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 mine owne deare brother M. Laurence Saunders, prisoner in the Marshalsee.

MY good brother, I beseech our good and gracious Father, al¦wayes to cōtinue his gracious fauor & loue towards vs, & by vs, as by instruments of his grace, to work his glory &, the cō∣fusion of his aduersaryes.* 1.1 Ex ore infantium & lactentium fundet laudem ad destruendum inimicum. &c. Amen. 1. Out of the mouth of infantes and babes, he will shew forth his prayse to destroy the enemy. &c.

I haue perused your letters to my selfe, and haue read them to others. For aunswere whereof, if I should write what Doctor Taylor, and Mayster Philpot doe thinke, then must I say that they thinke, the Salt sent vnto vs by your * 1.2 frende is vnseasonable. And in deede I thinke they both will declare it hartely, if they shoulde come before them. As forme, if you woulde knowe what I thinke (my good and most deare brother Laurence) be∣cause I am so sinnefull and so conspurcate (the Lord knoweth I lye not) with many greuous sinnes (which I hope are washed a∣way Sanguine Christi nostri) I neither canne nor woulde bee consulted withall, but as a sypher in Agrime. How be it, to tell you how and what I minde, take this for a summe: I pray GOD in no case I may seeke my selfe, and in deede (I thank•• GOD therefore) I purpose it not. Quod reliquum est Domino Deo meo committo, & spero in illum, quod ipse faciet iuxta hoc: Iacta in Dominum curam▪ &c. Omnis cura vestra coniecta sit in illum. &c. Reuela Domino viam tuam & spera. &c. Sperantem in Domino misericordia circundabit. i. That which remayneth, I commit to my Lord God: and I trust in him, that he will doe ac∣cording to this: Cast thy care on the Lord. &c Cast all your care vpon him. &c. Reueale vnto the Lord thy way, and trust. &c. Who that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compasse him about. I didde not, nor do not knowe, but by your Letters, quod cras wee shall come, coram nobis. Mine owne heart, stick still to dabitur vobis. Fidelis enim est Dominus, dabit in tentatione euentum quo pos∣sumus sufferre. Nouit Dominus pios é tentatione ••ripere. &c. O vtinam pius ego essem. Nouit Dominus in die tribulationis sperantes in se. &c. i. It shall be geuen you &c. For the Lorde is faythfull. He will in tentation make away that ye may be able to beare it. The Lord knoweth how to rid out of tentation the god∣ly. &c. O woulde God I were godly. The Lord knoweth howe to deliuer out of tentation suche as trust in him. &c. I canne no•• thinke that they will offer any kinde of indifferent, or meane con∣ditiōs: for if we wil not adorare bestiā, we neuer shalbe deliuered, but agaynst theyr will, thinke I, God our father & gracious Lord, make perfecte the good he hath begunne in vs. Faciet mi••••••ter,

charissime frater, quem in intimis visceribus habeo ad conuiuē∣dum & commoriendum. O si tecum essem. Hee will doe it my brother, my deare brother, whom I haue in my inward bowels to liue and dye with. O if I were with you. Pray for me mine owne hart roote in the Lord.

For euer your owne, Iohn Bradford.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A letter of M. Bradford to M. Sau••••ders.
• * 1.2

  This frie•••• moued 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the Pa••pistes art••••cles with this cond••••tion: so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 agaynst Gods word being in deede cleane co••••trary to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and yet shortly 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he valiant•••• suffred death for refusing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 same. Psal. 54. Psalm. 36▪ Psalm. 3••. Math. 10. 1. Cor 10▪ 2. Pet. 1. Nahum. ••.