Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	edward_n	king_n	time_n	2,766	5	3.7255	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07486	Luthers predecessours: or an ansvvere to the question of the Papists: Where was your church before Luther?	Bedford, Thomas, d. 1653.	1624 (1624)	STC 1787; ESTC S114052	16,219	32

set downe in the processe of the Archbishop directed forth against the same persons whereof some whole housholds both men and women were driuen to forsake their houses townes for danger of persecution yea so cruelly was the Romish Clergy bent against them and so grieued to see the poore flocke of Christ to multiply that Henry Chichely stirred vp the Pope against them alledging that there were so many infected with the doctrine of Wickliffe and Husse here in England that without force of an army they could not be suppressed 1422. Henry 5. being dead his Sonne Henry 6. a child of nine moneths old succeeded In the first yeere of whose raigne was W. Taylor accused conuicted condemned afterward in Smithfield with Christian constancy after long imprisonment did consummate his martyrdome Others there were that professed the same truth but for feare durst not be so bold so that it appeareth by the Registers of Norwich in that Diocesse within the space of 3. yeeres viz. from 1428. to 1431. about the number of 120. men and women were examined and much vexed for the profession of the Christian faith of whom three suffered death viz. Father Abraham of Colchester W. White and I. Waddon Priests the rest sustained such cruell penance as pleased the Bishop his Chancellor to lay vpon them which howsoeuer through the hard dealing of the times they were constrained to recant and many of them to abiure their opinions yet their good will to the truth is manifest and it is fit to preserue the memory of their names if it be but to stop the mouth of such malignant aduersaries who following blind affection rather then true knowledge of times and antiquities through ignorance blame they know not what accusing the true doctrine of the Gospell to be nouelty and the Preachers thereof to bee Nouelists whereas this doctrine lacking none antiquity hath from time to time burst forth and preuailed in many places though in the most through tyranny it hath beene suppressed as by these good men of Norfolk Suffolk may appeare who if they had had the liberty which we haue and authority to back them it would haue well appeared how old this doctrine is so that all men would haue acknowledged that this our Church was long before Luther 1430. Shortly after the solemne Coronation of Hen. 6. which was in the 8. yeere of his raigne was Richard Houedon a Londoner crowned with martyrdome The next yeere Th. Bagly a Priest and Paul Craw a Bohemian both valiant defenders of Wickliffes doctrine were condemned and burned Not long after about the yeere 1439. which was the 18. of Henry 6. was Ri. Wiche burned for heresie as then they counted it So much the more famous was his martyrdome because the fame was that before his death he spake as prophesying that the Posterne of the Tower should sinke which came to passe vpon which hee was counted an holy man Many came to the place where he was burnt and there made their oblations till by the commandement of the King they were forbid and some punished After Chichely in the See of Canterbury succeeded Stafford Kempe and then Burscher in whose time fell out the trouble of Reynold Peacock Bishop of Chichester who after the death of Humfrey Duke of Gloucester his Patron was molested by the Archbishop in the yeere 1457. because he taught against the reall presence the infallibility of the Councels the locall dissention into hell That the Church may erre in matter of faith That the literall sence of the Scripture is onely to be held He was at length inforced to giue way for what with blustering threats to terrifie him as also with faire promises to allure him they left no stone vnrolled till they brought him to recantation at Pauls crosse where also his bookes were burnt yet for all this himselfe belike he was suspected was kept in his own house during his naturall life 1473. King Henry 6. being deposed Edward 4. got the Crowne In the time of whose raigne a godly and constant seruant of Christ named Iohn Goose alias Husse was vniustly condemned and burnt at the Tower hill 1485. Henry 7. comming to the Crowne mention is made in the Registers of Couentry and Lichfield of 9. persons persecuted in that Diocesse whose names are set downe to be I. Blomston Rich. Hegham Robert Crowther I. Smith Rob. Browne Th. Butler I. Falkes R. Hilman The heresies of which they were accused were for opposing Pilgrimages Images Merits Purgatory Shrift Transubstantiation and the like After these in the ninth yeere of Henry 7. was burned an old woman of 80. yeeres loane Boughton by name who held eight of Wickliffes opinions so stiffely that all the Doctours in London could not turne her she was burned in Smithfield shortly after in Anno 1497. Some for feare recanted at Pauls Crosse and in the next yeere an old man and a Priest and one Babram were burned 1506. William Tilsworth was burned for his Religion in Amersham at which time Ioane Clarke the said Tilsworths daughter was constrained to put fire to her Father at whose burning about 60. other were enioyned to beare fagots of whom diuers were commanded to beare and weare fagots at Lincolne the space of 7. yeeres after some at one time some at another A little after was Father Roberts a Miller of Missenden burned at Buckingham and 20. other bare fagots and did penance About 2. or 3. yeres after at Amersham was burned Th. Barnard la. Mordon in one fire and Father Rogers and Father Reeue was burned in the cheeke So also was W. Littlepage and 30. more were burned in the right cheeke and bare fagots at the same time The manner of their burning in the cheeke was this Their neckes being tyed fast to a poste with towels and their hands holden that they might not stirre they were marked with a hot iron The cause of those mens trouble was because they talked against superstition and idolatry and were desirous to heare and reade the holy Scriptures Thomas Chase condemned by the Bishop of Lincolne William Smith and cast into prison was there murthered and after slandered to haue made away himselfe Thomas Norrice for the profession of Christs Gospel was burned at Norwich 1507. Elizabeth Samson accused to speake against Pilgrimages adoration of Images and against the Sacrament of the Altar was compelled to abiure before William Horsey Chancellor at London 1508. Laurence Ghest two yeeres in prison at Salisbury was afterward put to death for his religion so also was there martyred another poore woman whose death so greedily sought by the Chancellor Whittington was presently reuenged by the enraged Bul which running through the prease of people came to the Chancellor and gored him thorow with his hornes carrying his guts along the streets to the great admiration and wonder of all them that saw it 1509. H. 7. hauing finished his course after him followed H. 8. in whose dayes hapned much stir

and contention about religion as in the History of the Church doth appeare In the Regist. of Fitz-Iames B. of London are cōtained the names of diuers to the number of 40. persecuted in the Diocesse of London betweene the yeere 1509. and 1527. of whom some after they had shewed their weaknes in recanting did afterwards returne to their former profession and cleauing fast to it were for it martyred as W. Sweeting I. Bruster burned in Smithfield 1511. I. Browne burned in Ashford about the 4. yere of H. 8. about which time also fell out the trouble of Rich. Hunne whom after his death they condemned of Heresie But now the numbers of Confessors and Martyrs arise to such multitudes that a long discourse and a large treatise would hardly suffice to set them downe wherefore I passe ouer the story of I. Stilman Tho. Man Rob. Cosin Chri. Shomaker Martyrs As also diuers Confessors to the number of 35. abiured about the yeere 1520. for speaking against worshipping of Saints Pilgrimage Inuocation of the Virgin the Sacrament of the Lords body and for hauing bookes in English as the 4. Euangelists the Epistles of Paul Peter and Iames the Book of the Reuelation a Booke of Antichrist of the 10. Commandements and Wickliffes Wicket Bookes no doubt wonderfully stuft with heresies doctrine vnmeet for Christians to know and vnderstand Oh the subtilty of those Romish Foxes How many men and women were persecuted in the Diocesse of Lincolne vnder Bishop Longland anno 1521. for opposing or not consenting to the Romish doctrine of pilgrimage Image-worship Transubstantiation reall presence Their arguments they collected out of the Scripture the Shepheards Calender Wickliffes Wicket and such other bookes as they had amongst them and notwithstanding they had not with them any learned man to ground them in the doctrine yet they conferring together did conuert one another the Lords hand working among them maruelously After the great abiuration which was vnder Bishop Smith they were termed amongst themselues Knowne men or iust fast men not much vnlike to the present name of Protestants Amongst whom to see their trauels their earnest seeking burning zeale their readings watchings sweete assemblies loue and concord godly liuing faithfull meaning may make vs now in these our dayes of free profession to be ashamed From all which duely considered we may easily gather what would haue bin the number of Professors had the world looked friendly vpon them For if when the Temporall Magistrate tooke hand with the Ecclesiasticall to suppresse them and roote them out if when all men of note and learning either for hope of preferment or feare of trouble turned their studies otherwaies if when the Scripture and English bookes were forbidden if when bookes were so rare and deare and so hard to come by as before the Science of printing was inuented they were if notwithstanding all these hinderances the Truth of God did so multiply amongst them what would it haue done had they had multitude of bookes or those cheape the Scripture in English had they had learned men to guide them had they liued in a peaceable time had they had the Magistrate either for them or at least not against them for why was the increase of the Gospell in Bohemia by the preaching of I. Husse more remarkable and further spred then here in England but that the Magistrate with his sword was not so seuere against them Whence was it that Luther preuailed more then Wickliffe but that hee had a supporter the Duke of Saxony which Wickliffe wanted Amongst vs at this day doe we not all know that Arminianisme would haue more preuailed and infected further then yet it doth if the Kings Maiesty were either for it or not against it Wherefore all men may easily see that they are much deceiued who cōdemne this our doctrine of nouelty and insultingly demand Where was your Church before Luther To whom wee answere out of this demonstration hitherto made That euer since the dayes of Wickliffe almost 200. yeeres before Luther the doctrine of the reformed Churches that is those points wherein they differ from the church of Rome and in which the reformation doth consist these points I say were held and professed for whence came those persecutions or vvho vvere they that thus were persecuted If of the same profession with them then is their cruelty vnreasonable to persecute their ovvn fraternity if they were othervvise how then is the doctrine of the reformed Churches so new or the Professours thereof so lately start vp as our aduersaries pretend they be But this is the fruit of ignorance and carelesnesse to read the Histories of the Church and the records of antiquity heretofore For then might men easily see that the Church of England hath not wanted multitudes of well-disposed hearts howsoeuer the publike authority then lacked to maintaine the open preaching of the Gospell Now whilst our aduersaries bethinke themselues what to say to this part of the Induction concerning the estate of the Church in our owne country of England in the ages next before Luther I wil passe ouer into Germany and see what successe the Gospell had there especially in Bohemia by the preaching of Iohn Husse and others who liued in the same age with Wickliffe Afterwards will I proceede to prosecute the argument of the Induction by the demonstration of History in the ages before Wickliffe and Husse if it shall be thought conuenient FINIS