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young lamb of the flock, nineteen years of age, named JOHN LEAF. He was born in Yorkshire, and apprenticed to a tallow-chandler in London, committed to prison as a heretic by the alderman of his ward; and nobly avowing his participation in what they called heresy, before Bonner, when brought to examination. He gave a firm and Christian testimony against their mass, as idolatrous and abominable, showing a most correct understanding of the spiritual nature of the Lord's supper: he rejected auricular confession, denying that the priest has any authority given him by the Scripture to absolve or remit sin; and resolutely withstood the repeated efforts of Bonner, to remove him from the rock of truth whereon he had securely built his house. When asked, by Bonner, if he had not been Rogers' scholar, he readily admitted it: declaring that he believed in the doctrine of Rogers, and of bishop Hooper, Cardmaker, and others of their opinion, lately burned for the testimony of Christ; and that he would die in the doctrine which they died for. Bonner still urged him to return to the unity of the church: he replied with great courage and spirit," My lord, you call mine opinion heresy: it is the true light of the word of God:" again repeating it, and adding that he would never forsake his staid and wellgrounded opinion, while the breath should be in his body. After being condemned, and taken back to prison, Bonner sent him two papers, the one containing his recantation, the other the confessions that he had made; asking to which he would set his hand. Leaf could not write or read: but when he heard the recantation read, he refused it; but on hearing his confessions, he liked the paper so well, that directly pricking his hand, he sprinkled the blood over it, and desired the bearer to show the bishop that he had sealed that bill with his blood already.

Such was the worthy fellow-martyr provided for John Bradford. They came together to the stake, and each lying prostrate on his face, on either side, they silently prayed for a while; till one of the sheriffs said to Bradford," Arise and make an end; for the press of the people is great." Immediately they stood on their feet; and Mr. Bradford taking a fagot in his hand kissed it, as also the stake. He then requested that his servant might have his raiment; adding, "I have nothing else to give him; and besides, he is a poor man." The sheriff promised; and Bradford putting it off, went to the stake; where, lifting up

his hands and his face towards heaven, he uttered a solemn warning: it is recorded for us-may the Lord impress it on our hearts! "OH ENGLAND, ENGLAND, REPENT THEE

BEWARE OF

OF THY SINS, REPENT THEE OF THY SINS.
IDOLATRY, BEWARE OF FALSE ANTICHRISTS; TAKE HEED
THEY DO NOT DECEIVE YOU."

While he was speaking these words, the Romish sheriff, characteristically alarmed at the very voice of warning addressed to a wavering nation, called out to tie his hands, if he would not be quiet. "Oh, master sheriff," said the gentle martyr, "I am quiet: God forgive you, master sheriff." One of the officers, making the fire, said to Bradford, "If you have no better learning than that, you are but a fool, and were best hold your peace." Bradford made no answer, but asked all the world forgiveness, forgave all the world, and entreated the people to pray for him. Turning his head to the youth who stood at the stake with him, he said, "Be of good comfort, brother, we shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night." His last words, audibly spoken, were uttered while embracing the reeds that lay near him, "Strait is the way and narrow is the gate, that leadeth to eternal salvation, and few there be that find it."

And thus, concludes Fox, they both ended their mortal lives, most like two lambs, without any alteration of their countenance, being void of all fear, hoping to obtain the prize of the game that they had long run at; to the which I beseech Almighty God happily to conduct us, through the merit of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

CHAPTER XVIII.

SPECIMEN OF BRADFORD'S WRITINGS.

ALTHOUGH the writings of this blessed servant and martyr are perhaps better known in the church of Christ than most others, a few specimens of his energetic feeling, and truly spiritual style of comforting and exhorting his friends. may not here be unacceptable. Mention has already been made of the gentlewoman whose severe persecution at the hands of her family ultimately drove her from the paternal

roof; and with whose servant Bradford held a discourse shortly before his death. The following beautiful letter was addressed to her.

"I wish unto you, right worshipful and my dearly beloved sister in the Lord, as to myself, the continual grace and comfort of Christ, and of his holy word through the operation of the Holy Spirit, who strengthen your inward man with the strength of God, that you may continue to the end, in the faithful obedience of God's gospel, whereto you are called. Amen.

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"I perceived by yourself, the last day when you were with me, how that you are in the school-house and trialparlour of the Lord, which to me is (at the least it should be) a great comfort to see the number of God's elect by you increased, which is in that state whereof God hath not called many, as Paul saith. And as it is a comfort to me, so should it be a confirmation unto me, that the Lord for his faithfulness' sake will make perfect and finish the good work he hath begun in you to the end.

"If, then, your cross be to me a comfort, or token of your election, and a confirmation of God's continual favour, my dearly beloved, how much more ought it to be so unto you? unto whom he hath not only given to believe, but also to come into the trace of suffering for his sake; and that not commonly, of common enemies, but even of your own father, mother and all your friends, I mean kinsfolks, as you told me. By which I see Christ's words to be true, how that he came to give his children such a peace with him, as the devil might not, nor may abide, and therefore stirreth up father and mother, sister and brother, rather than it should continue. But, my dear sister, if you cry with David to the Lord, and complain to him; how that for conscience to him your father and mother have forsaken you, you shall hear him speak in your heart that he hath received you, and by this would have you to see, how that he maketh you here like to Christ, that elsewhere (in heaven) you might be like unto him; whereof you ought to be most assured, knowing that in time, even when Christ shall appear, you shall be like unto him. For he will make your body, which now you defile not with idolatrical service in going to mass, like unto his own glorious and immortal body, according to the power whereby he is able to do all things. He will confess you before his Father, which do not deny his verity in word nor deed before your father;

he will make you to reign with him that now suffer for him and with him; he will not leave you comfortless, that seek no comfort but at his hand; though for a little time you be afflicted, yet therein will he comfort and strengthen you, and, at the length make you to be merry with him in such joy as is infinite and endless. He will wipe all the tears from your eyes; he will embrace you as your dear husband; he will, after he has proved you, crown you with a crown of glory and immortality, such as the heart of man shall never be able to conceive in such sort as the thing is. He now beholdeth your steadfastness, and striving to do his good will; and shortly will he show you how steadfast he is, and will be ready to do your will, after that you have fully resigned it to his will.

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Pledge him in his cup of the cross, and you shall pledge him in the cup of his glory: desire to drink it before it be come to the dregs, whereof the wicked shall drink, and all those that, for fear of the cross, and pledging the Lord, do walk with the wicked in betraying, in fact and deed, that which their heart embraceth for verity. The which thing if you should do, which God forbid, then my dear mistress and sister in the Lord, you should not only lose all that I have before spoken, and much more infinitely of eternal joy and glory, but also be a cast-away and partaker of God's most heavy displeasure in hell fire eternally; and so for a little ease, which you cannot tell how long it will last, to lose for ever and ever all ease and comfort. 'For he that gathereth not with me,' saith Christ, (as no mass-gospeller doth,) scattereth abroad.' According to that we do in this body we shall receive, be it good or bad: if of our words we shall be judged to condemnation or salvation; much more then of our facts and deeds: you cannot be a partaker of God's religion and antichrist's service, whereof the mass is most principal: you cannot be a member of Christ's church, and a member of the pope's church: you must glorify God, not only in soul and heart, but also in body and deed: you may not think that God requireth less of you, his wife now, than your husband did of you: if both heart and body your husband would have, shall Christ have less, trow you, which hath so bitterly and dearly bought it? If your husband could not admit an excuse how your heart is his only, if he should have taken your body in bed with another, do you think that Christ will allow your body at mass, although your heart consent not to it?

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God esteemeth his children, not only of their hearts, but of their pure hands and works, and therefore in Elias' time he counted none to be his servants and people but such as had not bowed their knees to Baal; as now he doth not in England account any other to be his darlings which know the truth in heart, and deny it in their deeds, as do our massgospellers. We ought to desire, above all things, the sanctifying of God's holy name and the coming of his kingdom, and shall we then see his name blasphemed so horribly as it is at mass, by making it a sacrifice propitiatory, and setting forth a false Christ of the priest's and baker's making, to be worshipped as God, and say nothing? The Jews rent their clothes asunder, in seeing or hearing any thing blasphemously done or spoken against God, and shall we yet come to church, where mass is, and be mute? Saul and Barnabas rent their clothes to see the people of Lycaonia offer sacrifice unto them, and shall we see sacrifice and God's service done to an incarnate creature, and be mum? What thing helpeth more, or so much antichrist's kingdom as doth the mass? And what destroyeth preaching and the kingdom of Christ upon earth more that it doth? And how can we then say, 'Let thy kingdom come;' and go to mass? How can we pray before God, Thy will be done on earth,' when we will do our own will, and the will of our father or friends? How pray we, Deliver us from evil,' which, knowing the mass to be evil, do come to it? But what go I about to light a candle in the noon-day, that is, to tell you that we may not go to mass or to the congregation where it is, except it be to reprove it, in that all men in so doing, do but dissemble, both with God and man? And is dissembling now to be allowed? How long will men yet halt on both knees, saith God? Halting, saith Paul, bringeth out of the way, that is to say, out of Christ, which is the way, so that he which is not in him shall wither away, and be cast into hell-fire; for Christ will be ashamed of them before his father, which be now ashamed of his truth, before this wicked generation. Therefore, my good mistress, take good heed; for it had been better for you never to have known the truth, and therethrough to have escaped from papistical uncleanness, than now to return to it, making eftsoons your members, being members of righteousness, members of unrighteousness, as you do if you do but go to the church, where mass is. Be pure, therefore, and keep yourself from all filth of the spirit and

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