The Dead Yet Speaking, Biography 29
IOHN BRADEFORD
The Life and Death of John Bradford.
NExt to this last mad Septenary of unchristian liberty, and unparalled distractions, the Devill never seem'd to injoy more chaine in this Ki…gdome, then in the time of Queene Mary: wherein, laying hold on the weaknesse and super…ticion of a silly woman, bred up in Popery; and by reason of the bar interpos'd betwixt her and the Crowne, by her Royall Brother Edward the sixt, wholly subjected to the violent and bloody counsels of that faction, which finally prevailed in her restitution and establishment; he kindled more Bonefires in the space of three or four yeer…s in England then the world had at any time beheld, in so few yeeres, and in one Kingdome, since the last of the first …en Persecutions. I dare not upon Master Foxes bare report (who was somtimes, and perhaps of purpose, by the adversaries themselves, miserably abus'd in hi… informations) acknowledge all for Martyrs, whom I finde in his Catalogue. But what will Stapleton or any other Papist get by that? The Church of Engla…d, as it was of late reformed, & the Reformation by Law established, hath produced & added as many genuine, knowing & valiant Champions to that Noble Army, as wi…hin these thousand yeers, any Church in Christendome: which is glory enough, without hooking in either Heretique or Schismatique, or any other, who suffered for nothing lesse then well doing. And from a chiefe place amongst those holy men, and witnesse… to the truth of the Gospell of Iesus Christ, all Stapletons exceptions, bitter rayling, and intemperat scoffes, can not, ought not, exclude this blessed Saint and servant of God, Iohn Bradford; as shall evidently appeare to as many, as wi…hout prejudice shall peruse, and pondor his insuing History; which God willing we will drive throuh the whole Course of his life, from his Birth to his Martyrdome: But to take our rise from his Birth.
He was borne in Manchester, the quality of his Parent… (though their meanes be not recorded) may be easily gathered by his Education, which was the best that either that place, or those times could …fford; for he arrived very early at the knowledge of the Latin Tongue: and for Ari…hmaticke, he had few equals in those parts, both which b…ing adorn'd, and helped forward by a faire, and speedy hand, he became fit for imployment abroad, before any great notice was taken of him at home: which moved Sir Iohn Harrington, a noble Knight, and in good esteem both with King Henry the eight, and his Son Edward the sixt, to assume him into the number of his fellowes: and imploy him in his most private and and urgent affaires both at home and abroad. For at Bulloigne he was Treasurer at warres, and here he had the charge and oversight of all his Majesties buildings: In both imployments, he found the service of young Bradford (who besides his honesty and diligence, had a notable dexterity in casting up, and Auditing accoumpts) of such importance, that where ever he imploy'd him, he committed all to his trust, and own'd whatsoever he did, as immediatly done by himselfe. And truly therein he more …avored himselfe, then Bradford, who in the whole course of his imployment, so acquitted himselfe, as it is hard to determine, whether therein he used greater diligence, or integrity. But having spent diverse yeeres in this honest and thrifty course of life; wherein if he had persisted, he was in a faire way both of wealth and worship: he began to Elevate his thoughs above these temporary things, and aspire to a service lesse profitable, but much more honorable: wherefore making up his accoumpts with his Master (who neither would nor could diswade him from what he had once resolved) he gave himselfe wholly to the study of Divinity, and reading of the Scriptures. But perceiving how usefull and necessary a Hand-maid Humanity is to Divinity, and how short he came of those Tongus and Sciences, without which it was improbable, if not impossible for him, to attaine any perfection in the noblest, and most supereminent of all other Sciences, at which he chiefely aimed: leaving the Temple at London, where he usually bestowed some few houres every day in hearing the Reader of the Common-Law; he betooke himselfe to the University of Cambridge, as neither able nor desirous, to suppresse that which inwardly moved him, to fit himselfe for an able workman in a more spirituall building. After a yeere and some few moneths spent in the University, he attained his degree of Master in Arts, whereunto others are hardly admitted, after long examination, and seven yeeres painfull study: But such was his Carriage, diligence and profeciency, that this favour, though extraordinary and insolent, was thought well bestowed upon him by the whole University: And least any man may thinke, it was rather (out of Charity) defer'd to his yeeres, then abilities: he was immediatly hereafter, without any interposall of time, chosen Fellow, of Pembrooke Hall: which first brought him to the eye, and afterwards to the bosome, of that learned and notable stickler in the reformation, Martin Bucer, by whom he was again encouraged, and stir'd up to the worke of the Ministry; not that he found him stagger in his Resolution, or fall from his principles: but because the greater measure of knowledge he attained, the longer he defered the performance of his promise, as ever thinking himselfe, the more insufficient for so high and laborious a Calling: Being one time (amongst many) moved by Bucer, to defer the imployment of his Talent no longer, and he pretending (as formerly) his present inability. If thou canst not attaine unto Manchett (said Bucer) mayest thou not therefore feed this poore and Soul starved People with Barly loaves; which proceeding from a man he so sincerely lov'd, and upon whose j…dgment he so much relyed; made him lay aside all his former tergiversations, and in good earnest buckle himselfe to the worke: But because no man can take upon him that function, unlesse he be called, as was Aaron; though he doubted not of his inward vocation by God, yet would he by no meanes thrust his shickle into that sacred harvest, before he was called by the Church, and seperated thereunto by Imposi…ion of Hands: which, with a Licence to Preach, and a Prebe…d in S…int Pauls, he obtained from that renowned Bishop, and glorio … Martyr, Doctor Ridley, Bishop of London: For three yeeres together, he Preached faithfully and diligently, in season and out of season; being a sharpe and impartiall reprover of vice, a vehement exhorter to vertue, no man opposing Heresies with greater animosity, or asserting the truth with more evidence and perspicuity: whereby his fame spread it self almost over the whole kingdome; And yet all this was but an Introduction, to that which followed. For King Edward the sixt (of blessed Memory) expiring with the last of these three yeeres: and his sister Queen Mary, contrary the his last will and Testament, advanced to the Crown, though not without some opposition, which she easily overcame: he was suddenly deprived both of his livelyhood and and liberty, upon an occasion which deserved much rather reward then punishment: And this it was:
In the first yeere of the Queenes Raigne, and not long after her Coronation, Master Bourne, who was shortly thereafter by the favour of Secretary Bourne, consecrated Bishop of Bath and Wels, made a most invective and seditious Sermon at Pauls Crosse: wherein he not onelyonly cast dirt upon his late deceased King Edward the sixt, but vented and maintained many Popish tents, contrary to the orthodox Religion then established: which drove the Common People into such a fury & tumult, that neither the reverence of the place, the perswasion of the Bishop, nor the authority and presence of the Lord Major, could stop them from pulling him out of the Pulpit; gladly he would have ended his Sermon, (for belike his greatest strength and confidence to lead his auditors hood winkt into their old Mumpsimus, lay in his peroration) but perceiving by a drawne dagger, (which amongst other implements) was flung at him, and missed him but very narrowly, that the multitude were in good earnest, and his life in jeoperdy, he turned himselfe about, and perceived Master Bradford standing at his backe within the Pulpit; whom he earnestly intreated to supply his place, and save his life, by pacifying the People. He no sooner appeared in the others room, but the people joyfully ingeminated with a loud voice, Bradford Bradford: and by that time he had a little inlarged himselfe in the point of obedience, the Tumult seemed more then halfe appeased. But the Sermon ended and Bourne (as he had reason) not yet daring to commit himselfe to the so lately inraged multitude, notwithstanding he was back'… by the Lord Major and Sheriffs, besought Master Bradford not to leave him, untill he brought him into some place of security; whereunto he willingly consented, and when the multitude (for the greater part) were dispersed, under the covert of his owne gowne, he conveighed him into the next house, which was the Scholemasters; effecting that by the Word, which the Major could not doe for him by the Sword: many were …ore grieved at his escape; and some stuck not to Prophesie (I know not by what Spirit) that by saving this wiling Rashaketh from death, he had given a deadly blow to his owne life. Howsoever Bradford, committed the issue to almighty God, nothing repented his Charity, which he was sure would finde, reward with him, what acceptance soever it found amongst wicked and unthankfull men; yea so far was he from being afraid or sorry for what he had done, that in his afternoones Sermon at Bow Church, he sharply reprehended his Auditors, for their forenoones tumultuous Carriage and sedition: And yet such was the malice of the common adversary, and iniquity of the times, that about three dayes after, for this very fact he was summoned to appeare before the Councell, and by the Lords Committed to the Tower, from whence within few weeks, they removed him to the Kings Bench; where (through th… Keepers connivance) he had often conference with Master Laurence Saunders, at that time a prisoner in the Marshalsey. Bishop Farrar he found in the Kings Bench before him, where having indured a close and tedious imprisonment, he began at length, through humane infirmity, to recoyle in the point of Transubstantiation, in so much that he undertooke to Communicate under one Kinde at Easter following. But Bradford dealt so effectually with him, that he revok'd this promise, and resumed his former principles. His occasions of escape were as many as the dayes of his imprisonment, whereby any man may see, to save in life, he wovld not break his word with his Keepers; being asked what course he would take, if God should deliver him out of prison: he said, he would not fly o…t of the Kingdome, but there Preach, though secretly, as the times would per…it him. During his long restraint, he was oftentimes examined; first by the Lords of the Councell at what time he was clapt up in the Tower; which was in August 1553. but of that examination there is nothing now extant, except onelyonly one passage repealed in the second. After that by the Bishop of Winchester Lord Chancellor of England, and other select Commissioners, Ianuary 22. 1555. The things laid to his charge were principally these: That he was the Author of the tumult at Bournes Sermon, because (forsooth) he so readily and dextrously appeased the same: That he presumed to Preach without Licence, though he had been a Divinity Lecturer at Pauls two yeeres before that tumult. And that upon his first Committall to the Tower, he had answered the Queens Councell peremptorily and saucily in the point of Religion: As that he was now more then ever confirm'd in the same, as it was reform'd and professed under Edward the sixt. The first and last of these Articles he denyed, saving the words last repeated; the second he laboured to justifie, as not requisite from them, by any law at that time in force, when he Preached; in the conclusion, they twitted him in the teeth with Heresie, and accused him of writing from the Tower seditious letters into Lancaster: whereto, because they desended not to particulars, he gave them onelyonly generall answers. The whole conference was larded with an often repealed tender of the Queens Mercy, in case he would confesse his sedition, acknowledge and abjure his Heresies, and returne to the bosome of the Romish Church after their example. To the first he said, he could not acknowledge himselfe guilty of what he neither Committed, nor intended. To the second, that he never Preached or Patronized any error to his knowledge: being ready to abjure whatsoever he was not able to defend. To the third, that he willingly embraced the Queens Mercy, though he neither needed, not could accept thereof, as they were pleased to Clog it with Conditions repugnant to the word of God, & the cleer light of his owne Conscience. The 19. day of Ianuary following, he was the third time convented in Saint Mary Overies, before the same Winchester, and diverse other Bishops his fellow Comnissioners; where, at first the same things were againe objected unto him, and received the same Answers. After much jangling and a second offer of mercy upon the former Condition, they required a Peremptory & positive accoumpt of his faith, concerning Christs Corporall presence in the Eucharist. To which he replyed, that during a yeere and eight moneths imprisonment, they had never prest him with that question, but now, that by altering the state of Religion, they had made the Contrary opinion unto theirs, Hereticall, and all Heresie interpretatively, and by consequence, Capitall; it is more then Evident, what thereby they hunted after. This drove the Lord Chancellor into a long Apologeticall Oration of his owne innocency and notorious lenity in that kind; which ended without expecting what Bradford would reply; upon some intelligence from the Kitchin, he adjurend the Court, and went home to dinner. The day following which was the fourth & last of his apparence, he was brought to the same place, and before the same judges; where after many Interrogatories and answers concerning the corporall presence, the Pope and Queenes authority, and other Emergent questions (which if here inserted, would swell the processe of his death to thrice the length of his lif, but may be found at large in the Martirologie) he was finally condemned for worshiping the God of our fathers, after that way which those bloud-suckers called Heresie, excommunicated, and delivered over to the Secular powers, (Ianuary 31. 1555.) who first committed him to the Clinke, and afterwards to the Counter: where he remained to the first of Iuly following, & had many hot Disputes & sharp Conflicts. 1. with Bonner Bishop of London. 2. with Master Wollerton the Bishops Chaplen. 3. Percivall Creswell and Doctor Harding. 4. Doctor Harpsfieled and Doctor Harding. 5. with Het… Archbishop of Yorke and Day Bishop of Chichester. 6. with two Spanish Friers, Alphonsus a Castro, and King Philips Confessor. 7. Doctor Weston and Master Coillier Warden of Manchester. 8. Doctor Pendleton. 9. with Doctor Weston, and others. 10. with Doctor Weston alone; for many visited him after condemnation, some as the Divell did our blessed Saviour, to tempt and pervert him, and some to receive instruction & comfort by him: for in his two last prisons he Preached constantly twice every Lords day, & freequently administred the Lords Supper to his fellow prisoners: visiting them all, almost every day, even to the thieves and cutpurses in the Grate, and almost (if he had it) as often relieving them. At first, they resolved to burn him at Mancheste…, where he was borne, but altered that resolution, I know not upon what occasion. The Saturday at night before he suffered, he dream'd his chaine was brought to the Counter gate, that the next day being Sunday, he should be had to Newgate and burned at Smithfield the Munday ensuing, which after many frightfull awakings, still recurring to his troubled fancy, he arose, and communicating what he had dreamed to his Chamber-fellow, fell to his old exercise of reading and praying. The next day after dinner, whilst he discoursed of the ripenesse of si…ne, of death, and the kingdome of heaven, up came the Keepers wife halfe beside her selfe, and said unto him with tears in her eyes, O Master Bradford, your chaine is now a hammering, to night you will be removed to Newgate, and to morrow burned at Smithfield: having heard her out, with hands and eyes lifted up unto heaven, he blessed God who had thought him worthy, and made him willing to suffer for his tr…th; thanked the good woman for her Compassion, but more for her news, and so went up to his Chamber, where he spent some houres in prayer, and then called up his Chamber-fellow, to whom he gave som things privately in charge, and dilivered certaine papers, but of what concernment I cannot finde; the rest of that after…noon he spent in prayer and other heavenly exercises, which he performed with admirable adhesion to God, and obstraction from the world, being often times so trans…ported and elevated in his raptures, that he seemed already in possession of that Crowne, which for the present, through fire and faggots, he but aspir'd to: to the great admiration and comfort of as many of his friends, as that day had the happinesse to visit him. Having blest, and distributed such things amongst the servants of the hous, as he thought fit, he made a most fervent & pacheticall farwell-prayer in the company of his fellow prisoners, wth such ravishment of Spirit, and abundance of tears, that the hardest hearted amongst them, could not choose but Simpathize wth him. In the midst of this prayers, when he put on the shirt wherein he was to be burned, he inlarged himselfe in a most sweet meditation, of the Wedding Garment, and after that, about twelve a clock in the night, came downe into the Court, where the prisoners tooke their finall leave of him, as he went from the Counter to Newgate, (though it was about midnight, yet) great multitudes of people were gathered together in the streets, who much lamented, and earnestly pray'd for him; to whom he returned their curtesie in both kinds, with interest. About nine in the morning he was led forth to Smithfield with a very great Guard, as he came downe the staires he espied an old friend whom he called unto him, imbraced, and after some private whisperings bestowed upon him his velvet night-cap, handkershiefe, and som other trifles. And yet Roger Beswicke his brother in law had his head cruelly broken by Seriffe Woodrofe, for but offering to speake to him: for which, and other his barbarous inhumanities, committed against the Saints, and faithfull witnesses of Iesus Christ at such times, a heavy and visible judgment overtooke him, within few yeeres thereafter; for besides the Palsie, which for eight yeers together, disinabled him from riding, walking, or turning himselfe in his bed, he fell into a most devouring, and insatiable Bulimy. As soone as he approached the stake, he fell flat on the ground, intending there to power forth hi… private prayers (for he was not permitted to do it publickly) unto almighty God: But Woodrofe the Sheriffe commanded to him arise and dispatch, for that the people increased and pressed upon him; whereat eftsoone he got up, and when he had imbraced the stake, and kissed it, he put off his Cloathes, which he intreated might be given to his servant, because he had nothing else to leave him: being tyed to the stake he comforted the stripling that was burned with him, and earnestly exhorted the people to repentance: which so inraged the Sherieffe, that (which was not usuall) he commanded his hands should be tyed. His last audiable Words were those of our Saviours; Strait is the way, and narrow is the gate that leadeth to Salvation, and few there be that finde it: He indured the flame as a fresh gale of wind in a hot Summers day, without any reluctancy; confirming by his death the truth of that doctrine, which he had so diligently and powerfully Preached, during his life; which ended, Iuly the first 1556. in the prime, though in what yeere of his age, is not certainly knowne. He was, for his stature, tall but slender: of a faintish sanguine Complexion, his heir and beard auburne, his countenance was full of sweetnesse mix'd with reverence and austerity: He spent the whole time of his inprisonment in reading, Preaching and praying: eating but once every day, and that but sparingly; scarcely ever rising from that meale, wherein his tears did not largly bedew his trencher. He slept not (commonly) above four hours a night, from the time he went to bed, till dead sleep lock'd up his senses, his candle went not out nor his booke out of his hand. Halfe an hour he sent usually after dinner in discourse, (which was all the recreation he used) the rest of his time, in his owne private devotions and studies: His death was generally lamented by all who knew, or bus heard of of him; yea many Papists themselves, being convicted with his innocency of his life, or taken with the quicknesse and modisty of his answers; but especially considering …he implacable malice and cruelty of his enemies, heartily wished his deliverance; for all men observid, how they had first committed him without law, and then after a yeers imprisonment made one to take away his life: He denyed indeed the Popes authority over the Church of England, and so had his judges done but the yeere before: And for Christs corporall presence in the Sacrament, (which was the Artickle wherupon they chiefly condemned him) he never denyed it in the worthy Receiver, as to the eye of Faith, & no man yet, whether Papist or Prot…stant, could never discover it, through the accidents of Bread and Wine, by the eye of the body. We are inform'd by Master Fox, that he wrote many comfortable Treatises, especially during his imprisonment, o… which these onelyonly have had the fortune to reach our times.
1 Two Sermons, the first of Repentance, the second of the Lords Supper. 2 Some le…ters to his fellow Mar…yres. 3 An answere to two letters, desiring to know whe…her one might goe to Mas… or not. 4 The danger ensuing the hearing of Masse. 5 Hi… examination before the officers. 6 Godly Meditations made in Prison, cald his short Prayers. 7 Truths Complaints. 8 Melancthon translated, of Prayers.
See how undaunted Bradford hath display'd
Truths golden Colours; nothing could invade
His heaven fild thoughts, but heaven, in whose just cause
He liv'd, though murther'd by Papistick lawes.
Relgion told him that his cause was good,
He need not feare to signe it with his blood
And seal it with his heart; Bradford agreed
To signe, whilst Heaven was witnesse to the deed.
Insulting Papists, what can ye declare
But this, your foulnesse made our Bradford faire;
Your fire refin'd his heart, and made it prove
A perfect lover of the God of love.