Marginalia1555. Iuly.partying them abidyng, well Maister Bradford (quoth he) yet I pray you let vs conferre a litle: perchaunce you may do me good, if I can do you none: Vppon whiche wordes Bradford was content, and so they began to talke. Willerton spake much of the Doctours, the fathers, of the bread in the 6. chapter of S. Iohn &c. laboring to proue transubstantiation, and that wicked men do receaue Christ.

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But Bradford on the contrary part improued  

his authorities, so that they came to this issue, that Willerton should draw out of the Scriptures and Doctours his reasons, and Bradford would peruse them: and if he could not aunswere them, then he would geue place. Likewise should Bradford draw out his reasons out of the Scriptures and Doctours, to which Willerton should aunswere if he could: and so for that day they departed.

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The next day folowyng in the mornyng, MarginaliaWillerton sendeth his writing to Bradford to proue transubstantiation.Willerton sent halfe a shete of a paper written on both sides, contayning no reasons how hee gathered his doctrine, but onely bare sentences: Panis quem ego dabo, &c.  

The bread which I will geue is my flesh: And the places in the 26. of Mathew. 14. of Marke. 22. of Luke, and the 10. and 11. to the Corinthians, with some sentences of the Doctours: All which made as much agaynst him, as with him.

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MarginaliaWillerton commeth agayne to Bradford.In the after noone he came him selfe, and there they had a longe talke to litle effect. At the length Willerton began to talke of the Church, saying that Bradford swarued from the Church.

Brad. No, that do I not, but ye do. For the * Churche is Christes spouse, and Christes obedient spouse, which your Church is not, which robbeth the people of the Lordes cup, and of seruice in the English toung.

Willerton. Why? it is not profitable to haue the seruice in English: for it is written: Labia Sacerdotis custodiunt legem.  

The lippes of the Priest should keepe the law, and out of his mouth man must looke for knowledge.

Bradford. Should not the people then haue the Scriptures? Wherefore serueth this saying of Christ: Search the Scriptures?

Willer. This was not spoken to the people, but to the Scribes and learned men.

Brad. Then the people must not haue the Scriptures.

Willer. No, for it is written: MarginaliaArgument Erunt docti a Deo. Ergo the people must not haue the scriptures.Erunt docti a Deo:  

They shalbe all taught of God.

Brad. And must we learne all at the Priestes?

Willerton. Yea.

Brad. Then I see you would bryng the people to hang vp Christ and let Barrabas go, as the Priestes dyd then perswade the people. At whiche woordes, Maister Willerton was so offended that he had no lust to talke any more. MarginaliaM. Bradfords reason agaynst transubstantiation not aunswered.In the end Bradford gaue him the reasons whiche he had gathered agaynst transubstantiation, and prayed him to frame his into the forme of reasons, and then, quoth Bradford, I will aunswere them.

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Willer. Well I will do so. But first I wil aūswere yours. The which thyng vntill this day he hath not done.

Vpon the 12. of February there came MarginaliaThe Earle of Darbies seruaunt.one of the Earle of Darbyes  

seruaūtes to Bradford, saying: My Lord hath sent me to you: he willeth you to tender your selfe, and hee would be good Lord vnto you.

Bradford. I thanke his Lordshyp for his good will toward me: but in this case I can not tender my selfe more then Gods honour.

Seruaunt. Ah M. Bradford, consider your mother, sisters, frendes, kinsfolke, and countrey, what a great discomfort it wilbe vnto them to see you dye as an hereticke.

MarginaliaM. Bradford preferreth Christ before all hys kynne and kynred.Brad. I haue learned to forsake father, mother, brother, sister, frend, & all that euer I haue, yea euen myne owne selfe, or els I can not be Christes Disciple.

Seruaunt. If my Lorde should obtayne for you that ye might depart the Realme, would ye not be content to be at the Queenes appoyntment, where she would appoynt you beyond the Sea?  

Bradford. No, MarginaliaBradford contented to be burned in England, rather then to be sent ouer the sea to Popish places.I had rather bee burned in England, then be burned beyond the Seas. For I know that if she should send me to Paris, Louaine, or some such place, forthwith they would burne me.  

MarginaliaPerciuall Creswell talketh with Bradford.VPon the xiiij. of February, Perciuall Creswell, an old acquayntaunce of Bradfordes came to hym, bryngyng with him a kynsman of Maister Fecknams, who after many wordes sayd.

Creswell. I pray you let me make labour for you.  

Bradford. You may do what ye will.

Creswell. But tel me what sute I should make for you.

Brad. Forsoth that ye will do, do it not at my request, for I desire nothing at your handes.MarginaliaCreswell offereth to make sute for M. Bradford. If the Queene will giue me life, I will thanke her. If shee will banish me, I wyll thanke her, If shee will burne me, I will thanke her: If shee will condemne mee to perpetuall prisonment, I wyll thanke her.

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Hereupon Creswell went away, & MarginaliaMores booke brought to Bradford.about a. xi. of the clocke he and the other man came agayne, and brought a boke of Mores making, desiryng Bradford to reade it ouer.

Bradford: taking the booke, sayd: Good Perciuall, I am setled for beyng moued  

in this article.

Creswell. Oh, if euer ye loued me, do one thing for me.

Bradford What is it?

Creswell. Desire and name what learned man or men ye will haue to come vnto you. My Lord of Yorke, my Lord of Lyncolne, my Lorde of Bath, and others wil gladly come vnto you.

Brad. No, neuer wyll I desire them or any other to come to conferre with me, for I am as certaine of my doctrine as I am of any thing, But for your pleasure, and also that all men may know I am not ashamed to haue my fayth sifted and tried, bryng whom ye will, and I will talke with them. So they went their way.

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And about. 3. of the clocke in the afternone MarginaliaD. Harding commeth to M. Bradford.maister Doctor Hardyng, who was then þ^e Byshop of Lyncolns Chaplaine came to Bradford, and after a great and solemne protestation, shewing how that he had prayed to God before he came to turne his talke to Bradfordes good, he begā to tell of the good opinion he had of Bradford, and spent the tyme in such tratling,  

so that their talke was to little purpose: saue that Bradford prayed him to consider from whence hee was fallen, and not to follow the world, nor to loue it: For the loue of God is not where the world is.

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Hardyng. But Hardyng counted Bradford in a dānable estate, as one beyng out of the Church, and therefore willed him to take heede of his soule, & not to die in such an opinion,

Brad. What M. Harding, quoth Bradford? MarginaliaD. Harding reuolted from his former professionI haue heard you with these eares maintaine this that I stand in.  

Harding. I graunt that I haue taught that the doctrine of transubstantiation was a subtill doctrine, but otherwise I neuer taught it. And so hee inueying agaynst mariages of Priestes, and namely agaynst MarginaliaD. Harding inueyeth agaynst Peter Martyr Bucer, and Luther.Peter Martyr, Martin Bucer, Luther, and such, which for breakyng their vowes were iustly geuen vp into heresies (as he sayd) Bradford seyng him altogether geuen vp to Popery, after admonishment therof, bad him farewell.

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MarginaliaD. Harpesfield talketh with M. Bradford.VPō the. xxv. of February Perciual Creswell came with M. Harpsfield Archdeacon of London, and a seruaunt waytyng vppon him. After formall salutations, he made a long oration, of which this is a short summe: That all men euen the infidels, Turkes, Iewes, Anabaptistes, & Libertines  

desyre felicity as well as the Christians, and howe that euery one thinketh they shal attaine to it by theyr religion. To which Bradford aunswered briefly, that he spake not farre amisse.

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Harps. Then sayd Harpsfield, MarginaliaFelicitie coueted of all men, but the way to felicitye not knowen of all men.but the way thither is not all alyke. For the infidels by Iupiter, Iuno: the Turke by his Alcoran:  

the Iewe by his Thalmud, do beleue to come to heauen. For so may I speake of such as beleue the immortality of the soule.

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Brad. You speake truely.

Harps. Well, then here is the matter, to know the way to this heauen.

Brad. We may not inuent any manner of wayes. MarginaliaThe true way to felicitie.There is but one way, & that is Iesus Christ, as he himselfe doth witnesse: I am the way.

Harps. It is true that you say, and false also. I suppose that you meane by Christ, beleuyng in Christ.

Brad. I haue learned to discerne betwixt fayth & Christ, Albeit I confesse, that who so beleueth in Christ, the same shall be saued.

Harps. No not all that beleue in Christ: for some shal say, Lord, Lord, haue not wee cast out deuils? &c. But Christ will aunswere in the daye of Iudgement to those: Depart from me, I know you not.

Brad. You must make a difference MarginaliaNote the difference betwene beleuing, and saying I beleue.betwixt beleuing, and saying I beleue. As for example: if one should say and sweare he loueth you, for all his saying ye will not beleue him whē you see hee goeth about to vtter and do all the euill agaynst you that he can.

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Harps. Well, this is not much materiall. There is but one way Christ. Howe come we to know hym? Where shall we seeke to finde him?