MarginaliaAn. 1555. Iuly.ned. But (my dearely beloued) I haue learned none other thing, then before I haue told you would come to passe, if ye cast not away that which ye haue learned. I doe appeale to both your consciences, whether herein I speake truth, as well of my telling (though not so often as I might and should, God forgeue me) as also of your learning. Now God will try you, to make others to learne by you, that which ye haue learned by others: and by MarginaliaThe Lady Iane and her husband were beheaded that day.them which suffered this day ye might learne (if already ye had not learned) that lyfe and honour is not to be set by more then Gods commaundement. They in no point for all that euer their ghostly fathers coulde do, hauing MarginaliaDoctor death the Popes chaplein.Doctor Death to take their part, would consent or seme to consent to the popish Masse and papisticall God, otherwise then in the dayes of our late Kyng they had receaued. And this their fayth they haue confessed with their deathes, to their great glory and all our comfortes, if we follow them: but to our confusion, if wee start backe from the same. Wherefore I beseech you to considre it, aswell to prayse God for them, as to go the same way with them, if God so wyll. Consider not the thinges of this life, which is a very prison to all Gods children: but the thinges of euerlasting life which is our very home. But to the beholding of this geare ye must open the eyes of your minde, of faith I should haue sayd, as MarginaliaExample of Moses forsaking Pharaos house, to go with Gods people.Moses did, which set more by trouble with Gods people, then by the riches of Egypt, and Pharaos Court. Your house, home, and goods, yea lyfe and all that euer ye haue, God hath geuen you as MarginaliaGods louetokens.louetokens, to admonish you of his loue, and to win your loue to him again. Now will he try your loue, whether ye set more by hym then by his tokens, or no. If ye for his tokens sake, that is, for your home, house, goodes, yea lyfe, will go wyth the world lest ye shoulde lose them, then be assured your loue, as he can not but espy it to be MarginaliaA strumpet setteth more by her tokens then by her louer.a strūpets loue, so wil he cast it away with the world. Remēber that he which wyll saue hys lyfe shall lose it, if Christ be true: but hee which aduentureth, yea looseth his lyfe for the Gospels sake, the same shall be sure to finde it eternally. Do not ye know that the way to saluation is not the broad way which many runne in, but the straite way, which fewe now walke in?

MarginaliaIn king Edwardes time the high way could not be knowen.Before persecution came, men might partly haue stād in a doubt by the outward state of the world with vs (although by Gods word it was plaine) whether was the hygh way (for there was as many that pretēded the gospell, as popery): but now the sunne is risen & the wynde bloweth, so that the corne which hath not taken fast rote, can not nor wyll not abide: and therefore easely ye may see the straite way by the small number that passeth thorough it. Who will nowe aduenture their goodes and lyfe for CHRISTES sake, which yet gaue hys lyfe for our sakes? We are now become Marginalia
Math. 8.
Gergesites set more by their pigges, then by Christ.Gergesites, that would rather lose CHRIST, then our Porkers. A faythfull wyfe is neuer tryed so to be, but when shee reiecteth and withstandeth woers. A faythful Christian is then found so to be, when his faith is assaulted. If we be not able, I meane if we wil not forsake this world for Gods glory and Gospels sake, trow ye that God wyll make vs able, or geue vs a will to forsake it for natures sake? Die ye must once, and leaue all ye haue (God knoweth how soone and when) wyll ye, or will ye not, and seing perforce ye must do this, wyll ye not willingly now doe it for Gods sake?

If ye go to Masse, and do as the most part doth, then may ye lyue at rest and quietly: but if ye denye to go to it, then shall ye go to prison, lose your goods, leaue your children comfortles, yea lose your life also. But my dearly beloued, open the eyes of your faith, and see how short a thing this life is, euen a very shadowe and smoke. MarginaliaThe transitory pleasures of this life weyed with the endles punishmēt to come hereafter both of body and soule.Againe, see how intolerable the punishment of hel fyre is, and that endles. Last of all, looke on the ioyes incomprehensible, which God hath prepared for al them world without end, which lose eyther landes or goodes for hys names sake. And then doe ye reason thus: if wee go to Masse the greatest enemy that CHRIST hath, though for a litle time we shal liue in quiet, and leaue to our children that they may lyue hereafter, yet shall we displease God, fall into hys handes (which is horrible to hypocrites) and be in wonderfull hazard of falling from eternall ioy into eternall misery, first of soule, and then of body, with the deuill and all Idolaters. Againe, we shal want peace of conscience, which surmounteth all the riches of the world: and for our children, who knoweth whether god wil viset our Idolatry on them in this life:

yea our house and goods are in daunger of losing, as our liues, be, through many casualties: and when God is angry with vs, he can send alwaies whē he wil, one meane or an other to take all from vs for our sinnes, and to cast vs into care for our owne sakes, which wil not come into some little trouble for his sake.

On this sort reason with your selues, and then doubtles God will worke otherwise with you and in you, thē you are ware of. Where now ye thinke your selues vnable to abyde persecution, be most assured, if so be ye purpose not to forsake God, that God will make you so able to beare his Crosse, that therin ye shall reioyce. Faithfull is God (sayth PaulMarginalia1. Cor. 10.God will geue abilitie, not onely to beare his crosse, but also to reioyce in bearing.) which will not tempt you further then he will make you able to beare, yea he will geue you an outscape in the Crosse, which shal bee to your comfort. Thinke how great a benefite it is, if God wil vouch you worthy this honour, to suffer losse of any thyng for hys sake. He miyht iustly cast most greuous plages vpō you, and yet now hee will correct you with that rod wherby you shalbe made like to his CHRIST, that for euer ye may reigne with him. Suffer your selues therfore now to be made like to CHRIST, for els ye shall neuer bee made like vnto him. The deuill would gladly haue you now to ouerthrow that which godly ye haue of lōg tyme professed. Oh how would he triumph if he could wynne his purpose? Oh how would the Papistes triumph agaynst Gods Gospell in you? Oh how would you confirme them in their wicked Popery? Oh how would the poore children of God be discomforted if now ye should go to Masse and other Idolatrous seruice, and do as the world doth?

Hath God deliuered you frō the Sweat to serue him so? Hath God miraculously restored you to health from your greuous Agewes for such a purpose? Hath God geuen you such blessinges in this world & good thinges all the daies of your life hetherto, and now of equitie wil ye not receaue at his handes and for his sake, some euill? God forbyd: I hope better of you. Vse prayer, and cast your care vppon God: commit your children into hys handes: geue to God your goodes, bodyes, and liues as he hath geuen them, or rather sent them vnto you. Say with Iob: God hath geuen and God hath taken away, hys name be praysed for euer. Cast your care vppon him (I say) for he is carefull for you: & MarginaliaA great blessing of God to suffer for his sake.take it amongest the greatest blessinges of God to suffer for his sake. I trust he hath kept you hetherto to that end.

And I besech thee, O mercyfull father for IESVS CHRISTES sake, that thou wouldest be mercifull vnto vs, comfort vs with thy grace, and strengthen vs in thy truth, that in hart we may beleue and in toung boldly confesse thy Gospell, to thy glory and our eternall saluation, Amen. Pray for me and I by Gods grace will do the same for you.

Iohn Bradford.

MarginaliaAn other letter or admonition of Maister Bradford to certaine Godly professours of Gods truth.THe peace of CHRIST which is the true effecte of Gods gospell beleued (my derely beloued) be more and more plentifully perceiued of you, through the grace of our deare father, by the mighty working of the holy spirit our comforter, Amen.

Though I haue many lettes presently to hinder me from wryting vnto you, yet being desired, I could not but some thing signify my ready good will in this behalfe so much as I may, when I cannot so much as I would. You heare and see how Sathan bestirreth him, raging as a roring Lyon to deuoure vs. You see and feele partly what stormes he hath raised vp to drowne the poore boote of CHRIST, I meane his church. You see how terribly he trayneth his souldiours to geue a fierce onset on the voward of gods battell. You se how he hath receiued power of God to molest Gods chyldren, and to begin at his house. By reason wherof consider two things: one the cause on our behalfe: the other what will be the sequele on straungers.

MarginaliaTwo thinges to be considered in the persecutiō of Gods people.For the first, if we be not blind, we cannot but well see that our sinnes are the cause of all this misery: our sinnes I say, which I wold that euery one of vs wold apply to our selues after the example of Ionas and Dauid, turning ouer the wallet, that other mens offences might lye behind, and our owne before. Not that I