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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29096	The good old way, or, An excellent and profitable treatise of repentance made by John Bradford in the yeare 1553. Now published with two prefaces relating the life of the author, and the excellencey of the worke.	Bradford, John, 1510?-1555.; Harris, Robert, 1581-1658.; Wilkinson, Henry, 1616-1690.	1652 (1652)	Wing B4106; ESTC R25287	35,398	95

The Good Old Way OR An Excellent and Profitable Treatise of REPENTANCE MADE By that Pretious man of God and faithfull Martyr of Jesus Christ Mr. JOHN BRADFORD in the yeare 1553. Now published with two Prefaces relating the life of the Author and the excellency of the WORKE Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Luke 13.5 The times of this Ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to Repent Act. 17.30 OXFORD Printed by LEON LICHFIELD Printer to the Vniversity 1652. To all faithfull Mnasons old Disciples and all those who desire and endeavour to walk in the good old Gospel-way of Faith and Repentance Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord JESUS CHRIST IT is a common Proverb that good Wine needs no Ivy bush No more doth this good old Wine this excellent Treatise of that Saint of God Mr Bradford need any letters of commendation Yet it will be requisite to speak something and I hope it will be interpreted a deed of charity if I interpose as an Advocate for the truth of this Orphan Tract whose Father was a Saint on earth and now reignes as a glorious Saint in heaven The work is legitimate transcribed after an exact Copy and it 's sutable to the stile and savours of the Authors spirit The many choyce breathings in his letters and this Treatise are all of a peece good old gold more pretious then that of Ophir Something I shall briefely speake of the Author and then of this Tract For the Author what his learning was is upon Record how solid and sinuous his disputations were with the Popish Prelates Spanish Friars and others that visited him in prison and how dextrously he managed all his Disputations with Wisdome judgement and zeale you may read largely in Mr Foxes Martyrology He was a man of an acute witt penetrating judgement and had the approbation and advice of Martin Bucer to enter into the Ministery His piety was rare and eminent As was the man so was his communication holy and usefull Who so reads his spirituall breathings I might almost call it a transcendent style in his Epistles must needs confesse that he was one of the holiest men that ever lived since the Apostles time Take a tast of him in these few characters 1. He was a zealous plaine profitable Preacher of Gods word He knew how to divide the word aright and walke accordingly He had those two rare Qualifications of a Preacher {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} He was a Boanerges a sonne of Thunder to impenitent obdurate sinners but a Barnabas a sonne of consolation to the children of God 2. He was of an humble selfe-denying spirit I never read of any that had a meaner opinion of himselfe then he had You shall finde the subscription of his letters Miserrimus peccator a very hypocrite the most hard-hearted unthankefull sinner a very painted hypocrite John Bradford So cheap an esteeme had he of himselfe This humility is an adorning grace next to the garment of Christs righteousnesse none like to it wherefore the Apostles phrase is Emphaticall 1 Pet. 5. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Be ye cloathed with humility Let it be your uppermost garment Cyprian saith Fundamentum sanctitatis est humilitas This holy man's example is worthy of our imitation 3. He was much acquainted with God and enjoyed a holy communion and familiarity with him in Prayer Meditation He meditated much and Meditation is the spirituall digestion of the soule It 's a divine ruminating upon the word read or Preached when we meditate seriously on the Promises Attributs or such choyce subjects we are up in the Mount with Moses we soare aloft even to heaven being carryed by the wings of holy meditation This meditation is an uphill duty Isaack Moses Paul and other Saints of God have found sweet consolation flowing from it And he joyned prayer to Meditation he was frequently upon his knees and he would not rise up till he felt something coming in some spirituall illapse darted upon his soule His practice was sutable to Bernard's resolution Nunquam Domine discedam a te sine te He studied usually upon his knees and prayed much in his study and indeed he studies well who praies well And he can take the most comfort of his study who reaps the fruits of his paines as Returnes of his prayers 4. He was of a melting tender heart He wept much and mourned that he could not bring his dull heart to love Jesus Christ more At table as he sate at meat he usually pulled his hat down before his eyes and poured forth abundance of teares upon his trencher He had a tender heart bowells opened to the Prisoners he had a tender care both of their bodies and soules When he was in Prison he visited frequently his Fellow-Prisoners and spent much time in praying for them exhorting of them and contributing liberally out of his purse unto them I need adde no more for what I can say is too little beneath the Authors worth of whom the World was not worthy He lived a Saint and died a Martyr Now for this worke which I here present to the Reader I am assured that it s not spurious but the genuine issue of this worthy Author Herein is handled The Doctrine of Repentance with many moving considerations thereunto Perhaps his plaine Phrase may not suite this curious age which is too too much given to affectation of words Sed distinguenda sunt tempora Those times were not used to set forth or garnish their dishes as now they are yet the food is wholsome plaine and profitable And if our palates cannot relish such food I feare there 's some distemper in them and it 's our duty to pray for the removall thereof I shall not make a Panegyrick on the Treatise The work will abundantly commend it selfe Here 's Evangelicall Repentance prest home unto the Conscience with many cogent convincing Arguments It was then spoken in season and it 's a Doctrine that can never be prest our of season These are Gospel daies The Kingdome of heaven is at hand and of all times Gospel times are peculiar times of Repentance The Lord calls upon all rankes of men Magistrates Ministers People Repent Repent Various dispensations call on us to repent some times God speaks in the Thunder of judgement sometimes in the Musick of mercy Both by mercies and judgements we are called to Repentance The last words of this holy Martyr were Repent England And truly the words of a dying man should be much set by Especially of a dying Saint who bequeaths this Legacy to England in his last breath Now whoever thou art that readest this book and art hereby won to think on thy waies and turne unto God give God the glory and look on it as a speciall hand of providence in bringing this book to thy sight I will not detaine thee longer from reading this

meditations ejaculations and expressions to spread them before God as his own upon this account because M. Bradford had in his writings as he thought represented his case said more for him and done his errand better then he could for himselfe This passage I the rather publish because upon this occasion I would stir up men of parts and experience to impart their experiences and sufficiencies in this kind whilst they live as little knowing how many drooping and desponding soules their surviving workes may helpe when themselves sleep in the dust It is a thing that long since I bewailed that so little is this way done by able Orthodox experienced Casuists but they who for ought appeares know least of the mystery of godlinesse and methods of Sotan undertake the worke I doe not meane such as Gerson Parisiensis Saváorola c. who speake as if they had met with something of God in their lives and consciences but certaine Jesuits and Canonists who resolve all into a blind and upon the matter an humane credence and shew more wit then grace as 't was once said of a Rabbin in their resolves There be not I believe more able men for case divinity and all practicalls in the World then in this Nation would they apply themselves accordingly some yet living have given undeniable proofes of their ability in this errand I forbeare to name them because I would decline the suspicion of flattery I may more freely speak of our Greenhams Dods Perkins Ameses Baineses as also of our Randals Boltons Bals c. who are now out of hearing but not out of memory Oh that others behind them in time but not in abilities would take up the worke where they left and carry it on at least that that brother who owes so much to God for temptations and can say out of his observations so much for God in the case of temptation and desertion would at last perfect his Tract of Temptations so happily begun But I have made the Porch too wide I conclude where I began with humble and when I say humble I say all Mr Bradford I have had some other Workes of his but Warre hath Plun dred me of many Books This peece a godly Brother who is never weary of doing good hath recovered out of the dust and once more made publique under God thank him Reader if thou be the better for it and better thou maist be if thou wilt lay downe pride and prejudice and take this up in humility and with purpose of amendment read it think on it pray for a blessing and if thou findest little at first read againe pray againe apply againe and I misse my aime if thou dost not meet with more at last then it seemed to promise at first I commend both it and thee to the blessing of the Great God and having answered the importunity of my friend in saying thus much I rest Thine in Christ R. H. A prositable Treatise of Repentance made by that holy and Constant Martyr of Christ Mr. JOHN BRADFORD 1553. MAT. 4.17 Amend your lives for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand THe life we have at this present is the gift of God in whom we live move and are and therfore he is called Jehovah for the which life as we should be thankfull so may we not in any wise use it after our corrupt fantasies but to the end for which it is given and lent us that is to the setting forth of Gods praise and glory by repentance conversion and obedience to his good will and holy lawes whereunto his long-suffering doth as it were even draw us if our hearts by impenitency were not hardned And therfore our life in the Scripture is called a walking for that as the body draweth dayly more and more neare its end that is the earth even so our soul draweth daily more and more neere unto a period that is salvation or damnation heaven or hell Of which thing in that we are most carelesse and very fooles for we alas are the same to day we were yesterday and not better or nearer to God but rather nearer to hell Sathan and perdition being covetous idle carnall secure negligent proud c. I think my labour cannot be better bestowed then with the Baptist Christ Jesus and his Apostles to harp on this string which of all other together with faith is most necessary and in these daies most seasonable What string is that saith one Forsooth brother the string of Repentance the which Christ our Saviour did use first in his Ministry and as his Minister at this present I will use unto you all Repent for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand This sentence thus pronounced and Preached by our Saviour Jesus Christ as it doth command us to repent so to the doing of the same it sheweth us a sufficient cause to stirre us up thereunto namely for that The Kingdome of heaven which is a Kingdome of all joy peace riches power and pleasure is at hand to all such as doe so that is as do repent So that the meaning hereof is as though our Saviour might thus speak presently Syrs for that I see you all walking the wrong way even to Sathan and unto hell fire by following the Kingdome of Sathan which now is coloured under the vaine pleasures of this life and foolishnesse of the flesh most subtilly to your utter undoing and destruction behold and marke well what I say unto you The Kingdome of Heaven that is an other manner of joy and felicity honour and riches power and pleasure then you now perceive or enjoy is even at hand and at your backs and if you will turne againe that is repent ye you shall most truely and pleasantly feele see and inherit Turne againe therefore I say that is Repent for this joy I speake of the Kingdome of heaven is at hand 1. Here we may note first the corruption of our natures in that to this commandement Repent you he addeth a cause For the Kingdome of heaven is at hand For by reason of the corruption and sturdinesse of our nature God unto all his commandements commonly either addeth some promise to provoke us to obedience or else some such sufficient cause as cannot but stirre us up to hearty labouring for the doing of the same as here to the commandement of acting repentance he addeth this Aetiologe or cause For the Kingdome of heaven is at hand 2. Againe in that he joyneth the commandement as a reason saying For the Kingdome of heaven is at hand We may learne that of the Kingdome of heaven none to whom the Ministry of Preaching doth appertaine can be partaker but such as repent and doe amend Therefore dearely beloved if you regard the Kingdome of Heaven in that you cannot enter therein except you repent I beseech you all of every estate as you desire your own peace of conscience to repent and amend The which thing that ye may doe I