Marginalia1555. Iuly.But besydes all thys, for my soule I fynde much more commodity. For God is my father, I now perceaue, through CHRIST: therfore in prisonyng me for his gospel, he maketh me like to the image of his sonne IESVS CHRIST here, that when he cometh to iudgement, I myght then be like vnto him, as my trust and hope is I shalbe. Now maketh he me like to his frēds the Prophets, Apostles, the holy Martyrs and Cōfessors. Which of them did not suffer, at the least, imprisōment or banishment for his gospell and word?

Now Mother, how farre am I vnmete to be compared to them? I (I say) which alwayes haue bene, and am so vile an hypocrite and greuous a synner? God might haue caused me long before this time to haue bene cast into pryson as a theefe, a blasphemer, an vncleane liuer, and an heynous offender of the lawes of the Realme, but deare Mother, his mercy is so great vpon both you and all that loue me, that I should be cast into prison as none of these, or for any such vices: but only for his CHRISTES sake, for his gospels sake, for his Churches sake, that hereby, as I might learne to lament and bewaile my ingratitude and sinnes: so I myght reioyce in hys mercy, be thankfull, looke for eternall ioye with Christ, for whose sake (praysed be his name for it) I now suffer, and therefore should be merye and gladde. And in deede good Mother, so I am, as euer I was, yea neuer so mery and glad was I, as I now should be, if I could get you to be mery with me, to thanke God for me, and to pray on this sorte: MarginaliaA prayer for hys mother to offer vnto God in his behalfe.Ah good father which doest vouchsafe that my sonne being a greuous sinner in thy sight, should find thys fauour with thee, to be one of thy sonnes captaynes and men of warre to fight and suffer for hys Gospelles sake, I thanke thee and pray thee in CHRISTES name that thou wouldest forgeue hym hys sinnes and vnthankefulnes, and make perfect in hym that good which thou hast begonne: yea Lord I pray thee make him worthy to suffer, not only imprisonmēt, but euen very death for thy truth religion, and Gospels sake. As Anna did apply and geue her first child Samuell vnto thee: so do I deare father, beseching thee for CHRISTES sake, to accept thys my gift, & geue my sonne Iohn Bradford grace alwayes truely to serue thee and thy people, as Samuell did, Amen, Amen.

If on this sort good Mother, from your hart you would pray, as I should be the most meryest man that euer was: so am I certayne the lettes of your prayer for my imprisonment, would be takē away. Good mother, therefore marke what I haue written, and learne thys prayer by hart, to say it dayly, and then I shall be mery, and you shall reioyce if that you continue, as I trust you do, in Gods true religion, euen the same I haue taught you, and my father Traues (I trust) will put you in remembraunce of: my brother Roger also I trust doth so dayly. Go to therefore and learne apace. Although the deuill cast diuerse lets in the way, God, in whom you trust, wil cast them away for hys CHRISTES sake, if you will call vppon hym: and neuer will he suffer you to be tēpted aboue that he wyll make you able to beare. But how you should do herein, MarginaliaThis letter came not to our handes.the other letter which I haue written herewith, shall teach you, which I would none should read till my father Traues haue read it, and he will geue you by Gods grace, some instructions. Now therefore wil I make an end, praying you good Mother, to looke for no moe letters: for if it were knowen that I haue penne and inke and did write, then should I wante all the foresayd commodities I haue spoken of concerning my body, and be cast into some dungeon in fetters of yron: which thing I know would greue you, and therefore for Gods sake, see that these be burned when thys litle prayer in it, is copyed out by my brother Roger: for perchaunce your house may be searched for such geare, when you thinke litle of it, and looke for no moe, sweete Mother, tyll eyther God shall deliuer me and send me out, eyther you and I shall meete in heauen, where we shall neuer part asunder, Amen.

MarginaliaExhortation to his 2. sisters.I require you Elizabeth and Margaret my sisters, that you will feare God, vse prayer, loue your husbands, be obedient vnto them, as God wylleth you: bring vp your children in Gods feare: and be good houswifes. God blesse you both, with both your husbandes my good brethren, whom to do good, because I now can not, I will pray for them and you. Commend me to my sister Anne, Mother Pike, T. Sorrocold and hys wife, R. Shalcrosse and his wyfe, R. Bolton, I. Wild, M. Vicar, the parsō of Mottrom, Syr Laurence Hall, with all that loue, and (I trust) liue the Gospell: and God turne Syr Tho-

mas his hart, Amen. I wyll dayly pray for him. I neede not to set my name, you know it well enough.

Because you should geue my letters to my father Traues to be burned, I haue written here a prayer for you to learne to pray for me good Mother, and an other for all your house in your euening prayer to pray with my brother. These prayers are writtē with myne owne hand: kepe thē still, but the letters geue to father Traues to burne, and geue father Traues a copye of the latter prayer.

MarginaliaAn other and the last letter of M. Bradford written to his mother a litle before hys death.GOds mercy and peace in CHRIST, be more and more perceiued of vs, Amen.My most deare Mother, in the bowels of CHRIST I hartely pray & besech you to be thankefull for me vnto God, which thus now taketh me vnto hym self. I dye not, my good mother, as a theefe, a murderer, an adulterer. &c. but I dye as a wytnes of CHRIST, hys Gospell and veritie, which hetherto I haue confessed (I thanke God) as well by preaching, as by prisonment, and now euen presently I shall most willingly confyrme the same by fyre. I knowledge that God most iustly might take me hence simply for my syns (which are many, great, & greuous: but the Lord for his mercy in CHRIST, hath pardoned thē all I hope): but now deare Mother, he taketh me hence by thys death, as a Confessour and wytnes, that the religion taught by CHRIST IESV, the Prophets, and the Apostels, is Gods truth. MarginaliaBradford persecuted of the prelates not for hys sinnes, but for the truth of Christ.The Prelates do persecute in me CHRIST whom they hate, and hys truth which they may not abyde, because their workes are euyll, and may not abyde the truth and lyght, lest men shoulde see their darkenes. Therefore my good and most deare Mother, geue thankes for me to God, that hee hath made the fruite of your wombe to bee a witnes of his glory, and attend to the truth (which I thanke God for it) I haue truly taught out of the pulpit of Manchester. Vse often and continual prayer to God the father through CHRIST. Harken, as you may, to the scriptures: serue God after his word, and not after custome: beware of the Romish religion in England, defyle not your selfe with it: cary CHRISTES Crosse as he shall laye it vpon your backe: forgeue them that kyll me: pray for them, for they knowe not what they do: commit my cause to God our father: bee myndefull of both your daughters to helpe them as you can.

I send all my wrytinges to you by my brother Roger: do wyth them as you wyll, because I cannot as I would: he can tell you more of my mynde. I haue no thing to geue you, or to leaue behinde me for you: onely I pray God my father for hys CHRISTES sake, to blesse you and keepe you from euyll. He geue you pacience, he make you thankefull, as for me, so for your selfe, that wyll take the fruite of your wombe to wytnes hys verity: wherin I confesse to the whole world I die & depart this life in hope of a much better: which I looke for at the hands of God my father through the merytes of hys deare sonne IESVS CHRIST. Thus my deare Mother, I take my last farewell of you in this life, beseching the almighty and eternall father by Christ, to graunt vs to meete in the lyfe to come, where we shall geue hym continuall thankes and prayse for euer and euer, Amen. ¶ Out of prison the 24. of Iune, 1555.

Your sonne in the Lord,
Iohn Bradford.

MarginaliaA letter of M. Bradford ioyned with a supplication, sent to Quene Mary, her Counsell, and the Parlament.IN most humble wyse complaineth vnto your Maiesty and honours, a poore subiect persecuted for the confession of CHRISTES verity: the which verity deserueth at your hands to be maintayned and defended, as the thynge, by the which you raigne and haue your honour and authorities. Although we that be professours, and through the grace of God, the constant confessoures of the same, are (as it were) the out swepinges of the world: yet (I say) the verity it selfe is a thing not vnworthy for your eares to heare, for your eyes to see, and for your handes to handle, helpe, and succour, according to that þ^e Lord hath made you able, and placed you where you are, for the same purpose.