Augustine and all the Fathers of antiquitie doe affirme but in asmuch as the substance of bread and wine is another manner of thing then the substance of the body and bloud of Christ it is plaine there is no Transubstantiation 4 The bread is no more transubstantiated then the wine CHRIST calleth that the fruit of the Uine saying I will drinke no more of the fruit of the Vine Therefore by Christes wordes it was not Bloud but Wine therefore it followeth there is no Transubstantiation Chrysostom vpon Mathew and Cyprian doe confirme this reason 5 The bread is called as well Christs mysticall body as his naturall body for the same spirit that saith the bread is my body saith also wee being many are one body but it is not the mysticall body by transubstantiation no more is it his naturall body by transubstantiation 6 The words ouer the Cup are not so effectuall as to transubstantiate it intâ— the New Testament Therfore the words spoken ouer the bread are not so mighty to make Transubstantiation 7 The Doctrine of Transubstantiation doth not agree with the Apostolick and mother Churches which receiued there Doctrine of the Apostles who receiued it of Christ and Christ of God as of Gréece of Corinthus of Philippos Collosia Thessalonica Ephesus which neuer taught Transubstantiation yea it agreeth not with the Doctrine of the Church of Rome taught in times past for Gelasius the Pope doth manifestly confute the errour of transubstantiation and reproueth them of sacriledge which diuide the mysterie and keep the Cup from the lay people Therefore the Doctrine of transubstantiation agreeth not with the truth Communication betwixt the Archbishop of Yorke and the Bishop of Chichester with BRADFORD in prison York HOw know you the word of God but by the Church Brad. The Church is a meane to bring a man to the more spéedy knowledge of the Scriptures as the woman of Samaria was a meane that the Samaritaâ—s knew Christ but when as they had heard him speake they said now wee know that he is Christ not because of thy words but because we our selues haue heard him so after we come to the hearing and reading of the Scriptures shewed vnto vs by the Church we beleeue them and know them as Christs sheepe not because the Church saith they be the Scriptures but because they be so wee being assured thereof by the spirit which wrote and spake them Yorke In the Apostles time the word was not written Brad. True if you meane it for some bookes of the New Testament but for the Old Testament Peter telleth vs it is a more sure word of Prophesie not that it is so simply but in respect of the Apostles which being aliue and compassed with infirmities by reason whereof men might perchance haue found fault with their preaching they attributed vnto the Prophets more firmenes as wherewith no fault could be â—â—und albeit in verity no lesse obedience and faith ought to be giuen vnto the one then the other both proceeding of one Spirit of truth York Ireneus and others doe magnifie much and alledge the Câ—urch and not the Scriptures against the heretickes Brad. They had to doe with such-hereticks as did deny the Scriptures and yâ—t did magnifie the Apostles so that they were inforced to vse the authoritie of those Churches wherein the Apostles had taught and which did still retaine the same Doctrine then the alledging of the Church cannot be principally vsed against me which am so farre from denying the Scriptures that I appeale vnto them vtterly as to the onely Iudge Yorke A pretty matter that you will take vpon to Iudge the Church where hath your Church been hitherto for the Church of Christ is Catholick and visible hitherto Brad. I doe not Iudge the Church when I discerne it from the congregation which is not the Church and I neuer denied the Church to bâ— Catholick and viâ—â—ble although at some times it is more visible then at other times Chichest Where was your Church forty yeares agone which allowed your Doctrine I said I would tell him if he would tell mee where the Church was in Helias his time when Helias said he was left alone he said that is no answere Brad. If you had the same eyes wherewith a man might haue espied the Church then you would not say it was no answer The fault why the Church is not sâ—â—ne of you is not because the Church is not visible but because your eyes are not cléere â—â—ough to sée it Chich. You are much deceiued in making this collation betwixt the Church then and now Yorke said it was very well spoken for Christ said I will build my Church and not I do or haue built it Brad. Peter teacheth me to make this collation saying As amongst the people there were false Prophets which were most in estimation before Christs comming so shall there be false teachers amongst the people after Christs comming and verie many shall follow them and as for your future tense you wil not conclude Christs Church not to haue béene before but rather that there is no builder in the Church but by Christ onely in that he saith I will build my Church for Paul and Apollo be but waterers York He taketh vpon him to iudge the Church a man shall neuer come to certainty that doth so Brad. I speake simply that which I thinke and desire reasons to answere my Obiections assuredly you did well to depart from the Romish Church but you haue done wickedly to coupple your selues to it againe for you can neuer proue it which you call the mother Church to be Christs Church Chichest You were but a Childe then I was but a young man come from the Uniuersitie and went with the World but it was alwaies against my conscience Brad. I thinke you haue done euill for ye are come and haue brought others to that wicked man which sitteth in the Temple of God which is the Church for it cannot be vnderstood of Mahomer or any out of the Church but of such as beare rule in the Church Yorke Sée how you build your Faith vpon the most obscure places of the Scripture to deceiue your selfe as though you were in the Church which are not Brad. Well my Lord though I might by truth iudge you and others yet will not I vtterly exclude you out of the Church but I am not out of the Communion of the Church for it consisteth in Faith York Loe how you make your Church inuisible for you would haue the Communion of it to consist in Faith Brad. To haue Communion of the Church néedeth not visiblenesie of it for Communion consisteth in Faith and not in exterior Ceremonies as appeareth by Paul which would haue one Faith and by Ireneus to Victor saying disagréeing of fasting should not breake the agréeing of Faith Chichest That place hath often wounded my conscience because we disseuered our selues from the Sea of Rome Brad. God forgiue you for you haue done
it is easie to know the tree by the fruit not by the blossomes often repeating in his Oration that this admonition was giuen of singular good will and great clemâ—ncie in the shutting vp of his Oration he added menasings that if he would abide in his purposed intent the Emperour would exterminate him his Empire Luther answered to this effect That the Councell of Constance had erred in condemning this Article of Iohn Hus That the Church of Christ is the communion of the predestinat and that we ought rather to obey God then man There is an offence of faith and an offence of charitie the slander of charity consisteth in manners and life the offence of faith and doctrine consisteth in the word of God and they commit this offence which make not Christ the corner stone And if Christs sheepe were fed with the pure pasture of the Gospell and the faith of Christ sincerely preached and if there were good Eclesiasticall Magistrates who duely executed their office wee should not néede to charge the Church with mens traditions And that hee knew and taught that wee ought to obay the higher powers how peruâ—rsly soeuer they liued so that they inforce vs not to deny the word of God Then they admonished him to submit himselfe to the Emperour and the Empires Iudgment hee answered hee was well content so that this were done with authority of the word of God and that he would not giue place except they taught sound Doctrine by the word of God and that St. Augustine writeth hee had learned to giue honor onely to the Canonicall bookes of the Scripture and touching other Doctors though they excell in holinâ—sse and learning hee would not credit them vnlesse they pronouced truth and St. Paule saith proue all things follow that which is good and againe if an Angell teach otherwise let him bee accursed finally hee meekely besought them not to vrge his conscience captiued in the bands of the word of God to deny that excellent word After the Arch-bishop sent for Luther to his Chamber and tould him for the most part that at all times holy Scriptures haue ingendred errors and went about to ouerthrow this proposition that the Catholike Church is the communion of Saints presuming of cockle to make wheate and of bodily excrements to compact members Martin Luther and one Ierome Schuâ—ffe his companion reproued their follies Hee was oftentimes assayled to reforme the censure of his bookes vnto the Emperour and Empire or to the Generall Councell which he was content to doe so they would iudge them according to the word of God otherwise not aleaging the words of the Prophet trust you not in Princes nor in the children of men wherein is no health also cursed be hee that trusteth in men and when newes came hee should returne home hee sayd euen as it hath pleased God so it is come to passe the name of the Lord be blessed and sayd hee thanked the Emperour and Princes that they had giuen him gracious audience and graunted him safe conduct to come and returne and said hee desired in his heart they were reformed according to the sacred word of God and sayd hee was content to suffer any thing in himselfe for the Emperour but only the word of God he would constantly confesse vnto the latter end About a yeare after this Luther dyed when hee had liued almost thrée score and thrée yeares and had béene Doctor thrée and thirty yeares hee sayd at his death O heauenly eternall and mercifull Father thou hast manifested in mee thy deare Sonne Christ I haue taught and knowne him I loue him as my life health and redemption whom the wicked persecuted maligned and iniured drawe my soule to thée and saâ—d thrise I commend my spirit into thy hands thou hast redéemed me God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely Sonne that all that beleeue in him should haue eternall life and so he dyed whose death was much lamented In the yeare 1516. the aforesaid French King receaued from Pope Leo a Iubile and pardons to be sould and so in England vnder the pretence of warre against the Turke they perswaded the people that whosoeuer would giue tenne shillings should deliuer his soule from the paine of Purgatory but if it lacked any thing of tenne shillings it would profit them nothing at that time Martin Luther was in Germany who vehemently inueyed against these indulgences agaâ—nst whom Iohn Eckius put forth himselfe they disputed before the people at last eyther of their arguments were sent to Paris to bee iudged by the Sorbonists the iudgment was long protracted In the meane time Pope Leo condemned Luther for Heresie and excommunicated him he appealed to the next Councell Pope Leo commanded Luthers bookes to bee burned openly Luther also burned the Popes decrees and Decretalls in the Uniuersity of Wittenberge In the yeere 1517. the Pope hauing creaâ—ed one and thirty Cardinalls thunder and lightening so strake the Church where the Cardinalls were created that it stroke the little child Iesus out of the lappe of his mother and the keyes out of St. Peters hands being Images in the Church of Rome In the yeare 1519. newes was brought to Pope Leo at supper that the Frenchmen were driuen out of Italy hee reioycing said God hath giuen me thrée things I returned from banishment with glory to Florence I haue deserued to bee called Apostolike and thereby I haue driuen the Frenchmen out of Italy as soone as he had spoken hee was stricken with a suddaine feuer and dyed shortly after What Godly man hath there euer beene for this fiue hundred yeares either vertuously disposed or excellently learned which hath not disproued the misordered and corrupt examples of the Sea and Bishop of Rome from time to time vntill the comming of Luther yet none euer could preuaile before the comming of this man the cause to bee supposed is this other men spake but against the pompe pride whoredome and auarice of the Pope Luther went further with him charged him with his Doctrine not picking at the rine but plucking vp the roote charging him with plaine Heresie as resisting against the blood of Christ for whereas the Gospell leadeth vs to bee iustified onely by the worthinesse of Christ and his bloud the Pope teacheth vs to séeke our saluation by mans merits and deseruings by workes whereupon rose all the Religious sects some professing one thing some another euery man seeking his owne righteousnes but Luther opened the eyes of many which before were drowned in darkenesse to behold that glorious benefit of the great liberty frée iustification set vp in Christ Iesus but the more glorious this benefit appeared to the world the greater persecution followed the same and where the Elect tooke most comfort of saluation the aduersaries tooke most vexation according as Christ sayd I came not to send peace but a sword therefore so great persecutions in all the world followed after Luther but in no
the booke of Iulianus Apostata wherein Christ and Pilate were the speakers which Sermon was learnedly confuted in writing by Maister Couerdall About this time a Priest of Canterbury said Masse on the one day and the next day he came into the Pulpit and desired all the people to forgiue him for he said hee had betrayed Christ but not as Iudas as Peter and made a long Sermon against the Masse In February one thousand fiue hundred fifty and foure before the comming of King Philip vpon the fifteenth day about nine of the clock in the forenoone there was séene two Sunnes both shining at once and that time was also seene a Raine-bow turned contrary and a great deale higher then it was wont About this time at Saint Pancrase in Cheape the Crucifixe with the Pixe were taken out of the Sepulchre before the Priest rose to the resurrection so that when he put his hand into the Sepulchre said very deuoutly surrexit non est hic he found his words true for he was not there indéede wherevpon being dismaide and debating amongst themselues whom they thought likest to doe it they layed it to one Marsh which a little before had beene put from that parsonage because he was married but when they could not proue it being brought before the Mayor they burdened him to haue kept company with his wife since they were diuorced He answered that the Queene had done him wrong to take from him both his liuing and his wife wherevpon he and his wife were committed seuerall Counters About this time there was a Cat hanged vpon a Gallowâ—s at the Crosse in Cheape apparelled like a Priest ready to say Masse with a shauen Crowne her two fore-feete were tyed ouer her head with a round paper like a Wafer Cake put betweene them where on rose great euill will against the Citie of London the Quéene and the Bishops were very angry and there was a proclamation in the afternoone that whosoeuer could bring forth the party that hanged vp the Cat should haue twenty Nobles which after was increased to twenty Markes but none would â—arâ—e it the occasion of this was because the Bishop of Winchester had preached before the Queene for the straite execution of Wyats Souldiours Wherevpon there was twenty Gibbets and Gallowes set vp in and about the streets of London which there remained for the terrour of others from the 13. of February vntill the fourth of Iune and at the comming of King Philip were taken downe One Maister Walter Mantell one of them which rose with Wyat being prisoner in the Tower the Quéene sent vnto him Doctor Bourne to conuert him he answered Bourne that he beleeued in the holy Catholick church of Christ grounded vpon the Prophets and Apostles but he tooke exception to the Antichristian popish Church and hee said hee thought the Masse not fit both for the occasion of Idolatry and also the cléere 〈◊〉 of Christs institution and said it was not a propitiatory sacrifice for sinne for the death of Christ was onely that sacrifice and certaine Collects therein are blasphemous Then said the Doctor see how vaine-glory toucheth you then I found fault it was not a Communion Yes said he one Priest saying Masse heere and another there and the third in an other place is a Communion Then he desired God to receiue him to his mercy that he might die vndefiled in his truth at vtter defiance with all papisticall and Antichristian Doctrine and to defend all his chosen from the tyrany of the Pope and Antichrist and from his subtilties at his first casting off the Gallowes the rope broke then they would haue had him reâ—ant and receiued the Sacrament of the Altar and then he should haue the Queenes Pardon but Master Mantell like a worthy gentleman refused their serpentine Councell and chose rather to die then to liue for dishonouring of God Maister Bradford Maister Sanders and diuers other good preachers hearing that they should be brought vnto a Disputation at Cambridge sent a Declaration out of prison to the effect as followeth That they did not purpose to dispute otherwise then by writing except it be before the Queenes Highnes her Councell and before the Parliament houses because we shall dispute against the things which already they haue determined whereby it appeareth they seeke not the derity but our destruction and their glory otherwise they would haue called vs to shew our consciences before their lawes were so made and againe the Censors and Iudges are manifest enemies of the truth before whom Pearles are not to be cast by the commandement of Christ and by his example and because some of vs haue been in prison eight or nine monethes where we haue had no Bookes paper nor Inke and because we shall bee stopped of our Arguments as the Bishops were at Oxford and because the Notaries that shal write our Arguments shal be such as either doe not or dare not fauour the truth therefore must write to please them or else they will put to or take from at their pleasure as it appeared at Oxford Yea if any man was seene there to write he was sent for and his writings taken from him If they will write we will answere by writing and proue by the word of God and most ancient Fathers this our faith euery péece thereof and we are ready to seale it with our liues First we confesse beléâ—ue all the Canonicall bookes of the Old Teâ—â—ament and the New to bee truth written by the Spirit and to bee the Iudge of all Controuersies of Religion and we beléeue the Catholike Church is the Spouse and beloued Wife of Christ and to imbrace the doctrine of these bookes in all matters of Religion and therefore to bee heard accordingly and those that will not heare her are Heretickes and Schismaticks according to the saying He that will not heare the Church let him be an Hereticke and wee beléeue the Symbols of the Créede of the Apostles and of the Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon and of Toletum before the foure hundred fifty foure yeare and the Symbols of Athanasius Ireneus Tertullian and of Damasus which was in the yeare thrée hundred seauenty sixe We beléeue that Iustification commeth onely from the mercy of GOD through Christ and it is had of none of discretion but by Faith which Faith is a certaine perswasion wrought by the Holy Ghost and as it lightneth the mind so it suppleth the heart to submit it selfe to the will of God By this we disalow Papisticall Doctrines of free will of workes of supererogation of merits of the necessity of auriculer confession and satisfaction And we beléeue that the exterior seruice of God ought to be according to the word in such a tongue as may be most to edifie and not in Latine where the people vnderstand not the same And we beléeue that God onely by Iesus Christ is to bee prayed vnto and we disalow inuocation to
because it was according to the word of God the order of the primate church The other is euill because though some good Latine words be in it yet was it but as it were a little hony and milke with a great deale of poison to drinke vp all In the afternoone he being ready to preach againe to the Bishop where was Sir Iohn Mordant Boner â—aid vnto his charge the breaking of the proclamation and also heresie but his Charitie was content to let alone the Treason But hee would proue him an heretick and all such as taught the administration of the Sacraments and the order of the Primitiue Church are most pure that come neerest to the order of the Primatiue Church for the church was then in her infancy and could not abide that perfection which was after to bee furnished with ceremonies Sanders answered Saint Augustine saith ceremonies were at first ordained for the weake infirmitie of man therefore it was a token of the more perfection of the primatiue Church that it had â—ew ceremonies and a token of the 〈◊〉 of the Church papisticall because it had so many ceremonies 〈◊〉 blasphemous some vnsauourie and some vnproâ—â—table Then the Bishop bade him write what he beléeued of transubstantiation which he did saying My Lord you séeke my bloud and you shall haue it I pray God you may be baptized in it that you may after loath bloud-sucking and become a better man this writing the Bishop kept to cut his throate with Then the Bishop sent him to the Lord Chancellor who kneeling before him the Lord Chancellor said How happeneth it that you haue preached contrary to the Quéens Proclamation Saunders answered as he was admonished by Ezechiel because he saw perrilous times at hand he exhorted his parishioners to perseuer in those things which they had learned for by the example of the Apostles we must obey God before man we doe only professe the sinceritie of the word which although it be now forbidden vs to preach with our mouthes yet our bloud hereafter shall manifest the same The Bishop said carrie away this frensie foole to prison Saunders answered hee thanked God he had giuen him a place of rest where he might pray for the Bishops conuersion Saunders tolde one that lay with him in prison that in the time of his examination he was wonderfully comforted and receaued a taste of the communion of Saints a pleasant refreshing did issue from euery part of his bodie to his heart and from thence into all parts againe He continued in prison a yeare and three moneths and then he was sent for before the Lord Chancellor who offered him his pardon if he would recant which because he refused he was condemned vpon his opinion against the Sacrament with his hand in writing vnto Bonner as before is related Then he was carried vnto Couentrie and one night he was put into the common Gaole amongst other prisoners where he slept little but spent the night in prayer and instruction of others the next day he was ledde to execution into the Parke without the Citie going in olde gowne and a shirt bare-footed and as he went he oftentimes fell flat on the ground and prayed When he was come nigh to the place the officer told him he was one of them that marred the realme with heresie wherefore thou hast deserued death yet if thou wilt reuoke thine heresies the Quéen hath pardoned thée Then answered Saunders It is not I nor my fellow Preachers that haue hurt the realme but it is your-selfe and such as you are which alter Gods word for I hold no heresies bnt the doctrine of God and Christ vnto euerlasting life and so full swéetly he slept in the Lord. He wrote many godly letters to Diuines during the time of his imprisonment which thou mayest sée in the booke at large The martyrdome of IOHN HOOPER Bishop of Worcester ABout the beginning of the six Articles in the time of King Henry the eighth being in danger for religion he went beyond Sea where he was louingly entertained at Basill and at Zurick of Master Bullinger his singular friend where he married his wife which was a Burgundian and in the raign of King Edward he repaired home amongst many other English exiles who being come to London vsed to preach twise or at least once euery Sonday and at his Sermons the Church would be so full that none could enter further into the doores thereof hee was in tongue eloquent in Scriptures perfect in paines indefatigable after hee was called to preach before the King and soone after made Bishop of Gloster in that office he continued two yeares and behaued himselfe so well that his very enemies except it were for good doings and sharpe correcting of sinne could find no fault with him and after that he was made Bishop of Worcester hee sustained much vexation about his inuesting because he would not weare the Priestly vestures In his Bishops palace in euery corner there was fauour of honest conuersation and reading of the Scriptures there was no Courtly roysting or idlenes no pompe at all no dishonest word nor swearing euery day he had to dinner a certaine number of poore folke of the Citie by course and before dinner they were examined by him or his Deputies of the Lords Prayer the Articles of their Faith and ten Commandements In Queene Maries time hee was one of the first that was sent for to London by a Purseuant The Bishop of Winchester receiued him very approbriously rayling and rating him accused him of religion and committed him to the fleete The next yeare hee was sent for before the Bishop of Winchester of London of Durham of Landaffe and of Chichester where after hee had suffered many checkes taunts and mockes that he could not be suffered to make any answere because hee said hee would not goe from his Wife and that hee beleeued not the corporall presence in the Sacrament he was depriued of his Bishopricks By his committance he was to haue the liberty of the Fleete and when hee had payed fiue pound for his liberty the Warden complained to Gardiner and made him to bee committed close prisoner a quarter of a yeare then hee had libertie to come to dinner and supper and presently to returne to his Chamber without speaking to his friends the Warden and his Wife would euer bee picking quarrels with him and after one quarter of the yeare fell out with him about the Masse Then the Warden obtained of Gardiner that he should bee put into the Wardes where hee continued a long time hauing nothing to lye on but a rotten Couering with few Fethers in it On the oneside was the stinke and filth of the house on the other side the stinking Towne ditch so that the stinke infected him with diuers diseases and beeing very sicke hee cried for help but the warden when he hath knowne me ready to dye and poore men haue called to help him he hath
very good but none almost froÌ„ the first to the last which was not either slain in war or murdred in peace or constrained to make himselfe a Monk whether it were the iust iudgment of God because they had violently dispossessed the Brittains they were not only vexed of the Danes conquered of the Normans but more cruelly deuoured themselues Ethelbert King of Cambridgeshire Norffolke and Suffolke came peaceably to King Offa for dispousage of Athilrid his Daughter and by the Councel of King Offa his Wife was secretly beheaded Wherevpon Offa through repentance made the first peter-pence to be giuen to S. Peters Church at Rome One Lothbrooke a Dane of the Kings blood being a hauking by the Sea-side in a little Boat was cast by weather vpon the Coast of Norffolke and being brought to King Edmund he retained him in great fauour at length he was priuily murdered by one Bericke which being knowne Bericke was sent away in Lothbrookes Boate without tackling and was driuen into Denmarke and being séene in Lothbrookes Boate and examined of Lothbrooke he falsely said the King had killed him Wherevpon Iugner and Hubba Lothbrookes Sonnes gathering an Army of Danes inuauaded first Northumberland then Norffolke and sent to King Edmund to deuide his Treasures to him and be subiect to him else he would dispossesse him of his â—ingdome he answered he would not be subiect to a Pagan Duke vnlesse before hee become a Christian then the Danes besiedged his house but he fled and pitched a fielde with them but the Danes preuailing he fled to the Castle of Halesdon where they tooke him and bound him to a stake and shot him to death Seauen or eight Kings are highly commended in the Histories for leauing there Kingdomes and becomming Moonkes but they are more to be discommended for leauing their calling wherein they might so much benefite the Church There were foure Persecutions in England before Austen came into England the first vnder Dioclesian the second by the inuading of Gnarius and Melga one captaine of the Hunnes the other of the Picts after they had slaughtered 11000. Uirgines as before made a rode into Brittaine hearing it wanted strength and murdered Christians and spoiled Churches without mercy the third by the Saxons who destroyed Christs Saints and the Churches vntill Aurelius Ambrosius restored again the Churches the fourth Gurmundus King of the Affricans ioyned with the Saxons and wrought much grieuance to the Christians of the Land which persecution remained to the time of Ethelbert the fift King of Kent In the tâ—me of Ethelbert the faith was receiued of the Saxons by this meanes Gregory Bishop of Rome seeing Brittaine Children to be sould in Rome very beautifull vnderstanding what Country they were of pittied that the Country which was so beautifull and angellicall so to be subiect to the prince of darkenes Wherefore he sent thither Austen with about forty Preachers with him and when they were apaled and would haue turned backe again Gregory emboldned and comforted them with his Letter so they came to the I le of â—henet in Kent Ethelbert as before was King of Kent he had married one Berda a French Woman vpon condition shee should vse the Christian Religion with one Lebardus her Byshop Austen sent to the King signifying hee was come from Rome bringing with him glad tydings to him and all his people of life and saluation if he would so willingly hearken vnto it as he was gladly come to preach it vnto him The King hauing heard of this Religion by his Wife came to the place where Austen was Austen against his comming erected a Banner of the Crucifire such then was the grosenesse of the time and preached to him the word of God the King promised they should haue all things necessary and none should molest them and gaue them frée leaue to preach to his subiects and conuert whom they might to the Faith When they had this comfort of the King they went with procession to Canterbury singing Alleluia with the Letany that was vsed at Rome in the great plague We beséech thée O Lord in all thy mercies that thy fury and anger may cease from this Citty and from thy holy house for we haue sinned Alleluia they continued in the same Citty preaching and baptizing in the old Church of S. Martine where the Quéene was wont to resort vntill the King was conuerted at length the King séeing their myracles and their godly conuersation he heard them gladly and was conuerted in the thirty sixe yeare of his raigne Anno 586. After him innumerable daily were adioyned vnto the Church whom the King did specially imbrase but compelled none then the King gaue Austen a place for his Byshops Sea at Christs Church in Canterbury and builded the Abbey there where after Austen and all the Kings of Kent were buried which now is called S. Austine Then Austen by the commandement of Gregory went into France to the Bishop of Arelatensis to be consecrated Arch-byshop and so was then Austen sent to Gregory so declare how they had sped and to be resolued of diuers questions how Bishops should behaue themselues towards their Clarke of offerings and Ceremonies and what punishment for stealing Church goods and such like to no great purpose therefore if thou béest disposed to sée them I referre thee to the Booke at large Gregory after he had sent resolutions to these questions sendeth moreouer more Coadiutors as Melitus Iustus Paulinus and Ruffianus with Books and implements necessary for the English Church and in reward of Austines paines he sent him a Pal onely to be vsed at the solemnity of the Masse and granteth two Metropolitane Seas London and Yorke but granted to Austen during his life to be cheefe Arch-bishop of all the Land and that they should not destroy the idolatrous Temples but conuert them to Christian vses and that Austine should not be proud of the myracles that God wrought by him that he should remember they were not done for him but for their conuersion whose saluation God sought thereby Then he wrote to King Ethelbert first hee praysed GOD then the King by whom it pleased God to worke such goodnesse of the people then exhorted him to perseuer in his profession and to be zealous therein to conuert the multitude and destroy Idolatry and to gouerne them in holinesse of conuersation according to the Emperor Constantinus the Great comforting him with the promises of life and reward to come Austine receiuing his Pall as aboue said and of a Monke being made an Arch-Byshop hee made two Metropolitanes as Gregorie commaunded then Austine assembled the Byshops and Doctors of Brittaine in this assembly hee charged the Byshoppes that they should preach the Word of GOD with him also that they should reforme certaine rites and vsages in the Church especially for keeping of Easter and baptizing after the manner of Rome the Scots and Brittaines would not agree thereto refusing to leaue the custome which
more within Temples Monastâ—ries or Chappels then any where els Priests apparell ornaments of Altars Uestments Corporaces Chalices patenes and other Church-plate to serue in no steed It maketh no matter in what place the Priest consecrateth the Sacrament and that it is sufficient to vse only the Sacramental words without other superstitious ceremonies Prayers to Saints vaine they not able to helpe In saying and singing the houres and Mattens of the day the time lost A man ought to cease from his labour no day but Sunday The Feasts of Saints to be reiected coacted feasts haue no merite The truth oâ— these Articles be the lesse to be doubted being set out by a Popes pen. They being accused slaunderously by one Doctor Augustine vnto the Bohemian King gaue vp their confession with an Apology of their Faith They held Thomas Aquinas author of Purgatory Concerning the Supper of the Lord their Faith was it was to be eaten and not to be shewed and worshipped That it was for a memorial and not for a Sacrifice to serue for the present not to be reserued to be receiued at the table not to be caried out of doores according to the vse of the primitiue Church when they vsed to communicate sitting this they proued by Cronicles â— and by Origen vpon the third of Moses Doctor Austin asked them whether it were not the same Christ in the Sacrament which is in heauen else how can it be said there is but one Faith and one Christ then why he should not bee worshipped in the Sacrament as well as in Heauen They answered to this effect that the same Christ that is in Heauen is in the Sacrament but after diuerse manners in Heauen he is corporally locally with the full proportion and quantitie of the same body wherewith hee ascended and to be séene in the Sacrament he is but sacramentally to be remembred not to bee séene our bodies receiue the signe our spirit the thing signified They asked him againe whether Christ was not aswell in them that receiue the Sacrament as in the Sacrament before it was receiued and why it should not be worshipped as well in the brest of the receiuer as before it is receiued seeing â—e is in a more perfect manner in â—an then in the Sacrament in it he is but for a time not for the sacrament sâ—ke but fâ—r mans sake In man he is for his owne sake not for a time but for euer as it is written Quâ— manducat hunc panem viuat in aeternum Then they asked whether he was there wholly God and man which if hee grant it it is contrary to Nature and Faith that any creature should be changed into the Creator If he say it is changed into his body and soule and not into the Godhead then hâ—e separates the natures of Christ if hee say into the body alone and not the soule then hée separateth the Natures of the true manhoode and so cannot be the same Christ that was betrayed for vs so to what part soeuer he should answere he could not defend transubstantiation without great inconueniâ—â—ce of all sides It appeareth in a certaine Libell of Inquisition that vpon their kneâ—s with great reuerence they vsed to pray euery morning and euery euening and that they vsed to say grace before meate and after and after meate to edifie one another with some instruction They were so diligent and painefull in teaching that Reynerius an old Inquisitor against them writeth that one of them to bring another vnto the faith in the night and in winter swamme ouer the Riuer Ibis to come to him to teach him and they were so perfect in the Scripture that he heard an vnlettered man that could say the booke of Iob word by word without booke with others which had the New Testament perfectly by hart Hee writeth moreouer that none durst stop them for the number of their fauourers saying I haue often béen at their examination and there were numbred forty Churches of their opinions in sâ—much that in one parish of Cammaâ—h were ten open schooles of them and when he had spoken what he could against them he is driuen to confesse that they both liue iustly before men and beléeue all things welâ— of God and hold all the Articles contained in the Creede onely they blaspheme the Church of Rome and hate it Touching theâ—r persecution which commonly followeth true preaching they being scattered from Lions that the sound of their doctrine might gee abroad â—n the world some went as it is said into Bohemia many into other prouinces of France some into Lombardy and other places but these could not be suffered to liue at rest as may appeare by the consultations made by the Lawyers Bishops of France against them writ aboue three hundred yeares agone remaining yet in writing whereby it appeareth there were a great many in France Besides there was a Counsell kept in Tolâ—se about 355. yeares agone and all against these Waldenses they also were condemned in another Counsell at Rome before that What persecutions they had in France by three Archbishops appeareth by their writings who is such a stranger that knoweth not the condemnation of the Waldenses done so many yeeres agone so famous so publique followed vpon with so great labour expences and trauell and sealed with so many of their deaths so solemnely being condemned and openly punished wherâ— by we may know persecution to be no new thing in the church of Christ when Antichrist three hundred yéeres agone did rage against the Waldenses But there was neuer more trouble then was against them of late in the yeare â—545 in France by the French King which followeth in this booke when we come to the yeare wherein it was done where it shall be set forth more at large In which persecution is declared that in one towne Cabria by Miuerias were slayne eight hundred persons at once not respecting women children nor any age and forty women most of them great with child were thrust into a Barne the windowes kept with pikes were fired and consumed besides in a Caue not farre from Mussin were fiue and twenty persons fired and destroyed the same time the same tyrant at Merindolum seeing all the rest were fled away finding one yong man caused him to be tyed to an Oliue tree and destroyed with torments most cruel the foresaid Reynerius speaketh of a Glouer one of them in the towne of Cheron that in his time was brought to execution There is an old Monument of processes wherein appeareth 443. brought to examination in Pomarina Marchia and places there abâ—ut in the yeere 1391. thus much of the original doctrine and lamentable persecutions of the Waldenses who as it is said began about the time of Pope Alexander Now for as much as Thomas Becket happened in this Popes time let vs somewhat story of him THE HISTORY OF THOMAS BECKET Arch-bishop of Canterbury KIng Henry the second K. of England conuenting his Nobles
A man cannot he excommunicated to his hurt except hee be first excommunicated of himselfe as Chrysostome saith None can be hurt except sinne hurt him which takes away Gods helpe and ayde as in Esay 59. Your sinnes haue seperated betwixt God and you 8 That none ought to be exâ—ommunicated but in Gods cause and wee ought to forgiue all priuate iniuries Math. 18. If thy brother offend thee forgiue him euen to 70. times 7. times 9 An Excommunication doth not binde except pronounced against the aduersarie of Gods Law For if God iustifie who can condemne 10 There is no power giuen by the example of Christ or his Apostles to excommunicate any for denying of Temporalties in the ninth of Luke Christ rebuketh his Disciples when they would haue fire come downe from Heauen to excommunicate them that would not entertaine them You know not said he what Spirit you are of 11 The Disciples of Christ haue no power to exact by any Ciuill authoritie Temporalties by censures vntil Churches were indued with possessions Christs Disciples what need soâ—uer they had they did onely exhort men to willing almes 12 It is not possible by the absolute power of God that the Pope or any Christian can binde or loose at their pleasure by what meanes soâ—uer yet may they exact temporall things by Ecclesiasticall Censures incidentally if case be that it appertaine to the reuengement of their God He that doth pretend to haue such Power is the man spoken of in the 2. Thess. 2. that sitteth in the Temple of God and sheweth himselfe as though he were God 13 All the power that Christs Uicar hath is then only lawfull in effect so long as it is ruled by the good will of Christ the Head of the Church 14 That euery Priest duely ordered by the Law of Grace hath power to Minister the Sacraments and to absolue any man confessing his fault and being penitent for the same whereby it appeareth that the power is aliâ—e to all Christian Priests as Hugo in his 2. Booke of Sacraments declareth 15 That the K. maâ— take away the Temporalties of the Clergie abusing the same habitually in cases by Law limited according to the 2. Thess. 3. We declared vnto you that they that would not worke should not eate 16 The â—ndowment of Churches are giuen conditionally that God should be honoured thereby and the Church edified with condicion if it be left vndoâ—e in any point the title of the gift is lost the Lord which gaue the gift ought to correct and amend the fault and not to bâ— stopped from the execution of Iustice â—or any excommunication And yet God forbid that by these words occasion should be giuen to the Lords Temporall to take away the goods of Fortune from the Church 17 An Ecclesiasticall Minister also the Pope may be rebuked of his subiects either of the Clergie or Laitie Gal. 2. Peter was rebuked by Paul for the Church is aboue the Bishop and to say he ought not â—o be rebuked but only of God what offence soeuer he commit he should be aboue the Church the Spouse of Christ. These be the effect of the conclusions of Wickliffe at that time which either being not read or vnderstood they granted him free libertie to depart Soone afâ—er died Pope Gregorie which was happâ—e to Wickliffe for presently after fell a great dissention betwixt the Romish and French Pope which continued 30. yeares with great â—orrow destruction of men on both parts and about 3. yeares after there fell a great dissention in England betwixt the Commâ—ns Nobilitie in which trouble Sudburie Archbishop of Canterburie was taken by the rude people beheaded to whom William Couâ—tnay succéeded who was no lesse diligent to root out hereticks then his predecessor Notwithstanding Wickliffes sect daily encreased and grâ—w to greater strength vntill one William Barton Uicechancelor of Oxford calling together 8. Monasticall Doctors and 4. other with the rest of his affinitie putting the common seale of the Uniuersitie vnto certaine writings set forth an Edict threatning euerie man vnder â—rieuous penaltie not to assemble themselues with any of Wickliffes fauorers and threatned to Wickliffe greater excommunication imprisonment and all his fauorers vnlesse after three daies canonicall admonition they doe repent and amend Wickliffe appealed to the King but the Duke of Lancaster forbad him to begin such matters but rather submit himselfe to the censure of his Ordinarie whereby Wickliffe being in the midst of the waues was inforced again to make confession of his Doctrine wherein he answered with intricate words and a gentler kind of phrase whereby he either persuaded or deluded his enemies William Archbishop of Canterbury held a Conuocation at London where Wickliffe was commanded to be when as they were gathered together at the Gray-friers in London to consult about Wickliffes Bookes the whole Sect a wonderfull Earthquake fell diuers doubting thought good to leaue off their purpose but the Archbishop interpreting the chance to another meaning strengthned their hearts to proceed who discoursing Wickliffes Articles not according to the Scriptures but to their priuate affections they condemned some Articles of Heresie and others of Error These of Heresie 1 The substance of Bread and Wine remaineth in the Sacrament after consecration 2 The accidents remaine not without the subiect after consecration 3 Christ is not truely and really in his proper corporall Person in the Sacrament 4 That a Bishop or Priest in deadly sinne doth not Order Consecrate or Baptize 5 That outward Confession is needlâ—sse if one be inwardly truely penitent 6 That it is not found in the Gospell that Christ ordained Masse 7 If the Pope be a Reprobate and a member of the Diuell he hath no power giuen him ouer the faithfull except by the Emperour 8 That none is to be receiued for Pope since Vrban the sixt but to liue as the Greekes euery man vnder his owne Law These as erroneous 1 That no Prelate ought to excommunicate any except he knew him first to be excommunicated of God 2 He that doth so excommunicate is an Hereticke and excommunicated 3 He that excommunicateth any of the Clergie which appealed to the Councell is a Traytor to the King and Realme 4 All that leaue off preaching or hearing the Word for feare of Excommunication are excommunicated and at the day of Iudgement shall be counted as Traytors to God 5 That it is lawfull for any man Deacon or Priest to preach without licence of the Pope or any his Catholikes that one is no Prelate so long as he is in deadly sinne 6 Temporall Lords may take away goods from Church-men if they offend 7 The Tenths are pure Almes the Parishioner for the offence of the Curate may bestow them vpon others 8 That Spirituall Prayers applyed particularly to any profit them no more then Generall Prayers profit others in the same case 9 That one is more vnapt and vnable to kéepe the Commandements of God
to know kéep Gods commandements fearing to offend him and louing to please him hoping stedfastly in his mercy continuing in Charity gladly suffering persecutions by the example of Christ and his Apostles all these haue their names written in the Booke of life The gathering together of these that be aliue is the Church fighting against the fiâ—nd the prosperity of the World and the fleshly lusâ—s and I wil submit my selfe only to the rule and gouernance of them whom after my knowledge I may perceiue by the hauing and vsing of the foresaid vertues to be members of the holy Church These Articles and all other that I ought to beléeue by the word of God I verily beléeue in my Soule and I beleeue that the word of God is sufficient to saluation if I haue erred that I submit my selfe to be â—econciled and I beleeue the authorities of Saints and Doctors as farre as they may be approued by the word of God and no further for any earthly power or dignity Sir I pray shall I lay my hand on the Booke to sweare by it yea said he wherefore else Sir I say a Booke is a thing coupled together of diuers Creatures and Gods and Mans Law is against swearing by any Creature but I will sweare vnto you as I ought by Gods Law but for Charity tell me wherein I shall submit my selfe and wherein you will correct mâ— Bishop I will that you swear to forsake all the opinions of the Sect of Lollards which I shall rehearse after you haue sworne and that you will neither priuily nor openly teach none of them nor fauour none of that opinion but withstand them and them that will not yéeld make knowne to the Byshop of the Diocesse and that thou preach no more vntill I do know that thy hart and mouth accord Thorp If I consent vnto you hereâ—n I should be euery Bishops spy Sommoner of al England yea I should deceiue many persons and be y â— cause of their death bodily and ghostly for many of them that stand now in the truth and are in the way of saluation would rather chuse to forsake the way of truth then to be scorned slandered and punished as Byshops and their Ministers now vse to d ee and I finde not in the Scripture that this office you would now enfeoff me with accordeth to any Priest or Christian therefore to do thus were to me a full noyous band for many trust so mickle in me that I would not doe it to saue my life and they might well account me a Traytor to God and man and that I had faâ—sly and cowardly forsaken the truth and slandered shamefully the Word of GOD If I doe thus for feare of bondcheefe and mischeefe in this life I deeme in my conscience I were worthy to bee cursed of GOD and all his Saints from which keepe me and all Christians Almighty God Bishop Thy heart is full hard indurate as the hart of Pharaoh the Diuell hath blinded thy wits that thou hast no grace to know the truth nor the measure of mercy that I haue proâ—â—ered thee but I say to thee lewd Lossell eyther quickly consent to me or by Saint Thomas thou shalt be disgraded and follow thy fellow â—o Smithfield Thorp I thought with my selfe God did me great grace if of his mercy he would bring me to such an end and my heart was not afraid of his menasing but I considered in him that he was not sorrowfull that he had burned William Santry wrongfully and that he thiâ—steth to shed more innocent blood and I was fast mooued to hold him to be no Priest of God and mine inward Man was departed from him to haue no feare of him and I was right heauy that there was no audience of seculer men by and I prayed the Lord to comfort me against them that were against the sothfastnesse and I purposed to speake no more then my neede behooued All the while I prayed God for his grace to speake with a méeke and easie Spirit and that I might haue authorities of Scriptures or open reason for my words and his Clearks said Why muse you do as my Lord commands you Byshop Hast thou not yet bethought thee whether thou wilt doe as I haue said Thorp My Parents spent mickle Mony about my learning to make me a Priest but I had no will to be a Priest wherefore they were right heauy to mee that I thought to leaue theÌ„ at length I desired that I might go to such as were named wise and of vertuous conuersaâ—ion to haue theâ—â— Councell so I communed with such till I perceiued their honest and charitable workes to passe their fame wherefore 〈◊〉 by the example of the Doctrine of them after my cunning and power I haue exercised me to know perfectly Gods Law hauing a desire to liue thereafter and that others exercised themselues faithfully there abouts Then he sheweth the reasons aforesaid and what would follow if he should forsake so suddenly the learning that he had exercised this 30. winters according to the example of some whose name I wil now recite and according to the present doing of Phillip Rampington now Bishop of Lincolne by Gods grace I will learne by them to fly such slander as thâ—y haue defiled themselues with and as much as is in them they haue enuenomed all the Church of God by their flaunderous reuoking at Paules Crosse and how now Phillip Rampington pursueth Christs people which will not be vnpunished of God Bishop These were fooles and heretickes when they were counted wise of thée and sâ—ch loseâ—s but now they are wise though ye deeme them vnwise Thorpe I thinke they are wise concerning this world I did thinke by their former doings that they had earnest of the wisdome of God and deserued â—â—ckie grace of him to haue saued themselues and many others if they had continued faithfull and in their buâ—â—e fâ—â—itfull sowing of Gods word but woe worth false couetousnesse euill councell and tâ—ranny by which they and many be led blindly to an euill end Bishop Which are those holy and wise men of whom thou hast taken thine information Thorpe Sir master Iohn Wicliffe holden of â—ull many the greatest Clarke then liuing â—usâ—ing rulâ— anâ— innocent in his liuing great men communed oft with him they so loued his learning that they wrote it and bâ—sâ—ly inforced themselues to â—ollow it and his learning is yet holden most agréeable to the learning of Christ and his Apostles and master Iohn Ayston taught and wrote accordingly and vsed himselfe right perfectly to his liues end And sometimes Phillip Rampington Nichols Herford Dauid Gotray of Pakâ—ing and Iohn Puruay and many other which were holden right wise and prodent taught and writ busily his foresaid learning with alâ— these men I was right homely and communed with them but of all other I â—hose to â—ollow Wicliffe himselfe as the most wise and godly man that I heard of or know Some of
resorted great number of people to Rome more then at any time before were seene there At which time as there were a great sort of people going to Mount Uaticane to behold the Image of our Sauiour which they had there to shew to Pilgrims a Mule of the Cardinals of Saint Marke comming that way the people for multitude being not able to voyde the way one or two falling vpon the Mule there was such a throng that two hundred men and thrée horses were strangled vpon the bridge and many fell ouer into the water and were drowued wherefore the Pope caused the small houses to bee plucked downe to make the Bridge broader In the yeare 1453. Constantinople was taken by the Turkes In the yeare one thousand foure hundred fifty fiue when the death of Pope Nicholas was published the Germaines bewayling their miserable estate perswaded the Emperour that he should be no longer vnder the Popes obedience except they first obtained certaine thinges touching the Charter of Apeales shewing that they were in worse case then eyther the French-men or Italians and as it were their Seruants and especially of the Italians that they alone had not the vse of their Lawes and that the French Nation had not made their sute in vaine vnto their King against the exactions of the Popes by whom they were defended which also prouided decrées for the liberty of his people The Emperour promised hee would prouide for them no lesse then the King of Fraunce had done for the French-men But Aeneas Siluius brake off the matter saying Though there bee variance amongst Princes in waighty matters yet peace may be made againe but betweene the Prince and the Common people there is alwaies mortall hatred and because he should be Successour vnto the Pope hee concluded he thought it better to accord to the Pope then to follow their desires whose minds are led with couetousnesse rather then by reason and the Emperour chose him Ambassadour to Pope Calixtus to sweare vnto him in his Name and to promise the absolute obedience of all Germany Thus twice Fridericke of Austrich contemned and derided the Germaines frustrating them of their natiue ordinances and brought them into subiection vnder the Pope which was the cause that seauen yeares before his death he caused his Sonne Maximillian to bee crowned King of the Romaines least after his death the Empire should be transported vnto another Familie as it afterwards came to passe Whereupon Germany being in this miserable pouerty and greeuous subiection of the Popes tyranny and polling with teares and sighes lamenting their estate continued so almost vnto Luthers time as those Histories hereafter doe testifie The Ambassadour of the Arch-bishop of Maydenburge Henry Token writeth that in the Councell of Basill the Arch-bishop of Lyons did declare that in Pope Martines time there came out of Fraunce to the Court of Rome nine millions of Gold which was gathered by the Byshops and Prelats besides the poore Clergy which daily without number runne vnto the Court of Rome carrying with them all their whole substance The Arch-byshoppe of Turonne said also at Basill that three Millions of Gold in his time came to Rome in foureteene yeares of the Prelates besides the poore Cleargy which daily runne to that Court. Let the man which feareth God iudge what a deuouring Gulfe this is a million containeth ten hundred thousand Sir Roger Ounley followed the Lord Cobham and Sir Roger Acton being a Knight of like Nobility and Order and pertaker of the like cause a man endewed with like valiantnesse and godlinesse whom we reade in certaine Annals to be hanged for the truth 1441. Although there haue beene many Women which haue followed their spouse Christ by torments banishment and death yet the first that commeth to our handes is Elinor Cobham a Woman nothing degenerating from her stocke kindred and name albeit wee can finde no other thing of her but for suspition of heresie that is to say for the loue and desire of the truth she was by the papists banished into the Iâ—e of Man whom a fewe yeares after there followed a woman who for her constancy and vertue was greatly to be praised being mother of the Lady Yong she perseuered vnto the fire with a stout and manly courage for the profession of the Gospel and was burned Hieronimus Sauonarola being singularly well learned and a Monke in Italy preached sore against the euill life of the spiritualtie especially of his owne order saying they were the springs of all mischiefes and by the help of certaine learned men began to seeke reformation in his owne order The Pope fearing him being in great reputation amongst all men least hee should diminish his authoritie hee ordained his Uicar to reforme this matter But the said Hierome withstood him alwaies wherefore hee was accursed yet he left not off preaching but threatned Italy with the indignation of GOD and prophesied that the Land should bee ouerthrowne for the pride and wickednesse of the people and for the vntruth and hypocrisie of the Clergy which came to passe when King Charles came to Rome and besieged Pope Alexander that hee was forced to make composition with him Because the said Hierome would not leaue preaching hee was commanded to appeare before the Pope to giue account of his new learning but hee went not Then was hee againe forbidden to preach and his learning condemned as false and seditions whereby he left off preaching But when the people â—ore hungred for Gods Word and were instant vpon him that hee would preach againe hee beganne againe to preach in Florence many exhorted him to the contrarie but he regarded it not but went forward freely When the Pope and his Shauellings heard thereof they were greatly inflamed against him and cursed him as an obstinate heretick yet hee proceeded in teaching the people saying men ought not to regard such curses which is against the true doctrine and the common Prophets for by preaching wée should be learned and amended Christs Kingdome inlarged and the Kingdome of the Diuell ouerthrowne He desired to teach no other thing then the pure word of God often protesting that all men should certifie him if they heard him teach any thing contrary therunto for in his conscience he knew nothing which he had taught but the pure word of God What his doctrine was may easily be iudged by his books he wrote After that he was taken with two Friers with him which fauoured his learning named Dominick and Siluester and carried to prison where he wrote a godly meditation vpon the most comfortable one and fiftieth Psalme wherein hée excellently described the strife betwixt the flesh and spirit The Popes Legats came to Florence and called forth these thrée good men threatning them maruellously but they continued still constant Then they gathered Articles against them whereuppon they were condemned and were first hanged vp openly in the market-place after burned to ashes and the ashes
by the Scriptures that the faithfull haue the Iâ—dgment of their soules as soone as they die and are in Heauen and that we are bound to obay Magistrates as Parents and that the people should haue the Lords prayer and the Créed in their owne tongue that their denotion might bee furthered by their vnderstanding of it and might be more expert in their faith I hauâ— heard many say they neuer heard any speake of their resurrection and by the knowledge thereof became more ready to goodnes and fearefull to doe euill and he would wish that the Scripture were in our owne tongâ—e for St. Paule sath hee would rather haue fiue words in a tongue that is knowne c. that the Church may be edified and Châ—isostome bad his hearers looke vpon bookes that they may the better remember that which they had heard and Bead translated the gospell of St. Iohn into English and where it is obiected it is daungerous for Heresâ—e hee said good Pastors might easily helpe the matter by adding the interpretation of the hard places in the margent touching pardons he said it were better that they should bee restrainâ—d then any longer to be vsed as they haue béene to the iniury of Christs passion Further these things were deposed against him that he should preach at Ipswich Christ is our Meadiator betwixt vs and the Father why then should wee séeke to any Saint for remedy and to make petition to Saints is great iniury and blasphemie to Christ and that man is so imperfect of himselfe that hee cannot merit by his owne deedes that it was great iniury vnto our Sauiour Christ to teach that to bâ— buried in Saint Francis Coull should remit foure parts of penance what is then left to Christ which taketh away the sinnes of the world This I will iustifie to bee great blasphemie And that it was great folly to goâ— in pilgrimage and that preachers in times past haue been Antichrists and now it hath pleased God somewhat to shew their errors and that the myracles done in Walsingham Canterbury and Ipswich were done by the Diuell by the sufferance of God to blind the people and that the pope hath not the Keyes that Peter had except hee follow Peter in liuing and that it was deposed against him that hee was twice pulled out of the Pulpit by the Fryers in the Dioces of Norwich And that hee â—xhorted the people to put away their Gods of Siluer and Gold and leaue offering vnto them because it hath often béen knowne that those things offered haue after been giuen to Whoores of the Stewes And that Iewes and Sarazens would haue becâ—me Christians long agoe had it not bin for the Idolatry of the Christians in offering Candles Wax and mony to stockes and stones In a Dialogue betwixt him and Fryer Iohn Brusierd hee proueth thrée points Firsâ— that there is but one Mediator of God and Men which is Christ Then our Lady S. Peter and other Saints be no Mediators and whatsoeuer wee aske the Father in Christs Name we shall haue and God saith not in any other name therfore let vs aske in his name least at the day of Iudgement it be said to vs hetherto haue you asked nothing in my name To which the Fryâ—r answered I would Maister Bilney that you would search the first Origen of the Rogation daies which were ordained by Pope Gregory with Fastings Prayers and holy Processions against the Pestilence by the infeâ—tion of the ayre in which time of Procession an Image like our Lady Painted by S. Luke went before them About which Image Angels did sing Regina coeli letare To the which the Pope ioined Ora pro nobis Domine c. Therefore beeing the Angels did honour the Image of the Uirgine And Pope Gregory with all the Clergy did pray to her It appeareth maniâ—estly we ought to pray to Saints that they may say like for vs which the Disciples said in the Gospell serue them and send them away because they cry after vs. Secondly he proueth the Pope to be Antichrist in that he exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God For the Pope imposeth but a small punishment vpon them that break any of the â—en Commandements But he that shall violate the popes constitutions he is guilty of death What is this but the Pope to sit and to raigne in the Temple of God that is mans conscience as God and the popish miracles are not of God but illusions of Satan who as the Scriptâ—res witnes haue been loosed this fiue hundred yeares As it is written that Satan should bee loosed after a thousand yeares and they are illusions because they make them put thâ—ir Faith in our Lady and othâ—r Saints and not in God alone The third is that no Saint though his suffering were neuer so great and his life most pure deserued any thing for vs with God as you may sée by the answer of the wise Uirgins vnto the foolish Uirgins when they craued oyle of them No say they least peraduenture we haue not sufficient for our selues and you get you rather to them that sell and buy where be then the merits of Saints whereby they may deserue for themselues and others After he was brought againe before the Bishops at the Charter-house afore said where he was admonished to abiure and recant who answered he would stand to his Conscience but being many times sent for and perswaded he did abiure But God not willing to loose such a worthy instrument of his Church raised him againe after his fall as hâ—re followeth to be seene These Articles were obiected against GEFFREY LON for which he was abiured FIrst for hauing and dispersing abroad bookes of Luther for affirming and beleeuing that Faith onely iustifieth and that men be not boâ—nd to obserue the constitutions of the Church That we should pray onely to God not to Saints That pilgrimages are not profitable to mans soule That we should not offer nor set vp lights to Images That no man is bound to keep the Fasts of the Church That Popes pardons profit not a man and Thomas Garnet Master of Art Curat of all Hallowes in Hony Lane for hauing and distributing Luthers Bookes and them of that sect For affirming Faith onely iustifieth That Pardons profit neither the dead nor liuing That the Constitutions of the Church binde vs not for calling Bishops Pharisies That fasting daies are not to bee obserued That euery man that is able may preach the Word and no Law to the contrarie for thesâ— and such like he was abiured before Cutbert Bishop of London But the aforesaid Bilney notwithstanding his recantation Hee abated not any part of his desire study to preach but was the more vehement against the Bishops corrupt life but whilst he was occupied in that godly enterprise to allure all men to saluation Thomas Moore and Richard Nickes the blind Bishop of Norwich who was as blind in body as Soule they laid hands on him and
that they should in no wise pray for them no more then they would for a Dog whereat Frith smiling desired the Lord to forgiue him and so departed About this time High Latimer was inhiâ—ited by the Bishop of London to preach in his Dioces and yet after he preached in the Precinâ—t of the Fryers Augustines of London The Lady Anne of Bullen although she was not yet married to King Henry yet she was in great fauour and daily she inclined the Kings mind more more against the Papists so that the same yeare the King and certaine of his Lords came into the Parliament house and he complained of the Cleargy that they were but halfe his Subiects yea and scarse our Subiects for their oath to the Pope at their consecration is cleane contrary to that which they make to vs and he deliuâ—râ—d to the Parliament the coppies of both their oaths These Oaths being thus receiued and â—pened to the people were the occasion that the Pope lost al his iurisdiction in England shortly after The matter falling out more and more against the Pope Sir Thomas Moore a great maintainer of the Pope was driuen to resigne his Chancelorship â— deliuer vp the great seale into the Kings hands After whom succéeded Sir Thomas Audley kéeper of the great seale a great fauorer of Christs Religion Lady ANNE of Bullen WIthin short time after the King married the Lady Anne Bullen Mother to Quéene Elizabeth who was the secret ayder and comforter of al the Professors of the Gospell and her almes shewed her life was accordingly which was a hundred gownes wéekly and other apparell yearely before she was married both to men women she also gaue much priuate almes to the widdowes and poore hoâ—sholders continually vntill she was apprehended And she euer gaue thrée or foure pounds at a time to them to buy them Kine and sent her Sub-almner about to the Townes where she lay that the Parisheners should make a bâ—ll of all the poore housholders in thâ—ir parish and some parishes receiued 7. 8. or 10. pounds to buy Kine withall Also she maintained many lâ—arned men in Cambridge so did the Earle of Wiltshirâ— her Father and the Lord Roch her Brothâ—r and she brought them in fauour with â—ing Henry She caried alwaies about her a little purse out of which she was wont daily to scatter abroad some almes to the needy thinking no day well spent wherein none had fared the better for her She kept her Maids and such as were about her imployed in making shirts and smocks for the poore but the Lady Dowager beeing deuorced made the Pope to curse the King and interdict the realme In the meane time Queene Anne beinâ— great with child in the next yeare following was crowned with high solemnity at Westminster and not long after brought to â—ed at Greenewich of the faire Lady Elizabeth The Lord Maior of London and his Brethren with forty cheefe Cittizens were commanded to be present with all the Nobles and Gentlemen The Kings Palace and all the wals to the Fryers were hanged with Arras â—â—d the Friers Church The Font war of Siluer and stood in the midst of the Church thrée steps high which was couered with fine linnen and diuers Gentlemen with aprones and towels about their necks gaue attendance about it Ouer the Font hung a faire Canopy of Crimson Sattin fringed with Gold The holy Maid of Kent CErtaine Monkes put into the heads of many of the Kings Subiects that they had Râ—uelation of God and his Saints that he was highly displeased with king Henry for the diuorcement of the Lady Katherine and surmised that God had reuealed vnto a Nun called Elizabeth Barton whom they called the Holy Maid of Kent that if the King did diuorce her he should not be King of this Realme one month after and not one day nor houre in Gods fauour She would shew marueilous alteration of her visage and body as if she had béene wrapt in a trance and inspired of God She spoke against sinne and reprooued the Gospell which she called heresies and spoke diuers things to the reproach of the King and Quéene and to the establishing of Idolatry Pilgrimage and derogation of Gods glory The Archbishop the Lord Cromwell and Maister Hugh Latimer with great labour found out her naughtinesse and condemned her and put her to death with certaine of her councell VVILLIAM TRACY Esquire A Little before this time William Tracy of Todington in Gloster-shire made his Will that he would haue no funerall pomp at his burying nor Masse and said that he trusted in God only and hoped by him to be saued and not by any Saint His Executor brought the Will to the Bishop of Canterbury that then was to proue it which he shewed to the Conuocation and they iudged him to be taken vp and burned as an heretick and sent a commisson to Doctor Parker Chancelor of Worcester to execute their sentence who accomplished the same The King hearing thereof sent for the Chancelor who laid the fault on the Bishop yet it cost him three hundred pount erâ— he could haue a pardon The storie of twenty foure burned at Paris IN this yearâ— were diuers writings set vp in Paris vpon the Porches and gates against the Masse and other papisticall superstitions whereupon many were apprehended and cast into prison but twenty foure were executed in seuerall places of the Citie of Paris The bearer of the Popes curse and interdictment against King Henrie and the Realme durst not come into the Realme with it but set it vp in Dunkerk in Flanders the king hearing thereof took great displeasure against the said Princesse Dowager and so stomacked the matter that the next yeare he called a Parliament and caused it to be prouided by sufficient Acts that the Pope should be vtterly abolâ—sht and himselfe to be establisht supreme head of the Church at which thing Sir Thomas Moore the Bishop of Rochester grudged and would not consent vnto it but openly resisted the same wherefore they were condemned of treason and headed at Tower-hill Likewise three Charter-Monks were hanged drawne and quartred at Tyburne for speaking trayterous words against the Kings Maiestie This yere the King set forth a Proclamation for the abolishing of the vsurped power and iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome wherein is declared that not onely the secular men granted him this iurisdiction but all the spiritualty in the Conuocation house vnder their seales wherin also he signified that he had addressed Letters vn-the Bishops of the Diocesse straitly commanding them that forthwith the sincere word of God should be preached euery Sonday and Holy-day vnto the people and Our stile and iurisdiction of supreme head appertayning onely to our Crowne and Dignity royall to be publisht and that the Popes vsurped name should be put out of all prayers masses or other books except it be to his reproach The life and storie of M. William Tindall FIrst he
was Schoolemaster to one Master Welch and for translating certain religious books into English and for arguing with a certain Priest that often vsed to his Masters house and confounding diuers points of their religion by the word of God he was pursued glad to go out of the Realme into Germany and there translated the Bible into English compiled diuers other books sâ—nt them into England wherby the dore and light vnto the Scriptures was daily more and more opened which before was many years closed in darknesse from thence he went to Aâ—twarp and had his abiding there and was lodged about a yeare in the house of one Thomas Poynets an English man which kept a house of English Merchants then came thither one Henry Philips hauing a seruant waiting on him M. Tindall became acquainted with him and had great confidence in him and had him often to dinner and supper with him and got him a lodging in M. Poynets house At length Philips wâ—nt to the high Court of Bruxelles to betray M. Tindall and procured to bring from thence with him the Procurator generall with othâ—r Officers which was not done with small charges from whom soeuer it came After Philips returning would haue M. Tindall to dine with him then hee desired M. Tindall to lend him fortie shillings which he did he told Philips he could not diâ—e with him for he was bid forth to dinner and he should goe with him And going forth to dâ—nner Philips hauing appointed the officers in the way he gaue them a signe that this was he they should apprehend then they took him and brought him to the Procurator generall who sent him to the Casâ—le of Filford and the Procurator generall went to Poynets house and sent away all that was there of M. Tindals The said Poynets and certain Merchants went ouer into England and got letters from the Coâ—ncell for M. Tindals deliuery vpon the deliuery wherof to the Councel of Bruxelles M. Tindall should haue bin deliuered vnto him which when Philips vnderstood he accused Poynets â—o be an heretick and a receiuer of such caused him to be apprehended kept 13. or 14. wéeks in prison but he escaped by night and got into England but M. Tindall was condemned and the same morning as he was had to the fire he deliuered a letter to the chiefe Kéeper of the Castle which the Kéeper himselfe brought to Poynets house who compared him to be fellow to the Apostles being in prison both for his conuersation and conuerting and preaching to the peoâ—le M. Tindall hearing by certaine Merchants what wonderfull feats a Iugler did he desired thâ—m that he might be present also at supper to see him play his parts accordingly the supper was appointed and the Merchants with Tindall were there present The Iugler being desired to vttâ—r his cunning shâ—wed all that he could do but all was in vaine at last with his labour sweating and toyle he saw nothing would go forward he confessed there was some man present at supper which disâ—urbed his doings For his letters that he wrote I refer thée to the book at large if thou dispose to sée them The Lord Cromwell keeper of the Kings priuie Seale Uicegerent of all the Kings iurisdiction ecclâ—siasticall sent out certaâ—n iniuncâ—ions by the Kâ—ngs authoritâ— for the preaching thâ— word of God for the bâ—tter publishing of the kings supremaâ—â—â— against idols 〈◊〉 on pilgrimage trusâ—ing in saints and to abrogate diuers holy-daies and for reformation to be had in diuers othâ—r ecclesiastical matters In the begiâ—â—g of this year the most noble and worthy Lady Queen Anne of Bullen after she had liued Qâ—â—â—ne three â—ears was cast into the Tower together with her brother the Lord Rochford and diuers others which shortly after were executed The words of the Queene at the time of her death Good Christian people I ame come hither to die I am iudged therto by the law therefore I will not speake against it I pray God preserue the King for there was neuer a gentler Prince and to me he was euer a good soueraigne and I râ—quire euery one to iudge the best of my cause so â— take my leaue of the world and of you all desiring you to praâ—â—or me Then she kneeled down and said Into thy hands I commend my soule Iesus receiue my soule diuers times vntill her head was striken off Fiue burned in Scotland SEauen years after Patrick Hamelton aforesaid there were fiue burned in Edenborough the chief Citie in Scotland two were Dominican Friers one Priest one Cannon and one Gentleman adiudged by the Archbishop of S. Andrewes Petrus Chappeâ—anus and the Franciscan Friers whose labour is neuer wanting in such matters The murther of ROBERT PACKINGTON HEe was a rich Mercer dwelling in Cheap side and was one of the â—urgesses of the Parliament for the Citie of London and had spoken against the couetousnesse and cruelty of the Clergie wherefore he was had in contempt with them therfore one Doctor Vincent Deane of Paules hired a stranger for sixtie crownes to kill him which he did in this manner this Packington vsed by foure of the clocke euery morning to go to a Church neare Cheap-side and in a mistie morning tâ—e hyred stranger shot him and killed him with a gunne as he crossed the street This could not be knowne vntill the death of the Deane then he repented the fact at his death and confessed it to his ghostly father In this yeare the Kings Maiestie by his Uicegerent the L. Cromwell sent out againe certaine Iniunctions vnto the Spiritualty for the reformation of religion for the maintenance of reading the Bible in English and for taking downe of Images with such other like The history of Iohn Lambert alias Nicolson BEing beyond Sea by reason of the persecution here he returned hoping the time had bin amended by the means of Quéen Anne and Cromwell and the abolishing of the Pope he became a Schoolemaster and being present at a Sermon preached by Doctor Taylor one that was a Bishop in K. Edwards time and died in the Tower in Queen Maries time after the Sermon hee vttered diuers arguments to the Preachers and desired to be resolued Taylor alledged businesse and desired him to write his minde which he did The first was vpon The cup is the new Testament and if these words doe not change neither the cup nor the wine into the new Testament by like reason the words spoken of the bread should not turn it corporally into the body of Christ. The second it is not agreeable to a naturall body to be in â—wo or more places ot one time therfore Christ hauing a naturall bodie cannot be in heauen on the right hand of his father and in the Sacrament Thirdly a naturall body cannot be without his forme and conditions as he cannot be without substance iâ— the Sacrament there is no forme and condition of the body of Christ no not
to be troubled with externe decrées and outward Elements And by the 23. of Mathew The Scribes and Pharises sit in Moses Chaire whatsoeuer they command to obserue keep but do not after their doings Christ taught his Disciples that he saw nothing in the doing of the Scribes and Pharises to be followed yet they should not refuse to do those things which they did teach by the word but not what they taught of their owne head Being accused for hauing the New Testament and other Books of heresie he called them blasphemers and Romish Swine and their stomacks rankered and tongues most venomous which durst note the New Testament of heresie as they were the greatest murderers that murdered Christ so these men filled the measure of all other Heretickes and blasphemies how shall these Serpents and sâ—â—cke of Uipers escape the iudgement of eternall fire And being accused that he was so obstinate that none of his friends could perswade him he said he knew not why he should call them friends which so greatly laboured to conuert him nor will more estéeme of them then of the Madianits which called the Children of Israell to do sacrifices to their Idols Then they condemned him for an Hereticke and his goods to be forfeited and because they could not apprâ—hend him they made a picture of him and burned it cursed euery one that should shew any intertainment fauour or helpe towards him and their goods likewise to be confiscated The sixe Articles agreed vpon in the Parliament-house 1 THe blessed Sacrament of the Altar by the efficacy of Christs words being spoken by the Priest is present really vnder the forme of Bread and Wine the naturall body and blood of Christ conceiued of the Uirgine Mary and that there remaineth no substance of bread and wine but onely the substance of Christ God and Man 2 Secondly that the Communion in both kinds are not necessary ad salutem vnto all persons and it is to be beléeued that in the flesh vnder forme of Bread is the very blood and with the blood vnder forme of wine is the very flesh aswell apart as both together 3 That Priests after orders may not marry by the Law of God 4 That vowes of Chastity or widdowhood by man or woman made to God aduisedly ought to bee obserued by the Law of God and that it exempteth them from other liberties of Christian people which without that they might enioy 5 That it is méete that priuate masses be continued as whereby good people ordering themselues accordingly doe receiue both godly and goodly consolations and benefits and it is agréeable to Gods Law 6 That auriculer confession is necessary to be retained and vsed in the Church of God Then they caused it to be enacted that if any the Kings Subiects after the 12. of Iuly next comming by word writing or any otherwise preach argue or hâ—ld any opinion against the reall presence as aforesaid or against the Sacrament vnder one kind as aforesaid they and their assistants to be condemned for hereticks and to be burned without any abiuration and Clergy of Sanctuary to be allowed them and all their goods and lands forfeited vnto the King as in case of high treaso The like offence against any of the other Articles to be fellony The History of THOMAS CROMVVELL Earle of Essex THomas Cromwell became the most secret and deare Councelor vnto the King after he was made Earle of Essex He alone through the singular dextâ—ritie of his wit and Councell brought to passe that which no Prince or King throughout all Europe dare or can bring to passe For whereas Brittany was most superstitious of all Nations he brake off and repressed all the poliâ—ies and malice of the Frâ—ers Monâ—es and Religions and subuerted there houses throughout all the Realme and brought the Arch-bishops and Bishops yea Cranmer and the Bishop of Winchester to an Order though he were the Kings chiefe Councelor preuenting thâ—ir enterprises and complaints specially in those things which tended to the decay of good men which fauoured the Gospell vnto whom Cromwell was euer a shield against the pestiferous enterprises of Winchester betwéenâ— whom there was continuall emulation both being great with the King one much feared th' other beloued but Winchester séemed such a man to be borne onely for the destruction of the good and Cromwell by thy Diuine prouidence appointed a help to preserue many it were to tedious to declare how many good men through this mans help haue béen reléeued whereof a great nâ—mber beeing depriued of their patron by his fall perished and many yet aliue which are witnes of these things Iehu the sharpe punisher of superstitious Idolatry was not much vnlike this man For this purpose this man seemed to be raised vp of God to subuert the dens of sloth and idlenes where if they had remained the Pope could not be excluded out of England for there was an incredible number of Monasteriâ—s in England There riches and possessions were so great that they vpbraided euen vnto Kings and Noâ—les beggery and there houses were no lesse sumptuous which for the most part were plucked down to the ground and their reuenues and substance the King partly conuerted vnto his own Coffers and partly distributed amongst his Nobilitie but many reprâ—hend the subuersion of these Abbies say they might haue béen conuerted to other good vses which indéed would haue béen good and godly if in this Kingdome there should bee continually a succession of good Princes but if it should happen to be a King of a contrarie Religion it would haue been otherwise as we may see by the example of Quéene Mary If the Monasteries had been left standing vntill her superstitious daies they should haue been restored againe and filled with Monkes and Fryers For if the goods and possessions of the religious being in the hands of the Dukes and Nobility could scarce withstand the Quéenes power how should the meaner sort haue retained them Wherefore no doubt Gods great prouidence did fâ—resée these things in this man Wherevpon as often as he sent any man to suppresse any Monastery hee would charge them that they should subuert their houses from there foundation When the Pope was abolishâ—d out of England and that there was diuers tumults about Religion and it séemed good to the King to appoint a Conuoâ—ation to which Cromwell came and found all the Bishopâ— attending his comming and all did obeysance vnto him as to their Uicar generall and he saluted them euery one in their degrée and sate downe in the highest place Then Cromwell in the name of the King spake words to this effect The King thankes you â—o your diligence the cause why he hath willed you to assemble is that you should estabâ—sh certaine controuersies touching the state of Faith and Christian Religion which are now in controuersiâ— not onely in this Realme but also amongst all other Nations of the world for he willeth not that there
should be any publike change in this Realme of Religion except by the consent of you and the whole Parliament wherein you may easily perceiue his profound wisedom great leue towards you Wherfore he desireth you in Christs name that leauing blindnes contentions you would discusse those things amongst you which pertaine to religion and the Church hauing onely respect vnto the Scriptures neither will he any longer suffer the Scriptures to be wrested by any one of you neither to be oppressed with the Popes Decrées or authoritie of the Doctors or Councels neither will he allow any Doctrine grounded onely vpon Antiquitie and Custome hauing no other foundation in Scriptures such as you call vnwritten verities you owe this duety chiefely to Christ and next of necessitie vnto the Church and yet you shall not be vnrewarded at the Kings hands if he perceÃue you do your duty as you ought in establishing concord in the Church The which to bring to passe the onely methode is to discusse all things according to the Canons of Gods word wherevnto the Kings Maiestie doth exhort you and hartily desire you the Bishops gaue thankes vnto the King for his zeale vnto the Church and his exhortation worthy so Christian a Prince Then Bonner Bishop of London the most earnest Champion for the Pope defended the vnwritten verities and maintained the seuen Sacraments of the Church and others resisted him Touching whose Arguments because there is no great matter in them I refer thee to the Booke at large where also thou maist sée the number of Idols in England to which in great deuotion they vse to goe on pilgrimage vnto At length he was apprehended and committed to the Tower and then hee was attainted by Parliament for heresie for supporting Barnes and Clarke hereticks and many others And by his authoritie and Letters rescued them and deliuered them out of prison and for evulgating a great number of Bookes containing heresie and caused Bookes to be translated into English comprising matter against the Sacrament of the Altar for commending the Bookes after and that he should speake words against the King which they would neuer suffer him to answere vnto which were not likely to be true in that the King so shortly after his death wished to haue his Cromwell aliue againe by reason of which Act of Parliament the Noble Lord Cromwell was oppressed with his enemies and condemned in the Tower He was beheaded vpon Tower Hill where he patiently suffered the stroke of the Axe by a Butcherly miser which very vngodlily performed the office The History of Thomas Barnes Thomas Garard and William Hierome Diuines WHen as Cromwell was dead Gardiner Bishop of Winchester being at liberty to exercise his cruelty it is to be wondred what troubles hee raised and least he should loose his occupation by delayes Hee first assaults Robert Barnes Thomas Gerrard and William Hierome whom hee caused to be put to execution two daies after Cromwell and first of Barnes Doctor of Diuinitie There was sent downe a Sergeant at Armes to Cambridge who arresâ—â—d Doctor Barnes in the Conuocation house and they determined to make priuy search for Luthers Bookes and all the Germaines workes but they that were suspected had word therof and the Bookes were conuayed away before they came and he was brought to Cardinall Wolsey in Westminster At last he spake with the Cardinall in his Chaire of State knéeling on his knees Then said the Cardinall What Maister Doctor had you not scope sufficient in the Scriptures to teach the people but my golden showes my pollaxes my pillars my golden Cushions my crossee did so much offend you that you made vs Ridiculum caput amongst the people we were iollily that day laughed to scorne Uerily it was a Sermon more fitter to be preached on a Stage then in a Pulpit At last you said I wore a paire of red Gloues I should say bloudy Gloues that I should not bee cold in the middest of my Ceremonies Hee answered hee spake nothing but the truth according to the Scriptures and the old Doctors Then hee deliuered the Cardinall six shéetes of Paper to coroborate his saying He receiuing them said we perceiue you intend to stand to your Articles and shew your learning Yea said Barnes by Gods Grace and your Lordships fauour He answered such as you beare vs and the Catholick Church little fauour whether doe you thinke it more necessary that I should haue this royalty because I represent the Kings person in all High Courts of this Realme to the terror of all rebellions Treasons all the wicked members of this Common-wealth or to be as simple as you would haue vs to sell these things and giuâ— them to the poore which shortly would pisse it against the walles and pull his Maiestie from his dignitie He answered I think it necessarie to be sold and giuen to the poore for it is not comely for your calling and the King is not maintained by your pompe and pollaxes but by God which saith per me Reges regnant Then the Cardinall said to Doctor Gardiner and Maister Fox Loe Maister Doctors heere is the learned and wise man that you told me of Then they knéeled and desired his Grace to be good vnto them for hee would be reformable Then said he for your sakes and the Uniuersitie wee will be good vnto him Maister Doctorâ—dost thou not know that I am legatus de latere and that I am able to dispence with all matter in this Realme as much as the pope may Hee answered I know it Then hee bad him be ruled by him and I will doe all things for thy honesty and the honesty of the vniuersitie hee thanked him and said he would stick to the Scriptures according to his little Talent Then the Cardinall told him he should haue his learning tried and haue the Law and commanded him to the Tower But Gardiner and Fox became his sureties After he was twice brought before the Bishops and the Abbot of Westminster in the Chapter-house at Westminster Then he was put to haue the Councell of Gardiner and Fox and they perswaded him rather to abiure theâ— burne that he might doe more in time to come and with other perswasions mighty in the sight of reason and foolish flesh wherevpon he abiured and bore a faggot the Bishop of Rochester preaching at the abiuration of him and others stood vp and declared vnto the people how many daies of forgiuenes of sinnes they had for beeing at that Sermon yet he continued halfe a yéere after in prison and then he was committed to be frée prisoner in the Augustine Friers in London when these Caterpillers and bloudy beasts had vndermined him they complained on him again to my Lord Cardinall Then he was deliuered to the Friers of Northampton to bee burned Then Maister Horne heard that a writ should come shortly to burne him then hée councelled him to faine himselfe desperate and writ a Letter to the
her touching the said Articles deuised against her and gaue her warning of that mischiefe which hanged ouer her head beséeching her to be secret and to conforme her selfe to the Kings minde and no doubt she should finde him gracious After the King came to her himselfe vnto whom after she had vttered her griefe how it was for feare his Maiestie had forsaken her hee so refreshed her with comfortable words that she began to recouer Then shee commanded her Ladies to conuay away her Bookes which were against the Law and then she went to the King he courteously welcomed her and entred into talke of Religion séeming desirous to be resolued of the Queene of certaine doubts The Queene perceiuing to what purpose this his talke tended your Maiestie doth well know quoth shee and I am not ignorant of what great weaknesse by our first Creation is allotted to vs women to bee subiect vnto man as our head from which head all our direction must proceed and as God made man after his own Image that being indued with more speciall gifts of perfection might bee stirred to meditate heauenly things and obay his commandements so he made woman of man of whom and by whom she is to bee commanded and gouerned whose womanly weaknesse ought to bee tolerated and ayded that by his wisedome such things as be lacking in her might be supplied Therefore your Maiestie being so excellent in ornaments of wisedome and I so much inferiour in all respects of Nature Why doth your Maiestie in such defuse causes of Religion require my Iudgement which when I haue vttered said what I can yet I must and will referre my Iudgement in this and all causes to your Maiesties wisedome as my onely Anker supreme head and the gouernor heere in earth next vnto God Not so by Saint Mary said the King you are become a Doctor late to instruct vs. Shee answered your Maiestie hath much mistaken mee who haue euer thought it preposterous for the woman to instruct her husband but rather to learn of him and where I haue beene bold to hold talke with your Maiestie wherein there hath seemed some difference in opinion I haue not done it to maintaine opinion but to minister talke that your Maiestie might with lesse griefe passe the paine of your infirmitie being attentiue to your talke and that I might receiue some profit by your Maiesties learned Discourse wherein I haue not missed any part of my desire alwaies referring my selfe in such matters to your Maiestie â—hen said the King tendeth your Argument to no worse end then wee are now as perfect friends as euere we were and he imbraced her and kissed her saying it did him more good to heare these words then if he had heard newes of a hundred thousand pound fallen to him On the day that was appointed for the aforesaid Tragedy the King went into his Garden whether the Queene being sent for came onely the three Ladies aboue named waiting on her with whom the King was as pleasant as euer hee was in his life In the middest of his mirth the houre appointed being come the Lord Chancelor commeth into the Garden with forty of the Kings guard at his heâ—les with purpose to take the Queene with the three Ladies to the the Tower whom the King sternely beholding called him to him who on his knees whispered to the King the King cal'd him knaue arrant knaue and beastly foole and commanded him to auant out of his presence which words the Quéene heard though they were low spoken then he departed with his traine the whole mould of his deuice broken The Queene seeing the King so chaâ—ed spoke for the Lord Chancellor Ah poore soule quoth hee thou little knowest how euill hee deserueth this grace at thy hands he hath been towards thee sweet heart an arrant knaue and so let him goe If King Henry had liued hee and the French King had been at this point within halfe a yeere after to haue changed the Masse in both their Realmes into a Communion as wee now vse it and also vtterly to haue extirped the Popes vsurped power out of both their Realmes and they ment to exhort the Emperour to doe the like in Flanders and his other countreyes or else to breake off from him and herein quoth the Archbishop Cranmer the King willed mee to pen a forme thereof to be sent to the French King but that it was letten by the death of King Henry When the Bishops had brought ANNE ASKEVV and her fellow Martyrs to death being now in their triumph as the Pharisies were when they had killed Christ they deuised how to euer read the truth for euer wherevpon they made a strait Procâ—amation authorised by the Kings 〈◊〉 for abolishing of the Scripture and all other English Bookes which miâ—ht gâ—â—e light to the setting forth of Gods Word and the grace of the Gospell which thou maist see in the Booke at large which no doubt had done much hurt in the Church amongst the godly in bringing them to danger or keeping 〈◊〉 in blindnes had not the shortnes of the Kings daies stopped the malignant purposes of the Prâ—latâ—s causing the King to leaue that to the people by his death which by his life he would not grant for within foure monethes after the proclamation he deceased the eight and thirty yeare of his raigne The History touching the Persecutions in Scotland Deane Thomas Forret THis Deane Thomas Forret preached euery Sunday in his parish vpon the Epistle and Gospell which was nouelâ—y in Scotland to see any preach but the Black Friâ—r or the Gray Wherefore the Friers enuied him and accused him to the Bishop of Donkelden as an heretick which shewed the mysteries of the Scripture vnto the vulgar people to make the Clergy detestable The Bishop sending for him said my Ioy Deane Thomas I leue you well â— am informed you preach the Epistle and Gospel euery Sunday and that you take not the Cow for mortuarie nor the vpper Cloth for Crisome of your parishioners which is very preiudiciall to the Church men My ioy Deane Thomas take your Cow and your vpper Cloth and preach not euery Sunday for in so doing you will make the people thinke we should preach likewise But when you finde a good Epistle or a good Gospell that setteth forth the lâ—bertie of the Church preach that and let the rest be Thomas answered my parishioners pay me my duetiâ—s willingly and wâ—e agree well and where your Lordship saith it is too much â—o preach euery Sonday I thinke it too little and also would wish that your Lordship would doe the like nay nay we are not ordained to preach M. Forret and where your Lordship speaketh of a good and an euill Epistle I could neuer finde none but good Then spake my Lord I thanke God I neuer knew what the Old New Testament ment Wherevpon grew a prouerb you are like the Bishop of Dunkelden that knâ—w neither new
Touching Purgatory he neuer found any place of Scripture appliable therto then he said to Maister Iohn Lander his accuser if you haue any testimony of Scripture by which you can proue such a place shew it before this Auditory but he had not a word to say for himselfe 11 Touching the Uowes of the religious he said some be gelded by nature and some are gelded of men and some are chast for the Kingdome of Christ these are blessed but as many as haue not the guift of chastity neither haue ouercome the lusts of the Flesh for the Gospell and yet vow chastity you haue experience though I hold my peace to what inconuenience they haue vowed themselues whereat they were angry thinking better to haue ten Concubines then one Wife 12 Touching generall Councels hee said he would beléeue them no further theâ— they agréed with the word of God then one Iohn Graysend bad Iohn Landers hast to reade the rest of the Articles and not to â—arry for his answere for wée may not abide them quoth he no more then the Deuill may abide the signe of the Crosse. Then the Cardinall and Bishops pronounced their sentence definitiue against him and as he went to execution two Fryers said to him pray to our Lady that she may be a mediatrix for you to her Sonne to whom he said Tempt me not my Brethren when he came to the fire he said thrice vpon his knées O thou Father of heauen I commend my spirit into thy hands O thou swéet Sauior of the world haue mercy on me Then he said I beséech you Christian Brethren and Sisters be not offended in the word of God for the torments you sée prepared for me but loue the word and suffer for it it being your saluation and euerlasting comfort and pray them that haue heard me that they leaue not off the Word of GOD which I taught them for no persecutions for my Doctrine was no Wiues Fables after the Constitutions of men If I had taught mens Doctrine I had gotten great thankes but I suffer this for teaching the Gospell and I doe it gladly consider my visage you shall not sée me change my colour for feare of this grim fire and so I pray you for to do if any persecution come vnto you for the words sake some haue said of me that I taught that the soule of man should sléepe vntill the day of Iudgemâ—nt but I know surely my Soule shall sup with my Sauiour Christ this night within this sixe houres I beséech you exhort your Prelats to the learning of the Word of GOD that they may bee ashamed to doe euill and learne to doe good and if they will not conuert from their wicked errors the wrath of GOD shall hastily come vpon them then the Hang-man asked him foregiuenesse and he kissed him and said My heart doe thine office I forgiue thee then he was hanged by the middle and neck and burned the people pitiously mourned for his great torments Within two months after the martirdome of this blessed man George Wisehard Dauid Beaton the blooddy Archbishop and Cardinall of Scotland was by the iust iudgement of God â—laine by one Lech and other Gentlemen who suddenly brake into his Castle vpon him and murdred him in his bed crying out alasse slay me not I am a Priest and so like a Butcher he liued and eyed and he lay seauen months vnburied and at last like a Carion was buried in a dunghill ADAM WALLACE in Scotland IN the yeare one thousand fiue hundred forty nine Iohn Hamelton was made Archbishop of S. Andrews and Cardinall not inferior to his Predecessor in cruelty in the next yeare he condemned Adam Wallace and one Feane for these Articles following 1 That the Bread and Wine on the Altar are not the body and blood of Iesus Christ after consecration 2 That the Masse hath no ground in the word of God and is very Idolatry and abhominable in the sight of God 3 That the God which they worship is but Bread sowen of Corne growing out of the Earth baked of mens hands and nothing else Then hee was asked whether he would recant He said he had answered nothing but that which agréed with the Word of God so GOD iudge him and his conscience wherein hee would abide vnto death and if you condeme mee for holding Gods Word my innocent blood shall bee required at your handes then they gaue forth sentence against him the night after he spent in singing and lauding God hauing learned the Psalter of Dauid without booke being besides the fire he lifted by his eies thrée or foure times and said to the people Let it not offend you that I suffer death for the truth for the Disciple is not aboue his Maister then he said They will not let me speake so the â—ire was lighted and he departed to God constantly A schisme in Scotland for the Pater-noster ONe Richard Marshall preached at S. Andrewes that the Pater-noster should be said only to God and not to Saints the Fryers had great indignation that their old Doctrine should be repugned and stirred vp Toittis a Gray-Fryer to preach against it who preached the Lords Prayer might be offered to Saints bâ—cause euery Petition therein appertained to them as wee call an old man Father much more may we call Saints our Father and because they are in Heauâ—n we may say our Father which art in Heauen and because they are holie we may make their Names holie and say hallowed be thy Name and because the Kingdome of Heauen is theirs by possession wee may say to euery one of them thy Kingdome come and because their will is Gods will we may say thy will be done to any of them but he confessed Saints had no power to giue vs our daily bread but that they should pray to God to giue it vnto vs and so he glosed the rest to the end and he affirmed that Pauls Napkin and Peters shaddow did miracleâ— and Eliseus Cloake deuided the Waters attributing nothing to the power of God Upon this there was a dangerous Schisme in Scotland some affirming one thing and some another Whereupon rose this Prouerb To whom say you your Pater-noster and the people called the Fryer Fryer Pater-noster so that for very shame he left the Towne At length there was a disputation about it at the Uniuersitie The Popish Doctors affirmed it should be said to GOD formaliter and to Saints materialiter others Vltime non vltime Others that it should be said to GOD principaliter and to Saints minus principaliter Others that it should bee said to God primarily and to Saints secundarily Others to God it should be Capiendo strictè and to God Capiendo largè by which subtile Sophistry the people were more doubtfull then before The Doctors said because Christ who made the Pater-noster neuer came into Brittaâ—ne and so vnderstood not the English tongue therefore the Doctors concluded it should be said in
beloued friends I am brought hether to suffer death albeit I neuer offended against the King in word nor deed and haue alwaies béene as faithfull as any man vnto this Realme but because I am by Law condemned to die to testifie my obedience which I owe vnto the Lawes I am come hither to suffer death Wherefore I thanke God that he hath giuen me this time of repentance who might so suddenly haue béen taken with death that I could not haue acknowledged God nor my selfe I would something put you in minde of the Christian Religion which so long as I was in authoritie I did alwaies diligently set forth and I reioice therein sith now the state of Christian Religion commeth most neere to the order of the Primatiue Church which I esteeme as a great benefit of God to me and vnto you most heartily exhorting you all that you will most thankefully imbrace it set out the same in your liuing which if you do not no doubt great calamitie will follow Upon these words there was heard a terrible noise as it had beene of some great tempest from aboue as if a great deale of Gun-powder being inclosed in an armory hauing caught fire had violently broke out or as if a great company of horsemen had been running together vpon them whereby the people were so amazed that they ranne away sâ—me into Ditches and Puddles and some into the houses others with their Halberts fell vnto the ground Crying out Iesus saue vs Iesus saue vs and those which tarried in their places knew not where they were It happened heere euen as when the officers of the High Priests came to take Christ They runne back and fell to the ground in so great slaughter of Dukes within this few yeares there were neuer so many weeping eyes at one time and the people seeing Sir Anthony Browne ride to the Scaffold they coniectured that the King had sent his Unkle pardon therefore with great reioycing they cast vp their caps and cryed out pardon pardon is come God saue the king Thus the good Duke although he was destitute of mans help yet hee saw before his departure in what great loue and fauour he was with all men Then said the Duke dearely beloued friends there is no such matter as you vainely beleeue Therefore I pray you be contented with my death which I most willingly suffer let vs ioine in prayer for the King vnto whom I haue alwaies shewed my selfe a faithfull Subiect and haue béen most diligent to seeke the commoditie of the whole Realme at which words all the people cryed out and said it was most true And praying for the King and Councell and exhorting the people to obedience forgiuing all his enemies and desiring forgiuenes of them which heâ— had offended and praying them to beare witnes he died in the faith of Christ. Then he knéeled downe and prayed and rising againe without any trouble of minde he tooke them all on the Scaffold by the hand and bid them all farewell when he lay vpon the block he called thrice on the name of Iesus saying Lord Iesus saue me And as the name of Iesu was repeating the third time in a moment he was bereft both of head and life The Lady MARY THe King his Councell had much trauell by Letters and messengers to reduce the Lady Mary to obedient conâ—ormitie of Religion yet she would not be reclaimed from her owne singuler opinion fixed vpon custome to giue any indifferent hearing vnto the word and voice of verity the which set will of the said Lady Mary the yong King and also his Father King Henry right well perceiuing they were both much displeased against her insomuch that not only her brother did sequester her in his Will but also her owne father considering her inclination did conceiue such a hate against her that for a great space he did seclude her from the title of Princesse yea and seemed so greatly incensed against her that he was fully purposed to haue procéeded further with her as it is reported had not the intercession of Thomas Cranmer the Archbishop reconciled the King againe to fauour and pardon his owne daughter And about the eighth of September 1552. Doctor Ridley Bishop of London went to visit the Lady Mary and was gently entertained of Sir Thomas Wharton and other her officers About eleuen of the clocke the Lady Mary came forth of her chamber of presence then the Bishop saluted her Grace and said he was come to doe his dutie vnto her Grace she thanked him and for a quarter of an houre talked with him pleasantly and said she knew him when he was Chaplain to her father and remembred a Sermon that he made before her father at the Lady Clintons marriage and so dismissed him to dine with her officers After dinner the Bishop being called resorted againe vnto her Grace then said the Bishop Madam I come not only to doe my duety to sée your Grace but also to offer my selfe to preach before you on Sonday next if it please you to heare me she said I pray make the answere your selfe for you know the answere well enough but if I must make answere this shall be your answere The doore of the Church shall be open for you if you come but neither I nor none of mine shall heare you The Bishop said Madam I trust you will not refuse GODS word She answered I cannot tell what you call GODS word that is not GODS word now that was GODS word in my fathers dayes The Bishop said GODS word is one in all times but it hath beene better vnderstood and practised in some ages then in others She said you durst not for your eares haue auouched that for GODS word in my fathers dayes that now you doe as for your new books I thanke GOD for it I neuer read none of them nor neuer will doe After many bitter words against the forme of Religion then established and against the gouernment of the Realme and the lawes made in the young yeares of her brother which she said she was not bound to obey vntill her brother came to perfect age and then affirmed she would obey them Then she asked him whether he were one of the Priuie Councell he answered no you might well enough quoth she as the Councell goeth now-a-dayes so she concluded that she thanked him for his gentlenesse to come and see her but for your offering to preach before me I thank you neuer a whit Then was the Bishop brought by Sir Thomas Wharton vnto the place where he dined who desired him to drinke after he had drunke he looked very sadly and brake out in these words Surely I haue done amisse in that I haue drunke in that place where GODS word hath beene offered and refused whereas indeed if I had beene mindfull of my duety I ought not to haue stayed but to haue departed immediatly and to haue shaken off the dust of my feete for a
testimony against this house Touching the disputations of Peter Martyr Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius because they are only touching the Sacrament which is so often handled in this book for breuitie I referre thee to the book at large The decease of King EDWARD ABout a yeare and a halfe after the death of the Duke of Sommerset King Edward died entring into the seuenteenth yeare of his age and in the seuenth yeare of his raigne As the time approached that it pleased Almighty God to call this yong King from vs which was on the sixth day of Iuly about thrée houres before his death his eyes being closed speaking to himselfe and thinking none had heard him he made this prayer as â—olloweth LOrd God deliuer me from this miserable and wretched life and take me amongst thy chosen howbeit not my will but thy will be done for I commit my spirit vnto thee O Lord thou knowest how happie it were for me to be with thée yet for thy chosens sake send me life and health that I may truly serue thes O my Lord GOD blesse thy people and saue thine inheritance O Lord saue thy chosen people of England O my GOD defend this realme from Papistrie and maintain thy true religion that I and my people may prayse thy holy name for thy Sonne Iesu Christs sake Then he turned his face and séeing who was by him he said vnto them are you so nigh I thought you had beenâ— further off then smilingly he said I was praying to God The last words he spake were these I am faint Lord haue mercie vpon me and take my spirit And thus he yeelded vp the Ghâ—st leauing a wofull kingdome behinde vnto his sister THE TENTH BOOK WHEREIN is contained the most memorable things done in the Raigne of Queene MARY KIng Edward by his Testament did appoint Lady Iane daughter of the Duke of Suffolk whose mother was Mary second sister of King Henry who was first wife to the French King and after to the said Duke to succeed him in his Kingdome all the Councell and chief Nobilitie the Mayor of London and all the Iudges and chiefe Lawyers sauing Iudg Hales subscribed therto who stood for Q. Mary The matter thus concluded King Edward died when he was sixteene yeares of age then the said Iane was proclaymed Queene at London and other Cities she was about the age of King Edward in learning and wit she might be compared with the Uniuersitie men which haue taken many degrees of the schooles Then Queen Mary wrote to the Councel that they should proclaime her Quéen and she would pardon them for that which was done they answered her that by the Diuorse betwixt King Henry and her mother she was made illegitimate and vnheritable to the Crowne Then she speeded her selfe farre from the Citie hoping vpon the Commons whereupon the Councell sent forth the Duke of Northumberland with other Lords and Gentlemen with an Armie the Guard assisting the Duke Mary withdrew her selfe into Northfolke and Suffolke where she knew the Duke was hated and there gathering such aide of the Commons as she might kept her selfe in Fremingham Castle to whom Suffolk-men resorted and promised her their aide if she would not alter the religion which her brother had established to which she agreed with such promises as no man could haue misdoubted her and thus being guarded with the power of the Gospellers she vanquished the Duke and all that came against her But after the Suffolk-men making supplication vnto her Grace for performance of her promise she answerd You shall one day well perceiue that members must obey their head and not looke to rule the same and one Dobbe a Gentleman for aduertising her of her promise by humble request was three times set in the pillorie to be a gasing-stock to all men others deliuered her books and supplications out of the Scripture to exhort her to continue the doctrine then established who were sent to prison The Councell at London vnderstanding that the Ladie Marie increased in puisance and the peoples hearts mightily bent vnto her they turned their song and proclaymed for Quéen the Lady Mary eldest daughter of K. Henry the eight and appointed by Parliament to succeed King Edward dying without issue the Duke of Northumberland with some of his sonnes were left destitute at Cambridge as also the Earle of Huntingdon who were arrested and brought to the Tower as Traytors Then the Quéen came to the Tower where the Lady Iane and the Lord Gilford her husband were imprisoned fiue months but the Duke within a moneth was beheaded with Sir Iohn Gates and Sir Thomas Palmer the Papists promised the Duke pardon if he would openly recant vpon the Scaffold which in hope of pardon he did and yet he was beheaded whose recantation the papists published not a little reioycing at his conuersion but Sir Thomas Palmer confessed his faith in the Gospell and was sorie that he had not liued more Gospell-like Steuen Gardner was released out of the Tower and made Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor and Poynets displaced and Bonner restored to his Bishoprick againe and Ridley displaced and Day made Bishop of Chichester and Storie put out and Heath made Bishop of Worcester and Hooper committed to the Fleet and Vesie to Exeter and Couerdale put out Doctor Ridley Bishop of London had preached against Quéen Mary in Queene Ianes time shortly after the Sermon Queen Mary was proclaymed then he went to the Queen to salute her who dispoyled him of his Dignities and sent him to the Tower vpon a halting horse Then Queen Mary directed forth an inhibition by proclamation that no man should preach or reade openly in Churches the word of God One Bourne who after was Bishop of â—ath preached at Paules Crosse so much in the praise of Bonner being there present and in dispraise of King Edward that his words sounded euill to the hearers which caused them to murmur and stirre insomuch that the Maror and others feared an vprore one hurled a dagger at the Preacher who for feare pulled in his head Master Bradford stood forth and appeased the people and after he and Rogers conducted the Preacher safe into the Grammer-schoole but shortly after they were both rewarded with burning The next Sonday the preacher at the Crosse was guarded with the Queenes Guard then men withdrew themselues from the Sermon and the Mayor took order that the ancients of al Companies should be present lest the Preacher should be discouraged with his small auditorie Cranmer Archbishop of Canterburie assisted with Peter Martyr and a few others offered to defend the doctrine of the booke of Common Prayer by the Scriptures and Doctors but whilst they hoped to come to disputation the Archbishop and others were imprisâ—ned but Peter Martyr was suffered to return from whence he came The first day of October the Queen was crowned and the tenth day a Parliament began where Taylor Bishop of Lincolne
and leauing one Richard Yeoman a godly Priest in his cure which after was burned at Norwich He tooke his iourney with one Iohn Hull his seruant There was in the towne of Hadley one Alcocke who after Richard Yeoman was driuen away vsed dayly to reade a Chapter out of the Bible and to say the English Letany in Hadley Church they sent him vp to London and there he died being in prison in Newgate When Gardiner saw Doctor Taylor according to his custome hee called him knaue traytor hereticke with many villanous reproches My Lord quoth he I am neither Traytor nor Hereticke but a true Subiect and faithfull Christian My Lord you are but a Mortall man I trow if I should be affraid of your Lordly looks Why feare you not God How dare you look any Christian man in the face séeing you haue forsaken the truth denyed Christ and his word contrary to your owne oath and writing With what countenance will you appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ to answere your oaths to Henrie the eight and Edward the sixt Gardiner answered that was Herods oath vnlawfull and therefore worthy to bee broken I haue done well in breaking it and I thanke God I am come home vnto our Mother the Catholike Church and the Pope hath dispenced with me and so I would thou shouldst do Taylor Should I approue those lies errors superstitions and Idolatries that the Pope and his company this day approued nay God forbid let the Pope returne to Christ and his word and leaue Idolatry and then will we turne to him the Pope nor no man else can assoyle you of that oath I sée quoth Gardiner thou art a very knauish foole Taylor said leaue your reyling my Lord it is not séemely for you That art a married man quoth the Bishop Taylor said I thanke GOD that I am and I haue nine Children and I thanke GOD for the ordaining of Matrimonie that wee should not liue in Aduâ—tery Gardiner Thou wouldst not suffer Masse in Hadley Taylor I am parson of Hadly and it is against law and reason that any should infect my flocke with Popish Idolatrous Masse Then said the Bishop thou art a blasphemous heretick to blaspheme the blessed Sacraments and put off his Cap and against the Masse which is a Sacrifice for the quick and the dead Taylor Christ dyed for our Redemption which is a sufficient propitiatory Sacrifice vnto saluation for al beléeuers and no Priest can any more offer him and we néed no other propitiatory sacrifice therefore the Fathers called the Communion Eucharistia which signifieth thankes-giuing Then said the Bishop thou shalt confesse it a Sacrifice propitiatory for the quick and the dead ere thou and I haue done and commaunded him to bee sent to the Kings Bench. Then Taylor knéeled downe and saide Good Lord I thanke thee and from the tyrannie of the Pope and all his detestable errors Idolatries and abhominations good LORD deliuer vs and GOD be praysed for King Edward so he was carried vnto the Kings Bench where hee lay in Prison almost two yeares Being in Prison he spent his time in Prayer Preaching and Writing withâ—in few daies after were diuers learned and godlyâ—men in sundry Connâ—rieâ— in England committed to prison for Religion so that almost all the Prisons in England were right Christian schooleâ— and Churches so that there was no greater comfort to Christian harts then to come to the Prisons Now were placed in Churches blind Masse-mâ—ngers with their Lattine babling and apish ceremonies who like cruell Wolues spared not to murder all such that did but whisper against Popery the godly Preachers were other fled or committed to Prison where as Lambes they waited when the Butchers should call them to slaughter Maister Bradford that deuout and vertuons Preacher who was a miracle or our time was in the Kings Bench Taylor exhorted him to constant perseuerance vnto the end Maister Bradford praised God he had such a comfortable Prison-fellow Taylor told his Friends that came to sée him that GOD had graciouslie prouided for him for to send him where he found such an Angell of God to bée his comforter After Taylor had lyne in Prison a while hee was sent for and depriued because he maintained Priests marriage and would not bee separated from his Wife And after a yeare and thrée quarters when they had gotten the lawes put down that were made by King Henry the eight and King Edward against the Pope They sent for Taylor before my Lord Chancellor and either Commissioners the effect of whose communication with him he described himselfe as followeth First my Lord Chancellor said you amongst other are sent for to enioy the King and Queenes mercie if you will rise againe with vs from the fall which we geâ—erallie haue receiued in this Realme from the which we are deliuered miraculousliâ— If you will not you shall haue Iudgement To this I answered That so to rise should bee the greatest fall that euer I could receiue for I should fall from Christ vnto Anti-christ I will not decline from the Religion which was in King Edwards daiâ—s which is according to the word of God as long as I liue My Lord Chancellor asked me whether I had read his â—ooke vpon the Sacrament I said I had read it He asked mee how I liked it My Lord said I there are many things farre 〈◊〉 from GODS truth in that Booke then he cal'd me varlet I said that was as bad as foole then he called me ignorant Béelebrow I said My Lord you wrote a Booke De vera obedientia I would you had béen constant in that for you neuer did declare a good conscience as I heard of but in that Booke How like you that said my Lord I wrote against Priests mariage but y â— pleaseth not such as thou art I answered their procéedings now against Priests mariages is against naturall Law Ciuill Law Canon Law generall Councels Canons of the Apostles ancient Doctors and Gods Lawes Then because I would not turne I was sent to prison againe After Doctor Taylor Maister Bradford and Maister Sanders were called to appeare before my Lord Chancellor and other Commissioners where because they would not yéeld to papistry they were condemned and sentence was read against Taylor They reioyced that they were worthy to suffer for Christe Word and truth and they stoutly said vnto the Bishops GOD the righteous Iudge will require our bloud at your handes and the proudest of you all shall repont this receiuing againe of Antichrist and the tyranny you shew against Christes flocke So Taylor was sent to the Clinke hee said vnto the people that flocked about to sée him as he was going GOD bée praised good people I am come away from them vndefiled and will cenfirme the truth with my â—â—oud And at night hee was carryed vnto the Counter in the Poultrey where hee lay seauen nights Bonner came to the prison to him to disgrade him he said Maister
Doctor I would you would remember your selfe and turne to your holy Mother the Church and I will sue for your pardon Taylor answered I would you and your fellowes would turne to Christ as for me I will not turne to Antichrist Then Bonner had him put on the Uestures to bee disgraded but hee would not when they were put vpon him he put his handes by his side and said How say you my Lord am not I a goodlie Foole How say you my Maisters it I were in Cheape-side should I not haue Boyes enough to laugh at these apish toyes and toying trumperie and when the Bishoppe should strike him vpon the breast with his Crossier Staffe his Chaplaines said Strike him not my Lord for he will surely strike you againe That I will said hee for it is our Sauiour Christes cause so the Byshoppe laid his cursâ— oll him but strucke him not When he came to Maister Bradford for they both lay in one Chamber hee told him laughinglie how he had made the Bishop affraid to strike him that night his Wife his Sonne Thomas and his man Iohn Hull were suffered to sup with him after Supper he thanked GOD that hee had giuen him strength to abide by his holie Word Then he said vnto his Sonne My deare Sonne God giue thee his Spirit truly to serue Christ to learne his word and to stand by it all thy life my Sonne feare God fly sinne pray to him and apply thy booke and sée thou be obedient vnto thy Mother cherish the poore and count that try chéefe riches is to be rich in aâ—mes Then he said my deare Wife be steadfast in the â—eare and loue of God be not defiled with Popish Idolatries wee haue béene faithfull yoke-fellowes together the Lord will reward you for your faithfulnesse towards me I now must be taken from you and I would aduise you to marrie with some honest man that feareth GOD he will prouide such a one for you and he will bee a mercifull Father to you and your Children whom I pray bring vp in the feare of God and learning and kéep them from Romish Idolatry then with wéeping feares they prayed together and kissed each other The next day he was carried away towards Hadley to be burned there diuers Gentlemen and Iustices came to him there who laboured him to returne vnto the Romish Religion shewed him his pardon and promised him great promotions yea a Bishoprick if he would but all was vaine for he had not builded his Rocke vpon the sands in perill of euery winde but on the sure Rocke Christ. When hee went through Hadley to execution the stréetes being full they cried out with lamentable voyces Ah good Lord there goeth our Shepheard from vs that hath so faithfully taught vs so fatherly cared for vs and so godly gouerned vs what shall wee poore scattred Lambes doe What shall become of this wicked world good Lord comfort him wherefore the people were fore rebuked and Doctor Taylor euer said to the people I haue preached vnto you Gods word and truth and am come this day to seale it with my blood Comming against the Almes-heuses he cast to the poore people all the Money which remained of that which good people had giuen vnto him in Prison for his Liuing was taken away from him so soone as he was put in Prison so that hee was sustained during the time of his imprisonment by the charitable Almes of good people When he saw the place of execution and the multitude of people that were gathered together then said he thanked be God I am euen at home They had clipped his head ill-fauoredly like a Fooles head by Bonners perswasions when he was disgraded when he came there all the people said God saue thée good Maister Doctor Taylor Iesus strengthen you the Holy Ghost comfort you When he would haue spoken vnto the people one or other thrust a tipstaffe in his month then he desired license of the Sheriffe to speake but he denied him and had him remember his promise made vnto the Councell It was a common fame that the Councell sent for such as were condemned and threatned them they would cut their tongues out except they would promise them at their deathes to kéepe silence and not to speake vnto the people When he was in his Shirt hee was set in a Pitch Barrell to bee burned then he said with a loud voyce Good people I haue taught you nothing but GODS Word and those Lessons which I haue taken out of GODS blessed Booke I am therefore come hither this day to seale it with my blood then one Homes a Yeoman of the Gard who had vsed him verie cruelly all the way gaue him a great stroke on the head The Sheriffe called one Richard Doningham a Butcher to set vp the Faggots but he would not then he got others and one of them called Warwicke cruellie cast a Faggot at him and brake his face that the blood ranne downe Doctor Taylor said Ah friend I haue harme enough what néedeth this When the fire was set to him he said Mercifull Father of Heauen for Iesus Christs sake receiue my Soule into thy hands and so stood still without either crying or moouing with his hands folded together vntill one Soyce strucke him vpon the head that the Braines fell out and his Corps fell into the Fire and was burned The foureteenth of February the Lord Chanceller and the Bishops caused the Image of Thomas Becket to be set vp ouer the Mercers Chappeâ—l doore in Cheape-side in London in the forme of a Bishop with Miter and Crosier within two dayes after his two blessing fingers were broken away and the next day his head was stricken off Whereupon many were suspected and one Maister Barnes Mercer being a Professor of the truth was charged therewith and he and three of his Seruants were committed to Prison and though it could not be proued against him he was bound in a great summe to builde it vp againe now and as often as it should be broken downe and to watch and keepe the same The next day after that it was set vp againe the head was the second time broken off then there was a Proclamation set forth that he that could tell who did it he should haue an hundred Crownes with thanks but it was not knowne who did it The vertuous and godly King Christianus King of Denmarke hearing of the captiuitie of Miles Couerdale whom hee knew by reason hee was in Denmarke in King Henry the eight his time and lamenting his dangerous case made intercession by Letters to Quéene Mary desiring the said Miles Couerdalo to be sent vnto him after the King had written two letters Queene Mary after long delay made full answer to the King of Denmarkes Letters by which prouidence of God Miles Couerdale was deliuered ROBERT FARRAR Bishop of Saint Dauids in Wales THis Bishop by the fauour of the Lord Protector was first promoted vnto that
and not the flesh and bloud of Christ naturally and that there is no sacrifice nor saluation to a Christian in the Masse except it were said and vsed in the mother tongue and likewise also that the ceremonies of the Church are not profitable for a Christian. And as touching Auricular confession he said it was necessary to goe to a good Priest for counsaile but the absolution and laying handes on a mans head by the Priest as it is now vsed is not profitable and that the faith and doctrine now taught is not agreeable to GODS word and that Hooper Cardmaker and others of their opinion which were late burned were good Christians and did preach the doctrine of Christ. Iohn Launder was coudemned by the said Bonner for affirming that whosoeuer doth teach or vse any other Sacraments then the Lords Supper and Baptisme or any other ceremonies he beleeueth that they were not of the Catholique Church but abhorreth them and that he himselfe is a member of the true Catholique Church he denied the reall presence in the Sacrament but he beleeueth that when he receiueth the materiall Bread and Wine it is in remembrance of Christs death and that he eates Christs body and bloud by faith and no otherwise and that the Masse is naught and abominable and directeth against Gods word and that the gloria in excelsis the Creed Sanctum Pater noster Agnus and other parts of the masse be of themselues good yet being vsed amongst other things are naught also and that auricular confession is not necessary to be made to a Priest but to God and that none but Christ hath authoritie to absolue sinnes Derick being asked whether he would recant your doctrine quoth he is poyson and sorcerie if Christ were here you would put him to a worse death then he was put to before You say you can make a God you can make a Pudding as well your ceremonies in the Church are beggerie and poyson and auricular confession is poyson and against Gods word so they were condemned and burned Derick was rich but the raâ—eners made such hauocke thereof that his poore wife and children had little or none thereof he was olde and past learning yet when he was put into prison being ignorant of any letter in his booke he could before his death reade perfectly When he was burned they threw his booke into a barrell that he was burned in to be burned with him but he threw it amongst the people and the Sherife commanded vpon paine of death in the King and Quéenes name to throw it into the fire againe then he said Deare brethren and sisters as many as beleeue in the Father the Sonne and holy Ghost vnto euerlasting life see you doe thereafter and you that beleeue in the Pope or any of his lawes you beleeue to your vtter destruction for except the great mercy of God you shall burne in hell continually The Sherife said if thou dost not beleeue in the Pope thou art damned therefore speake to thy God that he may deliuer thee now or else to strike me downe to the example of this people but he said vnto him The Lord forgiue you that which you haue said THOMAS IVESON THis Iueson was condemned by the said Bonner for saying the Sacrament of the Altar is a very Idoll and detestable before GOD as it is now-a-dayes ministred and that the Masse is naught and that auricular confession is not necessary for that a Priest cannot forgiue sinnes that baptisme is a token of Christ as circumcision he beléeueth his sinnes are not washed away therby but only his body washed and his sinnes washed only in Christs bloud and that there is but two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper which now are not rightly vsed in England that all the ceremonies now vsed in the Church are superfluous and superstitioâ—s and being earnestly labored withall to recant said he would not forsake his beléefe for all the goods in London I doe appeale to Gods mercie and will be none of your Church and if there came an Angell from heauen to teach me other doctrine then that which I haue now I would not beleeue him whereupon he was burned IOHN ALEWORTH HEe died in prison at Reading for the testimonie of the truth whom the Catholike Prelats as their vse is did exclude out of Catholike buriall IAMES ABBES THis Abbes beâ—ng examined by the Bishop of Norwich he relented at their naughty perswasions now when he was dismissed and should go from the Bishop he gaue him some money but after he was pittiously vexed in conscience he went againe to the Bishop and threw him his said money which he had receiued and said it repented him that euer he had consented to their wicked perswasions then the Bishop and his Chaplains laboured a fresh to win him againe but in vaine and so he was burned at Berry Iohn Denley Gentleman Iohn Newman Patricke Pachington AS Edmund Tyrell a Iustice of Peace in Essex came from the burning of certaine godly Martyrs he meâ— with Iohn Denley and Iohn Newman both of Maidstone in Kent and vpon the sight of them as he bragged he suspected and searched them and finding the confessions of their faith written about them hee sent them to the Quéens Commissioners who sent them to Bonner the effect of the writing followeth In the Sacrament Christs bodie is figuratiuely in the Bread and Wine spiritually he is in them that worthily eate and drinke the Bread and Wine but really carnally and corporally he is in heauen from whence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead Then Bonner ministred articles vnto them and vnto Patrick Pachington who all answered alike to this effect following The Catholike Church is built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ being the head corner stone it is the Congregation of the faithfull dispersed through the whole world and two or three gathered together in Christs name are the members thereof This Church doeth preach GODS holy word and minister the blessed Sacraments truely the Church of England vsing the Faith and Religion which now is vsed is no member thereof but is the Church of Aâ—tichrist the Bishop of Rome being the head thereof for they haue altered the Testament of GOD and set vp a Testament of their own deuising ful of blasphemy and lies Christs Testament being that we should haue all things done for the edifying of the Church The Masse now vsed is most abominable idolatrie and intollerable blasphemie Christ ordained his Sacraments to be eaten together in remembrance of his death vntill heâ— come and not to bee worshipped and to make an Idoll of them for GOD will not be worshipped in his creatures but we must remember to praise him for his creatures what is kneeling holding vp your handes knocking of the breast putting off the cap and making curtsie with other superstition to the bread but Idolatrie You obiect you worship not the Bread and Wine
that he stood alwayes in one place without mouing of his members with his eyes vpward he off repeated his vnworthy right hand saying Lord Iesus receiue my spirit and so gaue vp the Ghost Agnes Potten and another woman ONe was the wife of Robert Potten of Ipswich in Suffolke the other the wife of Michael Trouchfield of the same towne shoemaker they were burned at Ipswich the 16. of February for denying the sacrament of the Altar their constancy in burning was wonderfull they earnestly exhorted the people to credit and lay hold vpon the word of God and to dispise the institutions of the Romish route with all their superstitions and rotten religion Robert Spicer William Coberley Maundrel THese three were burned at one stake in Salisbury what their confessions were and by whom they were condemned it appeareth not Robert Draks Minister William Tims Ioyner Richard Spurge Fuller Iohn Cauell Weauer George Ambrose Fuller and Thomas Spurge Fuller THese sixe were burned at one fire in Smithfield the foure and twentieth day of Aprill they were all of Essex and sent at diuers times by the Lord Rich to Gardner who sent them to prison where they remained a yeare almost and then they were sent to Bonner to whom they all denied the reall presence in the Sacrament of the Altar after they were all sent for vnto the Consistorie first Tims was sent for and exhorted to conformity he answered we haue béene brought hither this day for Gods word which we haue beene taught by the Apostolike Preachers in King Edwards time whom you haue murthered because they preached the truth and they haue sealed their doctrine with their bloud whom I will follow Then Bonner perswaded them not to stand to the litterall sense of the Scriptures but to vse the interpretation of the Fathers Then Tims said what haue you to maintaine the reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament but only the bare letter We haue quoth Bonner the Catholike Church no said he the Popish Church of Rome for which you be periured and the Sea of Rome is the Sea of Antichrist therefore to that Church I will neuer consent I confesse Christ is present with his Sacraments but with your Sacrament of the Altar he is neither present corporally nor spiritually for as you vse it it is a detestable Idoll Then the Bishop séeing his constant boldnes condemned him Then Robert Draks was called and being exhorted to returne to the Church of Rome he said he vtterly defied it and all the workes thereof euen as I defie the diuell and all his workes then was he likewise condâ—mned Then Thomas Spurge was demaunded if he would returne to the Catholike Church and then he called the rest and vpon the like demands he receiued the like answers so they had all their iudgements and deliuered vnto the Sherife and after burned as before Iohn Hullier Minister HEe was burâ—ed at Cambridge vpon the second day of Aprill for the professing of Christs Gospell vnder Thurlby Bishop of Ely and his Chancellor only a Praâ—er and a Letter of his are recorded his Letter is to proue the Romish Church Antichrist and exhorteth from dissembling with God and the world in comming to masse Christopher Lister Minister Iohn Mace Iohn Spencer Simon Ioyne Richard Nicoll and Iohn Hamond THese six were burned together at Colchester in Essex where the most part of them did inhabite the eight and twentieth day of Aprill Bonner now waxing wearie made a very quicke dispatch with these for as soone as they were deliuered by the Earle of Oxford and other Commissioners vnto Iohn Kingstone the Bishops Register Bonner caused them to be brought vnto his house at Fulham where in the open Church he ministred vnto them articles to which they answered alike as followeth That the Church of Rome is the malignant Church and no part of the Cathotholike Church and that they beleeue not the doctrine thereof and that they beléeue there be no mo but two Sacraments in the Church of Christ to wit Baptisme and the Lords Supper that they learned the truth of their profession by the doctrine set forth in King Edwards time and therein they would continue as long as they liued they refused to be partakers of the Sacrament of the Altar because it was vsed contrary to Gods word and glorie they said the Popes authoritie was vsurped and that he was an oppressor of Christs Church and Gospell and that he ought not to haue any authoritie in England and that they vtterly abhorred the Sea of Rome for putting downe the booke of God and setting vp the Babylonicall Masse with all the rest of Antichrists merchandise and that after consecration there remaineth in the Sacrament Bread and Wine as well as before and that the reall flesh and bloud of Christ is not in it and that the Masse is not propitiatorie neither for the quick nor for the dead but méere Idolatry and abomination And in the afternoone when they would not recant they were condemned and burned as before Margaret Ellice Hugh Lauerock an old lame man and Iohn Apprice a blind man SHe was of great Bursteed in Essex and was sent to Bonner by Sir Iohn Mordant Knight and Edmund Tyrrell Esquire she died in Newgate the thirtéenth of May being condemned to be burned before Hugh Lauerocke an old lame man and Iohn Apprice a blinde man when they were examined answered in effect as Christopher Lister Iohn Mace and others before mentioned had done after they were brought to the Consistoriâ— and being perswaded to recant their opinions of the Sacrament Hugh Lauerock said I will stand to my answere I cannot finde in the Scriptures that the Priests should lift vp ouer their heads a cake of bread then Bonner asked Iohn Apprice what he would say he answered your doctrine that you set forth is so agreeable with the world and imbraced of the world that it cannot be agreeable with the Scriptures and ye are not of the Catholike Church for ye make lawes to kill men and make the Queene your executioner whereupon they were condemned and sent to Stratford the Bow and there burned the â—ifteenth of May at their deaths Hugh Lauerock comforting Iohn Apprice said be of good comfort my brother for my Lord of London is our good Physitian he will heale thée of thy blindnes and me of my lamenesse Katharine Hutte widdow Elizabeth Tharnell and Ioane Hornes IN the yeare 1556. these were burned in Smithfield were sent to Bonner with Margaret Ellice and the blinde and lame man for denying the reall presence in the Sacrament of the Altar and for calling the Masse an Idoll Katharine Hutte being required to recant and say her minde of the Sacrament said I denie it to be a God because it is a dumbe God and made with mens handes Ione Hornes said if you can make your God to shedde bloud or to shew any condition of a liuely body then will I beleeue you but it is
was a stubborne fellow an Heretick and a Traytor Spurdance There is no man I thanke God to accuse me iustly that euer I was disobedient to any Ciuill Lawes but I haue a Soule and a Bodie and my Soule is none of the Queenes but my body one goods are the Queens and I must giue God my soule and all that belongeth vnto it and in lawes contrarie to Gods lawes I must rather obey God then man you cannot proue by the word of God that you should not haue any grauen Images in your Churches for lay-mens bookes or to worship God by them or that you should haue any ceremonies in the Church as you haue Bish. It is a decent order to furnish the Church as when you goe to dinner you haue a cloth vpon the table to furnish it so at these ceremonies a decent order amongst Christians and if you will not doe them seeing they are the lawes of the Realme you are an heretick and disobedient therefore confesse with vs that you haue been in errour and come home Spurd The spirituall lawes were neuer truelier set forth then in my Master King Edwards daies and I trust in God that I shall neuer forsake them whilest so I liue He was sent to Bury where he remained in prison Iohn Hallingsdale William Sparrow Richard Gibson THese three were produced before Bonner Bishop of London Iohn Halingsdale said that neither in the time of King Edward the sixt nor at that present he did beleeue that in the Sacrament is really the body and bloud of Christ and he would not receiue the same because he did beleeue that the body of Christ was onely in heauen and he said that Cranmer Latimer Ridley Hooper and generally all that of late haue beene burned for hereticks did preach truly the Gospel and vpon their preaching he grounded his faith and he said that the saying of Saint Iohn in the eighteenth chapter of the Reuelation That the bloud of the Prophets and Saints and of all that were slaine vpon the earth was found in the Babylonicall Church is vnderstood of the Church whereof the Pope is head where upon hee was condemned William Sparrow was charged with a submission made the year before vnto the Bishop he said he was sorie that euer he made it and it was the worst deed he euer did and being charged that he went to the Church and heard Masse he confessed he did so but it was with a troubled conscience He tolde the Bishop that which you call truth I beleeue to be heresie he confessed that since his submission he had preached against the Sacrament of the Altar against auricular confession and other Sacraments and he said If euery haire of his head were a man hee would burne them all rather then goe from the truth and he said that the Ecclesiasticall Lawes and the Masse were naught and abhominable whereupon hee was condemned Richard Gibson was condemned for not comming vnto confession and for not receiuing the Sacraments of the Popish Masse and for that he would not sweare to answere vnto their intergatories laid against him When sentence was read against him he boldly affirmed that he was an enemy vnto them all in his minde though hee had kept it secret for feare of the Law and hee said hee was blessed in that he was cursed of them so these three were burned in Smithfield where they yeelded gloriously and ioyfully their soules into the hands of God Iohn Rowth Minister and Margaret Mearing IN King Edwards time he was a Preacher at New-Castle Barwicke and Carliel In Queene Maries time he fled with his Wife into Friseland and dwelled at Norden and liued by knitting of caps hâ—seâ— and such like things but in October last he came ouer into England to buy yarne and hearing of the secret societie of the congregation of Gods children their assembled hee ioyned himselfe vnto them and was elected their preacher and hee taught and confirmed them in the truth of the Gospell But on the twelfth of December hee with Cuthbert Simpson and others were apprâ—hended at the Sarisons head in Islington where the congregation had appointed to assemble themselues to pray and heare Gods word they were brought before the Councell who sent Rowgh to Newgate and writ to Boner to examine him and proceed according vnto the law who vpon examination before Bonner confessed that he had spoken against the number of the Sacraments being perswaded that there were but two Baptisme and the Lords Supper and that hee had taught that in the Sacrament of the Altar ther is not really and substantially the body and bloud of Christ but that the substance of bread and wine remaineth without transubstantiation and that hee thought Confession to a Priest necessarie if hee had offended the Priest but if the offence were vnto another it was not necessarie but the reconcâ—liation ought to bee made to the party so offended hee denyed Laâ—ine seruice and allowed the seruice of King Edwards time and hee commended the opinion of Thomas Cranmer Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer and that they were godly learned men He confessed he had béene familâ—ar with diuers Englishmen women in Frieseland and agréed with them in opinion as Maister Story Thomas Yong George Roe and others to the number of 100. persons which flâ—d thither for Religion vsing the order set forth in King Edwards time He said that he had béene at Rome about thirty daies and he saw no good there but much euill amongst which he saw one great abhomination to wit the Pope being a man that should goe vpon the ground to be carried vpon the shoulâ—ers of foure men as though he had béene God and no man also a Cardinall to haue his Harlot to ride openly behind him and thirdly a Popes Bull that gaue expresse licence to haue and vse the Stewes and keepe open bawdery by the Popes authority And he confessed that since his last comming vnto England hee had in sundry places in London read Prayers and Seruice as is appointed in the Book of Communion and had willed others to doe the like and he affirmed that hee being a Priest might lawfully marry and that his Children which hee had by his Wife were lawfull and he vtterly detested the seruice then vsed saying that if he shold liue as long as Methusala he would neuer come vnto the Church to heare the abhominable Masse and other seruice then vsed Whereupon he was disgraded and condemned he was a meanes to saue Docror Watsons life then Bishop of Lincolne when he preached erroneous doctrine in the dayes of King Edward the sixt and the said Watson beeing with Bonner at the examination of the said M. Rowgh to requite his good turne in sauing his life said there that he was a pernicious hereticke who did more hurt in the North parts then an hundred besides of his opinion M. Rowgh further said he had liued thirtie years and yet had not bowed his knee vnto Baall and
sicke and died and one Maister Simonds the Commissary commanded straightly that she should not be burâ—ed in any Christian buriall Wherevpon her friends were faine to bury her vnder a mote side Mother Benet THis old woman likewise was persecuted from Whetherset by the aforesaid Mendlesam because she would not goe vnto the Masse and other beggerly ceremonies and returning home secretly vnto her house shee dyed most ioifully but Sir Iohn Tyrill and the said Maister Simonds Commissionary would not let her be buried in the Church-yard but her graue was made by the high-way side Her husband would say vnto her that if shee had been sparing they might haue been worth a hundred markes more then they were She would answere O man be content I cannot barrell my Butter and keepe my Cheese in the Chamber to waite a great price and let the poore want and so displease God but let vs be rich in good workes so shall we please God and haue all good things giuen vs. William Harris Richard Day and Christian George THe twenty sixe day of May these were burned at Colchester in Essex when they were brought vnto the stake and had ioyfully and feruently made their prayers the fire was set vnto them in the midst of the fire they triumphantly praised God The same Christian Eagles Husband had another Wise named Anne which likewise suffered for the truth with the aforesaid thirteene at Stratâ—ord the Bow after he married another Wife and they both were laid in prison for the truth where they remained vntill the death of Queene Marie and were deliuered by Queene Elizabeth Henry Pond Reynald Estland Robert Southam Mathew Richarby Iohn Floyd Iohn Holiday Roger Holand THe twenty seauen of Iune these with others to the number of forty Men and Women were assembled together in a field by Islington at Prayer and meditating vpon the word of God at length the Constable of Islington with sixe or seauen others came vnto them and bad them deliuer their Bookes and bad them stand and not depart then they were carried vnto Sir Roger Cholmeley by the way all sauing two and twenty escaped which were sent to Newgate where word was sent to them by Alexander the Kéeper that if they would heare Masse they should all bee deliuered seauen of them escaped though not without much trouble and two to wit Mathew Withers and Thomas Tyler died the rest were burned as before They answered that they were not at Church since Lattine seruice was deuised becauâ—e it was against the Word of GOD and that Idolatry was committed in créeping to the Crosse and because the Churches were furnished with Idols and because they beléeued the Sacrament of the Altar to be an Idoll and because the Customes Rites and Ceremonies of the Church then vsed are not agréeable vnto Gods word They said that they beléeued that no Priest had power to remit siâ—s and that those that knéele vnto the Sacrament and worship it commit Idolatry Reynald Estland refused to be sworne to answer alleadging that to end a strife an oath is lawfull but to begin a strife an oath is not lawfull thus they standing vnto their answeres and refusing to acknowledge the Doctrine of the Romish Church they were all together condemned The aforesaid Roger Holand was a Merchant Taylor of London he was sometime Prentice vnto one Maister Kempton at the Blacke Boy in Watling-stréete In his prentiship hee was a Papist and very licentious and hauing plaid away thirty pounds of his Maisters Money he purposed to haue conueyed himselfe beyond Sea but a religious Maid in the house vnderstanding his minde lent him thirty pounds to saue his credit and made him premise her to refuse all leud and wilde company and all swearing and â—ibaâ—ory talke and to leaue Papistry and to resort euery day vnto the Lecture of Alhollowes and to the Sermon of Paules euery Sunday and to cast away all his Papistry Bookes and to pray to God for remission of sinnes and grace to feare and breake his lawes and then shall God kéepe thée and send thée they harts desire Halfe a yeare after God wrote such a changing in this man that he was become an earnest professor of the truth and detested all Papistry and euill company then he repayred vnto Lancashire vnto his Father and brought diuers good Bookes with him and bestowed them vpon his friends so that his father and others began to â—ast the Gospell and to detest the Masse Idolatry and superstition and his father giuing him a stocke of Money he maried the aforesaid Maid called Elizabeth and hauing a childe by her in the first yeare of Quéen Mary he caused Maister Rose to baptise his Child in his house and being â—one into the Country to conuey away the Child that the Papists should not haue it in their annointing hands hee was bewrayed and Bonner caused his goods to be seased vpon and vsed his wife most cruelly after this he remained closely in the Citty vntill he was taken as before When hee came before Bonner who was acquainted with his friends and for his friends sake and his he perswaded him what he could to Papistry and a Kinsman of his standing by said I thanke your good Lordship your Honor meaneth good vnto my Cozen I pray God he haue grace to follow your councell Holand Sir you craue of God you cannot tell what I beseech God to open your eyeâ— to sée the light of his word Then the Bishop and others perswaded him to submit himselfe vnto my Lord before he were entred into the Booke of contempt Holand I neuer meant but to submit my selfe vnto the Magistrate as I learne of Saint Paul in the 13. to the Romaines Chedsey I sée you are not an Anabaptist Holand The Papists and the Anabaptists agrée in this point not to submit themselues vnto any other Prince or Magistrate then those that must first bee sworne to maintaine them and their doings Bonner I perceiue you will not be rul'd by any good councell for any thing that either I or your friends or any other can say Holand I may say vnto you my Lord as Saint Paul said vnto Foelix and to the Iewes It is not vnknowne vnto my Maister vnto whom I was Prentise that I was of your blind Religion vntill the latter end of King Edwaâ—ds raigne hauing that liberty vnder your auriculer confession that I made no conscience to sinne but trusted in the Priests absolution and hee for money did some pennance for me which after I had giuen I cared no more what offence I had done no more the Priest cared after he had got my money whether hee fasted with Bread and Water for me or no so I accounted Letchery swearing and other vices no offtence of danger as long as I could for my Money haue them absolued I so frailty obseruedâ—y our Rules of Religion that I would haue Ashes vppon Ashwednesday though I had vsed neuer so much wickednesse at night and