MarginaliaAn. 1555. Iuly.hiding of those things from our sight, lest we should run and embrace them by harty prayer: the spirit wherof God graunt vs, and in dede we should attaine enough in thys behalfe, if we continued therein.

For auricular confession, wherin you desire my aduise for your good yokefellow and family (my most deare brother) I am as ready to geue it, as you to desire it, yea more glad, for as much as halfe a suspition was in me (at the least as touching my deare sister your wife) of a lothing of my aduise, that too much had bene geuē, where in deede I should lamēt my too little feeding you spiritually, as both you out of prison and in prison haue fed me corporally. But as I alwayes thought of her, so I yet think, that she is the childe of God, whom God dearely loueth, and will in his good time, to her eternall cōfort, geue her her harts desire in sure feeling and sensible beleuing of this, which I wold she had often in her minde: namely that he is her God & father through CHRIST IESVS our deare Lord and Sauiour. A greater seruice to God she can not geue then to beleue this. MarginaliaWhat to do if Sathā charge our conscience with vnbelief.If Sathan say she beleueth not, to answer not him but the Lord, and to say, yea Lord helpe my vnbeliefe, and encrease my pore faith, which Sathan saith is no faith: make him a lier lord, as alwaies he hath bene, is, and shall be. Vndoubtedly sooner or later God wyll graciously here her grones, and keepe al her teares in his bottell, yea wryte them in his counting booke: for he is a righteous God, and hath no pleasure in the death of hys creature: he loueth mercy, he will retourne and shew her his mercy: he will cast all her sinnes and iniquities into the bottome of the sea: and MarginaliaThe Lord the longer he tarieth, the more liberally he recompenseth at his comming.the longer that he taryeth (as he doth it but to proue her) so the more liberally wil he recompence her long loking, which no lesse pleaseth hym, then it greueth now her outward Adam. For the mortification whereof, God vseth this crosse, and therefore if she desire to beare the same, doubtles God wil make her able to beare it: and in presumption of his goodnes & strength let her cast her self wholy vpon him: for he is faithfull, and wil assuredly cōfirme, and bring to a happy end that good which graciously he hath begon in her. The which thyng I desire him to doe for hys owne glory and names sake, Amen. Amen.

And now to the matter. Confession auricular, as it was first vsed and instituted (MarginaliaConfession auricular to what end it was first instituted.which was by the way of a counsell asking) I take to be amongs those traditions which are indifferent, that is, neyther vnlawfull, nor necessarily binding vs, except the offence of the weake could not be auoided. MarginaliaAuricular confession, as it is now abused, is to be reiected, as vnlawfull and wicked for 8. causes.But to consider it, as it is now vsed (I write to you but as I thinke and what my minde is, the which follow no further, the good men by Gods worde doe allow it) to consider it I say, as it is now vsed, me thinkes it is plainely vnlawfull and wicked, and that for these causes.

First, because they make it a seruice of God, and a thing which pleaseth God of it self, I will not say meritorious, this bringer my brother can tell you at large how great an euill this is.

Secondly, because they make it of necessity, so that he or she that vseth it not, is not to be taken for a good Christian.

MarginaliaEnumeration of sinnes impossibleThirdly, because it requireth of it selfe an impossibility, that is, the numbring and telling of all our synnes, which no man perceaueth, much lesse can vtter.

Fourthly, because it establisheth and confirmeth, at the least alloweth praying to Saintes: precor Sanctā Mariam: you must say or the priest for you.

MarginaliaConfession preiudicial to christian libertie.Fifthly, because it is very iniurious to the liberty of the Gospell, the which to affirme in example and fact, I take to be a good worke, and deare in Gods sight.

MarginaliaConfession a marke of the Popes church.Sixtly, because (as it is vsed) it is a note, yea a very synow of the popish Church: and therefore we should be so farre from allowing the same, that we should thynke our selues happy to lose any thing in bearing witnes thereagainst.

MarginaliaConfession in stead of counsell, geueth poyson.Seuenthly, because in stead of coūsel, thereat you shold receaue poysō, or if you refuse it vnder syr Iohns benedicite, you should no lesse there be wound in the briers.

Eightly, because the end and purpose why we goe thether, is for the auoiding of the crosse, that is, for our owne cause, and not for CHRISTES cause, or for our brethrens commodity. For in that they make it so necessary a thing, and a worshipping of God, it can not but be against CHRIST, and the freedome of his gospell: and the same thing teacheth vs, that it is against the commodity of our brethren, which eyther be weake, eyther be strong, eyther be ignoraunt, eyther be obstinate. If they be weake, by your resorting to it, they be made more weake. If they be strong, you do what you can to infirme theyr strength. If

they be ignoraunt, therein you helpe to kepe them by your fact. If they be obstinate, your resorting to it can not but rocke them a slepe in their obstinate error of the necessitye of this rite and ceremony. These causes recited doe shew you what I thinke in this: but my thinking must no further binde you then a mannes thought should doe, except the same be grounded vpon Gods word which bindeth in deede, as I thinke they doe. I doubt not but you waying these causes, and especially two of the first and last, if you pray to God for his spirite to direct you: and thereto aske the aduise of this my good brother and other godly learned men, I doubt not (I say) but you shold be guided to doe that which is best in Gods sight, although in the sight of the world perhaps you should bee counted folishe and precise. But be at a point with your selues, as the disciples of CHRIST, which had forsaken them selues, to follow not your will, but Gods wil, as you daily pray in the Lords prayer.

The crosse of CHRIST be willing to cary, lest you cary the crosse of the world, the flesh, or the deuill. One of these iiij. crosses you must cary. Marginalia4. Crosses, whereof 3. bringeth to hell.Three of them bringeth to hell, & therfore the more part goeth that way, which is a broad way. Only the fourth bringeth to heauen, but few go that way, aswell because the way is strayt, as also because fewe walke in it.MarginaliaWhy the more part goe that way that leadeth to perdition. Howbeit, though it be strait, it is but short, and the few are many if you cōsider the godly, as the Patriarkes, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, and CHRIST IESVS, with all his Gard and traine. Thynke not scorne to come after them which are gone before you, and after them which now goe before you, in whose number I trust I am appoynted to bee one, and I besech you pray for me, that God woulde vouch me worthy that honour. Our sinnes deserue plagues, prison, and the losse of all that euer we haue: therfore if God remoue our synnes out of sight, and send vs prison, or losse of goods & liuyng for his names sake, oh how happy are we? My deare hartes in the Lord, consider this geare, and be assured that he which loseth any thing for CHRISTES sake, the same in his posterity shal finde it here, and in heauen elswhere. As for vnablenes to answere for your faith: it shall be enough to will them to dispute with your teachers. Fayth standeth not in disputing. I thinke few, if it came to disputing, could defend the godhead of CHRIST, and many other articles: I speake it for the simple sort. Pray for me. Lacke of paper maketh this ende. Commend me to my good brother R. B. and my good sister his wife: I pray them to pray for me. I trust by this bearer to heare how you doe.

Iohn Bradford.

MarginaliaAn other letter of M. Bradford to a deare friend and his wife.GOds mercy in CHRIST I wish you to feele, my dere brother, with my faithfull sister your wife, now and for euer, Amen.

Hauing this occasion, I could not but wryte something, as well to put my self in remembraunce of my duty to godwardes for you both, in thankfulnes and prayer, as to put you in remembrāce of me and your duty towards God for me, in praying for me: for I dare not say in thākfulnes for me: not þ^t I would haue you to geue no thākes to God for his wonderfull great and sweete mercyes towardes me, and vpon me in CHRIST his sonne: but because I haue not deserued it at either of your hands. For ye both know right wel, at least my conscience doth accuse me, how that I haue not only not exhorted & taught you, (as both my vocatiō and your deserts required) to walke worthy of that vocation which God hath made you worthy of, and with trembling and feare to worke out your saluation, that is, in the feare of God to geue your selues to great vigilancy in prayer for the encrease of fayth, and to a wary circumspection in al your conuersation, not only in works & words, but also in thoughts, because God is a sercher of the hart, and out of the hart it commeth that defileth vs in gods sight: I haue (I say) not only not done this, but also haue geuen you example of neglygence in prayer, watching, fasting, talking and doing, so that woe to me for geuing you such offence. Partly for thys cause deare brother and sister, God hath cast me and kepeth me here that I might repent me and turne to him, and that ye might also by this correction vpon me, be more diligēt to redresse these things and others, if they in your conscience do accuse you.

My dearly beloued, heuy is gods anger fallen vpon vs all: doulefull is this day. MarginaliaAntichrist reigning in England.Now hath Antichrist all hys power againe. Now is CHRISTES gospell troden vnder