Marginalia1555. Iuly.and which were euill, he captiously askyng often of Bradford a direct aunswere concernyng othes: whiche Bradford would not giue simply, but with a distinction. Whereat the Chauncellour was much offended: but Bradford still kept him at the bay, that the othe agaynst the Byshop of Rome was a lawfull othe, vsing thereto the Lord Chaūcellours owne booke, De vera Obedientia, for confirmation.  

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At the length they came to this issue, who should bee Iudge of the lawfulnes of the othe: and Bradford sayd MarginaliaGods word iudge only of othes, whether they be made lawfull against the supremacye of the Pope or no.the word of God, according to Christes worde. Iohn. 12. My word shall Iudge, and accordyng to the testimony of Esay and Miche, that Gods word commyng out of Ierusalem, shall geue sentence among the Gentiles. By this worde (quoth Bradford) my Lord, I will proue the othe agaynst the Byshop of Romes authoritie, to be a good, a godly, and a lawfull othe. MarginaliaWinchester leaueth hys holde.So that the Lord Chauncellour left his hold, and as the other day he pretended a deniall of the Queenes authoritie and obedience to her highnes, so did he now.

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But Bradford, as the day before, proued that obedience in this poynt to the Queenes highnesse, if she should demaunde an othe to the Bishop of Rome, beyng denied, was not a *Marginalia* One speciall case of obedience denied by conscience, maketh no generall deniall of obedience in cases lawfull. generall deniall of her authoritie and of obedience to her: no more (quoth he) then the sale, gift, or lease of a peece of a mans inheritaunce proueth a sale, gift, or lease of the whole inheritaunce.

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And thus much ado was made about this matter: The Lord Chauncellour talkyng much and vsing many examples of dette, of goyng out of the Towne to morrow by oth, and yet tarying till Friday and such like. Whiche triflyng talke Bradford did touch saying: þ^t it was a wōder his honour wayed consciēce no more in this, and would be so earnest in vowes for Priestes Mariages made to Byshops, & be careles for solemne othes made to God, and to Princes.MarginaliaWinchester stumbling at vowes made to man and leaping ouer solemne othes made to God. Summa, this was the end. The L. Chauncellour sayd, the Queene might dispense with it, & did so to all the whole Realme. But Bradford sayd, þ^t the Queenes highnes could do no more but remitte her right: as for the othe made to God, she could neuer remit, for as much as it was made vnto God.

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L. Chaun. At which wordes the Lord Chauncellour chafed wonderfully,MarginaliaWinchester in a pelting chafe. and sayd that in playne sense I sclaundered the Realme of periurie: And therefore (quoth he to the people) you may see how this fellow taketh vppon him, to haue more knowledge and conscience, then all the wise men of England, and yet he hath no conscience at all.

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Brad. Well my Lord, let all the standers by see who hath conscience. MarginaliaM. Bradford imprisoned without a cause.I haue bene a yeare and an halfe in prison. Now before al this people, declare wherfore I was imprisoned, or what cause you had to punish me. You sayd the other day in your owne house, my Lord of London witnessyng with you, that I tooke vpon me to speake to the people vndesired. There he sitteth by you, I meane my Lorde of Bath, which desired me him selfe for the passiō of Christ, I would speake to the people. Vpon whose wordes, I commyng into the Pulpit, MarginaliaM. Bradford neare slayne in the pulpit, with the dagger throwen agaynst M. Bourne.had like to haue bene slayne with a dagger (whiche was hurled at him, I thinke) for it touched my sleeue. He then prayed me I would not leaue him, & I promised him as lōg as I liued, I would take hurt before him that day, and so went out of the Pulpit, and entreated with the people, and at length brought him my selfe into an house.

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Besides this, in the after noone I preached in Bow church and there goyng vp into the Pulpit, MarginaliaM. Bradford ieoperded his lyfe for Maister Bourne.one willed me not to reproue the people, for (quoth he) you shall neuer come downe alyue, if you do it. And yet notwithstandyng, I dyd in that Sermon reproue their fact, and called it sedition at the least twenty tymes. For all whiche my doyng, I haue receaued this recompence, prison a yeare and an halfe and more, and death now whiche you go about. Let all men be iudge where conscience is.

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In speakyng of these wordes, there was endeuour to haue letted  

it: but Bradford still spake on, and gaue no place till he had made an ende, speake what they would. And thē the Lord Chauncellour sayd, that for all that fayre tale, his fact   at the Crosse was naught.  

Brad. No, my fact was good, as you your selfe did beare witnesse with me. For when I was at the first before you in the Tower, MarginaliaWinchester proued double in his owne wordes.you your selfe dyd say that my fact was good, but (quoth you) thy mynde was euill. Wel (quoth I) thē my Lord, in that you allow the fact & cōdēne the mynde, for as much as otherwise I can not declare my mynde to man, but by saying & doyng, God one day I trust will open it, to my comfort, what my mynde was, and what yours is.

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L. Chaun. Here the Lord Chauncellour was offended, and sayd that he neuer sayd so. MarginaliaWinchester driuen to eate his owne wordes.I (quoth he) had not so litle witte I trow,  

as not to discerne betwixt meanyng & doyng: And so brought forth litle to the purpose, many examples to proue that men construe thynges by the meanyng of men, and not by their doynges. But when this would not serue, then cōmeth he to an other matter, and sayd that Bradford was

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put in prison at the first, because hee would not yeld nor be cōformable to the Queenes Religion.

Brad Why my Lord, your honour knoweth, þ^t you would not then reason with me in religion, but sayd, a tyme should afterwardes be found out, whē I should be talked withall. But if it were as your Lordship sayth that I was put in prison for religion: in that my religion was then authorised by publicke lawes of the realme, could conscience punish me or cast me in prison therfore? Wherfore let all men be iudge in whom conscience wanteth.

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M. Cham. Here came foorth MarginaliaM. Chamberlayne of Woodstocke agaynst M. Bradford.M. Chamberleyne of Woodstocke and spake to my Lord Chauncelour how that Bradford had bene a seruyng man and was with Maister Harrington.

L. Chaun. True, and dyd deceiue his Maister of seuen score poundes,  

and because of this he went to be a Gospeller and a Preacher (good people) and yet you see how he pretendeth conscience.

Brad. My Lord, I set my foote by his who soeuer he be, that can come foorth and iustly vouch to my face that euer I deceiued my Maister. And as you are chiefe iusticer by office in England, I desire iustice vppon them that so slaunder me, because they can not proue it.

L. Chaun. Here MarginaliaWincheste agayne driuen from his hold.my Lord Chauncelour and M. Chamberlaine were smitten blanke,  

and sayd they heard it.   But quoth my Lord Chauncelour wee haue an other maner of matter then this agaynst you: for you are an hereticke.

Lond. Yea, quoth the Byshop of London MarginaliaBoner agayne commeth in with an other vntruth.he did write letters to M. Pendleton which knoweth his hand as wel as his owne: your honours dyd see the letters.

Brad. That is not true, I neuer did wright to Pēdleton sithens I came into prison, and therfore I am not iustly spoken of.

Lond. Yea, but you indited it.

Brad. I dyd not, nor know not what you meane, & thys I offer to proue.

Here came in MarginaliaA Clerke of the Counsell, thought to be M. Allen.an other, I trow they call hym, Maister Allen one of the Clerkes of the Counsell, puttyng þ^e Lorde Chauncelour in remembraunce of letters writtē into Lankyshyre.  

L. Chaun. You say true: for wee haue his hand to shew.

Brad. I deny that you haue my hand to shew of letters sent into Lankyshyre, otherwise then before you all I will stand to, and proue them to be good and lawfull.

Here was al aunswered, and then the Lord Chauncelour began a new matter. Syr (quoth he) in my house the other day you did most contemptuously contēne þ^e queenes mercy and further sayd, that you woulde maintaine the erroneous doctrine in king Edwardes dayes against all men. And this you dyd most stoutly.

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Brad. Well, I am glad that all men see nowe MarginaliaWinchester brought to a playne foyle.you haue had no matter to imprison me afore that day iustly. Now say I, that I dyd not contemptuously contemne the Queenes mercy but would haue had it (though if iustice might take place I neede it not) so þ^t I might haue had it with Gods mercy, that is, without doyng or saying any thing agaynst God and his truth. And as for maintenaunce of doctrine, MarginaliaWinchester captious quarell answered.because I can not tel how you will stretch this worde maintenance, I will repete agayn that which I spake. I sayd I was more confirmed in the Religion set foorth in Kyng Edwardes dayes then euer I was: and if God so woulde, I trust I shoulde declare it by geuyng my life for the confirmation and testification therof. So I sayd then, & so I say now. As for otherwise to maintayne it then perteyneth to a priuate person by confession, I thought not, nor thinke not.

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MarginaliaAn other vntruth in Winchester.L. Chaun. Well, yesterday thou didst maintayne false heresie concernyng the blessed Sacrament, and therfore wee gaue thee respite till this day to deliberate.

Brad. My Lord, as I sayd at the first, I spake nothing of the Sacrament but that which you allowed, and therfore reproued it not, nor gaue me any tyme to deliberate.

L. Chaun. Why? dyddest thou not deny Christes presence in the Sacrament?

Brad. No. I neuer denyed nor taught, but that to fayth whole Christ, body and bloud was as present as bread and wyne to the due receauer.

L. Chaū. Yea, but doest thou not beleue þ^t Christes body naturally & really is there, vnder the formes of bread & wyne?

Brad.. My Lord, I beleue Christ is present there to the fayth of the due receauer: as for transubstantiation I plainly and flatly tell you, I beleue it not.

Here was Bradford called MarginaliaBlessed are you vvhen they shall reuile you, and speake all that naught is agaynst you for my names sake. Math. 5.Diabolus, a sclaunderer, for we aske no question (quoth my Lord Chauncelour) of transubstantiation, but of Christes presence.

Brad. I deny not his presence to the fayth of the receauer, but deny that he is included in the bread, or that the bread is transubstantiate.