Marginalia1555. Iuly.frendes, thē to *Marginalia* The blood of Martyrs standeth for the veritie of Christ agaynst the world and Sathan, who would suppresse the same. beare witnes with CHRIST, as we now do. The world folowyng the counsel of theyr Syer Sathan, would gladly condemne CHRIST and his verity: but loe the Lord hath chosen vs to be his champions, to let this. As stout souldiours therfore let vs stand in our maister, who is with vs & standeth on our right hād that we shal not be much moued, if we hope and hang on his mercy: he is so faithfull and true, that he will neuer tēpt vs further then he wil make vs hable to beare. Therfore be not carefull (for I heare say this day you shalbe called foorth) what you shall aunswere. MarginaliaThe lord promiseth and will geue them that stand to his defence, how and what to answere.The Lord which is true and cannot lye, hath promised and will neuer fayle nor forget it, that you shall haue both what and how to aunswere, so as shall make his shameles aduersaries ashamed. Hang therfore on this promise of God, who is an helper at a pinch and a most present remedy to them that hope in him. Neuer was it heard of or shalbe, that any hopyng in the Lord was put to foyle.

Therfore as I sayd, I say agayn, Deare Sister be not onely not carefull for your aunsweryng, but also be ioyfull for your cause. Confesse Christ and be not ashamed, and hee will confesse you and neuer be ashamed of you. Though losse of goodes and life be like here to ensue: yet if CHRIST be true (as he is most true) it is otherwise in deede: For he that loseth his lyfe (sayth hee) wynneth it, but he that saueth it, loseth it. Our sinnes haue deserued many deathes. MarginaliaA blessed thing seing a man must nedes die, to die for the Lord.Now if God deale so with vs, that he wil make our deserued death a demonstration of his grace, a testimoniall of his veritie, a confirmation of his people, and an ouerthrow of his aduersaries: what great cause haue we to be thankefull? Be thākefull therfore good Syster, be thankefull, reioyce and be mery in the Lord, be stout in his cause and quarell, be not faynt harted, but runne out your race, & set your captaine CHRIST before your eyes. Behold how great your reward is. See the great glory and þ^e eternitie of felicitie prepared for you. Striue to fight lawfully, that you may get the crowne. Runne to get the game: you are almost at your iourneyes end. I doubt not, but our father will with vs send to you also, as he did to Marginalia4. Reg. 2.Hely, a fiery chariotte, to cōuey vs into his kyngdome. Let vs therfore not be dismayde to leaue our cloke behind vs, that is, our bodies to ashes. God will one day restore them to vs like to the body of our Lord and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST, whose cōmyng is now at hand: let vs looke for it and lift vp our heades, for our redemption draweth nigh, Amen, Amen. The Lord of mercy graunt vs his mercy, Amen. I pray you pray for me, and so desire my brethren which bee with you. Gods peace be with vs all, Amen. Blessed be the dead that dye in the Lord: then how much more they that dye for the Lord.

Your brother in bondes.
Iohn Bradford.

MarginaliaA resolutiō of Maister Bradford, Whether a Christian absteyning from the masse, may heare the Popishe Mattins, or no.I Besech almighty God our heauenly father to be mercifull vnto vs, and to encrease in you, my good Sister, the knowledge and loue of his truth, and at this present geue me grace so to write to you somthing of the same, as may make to his glory, and our own comfort and cōfirmation in him through CHRIST our Lord, Amen.

Whether you maye come wyth safe conscience to the church now, that is, to the seruice vsed cōmonly, in part, as at Mattins or at Euensong, or no, is your desire to haue me to write somthing for your further stay. My dearely beloued, although your benefits towards me might perchaunce make you to thincke, that in respect thereof I would beare with that which els were not to bee borne withall: yet by Gods grace I am purposed simply and without all such respect in this matter, to speake to you the truth according to my conscience, as I may be able to stand vnto, when I shall come before the Lord.

MarginaliaThree lessons to be learned of euery Christian.First therefore go about to learne perfectly the fyrst lesson to be learned of all that professe CHRIST, that is, to deny your selfe, and in nothing to seeke your selfe.

Secondly, learne after this, to begin at the next lesson to it, which is to seeke God in all things you do and leaue vndone.

Thirdly, know that then you seke God, when in his seruice you follow his word and not mans fantasies, custome, multitude. &c. and when with your brother you follow the rule of charitie, that is, to do as you would be done by. In these is a summe of all the counsell I can

geue you, if that hereto I admonishe you of the seruice now vsed, which is not according to gods word, but rather against Gods worde directly and in maner wholy. So that your going to þ^t seruice, is a declaratiō that you haue not learned the first lesson, nor neuer cā learne it so long as you go thether: therefore the second lesson you shall vtterly lose, if you cease not the seeking your selfe, that is, if for company, custome, father or friend, lyfe or goods, you seeme to allow that which God disaloweth. And this that you the better may perceaue, I purpose by Gods grace briefly to shew.

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Reasons prouing that no Christian may come to the Popish Mattins and euensong with a good conscience.
The Popes seruice is in a tounge vnknowen.First the Mattens and Euensong is in a tounge forbidden publikely to be vsed in the congregation that perceaueth not the toung. Read how Paul affirmeth it, to pray in an vnknowen toung, to be against Gods commaūdement. This one (I trow) were inough, if nothing els were. For how cā Gods glory be sought, where his word and commaundement is wilfully broken? How can charity to man stand, when charity to God, which is obedience to his word, is ouerthrowen?

MarginaliaThe Popes seruice is full of Idolatrie.Again, both in Mattins & in Euensong is idolatry maintained for Gods seruice: for there is inuocation & praier made to Saintes departed thys lyfe, which robbeth God of that glory which he will geue to none other.

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Esay. 5.
The Popes seruice cōdemneth our English seruice of heresie.Moreouer, this seruice and the setters forth of it, condemneth the English seruice as heresie, thereby falling into Gods curse, which is threatned to all such as call good euyll, and euyll good: whereof they shall be partakers that do communicate with them.

MarginaliaThe Popes lattin seruice is a marke of Antichrist.Besides this, this lattin seruice is a plaine marke of Antichristes catholicke Sinagoge, so that the Cōmunicants and approuers of it, thereby declare them selues to be members of the same Sinagoge, and so cut of from CHRIST and hys Church: whose exteriour marke is the true administration of Gods word and sacraments.

MarginaliaThe going to the Popes seruice geueth ill example and is offensiue.Furthermore, the example of your going thither to alow the religion of Antichrist (as doubtles you doe in deede, howsoeuer in hart you thinke) occasioneth the obstinate to be vtterly intractable, the weake Papistes to be more obstinate, þ^e strong Gospellers to be sore weakened, and the weake Gospellers to bee vtterly ouerthrowen: which thinges how great offences they be, no pen is able to vtter by letters. All these euils you shalbe gilty of, that company with these in religion exteriourly, from whom you are admonished to flye. If CHRIST be CHRIST, follow him: gather wyth hym, lest you scatter abroad. Serue God, not onely in spirite, but also in body. Make not your body now a mēber of CHRIST, a member of Antichrist. Come out from amongst them, sayth the Lord, and touch no vncleane thing. Confesse CHRIST and his truth, not onely in hart, but also in toung, yea in very deede, which few gospellers do. In dede they deny hym, and therefore had nede to tremble, lest that CHRIST wil deny them in the last day: the which day if it were set before our eyes often, then would the pleasures & tresures of this world be but trifles. Therefore good sister, often haue it before your eyes, dayly set your selfe and your doinges as before the iudgement seat of CHRIST now, that hereafter you bee not called into iudgement. Thinke that it will little profit you to win the whole world, and to lose your owne soule. Marke CHRISTES lessons well: MarginaliaChristes lesson.Hee that will saue hys life shall lose it. The father of heauen commaundeth you to heare CHRIST, and he saith, follow me: this can you not do and follow Idolatry or Idolaters. Fly from such, sayth the scripture. Thys God graunt to you, to me, and to all gods children, Amen. Thus in hast I haue accomplished your request, God graunt that as you haue done mee much good bodily, so this may bee a little meane to doe you some good spiritually, Amen. If tyme would serue, I would haue written more at large. The. ij. of March. An. 1556.

MarginaliaAn epistle of M. Bradford to the Lady Vane, concerning the seate of the Popes pretensed primacie.THe good spirite of God our father be more and more plētifully perceaued of your good Ladiship, through the mediation and merites of our dere Sauiour IESVS CHRIST, Amen.

Although your benefites towards me haue deserued at my hands the seruice I can do for you, yet (right worshipfull and dearely beloued in the Lord) the true feare of God and the loue of his truth which I perceyue to be in you, especially and aboue all other things doth binde me hereunto. This bearer hath tolde me that your desire