Chancelor doest thou not answer haste thou written such letters as here is obiected against the As I said my lord quod Bradforde that I haue written I haue written I stande nowe before you whiche eyther can laye my letters to my charge or not if you lay any thiÌ„g to my charge that I haue writteÌ„ if I denye it I am then a lier we shall neuer haue done with thee I perceiue now saith my lord ChaÌ„celor be short be short wylt thou haue mercy I praye God quoth Bradforde geue me his mercie if therwith you wil extend yours I wyll not refuse it but otherwise I wil not Heare was now much a dooe one speaking thus and other speaking that of his arrogancye in refusing the Queenes pardon whiche she so louyngly â–ª dyd offer vnto him wherto Bradforde aunswered thus my lordes yf I may liue as a quiete subiect withoute clogge of conscience I shal hartely thanke you for your pardoÌ„ yf otherwyse I behaue my selfe then I am in daunger of the faute In the meane season I aske no more but the benefite of a subiect till I be conuinced of transgressioÌ„ If I cannot haue this as hitherto I haue not had goddes good wyll be doone Vppon these wordes my lord Chauncelor begon a loÌ„g proces of the false doctrine wherewith people were deceiued in the dayes of kyng Edwarde and so tourned the ende of his talk to Bradforde sayiÌ„g how sayst thou My lord quoth Bradforde the doctrine taught iâ— Kâ—â—g Edwardes daies was gods pure religion the whiche as I then beleued so doe I nowe more beleue then euer I didde And therein I am more confirmed and ready to declare it by gods grace euen as he will to the worlde then I was when I firste came into prisone What religion meane you quoth the bishop of Durisme in Kynge Edwardes daies what yeare of his raigne Forsoth quoth Bradforde euen that same yere of hys raigne my Lorde that the kynge dyed and I was preacher Heare wrote maister Secretary Bourn I wotte not what Nowe after a lytle pawsyng my Lorde Chauncelloure begynneth agayne to declare that the doctryne taught in Kynge Edwardes dayes was heresye vsynge for probacion and demonstraâ—ion therof no Scryppure nor reason but thys that iâ— ended wyth Treason and Rebellion so that quoth he the verye ende were ynoughe to improue that doctryne to bee naughte Ah my Lorde quoth Bradford that you would enter in to Gods Sanctuarie and marke the ende of this present doctrine you nowe so magnifie What meanest thou by that quoth he I wene we shal haue a snatche of rebellion euen now No quoth Bradforde my lord I meane no suche ende as you woulde gather I meane an ende whiche none seeth but thei y t enter into gods Sanctuarie If a man loke but on preseÌ„t thyngs he wil sone deceiue hiÌ„self Heare now dyd my Lorde Chauncellor offer againe mercye and Bradford answered as before mercye w t gods mercy should be welcome but otherwise he would none Whervpon the said lord Chancellor dyd ring a litle bel be like to cal in soÌ„e bodye for there was present none in maner but onelye these before named and the bishop of Worcester Now wheÌ„ one was come in it is beste quoth maister Secretarye Burne y t you geue y e keper a charge of this fellowe So was the vndermarshall called in you shall take this man to you quoth my Lord Chauncelor kepe him close without conference with any man but by your knowledge and suffer him not to wryte anye letters c. For he is of an other maner of charge vnto you now then he was before and so thei departed the said Bradford lokyng as cherefully as any man coulde doe declaring thereby euen a desire to geue his lyfe for confirmacion of that he hath taughte and written And surely yf he dooe so his death wyll destroye more of the Philistines as Sampson dyd then euer he dydde in hys lyfe God almyghtie keepe hym and al his felowes bounde for the lordes sake Amen ¶ The effect of the second examinacion of Iohn Bradforde in the temple of S. Marie Oueries before the lorde Chauncelour and diuers other byshoppes the .xxix. daye of Ianuarii .1555 AFter the excommunycacioÌ„ of IhoÌ„ Rogers Iohn Bradford was called in standynge before the lord Chancelour other bishops set w t him the said lord ChaÌ„celor spake thus in effect That wheretofore the .22 of Ianuarie they called the sayde Bradford before theÌ„ offred vnto hym y e Queenes pardoÌ„ although he had conteÌ„ned y e same further he said y t he would stifly stoutly maintaine defende therronious doctrine holdeÌ„ in y e daies of kyng Edward the .6 yet in coÌ„sideracioÌ„ that the Queenes highnes is woÌ„derfull merciful they thoughte good eftsones to offer the same mercy againe before it be to late Therfore ê™ my lorde Chauncellour nowe aduise you well there is yet space and grace tofore wee so procede that you be committed to the seculer power as we muste do and wil do if you will not follow thexample of M. Barlowe Cardmaker whoÌ„ he there coÌ„mended adding oratoriously amplificacions to moue the saide Bradford to yeld to the religioÌ„ preseÌ„tly set forth After the lord Chauncellors long talke Bradford began on this sorte to speake My Lord quoth he my lordes al as now I stand in your syght before you so I humbly beseche your honors to consider that you sit in y e sight of the lord who as Dauid doeth witnesse is in the congregacions of iudges and fittes in the myddest of theÌ„ iudgeing And as you woulde youre place to bee nowe of vs taken as gods place so demonstrate your selues to folowe hym in your sittyng that is seke no giltlesse bloude nor hunte not by questioÌ„s to bring into y e snare them whiche are out of the same At this presente I stande before you giltie or giltlesse if giltie theÌ„ procede and geue sentence accordinglye if giltles then geue me the benefite of a subiect whiche hitherto I could not haue Heare the Lorde Chauncellour replyed and saide that the said Bradford began with a true sentence Deus stetit in sinagoga c. but ê™ he this and all thy gesture declareth but Hypocrisie and vain glory And further he made much a do to purge himself that he sought no giltles bloud and so beganne a loÌ„g processe howe that Brodfordes facte at Poules crosse was presuÌ„ptuous arrogant and declared a taking vpoÌ„ him to lead the people whiche coulde not but tourne to much disquietnes ê™ he in y t thou speakiÌ„g to Bradford was so prefract and stout in religion at that preseÌ„t For y e which as thou wast theÌ„ committed to prison so hitherto haste thou bene kepte in prisoÌ„ where thou haste written letters to no litle hurte to the Queenes people as by the reporte of therle of Darby in the parlement house was credeblye reported And to this be added y t the said
death if a man answer freely and not to your appetite And so you nowe come to demaund this question Ah my lord ê™ Bradforde Christe vsed not thâ—s waye to bring men to faythe No more did the Prophets or the Apostles RembeeÌ„r what Barnarde writeth to Eugenius the Pope Apostolos lego stetisse iudicandos sedisse iudicantes non legi Hoc erit illud fuit â–ª c. Here the ChaÌ„celor was appeased as it semed spake moste gentlye that he vsed not this meanes It was not my doyng although some there be ê™ he that thinke this to be the beste waie I for my parte ê™ he haue bene chalenged for being to geÌ„tle often times The which thing the B. of London confirmed so did almoste all the audience that he hadde been euer to mylde and to gentle At whiche wordes Bradforde spake thus My Lorde ê™ he I praye you stretche out your gentlenes that I maye fele it for hytherto I neuer felte it As sone as be hadde spoken thus the lord Chauncellour belyke thynkynge Bradforde woulde haue hadde mercye and pardone as Cardmaker and Barlow hadde sayd that wyth all hys hearte not onely he but the Queenes highnesse woulde stretche oute mercye yf wyth them hee woulde retourne Retourne my Lord quoth Bradforde God saue me from that goyng backe I meane it not so But I meane quoth he that I was three quarters of a yere in the Tower wythout paper penne or inke neuer in al that time nor sitheÌ„ did I fele any gentlenes from you I haue rather loked for as I haue hitherto founde extremitie And ê™ he I thank God I perceue now you haue kept me in prison thus long not for any matter you had but for mater you would haue Goddes good wil bee done Here was now diuerse telliÌ„g my lorde it was diner time and so he rose vp leauing Bradforde speaking sayiÌ„g that in y e after noone thei would speak more with him And so was he had into y e vestry was there al that daye tyll darke nighte and so was conueyed agayne to prisone declaringe by his countenance great ioy in god the whiche God increase in him ¶ The effect and summe of the last examinacion of that faithfull instrument of God Iohn Bradforde in the Churche of Saincte Marie Oueries the 29. daie of Ianuarii .1555 AFter the excommunicacion of LaureÌ„ce SauÌ„ders Iohn Bradford was called in and being broughte before the Lorde Chauncelour and other bishops there sittinge the Lorde Chancelour began to speak thus in effecte that Bradforde beynge now eftsones com before theÌ„ wold aunswere with modestie and humylitye and conforme hymselfe to the Catholyke Churche wyth theym And so yet myghte he find mercy because thei would be loth to vse extremite Therfore he concluded with an exhortacioÌ„ y t Bradforde woulde recante his doctrine After the lorde Chancellor had ended his longe oracion Bradforde began to speak thus As yesterday I besought your honour to set in your sighte the maiestie and presence of God to follow him which seketh not to subuert the simple by subtil questioÌ„s so quoth he I humblye beseche euery one of you to daie for y t you knowe that giltles bloud wil crie vengeaunce And thus quoth he I praie not your Lordship to do as one that taketh vpon me to coÌ„demne you vtterly herin but that you might bee the more admonyshed to doe that which none doth so much as he should do For our nature is so much corrupt that we are very obliuious and forgetfull of god Again ê™ Bradford as yesterdaie I pretended my othe and othes againste y e B. of Rome that I should neuer coÌ„sent to the practising of any iurisdiccion for him or in his behalfe in the realme of Englande so againe this day lest I should be periured And last of al as yesterday the answer I made was by protestacion and sauynge my oth so would I your honours should knowe that myne shal be this daie And this I do that when death whiche I loke for at youre handes shall come I shall not be troubled with the giltines of periury At these words y e lord Chancelor was wroth said that they had geueÌ„ him respite to deliberate vntil this day whether he would recaÌ„t the heresies of the blessed sacrament whiche yesterday ê™ the lord Chancelor before vs you vttred My lord ê™ Bradforde you gaue me no time of any such delyberacion neither did I any thing of the sacrament which you didde disalow For when I had declared a presence of Christ to bee there to the faithful you went froÌ„ the matter to purge your selfe y t you were not crewel and so went to dinner What I perceiue ê™ my lord ChaÌ„celour we must begin all agayne with thee dâ—d I not yesterday tell thee plainely that thou madest a conscience where none should be Did I not make it plaine that the othe against the Bishop of Rome was an vnlawfull othe No ê™ Bradford In dede my lord you said so ê™ he but proued is not nor neuer can do Oh lord god ê™ the lorde Chauncelour what a felowe arte thou Thou wouldeste goe about to bringe into the peoples heades that we al the lords of the parliameÌ„t house y e knights Burgiesses and all the whole is periured Oh what an heresye is thys Here good people ye may see what a Churlishe hereticke thys felowe is If I shoulde make an othe I would neuer helpe my brother or lende hym money in hys nede were this a good aunswere to tell my neyghboure desyringe my helpe that I hadde made an othe to the contrarye I coulde not dooe it Heare the lorde Chauncelor made muche a do a long time was speÌ„t about othes which wer good which wer euil he capciously asking of Bradford often answer of things coÌ„cerning othes which Bradford would not geue simply but with distinccioÌ„ wherat the lord Chancelour was sore offended But Bradford styll kept him at the baye that the oth againste the B. of Rome was an vnlawfull othe vsing therto the Chancelors owne boke de Vera obedientia â–ª For confirmacioÌ„ at the length thei came to this issue who should iudge of the lawfulnes of of the othes And Bradford said the worde of God accordynge to Christes owne woordes Iohn .12 saying My word shal iudge And according to the testimonie of Esai .2 Micheas .4 That goddes word coming out of IerusaleÌ„ shal geue senteÌ„ce amongst y e gentiles By these wordes my lord ê™ he I will proue the othe against y e B. of Romes auctorite to be a good a godli a lawful oth So therof the lord Chauncelor left his hold sayiÌ„g y t as y e other day he pÌ„teÌ„ded denyal of the Queenes aucthoritie obedience to her highnesse so did he now But Bradford as the day before proued that obedience in this point are particuler to the Quenes highnes If she shold demauÌ„de an othe to the B. of Rome beinge denied it
sought his sauegard with the perill of myne owne life I thank god therefore That is not trew quoth the bishop of Lōdon for I my self did see thee take vpō thee to muche No quoth Bradforde I tooke nothinge vppon me vndesired and that of master Bourn himselfe as if he were here presēt I dare saye he woulde affirme it for hee desired me bothe to helpe him to pacifie the people and not to leaue him till he was in safety And as for my behauioure in the Towre and talk before your hohours if I did or saide any thing that did not beseme me if wherin your lordships woulde tell me I should and would shortely make you aunswer Wel quoth my lord Chancelor to leaue this matter how saist thou now wilt thou returne again and doe as we haue done and thou shalte receiue the Queenes mercy and pardon M◠lorde quoth Bradforde I desire mercy with gods mercy but mercy with Gods wrathe god keepe me from althoughe I thanke God therefore my conscience doeth not accuse me that I did or spake any thīg wherfore I should nede to receiue mercye or pardon For all that euer I did or spake was agreinge to Goddes lawes and the lawes of the realm at that presēt and did make much quietnes Well quoth my lord Chancelor if thou make this bablīg rolling in thy eloquent tonge beyng altogether ignoraunt and vayne glorious and will not receyue mercy offered to thee knowe for trueth that the Quene is mynded to make a purgacion of all suche as thou arte The Lorde quoth Bradforde to fore whom I stand as well as before you knoweth what vain glory I haue sought and seke in this behalf His mercy I desire also would bee glad of the Queenes fauor to lyue as a subiecte without clogge of conscience but otherwise the lordes mercye is to me better then lyfe And I knowe quoth he to whom I haue committed my life euē to his handes which will kepe it so that no man maye take it awaye before it be his pleasure There ar 1◠houres in the daie and as long as they last so long shall no man haue power theron Therfore his good will be done life in his dyspleasure is worse then death and death in his true fauour is trewe lyfe I knowe wel ynough quoth my Lorde Chauncellor that wee shoulde haue glorious talke ynough of thee be sure therefore y t as thou hast deceyued the people with false and deuilishe doctrine so shalte thou receiue I haue not deceiued quod Bradforde the people nor taught any other doctrine then by Gods grace I am and hope shall be ready to confirme with my lyfe And as for deuilishnesse and falsenesse in the doctrine I woulde bee sorye you could so proue it Why quoth the Bishop of Duresme tell me what you say by the ministracion of the communion as you now know it is My lorde saithe Bradforde here must I desire of your Lordeship and of all youre honours a question tofore I doe make aunswere to any intergatorie or question wherewith you now begin I haue bene .vi. tymes sworne y t I should in no case consent to the practysing of any iurisdiccion or any authoritie on the Bishop of Romes behalf within this realm of Englande Nowe therfore before God I humbly pray your honours to tel me whether you ask me this question by his aucthoritie or not If you dooe I dare not nor maye not aunswere you anye thyng in his aucthorite you shall demaunde of me excepte I would be forsworne whiche God forbid Hast thou bene sworne .vi. tymes quoth maister Secretarye Burne what offices haste thou borne Here is an other lie quoth my Lorde Chauncelor Forsooth quoth Bradfoode I was thryse sworn in Cambridge whē I was admitted maister of Arte when I was admitted felowe in Pēbrock Hall and when I was there the Visiters came thether and sware the Vniuersitye Agayne I was sworne when I entered into the mynisterye when I hadde a prebende geuen me and when I was sworne to serue the Kynge a litle before his death Tushe quoth my lorde Chauncelor Herodes othes a man should make no consciēce at But quoth Bradford mi lord these othes wer no Herodes othes nor no vnlawfull othes but othes according to gods woorde as you youre selfe haue well affirmed in youre boke de Vera obediētia My lords quoth an other of the counsel y t stode by the table M. Rochester I wene I neuer knewe wherfore this mā was in prison before nowe but I see wel that it had not bene good that this man had beene abrode What so euer was the cause he was laide in prison I know not but I now see well y t not without cause he was and is to be kept in prisone Yea quoth Secretarye Bourn it was reported this parliament tyme by the Erle of Derby that he hath doone more hurte by letters and exhortinge these y t haue come to him in religion thē euer he did when he was abrode by preachinge In his letters he curseth al that teacheth false doctrine for so he calleth that whiche is not accordīg to that he taught and moste earnestly exhorteth thē to whome he writeth to continue still in that they haue receiued by him and such lyke as he is All which woordes diuers others of of the counsel affirmed wherunto the saide maister Bourn added saying howe saye you serra speaking to Bradforde haue you not thus sediciouslye written and exhorted the people I haue quoth Bradford written nor spoken any thing sediciouslye and I thanke god therefore I haue not admytted any sedicious cogitacion nor I trust neuer shall dooe yea but thou haste wrytten letters quoth maister Secretary Bourne why speakest thou not quoth my lord Chauncelour hast thou not written as he saith That quoth Bradforde I haue wrytten I haue written Lorde God quoth M. Southwell what an arrogant stubburne boye is this that thus stoutlye and dallyengly behaue hymself before the Queenes coūsell whereat one looked vpon an other with disdaynefull countenaunce My lordes and masters quoth Bradforde the Lorde God whiche is and wyll iudge vs all knoweth that as I am certayne I stande nowe before his maiestye so wyth reuerence in hys syghte I stande beefore you vnto youre and accordyngly in woordes and gesture I desyre to behaue my selfe yf you otherwyse take it I doubte not but God in hys tyme wyll reuele it In the meane season I shall suffer with all due obedyence your sayinges and deedes too I hope These bee gay glorious wordes quoth my Lorde Chauncelour of reuerēce reuerence but as in al other thynges so hrrein thou doest nothyng but lye Well quoth Bradforde I would God the authour of trueth and abhorrer of lyes woulde pul my tounge out of my head before you all and shewe a terrible iudgemente on me here presentlye yf I haue purposed or dooe purpose to lye beefore you whatsoeuer you shall aske me Why then quoth my lord
Bradford answered that how so euer hrs honor toke him yet was he assured of his meaniÌ„g that no feare but y e feare of periury made him aferd to aunswere For as for death my lord ê™ he as I knowe ther ar .12 houres in the day so w t y e lord my time is appointed And wheÌ„ it shalbe his good tyme then shall I departe hence But in the meane season ê™ he I am safe ynough though al the worlde had sworne my death Into his haÌ„des I haue coÌ„mitted it his good will be done And ê™ Bradford sauiÌ„g mine oth I wil answer you in this behalf that the othe agaiÌ„st the. B of Rome was not nor is not against charitie Howe proue you y t ê™ my lord ChaÌ„celor Forsoth ê™ Bradford I proue it thus That is not against charitie whiche is not against gods worde but this othe against the bishop of Romes aucthoritie in Englande is not against gods worde therefore it is not against charitie Is it not against gods woorde ê™ my Lorde Chancellour that a man shoulde take a kyng to be supreme heade of the church in his realme No ê™ Bradford sauing styl mine othe it is not against gods worde but with it being taken in suche sence as it may be wel taken that is attributing to the kinges power y t soueraintie in all his dominions I praye you ê™ the lorde Chauncelour where finde you that I finde it in manye places ê™ Bradforde but specially in the .13 to the Romaines where Saint Paule writeth euery soule to be obedieÌ„t to the superiour power But what power que gladium gestat y e power verely which beareth the sweord which is not the spiritual but the temporall power As Chrisostome full well noteth ê™ Bradforde vpon the same place whiche youre honor knoweth better then I. He Chrisostome I meane ther plainly sheweth y t bishops prophetes and apostles owe obedience to y e temporall maiestrates Here yet more the Lorde Chancelour was stered and said howe that Bradforde went about to deny al obedience to the Queene for his oth so ê™ he this maÌ„ woulde make gods woord a warrant of disobedience For he will aunswere the Queene on this sorte that when she sayeth nowe sweare to the B. of Rome or obey his aucthoritye No wil he saie for I am then forsworne and so make the Queene no Queene No ê™ Bradforde I go not about to deny all obedieÌ„ce to the Queenes highnes by deniyng obedience in this part yf shee shoulde demaunde it For I was sworne to king Edward not simply that is not onely concernyng his owne person but also concerning his successours And therefore in denying to do the Quenes request herein I denye not her authoritie nor become dishobedient Yes that doest thou ê™ my Lorde Chancelor And so he beganne to tell a longe tale howe if a manne shoulde make an othe to pay a Cli. by such a day and the manne to whom it was due would forgeue the debt The debter woulde saie no you cannot do it for I am forsworne theÌ„ c. Here Bradford desired my lord Chauncellor not to trifle it saying y t he wondred hys honor would make solemne othes made to god trifles in that sorte And make so great a matter concerniÌ„g vowes as thei cal it made to the bishop for mariage of priestes At these wordes y e lord ChaÌ„celour was much offended said he did not trifle but ê™ he thou goest about to denie obedience to the Queene which now requireth obedience to the B. of Rome No my lord ê™ Bradford I dooe not denye obedience to the Queene yf you would discerne betwene genus and species Because I may not obey in this to reason ergo I maye not obey in the other is not firme As if a maÌ„ let one sel a pece of his inheritaÌ„ce yet this notw tstaÌ„dyng al his inheritaÌ„ce is not let or sold And so in this case all obedyence I denye not because I denie obedience in this branche I wil none of those similitudes said the lorde Chancellour I would not vse theÌ„ ê™ Bradforde if that you wente not about to perswade y e people I meane that which I neuer meÌ„t For I my self not onely meane obedience but wil geue ensample â–ª of all most humble obedience to y e Queenes highnes so long as she requireth not obedience agaynste god No no ê™ my lorde Chauncelour al men maie perceiue wel inough your meaning There is no man though he bee sworne to the king doth therfore break his othe yf afterwardes he be sworne to the Frenche king and to themperour It is true my Lorde ê™ Bradforde but the cases bee not like For here is an excepcioÌ„ thou shalt not sweare to y e. B. of Rome at any time If in like maner we were sworne thou shalt not serue themperour c. you see there were some alteracion and more doubt But ê™ Bradford I beseche your honour remembre what ye youre selfe haue written answeringe the obieccions here against in youre boke de vera obedientia Vincat modo domini verbi veritas Let Gods woorde and the reasons thereof beare the bell awaie Heare the lord Chauncelor was throughlye moued and saide styll howe that Bradforde had written sedicious letters and peruerted the people thereby and did stoutly stand as though he would defende the erronious doctrine in kynge Edwardes tyme against all men now ê™ he he saieth he dare not answer I haue written no sedicious letters ê™ Bradforde I haue not peruerted y e people But that which I haue writteÌ„ spokeÌ„ y t wil I neuer deny by gods grace And wher your L. saith I dare not answer you y t al meÌ„ may know I am not afraid sauiÌ„g mine oth ask me what you wyl I will plainelye make you answer by gods grace although I now see my lyfe lyeth theron But O lord ê™ he into thy hands I coÌ„mit it come what come will onelye sanctifie thy name in me as in one instrumente of thy grace Amen Now aske what you wil ê™ Bradford you shall se I am not afraid by gods grace flatly to answer Well then ê™ my lord Chauncelour how say you to the blessed sacrament do you not beleue there Christe to bee presente concernynge his naturall bodye My lorde ê™ Bradforde I doe beleue Christ to be corporally preseÌ„t in his sacrament duely vsed Corporally I say that is in such sorte as he woulde I meane Christe is there corporally preseÌ„t vnto faith Vnto faith ê™ my lorde Chaunceloure wee muste haue manye moe words to make it more plain you shal so ê™ Bradford but first geue me leaue to speake twoo wordes Speake on quoth my lord Chancellour I haue bene now a yeare and almoste thre quarters in prysone ê™ Bradforde and of all thys tyme you neuer questyoned wyth me heare aboutes when I myghte haue spoken my conscyence frankely wythout peryll But nowe you haue a law to haÌ„g vp and put to
was a generall deniall of her aucthoritie and obedience to her no more quoth he then the gift or lease of a sole pece of a mans inheritance proueth a sale gift or lease of the whole inheritance And thus muche a doe was made about the matter The lord Chancelor talking muche vsing many examples of dette of going out of the towne to morow by othe yet tarying tyll Fridaye suche like whiche triflinge talke Bradford did touche saying that it was a wonder that his honour did wey coÌ„science no more in this and would be so earnest in vowes for mariage of Priestes made to bishops and bee carelesse for Solemne othes made to God and the prince Summa this was the ende the lorde Chauncelour sayde the Queene might dispence with it did it to al the whole realme But Bradford said the Queenes highnes could do no more but remitte her right And as for the oth made to God she coulde neuer remytte For as muche as it was made to God At which woordes the lord Chancelour chafed wonderfully and said that in plaine sentence he slandered the hole realme of periury and therfore ê™ he to y e people you may se how this felow taketh vppon hym to haue more knowledge coÌ„science then al the wise men of England yet ê™ he he hath no conscience at al. Wel ê™ Bradforde my lord let al the staÌ„ders by see who hath conscyence I haue bene a yere a half in pryson now before all this people declare wherfore I was prisoned or what cause you had to punish me â–ª you sayde the other daye in youre owne house my Lord of London witnessing with you that I toke vppon me to speake to the people vndesyred There he sytteth by your Lordship I meane my lord Bishop of Bath which desired me hiÌ„self for y e passioÌ„ of Christ I wold speake to the people vpon whose wordes I commyng in to the pulpit had like to haue bene slaine w t a naked dagger which was hurled at me I thinke for it touched my sleaue He eftsones praied me I woulde not leaue him I promised as long as I liued I would take hurt y e day before him and so went out of the pulpit at length broughte him safe to a house Besides this in y e after noone I prech at Bow church goyng vp into the pulpitte one wylled me not to reê“ue y e people for y e fact for ê™ he you shal neuer come downe aliue if you do it And yet ê™ Bradford notwithstanding I did in y e Sermond reproue their fact called it sedicion at the least .xx. tymes For all whiche my doinge I haue receiued this recompence prison a yere a half more death now which you go about Let al meÌ„ ê™ Bradford nowe iudge wher conscieÌ„ce is In speking these words ther was y e eÌ„deuored to haue letted it but Bradford spake on let theÌ„ speake what they would And the lord Chancelour said y t for al his faire talke his fact at y e Crosse was naught No ê™ Bradford my fact was good as you youre selfe did bear witnes w t me For when I was first before you in y e Towre you your selfe did saye y t the facte was good but ê™ you the mynde was euyll wel then ê™ I my lord in that you alowe my facte condemne my mynde in it I can not otherwise declare my mynd to maÌ„ theÌ„ by saying doiÌ„g god I trust one day will open to my comforte what my mynde was and what yours is Here the lord Chauncelour was offended saide that he neuer said so I ê™ hee had not so litle wit I trow as not to discerne betwixt meaning doyng and so brought forth litle to y e purpose many examples that meÌ„ construe thynges not by the meanynge of maÌ„ but by their doings But wheÌ„ this coulde not serue then cometh he to another matter and said he was put in prison at the first because he woulde not yelde nor bee confirmable to the Queenes religion Why quoth Bradford your honour knoweth that you would not then reasoÌ„ with me in religioÌ„ but you saide a time should afterward be found out wheÌ„ I should be talked w t al. But ê™ Bradford if it were as your lordship saith y t I was put in for religion in y t my religioÌ„ was theÌ„ auctorised by the publike lawes of the realm could coÌ„scieÌ„ce punish me or cast me into prisoÌ„ thâ—rfore Wherfore let al meÌ„ iudge in whoÌ„ conscience wanteth Here coÌ„meth forth M. ChaÌ„berlain of Woodstocke said to the Lord Chancelor y t Bradforde had bene a seruing maÌ„ was with M. Harington True ê™ the lord Chancelour did deceiue his M. of .27 poundes because of this he weÌ„t to bee a gospeller and a preacher good people and yet you se how he pretendeth coÌ„scieÌ„ce My lord ê™ Bradford I set my fote to his fote whosoeuer he be y t caÌ„ come furth iustly vouch to mi face y t euer I deceiued my M. And as you ar chief iustices by office in EnglaÌ„d I desire iustice vpoÌ„ them y t so slander me because they cannot proue it Here my lord Chauncelour M. Chamberlain wer stroke blanke said thei heard it but ê™ the lord Chauncellour you haue an other maner of matter then this for you are an heretike yea quoth y e B. of LondoÌ„ he did write letters to M Pendleton â–ª whiche knoweth his hand as wel as his own â–ª your honor quoth y e bishop to the lorde Chancelour did se them That is not true quoth Bradforde I dyd neuer write to Pendleton sithe I came into prisone therefore I am not iustlye spoken of yea but you indited it quoth the B. of LondoÌ„ I did not quoth Bradforde nor know not what you meane that I offer to proue Here commeth a nother I trowe thei call him M. Allin one of the Clarks of the couÌ„sell putting my lord in rememberance of letters sent into Lankeâ—shire It is true quoth the Lorde Chancelor vnto him for we haue his hand to shew I denie y e quoth Bradford y t you haue my hande to shewe of letters sent into Lankeshire otherwise then before you all I will stande vp and proue theÌ„ to be good and lawfull Here was al answered therefore the lorde Chancelour began a new matter Sir quoth he in my house the other day you did moste contempteously contempne the Queenes mercy further said you woulde maynteine the erronious doctrine in king Edwardes daies against al men this you did most stoutly Well quoth Bradforde I am glad that al men see you had no matter to imprison me afore that daie iustlye nowe saye I that I did not conteÌ„tuously contemne y e Queenes mercy but wolud haue had it with gods mercy that is without saying and doynge anye thing against god and his truth â–ª And as for maintenauÌ„ce of doctrine because I
PoÌ„cius Pilate w t the Prelates ar gathered together against thee Christ to do y e which thy hande counsell hath before ordained theÌ„ to do Here began the lord ChaÌ„celor to read y e excoÌ„municacioÌ„ in y e excoÌ„municacioÌ„ when he came to y e name of Bradford laicus lay maÌ„ Why ê™ he ar you no priest No ê™ Bradford nor neuer was eyther priest eyther beneficed either maried either any precher afore publike auctoritie had established religion but preached after publike auctoritie had established religioÌ„ yet ê™ he I am thus handled at your handes but god I doubt not will geue his blessing where you curse so he fel doun on his knees hartely thaÌ„ked god y t he couÌ„ted him worthy to suffer for his sake so praide god to geue theÌ„ repentance a good mind After the excommunicacion was red he was deliuered to the sheriffes of London and so had to the clinke from thence to the couÌ„ter in the pultry where he remaineth close without al company bokes paper penne or ynke loking for the dissolucion of his bodye in y e which god grant to hym hys sweete mercye throughe Christe oure Lorde Amen The some of the priuate talke had with maister Io. Bradford sithen the .29 daie of Ianuarie by suche as the Prelats haue sent vnto him AFter my firste arraygnement in the churche of Saincte Marie Oueris the .29 daye of Ianuarie aboute â–ª foure of the clocke in the euenynge there came into the reuestrye whither I was had after my arraigmente and taried there al daye a gentleman called Maister Thomas Hussey of Linclonshiere whiche was ones an officer in the Duke of Norfolkes house to inquire for one StoniÌ„g and when it was aunswered hym by the vnder Marshalles officers of the kinges benche which were there with Doctour Taylour and me that there was none suche he came forthwith into the house toke acquaintaunce of me sainge further that he woulde come and speake with me in y e morninge for old acquaintance sake for I was at muttrel iorney a pay master in whiche he was and had often receiued money at my haÌ„des Now in the morninge about vii of the cloke he came into the chamber wher in I laye and beinge alone with me and set downe he began a longe talke howe that of loue olde acquayntance he came vnto me to speake vnto me that which he would further vtter the effecte wherof was that I did so wonderfully quod he behaue my selfe before the lorde Chauncelour the other Bishoppes the other daye that euen the verieste enemies I had did see howe that they had no matter againste me therefore aduised me as thoughe it came of his own good wil without making anye other man priuie or aanye other procuringe hym as he said that I would this daye for quoth he anone you shall be called before them again desire therfore tyme men to conferre with al. By reason wherof he thought that al men would thinke a wonderfull wysedome grauitie and goodnes in me by this meane I shuld escape the dauÌ„ger whiche is nearer theÌ„ you be ware of ê™ he But I aunswered breiflie said that I coulde not nor woulde not make any such requeste for then quod I occasioÌ„ should I giue to the people and to all other that I stode in doubting of the doctrine the which thing I told hym I did not but thereof was moste assured and therefore I would giue no such offence As we were thus talkinge the Chamber dore was vnloked and who should come in at the dore but one doctour Seyton when he saw maister Hussey what syr quoth he are you come before me yea thought I goeth the matter thus and he tolde me no man knew of hys coÌ„ming Wel Lord quoth I to my selfe giue me grace to remember thy lesson Cauere ab hominibus istis beware of those meÌ„ c. cast not your pearles before doges for I see these men become to hunte the matter y t the one maye beare witnesse with the other This doctor Seyton after some bye talke of my age of my Countrie and such like he began a long sermoÌ„ of my lord of CaÌ„terburye maister Latymer maister Redley and howe at Oxford they where not able to aunswere any thinge at al and therfore my lord of Caunterburye desired to conferre wyth the Byshoppe of Duresme and others All whiche talke tended to this ende that I should make y e like sute beinge in nothinge to be compared in learninge to my Lorde of CauÌ„terburye whiche thinge is moste true But I breiflye aunsuered as before I did to maister Hussey wherwith they were neither of theÌ„ both coÌ„tented and therefore they vsed many persuasions and Maister doctor said how that he had herd muche good talke of me tellinge how that yesternight maister RuÌ„corne had made reporte of me at my lorde Chauncelours table at supper howe that I was able to persuade as much as any that he knewe And I my selfe quoth he though I neuer herd you preache nor to my knowledge neuer sawe you before yesterdaie yet my thought your modestie was such your behauour and talke so without malice and impacientye that I wolde be sorye you should doo woursse then my selfe and I tell you quoth he further I doo perceaue that my Lorde Chauncelor hath a fauour toward you wherfore be not obstinate but desire respite and sew to some lerned men to confer with all but still I kepe me to my Cokoo I coulde not nor wold not so offend gods people I stode in no wauering but was moste certeyne of the doctrine I had taught Here master Doctor waxed hote and called me arrogaunte prowde vayne glorious and spake like a Prelate hauing no other aunswere of me but that he should beware of iudging lest he coÌ„dempned him selfe Howbeit this would not serue but still he vrged me showing howe merciful my Lorde Chauncellor was and how charitablye they intertained me Vnto which wordes I briefly showed him that I neuer fouÌ„d anye iustice muche lesse charitie I speake it for my parte quoth he in my Lord Chauncellor And so showed howe I hade ben in Prison howe I had ben handled and howe they had no matter now aageinst me but such as they shold haue by myn own confession But nothing of this talke moued maister doctor who went from matter to matter from this poynt to that poynte and I gaue hym stil the hearnige and aunswered not bycause he came to haue had somthing whereby my Lord Chauncellor mighte haue had semed to haue kepte me in prison not causeles When al their talke toke no such effecte as they wold loked for maister Hussey began to aske me whether I would not admyte conference if my lord Chauncelor shoulde offre it me publicklye to whom I aunswered this in effect that confereÌ„ce if it had ben offred before the lawe had bene made or coÌ„ference if it were offred so
And therfore he would make sute on my behalfe to y e Queenes gighnes Wherfore quoth my keê‘ you must tel me what you wold haue him to do y t to morow I may briÌ„g hym worde as he hath required me Marie ê™ I M. Clayden I hope I shal nead litle to make many wordes in telling you my sute as I hartely thaÌ„ke his lordship of his good wil and zeale y t he beareth vnto me so you know I can not desire any to make sut for me If of his own will he do sue for ê‘don banishmeÌ„ ê‘petual prison or what his pleasure shalbe for me I were to blame if y t I would take it vnthankefullye Albeit I knowe deathe and spedie dispache were moste well come vnto me Well quoth he I will tell hym to morowe y e thoughe you can not nor wil not make sute to any to sue for you yet you wil be content If he on his lordshipes good will will labour on your behalfe yea quod I and to tell you truth where I perceaue that others doo sue for me meaninge Perciual Cressuel and maister Harpsfeld I had rather my Lord of Darbye shoulde doo it for that my frendes the countrye mighte lesse be offended at hym bycause he maste haue the burning of me After this talke with my keper maister Clayden there coÌ„meth one of the Queenes seruauntes and officers whose name I will not reherse whiche after a litle talke fel down on his knees and with teares besought me for the passion of Christe that I would a litle loke to my self to make some sute c. For quoth he swearing an othe it will not be longe vnto before thou shalte be able to doo more good then euer thou dideste But I shewing my selfe not vnthankefull for his good will departed from hym as one litle lusting to heare suche counsell Of him I lerned twesdaye followinge was the vttermost daye I shoulde tarrye here Within an houre after this maÌ„nes departure froÌ„ me the keper maister Clayden called me sayinge that he perceaued howe that my frend Perciual had told him that maister Harpsfeld had written to maister doctor Martin to be a meanes to the Counsell for loÌ„ger tyme for me Where vpon quoth he I thincke it were beste to send my Lord of Darbie worde of this to might lest he be preueÌ„ted And I aunswered thus That as he thought good so he mighte doo But quoth I beware I hertelye praye that you doo not tell my lord any thing that I desire this For if you do it will in y e ende be more againste you then with you And he promised the same and so departed oute of hande to the Court. Vpon the .17 day whiche was sondaye in the after nowne Perciual Cresse wel sent me word by him that came firste with him that if I woulde make anye sute my selfe or wil any to doo for me I might spead but els quoth he nothing wil be done as he pÌ„sently hath receiued answere of my lord Chauncelor wel quoth I I am at a pointe and so toke my leaue lokinge still when the Sheriffes woulde come for me For I had heard ouer might that one of the Garde whiche was appointed to coÌ„ueye me down into LaÌ„kishiere had told one that they hade warning against to morowe for me Vppon the .18 daye whiche was twesdaye I hearde that the write for my execucioÌ„ was called in again and the Sheriffe of LaÌ„kaishiere discharged of me for y e presente And in the after nowne one of my Lorde of Darbis men brought me worde howe that my lord had taken greate paines for me and had kneled before the Queene and many more wordes desiring me som thing to se to my selfe now But quoth he what how muche is done for you I can not tell but this muche I thincke saith he you shal haue your boks and time ynough to peruse them Well quoth I I praye you hartelye thancke my Lorde for hys good wil towardes me I shal as I haue done pray y t God woulde giue vnto hym as to my selfe the which is all I can do For doinge for my selfe as I woulde be sorye that my lord or you shuld thincke any waueringe in me for my doctrine so I would be lothe but to doo all for my selfe that I can do with a good coÌ„science And as for tyme quoth I bokes although I see it is but a lingering of the tyme yet I am glad of it in this respecte y t my lord others may know I hold no opinion but such as I dare sifte and abide the reasoning for with any man I trust you and many others shal se that oure doctrine is true therefore dare and desire to abide the light and all mens lokynge on where perchaunce it is bruted abrode that we are altogether obstinate and cannot defend it by lernynge after this talke there was a priest called maister Couppage which began to exhorte me to take the iniuries done vnto me pacienlye For quoth he I doubte not but if you wil come vnto vs you shuld be more able to helpe manye and your frendes also then euer you were bothe spirituallye and corporallye If quoth I you kepe your maister Christe I wil come vnto you but other wise I knowe you not This and such like talke we had for that presente the Erle of Darbye his man appointynge maister Clayden my keper in the mornyng to come to my Lord. Vpon the .19 day whiche was wednesdaye Maister Clayden came from my lord and in his name asked me whether I would be contente to spake with the kinges confessor and Alphonsus a frier to send him worde Sir quoth I you knowe that as I desire coÌ„fereÌ„ce with no man so I thancke God I am not afraied to speake with anye man where vppon he sent my Lord worde as he saide And so I herd nothing til the day followinge howe that my Lorde of Darbye had sent backe again two of his meÌ„ which came to me sayinge that they were sent to solicite my cause but howe or what waye I could not lerne Vpon the .21 daye whiche was friday the Archebishope of yorke and the Byshoppe of Chichester came to the Counter to speake with me When I was come before them they both speciallye my Lord of yorke vsed me verye gentlie they would haue had me sit downe and bycause I woulde not they also woulde not sitt so we all stode whether I woulde or no they would neades I should put on not onely my night cappe but my vpper cappe also sayinge vnto me that obedieÌ„ce was better then sacrifice Now thus staÌ„ding togither my Lord of yorke begaÌ„ to tel me howe that they were not sente to me but of loue and charitie we come to you And I quoth he of olde acquaintaunce whiche I haue had woith you more then my Lord of Chichester hath had And so coÌ„mended me of a godlye life c coÌ„cluding with a question
how I was certain of saluacioÌ„ of my religion Marie quod I amittinge all formalities saue y t I thaÌ„cked theÌ„ for their good wil by the word of god by the scriptures I am certein of saluacion and of my religion Verye wel said quod my Lord of yorke But howe doo you knowe the worde of God and the scriptures but by the church In dede my Lorde quoth I the churche was and is a meane to bring a maÌ„ more spedely to know the scriptures and the woorde of God as was the woman of Samaria was a meane y t the Samaritains knew Christ but as when they had herd hym speake they said now we know y t he is Christ not bycause of the woordes but bycause we our selfes haue heard hym so quoth I after we come to the hearing and reading of the scriptures showed to vs and discerned by the church we doo beleue them and know them not by cause the church saith they are the scriptures but bicause they be so beinge therof assured by the same spirite whiche wrote and spake them â–ª yea quoth my lord of yorke but you know in the Apostles time at the firste the word was not written True quoth I if you meane it for some bokes of the bokes of the newe TestameÌ„t but els for the olde testament Peter telleth vs that we haue Firmiorem sermonem Propheticum a more sure worde of prophecie Not quod I that it is simplie so but in respecte of the Apostles persons whiche beinge a liue and compassed with infirmitie attributed to the worde written more firmitie as wherewith no faulte coulde be founde whereas for the infyrmitye of their ê‘sons men perchauÌ„ce might haue founde some faulte at there perchiÌ„ng Albeit in verie dede no lesse obedience faith ought to haue ben giuen to the one then to the other as being all of one spirite of truth That place of Peter quoth my Lorde of yorke is not so to be vnderstande of the worde of God written yes sir quoth I that it is and of none other yea in dede quoth my lord of Chichester maister Bradford doth tel you y e truth in that pointe Well quoth my Lorde of yorke you knowe that Ireneus and others do magnify much the churche and alledge the Churche againste heretickes and not the scriptures True quoth I for they had to do with suche heretickes as dyd denye the scriptures and yet dyd magnifie the Apostles that they were inforsed to vse those churches wherin the Apostles had taught and that churche stil had receiued the same doctrine you speake the verie truethe quoth my Lorde of Chichester for the heretickes did refuse all scriptures excepte it were a peice of Lukes gospell Then quoth I the alledginge of the churche can not be primarlye or principallye vsed againste me whiche am so farre from denyinge of the scriptures that I appele vnto them vtterlye as to the onelye iudge Io .xii. A pretye matter quoth my Lorde of yorke that you will take vppon you to iudge the Churche I praye you where was your â—hurche this manye yeres for the Churche of Chryste is Catholicke and visible Hytherto my Lorde quoth I I doo not iudge the churche when I discerne it from that congregacion those whiche be not in it And I neuer denied the church to be Catholike and visible althoughe at some times it is more visible theÌ„ at som I praye you quoth my Lorde of Chichester tel me where the churche which alowed your doctrine was this .iiii. C. yeres â–ª I will tel you my Lorde quoth I or rather you shall tell it you selfe If you will tell me where the church was in Helias time when Helias said that he was lefte alone That is no aunswere quoth my Lorde of Chichester I am more sorye you saye so quoth I But this will I tell you lordshipp that the same eies wherewith a maÌ„ might haue espied the church theÌ„ yf you nowe had them you would not saye it were no answere The fault why the churche is not sene of you is not bycause the churche is not visible but bicause your eyes are not clere ynoughe to se it you are much deceiued quoth he to make such a collation betwine the churche then now Verie well speks my Lord quoth the Byshoppe of yorke for Christes saith Edificabo ecclesiam meam I wyll buylde my churche and not I do or haue buyld it but I will build it My lord quoth I Peter taught me to make this collacion saying as in the people there was false Prophetes whiche were muche in estimaâ—ion afore Christes comming so shall there be false teachers nowe and verye manye shall followe them And as for your futurtence I hope your grace quod I wil not exclude thereby Christs church not to haue ben before â–ª but rather that there is no buyldinge in the Churche but by Christes woorke onelye For Paule and Apollo be but waterers In good faith maister Bradford quoth my my lord of Chichester I am sorye to see you so litle to mind the churche He taketh vpon him as they al doo to iudge the church quod my Lorde of yorke A man shall neuer come to certentie that doth as they doo My Lorde quoth I take me beseche you in good part I speake simplie what I thincke and I desire reason to aunswere my obiections your affections sorowes can not by rules If that you consider the ende and cause of my condempnacion I can not thincke but that it shoulde soâ— thinge moue your honours you knowe it well ynoughe for you herd it no matter was layed againste me but what was gathered vppon myne one confession Bycause I denyed transubstantiacion and the wycked to receaue Christes body in the Sacramente therfore I was condempned and excommunicate but not of the Church although the pillers of the same as they be taken dyd it No quoth my Lorde of Chichester I herd say that the cause of youre prisonemente was for that you exhorced the people to take the sword in the one hande and the matocke in the other I neuer ment any suche thynge nor speake any thynge in that sorte my lord quoth I. yea quoth my Lorde of Yorke you behaued your selfe before the Counsell so stoutlye at the first that you woulde defend the Religion then and therefore worthelye were you punished your grace quoth I did here me aunswere my Lorde Chauncellor in that pointe But put the case I had ben so stote as they and your grace make it was not the lawes of y e realme on me side then wherfore vniustlie I was punished Onely transubstantiacion which was had on myne owne confession was the thing on which my lorde Chauncellor proceded you denye the presence quoth my lord of yorke I do not quoth I to the faith of the worthy receauer Why quoth he what is that theÌ„ to saye that Christe lyeth not of the alter No my lorde quoth I in dede I beleue not suche
a presence I semeth quoth my Lorde of Chichester that you haue not red Chrysostome for he poiÌ„teth it Of truth my lord quoth I hitherto I haue ben kepte well ynough withoute bokes howbeit this I remember of Chrisostome that he lyeth vppon the altar as the Seraphins do touch our lips with y e coules of the altar in heauen whiche is an Hiperbolicall locucion as you knowe Chrisostome floweth with them It is to euident quoth my lord of yorke that you are gon to farre but let vs come againe to y e churche out of the whiche you are excommunicated I am not quoth I my lord Although they whiche seme to be in the churche and of the churche haue excommuninicate me as the pore blind man was Ihon .9 I hope Christ receueth me you deceaue your selfe ê™ he and here muche was spoken of excommunicacion At the laste I said my Lorde I pray you beare with me that whiche I shall simplye speake before you Assuredly quoth I as I thinck you did well to departe from the Romishe churche so I thincke you haue done wickedly to couple vs to it againe for you can neuer proue it which you make the mother Churche to be christes churche Oh maister Bradford quoth my lorde of Chichester you were but a childe when this matter began I was a yonge man then coÌ„ming from the vniuersitie went with the woorlde but I tell you it was alwaies agaiÌ„st my stomack â–ª I was but a child then quoth I â–ª how be it as I told you I thincke you haue done euill for nowe we are come to the wicked maÌ„ which sitteth in the Temple of god â–ª that is in the churche for it cannot be vnderstaÌ„d of the Mahumet or any out of the churche but of suche as beare rule in the church â–ª See quoth my lord of yorke howe you builde your faith vpoÌ„ such places of scripture as are moste obscure to deceaue your selfe as thoughe you were in the church where you are not Well my lorde quoth I thoughe I might by your frutes iudge of you and others yet will not I vtterly condempne you for euer oute of the churche for perchaunce you sinne of ignoraunce â–ª if I were in your case I thincke not quoth I that I should not coÌ„deÌ„pne him vtterly y t is of my faith in the Sacrament knowinge as you know that at y e least .viii. C. yeres after Christs as my lord of Durisme writteth It was free to beleue or not to beleue transubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ This is a toye quoth he that you haue found out of your owne brayne as thoughe a man not beleuing as the churche doth That is transubstantiacion were of the Churche he is an hereticke and so none of the churche quoth my lord of Chichester that dothe hold any doctrine againste the definition of the Churche as nowe you do hold against transubstanâ—â—atioÌ„ And he brought furth Ciprian whiche was no Hereticke thoughe he beleued rebaptizinge of them whiche were baptized of heretickes bicause he held it before the churche had defined it where as if he had holden it after then had he ben an hereticke Oh my lord quod I wil you condempne to the deuil any man that beleueth truely the .12 article of y e faith wherein I take the vnitie of Christes churche to consiste al thoughe in some pointes he beleue not the definitions of that whiche you cal the churche If I shall speake to you franckelye I doubte not but he y t holdeth syncerlye the articles of oure belefe thought in other thinges he dissent from your definitions yet he shalbe saued yea quod they both this is your doctrine No quoth I it is Paule whiche saith that if they hold the foundacion Christe thoughe they build vppon hym Hey strawe and stouble yet they shalbe saued Lord god quoth my lord of yorke howe you delite to leyne to so hard and darke places of scripture yea quoth my Lord of Chichester I will shewe you howe that Luther doth excommunicate zwinglius for this matter so red a place of Luther making for his purpose My lord quoth I what Luther writteth as you muche passe not of so do I in this case my faith is not build of Luther zwinglius or Ecolampadius in this point And in dede to tel you truelye I neuer red anye of their woorkes in this matter As for their persons what so euer theire sayinges were yet doo I thincke assuredly that they were and are gods children and sainctes with him Wel quoth my lord of yorke you are out of the coÌ„munion of y e church I am not quoth I. For it coÌ„sisteth is in faith Loo quoth he howe you make your churche inuisible that would haue the comunion of it to consiste in faithe yea and like your grace quoth I for to haue coÌ„munioÌ„ with y e churche neadeth not visiblenesse of it coÌ„munion consisteth as I said in faith and not in exforior ceremonies as appeareth both by Paule whiche woulde haue Vnam fidem by Ireneus to Victor for y e obseruacioÌ„ of Ester saing that Dissonantiam ieiunii should not Rumpere consonantiam fide That same place quoth my lord of chichester hath often euen wounded my coÌ„science because we disceuered our selfes froÌ„ the Sea of Rome Wel quoth I God forgeue you for I thincke you haue done euyll to bringe England thyther againe your honors know I am plain therfore I beseche you beare with me Here my Lord of yorke toke a boke of paper of common places out of his bosome and red a peice of Saint Augustine Contra Epistolam fundamenti howe that there were many thinges that did hold saint Augustine in the bosome of the church consent of people and natioÌ„s aucthoritie coÌ„firmed with miracles nourished with hope increased wyth charitie established with aÌ„tiquitie Besides this there holdethe me in the churche saith saint Augustine stil the successions of priestes from Peters seate vntil this present Bishoppe Last of all the verye name of Catholicke doctrine dothe holde me Loo quoth he howe saye you to this of Saint Augustine pointâ— me oute your churche thus My Lord quoth I this of saint Augustine maketh as muche for me as for you althoughe I might aunswere that al these if they had ben alledged to bee so firme as you make them they might haue ben alledged againste Christ and his Apostles for ther was the lawe and ceremonies consented in by the people confirmed with miracles antiquitie and continual succession of byshoppes froÌ„ Aarons tyme vntil that present In good faith quod my lord of Chichester maister Bradford you marke to muche the state of the churche before Christs comming Sir quod I therein I do but as Peter teacheth .2 Pet. 2. and Paule verye ofteÌ„ you would gladly haue your church heare verye glorious and as a most pleasante Ladie but as a moste pleasante ladye but as Christes saith Beatus est quicunque non fuerit offensus per me so maye his churche saye blessed
are they that are not offended at me yea quoth I my lord you thinck none is of the church but such as suffer persecutioÌ„ what I thincke quod I god knoweth I pray your grace iudge me by anye wordes and speaking and marke what Paule saythe Omnes qui volunt all that wil liue godly in christ Iesu must suffer persecutions Sometime Christ church hath reste here but commonlye quoth I it is not so And specially towardes the end her forme wil be more vnsemlye But what saye you to sainct Augustin quoth he where is youre Churche that hath the consent of people nations Mary quod I al people natioÌ„s y t be gods people haue coÌ„sented with me I w t them in the doctrine of faith Loo quoth he howe you goo about to shifte of all thinges No my lord quoth I I meane simplye and so speake god knoweth S. AugustiÌ„ quoth he dooth here talke of successioÌ„ euen froÌ„ Peters sea yea like your grace ê™ I that sea theÌ„ was nothiÌ„g so much corrupt as it is now Wel quod he you alwaies iudge y e church No my lord quod I. As christs shep discerne christs voice but they iudged not it so they discerne the churche but not iudge her yes that you do sath heâ— No like your grace quoth I ful wel may a maÌ„ doubte of y e Romish church for she obaeth not Christs voice as christs true church doth wherin quod he iÌ„ lateÌ„ seruis ê™ I robbeth the Laytye of Christes cuppe in the Sacramentes Why quoth my lord of Chichester Latten seruice was in England when the Pope was gon True quoth I tyme was when the Pope was awaye but not all Poperie as in Kyng Henrys dayes Latten seruice quoth my lord of yorke was appointed to be songe had in y e Queare where only were Clerici that is such as vnderstaÌ„d laten y e people sitting in y e bodie of y e churche prayinge their owne priuat prayers and this quoth he maye well be yet sene by making of the Chaunsell and Quere so as the people could not come in or heare them yea qut my lorde quoth I both in Chrisostomes tyme and also in the laten churche in sainct Ieromes tyme as he writteth in the preface I trowe to the Galathians al the church saith Amen Aunswering againe mightely Amen whereby we maye see that y e prayers were made that both the people herd them and vnderstod them you are to blame quoth my Lorde of Chichester to saye that the churche robbeth the people of the Cup. Well my lord quod I turne it as please you all men knowe that the Laitye hath none of it In dede ê™ I I would wishe the churche would defyne againe that they might haue it for my ê‘t if god make free quoth I who caÌ„ define to make bound generallie Well quoth my lord of yorke maister Bradford we lese but labour for you seke to put awaye al thiÌ„gs y t be told you to your good your churche no man can knowe yes that you maye well quoth I. I pray you whereby said he forsoth Chrisostome shoeth it Tantummodo per scripturas onely by the scriptures and thus speaketh he verye often times togyther as you well knowe quod I â–ª In ded quod he that is of Chrisostome In opere imperfecto whiche maye be doubted of the thinge whereby the church may be knowen beste is successioÌ„ of Byshoppes No my lord quod I Lyra ful well writteth vppon Matthew that Ecclesia non consistit in hominibus ratione Potestatis secularis aut ecclesiastice Sedin hominibus in quibus est notiâ—ia Vera et confessio Fidei et veritatis And in Hilarius time you know he writteth to Auxcentius that the Churche dyd rather Delitescere in cauernis them Eminere in primariis sedibus Here commeth one of their seruauntes and tolde them that my lorde of Durisme taried for them at Maister yorkes house for inded it was paste .12 of the clocke vppon a .4 howres they taryed with me And after that there maÌ„ was come they put vp there written bokes of common places and saide they lamented my case and so wishing me to red ouer a boke whiche dyd doctor Crome good as my Lorde of Chichester sayde and wyshyng me good in words they wente there wayes and I to my prison Vppon mondaye whiche was the .22 of Februarie about .8 of y e clock in y e morning which was an howre soner then was appointed There came to the CouÌ„ter where I was in prison to Spannishe friers Alphonsus and the kings Confeffor as they said and with them twoo priestes whiche were Englishe men as I wene when the howse was voyded of other companye I was called donne beinge come before them a stoole was pouled out and I bidden sit doune whiche thinge I did after a signe of ciuilitie geuen to them Nowe thus sitting beginneth the Confessor to speake in latten and aske me in latten for al our talke was in latten whether I had not sene nor herd of one Alphonsus y t had writen against heresies And I aunswered that I did not know him well quoth he this man pointing to Alphonsê° is he Verye good quoth I. After this he beginneth to tell me howe that of loue and charitie by the meanes of the Erle of Darbye they come to me bycause I desired to conferre with them And I answered that I neuer desired there coÌ„ming nor to conferre with them or any other but quoth I seing you are come of charitie as you saye I cannot but thanckfully acknowledge it and as for conference though I desire it not yet quoth I I wyl not refuse to talke with you if you will Than began Alphonsus to tel me that it were requisite I did pray vnto god that I mighte followe the direction of gods spirite and as he should enspire me not being addicte to min owne selfe will and with where vpoÌ„ I made a prayer besaught god to directe al our wille words and workes as the willes words and workes of his children for euer yea quoth Alphonsus you muste praye with your herte For if you speake but with tong onely God will not giue you his grace Sir quoth I. doo not iudge leste you be iudged you haue hearde my wordes now charitie would haue you to leaue the iudgement of the hart to god you must quoth Alphonsus be as it were a newter not wedded to your sentence But as one standinge in doubte praye and beleue be redye to receaue what god shall inspire for quoth he in vaine laboureth our tong to speake els Sir quoth I my sentence if you meane it for Religion must not be in a doubting or vncertein as I thaÌ„cke god it is not euen for that where in I am condeÌ„pned I haue no cause to doubt but rather to be most certein of it therfor I pray god to confirme me more in it for it is his truthe And therfore
bycause it may abid y e light I dare be bolde to haue it loke on coÌ„ferre it with you or any man in respecte wherof I am glad of your coÌ„ming thaÌ„cke you for your coÌ„ming althoughe as I said I desired not your coÌ„minge nwas willing of your coÌ„ming or cold be coÌ„teÌ„t of it otherwise Why quod he what is y â— matter wherefore you were condempned for we know not sir quod I iÌ„ prisoÌ„ haue I ben all most two yeres I neuer traÌ„sgressed any of y e lawes wherfore I might iustlye be punished But because I fraÌ„ckly confessed whereof I repeÌ„t not my faith concerninge the sacrament being demauÌ„ded in these two points One that there is no traÌ„substantiacioÌ„ the other that the wicked doo not receaue Christes bodie â–ª Lett vs quoth he loke a litle on the firste do you not beleue christs presence raallye and corporallye in the forme of bread No quoth I. I doo beleue that there Christ is present to the faith of the worthye receauer as there is present bread and wyne to the sences and outwarde man as for any suche presence of including and placing Christe I beleue not nor dare not do Why quoth he I am sure you beleue Christes natural body is circumscriptible And here he made muche a do of two natures of Christ howe that the one is euery where the other is in his proper place demaunding questioÌ„s here about whiche I aunswered with etiam that is affirmatiuelye bycause they were suche as no wise man would haue spente any such tyme about as he did for I neuer herd of any that woulde haue denyed them Nowe then commeth he to this conclusion whiche I prayed hym he woulde make for els he had forgotten howe that because christes body was circumscriptible concerninge the humanitye in in heauen therfore it was so in the bread This hanges not togither quod I because you are here Ergo you are at Romme it is out of Fraunce bycause christes body is in heauen Io. it is in the SacrameÌ„t vnder the forme of bread No wise man wil graunt it quoth I. why quoth he you wil beleue nothing but that which is expresely spoke in the scriptures yes syr quoth I I will beleue what so euer you shall by demonstracions out of the scriptures declare vnto me he is obstinate saieth he to his fellow But quoth he to me is not god able to do it yes syr quoth I But heare the questioÌ„ is of gods will and not of his powre Why quoth he Doth he not say plainlye this is my bodye yes quod I and I denye it not but that it is to the faith of the worthie receuer To faith quoth he howe is that Forsothe syr quoth I as I haue no tong to expresse it so I know you haue no eares to heare and vnderstaÌ„d it for faith seyth more then man can vtter yea but quod he I can tel all that I beleue you beleue not muche then quoth I. For if you beleue the ioies of heauen if you beleue no more then you can tell you wyll not muche desire to come thyther for as the mynde is more capable and receauable then the mouth so it conceaueth more then the tonge can expresse Christe sayth it is hys bodie quoth he And so saye I after a certein maner quoth I After a certein maner quoth hee that is after another maner then it is in heauen saint Augustin quoth I telleth it more plainlye that it is Christes bodye after the same maner circuncysion was the Couenaunte of God and the sacrament of faith is faith or to make it more plaine as Baptisme and the water of baptisme is regeneration Verye wel said quoth he Baptisme and the water therof is a sacrament of gods grace sprit in the water closing the baptisme No syr quoth I away with your inclosing on the same sorte christs bodye is in the bread on whiche sorte the grace and spirite of God is in the water In y e water quod he is gods grace by significacion so is the bodye in the breade quoth I in the Sacrament you are muche deceaued quoth he y t make no difference beetwene the sacrameÌ„tes that be staÌ„deres and the SacrameÌ„tes that are traunseuntes and passers by As for example the sacramente of Order whiche you denye thoughe saint Augustine affirme it is standerd although the ceremonie be paste But in baptisme so sone as the bodie is washen the water cesseth to be a sacrament True good syr quoth I. And so it is in the lordes supper no longer then it is in vse is Christes sacrament Here was maister Alphonsus wounderfullye chafed and speake as often he had done before so that y e hole house dyd ringe againe with an Echo He hath a great name of lerning But surely he hath litle pacience If I had ben any thynge whete one house could not haue kepte vs bothe At the lenght he cometh to that point that I could not find in y e scripture baptisme and the Lords supper to haue any like similitude togither And here lord god what aray he mad how that we would receaue nothinge but scripture yet we are able to proue nothing by the scripture Father ê™ I for so I called him God forgiue me if I dyd amysse be paciente and you shall see y t by the scripture I will finde baptisme and the Lords supper coupled togither No quoth he that canst thou neuer doo let me see one texte of it and a great ado he made At the lenght syr quoth I Paule sayeth that as we are baptized into one bodie so we are Potati in Vno spiritu we haue dronken of one spirite meaninge it of the Cuppe in the Lordes supper Paule hath no such wordes quod he â–ª yes that he hath quoth I. I trowe he hath not quoth the kinges confessor Giue me a Testament quoth I and I wil showe it to you so a priest that sate by theÌ„ gaue me his testamente I showed them the plaine texte Here was nowe lokinge one vpon an other finallye this simple shifte was founde that Paule spake not of the sacrameÌ„t Wel sir quod quoth I thoughe the texte be plaine yet I wene the fathers do expouÌ„d it so especially except my memorie faile me Chrisostome doth it Here I seing theÌ„ blancke I began to tel them howe I had byn handled in prison with oute boke paper pen yucke and howe vniustly I had ben handled and prayed them that as they tolde me their comminge was to do me good so they woulde doo it and not to do me hurte whiche thyng they much marked not because of the foyle they had which I would haue suppressed Alphonsus therfore whiche had the Testamente in his hande and turned ouer leafe by leafe at the lenght he commeth to the .5 to the Corinthiens and there red howe that he was giltye whiche made no difference of the lordes bodie yea syr quoth I but therwith he
whiche seemed to knowe hym and perceyuyng his entente resysted as muche as he coulde in the meane tyme priuelye geuynge Bourne warnynge by hys Seruaunte that hee shoulde auoyde the presente daunger as soone as he could Bourne streight waie flying vnto the Maior once againe escaped death yet not thinking himselfe safe ynoughe he desired Bradford that he woulde vouchsafe to be present and help him til he mighte hide himselfe in some house that he might be safe from all feare and daunger which gētlenes he willingly perfourmed that is to saie he couered him behinde with his gowne till by the Maior and the Sherifes he was safely brought into Poules scole On this wise the railing preacher against king Edward by Bradfordes helpe escaped death which for his raylinge he had deserued whiche thing thei whiche woulde haue bene reuenged of him dyd not dissemble for one of them opēly testifying to Bradford said Ah Bradforde Bradforde dooest thou saue his lyfe whiche will not spare thyne goe too I geue thee his lyfe but if it were not for thy sake I woulde thrust thys beast through with my sworde Mayster Bradforde the same daye after dinner preaching to the Londoners in the chiefe streate of the citie did sharply rebuke them for this sedicious and tumultuouse behauiour waytinge afterwarde at London what should be thend of this businesse Thou hast now reader y e whole discourse of Bradfordes facte whereby thou dooest vnderstande what reward he deserued of equall Iudges for so godly seruice Nowe heare what rewarde he receiued Thre daies after this was done he was sente for by the counsell bishoppes to the towre where the Queene than laye and was compelled before them to purge hymselfe of sedicion and heresy surely by the same reason that y e lambe sometyme was accused by y e wolfe for troubling the water in which he dronke a greate deale lower than the woolfe not that he had offended but that the woolfe was an hungred not that hee hadde troubled the water but that he was not hable to resyste the other whiche troubled it in deede After the same sorte was Bradforde sette a fyer wyth the flame of that Sedicion whyche hee alone dyd quenche and so commaunded to prysone where abydynge almoste twoo yeares together hee sustayned manye conflictes with the Papistes and other sectes he confirmed manye weake and coumforted the afflycted he wrote also manye thynges as hee hadde leysure and got opportunitye by stealth And among other thynges hee sente manye Epistles the copies whereof are extante to the Citizens of London to the Vnyuersite and towne of Cambridge to the townes of Walden and Manchester also to hys twoo brethren theyr wyues and famylyes in whiche Epistles the syncere zeale of hys Christyan heart and godlines doth marueilously appeare At lengthe after long labours sorowes he was priuily ledde from the counter by night to Newgate The next daie earlye in the morninge he was brought foorth into Smithfield with an other younge manne called Ihō Lyefe being eightene yeres olde he was there burnte At London the firste of Iulii Anno M.D.LV. ¶ The effect of M. Iohn Bradfordes examinacion before the Lord Chanceller B. of Winchester the B. of London and others in commission the .22 of Aprill Anno. Domini .1555 AFter the Lord Chancellor and the residew of the Queenes councel in commission with him had ended their talke with master Farrar late bishop of S. Dauies the vndermarshal of the kings Bench was commaunded to bring in maister Bradford who being come in to the presence of the counsel sitting at a table he kneling down on his knee but immediately by my lord Chauncelor was bidden to stand vp and so he did Whē he was risen the lord Chauncelor earnestly loked vpon him to haue be lyke ouerfaced him but he gaue no place that is he ceased not in like maner to loke on the lorde Chancelor stil and continuallye saue y e once he caste his eyes to heauen warde sighing for gods help and so outfaced him as they say Thē the Lorde Chauncelor as it were amased and some thing troubled spake thus to hym in effecte that of long tyme he had bene imprysoned iustly for his behauioure at Poules crosse the .xiii. of Auguste Anno. 1554. for his false prechinge and arrogancye takinge vppon hym to preache withoute aucthoritie But nowe quoth hee the tyme of mercye is come and therefore the Queenes highnesse myndyng to offer vnto you mercy hath by vs sente for you to declare and geue the same if so bee ye will with vs retourne And quoth he yf you wyll dooe as we haue done you shall finde as we haue founde I warraunte you These were the summe and euen in maner the words he spake To these woordes maister Bradford spake after reuerent obeysaunce made in thys maner My Lorde and Lordes all I confesse that I haue beene longe prisoned and with humble reuerence be it spoken vniustlye for that I dyd nothynge sediciouslye falselye or arrogantlye in worde or fact by preching or otherwise but rather sought peace al godly quietnes as an obedient faithful subiecte bothe in going aboute to saue the bishoppe of Bathe now the◠M. Bourne the preacher at y e crosse and in preaching for quietnes accordingly At these wordes or rather before he had fullye finished them the lorde Chauncellor some thing snuffed and spake with an admiracion y t there was a loude lie For quoth he the fact was sedicious as you my lord of Londō can beare witnes you saye trewe my lorde quoth the bishop of Lōdon I sawe him with mine owne eyes when he tooke vpon him to rule and leade the people malypertly therby declaring y t he was the authour of the sedicion Heare Iohn Bradforde replied sayd that notwithstandinge my lorde bishops seyng sayinge y t he had tolde was the trueth as one daye quoth he my lord god almightye shall reueile to all the world whē we all shall come and appeare before him In the meane season because I cannot be beleued of you I must and am ready to suffer as now your sayīgs so whatsoeuer God shall licence you to doe vnto me I know quoth my lord Chācellor then thou haste a gloriouse tonge godlye shewes thou makest but all is lyes that thou doest And againe I haue not forgotten how stubburne thou wert when thou werte before vs in the Towre whether thou wast committed to prison concerning relygion I haue not forgotten thy behauiour and talk wher through worthely thou hast bene kepte in prison as one y t would haue done more hurt then I wil speake of My Lorde quoth Bradforde as I sayd I say again that I stād as before you so before god one day we shall al stand before him The trueth then will be the truth though you wyl not now so take it Yea my lorde quoth he I dare saye that my lorde of Bathe M. Bourne will witnes with me y t I
Bradford did stubbernly behaue himself the last time he was before them and therfore not for any other thynge now I demaund thee of ê™ he but of for thy doctrine religioÌ„ Mi lord ê™ Bradforde where you accuse me of hipocrisy vain glory I must wil leaue it to the lordes declaracioÌ„ which one daie wil open yours my trueth heartye dealinges In the meane season I wil conteÌ„t my self w t the testimony of mine own conscience Which if it yelded to hipocrisy could not but haue god my foe also and so both god and man were agaynst me As for my facte at Poules crosse and behauior before you at the Towre I doubt not but god wyll reuele it to my comfort For if euer I dydde any thynge which god vsed to publyke benefite I think that y t my dede was one and yet for it I haue beene am kept of loÌ„g time in prisoÌ„ And as for letters religion I answer ê™ Bradforde as I did the laste tyme I was beefore you There diddeste thou saye ê™ my Lorde Chauncellour that thou wouldst stubbernli manly maintein therronious doctrine in kiÌ„g Edwardz daies My lorde ê™ Bradforde I said the last time I was before you y t I had .6 times taken an othe y t I should neuer coÌ„sent to the practising of any Iurisdiccion on the bishop of Rome his behalfe and therefore durste not aunswere to any thynge shoulde be demaunded so least I should be forsworn whiche God forbid Howe bee it sauyng myne othe I said that I was more confirmed in the doctrine set forth publike in kiÌ„g Edwardes daies then euer I was before I was put in prisone and so I thought I should be think yet styll I shall bee founde more ready to geue my lyfe as god wil for the confirmacion of thesame I remember wel ê™ my lord ChaÌ„celour that thou madest muche a doe about a nedeles matter as though the othe against the B. of Rome wer so great a matter So others haue done before thee but yet not in suche sorte as thou hast done For thou pretendist a coÌ„science in it whiche is nothinge els but mere hipocrisie My conscieÌ„ce ê™ Bradforde is knowen to the Lorde and whether I deale here in hipocritally or no he knoweth As I saide therfore then my lord ê™ he so saye I againe nowe that for feare lest I should be periured I dare not make answere to any thyng you shal demaunde of me yf my aunsweryng should coÌ„sent to the practysing of any iurisdiccion for the B. of Rome here in England Why ê™ my lord Chancelour diddest thou not begin to tel that we ar Dii and sit in gods place and nowe wilte thou not make vs aunswere My lorde ê™ Bradforde I sayde you woulde haue your place takeÌ„ of vs now as goddes place and therefore I brought foorth that pece of scrypture y t ye mighte be the more admonished to folowe God and his wayes at this presente who seeth vs all and well perceyueth whether of conscience I pretende thys matter of the othe or no. No ê™ my my lord Chancelor al men may se thi hipocrisy for if for thine othes sake thou doest not aunswere theÌ„ wouldest thou not haue spokeÌ„ as thou didst haue aunswered me at the first But now meÌ„ may wel perceiue y t this is but a startynge hole to hide thy selfe in because thou darest not aunswere and so wouldest escape bliÌ„dyng the simple peoples eies as though of coÌ„science you did all you doe That whiche I spake at the firste ê™ Bradforde was not a replicacyon or an aunswere to y t you spake to me therfore I nede not to lay for me myne othe for I thought perchance you would haue more weyed what I did speak theÌ„ you did But wheÌ„ I perceued you did not considre it but came to aske matter whereto by answerynge I shoulde coÌ„seÌ„t to the practisinge of iurisdiccioÌ„ on the B. of Rome hys behalf here in Englande so bee forsworne theÌ„ of coÌ„science simplicitie I spake as I do yet again speak y t I dare not for conscience sake answere you and therfore I seke no startinge holes nor goe about to blind the people as God knoweth For if you of youre honor shal tel me y t you doe not aske me any thyng wherby my answering should consent to the practising to y e B. of Romes iurisdiccioÌ„ aske me wherin you wil and you shal here y t I will aunswere you as flatly as euer anye did y t came before you I am not afrayde of death I thanke god for I loke haue loked for nothiÌ„g els at your hands of long time But I am afraid wheÌ„ death coÌ„meth I should haue mater to trouble my coÌ„scieÌ„ce by the giltines of periury therefore doe aunswer as I do These be but gaye glorious woordes ê™ my lorde Chauncelour ful of hypocrisie and vaine glory And yet doest not thou knowe ê™ he speaking to Bradforde y t I sit here as B. of Winchester in mine own dioces and therefore maye doe this whiche I doe and more too My lord ê™ Bradforde geue me leaue to aske you this question that my conscience maie bee out of doubte in this matter Tel me here coram deo before god all this audyence beyng witnes that you demaund me nothing wherby my aunswering should consent to confirme the practise of iurisdiccion for the B. of Rome here in EnglaÌ„d and your honour shall heare me geue you as flat and as plain answers briefly to whatsoeuer you shal demaund me as euer any dyd Here the lorde Chauncellor was wonderfully offeÌ„ded and spake much howe that the B. of Romes aucthoritie nede no confirmacion of Bradfordes aunsweringe nor no suche as he was And turned hys talke to the people howe y t Bradforde followed craftye couetous marchauntes which because thei woulde lende no money to theyr neighbors wheÌ„ thei wer in nede would say that they had sworne ofte they would neuer lende anye more money because their credytours had so ofte deceiued theÌ„ EueÌ„ so thou ê™ he to Bradford dost at this present to caste a mist in y e peoples eyes to bleare them with an heresie which is greatter and more hurtful to the coÌ„mon welth pretende thine othe whereby the people mighte make a conscience where as they shoulde not Why speakest thou not quoth he My lord ê™ Bradford as I said I say agayne I dare not answere you for feare of periury from whiche God defende me Or els I could tell you y t there is a difference betwene othes Some be according to faith and charitie as y e othe against the B. of Rome Some be agaiÌ„st faith and charitie as this to denye my help to my brother in his nede Here again y e lord ChaÌ„cellor was much offeÌ„ded stil saying that Bradford durst not answere and further made muche a do to proue that y e othe to y e B. of Rome was against charitie But
caÌ„not tel how you wil stretche this woorde maintenaÌ„ce I will repete again y t which I spake I said I was more confirmed in the religion set foorth in king Edwardes dayes then euer I was if god so would I trust I should declare it by geuing my life for the confirmacion and testificacion therof So I saide then so I say again now ê™ Bradford As for otherwise to mainteine it then pertayneth to a priuate person by coÌ„fessioÌ„ I thought not nor thinke Well ê™ the lord Chancelor yesterday thou diddest mayntain false heresy coÌ„cernyng y e blessed sacrameÌ„t therfore we gaue y e respite til this day to deliberate My lord ê™ Bradford as I sayde at y e first I spake nothinge of the SacrameÌ„t but y t which you allowed therfore reê“ued it not nor gaue me no time to deliberate Why ê™ he diddest thou not denye Christs presence in the sacrameÌ„t No ê™ Bradford I neuer denyed nor taught but that to the fayth whole Christs body bloud was as presente as breade wyne to the dewe receyuer yea but doest thou not beleue that Christes bodye naturallye and reallye is vnder the forme of bread and wyne My Lord ê™ Bradforde I beleue Christ is preseÌ„t there to faith of y e dewe receyuer as for transubstanciacion I plainely and flatlye tell you I beleue it not Here was Bradford called a deuil or sclanderer for we axe no questioÌ„ ê™ y e lord Chancelor of transubstanciacion but of Christs bodily preseÌ„ce Why quoth Bradford I denye not hys preseÌ„ce to the faith of the receuer but denye that he is included in y e bred or that the bred is transubstanciated If he be not iÌ„cluded ê™ the B. of Worcester how is he then preseÌ„t Forsothe quoth Bradford my faith knoweth howe though my toÌ„g cannot expresse it nor you otherwise theÌ„ by faith heare it or vnderstand it Heare was much a doe now one Docter starting vp speking this another that the lord Chancelor talking muche of Luther zwiÌ„glius OecolaÌ„padiê° But stil Bradford kept theÌ„ at this point that Christ is preseÌ„t to faith and y t there is no transubstanciacion nor including of Christ in the bread but al this would not serue theÌ„ Therfore an other bishop asked this questioÌ„ whether y e wycked man receiued Christes verye bodie or no Bradford answered plainly no. Where the lord Chancelor made a long oracion howe y t it could not be y t Christe was present excepte that the euill man receiue hiÌ„ But Bradford put his oracion away in few woordes that grace was at y e present offred vnto his lordship although he receiued it not So y t ê™ he y t receyuing maketh not the presens as youre lordship would affirme but gods grace trueth power is y e cause of the presence the which the wicked y t lacketh faith cannot receue And here Bradforde prayed hym not to deuorce that whiche God hathe coupled together he hathe coupled al this together take eate this is my bodye he saieth not see pepe this is my bodye but take eate Here the lorde Chancelour the reste of the Bishoppes made a great a do that Bradforde hadde founde out a toy that no man els euer did of the condicions the lord Chancelor made many words to the people here aboute But Bradford said this My lord ê™ he are not these woordes take eate a coÌ„maundement and are not these woordes this is my bodye a promyse If you wil challenge the ê“mise do not y e coÌ„mandemeÌ„t may you not deceue your self Here the lord Chancelor denied Christe to haue coÌ„maÌ„ded any thiÌ„g in y e sacrameÌ„t or y e vse of it Why ê™ Bradford my lord I pray you tel the people what mode accipite manducate is it is plain to childreÌ„ that Christ in so saying coÌ„mandeth At these wordes the lorde Chauncellor made a great toying trifling at the imperatiue mode fel to proposing or examining as though he shuld teach a child so coÌ„cluded that it was no coÌ„mandement but such a phrase as this I praye you geue me drink which is no commandemeÌ„t I trow But Bradford prayd him to leaue toying trifling and said thus my lord ê™ he if it be not a commandemeÌ„t of Christ to take to eate the sacrameÌ„t why do any take vpoÌ„ theÌ„ to coÌ„maund make of necessity that which god leueth free as you do in making it a necessary commandemeÌ„t that once a yere for al that be of lawful discrecion to receiue the sacrameÌ„t Here the lord Chancelour calleth him againe Diabolus or slaunderer so began out of these woordes let a man proue himself so eate of the bread the bred ê™ Bradford and drink of the cup that was no coÌ„mandemeÌ„t for then ê™ he if it wer a coÌ„mandemeÌ„t it should bynde al men in al places at al tymes O my lord quoth Bradford discerne betwene coÌ„mandementes some be generall that thei binde alwaies in all places and all persones some be not so generall as this is of the supper The sacramente of Baptism of the appearing before the lord at IerusaleÌ„ AbrahaÌ„s offring Isaac Here the lord Chancelor said what say you that Baptisme is coÌ„manded theÌ„ quoth he we shal haue .xi. coÌ„mandementes In dede quoth Bradford I think you thinke as you speake for els you would not take the cup from the people seyng y t Christe sayeth drink of it al. But howe saye you my lord quoth Bradford Christe sayth to you bishops specially ite predicate euangelium goe preache the gospel fede Christes flocke is this a coÌ„mandement or not Here was the lord Chancelor in a great chafe said as pleased him Another I wene the B. of Durham asked him when Christ began to bee present in the sacrament whether before the receyuer receiued it or no Bradforde answered that the questioÌ„ was curious not necessary further said as the said cup was the new testameÌ„t so the bred was Christs body to him that receiueth it duely But yet so y e bred is bred for in al y e scripture ye shal not find this proposicioÌ„ non est panis ther is no bred so he brought forth s ChrisostoÌ„ Si in corpore essemus Summa much a do was here about thei calling Bradford heretike he desired them to procede a gods name he loked for y t whiche god appointed theÌ„ to do Loe ê™ the lord Chancelor this felowe is now in a nother heresy of fatal desteny as though all thynges wer so tyed together y t of mere necessitie al thinges must come to passe But Bradford praide him to take things as they were spoken not wreste them into a contrary sence your lordshippe quoth hee doth discerne betwixt god and manne things are not by fortune to god at any time thoughe to man they seme so some times I ê™ Bradforde spake but as the Apostles spake lord ê™ he see howe Herode
that I might be at libertie to conferre and as free as he with whome I should conferre then quoth I it were some thing but els I see not to what purpose coÌ„ference should be offered but to deferre y t whiche will come at the length and the lyngering may giue more offence then do good Hhowbeit quoth I if my Lord should make suche an offre of his owne â–ª voluntarines I will not refuse to conferre withe whome so euer shall come Maister doctor hearing this called me arrogant still proud and what so euer pleased hym so that I besought them both because I perceaued by them I should shortely be called for to gyue me leaue to talke with God to begge wisedome and grace of hym for quoth I otherwise I am helpelesse And so they with muche a doo departed And I went to god and made my pore praier acordingly which of his goodnes he did graciouslie accepte and did helpe me in my neade praysed therfore be his holyename Shortely after they were gone I was had to saint Marie oueris and there taried vncalled for till xi of the clocke that is till Maister Saunders was excommunicated Vpon the .3 of Februarie the Byshoppe of London came to the Counter in the pultrie to disgrad Maister Doctor Taylor about one of the clocke at after noone but before he spake to Maister Tailour I was called forth vnto him when he sawe me of went hys cappe out stretched he his haÌ„de and on this sort he spake to me that bycause he perceaued I was desyrous to conferre withe some lerned man therfore he had broughte maister Archedeacone Harpsfeld to me and quoth he I tell you you doo like a wise man but I praye you goe roundlye to worke for the tyme is but short my Lorde quoth I as roundelyl as I can I wyll go to woorke with you I neuer desired to conferre with anye man nor yet doo howbeit if you will haue anye to talke with me I am redy to heare and aunswere hym What quoth my Lord of London in a fume to the keper did not you tell me that this man desired conference No my Lorde quoth he I tolde you that he wold not refuse to coÌ„ferre with any but I did not shewe to anye that it was his desire well quoth my Lord of London maister Bradforde you are welbeloued I pray you consider your self and refuse not charitie when it is offered In dede my Lord quoth I this is finale charitte to condemne a man as you haue condempned me whiche neuer brake the lawes In Turckie a man may haue tought free but in England I cold not fynd it for I am condempned for my faith so sone as I vttered it at your requeste before I had coÌ„mitted any thing againste the lawes As for conference I am not afrayed quoth I to talke with whome you will but to saye that I desire to conferre that do I not Well well quoth my Lorde of London and so called for maister Taylor and I went my waye Vpon the 4. of Februarie came one of my lord ChauÌ„cellors gentlemen sent as he said froÌ„ my lord as then being come froÌ„ the court Thys was about .8 of the clocke the eueninge The effecte ende of his talke message was that my Lorde his maister did loue me well and therefore he offered me tyme to conferre if I woulde desire it but as I had aunswered others in this matter so I aunswered him that I wold neuer make that sute but quoth I to coÌ„ferre with any I will neuer refuse bycause I am certaine and able I thancke god to defend by godlye learning my faith Thus with much a doo we shoke hands and departed he to his maister and I to my pryson Vpon the 7. of Februarie came one maister Wollerton a Chapplaine to the Bishoppe of LoÌ„don to conferre with me Who when he perceaued that I desired not his comming beinge as one most certain of my doctrine And therfore wished rather his departing theÌ„ abiding well maister Bradford quoth he yet I pray you let vs conferre a litle perchance you may do me good if I can dooe you none Vpon whiche wordes I was content to talke He spake muche of the doctors and fathers of the bread in the .6 chapiter of Iohn And so wolde proue transubstaÌ„tiation howe that wicked meÌ„ do receiue Christs bodie And I on the contrarie parte improued his aucthours with much by talke betwixte vs bothe and the keper who toke his parte litle to y e purpose SuÌ„ma to this issue we came that he should draw out of the scriptures and doctours his reasoÌ„s And I wold peruse them and if I could not aunswere theÌ„ I would giue place And so I desired him to do my reasons which I woulde make and so departed for that daye The next day following in the morning he sent me halfe a shete of paper written on bothe sides with no resons how he gathered his doctrine but onlye the bare sentence Panis quem ego dabo The bread whiche I wil giue is my fleshe And the places in the 26. of Matth. 14. of Marke .22 of Luke the .10 and .11 to the Corinth with some sentences of the doctors all which made as much against him as with hym al only one of Theophilactê° except in the after nowne he came himself and then we had a longe bablynge to none effecte and at the lenght he came to the church and how that I shwarued froÌ„ the churche Na â–ª quoth I that doo I not but you do for y e church is Christs spouse and Christes obedient spouse as â–ª your church is not which robbeth the people of the Lordes Cuppe of seruice in the English tonge Why quoth he it is not profitable to haue the seruice in Englishe and so he brought forth this sentence to proue it Labia Sacerdotis custodiant legem The lipes of the priestes should kepe the law and out of his mouth meÌ„ must loke for knowledge Why quoth I should not the people theÌ„ haue the scriptures wherfore serueth this of Christe searche the scriptures This quoth he was not spoken to the people but to the Scribes learned men wel quoth I then the people must not haue the scriptures whiche he affirmed bringinge fourth this Eâ— erunt docti a deo They shalbe all taught of God But must we quoth I lerne all at the priestes yea quoth he well then said I I see you would bringe the people to hange vppe Christ and let Barrabas goo as the priestes theÌ„ did perswade the people A which wordes he was so offeÌ„ded that he had no luste to talke any more Summa I gaue hym the reasons I had gathered against transubstantiacion and prayed hym to frame his in the frame of reasons and I woulde aunswere them well quoth he I wil do so but first I wil answere yours The whiche thing he hath not done hitherto nor wil not for I
heare that he is ridden into the Country Vpon the .12 of Februarye there came one of the Erle of Darby his men called Stephen Beiche one of olde acquentaunce to me who showed me that my lord sent him to me and willed me to tender my selfe he would be good lord vnto me WheÌ„ I aunswered that I thancked his lordshipppe for his good will towardes me but quoth I in this case I cane not teÌ„der my selfe more then gods honour then he set before me my mother my sisters frends kyndsfolkes Country what a greate discomforte it wolde be vnto theÌ„ to dye as an Heretike well syr quoth I I haue learned to forsake father mother brother sisters frends and all that euer I haue mine owne selfe or els I can not be Christes disciple And so he tellinge me that my death would doo much hurte and such lyke talke we shoke handes Howbeit nowe I remember that in oure talke he asked me if my lord should obtaine for me that I might departe the Realme whether I would not be content to be at the Quenes appointmeÌ„t wher she woulde appointe me beyond the sea No quoth I. I had rather be burned in Englande then be burned beyoÌ„d y e sea For I know quoth I that if she should sende me to Paris to louen c. fourthe with they would burne me Vpon the .14 of Februarie their came to me Perciuall Cressewell one of my olde acquentaunce and one that loueth my bodie well and my soule also after his religion bringing with hym as I learne a kynsman of maister Feckenham who after much ado praied me y t he might make labour for me a gods name quod I doo you may do what you wil yea but quoth he Tell me what suet I should make Forsoth said I that y t you wil doo do it not at my requeste for I desire nothyng at your haÌ„des if the Queene wil giue me life I will thanke her iâ— she will banishe me I will thaÌ„cke her yf she will condempne me tâ— perpetuall prisonmente I wyâ— thancke her if she wil burne me I will thancke her Here vpoâ— he wente awaye And about a .xi. of the clocke He and the other man came agayne and brought a boke of Maister Mores makynge to rede ouer the whiche boke I toke But quoth I good Perceiuall I am to sure setteled for beinge moued in thes matters Oh quoth he if euer you loued me do one thinge for me â–ª what is that quoth I at the lenght for I woulde not promes sayth he to desire and name what lerned men or man you will haue to come vnto you my Lord of yorke my Lorde of Lyncolne my Lorde of Bathe my Lorde of of Chichester c. wil gladly come to you No quoth I neuer wil I desire theÌ„ or any others to come to conferre with me for I am as certein of my doctrine as I am of anye thing But for your pleasure quoth I and that all men maye knowe I am not ashamed to haue my faith sifted and tried bringe whome you will I will talke with them So they went theyr waye And about .3 of the clocke in the after nowne coÌ„meth maister doctor Hardinge the Byshoppe of Lincolnes Chaplaine and after a greate and solempne protestation when he knew I desired not his comming how that he had prayed to God before he came forth to turne his talke to to my good he began to tell of the good opinion he had of me and many God giue you good euen so that our talke was to none effecte or purpose saue y t I prayed hym to consider from whence he was fallen and not to followe the world or loue it bycause the loue of God is not where it is SuÌ„ma he counted me in a dampnable state as one being out of the churche And therfore wylled me to take hede to myselfe not to dye in suche an opinion what maister Hardinge quoth I I haue heard you with these eares maintayne this that I stode in I haue quoth he preached that the doctrine of transubstantiation was a subtill doctrine but otherwise I neuer taught it And so enuyinge against marieges of priestes and muche againste Peter Marter Martyn Bucer Luther which for breakinge their vowes were iustly giueÌ„ vp into heresies quod he I seing hym all togyther giueÌ„ vp into poperie after admonishement hereof bad hym farewell Vppon the .15 of Februarie about .4 of the clocke in the after nowne cometh Percyuall Cressewell and the other man waytyng vpon maister Harpsfeld â–ª Archedeacon of LondoÌ„ who after geÌ„tle salutation and many formalities beganne a longe oracion Howe that all men euen the Infideles Turckes Iewes Anabaptistes and Libertines desire felicitie as well as the christians And howe that euerye man thyncketh they shal attaine to it by their religioÌ„ To the whiche longe oracion I aunswerred briefly that he spake not farre a mise Then goeth he on yea but the waye quoth he thither is not all a like And so he set furth how infideles by Iupiter Iuno The Mahumet by his Alcoran the Iewe by his Thalmud beleued to come to Heauen For so manye I spake sayth he as beleue the immortalitie of the soule And this long oracion I as brieflie aunswered and saide he had spoken truelye Well then quoth he here is the matter â–ª the waye to this heauen we maye not inuente anye newe waye Their is but one waye quoth I and that is Iesus Christe as he hymselfe doth witnesse I am the waye here Maister Harpsfeld affirmed and denyed and further sayde that I ment by Christe beleuing in Christe I haue lerned quoth I to discerne betwixte Faythe and Chryste Albeit I confesse that who so euer beleuethe in Christe the same shalbe saued No quoth he not all that beleue in Christ for some wyll saye lord Lorde haue not we caste oute deuilles c But Christe will say in the daye of iudgement to those departe froÌ„ me I knowe you not yea syr quoth I you muste make a difference betwixte beleuing saying I beleue as for example if one should say and swere he loued you for all his saying you wil not beleue him when you see he goeth aboute to vtter and doo all euyll thinges againste you wel quoth he this is not muche materiall Theire is but one waye Christe How come we to know him where shal we seke to finde him Forsoth quoth I we must seke hym by his word and in his word after his word Verye good quoth maister Harpsfeld But tell me now howe first we come into the companie of them that could tell vs this but by Baptisme True quoth I baptisme is the sacrament by the whiche exteriorlye we are insert and engrafâ—e into Christe for I dare not quoth I exclude oute of Christe al that dye without baptisme I wil not tye God where he is not bound Some infants dye whose parents desire baptisme for them and maye not
sayeth he that eateth of of the bread callinge it bread stil and that after consecracioÌ„ as you cal it And so brought furth the sentence of the .10 to the Corinthe the breade whiche we breake c. Oh quoth he how ignoraunt are you which knowe not that thinges retaine the names they had after their coÌ„uersion as Moyses Rood And here they called for a Bible and so was all moste a quarter of an houre before he could find out the place finding faulte at the Bible bycause it was Vataples Bible At the lenght when he had found it lord God howe he triumphed but I cooled the heate furthwith for syr quoth I there is mencion made of the conuersion as well as the same appered to the sence but quoth I here you cannot fynd it so finde me one worde how the bread is conuerted and I will then saye you bringe some matter that maketh for you At these wordes he was troubled at the lenght he said howe that I hanged on mine owne sence No quoth I that doo I not For I will bringe you furth for .viii. C. yeres after Christe the fathers of the church to coÌ„firme this which I spake No quoth he you haue the churche againste you I haue not quoth I christ church against me yes y t you haue sayth he And so asked me what the church was Marie quoth I Christs wife the cheare and seate of veritie Is she visible quoth he ye that she is quoth I if that you wil put on the spectacles of gods word to loke on her This churche quoth he hath defyned the contrarye and that will I proue by all the good fathers continuallye froÌ„ Christes Ascencension euer for .15 C. yeres at y e leaste coÌ„tinually What will you proue so quoth I transubstantiation yea quoth he that y e bread is turned iÌ„to Christs bodie you speake more then you can do quod I. That do I not quod he Then quod I. I wil giue place Wil you beleue quod he Beleue â–ª ê™ I â–ª is gods gift therfore cannot I ê“mise but I tel you quod I that I wil giue place I hope shal beleue gods truth alwaies so good is he Here he fouÌ„d a grreat faulte w t me y t I would not deserne betwixte Habitum et actum as though Actus which he called credulitie had ben in our powre but this he let passe coÌ„meth againe asking me if he could proue it as he said whether that I would giue place yea ê™ I that I wil. Here was called for paper pen and yncke to writte And then I said what and if that I proue it you continuallye for .viii. C. yeres after Christe at the least the substabnce of bred to remayne in the Sacrament by the testimonie of the Fathers what will you do quod I I will giue place quod he with this paper came in Then said I writte you howe that you wyll gyue place if I so proue I wil write that I wyll gyue place yf you so proue Bycause you are the aunciente you shall haue the preeminaunce Lord God howe angry he was nowe and said that he came not to lerne at me so saide here is two witnesses meaning it of the two pristes and they be sufficiedt And so here about we had much ado to none effecte but to a plaine scolding if I had not giueÌ„ place to the furor of Alphonsus for he was verye testie and hastie and here he dispreased Bucer and all that praised hym with muche other talke At the lenght the confessor asked me of the seconde question what it was Sir quoth I that the wicked men receaue not Christes bodie in the sacrament as Sainte Augustin speaketh of Iudas that he receaued Panem domini but not panem dominuÌ„ S. Augustin sayth not so quoth AlphoÌ„sus yes y t doth he quoth I so they rose vp talked no more of that matter but asked me how they should get me all the fathers and old aucthors that proue and affirme the bread to be turned into Christes bodie Sir quoth I you maye sone doo it howbeit bycause you shall not trouble youre self if I maye haue my bokes I nead no more but notes of y e places Thus they went their waies howe they brooked my talke I caÌ„ not tell for they bad me not farewell After they were gon commeth one of the priestes and willed me not to be so obstinate Sir quoth I be not you so wauering In all the scriptures cannot you find me non est panis yes thst I can quoth he in .5 places Then will I eate your boke quoth I so the boke was opened but no place founde and he wente his waye smiling God helpe vs. Vpon the .21 of Marche by the meanes of one of y t Erle of Darby his men lefte behind my lorde his maister for y e soliting of my cause as he said to me there came to the CouÌ„ter to diner one maister Collior ones warden of MauÌ„chester the said seruauÌ„t of y e Erle of darbie of whome I lerned y e maister doctor Westone Deane of westmÌ„ would be with me in y â— after none aboute .2 of the clocke or before At diner therfore when the sayd warden dyd discommend kynge Edwarde and went about to sett furth the aucthoritie of the Pope whiche I with stode defendinge the kinges faith that it was Catholike and that the aucthoritie of the Byshoppe of Rome his supremycie was vsurped bringing furth the testimonie of Gregorie which calleth y e name of supreame head to be a title of y t foriner to an techrist a woman prisoner was brought in where vpoÌ„ I toke occasioÌ„ to rise froÌ„ the table so went to my prison ChaÌ„ber to begge of god grace and helpe therin continuing there stil vntil I was called down to speake which maisterster Weston So soone as I came into the hall maister weston verye gentlie toke me by the hand asked me how I did with such other talke At y e lenght he willed auoidaunce of the chaÌ„ber so they all went out saue maister weston himself maister Collior y e Erle of Darbie his seruauÌ„t y t subdeane of we wmÌ„ the keê‘ maister Clayden the ê‘son of the churche wher the Counter is Nowe then he beginneth to tel me how y t he was often mynded to haue come vnto me beinge therto desired of the Erle of Darby and quod he after that I perceaued by his man that you could be coÌ„tented rather to speake with me then any others I could not but come to do you good if I caÌ„ for hurt be sure I wil not Sir quoth I. When I perceued by the reporte of my lord seruaunte that you did beare me good will more as he said theÌ„ any other of your sorte I told him theÌ„ that therfore I could be better contente more willing to talke with you if you should come vnto me This did I say quoth I other wise