"As for his surmised imagination of election in the elect, whereby he taunts their faith, I will speak nothing, but God increase his, and and all our faith, and open our eyes to see what true faith is, whereof for my part I acknowledge a great weakness, and much more imagination, than true faith; but yet, be it ever so little, I hope the Lord alloweth it, and will increase it for his name's sake, which I humbly crave at his hands, for the love of our only blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, who lighten all our darkness to see his true light, and inflame our hearts and wills to approve and love the same unfeignedly. Amen. Then will taunting not tarry, but charitable admonition, and sorrowful sighing to see any professing God with us, entangled with such errors, as nourish such enormities, as here he maketh this most comfortable and profitable doctrine of God's holy election, for the which God's holy name be praised and magnified for ever, through Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen."

A faithful Minister and pillar of Christ's Church, by whose great labours and diligence in preaching and planting the sincerity of the gospel, by whose most godly and innocent life, and by whose long and painful imprisonments for the maintenance of the truth, the Kingdom of God was not a little advanced: who also at last most valiantly and cheerfully

gave his blood for the same,

on the 1st day of July, in the year of our Lord 1555.

LETTERS

OF

JOHN BRADFORD,

WRITTEN ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS.

[After the time that Bradford was condemned and sent to the Compter, it was purposed by his adversaries that he should be had to Manchester, where he was born, and there be burned; whereupon he wrote to the City of London, thinking to take his last farewell of them in this letter. Fox.]

LETTER I.

To the City of London.

To all that profess the gospel and the true doctrine of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in the city of London; John Bradford, a most unworthy servant of the Lord, now not only in prison, but also excommunicated and condemned to be burned, for the same true doctrine, wishes mercy, grace, and peace, with increase of all godly knowledge and piety, from God the Father of mercy, through the merits of our alone and all-sufficient Redeemer Jesus Christ, by the operation of the Holy Spirit for ever. Amen.

My dearly beloved brethren in our Saviour Christ:*Although the time I have to live is very little, for I look hourly when I shall be conveyed into Lancashire, there to be burned, and, by the providence of God, to render my life where I first received it, by the same providence: and although the charge is great to keep me from all things whereby I might signify any thing to the world of my state; yet having, as now I have, pen and ink, through God's working, notwithstanding the power of Satan and his soldiers, I thought good to write a short confession of my

faith, and thereto join a little exhortation unto you all, to live according to your profession.

First for my faith: I do confess, and pray all the whole congregation of Christ to bear witness with me of the same, that I believe constantly, through the gift and goodness of God, for faith is only God's gift, all the twelve articles of the symbol or creed, commonly attributed to the apostles. This my faith I would gladly particularly declare and expound, to confirm and comfort the simple; but, alas! by starts and stealth I write in the manner that I write, and therefore I shall desire you all to take this brevity in good part. And this faith I hold, not because of the creed itself, but because of the word of God, which teacheth and confirmeth every article accordingly. This word of God, written by the prophets and apostles, and contained in the canonical books of the Holy Bible, I do believe to contain plentifully all things necessary to salvation, so that nothing, as necessary to salvation, ought to be added thereto; and therefore neither the Church of Christ, nor any of his congregation, ought to be burdened with any other doctrine, than that which hereout has its foundation and ground. In testimony of this faith, I render and give my life, being condemned, as well for not acknowledging the antichrist of Rome to be Christ's vicar-general and supreme head of his catholic and universal church, here or elsewhere upon earth; as for denying the horrible and idolatrous doctrine of transubstantiation, and Christ's real, corporeal, and carnal presence in his supper, under the forms and accidents, (or appearance,) of bread and wine.etowy yllised oz

To believe that Christ our Saviour is the head of his Church, and that kings in their realms are the supreme powers, to whom every soul oweth obedience, and to believe that in to the supper or Coweth true end very pre

sence of whole Christ, God and man, to the faith of the receiver, but not to the stander by and looker upon, even as it is a true and very presence of bread and wine to the senses of men: to believe this, I say, will not serve; and therefore as a heretic I am condemned, and shall be burned; whereof I ask God heartily for mercy that I do no more rejoice than I do, having great cause, as to be an instrument wherein it may please my dear Lord God and Saviour to suffer.

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For albeit my manifold sins, even since I came into prison, have deserved at the hands of God, not only temporal fire,