268 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. books out of his study, and cast them into a hole between two chimnies : and though they broke open chests, trunks, and boxes, and searched every corner in the house they could think of, the books remained undiscovered. Never- theless, they carried Mrs. Bradshaw before the high com- mission, where she underwent a severe examination, with an evident design to make her betray her husband; but their purpose having utterly failed, after binding her to appear when called, she was dismissed.. In the year 1617, Mr. Bradshaw returning from a journey, the bishop's chancellor welcomed him home with a suspen- sion from preaching any more, without his further allow- ance. But, by the mediation of a worthy friend, the chan- cellor soon became satisfied ; took off his restraint; and the good man went forwards in the peaceable exercise of his ministry. Besides preaching constantly at Stapenhill, this learned divine united with his brethren in their associa- tions at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Repton, and Burton-upon- Trent. On these occasions, besides public preaching, for the benefit of the respective congregations, they had private religious conference among themselves. For their mutual advantage, they proposed subjects for discus- sion ; when Mr. Bradshaw is said to have discovered a depth of judgment, and a power of balancing points of controversy, superior to the rest of his brethren. On account of his great abilities, he was commonly styled the weighing. divine. He was well grounded in the fundamental doctrines of the gospel, and well studied in the points about subscription, the ceremonies, the civil power, and the authority of the prelates; yet be was an enemy to separation.+ Mr. Bradshaw, in his last sickness, had very humiliating views of himself, and exalted views of God and the power of his grace. Heexhorted those about him, to learn to die before death approached ; and to lay a foundation in time of life and health, that would afford them comfort in time of sickness and death. At Chelsea, near London, he was seized with a malignant fever, which beffied all the power of medicine, and soon terminated his mortalexistence. He died in peace, and in great satisfaction with his nonconformity, in the year 1618, aged forty-seven years : his remains were interred at Chelsea, and most of the ministers about the city attended the funeral solemnity. His funeral sermon Clark's Lives, p. 43-46. i Ibid. p. 49, 52, 56.
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