Two notable sermons. Made by that worthy martyr of Christ Maister Iohn Bradford, the one of repentance, and the other of the Lordes supper neuer before imprinted. Perused and allowed according to the Queenes Maiesties iniunction

¶TO THE CHRI∣stian Reader Iohn Brad∣forde wysheth the true knowlsdge and peace of Iesus Christ, our alone and omni sufficient Sa∣uiour.

GReat and heauy, is Gods anger against vs, as the most greeuous plague of the death of our late King (a Prince of all that euer was sithē Christs ascension into heauē, in any Region peereles) now fallen vpō vs, doth prognosticate For when Gods iudgement hath begun with his Childe this our deare dearlyng, let other men thinke as they can, I surely cannot be perswaded otherwise, but that a gree∣uous and bitter cup of Gods vengeane∣is ready to be poured out for ve English men to drinke of. The whelpe God hath beaten to fray the bandeg. Iudge∣ment is begun at Gode house, In Gods mercy to himwardes he is taken away

that his eyes should not sée the miseries which we shall feele. He was to good to tary with vs so wicked, so froward, so * 1.1 peruers, so obstinate, so malicious, so hipocriticall, fo couetous, vncleane, vn∣true, proude, and carnall a generation. I wyll not go about to paynt vs out in our colours. All the world which neuer saw England, by hearesay seeeth Eng∣land. God by his plagues and venge∣aunce, I feare me, wyll paynt vs out, and point vs out. We haue so mocked with him and his Gospel, that we shall féele it is no bourding with him.

¶ Of long tyme we haue couered our couetousnes and carnalitie vnder the cloke of his Gospell, so that all men shal see vs to our shame when he shall take his Gospel away & geue it to a people y^• wil bring forth y^• fruites of it: then shal we appeare as we be. To let his Gos∣pel tary with vs, he cannot, for we de∣spise it, contemne it, are giu••ted with it. We disdaine his Manna: it is but a vile meate, thinke we. We would be againe in Egypt, and s••t by the greasy steshpots, to eute againe our Garlike Onions, and Léekes. ••ithens Gods

Gospell came amongest vs, we say now he had neuer plenty, therefore againe let vs go and woyrship the Queene of heauen. Chyldren begynne to gather * 1.2 stickes, the Fathers kindle the fire, and the women make the cakes to offer to the Quéene of heauen, & to prouoke the Lord to anger. The earth cannot abide now the wordes & Sermons of Anios: the cause of all rebelliou is Amos & his * 1.3 preaching. It is Paule and his felowes that makes all out of order. Sumnia, the Gospel is now 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and * 1.4 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the out cast & eursse of the Realme, & so are the Preachers: therefore out of the doores with them. So that I say, God cannot let his Gos∣pell tary with vs, but must néedes take it away to do vs some pleasure therein: for so shall we thinke for a tyme. as the Sodomitanes thought when Lot depar¦ted frō them: as the ol•• world thought * 1.5 when Noe crept into his Arke: as the Ierosolomitanes thought whē the Apo∣stels went thence to P••••tis. Then w••r they mery, then was at pastime. When Moises was absent, then went they to eating and drinking, and rose againe •••• * 1.6

play. Then was all peace, all was wel, nothing amysse. But alas, sodainlye came the floud and drowned them. Gods wrath wared hote against them. Then was weale away, mourning and woe, then was crying out, wringing of hands, renting of clothes, sobbing and fighyng for the miseries fallen, out of the which they could not scape. But oh ye mourners and cryers out, ye renters of clothes, why mourne ye? What is the cause of your misery? The Gospell is gone, Gods word is little preached, you were not disquieted with it: Noe troubleth you not, Lot is departed, the Apostels are gone. What uow is the cause of these your miseries? Wyl you at the length confesse it is your syunes? Nay now it is to late, God called vpon you, and you would not heare him, ther∣fore yell and cry out nowe, for he wyll not heare you. You bowed your eares from hearing of Gods law, therefore your praier is execrable.

But to come againe to vs English∣men, I feare me I say, for our vnthauk∣fulues sake, for our impietie and wye∣ednes, as God hath taken away our

King, so wyll he take away his Gospel: yea so we would haue it, then should all be well, thinke many. Well, if he take that away, for a tyme perchaunce we shall be qutel, but at length we shall féele the want to our wee, at length he wyll haue at vs, as at Sodeme, at Ie∣rusalem, and other places. And now he beginneth to brue such a bruing, wher∣in one of vs is lyke to destroy an other, and so make an open gappe for forren enemies to deuour vs, and destroy vs. The father is agaynst the sonne, the brother against the brother, and Lord with what conscience? Oh be thou mer¦cyfull vnto vs, and in thine anger re∣member thy mercy, suffer thy selfe to be intreated, be reconciled vnto vs, nay reconcile vs vnto thée. Oh thou God of iustice, iudge iustly, oh thou Sonne of God which camest to destroy the works of Satan, destroy hys furours nowe smoking, and almost set on fyre in this Realme. We haue syuned, we haue synned, and therefore art thou angry, O be not angry for euer. Geue vs peace, peace peace in the Lord: set vs to w•••• against synne, against Satan, against

our carnall desires, and geue vs the vic∣tory this way. Thys victorye we ob∣tayne by faith. This faith is not with∣out repentaunce, as her Gentlemau Us¦sher before her. Before her, I say, in disceruing true fayth from false faith, ••yp faith, Englishmens faith: for els if springs out of true faith.

Thys Ussher then Repentaunce if we truly possessed, we should be certain of true faith, and so assured of the victo∣rie our death, hell, and Sathan. Hys workes then which he hath styred vp would quaile, God would restore vs po∣litike peace, right should be right and haue right, Gods Gospell should tary with vs, religion should be cherished, superstition suppressed, and so we yet something happy, notwithstanding the great losse of our most gracious Liege soueraine Lord. All these would come to passe you sae, if the Gentleman vssher I speake of, I meane Repentance, were at Inne with vs. As if he be absent, we may be certaine that Lady Faith is ab∣sent. Wherfore we cannot but be van quished of the world, the flesh, and the Deuill, and so wyll Sathans woorkes

prosper, though not in althings to blear our eles, yet in that thing which he most of al desyreth. Therfore to repentaunce for our selues priuately, and for the Realme & Church publikely, euery one shuld labour to styrre vp both our selues and others. This, to the end that for my part I might help, I haue presently put forth a sermon of Repentance, which hath lien by me halfe a yeare at the least for the most part of it. For the last som∣mer as I was abroade preaching in the countrey, my chaunce was to make a Sermon of repentance, the which was earnestly of diuers desired of me, that I should geue it them written, or els put it forth in print. The which thing to graunt, as I could not (for I had not written it) so I told them that had so earnestly desired it. But when no nay would serue, but I must promise them to write it as I could: I consented to ther request, that they should haue it at my leasure. This leasure I prolonged so long, that as (I weene) & offended them: so did I please my selfe, as one more glad to reade other mens wry∣tinges, then in such sort to publish mine

own for other men to reade: not that I woulde others not to profyt by me, but that I knowing how sclender my score is, would be loth for the enemies to haue iust occasion of euyll speakyng and wresting that which simply is spo∣ken. But when I considered this pre∣sent time, to occasion men now to looke vpon althinges in such sorte as might moue them to godlines, rather then to any curious questioning, I for the satis¦fying of my promise, and profyting of the simple ignoraunt and rude, haue now caused this Sermon to be printed: the which I besech God for his Christes sake, to vse as a meane whereby of his mercy it may please him to worke in me and many others true hartye repentaunce for our sinnes, to the glory of his name.

Thus fare thou well in the Lord

The .x••. of July 1553.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hebr. 11.
• * 1.2

  Iere. 44. Iere. 7.
• * 1.3

  Amos. 7.
• * 1.4

  Acte. 17.
• * 1.5

  Gene. 19. Gene. 6.
• * 1.6

  Exod 2