because they have no lust to believe God, in hearkening to satan's counsel of parting stake with God; as to be persuaded that it is not evil, or else no great evil, inwardly in heart to conceal the truth, and outwardly in fact to betray it.

And therefore, though they know the mass to be abomination, yet they make it but a straw, in going to it as the world doth; in which thing the Lord knoweth they deceive themselves to damnation, dream they as they lust. For surely the body departing from the verity, and so from God, will draw and drown, in damnation, the soul also. For we shall receive according to that we do in the body, good or bad; and therefore the matter is more to be considered, than men make of it; the more it is to be lamented.

But I trust, my right dearly beloved, you will consider this with yourself, and call your conscience to account, as God's word maketh the charge. Beware of false auditors, who making a false charge, can get no quietness of the conscience, after God's word. Therefore cast your charge, and there you shall see, that no belief of the heart justifieth, which hath not confession of the mouth to declare the same. No man can serve two masters; he that gathereth not with Christ, as no mass seer unreproving it doth, scattereth abroad. God's chosen are such as not only have good hearts, but also kiss not their hands, nor bow their knee to Baal. Christ's disciples are none but such as deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow him. He that is ashamed of Christ and his truth in this generation, must look that Christ will be ashamed of him in the day of judgment. He that denieth Christ before men, shall be denied before God. Now, two kinds of denial there be, yea three kinds; one in heart, another in word, and the third in deed. In the which kinds, all mass gospellers be so bitten, that all the surgeons in the world can lay no healing plaster thereto, till repentance appear and draw out the matter of using the evil, and resorting to the mass. For free should we be from all spots, not only of the flesh, but also of the spirit; and our duty is to depart, not only from evil, that is, from the mass, but also, from the appearance of evil, that is, from conniving at it.

Woe unto them that give offence to the children of God, that is, who occasion, by any means, any to tarry in the church at mass

time, much more then, they who occasion any to come thereto; most of all they who enforce any thereto. Assuredly a most heavy vengeance of God hangeth upon such. Such as decline to their crookedness, God will lead on with wicked workers; whose portion shall be snares, fire, brimstone and stormy tempests; whose palace and house shall be hell fire and darkness; whose cheer shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; whose song shall be woe, woe, woe, from the which the Lord of mercy deliver us.

My dearly beloved, I write not this, as one that thinketh not well of you, but as one that would you did well, and therefore to help you thereto, I write as I write; beseeching God to open your eyes, to see the dangers men be in, who dissemble with God and man, to the end you do not the like; and also to open your eyes to see the high service you do to God, in adventuring yourself and that you have, for his sake.

Oh, that we considered that it is happiness to suffer any thing for Christ's sake, who have deserved to suffer so much for our sins and iniquities. Oh, that our eyes were opened to see the great reward they shall have in heaven, who suffer the loss of any thing for God's sake. If we know the cross to be as a purgation most profitable to the soul, as a purifying fire to burn the dross away, of our dirtiness and sins; as an oven to bake us in, to be the Lord's bread; as soap to make us white, as a stream to mundify and cleanse us, as God's frame-house to make us like to Christ here in suffering, that we may be so in reigning; then should we not so much care for this little short sorrow, which the flesh suffereth in it; but rather in consideration of the exceeding endless joy and comfort which will ensue, we should run forwards in our race, after the example of our captain Christ, who comforts us all in our distress, and gives us the spirit of prayer, therein to watch and pray, that we be not led into temptation; which God grant to us for ever, Amen.

And thus much I thought good to write to you, at this present; to declare my carefulness for the well-doing of you, and all your family, whom I commend with you, into the hands and tuition of God our Father, so be it.

Your own in the Lord,

JOHN BRADFORD,

No. 61.*

TO M. GEORGE EATON.

ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, recompense abundantly into your bosom, my dearly beloved, here and eternally, the good which from him by you I have continually received, since my coming into prison. Otherwise can I never be able to requite your loving kindness here, than by praying for you, and after this life, by witnessing your faith declared to me by your fruits; when we shall come and appear together, before the throne of our Saviour Jesus Christ; whither, I thank God, I am even now a going, ever looking when the officers will come and satisfy the precept of the prelates; whereof, though I cannot complain, because I have justly deserved an hundred thousand deaths at God's hands, by reason of my sins; yet I may and must rejoice, because the prelates do not persecute in me mine iniquities, but Christ Jesus and his verity; so that they persecute not me, they hate not me, but they persecute Christ, they hate Christ.

And because they can do him no hurt, for he sitteth in heaven and laugheth them and their devices to scorn, as one day they shall feel; therefore they turn their rage upon his poor sheep, as Herod their father did upon the infants, Matt. ii. Great cause therefore have I to rejoice, that my dear Saviour Christ, will vouchsafe among many, to choose me to be a vessel of grace to suffer in me, who have deserved so often and justly to suffer for my sins, that I might be most assured, I shall be a vessel of honour, in whom he will be glorified.

Therefore, my right dear brother in the Lord, rejoice with me, give thanks for me, and cease not to pray, that God for his mercy's sake, would make perfect the good he hath begun in me. And as for the doctrine which I have professed and preached, I do confess unto you in writing, as to the whole world I shortly shall by God's grace in suffering, that it is the very true doctrine of Jesus Christ, of

Fox iii. 344. Cov, 449.

his Church, of his prophets, apostles, and all good men; so that if an angel should come from heaven, and preach otherwise, the same were accursed.

Therefore waver not, dear heart in the Lord, but be confirmed in it, and as your vocation requireth, when God so will, confess it, though it be perilous so to do. The end shall evidently shew another manner of pleasure for so doing, than tongue can tell. Be diligent in prayer, and watch therein; use reverent reading of God's Word. Set the shortness of this time before your eyes, and let not the eternity that is to come, depart out of your memory. Practise in doing, that you learn by reading and hearing; decline from evil, and pursue good. Remember them that be in bonds, especially for the Lord's cause, as members of your body, and fellow heirs of grace. Forget not the affliction of Sion, and the oppression of Jerusalem; and God our Father shall give you his continual blessing, through Christ our Lord, who guide us as his dear children for ever, Amen.

And thus I take my Vale and farewell with you, dear brother, for ever in this present life, till we shall meet in eternal bliss; whither our good God and Father bring us shortly, Amen. God bless your babes for ever, Amen. Out of prison this eighth of February. Your afflicted brother, for the Lord's cause,

No. 62.*

JOHN BRADFORD.

To all that profess the Gospel and true doctrine of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in the City of London, John Bradford, a most unworthy Servant of the Lord, now not only in Prison, but also excommunicated and condemned to be burned for the same true doctrine; wisheth mercy, grace, and peace, with increase of all godly knowledge, from God

Fox iii. 309. Cov. 251.

the Father of Mercy, through the merits of our alone and omnisufficient Redeemer Jesus Christ, by the operation of his Holy Spirit for ever. Amen.

My dearly beloved brethren in our Saviour Christ, although the time I have to live is very little, for hourly I look when I should be had hence, to be conveyed into Lancashire there to be burned, and to render my life by the providence of God, where I first received it by the same providence ; and although the charge is great, to keep me from all things, whereby I might signify any thing to the world of my state; yet having as now I have, pen and ink, through God's working, mauger the head of satan, and his soldiers, I thought good to write a short confession of my faith, and thereto join a little exhortation unto you all, to live according to your profession.

First for my faith, I do confess and pray all the whole congregation of Christ to bear witness with me of the same, that I do believe constantly, through the gift and goodness of God, for faith is God's only gift, all the twelve articles of the symbol or creed, commonly attributed to the collection of the apostles, not because of the creed itself, but because of the word of God, the which teacheth and confirmeth every article accordingly.

This Word of God, written by the prophets and apostles, left and contained in the canonical books of the HOLY BIBLE, I do believe to contain plentifully all things necessary to salvation; so that nothing, as necessary to salvation, ought to be added thereto, and therefore the Church of Christ, nor none of his congregation, ought to be burdened with any other doctrine than which hereout hath her foundation and ground. In testimony of which faith, I render and give my life, being condemned as well for not acknowledging the antichrist of Rome, to be Christ's vicar-general, and supreme head of his Catholic and Universal Church, here and elsewhere, upon

This my faith I would gladly particularly declare and expound, to the confirmation and comfort of the simple; but alas, by starts and stealth, I write in manner that that I write, and therefore I shall desire you all to take this brevity in good part.Cov.