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

¶The effect of the second examinacion of Iohn Bradforde in the temple of S. Marie Oue∣ries, before the lorde Chaun∣celour and diuers other by∣shoppes the .xxix. daye of Ianuarii .1555.

AFter the excommuny∣caciō of Ihō Rogers, Iohn Bradford was called in, & standynge before the lord Chan∣celour & 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 wō∣derfull merciful, they thoughte good eftsones to offer the same, mercy againe before it be to late. Therfore ({quod} my lorde Chauncel∣lour) 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 fol∣low thexample of M. Barlowe & Cardmaker whō he there cōmen∣ded, adding oratoriously amplifi∣cacions, to moue the saide Brad∣ford to yeld to the religiō presētly set forth. After the lord Chauncel∣lors 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,

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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 myd∣dest of thē iudgeing. And as you woulde youre place, to bee nowe of vs taken as gods place: so de∣monstrate 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 accor∣dinglye, 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, {quod} he, this and all thy gesture, declareth but Hy∣pocrisie, and vain glory. And fur∣ther he made much a do to purge himself, that he sought no giltles bloud, and so beganne a lōg pro∣cesse, howe that Brodfordes facte at Poules crosse, was presūptu∣ous arrogant, and declared a ta∣king vpō him, to lead the people. whiche coulde not, but tourne to much disquietnes, {quod} he, in y^t thou, speakīg to Bradford, was so pre∣fract and stout in religion, at that presēt. For y^e which as thou wast thē committed to prison, so hither∣to 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 Bradford did stubbernly behaue himself, the last time he was before them, and therfore not for any other thynge now I demaund thee of ({quod} he) but of & for thy doctrine & religiō. Mi lord ({quod} Bradforde) where you ac∣cuse me of hipocrisy & vain glory, I must & wil leaue it to the lordes declaraciō, which one daie wil o∣pen yours & my trueth: & heartye dealinges. In the meane season I wil contēt my self, w^t the testimo∣ny 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 bene∣fite, I think that, y^t my dede was one: and yet for it I haue beene & am kept of lōg time in prisō. And as for letters & religion I answer ({quod} Bradforde) as I did the laste tyme I was beefore you. There diddeste thou saye ({quod} my Lorde Chauncellour) that thou wouldst stubbernli & manly maintein ther¦ronious doctrine in kīg Edwardz daies. My lorde ({quod} Bradforde) I said the last time I was before you y^t I had .6. times taken an othe, y^t I should neuer cōsent to the prac∣tising of any Iurisdiccion on the bishop of Rome his behalfe, and therefore durste not aunswere to any thynge shoulde be demaun∣ded so, least I should be forsworn, whiche God forbid. Howe bee it sauyng myne othe, I said that I

was more confirmed in the doc∣trine set forth publike in kīg Ed∣wardes 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 ({quod} my lord Chā∣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 cōsci∣ence in it, whiche is nothinge els but mere hipocrisie. My consciēce {quod} Bradforde, is knowen to the Lorde, and whether I deale here in hipocritally or no, he knoweth. As I saide therfore then my lord,

{quod} 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 cōsent, to the practysing of any iurisdic∣cion for the .B. of Rome, here in England. Why, {quod} my lord Chan∣celour, 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, {quod} Bradforde, I sayde you woulde haue your place takē of vs now, as goddes place, and therefore I brought foorth that pece of scryp∣ture, y^t ye mighte be the more ad∣monished to folowe God and his wayes at this presente, who seeth vs all, and well perceyueth, whe∣ther of conscience I pretende thys matter of the othe or no. No, {quod} my

my lord Chancelor, al men may se thi hipocrisy: for, if for thine othes sake thou doest not aunswere, thē wouldest thou not haue spokē as thou didst, & haue aunswered me at the first. But now mē 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, blīdyng the sim∣ple peoples eies, as though of cō∣science you did all you doe. That whiche I spake at the firste ({quod} Bradforde) was not a replicacy∣on 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, thē you did. But whē I perceued you did not considre it, but came to aske matter whereto by answerynge I shoulde cōsēt to the practisinge of

iurisdicciō on the B. of Rome hys behalf here in Englande & so bee forsworne: thē of cōscience & sim∣plicitie 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 a∣bout to blind the people, as God knoweth. For if you of youre ho∣nor shal tel me, y^t you doe not aske me any thyng, wherby my answe∣ring should consent to the practi∣sing to y^e B. of Romes iurisdicciō 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 nothīg els at your hands of long time. But I am a∣fraid whē death cōmeth. I should haue mater to trouble my cōsciēce

by the giltines of periury, & there∣fore doe aunswer as I do. These be but gaye glorious woordes, {quod} my lorde Chauncelour, ful of hy∣pocrisie and vaine glory. And yet doest not thou knowe, {quod} he spea∣king to Bradforde, y^t I sit here as B. of Winchester in mine own di∣oces, and therefore maye doe this whiche I doe, and more too? My lord, {quod} 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 aunswe∣ring should consent to & confirme the practise of iurisdiccion for the B. of Rome here in Englād: and your honour shall heare me, geue you as flat and as plain answers

briefly, to whatsoeuer you shal de¦maund me: as euer any dyd. Here the lorde Chauncellor was won∣derfully offēded, and spake much, howe that the B. of Romes auc∣thoritie, nede no confirmacion of Bradfordes aunsweringe, nor no suche as he was. And turned hys talke to the people, howe y^t Brad∣forde followed craftye couetous marchauntes: which, because thei woulde lende no money to theyr neighbors, whē thei wer in nede: would say, that they had sworne ofte, they would neuer lende anye more money, because their credy∣tours had so ofte deceiued thē. E∣uē so thou ({quod} 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 cōmon welth,

pretende thine othe, whereby the people mighte make a conscience where as they shoulde not. Why speakest thou not? quoth he. My lord ({quod} 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 be∣twene othes. Some be according to faith and charitie, as y^e othe a∣gainst the B. of Rome. Some be agaīst faith and charitie, as this, to denye my help to my brother in his nede. Here again y^e lord Chā∣cellor was much offēded, stil say∣ing, that Bradford durst not an∣swere: and further made muche a do to proue, that y^e othe to y^e B. of Rome was against charitie. But Bradford answered, that how so euer hrs honor toke him, yet was

he, assured of his meanīg, that no feare but y^e feare of periury made him aferd to aunswere. For as for death my lord ({quod} he) as I knowe ther ar .12. houres in the day, so w^t y^e lord my time is appointed. And whē it shalbe his good tyme, then shall I departe hence. But in the meane season, {quod} he, I am safe y∣nough though al the worlde had sworne my death. Into his hādes I haue cōmitted it, his good will be done. And, {quod} Bradford, sauīg mine oth, I wil answer you in this behalf, that the othe agaīst the. B of Rome was not nor is not a∣gainst charitie. Howe proue you y^t, {quod} my lord Chācelor. Forsoth, {quod} 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 a∣gainst gods worde, therefore it is not against charitie. Is it not a∣gainst gods woorde, {quod} my Lorde Chancellour, that a man shoulde take a kyng, to be supreme heade of the church in his realme? No {quod} 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 at∣tributing to the kinges power, y^t soueraintie in all his dominions. I praye you, {quod} the lorde Chaun∣celour, where finde you that? I finde it in manye places, {quod} Brad∣forde, but specially in the .13. to the Romaines, where Saint Paule writeth: euery soule to be obediēt 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 ({quod} Bradforde) v∣pon the same place, whiche youre honor knoweth better then I. He (Chrisostome I meane) ther plain¦ly 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 Brad∣forde went about, to deny al obe∣dience to the Queene, for his oth, & so ({quod} he) this mā woulde make, gods woord a warrant of disobe∣dience. 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 for∣sworne, and so make the Queene

no Queene. No ({quod} Bradforde) I go not about to deny all obediēce to the Queenes highnes, by deni∣yng obedience in this part, yf shee shoulde demaunde it. For I was sworne to king Edward, not sim∣ply: that is, not onely concernyng his owne person, but also concer∣ning his successours. And there∣fore in denying to do the Quenes request herein, I denye not her au∣thoritie, nor become dishobedient. Yes, that doest thou ({quod} 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 for∣sworne thē. &c. Here Bradford de¦sired 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 con∣cernīg vowes as thei cal it, made to the bishop for mariage of prie∣stes. At these wordes y^e lord Chā∣celour was much offended, & said he did not trifle, but ({quod} he) thou goest about to denie obedience to the Queene, which now requireth obedience to the B. of Rome. No my lord ({quod} Bradford) I dooe not denye obedience to the Queene, yf you would discerne betwene genus and species. Because I may not o∣bey in this, to reason, ergo I maye not obey in the other, is not firme. As if a mā let one sel a pece of his inheritāce, yet this notw^tstādyng al his inheritāce is not let or sold. And so in this case, all obedyence

I denye not because I denie obe∣dience in this branche. I wil none of those similitudes said the lorde Chancellour. I would not vse thē ({quod} Bradforde) if that you wente not about to perswade y^e people, I meane that which I neuer mēt. For I my self, not onely meane o∣bedience, but wil geue ensample▪ of all most humble obedience to y^e Queenes highnes, so long as she requireth not obedience agaynste god. No no ({quod} my lorde Chaunce∣lour) al men maie perceiue wel i∣nough 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 them∣perour. It is true my Lorde ({quod} Bradforde) but the cases bee not like. For here is an excepciō: 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 ({quod} Bradford) I beseche your honour, remembre what ye youre selfe haue written, answeringe the obieccions here against, in youre boke de vera obedientia. Vincat mo∣do 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 er∣ronious doctrine in kynge Ed∣wardes tyme, against all men, & now ({quod} he) he saieth, he dare not

answer. I haue written no sedici∣ous letters ({quod} Bradforde) I haue not peruerted y^e people. But that which I haue writtē & spokē, y^t wil I neuer deny by gods grace. And wher your L. saith, I dare not an∣swer you: y^t al mē may know I am not afraid, sauīg 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 ({quod} he) into thy hands I cōmit it, come what come will: onelye sanctifie thy name in me, as in one instrumente of thy grace. Amen. Now aske what you wil ({quod} Bradford) & you shall se I am not afraid by gods grace, flat¦ly to answer. Well then ({quod} my lord Chauncelour) how say you to the blessed sacrament? do you not be∣leue,

there Christe to bee presente concernynge his naturall bodye? My lorde ({quod} Bradforde) I doe be∣leue Christ to be corporally presēt, in his sacrament duely vsed. Cor∣porally I say, that is, in such sorte as he woulde, I meane Christe is there corporally presēt vnto faith. Vnto faith ({quod} my lorde Chaunce∣loure) wee muste haue manye moe words to make it more plain. you shal so ({quod} Bradford) but first geue me leaue to speake twoo wordes. Speake on, quoth my lord Chan∣cellour. I haue bene now a yeare and almoste thre quarters in pry∣sone ({quod} Bradforde) and of all thys tyme, you neuer questyoned wyth me heare aboutes, when I myghte haue spoken my con∣scyence frankely, wythout peryll.

But nowe you haue a law to hāg vp and put to death, if a man an∣swer, freely and not to your appe∣tite. And so you nowe come to de∣maund this question. Ah my lord ({quod} Bradforde) Christe vsed not th••s waye to bring men to faythe. No more did the Prophets or the Apostles. Rembeēr what Barn∣arde writeth to Eugenius the Pope: Apostolos lego stetisse iudi∣candos, sedisse iudicantes non legi. Hoc erit illud fuit▪ &c. Here the Chā∣celor was appeased as it semed, & spake moste gentlye, that he vsed not this meanes. It was not my doyng, although some there be) {quod} he) that thinke this to be the beste waie. I for my parte ({quod} he) haue bene chalenged for being to gētle 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 Brad∣forde spake thus: My Lorde, {quod} 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 Card∣maker and Barlow hadde) sayd, that wyth all hys hearte not one∣ly he, but the Queenes highnesse woulde stretche oute mercye, yf wyth them hee woulde retourne. Retourne my Lord, quoth Brad∣forde, God saue me from that go∣yng 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 si∣thē, did I fele any gentlenes from you. I haue rather loked for, as I haue hitherto founde, extremitie. And ({quod} he) I thank God, I per∣ceue now, you haue kept me in pri¦son thus long, not for any matter you had, but for mater you would haue. Goddes good wil bee done. Here was now, diuerse, tellīg my lorde it was diner time, and so he rose vp, leauing Bradforde spea∣king, & sayīg, 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 a∣gayne to prisone: declaringe by his countenance great ioy in god: the whiche God increase in him.