Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

*To sir Iames Hales Knight, then prisoner in the Counter in Bredstreate.

THe God of mercy and father of all comfort, plentifully poure out vpon you and in you his mercye,* 1.1 and wyth his consolations comforte and strengthen you to the end, for his and our Christes sake, Amen.

Although, right worshipfull sir, many causes myght moue me to be content, with crying for you to your God and my God, that he woulde geue you grace to perseu••re well, as he hath right notably begunne to the great glory of his name, and comfort of all suche as feare him, as lacke of learning, of familiaritie, yea, acquayntance (for I think I am vnknown to you, both by face and name) and other such like thinges: yet I cannot content my selfe, but pre∣suming something to scrible vnto you, not that I thynke my scribling can do you good, but that I might declare my 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and compassion, loue, and effection I beare towardes your maistership, which is contented, yea desi∣rous

with vs poore misers, and to confesse Christes Go∣spell, in these perilous times and dayes of tryall. Oh Lord God how good art thou, which doest thus gleane out gra∣pes, I meane children for thy self, and brethren for Christ? Looke good M. Hales on your vocation: not many Iud∣ges,* 1.2 not many knightes, not myny landed men, not ma∣ny riche men: and wealthye to ••iue as you are, hath God chosen to suffer for his sake, as hee hath nowe done you. Certainely I dare say you thinke not so of your selfe, as though God were bound to preferre you, or had neede of you: but rather attribute this, as all good thinges, vnto his free mercy in Christ. Agayne, I dare say, that you be∣ing a wise man, doe iudge of thinges wisely, that is, con∣cerning this your Crosse,* 1.3 you iudge of it not after y^e world and people, which is magnus erro••is magister, nor after the iudgement of reason and worldly wisedome, which is foo∣lishnesse to faythe, nor after the present sense, to the which non videtur gaudij sed molesti••e, i. it seemeth not to bee ioy∣ous but greeuous, as Paule writeth: but after the worde of God, which reacheth youre Crosse to be, in respecte of your selfe betweene God and you,* 1.4 Gods chastising and your fathers correction, nurture, schoole, tryall, pathe∣way to heauen,* 1.5 glory and felicitie, and the furnace to cō∣sume the drosse, and mortify the relikes of old Adam whi∣che yet remayne, yea euen the framehouse to fashyon you like to the dearest sayntes of God here, yea Christ to the Sonne of GOD, that elswhere you might be like vnto him.

Now, concerning your crosse in respecte of the worlde betweene the world and you,* 1.6 Gods word teacheth it to be a testimonial of Gods truth, of hys prouidence, of his po∣wer, of his iustice, of his wisedome, of his anger agaynst sinne, of his goodnes, of his iudgement, of your faith and religion: so that by it you are to the world, a witnes of god one of his testes that hee is true, he ruleth all thinges, hee is iuste, wise, and at the length will iudge the worlde, and cast the wicked into perdition, but the godly he wil take & receiue into his eternall habitation. I know you iudge of thinges after faythes fetche, and the effectes or endes of thinges, and so you see aeternum pondus gloriae. i. An eter∣weight of glorye, whiche this Crosse shall bryng vnto you dum non spectas ea quae videntur,* 1.7 sed ea quae non videntur. i. While you looke not on thinges which are seene, but on the thinges which are not seene. Let the worldlinges way thinges,* 1.8 and looke vpon the affayres of men with theyr worldly and corporall eyes, as did many in subscription of the kinges last will, and therefore they did that, for the whiche, they beshrewed themselues: but let vs looke on thinges with other maner of eyes, as God be praysed you did, in not doyng that which you were desired, and driuē at to haue done. You then behelde thinges not as a man, but as a man of God, and so you do now in Religion, at y^e least hetherto you haue done, and that you might do so stil, I humbly beseeche and pray you, say with Dauid: Defece∣runt oculi mei in eloquium tuum,* 1.9 quando consolaberis me? i. Myne eyes fayle for thy word, saying: when wilt thou cō∣fort me? Though you be as vter in fumo. i. like a bottell in the smoke: (for I heare you want health) yet ne obliuisca∣ris iustificationes Dei. i. Do not forget the statutes of y^e Lord: but cry out, quot sunt dies serui tui•• quando facies de persequē∣tibus me iudicium? i. Howe many are the dayes o•• thy ser∣uaunt? when wilt thou execute iudgement on them that persecute me? And bee certayne quòd Dominus veniens veniet & non tardabit.* 1.10 Si moram fecerit, expecta illum. i. The Lord will surely come, and not stay: though he tary, wayt for him: for he is but ad momentum in ira sua, & vita in volun∣tate eius, Ad vesperam demorabitur fletus, & ad matutinum laetitia. i. He is but a while in his anger, but in his fauour is life, weepyng may abide at euening, but ioye commeth in y^e morning, Follow therfore Esayes counsayl: Abscon∣dere ad modicum,* 1.11 ad momentum, donec pertranseat indignatio eius, i. Hide thy selfe for a very little while, vntil the indig∣nation passe ouer, which is not indignatio in deede, but to our sense, and therfore in the 26. chapiter of Esay God saith of his Churche and people,* 1.12 that as hee keepeth night and day, so non est indignatio mihi. i. There is no anger in me, (sayth he.)

The mother sometime beateth the childe, but yet her hart melteth vppon it euen in the very beating,* 1.13 and there∣fore she casteth the rodde into the fire, and culleth the child geueth it an apple, and dandleth it most motherly. And to say the trueth, the loue of mothers to their children is but a trace to trayne vs to beholde the loue of God towardes vs,* 1.14 and therefore sayth he: can a mother forget the chylde of her wombe? As who say, no: but if she should so do, yet will not I forget thee, sayth the Lorde of hostes. Ah com∣fortable saying: I will not forget thee, sayth the Lord. In deede the children of God think oftentimes that God hath forgotten them, and therefore they cry: Ne abscondas faciem tuam â me. &c. i. Hide not thy face from me. &c. Ne de••elin∣quas me Domine. &c i. Leaue me not O Lorde. &c. Whereas in very trueth it is not so but to their present sense,* 1.15 and therefore Dauid sayd: Ego dixi in excessu meo, proiectus sum â facie tua. i. I sayd in my agony, I was cleane cast away from thy face. But was it so? Naye verely. Reade his Psalme and you shall see.* 1.16 So writeth he also in other pla∣ces very often, especially in the person of Christ, as when he sayth: Deus meus, Deus meus, vt quid derequisti me. i. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? he sayth not, vt quid derelinquis? i. Why doest thou forsake me? or, dere∣linques? i. Why wilt thou forsake me? but, vt quid dereliqui∣sti? Why hast thou forsaken me? Where in deede God had not lefte hym but that it was so to hys sense, & that thys Psalme telleth full well: which Psalme I pray you now and then reade, it is the 22. and thereto ioyne the 30. and the 116. with diuers other. The same we read in the Pro∣phet Esay in his 40. chapiter, where hee reprooueth Isra∣ell for saying, God had forgotten them. Nunquid nescis (sayth hee?) i. Knowest thou not? An non audiuisti? &c. i. Hast thou not heard? &c.* 1.17 Qui sperant in Domino mutabunt fortitudinē. i. They that trust in the Lord shall renue theyr strength. And in his 54. chapiter: Noli timere. &c. Ad pun∣ctum enim, in modico dereliqui te & in miserationibus magnis congregabo te. In momento indignationis obscondi faciem me∣am parumper â te, & in miserecordia sempiterna misertus sum tui, di xit redemptor tuus dominus. Nam istud erit mihi sicut a∣quae Noe. Vt enim iuraui ne porro aquae Noe pertransirent ter∣ram, sic iuraui vt non irascar tibi & non increpem te. Montes e∣nim comouebuntur & colles contremiscent, miserecordia au∣tem mea non recedet à te, & foedus pacis meae non mouebitur, dixit miserator tuus Dominus. i. Feare not. &c. For a little while I haue forsaken thee, but with great compassion will I gather thee. For a moment in mine anger I hyd my face from thee, for a little season: but in euerlastyng mercy haue I had compassion on thee, sayth the Lorde thy redeemer. For this is vnto me, as the waters of Noe. For as I haue sworne that the waters of Noe should no more goe ouer the earth, so haue I sworne that I would not be angry w^t thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountaynes shal remoue, and hilles shall fall downe, but my mercye shall not departe from thee, neyther shall the couenaunte of my peace fall awaye, sayth the Lorde, that hath compas∣sion on thee.

But the scriptures are full of suche sweete places to them that will portare iram domini & expectare salutem & auxilium eius. i. Beare the wrathe of the Lorde,* 1.18 and waye for his health and helpe. As of all temptations this is the greatest, that God hathe forgotten, or will not helpe vs through the pykes, as they say: so of all seruices of God, this liketh hym y^e best, to hope assuredly on him & for hys helpe alwayes, whiche is adiutor in tribulationibus. i. An helper in tribulations,* 1.19 and doth more gloriously shew his power by suche as be weake, and feele themselues so. For quo infirmiores sumus, eo sumus in illo robustiores. Sic oculi domini. i. The weaker we are, the more stronge we are in hym. Thus the eyes of the Lord be on them that tremble and feare. Voluntatem eorum faciet: i. hee will accomplishe their desire: he is with them in their trouble, hee will de∣liuer them. Antequam clamauerint exaudit eos. i. before they cry, he heareth them, as all the scriptures teach vs. To the reading whereof and hartye prayer, I hartily com∣mend you, beseechyng almighty God, that of his eter∣nall mercies hee woulde make perfecte the good hee hathe begunne in you, and strengthen you to the ende, that you might haue no lesse hope, but much more, of hys helpe to your comforte nowe agaynst your enemies, then already he hathe geuen you agaynst. N. for not subscry∣bing to the kinges will.

Be certayne, be certayne good M. Hales, that all the heares of your head your deare father hath numbred, so that one of them shall not pearishe: your name is written in the booke of lyfe. Therefore vpon God cast all your care whiche will comforte you with his eternall consolations, and make you able to goe through the fire (if neede bee) whiche is nothing to be compared to the fire where into our enemies shall fall and lye for euer: from the whiche the Lorde deliuer vs, though it be through temporall fire, which must be construed according to the ende and profite that commeth after it: so shall it then not muche deare vs to suffer it for our mayster Christes cause, the whiche the Lord graunt for his mercies sake. Amen.

From the kings Bench.

Your humble Iohn Bradford.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Another letter of M. Bradford to Syr Iames Hales Knight.
• * 1.2

  How God gleaneth out his people.
• * 1.3

  The worlde, people, and wordly wise∣dome are euill iudges of things spirituall.
• * 1.4

  Heb. 12.
• * 1.5

  Prayse of the Crosse.
• * 1.6

  The Crosse ma∣keth vs witnes∣ses to God, wherein and in what thinges.
• * 1.7

  1. Cor. 4.
• * 1.8

  Subscribing to K. Edwardes will.
• * 1.9

  Psalm. 119.
• * 1.10

  Aba. 2. Psalm. 30.
• * 1.11

  Esay. 26.
• * 1.12

  Esay. 26.
• * 1.13

  Gods loue in our corrections.
• * 1.14

  Esay. 49.
• * 1.15

  Psalm. 25.
• * 1.16

  Psalm. 90▪ 98.37. & •••• Psalm. 31. Psalm. ••2.
• * 1.17

  Esay. 40.
• * 1.18

  Math. ••.
• * 1.19

  1. Cor. •••• Psalm. 1••