Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	king_n	parliament_n	2,763	4	6.1596	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16571	All the examinacions of the constante martir of God M. Iohn Bradforde before the Lorde Chauncellour, B. of Winchester the B. of London, [and] other co[m]missioners: whervnto ar annexed, his priuate talk [and] conflictes in prison after his condemnacion, with the Archbishop of york, the B. of Chichester, Alfonsus, and King Philips confessour, two Spanishe freers, and sundry others. With his modest learned and godly answeres. Anno. Domini 1561	Bradford, John, 1510?-1555.	1561 (1561)	STC 3477; ESTC S116578	60,488	240

¶ All the examinacions of the Constante Martir of GOD M. Iohn Bradforde before the Lorde Chauncellour B. of Winchester the B. of London other cōmissioners Whervnto ar annexed his priuate talk conflictes in prison after his condemnacion with the Archbishop of york the B. of Chichester Alfonsus and King Philips confessour two Spanishe freers and sundry others With his modest learned and godly answeres Anno. Domini 1561 ¶ Cum Priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ¶ The Originall of his Lyfe IOhn Bradford borne in Lancastershire in Manchester a notable towne of that coūtrey was of his gētle parentes brought vp in vertue good learning euen from his very childhode among other praises of his good educacion he obtained as a chief gift the cōnynge redines of writing which knowledge was not onely an ornamēte vnto him but also an helpe to the necessary sustētaciō of his liuing About y e time was one sir Ihō Haringtō paymaster to king Henry the .8 which at Boloign by order of knighthode beīg muche renomed but yet by his own vertue a great deale more noble was ther suruier and paymaister of y e souldiers Who then had the seruice of master Bradford so kept him both in his family in his fauor that it can scarce be told whether liued to other ether more beloued or more profitable For Bradford both lerned many things of him also experience and practise of thinges more increased abounded On the otherside he whiche tried his seruice so faithful estemed him as a great treasure so loued him that in all his affaires he would alwaies bee coupled w t him In which trade of life when Bradford long time had bene cōuersāt y e way to riches semed not so farre of vnto him if he woulde haue set his mind to gathering of worldly riches but the immutable prouidēce of god drew him another way For after he was wery of this kind of life had made a diligēt and true accompt of his maisters affairs he desired licēce to depart and so wēt from him to the intent that he being rid of all other troubles he might serue Iesu Christe the secrete working of goddes calling so mouinge him which neuer suffred his minde to be at rest vntil it had fully wholy possessed him In so muche that after he had forsaken his master gotten him to the studye of the law his minde could not long abide in that trade of lawyers but that forsaking also that kinde of study in whiche he was not altogether ignorāt he departed from the temple where he studied y e cōmon and temporal lawes to Cābridge the temple of gods lawes to apply those studies which pertained more to the ministerye of gods church In the which with what vehemens and force he labored it is euident by this y t the first yere of his comimng thether he obteined degree of schole and was made maister of art gatte the fauour and admiration of all men that by and by he was chosē felowe of Penbrooke hall where he so daily profited by a certayn heauēly dexterite of his wit that as he was had in estimaciō of all good men so also he began to be welbeloued of Martin Bucer which hoped of no small fruit to procede from that his so godlye disposicion wherefore he counselled him to bestow his giftes and talent to the common profyte of instructynge Christes flock To whom when he had alledged hys weakenes and lack of learnyng Bucer answered that though he could not fede thē with fine cakes and white bread yet he should satisfye them with barly bread wer it neuer so course By whose often exhortacions Bradforde beynge boldened althoughe of his owne accord he was redy inough while he was altogether ī this thought it came happelye to passe that by D. Ridly bishoppe of London he was sent for from Cambridge to take vppon him ecclesiasticall orders and functiōs Of whom beyng first made deacon and afterward licensed to preach hauing a good stipēd out of the Cathedrall church of Poules he diligētly labored in the ministery of publike teching in y e church of god so lōg as kinge Edwarde liuinge there could be any place for godly teachers But when at lenght y e religiō changed by death of y e prince and he neuerthelesse exercised his office of preching an occasō was foūd and yet most vniust because that by the lawes it was not yet concluded that his mouth being stopped he was thruste into prison the occasion was this The xiii day of August one of the Popish sect called Bourn afterward bishop of Bathe railed with many wordes most shamefully vpō king Edward and the pure doctrine of the gospel in his time preched whoso behaued himself y t he had muche a doe to escape but y t the multitude of hearers would haue laide hande vpon him and pulled him out of y e pulpit which thīg they declared by manifest tokens For so great was the indignacion of al men kindled against him that neither with y e reuerence of the place nor by the aucthoritie of the bishop of London then present nor at the lawful commandement of the Maire this commocion of the people could be pacyfied But as for Bourn he was so stricken with feare bothe by the greatnes of the tumulte chieflye for a dagger whyche was throwne from the middes of the company against the pulpit that he durst not make an ende of hys sedicious sermond much like the Oracions that the Tribunes in Rome wer wonte to make nether would y e people suffer him he hūbly desired Bradford which stode behind his backe in the pulpit y t he would take his place speake to the people remembringe perchaunce and not vnwiselye vyrgils counsel That when among a people stoute It chaunceth to betide The multitude to make a fraye Of wit ful often wide That stones wepons flies a brode and what come first to hande Some sadman cōmeth that for his right Is loned of all the land Anon thei ceaste and silence make And doune thei laie there rage To harke at him and he with speche their woode minds doth aswage Neyther was his purpose disappointed for as sone as Bradford stode forth in y e middest al the tumulte was easilye appeased the people at the first sight of him wished him lōg helth crying Bradforde Bradforde god preserue thy life Bradford After y t with much attenciō thei heard him entreat of quiet christiā obedience Finally after his sermond ended the most part of thē went quietlye peasably home to their houses In the meane time amonge the residew which resisted for it could not bee that in so great offence of y e multitude al thinges could so quickly be quieted there was a certayn gētleman with his two seruants whiche comming vp the pulpytte staires rushed against the doore desyring to enter vpon Bourn I know not what he minded Than Bradforde

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 thīg to my charge that I haue writtē if I denye it I am then a lier we shall neuer haue done with thee I perceiue now saith my lord Chācelor 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 ▪ 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 pardō 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 transgressiō If I cannot haue this as hitherto I haue not had goddes good wyll be doone Vppon these wordes my lord Chauncelor begon a lōg 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 sayīg how sayst thou My lord quoth Bradforde the doctrine taught i● K●●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 demonstra●ion therof no Scryppure nor reason but thys that i● 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 presēt thyngs he wil sone deceiue hīself 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 sōe bodye for there was present none in maner but onelye these before named and the bishop of Worcester Now whē 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 excommunycaciō of Ihō Rogers Iohn Bradford was called in standynge before the lord Chancelour other bishops set w t him the said lord Chācelor spake thus in effect That wheretofore the .22 of Ianuarie they called the sayde Bradford before thē offred vnto hym y e Queenes pardō although he had contēned y e same further he said y t he would stifly stoutly maintaine defende therronious doctrine holdē in y e daies of kyng Edward the .6 yet in cōsideraciō that the Queenes highnes is wōderfull merciful they thoughte good eftsones to offer the same mercy againe before it be to late Therfore ꝙ 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 whō he there cōmended adding oratoriously amplificacions to moue the saide Bradford to yeld to the religiō presētly 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 thē 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 questiōs 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 thē 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 ꝙ 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 lōg processe howe that Brodfordes facte at Poules crosse was presūptuous arrogant and declared a taking vpō him to lead the people whiche coulde not but tourne to much disquietnes ꝙ he in y t thou speakīg to Bradford was so prefract and stout in religion at that presēt For y e which as thou wast thē committed to prison so hitherto haste thou bene kepte in prisō 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

yeres and called them by there right name hell houndes rather then heauen houndes On this sorte syr quoth I. will I proue my faith that you can neuer doo yours yea syr quoth he If we dyd knowe you had the holy goste then could we beleue you Here might haue ben aunswered that Stephens enemies would not beleue he had the holy gost and therefore they dyd as they did But in speakinge he rose vp and the keper called and others that stode bye to take his parte all againste me Howe be it gentlie without anye tawntynge or rayling onelye prayinge me to take hede to that maister Harpsfeld speake who still said I was oute of the churche and did contempne it spitt against it and I cannot tel what But I still affirmed that I was moste certeine I was in Christes churche could shewe a demonstracion of my religion from tyme to tyme continually And so we made an ende sainge that in the mornynge he would come again vnto me God our father for the name and blod of his Christ be merciful vnto vs and vnto all his people and kepe them frō al false teachers blind guides whereby alas I feare me muche hurte wil come to this realme of England God our father blesse vs and kepe vs in his truth pore church foreuer Amē Vppon the .16 of Februarye in the morning about .9 of y e clocke there came again the said maister Harpsfeld and the other two with him Nowe after a fewe wordes spoken we sate downe maister Harpsfeld beginning a very long oraciō almost ther quarters of an houre lōg First repeting what how far we haue gone astraye beginnynge to proue vpwardes succession of Byshoppes here in Englād for .8 c. yeres in Fraūce at Liōs for xii.c yeres in spaine at Hispalen for viii.c yeres in Italie at Millen for .xii. c. yeres goinge by that to proue his churche whereto he vsed also successiō of byshopes in the Est church for the more confirmacion of hys wordes and so concluded with an exhortation an interrogation The exhortacion that I woulde obey this church the interrogacion whether I could shewe anye such succession for the demonstraon of my church for so he called it whiche I followed Vnto this his long oracion I made a sherte aunswered howe that my memorie was euill for to aunswere particularlye his long oracion therfore I woulde generallye doo it thinckinge that bycause his oracion was rather to perswade then to proue that a general aunswere would serue So I told him that if Christe or his Apostles beinge here on yearth hath him demaūded of the Prelats of the churche then then to haue made a demonstracion of the churche by succession of highe priestes whiche had approued the doctrine he taught I thincke quoth I that Christe hert would haue done as I doo That is haue brought furth that which vpholdeth the church euē the veritie of the worde of God taught beleued not of the high priestes which of longe time had persecuted it but by y e Prophetes other good simple men whiche perchaunce were counted for heretickes with the churche that is with them that were ordeyned highe priestes in the churche to whome the true churche was not then tyed by any successiō but the word of god And thus to thincke quoth I Saint Peter gyueth an occasion when he saith That as it went in y e church before christes comminge so shall it goo in the Churche after his commynge but then the pillars of the Churche were persecutours of it Therefore the like we muste loke for nowe Why quoth be I can gether and proue you succession in Ierusalem of the high priestes From Aarons time I graunte quoth he but not suche succession as allowed y e trueth Why quoth he did they not all allow Moyses lawe yes quoth I. And kept it for the bokes therof as you do the Bible and holy scripture but the interpretacion and meaning of it ▪ they did corrupte as I take it you haue done And therfore the persecutions they stirred vp against the Prophetes Christe was not for the lawe but for the interpretacion of it as you saie nowe that we must haue the interpretaciō of the scriptures at your hādes but to make an ende quoth I death I do loke daily for yea hourely I thīke my time be but very short Therfore I had neade to spend in praier as much tyme with god as I can whileste I haue it for his helpe and comforte And therfore I praye you beare with me that I do not more plainlye and in more woordes aunswere you longe talke If I sawe death not so nere me as it is I woulde then weye euery peice of your oracion if you would giue me the some of them I would aunswere them accordinglie I hope But bicause I dare not nor I wil not leaue of lokinge and prouidinge for that whiche is at hande I shall desire you to holde me excused because I doo as I do And I hartelye thancke you for youre gentle good will I shall hartelye praye GOD oure father to giue you the same lyght and lyfe as I wishe to my selfe And so I beganne as to rise vppe But then maister Harpsfeld beganne to tell me that I was in a verye perillous case and he was sorie to see me so setteled Telling further that in dede he could tell me nothinge whether death were fare of or nere But that forceth not quoth he so that you did dye well Well quoth I yes For I doubte not in this case but to dye wel For as I hope and am cercertain my deathe shall please the Lord so I trust I shall dye cherfullye to the comforte of his chyldren yea but what if you be deceaued quoth he what quoth I if you dyd saye the Sone did not shyne nowe Then it did shine thoroughe the wyndowe where wee satt wel quoth he I am sorrie to see you so secure and carelesse In dede quoth I I am more carelese secure carnallie then I shoulde be God make me more vigilant But in this case quoth I I can not be to secure for I am most assured I am in the truth That are ye not quoth he for you are not of the Catholike church No quoth I thoughe you haue excommunicate me yet am I in the Catholike church of Christe and wil be a child of it and an obediedt child for euer I hope Christe will haue no lesse care for me then he had for the blynd man excommunicate of the Sinagoge And quoth I further I am certain that the necessarie articles of y e faith I meane the .xii. articles of the Crede I confesse beleue with that which you call the holy church So that euē your church hath taken some thing to muche vpon her to excōmunicate me for that whiche by the testimonie of my Lord of Durisme in his boke of the sacramēt latelye put

writtynge his aunsweres he began to tell me how what he had done for Grymbolde howe that I neade not to feare anye reproche or slander I shoulde sustaine belike meanīg to haue me secretly to haue come to them as Grymbold dyd for he subscribed And therefore I speake on this sorte vnto hym Maister Deane quod I I wold gladly that you should not conceaue of me that I passe of shame of men simplye in this matter I rather would haue you to thincke of me as the verye truth is that hitherto as I haue seene nor heard nothinge to infirme my faith againste transubstātiaciō so I am no lesse setled in it then I was at my comminge hyther I loue quod I to be plaine with you to tell you at the first that you shall finde at the last In good fayth Maister Bradforde quod he I loue you the better for your plainnesse do not thincke otherwise of me quod he but that you shall find me plaine in al my talke with you Here he began to aske me of my imprisonment and condempnacion So I began told hym how I had ben hādled wheare at the semed to wounder yea in playne wordes he saide I had ben handled otherwise then I had gyuen cause so showed me howe that my Lorde of Bath reported that I had deserued a benefite at the Queenes hande and at all the Counsels In this kind of talke we spent an houre almost and so as one wery I did arise vp ▪ and he called in the keper and before hym bad me be of good comforte and to bee out of all peril of death Mary sir quoth the keper but it is in euery mās mouth that hee shal dye to morowe Whereat he semed some thyng halfe amased and sayde hee woulde goe before euensong before the Queene and speake to her on my behalfe And I thynke the Queene hadde almoste supped at that presente for it was paste sixe of the clocke Before the keper I tolde hym againe that styll I was the same manne I was at the firste and til I should see matter to touch conscience to the contrary must nedes so continewe The keper desyred me to hearken to mayster Doctours counsayle and prayed M. Doctor to bee good vnto me And so after we hade dronke together maister Doctor with most gentle woordes tooke his leaue for three dayes Nowe when he was gone the keper tolde me how that mayster Doctor spake opēly how that he sawe no cause why thei should burne me Whiche sentence for the ambiguitie of the meaning made me sorye leste I had behaued my selfe in any thinge wherin he gathered anye conformablenesse to them in their doctrine which god knoweth I neuer as yet dyd so God oure father blesse vs as hys chyldren for euer and keepe vs from all euyll for euer Amen Vpon the fifth daye of Apryll came maister Doctor Westō to the coūter aboute .2 of the clocke in the after noone who excused hymselfe for beyng so long absent partely by sickenes partely for that Doctor Pendleton tolde hym that hee woulde come vnto me and partely for that quoth he I withstoode certaine Monckes which would haue come agayne into Westminster After whiche talke he told me howe that the Pope was dead and then he tolde me how he had spoken to the Queene for me and how that death was not nere vnto me Laste of all he excused himselfe for not aunswering myne argumentes against transubstanciacion because my commynge to daye quoth he was more by fortune then of purpose I woulde gladlye quoth I omittyng all other talkes haue seen an aunswer to my argumentes Why quoth he you haue remembered some thynge what I spake to you whē I was last with you No sir quoth I I neuer called them in maner to mynde sythen that tyme as well because I hoped you would haue writtē them as also for that they semed not to bee so materiall In good faith ꝙ he I cannot see any other or better waye for you then for to submit youre self to the iudgement of the Churche ▪ Marye so I wyll sir quoth I yf so be by the churche you vnderstand Christes church Lo quoth he you take vpon you to iudge the church No sir quoth I that doe I not in takyng vpon me to discerne I do not iudge the church yes that you do quoth he and make inuisible I dooe neyther quoth I. Why sayth he who can see youre churche Those sir quoth I that haue spiritual eyes wherewith they mighte haue dyscerned Christes visible conuersacion heare vpō earth Nay quoth he Christes churche hath thre tokens that all men may looke well vpon namely vnitie antiquitye and consent These thre quoth I may be as well in euil as in good as well in synne as in vertue as well in the deuyls churche as in Gods churche As for ensaumple quoth I Idolatrie amongest the Israelites had al those thre Chrisostome telleth plainly as you wel knowe saide I that the church is well knowen Tantummodo per scripturas alonely bi the scriptures In good faithe ꝙ hee you make your churche inuisible when you wyll haue it knowen alonelye by the scriptures No sir quoth I the scriptures dooe playnely set furth to vs the churche that all menne maye well ynough thereby know her yf thei list to loke The church ꝙ hee is like a Towre or towne vppon a Hyll that al men may se True sir quoth I al men that be not blynde Visible ynough is the churche but menues blindnes is great Impute not therefore to the churche that whiche is to bee imputed to mens blindenes Where quoth he was your church forty yeares agoe or where is it nowe excepte in a corner of Germanye Forsooth sir quoth I the churche of Christ is dispersed and not tied to this or that place but to y e word of god so that where it is there is Gods churche yf it bee truelye taught Loe ꝙ hee is not thys to make the church inuisible Poi●n me out a realme a hundreth yeres paste whiche mayntayned youre doctryne Syr quoth I yf you wyl or woulde well marke the state of the church before Christes commynge with it now as saint Paule and Peter wylleth vs I thynke you woulde not looke for suche shewes of the churche to be made as to poynte it oute by realmes You knowe quoth I that in Helyas time both in Israel and els where Gods churche was not poyntable and therefore cryed he oute that he was lefte alone No marye quoth he dyd not God say that there was .7000 whyche hadde not bowed theyr knees to Baale Loe sayeth he 7000. shewe me seuen thousande a hundreth yeares agoo of your religion Syr quoth I these .7000 were not knowen to men for then Helias woulde not haue sayde that hee hadde bene before left alone And thys is playne ynough by that whiche the texte hathe namelye that God sayeth Reliqui I haue reserued to me .7000 Marke that it sayeth God had reserued to hym selfe to hys own knowledge as I doubt not but the hundreth yeares agoe God hadde hys 7000. in hys proper places thoughe menne knewe not thereof Well maister Bradforde sayeth hee I wyll not make youre case woorse then for transubstanciacion all thoughe I knowe that we agree not in Other matters And I praye you quoth he make you it youre selfe not woorse If I canne dooe you good I wyll hurte you I wyll not I am no Prynce and therefore I cannot promyse lyfe excepte you wyll submytte youre self to the diffinicion of y e church Syr quoth I so that you wyll defyne me your churche that vnder it you brynge not in a false churche you shall not see but that we shal soune bee at a poynt In good fayth maister Bradford quoth hee I see no good wyl be doone and therefore I wyl wishe you as muche good as I can and hereafter I will perchaunce come or sende to you agayne and so he sent for maister Weale and departed Nowe after his departynge commeth the keper maister Claydon and Stephen Beiche and they were verye hotte with me and spake vnto me in suche sorte that I should not loke but to haue thē vtter enemies vnto me notwithstandyyng the frendeshippe they both haue hitherto pretended God bee wyth vs what matter is it who bee agaynste vs. Finis ¶ Imprinted at London in Fleetstrete at the Signe of y e Faucon by William Griffith and are to be sold at the litle shop in saincte Dunstones churchyard Anno .1561 The .xiii. daie of Maye Cori. 10. Mat. 10 Mat. 7. Mat. ● Mat ● Ioh. 5. Luk. 23 1. Io. Virgi● A prayer ●f M. ●rad●ords 2. Pet. ●