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 Maistresse Hall prisoner in Newgate and readye to make aunswer before her aduersaries.

OVr most mercifull God and father through Christ Iesus our Lord and Sauiour be merciful vnto vs,* 1.1 and make perfect the good he hath begon in vs vnto the end. Amen.

My deare Sister reioyce in the Lord, reioyce: be glad (I say) be mery and thankefull, not onely because Christ so commaun∣deth vs, but also because our state wherein we are presently, re∣quireth no lesse, for we are the Lordes witnesses. God the father hath vouched safe to chose vs amongst many, to witnesse and te∣stifie, that Christ his sonne is kyng, & that his word is true. Christ our Sauiour for his loues sake towards vs, will haue vs to beare record that he is no vsurper nor deceiuer of the people, but gods Embassadour, Prophet, and Messias: so that of all dignities vpon earth▪ this is the highest. Greater honor had not his Prophets, A∣postles,* 1.2 nor dearest friends then to beare witnesse with Christ as we now do. The world followyng the counsaile of their Sire Sa∣than, would gladly condemne Christ and his veritie: but lo the Lord hath chosen vs to be his champions to let this. As stout sol∣diours therefore let vs stand to our maister, who is with vs and standeth on our right hand that we shall not be much mooued, if we hope and hang on his me••cy: he is so faythfull and true, that he wil neuer tempt vs further then he wil make vs able to beare.

Therfore be not carefull (for I heare say this day you shall be called forth) what you shall aunswer.* 1.3 The Lord which is true and cannot lye, hath promised and will neuer faile nor forget it, that you shall haue both what and how to aunswer, so as shal make hys shameles aduersaries ashamed. Hang therefore on this promise of God, who is an helper at a pinch and a most present remedy to them that hope in him Neuer was it heard of or shall be, that any hoping in the Lord was put to foile.

Therfore as I sayd, I say agayne, Deare Sister be not only not carefull for your answeryng, but also be ioyfull for your cause. Confesse Christ and be not ashamed, and he will confesse you & neuer bee ashamed of you. Though losse of goodes and lyfe bee like here to ensue.* 1.4 Yet if Christ be true (as hee is most true) it is otherwyse in deede: For he that looseth his lyfe (sayth he) win∣neth it, but he that saueth it, looseth it. Our sinnes haue deser∣ued many deathes. Nowe if God so deale with vs that hee wyll make our deserued death a demonstratio•• of his grace, a testi∣moniall of hys veritie, a confirmation of hys people, and ouer∣throwe of hys aduersaries: What great cause haue wee to bee thankefull? Be thankefull therefore good Sister, bee thankefull. Reioyce and be mery in the Lord, be stoute in his cause & qua∣••ell, be not faynt harted, but runne out your race, and set your captaine Christ before your eyes. Beholde howe great your 〈1 page missing〉〈1 page missing〉

a small congregation?

But be it so that Peter had as much geuen to him as they do affirme· Who yet will graunt that Peter had a patrimony geuen for his heires? He hath left (say the Papists) to his successors the selfe ••ame right which he receyued.* 1.5 Oh Lord God, then must hys successor be a Sathan: for hee receyued that title of Christ hym∣selfe. I would gladly haue the Papistes to shew me one place of succession mentioned in the Scriptures I am sure that whē Paule purposely painteth out the whole administration of the church, he neither maketh one head, nor any inheritable Primacie, & yet he is altogether in commendation of vnitie. After he hath made mention of one God the father▪ of one Christ, of one spirit, of one body of the Church, of one fayth, and of one Baptisme, then hee describeth the meane and maner how vnitie is to be kept: name∣ly, because vnto euery pastour is grace geuen after the measure wherwith Christ hath endued them Where I pray you is now a∣ny title of Plenitudinis potestatis, of fulnesse of power? When he calleth home euery one vnto a certayne measure, why did he not forthwith say one Pope? Which thing he could not haue for∣gotten, if the thyng had bene as the Papists make it.

But let vs graunt that perpetuitie of the Primacye in the church was established in Peter: I would gladly learne why the seat of the Primacy should be rather at Rome then elswhere. Ma∣ry say they, because Peters chaire was at Rome. This is euen lyke to this, that because Moses the greatest Prophet, and Aaron the first Priest exercised their offices vnto their death in the deserte, therfore the principallest place of the Iewish Church, should bee in the wildernesse. But graunt them their reason that it is good. What should Antioch claime? For Peters chaire was there also, wherin Paule gaue hym a checke, which was vnseemely and vn∣manerly done of Paule, that would not geue place to his Presi∣dent and better.

No say the Papistes, Rome must haue this authoritie because Peter died there But what if a man should by probable conie∣ctures shew, that it is but a fable, which is fained of Peters Bisho∣prike at Rome? Read how Paule doth salute very many priuate persons when he writeth to the Romaines. Three yeres after his Epistle made, he was broght to Rome prisoner. Luke telleth that he was receiued of the brethren,* 1.6 and yet in all these, is no menti∣on at all of Peter, which then by their stories was at Rome. Be∣like he was proud as the Pope and Prelates be, or els he woulde haue visited Paule. Paule beyng in prison in Rome, did write di∣uers Epistles, in which hee expresseth the names of many whiche were in comparison of Peter, but rascall personages, but of Peter he speaketh neuer a word Surely, if Peter had bene there, this si∣lence of hym had bene suspicious.* 1.7 In the 2. Epistle to Tim. Paule complaineth that no man was with hym in his defence, but al had left hym.* 1.8 If Peter had bene then at Rome, as they write, then ey∣ther Paule had belied hym, or Peter had played his Peters part. Luke. 23. In another place, how doth he blame all that were with h••m, only Timothy excepted? Therfore we may wel doubt whe∣ther Peter was at Rome B. as they prate: for all this tyme & long before, they say that Peter was bishop there.

But I will not stirre vp coles in this matter. If Rome bee the chiefe seate because Peter died there, why should not Antioch be the second? Why should not Iames & Iohn which were taken with Peter to be as pillers.* 1.9 Why (I say) shoulde not their seates haue honor next to Peters seate? Is not this geare preposterous, that Alexandria where Marke (which was but one of the disci∣ples) was bishop, should be preferred before Ephesus where Iohn the Euangelist taught and was bishop, and before Ierusalē, where not only Iames taught and died bishop, but also Christ Iesus our Lord & high priest for euer, by whom beyng Maister (I hope) ho∣nour should be geuen to his chaire,* 1.10 more thē to the chaire of his Chaplaines.

I need to speake nothyng how that Paule telleth Peters A∣postleship to concerne rather circumcision or the Iewes, & ther∣fore properly pertaineth not to vs. Neither do I need to bring in Gregorius the first bishop of Rome, which was about the yere of our Lord.* 1.11 600. who plainly in his works doth write, that this ti∣tle of Primacy, & to be head ouer all churches vnder Christ, is a title meete and agreyng only to Antichrist, and therfore he cal∣leth it a prophane, a mischieuous and an horrible title. Whome should we beleeue now, if we will neyther beleeue Apostle nor Pope.

* 1.12If I should go about to tel how this name was first gotten by Phocas, I should be too long. I purpose God willing to set it forth at large in a worke which I haue begun of Antichrist, if God for his mercies sake geue me life to finish it. For this present there∣fore I shall desire your Ladyship to take this in good part. If they wil needs haue the B. of Rome to be acknowledged for the head of the Church, then will I vrge them that they shall geue vs a bi∣shop. But they obtrude vnto vs a butcher rather, or a bitesheepe, then a Bishop. They brag of Peters succession, of Christes vicare, this is alwayes in theyr mouth. But alas, how can we call hym Christes Vicare that resisteth Christ, oppugneth his veritie, per∣secuteth hys people, and lyke a Prelate preferreth himselfe a∣boue God and man? How, or wherein doth the Pope and Christ agree? How supplieth hee Peters ministery, that boasteth of hys succession?

Therfore to beginne withall, which I will vse presently for a conclusion,* 1.13 if the Papists will haue the B. of Rome supreme head of the Churche of Christ in earth, they must afore they attayne this, g••ue vs a Bishop in deed, and not in name. For whosoeuer he be that will make this the bond of vnitie, whatsoeuer the Bi∣shop of Rome be, surely this must needes folow, that they do no∣thyng els but teach a most wicked defection, and departing from Christ.

But of this (if God lend me lyfe) I purpose to speake more at large hereafter. Now will I betake your Ladyship vnto the tui∣tion of God our father, and Christ our onely head pastour & kee∣per, to whom see that you cleaue by true fayth which dependeth onely vpon the word of God, which if you doe follow as a lan∣terne to your feete, and a light to your steps, you shall thē auoyd darkenes, and the daungerous deepes whereinto the Papists are fallen by the iust iudgement of God, and seeke to bryng vs into the same dungeon with them, that the blynd following the blind they both mayfall into the ditch: out of the which God deliuer them accordyng to hys good will, and preserue vs for his names sake, that we beyng in his lyght, may continue therein, and walke in it whilest it is day: so shall the night neuer ouerpresse vs, wee goyng from lyght to lyght, from vertue to vertue, from fayth to fayth, from glory to glory, by the gouernaunce of Gods good spirite, which God our father geue vnto vs all for euer and euer. Amen.

Your brother in bondes for the testimonye of Iesus Christ, Ioh. Bradford.

Here followeth another letter of M. Bradford, to one Richard Hopkins, shiriffe sometimes of Couentry,* 1.14 & yet beyng (as I heare say) alyue. This Hopkins whom M. Bradford commendeth so much in this letter, duryng the tyme of his shiri••ealtie, was detected and accused by cer∣taine malignant aduersaries, of matter pertaing to religi∣on. What matter it was, I am not yet certainly informed, vnles it were for sending and lendyng vnto a theefe being then in prison ready to be hanged, a certain English booke of scripture for his spirituall comfort.

Whereupon, or els vpon some such like matter, he be∣ing maliciously accused, was sent for and committed to the Fleete, and there endured a sufficient tyme, not wythout great perill of lyfe. Notwithstandyng, the sayd Hopkins beyng at length deliuered out of prison, followyng thys counsaile of M. Bradford, and mindyng to keepe his con∣science pure from Idolatry, was driuen with his wife and 8. yong children, to auoyde the realme, and so leauyng all other worldly respects, with his great losse and dammage went into high Germany, where he contiued in the Citie of Basill, till the death of Queene Mary, being like a good Tobias, to his power a frendly helper, and a comfortable relieuer of other Englishe exiles there about him: Gods holy blessing so working with hym therefore, that in those far countries, neither he fell in any great decay, neither a∣ny one of all his houshold, during all that tyme there mis∣caried, but so many as he brought out, so many he recari∣ed home againe, yea & that with aduantage, and gods plē∣ty withall vpon him. Now the letter written to this Ri∣chard Hopkins by M. Bradford, is this.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An other letter of M. Bradford to Mistres Hall. Math. 5.
• * 1.2

  The bloud of Martyrs stand∣eth for the veri∣ty of Christ a∣gaynst the world & Sa••hā, who would suppresse the same.
• * 1.3

  The Lord pro∣miseth and will geue them that stand in his de∣fence, how and what to aun∣swere.
• * 1.4

  A blessed thing seeing a man must needes dye, to dye for the Lord.
• * 1.5

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• * 1.6

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• * 1.7

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• * 1.8

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• * 1.9

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• * 1.10

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• * 1.11

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• * 1.12

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• * 1.13

  The Bishop of Rome seemeth in deede rather a Butcher then a Bishop.
• * 1.14

  He wrote also an other fruite∣full letter to this Richard Hop∣kins▪ which you may read in the booke of letters of the Martyrs.