MarginaliaAn. 1555. Iuly.monie of his doctrine and profession, aunsweryng to such Articles as were obiected to him by þ^e sayd bishop.

MarginaliaIohn Leafe examined before Bishop Boner.First, as touchyng his belief and fayth in the sayd Sacrament of the aultar, hee aunswered MarginaliaThe Aunsweres of Iohn Leafe concerning his fayth in the Sacrament.that after the wordes of consecration spoken by the Priest ouer the bread and wyne, there was not the very true & naturall body and bloud of Christ in substaunce: and further did hold & beleue that the said Sacramēt of the altar, as it is now called, vsed, and beleued in this Realme of Englād, is idolatrous and abominable: and also sayd further that he beleued, that after the wordes of consecration spoken by the Priest ouer the materiall bread and wyne, there is not the selfe same substaunce of Christes body and bloud there conteined, but bread and wyne as it was before: and further sayd, that he beleued, that when the Priest deliuereth the sayd materiall bread and wyne to the communicantes, he deliliuereth but onely *Marginalia* Onely as touching the substance, but not as concerning the effect thereof. materiall bread and wyne, and the Communicantes do receiue the same in remēbraunce of Christes death and passion, and spiritually in fayth they receiue Christes body and bloud, but not vnder the formes of bread and wyne: and also affirmed that he beleued MarginaliaAuricular confession.auricular confession not to be necessary to be made vnto a Priest, for it is no point of soule health, neither that the Priest hath any authoritie geuen hym by the Scripture to absolue and MarginaliaHe meaneth after the Popish maner of remitting. &c.remit any sinne.

Vpon these hys aunsweres and testimonie of hys fayth, he at that tyme beyng dismissed, was bid the Mōday next beyng the. x. of Iune to appeare agayne in the sayd place, there and then to heare the sentence of hys condemnation: who so did. At what tyme the foresayd Byshop propoūdyng þ^e sayd Articles agayne to him as before, assaying by all maner of wayes to reuoke hym to his owne trade, that is frō truth to errour, notwithstandyng all his persuasions, threates, and promises, found hym the same man still so planted vpon the sure rocke of truth, that no wordes nor deedes of men could remoue hym.

Then the Byshop after many wordes to and fro, at last asked him, if he had bene M. Rogers scholler? MarginaliaIohn Leafe M. Rogers scholler.To whom the foresayd Iohn Leafe aunswered agayne, grauntyng hym so to be: and that he the same Iohn did beleue in the doctrine of the sayd Rogers, and in the doctrine of Byshop Hoper, Cardmaker, and other of their opinion, which of late were burned for the testimony of Christ, & that he would dye in that doctrine that they died for: And after other replications agayne of the Byshop, mouyng him to returne to the vnitie of the Church, he with a great courage of spirite aunswered agayne in these wordes: My Lord, quoth he, you call mine opinion heresie: it is þ^e true light of the word of God: and agayne repetyng þ^e same, he professed that he would neuer forsake his stayed and well grounded opinion, while the breath should be in his body. Wherupon the Byshop beyng to weake either to refute hys sentence, or to remoue his constancy, proceded consequently MarginaliaSentence red agaynst Iohn Leafe.to read the Popish sentence of cruell condemnation, whereby this godly and constant young man beyng committed to the secular power of the Shriffes there present, was then adiudged, and not long after suffered the same day with M. Bradford, confirming with his death that which he had spoken and professed in hys lyfe.

MarginaliaIohn Leafe sealed the bil of his confessions with his bloud.It is reported of þ^e sayd Iohn Leafe, by one that was in the Counter the same tyme and saw the thyng, that after his examinations before the Byshop, whē ij. Bils were sent vnto hym in the Counter in Bredstreet, the one conteinyng a recantation, the other his confessiōs, to know to which of them he would put to his hād, first hearyng the Bill of the recantation red vnto hym (because he could not read nor write hym selfe) that he refused. And when the other was red vnto hym, which he well lyked of, in stead of a penne he tooke a pynne, and so prickyng hys hand, sprinckled the bloud vppon the sayd Bill, willyng the reader thereof to shew the

Bishop, that he had sealed the same Bill with his bloud already.

MarginaliaBradford and Iohn Leafe at the stake how they behaued thēselues.FIrst, when they came to the stake in Smithfield to be burned, M Bradford lying prostrate on the one side of the stake, and the young man Iohn Leafe on the other side, they lay flatte on theyr faces, praying to thē selues the space a minute of an houre. Then one of the Shriffes sayd to M. Bradford: arise and make an ende, for the prease of the people is great.

At that word they both stode vp vpon theyr feete: and then M. Bradford tooke a Fagot in his hād, and kissed it, and so likewise the stake. And when he had so done, he desired of the Shriffes that his seruaunt might haue his rayment. For (sayd he) I haue nothyng els to geue hym: and besides that, he is a poore man. And the Shyriffe sayd, he should haue it. And so forthwith M. Bradford did put of his rayment, & went to the stake: and holdyng vp his handes, & castyng vp his countenaunce to heauen, he sayd thus: MarginaliaThe wordes of Mayster Bradford to England.O England, England, repent thee of thy sinnes, repent thee of thy sinnes. Beware of Idolatry, beware of false Antichristes: take heede they do not deceiue you. And as he was speakyng these wordes, the Shriffe bad tye hys handes, if he would not be quyet. O Maister Shiriffe (sayd M. Bradford) I am quyet: God forgeue you this, Maister Shiriffe. And one of the Officers which made the fire, hearyng M. Bradford so speakyng to the Shyriffe, sayd: if you haue no better learnyng then that, you are but a foole, and were best to holde your peace. To the which wordes M. Bradford gaue no aunswere: but asked all the world forgeuenes, and forgaue all the world, and prayed the people to pray for hym, and turned his head vnto the yoūg man that suffred with hym, and sayd: bee of good comfort brother, for we shall haue a mery supper with the Lord this night: and so spake no more wordes that any man dyd heare, but embracing the reedes sayd thus: MarginaliaThe saying of M. Bradford at hys death.Straite is the way, and narrow is the gate that leadeth to eternall saluation, and fewe there bee that finde it.

And thus they both ended their mortall lyues, most lykest ij. Lābes, without any alteration of their coūtenaunce, beyng voyde of all feare, hoping to obtayne the price of the game that they had long runne at: to the which I besech almightie God happely to conducte vs through the merites of Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour, Amen.

MarginaliaA notable example of Gods hand vpon M. Woodrofe.TOuchyng M. Wodroffe the Shrieffe, mention is made a litle before, how churlishly here he aunswered M. Bradford at the stake, not sufferyng hym to speake, but commaundyng hys handes to be tyed. &c. The lyke extremity or worse he vsed also before to M. Rogers: wherof ye haue heard before, pag. 1664.

The sayd Wodroffe Shrieffe aboue mentioned, was ioyned in office with an other, called MarginaliaSir Williā Chester commended.Syr William Chester, for the yeare. 1555. Betwene these two Shiriffes such difference there was of Iudgement and Religion, that the one, that is, M. Wodroffe, was wont commonly to laughe, the other to sheede teares at the death of Christes people.MarginaliaDifference betwene 2. Shrifes, Maister Chester, and M. Woodrofe. And where as the other was wont to restrayne and to beate the people, which were desirous to take them by the handes that should bee burned: the other Shrieffe contrarywise agayne with much sorow & midlnes behaued hym selfe, which I wish here to be spoken and knowen to the cōmendatiō of hym, although I do not greatly know the partie.

Furthermore here by the way to note the seuere punishmēt of Gods hand agaynst the sayd Wodroffe, as agaynst all other such cruell persecuters, so it happened, that within halfe a yeare after the burnyng of this blessed Martyr, the sayd Shrieffe was so striken