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

be lose and free Be myndefull of all duety due vnto the Lord aboue Be thankefull for his benefites the pledges of his loue Consyder with your selues I say to sanctifye the Lord In euery place continually by thought dede and by word L. Saunders ❧ Letters of that hartie and zelous man of God Maister Iohn Philpot Archdeacō of Winchester who besides the great tyrannye and tormentes whiche he suffered in Boners blynde colehouse and other hys paynfull imprisonments was also most cruelly martyred for the testimony of the Lord Iesus The .18 daye of December in the yeare of our Lorde .1557 ¶ A letter which he sent to the Christian congregation exhortyng them to refrayne themselues from the Idolatrous seruice of the papistes and to serue god wyth a pure and vndefiled conscience after hys worde IT is a lamentable thing to behold at this present in England the faithles departyng both of men and women from the true knowledge and vse of christes syncere religion whiche so plentifully they haue ben taught do know their own consciences bearyng witnes to the verity therof Hebr. 6. If that earth be cursed of god which eftsoues receiuing moysture and pleasaunt dewes from heauen doth not bryng forth fruit accordyngly how much more greuous iudgement shall such persons receiue which hauyng receiued from the father of heauen the perfitte knowledge of hys worde by the mynistery therof do not shew forth gods worshippe after the same If the lord will requyre in the daye of iudgemente a godly vsury of all manner of talentes whiche he lendeth vnto men and women Math. 25. howe much more wyll he requyre the same of hys pure religion reueled vnto vs which is of all other talentes the chiefest and most perteynyng to our exercise in thys lyfe if we hydde the same in a napkyn and set it not forth to the vsurie of gods glory and edifieng of his church by true confession God hath kindled the bryght lyght of his gospell whyche in tymes paste was suppressed and hyd vnder the vyle ashes of mans traditiōs and hath caused the bryghtnes therof to shine in our harts to th ende that the same myght shyne before men to the honour of hys name It is not only geuen vs to beleue Math 5. Rom. x Math. 12. Luke 12. Math. 7 but also to confesse and declare what we beleue in our outwarde conuersation For as S. Paule wryteth to the Romaynes the belief of the hart iustifyeth to knowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe It is all one before god not to beleue at al and not to shew forth the lyuely workes of our beliefe For Christ saith either make the tree good and hys fruites good or els make the tree euill and the fruites euil because a good tree bryngeth forthe good fruites so that the person which knoweth hys maisters wyll and doth it not shall be beaten wyth many strypes And not all they which say lord lord shall enter into the kyngdom of God but he that doth the wyll of the father Luke 9 And whosoeuer in the tyme of tryall is ashamed of me saith Christ and of my words of him the sonne of man will be ashamed before hys father After that we haue built our selues in to the true church of god it hath pleased hym by geuyng vs ouer into the handes of the wicked Sinagoges to proue our buildyng Math. 7. to haue it known aswell to the world as to our selues that we haue ben wise builders into the true church of god vpon the rock and not on the sande and therfore now the tempest is risen and the stormes do mightely blow agaynste vs that we might notwythstandyng stand vpryghte and bee firme in the Lorde to hys honoure and glorye and to oure eternall felicitye There is no newe thynge happened vnto vs for wyth suche tempestes and daungerous weathers the churche of GOD hathe continuallye bene exercised Nowe once agayne as the Prophete Aggey telleth vs the Lorde shaketh the earthe Aggeus 2. that those myghte abyde for euer whyche be not ouerthrowne Therfore my dearely beloued bee stable and immoueable in the worde of god and in the faithfull obseruation therof and let no man deceiue you with vayne words saying that you may kepe your faith to your selues and dissēble with Antichriste and so liue at rest quietnes in the world as moste men do yeldyng to necessitie This is the wisedome of the flesh Rom. 8 1 Cor. 6. Math. 16. but the wisedome of the flesh is death and enmitye to god as our sauiour for ensample aptely did declare in Peter who exhorted christ not to go to Ierusalem to celebrate the passeouer and there to be slayne but councelled hym to loke better to himselfe Likewise the world would not haue vs to forsake him neither to associate oure selues to the true church which is the body of Christe whereof we are liuely members and to vse the sacraments after gods word with the daunger of our lyues But we must learne to aunswer the world as Christ dyd Peter and say go behynd me Satā thou sauourest not the thyngs of god Heb. 11. Psa 116. Shal I not drynke of the cup which the father geueth me For it is better to be afflicted to be slayn in the church of god then to be counted the sonne of the king in the Sinagoge of false religiō Death for righteousnes is not to be abhorred but rather to be desired which assuredly bringeth with it the crown of euerlasting glory These bloodye executioners doe not persecute Christes Martyrs but crowne them with euerlastyng felicitye We were borne into this world to be witnesses vnto the truth both learned vnlearned Nowe since the time is come that we must shew our faithe declare whether we wil be gods seruauntes in righteousnes and holines as we haue bene taught and are bound to follow or els with hypocrisy serue vnrighteousnes let vs take good heede that we bee founde faythful in the lordes couenaunt and true members of hys church in the which through knowledge we are ingraffed from the which if we fall by transgression wyth the commē sort of people it will more straightly be required of vs thā many yet do make accompt therof We cānot serue two maisters Luke 18. 3. Reg. 18 Apoc. 3. we may not halte on both sides and thynke to please god we must be feruent in gods cause or els he wyll cast vs out from hym For by the first commaundement we are cōmaunded to loue God wyth all our harte with al our mynde with all our power and strength but they are manifest trāsgressours of this commaundement which with theyr hart mynd or bodely power doe communicate with a straunge religion contrary to the worde of god in the papistical Synagoge which calleth it self the church and is not As greatly do they offend god now whiche so doe as the Israelites dyd in tymes past by forsakyng

you can then shall you beyng assured I say of gods fauour towards you geue ouer your self wholye to helpe and care for others that be in neede then shall you contempne this life and desyre to be at home with your good and sweete father then shall you labour to mortify all thynges that woulde spot eyther soule or bodye All these thynges spryng out of thys certayne perswasion and fayth that god is our father and we are hys children by Christe Iesus All thynges should helpe our fayth herein but Sathan goeth about in all thynges to hynder vs. Therfore let vs vse earnest and harty prayer Let vs oftē remember this couenaunt I am the Lorde thy god let vs looke vpon Christe and his precious bloud shed for the obsignation and confyrmation of this couenant Let vs remember all the free promises of the gospell let vs set before vs gods benefites generallie in making this worlde in ruling it in gouernyng it in calling and keping his church c. Let vs set before vs gods benefites perticulerly how he hath made vs creatures after his image howe he hath made vs of perfecte limmes forme beautie memorye c howe he hath made vs Christians and geuen vs a right iudgement in hys religion howe he hath euer sithen we were borne blessed kept nouryshed and defended vs how he hath often beaten chastised and fatherly corrected vs how he hath spared vs and doth nowe spare vs geuing vs time space place grace Thys if you do and vse earnest prayer and so flye from all thynges whiche might wound your conscience geuing your self to diligence in your vocation you shall finde at the length that whiche god graunte to me with you a sure certaintye of saluation without all such doubt as may trouble the peace of conscience to your eternall ioy and comfort Amen Amen Yours to vse in Christ Iohn Bradford An other letter full of Godly comforte written to the same person THe good spirite of God whiche guideth hys children bee with you my good sister in the Lord for euer Amen Althoughe as I to you so you vnto me in person are vnknowen yet to hym whom we desire to please we are not onely in persons but also in harts knowē throughly sene And therfore as for his sake you wold by that you sent of me be perceaued how that in God you beare to me a good will so that I to you myght be sene in God to beare you the lyke I sende to you these fewe woordes in writinge wyshing that in all youre doinges and speache yea euen in your very thoughtes you woulde laboure to feele that they are all presente and open before the syghte of GOD be they good or badde Thys cogitation oftē had in mind and prayer made to god for the working of his spirit thereby as a meane you shall at the lēgth fele more comfort cōmodity thē any man can know but such as be exercised therin Howbeit this is to be added that in thinking your self al that you haue doe to be in the sight of god this I say is to be added that you thinke his sihht is the sight not only of a Lorde but rather of a father which tēdreth more your infirmaties thē you can tender the infirmities of any your childrē Yea whē in your self you see a motherly affection to your little one that is weake let the same be vnto you a trace to traint you to see the vnspeakeable kinde affectiō of god your father towards you And therfore vpō the cōsideratiō of your infirmities natural euils which cōtinually cleaue vnto vs take occasiō to go to god as your father through Christ before his mercifull harte lay open your infirmities euils with desire of pardō helpe after his good wil pleasure but in his time not when you wil by what meanes he wil not that way that you woulde in the meane season hāge on hope of his fatherly goodnes surely you shal neuer be ashamed For if a womā that is natural can not finally forget the child of her wōbe be sure god which is a father supernatural can not nor wil not forget you Yea if a womā could be so forgetful Esaye 4● yet god him self saith he wil not be so This opiniō yea rather certain persuasion of god your father through christ see that you cherish by al meanes aswel by diligente consideration of his benefites as of hys louing corrections whether they be inwarde or outwarde see that you nourishe knowing for certaine that as the deuill goeth about nothing so much as to bring you in a doubt whether you be gods childe or no so whatsoeuer shal moue you to admit that dubitation be assured the same to come frō the deuill If you fele in your self not only the want of good things but also plētie of euil do not therfore doubt whether you be gods child in christ or no. For if for your goodnes or ilnesse sake which you feele or feele not you shold beleue or doubt thē should you make Christ Iesus for whose sake only god is your father eyther nothīg or els but a half Christ But rather take occasion of your wantes in good of your plenty in euil to go to god as to youre Father to pray him that in as much as he commaundeth you to beleue that he is your God and Father so he would geue you his good spiryte that you myght feele the same liue as hys child to his glorye cease not vpō such prayers to loke for cōfort in Gods good tyme stil hopyng the beste reiectyng al dubitatiō so al euil works words cogitations as the Lorde shall enable you by hys good spirit grace which I besech hym to geue vnto you my goodsister for euer And further I praye you that as he hath made you to be a helper vnto your husbād so you wold endeuour your self therin to shew the same aswel in soule as body and begge grace of god that your endeuours may be effectual to both your cōfortes in Christ Amē Iohn Bradforde To my beloued in the Lord. VV. P. GRrace and peace frō God the Father through our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Deare brother god most iustly hath caste me now into a dungeon but much better then I deserue wherin I see no mā but my keper nor can see any except they come to me Somthing in the earth my lodging is which is an exāple memorial of my earthly affectiōs which god I trust wil mortifie of my sepulchre wherunto I trust my Lord God will bring me in peace in his good time In the meane season he geue me pacience liuely hope and his good spirite This disease was a Rewme with a feblenes of stomacke wherwith he was muche troubled whiles he was at libertye I praye you pray for me for the prayer of the godly if it be effectuall worketh much

not kepe away the foules from picking it vp would he so bestow his sede in you as he hath if that he would not hedge in your hartes his field frō commō pathes frō breaking in of beastes to destroy it Wil he be more careles thē a good husbandmā to wede out the wedes which are in vs lest they should ouergrow the corne of hys word Wil not he bestow mucke marle vpon vs that we may bring forth more fruite Yf in a good husbandman this be not lacking alas how should we thinke then but that the lord god a good husbandman nothing but good only good how I say should it be but that he is moste careful to kepe his sede alredy sowē in your hartes by the ministery of vs other his preachers that to the bringing forth of iust and ful frutes He that hath begōne with you doute not my derely beloued but that he wil happely make an end with you He hath begon to sow his sede in you as I dare say ye feele it be sure thē that al this wil follow First he wil haue Skarecrowes in your hartes I meane such sparkcles of his feare wil he droppe yea already he hath dropped into you that the birdes of the aire vain euil cogitatiōs shal not be cherished of you but expelled by crieng to the lord for his help Secōdly he wil make such hedges as shal kepe you aswell from by pathes of al euil customes vsages as also preserue you frō the power of euil dominiō of sinne which would haue the vpper hād on you Thirdly he wil doutles poure such showres vpō you to supple you so ●ede you so mucke marle you by tēptation other exercises that the Sunshine of persecutiō shall make more to the ripenyng of hys seede in you then to the witheryng of it away These thynges my dearely beloued the Lord god which hath begonne them in you and for you wyll continue with you that in the ende you maye be broughte into hys barne there to reste wyth hym in eternall felicitie For Gods sake therfore wayte and looke for no lesse then I haue told you at hys handes a greater seruice can you not geue him Yf god kepe not the order I haue told you but perchaūce beginne to mucke and marle you to poure hys showers vpō you to nippe you with his weeding tonges c reioice be glad that God wyll doe that in you and wyth you at once which a long tyme he hath bene a workyng in for others Now vndoubtedly great showers are fallen to supple our hartes that gods word might enter therin and take roote Now the Lord goeth a weedyng to weede out of vs oure carnality securirye couetousnes selfe loue forgetfulnes of God loue of this world Now the lord doth mucke mar●e vs loading vs wyth heapes and burdens of crosses that our hartes myghte be made good grounde to bryng forthe fruite to gods glory by patience as well in suffryng inward temptations and griefes wherof we must complayn to the Lord for hys Skarecrowes to dryue them forth of vs ●s also in sufferyng outward assaultes for the which we must cry to our Maister for hys hedges and defence Which hathe ij partes the one concernyng vs to helpe and deliuer vs and the other concernyng our or rather hys obstinate aduersaries to take vengeaunce vpon them which he will do in hys tyme. Therfore let vs by patience possesse our soules knowing that they which perseuer to the ende shal be saued Let vs not be werye of well doyng for in our tyme we shall reape the fruites therof But rather whiles we haue tyme let vs redeme it in doyng well to al men but specially to the houshold of fayth which thyng hether to you haue done the lord therfore be praysed and in the day of hys comming he recōpence you and in the rest I hope well I meane that you haue declared no lesse in cōfessyng the truth planted in your hartes by your wordes and workes after your uocation to the glory of God I hope you haue godly behaued your selues not being as too many be now a daies euen mungrels geuing halfe to God halfe to the worlde halting on both knees going two waies I meane it of the Masse gospellers which are worse thē any papistes In this point I hope wel of you my dearly beloued that you haue not contaminated your selues that you haue both confessed the truth as ofte as nede hath requyred and also haue refrayned from comming to church now where is nothing but idolatrous seruice ● hope you haue glorifyed god both in soule and body I hope you haue gathered with Christ not scattered abroad I hope you haue drawen no yoke with vnbeleuers nor communicated with other mens synnes but haue abstayned from all appearaunce of euill confessing in harte confessing in tong confessing in dede acte the true knowledge of God which he hath of hys great mercye geuen vnto you not to bee as a candle vnder a bushell but vppon the candlesticke to geue light that men may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen All thys I hope of you my beloued and also of al puritie of life and godly conuersation not doubting but in this behalf also you haue declared gods veritye in your harte and for the Lordes sake do so still in all poyntes that is in your vocations be diligent and ryghteous towards your selues be sober and pure towards your neyghbours be charitable and iuste towardes god be faythfull and thankefull louing and obedient Vse earnest and often hartye prayer Meditate much vpon and often hearken to the word of god If you be called geue with modestye an accompt of the hope whiche is in you Be not ashamed of Gods true seruice allow not that with your presence which is contrary to Gods wil. Make not the mēbers of Christes Church that is your selues mēbers of Antichristes church Be not ashamed of the gospel or of such as be bound therfore but rather be partakers therof first inwardly by cōpassion prayer c then outwardlye by geuing according to that the Lord hath lent you to that ende and laste of all by suffering wyth vs if God so will and if it be nedeful for you For my dearly beloued be certayne that no mā can touch you or lay handes vpon you but by the will of God which is all good towards you euen as the wil of a most deare father which an not alwayes be angrye or otherwyse vse his rodde then only to chastice and correct not to destroy hys children Agayne be certayne that no crosse shall come vnto you before you nede it For God is oure Phisicion and when he seeth oure soules in perill he preuenteth the peryll by purgation and ministring Phisicke which is the crosse As therfore for the body we follow the aduice of the Phisicions for the health

these boysterous wyndes that blow The Lord can lay them when he luste And bring the raging waues full lowe But your safegard shall styl remayne In a strong castell of defence God graunt vs well to meete agayne With myrth and ioye in his presence Iohn Careles To the afflicted Christian ☞ Feare not for death passe not for handes Onely in God put thy whole trust For god wil requyre thy blood at their hands And this thou doest know that once die thou must Onely for Christ thy lyfe if thou geue Death is no death but a meane for to lyue A letter of Doctor Taylour of Hadley written to his wife This pac●er is called syr Robert Bracher a false protesstant in Kyng Edwardes dayes afterward a deadlye enemye to that religion whiche he had professed and now is become a protesstante agayne serueth at S. Denys in Lōdon in Fann●-church strete calleth hym self Harry Bradshawe Thys pedler cōmyng to the buryal of hys frende and gods great enemye Walter Clarke of Hadley albeit he came somewhat to late to the market as he sayd yet be●ng desyrous to vtter hys ware opened there his packe ful of most p●stilent poysoned doctrine Thys was one of thē that so vnmerc●fully thrust D. Taylours wife childrē out of the do●es as she h●● 〈◊〉 can testifye whiche we haue here placed as it came to our handes with certayne other letters following DEare wife I pray god be euer with vs through Christ our only Mediatour Amen I thanke you for my cap I am somthing proud of it for it is one steppe frō the cleargy in these dayes I thank god my harte is cleane deuided from their proceedings For I know that no mā can serue .ij. Maisters specially if they agree no better thē Christ Antichrist do I am glad that Hadley can skil of such packing ware as was brought thether the fyrst day of May last past Christes shepe cā discerne christs voice frō the voyce of straungers theues or hyrelings The packe bringer was sory that he came to late to the funeral market of hys faythfull frend But here I wil leaue thē both to Gods iudgement someting touche the matter wherof the packer made mentiō on his opening day At the first he called the scripture as I heare ful of darke sentences but in dede it is called of S. Dauid a candle to our fete a light to our pathes Our Sauiour Christe calleth his word the light which euyll doers do flye frō hate lest their dedes should be reproued therby S. Paul wold haue vs to walke as childrē of light in any wise not to cōtinue in ignorāce or darknes But al we in the world perteyn to .ij. princes eyther to the father of light truth or els to the prince of darknes lyes In these dayes preachers declare euidently of whō they are sent and with what spirit they speake to what prince they belong For they cry out againste Gods lightes sunne moone sterres torches lampes lanternes cressets cādels in gods booke the Bible prouided of gods great goodnes mercy to auoyd al foule darknes cloudes mistes or daungerous doubtful waies in this our iourney to our heauēly father long home mansiō houses derely purchased heritage Esay gods faithfull messenger sayeth woe be vnto thē that call sweete sower good euil light darknes Therfore cōmeth my people into captiuitie because they haue no vnderstādyng Our sauiour Christ pronoūceth errours heresyes to remaine amōg the people so long as ignorance of the scriptures remaineth And hereby it appeareth to al good cōsciences what they meane which defame or accuse gods blessed word being ful of light as though it were ful of darknes These oules wold haue al day lightes scraped out of bokes harts churches Oh lord turne their hartes tonges bowe thē frō the way of darkenes lest they go to the prince of darknes be cast into the paradise of vtter darknes where is weping gnashing of teeth Now touching the packes of wolle packes of cloth I feare they were as al other their wares be transsubstantiate into flockes euē his very finest packing stuffe against only fayth iustifying ▪ for the corporal presence of Christes body in the sacramēt for praying for soules departed for auriculer cōfessiō Abrahams iustification by faith by grace by promise not by workes is plainly setforth both in the Epistle to the Rom. cap. 4 to the Gala Cap 3. And Abrahams works of obedience in offring vp his sonne so long after his iustification must nedes be takē as a fruit of a good tree iustifying before men not of iustificatiō before god for thē had mā to glorye in then did Christ die in vaine And where as the .6 chap. of S. Iohn was alleaged to proue the Christ did geue his body corporally in his supper euē as he had promised in the said 6. chap. it is most vntrue For only he gaue his body sacramentally spiritually effectually in his supper to the faithfull Apostles and corporally he gaue it in a bloody sacrifice for the life of the world vpō the crosse once for al. There in his own persō in his own natural body he bare al our sines by whole stripes we were healed as S. Peter proueth 1. Pet. 2. Esay cap 53. In dede receauing Christs sacramēt accordīgly as it was instituted we receaue Christes body Christs blood euen as I sayd before the Apostles dyd But the popysh Masse is an other matter The Masse as it is now is but one of Antichristes youngest doughters in the which the deuill is rather present receaued then our Sauiour the .2 person in Trinitie god man O Lorde god heauenly father for Christes sake we besech thee to turne againe England to the right way it was in in King Edwardes tyme from thys babilonicall stewyshe spirituall whoredome conspiracye tyranny detestable enormityes false doctrine heresye hardnesse of hart and contempte of thy worde cōmaūdements frō this euident opē Idolatry sacriledge simony blasphemy superstitiō hypocrisy transubstātiate Angel of light day deuil kingdōe of lies foule vain schismes sectes sedition apostasie gaye swete poyson honied and sugered viperous venime wily woluishnes Sathanical subtiltye and abhomination in the sight of God and of all such as put on the true spectakles of holy scripture I am the more plaine now in this matter because I feare greatly the many wil be to much ready to go frō Christ to Antichrist from the Bible true gods seruice religiō to latine lying legendes portases Massebokes superstition They say their church can not erre in any point when in dede they be not of gods church and therefore they can do nothing but erre euen as they do almoste in all cases of true fayth But to come again to the packer rather thē preacher he brīgeth S. Chrisostomes sentence writing ad popu●ū antiochenum

destroye the impenitent Now is the fyer gone out before the face of the Lorde and who is able to quench it Oh therefore repente you repente you It is enough to haue lyued as we haue done It is enough to haue played the wanton gospellers the proud protestantes hypocriticall false Christians as alas we haue done Now the lorde speaketh vnto vs in mercy and grace oh turne before he speake in wrath Yet is there mercy with the lorde and plenteous redemption yet hath he not forgotten to shew mercy to them that cal vpō hym oh then cal vpon him while he may be founde for he is rich in mercy and plentiful to al them that cal vpon him so that he that calleth vpon the name of the lord shal be saued If your sinnes be as red as skarlet the Lord saith he wil make them as white as snow He hath sworne and neuer will repente hym thereof that he wyll neuer remēber our iniquities but as he is god faithfull and true so will he be our God and we shal be his people Hys law wyll he wryte in oure hartes and engraft it in oure myndes and neuer wyll he haue in mynde oure vnryghteousnes Therfore my dere hartes in the Lord turne you turne you to the lorde your father to the lorde your Sauiour to the Lorde your comforter Oh why do you stop your eares and harden your hartes to day when you heare hys voyce by me your porest brother Oh forget not how that the lord hath shewed hym selfe true me hys true preacher by brynging to passe these plagues which at my mouth by my preaching ye oftē heard before they came specially whē I entreated of Noes flood and whē I preached of the 23. chap. of S. Math. gospel on S. Steuēs day the last that I was with you And now by me the same Lord sendeth you word dere cuntrey men that if ye will goe on forewardes in your impenitencie carnality hypocrisy idolatry couetuousnes swearing gluttony dronkennes whoredome c. wherewith alas alas our countrey floweth yf I saye ye wil not turne leaue of seyng me now burned emongs you to assure you on all sydes how god seketh you and is sory to do you hurt to plague you to destroy you to take vengeance vpon you oh your bloode wyll be vppon your owne heades Ye haue bene warned warned again by me in preaching by me in burnyng As I said therfore I say agayne my deare hartes and derlinges in the Lord turne you turne you repent you repent you cease from doyng euill study to do well awaye with idolatry flye the Romishe god seruice leaue of from swearing cut of carnality abandon auarice driue away drōkennes flye frō fornication flattery frō murther malice destroy disceitfulnes cast away al the workes of darknes put on piety godlines serue god after his word not after custome vse your tonges to glorify god by praier thankes geuing confessiō of his truth c. Be spiritual by the spirit mortify carnal affectiōs be sober holy true louing gentle merciful then shal the lords wrath cease not for this your doyngs sake but for hys mercies sake Go to therfore good cuntreymē take this coūsel of the lord by me now sent vnto you take it as the lords coūsel I say not as mine that in the day of iudgemēt I may reioyce with you and for you the which thing I hartely desyre and not to be a witnes against you My blood wil cry for vēgeance as against the papists gods enemies whom I besech god if it be his good wil hartelye to forgeue yea euen them which put me to death and are the causers therof for they know not what they doe so wyl my blood cry for vengeance against you my dearely beloued in the lord if ye repent not amend not and turne not vnto the Lorde Turne vnto the Lorde yet once more I hertely beseche thee thou Manchester thou Bolton Burye Wigyn Lierpole Ashton vnderlyne Mottrine Stepport Winsley Eccles Preste Middleton Radcliefe and thou Citye of Westchester where I haue truely taught and preached the worde of god Turne I say vnto you all and to al the inhabitauntes thereaboutes vnto the Lord our god and he wil turne vnto you He wyll say vnto his aungel it is enough put vp thy sword The which thyng that he wyl do I humbly besech his goodnes for the precious bloodes sake of his deare sonne our sauiour Iesus Christ Ah good brethrē take in good part these my laste wordes vnto euerye one of you Pardon me mine offences and negligence in behauiour amonges you The Lord of mercy pardon vs all our offēces for our sauiour Iesus Christes sake Amen ¶ Out of prison readye to come to you The .11 of Februarye Anno. 1555. Iohn Bradford ¶ To the faythfull and such as professe the true doctrine of our Sauiour Iesus Christe dwellyng at VValden and thereaboutes Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruant of the Lorde nowe in bandes and condemned for the same true doctryne wisheth grace mercye and peace wyth the encrease of all godlines in knowledge and lyuyng from God the father of all comforte through the desertes of our alone and full redemer Iesus Christe by the mightye workyng of the most holy spirite the comforter for euer Amen WHen I remember how that by the prouidēce and grace of god I haue bene a man by whō it hath pleased hym through my ministery to call you to repentaunce and amendement of lyfe somethyng effectually as it seemed to so we emōgs you his true doctrine religiō left that by my affliction and the stormes now rysen to trye the faythful and to conforme them like to the Image of the sonne of GOD into whose companye we are called ye myghte be faynte harted I coulde not but out of prison secretly for my kepers may not know that I haue penne and ynke to write vnto you a signification of the desyre I haue that you should not only be more confirmed in the doctrine I haue taught emonges you which I take on my death as I shall aunswer at the daye of dome I am perswaded to be gods assured infallible and playne truth but also should after your vocation auouch the same by confession profession and lyuyng I haue not taught you my dearely beloued in the lord fables tales or vntruth but I haue taught you the verity as now by my blood gladly praysed therefore be god I shal seale vp the same In dede to cōfesse the truth vnto you and to all the church of Christ I do not thinke of my selfe but that I haue moste iustlye deserued not onelye this kinde but also all kyndes of deathe and that eternallye for myne hypocrisye vayne glory vncleannes selfe loue couetousnes ydlenes vnthankefulnes and carnal professing of gods holy gospell lyuyng therein not so purely louynglye and painfully as I shoulde haue done the lord of mercy