more pleasantly and comfortably will he appear. Only believe and look for his help and you shall have peace, such peace as the world knoweth not, nor can know; the which God give us a true feeling of, and then we shall not be grieved with afflictions, but rather rejoice in them, because they are but exercises and trials of faith, to the increase of faith and patience, with many godly virtues, &c.

As concerning the number and charges of us here, which this day I heard your lordship desired to understand, this is, so much as I know, that we are four in number together, whose names this bearer shall tell you; the charges of the least is seven shillings a week. There are five others, whose charges be not so great, but as they will themselves; I mean they pay daily as they take, and that to the uttermost; these were never ministers. I trust there is no urgent need in any of us all, and, I think, least in myself, through God, my father's, providence, the which I have and do daily wonderfully feel, his name therefore be praised.

Other things I would write, but because they may be more safely told by this bringer, I have omitted the same for that purpose. God of his goodness ever be with you and keep your lordship to the very end, as his dear child. Amen, Amen.*

To certain Men, who maintained the heresy of the Pelagians and Papists concerning men's free will; which, upon occasions, were then prisoners with him in the King's Bench.

The good spirit of God, which is the spirit of truth, and guide to God's children, be with us all, and lead us into all truth. Amen.

Hitherto have oftentimes resorted unto you, my friends as I thought, and by all means sought to do you good, even to mine own charges and hindrance. But now I see it happeneth otherwise; and therefore I am purposed, till I may know more than I do, to absent myself from you, but not my help; and by these letters to supply that, which by mouth patiently you cannot abide to hear.

You report me to my face that I am a great slander to the church of God; which may be two ways understood, that is, by living and doctrine. But as for living, you yourselves, I thank God therefore, gave testimony with me. In doctrine therefore you mean it.

Now, in that there be may parts of the doctrine of Christ, I trow you mean not generally, but particularly; for you in generality have divers times given your commendations on my behalf, both to my face and behind my back; for the which I humbly praise my God, through Christ. In particularity therefore, you mean that I am a slander; which, as far as I know, is only in this to youwards, that I believe and affirm the salvation of God's children to be so certain, that they shall assuredly enjoy the same.

You say it hangeth partly upon our perseverance to the end; and I say it hangeth only and altogether upon God's grace in Christ, and not upon our perseverance in any point; for then were grace no grace. You will and do in words deny our perseverance to be any cause, but yet in deed you do otherwise. For if perseverance be not a cause, but only God's grace in Christ, the whole and only cause of salvation; then the cause, that is to say, grace remaining, the thing, that is to say, salvation, cannot but remain also.

Of which thing, if with the scriptures you would make perseverance an effect or fruit, then could you not be offended at the truth; but say as it saith, that the salvation of God's children is so certain, that they shall never finally perish, the Lord putting his hand under them, that if they fall, yet they shall not lie still. For whom he loveth he leaveth not, but loveth them unto the end. So that perseverance is proper to them, and doth discern them from hypocrites, and such as seem to other, and to themselves also sometimes, that they be God's children.

Which if they once were in deed, then as St. John saith, they should not sin the sin to death; neither should they go out of God's

church, but as Paul saith, should persevere to the end.

Now to be God's child, is no less, in all points above the power of man; than to be man's child, is above our own power; but so much it passeth our ability in all points to be God's child, by how much this dignity is greater.

Again, once God's child indeed, and God's child for ever; that is, finally shall not he that is so, perish eternally, if that, God our father be both of good will infinite, and also of power accordingly; and that the seed of God which remaineth in his children, can keep them from sinning, I mean to death, for otherwise they sin; and therefore pray daily, forgive us our debts, &c.

Moreover, God's children be under grace, and not under the law, and therefore sin shall not damn them. For where no law is, there is no transgression, transgression I say to final damnation, for the new covenant of God is, never to remember their sins, but to give them such hearts and minds, that, as they naturally lust and labour to do that is evil; so their inward man renewed striveth to the contrary, and at the length shall prevail; because HE is stronger that is in them, than he that is in the world. And St. Paul saith, who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect, in that God absolveth them for Christ's sake, of whom they are kept? So that it is not possible for them to perish, in respect of their pastor, who is faithful over God's people.

This certainty and assurance, whoso feeleth in himself, by the testimony of God's spirit, indeed and of truth, the same is happy for ever, and cannot but, as he hopeth he shall be like to Christ in his coming, so desire it, and purifying himself in all purity, so far will he be from carnal liberty; and as the elect of God, he will endue and apparel himself daily with the apparel of the elect, using prayer night and day, which is another property of God's children.

To this certainty, all the creatures of God call us, concerning their creation and use. This assurance, God's first commandment requireth, under pain of damnation; the gospel of God and all his promises; the sacraments and the substance of them, which is Christ Jesus, our Saviour, do above all things, require it of every one that is baptised, and brought into God's church. Nothing else doth

GOD so require of us, as thus to be persuaded of him, for out of it floweth all godliness to God and man.

So that it cannot be but they take Satan's part; which go about to let or hinder this certainty, in themselves and in others. The which thing, in that you do indeed, howsoever you mean; I cannot but as I have done often before, admonish you of it eftsoons, that your bloods may be on your own heads, if you persevere in your obstinacy, and that you do it obstinately and not ignorantly. From the which I beseech Almighty God to deliver you. Amen.

1 January.

No. 22.*

JOHN BRADFORD.

TO CERTAIN MEN,

Not rightly persuaded in the most true, comfortable, and necessary Doctrine of God's Holy Election and Predestination.

GRACE, mercy, and peace, with increase of all godly knowledge and living, from God the eternal father of all consolation, through the bloody death of our alone and full redeemer Jesus Christ, by the mighty and lively working and power of the holy spirit the comforter, I wish unto you now and for ever. Amen.

Although I look hourly for officers to come and have me to execution, yet can I not but attempt to write something unto you, my dearly beloved, as always you have been howsoever you have taken me, to occasion you the more to weigh the things wherein some controversy hath been amongst us, especially the article and doctrine of predestination, whereof I have written a little treatise; therein, as briefly shewing my faith, so answering the enormities

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gathered of some, to slander the same necessary and comfortable doctrine. That little piece of work I commend unto you, as a thing whereof I doubt not to answer to my comfort, before the tribunal seat of Jesus Christ; and therefore I heartily pray you and every of you, for the tender mercies of God in Christ, that you would not be rash to condemn things unknown, lest God's woe should fall upon you, for calling good evil and evil good.

For the great love of God in Christ, cavil not at things that be well spoken, nor construe not things to the evil part, when ye have occasion otherwise. Do not suppose that any man, by affirming predestination, as in that book I have truly set it forth according to God's word, and the consent of Christ's church, either to seek carnality, or to set forth matter of desperation. Only by the doctrine of it, I have taught, as to myself, so to others, a certainty of salvation; a setting up of Christ only; an exaltation of God's grace, mercy, righteousness, truth, wisdom, power and glory, and a casting down of man and all his power, that he that glorieth may glory only and altogether, and continually in the Lord.

Man consisteth of two parts, the soul and the body, and every man of God hath, as a man would say, two men, an outward or old man, and an inward or new man. The devil's drift is, to bring the one into a carnality, and the other into a doubt; and so to despair, and hatred of God; but God for remedy hereof, hath ordained his word; which is divided into two parts; the one is a doctrine which demandeth of us our duty, but giveth no power thereto; the other is a doctrine which not so much demandeth as giveth. The former is called the law, which hath his promises, conditionals, and comminations or threats, accordingly; the other is called the gospel, or rather the free promises hanging not on conditions on our behalf, but simply on God's verity and mercy, although they require conditions, but not as hanging thereon; of which promises the gospel may well be called a publication.

The former, that is, the law with her promises and comminations, tells man what he is, and shews him what he can do; the latter, that is, the gospel and free promises, tell and set forth Christ, and

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