Marginalia1555. Iuly.Disciples? Hath not the whore of Babylon more costly aray, and rich apparell externally to set forth her self, thē the homely housewife of Christ? Where is the beauty of the kynges daughter the Church of Christ? Without or within? Doth not Dauid say, within? Oh remember that as they are happy which are not offēded at Christ, so are they happy which are not offended at his poore Church. MarginaliaThe Pope pretendeth to make much of the wife, but maketh nothing of the husband.Can the Pope and his Prelates meane honestly which make so much of the wife, and so litle of the husbād? The Church they magnifie, but Christ they contemne. If this Church were an honest woman (that is, Christes wife) except they would make much of her husband Christ and his word, she would not be made much of them.

When Christ and his Apostles were vpon earth, who was more like to be the true church? they, or þ^e Prelates, Byshops, and Synagoge? MarginaliaCustome, Vnitie, Antiquity, Consent of multitude, are markes deceauable.If a mā should haue folowed custome, vnitie, antiquitie, or the more part, should not Christ and his cōpany haue bene cast out of the doores? Therfore bad Christ: Search the Scriptures. And, good mother, shall the seruaūt be aboue his maister? shall we loke for other entertainement at the handes of the world, then Christ and his deare Disciples found? Who was taken in Noes tyme for the Church? Poore Noe and his family, or others? Who was takē for Gods Church in Sodome? Lot, or others? And doth not Christ say: As it went then, so shall it go now towardes the commyng of the sonne of man? What meaneth Christ when he sayth: Iniquitie shall haue the vpper hand? doth not he tell, that charitie shall waxe cold? And who seeth not a wonderfull great lacke of charitie in those which would now be taken for Christes Church? All that feare God in this Realme truly, can tel more of this then I can write.

Therfore deare mother, receiue some admonition of one of thy poore childrē, now goyng to be burned for the testimony of Iesus. Come agayne to Gods truth: come out of Babylon: cōfesse Christ & his true doctrine: repent that which is past: make amendes by declaring thy repētance by the fruites. Remēber þ^e readinges & preachings of Gods Prophet & true preacher MarginaliaMartin Bucers preaching.M. Bucer. Call to mynd þ^e threatnings of God, now something seene by thy children Leauer and others. Let the exile of MarginaliaLeauer. Pilkinton. Grindall. Haddon, Horne. Scory. Ponet.Leauer, Pilkinton, Grindall, Haddon, Horne, Scory, Ponet. &c. somethyng awake thee. Let the imprisonment of thy deare sonnes, Cranmer, Ridley, & Latimer moue thee. Consider the Martyrdome of thy chickens, MarginaliaRogers. Saunders. Taylour.Rogers, Saunders, Taylor. And now cast not away the poore admonition of me goyng to be burned also, and to receiue the lyke crowne of glory with my felowes. Take to hart Gods callyng by vs. Be not as Pharao was: for thē wil it happē vnto thee as did vnto hym. What is that? hardnes of hart. And what then? destruction eternally both of body & soule. Ah therfore good mother awake, awake, repent, repent, buskle thy selfe and make hast to turne to the Lord. For els it shalbe more easy for Sodome and Gomorra in the day of Iudgement then for thee. Oh harden not your hartes: Oh stop not your eares to day in hearyng Gods voyce, though it be by me a most vnworthy messēger. Oh feare the Lord, for his anger is begon to kyndle. Euen now the axe is layd to the roote of the tree.

MarginaliaBradford prophecied before the Sweat came what would follow of carnall gospelling, if repentance did not come.You know I prophecied truly to you before þ^e Sweate came, what would come if you repented not your carnal Gospellyng. And now I tell you before I depart hence, that þ^e eares of men will tingle to heare of the vengeaūce of God that will fall vpon you all, both Towne and Vniuersitie, if you repent not, if you leaue not your Idolatry, if you turne not spedely to the Lord, if ye stil be ashamed of Christes truth which you know.

MarginaliaPerne. Thomson.Oh Perne repent, Oh Thomson repent, Oh you Doctours, Bachelers, and Maisters repent, Oh Maior, Aldermen, and Towne dwellers repent, repent, repent, that you may escape the neare vengeaunce of the Lorde. Rent your hartes, and come apace callyng on the Lord. MarginaliaHe teacheth Cambridge to pray.Let vs all say, Peccauimus, we haue sinned, we haue done wickedly, we haue not hearkened to thy voyce O Lord. Deale not with vs after our desertes, but be mercyfull to our iniquities, for they are great. Oh pardon vs our offenses. In thine anger remēber thy mercy. Turne vs vnto thee O Lord God of hostes, for the glory of thy names sake. Spare vs, and be mercifull vnto vs. Let not the wicked people say: where is now their God: Oh for thine own sake, for thy names sake, deale mercifully with vs. Turne thy selfe vnto vs, and vs vnto thee, and we shall prayse thy name for euer.

If in this sorte (my dearely beloued) in hart & mouth we come vnto our father, and prostrate our selues before the throne of his grace, then surely surely we shall fynde

MarginaliaGods mercy promised to Cambridge if it repent.mercy. Then shall the Lord looke merely vppon vs, for his mercy sake in Christ: then shall we heare hym speake peace vnto his people. For he is gratious and mercifull, of great pity, and compassion: hee can not bee chidyng for euer: his anger can not last long to the penitent. Though we weepe in þ^e mornyng, yet at night we shall haue our sorrow to cease. For he is exorable, and hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner: he rather would our cōuersion and turnyng.

Oh turne you now & conuert yet once againe I humbly besech you, and then the kyngdome of heauen shall draw nigh. The eie hath not seene, þ^e eare hath not heard, nor the heart of man is able to conceiue the ioyes prepared for vs if we repent, amend our lyues, and hartely turne to the Lord. MarginaliaCambridge threatned if it repent not.But if you repent not, but be as you were, and go on forwardes with the wicked, folowyng the fashion of the world, the Lord will lead you on with wicked doers, you shall perish in your wickednes, your bloud will be vpon your owne heades, your part shalbe with hypocrites, where shall be wepyng and gnashyng of teeth, ye shall be cast from the face of the Lord for euer and euer, eternall shame, sorow, woe, and misery shalbe both in body and soule to you would without end. Oh therfore right deare to me in the Lord, turne you, turne you, repent you, repent you, amend, amend your lyues, depart from euill, do good, folow peace and pursue it. Come out from Babylon, cast of the workes of darkenes, put on Christ, confesse his truth, be not ashamed of hys Gospell, prepare your selues to the Crosse, drinke of Gods cup before it come to the dregges: and then shall I with you and for you, reioyce in the day of Iudgemēt, which is at hand and therfore prepare your selues therto, I hartly besech you. And thus I take my vale in æternū with you in this present life, myne owne deare hartes in the Lord. The Lord of mercy be with vs all, and geue vs a ioyfull and sure meeting in his kingdome, Amen. Amen. Out of prison the. 11. of February. an. 1555.

Your owne in the Lord for
euer, Iohn Bradford.

MarginaliaAn other letter of Maister Bradford to Lankeshire, Cheshire, and specially to Manchester.TO all those that professe the name and true Religion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ in Lankisshyre and Chesshyre, and specially abiding in Māchester and therabout, Iohn Bradford a most vnworthy seruaunt of the Lord, now not onely in bondes but also condemned for the same true Religion, wisheth mercy and grace, peace and encrease of all godlynes from God the father of all pitie, through the desertes of our Lord Iesus Christ, by the working of the most mighty and liuely spirite the cōforter for euer, Amen.

I heard it reported credibly, my dearly beloued in the Lorde, that my heauenly father hath thought it good to prouide, that as I haue preached his true doctrine and Gospell amongest you by word: so I shal testifie and cōfirme the same by deede: that is I shall with you leaue my life, which by his prouidēce I first receiued there (for in Manchester was I borne) for a seale to the doctrine I haue taught with you and amongest you: so that if from henceforth you wauer in the same, you haue none excuse at all. I know the enemyes of Christ which exercise this cruelty vpon me (I speake it in respect of myne offence, which is none to themwardes) thinke by killing of me amongest you, to affray you and others, lest they should attēpt to teach Christ truly, or beleue his doctrine hereafter. But I doubt not but my heauenly father will by my death more confirme you in his truth for euer. And therfore I greatly reioyce to see Sathan and his souldiours supplanted in theyr owne sapience, which is plaine foolishnes amongest the wise in deede, that is, amongest such as haue heard Gods word and do folow it: for they onely are counted wise of the wisedome of God our Sauiour.

MarginaliaHe confesseth hys sinnes before God.In deede if I should simply cōsider my lyfe with that which it ought to haue bene, and as God in his law requireth, then could I not but cry as I do, Iustus es domine & omnia iudicia tua vera. i. Righteous arte thou O Lord, and all thy iudgementes are true. For I haue much greued thee and transgressed thy holy preceptes, not onely before my professyng the Gospell, but sithen also: yea euē sithen my commyng into prison. I do not excuse, but accuse my selfe before God and all his Church, that I haue greuously offended my Lord God, I haue not liued hys Gospell as I should haue done, I haue sought my selfe and not simply and onely hys glory and my brethrens commoditie, I haue bene to vnthākefull, secure, carnall,