Three yeares after the death of Stephen Gardner followed the death of Quéene Mary as is before declared the same day Queene Elizabeth was proclaimed Queene with as many glad hearts of her subiects as euer was any King or Queene in this Realme The next day after the death of Queene Mary Cardinall Poole died and shortly after Christopher Bishop of Chichester and Hopton Bishop of Norwich died and Doctor Weston which was the cheefe Disputer against Cranmer Ridley and Latimer First fell into displeasure with the Cardinall and other Bishops because he would not depart from his Deanerie of Westminster vnto the Monks being remoued from thence he was made Deane of Windsor where being apprehended in aduoutry was by the saâ—d Cardinall put from all his spirituall liuings wherefore he appealed vnto Rome and flying out of the Realme he was taken by the way and clapt into the Tower where he remained vntill Queene Elizabeth was proclaimed then being deliuered he fell sick and died The fifteenth day of Ianuary Queene Elizabeth was crowned with triumphant and honourable entertainment of the Citie of London with such celebritie praâ—ers wishes welcommings cryes tender words Pageants Interlâ—des declâ—mations and verses set vp as the like hath not been seene arguing a wonderfull affection of louing hearts towards their Soueraigne and many Letters gratulatory were sent vnto her Maiestie from sundry forraine places as from Zuricke Geneua Basil Berne Wertenberge Argentine Franckfort c. It pleased the Queens most excellent Maiesty to haue a conuenient chosen number of the best learned of either part to conferre together their opinions and reasons and thereby to come to some good and charitable agreement For the Papists were appointed the Bishops of Winchester Lichfield Chester Carlile Lincolne Doctor Cote Doctor Harpsfield Doctor Langdall and Doctor Chedsey For the Protestants were appointed the Bishop of Chichester Doctor Coxe M. Whitehed M. Grindall M. Horne Doctor Sands M. Gest M. Aelmer M. Iuell The matters which they should talk of follow 1 It is against the word of God and the custome of the auncient Church to vse a tongue vnknowne to the people in Common-prayer and the administration of the Sacraments 2 Euery Church hath authority to appoint take away change ceremonies and Ecclesiasticall Rites so the same be vnto edification 3 It cannot be proued by the word of God that there is in the masse offered by a sacrifice propitiatory for the quick and the dead It was resolued by the Quéens Maiesty with the aduice aforesaid that it should be in writing on both parts and that the Bishops should first declare their mindes touching the matters with their reasons in writing and they on the other part should the same day declare their opinions in like manner and each of them deliuer their writings vnto the other to consider what were to be improued therin and the same also to declare in writing some other day the parties of this conference were to put and reade their assertions in the English tongue before the Nobles and States of the Realme that thereupon in the Court of Parlament consequently following some lawes might be grounded The first méeting was the last of March in Westminster Church the Lords and others of the priuie Councell were present and a great part of the Nobilitie the Bishop of Winchester and his Colleagues alleadged that they had mistakeâ— that their reasons should be written but they were readie to argue and dispute this séemed somwhat strange to the Councell yet it was permitted so Doctor Cole Deane of Paules was appointed the vtterer of their mindes who partly by spéech and partly by reading authorities written and somtimes was informed by his Colleagues what to say made a declaration of their meanings and reasons to the first proposition which being ended they were asked by the Councell if they had any more to say and they said no so the other part was licensed to shew their minde which they exhibited in a booke written which after a prayer made most humbly vnto Almighty God for the induing them with the holy spirit and a protestation to stand to the doctrine of the Catholike Church builded vpon the doctrines of the Prophets and Apostles the effect of the protestation iâ— as here followeth We referre the whole iudgement of the controuersie vnto the holy Scriptures and the Catholike Church of Christ whose iudgement vnto vs ought to be most sacred notwithstanding by the Catholike Church we vnderstand not the Romish Church whereunto our aduersaries attribute such reuerence but that Church which S. Augustine and other fathers affirme ought to be sought in the holy scriptures and which is gouerned and led by the spirit of Christ. It is against the word of God and the custom of the primitiue Church to vse a tongue vnknowne vnto the people in the common prayers and in administration of the Sacraments by the word of God wemeane the written word of God or Canonicall Scriptures and by the custome of the primitiue Church we meane the order most generally vsed in the Church for fiue hundred years after Christ in which time liued Iustine Ireneus Tertullian Cyprian Basill Chrysostome Hierome Ambrose Augustine c. This assertion hath two parts first that it is against the word of God and secondly that it is against the vse of the primitiue Church The first is proued by Saint Paule in 1. Cor. 14. where he intreateth of this matter ex professo purposely and though some say that he there meaneth of preaching and not of prayer it appeareth by the exposition of the best writers that he speaketh of prayer and thanksgiuing and of all other publique actions which require any speach in the Church of prayer he saith I will pray with my spirit and with my vnderstanding and of thanksgiuing he saith Thou giuest thanks wel but the other is not edified and how can the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thankes when hee vnderstandeth not what thou sayest then he concludeth that all things ought to be don to edification and he vseth the similitude of a Trumpet If it giue an vncertaine sound who can prepare to battell so if thou speake with vnknowne tongues you speake in the ayre that is in vaine In the old Testament all things belonging vnto publike prayers benedictions thanksgiuings and sacrifices were alwayes in their naturall tongue if they did so in the shaddowes of the law much more ought we to doe the like S. Augustinâ— in his fourth booke De doctrina Christiana and the tenth Chapter saith If they for whose cause we speake vnderstand not our speaking there is no cause why we should speake The barbarous Heathen of all nations and sorts of men euer made their prayers and sacrifices to their gods in their mother tongue which sheweth that it is the very light and voyce of nature Touching the second part of the assertion that it is against the custome of the primitiue Church it is a matter so
proposition is mine and confirmed by the saying of Saint Augustine vpon S. Iohn 2 Saint Paul was neuer a member of the Diuell though he did many things like the malignant Church nor Saint Peter though he horribly sinned in periury and denying his Master Answere It was by Gods permission that they might more stedfastly rise againe and be confirmed I answere according to S. Augustine that it is expedient that the Elect should offend there be two separations from the Church the Elect are diuided from the Church but not to perdition the second is to perdition by the which certaine Heretieks are through there deadly sinne diuided from the Church 3 No member of the Church doth at any time fall away from the body because the Charitie of Predestination which is the bond of the same doth neuer fall Answere this is proued by 1. Cor. 13. Rom. 8. All things turne to good to them that loue God Also I am certaine that neither death nor life can seperate vs from the loue of God c. 4 The Prâ—destinate although he be not in the state of Grace according to present Iustice yet he is alwaies a member of the Church Answere I declared in my booke that there be diuers manners of being in the Church there be some in the Church according to a mishapen Faith and some according to Predestination which are now in sinne but shall returne to grace 5 No degree of dignitie nor election of man nor any sensible signe can make a man a member of the Church Answere I say Predestination maketh vs members of the Church and prepareth for vs grace heere and glory in the world to come and not degree of dignitie nor the election of a man nor sensible signe for Iudas though Christ elected him an Apostle and gaue him Temporall Graces and that he was so reputed of men yet was he a Woolfe in a sheeps-skin as Saint Augustine saith 6 A Reprobate man is neuer no member of the Church Answere It is in my Booke with sufficient long probation of the Psalme 26. and the 5. Ephes. and by Saint Bernards saying the Church of Christ is more plainely his body then the body that was crucified the Church is the flower of the Lord in which is corne and chaffe the Elect and Reprobate 7 Iudas was no true Disciple of Christ Answere This I confesse S. Augustine in his Booke of penance where he expounds 1. Iohn 2. They came out from vs but were not of vs Christ knew from the beginning who should beleeue and him that should betray him and said none commeth to mee except it be giuen him of my Father from that time many departed from him though they were called by the Gospell they were no true Disciples because they did not continue in the word of Christ as it is said if you remaine in my word you bee my Disciples it is euident that Iudas could not be the Disciple of Christ by meanes of his couetousnes For Christ saith except a man forsake that hee hath he cannot be my Disciple therefore because Iudas was a Theefe Iohn 12. and a Diuell Iohn 6. It is euident that Iudas was no true but a fained Disciple Saint Augustine vpon Saint Iohn that Christs sheepe heare his voice saith what manner of hearers were his sheepe Iudas heard him but was a Woolfe yet he followed the shepheard but being clothed in a sheep-skin he laid waite for the shepheard 8 The predestinate whether they bee in the state of grace or no according to there present Iustice is the same Church which hath neither wrinkle nor spot but is holy and vndefiled which Christ calleth his owne Answer In the fift to the Ephesians Christ so loued his Church that he offered himselfe for it I pray you then is there any faithfull man that doubteth that the Church doth not signifie all the Elect the glorious spouse of Christ holy and without spot This is an Article of faith which we ought firmely to beleeue 9 Peter neuer was nor is the vniuersall head of the Church Answere All men agree that Peter receiued of Christ which is the Rock of the Church humility stedfastnesse and blessednes When Christ said vpon this Rock I will build my church he did not meane that he would build euery Militant Church vpon Peter but vpon Christ which is the Rock from whom Peter receiued his Faith for he is the head and foundation of euery Church and not Peter 10 If he that is called the Uicar of Christ follow Christ in his life then he is his true Uicar otherwise he is the messenger of Antichrist the enemy of Peter and Christ and the Uicar of Iudas Answere For this cause Saint Bernard in his fourth Booke did write vnto Pope Eâ—genius thou delightest to walke in great pride being gorgeously arrayed what fruit doth the flooke receiue by thee If I durst say it these be rather the pastures of the Diuels then of sheepe Saint Peter and Saint Paul did not so thou séemest to succéede Constantine and not Peter It followeth in my Booke if thy life be contrary to Peters or giuen to auarice then he is the Uicar of Iudas which loued the reward of iniquity and sold the Lord As soone as they reade the same the Rulers of the Councell looked one vpon another and making mockes and moes nodded their heads at him 11 Priests that vse Symony and liue desolutely haue an vntrue opinion of seuen Sacraments as Bastards and not Children not knowing the Oâ—â—ice of the Keyes of Censures neither of the rights of Cerimonies and seruice of the Church nor of worship of Relikes nor of Orders of the Church nor of indulgences and pardons Answere It is in this manner in my Booke the authoritie is abused by such as sell Orders and get riches by Symony making markets of holy Sacraments liuing voluptuously desolutely a filthy villanous kind of life They pollute the Ecclesiasticall estate and though they professe they know God they deny him indéede and beléeue not in him but as vnbeléeuing Bastards hold a contrary opinion as aforesaid to whom Malachy in his first Chapter saith Vnto you Priests be it spoken which despise my name 12 The papall dignity hath his originall from the Emperors of Rome Answer This is proued by the 96. distinction for Constantine granted this priuiledge to the Byshop of Rome and others after confirmed the same that as Augustus is counted the most high King aboue all others so the Bishop of Rome shall be called the principall Father aboue other Bishops then a Cardinall said in Constantines time there was a generall councell at Nice in which the highest place in the Church was giuen to the Byshop of Rome why did you not then say it tooke his dignity rather from the Councell 13 No Man with reason without reuelation can affirme that hee or any other is head of any particular Church Answere I confesse it but it followeth that he ought to hope
necessarie reformation of the Church and Christian Religion and effectually labour fâ—r the rooting out of all publike eâ—ils as well in the head as in the members as you haue often promised in our Kingdome in the Compositioâ—s and as our fourth Article touching the auoiding all publicke euils doth exact and require In this Councell was ordained the feast of the Conceâ—tion of our Lady and the feast of the Uisitation of our Lady In this Councell there was diligent caâ—e about reformation of the Church that through euery Church apt and méete Ministers might bee appâ—inted which may shine in vertue and knowledge to the glory of Christ and the healthfull edifying of the Christian people whereunto the multitude of expectatiue gifts haue béene a great impediment hereby often times vnméete Ministers are appointed for the Churches and they giue occasion to desire anothers death and many contentions are moâ—ed aâ—ongst the seruants of God and the ambition and gréedie desire of pluralities maintained and the substance of Kingdomes consumed poore men suffer vexations by running to Rome they are often by the way robbed murdered afflicted with diuerse plagues and hauing spent their paâ—rimony left them by their parents are constrained â—o liue in extreame pouertie Many craue benefices which haue no iust title and get the same and such as haue most craft and subtiltie to deceiue and greatest substaâ—â—â— to contend in the Lawe doo great wrongs the Eccleâ—â—asticall order is confounded whiles euery mans Iudgement is not preserued and the Pope by chalenging and taking vpon him too much the Office of Superiours is drowned from more waightie and fruitfull matters and intends not to the guiding and correction of the inferiours as publicke vtilitie requireth all which things bring a great confusion vnto the Clergie to the great preiudice of Gods true worship and the publike saluation THE SIXT SECTION OF this Ecclesiasticall Historie THIS Storie following and that before confuteth the vaine opinion of some that this Religion now vsed hath risen but twentie or thirtie yeares since and manifesteth that it hath béene spred in England this 220. yeares and often sparkled before that time although it flamed not so as it hath done within this 100. yeares and more wâ—o although they were not so strongly armed in their cause as of late yeares yet were they warriours in Christs Church and although they gaue back for tyranny yet Iudge the best and referre the cause to God who euealeth all things according to his determinate will and time there hath bin no realme more fertile for Marters then England Oxford was as a continuall sprâ—ng of Christian knowledge whence as out of the Troiane horse hath come so many inuincible witâ—esses of the truth amongst whom William Taylor Master of 〈◊〉 hath not deserued the least praise being a fauorer of Wickliffe who because he had written cerâ—ain things against the inuocation of saints and many other matters after he had recanted nine articles returned vnto thâ— right way and with a maruellous constancie 〈◊〉 buâ—â—t in Smithfield the 7 of March. Iohn Florence a Turner of Shelton in the Diâ—cesse of Norwich was attached because he held and taught that the Pope and Cardinals haue no power to constâ—tute Lawes that nor day is to be kept holiday but Sunday That there ought to be no fast but of the Quaâ—uor temporum That Images are not to be worshipped not lights to be set before them Not 〈◊〉 goe on Pilgrimage nor offeâ— for the dead or with women that are purified That Curates should not claime Tithes by any exaction and that they should be diuided amongst the poore That such as sweare by their life or power except they repent shall be damâ—â—d He was brought before the Chauncellour and forced to abiure and was sworne not to hold or teach any thing contrary to the determination of the Church of Rome nor to helpe or ayde any that should so doe He was inioyned for penanâ—â— thrâ—â— Sundâ—ies Solemne Procession in the Cathedral Church of Norwich to be whipped before all the people and three other Sundaies about his Parish Church of Shelton bare fâ—â—ted bare necked his bodie being couered with a canuâ—s shirt and canuâ—s briches carying in his hand a Taper of a pound waight so was dismissed Richard Belward of Erisam in the Diocesse of Norwich was accused for holding and teaching that Ecclesiasticall Ministâ—re and Ordinaries haue no power to excommunicate and though the Bishop excommunicate any God doth absolâ—e them And that he held the opinion of Sir Iohn Oldcastle And that such as goe on Pilgrimage offering to Images are excommunicated because they ought to giue to the poore which are aliue and not to the dead And that the Curates sell God on Easter day when they receiue Offerings before they minister the Sacraments And that hee councelled â—â—uerse women that they should not offer for the dead nor with women that were puriâ—â—â—â— and for that he called his neighbours fooles for not learning his sect and that they of 〈◊〉 sect were able to confute all others and that we ought not to pray vnto the Saints 〈◊〉 heauen but onely to God and that he kéept schooles of Lolardie in Dichingham 〈◊〉 that a Parchment maker bringeth him bookes from London containing 〈◊〉 Doctrine The Bishop of Norwich siâ—ting in Iudgement vpon him he denied his articles and was purged by 〈◊〉 of his neighbours swearing that he would not teach or defend any thinâ— contrary to the Church of Rome and the aforesaid parchment-maker was likewise accused vpon the aforesaid Articâ—es who dâ—nyed them and was likewise purged by his neighbâ—urs and sword in like manner Also sir Hugh Pie Chaplen of Lâ—dney was likewiâ—e accused before the said Bishop of Norwich for holding that the people ought not to goe on pilgrimage and that people ought not to giue almes to Images but to the poore That the Image of the Crosse other Images are not to be worshiped and that he had cast the Crosse of Brome hold into the fire to be burnt which he tooke from one of Ludney which he denied purged himselfe by three Laymen and three Priests was sworne as before In this yeare Henry the fift sent a most cruell Commission vnto Iohn Exeter and Iacolet Germaine kéeper of the Castle of Colchester for the apprehending of sir William White Priest and Thomas Chaplin of Setling in Northfolke and William Northamton Priest and all other suspected of Lolardy and to commit them to prison by vertue of which Commiâ—â—ion sixe persons were attached in Buâ—gay of Norwich whose names were so defaced through antiquitie that there remained but three names in the worne booke to be red to wit Iohn Teaderton in Kent Bartholomew Monke of Ensham in Norfolke Corneleader a maâ—ieâ— man these three were in the custodie of the Duke of Norfolke in the Castle of Fremingham We finde also in the Diocesse of Norfolke and Suffolke specially in the townes of Bechels Ersham
Psalme Dauid saith The word of God is true and his way verity euery man is vanity and lying and Christ saith Euery one that heareth my words and doth them is like one that buildeth his house vpon a sure foundation and that there is none other foundation by S. Paule and he would haue vs follow one doctrine of Christ to a vnitie of faith that we may bee perfect men not carried about with euery winde of doctrine brought vp by the slights and wilines of men that â—tudie to deceiue vs. Touching the question that there are many things to be beléeued vpon paine of saluation that are not in the Scripture I say lawes ordained for the ciuill regiment of the body and all other Lawes so they be not hurtfull to Faith or Charitie but help to the same we ought to keep them not onely for feare of punishment but for Conscience sake although such ordinance be not expressely in the Scripture but I say there is nothing that is not expressely in the Scriptures that is to bee beleeued vpon necessitie of saluation Touching your Question of purgatory and whether soules departed be there in torment and purged I say there is a purgatory in this world which is the fire of tribulations through which all Christians shall passe as S. Paul saith All that liue godly in Christ shall suffer persecution In this purgatory I doe reckon my selfe now to stand God send me well to perseuere vnto his honour Other Purgatory doe I know none neither can any be proued by any place of Scripture And S. August de ebrietate saith let no man deceiue himselfe for there be two places the third is not knowne He that with Christ hath not deserued to raigne shall perish with the Diuell and in his Booke de vanitate seculi he saith know you that when the soule is departed from the body it is incontinent for the good deeds put into paradice and else throwne headlong into the Dungeon of hell for the sinnes and to this all Scripture agreeth Touching your question whether Martirs Apostles and Confessors departed ought to be honored and prayed vnto Saint Augustine in his Booke de vera religione would haue that we should worship no men departed be they neuer so good and holy no nor yet an Angell nor to honour them but onely in imitating their good liuing as they followed God not building Churches to them no the Angels would not haue vs builde Churches to them but would with them we should honour the Maker of all things They refuse all honour sauing honor Charitatis which loue wee should expresse in helping the poore and helplesse And the Scripture teacheth that there is but one Mediator and we are exhorted in all places of Scripture to call vpon God in néed but in no place to call vpon any Saint Touching your demaund whether Oblations and Pilgrimages may deuoutlie and meritoriously be done vnto the Sepulchers and Reliques of Saints Moses when he died would be buried where no man should know which was his graue it was because the Iewes which were prone to new fangled worshipping should not fall into Idolatrâ— worshipping him as God for the great and many miracles that were wrought by him when he was aliue It is no point of my beleefe to thinke that Oblations Pilgrimages at Saints graues and Reliques are meritorious workes neither is there any deuotion at all in doing of them Touching fasting daies and time I say they are good for diuers respects but it is no deadly sinne to breake them for they are but the traditions of men Touching your question whether Images ought not to be in the Churches for a remembrance of Christ and his Saints I know no Images made with hands that ought to be worshipped For the Psalme saith Confusion be vnto all such as worship carued Images and glory in pictures And S. Augustine in his Book de vera religione let vs not be bound to worship the workes of men for the workemen are more excellent then the things that they make whom notwithstanding we ought not to worship and if Christs Doctrine were so opened that people might vnderstand it as Prelates chiefely ought to doe by teaching we should haue no need of Images for nothing is so effectuall to excite the remembrance of Disciples as the liuely voice of good teachers Touching your demands whether men forbidden to preach as suspected of Heresiâ— ought to cease from preaching Christ and his Apostles were counted heretickes and the Apostles were forbidden oftentimes of the High Priest and others to preach any more and were imprisoned and scourged for it yet they would not leaue preaching but told them to their faces they must obey God which bad them preach rather then men which forbad them yea the Angel deliuering them out of prison bad them go preach againe This is for our instruction doubt not for such practice is shewed in all ages so you may sée when men bée wrongfully infamed of heresie and so prohibited by Bishops to preach the Word of God they ought not to stop for any mans commandement Touching your question of hauing the Bible in English in England In my opinion I say it was not well done to inhibit it and worse that the Bishops haue not sithence amended it if they could that the people might haue it to vse vertuously And I will adde one reason the Scripture is the food and sustinance of mans soule as it appeareth by many places of the Scripture as other meate is the foode of the body then if he be an vnkind Father that kéepeth away the bodily meate the space of a wéeke or a month from his Children it should seeme that our Bishops be no gentle Pastors or Fathers that kéep away the food of mens souls from them both months yeares and ages especially when others offer the same Touching you question whether faith onely iustifieth I answer with S. Augustine Good works make not a man iustified or right wise but a man once iustified doth good works These Articles being directed to the Archbishop of Canterburie which was not Cranmer but Doctor Warham whereby it may be gathered that this godly learned man was long before he disputed before the King or was condemned to death vpon the day that was appointed for him to suffer this holy martyre of God was brought out of prison vnto the house of the Lord Cromwell and carried into his inward chamber where it is reported Cromwell asked him forgiuenesse for what he had done And being admonished of his houre of death he was greatly comforted and comming into the hall he saluted the Gentlemen and sate down to breakfast shewing no manner of sadnes or feare after breakfast he was carried to the place of execution where he should offer himselfe a sacrifice of sweet sauour vnto the Lord who is blessed in his Saints for euer and euer Amen The storie of one COLLINS ONe Collins a Gentleman was burnt at London
Cardinall signifying that he would drowne himselfe and to leaue his clothes there and another Letter to the Mayor of the Towne to search for him in the water because he had a Letter written in parchment wrapt in wax about his neck for the Cardinal which would teach all men to beware of him vpon this they were seuen daies a searching for him but he went to London in a poore mans apparell and thence to Anwerpe to Luther and there answered all the Bishops of the Realme and made a Booke called acta Romanorum pontificum and another Booke with a supplication to King Henry When it was told the Cardinall he was drowned he said perit memoria eius cum sonitu but this lighted vpon himselfe for shortly after he poyso-himselfe In the beginning of the Raigne of Quéene Anne he and others came againe into England and continued a faithfull Preacher in the Citie of London and in her Graces time well entertained and promoted and after sent by King Henry the eight Ambassador to the Duke of Cleaue for the marriage of the Lady Anne of Cleaue betwéene the King and her and was well accepted vntill Gardiner came out of France but then neither Religion nor the Queene prospered nor Cromwell nor the preachers Then followed alteration in marriage vntill hee had grafted the marriage into another stocke by the â—ccasion whereof hee began his bloudy worke Soone after Doctor Barnes and his Brethren were carried to the King to Hampton Court to be examined But the King seeking meanes of his safety bad him goe home with Gardiner and confer with him they not agréeing Gardiner sought opportunitie to dispatch Barnes and the rest as he had done by the Queâ—ne the Lady Anne of Cleue and the Lord Cromwell and he appointed them three to preach thrée Sermons at the Spittle which were baites to minister iust occasion of their condemnations A hen they were sent for to Hampton Court and from thence carried vnto the Tower and came not thence but to their deathes Then the Protestants went beyond Sea Priests were diuorced from there Wiues certaine Bishops deposed and other good men denied Christ and bore Faggots then they were put to dâ—ath without iudgement a Papist and a Protestant were laid vpon one hurdle and drawn to Smithfield This was Winchesters deuise to colour his tyrany Then Barnes hid the Sheriffe beare him witnes he died Christianly and Charitably and prayed them all to pray for him and if the dead may pray for the quick we will pray for you so they forgaue their enemies and kissed one another and stood hand in hand at the stake vntill the â—â—re came and so rested in Christ. The same day one Powell Fetherstone and Abel were hanged drawne and quartered in the same place for denying the Kings Supremacie and maintaining the Kings marriage with the Lady Katherine Dowager The reason was because as one halfe of the Councell being Papists called vpon Barnes Garet and Hierome to be executed so the other part of the Councell called vpon these thrée Papists to be executed In this yéers a Boy one Richard Mekins but fiftéene yeares old was burned in Smithfield for speaking somewhat against the Sacrament of the Altar In like manner Richard Spencer Priest leauing his papistry married a Wife and got his liuing by day-labour Hee was burnt in Salisbury because hee was thought to hold opinion against the Sacrament and one Andrew Hewet was burned with him About this time Cardinall Poole Brother to the Lord Mountegew was attainted of high treason and fled to Rome where he was made Cardinall of Saint Mary Cosmoden where he remained vntill Quéene Maries time Stokely Bishâ—p of London and Tunstone Bishop of Duresme writ to him to perswade him to abandon the Supremacy of the Pope and to conforme himselfe to the Religion of his King which Letter thou maist reade in the Booke at large which sufficiently proueth the Pope not to be supreme head of the Church but because this Doctrine is as sufficiently proued in other places I omit to abridge it In this yeere the King by the aduice of his Councell sent forth a Decree for the setting vp the Bible in the great volume in euery parish Church in England This yeare Iohn Porter a Taylor a lusty yong man was by Bonner Bishop of London cast into Newgate for reading in the Bible in Paules Church where he was miserably famished to death About this time Iohn Longland Bishop of Lincolne burned two vpon one day one Thomas Barnard and the other Iames Morton the one for teaching the Lords Prayer in Englâ—sh and the other for kéeping the Epistle of Saint Iames in English In this yeare the Kings Maiestie vnderstanding that all Idolatry and vainâ— pilgrimages were not vtterly abolished within these Dominions directed his Letters vnto the Archbishop of Canterbury for the spéedy amendment of the same Anthony Pierson Priest Robert Testwood singing man Henrie Finmore Taylor and Iohn Marbeck singing man were burned at VVindsor THese Articles were obiected against Pierson that he had said Euen as Christ once hanged betweene two theeues so when he is holden vp betwixt the Priests handes he hangs betwixt two theeues except the Priest sincerely preach Gods word That he preached that Christ should not be eaten as he did hang vpon the Crossâ— with his flesh torne and the bloud running about their mouthes but he was to be eaten this day that we might also feed on him to morrow and next day and continually and that he was of more power after his resurrection then he was before That Christ sitting amongst his Disciples commended the Scriptures vnto them when he said This is that bread this is that body of Christ so when hee brake bread and bade them deuide it amongst them and eate it for it was his bodie and likewise the cup saying This is my bloud hee signified to vs that wee should receiue the Scriptures and distribute them vnto the people It was obiected against Finmore that he had said that the Sacrament of the Altar was but a similitude and that if it were God he had eaten twenty Gods in his life He condemned Testwood for iesting with the Priest when he lifted vp the host saying Ho take héed that he fall not That Marbeck with his owne hands had writ notes out of certaine Authors which were repugnant to the masse and sacrament of the Altar and that he said The Masse was impure and defiled with much vngodlinesse and it spoyleth God of his honour and that the eleuation of the sacrament represents the Calues of Ieroboam and is worse Idolatrie then those were and that therein Christ was counted a mocking-stock There was a fift man named Bennet vnto whose charge it was laid that hée should say the daily Masses vsed in the Church were superfluous and that it were sufficient the seuenth day were kept holy Bennet and Marbeck were pardoned by the King the other thrée stoutly suffered
the booke of Iulianus Apostata wherein Christ and Pilate were the speakers which Sermon was learnedly confuted in writing by Maister Couerdall About this time a Priest of Canterbury said Masse on the one day and the next day he came into the Pulpit and desired all the people to forgiue him for he said hee had betrayed Christ but not as Iudas as Peter and made a long Sermon against the Masse In February one thousand fiue hundred fifty and foure before the comming of King Philip vpon the fifteenth day about nine of the clock in the forenoone there was séene two Sunnes both shining at once and that time was also seene a Raine-bow turned contrary and a great deale higher then it was wont About this time at Saint Pancrase in Cheape the Crucifixe with the Pixe were taken out of the Sepulchre before the Priest rose to the resurrection so that when he put his hand into the Sepulchre said very deuoutly surrexit non est hic he found his words true for he was not there indéede wherevpon being dismaide and debating amongst themselues whom they thought likest to doe it they layed it to one Marsh which a little before had beene put from that parsonage because he was married but when they could not proue it being brought before the Mayor they burdened him to haue kept company with his wife since they were diuorced He answered that the Queene had done him wrong to take from him both his liuing and his wife wherevpon he and his wife were committed seuerall Counters About this time there was a Cat hanged vpon a Gallowâ—s at the Crosse in Cheape apparelled like a Priest ready to say Masse with a shauen Crowne her two fore-feete were tyed ouer her head with a round paper like a Wafer Cake put betweene them where on rose great euill will against the Citie of London the Quéene and the Bishops were very angry and there was a proclamation in the afternoone that whosoeuer could bring forth the party that hanged vp the Cat should haue twenty Nobles which after was increased to twenty Markes but none would â—arâ—e it the occasion of this was because the Bishop of Winchester had preached before the Queene for the straite execution of Wyats Souldiours Wherevpon there was twenty Gibbets and Gallowes set vp in and about the streets of London which there remained for the terrour of others from the 13. of February vntill the fourth of Iune and at the comming of King Philip were taken downe One Maister Walter Mantell one of them which rose with Wyat being prisoner in the Tower the Quéene sent vnto him Doctor Bourne to conuert him he answered Bourne that he beleeued in the holy Catholick church of Christ grounded vpon the Prophets and Apostles but he tooke exception to the Antichristian popish Church and hee said hee thought the Masse not fit both for the occasion of Idolatry and also the cléere 〈◊〉 of Christs institution and said it was not a propitiatory sacrifice for sinne for the death of Christ was onely that sacrifice and certaine Collects therein are blasphemous Then said the Doctor see how vaine-glory toucheth you then I found fault it was not a Communion Yes said he one Priest saying Masse heere and another there and the third in an other place is a Communion Then he desired God to receiue him to his mercy that he might die vndefiled in his truth at vtter defiance with all papisticall and Antichristian Doctrine and to defend all his chosen from the tyrany of the Pope and Antichrist and from his subtilties at his first casting off the Gallowes the rope broke then they would haue had him reâ—ant and receiued the Sacrament of the Altar and then he should haue the Queenes Pardon but Master Mantell like a worthy gentleman refused their serpentine Councell and chose rather to die then to liue for dishonouring of God Maister Bradford Maister Sanders and diuers other good preachers hearing that they should be brought vnto a Disputation at Cambridge sent a Declaration out of prison to the effect as followeth That they did not purpose to dispute otherwise then by writing except it be before the Queenes Highnes her Councell and before the Parliament houses because we shall dispute against the things which already they haue determined whereby it appeareth they seeke not the derity but our destruction and their glory otherwise they would haue called vs to shew our consciences before their lawes were so made and againe the Censors and Iudges are manifest enemies of the truth before whom Pearles are not to be cast by the commandement of Christ and by his example and because some of vs haue been in prison eight or nine monethes where we haue had no Bookes paper nor Inke and because we shall bee stopped of our Arguments as the Bishops were at Oxford and because the Notaries that shal write our Arguments shal be such as either doe not or dare not fauour the truth therefore must write to please them or else they will put to or take from at their pleasure as it appeared at Oxford Yea if any man was seene there to write he was sent for and his writings taken from him If they will write we will answere by writing and proue by the word of God and most ancient Fathers this our faith euery péece thereof and we are ready to seale it with our liues First we confesse beléâ—ue all the Canonicall bookes of the Old Teâ—â—ament and the New to bee truth written by the Spirit and to bee the Iudge of all Controuersies of Religion and we beléeue the Catholike Church is the Spouse and beloued Wife of Christ and to imbrace the doctrine of these bookes in all matters of Religion and therefore to bee heard accordingly and those that will not heare her are Heretickes and Schismaticks according to the saying He that will not heare the Church let him be an Hereticke and wee beléeue the Symbols of the Créede of the Apostles and of the Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon and of Toletum before the foure hundred fifty foure yeare and the Symbols of Athanasius Ireneus Tertullian and of Damasus which was in the yeare thrée hundred seauenty sixe We beléeue that Iustification commeth onely from the mercy of GOD through Christ and it is had of none of discretion but by Faith which Faith is a certaine perswasion wrought by the Holy Ghost and as it lightneth the mind so it suppleth the heart to submit it selfe to the will of God By this we disalow Papisticall Doctrines of free will of workes of supererogation of merits of the necessity of auriculer confession and satisfaction And we beléeue that the exterior seruice of God ought to be according to the word in such a tongue as may be most to edifie and not in Latine where the people vnderstand not the same And we beléeue that God onely by Iesus Christ is to bee prayed vnto and we disalow inuocation to
Augustine and all the Fathers of antiquitie doe affirme but in asmuch as the substance of bread and wine is another manner of thing then the substance of the body and bloud of Christ it is plaine there is no Transubstantiation 4 The bread is no more transubstantiated then the wine CHRIST calleth that the fruit of the Uine saying I will drinke no more of the fruit of the Vine Therefore by Christes wordes it was not Bloud but Wine therefore it followeth there is no Transubstantiation Chrysostom vpon Mathew and Cyprian doe confirme this reason 5 The bread is called as well Christs mysticall body as his naturall body for the same spirit that saith the bread is my body saith also wee being many are one body but it is not the mysticall body by transubstantiation no more is it his naturall body by transubstantiation 6 The words ouer the Cup are not so effectuall as to transubstantiate it intâ— the New Testament Therfore the words spoken ouer the bread are not so mighty to make Transubstantiation 7 The Doctrine of Transubstantiation doth not agree with the Apostolick and mother Churches which receiued there Doctrine of the Apostles who receiued it of Christ and Christ of God as of Gréece of Corinthus of Philippos Collosia Thessalonica Ephesus which neuer taught Transubstantiation yea it agreeth not with the Doctrine of the Church of Rome taught in times past for Gelasius the Pope doth manifestly confute the errour of transubstantiation and reproueth them of sacriledge which diuide the mysterie and keep the Cup from the lay people Therefore the Doctrine of transubstantiation agreeth not with the truth Communication betwixt the Archbishop of Yorke and the Bishop of Chichester with BRADFORD in prison York HOw know you the word of God but by the Church Brad. The Church is a meane to bring a man to the more spéedy knowledge of the Scriptures as the woman of Samaria was a meane that the Samaritaâ—s knew Christ but when as they had heard him speake they said now wee know that he is Christ not because of thy words but because we our selues haue heard him so after we come to the hearing and reading of the Scriptures shewed vnto vs by the Church we beleeue them and know them as Christs sheepe not because the Church saith they be the Scriptures but because they be so wee being assured thereof by the spirit which wrote and spake them Yorke In the Apostles time the word was not written Brad. True if you meane it for some bookes of the New Testament but for the Old Testament Peter telleth vs it is a more sure word of Prophesie not that it is so simply but in respect of the Apostles which being aliue and compassed with infirmities by reason whereof men might perchance haue found fault with their preaching they attributed vnto the Prophets more firmenes as wherewith no fault could be â—â—und albeit in verity no lesse obedience and faith ought to be giuen vnto the one then the other both proceeding of one Spirit of truth York Ireneus and others doe magnifie much and alledge the Câ—urch and not the Scriptures against the heretickes Brad. They had to doe with such-hereticks as did deny the Scriptures and yâ—t did magnifie the Apostles so that they were inforced to vse the authoritie of those Churches wherein the Apostles had taught and which did still retaine the same Doctrine then the alledging of the Church cannot be principally vsed against me which am so farre from denying the Scriptures that I appeale vnto them vtterly as to the onely Iudge Yorke A pretty matter that you will take vpon to Iudge the Church where hath your Church been hitherto for the Church of Christ is Catholick and visible hitherto Brad. I doe not Iudge the Church when I discerne it from the congregation which is not the Church and I neuer denied the Church to bâ— Catholick and viâ—â—ble although at some times it is more visible then at other times Chichest Where was your Church forty yeares agone which allowed your Doctrine I said I would tell him if he would tell mee where the Church was in Helias his time when Helias said he was left alone he said that is no answere Brad. If you had the same eyes wherewith a man might haue espied the Church then you would not say it was no answer The fault why the Church is not sâ—â—ne of you is not because the Church is not visible but because your eyes are not cléere â—â—ough to sée it Chich. You are much deceiued in making this collation betwixt the Church then and now Yorke said it was very well spoken for Christ said I will build my Church and not I do or haue built it Brad. Peter teacheth me to make this collation saying As amongst the people there were false Prophets which were most in estimation before Christs comming so shall there be false teachers amongst the people after Christs comming and verie many shall follow them and as for your future tense you wil not conclude Christs Church not to haue béene before but rather that there is no builder in the Church but by Christ onely in that he saith I will build my Church for Paul and Apollo be but waterers York He taketh vpon him to iudge the Church a man shall neuer come to certainty that doth so Brad. I speake simply that which I thinke and desire reasons to answere my Obiections assuredly you did well to depart from the Romish Church but you haue done wickedly to coupple your selues to it againe for you can neuer proue it which you call the mother Church to be Christs Church Chichest You were but a Childe then I was but a young man come from the Uniuersitie and went with the World but it was alwaies against my conscience Brad. I thinke you haue done euill for ye are come and haue brought others to that wicked man which sitteth in the Temple of God which is the Church for it cannot be vnderstood of Mahomer or any out of the Church but of such as beare rule in the Church Yorke Sée how you build your Faith vpon the most obscure places of the Scripture to deceiue your selfe as though you were in the Church which are not Brad. Well my Lord though I might by truth iudge you and others yet will not I vtterly exclude you out of the Church but I am not out of the Communion of the Church for it consisteth in Faith York Loe how you make your Church inuisible for you would haue the Communion of it to consist in Faith Brad. To haue Communion of the Church néedeth not visiblenesie of it for Communion consisteth in Faith and not in exterior Ceremonies as appeareth by Paul which would haue one Faith and by Ireneus to Victor saying disagréeing of fasting should not breake the agréeing of Faith Chichest That place hath often wounded my conscience because we disseuered our selues from the Sea of Rome Brad. God forgiue you for you haue done
CHRISTS VICTORIE OVER SATHANS TYRANNIE WHERIN JS CONTAINED A CATALOGVE OF ALL CHRISTS FAITHFVLL SOVLDIERS THAT THE DIVELL either by his grand Captaines the EMPEROVRS or by his most deerly beloued sonnes and heyres the POPES haue most cruelly Martyred for the TRVTH WITH ALL THE POYSONED DOCTRINS WHEREWITH THAT GREAT REDDE DRAGON hath made drunken the Kings and Inhabitants of the Earth with the confutations of them TOGETHER WITH ALL HIS TRAYTEROVS PRACTISES AND DESIGNES AGAINST ALL CHRISTIAN Princes to this day especially against our late Queen ELIZABETH of famous memorie and our most religious Soueraigne Lord King IAMES Faithfully abstracted out of the Book of Martyrs and diuers other Books By Thomas Mason Preacher of Gods Word LONDON Printed by George Eld and Ralph Blower 1615. To the most Reuerend Father in GOD the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his GRACE PRIMATE and METROPOLITAN of all England and one of his MAIESTIES most Honourable Priuie Councell And to the Right Honourable SIR EDVVARD COKE Lord Cheefe Iustice of England and one of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuie Councell THOMAS MASON wisheth all Happinesse in this Life and eternall Felicitie in the world to come MOST Reuerend and Right Honorable zealous Lords your daily and faithfull Orator being a professed Soldiour vnder Christs Banner in the behalfe of his spouse against Antichrist I could busie my selfe in no office so profitable for the Church and hurtfull vnto Antichrist as to gather together the bullets which haue been shot at him by Christs Souldiours in times past that now his children may shoote them at him againe with great facilitie And whereas venerable M r Fox of worthy memory hath gathered into one Booke the Acts and Monuments of the Church vnto his time one of the most profitablest Bookes that is for Gods Children except the Bible a Club able to beate downe the Popish Tower of Babell Yet what with the labour of reading so large a volume together with the deareness of the price thereof few that haue the Booke reade it ouer and the most part of men are not able to buy it whereby very little profit ariseth thereof vnto the Church I haue according to my power pared off the barke of this Club and made it tractable for all sorts of people they may buy it with little charge and peruse it with small paines and I dare promise them that they shall reape as much profit by reading this abridgement as by reading of the Booke at large I haue willingly omitted no matter of substance Here the Reader may see the cruelty of the Emperors vnto the Primitiue Church and whom they put to death and the manner of their deathes during the first ten Persecutions and how and when Christianitie began in this Realme And what successe it hath had at all times and when by what occasion and by whom most of the Monasteries and Cathedrall Churches of this Realme were builded and how when and by whom all points of Popery came into the Church and how the Pope hath exalted himself against Emperors Kings what iniuries he hath done to them With the Treasons Conspiracies that Papists haue practised against those that the Lord hath annointed vnto this day The Reader may also heere see the innumerable multitude of the Saints of God that the Papists haue from time to time murdered in all Countries for the testimonie of the Truth With all the points of Religion that the Martyrs did defend vnto death and all the reasons that the Papists vsed against their Arguments and how cruelly they handled them with many other most profitable things After I had done this Booke I was discouraged from putting of it to Print by reason I found another had abridged the Booke of Martyrs before me but when I perceiued it was done but superficially for all the points of Religion that the Martyrs defended or Papists obiected were omitted which disputations I chiefly labour to set forth therevpon I was resolued to goe forward When I had begun to quote all the Authors from whence M r Fox had his proofes for them that the Emperors put to death the Quotations were almost as large as the Story and made it very vnpleasant wherefore in most places for breuitie I haue omitted them leauing them that would see the proofes to the Book at large I haue herein abridged many bookes but especially the Booke of Martyrs as the Papists cannot abide the booke of Martyrs of all bookes so much more will they hate my booke which hath so truely and briefely discouered all their shame not onely out of that booke but out of diuers other bookes Wherefore most Reuerend and Right Honorable Lords your manifest dislike that you beare against the wickednes and falshood of Antichrist hath imboldned me to be an humble sutor vnto your Lordships to bee the Patrons of this my Booke and that you would vouchsafe to defend and further it by your Spirituall and Temporall Powers to the honour of Christ the great dishonour of Antichrist and the vnspeakeable benefit of Gods Children So with my hartie prayers I commit both your Honors your soules bodies and all that you haue vnto the safe preseruation of Christ Iesus and his holy Angels Your Lordships daily Oratour THOMAS MASON Preacher of Gods word in Odiham in the County of Southampton whose Father was Heire vnto S r IOHN MASON sometime a Priuy Councelor vnto Queene ELIZABETH THE EPISTLE VNTO THE RBADER EVen as the Reuelation and other places of Scriptures good Reader doâ— foretell Antichrist to come so this Historie declareth the fulfilling of those prophecies in all points all the Martyrs died in this faith that the Pope is Antichrist I could bethink my selfe of no instruction so profitable for the reading of this Booke as to giue thee a few rules to manifest vnto thee that the Popedome is that Antichrist which I will endeuor to declare vnto thee by these rules following first by his outward place of abode secondly by his inward and spirituall throne thirdly by his doctrine fourthly by his conditions fiftly by the height breadth length and ruine of his Kingdome I will but open the way vnto thee this Booke shall proue by experience my sayings to be true Touching his outward seate Reuel 17. 18. it is the Citie that then did raigne ouer the Kings of the earth which was Rome the place is also described in the ninth verse to be compassed about with seuen mountaines This Booke shall proue that Rome hath seuen mountaines about it In the same verse this Citie hath had fiue kings that were then falne another King did raign which was the Emperour when the Reuelation was made and another was to come afterward This book shall teach thee that the seuen Kings signifie seuen maner of Gouernments in Rome of which fiue was falne the Emperour then raigned and after the Pope should raigne there so the Holy Ghost hath pointed out Rome as plainly as can be the place of Antichrists Kingdome
Touching his inward or spirituall seat S. Paule 2. Thess. 2. 24. saith He sitteth as God in the Temple of God Antichrist signifieth an aduersary of Christ and if it had bin meant of the Turke or any other aduersary that did not professe Christianitie he might easily be seene without so many reuelations but hee is according to the description of a false Prophet Mat. 7. 15. a most grieuous Wolfe to Christs Lambs and yet so couered with a sheeps skin that it is impossible to know him without the spirit of God Outwardly he seemeth to be a good tree but his fruit is nothing but thornes and thistles to destroy Gods children Matth. 24. 24. Christ calleth them false Christs and false Prophets prophecying that they shall do such wonders that if it were possible they should deceiue the elect so thou seest the Antichrist which is prophecied of must be a professor of Christ as the Pope is which calleth himselfe the Catholique Church but he is the onely aduersary thereof as this book will teach thee by experience Touching the third point to know him by his doctrines 1. Tim. 4. 1 They shall depart from the faith and follow doctrines of diuels and speake lies through hypocrisie they shall haue their consciences seared with an hote iron forbidding to marrie and commaunding to abstain from meats and they teach the same superstitious doctrins that S. Paule warneth vs from Coloss. 2. 16. Let no man condemne you in meat and drinke or in respect of an holy-day or a new Moone nor Sabboths nor make you forsake Christ the head in worshipping Angels neither let them burden you with traditions as touch not tast not handle not which things haue a shew of wisedome in that the professors be voluntary religious and humble their mindes and spare not their bodies nor haue their bodies in any estimation but all is nothing but to fulfill a fleshly religion and Iude in his twelfth verse compareth them to clouds which in a drieth seem to bring raine but doe not for though they make great promises of feeding of soules yet there is no true hope of remission of sins nor assurance of eternall happinesse in their doctrines And in 2. Pet. 2. 17. he calleth them Wells not with a little water but quite without water for although by name they professe the Trinity yet their doctrins of euery person of the Trinitie and of al other points of religion are contrary to wholsome doctrine they maintaine their doctrines though falsely vnder the names of the Scriptures the Catholique Church and the auncient fathers this is the golden cup that the Church of Antichrist holdeth in her hand Reuel 17. 4. but it is full of abominations and filthines of her fornications so if thou marke this booke it is easie to know Antichrist by the falsenesse and wickednesse of all his doctrines yet coloured ouer with glorious shewes of truth and wholsomnesse yea although thou haddest no other meanes to discerne him by Touching the fourth point of the conditions of Antichrist Iude in the eleuenth verse saith They follow the way of Caine all the persecutions of Gods children before times were but types and prophecies of the Papists in killing their brethren as Caine did because they please God better then they The abominable desolations of Nabuchadnezzar and of Titus and Vespasian of the materiall Temples were but prophecies of the Papists abominable desolations of Gods Saints For this cause Antichrist is called in the Reuelation a great redde Dragon a Serpent and a cruell Beast S. Iohn Reuel 17. 6. foresaw the Church of Antichrist drunken with the bloud of the Saints and Martyrs of Iesus Christ. And although he had seen all the persecutions that were before or in his time yet he wondred at the bloud that he foresaw that the Papists should shed with a great maruaile Iude in his 12. verse saith They are cast away in the deceit of Baalams wages for as Baalam though he knew the Israelites to bee the blessed of God yet he would haue cursed them for lucre sake if God would haue suffered him so the Papists maintaine doctrines which they know to be false and commit all their murders of Gods children only to maintaine their Kitchin pleasures honour glorie riches and other worldly respects as it shall plainly appear vnto thee in this Booke In 2. Pet. 2. 14. Their eyes are full of adultery and they cannot cease to sinne beguiling vnstable soules This Booke will shew thee how inspeakeably wicked they are according to this prophecie they are spiritually called Sodom because in that case they exceede in wickednesse the Sodomites These and many other wicked conditions of theirs are plentifully prophecied of in the Scriptures and thou shalt see the true performances of the prophecies in this book w ch wicked conditions shall plainly shew the Pope to be Antichrist Touching the height of Antichrists Kingdome Reuel 17. 3. the Church of Antichrist is said to sit vpon a skarlet coloured beast ful of names of blasphemy which is the Pope who is a bloudy beast to Gods children takes all Gods names blasphemously to himself and vers 4. he his Church are arrayed with purple skarlet and deckt with gold precious stones pearls and how gloriously the Pope and his Church hath bin set forth how rich they haue bin according to this prophecy this book wil shew thee In 2. Thess. 2. 14 He sitteth as God in the Temple of God and exalteth himself aboue all that is called God C. Caesar Caligula the Emperor which vsed to sit in the Temples of the Idols to be honored as God caused his picture to be set vp to be worshipt in all Temples and in the Temple of Ierusalem yet was he not such an abominable Idol as the Pope maketh himselfe to be he is the Gaoler of Purgatory and thither comes as he saith all the soules of Christians except som few to whom for building some religious houses and for being otherwise a speciall maintainer of his kingdome hee giueth a speciall prerogatiue immediatly to go to heauen these soules his prisoners hee punisheth how and as long as he list and at his pleasure he throweth any of them into hell or sendeth any of them into heauen Of the reuenues of this Gaole hath all the Popes riches honour superioritie aboue Emperors and Kings proceeded he hath taken from Christ the honor of pardoning sins to himselfe God made man of clay but the Pope and all his shauelings can daily make God of a piece of bread In these and many other respects as this booke will teach thee doth the Pope exalt himself as God according to this prophecie and he exalts himselfe aboue all kings which are called Gods and at his pleasure with excommunications can cast them out of heauen and out of their kingdoms as himselfe saith he hath trode vpon Emperours made them kisse his feet hold his stirrups and leade his horse He
to know kéep Gods commandements fearing to offend him and louing to please him hoping stedfastly in his mercy continuing in Charity gladly suffering persecutions by the example of Christ and his Apostles all these haue their names written in the Booke of life The gathering together of these that be aliue is the Church fighting against the fiâ—nd the prosperity of the World and the fleshly lusâ—s and I wil submit my selfe only to the rule and gouernance of them whom after my knowledge I may perceiue by the hauing and vsing of the foresaid vertues to be members of the holy Church These Articles and all other that I ought to beléeue by the word of God I verily beléeue in my Soule and I beleeue that the word of God is sufficient to saluation if I haue erred that I submit my selfe to be â—econciled and I beleeue the authorities of Saints and Doctors as farre as they may be approued by the word of God and no further for any earthly power or dignity Sir I pray shall I lay my hand on the Booke to sweare by it yea said he wherefore else Sir I say a Booke is a thing coupled together of diuers Creatures and Gods and Mans Law is against swearing by any Creature but I will sweare vnto you as I ought by Gods Law but for Charity tell me wherein I shall submit my selfe and wherein you will correct mâ— Bishop I will that you swear to forsake all the opinions of the Sect of Lollards which I shall rehearse after you haue sworne and that you will neither priuily nor openly teach none of them nor fauour none of that opinion but withstand them and them that will not yéeld make knowne to the Byshop of the Diocesse and that thou preach no more vntill I do know that thy hart and mouth accord Thorp If I consent vnto you hereâ—n I should be euery Bishops spy Sommoner of al England yea I should deceiue many persons and be y â— cause of their death bodily and ghostly for many of them that stand now in the truth and are in the way of saluation would rather chuse to forsake the way of truth then to be scorned slandered and punished as Byshops and their Ministers now vse to d ee and I finde not in the Scripture that this office you would now enfeoff me with accordeth to any Priest or Christian therefore to do thus were to me a full noyous band for many trust so mickle in me that I would not doe it to saue my life and they might well account me a Traytor to God and man and that I had faâ—sly and cowardly forsaken the truth and slandered shamefully the Word of GOD If I doe thus for feare of bondcheefe and mischeefe in this life I deeme in my conscience I were worthy to bee cursed of GOD and all his Saints from which keepe me and all Christians Almighty God Bishop Thy heart is full hard indurate as the hart of Pharaoh the Diuell hath blinded thy wits that thou hast no grace to know the truth nor the measure of mercy that I haue proâ—â—ered thee but I say to thee lewd Lossell eyther quickly consent to me or by Saint Thomas thou shalt be disgraded and follow thy fellow â—o Smithfield Thorp I thought with my selfe God did me great grace if of his mercy he would bring me to such an end and my heart was not afraid of his menasing but I considered in him that he was not sorrowfull that he had burned William Santry wrongfully and that he thiâ—steth to shed more innocent blood and I was fast mooued to hold him to be no Priest of God and mine inward Man was departed from him to haue no feare of him and I was right heauy that there was no audience of seculer men by and I prayed the Lord to comfort me against them that were against the sothfastnesse and I purposed to speake no more then my neede behooued All the while I prayed God for his grace to speake with a méeke and easie Spirit and that I might haue authorities of Scriptures or open reason for my words and his Clearks said Why muse you do as my Lord commands you Byshop Hast thou not yet bethought thee whether thou wilt doe as I haue said Thorp My Parents spent mickle Mony about my learning to make me a Priest but I had no will to be a Priest wherefore they were right heauy to mee that I thought to leaue theÌ„ at length I desired that I might go to such as were named wise and of vertuous conuersaâ—ion to haue theâ—â— Councell so I communed with such till I perceiued their honest and charitable workes to passe their fame wherefore 〈◊〉 by the example of the Doctrine of them after my cunning and power I haue exercised me to know perfectly Gods Law hauing a desire to liue thereafter and that others exercised themselues faithfully there abouts Then he sheweth the reasons aforesaid and what would follow if he should forsake so suddenly the learning that he had exercised this 30. winters according to the example of some whose name I wil now recite and according to the present doing of Phillip Rampington now Bishop of Lincolne by Gods grace I will learne by them to fly such slander as thâ—y haue defiled themselues with and as much as is in them they haue enuenomed all the Church of God by their flaunderous reuoking at Paules Crosse and how now Phillip Rampington pursueth Christs people which will not be vnpunished of God Bishop These were fooles and heretickes when they were counted wise of thée and sâ—ch loseâ—s but now they are wise though ye deeme them vnwise Thorpe I thinke they are wise concerning this world I did thinke by their former doings that they had earnest of the wisdome of God and deserued â—â—ckie grace of him to haue saued themselues and many others if they had continued faithfull and in their buâ—â—e fâ—â—itfull sowing of Gods word but woe worth false couetousnesse euill councell and tâ—ranny by which they and many be led blindly to an euill end Bishop Which are those holy and wise men of whom thou hast taken thine information Thorpe Sir master Iohn Wicliffe holden of â—ull many the greatest Clarke then liuing â—usâ—ing rulâ— anâ— innocent in his liuing great men communed oft with him they so loued his learning that they wrote it and bâ—sâ—ly inforced themselues to â—ollow it and his learning is yet holden most agréeable to the learning of Christ and his Apostles and master Iohn Ayston taught and wrote accordingly and vsed himselfe right perfectly to his liues end And sometimes Phillip Rampington Nichols Herford Dauid Gotray of Pakâ—ing and Iohn Puruay and many other which were holden right wise and prodent taught and writ busily his foresaid learning with alâ— these men I was right homely and communed with them but of all other I â—hose to â—ollow Wicliffe himselfe as the most wise and godly man that I heard of or know Some of
the followers of Gods law shall haue to bee deliuered from this woe The sixt Seale tellâ—th the state of the Church in Antichrists limmes the Angels that stood in the foure corners of the earth to hold the foure windes from blowing are the Diuels Ministers the foure windes are the foure Gospels they shall let the preaching thereof and the breath of the Holy Ghost to fall vpon men after this commeth the mysterie of the seuen Seales that Antichrist is come in his owne person whom Iesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth hee and his seruants shall show their vttermost persecution against Christ and his subiects I said in my second principle that it was to be knowne before what Iudge wee must reckon the Iudge is God himselfe that seeth all our deeds and thoughts and euery mans deeds and the secrets of their hearts shall be opened to all the world as Saint Iohn saith the dead men great and small stood about the Throne and bookes were opened and the Booke of Life was opened and the dead were iudged according to their deed written in that Booke this Booke is mens consciences that now are closed but then shall be open to all men the Booke of Life is Christs Gospel which is now hid from the damned through their owne malice in the first book is written all that is done in the second all that should be done therefore look in the Booke of the Conscience whilest thou art heere if thou findest any thing contrarie to Christs example and Doctrine scrape it out with the knife of repentance and write it better I said it were good to know what reward the good shall haue and what reward the wicked shall haue it is written Christ shall come with the same body that was crucified all that shall be saued shall cleaue to him and be rauished meeting him in the ayre they that shall be damned lying vpon the earth Then Christ shall aske account of deeds of mercy reproouing false Christians for leauing them vndone rehearsing the paines that his true seruants haue suffered then the wicked with the Diuell shall goe into euerlasting fire and the righteous into â—uerlasting life then that which is written shall be fulfilled Woe wo to them that dwel on the earth wo to the Paynim that worshipped Idols and other creatures woe to the Iew that trusted too much in the Old Law and despised Christ woe to the false Christian that knew the will of God and did it not and hath not contemplated his mercies and waies and been thankefull for his benefits and hast made thy hart a house of swine a den of theeues by vncleane thoughts and delights thou hast shut God out of thy heart and hee shall shut thée out of heauen thou hast harboured the fiend and thou shalt euer dwell with him in hell thou shouldest haue sung holy holy holy Lord but thou shalt cry woe woe woe to mee but they that bee saued shall ioy in God Ioy all amongst themselues and one of an others saluation how happie bee they that their trauels bee finished and brought to so gracious an end especially that they haue escapt the paines O how happie are they for the endlesse blisse which they haue in the sight of God In this yeare began the Councell of Constance called by Sigismond the Emperour and Pope Iohn the 23. for pacifying a Schisme betwixt three Popes all striuing for the Pope-dome which continued nine and thirty yeares the Italians set vp this Iohn the Frenchmen set vp Gregory the Spaniard set vp Benedict and euery Nation defended his Pope to the great disturbance of Christian Nations this Councell indured foure yéeres wherein all matters were decided most by foure Nations the English Germans French and Italians out of euery Nation was a president there names were Iohn the Patriarch of Antioch for France Anthony Archbishop of Rigen for Italy Nicholas Archbishop of Genesâ—ensis for Germanie and Richard Bishop of Bathe for England the aforesaid Pope Iohn resigned his Pope-dome for which the Emperour thanked him and kissed his féete but after he repented himselfe 〈◊〉 being disguised fled but was taken by the Emperour and put in prison this Pope was deposed by the Decree of the Councell more then fortie most hainous crimes prooued against him as for hiring a Physition to poison Alexander his predecessor and that he was an Heretick a Symoniack a Lier an Hypocrite a Murderer an Inchanter a Dice-player an Adulterer a Sodomite and many others he held a Councell at Rome about foure yeares before and euer when they assembled there was a huge Owle in the place or somewhat else in the shape of an Owle which did alwaies looke so earnestly vpon the Pope which made him still breake vp the Sessions and at length to dissolue the Councell some said it was the Spirit of God in the shape of an Owle indeed there Spirit is better figured in the shape of an Owle then of a Doue The Councell said the way to reforme the Church was to begin a minoritis the Emperour said non a minoritis sed a maioritis there was fiue and forty Sessions in this Councell there was three seuerall Popes deposed in this Councell In the eighth Session was the condemnation of Iohn Wickliffe and his fiue and fortie Articles of his memory and bones to be burned as it is before recited and in the thirtéenth Session was decréed that no Priest vnder paine of excommunication shall communicate vnto the people vnder both kindes of Bread and Wine In the fifteenth Sessions silence was commanded vnder paine of the great curse and that none should make any noise of hand foote or voice and then the condemnation of Iohn Hus was read In the seuenteenth Session the Emperour tooke vpon him a iourney to the King of Arragon to intreat with Pope Benedictus about the resignation of the papacy and an excommunication was denounced against al that should goe about to hinder the Emperours iourney and that the Councell should euery Sunday make prayers and processions for him and an hundred daies of pardon giuen to them that would be present at the said prayers and processions and that all Prelates should then weare their Pontificalibus granting besides to euery Priest that said one Masse for the same an hundred daies pardon and to all other that once a day should say one Pater-noster and one Aue-Mary for the safety of the Emperour forty dayes pardon In the nineteenth Session Ierome of Prage was accused of Heresie cast into prison and forced to abiure In the two and twentieth Session Letters were made and set vpon all Church doores admonishing Duke Frederick to restore George Bishop of Austridge such Lands Kents and Reuenues as hee detayned vnder paine of interdiction suspention and excommunication In the one and twentith Session the Bishop of Londy made a Sermon which being ended Ierome of Prage which had abiured stood vpon a Bench replying against his Sermon
the houses in Wormes The fourth or fift day after he came to Wormes he was enioyned at foure of the clock in the afternoone to appeare before the Emperor Dukes and other estates of the Empire to vnderstand the cause he was sent for And standing before them he was commanded silence vntill he was interrogated Then was asked him whether those books were his which were written in his name a great company of them lying before them and if they were thine whether thou wilt recant and reuoke them and all that is contained in them or rather meanest to stand to that which is written in them Then Luthers Aduocate desired that the titles of the books might be read which was done Luther answered Hée could not but acknowledge those bookes to be his and that he would neuer recant any clause thereof and for the iustifying of them he desired some time to consider because there be questions of faith and the saluation of the soule wherein it were dangerous and a rash thing to pronounce any thing without good aduisement After they had consulted the Officiall said Though thou doest not deserue to haue opportunity giuen thée to determine yet the Emperour of his méere clemencie gâ—anteth thée one day to morrow at this time thou shalt render before him conditionally thou do not exhibit thine opinion in writing but pronounce the same with liuely voyce At which time when he was appointed to answer he answered to this effect All my books are not of one sort there be some in which I haue so simplie and Euangelically intreated of the religion of faith and honest conuersation that my very enemies are compelled to confesse they be profitable and worthy to be read of all Christians and the Popes Bull iudgeth certaine of my books inculpable if I should reuoke these I should condemne that truth which friends and foes confesse There is another sort of my books which containe inuectiues against the Pope and doctrine of the Papists as against those which haue corrupted all Christendom bodily and spiritually with their pestiferous doctrine and pernicious examples for I cannot dissemble this when the vniuersall experience and common complaint of all beare witnesse that the consciences of all faithfull men haue béen most miserably intrapped vexed and most cruelly tormented by the Popes lawes and doctrine of men and further their substance deuoured specially in this famous Countrey of Germanie If then I should reuoke these I can doe none other but augment force to their tyrannie and not only open windowes but wide gates to such an infernall impietie the which will extend more wide and with more libertie then yet she durst and by the testimonie of this my retractation their insolent and malitious Kingdome shall be made most licentious and lesse subiect to punishment If I Luther should do this by the authoritie of your most excellent maiestie The third sort of my books I haue written against priuat persons such as with tooth and nayle labor to protect the Romish tyrannie and deface true religion which I haue taught and professed I confesse against these I haue been more violent then my profession required if I should recant these it would come to passe that tyranny and impietie shall raigne sâ—pported by my meanes â— Neuerthelesse as Christ when he was examined of his doctrine before Annas and hauing receiued a buffet of the Minister said If I haue spoken ill beare witnesse of the euill If Christ which was assured he could not erre refused not to haue testimony giuen against his doctrine how much more I that cannot but erre ought earnestly to intreat if any will beare witnesse against my doctrine and if any can by Scripture conuince me of error I will reuoke any manner of error and be the first that shall consume my books with fire I conceiue no greater delectation in any thing then when I behold dissentions stirred vp for the word of God for such is the course of the Gospell as Christ saith I came not to send peace vpon the earth but a sword I came to set a man at variance against his father And we must thinke our god is terrible in his Councels against his aduersaries lest the condemning of the word of God turne to a huge Sea of euils lest the Empire of this yong and bounteous Prince Charles bee lamentably and miserably begun I could amplifie this with authorities of Scripture and Pharo the King of Babylon and the Kings of Israell who then most obscured the bright Sunne of their glorie and procured their owne ruine when they attempted to pacifie their Realmes in this manner Then the Emperours Ambassador checked Luther saying he had not answered to any purpose and that he ought not to call in question things long time agoe defined by generall Councels therefore they required whether he would reuoke or no. Then he answered If I be not conuicted by testimonies of Scriptures and probable reasons for I beléeue not the Pope nor his generall Councels I will not nor may not reuoke any thing for it is vngodly to doe against my conscience Then the Embassador replied if all such as impugne that which was decréed by the Church and Councels may once get this aduantage to be conuinced by the Scriptures we shall haue nothing established in Christâ—ndom Luther answered the Councells oft gainsaid themselues and that he was able to proue that Councels haue erred and night approaching the Lords arose and after Luther had taken his leaue of the Emperor diuers Spaniards scorned and scoffed at him hollowing and whopping after him a long time After there were bills set vp against Luther and others with him but this was subtilly done of his enemies as it was thought that there might be occasion offered to infringe the safe conduct giuen him the which the Romane Embassador with all diligence indeuoured to bring to passe When he was sent for to the Archbishop of Triers they protested vnto him they sent not for him for disputation but beningly and brotherly to exhort him and they said though the Councels had erred yet their authoritie was not thereby abased neither was it lawfull for euery man to impugne their opinions and that Decrées Traditions of men and Ceremonies were established to represse vices according to the qualities of times and that the Church could not be destitute of them the trée is knowne by his fruits These lawes haue much profited And they alleadged that Luthers books would breed great tumult and incredible troubles and that he abused the common sort with his booke of Christian liberty incouraging them to shake off their yoake and to confirme in them a disobedience and that now the world was at another stay then when the beleeuers were all of one minde And albeit he had written many good things and doubtlesse with a good spirit yet now the Diuell hath attempted by wily meanes that all his works for euermore should be condemned and by these last workes
any appearance of flesh therefore there is no transubstantiated body of his in the Saâ—rament and on the contrary the forme and condition that you see in the Sacrament pertaineth to bread which cannot be there without the subiect therefore of necessity we must confesse bread to be there Taylor put vp the writing to Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury so hee was forced to defend his cause openly in the Court the Archbishop had not yet sanored the doctrine of the Sacrament which he afterward was an earnest teacher of Lambert was faine to appeale from the Bishop to the King Steuen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester as he was most cruell so hee was most subtile gaping to get occasion to hinder the Gospell Hee priuily admonished the King what great hatred he had gotten of al men for abolishing the Bishop of Romes authoritie and for subuerting the Monasteries and for the diâ—orcement of Queene Katharine and now the time serued if he would take it to remedie all these matters and pacifie their minds that be offended if on this man Lambert he would manifest how stâ—utly he would resist hereticks whereby he shall discharge himselfe of all suspicion of being a fauourer of new Sects whereupon the King appointed a day for argument before him when the time was come the Bishop argued the foresaid points against Lambert which he answered most effectually but the King and the Bishops would not suffer him to conclude his arguments When the King minded to breake vp his counterfeit disputation he said to Lambert What sayest thou now to the reasons and instructions of these learned men Art thou satisfied Wilt thou liue or die thou hast yet free choyse Lambert answered I submit my selfe to the will of your Maiestie the King said submit thy selfe to the handes of GOD not to mine then said Lambert I commit my soule to the handes of GOD but my body I submit to your clemencie Then said the King if you commit your selfe to my clemencie you must die for I will not be a patrâ—n vnâ—o hereticks Then he bade Cromwell reade the sentence of condemnation against hâ—m which he did though he was the chiefe friend of the Gospellers this was by the poâ—icie of Cranmer that if Cromwell should haue refused to do it he might incurre the like danger And in the sentence was contained a decrée that the same should be set vpon the Church porches and be read foure times euery yeare in euery Church throughout the Realmâ— whereby the worshipping of the bread should be the more fixed in the hearts of the people The Answers of IOHN LAMBERT to diuers Articles administred to him VVHere you aske me of frée-will whether a man haue frée-will that he may deserue ioy or paine we deserue nothing by doing the commandements of God as it appeareth by the Parable of the Master which when his seruant is come from worke will make him waite on him vntill he hath eaten and after giue him leaue to eate and yet thanketh him not because he hath done but his duetie so should you say you are vnprofitable seruants when you haue done that which you were bound to doe therefore when we haue done well we should not magnifie our owne free-will but his grace by which we did it And though â—race be promised in many places to the kéepers of Gods precepts yet such reward shall neuâ—r be attained of vs but by the grace and benefit of him which worketh all things in all creatures We should not doe works for loue of reward nor for dread of paine but because they doe please God and if we only ayme at the contenting of his pleasure reward vndoubtedly would insue good déeds as heat inseparably followeth fire Thus wee should serue God for loue as children and not for reward and dread as seruants We haue no frée-will nor abilitie of our selues to doe the will of God but as Esay saith We are subiect and thrald vnto sinne and Paule saith By the grace of God we are set at libertie Touching eareâ— coâ—â—ession it was not ordained of God bâ—t of man in the booke called Historia tripaâ—tita you shall find how it was first instituted and after vndone againe because of a huge vilâ—anie committed by a Minister vpon a woman through conâ—ession And touching their power to forgiue sinnes I say onely Christ looseth a sinner which is contrite by his promise and the Priest can but declare the promise neither doth the declaring of the promise by the Priest benefit any one vnâ—esse he be loosed from his sinne by credence in the promise ministred And Chrysostome in his booke in opere imperfecto affirmeth that the keyes of heauen are the doctrine of the word of God Ministers doe binde and loose after a sort as Christ told Paule Thou shalt open their eyes that they may be conuerted from darknes vnto light Here Paule is said to open the eyes of mens hearâ—s yet to speake properly it is God that doth it therefore Dauid prayeth Reuela oculos meos and it is said of Iohn Baptist That he should turn the harts of the fathers vnto the children and the vnbeleeuers vnto the wisdom of the wise although to turne mens hearts only belongeth to God but so we vse to speake Metonomiâ—â— Touching inioyning of penance I know none that men need to admit neither ought you to iniâ—yne any except casting away the old vice and taking the new vertue which euery â—rue penitent intendeth or ought to intend Touching the question whether grace be giuen only by the Sacraments God sendeth his grace where it pleaseth him either with them or without them and when he pleaseth and many lewd persons receiue the Sacraments that are destitute of grace to their confusion yet in due receit of the Sacraments God giueth grace Where you aske whether all things necessary to saluation are in Scripture S. Chrysostome saith he would haue a true preacher of Gods law not to swerue therefrom neither on the right hand nor the left for hee that should thereunto adde or withdraw should enterprise to be wiser then God And Saint Cyprian in his Epistle ad Cicilium fratrem teacheth how we ought to heare Christ only not regarding traditions of men like as he doth in diuers other places And this agreeth well with Scripture which is called the word of saluation the administration of righteousnesse the word of truth the rodde of direction our spirituall food the spirituall sword that we ought to fight withall against all temptations and assaults of our glostly enemies the seed of God the kingdome of heauen the keyes of the same the power of God the light of the world the law of God his wisedome and Testament euery one of which wordes will giue sufficient matter of argument that following the same doctrine only shal haue sufficient safe-conduct to come vnto the inheritance promised though no other way or meaâ—s were annâ—xed vnto the same In the hundred and eightéene
are forbid the Booke binder answered is not the holy Bible as good as these goodly pictures the Bishop of Air sayd I renownce my part of Paradice if he bee not a Lutheran let him bee tryed what hee is then the Book-binder was caried into prison and a company of ruffins cryed a Lutheran to the fire with him and owne strucke him with his fist another pulled him by the beard so that hee was al imbrued with bloud the morrow hee was brought before the Bishops hee iustified the selling of the Bibles and said There was no Nation but had the Byble in their owne language Will you forbid and hide that which Christ hath commaunded to bee published Did not Christ giue power to his Apostles to speake all manner of tongues to the end that his Gospell might be taught to euery Creature in euery language And why doe you forbid this Booke aâ—d buy such prophane painting What cruelty is this to take the nourishment from poore soules but you shall giâ—e account heereof which call sweete sower and sower sweete you bee rather the Priests of Bacchus and Venus then Pastors of the Church Then he was condemned to be burned the same day and to haue two Bybles hang one before and another behind to signifiâ— the cause of his death The Byshoppes twice raised an Army at their owne charges to execute the aforesaid arrest but their enterprises were let by one meanes or other and the King hearing the confession of this Faith of Merindole and finding that it did agree in all points to the Word of God gaue them their pardon Some of the Byshoppes resort to them to get them to recant but they prooued their Religion so agreeable to the Word that many Doctors were conuerted to their opinions and confessed they neuer learned so much in all their time as by hearing them Their Children were so well taught and they questioned and answered one another so diuinely that the Doctorâ— confessed they had not heard Arguments so well answered in the diuinity Schooles Yet notwithstanding in this yeare the twelfth of Aprill Iohn Miners President of the Councell of Aygues called the Senate and read the Kings Letters which the Cardinall had obtained for that purpose and commaunded them to execute the sentence Now euery where hee had mustred men for the English Warres but he vsed them for this purpose and tooke vp more Souldiours out of euery Towne and they had ayde sent them out of the Popes Dominions First they set vpon the Uillage about Merindoll and destroyed and burned them the Merindolins seeing their cruelty left their houses and fled into the Woods carrying their Children vpon their Shoulders and Armes then it was showed vnto them that Miners came with all his whole power to destroy them then the men went away and left the women and children with som to looke to them hoping they would shew mercie to them whom when the souldiers found they abstained from slaughter but when they had spoyled them of their money and victuals they lead them away Their purpose was to handle them more shamefully but that they were let with a Captaine of horse-men so they left the women and droue away the booty there were fiue hundred women Miners burned Merindoll and finding there but one yong man he â—aused him to be tyed to a tree and shot in with Dagges then he went to Cabriers and perswaded the townsmen to open the gates promising they should haue no hurt but when they were let in they slew both man woman and childe Miners shut fortie women into a â—arne of straw set it on fire and kept them in till they were all burned The number slaine within the towne and without were eight hundred the infants that escaped their furie were baptized againe of their enemies Then they took the town of Costa and serued it so and many maids and women being lead into a Garden of the Castle they rauished them all and when they had kept them a day and a night they handled them so beastly that the mayds and them with child died shortly after In the meane time the Merindoles and diuers others that wandred in the woods and mountains were either sent to the Gallies or were slaine Many also died for hunger fiue and twenty hid themselues vnder a rocke and they smothered and burned them so that no kinde of cruelty was omitted notwithstanding diuers which had escaped came to Geneua and other places neere The persecution in Callice with the martyrdome of George Bucket alias Adam Damlip THis Adam Damlip had bin a great Papist and Chaplaine to the Bishop of Rochester he iournyed to Rome thinking to haue found all godly and sincere religion where he found as he confessed such blasphemy of God contempt of Christs true religion loosenesse of life and abomination and filthinesse that he abhorred to tarrie there any longer although he was greatly requested by Cardinall Poole to continue there to reade three Lectures euery weeke in his house offering him great entertainment which he refused and returning home the Cardinall gaue him a French crowne And wayting at Callice for passage into England William Steuens and Thomas Lancaster desired him to reade there two or three dayes and got him license of the Lord Lisle the Kings Deputie of the towne and the license of Iohn Butler the Commissary When he had preached three or foure times he was wel liked so that they hyred him to preach there and twenty dayes or more euery morning at seuen of the clocke he preached learnedly and plainely the truth of the blessed Sacrament of Christs body and bloud mightily inueighing against all Papistrie but especially against transubstantiation the propitiatorie sacrifice of the masse declaring how popish himselfe was and how by the detestable wickednesse that he did see vniuersally in Rome he was returned and become an enemie to all Papistre He came at last to speake against the Pageant or picture set forth of the resurrection in Saint Nicholas his Church that it was meere Idolatrie and illusion of the French-men before Callice was English Then there came a commission to the Lord Deputy the Commissary and others to search whether there were three Hosts lying vpon a Marble stone besprinkled with bloud as was put in writing vnder a Bull and Pardon and that if they found it not so that immediatly it should be pulled downe and so it was for they breaking vp a stone in the corner of the Tombe in stead of three Hosts found souldred in the Crosse of Marble lying vnder the Sepulchre three plaine Counters which they had pointed like vnto Hosts and aboue that was the tippe of a Sheeps tayle which Damlip shewed to the people the next day which was Sonday out of the Pulpit And after they were sent by the Lord Deputie to the King Then the Prior of the white Friers and one of the Lord Lisle his Chaplains contradicted his Sermons and caused him to be sent
and for his contempt and misdemeanor deposed Gardener Bishop of Winchester with Tunstall Bishop of Durham were cast into the Tower for their disobedience In this time of King Edward vnder this noble Protectoâ— this one commendation is proper vnto them that amongst all the Popish â—ort of whom some priuily stâ—le out of the Realme manie were craftie dissemblers some open aduersaries â— yet there was not one that lost his life during the whole time of the Raigne of this King for any matter of Religion Papist or Protestant except lone of Kentan English woman and one George a Dutchman who died for certaine Articles not necessarie to be rehearsed THOMAS DOBBE THis man in the beginning of King Edwards Raigne comming from S. Iohns Colledge in Cambridge to London as he passed through Paules Church there was a Priest at Masse at the South side of the Church being at the eleuation this yong man repleate with godly zeale pittying the ignorance and Idolatry of the people in honouring that which the Priest lifted vp he exhorted the people not to honour that visible bread as God which was neither God nor ordained of God to be honoured wherefore he was apprehended by the Mayor and accused to the Bishop of Canterburie and was committed to the Counter in Bread-stréete where shortly falling sicke he died whose pardon was obtained of the Lord Protector if he had liued IOHN HVNNE IN the first yeare of the Kings raigâ—e one Master Lewnax of Wresell and his wife sent this Iohn Hunne their seruant vnto the Bishop of Canterbury for denying the flesh and bloud of Christ to be really in the Sacrament of the Altar and saying he would neuer vaile his Hatte to it if he should be burned for it and that if he should heare masse he should be damned But because I finde nothing done therein I leaue it When this godly yong Prince was peaceably established in his Kingdome and had a godly wise and zealous Councell about him especially the Duke of Sommerset he earnestly desired the aduancement of the true honour of God and planting of sincere Religion and the sâ—ppressing of all Idolatry Superstition and hypocrisie throughout his Dominions Following the good example of the good King Iosias and being he found most of his Lawes repugnant to his zealous enterprise He by the aduice of his wise and Honorable Councell of his own regall authoritie did prosecute his godly purpose vntill by consent of the whole estate of Parliament he might establish a more free and vniforme order and those certaine wiâ—e learned and discreet personages for Commissioners generally to visit all the Bishopricks of this Realme to vnderstand and redresse the abuses of the same and diuided them into seuerall companies and assigned them seuerall Diocesses to be visited appointing to euery company one or two godly Preachers which should preach to the people at euery Sessions the true Doctrine of the Gospell of Christ and exhort them to all loue and obedience of the same and earnestly dehort them from their old superstition and wonted Idolatry and that they might the more orderly be directed in this their Commission there were deliuered vnto them certaine iniunctions and Ecclestasticall orders drawne out by the Kings learned Councell the which they should both inquire of and also command in his Maiesties behalfe to be thenceforth obserued of euery person to whom they did seuerally appertaine within their seuerall circuits the which Iniunctions if thou beest disposed for to reade I leaue thee for breuitie to the Booke at large Now during the time the Commissioners were in their circuits about diligent execution of their godly and zealous orders of the King and Councell deâ—iring a further reformation as well in Ecclesiasticall as in Ciuill gouernment appointed a Parliament to be summoned on the fourth of Nouember in the first yeare of his raigne which continued vntill the twenty foure day of December then next following Whereby he caused to be enacted that all Acts of Parliaments and Statutes touching menciâ—ning or any wise concerning Religion or opinions to wit the Statute of the first yeare of Richard the second and the statute made in the second yeare of the raign of Henry the fift and the statute madâ— in the fiftéenth yeare of the raigne of Henry the eight concerning the punishments and reformation of Hereticks and Lolards and the sixe Articles made in the thirty one yeare of Henry the eight and the statute made in the thirty thrée year of Henry the eight against the bookes of the old and new Testament in English and the printing and vttering of English or bookes writings and preaching the Scriptures an another Statute in the 35. yeare of Henry the eyght touching the qualification of the Statâ—te of sixe Articles and aâ—l and euery other Act or Acts of Parliament concerning Doctrine or matters of Religion should from thenceforth bee repealed and of none effect by occasion whereof all his godly subiects abiding within the Realme had free liberâ—y to professe the gospell and those beyond Sea wer not onely licensed to retâ—rne home but incouraged bouldly and faithfully to trauell in their calling so that God was much glorified and the people edified And in this Parliament it was enacted that the Sacrament should be ministred in both kinde and letters missiue were sent frâ—m the Councell to the Bishops of the Realme concerning the communion to bee ministred in both kinds and from Bishop to Bishop as thou maist sée in the booke at large Another Parliament was assembled in the second yeare of his Raigne beginning vppon the foorth day of Nouember 1548. continuing vntill the 14. day of March wherein a booke in English intituled the Booke of Common prayer and administration of the Sacraments and other Rightes and Ceremonies of the Church after the vse of the Church of England was concluded vppon by the Clergy which his highnesse receauing with great comfort did exhibiâ—â— it vnto the Lords and Commons of the Parliament who for the honour of God and great quietnesse which by the grace of God should ensue vppon that one vniforme right and order in such Common prayer rites and externe Ceremonies to bee vsed throughout England Wales Calice and the Marches of the same authoriseâ— the sayd Booke by Act of Parliament and set great penalty vpon them that woâ—ld bee disobeâ—ient thereto as is to be seene in the booke at large Aâ—so the mariage of Priests was authorized by the sayd Parliament by these procéedings and the Iniunctions which thou maiest see in the book at large thou maiest well perceaue the great zeale of the King and the Lord Protector in reformation of tâ—ue Religion and also the lingring slacknesse on the other side of others especially of the Bishops and old Popish Curats by whose cloked contempt and wilfull winking the Booke of Common prayers was long after the publishing thereof very irreuerently vsed throughout many places of this Realme which when the King by diuers
testimony against this house Touching the disputations of Peter Martyr Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius because they are only touching the Sacrament which is so often handled in this book for breuitie I referre thee to the book at large The decease of King EDWARD ABout a yeare and a halfe after the death of the Duke of Sommerset King Edward died entring into the seuenteenth yeare of his age and in the seuenth yeare of his raigne As the time approached that it pleased Almighty God to call this yong King from vs which was on the sixth day of Iuly about thrée houres before his death his eyes being closed speaking to himselfe and thinking none had heard him he made this prayer as â—olloweth LOrd God deliuer me from this miserable and wretched life and take me amongst thy chosen howbeit not my will but thy will be done for I commit my spirit vnto thee O Lord thou knowest how happie it were for me to be with thée yet for thy chosens sake send me life and health that I may truly serue thes O my Lord GOD blesse thy people and saue thine inheritance O Lord saue thy chosen people of England O my GOD defend this realme from Papistrie and maintain thy true religion that I and my people may prayse thy holy name for thy Sonne Iesu Christs sake Then he turned his face and séeing who was by him he said vnto them are you so nigh I thought you had beenâ— further off then smilingly he said I was praying to God The last words he spake were these I am faint Lord haue mercie vpon me and take my spirit And thus he yeelded vp the Ghâ—st leauing a wofull kingdome behinde vnto his sister THE TENTH BOOK WHEREIN is contained the most memorable things done in the Raigne of Queene MARY KIng Edward by his Testament did appoint Lady Iane daughter of the Duke of Suffolk whose mother was Mary second sister of King Henry who was first wife to the French King and after to the said Duke to succeed him in his Kingdome all the Councell and chief Nobilitie the Mayor of London and all the Iudges and chiefe Lawyers sauing Iudg Hales subscribed therto who stood for Q. Mary The matter thus concluded King Edward died when he was sixteene yeares of age then the said Iane was proclaymed Queene at London and other Cities she was about the age of King Edward in learning and wit she might be compared with the Uniuersitie men which haue taken many degrees of the schooles Then Queen Mary wrote to the Councel that they should proclaime her Quéen and she would pardon them for that which was done they answered her that by the Diuorse betwixt King Henry and her mother she was made illegitimate and vnheritable to the Crowne Then she speeded her selfe farre from the Citie hoping vpon the Commons whereupon the Councell sent forth the Duke of Northumberland with other Lords and Gentlemen with an Armie the Guard assisting the Duke Mary withdrew her selfe into Northfolke and Suffolke where she knew the Duke was hated and there gathering such aide of the Commons as she might kept her selfe in Fremingham Castle to whom Suffolk-men resorted and promised her their aide if she would not alter the religion which her brother had established to which she agreed with such promises as no man could haue misdoubted her and thus being guarded with the power of the Gospellers she vanquished the Duke and all that came against her But after the Suffolk-men making supplication vnto her Grace for performance of her promise she answerd You shall one day well perceiue that members must obey their head and not looke to rule the same and one Dobbe a Gentleman for aduertising her of her promise by humble request was three times set in the pillorie to be a gasing-stock to all men others deliuered her books and supplications out of the Scripture to exhort her to continue the doctrine then established who were sent to prison The Councell at London vnderstanding that the Ladie Marie increased in puisance and the peoples hearts mightily bent vnto her they turned their song and proclaymed for Quéen the Lady Mary eldest daughter of K. Henry the eight and appointed by Parliament to succeed King Edward dying without issue the Duke of Northumberland with some of his sonnes were left destitute at Cambridge as also the Earle of Huntingdon who were arrested and brought to the Tower as Traytors Then the Quéen came to the Tower where the Lady Iane and the Lord Gilford her husband were imprisoned fiue months but the Duke within a moneth was beheaded with Sir Iohn Gates and Sir Thomas Palmer the Papists promised the Duke pardon if he would openly recant vpon the Scaffold which in hope of pardon he did and yet he was beheaded whose recantation the papists published not a little reioycing at his conuersion but Sir Thomas Palmer confessed his faith in the Gospell and was sorie that he had not liued more Gospell-like Steuen Gardner was released out of the Tower and made Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor and Poynets displaced and Bonner restored to his Bishoprick againe and Ridley displaced and Day made Bishop of Chichester and Storie put out and Heath made Bishop of Worcester and Hooper committed to the Fleet and Vesie to Exeter and Couerdale put out Doctor Ridley Bishop of London had preached against Quéen Mary in Queene Ianes time shortly after the Sermon Queen Mary was proclaymed then he went to the Queen to salute her who dispoyled him of his Dignities and sent him to the Tower vpon a halting horse Then Queen Mary directed forth an inhibition by proclamation that no man should preach or reade openly in Churches the word of God One Bourne who after was Bishop of â—ath preached at Paules Crosse so much in the praise of Bonner being there present and in dispraise of King Edward that his words sounded euill to the hearers which caused them to murmur and stirre insomuch that the Maror and others feared an vprore one hurled a dagger at the Preacher who for feare pulled in his head Master Bradford stood forth and appeased the people and after he and Rogers conducted the Preacher safe into the Grammer-schoole but shortly after they were both rewarded with burning The next Sonday the preacher at the Crosse was guarded with the Queenes Guard then men withdrew themselues from the Sermon and the Mayor took order that the ancients of al Companies should be present lest the Preacher should be discouraged with his small auditorie Cranmer Archbishop of Canterburie assisted with Peter Martyr and a few others offered to defend the doctrine of the booke of Common Prayer by the Scriptures and Doctors but whilst they hoped to come to disputation the Archbishop and others were imprisâ—ned but Peter Martyr was suffered to return from whence he came The first day of October the Queen was crowned and the tenth day a Parliament began where Taylor Bishop of Lincolne
Supper he could but he then minded no miracle but to suffer for sinne Was not Christ at the Table and aliue when he said so and suffered not vntill the next day he took bread brake bread gaue bread and they eate bread and all this while he was aliue with them or else they were deceiued Feck You ground your Faith on them that say and vnsay and not vpon the Church Iane. I ground my Faith on Gods word and not on the Church for the Faith of the Church must be tryed by Gods word and not Gods word by the Church shall I beléeue the Church that taketh from me the halfe of the Lords supper and sâ—e deny the Lay-men part of their saluation and I say that is not the spouse of Christ but the spouse of Diuell hee will adde plagues to that Church and will take from it their part out of the booke of life doe they learne that of Paule when bee ministred to the Corinthians in both kinds Feck That was done to avoyde an heresie Iane. Shall the Church alter Gods will for a good intent how did King Saule Then Feckham tooke his leaue and sayd he was sorry for her and sayd hee was sure they two should neuer méete Iane that is true if God turne not your heart you are in an ill case I pray God send you his spirit hee bath giuen you a great gift of vtterance if it please him to open your eyes She wrote a letter to her father to comfort him and to shew how ioyfull shee was to die and she wrote another letter to one Master Harding who was late Chaplaine to her Father and fell from the truth of Gods word and rebuked him that hee put his hand to the plowâ— and looked backe and lost the comfortable promises that Christ maketh to them that forsake themselâ—es to follow him thou didâ—st séeme to bee a liuely member of Christ but now an impe of the Diuell once tho beautifull Temple of God now the filthy kennell of Sathan once the vnspotten spouse of Christ now the vnshamefast Paramâ—â—â—re of Antichrist once my faithfull brother now an Apostata once a floute Christian souldier now a cowardly run-away thou séede of Sathan and not of Iuda the Diuell the world and desire of life hath made thée of a Christian an Infidell thou hast taught others to be stroâ—g and thy selfe dost shamefully shrinke thou hast taught others not to tâ—cale and thy selfe hast committed most haynous sacriledge and robbest Christ of his right members and of thine own body and soule thou chosest rather to liue miserably with shame in the world then to die gloriously to â—aygne with Christ in whâ—m in death is life how darest thou refuse the true God and worship the inuention of man the goulden Calfe the Whore of Babilon the Romish Religion the abâ—ominable Idoll the most wicked Masse wilt thou teare againe the pretioâ—s body of our Sauiour with thy fleshly teeth and she exhorted him that the â—ft falling of thâ—se Heauenly showers might pearce his stony heart and the two edged word of Gods word seare asunder the sinnewes of wordly respects that thou mayst once againe forsake thy selfe and imbrace Christ. The night before she suffered the sent a new Testament to her sister Katherin and wrote a letter to her in the end thereof that though it were not outwardly trimmed with gould yet inwardly it was more worth then precious stones It was the last will that Christ bequeathed to vs wretches it will bâ—ing you to eternall life teach you to liue and learne you to die you shall gaine more by it then by the possession of your wofull fathers lands thinke not that your yong yearâ—s will lengthen your life for soone if God call goeth the yong as the old deny the world despise the Diuel and the flesh reioice in Christ as I do I exhort you that you neuer swarue from the Christian faith neither for hope of life nor feare of death if you deny Christ hee will deny you and shorten your dayes put your whole trust in God she made a prayer full of faith which thou mayest sée in the booke at large When she camâ— vpon the Scaffold she protested her innocency in the cause shee was to die for and prayed them to beare her witnesse that she dyed a true Christian woman and that she looked to bee saued by no meanes but by the mercy of God in Christ and my negligence of the word of God and louing of the world brought this punishment vpon me and I thanke God that hee hath giuen me a time of repentance then she prayed them whilest she was aliue to assist her with their prayers then she sayd the one and fiftiâ—h Psalme in deuout maner then she made her selfe ready and gaue her things to her Maides and caused a handkerchife to be tyed about her face the hang-man asked her forgiuenesse and shee forgaue him most willingly and prayed him to dispatch her quickly then she laid her head vpon the blocke and said Into thy hands I commend my spirit and so finished her life With her also was beheaded the Lord Gilford her husband Iudge Morgan who gaue the sentence of condemnation against her shortly after fell madde and continually cried to haue the Lady Iane taken from him and so ended his life Not long after her death was the Duke of Suffolke her father beheaded at the Tower-hill about which time also were condemned many Gentlemen and Yeomen whereof some were executed at London and some in the countrey and Thomas Gray brother to the said Duke was executed The foure and twentieth of Februarie Bonner sent a Commission to al Pastors and Curats of his Diocesse to take the names of all such as would not come the Lent following to auricular confession and to the receiuing at Easter The fourth of March following the Queene sent certaine Articles to Bonner to â—e speedily put in execution that the Canons in King Henries time should be vsed in England that none exact any oath of any Ecelesiasticall person touching the supremacie that none defamed with heresie he admitted to ecclesiastical benefice or office that Bishops and other officers diligently trauell about for repressing of heresies vnlawfull books and ballads and that Schoole-masters and Preachers teach no euil doctrine that they depriue all married Priests except they renounce their wiues but if they returne to their wiues to bee diuorced both from wife and benefice that for want of Priests the parishiâ—ners goe to the next parish to seruice or one Curate serue diuers places That processions in Latine bee vsed after the old order for the obseruing of Holy daies and Fasting daies that the ceremonies of the Church be restored that Ministers which were ordered in King Edwards time should be new ordered that the parishioners bee compelled to come to their seuerall Churches that Schoolmaisters be examined and if they be suspected to place Catholick men in their roome and
Testament desperatly he cast himselfe into a shallow Riuer and was drowned in the yeare 1555. IOHN AWCOCKE THis yeare the second of Aprill one Iohn Awcocke died in prison who was buried in the fields as the manner of the Papists was for they deâ—ied them Christian buriall to such as died out of their Antichristian Church Pope IVLIVS the third THis yeare about the end of March died Pope Iulius the third whose deeds to declare it were not so much tedious to the Reader as horrible to good eares Iohannes de Casa was Deane of this Popes chamber Archbishop of Beneuentanus and chiefe Legat to the Uenetians who well declaring the fruit of that filthy Sea did not only play the filthy Sodomite himselfe but in Italian meetre set forth the praise of that beastly iniquitie and yet his booke was printed at Uenice by one Troyanus Nauus and the Pope suffered this beastlines vnder his nose in his chamber which could not abide the doctrine of Christ. This Pope delighted greatly in Porke flesh and Peacocks by the aduice of his Physitians his Steward ordered that he should set no Porke flesh before him missing it where said he is my Porke the Steward answered his Physitian had forbidden any Porke to be serued the Pope in a great rage said Bring mee my Porke in despite of God Another time he commaunded a Peacocke at the Table to be kept colde for his Supper when Supper came amongst hote Peacocks he saw not his colde Peacocke the Pope after his wonted manner began horribly to blaspheme God one of his Cardinals said Let not your Holinesse I pray you be moued in so small a matter Then said he if God were so angry for one apple that he cast our parents out of Paradice why may not I being his Uicar he angry for a Peacocke which is a greater matter This was he vnder whom Popery was restored in England in Quéene Maries time and the affection that was borne vnto him heere may be séene by the Dirgs Hearses and Funerals commaunded to bee had and celebrated in all Churches by the Quéene and her Councell At his death a woman séeing a Herse and other preparation in Saint Magnus Church at the Bridge foot in London asked what it meant it was told her it was for the Pope and that she must pray for him nay quoth she that I will not for he needeth not my prayers seeing hee could forgiue vs all our sinnes I am sure he is cleane himselfe by and by she was carried vnto the Cage at London Bridge and bade to coole her selfe there GEORGE MARSH THis Marsh was an earnest letter forth of true Religion to the defacement of Antichrists doctrine in the parish of Deane and elswhere in Lancasâ—ire and he most faithfully acknowledged the same in Quéene Maries time whereupon he was apprehended and kept in straight prison within the Bishoppe of Chesters house foure moneths not permitting him to haue comfort of his frinds but the Porter was charged to marke them that asked for him and to take their names and deliuer them to the Bishop shortly after he came thither the Bishop sent for him and communed with him a long time in his Hall alone and could find no fault with him but that he allowed not transubstantiation nor the abuse of the Masse nor that the Lay people should receiue vnder one kinde with which points the Byshop went about to perswade him but all was in vaine then hee sent him to Prison againe Afterward diuers were sent vnto him to perswade him to submit himselfe vnto the Church of Rome and to acknowledge the Pope to be the haâ—d thereof and to interpret the Scriptures no otherwise then that Church doth George answered hee doth acknowledge one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church without which is no saluation and this Church is but one because it hath and beléeueth in but one God and him only worshippeth and one Christ and in him only trusteth for saluation and it is ruled onely by one Spirit one Word and one Faith and that it is vniuersall because it hath béene from the beginning of the world and shall be vnto the end of the world hauing in it some of al Nations kindreds and languages degrees â—â—ates and conditions of men This Church is builded only vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ being the Head-corner-stone and not on the Romish Lawes and Decrees the Pope being not the supreame head and that it was before any succession of Bishops general Councels or Romish Decrees neither was bound to any time or place ordinary succession generall Councels or Tradition of Fathers neither had any supremacie ouer Empires and Kingdomes But that it was a little 〈◊〉 flocke dispersed abroad as sheepe without a Shepheard in the middest of Wolues or as a flocke of fatherlesse Children assisted succoured and defended onely by Christ Iesus their supreme head from all assaults errours troubles and persecutions wherewith shee is euer compassed about He proued by the floud of Noah the destruction of Sodome The Israelites departing out of Egypt by the parables of the sower by the Kings sons marriage of the great Supper and by other sentences of the Scriptures that this Church was of no estimation and little in comparison of the Church of hypocrites and wicked worldlings After the Bishop caused him to bee brought to the Chappell of the Cathedrall Church of Chester where the Bishop with diuers others were set After he had taken his oath for a true answering the Chancelor charged him that he had preached heretically and blasphemously in diuers places against the Popes authority and Catholick Church of Rome the blessed Masse the Sacrament of the Altar and many other Articles Hee answered that â—e neither heretically nor blasphemonsly spake against any of the said Articles but simply and â—â—uely as occasion serued according to his conscience maintaining the truth touching the said Articles as it was taught in King Edward the sixth his time whereupon they condemned him at the next appearance And when he would haue perswaded them otherwise by the word of God the Bishop told him he ought not to dispute with hereticks Then he prayed the people to beare him witnesse he held no other opinions then were by Law most godly established and publikely taught in King Edwards time wherein he would liue and die As he came on the way towards the place of execution some folke proffered him moâ—ey and looked that he should haue had a little purse in his hand as the manner of 〈◊〉 was at their going to execution to gather money to giue to a Priest to say trentalls of Masses for them after their death whereby they might be saued but Marsh said he would not be troubled with money and hade them giue it to the prisoners and poore people When he came to the â—â—re his pardon was offered him he answered being it tended to plucke him from God he could not receiue it
that it was against his conscience it pleased God that so great vertues in this man should not be without some blemish and that y â— falshood of the Popâ—sh generation by this meanes might be the more euident and that we should haue the lesse confidence of our owne strength presently this recantation was put in Print and published notwithstanding it was decréed that Cranmer should be burned out of hand and the Quéene commanded a funerall Sermon to be made for him by Doctor Cole and hauing his lesson giuen him he went spéedily to Oxford to play his part The morning before hee should bee executed Cole gaue him 15 crownes to giue to y â— poore The Archbishop surmised whereabouts they went after the Spanish Frier came vnto him with a paper of Articles which Cranmer should openly professe in his recantation before the people desiring him to write his name vnto it then he prayed him to write a Copy of it and kéepe it with him which he did knowing wherunto their deuices tended he put secretly into his bosome his prayer with his exhortation written in another paper Cranmer was brought from prison to S. Maries Church betwixt two Friers which mumbled certaine Psalmes in the stréets as they went when they came vnto the Church they sung Nunc dimittis then they brought him to his standing where they left him there he stood all y â— Sermon in a bare ragged gowne ill-fauouredly clothed with an old square cap exposed to the contempt of all men In this habite when he had stood a good while vpon the stage he turned vnto a pillar knéeling lifting vp his hands to heauen he praied vnto God once or twice After a while Cole came began his Sermon altogether to the disgrace of Cranmer shewing that he was the onely man that began this heresie schisme from the Catholique Church that he was the cause of the diuorce betwixt the Quéenes father and mother and that for these and other maine causes the Quéene and Councell did thinke fit that he should be burned although he had recanted At the end of his Sermon he brought many scriptures to comfort him that such as die in Gods faith he will either abate y â— fury of y â— flame or else giue him strength to abide it he glorified God much in his conuersiâ—n because it appeared to be only his worke shewing what great meanes was vsed to conuert him but none could preuaile vntill God reclaimed him saying whilst he flowed in riches honor he was vnworthy of death but lest he should carry with him no comfort he promised that immediatly after his death there should be Dirges Masses Funerals executed in all the Churches in Oxford for â—uccour of his soule But Cranmer during the Sermon lifted vp his hands eyes to heauen the very shape of forrow was liuely expressed in him more then twenty times he shed aboundant teares from his fatherly face but especially when he made his prayer before the people After Cole had done his Sermon he had Cranmer performe his promise to expresse your faith that you may take away suspicion from men that they may vnvnderstand you a Catholique indéed I wil do it said the Archbishop with a good will then he desired y â— people to pray for him that God would forgiue him his sins and one offence doth trouble me more then all the rest whereof in processe of my talke you shall heare and after he had made a very pithy praier with y â— people which you may sée in y â— book at large then he said euery man at the time of his death desireth to giue some god exhortation vnto others so I pray God at this my departing I may speake somwhat whereby God may be glorified you edified His first exhortation was that we should not set our minds too much vpon this glozing world but vpon God the world to come His next exhortation was to obedience to y â— King Quéenâ— His third exhortation was that they should loue together like brothers sisters The fourth was that rich men would weigh three sayings in y â— scripture First Christ saith it is hard for a rich man to enter into y â— kingdome of heauen Secondly S. Iohn saith he that hath this worlds goods and shutteth his compassion vpon his needy brother how can he say he loueth God Thirdly Saint Iames biddeth them weepe and howle for the miseries that shall come vpon you your clothes be moth-eaten your gold and siluer cankred and rusty and the rust shall witnesse against you and consume you like fire you hoord vp treasure of Gods indignation against the last day Let them that be rich ponder well these thrée sentences for if euer they had occasion to shew their charity it is now the poore beeing so many and victuals so deere Now being I am come to the end of my life whereupon hangeth my life past and my life to come either to liue with my Maister Christ for euer in ioy or else for euer in paine with the Diuell Therefore I will declare my faith vnto you without dissembling I beleeue all the Articles of the Créede and all the Doctrine of Christ his Apostles and Prophets in the new and old Testament and now I come vnto the great thing that so much troubled my conscience more then all that euer I did in all my life and that is in setting abroad a writing contrary to truth which now I renounce as written with my hand contrary to my heart for feare of death and that is all such Billes and Papers which I haue written or signed with my hand since my degradation and because my hand writ contrary to my heart it shall be first burned And as for the Pope I refuse him as Christs enemy and Antichrist with all his false Doctrine And as for the Sacrament I beléeue as I haue taught in my Booke and my Booke shall stand at the last day before the iudgement of God when the Papisticall doctrine shall be ashamed to shewe her face It was a world to sée the Doctors beguiled of so great a hope I thinke there was neuer cruelty more notably deluded and when he began to speake more of the Sacrament and of the Papacie Cole cried to stop the Heretiques mouth then the Friers pulled him from his seate and led him to the fire then they cried to him What madnesse hath brought thee againe into this error by which thou wilt draw innumerable soules with thee into hell Hee answered them not but directed his talke vnto the people But the Spanish Barker raged and foamed almost out of his wits and he and the other Spanish Frier began to exhort him afresh but all in vaine When the fire began to burne neere him he put his right hand into the flame which he held so stedfastly that it was burned before his body was touched he abode the fire with such constancy
after the burning of M George Wisard he was wretchedly slaine in hiâ— owne Castle as you may sée in the discourse of this Story Crescentius the Popes Legate and Uicegerent in the Councell of Trent he was sitting from morning vntill night writing Letters vnto the Pope at his rising there appeared vnto him a mighty blacke Dog his eyes flaming liâ—e fire and his eares hanging almost downe to the ground the Cardinall being amazed called his Seruants to bring in a Candle and seeke for the Dog and when the Dog could not be found the Cardinall was strucken with a concâ—it and fell into such a sicknesse as all his Phisitians could not cure and so he dyed By Iohannes Sleidaâ—â—s in his twelfth Booke he saith his purpose was to recouer againe the whole authority and doctrine of the Romish Sea and to set it vp for euer The Councell of Trident was dissolued by the death of this Cardinall Two adulterous Bishops belonging vnto the said Councell of Trident one haunting vnto an honest mans Wife was slaine with a Boare-speare the other Bishop whose haunt was to créepe through a window was hanged in a Ginne laid for him of purpose and so couayed that in the morning he was séene openly in the stréete hanging out of the window to the wondermâ—nt of all that passed by Ex protestatione conceonatorum Germa Iohn Eckius the most vehement impugner of Martine Luther as his life was full of all vngodlinesse vncleannes and blasphemy so was his end miserable hard and pittifull his last words were these In case the foure thousand Guilders were ready the matter were dispatched dreaming belike of some Cardinalship that he should haue bought Ex Iohn Carion fol 250. Iohn Vaueler Warfe the next in office to Magraue he was of Antwarpe hee was a sore persecutor of Christs flocke he had drowned diuers good Men and women for the which he was much commended of the bloody Generation being very rich he gaue vp his office intending to passe the rest of his life in pleasure and comming vnto a banquet at Antwarpe to be merry being well laden with Wine he rode home in his Wagon with his Wife a Gentlewoman and his Foole the Horses stood still vpon a bridge and would by no meanes goe foreward then he in a drunken rage cryed out Ride on in a thousand Diuels name by and by râ—se a mighty whirlewind and tossed the Wagon ouer the bridge into the Towne ditch where he was drowned and when he was taken vp his necke was broken his wife was taken vp aliue but died within thrée daies the Gentlewoman and the Foole were saued Bartholomeus Chassaneus a great Persecutor died suddenly Minerius the Bloudy Tormentor of Christes Saints dyed with bleeding in his lower parts the Iudge that accompanied him in his persecution as hee returned homeward was drowned and thrée more of the said company killed one another Iohannes de Roma that cruell Monke that deuised such hellish torments for the poore Christians at Augrowne the Lord paid him home againe with the like torments who rotted to death and could finde no euemie to kill him nor friend to bury him he could not abide his own stinking carrion nor any man else that came neere him could abide his stench The like persecutor was the Lord of Reuest and after his furious persecution he was striken with the like horrible sicknes and with such a fury and madnesse that none durst come neere him and so most wretchedly diâ—â— The like greeuous punishment happened vpon one Iohn Martine a persecutor as appeareth in the History before In the yeare 1565. in the towne of Gaunt in Flanders one VVilliam de VVeuer was imprisoned for religion by the Prouost of S. Peters In Gaunt the Prouost sent for one Giles Brackelman the principall Aduocate of the Councel of Flanders and Borough-master and Iudge of Saint Peters with others of the Rulers of the Towne to sit in Iudgement vpon him as the said Borough-master reasoned with the said VVilliam de VVeauer vpon diuers Articles of his Faith And being about to pronounce his condemnation the Borough-Master was suddenly striken with a Palsey that his mouth was drawne almost vnto his eare and so hee fell downe and died The Lords that stood by shadowed him that the people should not see him and commaunded the people to depart yet they burned the said William de Weauer within thrée houres after the same day The fift of March 1566. Sir Garret Trieste Knight hee had promised the Regent to bring downe the preaching wherefore the Regent promised him to make him a Graue which is an Earle when he had brought with him to Gaunt tidings of the death of the Preachers he receiued from the Regent a Commission to swear the Lords and Commons vnto the Romish Religion and being at supper he bad his Wife call him an houre the sooner in the morning for that he should haue much businesse to doe to sweare the Lords and people vnto the Romish Religion but going to bed in good health in the morning when he should be called he was found dead and as the Lords of Gaunt procéeded to giue the Oath the next day Master Martine de Pester the Secretary being appointed and about to giue the Oath as the first man should haue sworne the said Martin de Pester was stricken of GOD with present death and â—â—uer spake againe These Examples were contained in a Letter written vnto HENRY the second French King which is in the Booke more at large THE Lord Poucher Archbishoppe of Toâ—res who sued for the Court called Chambre Ardente there to condemne the Protestants to the fire who after was stricken with a disease called the fire of God which began at his lower parts and so ascended vpward that one member after another was cut off and so he died miserably Castellanus hauing inriched himselfe by the Gospell and returning from pure Doctrine vnto his old vomit againe became a Persecutor at Orliance but God strucke him with a sicknesse vnknowne vnto the Phisitians one halfe of his body burned as hot as fire and the other halfe was as could as Ice and so most miserably crying he dyed Du Prat was the first that opened vnto the Parliament the knowledge of Herisies and gaue out Commission to put the faithful vnto death he died swearing and horribly blaspheming God and his stomacke was found pierced and gnaune asunder with Wormes Iohn Ruse Councellor in the Parliament comming from the Court hauing made report of the Processe against the poore innocents was taken with a burning in the lower part of his belly before hee could be brought home the fire inuaded all his secret parts and so he died miserably Claude des Asses a Councellor in the said Court the same day that he gaue his consent to burne the faithfull After dinner he committed whoredome with one of his Seruants and in doing the act he was stricken with a disease that he died out of hand Peter
haue it because the high Bishop Christ had triumphed there Antioch would needs haue it alledging that Peter the Apostle there had kept his Sea and was neuer at Rome as it may appeare by the booke called quod Petrus nunquam Romae fuit Hee of Rome not regarding the saying of Saint Gregory that he should be Antichrist that would be vniuersall ouer Bishops by deceits gifts and force obtained to bee called the chiefe Bishop the greatest the highest vniuersall most blessed most holy and lawfull successor of Peter and Christ. The Fryers of Dominick and Francis d ee chiefely apply themselues to sorcery and witchcraft and thereby learne euill diuellish Arts A man may reade that Siluester the second one of them got to be Pope by the help of the Diuell vpon condition that after his death he should be his and in our dayes Paul the third called Pope Farnese hath not left his like in Astrology and diuination it is certainly said that he beleeued that the soule was mortall so did Pope Lewes and Cardinall Chitty A Gentleman of Uenice and his wife were in doubt vpon a case of conscience The woman confessed her selfe in the Church of the Chittines and opened the matter praying to bee resolued The Frier did it as well as hee could and then hee opened the whole matter to Cardinall Chitty as it is their old vse to doe hee commanding him to bee secret and finding the resolution of the case in the Cannon Law the morrow the Gentleman came vnto Chitty and opening the matter hee commanded him to hold his peace and tooke him by the hand and put it into the booke in the place which hee before had marked for that purpose Then he bad him tell his tale when he had ended he said look there where your hand is The Gentleman read there and found that which he sought then forthwith hee fell downe and worshipped him as it had been another Christ which knew all secrets Pasquine saith hee knoweth ten thousand such trickes by them Saint Ioyce is patron of fruitfulnes of Children she hath a Church in France the Flemings goe vnto her to haue Children and speede of their purpose for whilst they be on their voyage she vseth the Priests and Friers as instruments with their wiues The Pope in policie sends flattering Courtiers to Francis King of 〈◊〉 to flatter him in all his actions to remember him of that Title of Most Chrâ—â—â—ian King which his Progenitors receiued of the Pope and that therefore hee shâ—uld defend the Dignitie of them that gaue him so goodly a Title and to exhort him that he should not faâ—le to persecute the Lutherans and that he should fail to Dancing and Banquetting and to serue Venus and to Hunting rather then to sauour Learning as it seemed he would doe In the Popes Policie it was decreed That of all the chiefe Houses in Italie or elsewhere there should one euer be a Cardinall to keepe them in deuotion of the Church of Rome which they began to forsake for the Gospell but aboue all things there should be six or foure at the least of the Uenetians Cardinals because a â—umber of those Senators be wittie and of profound iudgement least they should slip their heads from the Pope It was decreed by the Pope concerning Spaine That the Inquisitors should not be seuere with the Marraines who denyed the Diuinitie of Christ but that they should be most cruell against the Lutherans who denie the Diuinitie of the Pope They haue made Peace with the Turke that they may the better maintaine Warre against the Gospell and to keepe the Christian Princes in Warres and Businesse that they may not seeke for a Generall Councell for Reformation There is not one man condemned by the Uenetians but he is adiudged by fortie Iudges and the offendor may alledge for himselfe the best he can yet they suffer a Legate onely to condemne whom he list for the Gospell and the person accused cannot come vnto his Purgation Cardinall Fernese made the liuely Picture of his Sister ouer his Chamber dore shee was Pope Alexander Borgias his Concubine and by her honourable meanes shee made her said brother Cardinall and after to be made Pope Her Image goeth currant for the Picture of our Ladie and the Pictures of our Ladie be made thereby By the Papists Tradition the Soule for euerie deadly sinne is to abide seuen yeares in Purgatorie Moses ordained many Sacrifices for the sinnes of the liuing but none for them in Purgatorie he chideth for weeping for the dead It is deuised onely to deceiue the people with Trentals and Quarentals and other foolish Inuentions full of Couetousnesse The Scripture biddeth vs remember the poore that be aliue the Papists bidde vs bring hither for the Soules of your dead Friends and Parents with crie Miseremini These Priests and Religious are the Prophets Saâ—ke neuer full and Solomons Horse-leaches and the fire that neuer saith hoa if thou shouldst giue them the world they will not be satisfied The places of Scripture that they ground Purgatorie vpon are the fift of Mathew Agree with thine Aduersarie by the way least thou be cast into Prison c. And in the 18. of Mathew Hee that owed thee tenne thousand Talents was deliuered vnto Prison c. And in the 12. of Mathew The sinne against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiuen in this World nor in the World to come And in the 1. Cor. 13. Stubble and trash builded vpon Christ shall be tryed by Fire And 2. Machab. 12. Macabeus offered two thousand drammes of Siluer for the dead which bought Beasts which were sacrificed And Reuelation 14. 21. Those that follow the Lambe are without spot and no vncleane thing shall enter into heauen Therefore we must be purged with Purgatorie before we can come there Thomas Aquine confessed hee could not finde Purgatorie in the Scriptures yet hee would haue it beleeued The Doctrine of Purgatorie is the greatest Blasphemie that is vnto Christ. Boniface the â— eight made a Decree That euery worldly creature should be subiect vnto the Pope vpon paine of Damnation Pope Alexander Borgias lay with his naturall Daughter Lucrece with whom also Duke Valentine his brother lay The Friers lay with the Nunnes and with Lay-sisters and taught them to murder yong Babes least they should be discouered or teacheth them how they shall not conceiue with child or to destroy it in her body Some of them make Women to poyson their Husbands some of them haue giuen meate to a whole household to make them to sleepe that he might not be seene to goe to the good wife and thereby hath killed them all One faineth our Ladie doth Miracles to get Offerings another persecuteth the Truth because he would be a Bishop Another false knaue in Confession caused a woman to giuen him her money in keeping and then denyed it They sit toting in the bosome of simple yong maids which come vnto them to shrieue
had beene warned to beware of the foureteenth day yet making no account thereof hee went downe into the Court whereas a man of a meane condition detained him a quarter of an houre then hee went into his Caroch by the Duke of Espernon who satâ— in the first place of the Boote vppon the Kinges right hand Montbazon the Marshall Lauardin La Force and Praulin being followed by two Foote-men and one of his Guard on horsebacke hauing commaunded Mounsier de Vitry and the rest of his Guard to stay behinde Being betwixt the draw-bridge and the poole this miserable wretch who watched his opportunity drew néere vnto the Caroch on the right side thinking his Maiesty had béene there but seeing he was on the left hand and hearing them commaund the Coachman to go on he went the néerest way by the narrow lanes and met with his Maiesty in the stréet called Ferroneire neere vnto S. Innocents Church wher staying to make way for a Cart to passe the King leaned downe on the one side towards Mounsier Esperâ—â—on pressing him to reade a letter without spectacles The Duke of Montbazon turned towards them and one of the footmen was busie tying vp his garter on the other side so as this monster had opportunity to stab the King into the left paâ— but the wound was not great whereupon crying out O my God I am wounded he gaue him mâ—anes to giue him a second blow which was mortal the knife entring betweene the fift and sixt rib it cut asunder the veine leading vnto the hart and the wound was so déepe as it entred into caua vena the which was piercâ—d wherewith the King did presently spit blood losing all apprehension and knowledge for any thing they could perceiue They had great diffâ—culty to saue the murderer from killing presently yet in the end hee was conuaied to the house of Retz The King was carried backe vnto the Louure vpon the way they met with the Dolphin who went to take the ayre but they caused him to returne and be caried into the Quéenes Chamber The King was laid vppon a Couch in his Cabinet whereas presently after he gaue vp the Ghoast In that these Papisticall and trayterous attempts tooke effect vnto the murthering of these two French Kings when the Lord of his infinite goodnesse still preserued Quéene Elizabeth and our now dread Soueraigne King Iames from so many and from more dangerous practises It may certainly be concluded that if they had no worse feared the Papists then they did and put their trust in God as wel as they and had according to their example purely purged their Realmes from Papistry the sure prouidence of God would haue beene as sure their Castle strong hold and defence as it was to them and their Realmes at all times and in all occasions and needs NOw by the especiall Grace of God and the assistance of his blessed Spirit I haue sayled vnto my expected Port al laud and praise and thanks therefore be giuen vnto the Father the Son and Holy Ghost And I most hartily beseech him that this Booke may beget in the Readers a true dislike of all ceremonies superstitions and false Doctrines of Papistry and to make them truely zealous of Gods word and commandements O Lord conuert all Papists that belong vnto thee and hasten according to thy promises to gather all Kings together to destroy the Popedome in the meane time grant all Kings Princes and others Grace to beware of him that he corrupt not the soules of them nor their subieces nor hurt their persons or estates And lastly I beséech thee to gather together the number of thine elect and hasten thy comming to iudgement that thou maâ—st take thy beloued Spouse from the miseries of this World vnto thy eternall glory prepared for her com Lord Iesus come quickly FINIS An Alphabeticall Table containing the principall matters and all the Martyrs that suffered for the truth from the Primitiue Church to the end of Queene Mary A AGrippa cast into prison by Tyberius page 2 Andrew Peters Brother crucified 3 Anthia martyred 5 Ant. Pius Edict in fauour of the Christians Ibid Attalus burned on an Iron chaire 6 Aurelius fauours the Christians 9 Affaires of the Church of England and Scotland beginning with King Lucius 19 Austin with aboue forty Preachers sent into England 22 He goes in procession to Canterbury Ibid. Consecrated Arch-bishoppe in France by the commandement of Gregory 23 He assembled the Bishoppes charging them to preach the word of God Ibid Hee baptiseth 10000. in the Riuer Swale on Christmas day 24 His death Ibid. Abbaies erected 29 Alfride opprest by the Danes his misery hee makes Dunwolphus a Swineheard Bi. of Winchester he is comforted by Gods prouidence and ouercomes the Danes causing them to be christned 33 Adelstane crowned King at Kingstone forceth the Brittaines to pay him tribute sends his Brother to Sea in an old Boate builds Monasteries for the release of his sins 35 Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury accuseth Henry the first King of England to the Pope he is turned out of his Bishopricke and goods 50 Anacletus Pope 51 Arnulphus a Priest put to death for preaching against the Auarice and incontinency of the Cleargy 51 Adrian the fourth an Englishman Pope 52 Choakt with a fly 54 Auarice of the Popish Prelats 80 Amadeus Duke of Sauoy chosen Pope 138 Abraham of Colchester burned for maintaining the truth 142 Alexander the sixt poysons the Turkes brother for 2000. Florins 151 Abiurations in Henry the eight his time referred to the Booke at large 126 Adulphus Clarbachus burned for maintaining the truth at Colen 170 Articles against Cardinall Wolsey 171 Andrew Hewit a Prentise burned for maintaining Frâ—ths opinions 183 Anne of Bullen her charitable good works 184 Articles agreed vpon in Parliament 196 Abell hanged for the supremacy 200 Anthony Pierson burned at Windsor 201 Adam Damlip his persecution and martirdome at Callis 205 Anne Askew her confession condemnation persecution and martyrdome 207. 208. Adam Wallace martired in Scotland for holding the masse to be Idolatry 215 Altars in Churches puld downe 226 Anne Potten burned the next after Samuel for professing the truth 290 Anthony Burward of Callice for saying the Sacrament of the Altar was an Idoll burned at Canterbury 291 Alexander the Keeper of Newgate his crueltie to M. Philpot and his man 311 Agnis South about the Sacrament of Penance condemned and burned 314 Anne Albright for denying the realty in the Sacrament condemned and burned Ibid. Agnes Potten burned at Ipswich 320 Adam Foster Husbandman Martyr 326 Askin a constant Martyr 327 Alice Potkins starued to death 329 Agnes Stamley burned 331 Alexander Horsman Martyr 332 Ambrose died in Maidstone Goale 339 Agnes Siluerside alias Smith condemned 340 Agnes Banger martyred 348 Anne Try Martyr 349 Alexander Lane Martyr 362 Alexander Gouch martyred Ibid Alice Driuers a constant Martyr Ibid. Alice Snoth burned at Canterbury 365. B BArtholmew crucified and beheaded