MarginaliaAnno. 1555. Iuly.one of you. You know now I haue most neede. But fidelis Deus, qui nunquam sinet nos tentari supra id quòd possumus. i. Faithfull is God, whiche will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength. He neuer did it hetherto, nor now, I am assured, he wil neuer do, Amen. A dextris est mihi, non mouebor. Propter hoc lætabitur cor meum, quia non derelinquet animam meam in inferno, nec dabit me sanctum suum per gratiam in Christo, videre corruptionem. E carcere raptim, expectās omni momento carnificem. i.  

MarginaliaPsalme. xvi.He is on my right hande, therfore I shal not fall. Wherfore my hart shall reioyce, for he shall not leaue my soule in hell, neither shall suffer me his holy one by his grace in Christ, to se corruption. Out of prison in hast, lookyng for the Tormentour. The. 8. of February. Anno. 1555.

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Iohn Bradford.

MarginaliaA letter of M. Bradford to the Lord Russel, now Earle of Bedford.THe euerlastyng and most gracious God and father of our Sauiour Iesu Christe, blesse your good Lordshyp with all maner of heauenly blessynges in the same Christ our onely comfort and hope, Amen.

Praised be God our father which hath vouched you worthy, as of faith in his Christe, so of his Crosse for the same. Magnified be his holy name, who as he hath deliuered you frō one crosse, so he hath made you willyng (I trust) and ready to beare an other whē he shal see his tyme to laye it vpon you: for these are the most singular giftes of God geuen as to few, so to none els but to those fewe whiche are most deare in his sight. MarginaliaThe excellencie of faith, and what it worketh.Faith is reckened and worthely, among the greatest giftes of God, yea it is the greatest it selfe that we enioy, for by it, As we be iustified and made Gods children, so are we temples and possessours of the holy spirite, yea of Chriset also. Eph. 4. And of the father hym selfe. Iohn. 14. By faith we driue the deuill away. 1. Pet. 5. We ouercome the world. 1. Iohn. And are already Citizens of heauen and fellowes with Gods deare saintes. But who is able to recken þ^e riches that this faith bringeth with her vnto the soule she sitteth vpon? No man nor Angell. And therfore (as I said) of all Gods giftes, she may be set in the top and haue the vpmoste seate. The whiche thing if men considered (MarginaliaFaith commeth by hearyng the word: and not by hearyng Masse.in that she commeth alonely from Gods owne mercy seate, by the hearyng, not of Masse or Mattyns,  

Diriges   or suche draffe, but of the word of God in such a toung as we can and do vnderstand) as they would be diligent and take great heede for doyng or seeyng any thyng which might cast her downe (for then they fall also) so would they with no lesse care reade & heare Gods holy word, ioyning therto most earnest and often prayer, aswel for the more and better vnderstandyng, as for the louyng, liuyng, and confessyng of the same, mauger the head of the deuil, the world, our fleshe, reason, goodes, possessions, carnall frendes, wife, children, and very life here, if they should pull vs backe to harken to the voice and counsell, for more quiet, sure, and longer vse of them.

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Now, notwithstandyng this excellency of faithe, in that we read the ApostleMarginaliaPhilip. i. to match therewith, yea (as it were) to preferre sufferyng persecution for Christes sake, I trowe no man will be so fonde as to thinke otherwise, but that I and all Gods children haue cause to glorifie and prayse God, which hath vouched you worthy so great a blessyng. MarginaliaThe efficacy of the crosse, and what it worketh in Gods children.For though the reason or wisedome of the world thinke of the Crosse accordyng to their reach and according to their present sense, and therfore flyeth from it as from a most great ignominy & shame: yet gods scholers haue learned otherwise to thinke of the Crosse, that it is þ^e frame house in the which God frameth his children like to his sonne Christ: the fornace that fineth Gods gold: the high waye to Heauen: the Sute and Liuerey that Gods seruauntes are serued withall: the earnest and beginnyng of all consolation and glory. For thei (I meane Gods scholers, as your lordship is, I trust) do enter into Gods sanctuary, lest their feete slip.MarginaliaPsalme. lxxii. They looke not as beastes do, on thinges present onely, but on things to come, and so haue thei as present to faith, the iudgement and glorious comming of Christ, like as the wicked haue now their worldly wealth wherin they wallowe & will wallow till they tumble headlong into hell,MarginaliaThe ende of prosperity. where are torments too terrible and endles. Now they folow the Feende as the Beare doth the traine of Hony and the Sowe the Swillynges, till they be brought into the

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slaughter house, and then thei knowe that their prosperitie hath brought them to perdition. Then crye they woe, woe. MarginaliaSapience. v.We went the wronge way: we counted these men (I meane such as you be that suffer for gods sake losse of goodes, frendes and life, whom they shall see endued with riche robes of righteousnes, crownes of moste pure precious golde, and palmes of conqueste in the goodly glorious palace of the Lambe, where is eternall ioye, felicitie. &c.) We counted (will they then say) these men but fooles and mad men, we tooke their conditions to be but curiositie. &c. But then will it bee to late, then the tyme will be turned, laughyng shall be turned into weepyng, & weepyng into reioycing. Read Sapien. 2. 3. 4. 5.

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Therfore (as before I haue sayd) great cause haue I to thanke God which hath vouched you worthy of this most boūtiful blessyng: much more then you haue cause (my good lorde) so to be, I meane thankefull. For looke vpō your vocation  

I pray you, and tell me MarginaliaFew noble men called to Christes kingdome.how many noble menne, Earles sonnes, Lordes, Knightes and men of estimatiō hath God in this Realme of Englande dealt thus withal?   I dare saye you thinke not that you haue deserued this. Onely Gods mercy in hys Christe hath wrought this on you, as he did in Ieremyes time on Abimelech, in Achabs tyme on Abdias, in Christes tyme on Ioseph of Arimathia, in the Apostles tyme on Sergius Paulus, and the Queene of Candaces Chamberlaine. Only now be thankfull and continue, continue, continue (my good Lord) continue to confesse Christ Be not ashamed of hym before men, for then will not he be ashamed of you. Now will he try you: sticke fast vnto hym and he will sticke fast by you: he wil be with you in trouble and deliuer you. But thē must you cry vnto hym, for so it precedeth: MarginaliaPsalme. xci.He cried vnto me and I heard hym: I was with him in trouble. &c.

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MarginaliaGodly remembrances.Remember Lothes wife which looked backe. Remember Fraūces Spira.  

Remēber that none is crowned but hee that striueth lawfully. Remember that all you haue, is at Christes commaundement. Remember he lost more for you thē you can lose for him. Remember you lose not that which is lost for his sake, for you shall finde muche more here and elswhere. Remember you shall dye, and when, where, and how, you can not tell. Remember the death of sinners is most terrible. Remember the death of Gods Saintes is precious in his sight. Remember the multitude goeth the wideway which windeth to woe. Remember that the straite gate which leadeth to glory hath but few trauellers. Remēber, Christe biddeth you striue to enter in thereat. Remember, he þ^t trusteth in the Lord shall receiue strength to stande againste all the assaultes of his enemies. Be certaine all the heares of your head are numbred. Be certaine your good father hath pointed boundes ouer the which the deuill dare not looke. Commit your selfe to hym: he is, hath bene, and will be your keper. Caste your care on hym and he will care for you. Let Christe be your scope   and marke to pricke   at: let hym be your patron to worke by: let hym bee your ensample to follow: MarginaliaChrist onely must haue both hart and hand.giue him as your hart so your hand, as your mind so your toung, as your faith so your feete, and let his word be your candle to go before you in all matters of Religion. Blessed is he that walketh not to these Popishe praiers, nor standeth at them nor sitteth at them:MarginaliaPsalme. i. ii. Cor. vi. glorify God in both soule and body. He that gathereth not with Christe, scattereth abroad. Vse prayer, looke for Gods helpe, which is at hand to them that aske and hope therafter assuredly. In which prayer I hartly desire your Lordship to remember vs, who as we are goyng with you right gladly (God therefore be praised) so we looke to go before you, hopyng that you will folow, if God so will, accordyng to your dayly prayer: Thy will bee done on earthe. &c. The good spirite of god alwaies guide your Lordship vnto the end. Amen.

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Your Lordships owne for euer,
Iohn Bradford.

MarginaliaA pithy and effectuall letter of Maister Bradford to Maister Warcup.THe same peace our Sauiour Christ left with his people, whiche is not without warre with the world, almighty GOD worke plentifully in your hartes now and for euer, Amen.

The tyme I perceiue is come, wherein the Lordes ground will be knowen, I meane it will now shortly appeare who haue receiued Gods Gospell into their hartes in deede, to the takyng of good roote therein, for such