MarginaliaAn. 1555. Iuly.As for the report of W. Po. if it bee as you heare, you must prepare to beare it. It is written on heauens dore: MarginaliaThe posy written vpon heauen gates.doe vvell, and beare euill. Be content therfore to heare whatsoeuer the enemy shal imagine to blot you withall. Gods holy spirit alwayes comfort and kepe you, Amen, Amen. This. 8. of August, by him that in the Lord desireth to you as well and as much felicity as to his owne hart.

Iohn Bradford.

Here foloweth an other letter of his, written to the good Lady Vane, wherin he resolueth certain questiōs which she demaunded. MarginaliaCommendation of the Lady Vane.This Lady Vane was a speciall Nourse and a great supporter to her power of the godly Saintes, which were imprisoned in Q. Maries time. Vnto whom diuers letters I haue both of Maister Philpot, Careles, Traherne, Tho. Rose, and of other mo, wherein they render vnto her most grateful thankes for her exceeding goodnes extended towarde them, with their singular commendation and testimonie also of her Christian zeale towarde Gods afflicted prisoners, and to the veritye of his Gospell. She departed of late at Holburn, an. 1568. MarginaliaNote how God commonly rewardeth the helpers and friendes to his Saintes.whose ende was more lyke a sleepe then any death, so quietly, and meekely she deceased and departed hence in the Lord.

Amongest other which wrote vnto her, Mayster Bradford also sent these letters to the sayd Layde: the tenour whereof here followeth.

MarginaliaA letter of M. Bradford written to the good Lady Vane, wherin he discusseth doutes concerning the comming to Masse.THe true sense & sweete feeling of Gods eternal mercies in CHRIST IESVS, be euer more & more liuely wrought in your hart by the holy Ghost, Amen.I most hartely thanke you (good Madame) for your comfortable letters: and whereas you would be aduertised what were best to be done on your behalfe concerning your three questions: the truth is, that the questions are neuer well seene nor aunswered, vntill the thing whereof they arise, be well considered, I meane vntill it be seene how great an euill the thing is. MarginaliaThe abomination of the Masse set forth.If it be once in deede in your hart perceiued vpon probable and pithy places gathered out of Gods booke, that there was neuer thing vpon the earth so great and so much an aduersary to Gods true seruice, to Christes death, passion, Priesthoode, sacrifice, and kingdome, to the ministery of Gods word and Sacraments, to the church of God, to repentaunce, faith, and all true godlines of life, as that is whereof the MarginaliaThese questions were concerning the Masse, wherin she desired hys iudgemēt.questions arise (as most assuredly it is in deede) then can not a Christian hart, but so much the more abhorre it, and all thinges that in any point might seeme to allow it, or any thing pertaining to the same, by how much it hath the name of Gods seruice. Agayne, your Ladyship doth know, that as all is to bee discommended and auoided, which is followed or fled from in respect of our selues, in respect of auoiding CHRISTES crosse: so the end of all our doinges should bee to Godwardes, to his glory, to our neighbours, to edification & good example, whereof none can be geuen in allowyng any of the three questions by you propounded. But because this which I write now, is briefe, and needeth the more consideration or explication: as I doubt not of the one in you, so from me by Gods grace you shal receaue the other shortly. For I haue already written MarginaliaHe meaneth his booke which he calleth the hurte of hearing Masse.a little booke of it, which I wil send vnto you, in the which you shall haue your questions fully aunswered and satisfied, and therefore I omit to write any more hereabouts presently: beseeching God our good father to guide you as his deare childe with his spirite of wisdome, power, and comfort vnto eternall life, that you may bee strong and reioyce in him and with his church, to cary CHRISTES crosse, if he shal so thinke it nede. 1. Pet. 1. which is a thing to be desired, wished, and embraced, if wee looked on thinges after the iudgement of Gods woord, and tryed them by that touchstone. If you be accustomed to thinke on the breuitie, vanitie, and misery of this life, and on the eternity, truth and felicity of euerlasting life: if you looke on things after their endes, and not after their present appearaunce onely: if you vse your selfe to set Gods presence, power, and mercy alwayes before your eyes, to see them as God by euer creature would you shoulde: I doubt not but you shall finde such strength and comfort in the Lord, as you shal not be shaken with al the power

of Sathan. Gods mercy in CHRIST be with you, and his good spirite guide you for euer. Amen.

MarginaliaAn other letter of Maister Bradford to the foresaid Lady Vane.AS to myne owne soule, I wishe to your Ladyship grace and mercy from God our deare Father in CHRIST our Lord and Sauiour.

I thanke God that something he hath eased you, and mitigated his fatherly correction is vs both: I would to God hee had done so much in the behalfe of the griefe of the body to you, as he hath done to me. For as for the soule, I trust you feele that which I pray God encrease in you, I meane his fatherly loue, and graūt that I may with you feele the same in such degre as may please him: I will not say as you feele, lest I shoulde seeme to aske to much at one time. God doth often much more plentifully viset wyth the sense of his mercy, them that humble them selues vnder his mighty hand, and are sore exercised (as you long haue bene) then others, which to the face of the world haue a more shewe and appearaunce. Therefore I wish as I do, and that not onelye for myne own commodity, but also that I might occasion you to the consideration of the goodnes of God, which I by your letters do well espy, which is in deede the hie way, whereby as God encreaseth his giftes, so sheweth hee more liuely his saluation, Psalme. 50. 107. I haue receaued Gods blessing from you, the which I haue partly distributed vnto my three fellow prisoners Maister Farrar, M. Taylour, M. Philpot, and the residue I wyll bestow vpon iiij. poore soules which are imprysoned in the common Iayle for religion also. As for myne owne parte, if I had nede, I would haue serued my turne also. But because I had not, nor (I thanke God) haue not, I haue bene and wyll be your Almner in such sort as I haue already aduertised you. God reward you, and geue you to finde it spiritually and corporally. Because otherwise I can not talke with you, therefore on this sort, as occasion and opportunity wyl serue, I am ready to shew my good wyll and desyre of your helpe and furtheraunce in the Lord to euerlasting lyfe, whereunto God bryng vs shortly for his mercies sake, Amen.

Good Madame be thankefull to God, as I hope you be: be earnest in prayer, continue in reading and hearing Gods word, and if Gods further crosse come, as therein God doth serue his prouidence (for els it shall not come vnto you) so be certaine the same shall turne to your eternall ioy and comfort, Amen.

Iohn Bradford.

MarginaliaAn other letter of Maister Bradford to ij. faithfull frends of hys, one Roydō, & Elsing.THe comfort of CHRIST felt commonly of his children in their crosse for his sake, the euerlastyng God worke in both your hartes my good brethren, and in the hartes of both your yokefelowes, especially of good Mary my good Sister in the Lord, Amen.

If I had not somthyng heard of the hazard which you are in for the Gospels sake if you continue the profession and confession therof, as I trust you do and will do and that vnto the end God enabling you, as he will doubtles for his mercies sake if you hope in him (for this bindeth hym as Dauid in CHRISTES person witnesseth: Our fathers hoped in thee, and thou deliueredst them. &c. Psal. 22.) yet by coniectures I could not but suppose (though not so certainly) þ^e time of your sufferyng & probation to be at hād. For now is the power of darkenes fully come vpon this Realme most iustly for our sinnes and abusing the light lent vs of the Lord, to the settyng forth of our selues more thē of Gods glory, þ^t aswell we might be brought into þ^e better knowledge of our euils, & so hartely repent (which God graunt vs to do) as also we might haue more feling and sense of our swete Sauiour IESVS CHRIST, by the humbling and deiectyng of vs, thereby to make vs, as more desirous of him, so more swete and pleasaunt vnto vs: the which thyng the good spirite of God worke sensibly in all our hartes for Gods holy names sake.

For this cause I thought it my duety, beyng now where I haue some libertie to write (the Lord be praised) and hearing of you as I heare: to do that which I should haue done if I had heard nothyng at all: that is, to desire you to be of good cheare & comfort in the Lord (although in the world you see cause rather to the contrary) and to goe on forwardes in the way of God wherinto you are