martyr M. Iohn Hooper better throughe the whole catalogue of the olde Martyrs then with Polycarpus the aunciente Bishop of Smirna Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 15. of whome Eusebius maketh mention in the Ecclesiasticall storie For as both agreed together in one kinde of punishmeÌ„t being both put to the fire so which of them shewed more patience and constancie in the time of their suffering it is hard to be sayde And though Polycarpus being set in the flame as the storie saith was kepte by myracle from the tormente of the fire till hee was stricken downe with weapon and so dispatched yet Hooper by no lesse myracle armed with patience feruent spirit of Gods comfort so quietly despised the violence thereof as though he had felt litle more then did Polycarpus in y e fire flaming round about him Moreouer as it is wrytten of Polycarpus when hee should haue bene tied to the stake Of this Policarpus read before he required to stand vntied saying these woordes Sinite me qui namque ignem ferre posse dedit dabit etiam vt sine vestra clauorum cautione immotus in rogo permaneam That is Let me alone I pray you for he that gaue me strength to come to this fire will also geue mee patience to abide in the same without your tying So likewise Hooper with the like spirite when hee shoulde haue bene tied with thre chaines to the stake requiring them to haue no such mistrust of him was tied but with one who and if he had not bene tied at all yet no doubte woulde haue no lesse aunswered to that great patience of Polycarpus M. Hooper compared to Polycarpus in life And as the ende of them bothe was much agreeing so the life of them both was such as might seme not farre discrepant In teaching like diligent both in zeale feruent in life vnspotted in manners and conuersation inculpable Bishops also martyrs both Briefly in teaching so pithy and fruitful that as they both were ioyned together in one Spirite so mighte they be ioyned in one name together of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit much fruitful to which name also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not much vnlike In thys the Martyrdome of M. Hooper may seeme in suffering to goe before though in time it followed the Martyrdome of Polycarpus for that he was bothe longer in prisone The cruell handling of M. Hooper and there also so cruellye handled by the malice of hys keepers as I thinke none of the olde martyrs euer suffered the like To thys also adde howe hee was disgraded by Boner wyth suche contumelies and reproches as I thinke in Polycarpus time was not vsed to any And as wee haue hitherto compared these two good Martyrs together The enemies of M. Hooper and of Polycarpus compared so nowe if we should compare the enemies and authours of their death one wyth the other wee should finde no inequalitie betwixt them both but that the aduersaries of M. Hooper semed to be more cruell and vnmerciful For they that put Polycarpus to
the cognisaunce of the Lorde of hostes This cognisaunce of the Lorde standeth not in forked cappes The Lordes cognisaunce standeth not in forked caps c. but in suffering for the Lordes sake typettes shauen crownes or such other baggage and Antichristian pelfe but in suffering for the Lordes sake The world shall hate you sayth Christ. Loe â—here is the Cognisaunce and Badge of Goddes children The world shall hate you Reioyce therefore my dearely beloued reioyce that God doth thus vouchsafe to beginne to conforme you and make you like to Christ. By the tryall of these dayes yee are occasioned more to repent more to pray more to contemn this world more to desire life euerlasting more to be holy for holy is the end wherefore God doth afflict vs and so to come to Gods companye Whych thing because we can not doe as long as this body is as it is therfore by the dore of death we must enter with Christ into eternall life and immortality of soule and body whiche God of his mercy send shortly for our Sauiour Iesus Christes sake Amen ¶ To Maystres A. Worcup THe euerlasting peace of Christ be more and more liuely felte in our hartes Another letter of M. Bradford to Mistres Warcup by the operation of the holy ghost now and for euer Amen Although I knowe it bee more then needeth to write anye thing vnto you good Sister being as I doubt not you be diligently exercised in readinge of the Scriptures in meditating of the same and in harty prayer to GOD for the helpe of his holy Spirite to haue the sense and feeling especially of the comfortes you reade in Gods sweete booke yet hauinge such oportunity and knowing not whether hereafter I shall euer haue the like as this bringer can declare I thought good in few wordes to take my farewell in writinge because otherwise I canne not And nowe me thinkes I haue doone it For what else canne I or shoulde I saye vnto you my dearely beloued in the Lorde but farewell Farewell deare Sister farewell howbeit in the Lorde our Lord I say farewell In him shall you farewell Bradford 〈◊〉 farewell Maâ—stres Warcup so much the better by howe muche in your selfe you fare euill and shall fare euill When I speake of your selfe I meane also this worlde thys life and all thinges properly perteining to this life In them as you looke not for your welfare so be not dismayed when accordingly you shall not feele it To the Lord our GOD to the Lambe our Christ which hath borne our sinnes on his backe is our Mediatour for euer do I send you In him looke for welfare and that without all wauering because of his owne goodnesse and truth which our euilles and vntrueth can not take away Not that therefore I would haue you to flatter your selfe in any euill or vnbeliefe but that I woulde comfort you that they should not dismay you Yours is our Christ wholy Christ is wholy 〈◊〉 with all that euer hath yours I say he is with all that euer he hath Is not this welfare trow you MouÌ„taynes shall moue and the earth shall fall before you finde it otherwise say that liar Sathan what he list Therefore good Sister farewell and be mery in the Lorde bee mery I say for you haue good cause If your welfare ioy and saluation hanged vpon any other thing then onely Gods mercy truth then might you well be sad heauy and stand in a doubt but in that it hangeth onely vpon these two tel Sathan he lyeth How to aunswere Sathan when he moueth vs to doubâ—â— Gods 〈◊〉 How to looke vpoâ— Christ. How to looke 〈◊〉 our selueâ— In case oâ— iustificatiâ—â— let no 〈◊〉 looke vpoâ— himself 〈◊〉 onely vpâ—â— the goodâ—â—â— of God iâ— Christ. wheÌ„ he would you to stand in a mammering by causing you to caste your eyes which onely in this case should be set on Christ your sweet Sauior on your selfe In some part in deede looke on your selfe on your fayth on your loue obedience c. to wake you vp from security to stirre you vp to diligence in doing the thinges apperteyning to your vocation but when you would be at peace with God and haue true consolation in your conscience altogether looke vpon the goodnes of God in Christ. Thinke on this commaundement which precedeth all other that you must haue no other Gods but the Lord Iehouah which is your Lord God the which he could not be if that he did not pardon your sinnes in very deede Remember that Christ commaundeth you to call him father for the same intent And hereto call to minde all the benefites of God hitherto shewed vpon you and so shall you fele in very deede that which I wish vnto you now and pray you to wish vnto me Farewell or welfare in the Lord Iesus with whom he graunt vs shortlye to meete as his children for his name and mercies sake to our eternall welfare Amen ¶ To mine owne deare brother M. Laurence Saunders prisoner in the Marshalsee MY good brother I beseech our good and gracious Father alwayes to coÌ„tinue his gracious fauor loue towards vs by vs as by instruments of his grace to work his glory the coÌ„fusion of his aduersaryes A letter of M. Bradford to M. Sauâ—â—ders Ex ore infantium lactentium fundet laudem ad destruendum inimicum c. Amen 1. Out of the mouth of infantes and babes he will shew forth his prayse to destroy the enemy c. I haue perused your letters to my selfe and haue read them to others For aunswere whereof if I should write what Doctor Taylor and Mayster Philpot doe thinke then must I say that they thinke the Salt sent vnto vs by your * This frieâ—â— moued 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 to the Paâ—pistes artâ—â—cles with this condâ—â—tion so 〈◊〉 as they 〈◊〉 agaynst Gods word being in deede cleane coâ—â—trary to 〈◊〉 and yet shortly 〈◊〉 he valiantâ—â— suffred death for refusing 〈◊〉 same Psal. 54. Psalm 36 Psalm 3â— Math. 10. 1. Cor 10 2. Pet. 1. Nahum â— frende is vnseasonable And in deede I thinke they both will declare it hartely if they shoulde come before them As forme if you woulde knowe what I thinke my good and most deare brother Laurence because I am so sinnefull and so conspurcate the Lord knoweth I lye not with many greuous sinnes which I hope are washed away Sanguine Christi nostri I neither canne nor woulde bee consulted withall but as a sypher in Agrime How be it to tell you how and what I minde take this for a summe I pray GOD in no case I may seeke my selfe and in deede I thankâ— GOD therefore I purpose it not Quod reliquum est Domino Deo meo committo spero in illum quod ipse faciet iuxta hoc Iacta in Dominum curam c. Omnis cura vestra coniecta sit in illum c. Reuela Domino
¶ 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
with Eue to the lying spirite which woulde haue you now to despayre no he goeth more craftilye to worke howbeit to that ende if you should geue eare vnto it which God forbid but to doubt and stand in a mammering and so shoulde you neuer truely loue God but serue him of a seruile feare least he shoulde cast you off for your vnworthines and vnthankefulnes as though your thankfulnes or worthines were anye causes with God why he hath chosen you or will finally keepe you Ah myne owne deare harte Christ onely Christ only and his mercy truth In him is the cause of your election This Christ this mercy All ouâ— election is 〈◊〉 and for Christ onlâ— this truth of God remayneth for euer is certayne for euer I saye for euer If an Aungel from heauen should tell you contrary accursed be he Your thankfulnes and worthines are fruites and effectes of your election they are no causes These fruites and effectes shal be so much more fruitfull and effectual by how much you wauer not Therefore my dearely beloued arise and remember from whence you are fallen Psalm 120 You haue a shepheard which neither slumbreth nor sleepeth No man nor deuill can pul you out of his handes Night and day he commaundeth his Aungels to keepe you Haue you forgotten what I read to you out of the Psalme Psalm 23. The Lorde is my shepheard I can want nothing Do you not know that god sparred Noe in the Arke on the out side so that hee coulde not get out Psalm 90. So hath he done to you my good sister so hath he done to you Ten thousande shall fall on youre right hande and twenty thousand on your left hand yet no euill shal touch you Say boldly therefore Psal. 125. Many a tyme from my youth vpp they haue fought agaynst me but they haue not preuayled no nor neuer shall preuayle for the Lord is round about hys people And who are the people of God but such as hope in him Happy are they that hope in the Lorde and you are one of those my deare heart Though feeling fayle yet hope holâ— fast for I am assured you haue hoped in the Lord I haue your woordes to shewe moste manifestly and I knowe they were written vnfaynedly I neede not to say that euen before God you haue simply confessed to me and y t oftentimes no lesse And once if you had this hope as you doubtlesse had it though now you seele it not yet shall you feele it agayne for the anger of the Lorde lasteth but a moment but his mercy lasteth for euer Tel me my deare heart who hath so weakned you The eye of fayth must looke vpoâ— nothing 〈◊〉 but onely 〈◊〉 Christ crâ—â—cified Surely not a perswasion which came from him that called you For why should ye wauer Why shoulde ye wauer and be so heauy harted Whome looke you on On youre selfe on your worthines on your thankfulnes on that whiche God requireth of you as fayth hope loue feare ioy c. TheÌ„ can you not but wauer in deed for what haue you as God requireth Beleue you hope you loue you c. as muche as ye shoulde doe No no nor neuer can in this life Ah my dearly beloued haue you so soone forgotten y t which euer should be had in memory namely that when you would shoulde be certayne and quiet in conscience then should your fayth burst throughout al things not onely that you haue in you or els are in heaueÌ„ earth or hell vntill it come to Christ crucified and the eternall sweete mercies and goodnes of God in Christ Here here is the resting place here is your Spouses bed creepe into it and in your armes of fayth embrace him bewayle your weakenes your vnworthines your diffideÌ„ce c. and you shall see he will turne to you What sayde I you shall â—eeâ— Nay I should haue sayd You shall feele hee will turne to you You know that Moses when he went to the mount to talke with God he entred into a darck cloude and Helias had his face couered when God passed by Both these deare frendes of God heard God but they sawe him not but you woulde be preferred before them See nowe my deare hart how couetous you are Ah bee thankefull bee thankefull But God be praysed youre couetousnesse is Moyses couetousnes Well with him you shal be satisfied But when Forsooth when he shall appeare Here is not the time of seeing but as it were in a glasse Isaac was deceiued because he was not content with hearing onely Psalm 16. Therfore to make an end of these many words wherwith I feare me I doe but trouble you from better exercises in asmuch as you are in deede the childe of God electe in Christ before the beginning of all times in as much as you are geueÌ„ to the custody of Christ as one of Gods most precious iewels in as much as Christ is faythfull hytherto hath all power so y t you shall neuer perish no onâ— heare of your head shall not be lost I beseeche you I pray you I desire you I craue at your hands with all my very heart I aske of you with hand penne tongue and minde in Christ through Christ for Christ for his name bloude mercies power and truthes sake my most entirely beloued sister that you admit no doubting of Gods final mercies towardes you howe so euer you feele your selfe but complaine to God and craue of him as of your tender and deare father al things and in that time which shal be most oportune you shall finde and feele farre aboue that your heart or the heart of any creature can conceiue to your eternall ioy Amen Amen Amen The good spirit of God alwaies kepe vs as hys deare children he comfort you as I desire to be comforted my dearely beloued for euermore Amen I breake vp thus abruptly because our common prayer time calleth me The peace of Christe dwell in both our hearts for euer Amen As for the reporte of W. Po. if it be as you heare you must prepare to beare it The 〈…〉 vpoÌ„ 〈…〉 It is wrytten on heauens doore Do wel and heare euil Be content therfore to heare what soeuer the enemie shall imagine to blot you withall Gods holy spirite alwaies comfort and keepe you Amen Amen This 8. of August by him that in the Lord desireth to you as well and as much felicitie as to his owne heart Iohn Bradford Heere followeth an other letter of hys wrytten to the good Lady Uane wherein he resolueth certaine questions which shee demaunded This Lady Uane was a speciall Nourse Commenâ—â—tion of 〈◊〉 â—ady â—ane and a great supporter to her power of the godly Saints which were imprisoned in Queene Maries time Unto whom diuers Letters I haue both of M. Philpot Carelesse Traherne Thomas Rose and of other moe wherein they render vnto her moste gratefull thankes
this binedeth hym as Dauid in Christes person witnesseth Our Fathers hoped in thee and thou deliueredst them c. Psal. 22. yet by coÌ„iectures I coulde not but suppose thoughe not so certainely the time of your suffering and probation to be at hande For now is the power of darknes fully come vpon this realme most iustly for oâ—r sinnes and abusing the light lent vs of the Lorde to the setting foorthe of oure selues more then of Gods glory y t as wel we might be brought into the better knowledge of our euils and so heartily repeÌ„t which God graunt vs to doe as also we might haue more feeling and sense of our sweete sauiour Iesus Christ by the humbling and deiecting of vs thereby to make vs as more desirous of him so him more sweet and pleasant vnto vs the which thing the good spirite of God woorke sensibly in all oure hearts for Gods holy names sake For this cause I thoughte it my duetie beynge nowe where I haue some libertye to write the Lord be praised and hearing of you as I heare to doe that which I should haue done if I had heard nothing at all that is to desire you to be of good cheare and comfort in the Lord although in the worlde you see cause rather to the contrarye and to goe on forewardes in the way of God whereinto you are entred considering that the same cannot but so much more and more waxe strait to the outward man by howe muche you drawe nearer to the ende of it Euen as in the trauaile of a woman The nearer we come to our iourneyes end trauayling to heauen the strayter is the way the nearer shee draweth to her deliuerie the more her paines encrease so it goeth with vs in y e Lordes way the nearer we drawe to our deliueraunce by death to eternall felicitie Example whereof we haue I will not say in the holy Prophetes and Apostles of God which when they were young girded them selues and went in manner whether they would Example of the trauell of a woman Iohn 21. but when they waxed olde they went girded of others whither they would not concerning y e outward man but rather and moste liuely in our Sauiour Iesus Christ whose life way was much more painfull to hym towardes the ende then it was at the beginning And no marueyle Example of Christ and his Apostles for Satan cane something abide a man to begin wel set forewards but rather then he should go on to the ende he wil vomite his gorge and cast flouds to ouerflow him before he wil suffer that to come to passe Therefore as we should not be dismaide nowe at thys world The malice of the deuill no new thing as though some strange thyng were happened vnto vs in that it is but as it was wont to be to the godly in that the Deuill declareth him selfe after his olde woont in that we haue professed no lesse but to forsake the world and the deuil as Gods very enemie in that we learned no lesse at the first when we came to Gods schole then to deny our selues and take vp our crosse and folow our master which leadeth vs none other way then he him selfe hath gone before vs as I say we should not be dismaid so we should with patience and ioy go forewards if we set before vs as present the time to come like as the wife in her trauaile doeth the deliuerance of her child and as the saints of God did but especially our sauiour and paterne Iesus Christe for the Apostle sayeth Heb. 12. He set before him the ioye and glorye to come and therfore contemned the shame sorow of the crosse so if we did we shoulde finde at the length as they founde For whome would it greeue which hath a long iourney to go to go through a peece of foule way if he knewe that after that the way should be moste pleasaunt yea the iourney shoulde be ended Godly counsell stirring vs to the contempt of this transitory lyfe and he at his resting place most happie Who wiil be afeard or lothe to leaue a litle pelfe for a little time if he knewe he should shortly after receiue most plentifull riches Who will be vnwilling for a little while to forsake his wife children or frends c. when he knoweth he shall shortly after be associated vnto them inseparably euen after his owne hearts desire Who wil be sory to forsake this life which can not but be moste certaine of eternall life Who loueth the shadowe better then the bodye Who can loue this life but they that regarde not the life to come Who can desire the drosse of this worlde but such as be ignoraunt of the treasures of the euerlasting ioy in heauen Mathew 19. I meane who is afeard to die but suche as hope not to liue eternally Christ hath promised pleasures richesse ioye 1. Peter 2. felicitie and all good things to them that for hys sake lose any thing or suffer any sorrowe And is he not true Howe can hee but be true for guile was neuer founde in his mouth Alas then why are we so slacke and slow yea harde of heart to beleue him promising vs thus plentifully eternal blisfulnes and are so ready to beleue the worlde promising vs many things and paying vs nothing If we will currie fauour nowe and halâ—e on bothe partes then it promiseth vs peace The flatteâ—ing promises of this world ill fauoâ—â—â—ly performed quietnesse and many thinges els But howe doeth it pay this geare or if it pay it with what quietnesse of conscience Or if so howe long I pray you Doe not we see before our eyes men to die shamefully I meane as Rebelles and other malefactours which refuse to dye for Gods cause What way is so sure a way to heauen as to suffer in Christes cause If there be anye waye on horsebacke to heauen surely this is the way By manye troubles sayeth the Apostle wee must enter into heauen Actes 14. All that will liue godly in Christ Iesu must suffer persecution For the world can not loue them that are of God 2. Timothy 3. the deuill can not loue hys ennemies the worlde will loue none but hys owne you are Christes therefore looke for no loue heere Should we looke for fire to quenche our thirste And as soone shall Gods true seruants finde peace and fauour in Antichrists regiment Therfore my dearly beloued be stout in the Lorde and in the power of his might Put on you his armour stande in the libertie of Christe which you haue learned reioyce that you may be counted woorthy to suffer any thyng for Gods cause to all men thys is not geuen Your rewarde is great in heauen though in earth you find nothing The iourney is almost past you are almost in the hauen halt on a pace I beseeche you and merily hoâ—se vp your sailes To 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉
looseth his life for the Gospels sake the same shal be sure to finde it eternally Do not ye knowe that the way to saluation is not the broade way which manye run in but the straight way which fewe now walke in Before persecution came men might partly haue stand in a doubt by the outward estate of the world with vs although by Gods woorde it was plaine whether was the high way king Edâ—â—rdâ— tyme 〈◊〉 high 〈◊〉 could 〈◊〉 be knoâ—en for there was as many that pretended the gospell as poperie but nowe the sunne is risen the winde bloweth so that the corne which hathe not taken fast roote can not nor will not abide and therefore easily yee may see the straight way by the smal number that passeth thorowe it Who will now aduenture their goods and life for Christes sake whiche yet gaue his life for our sakes Wee are now become Gergesites 〈◊〉 8. â—â—â—gesites 〈◊〉 more by 〈…〉 that would rather loose Christe then our Porkets A faithfull wife is neuer tried so to be but when shee reiecteth and withstandeth woers A faithfull Christian is then founde so to be when hys faith is assaulted If wee be not able I meane if wee will not forsake this world for Gods glory and Gospels sake trow ye that God will make vs able or geue vs a will to forsake it for natures sake Die ye must once and leaue al ye haue God knoweth how soone and when will ye or will ye not and seeing perforce ye must do this will ye not willingly now doe it for Gods sake If ye goe to Masse and do as the most part doeth then may ye liue at rest quietly but if ye deny to goe to it then shall ye goe to prison lose your goodes leaue your children comfortles yea lose your life also But my dearly beloued open the eyes of your faith see how short a thing this life is euen a very shadow and smoke Againe see how intollerable the punishment of hel fire is and that endles Last of all looke on the ioyes incompreheÌ„sible which God hath prepared for all them worlde without ende which loose eyther landes or goodes for his names sake And then doe ye reason thus If we goe to Masse the greatest enemie that Christe hath though for a little time we shall liue in quiet and leaue to our children that they may liue heereafter yet shall we displease God fall into his handes which is horrible to hypocrites and be in wonderful hazarde of falling from eternal ioy into eternal misery first of soul and then of body with the Deuil and all Idolaters Againe we shall wante peace of conscience which surmounteth all the riches of the world and for our children who knoweth whether God will visite our Idolatrie on them in this life yea our house and goods are in danger of loosing as our liues be through many casualties when God is angry with vs he can send alwaies when he will one meane or an other to take all from vs for our sinnes and to cast vs into care for our owne sakes which wil not come into some litle trouble for his sake On this sort reason with your selues and then doubtlesse God will worke otherwise with you and in you then ye are ware of Where nowe ye thinke your selues vnable to abide persecutioÌ„ be most assured if so be ye purpose not to forsake God that God will make you so able to beare his Crosse that therein you shall reioyce Faithful is God 1. Cor. 10. God will geue ability not 〈◊〉 to beare his Crosse but alâ—o to reioyce in bearing sayth Paul which wil not tempt you further then he wil make you able to beare yea hee will geue you an outscape in the Crosse which shal be to your comfort Thinke howe great a benefite it is if God will vouche you worthy thys honour to suffer losse of any thing for his sake He myghte iustly cast most greeuous plagues vpon you and yet now he will correct you with that rod wherby you shal be made like to his Christe that for euer ye may raigne wyth him Suffer your selues therfore now to be made like to Christ for els yee shall neuer be made like vnto him The Deuill woulde gladly haue you nowe to ouerthrowe that which godly ye haue of long time professed Oh howe woulde he triumph if he could winne his purpose Oh howe would the Papistes triumph against Gods gospell in you Oh howe would you confirme them in their wicked Poperie Oh how would the poore children of God be discomforted if now ye should go to masse and other idolatrous seruice and doe as the world doth Hath God deliuered you from y e Sweate to serue hym so Hath God myraculously restored you to healthe from your greeuous Agewes for suche a purpose Hath God geuen you such blessings in this world and good things al the daies of your life hitherto and nowe of equitie will ye not receiue at his hands and for his sake some euill God forbid I hope better of you Use prayer and cast your care vpon God commit your children into his hands geue to God your goods bodies and liues as he hath geuen them or rather sent them vnto you Say wyth Iob God hathe geuen and God hathe taken away hys name be praised for euer Caste your care vppon hym I saye for hee is carefull for you A great blessing of God to suffer for his sake and take it amongest the greatest blessings of God to suffer for his sake I trust he hath kept you hitherto to that ende And I beseeche thee O mercifull Father for Iesus Christes sake that thou wouldest be mercifull vnto vs comforte vs wyth thy grace and strengthen vs in thy trueth that in heart we may beleeue and in tongue boldly confesse thy Gospell to thy glorye and our eternall saluation Amen Pray for me and I by Gods grace will doe the same for you Iohn Bradford An admonition to certaine professours of the Gospell to beware they fall not from it in consenting to the Romish religion by the example of other halting and double faced Gospellers THe peace of Christe whiche is the true effecte of Gods Gospell beleued my dearly beloued be more and more plentifully perceiued of you An other letter or admonition of M. Bradford to certayne godly professors of Gods truth through the grace of our dere father by the mighty working of the holy spirite our comforter Amen Thoughe I haue many lettes presently to hinder mee from wryting vnto you yet being desired I could not but something signifie my ready good will in this behalfe so much as I may when I can not so much as I would You heare and see howe Sathan bestirreth hym raging as a roaring Lyon to deuoure vs. You see and feele partly what stormes he hath raised vp to drowne the poore Boate of Christe I meane hys Churche You see howe terribly
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
tempt vs further then he wil make vs able to beare Therfore be not carefull for I heare say this day you shall be called forth what you shall aunswer The Lord promiseth and will geue them that stand in his defence how and what to aunswere The Lord which is true and cannot lye hath promised and will neuer faile nor forget it that you shall haue both what and how to aunswer so as shal make hys shameles aduersaries ashamed Hang therefore on this promise of God who is an helper at a pinch and a most present remedy to them that hope in him Neuer was it heard of or shall be that any hoping in the Lord was put to foile Therfore as I sayd I say agayne Deare Sister be not only not carefull for your answeryng but also be ioyfull for your cause Confesse Christ and be not ashamed and he will confesse you neuer bee ashamed of you Though losse of goodes and lyfe bee like here to ensue A blessed thing seeing a man must needes dye to dye for the Lord. Yet if Christ be true as hee is most true it is otherwyse in deede For he that looseth his lyfe sayth he winneth it but he that saueth it looseth it Our sinnes haue deserued many deathes Nowe if God so deale with vs that hee wyll make our deserued death a demonstratioâ— of his grace a testimoniall of hys veritie a confirmation of hys people and ouerthrowe of hys aduersaries What great cause haue wee to bee thankefull Be thankefull therefore good Sister bee thankefull Reioyce and be mery in the Lord be stoute in his cause quaâ—ell be not faynt harted but runne out your race and set your captaine Christ before your eyes Beholde howe great your a small congregation But be it so that Peter had as much geuen to him as they do affirme· Who yet will graunt that Peter had a patrimony geuen for his heires He hath left say the Papists to his successors the selfe â—ame right which he receyued Oh Lord God then must hys successor be a Sathan for hee receyued that title of Christ hymselfe I would gladly haue the Papistes to shew me one place of succession mentioned in the Scriptures I am sure that wheÌ„ Paule purposely painteth out the whole administration of the church he neither maketh one head nor any inheritable Primacie yet he is altogether in commendation of vnitie After he hath made mention of one God the father of one Christ of one spirit of one body of the Church of one fayth and of one Baptisme then hee describeth the meane and maner how vnitie is to be kept namely because vnto euery pastour is grace geuen after the measure wherwith Christ hath endued them Where I pray you is now any title of Plenitudinis potestatis of fulnesse of power When he calleth home euery one vnto a certayne measure why did he not forthwith say one Pope Which thing he could not haue forgotten if the thyng had bene as the Papists make it But let vs graunt that perpetuitie of the Primacye in the church was established in Peter I would gladly learne why the seat of the Primacy should be rather at Rome then elswhere Mary say they because Peters chaire was at Rome This is euen lyke to this that because Moses the greatest Prophet and Aaron the first Priest exercised their offices vnto their death in the deserte therfore the principallest place of the Iewish Church should bee in the wildernesse But graunt them their reason that it is good What should Antioch claime For Peters chaire was there also wherin Paule gaue hym a checke which was vnseemely and vnmanerly done of Paule that would not geue place to his President and better No say the Papistes Rome must haue this authoritie because Peter died there But what if a man should by probable coniectures shew that it is but a fable which is fained of Peters Bishoprike at Rome Read how Paule doth salute very many priuate persons when he writeth to the Romaines Three yeres after his Epistle made he was broght to Rome prisoner Luke telleth that he was receiued of the brethren and yet in all these is no mention at all of Peter which then by their stories was at Rome Belike he was proud as the Pope and Prelates be or els he woulde haue visited Paule Paule beyng in prison in Rome did write diuers Epistles in which hee expresseth the names of many whiche were in comparison of Peter but rascall personages but of Peter he speaketh neuer a word Surely if Peter had bene there this silence of hym had bene suspicious In the 2. Epistle to Tim. Paule complaineth that no man was with hym in his defence but al had left hym If Peter had bene then at Rome as they write then eyther Paule had belied hym or Peter had played his Peters part Luke 23. In another place how doth he blame all that were with hâ—m only Timothy excepted Therfore we may wel doubt whether Peter was at Rome B. as they prate for all this tyme long before they say that Peter was bishop there But I will not stirre vp coles in this matter If Rome bee the chiefe seate because Peter died there why should not Antioch be the second Why should not Iames Iohn which were taken with Peter to be as pillers Why I say shoulde not their seates haue honor next to Peters seate Is not this geare preposterous that Alexandria where Marke which was but one of the disciples was bishop should be preferred before Ephesus where Iohn the Euangelist taught and was bishop and before IerusaleÌ„ where not only Iames taught and died bishop but also Christ Iesus our Lord high priest for euer by whom beyng Maister I hope honour should be geuen to his chaire more theÌ„ to the chaire of his Chaplaines I need to speake nothyng how that Paule telleth Peters Apostleship to concerne rather circumcision or the Iewes therfore properly pertaineth not to vs. Neither do I need to bring in Gregorius the first bishop of Rome which was about the yere of our Lord. 600. who plainly in his works doth write that this title of Primacy to be head ouer all churches vnder Christ is a title meete and agreyng only to Antichrist and therfore he calleth it a prophane a mischieuous and an horrible title Whome should we beleeue now if we will neyther beleeue Apostle nor Pope If I should go about to tel how this name was first gotten by Phocas I should be too long I purpose God willing to set it forth at large in a worke which I haue begun of Antichrist if God for his mercies sake geue me life to finish it For this present therefore I shall desire your Ladyship to take this in good part If they wil needs haue the B. of Rome to be acknowledged for the head of the Church then will I vrge them that they shall
geue vs a bishop But they obtrude vnto vs a butcher rather or a bitesheepe then a Bishop They brag of Peters succession of Christes vicare this is alwayes in theyr mouth But alas how can we call hym Christes Vicare that resisteth Christ oppugneth his veritie persecuteth hys people and lyke a Prelate preferreth himselfe aboue God and man How or wherein doth the Pope and Christ agree How supplieth hee Peters ministery that boasteth of hys succession Therfore to beginne withall which I will vse presently for a conclusion The Bishop of Rome seemeth in deede rather a Butcher then a Bishop if the Papists will haue the B. of Rome supreme head of the Churche of Christ in earth they must afore they attayne this gâ—ue vs a Bishop in deed and not in name For whosoeuer he be that will make this the bond of vnitie whatsoeuer the Bishop of Rome be surely this must needes folow that they do nothyng els but teach a most wicked defection and departing from Christ. But of this if God lend me lyfe I purpose to speake more at large hereafter Now will I betake your Ladyship vnto the tuition of God our father and Christ our onely head pastour keeper to whom see that you cleaue by true fayth which dependeth onely vpon the word of God which if you doe follow as a lanterne to your feete and a light to your steps you shall theÌ„ auoyd darkenes and the daungerous deepes whereinto the Papists are fallen by the iust iudgement of God and seeke to bryng vs into the same dungeon with them that the blynd following the blind they both mayfall into the ditch out of the which God deliuer them accordyng to hys good will and preserue vs for his names sake that we beyng in his lyght may continue therein and walke in it whilest it is day so shall the night neuer ouerpresse vs wee goyng from lyght to lyght from vertue to vertue from fayth to fayth from glory to glory by the gouernaunce of Gods good spirite which God our father geue vnto vs all for euer and euer Amen Your brother in bondes for the testimonye of Iesus Christ Ioh. Bradford Here followeth another letter of M. Bradford to one Richard Hopkins shiriffe sometimes of Couentry He wrote also an other fruitefull letter to this Richard Hopkins which you may read in the booke of letters of the Martyrs yet beyng as I heare say alyue This Hopkins whom M. Bradford commendeth so much in this letter duryng the tyme of his shiriâ—ealtie was detected and accused by certaine malignant aduersaries of matter pertaing to religion What matter it was I am not yet certainly informed vnles it were for sending and lendyng vnto a theefe being then in prison ready to be hanged a certain English booke of scripture for his spirituall comfort Whereupon or els vpon some such like matter he being maliciously accused was sent for and committed to the Fleete and there endured a sufficient tyme not wythout great perill of lyfe Notwithstandyng the sayd Hopkins beyng at length deliuered out of prison followyng thys counsaile of M. Bradford and mindyng to keepe his conscience pure from Idolatry was driuen with his wife and 8. yong children to auoyde the realme and so leauyng all other worldly respects with his great losse and dammage went into high Germany where he contiued in the Citie of Basill till the death of Queene Mary being like a good Tobias to his power a frendly helper and a comfortable relieuer of other Englishe exiles there about him Gods holy blessing so working with hym therefore that in those far countries neither he fell in any great decay neither any one of all his houshold during all that tyme there miscaried but so many as he brought out so many he recaried home againe yea that with aduantage and gods pleÌ„ty withall vpon him Now the letter written to this Richard Hopkins by M. Bradford is this ¶ A Letter to Maister Richard Hopkins then Shiriffe of Couentry and prisoner in the Fleete for the faythfull and constant confessing of Gods holy Gospell DEarely beloued in the Lord I wish vnto you as vnto myne owne brother yea as to myne owne hart roote A letter of M. Bradford to Richard Hopkins prisoner the same tyme for his conscience Gods mercy the feelyng of the same plentifully in Christ our sweete sauiour who gaue himselfe a raunsome for our sinnes and price for our redemption praysed therefore bee his holy name for euer and euer Amen I will not go about to excuse my selfe for not sendyng vnto you hetherto suffring for the Lordes sake as you do to the comfort of mee and of all that loue you in the truth but rather accuse my selfe both before God and you desiring you of forgiuenesse and with me to pray to God for pardon of this my vnkind forgetting you and al other my sinnes which I beseech the Lord in his mercy to do away for his Christes sake Amen Now to make amends to you ward I would be glad if I could but because I cannot I shall hartily desire you to accept that will and this which I shal now write vnto you there after I meane after my will and not after the deed to accept and take it At this present my deare hart in the Lord you are in a blessed state although it seem otherwise to you or rather vnto your olde Adam the which I dare now be so bold as to discerne from you because you would haue him not onely discerned but also vtterly destroyed For if God be true then is his word true Nowe his worde pronounceth of your state that it is happy therefore it must needes bee so To prooue this I thinke it need not for you know that the holy ghost saith That they are happy which suffer for righteousnes sake and that Gods glory and spirit resteth on them which suffer for conscieÌ„ce to God Now this you cannot but know that this your suffering is for righteousnesse sake and for conscience to Godwards for els you might be out of trouble eueÌ„ out of hand I know in very deed that you haue felt and do feele your vnthankfulnesse to God and other sinnes to witnes to you that you haue deserued this prisonment and lacke of libertie Martyrs persecuted not for their sinnes but for Christ onely the Gospell betwixt God and your selfe and I would you so would confesse vnto God in your prayers with petition for pardon and thanks geuing for his correctyng you here But you know that the Magistrates doe not persecute in you your sinnes your vnthankfulnesse c. But they persecute in you Christ hymselfe his righteousnesse his veritie and therefore happy be you that haue founde such fauor with God your father as to accompt you worthy to suffer for his sake in the sight of man surely you shall reioyce therfore one day with a ioy vnspeakeable in the sight of man also You may thinke
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
word being proper to y e new man The part pâ—operly pertaining to the old man is the lawe the part properly pertaining to the new man is the Gospell The lawe is a doctrine whych commaundeth and forbiddeth requiring doing and auoiding Under it therefore are contained all preceptes threatnings promises vppon conditions of our doing and auoiding c. The Gospell is a doctrine which alwayes offereâ—h and geueth requiryng on our behalfe not as of worthinesse or as a cause What 〈◊〉 law 〈◊〉 but as a certificate vnto vs and therefore vnder it are contained al the free and sweete promises of God as I am the Lorde thy God c. In those that bee of yeares of discretion it requyreth faith not as a cause but as an instrument wherby we our selues may be certaine of our good husbande Christ and of hys glory and therefore when the conscience feeleth it selâ—e disquieted for feare of Gods iudgement against sinne What 〈◊〉 Gospelâ— The 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 down 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Godâ— iudgemeâ—â— agaynst sinne 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 vpon the law 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 for 〈…〉 comfoâ—â— Iohn â— To the 〈…〉 and peace 〈◊〉 God the law 〈◊〉 onely to keepe 〈◊〉 the olde man Num. 25. she may in no wise looke vpon the doctrine pertaining to the olde man but on the doctrine onely that pertaineth to the new man in it not looking for that which it requireth that is faith because we neuer beleeue as we shoulde but onely on it which it offereth and whych it geueth that is on Gods grace and eternall mercye and peace in Christe So shall she be in quiet when she looketh for it altogether oute of her selfe in Gods mercy in Christ Iesu in whose lappe if shee lay her head wyth S. Iohn then is she happy and shall finde quietnesse in deede When shee feeleth her selfe quiet then in Gods name let her looke on the lawe and vppon suche things as it requireth thereby to bridle and keepe downe the olde Adam to slaye that Goliath from whom she must needes keepe the sweete promises beyng the bed wherein her spouse and she meete and lie together For as the wife will keepe her bed onely for her husbande although in other things she is contented to haue fellowshippe wyth others as to speake sitte eate drinke goe c. so our consciences which are Christes wiues must needes keepe the bed that is Gods sweete promises alonely for our selues and oure husbande there to meete together to embrace and laugh together and to be ioyfull together If sinne the lawe the Deuill or any thing would creepe into the bedde and lye there then complaine to thy husbande Christe and foorthwyth thou shalt see him play Phinees part Thus my dearely beloued I haue geuen you in few woordes a summe of all the Diuinitie whyche a Christian conscience can not want A letter wrytten to his Mother as a farewell when he thought he should haue suffered shortly after THe Lord of life and sauiour of the world Iesus Christe An other letter oâ— leaue 〈◊〉 to his moâ—ther supâ—posing 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 haue 〈…〉 blesse you and comfort you my good and deare mother with his heauenly comforte consolation grace and spirite nowe and for euer Amen If I thought that daily yea almost hourly you did not cry vpon God the father thorough Iesus Christ that he would geue me his blessing euen the blessing of his children then wold I wryte more hereabouts But for as much as herein I am certain you are diligent and so I beseech you good Mother to continue I thinke it good to wryte something whereby this your crying mighte be furthered Furthered it will be He meaneâ—â— the 〈◊〉 of more straight 〈◊〉 prisonmeâ—â— that mighâ— hereby 〈◊〉 low if those things which hinder it be taken away Among the which in that I thinke my imprisonment is the greatest and chiefest I will there about spende thys Letter and that briefly lest it might encrease the let as my good brother this bringer can tel you You shall know therefore good mother that for my body though it be in an house out of the whych I caÌ„ not come when I will yet in that I haue coÌ„formed my wil to gods will I finde herein liberty enough I thanke God And for my lodging bedding meate drinke godly and learned company bookes and all other necessaries for mine ease comfort and commoditie I am in much better case then I could wish Gods merciful prouidence heere is farre aboue my worthines Worthines quoth Alas I am worthy of nothing but damnation But besides all this for my soule I finde muche more commoditie For God is my Father I now perceaue thorough Christ therefore in prisonning me for his Gospell he maketh mee like to the Image of his sonne Iesus Christ here that when he commeth to iudgement I might then be like vnto him as my truste hope is I shal be Nowe maketh he me like to his frendes the Prophetes Apostles the holy Martyrs and Confessours Which of them did not suffer at the least imprisonment or banishment for hys Gospell and worde Nowe Mother howe farre am I vnmeete to bee compared to them I I saye whiche alwayes haue bene and am so vile an hypocrite and greeuous a sinner God myghte haue caused mee long before this time to haue bene cast into prisone as a theefe a blasphemer an vncleane liuer and an hainous offender of the lawes of the Realme but deare Mother his mercy is so great vpon both you and all that loue me that I should be cast into prison as none of these or for anye suche vices but onely for his Christes sake for hys Gospelles sake for his Churches sake that heereby as I might learne to lament and bewail my ingratitude sinnes so I might reioyce in his mercye be thankefull looke for eternall ioy with Christ for whose sake praised be his name for it I now suffer and therefore should be mery and glad And in deede good mother so I am as euer I was yea neuer so mery and glad was I as now I shoulde be if I coulde gette you to be mery wyth me to thanke God for me to pray on this sort Ah good father which dost vouchsafe that my sonne being a greuous sinner in thy sight shoulde finde this fauour with thee 〈…〉 in behalfe to be one of thy sonnes captaines and men of warre to fight and suffer for his Gospels sake I thanke thee and pray thee in Christes name that thou wouldest forgeue him his sinnes and vnthankefulnesse and make perfecte in him that good which thou hast begon yea Lorde I praye thee make him worthy to suffer not onely imprisonement but euen very death for thy truth religion and Gospels sake As Anna did applye and geue her first childe Samuel vnto thee so doe I deare father beseeching thee for Christes sake to accept this my gifte and geue my sonne Iohn Bradforde grace alwaies truely to serue
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
his will and pleasure herein then all honour or shame in this lyfe But I must confesse vnto you that my working in this matter is not of loue as I should do nor of feare of Gods iustice mine vnthankefulnes myne vnthankfulnes if nothyng else were hath not only deserued it but doth deserue more then euerlasting damnation oh Lord bee mercifull to me I doe not so repent it as I should do Why say I So as though this So were any thing oh hypocritical wretch that I am Alas father Traues let me so call you I am hard hearted there was neuer any so obstinate so vnkind against so louing so mercifull so gracious so good so beneficiall a Lord yea a father as I wretch and most miserable sinner am This I speak but not of humilitie but of hypocrisie yet I speake truely I pray thee good father for Christes sake I may thinke it truly as I write it euen of arrogancy so it is Therefore pray and cry for me Here be such goodly godly and learned Sermons which these vncircumcised eares of myne heareth at the lest thrise a weeke which were able y e great louyng mercy of God offered to me in them I meane to burst any mans hart to relent to repent to beleue to loue and to feare that omnipotent gracious Lord but my adamantine obstinate most vnkynde ingrate vnthankefull hart hearing my Lord which is Lord ouer all Lordes so graciously so louingly vouchsafe by so many hys instruments to speake to call to cry vnto me now by hys law now by his threats now by his gospell now by hys promises now by all his creatures to come to come euen to himselfe but I hide me with Adam in the garden I playe not onely Samuell running to Hely but I play Ionas runnyng to the sea and there I sleepe vppon the hatches tumbling in Iesabels bed quod est afflictâ—o maxima vntill it please God to annoynt myne eyes collyrio vntill it please hym to raise vp a tempest to turne and looke vpon me as Luke sayth he did on Peter For oh Lord it is thy gift and commeth of thee and of thy mere grace it commeth not of man it commeth not of works to repent to beleue to feare and to loue Worke thou therfore in me for Iesus Christs sake which am thy creature and most vnthankfull hypocriticall seruaunt not when I will nor as I wyll but when thou wilt euen that which may bee most to the glory of thy name Amen What should I write nay why do I not plucke these same wordes and paper in pieces for I write altogether of hypocrisie and arrogant presumption I will confesse it thou wicked spirite the Lord iudge thee I will confesse it it is most true Iohn Traues I write it but onely for it is not I it is hypocrisie Scientia if I had it inflaret oh Lord graunt me thy grace leaue me not to myne owne judgement and reason Hypocrisie arrogancy and obstinate securitie enuiron me yet I feele them not the Lord deliuer me Pray pray for me Geue God thankes for me Oh Lord euen tua fiat voluntas Unlocke this myne hart thou which hast the key of Dauid which openest onely that I may desire to haue the desire of the glory of thy name of repentaunce fayth c. Pray for me and be thankfull for me oh father Traues and wryte to me Your letters I desire more to see then any mans liuyng Let me haue them therfore as you may but your prayer at all tymes that God would open myne heart to feede and taste of these comfortable places of Scripture which to me are locked memento Iesum Christum resurrexisse ex mortuis This text is a text of most comfort as it is in deed and when God will I shal feede on it Did Paul send to Tymothie to be his comfort in all places For our saluation this day of resurrection is neerer nowe than when we beleeued Therefore qui perseuerauerit saluus erit For consummabitur praeuaricatio sayth Daniel finem accipiet peccatum delebitur iniquitas adducetur iustitia sempiterna Deus enim ipse veniet saluabit nos Veniens veniet non tardabit quandocunque manifestatus fuerit vita nostra Christus tunc nos manifestabimur cum illo in gloria Semel enim oblatus est vt multorum peccata tolleret rursus absque peccato conspicietur ijs qui illum expectaÌ„t in saluteÌ„ Sic semper cum Domino erimus proinde consolemini vos inuicem mutuo sermonibus hijs Oh Lord open myne eyes which see nothing of the great comforts in these thy most riche wordes open myne eyes good Lord ne nunquaÌ„ obdormiam in morte Pray for me and commend me to your good bedfellow omnibus in Christo fratribus osculo sancto Thus I make an ende for it is tyme you may say and I pray you still watter sir Thomas Hal vnto whom I haue sent a faire Testament both in English and Latine if this bringer will cary it And I haue herewith sent you a letter which first peruse and read and when you haue so done abhorre not me but my wickednes pray for me And as you can see a meete tyme seale it and deliuer it to Sir Nicholas Wolstonâ—ros by such pollicy as you can thinke by Gods grace through prayer I confesse vnto you God is my witnesse to my knowlege I neuer in my beyng in the country this Winter at any tyme called it to remembrance the Lord forgeue me I would by some occasion if any could be had afore the deliuery of the letter by some story or communication that he did know that abhomination to be sinne for I feare me he thinketh it to be no sinne The Lord open our eyes and forgeue vs Amen The peace of God be with you Amen From the Temple this 22. of March 1547. Yours in Christ most bounden Iohn Bradford I haue sent you three payre of good spectacles I trow and other such bookes as haue your name writteÌ„ in them which take in good woorth and pray for me geue thanks for mee ¶ Another letter of Maister Bradford to father Traues Gratia misericordia pax c. MY chance is not by this bringer to haue any warning in manner of his farewell so that I am constrayned tyme coarcting me to write not so much of thyngs which I will omitte as my desire was Concernyng the great matter you know of it hath pleased god to bring it to this end that I haue a bill of my M. hand wherin he is bound to pay the summe afore Candlemas next commyng This thinks M. Latimer to be sufficient Therefore I pray you to geue that gracious Lord thanks and thanks thanks vpon it for me a most wretched ingrate sinner which haue also in other thyngs no lesse cause to prayse Gods name As for that I haue and sustain my M. sore displeasure the which hath brough
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
By this he would proue that Christe was then in heauen and in earth also naturally and bodily Shet This place and other must needes be vnderstand for the vnitie of persons in that Christe was God man and yet the matter must be referred to the Godhead or els ye must fall into great errour Commis That is not so for it was spoken of the manhoode of Christ for as much as he sayth the sonne of man whiche is in heauen Shet If yee will needes vnderstande it to be spoken of Christes manhoode The Coâ—â—missary brought 〈◊〉 an other 〈◊〉 conueniâ—â—â— then must ye fall into the error of the Anabaptistes which deny that Christ took fleshe of y e virgin Mary for if there be no bodye ascended vpp but that whiche came downe where is then his incarnation for then he brought his body downe with him Commis Loe how ye seeke an errour in me and yet see not how ye erre your selfe For it cannot be spoken of the Godhead except ye graunt that God is passible for God cannot come downe because he is not passible Shet If that were a good argumente that God could not come down because he is not passible then it might be said by the like argument that God coulde not sit and then heauen is not his seate and then say as some do that God hath no right hand for Christ to sit at Commis Then the Commissary affirmed playnly that it was true God hath no right hand in deede Shet Oh what a spoyle of Christes Religion will thys be that because we cannot tell howe God came downe therfore we shall say that he came not down at all and because we cannot tell what maner of hand he hathe to saye that he hath no hand at all and then he cannot reache the vtmost part of the sea O miserie at length it will come to passe that God cannot sit and then howe can heauen bee his seate and if heauen be not his seate then there is no heauen and then at length I doubt ye wil say there is no God or els no other God but such as the heathens Gods are which cannot goe nor feele Commis Why doth not the scripture saye that God is a spirite and what hand can a spirite haue Shet Truth it is God is a spirit and therfore is worshipped in spirit and truth and as he is a spirite so hath hee a spirituall power so hathe hee a spirituall seate a spirituall hand 〈◊〉 hand â—pirituall and a spirituall sword which we shall feele if we go this way to worke as we beginne Because wee knowe not what hand God hath therfore if we say he hath none then it may as well be sayd there is no Christ. Then the Commissary sayd hee woulde talke no more w t me so departed and also the Commissarye was compelled to graunt that Christes testament was broken and his institution was chaunged from that hee left it but hee sayd they had power so to doe * My first aunswearing after their law was stablished BEcause I know ye will desire to heare from mee some certaintie oâ— my estate â—â—luation the first â—â—â—minatiâ—â— of Sheâ—â—den â—fter law was 〈…〉 see the â—ommissioÌ„ I was called before the SuffragaÌ„ and seuen or eight of the chiefe priestes examined of certayne Articles and then I required to see theyr CoÌ„mission They shewed it to me and sayde There it is and the Kinge and Queenes letters also Then I desired to haue it read and so in readyng I perceaued that on some notable suspition hee might examine vppon two articles whether Chrystes reall presence were in the Sacrament and whether the churche of England be of Christes Catholicke Churche To that I aunsweared that I had bene a prisoner 3. quarters of a yeare and as I thought wrongfully reason would therefore that I should aunsweare to those thinges wherefore I was prisoner Suff. The Suffragan sayd his Commission was I must aunswere directly yea or nay Shet This Commission sayde I was not generall to examine whome he will but on iust suspicion Suff He sayd I was suspected and presented to hym Shet Then I required that the accusation might be shewed Suff. He sayd he was not bound to shew it but he commaunded me in the king and Queenes name to aunswer directly Shet And I as a subiect do require of you iustice for that I haue done I aske no fauour Suff. He sayde I was suspected Shet I bad him proue that suspicion or what cause he had to suspect Suff. Thou was cast into prison for that cause Shet That was a pretty suspicion because I had suffered imprisonment contrary to Gods law and the realme that therefore I must now for a mendes be examined of suspition without cause to hyde all the wrong done to me before For when I was cast into prison there was no law but I might speake as I did therefore in that poynte I could be no more suspect then you which preached y e same yourself not long before Suff. That was no matter to thee what I preached Shet Well yet in the king and Queenes name I must aunswere directly and therefore I require as a subiecte y t ye do not extend beyond your Commission but proue me suspect more then you your selfe Milles. Then sayd M. Milles I had written to my mother and he did see the letter wherin I perswaded my mother to my opinions Shet In that I did but my duetye to certifie her I was not prison for any euill And that was before the lawe also and therefore no more suspicion was in mee then was in them which taught the like Mill. Well yee are required here to aunswere directlye yea or no. Shet First then I require of you to proue this suspicion and thus we tossed to and fro At last the byshop sayde hee himselfe did suspect me I asked wherby Suff. Wâ—ll sayd he I my selfe did suspect thee and it is no matter wherby Shet But your Commission doth not serue you so to doe without iust suspicion Suff. Well yet did I suspect you Shet It is not meete for you to bee my accuser and my Iudge also for that was too much for one man And thus manye woordes were multiplied and they were muche greeued Milles. If you were a Christian man you would not be ashamed of your fayth being required Shet I am not ashamed in deede I thanke God Vpon this it appeareth the letters were written to the B. of Winchester by whom he was sente for after and examined if any man do come to me either to teache or to learne I would declare it but for asmuch as I perceaue you come neither to to teache nor to learne I holde it beste to aunswere you Milles. If you will not then will we certifie the kinges Councell Sheter I am therwith content that you shoulde certifie y t I had suffered thrâ—e quarters prison
men which were also appreheÌ„ded for religion into the Temple of S. Mary called De Minerua the 5. daye of Septemb an 1553. either there to reuoke or to be burned There sate vpon them 6. Cardinals in high seates beside the Iudge before whome preached a Dominicke Fryer which cruelly inueighing agaynst the poore prisoners incensed the Cardinals with al the vehemency he might to theyr condemnation The poore men stoode holding a burning taper in theyr handes Of whome some for feare of death reuolted But this Doctor Mollius with a Weauer of Perusium remayned constant Then Mollius began an earnest sermon in the Italian tongue whereâ—â— hee confirmed the Articles of the fayth by y e sacrete scriptures declaring also that the pope was not the successour of Peter but Antichrist and his sectaryes do figure the whore of Babilon Doct. Mollius cyteth the Pope to the tribunal seate of Christ. Moreouer he cited theÌ„ vp to the Tribunall seate of Christ and threw away the burning taper from hym Wherupon they being replenished with anger condemned hym with the Weauer to the fire and commaunded them to be had away So were they caried incontinent to the camp or fielde called Florianum Where they remayned cheerefull and constant First the Weauer was hanged The martyrdome of Doct. Mollius and the Weauer Mollius then willing the hangman to execute hys office lykewise vpon hym began to exhorte the people to beware of Idolatry to haue no other sauiours but Christ alone for he onely is the mediator betweene God and man And so was he also hanged commending hys soule to God and afterward layd in the fire and burned The people hauing diuers iudgementes vpon hym some sayd he dyed an hereticke some sayd he was a good man Ex Henr. Pantal. lib. 19. an 1543.  Two monkes of the house of S. Austen in Rome At Rome Ann. 1554. Furthermore in the same Cittye of Rome Two Augustine MoÌ„ks Martyrs and about the same time in the Monastery of Saint Austen were found two Monkes in their Celles with theyr tonges and theyr heades cut of onely for rebukyng the immoderate outragious excesse of the Cardinals as witnesseth Manlius Suche was the cruelty then of the malignant aduersaryes Ex Ioan. Manl. in dictis Phil. Melanct The Senate of Millain Franciscus Gamba Franciscus Gamba martyr At the City of ComuÌ„ in the dioces of Millian Ann. 1554. Fraunces Gamba borne in the Cittye of Brixia in Lobardie after he had receaued the knowledge of the gospell went to Geneua to conferre about certain necessary affayres with them that were wise learned in that Church which was about the time wheÌ„ the Lordes Supper there was administred at Penticoste Who there also at the same tyme did communicate with them Afterwarde in hys returning home as he was passing ouer the Lake of Come hee was taken brought to Come and and there coÌ„mitted to ward During the tyme of which imprisonment diuers and sondry as well nobles as others with Doctors also especially priestes and monkes resorted vnto hym laboring by all maner of meanes The blynde iudgement of the world in Gods matters most fayre promises to reduce him froÌ„ his opinions which semed to some but phantasies comming of some humors to some they semed vncatholicke or hereticall But hee constantly disputing w t them by the manifest scriptures declared the opinions whiche he defended not to be any vayn speculations or imaginary phantasies of mans doting brayne but y e pure verity of God and y e euident doctrine of Christ Iesus expressed in hys word necessary for all men to beleue also to maintayn vnto death and therefore for hys part rather then he would be found false to Christ his word he was there ready not to deny but to stand to Christs Gospel to the effusion of hys bloud Thus when he coulde in no wise be reclaymed froÌ„ y e doctrine of trueth letters came from the Senate of Millain that he should be executed w t death Which execution as they of Comum were about to prepare in y e mean while came other letters from Geneua writteÌ„ by the Emperours Ambassadour and other nobles of Millain by y e which letters his death was delayed for a tyme till at length other letters were sent from the Senate againe of Millain requiring execution of y e sentence Neuertheles through intercession of his friendes one weekes respite more was graunted hym to proue whether he might be wonne agayne to the popes Church that is to say lost from God Thus he being mightely long assayled both by friendes by enemies terrified Patience in persecution yet by no perswasions would be expugned but gaue thankes to God y t hee was made worthy to suffer the rebukes of this world and cruell death for the testimonye of hys sonne and so went he chearfully vnto hys death Then came certayn Franciscan Fryers to hym to heare his confession whiche he refused Also they brought in theyr handes a crosse for him to behold to keep hym from desperation at the feeling of the fire But hys mynde he sayd was so replenished with ioy and comforte in Christ that he needed neither their Crosse nor theÌ„ After this as he was declaring manye comfortable things to the people of the fruition of those heauenly ioyes aboue whiche God hath prepared for hys because he should speake no more to the people hys tongue was bored thorough and so immediately beyng tyed to the stake there was straÌ„gled till he was dead euery man there geuing testimony Frances Gamba his tongue bored thorough which saw hys constancie that he dyed a good man Ex Epistola cuiusdam Nobilis Comensis apud Henr. Pantal. Lib. 10. Celium Pope Paulus the 4. The Magistrates of Venice Pomponius Algerius At Rome Ann. 1555. Pomponius Algerius borne in Capua Pomponius Algerius martyr a young man of great learning was student in the Uniuersitie of Padua where hee not beyng able to conceale and keepe close the veritie of Christes Gospell whiche he learned by the heauenlye teaching of Gods grace ceased not both by doctrine and example of lyfe to informe as many as he could in the same doctrine and to bring them to Christ. For the whiche he was accused of heresie to Pope Paulus the fourth Who sending immediately to the Magistrates of Uenice caused hym to be apprehended at Puada caryed to Uenice where hee was long deteyned in prison bandes till at last the Pope commaunded y e Magistrates there to send hym vp bouÌ„d vnto Rome which the Uenetians eftsoones accomplished After he was broughe to Rome manifolde perswasions and allurementes were assayed to remoue the vertuous and blessed younge man from hys sentence But when no worldly perswasions could preuayle against the operation of Gods spirit in hym then was hee adiudged to be burned aliue which death most constaÌ„tly he susteyned to the great admiration of all that beheld
hym Being in prison at Uenice he wrote an Epistle to the afflicted Saintes whiche for the notable sweetnes most wonderfull consolation conteined in the same in shewing forth the mighty operatiō of gods holy power working in hys afflicted Sayntes that suffer for hys sake I haue thought good and expedient to communicate as a principall monument amōgst al other Martyrs letters not onely with y e other letters which shal be inserted hereafter y e Lord willing in the end of the booke but also in this present place to be read to y e entent that both they which be or shal be hereafter in affliction may take consolation also and also that they whiche yet followe the trade of this present world in comparing the ioyes cōmodities therof with these ioyes here expressed may learne and consider with themselues what difference there is betwene them both and therby may learne to dispose themselues in such sort as maye be to theyr edification and perpetuall felicitie of theyr soules The copy of the letter first written in Latine we haue translated into English the tenour wherof here vnder ensueth ¶ A comfortable letter of Pomponius Algerius an Italian Martyr ¶ To his most dearly beloued brethren and fellow seruauntes in Christ which are departed out of Babylon into Mount Sion Crace peace and health from GOD our Father by Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour TO mitigate your sorrowe whiche you take for me I cannot but impart vnto you some portion of my delectations and ioyes which I feele and finde to the intent you with me may reioyce and sing before the Lord geuing thanks vnto him I shal vtter that which no man will beleue when I shall declare it I haue found a nest of hony and hony combe in the entrals of a Lyon Who will euer beleue that I shall say or what man wil euer think in the deepe darcke doungeon to finde a Paradise of pleasure in the place of sorrow and death to dwell in tranquillitie and hope of lyfe in a caue infernall to be found ioy of soule and where other men doe weepe there to be reioysing where other do shake and tremble theyr strength and boldnesse to be plenty Who will euer thinke or who will beleue thys in suche a woefull state suche delectation in a place so desolate such societye of good men in straite bandes and cold yrons such rest to be had Al these thinges the sweete hand of the Lorde my sweet brethren doth minister vnto me Behold he that was once farre from me now is present with me Whome once scarse I could feele now I see more apparantly whome once I saw a farre of now I beholde neare at hand whome once I hungered for the same nowe approcheth and reacheth his hand vnto me He doth comfort mee and heapeth me vp with gladnes he driueth away all bitternes hee ministreth strength and courage he healeth me refresheth aduanceth and comforteth me O how good is the Lord whiche suffereth not his seruauntes to be tempted aboue theyr strength O how easie and sweete is his yoke Is there any like vnto the hyest who receaueth the afflicted healeth the wounded and nourisheth them Is there any like vnto hym Learne ye welbeloued howe amiable the Lord is how meeke and mercifull he is whiche visiteth his seruauntes in tentations neither disdayneth he to keepe company with vs in such vile and stincking caues Will the blynd and incredulous worlde thinke you beleeue this or rather will it not say thus No thou wilt neuer be able to abide long the burning heate the cold snow and the pinching hardnes of that place the manifold miseries and other greuaunces innumerable the rebukes and frowning faces of men howe wilt thou suffer Doest thou not consider and reuolue in thy minde thy pleasaunt Country the riches of the world thy kinsfolke the dellicate pleasures and honours of this lyfe Doest thou forget the sollace of thy sciences and fruite of all thy laboures Wilt thou thus loose all thy labours which thou hast hitherto susteined so many nightes watched thy paynfull trauailes and all thy laudable enterprises wherin thou hast ben exercised continually euen from thy childhood Finally fearest thou not death which hangeth ouer thee and that for no crime committed O what a foole art thou which for one word speaking mayest salue all this and wilt not What a rude vnmanerly thing is this not to be intreated at the instant petitions and desires of suche so many and so mighty so iust so vertuous so prudent and gratious Senatoures and suche noble personages c. But now to aunswere let this blinde world harken to this againe What heate can there be more burning then that fire whiche is prepared for thee hereafter And likewise what snowe can be more colde then thy hart whiche is in darckenes and hath no light What thyng is more hard and sharpe or crooked then thys present lyfe which heare we leade What thing more odious and hatefull then this world here present And let these wordly men here aunswere me what country can we haue more sweete then the heauenly countrey aboue what treasures more riche or precious then euerlasting lyfe And who be our kinsmen but they which heare the word of God where be greater riches or dignities more honorable then in heauen And as touching the sciences let this foolish world consider be they not ordayned to learn to know God whom vnles we do know all our laboures oure night watchinges our studyes and all our enterprises serue to no vse or purpose all is but labour lost Furthermore let the miserable worldly man answere me what remedy or safe refuge cā there be vnto him if he lacke God who is the life and medicine of all men And howe can he be sayd to flye from death when he hymselfe is already dead in sinne If Christ be the way veritie and lyfe how can there be any lyfe then without Christ The sooly heate of the prison to me is coldnes the colde winter to me is a freshe spring time in the Lorde He that feareth not to be burned in the fire how will he feare the heate of weather or what careth hee for the pinching frost which burneth with the loue of the Lord the place is sharpe and tedious to them that be giltye but to the innocent and giltles it is mellifluous Here droppeth the delectable dewe here floweth the pleasaunt Nectar here runneth the sweete milke here is plenty of al good thinges And although the place it selfe be deserte and barren yet to mee it seemeth a large walke and a valley of pleasure here to me is the better and more noble part of the world Let the miserable worldling say and confesse if there be anye plot pastor or medowe so delightfull to the mind of man as here Here I see kinges princes Citties and people here I see warres where some be ouerthrown some be victors some thrust downe some lifted vp Here