Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 13 · Letter 4 – Letter 5
*An other letter of Mayster Ridley, vntounto Mayster Bradforde and other his prison fellowes. An. 1555.
DEarely beloued, I wish you grace, mercy, and peace.An other letter of B. Ridley answering to M. Bradford.
According to your minde. I hauehave runne ouer all your papers, and what I hauehave done (which is but small) therein may appeare. In two places I hauehave put in two loose leaues. I had muche adoe to read that was written in your great leaues, and I weene some where I hauehave altered some words,*This was a treatise of The Lordes Supper, with other thinges▪ which M. Bradford sent to him to peruse & to iudge thereof. because I could not read perfectly that which was written. Sir, what shall best be done wt these thinges, now ye must consider: for if they come in sight at this time, vndoubtedly they must to the fire with theyr father: and as for any safegard that your custody can be vntounto them, I am sure you looke not for it. For as you hauehave bene partner of the worke, so I am sure you looke for none other, but to hauehave and receiue like wages, and to drynke of the same cup. Blessed be God that hath geuen you liberty in the meane season, that you may vse your penne to hys glory, and the comforte (as I heare say) of many. I blesse God dayly in you, and all your whole company, to whom I beseeche you commend me hartily. Nowe I louelove my country man in deed & in trueth,Commendation of D. Taylor. I meane Doctor Taylor not for my earthly countryes sake, but for oure heauenlye fathers sake, and for Christes sake, whome I heard say, he did so stoutly in tyme of perill confesse, and yet also for our countryes sake and for all our mothers sake,: but I mean of the kingdome of heauen, and of heauenly Hierusalem, and because of the spirite, whiche bringeth in hym, in you, and in your company such blessed fruites of boldnes in the Lords cause, of pacience, and constancie. The Lord which hath begun this work in you all, performe and perfite this his owne deede, vntill his owne day come. Amen.
As yet I perceaue yee hauehave bene not bayted, and the cause therof God knoweth, which wil let thē doe no more to his, then is his pleased will and pleasure to suffer them to doe for his owne glory, and to the profite of them which be truely his. For the father whiche doth guide them that be Christes to Christ, is more mighty then all they, and no man is able to pul thē out of the fathers handes: except I saye, it please our father, it please our mayster Christe to suffer them, they shall not stirre one heare of your heades.
My brother P. the bearer hereof, and mayster Hoopers letters woulde that we shoulde saye what we thinke good concerning your This matter was concerning the deliberation of the prisoners in Lō don, what to doe if they were called to open disputation.minde, that is, not for to answere except ye might hauehave somewhat indifferent Iudges. We are (as yee knowe) separated, and one of vsus cannot in any thing consult with an other, and much strayte watching of the Baliffes is about vsus, that there be no priuye conference amongest vsus. And yet as wee heare, the scholers beareth vsus more heauily then the townesmen. A wonderfull thing, among so many, neuer yet scholler offered to any of vsus (so farre as I know) any maner of fauor, eyther for or in Christes cause.
Nowe as concerning your demaund of our counsell, for my part I do not mislike that which I perceiue ye are minded to do. For I looke for none other, but if ye aunswere afore the same Commissioners that we did, ye shall be serued and handled as we were, though ye were as wel learned as euer was either Peter or Paule. And yet further I thinke, that occasion afterward may be geuen you, and the consideration of the profite of your auditory may perchaunce moue you to do otherwise.
Finally, determinetely to say what shalbe best, I am not able, but I trust he, whose cause ye hauehave in hand, shall put you in minde to do that which shalbe most for his glory, the profite of his flock, and your owne saluation. This letter must be common to you and Maister Hooper, in whome and in his prison fellowe good father C. I blesse God, euen from the bottome of my hart: for I doubt not but they both doe to our maister Christ, true, acceptable, and honourable seruice, and profitable to his flocke: the one with his penne, and the other wt his fatherly example of pacience and constancie, and all manner of true godlinesse. But what shall I neede to say to you: Let thys be common among your brethrē, among whom (I dare say) it is with you as it is with vsus,… to whome all things heere are common, meat, mony, and whatsoeuer one of vsus hath that, can or maye doe an other good. Althoughe, I sayde the Bailiffes and our Hostesse straitly watche vsus, that we hauehave no conference or intelligence of anye thinge abroade, yet hath God prouided for eueryevery one of vsus, in steade of our seruauntes, faithfull fellowes, whyche will be content to heare and see, and to doe for vsus what soeuer they can. It is Gods worke surely, blessed be God for his vnspeakable goodnesse. The grace of oure Lorde Iesus Christe, and the louelove of God, and the communication of the holy Ghost be with you all. Amen. Amen.
…As farre as London is from Oxforde, yet thence wee hauehave receiued of late, both meate, money, and shyrts, not onelyonly from suche as are of our acquaintaunce, but of some (whome thys bearer can tell) with whome I hadde neuer to my knowledge any acquaintance. I knowe for whose sake they doe it: to him therfore be all honor, glory, and due thankes.
And yet I pray you do so much as to shewe them that we hauehave receiued theyr beneuolence, and (God be blessed) hauehave plentie of al such things. This I desire you to do: for I know they be of M. Hoopers, & your familiar acquaintaunce. Maister Latimer was crased: but I heare nowe, (thankes be to God) that he amendeth againe.
Nicholas Ridley.
An other Letter of Maister Ridley vntounto Maister Bradford.
OH deare brother, seeing the time is now come, wherin it pleaseth the heauenly father,Th…s letter … written to … when i… was … to Lā …hire. Math. 25. for Christe our sauiour his sake, to call vponupon you, and to bid you to come, happie are you that euer you were borne, thus to be found awake at the lords calling. Euge serue bone & fidelis: quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super multa te constituet, & intrabis in gaudium Domini. i. Wel good seruaunt and faithful, because thou hast ben trusty in small matters, he shall set thee ouer great things, & thou shalt enter into the ioye of thy Lorde.
O deare brother, what meaneth thys, that you are sent into your owne natiue countrey? The wisedome and policie of the worlde may meane what they will, but I trust, God will so order the matter finally by his fatherly prouidence, that some great occasion of Gods gracious goodnesse shal be plenteously powred abroad amongst his, our deare brethren in that country, by this your martyrdome, where the Martyrs for Christes sake shed their bloud, and lost their liues. O what wonderous things hathe Christe afterward wrought to his glory, and confirmation of their doctrine? If it be not the place that sanctifieth the man, but the holy man doth by Christe sanctifie the place: Brother Bradford, then happy and holy shalbe that place, wherein thou shalt suffer, and shalt be with thy ashes in Christes cause sprinkled ouer withall. All thy countrey may reioyce of thee, that euer it brought foorth such a one, which would render his life againe in his cause, of whome he had receiued it. Brother Bradford, so long as I shall vnderstande thou art in thy iourney, by Gods grace I shall call vppon our heauenly Father for Christes sake, to sette thee safely home: and then good brother speake you, and praye for the remnant that are to suffer for Christes sake, according to that thou then shalt know more clearely.
We do loke now eueryevery day when we shalbe called on: blessed be God. I weene I am the weakest many wayes of our companie: and yet I thanke oure Lorde God and heauenly Father by Christ, that since I heard of our deare brother Rogers departing, and stout confession of Christe and his truth euen vntounto ye death,The reioys…g of B. … at … constan… of M. Rogers. my heart (blessed be God) reioyced of it, that since that time, I say, I neuer fealt any lumpish heauinesse in my heart, as I graunt I hauehave fealt sometimes before. O good brother, blessed be God in thee, and blessed be the time that euer I knewe thee. Farewell, farewell.
Your brother in Christ, Nicholas Ridley. Brother farewell.