he hath to impugn Christ's verity, his gospel, his faith: and the same two also are the most massy posts and most mighty pillars, whereby he maintains and upholds his satanical synagogue.

These two, Sir, they are in my judgment—the one is false doctrine and idolatrous use of the Lord's supper: and the other, the wicked and abominable usurpation of the primacy of the see of Rome. By these two, satan seems to me principally to maintain and uphold his kingdom: by these two, he drives down mightily, alas! I fear me, the third part of the stars in heaven. These two poisonful rotten posts he has so painted over with such a pretence and colour of religion, of unity in Christ's church, of the catholic faith and such like, that the wily serpent is able to deceive, if it were possible, even the elect of God.

Wherefore, John said not without great cause, If any know not satan's subtleties and the dangers thereof, I will wish him no other burden to be laden withal. Sir, because these are his principal and main posts, whereupon stand all his falsehood, craft, and treachery, therefore, according to the poor power that God has given me, I have bent my artillery to shoot at the same. I know it is but little, God knows, that I can do, and my shot I know they value not. Yet will I not, God willing, cease to do the best that I can, to shake those cankered and rotten posts. The Lord grant me good success, to the glory of his name and the furtherance of Christ's gospel. I have now already, I thank God for this present time, spent a good part of my powder in this scribbling, whereof this bearer shall give you knowledge. Good brother Bradford, let the wicked surmise and say what they list, know you for a certainty by God's grace, without all doubt, that in Christ's gospel's cause, against and upon the foresaid God's enemies, I am fully determined to live and die. Farewell, dear brother, and I beseech you, with all the rest of our brethren, to have good remembrance of the condemned heretics, as they call them, of Oxford, in your prayers. The bearer shall certify you of our state. Farewell in the Lord.

From Bocardo.

Yours in Christ,

N. RIDLEY.*

* For the answer to this letter, see Bradford's Letters. Ridley wrote as follows in reply.

LETTER XI.

To Master Bradford.

DEARLY beloved brother, blessed be God, our heavenly Father, for his manifold and innumerable mercies towards us; and blessed be he that he has spared us thus long together, that each one of us may bless his mercy and clemency in the other, unto this day, above the expectation and hope of any worldly appearance.

Whereas you write of the outrageous rule, that satan, our ghostly enemy, beareth aboad in the world, whereby he stirs up and raises pestilent and heinous heresies. Alas! Sir, this declares this present time and these days to be wicked indeed. But what else can we look for of satan here and of his ministers, but to do the worst that they can, so far as God shall or will suffer them? And now methinks he is less to be marvelled at in this time, if he bestir himself by all manner of means, that the truth indeed should not take place. For he sees now, blessed be God! that some go about in deed and in truth, not trifling, but, with the loss of all that they are able to lose in this world, goods, lands, name, fame, and life also, to set forth God's word and his truth; and by God's grace shall do, and abide in the same unto the end: now, therefore, it is time to bestir him, I trow.

And as for diversities of errors, what cares he, though one be ever so contrary to another? He reckons all, and so he may, to be his, whosoever prevails, so that truth prevail not. Nevertheless, good brother, I suppose that the universal plague is most dangerous, which at this day is alas! fostered and masterfully holden up by wit,* worldly policy, multitude of people, power, and all worldly

means.

As for others, the devil's galtrops,† that he casts in our ways by some of his busy-headed younkers, I trust they will never be able to do the multitude great harm. For, blessed be God, these heresies beforetime, when satan by his servants has been about to broach them, have, by God's servants, already, been so sharply and truly confounded, * Human understanding.

+ Or caltrops, instruments made with three spikes, and scattered in front of an army to wound the horses' feet.

that the multitude was never infected with them, or else, where they had been infected, they are healed again, so that now the peril is not so great.

And where you say, that if your request had been heard, things, you think, had been in better case than they are: know you, that concerning the matter* you mean, I have in Latin drawn out the places of the Scriptures, and upon the same have noted what I can for the time. Sir, in those matters I am so fearful, that I dare not speak further, yea, almost none otherwise than the very text does, as it were, lead me by the hand. And where you exhort us to help, &c. O Lord, what is else in this world that we now should list to do? I bless my Lord God, I never, as methinks, had more or better leisure to be occupied with my pen in such things as I can do to set forth God's glory, when they may come to light. And I bless my Lord God through Jesus Christ, my heart and my work are therein occupied, not so fully and perfectly as I would, but yet so that I bless God for the same.

Farewell, dear brother; the messenger tarries, and I may not now be longer with you. The Lord, I trust, verily shall bring us thither, where we shall, each one with the other in Christ our Saviour, rejoice and be glad everlastingly.

Your brother in Christ,

N. RIDLEY.

LETTER XII.

To Master Bradford, prisoner in the King's Bench. WELL-BELOVED in Christ our Saviour, we all with one heart wish you, with all those that love God in deed and truth, grace and health; and especially to our dearly beloved companions which are in Christ's cause, and the cause both of their brethren, and of their own salvation,

* He meaneth here the matter of election, whereof he afterward wrote a godly and comfortable treatise.-Letters of the Martyrs.

Gloucester Ridley says, "In the Martyrs' Letters we are told by Coverdale, that on this occasion Doctor Ridley wrote a treatise of election and predestination, which was in the hands of some person at that time, and he hoped would hereafter come to light; but I never heard that it was published, nor have I been able to meet with it in MS." The great learning and cool judgment of this prelate, and the entire subjection of his imagination to the revealed will of God, make the loss of this treatise much to be lamented.

ready and willing to put their neck under the yoke of Christ's cross. How joyful it was for us to hear the report of Dr. Taylor, and of his godly confession, &c., I assure you, it is hard for me to express. Blessed be God, who was and is the giver of that and all godly strength and stomach in the time of adversity!

As for the rumours that have or do go abroad, either of our relenting or massing,* we trust, that those who know God and their duty towards their brethren in Christ, will not be too light of credit to believe them. It is not the slanderer's evil tongue, but a man's own evil deed, that can before God defile a man; and, therefore, by God's grace, you shall never have cause to do otherwise than you say you do; that is, not to doubt but that we will continue steadfast. The like rumour as you have heard of our coming to London, has been here spread of the coming of certain learned men, prisoners, hither from London; but as yet we know no certainty which of those rumours is, or shall be, the more true.

Know you, that we have you in our daily remembrance, and wish you and all the rest of our foresaid companions, well in Christ. It would do us much comfort if we might have knowledge of the state of the rest of our most dearly beloved, which in this troublesome time do stand in Christ's cause, and in the defence of the truth thereof. We are in good health, thanks be to God; and yet the manner of our being treated doth change, as sour ale doth in summer. It is reported to us by our keepers, that the university beareth us heavily. A coal chanced to fall in the night out of the chimney, and burnt a hole in the floor, and no more harm was done, the bailiffs' servant sitting by the fire. Another night there chanced a drunken fellow to multiply words, and for the same he was sent to Bocardo.†

Upon these things, as is reported, there is risen a rumour in the town and country about, that we would have broken the prison with such violence, as, if the bailiffs had not played the pretty men,‡ we should have made an escape. We had out of our prison a wall that we might have walked upon, and our servants had liberty to go abroad in * Recanting or going to mass.

A filthy prison at Oxford for drunkards, harlots, and the vilest sort of people.-Letters of the Martyrs. Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer were then confined in that abominable prison.

Been very active and courageous.

the town or fields: but now both they and we are restrained from both.

The bishop of Worcester passed through Oxford, but he did not visit us.* The same day our restraint began to be more strict, and the book of the communion was taken from us by the bailiffs, at the mayor's commandment. No man is licensed to come unto us; before they might, that would, see us upon the wall; but that is so grudged at, and so evil reported, that we are now restrained.

Sir, blessed be God, with all our evil reports, grudgings, and restraints, we are joyful in God; and all our care is, and shall be, by God's grace, to please and serve him, of whom we look and hope, after these temporal and momentary miseries, to have eternal joy and perpetual felicity, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Peter and Paul, and all the blessed company of the angels in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

As yet, there never was any learned man, or any scholar, or other, that visited us, since we came unto Bocardo, which now in Oxford may be called a college of quondams; for, as you know, we are no fewer here than three, and I dare say, every one well contented with his portion, which I do reckon to be our heavenly Father's gracious and fatherly good gift.

Thus fare you well. We shall with God's grace one day meet together and be joyful; the day assuredly approaches apace; the Lord grant that it may come shortly; for before that day come, I fear me, the world will wax worse and worse: but then all our enemies shall be overthrown and trodden under foot; righteousness and truth then shall have the victory and bear away the bell; whereof the Lord grant us to be partakers, and all that sincerely love the truth.

We all pray you, as you can, to cause all our commendations to be made to all such as you know visited us and you, when we were in the tower, with their friendly remembrances and benefits. Mistress Wilkinson and Mistress Warcup have not forgotten us, but even since we came into Bocardo have comforted us with their charitable and friendly benevolence: not that else we lack, for God be

* Bishop Heath. When he was in trouble in king Edward's reign, Ridley had received him in his house for a year and a half, and had treated him with much kindness.

+ Those who had formerly been in authority and respected.