MarginaliaAn. 1555. Iuly.cup away from the Laitye. We haue great cause to thanke you, that you wyll geue vs of your bread. For I perceiue you order þ^e matter so, as though Christ had not commaunded it to his whole church.

Harps. Then Harpsfield would haue proued Eleuation by a place of Basilius.

Brad. I haue read þ^e place which seemeth to make nothing for eleuation:MarginaliaEleuation was not brought in in dede before the time of Pope Honorius. 3. Read before Pag. [illegible text].but be it as it is, this is no time for me to scan þ^e doutfull places of þ^e Doctors with you. I haue bene in prison long without bookes and all necessaries for study, and now death draweth nye, and I by your leaue must now leaue of, to prepare for him.

Harps. If I could do you good, I would bee right glad, eyther in soule or body. For you are in a perilous case both wayes.

Brad. Syr I thanke you for your good wyll: My case is as it is. I thanke God it was neuer so wel with me: for death to me shall be life.

Creswel. It were best for you to desire maister Archdeacon that he would make sute for you, that you might haue a time to conferre.

Harps. I will doe the best I can, for I pity hys case.

Brad. Syr, I will not desire any body to sue for time for me. I am not wauering, neither would I that any body should thinke I were so. But if you haue the charitie and loue you pretend towardes me, and therto do thinke that I am in an errour, I think the same should moue you to do as you would be done to. As ye thinke

of me, so do I of you, that you are farre out of the way, & I do not onely thinke it, but also am therof most assured. In this and such like gentle talke they departed.

MarginaliaTalke betwene the Bishops & Bradford.THe. xxiij. 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, they both, and especially the Bishop of Yorke, vsed him very gently: they would haue hym to sit downe, and because he would not, they also wold not sit. So they all stoode: and whether hee would or not, they would needes he should put on, not onely his night cap, but his vpper cap also, saying vnto hym, 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 and charity they came to him: and he, for that acquaintaunce also which hee had with Bradford, more then the bishop of Chichester had: then after commending Bradfordes godly lyfe, he concluded with this question: how he was certaine of saluation and of his religion?

Brad. After thankes for their good wyll, Bradford answered: by the word of God, euen by the scriptures I am certaine of saluation, and of religion.

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Commentary on the Woodcuts     Close

The importance of John Bradford and his inspiring letters for Foxe's history is reflected in his being allotted three large narrative illustrations (more than any other individual). The picture of Archbishop Heath of York and Bishop Day of Chichester visiting Bradford in the Counter in an attempt to move his mind shows them in his prison cell using the formal gestures of disputation. The barred windows of the small room and the keeper's keys hanging from his wrist tell of Bradford's confinement, though he is not bareheaded in this lordly presence, nor are the visitors seated, thanks (as the text explains) to the bishops' special courtesy. Inscriptions help readers' identification of the prison keeper and Bradford.

Yorke. Very well sayd: but how do ye know the word of God and the scriptures, but by the church?

Brad. In dede my Lord, MarginaliaThe church is a meane to know the scripture: as the woman of Samaria was to the Samaritanes to know Christ.the church was and is a meane to bring a man more speedely to know the scriptures and the word of God, as was the woman of Samaria a meane that the Samaritans knew Christ: but as when they had heard him speake, they said: now we know that he is Christ, not because of thy wordes but because we our selues haue heard him: so after we come to the hearing and reading of the scriptures shewed vnto vs and discerned by the church, we do beleue them, and know them as Christes sheepe, not because the church sayth they are the scriptures, but because they bee so, being thereof assured by the

same spirite which wrote and spake them.

Yorke. You know, in the Apostles tyme at the first the word was not written.

Brad. True, if you meane it for some bookes of the new Testament: MarginaliaAthough in the Apostles time certayne bookes of the new testament were not written: yet the Apostles send vs ad firmiorē sermonem propheticum.but els for the old Testament Peter telleth vs, firmiorē sermonē propheticū habemus:  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

2 Peter, 1. 19 (Vulgate)

Foxe text Latin

firmiorem sermonem propheticum habemus.

[As in1563,except for the addition ofhabemus]

Foxe text translation

We haue a more sure word of Prophecie.

Actual text of 2 Peter, 1. 19 (Vulgate)

et habemus firmiorem propheticum sermonem etc.

[Accurate citation, although the word order is different]