Marginalia1555. Iuly.and the lawes of the Realme at that present, and dyd make much to quietnes.

Chaunc. Well, if thou make this bablyng, rollyng in thy eloquent tongue, and yet being altogether ignorant & vainglorious, and wylt not receiue mercy offered to thee, knowe for truth that the Queene is minded to make a *Marginalia* That is the worst you and your Pope can do and the best argument you haue. purgatiō of al such as thou art.

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Brad. The Lord before whom I stand, as well as before you, knoweth what vainglory I haue sought, and seeke in this behalfe: hys mercy I desire, and also would be glad of the Queenes fauour, to liue as a subiect without clog  

of conscience. MarginaliaThe lords mercy better then lyfe to Bradford.But otherwise the Lordes mercy is better to me then life. And I know to whom I haue committed my lyfe, euen into his hands which wil keepe it, so that no man may take it away before it be his pleasure. There are. xij. houres in the day, and as long as they last, so long shall no man haue power theron. Therefore his good wyl be done: lyfe in his displeasure is woorse then death, and death in his true fauour is true lyfe.

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Chaunc. I knowe wel enough that we shall haue glorious talke inough of thee: be sure therfore, that as thou hast deceyued the people with false and diuelish doctrine, so shalt thou receyue.

Brad. I haue not deceyued the people, MarginaliaBradford ready to confirme his doctrine with his lyfe.nor taught any other doctrine, then by Gods grace I am, and hope shall be ready to confirme wyth my lyfe. And as for the diuelishnes and falsenes in the doctrine, I would be sory you coulde so proue it.

Dures. Why? tell me what you say by the ministration of the Communion, as now you knowe it is?

Brad. My Lorde, here I must desire of your Lordshyp and of al your honours MarginaliaBradford asketh a question before he aunswereth any interrogatory.a question, before I dare make you an answeare to any interrogatorie or question, wherewith you nowe begynne. I haue bene sixe tymes sworne that I shall in no case consent to the practising of any iurisdiction, or any authoritie on the Bishop of Romes behalfe within this Realme of England. Nowe before God I humbly pray your honours to tell me whether you aske me this question by his authoritie, or no? If you doo, I dare not, nor may answere you any thing in his authority, which you shall demaund of me, except I would be forsworne, whiche God forbyd.

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MarginaliaSecretary Bourne speaketh.Sec. Bourn. Hast thou bene sworne sixe tymes? what office hast thou borne?  

MarginaliaBradford sixe tymes sworne agaynst the Pope.Brad. Forsooth I was thrise sworne in Cambridge, when I was admitted maister of Arte, when I was admitted felow of Penbrooke hal, & when I was there, the Visitors came thyther and sware the Vniuersitie. Againe, I was sworne when I entred into the Ministerie, when I had a Prebend geuen me, and when I was sworne to serue the kyng a litle before his death.

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Chaunc. Tush, MarginaliaHerodes oth, quoth Winchester.Herodes othes a man shoulde make no cōscience at.

Brad. But my Lord, these were no Herodes othes,  

nor no vnlawful othes, but othes according to Gods woorde, as you your selfe haue well affirmed in your booke MarginaliaWinchest. De vera obedientia.De vera obedientia.  

M. Roch. My Lords (quoth an other of the Counsel that stoode by the table, maister Rochester I weene) MarginaliaM. Rochester speaketh.I neuer knew wherfore this man was in prison before now: but I see well that it had not bene good that this man had bene abroad.) What the cause was that he was put in prison, I knowe not: but I now wel know that not without a cause he was and is to be kept in prison.

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Bourne. Yea it was reported this Parlament tyme by the Earle of Darby,MarginaliaThe Earle of Darbies complaint agaynst Bradford. that he hath done more hurt by letters, and exhortyng those that haue come to hym, in Religion, then euer he did when he was abroad by preaching. In his letters he curseth all that teach any false doctrine (for so he calleth that whiche is not accordyng to that he taught) and most hartely exhorteth them to whom he writeth, to continue styll in that they haue receiued by hym, and suche like as he is.MarginaliaThis letter was written to his mother, brethrē and sisters, and foloweth hereafter. All which wordes diuers of the Counsell affirmed. Whereunto the sayd M. Bourne added saying: how say you sir, haue you not thus seditiously written & exhorted the people?

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Brad. I haue not written, nor spoken any thing seditiously, MarginaliaM. Bradford falsely charged with sedicion.neither (I thanke God therefore) haue I admitted any seditious cogitation, nor I trust neuer shal do,

Burn. Yea, but thou hast written letters.

Chaunc. Why speakest thou not? Hast thou not written as he saith?

Brad. That I haue written, I haue written.

MarginaliaSir Richard Southwell speaketh.South. Lord God, what an arrogant and stubborne boye  

is this, that thus stoutly and dallyingly behaueth hym selfe before the Queenes Counsel? Wherat one looked vpon an other with disdainfull countenances.

Brad. My Lordes and maisters, the Lord which is, and

wyll be iudge to vs all, knoweth that as I am certaine I stand now before his maiestie: so with reuerēce in his sight I stand before you, and vnto you accordingly in wordes and gesture I desire to behaue my selfe. Yf you otherwise take it, I doubt not but God in his tyme wyl reueale it. In the meane season I shal suffer with al due obedience your sayings and doings too, I hope.

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Chaunc. These be gay glorious wordes of reuerence: MarginaliaAll is lyes that pleaseth not Winchester.but as in all other thinges, so herein also thou doest nothing but lye.

Brad. Well, I would God the author of truth and abhorrer of lyes would pull my tongue out of my head before you all, and shewe a terrible iudgement on me here present, if I haue purposed, or do purpose to lye before you, whatsoeuer you shall aske me.

Chaunc. Why then doest thou not answeare? Haste thou written such letters as here is obiected against thee?

Brad. As I sayde, my Lorde, that I haue written, I haue written. MarginaliaWinchester holden at a bay.I stande nowe before you, which eyther can lay my letters to my charge, or no: if you lay any thyng to my charge that I haue written, if I deny it, I am then a lyer.

Chaunc. We shall neuer haue done with thee, I perceiue now: be short, be short: wylt thou haue mercy?

Brad. I pray God geue me his mercy, and if therwith you wyll extende yours, I wyll not refuse it, but otherwise I wyl none.

Here nowe was much adoo, one speaking this, and an other that of his arrogancie in refusing the Queenes pardon, which she so louingly dyd offer vnto hym: wherto Bradford answeared thus.

Brad. My Lordes, MarginaliaM. Bradford desireth to lyue so that he may haue lyfe without clog of conscience.if I may liue as a quiet subiect without clog of conscience, I shall hartyly thanke you for your pardon: if otherwise I behaue my selfe, then I am in danger of the lawe: in the meane season I aske no more, but the benefite of a subiect, tyl I be conuinced of transgression. If I can not haue this, as hytherto I haue not had, Gods good wil be done.

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Chaunc. Vpon these woordes my Lorde Chauncelour beganne a long processe of MarginaliaWinchester speaketh agaynst the doctrine taught in K. Edwardes tyme.the false doctrine wherewith the people were deceyued in the dayes of kyng Edwarde, and so turned the ende of his talke to Bradford, saying: how sayest thou?

Brad. My Lorde, the doctrine taught in kyng Edwardes dayes, was Gods pure Religion, the which as I then beleued, so doo I nowe more beleeue it then euer I did, MarginaliaM. Bradford standeth in defence of the Doctrine taught in K. Edwardes tyme.and therin I am more confirmed & ready to declare it by Gods grace, euen as he wyll, to the worlde, then I was when I first came into prison.

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Dures. What religion meane you in king Edwards dayes? What yeare of hys raigne?  

Brad. Forsooth euen the same yeare (my Lord) that the king dyed, and I was a Preacher. Here wrote Secretary Bourne I wote not what.

Chaunc. Nowe after a litle pausing, my lorde Chauncellour beginneth againe to declare, that the doctrine taught in king Edwardes dayes, was heresie, vsing for probation and demonstration therof no scripture nor reason, but this: MarginaliaThe reason of Winchester wherewith he disproueth the doctrine of K. Edwardes dayes.that it ended with treason and rebellion, so that (quoth hee) the very ende were enough to improue that doctrine to be naught.

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Brad. Ah my Lord, that you could enter into Gods Sanctuary, and marke the end of this present doctrine that you now so magnifie.

Chaunc. What meanest thou by that? I weene we shall haue a snatche of rebellion euen now.

Brad. My lord, I meane no such ende as you would gather: I meane an ende which no man seeth, but such as enter into Gods Sanctuary. If a man looke on present thinges, he wyl soone deceyue hym selfe.

MarginaliaThe Queenes mercy agayne offered to M. Bradford.Here nowe dyd my Lord Chauncellour offer agayne mercy, and Bradford aunsweared, as before: Mercy with Gods mercy shoulde be welcome, but otherwise he woulde none. Whereuppon the Lorde Chauncellour dyd ryng a litle Bell, belike to call in some bodye, for there was present none in manner, but onely those before named,  

and the Bishop of Worcester. Now when one was come in: it is best (quoth Maister Secretary Bourne) that you geue the keeper a charge of this felow. So was the vnder Marshal called in.

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Chaunc. MarginaliaM. Bradford returned again into prison.Ye shal take this man to you, and keepe hym close without conference with any man, but by your knowledge, and suffer hym not to write any letters. &c. for he is of an other manner of charge vnto you nowe, then he was before. And so they departed, Bradford lookyng as cheerefully as any man coulde doo, declaring thereby euen a desire to geue his lyfe for confirmation of that he had taught and written.

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