time but in the month called June following it was first proposed to them To put away their Ministers that were Strangers which they refusing to do it was then commanded of them in the Dukes name That they should banish from them all their Ministers that were Strangers and a New Proclamation was put out and Persecution began afresh and many of the said People were slain and many imprisoned and cruelly handled the Monks being very active in this Persecution in one place causing two Women to carry Faggots to the Fire where their Minister was burnt and to speak these words to him viz. Take this thou wicked Heretick in recompence of the Naughty Doctrine thou hast taught us to whom he said Ah! Good Women I have taught you well but you have learned ill Great was the Havock and Ruin they made upon these poor Peoples Estates and Bodies in this Persecution and not long after an Army was raised to destroy the Waldoys which they hearing their Ministers met with the cheif Rulers to advise what in such an Extremity they were best to do upon due consideration they concluded not to defend themselves by force of Armes but to flee to the Mountains and carry their goods with them others of their Ministers hearing of the resolution that they at Angrogne and Lucern had made thought it strange that they might not defend themselves against their Enemies violence in so just a cause knowing that it was the Pope and his Ministers who were the cause of their Troubles and some stood in their own defence and made great Slaughters upon their Enemies at times and when they persued their enemies they often retired to avoid shedding Blood meaning only to defend themselves and held their Adversaries so titely to it that they were at last brought to make a Peace upon Articles and conditions so that the Persecution was stopt and the Pride Malice and Rage of their Adversaries was abated Thus having given an Account in brief of the troubles and Persecutions sustained by the faithful Martyrs in Forreiâ— parts it remains to give a further Relation of such as suffered in this Nation of England in this Kings Reign After that the light of the Gospel began to Shine and encrease beyond Sea the Beams of it began to spread and grow more here in England and a great stir and alteration followed in the hearts of many so that coloured Hypocrisie and painted Holiness began to be spied more and more by such as in any measure tasted of the Truth and some there were that could distinguish Christ from Anti-christ amongst whom was one Simon Fish of Grayes-Inn who wrote a sharp Book against the Corruption of the Clergy Entituled The Supplication of Beggers which Book was wrot beyond Sea Anno 1525. he being fled thither for fear of Cardinal Woolsey who had taken distaste against him in this Book was shewed what a great Oppression the Priests and Clergy were to the Nation for that they had got into their hands more then a third part of the Realm besides their Tythes of all the enerease of Corn Hay c. The Book being read to the King after a pause he said If a man should pull down an old stone wall and begin at the lower part the upper part thereof might chance to fall on his head and took the Book and put it in his Desk and seemed to be pleased at it for he encouraged Simon Fish his Wife to send for her Husband to come before him but how much so ever he liked it he would make no show of it openly for that Book and others being thrown about London the Cardinal acquainted the King therewith and bid him beware of them and the Cardinal and Bishop of London consulted how they might stop the mischief that might acrew by that and other Books being so spread about whereupon they agreed that the Bishop of London should send forth a Proclamation to call in the New Testament Translated into English The Supplication of Beggers The Revelation of Anti-christ by Martin Luther and other Books in English This was one way they took by which they thought-to have suppressed the growth of those they accounted Hereticks but not thinking that sufficient obtained a Proclamation from the King to suppress the Sectaries Hereticks and Lollards and for abolishing divers of their Books in English the Bishops having that now they would have there was no dilligence wanting on their parts for the putting the same in execution whereupon ensued a grievous Persecution and Slaughter of the Faithfull Thomas Bilâ—ey Martyr The first that went to wrack was Thomas Bilney who after his Examination and Condemnation by Doctor Pells Chanâ—llor he was committed to the Lay Power viz. to the Sheriffs of the City of Norwich a day before his Execution some Friends being with him and comforting him that though he was to go through the Fire the Lord would refresh him in it At this he put his finger in the Candle as he used to do divers times saying I know the fire is hot and my body shall be wasted by it and it is a pain for the time but he would often reherse this Scripture for his comfort Fear not for I have redeemed thee and called thee by my name thou art mine own When thou goest through the water I will be with thee when thâ—s walkest in the Fire it shall not burn thee and the Flame shall not kindle upon thee for I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israel Going to Execution he said The Marriner for a while meets with a troubled Sea and is tossed with the Waves but he is in hopes when he comes to the Haven he shall be at quiet I doubt not though I feel storms but by Gods Grace I shall attain to the Haven and being brought to the Stake he very Patiently endured the Fire till doath Richard Bayfield Martyr The next that suffered was Richard Bayfield who receiving the truth in a measure and reading the Testament in English and a book called The wicked Mamman c. He was cast into Prison and there sore whipped with a Gag in his mouth and then stocked and there continued in Prison three quarters of a year and then was set at Liberty but soon after was taken again and put in the Câ—le-house where he was tyed by the neck middle and legs standing upright by the walls this punishment was inflicted on him to make him confess who bought his books but he accused none but stood to his Religion and told them he would Dispute for his Faith at his Tryal he was accused of divers things but the chief were for bringing Books over from beyond Sea and spreading them here in England on the twentieth day of November 1532. being had into the Quire of Pauls Cathedral the Bishop of London with other Prelates being there ready to pass sentence on him and being delivered to the Sheriffs of London to carry him to
that behalf looking upon Christ the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him abode the Cross and dispised the shame nevertheless though we suffer the wrong after the example of our Master Christ yet we are not bound to suffer the wrong cause for Christ himself suffered it not but reproved him that smote him wrongfully likewise Paul Acts 23. saith we must not suffer the wrong but boldly reprove them that sit as Righteous Judges and act contrary to Righteousness therefore according both to God and mans Law you are not bound to make answer to any cause till your Accusers came before you which if you require and thereon do stick the false Brethren shall be known to the great comfort of those who now stand in doubt who they may trust and also it shall be a means that they shall not craftily by Questions take you in Snares and Acts 20. its written It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man that he should perish before he that is accused have his Accuser before him and have License to answer for himself as pertaining to the Crime whereof he is accused and also Christ said that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses all things shall stand wherefore seeing that in Accusations such Witnesses should be you may with a good Conscience require it and thus the God of Grace settle strengthen and establish you that to him may be the glory and praise for ever This is the Substance of the Letter now follows the Substance of Tracy's Will William Tracy of Taddington in the County of Gloucester in his Will declared amongst other things that touching the burying of his body it availed him not whatsoever was done thereto when he was dead for said he Funeral pomps are rather for the Solace of them that live then the wealth and comfort of them that are dead Which Will being brought by his Son his Executor to the Bishop of Canterbury to be proved the Bishop shew'd it to the Convocation who past a Sentence that a Commission should be sent to Doctor Parker Chancellor of the Diocess of worcester to take up Tracy's dead body and to burn him as an Heretick for making such a Will which accordingly was Executed notwithstanding he had been buryed almost two years before About this time the House of Commons assembled in Parliament put up a Supplication by way of Complaint to the King against the Clergy this Complaint the King seemed at first not to take much notice of yet afterwards coming to have a clear understanding of the abuses and enormities of the Clergy especially of the corrupt Authority of the See of Rome provided certain Acts against the same and wholly excluded the Popes Authority out of his Realm but thinking the work not sufficiently done as long as Abbies and Priories kept their Station which were as it were his Fortresses and Pillars there was not long after means found to have them suppressed for aspersions being laid upon them of Adulteries and Murders they by Act of Parliament at least near four hundred of them were suppressed and all their Lands and Goods conferred upon the King and afterwards all the rest and all Colledges Chanteries and Hospitals also the same Parliament enacted that Bishops should pay no more Annals or Money for their Bulls to the Pope and that no Person should appeal for any Cause out of this Realm to the Court of Rome and an Act was made that the King should be the Supream head of the Church of England c. But although the Popes Wings were thus cut and his Power and Authority in England abrogated by Act of Parliament as before is mentioned yet the Bishops here went on persecuting such as they accounted Sectaries and Hereticks but before I give an account of such as further suffered here in England for Religion it falls in order to give an Account of the Sufferings of William Tindal beyond Sea This William Tindal was burnt near Wales William Tindal Marryr and being a man Zealous for Reformation and Religion and considering that if the Scripture were turned into the vulgar Speech it might much conduce to â—he propagating thereof and finding his purpose could not be well effected here in England by reason of the strictness of the Bishops and Chancellor he travelled into Germany and there he first translated the New Testament and then the Old and writ several other Books against the irreligious Practice of the Prelates which Books being published and sent over into England it cannot be spoken what a door of Light they opened to the whole English Nation who before were many years shut up in darkness But though the spreading of these Books wrought much good to the upright and such as had in any measure a desire to advance the Truth yet the envious and persecuting Spirit of the Bishops was also much more stirred up thereby seeking by all means how to stop them from being spread lest their Hypocrisie and works of Darkness should he discerned wherefore they made great stir and search as Herod did at the birth of Christ and sought out by what means they might hinder the travels of this Tindal and of his Printing and Publishing the said Books and set persons to search and examine at Antwerp how things stook with Tindal which when the Bishops and Chancellors in England understood how things were they sent over one Henry Phillips to betray him into the hands of the Emperors Procurator General at Brussells the said Procurator through the treachery of Phillips seized upon all Tindalls Books and apprehended him and sent him Prisoner to Filford Castle eighteen English Miles from Antwerp being brought to his Tryal they offered him to have Councel to plead for him he refused saying he would answer for himself after much reasoning and Dispute he was Condemned by virtue of the Emperors Decree made in the Assembly at Ausbrough and upon the same was brought to the place of Execution at Filford Anna 1536. being ryed to the Stake he cryed with a fervent zeal and a loud voice Lord open the King of Englands eyes and so was burnt to death When the King had taken the title of Supremacy from the Bishop of Rome and Stated the same to himself he perceived by the Wisdom and advice of Thomas Cromwell one of his Privy Councel that the corrupt State of the Church had need of Reformation in many things This Cromwell was through the goodness of God raised up to be a friend and a favourer of those that profest the Gospel who though but a Smiths Son born at Putney for the pregnancy of his wit he was first entertained by Cardinal Woolsey and by him employed in many great Affairs the Cardinal falling the King took him unto his Service and finding his great Abillities advanced him for his worth to great places of Honour and Trust through whose perswasions several Injunctions were put out by the
do against me So I remained a Prisoner about ten daies in Coventry being never called to my Answer contrary to Law they having no Warrant to apprehend me but my elder Brother God lay not their extream doing against me to their charge at the great Day The second day after the Bishops coming to Coventry the Goaler was ordered to carry me before him when I came before the Bishop he said he was my Bishop for lack of a better and willed me to submit my self I said I am not come to Accuse my self what have you to lay to my charge He asked me whether I was learned I answered smally learned The Chancellor standing by said I was a Master of Art Then the Bishop laid to my charge my not coming to Church Here I might have dallied with him and put him to his proofs knowing that none of the Citizens were able to prove any such matter against me but I answered I neither had nor would come at their Church as long as their Mass was used there to save if I had them five hundred lives I willed him to shew me one jot or tittle in the Scripture for the proof and defence of the Mass He answered he came to teach and not to be taught I was content I said to learn of him so far as he was able to teach me by the Word of God Bishop Who shall judge the Word Glover Christ was contend the People should judge of his Doctrine by searching the Scriptures and so was Paul I am content the Primitive Church next the Apostles time shall judge betwixt you and me But he refused to be judged by these Then he said I am your Bishop and therefore you must believe me Glover If you say black is white must I say as you say Here the Chancellor noted me to be arrogant because I would not give place to my Bishop Glover If you must be believed because you are a Bishop why find you fault with the People that believed Lâ—timer Ridly and Hooper who were Bishops Bishop Because they were Hereticks Glover And may not you err To which the Bishop instead of making answer asserted his Authority c. The next day after I was had to Liechfield which at first discouraged me considering my weakness of body until I considered the same God that had preserved me was able to preserve me there so long as I put my trust in him When I came to Liechfield the same night I was put in a Prison where I continued until I was condemned in a place next to the Dungeon a narrow Room strong of building and very cold with small light and there I was allowed a bundle of Straw instead of my Bed without any thing to sit down upon but God of his great Mercy through prayer gave me great patience that night so that if it had been his pleasure I could have been contented to have ended my life the Bishops man came to me in the morning who was my Keeper to whom I said this is a great exteamity God send us patience and no more Then they were content that I should have a Bed of my own procuring but I was allowed no help night nor day nor company of any man notwithstanding my great sickness nor yet Paper Pen or Ink or Books save my new Testament in Latine and another little Book which I got in privately About two dayes after the Chancellor and one Temsey a Prebendary came to me to the Prison and exhorted me to conform to the Bishop and to the Church I said I refused not to be ordered by that Church that was ordered by the Word of God Chancellor How know you the Word of God but by the Church Glover said to the Chancellor The Church sheweth which is the Word of God therefore the Church is above the Word of God This is no good reason in Learning for its like unto this John shewed the People who was Christ â—ergo John was above Christ The Chancellor said he came not to reason with me so I remained without any further Conference with any man by the space of eight dayes till the Bishop came in which tiâ—â— I gave my self continually to prayer and meditation I found in my self daily an amendment of health in my body and increase of peace in Conscience and many consolations from God by the help of his holy Spirit and sometimes a taste and glimmering of the Life to come though the Enemy ceased not many times sundry wayes to assault me When the Bishop came to Liechfield I was had before him in a by Chamber next my Prison when I came and saw none but his Officers Chaplains and Servants except and Old Priest I was partly amazed and lifted up my heart to God for his mercifull help and assistance Some discourse at that time the Bishop had with this faithfull Martyr concerning the Sacrament and Confession the usual Snares but his last Examination when he was condemned I do not find upon Record but this I find noted that after Condemnation this Servant of the Lord was under some exercise of heaviness and dulness of Spirit and desolate of all Spiritual Consolation and full of much discomfort and unaptness to bear the bitter Cross of Martyrdom ready to be laid upon him Whereupon he fearing in himself lest the Lord had utterly withdrawn his wonted favour from him made his condition known to one Austen Bernher his faithfull Friend how that he had earnestly prayed day and night to the Lord and yet could receive no motion nor sense of any comfort from him Austen exhorted him patiently to wait the Lords pleasure and howsoever his present feeling was yet seeing his Cause was just and true to stick constantly to the same and not to doubt but the Lord in his good time would visit him and satisfie his desire with plenty of Consolation the next day as he was going to the place of Execution he was so mightily replenished with holy Comfort and Heavenly Joyes that he cryed out to Austen Bernher and said Austen He is come he is come In the same Fire with him was burned Cornelius Bongey of Coventry Cornelius Bongey burned and condemned by the said Radulph Bishop of Coventry and Liechfield The 9th day of the Moneth called October were condemned to be burnt William Woolsey Will. Woolsey and Rob. Pygot Martyrs and Robert Pygot of Wisbidge in the Isle of Ely by John Fuller the Chancellor to the Bishop of Ely and others Doctor Fuller and some others coming to visit William Woolsey in Prison VVilliam heard all they had to say to him and then spake these words Wâ— be unto you Scribes and Pharisees ye Hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before men ye your selves go not in neither suffer ye them that come to enter in Not long after the Doctor came to VVilliam again and said to him thou troublest my Conscience wherefore I pray thee depart and rule thy Tongue so
THE Spirit of the Martyrs REVIVED In a Brief COMPENDIOUS COLLECTION Of the Most Remarkable PASSAGES and Living Testimonies OF THE True Church Seed of God AND FAITHFUL MARTYRS In All AGES Contained in several Ecclesiastical Histories Chronological Accounts of the Succession of the TRUE CHURCH from the Creation the Times of the Fathers Patriarchs Prophets CHRIST and the Apostles Call to Remembrance what Acts our Fathers did in their time so shall ye receive great Honour and an everlasting Name 1 Mac. 2.51 Their Seed shall remain forever and their Glory shall not be blotted out but their Name liveth forevermore the People will tell of their Wisdom Eccles 44.13 14 15. Thy Testimonies are my Delight and Councellor Psal 1 19. Go write it before them in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for the time to come TO THE READER Reader I Have hear Collected and brought together that which hath been scattered in divers great Vollums writ by several Authors judging these my Labours may prove more profitable to such who have a desire to be informed in these things those great Books being too Voluminous and costly for the generality to read or buy I have therefore for the sake of such who have but little leisure and cannot read much brought the History of these things into a nearer compass that so the meanest capacity may easily comprehend the Lords dealings with the Sons of men in all Generations and my chief aim in this work is for the good and information of all People that they may see how the Lord preserved his Church in all times and what great things he hath done for them who led the Ancient Fathers Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles by his mighty Power in which they served and worshipped him whereby they left a sweet Savour behind them as the Reader may see at large in the ensuing Treatise which containeth a Cloud of Witnesses to the Lords Work and Power And though these Testimonies may be slighted and dis-esteemed by the sensual wisdom which is from below yet I know it will be acceptable and a confirming and strengthening to the Faith of some who are Innocent and Upright to the Lord and have a delight in reading and meditating upon his Wayes and of his tender dealings with his Church and People who in all Ages preserved his little Remnant whom he raised up as righteous Branches to bring forth Fruits of Holiness in the middest of a perverse Generation And on the other hand the Reader many see in this ensuing Tract Satan's cruelty the great Enemy to mans good who hath in all Ages used all his Power to stop the increase and growth of this holy Seed by Persecuting Murdering and Destroying their Bodies and using his utmost indeavours by Cruelties to stop the least good Inclination that might at any time stir in any and this hath been the work of the Evil one ever since he got footing in mens hearts he hath alwayes sought to extinguish the Work of God and hath deceived Nations and all the World wondered after the Beast and John in his time saw a Terrible Day was to come on the Inhabitants of the Earth for the Devil was come down having great Wrath and when the Dragon saw that he was cast into the Earth he Persecuted the Woman which brought forth the Man Child the Woman fled into the Wilderness for a time and times and half a time and the Earth helped the Woman and the Earth opened her Mouth and swollowed up the Flood which the Dragon cast out of his Mouth and the Dragon was Wrath with the Woman and went to make War with the Remnant of her Seed which kept the Commandments of God and have the Testimonies of Jesus Christ but they overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony and the Lord still preserv'd a Remnant that bow'd not their knees to Baal And the Lord said David shall never want'a man to sit upon the Thrown of the House of Israel and this hath been fulfilled in that the Lord hath from time to time raised up his Living Witnesses both to testifie to and suffer for his Name and Truth as will appear in this Book to which I refer the Reader for satisfaction and remain a Lover of all the Upright in Heart Ellis Hookes The Author to the Book it self GO forth O Book and let the World reveiw The Blood-shed by a Persecuting Crew Let Popish Bishops and the Prelates see The dying Martyrs Words revived be Who though their Bodies for the Truth were slain Their Living Testimonies still remain Their Souls under the Altar still do Cry How long O Lord most just that rules on High Ere thou avenge our Cause who for thy sake Foyfully imbrace the Fire and the Stake Fear not O Book the Frowns of Mortal Foes Who alwayes did the blessed Truth oppose Though Foes enough thou shalt be sure to find 'Mong Priests that have the Souls of many pin'd And scornful Prelates too who will not preach Nor suffer those that carefully would teach Gods Truth and give Christs Sheep their wholesom Food All such Restrainers make the sinful Brood And of that Rank not one of them is found That feeds the Flock in wholsome Pasture Ground The Food they give they Poyson give withall Which proveth worse then Wormwood mixt with Gall They suffer not the Milk of Gods Word pure To work upon the Souls of men a Cure Though sincere Milk the same is it Which wakes for God the Soul of each man sit It made the Martyrs witnessing the same Rejoyce when that they suffered in the Flame Part I. The year of the World Sheweth how God under the several Dispensations of himself to Mankind alwayes led and guided his Church and Seed by his Spirit and Power to Worship and Serve him and to bring forth the Fruits of Righteousness and Holiness which was acceptable to him And how the Serpent and Evil-One hath from the beginning made it his work to deceive and lead man from God to Sin and work wickedness which alwayes brought the Wrath and Judgments of God upon Man AFter that God had Created Heaven and Earth Man at first created in Innocency and all things in them at last he created Man in his own Image that is to say pure holy and innocent giving him Power to Govern and Rule the Creation to God's Glory and God said It is not good for man to be alone I will make him an Help Meet for him and he caused a deep Sleep to fall upon Adam and he took one of his Ribs Woman made to be a help meet for man and closed up the Flesh thereof and of the Rib he made Woman and brought her unto the man and Adam said This is now Bone of my Bone and Flesh of my Flesh she shall be called Woman And the Lord placed them in the Garden of Eden there to live in a blessed
sin against the Child and ye would not hear They confess the evil they had done against Ioseph therefore behold his blood is required and they knew not that Joseph understood them for he speak unto them by an Interpreter and he turned himself about from them and wept and returned to them again and communed with them and took from them Simeon the chiefest of them who consented to sell him and cast him into Prison and now being dismissed they carried away their Corn and with it the Money that they had payed for it being conveyed into their Sacks by the secret appointment of Joseph they tell their Father Jacob all that happened unto them They tell their Father what happened and withal declared unto him the necessity that laid upon them of carrying there Younger Brother Benjamin into Aegypt perswading him by all means to let him go but Jacob their Father said unto them He was loath to part with Benjamin but being press with Famine let him go Me have ye bereaved of my Children Joseph is not and Simeon is not and you will take away Benjamin all these things are against me but Jacob pressed with Famine sent again his Sons and with them his Son Benjamin furnished with double Money and other Presents to Joseph to buy more Corn and they at their return were courteously entertained year of the world 2298 for when Joseph saw Benjamin with them he said to the Ruler of his House Bring these men home and slay and make ready for these men shall dine with me at Noon And the man did as Joseph bad Ioseph Entertains them and the man brought the men into Josephs House and the men were affraid because they were brought into Josephs House and they said Because of the Money that was returned in our Sacks the first time are we brought in that he may seek Occasion against us but the Steward comforted them saying Peace be unto you fear not your God and the God of your Fathers hath given you Treasure in your Sacks I had your Money and he brought Simeon out unto them And Joseph asked them of their welfare saying Is your Father well the old man of whom you spake is he yet alive and they answered Thy Servant our Father is in good health he is yet alive When he saw his Benjamin his Mothers Son he made haste for his Bowels did yern upon his Brother and he sought where to weep and he entered into his Chamber and wept there and after they had eaten he commanded the Steward of his House to fill their Sacks with Food and to put a silver Cup in the Sacks mouth of the youngest His Contrivance to stay his Brethren and when they were gone Joseph sent after them and caused them to be stopt for taking away his Cup which Crime they endeavoured to put of by shewing how truly they ment by bringing again the Money which they found in their Sacks when they came home offering themselves to die or to be his Bondslaves if any such thing could be proved against them but in the end the Cup being found with Benjamin and they brought back to Joseph they all yeilded themselves to him for his bondslaves which when he refused Judâ—h humbly supplicates Joseph saying He would have none but him with whom the Cup was found Judah then humbly offered himself to serve him in Benjamins stead saying When I come to thy Servant my Father and the Lad be not with us seeing that his life is bound up in the Lads life it shall come to pass that when he seeth that the Lad is not with us that he will die and thy Servants shall bring down the gray Hairs of thy Servant our Father with Sorrow to the Grave Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him and he cryed Cause every man to go out from me Joseph maker himself known 〈◊〉 his Brethren and there stood no man with them while Joseph made himself known unto his Brethren and he wept aloud and the Egyptians and the House of Pharaoh heard and Joseph said unto his Brethren I am Joseph doth my Father yet live And his Brethren could not answer him for they were troubled at his Presence and Joseph said unto his Brethren Come neer to me I pray you and they came neer and he said I am Joseph your Brother whom ye sold into Egypt and seeing them troubled he comforted them by shewing how that act of theirs was by the Providence of God And he said unto them â—â—er he and commâ—â—ed chaâ—â— he sends for his Father Haste ye and go up to my Father and say unto him Thus saith thy son Joseph God hath made me Lord of all Eygpt Come down unto me tarry not and thou shalt dwell in the Land of Goshen and thou shalt be neer unto me thou and thy Children and thy Childrens Children and thy Flocks and thy Herds and all that thou hast and there will I nourish thee for there are yet five years of Famine and he fell upon his Brother Benjamin's Neck and Benjamin wept upon his Neck moreover he kissed all his Brethren and wept upon them so he sent his Brethren away and they told Jacob all the words of Joseph and when he saw the Waggons which Joseph had sent to carry him the Spirit of Jacob their Father revived When the news was bought to Jacob be revived and Israel said it is enough Joseph my Son is yet alive I will go and see him before I die and God spake unto Israel saying I am God the God of thy Father fear not to down into Egypt for I will there make of thee a great Nation I will go down with thee into Egypt and I will surely bring thee up again and Jacob was one hundred and thirty years old when he went down into Egypt Joseph letting Pharaoh know of the arrival of his Kindred in Egypt Joseph brings five of his Brethren and Father before Pharaoh brought his Father and five of his Brethren into his presence and having communed with him assigned them a fitting place in the Land of Goshen where they were provided of all necessaries by Joseph The Book of Genesis end with the death of Joseph containing the the Story of Two thousand three hundred sixty nine years space which Book that it was written by Moses himself is the opinion of the Talmudists in their Baba-bathra Lib. I. At this time lived Job year of the world 2369 a man of whom it is recorded that he was a man of a perfect and upright heart and one that feared God and eschewed evil and imbraced the Knowledge fo the true God The time when Job lived and all righteousness rich in Substance and the more noted for that neither the enjoyment of those riches corrupted nor the loss of them depraved him in his way for whenas first being spoiled of his Goods by Satan he was
Jerusalem to the Eleven and those that were with them who told them The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared unto Simon then they told them what things were done in the way and how he was known of them in breaking of Bread but neither believed they them But whilest they yet spake whilest it was Evening in the first day of the week the Door being shut where the Disciples were gathered together for fear of the Jews He appears again to his Disciples cometh Jesus himself and stood in the midest of them and saith unto them Peace be unto you but they were terrified and affrighted supposing they had seen a Spirit but he upbreaded them with their unbelief and heardness of heart He reproveth their unbelief because they believed not them that had seen him since he was risen and he said unto them Why are ye troubled See my Hands and my Feet a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones and he shewed them his Hands and his Feet and his Side and when they believed not for joy and wondered he said unto them Have ye here any meat and he eat a piece of boiled Fish and an Hony-Comb and the Disciples rejoyced that they had seen the Lord and he said unto them These are the words that I spake unto you that all things must be fullfilled that was written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms of me then opened he their understandings He opens their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures and said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behooveth Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations and ye are witnesses of these things and behold I send the Promise of my Father among you He sendâ— them forth but tarry ye at Jerusalem till ye be endued with Power from on High He saith unto them again Peace be unto you as my Father sent me so send I you go ye into the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned and these signs shall follow them that believe in my Name they shall cast out Devils and they shall speak with new Tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover And when he had said these things he breathed on them and said unto them Receive the holy Ghost whose Sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose Sins ye retain they are retained and thus Jesus appeared five times in the very first day of his Resurrection but Thomas who is called Dydimus one of the twelve was not with them when Jesus came and the rest of the Disciples telling him we have seen the Lord he very confidently professed he would not believe it about eight dayes after Thomas being then together with the rest Jesus comes the doors being shut and stands in the midest and saith unto them Peace be unto you and aboundantly satisfies Thomas his unbelief Then the Eleven Disciples went into Galilee unto the Mountain that he had appointed them and when they saw him they worshipped him but some doubted and when Jesus came unto them he said All Power is given unto me both in Heaven and in Earth go therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them c. and I am with you to the end of the World After that Jesus was seen of above five hundred Brethren at once after that by James 1 Cor. 15.6 7. Afterwards Jesus shewed himself to his Disciples again at the Sea at Tiberias or at the least to seven of them as they were Fishing after they had fished all night and caught nothing in the morning Jâ—â—â—â— unknown to them stands upon the Shore and bids them cast their Net on the right side of the Ship where they took a great Number of Fish Last of all he appeared to his Disciples in Jerusalem and led them out as far as Bethany and he lift up his Hands and blessed them and it came to pass as he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into Heaven Hitherto reacheth the History of the four Evangelists declaring the Sufferings of Christ and now I shall give the Reader a short account what Josephus the Jewish Historian in his eighteenth Book of Antiquity writeth of John the Baptist and Christ concerning the Baptist Cap. 7. he saith thus Herod the Tetrarch killed John Sur-named the Baptist Josephus his Testimony Concerning Iohn a most excellent man who stirred up the Jews to the study of Virtues especially of Piety and Justice and also to the washing of Baptism which he said then would be acceptable to God if not abstaining from some one or two Sins but having their minds first purged through righteousness they also added cleanness of body And whereas there was great resort unto him the Common people being greedy of such Doctrine Herod fearing least the great Authority of the man should raise some Rebellion because they seemed as though they would decline nothing to which he advised them thought it safer to take him out of the way before there was any alteration in the State then to repent too late when the State was once imbroyled wherefore he commanded him to be sent Prisoner to Macharas and then to be put to death Concerning Christ he saith thus Chap. 45. In the same time there was a wise man named Jesus if we may call him a man Iosephus his Testimony concerning Christ he was a worker of miracles and a Teacher of them that willingly receive the Truth he had many both Jews and Gentiles that were his Followers and was believed to be the Christ and when Pilate had crucified him through the envy of our Rulers nevertheless those that loved him continued constant in their affections for he appeared to them alive the third day the Prophets in their Prophesies foretelling both these and many other wonderful things concerning him and the Christians from him so called continue to this very day After the Apostles had seen Christ and had worshipped him after his Resurrection they returned to Jerusalem with great joy from the mount of Olives which is from thence a Sabboth dayes journey and in Jerusalem they abode in an uper Room The holy Ghost fell upon the Apostles and continued with one accord in Prayer with the Women and Mary his Mother and his Brethren and they were filled with the holy Ghost and began to speak with Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance and many received the Truth and continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and breaking bread from House to House did eat their Meat with gladness and singleness of Heart praising God and having favour with all the people
notwithstanding to receive him whereupon six Bishops take their oppertunity to left him out of his Bishoprick Athanasius is exiled afterwards by the consent of all the Bishops assembled at Jerusalem to consecrate the Temple built by the Emperor Athanasius is Exiled The thirtieth Year of Constantine was expired while these thing were doing yet he saw no peace among the Christians Arius with his Company returning to Alexandria they set the whole City in an uproar for they were not only disturbed with the return of Arius but the Banishment of Athanasius The Emperor sends for Arius again The Emperor understanding the perverse mind and corrupt purpose of Arius sends for him again to Constantinople to render an account of the Tumult and Sedition he had raised afresh the City being divided into two parts one for the Niceen Creed the other for Arius Arius being come to Constantinople the Emperor demands of him to sign the Niceen Creed His juggle with the Emperor he subscribes it cheerfully he puts him to his Oath he swares it also his juggle is said to be this he wrote his own Opinion in a piece of Paper the same he carries under his Arm in his Bosom coming to the Book he takes his Oath that he verily believed as he had written the Emperor believing he had dealt plainly commanded the Bishop of Constantinople to receive him to communion this was on Saturday saith the History the day after he looked to be received by the Church but see what happened upon his leud and bold enterprize saith the History being departed out of the Emperors Hall passing through the City in great pomp coming nigh Constantine's Market he was suddainly taken with a great lask and faintness and inquiring for a Draught or Jakes being got thither he avoided his Guts and Excrements and immediately dieth like a Dog saith the History and the Jakes was then to be seen when the History was wrote and the Passengers were wont as they went by to point their Fingers thereat in rememberance of the miserable end of Arius Anno. Shortly after the Emperor died but neither with the death of Arius years since Christ 348 nor of Constantine was there an end of the troublesome discord that was among the Christians for a Council being called by both the Emperors at Sardis Socrat Lib. 2. Cap. 16. the Bishops of the East would not come to the Bishops of the west unless they would bare Paulus and Athanasius of their company which the Bishops of the west not brooking the Eastern Bishops departed and at Phillipy a City in Thracia there assembled a private Council and thence-forth openly began to curse the Creed condemning the Clause of one Substance and in writing to sâ—w abroad there Opinion that the Son of God was not of one Substance with the Father The Western Bishops that continued at Sardis first condemned them which fled from the hearing of their Cause next deposed from their Dignities the Accusers of Athanasius afterwards ratified the Creed of the Niceen Council and abrogated the Heretical Opinion which said that the Son was of a different Substance from the Father lastly they set forth more plainly the Clause of one Subance and wrote Letters thereof and sent them throughout the whole World And thus things often changed and altered men having lost that which should give a weighty understanding in these matters and going about to make Faiths and force and compel one another thereto and also to determine and give Judgment in things beyond their reach being in their fallen Wisdom they turned the World upside down in reference to confirmity to their Faith and brake asunder the Bond of Unity and Concord which once flourished among the true Christians But these cruel Divisions Socrat Li. 3. Cap. because of Faith and Doctrines in Relation unto God was not let pass without rebukes from the Lord for the Persians Proclaimed Wars against the Romans and now Constantine the Emperor dyes Constantine dyes Julianus Succeeds him who though he was brought up a Christian Julianus Suc ceeds turn to Paganisme yet had a secret inclination unto Paganism who set open the Idols Temples and Idols Groves and Sacrificed to Pictures and entitled himself a High Priest The Christian suffer again In the reign of this Julian called the Apostate by reason of his inclining to Heathenism the Christians suffered very deeply and saith the History some were run through with Swords some brained with Clubs some Stoned to death some Strangled with Halters some Nailed to Trees casting in their Teeth the Death of the Cross one Friend fell upon another one Brother sought anothers life Parents put their Children to death and to be short one cut the others Throat This blood and murder the Emperor Julian seemed to be troubled at thinking it might give a suddain start to his settlement in the Empire therefore he writes a cruel angry Letter to those of Alexandria shewing his dislike of their enterprize Shortly after Julian puts forth a Proclamation Cap. 11. that such as would not renounce the Christian Faith should Warfare no longer in the Emperoos Palace The Christians no fighters but all should prepare to do Sacrifice that no Christian should bear Office in the Common-wealth for their Law saith he forbiddeth the use of the Sword unto such as deserve death and therefore they were not fit to be Magistrates As a Scourge for Julian who undertook these Enterprizes against the Christians Wars broke out against Julian Wars brake out against him and considering that many inconveniences and evils attended War and great sums of Money were requisite he set a great Fine on the Heads of those that would not Sacrifice so that the Christians were assessed and he wonderfully enriched himself with wonderous heaps of Money unjustly exacted then did the Gentiles insult over the Christians the Phylosophers solemnizing their detestable rights and Ceremonies He oppresseth the Christiant by Assesments making slaughter of Infants sparing neither Sex using their intrales for South-saying they tasted of their tender Flesh these detestable practices were both at Athens and Alexandria and else-where At Marais in Phrygia Amachius the Governor commanded the Temple to be set wide open and to be cleansed Chap. 13. and set himself to the worshipping the Idols which pricked not a little in Conscience saith the History the zealous Christians wherefore Masidonius Theodulus and Tattanus brake in the night-Season into the Temple The Zeal of three Christians against Idols threw down their Idols and stampt them to powder at which when the Governor was exceeding wrath and threatned to execute divers of the Citizens the men aforesaid presented themselves who were the Authors thereof that the guiltless of that act might not suffer and chose to dye themselves for the Truth the Governor commanded them to clear themselves by Sacrifice threatning severely to punish them They are put to cruel
King for Reformation in Religion and he was the great Instrument in overthrowing Abbies Monasteries and Friaries which were a little before by Act of Parliament given into the Kings hands Whereupon not only their Houses were rased but their Possessions were divided amongst the Nobility insomuch that all Friars Monks Cannons Nuns and other such Sects were so rooted out of this Land from the Foundation that there seemed to be no room left for such Weeds to grow here any more But as this Thomas Cromwell was raised up for good and being so greatly in favour with the King used all means he could to perswade him to reform the enormities in the Church on the other hand Satan raised up his Instrument which was Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester who used all wilds and subtill means he could to perswade the King against the same casting upon the Professors of Truth the name of Hereticks Sectaries Anabaptists and Sacramentaries and so far prevailed with the King that by the Kings Authority certain Injunctions were published prohibiting the publishing any Books in English written by the Sectaries and Sacramentaries under the pain of the forfeiture of all their goods and Chattels and their Bodies to be Imprisoned during the Kings pleasure And further this Stephen Gardner instigated the King not only against the Queen who was a favourer of Religion and Reformation but also against this Thomas Lord Cromwell who no doubt had brought the encrease of true Religion according to his understanding to more prefection had not this Gardner and other Malignant Opposers thereof set themselves against it to hinder the prosperity thereof but now through the said Gardners evill advise the King who before had raised the said Thomas Cromwell for his worth and integrity now for his pleasure took him off and suffered him to be Beheaded After his death Religion and the Reformation more and more decayed whereby the Reader may see how variable the State of things stood in reference to Religion at this time and with what difficulty any thing of Light and Truth came forth how often things changed even as the King was ruled and gave ear sometimes it went a little forward and then backward again according as the persons prevailed that were about the King And now the King being led through Gardners suggestions began to withdraw shewing any favour to the Reformation in Religion concluding so to do was most for his safety both at home and abroad having so much displeased the Pope and other Popish Princes in what he had already done and though he had rejected the Popes Authority he would declare himself nevertheless to be a good Catholick Son of the Mother Church and a withstander of new Heresies and then calling a new Parliament and Convocation of Prelates there was six Articles decreed concerning Religion which was afterwards commonly called a whip with six Srings it was pretended for the Unity of the Church but what Unity followed the groaning hearts of many that suffered death by the same both in this Kings time and in Queen Maries time may declare The Six Articles of the Bishops Condemning all to be burnt as Hereticks that should hold First That the Body of Christ was not really present in the Sacrament after Consecration Secondly That the Sacrament might not truely be administred under one Kind Thirdly That Priests entred into holy Orders might Marry Fourthly That Vows of Chastity entred into upon mature deliberation were not to be kept Fifthly That private Masses were not to be used Sixthly That Auricular Confession was not to be used in the Church Before these Articles were published Bishop Gardener having obtained his desire with the King he and the rest of the Prelates began again fresh to persecute the Protestants the first they stretched forth their Hands against was John Lambert a Norfolk man and one zealous for the Spreading of the Truth according to the Manifestation of it then broke forth and to that end was conversant with Tindal and Frith at Antweep until by the Instigation of Sr. Thomas Moor he was apprehended and brought to London where he was first brought to Examination at Lambeth and then at the Bishops House at Oxford before Worham Arch-bishop of Canterbury and others where fourty five Articles were objected against him to all which he answered in writing very fully and wisely both according to the Scriptures and Reason the Articles and his Answers may be read at large in Foxe's Acts and Monuments The Bishop of Canterbury shortly after dying whereby Lambort for that time was delivered out of Prison and coming to London it was not long before he fell into trouble again for having a private Conference with one Doctor Tayler what past between them in their dispute in private grew at last a publick and common talk which coming to the Arch-bishops Ear he sent for Lambort and forced him to defend his Cause openly in that Disputation Lambort appealed to the King from the Bishops Upon this appeal Bishop Gardener goes to the King and privately possesses him that now he had an opportunity to quiet the minds of the people who were offended with him for abolishing the Bishop of Rome's Authority and subverting of Monasteries and Abbies c. he might now remedy these troubles if he would manifestly appear in this matter against Lambort and shew himself stoutly to resist the Hereticks the King immediately received this wicked Counsel of the Bishop and forth with sent out a general Commission commanding all the Bishops and Nobles of the Land to come with all speed to London to assist the King against Hereticks these preparations being made a day was set upon which Lambort should appear before the King and the rest assembled with him to be Tryed and Judged The day being come the King ascended his Throne clothed all in white he lookt upon the Prisoner with a sterne Countenance as if his mind was full of Indignation and then called forth the Bishop of Chichester and commanded him to declare to the People the Causes of that Assembly the Substance of the Bishops Speech tended to this That the King would have none to conceive that whereas the Authority and Name of the Bishop of Rome being utterly abolished he would also extinguish all Religion or give Liberty to Hereticks to trouble the Churches of England without punishment the Bishop having ended his Speech the chief thing that the King prest Lambort to declare was what Opinion he held touching the Sacrament of the Altar to which he answered fully and the Dispute held chiefly concerning that point for some hours until the King and Bishops enraged against him forced him to silence at last The King being minded to end the Dispute said to Lambort What sayest thou after all these Labours and Reasons of these learned Men Art thou yet satisfied Wilt thou live or die thou hast yet free choice Lambort answered I yield and submit my self wholly unto the will of your Majesty
nod its Head hang the Lip and move and shake his Jaws according to the value of the Gift offered if it were a small piece of Silver then would he hang a frowning Lip if it were a piece of Gold then should his Jaws go Merrily Thus were poor peoples Souls seduced and their pockets pickt by these Idolatrous Forgers until Cromwel caused the said Image to be carried publickly to Pauls where the People tore it in pieces He was a man not only Zealous for the publick Reformation but also always ready to help private persons that were in distress and though its common amongst men that are raised from low estate to great place and outward preferment to forget themselves what they formerly were and the persons from whom they received benefits It was not so with him for in his Travels beyond Sea being brought to a low condition and being relieved by a Rich Merchant in Florence and entertained in his House when he was in great distress and when he was minded to return to England the Merchant gave him a Horse Money and Apparel which Cromwel received with great thankfulness This Merchant not long after through great losses fell to decay and having money owing him in England came over to see if he could get it and arriving at London not thinking of the kindness he had shewed to Cromwel but as he was travelling the Streets Cromwel as he was riding along espied him and knew him and alighted and took notice of him and of his former kindness and invited him to Court who coming there after he had dined with him he had the Merchant into a private Room and paid him fully for all he had of him at Florence and gave him sufficiently over as a Recompence for his kindness and kept him in his House all the time of his remaining in England This is but one example of many that might be mentioned to shew this Cromwells Gratitude and Courtesie His care and Zeal for the setling the Protestant Religion was that which brought him to his end for that for the better estalishing thereof he devised to effect a Marriage between the King and the Lady Anne of Cleeve whose Sister was Married to the Duke of Saxony a Protestant Prince by which Marriage it was supposed there would be established a perpetuall Peace and Amity between this Kingdom and the Protestant Princes of Germany which would much strengthen the Protestant Party against the Tyranny and Oppression of the Pope and his Adherents But presently after the Marriage Stephen Gardner who had soon after crept into favour with the King as is before related suggested to him some occasions of distaste against the Duke of Saxony and some apprehensions of fear by reason of that Odium which he had pulled upon himself by rejecting the Pope and demolishing Abbies and Monasteries whereby as he told him he had made the Pope the Emperour the King of France and the King of Scotland his Enemies but especially his own Subjects who were much distasted with the Innovations in Religion and that the only way to heal all was to shew himself Sharp and severe against the new Sectaries This occasioned the King to withdraw his favour from Cromwell for being one day in the Council Chamber he was suddainly apprehended and committed to the Tower of London at the hearing whereof many good men were much troubled the charge laid against him was that he was a supporter of Hereticks and a Spreader of their Books and that he had caused to be translated into English Books wrote against the Sacrament of the Alter and that he had spoke words against the King but whatever he was accused of he was soon after condemned in the Tower without coming to his Answer and was beheaded his death the King shortly after bewailed wishing he had his Cromwel alive again so that it appears it was more the malice of his Adversary that stirred up the King against him then any real cause by him given or acted that might justly occasion his death In this year viz. 1545. one John Athee was indicted by the Kings writ for speaking certain words against the Sacrament That he would not believe in the thing that the Knave Priest made neither in that which Longs wife selleth but only in God which is in Heaven and when it was told him that God through his Word could make it Flesh and Blood he answered so he might if he would turn it into a Chickens leg Here followeth a Narative of a sudden Fear and Surprizal that fell upon the Doctors and others at Mary's Steeple-house in Oxford by reason of a mans Crying Fire in the Street and what hapned thereupon There being a Sermon to be preached in the aforesaid Steeple-house at the Recantation of one Malory the Priest had no sooner got into the Pulpit and Malory come forth with his Faggot on his Shoulder accompanied with a great Congregation of people but one in the Street seeing a Chimney on Fire cryed out Fire Fire which so alarumed the People in the Steeple-house that the Doctor and Congregation were amazed expecting the Steeple-house had been on Fire and at last they all generally concluded it was on Fire and that the Hereticks had set it on Fire and with eagerness running on heaps to get forth they raised such a dust that it seemed like Smoak of Fire and thrusting many together to get out they stopt up the Doors that few could pass and thus being afrighted as if great Danger or present Death were at hand did they crowd one upon another the Heretick throwing down his Faggot and shifting as well as he could among the rest the Doctor that was preaching his Recantation cryed out Lord have Mercy upon me this is the Hereticks doings amongst the rest a Monk one of the Auditors fearing the Danger and seeing the way to escape stopt he got up to a Window and breaking the glass thrust himself part thorow but there stuck and could get no further neither in nor out a Boy also endeavouring to escape got upon the Door and jumping down jumpt into a Monks Cowle as it hung at his Back the Monk hearing one in his Cowle cryed out who is that at my Back The Boy cryed I am Bertrams Boy Who art thou said the Monk I am Bertrams Boy good Master let me go and with that the Cowle began to crak the Monk took him out and the Boy ran away Some lost their Clothes in the throng and some their Money in this Surprizal and Fright at the noise of a Fire that did them no hurt About this time one Sr. George Blague of the Kings Privy-Chamber was falsly accused for speaking against the Mass whereupon Wrisly the Lord Chancellor sent him to Newgate and the next day he was arraigned and Condemned at Guild-Hall and within a day or two after should have been burnt in Smithfield but some of the privy-Chamber making suit to the King on his behalf the King was
Amen Ah my most sweet and loving Brethren and dearest hearts in the Lord what shall I say or how shall I write unto you in the lest point or part to utter the great joy that my poor heart hath conceived in God through the most godly Example of your Christian-constancy and sincere Confession of Christs Truth truly my Tongue cannot declare nor my Pen express the aboundance of Spiritual mirth and gladness that my mind and inward man hath felt ever since I heard of your hearty â—oldness and modest behaviour before the Bloody Butcher in the time of all your crafty Examinations especially at your cruel Condemnation in their cursed Consistory place blessed be God the Father of all Mercy and Praised be his Name who hath not only given you continual Aid Strength and Comfort of his holy and mighty Spirit to the faithful Confession of Christ for whose Cause Oh most happy man ye are condemn'd to die but hath also given you such a Mouth and Wisdom as all your Wicked Enemies were not able to resist my dear Brethren this is an evident proof that God is on our side Therefore my dearly Beloved Cease not so long as ye be in this life to praise the Lord for that of his great mercy and infinite goodness he hath counted you Worthy of this great dignity to suffer for his sake not only the loss of Goods Wife and Children long Imprisonment Cruel Oppression c. But also the deprivation of this mortal life with the dissoluation of your Bodies in the fire Ah my most dear Brother Tyms whose time resteth altogether in the hands of the Lord in a full happy time camest thou into this Troublesome World but in a much more blessed hour shalt thou depart out of the same so that the sweet saying of Soloman or rather of the holy Ghost shall be full well verified upon thee yea and on all thy faithfull Fellows better is the day of Death saith he then the day of Birth This saying cannot be verified upon every man but upon thee my dear Brother and such as thou art whose Death is most pretious before God and full dear shall your Blood be in his sight blessed be God for thee my dear Brother that ever I knew thee for in a most happy time came I first into thy Company pray for me dear Brother pray for me that God will once vouch me Worthy of that great dignity whereunto he hath now brought you Ah all my faithfull Brethren what shall I say or what shall I write unto you but the same that Elizabeth said to Mary Happy art thou which hast believed Luke 2. for all things which the Lord hath spoken to thee shall be fulfilled so I say to you my dear hearts in the Lord happy are ye all yea twice happy shall you be for evermore because you have stedfastly believed the most sweet Promises which God the Father hath made unto you with his own Mouth in that he hath Promised you which are the faithfull Seed of the believing Abraham that ye shall be blessed ever World without end and as you do believe so do you bear record that God is true the Testimony whereof you have full worthily born to the World and shortly will full surely seal the same with your Blood yea even to Morrow I do understand Oh Constant-Christians Oh Valliant Souldiers of the high Captain Jesus Christ who for your sake hath conquered the Devil Death Sin and Hell and hath given you full Victory over them for evermore Oh Worthy Witnesses and most glorious Martyrs whose invincible Faith hath overcome that Proud Sturdy-Bragging Prince of the World and all his Wicked Army over whom you shall shortly triumph for evermore Thus committing you all to Gods most merciful Defence whose Quarrel you have defended whose Cause you have promoted whose glory you have set forth and whose Name you have constantly confessed farewel my dear Hearts in the Lord I will make as much haste after you as I may Rev. 11. All our dear Brethren Salute you they pray for you and praise God for you continually Blessed be the Dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their Labours and their Works follow them John Careless About the same time that John Careless died Julius Palmer John Gwin and Thomas Askin were burnt together in Newberry in the County of Berks. Julius Palmer Julius Palmer Martyr was born in Coventry his Father had been Mayor of Coventry who bred Julius a Schollar This Julius was a man of a prompt and ready memory a wit sharp and pregnant he was of behaviour courteous without curiosity of countenance chearfull without high looks of Speech pleasant he was affable and loâ— as a Child and yet quick Spirited and vehement in reasoning he practiâ—ed no deceit towards any man for he was of such simplicity that he was apter to be deceived then to deceive In King Edward's time he was a Papist and an utter Enemy to the Protestant Religion then appearing for which he was expelled the House or Colledge he belonged to but in Queen Maryes reign was again restored to the said House but seeing the Constancy of the Martyrs that Suffered in Queen Maryes reign and hearing a Relation of the cruelty inflicted on some of them he cryed out O raging Cruelty O Tyranny and more then Barbarous and set himself to search into the Religion of the Protestants that suffered and soon after was so far converted from Popery that he could not bow to several Popish Ceremonies so that he was constrained in a short space to yield up his Fellowship in Oxford and betook himself to teach School at Reading where he had not continued long but some envious pâ—â—â—â—us against the Trâ—th sought Occasion aganst him and finding an opperâ—â—â—â—ty searched his Closet where they found some Books and Writings written by him against the Popish Proceedings and especâ—lly against their brutish Tyranny executed against the Martyrs whereupon they threatned him that except he did without delay depart their Coasts they would produce the Books before the Councel whereupon he was forced to depart from the Town of Reading leaving in the hands of his Enemies what he had there and took his Journey to Evisham where his Mother dwelt hoping to get what his Father left him when he died his Mother understanding his Condition as soon as she saw him and had a short discourse with him said to him I require thee to depart from my House and out of my sight as for Money and Goods I have none of thine thy Father bequeathed nought for Hereticks Faggots I have to burn thee more thou gets not at my hand so with a soft answer and a few sweet words to her the tears running down his cheeks he departed from her which so mollified her hard heart that she threw an old Angel after him and said take that to keep thee a true man This poor man being destitute of worldly
against the Mass and Antichrist the people in a rage fell upon him beating and bruising of him and he was forthwith bound and set upon an Ass and the Executioners with lighted Torches burnt his Face Mouth and Tongue first when the flames came overthwart his Cheeks he was heard to cry Lord forgive them they know not what they do and then they consumed his body with Fire to Ashes And herein the Reader hath seen the invinceable Constancy of these Martyrs who in their burning Zeal for Religion dryed up the Rivers of Persecution and were never tyred in Suffering until the Persecutors swords were blunt with the slaughter Blessed are they that are Persecuted for Righteousness sake for their is the Kingdom of Heaven Part IV. Q. Eliz. An. 1558. Containing an Account of such as suffered Persecution and Martyrdom under Episcopacy c. I Am now come to the Reign of Queen Elizabeth in whose first year the Parliament restored the first fruits and tenths to the Crown and the Protestant Religion was again established the Bishops that refused the Oath of Supremacy were removed and others put in their rooms in this Queens time about the Eleaventh year of her reign arose a People making a Profession of the Pure Religion and would allow of nothing but what was directly taken out of the Scriptures openly condemning the received Discipline of the Church of England together with the Liturgy and the very calling of the Bishops as savouring too much of the Romish Religion declaring it to be an impious thing to hold any thing common with the Church of Rome and used all diligence to have the Church of England reformed in every point according to the rule of the Church of Geneva amongst these Dissenters were Coleman Burton Hallingham and Benson whom the Queen commanded to be committed to Prison yet it is a thing almost incredible how on a suddain their Followers encreased known by the envious name of Puritans who preached nothing more then Evangelical Purity crying down the Ecclesiastical Form of Government as a thing poluted with Roman Dregs setting out Books in Print to the same effect refusing to go to the publick Worship as it was then used whereupon many endeavours were used to suppress them and the Law was commanded to be put in Execution which required Uniformity and the Books wrote by the Puritans to be delivered into the Bishops hands on pain of Imprisonment by these courses of persecution and force they were kept down for a time the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury using his utmost endeavours to settle an uniformity in Ecclesiastical Discipline according to the Laws which he saw lay gasping if the Puritans encreased and thereupon provided Articles for all Ministers to subscribe but he found great opposition or disturbance in this his Design both at home and abroad for one Robert Brown a young man of Cambridge from whom a People called Brownists took their name and one Rich. Harrison a School master these set forth Books in Zealand dispersed them over England condemning the Church of England for no Church these Books were by Authority prohibited and several of the chief of these Brownists were executed at Bury in Suffolk as the Reader shall understand more particularly in this following Discourse Q. Eliz. An. 1558. as far as I can give a discovery by the Authors I could procure As I have said though by the forciable course the Bishops took these People were kept under at times yet in the one and thirtieth year of the Queen the Pur̄itān̄s Flames brake forth again and Books were written by the names of Martin-Marprelate and another Book by Penry and Udal against the Government of Bishops and Barrow and Greenwood wrote a short Treatise called a Plat-Form in which was contained sharp reproofs to the Clergy saying That all false and Antichristian Ministers ought by the Princes Authority to be rooted out and that their Antichristian and Idolatrous Livings ought to be converted to chartiable Civil-uses and are not to be appropriated or given to Gods true Ministry for the maintenance thereof neither ought it to receive the same for it stands not with the honour of God that Bethel Gods House should be garnished and supported with the things belonging to or taken from Bethaven the House of Idols as if the Almighty wanted other means for support of his own House and must needs be beholden to the House of Idols to help him and his For these and such matters by them openly divulged they were imprisoned and all that would not bow the Bishops resolved to break them to pieces on the other hand the more hotly they were persecuted by the Bishops the more the Zeal stirred in them to oppose strengthening themselves daily through their diligence in Reading the Scriptures that they might be enabled to oppose the Clergy whose Reformation they said was no more then casting out the name and Persons of the Pope and Papists and yet reserved all their Livings and Priviledges even all the fat and gainful Ware of Amaleck unto themselves But in the end of these things as it seldom hath been known so far as I have observed that whensoever the Truth appeared though in the least Measure but it cost some Blood which should make men love it the better So in these times this Barrow Greenwood and Penry and several others sealed their Testimony first by hard Imprisonment and at last by death it self as in the sequel will appear and if what I find upon record be true as I have no cause to believe otherwise the chief Instruments of their deaths were the Clergy and not the Queen For when the Queen asked Doctor Raynolds what he thought of those two men meaning Barrow and Greenwood he answered It would not avail any thing to shew his Judgment concerning them seeing they were put to death and being loath to speak his mind further the Queen pressed him and charged him to speak whereupon he answered that he was perswaded if they had lived they would have been two as worthy Instruments for the Church of God as hath been raised up in this Age The Queen sighed and said no more But after that riding to a Park by a place where they were executed called to mind their suffering of death and being willing to have further information concerning them demanded of the Earl of Cumberland that was present when they suffered what end they made he answered a very godly end and prayed for your Majesty and the State moreover one Philips a famous Preacher having both heard and seen Barrows Speeches and Preparation for death said Barrow Barrow my Soul be with thine And now before I give Account of the places where these persons were executed it will be necessary to insert their Complaint to the Parliament relating their hard usage in Prisons a Copy of which is as followeth The Humble most earnest and lamentable Complaint and Supplication of the Persecuted and Prescribed Church and
Augastinus said Some disturbed the Peace of the Church while they went about to root out the TARES before the time and through this Error of Blindness said he are they themselves separated so much the more from being united unto Christ Retnaldus testified That he who with Imprisoning and Persecuting seeketh to spread the Gospel and greaseth his Hands with Blood shall much rather be looked upon for a wild Hunter then a Preacher or a Defender of the Christian Religion The State of Holland testified Dat waer vervolginghen Zijndatter daer al in roere is maer waer geen en sijdor verscheijden Religion dat dare alle saclren stilder sijn so oâ—lr in onse ijden is levon den that is Where there was Persecution there was all in distraction but where there was none though there were several Religions there all things were the quieter as hath been evident in our dayes said they Vide Urede Handel Van. Col. Fol. 53. Calvin said That those that are set over us must be obeyed if that the Command of God be not thereby disobeyed but if they lead us from obedience to God and presumptionsly strive against the Lord then must they not be regarded said he to the end that God with his Authority may retain the preheminence A Book written in French by N. M. Anno 1576. hath this Sentence in it Those Princes that have ruled by Gentleness and Clemency added to justice and have exercised Moderation and Meekness towards their Subjects alwayes greatly Prospered and Reigned long But on the contrary those Princes that have been Cruel Unjust Perfidious and Oppressors of their Subjects have soon fallen they and their Estate into danger or total ruin Veritus said Seeing Christ is a LAMB whom you profess to be your Head and Captain then it behoveth you to be Sheep and to use the same WEAPONS which he made use of for he will not be a Shepherd of Wolves and wild Beasts but only of SHEEP wherefore if you lose the Nature of Sheep said he and be changed into Wolves and wild Beasts and use fleshly Weapons then will you exclude your selves out of his Calling and forsake his Banner and then will he not be your Captain Stephanus King of Poland said It belongeth not to me to reform the Conscience I have alwayes gladly given that over to God which belongeth to him and so shall I do now and also for the future I will suffer the WEEDS to grew untill the time of Harvest for I know that the number of Believers are but small therefore said he when some were proceeding in persecution ' Ego sum Rex Populorum non Conscientiarum that is I am the King of the People not of their Consciences he also affirmed That Religion was not to be planted with FIRE and SWORD Chron. Van. de Rel. Urijh 2. deel Tindal said The New Testament of Christ suffered no Law of Compelling but alone of Perswading and Exhorting Fox Acts and Mon. page 1338. The Prince of Orange testified Anno 1579. That it was impossible that the Land should be kept in Peace except there was a free Toleration in the Exercise of Religion Where hast thou ever read in thy dayes said Menno in the Writings of the Apostles that Christ or the Apostles ever cryed out to the Magistrates for their Power against them that would not hear their Doctrine not obey their Words I know certainly said he that where the Magistrate shall Banish with the SWORD there is not the right Knowledge spiritual Word nor Church of Christ it is Invocare Brachium Seculare It is not Christian like but Tyrannical said D. Philipson to Banish and Persecute People about FAITH and Religion and they that so do are certainly of the Pharisaical Generation who resisted the Holy Ghost Erasmus said That though they take our Moneys and Goods they cannot therefore hurt our Salvation they afflict us much with Prisons but they do not thereby separate us from God In de Krijdges wrede Fol. 63. Lucernus said He that commandeth any thing wherewith he bindeth the Conscience this is an Antichrist Inde Benuse disp Fol. 71. It was Lather's Opinion That those that stirred up the Princes to persecure about Religion they raised the Uproar Thesaur pag. 679. SECT VIII Several Reasons rendred why no outward Force nor Imposition ought to he used in Matters of Faith and Religion by R. H. S. F. and F. H. LIBERTY of CONSCIENCE ought to be allowed in the dayes of the Gospel in the free Exercise of it to God-ward without Compulsion in all things relating to His Worship for these REASONS following 1. Because the General and Universal Royal-Law of Christ commands it Matthew 7.12 All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and Prophets That which every man would have and receive from another he ought by Christ RULE to give and allow it to another But every man is willing to have the LIBERTY of his OWN CONSCIENCE therefore ought to ALLOW it to another 2. Because no man can perswade the Conscience of another either what God is or how he should be worshipped but by the Spirit which God hath given to instruct man in the Ways of Truth 3. Because all Obedience or Service that is obtained by force is for fear of Wrath and not from Love nor for Conscience sake and therefore will but continue so long as that fear or force abides upon them 4. Because that by forcing no man can make a Hypocrite to be a true Believer but on the contrary many may be made Hypocrites 5. Because that in all forced Impositions upon mens Consciences there is something of the wrath of man exercised which works not the Righteousness of God but rather begets enmity in the heart one towards another 6. Because that by forcing any thing upon mens Consciences as to matters of Faith and Worship many are hardened in their hearts against the things imposed when as otherwise through Love and gentle Instructions their hearts might be perswaded to willing obedience 7. Because that Persecution for Conscience contradicteth Christs Charge Matthew 13. who bids that the Tares or false Worshippers be suffered to grow together in the Field or World till the Harvest or End of the World 8. Because Force is contrary to the end for which it is pretended to be used viz. The preservation and safety of the Wheat which End is not answered by Persecution because the Wheat is in danger to be plucked up thereby as Christ saith 9. Because to Force is inconsistant with the belief of the Jews Conversion and other false Worshippers which is prayed for by the publick Teachers and cannot be attained if Persecution for Conscience be prosecuted 10. Because they that impose upon mens Consciences exercise Dominion over mens Faith which the Apostles denied saying They had not Dominion over any mans Faith 11. Because Imposition upon mens Consciences necessitates them
our God trusting in his Mercy and he will surely help us as shall be most unto his Glory and our everlasting comfort being sure of this that he will suffer nothing to come unto us but that which shall be most profitable for us for it is either a Correction for our Sins or a Tryal of our Faith or to set forth his glory or for all together and therefore must needs be well done for there is nothing that cometh unto us but by our heavenly Fathers providence and therefore pray unto our heavenly Father that he will ever give us his Grace to consider it let us give most hearty thanks for these his fatherly corrections for as many as he loveth he correcteth And I beseech you now be of good chear and count the Cross of Christ greater Riches then all the vain-pleasures of England I doubt not but you have Supped with Christ at his Table I mean believed in him for that is the effect and then must you drink of his Cup I mean his Cross for that doth the Cup signifie unto us take the Cup and then shall you be sure to have the good Wine Christ's Blood to thy poor thirsty Soul pray continually in all things give thanks In the Name of Jesus shall every knee bow Cuthbert Simson One thing more I thought meet to mention which I find upon record concerning this Cuthbert Simson which some may hardly believe who are apt to think all things incredible which vary from the common course and order of Nature and may look upon this to be more a Phantasie then a real Vision but I shall relate the matter in short as I find it and so leave it to the tender Reader to judge of it The day before this Cuthbert Simson was condemned he being in the Stocks in the Bishops Cole-house Cluny the Keeper about nine at night according to his usual manner came to see whether his Prisoner was safe and lockt the Doors about two hours after Cuthbert heard one coming in to him first opened the Outward-door then the Inner-door and though there was no Candle yet he saw a great brightness and light most comfortable and joyful to his heart and this he declared to one Austen and others and expressed much joy and solace in declaring of it and the Vision that he saw was comfortable unto him Soon after suffered William Nichol who was burnt for the same cause at Haverfordwest in Wales and William Seaman Thomas Carman and Thomas Hudson suffered in Norfolk William Seaman was an Husbandman of the age of twenty six years dwelling in Mendlesham in the County of Suffolk William Seaman Martyr he was persecuted by one Sr. John Terril who searched his house for him by night but missing of him he set his servants to search for him and when they had apprehended him brought him before their Master who asked him why he would not go to Mass and receive the Sacrament Seaman replyed because it was an Idol he would not receive it wherefore Terril sent him to Hopton Bishop of Norwich to deal with him who after he had examined him soon passed his bloody sentence of death against him This Seaman when he died left behind him a Wife and three young Children which her Husband being taken away one would have thought should have moved those pretended Christians to some pity towards her but instead of shewing pity they persecuted her out of the Town of Mendlesham because she refused to hear Mass and one Coles Lord of the said Town caused all her Goods and Corn to be seized and taken away Another of these Sufferers was Thomas Hudson of Ailesham in Norfolk he was thirty years of age by trade a Glover and a very honest poor man having a Wife and three Children and labouring alwayes dilligently in his imployment being zealous for that Truth which bore testimony against the Papists blasphemous preaching who put the Draugh and Darnel for the Wheat and that he might avoid their Idolatries and Superstition he absented from his house and went into Suffolk a long time and there remained traveling from one place to another at last he returned home again to comfort his Wife and Children being troubled at his absence when he was come home he conceiving his continuing there would be dangerous he and his Wife devised to make him a place among his Fagots to hide himself in where he remained all day exercising himself in reading and prayer and thus he continued for about the space of half a year but at last his Zeal and Courage arose and he walked abroad several dayes openly in the Town crying out continually against the Mass and such like trumpery and for three dayes and three nights together refused meat or to talk with any one Berry Vicar of the Town and one of the Bishops Commissaries caused the Officers to watch for him who upon the twenty second day of the Month called April apprehended him by the break of the day and led him to Berry the Commissary who examined him after this manner Doest thou not believe said Berry in the Sacrament of the Altar what is it Hudson replyed it is worms meat my belief is in Christ Berry Dost thou not believe the Mass to put away Sins Hudson No God forbid it is a patcht Monster and a disguised Puppet more longer a piecing then ever was Solomons Temple At which words Berry stamped and fumed and said Well thou Villain I will write to my Good Lord the Bishop Hudson said There is no Lord but God Then he asked Hudson whether he would Recant to which he replyed the Lord forbid I had rather die many deaths then do so This Thomas Hudson and the other two being brought to the Lollards-pit and there standing with Chains about them on a suddain Thomas Hudson came forth from under the Chain which made some to doubt that he would have recanted but his two Companions at the Stake exhorted him and comforted him in the Bowels of Christ but Hudson felt more in his Heart and Conscience then they did conceive was in him for he was compassed with great grief of mind not for his death but for lack of the feeling of Christ for which he kneeled down and prayed earnestly unto the Lord who at last according to his mercies gave him comfort and then he said now I thank God I am strong and so went to the Stake to his Fellows again and they all suffered constantly and joyfully to the Magnifying of the Lords Name Before I proceed to give a further Account of such as suffered Martyrdom its necessary to give a short Account of the said end of this Persecuting Commissary Berry who Persecuted Thomas Hudson and others to death as I find it recorded This Berry in his rage was very fierce against many godly People in the Town of Ailesham he burnt all good Books he could get and persecuted men for their Consciences and compelled many to Idolatry and being
Rich and in great Authority he had the more power to Persecute he divorced many men and women for Religion he was a great Swearer and given to Women to write saith the History how many Concubines and Whores he had would be incredible but mark what Judgments the Lord brought upon him for his wickedness On a time a poor man speaking a word to him he struck him such a blow with the swingle of a staile that he presently died thereon for which as is said Berry held up his hand at the Bar. And shortly after one Alice Oxes of the Parish of Ailesham coming into his House and going into the Hall he met her and being before moved smote her with his fist whereby she was fain to be carried home and the next day was found dead in her Chamber When this Priest heard that Queen Mary was dead and that the glory of their triumph quailed the day called Sunday following he made a great Feast A Judgment of God upon a Persecutor and had one of his Concubines there present with whom he was in his Chamber after Dinner until he went to that he called his Evening-song where he Ministred Baptism and as he was going home between the Grave-Yard and his House he fell down suddainly to the ground with a heavy graon and never stirred after and thus the Judgments of God was evidently seen to be Executed upon him by all that beheld him In the same Moneth that the aforesaid three suffer'd at Norwich there was two men and one woman burnt at Colchester viz. William Harris Richard Day and Christian George In the next Moneth being the Moneth called June a short but sharp Proclamation came forth to prohibit the spreading several good Books therein condemned under the title of Heresie and Sedition laying the injunction so strickt that whosoever should be found to have any such Books in their custody after the Proclamation came forth should be reputed as Rebels and to be Executed forthwith according to the order of Martial Law Shortly after several persons were apprehended being assembled in a religious exercise in a back Close near Islington two and twenty of whom were committed to Newgate and there remained seven weeks before they were Examined seven of these two and twenty were afterwards burnt in Smithfield and six at Brainford One of them viz. Reginald Eastland being required by the Bishop to answer upon Oath to the Articles charged against him refused saying an Oath was to end strife but to begin strife said he and Oath is not lawful and therefore choosed rather to suffer what punishment they would inflict upon him then to swear the matter against himself After Bonner had past Sentence upon Roger Holland one of them that was burnt in Smithfield Roger spoke to this effect I am said he Moved by the Spirit of God to say that God will shorten your hand of cruelty and after this day in this place shall there not be any put to the Tryall of Fire and Faggot and as he was speaking and exhorting the People the Bishop turned back and charged the Keeper that none should speak with him without leave being brought to the Stake he spake after this manner Lord I most humbly thank thy Majesty that thou hast called me from the state of Death unto the Light of thy heavenly Word and now unto the fellowship of thy Saintâ— that I may sing and say holy holy holy Lord God of hosts and Lord into thy hands I commit my Spirit Lord bless these thy People and save them from Idolatry Amongst these persons apprehended at Islington some of them were Scourged or Whipped by Bonner with his own hands upon his deformed Effigies in Whipping them one made some Latine Verses the which in English are as followeth Muse not so much that Natures work is thus deformed now With belly blown and head so swoln for I shall tell you how This Canibal in three years space two hundred Martyrs slew They were his food he lov'd so blood he spared none he knew It should appear that blood feeds fat if men lye well and soft For Bonners belly waxt with blood though he seem'd to fast oft Oh bloody Beast bewail the death of those that thou hast slain In time repent since thou canst not their lives restore again Thomas Hinshaw and John Wills were taken and sent to the Cole-house and from thence Wills was had to Fulham and there was kept eight dayes in the Stocks in which time Bonner much abused him oftentimes raping him on the head with a Stick and flirting him under the Chin saying He looked down like a Thief and then had him into his Orchard and in an Arbour where he Whipt Tho. Henshaw he Whipt him first with a Willow-rod and then with a Birchenrod labouring and dealing his blows so long as his fat panch could endure with breath oftentimes the Bishop speak to Wills to this effect They call me said he bloody Bonner I would fain be rid of you a vengeance on you you have a delight in burning If I might have my will said he I would sow up your Mouthes and put you into a Sack and drown you and thus much concerning the two and twenty taken at Islington Rich Yeoman Martyr The next that suffered was Richard Yeoman after the Persecution arose at which time he was put out of his Living he was put to great straits so that he was forced to travel from place to place selling Pins and Laces to get a livelihood to maintain his Wife and Children at last was apprehended by order from one called Justice Moyle who set him in the Stocks a day and a night but having no evident matter to charge him with let him go again and returning home to Hadley Persecution against him was so hot that his Wife kept him privately a whole year in a Room lockt up all day where he carded Wool to get Bread for his Family although he was Seventy Years Old at last the Priest of the Town one Newall having intelligence of it searched his House one night and took him out of his Bed and put him in the Cage and in the Stocks until day At the same time the said Newall had caused to be put into the Stocks one John Dale and there had kept him two or three dayes for speaking to him in the time of his Executing the Romish Service and saying O Miserable Blind Guides will ye ever be Blind Leaders of the Blind Will ye never amend Will ye never see the Truth Will neither Gods Threats nor Promises enter into your Hearts VVill the Blood of Martyrs nothing mollifie you O Crooked and Perverse Generation Out of the Stocks they were both taken and bound like Thieves and set on Horse-back and their Legs bound under the Horses belly and so carried to the Goal at Bury where they were put in Irons and thrown into the lowest Dungeon where John Dale fell sick and died after he