think of you as a very child of God, but as one careful for you, lest you should at length, through the common infirmity of our frail flesh, and the manifold offences given of the world, do exteriorly as the world doth, to save your sleeve and maim your arm for ever; as those do, who for the saving of their goods, jeopard goods of body and soul, in the peril of eternal damnation.

If I suspected any such thing in you, gentle Master Hales, I then would go about to tell you what this life is; a smoke, a shadow, a vapour, &c.; what the glory of this life is; grass, hay; yea, how full of misery it is, and hath more aloes than honey, Job. ix. If I suspected any thing your conscience, I would then set before you, on the one part, the judgment of Christ, which shall be most assuredly, the terrible sentence to them who are ashamed to confess his gospel; the eternal woe and misery which they shall be cast into, that will not obey his gospel here; and on the other part, the most pleasant shout of the angel, to summon all men to come before our Captain and Brother Christ, the collection and catching of us up in the clouds to meet our master, the eternal joy and felicity which we shall receive that here confess him, here suffer with him, here lose any thing for his sake.

If I did in any point so much as think, that you would defile your body in the antichristian service now used, then would I go about to set forth these things, briefly spoken, more at large. But as I said before, I say again, because I am as well persuaded of you, my dearly beloved brother, as of any in your profession and state; I cannot but pray God to make perfect, the good which he hath begun in you, and desire you, as you have begun in God, so to go forward.

As your example hath done good to many, so cast not all down with a type. Terrible is that woe which Christ threateneth, to them by whom offences do come. You know that the way of salvation is straiter than men make it. You know the soul is to be considered above all things. Happy is the loss of that bodily life, liberty, and goods, by the which a spiritual life, freedom, and felicity is purchased. What should it profit a man to win the whole world and to lose his own soul? Who would desire a two years merry life for an eternal sorrow? as these mass gospellers do, who yet are uncertain of two

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years life, and God knoweth what wounds their consciences have. Hard is it to recover health to the conscience; and because I am careful for it to youwards, as to mine own brother, and dear friend, therefore I write thus. We are in God's power, and not in the power of our enemies; he it is that hath all our hairs numbered; before he say Amen, no man shall once touch you. Into his hands commit yourself; cast your care on him, have a care to please him, and then he will care to keep you. You know the oath the Athenians did make; pugnabo pro sacris, et solus, et cum aliis; which saying of the heathen will be to your condemnation, if for his holy word and gospel's sake, we dare not adventure the loss of that he hath sent us, keepeth for us, and can when he will take away from us, or us from it.

If worldly men dare jeopard a joint with God, rather than they would lose worldly things, as experience teacheth; certainly it should be much to our shame, who in baptism have vowed and solemnly sworn to forsake the world, if we dare not jeopard a joint with man, rather than we would lose a good conscience, and spiritual treasures. He that will not have God's blessing, it shall be taken from him, saith David.

Therefore, my dearly beloved, beware; you are now, the temple of the Holy Ghost; defile it not for the Lord's sake, but keep it pure, not only from all uncleanness of the spirit, but also of the flesh, (2 Cor. vii.) as I trust you will; and cry unto your father for his strength and aid, which I beseech him of his mercy, always to give unto you, my own good friend, even as I desire to myself. If in any thing I could help you, you may be assured thereof as of your brother. My prayer to God, night and day, you shall have, that for his holy namesake he would bless you in all things and keep you, with my good sister your wife, unto the very end, as his dear elect children. Amen, Amen. From my lodging, you know where, this fifth of August. By your own to use in the Lord for ever,

JOHN BRADFORD.

No. 32.*

To MASTER HUMPHREY HALES and his WIFE.

The everlasting and merciful God, our dear Father through Christ, be with you both, my most dearly and entirely beloved in the Lord, now and for ever.

I cannot forbear but signify unto you both, that my heart is careful and heavy for the cross which is come upon you, by the heavy and fearful judgment of God fallen upon your father; justly for his denying of God for fear of men and love of these things, which he hath left behind him unto you and others. God grant his fact be so imprinted in the hearts of all men, especially of you both, that his fall may be unto you, I will not say a rising, for yet I trust ye are not fallen, but an establishing in the verity of God, whereof whoso is ashamed, shall at length feel such shame as I beseech God keep us all from. Happy are they that mark the judgments of God upon others, to come and increase in repentance-Luke xiii. to fear God's wrath and judgments, which is always like himself, if we follow the steps of them, on whom he taketh punishment.

I need not tell you the cause of this that hath happened unto your father, if it be as I with sorrow have heard. For you know well enough, that till he forsook God, gave ear to the serpent's counsel, began to mamber of the truth, and to frame himself outwardly to do that which his conscience reproved inwardly-for that which he mingled with the love of God, I mean the love of the world, cannot be in any man without the expulsion of God's love-till then, I say, God did not depart and leave him to himself, to the example of you and me, and all others; that we should fear even ourselves and our own hands, more than man and all the powers of the world, if we therefore should do any thing, which should wound our conscience.

The conscience, I tell you, is soon wounded, yea sooner than we be aware of. The devil useth all kind of deceit to blind us from seeing that which might wound it: but when the stripe is given, then either

• Cov. 312.

shutteth he still up our eyes with contempt to our hardening, or else openeth them to bring us to utter despairing. In your father, as ye may see the latter, so in many worldly gospellers you may, if you will, see the other. God might deal with all such, as he hath done now with your father; but because the time of his judgment is not yet come, his wisdom hath thought good to set your father forth as an example to all men; as he did in the first world, Cain; in the second world, Cham; in the third age, Korah, &c.; in Christ's time, Judas; in the Apostles' time, Ananias, &c.; although none will heartily consider it, but such as be God's children indeed.

But here, in comparing your father thus, my dearly and unfeignedly beloved in the Lord, I must pray you not to be offended, or think that I do determinately judge, to God I leave all judgment, but because the fruit to us declared no less, to the admonishment of us all, I trust ye will accordingly consider my collation. For your parts as I think godly of you both, that indeed ye are both the children of God; so I pray you comfort yourselves as David did, though his son Absalom perished so desperately, and though his father-in-law, Achitophel, father to Bathsheba, as the Hebrews write, perished so miserably. Ye know Jonathan was not the worse, because his father slew himself; nor Bathsheba, because of her father, Achitophel; they both were the children of God, and so I am assured, as man can be, that ye are. As they used God's judgments upon their parents, so do ye, to fear God and love God the more, and to fly from those things, which in your father, ye did see displeased God.

Oh, that I were with you but one half hour, not only with you to lament, but also as God should lend me his grace, to comfort you, who by this judgment doth tempt your patience and faith, to the comfort of you both, as you shall find, I am assured. My dear hearts in the Lord, if I could by any means comfort you, certainly if my life lay on it, I think you should forthwith perceive it; but because I can do no more than I can, therefore as I can, I do, that is, as to write, so to send this messenger, my good friend and brother with the same; to learn certainly of the truth herein, and the condition of your estate. My other letter was made before I knew of this matter. I pray God this which by report I understand, be otherwise, but God's good will be done, who gives us patience and comfort in him.

To whom I commend you both, even as heartily as any friends I have in this life, of your estate. From my lodging you know where, this eight of August, Anno Domini, 1554.

By your own, to use in the Lord for ever,

JOHN BRADFORD.

No. 33.*

TO THE WORSHIPFUL, AND IN GOD MY MOST DEAR FRIEND, THE LADY VANE.†

The good spirit of God our Father be more and more plentifully perceived of your good Ladyship, through the mediation and merits

of our dear Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Although your benefits towards me have deserved at my hands the service I can do for you, yet, right worshipful and dearly beloved in the Lord, the true fear of God and the love of his truth, which I perceive to be in you, especially and above all other things, doth bind me hereunto.

This bearer hath told me, that your desire is, to have something sent to you concerning the usurped authority of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, which is undoubtedly the great antichrist, of whom the apostles do so much admonish us; that you may have as well something the more to stay you on, as also wherewith to answer the adversaries, because you may perchance therein be something aposed. To satisfy this your desire, I will briefly go about, and so that I will, by God's grace, fully set forth the same; to ensure you to withstand the assaults of the papists herein, if you mark well and read over again, that which I now write.

The papists do place in pre-eminence over the whole church, the Pope, thereby unplacing Christ who is the head of the church, that giveth life to the whole body; and by his spirit doth make lively every

Fox iii. 339. Cov. 403.

+ See Appendix, Note (Q.)