1576 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1601 
Marginalia1555. Iuly.and from the riuer vnto the endes of the world. And truelye so doth he and will he raigne, that he will shake all the whole earth with his yron and brasen power, with his golden and siluery brightnes, onely by the rod of his mouth, to shiuers, in such sort, as though they were pottes of clay, according to that which the Prophetes do write of the magnificence of his kingdome. And thus much for the thing, I meane the doctrine, and your duties to harken, to propagate, and defend the same.
[Back to Top]But nowe will our aduersaries mainely crie out against vs, because no man may be admitted once to whist againste them, MarginaliaChristes Martyrs falsely belyed of the prelates for heretickes, and Schismatickes.that we pretende falsely the doctrine and woorde of God, calling vs the moste wicked contemners of it, and heretikes, Schismatikes, traytours. &c. All whiche their sayinges how malicious and false they are, though I might make report to that whiche is written by those men whose woorkes they haue condemned and all that retaine any of them, publikely by proclamation: yet here will I occasion your maiestie and honours by this my writing, to see that it is farre otherwise then they reporte of vs. God our father, for his holy names sake, direct my penne to be his instrument to put into your eyes, eares, and hartes, that whiche most may make to hys glorye, to the sauegarde of your soules and bodyes, and preseruation of the whole Realme. Amen.
[Back to Top]Iohn Bradford.
CloseThis letter was first printed in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 409-10. ECL 260, fo. 175r-v and ECL 262, fos. 142r-143r are copies of this letter. The recipients of the letter, Nicholas Shetterden and Robert Cole, are identified in the manuscript copies and the version printed in Letters of the Martyrs. They were Freewillers and this letter is a slightly arrogantand testy assertion of predestinarian theology; Bradford was alarmed by the rise of the Freewillers and, at this stage, did not know how to deal with them. (For the background to this letter see Freeman [2002], pp. 134-35). Foxe concealed the identity of Bradford?s correspondents (he particularly did not want it known that Nicholas Shetterden, a martyr, had been tainted by belief in freewill). Perhaps the real surprise is that Foxe printed the letter at all; it is one of only two letters by Bradford which mentioned the Freewillers and was printed by Foxe. Foxe seems to have been tempted by the opportunity Bradford's letter offered as a peg upon which to hang Foxe's own discussion of predestination. He may also have felt the references in Bradford's letter were terse and cryptic enough (especially after a little editing) to do no harm.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaA letter of M. Bradford to certaine persons being at that tyme not throughly instructed in the doctrine of gods election.I Wishe to you my good brethren, the same grace of God in Christ, which I wishe and pray the father of mercyes to geue to me for his holy names sake. Amen.
Your letter though I haue not read my selfe, because I would not alienate my mynde from conceiued thinges to write to others, yet I haue heard the summe of it, that it is of Gods election: wherein I will briefely write to you my faith, and howe I thinke it good and meete for a Christian man to wade in it. I beleue that man made after the Image of God, did fall from that blessed state, to the condemnation of hym selfe and all his posteritie. I beleue that Christe for man being thus fallen, did oppose him selfe to the iustice of God a Mediatour, paying the raunsome and price of redemption for Adame and his whole posteritie that refuse it not finally. I beleeue that all that beleue in Christe, I speake of such as be of yeares of discretion, are partakers of Christe and all his merites. I beleue that faith, and to beleue in Christe (MarginaliaTrue fayth. Exod. 14.I speake not nowe of faith that men haue by reason of miracles. Iohn. 2. 11. Actes. 8. or by reason of earthyly commoditie. Mathew. 13. custome and authoritie of men, which is commonly seene, the hartes of them that so beleeue, being not right and simple before God: but I speake of that faith which in deede is the true faith, the iustifiyng and regenerating faith:) I beleue, I say, that this faith and beliefe in Christe, is the woorke and gyft of God, geuen to none other then to those whiche be the children of God, that is, to those whom God the Father before the beginnyng of the worlde hath predestinate in Christe vnto eternal life MarginaliaM. B. For the certainty of this fayth searche your hartes. If you haue it, prayse the Lord: for you are happy, and therefore cannot finally perish: for then happines vvere not happines, if it could be lost. When you fall, the Lord vvill put vnder his hand that you shall not lye still. But if ye feele not this fayth, then knovv that predestination is to high a matter for you to be disputers of, vntill ye haue bene better scholers in the scholehouse of repentance & iustification, vvhich is the Grammer schole vvherein vve must be conuersant and learned, before vve go to the vniuersitie of Gods most holy predestination & prouidēce.Thus doo I wade in predestination, in suche sorte as God hathe patified
CloseSuffered in his Passion [OED].
mure thereagainst. Thus briefely I haue sente you my mynde and meanyng concernyng thys matter.
CloseIn other words, this subject is too deep for laypeople like Cole and Shetterden to concern themselves with it.
CloseBull and Foxe deleted a concluding sentence from this letter in which Bradford stated that he would answer them after he had refuted Henry Hart, the leading Freewiller. Bradford also stated that he had been prevented from answering them before by illness.
Iohn Bradford.
CloseThese notes are the work of Foxe, not Bradford, and they demonstrate the importance Foxe attached to the topic of predestination and help explain why Bradford's preceding letter was printed despite its reference to the Freewillers.
MarginaliaNotes to this epistle added.AS touching the doctrine of Election (wherof this letter of M. Bradford, & many other his letters moe do much intreate). three thinges must be considered.
1 Firste, what Gods election is, and what is the cause thereof.
2 Secondly, howe Gods election proceedeth in working our saluation.
3 Thirdly, to whom Gods election perteyneth, and how a man may be certaine thereof.
MarginaliaDifference betwene predestination and Election.Betwene Predestinatiō & Electiō this differēce there is. Predestination is as wel to the reprobate, as to the Elect. Election onely perteyneth to them that be saued.
Predestination, in that it respecteth the Reprobate, is called reprobation: in that it respecteth the saued, is called Election, and is thus defined:MarginaliaDefinition of predestination.
Predestination is the eternall decreement of God, purposed before in hym selfe, what shall befall on all men, either to saluation, or damnation.
MarginaliaElection defined.Election is the free mercy and grace of God in hys owne wyl, through faith in Christ his sonne, chusing and preferryng to life, such as pleaseth hym.
In this definition of Election first, goeth before (the mercy and grace of God) as the causes therof, whereby are excluded all woorkes of the law and merites of deseruing, whether they goe before faith, or come after. So was Iacob chosen, and Esau refused, before either of them began to worke. &c.MarginaliaThe parts of the definition examined.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaMercy and grace.Secondly, in that this mercy & grace of God in this definitiō is said to be (free) therby is to be noted the proceding & working of God not to be bounde to any ordinary place, or to any succession of chayre, nor to state & dignitie of person, nor to worthynes of bloud. &c. but al goeth by the mere wyl of his owne purpose, as it is written: MarginaliaFree mercy and Grace.Spiritus vbi vult, spirat. &c.
CloseSpiritus ubi vult spirat &c.
Not translated.
The spirit breathes where it wishes.
Spiritus ubi vult spirat
[Accurate citation - cf. the same citation below on Page 1745, Column 1, Line 10]
Thirdly, where it is added MarginaliaThe free mercy and grace of God in his owne will.(in his own wyll) by this falleth downe þe free wyll and purpose of mā, with all his actions, counsels, & strength of nature: according as it is written: MarginaliaRom. 9.Non est volentis, neq; currentis, sed miserenti dei. &c. i.
CloseNon est volentis, neque currentis, sed miserentis dei. &c.
It is not in hym that wylleth, nor in hym that runneth, but in God that sheweth mercy.
CloseNon ex voluntate carnis, neque ex voluntate viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt. &c.
Which are borne, not of the wyl of the flesh, nor yet of the wyl of man, but of God.
[qui] non [ex sanguinibus neque] ex voluntate carnis neque ex voluntate viri sed ex Deo nati sunt.
[Accurate citation]
And therfore fourthly is this clause added in the definition (through faith in Christe his sonne.) MarginaliaThe free mercy and grace of God in his owne good will through fayth in Christ hys sonne our Lord.Which faith in Christ to vsward maketh altogether. For first it certifieth vs of Gods election. As in this Epistle of M. Bradford doth wel expresse. For who soeuer wyl be certaine of his election in God, let him first begyn with his faith in Christ: which if he find in hym to stand firme, he may be sure & nothing doubt, but that he is one of the nūber of Gods elect.
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